Ranking System

"My lord. These are all the slaves we have picked out." The head butler had gathered five people.

All five were neatly dressed, assuming they had cleaned up before they arrived, with three males and two females.

"Have you checked if they're qualified to do my work?" I didn't want to waste time talking to them if they weren't capable.

"Some of these slaves were former nobles. I have checked their qualifications, and I judge them capable enough to do your paperwork." The head butler gave his honest thoughts.

"Very well. You five, starting tomorrow, will start working. Food, shelter, and a comfortable sleeping space will be provided."

"You will be working eight hours a day, and for the remaining time, it doesn't matter as long as it doesn't cause me trouble. Any questions?"

"Master... As for very important matters, how will we deal with them?" One of the slaves asked, and seeing his reluctance to call me master, I could tell he was a former noble.

"I will trust in your judgment. However, make any mistake, and you will be punished. Deliberately sabotaging me will be death in the most painful way. And having thoughts of betraying me will give you a painful wake-up call." Stating my terms, I cursed them with the conditions I gave out.

"You can test it now, if you so dare." Seeing that no one was in pain, no one dared.

"Go, let everyone get sorted out in this castle. They will have a long day ahead of them tomorrow. I will be leaving and doing some more exploring of the city."

"Yes, my lord. Please ask your guide if you have any issues around the city." With me telling them to leave, the five followed the head butler out of my office.

Kelsy wasn't needed where I was about to go. With how easy it was to find where I lived, getting lost was practically impossible. Now the paperwork issue was out of the way. It's time for a cleanse.

~

[Third-Person POV]

"Father! Do you have any information you could use against the city lord? That man stole my childhood, sweetheart!" Anger could be heard in the young noble's voice.

"Sheldon. Give it up. Your "sweetheart" hasn't given you attention for all these years, and getting mad because she loves someone else is unfitting for your stature." The father was secretly glad that Sheldon's sweetheart was taken.

All these years, because of his sweetheart's unwillingness to be with his son, his family name was getting mocked for being a bootlicker.

Seeing Sheldon chase unrequited love was a waste of time, and the father knew it was pointless. At one point, the father wanted to force his "sweetheart's" family to agree to a business-related marriage. Still, if news got out of that happening, his family's reputation would be more tarnished than it is.

"Give up??? Do you want me to give up after I kept these feelings for years???" Seeing his son's overdramatic expression, the father couldn't help but sigh.

He was glad that Sheldon wasn't the first son. Otherwise, he would have to remove Sheldon from his position as heir.

In Chrome City, besides the city lord, two noble families stood tall against the rest, the Cross and the Rise families.

The father, known as Kernal Cross, stood in as the head of his side of the family. The relationship between the Cross family and the Rise family was neutral, despite them being at the top.

"There are times when you don't get everything. So just grow up and forget about her. If you can't do that, leave." Kernal said nothing else and left his son on his own.

As a noble, he couldn't stand around and do nothing. There is always important business to attend to.

"Nel. Watch over, Sheldon. I don't want him doing something stupid."

~

"UAHH!!!" Frustration could be seen on Sheldon's face. Ever since the new city lord arrived, things have been going south.

Lashing out in anger, he slammed his fist onto a desk. His fist had turned red, but with the high range of his emotions, the pain didn't affect him at all.

"That lowly bastard. Watch how I take that bitch with me and make him watch!"

Nel, the guard who hid in the shadow and observed Sheldon from a distance, couldn't help but sigh at the noble's attitude.

If Sheldon were going to do what he said, then Nel himself would have to put in some work to stop Sheldon from doing what he was about to do.

Even if the Cross family was at the top of the food chain, their power was still limited. If news broke that the second son was assaulting a noble's daughter, a massive backlash would start heading their way.

"Currie!"

"Yes, Young Master?"

"Try to lure that bitch Eliz into a secluded place. After luring her, get that city lord to watch!" Currie, one of the maids, looked at Sheldon like he was an idiot.

Despite that idiotic plan, Currie had to carry out her duties as a maid. Someone stopped her from moving as she exited Sheldon's room.

"Ignore all of the Young Master's orders." Nel told Currie seriously.

"What should I do if Young Master finds out?" Currie was put in a tough spot. Both choices would cause harm to her. She felt this day was the worst it could have ever been.

"Take this. You're free to leave." Nel gave Currie a pile of gold. Knowing that Currie wouldn't be welcomed in this household, Nel gave Currie enough to love for a few years without work.

Currie was stunned by the amount she was given. She looked at Nel and bowed her head. Some nobles would have taken advantage of her and thrown her away. She thanked Nel and began packing up.

As for Nel, he started to sigh and decided to report on Sheldon's attitude. Seeing how irrational he was, an attitude change was a must.