Axel

Chapter 228: Rumors from Home

Added 2025-01-27 11:08:01 +0000 UTC

Although Charlot Mecklenburg did not hold the highest office, his command of the West Wind Knight Order and the Silver Dove Militia, combined with his representation of Clair Bretagne, ensured the obedience of Mostar Castle's local nobles. His reputation, built on a series of decisive victories, played a key role in maintaining their compliance.

Facing the local nobles, Charlot said with a faint smile, “It is unfortunate that Duke Joseph perished in South Seraph. The loss of such an exceptional leader is a loss for all of us.”

“However…”

“Mostar Castle belongs to every citizen of Mostar Castle. The wealth of this city should, by right, be shared by its people.”

This statement struck a subtle but profound chord, brightening the eyes of almost every Mostar Castle native. As expected, Charlot continued, “I have decided to distribute the wealth left behind by the duke equally among everyone.”

The nobles were moved, and some even murmured cheers of agreement.

Still smiling, Charlot added, “However, Mostar Castle is a large city with a population of tens of thousands, perhaps even more. It is impractical to distribute the wealth directly to every individual. That is why I ask you nobles to take on this responsibility.”

This proposal sent shivers down the spines of every noble. They admired Charlot’s brilliance—his words carried the weight of a wise king and resonated deeply with their hearts.

Charlot then subtly shifted his tone and declared, “This endeavor shall be guided by three principles: fairness, fairness, and fairness.”

“Of course, certain assets cannot be divided or shared equally—such as this ducal estate. Therefore, I have a modest proposal: we will hold an auction, starting with the duke’s estate. The proceeds from each sale will then be evenly distributed among all the nobles present.”

“What do you all think?”

The nobles of Mostar Castle erupted in cheers, fully embracing the decision. Enraptured by the allure of immense profit, they set aside all doubts.

Charlot promptly organized the first auction, naming it the Mostar Castle War Tax Fundraising Auction.

Before the auction began, Charlot publicly announced that he would not touch a single coin of the proceeds. Instead, he urged the nobles to select eighteen of their most respected peers to oversee the vast sums of money.

This declaration gave the nobles further peace of mind. The selection of the eighteen guardians was swift, and they brought their private knight orders to safeguard the funds.

The first item up for auction was the duke’s estate, which was highly coveted by the nobles. Many reasoned that the auction funds would be shared among them and thus refused to let anyone secure the estate cheaply. Almost every noble enthusiastically bid, driving the price up.

In the end, the ducal estate sold for an astronomical 63,000 gold écus.

Charlot, who had once mortgaged Silver Dove Castle for several thousand écus to offload his debt onto Baron Febollet, thought of that moment. Back then, he had considered himself ruthless, knowing the Silver Dove Castle baronial residence was far from worth the price. Even in Strasbourg, an estate of similar size might fetch only a few thousand écus. What had Silver Dove Castle done to deserve parity with the capital’s prime properties?

Yet, Charlot had never imagined the duke’s estate would sell for such a staggering sum.

When the first war tax proceeds were collected, the diary immediately sent a message: “Labyrinth progress for Mostar Castle: 1/18.”

As one of the empire’s most prominent nobles, the duke naturally owned more than one residence. Charlot put all of them up for sale, auctioning them one by one. For the first time, he experienced the thrill of rapid labyrinth progress.

When he sold an estate in the eastern part of the city, the progress reached 18/18, completing the labyrinthification.

The diary issued another message: “Charlot Mecklenburg has obtained temporary rulership of Mostar Castle and fulfilled the tax collection requirements for establishing the seventh labyrinth. Mostar Castle will now undergo a second labyrinthification. Please complete eighteen rounds of tax collection. During this period, you may not leave the area.”

Charlot immediately began auctioning off the dukes’ manors, shops, and collections. He quickly completed the second labyrinthification of Mostar Castle, gaining access to three passageways leading to Machubi, Silver Dove Castle, and Cappadocia.

To Charlot’s surprise, the diary did not trigger a third labyrinthification. Though he knew the process was highly “random,” he still felt some disappointment.

After concluding the “grand auction,” Charlot announced that he would leave the remaining matters to the local nobles. To demonstrate his “integrity,” he departed Mostar Castle without lingering, taking the West Wind Knight Order and Silver Dove Militia to gather two more knight orders.

The moment Charlot left, Mostar Castle buzzed with activity…

For Charlot, this was just a minor detour. Completing two labyrinthifications was already a substantial gain. As for other benefits…

Well, there was no rush for now.

Three knight orders had fled South Seraph, among which only the Mostar Castle Knight Order remained intact. The other two belonged to barons who, despite surviving, had suffered heavy losses but managed to preserve their lives.

These barons received orders from Strasbourg to support Clair Bretagne in launching another attack on South Seraph. However, neither was willing to gamble what little they had left. Instead, they retreated to their territories and even formed an alliance to resist Clair Bretagne.

What they didn’t expect was that Clair Bretagne ignored their pitiful forces entirely. Instead, Charlot led the West Wind Knight Order and the Silver Dove Militia in a mighty march to confront them.

To avoid suspicion, Charlot had left Mostar Castle utterly devoid of his presence, leaving behind no one tied to him.

As they approached their destination, Charlot suggested to Anastasia, “I’ll head to Seagull City while you take the Maple Leaf Knight Order to Ode Mountain City.”

Anastasia readily agreed, taking the Maple Leaf Knight Order to Ode Mountain City.

Seagull City, the third-largest city in the Behemoth Principality, was Charlot’s hometown. It was also where he had left countless “romantic escapades”—from a certain coquettish and alluring baroness, whose maturity and charm made up for her slightly advanced age, to the baroness’s lively and spirited daughter…

Besides these, there were plenty of “old acquaintances.”

Hmm, such as…

Hmm, and such as…

Charlot worried that Anastasia might overhear some unsavory “rumors” in Seagull City.

As far as he knew, Charlot Mecklenburg had a reputation in his hometown for a rather extensive collection of “rumors.”