After a long series of ceremonies, introductions, and toasts, the dinner banquet finally began. Rorschach had no idea what ti it was; it occurred to him again that he still hadn’t bought a pocket watch.
’The voice of experience was right,’ he thought.
The dishes at this banquet certainly weren’t as exquisite as those at the Starlight Torch Restaurant, where every plate showcased the chef’s finest skills and creativity. However, as a state banquet, everything was reliably standard. The flavors were restrained and palatable—except for the dessert. It was far too sweet!
’The highest praise for a dessert should be: "Delicious, and not too sweet."’
Oh, and there was one showstopper.
For the first main course, servants pushed exquisite little carts to each table, presenting an enormous white balloon. Upon closer inspection, it was taut and bulging, with veins bulging on its surface as it stead with heat.
With the arrival of the main course, conversation resud. His Majesty the King was eating and talking with Dipresy. "Is that a pig’s bladder?" Rorschach asked Kano in a low voice.
"Inside is a tender, succulent capon, steam-cooked by the moisture locked within," the Pri Minister’s voice answered Rorschach’s question, but when Rorschach looked over, the man was still conversing with the King.
"I rember this is a delicacy from Count Dipresy’s holand, is it not?"
"Indeed, Your Majesty. It was not an easy dish to co by when I was a child."
’Coming up with a cooking thod like this couldn’t have been easy,’ Rorschach mused. ’Even using a stomach wouldn’t be this wild, would it?’ He watched as a servant pierced the bladder, letting the steam escape. Once it was cut open, a whole chicken was revealed, a pair of black truffle slices resting on its back.
The servant elegantly and precisely carved off the wings, thighs, and a small portion of the breast, deboning everything and cutting it into bite-sized pieces before serving it onto Rorschach’s and Kano’s plates.
’Thankfully, it wasn’t a heavy, gay dish. There was no foulness from the pig or the chicken. The texture and taste were similar to white-cut chicken, and even the dipping sauce didn’t mask the at’s natural fragrance. Even a true chicken connoisseur would have to praise its flavor.’
The next main course was roasted ats: enormous poultry, suckling pigs, and lambs, all roasted until they were tough. Without exception, each was brought whole and placed between the two long rows of seats, directly facing His Majesty the King. A servant would first carve off the best portions for the master of the Royal Palace and the Kingdom, then serve the other guests in order of their proximity to the Monarch.
During the main course, the carcasses of the animals, carved down to their ribcages, were deliberately left in the banquet hall. Gluttony symbolized violence. In the past, the nobility supposedly used this display to demonstrate their dominion over their prey. It was a way to project an image of hearty eating and drinking to their subordinate armies and servants. The stark white bones were proof that everything had been devoured clean.
"Master Kano, is the palace’s fare to your liking? I recall that during my father’s reign, you often complained about the food here. Do you think Old Tim’s skills have improved?" Charles XVI also exchanged a few words with Kano during the al.
"It has been a long ti, so I’ve grown a bit nostalgic for it. Thank you for the invitation, Your Majesty," Kano replied. Rorschach understood this to be a tactful way of saying the royal chef hadn’t improved at all. It seed his teacher was an old acquaintance of the Royal Family.
When the flurry of eating and talking subsided, all that remained were platters of bones throughout the hall, the clinking of knives and forks on white porcelain plates forming a symphony. Charles XVI ate with particular gusto. Rorschach and Dipresy, however, had little appetite. The Lord Bishop, plagued by his worries, focused only on his wine; with each course the waiters cleared, his plate was still more than half full.
Rorschach, for his part, just couldn’t muster any enthusiasm. To allow the guests to sample the food, each main course was served first in a very small portion. If a guest enjoyed it, they would push their plate forward, and a servant would serve them a full-sized helping. But Rorschach stopped after finishing just the first small碟 for each dish.
’He didn’t know why he felt so exhausted. He desperately wanted to go back to his dorm and lie down, not sit here ramrod-straight.’
The post-al dessert was finished, too. ’Was it finally coming to an end?’
"Your Majesty..." Nekker stood and gestured toward the main table. The King nodded.
Having received permission, Nekker clapped his hands, drawing the attention of all the conversing guests.
Valon, hearing the clap, imdiately left his seat and retrieved an exquisite, wood-trimd box from beside his chair. He opened it, displaying the papers within. The sheets were clearly much larger than paper currency; they had to be docunts.
"Everyone! At the conclusion of this grand feast, on behalf of our great and benevolent Majesty, I present to you all a special gift! A gift that is also connected to our guests of honor tonight."
He walked to the left side, where most of the Mages were seated. "To the Sub-plane exploration team from the Magic Guild, the discoverers of the gold mine! Though they faced desperate peril, they overca all hardships with outstanding courage and extraordinary wisdom, and selflessly reported their astonishing discovery. Let us give a sincere round of applause for our heroes!"
Granor and his wife led the applause. The other Dukes and Counts, seeing His Majesty the King clapping softly, also offered up a fervent ovation. Rorschach and the others had no choice but to rise and acknowledge it.
"Without them, what a great fortune His Majesty the King would have missed! In the Kingdom’s current state, this fortune is like rain in a drought, solving a major crisis and allowing , your Minister of Finance, to breathe a long sigh of relief." As he said this, Nekker theatrically wiped his brow and flashed his signature business smile. The audience chuckled politely in response.
"But so of you here must be thinking, what does this have to do with ? Do not be ashad. Selfishness is part of human nature. From my observations and reflections, it is one of the fundantal colors the Creator painted into all life. If you must feel sha, feel it for His Majesty’s generosity and benevolence!"
Valon began to distribute the papers as Nekker grew more and more animated. "To share in this joy, His Majesty has decreed that every guest present will receive fifty shares of the ’Shaleanna Mining Company’! And especially, the discoverers of the gold mine, the heroes of the Holy Kingdom, will each receive one hundred shares! Each share is valued at Five Hundred Lang, and next year, shareholders will receive a dividend of two hundred Lang per share! Furthermore, if any of you hold public bonds, you need only Four Hundred Lang to exchange them for one share at the designated exchange."
Rorschach received his docunt. It was beautifully printed: "One Hundred Shares of Shaleanna Mining Company Founding Stock; Shareholder: Rorschach."
It also bore the date, the Royal Family’s Fire Lacquer Seal, the Minister of Finance’s signature, and the emblems of the Furong Bank and the Valuva Stock Exchange.
’The Valuva Stock Exchange? This Minister of Finance really knows how to play the ga.’ Rorschach looked closer and saw the addresses for the company and the stock exchange were right next to each other. It was only missing a line at the bottom saying: ’Co on in and play... co trade so stock!’
"To His Majesty! To the Kingdom!" Nekker led the crowd in drinking the final glass of wine of the night banquet.
’It had the sa vibe as a casino giving new custors free or discounted chips.’
Although stocks had already been invented by the Istanis, Nekker was still the first genius in this world to play with Paper Currency. Rorschach was deeply impressed with the Minister of Finance. He had a feeling that the "star" before him would beco history’s most renowned "Alchemist," a ruthless figure whose final reckoning could rival that of Shang Yang.
Dipresy stared sullenly at Nekker’s performance. Then, without a word, he pushed his share certificate back, putting Valon in an awkward position.
"Count Dipresy, just accept it. The boy is in a difficult spot."
"This is not my desire, Your Majesty." Only then did the Cardinal accept the paper.
After the banquet ended, Nekker pulled a few nobles into a side hall to play cards. Granor went as well, telling François to escort his mother ho first.
Kano and Rorschach were also about to depart when a servant led them to the door of a study. "Master Kano, Master Rorschach, His Majesty the King summons you."
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