Albus Medici... Lumian repeated the name in his mind while looking at the member of the Iron Cross, a little surprised that his full name suddenly appeared.
In the gatherings convened by Gardner Martin, Albus never said his last name, and Gardner Martin did not introduce himself. Now, facing Puif Soren, he actually gave his full name.
Was this to make the disguise more real? Lumian's eyes swept across Albus's face and found that when Count Puif said the last name "Medici", he did not hide his mockery at all, as if he was sneering at this member of the Sauron family.
"Charles Dubois." Lumian extended his right hand and politely announced his name.
Albus shook his hand quite casually, with a clear smile in his eyes.
He said:
"I have heard of your name, a generous patron of the arts."
The member of the Iron Cross put the emphasis on “generous.”
“That’s mainly thanks to my sponsor.” Lumian said with a double meaning.
To other guests, the "sponsor" he was talking about was his father, that wealthy family, but Albus, as a member of the "Iron Cross", naturally understood what he really meant.
After Puif Soren exchanged a few pleasantries with Lumian, he led him to the sofa area.
The gathering was attended by only a few people, all familiar faces, including Puyfer's cousin Eloise, novelist Arnoldi, painter Maren, critic An Yong and poet Elaite.
After everyone chatted for a while and ate some snacks with black tea, Count Puyver looked around.
He suggested with a smile:
"How about we go on an adventure today?"
"Adventure?" Albus looked up at the ceiling and asked with a hint of ridicule, "Adventure in the bedroom?"
What he meant was that although the Red Swan Castle was not small, it could house the main members of a family and station hundreds of soldiers in its heyday, but there was no area suitable for adventure. They couldn't just go to the bedroom:
An adventure with a Trier vibe, right
Such teasing made everyone happy. Puif Soren coughed lightly and said:
“You may not know that Red Swan Castle also has a huge underground area.
"At the time when it was built, the first thing to consider was its role in war. It was obviously unqualified if it didn't have a cellar with a large capacity and a tunnel for evacuation at a critical moment.
“Over the past few hundred years, every generation of my ancestors has repaired or expanded the underground part, making it more and more like a maze, and more and more like the place where some horror stories take place. Even for someone like me who grew up in Red Swan Castle, my understanding of the place is limited to the commonly used parts.
"Our goal this time is to go deep into that underground maze and find one of my ancestors.
There is a count's crown in a room in the game. It is inlaid with many rubies and you can recognize it at a glance.
"Whoever finds that earl's crown will be king today."
Going deeper into the "underground labyrinth"... Lumian's mind suddenly flashed through scenes:
People who keep hurting themselves in Red Swan Castle...
Screams from unknown sources...
A bronze coffin surrounded by countless white candles... .
The palm with deep red and black blood vessels protruding... .
A dry and black heart with a little blood leaking out...
The things behind seem to be hidden in a hall underground!
In an instant, Lumian had a clear understanding:
Puif Soren's temptation has really come!
He controlled the urge to look around and did not look for the possible lurking Gardner Martin, but instead turned his gaze to Albus Medici.
This member of the "Iron Blood Cross" laughed and said:
"It sounds interesting, this is a game for the brave!
He seemed to be worried that others would object to such a risk, so he took the initiative to pressure them with words:
Anyone who is unwilling to participate is a coward!
Count Puyver added:
"Don't worry. If you get lost and can't find the way back, just ring the bell in the room and servants will come to find you and bring you out of the underground."
"No problem." The short and fat novelist Arnold said jokingly, "I'm actually looking forward to something happening, so that I will have excellent writing material."
“For example, The Last Day of Anoli?” Lumian joked.
He had attended many gatherings of the "Black Cat" art organization and knew that novelist Anoli and poet Elaite were people who could be teased and mocked, and they would not get angry at all - the former's taboo was not to praise other writers, and the latter was only angered by the social status quo and practical problems of Intis.
Anoli took a sip of tea and muttered:
"The old guys at the Intis Academy of Literature will love this subject."
Seeing that no one objected, Count Puyver stood up and said to all the guests:
“We ventured out in two groups, and were able to move around individually along the way.
"One group will be led by me, and the other group will follow Charles. These are the people who have been kings in the past three months. Those who are willing to join Charles, please raise your hands."
"Me!" The first person to raise his hand was Albus Medici. Lumian thought he would follow Puif Soren to complete the mission of the Iron Cross.
Count Puyver was not at all surprised by this, as if this was the development he had expected.
The second person to raise his hand was the host's cousin, Eloise.
Eros, who had long brown-red hair, smooth eyebrows of the same color, bright brown eyes, and a face with a little baby fat, smiled and said to Lumian:
"I have always been Mr. Charles's female companion before, and I don't want to be an exception this time.
Lumian glanced at her, smiled and nodded.
In his opinion, this young lady who is not even 20 years old is not as reserved, well-behaved, and innocent as she appears.
He once had a dream in which most of the participants in the King Cake Game went crazy and harmed themselves or others. There were only three exceptions: Lumian himself, Puif Soren, and Miss Eloise!
Such a lady with such a secret actually chose to follow him to adventure in the "underground maze", which made Lumian doubt her true intentions.
The third person to raise his hand was the poet Elaite.
His reason for holding a cherry wood pipe is simple:
“This is my sponsor!
The remaining novelist Anoly, painter Maren and critic Ernst & Young can only be grouped with Puif Soren.
They then left the living room and came to a statue in full armor, and went down one step at a time along the nearby stairs that were only wide enough for two people to walk side by side.
The walls of the stairs were mottled, gray and dull, and they kept spiraling downwards. The surroundings became increasingly quiet.
After walking about three floors, Lumian and others arrived at the entrance of the "underground maze".
There are a large number of wall lamps here, some of which are connected to gas pipes, and some of which are classical in shape and burn candles, illuminating the five corridors quite brightly.
Lumian looked up at the ceiling and found that the water-black stone tiles on it were sleeping in the darkness, with clear gaps and the surface slightly peeling.
"Let's take this one." Puif took a calcium carbide lamp from the wall and led his team members to the one on the far left.
After Lumian fixed the calcium carbide lamp, he walked straight into the corridor in front of him without any thought, purely on instinct.
He felt that in this situation, it would be easy to miss the target if he carefully searched for the road. Relying on the aggregation of extraordinary characteristics and the hidden aura of the "Blood Emperor", he would have a better chance of encountering something valuable if he just walked around.
What is the reason for your choice?" Albus Medici's expression was always a bit annoying.
Lumian replied nonchalantly:
“I believe in destiny.”
"I like this reason." Eloise agreed with a smile.
The poet Elaite took a puff of his cherry wood pipe and said:
"I believe it, but only if fate favors me."
The four of them went deeper into the corridor and saw rooms around them that looked like storage rooms.
Soon, they arrived at a dimly lit hall with three doors to choose from.
On each door, there is a word written in ancient Feysac:
"Hope", "Death", "Madness".
Lumian had given up thinking long ago and walked towards the "Door of Madness" without blinking, pushing it open.
It was dark behind the door, but as the light from the calcium carbide lamp shone in, one lifelike wax figure after another appeared.
These wax figures include both men and women, wearing either ordinary or exquisitely gorgeous clothes, and all of them have extremely painful expressions.
"Not bad." Albus raised his right hand and patted the face of the wax figure at the door with contempt.
Eloise glanced at him sideways:
"Didn't your mother teach you manners?"
Albus laughed:
“I don’t have a mother.
Eloise was speechless for a moment, not knowing how to respond.
Behind them, the poet Elaite murmured appreciatively:
"Someone once spread a rumor that I was having an affair with a widow, so I secretly spread rumors that I had abducted a congressman's daughter, was suspected of murdering a businessman, was once linked to rumors of human meat pies, and that neighbors around me kept disappearing mysteriously.
"As long as I don't care about my reputation and take the initiative to destroy it, no one can point fingers at me from a moral seat."
As expected of a poet... Lumian secretly exclaimed in admiration, holding a calcium carbide lamp, and took the lead in entering the room full of wax figures, his destination being the exit at the end of the room.
Under the yellowish lighting of the gas wall lamps, the wax figures seemed to have life, looking at Lumian and the others in silent attitudes as bystanders, creating a spooky and strange feeling.
Lumian recalled the wax figure attacks he had encountered in the past, and felt that every wax figure here could suddenly come alive and pounce on him and others.
In the unspeakable silence, Albus Medici broke the atmosphere.
He said to Elos in a relaxed tone:
"You are Puifur's cousin, so your last name shouldn't be Soren, right?"
"Yes." Eloise admitted frankly.
Albus asked casually:
"Which family are you from?"
Eros turned his head and glanced at Albus Medici, then looked at Lumian in front of him and replied with a smile:
“My full name is:
"Elos Einhorn."