In the early hours of the morning, in the well-ventilated but silent and deep underground, the yellow gaslight, protected by glass, shone steadily without flickering, illuminating the empty, peaceful corridor.
Klein sat in the duty room, casually flipping through the stack of newspapers, magazines, and books in front of him, while keeping a small part of his attention on the outside, guarding against anyone rushing toward the
His coat and top hat were hung on the hat rack by the entrance, his cane resting quietly against the wall, within easy reach.
The rich aroma of coffee filled the air. Klein involuntarily took a breath, pinched his temples, trying to combat the heaviness in his head and the fatigue in his body.
Although when he was at university on Earth, he was a tough guy who often slept at five in the morning and woke up at noon, and during the two or three years of work, he occasionally pulled all-nighters and could still go to work energetically the next day, that had to be credited to games being too fun, novels being too enjoyable, and movies, variety shows, and TV dramas being too interesting.
But this world clearly lacked these necessities for staying up all night.
"Emperor Roselle, if you're going to show off, do it properly! Devote your limited life to unlimited undertakings, lead the people of another world into the information age with steady progress!" Klein muttered silently, consoling himself that at least there were newspapers, magazines, and an ever-growing variety of novels.
He had originally thought to overcome drowsiness with focused study, but in practice found it conflicted with his duties, because once he got into a state, it was easy to ignore the sounds outside, to ignore the situation at Chanis Gate.
Sighing, Klein picked up his coffee cup and carefully blew on it.
He took a sip, letting the fragrance linger in his mouth, letting the liquid slowly flow down his esophagus.
"Pas Valley's Felmer coffee, very bitter, but very stimulating," Klein praised, setting down the cup.
Pas Valley, located in the Southern Continent, was a high-quality coffee bean region, currently contested by the Republic of Intis and the Kingdom of Loen—they had established colonial regimes on the left and right banks of the Pas Valley, overthrowing the original Kingdom of Pas.
In the unsettling quiet, Klein casually picked up a magazine and found it was *Ladies' Taste*, which discussed fashion and matching.
"It must have come from
Perhaps influenced by the rapid advancement of camera technology in the last decade or so, *Ladies' Taste* not only made extensive use of illustrations but also imitated newspapers by including black-and-white photographs as content.
They quite fashionably invited famous drama and opera actors to showcase the charm of clothing and the magic of coordination. In just seven years, it had developed from a regional new magazine in
"This dress is nice, and the face is nice too…" Klein leisurely browsed, not hiding his appreciation for beauty.
He was a physically and mentally normal man who had always admired pretty women, but he had long set a goal to find a way home, so he tried to keep distance from the opposite sex, not wanting to delay them or leave emotional debts.
As for seeking streetwalkers, he had a little bit of a cleanliness fetish in that regard.
Benson and Melissa were already bonds that existed, impossible to sever; he could only make up for it in the future… Klein suddenly felt heavy and couldn't help but sigh.
The longer he was away from home, the more he could feel that melancholy in the dead of night.
He instantly lost interest in admiring beautiful women, put down the magazine, and picked up a novel instead.
"*Storm Manor*, author,
Quiet night, yellow light, a book with a cover—it reminded him of the days when he rented books to read as a child, so he read on with nostalgia.
*Storm Manor* was about Miss Sisi, 1.65 meters tall and weighing 98 pounds, who went to Flius Manor to work as a governess.
"1 pound is about 1 jin… Is this an otherworldly version of Jane Eyre?" Klein murmured, rubbing the pleasant-feeling paper, guessing at the content to come.
However, just when he thought it was a romance novel, a "malevolent spirit" appeared. When he believed it was a horror novel, Miss Sisi revealed herself to be a detective and gave a brilliant deduction.
When Klein thought it was indeed a detective novel, the male lead was hit hard on the head, lost his memory, and started a tear-jerking plot.
"…In the end, it's still a romance novel." Klein closed the book, his head aching, and took a sip of coffee.
Dong!
Dong, dong, dong!
Sudden, intense knocking sounded, echoing through the dim and quiet corridor, echoing through the nearly deserted underground.
Klein was startled, his mind immediately tensing.
He instinctively drew his revolver from its armpit holster, adjusted the cylinder and trigger, and slowly moved to the door to find the source of the sound.
Dong! Dong! Dong!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The banging grew more violent. Klein followed the sound and saw the black iron double doors engraved with seven holy symbols.
"A sound from behind the Chanis Gate?" He squinted, his heart pounding like a drum.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Klein saw the Chanis Gate shake slightly, feeling the immense force it was enduring.
"No way… My first day on duty and something happens? Did I get bad luck after transmigrating?" Klein's right hand, gripping the revolver, started sweating.