บท 43: Lord Rainier
"Well… what do we have here?" Sigmund queried with a bit of indifference. However, after seeing the look of the uninvited guests, he tried to act coolly with an inquisitive smile. "Barry?"
"Father, that's Zanjie Morito, a patron of the teashop. I heard from Larry he also purchased a set of daggers," Barry responded, pointing at the left side, behind the silver-haired man.
"So you are that noble, Lord Rainier." Sigmund sneered, a quirk at the side of his lip was so subtle the noble almost didn't see it. "Am I right?" Sigmund spoke as his eyes remained on the silver-haired man, penetrating through the other man's grey eyes.
"If I may interrupt, my lord." The man with golden blonde hair, sporting a blonde beard and a mustache, with an appearance of a distinguished man in his thirties, abruptly requested permission, which Sigmund assumed, for that noble.
Without waiting for any sort of reply, the retainer announced, "May I present to you, Lord Rainier from the House of Savron, Viscount of the Kingdom of Maribora, esteemed noble merchant of Teyle."
Most of the attendees gasped. The Elders of the Village were smiling. Elodra and his sister Sildora were bewildered but were keeping their cool by showing charming smiles. Meanwhile, the Village Chief was aghast since he glimpsed at the surprised appearance of the viscount. Gen. Markito Lora was also showing mixed expressions but his inner emotion was mostly fear.
"So, we are graced by a viscount? It would be an honor for our banquet to have you in our presence." The master of the ceremony voiced with cordiality, not even a hint of sarcasm could be gleaned from his tone. "Harry, please escort our esteemed guest."
"Yes, Father!"
From the mezzanine area accompanying the village chief, Harry quickly went down as if by teleportation. In a second, he appeared beside the viscount and his entourage.
Instantly, a set of tables and chairs was added near the right area of the grand staircase. One table was set in front of the main hall for the viscount and another behind him for his two subjects.
Everything went smoothly as if without a hitch right after the appearance of the surprised group of guests and then their immediate invitation to partake in the banquet.
Ignoring the brief intrusion, which he managed with grace, Sigmund took the floor at the center of the grand staircase to make an opening speech.
"We are here gathered in a banquet to celebrate the grand opening of Chua, Sons, and Company, my enterprise operating together with my sons, Harry, Barry, Larry, Gary, and Perry. You may have already known most of them. I also have my executive assistant, Darwin, whose presence is elusive as he is taking things behind the scene. However, I have learned the adventurers have become friends with them including Darwin. I am grateful for these adventures for they help in raising my business with their constant patronage."
Clad in an elegant white robe under a silky azure garment, styled as a coat, the owner of the company enthralled the guests with his youthful facade, fair handsome face, and azure-colored eyes as charming smiles. His stature with straight back defined him as a person with elegant bearing, in the same vein as the aristocrats that Rainier had assumed him to be a noble from a distant kingdom. Rainier learned some details of the background of the members of the Chua Clan that he could infer Sigmund and company to be quite mysterious characters after picking Greston Village as their base and establishing astonishing structures in less than a month.
While Rainier was anxious as he was analyzing and observing, he suddenly heard Sigmund continue with his speech.
"I would like to deliver special mentions to Bryan Berry and his team, the Cheetahs, Jameson Nolan, and his team, the Legion Knights as well as Shura and her team of exquisite women, the Golden Crows."
Sigmund took that moment to temporarily cease and explore the faces of the guests momentarily. "We were vagabonds on this continent. We grow in every journey and experienced adventures until we got here. If there is the god of civilization, I may be that as I witness civilization to civilization."
His words could not be seen as blatant lies. In one part, he made an implication as he gauged the reaction of the guests. But it seemed the words were not contemplated, which in a way was a relief to him.
Sigmund paused as he took his glass of juice wine. "I am also thankful for the Merchant Guild, especially to Langford Berry, who has become my friend in Greston Village. Of course, with his team in the Merchant Guild, thank you."
The merchant smiled at Langford Berry, as he exuded his sincerity. He then turned to the people in the mezzanine area. "May I request everyone to please take your wine glass and raise it a bit? I will inform you when it's time to sip from it." As he eyed every guest in the mezzanine area, he signaled his hand to refer to the glass he was carrying.
"Okay, let me continue this ceremonial speech by thanking the Village Chief, Rafa Libera, his wife, and concubines. Also to the deputy chief, Sildora Zenia, and General Markito Lora. To the Village Elders, I apologize that I can't mention all of your names, but your presence in this banquet is very important to me."
Sigmund smiled as his gaze turned downwards. "And yes, to the Viscount…thanks." It might be succinct but the gesture was there.
"So tonight, I formally announce the grand opening of Chua, Sons and Company and the Chua Estate Center! I request everyone to raise their hands and their wine glasses. Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
"Congrats Sig!" Langford Berry shouted. The rest of the guests yelled, "Congrats!"
As if by cue, a cracking explosion sounded inside atop the main hall, just below the chandeliers.
The guests were flabbergasted, watching those mild explosions in the air in a myriad of colorful patterns, shapes, and forms. It was the first time seeing it in Greston Village.
Colorful patterns of fire explosions were appearing one after another lasting for five minutes. The firecrackers were illusory but the display seemed real as the guests were looking delightful, watching the show.
For Lord Rainier, everything was not what he expected to happen. He was supposed to confront the village chief and make a scene. But when his eyes met the man named Sigmund Chua, as per his subject Zanjie's information, it was as if his body was moving on his own. He could not make a sound. And that during the man's guidance to usher him and his men to their respective seats, he complied without complaint nor protest.
Everything became a haze especially when the master of the house made a speech and raised a cheer with subsequent loud explosions from a display of colorful patterns above the main hall. He didn't expect to see that kind in this village. From what he learned, firecrackers were newly introduced in the Kingdom of Maribora after a group of mages in the court learned of it being utilized by Liberty city-states.
But then, the same type of fancy explosions was demonstrated and seen in this village. It was astonishing!
When the servers approached their table to serve food and delicacies including juice wine, he tried to consume everything that had been served with subtle satisfaction.
Rainier was curious about the delicacies and the juice wine. He already had ideas about wine as he was also a patron of good wines. But a juice wine that tasted like the sweet nectar of certain fruits was brand new to him. Even the delicacies, which he thought were unusual, were surprisingly sumptuous that he could not help but take more taste of those.
His review of those delicacies was not unique to him. Every invited guest of the banquet enjoyed the flavors and opulence that were offered.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the party has just begun! Please relax as you are about to witness a form of entertainment you will experience from now on in Greston Village."
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