Chapter 227: Turquoise Manor

As previously stated, a person of style and status would possess a manor house in the suburbs of the city for leisure and residence, serving also as a venue for events and gatherings.

One can understand why this model became popular; after all, with Dunling expanding without limit, no matter how advanced the underground drainage network, it could not completely metabolize the waste produced by such a leviathan.

Moreover, apart from the old city districts meticulously crafted in the early days, the space in other areas was indeed somewhat tight, leaving no room for manors to take root.

Leaving that crowded cluster of low buildings crouching at the foot of the church and bell tower by carriage did indeed lift the mood; it always reminded one of clustered crowds, which for infectious diseases were like vast waters to schools of fish, a promised land for proliferation and spread.

Greenery rushed to meet him, diluting the depression brought by days spent辗转 in clinic wards and tunnel graves. Sometimes he felt those things were like pen tips driven into the skin's cuticle, sinking in as pigment that could not be washed away, becoming part of himself; or he felt himself gradually merging into them, becoming part of them.

The weather was not bad; after days of exposure to the sun, the suburbs finally had a small shower, and the air was at its freshest. Kraft had specifically chosen an open-top carriage to be in close contact with nature.

Actually, it could hardly be called very natural; most of the trees around the city had been felled, and some ridges, whether abandoned or in a fallow period, had been re-swallowed by surging shrub and herbaceous vegetation, presenting a scene of vigorous summer prosperity.

Kraft felt a sense of distance regarding the past two weeks; the mystery of the academy fire and the pagan sects hiding in ruins all seemed very far away.

Here there was only a young, successful professor traveling by carriage to a banquet. The so-called upper circles had long opened their doors to him; the world showed kindness to the capable, and even the grass spreading out between the cobblestones seemed like a carpet laid out specifically for him.

In places not often trampled by wheels and pedestrians, some plants with broad leaves or taller stems rose above the waist, vividly green as if one could reach out and tear off a large portion.

But if anyone dared to truly reach out, the tiny, almost invisible serrations along the leaf edges would slice the palm into strip-like skin mosaics.

The open view also exposed some unnatural traces on the plains. These were depressed strips, appearing and interrupting without beginning or end; they were neither irrigation ditches nor division lines of field ridges.

The surrounding soil layers slumped and tilted, sliding into them, leaving them in a semi-buried state. Within them, regular lines extended intermittently.

A simple bridge made of planks spanned one of these ditches; as the carriage passed, Kraft saw clearly what it was—a tunnel near the ground, exposed after its roof collapsed.

Even in the city suburbs, ant-hill-like ruins were everywhere; they were still within its scope.

The bad impact this realization had on the professor's mood was incalculable. He gave up thinking about unpleasant things and tried chatting to liven the atmosphere.

"The weather is nice; perhaps we should go out for a walk often. I can't even remember when we last went on a field trip together."

"It was Westminster," Coop reminded him warmly.

"Well said; don't say it next time." Clearly, Coop was not a good straight man sensitive to the atmosphere, and Kraft abandoned his plan to recall the team's shared memories of the past.

"At least this time we can enjoy the lawn and good food together; if they are thoughtful, there might even be musical accompaniment, and the children can find things that interest them."

The last point was very important; it determined whether Kraft would truly stay for a while, or vanish after the second half once he had extracted information from someone.

The carriage continued for a while; when the distant city turned into a black-brown mass, they approached their destination.

An artificial forest blocked the external view; a stone-paved path branched off from the main road leading into the woods.

After passing through the short path, the view suddenly opened up, revealing a manicured short lawn, quiet yet spacious. A servant waiting at the main gate briefly checked the invitation and then silently guided the guests inward.

This won Kraft's favor; he still remembered the embarrassment of being announced when he first appeared at the Rivers University banquet, and believed most people would not like their famous name and a string of awkward titles to be read aloud loudly.

Regardless of the occasion, good or bad, it always gave one the premonition that someone inside would soon say, "This place can't hold that many people."

It was indeed an informal, leisurely banquet, catering to the comfort of the scholars.

In the open grass of the manor courtyard, a long table was placed in the central position, piled with desserts and drinks served in white porcelain and silver cups, plates, and trays for taking. A band played soothing background music under the tree shade, composed of double pipes and stringed instruments.

Around them, some tea-table-sized objects looked like display stands, holding sets or large pieces of devices, mainly glass and metal, polished to shine brightly in the sunlight.

Whenever guests walked from the rest areas along the semi-open corridors surrounding the venue to get food and drinks, they would pass between the small display stands.

This strategy was successful; already, several ladies of various ages were gathered around the stands, their puffy skirts like velvet mushrooms sprouting on the lawn after rain.

And the dark academic nerds gathered under the eaves whispering, trying to turn this into an academic gathering, were passively led by their own Ladies and Young Ladies to the center of the venue, offering insincere praise for those ornaments while glancing at the instruments and equipment they could understand on the side.

Kraft spotted a few familiar faces among them, from both Rivers and Dunling University.

Their relationship had visibly eased; the mere fact that they could stand together and critique a certain instrument was ironclad proof, or perhaps the presence of the ladies made them consciously control the intensity of their words.

Seeing this rare scene of harmony, it was suitable to go up alone and greet acquaintances, letting those who came purely for leisure move freely.

"Yvonne, and Coop, you can wander around on your own." Thinking of the description in the invitation, Kraft added a sentence, mainly for Yvonne, "If you see any interesting little things, you can choose one, but be careful when handling them."

The girl nodded, looking at the shiny objects on the display stands; few could resist the innate allure of shiny things.

But Yvonne, like Coop, soon turned toward the food table, took a piece of dessert, and retreated to the side, without engaging in ** with peers. Her sensitivity and rationality regarding money were very high, while her ** in building interpersonal relationships was very low.

Regarding this, Kraft had no intention of forcibly adjusting it, always tending to change things by providing conditions and letting nature take its course.

Watching the two pick up their plates, he sorted out his main goal for coming here on the spot, preparing to join the circle of colleagues; this was an excellent networking opportunity, and much news from within the Dunling Medical School circulated unconsciously in casual conversation, serving as an appetizer before the main meal.

A crisp sound like turquoise colliding rang out behind him, stopping him.

"Oh, Professor Kraft, how glad I am that you could spare time from the war against the White Death; that must have been very difficult." The owner of the voice skillfully avoided drawing further attention.

Well, it seemed the main course had come knocking on its own.

Kraft turned around and saw a young woman in a green dress; she removed her wide-brimmed hat, lightly bent her knees in a curtsy, and cut into the conversation with the same familiar attitude as when they first met.

"On behalf of the Xiguo family, I welcome your arrival," she smiled, then naturally shifted the topic, "Of course, and your student."