To ascend, I had no choice but to create games

Chapter 409: Chapter 248 The Attitude of the Nobility_1

“Welcome, Mr. Tang Mo.”

Following a well-mannered butler into a luxurious villa, Tang Mo noted that “New World” was quite exquisite.

The game’s setting boasted a distinct medieval flair, yet it also incorporated a reverence for Industrial Revolution technologies in its details.

In the meticulously maintained courtyard, ancient mage statues stood at the fountain’s center, suggesting that this world had been influenced by at least two distinct intellectual trends.

As a historical online fiction writer, Tang Mo found the history and style of other countries fascinating and was quite picky when playing games; a hint of inauthenticity would instantly dampen his interest, prompting him to leave.

It was for this reason that he had a special fondness for Fang Cheng Studio’s games, particularly after Fang Cheng perfectly recreated his novel “Heavenly Demon.” He had decided to buy three copies of every game from Fang Cheng Studio: one to play, one to collect, and one to spread the word.

Walking through the villa’s courtyard, Tang Mo’s delight in the surroundings grew with every step. The more he looked, the more satisfied he felt.

He had accepted the right quest.

Not long ago, the game operators had announced a temporary quest where players could be selected to become the private tutor of a large noble family, responsible for educating both the noble’s children and the noble themselves.

Upon successful acceptance, one would gain a substantial amount of experience, and unlocking second-tier skills would be no problem at all.

Tang Mo had taken the quest on a whim, never expecting to be selected right off the bat and assigned to the household of a fifth-tier noble to serve as a family tutor.

In Yifate, the noble hierarchy consisted of fifteen ranks, with the first rank being the highest and occupied by only seven individuals, and the fifteenth being the lowest.

Noble titles could be inherited and even divided; higher-ranked nobles could split their position into two of a lower rank, although such events were rare.

A fifth-level noble was already an illustrious figure, controlling most of Yifate’s resources, and a single word from them could determine the livelihoods of a hundred thousand people.

Moreover, although they ostensibly only operated within Yifate, their dominion actually included vast scattered settlements and various resource mining sites.

A city was like a fragmented kingdom of its own.

Following the butler into the grand villa, Tang Mo saw that the fifth-level noble had been waiting for some time, along with his wife and children.

Their attire was impeccable, their demeanor graceful; upon seeing Tang Mo, they bowed politely with neither servility nor arrogance and then personally led him to the parlor.

The musicians began to play, their skillful dynamics ensuring that the volume was just right, neither overshadowing the hosts nor failing to put the guest at ease. Such expertise could only have been honed over decades and was something only wealthy nobles could afford to cultivate.

Inviting Tang Mo to sit in the parlor, the fifth-tier noble twirled his goatee, which sparkled under the light.

“Welcome, envoy of the God of Education, I am a fifth-tier noble of Yifate, and you may call me Kevin. This is my wife, this is my mistress, this is my wife’s mistress, these are my children, these are my wife’s children, these are our children…”

Although he was aware that relationships among NPCs in the game could be complex, seeing it firsthand made Tang Mo feel his own sense of ethics might be somewhat conservative.

After introducing his complex family, Kevin dismissed everyone except the butler, who stayed by his side.

“You must have received word from the God of Education. I do not wish to defy the divine decree, so I will offer you the widest support. But I have one small request: I like historical stories, so if you wish to admonish me, I hope you can draw examples from history books, is that alright?”

The request was rather peculiar, sounding like an attempt to create obstacles for Tang Mo, preventing him from imposing restrictions on Kevin.

After all, envoys of the God of Education were there to regulate the nobility’s conduct, and no one likes having another authority figure looming over them.

Sometimes, not even a biological father would suffice.

Far from being irritated by the request, Tang Mo was actually pleased.

What’s not to like about getting paid just to read books?

While playing “The Supreme One,” he relied on the First Under Heaven storyteller for books, but now he had a chance for a free ride. How could he let such an opportunity slip away?

Thus, Tang Mo readily agreed, much to Kevin’s surprise.

Quickly overcoming his astonishment, Kevin happily summoned the butler to take Tang Mo to the library, instructing him to ensure all of Tang Mo’s reasonable requests were met.

Upon seeing Kevin’s library, Tang Mo too was thrilled.

Like a starving ghost before a feast or a lecher in a world of anime, Tang Mo lunged at the bookshelf, eager to flip through the pages.

The books weren’t cheap; after all, the paper industry wasn’t widely accessible yet, and each sheet was meticulously handcrafted.

Wood fibers had to be repeatedly hammered until dispersed, then lifted from the pulp with a fine grid to take shape. Only perfectly uniform and finely textured sheets were bound into books, while less uniform ones were used for writing letters.

The cost of just the paper for a single book could be tens of silver coins, and to match the book’s value, the ink had to be expensive, long-lasting, and fade-resistant, further increasing the book’s price.