In the name of the true god

Having lived in the suburbs of the capital for several years, Connor was extremely familiar with the area and drove Jude directly to a bright, clean, and spacious large pet store.

"We don't just sell cats and dogs here, we also sell birds, aquatic pets, and all sorts of exotic animals. You can choose whatever suits your needs and preferences," Connor explained as he turned off the engine.

"That's quite a large scale..." Jude looked around through the car window.

"This is the second largest pet store in Montaurus. The largest is the 'Exotic Pet Store' in the city center, where you can even buy tigers and elephants. They'll find a way to get any wild animal you can imagine, as long as you can afford it." Connor was intentionally or unintentionally helping Jude broaden his horizons.

Jude was indeed astonished.

Tigers, elephants...

The target audience of the "Exotic Pet Shop" is clearly the upper class and elites of the capital.

Even if ordinary people could afford to buy one, they simply wouldn't have a large enough space to raise them.

"Let's go." Connor got out of the car and led Jude into the pet store.

It was already 8 p.m., close to closing time, so there were only a few customers left in the store.

However, the constant barking of dogs made it quite lively.

"Are you gentlemen here to look at pets or to buy pet supplies?" a young female shop assistant asked with a smile. "Of course, we also provide pet medical care, grooming, boarding, and resale services..."

"I'm buying pets." Connor looked around and gently sniffed the animal scents that filled the store. "Mainly dogs and cats."

"Okay, please follow me." The female shop assistant invited the two to walk towards the "Cats and Dogs Section." "We have more than twenty breeds of cats and dogs here, among which sheepdogs, golden retrievers, cocker Spaniels, and Siamese and shorthaired cats are the most popular. If you don't have a specific idea, I can give you more detailed recommendations."

Connor looked at Jude, gesturing for him to come and further express his needs to the store clerk.

Jude immediately quickened his pace and came to the front: "I plan to keep one dog and one cat, not too noisy, not too quiet either, and most importantly, they should have good temperaments and try not to fight each other..."

His demands can be summed up in just two points.

First, it allows one to fully observe the characteristics.

Second, avoid causing yourself too much trouble that could have been avoided during the raising process.

"I understand. So, do you prefer large or small dogs?" the saleswoman asked.

"Not too big, not too small, that's fine." Jude followed them to the "cat and dog section" and scanned the dog and cat cages piled up on all sides.

"I recommend you buy a Golden Retriever and a Siamese cat," the saleswoman said, pointing to the nearest cage. "They both have great personalities. A customer bought both before, and according to that customer, they get along very well."

Jude looked over.

A golden retriever puppy, probably only two or three months old, was timidly lying in its cage, cautiously peeking at itself.

They're quite cute.

On the other side, the Siamese kitten in the cage sat confidently at the front, tilting its head and curiously opening its eyes to observe its every move.

They're so cute!

"Does it shed a lot?" Connor, who is somewhat of a germaphobe, asked.

"Golden Retrievers shed more, Siamese cats are okay," the saleswoman enthusiastically promoted. "Mainly, they are both very intelligent, and their personalities are gentle and affectionate."

"I remember Golden Retrievers are quite troublesome." Connor worried that if he got a Golden Retriever, the house would be turned upside down.

The female shop assistant chuckled and said, "Dogs are generally very energetic and need a lot of exercise. As long as you take them outdoors for some exercise every day, they usually won't cause much trouble at home."

Connor turned and gave Jude a look, letting him weigh the options himself.

Jude squatted down in front of the cage, a pleased smile involuntarily spreading across his face: "How much?"

Connor: "..."

He also planned to let Jude choose more options, and decide which variety to buy after he had a better understanding of them.

Jude was so captivated by the golden retriever and Siamese cat that he couldn't tear himself away.

"Our shop sells only purebred, high-quality Golden Retrievers with consistently good appearance. The one you're looking at is only 60 grams. Siamese cats are also purebred, but they're a bit more expensive at 65 grams. If you need higher-grade, higher-quality cats, we also have those, but the price will be at least double..."

Jude regained some of his senses.

A golden retriever and a Siamese cat together cost 125 gold grams.

This is equivalent to more than a month's salary for me.

If you're still working as a loader at the dock, you'd have to work for four months without eating or drinking to afford it.

Owning a good-looking pet is really not something the average person can afford...

Correspondingly, when most people are still struggling to make ends meet, customers who are willing to come to such a reputable store to choose a pet are naturally not too concerned about money...

Fortunately, 125 gold coins is not a huge expense for Jude these days.

As long as you can master the law of similarity, let alone 125 gold grams, even 1250 gold grams, 12500 gold grams... if you can afford it, you should take it.

"Purebred is fine." Jude didn't ask for anything more. "Eh? Were they vaccinated?"

"Vaccine? What vaccine?" The female clerk looked blank.

"It's nothing, I just said it offhand," Jude waved his hand.

It seems that there is no preventative rabies vaccine in this other world.

I'll have to be more careful when taking the dog out for walks in the future.

"Are you sure these are the only two?" Connor couldn't help but ask, seeing Jude readily pull his wallet out of his pocket.

"These two will do. Meeting them is fate." Jude wasn't that picky. He felt that as long as he liked them, and the dogs and cats didn't have any unacceptable flaws, he could definitely get them. "Brother, I only have 108 gold grams left. Could you lend me 20 gold grams?"

Connor was about to help Jude negotiate a lower price when he unexpectedly noticed that the other man winked at him.

Was he... saying that on purpose?

"I've run out of money," Connor tried to play along.

"Ah... but we have to go back to North Point tomorrow." Jude stood up with a regretful look. "Never mind, let's just buy it in North Point."

He apologized to the female shop assistant and reluctantly walked out of the pet store.

Connor raised an eyebrow and followed suit.

"Excuse me, just a moment..." The female shop assistant hesitated for a moment, then quickly caught up with Jude. "If you really like these two Golden Retrievers and Siamese cats, we can offer you a discount. They'll cost 120 gold coins each. How does that sound?"

"I only have 108 gold coins." Jude smiled wryly and took out his wallet, showing the banknotes inside to the female shop assistant.

"How about I pick out another one of a different kind for you?" the saleswoman suggested, settling for second best.

"The first thing you see is always the best. It's a pity... see you again sometime." Jude waved politely to the female shop assistant and then strode out.

-

Ten minutes later.

Connor and Jude, sitting in the driver's and passenger's seats, both looked towards the back seat, examining the golden retriever and Siamese kitten locked in cages.

"You acted terribly," Connor commented.

"So what? It's an unspoken agreement anyway. It won't hurt to try." Jude shrugged, unconcerned. "We still bought it for 108 gold grams, didn't we? They even threw in a dog leash and a few cans of dog food."

Jude originally wanted to shamelessly ask for a few more cans of cat food for free.

However, in this other world, there is only hard biscuit dog food made from a mixture of wheat flour, vegetables, and meat; cat food has not even been commercially popularized yet.

As for cat litter, it doesn't even exist.

Connor gave a soft hum, then turned around, turned the key, and the car engine roared to life: "Have you decided what to name them yet?"

Jude looked back at the two-month-old golden retriever and the Siamese kitten who had just been weaned a few days ago with satisfaction: "Hmm... I'm out early and back late every day, so I'll name them Morning and Evening."