'System, Open starter pack!'
A bright light flashed in front of lucian's eyes, momentarily blinding him. When he opened them again, he saw the same blue screen in front of him again.
[Starter pack Opened:
You have received;
Shop Design Interface
3 Entry tokens
2 Level 1 humanoid golem assistants
Mask of shadows
2 One time use- Incarnation card
]
Lucian was internally excited seeing the items he got, he could already guess a couple of their uses. He then checked the details of each item.
Shop Design Interface: Allows the host to design, upgrade and modify the shop at the cost of SP.
Entry token: A token necessary for people to enter the shop. This is valid until the host unlocks other means of entry.
Level 1 Humanoid golem assistant: Golems that can take care of miscellaneous tasks and assist you with your day to day duties. Please note, these golems have been rented to you free of cost for a month. After a month, you'll be required to pay 10 SP/month for each golem. They are upgradable. Level 1 golems have almost no combat skill, they are only as strong as a base human adult.
Mask of shadows : This mask will allow you to disguise yourself as another. It will allow you to deceive anyone under the 5th realm. This mask can be upgraded.
Incarnation Card: A unique card which allows you to bring your full might as the owner outside of the Emporium. You will be able to send this incarnation to specific locations. Time limit : 1 month
]
Lucien was amazed at all the items he had got. They were exactly the catalyst he needed to kickstart a few plans he could come up with. He had recently become the Viscount as his father had passed away from the war. He was supposed to be in the royal academy for magic to study magic , but he had to drop out to rule his family's domain especially as hungry sharks were lurking around ready to swallow his family's fortunes whole.
Just as he was pondering on his future plans, his stomach grumbled audibly reminding him that he still hadn't eaten anything. He then went into the bathroom and was flabbergasted to find Emily waiting for him in the bath as naked as the day she was born. While she was not the most beautiful woman he'd seen in both his lives, she definitely ranked near the top. She had big beautiful breasts and a beautiful hourglass figure that were enough to drive any man insane with lust upon seeing it. Her skin was milky white and had an almost magical sheen to it, which now that he thought about it, may very well be the case. While he was lost in his own world, Emily called out to him.
"Master Lucian, while I am flattered to see you standing there dumbstruck though you see it everyday, it's time for you to get into the bath. Otherwise we're going to be late for breakfast." Emily said with a hint of amusement and satisfaction in her voice.
Lucian woke up from his reverie and got into the bath so she could start scrubbing him. During this, he again went through his memories, careful to look into those memories he didn't look into deeply as he felt it was unimportant at that time. He looked in the mirror and down there too and what he saw satisfied Lucian. While he was not vain as he had been an old man in his previous life and had experienced his charm fade, being charming would make his life much easier and plans would be easier to execute.
After a few moments of appreciation he then went back to sorting through his memories. He found out that Lucian had already slept with Emily more than a few times as part of his training to not give into seduction and fall for honey traps and the like. He had to solve problems, think rationally and logically while they had sex or while she was pleasuring him. While this may seem ridiculous at first glance, especially to do it when he was just 15 years old, it was necessary as a significant portion of the deaths among male nobles especially were caused by honey traps leading to a swift assassination. While they were inebriated or in the throes of pleasure, they would also be led to sign contracts, magical ones especially, which lead to them or even their family being extorted a huge sum of money.
Markus wholeheartedly agreed with this training especially as he was expected to continue these activities with his personal maid. Lucian then got to reviewing his memories again. After the bath, they arrived at a lavish dining hall, with a couple of maids standing by and his sister sitting at the table.
Her name was Lucretia Nightshade, his elder sister. She was almost 28 years old and one of the main reasons why the family could still operate as per usual. She shared several features with Lucian, like his black hair and violet eyes. She was extremely beautiful, easily one of the most beautiful Lucian had ever seen. She was a rank 3 peak mage and was the one holding the fort in the family. Without her presence the family would have already been wiped out or at least their territories would have shrunk and their influence totally diminished. But even with her present, the family was going through a tough time. Their spirit stone mines and gold mines had repeatedly faced bandit attacks, which definitely were other noble's soldiers masquerading to probe his family.
"You're late, my lord" Lucretia intoned with a hint of exasperation on her face.
Lucian acted according to his memories and replied "Oh. Come on Lucy, I'm only a couple of minutes late, don't worry I'll make sure to be punctual from tomorrow."
Lucy just sighed and shook her head.
"How are you, Lucian? I know we're going through a tough time right now. It must be particularly hard for you as you were the closest to lord father. How are you coping with it?"
Lucian took a few moments, "I'm trying to cope with everything. Father passed away leaving us to become orphans, I became the lord of the house and a Viscount at 16, my education in magic had its wings cut off before I could even unfurl them. I don't know, especially with all our "neighbours" vying after our wealth and probing us. I'm just trying to process it all I guess"
Lucian replied while trying his best to seem overwhelmed and in grief.
Lucy immediately stood up and hugged Lucian "Take your time little brother. Don't worry about the province or your duties as a viscount. I'll handle them in your stead for the time being. Our land is rich in resources and we have an extensive number of mages and warriors sworn to our family. You grieve properly, and don't worry about your education, I'll personally teach you whenever you want me to."
Lucian acted as if he was moved to tears and hugged Lucretia tighter while thinking to himself, "I don't know if this is an attempt at a power grab from Lucy. Even though her behaviour now and in the memories suggests otherwise, I do have to be careful. Hmm.. though she does appear genuine right now. Leave it, I'll have to contemplate it later."
While eating breakfast, Lucian pondered about the original Lucian. He was an interesting character for sure. He was handsome, charismatic and he knew it. He used it to his advantage whenever possible without appearing vain. He was considered pretty talented in the matters of magic. He was raised by his father and was taught to embody every trait necessary for an exemplary noble. His every move contained grace and elegance that would've been difficult for anyone else but Markus to imitate, as he had spent a good amount of time in high society in his previous life. He liked his father and though his death didn't affect Lucian massively, he did grieve for him. Though he was more annoyed at him for dying just when was getting started in the royal academy for magic. But this suited Markus perfectly as he certainly didn't want to spend 4 years with a bunch of hormonal teenagers, especially since they had power in the form of magic at the tip of their fingers.
'Hell no!! That would have truly been hell for me… Well, then I suppose I have to thank Lucains's dad for his timely exit.'
The original Lucian was actually pampered by his sister, so he actually saw her as a motherly figure. She was the one he truly felt familial love towards. So Markus thought of honouring Lucian by taking care of Lucy properly, after verifying her character. He felt like that would be a good enough deal for the original, though he wasn't here any longer.
Lucian then marvelled at the food he was eating. He knew from his memories that food here was delicious, still experiencing it was another thing altogether. The taste was heavenly, and he felt like even that was understating it. If he had the recipe and ingredients in his previous life, he was sure he could have created a food renaissance and a food empire out of it.
After breakfast, he rushed back to his room while ordering Emily to go take care of her duties. He could anyway call for her through the bond they shared due to the contract she signed when agreed to be his personal maid.
Upon arriving, He immediately called out 'System, Open Shop Design Interface'
In the next instant, a blue screen appeared in front of him. It was a bit like a 3-D sims game showing a plot of land of 5 acres in size full of grass with an impressive looking complex in the middle of the land. It had a board which displayed 'Infinite Emporium'. He then saw options on how to customise the entire landscape and a separate one to modify the shop itself.
Lucian spent an entire hour sorting through the designs in his mind and picking them as appearance mattered a lot in the business world, especially one where respect and flamboyantly showing off mattered a lot to mages and warriors alike.
After he was done, Lucian looked at his work with pride; It was art.
The Victorian Era Emporium in Space combined European architecture with futuristic elements, set in a verdant 5-acre dome with a transparent roof. Its exterior had been a blend of marble, granite, and gold, featuring grand Corinthian columns and intricate carvings. Inside, customers would be greeted by a marble foyer adorned with golden-framed paintings and tapestries. The Emporium had been divided into wings, each representing a different European style. Its interior had offered a variety of empty shops, as well as cafes and restaurants. The Emporium's gardens had provided a tranquil escape, with winding paths and bubbling fountains. Overall, the Emporium had been a masterful blend of historical elegance, futuristic technology, and celestial.
The emporium was obviously empty now as he had no goods to sell. But Lucian already had thought of a few ways to tackle the issue.