Ellen did not particularly ask me to keep her identity a secret. Whether she thought it would be okay if others found out now that she had revealed it to me, or if she just believed that I wasn’t the type of person to babble about it elsewhere, I did not know.4

Of course, if Ellen’s true identity were revealed, it would create a major uproar in the Temple. Since I certainly did not want that to happen, I had no intention of spreading the word.2

However, it seemed Ellen felt a bit better now. Perhaps she found comfort in knowing there was finally someone who truly understood how she felt.0

It was the next day…0

—Mic test, mic test. Greetings, dear citizens of the imperial capital.0

—In the midst of your busy travels, I have stopped here to suggest a fine item to you all.0

—Everyone, look at this! It is carved out of wood, with an iron core inserted in the middle. Yes, in professional terms, we call it a ‘top’.0

—And this is no ordinary top—it’s a magical top.0

—I will now demonstrate to everyone a piece of magic, right before your eyes.0

I was currently on a magical train headed towards the Aligar district. The subway peddlers who had been sent out by the Rotary Club were appearing on every train. They seemed to have gotten quite used to the gig, and they had remarkable skills for marketing and selling even the most trivial items on the trains.0

I also saw parents traveling with their children who only bought something just because of their child’s eagerness.0

I was informed that the income that came from this operation was quite satisfactory. However, I doubted that this business could last long. After all, the magical trains were a public space, and the peddlers were using it at their own convenience. Moreover, although none of the passengers said anything explicitly, quite a few seemed annoyed by them.0

The main objective of this plan was to create an alternate revenue stream so as to eliminate...0