The Secret Cult Chronicles of the Decaying Lake Manor

For privacy reasons, the lawyer, uncle, and George moved to the study.

The lawyer spread the documents from his briefcase on the desk and began explaining them one by one, starting with the first one, in clear and easy-to-understand language.

The inheritance of the family's main assets, the transfer of ownership of the estate and surrounding lands, and the management of deposit and investment accounts...

George was not familiar with these matters, and in his memory, the original owner knew very little about the family's business, so he had no idea whether this was normal.

As things stand, the De La Porte family’s assets mainly consist of real estate rental income and several long-term investments, plus a small share in one or two mines.

The explanation lasted for nearly half an hour, until Attorney McGill turned to the last part.

A stack of documents sealed with blue wax, wrapped in a dark brown paper bag adorned with intricate heraldic designs, was unlike any other document I had seen before.

"I personally call this part the 'special part'." The lawyer's finger stopped on the wax seal, and his tone became more solemn.

"The Delapor family entered into a special agreement with the Royal Family during the time of your grandfather, the first Viscount of the Lake of Decay. In return for certain special contributions, the family was granted a privilege that extends to the heirs."

Uncle Albert added, "This involves a special agreement with the Royal Family, and these assets and rights only become effective after you formally inherit the title and complete certain ceremonies."

George's gaze fell on the wax seal.

The wax seal was printed with a shield-shaped emblem divided into four equal parts, which looked strangely familiar.

"As your uncle said, the formal handover of the 'special part' requires specific witnesses," McGill continued.

"The High Court will send a representative with a special seal, and the Anti-Corruption Bureau will also send an inspector-level officer to witness the signing. The document will only be effective after all three parties have signed it."

"The inspector I mentioned earlier," George began, "is Mr. Douglas, right?"

McGill nodded. "Yes, Inspector Douglas. As is customary, for witnesses of these kinds of cases involving succession of privileges, the Bureau of Crime Prevention would assign an officer of equivalent rank."

"But the High Court representative..." George looked at his uncle.

The uncle replied, "We received a telegram earlier stating that the High Court representative would need at least three more days to arrive at Paradise Island."

"This means that what we can sign today is only a portion of the inheritance procedures." Attorney McGill pushed the blue-sealed documents aside.

"Once this part is completed, you will have effectively become the owner of the manor and the holder of most of its assets, while the 'special part' will have to wait until later."

George pondered for a moment.

"I understand." He reached out and picked up a pen. "Then let's finish the routine signing process first today."

In the time that followed, the study was filled with the rustling of papers, quiet discussions, and the soft sound of a pen gliding across documents.

George signed his name in the designated places one by one, and his uncle and lawyer also signed their names as witnesses.

When the last stroke was finished, McGill carefully put the document away and placed it in his leather briefcase.

"Then, my mission is basically complete. All that remains is to witness it." The lawyer stood up, straightened his suit cuffs, and said, "Congratulations in advance, Your Excellency Viscount de la Porte."

George slowly stood up.

"Thank you, Mr. McGill." His gaze fell on the spot where the blue-sealed document lay. "Regarding the 'special section,' do you know the specifics?"

The lawyer wore a polite but meaningless smile.

"My duties are limited to handling and witnessing legal procedures. The specific terms are usually learned by the heir through direct communication with family elders or relevant institutions."

As expected, an evasion.

Uncle Albert and Attorney McGill left the study together, while George went up to the third floor on his own.

The door to the alchemy room closed behind George.

He placed the two items he had taken from the organ that morning on the table.

Sunlight streamed through the window, the fire of the diamonds danced on the wooden table, and the silver key gleamed coldly.

George's consciousness sank into the card table in his mind and saw a new card.

【Xianqiu Diamonds (Part 1)】

[Sexual aspect: Star 2, Mirror 2, Medium]

[A beautifully cut diamond. After treatment, the special power it contains can only be used as a key—this is one of three.]

"Three..." George muttered to himself.

He left the card table and turned his gaze to the silver key.

The card table did not generate a card for the silver key—it was probably just an ordinary item, lacking any extraordinary characteristics worth recording on the card table.

George reached out, picked up the silver key, and examined it for a moment, but found no hidden mechanisms or spells.

He put the diamond and key back into his inner pocket, his brows furrowing slightly.

If diamonds are keys, and three are needed... then where might the remaining two be? And what can this ordinary silver key unlock?

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

After afternoon tea, George left the mansion alone under the pretext of taking a walk.

On the way back from the church, he subtly inquired about the places his mother frequented during the last days of her life, from his sister's descriptions of the locations along the grove.

He returned to the grove.

The autumn sun was beginning to set in the west, casting long shadows. Occasionally, a few squirrels would dart through the branches, making soft noises.

George slowed his pace and carefully observed the surrounding trees.

His gaze swept across tree trunk after tree, trying to find the features of the place Sybil had described where her mother often went to collect herbs such as mistletoe, heather, and aconite.

To be honest, seeing these beech trees made him crave roasted chestnuts.

The first one... the second one... the third one...

Time slipped away as the search continued.

As the twilight faded, shadows fell from the treetops, and the calls of tits and blackbirds thinned out, replaced by the short calls of roosting wood owls.

Undeterred by his fruitless search, George began to draw upon his spirituality to sharpen his senses.

After a while, he stopped in front of a tall oak tree.

George looked up at a strip of bark above his head, where several light brown vertical scars were visible.

It's clearly quite old, though not very noticeable in the dim woods; it would be hard to spot without some kind of spiritual blessing.

This should be the tree trunk that the Viscountess collected back then. The sunny side, the outer cork bark, and the fact that it was 1-2 meters above the ground many years ago all match the description.

He slowly circled the tree trunk, then took out a knife and started digging in the ground.

Finally, in the pit between the tangled tree roots, a small stone box appeared before them.

George took out the box and opened it.

Inside was a diamond that was almost identical in size and cut to the one from this morning.

The second key.

He carefully put away the diamonds and hurried back to the mansion along the same path he had come from.