Chapter 13 - Florida Man Earns Million-Dollar Mansion by Escorting Homeless Homeowner Home
Felix relaxed in his room until noon. A knock on the door awoke him from his morning nap once again. Opening the door, Felix found Roland smiling at him. The butler introduced himself with a fake name.
"I'm sorry for the late introduction. My name is Adam, and I've been working for this mansion's lord for 60 years. The master of this mansion, Baron Roland Lundop, wishes to invite you for lunch, sir."
Felix had no issue with it since it was a free meal invitation. He accepted. "Let me change first."
The butler nodded and allowed Felix to change his clothes. Felix closed the door and drowsily browsed the online store to complete the newly refreshed daily quests.
Navigating to the clothing section, Felix found an assortment of modern clothes, futuristic clothes, ancient Chinese clothes, and various uniforms. Felix picked a humble set of a black suit, a white t-shirt, a blue stripe necktie, black pants, and black leather shoes for the formal meeting.
Everything was slightly expensive, costing 50 mana in total. However, he completed another daily quest. After making another WWI rifle and some ammo, he finished all quests for the day.
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Name: Felix Ariel
Bloodline: [Unknown]
Element Affinity: Fire, Metal, Void
Authorized Level: Super Democracy Pass (F)
Level: 5
Energy: 150/260
Mana: 200.25
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After changing his clothes, Felix exited the room. Roland raised his eyebrows, surprised by Felix's attire, which was similar to his butler uniform.
"You look nice in that! Are you a noble in disguise, sir?" he praised.
Felix ignored the praise and the question, gesturing for the butler to lead the way.
The butler nodded and pointed the path. Along the way, he introduced himself, "My name is Adam. I've been working for the Lundop Family for 60 years. This is the first time that I'm escorting such a young mage as you, sir."
Felix frowned deeply. He remembered that he had never introduced himself as a mage.
"Why are you calling me a mage? I never claimed to be one."
"Haha. Please don't be so humble, sir. Only a five-circle or stronger mage can utilize the famous spatial subspace spell. The way you summoned the monster meat is the same as those archmages in the royal palace. It's an honor to welcome a genius young mage such as you."
"…"
Obtaining new information, Felix stroked his chin, thinking of the fat merchant who proactively purchased his guns. It seemed like that man also thought of him the same way.
Not bothering to correct their misunderstanding, Felix played along. "So, what does your lord need from me?"
"The thing is…" Roland dryly laughed in embarrassment. The next moment, he looked saddened. "My grandson-I mean, my master's eldest son, who joined the Aero Academy two years ago, was killed by a group of bandits when he was returning to Terra City. Our investigation revealed that the culprit was not the bandits but mercenaries hired by our rivals, the Turo House."
Felix's expression turned ugly. He had seen this plot in many stories and movies before, and it made him cringe.
"So, is my job related to revenge or retribution?" he asked.
"No, not at all, sir. It's just that our lord is afraid that the young lady, who is currently attending the academy this year, might meet the same fate."
As they talked, they arrived at the dining room, where Adam in disguise had been waiting. Roland opened one of the large doors, gesturing for Felix to enter first. "Please."
Felix sighed and entered the dining room.
Upon entering the room, Felix saw a white-sheet-covered long table at the center, with six wooden chairs lined on both sides and two armchairs prepared for the host and the guest of honor. Only two people currently sat at the table.
At the end of the table, a tall white-haired, full-bearded man occupied the host's seat. His clothes were plain white without decoration or frilly hems. To his right, a teenage blond girl in a black one-piece mourning dress sat with her head lowered, staring at her knees in a daze, looking lifeless.
Aside from the dining table, the room was empty, with only two maids, one old and one young, present. Roland followed Felix inside and guided him to the guest of honor seat. Felix sat down and gazed at the lord of the mansion, unaware that the lord and the butler had switched places.
Adam wearily pushed himself off his chair while the maids supported him. Once standing, he rested his right hand on his left chest and slightly bowed to Felix, introducing himself.
"My name is Roland Lundop, a powerless baron. As the lord of this mansion, I sincerely thank you for your kindness and the honor of your visit."
Felix returned the gesture, "I'm just a homeless man looking for a place to settle down. I simply saw your advertisement and got curious."
"You're very humble," Adam said, coughing and attempting to sit down again. Once more, the maids helped him.
Seeing the elderly's frail condition, Felix was reminded of elderly people who could no longer walk. He waited for the elder to sit before taking his own seat.
One of the maids served Felix a plate of stew, which contained the ingredient he had given Roland. Curious, he poked the meat cubes with a fork. They were tender. Felix didn't know how, but the cook had skillfully turned the hard bear meat into jelly-like cubes.
Adam, seeing Felix for the first time, gave him a meaningful look. Improvising with his own judgment, Adam probed, "This might sound rude, but how old are you, sir mage?"
Felix stopped playing with the food and put the fork down. "Eighteen."
"That's very young! You're a lot more talented than those narcissistic court mages and archmages in the palace! How long have you been training?"
"Training in?"
"Spellcasting, sorcery, mana gathering?"
"Oh," Felix leaned back in the wooden chair and pondered, coming up with a random number on the spot. "I entered school when I was four? I don't remember. So about 13-14 years, maybe."
Adam smiled widely and glanced at his lord, who had been standing behind Felix. Roland frowned and shook his head, gesturing to Adam not to dig into Felix's background any further.
Acknowledging the order, Adam changed the subject. He looked at the teenager next to him, who still stared at her knees with a gloomy expression.
Felix got curious. "What's wrong with her?"
"Ah! I forgot to introduce you to my granddaughter, Valley. She is sixteen this year, and she is a student at Aero Academy. Unfortunately…"
Adam paused for a long time and revealed the grim side of noble life. "My grandson was bullied and killed."
The gloomy teenager in the mourning dress flinched when the butler mentioned her deceased elder brother. A tear dropped from her dry eye, and she sobbed.
Roland, who had been keeping quiet, sighed and bitterly gazed at Felix, not bothering to hide his family's sensitive secret. He started narrating the tragic story of his house.
"Our diseased young master was always the top student in his class. Alas, his peers and the professors didn't want him to succeed."
Roland recounted an extensive tale.
The rivalry between the Turo House and the Lundop House had persisted for decades, each vying for control over Aero City's businesses. Aero Academy City was strategically located, with the Turo House's headquarters in Storm City to the north and the Lundop House's Terra City to the south.
The Lundop Family believed that efficient logistics were crucial for import and export ventures. Consequently, they collaborated with the academy to construct a 50-mile stone road connecting Aero City to their domain. In contrast, the Turo Family focused on increasing the number of transportation vehicles rather than investing in infrastructure.
This strategic difference resulted in Lundop-affiliated businesses enjoying faster and more cost-effective transportation, creating wider profit margins. The well-built roads also attracted more travelers and merchants, boosting trade between cities.
The popularity of this route soared, leading to increased security measures and confidence among travelers. This period marked the zenith of the Lundop House's enterprises in Aero Academy City until the Turo House made a surprising move by hiring an archmage from the capital to bolster their family's strength.
Shortly after this hiring, a mysterious purple forest materialized between Aero Academy City and Terra City, blocking the carefully constructed road. Despite efforts to clear the path, the emergence of strong monsters in the forest caused chaos and casualties among locals.
Efforts to subdue the monsters were thwarted when the leader of the subjugation force, hired by the Turo House, withdrew from the mission. This setback further intensified fear in the region.
Recently, Roland's grandson and some workers attempted to bypass the monster-infested forest, only to be ambushed by mercenaries hired by the Turo House. The attack resulted in the destruction of their convoy, leaving only a few survivors to report the incident to Roland and Adam.
Felix, having heard the dramatic account, leaned forward with a mixture of frustration and disbelief evident on his face.
"So, do you want me to destroy that 'Turo' noble house or something?" Felix probed, trying to uncover Roland's true purpose.
Roland wearily smiled and looked at his granddaughter, letting out a long sigh.
"The Turo House sent a threatening letter. They want us to marry Valley to Bill Turo as his concubine. They also demand this mansion and all our business establishments in this city in exchange for our safe return. If we fail to comply, they will send their mercenaries and the five-circle mage to kill us all."
"…"
Adam, pretending to be sad, begged Felix as Roland had ordered him, "Sir mage, I don't have much to offer but this mansion, but could you please escort my granddaughter back to my son's fiefdom? As long as she survives, I don't care if I die!"
Roland also supported Adam, "We'll give you this mansion as compensation. Please escort us to Terra City, away from this cursed land!"
The two servants in the room lowered their heads, hiding their teary eyes. Adam also wiped tears from his face while Valley wailed uncontrollably. Felix let out a long sigh and slapped his forehead, preparing to decline as it was none of his business. But a certain system had a plan for Felix.
*DING*
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Main Quest #3 - Damsel in Distress
Melodramas are not strange in this medieval world, and you can easily stay away from trouble. However, this is a golden opportunity to build connections, which is a basic necessity in all businesses in the future. Help this family and bring them to safety.
Mission:
- Escort Lundop family to Terra City
Rewards:
- Lesser Fire Element Pill
- Super Crate (Class F).
Note:
If Valley Lundop or Roland Lundop dies, the quest will fail, resulting in a 500 mana penalty.