"L-Ladies and gentlemen... honored guests, thank you all for coming to this banquet and... witnessing the new... factory's..."
Inside the castle hall of the Industrial New District, at least six Legends and dozens of High-Ranks were watching Wendy as she raised her glass. The girl stumbled through her toast.
The banquet was arranged much like the Royal Palace in Night-Kirin City. The Legends and the girls sat at the head table at the far end of the hall, with the back wall and an enormous tapestry behind them. Before their table stood four rows of long tables, where the High-Ranks ate along either side.
The Legendary Dwarf Sherman was already thoroughly drunk; the Panda-kin Xiu Ming was secretly gnawing on tender bamboo shoots; Ben Kaul sat beside Wendy, giving her encouraging looks; Klein remained silent, lost in thought; while Saranir and another Legendary Elf were rather busy together, petting a fox.
Though not many people were truly disrupting her, facing so many powerful figures for the first time made every word painfully difficult for Wendy. At that moment, she suddenly felt that calling Honnier Gallop over and having her represent her in public from now on might not be such a bad idea.
"...Here, on Landen's behalf, I th-thank every lord who offered support during the f-factory's construction... and th-thank Sherman of the Salt and Iron Department..."
"Don't be so polite! Just give me a few more barrels of liquor!" At the sound of his own name, the Legendary Dwarf boomed like a great bell.
"Hahaha..."
Though the Dwarf had interrupted Wendy, he had also eased the atmosphere at just the right moment.
"...My lords, cheers!" Wendy hurriedly skipped over the middle portion and raised her glass with a shout.
"Cheers!"
Music began playing through the hall at just the