Chapter 121 - 121 Salle de Bal Brise

Chapter 121 Salle de Bal Brise

Lumian didnt swivel or hesitate, striding confidently toward the public carriage sign. He scanned the area nonchalantly, his eyes settling on the gla.s.s window of a nearby caf.

Him in a dark jacket was reflected there, and not far from him, another figure in a canvas jacket and a cap.

Lumian averted his eyes, abruptly quickening his pace as if trying to catch the departing double-decker carriage.

As expected, he felt the man in the blue cap break into a jog.

The public carriage glided away silently, turning down the street. Lumian knew he couldnt catch up and halted abruptly.

Using the shop windows lining the street, Lumian caught sight of the cap-wearing man stumbling to a stop. Seizing the moment, he spun around and surveyed the dance hall opposite.

As Lumian pa.s.sed the public horse stop sign, he gave an almost imperceptible nod.

Continuing on, he ducked into a shadowy alley blocked by a barricade.

The man in the cap pursued him, vaulting the ramshackle barricade with ease, but Lumian had disappeared.

His quarry seemed to have evaporated into thin air.

Just as the cap-wearing man prepared to give chase, Lumian sprang from his hiding place in the corner, like a predator pouncing on its prey. He seized the mans shoulders and yanked him backward, driving his knee into his back.

Crack!

Lumians knee connected with the mans waist, contorting his face in pain and buckling his knees.

He collapsed to the ground with a thud, stirring up a cloud of dust.

Lumian crouched and gripped the back of the stalkers head. In a gravelly voice, he demanded, Who got you to follow me?

Im not! Im just taking a shortcut! the man in the cap protested anxiously.

Lumian chuckled, grabbed his head, and slammed it into the ground.

The man in the cap howled in pain, his forehead bruised, swollen, and b.l.o.o.d.y.

Who sent you to follow me? Lumian pressed.

The man in the cap felt indignant.

Im not following you! I dont even know you!

Alright. Lumian released his grip.

In an instant, he struck the stalker behind the ear.

The man in the cap crumpled, unconscious.

Lumian hoisted him up and thoughtfully lowered his hat to cover his tightly shut eyes.

Then, as if aiding a drunken friend, he strode out of the alley and rounded the corner. There stood an entrance to the underworld.

Lumian had waited for the stalker in the alley knowing he could slip underground if needed, and the setting was suitably quiet.

When the man in the cap came to, his vision was swallowed by darkness. Only a faint light in the distance weakly revealed his surroundings.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! The sound pierced his ears, approaching and receding through layers of obstacles.

As a native of Le March du Quartier du Gentleman, he was no stranger to such a scene. He suspected hed been taken underground. A steam subway pa.s.sed through the street next door, providing the faint light.

Lumian sat in the shadows, eyeing the man in the cap. He grinned and said, You have two choices now. Either tell me who sent you to follow me, or Ill take you deeper underground and bury you there. You should know that many people go missing in Trier every day. You wont be the only one.

Seeing the stalkers silence, Lumian knew his mental defenses were wavering. He added, As for me, Ill navigate these underground streets and move to another district.

Realizing Lumian had an escape plan and was ready to silence him forever, the man in the caps fear overwhelmed him. He blurted, I-its Baron Brignais!

Baron Brignais? The boss of the Savoie Mob and a creditor of Osta Trul? Why is he tracking me? I met him at the apartment on Rue des Blouses Blanches last night and didnt even speak to him Lumian was baffled and at a loss. This convinced him the man in the lying. If he wanted to fabricate a story, he cap wasnt wouldnt have chosen a mastermind that Lumian couldnt fathom.

Lumian frowned, asking, Why is he following me?

I dont know, the man in the cap replied, trembling. He just wants me to follow you and see where youll go.

Lumian pondered for a moment and asked, Where is Baron Brignais now?

If theres nothing else, hes usually at the Salle de Bal Brise on Avenue du March. The man in the cap strained to read Lumians expression, but the light was too dim. Salle de Bal Brise? Lumian recalled the landmark buildings in Le March du Quartier du Gentleman from his recent recon.

Avenue du March was the main road connecting Le March du Quartier du Gentleman to the Suhit steam locomotive station, stretching two kilometers. Salle de Bal Brise was near the market district, its unique statue at the entrance unforgettable. Lumians lips curled into a smile as he told the stalker, Take me there. I want to talk to Baron Brignais.

The man in the cap sighed in relief, feeling as if his life had been spared.

Who would hold the upper hand or be accidentally killed at Salle de Bal Brise was no longer his concern.

Salle de Bal Brise occupied the bottom two floors of a khaki-colored building. The second floor housed a caf, while the first was a bustling dance hall-though it had just opened and few customers were present. A white, spherical statue composed of countless skulls greeted visitors at the entrance. Inscribed in Intis were the words: They sleep here, waiting for the arrival of happiness and hope[1].

Lumian surveyed the scene and trailed his guide around the statue to the dance hall entrance.

Two burly men in white s.h.i.+rts and black coats stood guard. They simultaneously rested their right hands on their waists and questioned the man in the cap, Maxime, who is he?

H-hes here to see Baron Brignais, Maxime stammered.

Under the guards suspicious scrutiny, Lumian replied coolly, Its up to Baron Brignais to decide if he wants to see me or not, not you. Do you want to bear his wrath? After a moments hesitation, one of the guards turned and entered the dance hall.

As they waited, Lumian casually asked Maxime, Whats up with the statue and the inscription? They dont match the dance hall at all.

Of course, it was cool. Maxime nervously glanced at the grinning Lumian and explained, This was originally an moved annex to the cathedral. Later, the bones were to the catacombs, leaving the area empty. Then, this building was constructed. Although those bones were purified or just ashes, the Savoie Mob found it too creepy after buying this place. We had no choice but to commission a statue symbolizing death and an inscription representing the dead to appease any lingering bones that might remain underground and unexcavated. Lumian found the idea of people dancing here amusing, considering it could disturb the skeletons below, essentially dancing on their heads.

Just then, the guard returned and informed Lumian, Baron Brignais will meet you at the caf on the second floor.

Alright. Lumian held his head high and strutted into the Salle de Bal Brise.

First, he noticed the dance floor encircled by railings and the half-height wooden stage up ahead for singers. Then, his attention was drawn to the haphazard seating and the various perfumes and cosmetics wafting through the air.

Maxime hesitated before following Lumian. He felt compelled to report the situation to the baron, lest he end up missing in the underworld.

Upon reaching the second floor, Lumian recognized the gentleman he had encountered the night before.

In his thirties, the man sported a black, thin-tweed formal suit. His brown hair appeared naturally curly, and his brown eyes held a confident smile. His features were sharply defined. Baron Brignais set down his coffee and grasped the mahogany pipe with his diamond-adorned palm.

...

What would you like to drink? He was surprisingly polite and generous.

Eyeing the four thugs with their hands on their waists, Lumian addressed Baron Brignais, Why did you send someone to follow me?

last Baron Brignais smiled and admitted candidly, I saw you at Rue des Blouses Blanches night and again near Rue Anarchie today. The more I observed you, the more familiar you seemed, so I had Maxime follow you to confirm your intentions in the market district.

You were searching for Osta last night too, werent you?

He tried to scam me out of my money, Lumian replied before inquiring, Why do I seem familiar to you?

Baron Brignais took a puff from his pipe and grinned.

To experienced individuals like us, your actions can hardly be considered a disguise.

Once we grow suspicious and connect the dots, well naturally recognize youLumian Lee, a wanted criminal with a 3,000 verl dor bounty.

My bounty is only 3,000 verl dor? Lumians initial reaction was confusion.

As the source of Cordus time loop, how could his official bounty be lower than that of the padre and Madame Pualis?

However, merely providing information about you is worth 500 verl dor, Baron Brignais added with a smile. Young man, you need a book called Mens Aesthetics. Dont be embarra.s.sed. In Trier, its quite normal for men to wear makeup. Itll help you conceal your true ident.i.ty.

...

This gentleman had also applied eyeliner and powder.

Lumian smirked.

Are you planning to capture me for the bounty?

[1] This quote is from an inscription on the entrance of the Salle de Bal Brise in Paris during the Victorian era. I made some modifications to the original inscription. The ballroom was indeed built on the site of an old cemetery, and even used the stones left behind after the cemetery was relocated. Its like dancing on graves. The previous mention of walking turtles also refers to events that really happened during that time.