https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-749-Lanchi-Doesn-t-Want-to-Watch-a-Play/12585241/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-751-Sybrian-and-Friends-Settle-in-for-the-Show/12585243/
Chapter 750: Lanchi's Night Out in the Capital
Chapter 750: Lanchi's Night Out in the Capital
"Mr. Barton Hall, I'll leave that vampire viscount in your care. I'll try to avoid any contact with the Breerda Mafia for now. I've come to an agreement with Ifatia, and she's free to interrogate the vampire as she sees fit."
Lanchi quickly followed Barton, re-entering the winding passage that led back to the surface.
Talliah walked silently beside Lanchi, feigning a lack of intelligence and portraying herself as a mere beautiful and powerful summon, under his control and command.
"Take care."
Barton understood Landel's intentions.
The disappearance of a vampire viscount would surely alert the vampires that their plan to kill Elsa had failed.
Landel would then boldly retrieve Elsa from the mafia's territory and return her to St. Crispy Abbey.
Naturally, the blame would fall on Professor Landel.
As for Barton, the leader of the mafia, he wasn't supposed to be here today.
Although Professor Landel might attract the vampires' hatred for protecting Elsa, it was only natural for a brother to protect his sister, and he already had a respectable reputation in Breerda. Considering the vampires' modus operandi and style, they would still need to abide by Breerda's rules.
Taking the consequences into account, the vampires might not try to move against him again.
If the vampires truly wanted to resort to force and eliminate Professor Landel, they would risk being exposed and losing everything, whether they succeeded or failed.
The dim yellow lights above cast long shadows on the ground.
The walls made of Arcane-Repellent Steel emitted a chilly metallic gleam, blocking out all the noise from the outside world, leaving only the sound of their footsteps echoing through the passage.
Turning the last corner, they once again reached the magic-powered elevator leading up to the Breerda Mafia's headquarters, the Hassle Building.
"Before I send you off, is there anything you need my assistance with?"
Barton stopped in his tracks and turned to face Lanchi.
He was here to help Lanchi because of Ifatia's request.
"I heard from Ifatia that you're quite familiar with the Empire's talented craftsman, Miss Abigail. We might not have the chance to meet for a while, so I'd like to ask a favor of you. Could you please introduce me to her?"
Lanchi nodded and asked bluntly.
"Abigail..."
Barton pondered for a moment.
"It's not easy to meet her. She has a principle of never leaving her safe domain."
He replied with certainty, and their voices echoed in the empty corridor.
When Barton had brought Professor Landel here, he noticed his interest in the palace's spatial barriers.
Even without observing this, it was easy to understand why Professor Landel wanted to meet Abigail.
As the Empire's only spatial magic craftsman, Abigail's position in the Imperial Magic Engineering realm was akin to that of an emperor. Even without conducting any academic research, her influence was immense.
However, the Imperial military couldn't currently afford to hire this royal craftsman.
If Professor Landel could convince her, the military would see the value of Professor Landel's team augmented by Abigail's worth.
"I guess that's understandable."
Lanchi sighed and smiled.
Abigail's focus on safety and secrecy was evident from her work—this underground palace.
Some magic craftsmen achieved high ranks by accompanying shadow world elites as special assistants, but they might not delve deeply into researching frontal combat.
Abigail's combat abilities might be fragile, but within a domain crafted by her own hands, the nature of the battle would be entirely different.
"..."
Barton's hand hovered over the button to activate the magic elevator, and his brief silence once again enveloped the underground passage in quietness.
As the leader of the mafia, he couldn't just leave this area freely, or he would attract too much attention. Many eyes within the Empire were fixed on him, and even if he changed his identity to visit the Breerda Opera House, his whereabouts could easily be deduced.
Tonight, he especially couldn't let the vampires sense any connection between him and Professor Landel.
It was out of the question for him to personally take Professor Landel to meet Abigail.
"Is it possible to contact Miss Abigail via communication magic?"
Lanchi asked tentatively, sensing Barton's distrust of communication magic due to the risk of being monitored within the Empire.
Barton's wariness might not be directed at reconnaissance methods but rather divination techniques, which would be challenging to defend against without specific shielding methods.
"It's... not very convenient."
Barton hesitated for a moment before opening the door to the magic elevator.
"That's fine."
Lanchi, accompanied by Talliah, stepped into the silver-white elevator car made of Demon-Repellent Steel.
Seeing Barton's reaction, Lanchi guessed that he might have a way but had decided against it after weighing the risks.
Lanchi didn't want to pressure Barton, as he was already an honest and sincere person, and the leader of the mafia undoubtedly had his principles and difficulties.
With a loud "creak," the elevator began its ascent, and the surrounding air gradually warmed.
"Later, I'll help you get in touch with her and set up a time to meet."
Barton suggested to Lanchi and Talliah.
"Thank you so much, Mr. Barton. But I also need to arrange my subsequent schedule."
Lanchi calculated his upcoming itinerary, which was already packed. If he wanted to meet Abigail, he would have to cancel some engagements.
"Or..."
Barton thought for a moment and continued.
"Or what?"
Lanchi asked softly, seeing that Barton was still undecided.
"You can just go and find her. Try to get in touch with her and tell her that you have been referred by an acquaintance. That should do the trick."
Barton offered another foolproof plan.
"As long as Abigail gives you the opportunity to speak with her privately, you can tell her that I referred you, and she'll at least give me some face. But how you convince her to help you is up to you."
This way, there would be no risks involved, Professor Landel could meet Abigail as soon as possible, and the process would appear natural, preventing the vampires from noticing the connection between the three of them.
Having witnessed Professor Landel's ability to persuade even the boss, Ifatia, Barton had no doubts about his negotiation skills and felt no need to worry about his safety.
"Can we go and find her tonight? Do you know where she is tonight?"
Talliah's face lit up with anticipation.
She knew that if they waited, Lanchi's already packed schedule would become even tighter, and she wanted him to get some rest and not overwork himself.
"Yes, she lives upstairs in the Breerda Opera House, or rather, the entire top floor belongs to her. She's also a renowned director in charge of literary and artistic work.
"Barton lifted his hand from within his long coat, using his fingers to roughly sketch out the direction of Brilerda's map in front of him, indicating a safe route for Landri and the others to take from the mafia's territory to the Brilerda Opera House.
He believed that Professor Landri must have heard of this famous opera house in the Empire.
Located in the Manhot Central District of Brilerda City, on 33rd Street, Broadway, it is neighbors with renowned artistic institutions such as the Brilerda Voice Orchestra and the Brilerda Royal Dance Troupe.
It was established during the Crixian Empire's predecessor, the Cyross Empire, and the current building was constructed in 1662. With approximately 3,800 seats, its performance season runs from September to May each year, featuring a variety of classical and contemporary operas. The performances invite top actors, singers, and conductors from around the world.
Now, October is a perfect time to visit.
Starting from last year, the Brilerda Opera House began broadcasting live performances on Crixian Radio, attracting a large number of listeners across the nation and even in the southern continent before the war.
Today, this historic theater is owned and managed by Abigail, who purchased it with a substantial sum. Her unique and prestigious status also allows her to reside on the upper floors of the theater.
'She's really rich,' Lanchi thought to himself, imagining that even Xiuba would not impulsively buy the entire Ikelite Opera House.
Perhaps only the Duke of Migaia would have the financial means and the influence to convince the city government to sell him the theater.
'Are you envious of others? If I put in some effort, I can also make a lot of money with my Machinist license,' Talliah chimed in with a light hum.
She was no longer an unemployed vagrant but a successful 25-year-old woman with a platinum-level Shaper identity. Even if South Ventina discovered some issues with her household registration, they would beg her to register in their city.
If Lanchi ever encountered financial troubles, he could always call upon her for help, and she might be willing to continue taking care of her talented disciple for a few more years.
Noe Wilford would certainly appreciate her continued guidance for Lanchi as well.
'Then why don't I just look for Huberian?' Lanchi asked, referring to another wealthy individual.
Not only was Huberian rich, but she was also younger.
An awkward silence filled the air as Talliah seemed at a loss for words.
'You don't understand the appeal of slightly older women! You always talk about that certain charm, don't you? Would a girl younger than you possess that kind of allure you seek? I... I actually don't mind. Truly, your preferences have nothing to do with me. But I have a friend, yes, I'm talking about Antanas, Siniora, Armis, and Ifatia. Aren't they all older than you? If they were to sense your thoughts, they would surely be heartbroken...'
Her tone became a bit rushed as she restrained herself from pinning him down and lecturing him. Instead, she transmitted her thoughts directly to him.
'...Then I'll just look for a rich, older woman,' Lanchi replied helplessly.
'Of course, that's the right choice. You have good taste,' Talliah boasted, flipping her hair and feeling refreshed. She praised Lanchi for his wise decision.
'Meow...'
The cat boss on the ground couldn't understand what Lanchi and Talliah were whispering about, but it could guess that they were up to something.
'If you already have tickets for the opera that's showing tonight, you might be able to enter the main theater,' Barton continued his explanation, his hand pausing in mid-air as he frowned slightly, 'You may even have a chance to meet Abigail, who is supervising the production on-site as the director. Otherwise, you'll have to find a way to sneak in... But those tickets are hard to come by.'
Barton spoke with a grave voice.
The opera adaptation of 'Holy War Romance' had been receiving rave reviews, with three groups of actors taking turns to perform and making the most of the scheduling. Despite their efforts, tickets were still incredibly scarce.
It was said that Abigail's strict selection process and intense rehearsals pushed some actors to the brink of exhaustion before they could meet her high standards. As a result, the performance had received excellent reviews.
If Barton had known earlier, he would have definitely helped Professor Landri secure tickets. However, with the show starting soon, it would be challenging for him to obtain any.
'Also, Professor Landri, it would be best if you bring a companion and attend the opera as if it were a regular date. Otherwise, going to see Abigail with a clear motive related to magic engineering will make her very unhappy,' Barton added, feeling the difficulty of the situation.
'Abigail is a genius with divergent interests and talents, and her personality has a touch of obsession. Her true passion lies in opera, and magic engineering is just an innate talent of hers. She doesn't value it as much, and as a result, she despises those who constantly flatter her for her magic engineering skills while neglecting her main profession.
Given Professor Landri's sensitive identity, approaching Abigail directly would make his intentions too obvious. There might not even be an opportunity for a private conversation before she turns them away.
Barton trusted that Landri understood his implication – he needed to show respect for the opera that Abigail had directed and display a genuine appreciation for the art. Only then could he discuss other matters with her instead of rushing straight to the topic of magic engineering, which would only result in Abigail developing a negative impression of him.
'Ah? Is that opera called 'Holy War Romance'?' Lanchi and Talliah exchanged glances, too surprised by the coincidence to consider Barton's other suggestions at the moment.
'Yes, do you happen to have tickets?' Barton asked, lifting his gaze.
If this issue could be resolved, the rest would be much easier to handle.
'Perhaps we do,' Lanchi recalled how Elsa had asked him earlier that afternoon if he was free to watch the show with her, and the location was indeed the Brilerda Opera House.
With Elsa and Ursula's current situation, they would certainly not be in the mood for an opera. Instead, they needed to return to the safety of St. Crispy Abbey, leaving their tickets unused.
The tickets had already been purchased.
Lanchi glanced at his wristwatch.
It was only a little past seven in the evening.
The play started at eight.
There was still time if he escorted Elsa and Ursula back to the abbey first!
'Are we going to watch the play?' Lanchi asked Talliah tentatively.
It would be a good opportunity for Talliah to test out the new identity that Nigel had arranged for her.
This way, he wouldn't mess up his work schedule for the following week, and he could also take care of an important task in advance!
However, he was concerned that Talliah might not be able to handle the content of the opera, as it could bring up some awkward memories between them.
'Sure, why not?' Talliah replied, her cheeks slightly flushed as she lifted her chin and proudly hugged her arms.
She had been on dates with Lanchi before, so there was nothing to fear.
As long as Lanchi could remain composed, so could she.
(End of Chapter)"
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