Path To Godhood Begins With Marrying Wife And Gaining SSS Rank Skill

Chapter 48: 48:We Have A Deal

Rony and Lia both froze looking at one another.

“Father…” Lia whispered.

“Go and see, Lia,” Rony said quickly. “I’ll start preparing in the kitchen.”

Lia wiped her tears with her sleeve, her ears rising slightly as she took a breath. Carrying a tray, she walked toward the entrance. But when she stepped out and saw who had entered, she nearly dropped the tray.

A tall young man with white hair and sharp bluish eyes walked ahead of a small group. His presence filled the room. Lia’s heart pounded in her chest. For a moment she couldn’t even breathe.

But she shook her head quickly and bowed. “Welcome, honored guests. Please… please have a seat.”

Ethan stopped and glanced around the worn-down inn. Then he crouched down slightly so he was at Lia’s level, his voice calm and warm. “Girl, I’m hungry. Can you tell me what your specialties are?”

Her ears twitched nervously as she spoke, “W-we have roast meat with herbs, fresh bread, and stew. There’s also honey cakes if you like something sweet.”

Ethan smiled and looked back at his men. “Order whatever you want. Today’s bill will be on me.”

The guards laughed. “Then we won’t hold back, my lord.”

“Don’t regret it later,” another joked.

Most of the estate guards had grown close to Ethan, so they spoke with ease and without pretense.

Soon after, Lia hurried around the tables, her face flushed with excitement. For the first time in weeks, the inn was alive with noise. Plates clattered, food was served, and the smell of stew and meat filled the air.

Ethan took a bite, then wiped his mouth with a napkin. He looked at Lia and said, “Girl, can I speak with the owner?”

Lia froze. Her eyes widened, and the color drained from her face. Her ears drooped again, trembling. This scene… It was too familiar.

Customers asking for her father had always led to trouble.

“The owner… did he make a mistake?” she whispered in fear. Her hands shook, and the tray nearly slipped from her grip.

Ethan blinked, startled by her reaction. Then he remembered the story Oliver had told him about how merchants harassed the place. He gave her a reassuring smile.

“Girl, don’t be afraid. I loved your food. I just want to talk with your father about some business matters. I promise, we won’t cause trouble.”

Lia looked at his handsome face and calm eyes. His words felt different from those men before. Slowly, the fear in her heart began to ease. She nodded quickly, swallowing hard, and ran inside to call her father.

Ethan watched Lia run toward the back and let out a quiet sigh. His eyes narrowed as he turned to Oliver.

“Oliver, are you sure this is the right place?”

“Yes, my lord,” Oliver answered with a firm nod.

Ethan frowned, sinking into thought. He had asked Oliver to look for capable people and even hired informants.

From what he learned, this inn had once been one of the busiest in the area. The owner had a reputation for honesty and fairness, but that had also earned him enemies. A merchant tied to another baron had taken offense, and from then on, everything went downhill.

What Ethan wanted was someone who was both honest and skilled in business. But looking at the inn’s state, he wondered if this man truly had the ability.

’If it were me, I’d have sold the place and started fresh somewhere else, Ethan thought. Still… maybe I don’t know the whole story. Better not to be hasty.’

Moments later, the sound of hurried footsteps approached. Rony came out from the back, bowing deeply, his face pale with worry.

“Gentlemen, I hope there hasn’t been a mistake,” he said carefully.

“No, you didn’t,” Ethan replied calmly. “Come here and take a seat.”

Rony gave a polite gesture and sat, his hands trembling slightly.

Ethan cleared his throat. “I am Ethan Blanks, lord of Blank Estate.”

Rony’s eyes widened. He immediately jumped up from his seat and fell to his knees. “Baron Blank…” His voice shook.

“Yo, what are you doing?” Ethan asked, raising a brow.

“No… I don’t have the right to sit beside you,” Rony said quickly, his body stiff with fear.

“It’s fine,” Ethan said, his tone steady. “I came here for you. I need your help.”

“My help?” Rony looked up, confused. “My lord, what could I possibly do? As you can see, I’m just a useless man. My business is about to collapse.”

“You can do something,” Ethan said, watching him carefully. “But that depends on your answer. Tell me, why didn’t you sell this place when you were under pressure? With the money, you could have started over somewhere else.”

Before Rony could speak, Lia rushed forward, her eyes wet with tears. “That’s because this place was bought by my mother. She left her last memories here. We couldn’t just sell it.”

Ethan froze for a moment, then nodded slowly. “I see…”

He closed his eyes, gathering his thoughts. Then he looked at Rony again. “Sit down. Let me explain. I want to open something new here… a fast food chain. I need someone reliable to run it, and I think you’re the right person. I’m not asking you to sell this place. We can start right here. I’ll spend the money to renovate it.”

“Fast food chain?” Rony repeated, confused.

Ethan smiled faintly. He explained the idea slowly, telling him how food could be served quickly but still taste delicious. He even brought out a sample he had prepared earlier. He handed one to Lia.

The girl’s eyes lit up the moment she bit into it. “Oh my God… what is this? I never knew bread could be eaten like this!” She chewed happily, her words spilling out between bites. “Patty and stuffing with tomato sauce from tomato… oh my God, it tastes like food from heaven!”

Of course, it’s from another world, Ethan thought with a quiet smirk.

Rony calmed himself and leaned forward. “My lord… the plan is great. But we can’t start from here. Our reputation is ruined. People won’t come.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Ethan said firmly. “I’ll handle it. By helping you, I’m also dealing with an enemy of mine. So, do you agree? If you do, you’ll need to sign a mana oath. These recipes are a secret and can’t fall into the hands of outsiders.”

Rony hesitated only for a moment, then nodded. “As long as there is nothing harmful in the oath, I’ll sign it.”

“That’s great,” Ethan said with a clap of his hands. He extended his hand for a shake.

But instead of shaking, Rony dropped down and kissed Ethan’s hand.

Ethan’s expression dimmed.

“…”