Wei’en knew of Andrea. It was the closest city-state to Caster, and also a coastal one. He’d heard, however, that public safety there was a bit worse.

"A shipment of high-demand materials has arrived at the port, and I need to go receive it."

Yuan explained, then stared at him with a serious expression. "You understand what I mean by ’look after her,’ right?"

"Uh, you mean... take care of her?"

"It means you are to have absolutely no improper thoughts!"

Wei’en rolled his eyes. "Um, is there anyone else you could ask?"

"5 gold pounds."

"Deal."

Yuan didn’t waste any time. He took out his wallet, counted out 8 gold pounds in banknotes, and handed them to Wei’en along with a piece of parchment.

"This is a list of things Kali needs. The extra money isn’t for you; it’s to buy these items. Just do as it says."

Wei’en took it and glanced at the list: Cordo Deep Sea abalone, Saimen Snow Mountain snow mushrooms, cheese from Klande...

"These things are for..."

"Two days’ worth of food. You just need to buy it; Kali can cook for herself. Of course, you can have a little."

Yuan pinched his thumb and index finger together in a universal gesture—just a tiny bit.

"..."

’Three gold pounds for two days of food?’

’That’s probably what the nobles in the Natali District spend, isn’t it?’

Wei’en grumbled internally but nodded stiffly. "Alright, Uncle Yuan."

He’d put up with it for 5 gold pounds.

This was enough money to make six perfect-grade Magic Potions. To him, that was worth more than 20 gold pounds.

"That’s it, then. I’m off."

Wei’en pursed his lips as he watched Yuan’s retreating back.

’Does running a clinic make that much money?’

’He’s probably spending every last penny on Kali...’

...

...

Perhaps because of the day’s welcoming ceremony, as soon as Wei’en left Golden Street, he saw crowds of people waiting on both sides of the road.

Most were dressed in the white robes of Dawn Church adherents. A few of the more devout believers clutched copies of the Holy Covenant, their faces tinged with a fanaticism that resembled a pilgrimage.

The usual, frequent traffic of horse-drawn carriages and mechanical vehicles was gone. In their place, members of the City Guard faced the crowd, maintaining order.

At the end of the road, called Suyite Avenue, one could see the neat formations of the Dawn Church’s Holy Professionals.

In the front were several rows of Guardians in white and gold-patterned armor. Behind them stood Pastors in white, gold-trimmed robes. All of them stared straight ahead with solemn expressions.

But beside this splendor, several teams of City Guards were carrying away the bodies of aberrations and unfortunate civilians who had died.

Their cautious movements made it clear they didn’t want to disturb the crowd watching the ceremony. They just wanted to discreetly and quickly clear away the poor souls.

"Praise the Dawn. Only two aberrations appeared last night."

"Praise the Dawn, but four people died, three were injured, and one poor soul has been confirmed as contaminated and is about to turn."

"Can you stop saying ’Praise the Dawn’ all the time? If the Dawn was any help, would this even..."

"Hey! You got a death wish? Shut up, quick..."

Wei’en passed through them calmly. To his left were walls destroyed by aberrations and victims covered in white sheets. To his right was another sea of white—the frenzied crowd.

It had to be said, the scene was steeped in irony.

Before long, Wei’en skirted the Church District and arrived in the Dumitru District.

Here too, residents were waiting for the ceremony, but they were clearly much wealthier.

They not only held the Holy Covenant but also wore badges designating them as exclusive adherents of the Dawn Church, along with the lavish necklaces the church sold.

That whole getup alone couldn’t be had for less than 10 gold pounds.

Further in, near the Secret Investigation Department, even more people dressed in aristocratic clothing were already waiting.

Unlike the fanatical church adherents, these people were far more casual, chatting amongst themselves in low voices as they waited.

"Has the Governor not yet left the Council Hall?"

"By my calculations, Bishop Andrews has already joined him. They should appear at the end of the street in about ten minutes."

"The Ernst Clan is here as well. At the old Count’s age..."

"Hush, Sir Yaro."

"My apologies, Mr. Stankic..."

The biggest change for Wei’en after advancing to Advanced Wizard Apprentice was that his senses had become far more acute.

Even though they were all speaking in low voices, the sound reached his ears as if it were being broadcast through a megaphone.

This forced Wei’en to focus his attention elsewhere to lessen the noise’s effect on him.

"Did you hear? There were a lot of gunshots coming from Ceres Manor yesterday..." 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

"Really? I spent the night in the Nocturnal City, so I haven’t heard. Tell me everything."

"I heard that the terribly unreliable Rutger was assassinated by pirates from the Black Pearl. Sayam was hopping mad when he rushed back this morning."

"Haha, I can just picture it. That’s just how their family is, always provoking those madmen from the sea..."

"Still, the Black Pearl... that’s a formidable fleet."

"What’s there to fear? If they dare show their faces here, Governor Samir won’t let them get away with it."

Thanks to his Investigator’s uniform and identification papers, Wei’en entered the Secret Investigation Department without any trouble.

In contrast to the lively scene outside, the inside of the Secret Investigation Department was extremely calm. Or rather, no one dared to show the slightest hint of excitement.

"Wei’en, we were waiting for you."

In the office, Marco was holding a small mirror, fussing with his red hair.

Wei’en glanced around. "Where are Lisi and Tina?"

"They went to the administration area. Said the higher-ups had an assignment for them."

"Hm," Wei’en said, placing the things he was carrying on his desk. "Lisi might be needed to welcome our new colleague later."

It’s a matter of matching ranks.

On an occasion like this, Director Ales would be having a "friendly" chat with Bishop Andrews.

So, it followed that today’s guest of honor, Kali, as the Dawn Church’s Saintess Candidate, would naturally be received by someone from the Secret Investigation Department.

And obviously, from the logistics department, only Lisi was suitable for the job.

"True. With Minister Yegor’s rugged appearance and lazy demeanor, he wouldn’t be a good fit to stand beside the lady."

"So you already know who she is?"

"Of course. I asked my father when I got home last night. The person coming to the Secret Investigation Department is someone special. No wonder Director Ales agreed to it."

With that, Marco put down his small mirror and struck a dashing pose. "What do you think? I won’t embarrass the logistics department looking like this, will I?"

"...You won’t."

It had to be said that Marco, in his Investigator’s uniform, looked less flippant and a bit more dependable.

Wei’en pulled out his pocket watch to check the time. The ceremony would start in less than twenty minutes. "How long will this welcoming ceremony last?"

"Based on past experience, any celebration attended by the Governor lasts at least two hours."

Marco walked to the window and looked out. "This time, because of Director Ales, a lot of high-ranking nobles have shown up. I imagine it’ll last well into the afternoon."

Wei’en couldn’t help but frown. "The afternoon..."

"Can I request to skip the reception tonight?"

"Probably not, right?"

Marco looked back at him, raising an eyebrow. "At the reception, we’re supposed to be there as representatives of the Secret Investigation Department to present a gift with her."

"Fine. I was just talking."

To be honest, Wei’en was already losing any interest he might have had in the event.

’Wouldn’t this time be better spent studying the blueprints for the Mechanical Puppet?’

"Hey, lighten up," Marco said, slinging an arm around his shoulder and whispering, "Plenty of young noble ladies will be at the reception tonight. I can introduce you to a few..."

’Young noble ladies?’

Wei’en blinked. ’Actually,’ he thought, ’the blueprints can wait a few hours. Worst case, I can just pull an all-nighter.’

"Tell me more. Are we talking about any who are fabulously wealthy, with deceased parents and no other living relatives...?"

Marco: "..."

’Like a catch like that would ever fall to you.’