Dining I

After dressing up, they made their way to the restaurant on the second floor of House Tasmania. The grand oak doors opened into a spacious dining hall, where rows of neatly arranged tables stretched across the room. Each table was draped in pristine white cloth, adorned with fresh flowers and carefully placed tableware, arranged with meticulous precision. To the left, a counter bar served customers their choice of alcohol, while on the right, a classical music ensemble played.

Jack recognised the melody — it was a genre called pop music, which had dominated the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Its signature rapid rhythms effortlessly triggered dopamine in listeners, making it synonymous with dance and euphoria. Some even speculated that certain pop musicians had infused arcane elements into their compositions, elevating the genre beyond all others.

The more Jack observed, the more glaring the contrast between this world and the war-torn outside became.

Here, war was merely a distant echo. The elite were always the last to suffer, while the poor plunged headfirst into the abyss of misery.

Lupus, noticing the grim expression on his face, gently nudged his forearm. "Well, shall we?" She prompted, just as a waitress in a dark red uniform and brown apron approached them with a polite smile.

Jack quickly masked his thoughts and gave a small nod.

The waitress led them to a two-person table in the centre of the hall, skillfully pulling out a chair for Lupus before circling to do the same for Jack. He nodded appreciatively.

"So, would you like to take a look at the menu first, or are you ready to order?" The waitress asked, maintaining her professional smile.

Lupus returned the smile and promptly listed her choices. "I'll have a Bratwurst platter, a Schweinshaxe set…" She paused, allowing the waitress to tap her order into a datapad. The waitress glanced up and inquired, "Would you like your Bratwurst served with chopped cabbage and mustard?"

Lupus nodded eagerly, her golden eyes flickering toward Jack, silently conveying that she wasn't finished. "And I'd also like a Sauerbraten."

The waitress took note before turning to Jack.

"Wait… Didn't you just order for me too?" Jack stammered, taken aback by the sheer amount of food she had requested.

"No… because I don't know what you'd like for dinner," She admitted bashfully.

"You can eat all that?" Jack's mind reeled. Those three dishes alone were enough to feed at least ten people for an entire day.

Snapping back to the moment, he quickly placed his own order, a single set of Sauerbraten. The waitress recorded it and then noted Lupus' last-minute additions: a dessert at the end of her meal and a takeaway portion of assorted sausages. She picked a slice of carrot cake, fitting for her bunny Wildren.

Jack raised an eyebrow. A takeaway meal, too?

Was she planning a midnight feast? He found it unfathomable how arcane users required such a high caloric intake to replenish their mana. It was yet another intriguing aspect of the arcane world that piqued his curiosity in ways he hadn't expected.

As they waited for their food, a love song played softly in the background. Lupus rested her chin on her laced fingers, gently kicking her feet in rhythm with the acoustic beat. Jack was too nervous to notice the subtle shift in her demeanour. When the lyrics conveyed a message of hidden love, Lupus found her gaze flicking toward Jack's face, only to dart away just as quickly, warmth rising in her cheeks.

Jack, dressed in the dark ornate tunic that Lupus had picked for him, looked unexpectedly refined. The extended shoulder padding broadened his frame, making him appear more muscular. His silver hair was neatly combed and parted evenly to the side, accentuating his sharp, clean-shaven jawline. Under the amber glow of the chandelier, his eyes seemed more expressive than usual.

In Lupus's mind, Uncle Jack was… appealing. Enough to make her heart tingle in an unfamiliar way.

She knew it was improper, enticing a family man away from his loved ones was nothing short of disgraceful. Yet, she reassured herself that she hadn't done anything too daring. At least, not yet. Just for tonight, she wanted to indulge a little; just a simple dinner between them, nothing more.

Then, as if struck by lightning, Jack's denseness suddenly dissolved.

"Wait, wait, wait! Is this a date?!"

His thoughts jolted him like an electric shock to the core, and he straightened up awkwardly. His fingers fidgeted as he tried to calm his nerves. He wanted to think of his family, to remind himself of the boundary between them, but no matter how hard he tried, no memories came. It was as if they had never existed in the first place.

What kind of dilemma was this?

And to make matters worse, the age gap between them was enormous. He had likely lived twice as long as she had.

Before he could spiral any further, a familiar voice shattered the awkward tension.

Standing beside Lupus was the dazzling mage they had met earlier that evening. His posture remained effortlessly elegant.

"Sir Lunarius Willhelm! Good evening again!" Lupus greeted, attempting to rise from her seat, but he quickly gestured for her to remain seated.

Willhelm nodded politely at her before turning his dark green eyes toward Jack.

"My deepest apologies for our previous encounter, and for what I'm about to say." His tone was smooth yet unreadable as he offered a small bow. "I originally mistook you for her servant, which is why I failed to introduce myself properly."

Jack couldn't quite tell if the elf was being condescending, sarcastic, or genuinely apologetic.

Regardless, he shook his head to indicate no offence was taken. "My name's Jack, Jack Squire. I… um, was a debris collector in low orbit." He extended a hand, shaking Willhelm's. "Nice to meet you, Sir Lunarius."

"The pleasure is mine, Mister Jack Squire," Willhelm replied with his usual grace.

Then, as if something unseen had drawn his attention, his gaze drifted toward the bar.