Chapter 201: Aisala's First Outing

Chapter 201: Aisala's First Outing

In the night of Backlund, the scattered streetlights barely illuminated a small area near the street corners.

In the Queen's District and the West District, where nobles and wealthy merchants resided, the lights were bright. However, in other areas, many people were reluctant to light lamps, and darkness was the main theme here.

In the West District, light and darkness intertwined.

"Meow!"

"Clang!"

In a dark alley, three stray cats were fighting over the food in a trash can, accidentally knocking it over.

The food inside the can spilled out, including some leftover bread slices and sausages. If they were lucky, they might even find a few pieces of steak that hadn't been completely eaten.

While the three stray cats were fighting over the food, a small black cat with dark fur and eerie blue eyes was gracefully leaping from rooftop to rooftop above the alley.

As it passed by, it stopped and looked down at the three stray cats fighting over the food below.

It looked like a queen reviewing her subjects.

"Meow?"

The three stray cats only let out a meaningless meow and then continued to fight over the food.

During the day, they were no match for the homeless people. Only at night could they have an advantage in the fight for food.

This was their best chance to fill their bellies.

Aisala did not linger but continued to leap from one rooftop to another.

As Aisala continued forward, she encountered two more stray cats hunting a rat that had just emerged from the sewer.

Her eyes glowed slightly as she stared at the rat dodging along the wall, her paws itching to pounce.

But after watching for a while, she lost interest as one of the stray cats caught the rat in its mouth and ran away.

The crimson moonlight shone down, and in the deep night, everything was quiet.

At this time, the loudest and most cheerful animals were dogs, stray dogs.

They were more aggressive than the stray cats scavenging in the trash cans. Some stray dogs, driven mad by hunger, not only hunted rats like cats but sometimes even targeted cats as their prey.

Some roamed the streets alone, while others formed packs in the alleys.

This was a dangerous group. Sometimes, even a lone person encountering them would be scared away.

The main reason most animals ventured out into the streets and alleys at night was to search for food.

Aisala wandered around for a while, finding it uninteresting, and then lay down on a rooftop to rest. But after a short while, she stood up, shaking off the dew that had dampened her shiny black fur.

The environment here was not as warm and clean as home. The more she wandered outside, the more she missed her cozy little nest.

"Meow."

Aisala wandered for a while longer and then sprinted and leaped back in the direction she had come from.

Her body was as light as a feather, and each leap covered a considerable distance.

When she saw the familiar house appear in her sight, Aisala let out a soft meow and quickly approached the second-floor window. But she didn't go in immediately. Instead, she stayed in the shadows, peering inside through the window.

After a few minutes, she saw Hastur appear in front of her and extend his hands. Only then did she leap in from outside the window.

In mid-air, she was grabbed by the scruff of her neck and lifted up.

"Go take a bath first."

"Meow?"

"I let you out to try hunting, but you just wandered around and came back."

Hastur flicked Aisala's head with his finger. After Aisala left, he had followed her in spirit form to prevent any accidents.

He had expected Aisala to act according to her nature and the influence of the Assassin potion, but she had just wandered around the area and returned.

After coming back, she even knew to observe from outside for a while before coming out of the shadows when he appeared.

"Meow."

"Alright, go take a bath first. I'll teach you more later."

Hastur carried Aisala out of the room.

---

Saturday morning, at the Violet Manor in the suburbs.

Glaint got off the carriage and looked at the large manor in front of him, unable to hide his surprise. "Hastur, I didn't know the Campbell family still had such a large manor?"

"Is it that surprising?"

"Well, your father's reputation precedes him. I thought he had sold off everything valuable in your family."

Glaint felt a bit embarrassed mentioning Voltaire's bad reputation in front of Hastur.

Hastur smiled and patted his shoulder without explaining, leading him into the Violet Manor. The sculptor in the sculpture garden was still meticulously carving each of his works.

The old butler's cousin was still guarding the place. Hastur had tried many times to get him to return to Backlund, but he always refused, wanting to stay here.

Hastur asked Butler Neil to arrange a room for Glaint and also to prepare a few guest rooms.

Although he had invited Audrey and Earl Hall to the manor for a visit, they might not stay here.

They probably had their own large manor nearby and would likely choose to return there.

Around noon, Audrey and Earl Hall arrived at the Violet Manor by carriage.

"This manor hasn't been sold yet. It's surprising that Voltaire managed to hold onto it."

Earl Hall got off the carriage, looking at the Violet Manor with a heart full of emotions.

Audrey's eyes sparkled. She didn't know that Mr. Hastur had such a large manor. The location was excellent, and if it were to be sold, it would definitely fetch no less than ten thousand gold pounds.

"I didn't expect Mr. Hastur to be so wealthy. He's richer than me now, isn't he?"

Audrey did a quick calculation in her mind and realized that she was no longer as wealthy as Mr. Hastur...

This made her feel a bit disappointed. The only advantage she had was now gone.

She patted Susie's head and then, under Susie's resentful gaze, pinched her ears a few times.

At the front door, Hastur and Glaint came to greet them after receiving the news.

Glaint was delighted to see Susie but his face fell when he saw Earl Hall.

"Earl Hall, Miss Audrey, welcome."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Hastur led Earl Hall and Audrey on a tour of the Violet Manor.

When they reached the sculpture garden, Earl Hall stared at the middle-aged man engrossed in his carving for a while before saying, "Master Miller, I thought he had long left Backlund. I didn't expect him to stay here, quietly working on his sculptures."

This piqued the curiosity of Audrey and Hastur.

Hastur had always thought of the middle-aged man as an ordinary sculptor, not knowing he was a master recognized even by someone like Earl Hall.

"There are always some people who are not interested in power and money but are dedicated to pursuing their own path in life. Master Miller is one of them. His sculpting skills are renowned throughout Backlund."

Earl Hall didn't elaborate further and didn't disturb the master sculptor, instead admiring the new works in the sculpture garden and occasionally expressing his admiration.

Hastur didn't know much about sculpture, but Audrey did. She had seen the royal sculpture garden, which was said to be the largest and most beautiful in the Kingdom of Ruen.

But some of the works there couldn't compare to the sculptures covered in vines at the edge of this garden.

This must be the result of Master Miller's artistic evolution during his time here.

Hastur didn't have much of an opinion on this. He could tell the sculptures were excellent, but he didn't have the extensive knowledge and experience to understand why.

Noticing this, Audrey asked Hastur to take her on a detailed tour of the sculpture garden, explaining the highlights of each piece they encountered.

Hastur could only indulge Audrey's little whims while updating his own knowledge.

After the tour, Audrey sighed, "This sculpture garden is really big. If all these works were carved by Master Miller, he must have been working here for at least ten years."

"Perhaps this is the spirit of craftsmanship."

Hastur admired such pure-hearted people, believing that only those with such a mindset could achieve new heights in art.

"Will you stay for lunch at the manor today?"

"I've always wanted to try the desserts at Mr. Hastur's house."

"Does Earl Hall prefer strong-flavored food?"

Audrey nodded affirmatively.

"And what about Miss Audrey's taste?"

"I prefer light flavors, and the presentation of the dishes must be impeccable."

They chatted at the entrance of the sculpture garden, waiting for about ten minutes before Earl Hall came out.

To host Earl Hall and Audrey, Hastur had hired two master chefs to prepare new dishes for them to taste.

Food can sometimes be a tool for bribery.

Anything a person has a preference for can be a point of bribery.

For example, if someone used desserts to bribe him, Hastur thought he might be successfully bribed if the desserts were impressive enough.

After enjoying a delicious lunch, in the afternoon, Hastur, Earl Hall, Audrey, Glaint , and a dozen attendants arrived at the entrance of the forest.

(End of Chapter)