Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 179 - 170

"Speaking of which, scholars are really terrifying," Beatrice curled up in the corner, one arm wrapped around her knees, the other clutching at Alianna’s clothing hem. "No, they’re super terrifying." 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Alianna sat down next to her sister, "I have always failed to understand why you’re all so afraid of the teacher, who is clearly a quite gentle person."

"That’s because Anna has never made the scholar teacher angry, when he gets angry, you’ll understand. Why did our father have to be good friends with the scholar, if not, the scholar teacher wouldn’t appear in our memories."

"It’s because father was a powerful alchemist, and the scholar needed one of his tools transformed through alchemy."

"Was there such a thing? I have no memory of it at all."

"Because the alchemical product was small enough that Beatrice, as a child, was always focused on those larger alchemical puppets."

"What did the scholar teacher want to do?"

"A key, a key that guarantees his family’s legacy, I overheard it by chance during his conversation with father, a key that could open his secret stash."

"The scholar teacher’s treasure? Is it a small mountain piled up with papers and magic scrolls?"

"I wouldn’t know about that. All I know is that the importance of that key made the scholar teacher teach us three sisters for three years without any payment, whether it was tuning Helena’s potential or excavating our talents, the scholar teacher played a big role. Had it not been for him, when Helena erupted, Naslan might have already become history, rather than, as it is now, a mystery."

"I don’t mean that I dislike the teacher," Beatrice leaned against her sister, hiding her face behind the wine bottle as Alianna could only see those blood-red eyes through the dark glass curves of the bottle. "After father left, the scholar teacher gave us considerable help, I am just simply complaining, a sort of simple grumbling."

"Of course, I know," Alianna said, her head leaning against Beatrice’s, listening to her breathing. "After all, it seems like Beatrice hasn’t grown up at all."

"You’re the one who hasn’t grown up! Anna, you’re like an idiot, always caring about some inexplicable little things." The rolling wine bottle made a sound on the floor, "Anna, when are we leaving, we’ve already fulfilled our promise to that woman, right, there’s nothing worth our stay in Hamlet anymore."

Alianna remembered the last farewell at the bay.

The gentlewoman’s last request.

"Please go to Hamlet following this road, my child is still there. Please, check if he’s still safe, but don’t bring me any news. Now that I’ve turned into this, I don’t want him to see me in this state. I’ve lost the right to continue to love him, but I’ll keep hiding in the shadows, praying for him with the little life I have left. If you meet him, please tell him, his mother died in a shipwreck."

"I will, madam, what is your child’s name, and what does he look like?"

The moonlight gradually dissipated from her body, and ugly scales crawled up her figure again, but she wore a serene smile on her face. "My child, you will surely recognize him at a glance. My child, like a shining star in the sky."

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"Hamlet has now become a desolate place, the only thing remotely human is that old man sitting in the rocking chair, his blood tainted with a vile poison, I can smell it, he won’t last two weeks. That woman’s child must also be in dire straits."

"Aren’t those life breaths hiding in the houses human?"

Disgust was evident in Beatrice’s eyes.

"What’s in the houses are blood sacs, something akin to insect eggs. Their role is to wrap the included living thing, twisting it into a living boneless blood bag or a puppet. The current Hamlet is just a birthing chamber and cafeteria for monsters."

"Why did Plague Doctors come here?" Alianna’s palms overlapped, her knuckles tapping repeatedly.

"Who knows? Perhaps the bait from the castle owner worked. You know, Anna, to cause such a disaster, the enemy must be at least on the level of a ’species’." Beatrice was persuading her sister. "You know what that means, right?"

Alianna gazed into the distance, her eyes piercing through walls, fixated on the ancient castle halfway up the mountain.

"The Plague Doctor is in danger, and he is still too frail. I should protect him, as his senior."

"You should choose to retreat, You must realize your power has just reached the level of [Kindred], and your kin are not here. They are enemies we cannot face." Beatrice was a bit angry, her sister seemed beyond help.

"They are not unbeatable, that white-haired Druid, his rank is equal to mine, and as long as we’re careful, we’re not without chance."

"That’s just a chance!"

"Benny, you should leave first, The battle to come is going to be tough for you too. I’ll be fine, I’m a Lich. I..."

"Liches are not unkillable, I will not allow my family to face danger alone, even if the help I can offer is limited." Beatrice’s confidence was greatly diminished.

"Benny, why do you harbor such strong prejudice against the Plague Doctor?"

"I hold prejudice against anyone who gets close to my sister, it’s just that so far, Anna, you have only shown intense interest in this man. I have a premonition that someone is going to take you away." Beatrice threw herself into Alianna’s arms, her head buried in her chest, the smell of alcohol from her breath staining the white gauze dress.

"My Alianna absolutely cannot be taken away!"

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The next day, what brought Lyle and his companions to wakefulness was the crisp sound of knocking.

When the three got ready and opened the door.

Standing before the door was a brightly dressed servant, wearing a neat, vibrant red uniform that reached only as high as the chests of Lyle and his companions, his face adorned with a smile that was as professional as a mask worn on the face.

His movements had a peculiar clown-like quality, resembling an entertainer there for amusement. In his eyes, also lay the clown-like eeriness and madness.

He let out a shrill voice, grating as the buzz of a mosquito.

"The honorable Mr. Kevin, Butler Hyde is hosting a banquet at Hamlet Castle, and you and your companions have been invited. Please attend the estate gathering on time today, along with the other heirs’ candidates."

Kevin raised an eyebrow, "All companions may attend?"

The ludicrous servant covered his pointy chin with his finger, eyeing Lyle and William.

"Of course."

"What about these?"

Fannila and Heinz, Aryan and Karen, Alianna and Beatrice opened their own doors, and they stared down at the diminutive servant, their gazes not exactly friendly.

Kevin expected the servant to become infuriated, however, the servant just revealed a deep smile, his lips stretching almost to his ears, revealing his white teeth and vivid red gums, with a sort of morbid joy.

"Of course, respected sir."