Chapter 123: Patriarch System

Ethan stared at the notification floating before him, waiting for something to happen. Unfortunately, the system seemed determined to keep him in suspense, as the words [Patriarch System Updating ? ? ?] remained on the screen without any further explanation.

He waited for a few seconds, then leaned back against the sofa.

‘How long is this going to take?’

He had dealt with countless complicated situations during his previous life as Victor Caldwell, but waiting for an unpredictable system to finish upgrading was a new experience even for him. He couldn’t exactly call customer service to complain about the delay, either.

Ethan shook his head and glanced toward the bedroom. Evelyn had joined Nora and had gone inside to rest after returning home, leaving him alone in the living room. The house was unusually quiet.

He considered checking on them, but decided against it. There was no reason to disturb their rest just because he was restless about the upgrade.

Instead, he took out his phone and checked a few messages. Lucas hadn’t sent him any updates yet, which wasn’t particularly surprising.

‘Besides, he probably just gave his wife the pill. He’ll be busy.’

Ethan had asked him to investigate the suspicious businessman who had purchased all their bulk fruits, and it would take time to find anything useful. He also wanted Lucas to look into Samuel Wayne’s connections, especially those involving Mobos Game Company and its affiliates.

‘That fellow has been unusually quiet lately. I wonder what he’s planning.’

Ethan tapped his fingers against the armrest. He wasn’t in a hurry to act, but he didn’t intend to let Samuel continue operating without knowing what was happening around him. If the man wanted to make another move against Evelyn’s business, Ethan would make sure he regretted it.

However, that could wait.

His attention returned to the system notification, and he couldn’t help wondering what kind of changes the upgrade would bring. The Patriarch System had initially seemed rather straightforward. It monitored his family’s happiness and gave him missions, occasionally rewarding him with things that could help him improve their lives.

Now, it was apparently expanding its functions.

‘Hopefully, the upgrade doesn’t turn you into some complicated machine that requires me to complete a hundred tasks just to check my own status.’

He chuckled at the thought before settling more comfortably into the sofa.

Time passed slowly. Ethan checked his phone, browsed through a few business updates, and even considered getting himself something to drink. Every now and then, he glanced at the system screen, but it remained unchanged.

After a while, he put his phone aside and closed his eyes.

He wasn’t particularly tired, but he had no intention of wasting his evening staring at a notification. Besides, Evelyn and Nora would eventually come out of the bedroom, and he still had dinner to prepare.

It wasn’t until nearly an hour later that the system finally responded.

Ding!

Ethan’s eyes opened immediately.

A familiar notification appeared before him, followed by a soft flicker of light. The old interface disappeared, and a new screen unfolded in front of him.

[Patriarch System Upgrade Complete!]

[Congratulations, Host! The Patriarch System has been successfully upgraded.] 𝑓𝑟ℯℴ𝓂

[New functions have been unlocked. Please check your updated status window.]

Ethan sat upright, his expression brightening with interest.

‘Finally! I was beginning to think you had decided to take the entire evening off.’

He willed it, and the status window appeared.

[Name: Ethan Hale]

[Age: 29]

[Patriarch Qualification: C- Rank]

[Family Happiness: 60.4%]

[Family Trust: Stable]

[Family Reputation: Ordinary]

[Family Assets: Eve Refreshments and other assets]

Ethan stared at the screen for a moment before his eyebrows rose.

‘Oh?’

He read through the information again, paying particular attention to the three new entries

Family Trust, Family Reputation, and Family Assets.

The system had previously focused almost entirely on family happiness, giving him a percentage that reflected the condition of his household. Now, it had introduced additional information that seemed to provide a broader picture of his progress as a patriarch.

‘So, the upgrade wasn’t just cosmetic.’

Ethan leaned forward, studying the interface with genuine interest. He had already known that his relationship with Evelyn and Nora was improving, but seeing the information presented this way gave him a different perspective.

Family Happiness stood at 60.4%.

He couldn’t help smiling faintly. Compared to the early days, when his relationship with his family had been practically nonexistent, that was a considerable improvement. There was still a long way to go, but he wasn’t dissatisfied with the progress.

‘At least we’re no longer living together like strangers.’

His gaze moved to Family Trust.

‘Stable, huh?’

It was an interesting description. The system hadn’t given him a percentage or a numerical score, instead choosing a simple word to summarize the condition of the family’s trust in him.

Ethan rubbed his chin.

‘Does that mean the trust we’ve built is holding steady? Or is there some other meaning behind it?’

He couldn’t be certain, and the system didn’t offer any additional explanation. He decided not to ask yet.

He moved on to Family Reputation, which was currently listed as Ordinary. That made sense. Although Eve Refreshments was gaining customers and attracting attention, it was still a relatively small business. Most people in Arcane City had probably never heard of the Hale family, and there was no reason to expect their reputation to change overnight.

Finally, he looked at Family Assets. Only the Eve Refreshments stood out. They didn’t really have any other business in his name or hers.

Ethan nodded slowly.

‘Now, that’s useful.’

The system appeared to be recognizing the family’s material foundation, something that could become increasingly important as their circumstances changed. It would be interesting to see how the entry developed if Evelyn’s business expanded or if he acquired other assets that contributed to the family’s stability.

He wondered whether the system would eventually provide more detailed information, but he decided not to dwell on it.

For now, the interface was already a welcome improvement.

Ethan closed the window and stood up from the sofa. He had spent nearly an hour waiting for the upgrade, and he wasn’t going to waste the rest of the evening examining the same information repeatedly.

‘I’ll figure out the details as they come.’

He headed toward the kitchen, intending to prepare dinner before Evelyn and Nora finished resting.

…

Ethan had just taken the ingredients out of the refrigerator when he heard footsteps approaching.

He turned around and found Evelyn standing at the kitchen entrance, her hair slightly tousled from resting. She looked at the ingredients on the counter before turning to him with a curious expression.

“Are you preparing dinner already?”

Ethan smiled. “That’s the plan. Did you sleep well?”

She nodded, rubbing one eye. “Yes. I didn’t realize how tired I was until I lay down.”

“Then you should have rested a little longer,” He said.

“I’m fine now.” Evelyn stepped into the kitchen and glanced at the ingredients again. “Besides, you can’t keep doing everything yourself.”

Ethan raised an eyebrow. “And what exactly are you planning to do?”

“Help you, of course.”

He looked at her for a moment before smiling. “Alright. Since you’re so eager, you can help me prepare dinner.”