Behind the gun rack was a display of cold weapons, primarily canes, rapiers, and short knives. Canes were the most common because they were the only weapons that also served as practical items that could be carried openly.
The imperial army issued five types of standard canes:
Battlefield metal canes – These were heavy, powerful enough to crush a skull, and had a hidden bayonet for close combat.
Law enforcement red pearwood canes – These canes were made from hard wood and were relatively cheap. Their natural reddish tint became more pronounced with use, making them visually striking during law enforcement operations when many were used together.
Short wooden canes – Not meant for combat, but the cane's head could be unscrewed to reveal a dagger. Officially called the "convenient military cane," they were also known as short cane swords. They were popular among soldiers and widely circulated on the civilian market, often used by gangs during street fights.
The other two types of military canes were cruder, primarily issued to engineers and logistics soldiers, and were not in stock here.
In addition to canes, short knives and rapiers were also common weapons.
The empire's rapiers resembled Earth's quick swords but had thicker, wider blades and were heavier. The guard was less ornate, and the swordsmanship was similar to Western techniques but emphasized footwork, faster strikes, and included slashing moves, making it a purely lethal technique.
Starting in public school, students were taught swordsmanship, mainly focused on the rapier.
Charlotte wasn't a swordsmanship expert but was proficient enough with basic forms for self-defense. However, in a fight, he would likely resort to humor instead. His marksmanship was better, not a sharpshooter, but he could hit a candle at twenty paces.
He didn't linger over the standard weapons and instead entered the small room at the back.
The bearded soldier's voice called out from behind, "If you choose one weapon, I'll waive the extra charges for the Warden's sake. If you choose two, you must sell one and keep only half the earnings. If you pick three, you can keep two."
"Maximum three."
Charlotte smiled slightly without turning around and said, "Three it is!"
There was a meaningful reason why Secretary Pascal had personally escorted him here and then left before he chose his weapons.
This was an unwritten rule.
An unwritten rule of Kilmainham Prison.
Charlotte had no intention of resisting these rules.
Since crossing into this world, he had only wanted to go with the flow, not to change it.
The bearded soldier muttered, "Not a bad newcomer," and turned to leave.
Charlotte pondered for a moment before examining the small room with confiscated weapons.
The room was lined with wooden shelves, though the wood was of mediocre quality, and not much was stored here—only about thirty or forty items.
Among the sparse items, there were almost no firearms, and most of the weapons showed significant wear from age.
Charlotte's attention was quickly drawn to a small hand axe.
"A bloodsucking weapon!"
Charlotte was astonished as he picked up the hand axe, having never expected to encounter such a weapon.
The hand axe was only about half an arm's length, even shorter than the short cane sword, and was a dark red color, the natural hue of blood steel, a specialty of the vampire race. It was exquisitely forged, with intricate patterns engraved on both the blade and handle.
Charlotte had studied this in university and recognized the designs as belonging to the Vanga family.
Bloodsucking weapons were almost exclusively produced by vampires and were said to require the blood core of a baron or higher-ranked vampire to forge. These sinister weapons were rare even among vampires, typically belonging to the vampire nobility and passed down as family heirlooms. It was said that even among hundreds of ordinary vampire warriors, few would possess one.
These weapons could drain the enemy's blood, providing the wielder with continuous strength, giving them a significant advantage in battle.
Among humans, bloodsucking weapons were even rarer.
These were vampire-specific weapons, and only vampires could activate their blood-draining abilities. For other races, not only was it impossible to use the blood-draining power, but the weapon could even siphon life force from the wielder.
In the human empire, bloodsucking weapons were notorious as cursed weapons, deterring all but the most ardent collectors.
Charlotte gripped the small, delicate hand axe tightly, taking a deep breath, feeling a slight sting in his palm.
Charlotte Mecklenburg was an extraordinary being.
He possessed a minor supernatural ability.
The strange energy he controlled was called "Blood Glory."
During his studies at Sheffield University, Charlotte had taken an elective course on an ancient and obscure supernatural art called Blood Glory.
When activated, the hand axe emitted a strange red glow.
Since returning from Saines, the Blood Glory within him had been steadily growing, no longer imperceptible.
In public schools, only mundane combat techniques were taught, but the National Academy taught knightly breathing techniques, guiding students to cultivate power seeds and awaken battle qi. At the university level, students were introduced to supernatural knowledge, beginning their pursuit of truth.
Even though only one or two out of a hundred university students might master supernatural powers by graduation, it was still a unique gift from the gods.
Blood Glory was a supernatural path developed by humans in imitation of vampires, specifically to wield bloodsucking weapons. It was a combat technique created for hunting vampires, and most vampires despised Blood Glory.
The original Charlotte Mecklenburg chose this ability not out of any hatred for vampires but for a simple reason: Blood Glory was one of the few supernatural powers that could enhance charisma and had some longevity benefits.
Very much like Charlotte!
He had failed multiple times to "awaken the supernatural" during his four years at university, which led him to attempt the dangerous "summoning of an evil god."
He succeeded in completing the spirit awakening ritual, officially becoming an extraordinary being.
But he also failed, as the evil god took his soul.
Huang Haisheng had crossed over and inherited everything!
Charlotte examined the hand axe carefully, without hesitation, and chose it as his first weapon.
He had never imagined saving up enough from his salary to purchase a supernatural weapon, especially one that resonated with Blood Glory. Even if he had the money, such an opportunity would be as rare as winning the lottery. How could he pass up this chance, now that it had suddenly presented itself?
After securing the bloodsucking hand axe, Charlotte circled the room and selected two more items.
One was a rare cold weapon—a multi-headed flail.
The other was an old magical rapier.
With his weapons chosen, Charlotte left the armory confidently.
He handed the old magical rapier to the bearded soldier, who took it, checked the other two items Charlotte had selected, recorded them, and then left him alone.