Extreme Cold Era: Shelter Don't Keep Waste-Chapter 887 - 116

The welcome banquet arranged by Governor Marsel was lackluster. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Although they had tried their best to present a spectacle befitting Perfikot's status and meticulously prepared the banquet dishes, the hastily arranged event was evidently rushed from all aspects.

Be it in the venue setup or the banquet process, it all seemed improvised as if hastily cobbled together in a very short time.

Additionally, due to various reasons like resource shortages, the banquet's dishes appeared rather meager.

Despite their attempt to showcase the utmost sincerity with limited resources, the lack of ingredients and monotony of the dishes greatly reduced the banquet's level.

Even some dishes that should have been exquisite were plain and unremarkable, failing to uphold the expected dignity due to the conditions.

While the banquet managed to maintain a semblance of formality, every detail was revealing a shortage of means.

France has always been renowned for its cuisine and is a famous culinary powerhouse on the Old Continent.

Before the end-times winter, even in the Victory palace, French chefs served as head chefs, and their superb skills and unique flavors had captivated countless nobles.

For this banquet, Governor Marsel also invited the best French chefs in the city.

However, the extreme shortage of resources made the banquet exceptionally difficult—without enough ingredients, even French chefs couldn't whip up dishes.

Alternatively, in other words, the fact that they managed to assemble the needed dishes for a banquet, regardless of the quality, and include all traditional French courses such as appetizers, fish, main courses, salads, cheese platters, desserts, etc. in current conditions, was already not easy.

Every dish results from the chefs racking their brains in limited resources. Even though the quality and quantity of ingredients were greatly discounted, the complete banquet sequence was still barely maintained.

Hence, although Perfikot was not particularly interested in or satisfied with the banquet, she earnestly tasted the dishes that the chefs prepared with effort and praised the chefs.

This seemed to signal Marsel's officials and the local garrison, who appeared to breathe a sigh of relief.

Subsequently, the banquet atmosphere was barely sustained with a surface harmony, and though the host and guests could not be said to be enthusiastic, it was considered that they enjoyed themselves.

Perfikot maintained a consistently cold and detached attitude, showing no particular interest in Marsel's officials and garrison officers, nor did she lay out any clear requests or instructions.

She merely sat quietly at the head seat, occasionally responding to their compliments and probings with brief words, as if indifferent to everything happening before her.

After the banquet ended, Perfikot, accompanied by her attendants, moved into the temporary accommodation prepared meticulously by Governor Marsel for her.

Her demeanor was calm and composed, without even expressing opinions about the lodging, as if she had anticipated it all. However, her apparent intention of staying gave Marsel's officials and garrison officers immense confusion and unease.

They couldn't figure out what purpose the highest-ranked person in the Empire besides the Empress intended—was she here for inspection or reorganization?

Or perhaps there was a deeper intention hidden behind her arrival?

Filled with questions, no one dared to directly ask Perfikot.

Her majesty and indifference instilled a sense of awe, as though any unnecessary motion could bring unpredictable consequences.

Therefore, Marsel's officials and garrison officers could only suppress all conjectures and anxieties, cautiously managing the current situation.

Simultaneously, they began frantically enforcing strict control over the city itself, fearing any mistake might occur.

The whole of Marsel seemed shrouded in an invisible tense atmosphere, with everyone on edge, afraid that any casual action might become the spark for a disaster.

All they could do was continue cautiously maintaining the surface calm while praying that the Regent would leave soon, ending this suffocating torment.

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Perfikot was accommodated in a long-standing hotel in Marsel, where it's said that during the era of royal rule by France, the King also stayed at this hotel.

Even though it had become noticeably run-down since the apocalypse, because the local garrison commander, who favored luxury, made this hotel his base and command post, it still managed to maintain an air of its former grandeur and dignity.

Precisely because of this, when Perfikot arrived and expressed a wish to stay for a while, it naturally became her best lodging choice.

Perfikot was fairly satisfied with the accommodation, at least the surrounding environment lived up to the reputed hotel once royal-visited by France.

However, Marsel's condition was evidently not as good as the Northern Territory or Langton.

During the banquet conversations earlier, Perfikot learned that there were only three Energy Towers in the city: one in the city center, providing power for administrative bodies and essential facilities; one in the barracks, ensuring the normal operation of the garrison; and another set in the city's wealthy district, offering protection for the citizens with status and wealth.

Besides, the underground shelters were established only beneath each Energy Tower for sheltering part of the citizenry.

The so-called "citizenry" was a new concept brought up by France after "revolution" and the elimination of royal rule, roughly understanding the urban middle class.

They held a certain amount of wealth and social status, were the main participants in city economic activities, and were part of the new emerging ruling class in France, post-overthrow of the feudal royalty and old nobility.

After all, above them were those holding a great amount of capital, the big capitalists.

The citizen class corresponds to the past small nobility and knights, filling the societal middle void.

Hence, in France, these people formed the ruling foundation of a city, their interests and needs often prioritized.

However, the situation was entirely different for the lower ordinary working class and populace.

They had neither wealth nor status, unable to qualify to live within Energy Tower-covered areas.

Under the ravages of the apocalyptic winter, they struggled to make a living in the cold winds, relying on rudimentary heating devices and limited food to barely get by.

Although the Energy Tower's radiance illuminated the city center, it could not warm the ordinary people forgotten at the edges.

This marked class disparity made Marsel's societal structure look even more fragile and made Perfikot start to have some doubts about her upcoming plans.