Asher rushed into the dining room where he was meet by several servants moving quickly getting things Into place for the day. In the center of the room was a long table with elegant flowers and cloths laid out on it. At the head of the table was his father, and Jude sat at his right side. Asher sat to the left of his father, and some servants placed a plate full of bacon and bread. They filled his glass of a golden liquid before retreated to the edge of the room.
His father did not react to his presence. Instead, he was screaming at some one through a magic com. Asher always found advancements in this magic world a little odd. Magic communicators were similar to phones in his old world. They even had things like the internet and online markets. Despite this there were some areas that were behind the times. Transportation was still horse and carriages, and there was no guns in this world.
Asher asked once his governess why this was. She explained that it had to do with mana crystals. Magic beast had monster cores that can be refined into mana crystals which were used to fuel magic devices. Needless to say the stronger the beast, the bigger the core, the more valuable the crystal. Making one personal transportation device would bankrupt most nobles. So no one made one since there was not much value in the attempt. Though there were other ways to get around like teleportation hubs or public airships that were owned by the kingdom.
Same could be said of guns. Why make gunpowder if you can just blow something up with a wave of your hand?
Asher calmly eat making sure to appear proper like a young noble should. He was startled when his father slammed his hand on the table in anger. Even Jude jumped at the sudden action. "I know... You don't need to tell me that... Well tell him today is an important day for my family? If he values our business, then he will wait till tomorrow? Good day sir." He tap the screen as it went black. He rub the arch of his nose clearly annoyed by the exchange.
"Is everything alright, Father?" Asher was the one to break the silence.
"Just merchants. Greed bastards all of them." His Father let out a sigh. He must have been talking to the merchant guild about trade in their territory. He looked at his two children and his demeanor brightened. "Never mind those leeches. Today is a big day for both of you just focus on the awakening. Now tell me how are you two feeling?"
"I am fine." Jude stated in a monotone voice.
Asher smiled and joyful, "I am somewhere between elated and gassy."
Jude rolled his eyes, but his father let out a hardy laugh. He had a deep laugh that reverberated through the room. To Asher, it was like the laugh you might hear from a Santa Claus at the mall. It was full of joy and happiness. "Hohoho... That is one way to describe it." He finally calmed down. As he spoke, he gave Asher a knowing look. "Knowing your study habits, Asher you probably have a specific element you want."
Asher looked the other way not wanting to look his father in the eye. To anyone else, this was an off-handed comment, but Asher knew better. He was saying that he knew about all the books he had stolen from his father's library. "Yeah, there a few, I would like in particular." He spoke in a hushed tone that made his voice barely audible. His father was not someone to anger.
"Good!! A person must have a clear goal of the future, and their goals to be successful. HOHOHO." His father's tone relaxed Asher. Maybe, he didn't know about the books. He smiled at Asher calmly in a way that made him fear for his life. "Oh and Asher. Put them back by this afternoon."
'Shit' He had given him a false sense of security. With a pouting face, Asher simply said, "Yes, sir."
"Leave it to a brat like you to cause trouble." A feminine voice rang out from behind Asher. Some would have found the voice alluring, but it made Asher's skin crawl.
"I thought Beatlejuice only appear when you say it's name three times. Guess I was wrong." Asher said this to quietly for any one to here. He turn to see a women in a green ornate gown with beautiful jewels wrapped around her neck. Her blonde hair was tied up in a bun and slimmered from glitter that was brushed in. The woman held her head high like she was born to look down on very one. She fanned herself with a jeweled fan in one hand.
"Caroline. How are you today? Did Hades give you the day off from guarding hell?" Asher said. He did not like Caroline in the slightest and made no attempt to hide it. His mother was in the simplest terms an effortless beauty. She would often wear just a plain dress of some color. When she would walk down the street, men and women would remark about her beauty. She was also kind. Asher remembers how she would read stories in the town square to a group of children. Everyone knew that she was kind and beautiful earning the title 'Angel of the North'.
Caroline was the exact opposite. She demand all the finest clothes and jewelry. She was arrogant and rude. Asher even saw where she kicked a pup that had the misfortune to get in her path. He told his father, but he thought it was the exaggeration of a child.
Caroline looked at Asher like she had been slapped. It was one of Asher's favorite expression on her considering the number of time he thought of ripping that jeweled wig right off her head. "Asher!!" His father snapped. "Apologize." He would always defend his wife. Asher had to admit his father was an honorable guy just had bad taste.
"I am sorry..." Asher said with blatant insincerity. 'You are a hideous she-demon. Go back to hell Beelzebub.' He add in his head.
"How someone as unpleasant and wild as you could ever be from a noble family? Jude I can believe, but you must have been from someone else." Asher gave the woman a death glare. He hated when she talked about his mother like that.
"Let's calm down," Jude was the one to be the voice of reason. "After all, today is not a day for fighting. We should start heading to the cathedral soon so let just focus on that."
Everyone agree and his father called for one of the servant who had been waiting on the side of the room and told him to have someone bring the carriage around. The servant nodded and rush out of the room. Thankful to be out of the awkward situation.