Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 127 - 122: The New Member of the Cup of Luxury
```
In the tranquil ancient castle, within its lonely corridors.
A figure was moving.
A pair of black boots stepped on the ground, their owner’s walking posture restrained yet carrying a hint of elegance, like a dapper and courteous gentleman.
If one only looked at the lower half.
For his upper body was twisted and entangled, black swellings accumulating at the shoulders, casting shadows that distorted and writhed on the ground, several black tentacles sliding across the floor, leaving wet trails behind.
The figure stumbled slightly as some of the tentacles stuck to the wall, pulling the body, resisting forward motion.
"Rourou!"
This person was Lyle, who had just completed the bestowal ritual.
"Wall," Rourou’s large eyes observed Lyle, one tentacle prodding at the wall surface.
In the end, Lyle compromised in front of her large eyes, comparatively, this was a less uncomfortable state.
The newly adapted talent had learned to speak, no longer the gurgling sound of before.
Rourou’s voice was very shrill, childlike, a little girl’s voice, Lyle wasn’t sure if this was because of himself.
Rourou’s intelligence seemed to remain at the infant stage, extremely curious about the surrounding environment, but under the duress of her powerful physical qualities or, rather, racial qualities, Lyle found himself indulging her.
"Yes, this is a wall."
"Eat." Well, that may be a creature’s nature, but no!
"No, you can’t eat the wall."
Rourou’s large eyes glanced at the wall, then back at Lyle.
"Not eat, lick lick." She proposed a new request.
Though Lyle didn’t know what was so appealing about licking the wall, he didn’t want her to develop any bad habits.
"No, you can’t lick lick!"
"Don’t say no, lick lick okay!" Her little temper flared, completely ignoring Lyle, with two tentacles wrapped around Lyle’s neck, she pressed her main body entirely against the wall.
Only when the wall was smeared with black sticky secretion did she stop.
But soon after, she began a new action.
As Lyle walked, he realized his feet had left the ground, striding on air.
Rourou had stuck herself to the wall and was climbing up with Lyle in tow with her tentacles, until they reached the poor little creature trapped by her tentacles letting out a shriek.
She presented the pitiful creature to Lyle for inspection.
"Bird? Light?"
"That’s a Light Bat, let it go now."
"Light Bat? Eat?"
The Light Bat let out an even more piercing shriek. It continued until Rourou, seemingly unable to bear its noise, swung it around in the air like a toy until it passed out.
"Eat?" There seemed to be liquid flowing along Rourou’s tentacles, Lyle uncertain whether it was secreted saliva.
"You can’t eat it!"
"Not eat, lick lick."
The familiar formula, the familiar taste.
Lyle sighed.
"Then just lick."
Rourou contentedly wiggled her tentacles.
After finishing her explorations with the Light Bat and feeling satisfied, she wound all her swaying tentacles around Lyle, only two remained waving in the air, along with babyish babbling sounds coming from within her body.
A completely black Light Bat was thrown on the ground, unable to penetrate the dark sticky secretion covering its body with its emitted light.
...
"I’m back."
"Welcome back."
"How did it go, Plague Doctor."
```
All the members of the Opulent Cup were there.
Alianna was stirring her red tea, Sir Gentleman was reading the newspaper, and Mr. Dragon stood under a crystal lamp, trying to seduce a Light Bat, which seemed new, or perhaps had heard something before and was completely ignoring Mr. Dragon’s temptation.
The new talent instantly caught their attention.
"What is that, Plague Doctor?" 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖
Lyle raised his palm, and Rourou’s tentacles gently patted it.
"My talent, I named her Rourou."
Alianna arrived before Mr. Dragon.
Her veil was adorned with some golden pendants, and those glittering little things attracted Rourou’s tentacles.
"What is she?"
"I’m not sure, Sea Monster? Mutant Monster."
Alianna excitedly reached out her hand, took hold of one of Rourou’s small tentacles, and gently kneaded it.
This touch attracted Rourou’s gaze, her big eyes looked at Alianna, and she made a babbling sound.
"Oriana."
Alianna made a cute onomatopoeic sound to express her surprise, and she took the opportunity to hold Rourou in her arms.
"She’s calling my name." As if something tremendously good had happened, Alianna excitedly showed off to Lyle.
"Actually, she’s gotten two words wrong."
"Is she a girl?"
"I’m not sure, maybe Rourou is a girl?"
"Rourou sounds too unseemly, let’s call her Nia. Sidonia."
Alianna renamed the talent, lifted her high, and let out a joyful laugh, like singing. Infected by Alianna’s happiness, Nia also learned to laugh.
Mr. Dragon approached Lyle with a smile.
"She’s really pretty."
Lyle looked at the giant eye and meaty blob waving tentacles in the air, and though it was part of him, he couldn’t agree that it was beautiful.
"Yes, she’s indeed beautiful."
"Great, Plague Doctor, she has become a creature. I’m even now considering if there’s a way to separate my own talent. My dragon, what have I missed."
Mr. Dragon’s monster fancying syndrome had been triggered.
"We should invite her to become a member of the Opulent Cup, she will bring us joy!"
Lyle looked at Mr. Dragon growing increasingly wild.
"Hold on a moment, Mr. Dragon, that’s my talent, by any account, it can’t be considered a new member."
"Let’s have a vote now! Do we agree to Sidonia’s invitation to join the society?"
No, she probably had not yet submitted an application to join.
"Agreed!" "Agreed!"
"Good, with a majority in favor, Sidonia becomes the fifth member of the Opulent Cup!"
"Woohoo!" This was a new sound Rongrong had learned, to cheer.
Lyle watched this dramatic scene unfold, as if it were all a joke, his talent had become the fifth member of the Opulent Cup.
After that, they had a delightful welcome tea party for the new member.
Since Nia had no need to disguise herself, she welcomed the tea and sweets without hesitation.
"Yummy!" "Delicious!" "Yay~" Cute voices kept coming out of her round body.
She had gotten much closer to Alianna, with her little tentacles wrapping around Alianna’s slender arms multiple times, like close friends embracing tightly.
"Plague Doctor, I would like to invite Nia to spend the night at Naslan Castle."
A girls’ slumber party, the best way to enhance friendship.
Lyle nodded; Nia was a bit unruly now, and Cassandra happened to have no place to keep her.
"Please take good care of her, Alianna."
