Chapter 156 Chapter 156 It reminds me of a friend. …
For this grand coronation ceremony, Gianna booked the entire Colosseum.
After being hit on the head by Elio, Willow became much more obedient, but after seeing the lavish celebration of the De Antonio family, she widened her eyes in shock, and then quickly closed them; the reason was simple: the lights were too bright.
She almost suspected that the entire population of Rome had come here. Even if not, they could still see the shimmering lights of the Colosseum from their windows, even from their homes. The lead singer, clutching the microphone on a red metal stand, belted out high notes, while the band members, clutching their instruments, sweated profusely. Blue beams of light would occasionally flash in their eyes, sometimes projecting their shadows, causing them to dance loudly and wildly on the Colosseum walls.
"How many people are here tonight?"
Willow vaguely heard Elio ask Rokudo Mukuro this. The D'Antonio family ushered them into the VIP corridor, avoiding the crowding of others. As they entered, a sudden, centuries-old darkness descended, blinding Willow for a moment. Just as she instinctively grasped Elio's hand and opened her eagle eyes, two more round masses of darkness delicately rested on the bridge of her nose.
Willow blinked and adjusted the sunglasses Elio had put on her. She looked up, but Elio wasn't looking at her; he was still talking to Mukuro.
"Three thousand people," Rokudo Mukuro said calmly, "and that's not even the maximum number of people it can handle."
"Three thousand people aren't enough?" Elio clicked his tongue.
"Not counting standing room, the Colosseum can accommodate at least 50,000 people..." Rokudo Mukuro paused, then asked in a strange tone, "Why are you wearing sunglasses?"
Elio was also pulling out a pair of sunglasses and putting them on. "My eyes are very expensive."
Rokudo Mukuro's expression was indescribable. Willow smiled sweetly at him.
"My eyes are also priceless." Rokudo Mukuro said dimly.
Elio, being fair, gave him a pair of spare sunglasses. Mukuro's red eye, with the six on it, and his original blue eye rolled up simultaneously, revealing a white eye. But he didn't refuse the sunglasses; he simply slung them over his windbreaker pocket, looking like a dashing Italian.
They entered the Colosseum. It was filled with people, almost like a wave surging in the darkness.
"Go play with your friends, little girl," Rokudo Mukuro said to Willow, "your brother and I have some work to do."
Elio also let go of Willow's hand and told the blonde girl who was looking at him, "When you're done playing, send me a message and I'll take you back."
Willow just made a face and said, "We're not kids anymore!"
But even with her considerable growth, the top of her head barely reached Elio's chest. Elio looked down at her and smiled faintly. Rokudo Mukuro couldn't help but smile, too. Blue and red lights flashed everywhere, and Willow, already clutching her friend's hand and running, naturally didn't see their expressions. She simply waved at them from a distance. Soon, like a few free little fish, they swam lively into the crowd.
"Let's go," Rokudo Mukuro called Elio, "Let's go say hello to Jaina, and then we can retreat."
Elio followed, puzzled. "I thought you'd enjoy parties."
"I only like parties for the dead," Rokudo Mukuro replied darkly. "These noisy ones..." He hadn't finished his words when a waiter respectfully approached, bearing a silver tray. Rokudo Mukuro then randomly selected a glass of sweet white wine, pinched it between his leather-gloved fingers, and without turning back asked Elio, "What would you like to drink?"
"Champagne," Elio told him.
Rokudo Mukuro then brought him a glass of champagne. Elio took it and couldn't help but look at the waiter twice; there was nothing special about him, except that he kept his head slightly lowered the whole time, avoiding any eye contact with Rokudo Mukuro, and his neck was as stiff as a concrete pillar stuck between his shoulders.
He didn't dare to look into Rokudo Mukuro's eyes, Elio thought.
"Why are you looking at him?" Rokudo Mukuro asked as if he had eyes on the back of his head.
"Just take a look," Elio said.
Rokudo Mukuro smiled at the assassin. Elio looked back, then with a flick of his wrist, clinked his champagne bottle against the white wine in Mukuro's hand.
By then, they had reached the edge of the red carpet and stood still. The path was clear. Jaina, leading her bodyguards, emerged from the stone archway; that was the same archway from which gladiators and wild beasts had emerged over two thousand years ago, though Jaina's attire was more respectable than theirs, a snow-white fur-collared coat wrapped in a shimmering silver fishtail skirt. Just like two thousand years ago, the guests erupted in cheers, the music so deafening that Elio almost lost track of what Rokudo Mukuro was saying.
But Elio still saw that sentence clearly. Rokudo Mukuro asked, "What?"
"Let's celebrate," Elio said. "Can't we?"
"For Jaina?" Rokudo Mukuro raised his eyebrows.
"For Santino's death."
Mukuro smiled. He clinked Elio's glass with a kind gesture. "So that you can get what you want."
"And for the Vongola." Elio clinked glasses with him.
They smiled at each other. Just then, Jaina walked up to them and greeted them with a smile, "It seems the party was quite satisfying to you."
Rokudo Mukuro put on a perfect fake smile at the right moment, "Very satisfied."
They exchanged pleasantries for a moment, and Rokudo Mukuro congratulated Jaina once again on having her wish come true, apparently too lazy to think of another toast. Jaina smiled and also wished prosperity to the Vongola, and then to Elio, "May good luck always be with your blade!"
Elio privately thought she looked a bit like a snow leopard, gracefully pressing its paws, or something else entirely. Jaina's earrings dangled like icicles, gleaming with a soft, silvery sheen that caught Elio's unspectacular green eyes. She gave Rokudo Mukuro and Elio a final smile, then walked on with a steady gait, continuing to chat with the other guests.
"Do you like her earrings?" Rokudo Mukuro asked curiously.
Elio had just finished his glass of champagne and was putting his sunglasses back on. "It reminds me of a friend."
Rokudo Mukuro uttered a light "Oh" and didn't ask any more questions. They lingered there for a while, pretending to be serious. Rokudo Mukuro introduced a few familiar faces to Elio, and then they slipped away tacitly, disappearing into the sea of people.
"I'm leaving first," Rokudo Mukuro told him, "I'm going back to play Assassin's Creed."
Elio couldn't help but ask, "Really?"
Rokudo Mukuro smiled at him and said, "Fake."
Elio chuckled. He gave a final wave to Rokudo Mukuro, who had retreated several men away, and he nodded back. The tall figure in the trench coat was quickly obscured by the dancing crowd. Elio turned, maneuvering his way through the crowd and ascended. Thousands of years ago, the steps the assassins now trod on were the auditorium of the Colosseum. As Elio ascended, he could hear the roaring sounds of the partygoers below, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of immersion.
"What's the difference between this and the ancient Roman beast show?"
Behind the pillars, a familiar, cold voice softly voiced what Elio was thinking. Elio paused briefly at the coincidence, and just as he was about to step forward to greet it, he heard another voice he had known for years. It spoke, the same voice as the last time they met, as calm as the murmur of flowing water. "Perhaps the beast died before the fight?"
Elio's steps completely stopped. He paused in silence for a moment, then finally saw through his eagle eyes that the two Templars were slowly moving forward. Just as they were about to step out of the shadows behind the pillars and see him, the assassin dodged and hid in the darkness.
"Don't you think it was the gladiator who died first?" asked Galahad, in a tone of mock curiosity.
"But we never work with wild beasts, do we?" Leopold asked.
Now it was Galahad's turn to laugh. But he said nothing more. He simply paused, slowly and naturally, and looked down. Elio looked down too, not knowing what he was looking at. Over three thousand people were crammed into the arena, which was said to hold over fifty, dancing revelry. The singers continued their songs, and the lights continued their flashes.
He said nothing, and Leopold did not speak again. They just stood there, looking down at the scenery for a moment, like two ordinary tourists. Then, without a word, Galahad nodded to Leopold slowly, not even glancing at Leopold's return gesture, and walked down the stairs and strolled away.
Now, only Elio and Leopold were left.
The assassin squatted in the audience seats on a higher level and looked around cautiously, trying to make sure his shadow did not appear. He wondered why the two of them were wandering around like this without even a bodyguard - Elio had never seen a Templar who loved assassins so much, in a double sense - but at this moment, he heard a soft sigh from Leopold who was standing upright below.
The sigh was so soft that it was almost drowned out by the revelry in the arena, but Elio heard it.
What is he sighing about? Elio wondered.
The assassin cautiously poked his head out a little, wanting to see for himself what Leopold was doing. But as soon as he poked his head out, he realized something was wrong: Leopold happened to be lowering his head, and his vision clearly covered a furry arc that emerged from the shadow on the ground.
Leopold said nothing, as if he hadn't noticed anything. But Elio certainly didn't miss his movement towards his gun. The assassin coughed loudly, then moved a little further to the edge of the auditorium and waved to Leopold.
He didn't say a word, but Leopold must have recognized Elio, otherwise it couldn't explain why he didn't touch the gun. Leopold turned his head in surprise and looked over, and saw Elio taking off his hood and sunglasses under a clear moon.
“…I swear I was just passing by,” Elio said sheepishly. “All I heard was some talk about beasts and gladiators.”
Leopold stared at him. For a moment, Elio thought they were in an awkward silence. Just as he was about to jump, Leopold suddenly smiled. Then, turning completely around, he pointed at Elio with a smile. "Your face has become a little rounder."
The Templar's movements were light and graceful, but in the moonlight, the diamond tassels that snaked along the shape of his ear swayed gently for a moment, like beautiful ripples on a river at night.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com