New Gods of North America.

Chapter 740 "Hard to Explain"

The meeting place agreed upon by the three partners wasn't too far from the Randolph family's manor; Wayne had just randomly chosen it from the map.

The two groups of people were both somewhat surprised when they met.

Lina's "accident" was simpler: "Where did you get this carriage?"

Wayne, meanwhile, noticed the newly arrived caravan of carriages beside him, and saw Inessa, Lina, and Miss Olivia, dressed in evening gowns, playing with a leopard cub on the grass.

Wayne had originally intended to ask this young lady why she was here, but after some thought, he realized it wasn't surprising that someone of her status would receive an invitation. In the end, his question became: "Isn't it inappropriate to bring a wild beast to someone else's banquet?"

Miss Olivia, however, clearly thought differently. As she cautiously tested the temperature of the bathwater, she tried to caress the large cat cub, which was tied with a thin rope and had a bow around its neck, and replied, "Southerners love hunting, and fine hunting dogs are something to show off. This little guy may not be a cheetah, but he should be welcome and not impolite."

Wayne was initially worried that the gadget might accidentally injure someone and embarrass everyone, but now that even Miss Olivia, from a prominent southern family, thought it was fine, he figured it didn't matter.

He's even started planning to take the falcon out for a show, and maybe even bully Lina a bit.

Guess which partner in the detective agency keeps a flock of crows and a giant spider? They're not exactly the type to take out for a show, are they?
After picking up several pretty girls who were petting cats, the carriages continued their journey, with Wayne taking on the driver's seat outside, making a rare appearance as a coachman.

This configuration may seem random, but it's actually quite sophisticated.

In the south, estate owners frequently visited each other's homes. According to formal etiquette, the host should personally or send a family member to greet them at the main house.

Over time, an unspoken rule developed among guests to gather all their "important people" in one carriage beforehand. This way, even if the host was so hospitable as to personally open the car door, it would only be opened once at most. The other guests, whose status was not high enough, would get off from other carriages on their own. This was a formality to show "mutual respect between the two sides."

Miss Olivia wasn't a member of the detective agency; in terms of social standing, she was an unmarried woman from a prominent family. Therefore, in the absence of elders or seniors, it wouldn't be appropriate for Wayne, also unmarried, to share a train carriage with her at a social event, as this could easily lead to gossip.

So, out of politeness and to keep people together as much as possible, and to avoid suspicion and to stay out of the carriage, Wayne had no choice but to take Sanders' seat.

Upon entering the Randolph family manor, one is immediately struck by its grandeur, which rivals that of the Beaton family. Outside the main house, two long rows of servants stand in procession.

In the United States these days, a very intuitive indicator of a plantation owner's actual economic situation is to observe the number of servants and the condition of the plantation. After all, the plantation and land can be inherited, but the annual taxes and servants' salaries are real expenses that need to be paid. A plantation owner in dire straits is immediately noticeable.

Incidentally, in the Old World, it's said that the indicator of a fallen noble family is their family's castle.

Many old castles were originally military installations, and many of their designs were intended to make it more difficult for invaders to break in. For example, they had narrow and dangerous tower staircases and maze-like corridors with various winding paths. As a result, people would feel uncomfortable living inside them, and they would need to be regularly repaired to make them "livable". This also represents a consumption of human and material resources.

It's clear that tonight's banquet is quite high-profile, with many guests bringing their own "motorcycle convoys."
While guests from out of town might require several carriages to carry their luggage, such guests typically don't arrive all at once at this time. Wayne is more inclined to believe that this is a display of extravagance by some wealthy local families.

The detective agency, which originally planned to come in one carriage but ended up with two carriages because they met up separately, could only be considered "low-key" if we disregard the Fisk family's vehicles.

Moreover, the Randolph family's entrance design was quite elaborate.

To avoid making the guests "too tired," the manor's waiters guided the carriages or caravans to the main house in batches according to the order of arrival. This meant that regardless of whether the guests had many or few carriages, as long as they were formally invited, the host would personally greet them "once," and then the guests would walk a few steps to enter.

Wayne figured he could use this detail when organizing similar gang-related events in the future.
On the one hand, it demonstrates that the organizers treat all invitees equally, avoiding excessive flattery towards the powerful and influential, while also making those of slightly lower status feel equally respected.
On the other hand, it doesn't stop others from putting on a show. Anyway, everyone is relatively isolated when they enter. Since so many entourages and followers have already come, it's impossible to bring them all to the banquet, and it's not good to let them waste their time and effort. So, it's up to them whether they are extravagant or not, and it also gives face to some people who like to show off.

It's somewhat reminiscent of modern society where celebrities of all ages walk the red carpet in batches; at least when taking individual photos, there's no obvious difference in their status.

While the general design should indeed be basically like that, in practice, some people are still given priority. After handing Miss Olivia and the invitations received by the detective agency to the waiter at the same time, Wayne was quickly signaled to proceed towards the main house. There were actually several other carriages that had arrived earlier in the manor, but because everyone was directed to different places by the waiters and did not form a long queue, those who did not observe carefully might not be able to notice the slight changes in order.

As Wayne drove the carriage, he thought to himself that the Fisk family certainly had a lot of influence, and whether he should usually show Miss Olivia more respect.

Since his carriage was now the "main carriage," when it stopped again, it was already at the point on the road closest to the main gate of the manor.

Welcome to Randolph Estate!

Americans don't usually bow much, but at this moment, the two rows of servants lined up to greet the guests were all bowing in unison, displaying a very Windsor aristocratic air.

As for the person standing in the center of the red carpet to give a welcome speech, he was an enormous fat man who looked even more bloated than Peter Clementsa.

However, one of them was "a fat guy who looked very agile and capable of fighting," while the other could only be described as "a fat guy with elegant movements."

The latter was probably in his forties, with a belly so swollen it looked like it could hold a hula hoop; even if you were to dispose of his body, it would probably require several large boxes.

If you were to stick a large, hairy mole on his oily face, he would perfectly embody the stereotypical image of Wayne as a "fat, bloated, and unscrupulous businessman."

It is said that the devil is in the details, and this is especially true when it comes to etiquette.

For example, even if everyone present didn't know each other, just by looking at this enormous fat man standing out from the crowd in the center, and with a waiter who had just run over whispering reports behind him, Wayne could tell that he was definitely one of the key members of the Randolph family, or at least the highest-ranking member in the welcoming line.

When the welcoming servant helped open the carriage door, and the enormous fat man gracefully bowed and raised his forearm, Miss Olivia dared to take his arm to get out of the carriage, which was tantamount to telling everyone that she was a formally invited guest tonight, not just a personal maid or something similar.

As for Miss Olivia's decision not to immediately engage in pleasantries or head towards the main gate after alighting from the car, but instead to simply thank the driver and stand smiling beside the carriage to wait, this clearly implies that there were "other" or "guests of equal or higher status" inside.

This enormous fat man must have heard the waiter's report earlier. Even without Miss Olivia's hint, he probably knew that there were actually "two groups" of guests in the carriage. So he bowed again, raised his forearm, and continued the welcoming process.

After Inessa and Lina, both dressed in evening gowns, got off the train, the enormous fat man looked around the now-empty carriage with a hint of surprise, then turned to Miss Olivia and asked, "Didn't Wayne come?"

Miss Olivia's response felt more like that of someone treating a well-liked, approachable elder.
She playfully gestured towards the front of the car, looking at Wayne, who had gotten out of the car and was waiting on the side like the other followers, and said, "This is Wayne."

Women enjoy special privileges in social settings, but young men don't receive the same treatment.

Wayne stepped forward to greet him, and the other man was quite friendly, extending his hand and saying, "I've heard a lot about your exploits lately, great detective," while patting Wayne's arm with his other hand as if encouraging a junior.

Then, during the formal pleasantries, Wayne learned the other person's name in shock.
George Randolph—the current head of the Randolph family.

What truly shocked Wayne wasn't the other person's identity or his "respectful" attitude. After all, this was the Randolph family's manor, and this guy was undoubtedly a key member of their family. It wasn't surprising that he'd run into the head of the family himself.
But how could the other person have such a dignified appearance...?

To unrelated outsiders, the most memorable aspect of the Randolph family is their "fondness for intermarrying with various powerful families."
But if we use this person's appearance as a basis for speculation, wouldn't the appearance of their family members be too "special"?

While it's true that "the taste of the wealthy is hard to fathom," it shouldn't be this "hard to fathom," right?

(End of this chapter)