We Have Money Now!

The sky gradually darkened, and a crescent moon flickered in and out of view through the thick layers of clouds.

The maids bowed respectfully, and the head maid saw Ansu out of the hall, through the garden, and to the gates of the manor.

When the gates opened, Ansu saw Ms. Mary waiting outside, looking anxious.

"Yo, if it isn't Ms. Mary?" Ansu greeted her with a smile. "Coming all this way so late at night, there must be something urgent?"

"You! What are you doing here?" Mary looked at Ansu in shock, her gaze immediately turning dark.

"You've come at the perfect time! Come with me to see Lady Celia!"

Ansu could see the blatant murderous intent in her eyes, so he mocked her with a laugh. "Did the ether fry your brain? Have you lost track of the situation? Didn't you see where I just came from?"

Mary froze for a moment. She looked at Celia's mansion, then said in disbelief, "You... you've already seen Lady Celia?"

"Of course."

"What did you say to her!?" Mary was beyond astonished. Even with her heart filled with rage, she was starting to realize the implications.

If he had been summoned by Celia and could walk out alive, escorted by the maids no less, it could only mean one thing...

Lady Celia had been charmed by this boy's lies once again!

"I said what needed to be said." Ansu shrugged, speaking in riddles.

"You lying scoundrel!" Mary said indignantly. "You must have used your honeyed words to bewitch Lady Celia again! But don't think you can fool me!"

"The unusual movements of the Church were all because of your note. Combined with how you suddenly left the classroom that day, did you know my identity from the start? Were you trying to report the cult to get us arrested?"

"Huh?" Ansu blinked in confusion. "Ms. Mary, your imagination is quite vivid, isn't it?"

Actually, she was pretty much spot on...

"Stop playing dumb with me!" Mary immediately tried to grab Ansu. "Come with me to confront Lady Celia! I'll expose you for the liar you are! Let's see if Lady Celia believes me or a brat like you!"

Mary's gaze carried a hint of murderous intent. The more she looked at this boy, the more she felt something was wrong. This guy was definitely a threat to the cult, and she couldn't let Ansu leave alive today no matter what!

Watching her get so agitated, Ansu gave a mocking laugh.

"Things aren't as you think they are. Besides, Ms. Mary, let me give you a word of advice. Everyone has secrets. Before you try to expose someone else, you'd better look after yourself. If you were truly loyal to Lady Celia, would she be unwilling to see you?"

Mary froze, and a sense of panic and unease began to spread through her heart.

She knew the boy was just mocking her, and there was no way he knew about her relationship with certain elders...

But Lady Celia had left her waiting outside.

Could it be... that she already had suspicions about her?

Mary panicked, completely losing her composure.

She looked at the mansion with suspicion and paranoia, her fear of death outweighing everything else.

"Don't come looking for me so rashly next time." Ansu looked at Mary's panicked state with satisfaction, a wicked smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Otherwise, Lady Celia might get angry. And the consequences of making her angry... surely you know them?"

"You!"

Mary was both furious and terrified, but she could only watch as Ansu walked away.

...

After nightfall, Benalu City was brightly lit. The night in this merchant port city was no less bustling than the day.

Ansu glanced at the sky. After a whole day of tossing and turning, it was already eight-thirty in the evening.

If he didn't go home soon, his sister might be worried sick.

Since the distance was quite far and there was no public transportation at this hour, Ansu treated himself to a rare luxury. He waved his hand at the roadside and hailed a carriage to take him home.

The Black Harbor District was not very safe at night. The taverns along the road were filled with noisy, rowdy sounds, and Ansu saw countless thugs causing trouble on the streets along the way.

There were even sounds of gunshots and screams coming from the main streets...

This chaotic scene, like a real-life GTA, further solidified Ansu's determination to move out of the slums with his sister.

Returning to his residence, Ansu inserted his key into the lock. Before he could even open the door, Vera's surprised voice reached him from inside.

"Big brother?"

Ansu could already imagine her skipping over with joy, and he couldn't help but let out a gentle smile.

Opening the door, everything in the house was as usual, though his sister's expression was a bit dissatisfied.

"Big brother... why are you only getting back now?"

Vera looked at Ansu, who was wearing an elegant academy uniform but looked exhausted, and she frowned in confusion.

"You've been coming home later and later recently. If you didn't come home soon, I was going to go to the school to look for you..."

"Don't you dare!" Ansu took off his coat and turned to warn his brooding sister. "You know how bad the security is in the Black Harbor District. Listen to me, you're not allowed to go out at night!"

"Oh..." Vera puffed out her cheeks, but she still nodded obediently. "I understand."

She put on her apron and walked into the kitchen.

"The food has gone cold, let me go heat it up!"

A warm yellow light filled the kitchen. By the time his sister had finished heating the food and the two of them sat at the dining table, Ansu realized she had been waiting for him and hadn't eaten yet.

"Don't look at me like that... it's your fault, big brother." Vera pouted crossly.

"Coming home so late every day, you weren't like this before! And you won't tell me what's going on, hmph!"

Ansu smiled helplessly. "It's really nothing, just school matters. I was consulting Ms. Mary about some questions today."

"Hmm?" Vera knew about Ansu's new substitute teacher, Mary. "The school teachers rarely keep you late, right? Have your grades gotten worse lately? Or does this Ms. Mary not like you?"

Ansu glanced at Vera, thinking that a girl's intuition was truly accurate.

Ms. Mary didn't just dislike him...

She disliked him so much she wanted to kill him on the spot.

"Uh... there was a bit of unpleasantness." Ansu said, "We had a small disagreement, but fortunately, both sides exchanged opinions honestly, and the problem has been solved."

"Oh." Vera nodded silently. "Is that so? That's good then..."

The siblings continued their meal.

At the table, they would occasionally chat about big and small events in Benalu City, or share interesting stories from the Benalu Royal Academy. The flickering light of the kerosene lamp was warm, creating a faint sense of coziness.

Only when he was with his sister did all of Ansu's defenses and unease vanish. He didn't have to think about the destined death hanging over his head, and it gave him the feeling that this was truly home...

When the topic turned to the academy, Vera started worrying like a mother hen again. "Big brother, don't pay too much attention to the girls at your school. We're different from them. The most important thing for you right now is your studies. Graduates from the Benalu Royal Academy are in high demand all over the country. As long as you focus on your studies, everything in our family will get better after you graduate! We'll be able to move out of this dump too..."

Ansu listened to his sister's nagging with a smile, as he always did.

However, when he heard her mention moving, he spoke up.

"Vera, about moving, I think we can start preparing for that right now."

Ansu subconsciously looked at Vera's small hands. Because she had to work part-time at the newspaper office on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, her clothes always carried a faint smell of ink that wouldn't wash out, and her once fair and soft hands had developed a layer of calluses. This made his heart ache.

Vera was only in her early teens, an age where she should be in middle school in another world, yet she had to support this home for the sake of survival and for him.

Ever since awakening his memories, Ansu had been on high alert against the future tragedy and that temperamental, wicked witch, to the extent that he hadn't had time to properly plan for his sister's future...

First, Vera had to go back to school.

The reason she could work at a newspaper office instead of a dirty and dangerous factory was precisely because her general education was perfectly fine. Her talent for studying was no less than his own. Secondly...

Vera was also exceptionally gifted in divine arts, reconnaissance, and even martial techniques. After all, she was a future top-tier demon hunter of the Church.

It would be great if a powerhouse from the Church could guide her...

Of course, given his current status as a cultist, the matter of training her on the path of transcendence had to be considered carefully.

"Big brother, you're talking in your sleep again..." Vera saw Ansu lost in thought and waved her hand in front of him helplessly.

"Where would our family get the money to pay for my schooling? Studying in the Empire is a huge financial burden. Don't think about such things for now. After you graduate..."

As she was speaking, Ansu suddenly pulled out a check and placed it gently on the table.

"Who said I don't have money? Look at what this is."