Days as a Spiritual Mentor in American Comics-Chapter 4595 - 3766: Bat Night Banquet (Part 1)

The door adorned with a Christmas wreath was pushed open, footsteps swiftly moving past the elm chairs carved with laurel branch patterns, stepping over the gift boxes piled under the Christmas tree, and squeezing sideways through the crowd in academic robes. A waiter lowered a tray, placing two plates of cheese beside the Mary-style candlestick. Shiller nodded at him, set down his fork, and wiped his mouth with a napkin.

"Sounds like the winds are favorable, Mr. Alfred. But considering the reaction from the Baltic Countries, it's destined to not be a peaceful Christmas holiday there."

"Who would argue with that?" Alfred, sitting opposite Shiller, adjusted his napkin and said, "The night before I came back, you could hear the busy phone calls at the Kremlin right at the airport. This Red Square parade has touched quite a few nerves. If Oliver went, we could have seen him in the morning news today."

"It's better if he doesn't go. They would certainly make him sit in the front row, with all the country's cameras focused on him. Media coverage everywhere, almost overshadowing Jesus. He probably wouldn't be happy with that."

"He certainly wouldn't be." Alfred cut off a small piece of cheese and said, "In his view, it's not something glorious. Oliver's not someone who enjoys victory; he always feels he hasn't done enough."

"That was in the past. Since he left Mexico and never returned, he's learned to respect the fates of others and other countries. If there's any regret, it might be not completely eliminating the Penitent Cartel. But he might fight them again with Black Canary, who knows."

"Young people are like that, swift and never satisfied, dancing the whole night on the international stage. But I'm already old, and my biggest worry is Aisha sneaking ice cubes into her milk in the morning."

"That's not a good habit; you should indeed remind the young lady. Even if she has a unique stomach, such an astonishing dietary habit shouldn't be cultivated."

Alfred laughed and said, "You know I can't do anything about that little demon. She stands in front of the fridge with her cup, looking at you with big wet eyes. Lucky for me, I'm not someone important, or I might press the nuclear button for her."

Shiller also laughed, took a sip from his glass, and asked, "When did Bruce and Selina set off? This morning? They should be over Canadian territory by now, right?"

"Yes, indeed. They waited for me to return from Moscow and hand over the Christmas gifts before leaving. They should be at the cabin by now. Pity, as a three-day Christmas holiday is still a bit short, otherwise, they might have visited Montreal."

"Such a hard-earned holiday should indeed be made the most of. But for me, the best relaxation right now is this wine tasting event. Before this, I never realized how much I love drinking." Shiller took another sip from his glass.

Alfred glanced around the dining room and said, "Who would argue? The people here don't look like heavy drinkers, but everyone is glowing and joyful. Is it the alcohol stimulating victory, or victory bringing about the alcohol?"

"Sounds like Shakespeare." Shiller also cut off a small piece of cheese, took some thyme powder from the side, and looked at Alfred as he asked, "And you, sir? Do you have any plans for the Christmas holiday?"

"Oh, speaking of that..." Alfred wiped his mouth and said, "I need to ask you for a favor."

"What is it?"

"I have to go to Battleworld. Unlike those kids flying around in the skies all day, never dealing with those big shots determining the world's fate, I'm just cleaning bottles and jars. I thought there's nowhere I would be needed there. Now that I really am, I'm troubled over how to get there."

"Have you been invited by Batman? Which Batman?"

"Actually, it's Mr. and Mrs. Wayne. Professor, have you heard anything about the holiday events held at Battleworld?"

"I haven't visited recently. Is Battleworld celebrating Christmas too?"

"Yes. I hear they celebrate according to our cosmos' timeline, and it's currently Christmas season. Mr. and Mrs. Wayne want to host an extraordinary Christmas banquet there, inviting all the Batmans."

"That's quite something." Shiller remarked, "Hosting such a banquet indeed requires a reliable butler. If you don't mind, I'll deliver the invitation to Wayne Manor tonight."

"Thank you so much." Alfred smiled and said, "And one more thing. After the banquet, Mr. and Mrs. Wayne, and perhaps some other Batmans, might come visit us. I want to apply to Brainiac to allocate the building on the east side of Wayne Manor, closest to the main building, for us, and not divide the remaining parts, to serve as a diplomatic banquet hall for guests from Battleworld. What do you think?"

"That's a very reasonable request." Shiller nodded and said, "We can't just let those otherworld visitors land randomly as soon as they arrive here, right? Who knows what chaos they might cause. Washington also isn't suitable; the Congressmen are too easily startled. I think Gotham and Metropolis are fine, but the name of Luthor Manor would make some winged mammals nervous, while Wayne Manor feels more like a warm home to them. This suggestion makes a lot of sense."

"I thought so too. Although Brainiac determined I could retire, even in America, there's a tradition of re-employment. So I could still manage Wayne Manor, and reject the unreasonable demands of bad-tempered little sharks in the name of a butler..."

Shiller and Alfred laughed together. They indulged in some cheese, dried fruits, and some dried sausages. Alfred drank more than half a bottle of ice wine, while Shiller preferred dry red. By the end of the wine tasting, everyone was a bit tipsy.

When Alfred got home, the chubby Aisha was the first to pounce at him. Alfred quickly moved her away a bit, smiled, and said, "Young lady, I've been drinking; you don't want to get a whiff of it. Off you go, then."

"There's mail in the mailbox!" Aisha shouted loudly, "I didn't see any postman, just a 'bang' sound. I think maybe it's a Magic Letter. I want to know what it is, but I didn't peek!"

"Good girl. But it's not a Magic Letter; it's an invitation for me to enter Battleworld." Alfred led Aisha to the mailbox and took out the elegantly packaged invitation.

"Are you going to the Battleworld?" Aisha asked, looking up.

"Yes. Your grandparents are having a big Christmas party. No, you can't go, it's all Batman there. Do you want to be gawked at by them?"

Aisha immediately looked disinterested and muttered a few words in French. Alfred patted her head and said, "I'll take you to Mr. Ron's house to spend the Christmas holidays with his little daughter. You must behave courteously, okay?"

"Are you saying I can play with Betty? That's great! I also want to invite Billy—he's a bit silly, but he's strong. We want to go skiing at the outdoor ski resort!"

"I'll let Mr. Ron know," Alfred said, pushing open the estate's big gates. "If you're going skiing, make sure to wear protective gear... no, I'm not worried about you breaking a bone; I'm more concerned about the snow resort's safety when you shoot out like a rocket."

After telling Aisha a bedtime story, Alfred tucked her in, walked over to unplug the Christmas tree lights, turned off the lamp by the window, and went downstairs to call Ron.

"Yes, sir, I'll take her over tomorrow morning. Really? You're just passing by here? That's perfect. Aisha said she also wanted to pick up Billy to go skiing at the outdoor ski resort. I'll prepare protective gear for them, maybe you can bring them some snacks or something. Be sure to keep an eye on them. Yes, not just their safety—more importantly, the safety of others at the ski resort. No one isn't afraid of a full-speed little rocket..."

Setting the phone down, Alfred packed everything into Aisha's pink little suitcase, then put two gift boxes prepared for exchanging Christmas gifts into the tote bag.

Another snowy night passed, but it was a clear sunny day in the morning, and the temperature rose a bit. As Ron, with ice shards on his hair, walked into Wayne Manor, Aisha shot out like a rocket, bumping into his chest.

"Goodness, be careful, miss! The snow hasn't completely melted yet." Though Ron reminded her, he grinned widely and vigorously rubbed Aisha's head, saying, "Last night Betty heard you were coming and stayed up two extra hours in excitement. But she's never skied before, you better teach her well."

"Don't worry, leave it to me!" Aisha patted her chest confidently, then pretended to be worried and said, "And Billy, he definitely won't be able to ski either, I'm really burdened with a tough task."

"Good morning, Mr. Ron. How's the neighborhood patrol going?"

"There's really nothing to patrol." Ron walked up to hug Alfred and then said, "I haven't heard of any crime news for over two months. The most dangerous thing we encountered was someone trying to steal Christmas trees; two ordinary officers took those people down."

"It's a good thing for the kids, right?"

"A huge blessing. Initially, I didn't really like Brainiac, but ever since he reprimanded those boys who played pranks on Betty, I became a big fan of his."

A light sound came from the iron gate in the front yard, and a very tall figure walked in, followed by a few more young men.

"Good morning, Alfred."

"Good morning, Jason. Were you helping with snow shoveling again?"

"Yes, Little Sly was overwhelmed over there." Jason, steaming all over, quickly pulled off his scarf and said, "Community work is really tough. An ambulance was buried under the snow; we spent the entire morning digging it out. Whoever parked the car there should be arrested!"

After chatting with Ron a bit more, Alfred put Aisha and her suitcase in Ron's police car, then went into the manor with Jason.

"I'm heading to Battleworld to help Mr. and Mrs. Wayne organize the banquet. Do you have any Christmas holiday plans?"

"I'm not planning to apply for grad school this year. Brainiac arranged a job for me at the Gotham Library, and I plan to get familiar with the work during the quieter holiday season."

"Won't it be too tiring?"

Jason plopped down on the sofa and said, "Originally, it was a bit, but seeing Dick and Tim so busy, I feel fairly relaxed, haha."

"Did Dick lead the troupe to Finland and hasn't returned yet?"

"No. He's likely to spend this Christmas at Santa Claus's hometown. Drake's family's chemical plant's sewage pipeline needs a complete overhaul; Tim spent the entirety of Christmas Eve on the streets. I have no complaints."

"Alright. I'm getting ready to head out. How do I look in this outfit, like the most professional butler?"

"Don't joke, Alfred. Even if you wore Tim's ridiculously funny dinosaur pajamas, you'd still be the most professional butler in the world!"