Chapter 32:
Newcomer Arrives
In April, a familiar face appeared in Aiden's office.
"Newcomer, Veronica Wolfe, reporting for duty!"
In the warden's office, Aiden looked with interest at the "newcomer" saluting in front of him.
Unlike before, when she was in the prison with disheveled hair and hazy eyes, this time Veronica looked radiant. Her uniform was straight, and her shoulder-length brown curls were neatly combed back, giving her a striking appearance.
"Oh..., i almost didn't recognize you" Aiden chuckled, nodding.
Veronica smiled in response.
"I really can't understand you. If you stayed in the mounted police unit, you'd probably get promoted quickly."
"Although the chief tried to persuade me to stay, I no longer want to remain in the mounted police unit," Veronica admitted.
It was only natural for her to feel disillusioned with the unit after being unjustly accused by colleagues and sent to the prison for no reason.
"If you're planning to transfer, you can choose a more relaxed role in city administration, or if you want to be an elite, you can go to the Inquisition Bureau. You didn't mistakenly choose the unit, did you?" Aiden teased knowingly.
"I've already said that I will come back to thank you in person," Veronica confessed, "and I genuinely believe that working under your leadership would be a good choice."
"So, is this your way of repaying me? Being my gofer?" Aiden raised an eyebrow.
"I didn't say it had to go that far," Veronica laughed.
"With your current rank and work experience, if you transfer here, you should be able to directly lead the riot squad" Aiden said, looking back and forth between the personnel file in his hand and Veronica's information,
"but we're a bit short on staff for the core zone surveillance position... How about this, you'll be on duty in the core zone in the future, and also serve as the captain of the fourth riot squad. How does that sound?"
This prison was Aiden's foothold in this world, and he was determined to run it well. With Veronica's abilities and background, Aiden had no reason to refuse such a talented individual under his command, especially since the Rose Prison was indeed short-staffed.
Then, Franda glanced at Veronica behind Aiden. "Is the newcomer being transferred to our section? welcome."
"Please guide me in the future," Veronica replied politely, giving a salute.
"It's quite an experience to have inmates i used to oversee become colleagues. After being a prison guard for over a decade, this is the first time I've had such an experience," Franda remarked teasingly.
"Let's not bring up those times,"
Veronica self-deprecatingly chuckled. The memories of her past harsh words towards Aiden and Franda while she was in the cell still made her want to crawl into a hole.
Now that the incident was in the past, everyone has tacitly let it go. After Aiden uncovered the truth, Franda also started showing a bit more consideration towards Veronica.
"Alright, let's get the roll call done quickly," Aiden waved his hand.
Franda led the group down the corridor, starting the headcount.
"Except for holidays, the inmates have to work at this time every morning, doing labor in different work areas," Aiden explained to Veronica.
"Back then you were on death row, so you didn't have to do any work."
"Inmates have holidays too?" Veronica was a bit surprised.
"Yes, they have some basic rights. The inmates work long hours every day, and life in the prison is inherently oppressive. If we put too much pressure on them for an extended period, they're likely to develop rebellious feelings," Aiden explained.
"So, we need this many people to supervise the work every day?" Veronica glanced back at the riot squad behind her.
"Other sections don't require it, but the core area is a must. The reason... well, you'll understand if you look ahead," Aiden paused. "Take a look for yourself."
Veronica looked ahead and nodded in silence.
The core zone was filled with witches whose combat abilities surpassed even hers, a pure-blooded werewolves.
Even though their magic was sealed by a barrier, standing confidently in front of this group of dangerous individuals without a large group of guards backing her up was still quite daunting.
At this moment, Franda furious shout came from the front, "Inmate 3307, I warn you not to cause trouble anymore. Get out of the cell immediately!"
