Lynch tilted his head to look at Officer Natalie. She kept her gaze straight and appeared perfectly serious, but the slight upturn at the corners of her mouth showed she was quite pleased with having startled him.
Lynch had indeed been startled, though for entirely different reasons.
If just one person here speaks up, half of Rhine City will likely feel the impact. I am just an ordinary private investigator; even if I have made a small contribution, it should not attract the attention of so many big figures.
Good fortune falling from the sky is not necessarily a good thing. There is likely a catch, and I must be careful.
Thinking this, he maintained a nervous appearance on the surface, keeping his head lowered as he followed Mr. V and walked carefully onto the podium.
"So you are Lynch? I heard you graduated with degrees in both archaeology and natural history from secondary education. I expected you to be older; you are so young, not even twenty yet." After Mr. V whispered a few words in his ear, the old man studied Lynch with considerable surprise. "Lord Victor has already informed me of your meritorious service last night. It is truly astonishing. I felt it necessary to invite you here so I could personally express my gratitude for your contribution to Rhine City."
Lynch felt quite uneasy inside.
Being stared at by so many eyes below, with several big figures in front of him, the experience felt as painful as an interrogation. However, driven by a sense of competitiveness, he tried his best to remain calm. He removed his hat and bowed to the three dignitaries, taking a long, deep look at Lorant, who was wearing a wig, during the process.
He had not forgotten that both the mayor and the speaker had been mentioned by the spider man, Jeremy. To avoid alerting the enemy, he pretended to be oblivious and focused his attention on Duke Vane.
"The young man performed very well last night. You have wisdom and courage; you are a model for the youth of the kingdom. However, you must be more careful next time. I heard that if a super powerhouse had not brought down a beam of moonlight, you would have been in grave danger."
Hmm? Why is he bringing up such irrelevant topics at a time like this? Thank goodness I asked about that earlier, otherwise I would not have known what he was talking about.
Lynch felt a bit suspicious, but he played dumb: "Was that moonlight brought down by a super powerhouse? I had no idea."
"Heh, perhaps. We are not certain either. Everyone is just guessing that such a person exists, otherwise many things would be unexplainable." Duke Vane smiled noncommittally. "You were the one in closest contact with the event. Why don't you share your thoughts? Do you think this super powerhouse actually exists, and if so, what is their objective?"
Lynch felt even more confused. He completely failed to grasp Duke Vane's intentions. Just as he was about to brush the duke off, a realization dawned on him.
Does he think this so-called super powerhouse was helping me last night? Is he testing me?
No wonder. This explains today's display—it is like a company boss suspecting an employee of having powerful connections.
It is just to offer a favor, provide more benefits, and show more inclination.
What should I do?
Lynch calculated quickly in his mind.
Explaining will likely only make things worse. Once the other party forms such an idea, any explanation will only deepen their suspicion.
Besides, why should I explain?
If a benefit is delivered to your doorstep, pushing it away would be a crime against heaven.
Since you all enjoy overthinking things so much, I will let you have your fill.
With his mind made up, Lynch smiled, shook his head, and said: "I am not quite sure about that. I am just an ordinary private investigator. The world of legendary powerhouses is too far removed from me. I do not understand it, and I suspect that perhaps they do not exist. Even if they do, I feel they had no ulterior motive; it was likely just an accidental event."
"She?"
"Ah, you mentioned the moonlight earlier, so I just imagined it as a lady, hahaha." Lynch laughed awkwardly. "In any case, these matters have nothing to do with me. I am just a down-and-out private investigator."
"Hahaha, I understand."
Although Lynch did not know what exactly the duke understood, Duke Vane was clearly very pleased, saying with a radiant smile:
"You took such a great risk for the kingdom and for Rhine last night; the kingdom will never overlook your achievements. You are a private investigator, aren't you? And a private investigator in our world of mystery, at that. How about this: from today on, you are a long-term special consultant to the governor's mansion, with a monthly salary of three pounds. Someone will deliver it to your office at the end of each month."
"As a consultant, you do not need to do anything extra. The only requirement is that if the governor's mansion encounters any tricky mystery-related cases in the future, they will be transferred to you through the Watchers, and the commission will be settled as usual. You must prioritize commissions from the governor's mansion as part of your consultant duties; otherwise, the contract will be automatically terminated."
"Additionally, Victor has selected two special documents for you from our Vane family collection. They are said to be things you urgently need at your current stage. I will have someone deliver them to the Watchers' club tonight along with your consultant contract for him to handle."
There is such a good thing? There really are extra benefits.
Lynch licked his lips, feeling a sense of anticipation.
Three pounds a month—my rent and food are basically covered. That is not a small amount, and I do not have to do anything. It is just for maintaining a relationship, and any actual work would be paid separately. It is essentially free income.
But these are merely bonuses; the duke's actions themselves are the most important reward. With the duke as an example, if the high-ranking officials present need to handle mystery events in the future, they will prioritize Lynch if only to give the duke face. This is an incredibly valuable intangible asset. No wonder...
But what Lynch was truly looking forward to were the two special documents. He could guess that these were likely the mystery documents that would allow him to comprehend abilities. This is exactly what he needs most right now, and the market price is quite expensive, ranging from over a dozen to dozens of pounds. The current Lynch could not afford one even if he bankrupted himself.
It was just as Natalie said: while the money is not much, it is a true harvest. It left Lynch feeling a bit embarrassed.
"Hahaha, young man. You resolved a media storm for the Rhine city government. If we treated you unfairly, who would be willing to work for the kingdom and for Rhine in the future? Accept the reward with peace of mind. There will be many things in Rhine City that will require the services of a capable young man like you."
A fair exchange of labor and reward; that makes sense.
Lynch quickly calmed down and stopped declining. He thanked Duke Vane, greeted Mr. V, and left the council hall in a hurry, accompanied by Officer Natalie.
He was truly uncomfortable with the atmosphere inside. It was not until he stepped out of the city hall doors that Lynch let out a long breath, stretched his back, and smiled at the officer.
"Thanks. I knew as soon as I heard it that you were the one who secured this for me. No one else would know what I am currently in desperate need of."
"I just told Victor about your needs; he was the one who selected them. If you want to say thank you, go find him." The officer laughed as she spoke and shot Lynch a glare. "Today's mission is over; now we just wait to get the documents tonight. What are your plans now? According to what you said yesterday, are you going to the Investigator's newspaper office? I highly doubt anyone is working there today after the torture of last night."
"We are. Reporters like us don't care about staying up all night." Before Officer Natalie could finish, one of the reporters crouching at the city hall entrance replied. "We just came from the office; everything is normal."
"You are from the Investigator? That is perfect. There is a matter..." Lynch and Natalie exchanged a glance, silently chiding themselves for being foolish. The Investigator was a major paper, and with so many reporters here, it was impossible they didn't have their people. "Do you know which newspaper a reporter named Donnie Narton belongs to?"
"You know him?" Several reporters whispered among themselves. "He is from our office, but he has been missing for five days."
"His partner, Maya Sers, is also missing."
It was just as I suspected; it really is connected.
Lynch felt a chill in his heart. He looked at Officer Natalie, who was also squinting in thought.
After a moment of consideration, Lynch deliberately asked as if it were nothing: "You cannot find them for now? That is not good. Do you know who was responsible for interviewing the events regarding the Bester Tunnel a while back?"
"What a coincidence, it seems it was them too. But we are not entirely sure; you should go to the office and ask."
Lynch and Natalie looked at each other, sensing an invisible thread connecting all these events together.
The two wanted to ask more, but several well-dressed gentlemen walked out of the city hall, and a group of reporters immediately swarmed them, leaving the two standing to the side.
Rate on N.U.
