Jason soon realized there was someone else outside the door and asked about him.
He pulled Ailand over and introduced him to Jason. "This is my follower, Ailand. He's a full-fledged Knight. In other words, one of those lord Knights you're always talking about."
Jason was startled and hurried to greet Ailand, which immediately made Ailand feel awkward. So much so that he was still complaining about Allen's joke that evening.
Before long, his mother, Eva, returned as well. Seeing the men still chatting in the main room, she did not interrupt them and went into the kitchen of her own accord to prepare dinner.
That evening, they all sat in the main room, ready for dinner. Seeing Ailand sitting stiffly upright, he could not help saying to him,
"Don't be so formal. Make yourself at home. You've met my family now. They're very hospitable."
But Ailand replied quite seriously, "They're your family, my lord. As your follower, how could I behave so discourteously in front of them?"
He smiled and shook his head, not understanding why Ailand was always like this. Soon, all the food was served: four dishes in total, three vegetable dishes and one meat dish, along with an egg soup. They looked very simple.
Ailand was a little surprised, because these were things even ordinary mercenaries could afford to eat. But he was smart enough not to show it.
To Allen, however, this was perfectly normal. In his previous life, he had seen many young people send money to their parents after earning it in the city, hoping to improve their families' living conditions.
But those elderly parents often did no such thing. They would stash away every penny their loved ones sent, worried that those living away from home might spend recklessly or suffer some