"Ray was so cool!" (Amy)
"Just when I thought he couldn't get any better, he just decided to entertain a member of the royal family, speaking in another language to boot." (Mark)
"Ray still can't cook though." (Elaina)
"But did you see the way the princess talked to him and treated him? Damn, I felt a little envious of being talked to by a princess like that! How did you make someone so high up laugh so many times?" (Andy)
Around me, staff members of the Ocean Swarm let loose remarks about the incident tonight, of which within are mixed with flowery admiration and barbs of detest. The little fox has returned to the top of my head and is currently being stroked by Amy. After the strenuous task of waiting the princess, the current tirade of comments about me continues to drain me of my energy further.
On the other hand, Cheff has a complicated expression on his face. He leaned on the kitchen table where ingredients are usually prepared, with the three gold bars sitting behind him. Cheff has his arms folded tight and radiated a mild but grim aura, yet nobody took notice of him. Taking a deep breath, I made eye contact with Cheff.
"Alright people, listen to me a little." (Cheff)
Finally getting the attention on himself, Cheff exhaled a breath of importance, but he quickly got stern again.
"We did a good job tonight, and it is very probable we left our customer a good impression. For that, I want to thank everyone here for adjusting to unprecedented changes swiftly and nicely, so well done!" (Cheff)
In response, most of us cheered and clapped, but the joyful atmosphere quickly died down to allow Cheff to continue his speech.
"Although we have lost much of our red wine, we were still paid more than we deserve. I daresay that everyone here can look forward to a bonus to your next wage distribution!" (Cheff)
A roar of cheers that greatly excelled the previous one rang out. Getting more pay is an obvious elation, but Cheff has a smile that did not agree to the majority in the kitchen. As people begin to joke about Cheff's disappointment as an alcoholic, Cheff announced an unexpected declaration.
"However, due to certain circumstances, I want to request – no, I want everyone without exceptions to stay in the Ocean Swarm tonight. I will not allow any rejection or excuses. As your employer, I sincerely wish for your understanding. To those who know about the exact situation, I order you to stay silent on this matter until I give you permission to speak of it. Until then, you are not allowed to share with anyone, even with your fellow employees, about this matter." (Cheff)
Everyone stayed silent, presumably shocked from such an abrupt declaration. I can feel the obvious confusion from them, but nobody dared to question Cheff. It is likely that before I came to Ocean Swarm, they already experienced serious warnings from Cheff, so it isn't as chaotic as I thought it'd be. For a first timer like me, I should have been the one panicking most.
But I know the circumstances. It wouldn't be a joke to say that I know even more than Cheff himself.
"Ray, come with me for a sec." (Cheff)
I sighed tiredly before standing up and walking over. I can feel gazes on my back, but I ignored them and left the kitchen with Cheff. We went to the backyard where I was washing the little fox this afternoon, coming before the stone table. After using his burly hand to roughly sweep off some fallen leaves, Cheff sat on the stone table and looked at me.
I sat beside him after he patted at the space beside him.
There is silence, then something smelly. I gagged, and I turn my neck to see Cheff taking a puff from a pipe that appeared somehow. The little fox jumped down to my lap and covered its face with its auburn tail, away from where the smoke drifted about.
I didn't know you smoke, Cheff.
"If you were wondering, I only smoke when something makes me feel uncomfortable or unnatural. After all, my wife hates the smoke in my breath, and she wouldn't kiss me whenever she smells it." (Cheff)
"I guess you won't be getting any kisses soon then." (Me)
Cheff chuckled at my quip, and then took another puff. I endured the unbearable smell while resting my hand on the auburn ball of fur.
"I guess that's true. Then again, as a member of the Ocean Swarm, I won't be going home tonight you see." (Cheff)
I have no words to his response. What he did is correct, to ensure the safety of his employees. Unfortunately, while this makes things easier, it also means that Cheff knows the situation and has questions for me.
I should start this conversation.
"So you heard?" (Me)
"Yeah, I was shocked. Actually, I feel pathetic for not noticing such a thing, being an adventurer in the past. I've gotten rusty." (Cheff)
What Cheff is referring to, is the words spoken in human language by the retainer. When I had hinted the princess of the underlying truth, I had done so to get her favour. However, I was also gambling on her personality to somehow force the retainer to speak, thus working in my favour to inform Cheff of the situation indirectly.
If one thinks about it carefully, a member of the royalty travelling out of his or her country is a dangerous and significant event. As to why the princess has done so, I don't know and don't want to know. What I questioned was the King's thoughts and considerations. Why did he allow his daughter to travel without any apparent aid capable of foreign languages?
If the destinations were nothing but desolate and remote areas, then the lack of necessity of a follower capable of foreign languages is understood. However, the princess clearly expressed her intent of visiting the Ocean Swarm, which makes the absence of a follower that can translate for her unthinkable and unreasonable.
Regardless, the whole situation only points out that in the first place, the permission of the king was given due to the fact that there was already at least one member capable of human speech. He probably thought that it is sufficient if the retainer catches any hostility directed at the princess.
However, there was something else that says that such a line of thought isn't entirely correct…
"You purposely made it so that only I would be in the dining area and everyone else would be in the kitchen. I'm guessing that you did it to make sure nobody panics. Am I correct?" (Cheff)
He is. If any of the members knew of the retainer capable of speaking to them in the first place, there would be an outbreak of confusion followed by a spread of this information akin to wildfire. If the retainer heard it, there would definitely be trouble. Or worse, there could be a chance of rage from the staff members. 'You gave us so much trouble but in the end there was actually no need for that', and if even one staff member shouts out, trouble would be the vague term of putting it.
After all, the princess clearly expressed her intent of concealing their identity.
"And so, this is done so I can take proper action to ensure everyone's safety." (Cheff)
"Well, you probably guessed as much when I requested for the cellar." (Me)
There are reasons to our ambiguous way of speaking right now.
Firstly, the identity of our royal customer and her followers are vampires. Known to the rulers of the night, they are a species that holds both strength and mystery.
When I first heard from Elaina that the princess didn't look native, I immediately held suspicions. As the current world stands, the discord and tension between races currently forced each individual race to live together apart from others. The humans congregate together in a country named Skairolmr, of which Terdia is one of the towns within. Apparently the country name is a name from the gods, so I don't know much.
But what I do know is that, apart from special places where races live together underneath a purpose, namely trade, each individual country hosts an individual race. While some countries allow other races to enter for trading or diplomatic issues, having a foreign looking princess visiting the Ocean Swarm is a different matter altogether.
Their time of arrival at night further rouses my suspicions, since vampires are known to be weak to sunlight. The weakest of them literally burn to ashes under direct exposure. Stronger ones are capable of movement under exposure, albeit weakened, and then there are existences that do not fear the sun at all. However, unless the entire group of them belonged to the last group, which is impossible and utterly ridiculous, travelling during the night would be their most sensible course of action.
Vampires are known to be incapable of passing through doors unless invited, so they most probably flaunted the authority of being a member of royalty and hid under the guise of the need to serve the royalty, having us open the door for them automatically.
Their diet consists of mostly blood from other species. Red wine is a passable substitute for blood, as it is said by some religions to be the blood of gods, though ironically religions are said to be a vampire's nemesis. Other than that, they are also capable of tasting other food, but since their main diet is blood, they consume little of other food. When I saw Andy returning with a plate of leftovers, I was almost certain of our royal customer's identity.
And finally, taking a risk to confirm my suspicions, I walked out to offer my assistance. Their slightly pale appearance is not obvious to anyone unfamiliar with them, but having seen vampires a few times before I was barely able to discern it. With our conversation in their language, the fact is set in stone.
Once the fact is established that they are vampires, several concerns immediately pop up. Out of which the glaring ones that require immediate attention and wariness is the issue of nobility and royalty. Vampires are very prideful existences that can be picky in certain instances. I was surprised that the princess was an extraordinary vampire that is less prickly in behaviour, but the same could not be said for her followers. As such, I was careful in my speech in order not to provoke any of them.
However, since the fact of the retainer knowledgeable in human language is exposed, moreover by me, a mere human in their eyes, it is a high possibility that vengeance could be dwelling in their hearts. I won't be surprised if one of them decides to return and hurt anyone from the Ocean Swarm. This was why I informed Cheff, and I didn't use the exact names of the members in case they get targeted. With his experience as an adventurer, he probably caught the link between red wine and vampires when I asked Andy to request permission of the cellar.
Furthermore, due to their acute senses, we forbid the circulation of information in case anyone among the staff members is able to guess the truth. We could not be sure of the possibility of anyone lurking nearby in the shadows. As such, it is decided that we would have everyone gathered in the Ocean Swarm under the protection of Cheff, a past adventurer, and the option of having the adventurer guild nearby.
One may blame my actions of provoking the vampires by exposing the truth of the retainer. The reasoning of 'a need to be cautious because of the provocation' is not wrong. However, there was another factor that was lurking behind the curtains.
When I first concluded the reason to the existence of the vampire retainer capable of human speech, I had thought that it is the whim of an anxious father that wants to protect his princess from the shadows, hence having the retainer to hide her identity.
However, when I recollected my thoughts, I clearly remembered the princess saying words that questions my initial thoughts.
[…Thankfully, there is someone like you in this place. It is truly convenient that I could enjoy a luxury of ease on this reckless trip of mine.]
Her words heavily implied that having the method of conversing across the racial barrier, is merely an ease. It meant that she never found it impossible in the first place, simply difficult. If that is so, the princess is confident of this journey without the aid of a translator. This brings back the question of the identity of the retainer.
In the end, what was the purpose of the retainer?
I simply cannot understand, but if identity concealment and the ability of conversing in human language by another race are both involved, combined with the fact that one of the destinations the princess had chosen is the Ocean Swarm; it would not be far-fetched to say that this eatery is already in danger in the first place.
Hence, I decided to risk exposing the retainer and use the princess as insurance to watch over her, followed by measures in restricting information circulation and our ambiguity in speech within the Ocean Swarm.
To somewhat pacify things, I decided to gift the princess the dessert recipe. Of course, I wrote it in human language since doing otherwise would probably make tonight the last day I live.
I coughed from the smoke that Cheff is puffing from his pipe. Meanwhile, the little fox is pushing its snout into my palm, desperately trying to escape the smell yet not wanting to leave me. What a troublesome fellow. You could have just followed Selena or Amy. The staff members of Ocean Swarm love you more than I do.
Although the Mark you hate is there too.
"Now that you've done your detective work well and helped Ocean Swarm, which I am grateful for, it's about time for my turn. Don't you agree?" (Cheff)
It took me a lot not to flinch at his remark.
I took initiative in the conversation hoping to turn things my way and avoid questions, but I became careless when I dived into the thoughts about the princess and her escorts. This is going to be a troublesome night.
"So Ray, if I was anyone in the kitchen right now, I would probably be thinking that you're really skilled to the point of knowing the language of our royalty, right? But I'm sure you and I are certain that this is not the case, at all." (Cheff)
There is a certain tone to Cheff's voice that I've never heard before since the day I came to Ocean Swarm. It is a rustic and straightforward feel that is unfamiliar with Cheff, but not so in some other place that I probably been to before.
…If I am not wrong, this tone of speaking is similar to the people I've encountered in the Adventurer's guild.
I see.
"It would be unthinkable, but you're not one of them, right?" (Cheff)
There is a tense silence that never occurred between us. Both of us continue to sit on the stone table while gazing at the Ocean Swarm kitchen. Underneath my palm, I feel soft fur turn prickly, as though representing the tense atmosphere through the sense of touch.
"I'm sure you just sent me out the blazing sun this afternoon for some eggs and meat." (Me)
"That's true, but I'm sure there are exceptions." (Cheff)
Oi oi, don't tell me you're thinking that I'm one of those daywalkers. Why would a high and mighty, sunlight-resistant vampire work under a human in an eatery?
"I think the smoke has gotten your brain Cheff. I think exceptions working in a stuffy and humid kitchen are too exceptional." (Me)
"I'm sure the smoke isn't enough to clog my brain of information though. Information like how someone knowing more than usual." (Cheff)
"Like I said to her royal highness, I am simply well read in many aspects." (Me)
"Too well read, I suppose." (Cheff)
"That's what her highness said exactly in reply." (Me)
Another tense silence.
"So what followed the conversation?" (Cheff)
"She just accepted and enjoyed the luxury of ease in terms of communication." (Me)
"So you're saying I should accept you similarly as she did?" (Cheff)
"I'm saying that the outcome was not decided by me." (Me)
The fire hiding to the side of Cheff, slowly lowered in heat. It sure took me a lot more effort to act casually when someone near you is about to launch a fire magic at you, presumably in the face. Ignoring the sweat on my back, I stroked the fur underneath my palm to calm it down.
"What else?" (Cheff)
"I love your garlic breaded fish." (Me)
Other than the adventurer's aura I felt from Cheff for the first time, tonight is also the first time I see Cheff giving me a stupefied face.