Southwest of Preet Kingdom, Igwinte.
In the afternoon, the entrance of Igwinte train station was bustling with people. Gregorius, wearing a dark gray coat and a short hat, stood among the crowd, holding a large suitcase in his hand. In front of him were two familiar faces.
"Ha, I really didn't expect you, this Little Black Dog, to be promoted to the Head Bureau after only a little over a year in the bureau. I've been recruited for over three years and I'm still like this. It's really maddening when people compare themselves to others..."
Standing in front of Gregorius, the burly man Turner grumbled. A simply dressed woman beside him glared at him and said,
"What Little Black Dog? Captain Turner, please be mindful of your current identity. You're not only scolding us, but also yourself."
Eilina said so, and Turner twisted his mouth and continued.
"Hey, I'm just used to it. Besides, this kid is so lucky, calling him Little Black Dog or whatever doesn't matter, right? What do you say, Gregorius, hahahaha..."
Patting Gregorius on the shoulder, Turner laughed and said, and Gregorius also smiled and replied.
"Eilina, Turner, thank you for coming to see me off."
"Seeing you off is what we should do. After all, we are colleagues. We've been through a lot together in the past year. To be honest, I'm still a little reluctant to see you go." Eilina smiled and said to Gregorius, while Turner on the side continued.
"Oh, there's nothing to be reluctant about. Look on the bright side, if this kid Gregorius does well in the Head Bureau and gets a good position, won't we have connections in the Head Bureau? Maybe one day he can even bring us over."
"Tch, this is not the time to joke. Having just been promoted to the Head Bureau, how can you reach the level of influencing personnel so quickly? Isn't it better to just say goodbye properly?"
Eilina continued to say to Turner, and Turner finally waved his hand and responded.
"Alright, alright, Brother Gregorius, I wish you a smooth journey."
"Yes, have a smooth journey, Gregorius. Remember to write and keep in touch often after you get there." Eilina also nodded and said to Gregorius, and Gregorius also responded with a smile.
"Of course. We'll keep in touch by mail from now on. Well, it's getting late, I should get on the train. Say hello to Mr. James for me."
Saying that, Gregorius waved goodbye to Eilina and Turner for the last time, then picked up his suitcase and turned to walk into the station, entering the interior of the station with the crowd surging towards it.
With a smile, Gregorius quickly passed through the ticket gate and arrived at the platform. At this moment, a steam locomotive was already parked by the platform. Looking at the long steel beast in front of him, Gregorius couldn't help but feel a surge of joy.
"Finally... Tivian, I'm here."
Gregorius murmured. Recently, he had been frequently entering the dream world and hunting spirits with the Little Fox he had accidentally met in the Dream World last time. Although the Little Fox's mimicry was not very strong, she was very familiar with the Dream World, more familiar than anyone Gregorius had encountered before. During this time, the Little Fox acted as the commander and he acted as the fighter, hunting on the edge of the Dragon's territory. Soon, he had accumulated enough Spirituality to be promoted.
He had also finished handling all the affairs in Igwinte, and now was the time to head to the capital, Tivian.
With quick strides, Gregorius carried his suitcase and walked towards the steam train that had stopped at the station. He did not squeeze into the second and third class carriages in the middle and back of the train like most people, but instead walked directly towards the first carriage behind the locomotive. With his financial strength, he could afford to travel in the first class carriage.
Arriving at the first class carriage, which had few people, Gregorius handed his ticket to a young train attendant standing at the carriage door. The train attendant, wearing a uniform and a hat, immediately saluted when he saw Gregorius at the door, and then said with a smile.
"Hello, Mr., please show me your ticket."
Listening to the attendant's words, Gregorius directly took out a ticket from his pocket and handed it to the attendant. The young attendant took it and looked at the information on it, especially the handwritten name, and then immediately responded to Gregorius with a smile.
"Ah, it's Mr. Gregorius Meshaus. Your compartment is number eight, located towards the back of this carriage. Let me help you with your luggage."
Handing the ticket back to Gregorius, the attendant said with a smile. Gregorius put away his ticket and nodded in response.
"Then I'll trouble you."
Then, Gregorius handed his luggage to the attendant. The attendant immediately picked it up and walked into the carriage. Gregorius was led by the attendant to his compartment, and after the attendant opened the door, he entered his compartment.
"Please wait inside for a moment, Mr.. The train is about to depart. If you need to dine, the dining car is in the next carriage, where delicious dinner is served specifically for first-class passengers. I wish you a pleasant journey."
After putting away Gregorius's luggage, the attendant said to Gregorius in a routine manner. Gregorius smiled and responded after listening.
"Okay, thank you for your hard work."
"It's what I should do, Mr."
Finally, the attendant saluted Gregorius and exited the compartment. After closing the door, he walked forward along the train aisle. When he reached halfway, he suddenly turned back and stared at Gregorius's compartment. After staring for a moment, he decisively turned and walked forward again.
Soon, all the passengers on the platform boarded the train. After the train attendants closed all the doors, the steam train started. With the sound of the whistle, thick black smoke was ejected from the chimney of the locomotive, and the steel wheels slowly rolled between the spreading steam, driving the huge body to gradually accelerate forward, and the entire train began to leave the station from slow to fast.
Back in the compartment, Gregorius, who had finally sat down, let out a sigh of relief. Feeling the vibration of the moving train, he looked out at the scenery that was constantly flying backward outside the window. Looking at the city where he had lived for over a year, he couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic, and he had more expectations for his future life in Tivian.
The thought that he would not only finally be able to be promoted soon, but also be reunited with his only younger sister, made him very happy.
'Wait for a surprise, Dorothy, your older brother is finally here.'
Gregorius thought this way. He was now very curious about how Dorothy had been doing in Tivian these past few months, whether she had suffered hardships or been bullied.
'The amount of living expenses I sent to Dorothy was decided after careful consideration. Although this amount is a lot in Igwinte, that's Tivian, where all expenses are high, and I don't know if it's enough. Although I'm afraid that if I give too much, she'll easily develop the habit of spending money carelessly, what if it wasn't enough before...'
'However, Dorothy's previous replies didn't mention any money issues, so I guess it's fine. I'm just afraid that the child is worried about my burden and won't tell me even if the money isn't enough.'
Gregorius thought this way. If Dorothy really suffered in Tivian because he sent too little money, he would definitely feel guilty.
'Anyway, now I can finally not let Dorothy be in Tivian alone anymore, and I don't have to worry about something happening to her there alone like before.'
Gregorius thought this last thought, and then he leaned back on the sofa in the compartment. Then he picked up the newspaper that was already prepared on the table and started reading it, preparing to use it to pass the boring travel time.
Time passed quickly. As the train continued its journey, leaving the city, passing through the fields, the sun in the sky gradually set in the west. Eventually, daylight faded, and night fell. The gas Light in each carriage of the moving train were turned on one by one. The environment in which the train was traveling transformed from day to night.
After finishing all the newspapers in the compartment, Grego looked out the window and saw that it was getting late. He then went to the exclusive dining car in the first-class carriage for a meal. There, he had half a roasted chicken, three sausages, and a loaf of bread for dinner, followed by a cup of beer. After eating and drinking his fill, he returned to his compartment and took out a book from his suitcase to read.
The book Grego was reading was a book on etiquette, preparation for his work in Tivian. He had always been a poor boy from the countryside. Although he knew some characters, his education level was always insufficient, having only graduated from Church school. In Dorothy's words, it was barely the level of primary school graduation.
Although this level of education was already above average in this era, it was still somewhat lacking for a civil servant in the capital. Therefore, at Mr. James's suggestion, Grego also began to supplement his education in his spare time.
Working in Tivian, he was likely to encounter high-ranking officials and important figures. So, to avoid being called a bumpkin when the time came, he was diligently studying to improve his knowledge and cultural level. Grego believed that etiquette was essential when dealing with the adults in the Kingdom's capital, so he prioritized studying etiquette.
Inside the carriage, Grego was seriously studying the etiquette book, even taking out a pen to make summary notes. His attitude was very serious. As he studied, he began to feel a little sleepy, and the sleepiness deepened, making him yawn repeatedly.
Feeling the deepening sleepiness, Grego decided to take a nap. Before closing his eyes to sleep, he habitually performed his essential daily pre-sleep task: self-suggestion for entering the Dream World.
As Grego fell into a deep sleep in his train carriage, his consciousness gradually condensed in his dream. When the groggy Grego came to his senses, he found that his surroundings had changed. He was no longer in the train carriage but inside his room in the Igwinte Nanyang Flower Road apartment building.
Facing the scene before him, Grego did not panic. He knew he had entered the Dream World because lately, he had been entering the Dream World every day. Therefore, he was very familiar with the current situation. He was now in his dream, inside his dream cocoon.
"I fell asleep. Is it already this late? I didn't realize I had studied for so long," Grego said with a sigh, looking at the scene before him.
"But since I've entered the Dream World, I should hurry to the Woodland. If that little ancestor has to wait for me again, she'll scratch me," Grego continued. For some time now, although his Spirituality was full, he still came to the Dream World Woodland every day. The reason was that he had promised his collaborator, Little Fox, that he would help her explore the Woodland long-term. With Little Fox's help, his Spirituality was already full. In return, Grego, keeping his promise, still entered the Woodland daily to help her.
Without further ado, the dreaming Grego immediately chanted the mimicry spell. Amidst a flash of light, his form changed, transforming into a sturdy Black Dog.
After transforming into his Dream World mimicry, the Black Dog Grego let out a roar, creating a glowing passage in front of him. Then, Grego, familiar with the route, entered the passage and arrived in the Woodland.
Standing above his dream cocoon, the Black Dog mimicry Grego scanned the boundless forest of giant trees and the endless sea of canopies before him. He looked left and right, searching for the familiar small figure, but found nothing. This caused Grego to feel momentarily confused.
'Strange... Where did that little ancestor go? Shouldn't she be waiting for me here every day?'
Looking at the surrounding scene, Grego thought to himself strangely. Since he didn't have enough Dream Anchor symbols to go to the Dragon territory, Little Fox always used her Dream Anchor to open a portal to come here and pick up Grego. For some reason, Little Fox seemed to have an especially large number of Dream Anchor symbols, using them as if they cost nothing.
Every night, because Grego slept a little late, Little Fox would usually open a Dream Anchor portal to Grego's dream cocoon and wait for him there. So, every time Grego emerged from his dream cocoon, he would see Little Fox and be subjected to her complaining and nagging. But strangely, Little Fox was not there today, which made Grego feel somewhat odd.
'Could it be that that little ancestor has something on today and can't come? Then I can just sleep soundly...'
Grego thought this to himself. Although that was what he was thinking, he did not immediately leave the Dream World. Instead, he jumped from the branches of his dream cocoon to the grass beneath the giant tree and began to wait quietly. He didn't wait long before a familiar Dream Anchor portal opened in front of Grego, and a small, familiar white figure walked out from inside.
"Oh, you're early today. You Black Dog are on the right track today, knowing to go to sleep a little earlier so I don't have to wait for you."
The little white Little Fox walked out from the Dream Anchor portal. Seeing Grego lying on the ground waiting for her, she spoke with some surprise. When Grego heard this, his dog eyebrows furrowed.
"Hmm... Weren't you late today? Lately, my biological clock has been set to a late bedtime. Even if I go to bed early, I can't sleep," Grego said with some confusion. Because he had to engage in Dream World activities at a fixed time, his biological clock for bedtime had been quite fixed for the past month or so. When the time came, sleepiness naturally set in. So, when he felt sleepy while studying in the carriage tonight, it felt like it was time to sleep.
But... the situation now seemed a little different.
"I wasn't late! I check the clock before officially going to sleep every day. The time I arrive every day is absolutely the same. Today, you definitely came early, not me being late. How can you Black Dog have such a poor sense of time?"
Puffing out her chest, Little Fox spoke to Grego with great spirit and confidence. Grego couldn't help but be slightly stunned upon hearing her words, and a serious expression appeared on his dog face.
"Hiss... So, did I really suddenly fall asleep early today? Does studying have a hypnotic effect?"
Grego muttered this. Although falling asleep a few dozen minutes early for a moment wasn't too strange, it was possible after getting tired from studying. But no matter what, suddenly going to bed early was a relatively abnormal situation.
For most ordinary people, this kind of abnormality might quickly be overlooked. But Grego was a Hunter from the An Yin Bureau and someone who had handled many cases. This abnormal situation immediately caused him to feel a slight sense of alarm.
"Miss Fox, please wait here for me for a moment. I need to wake up first to confirm something."
Grego said this to Little Fox. Then, his Black Dog mimicry stopped in place and began chanting the return spell. As the chanting continued, Grego's Black Dog mimicry rose up, quickly floated back to his dream cocoon, and merged into it.
"Is there a problem with going to bed early? Does he need to wake up to confirm? I really don't understand them Black Dog."
Sitting on the ground, Little Fox watched Grego's dream cocoon above, wagging her tail. After a while, Grego's Black Dog mimicry emerged from it again. He stood on his dream cocoon, his face gloomy, and said to Little Fox.
"This is bad, I can't seem to wake up!"