Mystery: The Undead Don't Die from Linking the Fire

Chapter 314 The Banquet

Saturday night, 8 p.m.

Klein instructed his butler, Walter, to prepare a fine carriage, and together with the newly arrived Ember, they traveled to the residence of Senator Macht at 39 Berklund Street.

"Would you like something to drink?" Klein asked, looking at Ember across from him.

Inside the carriage was a small bar, where the butler Walter had prepared distilled spirits such as Château Lafite Rothschild and Winter Blackland, as well as various red and white wines from Intis.

Ember gave Klein a strange look and said:

"Black tea bar."

Upon hearing this, Klein personally poured him a cup of black tea with lemon slices.

Richardson, the personal servant standing to the side, hesitated to speak, after all, this kind of work should originally be done by servants like him.

Yu Jin took a sip of black tea and suddenly asked curiously:

"How much did this carriage cost?"

Klein shrugged and said:

"If I had bought it, it would have cost around £300. Unfortunately, I rented it, so it only cost me £88."

His expression showed no sign of anything amiss, after all, his personal servant Richardson was still there.

Given his cultivated image as a wealthy man, he shouldn't appear too stingy in front of his servants, as that would affect his neighbors' opinion of him.

However, it only takes less than ten minutes to walk from his house to Congressman Macht's house.

If it weren't for the need to maintain appearances and the fact that he had already rented a carriage and hired a driver, Klein would have preferred to walk there to digest his food and improve his health.

It took two and a half minutes for the carriage to arrive smoothly at the residence of Congressman Macht at 39 Berklund Street.

Klein glanced at the fountain reflecting the lights through the splashing water, then stepped down from the carriage while buttoning his tailcoat and walked slowly toward the front door of the house. Richardson, carrying a beautifully packaged bottle of South Wales red wine, followed closely behind his employer and his friend, not daring to overtake them.

Upon entering the gate, Klein immediately saw Councilor Morimacht and his wife, Ms. Liana, coming to greet him. The former was dressed in an olive-green army officer's uniform with an orange sash and several medals on his chest. In the Kingdom of Loen, active or retired officers often wore their military uniforms to balls.

The latter wore a long yellow dress without a stand-up collar, with many ruffles and little delicate lace, unlike an unmarried woman. However, it also revealed her fair neck and half of her shoulder.

Klein took the bottle of Southville red wine from his personal servant Richardson, handed it to Congressman Macht, and then bowed, saying:

"Sorry I'm a few minutes late."

This is actually a common situation at Luen banquets. Guests would rather be a little late than early, because the host may still be busy making final preparations for the banquet. It is not appropriate to entertain guests at such a time. Of course, being late should be kept within ten minutes.

If Vahana hadn't specifically taught him this basic knowledge, Klein would certainly have arrived earlier, more politely.

"It's alright, the ball hasn't officially started yet." Macht glanced at the bottle of Nyonville red wine in his hand, handed it to his personal servant, and nodded with a smile.

In the high society of Ruen, when attending a banquet hosted by someone for the first time, it is customary to present the host with a small gift. Among these gifts, alcoholic beverages are the most popular, but it is important to remember that the first gift should be a domestic one.

After greeting the master of the house, Klein looked at Lady Liana and saw her slightly raise her right hand. He stepped forward, took her hand, bent down, and gave it a light kiss, saying:

"Your radiance illuminated the entire ball."

Before the banquet begins, compliments to the host are one of the few occasions in Ruen's social settings where subtlety is not required. Unlike Intis, in Ruen, the kiss on the hand must be made by the lady first before the gentleman can proceed; otherwise, it is considered a serious breach of etiquette.

"The same goes for your arrival," Lady Liana replied with a smile.

Congressman Macht looked at the embers beside Klein and asked curiously:

"Who is this?"

The other person's attire clearly did not resemble that of a servant, especially since the other person had already brought a personal male servant, so this person could only be a friend of 'Dawn Dantes'.

But the question is, hasn't Mr. Dantès only been in Backlund for a short time? Has he already made a friend so quickly?

Klein introduced with a smile:

"Viscount Ash Black, he was from Backlund, but I met him once in Southwell."

"Viscount?"

Representative Macht's eyes immediately changed, and he extended his hand to Ember, saying warmly:

"Welcome, Viscount Black."

"Thanks."

Ember politely shook his hand, then smiled and said:

"However, I must correct you. I am not from Backlund. I am from Wintershire and have only been in Backlund for less than a year."

Representative Macht's expression shifted slightly, a hint of understanding flashing in his eyes.

Although he was merely a councilor without a title of his own, given his position, he was quite familiar with the upper nobility of Rune. In terms of his influence, Viscount Black seemed to be an outsider.

But if it's from Wintershire, that might explain why they didn't make a public statement beforehand.

and……

A viscount from Wintershire means that he has close ties with the Church of the Night!

As for whether the other party is a real viscount?

There is no doubt about this; the noble demeanor of Viscount Black cannot be faked.

Moreover, Dawn Dantes had no reason to tell such an easily exposed lie, which would only ruin his reputation among his neighbors and make it difficult for him to establish himself in the North End, or even in Backlund.

Councilor Macht glanced at Klein and saw that the man was wearing an awkward but polite smile, clearly unaware that Viscount Black was from Wintershire and was embarrassed by his incorrect introduction.

This is enough to show that they are not very close, and perhaps, as Dawn Dantes said, they only met once.

Of course, the fact that the other party was able to invite a viscount, and that the viscount was willing to accept the invitation, shows that their relationship was definitely not limited to a "one-time encounter".

Thinking of this, Congressman Macht immediately changed the subject to ease Mr. Dantès's embarrassment:

"Viscount Black, are you married?"

Ember shook his head and said:

Not yet.

Congressman Macht's eyes lit up, and he exchanged a glance with his wife. The couple then led Klein and Ember through the doorway and into the hall, where the melodious music already echoed.

After taking a few steps forward, Maurice Macht pointed to a young woman in a sky-blue dress and said:

"My daughter, Hazel."

"This is Dawn Dantes, our new neighbor."

Klein then looked at the girl, smiled and nodded.

He knew the girl; to be precise, he had seen her image in the mirror in which Arodes was an incarnation.

He had once inquired about the whereabouts of the demigods through the "Thief" route, and one of the scenes involved a haughty young woman wandering in the sewers. This was none other than Hazel Macht, a lady with long, wavy dark green hair and bright, deep brown eyes.

He didn't see the demigod's true face in the sewers, and due to time constraints, he couldn't ask Arodes for more details. But the demigod was most likely parasitizing Miss Hazel's body, just like the poet classmate.

This explains why Miss Hazel suddenly became an Extraordinary; after all, given her parents' status and position, they were not yet at the point where they could cultivate Extraordinary individuals on a large scale.

As for the other party lingering in the sewers, perhaps it was at the request of that demigod.

Klein brought Ember to the dinner party at Senator Macht's house so that he could meet Miss Hazel.

Klein instantly thought of many questions, but outwardly remained calm, placing his hand on his chest and bowing:

"Good evening, Miss Hazel."

During this process, he subtly glanced at Heyrmacht's face and noticed that the young woman had a calm expression and haughty eyes, responding only with a polite smile:

Good evening, Mr. Dantès.

Senator Macht continued, pointing to the embers:

"This is Viscount Black."

A hint of surprise flashed in Hazel's eyes as she whispered:

"Good evening, Your Excellency Viscount."

Maher nodded with considerable satisfaction. His earlier inquiry about Ember's marital status was both to help Dawn Dantes out of a predicament and to ask his daughter.

His daughter was quite arrogant, looking down on boys her age, either considering them too immature or hopeless. Dawn Dantes was an excellent gentleman, but unfortunately, he was too old; otherwise, he would have been a good match.

However, among the friends invited by the other party, Viscount Black is undoubtedly a better choice!

Not only is he the same age as Hazel, but he is also a viscount at a young age, with a promising future.

If we can bring them together, it will be a good thing for both Hazel and her family.

Klein took a glass of pale gold champagne from the tray held by a waiter and began to speak with Senator Morimacht:

"I never imagined you, Congressman, were once a major."

This can be seen from the epaulets on MP Macht's shoulder straps.

If the other party were a colonel, Klein would suspect that this gentleman was also an extraordinary being, but it's hard to say with a major.

"Haha, this is nothing. There are plenty of opportunities to make a name for yourself in East Bailang."

Maurice Macht responded modestly, "Of course, the climate there is also very difficult to adapt to. I have been suggesting to the army leadership that special uniforms be designed for East and West Bayron, eliminating the traditional dark colors, otherwise the officers will feel like beef on a grill."

As for the soldiers, they mostly wore red on top and white on the bottom.

"Yes, the climate there is completely different from that in China. Even Dixi Bay is not that hot."

Klein hinted that he had been to the Southern Continent and to one of the Eastern and Western Byron, which corroborated his hunting experience mentioned a few days earlier.

While exchanging pleasantries, the two tacitly moved away from the scene, intending to give the time to the two young people—

Congressman Macht intends to matchmake Viscount Black with his daughter, but the final decision rests with his daughter's wishes.

Klein thought the same way. He wanted Ember to get close to Hazel and see if he could find an opportunity to kill the demigod without alerting anyone else.

Hazel shifted her gaze from her parents, who were engrossed in conversation with Dawn Dantes, and glanced at the young man beside her. Suddenly, she asked:

"Viscount Black, you don't seem to be a native of Backlund?"

Ember took a glass of red wine from the tray carried by the waiter and nodded slightly:

"I come from Winter County."

"Winter County?"

A hint of surprise, and a hidden unease, flashed in Hazel's eyes.

Her parents were devout followers of the Church of the Night; otherwise, they wouldn't have chosen to settle in the North District, and the bishop of St. Samuel's Church would often visit them. Hazel herself was also a follower of the Church of the Night, though not as devout as her parents.

The most important reason is that she has her own little secret. And Winter County happens to be the headquarters of the Church of the Night.

So, could this Viscount Black in front of us also be an extraordinary person?

Just as she was feeling uneasy, the girl suddenly heard a gentle voice behind her:

"Lord Ash, it's been a long time."

Hazel subconsciously turned her head and saw a clergyman in a double-breasted black robe and his female companion behind her. The clergyman appeared to be around forty years old, with deep blue eyes, a thin face, and features that were not particularly handsome, yet somehow pleasing to the eye.

Hazel recognized him; he was a clergyman at the Church of St. Samuel, Bishop Elektra.

It was not unusual for the bishop to visit their home frequently.

Most members of parliament and nobles would receive regular visits from bishops, while those of high status would even be visited personally by Archbishop St. Anthony.

But what was happening now clearly struck Hazel as unusual.

Ember looked at the bishop walking towards them, smiled, raised his glass in a toast, and said half-jokingly:

"Bishop Elektra, I remember we just met last month, didn't we?"

Elektra paused for a moment, then said helplessly:

"Your Excellency Ash, you must know that compared to believers who go to church to pray every week, a month is a very long time."

As she spoke, Bishop Elektra began to introduce her female companion:

"My wife, Shauna Jensen."

"This is Viscount Ash Black, who is also a devout believer of the goddess."

Shauna Jensen greeted him politely, and Ember responded politely in return.

Just then, Congressman Macht suddenly walked over and asked curiously:

"Bishop Elektra, did you know each other before?"

"We've met a few times."

Bishop Elektra smiled and said:

"Last month, Your Excellency Ash visited Archbishop St. Anthony at St. Samuel Church, but since the Archbishop was not in the church at the time, I was the one who received Your Excellency Ash."

Macht caught his breath, because he suddenly realized that he had still underestimated the identity of the Ember!

Bishop Elektra had only said that he had "met a few times," and he assumed that they were just ordinary believers and bishops.

However, the way the other party addressed him changed his mind—a bishop of the Church of the Night would not address a follower of the Night as "Your Excellency," which meant that this Viscount Black's status was at least equal to that of Bishop Elektra, or even above him!

The next sentence was even more unbelievable to Congressman Machte: What does it mean to visit Archbishop St. Anthony?

(End of this chapter)