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Because the issue was resolved so smoothly, Shard found that it wasn't even half-past ten when he stepped out of Squirrel Alley. The task of catching the mysterious person wouldn't start until noon, and the other one was too far away, on the other side of the city.
So after so consideration, Shard decided to first head to the Steam Bird Daily Newspaper Office to pay next month's advertising fee, then he took a carriage to the gas company to inquire about pipeline installation. It was only after these errands that he went to MI6's outpost to collect his salary.
And a stroll around the city like this also served to relax his mind.
"Stop laughing. I was just suddenly reminded of Mia," Shard said, sowhat annoyed, but she simply didn't respond to his request.
The MI6 outpost that Shard was liaising with was located in the "City Waste Managent Center" in Tobesk Western District.
The last visit was half a month ago. The gray building nestled between a snuff bottle shop and a cobbler specialized in rain boots, and just like last ti, it was hidden in the bustling Steam City.
Having been there before, Shard easily entered the building and, upon explaining to the receptionist that he was there to see Mr. Giles Johnson, quickly found that middle-aged man reading his newspaper in the "Equipnt Managent" section.
Hearing the door open, the middle-aged man, who looked quite bored, glanced at Shard, and once Shard closed the door behind him, the man's face lit up with a smile:
"Oh, look who's here! Isn't this Rejed's Hamilton Knight?"
He stood up to greet Shard with a warm handshake.
"There's no need for such fanfare, Mr. Johnson."
"Of course, there is," the middle-aged man insisted, gesturing for Shard to sit on the iron-frad chair opposite the desk while they were surrounded by rows of filing cabinets:
"You saved the Queen, not only sparing our loyal Director Anlos from managing the Kingdom Cetery but also saving us pitiful low-level clerks from being at risk of a purge."
He even poured tea for Shard, sothing that hadn't been offered during Shard's last visit.
"What brings you in today, to collect your salary? Do you have the expense reports for reimbursent? Need to restock on bullets?"
"Of course, I've brought the expense reports," Shard said, pulling out an envelope and taking out the receipts procured from Priest Augustus on Holy Prayer Day. Since everything was legitimate, Mr. Johnson quickly checked and put them away.
Johnson went towards a set of filing cabinets with a bunch of keys and after a while returned with a stack of money:
"MI6 agents don't receive paynt vouchers, to prevent anyone from tracing their identities. So count this, and if there's no issue, your salary for the month is settled."
"Alright... but why is there so much?"
In Shard's hands were eight five-pound notes, totaling 40 pounds. His weekly salary was only one pound, and even with the reimbursent of 30 pounds, it should only amount to a little over 34 pounds.
"Oh, I almost forgot to tell you, you've been promoted,"
Mr. Johnson waved his hand to quell Shard's surprise:
"Because of your contributions last ti, Director Anlos gave you a rank adjustnt. MI6 doesn't have a complex hierarchy. We are directly affiliated with the Royal Army; by that calculation, you're now a Major."
"A Major?"
Shard was very surprised. He knew his friend Captain Lades had served on the front lines for many years without a fault and had only recently managed to attain the rank of captain. Shard had outranked him in one fell swoop.
"That's right, a Major. There's nothing surprising about that. You're our ace agent, and besides, MI6 has a different promotion system than the Royal Army. Isn't it normal for field agents to get good treatnt?"
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