The Villain’s Cheat Code: When a Gamer Becomes the Evil God’s Sidekick

Chapter 8: My House is Big, You Can Sleep Here When Tired

Viktor calmly reviewed the bill and placed it gently on the table.

"Lia, what are the sources of income for our domain?"

Hearing Viktor's question, Lia tilted her head and squinted at him. She chuckled lightly, her tone tinged with mockery, as if looking at an idiot.

"As a lord, you don't even know your own domain's income sources?"

Although Viktor truly didn't know, this didn't stop Lia from mocking her 'unworthy' lord brother.

"Listen up, our Kravina domain's main income comes from grain and mineral trade!"

As Lia explained, Viktor gained a general understanding.

The Kravina family owned a domain named 'Kravina'. The land was fertile, surrounded by lush forests. It was about a hundred kilometers from the capital, reachable by carriage in just one day.

As a result, the empire's second most prosperous town was located here.

The Kravina domain had a rich vein of minerals, sufficient for mining for over fifty years even now.

With its proximity to the capital, fertile land, bountiful harvests, and a mine at home, it would be hard for the Kravina family not to be wealthy.

"But recently, mineral production has decreased significantly, and it's not yet the harvest season for crops. The grain we've been selling was stored in granaries from last year," Lia said, facing Viktor with an angry tone.

"We need to ensure our domain's consumption of grain; we can't sell it all. Now the domain's income is very low, and at this critical moment, you dare to spend money like this!"

Viktor nodded after listening, his face expressionless but calm.

"Don't you have any sense of remorse?" Lia looked at Viktor in disbelief. She knew her brother was irresponsible, but surely he couldn't be this clueless.

Viktor thought for a moment, stroking his chin before responding:

"Go hire a few mages, then acquire a storefront in the busiest part of the capital and open a magic item shop."

Hearing Viktor's suggestion, Lia immediately bristled, exclaiming:

"Viktor! Haven't you listened to a word I've said?"

"Do you think such shops are rare in the capital?!"

"Even if you open a shop, so what?! Do you think your name carries more weight than all other merchants?"

"Viktor, do you even know how to do business?!"

Lia became increasingly agitated as she spoke.

She thought about how, after their parents' death, she had started learning to manage the domain from a young age, maintaining it for over ten years until now, with the domain still having some surplus.

No matter how much Viktor squandered, she had never complained.

But now, this clueless Viktor was trying to meddle in the family's business!

What was he trying to do?

As she spoke, she felt increasingly wronged.

Seeing that he couldn't calm Lia's emotions with words, Viktor didn't want to say much more. He simply waved his hand, and dozens of blue magic potions appeared on the table in front of them.

Lia was stunned, looking at the sea-blue colored potions on the table. Her about-to-erupt emotions suddenly paused.

"What is this?" She blinked.

Currently, no one had seen such magic potions before.

Items for restoring magic power did exist, but they all had one thing in common: they were rare and extremely expensive.

And only potions for healing injuries had appeared on the market, their effects quite different from the [Health Potions] used by players.

One was like drinking medicine for slow recovery, the other restored life values immediately upon consumption.

This was the difference between reality and game items.

Simply put, bringing game items into reality would be a pure bug.

Even a small instant recovery magic potion could become a god-tier item.

So Viktor didn't explain; coming from his mouth, it would still be too hard to believe.

Seeing is believing.

Viktor calmly instructed, "Go find some mages and have them cast spells until they're exhausted, then have them drink a bottle. You'll know what to do then."

Lia was extremely skeptical, but she still took all the potions.

"By the way, do you have any helpers?" Viktor asked.

Hearing Viktor's question, Lia sneered, "Oh, our great lord has learned to care about his subordinates?"

Viktor paid no mind to her sarcasm. After all, the poor relationship between the siblings was partly due to Viktor's inaction.

So, he simply repeated his question.

"Seriously, have you hired bodyguards or helpers for your merchant convoy?"

Lia snorted coldly.

"No, I don't trust others."

This meant that the Kravina domain's business had always been handled by Lia alone.

"Don't you encounter dangers on the road? Although the domain isn't far from the capital, it's still a full day's journey."

Lia was surprised that her unreliable brother actually cared about her for once, but this concern made her somewhat uncomfortable.

She leaned against the table, twirling a strand of hair around her finger, and turned her face away awkwardly.

"Um... no, we have our own trade routes. If we encounter any bandits or robbers, we just need to show our Kravina family crest, and they'll leave us alone. We generally don't have any problems."

"At least we haven't encountered any danger so far."

After saying this, she didn't look at Viktor, but instead took out a potion and examined it carefully.

Viktor nodded, then took off his right-hand Mage's Hand.

"Lia, listen carefully. This shop opening in the capital is no ordinary matter. Such precious items are likely to attract others' covetousness. Wear this; it can help you deal with some unexpected situations."

Lia looked at the glove Viktor handed her, put down the potion bottle, and hesitated.

"Don't worry, it's just a small mage's tool. It will automatically adjust to fit your hand size."

Lia thought that wasn't what she was concerned about, but she didn't explain. She reached out and took the fingerless glove, which still retained the warmth of Viktor's hand.

She felt the gems on the glove, and suddenly felt a surge of resentment.

As a merchant, she naturally understood what these were.

Magic stones, gems that could transmit magic, each worth millions...

He actually installed six of them on a single glove!

She grumbled internally, but surprisingly didn't attack Viktor.

Lia put on the glove, and as Viktor said, it automatically adjusted to fit her hand.

"Open your palm towards me, and focus your thoughts on the gems of the glove, any one will do."

She followed the instructions, opening her palm towards Viktor.

There was a green gem in the center, and she thought its color was very pretty.

'Is this enough?' 

As the question flashed through her mind, suddenly, the green gem began to glow faintly, and then...

Whoosh!

Like a ripple exploding, a magic array rapidly formed in Lia's palm!

Almost instantly, violent winds filled the entire study, papers fluttering noisily.

The whirlwind above the magic array kept growing!

Viktor's finger lightly tapped the desk, and a teleportation array quickly formed in the air.

After the whirlwind grew to a certain size, it was sucked into the teleportation array.

Immediately, the storm subsided.

A few seconds later, a shocking cracking sound was heard nearby.

Lia was stunned.

"Just now... was that?"

"Second-tier magic: [Fierce Gale], powerful enough to level a mountaintop."

"Don't be so surprised."

Seeing Lia's bewilderment, Viktor tapped the desk, and the magic array lingering in the air dissipated.

How could Lia not be surprised? She wasn't a mage; she had only seen others cast spells before.

And that magic just now was released from her own hand.

She was still in a daze.

"So this is what it feels like to cast magic."

She stood there blankly, even forgetting to lower her hand.

Viktor recharged the glove with magic and continued speaking to the shocked Lia: "Be careful. This demonstration wasn't just to let you grasp the knack, more importantly, it's to prevent accidents. You've seen how powerful it is."

"Pay attention to the number of uses. Each gem can only be used once."

"When they're used up, come back to me, and I'll replenish them."

Lia knew the preciousness of what Viktor had given her. It was priceless; at least in all her years, she had never seen equipment that allowed ordinary people to use magic.

She was about to say that selling it would surely make a fortune, but suddenly remembering Viktor's solemn attitude, she held her tongue.

This was something that could save lives.

Lia hesitated for a moment, then awkwardly said to Viktor: "Thank you."

Then she hurriedly left with the magic potions.

After the study door closed, the crow on Viktor's shoulder spoke:

"Aren't you reluctant to give this to others?"

"It's just an item, I can make it anytime I want, and besides, I don't really need it much."

The Mage's Hand didn't have many opportunities for use normally, except in PvP situations where it was very effective. As a tool for multiple instant spell casts, it was used to gain the upper hand or for emergency defense.

It was basically essential equipment for mage players during PK.

He didn't need it much at the moment.

Hearing Viktor's words, Vega didn't say anything more, but started calculating in his mind.

'I need to think of a way to persuade him to make one for me to play with.'

......

Early the next morning, Viktor had just finished breakfast and was about to leave for the academy. He had just tidied up his clothes when he saw a servant enter.

"My Lord, there's a lady outside who claims to be your teaching assistant. She says she's here to deliver notes and lecture drafts to you."

Viktor paused in the act of putting on his clothes.

Henie had come?

He didn't remember telling Henie to deliver things to his doorstep.

However, he still asked the servant to invite her in.

The result was seeing Henie's haggard face with dark circles under her eyes.

"Why do you look like this? Didn't you rest well?"

Henie seemed to wake up suddenly and said to Viktor:

"No, Professor, I forgot to sleep last night and wrote drafts all night."

This reason left Viktor at a loss for words.

"After Erica delivered the notes, I remembered you said to bring them to you, so I brought the lecture drafts along."

Looking at the drowsy Henie, Viktor really couldn't find it in himself to scold or educate her.

Should he say she was a bit foolish?

He was silent for a moment, then asked.

"Have you had breakfast?"

Henie shook her head. She had rushed over early in the morning, hadn't slept, and naturally hadn't eaten either.

Viktor waved his hand, instructing the servant to take her for breakfast and then arrange a room for her to rest properly.

Henie stammered an "Eh" and was about to say it wasn't necessary when she heard Viktor's tone that brooked no refusal.

"Fill your stomach, then rest."

Henie immediately wilted. She didn't dare to defy Viktor and lowered her head like a frost-bitten eggplant as the servant led her away.

As for Viktor, he had originally planned to go to the academy in the morning, but seeing Henie arrive, he changed his mind.

The class was in the afternoon, so he decided to look over Erica's homework and his lecture notes, spending the morning in the study.

Viktor was grading Erica's homework when, without turning his head, he asked Vega:

"What do you think of that child?"

Caught off guard by his question, Vega hesitated for a moment. It knew Viktor was referring to Henie.

"What do you mean?"

"Didn't you say you wanted me to gather followers for you?" Viktor stretched lazily, his fingers tapping on the lecture notes on the desk. He turned his head to look at Vega, his squinting eyes revealing both shrewdness and danger.

"This kind of naive and innocent person is the easiest to deceive."