章 19: Chapter 19: Alianna's Death Dirge
He cast impractical ideas to the back of his mind.
The medieval era was a time when the noble class flourished, drawing nourishment from the collapse of the Roman Empire, using wealth and power to lure knights, and managing other classes as rulers.
At that time, there were no convenient large-scale media channels, and people could only find out about their surroundings through their own eyes and ears.
For an ordinary person, the highest-ranking official they might see in their lifetime could be the town's mayor, who held a knighthood.
Knighthood, an honor without land, and knights were the lowest level of nobility.
In such a rigidly hierarchical society, communication between nobles and commoners was inevitably disjointed; they lived in two different worlds, one toiling for survival, the other indulging in pleasure.
Don't expect any feelings that traverse class distinctions unless by accident, these two kinds of people might not even hear each other's names in their lifetimes.
If Romeo and Juliet's story was a delightful tale of rebellion among noble ladies, then falling in love with a commoner, I am very sorry, was not even a fantasy considered in dreams.
The gulf between nobility and commoners, to use 21st-century playful language, meant they were two different species that had developed reproductive isolation.
Calming the ripples in his heart, Lyle finally shook off Alianna's gentle voice and turned his attention to her words.
"The Cup of Extravagance is a mutual support club. We provide compensated services for one another, for the members of Andrei, and our duty is to help them reclaim the part they have forgotten."
"Desire."
"You might have noticed or not, but Andrei lacks something spiritually. Yes, it's unprecedentedly flourishing in the field of scholarly research, but this splendor is just a castle in the air without any foundation."
"The people of Andrei are actually defective. When they come here, they are confused; they have no desires of their own and simply drift along with the collectivist yearning for knowledge of the academy. Perhaps they find happiness in their studies, but more often, it's nothing but routinized thought and work, aimless."
"This might continue for a century or two, but such a condition can only lead to a path of decay and demise."
"They need to know why they exist, not just for the sake of the academy's mission of knowledge continuity. Actually, the legacy of knowledge would hardly be affected if one or two were missing; they need to find their own worth, starting with having needs. Humans exist to satisfy themselves."
"Just as they study aimlessly, yet earnestly, perhaps their minds haven't caught up, but their bodies act automatically because their subconscious tells them, 'this is your value.' But how long will this conditioned reflex last? Eventually, they will return to confusion."
"And then they will recall the resentment that was left behind, forgotten by the world."
"Some see the pursuit of desires as a form of decline, but many more view it as a luxury, a long-lost hope that cannot be recovered. This is also the origin of the Cup of Extravagance. The Cup signifies an ancient sect, a pleasure-seeking joyous sect."
Lyle contemplated these words. By this account, the people of Andrei were more like ascetics who restrained themselves, forsaking pleasure to devote their energies to research. He understood balancing work with leisure, but was this asceticism so pathological that a club for pursuing pleasure had to be established?
Lyle reflected on what he had observed that night in Andrei, recalling those who, apart from the pursuit of knowledge, possessed nothing else. Perhaps there really was a necessity to find desires.
In light of this, the Cup of Extravagance might be a perfect fit for him, for as a transmigrator, he surely understood pleasure better than anyone else there, although a sense of guilty decadence quietly surfaced.
"I would like to join the Cup of Extravagance."
Alianna's veil faced Lyle, and the gentleman beside her solemnly resumed his upright position.
"The appraisal for the Cup of Extravagance is simple. It's to determine whether you can accept the bits and pieces of the past, because we were filled with desire in the past, and imitating it might be the fastest way to reclaim our desires."
"Then, can the appraisal begin?"
"The appraisal has already ended."
"Hmm?"
Alianna tapped lightly on the rim of the teacup in front of Lyle with a spoon, "Appetite is also a desire, and you didn't shun it."
Lyle looked at the teacup by his hand, understanding the gentleman's earlier puzzlement with the vegetable soup; he had simply discovered his own appetite.
Had the people of Andrei forsaken sleep and food to the point of loathing meals?
"So, I passed?"
"Yes, Plague Doctor, you have become the fourth member of the Cup of Extravagance, welcome to our fold."
Alianna and the gentleman applauded to welcome him, their manner conveying their intent, but their tone didn't change with joy; they too were deeply influenced by Andrei.
Wait a second, the fourth?
Excluding the dragon gentleman, the owner of that pile of treasure mentioned by the gentleman, the gentleman, Alianna, and myself.
No more?
"There are only four members in the Cup of Extravagance?"
"Yes, the pursuit of desires is just our slogan; in reality, most people do not actually wish to pursue desires. We're simply a very special small club."
He was probably blinded by the plethora of jewels, opulent decorations, and the beautiful Alianna, to join this seemingly unpromising little club.
Pursuing pleasure, can that be seen as noble?
"Plague Doctor, what is your desire?"
"Wealth to satisfy survival."
"You mean, gold coins?" Alianna casually picked up a gold coin scattered on the ground.
It was a beautifully made Ancient Coin, much nicer looking than the common currency of Cassandra, and certainly many merchants would be willing to pay a high price to collect it.
"Yes." Lyle realized he wasn't one for lofty aspirations either.
"Such an odd pursuit," Alianna remarked as if to say, money is just a number to me, as people of later times would put it. She probably couldn't understand the commoner's longing for such wealth. "But having a desire is a good thing, and perhaps you and the dragon will get along."
The treasure guardian, Mister Dragon, was personified just as his name suggested.
"So, where is Mister Dragon?"
"He's preparing for his class tonight. Mr. Dragon is Andrey's publicly recruited professor, and he is in charge of the open class tomorrow night. It should also be the Plague Doctor's first lesson."
The lecturer, huh? Seems like a capable person.
The clock inside chimed, striking four times with a dong, dong, dong.
Four o'clock.
The commotion of the evening felt like a distant world to Lyle. Unknowingly, dawn was about to break outside.
"I'll take my leave first." Alianna rose gracefully and left the Cup of Luxury.
"Alianna is one of Andrey's most popular figures. She's a singer. The reason I use her as a model for the artificial ghost isn't just for her beauty."
"She has a concert tonight. Shall we go and watch?"
Alianna's voice was truly soft and beautiful, and Lyle was looking forward to her singing.
"Can I come along?"
"Of course, this is a club benefit. We'll have a special spot at Alianna's concert, where you can be embraced by her singing," Mr. Gentleman said with an embellished rhetoric.
"Right, before we go, set the waypoint for Andrey's ring here," Mr. Gentleman pointed to the marble floor at the center of the club. Under his guidance, the patterns on the floor formed an Array. "The club usually retains someone on a permanent basis, and we will teleport you directly inside the club."
"Alright." Lyle set the location following the instructions.
The opera house was a massive three-story building. They had to pass through a garden of nightshade to leave the castle and reach it.
Entering the second floor balcony through a special passage, the orchestra had already begun playing. Lyle swept his gaze over the hall, densely filled with figures. One could imagine how popular Alianna's singing was.
The central high platform of the stage was empty. The resplendent Light Bats folded their wings, focusing the light on the curtain at a height of one person.
The orchestra's performance was far more wonderful than the mournful music of the welcome ceremony, worthy of a formal band.
But the audience did not care much for them.
They were just a foil.
The orchestra's music neared its end.
That familiar voice emerged from behind the scenes; Alianna began her singing.
Her voice was indeed pleasant to the ear, with a hint of coldness, pulling Lyle's thoughts back to that patch of grass in Andrei's Mausoleum.
Lyle began to feel pain again.
It started hurting again.
It hurt a bit more.
It hurt even more!
In intense agony, Lyle opened his tightly shut eyes.
It wasn't his imagination!
His body was truly in pain!
With Alianna's increasingly high-pitched singing, his body felt as though it was being gnawed by swarms of insects, being nibbled away bit by bit.
Now the concert hall was silent, all immersed in Alianna's singing. Even the orchestra musicians had stopped accompanying, lying down on their seats.
They all seemed to be enjoying it. Is it just my problem?
Lyle stared intently at Mr. Gentleman; his body was twitching but he still appeared to be enjoying himself.
Have they gone bad? Or are they the type that enjoys self-harm?
Lyle's body started to convulse, and he felt terrible. He could feel the chaos in his blood flow, the blockage in his pores.
He felt his body gradually deteriorating, as if he was about to lose control of it, about to lose containment.
Yet this was only the first transition of the song, and the singing would last at least another minute and a half.
A song's length of time, leading me to life's end.
He couldn't wait. Lyle tapped Mr. Gentleman.
Mr. Gentleman's body jerked visibly as Lyle heard the sound of teeth clashing.
"Wh-what's... wr-wrong...?"
"Mr. Gentleman... I'm not feeling well, I might have... eaten something bad, I need to... leave."
"...Be... careful."
Lyle stumbled out the door, tumbling onto the grass outside the theater. The moment he left, he glanced back at the interior of the theater with a sense of premonition.
Chaos reigned as the audience convulsed in their seats. White smoke emerged from their heads, swirling around Alianna.
Was this the fate of those who remained in their seats? Lyle understood.
Some people's singing can indeed be deadly.
Dragging along the night's thrilling experiences, Lyle crawled towards the teleportation ring outside the castle.
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