Seeing Toby looking so clean and put-together in his tailored suit suddenly made Juliana’s simple, weathered druidic robes look incredibly underdressed. That was definitely something I would need to suggest we fix tomorrow. But for now, we had more pressing matters: getting some actual food.
I briefly seized control of our vocal cords. “How about we head downstairs for some dinner, Toby?” I asked, my tone casual.
Toby gave us a strange, lingering look. Every time I spoke through Juliana, our cadence and vocabulary shifted drastically from her usual archaic cheerfulness, and the sharp kid was clearly picking up on it. Still, he simply nodded his head in agreement.
I released my grip, and thankfully, Juliana followed my suggestion without missing a beat, leading us out of the room and down the stairs to the dining hall.
The restaurant was magnificent. Massive crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, featuring floating, glowing orbs of magical light in place of standard wax candles. The tables were generously spaced and set with immaculate white tablecloths, while the polished silver cutlery gleamed softly under the magical lighting.
As Juliana and Toby stood in the mahogany doorway taking it all in, a sharply dressed waiter approached. “Table for two?”
Juliana nodded gracefully. “Yes, that would be most agreeable.”
We were led to an intimate table near a window. As Juliana moved to sit down, the waiter smoothly pulled her chair out and pushed it back in for her.
“Welcome to our establishment,” the waiter said with a polite bow. “I have been informed that the Mage Tower is fully covering the expenses for your stay, so please, feel free to order whatever you desire.”
The waiter then handed a leather-bound menu to Toby, and another to Juliana.
Juliana opened the leather-bound menu. Inside was a sheet of high-quality parchment detailing various drinks and set courses. The one thing I immediately noticed was the distinct lack of prices—a classic hallmark of an establishment where if you have to ask, you certainly can't afford it.
I had a sudden thought. Since Juliana was a max-level druid, she was theoretically immune to all poisons and toxins. By tabletop logic, that meant alcohol shouldn't affect her at all. It was a mechanic I desperately wanted to test.
Toby looked up at Juliana with a confused expression. “I don’t know how to read. Can you read the menu out for me?”
Juliana smiled warmly. “Certainly.” She placed the menu flat on the table and began to sound out each item for Toby, patiently pointing to the words with her finger.
Toby nodded along as she went.
“I think I’ll have the pumpkin and kumara soup, the roast duck, and then the kiwifruit cheesecake!” Toby said, practically vibrating with excitement.
“That sounds wonderful. You should relay your order to the lovely waiter upon his return.”
Once the waiter arrived back at our table, he politely pulled out a small notepad.
“I’ll have the pumpkin and kumara soup, with... with the roast duck, and the kiwifruit cheesecake,” Toby managed to stammer out, doing his best to sound composed.
“Excellent choices. And for you, madam?” the waiter asked, turning in our direction.
“I shall have the same soup, but for my main course, I would like the lentil and seed loaf with the stuffed butternut squash. There is no need for dessert,” Juliana replied.
“And for drinks?” the waiter asked.
Before Juliana could request water, I forcefully seized control.
“A bottle of your best vintage red wine, please,” I requested, my tone dropping its formal cadence.
The waiter nodded smoothly, completely unfazed, before turning back to Toby. “And for the young master?”
“A glass of milk, please?”
The waiter smiled. “Certainly. I shall start bringing out your meals shortly.”
Once the waiter had stepped away, I released my grip on our vocal cords.
“It seems my Lord plans for me to imbibe alcohol this evening,” Juliana mused aloud, her spine snapping back into a perfectly rigid posture.
Toby looked up at her, blinking in confusion. “What was that you said?”
Juliana beamed her unblinking smile. “Oh, nothing of import.”
The drinks arrived first. The waiter poured the vintage red wine, filling Juliana’s glass before stepping away.
Toby sat calmly in his oversized chair, happily sipping his milk, while Juliana just stared at the dark crimson liquid in front of her.
“I have never understood the mortal desire to intentionally ingest poison,” she whispered.
Juliana took a tentative sip. From the passenger seat of her mind, I immediately felt the warmth of the alcohol bloom through our chest. It had an incredibly rich, complex taste—far better than any cheap wine I’d ever had back on Earth.
Juliana seemed to agree. She took a much larger, appreciative gulp.
“I must say, this vintage is most enjoyable,” she remarked.
The first course was delivered shortly after. The rich, savory aroma of the pumpkin and kumara soup hit us instantly. It smelled amazing, briefly giving me an unexpected pang of homesickness.
Toby did not waste a single second. He began eating with frantic speed, his silver spoon flying rapidly from the bowl to his mouth. Juliana wasn't much slower; her bowl was empty in record time.
“That soup was amazing! I have never tasted anything like it before,” Toby said, beaming widely.
“Indeed. It was utterly divine,” Juliana agreed, gracefully dabbing her mouth with a linen napkin. “I am quite sure it would even please my Lord.”
Juliana then easily finished off her glass of wine. A waiter materialized at the table almost instantly, topping it right back up.
“I suppose I shall be drinking this entire bottle by myself, then,” Juliana mused cheerfully.
The main course arrived next. The mouth-watering scent of the roasted duck drifted across the table, and I actually caused Juliana’s mouth to water a little in response.
She immediately cut into her lentil and seed loaf and took a bite with the stuffed squash. The flavor profile was absolutely incredible. Juliana pressed a hand to her cheek and let out a soft, involuntary hum of absolute delight.
“Who knew mere mortal meals could taste this magnificent?” Juliana said.
Toby just nodded vigorously in agreement, his cheeks completely stuffed with roast duck.
After finishing the main course, Juliana effortlessly put away another two full glasses of wine. Sitting in her mind, I didn't feel even the slightest buzz or haze. I finally had my answer. High-level druid mechanics held true: alcohol had absolutely zero intoxicating effect on her.
The next course to arrive was the cheesecake. Toby’s eyes immediately lit up as the sweet treat was placed in front of him.
Toby looked up at Juliana, his fork hovering. “Would you like to try some?”
“No, that will be alright, Toby. I have my dessert right here.” Juliana smiled warmly, pointing a graceful finger at her glass of wine.
Toby ate the cheesecake rapidly, looking almost surprised when he blinked and realized the plate was completely bare. Meanwhile, Juliana effortlessly polished off the rest of the vintage bottle with just two more generous pours.
Once we were completely finished, the waiter returned to our table. "Thank you for your patronage this evening. As stated, your bill is fully covered by the Mage Tower. Please visit us again.” He offered a deep, respectful bow toward Juliana.
“Thank you for the simply wonderful meal. I am most impressed,” Juliana replied brightly. “Please pass my deepest thanks on to your chef.”
The waiter managed a genuine, pleased smile. “I will.”
We pushed our chairs back and left the restaurant feeling completely full and deeply content. After days of bland medieval food, that was a meal I was not going to forget for a very long time.
We made our way back to our room, Toby got back into his rags, ready for bed, I quickly realised Juliana had no sleeping clothes, yet another thing to fix for tomorrow. We climbed into bed with Toby and gave him a hug.
“Goodnight Toby” Juliana said softly.
“Goodnight Juliana” Toby replied, trailing off as he fell asleep.
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