The Life of a Noble

At dawn, faint light pierced his eyelids and roused Anvis from sleep. He opened his eyes, slowly sat up, and silently swept his gaze around the room.

Exquisitely styled silk drapes, a lavish ceiling woven in blue and gold, luxurious furniture crafted with meticulous care—every arrangement possessed a mysterious, wondrous beauty.

An unimaginably expensive-looking carpet covered the floor, soft enough that his feet sank to his ankles when he stepped on it.

Silently spreading the hand wrapped in his sleepwear, Anvis followed the method in his memories and attempted to construct a spell.

Dark blue flames abruptly rose, floating out of thin air above his long, pale palm.

As he watched the fire burn quietly in his hand, a faint sense of absurd unreality welled up within him.

Although he had arrived in this world several years ago, he still sometimes felt this way.

Through the window, several towering spires floated high in the air.

Bathed in the radiance of the rising sun, their white bodies gleamed with a hazy silver light, appearing incomparably mysterious and beautiful.

"Knock, knock, knock—"

Three successive knocks sounded punctually on the door as Butler Leonard arrived.

Anvis hurriedly answered, putting away both his thoughts and the flames. He then rang the bell beside his bed, summoning the young maid to help him dress and wash.

When he had first transmigrated here, he still had a habit of sleeping in, but after several less-than-pleasant experiences, Butler had successfully corrected him of it.

If Anvis had not answered just now, Leonard would have silently counted to ten before knocking three more times.

If there was still no response after the second round of knocking, Leonard would grant him another ten seconds before directly entering the room and using magic to dispel Anvis's drowsiness.

For instance, with an awakeningly cold water ball.

When faced with Anvis's fury at having his sweet dreams interrupted, Leonard's exact words had been: "If Young Master does not wish for his sleep to be disturbed by me, then please work hard to become stronger than I am."

Incidentally, Leonard was an Eighth Rank Peak spellcaster, equivalent to levels 88 to 89 in the game.

After changing into intricate noble attire that shimmered with magical radiance, Anvis slowly headed downstairs, preparing to eat breakfast in the dining hall.

"Good morning, Brother Anvis!"

A slightly childish, soft voice rang out beside him, and the somewhat dim Castle Corridor suddenly seemed to brighten as a little girl as radiant as sunlight appeared before him.

Her pale golden hair flowed down her back like water over her white gauze dress. Her snow-white, crystalline skin seemed delicate enough to break at a touch, while her exquisite little face tried hard to maintain a serious expression.

The girl formally curtsied to Anvis. Her watery Lake Blue Eyes blinked adorably, her gaze innocent and pure.

Morning sunlight streamed through the towering stained Crystal windows, forming slanting pillars of light.

Standing within one of those beams, her lovely figure was enveloped in a hazy, pearly-white glow, as pure and sacred as a ray of sunlight.

"Good morning, dear Fi."

Good morning, Olyvendi's Starlight Diamond, Crown Feather of the Frostwind Crystal Bird, Hope Star of the North, White Princess, Her Eminence Fiona Olivenndi.

Anvis habitually revealed an elegant smile and gently nodded to her, feeling somewhat moved inside.

Compared to him, an insignificant extra with no reputation in later generations, the name of the White Princess Fiona was truly thunderous.

She was one of the few Ninth Rank Limit powerhouses in the Four Great Families alliance camp, and her strength was enough to rank among the top three.

She had the glorious achievement of single-handedly killing a Ninth Rank Magic Swordsman and annihilating an entire alliance expeditionary army. Countless Players and NPCs had died beneath her Super-Rank Magic.

Yet compared to her current adorable act of feigned seriousness, her face in later years had always worn a cold expression, as if smiles had forever abandoned her.

As a direct descendant of the Olivenndi family, Anvis also knew certain special secrets.

Although Fiona was nominally his younger sister, her origins were actually a mystery.

Her Naming Ceremony had been held when Anvis was one and a half years old, but he remembered clearly that the Duchess had not been pregnant at all during that period.

What confused him, however, was that the girl truly carried the aura of two Legendary Bloodlines.

Moreover, judging from the extraordinary charm she unconsciously radiated, her Bloodline Purity was likely terrifyingly high! That eye-catching impression she gave was no illusion—it was a manifestation of her bloodline unconsciously attracting light elements.

After exchanging greetings, the two walked down the broad staircase carpeted in red, passing between Dragon Heart Wood railings and elegant Elf statues.

Several enormous decorative pillars of Cloud Obsidian Rock, carved with reliefs, stood ahead of them. They had arrived at the breakfast hall.

Magical flames burned in the finely crafted fireplace, while portraits of Ancestors, large and small, hung on the wall beside it.

The maids pulled open the Gloria-style curtains, allowing the morning sunlight to spill inside.

In the breakfast hall, Duke Carlot sat at one end of the snow-white long table, browsing the latest issue of the "Empire Morning News" presented by the butler.

It was a newspaper he read every day. Besides it, there were also the "Carlras News" and the "Magic Times."

Although the Duke possessed his own intelligence network, he still retained the habit of reading newspapers.

To ensure their timely delivery, the papers were sent through dedicated teleportation devices immediately after printing.

They were delivered to the Duke from the distant Royal Capital or the magical printing towers along the outer ring of the Floating City.

"Hah, how utterly 'unbelievable.' Those arrogant old fossils in the royal family still passed that proposal!"

As he continued reading, the Duke could not help shaking the newspaper in his hand. His brows rose, and his tone carried a trace of deliberate surprise.

"Shouldn't you have known already, Carlot? For a decision of such importance, the conservatives do not represent the views of the entire royal family."

Listening to the duke's slightly mocking assessment, Duchess Elena spoke with graceful composure. Then she lifted the delicate Elven Painted Porcelain Cup and took a small sip of the fragrant, Mana-rich Glimmer Flower Tea.

"Indeed. But I trust you can see that the Radiance beginning service is about far more than simply building a magic construct train and laying a few tracks.

"It is an omen! Making the headlines and bearing the name Radiance means the Empire has officially decided to promote the development of magic constructs."

The duke furrowed his heavy brows and continued reading the details of the report, a faint unease stirring within him.

"This is an unstoppable trend, Carlot. Ours is not the only empire on the continent.

"The widespread adoption of constructs has always brought more benefits than drawbacks. The Kingdom Federation has already proven to us just how greatly it can strengthen a nation.

"As Fergus once said, 'In a world that changes with every moment, only by constantly moving forward can one remain where one is.'"

After taking another sip of tea, the beautiful duchess elegantly raised a hand and gently brushed her pale golden hair behind her ear.

"To make the conservatives compromise, the reformists will inevitably make concessions elsewhere. The restrictions they loosen will most likely apply only to civilian constructs, and they will not have much impact on the Empire's current stability."

As she spoke, she set her teacup back onto its gold-inlaid tray. Her fair arm rested elegantly upon the desktop as she smiled at the duke, her gaze tender as water.

"Besides, we have the youngest Ninth Rank Professional in the Empire's history. Even if unrest truly arises, what of it?"

"Ha, I understand. I was merely reflecting on it."

Duke Carlot smiled as well, lightly tapping the desktop with his fingers and leaving behind faintly blue traces of frost.

"Good morning, Father, Mother," Anvis and Fiona said together as they entered the breakfast hall and bowed in greeting to the duke and duchess.

Duke Carlot nodded out of habit, while Elena returned their greeting with a warm smile.

While bowing, Anvis noticed the newspaper headline in the duke's hand. The enlarged, bolded words occupied the most prominent part of the page.

"The Empire's First Magic Construct Train, the 'Radiance,' Officially Begins Service in the Royal Capital Today!"

Anvis's pupils contracted slightly.

Whoa! The first sign of the Empire entering a new era—the wheels of history had rolled a little farther forward—

Lost in thought, Anvis walked to the first seat on the left side of the long table and sat down from the chair's left side, taking special care to keep his back from touching the backrest.

Once everyone was seated, breakfast officially began.

Cedar Dew Golden-Veined Clam Chowder, Wyvern Grilled Wings, Crystal-Roasted Light-Feathered Swan, Mist Sea Lobster Salad...

One incomparably precious dish after another was served on Gloom Silver Plates with exceptionally strong anti-Mana properties, brought out by streams of servants for the duke's family to enjoy.

The ingredients in every dish consisted of mild magical plants and rare Magical Beast ingredients of at least the Fourth Rank. One could truly enjoy fine food while improving one's strength.

Take the Mist Sea Lobster Salad, for instance. Its main ingredient was a Fifth Rank Mist Sea Lobster over one hundred and thirty years old, with tail tips that had turned pale cyan.

It was a true Fifth Rank Magical Beast with a thin trace of dragon blood, dwelling only on the seabed of the Mist Sea far from the continent.

For Professionals below the Fifth Rank, eating it could permanently improve their physique. Every single one was a precious ingredient worthy of being sent to an auction house.

Master Ballewen, an Eighth Rank defensive archmage and renowned imperial gourmet, had described this Magical Beast as: "A stunningly tender texture and exquisite freshness—"

However, catching them was an exceedingly dangerous task.

The Mist Sea was an extremely perilous region, home to the infamous Death Mist, high-rank sea beasts, bizarre currents that disrupted Mana, and more.

Every year, many Professionals died at the bottom of the sea while trying to catch these lobsters.

Throughout the meal, Butler Leonard stood sternly behind and to the side of the duke, meticulously watching the two children's every movement to ensure they displayed no breach of etiquette while dining.

Should they make any improper gesture, the Butler would immediately point it out and correct it.

Anvis held his specialized Enchanted Mithril Knife and Fork as he carefully cut off a piece of lobster meat, doing his best to avoid making any sound.

Thanks to the chef's masterful preparation, the meat was tender with a slight springiness. With the slightest chew, incomparably sweet juices burst across his mouth, leaving a lingering fragrance on his lips and teeth.

He gave a slight nod, speared the small piece of lobster with his fork, and elegantly brought it to his mouth, keeping his body straight throughout.

Thanks to memories from his previous life, he learned all kinds of etiquette very quickly. It often earned him Little Fiona's admiring gaze.

"Big Brother... is amazing..."

Fiona held her knife and fork, tilting her head as she watched Anvis's movements. Her adorable lake-blue eyes were filled with admiration.

Suddenly, the corner of her eye met Leonard's stern gaze. She hurriedly turned her little head back, her expression immediately becoming serious.

Then she focused her attention and began battling the Light-Feathered Swan breast meat on her plate, which emitted a faint White Light.

"His learning speed is quite commendable. As expected of my child."

The duke scooped up a Golden-Veined Clam and slowly ate it, secretly nodding to himself. With the powerful bodily Mastery of a Ninth Rank Professional, every one of his movements was elegant and flawless.

This is why I hate noble life.

As the focus of everyone's attention, Anvis had to maintain elegant conduct at all times, leaving him silently speechless.

①: Fergus Blanton, one of the Speakers of the Circle Council of the Ancient Magic Empire, a defensive archmage, and the first Ninth Rank Spellcaster in human history.