If it were the old Charlotte, he would probably tell the truth, but the current Charlotte wasn't that straightforward anymore. He smiled faintly and said, "Perhaps Senior Meniëlman is heading to the navy."
Madam Pascal smiled slightly and said, "Perhaps."
She seemed to have achieved her goal and soon took her leave.
Charlotte stayed in the office for a while, handled some paperwork, and then casually left work early.
Today, he had no plans with Annie because Miss Brittany was facing her final exams. Despite her extraordinary talents, she couldn't ignore the university's rules, so she wouldn't be available for the next few days.
Charlotte took a public carriage to Elysee Garden Street, had a meal first, and then returned to No. 58.
Since his spiritual enhancement, his cultivation speed had increased by another level, and recently, his Blood Glory was about to break through. So, upon returning home, he immediately began intensive training.
A few hours later, the blood whirlpool in his heart underwent an unexpected change. Countless tiny pale-golden runes were born, forming a marvelous structure resembling a small golden heart.
A brand new ability quietly emerged.
—Blood Flame Aura!
Blood Flame Aura is the foundation of the Adonis clan's vampire secret arts.
It is also one of the thirteen extraordinary skills of Blood Glory, created by the human philosopher Protagoras.
A blood-red flame aura emerged from Charlotte, and the Blood-Drinking Axe also emitted a blood-red flame aura. The two auras resonated remotely. As soon as he returned home, the Blood-Drinking Axe, which had been hanging on the wall like a tired bird returning to its nest, automatically flew up and landed in its master's hand.
Charlotte was overjoyed and opened his eyes. The Blood-Drinking Axe circled around his hands as if thrown by an invisible giant hand, moving as fast as lightning.
Just as the axe was about to embed itself in the wall, the Blood Flame Aura erupted, pinning it firmly in the air, the axe blade vibrating with a slight hum.
With a gesture, Charlotte called the axe back to his hand.
This is the basic function of the Blood Flame Aura, one of the Adonis clan's vampire secret arts and one of the thirteen extraordinary skills of Blood Glory!
Blood Flame Aura can burn the enemy's life force and feed it back to its master. It can also enhance the weapon's lethality and establish a subtle connection between the weapon and its master, allowing it to be recalled at will through thought.
In Charlotte's mind, he wasn't just thinking about recalling weapons but about a combat technique that the great human philosopher Protagoras, limited by his knowledge, had never conceived or developed.
—Void Weapon Control!
Just the thought of himself wielding a flying axe to kill enemies from a hundred paces away made Charlotte's heart flutter.
The previous Charlotte was mediocre in swordsmanship and not good at close combat.
Charlotte inherited this flaw from his predecessor, and he himself didn't like engaging in hand-to-hand combat.
If he could use Blood Flame Aura to control the Blood-Drinking Axe and fight enemies from a distance, Charlotte suddenly felt more confident.
The empire's bureaucratic system favors the extraordinary, and with extraordinary power, it's easier to achieve success and promotions compared to ordinary people.
Even better than the empire's bureaucratic system is joining a sect of the True Gods, where holding a divine office grants various privileges.
Unfortunately, joining a True God sect means giving up secular power and living a life bound by religious rules, such as lifelong celibacy and the inability to own worldly possessions, which is highly inconvenient.
Charlotte, having crossed over to this world, had no intention of becoming a "Western monk."
Having formed a bond with the Blood-Drinking Axe, Charlotte grew more fond of this weapon. He placed the axe back on the desk and returned to the sofa.
He continued to cultivate Blood Glory for a while until four or five in the afternoon, then ate two croissants and prepared to go out for a walk.
He hadn't planned on going out, intending to stay home for the day.
But the excitement of mastering the second extraordinary ability of Blood Glory, especially the foundation of the Adonis clan's vampire secret arts and the most powerful of the thirteen extraordinary skills of Blood Glory, left him too exhilarated to remain calm. Going out for a walk would be good for his physical and mental health.
Charlotte locked the door and strolled along the alley, turning into Elysee Garden Street.
This bustling commercial street, stretching 2,600 pimis long, was still teeming with people and carriages at this hour, very lively.
It was around four or five in the afternoon, and there were still two or three hours before the shops on Elysee Garden Street closed. The Farce Empire had no street lighting system, so even the busiest commercial street could only operate until dusk.
Charlotte wandered for half an hour, visiting four or five shops without finding anything of interest. Just as he was about to head home, he heard someone calling his name.
Looking up, he saw a slightly old but grandly traditional carriage speeding toward him. A pretty young girl with a hint of innocence was leaning out of the window, waving at him—it was his former fiancée, Miss Sylvie Martin.
She was radiant, her smile as bright as a flower, clearly having encountered something good.
For the past few days, Sylvie Martin had been leaving early and returning late, and Charlotte never asked about her whereabouts. Seeing this former fiancée so happy now, he couldn't help but ask, "Miss Sylvie, what's made you so happy?"
The carriage stopped beside Charlotte, and Sylvie was accompanied by another lady as they got off.
The lady was tall, with light steps and a very agile figure. She looked to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with golden hair tied up at the back and dressed in a lady's hunting outfit, carrying a slender cane.
She had a pair of lake-blue eyes, and her features were delicate and well-defined. She was as beautiful as Miss Annie Brittany.
Of course, she couldn't compare to Meniëlman Sormay. After all, Meniëlman was known as the empire's first rose, and no man in the Farce Empire would dare to compare any other woman to her—that would be an affront worthy of a duel in the street.
Sylvie introduced them to each other, saying, "This is my cousin, Charlotte Mecklen."
"And this kind lady, Miss Winnie, helped me find my lost luggage."
The lady gently placed a hand on her chest and performed a standard imperial greeting, speaking in a soothing voice with an air of elegance: "Winnie Arsenault, president of the Cat Detective Agency. I heard that Mr. Mecklen works at Kilmainham Prison. If there's ever a case involving relevant expertise, may I ask for your assistance?"
Charlotte smiled slightly and replied, "No problem at all. If there's anything you need, Miss Winnie, just let me know."
Sylvie happily added, "It just so happens that Miss Winnie's detective agency is hiring, so she went to the city government to retrieve my file and transferred my employment to the Cat Detective Agency. I'm now an apprentice detective!"
Charlotte was a bit surprised. Although he had already annulled his engagement with this former fiancée, he couldn't help but offer a word of caution: "Are you sure about this? The benefits of working as a private employee are not as good as those of a government employee."
The National Academy primarily trained personnel for various levels of government, but graduates were also allowed to find jobs on their own. However, private employment was less desirable, and few were willing to give up the opportunity to work in the government.
Sylvie Martin said, "I've already looked into it. I would likely be assigned to the countryside as a third-level registrar, with little chance of promotion for several years."