Chapter 229: A Delightful Dive into the Sea of Words

Charlot Mecklenburg halted outside Seagull City and sent Dubin Alger and Yellow Bear to notify Baron Valentine.

He had no desire to meet the baron and felt a sense of embarrassment even contemplating it.

Charlot hoped the baron would simply hand over the knight order, allowing him to report back to Clair Bretagne and keep matters simple.

After Dubin and Yellow Bear left, they returned half an hour later, both forcibly shaved bald, with a message in tow: "Tell Charlot to wash his ass clean!"

At first, this seemed like a straightforward threat, but Charlot immediately wondered if his affairs with the baroness or the baron’s daughter had been exposed.

Upon repeatedly questioning them for details, he confirmed that this was unrelated to Baron Valentine—who was still “completely in the dark.” The real culprit behind this outrage was someone else with an explosive temper.

The order to detain Dubin and Yellow Bear and forcibly shave their heads came from Freeman Martin, one of Baron Valentine’s knight captains.

This Freeman Martin was not a man known for adhering to codes of chivalry. The moment Dubin and Yellow Bear entered Seagull City, Freeman Martin ordered them surrounded by hundreds of riflemen. Under the threat of so many guns, they had no choice but to submit, suffering the humiliation of being pinned to the ground and shaved bald.

Charlot found this matter quite exasperating.

Freeman Martin was the same man who had once chased a young Charlot Mecklenburg stark naked through the streets of Seagull City. At the time, Freeman Martin had been a mid-ranking officer under the Mostar Castle Knight Order. Unexpectedly, he had returned to his hometown and now served under Baron Valentine.

If Freeman Martin’s family hadn’t lived in Seagull City, that incident might never have occurred.

Charlot had always been a cautious man in his dealings.

For instance, Baron Valentine remained completely unaware of certain matters.

Dubin and Yellow Bear, however, were furious, considering this a grave humiliation. They strongly demanded Charlot launch an immediate assault on the city.

Even in his most reckless moments, Charlot wouldn’t bring war to his hometown, especially since his family—his father, brother, and other relatives—lived there. Besides, Charlot was a man who valued peace. After a few minutes of hesitation, he ordered his men to find a bow and arrow. Although firearms had nearly rendered bows obsolete, many still favored these ancient ranged weapons. Using the bow, he shot a written challenge into Seagull City.

Charlot hoped to resolve the issue through a duel rather than a full-scale war.

Within half an hour of the challenge being delivered, a squad of soldiers stormed out of the city gates. Leading them was a bearded man wielding a rapier, his face a strange ashen hue. Battle energy erupted from his body as he roared hoarsely, “Charlot, you son of a dog, come out and die!”

Charlot hadn’t expected the challenge to work so effectively.

What shocked him more was that Freeman Martin had stepped into the ranks of the Transcendent.

If Freeman Martin had possessed such extraordinary strength back then, Charlot might never have escaped Seagull City alive, let alone gone to Strasbourg to attend university. He wouldn’t have needed the intervention of the Labyrinth God.

Taking a deep breath, Charlot reminded himself that past mistakes had to be faced eventually. He spurred his horse forward, separating himself from his troops, and said, “Long time no see, Sir Freeman Martin.”

The soldiers behind Freeman Martin erupted into laughter.

There was no avoiding it—Charlot’s history with Freeman Martin was common knowledge in Seagull City.

The incident was simply too comical.

Even the soldiers of Seagull City didn’t take the West Wind Knight Order’s presence seriously. No matter how much fame Charlot had gained in the Behemoth Principality, his reputation held no weight in his hometown.

No one believed Charlot would attack Seagull City, where his family lived.

Though Charlot had the thick skin of a transmigrator, he still managed to maintain his composure. Freeman Martin, on the other hand, couldn’t keep his cool. He clenched his teeth and charged forward, rapier in hand.

Charlot raised his spear, Berserker Blade, and said, “Let me dismount first!”

To Freeman Martin, this remark felt like an insult. Roaring furiously, he surged forward even faster.

Charlot suddenly remembered that his first meeting with Freeman Martin had been accompanied by a similar remark.

It wasn’t intentional; it just slipped out…

He really didn’t want to dwell on the past.

Freeman Martin had only broken through to the Transcendent in his middle years after a “certain event” pushed him beyond his limits. However, due to his age, he was stuck as a first-tier knight with no hope of further advancement.

Although anger temporarily doubled Freeman Martin’s combat strength, the gap between him and Charlot was vast. Against such a flawed sword technique, Charlot easily suppressed him with the pressure of his knightly lance, sending Freeman Martin sprawling to the ground.

Charlot refrained from using excessive force.

Freeman Martin scrambled back to his feet and launched another furious assault. His swordsmanship was barely at the passing level of the Behemoth National Academy’s fencing class, reminiscent of Charlot’s skills from their first encounter. But now, Charlot was a seasoned fighter, skilled in both swordsmanship and spear techniques. While not a close-combat specialist, his ability to handle Freeman Martin’s clumsy moves was effortless.

With a single sweeping motion of his lance, Charlot sent Freeman Martin tumbling to the ground again.

After exchanging seventy or eighty moves, Charlot had thrown Freeman Martin dozens of times. Exhausted and cursing, Freeman Martin could no longer continue.

Charlot turned to Freeman Martin’s soldiers and shouted, “Well? Aren’t you going to help your captain up?”

The soldiers reluctantly stepped forward, lifting Freeman Martin while muttering words of consolation: “It’s all in the past, sir. You can’t beat him now. Charlot’s been to Strasbourg for university—he’s the most formidable man in the entire Behemoth Principality…”

Freeman Martin roared, “Formidable, my ass! This is the same coward who ran naked through the streets when I chased him with a rapier!”

Charlot nearly considered ordering his West Wind Knight Order to plug their ears, but it was already too late.

Taking a deep breath, Charlot thought of the quick-response manuscripts Annie had prepared for him. He resolved to write another book, starring Freeman Simon King Martin as the protagonist. In the sea of words, Charlot planned to grant this otherwise frustrated man a touch of literary glory.

This new book would be penned under the pseudonym “Angry Banana” and published exclusively in Behemoth, without Annie knowing.

Unbeknownst to Freeman Martin, he was about to become a literary legend, immortalized across the New and Old Continents, a cultural icon of the Fars Empire. For now, though, he left cursing, propped up by his soldiers, as he retreated to Seagull City.

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