Neil rubbed his temples, saying:
"Why they committed suicide is probably clear to you now. The notebook is now in the hands of Riel Bieber, and the matter has been exposed. Whether you are alive or dead, it will be difficult to further influence the course of events. I believe the mysterious presence or force behind all this will no longer pay special attention to you, just as you would not care about ants on the ground. As long as you don't try to make 'Him' remember you."
"And the news of our pursuit of Riel Bieber will soon reach the Secret Society. They should be able to surmise that this is related to the whereabouts of the Antigonus Family's notebook. Trust me, these secretive organizations that have survived for thousands of years definitely have various channels of information. So, their focus will shift to finding Riel Bieber and attempting to find the notebook before us. They will not, and cannot, harass you or track you down anymore."
"Young man, congratulations on freeing yourself from the shadows of the past, and preparing to embark on a journey filled with sunshine."
Klein listened, nodding frequently, expressing both joy and relaxation:
"I hope so."
The gloom that had enveloped him since he crossed over to this side seemed to be dissipating...
However, to be frank, Klein was still a bit uneasy because there seemed to be some kind of connection between himself and that notebook. So much so that even during normal hostage rescue missions, he would coincidentally discover traces left behind.
He was truly afraid that one day, the mailman would suddenly deliver a package, and upon opening it, he would find the Antigonus Family's notebook!
He silently prayed for everything to unfold as Neil described...
Neil heard his response and chuckled:
"You don't seem to be a devout believer of the Goddess. Shouldn't you be drawing a red moon on your chest and saying 'May the Goddess bless us' at this moment?"
"Mr. Neil, it seems you're not a true believer either. A true believer wouldn't say 'preparing to embark on a journey filled with sunshine.' After this period of 'mystical studies,' Klein and Neil have developed a good friendship, so he sarcastically retorted.
The two exchanged a glance, laughed tacitly, and simultaneously said:
"Praise the Goddess!"
Just then, the sound of gears turning and marbles rolling was heard, and the gate of the Black Thorn Security Company was opened.
The elegant and graceful Mrs. Olyana pinned up her fashionable curls and walked into the reception hall with a light green skirt swaying.
"Good morning, Mr. Neil, good morning, Klein." She greeted them cheerfully, holding a small leather bag.
"Good morning, Olyana, you're still as beautiful as you were over a decade ago." Mr. Neil responded with a smile.
Olyana's eyes narrowed, her face stiffened:
"Mr. Neil, your compliments still make people angry after more than a decade."
She emphasized the words "over a decade."
"Is that so?" Mr. Neil looked puzzledly at Klein, his face full of confusion.
Never mention anything that might remind a lady of her age... As someone who knows a little about everything, Klein instantly understood Mrs. Olyana's concern and chuckled lightly:
"Good morning, Mrs. Olyana, you're beautiful every day."
"Thank you, our distinguished graduate of Hoy University." Olyana nodded with a faint smile, then continued, "The old butler has already paid the reward for the commissioned task. According to the captain's regulations, half belongs to the additional funds, and half will be given to you and Leonard. Since you are not a formal team member, you can only receive ten percent of that half. You can come to sign and collect it later."
"How much did he pay?" Klein asked, both happy and concerned.
"200 pounds, that's what he said. Oh my, by the storm above, I can hardly imagine or believe that the matter has been resolved like this! It's no more difficult than having a dream! Why doesn't your security company have any reputation? It's a disgrace to the entire industry!" Mrs. Olyana imitated the old butler's accent with a southern twang.
Klein thought seriously for a few seconds before humorously remarking, "That's not quite fair to those kidnappers."
The two extraordinary individuals swiftly resolved the matter in a manner that could be described as relaxed and comfortable... It was like fully armed adults bullying a few children...
"They were just unlucky; they must have lost the favor of the gods." Olyana chuckled softly, "I told the old butler that this commission was just our luck, as we happened to have an informant see those kidnappers with the children entering their hiding place. So, don't have too many expectations of us. We really are just a very ordinary security company."
Generally speaking, the more one emphasizes being ordinary, the less ordinary they are... Klein chuckled to himself inwardly, watching Mrs. Olyana pass through the partition and enter the accounting office.
Next to him, Neil clicked his lips, expressing hidden envy as he said, "You're a lucky lad, just joined us and already encountered a commission worth 200 pounds."
"Is that rare?" Klein asked in puzzlement.
Previously, he had been studying history, delving into mysteries, or wandering outside, seeking clues with inspiration.
"According to Olyana's statistics, we may not encounter a commission even once a week, and most commissions are valued at less than 20 pounds." Neil sighed as he rubbed the white crystal pendant on his wrist.
Then, he looked at Klein with a hint of expectation, "If we come across similar commissions in the future, please remember to inform me."
Listening to Neil's words, Klein suddenly felt a strange feeling, so he asked directly, "Mr. Neil, do you seem to be short of money? How much do you earn weekly? If it's not convenient to say, please ignore my question."
Neil leaned back against the sofa's backrest, chuckling, "It's not something that needs to be concealed. I've been here for many years. Currently, I receive a weekly salary from the church and the police department, totaling 12 pounds."
"12 pounds a week?" Klein blurted out incredulously.
12 pounds a week, 52 weeks a year, that's almost 600 pounds or more a year! He had seen in The Tingen Morning Post and The Honest Man's Paper that high-level barristers earned between 800 and 1,000 pounds a year, and those were high-level barristers! And Benson, the manager of their import and export company, only earned 6 pounds a week, which was already considered quite decent.
"Yes, such a salary is actually quite generous, and we don't have to pay income tax." Neil added with a smile.
Klein had heard from his brother Benson that if the weekly salary exceeded 1 pound, they would have to pay Class E tax, which was the income tax for government and corporate employee salaries. It ranged from 3% for the portion between 1 to 2 pounds, 5% for the portion between 2 to 5 pounds, 10% for the portion between 5 to 10 pounds, and 15% for the portion between 10 to 20 pounds, and 20% for anything above 20 pounds.
In addition to this, he had seen in the newspaper that there were four other types of income taxes: Class A was a tax on land, housing, and other tangible appreciation profits, including ground rent and rent; Class B was a tax on agricultural income; Class C was a tax on bond, fund, and stock profits; and Class D was a tax on income from commercial, financial, and professional industries.
"Indeed, a point to be appreciated," Klein echoed Neil's words.
"But..." Neil shook his head, "For extraordinary individuals like us who need to explore secrets frequently, practice often, and experiment with rituals, the salary is never enough."
"Aren't the materials provided through application?" Klein asked in surprise.
Neil chuckled, "There are limits to that, and sometimes, you must provide sufficient legitimate reasons. If you want to practice and experiment more in the mystical field, you have to spend money to purchase materials yourself, either internally or in some underground trading markets."
Klein's spirits lifted at this revelation, and he immediately inquired, "There are underground trading markets for extraordinary materials? I thought, I thought the church would never allow them to exist."
He was lacking sufficient channels to acquire materials!
As someone with a nascent secret organization behind him, he couldn't always rely on the Night Watch to resolve everything, could he?
"Such matters are impossible to control. In the view of mysticism, all things have spirits, all things are interconnected. The materials we use not only come from extraordinary species but also from normal animals, plants, and minerals. For example, the Deadly Nightshade, Goldenseal, and Night-blooming Jasmine in your potion 'Oracle' are commonly encountered in daily life. They may not have extraordinary properties, but they each possess their own characteristics. Through blending and fusion, they can achieve certain effects. Therefore, these transactions cannot be banned just because the church wishes it." Neil explained in detail.
Before Klein could speak, Neil continued, "Moreover, extraordinary species are not only useful for their core. Like the Lavasquid, apart from blood, its eyeballs, skin, and tentacles are also good materials. Unless the church captures them all with their own people, trying to completely hoard and control the outflow will be a huge economic burden. The lower-tier extraordinary materials are like this. We can only try to prevent the more special ones from circulating."
Neil suddenly chuckled, "Another important reason is that the underground trading markets we know about are always better than the ones we don't. Under the premise that secret organizations have not been completely eradicated, this is a good strategy, and it can also help us obtain scarce materials. Of course, with the existence of such markets, banned items will inevitably appear. As long as they are not too outrageous or dangerous, we pretend not to see them, at most using them to enrich our treasury."
"Plus, the major churches are mutually restraining each other, so they can't employ too aggressive means, right?" Klein speculated.
Neil made a sound of agreement without going into specifics.
"I'm an 'Oracle,' and I will definitely need repeated practice in the future, needing more materials. Mr. Neil, could you take me to those underground trading markets?" Klein requested with a legitimate reason.
Neil showed a hesitant expression, "Actually, most of the active individuals in those places are not extraordinary. There are nobles who are fond of mysteries and wealthy individuals who aspire in this area... Well, alright, I have a 30-pound bill due soon, so I can't go for the time being."
"Alright..." Klein hadn't expected the reason to be unpaid debts.
After a while, he hesitated before saying, "Mr. Neil, do you need to borrow money? I have a reward of 10 pounds."
"Haha, there's no need, I can handle it," Neil patted the sofa and slowly stood up. "Ah, old age is truly the most formidable enemy of living beings. The night shift last night left me extremely exhausted. Hmm, this morning, you review your previous lessons and read more literature. By tomorrow, I'll start teaching you the basics of ritual magic."
"Alright." Klein stood up and bid farewell, tipping his hat.
In the afternoon, seeing that Captain Dunn had not yet returned, Klein pretended to still be searching for the notebook and once again wandered the streets.
With the 10-pound reward, he no longer needed to wait for funds to be allocated. He could go directly to the Divination Club!
The whispers and visions that occasionally appeared during meditation and clairvoyance made him eager to start "acting."