Upon entering the house, Klein first saw a foyer, which was very spacious, furnished with several chairs and umbrella stands, and elegantly arranged and tastefully decorated. If he hadn't Prophet and had visited the site, Klein would have even thought it was a reception room.
Through the second door, a bright and spacious hall appeared before him, large enough to accommodate dozens or even hundreds of guests for dancing.
The center of the hall was covered with a brightly colored, thick, and soft carpet, while the surrounding area was covered with bright and clear marble tiles. There were pianos, stone sculptures, and other items, and stone pillars inlaid with ornaments supported the second floor.
To its left is a row of floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a lush lawn and a blooming garden, while to its right are walls, wooden doors, and a corridor leading to a lounge, storage room, washroom, kitchen, and butler's room.
The lobby is two stories high, with crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, giving one a clear idea of what it will look like at night.
Proceed to the end, where staircases on both sides lead to the second floor.
The corridor here is square, with the central open space being the carpeted area of the main hall. Klein could simply grab a glass of wine, stand behind the second-floor railing, and leisurely enjoy the ball below.
The second floor has many rooms, including a living room, a sitting room, a dining room, a bathroom, a billiards room, and a large number of bedrooms. Guests who need to stay overnight will stay here.
Similarly, there are two staircases on the second floor leading to the third floor, where Dawn Dantès. There is an extravagant master bedroom, a semi-open room with a bar where you can bask in the Sun and enjoy the view, a study that can be described as a small library, two dressing rooms, and separate small bedrooms for the personal male servant and the night watch maid, as well as rooms and bathrooms for family members. However, Klein is currently single.
As for the other servants, they were in the row of bungalows at the back of the building, and the stables were in the other direction.
The basement of the building is equally spacious, with large storage rooms and a wine cellar.
Klein, having taken off his coat, stood upright on the large balcony of his semi-open third-floor room, gazing at the surrounding streetscape, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly:
"The high price is indeed justified; the £315 rent isn't too wasteful..."
He had already paid a year's rent yesterday afternoon and could only force himself to become more and more accustomed to the place.
At the same time, he also paid Walter a year's salary of £115, because after obtaining the Antigonus Family Notebook, he was likely to abscond, causing the butler to lose his job.
Based on this philosophy, he paid his housekeeper, Taneja, £42 a year's salary this morning, giving the lady an initial taste of Mr. Dawn Dantès ' generosity and magnanimity.
With the two butlers' discussion and busy work, the servants have been hired: a male household property manager with an annual salary of £30, a personal valet Richardson with an annual salary of £35, two male servants responsible for receiving guests and serving at the table with an annual salary of £25 each, two first-class maids with an annual salary of £18 each, two second-class maids with an annual salary of £12 each, and two male servants for manual labor with an annual salary of £12 each.
Besides these, the chef's annual salary was £30, the kitchen assistant £15, the kitchen maid £13, the storeroom maid £11, the family nurse £25, the handyman £10, the two coachmen £25 each, the two gardeners £20 each, and the two laundry maids £10 each, totaling £413, which is about £8 per week.
Including the annual salaries of the two butlers, Klein had to pay £570 per year, which is about £11 per week. This does not include the expenses for food, clothing, and various daily necessities.
Every Monday when he opened his eyes, before he had any income, he had to spend ten or twenty pounds... Klein did a quick mental calculation and forced himself to look at the garden.
After paying the rental fees for the two carriages and the servants' first week's wages at noon, and giving the housekeeper Taneja 1,000 pounds in cash for daily expenses, he had only 1,286 pounds in banknotes and 18 gold coins left. However, the payments from Miss Justice and Lady the Hermit would arrive in his account throughout the week.
He wondered how long Taneja's 1,000 pounds would last; just stocking up on enough alcoholic beverages for the ball and banquet would take at least several hundred pounds... The wealthy Mr. Dawn Dantès fell into deep thought, unable to pull himself out of it.
To calm himself down, he decided to take advantage of the time while the butler and servants were busy with the affairs of the new house to go for a walk above the Gray Fog and study the strange Puppet that Emlyn White had sacrificed.
After the Blood Moon, Klein had to return to that mysterious space, pulling Fors into it and forcing himself to stay awake as he listened to Fors ramble on about the daily life in Backlund. Once everything calmed down, he was too tired. After accepting Emlyn's sacrifice and confirming that there were no abnormalities, he returned to the real world and fell asleep.
After straightening his well-tailored dark vest, Klein walked to the entrance, opened the door, and addressed Richardson, the personal valet standing outside:
"I'm used to taking a 45-minute nap at this time, and I don't want anyone to disturb me."
"Yes, sir," Richardson replied humbly.
He was a mixed-race illegitimate child; his father was Loen, a steward of a manor, and his mother was East Balam native, a slave on that manor. After his birth, he suffered discrimination and bullying, which fostered a timid and obedient personality. Because of his rather good appearance, suitable for receiving guests, he was chosen by the manor's owner as a male servant and brought to Backlund.
When the Kingdom of Loen passed the bill abolishing slavery, he lost his job and had no choice but to ask the " Metropolis Help Domestic Servants Association " for assistance.
Before Klein, he had served two families, made some Error, and gained a lot of experience. He was noticed by the butler Walter and became Dawn Dantès ' personal valet.
Klein glanced at Richardson, who was tall and about the same height as him, and shook his head almost imperceptibly, sighing inwardly:
"This guy, who looks like a star, is only fit to be a servant in this day and age. And despite being so tall and strong, he's timid and cowardly. But that can also be considered an advantage: he's obedient, silent, and submissive. He does whatever his master tells him to do and never acts on his own..."
"If I only had one personal valet to handle all the affairs, Richardson would certainly be unqualified. But I also have Butler Walter and so many other servants. With his experience and ability, he can handle the rest."
Without saying much, Klein closed and locked the door, returned to his armchair, took four steps backward, and entered the Gray Fog.
He sat down in the " The Fool's" seat, waved his hand, and sent the charred " The Moon Puppet " flying over and landing in front of him.
After careful examination, Klein found nothing unusual, so he conjured paper and pen and wrote down the Divination statement:
Its origin.
Klein put down his pen, waited a few seconds before picking up the paper, and leaned back in his chair.
"Hmm, my Spirituality intuition didn't stop me from Divination, which means the danger lurking in the ' The Moon Puppet ' isn't as great as the Beyonder Characteristic of the Rose School of Thought..." Klein muttered to himself, skillfully reciting the Divination phrases.
In the gray, hazy world, he saw an altar with a ring of torches around it.
The altar was covered with what appeared to be human skin, and there were bloody marks everywhere. In the center were three candles and several thin, wooden-like Puppet.
These small Puppet have curved eyes and curved mouths, seemingly corresponding to the crimson crescent moon in the sky.
Therefore, they always wear eerie smiles, and their bodies are covered with withered grass and dried flowers.
A priest in a dark red robe was pacing vigorously around the altar, as if he were performing a dance invented by an epileptic patient.
At some point, the Moonlight gathered and shone on the Puppet, making them brighter and brighter until finally, it seemed as if there were ripples gently swaying there.
The ceremony was drawing to a close when the priest picked up a long, thin Puppet, walked to the human who was tied to a nearby shelf, and plunged it into the human's eye socket.
Amidst the piercing screams, the scene shifts rapidly, showing the dead, their eye sockets pierced with " The Moon Puppet," being systematically buried in one area.
The scene begins to unfold in leaps and bounds. Whenever there is Full Moon or Blood Moon, its radiance falls upon the burial ground, seeping in like water, making the surroundings dark and profound.
Klein opened his eyes, adjusted his posture, and roughly understood the origin of the " The Moon Puppet ":
They originated from a ritual that prayed to the " The Moon Primordial," a ritual that lasted for hundreds of years!
Over the centuries, they absorbed the power of the Red Moon, mutating little by little, until they were discovered by certain colonists.
They are not usually strange, and only believers of the " The Moon Primordial " can activate them using the correct method. As for what the effect is, Klein does not know.
In a sense, these Puppet are equivalent to the God's Grace of the " The Moon Primordial "... After I killed one of them last night, the evil god became angry, and thus the Blood Moon appeared? Klein tapped the edge of the mottled long table with his fingers, making a preliminary judgment.
Hmm, the " The Moon Primordial's" wrath directly altered the lunar phases, manifesting as Blood Moon... If this guess is correct, then it means that in the realm of the red moon, the goddess is inferior to the " The Moon Primordial," and may even only hold the title, wielding a "0" level Sealed Artifact... Klein nodded slightly, attempting to Divination the weaknesses of the " The Moon Puppet."
This time, he saw the sunlight and he saw the lightning.
In other words, the extraordinary abilities of the " The Sun " domain and the lightning of the " Storm " domain are best suited to deal with it... While deciphering the contents of the revelation, Klein threw the " The Moon Puppet " into the pile of junk and returned to the real world.
An hour later, Walter, dressed impeccably and wearing white gloves, knocked on the door, entered the room, and bowed, saying:
"Sir, I will now print some of your business cards and, along with a small gift, deliver them to your neighbors."
"They will observe you for a few days to confirm your situation. If they are willing to accept you, they will reciprocate with gifts and invite you to visit."
What title should be added to your business card?
Title... The Fool That Doesn't Belong to This Era? Klein muttered to himself, then smiled and replied:
"The merchant Dawn Dantès from Desi is sufficient."
Walter, then said:
"Based on your wishes, I will arrange etiquette lessons for you immediately, with a focus on dancing. I will hire a professional private tutor."