As night fell, the Saint and the Princess finally returned to Central City under the spotlight after completing a tour of the bustling streets of Gelfondo.
A grand banquet was held at the residence of Marquis Kahal Verzant, one of the three great Marquises of Gelfondo, and the entire Gelfondo family with surnames would attend.
In addition, some people with special status will also participate, such as the senior leaders of the Gelfondo Church, the senior notary of the Inquisition, the president of the Mercenary Guild, etc.
Although most of these people were born into noble families, there were still exceptions, such as the Holy Knight Charlie who Xu Yang had met before, and they happened to meet him at the door.
"Knight Charlie, I haven't seen you for a long time. I haven't seen you recently. It seems that those villains are not easy to deal with."
Charlie is a fourth-level paladin. His status among the clergy is already very high. At the same time, he is also highly regarded by Mirtesa. His status in the city's army is actually very high.
Charlie shook his head dejectedly, "Those villains are very cunning, and the nobles are very resistant to our investigation. It would be great if they were as honest as Mr. Cravener."
After going to investigate those stubborn nobles and then coming back to see Xu Yang, Charlie felt that Xu Yang was completely worthy of being a descendant of the founding hero, and was a gentleman who made himself feel noble.
Gale on the side was very surprised. After all, Charlie was quite famous in Gelfendor. He was famous for his low emotional intelligence. He was a stone in a manhole and had a bad face towards everyone. He didn't expect that he would have such an attitude towards Xu Yang. humble.
Xu Yang waved his hand to comfort, "Every family has its own sutras that are difficult to recite. I believe they will also strictly introspect themselves if they know about this matter."
Let's not talk about this anymore. Today is the time to enjoy the banquet. With the arrival of Her Royal Highness the Saint, the light of the Lord of the Morning will surely illuminate the city, making it impossible for the evil hidden in the dark corners to escape. "
Charlie sighed deeply, and his admiration for Xu Yang in his heart unconsciously increased. "I hope they also have integrity like Mr. Cravener."
The three of them walked towards the Kahal family's castle together, and coincidentally met Lorna again who they met during lunch.
Lorna had already changed into a black evening dress. At first glance, she looked like a noble daughter.
The three aristocratic young masters did not break their promise and took Lorna to the door to chat with the guard.
According to the banquet requirements, family invitations must be made in triplicate, which means that a maximum of three people from a noble family can attend the banquet.
The three young masters are also considered representative figures in the family. Otherwise, as a third-level mage, Lorna would not be able to cheat on herself.
The three of them each took an invitation letter from the family, and just wanted to ask the escort to be accommodating.
Lorna stood aside with some embarrassment, but she had to lower her head and endure it in order to enter the banquet.
"Brother Ent, you should know about Master Rona. She is an assistant professor at Gelffindor College. Brother Kaha has also taken her class. Although he did not receive an invitation this time, it was mainly because Brother Kaha was busy and forgot. Already..."
This kind of scene is not uncommon at the banquets of nobles. Ente has seen this method many times by using the qualifications to attend the banquet to deceive the civilian students in the college.
But this banquet was different. There was an order from above to strictly check the guards and not let in the unimportant people. Ente refused with a cold eye and pushed back the red envelopes handed over by several noble young masters.
At this time, Xu Yang and others also arrived at the door of the Kaha family's mansion.
The Cahal family's mansion is a huge manor covering an area of more than 4,000 acres. In addition to the residences of Duke Verzant and Cahal family members, the manor also contains the Cahal family's private wine cellar, orchards, gardens, and golf courses. Horse farms and hunting grounds.
When we reached the gate of the manor, we were still several kilometers away from the castle where the banquet was held.
When new guests arrived, the honor guard at the door saluted, and Ent, the captain of the escort team, temporarily left the three stalking young masters behind to greet them.
"Welcome four distinguished guests, please show me your invitation."
Xu Yang, Gale, and Charlie each took out an invitation, but Evelea just stood silently behind Xu Yang.
Ent frowned slightly, but after seeing Ifreya clearly, he felt a little enlightened:
"Oh, isn't this Miss Yuffie? Did you forget to bring the invitation?"
Ent was deeply impressed by Efreya, because when Efreya came to Kaha Castle to visit, she stuffed a red envelope of 1,000 gold coins, which was worth more than half a year's salary of Ent.
"Sorry, I did not receive the invitation letter. I came here with the lord."
Ifreya said while directing her gaze towards Xu Yang.
Ent looked at Xu Yang and didn't think he looked familiar. He had never even seen him before. Logically speaking, he could be called a lord in Gelfondo...
"Hello, my name is Cravenna Xu Yang, and I am the newly promoted Lord of the Eagle Territory. Yuffie is my assistant. Because things in the territory are too busy, I have to ask Yuffie to visit various places in the city on my behalf. family.
I had no choice but to bring Yuffie with me to this banquet. After all, most people didn’t know me, and I didn’t know them either. "
The Ent nodded to show his understanding. The man in front of him had a demeanor and conversation that made the Ent instinctively respect him, just like his own master.
But rules are rules, and just as he was about to politely refuse, Charlie stood up and spoke righteously:
"I know your doubts. Lord Cravenna and Miss Yuffie are both righteous people recognized by the Lord of the Morning. I am willing to use my honor to vouch for them."
Gale rolled his eyes, and then he could only echo, "Yes, Lord Cravenna helped the general capture the cultists before, and specifically asked me to help establish the teleportation. The Eagle Leader now... does require a lot of energy. Construction.”
After all, if I remember correctly, it was a wasteland of little value, and the so-called construction was just Xu Yang's investment regardless of the cost.
Ent looked at Gale and then at Charlie, feeling a little confused.
In fact, the personal invitations carried by the three of them are much more valuable than those of the three young masters. Those who can personally get invitations to banquets are often very impressive in Griffindor.
Gale is known in the academy as the second most talented mage in a century. Even the legendary mage Dean Messner once said personally that it is only a matter of time before Gale becomes a legend.
Needless to say, Charlie is a fourth-level paladin, and his status is no less than that of an ordinary legend to a certain extent.
Not to mention that there have been rumors outside that General Mirtesa has been cultivating Charlie as his successor. If Charlie breaks through the legend one day, he will almost become one of the few people in the entire Griffin who is on the same level as the general.
Cravenna...well, this guy's reputation is not simple. At least he has received red envelopes from others.
After much hesitation, Ente sighed softly: "Please come in, some distinguished guests."
After all, Charlie has vouched for it with his own honor. This is a Paladin. It's almost enough to vouch for it with his life.
What's more, the reason for the strict investigation is not because you, Charlie, have been like a dog-skin plaster during this period, following the nobles' butts to check for cultists.
If something goes wrong later, it won't be your fault if you blame it, and it's not like you can accept your red envelope.
Seeing the four people here entering with three invitations, and the three aristocratic princes over there immediately posting them, Ent was very tired.
And Lorna, who had been standing on the edge, clenched her fists so hard that her nails were embedded in her flesh.
…
With the arrival of many guests, this grand banquet kicked off immediately.
More than 30 tables and chairs have been set up in the castle's banquet restaurant. There is only one table on the high platform at the far end. The nine seats represent the nine people with the highest status at the banquet.
Under the main table, there are two rows of tables and chairs neatly arranged on the wide and long steps. The two rows of seats are from the inside to the outside. The seats closer to the inside are more distinguished.
There are three wide corridors in the middle and on both sides of the two rows of seats. The corridors are twenty centimeters shorter than the steps where the dining table is located. They are used for serving dishes and serving servants.
On both sides of the two corridors, there are the last two rows of tables and chairs placed on wide steps. These two wide steps are only ten centimeters higher than the corridor. They are the lowest level among the guests, including some Griffins. Many municipal elites and noble families came to see the world and give seats to them.
Each guest will be led to the corresponding seat by a servant according to the rank indicated in the invitation letter. Xu Yang and others were arranged to the middle of the middle steps together.
As for Lorna and the three younger brothers, who were looking at Gale, Xu Yang and others from a distance, of course they could only be assigned seats on both sides.
Xu Yang waved to the servant beside him.
"Add a seat."
The dining table at the banquet is very wide, and there is enough space for one person to add two or three more seats. In fact, it is very common to add and remove seats at banquets.
At less strict banquets, it is not uncommon to bring extra guests. Since the people have already come in, the servants will naturally not delve into the others.
…
All the guests took their seats one after another, and the protagonists on the high platform also arrived one after another.
First of all, the organizer of this banquet is Verzant, the current owner of the Kaha family, and also a senior fourth-level mage.
Then there were the other two marquis of Gelfondo, the legendary knight Mirtesa, and the upstart Zabron who had made great achievements just a few years ago and was promoted from earl to marquis.
After the three landowners were the most important guests of this banquet, Hetty Cecil, the seventh princess of the empire, and Shiliu Alvin, the last of the four current saints of the Church of the Dawn.
Then came the representatives representing the other three religious groups of Gelfondo:
Aster Archbishop Isabella Sethi
Bishop Sophie Faqir of Moonlight Temple
Mozhi, Keeper of the Temple of Fortitude
All three of them are legendary powerhouses!
And the last seat that was removed, the one who could share the same table with the people above, was the one Xu Yang was most familiar with.
First Notary of the Inquisition of Gelfondor - Phil Irvine.
In fact, before today, Xu Yang didn't know that Phil had such influence and status, that he was on equal footing with several major marquises.
After all, although Keynes is called an empire, it is actually a feudal system in the local area. Although the tribunal is established by the empire, in local areas, it mostly depends on the face of the city lord and his subordinates.
Even if Phil is in charge of the tribunal, his status should be only one level subordinate to the three marquises. In theory, he cannot share the table with the three of them.
Xu Yang suppressed the doubts in his heart and enjoyed today's dinner for the time being.
Xu Yang's table originally had eight people, but after adding Evelea, it became nine.
Sitting at the same table is the closest relationship at a dinner party, and it is also the most useful relationship in social interaction. Apart from Gail and Charlie who are traveling together, the remaining five people are:
The owner of the Starry Sky Hotel in Zhongcheng District and also the patriarch of the Milo family, Viscount Milo.
The Viscount was not a big one in Gelfondo. The Milo family was engaged in some catering and hotel businesses, and they also owned two small towns outside Gelfondo.
Under the giant city system, if the territory in a small town does not have any special properties, the nobles usually do not pay special attention to it.
After all, not every small town has unexplored mithril mines hidden in the back hills, and it is impossible for truly valuable territories to be entrusted to small lords.
Therefore, for these small families, the territory is more of a soil to support domestic slaves and a symbol of status, and the tax revenue they can contribute is often very limited.
The second is Viscount Kendo. His family is mainly engaged in the contract animal training industry. Many horses and earth dragon mounts in the city are from the Kendo family. It is said that they will also sell displacement beasts to friendly partners.
Viscount Kendo was very interested in making friends with Xu Yang, because there was a lot of news about the Wild Wolf Mercenary Group retrieving several flying dragon eggs not long ago. Viscount Kendo, who specializes in this business, naturally took it to heart.
It is nothing new to have a flying dragon nest in the Eagle Territory. In fact, there is more than one flying dragon nest in the Eagle Territory. However, the situation in the Eagle Territory is very complicated. If you do not steal a flying dragon egg, you will lose troops and the gain will not be worth the loss.
However, seeing that a group of mercenaries could steal the dragon eggs back, Viscount Kendo naturally became interested.
Now that the Eagle has a lord, although it has not truly regained its territory, as a noble, it is natural not to act like a thief. It is time to communicate with the lord when sending a team.
Secondly, it is said that Cravenna has established a stronghold in the Eagle Territory. If he can get Xu Yang's help, his plan to steal the dragon eggs will be more certain.
In addition, the most special one is Baron Brian, who is the only baron except Xu Yang and others.
It is said that Brion's ancestor was once an earl, but his title was reduced due to the decline of the family. In Brion's generation, there are signs of re-emergence.
Brion has re-established his family's territory on the northern plains. It is said that he has recently been exporting a very strange woven material, which can make a thin layer of lining stab-proof. It is very popular among the nobles. .
Originally, Xu Yang had no interest in making friends with these nobles. He came to the banquet simply to meet the princess and present the information that Krululu had compiled during this period.
But what surprised Xu Yang was that Brion, whom he had never met before, also showed very strong kindness towards him. It should be said that he was overly enthusiastic.
Xu Yang could feel that Brion's enthusiasm was not unreasonable because of his charming aura, but had some hidden meaning, so Xu Yang took the initiative to drink.
"Viscount Briand seems to be quite familiar with me?"
Brion was stunned, obviously not expecting Xu Yang to ask himself such a question.
"Well, I don't actually know much about it. I just heard that Lord Cravenna chose to return to his homeland in order to restore the honor of his ancestors. I feel a sense of sympathy for each other."
"Brion's sincerity is probably a sense of belonging to a camp. Although Brion knows that this is not a camp, nor should it be a camp. This word is a slander against that person, but he is willing to find such a camp. A suitable excuse to give you some help at the right time."
Xu Yang raised his glass and drank with Brian, but he became even more confused.
A camp, which means that in Brian's mind, he is considered to be in the same camp as him.
Can he be considered to be in which camp? Xu Yang pondered carefully.
Who am I closer to in Griffindor? I do know two of the nine seats on the high platform.
Mirtesa?
I have met Miltesa once, but I am very close to Charlie and Gale. To put it this way, I do look a bit like someone from Mirtesa's camp.
But Brion's mind is so wandering. As the most powerful force in Gelffindor, Miltesa alone holds the military power of Gelffindor. Such a great power should definitely not be evaluated in this way.
Then there will be only one person left.
It seems that the reason why he can gain a foothold so easily in Central City is not because of the remaining power of the Cravenner family, nor is it just because of the cultists building momentum for him, but because there is another force silently supporting him.
My vigilance towards Phil was so low that I completely failed to notice how much influence Phil had in Gryffindor.
So, what kind of camp would be called a camp that is not a camp...
