I Died and Became a Noble's Heir

Chapter 490: Storage

The portal opened in the Kaiser estate’s private courtyard, reality tearing apart to reveal the familiar cobblestone and ancient architecture of the family domain.

Jack stepped through first, his boots touching Elysium soil for the first time in five days. Though for him, one hundred twenty days had passed in Tartarus Spire’s accelerated time.

The estate stretched before him, surrounded by rolling hills and dense forests that marked the Kaiser family’s ancestral lands.

Mountains rose in the distance, their peaks touching clouds that drifted lazily across the afternoon sky.

Rhys emerged behind him while Slyph hovered near his head, her green aura brightening as she took in the open sky and natural sunlight.

Luxuries the tower’s perpetual twilight never provided.

Father Caelen stepped through last, taking a breath of fresh air.

The portal collapsed behind them, and the afternoon sun warmed the courtyard’s stone.

”Young Master!”

The voice carried from the estate’s entrance, and Jack turned to see Seraphina rushing toward him so fast she’d been watching for his return.

His personal handmaid had served the Kaiser family for decades. She cared for Jack even during the ten years he’d spent in a coma, never giving up hope that he’d wake.

She stopped at a respectful distance, her hands clasped in front of her, but her eyes showed relief so profound it bordered on tears. ”You’re back. You’re unharmed.”

”I’m fine, Seraphina,” Jack replied, his tone carrying genuine warmth reserved for the few people he considered family. ”The dungeon was cleared without incident. Rhys performed well.”

Seraphina’s gaze shifted to Rhys, taking in the young man’s exhausted features, his hands still trembling slightly from weeks of near-constant combat.

”Welcome back, young master Rhys. I’ll have rooms prepared immediately and meals sent...”

”That can wait,” Jack interrupted gently. ”Where’s everyone else?”

”Lady Octavia is in the study reviewing ledgers. Lady Celeste is... somewhere on the grounds, likely gambling with the guards again. Young Lady Annabelle is in her studio. And Lady Genevieve is overseeing the gardens.”

Seraphina paused. ”Lord Alaric remains in the South; he should be returning soon.”

Jack nodded, processing the information. His father’s absence was expected. After all, he gave his father information on remnants of the Thorne Clan. ”And our guest? Lady Aurora?”

Seraphina’s composed demeanor gave way to a playful smile as she was momentarily taken aback by Jack’s inquiry.

”Still in residence, Young Master. She’s been waiting quite anxiously for your return.”

”That’sgood to hear,” Jack said, though internally he felt the bracelet on his wrist pulse with warmth at the mention of Aurora’s name.

Thirteen days since Zephyros had given him the cursed bracelet. Seventeen days remain before the bet concludes, and he could ask his question about breaking Aurora’s curse.

”I need to speak with Octavia first,” Jack continued, already moving toward the estate’s entrance. ”Business matters that can’t wait.”

He walked through the main doors, his boots echoing on polished marble floors as he navigated corridors he’d known since childhood.

Rhys and Father Caelen followed at a respectful distance, while Seraphina moved ahead to ensure Octavia was prepared for the meeting.

Octavia maintained an impeccable posture while seated at her desk, a testament to her endurance after several hours spent reviewing financial records. As Jack entered, the eldest Kaiser daughter’s expression transitioned seamlessly from focused concentration to discernible relief.

”Brother,” she said, standing immediately. ”You’re back early. I wasn’t expecting you for another two days at minimum.”

”The dungeon was more straightforward than anticipated,” Jack replied, settling into the chair across from her desk.

”And I have a trip to prepare for. Two days before, I need to escort Lyra to her shrine.”

Octavia observed his face with keen discernment. ”Your eyes.”

Jack’s hand moved to his face reflexively. The golden lightning that had marked his pupils since his contract.

But Octavia was right, something was different.

The color was slightly stronger and more vibrant.

”A side effect of extensive mana usage,” Jack said, the lie coming easily. ”Nothing permanent.”

Octavia’s expression indicated a degree of skepticism, yet she possessed the discernment not to press the matter further. ”If you say so. Though Mother will notice.”

”Mother notices everything,” Jack agreed. ”Which is why I’m here first. Business before family interrogation. What’s the status of our ventures?”

Octavia’s demeanor promptly transitioned to a state of professional efficiency, a quality that rendered her indispensable to the family’s operations.

She retrieved a ledger from the stack on her desk, opening it to pages filled with meticulous handwriting and numerical data.

”The soap enterprise continues to exceed projections,” she began, her finger tracking down the columns. ”Distribution has expanded to seventeen major cities across the Empire. The shampoo and conditioner products are particularly popular among nobility. Several houses have placed standing orders for monthly deliveries.”

She turned the page. ”Embersalt production has stabilized after the initial supply issues. The matches are selling faster than we can produce them, but that’s intentional scarcity that maintains premium pricing. Overall profit for the quarter...”

Octavia looked up, her expression carrying satisfaction that bordered on pride. ”Two million, two hundred eighty-six thousand, two hundred gold pieces.”

The number hung in the air between them.

Jack had expected significant returns. The products he’d introduced were revolutionary by Elysium’s standards, filling market gaps that had existed for centuries.

But hearing the actual figure was still striking.

”Show me,” Jack demanded.

Octavia stood and moved to a reinforced cabinet built into the study’s wall. She produced a key from her desk drawer, unlocking mechanisms that clicked open.

A master craftsman created this contraption for nobility to hide their valuables from prying eyes.

The cabinet doors swung open to reveal stacks of gold coins arranged in neat rows, each stack representing thousands of pieces.

The sheer volume was staggering. Gold gleamed in the afternoon light, representing decades of trade, negotiation, and successful market penetration for most noble families.

But for Jack, revolutionizing the world with a system that had blueprints for everything made it quite easy to be leaps and bounds above nobility.

Jack stood, approaching the cabinet to examine the fortune that had been generated in his absence. His mind was already working through the logistics of what came next.

”I need to store this,” Jack said, pulling up his system interface with a thought.

[Current Reputation Points: 11,116,121]

[Storage Upgrade Available]

[Cost: 1,000,000 Reputation Points]

[New Capacity: 100,000 Item Slots]

[Gold Capacity: 10,000,000]

[Confirm Purchase?]

Jack selected yes without hesitation.

[Purchase Confirmed]

[Reputation Points Remaining: 10,116,121]

[Storage Upgraded Successfully]

His system storage is expanding exponentially, creating space that defies the laws of physics. What had been limited slots now accommodated 100,000 items, with dedicated capacity for 10 million gold pieces.

Jack reached toward the cabinet, and the gold began to vanish.

Entire stacks disappeared in flashes of dark energy as the system storage absorbed them.

Octavia just calmly accepted it; she’d seen Jack’s weird abilities before and knew not to ask how they worked.

Within seconds, all two million, two hundred eighty-six thousand, two hundred gold pieces had been stored.

Jack pulled three hundred coins back out, the gold materializing in his hand with the same dark energy that had absorbed the rest. He set them on Octavia’s desk in neat stacks.

”Distribute these among all the workers and staff,” Jack said, his tone carrying the finality of an order that wasn’t negotiable. ”Everyone involved in the business, everyone who works the estate, everyone who contributed to this success. Equal shares.”

Octavia’s eyes widened slightly. ”Brother, that’s incredibly generous. Most nobles wouldn’t...”

”Most nobles are idiots who don’t understand that loyal workers produce better results than resentful ones,” Jack interrupted. ”These people made this fortune possible. They deserve to benefit from it.”

He gestured at the ledger still open on her desk. ”And restock all supplies. Shampoo, conditioner, embersalt, matches. Make sure staff and workers have access to the products they help create. Their quality of life improves, our reputation improves, everyone wins.”

Octavia nodded, already making notes in a separate ledger. ”I’ll handle it personally. The staff will be thrilled. You’re the only noble I know who treats workers like actual people rather than disposable resources.”

”Which is why they’re loyal to the Kaiser family rather than just afraid of us,” Jack replied. ”Fear works, but loyalty lasts longer.”

He moved back toward the study’s entrance, already thinking about what came next.

The meeting with his mother. Dinner with the family. And tomorrow, the entire day with Aurora while fighting the bracelet’s influence with every passing hour.

”One more thing,” Jack said, pausing at the door.