CHAPTER 47: CHAPTER 47: IF LIQUOR COULD BE SOMETHING OTHER THAN LIQUOR

In an underground bar owned by the Evans Clan.

Paron was indulging in pleasure, drinking like there was no tomorrow, kissing women without restraint.

He had been utterly suffocated these days.

It wasn’t that Virel was targeting him.

Honestly speaking, Virel and Ethan were really nice to him.

Apart from handing over all the Cabreya Clan’s assets, he could do whatever he wanted, and Ethan would give him a sum of money every month.

He was living even more luxuriously than before.

What truly made him unhappy were the old folks of the Cabreya Clan.

Recently, Virel was heavily injured, and lax in overseeing the Cabreya family, which immediately prompted many old members to approach him, subtly implying they could betray at any moment and reclaim everything of the Cabreya Clan.

He was really fed up.

He couldn’t even enjoy his drink properly, constantly being bothered as soon as he sat down.

So today, he simply chose a different place to have fun and came to the territory of the Evans Clan.

No Cabreya Clan members were there, so he wouldn’t be disturbed at all.

Just as he was drinking happily, noise suddenly erupted outside.

Paron’s first reaction was that someone from the Cabreya family had found him, but he quickly realized that this was the Evans Clan’s territory.

"The Prohibition Agents are here, run!"

The woman beside him reacted quickly, guessing instantly, and stood up to flee.

But as soon as she opened the door, she was kicked back inside.

Subsequently, a ’black leather dog’ swaggered in.

’Black leather dog’ was naturally a derogatory term for Prohibition Agents, as they wore black leather daily and did things people despised.

"Collect all the alcohol and take everyone to the hall."

The ’black leather dog’ coldly scanned the room before giving the order.

Paron cursed his bad luck; the first time he ventured out, he got caught.

From this perspective, Ethan was still the best.

He had never encountered any trouble drinking on his own turf.

But Paron wasn’t too afraid, as he was merely drinking. At worst, he’d pay a fine, and that would be the end of it.

Though today’s drink session was ruined.

Under the escort of the ’black leather dog’, Paron followed the others to the hall.

But just as he was passing by one of the private rooms, a hand suddenly reached out and yanked him inside.

Paron had no time to react or resist at all.

He was practically lifted and thrown onto a sofa.

Then he saw someone.

This person wasn’t exactly a stranger, yet wasn’t quite familiar either.

He had met him a few times in brothels and casinos.

Lewis.

Wasn’t he dead? How was he here?

Paron lived every day in a debaucherous haze, only half listening to outside news, completely unaware that Lewis had returned and had become a Prohibition Agent.

Lewis, arms folded, stared at him with icy eyes.

"Lewis... Inspector, what are you doing here?"

Paron was stared at for quite a while, feeling uneasy, so he swallowed and spoke.

"I’m here to help you."

Lewis finally spoke.

"Help me with what?"

Paron was somewhat perplexed.

"Help you reclaim everything of the Cabreya family."

This made Paron instantly get a headache.

Why was everyone trying to get him to reclaim everything?

"Please... don’t joke, Inspector. I’m doing fine now."

"Captain, call me Captain." Lewis still stared at him intensely, "I’m no longer an inspector. I’m now a Prohibition Agent; you know what that means, right? It means I decide how you die."

"Captain, I’m just drinking; I haven’t done anything else. At most, you can fine me." Paron wasn’t entirely stupid.

"I said I’m a Prohibition Agent, I can let you go unscathed, or leave you with no grave." Lewis casually opened a bottle of wine using his alchemical prosthetic arm, instantly crushing the cap.

Cold sweat broke out on Paron.

"Don’t be nervous, have a drink first and think about it." Lewis poured a glass of wine for Paron, pushing it in front of him.

"I told you I’m here to help you. If you want, the Prohibition Agents will stand behind you. Don’t you really want everything back? Do you want to be a dog for life, at the mercy of Ethan?"

Paron gazed at the glass of wine, a dark look crossing his eyes.

————————

After sending Virel back to the tavern, Ethan did not leave.

Because Klei had arrived.

These days, he and Klei hadn’t had much interaction.

Klei was also busy with business.

Sandro hadn’t personally managed the business for a long time; everything was handled by Klei and Emilio.

Klei evidently had been exhausted lately, with sparse stubble, not having time for grooming.

He didn’t consider himself an outsider at all, helping himself to drinks at Virel’s tavern, already on his second bottle.

"Klei, what are you here for?"

Virel seemed to always clash with him, especially upon noticing Klei opening his cherished wines, his expression worsened.

"Whoa, got yourself a golden cane now, nice going, Virel. That looks valuable." Klei pointed at Virel’s golden cane, raising his eyebrows.

Virel ignored him and walked off.

He knew Klei wasn’t there for him.

"Ethan, when are you going to make one for me too? Looks nice."

Klei turned to Ethan.

"When you break your leg too."

Ethan replied irritably.

"No thanks, I’ll keep my legs, but I’ve heard, Virel, that guy, is a real man..."

Klei started rambling again.

Ethan raised his hand to interrupt, asking him to get to the point.

"There’s a gathering of the True Name tonight, I came to remind you to prepare a robe and a mask."

Klei became serious instantly.

"Why just inform me today?" Ethan was puzzled.

"The True Name gatherings are notified at the last minute, I only found out today too."

Ethan nodded.

He just happened to want to buy some alchemical objects.

"By the way, these days I’m completely exhausted, having to work constantly, and still watch out for those ’black leather dogs’. You have no idea, they recently trained a batch of dogs that can hunt by scent, even through walls, wouldn’t it be great if wine wasn’t wine temporarily, and only turned into wine after being sold. Really envy you, Ethan, how you scared them off for good..."

"Wait a second," Ethan was suddenly struck by a thought.

"What did you just say?"

"I said I envy you, admire you for scaring them off so well. Do you want me to praise you again?"

"No, the sentence before that."

"The sentence before?"

Ethan didn’t need Klei to repeat it; he realized it himself.

If wine wasn’t temporarily wine, and only turned into wine after being sold...

Isn’t this like the grape bricks of the past life?

How did he not think of that?

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