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Chapter 233: Days in Silver Dove Castle
🕑 Added 2025-01-30 14:03:01 +0000 UTCYan Melianne sat quietly before the temple of the Lady of the Black Moon. He had waited for over ten days, but Charlot never came...
The young man clenched his fists in anger and muttered under his breath, “I will go to Strasbourg to find you.”
Yan turned and descended the mountain. Behind him, a dozen youths of similar age, carrying their packs and looking ready for a long journey, followed closely. In each of their hearts, a single thought floated: “Yan and his sister must truly share a deep bond.”
Charlot had no idea that someone had once waited for him for a long time outside the small mountain temple dedicated to the Lady of the Black Moon near Seagull City. Nor did he consider visiting Thalia Melianne. Instead, he deliberately chose to “forget.”
That belonged to Charlot Mecklenburg’s past, not his...
Charlot was now preoccupied with securing supplies. He had no intention of burdening the common people but also knew he could not openly target the nobles, as that would provoke the wrath of the empire’s aristocracy. So, he adopted a different approach—selling spoils of war.
He marked up the map of the South Seraph region with prices and, under the name of Clair Bretagne, offered it to the nobles of the Behemoth Principality.
To his surprise, the strategy worked remarkably well. The Behemoth nobles eagerly purchased the spoils, allowing him to quickly amass the first batch of supplies—an amount far exceeding what Clair Bretagne had initially requested.
Charlot transported the requested materials to the front lines and sent the surplus to Machubi.
When this batch of supplies arrived at the front, both Clair Bretagne and Ebner Soumet were astonished. They had never expected Charlot to procure the entire requested amount. Both of them had assumed that achieving even thirty percent of the goal would be an extraordinary accomplishment.
Seeing the full delivery, they worried Charlot might have been too ruthless, stirring up public resentment. Clair Bretagne even summoned Gwen the Dappled Stag and Bancroft the Swift Wolf, who had escorted the supplies, for a detailed inquiry. The two explained the sale of “South Seraph spoils” in full.
Clair and Ebner both concluded that Charlot was a genius!
To think of such a clever scheme...
Initially, Clair Bretagne considered bringing Charlot to the front lines. However, given the smooth progress of the campaign—South Seraph had nearly no resistance—and the urgent need for Charlot to ensure the flow of supplies in the rear, he changed his mind and sent a letter to Strasbourg instead.
While Charlot was enthusiastically selling off South Seraph lands, a team arrived from Strasbourg. They had only one task: to announce Charlot’s new administrative appointment. He was now the provisional steward of Mostar Castle, Bybury City, Seagull City, Silver Dove Castle, and Mount Ode City!
After delivering the announcement, the team hurriedly left.
As a steward, one could serve as a city lord’s deputy or even a city administrator if the city had no lord. A steward of the highest level, such as a Level-27 Grade-3 steward like Charlot, could directly serve as the chief official of a city. Holding provisional stewardship of five cities simultaneously, however, was an unprecedented concentration of authority.
Mostar Castle, Bybury City, Seagull City, Silver Dove Castle, and Mount Ode City were the five largest cities in the Behemoth Principality, comprising over seventy percent of its wealth.
Receiving the appointment letter, Charlot pondered for a long time before writing a letter to Clair Bretagne.
Why had this sudden appointment occurred?
There was only one explanation—Clair Bretagne had lent a small hand in the matter.
Charlot did not express his gratitude explicitly. Instead, he mentioned the appointment and subtly noted at the end that he could only supply such a massive quantity of materials one more time within three months.
After sending the letter, Charlot had no intention of inspecting the cities under his jurisdiction. After all, he was merely their provisional steward and saw no need to flaunt his authority.
Nevertheless, he could not remain idle. The “bomb” in Mostar Castle had already exploded. Accusations flew among the nobles, each suspecting others of embezzling funds meant for the collective. Every audit revealed minor discrepancies in the vast sum, and this had already led to several bloody duels.
The nobles of Mostar Castle incessantly sent letters and messengers pleading for Charlot to intervene. However, Charlot had no desire to get involved. What did their troubles have to do with him?
He stayed comfortably in Silver Dove Castle.
Standing atop the city walls, he was ceaselessly praised by passing residents of Silver Dove Castle, their flattery so overwhelming it felt intoxicating. Go to Mostar Castle? What a joke!
After refusing countless requests, Charlot, fed up, took dozens of people on a hunting trip outside the city.
Hunting proved to be an expensive pastime. As someone from a merchant family of common birth, Charlot had never been able to afford such luxury. However, as the steward of five cities, he now had the means to indulge in such recreational activities.
With Gwen the Dappled Stag and Bancroft the Swift Wolf overseeing the materials in South Seraph, and Dolores and Belisa stationed in Machubi, Charlot was left with only Dubin, Yellow Bear, and Anastasia by his side.
Dozens of riders galloped on warhorses across the plains outside Silver Dove Castle. With the wind brushing against his face, Charlot finally felt a hint of freedom. Suddenly, he spotted a group of wild boars running by. Drawing his Magnum Mauler, he fired three shots, taking down a young boar.
For such a hunt, ordinary firearms were used instead of extraordinary ones. Shooting at a moving target while riding a fast horse—achieving this result left Charlot satisfied.
Anastasia also drew her pistol and fired, but her marksmanship was lacking. After emptying her magazine without hitting a single boar, the frustrated young woman hurled her rapier, pinning a fleeing boar to the ground.
Charlot smiled faintly and remarked, “Anastasia, your shooting skills need improvement.”
“Want me to lend you the Mask of the Cat so you can practice?”
Charlot had previously lent the Mask of the Cat to Belisa. Fully aware of its supernatural properties, Anastasia hesitated before replying, “Lend it to me for a few days.”
Charlot handed over the Mask of the Cat, but a faint sense of foreboding prickled his mind. Quickly activating his Eye of Insight, he spotted a man clad in animal hides, with pointed ears atop his head, aiming an ordinary rifle at him from several hundred meters away.
Charlot unsheathed his Unicorn Griffon and slashed the incoming bullet out of the air, shouting, “Assassin!”
Leaping from his saddle, he activated Swiftstep Technique twice in rapid succession and used the Spider Technique, moving faster than any horse. Charlot had not been targeted by assassins in a long time, and he refused to let this one escape.
The assassin’s features reminded Charlot of an old “case.” After all, he still had a bounty issued by the Orc Assassin Alliance on his head.
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