1282: Chapter 68: Luxury 1282: Chapter 68: Luxury Marquis Snape’s villa was strikingly different from the courtyard of the banquet held a few years prior.
Back then, his lordship had mastered the art of understated opulence, much like his carriage that appeared modest on the surface yet was invaluable beyond estimation, unattainable for the average person.
On that occasion, he paved a simple path with invaluable Warm Stones, purely to avoid the chill during a stroll, a luxury that was talked about in circles of wealth throughout the Neville Federation and Neutral Land.
Many noble families that had been established for generations only felt sha and admiration in the presence of the Marquis’s bold spending.
However, this ti, his lordship changed his style.
Luxurious as it always was, it was no longer subdued.
Pannis and Catherine noticed this before they even stepped out of their carriage; his lordship had openly displayed his sumptuous banquet for all to see in the City of Knowledge.
Upon stepping onto Manias Street, one could see that every Chinese parasol tree lining the famous Wutong Avenue was adorned with a high-brightness Crystal Energy lamp, brightly illuminating the entire three-and-a-half-kiloter stretch of Manias Street as if it were dayti.
So truly idle guests had counted along the avenue, realizing that it would take over a thousand of these high-brightness Crystal Energy lamps to light the entire street.
These lamps were different from those used in ordinary households, not just in brightness but also in the high degree of Crystal Energy activation required.
This ant that for just one evening, Marquis Snape would spend nearly a hundred thousand gold coins’ worth of Crystals to fuel these lamps, and this figure didn’t even include the consumption within the residential area.
Not only did Manias Street glow as if it were dayti, but the courtyard of the Marquis’s villa was also awash with light.
Brilliant beams emanated from the mansion, piercing the dark night sky.
From afar, it seed as if even half of the city’s northern district was illuminated.
Under the lights, the Marquis’s residence was a hive of activity.
Hundreds of guests dressed in finery, accompanied by their partners, traversed the brightly lit mansion, indulging in luxuries rarely enjoyed even by the nobility and the wealthy.
First ca the food.
Since the banquet comnced in the evening and lasted until eleven at night, spanning five or six hours in total, there was no set alti.
Instead, a dining area had been arranged where chefs were on standby throughout the evening.
Guests could dine at any ti, simply entering the dining area and requesting whatever delicacies they wished to savor.
Before long, the desired dishes would be served.
Whether it was red wine-braised snow eagle legs from the mountain peaks, pan-fried green-tail fish fillets from the deep sea, stead ice bear paws from the Magical Beast Forest, or dry braised silver-eyed deer ears from the Death Forest—if the guest could na the dish, it would soon appear on the table.
The freshest ingredients, the most fitting cooking thods, the tastiest flavors: no guest could find fault with the food.
Many were curious and astonished at how the Marquis managed such feats, but the servers and chefs in the dining area responded to such questions only with smiles, leaving the inquiring guests to speculate in confusion—and each speculation added to the mystery surrounding the Marquis.
Beyond the food was the entertainnt.
Guests who enjoyed dancing could take advantage of the dedicated dance floor in the courtyard, where couples graced the floor to the rhythm of the music, expressing myriad emotions through glances and movents.
There was no worry of fatigue: rely ntioning one’s preferred drink to a server by the dance floor ant a fragrant wine or refreshing beverage would be served in under three minutes, without fail.
Those not fond of dancing were not forgotten.
Behind the villa stood the Marquis’s private theater, where for this night, Marquis Snape had invited the Yarran World’s most famous Elf troupe to perform the popular musical drama “The One-eyed Demon.” Despite their wealth and power, the attending guests usually only had the opportunity to enjoy such artistic performances every few years, or even a decade.
No one had expected to witness such a high-level act at the Marquis’s banquet.
And if guests held no interest in art, they could opt for post-dinner exercise.
The Marquis’s stables housed several of the finest thoroughbred horses, worth more than the inco of a small city over several years.
Riding these purebreds in a gentle trot along the quiet streets of the city’s north was yet another rare pleasure to be experienced.
Even if none of these could satisfy the guests’ needs, there was no need to worry, as they could choose to enter the villa.
On the first floor of the villa, there were rooms upon rooms.
One simply had to push open a door to find an entertainnt activity that would cater to their needs.
In the weapons exhibition room, ancient swords and armors were displayed.
By wandering among them, one could relive the history of these precious weapons.
In the art exhibition room, works by artists from ages past hung, from Elf painting masters to Dwarf sculpture experts—the history of thousands of years of art was condensed within a compact gallery.
The poetry exhibition room housed scroll upon scroll of ancient books, which recorded famous poems from tis old to new.
Upon opening the thick scrolls, the dedication of generations of poets was revealed to the admirer.
Besides that, the smoking room offered aromatic tobacco from the Mountain Country, while the entertainnt room provided a place for like-minded strangers to interact over chessboards and card tables—whether exchanging skills or thoughts.
There were even several ditation rooms for guests who preferred quiet but were disturbed by the noise of other guests.
The Marquis Mansion’s banquet catered to virtually every guest, leaving no one feeling bored or troubled.
One only needed to stay in the courtyard or on the first floor of the villa to find everything they liked, moving the guests to sorrow at the thought of leaving this place after tonight.
Both the first floor of the villa and the courtyard, occasionally graced by the esteed Marquis, were filled with a fervent atmosphere.
However, the second floor was utterly different.
Each of the guests invited from all walks of life was no fool.
They were acutely aware of their status, what they should do, and what role they should play.
Thus, almost no one would foolishly step onto the second floor.
Everyone knew that tonight, the villa’s second floor did not belong to them; it was a world they could not touch, reserved for dignitaries at the very pinnacle of society.
Therefore, in the first-floor hall, the onlooking guests who were resting and chatting couldn’t help but watch in surprise as a young couple slowly ascended the staircase.
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