NOVPUBThe night fell, and the castle, entwined with roses, began to glow with the first lights.
Although the players were surprised by the sudden change in the sky, they didn’t find it incredulous or incomprehensible.
They were just concerned about what would happen next.
An Lin was originally sitting in the hall reading documents, until a maid came to remind her that a banquet was about to be held there. They needed to set up the venue, so she needed to leave temporarily.
An Lin didn’t fuss, but when she went upstairs to return to her room, she checked the neighboring room first.
The female student was not in her own room.
She hadn’t found her anywhere else in the castle either, could she have wandered off someplace else?
But at this moment, whether unintentionally or intentionally wandering around to investigate, all eight travelers who had mistakenly entered Prague Castle were politely asked by the castle maids to return to their rooms to wait for the banquet to start.
An Lin stood at the entrance and watched until the climber also came back; she noticed that the female student and the Traveling Poet were still missing.
Oh, unless the Traveling Poet didn’t go out.
Their rooms were all in this vaulted, enclosed corridor—essentially, one could take in the comings and goings of others just by standing at the doorway, and apart from the male teacher with a broken leg, everyone else had left their rooms at some point.
An Lin couldn’t discern the state of the Traveling Poet for the time being, frowned, and looked towards her team leader’s room.
She lifted her skirt and walked over.
Apart from not allowing them to go to the castle hall, the maids did not restrict them from visiting each other.
"Teacher, are you there?" An Lin knocked on the door.
"I am, come in."
Upon hearing the consenting voice inside, she gently pushed open the door, first cautiously glanced at the state of the room, and then entered once she saw nothing amiss.
The archaeologist was sitting in an armchair reading a book, and when he saw her enter, he just glanced over casually and then asked, "What’s the matter, are you feeling uneasy in an unfamiliar environment?"
"Not at all, Teacher. I’m quite happy here."
An Lin pursed her lips into a smile, walking over as she spoke, "But I can’t find Yu. Nobody has spoken to me about her, and I don’t know if she’s come to see you."
Hearing this, the archaeologist paused, "She hasn’t come to me. You can ask the maids to look for her."
"Alright," An Lin nodded, her gaze casually glancing at the book in his hands before turning to leave.
The archaeologist watched her leave, deep in thought.
Given the script’s unfolding plot so far, it was likely that there was no player-versus-player task in this script, and it was very possible that all players were united against the eeriness of Prague Castle.
If there was one, it would probably be the classic 2-1-1 mode.
In any case, her own task was an independent one—[Main Quest: Obtain Green’s Handwritten Notes.]
There shouldn’t be an opposing side to even this kind of quest, right?
Though, one couldn’t afford to be careless, of course.
The archaeologist withdrew his gaze and continued reading the "Documentary Notes" in his hands.
...
...
Eight o’clock sharp.
Jaunty music resounded throughout the castle, as though someone was singing live, the sound soft and enchanting.
Next, a procession of sumptuous carriages emerged from the Dark Forest, with servants guiding aristocratic guests down from their carriages, walking up the red carpet laid out across the estate towards the castle.
The players, who had been reminded by the maids that the banquet had begun and had left their rooms, were gobsmacked by the scene before them!
The previously cold and deserted castle was now occupied by dozens of nobles dressed in high elegance, who milled about the hall with smiles, sipping red wine and conversing in low tones.
On the stage of the hall, a pianist played passionately, and a gorgeously dressed singer belted out their exquisite vocal performance.
For a time, the entire castle was buzzing with excitement!
Talk about a banquet, it really was a banquet.
They even had the aristocratic ambiance all figured out...
Even more, they could easily strike up conversations with the travelers who had stumbled into the castle, as if they too were members of the nobility, with absolutely no barriers.
Luxurious wines, clinking goblets, opulence and nobility—the whole affair was too captivating!
The Traveling Poet stood silently to the side, sampling the table’s desserts to ensure they were fine before taking a piece of cake and chewing thoughtfully.
During this time, an elegant noble lady approached him with a wine glass in hand, but was quickly repelled by the Traveling Poet’s cold indifference. She behaved exactly like a real aristocrat would.
The Traveling Poet surveyed the gathering.
So far, the noble banquet appeared to be very normal, with no problems whatsoever.
But just as he thought this, a rather arrogant voice suddenly came from upstairs, "What is all this noise about? It turns out to be a bunch of frogs croaking. Armand, why didn’t you tell me my sister was hosting a party?"
Everyone followed the voice and saw a sharp-eyed girl on the staircase. She was dressed in a magnificent gown adorned with gold and red, her expression full of disdain.
The girl picked up her dress and walked down without any regard for etiquette.
Armand Ray approached with a bitter expression to explain, but the girl’s temper was clearly not so easily soothed. She grabbed a wine glass from next to her and hurled it at the butler, then had the audacity to feign an apology.
"That’s Miss Veronica, such a killjoy."
"She’s unruly and savage, lacking any semblance of noble etiquette. She truly shames the Green family!"
"No wonder Miss Green doesn’t let her out. It’s not without reason."
The previously lively atmosphere became tense, and other nobles at the banquet began whispering among themselves, their words laden with discontent towards the abruptly appearing noble lady.
Similarly, their discussions also revealed quite a bit of information.
All the players were taken aback.
Miss Veronica?
Could it be that Prague Castle had more than just Margaret as its mistress?
Listening to the NPCs’ discussions, it seemed that Prague Castle belonged to Duke Green, and the current inheritor of the title was Miss Margaret Green. And she has two younger sisters?
Could this plot be getting a bit too complicated?
...
The archaeologist watched the girl throwing a tantrum not far away. She stayed still for a long time, her head bowed and brow furrowed in deep thought, trying to piece together the information from the Handwritten Notes—Prague Castle was supposed to have only one master!
Well, perhaps for those who hadn’t inherited the title, they indeed wouldn’t be considered masters of Prague Castle.
But there was never any mention of the Witch having two sisters!
Could there be something amiss with this plot?
Could it be that her artifact was malfunctioning, the information being muddled by the castle?
No, that couldn’t be it. There must be something wrong!
...
When the girl known as Miss Veronica came downstairs, An Lin was standing right at the half-circular landing of the second flight of stairs—because the spot was high enough, she had a clear view of the entire banquet hall.
Thus, the girl walked right past her as she descended from the second floor, giving An Lin a scornful look.
An Lin curiously examined her, and then her gaze stiffened slightly.
She noticed a delicate lace choker on the girl’s neck, with red pearls dangling onto her collarbone, accentuating a tiny, bewitching mole on her pale skin.
An Lin blinked and discreetly lowered her head, hiding the shock and fear that had flashed in her eyes.
...
The Traveling Poet was eating his fifth small pastry, observing Veronica casually as she descended. However, he was reminded of the girl he had seen three times before.
With her status, she must also be another Miss Green of the castle.
But why hadn’t he seen her attending the banquet?
Come to think of it, Veronica’s bearing seemed quite different from those disguised automatons, far more lively than them.
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So not all were false automatons, there were other beings in this castle?
What exactly were their identities in this scenario?
And what stance would they take?
The Traveling Poet finished his fifth pastry and, as he reached for the sixth, suddenly paused and looked up.
On the castle’s tall balcony, the girl in the red dress stood by an archway, her gaze falling on the banquet below.
Feeling his gaze on her, the silent and melancholy girl slightly turned her head to look.
Their eyes met. This was their fourth encounter.
...
