Although the place where Augustus and Zheng Qing agreed to meet was called the rest room, this was just a modest way of saying it.
In Zheng Qing's eyes, this place is completely a luxurious mansion and villa.
This lounge is located on Gamma Street.
In Daiichi University, there are two places named ‘Gamma’.
One is the Gamma Building in Beta Town. It is said that an old fortune teller lives in the building; the other is Gamma Street in Alpha Castle.
Different from the structure of the front hall, atrium, and back garden of Jiuyou Academy, Alpha Castle is divided into two parts, the inner court and the outer court, with the main building as the center.
The inner court includes teaching facilities such as classrooms, laboratories, and astrology towers, as well as dormitories, offices, and small lounges for students and professors.
The outer courtyard includes a petting garden, herbal garden, alchemy room, wing rooms for school staff, and many independent courtyard villas.
Gamma Street is located in the outer courtyard of Alpha.
This street surrounds the main castle. The road is paved with huge smooth bluestone slabs. There are many old olive trees with climbing branches growing on both sides.
The buildings on both sides of the street are different.
On the side close to the city wall of the outer courtyard, there are mostly gardens and wing rooms belonging to the school working committee; while leaning against the foot of the tall city wall of the inner court, there is a neat row of silver-gray mansions.
The 'territory' of the Blood Club is located in this row of mansions.
18 Gama Street.
This is the place where Augustus and Zheng Qing agreed to meet.
In Zheng Qing's imagination, a room the size of a hundred and ten square meters living room as a lounge for students is already very luxurious. [ ] But this idea obviously underestimates the persistence of some powerful and long-established organizations or families in their reputation.
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For example, the Blood Club, YPO, Monteria Family, Black Family, O'Brien Family, Zhongshan Jiang Family, etc. They are different from those small families that occasionally have members with outstanding talents.
For generations, members of these organizations or families have entered the Alpha Academy to practice and study. Over time, they have established strong ties with the academy.
The nodes of the bond are these silent mansions outside the inner court walls.
Because of the different preferences of the owners, these silver-gray mansions were built in different styles.
For example, the residence of the O'Brien family is in the Byzantine style with a dome and spire, the residence of the Black family is in the exquisite and gorgeous rococo style, and the residence of the Chiang family in Zhongshan is in the simple and elegant Huizhou style with black tiles and white walls.
Compared with these ancient families, the residence of the Blood Friendship Association seems a bit regular and unremarkable.
This is more like a town hall.
Outside the hall, like other mansions, there are neatly manicured and clean nursery lawns. There are several simple and elegant sculptures placed among them, including horsemen with bows and arrows, warriors holding swords and standing silently, and vibrating statues.
An angel with wings ready to fly.
Entering the entrance courtyard, there is a row of slender and beautiful Ionic stone columns, with a pair of iconic scroll decorations on the top and several layers of neatly stacked basic strips of stone below.
A brass sign hangs on the stone pillar in the center.
On it were engraved in cursive letters the words 'Blood Friends Club'.
Below the name, there are several rows of slightly smaller instructions engraved:
‘Founded by the Duke of Monteria in the third year of Yuanbao in the Witch Calendar’
‘The first (Augustus) to be promoted to Grand Wizard within two years of graduation, known as the Dragon Slayer in the world’
…
'Members only'
Due to limited time, Zheng Qing did not read the instructions on the bronze medal carefully, but walked straight past the row of Ionic stone pillars and came to the front of the mansion.
There is a water curtain in the foyer, pouring down from the roof, silently, cool and refreshing.
Standing in front of the water curtain, Zheng Qing's face was clearly reflected under the reflection of light.
"We have visitors!"
A line of small characters rolled out by the waves suddenly appeared in the water curtain:
"Please show me your invitation letter."
Zheng Qing was stunned for a moment, then quickly took out the gray cloth bag and dug out the white invitation letter Augustus gave him.
The mist filled the air and enveloped Zheng Qing's right hand holding the card.
"Issued by Augustus, please come in."
The writings rolled up by the waves gradually faded away, and the water curtain quickly retracted to both sides, leaving only a doorway high and low for one person, leaving only the spring water gurgling under the soles of the feet, like a threshold.
Zheng Qing hesitated for a second, crossed the threshold made of water, and walked in.
The water curtain behind him slowly closed up, blocking the inside and outside again.
Melodious music flowed out and surrounded Zheng Qing.
Servants in white robes greeted the young public-sponsored student and led him deep into the lobby along the corridor.
The first floor is decorated like a church.
The surrounding high walls are painted with gorgeous murals, and the sun shines through the colorful glass, leaving faint spots of light on the ground. The colors in the lobby are variable in light and dark, making people involuntarily nervous.
At the end of the corridor is a tall lecture platform.
There is a dharma table with three wooden legs placed on the platform.
The guests stood quietly in front of the Dharma table, waiting in line.
Everyone has been baptized by this table.
A tall priest wearing a white cassock stood behind the dharma table, holding a black classic in his hand, with a solemn expression and a serious tone praying for each guest:
"Jenny Pan, second year at First University, Atlas Academy, people of Druids."
"We pray for your soul."
"Qian Wen, third year at First University, Starry Sky Academy, descendant of Qian Miao, the great wizard of East Lake."
"We pray for your soul."
"Louise Coty, sophomore at First University, Alpha College, heir to Coty Manor."
"We pray for your soul."
Zheng Qing slowly moved forward with the team and heard the quiet chatter of several guests behind him.
"Why does it sound like a mass for the dead?" a high-pitched voice asked in a low voice.
"It's to pray for the dead." Another voice explained in a show-off manner: "The Blood Club advocates talent. Everyone who walks into this hall has a proud family history. That blessing is mainly for those who have given us talents.
Prayers for the deceased.”
"These rituals are relatively easy to accept in Atlas... Why do they appear in Alpha!"
"It can't be so absolute. Although the religious atmosphere in Alpha is not as strong as Atlas, it still advocates faith."
"What a magical world... I always thought that Alpha Academy only looked at talent!"
"...There is nothing so absolute."
Zheng Qing listened to these conversations and within a moment, he came to the white-robed priest.
The priest lowered his eyelids and his eyes fell on Zheng Qing's bright red Jiuyou robe.
"Invitation." His voice was stiff and impatient.
Zheng Qing immediately handed over the white card.
"A letter of invitation from His Excellency Augustus?" The priest was stunned for a moment, then a gentle smile appeared on his face: "Your Excellency is resting in the tea break on the third floor."
With that said, he returned the invitation letter to Zheng Qing.
"Zheng Qing, first-year student at First University, Jiuyou College, government-funded student."
While singing softly, the priest in white stretched out two fingers and dipped them in a transparent liquid on the table:
"We pray for your soul."
Two fingers touched Zheng Qing's forehead, and a refreshing feeling spread throughout his body.
Like a cold drink in the dog days of summer, Zheng Qing immediately noticed that his spirit became much more active almost instantly.