Several minutes of silence later...

Dante was finishing his second breakfast while the elven woman was finishing her last piece of bacon. He used a napkin to get much of the grease off of his hands. The grease upon his fingers reminded him of a moment when he had used the grease spell in a D&D one shot with his buddies.

'Oh those were some good times.' He thought. That sparked his interest, he wondered...

"Excuse me sir?" Dante's train of thought derailed as the elven woman before him spoke.

"I'm sorry?..." He paused a moment looking at her before the gears in his head started turning.

"Y..Y...Yes, is there something you need?" He asked, concerned he had missed a question while lost in his thoughts.

The elf extended her hand, "We haven't been formally introduce yet. Hello, I'm Califa. It is nice to meet you Mister?..." She paused awaiting his reply. Her face was blank and expression less. Only now looking directly upon her did he notice the slight bags under her eyes.

Reaching out his hand he grasped her hand in his, "Stone, Dante Alighieri Stone." He said as he leaned slightly forward still holding her hand. She grasped his hand and shook it before releasing it. Only then did her blank expression become one of surprise. She looked at him unmoving for a second before it seemed to click in her mind.

Dante once more sat back in the seat of the window side booth and looked upon the tall stunningly beautiful elven woman.

She had seemed so confident a moment ago but now gave the strong impression of being nervous.

"Are you one of the nobility on your world Sir Stone?" She asked not daring to meet his eyes, her own looking out the window at the people passing by.

"No, what would give you that idea?" He replied with a raised eyebrow.

Califa breathed out heavily visibly relaxing.

"When I heard you had a first middle and last name I assumed you were some kind of nobility." She said calmly, her face returning to its normal, blank, resting expression.

"Ah I see. Yeah I can see where you might get that idea with you being from another world. I assume monarchs and such are still commonplace on your world?" Dante asked curiously.

"Of course, is such not the same on your world?" She asked, her brows furrowing as her expression became one of questioning.

"We have a few monarchs left in the world but they mostly hold ceremonial positions. Figure heads with little real power in most cases." He replied thinking of the few monarchs he could remember still lived.

'Queen of England...Wait is she still alive? Who knows. Emperor of Japan or was it China? I don't remember.' He shook himself from his thoughts as he heard her ask another question.

"Intriguing, I can't imagine a world like that. So what is your world like as a human?" she asked, her blank expression being replaced by one of curiosity.

Dante smiled as he leaned forward, "My world is one where many have turned their backs upon nature and are basically slaves to technology. Not actual slaves but it's close. Our world is beautiful, still in places but where my kind goes, well..." He paused for a moment, Califa leaning forward absorbing every word he spoke.

"Individual people on my world are rather smart, but where we often fail is when we group up. Often we fall into what is called mob mentality. A terrible thing. We have raised buildings that reach to the sky and ships to carry us from our home world. But for all our accomplishments there are those who would destroy what’s taken forever to build for a moment of personal gain. Then there are people who just want to light a match and burn everything down. I wonder how those people are doing under the system?" Dante finished his small speech as he looked upon Califa waiting for her response.

"Humans in my world are much like your own then." She simply stated as curiosity turned to disappointment.

"Humans are shaped by our environment. We had to build everything on our own, and with such short lives we often failed to think of the larger picture. I can't tell you how many humans are good and how many are evil. All I can say is, each group is legion, which is to say, many." Dante said.

Dante thought for a moment then asked, "How old are you if you don't mind my asking?" Dante was honestly curious how the long lived elves of fantasy weighed up against the genuine article.

Califa's face grew brighter as she blushed, "I am 186 years old by the standard of your years." Dante nodded his eyes widening as his face took on an expression of, well damn.

"On Earth, my world, we had stories of elves, long lived tall people with pointy ears. They were well trained in various forms of combat, and loved nature such that they made their cities from living forests."

She looked upon him with shock, "Stories? There were no elves where you came from? No other races?" Dante simply shook his head.

"We had only ourselves for the most part. There was no one else. We taught ourselves everything, and we did so without any real or abundant magic. Until now I suppose." He said.

Califa's reaction was swift, "I cannot imagine a world without magic." She said as she weaved her hands through the air for but a moment and suddenly she held a small light in her hands.

The light was bright and warming like a moment beneath a gentle sun.

And then it was gone.

Dante reached up and touched his plate and spoke a single soft word, "Light..."

The light streaming through the window almost seemed to bend towards the plate as he cast. To soak into it and then it began to radiate back out, giving off its own gentle glow.

"That's funny many humans have spent their entire lives dreaming of nothing but worlds of magic. I'm not entirely certain but I think a lot of ideas from earth were integrated into the system when it arrived. We have enriched the system but it has yet to be seen what the system shall do for us." Dante finished speaking.

Congratulations! The Philosopher’s Road I has opened to you!...

One thought does not make a Philosopher. But to you who have pondered again and again, who has reached for something more, the World takes notice. +5 Wisdom...

'Well that's interesting...' Dante thought as he refocused on Califa.

"You arrived not too long ago, correct? Have you already gone through the tutorial?" She said, while he caught notice of that word, tutorial's. "Yes, those of my world only arrived yesterday. As for the tutorials, partially. My parents and I are going to explore the town some more today." Dante said. Califa crossed her arms upon the table and then rested her head upon them.

"I have stayed in the Normal tutorial zones for almost 20 years of real time. When the system arrived in my world I was away from my family in a large elven city. I entered here without my parents. It was a few months before I found out what happened to my parents. Turns out they were fine. Still living on the same little farm they had been for the last 300 years." She said with a small smile before shaking her head.

Then she sighed.

"No one would allow me to join their group. I had to fight alone and after one too many brushes with death. I gave up and took a job here. Thank you for the tip by the way, its very appreciated. When most of the people who had come in with me had moved on there came a notice stating time would be set to normal." She raised her head only to shrug her shoulder's. She then rested her head and arms upon the table as she continued.

"That was a long time ago though. And yesterday I was notified that the Inn was moving again to a new tutorial zone for some frontier world. I didn't want to lose my place to stay, and to keep my job. So, I came with the Inn here as I have done a dozen times before." She finished her little story.

Dante weighed her story, finding several things of note, but then smiled as he spoke. "What was your life like before the system?"

"I never received a proper education growing up. I lived my first 100 years within 20 miles of the farm upon which I was born. When I turned 100, I was declared an adult. I went out to see the world and didn't get very far." Califa stated in a sad voice.

Suddenly her tone turned more positive. "But after I kind of got stuck here working for the Inn I managed to get myself a decent education from the Innkeeper and all the people I've met."

Dante weighed that for a moment and then smiled, "I would like you to meet someone special to me. His name is Virgil."

Dante spent 50 mana into the skill as it activated. Appearing from the mana, Virgil appeared in the seat of the booth to Dante's left.

His skin was pale and yet pristine skin giving off a faint silvery light. He wore a black robe with intricate gold embroidery. His raven black hair flowing

"Hello Dante. Please state the nature of your inquiry." Virgil spoke with a smile as he turned to face Dante.

"*^$#*& %$*# %*^&!" Califa exclaimed in words that didn't translate, though he highly suspected she was swearing. After a moment and everyone of the dozen other people in the dining area looking at her she began to calm down.

"Hello...Virgil?" She asked carefully, extending out her hand as a courtesy without really thinking about it.

Much to the surprise of her and Dante Virgil gently took her hand before leaning forward and kissing it. "How do you do, my lady?" He asked with a smile, eliciting a blush from Califa.

Several onlookers laughed, most returning to their meals.

She turned to Dante once again trying not to show her face, "How?"

"Virgil was once simply my system guide. As for how we came to this point." Dante said pausing, he had reminded himself of what Oscar had said earlier, "that people did not often name their guides".

Dante turned to Virgil and waited to see if he would object. Instead Virgil simply smiled. Dante taking the cue told Califa, "Call out your guide."

She did and so a familiar golden figure manifested from her mana, appearing in the seat of the booth to her right. Califa looked at Dante and smiled, "What's next?" Dante took a deep breath, smelling the fresh air as he looked out the window out onto the street for a moment. Then he returned his focus to the topic at hand. He centered his gaze upon Califa as he continued.

"You must name them now. I don't know how it is in your world, but on earth we don't generally call our friends simply, friend or person, they have names. To make your guide like Virgil you must give them a name. Grant them a name that they may be more than they are now. So that they can better help you. Imagine a friend you have with you for every day of your life." Dante said before he leaned back and watched as she weighed his words in her mind. She slowly turned and began speaking to her guide.

Yet he couldn't understand her words. If they were even words.

To him it sounded as if she spoke several alien languages. The sound of burning fire, the rushing of water, a gentle breeze, and the grinding of stones.

'Sounds like the dialects of primordial from D&D' Dante thought as he watched on.

She spoke something different, he couldn't quite define why it was different, all he could understand was, it was a name. The golden figure began to shine as its form began to change. It took the shape of an elven man. He now wore a fine sky blue silk robe with golden embroidery, very similar to the embroidery upon Virgil's black clothes.

He now had long vibrant orange hair that went to his back, his eyes were of a similar color. His ears like hers were pointed, he flashed her a smile revealing perfect white teeth. His skin was light, but not nearly so as Virgil's.

Dante and Califa watched on in awe. As the golden figure spoke, he spoke in that same odd collection of languages that Califa had earlier.

Virgil watched the new arrival with curious eyes before he seemed to see something that he liked in the new and improved guide. So he smiled too.

Dante turned his head to ask Virgil a question while keeping his eye upon Califa and the golden figure. "Why can't I understand them?" Virgil simply replied, "Private conversation between her and her guide. The System won't translate." That raised several questions in Dante's mind none of which he thought would be of much use now so he let the issue lie. Califa smiled and waved as the golden figure smiled and waved back. Califa turned to Dante asking another question with a smile, "Anything else?" Dante smiled in return as he patted Virgil upon the shoulder. "Let him use your mana, talk to him, and give it time." Dante stated simply.

"What's his name anyway?" Dante asked only for the guide to answer.

"My name sir..." He spoke pausing as he turned from Califa towards Dante, "...is Gandrel." Gandrel's eyes turned to Virgil for a moment as his began to glow gold. A second later Virgil did the same.

It lasted but a second but in that time a moment of understanding seemed to have passed between them.

It was at this time that Dante heard a bell ringing at the counter. When Dante looked up he saw his parents looking back at him and smiling. His mother waved with a large smile plastered on her face.

"Thank you for all you have taught me! I have to go." She got up in a hurry carrying her plate and bowl in a single hand, then she turned back to Dante to ask another question. "Can we...adventure together? I want to get stronger so I can give those city elves what's coming to them."

Dante smiled, "Sure thing. I will let you know when we are going out." No sooner had he finished his statement did a screen appear before both of them.

You have formed a party!

You have gained the Uncommon skill, Leadership Lvl. 1!

What would you like to name your party?

Dante's eyes widened for a moment, then his smile returned. "Let's adventure."

You have created the party, "Let's adventure"

Califa, Rank. 2, Lvl. 48, has joined the party!

Dante watched as she smiled and waved as she turned and rushed back to continue her work. Dante couldn't help but enjoy the view as she hurried off to continue her work. He watched and waited as his parents made their orders and then walked over to join him. As they sat down they seemed like they were ready to lay into him with questions that would likely make him blush.

So, he did something to distract them. Dante pointed a finger at each of his parents and stated, "Invite to party." A blue box appeared before each of them. They looked at him for a moment before they accepted.

Frank Stone, Rank. 3, Lvl. 21, has joined the party.

Laura Stone, Rank. 2, Lvl. 19, has joined the party.

Skill, Leadership, has leveled up! Lvl. 2...

...

Skill, Leadership, has leveled up! Lvl. 5...

Dante saw a green cursor appear above his parents heads, as they too seemed to notice the cursor. Dante and his family talked for several minutes with his parents about their new D&D sounding spells and skills, before their food came, delivered by Califa. She looked upon Dante's parents. Dante smiled and she smiled back. She returned to the counter to serve another of the humans who had arrived at this Inn.

Dante once more summoned Virgil and had him make a zone of sound isolation as he had done before. He watched as 300 mana flowed away from him and through Virgil to create the magical anti sound barrier. 'Well I don't feel nearly as bad as last time that happened.' He mused with a smile.

When they weren't talking to each other they were asking Virgil about this or that. He had asked about the party system.

As It turned out it was rather simple actually, not much more to it than he had already learned.

He learned there was a friends list and wondered why Oscar hadn't added him checked the list. Upon inspection he saw two pending friend requests, one was Oscar and the other was Califa. 'Opps.' Dante thought as he accepted them. He was surprised to find his parents already added to his friends list.

Exp was distributed amongst the party based on contribution. He as the party leader could set it to be equal if he desired though. He couldn't currently due to the disparity in the levels of everyone in the party.

He was told loot distribution was up to the party and that he, and anyone else in the party, could see the basic status information for anyone else in the party.

Dante and his parents finished their meal after about an hour of intermittent talking. When they stood up to leave Dante used the chat function to inform her they were ready to leave. He saw Califa walk out from the kitchen with a smile on her face, she called back to the kitchen, "I quit! I'll leave rent for the next week with my replacement. I expect one of the nice rooms!" Dante heard a cheer come from the kitchen and a few hearty laughs. Califa left a sack of coins with the person he assumed was her replacement and she met them at the entrance of the Inn.

They stepped out of the Inn, stepped outside into the crisp morning air. Califa began to lead them towards some of the places she had been around the town. She had been here quite some time and knew generally where a lot of stuff was.

Laura and Frank told them that they would meet up with him later. They had Califa give them directions to the nearest church so they might be able to understand the experience they had the night before.

So it was that they decided to split the party for a little while.

------------------------------------------------