Chapter 160 – Banquet
The 4th floor of the Red Heart Adventure Hall.
The entire floor was a single room.
A room for only one person, Siegfried, who is the adventurer and the only gold-rated adventurer in Kalita.
Currently, Orca was posting a report inside.
Siegfried put down the finished report.
“Okay, that’s how it ends. What’s next?”
“It’s a letter from the adventurer’s guild.”
Orca said honorifics and placed the letter on the desk. These are normal business hours. No matter how blood related they were, they had to be polite.
“A letter from the adventurers guild?”
Siegfried unsealed the letter. Following the letter, his eyes go down.
The content of the letter was still insignificant.
Asking for the condemnation of the Marquis for using the adventurers wastefully in the last Territory Battle.
Also, since the loss of a lot of new adventurers was severe, he asked for compensation as much as possible. If you do that, part of the reward will be distributed to the adventurers.
“Sounds funny.”
Siegfried let out a laugh.
To condemn the nobility?
Could do it
A gold-ranked adventurer, he could be titled a kingdom if he wanted to. He is not worthy of being arrested for insulting a nobleman.
Even if there was an emotional gap with the marquis, from his point of view, it was just a matter of moving the adventure party to another city.
A city without an adventure party will welcome you with open arms.
However, Siegfried had no intention of accepting the guild’s request.
The adventure party is already receiving many benefits from the marquis. I had no intention of ruining the relationship over something like this.
It wasn’t conscription in the first place, but adventurers volunteered, right?
It wasn’t that it was clearly written as a throwaway card, so even the justification was in the family of a marquis.
“Any of our adventurers participated in the last Territory War?”
“Yes I have.”
“Huh? Who?”
Siegfried asked, slightly surprised. He asked just in case, but he didn’t think it was real.
“Han Yuseong.”
“Han Yuseong? Han Yuseong…”
His thick fingers tapped the desk.
“An adventurer under my command. You saw it in my office the other day.”
“Ah? That guy? I remember now.”
They clapped as if they remembered Siegfried.
Orca sighed.
‘If he hadn’t mentioned it this time, he would have erased it from his memory again.’
Her father is always like this. He is interested in people who are of value or interest. On the other hand, in the opposite case, it is relentless.
When I first met Yooseong, it was just a small interest.
“So why?”
“No, I was just asking just in case… Is he dead?”
“No. Die why die He is alive and well.”
Orca’s answer was small, but her thorns stood out.
Sieg Fried scratched his chin for a moment, then stopped paying attention.
“Hmm… Well, that’s it. As long as there is no damage to the adventure party, it doesn’t matter. By the way, has the time already been like this? It’s time to go soon.”
A holy woman from the Church of Yurmia came to Kalita. Since it was a secret visit, it was not known to the public.
Later, the writer held a banquet to welcome her saintess’ visit, and Orca and Siegfried were invited there.
“Has Allen not come yet?”
In an instant, Orca’s eyebrows twitched. She pretended nothing was wrong and replied.
“…Yes. She hasn’t come back from the dungeon yet.”
“Sorry. It will be a good experience.”
He licked his lips like he was very sorry. Orca felt sick to her stomach.
* * *
Banquet.
A small festival where invited guests gather to eat and socialize
Currently, I am participating in the banquet.
“Hmm…”
I turned my head and looked around the banquet hall. It was packed with people dressed in dresses or suits.
In the center of the banquet hall, a group of high-ranking people gathered, led by the saintess and her marquis. Those who could not join it were gathering with like-minded people and sharing a drink.
And there was no one around me.
‘I expected it, but I never expected it to be this much.’
At first, several people came to say hello. However, when I revealed that I was an adventurer of the same rank, I returned with a disappointed expression.
Well, to be able to attend such a banquet, most of them must be of the aristocratic class. It is said that aristocrats who do not have lands become vassals of the lord.
To such people, an adventurer of the same rank would feel like a stone kicking on their feet.
Did you come here for nothing?
But I couldn’t help it. The invitation I received was a handwritten invitation written by Lady Karen herself. To refuse to attend the banquet after receiving such things is to disregard her favor. I just wanted to avoid hurting my feelings.
…I don’t know.
While we’re here, let’s fill our stomachs and go.
I turned my attention to the well-prepared food. On the table arranged in the shape of a ‘U’, luxurious food by the standards of another world is placed on top.
Sweet bread, smoked duck, roast pork, fruit salad and more.
These are things you don’t eat often. It’s damn expensive
I cut up the smoked duck and put it on a plate. I picked it up with a fork and put it in my mouth.
‘Does it taste…?’
It’s subtle.
The smoked roast was almost covered with spices. Thanks to this, the spices completely erased the original taste of the duck meat.
Well… But it’s better than inn food.
Because the liver is weak there. Isn’t it better to be a little salty than bland?
I ate seemingly random food.
When my stomach was full, I felt like I was in trouble.
‘These are foods Seris and Kara would like…’
I was the only one invited. Seris and Kara could not be brought. It felt a bit vulgar, but… Looking at my current situation, I think it’s better not to come.
I come and I get hurt for no reason.
I stared at the food in agony.
‘…Should I buy it?’
Originally, it is very disrespectful to take away food from a buffet. An act of ill-mannered behavior that leaves nothing to be said even when receiving cold stares from people around you.
But this isn’t a buffet, is it?
And what else could hurt my image here?
In the first place, no one cares about me. Even if you get caught, it’s probably all that you get cursed at and get kicked out.
I weighed the happy smiles of the two of them and the embarrassment they would get if they were found out.
Actually, there was nothing to worry about.
I looked around and pulled out an emergency bag I had tucked away in my pocket.
‘First of all, chicken legs…’
She reached out for the smoked whole chicken. Before reaching the chicken leg, it collided with a slender hand.
“Huh?”
“Hmm?”
When I turned my head, I saw the owner of the hand looking this way as well. She is a beauty with long gray hair. Like a squirrel, the beauty munched her cheeks full of food.
“Angboa.”
She said something she couldn’t understand. Pronunciation seems to be difficult because the mouth is filled with food.
‘Looking at her wearing full plate armor down her neck, she looks like a knight…’
That armor is somehow familiar. Where did you see it?
While I was lost in thought, the woman swallowed all the food in her mouth. Swallowing it all at once was a bit too much, so she tapped her chest. After she calmed down, she said.
“This chicken leg, give it to me.”
A very serious look.
“…Yes, please.”
“Oh? Are you giving in more gently than you think? Then…”
The woman tore off her chicken leg and stuffed it into her mouth. He pulled her leg while holding her mouth shut. All of her flesh had been removed and only her bones had come out.
She chewed the skin off a few times before swallowing it whole.
“Huh…”
It’s a happy face in the world. Realizing that I was still by her side, she wiped her mouth softly and held out her hand.
Hmm. It is the hand that wiped her mouth.
You didn’t wipe it with her palm, are you okay?
“Thank you for giving me the chicken leg. It’s Melissa.”
“…Han Yuseong”
I clenched my hands tremblingly. Shake it a few times…
Wait, Melissa?
“Did you just say Melissa?”
Asked, opening her eyes wide.
At that, Melissa made an expression that she was used to and that she couldn’t help it.
“Heh… I didn’t think anyone would recognize me in a corner like this. This is one… They say that even if you try to cover the sun with your hand, you can’t cover it, it’s true.”
I shrugged my shoulders as if I was excited.
“A country corner… That’s a bit harsh.”
The voice from beside her made me and Melissa turn her head. A saintess in a dress and Karen were walking. Karen frowned slightly.
Melissa’s complexion turned pale.
“Even though the commander of the Holy Knights came from the Empire, this is where I was born and raised. The expression ‘out of the country’ is a little distasteful.”
“Ka, Lady Karen? No, I mean…”
“I’m sorry, Karen. It seems I misunderstood the Holy Knight Commander’s training. I thought I was going to break away during the escort, but he said something like that from behind…”
The saintess said as if she had no face. Karen shook her hand.
“It’s okay. The commander of the Holy Knights must have said it without much meaning. I was just overdoing it.”
“Thank you for saying that. Instead, I’m responsible for Melissa…”
I’ll scold you. The saintess looked at her Melissa with narrow eyes.
The dark sunken eyes are very cold.
I know those eyes It was the same as Seris’s eyes when he was extremely angry.
In the case of Celis, if you hug her all day long, she will be relieved, but the saintess will not.
Melissa, too, seems to have realized that she has been fucked. The bluish complexion returned before I knew it, and now it was a completely detached face.
“Karen, I’ll leave first then. I have something to say to Melissa…”
“Yes, you are.”
The saintess and Karen bowed their heads and greeted each other. The saintess grabbed Melissa by the lobe of her ear and strode towards her.
Melissa is still a detached face. In contrast, her hands moved busily. She quickly snatched the food from the table and put it into her mouth.
Looking at her appearance, it seemed that even a saint would open the lid. Her smile trembled with anger.
“Balm? Do you do enough?”
“…It sucks.”
Melissa responded with a hiss.
He said that he was the leader of the Holy Knights, and he had great spirits.
While I admired, Karen stared at Melissa with a puzzled look.
“The skills are great, but the mindset is bad.”
She shook her head. Looked back at me
“How about a banquet? Did you enjoy it?”
“Yes… It’s my first time doing something like this, so it’s unfamiliar, but it’s fun.”
To be honest, she didn’t enjoy it at all, but she responded positively, seeing the sincerity of the invitation.
A faint smile bloomed on Karen’s face.
“That’s good. To be honest, I was a little worried when I saw you alone. It seems that she was an underachiever. Oh, by the way, can you spare a minute? I have a story to share.”
“Tell me.”
“I’m talking about something here. Don’t change your seat.”
As she said that, she put her hand between my arms.
She abruptly got into a crossed-arms position.
When I was quite embarrassed, she smiled and said.
“Escort. Don’t you know?”
Ah yes.
* * *
What.
What?
As Orca left the banquet hall with her arms crossed, she looked at Yoosung and Karen with wide open eyes.
The first time I saw Yooseong at the banquet hall, I was quite embarrassed. Because the guilt from what happened in the dungeon was still there. It was a bit difficult to deal with him.
But when he tried to talk to him out of pity for him loitering alone, he was seized by others.
After barely getting out, the sight of Yoosung and Karen walking out of the banquet hall with arms crossed unfolded before my eyes.
‘Didn’t he… Have a lover?’
But why are you and…
Why…
