Volume 2 Chapter 7: Albert Castle

The news about a skilled doctor who could cure the epidemic disease appeared in Audiya Town not only spread within Audiya but also reached several nearby small towns over the past few days. In the following days, patients from other places actually had already come seeking treatment.

When the hidden truth about Audiya Town finally erupted, the townspeople were horrified to discover that the number of people infected with the epidemic disease exceeded everyone’s imagination.

Besides the surrounding villages, the small town had about seven hundred residents. Among them, thirty to forty people actually had contracted the epidemic disease. Among the infected were men and women, old and young.

Looking just at the numbers, thirty to forty people compared to seven hundred residents might not seem like much. But if you think back to the Earth Federation where Qin Lun came from, if news media in some large cities with populations of millions reported dozens of people infected with a deadly epidemic disease, then probably all millions of residents in the entire city would feel insecure and afraid.

Although people in this world where Qin Lun now lived were not as afraid of death as modern people, this infection rate was enough to break everyone’s psychological defenses. No wonder there was a mysterious power in the small town that tried hard to conceal the truth, fearing it would cause chaos and make the situation even more uncontrollable.

“Although Baron Albert’s fief does not include Audiya Town, he is the true ruler of this land. Even the mayor of Audiya Town is his man.” Katharine straightened Qin Lun’s collar while chattering instructions to the young man. “You cannot act so proud in front of him. Be more humble!”

Qin Lun curled his lips. Katharine’s words would normally be correct, but they did not apply now. At this time, Baron Albert was no longer the ruler of this land; he, the doctor who could cure the epidemic disease, was. However, the young man did not refute the middle-aged beauty’s words. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and contemplated this strange emotion he had never felt before.

“Gurgle, gurgle!” The carriage axle made rhythmic turning sounds. Qin Lun pulled aside the white silk curtain inside the carriage and looked at the scenery outside through the carved small window.

The carriage had already left Audiya Town and was traveling on a muddy road in the outskirts. Both sides of the road were full of lush, tall trees. Sunlight pierced through the dense tree canopy, leaving mottled shadows on the fallen leaves in the forest.

After watching for a while, Qin Lun lowered the silk curtain and rested with his eyes closed in the carriage. In his mind, he sorted through some information Katharine had provided him.

Albert Castle was located on the highest terrain slope in this mountainous forest area. Behind the castle was a steep cliff, and below the cliff was the largest river that irrigated the entire area—the semicircular flowing Cockscomb River.

The Cockscomb River had swift currents, and its narrowest point was about thirty meters wide. The stream Qin Lun encountered on his first night in this world was one of the tributaries of the Cockscomb River. In fact, the several small towns centered around Audiya Town were all located on the inner edge of the Cockscomb River’s arc, that is, the south bank, forming a small cluster of interconnected human settlements.

Across the river was the largest primeval forest in Maize Duchy—the Great Forest Maiar. In long-standing local legends, the Great Forest Maiar was inhabited by evil witches and evil creatures controlled by the witches.

This region used the Cockscomb River as a boundary, dividing the Great Forest Maiar and the human settlements in half. Looking down from above, the Cockscomb River was like a white arm holding the human residential area in its embrace, while Albert Castle was the watchtower at the very front of that arm, responsible for vigilance. Behind it was the central small town of the human residential area—Audiya Town.

Besides the unbelievable witch, there was another related rumor in the local legends of Odia.

It was said that the first-generation Baron Albert was sent by the Duke of Maize to specifically station in this mountainous forest area to guard against those evil creatures in the Great Forest Maiar.

Legend said that more than three hundred years ago, a great war between humans and evil creatures occurred in this area. In the end, the knight team led by Baron Albert repelled the witch and her evil accomplices, restoring peace to the Aodia Region.

Recalling this information, Qin Lun understood. With such historical legends in the Aodia Region, no wonder when the epidemic disease appeared, it made the townspeople think of the witches and black magic in the Great Forest Maiar.

To be honest, Qin Lun was somewhat dismissive of the witch information and did not believe those ancient legends from over three hundred years ago. Although he had experienced teleportation and witnessed the magnificent landscape of Shattered Starry Sky that defied natural laws, he still had an inherent resistance to supernatural phenomena in his heart.

It was not strange for Qin Lun to have such thoughts. When he was first sent to the mental hospital, it seemed there were even more absurd hallucinations in his mind. If these mental hallucinations had not appeared year after year, how could he have embarked on that destined path?

After advancing along the forest path for some time, the carriage finally left the woods and sped upward along a smooth mountain road. Before dark, they arrived in front of an ancient castle.

Getting off the carriage, Qin Lun looked at the ancient castle before him, his eyebrows slowly rising. The hunchbacked servant behind him widened his mismatched triangular eyes; presumably, the large mouth behind the mask was shocked and unable to close properly.

Different from ordinary noble castles, this ancient castle was magnificent and grand. The main keep, built from giant stones, was over thirty meters tall, connected to four subsidiary keeps more than ten meters high around it, looking like loyal guards protecting their master. Viewed from the front, the entire castle had a strange triangular shape.

Most surprisingly, the castle was not integrated with the cliff they stood on. A chasm about fifty meters wide and hundreds of meters deep separated them. Albert Castle actually stood independently on a steep cliff opposite them, connected only by a huge stone bridge ten meters wide.

Looking at the wide, thick city gate of the castle opposite, Qin Lun’s eyes flickered. Perhaps some of the legends Katharine told were actually true. The first-generation Baron Albert who came to the Aodia Region probably also carried the garrison mission for Maize Duchy.

This castle was more like a military fortress than a noble castle!

The surface of the stone bridge looked clean and flawless. On both sides of the stone bridge rails, there were crouching stone beast statues at regular intervals.

These beast statues came in various forms. Some of the ferocious statues with bat wings and demon heads caught Qin Lun’s attention. Because they didn’t look like beasts at all, but more like the monster gargoyles from mythological legends.

The fifty-meter stone bridge was quickly crossed. The coachman and envoy sent by the baron guided Qin Lun and his servant to the castle gate, then turned and withdrew.

At this time, the castle’s tall city gate was already wide open. A white-haired old butler was leading a group of servants lined up by the gate, welcoming Qin Lun on behalf of the master.

“Respected Doctor Stan, I am the castle butler Jason. The baron already knows of your arrival and is waiting in the hall. Please follow me!” The old butler placed one hand on his chest and bowed respectfully.

Qin Lun slightly raised his hat in return, then followed the old butler into the castle.

The interior of Albert Castle was not as solemn and majestic as it appeared from outside. Perhaps hundreds of years ago, it was a military fortress, but now it had become an ordinary noble castle.

A cobblestone path stretched from the city gate forward to the main keep. On both sides of the stone path was a neatly trimmed lawn, with a delicate small fountain in the middle featuring a small angel stone statue, which looked much more pleasing than the ferocious beast statues on the outside stone bridge.

“Welcome, young Doctor Stan!” Upon entering the castle hall, an old gentleman wearing formal attire, who looked spirited, politely nodded to Qin Lun.

Qin Lun knew the old gentleman should be the castle master—Baron Thomas Albert. He immediately took off his hat and bowed respectfully, while surreptitiously observing the contemporary Baron Albert with the corner of his eye.

Thomas Albert appeared to be over fifty years old, with a ruddy complexion, looking relatively healthy. His eyes were sharp, he had a mustache on his chin, and a slightly beer belly.

“Thank you for your gracious invitation. Wellington Stan pays his respects to you! Please, Your Lordship, just call me Wellington!”

While the two were talking, the old butler Jason took Qin Lun’s hat and coat and hung them over his arm.

“Alright, Wellington, you must be tired from traveling all the way from Audiya Town. Please follow Jason to the guest room to rest first. I have prepared a banquet for you. We shall meet again later!” The old baron’s voice was quite loud, and he didn’t put on aristocratic airs.

After their brief conversation, the old butler Jason led Qin Lun through the hall, up the main staircase in the center, toward the guest rooms on both sides of the second floor. As for Qin Lun’s hunchbacked servant Frank, his status wasn’t high enough to enter the VIP guest rooms, so other servants from the castle took him to ordinary guest rooms.

While Jason was leading Qin Lun along the corridor to the guest room, a pleasant young woman’s voice came from behind them.

“Oh, is this Doctor Stan who cured epidemic disease patients in Audiya Town?”

Hearing the voice, Qin Lun stopped, turned halfway, and looked at the person approaching behind him.

Standing behind him was a noblewoman wearing a whalebone skirt with a slender figure. The woman wore a wide-brimmed hat and had a white veil over her face, seeming as if she had just returned from outside. Though her appearance wasn’t clear, she sounded like a young woman.

Qin Lun felt a slight stir in his heart. He bowed but did not speak.

“Miss Laura, this is indeed Doctor Stan. We just brought him from Audiya Town!” The old butler Jason timely introduced both parties. “Miss Laura is His Lordship’s most beloved daughter!”

“Very pleased to meet you, beautiful Miss Laura!” A gentle, charming smile appeared on Qin Lun’s face. The Serial Killer had a feeling that this Miss Laura, who had just returned from outside, didn’t just coincidentally meet him in the corridor, but was specifically waiting for him here.

What excellent luck! A trace of smile flashed in Qin Lun’s eyes. He truly hadn’t expected that just after entering Albert Castle, a pure and ignorant little lamb would voluntarily come before him!