Chapter 171 You Guys Are Really Poor
Henry appeared once again at the entrance of the Garden Eatery. There were no formalities such as ribbon-cutting or opening speeches.
"Enjoy the feast!" he exclaimed, leading the way inside. The crowd outside quickly followed, their eyes widening at the sight of the numerous tables inside. It was a scene unlike any they had experienced before.
They then turned toward the direction where the aroma of food was wafting from. There was a row of counters with railings in front of them, the kind that guides people to queue up.
Without hesitation, they formed lines, eagerly anticipating their turn to be served.
"What would you like?" the servers asked.
The commoner's voice trembled as he asked, "Can we order any of these foods?"
"Certainly. A bowl of wheat porridge is two steel coins, a vegetarian dish is three, and a meat dish is five. A dish with only meat would be eight," the server explained promptly.
"One bowl of wheat porridge and a meat dish, please," the commoner requested.
"Here you go," the server responded, serving the dishes.
Similar scenes unfolded at the various counters, with people enjoying their meals in the company of strangers. The atmosphere was filled with the sounds of satisfaction and appreciation for the delicious food.
Someone exclaimed, "Wow! This is so delicious! How come this meat is so fragrant?"
"They must have used a lot of oil in this vegetarian dish; it tastes completely free of bitterness."
Meanwhile, the merchants, Elisa, Brandon, Riley, and Soro, caught the scent of the food and heard the commoners' praises, igniting their curiosity.
"There are private rooms upstairs if you prefer," a server suggested.
The merchants said in surprises, "Private rooms? Just like in the Royal City? Don't you need to be a noble to access them?"
In the Royal City, private rooms were usually reserved for nobles, and merchants had to pay extra to use them.
"No, as Henry said, anyone who wants to dine can use them, even if you only order one dish," the server explained with a smile.
"No charge for private rooms, this..."The merchants exchanged glances, finding this unexpected.
Soro's eyes lit up with curiosity. A noble who defied conventions was indeed rare, often viewed as an outsider or even a genius.
"Let's go upstairs!" Brandon exclaimed, leading the way.
The group, including Elisa and a few commoners, followed, curious about what the second floor held.
As they arrived upstairs, they were greeted by a sense of tranquility and elegance. The walls were adorned with paintings. Although they couldn't understand, they still pretended to look at them.
"We have private rooms of various sizes. Please choose based on the number of guests," a polite server explained.
"We have three people. Is there a room for three?" one of the merchants inquired.
"We need a room for seven," another requested.
"Certainly. Please wait a moment, and someone will guide you to your respective rooms," the server replied.
Soon, a group of servers, both male and female, in uniform, appeared in the corridor.
"If you have any special requests, please tell them," the server said softly, "Additionally, for those with Henry's invitation, please follow me."
Brandon, Soro, and the others were taken aback but immediately stepped forward, leaving the envious gazes of the other merchants behind.
These merchants knew that being summoned by the Lord would bring significant benefits, such as limited purchase items. Once they could obtain a large amount of merchandise, they would undoubtedly make more money. How could they not feel envious and jealous?
Elisa, however, paid no attention to the others. She just wanted to have a good meal. She simply followed a server to a small private room.
Soro, Brandon, and the rest arrived at a room numbered one, where they saw four guards standing at the entrance.
"Please show your invitation. Only those with an invitation can enter," one of the guards said sternly.
Brandon was dumbfounded, looking apologetically at Riley beside him; he had wanted to bring him in as well.
"You go ahead. I'll taste the food in another room," Riley said, not minding at all. He also realized that today's banquet was the most important, and the guests were all extraordinary.
"Riley, I'm sorry," Brandon sighed.
"It's okay." Riley smiled, waved his hand, and turned back. It seemed he had never eaten in a private room before, so he decided to give it a try today.
After presenting their invitations, Brandon, Soro, and the others entered the private room. They saw Henry seated at the head of a large round table, with a wooden plate in the center, a style they had never seen before.
"Please, have a seat," Henry gestured.
Brandon eagerly took the seat next to Henry, and Soro quickly occupied the other. The two most important positions were taken, and the rest of the guests found their places.
Tess, Willow, and Ellie sat behind Henry, where a small table was set. Today's discussion was important, and the three of them couldn't sit together, considering it was a social event.
Everyone waited for Henry to speak.
"What do you think of Eldoria?" Henry asked, his hands folded under his chin.
The merchants looked at each other, unsure of how to respond.
"Eldoria is excellent, better than many cities I've visited," Soro spoke up.
"Yes, Eldoria is amazing. I can't find the words to describe it," Brandon added.
"Let me ask another question. Do you consider yourselves wealthy?" Henry smiled.
Everyone fell silent. Were they wealthy? Of course, they were. Anyone in this room had a net worth of at least twenty gold coins. But no one would openly claim to be wealthy; it would seem like boasting.
"Do you feel very wealthy?" Henry's dark gaze swept over the crowd, a hint of mockery in his smile. "No, you're not wealthy at all. You're poor, very, very poor."
