Following a brisk footsteps, Katz's three sons came to the living room with their families one after another. The eldest son William took his wife Irene and their five-year-old son and pushed the door in first. He had just arranged the handover of the city defense. He had taken off his military uniform jacket and was only wearing a dark blue velvet vest; the second son Robert followed closely with his pregnant wife Sophia on his arm. He had just gone to the dungeon to personally confirm the detention situation of Frankie. The youngest son Edward came in last with his newlywed wife Nami, carrying two bottles of red wine that had been treasured for many years.
The living room suddenly became lively. Edward opened the red wine skillfully, and the amber liquid flowed in the crystal cup. Jace and Yavi were surrounded by three brothers During this time, the five people toasted and chatted, and bursts of hearty laughter broke out from time to time. Robert was gesturing and telling a certain wonderful moment he saw on the battlefield today, which made Yavi nod frequently.
On the other side, Katz and Herbert were sitting on high-backed chairs by the fireplace. Katz's loud voice occasionally drowned out other conversations. "... That old boy Frankie, was at the border back then..." Herbert was sipping red wine while adding details. The two clinked glasses from time to time, and the wine sparkled like gems in the firelight.
The female relatives naturally gathered on the other side. Irene was carefully stroking the silver necklace inlaid with star stones around her sister-in-law's neck, her eyes full of envy. "This workmanship is really exquisite, is it the craftsmanship of the Northern Kingdoms craftsman?" Sophia held up his belly and came closer to take a closer look. "The quality of this stone is really good. It will give off a faint blue halo under the candlelight." Nami, the new visitor, blushed and asked in a low voice, "Is this... the gift Yavi brought you?"
Lucy obediently served tea to the sisters-in-law, but her ears stood up involuntarily, eavesdropping on the conversation of the men. When she heard Yavi analyze the current situation in a calm voice During the battle, the hand pouring tea paused unconsciously, and the tea almost spilled over the edge of the cup. Maya took in all this and exchanged a tacit smile with Mrs. Louis.
The fire crackled in the fireplace, mixed with the crisp sound of crystal glasses, the laughter and chatter, and the low-key but unable to conceal excited whispers of the female family members. The entire living room seemed to be filled with warm sounds, and even the serious faces in the portraits of past family heads hanging on the stone walls seemed a bit softer in this atmosphere.
At this moment, the old butler in the fortress came to Katz quietly, leaned down and whispered a few words. Katz's eyes lit up, he slammed the table and stood up, shaking the wine glass.
"Everyone!" His bell-like voice instantly drowned out all the conversation, "The celebration banquet is ready! Everyone, follow me to the restaurant. We won't come back until we get drunk tonight!"
Everyone laughed and moved to the banquet hall on the same floor. The moment they opened the carved oak door, they were greeted by the aroma of roasted meat and the sweetness of mead. The long table was covered with a white linen tablecloth, and the dancing flames on the silver candlesticks reflected the dazzling array of delicacies: a whole roasted suckling pig was glowing with oil, and truffle-braised chicken was steaming hot. There are gas, foie gras mousse decorated with gold foil, snow clam soup in a crystal cup, veal breast stewed with black truffles, frosted cake with diamond patterns, and the freshly baked bread basket is still steaming with the aroma of wheat. In the corner, musicians are playing cheerful folk dance music, and the melody of flute and lute echoes under the stone vault.
Katz sat proudly on the main seat, with Herbert's family on the left, and Mrs. Louis and his son and daughter-in-law on the right. Waiters shuttled among them, filling wine glasses for each guest. The women's glasses were replaced with freshly squeezed cherry juice, which was as clear as ruby under the candlelight.
Katz suddenly raised his wine glass high, amber liquid rippling in the glass, "First of all, welcome to the Herbert family, my old brothers who stole apples together when we were wearing crotchless pants!" Everyone laughed and raised their glasses, and the clear sound of the crystal glasses clinking together was heard.
Katz raised his head and took a big gulp of wine, wiped his beard and continued, "Today is really weird, Poviss those bastards actually dared to sneak attack!" He put down the wine glass heavily, "But... it's thanks to me, an old brother, that I came here What a coincidence!" Then he suddenly changed the topic and pointed at Herbert and laughed and scolded, "You old bastard! You only told me that Yavi is a demon hunter and can use a sword twice - but the tornado that rose from the ground today almost made me wet my pants!"
Herbert blushed, slapped the table and stood up. "Fart! It's only today that I found out that this kid can also do magic!" He turned and glared at Yavi, "You brat, did you even hide this from your father?"
Amidst the roar of laughter in the whole hall, Katz raised his glass again. "Finally, here's to our hero today - Yavi!" His voice suddenly became solemn, "A single soldier went deep into the enemy's camp and captured him alive. Frankie, that old fox. Report this to the Liz City Lord..." He winked at Yavi, "The reward will be yours when the time comes!"
"Cheers!" Everyone stood up, and the sound of the clinking wine glasses was like the bell of victory. The musicians played a passionate march in time, and the banquet officially began. In the dancing candlelight, everyone's face was filled with a joyful smile, and even the ancestor portraits on the wall seemed to be smiling.
As they drank and drank, the banquet gradually reached its climax. Under the crystal chandelier, the faces of the guests were all flushed with drunkenness. Katz's second son, Robert, was dancing and gesticulating the thrilling scenes on the battlefield, almost knocking over the silver wine flask in the waiter's hand.
"Yavi! Come here!" Katz suddenly stood up with a slap on the table, his thick beard still stained with wine foam. His rough voice cut through the noise, and Yavi, who was tasting elf wine with Edward, raised his head when he heard the sound, drank up the amber liquid in the glass, and walked quickly to the main seat.
The waiter immediately handed Yavi a new wine glass. Katz personally filled it with fire whiskey from the dwarf's underground cellar. The dark red wine filled the glass with a dangerous flavor. Light. "Come!" Katz's thick arms hugged Yavi's shoulders. Their wine glasses collided with each other, making a crisp sound, and the strong liquor entered their throats and burned like fire.
"Boy," Katz breathed out the smell of alcohol, but his eyes were shining, "You must have many wonderful stories when you have been killing demons and demons outside these years!" He patted Yavi heavily on the back, "Tell us about it quickly!"
Yavi smiled slightly and gently rubbed the rim of the wine glass with his fingertips. When he spoke, the entire banquet hall gradually became quiet, and even the noisiest corners stopped talking. Only the musicians wisely switched to a low background melody, and the strings of the harp flowed like moonlight.
"That was at Skellige Isles..." Yavi's voice was not high-pitched, but it had a strange penetrating power. He told how to track the sea monster on a stormy night, described the phosphorescence flickering on the reef, and and the strange mist brought about by the ancient curse. When he imitated the roar of the sea monster, Lucy unconsciously grabbed his mother's sleeves; when he talked about fighting the giant beast in the stormy sea, even the calmest butler held his breath.
The candlelight cast dancing shadows on Yavi's chiseled face, adding a bit of mystery to every detail he told. The waiters stopped unconsciously, and the food on the silver plate gradually cooled down. Everyone was immersed in this adventure woven by sound, as if they had witnessed those thrilling moments with their own eyes.
When the story reached its most tense point, Yavi suddenly paused, raised his glass and took a sip. This deliberate pause caused everyone to lean forward in unison, and even Katz couldn't help but urge, "What happened next? Go on!"