"Could this be..."
Bors, the most excited of them all, abruptly rose to his feet and pressed for an answer.
"Letting guests go hungry is terribly discourteous. Please dine first, and we can discuss everything else afterward. Do not waste the food bestowed upon us by heaven."
The smiling hostess raised her hand to stop him. She gracefully took a seat at the secondary position, lifted her cup toward the group, and exuded elegance and mystery.
"That is true. There are many outside who cannot even fill their stomachs. After traveling for so many days, this is the first truly lavish meal we have had. To disappoint your hospitality would be rather boorish."
Percival sighed, placed a hand over his chest, and nodded respectfully to the hostess. He apologized on behalf of the somewhat rash Bors, then smoothly tugged his restless companion back into his seat.
The mysterious hostess nodded and distributed the fermented flatbread and aged wine among them, inviting the three visitors to drink with her.
Unable to refuse such generous hospitality, Percival and the other two raised silver goblets engraved with exquisite patterns and drank the crimson liquid, red as blood. Their awakened taste buds and empty stomachs gradually gave in to their bodies' cravings, and they began tasting the abundant food spread across the table.
All three knights had noble origins and had therefore received proper courtly instruction.
During the meal, they sat upright and wisely focused on the rare food before them. The faint sounds of knives and forks against plates were strangely pleasant, while they casually shared amusing stories from their journey to liven the atmosphere.
The food was exceptionally delicious once it reached their mouths. Its rich vitality and ether particles not only erased their hunger, but nourished every inch of flesh in