Ian looked at the layout and decoration of the reception room, and couldn't help but whisper in admiration, the decoration style of the Western Federation is really luxurious.

Floor-to-ceiling windows made of stained glass, brightly coloured curtains, tapestries and carpets embroidered with exotic patterns form the main tone of the reception room. There are countless gorgeous utensils around. For Ian, it has gone beyond what he thinks of as a meeting room, more like a collection room.

"Luxury, huh?" Sid saw Ian's thoughts, and couldn't help but sigh, "I've heard of the Commonwealth décor being rugged on the outside and gorgeous on the inside, but this Mr. Brad is really ...... Very typical of the Federal. ”

As he spoke, footsteps sounded outside the door. Mr. Brad, who was fond of flamboyant design, arrived at the door of the reception room, with a letter of introduction from the butler in his hand.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Mercenaries, I am the owner of this manor. Brad walked in and shook hands warmly with Sid and Ian.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Bullard. "Contrary to Ian's imagination, the lord of the manor is actually a human.

Brad seemed to see the surprise in Ian's eyes, and smiled, "My family has been merchants for generations, and my great-grandfather started settling here, so although I am a human, I am a true Commoner. ”

"I've both read the content of the commission, is there anything else I can help you with?" said the manor lord again with a slight apology, "This kind of thing shouldn't have bothered the mercenary guild, I know that mercenaries are actually better at - some activities in the wilderness......" Brad looked up, "I really don't have a clue, so I issued the commission with the idea of giving it a try." In short, we hope to get at least some clues. ”

"I see," Sid said, "we'll do our best." ”

Then he added, "Now, we want to know more details, Mr. Bullard. Your pet Rumba, who first found it missing?" Ian had only one question he wanted to figure out: is it possible for this palm-sized ghost to still be hiding in the manor. If you have already escaped, you will really be looking for a needle in a haystack.

"It's my butler Totod," Brad looked at the green bean-eyed butler waiting at the door of the reception room, "he's in charge of going to the pet room every morning to take Rumba out, and then he'll take Rumba for a walk around this manor." As you may have seen, my estate is big enough that you don't need to go out for a walk. Brad didn't seem to show off, just recounted the facts in a casual way.

"Yes sir, it was spectacular. Sid complimented, but Ian remembered the indignation on his face cursing the rich man outside.

"That day—Totod, will you tell me for yourself?" said Brad as he turned to the butler at the door.

"Yes, sir. Totod walked briskly closer and stood beside his master, "I went to the pet room as usual that day to get Rumba out. In fact, as soon as I got to the door, I felt that something was not quite right. Usually before I reach the door, it will scream impatiently inside the door. It was surprisingly quiet that day......"

The crowd listened to Totod's statement, and the butler, seeing that no one wanted to interrupt him, went on.

"I opened the door and there was nothing inside. Immediately after that, I noticed that the window was open—I swore to Mr. Brad, I had absolutely closed it the night before—and that I would close it every day before leaving. By the way," Totod added, "I forgot to mention that Rumba's pet room was on the first floor near the northwest corner of the mansion, so we searched the garden outside when we found it running out of its room. ”

"But nothing came of it. Brad answered, "After that, the search of the mansion was also very careful, and all of us went out, including my wife, to participate in the search, but found nothing. As you can see, there are high walls on all sides, and the gates are thick iron gates, which are usually closed. ”

Totod, the butler, suddenly interjected, "Yes sir, but ...... I don't know if it was to sneak out while we were in and out of our daily lives......"

Sid looked at the two of them, thinking about what the master and servant had said, and seemed to ask more and more questions, and he didn't have a clue for a while. He glanced at Ian, who gave him an affirmative look.

"We get the general idea," Ian stood up, "if you don't mind, can you take us to the pet room first?" and then we'd like to go for a walk in the garden while it's still dark. ”

"Ah, of course. Totod," the lord of the manor instructed his steward, "lead the way." ”

"Yes. ”

Brad did not continue to accompany him, and the butler took Ian and Sid to the pet room in the northwest corner of the villa. He opened the door and turned sideways to let Ian and Sid inside. There was only one closed window in the room, and there was no other entrance or exit except doors and windows. There was a miniature cot in the pet room, which seemed to be used for Rumba to sleep on, and its rice bowl, which was now sitting in the corner. There were also some pet toys scattered on the wooden floor, mostly ragdolls or something.

"It's a rich man's style, and pets have their own bedrooms......" Sid whispered beside Ian.

Ian walked over to the window and noticed that the window handle was very close to the ledge. Spin-on sliding windows, standard universal style. The iron window frames were already a little rusty, probably because of the garden near the west side, which was on the first floor, and it was damp. However, the bearings of the windows are still smooth, and it seems that the house is always being maintained.

Suddenly, a few strands of brownish-yellow hairs caught Ian's attention, and these fine hairs were left on the window frame by the rough rust.

"Rumba is very clever," said Totod, seeing them checking the window, "I guess it was a way of watching me open the window every day, and slowly learned it, so he pushed it open and went out that day." ”

Ian glanced at Sid suspiciously, and Sid nodded: "It's not impossible, I've heard that some dogs can open the door on their own, that kind of twist handle." ”

The housekeeper seized the opportunity to make his point again: "So I think it's very likely that it has slipped out of the manor, it's too smart......"

Coming out of the pet house, the color of the sunset has gradually turned a little purple, and the sun's afterglow is getting smaller and smaller in the sky.

The owner of the manor is taking a break under the promenade in front of the garden, enjoying the garden view. Seeing him, Heathdra took Raian and walked over.

"Mr. Brad," Sid greeted with a slight salute.

Brad sat up from his recliner: "Ah, it's you. Have you seen the pet room?" he said, picking up his teacup from the small round table in front of him and taking a sip.

"Yes," Sid said, seated on the wooden bench across from the small round table, "and we'd like to have a few separate words with you about this investigation. ”

Totto retreated with amusement.

Sid waited for the butler to walk away and moved the wooden bench a little closer, "I noticed your high wall here," he lowered his voice, "but would any of your employees deliberately let the rumba go, or take it out?"

Brad put down his delicate teacup and sat up straight: "I believe everyone in this manor, no one here will be honest with me. He had an unkind look in his eyes, "You might want to think about other possibilities. ”

"Alright!" Sid laughed dryly, "we just need to consider all the possibilities. ”

Brad sighed silently, and his eyes softened a little: "I'm sorry, I'm a little excited—my wife and I have been distracted all day long by the rumba affair, and you know, people who don't rest well are prone to emotional instability—although I'm already drinking soothing tea." He flicked the outer wall of the teacup with his fingertips apologetically.

The lord of the manor turned to look at the gardeners busy in the garden, the maids who were cleaning up their laundry, and the butlers who were chattering around them, and Ian noticed that his sideburns were already graying. Brad whispered, "I trust them because every single one of them comes to me, not through recruitment or self-nomination – it's an opportunity. It would be too long to introduce them one by one," he laughed, "to put it simply, I have been kind to each of them, so they are willing to repay me with their dedication, and I trust in their loyalty." ”

"I see. Sid nodded, and got up with Ian, "You wouldn't mind letting the butler walk around the garden with us, would you?"

"Of course not, please. ”

As they walked, the two talked in a whisper.

"You trust his judgment?" asked Ian.

"There's no reason not to believe it. ”

"He's too greedy," Ian smirked as he looked at the servants in the distance, "loyalty is hard to come by, but he's convinced that his favor can be exchanged for the selfless devotion of so many people." Perhaps afraid that Sid would not understand what he meant, he added, "I only know that there are so-called good people in the slums, and there are people who do everything for money, but they are not different in essence, only that there is a difference in conscience." ”

It was already close to the butler, and Sid didn't respond again.

The back garden of Brad Manor, located just west of the mansion, occupies almost half of the entire estate.

The entrance to the garden has an arched door trimmed with potted greenery.

"In a month or two, it's going to be a small sea of flowers. "But we'll have to hurry a little bit, or it'll be dark." ”

They entered the garden under a manicured archway, and walked on a stone-paved path in the middle, surrounded by manicured flower beds. Skirting a fountain with a statue of the god of love in the center, the gravel path continues to wind its way deeper into the garden.

The deeper you go, the more and more wind bamboos are planted on both sides of the path, and the denser and denser they become, which is quite a bit of a winding path.

Totod pointed to the bamboo forest and said: "These wind bamboos are the seeds that the master has found from the people of the ancient kingdom in the east, and it takes a lot of effort to cultivate them here! They don't seem to be very accustomed to the climate of the Federation, and I heard from the master that he has seen them grow more luxuriantly than these in the ancient kingdom." ”

"Well, it's good. Ian, huh?"

"Ahh

"I usually take Rumba for a walk, and the farthest is to walk through this bamboo forest trail, and then go around the gladiolus garden inside. "But the inside of the gladiolus garden has recently been renovated, and it is not suitable for entering, so let's go to the entrance of the garden and take a look." ”

Looking at the dense wind bamboos on both sides and the undulating small dirt slopes, Sid frowned and asked, "Is it possible for it to burrow into this wind bamboo forest?" The wind bamboo is so thin that people can't enter, so you shouldn't have gone in to search for it, right?"

"Yes," the butler turned to the bamboo grove that Sid had spoken of, "but we have been around here for a long time, and have not moved at all, and have tried to lure him with the bacon he likes, but to no avail." ”

"Oh......" Sid was slightly disappointed.

The area of the wind bamboo forest is not small, and the path through the forest is winding, which is easy for visitors to leave a vast impression.

As soon as they walked the trail, Ian and Sid's eyes suddenly brightened again.

Large expanses of white gladiolus bloom here, each growing to the height of Ian's knees. The stone paths branch, whirl, and intersect here, like a swimming dragon, wandering in the white sea of clouds.

"Mr. Brad is so classy. Sid complimented. Ian couldn't tell if he was sincere, but even a slum thug like himself who didn't know anything about it could feel the garden's owner's intentions.

Even though the walls of the manor are high, the white gladiolus brightens up the place, and it doesn't look gloomy because it's located deep in the garden. And with the elegance and tranquility of the wind and bamboo forest, one side is convergent and the other side is public, which really complements each other.

"The host really loved the flowers. ”

"Looks like there's no road ahead?" Ian wondered as he looked at the long fence behind the gladiolus garden in the distance.

"Yes, the owner is still planning and hasn't decided what to look like. He was afraid that the barren land would affect the scenery of the gladiolus garden, and he was also worried that Rumba would run around and accidentally break into it, so he fenced it there. ”

"Rumba...... Is it possible to get inside over the fence?"

"Probably not, rumba is a miniature ornamental pet, only as long as my two palms stacked, and there is no developed motor nerve ......"

"Got it......" Listening to him describe the length with a slap, Sid suddenly understood who wrote the power of attorney.

"That's about the end of the garden, so I'll take the two of you back and look at the outer courtyard. ”

Sid was about to turn around and walk back after Totod—

"Wait a minute. Ian said suddenly.

"What's wrong?" asked Sid and Totod almost at the same time.