The silver cutlery in front of Horatio was meticulously and exquisitely arranged.
To the right was a sharp dinner knife facing inwards, and to the left were two forks, one with two tines and one with three.
The former was for desserts and fruits, while the latter was for appetizers and main courses.
In front of each plate was a spoon, bowl-side down.
There was also an exquisite small flowerpot and a delicate boat-shaped ornament, its hull plated with golden Skyhawk.
Inside the small and exquisite sailboat ornament, each small compartment held pre-portioned spices, seasoning bottles, sugar, and salt.
The lifting platform beneath the oval-shaped long table slowly descended with a mechanical structure.
Soon, the lifting platform rose again, carrying a sumptuous array of freshly prepared meals on elegant, high-end dining carts.
Currently, they were not in a high-alert state, allowing the kitchen to resume operations.
The freshly prepared delicacies on the dining cart were far superior to the simple meals Horatio usually ate.
The first dining cart carried steaming hot appetizer soups and fish dishes.
They were served separately, with multiple styles for the officials to choose from.
Thick soup was in the depression in the center of the soup plate, accompanied by pure wheat white bread pan-fried with butter, perfect for dipping into the soup.
Horatio requested veal stewed with mugwort, basil, thyme, bay leaf, rosemary, and other spices, along with shallots, potatoes, and shrimp.
The bread served with it was crispy, toasted baguette slices flavored with rosemary.
This type of bread, infused with spices, was not too filling and served well as an appetizer.
He didn't want to eat too much and spoil his appetite for the main course later.
Farida opted for a seafood fish soup, stewed with alien shellfish and large shrimp-like marine arthropods, paired with fish belly.
Her bread was a savory, salty pretzel, which, when dipped into the smooth and delicious seafood soup, felt like a carnival of umami exploding in her mouth.
The chewy, freshly baked pretzel allowed the fish and soup to blend repeatedly between her chewing lips and teeth, creating a rich fusion of flavors.
The slight saltiness of the bread revealed a fragrant wheat aroma, allowing the sweet, creamy taste of the soup to stand out from the sensory experience.
Farida closed her eyes, unable to resist taking a deep breath, letting the sweet fragrance flow with her breath into her relaxing body and mind.
The officials chatted casually, exchanging polite jokes.
This was completely different from their serious and rigid demeanor on the bridge.
"The taste is quite good, isn't it?" Horatio chatted with Farida beside him while eating, ensuring she, as an Untouchable, didn't feel isolated.
"Hmm, it's good, just a tiny bit less flavorful than what I'm used to at home. For example, this fish is a bit overcooked, and the texture of this exotic shrimp..."
Seeing her still so energetic, Horatio chuckled softly.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, let's welcome today's main course!"
Captain Peru casually tapped the rim of his cup.
Servants swiftly cleared the empty plates from the officials' tables, replacing them with fresh napkins.
And refilled the wine glasses.
The main course cart was brought up via the lifting platform.
This was an enormous item, brought up by combining two of the longest dining carts, barely fitting the diameter of the elevator.
Even through the shiny, oily giant pot cover, an enticing aroma wafted throughout the entire official hall.
[What is this? It smells so good.] Farida swallowed.
Being from a military family, she had never smelled meat this fragrant before.
"Ladies and Gentlemen. You must have never tasted this dish wild, at least not fresh."
Captain Peru's words piqued everyone's curiosity.
"This was personally hunted by myself and a friend, an Astra Militarum General, who took a small boat into the swamps of a Death World.
That was truly a thrilling hunt. After experiencing it once, nothing has been more perilous or exciting than that time."
Commodore Peru's face was full of smugness and pride, like a dragon-slaying knight.
When he had fully captured the diners' curiosity, he snapped his fingers.
Four servants simultaneously lifted the enormous pot cover from the four corners.
"Oh!"
Even battle-hardened officers couldn't help but exclaim.
It was an entire, massive crocodile-like Xenos creature.
It had a head more terrifying and ferocious than a swamp crocodile, and a huge size like a saltwater crocodile, at least 8 meters long, with a massive and heavy body.
A long row of towering, sharp, poisonous bone spines grew on its back.
"This monster is called Kolo Tarid.
At the time, I was on a mission to transport fifteen regiments of the Imperial Guard to the front lines, and we happened to stop for supplies at a world called Colonia.
The local people were suffering from a massive Xenos infestation caused by an invasive species. The General at the time was furious and said that before going to the battlefield, we should go and deal with these damned Xenos.
We hadn't gone far when we discovered this thing in a Death Swamp. It was a thousand times more terrifying alive than dead. Extremely ferocious.
It took us quite a bit of effort to kill it."
As Captain Peru spoke, servants used carving knives to slice meat from the giant crocodile, serving this rare delicacy to the officials present.
When the sharp carving knife fell upon the skinned giant crocodile, juices splattered.
Its flesh was as tender as if freshly killed, as juicy as a fresh steak, with golden, transparent juices sparkling.
This was thanks to liquid nitrogen flash-freezing technology, which allowed officials on warships to enjoy delicacies they could only taste on planetary land, no matter when or where in the star sea.
"An Imperial Guard Soldier emptied his lasgun's power pack and still couldn't kill it. This thing is incredibly fierce when it gets angry; it snapped a swamp ancient tree thicker than four men combined with a single tail swipe.
The broken trunk flew off and instantly killed several Imperial Guard Soldiers."
"God Emperor, what a damned Xenos!" Everyone listened with relish as Captain Peru recounted this thrilling adventure.
"And guess what happened in the end?
I personally flew over in a Valkyrie.
Goodness, that massive Xenos swiped a tree into the sky with its tail, almost hitting me.
Thankfully, the pilot was an experienced one and dodged just in time."
The officials gasped even louder.
"Finally, the Valkyrie circled in the sky, unleashing all its missiles and multi-barreled autocannons until it finally killed this thing."
"Let us congratulate Gentleman Peru on his victory!"
"Did you think that was the end of it?" Commodore Peru's eyes sparkled as he changed the subject.
"There were tens of thousands of these Xenos breeding on Colonia!"
"Oh!!! God Emperor, this is truly blasphemous! This is an invasion! Declare war on these Xenos!"
"That time, we fought fiercely, with Imperial Guard Soldiers dispatched to clear the swamps on the ground, and the sky filled with aircraft weaving through the dense swamp forests.
Finally, it took us a full week, with three thousand casualties and 5 aircraft crashes, to kill all those damned things and purify the entire Colonia.
The people there no longer had to fear disappearing after going out, and the entire planet's swamps were utilized.
The Colonia people turned these Xenos into important economic products; its hide is absolutely top-grade.
Just like the boots on my feet, and the leather shoes I often wear, they are all made by the Colonia people from this Xenos's hide. Gentlemen, you will absolutely not find leather of such comfortable and durable quality. I've worn them for over a decade, and they're still like new.
This originally poor world, where people couldn't even get enough to eat, suddenly became an important vacation world.
Kolo Tarid leather products are a must-buy for nobles visiting there.
Its meat is also very delicious, but not suitable as an appetizer; it's perfect as a main course.
The Imperial Guard Soldiers who tasted it at the time all said it was good. My General friend and I split the hunted Xenos in half.
God Emperor bless His poor Guardsmen.
They didn't have the large freezers we have on our ships, so they could only make cured meat. Alas, what a waste of a treasure.
Next time, if we pass through Colonia, I will personally take you ladies and Gentlemen to see these Xenos that have been conquered by us, humanity."
"To the valiant Captain Peru, to the recovery and prosperity of Colonia, cheers!" Horatio raised his glass with the other officials.
A plate of tender sliced meat was brought to Horatio and Farida by a servant.
"Why don't... you try a bite first?" Farida smiled wryly, looking at the terrifying appearance of the prehistoric giant crocodile; she was a bit hesitant to take a bite.
Horatio used his carving knife to cut a slice of meat in half.
To be honest, he wasn't too keen on eating the strange Xenos meat found in the Imperium of Man.
It made him think of the terrifying Antcow that could burst out of the eater's stomach.
But... the meat of this thing in front of him was simply too fragrant.
[Captain Peru has eaten it so many times, there shouldn't be any problem.] he thought.
Then he opened his mouth and put the juice-soaked slice of meat into it.