Walking on the streets of Zouteland, feeling the hot and humid breeze, the high-spirited Klein suddenly thought of something:

He only had 3 pence in change left, and it would cost 4 pence to take a public coach back to Iron Cross Street. Using a 1 pound note to give the other party the change was like using 100 yuan to buy a bottle of cheap mineral water before he traveled through time. It's not that he didn't have other options, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it.

"Three kilometers for three pennies, and the rest of the way back?" Klein put one hand in his pocket, slowed down his pace, and thought about other options.

"No!" He quickly rejected the previous idea.

It would take a long time to walk the rest of the way, and it was too unsafe to carry a huge sum of 12 pounds!

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

"Find a bank nearby to change it for change? No, that's not possible. A handling fee of 0.5% is too extravagant!" Klein shook his head silently. He felt distressed just thinking about the possible handling fee!

All the solutions were eliminated one by one, and Klein's eyes suddenly lit up as he saw a clothing store!

Yes, isn’t the most normal idea to just buy something of the right price and get change?

Formal suits, shirts, vests, trousers, leather boots and canes are all within the budget, so you have to buy them sooner or later!

Well, it’s troublesome to try on clothes, and Benson knows more and is better at bargaining than me, so I can consider it after he comes back…

How about buying a walking stick?

Yes! There is a proverb that goes, a cane is a gentleman's best self-defense weapon, it can be used as a half crowbar, and holding a gun in one hand and a cane in the other is the civilized way of fighting!

As his thoughts raced, Klein made up his mind, half turned around, and turned into the Wilker's Hat Shop.

The layout of the clothing store was very similar to the one he had visited before. There was a row of formal suits against the wall on the left, shirts, trousers, vests, ties and other items in the middle, and pairs of leather shoes and boots in glass cabinets on the right.

"Sir, what would you like to buy?" A male clerk in a white shirt and a red vest came over and asked politely.

In the Kingdom of Loen, gentlemen of status, power, and wealth liked to wear white shirts, black vests, black pants, and black suits, which were rather monotonous in color. Therefore, male servants, shop assistants, and waiters were required to wear bright or colorful clothes to distinguish between masters and servants, or between the noble and the humble.

In contrast, the ladies' and young ladies' dresses were of different colors and gorgeously decorated, while the maids could only wear black with white, or white with black.

Facing the male clerk's question, Klein thought for a moment and said:

"The cane, heavier and harder."

The kind that can blow other people’s heads off!

The clerk in the red vest looked at Klein covertly, led him into the store, and pointed at the row of canes in the corner and said:

"The one inlaid with gold is made of ironwood. It is very heavy and hard. It costs 11 soli and 7 pence. Would you like to try it?"

11 soli and 7 pence? Why don't you just go and rob it? What's so great about adding some gold? Klein was shocked by the price.

He remained calm on the surface and nodded slightly:

"OK."

The red-vest clerk took off the ironwood cane and handed it to Klein carefully, as if he was afraid that he would break the goods.

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

“It’s too heavy.” Klein shook his head and breathed a sigh of relief.

That's not an excuse!

The red-vest clerk put back the ironwood cane and pointed at the other three canes.

"This is made of walnut, by Mr. Hess, the most famous cane maker in Tingen, 10 soli and 3 pence... This is made of water-sinking wood, inlaid with silver, as hard as steel, 7 soli and 6 pence... This is made of the heart of the white boley tree, also inlaid with silver, 7 soli and 10 pence..."

Klein took them one by one and tried them. He found that the weights were all suitable. Then, he tapped them with his fingers to roughly grasp the hardness of each cane. Finally, he chose the cheapest one.

"Let's take the one made of water-sunken wood." Klein pointed at the silver-inlaid stick in the red-vest clerk's hand.

“Okay, sir. Please come with me to pay. If this cane becomes worn or stained in the future, you can give it to us to fix it for free.” The red-vest clerk led Klein to the counter.

Klein took this opportunity to unfold the four gold pounds in his palm and took out one of the two smaller ones.

"Hello, 7 soli and 6 pence." The clerk behind the counter saluted with a smile.

Klein wanted to maintain his gentlemanly demeanor, but when he stretched out his left hand holding the 1-pound note, he couldn't help but speak:

"Can it be cheaper?"

"Sir, these are all handmade, and our costs are very high." The red vest clerk replied, "Besides, the owner is not here, so we are not qualified to help him lower the price."

The clerk behind the counter echoed:

"Sir, I'm sorry."

“Okay.” Klein handed over the banknote and took the black cane with silver inlay on the top from the red vest clerk.

While waiting for the change, he took a few steps back, created some distance, and tried out the swinging effect of his "off-hand weapon" with a small swing.

Woo! Woo! Woo!

The sound of the wind was heavy and had a texture as it broke through the air. Klein nodded with satisfaction.

He turned his gaze forward again, expecting to see banknotes and coins, but was surprised to find that the clerk in the red vest had stepped far away, and the man behind the counter had shrunk into the corner, close to the double-barreled shotgun hanging on the wall.

The Kingdom of Loen implemented a semi-control policy on firearms. If one wanted to own a gun, one had to apply for a "All-category Weapon Use Permit" or a "Hunting Permit." However, no matter which one, one could not own automatic rifles, steam high-pressure guns, six-barreled machine guns, and other military-controlled items.

The "All-Type Weapons License" allows one to purchase and keep any civilian firearms at will, but it is extremely difficult to obtain. Even businessmen with a certain status may not pass the review. The "Hunting License" is relatively easy, even farmers in the suburbs can get it, but this type of license is limited to the use of hunting rifles and has a quantity limit. Many people with little assets will apply for one to protect themselves in critical situations, such as now...

…Klein looked at the two wary shop assistants, his mouth twitched, and he laughed dryly:

"Yes, this cane is very suitable for swinging. I am very satisfied with it."

Seeing that he had no intention of attacking, the clerk behind the counter relaxed and handed over the banknotes and coins he had just found with both hands.

Klein took it and took a look. He saw two 5-sol notes, two 1-sol notes, and a 5-pence and a 1-pence copper coin. He nodded inwardly.

After a two-second pause, he ignored the clerk's gaze and unfolded the four banknotes one by one in front of the light to confirm that the anti-counterfeiting pattern and watermark were correct.

After doing all this, Klein put the banknotes and coins away, took his cane, adjusted his hat, and walked out of the Wilkle Hat Shop like a gentleman. He took a trackless public carriage nearby and, after a transfer and a total cost of 6 pence, he successfully returned to the apartment.

After closing the door, he counted the 11 pounds and 12 soli note three times before putting it into the desk drawer, and then took out the pistol with a bronze revolver and a wooden grip.

Ding ding dong!

Five brass bullets fell on the desk one after another. Klein stuffed the silver "demon hunting bullets" with complex patterns and dark holy emblems into the revolver one by one.

Similarly, he only stuffed five bullets in, leaving space to prevent accidental firing, and stored the rest in a small iron box together with the five normal bullets he had just taken out.

Bang!

The wheels closed, and Klein suddenly felt a lot more secure.

He enthusiastically put the revolver into the gun bag under his armpit, buckled it securely, and then practiced the movements of unbuttoning and drawing the gun over and over again. When his arms felt sore, he rested for a while and continued again until it was getting dark and the sound of tenants walking in the corridor could be heard.

Huh! Klein exhaled and put the revolver back into the gun bag under his arm.

It was only at this time that he changed out of his formal suit and vest, put on his everyday brown jacket, and started doing arm relaxation exercises.

Tap, tap, tap, the footsteps approached, the key was inserted into the keyhole, and the sound of turning was heard.

Melissa, with her smooth black hair, pushed the door open and twitched her nose imperceptibly. She glanced at the stove that was not lit at all, and the light in her eyes suddenly dimmed a little.

“Klein, I’ll cook the leftover ingredients from last night. Benson might be back tomorrow.” Melissa turned and looked at her brother.

Klein put his hands in his pockets, leaned his thighs against the edge of the desk, and smiled:

"No, let's go out to eat."

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

"How about going to the Silver Crown Restaurant on Daffodil Street? I heard it's delicious." Klein suggested.

“But, but…” Melissa still didn’t understand the situation.

Klein smiled and said:

"Celebrating that I got a job."

"Have you found a job?" Melissa's voice unconsciously became louder. "But, but isn't the interview at Tingen University tomorrow?"

"Another job." Klein smiled as he took out the stack of banknotes from the drawer. "They also advanced me four weeks' salary."

Melissa looked at the gold and soles with her eyes wide open:

"Goddess... what kind of job did you, they, you, find?"

This... Klein's expression froze, and he chose his words carefully:

"A security company whose mission is to find, collect and protect antiquities. They need professional consultants. Five-year contract. 3 pounds per week."

"...Were you worried about this matter last night?" Melissa said after a moment of silence.

Klein nodded and said:

"Yes, being a teacher at Tingen University is more respectable, but I prefer this job."

“…Actually, it’s pretty good.” Melissa smiled encouragingly and asked half-confusedly and half-curiously, “Why do they give you four weeks’ salary in advance?”

"Because we need to move, we need more rooms, and we need our own bathroom." Klein said with his mouth curled up and his hands spread out.

He felt that his smile was impeccable, and the only thing missing was a question, "Surprise?"

Melissa was stunned for a moment, then suddenly spoke quickly, a little flustered:

"Klein, we actually live quite well. I occasionally complain about not having my own bathroom out of habit. Do you remember Jenny? She used to live next door to us. Ever since her father was injured and lost his job, they had to move down the street. The family of five can only live in one room, with three sleeping on bunk beds and two sleeping on the floor. They even thought about renting out the remaining floor space to someone else..."

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

Sister, your reaction is different from what I expected... Klein was stunned when he heard it.