Chapter 410: Volume 8 Gathering of the Storms - 6 Filth
The arrival of Hoffman, Tracy, and their party of three brought a burst of lively excitement to the Caucasus, where a banquet was held in honor of the three noble visitors as well as Princess Vero, who had arrived earlier. Komer invited the gentry and important figures from the entire Caucasus Region.
Unfortunately, the Caucasus was too rudimentary. In the entire territory, the only nobles with titles were Komer, the Baron himself, and Ilot and Puber, two low-ranking nobles with the title of knight. Other than them, there was only the Melbourne Lord, who wasn’t even considered a noble; he had merely bought a lordly title without any fief or formal recognition.
Beyond these few, there was a large group of merchants who, although economically affluent, had no status at all. This rendered the banquet somewhat farcical. Even Hoffman and the others felt that attending such a banquet somewhat compromised their dignity. However, as the host, Komer seemed oblivious to this, introducing Hoffman and the others to the guests one by one, maintaining a relatively awkward ambiance at the event.
Thankfully, though these wealthy merchants were not of noble birth, they were not lacking in propriety. As merchants, they had attended such banquets in their own countries and city-states, although the guests they encountered there did not compare in status to those at this event.
During Hoffman’s visit to the Caucasus, aside from that one opportunity for dialogue, Tracy kept tight control over Hoffman and Renta’s whereabouts, and never allowed Komer a chance to be alone with Hoffman. Instead, she herself took several walks with Komer, stirring up endless recollections of the past for him. But the past was over; while the person was still the same, everything felt like stepping into a tunnel of time reversal, causing Komer to lapse into reverie on several occasions.
Princess Vero could sense the special relationship that had once existed between the woman before her and Komer. Though Komer could hide it, her sharply perceptive Spiritual Sense still precisely caught the awkwardness between them, tinged with an odd air.
Tracy behaved much more normally while Komer was not as adept at concealing his feelings. It seemed the rumors about them were not unfounded. However, she could sense that there was no longer the intimate understanding between the two that one might imagine, replaced instead by an almost forced indifference. Both of them focused more attention on the other two visitors, which disappointed Vero greatly.
Princess Vero had no interest in politics. Her experience in the Caucasus was like a heavenly freedom; green mountains and clear waters, brilliant Sunshine, and fresh Air. The novel environment and kind people made her loath to leave. It seemed that those around her could also sense her mood and never mentioned any troublesome matters. How wonderful it would be if it could always be like this.