Even with winter approaching, the carefully manicured gardens of the estate still maintained their pristine appearance.
Maintaining such perfection across a vast garden was no easy feat. It required not only a significant financial investment but also refined taste and proper plant selection. Solomon was thoroughly pleased with the work of the Crawfords' butler and gardeners. At Laura's request, the elderly butler—who had served the Crawford family for three generations—finally agreed to help the arcanist restore the long-neglected walled gardens and greenhouse. He was a quintessential Englishman who firmly believed that gardening was an expression of the master's taste. To that end, he presented Solomon with several publications from the Royal Horticultural Society, asking him to pass them along to Dana, and expressed regret at not being able to personally instruct the housekeeper on plant selection and topiary techniques.
Rather than altering the appearance of the 125 acres of land bordering the Thames, the old butler had supervised a crew to minimally clear the forest paths of weeds and underbrush, cutting down young saplings to keep the trail usable for horseback rides to the woodland clearing at dawn or dusk.
"I apologize for taking the liberty of making that decision," the old butler said without a hint of remorse. He firmly believed that forest paths strewn with fallen leaves helped cultivate a refined aesthetic sense in estate owners.
"I must protest the revision plans submitted by your housekeeper. She is still too young to understand the importance of horticulture," the butler added, frowning as he gestured toward the front yard. He was quite pleased with the newly erected marble statue of a young girl, but he had no such appreciation for the four concrete pedestals at the entrance. "I think placing anti-air missile towers in the front garden is utterly foolish. Nor should there be mines or electrified fences along the riverside. It's a disgrace to the scenery. And my concerns don't end with the construction map, sir. You understand what I'm saying."
"Perhaps, to Dana, my safety matters more than the view," Solomon shrugged.
Dana and Tita had drafted an extremely rigorous security plan for the estate, intending to transform it into an easily defensible fortress. They planned to replace the original iron gates on the main drive with two layers of reinforced steel doors, install searchlights on either side for night surveillance, and mount sentry gun turrets on the fortified perimeter wall. Furthermore, they wanted to place anti-air missile towers on the marble bases in the front yard. If possible, they even proposed building a bunker, converting the woodland clearing into a military camp, and widening the forest path into a tank-accessible road. Had Solomon not vetoed this plan, they would have already dug up the garden to install heavy auto-cannons with barrels wide enough to fit a human head inside.
But Solomon had agreed to the proposal to construct a secret tunnel.
A tunnel would be built beneath the estate, leading directly to a concealed riverside landing pad where an assault transport vessel was already docked. Should anyone attempt to attack the estate, the combination of heavily armed gunboats, motorcycle-mounted Sisterhood patrols, and bio-engineered hounds would be enough to deal with most threats. If even that failed, a heavy tank hidden beneath the front yard fountain would crush any illusion of victory.
The old butler looked at Solomon as if he were an idiot. He simply couldn't fathom why anyone would consider missile towers more suitable for landscaping than marble statues. "This is no way to welcome guests, sir."
"I agree. But considering the kind of guests I typically deal with, I think Dana's perspective is quite reasonable." Solomon shook the old butler's hand. "Thank you for your help, sir. A gunboat will take you back to the Crawford estate shortly, and our chef will prepare a lovely French dinner for you and your wife."
"Your housekeeper still has much to learn. It's not just about managing chores—how to manage family assets is also a vital lesson. If you ever need assistance with family trusts, I can recommend the trust fund currently serving the Crawford family." It was a sound suggestion; many wealthy individuals used such structures to mitigate risk. But Solomon knew this wasn't the true reason behind the butler's words.
After a brief pause, the old butler returned to the main topic. "There's another matter. Lady Crawford—Laura, that is. When will she be finished with her work and return to England? Ever since Anna disappeared, there are many decisions the family needs her to make. She's a noblewoman now. She must see the Queen."
Solomon pursed his lips. He had nearly forgotten about Anna and her brother Konstantin, both still locked away.
Ever since he'd handed off the investigation into Trinity to the intelligence department, he hadn't asked for any updates—let alone conducted any interrogations himself. The Trinity files weren't stamped "Top Secret," so he hadn't bothered reviewing them. From what he gathered, the organization was linked to international financial networks and Jewish consortia—likely no different from the pre-collapse Knights Templar, with a mission similar to the Albigensian Crusade. At its core, Trinity was still a mundane organization hiding in the shadows. It posed no real threat to the Immortal City, with its advanced weapons and tech—barely scratching the surface of the magical world. Not worth his attention.
"She's still helping us eliminate Trinity's remaining strongholds," Solomon offered a plausible excuse. "Most of the media outlets that slandered the Crawford family were owned by Trinity. We're in the process of acquiring them—some via financial means, some… not entirely aboveboard—so they'll serve as our mouthpieces, restoring Sir Richard Crawford's reputation. Soon, we'll set out on another mission. Perhaps after that, she'll consider returning to the estate."
"You're her adventure partner. I hope you can convince her to change her mind." The butler spoke sincerely. "I've never been able to uncover your background, but from the estate renovations alone, I can infer a few things. Your wealth and power could change much. Lord Richard once mentioned Trinity to me. Based on my research, I believe his death was tied to them. I've never told Lady Crawford—she's too impulsive. But now that she's facing the organization, I hope you'll protect her. She's the most important person in the Crawford family."
"That's not something I can guarantee, old man. You've never seen her drive a climbing axe into someone's skull," Solomon replied with a bitter smile. "Trust me, her combat prowess is more than enough to handle most mortals. Very few can hurt her."
The old butler was not satisfied with Solomon's answer. In his eyes, Laura Crawford was still the reckless little girl who used to climb all over the estate, the same girl who was lost and helpless after Richard's death. The idea of her smashing someone's skull with a climbing axe was simply unthinkable.
Solomon didn't plan on revealing the true identities of Anna and Konstantin. If he did, the old butler would likely blame himself for having once served the woman who destroyed the Crawford family. Laura felt the same way, which was why the butler still didn't know that Anna had been a member of Trinity.
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I Am Zeus, KING OF GODS (Chapter 79)
Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 391)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 471)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 677)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 1059)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1418)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1422)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1452)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1504)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld!(Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 703)
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