Chapter 12

  Coren described where he could find his personal quarters before he left Wes alone. Wes took his time moving over to the double doors that were said to be for only him. He would have to designate whether he would like any of his servants to enter as soon as he met them. As much as he wanted to move over to the water room, his curiosity over the doors opposite of it took hold. Walking up to the first wooden door, he found that it did not have a door handle like the rest. He pressed his head to the door that he thought was wood. It offered a particular scent as he pressed his head into it.

  When he went to push away after hearing nothing, the door gave way and moved several inches in the direction he pushed. Stepping back, he saw it shift back to its original place, so he pushed it again and saw that it moved again. He kept pushing, and the door opened into a large room with a solid table surrounded by other tables just as solid. Pushing his way past the entrance to the door, he first made sure he was able to exit. The door gave way in the same the other way, so he fully entered the room and the lights turned on. The skylight in this room was a lot smaller. The room was deep but only half as wide. A door was in the far corner, off to his right. The counters had a bunch of different colored utensils along the wall. The far wall had nothing but knives. The right had thousands of spices that ran from corner to corner where they bookended by cabinets. Each had a place that belonged to them in their own row.

  After thinking of food, his stomach started to growl. It had been so long since he last ate. Mana helped keep hunger and thirst at bay, but unless you were up in the thousands of levels, or in Wes's case did not have any Mana you could not go without. Not finding anything on the immaculate counters, he walked over to the door in the corner.

  The door handle was cold to the touch, its door was heavy, and it was made of metal, not wood. When he opened it, the cold air hit him, and he gasped at a room just as large as the kitchen, full of food. He recognized none of it, but it was jam-packed with food. From the floor, where sacks of round things lay to the ceiling where boxes with labels named what they carried rested on shelves. Row after row of food down to the far end.

  Along the wall to the door side where he had just entered were a dozen large boxes with smaller doors running all the way to the far wall. They sort of reminded him of the fridges in the shops back home, but they were definitely of a different caliber. All this food would feed his village during the toughest of seasons easily.

  Feeling a little bummed, missing home, he grabbed the closest thing he thought looked edible. A purple fruit or vegetable of some kind that wasn’t so hard to the touch that it would hurt his teeth. He swallowed it in 3 bites. After he returned to the main atrium and continued to the next door. The first that offered a handle.

  This door led to a long hallway with multiple doors on either side. The hallway felt cramped in comparison to the rest of what he had seen. At the end was a large open space. Taking his time, he opened each door and found beds and small desks. A bathroom and a washroom were opposite each other. Upon getting to the end he counted six rooms with beds and two bathrooms, and one washroom. There were also two empty rooms with nothing at all in them. The large open space had furniture and a glass wall that was pitch black off to the right. Along the left wall was a large table with a dozen chairs. A small version of the main kitchen was in view of the rest of the room in the corner, past the large table. A Counter with stools was in the middle of that area. A door that looked like the cold room in the kitchen was also there. Wes went up to it only to confirm that it was another cold room. It was just a lot smaller. Only one-twentieth the size of the Main cold room.

  Wes went through the other doors off the main atrium and found two more living spaces. With each subsequent living space off the main atrium providing a larger accommodations with increasingly more detailed designs for everything. It seemed that these were meant to be a hierarchy for his assigned servants. There were three living quarters in total. The last door along the right wall of the main atrium he went to held a large space. It had a different floor color, one that he had never seen before. It glistened like glass would in certain light. This room was just one large box with instruments along the walls. Dozens of lines were along the floor, some in boxes and circles, and a few in triangle designs. Wes had only taken a few steps in when he decided to return back to the main atrium. This room was just too large and so many of the things lining the walls along the borders would take hours to go over.

  Thinking to himself, enough holding myself back.

  Wes paid no mind to the large seating area. He walked over to the large opening to the great big body of water set into the floor in the adjoining atrium. When he was going to walk into the “water atrium,” he heard a ring. He turned and heard another ring, followed by a knock on the front door. Sighing to himself, he went to the entryway door.

  When he got within 10 feet of the door, a panel that he had not noticed before came to life. It showed a view of 4 individuals standing in the hallway.

  Opening the door, he was greeted by Rocen, whom he had learned to differentiate from his brother by his permanent sour face.

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  “These three are your servants. Any problems, bring it up with Coren when he comes to grab you tomorrow.” Rocen did not give him any time to respond before he vanished in a wisp of thin smoke.

  Two humans stood with their heads down, their hands crossed in front of them. They had a different type of clothing that sort of resembled Runar's, but not totally. The last individual he recognized was from his books on different cultures and species. She was among dominant species from one of the 7 great powers of the path. It was his first personal interaction with anyone from a different sentient species.

  Wes realized that he had just been staring as they all stood in the corridor, stone still. Knowing he was being rude, he stood off to the side of the double door that was still closed and asked them to come in.

  After they all stepped in, he said, “Hi ya, my name is Wesley from 29744C. It's a pleasure to meet you all. Would you mind telling me your names?”

  All three raised their heads and shot glances at each other. No one was willing to be the first to speak.

  Wes offered, “you do not have to worry about offending me. I have only just awakened, and probably would not know when I should take offense.” He chuckled before continuing, “I am new to being somewhere so nice, so really if you all could make my life easier by being clear and concise about what you are expected to do for me, I would greatly appreciate it.”

  The three shot glances amongst themselves once again before the only non-human spoke. Her voice came out crisp and was nice to his ears. “It is a pleasure to serve you, Master Wesley. My name is Brugunnardozel of the ChiShiKi Empire. My Homeworld is 109899Fe.”

  Wes went to speak but was interrupted when the other two found their own courage. The Darker of the two yelled out, “Forgive me, sir. My name is Mordune from 23407A.”

  The last man was next, “Yes, forgive me as well, sir. My name is Orthol of 23414Mt.”

  Wes nodded along and gave them a moment to add more, but when they didn’t, he said. “First off, don’t call me Master. I think the power that a word like that gives would go straight to my head.” He looked directly at the blue woman. “I am sorry, but your name is quite difficult for me. Do you go by anything else?”

  She nodded back, “I have also been called Bug.”

  “And you are okay being called that? You know what that refers to?” Wes asked.

  “Yes, I am aware.”

  “Well, how about I call you ‘Dozel’? I would feel like an asshole if I called you that in front of people.”

  “I am humbled by you giving me a new name. Thank you, sir.” Dozel bowed as she thanked Wes.

  “Now, none of that. Just act like you would act amongst yourselves if I were not here.” Wes considered for a moment before continuing. “I really do not know what I will be having you do. I have been told that if it does not work out for you here that you will be sent to the frontier. So let me put your minds at ease, so long as you do not do anything to betray my confidence or trust, you will be staying here with me. Trust is earned, and confidence is kept.”

  They all bowed as one. While in their bows, Dozel said, “I am sorry, sir, but in order for us to stay here, there are certain standards that must be kept. We are only allowed to serve if we are respectful and adhere to a strict hierarchy. We are trained that you are the head of the household. And that your word is second only to the Matriarch. Even if the family head commands us, we can not speak of anything that you have not allowed. We must call you Master while in the presence of outsiders, and we must serve you even if that means our deaths.”

  “What do you get in return?” Wes asked.

  “Nothing, but our families are allowed to live comfortably, and if they are granted an awakening quest, then they are offered tutelage by one of the many teachers from the estate.” Dozel finished.

  “I see. How about we do this, while we are here alone, you call me Wes, and all other times you uphold your standards?”

  Dozel shook her head, “I am sorry, habits once broken are hard to bring back into line.”

  “Fine, I just feel weird being called ‘Master’ is all. But with time, I can get used to it, I suppose.” Wes replied.

  Wes saw them still in their bow and asked, “Can you all please rise. I have been on the move and under great stress for far too long. I need to rest, I am going to head over to my quarters. I have taken inventory of the rooms you will be staying in. Can you three sort out your living situation, or do I need to mediate?”

  Orthol answered for them, “I think we can figure it out, Master Wesley.”

  “Alrighty, I’ll see you after I wake up. I will meet with you again first before I meet with your families.” Wes said before turning away and heading toward his sleeping quarters. He called over his shoulder before opening the large double door. “Call me if you need anything.”

  Wes closed the double doors behind him and saw a large long hallway with dozens of doors on either side. He leaned against the door, “Fuck me that's a lot.” He hurriedly poked his head into a few doors before he found one with a bed. He threw himself on the bed.

  “Holy hell, this bed is amazing.” Wes closed his eyes and fell asleep on the very next breath.