Chapter 80: Noble Families

Many people believe that noble families care only for profit, a perception often reinforced by novels. In truth, this is a shallow understanding—a mere glimpse at a far more complex reality. Ancient lineages have long since passed the stage of amassing wealth; their focus now lies on heritage and legacy. At their level, both friendship and business are governed by their own set of principles. It is not uncommon for them to forsake vast profits, or even incur losses—what truly matters to them are the bonds of camaraderie, affection, and human connection.

Most noble families have numerous heirs; someone like Cook is the norm. The order of succession exists precisely to sift out the most outstanding among many children. Strength plays only a minor role, and in fact, many family heads are not particularly powerful. Wisdom, talent, and strategy are what truly count—a mere brute would only drag the family into ruin, unless their might is so absolute that rules no longer apply.

On the surface, Cook had already become one of Bowen's people, but from another angle, Cook was also leveraging Bowen's influence. Bowen was the sole heir of the Eolum family, and given his current trajectory, he was destined to become one of Nether’s ruling elite. In the long run, Cook was actually the one gaining the upper hand; it would not be surprising if his own ranking among the heirs rose even higher before long.

Bowen had already outgrown what Giles Academy could offer him. Most of the classes delivered only elementary knowledge, and unless the teachers were willing to reveal their deepest secrets, the current curriculum could no longer help him much. This was not unique to Bowen—most senior students found themselves in the same situation, moving into an independent research phase. Such was the educational philosophy at Giles Academy: after several years of foundational study, the path ahead was one you had to explore on your own.

One must walk their own path; following in another's footsteps leads only to ruin. To advance to the higher ranks, one must determine their own 'way.' An original can reach the heights, but a mere copy never will. Everyone’s thoughts and perspectives differ; sometimes, a simple magical experiment could lead to a unique path, which is why so many magical schools eventually emerged.

When Bowen strolled leisurely to the edge of the coastal cliffs and saw several people digging through the rubbish heap he had buried deep underground, he was momentarily stunned. One of them apparently found something and, overjoyed, hastily stuffed it into his shirt, while the others looked on enviously. Naturally, Bowen’s sudden appearance startled them, and, realizing the rightful owner had returned, they turned tail and fled.

Bowen soon came to his senses, watching their panicked retreat with amusement. “I never imagined I’d become the object of treasure hunters,” he mused. Ever since he had developed his storage technique, anything of value or importance had long since been secured. In fact, upon advancing to a mid-level arcanist, he had realized he was now on the radar of many. Bowen was not afraid to act openly, but it was always the underhanded tricks that were difficult to guard against. Many of his studies could not be exposed, so he kept much of his work in a temporary storage space.

His habit of passing by this place was simply long-standing, but stumbling on such a scene was an unexpected surprise—it made him realize that he now wielded considerable influence.

Deep down, he constantly compared himself to the standards retained from his past life, where demigods were as common as dogs and liches roamed the land. In this era, especially in Nether, legends kept themselves hidden, and high-level individuals were considered the local powers. Bowen, not even graduated, had already become a mid-level arcanist, instantly surpassing the majority. No one becomes an arcanist by luck. His every move was analyzed and dissected, and even his discarded trash was scrutinized by hopeful scavengers—if they were lucky enough to glean a useful insight, it would be a windfall.

Bowen chuckled, turned, and left Giles Academy.

At the ruins of the Lehman Trading House, Bowen gazed from a distance at the rubble. Thanks to the military’s blockade, no one had found the underground space yet, though he noticed quite a few scavengers sneaking around. “I’d better deal with the underground altar soon,” Bowen thought to himself. If this went on, the military might miss it, but the scavengers could stumble upon it instead—which would be quite the spectacle.

This place was close to the eastern district; if someone discovered the underground space and word spread, there would be a rush of people. If any of them fell under the control of that unknown entity tied to the altar and were brainwashed—sacrificed and summoned over—the consequences would be dire.

Bowen made his rounds at the new headquarters of the Lehman Trading House and was pleased to find everything running smoothly. Even in Lehman’s absence, everyone fulfilled their roles efficiently; clearly, after overcoming several hardships, the team had grown more cohesive. Bowen nodded to himself in quiet satisfaction; after pouring in so much money and effort, results were finally beginning to show. In every crisis, the safety of the people was prioritized, earning their loyalty. Only when they became truly his own people could key positions be properly filled.

Summoning a carriage, Bowen returned to the estate.

As he entered, he saw Cecily training the two youngsters. Though both children were exceptionally gifted, they were still quite young; building up their physical strength was the immediate priority. Bowen himself had started with the same knight’s training. Cecily, too, was fond of the two little ones, taking them everywhere with her.

Bowen smiled softly and slipped away, just as the steward approached with good news: the Earl had finally returned!

Overjoyed, Bowen hurried to the laboratory.

“This is…” The Earl glanced at the name Ferguson in the notebook and instantly recognized the handwriting. After a moment’s silence, he said, “So you found the laboratory he left behind.” With just a glance, the Earl knew there was a research room beneath that place.

Back then, the Earl and Hussein could easily have discovered the laboratory below with a little investigation, but at their level, they no longer needed to personally clean up battlefields. They had assumed the military would find it; little did they know that Bowen would ultimately benefit.

Bowen immediately recounted the situation in the underground space, producing the forbidden tomes and the Book of Demons. He had made this decision after much deliberation—mastering these books would require both his arcanist and monk paths to reach higher levels. To recklessly read the Book of Demons risked falling prey to temptation. Any devil capable of creating such a book was at least of legendary rank, a master of the rules, a veritable ace attorney of the supernatural world.

Besides, the stronger the Earl became, the better it would be for Bowen. As the heir of the Eolum family, these would all come to him eventually. By any calculation, it was a win-win.

Just as Bowen was congratulating himself, the Earl slowly shook his head and pushed the books back. “Wait here for me—I’ll be right back.” Without waiting for Bowen’s response, the Earl vanished with a teleportation spell, leaving Bowen utterly bewildered.

“Since when did the Book of Demons become so worthless? Could it be my memories are mistaken?”