The Banquet 2

Translator: Cinder Translations

...

The next day, Paul and Malon, accompanied by Bryce and Victor, went to Duke Fraule's mansion for the banquet.

At this moment, the Duke's mansion was decorated splendidly. The usher from yesterday was bustling at the entrance, welcoming the gathered guests.

In addition to lords who came from afar, many prominent figures from Sente City were also attending the banquet: wealthy merchants, heads of various guilds, and even people dressed in church attire.

Paul stopped a man dressed as a priest and asked, "Excuse me, are you the priest from the city?"

The priest, upon seeing Paul's attire, knew he was here for the Duke's banquet—a lord from out of town, likely not to be trifled with.

"Yes, I am a priest from Sente Cathedral."

"Do you happen to know Dean Leonard... Oh no, do you know Bishop Leonard?" Paul suddenly remembered an acquaintance in this city. If he recalled correctly, the Bishop of the Northwestern Bay Diocese should be stationed in Sente City.

"How may I address you, sir...?"

Bryce stepped forward and said, "These two are Earl Paul Grayman of Alden and Earl Malon Ganard of Byerldine!"

The priest immediately showed respect. "So you are both earls. I know Bishop Leonard; I hear his teachings daily in the cathedral."

"Is Bishop Diocese also attending?"

The priest hesitated a bit. "The Bishop cannot attend; he's been unwell lately... Wait, Alden? Isn't that where Bishop used to serve as the monastery's dean? Could it be that you are the lord there?"

Paul nodded. "Indeed."

Glancing around, the priest whispered to Paul, "Earl Grayman, since you and the Bishop are fellow townsmen, I'll be frank with you."

Oh? Paul was intrigued. Could there be some hidden story?

The priest spoke softly, "Bishop Leonard isn't very interested in such occasions, so he found an excuse not to come."

"Oh! That suits his character."

Paul nodded along with Bryce. Not only was the Bishop uninterested, but the old-fashioned dean had always disdained extravagant events. It was strange enough that he would attend such a grand affair at the Duke's mansion.

Paul, Malon, and the others entered through the gates of the Duke's mansion, walking through a courtyard as vast as a plaza before reaching the main building.

Inside, they walked along a wide corridor straight to the main hall. The usher at the door took Bryce's presented business card and loudly announced:

"Earl Paul Grayman~ has arrived!"

"Earl Malon Ganard~ has arrived!"

The hall was bustling and noisy, and their arrival didn't draw much attention.

However, Lord Henry, the Duke's younger brother in charge of hosting the birthday banquet, was keenly observing each guest's arrival.

"Welcome, welcome!"

Viscount Henry hurried to meet them at the door, arms wide open for a warm embrace.

"Last night I went to visit you two, but it turns out you had just left. What a pity! Today, let me properly host you both to make up for yesterday's regret."

Paul and Malon exchanged a few courteous words with him.

Henry led the four of them to their arranged seats. Paul and Malon noticed several "neighbors" already seated—several lords from neighboring territories who had notably not come to their aid during last year's pirate invasion.

There was Viscount Parker, likely in his fifties with graying hair, kindly looking. In his letter, he had written, "During the rebellion, it is my duty to defend my land; I dare not leave my territory without permission..." conveniently omitting any mention of assistance.

Then there was Viscount Melken, in his thirties, seemingly relaxed with closed eyes. His letter stated that once pirates gathered enough loot from commoners, they would leave, advising Paul to defend the castle himself with the sentiment, "Let the strong be strong and the cunning be cunning."

Viscount Heuler, around forty, wore glasses and exuded a scholarly demeanor. His letter declared, "Tell the pirates, 'Bring your destruction; we'll let you kill half of us, but the other half will never yield,'" reflecting his strange philosophy of 'nonviolent noncooperation.'

Besides these three, nearby were a number of their vassals—barons and viscounts—none of whom Paul bothered to recognize individually.

"Paul, Malon, my esteemed nephews!"

"Hello, Earls!"

"Long time no see!"

Seeing Paul and Malon's arrival, they all stood up to greet them. Even though their relations with the Grayman family were not particularly close, they put on a show in public, especially with Malon beside Paul.

Paul and Malon responded awkwardly, both having inherited their titles due to family circumstances and having had little interaction with these lords who were mainly dealt with by their predecessors.

If their sons were present, the situation might have been easier. Unfortunately, the younger generation was elsewhere, leaving only lords and their attendants in the main hall.

"Paul, the young hero! Single-handedly vanquishing pirates, bringing peace to the entire Northwestern Bay!"

"Malon too! Calm and collected in the face of vassal rebellion, swiftly eliminating those petty insurgents."

Viscount Parker suddenly praised Paul and Malon. His lands also bordered the sea, and after Alden's navy dealt with the pirates, he had benefited greatly.

Malon smiled modestly. "Oh, not at all. It was Paul who helped me quell the rebellion."

Paul added with a hidden meaning, "Indeed, thanks to everyone's encouragement and guidance, I was able to eradicate the pirates."

No one seemed to notice any hidden meaning; there was no sign of embarrassment.

Viscount Melken suddenly grinned. "You two have been doing quite a bit of business at home lately..."

Hearing Melken's words, everyone perked up and involuntarily turned to look at Paul.

Over the past half-year, several new products—porcelain, paper, and canned goods—had flooded the market from Alden and Byerldine. According to their inquiries, they all originated from the Grayman family.

Based on Paul's belief in modest wealth, he quickly waved his hands. "Oh, no no! Just making a little money."

"Just a little money? Earl Grayman, you can't say that! I fear you must be counting money until your hands ache every day, no?"

They all knew how incredibly popular those products were. Not only in the Northwestern Bay but also with merchant caravans passing through their territories to and from Alden and Byerldine every few days. Last year, the latter half of the year saw an increase in caravans, despite their high tariffs.

This indicated that even after paying hefty tariffs, the profits from selling these goods remained high.

How could anyone not be envious?

(End of the Chapter)