Career Planning

"Ice Arrow (Beginner): Proficiency: 24/75"

The Witch was a Third-tier transcendent at the very least. Her power was beyond doubt, and she had provided Ice Arrow with a full 15 points of proficiency!

That battle had left Ethan badly injured. By the time Miss Chloe carried him back to town, the Witch's curse had already taken effect on him.

He had caught a cold.

The facts proved that people caught colds when they got drenched.

Especially after he had cast Ice Arrow, sending his risk of catching a chill skyrocketing.

Leaving the town guards behind, he returned to his room, hung up his soaked clothes, dried his hair and body, then lay down in bed and wrapped himself tightly in the blankets. Medical care was limited in this era, and he was stuck in a remote little town. The best remedy was to sleep it off.

He slept like the dead and dreamed of many bizarre things.

He dreamed that Zhao Cai was strolling elegantly through the town streets. The white cat did not notice him and turned into an alley. When Ethan followed her inside, he witnessed an astonishing sight.

The white cat leaped down from a wall and transformed into a White-haired Girl right before his eyes.

Then Ethan woke up.

First of all, he was not a furry enthusiast. That needed to be made clear.

He stared at an unfamiliar ceiling, feeling the warm, comfortable mattress beneath him. A faint fragrance lingered on the pillow, and before long, the scent of meat stew drifted over.

"Drink it while it's hot."

Ethan looked toward the voice. The White-haired Girl from his dream had become Ivy, with Antenna Hair atop her head. She held a steaming bowl of meat stew, while an open cookbook rested on her knees, detailing how to prepare it.

She wore a loose purple satin robe, which made her seem much gentler than usual.

"Although it's my first time making it, the steps are much simpler than the academy's laboratory classes," Ivy said. "I've tasted it. The flavor is fine."

Only then did Ethan realize that he was in the young lady's bedroom. The white lace canopy above him was full of romantic charm. The decorations made him feel as though he had stepped out of a primitive wilderness into civilized society. Every piece of furniture in the bedroom was made of oak and carved with artistic patterns.

There was a large bed, a wardrobe, a dressing table, and a mirror. Conservatively speaking, Ivy's bedroom was probably as large as half a floor of the guild.

He awkwardly accepted the bowl. Ivy had added quite a few seasonings, and he could even smell pepper. That was not something commonly found in Brookwood Town. To buy it, one had to go to one of the town's large trading houses, and even then, supply was scarce. For a working man like him, it was a luxury he normally could not afford.

Ivy truly came from a wealthy family.

But before he could take a sip, a warm, smooth hand landed on his head. After gently stroking him, it moved down to his chin.

"What are you doing?"

"The book said this can help you relax."

"What book said that?"

"Large Animal Care Guide. It's the only book on my shelf. I've never taken care of anyone before, so I studied up on some theoretical knowledge."

Ethan's eyelids twitched. "Do I look like a large animal to you?"

"No." Ivy said, "Judging by your size, you're a small-to-medium animal, but the care techniques should be universal."

"Is there another possibility—that I'm a person?"

"Does it feel uncomfortable?"

Ivy withdrew her hand in confusion and lightly scratched her own chin. Her expression did not change, but the Golden Hair atop her head curled up in contentment. "I think it feels pretty good."

It seemed that before he woke up, she had seriously practiced her chin-scratching technique.

"That's not the point."

Ethan now felt that this room was thick with the stench of conspiracy. Just as Ivy had said, as the Young Lady of a Noble family, she had always been cared for by servants. Why would it ever be her turn to stew meat soup for someone else? Something strange was clearly going on, and his own current state was equally strange. He had somehow appeared bare-chested in Ivy's bedroom.

Was he about to be accused of making improper advances on a Noble Young Lady and dragged off by the guards to be executed?

Until he knew Ivy's intentions, he absolutely could not drink this stew. "You might as well say what's on your mind."

"This incident made me realize that one person's strength is always limited. I need an Assistant."

"I know that every Detective I know has an Assistant," Ivy said. "You're the most suitable candidate. Do you have any intention of leaving the Hunter Guild anytime soon?"

"Why me?"

"Because you didn't run away with my gun. That showed your courage, and you're a little smarter than the other people in town." After thinking for a moment, she added, "Wolf Chicken gestured to me that you encountered the Witch's followers on the way. You fought beside her and desperately broke out of their encirclement."

That was the story Ethan had instructed Miss Chloe to tell in order to dispel Ivy's suspicions.

Ivy continued, "If you come work for me, I'll definitely offer better terms than the Hunter Guild."

"It sounds appealing, but sorry, that isn't part of my career plan."

Ethan admitted that the large house and generous pay tempted him. However, reason held him back. Getting involved with a great Noble was never a wise choice these days. He still knew nothing about Ivy's family. Today he might become a Detective's Assistant, but who knew whether tomorrow he would be dragged into some family conflict?

"Can you tell me about your career plan?"

"To become a full-time employee of the Containment Bureau."

That was the long-term career plan Ethan had set for himself. To that end, he had collected a great deal of information about the Containment Bureau. Over the past two years, he had even sent three letters of self-recommendation to the Containment Bureau in Gear City. But just like the resumes he had sent out after graduating from college in his previous life, all of them had vanished without a trace.

Becoming a clerk at the Hunter Guild had only been his second-best option. While it did allow him to come into contact with some incidents involving the occult, most of his time was spent repeating trivial chores with little meaning.

The Containment Bureau was the ideal work environment. It was the institution within the Empire most closely connected to occult cases, and it was not under the jurisdiction of either Nobles or the Church. As long as he joined the Containment Bureau as a clerical employee, he could learn about cases occurring all across the Empire without ever leaving home.

Ethan had researched it carefully. The Containment Bureau had a dedicated intelligence department that remained stationed in the rear, and its work was somewhat similar to that of a clerk. That was his ideal destination.

Well-informed, easy work, and safe.

An Empire civil servant with an iron rice bowl.

The bad news was that the Nobles in the Imperial Capital knew it was a good position too.

From Ethan's experience in his previous life, such positions were breeding grounds for nepotism. It would not be easy for a commoner like him to squeeze in.

Ethan had considered trying his luck in Gear City, but poverty had stopped him in his tracks. He had not yet saved enough money to begin living in a big city. If he rashly went to Gear City, he would either become a vagrant or be forced by circumstance to tighten screws in a factory.

He could only bide his time for now.

While practicing Fireball Spell, he had also accumulated two years of experience as a clerk. Once he had saved enough startup money to live in a big city, he would ask the Guild Master for a letter of recommendation.

Whether in spells or career, he was steadily moving forward.

"You want to become a full-time employee of the Containment Bureau?"

"Although that may sound like I'm overestimating myself to you, I'm working toward it."

"I wasn't mocking you."

Ivy paused before saying, "I only wanted to tell you that I know the current Director of the Containment Bureau."