66 Banquet Dinner

The reunion dinner at Camelot was a disappointment.

Even though Artorius was welcomed back to the palace, Artoria couldn't offer anything decent to treat the honored guests.

In Camelot, the only thing available in unlimited supply was the unappealing black bread, a product of magecraft. It had no advantages except for its large quantity, and it was as hard as a rock, dry and overly coarse. One would worry about developing esophageal cancer from eating too much of it.

No one in the whole world enjoyed eating such a thing, except for Artoria herself. But suddenly, Artorius heard his mother saying, "To be honest, I'm starting to get tired of this thing after eating it so much."

Upon hearing these words, Artorius looked at his mother with extreme shock, causing her to feel a bit embarrassed.

"What's wrong, Father? Is there something you don't want to eat or a problem?"

Artoria then deliberately tried to appear imposing, wanting to suppress and stop Artorius from questioning her, but her efforts were ineffective due to his overwhelming astonishment.

It was evident that treating guests with something Artoria—the king herself grew tired of eating was akin to severing ties with the entire world.

Fortunately, the king had a good son.

Artorius had long anticipated this awkward situation and simply clapped his hands. The chefs and waiters, who were prepared in advance, began bringing in dishes one after another, quickly setting up a table.

There were dishes like roasted suckling pig, roasted whole lamb, and braised beef—tough and substantial dishes. There were also next-generation Western cuisines such as foie gras, caviar, truffles, and lobster. The table was filled with pies, apple tarts, cakes, and candies, representing next-generation pastries. Various fruit juices and wines were available as well.

In order to cater to everyone's tastes, Artorius even presented traditional extravagant dishes like roasted swan, roasted peacock, and roasted dolphin. He made sure to fulfill every guest's desires.

As Artoria saw the table filled with a feast that perfectly met the standards of a king, her expression grew increasingly serious, even as she desperately swallowed her saliva. Her gaze towards Artorius became stricter and more severe.

"Artorius?!"

"What's the matter, Father?" Artorius smiled gently, seemingly oblivious to her anger and dissatisfaction. 'Oh my dear Father, I know you're a glutton through and through.'

"Why... this is too extravagant!"

The only consolation for Artorius was that Artoria dragged him to a corner before speaking with him, minimizing the impact of the situation.

To some extent, it could be considered an attempt to hide the obvious.

Those carefree individuals could easily dismiss it, but for the more perceptive ones, Artoria's actions garnered even greater attention.

Take Mordred, for example, who had been closely watching Artorius and Artoria. Despite having delicious food in front of her, she paid no attention.

Or Galahad, who had just discussed slightly sensitive topics with Artorius and was now feeling uneasy in his heart.

And Morgan, and Guinevere...

Well, among the people present in Camelot, all the important figures noticed their conversation.

"This is too extravagant. Why invest so many resources into hosting a banquet?"

"Because that way, everyone will be happy."

Facing the earnest questioning, Artorius assumed an air of nonchalance and replied naturally, causing a momentary pause for Artoria.

She didn't expect Artorius to respond like this. Before this, whenever she educated her son, he always appeared attentive, obedient, and well-behaved—of course, she didn't know that it was all a facade, a way to lower her guard.

"How could everyone be happy?"

Despite her efforts to suppress her anger, Artoria's tone unintentionally rose.

"The people are suffering from hunger! Even though we have changed policies, reclaimed new lands, and implemented new agricultural measures, the issue of food shortage in Britain remains unresolved due to weather problems! While the people can't even have a satisfying meal, we're here hosting a grand feast, indulging in luxury! This is not right!"

"Father..." Artorius lowered his voice slightly, "Please calm down. Everyone is watching."

Upon hearing his words, Artoria, feeling a bit flustered, glanced around. As expected, her loud voice caught the attention of many people, who unconsciously looked over.

"Can't it wait until after the banquet, Father?"

Artoria: "..."

Having become the mood spoiler, she glared at Artorius, who, in turn, tried to soothe her like a cat whose fur had been ruffled, with a gentle and helpless smile.

In the end, she reluctantly gave in—not really surrendering, just temporarily compromising. She suppressed her temper and anger, saving them for later, after the banquet.

With this thought in mind, she ate and ate, desperately.

While everyone joyfully indulged in the delicious delicacies brought by Artorius, Artoria fought to devour bread.

The kind mentioned before, the hard black bread that made a sound when bitten.

Surrounded by fragrant and sweet aromas, everyone was delighted. Only Artoria suffered. It seemed as if everyone was ganging up on her.

This peculiarity did not go unnoticed, and the joyful atmosphere was dampened considerably. Many people still felt quite awkward, and their voices became subdued.

"My King."

Appearing next to Artoria during this moment, gently persuading her, was none other than Queen Guinevere.

She approached Artoria with a plate of the meat she loved the most.

"Just have a little bite."

The roasted meat emitted an enticing aroma. In addition to the savory scent, there was a hint of spices. It was a delicacy that Artoria had never tasted before.

Salivating.

She salivated heavily.

"No, I can't..."

However, even though Artoria desperately wanted to eat, even to the point of wanting to gnaw on the plate itself, she couldn't.

"It's a matter of principle! I won't eat these things!"

She firmly expressed her position.

As a result, the atmosphere throughout the entire banquet remained rather peculiar.

"What a foolish little sister."

At the same time, Morgan, savoring a strawberry cake, thought merrily.

After observing all of Artoria's actions, she couldn't help but feel a sense of frustration, thinking, 'Now that I think about it, how could I lose to such a fool?'

She continued, 'Also this little rascal, after not seeing him for a few days, has become even more delicious.'

Turning her head, Morgan looked at Artorius and couldn't help but think joyfully. With elegance, she used her knife and fork to cut the small pastry in front of her, made with honey, cream, a soft cake base, and strawberries, into small pieces, and put them in her mouth sensually.

"Mmm~"

She let out a satisfied sigh as if she had finally achieved her wish and had Artorius in the palm of her hand.