Do ratmen dream of the sacred tree of spirits?

Chapter 63 The Banquet

Sister Fanning picked up her glass and took another sip of her drink.

"Young people should travel more and explore the world, instead of wasting their whole lives in small places."

Besides... relationships need to be maintained; in a few years, Victor might not even remember you.

Sister Fanning continued, this time speaking more slowly: "Little one, Victor is a top ten figure even in the Eastern Region. Following him will bring you great benefits."

"You might even be promoted to a third-level bishop before me; I'll only ever reach the fourth-level bishop in my lifetime."

"Haha," Fafnir laughed somewhat awkwardly.

"No, Sister Fanning, you're joking. I don't think about those things; they have nothing to do with me. I'm very happy with my life now."

He was telling the truth.

Not to mention that his parents were still working as servants at Lorraine Manor, Fafnir thought he genuinely didn't want to trouble Mr. Victor.

Mr. Victor had been good enough to him; he couldn't take advantage of it.

Moreover, the school in the East District has just started to improve, and Aunt Anna can't manage it all by herself. Martha and Allen have only just gotten the hang of it. How can he leave now?

He cannot leave.

"Whatever you like." Sister Fanning took another sip of her drink, her tone returning to its usual indifferent tone.

She leaned back in her chair, looking at the people and chairs in the hall, and remained silent for a few seconds.

"Sigh, if it weren't for Victor and Zerek in charge of the grammar school, I would have been promoted from vice principal to principal two years ago."

Sister Fanning's words were laced with a mix of teasing and a hint of complaint: "The principal gets an extra allowance."

"Ha ha."

Fafnir knew she was joking, but didn't know how to respond, so he could only awkwardly smile along.

Sister Fanning glanced at Fafnir again, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"Alright, I'm not talking to you anymore," she said, picking up her cup. "I'm going to go find something to eat. You should go get some too, don't just sit here like an idiot."

She stood up, took her cup, and walked towards the long table.

Fafner sat in his chair, watching her figure disappear into the crowd.

He then remembered what she had just said.

"Young people should go out more."

Fafnir thought that he had hardly ever left Lorraine; the farthest he had ever been was the sea off Ryan Harbor.

He didn't know what the Holy City Cathedral looked like, what the other territories in the Eastern Region looked like, or what the Narns Empire looked like—it was his homeland, but he had never been there.

But that's all for the future. Let's focus on living in the present...

Let's have a buffet!

Fafnir walked toward the long table.

The white tablecloth of the long table stretched to the ground, on which more than a dozen dishes were neatly arranged, served on large silver platters.

Fafnir, holding a white porcelain plate, began to observe carefully from one end of the table.

The roasted ribs were piled high, brushed with a dark sauce, and glistened in the candlelight.

A whole grilled fish, its body covered with fragrant plants, looks perfectly crispy.

Beyond that was a pot of creamy stew, still steaming, with large chunks of chicken inside.

Fafnir took a little of each and put it on his plate.

Hmm, I'll try them all. They seem like they'd taste better than the cafeteria food. It's a rare opportunity.

Fafner thought,

However, the food might have been prepared using the cafeteria's kitchen, since the grammar school doesn't have its own kitchen.

As he walked back with his plate, he saw Hans and Gregory sitting at the corner table, waving at him.

"Fafner, come here, come here." Gregory's voice was loud, and several people around looked over.

Fafnir walked over, and Hans stepped aside to make room for him.

"Are you there all by yourself?" Hans glanced at Fafner.

"Weren't you just with Sister Fanning?"

"Hello Mr. Hans, she just went to get some food."

"Oh, is that Sister Fanning?"

Gregory lowered his voice: "I haven't seen her in a long time. She's an elder in our church. I remember she was in grammar school when I joined the church."

"I only met her when I was temporarily transferred to the grammar school after the attack a while ago," Mr. Hans said.

Fafnir listened to their conversation silently, then forked a piece of fish and put it in his mouth.

The fish was very tender, and the sweet and sour sauce and the aroma of fragrant herbs had seeped into it. It melted in my mouth with barely any chewing.

Really delicious!

"Quite a few people have come today," Hans said, looking around the hall. "I saw several members of the Church of the God of War."

Gregory followed his gaze and pursed his lips. "Aldrich isn't here."

"Of course he won't come," Hans said. "I guess it's because he was shut down by Bishop Victor in the council last time, and he must have lost face."

Fafnir didn't reply, focusing instead on the ribs on his plate. The ribs were roasted until very tender, falling off the bone with a simple fork, and the sauce was a perfect blend of sweet and salty—much better than the pan-fried meat at the cafeteria.

"Eat slowly, little one," Gregory chuckled, noticing Fafnir's rapid eating. "Nobody's going to take it from you."

Fafnir slowed down, embarrassed, swallowed the meat in his mouth, and wiped his mouth with a clean napkin on the table.

The lights in the lobby suddenly brightened.

Fafnir looked up and saw that next to the row of empty chairs at the front of the auditorium, waiters were adjusting the position of the candlesticks, and several gas lamps that were originally hanging on the wall were lit, with the light focused on the stage.

The crowd began to gather in that direction.

"It's about to begin." Gregory placed the cup on the windowsill.

Fafnir stuffed the last piece of chicken from the plate into his mouth, chewed it twice, swallowed it, and followed Hans and Gregory forward.

Fafnir found a spot in the middle of the crowd. He was short, and all he could see in front of him were the shoulders and backs of adults. He could only see a corner of the stage through the gaps.

"Can you see?" Mr. Hans asked him, looking down.

"It's a bit of a stretch."

Hans stepped aside and pushed him forward half a step: "Come on, stand here."

Fafnir's gaze finally passed over the shoulder of the person in front of him, and he got a clear view of the entire podium.

"Thank you," Fafnir said to Mr. Hans.

Good evening, everyone.

The conversation in the hall gradually subsided, and finally fell completely silent.

"I am Hobri, the Speaker of the Eastern Region Council of the Holy Kingdom of the Elves and the Bishop of the Eastern Region Church of the Church of the God of Death," Speaker Hobri's voice was loud and clear:

"Today, I am entrusted by the Eternal Rest Temple of the Church of the God of Death to preside over the ordination ceremony of Bishop Viktor Zaitsev."

Mr. Victor walked up from the side of the platform, wearing a brand-new black priest's robe with golden raven feathers embroidered on the chest.

The applause lasted for quite a while before it gradually subsided.

"Thank you all for attending this ceremony today," Mr. Victor said in a calm yet relaxed voice, "and thank you to the Temple of Eternal Rest for your trust."