Chapter 10 "To Find His Treasures"

In the chaotic war between Hermit and Gavor back in 1980, General Arthur Troce and his loyal troops managed to stash away all the gold and treasures in a hidden basement.

“We're heading back to the military base!” the General ordered.

Colonel Lake, his trusted ally, hesitated, “General, are you sure about this?”

“Sure about what?” Arthur shot back, locking eyes with his friend.

“You’ve spent years serving this country. This treasure represents your courage. Once the war wraps up, you could retire and live a peaceful life with this fortune.”

“Are you really suggesting I should enjoy a comfortable life while our fellow citizens suffer through the war?”

The Colonel fell silent, acutely aware of the General's deep-seated love for their homeland.

“Our people have endured unimaginable hardships under Gavor’s rule. After this war, they’ll need support from the government. But let’s be real—the current administration is completely useless. Do you honestly believe they will come to the aid of the people? They might very well squander every resource to flee to safer shores, leaving those who are hurting behind if we lose. Therefore, I make this pledge: I will dedicate all my remaining wealth to forge a brighter future for our children. For the honor of Hermit.”

The basement door slammed shut. But General Arthur Troce never got the chance to unlock the hidden treasure because he bit the dust in the battle.

“Who would’ve guessed my treasure was right here?” Arthur sneered, eyeing the massive mansion.

After booting the Shawn family out, Mr. Harry Chain and the party guests were gone, leaving Arthur all alone in his own house.

“Can you believe those people had the audacity to act like this place was theirs?” He laughed at the nerve of his in-laws. Or should he say, his future ex-in-laws?

On the second thought, he remembered a memory of the original owner of his body.

“If you truly love me, you have to be ready to give me everything!” Lea, Arthur’s wife, insisted.

“I love you, Lea. You know that. But I can’t just hand over what you’re asking for. I’ll work my fingers to the bone to give you a good life. I’d even crawl through the mud for you. But I can’t agree to your demand this time.”

"Listen up, Arthur! My family took you in, even when you had nothing to your name. Was it really that difficult to hand over the mansion title to us? Look at my grandma! She's frail and has fallen in love with that house. She doesn't want to go anywhere else! If you truly care about me, just sign the damn paper and let us have the house!"

Arthur let out a deep sigh and shook his head. “I’m really sorry, sweetheart. I’ve got nothing in my bank account. That house is all I own, and it’s more than just a house; it’s been in my family since my great-great-grandfather. How can I just hand it over? I’ve already let your family stay there, even though they’ve treated me poorly. I’m not about to live in my own mansion while paying rent for an apartment!”

"You’re acting like my family is just leeching off you. How could you say that?!" Lea spun around and said, “Of course. You don’t care about me at all. It's not the love I expected before marrying you. Maybe it’s best to just end this marriage.” She was ready to walk away.

But then, Arthur grabbed her arm. Next thing, he was on his knees in front of her, begging, “Please! Please, Lea, don’t go. I’ll do anything for you. Just give me a moment to think.”

“Ha. At least you’re not completely clueless. Don’t take too long. Otherwise, I’ll hit you with divorce papers.”

Without looking back, Lea walked out on Arthur.

After thinking about someone else's past, Arthur chuckled to himself.

“He’s a fool for loving the wrong person. But at least he didn’t hand over the mansion.”

Because if he had given away the mansion, he might never find his treasures again.

“Anyway, how did it end in this place?” Arthur murmured while looking around the empty mansion.

He always thought he had no ties to Arthur Dwight and that he just happened to be in this body. But it felt like fate had a hand in this, especially since he was the owner of the place.

“I guess I need to dig into this guy’s history,” he said as he stepped out of the mansion.

The former general had no kids or a wife, which made it hard to believe that Arthur Dwight could be his great-grandson.

But before getting lost in that thought, he reminded himself to focus on finding the hidden gold.

He claimed his treasures were in the mansion, so why was he outside?

“The gold isn’t under the mansion,” he said, sitting down and feeling the soil.

The ground around the mansion was mostly clay and peat, not exactly the best for a basement.

“I remember telling my soldiers to pick the right spot to bury my gold,” he said, starting to wander through the garden.

After hours of searching, Arthur stumbled upon a strange area outside the mansion with loamy, sandy soil.

A triumphant smile spread across his face. It looked like he had found the perfect place to dig, but it could take months to finish. He didn’t want to raise any alarms, so…

Arthur pulled out his phone and called Mr. Jules Chain.

“Yes, Arthur. Why did you call?” responded the old man.

“Mr. Chain. I know that you are done fulfilling my wish. But can I ask another favor?”

“Of course. I am always open in listening. What do you want this time?”

“I need you to arrange for some trucks, excavators, backhoe loaders, bulldozers, and dump trucks.”

“Wait, what? Did I catch that right?”

“Absolutely, Sir. I need them ASAP, and I’m ready to cover the rental costs.”

“That’s a bit unusual. But how can I say no to the person who helped my granddaughter? Consider it done. Just out of curiosity, what’s the plan?”

Arthur glanced down, a smirk on his face, and said, “I’ve got some digging to do, old man.”

** ** **

"What a miserable wretch! After I took him into our family as our in-law, he had the audacity to disgrace us in front of our guests and even booted us out!” Elder Margaret of the Shawn clan bellowed. Her fury palpable by the wrinkles of her face.

“I should’ve taken that scoundrel out ages ago!” Andrew growled, his teeth clenched. “He had the nerve to ruin my celebration!”

“By the way, I had no clue that the mansion was actually my brother-in-law’s. Just figured it out today,” Mark said, earning a chorus of incredulous glares. “What’s with the stares?”

With a heavy sigh, Lea’s father turned to his daughter, asking, “Sweetheart, what’s going on with your husband? He’s usually so compliant! Why the sudden rebellion?”

“That…” Lea stammered, struggling for words.

“It’s your fault,” her mother shot back, eyes blazing at Lea. “You’ve finally wrecked your marriage! How could you decide to divorce Arthur without a word to us?!?”

Lea quaked with dread. She never intended for things to spiral like this. Now, she had dashed her mother and grandmother’s dreams!

“If you’re after the mansion, don’t fret,” a voice interjected.

The entire Shawn family—Margaret, Geoffrey, Adyta, Lea, Andrew, and Mark—turned to see the figure of Mr. Harry Chain approaching.

“Oh Mr. Chain, thank you so much for giving us a temporary place to stay,” Adyta said.

“No need for pleasantries. You’re not just some random faces to me,” Harry snapped. He went on, “So forget about the mansion. I’ll make sure you’re back in that place before you know it.”

With a quick snap of his fingers, a man appeared at his side. “Yes, Mr. Harry?”

Harry smirked and commanded, “Rally the men. It’s time to show someone what happens when they cross us.”

Lea’s eyes went wide at his words. She rushed over to Harry and exclaimed, “Mr. Chain, wait! Why are you calling your men?”

Harry shot back, “Your family needs that mansion back. Isn’t this the perfect way to reclaim it from your pathetic husband?”

Before she could even respond, Lea’s brother chimed in, “Exactly! Harry’s got the right idea! Let’s make Arthur regret ever messing with us!”