The castle servants were busy setting up the square.

Aresia arrived at Martha, who was in charge of commanding the preparations, and Luna, who had been assigned to assist her in learning.

However, when they noticed the attention they were receiving, they were stopped.

Although the square was crowded, some people chose to stay away from the teleportation array. They didn’t know what the array was for, and they didn’t dare to approach it.

As their attention shifted, they discussed where they would be staying. Afterward, they turned their attention to the preparations for the evening banquet.

They knew that the Duke and the accompanying troops had rushed back at a fast pace, so they hadn’t had much time to rest or eat. They had been surviving on dried meat or hard biscuits that were as tough as stones. They hadn’t even had a sip of hot water.

Although they didn’t know why the Duke had returned in such a hurry, one thing was certain: the situation in the Duke’s territory was not good. They didn’t complain, and they didn’t question why. It was their duty, and they were willing to bear it. Besides, many knights in the Gryphon Legion weren’t nobles, so when they were promoted, they didn’t receive any special rewards.

The rewards were usually given to the Duke’s territory. Although their territory wasn’t located near the castle but around the five cities, the Duke’s territory wasn’t passed down to the next generation. It was their property, and even few of their close friends and family members lived in the Duke’s territory. They couldn’t go back even if they wanted to.

However, they were relieved to hear that it wasn’t dangerous magic array. It seemed strange to have it directly placed on the square.

“Yes, it’s probably a defensive formation.”

Their attention quickly shifted to discussing the food for tonight’s banquet.

They had come back hastily, so they hadn’t had time to rest or eat. They hadn’t eaten well, surviving on dried meat and hard biscuits. They were eager for a good meal.

“Sea beast meat? I haven’t had that in a long time.”

“Who hasn’t? We’ve been craving it for a while.”

Sea beasts lived in the sea, and the eastern border of the Holy Lotean Empire was close to the sea. The troops stationed on the border were rotated every few months, and it was rare for them to come to the sea. Even when they did, it was difficult to encounter high-level sea beasts. They were usually sold to the nobles by the stationed troops. Although the castle might have stock, it probably wasn’t enough for everyone. It was unlikely that the knights would have a chance to eat it.

Some were interested in the sea beast meat’s level. “Is it level three or four?”

In a teasing tone, someone laughed, “Who knows, maybe it’s level five.”

Someone rolled their eyes in disbelief. “Don’t dream. We’re only three thousand people. Where would we get high-level sea beast meat? We don’t even know how to catch sea beasts. Level five and above are usually difficult to encounter in the deep sea. Even if there are some reckless ones swimming close to the shore, they are sold to the stationed troops. The castle might have some stock, but it probably won’t be enough for us knights.”

Others nodded in agreement. “Actually, having level three or four sea beast meat is already good. The Duke’s territory is directly adjacent to the sea, but we can’t catch sea beasts ourselves.”

“Yes, I’m a land knight. I haven’t spent much time near the sea.”

They recalled the sea beasts they had encountered before when they were stationed near the sea, and some still felt the fear.

Sea beasts were powerful, and they couldn’t be compared to the human standard. Riding them wasn’t a feasible option either. The knights wondered if there were any human knights who had made a contract with a sea beast. They were probably afraid of being carried by them and drowned when they dived into the water for a long time.

As they gathered in small groups, discussing various topics, the preparations for the banquet were almost complete.

The Duke entered the dining hall with his son. The others had already arrived and were standing at their assigned seats, waiting for the Duke’s arrival. During this time, they tried to catch a glimpse of an unfamiliar figure at one of the tables.

Indeed, it was rare to see someone at the dining table who completely covered their face. Other mages were not like this.

Moreover, the position where this unfamiliar guest was seated surprised them.

There were special rules for seating at this formal dinner. The closer the guests were to the male host on both ends, the more prestigious their positions. The guests in the middle were of lower status. In the case of the Duke’s presence, the closer they were to him, the more esteemed their positions. The other end was reserved for the female host.

It should have been the deputy legion commander who came with them sitting next to Frank. Logically speaking, Frank should have a higher status as a guest, considering that, apart from the Duke, Frank was the only one in the room who was a level seven mage, which was considered higher than the rank of a warrior of the same level.

However, this arrangement didn’t sit well with some of the higher-ranking officers. It was clear that they already knew the identity of the unfamiliar guest, and some of them were even more suspicious. They wondered if there was someone in the Duke’s territory with a higher status than Frank.

Aresia sat in the empty seat next to Isis. According to the usual protocol, Amos should have taken a few seats closer to help the Duke take care of the other guests. But among the seated guests, apart from Isis being Aresia’s teacher, and considering Aresia’s young age, it was not her responsibility to take care of the elder guests. So, Charles was arranged to sit next to Isis, which couldn’t have been a more suitable choice.

The Duke took his seat and, as tradition dictated, he raised his cup to exchange a few words with the highest-ranking guests. But when he saw Isis, who was Aresia’s clone, he couldn’t find the words to say. After an awkward silence, he raised his cup and said, “Welcome, Isis.”

Aresia smiled and raised her cup with the clone, making a toast with the Duke, and then pretended to take a sip. She portrayed the role of a reserved and taciturn mage perfectly.

Even though Isis didn’t eat anything, the whole time the slow-paced slicing of meat was being sent to Aresia’s plate, it attracted the attention of others.

In fact, their attention was quickly drawn to the food being served.

After enduring wind and weather on their journey, getting a good meal was a luxury for them. The meat placed on the table was level five, six, and even level seven sea beast meat. This surprised them, especially the level seven sea beast meat, which was difficult to come by. It was piled high on the table, and each person seemed to have a one-pound meat steak. The higher the level of the meat, the more delicious it was. No one bothered to investigate who the mysterious guest was; they were all captivated by the meat steaks.

On the square, the knights who were attending the banquet were astonished by the level five sea beast meat and some level six meat being served. Even the beast companions had their share!

At this moment, no one spoke. The key was to grab the meat before it ran out. If someone was a step too slow, they would be left with nothing.

Although there were servants reminding them that they had finished eating, some knights had already given up trying to grab the meat, as they had lost their dignity in the process.