Sabatsday, 1st of Septimus, 470th Year of the Fifth Era

The large clock in the dining hall's single hand had pointed to the seventh hour. Josias and the rest of his companions had joined the count and countess for dinner. They had just returned home an hour earlier and were eager to commence the feast.

Upon the table in front of them, the servants laid out glasses and a few bottles. The wine bottles looked luxurious and Josias couldn't wait to get a taste. In front of them were also laid pieces of cloth called 'napkins'. Apparently it was something one was supposed to put on their lap, based on what he saw the count and countess doing.

However, what was truly daunting for him – and the rest of his companions – were the various utensils set beside their plates.

Of course he knew in general what knives, forks, and spoons were. It's not that the Halaklands weren't ever introduced to these items. But why on God's earth were there rows of knives and forks with only minor differences to them? Surely that didn't make any sense.

Josias fiddled with a few of the utensils but stopped himself when his wife slapped his hand. He also noticed the countess giving him a raised eyebrow so it was best to temper his curiosities.

As most of the food was being set, the count stood up from his seat while raising his wine glass.

"Firstly, I would like to say a few things before we commence with the feast." The count took a glance at everyone there "This is a most joyful day for me. A day in which I am able to meet my beloved niece, whom I've only been able to converse with through word of letter. My niece who is as lovely as any royal princess of the Griffsroost Palace.

"When I received the letter from my brother of your arrival, I was truly ecstatic. With what tragedies and hardship my wife and I have faced, this is but a small consolation, but even still. We are ever thankful for it and I am glad to see you arrive in good health, beloved Serena.

"Moreover, I am ever honoured to be able to host His Highness, Prince Josias, along with the rest of his noble retainers in my humble abode. May through this act, an even deeper bond may be established between my house and that of your royal dynasty.

"With all that to say, I simply raise my glass in toast to what I'm most grateful for. To the arrival of my niece, the Heiress of the Reicherton County and House Rappmeister! Cheers!"

Everyone raised their glass in cheer. Everyone except Serena. Josias noticed his wife stare blankly for a second at her uncle before she snapped herself back. Just what on earth was she thinking?

"Are you alright, hasian?" Josias held his wife's hand in concern.

"...I'm fine, Josi…" Serena said as she showed Josias a gentle smile but he still felt something was off.

"Truly? If there's something wrong, I'm sure the count would-..."

"I said I'm fine, husband." Serena held Josias' hand back firmly as she gave him a look. He knew that look. If she didn't want to speak of it right now, then it was fine. He won't force her to. "Let's just focus back on eating this lovely meal prepared for us." she added.

After the count's toast, he had politely asked the young Reverend Timotheus to lead them in prayer. His elder brother cleared his throat before doing as requested, leading a prayer fully in the Feldonian language. Josias didn't know when he learned it, but Timotheus even recited the Lord's Prayer in Feldonian. Something that only the count and countess followed along because none of the other people knew it. They had only ever memorised the prayers in the Halak tongue.

After the prayers, Count Lorenz invited them all to start eating as he did. The count had taken a piece of the roasted chicken with his knife and put it on his plate, along with the bread.

Josias thought for a second before he moved to take a piece of bread with his hand. He ate the small roll of bread directly and was surprised at the crunchiness and texture. It was quite sweet as well. An enjoyable little snack. That was until he noticed the countess shaking her head with a bemused chuckle.

It would appear he had committed a slight error in his table manners. He looked to his other companions and none of them had even dared to start. In hindsight, it was perhaps better if he had just admitted to his ignorance on using such items. How was he supposed to deny the allegations of being a savage now?

"Ai dia do tapangke sude ulaula on? (How are we supposed to use these?)" Josias asked his wife in a low tone, pointing to the various utensils spread in front of him.

Serena had tried her best to explain it to him, but she admitted that even she was very confused. It wasn't surprising. The missionaries had quickly adapted to the Halak manner of eating. None of them had really educated the Halak children in how to eat in the western manner. It simply wasn't something they thought the children needed to learn.

He couldn't blame them, but by God had he wished they did. He would at least be spared the embarrassment he was feeling now.

"Don't worry too much about table utensils and eating etiquette, Your Highness." It seemed the count had noticed their little predicament. And it looked like he found it quite amusing as he laughed at Josias' confusion. "We didn't expect you to understand how to eat like us either."

"But still, it wouldn't hurt for the Prince and his companions to now learn of proper table manners." The countess was slightly more stern in her tone "It would reflect poorly upon us were the other nobles to think our niece and her retainers as savages. If Sir Robert would be so kind as to give a short lesson for the young lords and ladies."

"Of course, ma'am." Sir Robert bowed as he motioned for a few other servants to help him teach Josias and the rest of his companions. Sir Robert himself focused on teaching little Tigor and Tiur.

Josias paid close attention to everything Sir Robert said and demonstrated regarding table manners. Starting from how to hold the damned utensils, where to point the damned tines of the fork, what item was used for what. It wasn't terribly difficult for him to learn, and he and his companions had gotten it fairly quickly. Although, some were still more awkward than others in using the utensils.

Honestly, why did the westerners even bother with coming up with all these clunky and awkward rules for eating? It was as if one of the western ancestors purposefully made things difficult to make a fool of their descendants.

The food wasn't terrible, but Josias couldn't help but slightly frown. It was good food. Definitely better than whatever they had to ration themselves with on the ship. But his tongue was still accustomed to the many and varied spices of the Halaklands. The relative blandness of western food wasn't worth the trouble and effort of these inane rules of etiquette.

"Is something troubling His Highness? You seem to be not enjoying yourself. Is the food not to your liking?" The countess said with a troubled expression. Serena gave him a glance as if to ask him what's wrong.

Josias sighed in his mind as he mustered up his best smile to the countess.

"The food is fine, your highness. Truly, it is enjoyable." Josias said "I simply need some time to adjust myself to the western customs of eating. It's a lot to learn, but we'll manage."

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"Ah, but you seem to be managing quite well already. If I may ask, how do you all eat over in your homeland?" The countess asked.

"With our hands." Josias put down his knife and fork and motioned with his two hands.

"Your… hands…?" The countess' expression was one of mocking disbelief for a slight second before she put back a smile "That seems savage and unsanitary."

"It's hardly unsanitary, your highness, not especially if we clean them beforehand." Josias answered, trying his best to not frown at his aunt-in-law's comments.

He reminded himself that she was a princess, most probably raised within the huge palace he saw near the port. It wasn't her fault she'd look down on other customs that were foreign to her own. His other companions had slightly difficult expressions on their faces, but he didn't think any of them would openly contrast their benefactors' comments.

Josias was about to laugh the comments off, but before he could say anything, his brother Timotheus spoke up.

"It seems quite a bit different from my perspective, Your Highness." The young reverend retained his smile as he eloquently cut through the chicken breast with his knife and fork. "I apologise beforehand, but to me, these western foods are far more savage and barbaric."

"How so, reverend father?" The countess' face was intrigued, but her tone grew slightly indignant. In contrast, her husband's face was rather curious as he looked at Josias' cousin.

"By the very fact we have to force ourselves to use these contrived utensils in such a way to even cut this food is proof enough of its… baseness." Bang Timo ate his chicken, chewed on it quietly, and swallowed it before continuing "Food in Neacordis is at such a refined state and cooked so tenderly, we need not these tools to help us cut nor chew on them. Add to that the variety of beautiful spices native to our lands that are missing from this… But of course, I am still grateful for yours and the count's hospitality. And the wine prepared is most exquisite. No liquor of our lands could stand up to this. May the Lord Bless Your House, always."

The countess nodded at Bang Timo's comments. Her face was unreadable, but there wasn't much she could say to that anyways. After all, his brother didn't outright insult the food and he threw in a compliment for the drink. Count Lorenz laughed at the comments but stopped himself when his wife gave him a glare.

Josias noticed the tension, and while he wholeheartedly agreed with Bang Timo's perspective, he didn't wish to antagonize the countess.

"Still, Your Highness, I am most grateful for your considerations in educating on these manners." Josias gave a slight bow which the countess responded to in kind, a small smile appearing on her thin face "These are only our personal thoughts, but we desire not to bring any shame upon the house of our benefactors. We meant no disrespect."

"There was no disrespect to be had from honest conversation." This time, Count Lorenz weighed in. "I assure you my wife also had no ill-intent in her rather blunt musings. It is only that our perspective on the Hallacklands are indeed mostly shaped by my brother's various reports. Is it true that your people practice cannibalism and human sacrifice, or is that just something my brother made up to elicit the court to fund his missionary efforts, hahaha?"

The count laughed along with a few of Josias' other companions, but Josias didn't laugh. Neither did his brother Timotheus, nor his sister Maria. They all had grave expressions on their faces. Try as he might to make light of it, being reminded of those accursed pagan practices, he could not help but frown.

Count Lorenz seemed to have noticed this as he ceased laughing and instead cleared his throat. "...I apologise if that was insensitive of me, Your Highness. I was simply curious and had no ill intent to mock you or your people."

Josias shook his head and raised his hand in front of him. He had regained himself and managed to force a smile on his face.

"No, it is well indeed that you are curious, Lord Count." Josias said, carefully forming the words in his mind to not let himself fall into emotion.

He felt his wife's hand on his shoulder at his unease and he took a deep breath to calm down. Josias continued to speak.

"Unfortunately, my father-in-law made no lie in his reports. Among the heathens of my people, such cruel acts of barbarism still persist. Some of our own elders have also practiced it during the time before the missionaries. Thankfully, none among us here have ever witnessed any such profanity committed ourselves. We were born into a christianised society and have never experienced such atrocities.

"My father-in-law's efforts are slowly but surely bearing much fruit in doing away with those savage practices. Nearly half of the Halaklands are in the process of christianisation, if you count the efforts of the catholics in the south."

"Tch. Damned catholics." Count Lorenz spat. Josias and his companions laughed as they shared a similar disdain for the so-called papists. "Even still, it's good to know that you are all civilised christians here…"

"...Me and Tigor have eaten a person before." Tiur muttered as she ate her food. Everyone was shocked by this statement, not the least Josias and Serena.

"Wait, what are you saying…" Bang Timo had the most aghast expression as he questioned the little girl "What nonsense is this?!"

Tiur looked a little startled as Bang Timo raised his voice. The little girl's eyes started tearing up as she answered.

"Mama said they were bad people. It was to heal little Togar, she said… She made us drink their blood and said… the gods would strengthen us. It tasted bad, though… And the screams were scary…"

Tigor didn't look too bothered, but he probably wasn't understanding things properly. "People blood tastes icky." He said nonchalantly.

The room soon grew silent as even Josias didn't know how to react to that. None of his companions did. Timotheus had an ashen look on his face as it was apparent this was the first he's heard of it. Maria sobbed as she held her mouth with her hand.

Count Lorenz gulped as his mouth refused to close at the revelation.

Noticing all these stares at her, Tiur couldn't hold it in as she started crying.

"It… I don't know…! Mama said it was good… And… and…!" When the girl started sobbing, Josias had moved to comfort her. But the countess stood up abruptly, her face severe.

She walked around the large dining table towards the little girl. As she reached Tiur's chair, she lowered her body and embraced the child, bringing her to her bosom. She cooed her and caressed her hair to calm her down.

"Now, now, little one. It's fine. Granny's here and I promise you'll never have any of that done to you ever." The countess' voice was the gentlest Josias had heard thus far. "Why don't we go to the gardens? I heard from Sir Robert you liked that."

Tiur nodded before she allowed herself to be picked up by the countess. She looked to Timotheus and asked him for his permission to bring the little girl and boy outside with her. The young reverend acquiesced and the three of them left the dining hall followed by a few servants.

As they left, the dining hall grew quiet once more. This time, it was Josias who felt severely awkward. It was rather a shameful thing to admit, but it was better for Josias to fully explain the circumstances that brought him to Feldonia.

"...I assure you, Lord Count, such experiences are far from the norm. It is my Lord uncle in particular who had caused a few troubles for us… He is an apostate and has caused no small amount of harm to our cause. In fact, he…"

Josias still found it difficult to recount the story in full. It appears the wounds he felt were still far too real to ignore. He didn't wish to remind himself of the tragedy that had befallen him nor his family. Luckily, Count Lorenz seemed to notice this as he waved his hand.

"There's no need to trouble yourself with that, your Highness." Count Lorenz gave a gentle smile "I have a very surface grasp on your circumstances from my brother's report. Trust me when I say that western noble families are no less beset by the intricacies of family politics and tragedies."

Josias blew a sigh of relief. "Thank you for your understanding, Lord Count. It is… It is still difficult for me to recount these things, especially when it pertains to… my father's untimely demise."

"Not at all, Your Highness. I can't even begin to pretend to understand what it feels like, but after my own son's passing, I perhaps have a small inkling."

Josias was reminded of the late Lord Louis' portrait when Count Lorenz mentioned his son. Truly, tragedy knew no boundaries of nations or social class.

"My apologies, for souring the mood of this feast, Lord Count." Josias bowed.

"Oh, it's fine. Anyways, while the mood's like this, I might as well break the news to you now so you can prepare."

Josias raised an eyebrow as he saw the count laugh sheepishly while scratching his hair.

"...His Majesty, King Albert, formally extends to you and your companions an invitation to the Griffroost Palace for dinner on Tynesday." Count Lorenz said "He wishes to personally meet the kin of the late swordsaint and have a conversation about your land and your peoples. While I say this is an invitation, it would be more prudent to treat it as a notice. Refusing the king's summons would be most unwise."

Josias could feel his heart drop down his stomach. He'd only been in the city for one day and he already had a notice to meet with the king? Things just keep on getting more interesting, to say the least.

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