Mystic Overlord: Reading Gives Strength
Chapter 146 - 145 Invitation

Chapter 146: Chapter 145 Invitation

Unlike the bustling crowd outside, only a few people in the banquet hall left their seats to converse with each other.

It seemed they followed some unspoken rules.

Before the banquet officially started, no one was too eager to leave their seats and socialize.

After Ronald and Patricia entered, their identities were announced, and they were immediately led by the staff to their seats that had been prepared in advance.

Their seats were fairly close to the podium, on the left side of the banquet hall’s dance floor.

"..."

After sitting down, there followed a period of boring waiting.

About half an hour after their entrance, the situation finally changed.

At the entrance of the banquet hall, the agents responsible for tonight’s banquet arrived.

Ronald could tell that the Bureau took this banquet very seriously.

The agents from the Bureau subtly split into male and female groups, led respectively by Mr. Willard and Miss Mapple, and Nicole, another elite investigator, was also visible among them.

Having disengaged from the standoff with the cult magicians in the city, they now donned the investigators’ signature trench coats and wide-brimmed hats. With eight of them standing together in line, they naturally became a deterrent to anyone from the mysterious side within the hall.

Behind them, apart from the investigators from Berenwich, Ronald recognized another person.

An investigator from Springs.

—Spencer.

This investigator still dressed in his usual suit and leather shoes.

However, compared to when he first arrived in Berenwich, the number of Springs investigators following him had decreased from four to three.

It was foreseeable that during the time Ronald had not seen,

the investigators had paid a corresponding price.

"..."

Under the gaze of those around, the team of investigators crossed the main dance floor and ascended to the podium, quickly taking their designated places.

Then, Mr. Willard stepped forward.

With a booming voice, he gestured with his hands in the air:

"Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats."

"..."

After a few seconds, seeing that everyone in his line of sight had settled down, Willard resumed speaking with a serious expression:

"Ladies and gentlemen, I believe you have already inquired about the purpose of today’s gathering through your own connections."

"Just as you have heard and seen, the cult magician rebellion in Berenwich has now completely ended. Her Majesty’s wise decision has once again proclaimed victory!"

"And our Bureau also, in this incident..."

What followed was a rather formulaic announcement from Willard.

Everything was exactly as Ronald knew.

Moreover, at the conclusion of the announcement, they even praised the contributions of Ronald and Patricia.

Perhaps because Ronald had not chosen to join the Bureau,

Mr. Willard mentioned it only briefly and did not elaborate afterward.

However, during the speech,

Ronald clearly saw Nicole on the stage wink at him, and she subtly waved the palm of her hand from beneath her trench coat, signaling that she was in quite good health.

Clearly, Mr. Willard’s stern attitude in his speech could not interfere with this free-spirited young investigator...

Finally, after a tedious and lengthy speech of over ten minutes,

Mr. Willard concluded with, "Now, please enjoy the banquet!"

Waiters at the side of the hall then went behind to summon the already-prepared orchestra to start playing.

Meanwhile, the guests in their seats stood up to applaud.

—The banquet had begun.

The moment the crowd became lively, an elderly man with white hair approached Ronald and Patricia.

Focusing on the pair in front of him, the old gentleman first directed his gaze toward Ronald:

"Excuse me, Mr. Ronald."

"May I ask if your companion, Miss Patricia, has time to accept my invitation?"

Ronald shifted his gaze to Patricia, who promptly replied:

"It’s Sir Kidd!"

"Of course."

Patricia clearly recognized the man and stood up to walk out with the elderly gentleman.

Less than thirty seconds after their departure,

a group of flamboyantly dressed young ladies, catching the drift, soon gathered around Ronald:

"Mr. Ronald, may I have a dance with you?"

"I’ve also heard about your recent heroic deeds; could you share more about them in detail?"

"..."

Such flattery in comments and even in bold, seductive movements,

instantly overwhelmed Ronald Adler.

— And what was even more fatal,

was that these approaching girls were not only beautiful in appearance, but some even prepared natural seduction spells!

Facing Ronald Adler, who was a top choice both in strength and looks, these mysterious girls clearly did not mind showing off their skills to conquer the man in front of them.

Ronald, who mostly dealt with merchants or custom officers, had never seen such a lineup!

In just a few minutes, he was already overwhelmed.

Activating the powers of "Lust" and "Taotie" at the same time, he hurriedly excused himself to the restroom and alone rushed up to the second floor of the manor.

Reaching a balcony here, he quickly pulled shut the curtains and the balcony door behind him.

Hiding in the shadow of the second-floor balcony, Ronald finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Huff—"

"This is more exhausting than a battle..."

Standing there, he lamented as his gaze inadvertently drifted downstairs.

On the lawn outside, there were also people who had come to play music, and the lower-status mysterious figures were celebrating and dancing below.

Compared to the situation inside the manor building, he felt the atmosphere outside seemed much more jovial.

Of course, what Ronald liked most right now was standing alone on this balcony, enjoying the breeze.

At least until Patricia returned, he wouldn’t change his mind.

Ding, ding, ding—

Having been alone on the balcony for a few minutes, Ronald suddenly heard the sound of glass being tapped from behind.

Turning around, he saw a middle-aged, slightly overweight man parting the curtains.

The man, holding a wine glass, was inviting him:

"Mr. Ronald, would you mind having a chat?"

"..."

Ronald did not say much, simply opening the balcony door.

The man in front of him had a serious expression, clearly not of the same ilk as those girls who had been eyeing his body.

"Let me introduce myself. I am Everton Virginia."

"A businessman."

Ronald nodded and said,

"As you can see, Ronald Adler."

The middle-aged businessman continued:

"Mr. Ronald, everyone is aware of the power you displayed recently in Berlingwish, and it’s surprising that such a powerful caster as yourself is still solely focused on spell research without regard for external benefits and fame."

"You flatter me; I am only doing what I must."

Ronald continued to nod in response, his tone full of courteous artificiality.

Seeing the man’s approach, Everton, being a businessman, naturally understood how to deal with different people.

After a slight pause, he quickly shifted the conversation to his objective:

"Have you heard about the Virginia private collection exhibition that is to be held after Berlingwish?"

"Of course."

Ronald nodded.

Since arriving in Berlingwish, he had seen the name of this exhibition more than once in the newspapers.

From the man’s surname, it must indeed be his event.

Consequently, the middle-aged businessman inevitably asked:

"So, about this upcoming exhibition, may I have the honor of inviting you to perform a guard duty?"

Ronald raised an eyebrow:

"Usually, isn’t that something to be entrusted to the investigative bureau?"

The businessman smiled and said:

"The current situation is special, so I personally feel the need to invite additional personnel for support, and a strong person like you would provide substantial security."

"In that case..."

"..."

The next second, Ronald’s words got stuck in his throat.

His intention was to casually decline, as he wasn’t someone who meddled in everything.

However, the middle-aged businessman, sensing Ronald’s hesitation, immediately pulled out a check that, even without the influence of mysterious powers, was large enough to sparkle!

"In that case... I think I can."

Ronald accepted the commission.

He asked himself, and it was not because the friend had offered too much.

Rather, it was the man’s friendly attitude that had moved him.

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