Klein in the screen began remembering his itinerary before he attempted the luck enhancement ritual, it showed how he wore cheap earplugs and sat in front of his computer, surfing the internet, being the average keyboard warrior...
The screen showed his hometown where he bought the divination book titled 'Quintessential Divination and Arcane Arts of the Qin and Han Dynasty'. After the book stayed in the corner of his room for months, he finally remembered it after experiencing a bout of bad luck.
They all saw how the Zhou Mingrui of the modern times attempted the overly simplistic ritual in the room. Chanting and taking steps, he looked very much like a blind lamb walking at the edge of the cliff, blissfully unaware of the dangers and only focusing on the illusion of the sweet grass in the front!
"I usually have a lot to say but I'm speechless." Roselle muttered as he slowly put a single popcorn in his slightly open mouth. Amanises stayed quiet but shared the sentiment. Afterall their own experiences weren't really normal either, so how can she judge someone else?
Many were fascinated by the world in the screen itself. The buildings, cars, clothing, technology, it was all novel for them. Roselle and Amanises only felt nostalgic looking at the past world through Klein's memories.
Melissa and Benson saw an unfamiliar yet so familiar man in a foreign world. This was their brother, the one who made delicious meals for them after getting his first job. The one who bought gifts for them after getting his first salary. he looked different here, from the facial features to the voice, but they immediately guessed that these were Klein's memories. They wanted to know more about this brother of theirs, a side of him that they never saw.
Klein in the screen thought of many details of the ritual and how to execute them, while cleaning the crime scene. He visibly looked relaxed as he got the situation in control. He totally ignored the serious mess around him. His adaptability was admirable, like, how much time has passed since he awoke in this era? Barely an hour! Anyone else might still be frozen stiff!
Everyone 'saw' how messed up Klein's memories became after coming here. At this point everyone accepted that this Klein with them came or accurately transmigrated from another era. The memories of how the previous Klein got the revolver, and what happened before and after getting it was confused and like a shattered glass, missing many pieces.
Everyone's focus was back on the movie as they heard a sound other than Klein's thoughts.
There was a commotion outside his room as footsteps approached his door.
"Melissa is awake... She's really as punctual as always." Zhou Mingrui smiled. Due to Klein's memories, seeing Melissa made him feel as though she was really his younger sister.
However, I do not have a younger sister... He immediately contradicted himself.
Melissa: "...that hurt you know"
Klein: "Let me explain- At the time I really thought Klein and I were different. I learned it much later that we were the same person, just experienced different things so there's a difference in personality."
Melissa and Benson were comforted by this explanation.
"AH! Its Aunt Mel!" Bennett woke up and pointed at the screen. Klein patted her head and softly whispered, "Yes, and she'll scold Uncle next" His whisper wasn't so quiet and many who heard it felt amused.
"Uncle?" She tilted her head to the side and seemed to ask who her uncle was. Klein pointed at his figure on the screen and said, "That's me, your uncle."
"Hmph! I know that much. I've seen your photos at home. I just didn't remember it." The little girl folded her arms and pouted. Klein felt soft inside and a subconscious smile appeared on his face that he himself didn't realize. This smile was complete opposite to the panicked expression in the movie.
Memories regarding his elder brother and younger sister remained active in Zhou Mingrui's mind until he turned the doorknob open. Only then did he jolt awake and remember that he held a revolver in his hand.
This was a semi-regulated item!
It will scare children!
Also, there's still the wound on my head!
Everyone: You just remembered that?
Fors couldn't help but let out a suppressed chuckle, this Klein was quite cute.
Klein heard it and quickly turned back to look who was laughing, his face showing dissatisfaction and eyebrows furrowed. But instead of looking intimidating, he looked like an angry rabbit.
Now, even more people chuckled, and Klein too lost his momentum. Leonard put his hands over his shoulders and turned him forward, "Okay okay, let's continue watching. he's embarrassed you know~"
Even Audrey smiled at this. 'Ah Klein is too cute.'
"I'm not scared." Bennett looked seriously at Klein and spoke. Will too chimed in, "I'm not scared either."
'Are you even a child?' Klein thought but didn't say it. "Our Bennett is quite brave, but remember to stay away from such things if you saw it, okay? It's dangerous and painful."
"Okayy~" she said and swung he legs as she saw Melissa enter the room after Klein hurriedly hid the revolver in the drawer.
"What happened?" Melissa looked over curiously when she heard the commotion.
To conceal the existence of the weapon, he distracted her attention to the pocket-watch. He touched his forehead and found that the wound had also healed.
Upon opening the watch cover he saw the picture of their father. He saw that even after Melissa fixed it many times, it still stopped working.
"It looks like it's broken again."
Melissa shot him an expressionless glance and walked over to take the pocket watch away. With a few simple turns, the watch made tick-tocking sounds of normal watches. She adjusted the time and handed it back to Zhou Mingrui.
"It's okay now," she said simply without emotion. Zhou Mingrui returned a smile politely in embarrassment.
Melissa gave her elder brother a piercing stare before turning to walk to the cupboard. She took her toiletries and towel before opening the door to leave. She headed for the public bathroom.
Why did her expression have a look of disparagement and resignation?
Is it a look of love and concern for a retarded brother?
Zhou Mingrui lowered his head and chuckled.
A few chuckles sounded in the gray fog cinema, making the atmosphere lighter. Everyone noticed the environment where the siblings lived. It was an old apartment without even a private bathroom. They really had it difficult.
Melissa remembered this day, Klein had been absent-minded that day, she didn't even notice the chances. Because even if the Klein here was new to this world, he treated them as his own siblings.
Zhou Mingrui was brainstorming while opening and closing the pocket watch repeatedly.
'Klein committed suicide without a silencer. Well, I'll consider it as suicide for now. His suicide should have caused quite a commotion; yet, Melissa, who was just a wall away, did not notice it at all.'
'Was she sleeping too soundly? Or is Klein's suicide shrouded in mystery to begin with?'
Click! The pocket watch opened. Clack! The pocket watch closed… Melissa returned from washing up and saw her brother's subconscious act of constantly opening and closing the pocket watch.
Her gaze was once again glazed with exasperation as she said with a sweet voice, "Klein, take out all the remaining bread. Remember to buy fresh ones today. There's meat and peas too. Your interview is soon. I'll make you mutton stewed with peas."
She boiled water as she spoke, and made tea.
Melissa poured two big cups of tea as she shared two pieces of rye bread with Zhou Mingrui over tea.
There is no sawdust or excessive gluten mixed in, but it is unappetizing… Zhou Mingrui still felt weak and was starving. He forced himself to swallow the bread with the tea while complaining inwardly.
"Don't get me wrong, I wasn't used to the food here." Klein turned his head and said to Melissa, afraid to hurt her feelings. Melissa just shook her head and told him its alright. Benson didn't know when this scene was from but after hearing Melissa talk about the interview, he realized it wasn't too long before he returned.
Leonard knew how much his friend liked to eat delicacies, now seeing him eat coarse rye bread with cheap tea... He understood why Klein was such a foodie. Who wouldn't enjoy delicious food if they didn't get to eat it much in the first place?
The duo finished eating and Melissa got up to go out.
"Remember to buy fresh bread. All we need is eight pounds. The weather is hot, so the bread will easily spoil. Also, buy the mutton and peas. Remember to buy them!"
Indeed, she was showing concern for her dull brother. She even had to repeat to emphasize it another time… Zhou Mingrui nodded with a smile.
"Alright."
It wasn't Sunday so she had an entire day of classes to attend. Just as she prepared to leave, she turned her body halfway, saying, "Klein, don't buy too much mutton or peas. Benson might come back on Sunday. Oh, and remember we only need eight pounds of bread."
"Alright. Sure thing," answered Zhou Mingrui exasperatedly.
He repeated 'Sunday' a few times in his head.
In the Northern Continent, a year was similarly split into twelve months. Every year, there were 365 or 366 days. A week was similarly split into seven days.
The splitting of months was a result of astronomical observations. It made Zhou Mingrui suspect whether he was in a parallel world. As for the splitting of days, it was a result of religion. This was because the Northern Continent had seven orthodox gods—the Eternal Blazing Sun, the Lord of Storms, the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, the Evernight Goddess, Earth Mother, the God of Combat, and the God of Steam and Machinery.
After Melissa left, Zhou Mingrui sighed as his thoughts focused on the luck enhancement ritual.
'Sorry, I really wish to return home...'
Zhou Mingrui returned to his room, went up front of the cupboard and took out his clothes.
A black vest with a matching suit, trousers that clung tightly to his legs, a halved top hat and his faint scholarly air made Zhou Mingrui feel like he was watching an English drama set in the Victorian era.
"What's a Victorian era? Is it related to battle victory?" Leonard asked with a slight turn of his head towards Klein.
"It's a time period from my era, the western continent had the reign of Queen Victoria so they named that period as such. I mentioned it because the clothing style and even architecture and etiquette now match that period."
Leonard and Audrey nodded their heads and continued watching ahead.
He suddenly muttered softly as he shook his head with a wry smile, "I'm not going for an interview. All I'm doing is buying some ingredients to prepare for my luck enhancement ritual…"
Klein was so concerned about his impending interview that it became instinct. When he was not focused enough, he habitually wore his only decent set of clothing.
After taking a breath, Zhou Mingrui changed his clothes to a brownish yellow coat along with a felt hat with a rounded edge of the same color.
He dug out the hidden small stack of money beneath the cushion. These were all the savings the Moretti siblings made, including the living expenses for the next three days.
Everyone except Moretti siblings: ...They had it tough
Almost everyone here had enough money to not care about the meal for at least a month. Fors and Xio shared an understanding look, they had to save money by cutting corners as well, just not to this extent. Though they understood the sibling's situation.
Audrey knew normal people had shortage of money, she also knew of the lives of homeless people she had witnessed during troubled times in Backlund and even engaged in charity. She wasn't so saddened though. The Klein she knew of had enough money later, so she looked forward to how he made it in the future.
Roselle just clicked his tongue and shook his head without saying anything. Klein ignored him.
Zhou Mingrui spread a note and caught a whiff of the faint unique ink.
This was the smell of money.
Perhaps a result of Klein's memory fragments or his constant desire for money, Zhou Mingrui felt like he had instantly fallen in love with these notes.
Look, their designs are so beautiful. It makes the stern and old-fashioned George III and his two mustaches appear especially adorable…
Zhou Mingrui admired it for nearly a minute before pulling out two one-soli notes. He then rolled up the remaining notes and stuffed them back into the cushion's concealed layer.
Even the siblings felt embarrassed now. The audience couldn't help but smile at the money-lover in front of them. Just look how his eyes shined when he spread out those notes, even a lover wouldn't look at his beloved in that way!
Audrey decided to gift Klein some money when she got a chance in the future.
Klein took out the brass revolver out of the drawer and went out. This was the only defensive weapon he could think of with sufficient power! He never practiced shooting, he thought just pulling it out would daunt anyone.
About to go out, he paused and thought, 'Would I end up misfiring?'
He quickly thought of a solution, aligning the empty chamber which was a result of the 'suicide' along the gin's hammer before closing it.
This way, even if there was a misfire, he would discharge an 'empty round'!
"Smart." Roselle mused.
"And cautious." Azik who had been quietly watching added. He admired the young man's meticulousness.
Klein in the screen left the apartment and walked to the market line. The mobile hawker who sold vegetables, fruit, and food shouted along the streets. He held his notes tight as he slouched walked around the streets, beware of thieves and scammers.
They saw the people going to and from, children running around and playing, it was so full of life.
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