Chapter 27: The Fiancée

Annie quickly became the focus of the gathering.

Most of the attendees at this gathering were students from Gorgias University, all of whom had enrolled in the same year during the 33rd year of the Black Moon calendar. Only a few "outsiders" were specially invited.

As one of these "outsiders," Charlot chose to keep a low profile. He found a seat in the corner of the banquet hall, casually pulled out his diary, and began studying it.

There were two items Charlot always carried with him, never parting for even a moment: his vampiric axe and the diary left by his predecessor.

In such a public setting, it was inconvenient to practice Blood Glory, so Charlot opened the section on Agmirlas Labyrinth in the diary. Having studied it for a long time, he had managed to glean a faint understanding of its secrets.

Charlot was further deciphering the first diagram of Agmirlas Labyrinth when a man approached, flashing a bright smile and saying, "I’m Andre. Like most of the others here, I’m a third-year student at Gorgias University. May I ask for your name, sir? Are you interested in joining us for a game of cards?"

Charlot smiled slightly and replied, "Charlot, graduate of Sheffield University. I’m not much of a card player, so I’ll have to pass."

Andre was undeterred, and soon, two or three other young men joined him, urging Charlot to join their game. Their enthusiastic invitation made it hard for Charlot to refuse, so after a few polite refusals, he reluctantly agreed.

As soon as Charlot sat down at the card table with Andre and his companions, he sensed that something was amiss but pretended not to notice. Smiling calmly, he began the first round.

The game they played was called Taculo Cards, which consisted of 144 cards. The best cards were the nine Supreme God cards, the only fixed major cards in Taculo. Other major cards varied by set, often depicting notable figures from the Old Continent, including kings, warriors, renowned scholars, sinister evil gods, and various auxiliary cards. While the gameplay wasn’t overly complicated, the game involved numerous doubling mechanisms, often leading to large wins or losses in a single round.

Because of this, Taculo Cards were popular only among nobles and the wealthy. Knowing how to play was even considered a status symbol.

Charlot Mecklenburg had always been adept at card games. With his memories restored, he was far from inexperienced at the card table.

After two consecutive rounds, Charlot had lost one flor and twenty centimes. Yet, rather than appearing upset, he grew even calmer.

This group of young men was clearly cheating!

They must have heard from Belinna about Charlot’s substantial salary and his recent purchase of a mansion worth 200 écus, which had stirred their greed.

However, when it came to cheating, could they really surpass a mathematics graduate like Charlot? Let alone the fact that he had the Eye of Insight.

After testing the waters for two or three rounds and confirming their greed, Charlot deliberately set a trap. He let the game drag into a stalemate, where he appeared to lose frequently but had occasional "lucky streaks" that allowed him to recover most of his losses.

After playing over twenty rounds, Andre grew impatient when he realized the gains and losses were minimal. He signaled his companions and smiled, saying, "The stakes are too low. This is getting boring. Why don’t we raise the stakes?"

Charlot readily agreed. With the stakes raised, Charlot’s "luck" suddenly worsened. He lost more than ten consecutive rounds, accumulating losses of over seventy flors.

When Charlot appeared to be losing his composure and suggested raising the stakes again, the group of young men couldn’t contain their excitement and eagerly agreed. This time, however, Charlot’s luck turned blazing hot. Over the course of a dozen hands, not only did he recover his losses, but he also made a profit of approximately thirteen écus and six flors. The young men turned pale, unable to understand how, despite their coordinated cheating, they had lost so spectacularly.

After winning the final round, Charlot stood up with a cheerful smile and said, "Apologies, I need to escort Miss Annie home. She must be back before dinner."

The excuse was unimpeachable.

After all, the strict rules of the Bretagne family were well-known, and no one dared delay Annie’s return home.

Charlot shook off the group of card-obsessed cheats and approached Annie, saying, "May I have the honor of escorting Miss Annie home?"

Annie smiled faintly, bid farewell to her companions, and as they left the banquet hall, she whispered, "Andre and his group are awful. They frequently lure people into playing cards at school and then cheat them out of their money."

"However, none of them have advanced to become Transcendents."

At this, Annie flashed a mischievous smile. As a Dreamcrafter, she had long observed the card game from afar. Seeing Charlot’s confident demeanor, she had chosen not to intervene.

Charlot couldn’t help but laugh. "Miss Annie, you’re quite the lady at times."

Annie covered her mouth, her arched brows betraying her mirth.

She had spent the entire afternoon chatting aimlessly and had found it rather dull. However, watching Charlot’s skillful victory over Andre and his friends had made the gathering unexpectedly entertaining.

Though Annie was bold, she didn’t dare let Charlot escort her home. Instead, she took him to 58 Elysée Avenue and reluctantly said her goodbyes.

Charlot watched Annie’s carriage disappear into the distance, feeling a sense of relief.

Though the day had been unproductive, he was confident it wouldn’t hinder his efforts to resolve his current predicament.

After all, if he couldn’t deal with the threat posed by the two evil gods, it wouldn’t be because of today’s outing.

...

In the following days, Miss Menielman did not show up for work.

Charlot was never late but became notorious for leaving early. His frequent dates with Annie Bretagne had reached an eye-catching level, and their relationship progressed rapidly.

Even so, Charlot didn’t neglect his responsibilities. He made several visits to Sheffield University to consult its most erudite professors. However, none of them were familiar with labyrinthology, and research on Agmirlas Labyrinth remained fruitless.

As for the Vampiric Scroll, he dared not mention it. Summoning an evil god was punishable by fire!

Bringing it up at Sheffield University, a sanctuary of the goddess, would result in professors personally building a pyre for him.

Fortunately, his mastery of Blood Glory was improving steadily. The date for the blood god Karnstein’s reappearance kept being pushed back, giving Charlot some breathing room.

The Imperial Postal Service soon delivered good news.

His elder brother, upon receiving Charlot’s written renunciation of inheritance rights, was touched by their brotherly bond. Along with his reply, he included a savings certificate from the Savings Union for 550 écus and agreed to help dissolve the engagement.

His brother’s letter also mentioned that Charlot’s fiancée had decided to visit Strasbourg in person to formally sign the annulment documents.

The day after receiving the letter, Charlot enjoyed a pleasant date with Annie, where they attended an opera and returned home via public carriage.

As Charlot strolled leisurely into the alley leading to his house, he was surprised to see a strikingly beautiful young woman sitting on the steps of 58 Elysée Avenue.

She looked slightly disheveled, with a trace of dust on her forehead, and her delicate brows were furrowed in evident frustration.

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