Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 204 - 191 The Changes Brought by Alianna

Gareth stepped down from the carriage that had stopped at the security office, the merriment of last night leaving its mark in his mind, his nose as if still able to smell the ladies’ face powder and the scent of alcohol.

Massaging his groggy head, Gareth tugged at his chest pin. Had he gained weight again? He had been sitting at his desk for too long. Recalling his younger days as a junior security officer dashing around Cassandra, Gareth emitted a sigh of reminiscence and lament, "Old fellow, keeping punctual is the only habit you’ve retained."

Pushing open the door, the office was occupied solely by a Night Watchman dozing off at his desk. Understandable, as the other security officers had attended last night’s banquet and were probably still not sober, these gentlemen were a godsend for being able to stick to their posts awaiting the handover. Despite this, Gareth couldn’t help but feel a disgruntled resentment; these newcomers were really not as good as the previous generations.

It seemed someone was missing, Gareth observed the shabby desk in the corner with poor lighting, a place that required lamplight even during the day unless it was exceptionally sunny. Now, in the dark, someone was sitting straight in that patch of darkness, a vague outline with the sound of pages turning. That pair of pupils absorbed the dim light, becoming the only bright thing within the shadows.

Gareth, of course, knew who it was; none of his colleagues willing to share a desk would choose to sit in that spot. Gareth’s nose let out a stifled grunt as he walked to his own desk, hung up his coat, sorted his papers, and with his monocle in place, he transformed back into that imposing superintendent.

He looked up at the first letter on his desk.

"Lyle Butler’s letter of resignation?" Gareth muttered, but his gaze had already shifted back to the shadows.

Ralph’s pace of turning pages remained consistent, his chilly voice carrying a coldness that even startled an employee from his slumber.

"Yes, Lyle has decided to resign from his role as a security officer. He wishes to allocate more time to do what he wants. You saw yesterday’s incident; my future niece-in-law is no small figure. Hence, he no longer wants to exert effort. I’ve agreed to let him be, as the Butler family has already ensured its continuation."

"That is entirely reasonable," Gareth accepted the resignation letter but didn’t forget to jest at the old bachelor across the room, "So even your grandnephew has come of age, when will the ’wicked wolf’ find his own den? The lady from Naranya has been consistently inquiring about your whereabouts."

Ralph did not respond, stepping out from the shadows with a face as cold as if he were looking at his own enemy; but Gareth, who had known him for a long time, understood that he was just naturally disagreeable.

A thick stack of files landed on Gareth’s desk.

"What’s this? Cassandra noble family archives?" Gareth’s eyes widened, his roar echoing like muffled thunder within the security office, "Damn bastard! You actually went behind my back and accessed the archives without permission; do you realize that stealing archive material is a serious crime?"

"I merely ’consulted’ them, just submitted the request at the very end, that can hardly be blamed on me. Mr. Gareth, you were late today, so I had to resort to this measure. Now, I return them to you in good order, sir."

Gareth had been outsmarted once again, but it wasn’t the first time; Ralph’s intellect far exceeded his own, especially when it came to exploiting loopholes.

"Tell me what you’re looking for, Ralph, tell me the contents of your search. I need to be sure you pose no threat to the nobles’ privacy." Gareth watched Ralph’s eyes earnestly, with a focused expression.

Ralph knew that gaze well; it was Gareth’s interrogation habit. Fortunately, he had nothing to hide.

"I was looking for the Borey Family’s files."

"The Borey Family? Young Master Kevin, Ralph? Are you investigating the friend of your nephew?"

"Just curiosity. I was quite taken aback by the ’foundation’ the nobility possesses."

"So, have you found any issues?"

"None at all, the Borey Family is in good standing," Ralph adjusted his hat and walked out.

"The previous head of the Borey Family was loyal to the king, served with distinction in the military, and was granted a hereditary baronetcy. There’s no doubt that the Borey Family is among the most orthodox of Cassandra’s nobility."

"Those in Cassandra have never had contact with any neighboring province’s aristocracy."

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Ralph walked on the street, habitually entering the dark alley that was the nearest to his dwelling, a single-person residence assigned by the Public Security office.

His figure was hidden in the shadows of the houses as he advanced towards his dwelling, reminiscing about Lyle’s appearance at the banquet last night in his mind. Lyle’s face bore a smile, just like his father’s—they always had naive thoughts and smiled at unclear matters. If it weren’t for the confirmed cause of Lyle’s parents’ death being a sudden communicable disease, Ralph would definitely have made this gloomy city more vibrant.

Ralph entered the familiar alley and, at the next turn, would be his house; it was also time to let his mind relax for a while.

As Ralph rounded the corner, he saw that figure in front of his familiar house.

She stood quietly in front of his door, out of place with everything around her.

As if she had eyes on the back of her head, she turned and looked at him, revealing her beautiful visage.

"Hello, Mr. Ralph, I am Alianna, you can call me Anna."

Ralph squinted his eyes, the corners crinkling with a smile.

"Anna, how did you find my room?"

"It’s like this, Young Master Kevin gave me your address yesterday, so, I wanted to pay you a visit."

"That’s very kind of you, Anna, is there something you needed?"

"It’s about Lyle..."

Ralph’s eyes opened wide, the smile disappearing from them. He looked at Alianna, his voice coming out soft, with a rhythm.

"About Lyle?"

——————————

It was a beautiful evening last night, Lyle was in his room organizing his clothes, having promised Alianna he would stay at Castle Naslan for a while, and for this, he had hastened to prepare a resignation letter.

Alianna and Andrei Academy would take up most of his time, including the club and Spirit Summoning studies. It was the perfect opportunity to resign from his job as a police officer. Now that he didn’t have to worry about living expenses, he certainly wanted to do what he enjoyed. As for his cheapskate uncle, he would find time to visit and care for the lonely old bachelor.

A knock came from the door. Was it Alianna?

It was Ralph, and Alianna. Their joint appearance was unexpected for Lyle.

Ralph looked at his nephew.

"Lyle, you rascal, marry into the Naslan family, why don’t you."

"Huh?"