That's not how you use a witch!

Chapter 32 A Joyful Feast

Ronan had already witnessed the grandeur of the banquet hall from the entrance, but once inside, he was still awestruck by its opulent splendor.

The walls are made of milky white jade, with exquisite reliefs extending from the entrance to the inner room, depicting scenes of war, hunting, safari, and even sacrifices. The floor is made of yellowish-brown marble, covered with a long red carpet, which makes one feel solemn when walking on it.

The crystal chandelier overhead illuminated the entire room; some cold dishes were already laid out on the table, and some early-arriving guests were chatting with each other, each of them exuding an elegant and aristocratic air.

Noticing Ronan's presence, some couldn't help but cast glances at him, some with surprise and others with disdain.

Ronan ignored them, because he was mentally calculating: if everything in this banquet hall were sold, how many more militia could be armed, how many more schools could be built, and how many more eggs could be boiled...

At the head of the table, he met the famous Duke of the West, Henry Frost.

It is said that this duke is about the same age as Vance, but Ronan has a completely different impression of him: his angular, square face and powerful physique suggest that the duke must have some martial arts skills. Rumor has it that he once single-handedly killed a level six evil beast, a feat unmatched in the entire Western Regions for a century.

"The Lord of Thorns pays his respects to the wise and mighty Duke of the West."

"No need for formalities. You're the Sterling boy, right?"

Looking at the young man before him, the Duke of the Western Frontier chuckled. "Indeed, a young man of extraordinary character. Come, have a seat."

And so, under the watchful eyes of all the nobles present, the baron, whose clothes were patched, sat down next to the dignified duke with a charming air.

Next, Henry announced the start of the banquet.

As the waiter served the dishes, he introduced the guests to Ronan one by one, and then introduced them to Ronan, the star of the banquet.

"Colleagues, today's banquet is not for singing and dancing or for formalities, but to celebrate a real and glorious achievement."

I'm sure everyone has heard about the recent rebellion in the North. The rebels drove out the defeated Allied troops westward, intending to destabilize our western borders and covet our territory. Thankfully, Lord Thorn intervened in time, uniting with the Mountain Territory to quell the uprising and spare our neighboring areas from unwarranted disaster.

Henry raised his glass and said in a measured tone, "Gentlemen, let us raise a glass to the courage of the Thorn Lord!"

The nobles at the table immediately stood up and raised their glasses, making Ronan feel a little smug—this was the first time he had ever put on such a high-class show since he transmigrated.

However, he could also tell that apart from the small and medium-sized lords and a few large lords who genuinely appreciated him, the marquises and earls did not think much of him, a mere baron.

This was not entirely due to their arrogance, but rather because in this world where information was scarce, the spread of news about the retreating soldiers was quite limited.

Apart from a few territories near the western border that knew a little more details, most of the inland territories only knew that a group of rebels had been dealt with by two border lords, and knew nothing else.

A very few cautious lords sent people to investigate the Dragon Valley, but because no battle took place, there were almost no traces left in the valley. This confirmed that it was just a "small remnant force," and that the lord of Thorns had only gained the duke's favor by ingratiating himself with the crowd.

After some polite praise, Humphrey, the lord of Purple Mist Territory, spoke first in a sarcastic tone: "Your courage is certainly commendable, but you should also pay attention to details. The Duke's banquet hall is not a shack in Thorn Territory; coming in patched clothes might be a bit inappropriate."

Upon hearing this, a small number of guests glanced at the marquis with displeasure; they were relatively low-ranking, peripheral lords.

Most people, including Henry, turned their curious gazes toward Ronan, observing his reaction.

"Uncle Humphrey is right."

Ronan did not argue back, but instead bowed his head in agreement, as if conceding defeat.

But after Humphrey's triumphant smile, he changed the subject, speaking in a tone tinged with grievance and helplessness:

"Just to quell the mutinous soldiers, the Thorn Territory risked everything, including myself, who went to the battlefield prepared to die. This outfit was accidentally torn during that time. I am just a minor baron, and I really don't have the extra money to buy another set of clothes without patches. I hope my seniors will understand. His wise Duke will surely understand my predicament."

Humphrey opened his mouth wide, speechless for a moment.

"Well said!"

Henry couldn't help but smile.

"We in the West have always prided ourselves on pragmatism and shamed falsehood. In my view, these patches are not a matter of disrespect, but rather the finest badges of honor!"

He then launched into a passionate speech: "Even a minor baron has such awareness, sparing no effort to defend the western borders; some of you here possess ten or a hundred times more wealth and resources, yet you indulge in pleasure and accomplish nothing. You are a disgrace to the western borders, worse than rats crossing the street, at least rats don't amass wealth."

Many lords blushed upon hearing this—although the Duke did not name names, they clearly understood that his words were directed at them.

After speaking, the Duke announced that he would reward the Thornholde with a batch of grain, cloth, and medicine as a reward.

Since their superiors had made it clear, those of them who had just been reprimanded naturally had to express their stance. If they couldn't even understand this hint, they could forget about surviving in elite circles in the future.

Consequently, lords of earldom and above followed suit, indicating that they would send gifts to the Thorn Territory to express their gratitude for its contributions to the Western Frontier.

Of course, they mainly sent food and daily necessities, rather than more valuable gold and silver treasures, and no one sent more than the Duke.

Nobles are always shrewd; a token gesture is enough, they won't actually spend money.

Ronan was thrilled, though, as these were all scarce resources for him. Even if they gave him gold and silver treasures, he wouldn't be able to easily resell them for cash!

What else is there to say? Thank you for nature's bounty!

Then, the Duke's tone became serious.

As Howard had predicted, the banquet was ostensibly a celebration of victory, but in reality a mobilization effort—the Duke pulled out a stack of letters, indicating that they were intelligence sent from the capital and the North.

After conquering the entire northern border, the rebels' next target will most likely be the western border. Aside from the cannon fodder and surrendered soldiers they've recruited along the way, their core force consists of elite border troops and barbarian mercenaries. Although numbering only around ten thousand, their fighting strength is formidable. If they launch a surprise attack, the western border will find it difficult to withstand.

The Duke also allowed Ronan to express his views and his suggestions on defense and preparations for war.

Finally, the Duke urged all the lords to be vigilant, take active precautions, and unite to resist the rebel army's advance.

The lords present had varying expressions; some wore the same solemn look, some were fearful and uneasy, and some were indifferent.

In their minds, rebellion was a matter for the North, and now that they've become the ones caught in the crossfire, they haven't reacted immediately, or perhaps subconsciously they're unwilling to react.

But one thing is certain: once they enter a state of war preparedness, their lives will certainly not be as comfortable as they are now. Not only will they have to relinquish some power, but they will also have to pay a lot of blood, which is something that no nobleman can accept.

Moreover, no matter what, almost half a month has passed since the incident of the routed soldiers, and there hasn't been a trace of the rebels.

What if the rebels don't manage to break through in the end? Wouldn't all their blood donations have been for nothing?

Therefore, Ronan discovered that the subsequent events at the banquet unfolded exactly as Howard had predicted:

The lords were very enthusiastic, on the one hand further affirming the achievements of the Thorn Territory, and on the other hand expressing that they would pay close attention to the movements of the rebels—the matter of providing funds and manpower was still under discussion.

In short: the attitude is great, but you don't need to worry about the actions.

"Since you have all come prepared, I won't keep rambling on."

Henry was visibly disheartened and clearly very disappointed with this bunch of good-for-nothings.

Unlike the lords whose minds were filled with nothing but scheming and intrigue, Henry, as the ruler of the West, had intelligence from the capital and informants in the North, and knew that the rebels were up to no good.

However, his power was also limited, and he couldn't force the lords to prepare for war. Ultimately, the lords' private armies were only responsible to their lords, not to the so-called overall situation in the Western Frontier.

Therefore, Henry had no choice but to reiterate the fundamental obligations inherent to lords, requiring each territory to maintain a minimum number of standing troops and to be on high alert.

The lords praised the Duke's wisdom, and the banquet concluded in a harmonious atmosphere...

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