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Chapter 191: A Visit
🕑 Added 2025-01-13 03:33:45 +0000 UTCCharlot didn’t even bother to introduce himself. With a slight flick of his rapier, the sword's gleaming light enveloped the brave gentleman entirely, as if a cascade of dazzling brilliance had descended.
Julanser’s heart was struck with dread. Unlike Charlot, he had never been to the battlefield and certainly wasn’t a prodigy like Julian Arsilo, Clair Bretagne, or Ebner Soumet—those gifted individuals who were either mid-rank or high-rank transcendents. Confronted with Charlot’s legendary swordsmanship, Julanser had only half-drawn his longsword before his ornate attire was riddled with sixteen or seventeen holes.
Charlot’s rapier pierced only the fabric, leaving Julanser's skin untouched. This display of swordsmanship was nothing short of astonishing—a feat even many esteemed knights would struggle to replicate.
With a swoosh, Julanser finally unsheathed his rapier. However, Charlot had already withdrawn his sword and stepped back. Glancing at the punctured holes in his attire, Julanser murmured, “Am I unworthy of even drawing my blade for Miss Menielman?”
This remark didn’t just shake every noble lady from the Ingrima Empire present; it also left many men who prided themselves on their swordsmanship deeply ashamed.
Transcendents were exceedingly rare in any nation. Most young nobles attending Count Victory Champagne’s ball had not achieved their rank through diligent training or natural talent. Instead, they relied on vast resources or the consumption of precious magical elixirs. Even so, these young nobles were still considered the crème de la crème of society.
Among this group, Julanser was already regarded as one of the best. For him to be defeated without even drawing his sword was a spectacle that left an indelible impression.
Julanser performed an imperial salute, sheathed his rapier, and handed it to Charlot before departing gracefully, exuding poise.
Charlot casually drove his rapier into the ground and inspected Julanser’s offered sword. It was an act of complete surrender, a gesture of acknowledgment to the victor. By presenting his weapon, Julanser conveyed his absolute submission, signifying that he would never challenge Charlot again.
The rapier was a classic Sherlock magical rapier!
Although Baron Febollet owned a few magical rapiers, they were all contemporary creations, lacking the antique value of this piece.
Charlot had long heard of the famed Sherlock magical rapiers and once, by chance, acquired a scabbard from the Sherlock Dynasty period. He had melted it down to craft an alchemical staff that he used to store his anti-space long-range rifle.
After entering the battlefield, however, Charlot had ceased carrying the staff, and he hadn’t brought it along on this diplomatic mission to the Ingrima Empire.
This marked the first time Charlot personally felt the aura of a magical rapier from the Sherlock Dynasty era.
The craftsmanship was exquisite. This rapier was no ordinary piece priced at one or two hundred écus. Its blade was long and narrow, no wider than two fingers, emitting a faint green glow. Resting upright on the ground, the hilt reached Charlot’s ribcage. The hilt itself had been restored, but the original family crest of its previous owner—a prominent noble family from the Sherlock Dynasty—was meticulously preserved.
The rapier possessed three attributes: tenacity, swiftness, and anti-magic.
Tenacity ensured the blade could withstand direct clashes, a quality shared by many transcendent weapons.
Swiftness was a rarer attribute, slightly enhancing attack speed—only by about three or four percent, but enough to tip the scales in life-and-death combat.
Anti-magic was even more exceptional, repelling foreign energy sources such as protective combat energy or defensive magical barriers when infused with combat energy or a similar power source.
This magical rapier also had a beautiful name: Unicorn Griffon.
Charlot had just sheathed the rapier when a lovely face appeared before him—it was Miss Aurora Soumet.
By now, the spectators had dispersed, and even the two original duelists had quietly left. Only this lady remained, evidently with something on her mind.
Charlot smiled and asked, “Miss Aurora Soumet, do you have any further concerns?”
Aurora asked, “Have you met Menielman?”
Charlot replied, “Menielman is my senior and was once my superior. However, my promotion pace couldn’t match hers, so I didn’t stay in her orbit for long.”
Aurora Soumet couldn’t help but ask, “Is she very beautiful?”
Charlot smiled and said, “I believe every woman has her own starlight. I never comment on appearances but always admire their noble virtues.”
Aurora Soumet seemed wistful. After a long pause, she said, “I still don’t know your name.”
Charlot replied, “Charlot Mecklenburg, an ordinary man from the Fars Empire. I’m here in the Ingrima Empire as part of a diplomatic mission, merely a minor member of the delegation.”
Aurora Soumet was slightly surprised. “You serve under High Priest Auguslatin?”
Charlot suddenly felt uneasy and was about to explain when Aurora Soumet said, “May I visit you at the Fars embassy tomorrow?”
Charlot breathed a sigh of relief. It was clear Aurora hadn’t misunderstood anything. Although he couldn’t fathom why she wished to visit him, he courteously replied, “You’re always welcome.”
Aurora Soumet smiled faintly. She was undoubtedly a stunning beauty, though her demeanor lacked a bit of feminine softness. She left, her fragrance lingering in the air.
Charlot instinctively compared her to Annie Bretagne but quickly dismissed the dangerous thought.
He was pondering whether to find a place to relax or to meet High Priest Auguslatin when a gentle voice reached him.
“Mr. Mecklenburg, it has been a long time.”
Looking up, Charlot saw someone in a priest’s robe and immediately felt relieved. “High Priest, I’ve been trying to find you since arriving in Britain, but no one seemed to know your whereabouts.”
High Priest Auguslatin approached with a smile. “I’ve been busy managing diplomatic matters for the Empire and haven’t had much time to return to the embassy.”
“I desperately need assistance. Your arrival is truly fortuitous.”
Charlot asked, “There are many others in the delegation. I’m only the eighth-ranking member. What could I possibly contribute?”
High Priest Auguslatin replied awkwardly, “The others vanished as soon as we arrived in Britain. Viscount Durenny returned to his estate on the second day and hasn’t reappeared since. The rest have their own reasons, leaving them unavailable.”
“Which means you’re the only one I can rely on. Tomorrow, I plan to visit...”
Charlot suddenly remembered Aurora Soumet’s planned visit. “Tomorrow, a lady intends to call on me. Could we reschedule?”
High Priest Auguslatin’s expression lit up with delight. “Is it Miss Soumet?”
Charlot nodded.
High Priest Auguslatin, visibly relieved, said cheerfully, “The person I was planning to visit tomorrow happens to be Miss Soumet’s father.”
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