Chapter 11: The Banquet and the Maiden

116 Fess Street.
At the entrance of the Karl family mansion.

Lis, dressed in a black tuxedo, stepped out of his carriage. A waiter immediately hurried over to escort him toward the main banquet hall, while Bender and the carriage were seen to by others who directed them to a separate area for rest.

Lis loosened his stiff collar; he still wasn't quite accustomed to such elaborate formal wear.

Following the waiter into the banquet hall, he found the hundreds of square meters of space decorated with extraordinary luxury. Countless polished, crystalline chandeliers hung from the ceiling, casting a soft, gentle glow over the room. The dining tables were already laden with aromatic delicacies and fine wines for the guests, and several people were already mingling, glasses in hand, engaged in spirited conversation.

The Karl family was, after all, the de facto master of the Golden Vine Chamber of Commerce, ranked among the top five in the Kingdom of Fess. They had enough influence to "purchase" a barony from the kingdom, and the mansion they maintained in the aristocratic district was grand and imposing—a clear testament to the family's immense wealth.

Lis looked with interest at the guests in their ornate attire scattered around the dance floor. Because his predecessor rarely attended such events, even though these were clearly the ladies and gentlemen of Fess’s high society, they were all strangers to him.

Just then, Mora Karl, having finished greeting a count alongside his father, caught sight of Lis looking somewhat out of place in the distance. His eyes lit up, and after a quick word with his father, he hurried over.

"You fellow, why didn't you come find me when you arrived? Are you really our esteemed Viscount? You’re just standing there all alone, not even chatting with anyone."

Lis shrugged. "You know me. I almost never attend these kinds of parties. I don’t know any of these people, so how could I possibly strike up a conversation? I saw you were busy talking to that old man, so I didn't want to interrupt."

"What 'old man'? That was the Kingdom’s Minister of Finance, His Excellency Count Dion Duval!"

Mora looked at Lis, speechless, unable to believe he didn't even recognize such a figure. He decided to drag Lis around to introduce him to the prominent guests nearby.

"That is Yassen Hard, the youngest son of Duke Hard. I hear he’s been highly favored by His Majesty the King lately."

"The one talking to my father over there is Monte Olaya, head of the Olaya Chamber of Commerce. The Olaya Chamber is no less significant than my family's, though he and my father are on quite good terms."

"And that is Lady Pasha Koye, a famous socialite in Radiant City. You’d better be careful not to get bewitched by her!"

Mora stealthily pointed a finger toward a woman in a purple tassel dress, who was beaming as she chatted with several men, and gave Lis a knowing look.

Lis took a closer look. *Hiss*—she certainly had impressive assets. After a careful, "academic" appraisal, he concluded that it was indeed the real deal. She was a famous socialite for a reason; he had learned something today!

For the first time, Mora shared a truly profound, academic exchange with Lis, and both reached a unified understanding.

"You fellow, don't tell me you've already conducted field research on this?" Lis eyed his friend, whose eyes were practically gleaming.

"I am merely appreciating art, alright? She’s old enough to be my mother!"

Mora, feeling questioned, nearly jumped up to swear a blood oath to prove his innocence, though in Lis’s eyes, this guy was practically pitch-black from the inside out.

"I’m done talking to you." Seeing his father beckoning him over—apparently, another distinguished guest had arrived—Mora hurried off. "I’ll come find you in a bit. Don't go sneaking off!"

After all, it was Mora's birthday banquet. Even though most people were here to network and build connections, he, as the host, could not afford to be absent for too long.

Lis was quite happy to be left alone. It was fine by him that he didn't know the other guests; at least no one would disturb him.

As he listened to Mora’s father, Wim Karl, deliver a standard, polite speech thanking all the guests, Lis walked over to the long table and began selecting food for his plate.

Roasted lamb chops with herbs, escargot in herb sauce, beef tenderloin with oil-poached foie gras, Bertich sweet shrimp salad, chicken cutlet with ham and cheese, hazelnut caramel cake, coconut cherry pie...

Lis filled a large plate with these delicacies, ignoring the surprised looks from the nearby waiters, and retreated to a corner of the banquet hall to sit and enjoy his meal to his heart's content.

It was truly worthy of one of the kingdom’s top five chambers of commerce. He knew that Bertich sweet shrimp only lived in a few coastal areas of Bertich in the eastern part of the Fanol Continent. To have such fresh-tasting shrimp here was a rarity; he wondered how they had transported them from the coast thousands of miles away to the landlocked Kingdom of Fess.

In his past life, he had never seen them in the Kingdom of Fess during the game. It wasn't until he took on a quest to Bertich that he finally tasted them. They were indeed tender and snappy—the absolute pinnacle of seafood.

*Clink.*

Just as Lis was savoring his meal, another plate was set down on the table beside him. Lis glanced over, and—good heavens—it had even more on it than his own!

Two lamb chops were buried under a mountain of assorted foods, topped off with two portions of hazelnut cake. The precarious tower was enough to make one nervous.

As Lis focused his attention on this "tower" of a plate, a figure emerged from behind it and sat in the chair next to him.

Lis took a moment to observe this person who, unlike the other guests socializing on the dance floor, had chosen to huddle in a corner with a plate of food just like him.

She wore a fiery red, off-the-shoulder evening gown. Her matching long red hair was simply draped over her waist, and the tailored design highlighted the young woman's perfect curves. The layered, hollow-out patterns and delicate tassels accentuated her fair skin. While her features were somewhat ordinary, her grayish-purple eyes shone with a vibrant, spirited intelligence.

The girl looked at Lis with curiosity, seemingly surprised to find another "foodie" who was just as "different" as she was. She gave him a gentle smile and began to enjoy her own feast.

Although Lis felt a strange sense of familiarity, he didn't pay it much mind—perhaps he had encountered her once in the game in his past life!

The two of them began their assault on the "two mountains" of food before them. Though they never stopped eating, their table manners were impeccable, and the food on the table disappeared at a visible rate.

Even though Lis had started first, they finished their respective portions at almost the exact same time.

*Squeak.*

The chairs were pushed back as both stood up simultaneously, ready to return to the dining table for a refill.

"Pfft—"

A bell-like laugh sounded in Lis's ear. He turned to see the girl chuckling, looking at him with curious eyes.

"You’re a strange one. Don't most people come to these parties to network with the big shots? Why are you hiding here eating?"

Lis looked at the plate in the girl's hand and replied, somewhat speechless:

"Aren't you doing the same? I just can't be bothered to go trade pleasantries with those people."

"I’m different!" The girl waved her hand. "I’m just here with a friend to see the world and grab a bite to eat. I heard the Golden Vine Chamber of Commerce sent a caravan all the way to Bertich in the east to procure these rare ingredients for the banquet. I wasn't about to miss that."

What the girl said at first sounded normal, but her following words exposed her true nature as a total foodie.

"That's true. The Bertich sweet shrimp salad is quite good. I'm planning on getting some more."

At the mention of food, the girl’s eyes practically lit up.

"Right? Right? It's amazing! You can't even buy it with money most of the time!"

Lis found himself getting into the conversation as well.

"Though, I think the Bertich sweet shrimp would taste even better if made into golden shrimp balls."

The girl looked surprised.

"Golden shrimp balls? What are those? Is that a dish? I couldn't tell you knew how to cook?"

"Of course I do!" Having grown up in an orphanage in his past life, Lis had honed some excellent culinary skills.