Chapter 53: The Inn
Thanks to the difference engine, the Empire had now entered the information age.
However, unlike the modern information age, information here did exist, but it did not necessarily arrive in ti.
And so, problems arose.
“I rember the docunts said ‘abandoned’?”
Levi looked at the brightly lit manor before him, not knowing what to say for the mont.
“That’s just how things are in the countryside.”
Inspector Lestrade, more experienced, remained calm and unruffled.
“Most likely, no one managed it, then it was sold again later, but no one filed an update. Happens all the ti. After all, most rural places don’t even have a line connected to the data center. If you want to update records, you’ve got to make a special trip to Mist City. But many people can’t be bothered—because once you update, it ans paying taxes……… That’s basically a form of tax evasion……… Forget it, we’re not the tax bureau anyway. Not our problem. When we get back, I can talk to them, maybe sell a favor.”
Levi was not surprised.
Local officials always outweighed distant ones; he also knew well how the countryside worked.
The steam car went “putt putt putt” as it entered the manor gates, arriving at the plaza in front, and parked in a spot.
There were only their two steam cars here, along with a few horse-drawn carriages.
Not far away, horses strolled leisurely across the lawn, occasionally biting down on tender grass.
“I rember this manor used to have a racecourse, mainly for those city young masters and misses to co ‘experience country life.’ Looks like it’s still in use.”
As a policeman, Inspector Lestrade seed more familiar with this manor than its current owner.
He glanced around, sighed with emotion, then led the group inside the inn.
Stepping through the doors, Levi and the others first saw a spacious hall, at the end of which stood stairs leading to the second floor.
On both the left and right were doors.
Behind the counter, no one was present, though the entryway itself was quite bright and neatly kept.
“No one?”
Inspector Lestrade frowned and muttered, then walked to the counter and pressed the bell.
“Ding-ling-ling———!”
After a short while, the door beside opened, and a middle-aged woman, rounder in diater even than Inspector Lestrade, walked out.
“Ah, hello, welco to the Red Moon Inn……… May I ask………”
“I—we had a reservation. My na is Carter Brian.”
The man with glasses hurried forward, announcing his na.
“Ah, hello, Mr. Brian.”
The middle-aged woman picked up the ledger on the counter, checked it, and nodded.
“And this is your wife?”
“Y-yes.”
“Then these two are………”
“We’re travelers.”
Levi stepped forward and addressed the woman.
“May I ask if you still have vacant rooms here?”
“Ah, oh, of course, of course.”
At the sight of Levi, the woman froze for a mont, then suddenly seed to awaken, bursting with enthusiasm that did not match her body shape.
Smiling, she picked up the ledger and handed it to Levi.
“Please sign here.”
Levi glanced at the ledger, then signed his na.
Next ca Inspector Lestrade’s signature.
The woman took the ledger back, looked it over, and put it away.
“Please follow .”
Twisting her waist as she walked, she led them up to the second floor, while also introducing the place.
“I imagine you are not yet very familiar with here. The Red Moon Inn used to be a private manor, later converted into an inn. We have eight single rooms, and two double rooms. Precisely prepared for you two……….”
As she spoke, the woman turned to the newlywed couple and smiled slightly.
“……… the honeymoon suite.”
“That could not be better.”
Afterward, everyone took their keys and went up to the second-floor rooms.
Levi’s room was at the far western end.
It was not small, with a private bathroom, a double bed, a screen partition, and a large desk in the middle.
In the wall’s fireplace, the coal fire burned brightly.
Together with the soft sofa, blanket, tea table, and a sunlit balcony outside, it was quite a fine room.
Levi set down his coat, washed his face, and then sat down in the armchair by the fireplace.
It was not yet sumr, and in this mountain area, nights were still a little cold.
Sitting before the burning fireplace to chase away the chill and sipping a cup of fine black tea—what a leisurely way to pass the evening.
Ah, if only he did not have such a short life at the mont, he would have liked to buy a manor in the deep forest, hire a few servants, work at sunrise and rest at sunset—though, thinking about it like that, it felt rather dull.
The thought made Levi chuckle to himself.
Modern young people longed for country life, but in the past, people risked everything to rush into the city.
Beyond the better opportunities and money, the most important thing was convenient communication.
Don’t be fooled—those young people who yearn for rural life, if you told them no internet, no electricity, no deliveries—they would instantly wilt.
Levi was no different.
Staying in such a guesthouse-style inn for a few days to rest was fine.
But to live here a lifeti? Too boring.
“Knock, knock, knock.”
Hearing the knock, Levi glanced at the door, went over, and opened it.
He saw Inspector Lestrade walk in with a grin.
“Not disturbing you, am I……… Heh, your room is quite nice.”
“Is it?”
Watching Lestrade admire his room with envy, Levi rely raised a brow.
“They’re all about the sa.”
“No way. My room is half the size of yours. No bathroom, I have to use the public one downstairs………”
Lestrade bit down on his pipe, envy written all over his face.
“Sa price, how can there be such a difference?”
“Maybe they simply ran out of rooms.”
Levi did not mind.
Before his crossing, he often encountered flight upgrades, hotel suite upgrades, and so on.
Reasons varied—being the ten-thousandth passenger on the flight, or the hotel lacking standard rooms and ‘forced’ to give you the presidential suite.
It had been that way since he was young.
Over ti, Levi had gotten used to it.
“Hehe, could be.”
Lestrade puffed on his pipe, glanced at Levi, wanted to say more, but finally only changed the subject.
“Say, what do we do now?”
“What do you an?”
“You ca here to investigate, didn’t you? But as things stand, we can’t just investigate freely.”
What he said was indeed their biggest problem.
Originally, since the records marked this manor as “abandoned,” Levi and Lestrade did not need to do anything special.
They could have broken in directly and investigated whatever they wanted.
But unexpectedly, tis had changed.
Now it was rebuilt into an inn, and that complicated matters.
Even though the docunts said 【abandoned】, at present it clearly had an owner.
And as a public servant, Inspector Lestrade would need a search warrant.
The problem was……… such warrants were not so easily obtained.
On top of that, this was not even an active case.
They had no grounds to apply for one.
“Let’s watch the situation first. If it doesn’t work, we’ll sneak an investigation.”
“That’s not sothing I can do.”
Lestrade laughed heartily and patted his beer belly.
“At most I can cover for you. Just be careful not to get caught.”
“I’ll be careful.”
Levi was not skilled in lock-picking or sneaking either.
He lacked those skills, but since he had thought of it, naturally he had his own way.
“Knock, knock, knock.”
While they chatted, another knock ca.
Being closer, Lestrade opened the door.
A young maid, about the sa age as Irene, stood there.
Seeing Lestrade, she froze.
Then her eyes fell on Levi by the fireplace, and she stared, transfixed.
The sight amused Lestrade.
He deliberately stepped aside, then after a mont coughed.
“Have you stared enough?”
“Ah, I-I’m sorry…………!”
Hearing his teasing, the girl flushed and quickly lowered her head.
“I—I ca to inform you, dinner is ready. Please co down to the dining hall………”
“All right, we’ll be right there.”
Once Lestrade replied, the girl hurried off, while he grinned at Levi.
“Co on, ti for dinner.”
“You’re right.”
After traveling all the way, Levi was hungry too.
Hearing that dinner was ready, he stood, tidied his clothes, and picked up the rectangular case by his side again.
“What do you keep in there? You guard it like treasure.”
Seeing Levi treat the case so carefully, Lestrade was curious.
But Levi only smiled faintly.
“Sothing useful.”
“Hmm?”
Lestrade wanted to ask more, but Levi clearly intended to keep it secret.
So he dropped it, and the two left their room for the first-floor dining hall.
Though now an inn, this had once been a manor.
Much of the layout still remained the sa, and so did the dining hall.
A long table stretched across the room, with chairs along both sides.
That ant all guests ate at one table.
In a luxury inn, such an arrangent would have been unacceptable.
But this place was closer to a guesthouse, and people of this era tolerated shared accommodations far more than modern folk.
Sitting at one table was no big deal—so long as one kept a little distance.
When Levi and Lestrade arrived, several people were already seated.
Naturally, Levi’s appearance drew their attention.
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