Part 1 The Joker Chapter 97 – Fighting Teacher
At two o’clock in the afternoon, on the outskirts of the Northern District, outside a two-story house with a rustic style and age-old appearance.
Klein, who was dressed in a trainee inspector’s police uniform, looked at the overgrown garden and the wall with quite a few plants crawling on it, and sidled his head in slight consternation:
”My fighting teacher lives here?”
A fighter who can be picked by the Night Watchman Squad must be pretty good. ……
Leonard Mitchell, who had led him over, let out a low laugh:
”Don’t belittle Mr. Gawain because of the living environment, he was once a true knight even though he didn’t get a knighthood in the end.”
Speaking of this, this poetical night-worthy person casually dressed in a white shirt, black pants and unbuttoned leather boots was suddenly filled with sadness:
”He was active in the last glorious era of the knights, those warriors in breastplates charging madly towards the muskets and cannons lined up, destroying their opponents and treading down the lines, but unfortunately, they soon ushered in the invention and introduction of the high-pressure steam rifles and the six-barrel machine guns, and from then on, knights gradually withdrew from the stage.”
”Mr. Gowan is also like this, more than twenty years ago, the Ahowa Knights, of which he was a member, encountered the army of the Republic of Intis, which possessed the most advanced weapons …… Hey, whenever I think of this, it is as if I have touched the dust of history, and I am shocked by the vicissitudes of that irreversible vicissitude and destiny, and there are poems in my heart brewing and In the surge, however, I do not know how to write poetry.”
…… Then what are you talking so much about? Klein, pretending not to hear Leonard’s self-deprecation, suggested in a proper and serious manner:
”My college classmates tell me that writing poetry is something that requires a great deal of talent, and that it’s best to start by reading the Ruane Collection of Early Classical Poetry.”
Leonard’s mood changed at the drop of a hat, and he interjected easily and cheerfully:
”I have long since purchased this collection of poetry, in addition to books such as The Selected Poems of Roselle, and I shall endeavor to make myself a midnight poet, Mr. Soothsayer.”
Was this an allusion to …… playing the law? Crane replied as if he had heard nothing:
”Then you will also need books on grammar.”
”Okay, let’s go in.” Leonard reached out and pushed open the half-covered barred gate and walked toward the house along a path that allowed two people to walk parallel to each other.
Before he got close enough, Klein saw the front door open behind him and a tall man stepped out of the house.
His blonde hair was short, white had appeared at the temples, and the skin of his face bore the marks of weather-soaked skin, while the lines of his head, crow’s feet, and lines of decency were deep and pronounced.
”What are you doing here?” The middle-aged man asked in a hushed voice.
”Mr. Gowan, according to the contract you signed with the police department, this trainee inspector of ours will learn fighting under you.” Leonard explained with a smile.
”Fighting? There is no need to learn fighting in the current era.” Gowan looked at Klein with slightly cloudy eyes and said in a deadpan voice, “You should practice drawing and shooting and mastering state-of-the-art weapons.”
Is this a case of being psychologically beaten out by six-barrel machine guns and high-pressure steam rifles? Crane didn’t respond recklessly, looking sideways at Leonard in amusement.
”For police officers, fighting is still a subject that must be mastered, most of the criminals we face are not demons that must be executed immediately, they don’t even always have weapons, and it’s times like these when fighting skills are needed.” Leonard spoke as if he was prepared.
Gawain grimaced and said after a dozen seconds of silence:
”You try throwing a punch.”
He was speaking to Klein.
Without his cane, Klein recalled the boxing matches he had watched in his past life, raised his arm, and swung it forward.
The corner of Gawain’s mouth twitched imperceptibly as he thought for a moment:
”Kick.”
Half-sidestepping his body and flinging his hips, Klein tensed his thigh and drew out his right foot.
”Cough ……” Gawain put a hand against his mouth, coughed lightly twice, and looked to Leonard, “I’ll honor the contract, but in his case, for the first month, he only needs to come in four times a week for three hours each time. ”
”You’re the fighting expert, you decide.” Leonard nodded without hesitation, grinning as he told Klein, “See you at dinner.”
Only when he walked out of the iron fence gate did Klein curiously ask:
”Teacher, where should I start practicing? Throwing punches, or footwork?”
As a qualified Keyboard Strongman, he knew that fighting footwork was also quite important.
Gao Wen hung his hands on both sides of his body and shook his head with a heavy twilight:
”What you need most right now is strength practice.”
”See there? There are two iron dumbbells, they are your companions for today.”
”Other than that, you’ll need to work on things like squats, running, and jumping rope, and we’ll do them in groups.”
In the midst of Klein’s fuming, his voice suddenly drew up and he asked majestically:
”Understood?”
”Understood!” At this moment, Klein felt like he was back in military training, facing the unsympathetic instructor.
”Go change out of your clothes first, there’s a set of knight practice clothes on the couch.” Gawain suddenly sighed and turned around with his back hand, walking towards the pair of iron black dumbbells.
……
Six o’clock in the evening, a corner of the Old Ville Restaurant.
Except for Frye, who was on rotation duty at the Charnis Gate, all the members of the Blackthorn Security Company had arrived, totaling six night watchmen and five clerical staff.
White tablecloths lay quietly on the long tables as the waiters came with tray after tray of food, which they cut before delivering it individually to each guest.
Klein saw steak doused in black pepper sauce, bacon, sausage with mashed potatoes, custard, sloe vera, specialty cheese, and amber-colored champagne, but he didn’t have a lick of an appetite, and the afternoon’s training had nearly made him throw up.
Glancing at the newest night watchman, who was white-faced and slack-eyed, Dunn lifted the glass of red wine in front of him and smiled:
”Let’s welcome our newest full member, Klein Moretti, cheers!”
The cold and introverted dark-haired lady Loyal Laitin, the short and compact “Sleepless” Kornleigh White, the unkempt swinger Leonard Mitchell, and the white-haired and black-pupiled “Midnight Poet” Sija Teang, all raised their glasses and looked at their new teammates! The newest member of the team, Clyne, is a newcomer to the team.
Holding back the residual discomfort from his training, Klein fixed the glass of amber-colored champagne, stood up and said:
”Thank you.”
He clinked glasses with each of the night watchmen one by one and tilted his head back to drink the small amount of champagne clean.
”Doesn’t our writer lady say anything at a time like this?” Dunn looked over at Sija Teang with a smile.
Sija Teang was a lady in her early to mid-thirties, rather ordinary in appearance, but with a very outstanding temperament, calm and peaceful, coupled with her rare long white hair, she actually had quite a bit of unique charm.
Klein had heard old Neil mention that this “Midnight Poet” was a fan of novels, and tried to submit articles to newspapers and magazines, but unfortunately only a few tabloids passed.
Segar smiled, glanced at Dunn and said:
”In order to make ‘Miss Writer’ as you call her, a fact, Captain, I think you should grant me a special fee in order to pay for the publication of a novel myself.”
Dunn spread his hands and laughed:
”You should take a lesson from old Neil and find a more appropriate reason.”
”I admire Mr. Neil the most in that regard!” Roxanne swallowed a piece of roasted leg of lamb and yelled in agreement.
Between the people talking and laughing, Leonard glanced at Klein and laughed softly:
”Too tired to have an appetite to eat?”
”Yes.” Klein sighed.
”If you haven’t touched it yet, then I can help.” Leonard looked like he didn’t want to waste food.
Klein nodded halfheartedly:
”No problem.”
With that, the vast majority of the food in front of him was eaten by Leonard and the others.
Toward the end of the dinner, the waiters brought up one beef pudding and one serving of ice cream.
Klein tasted a bite of the latter, only to find it cold with a sweetness that was exceptionally appetizing.
Without realizing it, he finished his portion of ice cream topped with blueberry sauce.
And because of that, he began to feel the hunger that clawed at his heart and stomach, the craving that his body desperately needed to replenish after a massive exertion.
Swallowing hard, Klein looked in front of him, only to see that his dinner plate was in disarray, with little left over.
”Let’s stop here, and let’s have one last toast to Krynn.” At that moment, Dunn suggested.
Before he could say anything, Klein blurted out:
”Captain, can I have another dinner?”
Upon hearing this request, there was a moment of silence, followed by a small laugh.
”Haha, you’ve finally recovered, no problem, two more will do.” Dunn shook his head and laughed.
Anxiously and impatiently waiting, Klein heard his stomach chirp.
Finally, a freshly fried piece of steak with black pepper sauce was served.
Knives and forks flying, nearly shedding tears, it only took Klein a minute and a half to settle the seven-percent cooked portion, the aroma of meat and juices reverberating in his mouth.
After an unknown amount of time, looking at one empty plate, he exhaled contentedly, put down his knife and fork, and took a sip of champagne.
”Waiter, the check.” Dunn turned his head to the waiter next to him.
The waiter went to the front desk first, then returned with the bill, explaining in detail:
”You have opened a total of five bottles of Dixie champagne at 12sours 3p each, a small glass of Southwell red wine at 10p …… steak in black pepper sauce at 1sours 2p …… beef pudding at 6p each, and each Ice cream 1 soule …… Total is £5 9 soule 6p.”
Five pounds nine sloe sixpence? That’s almost a week’s salary! Restaurants sure are a lot more expensive than eating at your own home! Klein was staggered to hear this, and was very glad that the captain had said he didn’t have to pay for his own food, and that he had a small treasury of extra funds!
He did some careful math and realized that the most expensive part of the dinner was the drinks, just five bottles of champagne was a little over three pounds!
It wasn’t much different from Earth …… Klein quietly rubbed his stomach and braced himself to finish the last sip of champagne.
……
In the early morning of the next day, Klein was dazed and confused and felt his lower abdomen suffocating and rolled over to try to get up.
He had just had a fit when he was immediately and completely awakened by the soreness of his muscles, only to realize that his body was not his own at all.
”What a familiar feeling… …… It’s just like the day after I used to be punished for frog jumping… …… I have to visit my tutor on my day off today, and see if I can borrow that academic monograph on the main peak of Hornachis from the university library …… “The corners of Klein’s mouth twitched as he moved with difficulty towards the outside.
With each step, he wanted to suck in a breath of cold air.
”Klein, what’s wrong with you?” Melissa, who had just come out of the washroom, suspiciously surveyed her brother, who had an odd posture and was moving slowly.