The dinner was moved to the next day, in the morning. Lord Daron thought it was odd to have a banquet in the morning, heavy eating and drinking would surely impair the court shortly after?
The banquet was held in one of the six towers on the divine level, the one right next to the throne tower, on the left. The hall was upstairs and had a glass ceiling where the sun shone through and drenched the space in light.
Lord Daron was escorted to the hall alongside Lord Kardo, his roommate.
“These Pirunese spare no expense,” Lord Kardo remarked on entering the hall “This is beautiful.”
“The glass roof is amazing, I have to say. I’m not sure I’ve seen anyone do this in Aku’anda” Lord Daron replied.
“Ha!” Lord Kardo laughed. “We don’t value architecture back home unfortunately. Everyone is obsessed with spells and trinkets. People are chasing shiny objects. They won’t build a legacy into edificies.”
“Perhaps we could drive this,” Lord Daron remarked. “I will bring it up at our next Lordmagus meeting. The young could be inspired by this.”
“Perhaps, I would love to see it.” Lord Kardo said, smiling. For a brief moment, it struck Lord Daron, the courtesy Lordmages afforded one another, Lord Kardo was probably 40 years older than him, yet here they were conversing as equals. He smiled in return.
Others started to arrive in pairs, from their lodgings. The Seyrulan woman who had spoken at the court entered with her fellow Seyrulan Lord, Lord Daron gave a greeting.
“My Lady Akan, My Lord Lemick,” He greeted. They greeted him in return. Some Navon Lords walked in and were greeted as well. “My Lord Fron, My Lord Wajer”
They greeted him in return and walked to greet the others.
The banquet hall was in fact not stocked with drinks at all, save for water in jugs. The tables were filled with breakfast food. Loaves of various kinds, milk,cheese, eggs prepared in various ways. There was coffee and northern tea.
"Impressive," Lord Tezo, an emissary from Novan said, looking at Lord Daron. "If only the Sungans had stayed, I hear they like northern tea"
"How does it feel sharing borders with Sungans?" Lord Doran asked
"The southern Sungan border is relatively calm," Lord Tezo replied, "They are more like the rest of us than you might think. Unfortunately it's the Northern Sungans that get all the juicy positions."
"Oh really? And the southern Sungans are okay with this?"
"They're too busy making money to care," Lord Tezo said. "My wife is Southern Sungan, if money were a man, she would leave me for him" he joked. They laughed… Lord Ganz walked into the room and called everyone's attention.
"Hello Ladies and Gentlemen," he began, smiling. "It brings me great joy to have you all here like this. I was unsure of how I would be received by the rest of Gan. I am Pirunese by birth. My lineage goes back generations. And as you have no doubt seen, Pirun has long catered to its nobility, neglecting its own people."
"I seek to change this. Pirun is a land of milk and honey, its people should drink from the land and be full!"
Lord Daron and Lord Kardo exchanged glances. Lord Ganz seemed too idealistic to be righteous.
"Please eat, drink at my expense!" He continued. "Thank you. I must now leave to attend court." He walked out of the banquet.
Lord Daron glanced at the food and everyone else in the room, he quickly realized everyone was thinking what he was thinking.
Lord Defon burst out laughing. "Do not worry my lads. The food is safe to eat." He took a jug of milk and poured himself a glass, which he guzzled down.
Still everyone was hesitant.
"Is no one here versed in Substance Analysis?" Lord Defon asked.
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"I am," Lord Kardo said, "But I didn't think to write any poison checking spells yesterday."
Lord Defon tore a loaf and smeared it with cheese.
"Well I did. It was arduous, but worth it." He said "Now eat, if you will."
Lord Daron was one of the last to actually start eating. He loved his wife and children too much to risk his life on the word of Lord Defon, who, by the way, was getting too cozy with Lord Ganz.
Diplomacy was one thing, but Lord Ganz had quite literally usurped one of the longest lasting monarchies in Gan.
"This is truly an odd situation" Lady Akan said to Lord Daron when they happened upon each other. "I've noticed your quiet observance throughout this entire trip."
"It is bizarre indeed. We are dining at the expense of a criminal" Lord Daron said. "Yes, he has completely taken over the nation, their loyalties have shifted to him completely, but all this means is that the rest of the gan kingdoms are only a finger away from his grasp"
"He thinks himself a revolutionary," Lady Akan said.
"He wishes us to think of him as a revolutionary." Lord Daron said. "His true motives remain a mystery, as is the source of his great power."
"Yes, I have talked to Lord Defon about this. He is apparently stronger than 5 military wizards put together, if the stories are to be believed" Lady Akan said. "I fear Captain Rodo only made it out because Ganz wanted him to."
Lord Daron nodded slowly. By now everyone has read the reports in detail, Captain Rodo's accounts had detailed a narrow escape, but now it seemed Lord Ganz simply scared him out and had no intention of killing him.
"He has discovered new magic" Lord Daron concluded to Lady Akan.
"New Magic is discovered everyday in the halls of institutes." Lady Akan said. "You yourself are a lord mage, you must have written dozens of papers by now."
"Well, I mean he has discovered new military magic. Some new way to harness power… he cannot simply be a skilled fighter." Lord Daron said.
"How so?" Lady Akan asked.
"The leader of Pirun's Elite Force, Lord Piakatu, was immensely powerful. He was experienced by age, but even as a young man he was formidable." Lord Daron said.
"Perhaps age dulled him," Lady Akan said. Lord Daron laughed.
"Magic only gets better with age." Lord Daron said. "The younger ones think fast, the old ones think far, deep, and wide. I have never seen a young master defeat an old master in battle unless the battle is limited to fast moving energy attacks"
"That's interesting. I always wondered how Military Wizards aged. I don't use much magic in my daily life." Lady Akan said.
"Oh?" Lord Daron said. "I assumed you were a Lordmage?"
"Oh no, I am a councilwoman.”
"Ah, I see." Lord Daron said.
In Seyrule, the Ruling Council did not consist of highly experienced Lordmages, rather they were regular people from all walks of life who were elected by popular vote to the office and served for a few years.
Lord Daron had always thought it curious how Seyrule hadn’t collapsed by now, given all the inexperienced and ignorant people they inevitably elected to council every few years.
“I heard that he used field magic inside a spell dampener.” Lady Akan said. “I don’t know much about magic, but even I know that it should be hard.”
“It’s not hard, it’s downright impossible.” Lord Daron said. “To even construct a field spell takes energy that is orders of magnitude greater than melting 10 kilos of pure steel. That kind of magic would not survive even the softest dampener.
“Wow…” Lady Akan could only say. “But what if one pushed through with willpower?”
“My Lady Akan… magic has nothing to do with willpower. One simply writes the spells on a piece of paper and casts them when needed. The power is in the spell, not the mage.”
“So military spells are just like regular spells?” Lady Akan asked. Lord Daron was aghast that a ruler of a city would not know how magic worked.
“Yes my lady.” Lord Daron said patiently. There was a short silence.
“You may think I'm ignorant.” Lady Akan said. Lord Daron quickly muttered a defense but she waved him off.
“I’m not well versed in magic, I made my fame by trading Coconuts from Memekusia into Gan.” She said, “I had a large establishment at the port of Sharo, bringing them in by the thousands.“
“Impressive, I must say,” Lord Daron said. “Of your knowledge, were they sold outside of Seyrule?”
Lady Akan smiled. “At the Height of our business, we supplied a third of the coir in Aku’anda and almost a fifth of the coconut milk.”
“Ahh, you processed the coconut then?” Lord Daron said.
“Indeed, we had multiple establishments, in Lanyolata, Alkaiji, And even Tayinadar in Aku’andan lands.”
Lord Daron was truly impressed, he gave a short bow.
The conversation continued. They were later joined by Lord Kardo and the three talked until noon, when the banquet rounded up and everyone went back. They were invited for yet another banquet, wherein Lord Ganz promised to introduce them to the Pirun Nobility.
Lord Daron, retiring to his room, layed down on his bed, and watching lord Kardo’s spellbinding, drifted off to sleep.