When the Orc Kingdom and the Sherlock Dynasty clashed on the Old Continent, the war raged for over 300 years, leading to the Orc Kingdom's destruction by the Sherlock Dynasty. Millions of orcs were slaughtered, and the Sherlock Dynasty, weakened by centuries of conflict, was eventually overthrown by the rising Farse Empire.
Despite its downfall, the Orc Kingdom was once a top-tier power. Many of its noble families hid their wealth before their demise, leading to famous legends about hidden treasures. Some of these treasures have indeed been found, turning their discoverers into wealthy individuals.
Experienced adventurers like White Wolf and Louis may scoff at the idea of a dubious treasure map, but lower-tier adventurers, who flocked to Yorktown for a demon hunter's legacy, are easily swayed by such tales. They believe that even if the quest turns out to be fruitless, they wouldn't be at a total loss since they're being paid for their efforts.
Charlotte, having been rebuffed by White Wolf, cleverly changed the story of the map's origin from an old shop to an inheritance from an uncle, making it more believable. This managed to sway the remaining adventurers to join his new team, except for two groups who declined and quickly left Yorktown.
Smiling, Charlotte then turned to White Wolf and said, "Mr. White Wolf, sell me all the beer you have! I want to buy everyone here a drink."
The adventurers cheered, and the area in front of the giant wooden house quickly became lively.
Charlotte downed a glass of beer in one gulp, then suddenly smashed the glass on the ground and roared at the sky!
He had always acted gently and indeed was a gentle person, whether as a math teacher in his previous life or as a government clerk in this new world.
However, when Magru Treller signed the dismissal order, erasing Charlotte Meklen's life's work with a stroke of a pen, and then forced him to betray Meinieman, making it clear that he would be discarded like a rag afterward, it became too much to bear.
Previously, Charlotte had thought about enduring it, waiting for a chance.
Perhaps if Meinieman could extricate herself from the political struggle, she might still pull him out of the fire. But at that moment, Charlotte remembered being hunted by two detectives from the Wild Horse Detective Agency, and a surge of anger shattered that fantasy.
Wiping the beer from the corner of his mouth, he glanced at the over a hundred adventurers he had fooled and suddenly recalled a familiar phrase from his childhood, though he had never thought to act on it.
Since I'm already on the run, no longer able to work as a government official, quietly living out my life, why not aim for something bigger?
"Damn it!"
"A king is merely the one who commands the most troops!"
"I'm weak now, and these adventurers are of little use, but one day, I will have thousands of soldiers at my command, and I'll march back to Strasbourg, beheading Magru Treller and showing him that bullying a time traveler has consequences."
Huang Haisheng had grown up in a time of peace and had never experienced war.
So, he never thought about revenge. Even when he was being hunted, he only considered it as "self-defense."
But at that moment, Charlotte suddenly understood the saying, "He who holds a blade develops a taste for blood." Was he really leading these adventurers in search of some ancient Orc Empire treasure?
He had no treasure map, and even if he did…
What good is a mere map?
Even if he found the treasure, wouldn't he still be a wanted man in the Farse Empire?
Even if he fled to another country, wouldn't he still face oppression from officials?
Charlotte's thoughts cleared, and a new resolve filled him. He surveyed the drinking adventurers, pointed to the sky, and shouted, "To those who join me on this treasure hunt, I, Qian Nan, swear by my orc ancestors that I will ensure each of you has a fortune of no less than one hundred gold Egues!"
"Let's move out!"
He kicked apart the suitcase that had been hiding his identity, grabbed his magic alchemy staff and the blood-drinking rapier gifted by Louis, and marched out of Yorktown.
The adventurers, captivated by his aura, followed suit, dropping their cups. With the first few leading the way, the rest soon trailed behind, creating a loosely knit but growing group.
White Wolf glanced at the messy ground in front of his house and said, "Louis! Your friend is something else; he's destined for greatness."
"But…"
"Why does he have the air of a desperate fugitive?"
"You wouldn't be dealing with an outlaw, would you?"
Louis smiled wryly, "He's a government official."
"And one with great potential."
White Wolf asked curiously, "What kind of potential?"
Louis replied, "His companion is the daughter of a count."
White Wolf was stunned for a moment, then quietly said, "No wonder! To marry a count's daughter, one indeed needs the spirit of a desperado."
Louis spread his hands, indicating that wasn't exactly what he meant.
After leaving Yorktown, Charlotte loudly asked, "Who knows the ruins of Machupi?"
An adventurer immediately responded, "I've been to Machupi!"
Charlotte smiled, "Great, lead the way."
Machupi was once a fortress of the ancient Orc Kingdom, known as the "Unconquerable Machupi."
The Sherlock Dynasty used deceit to capture this fortress, then burned it to the ground, leaving it in ruins.
Hundreds of years have passed, and the place has become desolate, with many terrifying rumors surrounding it. Only a few adventurers would dare to try their luck there.
Upon hearing that they were heading to Machupi, some adventurers hesitated, recalling the fortress's terrifying reputation. However, seeing that they were now part of a large team, over a hundred strong, led by an extraordinary individual who supposedly had a treasure map that could help them avoid danger, they steeled themselves and continued on.
Charlotte chose Machupi for two reasons: first, this ragtag group couldn't handle a long journey. Even elite troops find long marches challenging.
Machupi was close, only about 200 kilometers from Strasbourg in a straight line.
For these adventurers, it would only take two or three days, making it a "dessert" destination.
And in a week, he would have to pay their first wages, though...
He wasn't too keen on doing that.