Chapter 342: This Is the Emperor’s Responsibility, Not That of Us Common Folk

Charlot was just about to leave his house when he noticed a frail young man waiting outside. The youth seemed uneasy but had a resolute look in his eyes.

It was Yan Melianne, an old acquaintance from Seagull City.

Charlot greeted him with a calm expression. “Yan, what brings you here?” His tone was as neutral as one would use when discussing the weather with an old friend.

Yan Melianne spoke softly. “I’ve joined the army, but we haven’t been issued weapons. You know we can’t fight without them, so I was hoping to borrow some from you.”

Charlot raised an eyebrow. “Joined the army? Which unit?”

“The Evil Dragon Knight Order,” Yan replied in a low voice.

Charlot frowned slightly. “Never heard of them.”

“They were just formed,” Yan explained. “They used to be a local militia, but the commander is a proper knight.”

Charlot’s expression turned complicated. After a moment, he said flatly, “I’ll get you transferred out. Don’t stay with that Knight Order—they’re nothing but cannon fodder. Joining them is tantamount to a death sentence.”

Having fought in numerous battles, Charlot was intimately familiar with the Imperial military structure. Temporary Knight Orders formed from local units were notoriously weak, deployed solely to fill gaps in the line. Their soldiers existed to die in service of minimal and often meaningless strategic goals.

Yan Melianne lowered his head. “We’ve already agreed. It’s hard to go back on our word, and besides…”

“Strasbourg is in such dire straits that finding work is nearly impossible. Without food, we’ll starve. At least enlisting offers a slim chance of survival.”

Charlot’s impatience began to show. “You’ve all been reassigned to the West Wind Knight Order. The paperwork will follow. As for the Evil Dragon unit, I’ll handle it.”

“Go report to No. 1 Falcon Street immediately!”

Yan Melianne seemed like he wanted to argue, but Charlot cut him off sharply. “Don’t test my patience. Even that miserable Evil Dragon Knight Order wouldn’t dare to cross me. Follow my orders and report to No. 1 Falcon Street at once.”

Bowing his head, Yan Melianne saluted and ran off.

Charlot’s mood, which had been fairly good, soured completely. Ever since his transmigration into the identity of “Charlot Mecklenburg,” he’d been cleaning up the messes left by his predecessor, walking a tightrope to avoid exposing himself. Yan Melianne was part of a past Charlot had no desire to revisit. Still, he couldn’t stand by and watch the boy march to his death.

With a heavy sigh, Charlot instructed Mrs. Nancy to notify Annie that he had urgent business to attend to. He then headed to Falcon Street himself.

Instead of going to the City Patrol Guards, Charlot made his way to the Administrative Bureau to handle Yan Melianne’s situation. With his influence, transferring a group from a newly formed Knight Order was a trivial matter. The so-called Evil Dragon Knight Order had no power to resist his will.

Yet Yan’s plight wasn’t Charlot’s only concern. Strasbourg’s dire situation loomed large. The Empire had issued wartime directives, halving all civil servants’ weekly pay. This signaled that even the bureaucracy, let alone ordinary citizens, was feeling the shockwaves of the war.

Just yesterday, Mrs. Nancy had been unable to buy food, forcing Charlot to arrange a special delivery. But while he could sustain his household, saving all of Strasbourg was impossible.

Charlot longed for the war to end quickly. Aside from the ever-neutral Lionheart Empire, the four great empires had opened at least six or seven war fronts, each requiring vast amounts of manpower. The flood of bad news had been so overwhelming that newspapers no longer reported on it. Without Annie’s access to war dispatches, Charlot wouldn’t have known just how dire the situation at the front lines was. The daily casualty numbers were staggering.

...

Soon, Yan Melianne and his companions were brought to the Administrative Bureau. The City Patrol Guards’ offices were nearly deserted, staffed only by a few disabled veterans whom Charlot kept on payroll as caretakers.

The boy who now stood before Charlot was a far cry from the defiant youth he once knew. Life and society’s harsh blows had clearly tempered him.

Charlot offered little comfort. “I’ll assign you fifty men. For now, you’ll lead a combat squad responsible for maintaining order in the Lukavaro District.”

Yan couldn’t help but protest. “There’s no order left in Lukavaro! It’s complete chaos—everyone’s starving and lacking basic necessities. Without food, how can there be order?”

Charlot fixed him with a penetrating gaze. “Can you solve that problem?”

Yan Melianne hurriedly shook his head.

“Then don’t concern yourself with things beyond your reach,” Charlot replied coolly.

“But you could,” Yan whispered. “I know the Bard Commerce Guild has plenty of money.”

Charlot arched an eyebrow. “And you think I should distribute their wealth to everyone?”

“Why not?” Yan asked, summoning his courage.

After a moment’s thought, Charlot called for a bag of centimes and handed it to Yan. “Go to the streets and distribute these coins—one per person.”

“When you return, I’ll explain why.”

Though puzzled, Yan Melianne eagerly set off. Hours passed without his return.

Charlot carried on with his day, picking Annie up from work. Dining out was no longer an option; although the Val-de-Vas district wasn’t as dire as Elysian Boulevard, most restaurants were operating with limited supplies, serving poorly prepared meals.

Charlot had access to special channels, so food was not an issue for him. Annie had even arranged for a cook from her family, whose classic Fars-style cuisine, while elegant, did not suit Charlot’s tastes. He still preferred the flavors of Madam Umeboshi’s cooking, though he knew this was a matter of preference, not skill.

...

The next morning, Charlot opened his door to find a disheveled Yan Melianne waiting for him. The boy spoke in a low, exhausted voice. “The people were terrifying. I told them there was enough for everyone, but they didn’t listen. They swarmed me, their eyes filled with hunger and rage, as if they wanted to tear me apart. I had to throw the money bag and scatter the coins just to escape.”

“Mr. Mecklenburg, why are people like this?”

Charlot replied with a faint smile. “I don’t know why they’re like this. I only know it’s inevitable.”

“The Bard Commerce Guild can barely protect itself; it can’t save all of Strasbourg.”

“Only His Majesty, the Emperor, can save the people of Strasbourg.”

“This is the Emperor’s responsibility, not that of us common folk.”

There was one thing Charlot didn’t say aloud, knowing Yan wouldn’t understand. If the Bard Commerce Guild publicly distributed aid, it would signal they had vast reserves of resources. Neither the Emperor nor the nobles would hesitate to seize it all.

Yan Melianne, still indignant, asked, “Is there truly nothing we can do?”

Charlot’s smile deepened. “You could always try starting a rebellion.”

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