"A magic book? What kind of magic book?"
Ethan's question struck Ave to her core, leaving her in silence. In truth, she had no idea what kind of magic book the Lindong Witch had left behind, nor could she imagine it. Besides, even if she knew, she wouldn't tell Ethan.
A magical masterpiece left by the Empire's most outstanding Elemental Shaper.
Just the title alone was enough to cost countless lives.
She shook her head, "It's not something you need to worry about."
"Then... what if you never find it?"
"A year."
Ave knew what Ethan was worried about, so she held out an index finger, "If I haven't found it in a year, I'll fulfill my promise and recommend you to work in the intelligence department of the main bureau."
"Deal!"
Ethan was still young; he could afford to wait a year. Plus, in the meantime, he could devote himself to running the Old Sen Magic Scroll Shop and save up enough living expenses before heading to work at the Imperial Capital Bureau.
He added, "In that case, I won't disturb you today. Miss Keroy and I will head back."
"Head back? To where?"
Ave tilted her head in confusion, causing the blonde hair on top of her head to lift as well.
"First go back to the Guild to pack my things. I've transferred to the Reception Bureau, so I need to clean out my original place."
The only thing Ethan felt was a shame was the room on the second floor of the Guild. It was an employee benefit that allowed him to live there rent-free for two years, saving a significant amount of money on rent.
"Where do you plan to move?"
Though Ethan could be annoying at times, and he once sneezed her into the sea, given that he was currently working under her, it was necessary to pay attention to his living conditions. Plus, Ethan had just spent a large sum of gold lions to buy books, so his savings were likely depleted.
This was Ave's first time being a supervisor, and she decided to be a responsible one.
"The small cabin in the mountains. With a bit of tidying up, it's actually quite nice."
Ethan was an optimistic person, despite the cabin's small flaws, like the fact that a body had been dragged into the house, resembling a cult sacrifice scene, with blood splattered everywhere. Later, several people died at the entrance, and their cremated ashes were buried in jars at the doorstep. The cabin was also falling apart from neglect; it would surely leak in heavy rain, and the door offered almost no protection at night. Any passing wild animal could easily break in…
But if you ignored these issues, the cabin was quite decent.
The Guild had long forgotten about this piece of property outside the town and probably wouldn't mind if he and Miss Keroy temporarily stayed there.
The forest and nature had a unique charm; even a well-known host once commented, "It's really not bad, living in the mountains is really nice," to express his love for the mountains.
"That run-down place can house people?"
Ave blurted out, and the blonde hair on her head shook vigorously, as if advising Ethan that his plan was unwise.
Having visited the mountain cabin herself, she couldn't imagine living there without breaking out in hives in just two days.
"And what about Miss Keroy? She's still growing and eats a shockingly large amount. You probably can't afford her food expenses at this point, can you?" Ave said. "Don't misunderstand, Miss Keroy is also a member of our base, so naturally I need to care about her situation."
Ethan pursed his lips, suspecting that Ave and her piggy tails might not respect nature enough.
He understood the reasoning, but if he had money, who wouldn't want to live in a big house?
Regarding Miss Keroy's appetite, Ethan planned to rely on nature. Nature would always provide its gifts, and in the wild, there were many kind beasts, like the great boar king, who couldn't stand the sight of other creatures going hungry.
Seeing Ethan fall silent, Ave suddenly said, "What do you think about the apartment next door?"
Ave lived on the most bustling street of Ximu Town, in a standalone duplex apartment building that catered explicitly to the upper-class society of Ximu Town, such as big bankers or store owners. Several such luxurious apartments lined the newly built road in Ximu Town.
"Living nearby would make it more convenient to discuss work, and officially speaking, the Reception Bureau also provides housing for some important employees."
"The apartment building next door belongs to the Reception Bureau?"
"It can be."
Those three simple words were enough to leave young Ethan deeply shocked. When Miss Ave mentioned buying an entire apartment building, she didn't even blink, as if it was just a regular part of her life, as ordinary as eating or drinking water.
"Thank the organization for its appreciation and the leadership for their promotion!"
What else could he say?
"Cluck cluck!"
Miss Keroy, who had been hiding under the table, also came over and elegantly made a slight bow to Ave to express her thanks.
Ethan always felt that the little hen seemed to be getting smarter.
"Then pack your personal belongings at the Guild and move into the apartment next door. The identification documents from the Gear City branch should arrive tomorrow night, so rest well until then."
Ethan agreed verbally, but he was already planning to stay up all night. He was eager to study "The Simple Guide to Making Magic Scrolls," hoping to make the 20 pieces of charging parchment he bought into ice arrow scrolls before officially starting his job. He had been itching to do this the entire way.
Completing the handover and carrying his luggage back to the new apartment, it was already evening, and Ximu Town was still under lockdown, with empty streets. Before leaving the Guild, he took some bread that was free for the hunters, offering it as dinner for Miss Keroy.
Standing at the apartment door, Ethan felt a sense of displacement.
After two years of crossing over, he finally had a new home, no longer a small room dependent on others.
Though this was an employee benefit in name from the Reception Bureau, it still made him unable to take a step for a long time. On the living room coffee table, there were valuable-looking utensils, and the grand reception room was the first thing seen upon entering.
He now had a private bathroom and a private study.
He arranged a bedroom for Miss Keroy. Cautiously, she examined the soft bed in the room. After getting Ethan's approval, she happily jumped onto it, curled up under the warm covers like a fiery red ball, her eyes narrowing into slits.
"From now on, this will be your room."
"Cluck!"
And he, Ethan, was also about to embark on a brand-new world.
This grand luxury apartment gave him new goals—to self-learn as a Magic Scroll Maker and, if he succeeded in growing his business, perhaps one day he could rent an equally grand house in the Imperial City.
He quickly walked into the bedroom and placed "The Simple Guide to Making Magic Scrolls" on the desk.
This large oak desk could easily hold 20 stacked sheets of charging parchment.
With excitement, Ethan flipped open the first page.
The creation was about to begin!