Chapter 467 Taking a Long Vacation_1

Chapter 467: Chapter 467 Taking a Long Vacation_1

That evening, Aiden personally escorted Halo back to her cell.

"What an ungrateful man," Halo gripped the bars and began to mock Aiden as soon as she entered the cell. "When you needed me, you called me Miss Phoenix, but now that you don’t, I’m just prisoner Halo."

Having utilized the possession proposal suggested by the Goddess of Revenge, Aiden had then requested the Goddess of Revenge to return to Halo’s body.

"Don’t talk nonsense; I always have to do some preparatory work," replied Aiden unfazed.

Aiden had more than one intelligence source placed within Gistas, yet not a single power was willing to act for his purposes. Before the situation became irreparable, he knew he must do something, even if it was just to covertly trip up Mister Bloodshed.

After much deliberation, he realized he had to take matters into his own hands.

But with Sunset City filled with unstable elements and a mortal enemy capable of sensing his presence at any moment—like the sea under a storm cloud, seemingly calm but able to turn tumultuous at any time—it would be like setting sail in a small boat with a carefree fishing attitude, only to end up in the belly of the fish sooner or later.

Therefore, he had to be thoroughly prepared. Procuring the call of the Goddess of Revenge’s vengeance was just one aspect and the most crucial link. Mister Bloodshed could sense his presence through the call of vengeance, and if he couldn’t do the same, entering Sunset City would be akin to a lamb walking into a tiger’s den. Confronting Mister Bloodshed head-on, he had almost no chance of winning, but he had some plans for merely evading pursuit.

Besides, he had to lay some additional groundwork; one such task was the handover of the prison work so he could commit himself to the matter at hand wholeheartedly.

The main gate to the core area opened once again, and the prisoners filed in under the guards’ watchful eyes along the corridor—it was the time for them to return to their cells after their time in the yard.

The prisoners at the forefront and the guard were startled to see the prison director standing in the middle of the corridor, and the guard saluted Aiden in a flustered manner.

"Carry on, no need for concern," Aiden gestured for the man to dismiss the formality.

The line of prisoners continued to enter the cell block unhindered along both sides of the corridor until it came to the last dozen or so at the tail end.

"Oh, Lord Aiden!?" Fille’s eyes lit up with joy upon seeing Aiden. "You’ve finally come to inspect! I’ve been... so longing... for you... ah..."

However, her speech slowed and eventually stopped as she noticed Aiden standing in front of Halo’s room.

Then, she glared fiercely at Halo.

"Nice negative emotions there, is that anger? Or jealousy?" Halo smiled back at her gaze, "Want to join the cause? Little horned girl!"

"Humph, don’t get too smug!" Fille spat back through gritted teeth.

"Don’t just stand there, go back to your cell properly!" Aiden noticed her halt was disrupting the line and casually urged her to move along.

His prompt only widened Fille’s eyes in surprise.

"Are you actually siding with her?" Fille’s lips pursed as she pointed an accusing finger in Halo’s direction, a look of grievance on her face.

𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

"I’m telling you not to hold up the line, move along!" Aiden sternly insisted.

Fille instantly puffed up her cheeks and stomped back to the door of cell number thirteen, waiting for the guard to unlock it.

"You know, Warden..." Camila, who was passing by on the other side of the corridor, also stopped with a hesitant expression. "Has your taste become a bit... peculiar?"

Aiden looked at her in surprise.

"Warden?" The head of the district, Flandre, walked in and was also surprised to see Aiden, "What brings you here? Is this a surprise inspection?"

Normally, when Aiden came to inspect the cell block, he would usually have her accompany him.

"No, just observing Halo’s condition," Aiden said, approaching Flandre, "Actually, there’s something I need to discuss with you, in the duty office."

Flandre gestured for the other guards to open the doors and let the prisoners into their cells, then followed Aiden to the duty office.

"What is it, Warden?" Flandre asked.

"I’m planning to take my annual leave soon," Aiden dropped the news.

"Oh?" Flandre was taken aback, then laughed, "You’re finally going to take a break, huh? That’s great, when exactly?"

Ever since Aiden took up his position, he had barely taken any long vacations.

Since Aiden’s appointment, the order at the Rose Iron Prison had significantly improved, mostly thanks to the advanced management system he had implemented. The rest was due to the prestige that came with the various tactics Aiden himself utilized.

The prison’s operations had always been dependent on Aiden, so the warden could only take a day or two off occasionally, forgoing his long leave benefits and not shortening his overtime hours.

But the situation was different now. Due to a combination of factors, the discipline in the entire prison had risen to a new level. Nowadays, the operational funds for the prison no longer lagged behind those of Thorn Iron Prison, and with facility renovations, equipment updates, and increased staffing, the number of matters that required Aiden’s personal attention had greatly diminished. Even if he left the prison for a few days, there likely wouldn’t be any major issues.

Flandre was, of course, wholeheartedly in favor of Aiden taking a vacation. She had already been a long-serving guard at Rose Iron Prison before Aiden’s transfer, and she knew all too well how much the welfare of the guards had improved after his appointment. Aiden’s hard work was evident to all, and Flandre had long thought he deserved a proper rest.

"Just in the next few days. I’ll let you know once I decide on the dates. As for handing over the work..." Aiden thought for a moment.

"You can leave that to us with confidence. If you’re worried about the prisoners causing trouble, we can just give Veronica a bit more authority," Flandre said with a smile.

"That will be fine," Aiden nodded in satisfaction, "I’ll go back and check my schedule first."

"Have you thought about where you want to go for the vacation?" Flandre asked, "Do you need me to recommend someplace?"

"No need. I’ve already chosen the destination," Aiden waved his hand dismissively.

A border city of the Kingdom, near a war-torn area and rife with undercurrents—this was Aiden’s chosen "vacation spot."

As Aiden walked out of the duty office, preparing to leave, Halo, who stood in her cell, suddenly spoke up to his retreating back, "Don’t forget the thing you promised, my dear Warden. We now share the camaraderie of a ’united’ experience, after all."

Her words were only heard by a few prisoners nearby, but it was enough to make the air freeze instantly.

"You really have a foul mouth," Aiden turned to glance at her.

Not far away, Fille suddenly let out a "wow" and smashed her head into the iron bars, starting to cry and make a scene: "I can’t accept this! Someone come, open the door! I want to hide under my blankets and cry!!"

Watching this scene, Aiden couldn’t help but wonder: If he left for a few days, could this place really manage without any issues?