After exiting the *Cursed Crypt*, Ethan wasted no time and headed straight to the nearest harbor from Frostleaf Town. He spent the entire night waiting there, and soon, a sailing ship came gliding in from the northern seas.
"Hey, over here!" Ethan waved excitedly as the ship approached from a distance.
Soon, the ship anchored offshore, and a small rowboat was lowered, slowly paddling toward the dock. Since the harbor wasn't deep enough for large ships to dock, the ship had to anchor in the deeper waters, and the small boat ferried passengers aboard.
As the rowboat reached the dock, Ethan swiftly jumped aboard. The small vessel rocked for a moment before stabilizing, and soon after, it made its way back to the larger ship.
"Whoosh!"
As the rowboat neared the ship, a thick rope was tossed down. Grabbing hold, Ethan effortlessly hoisted himself up onto the deck.
"Tap!"
Ethan lightly landed on the ship's deck, his hand steadying the top hat perched on his head. There weren't many people on board, mostly local NPCs, and no players in sight.
"Adventurer, where are you headed?" A burly man wearing a tricorn hat approached him. Judging by his outfit, he was likely the captain of the vessel.
"Winterhold. Here's my ticket." Ethan handed over his ticket, which he had carefully prepared.
The captain examined the ticket for a few seconds, nodding after confirming its authenticity. "This ship's final destination is Bluehawk's Gate, but we'll stop by Winterhold, Deepwater City, and Sword Bay along the way."
"I know. How long until we reach Winterhold?" Ethan asked.
"Two days to Winterhold. If you want to travel beyond that, there's an extra fee," the captain replied.
"Got it."
"One more thing: there's no food provided onboard. You'll have to take care of that yourself."
After returning the ticket to Ethan, the captain didn't say much else, heading back to the ship's helm to continue preparations.
"Rumble!"
Not long after, the anchor was lifted, and the ship resumed its journey.
"Whoosh!"
"Splish!"
With the ocean breeze in his face and the waves crashing against the hull, the ship sailed quickly southward, propelled by the current and seasonal winds. Feeling the cool sea air, Ethan's mood lightened.
"Let's hope the journey goes smoothly," he muttered, standing at the edge of the deck. The ocean wasn't entirely safe, with the potential danger of sea monsters lurking in the depths. But since the ship was staying close to the coast, Ethan didn't expect any major issues.
"Time to log out and check on Claire and the others," Ethan whispered to himself. With that, he moved into the cabin and logged out.
---
**Earth.**
Ethan removed his headset and massaged his tired forehead. The sun streamed brightly through his window, the weather perfect for a day out. Stretching lazily, he grabbed his phone and checked his bank account.
The balance showed a cool million—a sum he'd extorted from Archangel.
"Man, I'm starving. Time to go find Claire," Ethan said, smiling as he stood up and headed for the door.
But as soon as he opened it, he was met with a surprising sight—three men crouching just outside, arms crossed, with their heads tucked into their chests as if they were dozing off.
"Who's there?" Ethan's face darkened as he barked out a warning.
"Ah!" The three men jumped in unison, startled awake by his voice. They looked up, and upon recognizing him, their faces brightened with joy, despite the dark circles under their eyes.
"Haha! You finally came out, kid. Time to pay up!"
"…"
Ethan was speechless. It was Scarface and his gang, the same debt collectors from the other day. He was sure these guys had been arrested, so how were they back here?
"How did you get out?" Ethan asked curiously.
"Hmph! With Damien backing us up, getting out was a piece of cake," Scarface said smugly, rubbing his eye with a yawn.
"Oh, I see. Well, then, care to come in and talk?" Ethan gestured towards the inside of his apartment.
"Uh…"
Scarface froze, his confident expression faltering as a sour look crossed his face. After the thrashing they'd received the last time, they had no intention of stepping inside again. Damien had given them a good talking-to, and the police had also drilled some sense into them. Even if you gave them a hundred more guts, they weren't going back in there.
"What's wrong? Not coming in?" Ethan asked with a sly smile, clearly enjoying their discomfort. "If not, I'll just close the door and be on my way."
As he said this, Ethan pulled the door shut and started heading downstairs.
"Where are you going?" Scarface called out in a panic.
"Do I need to report to you now? Or… do you want another trip to the police station?" Ethan replied, not even bothering to look back as he hurried down the stairs.
"Boss, what should we do?"
"What else? Follow him!"
---
Ethan made his way to a nearby shopping mall, buying an assortment of snacks and goodies. After packing several bags full, he called for a cab and headed to Claire's townhouse.
As for Scarface and his crew trailing behind him, Ethan had noticed them the entire time but didn't care. If they wanted to follow, they could. They weren't really a threat, and he knew they wouldn't dare harass Claire. After all, this was a society governed by law.
Reaching Claire's doorstep, Ethan knocked lightly on the door.
*Creak!*
The door swung open, revealing Claire's stunning face. She had just taken a shower, with her damp hair clinging softly to her neck, emitting a gentle jasmine fragrance. A few droplets of water glistened on her pale skin, trickling down her slender neck.
*Gulp!*
Ethan swallowed hard, trying to suppress his reaction to the sight.
"Come on in," Claire said, noticing his expression and blushing slightly as she stepped back to let him in.
"Oh, right," Ethan nodded, carrying his bags of snacks inside and closing the door behind him.
As soon as he entered, he spotted Lily sitting on a small stool, cradling a book in her hands.
"Lily, daddy's here!" Ethan called out.
"Daddy!"
Lily immediately dropped the book and ran over, wrapping her arms around Ethan's legs.
"Daddy, Daddy, finally! Take me away, please. I don't want to read anymore," she whined.
"What's wrong, Lily? Why don't you want to read?" Ethan asked, setting his bags down and lifting Lily into his arms.
"Reading is boring! I want to go to the amusement park, but Mommy won't take me! Daddy, can't we get a new mommy?" Lily pouted, her cheeks puffing up in frustration.
"Hahaha!"
Ethan burst out laughing at his daughter's antics. The little rascal was already full of tricks, even asking to replace her mother.
"Lily, you can't just replace mommy like that. You have to listen to her, okay?" Ethan said, still laughing.
"Hmmph, Daddy doesn't love me anymore," Lily huffed, her lips pursed into a tiny pout as she crossed her arms stubbornly.
"Lily, don't act up. Go back to your reading. I'll check your work later," Claire's stern voice cut through the room.
"Alright, alright, let her take a break for now. Balance work and play, right?" Ethan waved it off and held up a bag of snacks. "Lily, look! Daddy brought snacks for you. Go help yourself!"
"Yay!" Lily's eyes lit up as she slid out of Ethan's arms and darted over to the pile of snacks.
Ethan chuckled as he watched her dig into the bags, then turned to Claire with a curious expression. "What's with the sudden focus on having Lily study?"
Claire sighed softly. "Lily's already five. Most kids her age are already in school, but because of her illness, she hasn't had the chance. I thought it might be a good idea to start giving her some lessons to catch up."
"Makes sense. For now, tutoring her at home works. If she gets a solid foundation, she can start first grade next year," Ethan nodded in agreement.
"I doubt it. With Lily's health still so fragile, the risk of sending her to school is too high," Claire said, shaking her head sadly.
"Don't worry. I've got a way to cure her illness," Ethan said confidently, waving her concerns away.
He wasn't talking about a regular doctor. Once he made it to Winterhold, there was a special artifact within the city lord's mansion. If he could get his hands on it, Lily's sickness would be a thing of the past.
"Are you sure your 'expert friend' can cure her?" Claire asked skeptically, still under the impression Ethan meant a doctor he had mentioned before.
"Of course, Claire. You've got to trust me!" Ethan assured her, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"I do trust you," Claire said, feeling the warmth of his hand, her face turning red and her ears burning with heat.
*Gulp!*
Ethan swallowed hard again, his voice dropping as he mumbled, "I'm… hungry."