Chapter 33: Hosting a Banquet (II)

Time passed quickly. After butler Kord finished preparing everything for the banquet, the two guests came together to visit the newly established manor of the Merlinna family, which had remained silent for decades. It was the first time the Dark Night Manor was shown to outsiders, so Donald, as the host, naturally went out to greet them in person.

Coincidentally, the carriages of these two nobles met on their way there. After exchanging polite greetings, they discovered they were heading to the same place, so they traveled together. Baron Red Maple, who had observed the Dark Night Manor from afar while in the carriage, now stood in front of the newly built carved white stone gate, looking at the thriving scene inside. The merchant-noble couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration, “Young Donald, you’re truly a genius! Not only have you become a full-fledged mage at such a young age, but you’ve also managed this once-terrifying, cursed land so excellently. With the precious Moonlight Wine as well, this year’s profits must be enormous. Even some of the kingdom’s top nobles’ manors can’t compare to your estate!”

Donald wasn’t surprised at all that Baron Red Maple knew about the Moonlight Wine—it was likely news of it had already spread among the nobles of the North County. Just as Donald was about to humble himself, Sir Jesse beside him said with admiration and envy, “It’s truly enviable, Donald. You’ve built such a fortune at such a young age! Your Moonlight Wine is already famous among the nobles. Those who’ve had the chance to taste it highly praise it, saying it’s even better than the finest wines exported from Celt to other countries. It’s a shame it’s so rare and not yet available for sale. If it were, I would pay hundreds of gold sols just to try it!”

Hearing this, Donald smiled and said, “That’s easy. Although the Moonlight Wine is scarce, as its owner, I’ve kept some for my own use. The wine served at the banquet later will be Moonlight Red Wine. You two may enjoy it to your heart’s content!”

Sir Jesse was overjoyed, and even the steady-minded Ernest was deeply moved. You see, the twenty bottles of Moonlight Wine that Donald had promised had already been delivered to Giant Stone City, but the Mage Guild hadn’t started selling it yet. As a result, most nobles had never seen it, let alone tasted it.

Not even Baron Red Maple had ever tasted such fine wines that were highly sought after by the nobility, so having the chance to experience them now naturally delighted him. If Moonlight Wine was indeed as wonderful as the rumors claimed, he planned to secure a share of its sales for himself—after all, it could bring him substantial income!

As they conversed, three nobles of different ages entered the manor and proceeded to the living room of the farm house where Donald was temporarily staying. Since the villa wasn’t yet completed, he had to use this place to entertain guests.

Fortunately, the farm buildings were in the style of European manors from his past life—simple in appearance but not shabby, with the interior tastefully decorated by the butler, reflecting the owner’s status.

It was already noon, and with only two guests present, Donald had no other plans and ordered the food to be served right away.

The three nobles took their seats according to their status, with exquisite silverware and white silk napkins laid out on the rectangular dining table.

The newly hired servants, though not graceful in manner, served their master and guests with humility and diligence under the guidance of the butler and William.

Soon, the appetizers arrived. For this banquet, Donald had drawn on some creative ideas from his past life and crafted a menu combining local ingredients. He carefully selected several dishes that met the required standards for today’s feast.

The first appetizer was Golden Pancakes, filled with pork and a plant similar to an onion from this world. The aroma was trapped within the golden-brown crust, and a bite revealed a delicious, fragrant filling that whetted the appetite.

Next were two main dishes: Beef Stew and Maple Sugar-Roasted Ribs. The former combined the flavor of wine perfectly with the meat juices, making the beef tender and delicious, while the latter used maple sugar produced by Baron Red Maple instead of honey in traditional honey-roasted ribs, giving it a unique flavor that even Eunister, the owner of the maple sugar region, praised highly.

Following the main dishes were a side dish and a soup—both of which were essential.

The side dish was pickled lettuce, crisp, sweet, and refreshing, helping to cut through the richness of the food. The soup was Pepper Vegetable Soup, made with spices similar to pepper from his past life, which had a spicy taste, stimulating the senses and aiding digestion.

According to the rules of noble banquets in this world, a formal banquet usually requires three to five appetizers alone, with other side dishes being equally complex. However, unless it’s a special occasion, most noble banquets are kept simple, with just one or two appetizers, eliminating most unnecessary preparations. Nowadays, such elaborate formal menus can only be seen at royal banquets or noble weddings, as the cost of hosting such events is beyond the reach of most nobles. Moreover, the long duration of the banquet requires careful consideration of food doneness and preservation.

As this was a newly established manor with limited resources and merely a private banquet, Donald prepared simple yet hearty dishes based on the common standards of nobles. After tasting all the dishes, the two guests were highly impressed. Sipping the delightful moonlight red wine, they felt as if they were enjoying treatment worthy of gods.

By the end of the banquet, the two guests didn’t know what words to use to describe their experience, especially the moonlight wine, which they considered the best drink they had ever had. Sir Jesse, who came from a powerful noble family in the capital, though an unimportant illegitimate child, had seen many banquets. He noticed that the dishes appeared somewhat crude, suggesting that Donald’s chef was likely not a professional noble chef. Yet the taste was truly remarkable and memorable.

As the host, Donald had carefully selected all the dishes for this banquet, tailoring them to the tastes of this world while incorporating some advantages of gourmet cuisine from his past life. Although the dishes were simple, their taste rivaled that of royal banquets, even enhanced by their novelty.

After the banquet, the three nobles sat in a temporarily arranged reception room to rest. After the maids served desserts and drinks, they bowed and left. Having enjoyed such delicious food, Baron Red Maple, now relaxed, casually patted his stomach and said, “Donald, you’re not only skilled at making fine wine but also very particular about food. I guess I should send my chef to learn from you someday!”

Sir Jesse agreed, saying, “Indeed! This meal is the best I’ve had in the North County in years! It’s on par with royal banquets!”

Donald replied humbly, “It’s my greatest honor to have you both enjoy these dishes! Now, please try the tea and desserts I prepared. I’m sure they won’t disappoint you!”

The desserts prepared by Donald were also special, ones that probably couldn’t be found anywhere else in the world. There were two desserts in total: Fresh Milk Tart and Rock Sugar Wild Sour Fruit. The Fresh Milk Tart was a genuine snack dessert from his past life, with a rich flavor and an innovative preparation method that left people highly satisfied. What really caught the two guests’ attention, however, was the other dessert.

“This is… Wild Sour Fruit? How can it be so delicious?”

In response to Sir Jesse’s question, Donald smiled and said, “It is indeed Wild Sour Fruit, only it’s not prepared using the common pickling method, which is why the taste is different!”

The origin of the Rock Sugar Wild Sour Fruit dessert was quite common in Donald’s past life’s country—it was simply rock sugar hawthorns. The only difference was that the main ingredient, hawthorn, was replaced with materials from this world. Donald always believed that fruits as sweet and fresh as Wild Sour Fruit would lose their natural flavor if pickled with salt. Eating them after simply washing them was a common practice among commoners, and guests with noble pride would likely not accept it. So, he came up with this compromise method.

Wild Sour Fruit was slightly smaller than lychees and slightly larger than grapes. Its appearance resembled small tomatoes from his past life, but its taste was similar to that of blueberries—a sweet and sour flavor. Light red maple syrup was heated into a syrup, poured over the berries, and then cooled using magic to form beautiful, smooth gem-like droplets.

These extremely beautiful desserts, which were both appetizing and helpful for digestion, were completely eaten by the two already full guests. Previously distracted by the desserts, they had ignored the drinks in front of them. Now, their unique fragrance caught the attention of Sir Jesse and Baron Red Maple.