Old Gods, Rapid-Fire Guns, and Prohibition

Chapter 313 [The Dragon on the Map]

Joseph had just told Ethan about the three reconstruction projects yesterday, and now someone has already come knocking on his door.

If Ethan hadn't happened to be visiting Hughes...

This old man is likely to suffer an unexpected disaster.

The eldest prince certainly knows how to use people.

Johnny and Ethan have a deep-seated grudge; he's practically a mad dog.

Letting him out to bite people is the best course of action.

"I really don't understand what you're saying."

Ethan took a light drag on his cigarette, then shook his head.

"It's okay, you won't understand here, but you'll understand when you come back with me."

After Johnny finished speaking, this time he no longer suppressed his subordinates.

His men stood up and walked step by step toward Ethan.

Ethan remained seated, simply watching him.

But the atmosphere inside the room was already extremely tense, as if something was taut and about to explode at any moment.

“Ethan, you should know very well that I have absolute law enforcement authority. I am now taking you back for questioning in accordance with regulations. If you dare to resist, I have the right to arrest you by force, or even kill you.”

Johnny then spoke up again.

Hughes couldn't help but stand up. The old man still didn't want to see his student get into trouble, and he wanted to say something.

However, Ethan spoke first.

"Let me tell you a story."

"Oh?"

"The story goes like this."

Ethan flicked his cigarette ash and took another drag.

"There was a Kingdom Guard agent, maybe named Johnny, who one day came to the Kingdom Academy of Fine Arts with his men. He wanted to persecute the famous painter Hughes and his student Ethan. However, his men still had a conscience and didn't want to do such a thing, so they fought with him. In the end, his men sacrificed their lives to protect two innocent citizens. So, do you think the reporter would like this story? Would your boss like it?"

With his last sentence, Ethan exhaled a long puff of white smoke.

Johnny smiled and was about to give his final orders when he noticed that his two men suddenly turned around slowly and stiffly in the smoke, staring intently at him.

Johnny immediately reached for his waist.

However, the next moment, Ethan appeared beside him without him noticing, put his hand on his shoulder, and slowly said in his ear, "Do you know why in those adventure stories, the maps always mark this place as extremely dangerous, with dragons appearing, but there aren't any in the real world?"

Johnny stood there, frozen, unable to move.

Ethan continued, "Because the protagonists in the story are destined, they won't die even if they encounter dragons. So, what about you? Do you think you are the protagonist?"

Johnny's hand had already left his waist.

Just then, the office door opened again, and a stern-faced old man walked in, shouting, "You lackeys of the Security Bureau, what exactly do you want to do?! This is a sacred temple of art! How dare you bully my most important art mentor here?!"

Ethan recognized this man; he was Sir Shaunary, the principal of the Kingdom Academy of Fine Arts.

He was awarded a medal by the current king for his effective management of the art academy.

However, this is probably not the reason why he dares to speak so loudly.

Sure enough, after he finished speaking, another person walked out from behind him.

Ethan recognized this person; it was Princess Einbeze, whom he hadn't seen in a long time.

Einbezet looked somewhat haggard, as if she hadn't been eating or sleeping well these past few days, but she was, after all, a princess, and even though she looked haggard, her noble and regal aura radiated naturally.

Johnny immediately stood up and bowed when he saw her.

"get out."

Einbezet seemed to be in a bad mood. She would never normally say such things, but she did today, and she said it in a very cold and impatient way.

Johnny immediately fled with his two men, who were only just beginning to realize what was happening.

Sir Shaunary, the principal, immediately went to inquire about Hughes's condition.

Hughes shook his head, indicating that he was fine. Then, the two of them walked out the door together, as if by unspoken agreement.

However, as he closed the door, Hughes glanced at Ethan, as if to say, "Be careful."

Ethan wasn't under any pressure. He held a cigarette between his fingers and slowly walked to the window. He saw Johnny, who had just fled in a sorry state, struggling to separate his two men who were wrestling together.

This is naturally Ethan's masterpiece as well.

As his 'name of the true god' grows stronger, he now hardly needs to rely on elaborate words to incite people's violent hearts.

"Thanks to you, otherwise, my teacher and I would have been in danger, Your Highness. Thank you very much."

Ethan then turned to look to the side, because Einbezet had also come over.

"Do you need me? You've already finished handling things even if I don't come?"

Einbezet, however, didn't seem to appreciate it. She then did something that caught Ethan off guard.

That is, he simply snatched the cigarette from his hand and started smoking it.

"Your Highness..."

"Didn't you say you were thanking me? It's not too much for me to smoke one of your cigarettes, is it?"

Einbeze took a deep breath as she spoke.

However, she clearly doesn't smoke much, and was immediately choked by the smoke, starting to cough violently.

Ethan hesitated for a moment, then gently patted her back.

Einbezef froze for a moment before coughing again and saying, "Why aren't you leaving?"

Do you think I can leave?

Ethan was somewhat helpless.

The smoke is burning.

Einbezet stopped smoking, and after a while she said again, "Then why don't you come to find me?"

Her words sounded very aggrieved, and her eyes even seemed a little moist, perhaps from the smoke.

"Your Highness... I don't know where you are."

Ethan thought about it for a moment, and finally gave the same answer.

"never mind."

Einbeze shook her head and handed the nearly burnt-out cigarette back to Ethan.

"I'm hungry, will you have lunch with me?"

Ethan was speechless.

This princess, who appeared poised and approachable in public, was completely different in front of him.

He has always been self-willed and quite domineering.

Einbezem left; she went back to wash up and get ready, finally giving Ethan time to talk to Hughes alone.

"Ethan, thanks to you, otherwise the teacher would have..."

Hughes couldn't help but sigh.

In just one month, he seems to have aged a lot.

"Don't say that, teacher. You shouldn't have to bear all of this."

Hughes was indeed caught in some undeserved misfortune.

He dedicated his entire life to teaching and the arts, but his students...

"Ethan..."

He sighed for a while, then suddenly lowered his voice.

"Actually... I hid Marcel. I was afraid he would die at the hands of those people, so..."

(End of this chapter)