Charlotte couldn't help but chuckle and said, "What an interesting name. It's a pity I won't get to taste this lady's cooking."
Lady Nancy hesitated for a moment before saying softly, "Actually, when I was out buying things earlier, I passed by the slave market and saw Mrs. Umeboshi. She doesn't look particularly attractive and is quite plump, so no buyers were interested. Her situation looked rather grim."
Charlotte poured himself a mug of beer, took a large sip, and said slowly, "Lady Nancy, if you want to help your old colleague, go to the slave market and bring her here."
Lady Nancy trembled slightly, then quickly stood up and said, "I'll bring her back right away. Her cooking skills are truly excellent; I'm sure you'll be satisfied."
Lady Nancy hurried off, leaving Charlotte alone once more. He drank another mug of beer, and as he did, he couldn't help but feel a sense of disconnection from the world he was in. Despite his efforts to adapt, he often felt out of place.
"I wish I had the kind of power that those legendary predecessors of mine had, the kind that could change an entire world."
Charlotte had entertained such fantasies before—using his knowledge and insights to make a significant impact in this world. But the reality was that he was just a low-ranking civil servant. Even though he had ruthlessly climbed the ladder and quickly became a minor figure of influence, he was still far from being able to change the world.
"I wonder where the Brittany family will send me?"
"In truth, if I continue to consolidate my power as the head of the Luca Vallo district's patrols and bring the twenty-some gangs in the area under my control, I'd have a considerable force."
"And maybe start a business or two..."
"As a transmigrant, just earning a 'meager' fixed salary feels quite wrong."
"Maybe I should open an apothecary? Not really to sell medicine, but under the guise of an apothecary, I could sell herbal teas, floral teas, beauty creams, and invigorating tonics. The good thing about this business is that the cost of raw materials is low, the profit margin is high, and there's not much competition in the market."
As Charlotte continued to eat and drink, he began to feel slightly tipsy, his thoughts becoming increasingly jumbled and unorganized.
Lady Nancy returned with a woman in her forties who was stout and solid. She didn't have Lady Nancy's height or strength but exuded the air of someone who had spent a lifetime in hard work.
Accompanying them was a slave trader who smiled faintly when he saw Charlotte and said, "Sir, are you looking for a cook?"
"Allow me to introduce this lady to you."
"She hails from the New World, of noble birth, and only ended up in Fars because her homeland was defeated in war. She is a highly skilled cook, trained under a strict system by seasoned professionals. She used to serve in a baron's household, where she worked diligently and earned her master's favor..."
Charlotte shot the slave trader a sidelong glance, cutting him off mid-speech. "I am the head of the Luca Vallo district's patrols, and I'm planning to coordinate a joint operation with the patrols from the Picardy district tomorrow to clean up the chaotic slave market."
"Do you have any thoughts on that?"
The slave trader quickly swallowed the "five-egos" asking price he was about to quote, awkwardly grinning as he said, "You can take her at cost."
Charlotte mumbled to himself, "Tomorrow, we'll definitely do a joint operation and clean up the slave market thoroughly."
"These bastards need to be arrested and severely punished; otherwise, they'll never learn to respect the goddess."
Lady Nancy and Mrs. Umeboshi were both wide-eyed, watching as the slave trader, sweating profusely, handed Mrs. Umeboshi over to Charlotte free of charge after just a few muttered words about a joint operation.
Charlotte wasn't usually one to bully others, but...
This is Fars, after all.
If it were Earth, he might have just beaten the slave trader to death.
Getting something for free was already an act of great mercy on his part.
Although he had compromised greatly, there were still some things he couldn't bring himself to tolerate.
Charlotte knew he couldn't help everyone, and he didn't yet have the power to change the world. But helping one person was still something, so he took Mrs. Umeboshi's contract and planned to issue her a freedom certificate the next day when he went to 1 Yansun Street. Although hiring a free cook would cost more than using a servant, he preferred to pay a bit more for a cook's services.
He would also make Mrs. Umeboshi part of the patrols.
Getting an extra imperial salary would be a small compensation for her.
Mrs. Umeboshi went to freshen up, especially scrubbing her hands clean, before coming back to help Charlotte with the grilling.
Charlotte had to admit that her cooking skills were quite impressive, much better than his own, even though he had crossed over from Earth.
Since starting his cultivation, Charlotte's appetite had grown significantly. Lady Nancy and Mrs. Umeboshi barely ate anything, while he polished off the dozens of pounds of food he had bought, along with most of a keg of beer.
After eating and drinking to his fill, Charlotte left the courtyard to the two women and returned to the third floor.
Mrs. Umeboshi, who had spent the entire day on display on the street, was already exhausted, and she had only kept going out of sheer determination. The moment Charlotte left, she collapsed into a chair, breathing heavily as she said, "Thank you, Nancy."
Lady Nancy quietly replied, "The new master has a very good temperament. He doesn't like being disturbed and prefers his rooms to be cleaned only after work hours. Other than that, there are no real restrictions."
"Also, there are three young ladies who often visit. Be very careful not to say anything out of place in front of them. Although Mr. Charlotte is usually good-tempered, he's also a transcendent. Not long ago, he killed eight detectives, took down two assassins, and even fought a duel..."
"In short, neither of us can afford to anger this man."
Lady Nancy poured a mug of beer and handed it to her old colleague.
Mrs. Umeboshi took the beer, downed it in one gulp, and said, "I was really hungry. I didn't get enough to eat yesterday, and today I didn't eat anything at all. That despicable slave trader even told me not to speak, planning to sell me at a high price."
Lady Nancy skillfully grilled some of the remaining meat, mushrooms, and vegetables, handing them to Mrs. Umeboshi, who devoured them hungrily. "The hard times will pass. Try not to dwell on the past."
On the third-floor terrace, Charlotte tapped his forehead, deactivated his Insight, and smiled slightly. He was looking forward to having the new cook and then resumed his daily training.
He aimed to master the Ling Spider Technique's runes in the shortest time possible. With the Ling Spider Technique combined with his Lightfoot Technique, he would be able to fight and retreat even against a high-level transcendent.
In the Old Continent's transcendence system, levels were purely determined by energy strength.
Many low-level transcendent beings didn't even have any special abilities, and even many mid-level transcendents lacked such powers. The difference between transcendent beings with special abilities and those without was like night and day.