"The East District stronghold is ahead, we are almost there."
After the carriage passed in front of him, Ed pointed his index finger in the direction opposite the blue-black brick road and said.
At first, he originally planned to rent a carriage and come directly. But Angelica wanted to see the special features of the East End, so he took her on a walk.
"...This used to be a hotel, but it was later forced to close due to some reasons. Opposite is a mental hospital, which sometimes imprisons some crazy...special people with extraordinary characteristics, so it is reasonable to set up the stronghold here to a certain extent. For surveillance purposes.”
With that said, Ed stepped up the steps. When he opened the front door, he saw Bai Ya sitting on a stool drinking, almost exactly the same as when he first met her.
Do you want to remind her...forget it, let her see the dangers of the world as soon as possible, maybe she can be transferred out of here as soon as possible.
"Hello ma'am, nice to meet you. I am a newly assigned special operations investigator. You can call me..."
"Hello, my dear." Bai Ya winked at her and said with a smile.
"Ah——!" Seeing Bai Ya's old face covered in heavy makeup, Angelica, who was introducing herself seriously, was so frightened that she let out a short and strange cry of surprise.
"Oh, Byakuya...you know that the headquarters will send new people to report in these days, can't you dress up a little more normally?"
Ed was a little confused as to when Byakuya became like this. Obviously in Sea Monster's memory, he was still a normal person ten years ago.
"I said it doesn't count." Bai Ya smiled and shook his finger, "I have an appointment with you."
"call……"
Angelica took a deep breath, readjusted her mental state and said:
"Hello, sir or madam, no matter what your self-identified gender is, it is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Angelica Custer, a member of the Royal Society and a trainee agent of the Bureau of Divination. We will be new colleagues from now on, please take good care of us."
"Just call me Byakuya, my dear. We all use code names here under normal circumstances, and you have to give yourself a codename too." Byakuya picked up a glass of whiskey, shook it, and sniffed.
"Code name...?" Angelica nodded thoughtfully, "I know. But I haven't thought about it yet. I will submit the application when I confirm the official code name."
"Bakuya is the sniper in the team. He is good at using long bows for medium and long-range shooting. He is also capable of stealth and close combat missions." Ed introduced to Angelica, "In general, he is a well-trained person. He is a very capable agent and I learned a lot from him when I first started."
"Fart, none of those damn things you know were taught by me." Bai Ya said bluntly from the side.
"Bow and arrow...?" As if she didn't know the word, Angelica read these two words word by word incomprehensibly.
"Any questions?"
He noticed that Byakuya frowned slightly when he said this.
"Ah no, no... I just didn't expect that anyone would still use such a... retro-style weapon. I strongly recommend you to use a mechanical compound bow equipped with a pulley system and a release device, which can greatly improve the efficiency of the weapon. If you If you are interested, I can customize a mechanical compound bow for you that suits your usage habits."
"No, dear, thank you for your kindness. I'm not used to using that thing, but I do know a person who likes to use mechanical crossbows."
Of course Ed knew that he was talking about the deceased Black Arrow, but Angelica didn't know the reason:
"The Royal Society happens to have a new optical sight customized for mechanical crossbows that needs to be tested in actual combat. Is your acquaintance here?"
"He...is no longer here. If he were still alive, he might be interested in your new gadget. What a pity."
After that, Byakuya raised his glass and drank the wine in his glass along with the sadness in his eyes. The alcohol made the lipstick on his lips lighter, like a drunken rain washing away the dust.
"Ah, sorry, I..."
Angelica was at a loss and wanted to apologize, but a quiet voice like a whisper came from behind her:
"What are you talking about?"
I saw Charlotte standing at the door, holding large bags and small bags with a lot of things. Her thin body was like a small tree, hung with clothes hangers full of things.
"Charlotte?" Ed turned around slightly surprised. He rarely saw Charlotte go out. "Why are you here? What are these things in your hands?"
"Oh, these are the painting materials Mr. Buck asked for."
Charlotte opened a corner of the bag and revealed the brushes and paints inside. It was obvious at a glance that they were high-end products.
"Oh my God, it's really costing you money. This guy Buck is really..." Ed quickly took the bags of materials in his hand for her, "Next time he wants something, just ask him to tell me directly. , this guy’s brain circuit is different from that of ordinary people, and if you help him, he won’t thank you more.”
"It doesn't matter. Anyway, I don't need money for the time being. I like to observe Mr. Buck painting."
Charlotte took out her handkerchief and gently wiped the sweat on her forehead. The summer wind made her hair a little messy, and also gave this suffering girl a hint of warmth that belonged to her prime.
"Oh yes, this is the "Blue Butterfly" Miss Charlotte I mentioned, the anti-spiritual expert in the team. "
He had already reminded Angelica on the road not to smile, laugh, and other behaviors related to "laughing" in front of Charlotte.
"Hello, Miss Charlotte. My name is Angelica Castle."
It could be seen that Angelica was trying her best to suppress her habitual polite smile, but this ordinary plain expression was deliberately squeezed into something weird.
"You are the new agent reporting here, right? Castor..." She lowered her head and read the last name again, "Are you a member of Arthur's family?"
"Yes, I am his sister." Upon hearing Arthur's name, Angelica clenched her hands into fists and nodded nervously.
"That's right. Mr. Arthur Custer is one of the bravest, smartest, and kindest people I know. I learned a lot from the few short months of knowing him." Charlotte said sincerely said.
"...Let me introduce you to the rest of the people. If you are willing, I can also take you to the top floor to see my garden. The hydrangeas will go dormant this season."
As she spoke, she gently held Angelica's clenched right palm with both hands.
Angelica was startled for a moment, then shyly mustered up the courage to nod, and followed Charlotte's footsteps upstairs...
