Ranold left the basement, delicately cleaning the murder scene. He summoned a few servants and instructed them to restrict entry as usual. The servants dared not ask why the head of the family was not accompanying them. After concluding the matter, he gathered the rest of the family in the study.

"Little brother, I hope you have a good reason for gathering us at such an hour of the day." Lina sighed, as usual in her nightgown, following a maid.

"Oh, darling... You're here too?" Melissa was seated in a wheelchair. After giving birth five years ago, she had to undergo a course to recover from childbirth. The butler of the house also attended the meeting, assisting the lady as the heir of the house requested.

Lina was very perceptive. She noticed the absence of one person. "Hm? Why hasn't father come yet? He's usually very punctual for meetings... And why are you sitting in father's chair?" she scolded Ranold with a jealous tone.

Ranold coughed a few times to ease the tension. "Father won't be coming back."

"What?"

"What do you mean?"

The expressions of the two women were confused. Ranold quickly clarified the situation, "It seems father has left like the 'others' on a business trip..."

Their expressions turned serious. These words alone hinted at a hidden meaning that everyone in the room understood. "My husband didn't tell me anything... It's too strange for him to leave directly without warning!" exclaimed Melissa.

"Wait, mother, it's not really abnormal. In the family archives, there was a rumor that every head of the family disappeared after the baptism of the heir..."

In fact, more precisely, it must have been a plot by Arthur Gate. After retrieving the heir's body, he undoubtedly had to dispose of the main body somewhere. And I myself had discovered where this "hidden room" was.

There was a secret chamber at the back of the treasury with all the corpses of the predecessors. A true massacre in its purest form, but one that was definitively stopped and thwarted by him.

["Don't forget about me, sir."]

That's right. Ranold nodded as the others were debating.

"But how should we react?" nervously asked Lina.

The butler stepped forward. "We have a specific protocol for this kind of situation. Our master warned us beforehand before leaving with our young master to the basement."

Ranold was pleased! So he had indeed premeditated his treacherous move very early on.

"We will conclude the family inheritance by inaugurating the position of head of the family with the heir Ranold Gate. If you allow me, I will personally place a blessing totem on you." The butler stepped out for a few seconds before returning with a necklace with a jade crystal.

Isn't this another curse that just appeared??

"Wait, Sebas, can I analyze this necklace?" said Ranold, sweating, avoiding Sebas from putting it on him forcefully. It seemed he was listening carefully to his order and stood waiting. Placing the necklace on his two hands and holding it out in front of him to analyze it as he wished.

System, analyze to check if this necklace is possessed by an evil entity.

[The necklace is not offensive.]

Ranold nodded. "It's fine. You can put it on."

After checking, Sebas delicately took the necklace and placed it around the young master's neck with astonishing gentleness. He felt no friction or itching.

"Good..."

[Immunity Necklace]

[Effect: Resurrection 1 time]

Oh my god? Resurrection? What's this crap?

"How do you find it, master?"

Ranold was amazed by the surprising effects. "I find it... marvelous!"

Sebas's face lit up. "I see!"

---

After sending the two young women back to their rooms, only Sebas and Ranold remained in his late father's study. He wore a small shirt brought by the servants and opened a few books that were left open on the desk.

"Did my father have any passions?"

Sebas thought. "Not really."

"I see."

[Archives No. 242 - Safe]

The Coffee Machine.

A coffee machine capable of producing virtually any liquid requested by a user. It has unusual production capabilities and can generate dangerous substances.

...

Ranold silently read the short text before looking up. "Is there a coffee machine?"

"Excuse me?" Sebas asked, furrowing his brows, "What's that?"

"Forget it." Ranold thought as he put the book back on the desk. Sebas didn't seem to be aware of the existence of a coffee machine in this world. Perhaps it was still too early to discover for the current society?

He had too much to consider.

"Let's go back to sleep."

Ranold would sort through his mind the next day.

---

"I came here yesterday, but today, I feel like the basement room is even more sparkling than usual." He took a deep breath and continued to sink into the treasure room. There were countless pieces of gold, ingots, and unknown ores that remained in the shadows.

However, he had come for another reason.

"System, is this really where I should go?"

[Yes. Turn left. A little further towards the corner of the room. You will soon find a relic.]

"I understand your point, but is it necessary to summon me this early in the morning?"

[Yes.]

Ranold sighed. It was pointless to argue with an artificial intelligence like the system. He soon arrived at the destination point and discovered a stone pedestal holding a spherical crystal with swirling liquid inside.

"System, you're not trying to mess with me, are you?"

[Do you really have such a low opinion of me?]

Even trusting the system's words, Ranold couldn't muster the courage to touch the spherical crystal. It emitted a palpable tension that made his hairs stand on end.

"Damn, what is this crystal?"

[It's a knowledge crystal. Having it close to you improves your intelligence visibly. It's very useful for your growth, as it allows you to enhance your senses as well as your information-transmitting neurons.]

"Is that so?" He still doubted the system's words.

Ranold finally approached and hesitantly touched the surface of the spherical crystal, which immediately stopped when physical contact was made. "Ah. Is that all?" He sighed deeply, releasing the muscle tension.

***

Two years later.

"Master, we have prepared all the necessary arrangements for your journey."

A maid named Natasha followed with about twenty other people. They had all chosen to accompany their masters when they heard he wanted to go out to check the world newspapers.

"Are you really serious about bringing so much staff for a common outing? Everyone, go back inside the manor and don't move!" Ranold was embarrassed to see so many people following him. "I'm not a child anymore, I'm seven now!"

"Master, this is just the right number for someone like you. Please understand our position!"

"Still! I only want a maximum of two people!" he replied, furrowing his brows.

After some debate, it seemed that Ranold was fixed on this point. The servants had to accept their master's decision and return to the manor. Two of the most competent and loyal servants decided to accompany him into town.

"Where are we going, master?" asked Natasha, wearing a maid's dress.

Ranold, on the other hand, wore a brownish-yellow coat with trousers that fitted tightly around his legs, as well as a hat with a rounded brim of the same color. "We're going to the city center to gather information."

The first reason he decided to leave the manor was to gather useful information. Since the head of the family had disappeared, the main tasks had been transferred and carried out by the family's butler, as well as Ranold. However, after agreeing that the work was too exhausting for a five-year-old child, they decided to leave the rest to Lina.

"I seriously hope she'll do her job at least," he sighed.

Lina sniffed in her office. "Who's talking behind my back?" She was writing and signing on every document. Since last night, she had been busy filling out each document. "Little brother, grow up quickly so I can leave the house and get married!" she yelled with bags under her eyes.

Natasha opened the iron gate before leaving.

"I sell toy boxes, newly designed by Stark Industries!"

"Stew specially made from our locality!"

"Here are the latest news from Europe!"

"Bahaha! Who's the best juggler in town?"

"That's you, Mr. Clown! Wow!"

"Cheap vegetables, as well as fresh produce from France!"

...

Street vendors selling fruits, vegetables, or even hot dishes from the local area of the English town shouted in the streets, waving to passersby who crossed their paths. Each tried to attract the attention of potential customers with their techniques and charms.

Ranold Gate took a breath of fresh air after leaving the manor for the first time. Sebas used to restrict his movements only to the family garden and wait until his seventh birthday before exploring the central city.

In this densely populated area, there were bound to be several information merchants. He had even heard names of countries he had known from the past.

"I sell information straight from France!"

"Ah! I want to buy one!" Ranold shouted and grabbed a copy.

Natasha didn't forget to pay for the newspaper he had taken.

The newspaper was printed on high-quality paper using a next-generation printer at the time, ensuring sharpness and writing speed. The ink used in the process was oil-based to ensure quality, guaranteeing maximum durability and readability. Each page was carefully written perfectly, facilitating reading and navigation.

[Special News! Terror Strikes in Paris!]

- An unknown murderer is raging in the heart of Paris, with a rumor circulating among the locals. A certain "Monster" is said to be the cause of all these murders... All authorities have been mobilized to catch the culprit... The court of justice has recorded nearly 84 massacres at present... The inhabitants fear an escalation of the conflict...

- Who is really behind these crimes?

"Master, what are you reading?" Elise asked.

Ranold curiously read the front page announcing the main topic he was waiting for. "There has been a massacre recently in Paris," he said.

"Ah... Indeed, it has become common gossip among commoners and nobles alike."

"Do you believe in the monster?" he asked casually.

Elise replied, "Monster? Not really. Isn't it just a fanciful story written by incompetent authors? For now, we should focus on ourselves rather than a killer 200 miles away from us!"

Natasha nodded. "I totally agree."

Ranold was still skeptical, but that wasn't the only reason for his visit.

They quickly set off shopping. Ranold had gone to gather information, but he also took the opportunity to look for food for the manor. Normally, this kind of errand would have been carried out by a household cook. However, with his old memories, it seemed a bit outdated.

Ranold took the lead and stopped in front of a small bakery.

"What happened here?" he asked, curious about the sign and the wooden boards restricting access to the building from outside.

A neighbor from across the street came over. "Are you passersby?"

Natasha turned her head. "Yes. We're wondering why the bakery closed down. Is it a financial problem?"

The sixty-year-old woman scratched the back of her head. She wore a smiling mask on her face, despite our cautious regard. "Hmm. Well, it's rather a strange story."

"We want to hear, please continue, ma'am," Ranold asked, pretending to be a little child. He was also very wary of the old lady who had approached them with a smiling mask.

The two servants were surprised and hesitant to see their masters pretending to be commoners.

[System, analyze the mask for me.]

[Alright.]

"Ahaha! You're a nice boy. Okay, I'll tell you! Some time ago, a friend of mine owned this bakery, but one evening, we saw a dark figure rummaging through the garbage bins. However, every time she tried to catch it, it disappeared. But after many attempts, she managed to lock it in the back room."

"Oh, so she caught the criminal? What happened next?"

"She died the next day."

[Host. The person in front of you has a malevolent aura.]

Ranold's expression darkened when he read the message, while the smile on the mask seemed to widen in contrast.