Chapter 10, Musicians' Association
It was merely a copper coin, and had not yet touched upon Lucien's existence and bottom line. Therefore, when Lucien was later pursued by the gang, he hesitated for just a second between the copper coin and his life, and ultimately endured it. He then took out another copper coin and handed it to the man who was walking around Andre, seemingly showcasing his robust physique.
After accepting the entrusted task, Lucien, under the arrangement of the dwarf Cohen, has already met with the middle-aged man once and learned that his name is George, who has some connections within the Musicians' Association
Lucien absorbed the knowledge he lacked from Elena's words like a sponge soaking up water, until after more than ten minutes, Elena came to her senses and instructed the hall servant to take Lucien to the back garden
Elena's boasting received Lucien's cooperation, making her even happier: "Hehe, don't think a silver nar is expensive. In Trelia, in Antifleur, in Ife, in Dhiris, in Anhadur, these two newspapers are indeed sought-after items, and can sell for as much as a gold taler. The nobles of these countries take pride in chasing the musical trends of Alto, even if it is an outdated newspaper."
As soon as Lucien pushed open the grand door inlaid with fragments of colored glass, he beheld a bright, magnificent, and spacious hall
Reflecting on the conditions of the slums, Lucien sighed, "The polarization in this world seems quite severe. However, there should still be few who understand written language; how much must newspapers be sold for to recoup their costs?"
The middle-aged man was dressed simply yet elegantly, sporting a faint mustache and black curly hair. His sea-blue eyes reflected a melancholic hue: "Good afternoon, Elena, please give me a copy of the 'Music Review.'" His voice was rich and deep
After speaking, he said to Lucien: "Your money will be placed with Andre in the city gate area. You can collect it when you return with the book."
Knowing someone like Lucien, who, like herself in the past, had no opportunity to engage with high society, Elena could not help but boast about her experiences over the past year working at the Musicians' Association: "Although in the year 426 of the Sacred Era, after Cardinal Adelaide invented a simpler and more universal method of papermaking, the price of paper has become increasingly cheaper, and now a stack can be purchased for just a few copper faels, only members of our Musicians' Association can buy 'Music Review' for ten copper faels, while others, even nobles, must pay a silver nar.
Lucien nodded, not worried that George would default on this payment. Although the Aaron gang was ruthless in collecting money, they were quite reputable in this regard. According to Cohen, there had been instances where someone attempted to evade payment for services rendered, but in the end, they had to pay double the amount.
It must be acknowledged that Elena's incessant chatter, aside from her desire to show off, was greatly influenced by Lucien's striking appearance, characterized by his black hair, dark eyes, and rather handsome features
Lucien understood what they were there for, having been mentally prepared in advance, and he did not intend to act independently. He took out a copper coin and handed it to the man named Andrei
Lucien was very curious about Uncle Joel's dream of becoming a musician, so he did not argue with George. He set the cart aside for the guard to watch and ascended the steps, walking towards the door
Another burly man glared at Lucien and said: "Two copper coins!"
"Lucien, you must be quiet, do not speak loudly, and avoid making loud noises while moving the trash. Mr. Victor will hold his symphony concert in the Hall of Canticles for the first time in more than three months, and during this time, he is under a lot of pressure; his mental state, well, is quite sensitive." Elena kindly reminded Lucien
Did we not agree to only give one www.hetushu.com? Lucien is now broke, and even though he knows he currently lacks the ability to confront the gangsters, he still cannot help but argue a little.
George took the money bag, revealing two rows of yellow teeth, and smiled with his eyes squinting into a line: "Elena, have someone guide Xien to the back garden. Don't be fooled by his young age and slight build; he possesses great strength."
"I wonder if there are potions for increasing strength and constitution in the magic notebook?" Lucien couldn't help but think in this direction, even though he was well aware that it was a dangerous sign, a sign of being unable to resist temptation
When Victor went upstairs, Lucien curiously asked Elena, "Is this 'Music Review' only ten copper coins?"
Seeing Lucien approach, a lecherous, thin, middle-aged man with a goatee quickly descended the steps: "Why are you so late? Look at the clock of the golden cathedral; it is almost one o'clock!"
"George, there are still ten minutes left," Lucien pointed to the towering, majestic golden cathedral in the distant noble district, which seemed to dominate the entire city. The hour hand on the clock had yet to reach the top.
After scolding himself for not being passionate enough, Lucien understood that he needed to escape this situation, either by possessing strong personal power or by having a certain social status
A silver dollar? Lucien suddenly felt a strong urge to rob these newspapers; if he could just get five copies, his problem would be easily resolved. However, considering that even if he succeeded, he would not be able to find a buyer, Lucien gloomily extinguished this thought.
Indeed, in this world, considerable personal power often signifies a high social status
Victor first picked up the "Music Review," casually flipped through it, then gave Elena ten copper coins. He politely nodded to Lucien and George, and, holding the newspaper, turned to walk towards the staircase next to the hall
Because both "Music Review" and "Symphony Bulletin" are the two most authoritative newspapers in the entire continental music field, representing the direction of music development, every score and review article published in them is a crystallization of wisdom. This month's "Music Review" even features comments from His Majesty the Emperor and Her Highness Princess Natasha regarding the pieces performed at last week's symphony concert in the Hall of Sacred Music
***
Mr. Victor has quite an impressive demeanor, Lucien quietly assessed in his mind
Seeing Elena take out a brand new newspaper from the cabinet under the wooden platform, Lucien couldn't help but exclaim, "Has Alto already developed newspapers? And of a specialized type at that"
Elena was about to call a servant in the hall to lead Xien to the back garden to carry away the trash when she suddenly saw a middle-aged man in a loose red coat walk in. She quickly stood up and slightly bowed, saying, "Good afternoon, Mr. Viktor"
Reflecting on the various schemes for striking it rich found in countless time-travel novels, Lucien sadly realized that he knew too little about this world. He had no idea whether these methods would be effective, and regardless of what he did, the first pot of gold was particularly crucial. Yet, he only had seven copper fells.
Thus, when the sunlight at nine o'clock shone upon the market area, Lucien was already carrying a heavy bag of goods, making his way towards the city gate area, for survival often takes precedence above all else
Damn it, who brought such a child here? Walk carefully, don't damage my goods
Lucien nodded gratefully at her, then carefully followed the servant to the back garden
Lucien watched the backs of the two of them, feeling somewhat stifled. Although he had known from the beginning that he would be exploited by the gang, when he actually encountered it, he could not help but feel a shift in his emotions
Thus, Lucien's remuneration increased from 3 copper farthings to 4
After a long journey, Lucien finally arrived at the city gate area and securely placed the goods onto the waiting freight wagon.
"We are under the command of Boss Aaron; you can call me Andrei," said the brown-haired man, indicating his identity, with a faint scar on his face.
Lucien's strength is actually not comparable to that of his peers who have undergone training, but he is favored for being inexpensive, serving the purpose of two. The miserly Guqi naturally has to praise him in this way, completely forgetting how he had previously cursed him.
The floor is covered with a thick, soft carpet, and walking on it produces no sound at all. Coupled with the very few people passing by, the entire hall appears quiet and cold
The extensive use of vertical lines, small spires, flying buttresses, colored glass, and window frames resembling flames imparts an asymmetrical and exaggerated aesthetic to the entire five-story light-colored building, making it appear both light and complex
The Musicians' Association near the Saint Song Hall in the administrative district is renowned for its unique architectural style in Alto. Therefore, Lucien, pushing a rented four-wheeled cart, found the building named "Dancing Flames" after just asking for directions once
George complained, "The servant hired by the association finished cleaning early. Hurry and come in to hand over, otherwise the mountain of garbage piled up behind the association will affect the mood of the musicians coming to work, and that would be troublesome"
As soon as Lucien received the copper fee, he noticed two men approaching, dressed in linen coats and bearing a somewhat fierce appearance.
Well done, kid, you understand the principles well. In the past, there were always some hot-headed young men who liked to challenge us. However, as you can see, we are still here, while some of them have already sunk to the bottom of the Belen River. Alright, Mag, someone is coming over there with - Tu - Shu. " As usual, Andre intimidated a bit and then turned to walk away with Mag.
As she spoke, she took out a jingling coin pouch and handed it to George. According to Lucien's estimation, there were at least forty copper faels inside. He couldn't help but curse inwardly, realizing that after deducting the cost of renting the cart, he would only earn eight copper faels.
If it weren't for your own bravado, Gucci would have to hire two people, and each of them would give us a copper fare. This loss, of course, cannot be borne by us. Andre smiled like a legitimate businessman
The stout Guqi reluctantly took out his money pouch, retrieved four copper coins, and handed them to Lucien: "Your payment, young man. I didn't expect you to be so strong. In the future, whenever I have goods that need to be transported, I will come directly to you"
Under George's guidance, Lucien walked to the center of the hall in front of a wooden platform that was half a person high
Behind the wooden platform sat a beautiful young girl with brown hair and blue eyes, her smile sweet and her voice clear: "Uncle George, has the person you were looking for arrived?"
Sweat continuously streamed down his face, trickling into his neck and soaking his linen shirt. The not-so-intense sun beat down on Lucien, making his already heavy steps feel even more burdensome. At the same time, the struggling Lucien had to endure the incessant chatter of the plump Guqi beside him
Watching Guqi wipe the sweat that had flowed from jumping around with a handkerchief, Lucien thought to himself: "It's all because you were stingy and only invited one person"
Lucien glanced again at the remaining newspapers in Elena's cabinet, suppressing the impulse to steal. At the same time, he deduced some information from them: "The currency across the entire continent should be unified. Hmm, the church with divine arts must be very powerful. It is very likely that there are no spatial teleportation arrays; even if there are, the conditions for their use must be extremely harsh. Otherwise, with so many nobles in need, how could they only be seeing outdated newspapers"