“Is this a wine cellar? It’s already considered winter, so there shouldn’t be many people coming to the wine cellar. And, I remember there are indeed many wineries near Huntington City, which is a good sign.”
Xia De thought to himself, illuminating his fingertips to examine his surroundings more carefully.
This was not like Coldwater Port or Middelburg, places where almost no one appeared, but rather a building with an owner, similar to Saint Delan Square. However, it seemed the owner here was completely unaware of the hidden wall, let alone that someone would appear from it.
Out of caution, Xia De still used Echoes of the Past to probe, but multiple attempts yielded no results, indicating that no one had spoken nearby within 48 hours.
Knowing this put Xia De much more at ease. Wineries around Huntington City usually weren't too far from the City. If this really was near that City of wine, although there was still a possibility of being discovered when entering and exiting, at least he was sure he wasn't far from his destination:
“That golden lucky rabbit’s foot really has good luck. However, I’ll probably dream of many rabbits tonight… I wonder if they’ll like the silver moon in my dream.”
He thought to himself, then considered the likelihood of buying this wine cellar and the above-ground buildings all at once. But then he remembered that he was a Delarion, and to purchase property in a foreign land, even if he had enough cash and the owner was willing to sell, he would probably still need to find a trustworthy agent locally.
Using the Door Key to unlock the chain on the barred gate, he carefully pushed the door open and stepped out, discovering in the darkness that it was a sloped corridor. The room he came out of was at the very end, and there were only four rooms on either side of the corridor, meaning there were effectively four wine cellars here. Judging by the area and the number of wine barrels Xia De had just seen, this should be considered a small-scale winery.
Even if an Outsider wasn't particularly knowledgeable about the world's winemaking industry, he knew that if he were to spend all his savings of 10,000 pounds, there was still hope of buying it:
“However, I still need to figure out exactly where I’ve appeared.”
The sloped underground corridor was not long; the ground was a dirt path paved with gravel to increase friction, and the surrounding walls were uneven, as if they hadn't been treated after being excavated, but a wine cellar didn't need perfectly smooth walls.
At the end of the dark corridor was a tightly closed iron door. Xia De held his breath and pressed against the door for a while, hearing no sound. Only then did he carefully apply the witch's eyeshadow, put on his mask, unlock the door, and push it open.
Outside the door was not the outdoors, but a transversal corridor, somewhat damp compared to the dryness of the wine cellar. On the corridor wall directly opposite the wine cellar’s iron door was another wooden door, through whose crack sunlight could be seen, indicating it was an exit. The corridors extending to the left and right seemed to lead to other warehouses.
There was still no one here. It looked like a warehouse in a country yard, somewhat dilapidated, but with signs of frequent use.
The gas lamp hanging on the wall was unlit, and a piece of paper was posted beneath the dirty gas lamp. Xia De looked at it using the light from the door crack and saw that it was written in carson rick:
【White River Valley Vineyard Work Precautions】
【Do Not Steal】
【Please Ensure You Are Dressed Appropriately In All Seasons】
【Wine Cellar Doors Are Not Allowed To Be Opened Casually】
【Do Not Enter The Warehouse Without Permission】
【All Property Of The Vineyard Belongs To The Glorious Anjou Family】
After “Wine Cellar Doors Are Not Allowed To Be Opened Casually” there was also a small line of text, roughly explaining the impact of air circulation on grape fermentation.
“White River Valley Vineyard?”
Xia De was sure he had never heard that name, but the Anjou Family was the Carson Rick royal family, which meant this vineyard was the King's property. However, judging from its rustic appearance, it should be an overlooked asset.
Looking at the carson rick again, Xia De thought of his poor “foreign language” skills and was a bit worried about communication issues if he encountered people:
“Yes, after I go back, I need to find a qualified foreign language teacher in Tobesk and systematically learn carson rick.”
He already knew some of this language, and his strong mental power gave him excellent memory and comprehension, so learning this language was not difficult.
Outside this transversal corridor was the outdoors. Xia De still cautiously listened for voices outside. Unexpectedly, just as he approached the wooden door, which looked like it could be kicked open, he heard vague Carson Rick words drifting from afar:
“...kill...remember to wash off the blood...the head and legs...still the old price...”
“Hmm?”
Xia De frowned, suspecting he had misheard, so he listened more carefully:
“...trash...yes, deal with it all at once...don’t let anyone see...in winter, remember to keep the blood...and take it all for yourself...”
“What have I stumbled upon?”
He thought to himself, but the conversation outside stopped. Then the sound of a whip and carriage wheels approached, stopping outside the door.
Xia De had already retreated behind the iron door leading to the wine cellar and heard the wooden door outside being opened. To prevent the outside air from affecting the winemaking in the cellar, there were no gaps in this iron door through which one could peek outside. Xia De could only hear a man directing several others to move something heavy. From their conversation, it could be inferred that the left and right sides of the corridor outside were the vineyard's warehouses.
The moving work quickly finished, and only after everyone left did Xia De emerge from the wine cellar again. Without even using Blood Echo, he already detected the smell of blood in the air:
“I haven’t stumbled upon a murder and body disposal scene, have I?”
He hesitated for a moment, then walked towards the warehouse at the other end of the corridor, wanting to check the situation and confirm what had just been brought in. But just as he took two steps, the warehouse door at the end of the corridor was pushed open, and an old man with a floating bat symbol above his head walked out of the warehouse with his hands behind his back.
The latter looked up, and seeing Xia De by the faint candlelight in his hand, he was also startled:
“Hmm?”
Before Xia De could decide what to do next, the old man recoiled in horror, almost dropping the candle in his hand. He gasped for breath, then loudly shouted in a heavily accented carson rick:
“Help! Thief! There’s a thief in the warehouse!”
This was the first time Xia De had broken into someone else's home and been discovered, but he had no time to think further. The door leading from the corridor to the outside yard was pushed open, and in the sunlight spilling into the gloomy, damp corridor, a middle-aged man dressed as a coachman appeared behind Xia De. And above his head, a small bat symbol also floated.
“Where did all these Vampires come from?”
The newly appeared Vampire was also quite surprised to see a masked stranger here. He looked very muscular, but he didn't lunge at Xia De or use his Vampire powers against him. The man, as if startled, grabbed the door and stepped back, then also shouted in a panicked voice:
“Sir, come quickly, there really is a thief! There’s a thief in the warehouse!”
His carson rick, though not as standard as the foreigners Xia De had met in Delarion, at least didn't have a heavy accent.
Seeing Xia De look at him, the burly man in a shirt immediately emphasized:
“Don’t pull out a gun! You need to think clearly, theft and robbery are not the same! You still look very young, don’t go down the wrong path. If you have difficulties, you can say so, but don’t act impulsively.”
