A servant came into the room, they were some sort of anthropomorphic cat person. "What do you need, sura?" She asked.

"I am sorry for bothering you in the middle of your work." I said. "But I had a question regarding the clothing I've been given. Particularly, I want to ensure that I don't wear the wrong thing to dinner and insult Lady Lissana." Her expression betrayed shock, but she quickly hid it. "Since I am from another world, I lack the understanding of how to behave properly around someone of her stature, and I can tell that my words were shocking to you."

"My apologies, sura." She said, bowing. "It was not meant to be implied that you were more knowledgeable than you are." She approached me and gestured toward the fancier clothes. "This is the attire meant to be worn at supper." She said. "And these are meant to be worn around the manor. My Lady has explicitly set these aside as a gift to you, so that when she removes your curse, that you have more than just the clothes on your back."

I nodded. "Is it improper for me to address the fair Lady by name?" I asked.

"It is not... improper." She said with some hesitation.

I raised my hand toward her and she flinched, I held it out. "Apologies." I said. "The way you spoke, I was certain... Lady Lissana does not strike me as one who beats her staff."

"My Lady is most gracious." She said. "She saved my life, and thus I owe it to her."

"She sounds like a kind person." I replied. "I am glad it was she who found me, rather than someone of ill intent."

She stared at my hand. "With permission, may I ask what you are doing?" She asked.

"I am extending my hand to shake yours, it is a custom of greeting on my world." I said.

She hesitantly held her hand out, and I gently grasped it before moving it down, then up. I let go. That wasn't the real reason, I wanted to know if I could, I don't know, sense something, maybe perceive magic. A handshake was a good excuse.

She bowed. "If that is all..." She started.

"There is one last thing." I said. "I have never seen one of your kind before, and I'd rather not insult you or another in the future. If it is no trouble, could you tell me what you are?"

Her ears drooped. "I am a Felisian." She said softly.

"Thank you." I said.

She bowed and left. Not long after, Mira returned with a feather quill and paper. "The quill is linked to a magical reservoir, you will not need to dip it into a well." She said.

"Thank you." I said. If I was going to stay here for long, I may as well learn how to use the local utensils.

She bowed and left.

These things said and done, I got dressed and turned my attention to testing what abilities I had in this world, if any. I had a small list of things to consider, so I set about testing them out.

"Alright, status screen." I said, no status screen appeared, no magical squares of information appeared, nor did I see what level I was, assuming this was an RPG Mechanics Verse. I held my hand out and moved my finger in various directions, used different names for a status screen, including 'Character Sheet', but the most common trope was subverted.

I moved on to trying to cast magic. "Fire, fireball, frost, icicle, ice spike, fira?" Nothing, no rush of power. Chances were, if I did have some magical talent, it wouldn't be that easy. I flailed about trying different things, to no avail.

I heard a giggle and looked toward the door. Lissana stood just inside, with Nash behind her.

"Uh, how much of that did you see?" I asked.

"Your attempts at using magic are, at best, foolhardy, and at worst, ignorant." She said. She looked me over. "You almost look like you belong." She remarked. "And yet, you are so out of place nobody would mistake you for a denizen of this land."

"He is an idiot." Nash stated.

"I'm not an idiot." I said. "That implies I'm simpleminded to the point of being unable to survive."

"You are fat and squishy, you would not last a day."

"That's just a matter of lifestyle." I said.

Nash opened his mouth again, and Lissana snapped, "That is enough!" We both went silent, I wasn't going to push it. "It has come to my attention you requested paper to write on, may I ask what it is you plan to write?"

"Oh." I said. "I was planning on compiling information about this world as a reference so that I don't make a stupid mistake." I replied. "Speaking of which, would the way I am speaking to you be considered a stupid mistake?"

"To less patient individuals, yes." She replied. "Nor would I pretend I find your irreverence refreshing. Aggravating, perhaps, but I do recognize you act out of ignorance and not malice."

I bowed my head. "I thank you for your generosity and patience." I said.

"My Lady." Nash hissed.

"Right, my apologies, my Lady." I stressed. "I am not used to speaking those words, and indeed, they carry some negative connotations on my world, as they are often spoken by condescending men who view women as little more than- how should I put it?- breeding stock would be a good one."

"I see, your aversion to proper protocol is less of defiance and more of wishing not to insult me." She remarked. It wasn't really, I just wanted to get out of saying it. I didn't want to show more allegiance to someone than was absolutely necessary. I had no idea what to expect, really, and the less I seemed submissive to someone, regardless if they were actually nobility, the less they could claim I was a servant, or worse, their property. "For you only, I shall allow you to address me as Lady Lissana."

"I was right." I said. "You are kind, if other Lords and Ladies are half as kind as you are, then this world is in good hands."

"Dispense with the flattery." She said. "I find it to be annoying."

I sighed. "I guess one man's praise is another man's flattery." I remarked. "It must be difficult, being unable to tell if I am speaking the truth or not."

She walked slowly around the room, her hands clasped behind her back. "It is rather vexing." She admitted. "A Human whose very words always appear to be lies, even when clearly true, who cannot speak their own name lest they choke." She looked at me. "Perhaps this is your gift? Your special ability upon arriving to this world?"

"If it is, then it is more of a curse than a gift." I remarked. "Speaking of names, I was rather curious as to whether or not an alias would be able to be spoken. If a lie can be spoken in that regard, then it would allow for more than just being called 'Human'."

"I am curious, speak."

"My name is Rex." I said. Nothing bad happened,

"Then for the sake of conversation, I shall call you Rex." She said. I heard a distant bell ring seven times. "It is dinner time." She remarked. "I shall leave you to redress, Nash shall stay behind to guide you to the dining hall." She left the room, and I grabbed the fancy clothes and walked behind the folding screen.

"Shall I address you as Sir Nash?" I asked.

"What prompts this question?" Nash asked.

"On my world, knights are known by the title of Sir." I said. "If I'm going to make any attempt to be polite, I may as well learn what is polite."

"Titles are irrelevant." He said. "I am Nash, nothing more, nothing less."

"Nash, then." I said. "I won't beat around the bush, you're right when you say I won't survive long, I am not strong, and my only positive assets so far are my way with words and linguistics, my sarcastic sense of humor, and the charity of Lady Lissana."

"And what do you expect of me?" He asked.

"Is there something that would help me have a greater chance of survival?" I asked. "I'm not asking you to train me to swing a sword or anything, I just want your opinion."

He chuckled. "My opinion? My opinion is that I will wake you up in the early morning and train you to swing a sword."

I looked around the screen. "But-!" I started.

"If you are looking to survive, then that is the best I can offer." He said. "Unless you wish to attempt a trial to unlock the magical potential you so desperately desire."

"I'll take the training then." I said.

I finished getting dressed and, after Nash looked me over and nodded, was led to the dining hall. Said dining hall was large, there were three rows of tables, all covered in white sheets. At first, I was surprised to see multiple plates set at several spots, but when I noticed that the servants were sitting at the tables and waiting patiently, I realized that Lissana was allowing them to eat while she did, unless that was customary on this world. I noted that Cier stood near an empty chair, while a Lacertian servant stood near another.

"That is where you sit." Nash said, pointing toward where Cier stood. "You will be sitting directly across from me."

"Thank you for pointing it out." I said before I walked over to the seat. As I made to sit down, Cier pushed my chair in for me, I didn't say anything except, "Thank you." Lissana was already sitting at the head of the table, her eyes watching me closely. Cier and the Lacertian took their seats next to me and Nash respectively, and then Lissana lowered her head and spoke.

"We humbly thank Genna for this meal, for the crop grown and harvested, for the men who have harvested it; for the meat raised and slaughtered, and the men who have kept them; for the cooks who have cooked it, and the servants who served them. We thank you for this meal, from birth to death, this sacrifice of life shall sustain us, and it shall not be wasted. Unsala."

"Unsala." The word echoed through the hall, spoken by all, Nash opened one eye to look at me. Oh.

"Unsala." I echoed, that seemed to appease him for the time being. With that, everyone started eating, and thankfully, nobody seemed to care which particular fork or spoon was used.

"Do you not thank the Gods for your meals?" Lissana asked me shortly before she took a small bite of some sort of steak.

"The existence of deities is something of a mystery on earth." I said. "But that does not mean I don't give thanks to the animals that have died to feed me, Lady Lissana."

"Do the Gods not grant their gifts upon the faithful?" She asked. "Have you no clerics?"

"No." I said. "Pastors, monks, priests, but no Gods make any overt show of their existence. Are the Gods of this world so clear?"

She nodded. "Those of sufficient faith may find themselves gifted with magic no others may bear. Even those with the lowest magic potential may find a talent for the spiritual arts." She gave me a slight smirk. "Perhaps your purpose here is to become an arch bishop?"

"That sort of path does not appeal to me, no offense meant." I replied.

"I am not offended." She replied. "Though it is best to not anger those of faith." I took a bite of steak, it had a strange nutty flavor to it. "Tell me, what Gods are there on your world?"

"The short version is, a lot, more than I really know." I replied. "You've got the Tuatha de Danann, which were I believe Irish deities, then you've got the Aesir of the Norse, the Greek pantheon, Egyptian... But those are older ones that aren't as widely worshipped, usually by pagans and practitioners of magic, which we've discussed at length on the ride here. There's the Shinto religion with focuses more on local spirits and deities, I've actually done some research into it, but not enough to really give any concrete information..." That was, I did research into it so I could understand anime better. "...Then there's the various Judeo-Christian religions, which are so heavily divided that even though they basically worship the same deity, they'll kill each other over which is the 'correct path'. Then you've got Buddhists who don't really follow any deities to my knowledge, though the Buddha is a major symbol, an enlightened Human, as it were. Then you've got atheists and agnostics who either don't believe in any Gods or are uncertain." I took another bite. "Of course, there are a lot more that don't immediately jump to the top of my head."

"I see..." She said. "And what of you?"

I thought for a moment. "I don't really believe in anything except that all things have a spirit and that I should at least make an attempt to honor these spirits both in life and death." I replied. "I hold all life to be sacred, but I know that death is an inevitable part of life, and that if something must die for my survival, that I must give thanks to that spirit, to honor its passing."

I ate a few more bites, the food was pretty good.

"What if a God were to stand before you and demand your worship?" She asked. "If they were to tell you to exalt them for die?"

"Presuming only the first, I would politely tell them that I would not worship them simply because they told me to, I would need to see the kind of faithful they inspire, the legacy they have left through those who follow them. In this instance, I may recognize their power, and if I were to be so inspired, I may end up worshipping them." I set my fork down. "In the latter case, I would tell them to strike me down, as I would never worship a tyrant, or an evil god."

"And if you were offered power?" She asked.

"Nothing that is easy is ever really worth it, Lady Lissana." I said. "If you were to tell me tomorrow that I could leech off your generosity for the rest of my life, that I would live in comfort for all of my days, I would tell you, respectfully, that I could never accept, as I could never take advantage of such hospitality. Not again, at any rate." I picked up a spoon and looked at it. "However, if you were to tell me that I could have the same reward for completing a difficult task, or for having worked hard for many years, I would gladly accept, presuming I had truly earned it."

I dipped the spoon into some soup, it was cheesy, with something like potato, and something that tasted very much like bacon.

"Are you so certain you would not take advantage?" She asked.

"With respect, Lady Lissana, I've hurt far too many people with my greed and laziness to allow myself to take such an easy way." I replied. "No matter the temptation, I would never betray what I feel is right."

"I see." She replied.

She didn't respond much after that, and dinner progressed without further talk. After dinner was finished, I went to the room provided to me and undressed. My Earth clothes were neatly folded up on my bed, waiting for me, so I put my underwear on and climbed under the covers...