In the Fars Empire, government departments issued salaries every Monday. Thus, among the empire’s working class, Monday was affectionately known as “Imperial Pay Day.”
On Tuesdays, most of the Fars Empire’s lords collected taxes, leading taxpayers to nickname the day “Lord’s Tax Day.”
The person who orchestrated the infamous "Tax Day Massacre" involving Baron Feller and Baron Febollet was none other than Charlot Mecklenburg, who was in the midst of regrouping the West Wind Knight Order at Machubi Fortress.
Charlot led an entire knight order into Machubi, where his diary immediately transmitted a thought to him, indicating it was time for the third labyrinth transformation.
Charlot, already reluctant to serve on the front lines fighting for an imperial duke he didn’t even know, decided to stay at Machubi for training and morale-building exercises for the West Wind Knight Order.
With a newly established “secret passage” between Machubi and Silver Dove Castle, Charlot no longer worried about supply chains. Provisions could be delivered directly from Silver Dove Castle by placing them at a designated location, from where they would instantly appear in Machubi.
Silver Dove Castle, a bustling commercial city crisscrossed by rivers, was rich in resources and never lacked food supplies.
Though the Machubi Fortress had been abandoned for years, with some repairs, its structures were once again habitable. As the West Wind Knight Order settled in, the fortress became lively and vibrant.
Occasionally, Charlot sent people to Silver Dove Castle to purchase ale. During one of these trips, his men observed Baron Febollet leading a knight order on a tax-collection campaign. This reminded them of a “forgotten fortune” they had yet to reclaim.
While Baron Febollet stared at his now-empty treasury in despair, Charlot gazed at his vault, brimming with glittering gold écus.
Dozens of chests filled with gold écus were arranged in two neat rows. Some of it belonged to Baron Feller, some to Baron Febollet, but Charlot didn’t particularly care about distinguishing their origins.
Did it matter?
Not at all!
The only thing that mattered was that this wealth now belonged entirely to Charlot Mecklenburg.
This treasure exceeded 100,000 gold écus—more precisely, around 120,000. It represented the combined contributions and entire savings of both barons.
In addition to the gold coins, Charlot had amassed over 40,000 Flor banknotes: more than 10,000 from Baron Feller and over 30,000 from Baron Febollet.
Baron Feller’s fate was inconsequential; he was dead and had no further need for money.
Baron Febollet, however, was left in dire financial straits. His cash flow evaporated, leaving him drowning in debt.
This wealth had been borrowed against Silver Dove Castle’s taxation rights, as Baron Febollet’s extravagant lifestyle had long drained his reserves.
Charlot counted the gold coins and banknotes repeatedly, indulging in the intoxicating thrill of newfound riches.
The purest joy in life was counting a windfall of unexpected fortune.
Each recount brought another wave of happiness. While the total never changed, the steady release of dopamine reliably delivered pleasure.
Scooping up a handful of gold écus, Charlot let them tumble through his fingers. He suddenly remembered that Baron Febollet also had an impressive collection of private treasures. Just as he was about to return to Silver Dove Castle to claim them, he paused and thought:
"Better not. I might push the poor baron over the edge."
“If Baron Febollet dies of a heart attack from the shock, the empire might send an even wealthier baron to replace him. Wouldn’t that be delightful?”
This thought filled Charlot with mischievous anticipation, but his attention was drawn away by an intruder alert from the labyrinth.
The intrusion wasn’t at Silver Dove Castle but at Machubi. Alarmed, Charlot quickly left his treasury.
A team of orcs had broken into Machubi Fortress. One of them immediately sensed something strange about the ruins of this ancient Orc Kingdom fortress and tried to retreat.
Had Charlot arrived a moment later, they might have escaped the labyrinth’s grasp.
With a subtle motion, Charlot manipulated the labyrinth, causing the orc team to lose their bearings and unknowingly change direction.
Having worked alongside Frederica for some time, Charlot had gained some understanding of orcs.
The Southern Continent was a chaotic region. Though several great powers exerted influence there, none could achieve full control. The continent was home to nearly a thousand orc tribes. Some formed alliances, others controlled territories, while many fought amongst themselves, harboring age-old blood feuds. Yet, all orc tribes universally despised the Sherlock Dynasty.
After the fall of the Sherlock Dynasty, their hatred shifted to the Fars Empire, the conqueror of the Sherlock lands and people.
This time, the Southern Continent’s orc tribes had joined forces with Byron, the Black Phoenix Dynasty, and the South Seraph restorationists to form the New Order Accord International Alliance.
The team that entered Machubi was a special operations unit from the Redback Bear Tribe.
Members of this tribe were part bear, part human, with immense strength and a thick coat of black or brown fur marked by fiery red streaks on their backs—hence their name. Their mission likely involved reconnaissance or the assassination of key figures.
Charlot trapped the team within the labyrinth. His plan was to isolate one orc and interrogate them about their purpose. If their mission was unrelated to him, he might release them.
Although it was wartime, Charlot still harbored an aversion to unnecessary killing.
After waiting patiently, Charlot noticed the orcs were highly experienced and didn’t panic at the labyrinth’s shifting architecture. They maintained their formation and cohesion.
Realizing he couldn’t separate them, Charlot decided to confront them directly.
Having dueled Hughes hundreds of times, Charlot had developed a tempered battle spirit. Facing an orc team caught in the labyrinth of Machubi, he felt no fear. He revealed himself and called out:
“What brings you orcs to Machubi?”
The response came in the form of a massive spiked flail the size of a human head!
Thanks to his Swiftstep Technique, Charlot leapt nimbly aside, evading the blow. But the Redback Bear warrior wielding the flail followed up with a flurry of rapid, thunderous strikes, each aimed unerringly at Charlot’s face.
Charlot hadn’t expected to encounter such a formidable opponent.
Judging by the warrior’s sheer skill with the flail, they were at least a mid-tier master, possibly a knight of the tenth rank or higher.
The flail, a heavy and devastating weapon, was swung with crushing force. Charlot dared not parry with his magical sword, relying instead on his agility to evade. As he dodged, he shouted once more:
“Explain your purpose, or I won’t hold back!”
The Redback Bear warrior bellowed:
“We’ve come to assassinate Grand Duke Ferdinand!”
“Now that you’ve discovered us, we can’t let you leave alive.”