Just as
"Does he think he can secure funding with just a single letter, relying on his relationship with the foundation?" Barton muttered to himself in confusion after searching his desk.
In his memory, Verner the archaeologist wasn't so arrogant. Apart from being somewhat impatient, he was a standard Loen gentleman in every other way.
Under normal circumstances, to apply for aid from the "Loen Ancient Artifacts Collection and Protection Foundation," besides the project description, one had to provide on-site photos, copies of ancient texts, and various other materials. Otherwise, the foundation couldn't review the case at all, let alone spend a huge amount of pounds to send a team to the project site for an investigation.
Or perhaps Verner was just too careless and forgot to mail the materials together? Of course, given Verner's relationship with the foundation, it was entirely possible that upon seeing the letter, they would send one or two people to make contact and verify things… Hmm, as a friend, I still have to do something for him… Barton shook his head without thinking too much. He stood up and walked to the bookshelf.
He then stretched out his right hand, running his fingers over the spines of the books to pick out the reference materials he needed.
Finally, he pulled out a few books and journals, synthesized the various viewpoints in them, and wrote a detailed description of the historical origins of the mountain range under Sevillas County's jurisdiction in the document he was preparing: "In the academic historical community, there is a widely accepted viewpoint: For an unspecified period of time, whether short or long, the
Within this, the extension of the Hornacis Mountain Range into Sevillas County was highly likely to be a focal point of the struggle between the two sides…"
Barton did not directly vouch for Verner. He only indirectly suggested that Fourth Epoch ruins might indeed exist in the Sevillas County mountains by providing references.
This way, if Verner was eventually proven to be lying, no one would hold Barton responsible, because those arguments were made by famous historians. Barton had merely done some excerpting, selective excerpting.
At the end of the document, he listed his references: "... *A Study of Private Historical Records of Sevillas County*,
After completing the document, Barton proofread it from the start, correcting some wording and sentences.
Then, he took the draft into the adjacent secretarial room and asked them to use the mechanical typewriters to produce a formal text.
— The "Loen Ancient Artifacts Collection and Protection Foundation" had always employed a large number of female staff. From the bottom-level ordinary clerks to the high-level deputy directors, at least half were women.
Barton actually had some complaints about this situation, but he couldn't object, and he didn't dare to object, so he had no choice but to accept it.
Of course, he had to admit that when he had to wait, watching the young female clerks busy at work was a pleasant thing.
At least the colors here were more varied… Barton muttered inwardly as he listened to the clattering sounds.
After getting the document ready, signing it, and submitting it, he continued his work methodically as usual.
This included but was not limited to preliminary project reviews, providing professional opinions, gathering materials, and adding commentary to some of the foundation's papers.
The day passed quickly. Barton left the company at six, took a public carriage, and spent over an hour getting home.
This was the norm in major Loen cities, which was why afternoon tea was so popular. After lunch between 12 and 1 PM, people wouldn't get home until 7:30 to 8 PM. Throughout this long stretch of time, without afternoon tea to fill the gap, most people would surely be exceptionally hungry.
Of course, this only applied to the middle class and above. Many poor people might only eat two meals a day. And, if conditions allowed, both husband and wife had to work. After getting home at 7 or 8, they would still be busy preparing dinner, rather than enjoying it themselves.
"Verner came to visit you this afternoon," Barton's wife said casually as she took his coat and hat.
"Verner?" Barton was taken aback.
This archaeologist, who had discovered Fourth Epoch ruins in Sevillas County, had returned to East Chester County?
As soon as he spoke, Barton frowned and muttered silently to himself: "So he did forget to mail the materials, and came back in person?"
"No, there's no need for such trouble. The Kingdom's postal service is fairly reliable."
"And, he should know that on weekdays, I'm definitely at the foundation. Well, I could have been sent to some site for an audit..."
Thinking this, Barton asked aloud: "Where is he?"
"He only waited in your study for a quarter of an hour before leaving," his wife replied truthfully.