CHAPTER 333: CHAPTER 26: BANQUET

After a prolonged duration and considerable expenditure, the grand tournament finally concluded.

The soldiers of the Eagle Banner Brigade, adorned with exquisite silk from the Peloponnese Peninsula around their necks, swaggered through the crowds with pride.

After this battle, every soldier of the Eagle Banner Brigade became a little wealthy man, affluent enough to buy more lands; apart from lacking a knight’s title, they were much richer than the average Knight.

This is the allure of Constantinople.

As for the main character people talk about with great relish, Losa from the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

He has clearly become the rising star of Constantinople. Everyone knows that this newly appointed Military Zone General is highly regarded by Her Majesty the Empress and the Purple-clad Eldest Princess Anna, and is poised for meteoric success.

In Constantinople, even if the emperors’ authority wanes, it still far surpasses that of their Western Empire counterparts.

They could even appoint eunuchs as Archbishop or even Great Shepherd.

In other words, it’s akin to Henry Caesar appointing one of his court eunuchs as Pope, which is even more outrageous than the parallel world’s Avignon captivity engineered by the King of France.

As Losa walked out of the Great Arena, Anna sat on a pure white, immaculately colored steed, smiling at him.

"Constantinople cheers for you today."

She gestured to the crowd around the arena, still looking at Losa and waving to him: "You should have stayed inside a little longer to enjoy the applause and cheers that belong to you."

"I’m afraid I might get lost in the sugar jar."

Anna helplessly said: "You are at least a powerful Caster, is there really a need to be so cautious? Who could possibly force you to do anything?"

"Shouldn’t I be the one to say this to you?"

Losa rolled his eyes: "Speaking of caution, you are much more cautious than I am."

"But you are different from me. If you were the reclusive type, I wouldn’t have helped Her Majesty recruit you. Since you value secular power, where better suited for you than Constantinople?"

Losa was silent for a moment, realizing that Anna’s words made some sense.

At the very least, if he could grab a co-emperor title, directly jumping from Marquis, bypassing Duke and King, to Emperor in the system would indeed be a leap to the top.

Moreover, judging by Her Majesty the Empress’s appearance, this soft life does seem quite appealing.

Oh no, you woman, you’ve disrupted my path!

Losa raised his brow, about to speak when Anna’s mouth under the beaded veil slightly curled up: "Alright, I understand, let’s stick to our original agreement—equivalent exchange, right? Coincidentally, Her Majesty also doesn’t have the habit of ordering people around for free."

"Come on, let’s attend the court banquet. In Her Majesty’s court, there is a hall that can accommodate three hundred guests dining simultaneously, and Her Majesty’s chariot has already set off."

"For such a trivial matter, can’t you just send someone to inform me?"

"Originally, Her Majesty wanted Andronikos to call for you, but I refused. After all, as a member of our Levant Wizard Association, it’s only right for me to show customary hospitality."

"Who is Andronikos?"

"Her Majesty’s Taster, a eunuch, wielding a touch of insignificant Extraordinary Power, a half-caster."

As Anna’s words ended, she added: "Rest assured, Her Majesty sending a eunuch to invite you is not neglect; on the contrary, it shows her regard for you."

Losa nodded slightly: "I understand. In the Eastern Empire, since there is already a precedent of eunuchs serving as Great Shepherd, there’s no reason to look down on these people. Moreover, many minor sects believe self-castration exemplifies chastity and purity, and some second sons of Greek noble families even choose voluntary castration for court entry."

"I thought you wouldn’t be able to comprehend this matter."

Losa shrugged: "What’s hard to understand about it? Eunuchs won’t have offspring, naturally posing no threat to the throne, and they won’t lead to royal scandals, making it perfectly normal for them to be esteemed by the emperor."

There is nothing new under the sun. In that Eastern country, eunuchs once held sway over the government.

"That’s quite right."

Anna frowned. Even though the Empire’s tradition of employing eunuchs dates back a long time, and the Empress’s regency requires their help to stabilize political affairs, she still didn’t view the heavy use of eunuchs as a favorable practice for the Empire.

Perhaps the last of the Empire’s military ethics have been squandered by this genderless group of eunuchs.

Thinking so, Anna did not reveal this in her expression, only smiling and reminding: "You are not yet married, but during this time, the Empire’s prominent noble daughters will undoubtedly have an interest in you. If you encounter bold noblewomen offering themselves, make sure your girls hold their ground."

Losa chuckled: "Aren’t I just a Frankish barbarian, like I would be admired everywhere I go?"

"After today, everyone will believe that you will rise swiftly through the Empire."

Anna said meaningfully: "They would not know that you are a devout believer, always wanting to return to the deserts of Jerusalem to serve your little King."

Losa smiled without saying anything further.

Though the prospects of developing in Constantinople were enticing, he never forgot his original intent.

"Have you reached any conclusion with Marquis Leopold?"

"Not yet, but thanks to you, we now have the upper hand. After some time, when the rebellion is quelled, our cooperation should be finalized. Perhaps this time, the Empire can truly reclaim Sicily."

Sicily, Rhodes Island, Cyprus, these are key to controlling Mediterranean routes.

Their importance cannot be measured by the size of their territories.

Anna motioned to the carriage behind her: "Get on the carriage. Now, there are simply too many people wanting to see you up close. Appearing on the streets like this will only make it difficult for us to move."

"I still need to pick up Furin and Chelina."

"Don’t worry, Furin is an old friend of mine. I’ve made arrangements for your two young ladies as well. Need me to also arrange for your soldiers?"

Losa shook his head and said, "No need, I gave them a short vacation, they probably will take their assigned bonuses and have a good time in the city."

The group got onto the carriage and headed towards the court.

...

The banquet was held in the "Golden Hall," its domed ceiling featuring sixteen windows; compared to the dark, cramped architectural styles of Western Europe, the lighting here was astonishingly good.

Niches on the walls were decorated with images of the Holy Mother and Jesus.

Once everyone was seated, the eunuchs pushed open the large silver doors of the niche, and the Empress, adorned in purple regal attire with a triple crown on her head, emerged from within.

In the sunlight, the Empress’s expression was solemn, her beautiful appearance complemented by the crown and various gems and jewels, making her seem almost as if a divine presence had descended to the earthly realm.

After entering the great hall, the Empress proceeded directly to the shrine on the east side of the Golden Hall, where she respectfully prayed to the statue within, likely showcasing her "divine right of kings."

In the Eastern Empire, the Emperor is the embodiment of God, not a mere mortal; even the Great Shepherd can be appointed by the trusted eunuch of the Emperor, let alone something like being crowned by the Pope.

Losa was seated behind the Sassanian envoy.

Furinjira murmured in confusion, "Aren’t the Persians the mortal enemy of the Eastern Empire? Why are we seated after them?"

Losa explained, "Precisely because they have been mortal enemies for over a thousand years, they should be accorded such honor. Furthermore, with the Eastern Empire losing large swathes of territory and not even bordering with Sassan, they are naturally no longer regarded as immortal foes."

As for the Turkic tribes occupying the Anatolian Peninsula, although they nominally serve under the Sassan’s King of Kings, they can hardly be considered loyal subjects.

Many Turkic tribes have clashed with the Persians during their westward migration, accumulating significant conflicts between them.

The Sassanid Dynasty previously supported these Turks mainly to create chaos for their longstanding enemy, the Eastern Empire.

Germania is no different.

The Austrian Border Territory is the closest Germanic land to the Eastern Empire, yet both countries are still separated by the vast territory of the Hungarian Kingdom, and disputes on the Apennine Peninsula remain minor skirmishes.

According to the information Losa gathered from past caravans, although the Tatars have risen in the Eastern Grasslands, they are far from being taken seriously by the proud Persians.

Conversely, the Western Liao Kingdom, established by Yelü Dashi, is formidable, having once occupied the prosperous River Region and threatened the Silk Road, seen by the Sassanid Dynasty as a grave concern.

Soon, the banquet began.

The main dish of the banquet was three roasted peacocks, which were very popular in Constantinople.

Many knights loved using peacock feathers as decorations, even spurring specialized peacock breeders.

Servants used trolleys to wheel golden platters filled with various dishes past the guests’ tables, setting each dish before them.

Lobster, tuna, various shellfish, as well as crystal-clear orange and black caviar.

Cheese from Crete Island, paired with vegetable salads dressed with olive oil, was both sweet and not overly greasy.

"Greek cuisine is indeed sophisticated, I originally thought that in this age, being able to feast on spicy roast meat endlessly was already the top-tier noble enjoyment."

Losa couldn’t help but lament.

It is said that many medieval nobles lived no better than a random ordinary person in later generations, certainly not including the Emperor of the Eastern Empire.

Jeanne gulped down a large mouthful of wine, her face instantly turning red, coughing incessantly.

"My God, what have these Greeks added to the wine?"

Losa picked up the bottle, sniffed it near his nose, and immediately showed a disdainful expression: "Who knows, rosemary, cardamom, pepper, celery juice, fennel, star anise... all possible."

"Even if they want to flaunt their affluence, it’s still a waste of good wine, isn’t it?"

Jeanne said in regret.

The wine was good, the spices were as valuable as gold, yet the two were mixed together.

Furinjira maliciously speculated, "Perhaps Greek tastes are just that unique."

Losa did not agree: "We all have the same mouths, the same structure of tongue, there’s no reason for such odd flavors to be considered delicacies, probably much like wrapping beef in gold leaf in our age."

Spices, in this era, are viewed by many as tonics,

The desserts after the meal were equally rich, nut-filled sweet biscuits, jam-covered puddings, various candied fruits.

Additionally, Losa enjoyed the long-missed millet porridge at the banquet, with a layer of thick rice oil on top, finally relieving the greasiness from the feast of rich meats over the last two days.

It is worth mentioning that Losa also saw other princesses of the Eastern Empire at the banquet, but the princesses from the Komnenos Family were evidently not well-received, nor did either Komnenos or Ducas Family princesses have the chance to wear purple like Anna.

This likely represented a unique privilege.

Losa also, as a delegate from the Kingdom of Jerusalem, accepted toasts from various envoys in the great hall.

Though the Kingdom of Jerusalem spanned a small territory, no one underestimated its king.

Setting aside the sacred title of being the master of the Holy Land,

The Kingdom of Jerusalem controlled the finest regions along the Eastern Mediterranean Coast.

Combined with the continuous fervent support from pilgrims and Crusaders from the West.

The Kingdom of Jerusalem was far from weak, at least not as feeble as its narrow borders suggested.