Struggle in the Steam Age

After arriving in the city of Eagle Fort in a carriage with the courier, Lawrence immediately returned to the Linden Street Detective Agency. When he opened the door and walked into the room, he found Safir reading a novel bored at the reception on the first floor.

"Ah, you're back." Hearing the sound of the wind chime on the door and looking up, Safiel stuffed the book in her hand into the table in front of her as fast as she could, but because her movements were a bit big, Accidentally dropped the book that was on his lap before.

Lawrence clearly saw "Rose Manor" written on the creamy yellow cover of the book. This is a love story that has recently become very popular among women throughout the Federation.

"I just bought it in the bookstore next to me, because the author of this book, Ms. Simon, just signed the book in that bookstore the day before yesterday." Safiel explained as he bent down to pick up the book, then stood up and looked at it. Lawrence asked, "Have you had breakfast? If not, I'll go to the kitchen and cook some seafood noodles for you."

"Don't worry, I've already had breakfast." Lawrence said as he hung his coat and hat on the coat rack. "By the way, where did Fatina go early in the morning? Isn't she usually staying in the reception room reading at this time?"

"Oh, she received a task to find a gemstone necklace in the sewer, so she woke up very early in the morning, made some leftover cold bread and jelly from last night for breakfast, and then went out." Saifeier explained . "The recent tasks are really boring, either looking for valuables or looking for pets. Of course, I also vetoed the task of a certain lady trying to follow her husband to collect evidence of infidelity."

In this kind of commission that only needs to be dispatched by individuals, most of the harvest of each person can be owned by the person who completed the task, and only 1/10 needs to be used as the collective funds of the firm.

"You're right, we don't need to get involved in those other people's family affairs." Lawrence nodded, and at this moment he also realized that even a city like Eagle Fort, which has the largest population in the Federation, would not have too many supernatural beings Cases happen. And the ones that can fall on them are naturally even less.

Fortunately, the people who were able to come to this street to set up commissions had a good financial level, and these scattered small tasks assigned by them alone could keep Lawrence and the three of them's offices afloat.

"By the way, why did you come back suddenly today." Sai Feier only noticed some problems at this time. "I remember that your letter said that it would take two days to come back, why are you coming back early now?"

"That's because I will soon become a member of the Federal Science Association." Lawrence puffed up his chest and made a proud expression: "So I need to come back early for some etiquette training."

"You? But I remember you are just 20 years old." Sai Feier's eyes showed obvious disbelief. "If I remember correctly, the youngest member of the Federal Science Association is now 29 years old. Among the top scientific research institutes in this category, the youngest member is an academician of the Frans Royal Academy of Sciences, but she is also 24 years old. Years old."

"So I should be the youngest member of this kind of organization in the past hundred years." Lawrence shrugged, and at the same time took out the letter written to him by Priest Carter from his body. "Just read this letter and you'll know."

"Let me see—" Safir took the letter curiously and read it. "My God! You are actually going to be a member of the Commonwealth Science Association, which is amazing, congratulations! I think we should have a banquet tonight to celebrate this event, let me think we may Need an invitation—"

"It really doesn't need to be so troublesome." Lawrence quickly shook his hand and said, looking at Safiel with an excited expression on his face. "After all, this matter has not yet been fully determined. Does it seem that we are a little too impatient to invite guests to hold a banquet in advance?"

"You're right." Safiel nodded, "I was really a little too excited just now. By the way, what is the etiquette training you just said?"

"You know, the granting of this kind of membership is often accompanied by some very formal ceremonies. So in order to avoid some unseemly behaviors at that time, I must conduct some simple etiquette training."

"Etiquette training? Have you found a good place?" Safiel said with concern, "It is not easy to find a teacher for this kind of etiquette training. There are many training courses with such a banner in Eagle Fort, but everyone Some of them are used to deceive the group of nouveau riche, that kind of rough etiquette is worse than not learning it. Really qualified etiquette teachers are not so easy to find."

"I don't know who to turn to." Lawrence looked helpless. After all, his previous life had nothing to do with the so-called high society, so he naturally didn't know who to turn to. "If it doesn't work, I'll go to St. Gutenberg Cathedral to find Uncle Carter and ask him to recommend one for me."

"Well, I don't think there is any need to bother others." Safir said, "If you don't mind, I can teach you. You know that girls' schools are different from ordinary universities. They mainly focus on training women's social etiquette and women's education. The focus is on skills, such as playing musical instruments, painting, sewing, and Radnim. Naturally, we have also learned a lot about male etiquette in this process. So I think I am qualified to teach you etiquette. "

"It would be great if this is the case." Lawrence subconsciously grabbed Safir's hand as he did when he was a child to express his gratitude.

Safiel blushed slightly after her hand was suddenly grabbed, then she withdrew her hand a little shyly, then changed the subject and said to Lawrence: "Then let's start now, starting with the simplest hello start--"

In addition to learning etiquette, Lawrence also needs to prepare some outfits. Fortunately, he is a young man and a commoner, and he is in the White Eagle Federation rather than the Old Continent where rules are stricter. So there is no need to wear tall top hats or high-end suede dresses like those gentlemen and nobles.

You know that those things are very expensive, for example, there is a tailor's shop on Linden Street that sells these things. A good top hat there costs 30 yuan, which is already equivalent to three months' salary of an ordinary worker.

"Are these all right?" Lawrence asked the middle-aged female shopkeeper in the upscale tailor shop just down the street, wearing a black dress similar to his standard suit before time-travel, and wearing a matching bowler hat on his head. To, "I thought that tuxedos should be worn on formal occasions, after all, I saw professors wearing that on formal occasions in universities before."

"But the professors in the school are not young people, so the style that suits them may not suit you." The shopkeeper marked the part of Lawrence's suit that needs to be modified with a tape measure and chalk as he said, "In recent years, young people have attended It’s a simpler outfit for formal occasions, because people think the traditional top hat and tuxedo are too old-fashioned.”

After hearing what the shopkeeper said, Lawrence nodded in agreement. After all, he didn't know much about it, so he was right to listen to the opinions of professionals.

After struggling for more than half an hour, Lawrence finally got the dress. This dress includes top, waistcoat. Shirt, trousers, shoes, tie and a silver-gilt tie clip on the tie.

The entire dress cost 42 yuan and 12 cents, which was a lot of money, if Lawrence hadn't been able to afford this amount before he became a superhuman.

Even so, Lawrence could feel a little heartache when he took out the money. Fortunately, he could still use the dress as an investment, an excuse for a one-time purchase and long-term benefits to make himself feel better.

For the next two days, Lawrence devoted himself to training his etiquette under the guidance of Safir. Finally, when he felt that he felt about the same, a special courier sent him a bronzing invitation letter written on parchment from the Federal Science Association.