Life Experience

At Six in the Morning of May, before dawn, the setting Crimson Moon and the stars on the horizon cast their light, making the darkness thinner and revealing the outlines of things nearby.

Lumian woke up early, washed up briefly, put on the formal clothes she had worn yesterday, put on her wide-brimmed hat, and forced a smile at the Glass Window that served as a Mirror.

As he slowly descended the stairs, hurried footsteps came from above.

Before long, Charlie appeared in Lumian's sight.

He was still wearing Linen Shirt, black trousers, and strapless leather shoes, but his ruddy face had turned a little Paleness, and his small blue eyes revealed an undisguised weariness.

"Good morning, Charles." Charlie greeted Lumian with a strong voice.

He seemed quite excited.

"Shouldn't you have left already?" Lumian asked with a smile.

He only got up to wash and get ready when he heard the Church bells ringing at six o'clock, while Charlie should have left at six.

Charlie muttered as he straightened his clothes, "I drank too much last night and had a wonderful dream. I don't want to wake up..."

As they spoke, the two arrived on the first floor, passed through the dirty and dark hall, and walked towards the door that reflected the Starlight.

The person who opened the door was an elderly couple, both with white hair and slightly hunched backs, around sixty years old.

They were short, the Men no more than 1.65 meters tall and the Lady less than 1.6 meters tall. Their dark jackets and yellowish skirts were tattered and covered in grease.

"Who are they?" Lumian had assumed that Mrs. Fels or That One stingy Boss, Mr. Eve, would be the ones opening the door in the morning.

Charlie didn't slow down and casually explained, "Mr. Roul and Mrs. Michel, they're the vendor couple I mentioned yesterday who trick tourists into buying things."

"They got up very early every day, and Fels. Fells would Commission them to open the hotel door in exchange for ignoring the fact that they made the room very dirty and smelly."

"Do you know what? They haven't changed their clothes since I moved in, for a full seven months! Seven months!"

No wonder it was so dirty... Lumian could recall his filthy state when he was a homeless person, but the cleanliness habits that Aurora had instilled in him still made him frown.

Charlie strode out of the Golden Rooster Hotel Inn and asked in confusion, "Charles, why are you up so early too?"

As the two stepped onto the street, a lively scene immediately came into view:

Many workers, clerks, and laborers, dressed in gray, blue, black, or brown clothing, hurried along, occasionally stopping to buy food from street vendors.

Some of the women carrying wooden baskets were less in a hurry, moving back and forth between different vendors, comparing prices and quality.

The vendors were scattered on both sides of the Messy Street, blocking half of it and leaving only enough space for a single horse-drawn carriage to pass.

They shouted loudly, trying their best to attract customers:

"Sour Wine, Apple Cider, two Rick a liter!"

Freshwater Fish from Bondey Fishpond!

Fresh cod and herring, come and see!

"Onion Bread, 1 Rick, just 1 Rick!"

"Salted meat, delicious salted meat!"

"Soaps and wigs imported from Loen!"

"Let's buy the kids a bottle of brightly colored Soda!"

"Chili Sauce, Bean Paste, shallots, watercress!"

"..."

Listening to the sounds rising and falling, feeling the vibrant energy of the Messy Street in the early morning, Lumian turned to Charlie and smiled, "I just arrived in Trier and can't sleep a bit, so I'm just wandering around to see if I can find a suitable job."

As a "Hunter," familiarizing yourself with the areas you frequently operate in and understanding their specific environment is a task you must complete as soon as possible.

It will be too late to try if something actually happens.

Charlie nodded in understanding.

He enthusiastically said, "You can try your luck on White Coat Street, which is between Honest Man's Market and the Steam Train Station (https://www. hetushu. com. com)."

"Many hotel, Hotel and Restaurant managers like to chat in the Café there, and while they're at it, they're recruiting dishwashers, floor cleaners, restroom attendants, and trainee Waiter."

"If you have money on you, remember to buy the Café waiter a drink; they'll introduce you to the right people and give you a chance to get a better job."

Before Lumian could respond, Charlie began to share his experience:

"You must pay attention to your appearance, just like I do."

As he spoke, he raised his hands and slapped his own face repeatedly, as if he were slapping himself, only not as hard.

Charlie's Paleness face quickly regained its rosy hue.

"Look, look," he said smugly, pointing to himself. "Do I look much more energetic? Managers don't want to hire someone who's particularly poor and unhealthy. They think it'll cause a lot of trouble. They'll either not give you a good job or lower your salary. Like me, I do this before going into the Café, making myself look like someone who has a place to sleep and a full breakfast. Too early won't do; this 'rosy glow' will fade away slowly."

These job-hunting tips were quite unfamiliar to Lumian, who came from Vagrant background, and he found them very interesting.

He smiled and nodded, saying, "I still have enough money for rent and food, so I don't need to do that for now, but who knows if I might need it in the future?"

He deliberately made no attempt to conceal the fact that he still possessed a considerable amount of Felkine.

What if a kind person is willing to "donate" again?

Charlie understood, and casually took out Copper Coin worth 5 Kopek and bought a Bread roll with onions from a nearby vendor.

This gave Lumian a sudden sense of familiarity:

During his time as a homeless man, if he received any money as charity, his first choice would be to buy Onion Bread.

Firstly, it's cheap, and secondly, the onion flavor lingers for a long time, giving you the illusion that you've just eaten a full meal.

Lumian also bought Onion Bread for breakfast, and together with Charlie, they walked through the many vendors and out of the Messy Street.

"I absolutely love the mornings here!" Charlie exclaimed, glancing back with his signature enthusiastic tone. "Those Gang Villain who deserve to Hell can't get up this early enough to wreak havoc on this fascinating energy."

He then waved to Lumian:

"I'm going to take the Metro, otherwise I'll be late today, and that damn supervisor will definitely dock my pay!"

After saying goodbye to Charlie, Lumian wandered around the Messy Street, circling outwards like a tourist measuring the area on foot.

The Honest Market District, located on the south bank of the Serenzo River in the southeastern corner of the metropolis of Trier, is also known as the Market District. Its official name is "District 13"—Trier 'Trier districts are named with numbers, but based on history and characteristics, there are some commonly used names, and sometimes the official name is used as well.

The area is named "Honest Man's Market" because of its location near the Serenzo River, where the Susie Steam Train Station was built to accommodate people coming from the south of Intis.

The streets surrounding the market and Steam Train Station were notoriously chaotic and were filled with poor people; it was one of Trier's several slums.

North of the Market District, on the Serenzo River, lies District 5, part of the old town, also known as the Memorial Hall District or the University District. The Trier Higher Normal College, the Trier Higher Mining College, and the Intis Academy of Fine Arts are all located here.

To the northeast of the Market District, on the Serenzo River, lies the District 12, also in the suburbs, called the Noel District, which contains an infirmary, a hospital for wounded soldiers, and several large hospitals.

Northwest of the Market District is District 6, which is the Observatory District that Lumian and the others will be going to later. The main entrance to the Catacombs is located there.

Southwest of the Market District lies the District 14, commonly known as the Botanical Garden District. On Sunday, Lumian will receive therapy from Psychologist at Mason Café there. This area is also called the Sans-Culottes District because of the large Factory to the south of the Botanical Garden.

And so, Lumian spent almost the entire morning exploring all the streets of the Honest Market District.

Around noon, he returned to the vicinity of Susie train station, intending to find a random place to have lunch before heading to the Catacombs to find the fake Warlock named Aosta Roul.

As Lumian walked, he saw Roul and Michel, who were also staying at the Golden Rooster Hotel.

They were carrying stacks of items sealed in small paper bags, hawking them to a group that appeared to be outsiders.

As Lumian approached, Roul, with his gray hair, tattered clothes, and numerous wrinkles, leaned Past and asked in a low voice, "Want some photos of pretty Academy girls on the street?"

"What is a street-style Academy beauty?" Lumian didn't hide her doubts and her aversion to the stench emanating from Roul.

Roul shook the thin paper bag in his hand, which was as thin as an envelope, and explained in a low voice, "In Trier, the pretty girls who pose Mannequin for Painter are called ' Academy beauties'."

"Later, with cameras and photographers, they would take some, you know, those kinds of photos. Some were sold to Painter as references, some..."

Roul then gave a knowing smile and shook the paper bag in his hand again:

"Four Rick, one letter, two photos!"

"Others sell them for 10 or more Rick!"

Lumian laughed:

"Mr. Roul, Mrs. Michel, are these the souvenirs you sell to tourists?"

Upon hearing Lumian call out their names, both Roul and Michel's expressions changed drastically.

They turned around, trying to escape, but Lumian's hand was faster, pressing down directly on Roul's shoulder.

Michel, who had squeezed into the crowd, saw that her husband hadn't been able to keep up, and with a pained expression, she turned back.

"I also stay at the ' Golden Rooster Hotel,' and my name is Charles," Lumian introduced himself.

Finally understanding why the other person recognized them, the Roul couple breathed a slight sigh of relief and looked at Lumian with pleading eyes, saying, "Is there something you need, Mr. Charles?"

"What kind of photos are you selling?" Lumian asked curiously.

Roul replied timidly, "Photos of the Serenzo River, and photos of the various Castle and Palace of Trier."

"Nobody's causing you any trouble?" Lumian asked with a smile.

Roul swallowed hard and said, "The people who bought them didn't dare to open them on the spot, and they didn't dare to come back to us afterwards. They were very guilty."

"Besides, the Police won't bother you selling landscape photos." Lumian nodded. "Are there really people selling photos of pretty Academy girls on the street?"

"Yes," Roul answered with absolute certainty. "Last month, the Police arrested a group of photographers and Art Dealer, saying they seized over ten thousand photographs. If only we had them, I wonder how much we could have sold them for!"

Mrs. Michel, whose face was also wrinkled and whose body was hunched over, muttered, "We used to have a Mannequin staying at our hotel, but she hasn't shown up lately. Maybe she became some Painter's mistress, or maybe she got caught as a Academy fashionista..."

The guests at the Golden Rooster Hotel are quite diverse... Lumian asked with interest, "How much do you earn a week by tricking outsiders into buying photos?"

"We're selling it very cheaply, around 10 Felkine," Roul replied, his eyes slightly evasive.

It seems a bit more than 10 Felkine, but not by much. Let's say it's 12 Felkine, which is 1200 Kopek, 240 Rick... Are there 60 fools falling for it every week? Lumian looked around the Square in front of the station and expressed his disdain for the average intelligence of the people here.

The Roul and Michel couple, who risked a lot to cheat people, only earned about 50 Felkine per month, far less than an apprentice Waiter or even a laborer.

Looking at their slightly hunched backs, thin bodies, and wrinkled faces, Lumian roughly understood that they probably didn't want to do more respectable and better-paid work, but rather that they couldn't.

He waved and left the Susie Steam Train Station, heading northwest towards the Observatory District.