Charlotte wasn't doing this for himself—his record was spotless. If he wanted, he could be a true "salary thief" since, legally, his boss, the Crown Prince, wouldn't interfere with city guard matters. Whether he showed up for work or not, his paycheck wouldn't be affected. But Charlotte was working to secure "positions" for the group of adventurers.
From the moment he was forced to flee, Charlotte decided to take action. If he could turn this group of adventurers into city guards, he wouldn't be leading a skeleton crew anymore.
As for the adventurers, there was nothing to worry about. Being a city guard was an official military position, and while the pay at the lower levels was minimal, it was stable and safer. Generally, no one would mess with the city guards, and the life was far more secure than that of an adventurer.
If Charlotte could pull this off, it would be a windfall for the adventurers, and very few would turn it down.
After obtaining a letter from Mrs. Aldegonde, Charlotte used some of his money to grease the wheels, visiting a few departments and easily "replacing" a batch of files. He had spent two years working in the Central Government Office, time well spent learning the ins and outs of the empire's procedures.
Recruiting even the lowest level of civil servants through formal channels was a daunting task. However, if existing civil servant "records were lost," it was much easier to "replace" a batch of lower-level city guard employees. This process didn't even require reporting to higher-ups; it only needed the cooperation of a few key lower-level clerks.
Of course, the most crucial factor was that Charlotte was himself a city guard chief! This gave him considerable authority.
After paying out over fifty Florins, Charlotte secured city guard status for over 170 people in the Lukavaro District, with about thirty of these positions being "favors."
Of course, that wasn't the full extent of the favor-trading. On paper, his staff consisted of over 700 people, but Charlotte knew better than to look too closely at the other 500 or so names.
Due to the long-standing absence of official records for this batch of city guards, the relevant departments also issued back pay. This money wouldn't end up in the hands of the Lukavaro District's city guards, but Charlotte wasn't concerned about which department or individuals would skim it off. It was just another one of the "passes" needed to get things done.
By the time night fell, Charlotte finally returned to 1 Yansun Street in the Lukavaro District.
The adventurers, unaware that they had been granted new identities, were eagerly awaiting Charlotte's return and the "good news" he would bring.
As soon as he entered the office, the adventurers crowded around him, bombarding him with questions about how the treasure was being handled and when they could expect to get paid.
With a smile, Charlotte raised his voice, calling for silence. "Everyone, please quiet down and listen as I explain today's auction results."
"I managed to auction off the first batch of treasure today!"
"But no, we can't divide up the money just yet."
Hearing that there was no money to be had, the atmosphere grew tense.
If these adventurers hadn't known that Charlotte was a superhuman, someone would likely have tried to fight him.
Charlotte stoked their excitement with a few words before changing the subject. "But I didn't come back empty-handed!"
"I secured a long-term micro-payment contract. Each of you will receive between thirty-five and forty coppers a week…"
"For life!"
The adventurers were stunned, and Maxon couldn't help but shout angrily, "You're just trying to fool us! There's no such thing as a long-term micro-payment contract!"
Such a seemingly unreliable "long-term micro-payment contract" would be immediately dismissed by anyone as a clumsy new scam.
The adventurers erupted into a chorus of objections:
"Pay us directly!"
"We want cash, not some shady deal."
"Who would fall for this scam?"
"We've never heard of anything like this before. How could such a contract even exist?"
"A few coppers a week for life? That would add up to tens of Florins over a year, and if I live for decades, I'd end up with tens of Ecus!"
Charlotte raised his hands to quiet the room. "I understand your skepticism, but please let me finish explaining how the payment works. You'll be receiving a job as a city guard in the Lukavaro District. Most of you will be at the fifty-third level as Private First Class, and a few will be at the fifty-second level as Private Second Class."
"As long as you remain employed in the Lukavaro District City Guard, you'll continue receiving this salary. However, if you decide to leave, I'm afraid the long-term micro-payment contract will be terminated."
"This is just the first batch of treasure. Remember, we're only at the beginning!"
"I've promised!"
"For those who helped me search for treasure this time, I, Charlotte, swear by my ancestors that I guarantee your future wealth won't be less than a hundred Ecus."
"I won't go back on my word!"
"Now, everyone, please step forward to receive your official Lukavaro District City Guard identification."
"These are legitimate official documents issued by the Central Government Office, and they can be verified by any relevant government department."
Yas whispered to a companion, "Do you really think he can get all of us into the city guard?"
Many of the adventurers had attempted to join the city guard before, but the selection process heavily emphasized a "clean" background, requiring inside connections. Most of them had failed to meet these requirements.
Although this group of adventurers came from different small teams, they'd formed some bonds during their time together. The man Yas had questioned replied in a low voice, "This shouldn't be hard to check. He can't fool us for long."
Yas nodded and watched as the others stepped up to receive their new identity documents before doing the same. He was issued a document identifying him as a Private Second Class.
In the Fals Empire's fifty-three-level rank system, positions generally required a complete secondary or higher education, with a weekly salary of thirty-five coppers, the lowest official wage. Of course, in practice, many people didn't even reach this minimum wage.
The weekly salary for fifty-second-level positions was forty coppers, but starting at this level required more than just a secondary education; they would have to wait for the quinquennial promotion cycle. These low-level government employees couldn't compare to top university graduates, who advanced two years more quickly.
Graduates from public schools started at forty-nine, while those from national academies, such as Charlotte's superior in the Central Government Office, Mrs. Aldegonde, began their careers as First-Class Administrative Assistants at level forty-five.
Originally, Charlotte's former fiancée, Sylvie Martin, should have started her career as an Administrative Assistant, but… some things never go according to plan.
After handing out the identity documents, Charlotte announced loudly, "Today, I'm treating everyone! Maxon, Yas, Homsa…" He called out the names of a few adventurers and said, "Go buy some supplies nearby and have them delivered. I'll cover the bill."