Hosting a Banquet, Part Two

(Three updates today! More coming soon!!)

Time passed quickly. Once the steward Code had finished preparing the banquet arrangements, the two guests arrived together to visit the newly established manor of the Merlin Family, which had been silent for decades.

As the Dark Night Manor was making its first appearance before outsiders, Donald, as the host, naturally had to go out to greet them in person.

Coincidentally, the carriages of these two nobles had met on the road. After polite inquiries, they discovered they shared the same destination and naturally traveled together.

Having observed the situation of the Dark Night Manor from afar while still in his carriage, the Baron of Red Maple stood before the newly constructed carved white stone gate. Looking at the thriving scene within the manor, the merchant-noble could not help but sigh in admiration:

"Young Donald, you truly are a genius! Not only did you become an official mage at such a young age, but you have also managed this cursed land—which everyone used to fear—so brilliantly. Add to that the precious production of Moonlight Wine, and your profits this year will surely be immense. Even the estates of some great nobles in the Kingdom cannot compare to your industry!"

Donald felt not a shred of confusion that the Baron of Red Maple knew Moonlight Wine was his own product; he estimated that intelligence about him had already spread among all the noble factions in North Shire.

Just as Donald was about to offer a humble reply, he heard Sir Jesse beside him say with a look of reverence and envy:

"It is truly enviable, Donald, that you have built such a foundation at such a young age! Your Moonlight Wine is already spreading like wildfire among the nobility. Those who have had the fortune to drink it praise it highly, claiming this wine is even superior to the top-tier spirits we Celt export to other countries on the continent. It is a pity the quantity is so scarce and not yet for sale; otherwise, even if it cost a hundred Gold Sol a glass, I would certainly enjoy it at least once!"

Hearing this, Donald laughed:

"That is easily arranged. Although the yield of Moonlight Wine is small, as its owner, I have kept some for personal use. The wine served at our banquet later will be the Moonlight red wine; you two may enjoy it to your heart's content!"

Sir Jesse was overjoyed to hear this, and even the composed and steady Ernest could not help but be moved. One had to know that the twenty-bottle quota Donald had promised had already been delivered to Giant Stone City, but the Mage Association had not yet begun selling it to the public, so most nobles had never even seen it, let alone tasted it.

Even the Baron of Red Maple himself had never tasted the wine that the nobles were so obsessed with. Now that he had the opportunity to experience it, he was naturally delighted. At the same time, if the Moonlight Wine was truly as wonderful as the rumors suggested, he intended to secure a portion of the sales quota from its owner—this was a business that could bring him a massive fortune!

While conversing, the three nobles of different ages walked into the manor together and arrived at the living room of the farmhouse where Donald was temporarily residing. Because the villa was not yet finished, he had to borrow this space to entertain his guests.

Fortunately, the farmhouse buildings were in the style of European farmsteads from his previous life—simple in appearance but not shabby—and the interior had been decorated quite exquisitely by the steward, so it did not lose the host's status.

Since it was already noon and there were only two guests, Donald had no other arrangements once they arrived and immediately ordered the food to be served.

The three nobles took their seats as host and guests, the rectangular dining table set with fine silver cutlery and white silk napkins.

The newly hired servants were not particularly elegant in their posture, but under the guidance of the steward and William, they served the host and guests with great humility and care.

The appetizers were served quickly. For this banquet, Donald had utilized some whimsical ideas from his previous life, combining them with local cuisine to create a menu. He had carefully selected a few dishes that met the necessary standards for today's banquet.

The first appetizer was the Golden Pancake, stuffed with pork and a local edible plant similar to an onion. The aroma was locked inside the golden-fried crust; one bite of the savory, fragrant filling was enough to whet anyone's appetite.

Next came the two main courses: Red Braised Beef and Maple Glazed Ribs. The former perfectly infused the deliciousness of the wine into the meat juices, making the beef tender and succulent. The latter used maple syrup produced in the Baron of Red Maple's territory instead of honey for the glazed ribs, giving it a unique flavor that even Ernest, the owner of the maple syrup source, praised endlessly.

Following the main courses were a side dish and a soup, both of which were essential.

The side dish was Marinated Lettuce, crisp, sweet, and refreshing, perfect for cleansing the palate. The soup was Pepper Vegetable Soup, made with a spice similar to the pepper from his previous life that possessed a spicy kick, which could stimulate the appetite and aid digestion.

According to the rules of noble banquets in this world, a formal banquet usually required three to five appetizers, and other side dishes were equally complex. However, unless it was a major occasion, the banquets of ordinary nobles were mostly simplified to one or two appetizers, cutting out most non-essential preparations.

Nowadays, only at royal banquets or noble wedding feasts could one see such complex and formal dishes, as the cost of hosting such a banquet was not something every noble could afford, and the long duration of the banquet required careful consideration of food temperature and freshness.

The manor was newly established with limited conditions, and this was only a private banquet, so Donald's preparations followed the general standard for nobles: simple but hearty.

After the two guests finished all the dishes and drank a glass of the intoxicating Moonlight red wine, they felt as if they were receiving the treatment of true gods.

By the end of the banquet, the two guests were at a loss for words, especially regarding the Moonlight Wine, which was the best beverage they had ever tasted in their lives.

Sir Jesse also came from a powerful noble family in the Royal Capital. Although he was only an overlooked illegitimate son, he had naturally seen many banquets. He noticed that while the appearance of these dishes was still slightly rough—presumably because the cook at Donald's estate was not a professional noble chef—the taste was truly something to be savored.

As the host, Donald had carefully selected and prepared all the dishes for this banquet. Overall, they leaned toward the tastes of this world but incorporated some advantages of the gourmet food from his previous life. Although the dishes were slightly simple, the taste was comparable to a royal banquet, and perhaps even better due to its novelty.

After the banquet, the three nobles sat in the temporarily arranged reception room to rest. After the maid served dessert and drinks, she bowed and retreated.

Having enjoyed such a delicious meal, the Baron of Red Maple, feeling significantly relaxed, ignored noble etiquette and rubbed his stomach, saying:

"Donald, not only do you have a knack for brewing fine wine, but I never expected you to be so particular about food. It seems I should send the chef from my estate to learn from you one of these days!"

Sir Jesse also chimed in with praise:

"Indeed! This meal today is the best I have eaten in all the years I have been in North Shire! It is not even a whit inferior to a royal banquet!"

Donald replied with humble courtesy: "It is my greatest honor that you two could enjoy these! Please, try the tea and dessert I have prepared; the taste should not disappoint you!"

The dessert Donald prepared was also specially made and likely could not be found anywhere else in this world.

There were two desserts in total: Milk Pastry and Candied Wild Berry. The Milk Pastry was an authentic snack from his previous life, fragrant and rich with a novel preparation method that left one feeling very satisfied. However, it was the other dish that truly made the two guests' eyes light up.

"This is... a wild berry? How can it be so delicious?"

Facing Sir Jesse's question, Donald replied with a smile:

"It is indeed a wild berry, just prepared differently from the usual pickling method, which is why the taste is different!"

The origin of the Candied Wild Berry dessert was very common in the country of Donald's previous life—it was simply a candied hawthorn stick. He had merely replaced the main ingredient, hawthorn, with a material from this world. Donald had always felt that fresh, sweet fruits like wild berries lost their original delicious flavor when pickled in salt. If they were just washed and eaten, that was a practice only commoners would use, and guests holding onto noble pride would likely not accept it, so he had compromised and come up with this method.

The wild berry was slightly smaller than a lychee and a bit larger than a grape. Its appearance was very similar to a cherry tomato from his previous life, but its taste was like a blueberry-style berry, sweet and tart. The light red maple syrup was heated into a glaze and poured over the berries, then cooled by a low-temperature spell to form beautiful, smooth, gem-like beads.

This dessert, which was extremely beautiful in appearance and served to whet the appetite and aid digestion, was polished off by the two guests who were already full. Then, the unique, refreshing fragrance of the drinks that had been ignored in favor of the dessert finally caught the attention of Sir Jesse and the Baron of Red Maple.