Chapter 250: A New Identity "Viscount Edmond"
The Kingdom of Dark Light.
Annottales.
The closer one gets to the first urban district, the more ancient the history becomes, and consequently, the fewer foreign residents there are. At the same time, the inhabitants are wealthier and hold higher social status.
In Annottales, the first three urban districts are predominantly inhabited by nobles and wealthy individuals.
In the third urban district, there stands a renowned estate called "the Tulip Manor," which even within the city occupies a significant portion of land.
It is renowned for the abundant golden tulips blooming within the estate, and many people greatly appreciate the scenic beauty here.
However, due to the bankruptcy of the estate owner, the manor had to be auctioned off.
Due to the extremely unfavorable location of the Tulip Manor, being in close proximity to the ill-omened "abattoir," several months passed without it being sold.
People simply find the tulip courtyard beautiful, but if the whole family were to live near the "filthy" abattoir, it would be something that needs serious consideration.
Additionally, considering the vast size of the land within the urban area, a substantial amount of money is required which cannot be simply produced by anyone.
Thus, the Tulip Manor remained unsold throughout.
However, just a few days ago, a man named Edmond appeared.
He extravagantly purchased this the Tulip Manor.
The man named Edmond, who is around thirty years old, dresses impeccably. Not only does he possess an extremely handsome appearance, but also exudes the maturity and grace of a refined gentleman. His gaze is always composed and wise.
He claims to be a viscount hailing from a distant province, having come to Annottales to pay a visit to his relatives.
As a result, Viscount Edmond found this place more suitable for residing than his native province. Therefore, with the assistance of his relatives, he purchased the Tulip Manor, intending to establish a permanent residence here.
In the Kingdom of Dark Light, the ancient aristocratic system still exists, albeit without much practical significance. They don't possess personal territories or receive special privileges. Their role is merely to handle mundane affairs on behalf of the Dark Light Church.
The true "nobles" are the clerical aristocrats of the Dark Light Church, those "saints," "diviners," and "high priests" who hold the supreme authority of the ruling class.
--
The grand mansion displayed a hint of dilapidation, typical of Gothic architecture. Its interior featured enormous scale-like stairs, splendid leather wall ornaments, and the majestic silver emblem of a dragon.
"Edmond" said calmly, "This piece of furniture should be placed here. As for these items, leave it to the steward Carson to decide."
"Mr. Edmond, I can take charge here. Please go rest for now."
Carson, a butler of around fifty years old, stood at the side. He had a slightly plump figure, dressed in a black suit, and his head was adorned with silver hair.
He was impeccably dressed, bowing respectfully with a serious expression on his face to the man before him.
"I will ensure that they arrange everything here properly, but whether it is furniture purchases, food supplies, servant wages, or other aspects, it will require significant expenses..."
Inside the fully renovated classical villa, servants are scurrying back and forth, continuously moving things to their respective places. The middle-aged steward, Carson, wears a serious expression on his face.
"Carson, you don't need to worry about the financial issue. I will go back and rest for now."
Mr. Edmond, the viscount dressed in black formal attire, nodded gently. A composed and dignified smile appeared on his face as he turned around and ascended the staircase crafted from oak, making his way to the second floor of the villa.
He is a man in his thirties, with light gray pupils, deep and profound gaze. He is dressed tastefully and stylishly in a well-fitted, custom-made black suit.
The viscount, Edmond, possesses a certain air of lofty pride, commanding respect without the need for anger. He seems like a natural-born ruler and leader, evoking a sense of reverence that discourages any hasty offense.
Then, he is Bai Yan.
To further meet the ceremonial requirements of "Fictional Enactment," Bai Yan created a brand new character persona.
On the other hand, this character persona also facilitates his infiltration into high society.
Among the four Core Operators in Annottales, one of them belongs to the upper echelons of the Kingdom of Dark Light's society.
In order to get closer to her, it would be best for Bai Yan to become a member of high society as well.
Moreover, only by being exposed to high society is it possible to obtain the "key" to initiate the "Ultimate Ritual."
The process of becoming a deity involves more than just the "Ultimate Ritual," but the use of the "Ultimate Ritual" is an essential element required during the ascension to godhood.
Very few people in the entire world of Noah are aware of its existence, to the extent that even in the minds of ordinary individuals, the path to transcendence reaches at most the level of "Apocalypse."
However, Bai Yan has played through the first playthrough of "Babel Tower."
He is well aware of the location and significance of the Ultimate Ritual, as well as how to initiate it, to the extent that he even has memorized the complete steps to ascend to godhood.
The "key" to the Ultimate Ritual is also more advantageous the earlier one obtains it.
If he had waited a little longer, Bai Yan remembers that in the plot, the "key" would have been taken by an extremely powerful boss.
When his Core Operators reach the time to use the "Ultimate Ritual," he will need to go and defeat the boss, completing a series of tasks... which is very troublesome.
Bai Yan thought this way, rather than waiting, it would be better to seize the opportunity before the plot unfolds!
After ascending to the second floor, he continued up another level, arriving at the innermost room on the third floor.
In the Kingdom of Dark Light, those who hold status live upstairs, while servants and slaves often reside downstairs... Some unlucky souls may even find themselves residing in dusty attics.
Bai Yan returned to his room with steady strides.
This bedroom, with a predominant deep brown color scheme, is just like Edmond himself, following a path of elegant and solemn tranquility.
He first approached the window and gently extended his hand to push it open.
Outside in the courtyard, there are vast stretches of golden tulips, creating a magnificent sea of flowers. The golden floral expanse is awe-inspiring, while a faint, mysterious fragrance envelopes the entire old villa.
With no one around, Bai Yan calmly seated himself back into the chair.
He took out his phone and flipped through the details of "Babel Tower".
"Mm, the World Tree has already grown halfway, it will soon be ready for use..."
The "World Tree seeds" that were drawn earlier have already been planted by Bai Yan at Sylve's home for quite some time. They will be ready for use soon.
By then, the new task list will replace the existing one.
While Bai Yan was flipping through, he suddenly realized that he had forgotten to do something.
That is to say, forgetting to modify the battle lines for "Queen of the Scarlet Moon" and "Fist of Duel".
The original battle line for "Queen of the Scarlet Moon" was "..."
Yes, a typical silent and feigned expert!
The Scarlet Moon can't be bothered to say even a single word to her enemies!
After pondering for a moment, Bai Yan revised her lines as follows.
"The taste of blood, what a marvelous sensation."
Though it may be a bit juvenile, I quite like it.
It would be perfect if we could embarrass her completely.
Upon contemplating this situation, Bai Yan's face revealed a mischievous and jesting smile.
The battle cry for "Fist of Duel" is as follows, "The only thing we will lose is the cage!"
After careful consideration, Bai Yan felt that the original dialogue was quite good, so he decided not to make any changes.
Despite having thoughts of changing the dialogue to phrases such as "I love cross-dressing!", "Demacia!", or "As long as we keep moving, the path will continue to extend,"
However, he restrained himself.
"Thump, thump, thump."
From outside came the sound of knocking on the door, followed by the rich voice of Carson.
"Mr. Edmond, all the candidates who have come to apply for the position of your personal servant are here. Should I invite them into your study, or would you prefer to personally select them in the hall?"
With an anticipation of visitors, Bai Yan calmly put away his cell phone.
He uttered with a steady voice:
"Now it's quite chaotic outside, isn't it, Carson? Please have them all come into my study."
"Very well," replied Carson.
The study of the Tulip Manor is remarkably spacious, more akin to a "library" rather than just a mere study. Lined with towering bookshelves, reaching over ten meters high, it is filled with thousands upon thousands of age-old and historically significant books.
After a while, a total of ten applicants all arrived at Bai Yan's study.
Bai Yan stood by the window, holding a lit dark-colored cigar in his hand.
He calmly surveyed everyone present, refraining from speaking for the moment, instead taking repeated puffs of his cigar.
The truth is, this cigar is actually an ordinary relic, known as the "Delicious Cigar."
While Bai Yan is enjoying it, he doesn't actually inhale smoke from it, but instead, he randomly encounters special gusts of flavor reminiscent of delicious foods like "filet mignon," "chocolate," "caviar," "jumbo shrimp," and more.
The cost of using it is minimal, but for some people, it is quite significant... With every puff, a strand of hair falls out.
Bai Yan holds it primarily to embody the character of "Viscount Edmond."
Furthermore, it is to satisfy his cravings.
"You, you, you, stay behind. The rest of you can go for now. Take care of the souvenirs."
He coldly and solemnly furrowed his brow, took another puff of the "cigar," and calmly singled out three out of the ten candidates.
It was a simple decision, keeping the three who were decent-looking.
The rest, who didn't pass the appearance standards, can just leave.
Those who came to apply for the position of "personal servant" generally have professional conduct and don't waste words, instead they simply bow and leave.
The remaining three individuals, consisting of one man and two women... in the Kingdom of Dark Light, there is no such restriction that male nobles must have male personal servants. In this context, female servants are equally admissible.
In Bai Yan's homeland, Europe, the existence of female personal servants is limited to serving the wives and daughters of the nobility, with no eligibility to attend important occasions.
As for the situation in the Kingdom of Dark Light, it could be due to the virtual nonexistence of the "feudal system" here or perhaps the presence of extraordinary powers, which in a sense promotes gender equality.
Bai Yan spent half the day drawing on his delicately flavored cigars, but still didn't manage to acquire the desired taste of "caviar". It left him somewhat disheartened.
He calmly and steadily spoke, his voice resonating with magnetism:
"Please, one by one, introduce yourselves... Share your lineage, place of origin, educational background, familial circumstances, areas of expertise, and why you have applied for this position."
The servants and slaves in the Kingdom of Dark Light are entirely distinct.
They still possess fundamental human rights and autonomy; they are not mere possessions of their masters, but instead receive wages.
The ranks of these servants undoubtedly fall within the seventh or sixth tier. Even if individuals of higher rank were to serve as servants, they would face punishment.
Soon after, Bai Yan eliminated another woman.
The reason was that the other party's family situation was excessively complex, as stated by the woman herself, revealing that her parents were burdened by substantial debts.
"However, your willingness to speak up about this matter shows your true honesty, Carson. Give her some extra money," nodded Bai Yan.
Even if the people who come to apply for the position are not successful, they will still receive a gratuity; this is customary.
"Thank you for your gratuity."
The woman nodded and left.
In the end, only two candidates remained, and a faint smile appeared on Bai Yan's face.
First, there was a handsome young tall male, named Leo, wearing a white suit with blond hair. He was a Rank 6 elf.
His hometown is the province of Orenda. He has studied at the College of Professional Servants. His parents are alive and both serve as butlers in prominent families. He excels in socializing and possesses a deep understanding of aristocratic and ecclesiastical circles.
The elf, Leo, spoke, "I applied for this position because of my family's demands and expectations. Everyone in our family is a professional personal servant and butler... I also aspire to become a professional butler in the future. However, before that, I must accumulate sufficient experience. Unfortunately, the previous family I served encountered some unfortunate circumstances, and they didn't have the financial capability to continue employing me..."
He didn't explicitly speak ill of his previous employer, but Bai Yan knew that the master must have fallen on hard times.
Leo was undoubtedly a very suitable candidate, yet Bai Yan still didn't choose him.
Finally, Bai Yan's choice was a young half-orc girl.
She had a short, icy-blue hair, fuzzy canine-like beast ears, an expressionless delicate face, a slender waist, ample bosom, and her eyes, like water jade, always managed to capture people's attention.
A maid outfit adorned with black and white, paired with white stockings, and an always poised and polite demeanor.
Her name is Kaluoer.
The disposition of rejecting others from afar and working diligently, is even more enchanting than her appearance.
She never attended a professional servant university, and with both parents deceased and no other relatives, Annottales is a local. She served as a personal maid to an elderly noblewoman for three years.
If we were to mention her greatest advantage, it would probably be her exceptionally outstanding appearance, far surpassing that of ordinary people, along with her confident claim of being "proficient in everything needed by a servant."
"Mr. Edmond, I respect your decision, however..." Carson paused for a moment, and said, "Perhaps she is too young and inexperienced for the position."
"Let's give her a chance first."
Bai Yan shook his head and continued, "Kaluoer, I have decided to appoint you as my personal maid from now on. You may leave and discuss the wages with my Steward Carson."
"Yes, Mr. Edmond."
The blue-haired girl named Kaluoer nodded gently and turned away.
Watching the slender figure, a meaningful smile appeared on Bai Yan's face.
"True hunters often appear in the form of the prey."
--
The salary contract ultimately formulated by Kaluoer is neither excessive nor inadequate, but rather adheres to the standard market price, displaying no trace of greed.
Once everything was settled, in the evening, Kaluoer carried a large bundle of luggage and arrived at her exclusive room on the second floor of the mansion villa.
Compared to other servants who reside in double rooms, it is evident that she, as a personal attendant, receives much better treatment.
However, there is still a slight level of dirtiness here, as the entire estate has been unattended for quite some time. Even though a thorough cleaning took place during the daytime, there are still some lingering issues... at least, for her perspective.
Kaluoer, with evident cleanliness obsession and OCD tendencies, swiftly tidied up the entire room, meticulously leaving no corner untouched.
The amount of physical activity involved in this task was substantial, yet not a single drop of sweat appeared on her exquisite face.
As the night grew dark, Kaluoer sat silently on the bed, lost in her thoughts.
She was like a shut-down puppet, motionless, with lifeless eyes, as if she had ceased all contemplation.
The suddenly ice-blue haired girl calmly began to mutter to herself in the air.
It seemed as if she was communicating with someone, as a faint blue light illuminated the back of her left hand.
"I have successfully infiltrated the target's residence, awaiting further instructions from the organization..."
"Hidden Azure."
