AI: Artificial Isekai

Sovereign Rak'Na takes a sip of water, the refreshment already present on the table. She then turns to Elisa. "My daughter also told me that Harthes has been a pleasant surprise. I haven't visited before, so, Archmage, do you share her opinion?"

"I do," Elisa answers. "It might not be as big as the capital, but what it lacks in size, it more than makes up with character."

"Character and characters," Rak'Na says. "I can see why you've settled here. Do you plan on staying longer?"

Elisa smooths the white tablecloth covering our table absentmindedly. "Depends on what you mean by 'longer'."

Rak'Na laughs softly in response. "A curse and a blessing, if you ask me. How much has it changed since you first arrived?"

"A lot. And not. The people come and go, like leaves when the seasons cycle. And the city remains the same, even through all the change. I do not have any plans to leave anytime soon, but the future is never certain, is it."

"No, it is not," Rak'Na replies. Then she shifts her gaze to me. "What about you Mr. Doe? Will you stay with your teacher, or does adventure call to you much more strongly?"

"Why choose? I shall stay by Teacher Elisa's side for as long as she'll have me. But everyone needs a break from time to time, right? Just enough to squeeze in a quick delve." Rak'Na smiles politely. While Khi barely suppresses a chuckle, exhaling softly through her nose, much to her mother's well-concealed dismay.

Punctuating my answer, the first course arrives. Four covered plates are levitated by the server that took our order. Each plate is gently deposited on the table, and with an exaggerated flick of his wrist, the food is revealed. What stands before each of us is a single fried chip, made out of some root vegetable sourced from a dungeon. The chips are red and covered with flaky salt.

The server says a single word, 'Sunrise', then swiftly turns around and leaves.

We all pick up our chips and crunch on them. Rak'Na and Khi appear to enjoy the taste, Elisa is entirely indifferent, and I think it's pretty good.

After taking another sip of water, washing away the salty taste, Rak'Na addresses me, "Speaking of delves, how did my daughter fare on hers, Mr. Doe?"

"Her spellcasting was as flawless as yours, Your Majesty," I answer without hesitation. "And her fighting as ferocious as any seasoned adventurer."

"My my, you sweet talker. Was that one of the prerequisites the Guild was looking for when selecting for this position?"

"Among many. But I am simply speaking the truth."

The Sovereign regards me for a moment, glances toward her daughter briefly, and then continues, "Naturally. Those qualities are the minimum requirement for a future sovereign."

Khi stiffens imperceptibly, trying to conceal her reaction by speaking up, "Thank you, Lucius. Your performance was remarkable, as well." She turns to Rak'Na. "You should have seen it, Mother. Enhancement magic to rival many of our knights. And combat abilities befit a C-ranked adventurer, if not even higher."

The princess then begins to recount our latest delve, a topic the Sovereign does not seem to be passionate about but does seem to enjoy listening to. If coming from her daughter.

When Khi's finished, Rak'Na smiles at her. "How fortunate you've taken so well to one another." Then she turns back to Elisa and me. "What made you interested in Mr. Doe, Archmage? It has been a while since you've taken a pupil, correct?"

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Before Elisa can answer, our server returns. Another four covered plates are accompanied by a bottle of red wine and four tall glasses. He sets them on the table and reveals the next course. When the wine finishes pouring itself, he says the word 'Dawn', leaving again right after. A raw yolk, of indeterminate origin and still intact, is covering a fair portion of the plate. Next to it are a few sticks of toasted bread.

I pick up a stick and break the yolk. It clings to the bread like it's a thick yellow sauce. The taste is so rich, it's nearly overpowering, but it does not cross the threshold, perfectly balanced on the edge by the supplied bread. Judging by the looks on everyone's faces as they eat, the second course is a hit with them, too.

After swallowing a bite, Elisa returns to the long-awaited questions, "Yes. It has been a long while." The elf takes another bite, then continues again, "That was before your time, Sovereign." Rak'Na smiles at her, but a brief flicker of annoyance reflects in her eyes. Or maybe I just imagined it. "Despite the difficulties Lucius has experienced throughout his life, he has always had a singular drive—to be better. What else can you want in a student? At least, that is all that I require."

"And you haven't found someone like that in so long?" Rak'Na asks. Her expressions turns into exaggerated surprise. "Maybe I overestimate the citizens of Harthes?"

"No. I just wasn't ready for the commitment," Elisa promptly answers.

"What changed your mind?"

Elisa chuckles softly. "If I knew, I wouldn't have waited so long."

Rak'Na laughs in reply. Then she turns to me. "There must be something about you, Mr. Doe. How did you captivate the wary Archmage?"

"I just have that effect on people, I guess," I say with a shrug of my shoulders. Rak'Na laughs again, finding much more humor in my reply. Elisa resists the urge to bonk against me, settling on a message containing a string of emojis instead.

After another bite, the Sovereign tastes the wine, finding its flavor agreeable. "I don't know if you are aware, Archmage, but I have met your mother before. One Councilor Alcia. Rather briefly, mind you, but even so, she made quite the impression. How is she these days?"

"My mother is well. Thank you for asking, Your Majesty."

"I hear there was some unpleasantness recently. An attack during a diplomatic mission. How dreadful. And how fortunate that she was not harmed. Though there was one casualty from the despicable act, isn't that right?"

"There was."

Rak'Na shakes her head solemnly. "Poor soul. Caught in the savage clash between two brutes." She then sighs deeply. "It seems no matter how much the world changes, we can never escape our baser instincts. Violence to obtain power, using that power to enact violence, then losing it to more violence, only to repeat again and again."

In a low voice, Khi interjects, "Maybe the Dwarven Republic will be different, Mother."

"We can only hope, can't we, Daughter," Rak'Na replies. "What does Councilor Alcia think, Archmage? She and the Confederacy have been heavily involved in the formation and subsequent governing of said republic, after all."

"A peculiar choice of words, You Majesty. The Confederacy is only trying to help, not interfere," Elisa says.

Rak'Na smiles. "Of course. I did not mean to insinuate something like that. I was merely commending Councilor Alcia's dedication. Even after she was nearly killed for attempting the same. Did they ever discover who did it?"

Elisa thinks for a moment, then says, "I don't believe they have."

Rak'Na is holding eye contact with Elisa, the Sovereign's attention absolute. "The Demon King insists on his innocence to this day. And the former Emperor is... well, unable to answer. Is Councilor Alcia not worried it might happen again?"

"My mother keeps her emotions very close to her chest. But she is not alone. Even if it does, the results will not be the same."

Rak'Na sighs again, finally breaking her total focus. "Indeed. Having dependable allies is paramount in our profession." She smirks slightly at the comical equation. "I sincerely hope you and Mr. Doe can be such allies for my Khi'Na. Because I am sure you have already concluded why I've sent her here, to Harthes, to the Union. Why I've sent her away from her home. From me."

Elisa and I nod at the statement. Khi averts her gaze, using the imminent arrival of our server to conceal her reaction again, tracking his approach with faked anticipation.

This time, he brings four bowls. Once they are set down, the word said is 'Sky'.

The bowls contain a vibrant blue soup, the color somewhat reminiscent of a clear sky. I plunge my spoon into the liquid and find it rather thicker than I expected. A spoonful of the soup jiggles like jelly as I lift it to my mouth. The moment it touches my tongue, I know that this is the most unique dish I have ever experienced, like a dash of ozone and the concept freshness. But the taste is not harsh. Each spoonful becomes milder and milder, while still remaining flavorful somehow.

Elisa and Rak'Na share my enjoyment of the soup, both finding it particularly delicious. On the other hand, Khi looks too distracted to even taste it, another choice dragging her attention away.