Iggwente Upper City, Cypress Fir Building.
At noon, underground in the Cypress Fir Building, the Iggwente Secret Agency was as busy as usual. Among the bustling crowd, Grego walked along the corridor, moving forward.
At this moment, although the dark circles under his eyes were still there and his expression still showed some weariness, the slight curve of his mouth indicated that he was in a very good mood.
With light steps, Grego walked past the former Director's office, which had been sealed with wooden boards. He glanced through the window at the lush and vibrant scene inside, waved to the self-twisting vine tendrils within, and then continued on to the door of the new Director's office, where he respectfully knocked.
"Come in."
Hearing the familiar voice, Grego opened the office door and entered the slightly smaller office. There, he saw Mr. James sitting behind the desk, looking serene and smiling.
"Mr. James, you were looking for me?"
"Have a seat first."
Looking at Grego before him, Mr. James spoke directly. Listening to Mr. James's words, Grego nodded and sat down in the seat in front of the desk. After seeing Grego seated, Mr. James did not speak immediately. Instead, he lit a cigar, took a couple of puffs, and then offered one to Grego, who accepted it with thanks.
"An Apprentice, using a steel pipe and a brick, cornered a Black Earth in a small alley and beat him up, finally knocking him unconscious and capturing him. In all my years in the Secret Realm, this is the first time I've encountered something like this, Grego. You've really broadened my horizons."
After taking a couple of puffs from his cigar, Mr. James said to Grego with a smile, while Grego replied quite modestly.
"It was just good luck on my part. For some reason, that Black Rank's bone knives, which he could originally control, were gone, and he lost more than half of his ability. That's why I was able to subdue him. If he were in the state he was in back on Knight Road, I definitely wouldn't have been his opponent."
"Oh, Mr. James, how is that guy now? Is he awake?"
"He's awake, but his brain seems to have suffered repeated concussions, causing him to be in a daze. His consciousness seems to be a bit problematic right now. It will probably take some time to get anything out of him."
Shaking off the ash from his cigar, Mr. James said. In fact, he already knew most of the story by now. Not long ago, the special envoy from the White Stone Craftsmen's Guild had visited him and explained the situation regarding the Knight Road incident. Mr. James already knew that it was a personal grudge conflict between a member of the Craftsmen's Guild that had accidentally affected the local Hunters. The Craftsmen's Guild expressed regret for this and was willing to provide compensation to a certain extent.
"Grego, the main reason I called you here this time is to talk about your issue." Pointing the cigar in his hand at Grego, Mr. James continued, and Grego was a bit surprised after hearing this.
"Me?"
"Yes, although there were various coincidences involved, you are still an Apprentice who captured a Black Rank alive, captured the murderer who had the blood of our Hunter comrades on his hands, and captured a Bonecrafter who had harmed countless civilians. This is a great achievement! Since the establishment of the Iggwente Secret Agency, such a great personal merit is the first of its kind! You've truly brought glory to our Bureau! It was a correct decision to bring you in back then."
Mr. James said to Grego with a smile, and Grego quickly responded after hearing this.
"Not at all, not at all. I was just a bit lucky. The key is Mr. James's proper guidance."
"No need to flatter me. I'll tell you directly, I have already reported your achievements to the Directorate General. The Directorate General also believes you are a promising talent, so they hope you can take a position in Tivian."
"As a reward for your merit, the Directorate General has also reserved a promotion spot for you. After you go to Tivian, as long as you accumulate enough Spirituality and perform well during their observation period, once the observation is passed, the Directorate General will arrange your promotion ceremony to Black Earth. So, from now on, focus your main energy on accumulating Spirituality."
Leaning back in his office chair, Mr. James said with a wave of his hand. Listening to his superior's words, Grego froze in place, only mumbling after a while.
"Directorate General of Tivian... Promotion?!"
...
In the evening, the setting sun of dusk shone upon Nanyang Flower Road. Under the tall roadside trees, Grego, who had unexpectedly been let off work early, walked slowly.
Walking on the sidewalk, Grego's brows were tightly furrowed, his expression solemn. His mind was filled with the conversation he had with Mr. James in the Director's office that afternoon.
'I didn't expect... after only three years in Igwinte, I would have the opportunity to go to Tivian, and... I, who have only been an Extraordinary for a year and a half, actually have a chance for promotion...'
'Could it be that the Saint Child has truly favored me with such good fortune? Am I the chosen one?'
Grego thought this in his heart. To be honest, Grego, who had wished to stand out since he was a child, was very happy today when Mr. James told him that he could take a position in the Directorate General of Tivian and had a chance to be promoted to Black Rank. For him, this was a big step forward on the ladder of life. He genuinely looked forward to the new height and the new stage.
However, although he very much wanted to go to Tivian, Grego did not immediately accept Mr. James's suggestion, because he had another concern in his heart, which was his sister Dorothy.
'Dorothy just started school in Igwinte not long ago. If I leave like this, won't she be left unattended? I heard that many schools in Tivian require a true noble status to attend. If I really go to Tivian, I wonder if I can find a suitable school for Dorothy there? Will forcing Dorothy to transfer schools affect her studies? Or should I let Dorothy continue to study in Igwinte and have Hannah Aunt and them come into the city to take care of Dorothy...'
Deep in thought, Grego arrived in front of his apartment and walked up the stairs to the familiar door.
Taking out the key and opening the door, Grego entered the living room, where he found two figures already seated.
One was his familiar sister Dorothy, who was sitting on the sofa. Not far from Dorothy sat another figure.
It was an old man, dressed in a proper suit, wearing a hat, with white hair. The old man's half-closed eyes revealed a kind expression.
"Ah, it's Grego, you're back? You're early today." Seeing Grego at the door, Dorothy greeted him, and Grego responded after a moment of surprise.
"Yes, I finally don't have to work overtime today, so I came back at the normal time, Dorothy, who is this..." With a questioning look, Grego looked at the old man, and Dorothy replied with a smile.
"This is Mr. Dean, my teacher at school. Because of some matters, he came to visit our home today."
As Dorothy spoke, the old man with a serene gaze also stood up from the sofa, walked smiling towards Grego, and extended his hand, which still had some white dust on it.
"Hello, Mr. Mesi Horse, I am a teacher at Saint Amanda School. Because of some matters concerning Miss Mesi Horse, I specifically need to come and see you to discuss something. Sorry for the intrusion."
Listening to the old man extending his hand, Grego was slightly stunned, and then an ominous thought began to form in his mind.
'Teacher's home visit? It's over, this girl Dorothy didn't cause trouble at school, did she!'