~ Somewhere in the West, in a certain room in a certain mansion

*Sniff sniff*

*Sniff sniff*

I could smell something. It’s food. Food. Carried along with steam in the air, the smell of… oatmeal?

Suddenly, a hot spoon tries to force its way inside of my mouth, and it is successful to an extent. As soon as the scalding mixture of water and soft granules of something touched my tongue, all of the pain is felt.

My eyes shoot open, and my tongue is immediately stuck out trying to cool the contents while trying very hard to balance so as to not let it fall elsewhere.

“Hahh ahh hahh” I tried to use my magic to cool it down, but I don’t even have enough mana to summon such a small spell. However, my mind is all on the food on my tongue. It is hot and scalding, and all I could do is to roll it around and blow on it using my breaths, but that only spread the numbness of my tastebuds to all over my tongue.

Thankfully after a few more seconds, the porridge-looking food is cool enough that it isn’t scalding anymore, and I can finally swallow it.

Mmm! My mind is overwhelmed by the sudden entry of food into my stomach. It felt as if a drop of water fell into a withered well. I don’t know why, even when I know this is just about as tasteless a meal could get, it felt like the most delicious meal I had… and when was the last time I had a meal again? Oh, that’s not important!

“More!” I looked at the person dressed in a maid uniform next to me. I stared and salivated at the bowl of tasteless porridge she is holding.

She is shocked a little, but regains her composure in a moment and starts to feed me. “Aaah” She said. I never felt so blessed in my life.

I opened my mouth like a baby and the next spoonful of tasteless porridge came in. It isn’t as hot as the first time, but still needed a few blows before it is cool enough. It is barely reinvigorating, but still tasted like the best thing in the world. So this is what mild starvation feels like huh?

I figured the spoon is too slow, so I pointed at the bowl and asked the maid politely, “Give me that bowl.”

She thought for a bit, and finally decided to hand me the bowl of tasteless porridge.

After trying to gather as much mana as I can using what energy I have, I only managed to recover just fraction of what my already low mana capacity has, but it was good enough. My mana organ is developed different from the rest, such that while it has a lower capacity than a peasant’s (pathetic), it is incredible at gathering mana - or recovering mana. However, right now, due to the condition of my body, it is only just barely working.

I used that small mana I gathered to expel as much heat as I could from the porridge. That isn’t very efficient, so I concentrated hard to keep a steady stream of mana coming in, and slowly cooled the porridge down.

Once I felt that the bowl is cool enough, I started to drink directly from the bowl.

*Sluurrp*

The contents were gone, completely. Not a single grain of whatever that is left. The maid is shocked again, and started to speak in Yavenese, which is the main language the old man and the people in this region is using.

“You can still manipulate ki so well in your state? And it also looks like you haven’t drank or eaten anything in days! And what are you doing here in master’s mansion? Ahh... there’s too many questions. I think you should take a good rest first.”

I’m feeling much better so now I am more than capable to converse normally with an intelligible being. I recalled the dictionary and did my best to translate my words.

“Yu mean dat old men?”

“That old man? Though a little money-minded, he is still a powerful grandmaster, you dumb boy. Don’t say anything disrespectful about him! Although he’s away from the mansion for ten years now… I’m sure he’ll be back anytime.”

Oh, so that’s how it is… and pronunciation…

“How long I unconscious?”

“I found you collapsed in the library this morning… I definitely didn’t try to hit you…“

Oh… ok. So now I’m in some underground prison-like cell, probably caught for being an intruder just because some old man didn’t announce his return back to his house- or mansion. Oh well, at least this cell isn’t that bad, it’s clean smooth stone bricks, and has a lamp lighting this place up just bright enough. Other than that, it seems it’s completely underground, but I’m not sure how deep.

It’s not wet or mushy, has decent drainage and there’s also a small makeshift bed made of hay that I’m sleeping on. There’s also some thin walls covering a metal bucket up, giving just enough privacy for businesses to be done. Thick bars of black-coloured metal on 2 sides encloses me in a corner of the underground dungeon. The maid is in the cell with me, feeding me the porridge. Actually, she doesn’t seem to be that bad, and her brown hair that is tied up into a bun makes her look quite professional as well.

*Knock knock*

Two knocks on the full-metal door entrance to this underground dungeon quickly turned the brown-haired maid’s expression sour. It felt as if there is something happening without me knowing, and I don’t feel good about it.

I watched as she went out of the cell, locking the door to my cell as she exits. She slowly walks towards the metal door, and opens it as if she is expecting bad news.

It is… a butler? I had only caught a glimpse of him through the door, so I can’t say much now.

She whispers something to the butler through the door opening, then she goes out of the room and closes the metal door behind herself. Definitely, definitely suspicious.

Mustering as much mana as I could, I used it enhance my hearing. Focusing on the door, I tried my best to catch a wind of what they are discussing about.

“...but he’s just a young boy! You can’t be asking him to take part in the challenge, are you?”

“Then what are you going to do? Take care of him in this cell, until that old man comes back? God knows when he’s going to do that, I want to get out of here already! And also, the boy could even be an assassin, you never know these days!”

“He doesn’t look like that, and I told you he was just reading in the library-”

“It’s finally my chance to gain my freedom! If it weren’t for the stupid contract, I would be long out of this damned place! Don’t worry, Yun, I’ll go easy on him, ok?”

“...but then if you win, he’ll have to take your place! His parents may even be worried for him!”

“Hah, I think that he’ll live a much better life here anyway! Just a cartload of laundry for all those curtains, even spring cleaning requires 2 months for cleaning with just 2 people! Tell him to consider it training! I’ve had enough. Tell him to get on the stage later.”

Woah, that’s some pretty big stuff they’re talking about without consulting me first, eh? I know I’m still an innocent little boy here, but c’mon, I don’t look so dumb, do I? Oh, looks like she’s going to deliver me the verdict now.

*Metal door creak*

“Erm… boy, what is your name?”

“Earth.”

“Earth? What a nice name… you can call me Yun.”

Ok, I’m sure that it’s a strange name even though I've been having it for thousands of years, but sure. Of course, it bears more meaning to me than to anyone else though.

“I know this is hard for me to ask of you, but you-”

“Need to fight somebody?”

*GRRrrrrrr*

My stomach grumbles loudly. I need to get my priorities straight, so I requested politely, “ Can we talk over some food and juice, I’m still very hungry. Thanks!”

“Oh… alright. I’ll bring you to the dining table.“

Yun (the maid) is surprised yet again, but she recovers quickly and brought me up some long flight of stairs from the underground dungeon, re-entering the normal hallways of the mansion. Following her round the house, I finally entered the fantasy-like dining room.

Chandeliers hang from the top of the tall ceiling, and wooden carved windows let sufficient light into the room to light it bright enough. Then- the classic super long table I bet was hardly ever used at parts other than the ends for its entire lifetime. Half-melted candles is placed in intervals on the table, but the table is mostly empty. The table is made of that marble-like material, and I could only imagine what kind of price a table this huge would fetch.

I sat on one of the chairs on the side, awaiting my meal as I examined the room with its treasures, paintings and sculptures all around. Dang, that old man is scary rich. And the one who maintains them… even more so.

After about ten minutes of waiting, the feast finally came. Wow- five dishes I have never seen before, but I simply couldn’t stop salivating.

There is no question. I started digging into them, like a savage beast eating its first meal in a thousand years. What utensils? I don’t really care! Just use telekinesis to move all that stuff! I know this is probably very, very disturbing and inappropriate, but all that matters now is to get all that dang food down into my grumbling stomach.

…

*BURRRPP*

*BUUURRRRRPPP*

*Wipes mouth with a napkin*

“So let’s talk business.”

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