Chapter 2
Upon their initial arrival at the manor, the first round of selection was not conducted by Eagle Langno himself; instead, they faced a lady with silvery-white hair neatly coiled atop her head, dressed in a long black gown.
The middle-aged man, who had clearly dressed with great care, was merely the steward in charge of miscellaneous affairs at the Golden Rose Manor, while the lady standing before him, Mary, served as the steward of internal affairs.
Though ostensibly hiring a butler, Pei Sen knew his place well; people like him could at best be considered footmen, and calling them butlers was merely putting a flattering gloss on their status.
Stewards like Lady Mary, on the other hand, were the true butlers.
Within this vast manor, there were eight stewards like Lady Mary, each overseeing different domains and holding varying ranks among themselves. For instance, the middle-aged man named Vago, who managed miscellaneous tasks, held a lower status than Mary, who oversaw internal affairs. Yet neither of them ranked among the truly high-status stewards of the manor; those managing governance, defense, finance, and diplomacy were the true powerholders among the stewards.
However, the Golden Rose Estate also has two stewards; they are the true powerholders of this estate.
The five of them were led to bathe and change clothes. Since Pei Sen was still only level 1 and didn’t even possess a single piece of equipment, changing into new outerwear caused him no psychological burden whatsoever.
When they lined up before Lady Mary, Pei Sen, even standing at the edge, undoubtedly became the center of attention; Lady Mary’s gaze simply could not shift from him to anyone else.
The disparity was truly excessively vast.
Golden Rose Manor never inquired about their origins or backgrounds; this itself was a mark of pride. Given its status, no matter one’s background or the magnitude of any trouble, resolving it for Golden Rose Manor was merely a trivial effort.
Had Eagle not replaced his attendants so frequently, how could ordinary people like them ever have entered the manor? Initially, all the male servants around Eagle were professionals meticulously trained in the capital. Yet, within a single year, he drove away nearly three digits’ worth of male servants—a number so immense that even the capital could no longer bear it. Thus, out of necessity, they had to recruit locally within the city, with Lady Mary personally undertaking their training.
Lady Mary held a cane and watched them stand in a military-like posture for quite some time. Once their hair was completely dry, she had someone style their hair and trim their nails. She eliminated the young man among the five who seemed physically weak, swaying after standing only briefly. Then, she personally led the remaining four, including Pei Sen, to meet Eagle.
They walked through a dimly lit corridor and proceeded into a hall where a crystal chandelier glowed overhead. Pei Sen glanced up, realizing that electricity did not exist in this era, nor were the lights fueled by candle flames. It was likely some sort of unscientific light-based magic.
A man stood not far away, dressed in a black robe, holding a thick book in his arms. He had brown hair and a gentle, refined face. Around his neck hung a necklace shaped like a cursive letter “G.”
Pei Sen recognized him; his unique aura made him easily identifiable, even though Pei Sen had never actually interacted with him before. He was a clergyman who, according to legends in Bix Cube, dealt an indelible blow to early players, causing countless gamers to suffer greatly at his hands.
Priest Atwell.
A man whose appearance and demeanor are profoundly deceptive; he seems gentle and approachable, yet is actually sinister and cold-blooded.
“Another new batch?” Atwell’s voice was soft. Anyone facing him would easily find themselves drawn to him.
Mary nodded. “Yes.”
At that moment, Pei Sen saw Atwell grasp the necklace hanging from his own chest and immediately felt a surge of tension. Then, a beam of light enveloped them, drawing all four within its glow. To be honest, Pei Sen felt nothing; the light was neither warm nor cold, having no effect on him whatsoever.
Just then, a young man standing beside Pei Sen suddenly collapsed to his knees, screaming in agony. Star-like black burn marks began appearing across his pale skin as he desperately clutched his throat in unbearable pain.
Startled, Pei Sen quickly scrambled aside to escape.
He suddenly realized that this was an otherworldly realm that defied all notions of “science,” filled with phenomena inexplicable by scientific means—including himself. A game interface hovered before him, complete with a skill list befitting a mage; though currently empty, his experience within the game had already taught him just how terrifying the powers in this world truly were.
Yet, experiencing it within a game was one thing; now that he had confirmed his inability to log out and accepted that this was indeed a real world, fear inevitably stirred within his heart.
Especially as the person beside him screamed in agony while gradually transforming into something inhuman, resembling a flayed monster.
“You lowly creatures actually think you can sneak into Golden Rose Manor?” Atwell chuckled lightly.
Lady Mary frowned. “Don’t dirty the floor; dispose of it immediately.”
“Yes, my lady.”
Thus, the group of four dwindled to three. Apart from Pei Sen, the other two were in terrible condition: one had just vomited, their face so pale they seemed on the verge of fainting, while the other was slightly better but unable to conceal their fear.
Lady Mary observed them all along the way, a hint of disappointment on her face.
Pei Sen was not actually among the first batch of players; he held no particular attachment or memories regarding the initial version of Yali. Yet, upon seeing Eagle’s room, he was genuinely awestruck by its opulence, so utterly different from the darkness and backwardness he had encountered upon first arriving here.
The floor was covered with snow-white woolen carpeting, so pristine that one could hardly bear to step on it. The magnificent bed featured exquisitely carved patterns, adorned everywhere with rose motifs. Rose vines twisted and curled gracefully, while relief roses at their tips were inlaid with red gemstones, glittering under the crystal chandelier with a dazzling brilliance.
The room was vast. Apart from the bed, every piece of furniture and decor exuded opulence to the extreme; gems and gold were everywhere. To Pei Sen, a modern man, such ostentatious accumulation would normally seem lacking in elegance. Yet, upon seeing the casually dressed youth, one felt that all this luxury harmonized perfectly with him.
Perhaps only the opulence of gemstones and gold could do justice to a beauty as dazzlingly radiant as him.
“Damn, players probably haven’t even seen him yet; otherwise, they wouldn’t be complaining about his wickedness but would have already posted screenshots of him on the forums just to admire his face every single day.”
With looks like these, couldn’t he be forgiven for anything?
In any game, no matter how many misdeeds one commits, no matter how heinous the crimes, if one possesses a face stunning enough to take your breath away, then none of it matters anymore.
Eagle Langno was indeed a beauty. His brilliant golden hair cascaded over his shoulders, and his emerald-green eyes resembled fine jade, so stunning they seemed unreal. Though the chandelier’s light was somewhat dim, he appeared enveloped in a soft glow, as if carrying his own spotlight, his skin radiating a luminous whiteness.
Pei Sen at least managed to keep his composure, whereas the other two young men were completely mesmerized.
It seemed Eagle deeply disliked being stared at like this. Even within his own room, he wore a long-sleeved shirt and trousers along with soft-soled boots, buttoning his collar all the way to the top. On his hands were black silk gloves, leaving almost no skin exposed except for his face.
“Mary, throw these two out.” Only then did he turn his gaze to Pei Sen.
His voice, still not fully past the stage of changing, sounded slightly low and hoarse, more striking than his appearance. “What is your name?”
To be honest, being watched by such eyes was incredibly pressuring. Pei Sen struggled to maintain his composure, forcing what he believed to be his warmest smile. Following Lady Mary’s earlier instructions, he bowed his head slightly and bent at the waist. “Young Master Eagle, I am Pei Sen.”
Eagle averted his gaze and snorted, “Let’s keep this one for now.”
Lady Mary acknowledged with a bow, then reached out to grab the two young men still standing dazed in place and dragged them away. Pei Sen suddenly realized that Lady Mary was no ordinary person either; she most likely possessed extraordinary powers. Otherwise, given her slender frame, there would be no way she could effortlessly drag away two fairly tall young men as if they were little chicks.
Although Pei Sen stayed behind, he did not immediately join Eagle. Instead, Lady Mary took charge of disciplining him for several days. Only after his custom-made clothes arrived was he finally assigned to serve at Eagle’s side.
“The chairs aren’t arranged properly. Look here—can’t you see they’re slightly crooked?”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“The folds of the curtains aren’t symmetrical enough.”
“Yes, young master.”
“What is the meaning of this? I told you to put the book back; is this how you do it?”
“I’ll rearrange it immediately, young master.”
“The rose in the garden shed three leaves today. Go tell the gardener that if this happens again tomorrow, he’s to pack his bags and go home!”
This absurd request left Pei Sen stunned for a few seconds before he hastily responded with due respect, while inwardly grumbling, “Three leaves? Is that really worth making a fuss over? Do you count the leaves every single day? You must be incredibly bored.” Of course, he dared not voice such thoughts aloud.
Just as he was about to head off to speak with Lady Mary, Eagle spoke coldly from behind him, “There is a hair on the carpet. It’s black, Pei Sen.”
Pei Sen turned around and looked carefully; sure enough, he spotted a tiny stray hair on the carpet. He hurried over to pick it up, but before he could even straighten his back, he heard Eagle speak again.
“If I ever see your hair on the floor again, I’ll have someone shave your head completely bald.”
Pei Sen: “…”
He had only been on the job for one day, and already he felt like quitting! This young master was a hundred times more difficult to serve than his previous boss!
After he had informed Lady Mary about the rose tree and taken a deep breath before returning to Eagle, he found that Eagle had just set down his book and was looking up at him.
“Pei Sen, I want to take a bath.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
Uh, wait a minute, a bath?