It was late in the evening and Chicken Castle’s last customers had already left. Hupo was scrubbing away grease from the stove, when the front doors opened and closed.

I guess they didn't see the 'Closed' sign, or maybe they couldn’t read it.

He heard Alana's voice beyond the kitchen counter.

"I'm sorry sir, we're closed. Please come back tomorrow."

"I came to see Hupo."

The voice sounded very familiar.

Hupo put down his kitchen rag and stepped out of the kitchen.

Standing by the front doors was a man with short blonde hair.

His eyes narrowed. "Hupo?"

"It’s good to see you again, Youji."

"So that's what you look like behind the mask."

"It has been a while, hasn't it?"

"Indeed. I see Easton is here too." Youji waved at Easton.

Easton waved back from behind the kitchen counter.

"What can I do for you?" Hupo asked.

"I came to deliver a message from the king." Youji took out a scroll and read it out loud. "By decree of his Royal Highness, King Rowan, you are hereby invited to dine with him at the Royal Palace, tomorrow night. The purpose of the event is to celebrate the victory of the Combat Tournament champion"

Hupo had never been inside a real palace before. He wondered what it looked like inside and the kinds of food they served there. Then, he of thought of Alana. Visiting the Royal Palace would be like a vacation, something that she deserved more than anyone else. She had been his faithful assistant for years, but he’d never given her a vacation. Granted, she was an AI construct in his old world, but now she was as human as he was.

"May I bring a guest?"

"Of course."

"Pick me! I wanna come!" Coco raised her hand.

Hupo turned toward Coco. "Actually, I was planning to bring Alana along. I'll take you and Easton on a trip some other time. How's that?"

Coco shrieked and covered her mouth.

"What's the matter, Coco?" Hupo scanned his surroundings for threats, but couldn’t find any.

Coco sensed danger when I could not? Is her situational awareness superior to my own?

Coco slowly lowered her hands. "Master Hupo and Master Alana, together, on a date?"

Hupo let out a long breath. "You had me worried for moment."

He turned toward Alana. "Coming?"

Alana blushed. "Okay."

Youji put the scroll away. "It's settled then. I'll arrange for a carriage to pick you two up, tomorrow night."

After Youji left, Hupo gathered his employees. "Chicken Castle will close early tomorrow. Think of it as a long break."

Coco and Easton were all smiles.

***

Hupo stood in front of the mirror in his room. He wondered what he should wear to the dinner tomorrow.

If this had been his old world, he would’ve chosen to wear a tuxedo. But the fashion of this world was different. Although he had seen what nobles wore when they ate at Chicken Castle, they probably wore something different to formal events. He could probably find the clothes he needed in upscale shops, but he didn’t have time to visit them.

He wondered if he should even dress like a noble. After all, in the eyes of society, he and his companions were 'commoners.' Would the nobles be offended if he dressed above his class?

After much thought, he finally decided on what he was going to wear.

When all else fails, go with what works.

***

As Youji had promised, a carriage arrived at Chicken Castle at the predetermined time. The carriage was pulled by two powerful black stallions. Its shiny black exterior and tall roof were beautifully highlighted by elaborate bronze decorations.

Hupo approached the carriage with Alana. He noticed that everyone was staring at them. He wasn’t sure what caught their attention first - his black samurai armor, Alana's sparkling white gown, or both. They couldn’t have looked more different. With his demonic mask and black plating, he looked like the embodiment of darkness. She, on the other hand, with her snow-white dress and perfect face, appeared to be the personification of pure goodness.

The coachman, who stood next to the carriage's door, stared at Hupo and Alana in amazement. When they reached it, he stood still and looked like he was in a trance.

Hupo cleared his throat. "Thanks for coming."

"Huh?" The coachman stared at Hupo with an empty expression, and then shook his head vigorously.

"My apologies, sir!" He stumbled as he reached for the door handle.

The inside of the carriage was as luxurious as its exterior suggested. There was enough space to comfortably seat six people. Soft leather upholstery covered the walls, plush fur carpeted the floor, and velvety cushioning padded the seats.

Hupo sat across from Alana. "The king spared no expense to ensure we travelled in style and comfort.”

Alana nodded. “His opinion of you must be very high."

“I suppose so.”

"His sentiment is shared by many."

"Then I must make sure I don't disappoint those who look up to me."

The carriage started moving. The ride was surprisingly smooth, considering the level of technology of this world. He began to wonder if the carriage itself was enchanted with magic. He wouldn’t be surprised if it was, given how expensive it appeared.

The dress that Alana wore fit her body perfectly. Although it was a type of mage armor that had high resistance against cold damage, its appearance made it a suitable to wear as a dress for formal events. The countless diamonds decorating it served a dual purpose - they looked dazzling and protected its wearer.

Hupo sneaked side glances at Alana while she was looking out the carriage's window. Every time he looked away, he found his eyes drawn back to her face.

She turned her head toward him. "Is something wrong with my dress?"

"No, nothing at all. I was just trying to remember where we found it."

"It was dropped by an Ice Dragon that we defeated in the Glacial Cave Dungeon."

"Oh... I remember now. As always, you have an impressive memory."

"Thank you. What do you think of my dress?"

"You look like a million dollars."

Hupo quickly realized that his choice of words could be interpreted the wrong way. He meant to say that she looked beautiful, but she might think he was referring to the cost of the dress. A dress decorated with so many diamonds would have been worth hundreds of millions of dollars in his old world.

He wanted to clear up any misconceptions. "Sorry, I meant that you look absolutely stunning in that dress."

Alana smiled, revealing pearly white teeth.

"That reminds me, I've got something for you." Hupo pulled out a glittering necklace from his pocket dimension and handed it to her.

"This is the Necklace of Eternity."

"Correct. Like Undestroyable Table Knife, it's an Ultra Rare and indestructible item. Not even the heat of the sun or the force of a black hole can destroy it, and it’ll never rust. Its beauty is eternal."

"But what did I do to deserve such a valuable gift?"

"I wanted to show my appreciation for your years of loyalty and service."

"Thank you, it's beautiful." Alana put the necklace on.

"It matches your dress well."

"I think so too." She stroked the necklace.

"Coco and Easton have been working hard too. We need to make sure they're properly rewarded."

“I agree. Do you plan to host an award ceremony for them, like the ones back home?”

She must be referring the annual award ceremonies that I held for my employees at Blaster Entertainment. The award ceremonies were a great way to show them that they were valued and to recognize their contributions to my company. By publicly rewarding hard work, I was able to motivate them to achieve. After all, who wouldn’t want to receive recognition for their efforts? The award ceremonies had also provided a venue for them to get to know one another better. But it had been a lot of work.

“I was thinking something more low-key, like a dinner.”

“They would love that.”

The carriage slowed down, before finally stopping.

Hupo heard the coachman's voice from outside.

"Sir, we've arrived at the palace gates. It'll only be a little while longer."

"Great." The carriage started moving again.

Looking out the carriage's window, Hupo was surprised by the enormity of the palace grounds. They passed by acres of manicured lawn and trees.

He turned his attention back to Alana. “Coco and Easton are both very reliable and hard workers, but their zeal for work is also concerning sometimes.”

“What do you mean?”

“They often refuse to take breaks, preferring to work instead. They won’t listen to me, even after I explained to them the importance of getting enough rest.”

“You’re concerned about overworking them?”

“Exactly. I don’t want to be like the employer who worked my mother to death. Because of what had happened to her, I’ve always kept my employees’ welfare in mind.”

“I think part of the reason they’ve been working so hard is because of your work ethic. Ever since Chicken Castle opened, you’ve been working, without breaks, for twelve hours straight, every day. Not only do you cook, but you also do their duties during their breaks.”

“You’re right - I’m partly to blame. I need to lead by example and start taking breaks myself. I haven’t been taking any because I never feel tired. The mental and physical stamina of my current body seems almost limitless.”

The carriage stopped again.

The coachman opened the door for Hupo. "Welcome to the Royal Palace."

"Thank you." Hupo stepped outside.