Chapter 218: The New Appointment

Although Charlot Mecklenburg already had an apartment at 221B Baker Street in Val-de-Vas, he was still more accustomed to staying at 58 Elysée Avenue. For one, the house there was larger, and for another, Mrs. Nancy and Madam Umeboshi provided far more attentive personal services.

Most importantly, Charlot had three clever cats, and the kittens were at their most adorable and playful stage.

On his way back to 58 Elysée Avenue, Charlot stopped by No. 1 Falcon Street. Dolores Soumet had accommodations in Strasbourg and, as an unmarried lady, still lived with her parents, so she wasn’t at the Lukavaro District city patrol office. However, Anastasia and Belisa were there, along with his eighteen Redback Bear warriors, all of whom had returned to Strasbourg ahead of him.

Charlot retrieved his two knight’s lances, Shanlens’ Spear and Titanic Whale, as well as a magical rapier.

As for the Anti-Space Long-Range Rifle, two Silver Rhinos, the assassin’s dagger, his once-indispensable vampiric axe, the alchemical staff, and other belongings, they were still at Machubi Fortress Labyrinth. It wasn’t feasible to collect everything that day; in fact, much of his wealth didn’t need to be retrieved.

After all, for Charlot, the Savings Union wasn’t particularly secure.

Machubi Fortress was the only truly reliable place.

Returning to 58 Elysée Avenue, Charlot sent Mrs. Nancy to deliver messages to Annie Bretagne, Dolores Soumet, Venie Arsenault, and Sylvie Martin—his only social circle in Strasbourg.

As for the Fierce Horse Detective Agency, Charlot decided to visit in person when he had the time, so there was no need to send a message.

Charlot hadn’t expected that after the messages were delivered, the ladies would arrive one after another at 58 Elysée Avenue.

Annie Bretagne was the first to arrive, as Mrs. Nancy had delivered her message to her first. When Annie saw Charlot, her eyes brimmed with misty emotion. She had been deeply worried about him during this time. Dolores, who had returned earlier, brought troubling news that Charlot had been associating with the Grand Princess of the Ingrima Empire, luring two Saint-rank Byron vampires. It was anything but reassuring.

Upon learning of Charlot’s safe return, Annie couldn’t wait another day to see her Mr. Mecklenburg.

Venie Arsenault and Sylvie Martin arrived together. Venie, a famous female detective, was surprised by how quickly Charlot had risen through the ranks. She even considered relocating her detective agency to the Lukavaro District.

After all, in Lukavaro, Charlot truly reigned supreme.

Dolores was the last to arrive, having stopped at No. 1 Falcon Street first to bring Anastasia and Belisa along with her.

When Charlot saw the three of them, the curse from the Grand Princess suddenly came to mind.

No, not the kind of curse about people never paying for their meals.

It was the other kind—where several young and beautiful women disguised as readers would visit an author every day.

For a moment, Charlot could only think about how, if Princess May appeared now, this place might host a veritable banquet of tension and rivalry—an event of the highest, most luxurious caliber.

Never before had 58 Elysée Avenue seen such a congregation of charming ladies, and never before had Charlot experienced such a tumult of emotions.

He couldn’t help but curse himself for sending Dolores a message.

Fortunately, Miss Annie Bretagne was a very generous young lady. Her portrait, prominently displayed in the first-floor living room of 58 Elysée Avenue, gave her considerable confidence.

She even acted with the air of a hostess, arranging an afternoon tea for the guests.

The second-most conflicted person present was Sylvie Martin. Officially, she was now Charlot’s cousin, though she was, in fact, his former fiancée.

If anyone understood Charlot, it was her.

Sylvie knew exactly what a scoundrel her “cousin” and ex-fiancé was. Yet, in just a few years, he had undergone a transformation beyond her imagination.

She had always assumed Charlot was a prodigal son who had turned over a new leaf.

But upon seeing the parade of visitors to 58 Elysée Avenue—five stunning women, all of notable beauty, with varying but impressive family backgrounds—even the lowest-ranking among them, Belisa, was the personal maid of the Duchess of Mostar and accustomed to high society.

Most importantly, excluding Sylvie herself, the other five women were all transcendent.

Sylvie began to suspect that her ex-fiancé wasn’t a reformed rake but had evolved into an even more masterful connoisseur of romantic pursuits.

Annie Bretagne, the daughter of a count, a senior at Gorgias University, and a first-tier transcendent.

Dolores Soumet, a young lady of the Soumet family, a Gorgias University graduate, and a third-tier transcendent.

Anastasia, an illegitimate daughter of Baron Feller, a graduate of Hartington Thunder and Storm University, and a second-tier transcendent.

Belisa, the personal maid of Duchess Josephine, a self-taught scholar of Gorgias University, and a second-tier Skysoarer.

As for Venie Arsenault… Sylvie dared not even count her in, or it would be too terrifying.

Sylvie thought, If I hadn’t broken off the engagement and married Charlot, would I wake up every morning to find a noblewoman cradling a child at my door, weeping and wailing?

“Perhaps there’d also be a few older but still beautiful ladies, or even angry gentlemen brandishing rapiers!”

“That kind of life…”

“I would never want that.”

“Breaking off the engagement was the best decision I’ve ever made.”

Charlot, on the other hand, found solace in the fact that he had no special relationship with any of these ladies, not even the faintest hint of romance. After spending some time entertaining his guests, he quietly withdrew from their circle, retreating to a corner with his three clever cat kittens and resuming his study of the diary.

On one hand, Charlot trained diligently every day, striving to improve his abilities. On the other, he remained deeply wary of the two Evil Gods and did not entirely trust the diary.

After some thought, he poured himself a mug of ale and took a hearty swig, feeling instantly refreshed.

Ever since obtaining the trade route between Silver Dove Castle and Machubi, Charlot had never lacked Silver Dove ale. The quality of this ale far surpassed that of the fruit wines produced in Strasbourg. Its beer-like flavor made it his favorite, and he rarely drank the fruit wines of Strasbourg anymore.

As for the more expensive champagne, he had no access to it for now.

In the Ingrima Empire, whether at Count Lamorak’s estate or the Red Dragon Palace, champagne seemed to be everywhere, but now, back in Fars, its place of origin, Charlot couldn’t seem to obtain any genuine champagne.

As the evening deepened, Venie Arsenault and Sylvie Martin prepared to leave. Charlot put away the diary and asked Mrs. Nancy to bring out gifts he had purchased in Ingrima, which he handed to the two ladies before escorting them out of 58 Elysée Avenue.

Dolores also left, taking Anastasia and Belisa with her. Charlot didn’t prepare gifts for them, as they had accompanied him to Ingrima.

Due to the strict rules of the Bretagne family, Annie couldn’t stay long either. She waited until the others had left before standing to leave. At the door, she whispered, “I’ve already inquired about it. Your new assignment is to the Behemoth Principality.”

Charlot was startled. “Why am I going back to Behemoth?”

Annie replied, “Our battle with the Byron vampires at Ferranden isn’t going well. Someone proposed attacking South Seraph territory—not to occupy it or win, but simply to draw some of Byron’s forces away.”

Charlot was speechless. While the plan was somewhat feasible, he couldn’t understand why he was the one being sent.

Annie embraced him softly and said, “This time, your commander will be my cousin. He’ll look after you.”

Charlot wanted to ask more questions, but Annie was in a hurry to return home, so he refrained. He still had a few days before his departure, plenty of time to prepare.

After escorting Annie out, peace returned to 58 Elysée Avenue. On the first floor, Annie Bretagne’s magical portrait gave a slight bow, offering a courtly salute.

Charlot smiled faintly and returned the gesture with an imperial bow.

He called out to Mrs. Nancy, “Tomorrow, take me to Baker Street and remind me to bring some supplies along.”

Mrs. Nancy replied affirmatively and went back to the basement with Madam Umeboshi.

Although Annie had arranged some furnishings at 221B Baker Street in Val-de-Vas, the place still lacked Charlot’s preferred ale, fruit wines for guests, coffee, and various other essentials.

Charlot anticipated frequent visits to Baker Street, so it was best to prepare in advance.

Over the next few days, Charlot spent time dating Annie and shuttling between different departments. He hadn’t expected that the role of Fars Empire’s Special Envoy for War to the Ingrima Empire was not something he could relinquish after returning. Instead, it was a semi-permanent political appointment that required a mountain of paperwork after every mission.

For instance, his titles gained in Ingrima, including Red Dragon Palace Archivist and First-Level Counsellor, 24th Rank, all needed to be reported. Most of the time, the Central Government Office and the Foreign Minister’s Office would review and approve them for concurrent positions. However, occasionally, the process could become quite cumbersome.

Charlot didn’t encounter any obstacles, but the sheer volume of government paperwork was overwhelming.

During this time, he also learned more about his new assignment.

The matter traced back to Clair Bretagne, an up-and-coming star in the imperial army. His exceptional performance in Ferranden had earned him the role of commander for this military campaign into South Seraph territory.

The person who recommended Charlot to Clair Bretagne was none other than Her Majesty the Empress…

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