It’s been years, hasn’t it? Since he left home, since he started cooking for Chef Gornaster, since he tried to curb his temper and at the very least be nicer. He was almost thirty now, wasn’t he? Even Gornaster was gently nudging him to become independent. Jayxio was a bit annoyed, but kept his temper in as best he could. He had enough money from working as sous-chef at the Hyaline to build his own restaurant if he wanted to!

It all fell to where.

In between shifts, Jayxio browsed the papers, searching for lots for sale and circling those that caught his fancy. There was one in the higher end of town… that had promise to be somewhere like the Hyaline, but geared more towards middle class as well. A place a bit out of town, in a suburb that could become a very nice café- the town didn’t have many… There were of course a few more lots he was considering, and he was going to see if the lot in the suburb was still open tomorrow. He decided to take one last look at the paper, just for posterity.

“For sale:
Land in a small, rural village for sale! Plot is located in central square, about 5,000 square feet, able to be turned into a nice townhouse. Please call for more information!”

Jayxio’s impulsive tendencies were piqued. Forgetting it was almost 11 pm, he quickly grabbed his phone, punching the number in before realizing mid-ring that it was probably too late. Though, just a ring later, to Jayxio’s surprise, someone did answer.

“Hello?” The voice on the other end was groggy, as if they just woke up.

“Oh sorry, did I wake you…?” Jay began, “I was calling about the plot for sale. I was a bit interested in opening a… saloon?”

That seemed like a good idea, if it was a small town, not everyone would be able to eat every day… but drinks, on the other hand, would be much easier for people to come back daily for. And for festivals, people from out of town would come for some income… It could work. Farms nearby for best fresh ingredients- and seasonal ones as well!

The voice on the other line immediately perked up, but was still slightly groggy, “Ah! The plot’s still for sale, you’re the first that’s really called about it… But I think a saloon would be amazing, we do need a gathering place other than each other’s houses!”

“How much, then?”

“Y-you don’t mind how far it is? You’ll need to build the place as well, we’re only selling it for ten thousand dol-“

“Sold.” Jayxio interrupted, staring at the far wall of his kitchen.

XxX

It took some terse months of constant planning, calling, and first and foremost waiting until Jayxio could really move in. The trip to Wayfarer’s Valley was long to begin with- it took almost three hours from the nearest city along road that grew progressively more weathered and abandoned. Jay sometimes feared falling off the sheer cliffsides on the drive there, but the view below was spectacular. A lush, green valley, and even from the mountains Jayxio could see three distinct, large farms bordering the forest and hills, a wide beach, and a small cluster of houses that he assumed was the village center. It was idyllic in a way. There were even the ruins of a castle on the hills!

So far, the valley seemed a lovely place to live. The farms would be excellent to visit once he was settled into his home-and-business. He also wanted to see what was up with the castle- maybe there was something interesting there? Jayxio wondered why he even wanted to see it- one of his fathers had been royalty, and he’d seen the family castle. Maybe it was just a bit of his… royal blood calling out to him- to find castles and whatnot. What a stupid thought.

His new home smelled of lumber, and Jay loved it. The bottom floor had five small tables, each with three stools; a polished bar counter that could seat five; shelves and taps for a plethora of drink; and a spacious kitchen with enough room for Jayxio to be content working alone. Upstairs was lovely and spacious- Jay could easily use dividers as he wished to partition it however he wanted! The mayor was kind enough to set up a small hammock for him, as the movers would be lagging behind Jay a few days. The other Kal mentioned that the other villagers would not mind giving him prepared food until his supplies came and they could support him financially. Jay couldn’t deny that kindness- free food was always good food. And, with it coming from the locals, Jay could see the quality of the animals as well. Win win for him.

His first night was comfortable. His hammock was comfortable and the night not too cold. Jay had a little electrical lantern to see through the night, but he was exhausted from the trip down. But he still had enough energy to take out a little portfolio folder and some paper, and started to pen a little something:

“Dear family:
I bought myself a home in a village far away from the city. It cost a lot to make, but I think it looks fantastic. There’s not many people here, so I think that would be good for me. They’ll probably become my friends, I hope, if I try my hardest to not scare them or make them hate me. I think you know... Well, tomorrow will be a slow day- my things won’t be here until the 18th, which is a few days away! I think Pragma would like to see the castle here- it’s in ruins. Maybe even Manami would like it. The mayor seemed sure that the townspeople and farmer would help feed me so maybe I could cook food for them in return. I’ve years of cooking under my belt now- I hope they like it! Maybe during a festival you guys can come? I’ll likely be cooking the food for it, and I know you haven’t been to the Hyaline. At least, while I was working there… Maybe I can finally make you guys something good?
-Jay”

With that done, he tucked the letter into an envelope and placed it in the portfolio folder, smoothing down a few older letters in the process.