It appeared that Mrs. Essel wasted no time and headed straight to the Londia City Police Department as soon as she left Alban Prison.
Two days later, the paperwork for Jane’s release had already arrived at our office. From that point on, everything progressed smoothly, and today marked the official release of Jane Lloyd, Prisoner No. 189.
At the prison exit, Jane, now dressed in civilian clothes, a shade of deep brown, awaited me.
“It’s truly a relief. This place never suited you, Jane,”
“Sir Wolf, thank you so much for everything. I heard it from Casey. You went out of your way to make sure I didn’t have a hard time in prison,”
“Those things don’t really matter. It’s just something I could do. More importantly, what are your plans now?” I inquired.
“For now, I’ll rely on Lewis, and then I’ll go back to the countryside,”
“Where is your hometown again?”
“It’s Bazingdon. It’s located east of Londia,”
If that were the case, it would only take about three days on foot to reach there. It was close in terms of distance, but it would be a completely different living environment.
I might never see Jane again.
At the very least, I wanted to ensure that she safely reached her hometown. I wanted to take care of that much for her.
“I see. Could you do me a favor and wait for me at the Chandon Hotel? It would be best if you stayed there tonight.”
I handed her the remaining 10,000 gil coins.
Since Jane currently only had around 1,000 gil coins, going back to the countryside would be a risky choice for her.
“Sir Wolf…”
“I’ll finish work in the evening, so let’s discuss your future over dinner.”
“Sir Wolf, I will definitely repay the money.”
“Let’s talk about that tonight. For now, get a room, rest, and regain your strength.”
“Thank you very much. Then, let’s meet again tonight.”
“The Chandon Hotel is near the mansion. Wait for me at the restaurant there. I think I can go there after around 6 o’clock.”
As I watched Jane leave, as she glanced back several times, I returned to work.
Among the prisoners, there were many who were well-versed in geography.
Due to their line of work, they had a good grasp of stagecoach and steamship schedules.
Prisoner No. 499 was one such thief.
“So, it’s Bazingdon? In that case, I recommend taking a small boat to transport your belongings,”
The hobbit thief enlightened me while smoking the cigarette I gave him.
“How much does it cost for transportation?” I asked.
“Well, the going rate is around 2,000 gil. If you can offer up to 2,500, most boatmen will gladly take you. It’s faster than a carriage, and the ride is less bumpy,”
Thanks to Bazingdon being downstream from Londia, the fare for traveling downstream was cheaper.
With this, Jane would be able to return to her hometown without getting too tired.
“I’m grateful for the helpful information. Here’s a token of my appreciation,”
With a pleased expression, the hobbit accepted the additional five cigarettes and made his way back to his cell.
In the evening, I delivered Ms. Fuyu’s meal as usual, but I couldn’t stay there today.
I had plans to meet Jane right away.
After leaving a new book as a gift along with the meal, I informed her.
“I have some business to attend to today, so I must leave immediately. I’ll be going to town for a while,”
“Working late, huh? Is it job-related?”
While scooping up the beef tendon soup, Ms. Fuyu asked me that question.
“It’s a personal matter. One of my former colleagues is having a difficult time; so I decided to help.”
“Is that so…”
“It’s Jane, the maid who used to work with Barton. She was a lovely girl who would secretly share cookies with us, you know.”
Kimberly, being the chatty fairy, had all the details.
“Oh, really…”
“Well then, I’ll be on my way,”
I was about to leave, however, Ms. Fuyu called out to Kimberly, halting her in her tracks.
“Kim, could you stay with me for a little while?”
Ms. Fuyu’s request was rather forceful, leaving Kimberly with no choice but to comply.
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