Dubin and the others still don't know that the person responsible for their reassignment out of the Upper Seven Districts is none other than the "thick-browed, seemingly honest" guy standing before them.
Charlotte reorganized the group of adventurers, assigning them under the command of these higher-ranked officers. Dubin and his team held positions no lower than fourth or fifth-level soldiers, with some even at the rank of squad leader. Meanwhile, the adventurers were only first and second-level soldiers, meaning they could only serve as subordinates.
In the Falris Empire's military hierarchy, from the lowest rank upwards, the order is: Private, Corporal, Sergeant, Sergeant Major, and so on.
Each major rank is divided into five levels. The fifth level of a lower rank overlaps with the first level of the next higher rank. For example, a fifth-level Private and a first-level Corporal are both at the 49th rank.
Similarly, a fifth-level Clerk and a first-level Senior Clerk are both at the 37th rank.
When Dubin and his team reported in, the adventurers were completely bewildered!
After being assigned as subordinates to these "real" soldiers, they began to sense something was off.
"Wait, are we actual soldiers now?"
"Wasn't this supposed to be a long-term, small-scale payment contract?"
"Also, his name isn't even Chennan."
"What a big liar!"
Charlotte also received his paycheck today. As the highest-paid "wealthy" leader of the garrison, he immediately announced that he would treat his new colleagues to a welcome feast.
Dubin volunteered to take seven or eight colleagues out shopping and quickly returned with a large amount of food and ale.
The Lukavaro District garrison office had likely never been so lively. Both the adventurers and the newly reassigned soldiers were infected by the atmosphere, and after a few drinks, everyone became more relaxed.
Charlotte wasn't particularly fond of this ale, but it was cheap and easily available in large quantities. Unlike wine, which was more expensive and difficult to purchase in large quantities outside of busy, affluent areas like Elysee Garden Street.
After a few drinks, he was about to find an excuse to "sneak away" and perhaps arrange to meet Annie for an opera when suddenly his brow twitched, and his Insight ability activated automatically, not only covering the entire office but also expanding to reveal a man in hunting attire, unarmed yet exuding a lethal aura, striding onto the garrison's grounds.
"Aubrey Troughton Atwood!?"
Charlotte currently had only two enemies: one was the former warden of Kilmenham Prison, Magru Telle, who was now in jail, and the other was the Wild Horse Detective Agency, as he had killed eight of their detectives.
After returning to Strasbourg, he had inquired several times about the Wild Horse Detective Agency and learned that its formidable leader, Aubrey Troughton Atwood, matched this description.
In an instant, Charlotte made a wise decision. He discarded both his bloodsucking axe and his Blood Rose blade, despite the latter granting him Acelosian swordsmanship, as he still didn't believe a fourth-level transcendent could stand against a high-level one. Instead, he chose the anti-space sniper rifle, a signature weapon from one of the six major alchemy workshops in the Falris Empire, the Firewell Workshop.
While Charlotte lacked talent in close combat, he had some proficiency in shooting. He dropped to one knee, assuming a standard firing position, and loaded the rifle.
Dubin and the others didn't understand his sudden reaction but quickly formed a defensive circle, following the old tradition of protecting themselves first in the face of danger.
The man in hunting attire, unarmed but radiating lethal intent, seemed to sense something. Just before stepping into the firing range, he suddenly stopped and, without hesitation, turned and walked away.
Fifteen minutes later, Charlotte, drenched in cold sweat, finally lowered his anti-space sniper rifle. He still didn't know what the outcome would have been if the man had forced his way in.
Perhaps he would have shattered the intruder with a single anti-armor shell, or maybe the man would have dodged the bullet and closed the distance, leaving Charlotte no chance of survival.
"If only I were at Machu Picchu!"
"Or if I could bring out Lord Leo, he might also be able to handle that guy. The only problem is, Lord Leo wouldn't listen to me!"
"Does he know who I really am? If he does, our next encounter might be his attempt to kill me."
Charlotte removed the bullet and placed the rifle back into his alchemy cane. Anti-armor shells were too heavy, and he usually only carried three rounds. With the speed of a high-level transcendent, he would only have the opportunity to fire three shots. Any additional bullets would be useless.
He said to Dubin, "You handle the day-to-day operations of the Lukavaro District garrison. I have something urgent to attend to."
Dubin also sensed that something significant was about to happen, and although nothing ultimately transpired, he knew that Charlotte had urgent business to attend to.
He couldn't intervene in a transcendent battle but was more than happy to take over the garrison's affairs. Dubin, confident in his abilities, believed he could manage a district's security effectively and ensure the safety of its residents.
With a stern expression, Charlotte left the garrison office.
Although he knew he had made enemies with the Wild Horse Detective Agency, he never expected that they would still send someone after him now that he was a government official.
But what had just happened made him realize that this society wasn't as law-abiding as he had thought, and he was filled with a strong sense of danger.
Not daring to be careless, Charlotte activated his Insight ability, but he sensed no further danger on the way.
When he passed through the Picardy District, he didn't return to Elysee Garden Street No. 58. Instead, he crossed the district and headed to the Cat Detective Agency at No. 22 Madill Street in the Alcatraz District.
Only the extraordinary can deal with the extraordinary. With his mentor Menilman assigned to a naval fleet, his only ally in the supernatural world was the cat spirit detective Vinnie Arsenault.
The Alcatraz District was a typical residential area filled with charming, elegant old houses with a strong sense of design. The overall atmosphere was very cozy.
Strasbourg's middle class resided here, and they had a high demand for security. With the imperial garrison being unreliable, the district had a strong demand for private detectives. Three of the seven major detective agencies were located in Alcatraz, along with twenty or thirty smaller ones, making it a haven for detectives.
The Cat Detective Agency at No. 22 Madill Street was a distinctly Sherlockian building with three floors, each containing about twenty or thirty rooms. As a predominantly female-run agency, the Cat Detective Agency may not have been as large as the Wild Horse Detective Agency, but Ms. Arsenault still employed nearly a hundred people, including twenty or thirty full-time detectives.