Chapter 14: Attending a Banquet

Redmaple Town was a prosperous town, one of the three wealthiest in the North County. Aside from the capital of the North County, it was far more bustling than any town in the domain of Viscount Macbeth of Castlestone or any of the noble fiefs under his rule.

Yet, the Baron of Redmaple had never built his own castle. According to royal decrees, hereditary knightly titles among the local nobility allowed them to construct castles and recruit up to a hundred private soldiers to protect their lands and defend against invasions.

The greatest threat to the Kingdom of Celt was not the powerful continental nations eyeing this land, but rather the barbaric orcs in the northwestern highlands. Additionally, there were several spatial rifts in the kingdom that allowed small groups of evil creatures to pass through. As a result, the Kingdom of Celt had a strong military force. Its basic military units included powerful heavy infantry legions and cavalry units mounted on fierce purebred horses from the northwestern regions. Not to mention the three elite legions of the kingdom, whose strength rivaled that of the finest armies in the continental nations.

It was hard to imagine that such a remote kingdom in the northern part of the continent could possess such a formidable military force. This might also be one of the reasons why the continental powers, despite their interest in this land, had never had the chance to invade it.

However, the entire North County faced little threat from orcs, with orcs only appearing in Bloodstone Fortress in the far west. Therefore, the baron believed there was no need to spend huge sums on building a castle in Redmaple Town.

This was also because the Baron of Redmaple’s family originated from merchants. Unlike ordinary nobles, especially those of knightly descent, whose top priority upon gaining a domain was not making money but rather preserving and strengthening their lands, the Barons of Redmaple had no particular interest in castles. Over the years, they had only built a villa in the center of the town as their lordly residence, and most of the time, the two generations of barons preferred to live in their own manors.

On the contrary, both generations of the Barons of Redmaple placed great emphasis on the commerce of their lands. To attract investment and make people see Redmaple Town as safe, they spared no expense in strengthening the outer defenses of the town and its surrounding villages to ward off occasional threats from magical beasts that strayed from the forests.

It must be said that this approach was successful. In just over a decade, the excellent crops, high-quality wines, and sweet maple syrup produced in Redmaple Manor, along with the abundant magical beast resources from the Green Cloak Forest, helped many of the townspeople become wealthy, turning Redmaple Town into the wealthiest commercial town in the North County after Shining Gold Town.

This style of governance often led the nobles of the North County to mock the baron as a money-driven nouveau riche with no trace of noble grace. Yet they flocked to the products of Redmaple Town.

The planning of Redmaple Town resembled that of commercial cities from his past life, and Donald appreciated it greatly, though he didn’t fully agree with it. In times of peace and prosperity, such towns would undoubtedly bring great wealth to their lords, but in times of chaos, they would become targets for others, easy prey with no ability to resist.

Even without war, such wealth could arouse envy. Without sufficient strength to protect it, it would only attract outsiders to steal it, leaving one’s life in their hands—what use was having a house full of gold then?

Donald didn’t know what the lord thought, but if it were him, he would first build up military strength and take control of the territory before doing anything else.

At that moment, Donald was riding in a carriage, looking out the window. He could see all the bustling scenes along the way.

The distance from his residential area in the commoners’ district to the baron’s manor outside the town was only a few minutes. Donald didn’t take the baron’s invitation too seriously and brought no one but Clinton. He wore only a newly tailored ordinary noble’s robe, with no decorations at all except for an apprentice badge on his chest, two rings on his left fingers, and a walking stick lying across the carriage seat. Compared to Sir Jesse, who seemed eager to adorn even the edges of his clothes with gold, Donald’s attire was extremely plain.

Soon, the carriage arrived at the baron’s manor outside the town. A middle-aged man who looked like a butler was waiting outside the manor gates.

Donald vaguely remembered him as the baron’s butler, Mr. Kreen. He had seen this man a few times from afar in the town when he was down and out, so he knew of his existence.

Being able to have his butler greet guests outside seemed to indicate that Baron Red Maple valued him while also holding him in slight contempt. According to the nobility’s etiquette in this world, it was quite normal and polite for anyone, regardless of rank, to send their butler to greet visiting nobles. However, this applied only between nobles who knew each other or were on good terms. When one noble of similar rank visited for the first time, the host, no matter how busy they were, would set aside their duties to greet them personally as a sign of respect.

Clearly, Baron Red Maple believed that Donald Merlinna was not yet on his level, and Donald’s status as a fallen noble made him look down on him, which was why he sent only his butler to greet him.

Donald didn’t take this contempt too seriously. After all, once he achieved success, it would be this baron who would have to look up to him!

As they passed through the fertile wine estate, Donald secretly observed its surroundings. He noticed that sturdy wooden walls three meters high surrounded the estate, with multiple layers thick enough to allow a hundred militia members to defend against an attack by several hundred soldiers. They were also effective against larger magical beasts.

It seemed that this merchant baron didn’t neglect military strength as rumors suggested. At least he had well-protected his wine estate, which was his main source of income.

Led by the butler, they soon arrived at the magnificent villa at the heart of the estate, where they met Baron Red Maple sitting in the master’s seat. Donald still had some memories of Baron Red Maple, an old acquaintance of his father. This experienced noble was kinder than other opportunistic people, but their relationship faded when he showed no willingness to offer any help.

Facing the middle-aged noble dressed in a merchant’s attire, Donald bowed first. “Lord Eustace, Donald Merlinna has come at your invitation!”

Normally, Donald should have called him “uncle,” but he simply couldn’t bring himself to do so with such a snobbish noble before him.

“It’s been so long! Little Donald has grown into a man now! I fondly recall the wonderful times we spent hunting together with your father!”

This talkative merchant noble was very enthusiastic toward Donald. If it had been the old Donald, he might have been influenced by the emotional appeals and gradually fallen under the other man’s control.

However, although Donald is less sociable now, his beliefs from his past life remain quite firm, and a few words of affectionate remembrance from others haven’t changed his attitude. As for those who see only interests and are willing to sell anything, it’s best to talk to them only in terms of benefits—once emotions get involved, it’s oneself who ends up hurt!
“Yes! Speaking of which, Donald owes Lord Eustace thanks for his help ten years ago, which allowed us to settle in the town. Otherwise, I likely wouldn’t be alive today, let alone have achieved what I have now!”
“Oh! As for the relationship between our families, there’s no need to mention such minor favors. To celebrate your certification as a mage apprentice, I’ve prepared a celebration banquet for you later. It will be just family members, with no outsiders present, so don’t feel constrained, Donald—treat it like you’re at home!”
Seeing Donald’s indifferent attitude, Baron Eustace clearly realized that his attempts hadn’t moved the young man. It seems that someone who can become a mage—a powerful profession—even as an apprentice—is no ordinary person.
Yet the middle-aged merchant wasn’t discouraged. The more so, the more it proved that this young man was worth investing heavily in.
While preparing for the noon banquet, Baron Eustace took Donald to see his proudest asset: the wine workshop. However, the brief tour didn’t provide Donald with much useful information, leaving him disappointed, as he also wanted to establish a profitable business of his own.
Back at the villa, Baron Eustace sat down and talked with Donald, naturally bringing up Donald’s recent actions.
“I heard you purchased those two estates in the northwest part of my territory?”
Donald replied truthfully, “Yes! Lord Eustace, to advance in the profession of mage, one needs a lot of funds—even apprentices aren’t an exception. If I had a stable source of income now, I could immediately advance to a full-fledged mage! So, it’s essential to acquire a business!”

The middle-aged merchant frowned, appearing worried, but inwardly he felt a hint of satisfaction as he said, “As far as I know, the fate of that neighbor in Red Maple Domain decades ago wasn’t very good. Many people say those two manors, once part of a lord’s domain, are actually cursed lands. Anyone who takes them over will suffer misfortune, and the previous owners all ended up in tragic ways. If you, little Donald, need funds, you can tell me. Out of friendship for our late friend, as an elder, I won’t ignore you!”
Hearing this, Donald looked at the man in front of him seriously and, after a few seconds of silence, smiled and said, “Curses are originally a branch of our magic. They are the specialty of wizards skilled in spellcraft. If curses really exist, I won’t be afraid. At worst, I can ask Master Mesel to intervene personally. I’m sure he’d be willing to rid the kingdom’s lands of a curse!”
“As for seeking Lord Eustace’s help, I will definitely do so when necessary!”
“Oh? Dear little Donald, what’s your relationship with Master Mesel…”
The middle-aged merchant, seeing the boy’s silence, thought he had hooked him and was considering accepting his financial support. But the boy’s words shocked him! Master Mesel, the top mage in the North County, had a status comparable to Viscount Macbeth. He himself had only had brief contact with him twice and never had another chance, let alone become close friends. If this apprentice had a close relationship with that master, it was someone no ordinary person could offend!
The more Eustace thought about it, the more alarmed he became. Meanwhile, Donald replied with a smile, “I became an apprentice after being personally tested and approved by the master. He appreciated my slight talent in magic, so he took me as his apprentice! This ring is one of the gifts from the master. I’m very grateful for his help and guidance!”
It was then that Baron Eustace of Red Maple carefully examined the ring and staff he had previously thought were just jewelry decorations. The more he looked, the more he felt that each piece seemed to possess a mysterious power.
As a local noble, he had power and wealth under control, but he knew little about mysterious mages. Not to mention him, a mere baron, even King Celt knew only what was in the royal library regarding professions like mages.
Yet, though he didn’t understand the levels of magical items, Baron Eustace knew very well their value.

It should be noted that as a renowned wealthy noble in the North County, his family owned only three magical items, not counting the crystal chandelier. Two of these were used as household tools for starting fires in the kitchen and cooling and preserving food, while the only magical amulet served as defensive equipment to protect himself—this one had cost him thousands of gold sols and was purchased from a black-iron mage. Even if he had the money, he lacked access to some high-level magical items; moreover, when attending auctions, he hesitated to bid fully due to the influence of the powerful nobles.

This was also why Baron Red Maple had been a noble for such a short time. Typically, noble families with a long history would have ancestral treasures accumulated over generations, which were not only valuable but also highly useful.

The conversation ended quickly, as the diligent servants of Baron Red Maple had already prepared the banquet, ready to begin at any moment. Seeing that he couldn’t obtain any useful information from Donald, the middle-aged merchant invited him to join the banquet instead.

Donald knew quite a bit about noble banquet etiquette, having received noble education in his childhood, which left a deep impression on him. Although he had lost his territory and become a fallen noble, the elders of the Merlin family never stopped providing noble education to their heirs until their deaths.

After both sides took their seats, the first course was served by the servants. It consisted of appetizing marinated beef strips with wild sour fruits, paired with a small spiny bird egg. A small dish of fragrant stir-fried beef strips, marinated in sweet-and-sour wild sour fruit juice for half an hour, had a deliciously tangy flavor that really whetted the appetite. The boiled spiny bird eggs, bright and white, required no seasoning—their natural flavor alone was already smooth and delicious.

Spiny birds were birds similar in size to quails from his previous life. People here usually ate their eggs, which were about the same size as quail eggs but slightly rounder in shape. Although they were abundant, they flew nimbly and nested high in the sky, making them hard to catch. Since they couldn’t be raised artificially, their eggs remained expensive. Due to their popularity among nobles, three eggs could only be bought for one silver moon, which was equivalent to the monthly food expenses of most poor families. Donald had only been able to eat some of them since arriving in this world and opening the Book of Truth.

In this world, spices were rare and expensive, accessible only to the noble class, and the variety was limited. This made Donald, accustomed to the rich variety of dishes and flavors from his previous life, feel very uncomfortable at first.

He didn’t have a good impression of Baron Redmaple, a nobleman, but that didn’t stop Donald from enjoying the delicious food he offered. However, before the second dish could be served, the pleasant atmosphere of the banquet was disrupted by sudden uninvited guests.