The Secret Cult Chronicles of the Decaying Lake Manor

After the text disappeared, a new secret message appeared on the card table.

The Hunter's Trail

[Gender: Hunter 2, Secret Passage]

Patience and keenness are the virtues of a hunter, and a single, decisive strike is its reward.

By focusing his will on the dim [Rationality] card, George could sense that its cooldown period was still three days away.

With a wave of his hand, the cards automatically floated on the card table according to his will.

George nodded in satisfaction.

Of course, besides analyzing the books, his main purpose in using the card table this time was to get the "Song of Glass Island" card.

At that moment, with a thought, the card on the table, depicting a harp, flew out and landed in his palm.

Now George only needs to input a little spirituality to activate the card's function.

In an instant, a flood of information rushed into his consciousness.

But unlike before, this time it is a pure transmission of "perception" and "rhythm".

George, having withdrawn his thoughts, raised an eyebrow.

The knowledge mentioned that this skill required "musical coordination," which reminded him of some fragmented memories from the original owner's childhood.

That was when the original owner's mother was still alive.

In my memory, the Viscountess's most proficient instrument was a delicate harp placed in the music room on the second floor.

Her fingers danced across the strings, producing ethereal and gentle music that often drew "him" to sit beside her, chin in hand, completely absorbed in the music...

George smiled and shook his head. Happiness is often similar, and he couldn't help but become a little enamored with it.

The harp was indeed not very suitable for her, but the original owner's mother was not only good at playing the harp, but also played the piano and accordion.

She even taught the original owner the flute—an instrument that George had also learned before his transmigration.

In comparison, the original owner was indeed more talented in the flute and piano.

He stood up and walked to an inconspicuous cabinet on one side of the room.

He opened the cabinet door and found the silver flute he had carefully hidden away when he left home, among the several layers of items that were neatly wrapped at the bottom.

He took out the flute, and the cool metallic touch gave him a long-lost sense of familiarity.

George sat back down in front of the fireplace and brought the flute to his lips.

At first, he only played a few tentative notes, and the sounds that came out were strange.

But as he gradually relaxed, his fingers rediscovered memories on the keys, and a simple melody that his mother had taught him in his childhood slowly flowed out.

"Do-Re-Mi," he had also practiced this piece when he was a beginner in his previous life. It was as if two people were playing a perfectly harmonious piece at the same time in the room.

At the same time, he tried to activate the newly formed, warm spiritual spark within his body.

At first, it was a bit awkward, like trying to use an unfamiliar airflow to drive a bellows.

But as the melody progressed, he seemed to have found the knack.

Spirituality flows with the breath, permeating every note played.

The effect was immediate; the air in the room seemed to have undergone a subtle change.

What was originally just an ordinary flute sound now had an indescribable "luster," sounding purer and clearer.

It was as if the music melted into the warmth of the fireplace, gently enveloping him.

Following the knowledge conveyed by the cards, George consciously attempted to set the first "law"—to convey the emotion of "peace and tranquility"...

-----------------

In the Viscount's room, the Viscount, who was talking to the old lady, suddenly closed his eyes to listen.

He then gave a knowing smile and turned to the somewhat bewildered old lady beside him, saying, "I'm growing to appreciate George more and more, Mother."

The old lady nodded, slightly surprised.

"Oh, whatever happened, I'm glad to hear you say that."

She seemed to seize the opportunity and added, "Think about the days before he went to public school, Edward, what a perfect family we were back then."

"Yes, that was a really happy time. He had the most adorable qualities of both me and Ida, and he composed even more beautiful harmonies in our melodies."

In the end, the viscount, whose face was usually as pale as a mirror, suddenly became animated and beaming:

Seeing him is like seeing the confident and happy couple we were when we first fell in love. What a lovely, lovely thought.

"Oh, he's trying to get people to like him now, that little rascal."

Although the old lady did not know the reason for the viscount's emotional outburst, she was unwilling to miss the opportunity to ease the tension between father and son.

No matter what she said, or how compliant the Viscount appeared, she knew that words and memories could only flow like water through the Viscount's diamond-hard heart.

Let alone changing his mind, it would be difficult to even obscure the brilliance he radiates.

Finally, the Viscount seemed to snap out of his reverie.

His voice returned to normal, and he sounded much happier, but the old lady knew he hadn't changed at all.

"The saying 'One sacrifice, the rest receive enlightenment' has always held true."

Seeing his mother's worried expression, he added, "I don't blame you for not understanding the basic principles of the world, but a perfect solution is... well, extremely rare."

The old lady twitched the corners of her mouth, wanting to say something but remaining silent.

But the Viscount, with a gentle and refined manner, pointed out the unspoken meaning: "Yes, it is an act of cowardice."

He closed his eyes, as if immersed in his own world.

"I'm a coward, maybe."

-----------------

George spent an afternoon and a morning exploring his new skill, figuring out roughly how long he could safely use it and its effectiveness.

He took some time to discuss the matter with Bates, who agreed and offered some tactical suggestions.

At the same time, George handed the Hunting Guide back to the lieutenant, and unsurprisingly, saw a look of surprise in the latter's eyes.

He brushed it off by saying he had only glanced at it briefly.

The butler appeared beside George after lunch the next day.

"Young Master George, the master requests your presence on the third floor."

George nodded and followed the butler up the stairs.

The heavy carpet absorbed the sound of footsteps, with only the old wooden structure making a slight creaking sound underfoot.

"This staircase seems louder than I remember," George remarked casually, his gaze sweeping over the paintings on the wall.

The butler, maintaining a half-step lead, responded:

"The mansion is quite old, young master. Many things change over time, or reveal aspects that were previously overlooked."

“I remember when we were little you always told my brother and me that we were the guardians of the family—even though Alfred was terrified of those portraits,” George continued.

"It's our duty, young master. We all have high hopes for you and the second young master." The butler paused, as if recalling something.

"You preferred to stay in the library or by the lake back then."

"The library is a nice place, very quiet after Mr. Cupid (the governess) left. By the lake... it's quite windy." George smiled.

"Yes, it's very windy," Carson replied simply.

The two walked silently down the last flight of stairs and arrived at a relatively quiet corridor on the third floor.

Carson stopped in front of an oak door and opened it.