Charles accompanied Silvie Martin out, carrying no firearms, only a newly custom-made magic alchemy wand.
This magic alchemy wand boasted a simple yet slightly glamorous design, made from an extremely rare type of wood that was lightweight yet tough, with great elasticity. It was embedded with dozens of silver stars, which were obtained by melting down an old scabbard from the Sherlock Dynasty era, producing a brilliant flare of silver light when waved, much to Charles's liking.
It certainly wasn't a magical item, but merely treated with magic alchemy to enhance its toughness.
No matter how tough the wood, the likelihood of it cracking after embedding dozens of silver stars was quite questionable, but after being treated with magic alchemy, its flexibility could even compare to steel.
A good wand was not only a luxurious and handy weapon but also one of the gentlemen's favorite personal items, popular in every country on the Old Continent.
Charles had recently had more money at his disposal. Initially, he had melted down the old scabbard intending to forge a magic sword, but after inquiring, he found the price exceeded his budget, so he gave up on the magic sword and custom-ordered this magic alchemy wand, spending eleven Fu Er and twelve Sheng Ding.
After all, he wasn't skilled in swordsmanship; using a wand was no different from using a rapier.
Silvie Martin left Elysian Pastoral Street No. 58 with her former fiancé, still feeling somewhat uneasy.
Charles chose the first restaurant they passed, picked a seat by the window, and expertly ordered two dishes.
The culinary style of the Fars Empire was quite unique, unlike the Chinese method of individual orders, it appeared in the form of set meals on the menu.
A dish consisted of a main course, an appetizer, a side dish, a complementing wine, a dessert, a soup, and so forth. Even the most basic menus included at least five items, with complementing wine and soup being indispensable.
The restaurant was of decent quality; Charles ordered for himself lamb chops, crescent rolls, potato cubes, mushroom soup, sparkling apple cider, a few pieces of roast chicken, and a vegetable platter—a typical man's meal in terms of quantity.
For Silvie Martin, he ordered a dessert-focused dish, with cheese and various cookies, plus a serving of milk tea—a typical woman's meal.
Charles was also hungry; during the meal, the two ate in silence without engaging in conversation.
After finishing the meal, Charles went to pay the bill and also requested a few extra bottles of wine; his new home lacked many things, including a stock of wine. He had enjoyed the taste of sparkling apple cider, so he bought some more.
As usual, Charles didn't take the wine with him right there but had the restaurant deliver it later to Elysian Pastoral Street No. 58.
The two left the restaurant and quickly found a general store.
After buying the items Silvie Martin needed, Charles also purchased twenty pounds of kerosene, as he often stayed up late studying his diary, consuming a significant amount of lamp fuel.
After paying, he still had the goods delivered directly and took Miss Silvie back to his residence.
Charles remembered that he was currently "in a romance," and although his relationship with Anne Brittany had not yet been clarified, he still needed to prepare in advance. He stopped Silvie, who was about to go upstairs after they got home, and said with a slight smile, "I have a favor to ask of Miss Silvie. I hope you can refer to me as 'cousin' during this time. You know, a single man and woman together might spark some criticisms, and those would be more detrimental to you."
"Alright, Cousin Charles,"
Silvie didn't give him much room for further explanation, agreeing immediately and briskly walking up the stairs.
The young lady didn't compromise on comfort, choosing the largest bedroom on the second floor. It was located in the far end, with three walls having bright windows, an en-suite bathroom, and a huge wardrobe embedded into the wall.
The original owner left behind a very sturdy bed, which was also too heavy to move easily, so it was left in the house.
For a young girl, the room was nearly perfect, except for a slight fear due to its spaciousness.
Silvie Martin stood before the south-facing window, gazing at the scenic views of the Lucavaro River, and felt a surge of boundless courage.
The young girl gently clenched her fist and whispered, "New life, here I come."
In the heart of every young girl lie countless vibrant dreams.
About ten minutes later, Charles gently knocked on the door and said, "The grocery store clerk is here with the delivery."
Silvie opened the door, and the grocery store clerk brought various items inside, placing them where the young girl directed.
Throughout the whole process, Charles stood at the door without entering, being very gentlemanly.
This aroused a slight curiosity in Silvie about her former fiancé.
The Charles Meklen she used to know was not like this.
This was not very Charles-like.
Once the clerks had moved and arranged everything, Charles politely bid Silvie goodbye. He escorted the clerks to the lobby on the first floor, secured the door bolts, and then returned to his own room on the third floor.
Charles had chosen a suite near the stairs on the eastern side; the suite had a bedroom, a study, a washroom, and a living room. Leading out from the living room was a terrace on the Elysian Pastoral Street side. The terrace ran from east to west with chest-high walls, and the entrances to all five suites were on this terrace.
The south-facing terrace, however, was not continuous; each suite enjoyed its own separate open area. Sitting on the south-facing terrace, one could enjoy tea while admiring the beautiful scenery of the Lucavaro River.
He lay in his room on an old sofa left by the previous landlord, silently calculating his finances.
"I originally had five Aegeus in savings, sold the long maces for seventy-five Aegeus, won thirteen Aegeus in cards last time, and my brother sent me five hundred fifty Aegeus. After deducting the down payment of fifty Aegeus for the house, I still have…"
"Five hundred ninety-three Aegeus!"
"That's quite a substantial amount of money."
"Recent research on the Agmilas Labyrinth has not been going well, even the professors at my alma mater, Sheffield University, have no research on this overseas labyrinth. I should purchase some materials or find an expert in labyrinth studies."
The next morning, as usual, Charles went to work at Kilmainham Prison.
Not long after he stepped into the office, an unexpected visitor arrived—Mrs. Pascal, the reception secretary.
This lady brought shocking news, lowering her voice, she said, "Miss Menierman Sumei might be transferred from Kilmainham Prison, stepping down from her position as warden, to take up a military position."
Charles was greatly surprised by this news.
After that day, Menierman Sumei never returned to Kilmainham Prison. Although the Empire's First Rose, this warden senior, had indeed treated him well, the prospect of not needing to work overtime was somewhat reassuring to Charles, even though he preferred she did not come back for the time being.
But there's a big difference between not coming back temporarily and never coming back. He was directly under Menierman, and with this superior leaving, his future prospects were quite bleak.
Mrs. Pascal was clearly not there to gossip. Her eyes fixed on Charles, clearly waiting for his response.
While Charles was not entirely knowledgeable about workplace dynamics, he quickly understood that Mrs. Pascal was trying to extract some information from him about Menierman possibly stepping down as warden and leaving Kilmainham Prison, using this information as a way to test the waters.