Chapter 311: The General Bureau
On the platform of Tivyán West Station, Gregor couldn’t help but pause slightly when he saw the three men in front of him. Upon seeing the badges they were holding, he knew exactly what was happening.
The crown and sword, paired with the swirling wind and crescent moon, this badge bore the emblem of the Prit An Yin Bureau, a slight modification of the Prit Royal Family’s crest, which Gregor was very familiar with.
‘This must be the people sent by the General Bureau to pick me up…’
Gregor judged inwardly as he smiled and replied.
“I am Gregor Os. Mesos, thank you for your trouble. Please lead the way.”
As Gregor spoke, the few men in front of him nodded and put away their badges. They then turned around and walked back, one of them reaching out to take Gregor’s suitcase, which Gregor handed over.
Under the guidance of several men, Gregor walked out of the train station. At the bustling intersection in front of the station, he saw a large black carriage parked by the roadside.
Afterward, Gregor followed the men onto the carriage, sitting inside the much more spacious compartment compared to an ordinary carriage. Then, several fine horses began to pull the carriage forward.
Sitting inside the carriage, Gregor felt the subtle jolts. All the windows were shut, so he couldn’t see the street outside. He didn’t know which street the carriage was on or where it was heading. Gregor realized that this was to prevent him from knowing the location of the General Bureau.
“Haha… Gentlemen, I’ll soon be working at the Bureau. I wonder if it will be hard to find?”
With a smile, Gregor joked to the men sitting in front of him. The leader responded easily.
“This is just a routine procedure, Mr. Mesos. Before you are officially appointed, you are not part of us yet. According to regulations, any non-member entering the General Bureau must do so this way.”
“By the way, let me introduce myself. My name is Mafudi, and I work in the Review Department. I will be responsible for your face-to-face review. Please cooperate with me later.”
Mafudi, the receptionist who had greeted Gregor, said, extending his hand. Gregor smiled and shook hands with him after looking at it.
‘Yes, I haven’t been officially appointed yet, and the review hasn’t passed. This measure can be understood.’
Gregor thought to himself. Thus, he continued his journey in the enclosed carriage, feeling a bit bored. He noticed a few local newspapers on the table in front of him and picked one up out of curiosity, being captivated by the news and advertisements from the big city.
‘Oh… There are so many interesting things in this big city: circuses, amusement parks, racetracks, department stores, art exhibitions, theaters… Even movie theaters? So many things that aren’t in Igewent… They all seem very interesting. If I have free time here, I could take Doro to play. Children her age should be interested in amusement parks and circuses…’
Looking at the content of the newspaper, Gregor thought curiously, feeling more excited about his new life. When he turned the page, he was attracted by a large photo of a seductive woman.
‘This woman… She is so beautiful. Dancer Adele… Is she a star in Tivyán? She really is beautiful…’
Staring directly at the photo of the star in the newspaper, Gregor couldn’t help but exclaim inwardly. Although the photos in newspapers at this time were not very clear and were in black and white, they couldn’t hide the charm of the woman in the picture. Looking at the photo, Gregor thought it was no surprise that it was a big city; even its stars were so beautiful.
‘No wonder it’s the capital. There are so many different things here, but on the other hand, the security seems quite poor. Cases are reported frequently, and the police efficiency seems low. They even need detectives to help solve problems. I wonder if this has anything to do with the secret society.’
Continuing to flip through the newspaper, Gregor thought inwardly as he read many reports of cases. As time passed, he was nearing his destination.
Finally, after about an hour and a half, Gregor felt the carriage start a long descent, and the light around became dimmer. The only source of light in the carriage became a lit gas lamp, indicating that the carriage seemed to have entered underground.
The descent lasted for a while before stopping. Afterward, the people on the carriage got up and opened the door. Gregor put down his newspaper and followed them. After getting off the carriage, he found himself in an underground stable with many empty carriages without horses parked along the wide space. People were moving horses in and out, putting harnesses on them. Mounted Hunters in uniform drove carriages up the slope.
“Please follow us, Mr. Mesos.”
Mafudi, who had guided Gregor, said after observing the surroundings. Without further words, Gregor continued to follow them. After leaving the underground stable, they entered a long corridor. They walked forward, passing others occasionally—some carrying documents, others dressed in uniforms like the Hunters.
After turning left and right several times through the branching corridors, they finally crossed a door hung with a Radiance Lamp. Gregor finally stepped out of the corridor into a vast underground space.
This was an underground hall, with thick stone pillars supporting a high dome, each pillar about three or four stories tall. At the center of the dome, a large, peculiar gemstone was embedded, emitting cold white light. Together with countless lamps hanging on the walls, it illuminated the dark space.
People moved about in the underground hall. On the most prominent wall, the blue-and-white flag of the Prit Kingdom with overlapping cross stripes was prominently displayed. However, what drew the most attention was not the giant flag but a tall statue standing in the center of the hall.
This was a goddess statue. The goddess wore a long robe, her hands slightly lowered, holding a round mirror in front of her chest. A crescent moon was engraved on the mirror. Her hair flowed straight down, even touching the pedestal she stood on. The face of the goddess statue seemed to have been specially treated, making it extremely blurry, barely allowing one to discern the features, but still conveying a serene expression with closed eyes.
As Gregor stepped onto the marble floor of the underground hall, he froze. His eyes never left the goddess statue standing under the dome, his gaze more focused than when he had seen the star’s photo in the carriage.
Gregor stared at the goddess statue, mouth slightly open, feeling something indescribable. His eyes fixed on the extremely blurred face of the statue, a sense of familiarity arose.
‘This statue… Why does it feel like I’ve seen it somewhere before, but I can’t remember? Strange… I’ve never seen such a statue before, but why does it feel so familiar…’
Frowning slightly, Gregor thought to himself. Just then, the men who had been guiding him noticed his unusual behavior.
“Mr. Mesos, what’s wrong?”
Mafudi, who was leading, reminded Gregor. Hearing this, Gregor snapped out of his thoughts and smiled, turning to respond.
