June 16th.

Wenster's midsummer was far from over.

So, that afternoon, Ethan brought a group of people to Saint Kuanti.

After a period of reconstruction, Saint Kuanti was no longer what it used to be.

At least, it had regained some vitality.

Many people who survived the pollution began to return slowly after hearing the news.

Although the entire city hadn't returned to its peak condition, it was bustling again.

Additionally, since Saint Kuanti was located in the far north, even in summer, it wasn't hot but rather cool and even cold, making it an ideal summer retreat.

Ethan came with the people.

He had always thought of making trips to Saint Kuanti a regular gathering.

This time, it was his initial attempt.

Besides journalists, he invited many of Wenster's elites.

Of course, on the Saint Kuanti side, he had already arranged accommodation, food, and wine.

This was quite a successful field trip.

At least on the surface, everyone was satisfied.

However, how much of this was just to please Ethan remained unknown.

Ethan was indeed very popular now.

Everyone knew he was the true uncrowned king of Wenster.

With Ned above and the entire underworld below, whether it was doing business or handling other matters in Wenster, it was hard to bypass him.

These days, there were too many people coming to curry favor with him.

Ethan was somewhat fed up, so this trip was also a way for him to unwind.

The afternoon sun shone down, in Saint Kuanti, bringing warmth without heat.

Ethan lay on the chair basking in the sun.

Not far from him, Mia was painting.

As the protagonist of the famous "Orphan of Saint Kuanti," Mia had recently attracted a lot of attention.

Perhaps due to the overwhelming number of interview requests, she decided to hide in Saint Kuanti, accompanying her brother Crenzo.

This time Ethan came along with Sofia.

Sofia noticed Mia was learning to paint, and her work was quite good, so she became interested in nurturing her talent and started teaching her.

At this moment, Mia was painting portraits, and unbelievably, her models were Sofia and... Anya.

Originally, Anya would never have participated in this, but the situation unfolded like this.

"Miss Driver, let's model for Mia together?"

"No."

Anya refused bluntly.

"You're very beautiful; it'll look great in the painting."

Anya simply ignored her.

"Are you scared?"

"Why would I be scared?"

Anya raised an eyebrow and surprisingly agreed.

Watching the two girls seemed more like competing than modeling for a painting.

Ethan decided to stay out of it.

Preventing himself from getting involved unknowingly.

At this time, someone approached.

It was Joseph.

He was also part of this field trip.

He walked over, glanced at the three girls in the distance, then looked at the nearby Saint Kuanti Cathedral and said, "I haven't toured this cathedral; can you show me around?"

Ethan glanced at him and nodded, "Let's go; I haven't been inside for a while either."

The two of them walked towards the cathedral side by side.

Inside, Ethan first took Joseph to the statue in Saint Kuanti, and neither of them offered any prayers.

After all, neither Ethan nor Joseph had any beliefs.

However, Ethan did think of the pilgrim's staff.

Since the Wenster incident ended, Ethan had retrieved the pilgrim's staff and placed it here for further nurturing.

As the population in Saint Kuanti increased, the power of the pilgrim's staff would also grow.

After watching for a while, Joseph suddenly said, "I forgot to congratulate you, on acquiring another bank."

"That's thanks to your influence," Ethan replied with a smile.

The new bank Joseph mentioned was naturally the New Continent First Bank of the Sun God Church.

After the Sun God Sect members got their hands on the true name relic from Casar, they had no choice but to accept the fact and leave.

They left behind a priest in white robes, Otto, in Wenster, to handle subsequent affairs.

The subsequent affair, of course, was setting up the bank.

This was not a trivial matter.

Ethan was very enthusiastic, assisting Otto throughout the process. He not only enlisted Ned to help clear relationships but also talked to Joseph.

So Otto was well aware that his bank could open and continue to operate, thanks to the support of the Bolita Clan.

Therefore, whatever Ethan wanted him to do in the future, he could only comply.

This was Ethan's second money laundering path.

"You really should thank me well."

These days, Ethan and Joseph's relationship was quite good.

At least, Joseph was very cooperative with Ethan.

So their conversation was casual.

"Oh?" Ethan looked at him.

"Treat me to a meal; I'm leaving for the Royal Capital, consider it a send-off," Joseph continued.

"Got promoted?"

Joseph, after all, hailed from a prominent family in the Royal Capital, with many connections invisible to Ethan.

His many contacts were unseen by Ethan.

Since the public trial incident was overshadowed by the subsequent Wenster heavy rain event, Joseph had played a significant role in the Oswaldo trial case.

He had already pulled one foot out of the quagmire.

These days, he was working to get the other foot out.

Ethan noticed some newspapers speaking either openly or subtly about Joseph's virtues, emphasizing his contributions to the Oswaldo case and his role as a hero saving Wenster.

It seemed this kind of publicity was effective.

"Not really, just a sideways move." Joseph smiled, now giving off the impression of a more reserved man, no longer displaying surface-level emotions.

The failure of the public trial changed him.

"Congratulations on that." Ethan didn't say more.

He couldn't keep Joseph forever.

"Actually, have you ever thought about going to the Royal Capital?" Joseph suddenly asked.

"To the Royal Capital?"

"Yes." Joseph nodded, "Wenster is still too small, up north, so far from the Royal Capital. As you climb higher, you're still very distant from the Kingdom's core."

"I know you're preparing to run for the local council, but your talent, your wisdom, not going to the Kingdom Parliament would be a waste."

"I hope you'll help me, and we'll collaborate."

"Us?"

"We shouldn't be enemies anymore, right?"

Joseph looked at Ethan.

Ethan nodded.

"Think about it, even if just for your family."

Joseph left.

Ethan sat in the cathedral for a while longer.

In the evening, he received a phone call from the Royal Capital.

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