Chapter 13: A Feast

One month before leaving for the academy, I left for my first solo hunting trip in quite some time. Oliver has been accompanying me recently, which has made the trips less comfortable. I couldn’t use my portable house or spatial storage, and I couldn’t display anything freakish.

It took me back to my roots, one of us sat in a tree where we found animal tracks while the other would go through the woods in an attempt to push any bedded animals onto that trail. I taught Oliver hunting as an extension of his sword training, so every harvest was done up close with a knife or sword. He thought hunting was done with bows or traps, so he shit when I picked him up on his first hunt and yeeted him at a rabbit.

In all honestly it was fun, sleeping on the ground and in makeshift camps wasn’t so bad with a little buddy at my side. It reminded me of going camping with the family dog back on earth, he wasn’t that helpful, but he was so happy to be involved which made me happy too.

This is my last trip before shipping off to school, and I was only allowed to be away since mother and father are traveling themselves. My stated goal is to reach the cliffs bordering the ocean, I go there all the time to trap crab and the lobster further west, but my family thinks this is a trip for closure before leaving home.

My real purpose comes from a breakthrough I had while playing with spatial storage magic a few weeks back. I can’t train on my own as much since I’m overseeing Oliver, so I play with magic in my room whenever I can. I meditate and make micro versions of magic elements and move them around the room within a barrier. It’s even possible to make multiple instances of spatial storage or healing magic. Healing works better and faster when I can visualize what I’m trying to heal, and since it’s hard to visualize two intricate structures at the same time I don’t know how effective it would be..

But spatial storage is a different matter, I can make two connected openings in space, within some limits. There are several use cases, but my favorite idea is the teleporting sword, I can make someone stab themselves in the back when they try to attack me. Man, that’s going to be sick. Making two openings to my storage space feels a bit like trying to inhale through my mouth and nose at the same time, so it’ll take some work to perfect.

I came to the area past the first mountain range in the south, my goal, to find out how far away I can push my spatial storage opening and how quickly I can move while using the magic.

I setup my portable house and descend to my forest training area. I retrieve the sword I won in Calcust which has been strengthened with magic for the last three years. Inside a five-meter radius, roughly the size of my room in the estate, I can easily manipulate a second spatial storage opening.

But what about when I’m moving?

I take off into a run, I’ve never tried to move a spatial opening with me, but it’s easy. Like the magic I’m letting out manipulates the energy in the air a certain distance away from me without needing to be adjusted, though this makes targeting the second opening to a stationary spot more difficult.

I stand at the edge of the clearing I’ve been using for training and release magic forward to cover the area. Within 100 meters it’s easy to activate elemental magic with just a touch of my magic, but spatial storage takes more magic and concentration to activate. The clearing is around 50 meters in length, and with enough focus, I can activate a second spatial opening within that range.

With my surroundings flooded in magic, I can visualize the area in three dimensions. There’s a large tree 100 meters ahead of me, I can’t exactly see it, but I can feel it. I create a spatial storage opening at the trunk and just in front of me then press my sword in. I feel the resistance of a tree through my sword hand.

I run up to the tree I was targeting to check my work and there’s a hole through the center of the trunk.

If I can use my storage space as a gateway between two places filled with my magic – can I step through it like a gate?

I retrieve an apple from storage then make two spatial openings and toss it into the first, it pops out of the second looking no different.

The apple is fine, I’d probably be fine too?

Decided in my approach, I make two large spatial openings and jump through the first, popping out of the other opening in an instant. My body feels fine, but it’s an odd experience, like watching a video that suddenly skips between scenes. There’s a moment of missing continuity when stepping through, it’ll be useful, but it’s weird.

I spend the rest of my two week trip stocking up on the things that’ll be difficult to obtain in the capital. I catch enough crab and lobster to reduce their carbon footprint before making my way closer to home. When mother and father return, I plan on asking for permission to hold a small feast for everyone in the estate.

Ricardo has been secretly sampling a brew I’m working on that’s like hard apple cider from my old world. Ales are bitter here and wines don’t impress me, so this could be a hit and father’s domain has a ton of apples. I plan on introducing it at the feast and giving father the instructions to make it a going away present. My soaps have been a success, they sell out before landing in any local stores and the royal family requests priority stock. Maybe this cider will actually make it to the tables of the people who live here.

But there’s no feast without boar.

I make my way down the mountain and into the forest south of the family’s estate before releasing magic to search the area. Deer in the west, small game scattered all around and a family of boar to the east. It’s not their usual territory, but they don’t seem distressed – maybe they were just bored.

I approach to a distance of 80 meters before taking my magic hardened short knife out. I make a spatial opening just below my knife hand and just above the head of a mid-sized boar up ahead of me. With a firm thrust, I sink the blade through the top of its skull and into its brain, it falls over without even distressing the animals around it. To scatter them I use earth magic and shake the ground at their feet, then take my harvest to process it into the cuts needed for a feast.

***
I hear Shayna greeting my parents the day after returning from my hunting trip – I’ll join in the pleasantries.

“Welcome home father, mother, how was the capital?” I ask.

“Alfred sweetie, thank you for greeting us, I’m so sad you’ll be going away” mother replies, ignoring my question before wrapping me in a tight hug.

“Dear, don’t smother him, he’s grown into a wonderful young man and he’s already promised to visit when he can” father chimes in to help me escape mother’s strangle hold.

Things were a bit touch and go with father after forcing my way out of the family line, but money heals all wounds, and father is making a lot of it.

“It’s alright father, I’m blessed to have a family that cares for me so deeply. Which reminds me, I had a request if you’d be willing to listen. We can talk later if you wish to get settled first” I say, remembering the feast I’m hoping to hold.

“Request away, though I can’t imagine what you’re looking for just before leaving for the academy. Shayna has assisted gathering your schooling materials has she not?” father asks, glancing between myself and Shayna.

“She has, I am more than prepared. I’d like your permission to hold a meal for the family and all of our attendants. I harvested a boar on my hunt that needs to be cooked, and Ricardo has been working with me to develop something new I’d like to introduce. It’s my way of thanking everyone who has cared for me since I won’t be home for some time” I request.

It’s part of the truth, I’m grateful to this family and those employed by it. But it will also serve as a reminder to father that my greatest asset is in the information I can bring back to my family. A novel new alcohol should accomplish just that.

“It’s atypical for us all to break bread that way, but it’s a magnanimous idea that suits you. Though the servants may not feel comfortable in the dining room.. let’s move tables to the garden and hold it there. There’s ample space to move around as well so we can serve ourselves without issue” father answers, displaying a great understanding of social conventions and how odd this event will be.

“Thank you father, I’ll begin food preparations today. Can we hold the meal tomorrow, an hour before sunset?” I ask.

“That’s fine Alfred, the afternoon light will be comfortable and it won’t be too cold at that time. I’m looking forward to it” father answers before walking off with mother.

***
I wanted to prepare everything myself, but Ricardo refused to let me cook alone. I think he appreciates my interest in cooking since most born into nobility never touch a kitchen. It’s nice of him, cooking the spread I have alone would be a lot of work.

We prepare a selection of estate favorites: sweet boar ribs, sweet and savory roast boar, dokitsu fried and breaded loin with sweet sauce along with plentiful sides. After a full day of cooking, the meal is ready and Ricardo helps me place everything into the garden. There are two tables set up with chairs, each has a large bottle of water and hard apple cider at the center. At the edge of the garden is a third long table with plates at the front, followed by a plethora of food for everyone to enjoy. It’s like a barbeque from my past life.

I gather everyone to start the meal, and father takes the initiative to make his plate as soon as the smells reach his nose. The family and servants follow suit, with Ricardo and I making plates last as any proud chefs would.

I pour a glass of the hard apple cider for myself before addressing everyone in attendance-

“Father, thank you for allowing me to hold this meal” I start, with a polite bow directed to him.

“I wanted to extend my thanks to the people who have taken care of me the last 15 years. Father, mother, Oliver and Sara, thank you for being a wonderful and loving family. Shayna, Celia, Anna and Ricardo, thank you for staying with our family and serving us loyally. I’m sad to be leaving for so long, but I promise to learn more about the world and bring back any tasty creations I find” I add.

Everyone has soft expressions except father, who knows how I plan to learn about the world.

“YAY NEW FOOD!” Sara yells as soon as I finish my spiel.

“Yes, I’ll find something special for you Sara. But I have something special for today as well. The dark bottle on everyone’s table is a brew I’ve been working on made from apples. It’s sweeter than your typical beer, but can get you drunk all the same. If anyone would like to partake, I would like to propose a toast to the wonderful people gathered before me. I’ll be eternally grateful for the upbringing you all provided me with”

Everyone except Sara raises a glass.

““CHEERS””

“OHh it’s so sweet” exclaims mother.

“Is it really alcohol?” asks father, staring into his cup.

“It is, I’ve been testing Master Alfred’s experiments with fermented apples and the final result is truly excellent” Ricardo answers with a bright smile.

“I can never enjoy beer, but this is delicious” adds Anna.

She sat with Celia, Oliver and myself. The other table has my parents and Sara along with Shayna and Ricardo. I was worried the family and servants would split from each other to eat, but it seems everyone read my intention to have us intermingle.

“Master Alfred, is this another creation you read about?” asks Celia.

“Many travelers wrote about their favorite drinks, but I got the idea after first working with Ricardo in the kitchen. He can make incredible sweet sauces and combine spices to make meat roasts sweeter than fruits. I thought it could be nice to have an alcohol for those with a sweet tooth” I explain, lying entirely.

I loved hard apple cider in my last life, and I did a lot of DIY during that pandemic.

“It’s quite the idea Master Alfred, I much prefer this to beer” Celia responds.

Hard apple cider is a hit, and father keeps glancing at me, I’m sure he’ll ask me about the recipe tonight. The rest of the meal goes by quickly, and the sunset over the estate’s garden flowers is a beautiful sight. We wrap up the meal and my table is the first to stand.

“Huwaoh” mumbles Anna as she stands on somewhat wobbly legs.

I hardly interact with Anna, but her appearance is lovely. She has long dark hair, darker eyes and plump lips, with a slim, but elegant figure

Celia and I take her arms to steady her.

“Apologies Master Alfred, Miss Celia. I’ve never had a taste for alcohol before so I must not handle it well..” she says.

“No need to apologize Anna, I’m glad you enjoyed the drink. And it’s better to find out about your tolerance while among friends than out on your own” I say, trying to ease her embarrassed expression.

“Celia, can healing magic help with drunkenness?” I ask.

It should, stimulate the liver and kidneys, then focus on the alcohol in the person’s blood. But medical knowledge in this world is lacking, and magic works as an extension of the imagination, so understanding human anatomy is key to healing effectively.

“It can do a little, but it won’t make Anna feel sober..” Celia responds, “but I can try” she adds with a focused look before activating her magic.

As soon as she starts, I activate magic of my own, focusing on the important organs and removing the alcohol from her blood. Sweat drips from Celia’s brow as she focuses her magic.

“Th-There, that should help a little Anna” Celia says with a huff.

“Thank you, Celia” Anna replies.

Anna takes a step forward out of the arms that were holding her steady, but she doesn’t wobble like before.

“Wow I really do feel better Celia, thank you so much. I’ll remember to be careful the next time I drink” Anna says.

She looks sober as can be. I’ve run a little too much magic through my own liver to feel a decent buzz without downing a barrel, so I’m glad to have the practice healing a bad drunk.