Running a detective agency requires not only a Transcendent to oversee operations but also exceptional business acumen. Charlot Mecklenburg had neither the necessary talent nor suitable personnel at his disposal.
Dolores Soumet and Dubin Alger, being members of the city patrol guards, were not under Charlot’s command. Similarly, individuals like Yellow Bear were hardly suited for detective work; otherwise, they wouldn’t have ended up in gangs. Figures like Gwen and Bancroft also lacked the required skills.
As for Anastasia and Belisa…
Charlot wasn’t certain whether they could handle the work either.
He decided to place his initial trust in the old detectives of the Fierce Horse Detective Agency. To stabilize the agency, Charlot allowed them to select detective assistants and apprentices, effectively eliminating internal sources of unrest. While this move consolidated the "old guard," it ensured short-term stability and a lack of internal conflict.
The assistants and apprentices who were excluded all had some educational background—after all, such credentials were necessary for this line of work. Though they might resent the senior detectives for ostracizing them, they weren’t necessarily dissatisfied with Charlot himself. Charlot sent these individuals to the city patrol guards, reasoning that those with potential would naturally excel and stand out. For those without talent…
It didn’t matter—after all, their salaries came from the Emperor’s coffers, not Charlot Mecklenburg’s.
Using business concepts from Earth that were centuries ahead of this era, even if only superficially applied, Charlot quickly smoothed over the turbulent atmosphere within the Fierce Horse Detective Agency.
His next announcement was a surprising one: a feast!
Charlot personally funded a lavish banquet for everyone at the agency.
This single meal earned him widespread verbal praise from the staff. At the very least, it secured him their nominal loyalty and demonstrated basic "affection" for the new director.
After the banquet, Charlot gathered the few staff members unwilling to stay and gave them an impassioned motivational speech. Though it was largely superficial, it had some effect—two veteran detectives ultimately decided to remain, while only one insisted on leaving. As per their agreement, Charlot provided him with a severance payment, and the matter was amicably resolved.
After spending an afternoon at the agency, Charlot departed with Annie Bretagne.
Once Charlot left, the atmosphere at the agency grew quiet again.
One of the senior detectives suddenly asked, "What do you think of the new director?"
A middle-aged detective replied, "I don’t care what he’s like. As long as I can work honestly and feed my family, that’s enough for me."
His pragmatic response resonated with the others. After all, idealistic and highly capable detectives were rare; most of them were ordinary people who saw this as just another job.
In the following days, Charlot found himself swamped with tasks, as High Priest Auguslatin repeatedly sent people to urge him to visit Embassy Street.
With no other choice, Charlot finally brought his team there. First, they tailored uniforms and then collected a batch of weapons specifically designed for diplomatic personnel. Though these tasks seemed minor, they consumed three to five days.
As soon as they finished, High Priest Auguslatin informed Charlot that he could now choose a private weapon specifically designated for diplomatic missions.
This prompted another trip to the residence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
High-ranking diplomats enjoyed access to a special armory, and as a diplomatic commissioner, Charlot was entitled to select an Extraordinary weapon from it. These weapons were not allocated for personal use and had to be returned after each mission. However, in practice, filing a report claiming the weapon was "lost" allowed one to quietly keep it.
This useful tip came courtesy of Blood Clan Verbal Spellcasting intelligence.
Charlot chose a short gun called the Silver Knight without hesitation.
This Extraordinary firearm had three key attributes: trajectory correction, reflexive holster draw, and dual-fire mode.
The Silver Knight automatically corrected bullet trajectories as long as the target wasn’t too far off, enabling even novices to achieve near-perfect accuracy. However, this feature had a downside: skilled marksmen found it frustratingly restrictive, as it "calibrated" shots automatically. For instance, if someone aimed for an apple atop a person’s head, both amateurs and experts would likely end up hitting the person instead.
The reflexive holster draw feature allowed the gun to leap into the user’s hand the moment their finger made contact with it, enabling quicker draws. However, this could also result in accidental discharges, as the gun was prone to activating from incidental contact.
The dual-fire mode permitted simultaneous firing of ordinary bullets and energy rounds, an advantage that caught targets off guard. Unlike most Extraordinary firearms, which required separate modes for different ammunition types, the Silver Knight seamlessly combined both in one shot.
In summary, this weapon transformed beginners into sharpshooting experts but hindered experienced marksmen.
Charlot wasn’t lacking in weaponry himself. Though he couldn’t bring anti-space firearms like his Anti-Space Long-Range Rifle or his Silver Rhino on this mission, his trusted Blood Rose was not classified as an anti-space weapon and remained in his arsenal. With the Blood Rose in hand, Charlot feared no adversary.
His choice of the Silver Knight was purely pragmatic—it was a specialized diplomatic weapon with a high market value.
After selecting his weapon, Charlot left the Minister’s residence. He bid farewell to Annie in advance before heading to Embassy Street to meet with High Priest Auguslatin.
The diplomatic mission was about to set out. Charlot wouldn’t be able to return home for several days, as numerous trivial matters demanded his attention.
Within a few days, the 200-strong delegation departed Strasbourg.
At the top of this delegation’s hierarchy was, of course, the Special Envoy for War, High Priest Auguslatin. However, Charlot wasn’t his deputy—Viscount Durenny held that position. Charlot’s rank was still too low. Though the High Priest had painted a promising picture for him, it had yet to materialize.
Nevertheless, Charlot’s status as a Special Envoy for War made him the eighth-ranking official in the delegation. This afforded him the comfort of a military carriage, sparing him the hardship of riding horseback.
The Fars Empire urgently needed external assistance, so the delegation included not only carriages but also a sufficient number of warhorses—an unusual provision.
The group left Strasbourg and traveled swiftly, reaching the coastline in seven or eight days. From there, they boarded a warship bound for the Ingrima Empire.
High Priest Auguslatin’s resourcefulness became evident when a merchant ship intercepted them en route. Charlot and his subordinates were transferred to the merchant ship, where Charlot realized the High Priest never intended to take him to the Ingrima Empire.
Charlot’s true mission was to secure a "fallback route" for the High Priest on Goring Island.
Standing aboard the merchant ship, Charlot watched as High Priest Auguslatin sailed away, his teeth grinding with frustration. He had never expected to be so thoroughly manipulated by a native.
But…
There was nothing he could do.
Just as Charlot prepared to order the merchant ship to change course, he noticed that someone was missing from his team. His heart sank in panic.
Julian Arsilo was nowhere to be found.