"Do you two know each other?"
The innkeeper held back for a long time and finally managed to say something.
He felt the atmosphere was a bit tense and needed easing.
"We do." Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs n̷o̷v̷e̷l̷f̷i̷r̷e̷.net
Ethan replied ambiguously, "Back when I was running a shop in Fireplace Bay, Miss Xiangwei helped me a lot."
Hearing this, the innkeeper finally breathed a sigh of relief.
So they knew each other from running a business. Seeing their confrontational demeanor, he almost thought Ethan had run up a huge debt with the Lofic Consortium, hiding in the abyss only to be found by them again. Such things weren’t uncommon in the dungeon. He had heard many rumors about this crafty woman and her...
chilling methods with debtors.
What she excelled at most was luring ordinary people step by step towards downfall until they were so deep in debt they could never repay it.
Miss Xiangwei smiled slightly and went along with Ethan’s words, "Didn’t Mr. Ethan introduce himself to you? He’s an incredibly remarkable Magic Scroll Maker, and his Magic Scroll Shop in Fireplace Bay is one of the most popular. Many people are eagerly waiting for them to launch new magic scrolls and items."
Then, half-jokingly, she asked Ethan, "Many customers in Fireplace Bay are waiting for you to go back and check on the shop. Several have been waiting months, hoping to speak with you in person."
"You know, some things have held me up recently."
He was, of course, referring to the Ophira incident, during which Flor the Tycoon and Miss Xiangwei were present. She ultimately clashed with Lindong on the coastline, and unsurprisingly was shattered into ice shards by Lindong’s ice elemental magic, a state beyond repair.
Old An also mentioned that after they left, Flor took advantage of the unstable canyon seal to break in and presumptuously started negotiating with It.
Unfortunately, Mr. Flor was sorely lacking in negotiation skills, not only failing to make any appealing offer but also angering both Old An and Old Ai, resulting in his soul being crushed into a lump of meat, ultimately nourishing the Little Octopus.
Thus, upon hearing news of these two once again in the dungeon, Ethan couldn’t help but want to crown them as the "Kings of Resilience."
These two must be the most tenacious beings Ethan had ever encountered in this world.
As for the Old Sen Magical Technology Store, the temporary assistants he brought in - the Shepherd and his siblings - were very reassuring. They had a good business sense and treated the shop as their own home, wholeheartedly dedicated to its operation, while the assistant Rowena and the others occasionally visited the shop to add their latest research findings to the shop’s product list.
The electric wheelchairs made by the Artisan Association sold well, and customers from all over the world felt the charm of Empire culture. Now, motorcycle manufacturing had been put on the agenda, expected to officially launch to customers in the second half of the year.
Ethan had to admit that earning money without much effort felt great, something he couldn’t even imagine in his previous life.
What puzzled him was that after the Ophira incident, he thought the Lofic Consortium would sabotage his shop. After all, it was on Lofic Consortium’s turf, and he even had Rowena provide emergency escape scrolls for the Shepherd’s family. However, business continued as usual, utterly unaffected.
The only explanation Ethan could think of was that Flor was knee-deep in the Ophira incident aftermath, barely able to fend for himself, let alone deal with a shop in Fireplace Bay.
"Of course, Mr. Ethan is a very busy man. We see your presence both inside and outside the Empire; it’s just a question of whether you can spare half an hour now?"
"You can talk upstairs in the inn. I’ll have the staff make sure no one else goes up."
The innkeeper said proactively, his voice trembling slightly. If not for Ethan, he would’ve never had the chance to converse with an Upper City figure like Miss Xiangwei in his lifetime.
This was the advantage of the shop having no customers at this moment.
Upon learning Ethan’s day job was that of a legendary Magic Scroll Maker, the look in his eyes was filled with respect.
"What do you think, Mr. Ethan?"
Miss Xiangwei awaited Ethan’s response.
Ethan nodded and took the initiative to head upstairs.
The two chose the innermost compartment.
"Regarding the Ophira operation, it was Flor’s decision alone."
As expected, Miss Xiangwei shifted all the blame onto Flor, but the true situation among the Sincaro believers, Ethan was destined not to know.
However, the Ophira turmoil had passed; the people there had reconciled with Old An. At least they no longer had to worry about the entity in the abyss aiming to flood the entire Western Continent. Old An’s attitude towards the Western Continent had become indifferent — and that was already the best outcome Ethan could hope for.
The therapy session was a huge success; Ethan couldn’t help but wonder if he was naturally suited for this.
Now, led by the restructured Deep Sea Council, Ophira’s residents were immersed in the city’s repair work. Yue called every night to update them on Ophira’s rebuilding progress, and once the construction was completed, he would represent the Deep Sea Council to visit the Empire.
Of course, there were other topics as well.
For example, he found it odd that the head maid was acting stranger by the day, wearing different colored stockings daily and occasionally speaking to him in a disdainful manner, even boldly asking at times, "Do you want me to step on you?"