The Forgotten Bloodline

Chapter 9

The more Eric thought about it, the clearer the answer became.

The corners of his lips slowly lifted.

He raised his teacup and thought to himself.

‘Grandpa… so you’ve already made your move.’

Their conversation continued into the afternoon.

As Andreas and Dominic were preparing to leave, Robert arrived with several gift boxes.

The two exchanged a glance before accepting them.

“If we get gifts every time we come over, we’ll feel bad about visiting too often,” Andreas said with a laugh.

Dominic immediately hugged his gift box to his chest.

“If you feel bad, I’ll just come more often instead.”

All three laughed.

A little later, Andreas and Dominic said their goodbyes.

After seeing them to the front of the mansion, Eric headed straight to Robert’s study.

The middle-aged man immediately stood when Eric entered.

“Is there something I can help you with, sir?”

Eric sat down.

“Where’s Grandpa? I haven’t seen him all day.”

“Mr. Brown is visiting several families,” Robert replied. “I believe he plans to meet with three or four, including the Rothwells and the Wollers.”

Eric nodded. “Why is he meeting them?”

“Perhaps Mr. Brown wishes to strengthen his ties with those families. That would make your life in this country much safer in the future.”

Eric fell silent for a moment.

So Noah had done more than retaliate against Jason.

Eric changed the subject.

“What about the medicine I asked for?”

“It will be ready in three days at the earliest.”

Eric frowned slightly.

“Can’t it be done sooner? If money is the problem, use my allowance. You don’t need to transfer anything to me for the next two months.”

Robert immediately shook his head.

“I wouldn’t presume to use your allowance for something like that, sir. But if the medicine is needed as soon as possible, I’ll do my best to have it ready by tomorrow afternoon.”

Eric’s expression softened slightly.

“Thank you, then.”

Robert bowed his head. “It’s my duty, sir.”

Eric asked a few more questions before returning to his room.

He sat on the edge of the bed and raised his left hand.

“Legacy Intelligence.”

Ding!

The blue holographic screen appeared before him.

Eric studied it for a few moments before asking, “I want evidence of crimes Jason Smith has committed. Can you find any?”

A few seconds later, lines of text began to appear.

[Please select.]

[Embezzlement of client funds.]

[Falsification of financial statements.]

[Bribery of public officials.]

[Illicit affair with his stepmother.]

Eric’s gaze, which had been moving from one option to the next, abruptly stopped.

“An affair with his stepmother?”

Without hesitation, he selected it.

Ding!

Four video files appeared on the screen. Eric opened one.

The fifteen-second CCTV clip showed Jason and a woman entering a hotel room one after the other.

The woman was none other than his stepmother.

Eric’s eyebrows slowly rose.

He opened the second video, then the third and fourth. The locations differed, but the people remained the same.

Jason and his stepmother.

Eric rubbed his forehead.

“Unbelievable…”

He had only intended to test Legacy Intelligence’s capabilities. Yet the system had given him exactly what he had asked for.

Eric looked at the screen again.

Legacy Intelligence might be far more capable than he had first imagined.

He spent the rest of the day searching for various kinds of information through the system.

Before he knew it, night had given way to morning.

Even then, Noah had yet to return.

Eric considered asking Robert where he was. But before he could go looking for him, Robert appeared at the entrance carrying a small wooden box.

“Sir.”

Robert approached Eric and presented the box with both hands.

“The formula you provided has been successfully made into pills. Several pharmaceutical specialists worked through the night, and the laboratory team also ran a series of tests. They found no harmful substances.”

He paused briefly.

“However, they’re all curious. None of them could determine what these pills are meant to do.”

Eric looked at Robert for a few moments.

“I’m sorry. I’ve put you through a lot of trouble.”

Robert immediately shook his head. “Not at all, sir. There are thirty pills in total. Please let me know when you run out.”

Eric nodded and opened the box.

Inside were thirty pale yellow pills, each about the size of a fingertip.

Without hesitation, he picked one up and swallowed it.

Robert held his breath without realizing it.

Less than a minute later, Eric’s body suddenly stiffened. His breathing quickened.

Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, while his face flushed as though heat were spreading through his body.

Eric clenched his fist.

“Strange…”

Before he could finish, a faint cracking sound came from beneath the cast.

Crack…

Robert’s head snapped toward the sound.

Eric immediately removed the sling from around his neck, then took off the cast covering his right arm.

Both men froze.

Eric stared at his arm for a few moments before slowly clenching his hand.

Once.

Twice.

There was no pain.

Then he threw a punch into the air.

Whoosh!

Eric threw several more punches, each faster than the last.

The corners of his lips slowly lifted.

Before him, Robert remained rooted to the spot. His gaze shifted between Eric’s arm and the box of pills on the table.

“Sir, this—”

Eric immediately raised an index finger.

Robert fell silent.

Several seconds passed before he bowed his head.

“I understand, sir.”

Eric nodded and closed the box.

“There are some things I can’t tell you yet. When the time comes, I’ll explain. For now, don’t tell anyone about this.”

“Yes, sir.”

Eric carried the box of pills back to his room.

As soon as the door closed, he summoned Legacy Intelligence again.

He needed to confirm that what had just happened was indeed the pill’s doing.

—

Time passed.

The sun slowly climbed overhead.

After changing his clothes, Eric went downstairs.

Robert, who was giving instructions to several servants, immediately approached him.

“Are you going out, sir?”

Eric nodded. “I want to visit a friend.”

Robert opened his mouth as though he wanted to say something. His gaze briefly dropped to Eric’s healed right arm.

In the end, however, he merely bowed his head.

“Very well. I’ll have a car ready for you.”

Before long, a black sedan was waiting outside Brown Mansion.

Eric got in, and the Brown family’s private chauffeur drove him away from the mansion.

Before heading to Capital Hospital, Eric stopped to buy a bouquet of flowers.

This time, he was returning a visit.

The black sedan eventually pulled up outside the hospital.

Eric stepped out and headed straight for Jason’s room.

Thanks to the information Legacy Intelligence had provided earlier, it did not take him long to find it.

When he reached the door, Eric paused.