"I don't think we'll get lost."

Hearing Hudgens' words from the driver's seat, Todd looked around, shrank back, and nodded slightly: "I think so too..."

Three royal guard knights led the way, flanked by sixteen heavy infantry on each side, and followed by eight light cavalry. Todd's five-horse carriage was sandwiched in the middle.

Huggins glanced at the knight's badge out of the corner of his eye and muttered, "It seems we've been watched as soon as we got close to Silver Ring City, otherwise the Queen wouldn't have appeared so soon after we entered the cathedral."

Todd looked at the crowd pointing and whispering about the "strange group" on the street, his mind still replaying Bishop Fabian's earlier instructions.

"Listen, Todd! Whatever happens, be patient! Be restrained! Of the three former bishops here, one died in a fall from his horse, one drowned while drunk, and the other is still missing. These so-called nobles and royalty are descendants of barbarians; cruelty and greed are their true nature! To live, you must be patient! Learn restraint!"

Todd glanced back at the five truckloads of grafted roses behind him and gritted his teeth.

The banquet was held at the new residence of the Minister of the Interior and Finance. Numerous luxurious carriages were parked at the entrance, and male servants and maids were constantly coming and going, giving Todd the illusion of returning to a banquet in his previous life.

But what happened next quickly brought him back to reality.

A gaunt man dressed in tattered clothes, urged on by the whip behind him, walked to Todd's carriage, knelt down with a thud, bent his back, pressed his forehead to the dirt, and curled up beside the carriage.

Todd's eyes widened as he looked up at another nobleman's carriage not far away. A burly man stepped out of the carriage and stomped on the thin woman who was being used as a "human footrest." The woman's back was bent over by the weight of his foot, but she felt no pain, no sadness; her face showed only numbness and despair.

“These people are civilians from the northern barbarians captured by the army…” Huggins said softly.

Todd understood the deeper meaning in the other person's words. Overwhelmed by a sense of powerlessness, he closed his eyes, sighed, grabbed the handrails of the carriage, avoided the man on the ground, and jumped directly to the ground.

The servant who came to greet them saw that Huggins had also jumped down, and reached out to stop the latter from following, saying slowly, "Only Father Todd was invited to the dinner."

Todd gave the furious Huggins a look to calm him down, then turned and followed the servants into the mansion.

Stepping into the hall, a strong sense of incongruity immediately strikes you. The columned palace from the ancient Tauro period, paired with the rough and unrestrained gold and silver ornaments of the North, makes the entire space look less like a noble's residence and more like a den of treasure.

The drinks and dishes were served by servants in large platters, most of which were things Todd had never heard of before. Anyone who needed them only had to nod or raise their hand, and someone would bring them small plates of food.

Todd glanced at the banquet attendees; most were young, and judging from their attire and demeanor, they were all likely from noble families. This place was indeed unsuitable for him. He began searching for Queen Mary while simultaneously considering an excuse to leave.

In fact, finding the Queen was quite simple. In a banquet hall spanning thousands of square meters, the most distinguished guests naturally sat in the most prominent positions. Todd effortlessly spotted Queen Mary in the very center, seated in the main seat and surrounded by a large group of noble ladies.

“Your Majesty the Queen…” Todd tried to take a few steps forward, but was blocked by several female officials several meters away. He turned his head and saw a group of men, just like him, who were kept on the outside.

Just as he was completely bewildered and unsure of what was going on, that melodious voice rang in his ears again: "Welcome, Mr. Todd."

Queen Mary's speech immediately drew everyone's attention, and whispers filled the hall.

"Look, it's him! He defeated the pirates and retrieved the crystal relic!"

"Is this the holy son who was judged as a heretic?"

"I heard that at his sermon, he called us madmen who only knew about war!"

The queen ignored the sounds around her, clapped her hands, and the maids brought out a wooden table with a pot of colorful roses on it.

People's emotions were reignited, and exclamations of admiration, curiosity, and questions filled the air.

“Mr. Todd, I’ve heard that this rose bush is from Muxi Town. Could you tell me more about it?” In response to Queen Mary’s question, the priest resorted to the usual tales of divine blessing and miracles, which sparked another round of discussion among the crowd.

A young man with a small mustache, wearing a wool shawl and a large gold ornament around his waist walked up to Todd, smiled sideways, and said, "Let me introduce myself first. I am Viscount Kennard, the host of this dinner. Father, since you've come all this way, why don't you join us for some 'entertainment'?"

Todd sneered inwardly, "You greedy bunch, finally couldn't hold back anymore?"

While feigning reluctance, Todd reluctantly sat down at a round table placed in the center of the hall.

What Todd took out next from the sterling silver box surprised him.

Playing cards.

Seeing the other party's surprised expression, Viscount Kennard, with a satisfied look, began to introduce the so-called "entertainment": "The game we're going to play next is called 'Knights and Pirates,' which is currently the most popular thing in Silver Ring City."

"The rules may be a bit complicated for you, but they will be much simpler once you get the hang of them." Todd felt a mix of amusement and exasperation as he listened to the Viscount explain the card-playing rules he had set.

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