Chương 462: Chapter 462: The Yellow Robe Phenomenon
Chapter 462: The Yellow Robe Phenomenon
A week later, Klein finally established himself firmly in Backlund.
Through an introduction, he arrived at the "Metropolitan Family Help Servants Association" in the Chowood District. There, he hired a male butler for daily life management and a female butler for financial management.
With these two butlers, he quickly rented a large house not far from St. Samuel's Cathedral.
The house at 160 Backlund Street had a clean lawn, a small garden, well-appointed rooms, and sufficient furniture. Each floor had numerous washrooms.
The annual rent was about 300 pounds, which was quite a bit more than the 160 pounds he initially expected. However, to maintain his image as a wealthy man, he paid the extra amount.
Unexpectedly, renting the house was just the beginning. Following the butler's advice, he hired a personal valet, two first-class maids for the bedrooms, two second-class maids for the living room, two footmen for receiving guests, a storeroom maid, a kitchen maid, a laundry maid, and a handyman.
In addition to these, he needed a chef, a gardener, a coachman, a family nurse, and a handyman.
He also needed two carriages: one for daily use and a more luxurious one for attending banquets.
Despite these expenses, Klein maintained a proper smile while watching his gold pounds dwindle.
He now truly understood the vast difference between his life and that of nobles like Miss Audrey and Mr. Hastur.
It was a glaring threshold that kept those without sufficient financial resources out.
Even though the door was always open, ordinary people found it hard to cross the threshold into this world.
As Klein gradually became numb to spending money, his life as a wealthy man began to take shape.
His first task was to sell all his bicycle shares under his previous identity.
He had no choice; he was too short on money.
In a complex and dangerous metropolis like Backlund, he needed to keep some money aside for future needs, including seeking help from Miss Messenger.
Moreover, to infiltrate St. Samuel's Cathedral, he needed to spend money.
To attract the attention of the bishops at St. Samuel's Cathedral, he donated a significant amount of gold pounds each time he attended prayers.
This was just the first step. To enter the noble class, he needed to actively participate in charity balls and similar events to showcase his generosity and wealth.
Finally, with a bit of free time one afternoon, Klein lay on his large bed, wishing he could rest for a day.
But soon, there was a knock on the door.
Klein rubbed his temples and let the butler in.
"Sir, I plan to print some of your business cards and send them along with small gifts to the neighbors."
"They will observe you for a few days to confirm your situation. If they are willing to accept you, they will return the favor and invite you to their homes."
Klein understood that this meant more spending.
The people living nearby were generally upper-middle class, mostly wealthy individuals and minor nobles.
To show his sincerity as a newcomer, the gifts couldn't be too cheap.
"Do as you see fit. I trust your professional judgment," Klein said with a smile, leaving everything to his capable butler while he silently acted as the money dispenser.
"You will also need to hire a professional dance instructor to better integrate into Backlund's social events."
Klein continued to smile and nod. After sending the butler away, he rested in his room for a while, then changed his identity and went out to buy some ice cream to appease Will.
...
At St. Samuel's Cathedral, Leonard, who had been promoted to the captain of a Red Glove squad, did not follow the church personnel to the battlefield between the Fusac Empire and the Ruen Kingdom.
Instead, he stayed in Backlund to handle matters that ordinary Night Watchers couldn't solve.
Currently, the Night Watchers had only one pressing issue: how to deal with the increasing occurrences of the Yellow Robe Phenomenon.
The Night Watchers referred to the behavior of Yellow Robe Monks wandering the streets at night, chanting hymns from the *Children of the Stars*, as the Yellow Robe Phenomenon.
This phenomenon was becoming more frequent, occurring every three or four nights in Backlund.
They usually just wandered the streets at night, wearing yellow robes and chanting classic verses from *Children of the Stars*.
Apart from the occasional beggar or drunkard who encountered them, ordinary residents were unaware of their existence.
During the day, they returned to their normal lives, only to don their yellow robes again at night and gather into a group.
As long as no one provoked them, they would disperse at dawn like ghosts in the night.
However, if someone accidentally offended them or acted maliciously towards them, the consequences were severe.
Recent cases showed that those who desecrated the faith of the Yellow Robe Monks did not die immediately but suffered extreme bad luck. Some lost all their possessions, while others died in bizarre accidents like choking, falling, or drowning.
The church had tried to stop them, but those sent to intervene either became Yellow Robe Monks themselves or suffered the same fate as the offenders.
To prevent the situation from escalating, the Night Watchers chose to follow the Yellow Robe Monks at night, dispersing anyone who might approach them.
This approach maintained peace, but with the increasing frequency of the phenomenon and the personnel drawn to the Fusac Empire battlefield, the Night Watchers struggled to manage.
Leonard quietly reviewed all the information on the Yellow Robe Phenomenon, feeling curious.
He remembered that the Yellow Robe Monks were once very secretive, hiding in the shadows.
Why were so many of them now appearing and wandering the streets at night?
"Captain, please review this report from the harbor."
"Okay, you can continue with your work."
Leonard took the report, placed it on the table, and took a sip of strong coffee to refresh himself before reading it.
The report contained the testimonies of three witnesses, or rather, lucky survivors.
They claimed to have encountered a mysterious figure in a yellow robe on the streets at night.
The first witness said he was initially very nervous and scared, wanting to escape but unable to. He was gradually drawn to the yellow-robed figure.
After a brief exchange, he expressed his wish, which was miraculously granted. His daughter, missing for eight years, finally returned to him.
The second witness's story was similar, with the yellow-robed figure fulfilling his wish.
The third witness mentioned seeing a friend, driven by greed, wish for endless wealth from the yellow-robed figure. Instead, his friend was turned into a gold coin, which the yellow-robed figure tossed into a beggar's bowl.
Since then, his friend disappeared without a trace.
The Night Watchers retrieved the coin from the beggar, but it was just an ordinary coin upon inspection.
The report concluded that since these incidents, yellow-robed figures occasionally appeared on the streets at night.
Leonard pondered for a while, forming a rough idea.
He speculated that the mysterious yellow-robed figure granting wishes might be an incarnation of the king in Yellow, whom the Yellow Robe Monks worshipped.
Perhaps the monks wandered the streets at night to encounter their deity or to demonstrate their devotion.
Leonard thought carefully, taking notes to summarize his thoughts.
That night, Leonard returned to his room, took a bath, and lay on his bed, subconsciously asking the old man in his mind for his opinion on the matter.
"No opinion."
"Old man, aren't you usually good at long-winded speeches? Why so brief today?" Leonard teased.
"The unknown is the most terrifying thing. Do you really understand the king in Yellow?"
Before Leonard could answer, the old man's mocking voice continued, "Do you really want to understand?"
No!
Cherish life, stay away from the unknown.
Leonard's answer came naturally to his mind.
"But I can't just ignore it forever, can I?"
"If you can't handle it, won't you report it?"
The old man fell silent after this disdainful remark.
"…"
Leonard was speechless but agreed that this was the best approach for now.
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