Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic
Chapter 864 - 864: Huntington's Banquet

Attending a formal large-scale banquet requires wearing formal attire. Lecia had the carriage go directly to a tailor shop on Silver Cross Avenue. She had prepared multiple suits for Shard in advance for next Tuesday's wedding banquet. Today was just the right time for him to try on one of them, and if it didn't fit, it could still be altered.

Thus, with Lecia's help, Shard spent quite some time getting ready before officially setting off for the City of Red Wine in the Southern Nation.

This evening banquet was quite large, expected to start at seven. When Shard emerged from the underground cellar of the White Valley Vineyard, half of the sun was still visible in the western sky, hanging at the horizon of the wilderness.

Mr. Benhart had arranged to meet Shard here since his estate was nearby. However, when Shard arrived, the middle-aged Viscount had not yet arrived. So, Shard took a stroll around the estate, pondering whether he could subtly inquire to Miss Sylvia and Princess Margaret about purchasing this place. Although he had no plans to run the vineyard himself, the hidden walls in the cellar were worth spending his savings on.

The White Valley Vineyard was not large, including the manor, cellar, and surrounding lands. Usually, it was managed and maintained by two or three of Mr. Benhart's servants, while the workers responsible for winemaking and grape cultivation were Mr. Benhart's own. His family was also renowned for their wine.

The old servant, Mr. Goodwin, who oversaw the estate and warehouse, was also of the Vampire Kind and was deeply trusted by Mr. Benhart. Although he didn't know why Shard always appeared in the underground cellar, he loyally pretended to know nothing and introduced Shard to the surroundings.

Standing at a high point in the manor and looking around at the vineyards and farmlands, the scenery was especially pleasant even in early winter. Shard planned to find time to bring his cat here to enjoy the view before the first snow fell. Unfortunately, the cat didn't like going out much, and currently, Huntington didn't seem to be a safe place.

[At least, safer than Midshire Fort.]

The voice of "her" came to Shard's ears as he nodded, listening to the old servant praising the scenery here.

"Speaking of which, when I arrived at Coldwater Port in the summer, the Crimson Sect had already started the Sea Return ritual; when I first reached Midshire Fort in early autumn, the problems in the Interstice had already begun to manifest. And now in Huntington, apart from the illegal organizations that every city has, there's nothing special."

The cities that the Outlander stepped into, Tobesk, Coldwater Port, and Midshire Fort, each faced significant upheavals in succession. When Shard, the "observer," arrived in a city, a story was bound to unfold. But this time, Shard didn't sense any local problem.

"May Huntington City remain safe and sound."

He thought silently, feeling the slightly cold wind of the autumn-winter transition, hearing "her" laughter.

Mr. Benhart took the banquet very seriously, not only hanging the large metal crest of the Benhart Family on the side of the carriage but also wearing an expensive-looking formal suit. As the night was somewhat chilly, his formal attire had a fur collar and extra padding.

However, with his knowledge of the Vampire Kind, Shard clearly remembered that this race, unlike humans, wasn't afraid of the cold at all.

The venue for the banquet was the Rothschild Estate, where the Princess was staying, located in the city center of Huntington. The estate was private royal property, occupying considerable space even in the high-priced city center.

On the way from the eastern suburb of the city to the large estate, Mr. Benhart excitedly shared the rumors he had heard about the banquet with Shard. He was certain that this banquet would be a topic of discussion among Huntington City's nobility for many years:

"The Royal Family is footing the bill for the banquet, and to show the importance they attach to this visit, they have specially prepared some exceptionally high-quality ingredients. In fact, the luggage of Her Highness Margaret's entourage has already been loaded onto the floating airship, and they will depart immediately after the banquet. I truly wish the banquet could be held on the deck of the steam hover zeppelin as originally planned, but the weather is just too cold."

Mr. Benhart said enthusiastically, and he planned to introduce Shard to his Vampire Kind friends later.

The airship prepared for Princess Margaret Anjou and her visiting group had landed this morning and was ready to depart after an afternoon of inspections. Therefore, the banquet wouldn't stretch on too late, expected to conclude by ten o'clock so that the Princess's entourage would have enough time to board the airship.

Just as Mr. Benhart had said, this very important farewell banquet had invited many prominent grand nobles from both Velindale and Huntington. As their carriage ascended the slope towards the city center, Shard noticed numerous private carriages belonging to other nobles traveling alongside them. Mr. Benhart, quite adept at recognizing these carriages, began introducing Shard to the history and traditions of these families.

Although Mr. Benhart was only a Viscount, the Benhart Family was the oldest noble lineage in the area. According to this distinguished member of the Vampire Kind, the Benhart Family had been rooted in this land long before the emergence of the United Kingdom of Carsonrick.

The carriage traveled through the city's streets, with gas lamps on both sides gradually lighting up as the sun set. When Shard and Mr. Benhart arrived at their destination under the last rays of the setting sun, the gas street lamps lining both sides of the newly adorned Rothschild Estate were already aglow.

The dim yellow lights illuminated the city in the darkness, and the estate stood prominently against the skyline. Formally dressed gentlemen and ladies walked under the street lamps, engaging in conversation. The gas street lamps in Huntington City were designed with three lamps of staggered heights hanging from a single pole. This elegant black gas street lamp design was also popular in Draleon, but uniquely in Huntington, it reminded Shard of grapes for some reason.

The carriage was not permitted to drive directly into the estate, and since they were not exceptionally early, they needed to walk several dozen meters. After disembarking from the carriage, Shard and Mr. Benhart checked each other's collars and buttons before politely heading towards the estate gate.

The Royal Guards stood upright on either side of the estate's fence gate while the old butler welcomed guests, arranging for servants to lead them into the estate. When Viscount Benhart appeared, the slightly hunched old butler instantly recognized him but did not know the "Mr. Holmes" from out of town.

Mr. Benhart originally intended to use his invitation letter to bring Shard in, but Shard produced the one given by Miss Sylvia.

The old butler glanced at the invitation letter, looking a bit surprised at him:

"I didn't expect you to be a specially invited guest. Please, come in."

With that, a young servant led the two men towards the estate courtyard. On either side of the path paved with square stone bricks were evergreen shrubs that remained verdant even in early winter. A fountain with a statue of a knight reining in a horse stood at the center of the path, dividing it into two sides, which then converged again behind the statue. The fountain still operated, with four slender streams of water spraying from the knight's helmet top, eyes, and the horse's mouth. Amidst the sound of flowing water, the faint sound of violins from the mansion could be heard.

As they walked the path alongside other guests, Mr. Benhart lowered his voice and asked in amazement:

"Was it Miss Sylvia who gave you the invitation letter?"

He knew Shard didn't know many people locally.

"Yes."

Shard nodded cautiously, observing these nobles of Carsonrick, while Mr. Benhart clicked his tongue in astonishment:

"You certainly are impressive, attracting the attention of such a lady... Though, somehow, I'm not surprised at all."

Though he had lost some of his memories from the night of the Milestone battle, the events that had left a deep impression still influenced his judgment. Compared to Shard's quest for the Angel-Level Relic, the Red Butterfly Twins, a witch was certainly not as surprising to Mr. Benhart.

"Miss Sylvia greatly appreciates me."

Shard explained softly and added:

"She appreciates my talents."

He spotted a middle-aged man in a clergy uniform ahead; it seemed to be a High Ring Sorcerer. Then he noticed a middle-aged noble lady with a small bat emblem floating above her head and a pearl necklace around her neck approaching from behind, warmly greeting Mr. Benhart. This was an Inner Ring Sorcerer. Next, at the mansion entrance, a young man holding a wine glass and arguing with someone about the rise and fall of Carsonrick's traditional culture brushed past them; this was a Low Ring Sorcerer.

"Why are there so many Circle Sorcerers?"

Shard and Mr. Benhart formally entered the opulently decorated hall, seeing crystal chandeliers hanging from above, an array of gold and silverware displayed on long tables, and a podium on the central staircase platform already set up for the Princess's upcoming speech:

"This banquet is bound to be quite interesting."