After leaving Azik's house, Klein took a public carriage back to Narcissus Street.
Click, he took out the key and opened the door. Suddenly, he saw a figure sitting in the dining room.
Klein instinctively tightened the cane in his hand, but then realized that it wasn't a thief but the maid, Bella.
Bella was concentrating on reading the newspaper spread out on the table. Hearing the sound of the door opening, she was also startled and stood up quickly, stammering an explanation:
"I, I just finished my morning tasks and was waiting for the water to boil to have some bread."
I still haven't adapted to having a maid in the house... Klein smiled at himself, took off his hat, and nodded slightly:
"Reading is a good habit. To be able to keep reading despite a busy job is encouraged by the goddess."
He was afraid that the other party would think he was mocking her, so he used the name of the Night Goddess.
In fact, only the Goddess of Knowledge and Wisdom placed reading in a lofty position... Of course, no matter which church, they all advocated learning... Well, at the age of seventeen or eighteen, believing in the Night Goddess indicates the influence of parents. And such parents, as long as they weren't completely helpless, would definitely let their daughter receive an education. If they couldn't afford a public primary school, a free church school would be no problem, at most it would delay a bit... So, Bella wasn't illiterate, she could recognize words and read newspapers... Klein thoughtfully put down his cane and walked into the living room.
He had a pretty good impression of Bella.
Although the girl seemed a bit clumsy in the kitchen, she showed a willingness to learn and a hardworking attitude.
Bella lowered her hands and said a little embarrassedly:
"I haven't really read newspapers before. The landlord doesn't allow us to buy old newspapers to paste on the walls... I picked it up to wipe the coffee table just now and accidentally glanced at it. I thought it was very interesting."
Poor girl, when I first came here, newspapers were at the bottom of the interesting list... Klein thought to himself and smiled. He followed the silver chain and took out his pocket watch, snapped it open and glanced at it, then casually said:
"As long as you finish your work and do it well, you can arrange your free time as you like. Don't be nervous. Of course, if I'm chatting with Benson and Melissa, you'd better stay in your room. I allow you to use the gas lamp in there and bring a few old newspapers in."
"Okay, come and knock on my bedroom door at one o'clock in the afternoon. Then prepare me a cup of Siberian black tea, two soft white breads, a slice of oat toast, and a small dish of cream."
To celebrate his promotion to Sequence 8, Klein decided to treat himself a little. He would eat the white bread that Benson was planning to enjoy on the weekend ahead of time.
Well, I'll buy another 8 pounds. From now on, my staple food will be white bread instead of oat bread! The salary of a Sequence 8 extraordinary should increase... The captain didn't mention this before... He forgot again! Klein was stunned for a moment and decided to ask clearly tomorrow.
"Okay, okay." Bella responded with a mixture of surprise and joy.
Then, she asked a bit uncertainly:
"Mr. Klein, is it Siberian black tea for guests?"
Because the whole family was Moretti, she used the name to show respect.
"Yes, it will be the tea we drink every day from now on." Klein waved his hand and walked towards the staircase.
After becoming a "Jester", he suddenly found that his financial situation had become very good.
This was partly because there were no additional large expenses for the time being, except for the fixed 2 sous a day for the rental carriage to Red Chimney House and occasional material replenishment, and the latter could often be reimbursed. The second reason was that there were 300 pounds quietly lying in Klein's anonymous account. You see, in the countryside, a hectare of farmland or pasture only cost 5 to 6.5 sols. That meant he could buy 920 to 1,200 hectares of rural land or pasture, which was roughly equivalent to 137 to 179 mu or 23 to 30 acres on Earth. Moreover, this sum of money could also allow him to purchase a 15-year lease on a house on Daffodil Street. If all of it were converted into land, the annual rent income would be around 23 to 31 pounds... Not bad, but there was no need for that at the moment. These 300 pounds had to be kept for emergencies... Phew, I need to find an opportunity to tell Benson and Melissa my real weekly salary these two days! Klein thought as he entered his bedroom.
Locking the door behind him, Klein sat on the bed and began meditating again, slowly controlling the small amount of power that had leaked out from the potion in this way. He was extremely careful and cautious.
For him, losing control had originally been just a term that existed in words until he encountered that "Substitute Punisher".
However, he didn't know that "Substitute Punisher", nor did he know what had happened to the person before that. He would subconsciously think that it was an exception, a rare occurrence.
It was like hearing about a murder case that happened in another city from the news. A normal person would at most sigh a few times and then forget about it.
But the death of Old Neil had greatly shaken Klein, making him clearly realize that losing control was right beside him, all around him, and could come at any time in an unexpected way!
What a bloody lesson... Klein ended his meditation, opened his eyes, and muttered to himself.
During these days, he often dreamed of that scene, often waking up in the middle of the night, drenched in cold sweat.
He was both grief-stricken over Old Neil's death and worried about his own future. If it weren't for meditation to help him fall asleep, he believed he would have been unable to sleep well recently.
"Besides digesting the potion, I also need to try my best to control my own emotions and desires, keeping them within a reasonable range and not being corroded by them..." Klein exhaled the stale air, lay down, and soon fell into a deep sleep.
On the day of Old Neil's death, Dunn's performance and words had greatly touched him, making him seriously examine the responsibility of a night watchman for the first time and wanting to take on his own share of the burden as soon as possible to help the captain and his teammates.
Therefore, he didn't plan to waste the afternoon. He would still attend the combat practice class as usual. ......
At three in the afternoon, in the simple practice ground.
Highman, with his golden short hair streaked with gray, frowned as he watched Klein's movements gradually change from awkward to proficient, and then to the level of a trainee knight who had undergone half a year of training.
And all of this happened in just forty minutes!
He called a halt to the practice and sized up Klein from top to bottom, unable to resist asking:
"What happened?"
Klein had already prepared a set of explanations, planning to attribute his performance to scientific research. But as soon as Highman finished speaking, he immediately added thoughtfully:
"If you don't want to answer, there's no need to."
It seems that the relevant personnel from the police department have already communicated with Teacher Highman... After all, he occasionally trains extraordinary individuals; how could they not give prior notice... Klein let out a sigh of relief and raised the corners of his mouth, saying:
"Teacher, how long do you think it will take for me to be ready for actual combat?"
Highman crossed his arms, gave him a serious look, and replied in a slightly hoarse voice:
"Two or three days."
"But that's not enough!"
He seemed to be thinking as he explained:
"Being ready for actual combat doesn't mean being proficient in combat. The latter probably still requires two or three weeks."
"Also, you must master portable cold weapons, such as canes, whips, daggers, and tridents!" ... So many projects? Klein was stunned for a moment.
Highlord Gowan looked at him with a weathered gaze and said, "Remember, every drop of sweat you shed here might save your life in the future."
"Yes, Teacher!" Klein perked up and replied. ......
On Saturday morning, Klein entered Blackthorn Security Company and knocked on the captain's office door again.
Dunn Smith seemed to have been prepared. He just glanced up and said to himself, "I forgot to inform you yesterday. After being promoted to Sequence 8, your position in the police department naturally changed from probationary inspector to inspector. I'll have them come and replace your identification and uniform shoulder badges as soon as possible."
"Your weekly salary will increase from six pounds to ten pounds, with half paid by the church and half by the police department. This is the level of a senior night watchman, of course, I mean the kind at Sequence 9." ... Captain, did you draft a note? Klein was stunned for a moment, then his brows relaxed and the corners of his mouth curled up as he replied:
"This is more than I expected."
He had thought his weekly salary would only increase to 8 pounds.
Dunn picked up his coffee and took a sip, saying:
"The increase in the salary of the Night Watch is based on three factors: years of service, contributions made, and the individual's rank. The third factor is often closely related to the contributions."
That's true. Without achievements, even if one digests the potion and meets the promotion criteria, they still can't apply for the formula and materials... Klein nodded thoughtfully.
A weekly salary of 10 pounds, plus bonuses, would be around 540 pounds a year. Without having to pay taxes, such an income would be quite good among the middle class, second only to professions like top lawyers, famous architects, senior surgeons, and high-ranking government employees, which are almost considered social celebrities.
The deputy director of the Finance Department of the Ministry of Finance of the Kingdom of Loen only earns 700 pounds a year, and that's before taxes. After taxes, it's at most 640 pounds. Hmm, less than that... According to the newspaper, a decent house in the West District or Hillsdon District of Backlund costs around 2,500 pounds. If Benson, Melissa, and I can maintain our current expenses, we could buy one in seven or eight years... To be able to buy a detached house in a relatively central location in the capital and the magic city in just seven or eight years, relying solely on my own efforts, this salary is truly heartening... Klein got up to leave, his steps light as he entered the underground and began his shift at Charnis Gate.
Before ten o'clock, he suddenly heard someone approaching the guard room.
Soon, Dunn appeared at the door, his gray eyes deep and said:
"There's a case that needs your help."
"A case involving the extraordinary?" Klein asked reflexively.
"No, Mr. Maynard, a city councilor, was found dead in his home this morning. The Tingen City Police Department is under a lot of pressure and hopes we can use your clairvoyance to help them quickly identify the murderer. Well, you're the only one in the team who can do that for now." Dunn explained, then added, "The Church will send a 'Seer' to join us within the next week. Actually, they should have done so earlier, but you happened to join and chose 'Diviner'."