Charge the Minotaurs

Ivy saw a glimmer of hope, but it was soon extinguished by confusion.

Even if the Winter Witch had really stayed in Brookwood Town for a while and written a Magic Book during her time there, how could they possibly find it?

This wasn't some handwritten copy left behind by an unknown mage. It was a monumental work of magic by the Empire's most powerful Elemental Shaper. If word got out, even without proof, countless people would flock to the Empire's border. By the standards used to classify Cursed Objects, it was undoubtedly a Grade Five or higher case—one that would require the director and numerous experts from headquarters to handle personally.

The captain and his "friend" had indeed taken an enormous risk. He knew this information was enough to start a war, so he could only keep it buried deep inside.

Ivy's thoughts were in turmoil, but no matter how hard she racked her brain, she couldn't figure out what had happened to the monumental Magic Book—or who in this border town could have been worth the Winter Witch staying for a while.

Her gaze drifted over the noisy crowd and settled on Ethan.

When she saw the two beers in Ethan's hands, thoughts of the Magic Book vanished into the far reaches of her mind. A rush of heat shot straight to her head.

Ivy felt that working with Ethan was going to make her drop dead on the job sooner or later. She'd only gone to buy some information, and this guy had already been swindled by a beer tout!

She knew how much a guild clerk earned. It wouldn't be easy for him to save up two Gold Lions on his salary, and those two beers in his hands were enough to wipe out all the money he'd painstakingly saved by scrimping for ages.

Before they set out, Ethan had sworn on his chest that he absolutely wouldn't get scammed.

She quietly approached the grinning Ethan and listened to his conversation with the people beside him. They were talking about the young man. He hadn't been taken away; the guests, who were eager for a bit of malicious entertainment, had suggested that the guards keep him there a while so he could witness what happened next.

The gentlemanly man said with interest, "He came looking for his fiancée. Supposedly, he had to mortgage his house just to get the money for a ticket here. But his fiancée's gambling-addict father sold her off for cash ages ago. There, that dancer over there. She usually entertains guests on merchant ships. If she's lucky enough to catch the eye of some rich merchant or noble, maybe they'll buy her freedom and keep her as a mistress."

"No wonder he got into a fight with someone at the tavern."

Ethan nodded. From that moment on, this ship was filled with the stench of Minotaurs.

Hearing this as she crept up behind him, Ivy could only shake her head. Ethan had fallen for the beer tout's scam with ease, and now he was feeling an entirely misplaced sense of justice in a place like this. People like him had only one fate: racking up enormous debts in Fireplace Bay, then, with nowhere else to turn, putting themselves up as collateral.

Ethan asked, "But isn't human trafficking forbidden by the Empire?"

"First time in Fireplace Bay?"

The gentleman gave Ethan a strange look for a moment. "But you've used Teleportation Magic before, haven't you? Fireplace Bay isn't part of the Empire, so naturally it's not subject to Imperial law."

You could buy anything in Fireplace Bay, including living people.

That was the Lofik Consortium's promise to all its customers.

Only newcomers made a fuss over things like this. "In fact, people from the Empire have always been one of Fireplace Bay's most popular commodities."

"Thanks for explaining, bro! Here, let me buy you a drink!"

That "bro" hit the gentleman just right. He accepted one of the beers Ethan offered and gulped it down heartily. The loud "glug, glug, glug" showed just how good a mood he was in. Ivy was about to step in and stop him when she suddenly saw something strange: as the gentleman drank, Ethan abruptly stopped halfway through raising his own beer.

Then several burly men emerged from the crowd and surrounded the two of them.

Ethan handed his beer to the middle-aged man in charge, who cheerfully gave him fifty Silver Antelopes.

"Good beer...?"

Only after draining his drink did the gentleman notice the burly men. His face immediately turned ashen.

Ethan gave him a thumbs-up. "Refreshing! It's brewed by a master brewer from Windless City, using the finest hops and wheat. You can only enjoy craftsmanship like this in Fireplace Bay, and it's on sale for just one Gold Lion!"

What followed was a friendly exchange between the middle-aged man and the gentleman. Not wanting to disturb the pleasant atmosphere, Ethan stepped away and left them to it.

Only then did he notice Ivy. "Oh, you're back!"

Ivy instinctively took a step back, putting some distance between herself and Ethan. "What were you doing just now?"

"Selling beer and making a little extra money. There were plenty of onlookers, but most of them knew the bartender, so I struck a deal with him: for every beer I sold for him, he'd give me fifty Silver Antelopes. You know, when people are watching something happen, their guard tends to drop."

As a true romantic, Ethan had sensed the Minotaurs among them. The only way to ease his indignation was to sell them a one-Gold-Lion beer.

Ivy was at a loss for words.

Her assessment had been completely wrong. Ethan hadn't just avoided getting scammed; he'd tried to make a profit off the young man's tragic circumstances. He didn't have a shred of justice in him. He was practically a seasoned old hand who'd spent years hustling in Fireplace Bay!

Ethan couldn't help sighing. "Fireplace Bay really is a great place. You can make money a lot faster than working a regular job."

At this rate, it might not be long before he'd saved enough to buy the book.

As for the young man's situation, he could only say that striking at the Minotaur forces here might count as a form of assistance.

The gentleman, who'd been fleeced for a Gold Lion, shot Ethan a vicious glare. He'd lost all interest in watching the show, too, and stalked off with a cold snort.

Ethan was clearly not fighting alone.

The crowd's lively mood was shattered by a sudden burst of footsteps. A young man in a gorgeous white dress uniform drew everyone's attention. A silver whip hung at his waist, a weapon rarely seen in the Empire. He had golden, shoulder-length curls, and even though he'd donned a mask to fit in, his confident bearing and relaxed stride made it clear he was someone important.

The blond young man briefly got the story from the guards, then waved a hand and said, "How much is their ransom? I'll pay it."

The deck fell silent. The onlookers wore all sorts of expressions, and even the young man himself stared up at this newcomer in disbelief.

Everyone thought he had to be out of his mind. On the Lofik Consortium's turf, the ransom for causing trouble was no small sum. Trouble-makers usually had only two options: become the Consortium's slaves until their debts were paid, or put themselves up as collateral to the trade association and sell everything they had that could fetch a price.

"One hundred Gold Lions, including his fiancée."

After consulting with the manager, the guard gave his price. At the number, malicious smiles spread across the faces of the crowd.

They were more than happy to watch this attention-seeking young man get stuck. Who would throw away a hundred Gold Lions for a stranger?

Only then did a black-haired maid in a veil hurry over to the young man, carrying a box.

"Young master, what are you doing?"

"Oh, perfect timing. Pay them a hundred Gold Lions."

"A hundred Gold Lions?!"

The maid seemed startled by the amount. She quietly reminded the young man, "Your father won't be happy if he finds out you're wasting money!"

"You said I could buy anything I wanted in Fireplace Bay, didn't you? I've found something I want to buy."

The young man didn't waver. Every word he spoke rang out with conviction. "I want to buy 'justice.'"

Ethan, one of the onlookers, glanced at the fifty Silver Antelopes in his hand, then at the young man whose words had stunned everyone present. That day, he came face-to-face with the vast disparity between people.

The maid was sighing, but they really did have a hundred Gold Lions.

"Miss."

Ethan rubbed his eyes behind his mask, then pointed at the young man and asked Ivy to confirm, "Is that person glowing?"

The young man seemed to radiate a golden light, about the same color as a Gold Lion.

And he looked like a true romantic. He should be on the same side as Ethan.

Ivy pressed a hand to her forehead. "Are you short on money?"

"A little."

Ethan nodded honestly.

He hadn't been that short before, but after arriving in Fireplace Bay, he'd suddenly wanted to visit the ship's bookstore.

"If you need money, borrow it from me. I can lend you some."

"How much interest?"

Ethan's wary look made Ivy stumble. She said coldly, "There's no interest. The only condition is that you stop hanging around with those beer sellers. I can't afford to be embarrassed like that."