Bruce set down his cutlery, wiped the breadcrumbs from around his mouth, put on a coat, and headed for the manor gates.
As soon as Bruce appeared, the two large guard dogs quieted down and panted at him with their tongues hanging out.
A young man dressed as a servant stood at the gates.
Bruce studied the young servant closely. He stood ramrod straight, wearing a mild smile-the formal, professional kind, rather than one of genuine warmth. There was a certain distance to it, and a trace of pride in his expression.
Yet for some reason, Bruce felt that the servant seemed a little dull, or perhaps wooden.
Since becoming a Wizard, he seemed to notice finer details when observing people and things.
"May I ask if you are Mr. Bruce Wayne?" the servant asked respectfully.
"Yes, I am. What can I do for you?"
The young man was probably a servant from some noble household. A few old noble families did live in Lane Village, but Bruce had spent the past few days in Rhode Town and had had no dealings with any of them. None of the wealthy patrons behind the Swordsmanship Hall seemed to live in Lane Village either.
"I am a servant of Baron Mistvale. His lordship is holding a housewarming party today and has invited many wealthy and distinguished guests. As you are a young man of wealth in the area, Mr. Wayne, his lordship hopes you will attend. Here is your invitation."
As he spoke, the servant took a red invitation from inside his coat and handed it to Bruce.
Baron Mistvale? Wasn't that what Danvers had mentioned earlier?
Bruce accepted it. It was indeed an invitation.
Since it was a party, there ought to be something to eat. Food was the first thing that came to Bruce's mind. He really was rather hungry.
"I understand. Give me a little while, and I'll be there."
If there was food, all the better. Although this would be his first party among the wealthy and there was much he did not understand, he could treat it as a chance to gain experience. He would have to get used to such occasions eventually. After inheriting Wayne Manor's assets, he would certainly have to hold a party himself and invite the people of Lane Village to witness it.
This was a good opportunity to learn.
Besides, he was planning to start a Security Company. If he opened it in Rhode Town, some of the wealthy guests at the party might become potential business partners.
"No trouble at all. The baron has arranged a carriage. I can wait here, and you can ride there with me, Mr. Wayne."
They even provided a carriage? How thoughtful.
"Sorry for the trouble. Please allow me to make myself presentable."
A polite, mild smile appeared on Bruce's face as well, and he walked back into the manor.
He entered the study, hid the Dark Bible, and put away all the vessels and ingredients he had just used to prepare the Potion.
"What happened? Who came?" Fawcett asked.
"I've been invited to a party, so I need to go out. It's a good chance to get a free meal, too. By the way, I've only just become an Extraordinary. I won't give off any aura, will I?"
"You've been invited to a party? Go ahead, then. Your aura won't leak out, but you should still be careful. You've only just become an Extraordinary. Don't recklessly use your powers, because you have no way of knowing whether other Extraordinaries are hiding in the crowd."
Fawcett repeatedly warned him not to use his Extraordinary abilities lightly.
Extraordinaries had a distinctive aura, but it remained concealed within their bodies. Even if two Extraordinaries stood face-to-face, neither would recognize the other as one unless they used spirituality power.
Once they used spirituality power, their Extraordinary aura would leak out and become detectable. Of course, this would only reveal that they were an Extraordinary, not their specific identity.
Nothing was absolute, however. If the other Extraordinary was immensely powerful, a weaker one might be detected even without using spirituality power. Perhaps higher sequences possessed a natural ability to see through lower ones.
There were also special ways to conceal an Extraordinary's aura. Fawcett and Ghost did not know what those methods were, much less Bruce. That remained to be explored.
The clothes he was wearing were clearly unsuitable for a party, so Bruce changed into a new outfit. It was clean and neat, specially commissioned for him by Danvers, and he had yet to wear it.
He needed to look respectable at a party, and this new outfit was the best choice.
He turned twice before the full-length mirror, confirmed that he looked properly dressed, and left the manor.
Under the servant's courteous guidance, Bruce boarded the Mistvale Family's carriage with the invitation tucked inside his coat.
Bruce did not know who Baron Mistvale was and had scarcely heard of him.
A rich person could be called wealthy, but that did not necessarily make them a noble.
The Rune Kingdom had five ranks of nobility: duke, marquis, count, viscount, and baron. Although baron was the lowest rank, it still signified noble status, something mere wealthy people like them could not compare with.
Naturally, Bruce had to accept a baron's invitation. It was a matter of respect for the nobility and the Rune Kingdom, not merely the delicious food at the party.
At the thought of food, Bruce's stomach gave two involuntary growls.
Fortunately, he was alone inside the carriage while the servant was outside. The wind was quite loud, so the man probably could not hear him.
Since the party was in Lane Village, the journey should not be long. He would arrive soon.
Inside the carriage, Bruce opened his Character Status Panel. He had not checked it for several days, perhaps because he had encountered no danger or mysterious incidents.
After all, the Wayne family's affairs had already been resolved, and the remaining mysterious incident in Rhode Town did not seem particularly likely to involve him, so he had paid it little attention.
What he cared about most on the Character Status Panel was spirituality. With enough of it, he could develop new innate abilities. Becoming a Wizard did not change that. The more abilities he had, the better.
Name: Bruce Wayne Identity: Wizard Spirituality: 49/90 (development unavailable) Talent: Grand Trend Talent: Breakthrough Talent: Divine Might Talent: Swordsmanship Mastery
The required spirituality threshold had risen again, and his current spirituality was slightly higher than what he had left before. This was probably an effect of becoming a Wizard.
However, Bruce also noticed an inconspicuous change on his Character Status Panel.
Grand Trend: Rhode Town is not peaceful. Some trouble seems to have arrived, prompting the Goddess of the Night Church in Gothe District to transfer a new bishop there. Grand Trend: Baron Mistvale suddenly moved to Lane Village. He seems to harbor secrets, and his wife and daughter should not be underestimated either. Grand Trend: Danvers's body has undergone a slight change, giving off a mysterious aura and involving an even greater secret.
The entry about Rhode Town was still there, which meant the trouble had not been resolved.
What Bruce had not expected was for Grand Trend to mention Baron Mistvale. That meant he harbored secrets-and apparently his whole family did too?
Rhode Town really was going through troubled times. All sorts of sinister characters were showing up. Bruce had heard that the Mistvale Family had moved here recently. Could it have something to do with the first event mentioned by Grand Trend?
Could I jump out of the carriage now and skip the party?
More importantly, the third entry said something abnormal had happened to Danvers's body.
What kind of abnormality? When had it happened?
Bruce immediately recalled the scene he had seen upon touching the Dark Bible: Danvers on the altar, and that eerie black rose.
And Danvers was now at the Mistvale Family's party, which made Bruce even more uneasy.
"Breakthrough."
Insufficient contact. Breakthrough unavailable...
Breakthrough was unavailable, and there were no hints. He would have to figure everything out himself.
Originally, Bruce had only intended to go for free food and drink. Now it seemed he would have to be more cautious. When interacting with the Mistvale family, he could neither be too forward nor appear too wary, as that would only arouse suspicion.
He would keep contact to a minimum.
Danvers had already arrived at the party at Mistvale Manor. Her tasteful outfit, combined with her naturally lovely face, had attracted the attention of quite a few gentlemen.
Many people had already gathered at the party. Most were middle-aged or elderly landowners and wealthy men who had brought their families. Besides the local gentry of Lane Village, there were wealthy guests from Rhode Town and several nearby villages. Danvers knew most of them.
Rather than look at these people, she would sooner admire Mistvale Manor's architecture and decor.
As expected of a noble's manor, it was more refined and elegant than an ordinary wealthy household's estate, pleasing to the eye. Some of its designs could even be called ingenious.
Danvers also spotted one of her close friends here.
Adele Stewart was the daughter of an ordinary wealthy family in Lane Village. Her family owned a farm and a few cows.
Danvers and Adele were very close.
Adele was a little luckier than Danvers. Both her parents were alive, and she had an older brother. The Stewart family's assets would not fall into a cousin's hands, and after she married, she would still have a brother to stand up for her.
"Adele, you look so pretty today."
Danvers poked Adele's waist. For today's party, Adele had cinched her waist very tightly to make her bust stand out more.
Adele had always been dissatisfied with her bust. Compared with Danvers's, it looked far too small.
"My mother insisted. She said I'm not getting any younger and hoped I'd find a young heir from a wealthy family at this party. A noble would be even better."
Adele braced a hand against her waist, sounding rather helpless. She was anxious to marry as well, but there really were no wealthy heirs in Lane Village who appealed to her. They either had poor character or were covered in unattractive muscles.
She had taken a liking to a few handsome men, but they did not come from wealthy families. Her parents would certainly disapprove, so she would not approach them either.
"By the way, I heard your cousin has moved into the manor. Has he finished the inheritance paperwork?"
Danvers nodded. "Yes. He went to Rhode Town a few days ago to take care of it. The documents should arrive from Gothe District soon."
"It sounds like he treats you quite well."
Danvers also felt very fortunate to have a cousin who was both gentlemanly and warm toward her.
"Oh, right. Is there a girl he likes at the moment?" Adele asked, a little shyly.
Several weeks ago, Adele had already noticed Bruce coming and going from Wayne Manor. He was rather handsome, with just the right build, and she found him inexplicably attractive. He also met her standards, and he would soon inherit the Wayne family's assets and become a wealthy young man. Her parents would certainly approve.
Seeing Adele act like this, Danvers immediately grew wary.
Has she taken a liking to my cousin?
Once her cousin inherited her father's assets, he would indeed be one of the wealthiest men in Lane Village, and even in Rhode Town his fortune would be considerable. He and Adele were also around the same age, so it was perfectly natural for Adele to set her sights on him. Although Adele was Danvers's close friend, Danvers did not particularly want her to be with her cousin.
She had not even settled her own future yet.
A new sense of crisis stirred in Danvers's heart.