"Aubrey Tildon Atwood?!"
"What's he doing on Baker Street?"
The president of the Fierce Horse Detective Agency moved swiftly but remained highly vigilant. Sensing someone watching him, he suddenly turned his head. Charlot casually tilted his face and raised an arm to shield his cheek in a relaxed and nonchalant manner. Seeing nothing suspicious, Aubrey Tildon Atwood continued on his way.
Annie approached, following Charlot's gaze to Aubrey Tildon Atwood, and said, "He is rather decisive. Upon hearing about your great victory at Silver Dove Castle, he actually sold the detective agency to you."
Charlot was taken aback and asked, "When did he sell the agency to me?"
Annie replied in surprise, "You didn't know? It was Louis Simy who handled the acquisition on your behalf. The price was quite favorable, reportedly a mix of luxury goods and cash to secure the agency's property and staff."
Charlot did recall that Louis Simy had helped him acquire a detective agency, but Louis had never mentioned it was the Fierce Horse Agency. At the time, Charlot had been preoccupied with other matters and hadn't inquired further, caring only about Louis Simy's attitude. Which agency was acquired didn't seem to matter.
Watching Aubrey Tildon Atwood's figure disappear down another street, Charlot couldn't help but exclaim, "What a talent!"
Even Charlot himself wasn't sure whether his remark was about Louis Simy or Aubrey Tildon Atwood. Both were exceptional talents in their own right: one had thought of acquiring the Fierce Horse Agency, and the other had decisively sold it to him.
What was remarkable was that the two had successfully executed the transaction.
Charlot chuckled, "Let's visit the Fierce Horse Detective Agency tomorrow."
Annie smiled as well, "Sure!"
Having been apart for so long, they wanted to savor some peaceful moments together. Although Annie was curious and eager to see the Fierce Horse Agency, she didn’t want to spoil such a pleasant afternoon.
Before long, the apartment’s housekeeper delivered coffee, a set meal, ale, fruit wine, and some desserts.
Charlot and Annie sat by the living room’s floor-to-ceiling window, enjoying the street view through the magical alchemical crystal glass and sharing a light, delightful afternoon meal.
After eating, Charlot sipped coffee and chatted with Annie for a while. As evening fell, he escorted her back to Gorgias University.
Hesitating briefly, Charlot returned to 58 Elysée Avenue. Though the Baker Street apartment was cozy, he still preferred the lively buzz of Elysée Avenue, not to mention that the house there was larger.
When he reached the third floor, Charlot saw another life-sized portrait of Annie. In the painting, Annie wore a silk robe with exotic patterns, accentuating her graceful figure. She used an ancient Eastern gesture to welcome him back to the bedroom.
After admiring the painting for a while, Charlot chose a different bedroom to sleep in.
...
The next day, before Charlot could visit Annie, High Priest Auguslatin paid him a visit. His face looked slightly weary as he said to Charlot, "We will depart at the end of the month. You need to be prepared."
"We’re traveling as a diplomatic delegation, so uniforms will be provided. You and your subordinates must visit Embassy Street to have your formal wear and ceremonial attire tailored. Weapons must also comply with regulations—anti-magic armor-piercing rounds, anti-space weapons, and spatial weapons are prohibited. However, as a diplomatic officer, you are authorized to select a batch of weapons..."
The High Priest listed a series of details, and Charlot had Mrs. Nancy prepare a mug of ale for him, which the High Priest declined, asking instead for a glass of water.
Charlot hadn't expected the High Priest to be so meticulous about protocol.
After chatting briefly, the High Priest departed in a rush. As the ambassador and special war envoy, his mission to the Ingrima Empire required him to secure a military alliance, which entailed significant preparations. He was extremely busy, though he considered this diplomatic role far preferable to entering Ferranden's bloody meat-grinder of a battlefield.
Reports from Ferranden’s front lines mentioned that even Saint-ranked figures had fallen.
...
Once the High Priest left, Charlot headed to No. 1 Falcon Street.
Although he would have preferred to spend another leisurely day with Annie, he had responsibilities to attend to.
At No. 1 Falcon Street, the household was quieter. With Dubin, Yellow Bear, and others stationed at Machubi, only Dolores Soumet, Belisa, Anastasia, eighteen Redback Bear warriors, and thirty handpicked West Wind Knights remained. This group was divided equally between city patrol guards and Silver Dove Castle residents, all of whom had clear backgrounds.
Charlot had even added an additional requirement during selection: they must have received at least a middle-level education and be capable of reading and writing fluently.
Though the Fars Empire prioritized education to some extent, it couldn't match modern nations on Earth. Only about 5% of the population received basic education, with the majority remaining illiterate.
When Charlot arrived, Dolores was absent. As the Soumet family’s young lady, she naturally had personal affairs to handle upon returning to Strasbourg. However, Belisa and Anastasia were present. In his capacity as Director of the Lukavaro District Administrative Bureau, Charlot assigned them official roles: Anastasia, a Gorgias University graduate, was appointed as a first-class civil servant, while Belisa, having completed only higher education, was made a Grade-45 assistant clerk. Although Belisa had been a duchess's maid and had diligently pursued self-study, her qualifications were technically insufficient for the role.
Of course, such appointments were irregular. By conventional standards, Belisa wasn't qualified to become an assistant clerk.
Charlot couldn't help but recall his former fiancée, Sylvie Martin. A graduate of the National Academy, Sylvie had only secured a Grade-47 third-class registration clerk position. Frustrated, she had abandoned her assigned job to become a trainee detective.
But...
Times had changed. Charlot now belonged to the noble class, and not just the lower ranks—his influence extended even further.
In addition to holding high-level and influential administrative positions, such as Commander of the Lukavaro District City Patrol Guards and Director of the Lukavaro District Administrative Bureau, Charlot could easily assign roles to his trusted allies.
If Sylvie Martin learned that her former fiancé could now appoint a mere maid with basic education as a Grade-45 assistant clerk, she would surely have something to say.
Yes, that was very much like Sylvie.