Chapter 185 - 184: Embarrassment
"Alright, please enjoy your celebratory feast."
After saying this, Duke and Reid didn’t linger. They gave a slight nod to the group and withdrew from the dining hall.
The moment they left, side doors on both sides of the dining hall were pushed open silently, and waiters filed in carrying silver platters.
Sumptuous dishes were served one after another.
A small suckling pig, roasted to a glistening, golden-brown with crispy skin, was placed in the very center, its mouth stuffed with candied berries.
Beside it was a massive seafood stew, with lobster, scallops, and mussels faintly visible in a rich saffron broth.
There was also roasted fowl drizzled with a honey glaze, and a cheese gratin covered in truffles and mushrooms...
Golden goblets were filled with deep red wine, its color rich and mellow, exuding the aroma of a vintage brew.
"Come on, everyone!"
Marcus was the first to raise his goblet. He looked at his squad mates, his eyes filled with emotion and pride.
"To our heroic performance on this mission!"
"To our heroic performance!"
The others also raised their glasses, clinking them together with a clear, pleasant sound.
Zelir took a small sip of wine.
The rich, smooth liquid glided over his tongue and down his throat.
In his past life, he had thought those so-called wine connoisseurs were full of it, going on about oaky aromas, notes of fruitwood and spice—they made it sound like some mystical art.
But this single sip truly allowed Zelir to experience the rich complexity of many different flavors blended together.
After he swallowed, a long, fruity fragrance lingered in his mouth, far beyond what the crude ales made just for getting drunk could ever compare to.
The dishes were lavish and dazzling.
Overwhelmed by the choices for a moment, Zelir ultimately opted for his favorite: beef.
He forked a tender, juicy steak onto his plate, but then he noticed there were four or five different knives arranged beside it.
And there was other silverware of various shapes, their purposes unknown to him.
’Do I really need this many knives...?’
Zelir frowned slightly.
"Use this one."
Gray picked up a silver knife and gave it a little shake.
The knife had a wider blade with fine serrations. "This one is specifically for cutting steak."
"Oh..."
He cut off a piece and put it in his mouth.
Compared to the beef shank in red wine sauce from the Night Flower Inn, the culinary skills of the chef at Bev’s house were clearly more refined.
Although Zelir wasn’t some gourmet with an exceptionally keen palate, he could still tell the difference in quality.
The beef was cooked to perfection—seared on the outside, tender on the inside, with the juices sealed in flawlessly.
The sauce had a more layered flavor that didn’t mask the natural deliciousness of the beef but instead elevated it to a whole new level.
"This is amazing..." Zelir couldn’t help but sigh in admiration again.
Meanwhile, the others had also been completely won over by the feast before them, eating with great satisfaction.
Compared to the roasted meat at the Drunk Wild Boar Tavern or the barely-edible fare from other small inns meant only to fill one’s stomach...
This banquet was truly the most delicious food they had ever eaten in their lives.
The wine in their goblets was emptied and refilled several times. After a few rounds, everyone was a little tipsy, and the atmosphere grew more relaxed and lively.
"Hah..."
Zelir patted his stomach in satisfaction.
He leaned back against the soft chair and looked outside through the dining hall’s sheer curtains.
Alberti Manor was situated on high ground, and looking out from the window, he could see the continuous sea of lights from Black Stone Town.
It was probably the liveliest time of night in the town.
The people in the taverns were far from blackout drunk. With just a few mugs of ale in them, their nightlife was just getting started.
And then there were the night markets that only set up after dark; the narrow streets were likely crammed with strolling crowds right now.
’As expected of one of the most prosperous towns in the Northern Territory of the Sel Kingdom.’
"I feel like I’m in a dream, one where I’m the master of this manor,"
Maki said lazily, his voice tinged with drunkenness.
"You open your eyes the next day, and a servant is there, whispering as they help you out of bed. They even thoughtfully set up a small table on the bed to serve you breakfast."
"You open your eyes the next day, and you’ll find you’re still just an Adventurer."
Gray said, "Still have to run all over the mountains killing Demons, getting yourself covered in blood and filth."
"You’re a real charmer," Maki said, shooting Gray a sideways glance.
"Shouldn’t we be heading back soon?" Marcus asked.
"What’s the rush? It’s not often we get to enjoy something like this."
Gray raised his goblet, and the waiter standing behind him immediately understood, stepping forward to refill his wine.
"Actually, I’m pretty curious about something."
Valles suddenly spoke up. "Gray, why did you get voted out of your old squad?"
As soon as the question was asked, the atmosphere at the table instantly became a little awkward.
"Probably... because he messed up a job from drinking?" Zelir asked, quite curious himself.
"Or maybe he made a huge mistake during a mission that got a teammate injured?" Marcus chimed in with his own guess.
"Could also be laziness and slacking off," Valles added.
Zelir, Marcus, and Valles all looked at Gray at the same time, then turned to look at Maki.
Meeting their gazes, Maki just shrugged and looked at Gray.
"Will you be embarrassed if I tell them?"
"You already brought up the embarrassing fact that I was voted out of my squad."
Gray sighed, looking rather resigned. "Could it get any worse?"
"Wait... there are outsiders present," Valles said, glancing at the surrounding waiters.
"Them?"
Gray scoffed. "Don’t worry. After serving the Nobility for so many years, the absurd things they’ve overheard are probably way more shocking than you can imagine."
"Alright, then."
Since Gray didn’t seem to mind, Maki took a sip of wine, preparing to tell the whole story.
"The things you three mentioned are nothing. Gray did all that and more."
Hearing this, Zelir raised an eyebrow slightly.
’Messing up jobs from drinking, making mistakes on missions, slacking off... Gray really did all that before?’
’And from the sound of it, that wasn’t even the main reason he was kicked out of the squad.’
"Then why exactly was he kicked out of the squad?"
"It was a long time ago... Gray and I formed an Adventurer Squad in Gard Town, near the south. There were five of us in total."
Maki reminisced.
"We were all Junior or Apprentice Level, so we didn’t have the ability to take on any major commissions. We could only take on normal or one-star Junior missions to get by."
"There was a female Ranger in the squad named Lisha. She was a great person, very kind-hearted. Whenever a teammate ran into trouble, she’d do her best to help, and her Archery was pretty good too."
"Even when Gray repeatedly screwed up—he even cooked a pot of Blood Crown Mushroom soup that nearly poisoned us all to death—Lisha still held no grudges."
"Not long after, we noticed Lisha and Gray getting a lot closer..."
"You mean...?" Zelir seemed to understand what he was implying.