Axel
patreon
Chapter 55: I Will Fulfill My Promise!
🕑 Added 2025-01-09 21:46:24 +0000 UTCMason clutched his giant axe, panting heavily as he prepared to protect his teammates behind him.
Standing in front of him was a terrifying creature resembling a bipedal goat—powerful, muscular, and wielding a massive club. Its cruel, bloodthirsty eyes were locked onto Mason.
Hannah from the Giant Axe Adventurer Team had already "disappeared," and the other teammates were all injured. Mason deeply regretted letting Charlot Mecklenburg join them; otherwise, neither he nor his companions would have fallen into such peril.
The goat-like monster charged forward with thunderous steps. Mason's expression was one of grim determination—he was ready to face death.
But in an instant, the monster vanished into thin air.
From the darkness stepped Charlot, a relieved smile on his face as he called out, “Good thing I made it in time! Mason, Homonsa, everyone, follow me—I’ll lead you to safety.”
For the first time, Charlot had manipulated the labyrinth, deliberately creating a crisis only to appear heroically at the most critical moment before familiar faces.
Mason's bitterness melted away in an instant. Filled with the relief of surviving near-death, he gathered the team and followed Charlot without hesitation.
...
Charlot quickly located the remaining adventurers and led them back to the conference hall.
Fortunately, this hastily assembled adventurer team hadn’t suffered catastrophic losses. Only seven or eight people had died, and the team still numbered over a hundred members. Most were wounded but not critically, and timely treatment ensured no one’s life was in imminent danger.
The Machubi labyrinth had engulfed everything within the ancient fortress—animals, monsters, eerie entities, and even malevolent spirits. These creatures roamed freely, inevitably clashing with the adventurers.
Under normal circumstances, the adventurers would have been wiped out.
However, during the labyrinth's formation, these adventurers were transformed into labyrinth NPCs, granting them protection under labyrinth rules, thus preventing large-scale casualties.
...
The leaders of a dozen smaller adventurer teams gathered together, vaguely in opposition to Charlot. As experienced adventurers, they had deduced that the chaos they had encountered must somehow be connected to Charlot.
The leader of a small team named Yas stepped forward and said, “We’re not Byron spies, nor do we want anything to do with those vampires. Let us leave, and we promise not to say a word. We’ll even forfeit our reward.”
Charlot didn’t answer. Instead, he smiled warmly and spoke loudly, “First, I want to thank everyone!”
“I’ve found the family treasure!”
With this single statement, all murmurs ceased. Every adventurer was instantly captivated by the word "treasure." Thoughts of anything else vanished from their minds.
Treasure. Wealth. Money!
Nothing could be more enticing.
“I once swore to the goddess that if I found the treasure, I would share five percent of it with those who helped me locate it.”
“I will fulfill my promise!”
The crowd of over a hundred adventurers erupted with excitement. No one cared anymore why they had been abandoned in Machubi or why they had encountered so much danger. Now, all they could think about was how much of the treasure they could claim.
Charlot’s gaze swept from left to right and back again, ensuring that everyone was thoroughly captivated. Only then did he say in a devilish tone, “Unfortunately, the treasure I’ve obtained isn’t the legal currency of the Fars Empire.”
“So, I can’t divide it among you just yet.”
“You must understand—the treasure belonged to the ancient orc nobility. It has to be converted in Strasbourg into gold écus and silver flors…”
“As for centimes? What even are those?”
“Ladies and gentlemen, you are all about to become rich!”
His words immediately drew cheers from the crowd of adventurers.
Spreading his hands and shrugging, Charlot proclaimed loudly, “So, I must trouble you all to accompany me to Strasbourg to retrieve your share of the wealth.”
“No problem!”
“We’ll go to Strasbourg with you!”
“Your generosity is truly unmatched.”
“How much can we expect to get, exactly?”
“Is this trip to Strasbourg considered a paid mission?”
The adventurers bombarded him with questions, but Charlot answered patiently one by one. Once their excitement had subsided a bit, he led the group out of Machubi.
Before leaving, he glanced into the depths of Machubi and muttered to himself, “Last time, I said I’d find you, drag you into the sunlight, and watch you turn to ashes.”
“That was my mistake!”
“I was in a rush to handle some personal matters.”
“But now…”
Charlot noticed that the monster that had killed Hannah, though trapped in the labyrinth, was still resisting its transformation and hadn’t turned into a labyrinth NPC.
Why even Lord Leo could be easily converted into an NPC, but this monster could not, Charlot had no time to investigate.
“I will come back eventually and fulfill my promise—to drag you into the sunlight and watch you turn to ashes.”
...
Lord Leo was currently in a wretched state.
All he had wanted was to retrieve his subordinates, but the ancient orc fortress had suddenly transformed into an endless labyrinth, making escape impossible.
Fortunately, vampires were exceptionally resilient. Though vampires were usually known for their elegance, in desperate situations like these, they could eat anything.
Lord Leo had even devoured several large rodents. Any desolate ruin would be teeming with such plump little creatures.
Charlot didn’t know how to deal with this noble from Byron, so he temporarily avoided a confrontation. Vampires, after all, were notoriously hard to starve to death.
...
The adventurers who emerged from the Machubi labyrinth ate their fill of food and drank plenty of water and wine, all of which Charlot had purchased back in Strasbourg. Rested and rejuvenated, they followed Charlot back to Strasbourg with great anticipation.
Charlot, of course, didn’t take this group of adventurers back to 58 Elysée Avenue. Instead, he brought them to 1 Yansun Street in the Lukavaro District, an old patrol guard office.
Although abandoned for who knows how many years, the building’s basic structure was still intact. With a bit of cleaning and minor repairs, it was habitable.
These adventurers, used to camping outdoors, weren’t picky about living conditions. The thought of imminent treasure left them without complaints about Charlot’s arrangements.
After settling the adventurers, Charlot wasted no time and headed straight for the Central Government Office to see his "former boss," Mrs. Aldegonde, a stern and highly respected senior government official.
Mrs. Aldegonde was surprised by Charlot’s visit and asked, “How’s work at Kilmainham Prison? Going smoothly?”
Charlot smiled and replied, “I’ve been transferred to the Lukavaro District and joined the patrol guards.”
Mrs. Aldegonde frowned slightly, puzzled. “Patrol guards in that area? If I recall, the patrol guard positions in the Outer Fifteen Districts are... you know, all ghost salaries.”
Charlot knew this as well. Even if he hadn’t, a visit to 1 Yansun Street would have made it obvious.
Smiling, he said, “That’s why I need to rebuild my records. Without that, I can’t draw my salary.”
Mrs. Aldegonde nodded slightly in understanding. Having once been Charlot’s superior, she was willing to extend him this small courtesy. She promptly issued the necessary documents.
Her help ended there, though; for the remaining bureaucratic processes, Charlot would have to handle things himself.
Please take a moment to rate this novel at Novelupdate.
