Lord of Mysteries

Chapter 23 Secondary Weapons

Walking down Zotland Street, with a humid breeze blowing, the high-spirited Klein suddenly thought of something:

I only had 3 pence left. Taking the public carriage back to Iron Cross Street would cost 4 pence, and giving them a 1-pound note for change felt like trying to buy a cheap bottle of mineral water with 100 pounds before I traveled back in time. It wasn't that I had no other choice, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

"Use 3 pence to travel 3 kilometers, and walk the rest of the way back?" Klein put one hand in his pocket, slowed his pace, and considered other options.

"No way!" He quickly rejected the previous idea.

The rest of the journey would take quite a while to walk, and it was far too unsafe to be carrying a "huge sum" of 12 pounds!

Moreover, I was worried that the revolver would be confiscated by the "Night Watchers" before, so I deliberately didn't bring it with me today. If I encounter any danger caused by Welch's death, I will be powerless to resist!

"Find a bank nearby to exchange for smaller denominations? No, that won't do. The 0.5% fee is too extravagant!" Klein shook his head silently, feeling a pang of heartache just thinking about the potential fees!

One by one, the solutions were eliminated, when suddenly Klein's eyes lit up and he spotted a clothing store!

Yes, isn't the most logical approach to buy something at a reasonable price and get change?

Formal wear, shirts, vests, trousers, leather boots, and a walking stick are all in my budget; I'll have to buy them sooner or later!

Well, trying on clothes is too much trouble, and Benson knows more about them than I do, and he's better at bargaining. We can wait until he gets back to consider it…

How about buying a walking stick?

Excellent! There's a saying that goes, "A cane is a gentleman's best weapon for self-defense; it can be used as half a crowbar. Carrying a gun in one hand and a cane in the other is the way civilized people fight!"

Amidst a jumble of thoughts, Klein made up his mind, half-turned, and entered the "Wilker Clothing and Hat Shop".

The layout of the clothing store was very similar to the clothing store he had before he time-traveled. On the left wall was a row of formal wear, in the center were shirts, trousers, vests and ties, and on the right were pairs of leather shoes and boots displayed in glass cabinets.

"Sir, what would you like to buy?" A male shop assistant in a white shirt and red vest approached and asked politely.

In the Kingdom of Rune, gentlemen of high status, power, and wealth preferred to wear white shirts, black vests, black trousers, and black suits, a rather monotonous color scheme. Therefore, male servants, shop assistants, and waiters were required to wear brightly colored or colorful clothing to distinguish between masters and servants or nobles and commoners.

In contrast, the ladies and young ladies wore dresses of various colors and with elaborate decorations, while the maids could only wear black and white, or white and black.

Faced with the male shop assistant's question, Klein thought for a moment and said:

"A walking stick, a heavier one, a stiffer one."

The kind that can smash someone's dog head in!

The sales clerk in the red vest glanced discreetly at Klein, led him into the store, and pointed to a row of canes in the corner, saying:

"The one inlaid with gold is made of ironwood; it's heavy and hard, and costs 11 sulph 7 pence. Would you like to try it?"

11 sous and 7 pence? Why don't you just rob someone? So what if it's inlaid with gold? Klein was shocked by the price.

He remained outwardly calm and nodded slightly, saying:

"OK."

The shop assistant in the red vest took down the ironwood cane and carefully handed it to Klein, as if afraid he would break the merchandise.

As soon as Klein took the cane, he felt its weight. He tried to move it, but found that he couldn't swing it smoothly.

"Too heavy." Klein shook his head and breathed a sigh of relief.

This is no excuse!

The shop assistant in the red vest put the ironwood cane back, then pointed to the other three and said:

"This is made of walnut wood by Mr. Hess, the most famous cane maker in Tingen, 10 soles and 3 pence... This is made of ebony, inlaid with silver, as hard as steel, 7 soles and 6 pence... This is made of the heartwood of white bougainvillea, also inlaid with silver, 7 soles and 10 pence..."

Klein took each one and tried them out, finding the weight to be just right. Then, he tapped them with his fingers to get a general idea of ​​the stiffness of each cane. Finally, he chose the cheapest one.

"Let's take this one made of agarwood," Klein said, pointing to the silver-inlaid cane in the red-vested shop assistant's hand.

"Okay, sir, please come with me to the payment counter. If this cane gets worn or stained in the future, you can have it repaired by us free of charge." The sales clerk in the red vest led Klein to the counter.

Taking this opportunity, Klein unfolded the four gold pounds he was holding in his palm and took out one of the two smaller ones.

"Hello, 7 sous and 6 pence." The clerk behind the counter greeted him with a smile.

Klein wanted to maintain his gentlemanly demeanor, but as he extended his left hand holding the one-pound note, he couldn't help but speak:

"Can you make it cheaper?"

"Sir, these are all handmade, and our costs are very high," the red-vested shop assistant replied from the side. "Besides, the owner isn't here, so we're not in a position to lower the price for him."

The shop assistant behind the counter chimed in:

"Sir, I'm sorry."

"Alright." Klein handed over the banknotes and took the black cane with silver inlay from the red-vested shop assistant.

While waiting for his change, he took a few steps back, creating some distance, and tested the swinging effect of his "secondary weapon" with a small movement.

Woo! Woo! Woo!

The wind was heavy, its sound carrying a tangible weight as it cut through the air. Klein nodded in satisfaction.

He turned his gaze forward again, expecting to see banknotes and coins, but was surprised to find the red-vested clerk far away, while the one behind the counter shrank into a corner, pressed against the double-barreled shotgun hanging on the wall.

The Kingdom of Rune has a semi-controlled policy on firearms. To own a gun, one must apply for a "Full-Class Weapon Use Permit" or a "Hunting Permit." However, regardless of the type, one cannot possess weapons under arms control such as repeating rifles, steam-powered high-pressure guns, and six-barreled machine guns.

A "Full-of-All Weapons Permit" allows the purchase and possession of any civilian firearm, but obtaining it is extremely difficult; even merchants of a certain standing may not pass the review. A "Hunting Permit," on the other hand, is relatively easy to obtain; even farmers in the countryside can get one. However, this type of permit is limited to the use of hunting rifles and has quantity restrictions. Many people with modest assets apply for one as a form of self-defense in emergencies, such as now...

...Klein looked at the two wary shop assistants, his lips twitched, and he chuckled dryly:

"Great, this cane is perfect for swinging, I'm very satisfied."

Seeing that he had no intention of attacking, the shop assistant behind the counter relaxed and handed over the banknotes and coins he had just given her with both hands.

Klein took a look and saw two 5-sol notes, two 1-sol notes, and a 5-pence and a 1-pence coin. He nodded in approval.

After pausing for two seconds, ignoring the shop assistant's gaze, he unfolded the four banknotes one by one in the light to confirm that the anti-counterfeiting patterns and watermarks were correct.

After doing all this, Klein carefully put away the banknotes and coins, picked up his cane, adjusted his top hat, and walked out of "Wilkell's Clothing Shop" like a gentleman. He then luxuriously took a trackless public carriage nearby, and after one transfer and a total cost of 6 pence, he returned to his apartment smoothly.

After closing the door, he counted the 11 pounds 12 sulph notes three times before putting them in the desk drawer, and then found the pistol with the brass reel and wooden grip.

Ding ding ding!

Five brass-colored bullets landed one after another on the desk. Klein then inserted the silver "Demon Hunter Bullets," which had intricate patterns and dark symbols, into the reel one by one.

Similarly, he only put in five bullets, leaving room for accidental firing, and stored the rest in a small metal box along with the five normal bullets he had just taken out.

Snapped!

As the wheels closed, Klein suddenly felt much safer.

He enthusiastically put the revolver into the holster under his arm, fastened it securely, and then practiced the action of unfastening and drawing the gun over and over again. When his arms became sore, he would rest for a while and then continue until it was getting dark and the sound of tenants walking around in the corridor could be heard.

Whew! Klein exhaled a breath of stale air and put the revolver back into the holster under his arm.

Only then did he change out of his suit and vest, put on his usual brown-yellow jacket, and start doing arm relaxation exercises.

Tap, tap, tap, footsteps approached, a key was inserted into the lock, and the sound of turning echoed.

Melissa, with her long, flowing black hair, pushed open the door and entered. Her nose twitched almost imperceptibly, and her gaze swept over the unlit stove. The light in her eyes suddenly dimmed slightly.

"Klein, I'll cook up the leftover ingredients from last night. Benson might be back tomorrow." Melissa turned to look at her brother.

Klein, hands in his pockets, thighs resting against the edge of the desk, smiled and said:

"No, let's eat out."

"Go out to eat?" Melissa asked in surprise.

"How about the 'Silver Crown Restaurant' on Narcissus Street? I've heard the food is amazing," Klein suggested.

"But, but..." Melissa still didn't understand the situation.

Klein smiled and said:

"I'm celebrating finding a job."

"You found a job?" Melissa's voice involuntarily rose. "But...but isn't the interview at the University of Tingen tomorrow?"

"Another job," Klein said with a smile, taking the stack of banknotes from the drawer. "They also advanced me four weeks' salary."

Melissa stared wide-eyed at the stacks of gold pounds and sours:

"Goddess...you, them, you, what jobs did you find?"

This… Klein paused, carefully choosing his words before speaking:

"A security company whose mission is to find, collect and preserve antiquities. They need professional consultants on a five-year contract for £3 a week."

"...Were you troubled by this last night?" Melissa asked after a moment of silence.

Klein nodded in agreement:

"Yes, being a faculty member at the University of Tingen is more respectable, but I prefer this job."

"...Actually, it's quite good too." Melissa gave an encouraging smile, then asked with a mixture of doubt and curiosity, "Why would they give you four weeks' salary in advance?"

"Because we need to move, we need more rooms, we need our own bathroom," Klein said, a smirk playing on his lips as he shrugged.

He felt his smile was flawless, and he was just one step away from asking, "Surprised?"

Melissa paused, then suddenly spoke rapidly, sounding slightly flustered:

"Klein, we're actually living pretty well. My occasional complaints about not having our own bathroom are just a habit. Do you remember Jenny? She used to live next door to us. Ever since her father got injured and lost his job, she had to move to the lower street. Now, the five of them have to live in one room. Three of them sleep in bunk beds, and two sleep on the floor. They're even thinking of subletting the remaining floor space to someone else..."

"Compared to her family, we are very good and lucky. Don't waste your salary on this. Besides, I really like Mrs. Slin's bakery."

"Sis, your reaction is different from what I expected..." Klein listened, completely stunned.

(End of this chapter)