The Banquet, the Persuasion, and the Meteor (1)
In the end, there weren’t many choices available to His Majesty Rexas if he wanted to resolve all of this. To summarize, it meant something along the lines of: “It was nothing more than a trivial slip-up by Shagalor. I never thought that way at all. On the contrary, I welcomed it with tears in my eyes. For real. Please believe me.”
The solution was to hold a grand banquet in Fralbert.
Setting that incident aside, the original purpose of our visit to the North was simple. With the academy on break and both time and ability to spare, we had come to show the North to the connections we’d made in the capital, bolster our prestige, give the citizens a healthy dose of national pride, and—most importantly—let the war-weary soldiers know that the North’s Princess, even if she was no longer the official heir, had not forgotten them.
The reason our mere appearance could stir the people so deeply was painfully obvious. All one had to do was look at the list of people we had brought with us.
There was a mage who, though he never announced it, was the former Crown Prince of the Empire. There was a dragon-kin who happened to be the eldest son of the Western Margrave’s family—a far more noble bloodline than his crude behavior suggested. And above all, there was Gorgo, the hero of the world and living legend of the North.
When the people saw their beloved princess, the very symbol of better times, arrive with such illustrious figures in tow, their brains had no choice but to drown in dopamine and euphoria. It was proof that even though the one who had led them through the good old days had been driven out by the capital, she had endured without ever bowing her head.
Moreover, the North was currently holding its breath while focusing on reconstruction. Banquets had become so rare that one could hardly find even the echo of one. In that sense, if there was ever a perfect time to finally throw the banquet that had long been overdue, now was it.
And so it was.
“…Although Shagalor acted rashly in her moment of panic, she has not withheld her hospitality. In fact, she has declared that she will cover the entire cost of this banquet from her own private funds. Therefore, my subjects, you may purchase every drop of liquor and every cut of meat in the market without restraint or shortage.”
“Your benevolence is immeasurable!”
“…Sigh. Damn it. Cleaning up after this is going to be a nightmare.”
Having heard the full story, I could only think one thing.
‘There’s no way Lady Shagalor would do that willingly, Your Majesty. You must have pressured her until it looked like you’d rip her throat out if she refused, so she handed over her slush fund with tears in her eyes.’
But what did it matter? Whether she gave it willingly or not, all we had to do was accept the welcome and enjoy the food. Imprinting our faces on the citizens’ minds wasn’t a bad thing either. There was nothing to lose.
“A banquet, huh… It’s been so long. Three hundred years, to be exact!”
“Hehe, Great Ancestor, you can look forward to it. I’m confident the style of banquets in the North hasn’t changed much…”
“Really?! Are the wrestling rings still there?! Does the Sword Dance Troupe my brother founded still continue?!”
“Not a single tradition has been lost.”
So it was that the two women—who looked like twins and made no effort to hide their excitement at finally having such an event—accompanied us to the waiting area where our guests were gathered.
The same people who had marveled at the grand ducal castle upon arrival, whispering that “a historic grand ducal house really is on another level,” were now bustling about in the same flustered manner, preparing for the night’s festivities.
The most noticeable among them were Cryan and Jurchen. Eclipse’s panic was understandable—she was a commoner receiving treatment she could never have dreamed of in her wildest nightmares—so that wasn’t surprising. But those two…
“Damn it, Cryan! Did you bring any formal attire?!”
“Of course not, you idiot. And even if I did, why would I lend it to you? Logically speaking, would the sizes even match?”
“They might! You never know!”
These two had attended countless banquets before, yet here they were acting like this. It was almost impressive.
“…What are you two doing?”
When I spoke to the pair who were frantically digging through their luggage, they shouted at the same time.
“Perfect timing, you bastard!”
“Perfect timing, Yohan!”
“…Huh?”
“You should’ve told us we were having a banquet, you son of a bitch!”
“Even if it’s something you wear, please, without shame, lend Yohan’s formal attire to these two.”
“…Hey. Logically speaking, would the size even match between that mammoth over there and you? Besides, the pants definitely won’t fit. We all went to the bathhouse together last time, remember…”
“Shut up, Jurchen! There are ladies present! What kind of nonsense are you spouting?! S-still, it might fit, right?!”
“I swear on my family’s sword that it absolutely will not fit.”
As Cryan grew angry, the pure-hearted Eclipse latched onto one particular detail.
“U-um… a b-bathhouse?”
Of course, Hilken, who had been quietly listening, immediately jumped in to cause trouble.
“Oh? What exactly did you see in the bathhouse, Student Jurchen? I’m terribly curious.”
I responded by smacking the back of Hilken’s foolish head hard enough to make a loud thunk.
“Gah! You crazy—! I hate you, Senior! My head was already bad, now it’s even worse—!”
Thunk. Thunk!
“Ah, why are you doing this for real?!”
“I just remembered. During the forest training, I still owed you two more.”
“…Sigh. You’re absolutely right.”
“And you. Maintain some dignity. Don’t react to the nonsense that idiot spouts. This is just Jurchen being Jurchen.”
Anyway, I left behind the group whose banter had noticeably improved and asked the question that genuinely confused me.
“But what exactly are you all doing right now?”
The two men who had been listening quietly to our conversation looked at me as if I were the one who didn’t understand, their expressions demanding an explanation.
“We don’t have formal attire, Yohan!”
“Huh…? Is that really such a big problem?”
But Cryan had a lot to say on the matter.
“Of course it is! How well do you think it would look for those of blue blood to appear before everyone in dirty travel clothes? I was invited here, and I have no desire to disgrace my family.”
Jurchen nodded, hands on his hips.
“I agree. I may have disgraced my family in many other ways, but I’ve never once been scolded for my attire.”
Only then did I understand.
‘Ah, so that’s what this is about.’
They seemed to be imagining the formal banquets of the capital and were trying to dress accordingly. There was no need for that here.
What they needed was something else entirely.
“Fine. I’ll give you some. I happen to have ones that should fit.”
With a casual toss, I threw a few garments from the wardrobe at them. They caught them and stared.
“These are… winter coats? What the hell, Yohan.”
“Exactly. Winter coats. The banquet is at night. If you go out dressed lightly, you’ll freeze to death. These are all for you.”
Besides, things could get dirty… so formal clothes were unnecessary.
“…Huh? We don’t need formal attire? Yohaaan… This is my first time attending something like this, so I’ve been wondering what to do the whole time…”
Lady Karalin, who had been watching quietly from the side, smiled at Eclipse’s words and answered.
“At banquets in the North, everyone is equal. If you trace its origins, this is a festival held to celebrate the joy of the hunt and the victory of war. There is no need for formalities whatsoever.”
Gorgo added her own comment.
“Hehe, Karalin is right. You children simply need to enjoy yourselves.”
“…As Great Ancestor says. You who have no direct ties to the North came here simply to enjoy yourselves, didn’t you?”
And then the lady narrowed her decadent eyes and spoke in a languid tone.
“—When it’s over, I suppose I’ll have to make honey water for everyone.”
“Honey water…?”
If they knew what that meant, quite a few of them would probably declare they absolutely did not want to participate.
Fralbert had regained its vitality for the first time in a long while.
Before the war, such massive festivals had been held once per quarter. But the conflict had been so devastating that the people’s banquet had rarely been held. Now, it was being opened in honor of the return of Lady Karalin—the glory of the past who had been forced to leave for the capital—and the respected Lord of Steel. It was also a celebration of the splendid return of Crown Princess Gorgo and the revival of legend.
On top of that, they had brought distinguished guests of noble blood from the capital to show them the North. As a result, Fralbert today was unusually warm and harmonious.
Of course, since it was an unannounced friendly visit with no prior communication, the preparations weren’t perfectly polished. But that raw, unrefined charm was precisely what made a Northern banquet special.
On the ice that still lingered despite it being June, large, high-quality pelts of various beasts were spread out. Above them sat fragrant, dark beer, venison, bear meat, wyvern meat… and traditional blood sausages made from those same beasts, along with black barley wine that had been buried in the snow and retrieved, and the vodka that flowed through Northern veins instead of blood.
There was nothing lacking to make the banquet magnificent.
A simple tent had been erected high up for the king. If only Rexas’s booming voice could ring out from within it like a roar, everything would be perfect. And indeed, his resolute voice thundered across the grounds.
“On this fine Northern night, the great descendants of our blood have gathered once more! Tonight is the night the lost hero returns! Raise your cups, my people!”
Then, when they saw Lady Karalin and Gorgo standing in the places left empty by Shagalor and Abel, who were absent for certain reasons, the citizens let out wild cheers as if they had lost all reason at once. The very earth shook beneath the force of their roar.
“Princess Karalin!”
“Your Majesty the King!”
“—Lady Gorgo has returned!”
And shortly after, when they witnessed the three bloodlines of Vitagarte downing enormous cups of strong liquor with practiced ease—cups so large I couldn’t have carried them with both hands—the pupils of my friends nearby began to tremble violently. They had instantly realized what would happen once the highest-ranking person began drinking like that.
“Hey, Yohan… about that honey water you mentioned…”
“Yes, Cryan.”
“Wait a second, Brother Yohan. I… I can’t do this…”
“Shut up, Jurchen.”
“Y-Yohaaan…? Um, I just tried some of the alcohol here… Isn’t this less like liquor and more like someone mislabeled rocket fuel…?”
“No, it’s not. Eclipse.”
I smiled at all of them, then pulled out my junior and gave the order.
“Drink.”
“Hilken, take them and make sure they drink it all.”
“Yes, Senior. Everyone, come here and drag these people away—! The Lord of Steel said to make them drink—!”
Suddenly, I remembered how difficult it had been to adapt to this atmosphere when I first came to the North. No matter how young or small a Northerner was, they showed no mercy to those recognized as warriors… and because I had thrown myself into these banquets early on, my liver now felt like it was operating at less than half capacity.
But when in Rome, one must do as the Romans do. I knew from experience just how brutal the cycle of drinking, vomiting, and drinking again could be—easily a hundred times over. Still, it was fun in its own way. I was sure they would enjoy it too.
With that thought in mind, I tried to slip away through the crowd to stand beside my lady.
Until someone tugged at the hem of my coat.
Tap, tap.
“Forgive me for disturbing you during the banquet, Lord Steel Knight.”
I looked at the suspicious figure wrapped from head to toe and asked warily.
“…Who are you?”
But the person simply replied,
“…I am a messenger from His Majesty Rexas.”
“A messenger from His Majesty…?”
“Yes. I have only come to deliver His Majesty’s request for a private audience. I shall take my leave now.”
“……….”
“The location is the tower of Vitagarte’s outer castle. He said you would understand if I mentioned the old, small room atop the watchtower. Please make haste.”
“I’ll go when I’m ready.”
…So it had finally come.
I had no idea what he wanted to talk about, but it seemed the time had arrived.
***
“Stay.”
“I refuse.”
And the words His Majesty spoke to me were simple.