Witch, Fireball and the Evil God of Steam-Chapter 805 - 143: Become the Evil God (Part 2)

It is the same now.

Aside from a brief shock, Ilya couldn't see any desire from Ethan to fit in with these young people.

That's the problem.

She couldn't see any ambition from Ethan, no desire to continue climbing up as an imperial noble.

Is everyone in this club a "pet" enthusiast?

No, certainly not.

Keeping pets is a troublesome affair; first, they have to spend a lot of money at the auction to buy those special-status blanks, then they have to painstakingly train them into completely obedient shapes. Often, the more special the blank's status, the stronger their resistance. Only true "pet" enthusiasts can enjoy the sense of conquest that comes from taming a pet.

However, more people in the club joined because they heard about the hobbies of Fabius and the Third Princess of the Empire. They keep pets just to have more topics of conversation, which is a part of noble socializing in the Imperial Capital.

Those who have no common topics are doomed to be excluded from the circle.

In noble socializing, what really matters is not what you like, but the hobbies of those you need to curry favor with.

Ethan had no such intentions. He seemed uninterested in this pet party and even was thinking about leaving.

"Mr. Ethan, don't you think their pets are more interesting?"

Ilya asked deliberately, "They are more rewarding to tame, showing the noble status of their owners. Your cats... Though they look obedient, cats are destined to remain cats; they will never turn into humans."

"Is that so? Perhaps that is indeed the case."

Ethan noticed Little Dark was eyeing Ilya a bit oddly, as if signaling something about to replenish its belly. Even Lindong, who was uninterested in the banquet, opened his eyes and glanced at Ilya.

But the Holy Mage of the Empire seemed unaware of her dangerous remarks and continued, "If you are interested, I can take you to an auction in the Imperial Capital. Perhaps there you might find a pet more to your liking."

She paused, "Perhaps you might even see Lance there. Zophie created auction history's highest price. I think Lance is sure to break Zophie's record."

"Lady Ilya, I think you might be mistaken; they are not my pets."

Ethan corrected, "To me, they are more like partners and family."

Hearing this, the eyes of the two cats softened a bit.

Unfortunately, this was not the pet enthusiast group Ethan imagined. He didn't understand the tastes of the major nobles of the Silver Radiance Empire, but he maintained respect. However, knowing Zophie's whereabouts, he had to find a way to tell Lance the bad news after everyone fell asleep tonight.

All the nobles in the room were in high spirits, and he still didn't know whether the transformation undergone by Zophie was reversible.

Things didn't look optimistic.

Even if they could negate the effects of the drugs and contracts, being treated as a "pet" would likely cast a shadow over Zophie's heart for life.

"Family?"

Ilya raised an eyebrow, becoming increasingly convinced of her guess.

This was not something one would expect to hear from a noble's mouth. It conveyed a hint of a commoner's miserly sentiment. In the Silver Radiance Empire, only those of low status would consider animals as friends and family.

"Mr. Ethan, if I may ask, what are your plans after the banquet ends?"

Unable to investigate Ethan's identity, she previously thought Ethan might be a hidden illegitimate child of some great noble like Baron Fulin, meaning after the banquet, he would surely return to his family.

"Probably find an inn to stay at."

"An inn?"

Again, an unexpected answer, but on second thought, Ilya realized Ethan couldn't lie about this.

Among the great nobles of the Imperial Capital, everyone knew each other well. Whether or not there was someone like Ethan in a family could be easily verified by asking around.

Ilya's face broke into a smile, feeling she was close to the truth.

"Could you let me know what you did when you were in Gear City?"

She knew her questions were becoming increasingly bold, but if Ethan wasn't some great noble's illegitimate child, she certainly didn't need to maintain proper noble etiquette.

In the Silver Radiance Empire, wasn't it only natural for commoners to cooperate with nobles in investigations?

For a commoner, being able to meet a Holy Mage and answer her questions was itself a grace.

"I ran a shop."

"A shop? What kind of shop?"

"A Magic Scroll Shop. Our Magic Technology Store sells some very high-purity magic scrolls, which are much loved by our customers."

The reputation of Old Sen Magic Technology is well-known among the Imperial People. The Lofic Consortium had often proposed to invest in opening branches, but Ethan politely refused, as he had no plans for expansion at present.

He didn't find it embarrassing—in comparison to many heirs born with a silver spoon in the Empire, he was a first-generation rich man who started from scratch.

A businessman?

Or a shop of mysticism.

Ilya was stunned for quite a while. She hadn't been to Gear City for some time and couldn't determine if Ethan was lying, but Ethan's confident tone and his emphasis on the "very high purity" of magic scrolls made her somewhat convinced.

It seemed that the nobles in Gear City were mistaken; Ethan wasn't born into a noble family but came from a wealthy merchant class.

Although their status in the Empire isn't as high as nobles, it's much better than commoners.

"Does this mean you are also a Magic Master? Which Magic Master Academy did you graduate from? Maybe we are even alumni."

"I studied on my own."

Ethan said, "I know just a little bit about this field, but it's enough for selling magic scrolls."

A self-taught path?

Ilya was puzzled again.

Although the Empire had many wandering Transcendents, the profession of Magic Master was rather special, requiring systematic instruction. Only families with ample resources could send their offspring to study in Magic Academies.

Before this, she had never heard of anyone who became a Magic Master through self-study.

Ethan had too many ambiguous points, making her unable to draw a conclusion at the moment.

Ethan adhered to his method, refraining from conversing with any of the "pet" enthusiasts in the side building. The only side note was that after the banquet ended, the old butler from the Simpler Clan "graciously" invited him to stay in a guest room at the manor, much like when he first got off the airship, seemingly not planning to leave him with an option to refuse.

Considering that Lance was also locked up somewhere in the manor, Ethan accepted the invitation.

As the guests left, Duke Ash also retired drunk. While the young nobles, with the Third Princess of the Empire and Fabius as slight leaders, had additional activities, Ethan didn't concern himself with them. After a whole day of traveling, Ethan let Lindong hold him on his lap and enjoyed the rare tranquility.

He basked in the moonlight, admiring the paths artfully constructed by the servants in the manor.

"This place reminds me of the former Empire."

With nobody around, the cats finally began talking more, "But it's not entirely the same; it sounds like someone heard about the Empire of that time and added some of their own imagination."

A darker empire, devoid of hope.

A place unbothered by the Evil God, thoroughly cutting off all reliance of the rebels.

"I figured out what this place needs."

Those beautiful red eyes sparkled under the bright moonlight, now only revealing another side to Ethan.

She voiced the result she had pondered for the whole day, believing that somewhere deep in Ethan's heart, he had already come to the same conclusion.

"What is needed?"

"An Evil God."

She heard footsteps approaching from the distance, many people, accompanied by the laughter and chatter of young nobles.

They were holding leashes of "pet" collars, engaging in "walking the dog or cat" activities.

Lindong's lips curved slightly upward.

With a "bang," the white ragdoll cat in Ethan's arms disappeared, replaced by a beautiful girl with long white hair, her arms wrapped around Ethan's neck.

This scene unfolded in the most suitable moment before the nobles. The heated discussion instantly vanished, and everyone stopped, witnessing Ethan and Lindong deep in the alley.

"Become the Evil God, Ethan."

The girl leaned close to Ethan's ear, speaking in a voice only the two could hear.

Then, under the gaze of everyone, she pressed her lips against Ethan's.