Chapter 100: The Unwelcome Return

“Harm me? Surely he doesn’t mean to kill me?”

Yalin said, spreading his hands in exasperation.

Star had said that in the eyes of the public, his standing remained that of an idle, good-for-nothing young master who neglected his duties.

Yet, legally speaking, he was still the first heir of the Ravenster family.

Now, he was being told that an uncle, practically a stranger, had suddenly appeared, inexplicably seized the family fortune, and was even suspected of plotting his murder?

Was this reasonable?

Well, in truth, it was quite reasonable.

In this world, dramas of brothers turning against each other and fathers and sons becoming enemies for the sake of inheritance unfolded almost daily.

That might made right was a truth everyone tacitly understood.

“Young Master! I am not joking with you!”

Seeing Yalin’s familiar nonchalant demeanor, Saki slammed his hand on the table in agitation.

“You’ve been away for too long, so you’re unaware of many things…

That fellow, Will… he has someone by his side… Though their face was masked, I still recognized them.

It was an evil sorcerer, wanted by the kingdom with a hefty bounty five years ago!

His cruelty knew no bounds; he had brutally claimed at least hundreds of lives… To be able to recruit such a person as a subordinate, Will is certainly no ordinary individual!”

Saki’s chest heaved violently, and after a moment, he let out a long sigh.

“In short, Young Master… we are currently outnumbered and outmatched, utterly unable to contend with him.

Therefore, please return as soon as possible before you are discovered… The manor will always be there.

It won’t be too late to return once you graduate from the academy and have cultivated a certain network of connections.”

Saki was widely knowledgeable, possessing a significant amount of intelligence, which was precisely why he had been able to revive the Ravenster family in such a short period.

Since even he spoke with such conviction, it proved the situation was indeed as he described.

Yalin said nothing, merely nodding in silence.

Back at the inn, Yalin sat on the balcony, gazing up at the twinkling stars in the night sky.

It was not yet deep into the night, but the town had already completely darkened.

One could only discern the cement ground in front of the office door by the faint moonlight.

Only a few houses glowed with small, occasional lights.

The season was gradually growing colder, and the mountain breeze carried a distinct chill.

The air was filled with a faint scent of grass.

Yalin gazed at the homeland he had been away from for so long, and recalling Saki’s words, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of emotion.

He had never imagined that in just a few years, his opportunistic uncle would become so accomplished.

It truly was a dramatic reversal of fortunes.

He had originally only returned to retrieve some documents, but now, it seemed things had become considerably more complicated.

From afar, the cries of birds echoed.

The street below the inn was deserted, with only the wind whistling through the alleys.

Yalin suddenly remembered that the shadowy figure who had followed him earlier seemed to have disappeared.

‘Never mind… I’ll deal with it later.’

The next day, in the early morning.

The thin mist had not yet fully dispersed, and the mountain air was cool and moist.

Yalin followed the winding path to the Ravenster family manor situated on the hill.

Though he had agreed to Saki’s request to lie low for a while, that was clearly a pretense, merely meant to appease him.

Having finally returned, to ask Yalin to go back empty-handed?

What a jest!

Would it be worth the exorbitant cost of the boat ticket?

The manor was not large, and its facilities appeared somewhat antiquated, yet its classical, traditional design still hinted at its former glory.

The surrounding weeds seemed to have grown thicker, indicating a lack of maintenance for some time.

However, beside the iron gate in front of the manor, stood two unfamiliar guards.

They wore combat robes, their expressions grim, and their eyes filled with vigilance and caution, suggesting they were not to be trifled with.

Upon seeing Yalin approach from a distance, one of them frowned and immediately stepped forward, waving their hand and sternly rebuking him.

“This is private property! No idlers allowed!

Be sensible and scram!”

“Who are you people?”

Yalin paused, feigning surprise as he inquired, “This is my home, isn’t it?”

“This is the Ravenster family manor, and who are you?”

“You don’t even recognize me?

My name is Yalin, and I am the current head of the Ravenster family!

If you don’t move aside, I’ll have to write to Lord Regent to complain.”

The two guards exchanged glances, and one of them gave a knowing look.

The other, understanding immediately, hurried into the manor.

The remaining guard tempered their aggressive demeanor slightly.

Though still standing guard at the gate, their tone adopted a hint of respect.

“Please wait a moment, Lord Will will be right out.”

Yalin, unconcerned, crossed his arms and waited idly by.

Not long after, a flurry of hurried footsteps echoed, and then, a corpulent man rushed out from the house.

He was round-bodied, dressed in an elaborately crafted purple fur-collared robe with gold trim.

A fake smile, one that didn’t quite reach his eyes, was plastered across his oily face.

However, his distinctive black hair on top of his head still allowed one to identify him as a member of the Ravenster family.

From his appearance alone, it was clear that his uncle had been living quite comfortably.

“Oh, if it isn’t my dear nephew, Yalin?

I never thought you’d actually come!”

Will rubbed his hands together, his face wreathed in smiles as he approached.

Yalin raised an eyebrow, feigning a bewildered expression.

“You are…?”

“Don’t you remember me?

I’m Will, your uncle!

Ah, but I’ve been away on business all this time and haven’t returned much.

You were quite young back then, so it’s no surprise you don’t recognize me…”

Will spoke with a hint of feigned emotion.

“Come, quickly, let’s go inside!

I’ve been longing to see you!”

He turned his head and sternly addressed the guard standing at the door.

“What are you gawking at?

Go and attend to our distinguished guest!”

“Yes, sir!”

Receiving the order, the guard immediately scurried away.

“These fellows are all mercenaries, with no manners whatsoever.

Please don’t take offense.”

Will said with a chuckle, affectionately patting Yalin’s shoulder.

“It’s fine, I don’t mind,” Yalin replied with an equally warm smile.

This old man was truly a hypocrite, even calling him a ‘guest’ with such insincerity, already adopting the air of a family head.

However, Yalin was in no hurry.

He was curious to see what schemes Will was concocting.

Upon arriving in the living room, the two sat on the sofa.

Soon after, the same guard brought in tea.

“Come, quickly have a taste.

This is a premium black tea just transported from the North; its flavor is in no way inferior to that from the Far Eastern nations!”

Will gripped his teacup, draining it in one gulp, then smacked his lips, still savoring the taste.

Yalin did not drink the tea.

Only after Will set down his cup did he speak.

“Uncle Will, why are you here?”

“That’s a long story…” Will sighed, shaking his head, his expression of sorrow perfectly calibrated.

“To be honest, I only recently learned of the tragic news about your elder brother and sister-in-law, and then I rushed back… Ah, my brother was so young.

Who could have imagined such a thing would happen… Such is the impermanence of life.

I never thought that now, we would be the only relatives left…”

Will let out a long sigh and shook his head.

“Never mind, let’s not dwell on these sad matters for now.

But what about you?

Haven’t you been studying in Ailanmia?

Why have you suddenly traveled all this way back?”

“Mother left behind quite a few books, which are very helpful for my research, so I specifically came to retrieve them.”

“Are you referring to Ms. Livia’s…”

Will paused, then slapped his forehead, exclaiming with feigned anguish, “Ah, if only you had come sooner!

What terrible timing, to be honest with you.

When we were tidying up the manor a while ago, we happened to clear out all those unwanted books piled in the library…”

“Oh, cleared out…”

Yalin narrowed his eyes.

“That truly is unfortunate timing.”