Chapter 19 : Setting Up Life

"Who are you?"

"You need to pay for information like that, no?"

"..."

"I think we should go to the Hao clan instead."

"Wait! Please give me a few minutes, I need to talk with my superiors."

"I would rather go back instead"

"...How-How credible is your information?"

"You can check it yourself"

Seraphina then took out a note out of her robe and passed it to the other side of the hole. For a while it was all quiet. 

"If this is authentic, we will find you again. Please give us some time as we must confirm it."

"I hope you don't be late"

After they finished their business in that shady place they were once again on the main street.

"So, what was that all about?" Ethan with his deep voice asked Seraphina.

"To search for you, I used many information sources. The one we met today was one of the useful ones. This happened to one of their branches set up in this city. Took a while to find it."

"So what about the phrase or whatever it was? Some kind of code?"

"Their founder has been missing for nearly half a century. No one knows where he is. Except that only higher ups in their organization know of this phrase left by their founder. They have been searching for his inheritance all this time but still couldn't find it. I happen to have some information on it."

"What if they find it but still don't acknowledge your help?"

"Then we burn them"

Ethan stopped continuing the conversation right there. It was afternoon at that time. The couple decided to have a meal at the White Crane Inn.

"It's hard to believe that an inn in a place like this sells noodles of this degree." Seraphina seems to like this place more than when she came here the first time.

"Lily, did those guys come again after last time?" Ethan asked Lily, the young lady from before who was sitting beside them.

"No, thanks to you they have not come again. We also bought some kitchen supplies and fixed this place with the money you gave us."

"Hmm this place certainly looks different"

"However, we don't get many customers." Lily expressed her sorrow with a sulking face.

"You need to make some changes" Seraphina joined in on the conversation. "The meat you grill here is great. But how about having the customers themselves gill it?"

Ethan knew what Seraphina was talking about. He was so focused on the recent affairs that he forgot about his life as Ethan Cross. 

"Why would the customers even grill it? Aren't they paying us to do that for them?" Lily had visible confusion on her face. After all this idea sounded illogical but had tremendous success in the modern world.

"There is a certain charm to it, a sense of adventure and personalization. It's like embarking on a culinary journey, where you become the master of your own flavors. As you take hold of the tongs and place the marinated meat on the sizzling grill, the anticipation builds. The sound of the meat searing, the aroma of the spices mingling with the air, it all adds to the sensory experience. It becomes a moment of connection, as you gather around the grill with friends and loved ones, sharing stories and laughter while collectively creating a delicious feast. So, I strongly believe that it would be a success if you do that."

"You can set up grill stands for each table and offer them different types of seasonings. After you have the set-up complete you can advertise about this method in the city. The initial response would be low, but as time passes, customers will come in hordes." Ethan added to the suggestion made by Seraphina.

"That certainly sounds like an interesting idea, I will talk to grandma about it."

"Now that I think about it, where is she?"

"Oh, she went to the market"

"Then tell her we said hi"

"Alright, take care. Come again!"

After they left the inn they went to a furniture shop. Ethan didn't quite like how his office was. He was someone who appreciated art in both lives. 

He ordered for another book shelf and a normal shelf. He also ordered for another table as the current table he had didn't quite match his taste. He further added another table to his order.

He then went to a famous bar in the neighborhood. 

"What can I offer you young man"

The bartender, with white hair and wrinkled face asked Ethan. Though the bartender was old, he still had his handsome face.

"I would like to meet the owner here, I want to order a number of stuff"

"You are talking to him. This is my passion. Just say what you want. We got the best quality around here."

"I would like to order around fifty bottles. I don't care about the price. I would like them to be unique."

"First time someone like you came here. Want to start a bar of your own?"

"It's for personal consumption"

"Haha quite the guy you are! Fine. Give me the address and make an advance payment. I will send it by some trading company. I am Charles by the way."

"I am Ethan, a professor in Honden. Say my name in Honden and they will show you the way."

After Ethan made the payment, they started to go back to Honden.

"Se-Rose, are you sure you don't want anything?"

"Unlike a certain someone, I don't exactly live an extravagant life."

"Um- Anyways, how was your class?"

"Those nobles never learn. Their pride is way too annoying."

"I heard you held your first class outdoors?"

"If they want to learn alchemy shouldn't they learn to gather their materials first?"

"Well I doubt those noble children who are born with golden spoon can gather those themselves"

"That is exactly why they need to learn it first"

"Oh we are already here, see you tomorrow"

"Alright"

Ethan and Seraphina then went on their own paths. But suddenly-

"Ethan"

Ethan looked back. 

"!!!"

He felt her cold lips on his cheek. The next moment Seraphina turned away and quickly went away.

"Just what was that?"

As Ethan opened his dorm room, the familiar atmosphere greeted him. As usual he put his cloak and coat on the hanger. He then lay on his bed and closed his eyes awaiting the new day.

Ethan was now on a carriage to Arel. Arel has one of the best craftsmen. Ethan, as of now, had no proper weapons. The twin black swords he had couldn't be used normally. They radiated demonic energy and could only be used when Ethan transformed into a demon. The swords somehow appear at will when Ethan is transformed. As if those swords are bound to his soul.

Ethan invited Seraphina as well but she rejected saying she had classes. 

Hence, Ethan was now traveling alone. The carriage took a while to reach Arel. Since Arel was a city with mostly craftsmen, the architecture of this city was unparalleled to others. The buildings, walls, even roads are built in a way that mesmerizes whoever sees it.

Ethan, when he was living his life as Magnus, had his sword made by the royal blacksmith. He was a dwarf who came to the Empire many years ago. Ethan heard from Grimhild that he had gone missing a few weeks after the Emperor died. So now Ethan's only option was searching for someone else.

Ethan went to a nearby inn to fill his stomach. He sat down on a table and ordered some food. He was served a warm and filling porridge made from oats, barley, or even rice. 

As he was eating he looked at his surroundings. The inn felt a bit empty, maybe because it was still morning. As Ethan finished eating, a young boy came to take his bill.

Ethan put a coin into his pocket slowly and asked,"I am new here, do you know where I can find a really good blacksmith?"

The young boy with a bright smile on his face responded,"If you go straight from here, you will be at the town square. There is a smithy called Fiery Breath. Most adventurers commission them for weapons."

"Thank-"

Boom

Suddenly a large explosion was heard outside. Ethan immediately ran outside. He saw smoke coming from the direction of the place the young boy told him about. He quickly ran towards there.

At the town square he found that people were being massacred by ogres. This is the middle of the town and there is no forest around here, it is impossible for them to be here. The adventurers around here should be enough to handle some ogres but the ogres were a bit unusual. 

The ogres had red patterns all over their body. Their eyes were blood red. And they were emanating more demonic energy than usual. Ethan now was very sensitive to demonic energy. 

Boom

A second explosion was heard. The explosion happened at the smithy the young boy told him about. Just as he was about to run to the smithy he heard a scream.

Kyaaa

A woman was using his long staff to hold an ogre's mouth from eating her.

[ What kind of mage would be fighting alone like that? ]

Ethan decides to help the woman. Ethan rushes forward and lunges forward at the ogre and with his fist clad with mana he punched the ogre's head. Just one punch was enough for its head to get destroyed.

Blood splattered onto Ethan's face. Ethan gave a cold glance towards the woman. 

He then goes after another ogre. This ogre was also being fought by a sole adventurer.

[ Why are these adventurers fighting alone? Can't they form a temporary party? ]

He jumped onto the ogre's back. He put his hands together and clenched them tightly. With fierce speed he then smashed the ogres head from behind.

[ This is fun ]

[ I want more ]

Ethan looked around for other ogres. Just as he was about to rush to another one, suddenly a stone monument landed in front of him. He looked at the direction where it came from. Three ogre suddenly ran towards him.

Ethan with an unusual laugh charged as well. The first ogre tried to launch a punch at Ethan. Ethan slid down between the ogre's legs and avoided it easily. He then straightened his hands and using mana, turned his hand into a blade. He then cut the ogre's legs making it fall to the ground.

Sensing another punch, Ethan took a step back. The punch was strong enough to shake the ground. Seeing a shadow, Ethan looked up and to his surprise, an ogre jumped at him with its hands formed like an axe. Ethan decides to take advantage of it and takes a step back while setting up a magic circle on the ground.

In an instant a sharp long spike formed on the ground piercing the ogre. The last ogre gave out a cry seeing the situation. Hearing its cry, all the other ogres stopped their onslaught in the area and came towards Ethan.

[ Haha! This is going to be fun ]

It had already been around twenty minutes since Ethan came to the town square.

"Is-Is he even a human?"

"I never heard about an adventurer like him"

Ethan was standing in the midst of the bloody town square. Around him lay the bodies of around ten ogres. His hands were dripping with blood. He looked at the still burning smithy that some mages were pouring water at.

He dashed inside the burning building with his body clad in a thin layer of mana. The lobby was completely destroyed. He spread his mana like a net around the building. There were no signs of life in the lobby. The bodies were all scattered around. There were cuts on these bodies, meaning it was done by a humanoid species. He decided to go down where he sensed life from. 

He found that the staircase was blocked. He took a step back around ten meters away from the life source. He put his hand on the ground.

Boom

The ground destroyed from the pressure of high density mana taking Ethan down.

There was a mage with black robe casting a spell towards the wall while a knight in black armor was standing guard. There was a dwarf lying on the ground tied up and unconscious.

The knight was flustered at Ethan's appearance. "Who are you?"

"Your death!" Ethan responded with a menacing tone as he leapt towards him throwing a punch.

The knight blocked Ethan's punch with his sword but was pushed back. Taking Ethan's blow head on made the knight's arms tremble. 

"So you know how to resist huh?"

Ethan again launched a punch at the knight. Because of prior experience, the knight decided to evade the punch and counter it. Just as he moved out of the way of Ethan's punch, Ethan grabbed his face with his hands as if he was expecting it. He then smashed the head into the ground making it tremble.

"It's done, bring the hostage"

The mage suddenly turned back and saw what he never expected. There was something like a portal where the mage was casting at. 

"And where do you think you will be going?" Ethan's smirk gave shivers down the mage's spine.

The mage immediately tried to cast a spell at Ethan. 

"Too slow" Ethan appeared under the mage grabbing his neck and lifting him up.

The mage with the little strength he had left, made a gesture with his hands and the portal closed.

"Hmph! Useless." Ethan then slammed him directly into the wall, breaking his neck.

A smile formed on his face as the black fluid came out of his body and began to absorb the two bodies. After the bodies were absorbed, suddenly Ethan felt a shock and looked around. 

[ What happened to me? ]

[ Why did I want to kill that much? ]

Ethan's eyes that were focused on his trembling hands that were dripping with blood shifted towards the dwarf.

"Normally leaving him here for others to find would be a better choice, but… Sigh"