novelraw Chapter 325: A Difficult Trial
Chapter 325: A Difficult Trial
Guests drifted through the garden, bathed in a light so bright it was nearly daytime, moving from one table to the next.
They chatted animatedly, laughed, and exchanged pleasantries. Among them were several ladies in evening gowns. If it weren't for the black suits worn by most of the men, the event could have passed for an ordinary evening ball.
Lu Li surveyed the attendees, his gaze first scanning the ladies. Finding none that he was looking for, he shifted his attention to the men.
Given his brief acquaintance with Baroness Joseph, she might very well have disguised herself as a man and blended in with the guests. Perhaps she had even glued on a fake mustache and was at this very moment engaged in a lively conversation with someone.
However, Lu Li couldn't spot her.
The majority of the guests were exorcists, perhaps around a hundred of them, and more were still arriving through the main gates of the estate.
Invitations had been sent out across the entire Allen Peninsula, and many of the exorcists who had gathered here viewed this banquet as a trial for those wishing to enter the Baroness's service.
However, since the invitation used the plural, implying that the Baroness would hire more than one exorcist, the atmosphere in the garden was quite amicable, with little hostility between potential rivals.
The guests gathered in small groups, sharing news, inquiring about each other's abilities, or inviting the ladies to dance. Only Lu Li was busy searching for food.
He moved methodically from table to table, and each time something new appeared in his hands: a pastry, a drink, a plate of hors d'oeuvres, or sliced fruit. He ate almost without stopping.Yet he did it so calmly and discreetly, taking food from different tables, that none of the servants paid any mind to this lover of free refreshments.
As Lu Li picked up yet another plate of fruit, Anna could no longer contain herself and quietly muttered, "Is my cooking really that bad?"
"No," Lu Li replied, calmly observing his surroundings. His expression was unreadable, and no one would have suspected that he had simply come to eat.
Anna brightened a little. She knew Lu Li wouldn't lie. "But you've already eaten so much..."
"This is tastier and more nutritious," Lu Li answered. He hadn't had the necessary micronutrients in a long time.
Anna, in the In-Between, fell silent.
While chewing on the fruit, Lu Li's attention was drawn to a group of men nearby.
One of them, a portly man in an unbuttoned tailcoat, was boasting, "I am a visiting professor of mysticism at Pfasl University, an honorary citizen of Tenebrae, and an honorary priest of the Church of the Lord of the Dawn. I have helped many unfortunate souls rid themselves of demonic machinations."
His words drew a few admiring gasps.
From another part of the garden came a soft chuckle, and Lu Li turned his gaze that way.
A short man in a top hat was speaking mockingly to other guests, "Pfasl University has no department of mysticism, Tenebrae is a town with a population of a couple thousand, and the Church of the Lord of the Dawn was attacked by an evil god and his followers a few years ago. It still hasn't recovered and has even started secretly selling honorary priest titles for five thousand shillings. As for the rest... we are all exorcists here and received invitations, did we not?"
These words also resonated with some of the guests.
There were always charlatans among exorcists.
Lu Li himself had once been one, for instance.
Lu Li listened calmly to the exorcists' boastful speeches, their discussions of recent events, and rumors of ghostly apparitions. Sensing that further consumption might hinder his ability to act, he stopped and placed the empty plate on a table.
Just then, the mansion doors swung open, and a short woman, the manager of Baroness Joseph's household, stepped out onto the porch and addressed the guests. "The Baroness will begin the trial shortly. I ask that everyone form a line at the entrance."
With that, she returned inside, and the maids closed the doors behind her, hiding the mansion's lavish interior from the guests' eyes.
The noise in the garden subsided a little, and the exorcists began to obediently form a line before the entrance.
Soon, the doors opened again, and a senior maid in a long dress emerged, inviting the first exorcist to enter.
The chosen exorcist adjusted his bow tie and, under the gazes of the others, proudly ascended the steps and vanished behind the door.
...
He was met by a cozy warmth and a captivating aroma that filled the hall.
A beautiful woman was reclining on a luxurious sofa. Her crimson lips were slightly parted, and her narrow eyes watched the newcomer.
The exorcist, barely containing his excitement, bowed. "My beautiful Baroness Joseph, it is a pleasure to see you."
The manager, standing beside the sofa, said impassively, "Demonstrate your abilities."
The exorcist, trying to maintain a casual smile, replied, "I have the gift of clairvoyance. I can see ghosts."
"Could you please check if there are any ghosts in this house?" the manager asked in the same flat tone.
"With pleasure," the exorcist bowed slightly, closed his eyes, then snapped them open, scanning the opulent hall. "No, Baroness, your house is clean."
Baroness Joseph yawned and waved a hand. "Next."
The bewildered exorcist was escorted out of the house.
Soon, the next one entered.
He looked very serious and, barely crossing the threshold, declared, "Baroness, you have been cursed!"
"Oh?" Baroness Joseph regarded him with interest. Her voice was soft, with a slight huskiness.
"I will rid you of it now!" the exorcist exclaimed, drawing a thin rapier from his belt. After a few lunges, he thrust it sharply into the air.
"Aaaah!" a scream erupted from the empty air, only to be cut short.
"Baroness, you are safe," the exorcist announced with a smile, sheathing his rapier.
"Thank you," the manager replied impassively. "You may help yourself to the refreshments outside. Next."
"What? Wait..." The exorcist was led from the hall.
After that, Baroness Joseph listened to several more exorcists and yawned several more times—none of them had impressed her, or even her manager.
As another candidate was led out of the hall, Baroness Joseph frowned. "Do I have to endure this all evening?"
"You invited them yourself," the manager replied impassively.
"I didn't invite circus performers."
Just then, the sound of approaching footsteps came from outside.
Baroness Joseph cast an indifferent glance toward the door, but then she froze.
Lu Li entered the hall. He saw Baroness Joseph lounging on the sofa, and she saw him.
"Hello," Lu Li said calmly.
Baroness Joseph rose from the sofa, the velvet throw slipping from her figure.
An undisguised delight ignited in her eyes.
"You're hired!"