New Dwelling

"Magic Book? What kind of Magic Book?"

Ethan's soul-piercing question plunged Ivy into silence. In reality, she had no idea what kind of Magic Book the Winter Witch had left behind, nor could she imagine it. Moreover, even if she did know, she wouldn't tell Ethan.

A monumental tome left by the most outstanding Elemental Shaper of the former Empire.

That title alone was enough to cause countless deaths.

She shook her head. "That's not something you need to worry about."

"Then... what if you never find it?"

"One year."

Ivy knew what Ethan was worried about. She held up an index finger. "If I haven't found it in over a year, I'll fulfill my promise and recommend you for a job in the Intelligence Department at the headquarters."

"It's a deal!"

Ethan was still young; he could afford to wait a year. Plus, he could use the time to quietly manage Old Sen's Magic Scroll Shop and save up enough living expenses before going to work at the Imperial Capital headquarters.

He continued, "In that case, I won't disturb you any longer today. Miss Chloe and I will be going back now."

"Going back? Where to?"

Ivy tilted her head in confusion, her golden hair also lifting its head.

"Back to the Guild to pack my things. I've transferred to the Containment Bureau and need to clean out my old room."

The only thing Ethan felt a little regretful about was the room on the second floor of the Guild. It was considered an employee benefit, allowing him to live there for two years without paying rent, saving him a considerable amount of money.

"Where are you planning to live?"

Although Ethan could be incredibly annoying at times, infuriating her and even causing her to be teleported into the Sea with a sneeze, he was currently working under her. She needed to pay attention to his daily living situation, especially since Ethan had just spent a large sum of Gold Lions on books and his savings were likely depleted.

This was Ivy's first time being a superior. She decided to be a responsible and good boss.

"That little cabin in the mountains. It's actually quite nice with a bit of tidying up."

Ethan was an optimistic person. Despite the cabin having some minor flaws, such as a corpse being dragged into the house, the scene resembling a cult's Sacrifice ritual with blood splattered everywhere. Later, several more people died outside the house, and their cremated ashes were put into jars and buried in the soil by the entrance. Additionally, the wooden cabin was dilapidated and would leak during heavy rain. The door offered almost no protection at night, and any passing wild beast could easily break in...

But if one ignored these issues, the cabin was quite decent.

The Guild had long forgotten they owned such a property outside of town and probably wouldn't mind him and Miss Chloe staying there temporarily.

The mountains and nature possessed such a unique charm. Even a former celebrity had once expressed his love for the mountains by saying, "It's really nice, living in the mountains is truly wonderful."

"That dump is habitable?"

Ivy blurted out. The golden hair on her head shook violently, as if advising against Ethan's plan.

She had been to the cabin in the mountains before. If she had to live in a place like that, she'd probably break out in hives within two days.

"What about Miss Chloe? She's in her growing stage and has an astonishing appetite. It must be hard for you to afford her food expenses now, right?" Ivy said. "Don't misunderstand, Miss Chloe is also a member of our Base Station, so I naturally need to care about her well-being."

Ethan pouted. He suspected Ivy and her ahoge were showing a lack of respect for nature.

He understood the logic, but who wouldn't want to live in a big house if they had the money?

Regarding Miss Chloe's appetite, Ethan's plan was to trust nature. Nature always provided gifts. Many kind-hearted and enthusiastic wild beasts lived in the wild, like the Great Wild Boar King, who couldn't bear to see other creatures go hungry.

Seeing Ethan fall silent, Ivy suddenly said, "What do you think of the apartment next door?"

Ivy lived on the most prosperous street in Brookwood Town. This was a standalone duplex apartment building. The target clientele for the apartments was clearly the upper-class society of Brookwood Town, such as big bankers or owners of large shops. Several other luxurious apartments like this were located side-by-side on the newly built main road in Brookwood Town.

"If we live closer, it'll be much more convenient to discuss work. According to the regulations, the Containment Bureau also arranges accommodation for some important employees."

"The apartment building next door is Containment Bureau property?"

"It can be."

Those three words were enough to send a powerful shock through Ethan's young heart. When Miss Ivy spoke of buying an apartment building, she hadn't even blinked. To her, it seemed like just a part of daily life, as ordinary as eating and drinking.

"Thank you for the organization's regard and the leader's promotion!"

What else could he say?

"Goo goo!"

Miss Chloe, who had been hiding under the table, also walked over and gracefully curtsied to Ivy, expressing her gratitude.

Ethan felt that this little hen seemed to be getting smarter and smarter.

"Then go pack your belongings at the Guild and move into the apartment next door. Your ID for the Gear City branch will likely arrive tomorrow evening. Rest well until then."

Ethan agreed verbally, but in reality, he was prepared to stay up all night. He intended to study the "Simple Process for Making Magic Scrolls" overnight, striving to create Ice Arrow scrolls from the 20 sheets of Energy-Storing Parchment he had bought before officially starting work. He had been itching to do so all along the way.

It was already evening when he finished the handover and returned to the new apartment with his luggage. Brookwood Town was still under a full lockdown, and the streets were empty. Before leaving the Guild, he snagged the free bread provided to Hunters as Chloe's dinner.

Standing at the apartment door, Ethan felt like a lifetime had passed.

After two years of transmigration, he finally had a new home, no longer a small room where he was dependent on others.

Although this was nominally an employee benefit from the Containment Bureau, it still made him hesitate to step inside. The coffee table in the living room held what looked like very expensive utensils, and the grand reception hall was the first thing he saw upon entering.

He also had a private bathroom and a private study.

He arranged a bedroom for Miss Chloe. She timidly surveyed the soft, large bed in the bedroom. After receiving Ethan's permission, she happily jumped onto it, curled up into a warm, fiery ball, her eyes narrowed into slits.

"This will be your room from now on."

"Gulp!"

And he, Ethan, was about to officially step into a brand new world.

This grand, luxurious apartment gave him a new goal: to teach himself to become a magic scroll crafter. Once his business grew and became strong, perhaps in the future he could rent a grand house like this in the Imperial Capital.

He strode into the bedroom and placed the Simple Process for Making Magic Scrolls on the desk.

This large oak desk could easily hold twenty stacks of folded Energy-Storing Parchment.

With an excited heart, Ethan flipped open the first page.

It was time to start crafting!