Fors Wall (Second Update)

Seeing Xio's conflicted expression, Abner roughly guessed who wanted to see him.

"Unless something unexpected happened, it should be the future Miss Magician. She's rather lazy by nature, so in daily life she can be... somewhat casual?" Drawing on the plot from the novel, Abner guessed most of what Xio had left unsaid. Not wanting her to keep agonizing over it, he said directly, "Then let's meet here again at noon."

"Alright, we'll definitely be on time." Xio breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly nodded.

"It's getting late. I have things to do, so I'll see you at noon!"

After saying goodbye to Xio, Abner paid the bill, then took a public carriage to Cherwood Borough. He had ultimately accepted Detective Isengard's suggestion and planned to buy himself a set of formal clothes. Naturally, his first choice was the clothing store owned by his academy classmate Miss Jane's family. Rather than let someone else profit, he might as well boost the turnover of his Friend's family business.

Since it was not too far away, Abner soon arrived on the street where the clothing store was located. Just as he was one intersection away from the shop, he suddenly saw Jane's father, Charlie, walk out of the store with a middle-aged gentleman with black hair and brown eyes. The former appeared deeply respectful toward the gentleman, personally opening the door of the enclosed carriage parked by the roadside for him. He watched the carriage slowly drive away, only turning back into the shop after it vanished from sight.

Having watched the entire scene, Abner was somewhat surprised. He instinctively began guessing the middle-aged gentleman's identity. Who could make Jane's father treat him with such humility? But he soon laughed at himself, feeling that he had developed an occupational habit before even becoming a Detective. After all, there were so many important people in Backlund. There were probably thousands who could make a clothing merchant bow and scrape. How could he possibly guess?

Upon entering the clothing store, Abner immediately spotted little Jane sitting behind the counter, idly drawing something. A mischievous urge rose in him. After looking around and confirming that there were no other customers in the store, he silently walked up to her and knocked hard on the counter.

Jane was startled at first. When she looked up and saw Abner's teasing smile, she immediately puffed out her cheeks and accused, "Abner, you still dared to come? If it weren't for you, Father wouldn't have confined me at home for a whole week. Hmph, and now you're scaring me again! Tell me, how are you going to compensate me?"

Abner skillfully changed the subject. "Mr. Grant confined you? Because of Teacher Kospsti?" Jane's father's full name was Charlie Grant.

"Yes! Father was afraid I'd secretly run off to Teacher Kospsti's club... even though I already promised not to go!" The little girl did not realize that he had changed the subject. Instead, she asked curiously, "Abner, what are you here for today?"

Abner had long prepared an excuse. "I found a job and received an advance on my pay, so I came to buy a set of formal clothes."

Jane's eyes widened in surprise. "A complete set of formal wear costs at least ten Gold Pounds. What job did you apply for that lets you advance so much money?"

"I'm now the assistant to the great Detective Isengard Stanton. My current weekly wage is three Gold Pounds. Well, I advanced a month's salary." Abner made it up casually.

"I've heard of Detective Stanton. He truly is a famous great Detective, and they say he has deep connections with Sivellaus Yard! Young man, solving cases and deductions under such a great Detective gives you a boundless future." At that moment, Jane's father, Mr. Charlie Grant, emerged from the inner room and joined the conversation with a smile.

"Good morning, Mr. Grant." Abner greeted him first, then said modestly, "I'm still in the learning stage and haven't come into contact with any actual cases."

"The learning stage is life's most precious asset!" Mr. Grant sighed sentimentally. Then, in a reminiscing tone, he said, "I once worked at Mr. Braine's garment factory as his assistant. It was through the knowledge, connections, and wealth I accumulated during those years that I was able to open a shop like this myself. So work hard, young man!"

"Mr. Braine?" Abner found the surname somewhat familiar. Thinking carefully, wasn't that his own surname?!

"Mr. Braine is a major merchant. He owns many garment factories in Backlund. Well, he just came to inspect my store and spoke with me about supporting my plans to open chain branches... Heh heh, in truth, although this store is my property, thirty percent of its shares belong to him... Mr. Braine is very generous and kind. Not only does he never interfere with specific business operations, he always supports my ideas as well." Mr. Grant explained with an expression of reverence.

"So the gentleman who just came out of the store was Mr. Braine... The way Mr. Grant spoke of him felt very... well, devout. Perhaps the other man had once helped him greatly, leaving him overflowing with gratitude? That made sense. From being an assistant to becoming a boss, it would have been difficult for Mr. Grant to succeed without a benefactor's help," Abner secretly speculated.

At that moment, little Jane interjected, "Abner, your surname is Braine too, isn't it? Is that gentleman your relative?"

Abner shook his head with a smile. "I can't claim such a rich relative. Besides, Braine is quite a common surname. How could everyone with that surname be relatives?"

After that topic ended, Abner began seriously selecting clothes. In the end, following Jane's advice, he bought a complete set of formal wear worth eleven Gold Pounds.

After fully dressing in the fitting room, he put his glasses back on the bridge of his nose.

When Abner stepped out of the fitting room, both Jane and Mr. Grant's eyes lit up. Jane ran over to him, looked him over from front to back, then praised, "Abner, you look absolutely wonderful in that! Especially with those glasses on, you look so... so scholarly, just like the sort of thing Emperor Roselle talked about!"

"That's right. With this outfit, you've truly become a handsome young man!" Mr. Grant added his praise. However, Abner felt that he was more likely praising his family's clothes.

All in all, aside from a few small incidents, Abner's trip to buy formal clothes ended rather satisfactorily. After saying goodbye to the Grants, he took another public carriage back to the East Borough.

However, the moment he stepped into the East Borough, Abner, dressed in formal wear, sensed a series of malicious stares. Only then did he realize that coming to the East Borough dressed like this was practically like delivering himself to robbers...

Fortunately, the restaurant where he often met Xio was located in a relatively safe area of the East Borough. Abner also drew his revolver from its holster and let one corner of it show through a gap in his clothes, temporarily intimidating those with ill intentions.

It was not until he entered the restaurant and saw Xio standing before the bar, only slightly taller than it, that Abner let out a breath and finally relaxed. After all, in the East Borough, Miss Xio's reputation as an Arbiter was far more intimidating than a revolver.

Xio had been ordering food. Hearing the door open, she instinctively turned to look, then frowned prettily. "Abner, why are you dressed like that in the East Borough?"

"...Wasn't I going to meet your Friend? That's why I dressed a little formally. It's polite." Abner found an excuse for his oversight.

Xio nodded, looking somewhat annoyed as well. "We should have arranged to meet somewhere else." After saying that, she sighed and continued seriously, "Don't worry. After we meet, I'll personally escort you back to Detective Isengard's place."

Abner was somewhat speechless. Did she really think he was utterly helpless?

After they ordered their food, Xio led Abner to the table at the very back of the restaurant. A lady was already sitting there, looking at Xio and Abner with teasing eyes. Clearly, she had heard their conversation just now.

"This is my best Friend, Fors Wall." Xio had long become immune to Fors's looks of this sort, and only solemnly introduced her to Abner.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Wall." Abner had been deeply impressed by this slacker lady in the novel, so he was not restrained around her.

"What a handsome gentleman, and so open-hearted too. Xio has excellent taste in Friends!" Fors first commented with a smile, then said formally, "No need to be so distant. You're a Friend Xio acknowledges, which makes you my Friend too. Just call me Fors."

Abner went along with it. After nodding, he asked directly, "Fors, Xio said you wanted to see me? What is it?"

Fors was stunned for a moment, then said somewhat helplessly, "You truly are Xio's Friend. The way you speak is simply the same as Xio's... Well, just as Emperor Roselle described it, you're cut from the same cloth!"

Abner was actually getting a little tired of Roselle. Lately, it felt as if he heard Roselle's sayings everywhere.

Xio interjected, "What's wrong with asking that?"

Fors covered her forehead and said weakly, "By convention, shouldn't a gentleman chat with a lady first, then casually ask about her purpose when the opportunity arises?"

"That's only how it happens in your novels. Abner and I don't have time to chat with you!" Xio mercilessly exposed her.

"It's over, it's over. You've completely taken Abner's side now. You don't care about my feelings at all!" Fors cried out dramatically, acting as though she had suffered an immense injustice.

Abner watched the scene with some amusement. However, perhaps it was an illusion, but he always felt that Fors was deliberately acting this way to make the atmosphere between him and them more harmonious, or rather, to make their relationship feel more natural... But it was somewhat too deliberate, as though she could not wait... Why was that?

After thinking seriously for a while, Abner finally had an idea. Was it because the Full Moon Whispers were becoming increasingly severe, leaving Fors anxious about the future? She did not know that the Fool would save her in the future. So perhaps she thought that if the day came when she truly suffered Loss of Control, there could be someone else reliable to replace her in caring for and watching over Xio? After all, although Miss Xio appeared strong, she was quite reckless in certain matters. She really made people worry...

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(End of this chapter)