Charlotte's understanding of "scientific knowledge" couldn't explain the strange transformation his body had undergone, so he attributed it to the world's "magic."
He practiced several times, transforming from flesh to blood flame and back, gradually mastering this ability. He could now change forms within seconds, with his blood flame state granting him immunity to most physical attacks and the ability to float, albeit at a limited speed and height.
However, he noticed that his blood flame form allowed him to pass through spaces a normal person couldn't, making imprisonment less of a concern.
Charlotte mused, "It's not quite like the dashing, free-spirited villains in Sword Heroes of Shu Mountain, who turned into streaks of fire and soared through the sky!"
Despite his complaints, Charlotte was still grinning; he hadn't expected to master the Blood Flame Transformation so quickly.
This transformation was a secret technique not originally part of the Blood Glory skill set.
Protegora wasn't a vampire, but through combat, he had managed to steal countless secrets from various vampire clans, though only the entry-level ones, never grasping the more profound arts.
Charlotte pulled out a journal and flipped to the third page of the Bloodsucking Scroll 〢〨.
The first page detailed Blood Flame Qi, the second Blood Flame Transformation, and the third page recorded an Adonis clan bloodline secret technique—Flame Hand!
Flame Hand condensed Blood Flame Qi into large or small hands, with up to eighteen being summonable. Each Flame Hand had the ability to drain life energy.
Typically, the Adonis clan wouldn't use Flame Hand to directly attack enemies. Instead, they would arm the Flame Hands with weapons. Whether using cold weapons or firearms, they could unleash the firepower of a small battalion.
As Charlotte reviewed the Flame Hand technique, he also noticed that the countdown for the vampire god Kahnstein's descent had been extended to 71 days, 8 hours, and 20 minutes and 17 seconds, which brought him some relief.
Suddenly, the kerosene lamp went out. Charlotte snapped his fingers, igniting a small flame at his fingertip. After checking the lamp, he found that it was out of oil, so he refilled it and relit it.
By now, dawn had arrived. Charlotte decided to stop training, put away the journal, and went to feed some goat's milk to his three lively kitten cubs. After playing with them for a while, his mood improved, and he grabbed some bread and made do with last night's brewed coffee for breakfast.
He walked over to the window and looked out at the sky.
The weather looked good, with a very blue sky and fresh air flowing in through the open window, feeling quite pleasant.
Charlotte thought to himself, "I'm not going to work today. It's time to get a carriage."
As the head of the Luka Varo District's patrol army, his only superior was nominal and wouldn't interfere with his affairs. Charlotte didn't even need to ask for leave since he had the ultimate authority to approve his own time off.
He brewed another pot of coffee and read through the morning papers. The original Charlotte Mecklenburg had a habit of subscribing to newspapers, and though Huang Haisheng had crossed over, he hadn't canceled the three subscriptions. The only change was the delivery address, from the Savings Society apartment to 58 Elysee Garden Street.
After reading for a while, the Elysee Garden Street started to get busy. Charlotte figured that the carriage company had probably opened for business, so he grabbed his cane and leisurely went out.
When he left the house now, he always carried a few items: a magic alchemy cane, a savings society deposit slip, a wallet, a journal, keys, an alchemy pistol, a Magnum revolver, Blood Rose hidden in his left hand, and a blood-sucking axe tucked at his waist.
Today, he added another weapon—the assassin's dagger, which he hid in the blood-sucking axe.
The magic alchemy cane, being a gentleman's accessory, didn't attract attention. The wallet, keys, and deposit slip were inconspicuous, and Blood Rose was barely noticeable. However, carrying the journal, two pistols, and the blood-sucking axe did make him feel a bit encumbered.
Charlotte had considered buying a spatial item, but those were even more expensive than anti-space supernatural items, easily costing over a thousand Aegis. With his current wealth, buying one wasn't worth it—his total assets amounted to just over a thousand Aegis.
Charlotte made a point to visit the Gate of Radiance, and by chance, when he came out, he was right across from the largest carriage company on Elysee Garden Street, so he didn't hesitate and headed straight over.
This carriage company was massive, with dozens of well-trained draft horses available for sale at any time. They offered new carriages, used ones, and even experienced coachmen.
As soon as Charlotte stepped inside, he was greeted by a seasoned sales agent who asked with a smile, "Sir, are you looking to rent or purchase a carriage?"
Charlotte replied, "I'd like to buy one. No need to recommend new models—just show me the used ones."
Used carriages were cheaper than new ones, usually selling at about 70% of the original price. Many used carriages came with decorations, unlike new ones, which required purchasing cushions, lanterns, reins, and other accessories separately.
The sales agent grinned, "You're in luck! A nobleman recently wanted to upgrade to a new model and sold his previous carriage."
"This used carriage was originally purchased from us and has only been in use for six months—it's almost as good as new."
Charlotte nodded, and the sales agent quickly led him to the "almost new" used carriage.
It was a standard Imperial four-wheeled luxury carriage.
In the Empire of Fars and several major Old World empires, carriages were classified as single-seat, two-seat, practical, comfortable, elegant, luxurious, extravagant, and regal.
In terms of cars on Earth, it was akin to electric scooters, compact city cars, small sedans, mid-size sedans, large sedans, SUVs, and full-size luxury vehicles!
Aside from the single- and two-seat carriages, which had two wheels, all other models had four.
The regal model typically had 1.5-meter diameter wheels, a driver's seat with a sunshade at the front, a luggage rack at the back, and an interior space of around 2x6 or 2x8 meters, offering plenty of room.
Charlotte inspected the carriage, even using his insight ability, and found no issues. He casually asked, "How much is this carriage?"
The sales agent smiled and said, "When new, it was priced at five Aegis plus three Forts. It's now on sale for just four Aegis!"
Without hesitation, Charlotte responded, "Please show me another one."