In a seldom-traveled border region of the Land of Fire, a newly built mansion stood quietly in the wilderness, as though deliberately hiding from something.
The mansion looked utterly unremarkable at first glance, but its interior was another world entirely. Beyond its courtyards lay pavilions, waterside terraces, flowers, shrubs, and trees. Carved beams, painted rafters, and ornate vermilion pillars were everywhere, complemented by exquisite furnishings and delicate ornaments-a scene of absolute luxury.
Evening had fallen. Lavishly dressed servants hurried through the corridors, while glass lamps glowed and candle flames trembled, illuminating rooms filled with sumptuous, richly colored furnishings.
This mansion, built in the middle of nowhere, was so luxurious and decadent that it might have been a monarch's pleasure palace. Yet its owner considered it a shabby residence, somewhat too small and fit only for a temporary stay.
At that moment, the owner of this lavish mansion, a wealthy merchant of the Land of Fire, was having dinner.
The well-trained servants had tidied the hall, lit magnificent candles, burned warm incense, and arranged cushions and lacquered tables. One platter of delicacies after another flowed into the room. Rare ingredients from creatures that flew through the sky, ran across the land, or swam in the water filled the dishes, yet all this food was intended for just one person.
At that very same moment, within that very same region, countless people were dying of hunger.
Servants continued filing in with bowls and dishes of every description. Naturally, fine food required fine wine. Alongside the cherry blossom wine, sake, and assorted fruit wines common in the Land of Fire, there was no shortage of grape wine imported from overseas.
Calling such a feast extravagance taken to its utmost would have been no exaggeration, yet it was merely an ordinary meal for the