Evidently, Fulen's worries were unneeded, as he heard a familiar voice.
"Hey, Fulen here! I was wondering if you'd be late, after all, many people still haven't changed that habit. Come on, I'll lead you into this philosophy salon."
Enthusiastic and cheerful, the voice was not only familiar but also matched Fulen's impression of Kvedo. Raising his eyes, Fulen saw Kvedo, dressed in a black suit and white shirt, smiling and opening his arms to him, while Erich, looking cool and wearing a dark blue, almost black suit, stood beside him and nodded when Fulen looked his way.
Fulen didn't say much, but instead proved his enthusiasm with action. He also hugged Kvedo, and at the same time, smiled and said, "Kvedo, I remember Emperor Rosell didn't invent hugging as a greeting; he should have invented handshakes, right? Has your idol changed?"
After the hug, Kvedo didn't linger. As he led Fulen into the Scarlet Gold Cafe, he gesticulated with both hands and said, "Oh, Fulen, you must be mistaken. It's true that Mr. Rosell invented the handshake etiquette, but he also introduced the etiquette of hugging."
Then Kvedo said, "Mr. Rosell is the pearl of our Trier, no, Intis, and even the entire world. He is great and shines upon the entire continent. To say something you might not like to hear, I think, although Mr. Rosell is called the 'Steam Child', his achievements are higher than those of the Steam Church's Pope and all previous Steam believers."
Fulen heard this statement, which would perhaps be opposed by most Steam believers who worship Rosell now, but he did not refute it. Instead, he smiled and said, "Rosell is the 'Steam Child', the first person of the Steam Church. It's certain that his status is higher than the Pope's. The Pope is merely a person who shepherds a region on behalf of God, how could he compare to the Son of God? Besides Rosell, only the first Steam Church Pope would possess the title 'Steam Child'."
Kvedo smiled upon hearing this. "Ah, I was foolish. Oh, where were we? Right, actually, hugging is an etiquette of those Barbarians in the North, just like the bowing that was popular in our Intis and Loen, and the Sage's Etiquette popular in Lunburg. It was Mr. Rosell who introduced this enthusiastic etiquette."
Pausing, Kvedo revealed an expression of reverence for Rosell, like a devout follower of God, and then said, "The first time Mr. Rosell used this etiquette was at Countess Caisedo's gathering. At the beginning of the gathering, he hugged Countess Caisedo. At that time, everyone was very shocked, and some even blamed Mr. Rosell."
"Mr. Rosell didn't say much; he just endured people's misunderstandings. After returning, he wrote an article, categorizing all the etiquettes of the continent, and at the same time affirmed simple and enthusiastic etiquettes, opposing those cumbersome ones. Ah, this is the realm of the great Mr. Rosell, a spirit of selfless dedication for reform, moving forward without hesitation."
Fulen looked at Kvedo's somewhat excited face and for a moment didn't know where to begin his complaints, feeling that there were too many points to criticize. Then he asked, "That Countess Caisedo you mentioned, was she, was she beautiful?"
Kvedo was still immersed in his admiration for Rosell and only subconsciously replied, "It's not a question of whether she's beautiful; she truly was that kind, that kind of very, very enchanting beauty. No, don't think Mr. Rosell was coveting someone else's beauty. I'm telling you, Countess Caisedo's husband had just died then, and Mr. Rosell wouldn't lay a hand on someone else's widow."
Fulen felt something was off, then continued to ask, "Did this Count Caisedo have any conflict with Rosell during his lifetime?"
"Ah, this is the greatness of Mr. Rosell. Although Count Caisedo was a staunch supporter of Sauron during his lifetime, and had always been targeting Emperor Rosell, it was precisely because of Mr. Rosell's protection that Countess Caisedo's widow and children were able to grow up strong."
Alright, case closed. Fulen had felt something was amiss, and then he truly discovered that this Mr. Rosell was the culprit who made Trier's customs even more extravagant. No matter what, the former Intis Kingdom was still a kingdom, unlike the current Intis Republic, whose customs are so open they rival Europe and America. At the same time, Fulen also lit an incense stick for that Count Caisedo, hmm, a green-smoking one. To offend Rosell and expect not to be cuckolded.
As Fulen and Kvedo chatted, the three approached a room on the upper floor of the cafe. The Door to that room, though not large, was very ornate, decorated with intricate patterns and glass and clear pearls that reflected the light from the candles on the walls.
Kvedo, seeing that they were close to the Door, didn't say much. He simply knocked two or three times, then pushed the Door open and entered. Some of the guests inside turned their heads to see who had arrived, while others were engrossed in lively discussions with those beside them, not paying attention to who had entered. Among them, the most striking was a young man.
The reason he was striking was not because he was particularly handsome, but simply because he was seated at the head of the room and was dressed splendidly in a golden robe with a white base, giving it a vintage feel. The robe was adorned with rubies, emeralds, agates, and other gems encircled by Stars. Although the gems were not particularly large, when worn on the clothing, they appeared extremely luxurious.
Although this young man did not possess stunning looks that could mesmerize all, in Fulen's opinion, he was definitely not bad-looking. His most captivating feature was his pair of sapphire-blue eyes, which formed a striking contrast with his red lips and perfectly complemented the sapphires on his clothing. His short brown hair further enhanced the charm of his beautiful eyes.
The only minor flaw was that this young man's facial features were not particularly strong; in fact, they were even more delicate than the soft style currently favored in Trier. In China, this would be an excess of feminine charm: an oval face and narrow eyes. If it were on a woman, it would be the face of a delicate, traditional beauty, but on a man, it seemed a bit out of place.
Seeing Fulen and the two others who had just entered, the young man seemed a bit excited. He immediately stood up, and his usually cool voice became somewhat agitated: "Master Erich, you've arrived! Please, come in quickly. In this philosophy salon I'm hosting, you are the most dazzling gem."
To Fulen's surprise, the young host did not greet Kvedo, who clearly seemed to be the socialite type. Instead, he first greeted Erich, who looked as if he hadn't even stayed in Trier for a full year, and Erich clearly wasn't the type of person keen on socializing.
Erich showed no unusual reaction. He stepped forward and said in his usual cool tone, "No need to be so polite. Your philosophical talent is the dazzling gem. It's my honor to attend this feast."