Cultivation is Creation-Chapter 234: The Meal

After taking a few minutes to compose myself following Lady Laelyn's departure, I left my room and made my way down.

The inn's main floor buzzed with activity. Travelers filled the common room, their voices creating a steady murmur beneath the clinking of cups and occasional bursts of laughter. Servers weaved between tables, balancing trays of food and drink.

I scanned the room, looking for Lady Laelyn and her party.

They weren't among the common diners, unsurprising given their status and the recent attempts on her life. A more private setting would be both appropriate and safer.

"May I help you, sir?"

I turned to find a server standing nearby, a young woman with dark hair pulled back in a simple knot. Her smile seemed professional enough, but something about her eyes struck me as...off. Too alert, too assessing for someone whose job was merely to deliver meals and clear tables.

"I'm looking for La—" I caught myself. "For the merchant party I arrived with earlier. I believe they arranged a private dining room?"

"Ah, yes." Her eyes flickered briefly. "The eastern wing, second door on the right. I can show you the way if you like."

"That won't be necessary," I replied with a polite smile. "I can find it."

I made my way through the common room, weaving between tables and nodding politely to other guests.

The eastern wing was quieter, a corridor lined with several doors that presumably led to private dining chambers. I located the second door on the right and knocked softly.

"Enter," came Beric's voice.

I pushed open the door to find a well-appointed private dining room. A rectangular table dominated the center, set with fine ceramics and gleaming cutlery. A hearth along one wall provided both warmth and soft, flickering light, supplemented by several oil lamps placed in wall sconces.

Lady Laelyn sat at the head of the table, with Beric to her right. Two other guards occupied seats further down, while an elderly woman, a companion or attendant I hadn't noticed earlier, sat to Lady Laelyn's left. An empty chair beside the elderly woman presumably awaited me.

"Ah, Tomas," Lady Laelyn greeted with a warm smile. "Please, join us. We were just about to begin."

I bowed slightly as I entered. "Thank you for including me, my lady."

"Nonsense," she replied. "After your service today, you're an honored guest."

I took my seat beside the elderly woman, who studied me with sharp eyes that belied her advanced age. "So, this is the brave village boy?" she asked. "Mara. I serve as Lady Laelyn's companion."

"An honor to meet you," I replied.

"Hmm." She continued to study me with those penetrating eyes. "You have an unusual quality about you, young man. Most villagers would be overwhelmed by such company."

I ducked my head slightly. "I'm just grateful for their kindness, ma'am. Without Lady Laelyn's intervention, I'd likely be dead or worse."

"Yes, I heard about the village." Mara's expression softened slightly. "A terrible business. Those Skybound monsters grow bolder by the day."

I nodded, allowing genuine sorrow to enter my expression.

"Let's not dwell on such darkness during our meal," Lady Laelyn interjected gently. "Tomas deserves a respite from horrors, not a reminder."

Servants entered then, bearing trays laden with food that far surpassed anything found in a village tavern. Roasted meats seasoned with herbs, fresh vegetables prepared in delicate sauces, breads still warm from the oven, and fragrant rice that steamed when uncovered. They arranged the dishes on the table, filled our cups with a pale golden wine, and departed with minimal interaction.

As the door closed behind them, I noticed Beric's eyes follow their exit, his gaze lingering on the door for a moment longer than necessary.

"The inn is known for its excellent kitchen," Lady Laelyn commented, seemingly oblivious to her guard's vigilance. "The chef trained in the Royal City before settling here."

"It looks wonderful," I replied truthfully. My current body responded to the aromas with immediate hunger, and I dug in with the etiquette, or lack of etiquette, one would expect from a villager.

"Tell me, Tomas," Mara said as we began to eat, "what skills did you practice in your village? You seem well-spoken for a miller's son."

A test, and not a particularly subtle one. I chewed slowly before answering, not rushing to defend myself.

"My mother valued learning," I explained, drawing on Tomas's memories. "She taught me my letters and numbers before she passed. And the village had a small collection of books that travelers had left over the years. I read them whenever there was time after chores."

"Commendable," Mara nodded. "Education is sadly neglected in rural areas."

"Were you apprenticed to your father?" one of the guards asked, a younger man named Korin, if I recalled correctly.

I nodded. "Yes, I was learning the trade. Grinding grain isn't complicated, but maintaining the mill requires skill. Understanding water flow, gears, stone quality..." I allowed myself to trail off, as if realizing I might be boring them with technical details.

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"Practical knowledge," Beric commented, his first direct address to me since I'd entered. "Useful skills."

I sensed a calculation behind his words, an assessment of what value I might offer their group beyond the warning that had saved Lady Laelyn's life. He was categorizing me, determining whether I was worth the risk of keeping close, or if there was more to my background.

"What will you do now?" Korin asked bluntly. "With your village gone..."

A silence fell over the table, the question hanging awkwardly in the air. It was the obvious inquiry, yet one everyone had politely avoided until now.

I looked down at my plate, letting my shoulders slump slightly as I arranged my features into an expression of quiet grief. Having lived through the destruction of the village multiple times meant that the emotions weren't entirely feigned so that made my job easier.

"I haven't..." I began, then paused as if struggling to form the words. "Everything I knew is gone. My father, our mill, the village..." I took a slow breath. "I suppose at Hyelin City, I’ll try to find work there. I know how to fix mill machinery, perhaps some bakery or granary could use such skills."

I kept my eyes downcast, a perfect portrait of someone trying to rebuild shattered fragments of a life into something with purpose. "Start small. Find a room somewhere. Work. Save a little. One day at a time, I suppose."

When I finally looked up, Lady Laelyn was watching me with an expression of mingled sympathy and thoughtfulness.

"If you don't mind traveling with a target for assassins," she said with a teasing smile, "you could come with us beyond Hyelin City. To the Blue Sun Academy."

I blinked, allowing genuine surprise to show on my face, though for entirely different reasons than Tomas would have felt. This was exactly what I wanted: direct entry to the Academy with their protection and sponsorship. Yet I had to appear properly astonished by such generosity.

"The Academy?" I echoed, my voice deliberately uncertain. "But... what use would I be to Lightweavers? I'm just a miller's son. I don't have any special abilities or knowledge."

"Your mechanical skills could be quite valuable," Lady Laelyn suggested. "The Academy has extensive equipment that requires maintenance: water systems, heating mechanisms, mechanical trainers. And beyond that..." She smiled warmly. "Everyone deserves a fresh start after tragedy. Perhaps the Blue Sun has guided our paths together for a reason."

I allowed a hesitant smile to form, as if hope were slowly dawning after days of despair. "That would... that would give me purpose. A chance to be part of something meaningful again." I ducked my head. "I'd be honored, my lady. Truly."

Mara was watching this exchange with narrowed eyes, her head tilted slightly as if listening to something beyond our conversation. "The Academy is not a charity house, Laelyn," she said finally, her tone gentle but firm. "Nor is it a refuge for every stray you encounter."

"Mara!" Lady Laelyn looked genuinely shocked by the older woman's bluntness.

"I'm merely stating facts," Mara replied, unperturbed. "If the boy has no affinity for the blue sun's energy, his presence would be... tolerated at best." She turned her penetrating gaze to me. "Unless there's something more to you than appears, young miller."

The statement hung in the air like a challenge. For a moment, I wondered if she somehow sensed the suns in my inner world.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Beric cut in, his tone carefully neutral though his eyes remained watchful. "Such arrangements would require proper approvals. There are protocols for bringing outsiders to the Academy." He glanced briefly at Lady Laelyn. "Perhaps we should discuss this matter tomorrow, after we've all had time to consider it carefully."

"Of course, Beric," Lady Laelyn conceded. "We have plenty of time to sort out the details. For now, let's enjoy this excellent meal."

Our conversation was interrupted by the arrival of the serving girl with a carafe of wine. As she poured, I noticed something that sent a chill down my spine. Her movements were precise, but her eyes kept darting to the window, and there was a tension in her shoulders that hadn't been present earlier.

Azure noticed it too. "Master, the girl's behavior has changed. She's anticipating something."

I watched her carefully as she finished serving and left the room. The slight tremor in her hands, the quickened breathing, these were the signs of someone under pressure, someone involved in something that frightened them.

"Is the wine not to your liking?" Lady Laelyn asked Beric, who I now realized had not touched his glass.

"It's fine, my lady," he replied, though he made no move to drink. "I simply prefer to keep my wits about me while traveling."

His caution confirmed my suspicions. Beric had noticed something amiss as well, though he concealed his concerns from Lady Laelyn, who seemed oblivious to these undercurrents, continuing to sip her wine as she spoke about their plans for the journey ahead.

"If the weather holds, we should reach Hyelin City in two days. Lord Kaeven's mansion is in the western quarter, overlooking the harbor..."

As she spoke, I divided my attention between maintaining my façade of interest and tracking the movements of the inn's staff. Through the partially open door, I could see servants moving with unusual urgency, exchanging whispered words as they passed.

"Something has changed," Azure observed silently. "The inn's routine has been disrupted."

I nodded imperceptibly, continuing to eat my dessert with apparent enjoyment while mentally cataloging everything I'd noticed: the serving girl's nervous glances, Beric's refusal to drink, the accelerated pace of the staff outside, Lady Laelyn's complete unawareness of the tension building around us.

"Is the food poisoned?" I asked Azure.

"Not that I can detect," Azure replied after a moment. "The food and wine show no unusual properties. Whatever their purpose, it doesn't appear to involve immediate harm through consumption."

That was somewhat reassuring.

"What do you think, Tomas?" Lady Laelyn's voice pulled me from my observations.

I blinked, realizing I'd missed her question entirely. "I'm sorry, my lady. Could you repeat that?"

She smiled. "I was asking if you've ever been to Hyelin City before."

"No, never," I replied, recovering quickly. "Is it as grand as people say?"

This launched her into an enthusiastic description of Hyelin's wonders: the harbor with ships from distant lands, the markets filled with exotic goods, the grand temple of the First Light at the city's heart. I nodded and asked appropriate questions, all while continuing my subtle surveillance of our surroundings.

My guess would be that the inn's staff had been compromised. Whether bribed or threatened, they were now acting on someone else's behalf, likely reporting Lady Laelyn's presence to interested parties.

"—don't you agree, Tomas?" Lady Laelyn was looking at me expectantly.

"I'm sorry, my lady," I apologized again, feigning embarrassment. "I'm afraid the events of the day have left me more tired than I realized. My mind wandered."

Her expression softened with immediate concern. "Of course. How thoughtless of me to keep you here when you must be exhausted. You've been through a terrible ordeal."

"Perhaps we should all retire early," Beric suggested smoothly, finally seeing his opening. "Tomorrow's journey will be demanding, and we should be well-rested."

Lady Laelyn looked momentarily disappointed but nodded in agreement. "You're right, as always, Beric. Though I was enjoying our conversation." She cast a warm smile in my direction.

"The conversation can continue tomorrow," Beric said, rising from his seat. "On the road, where we'll have plenty of time to talk."

I stood as well, bowing slightly to Lady Laelyn. "Thank you for your hospitality. This was... more than I could have imagined."

"You're most welcome, Tomas," she replied, her voice softening. "Sleep well. Tomorrow brings us closer to safety."

The irony of her statement wasn't lost on me.

If my suspicions were correct, "safety" might be the last thing tomorrow would bring.