In a large manor in the southwest of Dawn City,
The study room,
"It's an honor to meet you, Lord Chamberlain Baron Estes, I'm Detective Simon Smith from the Interpol." Simon, assistant of John McCarthy, said, and held out his right hand.
"Ah yes, I've heard that the Interpol detectives have arrived in our country to investigate 'that case'." Baron Estes said, "You came here to ask me to arrange an audience with His Majesty in order to obtain access permission to Dawn Kingdom's police force's file archive, I presume!"
Simon withdrew his right hand, because the baron did not shake his hand like expected, a little bit embarrassed:
"Yes, Baron, we..."
Baron Estes raised his hand up, signaling for Simon to stop. The baron closed his eyes, and while touching his mustache, which is his signature pose when he is thinking about something that has large impact on the Royal Family and the country.
"Alright, I will tell His Majesty, but whether he wants to hear you out is entirely his decision."
"Yes, thank...my gratitude, Lord Chamberlain!" Simon switched to more formal word because he didn't want to embarrass himself more with his informal style he was used to.
Then the two stood up, the baron held out his hand to Simon. Despite being surprised by the baron's action, Simon still shook his hand.
---
("Only shaking hand with the nobles when they hold their hand first, huh!") Simon looked at his right hand and thought after he got on his car.
Ring...ring...ring
"Yes, Mr. McCarthy!" Simon answered the phone.
"Have you secured a meeting with the King?"
"...It's hard to say. The chamberlain said he would deliver our request to the King, but there's no guarantee that the King will agree to meet us."
"I see. Anyway, return and help me sort out these files."
"Roger that!"
===
Inside the MLBB system's dimension,
After returning to his room from trying his ceremonial robe, which he would wear on his royal debut, Patrick was forced by Thamuz and Dyrroth to go into the system and practice Dyrroth's skills.
Currently, Patrick was trying to deal with some red minions created by the System for practice.
PEW
"Ouch!" Patrick shouted when he was hit by a cannon minion.
"They are just ants and their attacks are just scratch." said Dyrroth, "With your current body, you can't be hurt by them. Stop making it sound pitiful!"
"Tsk!" Patrick clicked his tongue, before destroying the minions with his strikes.
PEW
One cannon minion tried to attack Patrick from behind, but with his enhanced instinct and movement, Patrick easily dodged the arrow, and sent a Burst Strike towards the cannon minion and other minions behind it, destroying them all.
"Those pitiful minions are just too easy for you now, let's play with something harder." Dyrroth said.
"What do you mean, 'something harder'? Patrick asked, he didn't like the word "harder" at all.
<
BANG BANG BANG
"ROAR!"
With its giant centaur-like figure, any player of MLBB could recognize it.
"SANCTUARY LORD!" Patrick shouted "You want to kill me, Dyrroth?"
"Ha, pathetic Master, what do you have to worry for, this thing is easy to k..."
Before Dyrroth could finish his sentence, the Lord sent him flying.
"System, what is the meaning of this?" Dyrroth shouted after he had landed on his face.
<
<
<
Right after the last System's message, the Lord began to swing its ruby axe at Patrick.
BAAAM
The axe hit the ground, Patrick had successfully dodged its deadly attack.
"ROAR!"
"Shut up, you pathetic creature, there's no way you'll survive after messing up with this Prince!" Patrick shouted and dashed at the Lord.
("Hehe, Dyrroth, you can be the main DPS, I will 'support' you!") Patrick thought and secretly laughed in his head.
===
The King's study
BAM
"You Majesty, please, anger is not good for your health!" Baron Estes pleaded after seeing King Frederik VII slammed his fist on the table after hearing about the Interpol's request.
"Baron Estes, do you know why I hate the Interpol?"
"Yes, I do know!" the baron replied.
The King didn't say anything further, but opened the drawer and took out and old newspaper.
"BOMBING AT THE CENTRAL SQUARE AT NEW YEAR'S EVE PARTY"
"123 deaths, more than 500 wounded, including the Prime Minister's son!"
"Interpol Involved!!!"
"January 1st, 1969"
"But Your Majesty, if we don't agree with the Interpol, our international reputation may plummet!" Baron Estes once again pleaded.
"Fine, arrange an audience with them on next Monday, at 09:00 AM sharp. Tell them one minute late, and the audience is cancelled." King Frederik VII said and put the newspaper back to the drawer.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Baron Estes said and then left the room.
===
Ring...ring...ring
"Who is it?"
"Is it Detective Simon Smith?"
"Yes, I am. Who are you?"
"This is from Baron Estes's household."
"HAS THE KING ACCEPTED OUR REQUEST?"
"...The King agreed to an audience, whether or not you can convince him is another story."
"Oh, I see!"
"However, His Majesty explicitly said that the audience will be cancelled if you come just one minute late."
"I see. When is the audience?"
"On next Monday, at 09:00 AM sharp."
===
Monday, 08:55 AM
Royal Palace, West Wing,
A black car drove through the big West Door of the palace, and parked inside the Outer West Yard. The driver got off and opened the car's door, John McCarthy and Simon Smith stepped out of the car from the back seat. Another man stepped out of the car from the passenger seat's side.
"Follow me!" Baron Estes, who had been waiting at the yard said.
Then Baron Estes led them through corridors after corridors.
("Ugh, how far do we have to go?") McCarthy thought.
Before McCarthy opened his mouth to ask what he thought, Baron Estes came in front of the door, knocked and said:
"Your Majesty, the Interpol has arrived!"
"Come in!"
"His Majesty is waiting for you inside! Ah, and remember to make a 90 degree bow before him. Remember 'when in Rome, do as the Romans do'."
The baron opened the door, and the Interpol detectives went in. They all bowed down with 90 degree bow, just like what Baron Estes had told them, in respect of culture and custom.
"You can lift your head!"
They lifted their head and looked at King Frederik VII, an old man who exuded experience and wisdom.
"You may sit!" the King, who was sitting on his sofa at the head of the table, said and pointed them to a long sofa on the left side of the table. On the long sofa on the right side of the table, sat a blond-haired young man.
The three men from Interpol were confused, they thought that they had asked for a private audience, and were wondering why another was here with them.
"This is Count Abramovich." the old King introduced the young man.
After the introduction, there was silence. Simon was the one to end the silence by telling the King their reason for accessing the Dawn Kingdom's police force's files.
"...Due to the gravity of the case, we beg Your Majesty please grant the permission." Simon said and then took time to breathe out, he also gave the King a document to read.
And then there was silence again, King Frederik VII took his time to think and and skim through the document.
"'We' have come to a decision!"
("'We'?") the three were confused.
"'We' will allow the Interpol to have access to the Dawn Kingdom's police files. However, all of the access will be done under the supervision of the Chief Police and Count Abramovich here."