After everyone was seated, Todd slightly raised his right hand, indicating that the banquet could begin.

Huggins first had the servants dim the lights in the hall, then had Edgar announce the start of the "Golden Lark" performance, and finally gave the signal to serve the food.

Unlike modern Western cuisine, wine and meat were the main foods at medieval banquets, while vegetables and fruits were rarely served. Appetizers and pre-dinner dishes were usually roasted meat.

As roasted chicken with lemongrass, iris, and olives was served, Barbara, the star of the Golden Lark Theatre Company, took the stage first, singing an epic ballad of ancient Tayron as a soprano solo.

The guests present were so captivated by Barbara's wide vocal range and melodious voice that they completely forgot to enjoy the food.

Okay, except for the four people...

Harry, Nerge, Caponodas, and Dizzy, members of the delegation, paid no attention to the performance before them, completely engrossed in the food on their plates.

The four men tossed aside their knives and forks, grabbed greasy, fatty chicken with one hand, and stuffed it into their mouths. With the other hand, they raised their wine glasses and swallowed the red wine along with the meat scraps.

After finishing the chicken, Caponodas crunched and swallowed the bones; Harry picked up the plate, lowered his head, and even licked the meat juices off the plate clean.

Soon, the way the four of them ate like mad dogs attracted the attention of others.

"Look! The way those people eat is like a bunch of wild beasts!"

"My God! That guy wouldn't even leave the bones behind!"

"How come the people of Holy Guard City are even inferior to barbarians in terms of etiquette and manners?!"

At this moment, two people in the meeting room were in the most awkward situation.

One was Gordon, the head of the delegation; the other was Mary, because people would always glance at her when they mentioned St. Victory.

Suppressing the urge to punch them, Gordon discreetly coughed loudly behind him, signaling the four bastards to mind their manners.

When he turned back, he found King Muxi smiling at him.

Gordon said awkwardly, "Your Majesty, I am deeply sorry for the rudeness of my subordinates."

Todd watched as one of the delegation members put his greasy fingers in his mouth and sucked them clean one by one. His eyes twitched involuntarily, but he calmly remarked, "Your country's dining style is truly... um... unrefined and unrestrained..."

"Your Majesty, in fact, the Holy Guard City sent me here to request aid from the Twilight City."

Gordon got to the point, and Todd perked up. He exchanged a glance with Cumberland beside him and asked in a friendly tone, "Seeking help? I wonder how the Kingdom of Muxi can assist you?"

Gritting his teeth, Gordon said in a deep voice, "Food! Food is critically low in Holy Guard City, and many civilians are dying of famine!"

"Famine?" Todd was taken aback, then asked, "Saint Guard City has fertile land and abundant water resources, so how can there be famine?"

“Because of that war with the Silver Ring barbarian alliance!” Gordon lowered his head, shaking his head and sighing. “This war lasted for two years, and the kingdom’s resources, whether it be population, food, or money, have been almost completely depleted. Because all the men were conscripted into the army, the fields were left uncultivated, and there was no food to cook. In the market of Holy Guard City, there were even cases where a small bag of rye could be exchanged for a child.”

At this point, Barbara's solo performance also came to an end.

The lights in the hall were turned back on. Todd rose from his throne and led the applause, which the guests in the hall followed, paying tribute to the famous theater star with applause.

After the opening solo, the banquet moved into its main part. On the performance stage, magicians, contortionists, clowns, and other troupe members appeared one after another, while Todd, accompanied by Gordon, the head of the delegation, received greetings from the guests who had arrived that evening.

When Mary appeared before Gordon, his astonished gaze and trembling voice revealed his inner excitement without reservation.

“Your Highness, don’t you remember me?” Gordon straightened up, trying his best to appear less aged. “I am Gordon of White River Keep! You often visited my manor when you were a child, and I even made a swing for you myself! The King has always missed you and hopes you can…”

With a cold expression, Mary lifted her skirt and bowed to Gordon, saying indifferently, "Your Excellency Gordon, are you mistaken? I have indeed heard of Princess Mary, but she was born in Holy Guard City and died in Silver Ring City."

Watching Mary walk away so heartlessly, Gordon's back hunched over again, and he looked as if he had aged ten years.

Todd had originally intended to ask Gordon about the details of the St. Defence famine, but given the current situation, it was clear that it wasn't the right time to discuss serious matters.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the venue, the four-person delegation from the Holy Guard City was frantically devouring the delicacies on the table while others were busy with their audiences.

Caviar, grilled fish, lamb chops... Empty plates piled up on the table for the four people, growing higher and higher until they even reached above their heads.

Nigel stuffed a piece of tender and juicy medium-rare steak into his mouth, swallowed it after a few chews, and was about to attack the next plate of sashimi when he suddenly frowned and touched his lower abdomen.

Kaponodas had just finished licking a plate of caviar clean when he saw Nelge, who was pale and covered in sweat, and asked curiously, "What's wrong with you?"

"My stomach, my stomach, it's starting to hurt again!" Nigel squeezed his legs together, stood on tiptoe, and anxiously looked around, searching for a place to relieve himself: "No! I can't hold it in any longer!"

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