Walking on Zouteland Street, blowing in the humid breeze, high-spirited Klein suddenly thought of something: He only had 3 pence left in change. Taking the public carriage back to Iron Cross Street cost 4 pence, and giving a 1-pound note for change was like before his transmigration using a 100-yuan bill to buy a cheap bottle of mineral water—it wasn't that there were no other ways, but he really couldn't bring himself to do it.
"Use 3 pence to ride 3 kilometers and walk the rest?" Klein put one hand in his pocket, slowed his pace, and thought about other options.
"No!" He quickly dismissed that idea. Walking the rest would take a while, and carrying a "huge sum" of 12 pounds was too unsafe! Also, he had previously worried that the Nighthawks would confiscate his revolver, so he deliberately didn't bring it today. If he encountered any danger related to Welch's death, he would be defenseless!
"Change money at a nearby bank? No, no, a 0.5% fee is too extravagant!" Klein shook his head silently. Just thinking about the possible fee made his heart ache!
One by one, the options were eliminated. Klein's eyes suddenly lit up when he saw a hat and clothing shop!
Right, isn't the most normal idea to buy something of suitable value to get change? Dress shirts, trousers, vests, boots, and a cane were all within budget—he'd have to buy them sooner or later! Well, clothes were troublesome to try on, and Benson knew more about them and was better at haggling, so he could wait for him to return... How about buying a cane? Not bad! There's a good saying: a cane is a gentleman's best self-defense weapon, it can even serve as half a crowbar. Holding a gun in one hand and a cane in the other is the civilized way to fight!
Amid these thoughts, Klein made up his mind. He half-turned and walked into the "Wilker's Hat and Clothing Shop."
The layout of the shop was very similar to clothing stores before his transmigration. On the left against the wall was a row of suits; in the center were shirts, trousers, vests, and ties; on the right were pairs of shoes and boots in glass cases.
"Sir, what would you like to buy?" A male clerk in a white shirt and red vest approached and asked politely.
In the Kingdom of Ruen, because gentlemen with status, power, and wealth preferred to wear white shirts, black vests, black trousers, and black suits—a rather monotonous color scheme—male servants, clerks, and waiters were required to wear brighter or multicolored clothes to distinguish between master and servant, or noble and commoner.
In contrast, ladies and misses wore dresses of various hues and ornate decorations, while maids could only wear black with white, or white with black.
In response to the clerk's question, Klein thought for a moment and said:
"A cane. Heavier and harder." The kind that can smash a dog's head!
The clerk in the red vest discreetly sized up Klein, led him into the shop, and pointed to the row of canes in the corner.
"The one with gold inlay is made of ironwood. It's very heavy and very hard. 11 sols and 7 pence. Would you like to try it?"
11 sols and 7 pence? Why don't you just rob me? So what if it has gold inlay? Klein was taken aback by the price. Keeping his composure, he nodded slightly:
"Okay."
The clerk carefully took down the ironwood cane and handed it to Klein, as if afraid he might drop and damage it.
As soon as Klein took the cane, he felt its weight. He tried to move it and realized he wouldn't be able to swing it smoothly.
"Too heavy." Klein shook his head and breathed a sigh of relief. That was no excuse!
The clerk put the ironwood cane back and pointed to three others.
"This one is walnut, made by Mr. Heis, the most famous cane craftsman in Tingen. 10 sols and 3 pence... This one is water-ebony, with silver inlay, as hard as steel. 7 sols and 6 pence... This one is made from the heartwood of the white bolly tree, also with silver inlay. 7 sols and 10 pence..."
Klein took each one and tried them out, finding the weights suitable. Then he tapped them with his finger to roughly gauge the hardness of each. Finally, he chose the cheapest one.
"I'll take this water-ebony one," Klein said, pointing to the cane with a silver knob in the clerk's hand.
"Very well, sir. Please come with me to pay over there. If this cane gets worn or stained in the future, you can bring it back to us, and we'll take care of it for free." The clerk led Klein to the counter.
Taking the opportunity, Klein unfolded the four pound notes in his palm and took out one of the two smaller ones.
"Hello, 7 sols and 6 pence," the clerk behind the counter greeted with a smile.
Klein wanted to maintain gentlemanly dignity, but when his left hand holding the 1-pound note extended, he couldn't help but ask:
"Can you make it a bit cheaper?"
"Sir, these are all handmade, our costs are very high," the clerk in the red vest answered. "Besides, the owner isn't here, so we're not authorized to lower the price."
The clerk behind the counter echoed:
"Sorry, sir."
"All right," Klein handed over the note and took the black cane with the silver knob from the red-vested clerk.
While waiting for change, he stepped back a few paces to create some distance and gave his "secondary weapon" a small test swing.
Wh! Wh! Wh!