Yarra’s Adventure Notes
Chapter 199 - 54: The Banquet in the Valley_1

Chapter 199: Chapter 54: The Banquet in the Valley_1

(263... 084... 458... Readers interested in joining the group are welcomed. PS: Friends passing by, your collection and recommendation are my greatest motivation. Moreover, feel free to give your suggestions, thank you. PS2: There’s a change in the title, please see the related works.)

The building before everyone was the largest and most impeccably crafted house in the valley. The windows of the other rooms on either side of the building were pitch-black, with only a faint light seeping out from the gap of the closed main door, presumably coming from the living room behind it. The lighted living room was exceptionally quiet with no sound escaping from it. The dim light, like a meticulously crafted bait, peeked out from behind the door gap, carrying a hint of allure in its danger.

Catherine stood by the door, eyes closed, her right hand resting on the door. After taking a few deep breaths to calm herself, she looked back at Vivian, Lina, Dora, and Pannis in turn. All four of them nodded at her. Catherine took another deep breath, and although both Pannis and Vivian had assured her there were no traps at the front door, she still cautiously drew the Falcon Shield from her back and held it by her side, then pushed open the door with force.

The hall wasn’t large, just about forty square meters, lit brilliantly from within. Four Crystal Energy lamps hung high in the four corners of the hall. These lamps used for dances weren’t very bright, but they managed to illuminate the hall clearly. No sooner had Catherine entered than an intense white light burst forth not far from her.

As soon as the white light lit up, Catherine immediately raised her shield, taking a few steps forward behind it, allowing room for the others to evade. However, no imagined blow came upon the shield, only Pannis gently saying: "No immediate danger."

Catherine slowly moved her shield away and instantly saw three people standing in front of her, less than three meters away. To be precise, not three people, but images of three people. A Memory Crystal was placed on the ground, which had been automatically activated and was projecting images of the three people.

The three of them stood in a triangular formation, all wearing black, hooded mage robes. The wide robes concealed their physical features. The hoods hid their faces, but the matching six-pointed star and hourglass emblem on the breast of their robes identified them. The only difference was the golden symbol on the mage at the front, while the two mages behind him had silver symbols.

The mage leader with the golden symbol stood silently for about ten seconds, seemingly waiting for the audience to calm, then bent deeply in a salute of perfect gentlemanly standard. Then, with a tone of grace, moderation, indifference, and a hint of arrogance, he said in a perfectly modulated volume: "Welcome, honored guests."

"I am truly honored that you would deign to visit my humble camp, but regrettably, I must apologize to you all. I’m sorry that, for reasons we all know, I couldn’t personally welcome you due to certain circumstances. Accustomed to it, please."

"Hehe, hehe." Catherine sneered coldly at the image in front of her, grinding her teeth: "What perfect noble etiquette, I am overwhelmed indeed."

"Just as you’ve guessed." Evidently not hearing Catherine’s angry sneer, the Mage Leader continued to speak in their peculiar voice, "Yes, I am the one you’ve been seeking. I am the puppet master of the thieves and their taskmaster."

"Due to some of my peculiar hobbies, heed trivial, depraved hobbies, to be exact. I needed people to help me collect some commonly used raw materials, which is quite typical, isn’t it? But regrettably, because of some old-fashioned, worldly laws and morals, this kind of collection is clandestine. Therefore, I was forced to recruit some servants to fulfill my hobby. Thus, as you might have guessed, it was these thieves."

"But recently, I came to know that these foolish servants of mine have somehow offended you all, and that you’ve been trying to find and punish them. This makes me extremely furious. These fools dared to offend our honored guests, an unforgivable mistake."

"So, in order to appease your anger, I took it upon myself to punish these damned servants for you, ensuring they wouldn’t trouble you ever again. I hope this action of mine satisfies you."

"Though I have punished my servants for you, there’s no need for you to feel uneasy, and do not feel indebted to me. This is a host’s duty." The Mage Leader put one hand on his chest and performed a standard bow while the two Silvers behind him followed suit, expressing earnest sincerity.

"What bastards." Dora stomped with anger, uttering spitefully: "Not only did they cover up their tracks by killing, but they also mocked us in this way. It’s blatantly provocative—we cannot bear it."

"Hehe." Pannis crossed his arms and smiled as he said calmly: "There’s more egregious mockery and provocation. Are you sure you’re ready for it?"

Before Pannis even finished every word, the Mage Leader had straightened up and surprisingly, voluntarily pulled back his hood, revealing a pale, elderly face. With a smirk full of mockery that was hard to describe, he said, "I’m sure you all would love to know who I am. Well, allow me to take the initiative—I am Sandy. You may have heard my name before."

"I’ve heard of him. I should have thought of him." Vivian said in astonishment: "Noble Mage Sandy Lain, a Legendary Magician, one of the geniuses amongst mages, but he was wanted by the Mage Guild for numerous live experiments thirty-seven years ago. No one knew where he had gone since then. I didn’t expect to meet him here."

Catherine patted Vivian’s shoulder seriously, causing Vivian to blush slightly. Lowering her head, she said, "Thanks, sister. If it wasn’t for your wake up earlier, I might be his next... Well, maybe not. After all, I might die anytime... Okay, stop pinching me. I won’t sound so pessimistic."

The avatar of mage Sandy wore a smile peculiar to nobles, and he continued to speak with mocking respect, "I bet this comes as quite a surprise. I apologize for keeping you in the dark for so long. To make amends, I’ve prepared a meal for you all in hope that you accept my sincere apology."

Sandy turned sideways, pointed to the long table behind him, gave another strange smile, and disappeared into thin air along with the two mages behind him, distinguishable by their silver insignia.

Following Sandy’s direction, you would see a long table in the middle of the hall, eight meters long. Crystal Energy lights are turned on at the left, middle, and right of the table. On either side of the table were ten hard wooden chairs– no more, no less, just ten.

When walked up to the table, each place setting was deliberate, following strict banquet etiquette. Expensive porcelain plates were laid, with three sets of silverware placed on either side of each plate: knives on the right and spoons of different sizes neatly arranged beside them. A dark red velvet napkin skillfully folded into a complex rose shape was placed in the center of the dish. To the right of each chair was a dwarf cabinet, the same height as the chair, with wine glasses of different sizes.

On the long banquet table, there were only simple appetizers like bread, oysters, and mussels. On a small table behind the banquet table, many other things were placed, most notably a Thermal Array in the center of the table. A pot of thick soup was kept warm in the Thermal Array, exuding the mild scent of milk and fresh seafood. Also warmed by the Thermal Array were ten seemingly perfectly fried pieces of thornfish. Thornfish, a fierce and rare delicacy from the Naramia River, golden brown, shimmered. To the right of the Thermal Array was a large vegetable salad with fresh vegetables from around the world. To the left of the Thermal Array, a huge ice plate was keeping a pudding chilled.

Next to the small table was a Crystal Energy stove with a large pot on top, in which perfectly stewed beef floated, and a warm sauce was placed by the pot, kept at a ready-to-serve temperature.

On a spit by the wall, a tender young rock lamb was being evenly roasted, turning golden-brown. If the rock lamb was cut open, one would find a roasted Silver Sparrow, and within the Silver Sparrow, an even more tender roasted pigeon.

In a wine cabinet on the other side of the table, several different kinds of wine were separately arranged in rows, ready to be served.

A quiet hum echoed as another Memory Crystal hidden by the side of the table was activated, and the avatar of Sandy appeared again. With a restrained smile on his aged face, he gestured towards the table and said, "My friends, this is a humble meal I’ve prepared for you. I regret I can’t be there to join you or provide the appropriate service for you. Therefore, I invite you to serve yourselves. I hope it pleases you. Now, it’s time to say goodbye. I hope there is a chance we meet again one day. Good night."

The avatar faded away once more and the room returned to silence, leaving the team members to gaze bewilderedly at Sandy’s arrangement.

"What is this supposed to mean?" Catherine laughed out of exasperation. "Is he inviting us to dine?"

"Clearly, this is mockery." Pannis shrugged, pulled over a chair and sat down, "He’s mocking our incompetence, taunting our helplessness."

"But, he has revealed himself." Vivian replied, "We all know who he is now."

"What good does that do?" Pannis sighed, "He has been on the run for thirty-seven years already, nobody knows where he’s hiding. Now we know it’s him, but beyond affirming he’s still alive, what else have we gained?"

"Alright, nothing." Vivian admitted, her spirits dampened.

"It’s not necessarily a dead end." Lina’s eyes sparkled, as she went on observing every detail, "No one is perfect; often, it’s the subtlest of details that hide the most critical clues."

"Huh?" Pannis looked stunned, then had a thought: "You mean Lina? Or Miss Mapple?"

"Seems like you know her too." Lina responded stoically, "Indeed, I am Lina. But she is watching."

"I see." A smile sneaked onto Pannis’s face, "Then, may we ask the honourable Miss to help us analyze these potentially critical clues?"