Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 205 - 192: Close Servant

Lyle pinched his own ear, looking at Ralph with a gloomy face.

"Uncle, what did you say?"

Ralph spoke slowly, enunciating every word.

"I said, you should marry into the Naslan family, lad."

"Why?"

"Because Anna came to me this morning to talk. Due to her family’s reasons, she wishes to continue living with the Naslan family. For this purpose, she specially sought my opinion; she’s a good kid. She hopes you can make some concessions about your future place of residence. I think, you might as well join the Naslan family outright."

"Did you suggest this?" Are you selling me out?

"Yes, Lyle," Ralph said, lifting Nia, who had earlier transformed into human form, and rubbing her little head in front of Lyle, "The Butler family already has Nia. Nia will retain the Butler surname. As for you, you’ve lost your value."

"I—I’m your nephew!"

"Yes, but now I have a grandniece, Mr. Lyle. In my eyes, you as a nephew have lost your value. Go to the Naslan family and be their livestock!" Ralph did not wait for Lyle’s response and had already left on his own.

"That bastard uncle!" Lyle muttered under his breath as he watched Ralph’s retreating figure.

"Mr. Ralph loves you very much, Lyle," Alianna said, gripping Lyle’s hand tightly, recalling the scene from the morning.

Ralph’s eyes were fixed on her, but those previously sharp eyes now held a lake-like tenderness.

"Lyle likes you, he will be happy with you, and that’s enough. For me, that’s enough."

————————————

The Naslan castle stood there, beyond the peaceful lake, behind the grassland.

Last time, it was just a brief glance; this time, it was a true invitation.

When they had entered the Naslan Secret Realm earlier, two neatly dressed Specter Servants had taken charge of Lyle’s luggage. Alianna led Lyle by the hand through the fields of flowers, watching unknown butterflies flit around, inhaling the earthy fragrance of flowers.

The two reached the lakeside, looking at their reflections in the water. The castle was still separated from them by a stretch of lake.

Lyle scanned the surroundings, finding no boat. He looked at Alianna.

"I can’t swim."

"Neither can I," Alianna said with a smile, "Varim won’t let us fall into the water."

"Varim?"

At Alianna’s call, ripples spread over the lake surface, growing like tides, before erupting forth.

The splashing waters, on the verge of dousing Lyle, were halted by a barrier of silvery metallic fluid.

A long, slender neck emerged from the lake, topped with a spherical protrusion.

It resembled a gigantic sea serpent, but its body was silvery metal, without eyes or mouth, rippling with wave patterns. Its head lowered forward, its apex touching Alianna’s fingertips, causing a circle of ripples to spread throughout its body, reaching the unseen underwater parts.

The creature transformed, its body extending across the water surface like expanding ice, except in silvery white. Finally, a metallic bridge straight to the gates of Naslan Castle took form.

"Varim is the Mercury Serpent; it’s my father’s Alchemical Creation. It cannot see, but it feels vibrations of sound. It doesn’t eat, and it gains energy by basking in the sun. However, if it coils around you, you would quickly suffocate to death; its body is toxic."

"Don’t worry, Lyle, under normal circumstances, you won’t be able to see it; it resides at the heart of the lake and will only respond to the call of us three sisters, and to the sound of splashing water."

The bridge transformed by Varim felt like a water-filled trampoline when stepped on.

At least Nia seemed to love this children’s toy, shaping herself into a ball and bouncing on it.

Riding the gentle waves, it was like stepping onto the deck of a ship, Lyle arrived at the main entrance of Naslan Castle.

The structure, embellished with ivy and oozing antiquity, had servants lined up on both sides of the entrance, each exuding an otherworldly air; through their transparent forms, you could see the exquisite carvings on the metal gates.

Their bodies bowed slightly in a respectful manner, but all those pairs of eyes were intently watching Lyle.

Lyle felt that horror movies were nothing compared to this, "You’re being stared at by a single ghost, while I’m a human being stared down by a whole group of ghosts."

"Lyle, you can choose some personal servants from among them, maids are an option too," Alianna said to Lyle, her eyes hinting at something else.

Although the specter maids did seem somewhat attractive, Lyle wouldn’t make the foolish mistake of stepping on a landmine, and besides, they were spirits—how could they serve as personal maids.

Wait a minute! Personal maids?

"Alianna, when you say personal, you don’t mean..."

"I mean it in the literal sense. They will attach to your body and manifest as needed. You don’t have to worry about your privacy, because to a spirit, there is no such thing as privacy."

Lyle shuddered at the thought of two mist-like figures emerging from his body while he slept, staring straight at him.

"No, no! That’s okay, Alianna, I have Nia, I can take care of myself."

"That won’t do, Lyle; Nia won’t stay by your side," Alianna took Nia, who was originally clinging to Lyle’s back, into her own arms, "because Nia is my daughter! She is going to join me for afternoon tea now."

"Lyle, hurry up and pick your personal servants, you must choose."

Left with no choice, Lyle selected two male specters, one who looked like an amiable middle-aged spirit and one that seemed like a stern old spirit. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

When they attached to him, Lyle definitely felt a pressure.

"Mr. Ernest and Elder Deckard, Lyle, you really have a good eye."

"Really?"

"Mr. Ernest was once a general of Naslan, a veteran of numerous battles, while Elder Deckard was the head judge of Naslan, in his lifetime he was responsible for sentencing those who committed heinous crimes. Lyle, the ones you’ve chosen are two of the most powerful spirits."

Damn, did I just pick two ghost kings? A battle-hardened vet and an adjudicating judge, one could imagine how many lives had passed through their hands, and the amount of resentment they could muster! This thought made Lyle shiver.

"Alianna, can I request a change?"

Alianna nodded at Lyle, but not in response to his question.

"Elder Deckard is very pleased with you, Lyle; Mr. Ernest believes you should exercise more. Are you sure you want to ask them to leave? It would be a sign of distrust in their abilities, and both can get angry, you know!"

"No, actually, I am quite satisfied to have two reliable individuals by my side."

"Another benefit, Lyle, is that when they are attached to you, those weaker evils dare not come close to you; they serve as excellent protection from evil spirits."

Because the two fiercest ones are already on me, right? Damn my luck.