To be honest, Hao Ren had been waiting for the old general to say those exact words. He had spent the past dozen days crossing mountains and wild forests in the Kolo World, and hadn't had a single peaceful meal. Even though he and Veronica had no shortage of food and drink in their extradimensional space, sitting in the middle of desolate mountains and wilderness was hardly an ideal dining environment. So when Magus mentioned dinner, Hao Ren immediately found the old man much more likable...
The old general admitted that conditions at the Western Fortress were limited, while Her Highness the Princess was not a demanding person. Thus, the simple welcoming banquet was held directly in this shabby reception room. Hao Ren soon learned that this seemingly modest reception room was actually the finest place in the Western Fortress. The fortress looked magnificent from the outside, but inside and out, it was purely a military stronghold. Everything here had been designed to resist Chaos power. There were no unnecessary decorations or luxuries; even Magus's room was only a little larger than an ordinary soldier's. Pouring every ounce of strength into resisting Chaos and squeezing all resources meant for personal pleasure into military power—this was the normal way of life for the people of the frontier.
The welcoming banquet was not lavish, but it was tasty and nutritious enough. The frontline soldiers fought in blood every day, and as long as the kingdom's upper ranks were not fools, they certainly would not shortchange the troops here on supplies. Fresh vegetables and a soft, sweet flatbread whetted Hao Ren's appetite, while a thick soup made from some kind of fungus quickly eased the fatigue that had built up over the past several days.
Hao Ren ate with single-minded focus, but Her