Chapter 166: Departure
There was an attribute that Ethan was once deeply interested in.
Green flames.
Not bright green, but dark green flames, the color typically used by death knights and undead.
‘I became obsessed with it after seeing the immortal death knight.’
Pitch-black armor with a spiral pattern on the shield.
And dark green flames burning through the gaps in the helmet and on the sword.
It could truly be seen as the embodiment of terror.
‘In terms of style alone, it’s a color that would rank among the top.’
However, this green flame was quite tricky to recreate. Even Ethan had searched far and wide for a mage who could grant this green flame attribute.
‘And I spent a fortune too.’After all that, he finally found a mage.
Needless to say, that mage also said it would be difficult to create the green flame Ethan described.
Of course, when Ethan offered 5 billion, the mage immediately began researching and completed it.
‘That was Marakan.’
That mage was the Marakan standing before him now.
‘The mage who made my dream a reality.’
“Hmm, green you say. The green you mentioned is mostly seen on death knights or living corpses.”
“It won’t be easy. In terms of possibility, it should be considered impossible.”
“But the fact that you’re telling me this means you see a possibility in me, right?”
Ethan nodded at Marakan’s words.
“Marakan, no one else can do it but you.”
Ethan recalled the past.
When he entrusted the green flame attribute enhancement for a huge sum.
Marakan had said then:
-Since I don’t think anyone else can do it, I’ll do it.
‘Now that his confidence is back, I can see that boldness from back then.’
“I’ll give it a try. Lord Ethan’s eyes can’t be wrong.”
They’re the kind of people who do well when given direction.
Similarly, Ethan gave feedback and direction to other mages as well.
Then he immediately sought out Scarlet from the dyeing magic workshop.
“You’re here, Lord Ethan? I’m sorry. I was too busy to greet you properly.”
“Miss Scarlet is the busiest in our workshop. The other mages might be fine due to their experience, but isn’t this line the longest?”
Ethan said with a pleased smile.
Currently, the dyeing magic scrolls were the workshop’s biggest source of revenue.
It was selling so surprisingly well that despite starting later than attribute enhancement magic or lightweight magic, it was generating comparable profits.
Scarlet smiled awkwardly at Ethan’s praise.
She was still not used to receiving compliments, but she could at least manage a slight smile now.
“Oh, this is a new color. The color combination is bold. This will definitely bring out the originality. It’s a color that people who want to stand out from others will buy a lot.”
“You can tell? That’s right! I know the psychology of people who come to buy dyeing magic scrolls well. It’s similar to my own psychology.”
As Ethan recognized the newly created color, she smiled broadly. It felt as if the fatigue from long hours of business was washed away.
“I can’t not recognize this.”
“Right? But everyone just thinks of it as black. This is moonlight black.”
The existing black she had created was called real black. A complete black.
The color she created this time was moonlight black, which added a blue tint to that complete black.
A mage employee watching from the side tilted his head.
“Is that so? It looks similar to me…”
“It’s a subtle difference. But people with discerning eyes and a sense for it will definitely be able to distinguish it.”
“Looking closely, I can see a faint blue tint, but will people be able to tell the difference?”
No sooner had the mage said this than shouts erupted from the customers.
“Oh!?”
“Is this a new color!?”
“It’s like the existing black but with a subtle blue tint.”
“Yes. It’s moonlight black.”
“Quick, I’d like the moonlight black please!”
“Give me the moonlight black!”
But there were more people who could distinguish colors well than expected.
They wanted their colors not to overlap with others, even if the difference was subtle.
‘I know that feeling.’
People who pursue style always focus on originality.
They try to emphasize their own color even a little, and if their style is similar to someone else’s, they immediately change their direction.
‘So diverse colors are bound to sell well.’
Scarlet understood all of these consumer feelings.
‘Creating colors is just the beginning. There will be even more customers than now.’
“Scarlet, is it possible to make these dyeing magic scrolls so that customers can mix the colors themselves?”
This is quite a future endeavor.
‘Custom dyeing.’
Scarlet eventually released a product that allowed customers buying dyeing magic to customize their own color combinations.
Some mages criticized using such an amazing magic merely for dyeing, but with that magic alone, Scarlet became a renowned businesswoman across the continent.
Becoming a mage who left her name in history was just a bonus.
Scarlet’s eyes changed at Ethan’s words.
“If they can customize it themselves, it will greatly expand their options. Then customers will try to bring out their own originality. The new colors they create will end up advertising our dyeing magic.”
“That’s certainly true. Custom, custom…”
‘Just throwing out ideas like this, they’ll all figure it out on their own.’
The things Ethan threw out were already what they would achieve in the future.
After the busy business hours ended like that, a short break time came.
“Everyone gather for a moment.”
Ethan called the mages together.
The faces of the mages brought from the Magic Tower, including Scarlet, were visible.
‘I’m going to increase the scale a bit more. And that personnel will be recruited from the Magic Tower where Yerica is.’
“You’ve all heard the story. Thanks to your tremendous achievements, this Whiskers territory is now growing.”
Ethan had heard earlier that his father, Count Whiskers, was gradually swallowing up the surrounding territories.
‘Actually, Letra Huntar shouldn’t be here.’
Count Whiskers’ expansion target had now reached the Huntar territory.
Of course, he wasn’t forcibly swallowing up territories. Count Whiskers was steadily expanding his territory.
As the territory expands like that, it naturally leads to aiming for even bigger goals.
“The scale of our territory will be much larger than it is now. Maybe to the point where this current scale will feel small.”
Ethan said with a grin.
“If you want, you can bring all your families to live here too. I’ll cover everything. If there are good talents, feel free to recommend them. You are now complete family members of our Whiskers territory.”
It had been a difficult time.
Ethan had come down as hope in their lives, which had been rejected until now.
Their magic is recognized.
That alone made them happy.
“Even if they’re not family, you can bring people who are as good as family. They’re people you cherish, so they must have always believed in you.”
Bringing those who believed in them.
“Tell them. That their faith wasn’t wrong, that you’re thankful they believed in you.”
‘There’s nothing better than this for motivation.’
Ethan didn’t stop there and made one more proposal.
“And we can’t just end with words, can we?”
Ethan knew well the importance of words, but he also knew well that there was something even more important.
‘We shouldn’t just talk.’
“Everyone line up in a single file and come to me one by one. I’ll remove all your fatigue.”
Needles were already in Ethan’s hand.
-Using Pulse Diagnosis.
-Excessive fatigue has accumulated.
The mages were working solely motivated by the recognition of their magic. Everyone was focused on work without realizing how tired they were, but that fatigue was definitely continuing to accumulate.
“Drink this potion too.”
‘Good welfare makes employees want to work.’
A sense of ownership doesn’t come from elsewhere. It comes from definite rewards and treatment.
Gulp gulp.
The mages who drank the decoction after the needles looked surprised.
“My shoulders were so heavy, but now my body feels so light!”
“I felt like something was always refluxing inside me, but it’s all gone!”
“Oh my…”
“This level of potion must be extremely expensive. Isn’t it worth whatever price you name?”
As mages, they knew well the value of potions that show immediate effects.
In the Magic Tower where they were, only the tower master could make potions this effective.
Of course, even that tower master didn’t find it easy to make such potions, so he would occasionally make and sell them for the Magic Tower’s finances.
To give such potions to them.
“To give us something this precious.”
“Is, is it really okay to do this?”
At those words, Ethan opened his spatial pouch.
Then he took out half of the decoction he had made earlier and placed it on the spot.
“This potion will now be your fatigue recovery drink.”
Everyone looked at Ethan with surprised expressions.
“I’ll leave them periodically, so tell me immediately when they run out.”
‘This, everyone looks like they’re seeing a god.’
If they were told to believe in the goddess, Moonforce, right now, they looked like they would lower their bodies and become believers on the spot.
‘Because it’s that precious.’
Ethan intended to treat them well for sure.
‘From now on is important.’
“L-Lord Ethan, this is too much.”
“Something this precious isn’t worth just a penny or two, is it? We’d be fine with something less effective than this.”
“Of course it’s burdensome.”
Ethan said.
“But this isn’t something you should feel burdened by. This is my expectation for you all.”
“Expectation… you say?”
The mages made puzzled expressions at Ethan’s words.
Scarlet was the same. She, too, was startled, having never tasted such a precious potion before.
“You’ve all become famous in this region now. Probably almost no one in this region doesn’t know about the workshop mages of Whiskers territory. Even looking at nearby territories, there’s no one who doesn’t do attribute enhancement and lightweighting.”
As Ethan said, everyone came to the workshop street of this Whiskers territory to use magic.
It wasn’t a result achieved through force.
It was a victory achieved purely through their own magic.
“Now the time has come. We’re going to aim for the central region officially, not just this small province.”
“Are we opening a branch in the central region?”
“No.”
Ethan’s plan was a bit more grand. The goal wasn’t simply to swallow up the central region.
‘The central region is only central because they call it central.’
There’s no need to fit their standards at all.
‘You should always lead the situation. You should make the other party fit your standards.’
And the Whiskers territory had enough power to set those standards.
“This land we’re standing on now. We’re going to make this Whiskers territory the central region. With this workshop street as the center.”
Ethan made eye contact with each mage in turn.
“From today, you all become the owners of Ethan’s workshop.”
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