Chapter 18: The Banquet

The Royal Palace is located on the central axis, directly north of City Hall Square. Its architectural style inherits from the City of Frost, and it is also called Medimus Palace. Peter’s carriage stopped in front of the palace gate, and they handed it over to the palace attendant. The two entered on foot through a side gate.

Upon arriving at the main hall, the banquet food was already laid out. Peter introduced Ace to the other scholars, and then got lost in conversation with a bearded scholar. Seeing that there was nothing for him to do, Ace decided to walk around.

Only a few people in the entire hall wore black robes, while the others wore white robes with red ribbons (Citizens) or white robes with purple ribbons (Nobles). Coupled with his young age, Ace was very conspicuous.

He saw a young Noble with an aquiline nose, surrounded by several young Citizens, chatting lively.

“Captain, Heroes are truly amazing. Our Captain General waved his hand, and that big fireball instantly burned the barbarian strongman who had killed so many of our men into ashes.”

A short Citizen with a baby face said excitedly.

“That is a Hero’s authority. If it weren’t for the Captain General, how would you have the chance to represent the Third Legion soldiers and attend this feast? You must behave in a calm and dignified manner, and don’t disgrace the Captain General.”

The young Noble surrounded in the middle scolded softly.

“Yes, yes, yes. Captain, when will you be able to use your authority? Give your brothers something to feast their eyes on.” The baby-faced man was not afraid of him at all and joked.

“You shameless rascal. Although I cannot use my full authority, I can use a similar power. I am a descendant of the frost. If you don’t behave, I’ll freeze you into a snowman.”

The young Noble’s right hand instantly became crystalline, and a wave of cold air emanated from it.

The baby-faced man immediately lost his nerve and lowered his head, not daring to speak.

It seems they must be soldiers who earned merit in the conquest of the Barbarians. The slave market had been well-stocked recently, and Ace had heard a little about the city-state’s great victory.

He continued to walk around, casually listening to the conversations, and heard a lot of recent news about the city-state. New King Tedus Medea completely annihilated the combined invasion of Merfolk and Barbarians at Dunhill.

The Turna Fishing Port , which recently held a ceremony to the Ocean Deity, received a blessing from the sea. Large numbers of sea fish rained down from the sky every day for a week. The city-states in the northern part of the Salia Peninsula were attacked by Demons and suffered heavy losses.

Suddenly, the noisy chatter at the banquet stopped. It was the Royal Guards who had arrived. Peter beckoned to Ace, and Ace quickly walked over. The crowd stood in an orderly fashion. The Heroes of the city-state stood in the front row, followed by the Nobles, and everyone else stood in the back.

“His Majesty the King has arrived. Bow!”

The Heroes bowed slightly. The Nobles bowed with a forward lean. Everyone else performed a 90° bow.

After a speech and thanks from the King, the eagerly awaited event began: the exchange of Wonders. This was the most popular activity at the Royal Banquet.

“Here, even an ordinary person might exchange for a Wonder. A Wonder is a product created when a Hero intentionally or unintentionally projects their authority onto an artifact. It could be a sword a Hero frequently used, or it could be a flower. Except for a few, like the descendants of the God of Craftsman, who can freely create Wonders, ordinary Heroes cannot control the emergence of Wonders. Every one of them is a miracle.”

Peter spoke excitedly. Ace had never seen him like this. His snowy goatee twitched, showing how pleased his owner was.

“This is my collection. I exchanged it by transcribing a room full of books for a Hero. He liked my beautiful Bird Script.” Peter opened his left hand.

Ace looked at the small copper mirror in Peter’s left hand. Looking at it, Ace felt his emotions instantly calm down, as if he had lost all feeling, and at the same time, his mind became active.

“The Copper Mirror of Clear Thought. Its original owner, a descendant of the God of Knowledge, was concentrating on thinking while looking into the mirror. When he came to, he found that the copper mirror had transformed into a Wonder. It possesses the magical effect of calming emotions and sharpening the mind. However, you cannot look at it for too long. Once it takes effect, put it away quickly. If a mortal looks at it for too long, they will get a splitting headache.”

Peter quickly tucked the copper mirror away with his large robe, afraid Ace would clutch his head in pain. Ace, however, couldn’t help but think of the splitting headache he got when he overused his mental power. Was there a connection between the two? He needed to borrow his teacher’s copper mirror to experiment when he had the chance.

While the two were talking, a Hero had already gone on stage and presented a Wonder.

“The sharp wooden sword can easily cut through steel.”

He swung the sword and effortlessly cut a standard short sword in half. “I want to exchange it for a Wonder that provides protection, or something else interesting.”

Subsequently, Heroes took the stage one by one to introduce the Wonders they held. With the King’s assurance, everyone felt safe.

There were some Wonders Ace truly wanted, such as A Pearl of Health. Wearing it grants immunity to most diseases, keeps the body and mind full of vigor, and prolongs the lifespan of ordinary people when worn long-term.

There was also An Arrow That Never Misses, which can be blocked but is impossible to dodge.

All kinds of miraculous items broadened Ace’s horizons, but he had nothing to exchange for them. Not everyone had Peter the Polymath’s good fortune.

Ace was just a passing spectator at the entire banquet. Witnessing the power of the city-state’s Heroes and the magic of the Wonders reinforced his belief to close himself off in Buku Town and build his own estate, laying the foundation for the supernatural.

Slavery and private land ownership dictated that the owner was the highest point of the estate’s pyramid. He could freely experiment with the technologies and philosophies of his past life on the estate. As long as he paid his taxes, the estate would be his independent kingdom.

As the banquet was nearing its end, the Crown Prince’s attendant found him and gave him a few words of encouragement. Such is the nature of great figures: unless you truly reach their level, even their appreciation is distanced.

On the way back, Peter told him, “According to tradition, the scholars who participated in the banquet will gather in the public library on the second floor tomorrow. This is the city-state’s default highest level of academic exchange. Everyone must speak on their academic field. Go back and prepare a topic. You can talk about the ideas behind the dictionary or your views on medicine. This is your chance to integrate into the circle of scholars. If you succeed, it will provide tremendous help for your experiments and the promotion of your ideas.”

Ace returned home and did not sleep. What should he talk about tomorrow? The dictionary is out of the question; it is a tool book, and there is nothing detailed to discuss. The New Medicine philosophy has not been tested and would be difficult to make convincing. It would be better to wait a few years until he has accumulated more data, and then actively pursue it. So, what should he talk about?

After careful thought, Ace wrote down a new coined word—”Logic”. It was formed by merging the words for thought and reason, which is also its most direct definition: rational thinking.

He planned to put out a bait, advertise his philosophy, and quietly look for those who agree with him over time.

The path to studying the supernatural definitely requires a group of like-minded individuals. Only those who can eliminate a priori assumptions and conjecture, think rationally, and conduct objective and neutral research meet his requirements to explore the secrets of the supernatural with him.

For now, he needs to cloak his work in medical research, but this does not prevent him from releasing his core philosophy early. Having made up his mind, Ace spread out the parchment and began to write with his quill pen: What is Logic and its Decisive Significance in Academic Research.