Chapter 4: The Awaited Dinner
Jaden walked towards the chair and gently sat on it, a smile still tugging at his lips. As he sat down, Elara questioned.
"Are you ready for tomorrow?"
Jaden looked at her and nodded as he replied.
"I am."
"You don’t have to worry about anything, Jaden. Even if you don’t get a high-ranked grimoire, you can still follow the path of martial arts." Theron added.
Jaden turned towards him and nodded somberly.
Elara’s eyes turned sharp as she heard that. She turned towards Theron with a wide grin that didn’t quite reach her ears.
Theron coughed a little and added.
"It does not mean you cannot get a high-ranked grimoire; a man should never lose hope."
Elara’s eyes turned much gentler as she turned towards Jaden and stated.
"Your father is right, Jaden. You do not have to lose hope."
Jaden smiled forcefully and nodded to indicate that he understood what they meant by it. Elara smiled a little when he did so.
Elara gracefully clapped her arms and announced.
"Let us begin."
The dining room’s door parted open as the maids walked in with plates covered with a silver cloche. They all moved with a practised elegance and arranged the plates on the table. Shelly stepped forward and easily removed the cloche covering the plates.
She and the other maids bowed towards Theron as they turned and left the room.
Soon, only the trio was left in the room.
Elara and Theron picked up their cutlery as they began to add food to their plates. Jaden was still deep in thought about his awakening.
If he didn’t get a high-ranked grimoire, even mastering a 1-star spell would take him months, let alone learning a 4-star spell like his father. Spells were ranked as such.
An Initiate could only use a 1-star spell like [Create Fire]
Adepts could use a 2-star spell, Experts could use a 3-star spell, and Elites could use a 4-star spell.
A grimoire allowed one to learn spells more easily, and it also stored them so they could be used later on. Jaden would need a Silver Grimoire to be able to store 4-star spells within his grimoire. But it will be nothing but a dream, only a few had a Silver Grimoire within the city after all.
The Mayor, the guard captain, the church’s curator, and lastly the highest authority within the Chruch of Knowledge - The Archivist.
Only those four were currently the holders of the Silver Grimoire, and even then, only the three knew a 4-star spell. The guard captain had tried for many years, but he still hadn’t learnt one.
Jaden was too deep in thought that he didn’t realise that both Elara and Theron were looking at him with a worried look. Theron tried to hide his worried expression, but he just could not; he knew how important strength was for one who was supposed to be the next mayor of Nightshade City, and if he failed to obtain a Silver Grimoire, the very people who gave him desserts and gifts to curry favour with him would deny acknowledging his very existence.
Elara parted her lips to speak, but Theron raised his hand to stop her midway.
He looked at Jaden and spoke gently as his mask of sternness and indifference slipped, and the father hidden beneath came out.
"Jaden."
Jaden, who was deep in his thoughts, came out of his reverie when Theron called out to him. He looked at Theron with slight anxiety.
Theron looked into his eyes and continued his words.
"I know that you are scared about getting a Bronze Grimoire and not a silver one. But you can not change what will happen tomorrow, so instead of thinking about what you can’t change, you should enjoy the dinner you have wanted for so long," he spoke slowly, making sure that his words sank in.
Jaden looked at Theron with a complicated expression... he knew that he couldn’t do anything about it, and that is what made him more impatient and restless.
He moved his hand and picked up a glass full of water; he drank it in a single breath to calm himself. He looked at Theron with a small smile and spoke.
"I understand, Father."
For the first time, Theron’s lips arched in a smile as he pointed at the plate in front of Jaden and added.
"Let’s eat... we do not want our meal to get cold now, do we?"
Jaden’s smile widened as he shook his head and spoke.
"Of course not."
Jaden also picked up his cutlery and began adding food to his plate.
Elara looked at the duo of father and son with a warm smile before she began eating.
Soon, the sound of cutlery touching and hitting the plates filled the now silent room as the trio ate in silence. Elara, who was about to put another bite in her mouth, suddenly stopped. She placed her cutlery down and looked at Jaden with a mischievous smile as she questioned.
"So... Judy, what are your plans with Selina tomorrow?"
Jaden, who had just put a bite in his mouth, spat and looked at Elara with bafflement as he took out his handkerchief to clean his lips.
"W-what do you mean, mother?"
Elara tilted her head and looked at him with a puzzled expression as she spoke.
"I do not understand what you mean by that?"
Jaden, however, could see the slight amusement in her eyes. He looked away and spoke in a low voice.
"I have no plans, but I am sure that Miss Selina will have her own."
Elara blinked a few times at his answer. She chuckled and shook her head as she spoke.
"You too should make plans, Judy... otherwise she would think that you don’t want to enjoy your time with her."
Jaden nodded at her words with a serious expression. Right then, Theron stood up from his chair and added.
"I have to sleep early so I can be at the church on time. May you both have a pleasant night."
Elara too stood up from her chair and added.
"Same for me. Have a pleasant night, Judy."
Jaden nodded at her and continued eating. A few moments later, he finished his dinner and called the maids to clean everything.
He was currently in his nightwear as he fell asleep in his bed. As soon as he fell asleep, a red screen appeared before him.
[Error! Error! Error!]
Soon, the red screen turned blue as messages appeared.
[Unable to exit the ’dream’ realm.]
[Host is currently within the grimzone - The City of Eternal Prison.]
[Leave the grimzone to exit the ’dream’ realm.]