Chapter 20 : Chapter 20
Chapter 20: Viola Didier
"Sir, why did you ask me to stay?" Yulian was curious.
"Wait until Kaff comes down," Lin Qi said, gesturing for Yulian to be patient.
After a while, footsteps came down the stairs.
"Sir, I've shown them to their rooms and helped them settle in," Kaff said as he walked down.
"Did you notice anything strange?" Lin Qi asked.
"There's a Forbidden Object fluctuation, but it's very faint. The second floor should be fine."
"Wait, what do you mean?" Yulian was confused.
"This house is a haunted house. The problem is most likely caused by someone who doesn't understand how to use a Forbidden Object properly," Lin Qi explained.
"Haunted house?" Yulian was surprised. He didn't think Isaris seemed short on money, so why would he buy a haunted house?
"Yulian, your job today is to protect your family. Kaff and I will search the estate first." Lin Qi thought for a moment and assigned the tasks.
"Understood, sir."
"Yes, sir."
***
The architectural style of Didier Manor was a typical European manor. The main building where Lin Qi and the others stood was a three-story Baroque-style structure. On the first floor, to the left was a dining room that could seat ten people. Inside the dining room was a kitchen. To the right was a sofa set consisting of one long sofa and three small sofas. A painting hung on the wall, and a fireplace stood by the wall.
The second floor mostly consisted of individual rooms, most of them servant quarters, each with only a single bed. On both ends of the second floor were two bathrooms. There was also a separate laundry room and a food service passage.
The third floor was the noble residence, including a master bedroom with an attached bathroom, a study, a living room, a music room, a painting studio, and so on.
Lin Qi chose a bedroom with a balcony as his master bedroom. After he chose his room, Kaff, as the butler, changed the bedding and organized his clothes and some essentials.
Aside from the main building, the estate also had a wasteland, an open-air theater, an underground wine cellar, a garden, a stable, and an ice cellar for storing food.
Lin Qi planned to turn the wasteland into a vineyard later when he had more servants.
Lin Qi and Kaff spent about four hours touring most of the buildings on the estate, but they still couldn't find the basement where Viola was hiding.
In his past life, Lin Qi had always been curious. How had Viola survived without being able to distinguish reality from dreams? Not only did she survive, but she eventually became a Sequence 8.
How had she obtained Transcendent knowledge when she couldn't tell reality from dreams?
Unable to find the basement, Lin Qi decided to wait for Viola to show herself in the middle of the night.
"Kaff, go get some rest," Lin Qi said to Kaff after returning to the main building.
"Alright, sir."
"Have you chosen a room yet?"
"Not yet. I was planning to stay in the farthest room on the second floor, so I can come quickly whenever you call."
"Stay on the third floor."
"The third floor is for you and your family only."
"The Roland family doesn't have that many people anymore. Do as I say."
"I understand, sir."
***
Lying in bed, Lin Qi thought about his plans going forward. He now had a foothold. The next step was to build his team. He planned to establish an agency. Aside from nobles, most Transcendents in this world belonged to the churches.
If you needed a problem solved by someone with Transcendent power, your only option was to pay a church. Lin Qi planned to start an agency. After selling off the Roland family businesses, he had acquired a huge sum of money, but it wasn't infinite. Living off savings without any income was absolutely not sustainable.
Starting an agency would not only make money but also raise Lin Qi's reputation—especially since he had main quests to complete.
Viola was probably only Sequence 9 right now. Even with an A-Class Forbidden Object, Lin Qi wouldn't have much trouble dealing with her. Kaff was even less of a concern—Lin Qi suspected the old man had already reached Sequence 6. As for Yulian, he was a Sequence 8. He wouldn't get taken out in one hit. As long as he made noise, Lin Qi and Kaff would rush over quickly.
Lin Qi had some ideas about recruiting subordinates and building a power. There was still some time before the main storyline of version 1.0 began. There were quite a few bosses like Yulian—talented and full of potential—but Lin Qi wasn't going to recruit just anyone.
He wanted to recruit people with talent who would remember a favor. As for those twisted, evil-to-the-core bosses, he would leave them for the players.
"Sigh. I'm really short on talent." Lying in bed, Lin Qi sighed. He already had over a dozen Forbidden Objects in his possession, including Klingel's sword [Envy], Jones's brass knuckles, Green's mysterious bell...
The Rose of Truth and the Judgement—this sword and gun—were already enough for Lin Qi to use as weapons, not to mention the box of keepsakes from Sasha.
"Looks like I need to find time to distribute these Forbidden Objects to my future employees." Just as Lin Qi was thinking this, he suddenly felt a wave of drowsiness.
The silver earring in Lin Qi's ear emitted a faint glow.
[Clarity: Blocks a certain degree of mental attacks.]
Snapping awake, Lin Qi touched the earring and walked out of the room.
As soon as he stepped out, he saw Kaff walking toward him.
"I was just about to go get you, sir."
"Yeah, let's go. Let's check downstairs."
Just as they reached the stairwell, they heard the sound of a flute from downstairs.
"You're the reason this place is a haunted house?" Yulian frowned at the girl before him, who didn't look much older than his sister.
"Intruder! This is my home. It's not a haunted house!"
The girl before him had warm golden hair and cold gray pupils. A black dress flowed like spilled ink. The line of her neck was as elegant as a swan's. The long legs beneath the black skirt were straight and slender.
"Never mind. I'll just deal with you first." Yulian took out his flute.
A melodious sound came from the flute. Viola's instincts made her lean to the left. An invisible current of air brushed past her, lifting her golden hair.
Just as Yulian was about to attack again, he saw two figures behind Viola. He noticed Lin Qi behind her, gesturing for him to stop.
Yulian put away his flute.
Viola seemed to sense the people behind her as well. She turned around reflexively, raising both hands toward Lin Qi.
Whoosh!
A tree branch shot out from Viola's palm, flying straight at Lin Qi.
Just as the branch was about to hit Lin Qi's eye, it strangely froze in mid-air.
Lin Qi was thinking. How should I get Viola to distinguish reality from dreams?
In the past life, in the game, players had killed Viola. Only in her dying moments, feeling death approaching, did she finally tell reality from dreams. How could Lin Qi convince her now?
He couldn't just kill her, could he? Lin Qi wanted to recruit her as a subordinate.
"Don't misunderstand. We're not bad people. I just wanted to ask—have you ever seen a crystal ball-shaped music box?" Lin Qi asked the girl with a smile, still friendly.
"What do you want?" Viola remained on guard.
"Actually, that was a engagement gift I gave to my fiancée. But she lost it. If you've seen it, please tell me. It's her last wish." Lin Qi's voice cracked with emotion, tears in his eyes.
"I... I've seen it. Come with me." Viola's eyes showed sympathy for the romance.
She actually believed that???
Yulian and Kaff's eyes were full of shock.
"Just like his father, Leon. He really knows how to lie to girls."
"As expected of a noble. He can lie without changing his expression."