When Ethan arrived at West's secret garden, it was already dusk.

Fortunately, this time he didn't run into Ainebez by chance.

Ethan successfully met Joseph in the prearranged room.

Joseph was indeed in good spirits as the saying goes, and upon seeing Ethan, he couldn't sit still with excitement, getting up to hug him.

Ethan refused him and said, "Did you catch Tefula?"

"Not yet, but he's finished. There's no chance of him making a comeback."

Joseph paused slightly when mentioning this, but still spoke with absolute certainty.

"I hope so."

Ethan replied noncommittally.

"Come, have a taste of this. I don't easily bring this out; it's a fine wine I've treasured for many years, from the Golden Coast, best vintage, 1844."

Joseph said this as he took out a bottle that looked quite aged from the side and handed it to Ethan.

Ethan was quite familiar with the legend of the Golden Coast.

As someone involved in bootlegging, he knew a lot about wines. The Golden Coast did not refer to a coastal area in the Royal Capital, but the western coast occupied by the Maswia Kingdom in the old continent, a region blessed with perennial sunshine, perfect for grape growing.

In 1844, it received an abundance of sunshine and rain, nurturing the finest grapes, thus producing the finest wines.

"It's not cheap."

Even before Prohibition, this vintage of wine was prized yet elusive, let alone now, making it truly liquid gold.

"To thank you, what does this count for?"

Joseph poured a full glass for Ethan without hesitation.

Ethan took the glass, swirled it and sniffed it, but did not drink.

"Did you hear some news?"

Joseph finally sensed something amiss.

Ethan recounted Palon's report from the afternoon.

"Trafford is connected to the Western bandits?"

"As far as I know, Trafford bears a grudge against the Western bandits. He rose by cracking down on them when he was a young enforcer."

"However..."

Joseph paused and nodded.

"Indeed, that is a new angle, because no one would expect them to come together again."

"Help me keep an eye on the Western bandits' movements."

Ethan finally took a sip.

After many great battles, although Vasini is consolidating power, and the Southern District Mafia now only listens to him, the slaughter was too heavy; the families are not completely aligned yet.

Especially since Uttahan hasn't been wholly crushed, and the immigrants from the old continent aren't truly submissive to him.

Of course, the most critical point is Vasini's lack of strength himself.

Even without Uttahan, it's not easy for him to fully establish himself in the South District in a short time.

Should the Western bandits enter, chaos would ensue once more.

That would again be a headache for Ethan.

"Don't worry, your concern is my concern."

Joseph clinked glasses with Ethan.

The two drank together.

"I really don't know how to thank you; without you, I probably..."

Joseph downed a glass, his face turned a bit red as he shook his head involuntarily.

Indeed, his pressure was not small, even though he had returned to become the head of the fourth section of the Kingdom Defense Bureau, it was fraught with internal and external troubles.

Outside, there's competition like Trafford; inside, not everyone in the family wishes him well.

After all, he had once encountered a humiliating failure at Wenster.

So he greatly envied Ethan's family atmosphere.

"If you don't know how, just hold onto it. There will be a chance."

Actually, Ethan already had a plan in mind.

After this year, Marvin must be transferred back from Wenster, and by then, a good position could be found for him in the Kingdom Defense Bureau.

The more stable Joseph's position in the Kingdom Defense Bureau, the more stable Ethan's business in Wenster would be.

After all, appointments of Prohibition Bureau officers and Statistical Bureau members dispatched to local areas require decisions from higher-ups.

The Prohibition Bureau mainly recruits from the Security Bureau, with a minority from the Kingdom Defense Bureau, while the Statistical Bureau recruits from the military.

These are areas of Joseph's expertise.

Therefore, there will be plenty of opportunities for Joseph to thank him.

They finished an entire bottle of wine before concluding the evening.

On his way out, Ethan encountered a small episode.

He met Senior Brother Marcel, who is now Hughes' capable assistant and disciple.

"Senior Brother Marcel, it's been a long time."

It indeed had been long since they met, since their last meal here.

"Ethan, I was just coming to find you. I have something to ask for your help with."

Marcel's words came as a surprise to Ethan.

"Oh? Go on, senior brother. If it's something I can do, I'll definitely help."

Ethan thought nothing of it. After all, they had known each other; as long as it wasn't anything too troublesome.

As it turned out, what Marcel asked was not troublesome at all; he simply wanted Ethan to sign a few autographs for him.

"Actually, it's like this. Recently, the academy held a competition, and we thought for a long time about the prize. Then some students suggested they very much wanted your signature, haha. I'm not sure how this trend started, but you know..."

Marcel seemed a bit embarrassed.

Ethan chuckled after hearing it. So that's what it was, and he immediately nodded. It was no big deal, just a minor favor.

After the autographs, Marcel further said to Ethan, "The teacher said he received your gift. It was too lavish; he'd like you to refrain from doing such things next time and hopes you find the time to visit the school."

The so-called gift was the paper itself. When signing the paper, Ethan included Hughes as a co-author.

That meant Hughes had also become a member of the new art movement.

The so-called new art movement was the name scholars had given to Ethan's work after his paper was published.

After Ethan left, Marcel did not leave immediately. He took Ethan's autographs into the depths of the garden, found West, and handed them to her.

"Senior Sister, are we really doing this?"

Marcel seemed very hesitant.

"Marcel, what are you hesitating about again? You know what kind of cause we are advocating for. One day, Ethan will also agree with our philosophy; it's just that he hasn't yet."

West accepted the autographs, lacking her usual allure. What remained was a straightforward resolute manner, and her brows were filled with a striking determination, as if there was a mountain before her that needed to be moved.

"I'm sorry, Senior Sister. It was shallow of me. After all, I haven't truly witnessed those hardships; I was not firm enough. I'll reflect and will never do this again."

Marcel showed a look of shame, then his gaze turned determined again, as if nothing in front of him could ever deter him.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.