Everything here is normal.
Whether it's the hustle and bustle outside or Benjamin Tilian in front of him, Shawn didn't see anything unusual.
His residence was next to a villa area, in a well-greened apartment.
Building 3, Unit 12B.
Benjamin was a polite and courteous person. He took out a key, opened the door, and said to Shawn behind him, "Rent, utilities, we've already paid for everything."
"The maid has also cleaned thoroughly."
"All the necessary life supplies are prepared. If you need anything, you can let us know."
Two bedrooms and one living room, with a kitchen and a bathroom.
The decor of the apartment was rather vintage, yet it appeared quite luxurious. The living room even had a carpet, the master bedroom had a soft Simmons duvet, and the bathroom had a water heater. All the furniture was complete.
Everything here made Shawn feel as if he was back in modern times.
Benjamin Tilian took out a pocket watch to check the time, put down the keys, and said, "Have a good rest."
"Tomorrow we will arrange a guide for you."
Is he really here for a vacation?
Shawn hadn't yet recovered from this enormous contrast, and upon hearing this, he quickly stood up and said, "Thank you."
"No," Benjamin gazed at Shawn and slightly bowed his head, "We should be the ones saying thank you."
He seemed to have misunderstood something.
Shawn didn't know how to explain. He watched Benjamin's departing back and sat down on the soft sofa, exhaling a long breath.
Everything here is too normal.
So normal that Shawn felt it was completely abnormal.
Shawn got up, opened the window, and looked at the bustling crowd below. A little girl about eleven or twelve was selling flowers on the street corner. A few children were playing football at the alley's turn, and not far away seemed to be office buildings, where hurried employees were getting on a tram—an old-fashioned kind. Further away, there seemed to be a factory, where he could see many busy workers, with high chimneys spewing out white smoke.
"Am I crazy?"
"Or is it this place that's crazy?" Shawn smiled inexplicably.
In the room, there was a wine cabinet, thoughtfully prepared with various drinks. Shawn casually opened a bottle, poured a glass, and stood by the window, lost in thought as he gazed outside.
Everything before him was too subversive to his understanding.
Just as he was ready to accept this bizarre and absurd country, the Butcher sent him into a reality so normal it felt unreal.
Shawn's merged memories, the slides of them, did not have the impact of confronting reality directly.
"Reality and delusion, one of them must be crazy!" Shawn raised his glass and drank it all in one go.
He couldn't sleep.
Shawn decided to go for a walk. He grabbed his coat, glanced at the umbrella by the door, and randomly picked up a black one.
The sun was good, warming him as he stepped outside, hearing the sound of trams. Dorne City had five tram lines, all of them being trams on tracks. Their style looked somewhat like those old types in Hong Kong movies from the Old Era, concentrating in the central part of the city, mainly to facilitate travel for the white-collar class.
The buildings around were mostly in modern styles. Gothic Revival mansions were quite common, but there were also some public buildings that were very majestic, solid, and luxurious, of Roman style, with thick walls, rugged arches, pointed roofs, and exquisite carvings.
"Is Roman orthodoxy in the Otherworld?"
Shawn took out a paper currency that exuded a faint ink fragrance, a denarius, a currency from the Roman Empire period, with the biggest denomination being 100. The portrait printed on it was Emperor Caesar, though it was unclear whether it was indeed him.
The street was bustling with traffic, mostly horse-drawn carriages, but there were also cars—which were extremely expensive, affordable only to noble merchants.
"Sir, would you like some flowers?" a timid child's voice sounded.
Shawn was dressed quite decently, or to use the terms of this era, rather presentable. So, when he stood aimlessly by the roadside, an approximately eleven or twelve-year-old girl approached him. She wore a dull linen dress, patched and seemingly washed many times, raising a bunch of blooms in her hands, her eyes full of hope.
Shawn came back to his senses and bent down, speaking softly, "How much?"
The little girl was visibly delighted and cautiously said, "Only 5 Seth, sir. They're all freshly picked this morning."
Shawn rummaged through his wallet, but there was no Seth, only the smallest denomination being 10 denarius.
He picked up a carnation and handed a 10 denarius note to the little girl in front of him.
"Sir, I can't make change." The girl's expression was a bit uneasy. She looked around swiftly and ran towards a nearby dessert shop, "Sir, wait for me."
The little girl stood in front of the dessert shop, bowing and thanking profusely, quickly returning with a wad of notes.
She came running breathlessly, a slight bead of sweat on her freckled nose, and handed a stack of banknotes to Shawn, bowing, "Sir, your change."
9 bills of 1 Denar each, along with five 1 Seth coins.
The main currency circulating in Dorne City are Denars and Seths, occasionally you might see Dele, but you need to go to the bank to exchange it. The highest denomination is Ore, but it does not circulate; they are all vintage Gold Coins.
Previously, the largest denomination of banknotes was 10 Denars, but due to inflation, the largest denomination changed to 100 Denars.
Shawn reached out and took the change.
The little girl happily held the flowers with one hand, put the five 1 Seth coins in her pocket, and bowed again, "Thank you, sir. Have a nice day."
Shawn glanced at the Grand Pendulum Clock in the distance; the current time is 10:21 in the morning.
"It feels like a dream."
Shawn held the carnations in his hand and walked towards the park.
Maybe because he stayed with the Butcher for so long, he is now a bit uncomfortable.
"Looks like some seniors have been here," Shawn murmured.
The Dorne Kingdom has entered the 'Electrical Era' of the Second Industrial Revolution. In this era full of change, everything is rapidly evolving—cars, trains, subways, ships, numerous factories have sprung up like mushrooms after the rain.
Most people around are hurried.
The people here exude a unique vibrancy of life, a look full of hope that Shawn has only seen in yellowed old photographs.
"Did you hear?"
"They are preparing to issue new stock bonds for overseas trade."
"The wharf is hiring for the Wolf ship."
Two middle-aged men dressed like employees passed by; this should be the business district. Nearby is a several dozen meters high office building, belonging to the most prosperous area of Dorne City. On both sides of the street, there are taverns, bakeries, cafes, pastry shops, etc. If it weren't for the occasional passing horse-drawn carriage, Shawn would suspect he had traveled to the early twentieth-century metropolis.
The street lamps along the street are relatively new.
Due to the addition of a tram route, there is a construction area ahead, with a section completely sealed off.
After bypassing it, Shawn saw workers wearing denim jeans using canvas-made work pants. They were digging up the street to lay tram tracks; the leading worker wore suspenders, denim jeans, a four-pocket work jacket, and a gray cap.
"Sir, want some cigarettes?" a boy's voice piped up.
Next to Shawn was a boy aged fourteen or fifteen, dressed in ill-fitting canvas clothes and pants, holding a box supported by suspenders. Inside were whole packages and loose cigarettes, both with and without filters.
This attire Shaun has seen in old movies.
He glanced at them and asked, "How much?"
The boy pointed to the box hung on him, enthusiastically saying, "These are 1 Seth, this one is 3 Seth, and that one is 5 Seth."
"These are 1 Denar."
"This one is 5 Denars."
"For someone with your status, this one seems more suitable for you."
In terms of purchasing power, the pack of cigarettes recommended by the boy was about 50 bucks, indeed not something an average person could afford.
Shawn took out five bills of 1 Denar each, and softly asked, "Do you have a lighter?"
"Yes." The boy quickly took out a lighter, similar to the one he used in his previous life, flint oil type, crafted quite finely, engraved on the surface, and enthusiastically pushed as "the newest model for only 3 Denars."
Shawn took out another three 1 Denar bills.
"Thank you, sir." The boy's expression was somewhat excited.
Nearby seemed to be a small opera house, Shawn lit a cigarette with a filter, smoke swirling, and involuntarily coughed.
In his previous life, he smoked, quit, smoked, quit, and later with work pressure, sometimes he would smoke a few.
However, it's evident Sean didn't smoke nor had the financial means.
Shawn took a puff and extinguished it, crossing the road and seeing the boy selling cigarettes celebrating the sale of the most expensive pack, next to another boy selling cigarettes with a face of envy.
"It truly is a vibrant era."
To Shawn, it's like a nostalgic film scene, but to them, it's a booming era full of new things.
.........