Chapter 3: 3. Chapter 3: Melissa (First update, requesting recommendation votes)

Chapter 3: Melissa

With the plan determined, Zhou Mingrui finally had a backbone; his panic, hesitation, and insecurity were all pushed into a corner.

Only then did he have the mood to carefully examine the fragments of Klein’s remaining memories.

Zhou Mingrui habitually stood up, closed the pipe valve, and watched the wall lamp slowly dim until it extinguished. He sat back down, unconsciously rubbing the brass cylinder of the revolver while pressing his temple, quietly "savoring" the memories in the crimson-tinted darkness, like the most focused audience member in a cinema.

Perhaps affected by the bullet passing through, Klein’s memories were like shattered glass; not only had they lost coherence, but many parts were clearly missing. For instance, where did the exquisitely crafted revolver come from? Was it suicide or murder? What exactly did the sentence in the notebook, "Everyone will die, including me," mean? And had he participated in anything strange in the two days before the incident?

Not only had these specific memories become fragmented and incomplete, but the knowledge he possessed was the same. Judging by his current state, Zhou Mingrui believed that if Klein were to return to university, he probably wouldn't be able to graduate, even though he had only left campus a few days ago and had not relaxed his studies in the slightest.

"In two days, I have to attend an interview for the History Department at Tingen University..."

"The Kingdom of Loen has a tradition where graduates aren't automatically kept on at the university... My tutor gave me one recommendation letter for Tingen University and one for Backlund University..."

...

As Zhou Mingrui silently "watched," the red moon outside the window slanted westward, gradually sinking until a faint light appeared in the east, staining the horizon gold.

At this moment, there was movement from the inner room, and soon, footsteps approached the partition door.

"Melissa is awake... She really is as punctual as ever." Zhou Mingrui smiled slightly. Influenced by Klein’s memories, he felt as if he were looking at his own younger sister.

*However, I don't have a younger sister...* he immediately retorted to himself.

Unlike Benson and Klein, Melissa’s primary education was not completed at the Evernight Church’s Sunday school. By the time she reached school age, the Kingdom of Loen had promulgated the "Primary Education Act," established a Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, and provided special funding to increase investment.

In just three years, with many church schools being incorporated, numerous public primary schools were established. They strictly maintained the principle of religious neutrality, avoiding involvement in the disputes between the Churches of the Lord of Storms, the Evernight Goddess, and the God of Steam and Machinery.

Compared to the Sunday school, which only cost one copper penny a week, the public primary school’s tuition of three pennies a week seemed quite expensive. However, the former only taught one day a week, while the latter required six full days of classes. Overall, it was low-priced to the point of being nearly free.

Unlike most girls, Melissa had loved gears, springs, and bearings since she was a child, and she was determined to become a steam mechanic.

Having suffered from a lack of education himself and understanding its importance, their eldest brother, Benson, supported his sister’s dream just as he had supported Klein’s university studies. After all, Tingen Technical School was only considered secondary education; there was no need to accumulate further credits at a grammar school or public school.

Last July, fifteen-year-old Melissa passed the entrance exam and successfully became a member of the Steam and Machinery Department at Tingen Technical School, with her weekly tuition rising to nine pennies.

At the same time, the import-export company where Benson worked was hit by the situation in the Southern Continent. Both profits and business volume shrank significantly, forcing them to lay off more than a third of their staff. To keep his job and maintain their livelihood, Benson had to accept heavier workloads, often working overtime or going on business trips to places with harsh environments, just like these past few days.

It wasn't that Klein hadn't thought about helping his brother shoulder the burden. But as someone born to a commoner family who had entered university from an ordinary grammar school, he felt his own inadequacies intensely once he started. For example, Ancient Feysac, the source language for all nations in the Northern Continent—for the children of nobles and the wealthy, that was something they had to learn from childhood, whereas he only encountered it for the first time in university.

There were many, many similar aspects. Klein had used almost all his strength, often staying up late and rising early, just to barely keep up with others and graduate with average grades.

Memories of his brother and sister jumped through Zhou Mingrui’s mind. It wasn't until the handle turned and the door to the inner room creaked open that he suddenly snapped back to reality, remembering that he was holding a revolver in his hand.

This is a semi-controlled item!

It will scare the child!

Also, the wound on my head!

Seeing that Melissa was about to come out, Zhou Mingrui pressed his temple while hurriedly pulling open the desk drawer and tossing the revolver inside with a *thud*.

"What happened?" Melissa heard the noise and looked over, puzzled.

She was in the prime of her youth. Even though she couldn't eat anything good and her face was thin and slightly pale, her skin was still full of luster, radiating the aura of a young girl.

Seeing his sister’s brown eyes looking over inquisitively, Zhou Mingrui forced himself to stay calm. He picked up an object near his hand, then calmly closed the drawer to hide the revolver. The sensation of his other hand on his temple confirmed that the wound had already healed!

What he had taken from the drawer was a silver-white pocket watch with vine and leaf patterns. With a light press on the top, the cover popped open.

It was the most valuable item left behind by the three siblings' father, that Royal Army sergeant. But second-hand goods were second-hand goods after all; in recent years, it would break down from time to time, even after being repaired by watchmakers. This caused Benson, who liked to carry it to elevate his status, to make a fool of himself repeatedly, so he simply left it at home.

It had to be said that Melissa might truly have a talent for mechanics. After mastering the theoretical knowledge, she began to tinker with this pocket watch using the tools from the technical school, and recently, she even claimed to have fixed it!

Zhou Mingrui watched the cover pop open and saw the second hand motionless. He subconsciously turned the top, intending to wind the watch.

However, he twisted it several times, and there was still no sound of the spring tightening; the second hand remained motionless.

"It seems to be broken again." He looked at his sister, making small talk.

Melissa glanced at him expressionlessly, walked over quickly, and snatched the pocket watch away.

She stood there, first pulling up the button at the top of the watch. After turning it just a few times, the *tick-tick-tick* sound of the second hand moving emerged.

Normally, shouldn't pulling it up adjust the time... Zhou Mingrui’s expression instantly became blank.

Just at this moment, the bells of the distant cathedral rang out—six times, deep and ethereal.

Melissa listened, then pulled the button at the top of the watch up another notch, twisted it continuously, and set the time.

"Done." She said briefly, without a hint of emotion, then pushed the button back down and returned the pocket watch to Zhou Mingrui.

Zhou Mingrui returned a polite, awkward smile.

Melissa gave her brother another deep look, turned toward the cupboard, grabbed a toothbrush, towel, and other items, opened the door, and headed to the communal washroom.

"Why did her expression just now have a hint of disgust and helplessness?"

"The look of someone caring for a mentally challenged brother?"

Zhou Mingrui shook his head and chuckled, closing the watch cover with a *snap*, then pressing it open with another *pop*.

Repeating these actions, his thoughts wandered to a question.

Without a silencer, Klein’s suicide—well, let’s count it as suicide for now—the noise of his suicide definitely wouldn't have been small. Yet, Melissa, separated by only a wall, hadn't noticed a thing.

Did she sleep too soundly? Or was the act of Klein’s suicide itself filled with something bizarre?

*Pop*, open, *snap*, close... When Melissa returned from washing up, that was what she saw: her brother’s unconscious action of repeatedly opening and closing the watch cover.

Her gaze once again carried a hint of helplessness, and she said in a sweet voice

"Klein, take out the remaining bread. Remember to buy new ones today, and also meat and peas. You’re about to have your interview; I’ll make you lamb stew with peas."

As she spoke, she moved the stove out from the corner, lit a fire with the remaining charcoal, and boiled a pot of hot water.

Before the water boiled, she opened the bottom drawer of the cupboard and took out a tin of inferior tea leaves like a treasure, sprinkling a dozen leaves into the pot, pretending it was real tea.

Pouring two large cups, Melissa and Zhou Mingrui shared two loaves of rye bread with the tea.

*No sawdust mixed in, not too much bran, yet it still doesn't taste good...* Zhou Mingrui was weak and hungry, so he relied on the tea to force himself to swallow the bread while complaining internally.

A few minutes later, Melissa finished eating, tucked her black hair that fell to her vest, and looked at Zhou Mingrui

"Remember to buy new bread, just eight pounds. It’s hot, so it spoils easily if you buy too much. And lamb and peas, remember!"

*Is this really caring for a bookworm brother? She has to emphasize it again...* Zhou Mingrui smiled and nodded

"Okay."

Regarding the "pound" in the Kingdom of Loen, based on Klein’s memories and his own comparisons, Zhou Mingrui believed it was close to the "jin" (0.5 kg) he was accustomed to.

Melissa didn't say anything more. She stood up, tidied up, packed the last loaf of bread for lunch, put on the worn-out veil hat left by their mother, and picked up the satchel she had sewn herself for books and stationery, ready to leave.

Today wasn't Sunday; she had a full day of classes.

It took about fifty minutes to walk from this apartment to Tingen Technical School. There were public carriages—one penny per kilometer, with a maximum of 4 pennies in the city and 6 pennies for the suburbs. To save money, Melissa always left early and walked.

Just as she opened the door, she paused and turned halfway

"Klein, don't buy too much lamb and peas. Benson might not be back until Sunday. Hmm, remember, only eight pounds of bread."

"O-okay." Zhou Mingrui replied helplessly.

At the same time, he silently repeated the word "Sunday" several times in his heart.

In the Northern Continent, the year was also divided into twelve months, with three hundred sixty-five to three hundred sixty-six days per year, and seven days per week.

The former was a result of astronomy, which made Zhou Mingrui suspect this was a parallel world; the latter originated from religion, as there were seven orthodox deities in the Northern Continent: the Eternal Blazing Sun, the Lord of Storms, the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, the Evernight Goddess, the Mother Earth, the God of War, and the God of Steam and Machinery.

Watching his sister close the door and leave, Zhou Mingrui suddenly sighed and quickly shifted his thoughts to the luck-enhancement ritual.

*Sorry, I really want to go home...*

PS: Please vote for recommendations on Monday~

(End of chapter)