A thick mist filled the room, and the strong scent of body wash rushed up Ethan Hayes' nose.
Right in front of him—was an eyeful of pale, bare skin… ahem...
Even with the steam clouding the air, it couldn't hide that tall, graceful figure.
Nor… those death-glare eyes that could kill on the spot.
"AHHH!! Ethan , go die!!"
Ethan stumbled out of the bathroom, rubbing his now-bright-red cheek with a weird little smile on his face. He glanced sideways at Monty, who was wisely covering his eyes with both hands.
Not bad. This guy actually placed the portal exit in someone's bathroom.
Still, his spatial technique was wildly beyond expectation.
Ignoring issues of speed, stability, or misalignment—most mages had to construct their portals five times or more before they could even function reliably.
Yet Monty had created one on the first try—and had crossed twenty-six kilometers in one go.
And more than that, it landed him right in the Black Bulls' base… specifically, in Vanessa's bathroom while she was showering.
Ethan was genuinely curious.
If Monty were like Rades and had reached the Fifth Domain, it wouldn't be strange.
But the guy only had Eighth Domain magical strength.
"Monty, decision's made—you're hired. But seriously, how'd you manage to build a spatial tunnel that far on your first try?"
"Oh, that? Easy," Monty said. "My grandpa used to send me to the capital to deliver goods. Did it for five straight years. You pick up a few tricks."
Ethan was stunned speechless.
Five years? Delivering goods?
What were you delivering, tofu?
Is your real name Fujiwara Monty?
Still, when you thought about it… it wasn't impossible.
Magic's like swordplay—technique improves with practice.
Five years of repeated use, mixed with your own ideas… this level of control wasn't actually that strange.
But even so, his bigger concern now was: What excuse can I come up with to survive this?
"You've gone too far this time, Ethan Hayes!!"
Vanessa stormed out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, her face flushed with both anger and embarrassment.
The last incident could be explained away—but this?
This time was insane. He warped directly into her shower.
Even if he had feelings for her, at least follow basic manners!
Take her shopping, grab a coffee, see a movie—then talk about rooms and romance.
But you just want to skip everything and go straight to home base?! What kind of lunatic thinking is that?
"Misunderstanding! Big misunderstanding!" Ethan waved his hands. "I was just testing how far his portal magic could go! I didn't expect it to land here—honestly!"
The shouting had drawn the rest of the Black Bulls.
"No way! Ethan, you're even doing sneak attacks now?! You're a role model for men everywhere!" Finral said with admiration.
"You jerk! Doing something so shameful!" Noelle turned beet red and ran off.
"Of course! My ultimate rival for Wizard King! I'll go sneak up on Sister Lily too! Maybe she'll agree to marry me!" Asta shouted, hyped up.
Calm as ever, he took a drag from his cigarette and blew out a puff of smoke.
"You two might as well go get a marriage license already."
Despite the uproar, Ethan explained the truth in full and even had Monty demonstrate it on the spot.
"Damn… not bad. Eighth Domain magic and he can already build portals this precise?" Finral, the only other spatial mage in the squad, was genuinely impressed.
His own farthest range was 47 kilometers—but that was with Sixth Domain power.
And Monty? Still Eighth Domain and already pulling this off.
"Monty, how about joining the Black Bulls?" Yami asked casually, already trying to poach him.
Finral's been their ride for long enough. Maybe it was time for a new driver.
"Tch, idiots. None of you get it. My little Marie is still the cutest one of all..." Gauche muttered, pulling out his locket with a picture of his sister—and immediately sprayed a nosebleed like a faucet.
Ethan's eye twitched.
At this rate, is he not going to bleed to death?
"I'm done with you morons. It's payday, and I'm getting my sister a birthday present." Gauche left in a dramatic huff.
Asta suddenly snapped his fingers. "Oh right! I promised Rebecca I'd visit her today!"
And with that, both of them took off.
Ethan furrowed his brows slightly.
If memory served, trouble was about to happen soon.
But the problem was—he wasn't sure anymore. He had already exposed Licht's identity, which meant the entire plotline had gone off track.
Well, that might be for the best, he thought.
Let's see if the events still unfold the same way.
If they didn't, then there was no point in relying on the original storyline anymore.
But if they did… then there were still chances to intervene.
Like—saving the Wizard King.
That man's death had always been a major regret for Ethan.
He didn't want to play the hero, but a man like that deserved respect. Even if the Wizard King came back to life, his strength had taken a serious hit.
It could've been avoided.
"Asta, wait up! I've got nothing going on right now, and I'm done with all my team duties. I'll come with you for a stroll."
The excuse was kind of lame, but Asta wasn't the type to overthink it.
With Monty driving the metaphorical car, the trio arrived at their destination in no time.
Snow was falling, covering the entire town in a silver blanket.
Compared to Kachi Village or Hage Village, this town was definitely more bustling and developed.
Before long, they met Rebecca—the girl Asta had mentioned.
"Whoa… a full-on sibling caretaker…" Ethan's mouth twitched.
She had decent looks—clean features, maybe a 7 out of 10.
She had a baby strapped to her back, was holding two more kids by the hand, and two others were tagging along at her side.
Three boys, two girls. Who could handle that?!
At this rate, the dowries for her siblings would cost millions.
And that's not even counting the "pay or divorce" kind of marriages.
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