When Ave and her group visited Ethan’s residence, the ragdoll cat was still firmly occupying Ethan’s shoulder.
"What brings you all here?"
Ethan squeezed out a smile, instinctively smoothing his somewhat disheveled hair to hide his embarrassment from being pounced on by the cat.
Indeed, the Elemental Shaper’s physical strength was still too weak, to be easily knocked over by a little kitty.
Ave, with a straight face, pointed to the top of Ethan’s head, "Your cat is shedding."
This aura had a certain commanding presence, like a leader inspecting work with partners.
Miss Zhao Cai seemed a bit embarrassed too, and before Ethan could tidy his hair, she started to groom it with her paws. Sister Bi’an was flabbergasted, realizing the white cat wasn’t just randomly grabbing but was actually helping him style his hair.
Using sharp claws like a comb, what kind of cat is this, so intelligent!
The cat’s eye color was also quite special; she had never seen such a spirited cat in the estates of the big aristocrats in the imperial city. So she mirrored Ave’s actions, cautiously approaching Zhao Cai, gingerly reaching out to her, "Meow meow, meow meow~"
She got the same treatment as Ave, with the cat slapping her hand while grooming Ethan’s hair.
Ave’s lips curved slightly up, while the golden retriever on her head arched with laughter, fully revealing her mood—that it wasn’t that she wasn’t liked by cats, but this one raised by Ethan had an eccentric personality, and anyone who wanted to touch her, except Ethan, had to endure a scratch.
"We happened to mention your stew while discussing work earlier. The Guild President also praised you as the stew king of their place. The hunters really miss your cooking. Sister Bi’an had a sudden idea, and besides, we hadn’t had dinner either, so we came over together... you’re not busy, right?"
Ave coughed lightly, revealing their intention.
Sister Bi’an wouldn’t miss any gourmet food; when she was in the military, she would try the local snacks every time she passed through a town.
Ethan promptly replied, "You’re just in time. I was planning to cook. Let’s have stew tonight then!"
"Thanks." Sister Bi’an looked forward to it, "Even though suddenly dropping by might be rude, but when you think you might die at any moment, you want to taste all the delicious food here quickly. Oh, and I brought you some gifts."
"What are you blabbering on about now!"
Ave scolded again, albeit they’re a generation apart, they interact more like friends, and she continued introducing the gift to Ethan, "It’s a firearm from the imperial city that Sister Bi’an bought and is perfect for your self-defense."
An Imperial Military Industry production line manufactured military firearm, with 25 bullets.
Ethan didn’t reject, gladly accepting Sister Bi’an’s gift. Meanwhile, he appropriately expressed concern for the knight boy who hadn’t spoken since entering, "Is he okay?"
Compared to yesterday, Lance had undergone a considerable change.
He looked as though his life force had been drained away like a flickering candle in the wind, devoid of youthful vigor, with his head hung low as if standing at the door would exhaust any remaining strength he had.
"Oh, Lance, he’s fine. I merely had him run ten laps around the town, then did 500 sword practice swings. He was also hungry, so I brought him along."
"I... am... fine, thank... you... for your concern!"
His tone didn’t sound like he was fine at all, Lance now resembled someone who pulled an all-nighter for a week before final exams, barely making it through the test, only to be dragged for a 3000-meter run suddenly. Not dying on the spot was a miracle in itself.
Ethan didn’t expect Miss Keroy’s magic potion would find its use so quickly.
When he brought out the magic potion concocted by Miss Keroy from the kitchen, Ave and Sister Bi’an were both astounded.
"Revitalizing Potion, though it’s the most basic magic potion, it should help him perk up."
Ethan voluntarily introduced it to the two, explaining that it was the result of efforts by both Miss Keroy and the cat, its function as the name suggests, aiding the user to refresh their spirits. It’s a type of magic potion that most people don’t need, used by doctors in some clinics to treat certain mental illnesses.
Its market value was not high, especially in a place like Ximu Town, where it was considered a luxury item with no practical use. Ethan regarded it as an investment for Miss Keroy’s alchemical career.
Of course, this was the first time Miss Keroy’s craft bore scrutiny from outsiders, and he felt the joy akin to a child growing up. Coupled with the professional habit developed in Fireplace Bay in receiving clients, he elaborated further, "The herbs used to brew the Revitalizing Potion were all picked by Miss Keroy herself from the mountains, all wild-grown without any pollution or harm."
"Miss Keroy? That hen you mentioned?"
Sister Bi’an’s shock was more evident, glaring at Ave.
She hadn’t been to the Empire’s border for a few years, how come all chickens here were concocting magic potions?
"Uh, she only started learning recently."
Ave’s expression wasn’t much better; she initially thought Miss Keroy’s interest was fleeting, and after a few failed attempts, she would give up soon. Unexpectedly, just days past, and Miss Keroy presented a seemingly valid product—at least from appearance, the bottled Revitalizing Potion was indistinguishable from those seen in potion shops before.
Upon hearing her name mentioned, Miss Keroy lazily sauntered over, proudly puffed up seeing people holding her brewed Revitalizing Potion.
She was confident in her craft, a result of meticulous teaching from Teacher Cat.
"Lance, give it a try. It’s Miss Keroy’s heartfelt gesture."
Sister Bi’an urged immediately, "This could be a rare encounter!"
Lance, still worn out, was an honest kid and didn’t doubt Miss Keroy’s craftsmanship, took the Revitalizing Potion, twisted the cap off, and directly chugged it down.
Ave’s curiosity was stirred, Sister Bi’an wore a look ready for a spectacle, and the joyful atmosphere in Ethan’s apartment briefly pulled them out of the shadow of Nightmare until...
As Lance swallowed the Revitalizing Potion, he suddenly inhaled sharply.
He held his breath, seemingly immersed entirely in refreshing pleasure that overwhelmed him.
Clearly, the Revitalizing Potion had taken effect.
His fatigue was swept away completely, though...
It seemed to work a bit too well.
Lance tightly shut his eyes, with the euphoric sensation persisting for over ten seconds before he emitted a sound akin to "damn," becoming excitedly jittery, like an intoxicated addict.
The apartment’s atmosphere abruptly dropped to freezing.
Sister Bi’an and Ave’s gazes simultaneously locked onto Ethan.
Theirs were the unmistakable looks reserved for criminals.