Dinner arrived in a slow but steady manner like an army approaching a war. Door opened with a chime of a bell, coats were hung, chairs adjusted, and voices layered over one another until the room held a steady hum that required no management.
The bar stools were left empty for sometime, the regular visitor of Checkpoint knew the hidden rule. No one should sit there when there's still empty tables in the dining hall.
Ludwig moved through the bustle without hurry. He didn't even direct, the employees under him had become capable enough to handle most of the stuff.
At the far end of the dining hall, Cless had abandoned her earlier seat and migrated to the larger table near the wall. Valerie would sit across from her whenever the time allowed it, braiding and unbraiding a ribbon for no clear reason other than habit. Hedwig darted between them, fur flashing between lavender and gold depending on who called her name. Raon had taken possession of the center of the table, chin propped in both hands, watching the fox attempt to steal one of the cats' patience.
The cats endured it with the solemn resignation of creatures who had already accepted that chaos would happen whether they approved of it or not.
Kashi's wolf lay beneath the table, tail thumping once whenever Cless's foot brushed against its side.
None of them was discussing anything important. But it was fine in Ludwig's eyes. Not every corner of this restaurant needed to be teeming with alcohol, food, tension, and politics.
Vilera chose that moment to step into the bar counter.
"Three bitter ales. Two amberdraft, three roasted beef with mustard glaze, and three shepherd's pie." She said in one breath.
Ludwig looked at Vilera and nodded as his mind drifted into the table filled with a team of Shadow Hand. Their cloaks draped over chair backs, a rare occurrence for their group of mercenaries. Their weapon leaned within reach but not in hand while they spoke in low voices that suggested they had come from somewhere they didn't want people to hear about.
Ludwig's hand moved to the tankard shelf. He fished five steel tankards and filled it to the brim with the ale they ordered. In the next moment, Zhark already hauled it into the table.
Not falling behind, the food came to the bar right after. Bilo and FInka scooped it from the whole portion and served them in plates, garnish sprinkled and ready to be eaten.
Ludwig didn't even have to help them in the process. Only a few times since the dinner started because the order came in bulk.
"You know…" Rimuru's voice slithered into his ears at that moment. "Today's menu is a little bit like cheating. You don't need to do anything in the kitchen, do you?"
Ludwig looked at the slime in human form and chuckled. "You just see the result, Rimuru. Not the process. We did a lot this morning."
Rimuru looked up from his food, eyes sharp. "Hah! Like you need a long time to cook. I know you use your time manipulation to shorten the time."
"Like you know anything about cooking." Ludwig shot back. "Time manipulation wouldn't help when you have crates of vegetables to cut."
"But space manipulation might."
"That's called stifling the staff's growth. We did it ourselves."
Some more barbed and playful words were exchanged between them to the amusement of Claire and Rimuru's companion who came with him.
Claire did not laugh loudly. She rarely did. But the corner of her mouth curved when Rimuru accused Ludwig of laziness and Ludwig replied that Rimuru once tried to boil water and somehow burned it.
"I improved." Rimuru said.
"No, you delegated." Claire corrected.
hark passed behind them carrying an empty tray. The Shadow Hand table had already reduced one of the shepherd's pies to a cratered dish and were working through the beef with efficient silence.
Then, the Checkpoint whispered into Ludwig's mind. Someone that the restaurant knew well was just outside the door. Not alone, no. He was with something, not human. But considering his identity, him coming with something not human was only natural.
The door finally chimed. No one paid attention at first. Then the sound of claws on wood followed.
Ludwig looked up as he heard that.
Behind Oak was an Arcanine. Its coat held the color of deep flame, orange layered with black striping that curved along a broad chest and powerful shoulders. Cream fur framed its face and ran thick along its neck like a mane shaped by wind. Each step was heavy but precise, claws touching wood with a controlled weight.
Its eyes were calm and it was not searching the room.
It was already landing on him.
Claire's fingers paused at the rim of her glass. Rimuru straightened on his stool without meaning to. Ludwig also didn't move, same as Benimaru and Shuna.
Oak let the Arcanine walk past him and closed the door behind him as if he had simply returned from an evening walk.
As the Arcanine moved, Ludwig could feel the attention of the whole room shifting to the big majestic Pokemon.
"Well…" He said, adjusting his hat. "Good evening."
A few greetings came automatically from nearby tables. The Shadow Hand did not turn their heads, though one of them shifted slightly in his chair.
Ludwig's friend at the bar also nodded their head towards Oak, but their expression was still stiff. No, maybe surprised, not really stiff.
Oak cleared his throat. "You know… After you guys visited my lab a few days ago, this guy kept appearing on the outer part of the sanctuary. You know, the part where you guys fed some pokemon.
"At first, I thought it had become more comfortable, trying to ask for more food from me. But no, I was wrong about it. Then, I tried to bring more people, thinking maybe it wants to meet more people now…"
"Let me guess, wrong again?" Rimuru chimed.
"Yes…" Oak chuckled. "So, I start thinking, the only thing that's different from what I tried. You guys. So here I am, bringing this big boy here."
Rimuru let out a low sound that might have been a laugh. "You brought him to confirm a theory."
"Observation first." Oak replied with a chuckle as he took a seat.
The Arcanine followed along before it plopped down to its hind legs. Though, its eyes were still on him. However, Ludwig didn't step out from behind the counter. He just turned away and walked to the kitchen.
From his limited knowledge about the pokemon world, he knew what it meant for the Arcanine to start changing, to come here, to look at him like that.
But he couldn't just go to it and start acting like he knew, that contradicts all the secrecy he put effort into when treating knowledge from worlds he saw or read back on Earth. But of course, he couldn't just let it sit there and didn't give it anything.
Like he felt back in Oak's lab, the Arcanine had a similar demeanour with dutiful veterans who couldn't go to war again. And to those kinds of people, words of thank you and encouragement worked well. But besides that, food also worked well.
He opened the stasis storage door and scanned the shelves briefly. When he came back out, he carried a wide ceramic plate with no garnish. It only housed a thick cut of roasted meat, but with less glazing and seasonings.
Ludwig blinked past the counter, didn't even bother to walk. Then, he lowered his body and put the plate on the wooden floor.
"Eat first." He said in a warm tone. "You deserved this much."
The Arcanine did not move immediately. It looked at the plate. Then at Ludwig. Then back at the plate again.
The conversations around the room dipped in volume without people realizing they had done so. The Shadow Hand continued eating, though slower. Claire even drank without taking her eyes off the creature while Oak rested his hands on the bar and watched.
The Arcanine finally lowered its head. It did not lunge. It did not test the air first. It took the first bite cleanly, jaws closing with quiet precision. No growl. No possessiveness.
While it chewed, Ludwig did not step closer.
He did not crouch again. He did not reach for its mane. He simply stood where he had placed the plate and then turned, walking back behind the counter as if this were no different from serving any other patron.
Rimuru leaned forward slightly. "You're not even going to check?"
"It is eating." Ludwig replied.
"That's not what I meant."
"I know."
The Arcanine finished the first piece and paused. Its tail swept once against the floorboards. It did not take the second piece immediately. It lifted its head again.
Still looking at him.
Claire set her glass down.
"He's waiting." She said quietly.
"For what?" Rimuru asked.
Ludwig wiped his hands on a dry cloth. "Not for permission, of course."
The Arcanine lowered its head and resumed eating.
Across the hall, Cless had slid off her chair and was now kneeling on the bench to see better. Valerie held her sleeve to keep her from jumping down. Hedwig had gone completely still, fur dimmed into a steady cream. Raon's chin rested in his palm, eyes narrowed with interest rather than alarm.
Kashi's wolf remained under the table, watching through half-lidded eyes.
Oak adjusted his glasses.
"He refused meat earlier." he said. "Even fresh."
Ludwig nodded once.
"Professor, Ludwig's fresh meat is different than the one you prepared." Rimuru muttered.
"It seemed so." Oak asnwered with a laugh.
The second piece disappeared. The Arcanine ate the third more slowly. When it finished, it licked its muzzle once and sat back without moving away from the empty plate.
It did not approach the counter. It did not follow Ludwig. It just stayed there.
"Well…" Oak chuckled. "That answers my question."
"It is?" Rimuru asked.
"It is…" Oak beamed. "Seemed like I have to urge Agent Looker to move faster now."
Rimuru nodded, Claire also. Even without anyone saying it out loud and regardless whether they knew about the pokemon world or not, everyone knew. The big pokemon had chosen Ludwig.
Ludwig picked up the ceramic dish and returned it to the counter. He rinsed it under running water and set it aside with the others. The motion was unremarkable. The same as any other plate.
Around him, the room resumed its natural rhythm.
When he returned to his usual station, he saw Rimuru's eyes staying on him while he was propping his head in one of his hands.
Thinking that he would get some teasing, Ludwig tried to think about a retaliation immediately.
However, what came out of Rimuru's mouth was not what he expected.
"By the way, Lud. When will the demonkin you want to relocate to Tempest move in? We have already finalized the plan for their housing."
Claire's eyes lifted slightly at that. Vilera who stood near the door also looked at him, a natural action because it was her kin that was mentioned.
Ludwig paused with a cloth in his hand. The Arcanine's ears twitched once at the subtle shift in tone, though it did not otherwise react.
"I have not told them yet." Ludwig said.
Rimuru blinked. "Seriously?"
"Yeah."
"So you negotiated with me first."
"Yes."
Rimuru leaned back in his stool. "So when will you tell them?"
"I will tell them tomorrow." He answered.
Rimuru hummed. "What if they refused?"
Ludwig looked at him and chuckled. "Then they will stay. But, I don't think they will."
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