The distance was great, so we decided to stop halfway, spend the night, and set off again as soon as dawn broke. In a village that Jerim had known beforehand, the knights unloaded their baggage, and the weary horses from the strenuous journey were allowed to rest.

Levanfell and I decided to stay in the annex of the mansion of the lord of the territory, Baron Adresa.

“It is an honor to host His Majesty and the Empress.”

Baron Adresa bowed deeply as he greeted us. The exterior of the mansion was more modest than the palace, but it was clear that effort had been made to prepare for us everywhere.

Levanfell lightly shook hands with Baron Adresa and looked at me.

“Are you not tired after such a long journey?”

“I only rode in the carriage. I took naps in between, so I’m fine.”

I’d felt sleepy and had a nap, just sitting idly in the carriage.

“It’s fine. There’s no probl….”

Gurgle.

Though I had cheerfully declared that I was fine, my thoughtless stomach answered even more energetically. I glanced around to see if everyone had heard, and they all peeked at me.

“Hem! Ththe wind here is loud.”

I pressed my lips together and turned my unwarranted gaze into thin air.

When I was in the Kingdom of Lupeon, I was fine even if I starved for three days, but now my stomach was indulging in luxury as I had been eating diligently lately.

“Thththat’s right. The wind sound.”

Baron Adresa agreed with my words and moved aside so we could enter.

“Dinner is ready! Please come in. If you need anything, just ask! We will prepare anything. Please stay comfortable!”

The night sky twinkled beautifully. Fortunately, thanks to Jerim suggesting we rest early, there was plenty of time until midnight.

I admired the beautiful night sky and followed Baron Adresa inside.

The mansion’s interior glimmered, catching my eye. Though it looked more modest than the palace from the outside, the inside was as shiny as the palace with jewels.

‘That artwork is really expensive….’

Thanks to diligently scanning the catalog of items while preparing the welcome party, I had gained an eye for recognizing expensive art.

Expensive artworks appeared with every step down the hallway. It was flashy enough to be considered even more so than the palace.

“There’s a lot of artwork.”

“Ha ha ha. Of course, Your Majesty! You recognized it right away. In fact, I’ve been storing it in my private warehouse, but I hurriedly took it out as Your Majesty and the Empress were visiting. Ha ha ha!”

Baron Adresa chuckled, excitedly reciprocating. Once the boasting started, it didn’t stop and continued on and on.

“Do you see the necklace hanging on that statue? That’s made of vinyl from a dragon that disappeared thousands of years ago….”

“That is the last piece made by the craftsman during his lifetime….”

“Look here, Your Majesty! Isn’t the brilliant color beautiful? This dagger is said to have been used by a goddess….”

It really was endless. The hallway wasn’t that long, but walking together and listening to the explanations took a considerable amount of time.

“Enough.”

Levanfell cut off Baron Adresa’s words with a bored expression. The onceexcited Baron Adresa froze like an ice statue at the cold reaction of the Emperor.

“Do you think I came here to listen to you brag about your decorations?”

“Ah, no, Your Majesty. It’s my first time hosting Your Majesty, and I was so excited that I lost control. Please forgive me.”

“The Empress looks tired, so we should rest after dinner. Show us quickly.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Prompted by Levanfell, Baron Adresa didn’t even get a chance to open his mouth properly before leading us to the banquet hall.

As we approached the banquet hall, the sweet and salty fragrance of spices aroused my starving stomach.

My mouth watered automatically. The door opened, and we entered the banquet hall, where the splendid and precious foods captured both my eyes and nose.

“Wow.”

The cry escaped my open lips as the spectacle was enough to believe this was an extension of the Aeteria Empire’s welcome party, so dazzling and luxurious.

“I prepared diligently to host Your Majesty and the Empress.”

Seeing my reaction, Baron Adresa laughed, raising his cheerful jester’s energy a notch.

Levanfell and I took our seats at the head of the table with the guidance of the attendants. There was so much food that I worried whether the table might break.
The height of luxury. The place was so perfect that it might be considered as the end of opulence itself. Even the dishes were studded with jewels, so much that they were dazzling to the eye.

“May the food suit your taste. If anything is lacking, please tell us without hesitation. Then our chef can learn and grow. Hahaha.”

Baron Adresa laughed with a friendly smile.

We eagerly tasted the splendid food.

“……Too salty.”

“Too sweet.”

But the food was not as delicious as it looked. The taste was either too sweet or too salty due to the extravagant use of spices, making it hard to swallow.

“……! Ththat……!”