Cornflower Witch

Chapter 405 The Fox Family's Banquet

In May, there were only two months left until the college entrance examinations in July.

"Hedra, someone is looking for you."

After lunch, Siltia was about to return to her classroom to study when someone came looking for her.

Who is the other party?

"He was waiting for you in the reception room. He seemed to be from a large family," the student recalled briefly.

“I understand.” Hilti nodded and then walked over.

After walking through the corridor, we arrived at the reception room on one side of the school. The door was open, and a well-dressed butler was standing inside waiting.

"Hello." Hiltiya walked in.

"Hello, you must be Miss Hedra, right?" The other person immediately walked over enthusiastically. Underneath her high-end black vest was a well-fitting white shirt that looked quite expensive.

“Yes, that’s me.” The girl nodded, noticing the special emblem embroidered on the other person’s chest, resembling a fiery red fox tail.

"I am Dawson, the butler of the Fox family. I am here to invite you to a banquet held next week at 'Night Fragrance' on behalf of our young lady." As he spoke, he took out an exquisite invitation with handwritten words in black ink.

"Who is your young lady?" Hiltiya couldn't remember who she was for a moment.

"It's our Fox family's second young lady, Walnut." Upon hearing this name, Siltiia immediately recalled the eldest young lady she had briefly met.

"Originally, the second young lady was also supposed to live in the dormitory on Narcissus Street, but she preferred her aunt Mared, so she went to stay with Mrs. Mared and missed contact with you."

"Ah, so she's the student who didn't come." Hiltiya now understood why one of the four dorm rooms had been empty and why the school hadn't arranged for anyone else to come.

Although Hu Tao didn't live with them, the school didn't dare to change the place assigned on the registration form, lest they offend that young lady. What if she wanted to come back and live there again? So they simply left it empty.

Actually, this made things easier for the three of them, since one less person meant more space, and they were already used to it. If another person were to be added suddenly, they would feel uncomfortable.

"I see."

"In that case, I'll take my leave now. By the way, you can stay in your dormitory that evening, and we'll send someone and a carriage to pick you up." After giving these instructions, the other party bowed to Siltiya with his hat to his head, and then took his leave.

Holding the invitation, Hiltiya seemed lost in thought.

It's unclear whether it was Miss Walnut's idea on a whim or the Fox family's intention. Perhaps they saw her growing fame and, since the two had met once before, wanted to cultivate a relationship with her.

Setting aside these thoughts for the moment, Hiltiya returned to the classroom to continue her studies.

——Nighttime·Scallion Street——

The bustling market and streets are filled with the sounds of vendors hawking their wares. The air is filled with the aroma of barbecue and other foods. There are numerous street stalls and restaurants. Compared to upscale restaurants and hotels, this place is more affordable and inexpensive. Many ordinary people and poor students from the Asla district will take the opportunity to come here for a good meal.

"Roasted mutton from Pom, 8 copper coins a skewer~"

"Garlic snails, an absolutely rare delicacy, 10 copper coins a box."

"Black Pine Honey Wine, sweet to your heart, only 10 copper coins."

"Mumulan Red Pig Rice Bowl, 7 copper coins a bowl, cheap and delicious!"

The aroma of charcoal wafted through the crowd, and the people coming and going crowded the streets, leaving no room for horse-drawn carriages. Fortunately, horse-drawn carriages were not usually used here. Walking through the streets, you could see not only students who had come out to enjoy the night market, but also many laborers who had finished their work and were sitting at roadside stalls, eating heartily and making loud, satisfying noises.

Originally, this place was a wholesale market for ingredients and spices. Because it was close to the market, the restaurants in the surrounding area were cheaper than in other places, which attracted some people who were not well-off.

As more people dined here, the restaurants and stalls gradually expanded, eventually forming a unique night market, which is also the liveliest and most crowded place in the Asra district at night.

Such a bustling and diverse place naturally has its share of clandestine gangs and forces maintaining order. 'Fire Pig,' one of the four leaders of the Asura District's underworld, controls this place.

A servant dressed in rough linen clothes crossed the street and entered a bustling restaurant. After greeting the staff, he quickly went to the kitchen.

"Is the tomahawk steak I ordered ready yet? Hurry up!" He came in with an arrogant tone, then picked up the roast meat that was already laid out on the plate next to him and stuffed it into his mouth. Then he rubbed oil on his clothes, picked up the chilled lemon wine that was being prepared in the kitchen, and gulped it down.

When the dozen or so people working in the kitchen saw him, they dared not offend him. One of the chefs, wearing a hat, hurried over to him in a fawning manner.

"Ready, ready, right here, I'll bring it to you." With that, he waved behind him, and then two helpers worked together to bring over a large plate with three large, beautifully shaped, axe-like steaks, sizzling and dripping with oil.

Smelling the aroma, the rough-hewn servant took a deep breath and nodded.

"Sure," he smiled, but still didn't take it. Just then, another chef came over and stuffed some coins into his pocket. He weighed them in his hand before finally taking the nearly twenty-pound steak and holding it in his arms.

"Find me a lid."

"Yes, yes." The kitchen helper immediately found a clean, large lid and helped to cover it.

"Okay, I'm leaving." He picked up the large plate and quickly left the restaurant.

Although his clothes were rough and simple, and he was covered in sweat, the waiter's hands were exceptionally steady. He made his way through the crowded people without knocking off the lids on the trays, and kept shouting "Make way!" as he walked into the depths of the night market.

A few minutes later, he made his way through the crowd to the back of the market, where torches were lit, many laborers were unloading goods, and strong orcs were patrolling and guarding to prevent theft.

"Get out of the way quickly, or the food inside will get cold, and you can't afford to offend us." The servant shouted as he walked in, even though there was plenty of space in front of him.

Upon seeing him approach, the group of dirty laborers who had been unloading goods immediately hid to the side, carefully avoiding him and making room for him.

Seeing the fear on these people's faces, the servant raised his neck, a smug look on his face, and strode over.

He walked through the heavy fences and guarded gates, and finally, with the help of the guards, opened a heavy cover and entered the underground passage.

The stone steps here are smooth and don't look newly built; they must have been used for many years. Although this is an underground passage, it is not narrow at all. Instead, it is like an underground fortress with spacious rooms. Along the way, you can also see some places where guards live and rest.

The further you go in, the more luxurious the guards' equipment becomes. At first, they were just ordinary iron armor and spiked clubs, but the pigman guards at the very back are now equipped with full steel armor and black steel axes.

The tall guard standing at the last gate picked up the lid to inspect it, then waved his hand, letting the servant in.

Through the crack in the door, a wave of intense heat emanated from inside; the temperature was several degrees higher than outside, and there was an indescribable body odor.

Faced with this situation, the servant lowered his head as much as possible, held his breath, and walked quickly until he reached the foot of the huge stone seat, where he respectfully handed over the plate.

"Sir, your steak has arrived," he said cautiously.

Then someone opened the lid and handed the tomahawk steak inside to that large, rough hand. The more than seven-pound steak was torn off in one go, swallowed, and made a slurping sound.

Hearing the sounds of chewing and eating coming from above, the servant finally breathed a sigh of relief and dared to slowly raise his head to peek at the huge figure sitting on the stone seat on the ground.

The other party's skin was dark red like fire, covered with coarse bristles of varying lengths. The fat on its belly jiggled like melted butter. Its body, which was over four meters tall, weighed several thousand kilograms. On its neck was a huge head like a pig. At this moment, it was quickly gnawing on a steak, one bite at a time, devouring the delicious roasted meat inside.

This is the underground king of Scallion Street, one of the four leaders of the Asura District, known as "Fire Pig," named for his dark red skin.

After finishing his meal, the leg bone that had been carelessly tossed aside spun in the air before landing beside the servant, splattering crumbs and grease. The servant then knelt on the ground, carefully collecting the three leg bones he had finished eating, placing them on his plate, covering it, and leaving.

The underground room fell silent again, and the burning brazier cast an even larger and swaying shadow on the figure on the stone seat.

The other person's greasy fingers clenched and unclenched, supporting their fat-covered cheek, and then released and released them again.

"That guy Four Fingers, he's still alive." His rough voice echoed like muffled thunder in the underground room.

"Yes, but it will be soon. I've already bribed that greedy woman next to him to put a special poison in his food." From the shadows, a figure with a thick, long beak emerged, his face as wrinkled as a vulture's neck.

"Heh." The figure on the stone seat let out a disdainful snort, seemingly looking down on such underhanded tactics.

"Fine, if he doesn't die, I'll find someone else to take care of him."

"But what about the 'Dragon Eye' treasure I asked for? If we have that, we can start the feast."

“Your Majesty, as you know, dragons have become extinct on the continent since the Eighth Era. Those that remain either migrated to the ‘Dragon Kingdom’ in the Heavenly Courtyard or died in some deserted corner.” The short figure beside him shook his head.

"Ha, I'm not here to hear your reasons."

"By finding a fourth-tier 'Dragon Eye' attribute treasure and completing the 'Feast Ritual,' not only will I be able to advance in rank, but you will all also receive many benefits."

After listening, the bird-beaked figure beside him sighed.

"I understand." He replied, paused, and then continued.

"Perhaps we can find some clues by starting with the Fox family."

"Their ancestors once initiated a fifth-level 'Feast Ceremony.' After completing the ceremony, which was then known as the 'Feast of the Fox,' all members of the family achieved advancement."

(End of this chapter)