Humans have a long history of penchanting for things that emit shiny lights.

Long before the city-state was established, people did not have the concept of "state" and "nation", and people had a soft spot for metalwork in the days when a group of acquaintances lived together in a certain area.

It's the nature of animals to show off their uniqueness, and in a world full of stones, dirt and trees, it's a real eye-catcher if you have a polished, sparkling object on your body.

The penchant for precious stones is also an extension of it, and the long years have passed through the world, and people have unearthed more minerals and luxury goods than their ancestors could have imagined - many treasures that were once great treasures have been reduced to ordinary people after many years - but only gold, for such a long time, has firmly occupied the position of the king of precious metals.

Without him, it is a matter of character.

At the dawn of the Lamanite Empire, imperial scholars, known for their indestructible qualities of gold, iron decay and bronze oxidize, but only gold, after two thousand years of burial, is as dazzling as it was when it was first cast.

This fascinating trait extended over the years to the profession of "alchemist", and along with the rise of the White Church, their "theory of perfection" became widely known.

It is believed that humanoid beings are the most perfect of beings, because this is also the appearance of God. And when it comes to metal, it is gold that cannot be destroyed.

In this age of science and superstition, people are constantly experimenting with all kinds of rigorous experiments, and on the other hand, they believe that "everything will evolve towards perfection" - and this is alchemy: synthesis and smelting again and again, striking and melting again and again, and we have seen the results of alchemists who have tried to smelt ordinary metals into gold for centuries.

Perfection theories don't seem to work universally in the world of metal, and no matter how much they try, they can't turn a stone into gold - but if they are utterly unsuccessful, that's not always.

"Woo-woo-" Otolo's horn echoed melodiously, and in the glow of the candles and oil lamps that spread throughout the palace, gold-colored plates and cups, knives, forks and spoons were neatly arranged on the long table.

Henry looked at the golden goblet in his hand, which was so well-proportioned that it was the work of a skilled craftsman, and it filled every long table in the palace hall.

Extravagant, with an unobstructed view of the imperial splendor reflected in the firelight - but in reality, in a way, it was a hoax.

Judging from the delicate and gentle touch on the surface, the sage can tell that it is indeed gold, but the weight in the hand gives another explanation.

Others may just have a little doubt, or simply look at the white-haired big Lori next to them and be stunned, feeling that these are all gold. Henry, on the other hand, knew enough to tell that the cups were only gilded, but that begs another question.

It is true that the tableware on the dozen or so long tables in the entire palace hall would be a very high cost if it were made of gold alone, and if it was only gilded, the consumption would be reduced to the extent that the royal family of Avenella could afford it.

-- Purely statistically.

- In other words, it is unfair.

Because it ignores an extremely important factor, which is the difficulty of the gilding.

It's not something you can do by just going out on the street and catching a blacksmith, it requires a certain level of knowledge and strict follow-up steps. If it is said that creating a cup made of pure gold shows that you are rich in money, then this batch of gilded quilts in the entire palace hall shows that you are "rich" in another sense.

And it is far more precious than gold.

With a certain amount of luck, a gold mine can be unearthed in the territory, and any hillbilly lord can use pure gold utensils.

And the craftsmen who possess this skill are the truly valuable assets of a country.

"Ottolo is showing off......," Edward sighed quietly, and the vague gesture caused all the visitors who could see it, including them, to fall into deep thought.

The trombone sounded again, and the country of Ottolo once again showed its most unique diversity.

-- The merchants, who were invited to the Emperor's banquet.

As far as the eye could see, the person standing there was probably a Lamanite merchant or a general of Loan, and the one serving them was probably a purebred Otolo.

We do not distinguish each other by blood, appearance, or language, but by a highly inclusive common culture that allows all people to integrate into one nation.

They do not call themselves Loans, nor Lamanites, but "Ottolo".

"One is many, all are one, the country belongs to all, because all work together, there is a national ......" the visitors fell into deep thought.

There are so many things to learn about this country.

"Woo-woo-" The rhythm of the loud horn began to change, as if the music had changed.

Precious incense slowly drifted from the copper furnaces around the hall, the deliberately built stained glass refracted the light of the fire in the room, and the faint smell of smoke made the richly dressed nobles stand there as if they were the gods of the kingdom of heaven - and they all turned their heads and waited for the noblest of them to come.

"Amplo, Eppers—" The shrill palace attendants announced the Emperor's arrival in Ottolo, and the people walked to the front of the table in an orderly manner, and then stood on either side, waiting for his arrival.

The attendant stepped forward to carefully extinguish the incense, and steady footsteps came from behind, echoing across the marble floor.

The emperor didn't carry many guards, but just stepped forward with the crown prince and the empress.

He showed absolute confidence, and the more than 100 people present bowed respectfully.

"You may be seated. The Emperor spoke, and everyone finished their salutes and sat down in their seats.

Then the feast begins. ”

Ottolo's Emperor smiled.

"Beginning—beginning—" the palace attendant announced again in a loud voice.

-- This was like a signal, and the palace, which had been in a peaceful atmosphere, immediately exploded like water in a pan of oil.

"Stampede!-" The servant standing at the door stomped his foot in unison and pulled the door open, and the waiter, dressed neatly dressed and carrying a plate, walked in with the same steps—the mere entrance looked as if it were a dance.

The first to be served to the table was a large clay bowl of soup, everyone sat in front of their seats, Mira, who had never participated in this kind of formal meal, looked a little nervous, next to Minna carefully tied her scarf, and then whispered some things to pay attention to during the meal.

The same gilded plate has a certain depth, and the waiter skillfully and elegantly scoops out the freshly scented soup and divides it among everyone's plates.

Eating is not allowed until everyone has finished dividing.

Ottolo is a religious country, and many people pray before eating, and non-believer visitors politely wait until they finish praying.

Mira took a sip of the soup, the ingredients were clearly of the highest quality, and the soup exuded an enticing aroma, which was further enhanced by the variety of spices she couldn't name.

The meal was quiet and orderly, and after the soup for the appetizer had been drunk, no more waiters came up with the main course, and the soup was once again skillfully distributed to everyone's plates, followed by the large pieces of pastry in the style of Otolo, and the roast meat, which had just been brought in with a charming aroma.

The whole meat has a juicy maroon red color, and the expensive ingredients and top-notch grilling techniques make it appetizing just by looking at it, and the main course is especially beautiful with the appetizing vegetable consommé at the front.

The sound of the cutlery tapping kept ringing, and the white-haired Lorian Lori had never tasted such a good meal - even if Henry's cooking skills were already superb, they were completely incomparable.

The soft bread has a unique texture and taste unlike the bread eaten on the West Coast, and with the broth of the roast and the wine in a golden glass, this meal can be said to be extremely satisfying to everyone - but it is not over.

At the end of the main meal, the large wooden door was opened again.

This time, it was a dessert with cheese and a variety of jam desserts.

The constant sound of the cutlery tapping and the occasional conversation between people made the dinner last for more than an hour.

"Whew...... Eat up. The girl sighed and said this, and Minna next to her smiled softly.

......

After the feast, the ball begins.

The vast hall of the palace did not need to be moved away at all, the waiters collected the dishes, and after the waiters collected the dishes, teams of dancers and troubadours entered, incense was lit again, and melodious tunes were sung with a charming faint fragrance, and the lyrics that the girls did not understand began to echo in the hall.

More waiters entered, carrying in dozens of barrels of alcohol in pairs of huge poles, and the nobles scattered in twos and threes, talking freely with each other.

Gestures, graceful and polite.

"I'm going to try to get in touch with them. Edward's political instincts, which he sharpened, made him decide to act.

"The tune has changed. And the moment he left, the dancers pushed behind the scenes, and the music began to soften.

The guests, who were also aware of this, smiled and went into action. Many of the young Ottolo nobles held hands and danced to the melodious tune, and Mira glanced up at Henry, who happened to be looking at her as well.

"Do you know how to dance?" he said with a smile.

"......" The girl rolled her eyes and didn't say the word.

"Hi Sniorita. A young man with black hair stretched out his hand to Minna, who was dressed in a red dress, but immediately changed it to Sivalier after realizing that she did not understand Ottolo.

"Can I? He said this with a shallow smile, and Minna smiled, turned back and winked at the two of them, and followed the young nobleman of Ottolo to the middle of the gallery.

Edgar, who had come with him, had gone with Edward to settle the relationship, and Henry, who had stayed there, glanced at Mira.

"Those of us who can't dance and don't want to get involved in politics should find a place to hide. The sage smiled, and Mira nodded.

......

"Hoo ......"

The banquet was held in the hall on the second floor of the palace, and the two of them, who had walked to the periphery and were slightly breathable, looked alone under the flickering torches.

The banquet lasted for a long time, and there was still a lively singing and dancing behind him, and the laughter and conversation of the people continued to sound, and occasionally the emperor's magnetic voice sounded, as if he was saying something to help him.

"Hoo ......"

Mira leaned on the railing and sighed again.

She looked preoccupied, and Henry knew what she was thinking.

After all, as we've been saying, Mira is a good child.

"I'm glad to see that you're still sullen. The sage said this, his words seemed to have no beginning and no end, and all the white-haired Luo An Da Lori could know was that this sounded very infuriating.

"Smack!" she sank down, then kicked the sage hard in the calf, and the white skirt swayed slightly in the orange light, "Mr. Sage is really the worst adult!"

The girl turned her head angrily, Henry looked at her back and smiled, and after a while, he took a few steps forward and rubbed Mira's little head, and then said softly, "I'm glad that after you killed someone, you've been sullen until now, Mira." ”

"If you kill someone and you don't feel anything, that's really bad, isn't it? Mira froze in place at what seemed to be a profound remark, and she stood straight in thought for a moment, then turned to stare at Henry.

The sage smiled slightly.

“...... Syllable. Mira hugged him.

“...... I'm sorry for saying that before. ”

"It's okay...... It's okay. Henry touched her little head, and behind her there was the sound of the door being pushed open, and Edward walked over.

"Ignore you?" the prince's expression of frustration was clearly written on his face.

"yes...... After all, in the final analysis, this huge state banquet is just Ottolo showing off his strength. ”

"After that, I'm afraid they will strictly control the leakage of information. Edward sighed, then continued, "Those who don't know the facts will only get partial information that Ottolo has held a state banquet for Avenella's envoys. ”

"Presumably, everyone who heard the news will think that Avenella has found Otolo as a backer, and Ottolo has paid enough attention to it......" he said, and Henry nodded and did not answer.

"It's ...... Got a respite. Edward smiled bitterly, "But I always feel ......"

"It's a little unwilling. ”

"If only Avenella could become a powerful nation. The prince whispered, then turned to face Henry, and bowed deeply with a serious face.

"Sir, I would like to ask you to help me make Avenella a powerful empire. ”

Perhaps the words that had been buried deep in Ottolo's heart since he came to him were finally expressed unabashedly, and Edward pursed his lips and straightened up again.

"I'm sorry......"

The sage's answer did not surprise him.

"Once I've done what Bernie has entrusted, I'll be leaving again. ”

"Politics, sure enough, is still not for me. ”

He said this, and Edward smiled helplessly, and stopped pressing.

......

Time passed, and on this morning, three weeks and four days after arriving in Otolo, the group that had completed their mission began to set off for their homeland.

After more than a month of back and forth, friction on the border between Avenella and Sivalier intensified, but the almost impending storm came to an abrupt end with the high-profile return of the prince and his party.

In the days that followed, news spread through the sea lanes and merchants everywhere in every corner of the continent of Rigal, but let us turn our eyes back to where it all began.

After another two weeks of travel, a few days later returned to Vavasika. Henry and Mira decide to go on another journey.

Mira was reequipped with a more expensive steel one-handed sword, and bought a horse and a set of smaller harnesses again, and said goodbye to Edward and the others, and the two set off again, this time heading south.

The gentle sunlight shone on the land of Acasta, and Minna looked at the figures of the two of them from a distance, thinking in her heart, I don't know when, I will see them again.