Chapter 98

Chapter 98

The soft morning sunlight spilled over Navira Estate.

Nestling his small face into the soft quilt, Luo Ci awoke. He had slept so comfortably—the room was warm, and the bed was soft.

...Bed?

Something wasn't right.

As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw a room filled to bursting. The empty room from last night seemed like a dream. Now, his room was furnished with a spacious bed and rows of luxurious wardrobes stuffed so full they nearly overflowed.

The little one rubbed his cheeks with his small hands, instantly waking himself up completely.

The room had been bare just yesterday—how could so many things appear overnight?

And hadn’t he fallen asleep by the fireplace? How did he wake up in a bed?

Sitting on the plush velvet bed, he rested his chin in his hands, blinking his round eyes in confusion.

Climbing down from the bed, he stepped into the plush slippers neatly placed at the bedside.

Pulling open the door, he found the hallway utterly transformed as well.

The once-dirty carpet had been replaced with a rich coral carpet, the broken windows repaired, their ornate frames now pristine. The tattered curtains and shattered chandelier in the hall had been miraculously restored, and even the paintings had returned to their rightful places on the walls.

The manor had been completely refurbished overnight.

Just as the little one woke up, Samuel received a notification—a privilege granted after spending a certain amount in the game.

Seeing the child living in such conditions had greatly disturbed Samuel.

Though completing tasks could earn game currency, allowing gradual purchases to decorate the manor, Samuel found the process too slow. Instead, he directly used real money to clear out the in-game store.

Only when the empty room was completely furnished did he feel satisfied.

He was also curious about how the little one would react upon waking up to the transformed surroundings.

True to his expectations, the little one looked completely baffled, his hair adorably messy as he dashed into the hallway. His already round eyes widened further in surprise, every movement exuding undeniable charm.

The butler, now dressed in a fresh new uniform, found Luo Ci and smiled. "Young lord, I was just about to wake you. Breakfast is ready for you."

Luo Ci followed obediently to the dining room—a garden bursting with flowers, where bright sunlight fell upon delicate porcelain. The plates were filled with exquisite pastries and perfectly steeped tea.

"Butler," he looked up, "are you feeling better now?"

The butler bowed slightly. "Yes, thanks to you, young lord, I’ve much improved."

"Then do you know what happened to the things in my room?" Luo Ci asked, puzzled.

"That was a Midnight Carriage's delivery," the butler replied, pouring the little one a cup of sweetly scented tea as he munched on sweets. "Such things often happen across the Elfa Continent. At midnight, carriages arrive at manors, bringing useful goods. That’s why we call it the gift of the Midnight Carriage."

Luo Ci nodded. His knowledge of this world was still too limited. From the butler’s words, it seemed carriages frequently visited manors at midnight, delivering supplies—yet no one knew where they came from or how they appeared.

Though curious, he knew pushing further wouldn’t yield answers.

With his stomach full, Luo Ci recalled the townsfolk’s words from yesterday and couldn’t help but ask, "Butler, is my brother sick?"

"Yes..." The butler’s expression darkened with grief. "Your elder brother, the former great lord, fell into an unnatural sleep after Lord Caesar’s invasion and has yet to awaken."

In the game world, it was morning. In reality, it was also early.

Samuel was attending to business in his office. After his assistant finished reporting important matters, he reviewed Samuel’s schedule for the next two days.

Samuel dismissed him.

Then, his gaze returned to the virtual screen, where the little one expressed a desire to see his brother. The butler agreed.

Samuel pondered, already guessing what would happen next.

Sure enough, the butler opened a door, revealing the bedridden character Samuel had created before. He had neglected the character after registration, never playing it. Presumably, because his original character had fallen, the young lord role had been introduced.

At that moment, a system message floated out:

"Butler’s Reminder: Consumption privileges unlocked. You may now click the young lord’s avatar to view his information."

Samuel promptly confirmed.

"Young Lord"

Name: Luo Ci

Race: ??? (Locked)

Aura: Cub Aura (Resident Affection MAX: Residents remain in peak happiness, working with greater motivation; Retainer Loyalty MAX: Retainers will not betray, easily triggering favor events.)

Happiness: 5% (The cub currently does not feel happy.)

Samuel’s gaze froze on the happiness meter. Only 5%?

He had already filled the manor—why hadn’t the happiness level risen?

Was his spending still not enough?

Luo Ci’s mood was rather down. He could tell that the figure on the bed wasn’t his brother. Now, as the young lord ruling Navira, he had heard from the butler that the Elfa Continent had many lords. If he failed to prosper his territory, it would be invaded, forcing him into exile.

He didn’t want to be exiled—but could he really make such a vast land prosperous?

The cub’s eyes were clouded with doubt. Sensing his distress, the butler spoke up, "Actually, the late lord left behind dying words. I had no intention of telling you unless absolutely necessary."

Luo Ci looked up, puzzled.

The butler led the little one to a hidden hall behind the manor. The hall was gloomy and foreboding, its corners laden with cobwebs. The steps leading inside were covered in moss, unused for years.

Rows of neatly arranged candles lined the staircase, and the interior was arranged like a grand altar.

At its center was a magic spring.

The butler’s face assumed a nostalgic look. "The late lord once spoke of a legend in Elfa. In the past, the continent was ravaged by constant warfare between lords. To invade others or protect their own lands, many lords struck deals with demons, trading for great power."

"Yet the demons’ power could not be contained. In the end, it engulfed Elfa, causing even greater destruction. Thus, magic springs sealing demons exist throughout the land..."

Luo Ci approached the spring and peered inside. It was utterly dark, like a dried-up well, with no water in sight.

"There’s nothing here..."

"That’s because the seal has yet to be broken," the butler intoned mysteriously.

At the same time, a letter was delivered to Samuel's mailbox.

"Young Lord has helped you complete the hidden quest—[Old Lord's Last Words]. Quest conditions: The manor must have undergone a rebirth after war; triggered when the butler's favorability reaches 100%."

"Butler's reminder: You can now view the Magic Spring. Through the Magic Spring, you can recruit retainers of Red-tier or above to assist the Young Lord in developing the territory."

Samuel couldn't care less about territory development. No matter how prosperous a virtual game's territory might become, it remained fake. He raided the in-game store for the kid just to improve his living situation, not because he had the leisure to build a territory.

Samuel leisurely reviewed the documents in his hand, finding nothing wrong with his mindset—since the territory in the game was fake, he had no interest in it. And though the Young Lord in the game was virtual, he spent on him without hesitation.

Just as he was about to dismiss the letter, a small line at the bottom caught his attention: "Butler's reminder: The Young Lord seems troubled by this. Building up the territory might increase the Young Lord's happiness."

Sunlight streamed through the broken walls, casting a faint golden glow on the doughy, dumpling-like face of the little one. His appearance and every movement hit all of Samuel's sweet spots, yet no matter how pleasing, he was ultimately just virtual data.

Luo Ci, led away from the Magic Spring by the butler, didn't notice that shortly after they left, the previously calm, dried-up spring began bubbling with crimson magic, slowly coalescing into a faint silhouette in midair.

When a Red-tier retainer is recruited, the Magic Spring will gush red water.

"A cursed swordsman is about to arrive in your territory."

Samuel checked the time—ten minutes until the meeting—and without hesitation, closed the virtual screen and headed into the conference room.

Back at the manor, Luo Ci discovered that the supplies from the midnight carriage were incredibly abundant. Aside from daily necessities, there were also plenty of food reserves like grains, fruits, and vegetables.

The manor's formerly empty granary was now fully stocked.

Luo Ci grew even more curious about the carriage's origin, but he found no clues on it. The moment the goods were unloaded, the carriage vanished.

Currently, there were only two people active in the manor—himself and the butler. The butler didn’t need food, and even if they recruited servants later, the supplies were way more than needed.

After consulting the butler, the little one distributed the supplies to the town's residents. Gradually, he noticed unfamiliar faces appearing in the town.

His curiosity getting the better of him, he returned to discuss it with the butler. The butler, looking at the earnest Young Lord, explained gently, "That is due to your kindness, Young Lord, attracting many nearby wanderers. Because of the conflicts between lords, there are many such wanderers... I believe they will soon settle down in our town."

After all, wanderers were stuck roaming the forests, which were filled with wild beasts and Hairy Men who used humans as bait in traps. Compared to wandering the woods, they naturally preferred a more stable life.

So that was it.

Luo Ci suddenly understood, recalling how the wanderers he had seen earlier looked thinner and more haggard than the town's residents.

Propping his chin on his hand, he thought that if he truly wanted to develop the territory, population growth was key. These wanderers would become future residents of Navira, so it was best to help them settle down properly.

The butler currently served as both the manor's steward and financial manager. After a moment's consideration, he suggested, "If the Young Lord wishes to favor these wanderers, that is a good thing. In that case, perhaps we should issue a settlement policy... and we should also hire more help for the manor."

Luo Ci nodded—the manor felt way too empty now. "Good idea."

As they discussed, a knocking sound came from the manor's door. The butler opened it to find several frantic townspeople standing outside.

"Young Lord! There's some weird drifter in town..."

After leaving the conference hall, Samuel noticed several new messages on the virtual screen. However, he wasn't about to waste more time on the virtual game and was about to dismiss them.

His finger froze mid-swipe.

Game Alert: Young lord used healing bandage.

Game Alert: Young lord used regeneration potion.