The trip to the Temple was uneventful. I didn’t see anyone loitering, and it didn’t seem as if anyone was following me.

  Upon entering, I removed my hood and approached the nearest priest.

  “Hello, sir. I was hoping to have an audience with Elder Peter. My name is Trevor,” I said, bowing politely.

  The priest seemed unsure if Elder Peter was available but went to ask.

  As he stepped into the hallways beyond the rooms I knew were there, I decided now would be the perfect time to pray to the statue dominating the main hall.

  Kneeling before it, I closed my eyes.

  “Dear Goddess of Fate, a lot has happened in a very short time. I thought we were on a good path forward, but now that wheel seems broken. I hope whatever fate has planned for me will work out.”

  Opening my eyes and rising to my feet, I once again caught the smell of roast chicken. At this point, I was starting to think the Temple just happened to be downwind of a food stall or restaurant.

  Shrugging it off, I waited patiently for the priest to return. When he did, he informed me that the Elder would be out momentarily and that I was free to wait in the room where I had previously spoken with him. He pointed towards the small meeting room.

  After a short while, Elder Peter walked in with a warm smile on his face. “Hello, Master Trevor. I hope you are doing well. Have you made any advancements in your class?”

  “Uh, I have made some progress, Elder. However, that’s not the reason I’m here today,” I replied.

  “Oh? Do tell then.” Elder Peter took a seat as I gave him a brief rundown of what I knew and what I had been told to expect.

  The smile never left his face. “Ah, I can see the concern of your friends; however, it’s likely not as bad as you expect. I’ve always found our Lord to be very reasonable.”

  Immediately, I felt relieved. Was the whole situation being blown out of proportion?

  “That said, I think it would be ill-advised to work at the Manor. From what you’ve explained about your class and the developments with the buff-giving food, it seems to me you’d be most valuable out in the wilds with an adventurer party or two,” he concluded.

  “Elder, I was told that if I say no to Lord Falcone, I could essentially be trapped there,” I said, worry creeping back into my voice.

  “I see. Personally, I don’t think it will be a problem; however, if you are truly concerned, come see me this afternoon after your meeting at the Manor. If you do not arrive, I will visit the Manor to collect you and inform the Lord of our prior engagement,” he said with a smile. “Although, I truly don’t believe it will be an issue.”

  This offered some much-needed reassurance.

  “Thank you for everything, Elder. I should get going—I need to visit the Pavilion before I head to the Manor,” I said, rising from my chair and bowing.

  A short while later, I left the Temple, hood pulled over my head as I headed toward the Pavilion. It wasn’t a long walk, but I knew people had been watching me there before.

  Approaching the Pavilion, I took note of my surroundings. Some groups were loitering near the entrance, but nothing seemed out of place. Deciding it was safe enough, I entered and removed my hood once inside.

  “Ah, young Trevor,” a familiar voice called. It was the man who’d been present during my first visit—I still hadn’t caught his name.

  “Hello, sir. I was wondering if the Matron might see me today,” I asked. “Something has come up that may affect future donations.”

  “That would be disappointing,” he frowned, “but I’ll certainly see if she’s available. Please, have a seat.”

  A short while later, the Matron appeared with a stern look.

  “Hello, Trevor. Please follow me—we’ll talk in my office.”

  Soon we were seated inside her office. I gave her the same explanation I’d shared with Elder Peter.

  “My concern is this: if I’m required to leave or work at the Manor, I didn’t want to steal the pot you’d provided, so I made a stew to give you and return it,” I told her.

  The Matron laughed. “We wouldn’t be upset over an old pot. I appreciate your concern, but we understand things happen. Having the Elder come to collect you is a smart move,” she continued. “I don’t believe you’ll be trapped, but we’ve heard and seen all sorts of things here at the Pavilion. I’ll take the stew from you today and still give you an empty pot in return. If you do need to leave, consider it a gift for your journey.”

  With that, she stood, took the pot from me, and shortly returned with a clean, empty one.

  “I must return to my patients now, but thank you for coming to visit. Honesty is in short supply these days. I wish you the best of luck.”

  I bowed respectfully and made my way toward the entrance. Before leaving, I turned back. Leaving the Pavilion, I looked around but saw no one suspicious.

  Back at the house, Micca had already gone to work. I slipped in through the back door just in case. Leaving my travel cloak behind, I exited again through the front, letter in hand, and set out for the Manor.

  After what felt like forever, the gates finally came into view. Two guards stood at the entrance. My heart hammered as I stepped forward, clutching the letter tightly.

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  “Hello, I was instructed to come to the Manor and present you with this letter of invitation.” I handed it to the nearest guard.

  He quickly looked me over. “No weapons on you?”

  “No, sir. None.”

  “Very well. Follow me, and I’ll lead you to the atrium.”

  He opened the gate and started up the main path. The garden beyond was breathtaking—I had never seen such beautiful flowers. In fact, the whole place looked immaculate.

  As we entered the main hall, I was equally shocked. It looked so fancy to me. Everything was pristine. The walls were adorned with artwork and portraits of what I could only assume were family members. Fresh flowers in vases decorated the room, and a small cushioned bench sat by the door.

  “Please wait here,” the guard ordered, standing silently beside me.

  After a brief pause, a man in a fine suit approached—clearly a butler of some kind. “Who is this?” he asked the guard, ignoring me completely.

  “He came with an invitation. Orphan named Trevor, sir,” the guard replied.

  “Ah yes, the cook, I see. Follow me then.” Without another word to me, the butler turned and walked away.

  I was led into another waiting room of sorts. It was small, with four chairs and a large doorway that was currently closed.

  “Wait here,” the man said, before disappearing through the door—presumably to organize the meeting.

  Waiting in the room was incredibly dull. I sat there for what felt like a very long time, and unlike the main hall, this room had none of its beauty, not even a window.

  With nothing else to do, I checked my status. What I saw brought me some joy. The stew had clearly been distributed at the Pavilion: twenty-three meal notifications and twenty-one healing notifications!

  Notifications:

  You have reached Level 9 in Arcane Chef.

  You have +2 unspent stat points.

  Yes! I thought to myself. I was so close to unlocking the new ability. I placed one point into Charisma, bringing it to ten, and another into Wisdom, raising it to twelve.

  I was happy with my choices so far. Despite the rocky start, the class was progressing well.

  Meanwhile, I waited until late afternoon.

  “You can enter now,” the butler said.

  I stepped into a room that looked like a cross between a library and an office. Bookcases lined the walls, packed to the brim. By the window sat a single cushioned armchair, and in the center of the room stood a large wooden desk that dominated the space. Behind it sat a portly elderly man—the Lord, I presumed—apparently engaged in some paperwork.

  “Stand there,” the butler instructed, pointing to a spot a fair distance from the desk. I did as I was told and waited. The silence stretched on. Not wanting to interrupt, I stayed patient.

  Eventually, the man spoke. “The cook, yes. Rare class, confirmed by Simon.” He glanced down at the sheet again. “Yes, okay. Take him to the kitchens and have them deal with it. Thank you.”

  I didn’t know what I had expected, but it wasn’t that. I didn’t even get a word in—no greeting, nothing.

  I was ushered out of the room by the butler, who then started walking away once we returned to the waiting area. This time, I didn’t follow—frozen, stunned by the so-called meeting.

  Noticing I wasn’t behind him, the butler turned just as the door opened again. In came the guard, with Elder Peter following. I heard the butler mutter under his breath, “Oh, what now,” before hurrying forward to greet them.

  “I beg your forgiveness,” Elder Peter began before the butler could speak. “You see, I had an appointment with young Master Trevor this afternoon at the temple, which he seems to have missed. By all means, I would be happy to return him once it’s completed.”

  For a while, the butler looked perplexed. At last, he nodded. “Come then, boy. I’ll show you to the kitchen on your return,” he said, beckoning me forward since I still hadn’t moved.

  Seizing the moment, I stepped ahead without a word, glancing at Elder Peter. He placed a hand on my shoulder. “We shall return in a few hours,” he said, turning to guide me outside. The guard followed as we left the grounds.

  It wasn’t until we were stepping out the gate and heading back toward the temple that the Elder asked, “So, how did it go?”

  “Honestly, I don’t even know,” I admitted, still bewildered. “He didn’t even address me. After several hours of waiting, I entered the office, and he just instructed the butler to take me to the kitchens. Then you showed up as we were leaving the room.” I shook my head, trying to make sense of it. “I genuinely don’t know what was happening.”

  “Ah, I see,” Elder Peter said. “It’s not ideal, but you’ll have several hours before anyone starts expecting you back at the Manor. I’d say you’ll have until tomorrow before anyone really notices you haven’t returned. Use that time wisely. Best of luck, young Trevor.”

  With that, Elder Peter patted me on the back, gave me a warm smile, and went on his way.

  I was left alone, still confused. I didn’t really understand what was happening, but feeling it would be better to talk to my friends than to figure it out on my own, I decided to head home first and grab my cloak. Then I’d make my way to the inn—maybe I could slip into the kitchen through the back door without anyone noticing.

  A short while later, now wearing the cloak, I approached the back door of the inn, hoping Geo had left it open.

  I was in luck. Slipping inside, I removed my hood and made my way to the kitchen, avoiding the main room and the people there.

  “You’re back already?” Geo asked when he saw me. “Have you been to the Manor?”

  “Uh, yes,” I said, then explained everything that had happened. I repeated the same when Micca came into the kitchen to place an order and noticed me.

  “Well, what are you going to do?” Geo asked.

  “You won’t be able to hide out here or at home; they’ll check eventually,” Micca said.

  “I really don’t know. That’s why I came to speak with you—to see what I should do, and honestly, to figure out what even happened, since it wasn’t entirely clear,” I replied.

  Geo spoke up. “Well, it sounds like they were going to have you work in the kitchen and just assumed you’d agreed—if what you say is accurate. But then the Elder showed up, with impeccable timing, by the sounds of it.” He took a sip of what must have been mead before continuing.

  “Honestly, the Elder’s bought you some time and probably caused a bit of confusion, unless that butler is particularly determined to track you down. So, you’ve got a few options: find somewhere else to hide for a few weeks, take a trip to another town and explore for a bit, or just go back to normal and hope they don’t show up tomorrow.”

  I frowned. “I really don’t know; I’d want to stay. I have friends here.”

  “We’re not going anywhere,” Geo said. “Even if you go traveling for a month or so, we’ll still be here.”

  “I suppose, but I can’t afford to leave—I’ve got four coppers to my name after buying all those supplies.”

  Geo nodded. “Yes, that does pose a problem. Hold on—wait here.”

  He got up and left the kitchen, heading out front. A moment later, he returned with Larry of all people.

  Larry folded his arms across his chest and looked me in the eye. “I can get you on a caravan tomorrow morning. It will cost you anywhere from one to five silver to come back, but I can get you out at sunrise when the gates open. I know a group heading out, and a couple of the merchants are staying here tonight.”

  I was floored. It would be that easy? I didn’t even know where the next town was—but this would only be temporary, right?

  “Okay,” I said hesitantly. “How long should I leave for? I want to come back. My friends are here.”

  “At least a month,” Larry replied, “but taking longer won’t hurt. I’ll have a job here for you when you return, kid.” With that, he left the room, heading back to the main hall.

  “You should go get your stuff from the house. You’ll probably sleep here tonight and leave in the morning with the merchants, I’d guess,” said Geo, sipping his mead again.

  Where even is the next town from here? How long is the journey? My mind was racing with questions.

  Geo shoved me out the door. “Get your stuff, come back, and we’ll talk. I’ll try to give you as much information as I know.”

  So once again, I was leaving the inn through the back door, hood pulled back over my head. How did it come to this? I would leave Dunhearth for the first time in my life, and go out into the wide, wild world.