Leonard simply watched Albert quietly, his expression calm and his gaze clear.
Albert's smile, which had almost reached his ears, gradually faded, replaced by furious embarrassment:
"You..."
"So, you're still relying on such a boring way to prove your courage, are you?"
Leonard closed his notebook.
Now it was Albert's turn to be stunned, showing the awkwardness of having his intentions seen through, but his aristocratic pride made him stubbornly meet Leonard's gaze.
Leonard shook his head and stood up.
He was already a few centimeters taller than Albert, and his shoulders were wider.
Plus, being on the upper level of the tiered classroom, he had a somewhat condescending air:
"In your world, is courage really that cheap?
Just looking at some unmoving dead bones in the 'Old Mines' is what you call courage?"
Albert's pale face flushed red again, and he began to speak through gritted teeth:
"What's the point of saying so much?
Do you dare or not?
Ha, you commoners..."
"Fine, name a time,"
Leonard interrupted Albert's lengthy speech, unexpectedly agreeing.
"But I have conditions,"
Leonard added in a flat tone,
"After we go, I won't join you, and you shouldn't bother me again."
Albert's face turned red with anger again; his little schemes were exposed by Leonard time and again—who could understand this feeling!
Now it was Leonard's turn to show a disdainful smile.
How could he possibly be fooled by the trick of student groups in European and American universities using "courage tests" to "recruit" (actually PUA) new members?
Having had previous experiences where he couldn't gain an advantage over Leonard, and now owing him a favor from the dean's office, Albert decided to "generously" accept Leonard as his follower.
This would both save face from previous losses and allow him to display his "noble demeanor."
As the tide of republicanism rolled and swept across all of France, aristocratic titles were not officially recognized by the government, nor did they carry any institutional privileges.
However, a long historical legacy continued to exert its enormous cultural inertia; even if superficial differences in lineage were denied, both nobles and commoners still widely acknowledged that they did not belong to the same social class.
After their wealth was dwarfed by the emerging bourgeois merchants and their cultural contributions surpassed by artists of common birth, nobles had few fig leaves left; "courage" was considered one of them.
They stubbornly believed that this virtue was not possessed by merchants and commoners—for example, they wouldn't die for honor!
Thus, until the late 19th century, French people from noble families or those who yearned for "noble spirit" were still keen on the barbaric tradition of dueling.
Albert could no longer tolerate this unpleasant conversational atmosphere and coldly dropped a line: "Alright then, Sunday at 10 AM, 14th Arrondissement, meet at Denfert-Rochereau Square."
This was originally a maintenance entrance for a stone quarry, managed by the Quarry Inspection Department, hence the catacombs' nickname, the "Old Mines."
Students, geology apprentices, doctors, or those with connections could pay a small fee to enter semi-legally, but the scope of exploration was limited, and they would occasionally be chased out by patrolling priests.
"Or we could go at night, still 10 o'clock, 14th Arrondissement, meet at 'Hell Street',"
Leonard suddenly spoke as the other person turned to leave.
Albert spun around abruptly, glaring fiercely at Leonard:
"You think I don't dare?
Do you think I don't dare?"
Leonard calmly watched Albert, who was about to burst out, saying nothing, yet seemingly saying everything.
"Hell Street" was an unusually narrow street in the 14th Arrondissement's poor residential area, about 40 to 50 centimeters wide.
The nearly 3-kilometer-long street was squeezed between dense houses, with almost no gaps, making it only possible to walk from one end to the other.
However, many of these houses lining the street had narrow doors or small windows opened in their walls.
It was said that whatever you desired, you could exchange for it through these narrow doors or small windows, making it one of Paris's most famous underground black markets.
Some of these houses had cellars dug through to the quarry, allowing secret access to the catacombs.
Many Parisian occult enthusiasts and explorers preferred to enter the underground from here to explore the broader netherworld.
Of course, the Paris catacombs had other illegal entrances, such as the culvert of the Bièvre River, the shaft on Rue de Tombes-Issoire, and so on.
However, these places smelled terrible and lacked guidance; only criminals and smugglers would choose to conduct business there.
Being a catacomb guide was considered a legitimate profession on "Hell Street," so the danger factor was not high.
However, going at night was still too frightening for 19th-century university students.
Albert's chest rose and fell rapidly a few times; finally, he barely managed to control his breathing:
"Fine, Sunday at 10 PM, meet at 'Hell Street'."
With that, he led his followers away.
Leonard nodded, then sat back down, completely oblivious to the curious and awestruck gazes of his other classmates.
Although materialism was already quite mature in the 19th century, it was by no means the belief of the majority.
The populace—including most university students—still believed in the existence of God, angels, and devils, and thus naturally also in ghosts and evil spirits.
That's why Albert chose exploring the catacombs as a "test of courage."
As long as Leonard's face turned pale, his legs trembled, and he knelt to beg for mercy, Albert would "forget past grievances" and save this poor commoner.
But he hadn't expected Leonard to seem even braver than himself, who had been to the catacombs several times...
Leonard wasn't thinking that much; he just wanted to resolve the troubles Albert de Rohan was causing him as soon as possible, perhaps even once and for all, so it would no longer affect his life at the Sorbonne.
After class in the afternoon, Leonard didn't return to his apartment immediately.
Instead, he first went to the post office on Boulevard Saint-Martin to collect the advance royalties totaling 3,000 francs that Gabriel had sent to his anonymous account.
This was a huge sum, equivalent to the annual income of an average French middle-class person, and the largest amount of cash Leonard had ever handled in his life.
Inside the thin envelope were two pieces of paper: one was a bearer cheque worth 1,500 francs, and the other was a time draft of the same value, 1,500 francs.
Leonard tucked the two priceless thin slips of paper back into the envelope, then into an inner pocket of his clothes, and subsequently took a public carriage to the Second Arrondissement, where financial businesses congregated.
He promptly found the cheque-cashing bank, "Crédit Lyonnais," opened an account for himself, then deposited 1,500 francs, and subsequently withdrew 200 francs.
Of this, 100 francs were to be sent to the Sorel family in the Alps, making it a total of 200 francs including the previous remittance.
This sum was a drop in the bucket compared to their losses, but consistently receiving small remittances would undoubtedly give the Sorel family more confidence in life and gradually help them emerge from the gloom.
The other 100 francs were for preparing to find a new apartment over the weekend; if a suitable place was found, he wouldn't mind paying a deposit immediately.
Having finished these tasks, Leonard felt relieved and took a public carriage back to Madame Martin's apartment.
As soon as he entered, he smelled the rich aroma of stewed meat.
Petty, still wearing an adult-sized apron, saw Leonard and quickly ran out:
"Young Master Sorel, today I made mushroom stewed duck, using the recipe you taught me before.
But duck seems to have a stronger gamey smell than chicken, so I used a bit more thyme and bay leaves.
Do you think that's alright?"
Leonard smiled:
"It smells good, so I know it's fine.
I'm hungry, let's eat quickly!"
(End of this chapter)
---------------------
Support me on P@treon
[email protected]/charaz
$10 -> 300+ chapters in advance
Check my pinned post on P@treon