Sherly returned to Ethan's office. After listening to what Ethan wanted, she began guiding Lara and the others to the guest house.

The place was located on the southern side of LionArk's headquarters complex, built specifically so guild guests could rest comfortably.

The door closed again. Ethan rose and stepped behind his desk. His attention drifted toward the back courtyard of the headquarters complex, where blooming flowers decorated the garden.

The matter concerning Porco City was complicated, tied directly to the guild's credibility.

There were only two options to resolve this issue: become a mediator and seek a mutual solution that both sides would accept, or support one of the factions and secure potential benefits for LionArk.

Sword Liberation currently stood with the white faction, supporting Avalon Guild to govern Porco.

Ethan had no objection to that, but the red faction clearly rejected the proposal.

"I need to talk to Ashley about this. Porco is still a city south of Mavelard, after all."

"If we don't handle this quickly, that city could threaten Mavelard in the future."

While waiting for Ashley to finish her work, Ethan stayed in his office to complete the last of his remaining tasks.

By the time the sun had fully set, Ethan finally finished. Sherly came by for the last time that day, thanking Ethan for his hard work.

"Thank you as well, Sherly. Get some rest," Ethan said.

Sherly cleared her throat softly. She excused herself and left the room. Ethan stood up from his chair and walked out, heading to see Ashley.

He knocked on the door, and a woman's voice answered, saying that Ashley was busy. Ethan smiled. That was clearly Jill's voice.

He opened the door and noticed the number of documents stacked in the room was far worse than before.

Ashley and Jill both looked overwhelmed.

"You two look like a mess," Ethan commented.

Ashley sighed in agreement. For some reason, her workload kept increasing day by day. Today, the stack of documents was far worse than the previous days.

Ethan suggested that Ashley should appoint two or three assistants besides Jill to improve productivity.

Jill had already proposed this before, but Ashley still hadn't chosen who the new assistants would be.

Luna appeared from behind Ashley's office door. Ethan turned toward her and greeted her, and both Jill and Ashley smiled as well. Luna walked happily toward Ethan.

"What is it?" Ethan asked.

"I'm tired of being in this building all the time. I want to go out and walk around," Luna replied.

Ethan smiled and nodded. Lately, he hadn't had much time to spend with Luna.

Since all his work was finished, he had no problem taking her around the city tonight.

"I'll get going then. You two work hard," Ethan joked.

"What did you say?!" Ashley shouted.

Not wanting to get yelled at, Ethan quickly dashed out of Ashley's office, with Luna hurrying behind him.

Ethan left the LionArk headquarters complex while still wearing his uniform and mantle.

Not only him, Luna was also wearing the same attire, though in a size suited for a young girl.

There were many things in the city—arcades, brothels, and various bustling spots.

The crowds continued to grow, and the businesses around Ring 1 in the city center were lively. That alone was a good sign.

Luna stopped walking when she pointed to the side, toward a stand selling candies and sugar sculptures.

She had never eaten anything like that before, so she wanted to try it.

"Sir Ethan?" the vendor asked, shocked.

"I'll take one."

"Sure."

The man handed Luna a sugar candy shaped like a swan. Luna looked delighted, holding it carefully as she licked it slowly.

Ethan and Luna continued walking after he paid for the candy. They circled through the city, and Ethan occasionally saw City Security Authority patrol teams moving around.

"How is it?" Ethan asked.

"It's nice. The candy is good too."

"I'm glad you like it," Ethan replied.

They continued down the main road, observing the people passing by. Some of them smiled warmly and greeted Ethan—they clearly recognized who he was.

"Don't touch me, damn it!" someone shouted.

The voice was loud and sharp, and Ethan heard it clearly. He narrowed his eyes and moved toward the source of the noise.

The shouting came from two men who were fighting over a woman.

One of them was drunk, and his anger flared when the woman's secret lover stepped in to protect her.

"Jesse doesn't love you. You forced her because you're lonely!" the sober man snapped.

He said it bluntly.

"Jesse loves me! You're the pathetic man stealing someone else's woman!" the drunk shouted back.

He and the lover began fighting. The people nearby only watched, while the woman they were arguing over tried desperately to break them apart.

The City Security Authority team arrived and secured the situation, separating the men and checking their conditions.

The lover was lightly injured, and so was the drunk.

"I'll kill you! I swear I'll kill you!" the drunk roared.

His shout clearly showed his anger had peaked beyond control. The man drew his sword and unleashed a crimson slash skill forward.

One of the three security team members attempted to block the attack.

The skill exploded and injured him, forcing the other two members to prepare themselves immediately.

His power? I can feel he's at least level 45 or 50.

"Stop or we will take action!" one of the officers warned.

Another officer started dispersing the crowd because the situation was dangerous. The drunk man attacked again, targeting the security team.

One by one, they were injured, leaving only a single female officer left standing.

The drunk man kept going, full of rage and obsession with killing the woman's lover and reclaiming her. Ethan knew the situation was turning critical.

He extended his hand and manifested Bloodblade Ashura, gripping it with one hand.

Luna still held Ethan's left hand, her eyes fixed on the surge of power radiating from him.

The sudden increase in Ethan's energy instantly drew the attention of the surrounding people.

They turned their heads and gasped when they recognized Ethan, the Vice Leader of LionArk Guild, standing so close.

Ethan had activated his transformation, the same overwhelming power that had killed around eleven thousand people during the Mavelard City Invasion.

Of course—none of them could compare to that strength.

The moment Ethan stepped out from the crowd, the security team members turned and smiled in relief.

Ethan asked the female officer to watch over Luna while he dealt with the drunk offender.

They nodded. In a flash, Ethan appeared behind the man, startling him so badly that he froze and trembled in fear.

"I can kill you from this distance. Put your sword away," Ethan warned.

"Tch!"

"I won't—"

SLASH!

Ethan severed both of the man's hands, sending his sword clattering to the ground. The man panicked, horrified, blood pouring from the stumps of his arms as his HP plummeted.

Many people witnessed the terrifying scene, and more than a few shuddered. They were right—none of them were a match for Ethan.

Ethan stored his sword away, ending his Ashura Mode transformation. He instructed the security team to call another squad to take the man to prison, and they obeyed immediately.

Luna returned to Ethan's side. The two of them walked away, leaving the central district and heading back toward the LionArk headquarters complex.

The incident was more than enough to mark the end of their night walk. Ethan promised Luna that he would take her out again once the city became lively.

Luna didn't mind. She enjoyed it, happy that Ethan had taken her out. She looked forward to the next time he would take her around the city again.

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