V. O, Glory of the Tournament! (16)
V. O, Glory of the Tournament! (16)
The banquet in Bogenberg's inner castle was quite lavish.
It wasn't just the nobles and knights who had come to watch the tournament. Minstrels, musicians, and sculptors apparently invited by Count Bogenberg had gathered as well.
The inner ward was already packed. Keldric eyed the crowded gate with a sour expression.
"Quite a crowd."
"You think only the vassals from around here came? Every last distant relation by marriage probably showed up."
As Sir Henri had said, simply showing one's face at Count Bogenberg's fiftieth birthday celebration was worthwhile.
Count Bogenberg was hardly simple enough to be swayed by that alone, but the attendance of anyone highborn was still a public acknowledgment of his authority.
With so many guests attending, Count Bogenberg was obliged to hold a grander banquet that delighted both the eyes and ears.
Keldric slowly examined the floral decorations and strips of brightly colored cloth hanging from the inner-castle gate.
There was plenty to enliven the banquet: a minstrel who had studied at Belmond Academia, a work by a sculptor currently making a name in Avalonchne Republic, and even Bogenberg's most skilled troupe of acrobatic jesters.
'Wasn't this... too extravagant?'
After taking it all in, Keldric reached one conclusion: 'It was far too lavish for a banquet.'
A man of Count Bogenberg's stature could easily be a major pillar of one of the noble factions that wielded power in the Empire.
It made sense for such a man to hold the most extravagant banquet possible to display his authority.
But with the Empire's domestic situation in utter chaos, Keldric questioned the wisdom of holding a tournament and banquet on this scale.
The number of participating knights was no joke. They had practically scraped together every wandering knight in the region.
Together with the lavish decorations beginning at the inner-castle entrance, it suggested that Count Bogenberg had a reason for going this far.
"It's his fiftieth birthday. Lord Bogenberg wants it to remain a meaningful memory."
"I see."
"Well, don't read too much into it. Knights like us can just guzzle wine and fight well again tomorrow, can't we?"
As Sir Henri had said, even if the banquet concealed political motives among the nobles, there was nothing Keldric could do about them.
He only needed to enjoy the revelry, stuff himself with rich food, and offer Count Bogenberg a suitable amount of praise.
"It's an honor to meet you, my lord. If it isn't too much trouble, may I hold your weapons for you?"
As Keldric rode Boreas toward the gate, a soldier on guard cautiously addressed him.
Behind the guard, two other soldiers were already carrying away the weapons of other knights.
After a quick glance, Keldric followed Sir Henri and Sir Alan's example and handed over his weapons.
Wearing armor to a banquet was natural for a knight. Carrying weapons was not.
Plots and political schemes were relatively common in this era.
It was an age when some neighboring lord named Wilhelm might have an affair with your daughter-in-law and use her to arrange your poisoning.
That spared the schemer a needless fight and, better yet, usually left no trace after the murder.
Under those circumstances, letting professional killers like knights carry weapons was a bad idea.
Bluntly put, if a knight with an ulterior motive—or one hired by a rival noble—suddenly started rampaging, Count Bogenberg was the one who'd be fucked.
Even if he survived, he would be humiliated before all his guests. If he died, punishing the knight afterward would do Count Bogenberg no good at all.
That was why knights and mercenaries temporarily surrendered their weapons when entering a noble's residence. It also symbolized that they posed no threat and intended only to sip a few cups of wine before leaving quietly.
"I'll take care of your horse, my lord."
Stable hands had also come out to receive the guests. They watched for mounted knights and nobles, then hurried over for the reins the moment anyone began to dismount.
Keldric handed over Boreas's reins along with a silver Obol. The stable hand's face lit up at the coin.
"Thank you, my lord! I'll care for it with all my heart, as though it were my own life!"
"No, you don't need to go that far... Just give it the best feed you have. Boiled peas would be good."
"Yes, my lord. I'll remember that."
After seeing Keldric do it, Sir Henri also gave the stable hand a coin. Sir Alan, who entered behind them, did the same.
Generosity toward one's inferiors was an important knightly virtue. The coin might have been pocket change, but knights still felt proud of themselves for having bestowed something.
"Sir Keldric, not only can you fight, but you're generous as well."
"It's nothing."
"Be sure to visit my family someday. I'll see that you're treated well."
"I'll remember that."
Once they had surrendered their weapons and horses, they crossed the inner courtyard and corridors and entered a vast hall. Keldric surveyed the chamber where the banquet would soon begin.
The chamber known as the Great Hall was spacious enough that even Keldric's large frame did not make it feel cramped.
A long table stood across the front of the room, with two more extending from either end. Delicious food would soon cover the tables in their U-shaped arrangement.
Keldric's mouth watered. The lamb he had eaten in Schaffendorf and the salmon in Yalta had both been superb.
How magnificent would the food be when the host was Count Bogenberg, a man of immense authority even within the Empire?
'I'd been looking forward to this.'
Keldric gazed around the hall in anticipation. Nobles and knights were already streaming inside and gathering in groups of three or five to talk.
Sir Henri approached after exchanging greetings with several knights. He came toward Keldric with a smile, only to flinch when he noticed Alisa beside him.
"S-Sir. The Wizard looks rather displeased."
"Alisa?"
Keldric looked at Alisa beside him and saw that Henri was right. She wore a distinctly sour expression, eyeing the swarming nobles and knights without the slightest sign that she anticipated the banquet.
"Alisa, are you that uncomfortable? You don't have to stay here on my account."
Keldric asked carefully. Alisa, who had been standing there with a sullen expression, jolted and waved her hands in denial.
"Ah, no. I'm fine."
"That's a relief, but if you're truly uncomfortable, tell me. You don't need to force yourself to stay."
Having Alisa, his walking encyclopedia, nearby would be reassuring, but without her Keldric could simply retreat to a corner. As long as he answered anyone who addressed him, the banquet was little more than a chance to eat good food.
Alisa immediately shook her head. It was exactly the response Keldric had hoped for.
"No... I'll stay by your side, Sir. Though I don't know whether I'll be of any help."
Her expression remained stiff, but Keldric accepted her answer. If she wanted to stay, forcing her to leave would have been ridiculous.
"At least think about the banquet food. Won't you feel better after eating something delicious?"
"Delicious food?"
"Yes. Banquets always have delicious food."
"Sir, um..."
"Hmm?"
"...It's nothing."
Alisa nodded awkwardly, but Keldric had no way to know what she was thinking. He chose to take it positively. All he needed to do was eat his fill of delicious food.
"Sir, I'd like to introduce you to a distant relative of mine. Would you come with me?"
At that moment, Sir Henri, who had been edging away from Alisa, approached cautiously. Keldric tilted his head at the request.
"A relative?"
"Yes. Didn't I tell you why I came to Bogenberg? A distant relative of mine is discussing a marriage match here. I'd be delighted if a friend like you accompanied me."
There was no reason to refuse. Simply showing his face at such social gatherings would help him build connections.
Sir Alan, farther back, was wholly occupied with talking to other knights. Sir Henri did not particularly like him in the first place, so there was even less reason to bring him along.
"All right. Lead the way."
"Excellent. Follow me."
Keldric brought Alisa and followed Sir Henri.
☩ ☩ ☩ ☩ ☩ ☩ ☩
"God be with you. I'm Keldric of House Bellaf. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"I'm Jacquesmon of House Porlanche. The honor is mine. I enjoyed watching your tournament matches."
The distant relative Sir Henri introduced was a knight named Jacquesmon of House Porlanche.
To Keldric, Sir Jacquesmon resembled Sir Henri yet still seemed quite different. His hair was similar, but his features and overall appearance carried far less of Henri's oily charm.
"Your skill was impressive. Do you follow any special training method?"
"I train every day, though circumstances sometimes prevent it."
"Training to your limit every day... That's good advice. I'll remember it."
Unlike Sir Henri, who threw himself at every woman he saw, Sir Jacquesmon displayed no frivolity whatsoever. He came across as a steady, earnest young man who took everything seriously.
In short, he was better than Sir Henri in every respect.
Keldric glanced toward Sir Henri, who had already slipped away from them.
"Oh, my lady. Your smile shines like the sun. My heart melts like a lone flower blooming upon a snowy field."
"W-Who are you?"
"As for who I am, I hail from the renowned House of Candillon—"
A leopard couldn't change its spots. In no time at all, Sir Henri had already started flirting with some unknown noblewomen. As Keldric and Alisa watched with exasperated looks, Sir Jacquesmon suddenly cleared his throat and wore an awkward expression.
"Haha... My older cousin is always like that."
"I wish he'd restrain himself a little, but he'll do as he pleases."
"Well... It would be embarrassing if he behaved that way even while marriage talks were underway."
After talking a little longer, Keldric discovered that Sir Jacquesmon was surprisingly sensible. Though not quite as frugal as Keldric, he was still economical, and he plainly chose each response with great care before speaking.
Keldric took quite a liking to him. Among all the knights he had met, Sir Jacquesmon ranked alongside Sir Werner as one of the most 'sensible.'
"Looks like the banquet's about to begin."
"Oh..."
As Sir Jacquesmon had said, the hall was now bustling as though everyone expected had arrived.
Keldric stood watching the entrance. Count Bogenberg would soon appear there, and steaming platters of delicious food would be set upon the tables.
Sir Jacquesmon reacted very differently to Keldric's anticipation.
"What are you talking about? Delicious food?"
"Is there a problem?"
"Well... If you consider salted fish and rye bread delicious, then I can't argue."
"...What?"
Salted fish and rye bread? Keldric's expression stiffened. Sir Jacquesmon shrugged as though it were obvious.
"Lent begins soon, doesn't it? This tournament also honors Saint Venancio, so the lavish food you're imagining probably won't be served."
With that, Sir Jacquesmon crossed himself.
Keldric couldn't believe him. But then Count Bogenberg and Sir Theodore entered the hall, and salted herring and hard rye bread were finally set upon the tables.
'Oh, sh—.'
Keldric faced reality. He had skipped breakfast in eager anticipation, only for the banquet's first meal to be smelly herring and hard rye bread.
The other guests did their best to praise Count Bogenberg's piety, but Keldric could barely hide a face like he was chewing shit, let alone join them.
"Ahh... The more I restrain my desires, the cleaner my body and mind feel. Don't you feel the same, Sir?"
"...So it seems."
"This is a gift from God. He forgave our sins and gave us a chance to prove our true faith. O God, for this gracious supper today as well—"
Sir Jacquesmon's eyes gleamed strangely. He had gone beyond piety into blind devotion.
Keldric watched Sir Jacquesmon chew the tasteless herring and rye bread as though savoring them and thought.
'He was insane.'
Not a single one of them was normal.