Inside the Cozy Book Haven, a young man dressed in a suit was confronting a middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties or fifties.
The young man wore a cold expression, intently staring at the middle-aged man across from him. Without emotion, he asked, “Being a Soulmancer, what business do you have entering someone else’s premises in broad daylight?”
The middle-aged man let out a strange chuckle and said, “New York’s spiritual energy is surging, especially around Hudson University. Soulmancers from around the world are converging here. I came to look for my good-for-nothing apprentice. I haven’t harmed any ordinary people. Isn’t the 13th Bureau overstepping its boundaries?”
The young man replied coldly, “After the Declaration of Independence, during the early days of the nation’s founding, there was an agreement that Soulmancers should not meddle in worldly affairs, let alone harm people without reason. Now that so many Soulmancers have appeared in New York, it’s the 13th Bureau’s duty to intervene! If the Master wishes to abide by the rules, I’d advise you to leave now. If you’re truly here to find someone, you should wait until the owner of this bookstore arrives before entering.”
“Ha! Kid, you’re stubborn, aren’t you? Do you really think the 13th Bureau can oversee all the mystical forces in America?” A sharp glint appeared in the older man’s eyes, and the energy around him surged powerfully, forcing the young man to continuously retreat.
The young man snorted coldly and shouted angrily, “Are you bullying others with your power?”
“In the world of mystical powers, the strong rule! So what if I bully you? If your Bureau’s director personally came, perhaps I’d show some respect. But a greenhorn like you dares to bark in front of me? Leave!” The older man was furious, exuding an air of superiority.
The middle-aged man looked ready to strike.
William initially thought of waiting for them to finish before entering, but judging from their conversation, the young man appeared to be from an organization responsible for overseeing Soulmancers and maintaining order.
To ensure societal stability and prosperity.
Such an environment was ideal!
William stepped forward, directly pushing open the door. The bookstore’s entrance was a vintage wooden door; its lock had been tampered with, so he didn’t need to unlock it.
Creak!
As the door opened, both men inside turned their attention to William.
They hadn’t noticed someone approaching.
After entering, William feigned surprise, asking, “What are you doing in my shop?”
The two men inside reined in their energy and sized up William.
An ordinary person, devoid of any special energy.
The middle-aged man, unfazed, bluffed, “I was passing by and noticed the bookstore door was unlocked. I thought someone might be inside, so I came in to browse some books.”
“It must have been me. I probably forgot to lock up when I left last night.”
William didn’t really care about getting involved with these Soulmancers.
He did want to live a normal person’s life, but in his view, what difference was there between these Soulmancers and ordinary people?
He could only try to keep a low profile to avoid being bothered by too many tedious people.
The young man then asked, “Are you the owner of this bookstore?”
William shook his head, “I just work here, my boss isn’t around.”
After pondering for a moment, the young man handed over what looked to be a standard business card to William, “If you encounter any trouble recently, feel free to call me.”
William took the card and glanced at it: Manhattan Community Board Deputy Director, Wes Wenzel.
“Hello, Deputy Director Wenzel,” William greeted as he pocketed the card, wondering internally what exactly the title entailed — it sounded quite impressive.
Wes Wenzel nodded slightly, then turned to look at the middle-aged man and asked, “Mr. Phillips, do you still wish to browse books here?”
Lifting his eyelid, the middle-aged man inquired, “Young man, do you know Walker?”
William responded, “I know him. He started working here a few days ago but got arrested for getting into a fight at a bar two days back.”
“Arrested?” Mr. Phillips frowned, “Do you know who did it?”
“The police station.”
“…” Mr. Phillips’ face darkened instantly upon hearing this.
Walker was his outstanding disciple, and he had sent him to New York to seek shelter with Charles Turner; it would be best if Walker could forge a good relationship with Charles Turner’s granddaughter.
But he was arrested for brawling?
Despite Walker not being the most potent Soulmancer, how could he be caught by the police?
Mr. Phillips stared at Wes Wenzel and asked coldly, “Was it your people who did this?”
“We hadn’t arrived here two days ago,” Wes Wenzel said, “Since it was the police who arrested him, it has nothing to do with our agency.”
“So, you mean to say, my disciple was arrested by the police?”
Wes Wenzel squinted, “Isn’t that quite normal?”
This remark gave Mr. Phillips a sense of being insulted.
It wasn’t to say that the police were incompetent, but Walker was, after all, a Soulmancer. It was a sheer loss of face to get caught by ordinary police just for getting involved in a brawl.
Couldn’t he have at least escaped if he couldn’t win?
How embarrassing!
“Young man, do you know which police station Walker is held in?”
“The 6th Precinct.” William confirmed that these two individuals hadn’t noticed the Aura Field on the wooden table; after all, the Aura Field he had crafted was too advanced for the current generation of Soulmancers.
It was then that the middle-aged man addressed Wes Wenzel, “Deputy Director Wenzel, could you possibly assist in bailing my good-for-nothing disciple out of the police station?”
Wes Wenzel responded with a stern face, “Abiding by the law is every citizen’s duty. Everyone is equal before the law; even our organization has no special privileges.”
“Alright, I’ll figure something out myself.” The middle-aged man probably sensed Wes Wenzel’s temperament and didn’t press further.
He and Charles Turner had been good friends for many years. Since his disciple came to seek refuge with Charles Turner, there was no reason for Charles not to step in and resolve the issue now that Walker had encountered trouble in New York.
Wes Wenzel gave the middle-aged man a deep look. The man took a deep breath and said, “Deputy Director Wenzel, rest assured, I won’t create trouble. You don’t have to keep an eye on me here; I’ll have a chat with this young man and then leave.”
“Then I’ll take my leave first.” Wes Wenzel understood that he couldn’t monitor this older fellow indefinitely, and it wasn’t necessary, as long as he confirmed that he genuinely came to find his disciple, that was sufficient.
After entering, William had taken a seat at the oak table on the ground floor of the bookstore. It seemed like he had gone a bit overboard with the magic circle. Especially given that the spiritual energy in this bookstore was more abundant than outside, anyone with a slight awakening ability should be able to sense it.
He would have to make adjustments when he had a moment.
After Wes Wenzel left, the middle-aged man sat down opposite William. “Young man, my name is Bryant Phillips. You can call me Mr. Phillips. I want to ask you, is the owner of this store Charles Turner’s granddaughter?”
Mr. Phillips?
William raised his eyebrows slightly.
“The owner of this store is named Alice. Why do you ask?”
“That’s right! She is the granddaughter of my old friend Charles Turner,” Bryant exclaimed with a toothy grin. “So, young man, Is your boss pretty?”