Charlot Mecklenburg was stranded in Strasbourg under orders, and although he could spend time with Annie Mecklenburg every day, he found himself increasingly irritable. Supplies were becoming scarcer, the atmosphere in society was growing despondent, and the patrol guards on the streets freely interrogated pedestrians—none of it was pleasant.
If he had a choice, Charlot would have preferred to be in South Seraph or even in Behemoth Principality, alongside his West Wind Knight Order. Managing his own territory offered far more freedom.
He had no idea how much longer the investigation against him would last.
One afternoon, as Charlot idly chatted with Frederica and Sophia Gallanord, he noticed a slip of paper on the table. He picked it up casually and read its three lines:
“The golden ring controls the incomplete Radiant Holy Kingdom.”
“The Radiant Holy Kingdom was created using the body and soul of another divine creature.”
“Do not attempt to control the Radiant Holy Kingdom.”
It was immediately clear to Charlot that this note was from Herolf, the Golden Ram. But why would the old ram reveal such a major secret to him? Without betraying any emotion, Charlot crumpled the note and threw it into a nearby trash bin.
As an Earthling, Charlot retained certain habits from his previous life—such as his aversion to littering. For this reason, he had placed dozens of trash bins throughout 58 Elysée Avenue.
Frederica noticed the note but did not glimpse its contents. Sophia, however, had a glint in her eye, suggesting she might have caught a partial glimpse. Just as Frederica was about to inquire, Charlot suddenly asked, “Have either of you heard of the Radiant Holy Kingdom?”
Frederica was startled. She hadn’t expected Charlot to reveal such a secret!
Charlot, however, did not see it as much of a secret. In his view, secrets like these were often less significant than they seemed. Besides, withholding information might lead to missing critical intelligence.
Frederica shook her head—she truly had never heard of the Radiant Holy Kingdom.
Sophia Gallanord, on the other hand, was mildly surprised. “Isn’t that one of the Twelve Legendary Warships?”
The Seven Seas were home to twelve legendary warships, each recorded in university textbooks. Charlot, however, had never come across the Radiant Holy Kingdom and looked somewhat puzzled.
Sophia explained with a slight smile, “Over the years, there have been three major iterations of the Twelve Legendary Warships. The Radiant Holy Kingdom was part of the first iteration.”
“During the second iteration, three of the original warships were replaced. All three disappeared without exception.”
Charlot was taken aback. “How is it that I’ve never heard of this?”
Sophia leaned in and spoke in a low voice, “Because the royal families of various nations ordered these matters to be suppressed. Universities complied by altering public textbooks.”
“My family happened to preserve some relevant texts, which is how I know. If you’re interested in the Radiant Holy Kingdom, Charlot, I can bring you some of these books to borrow at your convenience.”
Charlot immediately expressed his gratitude. “Thank you, Sophia.” He was indeed intrigued. The cryptic note from Herolf, combined with the existence of the golden rings, had piqued his curiosity further.
Sophia readily agreed. “I haven’t delved deeply into those texts myself, but I do remember that the Saint Michael Kingdom somehow acquired a divine guardian spirit and an ancient magical warship overnight.”
“That warship was the Radiant Holy Kingdom. Later, it went missing, but the Saint Michael Kingdom acquired the Queen Bee instead.”
“There’s speculation that the Radiant Holy Kingdom and the Queen Bee are the same vessel—merely renamed. Others believe they are two separate ancient magical warships.”
“I don’t recall the exact details, but one theory claims the Radiant Holy Kingdom was enormous, over ten times the size of the Queen Bee.”
Charlot was astonished. The Queen Bee was already a massive vessel—one of the largest he had encountered, even on Earth. A ship ten times its size seemed beyond the reach of even Earth’s advanced technology.
If not for Herolf’s note, Charlot might have leaned toward believing the Radiant Holy Kingdom was simply renamed as the Queen Bee. However, the note, combined with his possession of three golden rings, suggested the existence of two separate warships.
Lost in thought, Charlot resolved to visit Saint Michael Island. He wanted to investigate the other divine creature mentioned in the note and see if the Radiant Holy Kingdom truly existed there.
He asked Sophia a few more questions but could not glean any further clarity.
As night fell, Sophia departed, while Frederica—finding it inconvenient to leave—stayed at 58 Elysée Avenue, where Charlot prepared a guest room for her.
The next morning, the leopardman Frederica departed without saying goodbye. Charlot, unconcerned, enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and spent the morning training. By noon, he met Annie for lunch, and in the afternoon, he stayed at 221B Baker Street in Val-de-Vas.
When Annie finished work, she came to 221B Baker Street, and the two spent some time together before Charlot escorted her home. Then, using the Infinite Mirror World, Charlot transported himself to Saint Michael Island.
The island was far more prosperous now than when the Golden Rams Fleet had occupied it. Menielman Soumet had proven far more capable than Herolf. Although she lacked the three golden rings and could not control Saint Michael, she still commanded three magical alchemical warships and hundreds of other vessels, making Saint Michael Island an impenetrable naval base.
Charlot did not disturb anyone as he explored the island using the Infinite Mirror World, eventually locating the entrance to the underground labyrinth.
Though Menielman had discovered the labyrinth, she had sealed it off, finding it unnecessary to explore. Preoccupied with more pressing matters, she had left the labyrinth untouched.
The labyrinth remained empty and unguarded.
Charlot, having visited the labyrinth twice before, remembered how Herolf had placed a mirror there to lure him. Using his understanding of labyrinthine forces, Charlot navigated deeper into the maze, eventually descending to what appeared to be three levels below the surface—nearing sea level.