Bruce had gained a rough understanding of Wayne Manor's layout and the estate his uncle Flaikent had left him. Honestly, once he truly understood it all, he was not especially happy.
The former servants' contracts had already been terminated. He would clearly have to hire new ones, which would be another considerable expense.
The manor also needed new furniture and a thorough cleaning.
Once he inherited the estate, he would also have to host a banquet for the residents of Lane Village.
He had to consider all of these things.
Looking around the study, Bruce felt a desire to read stir within him again, something he had not felt in a long time. The body's original owner had possessed basic literacy, and there were plenty of books here. There should be books on history and society, perhaps even some on occult studies-just what he needed to fill the gaps in his knowledge.
"Would you like to read here, Cousin?"
Danvers wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. She had seen the longing for books in Bruce's gaze. He was a young man who loved learning and would surely accomplish something someday. Surely, then, he would show women the most basic respect.
"I'll get your room ready in a moment, Cousin. Why don't you read for a while and get some rest? Have you had dinner? We still have some bread and red wine."
Danvers spoke with concern.
Bruce rubbed his stomach. He felt fine. Though he had spent half the day traveling, he was neither tired nor hungry.
"No need for dinner. I'm not hungry yet."
Bruce politely declined, not wanting to put Danvers to too much trouble as soon as he arrived.
Afterward, Bruce and Danvers went to look at the room prepared for him. It had originally been a guest room for visitors staying overnight at the manor. It was quite spacious and fully equipped; all it needed now was fresh bedding.
"Sorry for the trouble."
Bruce thanked her again.
"It's all right. You've come to stay, Cousin, so this is what I should do. And you'll be the master of the manor from now on, which makes it all the more my duty."
Danvers smiled.
Jessica, who remained in her own room, had no idea what her sister was doing or thinking. She sat on the bed and placed her doll opposite her.
Their eyes met, and an eerie smile appeared on the doll's face.
A dim red light flickered in the doll's gray-brown eyes, as though it were alive.
Jessica watched calmly, apparently long accustomed to it.
"Fawcett, vengeful spirit of Absanik, I need you to help me kill another person."
Jessica stared into the doll's eyes.
"Oh, sweet Jessica, I would be delighted to serve you. Would that be the male named Bruce who arrived earlier?"
The doll opened its mouth and uttered the words one by one.
"Yes. Is there a way to make this Bruce die?" Jessica asked in an extraordinarily cold voice.
"There is, but it has to be in a bathroom. Haha, that's no problem, of course. My spirituality hasn't recovered yet, so you'll have to do it yourself this time. Would you like to try?"
The doll limped closer to Jessica's shoulder, its smile grotesquely exaggerated.
"Of course. I'd be very happy to do that."
Jessica smiled, the corners of her mouth curving slightly upward. It was a smile filled with contempt for life, cold and cruel, with a trace of irrepressible excitement.
Under the dim yellow light, Bruce leaned back in a leather chair, carefully reading a history of the Rune Kingdom. The study door stood half-open. He was utterly unaware of the small figure huddled in the shadows outside, staring intently at him before quietly slipping away.
Bruce was interested in the history of the Rune Kingdom, as well as the development of this world. But the language in the history book was stiff and rigid, awkward in a way he could not quite describe, and utterly devoid of wit. All in all, it could not keep him reading.
He had learned a few things, at least.
This world was somewhat strange. Calling it entirely ancient was not quite right. Certainly, it had knights and swordsmen, and most people still used melee weapons, but there were also gunpowder, firearms, cannons, and electrical equipment. It simply had not fully entered an industrial age.
This world also incorporated some rather fantastical things, such as airships. He could not judge it entirely against his memories of Europe and America in earlier eras from his previous life.
And these changes were closely connected to the various churches.
Firearms and airships, for instance, were connected to the Church of the God of Machinery. Everything was inextricably linked to mystical powers, as though the gods were driving everything from behind the scenes.
The Church of the God of Machinery seemed to have played a part in nearly every historical event in recent years.
Bruce then turned to some books about the churches.
Most members of the Rune Kingdom's royal family worshipped the Goddess of the Night, as did most of its people. They believed she was the only deity who could protect them in the darkness, and that the monsters lurking in the night would surely face the night's punishment.
Some people worshipped other gods, however, such as the God of Storms, the God of Wisdom, and the Goddess of Harvest. Of course, these were all orthodox faiths officially recognized by the Rune Kingdom. Worshipping them was permitted, and faith brought blessings.
Farmers, for instance, worshipped the Goddess of Harvest, asking her to make their fields fertile and grant them bountiful harvests.
Boatmen along the coast worshipped the God of the Ocean, asking for plentiful catches and safe journeys.
The Goddess of the Night Church's widespread influence was limited to the Rune Kingdom. In the neighboring Rediven Kingdom, no church held such dominance. Some texts offered only scattered references to thunder.
Of course, besides the churches known to the public, there were also churches and organizations that grew in secret like maggots.
They could not emerge into the light.
Born for chaos and calamity, they lured people into evil's embrace, lurking in the shadows and waiting for opportunities to destroy the world's peaceful order. Most people despised them.
They did not necessarily worship evil gods. Some simply revered disorder and disaster.
Every book described them with the most terrifying, exaggerated, dark, and bloody language possible, doing everything it could to convey the existence of those evil powers. They could have been read as horror novels.
In some books, Bruce also found descriptions of mystical powers and creatures.
"The powerful blond man flung the wine from his cup. In an instant, red flames spread through the liquid, and an enormous fire dragon burst forth..."
"Amid the shrill chanting, a crimson lump of flesh writhed across the ground, crushing everything mercilessly beneath it and devouring all living flesh..."
"He raised his shield and slammed it into the ground. Rays of mystical light radiated from its center. The shield became as towering as a mountain, and he blocked the giant's fist..."
These descriptions came from a book called The Traveler, written by Barry Batson.
Of all the books Bruce had read so far, this one suited his tastes best. Compared with the dry, educational prose of the others, it was eerie and wondrous, filled with accounts of strange experiences. Its compelling stories made it highly readable, and before he knew it, Bruce had become immersed in the world of adventure Barry Batson described.
Yet this was not a novel. It was a travelogue recounting events that had actually happened, and the church had approved its publication.
The castle hidden beneath the blood moon, the underground fissure in Becus City, the house of horrors in Jelos, the city of giants, and more-this man named Barry Batson had experienced many extraordinary and fascinating events. Some were sinister, others dazzling, and all were things he had personally seen or heard. They fit Bruce's first impression of mystical powers perfectly.
Besides gods, this world also had people who possessed supernatural powers. The Goddess of the Night Church, for instance, had such people among its ranks. Besides humans, there were also terrifying monsters, such as ghosts and demons. These were things the public had a right to know about. Still, though people had heard of them, that knowledge went no further than hearsay. Such things remained far removed from their ordinary lives.
Of course, they might also be very close.