Old Anton looked at Byrne, who stood at the door with a sly grin, his face filled with bewilderment.
"Young man, didn't you say yesterday that the storage room business was too eerie? Why the change of heart after just one day?"
Byrne had already prepared his excuse before arriving. Hearing the question, he replied instantly:
"To be honest, I went back and thought about it all night, and the more I thought, the more I regretted passing it up. Ten silver coins a month with no deposit—I won't find a second deal like that. So, here I am again."
"As for the rule about the storage room, I've committed it to memory. After sunset, I won't touch that door. I'm renting this place for the peace and the price. Most of the time I'll either be working at the Tax Bureau or staying inside. I won't cause you any trouble."
Byrne deliberately mentioned the "Tax Bureau," using his official status to add a layer of credibility. Sure enough, hearing those words, the hesitation in Old Anton's eyes faded slightly. In the old man's view, someone with a government job was bound to be more reliable and wouldn't have as many issues as previous tenants.
However, while the hesitation lessened, it didn't vanish completely.
Old Anton asked again, "Young man, don't forget that I told you about the oddness of that door yesterday. Aren't you afraid?"
"Sir, it's not that I'm not afraid, it's just that I believe everything has its rules. You said yourself that previous tenants were fine as long as they followed the rules; only Tim, who broke them, had an accident. I'm a man of my word. Since I promised not to touch that door, I won't."
In his mind, Byrne added: Hehe, unless I can't help myself.
Byrne spoke earnestly, his eyes showing no trace of hypocrisy. Old Anton stared at him for a full half-minute, weighing things in his cloudy eyes. Finally, he let out a long sigh and stepped aside to open the gate, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness but mostly relief.
"Fine, fine. Since you put it that way, the house is yours. But I'll say the ugly truth first: rules are rules. Once broken, whatever happens is on you. I won't take any responsibility."
"Rest assured, I'll follow the rules and won't cause any trouble."
Byrne accepted immediately and walked into the courtyard. Once they were seated in the living room, Old Anton produced a rental contract and placed it before Byrne.
"This is the contract. The terms are simple, with two core points: first, rent is paid at the start of every month; second, strictly observe the nighttime ban on the storage room. Read it over, and if there are no problems, sign it."
Byrne scanned the contract quickly. The terms were indeed simple and clear. He signed it briskly and pulled ten silver coins from his pocket, placing them on the table. Old Anton picked up the coins, checked them briefly, and took them back to his bedroom along with the contract.
When he returned, he held two keys in his hand.
"These are for the house and the courtyard. If you have time, water the plants; if not, don't worry about it. I'll be back to stay for a few days each month."
Byrne took the keys and asked casually, "By the way, I'm curious. After Tim disappeared, did anyone besides the patrol team come looking for him? Friends or colleagues, perhaps?"
Old Anton frowned. "Why ask that all of a sudden?"
Byrne was ready, his face showing the perfect amount of concern as he explained, "I just rented this place, so I'm a bit uneasy. If Tim's friends or colleagues come looking, I'd like to be prepared so I'm not caught off guard by people asking questions."
The excuse was logical and matched the mindset of an ordinary tenant.
Old Anton waved his hand. "Don't worry about that. Shortly after Tim vanished, two people claiming to be his colleagues came by asking where he was. I told them the situation, and they even came inside to look at the storage room. After that, no one ever came asking again."
"I see..."
Byrne didn't press further to avoid raising suspicion. He stood up and said, "Then I'll leave you to it. I'll go pack my things and move in tonight."
"Go on, then."
Old Anton watched Byrne walk out the gate. Only after his figure disappeared from sight did the old man turn back to his courtyard. Looking at his carefully tended plants, he sighed and muttered to himself, "I hope this young man stays in his place and nothing else happens..."
The smile vanished from Byrne's face the moment he was out of Old Anton's line of sight. He pulled out his communicator and pressed the blue button.
"Selena, I've settled things on my end. I successfully rented the house."
A burst of static came through the communicator before it cleared up. A few seconds later, Selena's voice emerged.
"Heh, you're quite fast, Byrne. Did Mr. Anton suspect anything?"
"No. I used my Tax Collector identity and a pragmatic excuse to dispel his doubts. Before I left, I asked if anyone had come looking for Tim after he vanished."
"Oh? What did he say?"
"Two colleagues came by—both freight haulers—but they didn't come back again. How is your side?"
"I asked my family to help check the registry of freight companies in Blackstone City. I found that Tim worked for a company called Black Gear Freight."
"Using your family to check... won't that expose your identity?" Byrne asked with concern.
"Don't worry. I didn't say I was looking for Tim. I used the excuse of verifying freight partners for the family and had them compile a list of major freight companies in the city, including their primary routes and credit ratings. Black Gear happened to be on the potential partner list. I had them include core employee information as part of the check. It's perfectly reasonable; no one will suspect anything."
Byrne silently marveled at the perks of being a noble lady.
"After finding the company, I contacted their manager and learned a few things."
"Any discoveries?"
"Tim was an old employee—five years on the job. He was quiet but efficient and never made mistakes. He wasn't particularly close with his colleagues, but he didn't have conflicts either. However, he did two things before he disappeared."
"First: a week before he vanished, he suddenly applied for a salary advance. It was the first time in five years he'd made such a request, but the company denied it."
"Second: three days before he vanished, he took on a private job outside the company."
"A private job?" Byrne's brow shot up. "Did you find out who the employer was?"
"Unfortunately, there's no specific information. It was his first private job in five years. He was cautious and left no record of the employer at the company. Even the delivery time was set for late at night."
A private job at night...
Tim had intentionally avoided company records and chose that specific time, which suggested the cargo or the employer couldn't handle the light of day. For Tim to break his five-year streak and take this job, Byrne suspected it was likely linked to his failed attempt at getting a salary advance.