The Clayton Family

After returning home and settling things simply, it was already close to noon. Hahn had to temporarily arrange lunch, while Lucius went back to his room and locked the door tightly.

Lucius couldn't stop wondering what "George III" was really after.

Having me choose to become a "Witch" but then directly ennobling me as a "Countess"—that's clearly making it known to the world that "I am a woman."

But what value does such a "Countess" have? Infiltrating the "Witch Cult"?

That wouldn't make much sense. If everything "George III" promised was handed over, he could train countless Assassins. Why not let them slowly infiltrate on their own? Even if the Witch Cult was stupid, they'd still know I'm a "spy," not one of them.

"Master Lucius, lunch is ready."

Hahn's voice snapped Lucius out of his thoughts. Unable to figure it out, he simply stopped thinking. He just needed to know "George III's" ultimate goal—worst case, he could report him later.

Because of the recent "special circumstances," today's lunch wasn't as lavish as in his memories. It was just simple steak, salad, cream corn soup, and some desserts like ice cream.

Watching Lucius finish eating, Hahn arranged for the table to be cleared and prepared to leave.

"Hahn, come with me for a moment." After lunch, Lucius saw Hahn and remembered Uncle-in-law Lev's suggestion from this morning.

Hahn Clayton was a bit surprised by this. Normally, Lucius would be heading for his afternoon nap by now and would order not to be disturbed.

But surprised or not, he followed closely.

From his memories, Lucius found his study on the second floor, opened the door, and entered. Hahn followed, closing the door tightly behind him.

Lucius picked a seat and said to Hahn, "Find a spot and sit wherever you like."

Once Hahn was seated, Lucius got to the point of their talk:

"Hahn, you're a 'Beyonders,' aren't you? Which pathway's 'Beyonders'?"

Hahn wasn't surprised by the question and answered calmly:

"'Lawyer,' young master. To better serve the 'Sheffield Family,' every 'Clayton' chooses 'Lawyer.'"

"I'm currently Sequence 9 'Lawyer' of the Lawyer Pathway."

Hearing Hahn's reply, Lucius immediately asked, "What about Rex? Has he chosen to become a Beyonders?"

Rex Clayton was Hahn's son, 17 years old, funded by the Sheffield Family and studying at Eton College. Barring accidents, he'd take over as Lucius's butler in about three years.

Hearing the question about his son, he said calmly, "Rex has started learning about the extraordinary, but he hasn't taken the Potion yet to become a Beyonders. Normally, he'll take the Potion at the end of this year, study law at university, and after graduation, he'll start preparing to take over my duties."

Lucius felt relieved hearing Hahn's words. Given his own situation, he really wasn't fit for military service anymore, and he couldn't give away what belonged to his family. So he'd accepted his uncle-in-law's suggestion to cultivate a "White Glove" to replace him. But where would he find a ready candidate? So he said directly:

"Hahn, you know the Sheffield Family's current situation. I most likely won't join the military, but what belongs to the Sheffields can't be given away. So I need to cultivate a suitable person to take my place in the army. Your family has served the 'Sheffield' for a long time, each generation giving their all. So I'm happy to recommend Rex for it. You can think it over and ask Rex if he's willing."

Hahn was stunned by Lucius's words. Having just crossed over, Lucius hadn't attended many gatherings yet, so he didn't know the weight of this offer.

But as a family that had long served the "Sheffield Family," Hahn understood its value clearly.

Though the military position would eventually be taken back, the gains during that time couldn't be reclaimed. The most direct benefit was that the "Clayton Family" would now have military connections.

If Hahn had to describe his feelings now, the most fitting quote was Emperor Roselle's saying: "A pie fell from the sky—no, calling it a pie is too simple. It's like a title dropped right into your lap."

Every "Clayton" didn't become a butler because they were poor, but because of the name "Sheffield."

The Clayton family's net assets, accumulated over centuries, rivaled a Viscount's wealth. And this money wasn't "stolen" from the Sheffields.

It came from investing based on information gained through serving the "Sheffield." For example:

During wartime: where the Kingdom of Ruun launched wars, when they started, when they ended, and what skyrocketed in value during that time.

During peacetime: they got tips on excellent industrial investments, or even joined in on Sheffield family investments. Taking just a tiny scrap without overreaching—even the main family wouldn't blame them, and might even praise their cleverness and good instincts.

With such high-level national intelligence, if they couldn't make money, they'd be dumber than a "Curly Baboon."

And they didn't have to bear the risks of military service. It was passed down perfectly through each generation. Before adulthood, the "Sheffield" funded their upbringing. After adulthood, they had stable jobs with room and board. They raised the next generation to replace them, then retired to the Sheffield fief to manage their own and the main family's lands, living out their days in peace.

The Clayton family had good upbringing too. Each generation knew they owed their present to the Sheffield backing, so they rarely caused trouble for the main family. They were even more protective of Sheffield family interests than the Sheffields themselves.

Snapping out of it, Hahn said seriously, "Master Lucius, rest assured, Rex will definitely follow your will and join the military."

Seeing Hahn Clayton's stern expression, Lucius felt a bit baffled and could only say, "You still need to consider Rex Clayton's thoughts. If he disagrees, I won't force him."

"I believe Rex Clayton will definitely agree, Master Lucius." Hahn said this aloud, but thought to himself:

"If my son disagrees, I'll beat him until he does. This kind of opportunity is a once-in-a-century blessing."

If he didn't agree, the chance would go to another family. Old Clayton had more than one son.

If they heard about this, they'd surely rush back to Bexland to beg Master Lucius for mercy and give their family another shot. It would probably be his younger brother or someone else then. Though they were all Claytons, he had his selfishness.

The reason was that the "Claytons" also wanted to replicate the "Sheffield's" success story. If they became "nobles" first, they'd lose this butler job and the protection it offered, slowly being eaten away by other nobles.

Joining the military usually meant being a grunt. Even with the main family's help pulling strings, they wouldn't achieve much—stuck in the middle, neither high nor low, and expensive to maintain. Following the principle of "better to be a rooster's head than a phoenix's tail," they'd basically given up on military service.

But the desire to become nobles themselves had never faded.

"Discuss it among yourselves and give me an answer as soon as possible," Lucius said calmly, seeing Hahn's clearly delighted expression.