Axel

Chapter 18: Golden Pheasant Tail Flower and Elysian Boulevard

Added 2025-01-09 20:01:54 +0000 UTC

An extraordinarily luxurious carriage passed by lightly, and the coachman instinctively wanted to avoid trouble.
A soft "Hmm?" came from the carriage, and a gentle, elegant voice said, "Stop for a moment!"

The coachman dared not be careless and hurriedly reined in the horses.

A stately and noble lady stepped out of the carriage. She gazed at Yanmills' residence, and with a delicate hand in silk gloves, she gently squeezed, sending countless black mists soaring into the sky, gathering to form a classical oil painting.

The lady lazily said, "Send it to 25, Mignan Street."

The classical oil painting in the sky seemed as if it had been taken away and disappeared without a trace.

The lady re-entered the carriage, gave a command, and the coachman flicked the reins, driving the carriage away.

The city patrol guards, who witnessed this scene, did not dare to stop the lady, for they all saw the golden pheasant tail flower emblem on the carriage.

It represented an existence even their highest superiors dared not provoke.

A seemingly endless corridor appeared in the sky, towering over three meters tall, all crimson in color, holding a massive hammer, like a monstrous being without skin, and then disappeared as well.

Suddenly, the real world returned. Charlot still felt somewhat unfamiliar, not daring to choose the front door. Instead, he smashed a window and rushed out of the mansion.

From a distance, he saw several city patrol guards. Charlot did not want to get involved with the Yanmills family anymore and hurriedly walked off in the opposite direction.

After walking around the streets for a while, Charlot heard the sound of a carriage rapidly approaching from behind. A clear voice called out, "Mr. Mecklenburg, please get in."

Charlot hesitated for a moment but then got into the carriage.

He saw the young lady, unharmed, and out of courtesy, asked, "Miss Annie Bretagne, were you harmed?"

Annie Bretagne, still with lingering fear, replied, "I am fine, thanks to you breaking in and saving my life. Otherwise, I would have been trapped in the dimensional corridor created by the ancient painting that depicted the true form of the foreign god of chaos."

She stood and gave a noble curtsy, her face filled with gratitude toward Charlot.

Charlot had killed Mr. Yanmills, but he had not saved this young lady. In fact, he himself had almost been trapped in the dimensional corridor. As for how the two of them managed to get out, he had not seen the lady act and was still puzzled.

Charlot knew there was no need to explain and smiled, saying, "Every gentleman would do the same. I was simply in the right place at the right time."

Annie Bretagne looked at Charlot with eyes full of affection.

She was a lady of high birth, surrounded by many talented young men, but in this moment, she felt none of them compared to Mr. Charlot Mecklenburg, who could step forward at a critical moment, full of courage, yet afterward remained humble, never seeking praise, embodying true gentlemanly demeanor.

Charlot hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Miss Annie Bretagne, if you're all right, I must take my leave. I only have one day off, and I was planning to find a place near my new job."

Annie Bretagne showed a hint of interest and asked, "Mr. Mecklenburg, are you being transferred for work?"

Charlot smiled faintly and replied, "I was transferred from the Central Government Office to Kilmainham Prison. The Alexander District where I currently live is quite far from there, so I plan to move to Picardy District."

These matters related to work were not something to hide, so Charlot spoke the truth.

Although the position in the Central Government Office sounded more dignified than that of a prison clerk, being a first-class civil servant, the pay of thirty-seven-flor and one-level clerk was still far better than the forty-one-flor of a first-class civil servant.

Charlot had no intention of bragging. Bragging about his civil servant rank to a young lady of high noble birth was not something done with ulterior motives.

Annie Bretagne's gaze rippled with some excitement, and she said with a smile, "How coincidental. I have a relative in Picardy District who is selling a house."

"I can help you get a good price."

Charlot felt a little embarrassed and replied, "My savings are not much; I can probably only afford up to eighty écu."

He was a first-class civil servant in the Central Government Office, earning a weekly salary of one flor and seventy centime. With a little extra income, his annual salary wouldn't exceed one hundred flor. For a young person just starting in the workforce, being generous was rare, and saving three écu in a year was considered managing well.

If not for selling the multi-headed flail for seventy-five écu, Charlot wouldn't have even dared to think about buying his own home.

Annie Bretagne's relative was undoubtedly a noble, and the house they were selling would certainly be extraordinary. Charlot did not believe he could afford it.

He simply wanted to find a regular home, not a mansion.

Charlot directly stated the price limit he could afford, hoping to politely refuse the young lady's kind offer.

Annie Bretagne smiled slightly and said, "Mr. Mecklenburg, please rest assured. That house is within your budget."

She gave the coachman an order, "Go to Elysian Boulevard."

The carriage began moving again.

Charlot, with an attitude of not minding a simple look, thanked her.

Charlot had never been to Elysian Boulevard, but he had an impression of it in his memory.

Picardy District, like the Alexander District, was a commercial area—or, in Earth terms, an industrial district. The latter was known for large shopping malls and markets, and it was famous for its high-end consumer establishments. Picardy District, on the other hand, was more geared towards the common people, selling everyday goods.

Elysian Boulevard was the most prosperous street in Picardy District, rich with commercial atmosphere, with many famous bakeries, pastry shops, cafés, and various general stores, spice shops, tailor shops, and even a market for people.

It was said that long ago, Elysian Boulevard had been farmland, later incorporated into the city. Most of the landowners received adequate compensation and bought new estates in the countryside, but a few old residents remained.

For this reason, Elysian Boulevard was not favored by the nobility, who considered its residents less pure. Almost no high-ranking nobles owned property there, as it was seen as lowering their status. Those shopping on Elysian Boulevard were either commoners or servants of great nobles. The nobles themselves rarely appeared there.

Because of its commercial atmosphere, Elysian Boulevard had attracted many merchants to purchase property, though most of the real estate was for commercial use. Shops there were in high demand, but the housing market was rather sluggish.

Charlot slightly opened the carriage's curtain. When he saw Elysian Boulevard, even with memories from two worlds, he could not help but exclaim in admiration.

The street was 2,600 pimi in length by imperial measurement, roughly equivalent to just over three kilometers by Earth standards. Since it was originally farmland, it had been built very wide.