When the officials heard Aiden’s announcement, their faces lit up with surprise and wonder.

They clearly hadn’t expected Aiden to gather them all just to introduce his personal maid.

Observing their reactions, Aiden felt a flash of satisfaction—none of them knew Serena’s true identity yet.

This was going to make things much easier.

With a normal smile, he gestured toward her and said, “I want each of you to shake hands with Serena and introduce yourselves. You’ll be seeing her quite often if you work hard.” His words carried a knowing smile.

The officials glanced at each other, catching the implied promise.

To them, it sounded like Aiden was hinting at a reward—a night of pleasure with Serena for those who proved loyal and hardworking.

Elation spread across their faces, and some began to perspire with excitement, wiping their brows with handkerchiefs.

The idea of competing for such a “prize” motivated them beyond belief.

“The master knows us well,” some muttered with creepy smiles, a few dropping their polite facades.

Many exchanged eager nods, already whispering among themselves and imagining what they might do with the beautiful girl before them.

Serena stood still as a statue, seeming entirely unperturbed by the lecherous looks directed her way.

Aiden allowed their misunderstanding to persist; he had no intention of letting any of them touch Serena, but their misinterpretation only made his job easier.

Maintaining his polite smile, he added.

“Go ahead, gentlemen—don’t be shy. Remember, it’s just a handshake.”

The officials, unable to hide their excitement, began to jostle for position, arguing over who would make the best impression on Serena.

Eventually, a line formed as each prepared to greet her.

Serena looked bewildered as she glanced at Aiden, but he leaned down and whispered.

“Just shake their hands. Use this as an opportunity to practice your powers.”

Recognizing this as a chance to prove her worth, Serena nodded firmly.

She removed the glove from her right hand.

Some of the officials gulped, captivated by the sight of her delicate, unblemished hand.

One by one, the stout and thin figures of the officials passed before Serena, each greeting her politely, hiding their true intentions as they tried to make a favorable impression.

Aiden stood beside her, his smile unwavering as he watched the line of men who, ignorant of their fate, thought they were competing for a reward, unaware they were sealing their doom.

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‘The ignorant are fearless’, he thought to himself.

Minutes later, the last official finished his handshake and joined the group, where they gathered to discuss, lick their lips, and ogle Serena from afar.

Aiden clapped his hands, drawing their attention.

“Well, it seems you all know what’s expected of you now. Before he died, my father entrusted me with looking after you all—and that’s exactly what I intend to do.”

One official gave a deep bow, his voice oozing false loyalty as he said.

“We’ll serve you with all our hearts, Master Aiden.”

Others nodded and clapped enthusiastically, cheering.

Aiden dismissed them with a wave.

“Return to your homes and rest. You are the future of our territory.”

One by one, they filed out, grinning, convinced they’d been promised a prize worth their loyalty.

When the room was empty, Aiden turned to Serena and spoke.

“Good work, Serena. I hope that wasn’t too difficult for you.”

Serena looked up at him with a smile, her eyes locking onto his.

“I’m glad to be of service, Master. It wasn’t difficult at all.”

Aiden noted a newfound conviction in her gaze, something that hadn’t been there before.

Pleased, he nodded.

“Tomorrow, we’ll continue with your power training. For now, rest.”

“Thank you, Master. I hope you rest well, too.” She bowed before turning and heading to her room.

With a sigh, Aiden went to his own room without bothering with dinner—he simply wasn’t in the mood.

Aiden lay down on his bed, feeling a familiar sense of calm settle over him.

This bed felt special; every time he rested on it, his plans and thoughts seemed to flow effortlessly.

“I’ll ask Abraham tomorrow if there’s some kind of enchantment on this bed,” he muttered.

Wrapped in its soft embrace, Aiden allowed his mind to drift, replaying everything the crow had told him.

He pushed aside thoughts of its identity for now—he was certain those mysteries would unravel eventually.

What concerned him most was his own strength.

Every organization had a leader, and that leader needed to be capable of controlling it all.

In a criminal organization, where most members were criminals at heart, they would only respect someone strong enough to command them.

If he didn’t establish his power, someone would eventually kill him to take control.

And then there was the protagonist and his allies; no matter how many people Aiden gathered, he wouldn’t stand a chance against them with all the cheats they possessed.

“Seems like I’ll need to do that sooner than I thought,” Aiden murmured.

If his body couldn’t become stronger, he’d need to find a power that didn’t rely on physical strength.

In this world, where gods existed, so did demons—humanity’s main enemies.

In the novel, demons weren’t introduced until near the end of the story.

One of the strongest demons had supported various Demon Kings, who appeared every few thousand years.

The protagonist would ultimately defeat several demons of varying levels, from low to high.

These demons made contracts with people, possessing them in exchange for fulfilling their desires. They acted according to their own motives, with the higher-ranked demons being far more powerful.

But the Church of the Five had ensured that demons were forgotten—or rather, their existence was deliberately hidden.

Demons came in many forms; some were harmless, while others were incredibly dangerous.

Aiden knew one demon who would likely not cause him trouble. The problem was how he would communicate with it.

He remembered the demon’s name but lacked the means to perform the communication ritual.

The terms of a deal were simple: one had to offer something of value to the demon, who would then fulfill the wish. Many people sold their souls for power, their souls eventually devoured by the demon after death.

Aiden, however, had no intention of giving up his soul. Knowing the demon he planned to contract with, he smirked.

His father had been executed publicly for corruption, but after reviewing the territory’s papers, Aiden had found his father’s journal.

There, he’d written that corruption hadn’t been the real reason for his execution. He had stolen something incredibly valuable and hidden it well—a secret that the Aiden of the novel had never discovered, which explained why his fate had ended so poorly.

There was a reason the emperor himself had executed his father; whatever he had stolen was priceless.

And Aiden knew exactly where to find it.

With the next steps in his plan falling into place, Aiden finally drifted into sleep.