activa-t Chapter 259 Inhumanity of Extravagance
Chapter 259 Inhumanity of Extravagance
On the way back to the city, dusk was falling, and the distant snow-capped mountains had completely disappeared into the deep purple sky.
Darian whispered to Blackthorn that with a mere twist of the Golden Lion's ego, Chiffon easily pocketed a fine of 1,600 gold coins.
This money is too easy to make!
The reason it's not two thousand is because, according to the rules, the arbitrator has to charge a 20% service fee.
As they were chatting, Darian suddenly stopped in his tracks as he stepped through the city gate, as if he had been nailed to the spot.
He instinctively opened his mouth, but found that he couldn't find a suitable word to describe the scene before him.
The entire central avenue is lit up!
It wasn't the flickering orange-red of a torch, nor the dim yellow of an oil lamp, but a whole expanse of pure, soft, warm white.
The waterfall cascades down from the tops of the stone pillars on both sides of the avenue, spreading along the stone pavement and extending all the way to the foot of the city wall.
The lights merged into one, so stable it was as if sunlight had been frozen in the night sky, illuminating the entire street as if it were daytime.
He felt that all the magic lamps he had ever seen in his life combined were not as bright as this short stretch of road in front of him!
Not just Central Avenue.
The sidewalks on both sides, the alleyways between shops and residential areas, and the colonnades around the square in the distance were all lit up.
The entire Chiffon City seemed to have been sprinkled with a handful of glowing seeds by an invisible hand, blooming in the night.
Chiffon led the people to laugh under the lamplight, entering and leaving shops to select their favorite goods in the light, and even the roses in the roadside flowerbeds were gilded with a layer of silver.
...
Melanie stopped, squinted, and looked up at the scene for a while before letting out a soft sigh.
She thought she wouldn't be surprised by anything chiffon cakes today, but the sight before her still left her speechless.
She had seen the cathedral of the Holy See and the Star Square in the capital, but those lights were either a gift from the goddess or the majesty of the royal family.
This is an ordinary town street, a stone-paved road walked by ordinary people, and clothes hanging to dry under the windows of houses.
She never imagined in her life that lights could be used to cover an entire city!
...
Paul looked up at the lampposts, marveling at them. Richard had given one to the snow deer and snow fox before.
The light source is incredibly stable, and it doesn't require any magical materials; it can stay lit indefinitely with just one switch.
This isn't some random gadget created in a magic lab; it's a product that can be used to open a workshop and sell to the public.
He suddenly realized that Chiffon's trump cards went far beyond farmland and the army; his technological reserves in the field of magic were probably deeper than anyone had anticipated.
...
Richard walked at the front of the group, turned around and introduced himself to everyone with a smile:
"These lamps are products developed by the Chiffon Wizard. They don't require any magical materials, but they are a bit expensive to make."
"Since you have come from afar, Chiffon cannot send you off empty-handed. I will give each of you one hundred cups as a small return gift for today's opening of the city."
Darian, who had already given up on controlling his expression, widened his eyes again, and the fat on his face jiggled.
One hundred lamps!?
That's outrageously extravagant!
The magic lamps produced by the Star Mage Tower have varying prices, ranging from dozens of silver coins to several gold coins.
One hundred lamps are worth at least several hundred gold coins, and for the dozen or so nobles present, that's three to five thousand coins!
Needless to say, the minor nobles of Ashvalley and Blackthorn showered the chiffon cake with praise, marveling at its luxury and abundance.
Lawrence walked at the front of the group, almost side by side with Richard.
When I heard the phrase "one hundred lamps per household," I simply nodded slightly, and even my thanks were just a perfunctory formality.
It wasn't that he didn't appreciate it, but rather that his mind was no longer on the lamp; he was thinking about something else.
If Chiffon's magic lamp didn't require the addition of magical materials, its biggest market wouldn't be noble castles at all.
Instead, they were mines that needed lighting, city walls that needed night patrols, and scholars' studies that needed lamplight for copying texts.
If Chiffon Trading Company becomes the exclusive distributor of this product, then any place that needs nighttime lighting will have to rely on Chiffon's approval.
At this moment, he was extremely glad that he had openly sided with Qi Feng in this arbitration case. Now it seemed that the value of his decision was much higher than he had expected.
Lucy walked beside Richard, noticing his nonchalant expression, and couldn't help but chuckle softly.
She's too lazy to feel sorry for him anymore. Every time she thinks Richard is being too generous, he always manages to come up with something even more generous to prove that her concern is unnecessary.
...
...
The group arrived at the lord's mansion and, led by the Snow Rabbit maid, entered the second-floor restaurant.
They took their seats in turn.
The long dining table was already neatly set with silver cutlery. As the Snow Rabbit maid served the dishes, the table was illuminated by a soft silver light the moment she lifted the lids of the plates.
A table laden with a sumptuous feast of Silver Star dishes.
Upon seeing this, the nobles secretly breathed a sigh of relief, while outwardly chatting and laughing, appearing completely at ease.
Thank goodness.
Given the extravagance Chiffon had displayed in every aspect today, they were afraid that she would bring out something beyond their comprehension at the banquet, shocking them once again.
We're all nobles, and being constantly compared like this makes me feel like a free man who's never seen the world, which is quite embarrassing.
Seeing the table full of dishes from Silver Star, they even felt a sense of familiarity, finally receiving a dish they could understand.
The nobles began tying napkins around their collars, preparing to enjoy their meal in style.
Darian sat upright, waiting for Richard's opening remarks while mentally preparing a few jokes to lighten the mood.
Just then, several snow rabbit maids filed in carrying silver trays and placed a small crystal bowl in front of each nobleman.
The bowl contained a ball of snow-white, dense paste, its surface shimmering with a faint silver light, and wisps of cool air drifted gently from the rim of the bowl.
Darian picked up the spoon and carefully poked it; it felt soft and cool to the touch, with a faint milky aroma.
He looked up, his face full of confusion, at Richard in the main seat, because he had never seen this thing before.
The nobles present also stopped eating, their expressions changing from composed to bewildered.
It's called cheese, but the texture is wrong. Cheese isn't this light and soft.
It's supposed to be cream, but the temperature is wrong. Cream isn't served chilled.
They racked their brains to recall all the banquets they had attended, from those of feudal lords to those of the Grand Duke of Shuangmo, and had never seen food in this form before.
"This is ice cream."
Richard picked up his small spoon, scooped up a spoonful and put it in his mouth, gesturing for everyone to try it too.
"Using milk and eggs as the main ingredients, whipping them and chilling them, then adding some honey and powdered sugar, this is a snack that Chiffon made herself. Please try it and see if you like it."
There was a moment of silence at the dining table.
Milk, eggs, honey, and the like are nothing special.
But it's rare to find one that gleams with a silvery sheen!
Life-sustaining crops are precious, as everyone present knows. They are strategic resources that are locked up in warehouses and distributed with the utmost care, as if they were weighed on a scale.
When the quantity is too small, one has to spend a long time deliberating whether to give it to the Knights or keep it for oneself and one's successor.
Chiffon cakes use it to feed cows and chickens, letting these livestock gamble on the extremely low probability of producing silver star eggs and milk.
This is beyond luxurious; it's practically using a gold mine as a foundation!
No one will ask why it's so extravagant. It's like using living crops to make wine; it's purely about showing off one's wealth and is a symbol of power and status.
Darian felt his mind go blank; he couldn't recall those little jokes at all. He just carefully scooped up a spoonful of ice cream and put it in his mouth.
The moment the cool, creamy texture melted on the tip of the tongue, a rare pure satisfaction appeared on the chubby face that had been numb from repeated shocks.
He suddenly realized that no matter how much Silver Star crop this stuff consumed or how outrageous the cost was, at least this one bite was worth it.
Lawrence also took a bite; the cool, milky flavor melted in his mouth, and the rich milky taste and subtle sweetness lingered for a long time.
His expression didn't change much; he just paused for a few seconds after finishing his meal before gently putting down his spoon.
Hey!
Only a clever lion has the chance to enjoy such a delicacy!
...
No doubt about it.
The atmosphere at the dinner was extremely lively.
The nobles used all their skills to make the chiffon cake look like the next star, which made Richard exclaim that it was too cheesy!
Lawrence seemed indifferent to the situation as well, his brow furrowing occasionally.
After the dinner, Richard invited everyone to the Grand Theatre to watch a performance by the Chiffon Girls' Club.
The nobles present exchanged knowing glances.
Girl group?
Although their curiosity was piqued to the extreme, they all reminded themselves to stay calm no matter what!
And so...
Inside the luxurious theater, the nobles stood upright, their eyes level with the stage, their expressions increasingly serious.
The young girls on stage danced energetically, their hearts pounding as they glanced at the row of expressionless nobles in the VIP seats below.
They had witnessed the reactions of the free people when watching the performance; some screamed, some cheered, some were so excited they wiped away tears, and some even shouted until their voices were hoarse.
They knew that tonight's guests were a group of nobles, and although they wouldn't be that excited, they would probably have some reaction.
From the moment the curtain was drawn until now, they haven't even raised an eyebrow. Their extremely indifferent gazes seem to be constantly nitpicking at the flaws in their dance.
—Truly befitting a nobleman!