Ethan looked around for a while, then proceeded to walk in.
"Hey! Who are you? Stop there," a guard in a black suit shouted.
"I'm here on Miss Gloria's invitation," Ethan replied, pulling something from his pocket.
"What do I expect from a poor boy like you? Get lost before I hurt you for trespassing," the guard sneered.
"How will you? You couldn't even shake me," Ethan said calmly. The guard hesitated.
"Wait here. Let me go and confirm," he grumbled, walking away.
In this world, strength was respected everywhere. If Ethan's guess was right, this guard was just a newly Awakened.
A few minutes later, the guard returned and welcomed him inside—politely this time.
As Ethan entered, many people turned to look. Some sneered, others glared. A poor man walking into a place like this? Disgraceful, in their eyes. But Ethan didn't care. He looked relaxed, following the guard calmly.
Bang!
Someone threw a glass at him. Ethan caught it without flinching and stopped walking.
What he hated most in life was ridicule. If this were his past life, the person who threw that cup would already be headless. But he didn't want to cause trouble. He gently placed the glass on a nearby table and continued walking up the stairs.
"Sorry about that. These people don't like seeing your kind here. Please forgive their rudeness," a man stepped in front of Ethan.
"And you are?" Ethan asked coolly.
"My apologies—I'm Ser Tyrion, Miss Gloria's bodyguard," the man said. He wore gold-colored knight armor and had a neatly trimmed white goatee, which he stroked from time to time. Ethan could immediately tell the man was an Ascended Warrior.
"I'm Ethan. I have a meeting with Miss Gloria," he replied.
"Please follow me," Tyrion said, leading him toward a large golden door guarded by seasoned, imposing warriors.
As they approached, the guards saluted Ser Tyrion and opened the doors.
Inside, everything was luxurious. Every inch of the room was exquisitely designed. At the center sat a teenage girl—her skin as smooth as butter, her figure temptingly perfect. Her beauty could drive any man mad.
Yep. Spoiled rich girl. Ethan nodded to himself.
"Mr. Ethan, you're here," Gloria spoke softly, her voice smooth like honey.
"Yes. Alive and well, in flesh and bone," Ethan replied calmly. He had seen countless beauties in his past life—while Gloria was beautiful, she couldn't compare to the ones he'd known.
"So, you're here to sign the contract?" she asked.
"Of course. Why else would I come? I'm just wondering why you went through so much trouble for something so simple."
"Oh, it's nothing. Just part of my daily routine," she said, staring directly at him.
Ethan avoided her gaze. Casually, he picked up a wine bottle from the table, poured it into a gold cup, and drank it all in one go.
"Do you know that wine costs 50k Ace Coins per pint?" she asked, raising a brow.
"Of course I do. It's from the far North—Mount Aeron. Produced by a company that only makes 100 gallons per year, which makes it rare," Ethan replied.
"But don't worry, I'll pay for this one."
"Oh no—our house will take care of it. After all, you are our guest," she smiled.
"So… where's the contract?"
Gloria clapped her hands, and a servant maiden entered the room, carrying a scroll.
Ethan read through it carefully. After a while, he paused.
"You want me to be your bodyguard until I enter military school?" he asked.
"Yes. And with that, no one else is allowed to employ you," she replied. "Before you refuse, we're raising the payment to 1 million per month."
"And what if I choose not to show up?" Ethan asked.
"Then you'll work overtime," she said.
"No. Change the clause. I won't do overtime if I choose not to come," Ethan insisted.
"You're just a newly Awakened. Do you really think we can't find someone else?"
"Well, I'm not even fully Awakened yet," Ethan replied. "And I still don't see why you need me when you already have an Ascended like Ser Tyrion."
"Ser Tyrion has a lot on his plate. We need someone to handle simpler tasks," she said.
"But... why me, though?" Ethan asked.
"Because you're my age. I can feel safer with someone like that," Gloria muttered, looking down.
Ethan understood instantly. She didn't feel safe anymore—not after her uncle tried to kill her.
"Okay, no problem. But change the clause first. Then we're good to go," Ethan said.
The servant maiden returned with a revised contract. Without delay, Ethan signed it.
"Cheers to our partnership," he toasted, raising another wine glass toward Gloria.
As he left, he placed a credit card on the table—it contained 1 million Ace Coins.
Ethan exited through the back door. He didn't want any trouble. He was sure someone would try to stop him if he left through the front.
---
"Are you sure about this?" Ser Tyrion asked.
"Of course. When have I ever been wrong? This guy has talent. It'd be good to have him protecting our company in the future," Gloria said with certainty.
"I always trust your judgment, my lady." Ser Tyrion bowed.
"Yes." Gloria waved him off.
---
Ethan returned home without trouble. He checked Little Finger's room but didn't see her. Curious, he peeked into his mother's room and found both of them asleep together. They were used to this. It was comforting.
"Well, I guess it's time," Ethan thought. "We're in the month of January. Admissions start next month. I better prepare."
---
[Tier 2 Dungeon Key]
[Would you like to use this item?
The system's voice echoed in his head.
"No going back? What does that mean?" Ethan frowned.
He sighed—and pressed YES.