A well-preserved antique magical rapier from the Sherlock Dynasty would never be priced below 180 gold écus, with some rare pieces fetching over 300 écus.
Because of this, there are many imitation Sherlock Dynasty rapiers on the market, and the one Charlotte purchased is undoubtedly a replica.
The only reason he bought this imitation antique rapier is that it came with an authentic scabbard from the Sherlock Dynasty period.
Scabbards from that era are even rarer than intact magical rapiers. Due to their rarity and the fact that they aren't considered valuable artifacts, they are not widely sought after.
Few people know that certain components of the Sherlock Dynasty scabbards were made from the same type of steel used in the magical rapiers. Only the original scabbard could conceal the magical fluctuations of the rapier, preventing enemies from detecting it prematurely. However, these scabbards are not enchanted and are not considered magical items.
Collectors in the Faris Empire often replace old scabbards with new ones to enhance their collection's appearance. The original scabbards, often too old or damaged, are discarded and end up in second-hand weapon shops.
On Earth, finding a genuine antique in a second-hand shop is as unlikely as a fairy tale due to the abundance of skilled "antique" scammers.
However, in the Faris Empire, where even professional antique dealers don't exist, there are often overlooked antiques in second-hand shops.
Charlotte planned to find a reliable blacksmith to melt down the scabbard and forge it into a new rapier. If he could add a bit of meteoric iron, the quality would surpass that of military rapiers, though the process would be complicated.
Charlotte continued to browse the weapons market, eventually purchasing a second-hand Magnum revolver and twenty bullets for 89 centimes. The shop owner even threw in an underarm holster that could be concealed beneath a coat.
A brand new Magnum revolver fetches no more than two or three florins on the black market, with second-hand ones priced at about half.
The one Charlotte bought was very cheap, naturally more worn, only about 80% new, but with no damaged parts. He even test-fired it and found the accuracy satisfactory.
Charlotte didn't expect to use it often, so he didn't care much about its condition as long as it was functional.
After securing his two weapons, Charlotte also got a convenient leather sheath for his bloodsucking hand axe and then left the weapons market, walking back to the Savings Union Apartments.
As soon as he reached the apartment building, Charlotte felt something was amiss. There were four or five patrol carriages parked outside, with a dozen or so military horses tied up, and several city patrol soldiers chatting by the carriages, indicating that something had happened.
He approached them with a friendly greeting and said, "I'm Charlotte Mecklenburg, a Grade 1 Clerk at the Central Government Office and a tenant here. Could you tell me what's going on?"
Charlotte was very young, and claiming to be a Chief Clerk could easily be mistaken for a lie. Additionally, the name Kilmainham Prison certainly didn't carry as much weight as the Central Government Office, so he reported his outdated position instead.
The city patrol soldiers exchanged glances and laughed, saying, "There was a home invasion robbery that ended in a murder, but we'll have it sorted out soon, Mr. Mecklenburg."
Charlotte still felt a bit uneasy and asked, "Can I go home?"
The city patrol soldiers replied, "Of course, no problem; we've already secured the scene."
Charlotte entered the apartment and went up to the second floor, only to see the hallway filled with city patrol soldiers, intensifying his sense of foreboding.
When Charlotte saw his own room, with the door wide open and several patrol soldiers talking at the entrance, he was certain he was the unlucky one involved.
He approached and asked, "This is my room. Could you tell me what happened?"
A young, handsome city patrol soldier instinctively drew his sword, his face tense, but an older colleague restrained him, saying, "Dubin! This man just came from outside. He's clean, no blood on him. He's likely the tenant the doorman described, Mr. Mecklenburg."
The patrol soldier who had drawn his sword performed a flourish and sheathed it, speaking sympathetically, "Sir, it looks like you'll need to come with us."
"There was a home invasion murder in your apartment. Someone killed a woman in your home."
Charlotte couldn't help but feel a headache coming on and asked, "Mr. Dubin, could I know more about the details of the case?"
The young patrol soldier answered, "This afternoon, a man and a woman came to visit you and forced their way into the apartment despite the doorman's efforts to stop them. The man forcibly broke into your room, and they started fighting inside."
"The man killed the woman in your room and then escaped through the window."
"I'm sorry, but your life will have to revolve around this event for a while."
From the scattered women's clothing and his memories, Charlotte could roughly guess that his predecessor's private life wasn't exactly "pure," but he hadn't expected trouble to arrive so quickly, and in such a severe form.
He rubbed his temples and asked, "Can I check on my belongings inside?"
The young patrol soldier nodded and gestured for him to proceed.
Charlotte stepped into his room and was immediately greeted by the sight of clothes scattered everywhere, even more chaotic than before, with several pieces stained with blood, clearly showing signs of a fierce struggle.
Charlotte glanced at the multi-headed flail and bloodsucking hand axe tossed in a corner and the diary on the desk, quietly breathing a sigh of relief. He decided that from now on, he would always carry the bloodsucking hand axe with him.
He turned and exited the room, addressing the apartment manager who had been standing nearby with the patrol soldiers, "I'm sorry, but I'll need a new room."
The manager hesitated for a moment and then said reluctantly, "We only have a few suites left, and they're relatively expensive. If it were an accidental incident, we'd take responsibility, but in this case, Mr. Mecklenburg, you may bear some minor responsibility..."
Charlotte smiled slightly and said, "I'll cover the rent difference for a year. I need to go with these patrol soldiers now, but when I return, please show me the new room."
"And please have someone watch over my belongings so they don't go missing."
The manager visibly relaxed at Charlotte's promise and said, "I'll have Mary wait here for you. You know Mary is always reliable."
Charlotte nodded and turned to the two patrol soldiers, saying, "I'm ready to cooperate with the investigation."
The patrol soldiers had already determined the facts of the case, and now that the tenant, Charlotte, had returned, their job was essentially done.
In this era, the Faris Empire relied on city patrol soldiers to perform duties similar to police on Earth, without as many rules or detailed investigation procedures.