June 3, 1346
Backlund also began to bustle with excitement. The "Banquet Month" for the Loen Kingdom's "aristocracy" had arrived.
Now, almost every noble's manor held at least one party every day.
Through a series of grand banquets, they showcased their family fortunes. These events consumed vast amounts of manpower and resources, with each banquet featuring a rich variety of "exotic ingredients," delicacies, or precious foods to project the family's prosperity to the world.
This resulted in her receiving a large basket of invitations every day. If she didn't attend, she had to write back to express her "regrets."
At first, Altair could manage, but eventually, even with her two maids and a "typewriter," they couldn't keep up with the replies. She then handed the task over to Hahn, who hired several people specifically to handle the invitation responses.
Even though Altair continued to decline, and the number of invitations eventually decreased, she still received invitations for "Banquet Month" continuously.
This would continue until the arrival of autumn three months later, marking the end of "Banquet Month."
During this period, Altair also needed to host banquets periodically. This was to advertise to the outside world that "Sheffield" was still around, lest other nobles view the family as "in decline" and exclude them from the core social circles of the aristocracy.
Altair knew absolutely nothing about such matters and simply let Hahn arrange the banquets. However, considering the nature of these events, she took over the selection of the guest list, deciding for herself whom to invite.
June 5, afternoon.
Altair slightly lifted her skirt as she stepped down from the carriage, greeting the person before her with a bow.
"Good day, esteemed Count Donovan. It is my honor to dine with you tonight."
"Good day, countess Sheffield. This lace gown complements your hair color perfectly; it truly is a wonderful choice."
Today, Altair still couldn't avoid attending the banquet at Owen Donovan's home. After all, he had helped her so much that it was hard to refuse... In this era, the formal way to greet someone was "Title + Surname," while in informal settings, it could be "Given Name + Title."
After the "greetings," Altair followed the servant's lead into the manor.
"This must be Altair Sheffield." Looking toward the voice, she saw a young girl in a light green dress, looking like an elf—but wasn't her skin a bit too pale?
Seeing Altair Sheffield's confused expression, the girl spoke.
"I am Heather Grant; you should have heard of me."
Upon hearing the girl's answer, Altair remembered her identity and said, "Good day, Countess Donovan."
To her surprise, the girl responded with a solemn bow, saying, "Good day, esteemed countess Sheffield."
This act immediately made her feel awkward, not knowing how to respond. "I gave you a respectful title because you're an elder! You doing this back to me, what is that supposed to mean!"
Heather Grant, seeing Altair Sheffield's current flustered state, stepped forward and took her hand. "How is it? Do you feel strange now, not knowing what to say? Who told you to start it? Now you're the one who's embarrassed."
"You can just call me 'Hether' or 'Madam Donovan' from now on."
"I don't like it when juniors show too much respect because of age or seniority; it's not good for maintaining one's mindset."
Looking at the girl holding her hand, Altair's thoughts were in a whirl. "Wait, lady! Based on age, you're at least forty. Looking like this, how do you seem to have a younger mindset than me?"
Heather Grant pulled Altair along as she spoke. "I've known about you for a long time and have wanted to meet you. But your father just wouldn't let me visit your home. Well, it's fine now; it's not too late to meet."
"Come, come. You're the first to arrive today. Stay and have some afternoon tea and chat with me. There's still a long time before the banquet begins. When the others arrive, I'll introduce you all to each other."
...As the Moon and Sun rose and set, the guests for the banquet arrived one after another. The manor began to brim with "song and dance." During this time, Altair met many people through Hether's introductions.
Perhaps because of Hether's personality, most of the people introduced were young girls, many of whom were minors or had just come of age.
Hether also introduced some older individuals, but only briefly, and the relationships weren't close.
Since Altair had never attended such a banquet, no one knew "her," and she knew no one. So, she spent her time chatting with Hether and others who weren't keen on dancing, waiting for the banquet to start.
The conversation mostly revolved around things girls of that era cared about, such as where new delicious desserts were found, useful cosmetics, beautifully designed clothes, and so on.
Before dinner began, those who knew Altair's identity started to inquire, intentionally or otherwise, about the future arrangements for those weapons and technologies.
"countess Sheffield, what are your thoughts on the weapons currently used by the military?"
Altair looked at the person before her, whom she didn't know at all, and said, "Ever since Emperor Roselle pushed for the reform of gunpowder technology and its application in weaponry, it marked the end of the 'close-quarters charge' of the cold weapon era. It has shifted toward 'long-range firepower confrontation.' Armies can no longer achieve victory solely through numerical superiority."
"Once firearms became the standard equipment for all armies, it became a competition of weapon technology between nations. The side with the superior technology holds the advantage."
The people around her nodded repeatedly at Altair's words. "Indeed, since the appearance of Emperor Roselle, the mode of warfare has changed. Today's wars are a world of technology."
"I wonder, Altair, do you have plans to open a factory for that 'new gunpowder' technology? If you do, let us uncles and elders participate a bit..."
...As the dinner party ended, Altair boarded her carriage home. The purpose of attending this banquet had been fully achieved.
Through the banquet, she spread the news that she was preparing to open a factory. When the time was right, she would host her own banquet and invite people, waiting for them to bring gifts.
Keeping everything for herself wasn't a good idea, not to mention her own teeth weren't that strong.
Even with help, she might not be able to handle it all. It was a wise choice to yield some "interests" in exchange for others.
Besides, what reason would others have to help her unconditionally? They had the same idea: they wanted a seat at the table.
Giving it away voluntarily was better than being forced, and besides, this was just a tiny "breadcrumb" in her future plans.