Chapter 11 Alan Burt

The windows of Baron Allenbert's house were all covered with stone bricks and tight black curtains, and no sunlight penetrated in from outside the house. The room was filled with the smell of red poplar and golden sparrows, and the pungent smoke was heavy. The room was only illuminated by the fire that was still burning in the hot weather. The dim yellow fire twisted their faces and made people palpitate.

"The smell here..." Rosie whispered uneasily in the alchemist's ear, "...it seems to be doing some kind of ceremony."

Li Ou frowned. He looked around with the help of the irritable light, and he saw more things. The wall of the room hangs with black tapestries embroidered with patterns, like the shaman totem of ethnic minorities. There are traces of blood spilling on the floor. There are various symbols engraved on each door, and the knife marks are deep into it, and you can imagine the strength.

"Do you recognize anything?" Lu Yuewu asked.

The alchemist and the female mage looked at each other. They all saw fear and panic in each other's eyes and didn't know how to speak. They stepped on the creaky boards and slowly walked into the room in the footsteps of Baron Albert. Then Miss Bachelor whispered, "This place is full of magic, witchcraft, totem and poison." She lowered her eyes to hide her uneasiness. Everything you can imagine is here.

The air seemed to suddenly freeze, and the female swordsman clenched the hilt. She stared at Baron Allenbert's back. He walked around the sofa in front of him in the dark and reminded them from time to time to avoid obstacles under his feet. Doesn't he hate demonic law?" Lu Yuewu asked quietly.

Baron Alanbert decorated his room with witchcraft in the face of incomparable disgust and hatred of magic. A gloomy and strangeness came to my mind. The fire was burning beside them, and the room was extremely sultry. They sweated all over, but they couldn't help feeling a chill in it. Their heavy breathing echoed in the room.

"It's all because of his wife." The magic consultant interrupted, "Baroness almost..." He suddenly sighed, "You'd better see for yourself. She... is not like an ordinary person."

What does he mean? After the alchemist asked, Baron Allenbert turned around and led them into the living room. However, the baron did not serve tea, and Leo did not see any servants in the room. They walked all the way through the hall, through the corridor, and stopped in front of a wooden door leading to the basement.

"He is right under here." The baron said in a low voice.

"Where's your wife?" Miss Bachelor asked.

"She is also below. She has been with Edward for so many years.

"She hasn't gone out?"

"She never abandons Edward and firmly believes that he will get better." However, his words were more painful than sentimental. He doesn't seem to be proud of having a good wife, Leo realizes. She doesn't go out often and rarely sees visiting guests, so if there is anything offensive... please forgive me... She is not very good at talking.

Leo nodded to indicate that they knew.

Baron Allenbert opened the valve door and they filed in.

Red candles are lit in the basement, and the wall is lit with the green fire used by warlocks to wake up demons. The beating firelight pulled their shadows and projected different twists on the wall, as if the devil was dancing a sacrificial dance. Li Ou went to the basement for the penultimately. He sucked his nose and smelled a smell of urine, mixed with the smell of blood and poppies. He almost spit it out, but forced himself to endure.

"Margaret, go back! What are you doing?" Baron Allenbert suddenly shouted. At the same time, there was a howling in the depths of darkness, as if it had awakened the sleeping monster. Put on your clothes!"

The light flickered. Leo saw a middle-aged woman crawling three feet away from the ladder. She was almost an inchless, and there was only a tattered skirt around her waist.

"Hello, ladies and gentlemen." She raised her head slightly and said in an almost flattering slave-like tone.

Her body is full of tattoos, crooked and twisted. Bloody handwriting, miserable green patterns, black symbols, like the mark left by the devil on her body. In the twisted firelight, it seemed that he was about to break free from the bondage and roared loudly in the cage. And her eyes were full of crazy worship, as if they were crazy believers of gods, irrational and selfless.

"Put on your clothes and stand up." Baron Allenbert roared loudly. He took off his shirt and covered his wife, but the baroness stubbornly pushed his hand away, threw the shirt on the ground, stamped a few feet fiercely, and crawled on the cold floor again. Margaret." He changed his tone and said in a gentle tone, "Be obedient, put on your clothes, stand up and finish talking to us. Don't forget that we are receiving guests."

"I'm just welcoming the magicians." The baroness pushed Baron Allenbert away, knelt on her knees, and put her forehead against the floor. "This is the most pious way I know."

The baron was speechless and had to turn to them.

Miss Bachelor bent down and held the Baroness's shoulder. "We have felt your piety." She looked at the baroness, who was trembling with excitement, and said gently like a priest, "Please get up."

"Thank you very much, Miss." The baroness kowtowed heavily before she got up obediently. But she still had no intention of putting on her clothes to cover up. She stood aside respectfully, revealing her body without hesitation and didn't care about their eyes.

"Mr. Baron, your wife... how could she do this?" Leo turned his head and asked puzzledly.

"You also saw it, alchemist. Margaret is avid advocate of magic. Baron Allenbert sighed heavily and said sadly, "She felt that only magic can heal Edward, so she chased magic and superstitious warlocks. She keeps inviting wizards to come to our house, carve arrays, or swallow potions... Not only Edward has been tortured... but also... Her body... She is mostly brainwashed by those witchcraft... I think most of them are charlatans. They peep at my family's money and my... wife..." Baron's face A trace of anger flashed, but more helpless. His tight shoulders soon hung down. However, I... no matter what I do, I can't stop her."

They all said nothing, lowered their eyes, and looked away from the baron and his wife.

The baron laughed at himself and said, "Anyway, everyone knows, and I don't care about how many of you. Alchemist and Miss Mage, you can ask whatever you want. I know nothing. You are more trustworthy than charlatans. He paused and looked at his well-behaved wife and continued, "I have to hope somewhere."

Leo was silent for a long time. The Baron's wish is simple and humble, but unreachable.

"When did it start?" He pretended to ask indifferently. The baroness is also a resident of the Thousand Lakes City State. According to reason, she should also hate magic. But the actual situation is very different. I mean, what exactly happened?"

"Who should I ask?" The baron said bitterly, "So many warlocks have visited our home. It has been continuous since seven years ago. The City of Thousand Lakes used to be a magic desert, but now, every mage passing through here knows that 'Baron Ellenbert's home is an oasis in the desert.' They all told nonsense lies, but she believed them all.

Empty bottles were thrown everywhere in the basement. Miss Bachelor bent down to pick up a few and sniffed them at the tip of her nose. Are these the things that those liar warlocks gave her? She frowned and asked.

"There's more." The baron said, "I know that it is either astringent seawater or deadly poison. But if I throw them away, Margaret will only find more when I don't. Edward eats these, and so does she. No wonder the baroness's body is blue - like a priest in the palace of the dead. I'm about to be forced to a dead end." The Baron's voice suddenly felt helpless and determined, "Sometimes, I really want to end Edward's life as soon as possible."

"Edward, good boy." The baroness went to the corner and squatted down in a huge iron cage. She put her hand into the cage. Her tone was like stroking the puppy. Come on, come here. Come to mom."

"Wow, wow." A dark shadow came to the edge of the cage. He didn't wear any clothes, wearing a long dirty and messy hair, and his unmed hair completely covered his eyes. He stretched out his tongue and licked the Baroness's hand, wagging his tail and begging for pity.

The baroness touched his head and said, "Good boy, my son is the best."

Li Ou only felt a sense of sadness. They looked at each other several times and suddenly felt at a loss.

"What should I do?" Baron Allenbert first said, "Don't worry, just do what you have to do." Even if there is an accident... Edward dies... it's better than life and death now. He looked at his wife and children, "This may be a relief for him and for us. Let go and do it."

They were all silent, only the baroness teasing her son's laughter and... the sound of the dog barking.

"Liu--" Rosie looked at him.

The alchemist thought for a moment and finally nodded.

The baroness knelt on her knees like a god, raised her hands high, and respectfully took the medicine in Li Ou's hand. She bent down excitedly to kiss the tip of Leo's shoe. After a while, she stood up, turned around the rune-covered body, went to the cage, and coaxed her son to drink it. Then the baron pulled his wife away from the iron cage, and their son seemed to notice something strange, restless in the iron cage, roared deeply, and stared at them fiercely.

Rosie took out a crystal clear amethyst from the cowhide bag and "stared at it." Her voice seems to be magical. Amethyst fluorescent flashes, blooms brilliantly and colorfully. The effect of the medicine gradually took effect. Edward shook his head and sobbed uneasily. He raised his head, and his eyes were involuntarily attracted by the amethyst. The narrow basement echoed with Rosie's deep voice:

"Dust to dust, earth to earth.

Where did it come from and where did it return.

Spirit is the medium, and the soul is the way."

Ansiel suddenly exclaimed, "You, what you are doing is..."

"...In addition," Leo looked at the magic consultant, "is there a better way?"