Dunn set down his knife and fork, his gray eyes meeting Closfia's as he spoke earnestly, "Madam, you've already helped me so much… I can't accept anything more from you."
"You really are as honest as ever, Dunn," Closfia replied with a smile, shaking her head. "However, your 'performance' this time made my ritual go quite smoothly. I've even given a token of gratitude to every audience member who participated, let alone the two of you… So, don't refuse!"
Seeing how seriously Closfia spoke, Dunn assumed the gift was part of the ritual. After a moment of thought, he nodded and said, "Alright… What are the three choices you're offering me?"
"First, there's the one-year right of use of the battle armor crafted by my husband…
"I won't be accompanying you on your missions anymore, so I was originally going to take the armor back…
"But if you need it, I can lend it to you for a year. However, since I need to consolidate the personas of 'Iron Man' and 'Doctor Strange,' even if you keep the armor, you can't use it to 'play the hero' or do anything that doesn't align with its 'false persona'… Of course, I won't stop you from using it for revenge or other low-impact activities."
At this point, she turned to Ebner and added, "The same goes for your 'Doctor Strange' persona… Consider this a request from me."
Having recently advanced to "Mysticism Magister," Ebner, who no longer planned to use the "Doctor Strange" alias, generously replied, "Feel free to make use of the identity."
Although he didn't yet know what gift Closfia had prepared for him, he was sure it wouldn't leave him at a disadvantage.
Satisfied with Ebner's response, Closfia nodded slightly before continuing to address Dunn:
"Second, there's the potion formula for 'Spirit Warlock.'
"However, this will take some time… While I have the connections to obtain it, it will take at least one or two months to arrange the exchange…
"Since you've only recently advanced to 'Soul Assurer,' I assume you can wait that long.
"Third, and this is rather cliché, is a deposit note for 5,000 gold pounds…
"Which one will you choose?"
After listening, Dunn immediately ruled out the third option. Although 5,000 gold pounds was a significant sum, he didn't value it much, especially since his own pension was twice that amount…
Of course, he couldn't access that money himself.
As for the first and second options, both were things he currently needed and could help him improve his strength… However, the potion formula wouldn't directly enhance his combat capabilities, so…
"I'll choose the first option… the one-year right of use of the battle armor golem," Dunn declared.
"A wise choice," Closfia said with a smile. "I'll continue to keep an eye out for the 'Spirit Warlock' formula for you, but I won't handle the exchange. If I hear anything, I'll let you know what the seller requires."
"Thank you, Madam Closfia… I mean, Miss Closfia," Dunn said with a hint of gratitude.
For someone as reserved as him, this was already quite an effort.
"See? You can say nice things when you try," Closfia remarked, giving him a sidelong glance. She then pulled out a sketchbook and turned to Jane. "This is for you, little girl."
"Huh? I get something too?" Jane pointed at herself in surprise.
After all, aside from her role as the "lighting technician," she hadn't contributed much.
"I said everyone gets a reward… Besides, this is just a small toy," Closfia said as she handed the sketchbook to Jane.
After saying this, she casually took out a bead and handed it to Miss Plant, rewarding her for completing her house-sitting duties. The latter accepted it joyfully and thanked her.
At this point, Jane no longer refused and took the sketchbook, flipping through it. However, she found that all the pages were blank and couldn't help but ask, "What is this?"
"It's a little gadget that can capture images… Any scene you've seen can be reproduced on the pages of this sketchbook through recollection.
"Although similar effects can be achieved by performing rituals and praying to deities for assistance, not every pathway is skilled in ritual magic, and this is also more convenient," Closfia explained with a smile, giving Jane a meaningful look.
After undergoing dream therapy, Jane's mental state had improved significantly, and she had regained her playful nature… After a moment of thought, she understood what "Miss Laziness" meant and immediately began reproducing the various "performances" of Ebner and Dunn in the dream onto the sketchbook.
Then, she and Closfia gleefully relived the scenes together.
Miss Plant was quite curious about this, but Dunn's expression stiffened…
As for Ebner, he didn't really care. After all, any embarrassment caused by "Doctor Strange" had nothing to do with him, the "Hero Detective."
Hmm, I'll inform the others at the Tarot Club later and let them know I've 'transferred' the identity of 'Doctor Strange' to someone else…
Though he thought this, Ebner still interrupted the two ladies' "fun" and asked, "So, what exactly is my reward?"
Closfia looked at him and then replied with a slightly mischievous smile, "A hot spring inn…
"Complete with the identity of the Countess's lover…
"Oh, and I gave her the fake identity you recently created at the Earth Mother Church."
"What?" Ebner's eyes widened. For a moment, he almost thought Closfia had been controlled by the "Magic Mirror."
…
At the headquarters of the "Demon Hunter" team in Indor Port, Siltana read the latest intelligence report and suddenly realized, "So the Countess has been keeping a young lover in Indor… No wonder she bought that hot spring inn… Quite the romantic touch…
"Also, that playboy from the Earth Mother Church I interrogated yesterday turns out to be the Countess's lover… No wonder he could afford to stay at the top-tier club…
"Well, he's good-looking and has a certain charm. The Countess has decent taste.
"It's just a shame that the mountain hot spring probably won't be open to the public anymore."
…
In the wine cellar of the hot spring inn.
Ebner, who had only met the so-called Countess once and had already become her lover, officially took over the inn and began setting up the altar leading to Bayam.
—Closfia had said that the Countess could be absolutely trusted, and Ebner chose to believe her.
Although, he immediately recognized that the so-called Countess was none other than the "Lady Greed" he had seen during the hot spring recollection!
"Is this a 'teleportation' ritual magic? Quite ingenious…" Lady Greed, who had witnessed the entire construction process, couldn't help but marvel.
Due to the hypnosis, she now genuinely trusted Ebner from the bottom of her heart, though she herself hadn't realized it.
Of course, this was also because letting Ebner take on the title of her so-called lover didn't cost her anything, and she felt little resistance to the idea.
(End of Chapter)