"It's huge!"
After Isabel climbed down, she exclaimed in surprise, "This is almost half the size of the Silver and Tin Palace, isn't it?"
Unlike ordinary churches, Rumm Champagne Chapel had an underground area of truly astonishing scale.
Of course, it couldn't compare to a castle the size of the Vendome Family's. But the Silver and Tin Palace was not even one-sixth the size of Lionheart Hall. In Iver's memories, it was like cutting out three floors of a five-star hotel. Aside from the enormous Round Table Hall and Banquet Hall, there were only small rooms such as bedrooms, studies, and collection rooms.
"Ultimately, it's because this temple itself was converted from a warehouse belonging to a champagne factory."
Sherlock provided the answer from beside them.
The basement of this temple had once been a gigantic wine cellar.
"Because champagne requires secondary fermentation to produce its bubbles, suitable temperature and humidity must be maintained during the carbonation stage. That requires a fairly sizable wine cellar. After the bubbles have successfully formed, the wine must also be aged on its lees—that is, it continues aging with the yeast that multiplied inside the bottle until the yeast dies and decomposes, producing new aromas.
"Normally, this process needs to continue for at least a year, and this is also the key to champagne's unique aroma. The basement of Rumm Champagne Chapel has a soft, fine-grained chalky limestone shell, making it extremely suitable for this process."
Sherlock spoke in a low voice.
He did not stop walking. Instead, he kept tapping the ground with his cane, carefully probing for every possible trap or mechanism.
The light from their handheld lamps was far too dim. Even though everyone present had night vision, being able to "see" was no reason to lower their guard.
Tricks of