The Embassy Banquet
Since the dinner party had been arranged so suddenly, we all had to scramble to get ready.
In my case, that meant rushing back to the mansion to fetch a few furisode and bringing Amira along with permission to attend.
Alizée, meanwhile, brought Priscilla and the rest of my assigned staff for networking purposes.
All the dresses were ones I’d prepared beforehand.
Amira and I had several spare furisode on hand, and as for the others, I still had a few unused custom-order gowns that hadn’t been delivered yet—so I brought those along.
Honestly, it was chaos.
Incidentally, Lord Sazaby got scolded by Modalphas.
Apparently, “You shouldn’t host a banquet on a whim. These things must be properly announced in advance.”
Wait… Modalphas is allowed to lecture Lord Sazaby?
Surely he wasn’t his tutor or anything like that… right?
Once all the preparations were done, the banquet finally began.
Still, with only a small number of attendees, it was more of an intimate dinner than a grand gala.
And, as it turns out, Darshe-style banquets don’t include social dancing at all.
Instead, the host invites bards or street performers to entertain the guests.
The host’s status is measured by how skilled an entertainer they can bring in.
“... And that’s the Darshe-style banquet in a nutshell.”
Lord Sazaby explained.
“Unfortunately, we weren’t able to find any famous local bards for tonight, so we’ll have to do without this time.”
“I see. Honestly, I’m not well-versed in that area myself. Should I be studying up on such things from now on?”
“Now that you’re a grand merchant, you ought to cultivate some knowledge of the arts and entertainment as well. It’s considered essential in Darshe. How about in your country?”
He turned to Priscilla, who—as Guildmaster—was the most familiar with our nation’s customs.
“Those matters are usually the domain of the nobility. For major merchants, they’re more of a personal interest than a necessity. However, if Lady Lily intends to expand her activities into Darshe, then refining that sense will be important.”
“I appreciate your understanding. Many of Darshe’s most renowned performers are already under contract with noble families or major trading houses. Finding promising, unclaimed entertainers is quite a valuable skill in our country.”
“Understood. The Trade Guild will begin gathering knowledge in that field as well.”
“Good. I think that’s enough business talk for now. Lily, Amira—how was the food?”
“It was wonderful. The flavors were milder than what I’m used to back home, but the spiciness made it exciting and memorable.”
“Yes. It had a different kind of depth compared to the dishes prepared by our chef, and I thought it was splendid.”
“I’m glad to hear that. The chef I brought tonight comes from a Darshe region famous for cultivating strong spices. I figured you’d already be familiar with ordinary Darshe cuisine, so I wanted you to taste something with a twist. Darshe is a federation of seven ducal houses—each one large enough to be a country on its own, with its own crops and culinary traditions. When you visit next, I’ll arrange for you to tour not only my lands but the other duchies as well.”
So even within Darshe, the regional differences are that distinct, huh?
That sounds like a paradise for folks like Kiblinki Saltas—those two would love it.
I really do need to go pick them up soon.
Honestly, there’s no end to the things I’ve got to do.
What do you think about this chapter?
