Charge the Minotaur

Ivy saw hope, but it was quickly extinguished by confusion.

Even if the Winter Witch had truly stayed in Brookwood Town for a period and written a magic book during that time, how easy would it be to find it?

This wasn't some random, nameless mage's manuscript. It was a magical masterpiece left by the Empire's strongest Elemental Shaper. If this news got out, even without proof, it would send countless people rushing to the Empire's borders. Measured by the level of Cursed Objects, it would undoubtedly be at least Tier 5, a serious case that would require the Director and numerous experts from the General Bureau to personally handle.

The captain and his "friend" had indeed taken on a huge risk, knowing that this information alone was enough to spark a war. He could only keep it buried.

Ivy's mind raced, but no matter how hard she thought, she couldn't figure out where this magical masterpiece had gone, nor who in this border town was worth the Winter Witch spending time in.

Her gaze drifted past the noisy crowd, landing on Ethan.

When she saw the two mugs of beer Ethan was holding, her thoughts about the magic book were thrown to the winds, and a surge of heat rushed straight to the top of her head.

Ivy felt that working with Ethan would eventually lead to her dying on the job—she'd only gone to gather some information, and this guy had already been scammed by a drink-slinger!

She knew the income of a Guild clerk. With his pay, it wouldn't be easy to save up 2 Gold Lions. The two mugs of beer he was holding now could easily shatter his long-term efforts of saving money.

Before they left, Ethan had patted his chest and guaranteed her that he absolutely wouldn't fall for any tricks.

She quietly approached Ethan, who had a wide smile on his face, and listened to his conversation with the person next to him. The topic was about a young man who hadn't been escorted away. The guests, full of malicious humor, suggested letting the guards keep him for a while so he could witness the upcoming scene with his own eyes.

The gentlemanly man said with great interest, "He came looking for his fiancée. Apparently, he mortgaged his house just to get the ticket to come here. But, you know, his fiancée was already sold by her gambler father for money. See? The 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 she can be redeemed and become their lover."

"No wonder he got into a fight in the tavern."

Ethan nodded. From now on, this ship was filled with the aura of cuckolds.

Ivy, sneaking up behind him, listened and shook her head. Ethan was so easily tricked by a drink-slinger, and now he had misplaced feelings of justice in a place like this. Such a person had only one end—to be burdened with massive debt in Fireplace Bay and then mortgage himself when he had nowhere else to turn.

Ethan asked again, "But, doesn't the Empire prohibit human trafficking?"

"First time in Fireplace Bay?"

The gentleman sized Ethan up with a strange look for a moment. "But you must have used Teleportation Magic before. Fireplace Bay isn't within the Empire's borders, so it's naturally not subject to Imperial law."

You can buy anything in Fireplace Bay, including live people.

This was the Lofik Consortium's promise to all its clients.

Only newcomers would be surprised by such things. "Actually, Imperial people are always popular goods in Fireplace Bay."

"Brother, thanks for the explanation! Come, I'll toast you!"

This "Brother" made the gentleman feel very pleased. He took the beer mug Ethan offered and downed it heartily. The "glug glug glug" of his drinking proved his good mood. Ivy, who had intended to intervene, suddenly saw a bizarre scene—as the gentleman drank, Ethan suddenly stopped his action of drinking midway.

Immediately after, several burly men emerged from the crowd and surrounded the two of them.

Ethan handed the beer mug in his hand to the middle-aged man leading them. The man smiled and gave him 50 Silver Coins.

"Good… beer?"

The gentleman, having finished his drink, only then noticed the burly men, his face turning pale.

Ethan, however, gave him a thumbs-up. "Refreshing! This is brewed by a master brewer from Windless City, using top-quality hops and wheat. You can only taste this master-level craftsmanship in Fireplace Bay, and it's now selling for 1 Gold Lion!"

What followed was a period of friendly exchange between the middle-aged man and the gentleman. Ethan, not wanting to disturb the harmonious atmosphere, voluntarily stepped back, leaving the space to them.

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

Ivy instinctively took a step back, drawing a line between herself and Ethan. "What were you just doing?"

"Selling beer, earning some extra cash. There are quite a few onlookers here, but most of them know the bartender, so I made a deal with him: for every mug of beer I help him sell, he gives me 50 Silver Coins. You know, when people are watching a spectacle, their psychological defenses tend to lower."

Ethan, as a pure-hearted warrior, sensed the presence of cuckolds. Not selling them a mug of beer for 1 Gold Lion wouldn't quell his anger.

Ivy was speechless for a moment.

Her assessment was completely wrong. Ethan hadn't fallen for a scam; instead, he was trying to profit from the young man's tragic situation. This guy had absolutely no sense of justice, acting just like a seasoned veteran who had been hanging around Fireplace Bay for years!

Ethan couldn't help but sigh, "Fireplace Bay is truly a great place. Making money here is much faster than working a regular job."

At this rate, he might be able to earn enough money to buy books soon.

As for the young man's plight, he could only say that striking a blow against the local cuckold forces was, in a way, also offering assistance.

The gentleman, who had been fleeced for 1 Gold Lion, glared fiercely at Ethan and immediately lost interest in watching the show, snorting and leaving in a huff.

Clearly, Ethan wasn't fighting alone.

The cheerful atmosphere in the crowd was broken by the sound of footsteps. A young man in a lavish white formal suit attracted everyone's attention. He wore a silver whip slung across his waist, a rare weapon in the Empire. The young man had shoulder-length, curly blonde hair. Even though he wore a mask to blend in, his dashing gait and confident demeanor revealed his extraordinary status.

The blonde young man briefly learned the situation from the guards and then waved his hand, saying, "What's their redemption fee? I'll buy them."

The deck suddenly fell silent. The onlookers had various expressions, and even the young man himself looked up at this sudden appearance in disbelief.

Everyone thought this person must be out of his mind. After all, the redemption fee for causing trouble on Lofik Consortium's territory was no small sum. Troublemakers usually had only two outcomes: either become slaves to the consortium until the debt was repaid, or mortgage themselves to the merchant guild, selling everything they owned to get money.

"100 Gold Lions, plus his fiancée."

After consulting with the manager, the guard gave the price. Hearing this number, malicious smiles appeared on people's faces.

They were eager to watch this attention-seeking young man fall into an awkward situation. Who would spend 100 Gold Lions for a stranger?

Just then, a black-haired maid wearing a veil, carrying a box, rushed up to the young man.

"Young Master, what are you doing?"

"Oh, you're here just in time. Pay them the 100 Gold Lions."

"100 Gold Lions!?"

The maid seemed startled by the amount and whispered to the young man, "Master won't be happy if he knows you're spending recklessly!"

"Didn't you say I could buy anything I wanted in Fireplace Bay? I found something I want to buy."

The young man was unwavering, each word he spoke landing with a resounding thud, "I want to buy 'Justice'."

Ethan, who was watching from the crowd, glanced at the 50 Silver Antelopes in his hand, then at the young man who had stunned everyone present with his words. Today, he had directly confronted the vast differences in the world.

Although the maid was sighing, they really did have 100 Gold Lions.

"Miss."

Ethan rubbed his eyes through his mask and pointed at the young man, confirming with Ivy, "Is that person… glowing?"

He felt like the young man was radiating a golden aura, almost the same color as a Gold Lion.

Furthermore, this person looked like a pure-hearted warrior, likely belonging to the same faction as him.

Ivy put her hand to her forehead. "Are you short on cash?"

"A little."

Ethan nodded truthfully.

He hadn't been that short on cash originally, but after arriving at Fireplace Bay, he suddenly wanted to browse the bookstores on the ship.

"If you need money, borrow from me. I can give it to you."

"What's the interest rate?"

Ethan's wary gaze made Ivy stumble. She said coldly, "No interest. The only condition is that you don't hang out with those wine promoters. I can't afford to lose face like that."