章節 22: Chapter22-Attending the Banquet
At the entrance of the Corvette estate.
Dis stood at the doorway, enthusiastically welcoming each arriving guest as the host, until Ranch appeared with Sophia.
Especially seeing Ranch dressed in utterly ordinary attire, he couldn't hide his disgust.
"Such a vagabond, what right does he have to possess such a beautiful elf maid!"
Dis was filled with envy, but he still managed to force a smile, saying, "Miss Sophia, I have prepared a seat in the VIP area for you. As for Ranch, he can only sit in the regular section."
Sophia frowned.
She saw right through Dis's deliberate arrangement, so she said uncompromisingly, "Mr. Dis, there's no need for special arrangements. I will sit wherever Master Ranch sits."
This response infuriated Dis.
The so-called gentlemanly demeanor was hard to maintain.
He called over the butler responsible for receiving guests, while he himself returned to the estate, planning to show Ranch what being a noble meant.
"Ranch, are we really going to sit here?" Sophia hesitated slightly.
She didn't mind personally; ever since her kin was stripped of their magical talent, she cared less about the opinions of the outside world.
Her main concern was for Ranch.
Ranch was indifferent.
To this extent—a simple wooden table with a few peeling paint stools that only servants would use, Ranch could only say that Mr. Dis was somewhat generous.
The spot Ranch was assigned also caught the attention of others.
After all, the ordinary-dressed young man accompanied by a stunning elf girl was an undeniably eye-catching pair.
"Mr. Ranch, you are here?" Pierre spotted Ranch in the crowd and hurried over to greet him, then said, "Mr. Ranch, why don't you come to my spot?"
"No trouble needed," Ranch declined Pierre's offer.
After a moment of thought, Pierre chose to sit beside Ranch, completely indifferent to the gazes of others, and sincerely offered two amethyst coins, saying, "Mr. Ranch, this is my way of making amends."
Missing out on the Energy Reagent was a regret for Pierre, but more than that, he did not want to offend Ranch or lose the opportunity to have him as a potential future business partner.
Ranch was somewhat surprised.
Two amethyst coins, equivalent to twenty thousand gold coins.
Considering the scale of the goods Pierre had previously transported, his profit from that venture was only around forty to fifty thousand gold coins.
Now, just to apologize, he was giving away twenty thousand gold coins.
Pierre was indeed an interesting person.
Ranch accepted the coins and offered a bottle of orange juice, saying, "Try this, it's refreshing and invigorating, can cure scurvy during long voyages, and has a long shelf life."
As a competent businessman, Pierre instantly grasped the implication in Ranch's words.
After taking a sip, he couldn't help but praise, "Mr. Ranch, this is the best juice I've ever tasted!"
Hearing this, the other guests began whispering among themselves.
"Pierre, isn't he that small merchant who makes money off daily goods? Surprising that Dis invited him too," a young merchant commented, and couldn't resist mocking, "Only someone as unsophisticated as him would think this bizarre juice tastes good."
"Exactly, Pierre's taste is no better than my slaves," another merchant chimed in, eliciting laughter from many.
The crowd continued their murmurs.
Dis, amidst the crowd, hearing the conversations, wore a pleased expression, ready to step forward and showcase himself when suddenly all the chatter came to an abrupt halt.
At the entrance of the banquet hall, a beautiful woman in a lavish gown walked in.
Her figure was graceful, and her face radiantly enchanting, invoking in onlookers a desire to dominate her fiercely, yet no one dared to act on such impulses.
Daisy smiled and approached Ranch, asking elegantly, "Mr. Ranch, may I sit beside you? After all, we did become partners last night."
She emphasized the words "last night" heavily.
She stared at Ranch, feeling a peculiar sensation, recalling how the young man before her had tormented her for hours the previous night, making it hard for her to sleep.
If she had experienced it firsthand, that feeling...
Daisy quickly reined in her wandering thoughts, calming her inner turmoil, and then listened to Ranch's reply: "Daisy, that's absolutely no problem."
"Thank you," Daisy expressed her gratitude.
This scene drove the onlookers wild, as Madame Butterfly was a symbol of nobility in Mapleleaf!
Rumored to have an incredibly powerful background, just getting a glimpse of her was enough to boast about for a long time.
But now, this distinguished lady was actually sitting with an unfamiliar young man in such a place...
It was utterly inconceivable!
Could it be... this young man had some other special status?
The other guests couldn't help but speculate, while Dis was green with envy.
Then, a commotion arose again.
"Lord Viscount Layne has arrived!" the Corvette estate's butler hurried in to announce, and everyone stood up in unison to greet the lord of Mapleleaf—Viscount Layne.
But to their astonishment, Viscount Layne was accompanied by two others, or more precisely, it seemed the other two were escorting Viscount Layne.
Leading the way was a young girl in a water-blue long dress, adorned with a dazzling necklace, exuding an air of nobility as well as the innocence of youth.
Following the girl, an elderly man adorned in a mage's robe with golden patterns, attire reserved for an advanced magus, revealed him to indeed be an advanced magus!
The crowd was inwardly startled, curious about the girl's identity.
Viscount Layne, noticing everyone's gaze, scanned the room and began to announce, "These two are Lord Vera and Lord Haren, you—"
He was interrupted by the girl's excited cheer.
"Ranch, you're here too!" Vera hurriedly ran to Ranch, eagerly explaining, "Ranch, it was Haren the butler who destroyed the magic paper; he wouldn't let me contact you."
The young girl, Vera, took a seat at Ranch's table, and Pierre, recognizing the significance, graciously stood up.
It was clear to him now that those who could sit with Ranch were significant figures; he certainly didn't qualify.
This scene completely baffled the onlookers.
That dignified young girl was acquainted with the young man?
Beside Ranch, Daisy noticed the necklace at Vera's chest, a flicker of shock passing through her eyes, which she quickly masked with a smile, saying, "Hello, Miss Vera, I'm Ranch's business partner."
As she extended her hand, Vera was about to reciprocate but was interrupted by Ranch, "Daisy, having me as a partner is enough; Vera is not your partner."
Ranch suddenly realized when his Butterfly Mark had been imprinted—likely during the handshake the previous night.
Daisy's offer to shake hands now clearly had an ulterior motive.
With this thought, Ranch's gaze shifted toward the approaching butler, Haren.
Butler Haren's injuries seemed much healed, his aura as an advanced magus impressively formidable.
He finally set aside some of his pride, not targeting Ranch this time, but instead addressed Vera, saying, "Miss, you possess a noble identity, this lady of unclear status does not deserve to shake hands with you."
Alright, Butler Haren's arrogance hadn't vanished; he wasn't targeting Ranch but had shifted his disdain towards Daisy.
Rebuked as a woman of unclear status, Madame Daisy seemed not to take offense, instead speaking with a hint of concern, "Miss Vera, it seems you rarely have any freedom, especially with such an old-fashioned person around."
"Butler Haren, I will sit here." Daisy's words seemed to ignite Vera's defiance, the young lady resolutely wanting to sit with Ranch, and Haren could only reluctantly agree, though his gaze remained warily fixed on Ranch.
Ranch felt somewhat helpless.
The uniqueness of the guests at this table was pronounced, yet they were relegated to the worst seating and furniture, an obvious sign of being targeted by Dis to any discerning observer.
By this time, Dis was sweating profusely, especially when Viscount Layne also took a seat at that very table.
Dis fully realized that after the banquet, he would become the laughingstock of Mapleleaf.
"Damn that Ranch!" Dis cursed furiously.
Regardless, the banquet had to continue; Dis couldn't afford the cost of ending it midway.
After instructing the estate's servants to serve the meticulously prepared food, the banquet atmosphere peaked.
Dis stepped into the center of the hall, pompously announcing, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome the true star of our banquet today!"
With that, following Dis's cue, the butler wheeled in a small wooden cart.
On the cart, there was a black disk displayed.
Seeing that black disk, its familiar shape and style, sent a shiver through Ranch.
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