Mystic Overlord: Reading Gives Strength
Chapter 166 - 165: Chance Encounter at Night

Chapter 166: Chapter 165: Chance Encounter at Night

Ronald turned and looked in the direction of the sound.

As expected, he saw Nicole’s figure at the edge of his vision.

The investigator girl was likely on a mission this late at night, so she wore her usual getup, a coat with a wide-brimmed hat, moving through the dark sections of the street.

And behind her, two other investigators dressed similarly were following.

However, considering the way the other two only dared to follow behind Nicole, they were most likely rookies assigned to work under her, which perfectly fit the Investigator Bureau’s habit of personnel assignment.

And the one who had called out to Ronald, who was walking by himself at the roadside.

Nicole also immediately walked over to him, while not forgetting to wave at the two newbies behind her:

"Come, come with me."

"..."

On the other hand, as Nicole drew closer.

Ronald also noticed the changes in the investigator girl.

Although only about ten days had passed since the last banquet, Nicole’s originally smooth hair now had a few strands of silver mixed in.

Ronald immediately realized that this was a side effect left over from the battle in the vineyard’s back garden.

Although nothing seemed wrong at the time.

But as time passed, the side effects of overusing spells began to show on Nicole, and the strands of white hair signified her current physical condition.

While Ronald was pondering, Nicole had already arrived at his side.

She slapped Ronald’s shoulder just as she used to do:

"Hey, why haven’t I seen you around lately?"

"If you’re free, you could come hang out with me. Work at the Investigator Bureau isn’t as busy as before."

"Just because you’re not working at the bureau anymore, doesn’t mean our relationship has to grow distant, right? We’re friends, aren’t we?"

The girl’s enthusiastic invitation seemed completely genuine.

And considering Nicole’s personality...

Ronald thought this must truly be her honest feeling.

This pure friendship naturally got a nod from Ronald:

"Actually, I’ve been quite busy these past few days, but I’ll definitely find time to visit you."

"Heh, I’ll tell you where I live."

With a smile, Nicole told Ronald her address and then her gaze began to dance around him.

She walked a circle around Ronald before asking in a teasing tone:

"Speaking of which, where is your dear Nicholas today? Why isn’t she out with you?"

"Aren’t you two always together usually?"

Ronald immediately answered:

"It used to be like that, but Patricia has already returned to Springs now."

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this news, the investigator girl suddenly perked up.

"I heard she completed her mission and thought she would stay in Berenwicke to develop your relationship further. But in the end, your beloved Paline has left you?"

"How come... you’re not planning on going after her?"

Ronald grinned sheepishly:

"Ha ha—"

The Paline Nicole referred to was the leading lady of a very popular opera these days, a tragedy love story much like "Romeo and Juliet" in stature.

The teasing from the investigator girl right now was clearly meant to play with his feelings!

And in front of Ronald, Nicole, seeing the awkward expression on his face, got even more into it.

She gestured in the air with her hands, ’swoosh swoosh,’ mimicking Patricia’s swordplay.

With a tone full of pity, she said:

"Such a super beautiful girl, noble-born, and so talented!"

"A rare gem in this world! Are you really not going to pursue her properly?"

"..."

Watching Nicole, who kept teasing him, Ronald smiled and nodded:

"I’ll be going to Springs eventually."

"But before I head there, I’ve got to settle my own affairs first. There’s no shortage of things to do in Berenwicke."

Nicole saw Ronald was no longer fooling around and nodded seriously:

"Hmm, that’s true."

Meanwhile, the two new investigators who had been following her had also come over, watching Nicole and Ronald chatting and laughing. One of them hesitated before finally speaking:

"Miss... Miss Nicole."

"And this gentleman is...?"

"He’s Ronald, a friend of mine with pretty good technical skill."

Nicole answered the question promptly, then spoke with dissatisfaction:

"Also, haven’t I said this before?"

"I’m not one of those old relics from the training classes. You don’t need to be so awkward around me. How many times do I have to say it for you to understand? Being an elite investigator is just a title; I’m still just a person with two arms and two legs!"

Following this, the investigator who had been speaking hesitantly nodded:

"Uh..."

"We... we understand."

"Ts—"

Turning around with a face of helplessness, Nicole pointed behind Ronald:

"You see, over here are the two new recruits I’m mentoring, Patricia and Boge."

Ronald nodded and said:

"Hello to you both."

Nicole then formally introduced Ronald to her new recruits:

"This is Ronald, my dear former partner."

"Don’t judge him by his looks. He’s not just another pretty face; he’s actually a very powerful Caster."

Immediately, the two new recruits greeted him seriously:

"Hello, Mr. Ronald."

Seeing how earnestly they behaved...

They were probably already imagining just how formidable a Caster Ronald must be, being a friend of the elite investigator Nicole.

After chatting briefly with Ronald, Nicole seemed to remember that she was on night patrol duty, and she promptly prepared to continue her work.

However, before leaving, she made a special point to remind Ronald:

"Ronald, make sure to come and visit me."

"Let me think..."

"If you don’t set a date, heaven knows when you’ll actually come to see me."

"How about this Wednesday afternoon?"

"How does that sound? I shouldn’t have any work on Wednesday, so why don’t you come over to my place? Should be no problem, right?"

"Of course, no problem."

Faced with Nicole’s enthusiastic invitation, Ronald naturally found it hard to decline.

Although he hadn’t worked at the investigation bureau for very long, the impression the young female investigator had left on him was decidedly positive.

Convicted in his heart, Ronald considered her a friend.

It was a casual social invitation from a friend; he had no reason to outright refuse.

Soon after, they bid each other farewell.

Ronald continued on alone, heading towards his home.

When he finally arrived at the Hudson’s apartment, it was late at night and everything was quiet.

Mrs. Hudson was not downstairs at that time, and the fire in the fireplace had burned down to embers.

However, the soup on the shelf, sealed in a jar, still retained a bit of warmth.

"..."

"I really did come back late..."

Murmuring softly to himself, Ronald bent down to take a bite and taste it.

The flavor was good; it was Mrs. Hudson’s cooking.

He then went over to pick up the meal that Mrs. Hudson had prepared in advance and returned to his room.

He probably wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight.

While at the detective agency, his cup was never empty.

And he didn’t know why.

People in this world always seem to have a particular fondness for drinking tea...