Chapter 163: The Forgotten Chateau "See, I told you altering your appearance slightly would have been a good idea. People recognized you," Yuzuro whispered to Rever, her tone accusatory. "Now Xin must be feeling troubled."
Rever felt guilty but retorted, "I don’t like hiding in my avatar, okay? Wait. Why is it my fault?"
"Poor Xin," Yuzuro mumbled, her worried eyes on him. "He must be heartbroken right now."
Rever scratched his head and said, "I don’t know. He looks fine to me. He seemed like he couldn’t care less."
"It’s because he’s faking it, obviously," Yuzuro retorted.
"You think?"
Both Yuzuro and Rever flinched at Victor’s sudden appearance beside them.
"Why does everyone like to surprise people nowadays?" Rever commented.
Victor ignored their banter and asked, "That girl Meilyn is Xin’s ex? How long were they together?"
Yuzuro and Rever exchanged a puzzled look, not understanding why Victor was so interested in Xin’s past relationship.
However, they simply shrugged it off, and Rever answered, "Long enough. They were childhood friends first before they started dating in high school, so you can count the years."
"I see . . . So she’s Xin’s first love?"
"You could say that," Rever said.
Yuzuro added, "But when Xin had a coma, Meilyn thought he would never wake up. We all thought that . . . so she moved on and found another guy."
Yuzuro’s brows furrowed, and she couldn’t help but judge Meilyn. "I know it’s not entirely her fault, but . . . if she really loved Xin, she should have waited."
Rever patted her head. "Come on, Yuzuro. Everyone thought Xin was dead. Even you thought that. Even I thought that. Meilyn is only human."
Yuzuro pouted and shouted inside her head, ’I thought you were on my side.’
"And besides, I think it worked out in the end. Xin wakes up, Meilyn is happy with her life, and Xin seems to have moved on. I mean, look at him . . . his face shows that he doesn’t care anymore," Rever finished.
"Xin’s face is always like that," Yuzuro sighed wryly.
While the three conversed, they made sure that Midnight Duchess didn’t overhear anything, as Lord Schrodinger’s identity was still a secret.
Meanwhile, Xin couldn’t afford to care about Meilyn right now. He still liked her, yes, but he had a lot more pressing matters that needed his attention.
He didn’t want to be sidetracked from his goals.
"So that woman is your ex?"
Xin was surprised when Midnight Duchess asked that question but nodded nevertheless. "It’s all in the past."
"So you like big-breasted women?" she asked straight to the point after a short pause.
Xin choked with his own saliva, but his face remained impassive. Why didn’t Meilyn adjust her avatar in the game and still retained her physique? He didn’t know.
"I like her because she’s kind and nice."
Midnight Duchess chuckled. "I’m just messing with you."
Xin slightly lowered his head, hiding his true emotions beneath an emotionless face. "She was . . . my childhood friend before we even got together. I guess I’m more disappointed that I could never get back that long years of friendship."
Midnight Duchess briefly glanced at him. "You’ll find someone more worthy. Kinder and nicer. Richer and more beautiful."
Xin managed a small laugh. "I’m not really interested in romance right now."
"Is that so . . ." Midnight Duchess chuckled. "A shame then . . ."
Xin was baffled as to what she meant by her words, but before he could ask, they had arrived in the chateau in the Abandon Fortress for the third quest.
The Forgotten Chateau stood as a relic of ancient grandeur amidst a desolate landscape. Its once-majestic spires, adorned with intricate carvings and delicate filigree, now stood weathered and worn under the weight of centuries.
Vines of ivy and moss clung tenaciously to the crumbling stone walls, their verdant hues a stark contrast to the chateau’s faded, ashen facade.
Upon crossing the threshold into the chateau’s great hall, the weight of history envelops Xin and the others in a hushed embrace.
The room stood in reverent silence, with only the king’s throne, a poignant relic of bygone authority, and fragments of shattered furniture serving as witnesses to a forgotten epoch.
Before you loomed the imposing wooden gate, its weathered facade bearing the weight of countless untold tales. Surrounding the hall were five iron doors, steadfast sentinels, securely locked and guarding secrets yet unknown.
Upon entering the grand chateau hall, a select few among the players, their keen senses granting them a remarkable passive perception, notice a discreet door cunningly concealed behind the throne.
This door, embellished with four dials, each etched with symbols representing wind, sun, tree, and star, hinted at a cryptic significance within the chamber.
Recognizing the significance of this discovery, Victor asserted, "To unveil the secrets and reach the end, we must explore the other chambers of the chateau, searching for the crucial clues scattered throughout."
. "Hooo . . ." Rever rubbed his hands together. "This part of the map sure is freezing."
"We’re in the Dwarven Continent where ice dominates the landscape," Yuzuro informed him.
"Within the hall lies a chest, its contents a trove of gil amounting to 6000," said Victor, pointing to a specific area. "However, I doubt the chest is there right now. Other players probably claimed it."
They were still players in the first room, but the group isolation would start once they entered the many rooms of the chateau.
"I’ll go and check," Rever volunteered, but he returned seconds later with a disappointed look on his face. "There’s no chest there."
"Should we wait for it to respawn?" Yuzuro suggested.
"No, let’s keep moving. 6000 gil isn’t worth the wait," Victor decided, retrieving the keys from a chamber next to the supposed chest before leading the way to the next room.
In the following room, they found themselves in a royal private library, holding the wisdom of the ages. Only esteemed courtiers and the illustrious king could peruse its precious tomes.
Xin and the others searched the place, and using his skill [Appraisal], he found the state deeds, one of their quest goals, among the pile of papers in this room.