Axel

Chapter 283: Princess May's New Ride

Added 2025-02-24 16:03:01 +0000 UTC

Charlot woke up in the morning at his residence on 698 South Riverside Street, Seventais. The place had already been cleaned, and new furniture had been moved in. Looking out over the Seventais River, he saw an incredibly peculiar "big ship."

It was none other than the Queen Bee.

The Queen Bee was docked quietly, but its mere presence exerted immense pressure on all the other ships along the river. This was an ancient magical warship, one that even the Ingrima Empire's alchemical warships could not compare to. Across the Five Great Empires and both the Old and New Continents, only twelve such legendary warships existed.

And here it was, docked on the southern shore.

Imagine waking up in the morning to find a spaceship parked in your driveway. That was the sort of impression the Queen Bee gave.

Naturally, it wasn’t just the neighborhood residents who were alarmed; even the local police and possibly the military district would have sent people to investigate. Was this an alien invasion?

Surrounding the Queen Bee, two other warships floated nearby, while close to a thousand troops stood ready on the shore. Most striking of all, three Saint rank figures hovered in the sky.

Charlot had the urge to step outside and reassure them, "Don't worry! It's just Princess May's new ride!"

"And I gave it to her..."

But Charlot knew his "word carried little weight." No one would believe him even if he said it, so he waited patiently at home. Soon, the three Saint rank individuals descended one by one and entered the house next door—699 South Riverside Street. They didn’t stay long, exiting shortly after to deliver orders to the warships and the troops on the shore. Then, they quietly departed.

Not long after, an emissary from the Red Dragon Palace arrived, dispersing a portion of the troops and ships but leaving behind a small contingent, evidently for Princess May’s use.

Leading this contingent was someone Charlot recognized—an old acquaintance, Ban Lamorak!

The youngest "Lion of Britain," Ban Lamorak, seemed to have made further strides in his cultivation. Every gesture exuded the aura of a strongman.

Charlot thought to himself, "If I’m not mistaken, he’s advanced to a higher rank. His speed of advancement is astonishing."

Seeing that the situation had settled down, Charlot finally got dressed and stepped out of his house.

The location of 698 South Riverside Street was truly exceptional. Nearly every bedroom in the house had a view of the Seventais River. Some rooms even offered a view of both the river and the cityscape of Britain.

The bedroom Charlot had chosen allowed him to enjoy the scenery without even getting out of bed.

Descending the hill, he approached the makeshift military camp formed from a few carriages and politely inquired, "Is Sir Ban Lamorak here? Could someone inform him that his old friend, Charlot Mecklenburg, has come to visit?"

Before anyone could respond, Ban Lamorak stepped out. Upon seeing Charlot, his expression grew complicated. "What brings you back to Britain?" he asked.

Charlot pointed to the Queen Bee anchored on the river and replied, "I came aboard that ship. It was an unexpected journey, and I’ll be leaving soon."

Though Ban Lamorak’s tone wasn’t friendly, there was no malice behind his words. Their last encounter had ended in Charlot’s favor—not due to superior strength, but in a way that left Ban convinced and respectful. True to his word, Ban no longer pursued Aurora Soumet.

However, Ban had assumed Charlot and Aurora would end up as a happy couple. Instead, rumors about Charlot and Princess May Guillaume had spread throughout Britain. For the youngest "Lion of Britain," this was unsettling.

Initially, he thought these rumors were absurd. But soon, he saw Princess May herself, clad in Dark Luxury, frequenting bookshops and bookstores. Word spread that Princess May had secured publishing rights for four novels authored by Charlot. These rumors were quickly verified—copies of the novels were available throughout Britain.

To make matters worse, the author’s name on the novels was Annie Mecklenburg.

Annie was said to be a young lady of the Bretagne family, a noble house from the Fars Empire.

If that wasn’t enough, gossip from the Fars Empire about Charlot soon began circulating in Britain. These rumors were so outlandish that anyone with "normal intelligence" would struggle to believe them.

For example, one rumor claimed Charlot had been an intimate guest of multiple baronial couples and was once chased down a long street naked after being caught in improper behavior.

Or another...

Ban Lamorak dismissed them all outright.

Charlot? The man who had once dueled Ban himself on the Seventais River and won honorably? Who could possibly chase him down the street naked?

A Saint rank? Saints had better things to do!

Ban Lamorak found it impossible to reconcile the man he knew with the "playboy scoundrel" described in these tales. Charlot was clearly an upright man, as evidenced by the discerning tastes of both Aurora and Princess May.

Still, was Charlot entirely virtuous?

That didn’t seem accurate either. After all, Ban could name at least three women who had genuine interest in Charlot. And the rumors about Princess May? Those had reportedly been verified by Emperor Alfred Guillaume himself.

Seeing the Queen Bee docked on the river further complicated Ban’s feelings. Every rumor seemed to point to one undeniable fact: the legendary warship had been Charlot’s gift to Princess May.

A gift?

Ban Lamorak felt as if he had been hit by a hammer. The Queen Bee wasn’t just any ship—it was the flagship of the Golden Rams Fleet, one of the most renowned fleets on the Seven Seas.

One of the Twelve Legendary Warships.

Ban wanted to ask Charlot: "How do you live such a complicated life?"

"Is there no limit to your ostentation?"

For a long moment, neither spoke, just standing there. Ban’s thoughts churned, while Charlot felt uneasy. He worried Ban might suddenly challenge him to another duel.

Charlot had been neglecting his training lately, and his rank had fallen behind Ban’s.

Moreover, he hadn’t brought his Knight’s Lance or anti-magic armor-piercing rounds.

All he had were the Blood Rose and his two Red and Blue Vipers, which wouldn’t suffice.

While extraordinary weapons, the pistols’ power depended on their ammunition. Charlot couldn’t generate high-level energy bullets himself, and without anti-magic rounds, he couldn’t unleash their full potential.

As Charlot considered how to rely on his swordsmanship alone, Ban Lamorak finally spoke. "I’ve been ordered by the Red Dragon Palace to follow your instructions from now on. May I ask, what exactly are we going to do?"

Charlot hadn’t expected to gain such an ally in addition to High Priest Auguslatin. This time, Saint Michael Island would surely be blessed.

"Such is the style of Emperor Alfred Guillaume!"