The Shadow of Great Britain

Chapter 1324: Chapter 180: Army Councillor Hestingov, 6th Rank (Part 2)

No, the position of Guard Infantry Colonel doesn’t seem noble enough.

After all, Russian nobility and British nobility share the same bad habit of joining the military; the most noble ones typically choose the cavalry, while infantry officers are usually positions for outsiders and country bumpkins.

But if it’s Guard Cavalry Colonel, then the target scope becomes too narrow, as there are only a few Guard Cavalry Regiments in Russia.

If questioned in detail, it’s easy for the truth to be revealed.

Forget it, might as well humble oneself and settle for being a mere Cavalry Colonel.

The old squire obviously didn’t know what this despicable outsider was thinking, even less that he was automatically upgrading his own status.

Just moments ago, Zaharov was strutting around with authority, but in a blink of an eye, he turned into a sniveling worm who didn’t dare to straighten his back before Arthur.

Arthur glanced at the squire with eyes devoid of any smile on his stern face, making the squire sweat nervously until Arthur waved his hand: ”Sir, why are you standing there? You’re blocking my sunlight.”

”Oh oh oh!” The squire hastily sat down, fearing that if he hesitated for another second, he’d be exiled to Siberia: ”You...”

”Me? I am merely a young man from St. Petersburg.”

Arthur pretended to stretch his wrist as he turned his sleeve, revealing the handkerchief badge to the squire’s eyes: ”You truly are a kind person, for you are the first to greet me since I arrived in this wretched place. Earlier, I visited the City Hall, the police station, the post office, and many other places, and do you know what I discovered?”

The squire’s heart was half relieved upon hearing Arthur’s praise, and he asked with a smiling face: ”What did you discover?”

”I discovered...” Arthur imitated the squire’s entrance tone: ”This Druiysk is indeed so cold that it freezes people’s hearts.”

”This...” The squire’s heart leapt to his throat: ”How many days have you been in Druiysk?”

...

In Druiysk’s City Hall, the mayor, usually a rare sight, was remarkably present today.

Even though the snow showed no sign of easing up, the work at City Hall was bustling hotly this day.

The mayor slammed his desk and yelled: ”Where is Andrey Alexandrovich? The church couldn’t find him, no one saw him at the tavern, and he’s not at home. Has the Police Chief been stolen by thieves, or taken away by wolves?”

The inspector tried to soothe him: ”Mr. Mayor, Andrey Alexandrovich is built like a small hill, shakes the ground like an earthquake when he walks, and could break a chair by simply sitting on it. Such a man could not easily be taken away by thieves or wolves.”

A police officer returned with a report: ”Mr. Mayor, our Chief drank too much last night and fell into a roadside ditch on his way home. If not for a soldier relieving himself in the snow this morning, melting the snow above him, we might never have found him under the snow!”

The mayor’s eyes widened: ”Ah! Did he freeze to death?”

The police officer swallowed: ”He almost froze to death. When we brought him to the Charity Hospital, his body was stiff from the cold. If not for the doctor who couldn’t speak a word of Russian giving him some scorching hot vodka and administering special medication, the Chief might already be in the ground by now. However, although the Chief has temporarily recovered, he will likely be bedridden for a while.”

The inspector slapped his leg in distress: ”Oh dear! What are we to do? At this crucial moment, yet the Police Chief...”

But the mayor suddenly had a cunning idea and calmly said: ”Andrey Alexandrovich is in the Charity Hospital? Then don’t let him be discharged! Send someone to ensure he stays comfortably in bed. There’s no other patient in all of Druiysk as prosperous as he is. When the Imperial Envoy arrives, we’ll take him to inspect Andrey Alexandrovich’s bedside. If the envoy asks, we’ll tell him that Andrey Alexandrovich was injured during a pursuit of robbers.”

The inspector’s eyes lit up, replacing his worried expression with a smile: ”A brilliant plan! No wonder you’re the mayor.”

The mayor was pleased with the inspector’s flattery and nodded proudly: ”As for his duties, let Ivan Mikhailovich take care of them. He’s the Police Chief, but acting like the Provincial Police Head as if, just because he has an Eighth Rank civil servant for a retired father-in-law, he doesn’t show us any respect!”

After the speech, the mayor shifted his tone: ”By the way, regarding the inspection by the Imperial Envoy, the more I think about it, the more uneasy I feel. Do you think someone might have lodged a complaint against us to St. Petersburg? Aleksey Portnovich, have you recently made any enemies or noticed anyone treating you with disrespect?”

”Well...” The inspector pondered deeply and shook his head uncertainly: ”I don’t think so.”

”No?” The mayor snorted: ”Don’t think I don’t know; think more carefully!”

The inspector racked his brains, hesitated for a long time before tentatively asking: ”Could it be about the widow Ivanovna from the eastern part of town?”

”Hmm?” The mayor sharply raised his head: ”What did you do to Ivanovna?”

The inspector realized immediately that he had let something slip. He hastily tried to cover up: ”Nothing, just some everyday squabbles.”