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nKnight Patch, surrounded by a host of attendants, flung his hand away in a fit of rage.

n“To hell with this! If you don’t want me at this banquet, I don’t want to be here either! It’s just a lousy party, what’s there to fancy about it?”

nWith these words, Patch shoved aside the attendants’ spears and stormed out of the hall, seething with anger.

nBaron Fernsouth watched Patch leave and quickly adjusted his facial expression, striving to appear amiable.

nHe turned to Kaido, Zoron, and Howard, saying, “My three loyal knights, welcome to Castle Fernsouth during this bountiful harvest season. I have prepared a lavish feast and the renowned Sun Circus Troupe for your entertainment. I hope you enjoy yourselves to the fullest.”

nOne by one, the three knights raised their wine glasses and responded, “Yes, my lord.”

nThe warmth of the banquet momentarily made Howard feel as if the interactions between lords were always this congenial.

nHowever, he hadn’t forgotten Patch’s fury directed at him just before the official start of the event.

nHoward reminded himself not to get lost in this seemingly sweet and cozy illusion and to remember that the world was fraught with dangers for him.

nThe feast primarily consisted of meats, revealing the lords’ seemingly insatiable desire for flesh.

nThe Church of the Empire had clearly stated that greed was a sin and advocated for a life of purity.

nYet, once these lords began their meal, the scene was anything but elegant.

nThey seemed to have cast aside all notions of grace as they indulged in their voracious appetites.

nKnight Kaido was holding a chicken leg in each hand, still chewing on the chicken meat he had eaten moments before.

nKnight Zoron, too, showed an extraordinary enthusiasm for the meat, eating heartily and in stark contrast to his earlier demeanor.

nBaron Fernsouth was no different, eating with abandon.

nHoward, while eating his own meal, couldn’t help but wonder, “What if their stomachs get too full?”

nBaron Fernsouth, with his corpulent figure, shifted slightly and raised his left hand, signaling for something.

nAn attendant, who had been waiting for a while, brought forth a potion.

nHoward, unfamiliar with such a thing, paused his fork mid-air.

nKnight Kaido, upon seeing the potion, seemed to smirk but made no move to stop anything.

nHe glanced at the chicken leg in his hand and continued eating.

nKnight Zoron, on the other hand, acted as if nothing unusual was happening, as though it was all part of the norm.

nBaron Fernsouth opened the bottle of the potion and tilted it towards his mouth, gulping down the liquid with a gurgling sound.

nHoward, puzzled, asked, “My lord, what is that? It has a purplish hue; is it something harmful? Baron Fernsouth, you should be careful with your health.”

nBaron Fernsouth replied nonchalantly, “Oh, it’s just an emetic. Don’t worry about it.”

nHoward blurted out in disbelief, “An emetic? You’re taking an emetic while eating at a banquet?”

nKnight Zoron turned to Howard and said, “Have you fallen so low that you don’t even know what an emetic is?”

nKnight Kaido interjected, “Zoron, don’t mock Howard. It’s not his fault that he’s poor. He has been trying hard.”

nAfter finishing his potion, Baron Fernsouth casually tossed the empty bottle over his shoulder, which was deftly caught by a waiting maid.

nShe took the bottle and retreated with a respectful curtsy.

nHoward, turning towards Knight Zoron, questioned, “Am I misunderstanding something? This is a banquet, why would one use an emetic? Why consume so much, only to expel it afterward? What’s the point of eating all this food then?”

nBaron Fernsouth glanced at Howard, his look unfriendly.

nHe perceived Howard’s words as an indictment of gluttony, one of the seven deadly sins condemned by the Church.

nBaron Fernsouth felt a growing urge to silence Howard.

nHe had organized the banquet for enjoyment, not to endure nagging reprimands akin to a fly buzzing in his ear.

nKnight Zoron explained to Howard, “Nobility pursues pleasure. They like to indulge in eating at banquets.”

nHoward almost retorted, “Indulging in eating is one thing, but this is quite another.”

nHowever, catching Baron Fernsouth’s hostile look from the corner of his eye, he changed his response.

n“Oh, I see. It’s a form of enjoyment for the nobility. My apologies for my ignorance. I didn’t mean to offend anyone.”

nBaron Fernsouth’s face brightened with a smile again.

nKnight Zoron’s expression remained unchanged, his thoughts inscrutable.

nKnight Kaido continued eating, seemingly indifferent to the conversation. 𝘳𝘦.𝒸𝑜𝘮

nTime ticked away, second by second, and the banquet that Howard found so unbearable finally came to an end.

nHe was not one to indulge in the cycle of eating and then using an emetic, only to continue eating as if nothing had happened.

nHoward noticed that although Knight Kaido’s eating manners were a bit unsightly at the beginning, he did not resort to using an emetic.

nLike Howard, he stopped eating when he was full.

nKnight Zoron and Baron Fernsouth, on the other hand, used the emetic to eat, then vomit, and eat again until they could no longer continue.

nTheir behavior deeply disgusted Howard.

nIn these troubled times, so many people struggled to find enough to eat.

nHoward clenched his fists in secret, contemplating punishment for Baron Fernsouth and Knight Zoron for their wastefulness.

nAs the banquet concluded, Baron Fernsouth, with his distended belly, waved goodbye to everyone.

nThe guests slowly departed after offering their respects.

nKnight Zoron, clearly not interested in further conversation with Howard, hurried away.

nKnight Kaido approached Howard, having developed an interest in him.

nKaido’s impression of Howard had improved during the banquet due to Howard’s behavior and attitudes.

nKaido, a man of true knightly virtue, also disapproved of using emetics at banquets, considering it a wasteful practice.

nHoward and Kaido, along with their squires, walked down the pathway.

nKaido’s squire was a robust young man, his muscular arms and commanding presence inspiring confidence.

nKaido broke the silence, “Do you think their actions constitute the sin of gluttony?”

nHoward replied with certainty, “Yes, I always heard about the seven deadly sins and had some trouble understanding gluttony. It wasn’t until I saw these people indulging in the use of emetics at banquets that I truly understood what gluttony means. They are excessively indulgent in pleasure.”

nKaido’s eyes sparkled as he spoke, “I too hold disdain for their actions. It’s not what someone who adheres to the knightly virtues should do. Would you be willing to form an alliance with me, to do what we believe is right under Baron Fernsouth’s rule?”

nHoward turned to Anna and inquired, “Anna, how can we form an alliance with Kaido?”

nAnna explained thoughtfully, “A marriage alliance automatically forms a non-aggression pact between two parties. Subsequently, under the terms of the marriage, both sides can exchange intentions further. If both agree, it forms an offensive and defensive alliance. In situations where either party goes to war, the other is obligated to join the battle.”

nHoward, puzzled, asked, “A marriage alliance? I have neither sons nor daughters. How can I form a marital alliance with other nobles?”

nAnna’s cheeks flushed slightly as she responded, “My lord, aren’t you also single? Couldn’t you yourself enter into a marriage alliance?”

nHoward remarked, “I’m afraid that might not be appropriate.”

nHe was not a man to act rashly or use any means necessary to achieve his goals.

nKaido then said, “In that case, let’s discuss this matter another time.”

nAfter a brief conversation, the two parted ways and returned to their respective domains.

nUpon returning to his domain, Howard sought out Julian’s sister, and his own nominal sister, Flandre.

nHe explained Kaido’s proposal about forming an alliance, and Flandre was more than willing.

nHoward then summoned Vettel, instructing him to negotiate the details with Knight Kaido’s territory, conveying that there were no objections from Flandre’s side.

nVettel bowed and departed to carry out his task.

nThat night, a meeting was convened in the lord’s hall.

nHoward asked everyone to discuss their chances of victory in a potential battle against Knight Patch.

nAnna, Marguerite, and Resarite attended this meeting.

nAnna confidently stated, “We can muster troops from three villages, while Patch has only one.

nWith our numbers being thrice theirs, victory is almost assured.”

nMarguerite, with her characteristic shyness, added, “I agree. I believe that if we engage in battle with Knight Patch, our chances of winning are high.”

nResarite reported, “According to the information from Bosiden, the villagers of Kenfa Village lack training and the village isn’t wealthy. There are even some who suffer from hunger. Their combat strength is undoubtedly low. In contrast, our soldiers in Yami Village, trained by me, can now form disciplined ranks. Once on the battlefield, equipped with Leather Armor and iron swords, we should sustain minimal losses.”

nHoward, arms crossed, nodded slightly upon hearing Resarite’s assessment.

nThe flickering candlelight cast a shifting glow over Howard’s face, adding a sense of depth and solemnity to his expression.

nHe then asked Resarite, “The purchase of Leather Armor has been completed and stored. I plan to inspect them tomorrow. Any objections?”

nResarite, unflinchingly confident, responded, “No objections.”

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