The next day arrives at the break of dawn as the sun rises from the horizon. Oliver, dressed in his emerald waistcoat and black tailcoat, hops off a carriage and paces across the concrete pavement. He stops by the side of the road and gazes up at his base, a bricked structure towering in front of him.

     Oliver gazes upwards, squinting against the bright sky. The scorching sunlight causes his face to contort into a scowl as his lips tighten. He then takes a deep breath, shivering slightly, before marching towards the entrance with steady feet.

     After taking turns across corridors, Oliver finally arrived at the commander's office. He paused briefly to gather himself before knocking on the door. Immediately, he heard a deep voice responding from the other side.

"Come in," the commander responded.

Oliver stepped into the office and closed the door. "Greetings, sir. Good morning. It's Oliver Podeshire. May I request something?" he asked politely.

"Of course, have a seat," the commander replied, gesturing towards a chair on his desk.

"Sir, I seek permission to take time off from work, possibly even for a few weeks. I don't mind if my salary is reduced in exchange for my breaks," Oliver requested.

"I am willing to grant your request, but you must provide a valid reason for your absence," the commander responded sternly.

"Uhh..." Oliver's mind went blank, unsure of how to respond.

     Oliver jolts back to reality, shaking his head to clear his thoughts. With gaping eyes, he realizes he has been lost in his imagination and focuses on his surroundings. He looks in front of him and sees his base; he is still outside under the blazing sun and has been thinking of the scenario the whole time. Glaring, Oliver sighs before entering the building.

Oliver arrived at the doorway of the commander's office. "Ehem..." he cleared his throat before knocking.

"Come in," the commander responded instantly.

Oliver stepped inside and greeted the commander formally. "Good morning, sir. It's Oliver Podeshire. May I request a moment of your time?" he asked respectfully.

"Of course, have a seat," the commander replied, gesturing towards a chair.

"Sir, I would like to request permission to take some time off from work, possibly for a few weeks. I understand that my salary may be reduced as a result," Oliver recited his statement kindly.

"I will consider your request, but you must provide a valid reason for your absence," the commander replied sternly.

Oliver's mind went blank as he stared at the desk's surface. "Uhh! Oh! Uhmm. I am going on a date," he babbled, creating a false answer.

"Oh? You never told me you have a partner now. With whom?" the commander asked curiously and keenly.

"Uhh—" Oliver stammered, panicking and realizing he had dug into a deeper hole.

"You know that's not a valid reason, right?" the commander said as Oliver stared blankly at the desk.

     Oliver found himself lost in his thoughts, creating imaginary scenarios again. Oliver snaps back into reality, shaking his head and screwing his eyes shut. Looking up, he sees his base and growls. He grunts while glaring at the building for a second before sighing and walking inside.

Oliver briskly strode down the corridor and halted outside his commander's office. Taking a deep breath, he cleared his throat before knocking on the door. "Ehem..."

"Come in," the commander's voice boomed from within the office.

"Good morning, sir. It's Oliver Podeshire," Oliver entered the room and greeted the commander politely.

The commander returned the greeting with a smile and nod. "Good morning, Podeshire. What brings you here today?" he inquired.

Oliver glanced down nervously. "May I seek a formal request from you, sir?" Oliver asked.

"Sure, have a seat," the commander gestured towards a chair.

Oliver sat down and took a deep breath. "Sir, I would like to request permission to take time off from work, possibly for a few weeks. I understand that my salary may be reduced as a result," said Oliver.

"I will grant your request, but you must provide a valid reason for your absence," the commander responded.

Oliver took another deep breath before explaining. "...As the senior guard and the Defender of Asbranne, and as the Remaining Podeshire and the descendant of those who freed Asbranne from colonizers, I feel a deep responsibility to protect this city. Recently, there have been reports of mysterious deaths and corpses in the woods. It is my will to investigate, for I am born to partake in such duty. However, I must do this investigation privately, and I will be working with my adoptive father, Sir Frederick Alcadee. I assure you, commander, that I will inform you of whatever we discover and even report to the government if necessary."

The commander listened attentively. "So... you will be investigating the unsolved murders that have been killing hundreds of innocent Asbrannians?" he asked for clarifications.

"Sir, yes, sir," Oliver nodded.

The commander nodded. "Of course. Your private investigation will still benefit the army and guards in capturing the suspects. You have my permission to take time off from work, and I will not reduce your salary as long as you remain dedicated and honest in your work," the commander stated.

"Oh! Thank you so much, sir!" Oliver replied.

"Mhm. You're dismissed," the commander said.

     Oliver emerged from the base and spotted his adoptive father, Frederick, waiting for him on the sidewalk. The two had their eyes locked on each other as they beamed at one another. Oliver quickly made his way towards Frederick, and they reunited.

"Finally, I'm done! I've been playing out different scenarios in my head over and over again," Oliver said as he walked towards Frederick.

"Make sure you're still not in your imagination," Frederick teased with a smirk.

Oliver playfully rolled his eyes and was about to respond when he spotted a familiar face nearby. "...Greg?" he whispered as he squinted his eyes.

Gregory, walking down the sidewalk, spotted Oliver ahead. "Oli?" Gregory called out, tilting his head.

"Greg!" Oliver gasped as he beamed. "It's good to see you here! What's up?"

"Hehe, oh," Gregory stood before Oliver. "Sir Sapplemen tasked me with some home assignments. I'm just passing by."

"Actually, that's perfect timing," Oliver exclaimed.

"Why's that?" Gregory asked curiously.

"I just dropped out of work to investigate those ongoing murders with my dad," Oliver explained.

"Oh? That's what I'm doing, too! I'm investigating the origin of this substance," Gregory said, showing a bottle containing a dark element found on one of the corpses.

"...Where are you going to study it?" Oliver inquired, staring at the element inside the bottle.

"I have equipment and tools at my home," Gregory replied.

"Well, we're going to the Asbranne National Library," Oliver smiled.

"We'll be back this afternoon," Frederick added, smiling politely.

"Great! Can I come over and visit later?" Gregory asked with a grin.

"Of course!" Oliver replied.

"You're welcome to join us," said Frederick.

"And, perhaps, we can investigate this situation together," Oliver told Gregory.