Academic gathering with Lich colleagues

"Okay." Although I knew in my heart that this kind of situation would happen from time to time in the future.

"Studying hard at night is a good thing... (but you also need to remember to rest.)"

It seems that Ralph thought he was studying late into the night, thanks to his long-established diligent study habits.

"We're running out of time, we have to get going," Ralph said.

Lyle quickly changed into his scholar's attire, said nothing more, and followed Ralf out of the house.

On the way, Ralph gave him a slice of bread and his water bottle.

"The job of a sheriff is not easy; you must at least learn to take care of yourself."

"Do I need to see the sheriff's boss today?" Lyle took a sip of water, swallowed a piece of bread, and barely felt half full.

“Sir Leo doesn’t have time to come see a rookie like you. We’re going to see Mr. Garrett, get your uniform, and familiarize yourself with your work area. After that, in addition to your daily shifts, you’ll be going on missions with me, as well as doing your forensic work. So, you’ll at least need to get to know the officers on duty.”

"From what you're saying, there's another group that I don't need to know."

"You may not know them, but you must show them respect."

"Sir Leo is a nobleman who is responsible for the normal operation and financial expenditure of the Sheriff's Office. Mr. Wilt is the receptionist of the Sheriff's Office and is responsible for listening to the citizens' requests for help. Mr. Garrett is my superior and is in charge of our work."

"These seem to be three factions?"

"Sir Leo represents the aristocratic management, Wilt represents the church's sympathetic faction, Wilt's uncle is a monk of the Dawn, and Garrett represents us, the pragmatists supported by the merchant alliance."

Wow, what a small society!

The separation of powers among the nobility, the church, and the emerging bourgeoisie.

"So, do I need to secretly pledge my loyalty or something, join the partisan struggle, and help us achieve the unification of the security district?"

Leo rolled his dead fish eyes. "Keep it to yourself. Don't cause any trouble. Don't meddle in the affairs of those noble lords and high-ranking people. Just do your job. No matter what they do, they'll need capable people like us."

Ralph seemed very clever, probably because his social anxiety gave him a lot of time to consider his situation. He chose the wisest course of action, but being wise is not necessarily right. Staying neutral meant pleasing neither side.

"Uncle, you're not exactly popular in Garrett's area either, are you?"

"...This is work, not a social gathering."

Another stubborn person.

If it weren't for Andre's letter telling me that you are satisfied with the present, who would believe that this person caught in the cracks is happy?

……

The police station during the day was much more impressive than the one I had seen that night. You could see the prominent emblem hanging on the front, and there seemed to be more people there. At the front desk, Mr. Jordan was dealing with citizens seeking help.

Most of the people there were well-dressed merchants who were calling in the police to handle their property disputes or the ownership of slaves. They would hire eloquent and well-dressed gentlemen to advocate for them. The brightly colored roosters clucked here, turning the front hall into a vegetable market.

Passing through the foyer, the door immediately blocked out the noise. Several gentlemen in formal attire sat in their chairs, chatting and drinking tea. They glanced at the two who had entered, then continued their conversation. If it weren't for the top hats placed nearby, Lyle might have thought they were there for a party.

“Look away from these gentlemen. They may soon take over from Sir Leo and become your superiors. At least you should behave more respectably.”

Aristocratic second-generation officials.

After passing through the meeting room, Lyle arrived at the office area from the previous night. A dozen people were sitting in their seats, and at the head desk, a burly figure was reviewing official documents.

The exquisite inner garment made his body appear even larger, the curly wig on his head looked very small, and a single-lensed spectacle was embedded in his eye socket. His uniform hung on a clothes rack not far away.

If Columbus had discovered the New World earlier, and tobacco had become popular, Lyle thinks he would have been perfectly suited to have a cigar in his mouth.

With such an overbearing air, that is Mr. Garrett Walter.

Ralph stepped forward. “Sir, this is our new recruit, Lyle Bouler. He’s here to report for duty.”

“Okay.” Garrett didn’t say anything more.

“Hello, Mr. Garrett, I am the newcomer Lyle Bouler.”

"Welcome, little Buhler. If you can be a bit smarter than your bastard uncle and not make me spend every day mediating his colleagues, I'll thank God."

"You know, I get about fifty anonymous complaint letters from Ralph every month. Good heavens, if it weren't for his really outstanding work ability, I would really like to write a new law to hang this bastard."

Mr. Garrett stopped what he was doing, patted the large stack of letters at the bottom of the drawer, and poked Ralph with his other finger.

Ralph's face was stiff.

When Mr. Garrett is silent, he's like a social elite; when he speaks, he's as rough as a mob boss. But it's not hard to see that he and Ralph actually have a good relationship. Everyone likes talented subordinates, especially those who are practically impossible to betray.

Lyle felt much more comfortable with Garrett.

“I will do my job well, sir.”

"Yes, you look much better than your uncle. Go get some clothes and dress yourself up properly, then start your career, young Bühler. Your work is important to us. Good luck, young man."

"Thank you."

Looking at Lyle, Garrett nodded again. "Hey you, you can take little Buller out now." Without waiting for further explanation, Garrett resumed his work; he had simply couldn't bear to linger for even a short while.

Ralph lifted his top hat, then placed it back on his head, and after this gesture, the two left the office area.

It wasn't that there were no other colleagues, but they all chose to remain silent after Ralph arrived.

Ralph's unpleasantness may also be due to Garrett's appreciation, but it's clear that neither party really cares about that.

Ralph found an old sheriff's uniform in the basement. That's right, it was the same one that Lyle used to dissect corpses in the lab, which also served as a storage room. "We'll make you a new hat. That way, your job will officially begin."

"Ah."

"Okay, get used to it. In a couple of days you'll be going on a long trip for a mission in the town of Lavren on the border of the Kingdom of Zwei. Your forensic work will be needed because Cassandale is the closest location. Our sheriff's office has been asked to handle the situation, and you'll be working with our most experienced and seasoned criminal investigator."

"Who is this person?"

"I am but a humble person, and that is indeed me."

"..."

Chapter Twenty-Seven Shiba Inu

"So, what are the specific details of the case?"

"The town of Lavren is a newly recognized territory by the kingdom. The town's administrative system is just starting out. The new mayor was sent there less than a month ago, and this case has already occurred."

"The deceased was a farmer from Lafren who died three days ago. There was a witness, his wife. When the mayor arrived at the scene, his wife was nearly in a breakdown. She seemed to have witnessed a great terror, constantly muttering, 'It's the wolf from Rafilin, it's coming, it wants to take us back...'"

"Raphirin's wolf? What is that?"

"According to locals, it is a giant wolf the size of a house that only roams the outskirts of Lavren. It is not afraid of knives or guns, nor of open flames. In the dark, only its pupils glow with a bluish light. It has always existed, but recently it has started attacking residents."

"Locals believe that the wolves felt betrayed by humans, which is why they bit off the hands of those who signed the pact, leaving them to howl in agony until they died on that land."

"contract?"

"Rafilin was the predecessor of Lafren. It was located at the border of the Kingdom of Zwei and the Kingdom of Vallo. It was a remote place, surrounded by swampy land that was difficult to use. The kingdom had no need for that land, so Rafilin became a no-man's-land."

"Without the kingdom to drive development, Rafilin was still as primitive as the Stone Age. It was a barren land with extremely harsh living conditions. In order to change the situation, the mayor at the time sought help from a foreign shaman and asked for a guardian spirit. The wolf came."

"The wolves brought animals that could be hunted, as well as food seeds suitable for cultivation. The locals discovered that the swamp was fertile enough to feed themselves."

“All of this would have continued indefinitely.”

"But a few years ago, the mayor of Rafirin died, and no one could call the wolf anymore. The residents began to realize that the wolf was just an animal, and they lacked a tether to it. They were afraid and began to flee. Someone suggested that everyone be moved to the kingdom's territory. They were willing to accept the kingdom's rule and become a part of it."

"At that time, as the first group of outsiders accepted in nearly a decade, the kingdom signed a contract of obedience with them and established the town of Lavren next to Rafilin."

"Now that the wolf is here, the citizens there feel fear returning. Some want to leave, some want to go back to Rafilin. The mayor can't control the situation and has decided to entrust us with investigating the case so that we can give them an explanation."

"We need to determine whether someone is faking it or whether the Wolf God really exists."

"I have no more questions, and I'm ready to leave at any time."

"No rush, we'll leave tomorrow morning. Before that, I need to do some preparations and find a friend."

"friend?"

"A professional in the field of the bizarre, and a forbidden friend."

"A wizard?"

“I don’t think he would like that title. He always emphasizes the sanctity of his profession. In my opinion, he’s just a crazy old man.”

"Can I see him?"

"Of course, you'll come with me. Tomorrow morning."

"Ok."

……

Ralph went to prepare everything he needed, and Lyle also prepared to obtain his own assistance.

The blood moon still hangs unchanging in the night sky over Andrei. Is Andrei really on Earth?

Lyle sat on the balcony of the Cup of Extravagance, watching the steam from his black tea rise into the night sky, and thought to himself.

Beside him, Lady Ariana, Mr. Dragon, and Mr. Gentleman were gathered around the stone table, holding a welcoming tea party for the newlyweds, though no one touched the tea.

"The Talent Awakening Ritual requires the following materials: ten ounces of Lich Dust, a piece of Ghost Moss, three Yeti Tears, and..."

“A gift from a gifted person who has given willingly.” Ariana removed a yellow stone from the hem of her dress.

"This is lich dust, a sufficient amount." Mr. Dragon took out a small cloth bag.

“Three teardrops,” the gentleman brought good news. “Upon learning that the Plague Doctor wanted to perform an awakening ritual, I went to talk to my friends at the Magic Research Club and easily resolved the issue of the gold coins. However, they have one small request.”

"They want to make a small change to the ritual, which is certainly entirely in the best interest of the plague doctor, I'm sure of it."

This is truly good news. As for some minor changes, do 120,000 gold coins matter? Besides, it was something the gentleman was sure to do without any malicious intent, so he's reliable.

"Thank you so much."

"We only have Ghost Moss left, and we happen to have no stock. However, we can provide the locations of a few collection sites, but the Plague Doctor will have to make a long trip himself."

"It's what I should do; I feel unworthy of everyone's help."

“Don’t mind it, Mr. Plague Doctor,” the gentleman said with a smile. “This is just the first step in helping each other. You can think of it as an investment. There may be times when we need your help in the future, and we hope you will be generous in helping us then.”

"must."

"Is the Plague Doctor going to consider making a staff? Have you chosen the materials?" Mr. Dragon rubbed his hands together. He sat opposite Lyle, as large as a small mountain.

“I want to use suitable wood so that I can use it naturally in the outside world.”