Contrary to Maggie's expectations, the so-called banquet in the border town was rather primitive.
There was no grand banquet hall, only a castle that was barely made entirely of stone as the venue. A group of people sat around long tables in the castle hall, drinking ale and eating grilled steaks.
The hall was noisy and chaotic, filled with the clinking of glasses and boisterous voices of soldiers celebrating. Surprisingly, the atmosphere was harmonious in this rather simple setting.
Perhaps due to the scarcity of resources, there wasn't even a decent piece of fruit on the table.
When Charles saw Maggie walk into the castle hall again, he smiled somewhat embarrassedly and went up to her apologetically.
“This place is not like Santa Fe City, there is no particularly precious food here, but it can still feed Your Highness if Your Highness does not mind.”
His statement was so simple that Maggie almost laughed.
and......
Maggie looked at herself, who had dressed up carefully, and then at the soldiers around her, who were mostly unconventional and casual. She was both amused and exasperated.
Sure enough, she was too prejudiced. The soldiers on the frontier had to fight every day, and compared to the pampered nobles, they would definitely be less concerned about their appearance.
The so-called banquet was just a grand celebration after the victory, and her elaborate attire seemed completely out of place.
Perhaps sensing Maggie's gaze, Charles immediately understood.
"It is because our people are too rough that Your Highness has made us laugh."
This very high level of emotional intelligence transformed Maggie's mistake into their fault.
Maggie nodded to Charles. By this time, many soldiers' eyes were focused on her. Fortunately, most of their gazes were filled with amazement and admiration, which did not make Maggie feel uncomfortable.
This is probably also an acknowledgment of Maggie's ability to turn the tide.
Maggie cleared her throat, looked at the mages and swordsmen fighting desperately for the border city, and forcefully raised the glass in front of her. Beer overflowed from the glass, but she didn't care. Instead, she looked at everyone loudly and said.
"Don't worry about me, I hope you all enjoy the night."
After saying that, she drank the wine in her glass in one gulp and placed the glass on the table, making a dull clinking sound.
Although she made a small mistake, she didn't want to be a spoilsport. So, she decided to go with the flow and, while she couldn't be too unrestrained, she could still have a drink.
As Maggie thought to herself, cheers erupted throughout the arena.
"Your Highness is so generous!"
"As expected of Her Highness the Holy Maiden! She's actually willing to drink with us!"
"I did it too!"
In an instant, all the soldiers in the hall toasted Maggie with a glass of wine. Here, there was no distinction between men and women; everyone was a fighter for the border, proud of each and every victory.
Maggie smiled and nodded to everyone before looking at Charles again.
"Perhaps you are right. If I hadn't come, I wouldn't have been able to see such a group of sincere souls."
Her voice was soft and not loud, but it still made Charles pause for a moment.
"Your Highness, you seem... different from the previous Holy Maiden in some way?"
He seemed to be asking Maggie, or perhaps he was talking to himself. In the noisy hall, Maggie almost didn't hear him.
However, Maggie couldn't help but laugh at these words.
"Actually, there's no difference."
Maggie didn't know anything about the previous saintess and couldn't make an evaluation, but if she had to say something, it was probably because she had a strong will to survive.
"Haha, Your Highness is joking."
Charles seemed to realize that his words were somewhat inappropriate, so he laughed it off and moved on from the topic.
For the rest of the time, Maggie stopped drinking and only chatted occasionally with the legion commanders, except for Devon.
Throughout the entire process, Devon did not approach her or speak to her.
I don't know if it's because she dislikes her or for some other reason, but Maggie doesn't care.
But when she learned that Devon was the only one who believed she could potentially replace the core of the magic circle, a strange feeling arose in Maggie's heart.
This might mean... your enemy knows you better than your teammates?
Maggie found it a little funny.
Perhaps because there were too many people in the castle hall and the air was not circulating, Maggie felt a little short of breath after staying there for a while. So she didn't stay in the hall for the rest of the event, but went to the second-floor terrace and stood by the railing to enjoy the breeze.
Maggie could feel a slight warmth on her cheek, which was probably due to the glass of wine.
It seems this body is not very tolerant of alcohol; I must never drink recklessly again.
She's so incompetent that a single beer can make her face flush.
Maggie thought to herself, then pouted, looking a little unhappy.
Slightly tipsy, Maggie's face was flushed and her head was a little dizzy. Her unhappiness was slightly revealed, and she could no longer maintain her usual pretense.
Perkin, who was hiding in the shadows, noticed that something was wrong with Maggie and immediately appeared in front of her, fearing that someone might threaten Maggie's safety.
Maggie was dazed, her eyes more hazy than usual. Looking at the tall, upright man in front of her, who looked no different from her bodyguard, she inexplicably recalled the abs she had touched in the Tomb of the False God that day, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously curved into a smile.
Fortunately, she was somewhat restrained and did not show any exaggerated expressions.
"Perkin, you'd better train hard from now on. I need your help a lot. I still have the Duke's mansion to take down. Once I've taken down my dear father, I'll let you go. Don't be in a hurry."
Maggie sensed that Maggie was a little dazed, and that she was speaking less cautiously than usual, becoming even more unrestrained.
Although she tried her best to regain her senses, she couldn't help but reveal some of her innermost thoughts, as if this would help her release some pressure.
Even her outspoken words were carefully crafted, revealing little of her true feelings; she merely complained about her mood and attempted to reassure Perkin by making empty promises.
The result was... Perkin's expression darkened almost imperceptibly for a moment.
Maggie's idea of a "big deal" actually upset others.
"You are my master, I will not leave you."
Perkin's voice was slightly deep, with a hint of hoarseness at the end.
"Don't joke around... You'll leave sooner or later, and I can't be your master forever."
Maggie laughed and waved her hand, ignoring Perkin's words.
Greysius will reclaim his godhood sooner or later; she doesn't have the power to make a god her slave, so why is she indulging in wishful thinking?
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