At the same time, in Fireplace Bay, Blackwater Town.
Horn anxiously waited at the front of the town. It had been a whole day since the unrest in the imperial capital. Originally, he should have already been sent to the gallows by the furious Patriarch, but after a vote by the seven-member council, a decision was made to send someone to contact Heisenberg, and he naturally became the representative of the Empire.
The situation had long spiraled out of his control.
But yesterday, Heisenberg did not show up. Horn waited at the entrance of Blackwater Town all night and eventually had to return without success. However, tonight, he finally saw that figure dressed in a worn elemental mage’s uniform.
"Yo, you’re still alive, old man who likes to visit places of indulgence!"
Ethan saw the old butler and waved at him from afar, "So, are you satisfied with the magic scrolls I sold you?"
Upon hearing this, Horn immediately flew into a rage and blurted out, "Ice slides, ice forests, and frozen big birds—this is what you call an Ice Arrow!?"
He felt a bit afraid now, especially when Miss Anna tore open the second magic scroll, which froze the entire street. Silver Fox is still lying in the hospital. Besides his physical injuries, the high-level healers believe the ice element disturbed his body’s magic Power pathways, which might take several months to rehabilitate, and it’s unclear whether he will fully recover.
Horn excitedly grabbed Ethan’s arm and shook it, "Your magic is way too dangerous! Do you know that if something went wrong, Miss could have become a murderer, implicating the entire family!"
It was precisely because there were no deaths that the council considered further contact with Heisenberg possible, although Horn found it hard to imagine how such a wide-reaching spell managed not to hurt any imperial capital residents.
The result was that Miss Anna was grounded, and due to the commotion at the barracks, Aisoke began to reconsider the engagement. The old master was so upset that he couldn’t sleep, throwing things around the house and completely losing the noble demeanor he should have had.
But in Horn’s view, this might not be a bad thing.
"That’s impossible; if it frequently killed clients, how could my little shop stay in business?"
He broke free from Horn and said, "That being the case, your young lady should have already used the scroll. Let me guess...that ’evil mage’ was severely injured and won’t be back for several months, and other than that, no unrelated residents were hurt by my magic."
Ethan was a professional Magic Scroll Painter who would complete orders according to the clients’ identities and requests, and the scroll that the young lady received was an Ice Arrow (Fairy Tale Special Edition). Large-scale casualties clearly did not fit the "fairy tale" theme.
Horn was taken aback.
Even the time Silver Fox spent recovering was within Ethan’s calculation.
"As long as clients strictly adhere to my instructions, unexpected situations will never occur. Elements are far more trustworthy than humans."
This was why Ethan had to write nine Ice Arrow scrolls. He of course considered the clients’ ages and their level of understanding of magic, thus he provided the most detailed possible requirements on the three basic concepts of "leaving home," "combat," and "escape."
"No wonder, no wonder..."
Horn muttered to himself. Years ago, he was fortunate enough to meet that entity whose name must not be mentioned. When Miss Anna curiously asked about the knowledge of Elemental Shapers, that person had said similar words.
No wonder the council valued Heisenberg so highly; if it weren’t a man standing in front of him, he would almost believe those rumors about witches still being alive.
Horn steadied himself and took out a prepared invitation, "According to the agreement, this is your reward."
The invitation was embossed with gold edges, and the cover depicted a Horned Owl Beast spreading its wings, a rare magical creature and the totem of the Lofic Consortium.
"Although technically I shouldn’t pry into clients’ privacy, if possible, I’d like to know more about that Expeditionary Army you mentioned as being on a suicide mission last time."
Ethan said, "I can pay you a fee for the information at the market price in Fireplace Bay, but I’m not very rich; I hope I can offset it with magic scrolls."
"No, that’s not what I said."
Horn’s expression changed slightly, becoming alert as he fixed his eyes on Ethan and corrected him, "I said, ’That child is most likely not coming back.’"
This was a completely different concept from the Expeditionary Army receiving a suicide mission. Although nobles involved were aware of what was happening, telling an outsider so blatantly was another matter entirely.
If it became known that the Empire’s Knight Commander and the Kingdom’s army elite were sent to die, that would be a charge nobody could bear.
On the surface, a crisis had emerged at the Empire’s border, and it made sense for the Empire’s Knight Commander to lead troops to investigate. Even the envoy from the Neseriel Sanctuary would not find anything procedurally wrong.
What made him deeply uneasy was why Heisenberg suddenly wanted to inquire about this?
"Mr. Heisenberg, no matter your reasons, I advise you not to pursue this further, for your own good."
Horn spoke sincerely.
"If it’s inconvenient, then forget it."
Ethan waved his hand, "Now that the transaction is complete, let’s part ways here."
Perhaps he could gather some information in Blackwater Town.
Horn wanted to say something but didn’t know where to start.
As a puppet manipulated by the council, he couldn’t reveal too much. Every piece of information about the Empire had to be reported upwards. The Pope had personally summoned him, branding him with some kind of mark and discreetly instructing him that in future contacts, he should allow himself to become a puppet controlled by the Empire, casting aside personal will altogether.
Perhaps keeping a certain distance from Heisenberg was the best outcome for both parties.
Meanwhile, Ethan was warmly welcomed the moment he stepped into Blackwater Town.
"Mr. Heisenberg, I’ve heard so much about you."
A woman dressed in a black leather outfit approached him. The leather clung tightly to her skin, showcasing her alluring curves. The woman was well aware of her allure and unabashedly flaunted her impressive figure. She wore a red masquerade mask with a pair of enchanting purple vertical pupils.
Ethan immediately thought of these three words.
She invited Ethan, "It’s your first time here, right? Let me show you around the town."
"No, thanks, I have no money."
Ethan immediately declined. He had pressing matters to attend to and didn’t want to accidentally find himself in some peculiar places. His partner, the Shepherd, had mentioned more than once that the waters of the town were deep, filled with many transactions illegal in the Empire and numerous "exciting" performances.
Beauty Snake was momentarily taken aback before smiling, "You’re quite the joker, aren’t you? Such a distinguished guest comes to Blackwater Town; naturally, we must treat you well. You may call me ’Rattler,’ and you seem quite interested in that Imperial Expeditionary Army, aren’t you?"