After briefly greeting everyone at the banquet, the Governor of White Harbor announced in a carrying voice that every guest present was his friend. Tonight's banquet was merely an ordinary gathering among friends, intended to let everyone get acquainted, so there was no need to stand on ceremony.
With that, assisted by several attendants, he strode into the dining area and eagerly began his meal.
De Sousa held a silver platter in one hand, taking large bites of swordfish belly. Oily juices ran down the edge of his plate, but he paid them no mind, eating until sweat covered his head.
An attendant stood beside him, occasionally using a clean cloth to wipe the sweat continually seeping from the Governor's temples and neck.
Although he ate rather quickly, De Sousa's table manners remained elegant overall. Clearly, he had been born into the Kingdom's nobility. The use of cutlery and the proper posture at table had become habits over long years, instincts etched into his bones.
Though his ornate, oversized plate armor made Governor De Sousa's figure look considerably more proportionate, armor could not change the facts. The fat packed into that enormously obese body would not simply disappear beneath a layer of polished steel.
With layers of fat pressing down on him, De Sousa's voice sounded even more sluggish, and his breathing was somewhat hurried. Heavy panting punctuated every swallow.
That bloated body was a far cry from the legendary warrior who had slain dragons, cut down enemies, and single-handedly reclaimed White Harbor Island.
Still, compared with the obesity he already knew about, the man's enormous appetite and astonishing eating speed surprised Renato, who had been lingering nearby, looking for a suitable moment to approach him.
As his physique grew stronger, Renato had noticed his daily energy intake steadily increasing.