Chapter 417 - 197: "Pulling a Big One

Lauden had a lot to deal with today, but with Sean’s "resurrection," he was so excited that he immediately took the day off. He personally brought out a luxurious, gem-encrusted broom and played chauffeur, flying Sean and Elise home.

It was still the same house; Lauden hadn’t moved.

They arrived at the foot of the apartment building.

"Oh, right, I forgot to ask. This is...?"

Lauden looked toward Elise.

Before Sean had a chance to answer, Elise preempted him with a gentle, ladylike smile. "Hello, Mr. Lauden. I’m Elise, Sean’s wife. My husband told me everything that happened in Blake City. Thank you so much for taking care of him back then."

Sean: "???"

’Wife?’

Lauden, however, had a sudden realization. "Ah, so you’re Sean’s wife."

’No wonder Sean brought her back to Blake City.’

He couldn’t help but give Sean a thumbs-up.

’Say what you will, Elise is absolutely gorgeous. To find a wife this beautiful... the guy’s got some game!’

Sean: "..."

He had wanted to explain.

But then he thought better of it.

’Besides, no one knows me here. If she says she’s my wife, then so be it.’

’Making a big deal out of it would only embarrass Elise.’

Still, he had to make his feelings known.

So Sean turned his head and shot Elise a meaningful glare.

Elise, however, just smiled more gently, as if responding to her husband’s "doting" gaze.

"Let’s go. This way."

Lauden led the way.

His place was on the second floor, so they didn’t even need to take the elevator.

"No need to take off your shoes. Just come on in."

Lauden said, opening the door.

Sean followed him inside, taking in the decor. He smiled. "This little nest of yours is quite cozy."

Most of the furniture was made of wood, creating a warm-toned atmosphere. Numerous photos hung on the walls, showing not only a young Lauden but also a young couple whom Sean guessed were Lauden’s parents in this life.

’These photos must have chronicled Lauden’s life on the outside, before he awakened his Magic Power.’

’Sean never would have thought that Lauden, who always seemed so cold, was actually this sentimental in private.’

Lauden sighed. "You have no idea. I’ve always hoped some rich sugar mama would see through my tough facade, tell me I don’t have to work so hard anymore, and that she’ll carry the burden from now on."

"But she never came."

"Until you showed up, Sean."

Sean: "?"

He took a wary half-step back. "I’m no sugar mama."

’And I’m not about to start bankrolling other men.’

"Besides, I have a wife," Sean said, pulling Elise to his side.

Elise just smiled, pressing her lips together without a word.

Lauden rolled his eyes. "So sensitive. Have men hit on you before or something?"

Sean replied, "Not yet, and I hope it stays that way."

Lauden explained, "What I mean is, you’re the one who turned me into my own ’sugar mama’."

He wasn’t still living in this old house because he was broke; he was just sentimental.

The bounty for the quest to recover the statue of Mr. Blake had been 3,000 Gold Coins, and Mr. Gomez hadn’t shorted him a single coin.

The promotion, raise, and Cultivation resources were all just extra rewards.

This just went to show how much the higher-ups in Blake City valued that statue.

So now, he no longer needed a sugar mama to see through his facade. On the contrary, he was now the one frequently seeing through the facades of other young women, sponsoring their university tuition so they could "study hard and improve themselves daily."

"So you got rich and started messing around, huh?" Sean said peevishly. "Watch out for badger games."

’A Wizard’s identity is a sensitive thing; getting caught in a scheme like that could cause huge problems.’

"Relax, I’m no amateur," Lauden scoffed. "As long as I’m quick enough, the trap never gets a chance to spring."

Elise: "..."

Sean: "..."

’So you’re actually proud of being quick?’

CREAK.

Lauden pushed open a door as he continued chatting with Sean.

"This used to be my study, but I started accumulating too much stuff to fit anywhere else, so I cleared it out to use as a storage room."

He led Sean and Elise into the room.

You could tell it had indeed been a study before, as the bookshelves remained. However, they were no longer filled with books, but with countless Magic Potions—some in individual test tubes, some in bottles, and others bundled by the dozen. Anyone who didn’t know better would have thought they’d stumbled into an Alchemy Workshop.

Lauden pointed to the largest bookshelf on the left. "Here they are. Everything on these shelves is for you."

Sean: "Huh?"

’This much?’

’He thought he’d get a dozen or so Magic Potions at most.’

’It wasn’t that he thought Lauden was stingy; Sean just figured the leaders of Blake City wouldn’t be overly generous. After all, they had already provided the 3,000 Gold Coin bounty and a promotion for Lauden. Any Cultivation resources on top of that would likely just be a token gesture. Besides, Lauden needed some for himself, so there shouldn’t have been much left to give him.’

’But he never expected Lauden to have saved an entire cabinet for him.’

It was enough to make Sean feel a little embarrassed. He ran his hand over one bottle and then another, saying, "This is too much. I can’t accept this..."

"There’s nothing to not accept," Lauden laughed. "Don’t let the quantity fool you. In truth, it’s only enough for one person to advance from Tier Four to Tier Six."

"There are a total of 144 Magic Potions on this bookshelf."

"Sounds like a lot, right?"

"In reality, it’s just a single day’s supply."

Sean: "?"

"A single day’s supply??"

’Am I supposed to chug them like beer or something?’

"Hey, that’s what Mr. Gomez told me," Lauden said with a shrug. "This Magic Potion is called the ’Wine of Imagination.’ Its Tier and concentration are much higher than a normal Magic Potion. Drinking it all at once would overload your body and soul, causing a complete breakdown. That’s why the Warlock who concocted it specifically divided it into 144 doses—one for every ten minutes over a twenty-four-hour period."

The more Sean listened, the more confused he became. "But the dosage in each vial isn’t the same, is it?"