Chapter 911
Chapter 911
Sonya had become highly motivated to level up her Paladin character in the non-ladder multiplayer section of Anton's Diablo System because of the powerful healing abilities it granted her. She had been using those abilities to heal the sick in Oakswood.
Many people still needed treatment. Although several months had passed since the Undead Coalition had been destroyed, countless Rendindurans continued to suffer from lingering illnesses and injuries caused by months of hiding and fleeing from the undead.
Even though Anders's wife opened her personal clinic for only a few hours each morning, four days a week, the number of people she treated was staggering. As more and more patients recovered, the rumors surrounding her gradually disappeared. If anyone tried to spread malicious gossip now, plenty of grateful townspeople would step forward to defend her, even if it came to blows.
At first, Sonya wanted to recruit her sons to help at the clinic, but to Anton's stepbrothers' relief, Anders insisted that she use the household servants instead. The boys needed to focus on their studies.
Most days, they remained at Rose Manor studying under private tutors. Once their lessons were finished, they spent the rest of the afternoon with Alfred, enthusiastically watching the anime Anton had given them.
They usually returned to the family manor in Oakswood around early evening.
Despite witnessing the incredible healing magic their mother had acquired, Anton's stepbrothers still showed no interest in becoming spellcasters or gaining the strength necessary to explore dungeons.
Instead, they had inherited Alfred's passion for all things otaku, leaving both Anders and Sonya unsure of what to think.
Romina reassured them that not everyone needed to become a wizard or a warrior. Society also needed capable people to manage businesses, estates, and everyday affairs, and perhaps the boys were simply better suited for those roles.
Anton found the entire situation amusing as Anders recounted it during their monthly family meeting. He suspected his father had already accepted reality and simply hoped that, in a few years, the boys—including Alfred—might naturally develop different interests.
If they did not, Anders admitted it would not truly matter. As the family continued to grow, someone would eventually emerge to strengthen the family's influence.
After all, both Anton and Anna were still young, and Anders himself was still young enough to father many more children.
To Anton and Anna's visible disgust, Anders proudly declared that he was doing everything he could to get Sonya pregnant and had no intention of stopping after just one child.
Despite his embarrassment, Anton found himself excited by the prospect of having a house full of younger siblings who loved anime as much as he did.
When he said as much, Anders stared at him for a long moment before rolling his eyes.
Anna burst into laughter.
"If all of our future siblings grow up to be useless people who spend all day watching movies, television shows, and anime, our family name will become a complete disgrace."
Anton merely shrugged.
His reaction made both Anders and Anna laugh even harder.
None of them had been born into nobility. At heart, they were simply farmers who had risen far beyond their original station. Because of that, they cared very little about noble concerns such as family prestige, lineage, or legacy.
When it was Anna's turn to give her update, she sheepishly admitted that she had only managed to max out her ladder characters so far. She confessed that she and her online gaming friends spent so much time chatting about fashion, relationships, and other girly topics that their Diablo II playthrough had progressed at a painfully slow pace.
She also explained that her online friends considered her something of a novelty because she knew so little about the modern world. They had accepted her explanation that she lived in a third-world country that had only recently gained access to electricity and the internet. According to her story, her internet access was extremely limited, allowing her to do little more than play Diablo II.
"I'm not convinced they actually believed that," Anton teased. "If I were them, I wouldn't. They were probably just humoring you."
Anna sighed.
"You're probably right."
"Can your system give me access to the internet?" she asked hopefully.
Anton shrugged.
"I can submit the request. If my Diablo System decides to grant it, then great. If not, there's nothing I can do."
"How do you even make requests to your system?" Anders asked.
"My Diablo System gave me a web browser that connects to Earth's internet. That's how I obtain movies, television shows, and visit different websites. Whenever I want to request a new feature, I simply type the request into the browser. Sometimes, after a while, the system sends me a message saying the request has been approved. If it doesn't want to grant the request, it simply ignores it."
Anna continued pestering him until Anton finally gave in and submitted her request through the browser.
"Now we wait," he said.
When it was Anton's turn to report, he spoke about his concerns regarding the Izmortans' rebirth process.
Although he was fairly certain the ritual—which had been designed primarily for novice applicants—would not interfere with his Diablo System, a small seed of doubt remained.
To eliminate that uncertainty, he had granted access to the non-ladder multiplayer mode of Diablo II to two of his friends aboard the ship.
Once they arrived in Izmorta, the two would undergo the rebirth process first and report whether their access to the Diablo System remained intact. If everything worked as expected, Anton would then join one of Izmorta's magical organizations and undergo the ritual himself.
He also explained that he had agreed with both friends. After they joined one of Izmorta's magical organizations, he would revoke their access to his Diablo System.
"You can actually do that?" Anna asked in surprise.
"Yes. I don't even have to be near them. Once I decide to revoke someone's access, I can do it anytime and from anywhere," Anton replied.
"So that's what that password-protected non-ladder game was. I saw it while helping Sonya level up, but I couldn't join because it required a password. I was wondering why you had suddenly started playing non-ladder. The effects of your system are incredible. Are you sure they'll willingly let you take it away?" Anders asked.
"We discussed everything thoroughly. I explained exactly what I needed and how my system worked. As usual, I described it as my bloodline magic. Once they understood everything, they signed a magically binding contract that included a non-disclosure agreement. I also paid each of them one hundred thousand gold coins."
Anna frowned.
"I don't know. If it were me, one hundred thousand gold coins wouldn't be nearly enough compensation for losing the powers your system provides."
"I agree," Anton admitted. "But they don't really have a choice. As I said, I can revoke their access whenever I want. Since they're my friends, though, I'll give them another option. If they want to keep using my system, they can simply give up on joining one of Izmorta's magical organizations and return to Ormunda to become part of our family instead."
He smiled.
"I think there's a good chance they'll choose that. They never seemed particularly interested in joining the Izmortan wizards in the first place. They were only pursuing it because of pressure from their fathers."
"Are they capable?" Anders asked.
Anton simply shrugged.
"It doesn't matter. They're my friends. If they join our family, they'll just work alongside Kirk and the others."