The scene in front of him was so ordinary that Barton didn't find anything wrong with it.
Although he vaguely felt that it was a little familiar, he didn't think it was strange.
How could he not feel any familiarity with a scene he saw every day?
He shifted his gaze and looked up into the sky. He saw the crimson moon quietly hanging in the sky, scattering its light. It made one's mood involuntarily calm down.
At this moment, Barton seemed to have been relieved of an invisible burden. His body and mind were abnormally relaxed, and he no longer felt the panic, anxiety, and irritation from before.
His spiritual intuition told him that the matter with Vernal was over and would no longer affect his life.
"Lord of Storms, thank the Lord for his blessings." Barton clenched his right fist and punched the left side of his chest as he muttered to himself.
Without the worry and tension, he felt fatigue surge out from the depths of his soul like a flood, drowning his brain, his limbs, and every cell in his body.
Barton couldn't help but cover his mouth with the back of his hand and yawn. However, there was a satisfied smile on his face.
He didn't stay in the study any longer. He turned around and left. He went all the way back to his bedroom, enjoyed a bath, and drank a small glass of red wine.
That night, Barton didn't dream and slept abnormally soundly.
When he woke up in the morning, he felt relaxed and happy, as if he had obtained a new life.
Looking at his wife, who was still sleeping soundly beside him, Barton carefully got out of bed, changed his clothes, and walked around the neighborhood.
He had never realized that the neighborhood he lived in was so beautiful.
The air was fresh, the environment was peaceful, and the scenery was pleasant. Even the pedestrians were well-mannered.
This made Barton feel even better. He once again deeply realized that the matter with Vernal was over, and he had returned to an ordinary and peaceful life.
He maintained this mood as he returned home and enjoyed breakfast with his wife and children.
During this process, he even told his wife a joke from the newspaper and satisfied a small request from his children.
Seeing the smiles on his wife and children's faces, Barton felt sincerely satisfied.
Then, he put on his coat and hat, carried his cane, and took a trackless public carriage all the way to the Rouen Antiquities Search and Preservation Foundation, which was located at the edge of the city.
After entering his office, Barton found his usual rhythm. Instead of working, he prepared black tea with some strange herbs for his family.
Sipping his black tea, he leisurely finished reading the newspapers that his family had not subscribed to. Only then did he pick up the letters and documents he had received and read them one by one.
This kind of process, this kind of rhythm, made him feel abnormally comfortable.
The only difference was that Barton was still a little worried about receiving another letter from Vernal.
However, this worry did not become a reality.
About a quarter of an hour later, someone knocked on his office door.
"Please come in." Barton picked up his cup and took a sip of black tea.
The person who pushed the door open was the deputy director of the Compliance Department, Pacheco Dwayne, who had an ordinary appearance and did not have any special characteristics but gave off a friendly feeling.
"Did you sleep well last night?" Pacheco asked as he stood at the door.
"Excellent." Barton didn't try to hide anything.
Pacheco nodded and said with a smile,
"It seems that you have indeed gotten rid of the influence of this matter."
Barton didn't mention the "nightmare" he had.
"What about you?"
"I slept well too." Pacheco responded with a smile, "The police have completely taken over this matter. It is said that they found Vernal last night, but unfortunately, he seems to have met with misfortune."
"What a pitiful man. May he find peace." Barton didn't say that he wished the Lord to bless him because Vernal had already abandoned his faith in the Lord of Storms. If there was really a "blessing," it would definitely be lightning and storms.
With that said, Barton thought of the help Pacheco had previously provided, as well as his amiable attitude.
Barton took the initiative to say, "Shall we have lunch together later?"
"Are you treating?" Pacheco said with a smile.
"Of course, it's nice to meet a friend like you." Barton stood up and bowed in a gentlemanly manner.
Pacheco nodded slightly.
"Then I'll wait for your invitation at the Compliance Department.
"Before midnight?"
"No problem." Apart from feeling grateful, Barton also felt that getting to know the deputy director of the Compliance Department would be of great help in his future work.
Furthermore, he believed that Pacheco was like him, better than the average person in certain aspects.
After watching Pacheco leave his office, Barton sat down again and exhaled silently.
As an ordinary person with a normal IQ, he could completely tell that Vernal's matter was filled with oddities. It involved problems in the fields of mysticism and religion.
In addition, he was also very interested in the various details of the Tamara family's split, the hidden history of the Fourth Epoch, and Vernal's encounter.
However, he knew that he couldn't delve too deeply into it. It was already the greatest fortune of an ordinary person to be able to see the part of the iceberg that surfaced above the water surface. If he wanted to figure out the exact situation below the water surface, he would definitely drown.
His past archaeological experience made Barton afraid to take risks, nor did he want to take risks.
To him, curiosity might be the most worthless thing.
After sighing inwardly for a while, Barton continued working.
When it was almost midnight, he put down the items on the table, picked up his coat and top hat from the coat rack, left the office, and walked to the Compliance Department's door.
Knock! Knock! Barton knocked on the wooden door in front of him.
Soon, Pacheco opened the door and glanced at Barton.
"Give me another five minutes. I still have something I need to take care of."
"No problem," Barton replied without minding.
"Come on in and wait," Pacheco said casually.
Barton didn't stand on ceremony. He walked into the Compliance Department and found a chair to sit down.
As he casually moved his gaze, he discovered that there were about six to seven Compliance Department staff members.
At this moment, he heard someone knock on the door.
Before the Compliance Department employees could get up, the door creaked open.
The first to enter was the deputy chairman of the Rouen Antiquities Search and Preservation Foundation.
He was a hale and hearty old man. He looked around, and his gaze paused on Barton for a second.
"It looks like everyone is here.
"Let me introduce you to a new colleague."
As he spoke, the deputy chairman took a few steps forward, revealing the new Compliance Department employee behind him to everyone's eyes.
It was a woman in her twenties. She had a high nose bridge, plump lips, dark gray eyes, and a rather beautiful face. She wore a common blue dress.
However, her face was expressionless. She didn't look like a real person, more like a wax figure.
Barton and Pacheco's gazes suddenly froze.
The deputy chairman continued speaking with a smile.
"She will be the deputy director of the Compliance Department, just like Pacheco. Her name is Alexia Tamara."
PS1: An ordinary person's daily life naturally wouldn't be able to delve too deeply into it. This is a representation of the surface of the iceberg and doesn't involve what's beneath it. Yes, it can also be considered an attempt at a narrative.
PS2: If the final epilogue is purely for the fear effect and doesn't take into account the character's worldview, it should be written like this:
As he spoke, the deputy chairman took a few steps forward, revealing the new Compliance Department employee behind him to everyone's eyes.
It was a woman in her twenties. She had a high nose bridge, plump lips, dark gray eyes, and a rather beautiful face. She wore a common blue dress.
Barton and Pacheco's gazes suddenly froze.
At this moment, the lady's lips curled up as she smiled brightly and said, "Hello, everyone.
"Hello everyone, I'm Alexia Tamara."
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