John stares at the ceiling as he lay on the bed. 

'So it was all just a dream... but it felt so ... real. In that... dream, I even recalled information from my past life. Pieces of information that I thought I forgot like the historical trajectory of some western countries.' He ponders. 

 

Putting the matter in the back of his mind, John went to do his daily routine. He even dusted the display before opening the store for business.

When he went back behind the counter and opened the sword manual. 

"Hmm, this is pretty hard on the legs," John complained as he lower his body, putting one arm on his side while the other is holding his cane. He is copying a drawing's posture in the book.

Just as he was trying to trust his cane from different angles, the door chime sounded.

"Welcome, how may I help you today." John greeted as he looked toward the store's entrance. 

"Good day, I am here to sell an old item of mine." An approaching old gentleman greets as he slowly lifts an old box on the shop's counter.

He slowly undid the locks and opened the box. On top of the red cushion is a lever-action rifle with an iron sight. The wood stock has extra girth and is made from red hardwood. The metal on the body and the stock have engravings.

"... A New Haven long-range rifle with 30 inches barrel... must be customed order." John appraised the gun. He then puts on a pair of white cotton gloves.

John lifts the gun from the case under the old man's careful watch. John feels the weight of the gun, then pulls the lever of the gun listening for the sound of the inner mechanism. 

"It seems to be in good working condition. A few years back, this will sell immediately... but rifles that are currently most sought after are those that use pointed bullets. This gun can only use rounded bullets."

'This old man is probably a fallen noble.' John thinks as he looks at the customer. He then asked. "How much are you willing to sell this for?"

"I was thinking of getting 6 silvers." The old man responded. 

"Retail price for the most modern rifles is around 5 silver, but this use rounded bullets.  I don't know how long I need to keep the gun before I find a buyer... The best I can do is buy it for 3 silvers and 10 coppers." John slowly explains his trouble as he gives a counteroffer.

"Deal." Without hesitation, the old man agreed.

After receiving the agreed remuneration, the old man quickly left the shop. 

John never felt so weird after doing a transaction. Most customers that directly sell items will banter for a higher price, but the old man readily agreed on the first counteroffer. 

"Did I just... got scammed? Now, I want to go to a gun club to see whether this gun can shoot or not. If it works I'll probably keep it. If it doesn't, I can still sell the gun as a decorative ornament." 

John observes the relief on the metal parts of the rifle. The main motif is a large three-legged bird and the sun. He then relocked the box and placed it under the counter.

A few more customers came by the shop. Through snippets of their conversation, it seems there was an accident in the hangar where the airship Prinz Aldabert was docked.

After closing the shop, John walked out to the south. After an hour of walking, he stopped at the front of  "Joy's Tavern."

John entered and was greeted with the smell of sweat, booze, and smoke. 

John learned that the best person to get antiques is from bankrupt merchants and fallen nobles. The place to find where they at is at a tavern.

At the bar counter, a middle-aged man is wiping a glass with a rug.

"Toby, the usual please" John ordered as he took at the empty bar stool.

Soon a pale ale appeared in front of him.

"Any business news?" John asked as he placed a silver coin in front of him. 

Toby cleanly swiped the money and answered.

"The word around the east side is that a noble family is going to move to the capital next week."

"Tell me more."

"The eldest son of the Clay family has become a government official at the capital. It seems they want to sell their properties here in Charmant. The address is here." Toby gives a slip of paper to John. 

John pockets the paper inside his jacket. H then slid another silver to Toby. "Heard there is trouble in the harbor last night."

This time Toby looked at the coin and then back to John. 

"John, I've known you since you were a kid so a piece of advice, don't meddle with nobles' affairs."

John simply adds another silver.

"The word is that thieves boarded the foreign airship. Then a fight ensued. None was caught, and the ship left after delays." 

 'Whatever happened it seems Aldabert and Charmant had come to a deal. Otherwise, Aldabert won't let such luck go.' John thinks as he drinks.

 

 

-- miles away in the eastern sky.

"Princess, one of the prototypes has been stolen."

"... I see"

An old man kneeled dreadfully. The person in front of him is a young woman. She has waist-length straight black hair. She is wearing black diyi hanfu clothing with red bird embroidery.

"How about the rest of the prototype." She asked.

"The others were secured and have been sent to the appointed location." The old man proudly smiled.

"Have you caught the rats?" Unaffected, the woman continued t calm asked.

"No, but..." As the old man passed through his mouth, a black beam of light passed through his body. Then man's body turned gray before turning into a pile of ashes. 

The room turned silent.

"Find all the rats immediately. I don't want the information to flow any further."

She turned to an old man to her right. 

"Uncle, can you please muddy the water."

The old man bowed, turned, and left the room.

"Mistress, how about the missing prototype." A little girl in Celestial Dynasty maid clothes asked.

"Without our country's special method, the prototype is just a simple weapon. But, you can order one of the guards to search for it."

"Yes, mistress." The maid also left the room leaving the young woman alone.

After a moment of silence, she turned and looked outside through the large glass windows.

"I guess it is time to head home." 

She is looking out on one of the rooms of the airship of the celestial dynasty. The size is smaller than the airship Prinz Adalbert. 

"Signing such demeaning terms, buying obsolete goods for unfair price in exchange for technical knowledge and exchange programs...." 

She clenched her hands hard that his fingernails cut her palm.

"... soon my country will return such humiliation."

She then looked at the papers on the table.

"These prototypes will be one of the cornerstones of my plan. Wa Shogunante, I will make you throw up the land you swallowed."