Volume 6: The City of Danger Chapter 5: No Good Feast

  That evening, after a busy preparation, Raymond and his party left the hotel and headed to Prime Minister Gaspard's official residence of Duke Charles.

  As a result of what happened in the morning, almost everyone was mobilized except for leaving a few soldiers to take care of the wounded.

  "This outfit is really uncomfortable, must I wear it like this?" Raymond complained while riding his horse.

  At this moment, he was wearing a high-end dress with gold embroidery on the collar and front placket, tied with a red tie, and even his hair was carefully combed. This dress was personally selected by Javier for him, and it was said that it cost a lot of money.

  Due to the scarcity of materials in the northern wilderness and the beastmen's lack of finickiness, this was actually the best set of clothes Raymond had worn so far.

  As the saying goes, "clothes make the man", and it's indeed true. As a beastman prince, Ramon has an innate air of nobility, which is usually overshadowed by his casual attire and demeanor. But once he puts on exquisite formal wear, he immediately exudes an aura of elegance and refinement. If someone who didn't know him saw him, they would probably think he was the young master of some upper-class noble family.

  To the point where when Bastet first saw him dressed like this, she was dumbfounded and said: "Young Master, I almost didn't recognize you."

  At this moment, hearing Raymond's complaint, Javier chuckled and said: "Lord Raymond, please be patient for a while. I believe it won't take long before you'll have more and more time to dress like that."

  "Hmph, if I were to wear it, it would look even better." said Shirunes with a tinge of jealousy.

  If one were to judge by appearance alone, he was indeed much more handsome as an elf. However, Hielnir lost out due to his humble origins, and there was always a hint of commonness about him that even the finest clothes could not conceal.

  So Freddy snorted: "If you had nothing but a face left on your body, that's what you'd say."

  "You..." The elf was once again left breathless by his poisonous tongue.

  To attend the banquet, Freddy also took off his black windbreaker and hat that had never changed for years, and put on a suit. However, the color was still his beloved black. You can't say that with this dress-up, paired with his cold temperament, pale skin tone, it actually has a different kind of charm, which is quite attractive.

  At this time, they were walking on the wide streets of Orlane City. Although the city was in chaos due to the king's death, it did not affect the prosperity of this thousand-year-old ancient city at all.

  At night, the inner city is a place of grandeur, with towering buildings that have stood for centuries piercing the sky. Below, the streets are bustling with people coming and going, the shops packed tightly together, their lights shining out from within, mingling with the glow of magical crystal-encrusted signs, illuminating the entire city. From down below, it's as if the city itself is a living, breathing entity that shines brightly, leaving one in awe.

  As the inner city was the residence of the royal family and the upper nobility, a group of dozens of people came and went, and passersby were not surprised to see them, apparently having long been accustomed to the grandeur of the nobles' outings.

  The Prime Minister's residence, the Duke of Charlie's mansion, is located on the west side of the inner city, an area where nobles gather, with many exquisite buildings. The Duke of Charlie's mansion stands out among them, a magnificent ancient building that has been passed down since the Kingdom of Saint Bremen, renovated to become the Prime Minister's official residence, possessing both classical stability and dignified elegance befitting the Duke of Charlie, able to firmly capture people's attention from afar.

  When the procession arrived, the spacious square in front of the official residence was already filled with luxurious carriages, and the attendants and bodyguards who came with each noble family crowded the entire square, a sea of black heads everywhere.

  It was the first time facing such a scene, the huge square was filled with people's voices, familiar nobles' attendants gathered together, chatting and waiting for their masters. Around them, people kept running back and forth, new carriages struggled to move forward in the crowd, and horses occasionally let out a loud whinny, as if they had entered a festive parade ground, making Raymond and his party feel at a loss.

  "Meow, I can't hear anything with these ears!" In this environment, the cat girl with acute hearing covered her ears in agony.

  "How much money is that?" Harlotte's eyes widened as she stared at the jewels on the noblewomen around her, and the thief's blood in her body stirred.

  "My goodness, how many people are here? Where should we go?" Even the elf Hilnis was bewildered by this spectacular scene.

  Fortunately, Javier had been around the block a few times and had seen his fair share of big scenes. He grabbed hold of a sweating footman running past and showed him the invitation to the dinner party; the footman hastily led them to a corner of the square where he settled their entourage.

  Then Ramon let Hillnis wait with his men while he and Javier, and Freddie, walked towards the banquet hall.

  At this time, under the guidance of the welcoming attendants, the elegantly dressed guests walked along the gravel path through the garden in front of the courtyard and headed towards the main building of the mansion, which was as high as four floors and resembled a small castle with a T-shaped layout.

  The place was brightly lit, and tonight, all the people with identities in Orlate City gathered here.

  As we arrived at the door, from the two rows of huge floor-to-ceiling windows on both sides, you could already vaguely see the lively scene inside, and the soothing music drifted out, giving people a sense of expectation that they were about to enter another world.

  After examining the invitation letter handed over by Javier, the attendant at the door loudly announced the identity of the guests, and the guards guarding the gate opened the large gate for the three people.

  Suddenly, a magnificent and lively extraordinary banquet scene immediately filled the three people's field of vision.

  Under the gigantic chandelier, a grandiose banquet hall was illuminated to perfection. Countless nobles, dressed in their finest attire, gathered in groups of three or four, engaging in elegant conversations and soft laughter. Servants carrying small dishes and fine wines flitted about the crowd with ease. In one corner of the hall, an orchestra played with gusto, performing a dance tune that no one seemed to appreciate.

  Brilliant and resplendent, the fragrance of hair and candlelight, a strong and sultry breath intertwined with countless gorgeous colors, together formed this magnificent and extravagant beautiful illusion, enough to make anyone who enters it for the first time, get lost inside.

  This is the world of nobility.

  At the door, Raymond stood still for several seconds before he came to his senses. He couldn't help but shake his head, as if trying to shake off the remaining chaotic colors and sounds that lingered in his mind.

  And by his side, Freddy stared fixedly at the scene in front of him, with an undisguised gleam of jealousy in his eyes. Every single person here was someone he desperately wanted to become.

  "Haha, very shocking, isn't it?" Javier smiled as if seeing through the thoughts of the two people: "When I first saw such a scene, I was like you too."

  "But, after seeing more of them, you will find that such banquets are like a canvas dyed with various colors. At first glance, they appear to be colorful and beautiful, but in reality, they are empty and meaningless."

  As he spoke, Javier deftly snatched a glass of wine from the tray of a passing waiter and strode into the banquet hall: "Come on, there's plenty in store for us tonight."

  A moment.

  "They're not just mourning the death of their king, are they? How can they still be in the mood for such a lively banquet?" Raymond couldn't help but say, looking around at the extravagant scene.

  "Hehe, this is to welcome the foreign envoys who came to offer condolences, but it's a very formal diplomatic etiquette." Javier smiled and said.

  "Really?" Raymond was stunned, it's really hard to understand the thinking of these nobles.

  He said, "Alright, you've come in, but what do you plan on doing? Are you just going to casually drag someone into a conversation like that?"

  All the way, no one paid attention to the three of them. This was not surprising, they were originally people who spent money to get in, and didn't know anyone here, plus the nobles' self-conceit made it even more impossible for them to take the initiative to talk to strangers, so even though they were in such a lively party, the three of them seemed isolated from the outside world, unable to find anyone to talk to.

  Javier shook his head: "Of course not, this isn't a market where you can casually make sales pitches to people. That would be considered frivolous and looked down upon."

  "But there is one exception."

  "Who?" Freddy asked.

  "Of course, it's the master of this place." Javier smiled and said: "Invited to a banquet, shouldn't we thank the host? Let's go."

  As he spoke, he led the way to the center of the banquet hall. In front of a long table there, a man in his sixties, with a stout figure, round face, bald head and a pair of small eyes, was chatting with several nobles.

  From the respectful attitude of those nobles in front of him, it can be seen that this person's identity is extraordinary.

  "That's Gasparde's Prime Minister, Duke Charle." Javier said in a low voice to the two of them, apparently he had already investigated Charlie beforehand.

  Just then the conversation on the other side came to an end, and several nobles bid farewell and left. Javier seized the opportunity to walk over: "Your Excellency Charles, it's a great honor to receive your invitation to attend the dinner party."

  "Haha, you're too kind." Duke Charles responded politely, but judging from his expression, he clearly didn't recognize the other person.

  "Excuse me for being abrupt. I am Javier, the representative of Lowell Commercial Association. These two are Raymond and Freddy."

  "Lowell Chamber?" Duke Charlie's eyes widened in surprise: "Isn't that the one from the continent of Mojina..."

  Due to the boycott of the Ravite Trade Federation, Lowell Chamber was almost unknown in the Veronica continent, and even someone like Duke Charles only had a slight hearing.

  "Our company's headquarters may be on the continent of Mojina, but we place great importance on overseas trade and have always intended to expand our business on the continent of Veronika." Javier took over.

  "But I don't recall inviting any of you," said the Duke of Charlton in confusion.

  Javier smiled and said: "I just arrived in the city yesterday, I was introduced by Minister of Internal Affairs Blaus."

  "Ah, I see," said the Duke of Marlborough, enlightened.

  "Gentlemen, you have come from afar to our country, and I apologize if the hospitality has not been sufficient. So, please enjoy this evening's banquet." The Duke of Charles seemed polite, but his words implied an end to the conversation, clearly showing that he was not interested in the Lovell Chamber of Commerce.

  The king is dead, and the successor has not been determined. Charles, Duke of the Prime Minister's position, has become the de facto ruler of Gasper Kingdom for the time being. The current situation in Gasper is chaotic, if we can take this opportunity to get along with Charles, Duke, and gain his support, Lovell Chamber of Commerce may have the possibility to extend its trade route to the center of Veronika Continent.

  So, despite the other party's cold demeanor, Javier would not give up on this rare opportunity. He hastily said: "I heard that your country's king was assassinated and I deeply regret it. I don't know if you have time, but I'd like to pay a private visit to Your Excellency."

  The Duke of Marlborough had no time to answer when a cold voice came from behind: "Shameless outsiders, how dare you sneak in here!"

  Raymond and the other two turned their heads in unison, only to see that two men had appeared not far away, without knowing when they came.

  Of the two, the first was a man in his sixties, hunched over with age, his face etched with wrinkles, and hair as white as snow. He should have looked kindly, but his sharp nose and small, cold eyes gave him an aura of sinister foreboding that sent shivers down one's spine.

  Next to him was a man nearly 50 years old, with a stern and majestic appearance, deep and hard facial features, although he had a head of gray hair, but he didn't look the slightest bit old.

  The man had a high nose, a pair of grey and white eyes that were sharp and piercing. His tall stature was dressed in a suit that was fitting but not luxurious, and from head to toe, he exuded an air of dignity that was different from the common nobility, making him unforgettable at first sight.

  When he saw Raymond beside Javier, the man was visibly taken aback, and a flash of hostility crossed his eyes.

  Upon seeing the two men, Duke Charles showed a completely different enthusiasm from before and walked quickly over: "Vice President Lorlan, Mr. Deneke, you've finally arrived."

  That old man was none other than Lorain, the Vice Chairman of the Central Council of the Ravite Trade Federation. No wonder he had just spoken harshly to several people.

  The Kingdom of Gaspard and the Ravet Trade Federation are allies, which is why Duke Charles is so enthusiastic.

  After greeting the Duke of Marlborough, Lord Lorraine said with a sarcastic tone: "Prime Minister, it seems that some thieves have sneaked into your place."

  Although he knew who Lorran was referring to, Duke Charles, after all, was the host, and he awkwardly said: "Hehe, you're really joking."

  Luo Lan, however, did not intend to stop there. The old man's small eyes flashed with a venomous glow: "Isn't that so? The thief is standing right in front of you. You'd better send someone to investigate immediately, perhaps something will be stolen from the house in just a moment."