MTLNOVEL Chapter 258: His Infernal Servants
He let the words sink in, then added, voice steel under silk, "Take the money. Gather your belongings. Leave any keys, badges, or codes on this table before you go. This mansion is mine now, and it will run my way."
For a heartbeat, no one moved. Then the maid whispered, "Five years…" like she couldn't believe her ears.
The butler tried again, voice cracking. "Sir, this is… highly irregular. Most employers would—"
Lux cut him off with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Most employers aren't me."
The stacks of cash seemed to glow under the chandelier, their weight filling the room with the intoxicating scent of ink and cotton. To mortals, money wasn't just power—it was oxygen. And Lux had just handed them enough to breathe freely for half a decade.
One by one, the disbelief cracked into something else. Greed. Relief. Gratitude edged with awe.
The chef whispered, "This is more than I could ever…" He trailed off, eyes wet, staring at the stacks like they were salvation.
The gardeners muttered their thanks, already stepping forward hesitantly, like children approaching an altar.
Lux watched it all with detached amusement. To him, this was nothing. To them, it was life-changing.
'Financial freedom,' he thought. 'My favorite kind of seduction. Make them remember me not as the man who cut them loose, but as the man who gave them everything.'
The butler finally bowed, stiff but genuine. "Very well, sir. I… we accept. Thank you."
Lux inclined his head, satisfied.
They filed forward, one by one, taking their share. The sound of paper rustling was loud in the stillness. The air smelled of money now, thick and overwhelming, mixing with lemon polish and garden roses until the whole room felt like a vault disguised as a mansion.
When the last key clinked onto the glass table, Lux straightened. His eyes swept over them, sharp, final.
"You're free now," he said simply. "Go home. And also, you," he pointed to the butler. "That previous painting earlier. Take it. That's your bonus." The words weren't cruel. They were absolute.
"Yes, sir."
And just like that, the staff dispersed. Some smiling, some stunned, some already calculating what to do with their sudden fortune. The chef clutched his stack like a lifeline. The maid wiped her eyes. Even the butler, proud to the last, dipped his head respectfully before leaving.
The doors shut. Silence fell. The mansion was his.
Lux let out a long breath and chuckled to himself.
"Goodbye liabilities," he murmured. "Hello assets."
He glanced at the remaining mountain of cash and, with a flick of his wrist, willed it back into dimensional storage. No need to let it sit around attracting moths—or mortal thieves.
The glass table gleamed empty once more, like the transaction had never happened. Only Lux knew how much leverage had just shifted.
The house was quiet now. Too quiet. Perfect.
He turned toward the wide glass windows again, sunlight spilling across his suit, and thought, 'Now… time to summon the real staff. The ones who won't faint at the smell of sulfur or panic when angels and demons start knocking at the door.'
"Summon..."
The air thickened. Circles of fire licked across the marble floor, and one by one, the contracts of Greed burned into existence.
[Summoning Result]
[Name: Lyra, The Puppet Mistress]
[Level: 78]
[Specialities: Infiltration, Crowd Control, Deception]
[Skills:
Marionette Swarm (Deploy puppet army to overwhelm targets)
Flesh Strings (Bind enemies with spectral threads)
False Host (Project illusions of living people)
Thousand Hands (Multi-task battlefield control)]
[Status: LOYAL SERVANT – Bound to Lux Vaelthorn]
Lyra emerged from the circle, a corset of black silk laced with silver thread clinging to her form, hands already weaving threads of glowing light. A dozen puppets clattered across the floor around her, bowing in eerie synchronicity. She curtsied with a smile sharp as a scalpel.
"Master Vaelthorn," she said smoothly. "Shall I pull strings for you?"
Lux chuckled. "As long as you don't try to pull mine."
[Name: Fenrir, The Wardwolf]
[Level: 92]
[Specialities: Security, Wards, Pack Summoning.]
[Skills:
Summon Pack (Calls wolves from the Underworld)
Infernal Ward (Erects protective barriers across chosen territory)
Fangstorm (Devastating melee combo)
Devotion Unbroken (Immunity to charm, fear, corruption)]
[Status : LOYAL SERVANT – Bound to Lux Vaelthorn]
The second circle erupted in molten red fire. From it padded a wolf the size of a car, then shrank and reshaped until a tall man with ember eyes stood in its place, suit strapped tight across his chest. His presence carried the musk of blood, iron, and damp earth.
He knelt on one knee. "Fenrir, at your service. I guard. I obey."
Lux smirked. "Good."
Fenrir grinned, teeth sharp. "My pack is ready." Shadows flickered—wolf-shapes stalking the edges of the room before fading again.
[Name: Veyra, The Bloomkeeper.]
[Level: 81]
[Specialities: Environmental Control, Stealth, Natural Weapons.]
[Skills:
Thornlash (Rapid, piercing vine attacks)
Swarm Call (Summons insects for reconnaissance or attack)
Verdant Spire (Rapid-growth plant constructs)
Quiet Bloom (Poisons infused into flora)]
[Status: LOYAL SERVANT – Bound to Lux Vaelthorn]
The third circle flared emerald. Roots cracked across the marble, and the scent of moss and nightshade filled the air. Veyra stepped forward barefoot, a simple black dress clinging to her pale frame, hair streaked with crawling beetles that vanished into green sparks.
She inclined her head only slightly, eyes calm, unblinking. "My lord."
Lux arched a brow, amused. "Hello, Veyra."
The three of them stood in a line, the runes still glowing faintly beneath their feet.
Lux let the silence hang just long enough to make it feel like a negotiation before smirking.
"You're not here to polish silverware. You're here to make this mansion a fortress, a vault, and a home fit for demons who like to drink wine without worrying about angels or demons crawling out of the swimming pool. Understood?"
They bowed as one.
[Security Rating: +300%]
[Operational Expenses: Negligible – "demonic loyalty" is cheaper than healthcare.]
[Profit Projection: Exponential]
Lux's smirk widened. 'Now this feels like home.'