A Tourist's Visit

Ethan is definitely a dangerous person.

Ivy came to a conclusion.

He could describe a fabricated story with a straight face as if it were true. Just now, she completely believed the story about the First King of the Empire and Stinky Tofu, immersing herself in the epic narrative. She even felt the urge to go to the village Ethan mentioned to try the Stinky Tofu.

However, it was all a lie. This meant Ethan had only taken a few minutes to fabricate such a bizarre tale, one worthy of being written into the Heresy War.

Marshall believed it and paid a heavy price.

He kept sticking out his black tongue, as if all the joy in his life had been drained away.

No wonder Ethan considered himself no less capable than the Noble youths of the Imperial Capital, merely lacking an opportunity. Ivy felt that making him her Assistant was indeed underutilizing him. Such talent was more suited for a political career, becoming a spokesperson for certain important organizations.

After all, the greatest skill of those spokespersons was to make things that no one would believe sound like the truth.

But on the other hand, the Blocker's effect was successful. It proved that Marshall's laughing madness was indeed a mental influence caused by contact with a Cursed Object.

Judging from his furious expression and the way he swung his pillow like a flail, just as a Knight of the Kingdom Army would during the Heresy War, he was recovering well.

The moment Marshall recovered, he expressed his sincere emotions to his attending physician.

--"Get the hell out of my house, you bastard!"

This was probably Ethan's magical charm. He could always make people who had received a good aristocratic Etiquette education since childhood revert to their true nature and curse.

"We'll split up. Miss Chloe and I will go check out that cursed apartment first. You stay and ask for information."

Even as he was being kicked out of the mansion by a pillow, Ethan didn't forget to yell his plan to Ivy.

No matter how the situation changed, Ethan always had a plan.

Ivy watched his retreating back as Miss Chloe carried him away, increasingly feeling that this man should become a politician.

Ethan was also happy to be kicked out by the Great Banker. The overtime work tonight came unexpectedly, leaving him no time to organize his business plan. Last night, before leaving Fireplace Bay, he had gone to a tavern. It was the information hub for merchant ships, a place where all sorts of people gathered. You could hear about major events happening in any country in this world at the tavern.

He bribed the bartender with one Gold Lion to advertise for him.

The bartender would help spread the word that an Elemental Shaper had come to Fireplace Bay, offering private custom services for Magic Scrolls for the upper class. They would tailor services to clients' needs, creating what they truly required. Compared to the fixed spells in Magic Scroll shops, custom services were more flexible and closer to the clients' real needs.

Want to experience high-end customization? Want to experience an Elemental Shaper serving only you?

For only 30 Gold Lions, you can enjoy VIP treatment!

Go find Heisenberg. He will appear on the beach at the southwest corner of the dock every Wednesday night.

After all, he was someone who had lived in the 21st century and seen many advanced business methods.

Fireball Spell and Ice Arrow are no longer suitable for this version?

Perhaps, but clever merchants had long thought of countermeasures. They would repackage outdated products with exquisite packaging, give them a name that sounded impressive but was hard to understand, and then sell them for more than ten times the price.

Some called this an "intelligence tax," but the people who fell for it were enough for them to make a fortune.

Ice Arrow was the same.

By labeling it "Private Customization" and "High-End Service," it could be sold for 30 Gold Lions.

He was confident in his product. The only problem was how to attract the first batch of customers.

Ethan pondered his business plan while directing Miss Chloe. Their destination was a civilian apartment in Brookwood Town. He was very familiar with the area. When he first arrived in Brookwood Town, he had seriously considered buying a house of over 50 square meters and owning a place of his own.

Later, Ethan discovered that he could get free lodging at the Guild, so he abandoned the plan to buy a house.

As soon as the two approached the residential building, they could see a prominent advertisement board: "Do you want to own your own new home? The Imperial Union Bank offers various loan services!"

The Imperial Union Bank was always at the forefront of loan services. Ethan had heard that the Lofik Consortium had accumulated its initial fortune by acquiring banks across the Empire.

Ethan stood below and looked up. The entire building was dark, giving off a dead atmosphere.

What he was investigating now was a Haunted House.

The apartment owner had committed suicide by hanging himself in the bedroom. Before his death, he owed a large loan to the Imperial Union Bank. Therefore, according to the contract, his apartment would be repossessed and auctioned by the Imperial Union Bank. Marshall had contracted laughing madness when he inspected the apartment and was affected by the Cursed Object.

The name on the documents sent by the Containment Bureau made Ethan sigh. This was one of the few people in town who had left a deep impression on him.

Mr. Roxanne, the Clown performer in Brookwood Town. After every event, he would distribute balloons to the children. Although not valuable gifts, they always brought laughter and joy to the town's children, and he was therefore well-loved by them.

Ethan had interacted with Roxanne a few times at events held by the Guild. On the surface at least, he was a positive and optimistic person who loved his job and always said that bringing joy to others was his mission.

If it weren't for the Containment Bureau's report mentioning Roxanne's name, Ethan wouldn't even have known he was dead. Recently, the townspeople had been on edge because of the Witch incident, and no one had noticed the disappearance of a few familiar faces from their lives. Yet, it was hard for him to imagine someone like that choosing to end his life with a rope in his bedroom.

Ethan opened the door with a spare key and entered the Clown's apartment for the first time.

However, it was difficult to see any traces of Roxanne's life in the apartment. Old furniture had been neatly packed and piled in the living room. The Imperial Union Bank was ready to resell the property. If it hadn't been related to a Cursed Object, someone new might have moved in within a few days.

He turned on the detector and placed it on the empty floor of the bedroom. This was where Mr. Roxanne had hanged himself.

A beam hung above his head, and a clear scratch mark was left on it from his dying struggles.

Judging by the dust footprints, Marshall had also entered this room and stood under the beam for a long time. Perhaps Marshall had also looked up and seen the scratch mark on the beam. He might have reprimanded the staff responsible for the aftermath, as no one would want to see the marks left by the previous owner's suicide while sleeping at night.

The detector did not emit a sharp sound, and the needle remained in the blue safe zone.

Ethan held the gas lamp over his head.

Besides the scratch mark on the beam, he saw something else.

A small line of text.

The handwriting was very messy, just a few centimeters next to the scratch mark. It was Roxanne's handwriting, his final message to the world before ending his life.

--"Roxanne was here."

Thank you, Rui Zhi Xiang, for the 500 Qidian coins!

Thank you all for your monthly votes and continued readership!