"Stop thinking about that damn bill, let's talk about the ritual magic instead." Old Neil, with a relaxed expression, gathered up the candles, the large cauldron, the silver knife and other items.
Klein really wanted to shrug his shoulders like the Americans he had been in the previous life, but in the end, he still didn't do this ungentlemanly action.
He turned his attention back to the ritual magic itself, threw out the previously confusing detailed questions one by one, and received sufficient definite answers, such as the incantations recited had a certain format. As long as it met this format and the key meaning was expressed clearly in Hermes language, the other parts could be freely developed. Of course,亵渎性的,不够尊崇的描述是绝对禁止的.
This "mysticism course" lasted until noon. Old Neil coughed twice softly:
"We must return to Zotlan Street."
At this point, he muttered indistinctly:
"To collect those damn materials, I missed a lovely breakfast."
Klein looked around with a smile and confusion:
"Mr. Neil, don't you have a chef at home? Or a maid in charge of cooking?"
A weekly salary of 12 pounds is enough to support several servants!
According to the newspaper, if accommodation and food are provided, hiring an ordinary chef only requires a weekly salary of 12 to 15 pence, not even 1 pound. The female servants for odd jobs are even cheaper, with a weekly salary ranging from 3 pence 6 pence to 6 pence. Of course, you can't expect their cooking skills.
Well, not quite. With Mr. Neil still owing 30 pounds of debt, not hiring a chef was normal...
It seems that I asked the wrong question again...
When Klein regretted it, Old Neil shook his head nonchalantly:
"I often try ritual magic at home, study extraordinary items and corresponding literature. I won't and can't hire ordinary people as chefs, servants and maids. I just have people come regularly to clean, but if they are not ordinary people, do you think they would be willing to do similar work?"
"I seem to have asked a stupid question. Maybe it's because I don't do mysterious things at home." Klein explained self-deprecatingly.
Old Neil had already stood up, put on a round-brimmed felt hat, and was walking towards the door while muttering:
"I seem to smell the aroma of fried foie gras... When the bill is completely settled, I definitely have to have a good portion! I'm sure I can eat a whole piece of roast pork with apple sauce for lunch, no, this is not enough, I must have another sausage with mashed potatoes..."
I'm getting hungry... Klein swallowed a mouthful of saliva and quickly followed Old Neil towards the nearby public carriage stop.
Back on Zotlan Street, Old Neil had just got off the carriage when he suddenly "ah"ed:
"What did I see? Goddess, what did I see?"
He suddenly moved agilely, like a teenager in his twenties, quickly came to the roadside, picked up an item.
Klein approached curiously, and upon careful inspection, he discovered that it was a well-made leather wallet.
With his eyesight and knowledge, it was difficult for him to distinguish whether this dark brown wallet was made of cowhide or sheepskin. He only noticed that there was a small blue pattern embroidered on it, and above the pattern was a white dove spreading its wings to fly.
This was Klein's first impression. From the second glance on, his eyes were stuck on the stacks of bills inside the wallet.
They were gold coins with black patterns, at least 20 on the top!
Old Neil unfolded the wallet, pulled out the bills, and looked at them carefully, then he exclaimed:
"10-pound notes, the respected 'founder' and 'protector'" William I. Oh, goddess, a total of 30, and several 5-pound, 1-pound and 5 shilling notes."
More than 300 pounds? This is a truly huge sum! Maybe I won't be able to save this much money in ten years... Klein's breathing involuntarily became heavy.
Because the gold coins are so valuable, finding such a wallet is like finding a box of money in the future.
"I don't know which gentleman dropped it... It definitely couldn't be an ordinary person." Klein calmly analyzed.
This wallet clearly doesn't belong to a woman.
"Don't worry about who he is," Old Neil chuckled. "We won't try to take these money that doesn't belong to us. Let's wait here for a moment. I think that gentleman will come back to look for it soon. For anyone, this is not something that can be easily given up."
Klein breathed a sigh of relief and gained a new understanding of Old Neil's moral character.
He had been quite worried that he would use the "gift from the goddess" excuse to use the money to pay the bills and was struggling to figure out how to stop it and persuade him.
This is "do as you please, but don't hurt"? Klein suddenly had a bit of understanding.
The two of them waited on the street for less than a minute before seeing a luxurious four-wheeled carriage speeding towards them. The pale blue emblem on the side was a white dove with wings spread.
The carriage stopped, a middle-aged man in black formal attire and wearing the same color tie stepped out of the carriage and looked at the wallet, took off his hat and bowed:
"Two gentlemen, this should be my master's wallet."
"Your emblem proves everything, but I need to verify it again. It's for everyone's sake. May I ask, how much money is in the wallet?" Old Neil replied politely.
The middle-aged man was stunned for a moment, then chuckled self-deprecatingly:
"As a housekeeper, I shouldn't know how much money is left in my master's wallet. Sorry, please allow me to ask."
"This is your freedom," Old Neil gestured with his hand.
The middle-aged man returned to the carriage, communicating with the people inside through the window.
He moved closer to Klein and Old Neil, smiling and saying:
"It's more than 300 pounds, less than 350 pounds. My master doesn't remember the exact amount."
Didn't remember... That's really a rich guy! If I had that much money, I would count it over and over again... Klein was filled with envy about this.
Old Neil nodded and handed the wallet back:
"Goddess proves, this belongs to you."
The middle-aged man took the wallet, roughly counted it, and then pulled out three 10-pound notes:
"My master is Sir Deveril, he said your qualities impressed him, this is the reward for honest people. Please don't refuse."
Sir Deveril? The Sir Deveril who established the "Deveril Trust Company" to provide cheap rental housing for the lower class workers? Klein suddenly remembered this name.
He was the knight respected by his elder brother Benson and considered not realistic enough in his actions.
"Thank you, Sir. He is a kind and generous gentleman," Old Neil didn't hold back and took the three banknotes.
After watching Sir Deveril's carriage disappear, he saw no one around and turned to Klein, tossing the banknotes and smiling:
"30 pounds, the bill is settled."
"I said it would be settled in a reasonable way."
"This is the power of magic." ... The power of the god TM magic! That's also possible! Klein was once again dumbfounded.
After a few minutes of hesitation, he entered the stairwell and climbed towards the security company. He asked in confusion:
"Mr. Neil, why didn't you ask for a larger amount?"
"Don't be greedy. Especially when performing the ritual magic, you must not be greedy. Self-restraint is the key element for every secret seeker to live long enough." Old Neil explained in a relaxed and cheerful tone. ...
In the huge banquet hall, several chandeliers were topped with burning candles, emitting pleasant scents that lifted one's spirits and accumulating light in quantities comparable to that of gas lamps.
On each long table were placed delicious foods such as pan-fried foie gras, grilled steak, roasted chicken, fried sea bass, Dixie oysters, stewed lamb, and cream soup. Additionally, there were bottles of Misty Champagne, Olmir wine, and South Wales red wine, all of which glowed invitingly under the light.
Several servants in red jackets carried plates with crystal cups, moving among the gentlemen and ladies who were either dressed elegantly or flamboyantly.
Audrey Hall was wearing a light white dress with a stand-up collar, high waist, and sheepskin sleeves. Her upper body was tightly束ed, and her waist was tightened to an extremely narrow size. The multi-layered cake cutout was perfectly supported by a whale collar.
Her golden hair was elegantly coiled, and her earrings, necklaces, and rings all shone with bright light. On her feet were a pair of white dancing shoes with roses and diamonds inlaid.
"Are there 4, 5, or 6 petticoats?" Audrey asked with her right hand, which was wearing white gloves, touching the skirt support.
Her left hand was holding a crystal-clear champagne.
Audrey was not like before, not standing at the center of the banquet and becoming the focus of everyone's attention. Instead, she avoided the hustle and bustle and stood quietly in the shadow of the curtain at the floor-to-ceiling window.
She took a sip of champagne and, with an attitude that didn't belong here, looked at the people in front of her with detachment:
The younger son of Count Wolf was chatting with the daughter of Conradian Earl. He likes to emphasize his words by waving his small arms. Well, the greater the extent of his waving, the less credible the content of his speech. This is a verified conclusion... He can't help but raise himself and belittle others, but it's hard for him to control his unease. This will be reflected in his way of speaking and body language...
Lady Della was covering her laughter with her left hand again and again. Well, I know now. She was showing off the pure aquamarine gemstone on her left hand...
Her husband, Duke Nigen, was discussing the situation with several conservative nobles not far away. Since the beginning of the banquet, he only actively looked for his wife, Della, once...
They hardly had any real eye contact... Perhaps, well, they weren't as affectionate as they showed...
Mrs. Parnis was laughed at by Lord Larry seven times. This was normal and not strange. But why did she look at her husband with a guilty gaze... Hmm, they separated... No, the places they went could all lead to the garden... ...
In this extravagant banquet, Audrey noticed many details that she would never have paid attention to otherwise.
For a moment, she almost truly believed that she was watching a play.
"Everyone is a good actor... " she sighed silently, her gaze cold.
Just then, she suddenly felt something, and abruptly turned her head, looking out of the spacious balcony at the far end, towards the dark corner of the balcony.
In that shadow, a golden-haired dog was sitting quietly, its gaze gentle and peaceful as it looked inside, at Audrey. Half of its body was hidden in the darkness.
Suzie... Audrey's lips twitched, her expression collapsing instantly, unable to maintain the "audience" role any longer.