"So, everyone was here." Erwin said as he looked at the dining hall filed with servants.
As he looked around, he couldn't help but notice the stark contrast between the different meals being enjoyed by the various servants. Some were tucking into mouth-watering dishes of chicken and rice, steak, and fish, while others seemed to be struggling with their food.
Erwin's own meal, dry bread with soup, sat in front of him and Kael. While Kael was eating it with ease, Erwin couldn't help but feel a sense of disgust towards it. As he took a closer look at the bread, he saw that it was hard and crusty, with a slightly burnt exterior. The soup appeared thin and colorless, with only a few small bits of vegetable floating in it.
Erwin took a hesitant bite of the dry bread, but his face immediately contorted in disgust. He took a sip of the soup, only to realize that it was just water with salt. "What is this?" Erwin asked, looking at Kael with a mix of confusion and disappointment.
Kael continued to eat in silence, but his eyes conveyed sympathy with Erwin. "This is our regular meal, I'm afraid. It may not be much, but it's better than going hungry. If you want something more appetizing, you'll have to pay for it. Unfortunately, as slaves, we don't have that luxury," Kael explained.
Erwin took another bite of the dry bread and tried to swallow it down with the plain soup. It was a struggle, and he couldn't help but notice how the other servants were enjoying their delicious meals. He looked around and whispered to Kael, "How can they afford to eat such good food? They are just like us, right?"
Kael stopped eating for a moment and followed Erwin's gaze towards the other servants. "Well, some of them are paid servants, so they have more money to buy better food. And some slaves do work outside of their masters' requirements, doing tasks like cleaning or gathering herbs, which can earn them a bit of extra money," Kael explained.
Erwin pondered his circumstances upon hearing this. 'Well, I can eat to survive, but it's not exactly filling. What to do, what to do.'
After pondering for a while, Erwin still couldn't come up with a solution to his hunger problem. So, he decided to focus on filling his stomach with the only sustenance available to him, the rock-hard bread and tasteless soup that seemed to be a specialty of the house.
As he took a bite of the bread, he couldn't help but wonder if he was actually eating a piece of rock. He took another bite, and this time, he was convinced that his theory was correct. He whispered to Kael, "I think they're serving us rocks disguised as bread."
Kael let out a chuckle and said, "Well, it wouldn't be the first time. But hey, at least it's something to chew on, right?"
He looked at Kael with a horrified expression and said, "Are you sure this isn't petrified bread? Because I think I just chipped a tooth on it."
Kael tried to hold back a laugh as he took another bite of the bread. "Well, I did hear that the chef was trying to experiment with new recipes," he said, smirking.
Erwin raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Experiment? More like he's trying to punish us with his culinary disasters," he joked.
Kael chuckled at Erwin's comment. "Hey, at least the soup has some flavor to it. It tastes like they accidentally spilled a whole jar of salt in it."
Erwin nodded in agreement, and continue to eat the food.
Erwin couldn't resist stealing glances at Kael's disfigured face as they ate. He had heard stories about the harsh treatment that slaves received from their masters, but seeing Kael's scars up close was a stark reminder of how brutal things could get.
Erwin noticed that the other servants also looked at Kael's face, some with sympathy and others with disgust. One of the serving girls even gasped and hurried away, unable to bear the sight.
Kael seemed to be unfazed by the attention, and he continued to eat his meal with a nonchalant air, not allowing the stares and whispers to bother him. Suddenly, as if reading Erwin's mind, he grinned and said, "Don't worry, my face is not contagious. You can stare all you want."
Erwin was taken aback by Kael's response, but couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of the situation. "Well, that's a relief. I thought I was going to catch something."
taking another bite of his rock-hard bread.
As he chewed, Erwin couldn't help but notice the other servants stealing glances at Kael's disfigured face. He decided to ask the question that was on everyone's mind. "But seriously, how did your face end up like this?"
Kael paused for a moment before answering. "I was born with this condition. In my village, every elf is supposed to be beautiful, so I was ostracized and became a loner. Then, I was captured by slavers and brought here as a slave."
Erwin couldn't believe the cruelty of the situation. "Well, that's just ridiculous. You're a handsome fellow in my book, scars and all," he said with a grin, hoping to lighten the mood.
kael just smiled at Erwin's response and ate his meal. Erwin smiled back and finished his food and returned to their rooms. On the way back to their quarters, Erwin's mind was still preoccupied with the thought of living as a slave. As they walked back to their quarters, Erwin couldn't resist asking Kael, "Hey man, you're a mage, right? Can't you use your magic to get us out of this situation?"
Kael looked at Erwin with a mixture of sadness and amusement. "I wish it was that easy, my friend. Unfortunately, my powers are limited by my master's restrictions. And even if I were free to use my magic, we would still need permission from our masters to leave."
Erwin sighed in disappointment. "Well, that's a bummer. But, as a mage, can't you use your powers to earn some money? Like doing some magic tricks or something?"
Kael raised an eyebrow at Erwin's suggestion. "Magic tricks? Really? I'm not some street performer, Erwin. And besides, I need my master's permission to work outside of my usual duties. My master won't allow it." He then turned to Erwin and asked, "What about you? Can you work outside, or is your master as strict as mine? You are mage, too."
Erwin shrugged and replied, "I haven't asked my master yet. But even if he allows me to work, I'm not sure what kind of work I can do. I mean, I can't just perform magic tricks or shows, can I? And I don't really know how to do anything else."
Kael looked at Erwin in disbelief and asked, "Wait, you're a first circle mage and you don't know how to do any magic beyond basic spells?"
"Basic spells?" Erwin looked at him with confusion.
Kael's disbelief only grew when he saw Erwin shake his head in response. "Wait, you don't even know basic spells?" Kael exclaimed. "Then how did you even become a first circle mage?"
Erwin hung his head, feeling embarrassed. "To be honest, I don't really know," he admitted. "One day I just woke up and realized I had become a first circle mage."
Kael's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You mean you didn't go through any training or apprenticeship?" he asked incredulously.
Erwin shook his head, feeling even more ashamed. "No, I just woke up with these powers. I don't even know how to control them properly," he confessed.
Kael's surprise deepened as he stared at Erwin, feeling a mixture of both envy and sympathy. "I can't believe it. You're so lucky and yet so unfortunate at the same time," he said with a sigh.
Erwin looked at him with confusion. "What do you mean?"
"Well, you have the power of magic, something that many can only dream of having, and yet you don't know how to use it properly," Kael explained. "It's like having a sword, but not knowing how to wield it."
Erwin nodded in understanding. "I see your point. So what do you suggest I do?"
Kael thought for a moment before replying, "You should try to learn how to control your powers, maybe even try to learn some basic spells. You can learn them at the academy library, but to learn advanced spells, you would need to become a student or teacher at the academy."
After a while, they arrived at their quarters and entered, each lying down on their respective beds. Kael immediately fell asleep as soon as his back touched the bed, leaving Erwin to ponder over what tasks his master had assigned him that could have left Kael so exhausted.
Erwin's mind began to race with thoughts. "I need to figure out how to make money in this world," he thought to himself. "But first, I need to get stronger. This world is a brutal place where personal power is everything."
Erwin also knew that he had to find a way back to Achlys, but he wasn't sure what he would do once he got there. "Maybe I'll meet Jiona again," he mused. "I don't know much about her other than how her lips taste and how her breasts feel in my hand."
Erwin's thoughts then turned back to the present. "But what am I going to do here in the meantime?" he wondered. "Perhaps I'll create my own slave harem. That sounds like a good idea."
He pondered over his predicament; he found himself getting lost in thought. The weight of his worries seemed to be taking a toll on him, and his eyes grew heavy with exhaustion. The longer he lay there, the more his mind seemed to drift off into a world of its own.
Lost in thought, Erwin's eyes grew heavy, and soon his mind drifted off into a dream world without him even realizing it. The meal of servants had seemed to satisfy Erwin's hunger, making it easier for him to fall asleep.
