Attending a formal, large-scale banquet requires wearing formal attire. Leia had the carriage go directly to a ready-to-wear store on Silver Cross Avenue. For the wedding banquet next Tuesday, she had already prepared formal wear for Xia De, and not just one set. Today was a good opportunity for him to try on a set, and if it didn’t fit, it could be altered.
Thus, with Leia’s help, Xia De spent quite some time getting ready before finally setting off for the Red Wine Capital of the Southern Kingdom.
This evening banquet was quite large, expected to start at seven o’clock. When Xia De emerged from the underground wine cellar of the White River Valley Vineyard, half of the setting sun was still visible in the western sky, hanging at the edge of the wilderness.
Mr. Bernhardt had arranged to meet Xia De here because his manor was nearby. However, when Xia De arrived, the middle-aged Viscount had not yet appeared. So, Xia De wandered around the manor, thinking that he would find an opportunity to ask Miss Silvia to discreetly inquire with Princess Margaret whether this place could be sold. Although he didn’t plan to operate a vineyard himself, the hidden wall in the wine cellar was worth spending his savings on.
The White River Valley Vineyard is not large, including the manor, wine cellar, and nearby land. It is usually managed and maintained by two or three of Mr. Bernhardt’s servants, while those responsible for winemaking and grape cultivation are all Mr. Bernhardt’s own workers; his family is also famous for its wine.
Mr. Goodwin, the Old Butler who oversees the manor and warehouse, is also a Vampire and deeply trusted by Mr. Bernhardt. Although he didn’t know why Xia De always appeared in the underground wine cellar, he was very loyal and simply pretended not to know anything, even introducing the surrounding area to Xia De.
Standing on a high point of the manor and looking at the surrounding vineyards and farmland, even in early winter, the scenery was exceptionally pleasant. Xia De planned to find time to bring his cat to see the scenery here before the first snow falls. It was just a pity that the cat didn’t particularly like going out, and currently, Huntington didn’t seem like a safe place.
“At least, it’s safer than Mi Fort.”
“Her” voice came from beside his ear, and Xia De nodded, listening to the Old Butler praise the scenery.
“Speaking of which, when I arrived in Coldwater Port in the Summer, the Scarlet Cult had already begun the Sea Offering Ritual; when I arrived in Mi Fort in early autumn, the problems in the Gap had already begun to manifest. And now in Huntington, besides the illegal organizations that every City has, there’s nothing particularly special.”
Tobesk, Coldwater Port, and Mi Fort, all places the Outsider had set foot in, had successively encountered major changes. When Xia De, this “audience,” arrived in a City, a story would inevitably begin to unfold. But this time, Xia De hadn’t detected any local problems.
“May Huntington City be peaceful.”
He thought silently to himself, facing the slightly cold wind of late autumn and early winter, and heard “Her” laughter.
Mr. Bernhardt attached great importance to this banquet. Not only did he hang the large metal crest of the Bernhardt family on the side of his carriage, but his formal attire also looked expensive at first glance. Because the evening temperature was a bit low, his formal wear had a fur collar and was thickened.
However, Xia De, with his Knowledge of the Vampire race, clearly remembered that Vampires were not afraid of cold at all compared to humans.
The banquet was held at Rothschild Manor in the center of Huntington City, where the princess was staying. The manor was royal private property in the area, occupying a considerable area even in the expensive City center.
On the way from the eastern suburbs of the City to the large manor, Mr. Bernhardt excitedly told Xia De rumors he had heard about the banquet, confidently stating that this banquet would provide enough discussion for the nobles of Huntington City for many years:
“The cost of the banquet is borne by the Royal Family. To show the importance of this visit, they have specially prepared quite high-grade ingredients. In fact, Princess Margaret’s party’s luggage has already been loaded onto the airship. They will depart immediately after the banquet. I truly hoped to hold the banquet on the deck of the steam airship as originally planned, but unfortunately, the weather is simply too cold.”
Mr. Bernhardt spoke enthusiastically, intending to introduce his Vampire friends to Xia De later.
The airship prepared for Princess Margaret Anjou’s visiting delegation had landed this morning, and after afternoon inspection, it was now ready for departure. Therefore, the banquet would not last very late, expected to end at ten o’clock, allowing the princess’s party enough time to board the airship.
Just as Mr. Bernhardt said, this extremely important farewell banquet invited many influential great nobles from Weilandale and Huntington. As the carriage they were riding ascended the ramp towards the higher ground in the City center, Xia De had already noticed many private carriages of nobles traveling alongside them. Mr. Bernhardt could quite skillfully identify the ownership of those carriages and introduce the histories and traditions of these families to Xia De.
Although Mr. Bernhardt was only a Viscount, the Bernhardt family was the oldest noble lineage in the area. According to this rather high-society Vampire, the Bernhardt family had been rooted in this land even before the Carson Rick United Kingdom came into existence.
The carriage traveled on the City streets, with gas lamps on both sides lighting up as the sun set. When Xia De and Mr. Bernhardt arrived at their destination, facing the last rays of the setting sun, all the gas streetlights on both sides of the newly decorated Rothschild Manor were already lit.
The dim yellow light illuminated the City in the darkness and the manor standing above the horizon. Formally dressed gentlemen and ladies passed under the streetlights, chatting with each other. The design of Huntington City’s gas streetlights featured three gas lamps of varying heights hanging from a single lamppost. This elegant black gas streetlight style was also popular in Delarion, but only in Huntington City did it inexplicably remind Xia De of grapes.
Carriages were not allowed to drive directly into the manor, and since they didn’t arrive particularly early, they still needed to walk dozens of meters. After getting out of the carriage, Xia De and Mr. Bernhardt visually checked each other’s collars and buttons. The two gentlemen then courteously walked towards the manor entrance.
Royal guards stood rigidly on both sides of the manor’s fence gate, while the manor’s Old Butler was responsible for greeting guests and arranging for servants to lead them into the manor. When Viscount Bernhardt appeared, the slightly hunched Old Butler immediately recognized him, but he didn’t know “Mr. Holmes,” who had come from out of town.
Mr. Bernhardt initially intended to use his invitation to bring Xia De in, but Xia De took out the one Miss Silvia had given him.
The Old Butler glanced at the invitation, looking at him with some surprise:
“I didn’t expect you to be a specially invited distinguished guest. Please come in.”
Saying that, a young servant led the two towards the manor courtyard. Outside the square stone-paved path were evergreen shrubs that were still lush green in early winter. In the center of the path was a fountain statue of a knight reining in his horse, dividing the path into two, left and right, and then merging behind the statue. The fountain was still working, spraying four slender streams of water from the top of the knight’s helmet, his eyes, and the mouth of his mount. Amidst the splashing sounds, the faint sound of a violin could be heard from inside the mansion.
As they stepped onto the path with other guests, Mr. Bernhardt lowered his voice and asked in surprise:
“Is that an invitation from Miss Silvia?”
He knew Xia De didn’t know too many people locally.
“Yes.”
Xia De nodded cautiously, observing the Carson Rick nobles, while Mr. Bernhardt clicked his tongue beside him:
“You’re really something, able to attract that kind of Noblewoman… But why am I not surprised at all?”
Although he had lost part of his memory from the night of the Mi Fort battle, the events that left a deep impression on Mr. Bernhardt still influenced his judgment. Compared to Xia De pursuing the angel-level relic Red Butterfly Twins, a Witch, of course, couldn’t surprise him.
“Miss Silvia appreciates me very much.”
Xia De explained softly, adding:
“She appreciates my talent very much.”
He saw a middle-aged person in clerical attire walk past ahead; that seemed to be a High-Ring Sorcerer. Then he saw a middle-aged Noblewoman, with a small bat symbol floating above her head and a pearl necklace around her neck, coming from behind, greeting Mr. Bernhardt warmly; this was a Middle-Ring Sorcerer. Then, at the entrance of the mansion, a young man holding a wine glass and debating the rise and fall of Carson Rick traditional culture brushed past them; this was a Low-Ring Sorcerer.
“Where did all these Ring Sorcerers come from?”
Xia De and Mr. Bernhardt entered the splendidly decorated hall together, seeing crystal chandeliers hanging from above, a dazzling array of gold and silver vessels laid out on long tables, and a platform on the stairs that ascended from both sides, already set up for the princess’s upcoming speech:
“This banquet will probably be quite interesting.”
