The Banquet (Part 2)

Edward sat down at his designated seat at the long table and immediately felt something was off.

According to the customs of this world, which Edward had diligently studied, the hosts of the banquet should be seated at either end of the long table. Guests seated closer to the ends were considered more honored. His own seat felt strange. When he announced his name, the attendant had led him to a spot beside the female host's seat. This made him the third most honored guest at the banquet.

It wasn't until he saw Ms. Kaitlyn and Lord Bishop seated on either side of the host at the other end of the table, followed by the Speaker of the Council and the Mayor of City Hall, and then the boyish-faced priest sitting opposite him, that he finally understood: in this world, spellcasters were revered. Spellcasters held a higher status than warriors of the same level.

His presence here not only represented himself but also the entire Alchemist Association. Although he was currently a one-man operation, his status had quietly become that of the third-highest guild leader in White Eagle City.

At this moment, a short, stout young man in knightly attire suddenly appeared beside him. The young man looked about the same age as the boyish-faced priest, not very tall, with a sturdy, somewhat brutish appearance. However, the aura he exuded was subtly dangerous, like a predatory beast ready to pounce.

Guests were still arriving, and servers were already busy bringing out dishes. The stout young man, without ceremony, grabbed a large roasted turkey leg from the table and tore it off.

He took two large bites, feeling a bit choked, and then picked up a full mug of beer from the table, downing it in one go.

He let out a long sigh and said, "This beer is good. Much better than the watery stuff they served in previous years, which tasted like dishwater."

Only then did he notice Edward beside him. He sized Edward up with a peculiar expression and said, "You're that capable Alchemist, right? I'm George. I heard you want to chase my sister?"

Edward looked at the stout young man with confusion. George? Who wants to chase his sister? Could his sister be Peppa? Even though the Peppa from my past life was the 'Queen of Merchandise' in the anime world, with over two billion dollars in annual merchandise sales, I'm not even the same species as Peppa.

Just then, a Jade Hand sharply rapped on the young man's head. George flinched, clutching his sore scalp, and turned around.

Edward hadn't even turned around when he heard a familiar, pleasant female voice scold, "George, you ill-mannered oaf! You dare to eat and drink before the banquet even begins. And where is your formal attire? Aren't you ashamed?"

George, still holding his head, retorted, "Andrea, you only wore knight's attire in previous years. Now that you're wearing a dress, you're going to lecture me?"

Behind George stood Princess Andrea, dressed in a magnificent Sapphire Blue princess gown, adorned with dazzling gemstone necklaces and earrings. Her hair was elegantly styled, and she wore a jeweled princess crown and light, beautiful makeup. Edward found himself momentarily lost in admiration.

He then noticed that Princess Andrea shared the same hair and eye color as the stout young man. He suddenly realized, "Princess, is this your brother?"

Princess Andrea pretended not to hear or see him, rolled her eyes charmingly, deliberately looked away, and walked to the female host's seat to take her place.

Edward then remembered the custom of this world: if the wife of the banquet host had passed away, the eldest daughter would typically act as the hostess.

Seeing that he had made a fool of himself, Edward fell silent. He and Princess Andrea sat together awkwardly, his eyes occasionally flicking to the ugly ring on her left middle finger.

As if sensing his gaze, Princess Andrea recoiled as if shocked, pulling her hand beneath the table.

At this moment, the stout young man beside them cleared his throat and said with feigned authority, "Now that you know who I am, why don't you come and greet Young Master George?"

"Young Master George?" Edward pondered. It made sense for a Duke's son to be called 'Young Master,' but it sounded so awkward.

Princess Andrea turned and glared fiercely at her brother.

Just then, the Grand Duke walked to the other end of the long table and stood. He was around forty to fifty years old, tall and well-built, with neat Golden short hair and a trim mustache. He wore a Marshal's uniform with Golden fringed epaulets, adorned with a sash and various medals across his chest.

This was the most common formal attire for male nobles, especially heads of state, in the old and new continents. After all, there were no set rules for a head of state's uniform, and the martial-minded nobles generally favored military dress.

In Edward's opinion, he was a handsome older gentleman. It was no wonder Princess Andrea was so beautiful; it must be genetics.

While Edward was lost in thought, Andrea nudged his sleeve and coughed discreetly.

Edward then realized everyone else had stood up, and he was still sitting firmly in his seat. He quickly stood up, but did so too abruptly, knocking over the chair behind him.

He fumbled to right the chair and then gave an awkward, sheepish grin to the Grand Duke at the head of the table.

The Grand Duke, who had just raised his wine glass to begin the New Year's toast, twitched the corner of his mouth almost imperceptibly. A ripple of suppressed laughter went through the younger nobles at the middle of the table, including Francois and Reinhardt. The "professionals" present, with their keen hearing, could even catch whispers of "country bumpkin."

Edward didn't seem to mind, but Princess Andrea blushed slightly.

Once silence fell, the Duke of White Eagle began his toast.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome. Let us raise our glasses together to celebrate the arrival of the New Year..."

The toast was surprisingly brief. Everyone drank their wine, and the New Year's banquet officially began.

Edward looked left and right. He realized this was essentially a ducal year-end banquet, much like his company's year-end party in his past life. It was akin to the chairman of a company called White Eagle Grand Duke inviting various managers, key personnel, and important client representatives for a meal at the end of the year.

The banquet had few strict formalities. People ate and drank while chatting quietly with their neighbors or those seated opposite them. The atmosphere was quite congenial.

However, Princess Andrea on his left pretended not to know him, clearly still upset about the ring. Young Master George on his right was shoveling food into his mouth without even looking up. Opposite him, the boyish-faced priest narrowed his eyes, looking like a sly old fox with a knowing smile, eating and drinking tea at a leisurely pace. Edward could only bow his head and eat in silence.

At this point, whispers reached his ears. He overheard a conversation:

"Who is that guy sitting next to the Princess?"

"Isn't that Pastor Elvin?"

"No, I'd recognize the Pastor. I mean the one to his left."

"Oh, you mean him. You don't know? He's the newly appointed head of the Alchemist Association branch in White Eagle City."

"Where is he from?"

"I heard he's local."

"Local? I haven't heard of any spellcasters coming from local families."

"I heard he's the blacksmith's son. He was chosen during that time Magic Academy expanded its enrollment a few years ago, when they swept through New Continent looking for potential mages."

"Someone actually came back? I thought they all stayed in Middle Earth. This guy must have big ambitions, giving up a promotion opportunity to come back here for a reason."

"Can't you tell what his reason is? Look, see that young master from Highland Castle? He offered 1000 gold for the seat next to Princess. Even Hunter's butler didn't sell it. How much do you think this new guild leader paid?"

"Hiss... Is Alchemist really that rich?"

"Who knows. Look, Princess isn't even paying him any mind. He clearly wasted his money."

"Heh heh, a toad wanting to eat swan meat. Does he think becoming a mage makes him a noble? It takes three generations to cultivate a true noble."

"Exactly. He should be like the Fishermen's Association leader, Pirate Boss, and go to Middle Earth to marry a daughter from a fallen noble family to improve his bloodline."

Edward grimaced, thinking, What do you guys know? A toad wanting to eat swan meat is a pipe dream, but a swan eating a toad is the usual operation!

Just then, he heard a familiar female voice reach his ears.

"How's your dancing practice coming along?"

Edward was startled and looked around. No one was looking at him. He suddenly understood. He turned to look at Andrea, who was raising a toast to a lady in the distance.

"Don't look at me... This is Ventriloquism... Only you can hear it!"

Edward thought, I know it's Ventriloquism. Monica's Ventriloquism is much better than yours. The problem is, how do I reply? I can't do Ventriloquism!

Then he remembered Pastor Elvin's method of writing with tea. He dipped his finger in some tea and prepared to write on the table...

Just then, he felt something hard poke his thigh under the tablecloth.

My little one was hospitalized for a tonsillectomy today (they should be discharged by the time you read this), and I received a site notification that I can't stop updating. Fortunately, I still have some stock. I just want to say, you can rest assured and add this to your collection.