Chapter 33: The Dismissal Order Signed by the New Warden

For several days, Charlot had not seen Senior Miss Menielman again.

He had heard some rumors—some even claimed that Miss Menielman had been imprisoned in the lowest level of Kilmainham Prison—but these bits of gossip had no reliable source.

Charlot had only recently been transferred to Kilmainham Prison and didn’t have any close acquaintances there to verify or inquire about the news.

After leaving work early yet again, Charlot accompanied Annie to an opera. They hitched a ride in the Bretagne family carriage back to Elysée Avenue. After parting ways with Annie, Charlot walked back to No. 58 on foot.

To his surprise, he saw two familiar prison guards standing outside his door.

Charlot asked, “John, Tony! Are you two looking for me?”

“So late at night... has Miss Menielman given some orders?”

The two guards exchanged a glance and said in unison, “Miss Menielman is no longer the warden. The new Warden Magru has summoned you.”

Charlot glanced at the darkened sky and couldn’t help but say, “At this hour?”

The two guards responded, “There’s no helping it. The new Warden Magru has a terrible temper. He arrived at the prison this afternoon, did a roll call, and found out you weren’t there. He’s already signed your dismissal order. Maybe if you go now, you can still salvage the situation.”

“Dismissal order!?”

This time, Charlot was genuinely shocked.

He had merely left work early that afternoon. Was the new warden so petty as to use such a minor infraction as grounds to dismiss him?

This decision was technically against imperial regulations, but the Lionheart Empire was far from a society governed by the rule of law.

Charlot said nothing more and followed the two guards back to Kilmainham Prison in a hurry.

...

When Charlot stepped into the familiar office, the person he saw was no longer the beautiful senior who bloomed like a rose but a portly middle-aged man whose large military uniform bulged tightly around him. His face was filled with anger.

Charlot hurriedly saluted, thinking to himself, Has this guy been waiting here for me the entire time?

A cold, sarcastic voice cut through the air, “Mr. Mecklenburg, as a first-class civil servant holding the position of Chief Clerk, you have been leaving work early continuously. On my first day as warden, you disappeared for an entire afternoon. Do you think...”

“...you are fit for this job?”

Charlot had nothing to say. He indeed had been leaving work early lately. However, this was due to the lack of tasks at the prison and the excessive amount of overtime he had already worked.

Despite the righteousness in the man’s accusations, the fact that he had signed the dismissal order before Charlot even returned made it clear that this was not about Charlot’s early departures.

According to imperial law, the most severe punishment for lateness or leaving early was a salary deduction, never dismissal. This corpulent man was obviously trying to purge Menielman’s loyal subordinates.

Charlot remained silent, which led the new Warden Magru to believe he was intimidated. Satisfied with his own display of authority, Magru feigned restrained anger and said, “I have already dismissed you from your position as Chief Clerk. However, as your new superior, I am granting you a favor. You are allowed to remain at Kilmainham Prison as a temporary member of the Prison Army. If you work hard and fix your little habit of leaving early, perhaps I might reinstate your position.”

“Temporary member of the Prison Army? That’s not even an imperial civil servant!”

Charlot had spent two years at the Central Government Office and was well-versed in imperial law. His mind raced as he processed the implications: “A dismissal order means the complete loss of my status as an imperial civil servant. By law, a warden can issue a dismissal order but cannot reinstate me as a Chief Clerk unless an official one or two ranks higher intervenes.”

“He’s playing dirty, signing the dismissal order outright and then coaxing me with empty promises. What’s his real goal?”

Magru, the new warden of Kilmainham Prison, believed he had sufficiently intimidated the former Chief Clerk. Now, Charlot Mecklenburg was just another small fry he could control at will.

Magru smiled and said, “I trust you understand what’s expected of you.”

“I want to know what Miss Menielman has been up to recently. What events were you involved in? She specifically requested your transfer from the Central Government Office, so she must have had a special task for you. I want all the details.”

Charlot immediately realized what was going on. He thought bitterly, This is political warfare against Senior Menielman.

“Damn it!”

“Getting dragged into a political struggle at this level? A small fry like me is as good as dead!”

Seeing Charlot’s continued silence, Magru’s tone grew sterner. “You are now a temporary member of the Prison Army, responsible for managing those damned inmates. However, that doesn’t mean your role can’t change. You could very well end up as one of the garbage being locked away.”

“I even have a report here stating that you borrowed three extraordinary weapons and have yet to return them to the prison.”

“My patience is limited!”

“Do not test my bottom line.”

Charlot took a deep breath. Illicit trading of extraordinary weapons was an unspoken rule in the prison, but unspoken rules couldn’t be openly acknowledged. By bringing this up, the new warden was making it clear that he intended to leave Charlot with no options but to comply or be crushed.

With this matter brought to light, even cooperating with Magru wouldn’t end well for Charlot. The most likely outcome would still be betrayal and an untimely demise. If so, what was the point of selling out Senior Menielman?

The only viable path was to side with the opposition.

Even though Charlot had no idea what fate awaited Menielman, he couldn’t afford to dwell on the life he’d built so far. As a transmigrator, he didn’t attach too much importance to the material trappings of this life, nor did he harbor a native’s sense of fear or wishful thinking.

Charlot raised his head, which had been lowered all this time, and said, “I am willing to report…”

Magru disliked the clarity in the young man’s gaze, but Charlot’s words made him decide to grant the man a sliver of patience. “Temporary Prison Army member Charlot, you are indeed a sensible person,” Magru said, deliberately emphasizing Charlot’s downgraded title to assert dominance. While the Prison Army was technically a part of the empire’s bureaucracy, temporary members weren’t even considered its lowest rank.

Charlot took a step forward, and with a flick of his hand, a Vampiric Axe appeared as if by magic. He hurled it with all his might, shouting with the force of thunder, “Warden Magru, you will not coerce me into slandering Miss Menielman!”

As the Vampiric Axe flew through the air, Charlot activated Blood Glory and leapt backward with all his strength. His back smashed through the doors of the warden’s office with a resounding crash.

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