Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 26 Public Security Office

It wasn’t long before Lyle chose to depart, the outside world still in the depths of night, meaning he had four hours to sleep before his job as a constable began.

Before sleeping, he hid the Spirit Summon book Mr. Dragon had brought in the cabinet, reviewed the resurrection spell a few times—perhaps with some Five-Petaled Nightshade, he could complete the ritual independently—and remembered the staff as well.

After adding these tasks to the mental checklist in his mind, Lyle drifted into dreamland.

...

Honestly, waking up and immediately seeing Ralph’s zombie-like face was a very unpleasant life experience.

"A constable’s time is extremely precious. (Don’t oversleep next time.)"

"Okay," he replied, though he inwardly felt this situation would occur again in the future.

"Studying hard at night is good... (but you must also pay attention to your rest.)"

Ralph seemed to think he had been up all night studying, thankfully due to his long-established image as a diligent student.

"We are running out of time, we need to leave," Ralph said.

Lyle quickly changed into his scholar attire, didn’t say much, and promptly followed Ralph out of the house.

On the road, Ralph handed him a slice of bread and his water flask.

"A constable’s job isn’t easy, you at least need to learn to take care of yourself."

"Do I need to meet the constable chief today?" Lyle drank some water, swallowed the bread, and was barely half full.

"Sir Leo doesn’t have the leisure to see a rookie like you. We’re going to see Mr. Gareth, get your uniform, then get familiar with your work area. After that, besides the regular shift arrangements, you’ll join me on missions, along with your forensic duties, so at the very least, you need to recognize the officers on duty."

"From what you are saying, there seems to be a part I don’t need to get to know."

"You might not need to get to know them, but you need to maintain respect."

"Sir Leo is nobility and in charge of the normal operation and financial expenses of the constabulary; Mr. Wilt is the receptionist, in charge of listening to the citizens’ pleas; Mr. Gareth is my superior, responsible for our jobs."

"That sounds like three different powers?"

"Sir Leo represents the nobility’s management, Mr. Wilt represents the church-affiliated faction—his uncle is a monk of Dawnlight—and Gareth represents us, the doers supported by the merchants’ alliance."

Quite a micro-society.

Nobility, church, and the emerging bourgeoisie, a separation of powers.

"So, do I need to secretly pledge allegiance or anything, join in the factional battles to help us unify the constabulary district?"

Ralph rolled his dead fish eyes, "Hold it in, don’t cause any trouble for me. Don’t get involved in the matters of those higher-ups, those noblemen; just do your job well, no matter what they do, they will always need capable people like us."

Ralph seemed very smart, probably the social awkwardness gave him a lot of time to consider his position, choosing the wisest course of action, but being wise doesn’t always mean being right, maintaining neutrality meant not pleasing either side.

"Uncle, you probably aren’t very popular with Gareth’s crowd, are you?"

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

Another stubborn head.

If it weren’t for Andrey’s letter telling me you are quite satisfied with your current life, who would believe a person caught in the cracks could be happy?

......

The constabulary during the day appeared far less imposing than the one he had seen that night; you could see the prominent emblem hanging on the front, and there seemed to be more people around. At the front desk, Mr. Jordan was dealing with the citizens seeking assistance.

Most of them were merchants dressed in bright attire, demanding security officers to handle property disputes or the ownership of slaves for them. They would hire eloquent and well-dressed gentlemen to fight for their interests, turning the front hall into a marketplace with their cackling like colorful roosters.

Once past the front hall, the big door suddenly blocked out the noise. Several gentlemen in formal attire were sitting on their chairs, sipping tea and chatting while glancing at the two newcomers then resuming their conversation. If it weren’t for the top hats placed not too far away, Lyle might have thought they were here for a party.

"Avert your gaze, these gentlemen may soon take over from Sir Leo and become your immediate superiors, so you should at least show some dignity."

Second-generation noble officials.

Passing through the reception room, Lyle arrived at the office area he had visited the previous night. About a dozen people were seated at their desks, with a robust figure at the leading desk busy revising documents.

The delicate lining of his clothes made his figure appear more imposing, while the curly wig on his head seemed rather petite by comparison. He wore a monocle in his eye socket, and his uniform hung on a clothes rack not too far away.

If Columbus had discovered the New World ahead of schedule and tobacco had become fashionable, Lyle thought he would suit smoking a cigar perfectly.

This man exuding such a domineering presence was none other than Mr. Gareth Wall.

Ralph stepped forward, "Sir, this is our newcomer, Lyle Butler. He’s come to report for duty."

"Alright," Gareth replied without further elaboration.

"Hello, Mr. Gareth, I’m the newcomer, Lyle Butler."

"Welcome, Little Butler. If you’re sharper than your damn uncle and don’t make me spend my days mediating his workplace relations, then I would truly thank God."

"You should know, I get up to fifty anonymous complaints a month from Ralph. God, if it weren’t for the fact that he’s indeed excellent at his job, I’d really like to invent a new law just to hang the bastard."

Mr. Gareth stopped his work, patted a big stack of letters in the bottom drawer with one hand, and jabbed a finger at Ralph with the other.

Ralph’s face was rigid.

When Mr. Gareth wasn’t talking, he was like an elite member of society, but once he spoke, rough like a gangster boss. However, it wasn’t hard to see that he and Ralph actually got along well. Every boss likes capable subordinates, especially those who are unlikely to defect.

Lyle regarded Mr. Gareth with newfound warmth.

"I will do my job well, sir."

"Yes, you look far more agreeable than your uncle. Go get dressed in proper attire, and then start your career, Little Butler. Your work is very important to us. Good luck, young man."

"Thank you."

As Mr. Gareth nodded again at Lyle, he said, "Whoever it is, you can take Little Butler out now." Without waiting for a response, Gareth resumed his work. The brief interruption had been almost unbearable for him.

Ralph lifted the top hat from his head, then set it back again. After this formality, the two of them left the office area.

It wasn’t that there were no other colleagues; they all chose to remain silent with Ralph’s arrival.

Perhaps Ralph’s annoying nature was one of the reasons Mr. Gareth appreciated him, and it was obvious that the concerned parties didn’t care much about it.

Ralph dug out an old sheriff’s uniform from the basement; yes, right there in Lyle’s dissection lab, which also served as a storage, "Your hat will be custom-made for you. Like this, your official duties can begin."

"Hmm."

"Alright, get used to it. In a couple of days, you’ll need to travel a long distance. There is a field assignment in Lavren Town at the border of the Zwei Kingdom, where you’ll need to do forensic work. Since Cassandra is the closest, our security department has been asked to handle the situation, and you’ll be acting with our most seasoned and experienced criminal sheriff."

"Who is this person?"

"With all due humility, it is I."

"..."