"Director! You... Huh?"
Not knowing what had happened after he left, Leon chased after the startled Miss Break-Through, diligently explained the situation to her, and returned to the Director's office, only to find it empty. The only things left were the messy documents on the desk and a pile of empty wine bottles beside the sofa.
So fast? Did your replacement arrive before you left?
Leon used the Black Goat's soul vision to check and confirmed that the red-haired Director had indeed left. He shook his head helplessly and then went upstairs to check on the Eleven Ant Nest.
As it turned out, the Director was quite reliable when she wasn't drunk.
She must have left the Virgo constellation access as well. A dense mass of Bloodlust Hair, carrying the scent of the sun, sealed off the fifth and sixth floors of the Virgo Branch at ten times the usual amount.
Judging by the aura emitted by the Bloodlust Hair, the successor could probably wait another month. Before the Director's power is exhausted, even if ten or eight True Gods came, it would take them a week or two to break through.
Alright...
Seeing that the Director had made thorough preparations and didn't seem to be acting on a whim, Leon didn't say anything more.
With the Director's level, and with the King of Slaughter's Society lying low and the Underworld changing hands, the entire mortal world is like her backyard. As long as she doesn't stupidly rush into the lairs of the Ten Great Families, there's no danger, and he doesn't need to worry about her.
Hmm... Speaking of worrying, I've been out for several months again. Anna must have been worried taking care of two little devils alone. It's time to go home and see them.
Leon picked up the empty bottles in the Director's office, conveniently took them to the police department's recycling point, and then found a corner where no one was watching and stepped into a window.
Although there were public carriages to take home from the Cleansing Bureau, it was faster this way, and he could save some carriage fare, so traveling through the Mirror World was better.
After Leon moved several times through the Mirror World and emerged from a small mirror at a stall on the corner of Shipbridge Street, he was startled by the Shipbridge Street he saw.
For some reason, Shipbridge Street, which was usually quiet because it was located in the old city of the Royal Capital, had suddenly become lively. Although it couldn't be called bustling, its appearance was significantly different from before.
The stone streets, which had a lot of moss on both sides, seemed to have been thoroughly cleaned and scrubbed. Not only was all the slippery moss scraped away, but even the brick surfaces that had been worn uneven by pedestrians' shoes over time had been meticulously repaired.
This rotten road, which always made the carriage bumpy when he passed by after work, had been completely renewed, and most of the slightly old facades of the shops on both sides of the road had been renovated. The signs that had been stained by wind and rain were taken down and replaced with something like glass light boxes.
The factory that occupied a large open space behind the street and occasionally made roaring machine noises had disappeared and been replaced by a new branch of Charles Department Store. The sounds of various discount promotions, the laughter of pedestrians, and the horns and hooves of carriages rushing by blended together.
If it weren't for the fact that the storefronts of some shops hadn't changed much, the newly painted Happiness Apartments were still in the same place, and he occasionally saw one or two familiar faces on the road, Leon almost thought he had come to the wrong place.
Good grief... This change is too big, isn't it? I've only been away on duty for two months, how does it feel like two or three years have passed?
...
Looking puzzled, Leon crawled out of the small mirror, nodded apologetically to the stunned stall owner on the small chair next to him, and walked quickly towards the Happiness Apartments with the gifts he had brought for Anna and the others.
"Snap."
Just as Leon reached the outside of the Happiness Apartments, the familiar snapping sound came from the small garden as expected. The muscular old man with scars all over his body, chewing on a lollipop, stood up from behind the fence with a cool expression and gestured with the gardening shears in his hand towards Leon.
"Uncle John, you've gotten bigger again."
Leon nodded with a smile at the strong old man, handed over the bag he was carrying, and took the initiative to greet him:
"I wasn't home during this time, thank you for taking care of my two little brats. This is a woodworking set for you, and a package of flower seeds that I asked the clerk to choose, saying that the buds are twice as big as other varieties. Keep them safe."
"Snap."
"Then I'll leave it here."
As a "bad person" who was "disliked" by the Happiness Apartments, Leon didn't expect to get any answer. He hung the gift on the fence with a smile and then walked towards the lobby on the first floor.
Just as Leon entered the lobby, a wisp of wind carrying the hoarse voice of an old man quietly drifted from behind, reluctantly brushing past his ear.
"Thank you."
"?"
Leon turned back in surprise upon hearing this, only to find that the strong old man in the small garden had disappeared, and the bag he had hung on the fence had also disappeared along with him. If it weren't for the fact that the gift in his hand was indeed missing, it would have seemed like nothing had happened.
"That old geezer!"
Accompanied by a familiar grumbling sound, the white-haired, curly-haired old lady emerged from the duty room, putting down the yarn that she never seemed to finish knitting, took Leon's arm, and explained with slightly reddened eyes:
"He's thanking you... After the new almshouse was built and pressed against the side wall of the apartment, he slowly regained the ability to speak, although he can only spit out a few words at a time, it's still more human than before."
"That's great!"
After hearing the words of the manager, Leon's eyebrows raised slightly, and he joked with a hint of surprise:
"This time when I come back late at night, I don't have to worry about getting clipped... Aunt Mary, this is a gift for you~"
"Alright, alright, I'll take it."
After taking the small bag that Leon handed over, the manager didn't rush to see what was inside, but looked Leon up and down, and patted his arm, and then said happily and with some regret:
"You've gotten a bit bigger and even taller after being away on duty... Hmm... I won't give you the sweater I knitted for you yet, the size still needs to be adjusted."
"Then I won't be polite."
After smiling and saying that he would definitely accept the sweater, Leon exchanged a few more pleasantries with the manager, and then prepared to go upstairs to go home, but she reached out and pulled him back, reminding him with a smile:
"Looks like you brought one less gift!"
"Huh?"
"Your wife just took two accountants upstairs, saying they were coming to see your younger brothers and sisters, and to check the books while they were at it."
"Huh???"
