Chapter 25: The Old Bearded Man's Fury

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Cen Jiu opened the system map indoors. The real-time dynamic display showed no marker for the character Maria. It was unclear whether the player needed to actively ask someone to trigger her appearance or if she was simply out of the map’s visible range.

No matter. The game’s character reaction logic was very realistic; asking the right questions would yield efficient information.

“I’m looking for Maria, the head maid. Do you know where she is?” Cen Jiu employed a classic tactic, taking the initiative to question a passerby NPC.

“…Maria? She just went upstairs a moment ago.” This time, the person caught was a maid dusting the furniture—a random NPC, but her reaction was much more normal than the other servants Cen Jiu had encountered.

“Thank you… uh? May I ask why you’re staring at my hand?” What set this NPC apart was her gaze, almost glued to Cen Jiu’s right hand.

At first, Cen Jiu suspected a programming error, thinking the character’s gaze-following might have been mistakenly bound to the wrong point. But once she voiced the oddity, the NPC immediately reacted.

Wait, could it be because she was holding a branch in her hand and the system automatically classified it as a weapon?

The branch was quite handy, so Cen Jiu held onto it, treating it as a substitute for a swift sword. Maybe it would come in handy next time she practiced performance skills.

Cen Jiu opened the equipment interface. Her character’s main hand was equipped in real time with:

【Fresh Branch Cut by Bella (Weapon): Physical Attack +1】

The prefix alone significantly increased the branch’s value.

“This game is a bit mischievous…”

The game adhered to a certain degree of realism, designing NPC reactions to mimic genuine human responses.

For example, if a player drew a weapon, NPCs would trigger underlying logic, becoming highly alert. Some would warn the player to put the weapon away, while others might outright treat the player as hostile and attack.

Yet a mere branch could completely change an NPC’s expression.

Cen Jiu was speechless. She exited the menu and tucked the branch into her belt. That should count as putting away her sword, right?

The maid, seeing Cen Jiu’s action, hurriedly lowered her head to apologize: “I’m very sorry, ma’am. Please forgive me.”

She had accidentally become fascinated by the peculiar guest…

In fact, it wasn’t just this maid. Other servants working in the hall subtly kept an eye on Cen Jiu’s movements.

One reason was the rumors of a ruthless, bloodthirsty adventurer appearing before them; another was that the branch in her hand clashed starkly with the exquisite indoor décor, emitting the fresh scent of recently cut grass that overpowered the usual daily incense.

Moreover, the guest’s behavior was perfectly natural—as if holding a ceremonial sword—making it almost impossible not to pay attention.

“Oh, no worries. Sorry to bother you at work.” With the threat gone, Cen Jiu’s smile returned.

This adventurer guest was somewhat rude in certain ways, but she was not entirely impolite to the servants.

Perhaps someone should remind her that the Ortega family valued etiquette and would not want to witness such scenes—especially Butler Bandras…

The maid moved her lips, wanting to call out to the adventurer who was already heading upstairs. Her gaze passed the entrance and caught sight of Butler Bandras arriving.

She quickly lowered her head and resumed her work, pretending nothing had happened, then naturally and slowly moved in the opposite direction of Cen Jiu.

She already anticipated a storm brewing in the hall: the eccentric adventurer guest and the old, stubborn butler were bound to clash.

*

Bandras had received news early from Guard Garcia.

The adventurer claimed the intruder had been severely injured and escaped; the adventurer suggested rechecking a corner of the building…

Garcia, a strong young man, had become a timid messenger.

Bandras’s impression of Cen Jiu worsened in his heart.

After handling important daily affairs of the estate, Bandras personally sought out a miner skilled in construction.

Routine maintenance was the servants’ responsibility, and the parts damaged by that thing were also their charge, but being told by an outsider that their quality was substandard was a disgrace to the Ortega family.

They needed to be taught a lesson.

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Bandras’s mood had nearly hit rock bottom when he entered the main house and saw an even weightier scene.

The first thing to hit his nose was the coarse smell of earth and fresh grass, completely spoiling the house’s carefully arranged elegant incense.

The culprit was easy to find. The old butler looked up and saw the adventurer ascending the stairs.

Her usual refined attire was still proper, reflecting the popular aesthetic among young nobles.

But today, a primitive branch was tucked into her waist—an unprocessed, freshly snapped branch.

He could even identify the species by the leaves; it was one of the ornamental plants grown in the garden outside.

Bandras froze, blinking in disbelief.

The scene did not change; he wasn’t mistaken.

“Miss Jiu, may I ask what you are doing with that...?” Bandras restrained the urge to curse the guest; even his voice trembled.

“Hmm? Bandras, I was just about to look for you.” Cen Jiu greeted the old butler brightly.

She had originally planned to find Maria for another task, but since Bandras had arrived, she might as well hand over the night patrol assignment.

However, she quickly sensed the awkward atmosphere.

The hall was unusually quiet; the servants dared not make a sound, fearing trouble.

Moreover, the old man called out to her from the doorway, barely a dozen meters away. What was going on?

Cen Jiu noticed the miner behind the butler, who seemed to recognize her and gave a nod in greeting—perhaps they had met before at Marta’s place.

She descended the stairs in a few strides and stood before the butler at the door, smiling: “Bandras, you must know what happened last night, right?”

“...The payment? I will have someone deliver it to you.” As soon as Cen Jiu spoke, the experienced butler knew what she wanted.

Adventurers’ greed was just like their curiosity—always after status, fame, and gold.

Bandras’s veins bulged with frustration as the grass scent grew stronger nearby. The miner silently stepped back, leaning by the door to look outside.

The two stood facing each other, neither willing to make the first move.

...Why hasn’t she left yet?!

Bandras stood his ground, wanting the reply-bearing Cen Jiu to leave through the door.

She should be off with that coarse, vulgar branch of hers, as far away as possible.

Is that all the old man could say to her?

Cen Jiu was waiting as well. The old man had called her from so far away—was that all he wanted to say?

She didn’t believe it. The character must be stuck, with more information to deliver. It would flow smoothly soon.

“...”

The adventurer smiled silently, waiting for the butler to speak.

“...”

The old butler gritted his teeth, suppressing his fury, hoping the rude adventurer would leave on her own.

Bandras was nearing his limit. He obviously underestimated this adventurer’s thick skin. Under his increasingly darkening gaze, she remained unmoved, her superior smile like an iron wall.

Bandras relented. He bowed his head, swallowed his anger, and respectfully stepped aside: “Miss Jiu, are you leaving?”

He had made way. Any woman with some sense would take the hint and spare him some dignity.

“No.” Cen Jiu refused. She was still waiting for the old man to spill the clues.

...Why would he expect a young woman who hadn’t even given her real name to understand etiquette?

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Bandras bent further, his voice trembling with a pleading tone, almost on the verge of tears: “Could you please leave, dear Miss Jiu...”

“—With that... branch of yours?” His anger surged, barely keeping the profanity out of his words.

If he could, he would curse loudly.

“...?” Cen Jiu was puzzled. Why was the old man being sarcastic just because she carried a branch?

On reflection, it made some sense. The old man’s character was clearly rigid, probably couldn’t stand people playing with twigs and stones by the roadside.

Maybe she had triggered some little Easter egg for this character—he went mad upon seeing certain items.

Cen Jiu wasn’t afraid of causing trouble. Simply because Bandras’s gritted teeth and trembling beard looked so amusing, and since the maid hadn’t attacked her outright, she decided to pour some more oil on the fire.

She drew out the branch from her waist and proudly displayed it: “You mean this one?”

Bandras’s face changed drastically, flushed purple and red like an angry liver.

“...You, you! Truly vulgar and rude!!”

As his angry words erupted, Cen Jiu heard the sound of a hidden achievement unlocking in her ear.

【Achievement: The Old Butler’s Wrath】

【You provoked an old gentleman to insult a guest—amazing!】

Clearly a hidden Easter egg achievement. Cen Jiu laughed and put the branch away.

Judging by how this achievement triggered, the old man’s temper was indeed bad, but he was also extremely tolerant. The player had only avoided being scolded because of guest status.

“Sorry, sorry, I didn’t know a branch would make you so angry. Please forgive me.” Cen Jiu bowed her head apologetically, but the smile at her lips was impossible to suppress.

Bandras instantly recognized the insincerity, but as a butler, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and accept it.

The adventurer’s cheerful expression and apparent lack of offense left him without even the slightest thought of responding sarcastically.

“...”

The gentleman butler fell into an inopportune silence.

Bandras didn’t want to continue the conversation; he just wanted the adventurer gone.

His face was swollen with frustration, his beard trembling: “...Please leave.”

Unfortunately, Cen Jiu had no intention of leaving. She planned to go upstairs to continue her tasks.

The adventurer stood her ground and firmly replied: “Sorry, but I need to go upstairs to find someone.”

What a joke—kicking someone out over a branch? Ridiculous.

Clearly, this was the old man’s personal bias.

Seeing her unwavering stance, Bandras was furious beyond measure.

Before he could erupt, slow footsteps interrupted his mounting anger.

“Bandras, is it necessary to treat our guest so harshly?”

The one who broke the stalemate stepped down the stairs. She was a lady wearing the estate maid’s uniform, her platinum hair meticulously pinned at the back, her skin etched with the wrinkles of age, her demeanor commanding respect without a word raised.

Upon her appearance, Cen Jiu immediately recognized her as the maid who had guided Bella when she first arrived at the estate.

Her mature aura and superior status among the servants made a lasting impression.

Without a doubt, this was the Maria she had been searching for.