Chapter 5: The Prodigal Son

If the eastern half of Luminous City was the bright and prosperous side, where the royal palace, noble districts, grand churches, and bustling commercial streets gathered, then the western district was home to the lower and middle classes. There, ordinary residential areas, workshops, and dilapidated neighborhoods were interwoven.

Among them, Langai Street in the west was one of the most rundown and neglected places, so much so that even the patrolling officers hardly glanced its way. Naturally, it had become a gathering spot for gangs and vagrants.

But today, Langai Street was different. The clatter of wheels echoed as a finely decorated four-wheeled carriage, pulled by two tall, sturdy horses, slowly entered the street.

The low houses lining the street looked especially shabby and dilapidated, their dark doors and windows tightly shut, as if expressing a clear message of unwelcome to outsiders.

Even the beggars by the roadside quickly shrank back, wary of provoking the noble passengers inside the carriage.

As the wheels rolled over gravel and mud, Bender cast a disdainful glance at a homeless man lying by the wall, flicked his whip, but felt a twinge of regret at the mud splattered onto his well-groomed horses and carriage frame.

Soon, the carriage stopped beside a modest two-story house. Bender carefully disembarked, fetched a footstool, set it in place, and then opened the carriage door.

"Young Master Lis, we've arrived. Please be careful."

"Thank you, Bender."

Lis stepped down and looked around. The rundown street was just as he remembered. Anyone visiting for the first time would hardly believe that just half a city away lay the gleaming, vibrant eastern district.

His gaze settled on the brick house before him, its metal door distinctly different from the surroundings. A faint smile crossed his lips as he habitually knocked on the door with a firm "clang clang clang."

After knocking for a long while with no response, Lis frowned.

That was strange. Usually, if he knocked like that, Old Jess would have come out cursing by now. Why was there no movement this time?

At that moment, a narrow crack opened in the wooden window opposite. A timid eye peeked out, whispering to Lis:

"Um... if you're looking for Uncle Jess, he's gone out and won't be back for another month."

With a bang, the window slammed shut, as if fearing some terrible beast outside.

Why do they seem so afraid of me?

Lis sensed several pairs of eyes secretly watching him from the shadows. He scanned the area, but they vanished without a trace.

Looking down at his clothes, realization dawned.

In his previous life, while playing the game, Lis had always chased maximum profit, pinching every penny and never spending extravagantly on clothes like leisure players. He hadn’t realized how his attire and the luxurious carriage would mark him out on Langai Street.

Next time, he thought, he’d have to wear plain clothes and avoid arriving by carriage.

Though Old Jess was away, the visit was not entirely fruitless.

“So that little surprise egg actually lives right across the street!” he murmured.

---

Ashley patted her chest, relieved. The courage she had summoned earlier had nearly vanished after uttering just one sentence. If it weren’t for Uncle Jess asking her to inform those seeking him, she would never have dared to speak to such formidable-looking people.

After a while, hearing the carriage’s departure, Ashley carefully opened the window. Seeing it wobble away, she finally relaxed.

“Ashley, you’re amazing! The task Uncle Jess gave me wasn’t so hard after all!”

Was that person a noble?

It must be. Only nobles dressed so finely and cleanly. She had never seen such a beautiful carriage, adorned with a silver, outstretched eagle emblem.

But that person didn’t seem as scary as Aunt Anna had said. Did nobles really capture and eat girls like her?

Ashley’s little head was full of questions. Without overthinking, she closed the window again.

When Aunt Anna wasn’t home, Ashley always locked the doors and windows tightly. Although it made the house dark, she wasn’t afraid. In fact, she liked sitting quietly in the shadows; the surrounding darkness gave her a sense of safety.

---

The Kane family estate.

Lis had just stepped down from the carriage when he saw the butler, Joys, already waiting nearby. Dressed impeccably in a black-and-white tailcoat paired with gold-rimmed glasses, even his bow was precise to the smallest degree—a true epitome of elegance.

“Joys, come with me to the study.”

“Yes, Young Master,” Joys replied, following with perfect discretion and reserve, trailing a step behind Lis as they ascended to the second floor of the mansion.

Seated behind the desk, Lis looked at Joys standing to his side and spoke in the same tone as before:

“Joys, what is the current status of the family’s businesses?”

Indeed, Lis was now the sole member of the Kane family. His predecessor had been obsessed with magic to the point of neglect, leaving the family enterprises entirely in Joys’s capable hands. Whatever was needed, Lis only had to ask Joys to prepare it.

---

Joys was trustworthy. Since the Kane family was ennobled only three generations ago as a rising noble house of the royal court, Joys had served as the chief butler since the second generation, never once faltering. He arguably understood the Kane family better than Lis himself, the current viscount.

Joys had also personally raised Lis’s predecessor, who had lost both parents in childhood, so Lis naturally had no doubts about his loyalty.

Though Lis seldom paid attention to family affairs before, Joys gave it some thought and replied:

“The family’s annual income is about 7,500 gold coins. This includes 5,000 gold coins from royal stipends, approximately 2,000 gold coins from three shops in the Fis district, and about 500 gold coins from two estates outside the city.”

“Annual expenses total roughly 4,800 gold coins, including 1,000 gold for maintenance of the mansion and estates, around 300 gold for servants’ wages, 1,000 gold on food and daily necessities, 2,000 gold for maintaining relations with the royal court and other nobles, and about 500 gold for miscellaneous costs.”

(Note: 1 gold = 10 silver = 200 copper. Commoners earn around 10 gold annually, and a simple meal of black bread and vegetable soup costs two copper.)

Since the Kane viscountcy was a court title without landed estates, the main source of income was the royal stipend.

Lis clicked his tongue. Truly noble life began on a different level. He recalled how, in his previous life playing the game, he had to toil for days to earn a single gold coin as a quest reward.

But high income came with high expenses, most of which were spent maintaining the family’s noble dignity.

There was no choice. Cutting costs was impossible. If he, as a court noble, lived like a commoner, it would be considered an insult to the Fis royal family, punishable by fines or even stripping of his title.

Class distinctions were clear: nobles were indeed extravagant and indulgent!

Lis took a long, satisfying sip of hot chocolate Ross had just brought in, silently condemning the lavish noble lifestyle.

“How much savings does the family have now?”

He guessed that after three generations, there should be a decent reserve.

“Because you’ve recently purchased many precious materials for magic research, the family’s savings have been reduced to 500 gold after this year’s necessary expenses.”

*Cough* The hot chocolate burned his throat.

Good grief, the prodigal son is me!