The next morning, outside Beigang City.
Charlotte, wearing aristocratic attire suitable for going out, sat in the carriage, looking at the street scene of Beigang outside the window with relish.
Boats sail slowly on the clear waterway, and pedestrians bustle about on the streets of the ancient city on the shore.
Occasionally, you can hear melodious bell sounds coming from afar, startling a flock of seagulls.
Regardless of how the Church of the Holy Royal Court has declined here, the bell at this fixed time is still quite punctual.
The majestic castle in the distance, the quietly flowing canal nearby, the various Gothic buildings lining both sides of the waterway, and the pedestrians' clothing that was obviously much more avant-garde and gorgeous than that of Polder... Charlotte suddenly had the illusion that she had returned to Venice in the early Renaissance in movies and TV shows.
She originally thought that she would look more conspicuous if she still wore aristocratic clothing, but after taking a closer look at the people coming and going in North Port, she was surprised... It turned out that the textile industry here was so strong that even the clothes of ordinary citizens could compare with those of the country nobles in Boulder.
Although Boerde was originally considered a relatively poor principality in the kingdom, this was enough to explain many problems.
Thanks to Castell Silver Mine.
It not only brought a lot of wealth to Beigang, but also unlimited business opportunities and capital for primitive accumulation.
This place is not only rich, but also has a large population. There are also a large number of immigrants coming from all over the world, and there is enough labor. It is simply a place chosen by God.
If it were placed on Blue Star, it would be absolutely perfect for industrial innovation and would definitely be the birthplace of new ideas.
Even if there are supernatural powers in the world of Miria, Charlotte feels that it is not impossible to create a magical version of the Magic Revolution.
The breeze was blowing, Xiao Jing was watching, and Charlotte was waiting boredly, thinking about all sorts of things at the same time. She almost needed some melodious music to set the mood.
It was not until Sebastian's familiar figure appeared in her field of vision that Charlotte perked up and signaled Shirley beside her to open the carriage door.
Sebastian smiled and thanked Shirley, then he elegantly got into the carriage which was more than enough space for four people, and sat down opposite Charlotte.
As for Nice, he also jumped up.
It first looked at Charlotte's legs, then at Shirley's legs, and after weighing the pros and cons, it finally jumped obediently onto Lena's legs opposite Shirley.
Lena was stunned for a moment, then subconsciously stroked Nice's head, making the fat cat immediately show an extremely comfortable expression.
Charlotte gave it a strange look.
But she noticed that Reina also relaxed after holding the black cat, and she finally sighed and slowly looked away.
"How is it? Is everything done?"
Charlotte asked, looking back at Sebastian, who was sitting across from her with ease.
Sebastian was about to speak, but Nice, who was being stroked by Reina, spoke first with a smug look on his face:
"Hey, of course it's all done! Lord Charlotte, don't you see who made the move? I, Nice, will take action. No matter how deep those guys hide, they will be caught!"
However, this time Sebastian unexpectedly did not argue with Nice, but nodded:
"Yes, as you judged, Mr. Nice is indeed very sensitive to scents. We tied up all those people in secret and threw them at the gate of the City Hall."
"town Hall?"
Charlotte raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, I briefly interrogated them. They were all sent by the nobles in the territory to keep an eye on you and monitor your movements. It would be most appropriate to hand such people over to the City Hall."
Sebastian said respectfully.
Charlotte narrowed her eyes after hearing this:
"As soon as I arrived at North Harbor, they sent someone to keep an eye on me. It seems that the nobles of Castel are also up to something..."
"Hey, we've already told the fat alderman. You'll see a detailed list when we return."
Nice chuckled.
"That's right. Let Madoc worry about this matter. It also helps me to see if he is really loyal to me."
Charlotte nodded in satisfaction.
By the way, Charlotte, who had a keen sense of perception, sensed that someone was watching her when she finished her meal this morning and was about to leave for the eastern mine.
And, quite a few.
So she stopped and sent Sebastian and Nice to catch these guys one by one.
Sebastian's military strength is MAX except for the liberation of her True Ancestor, and she is invincible in the Castel Territory without the Blazing Sun.
As for Black Cat Nice…
After experiencing the incident with the witch Anna, Charlotte unexpectedly discovered that this guy's perception was terrifyingly strong, which was completely different from his Schrödinger's weak strength. It was very suitable to be a cat-shaped detector.
So, the cat and the dog started to cooperate with each other under the orders of their owner, and so far, it seems to be going quite well unexpectedly.
"Well, now that there are no more flies, let's get going. Let's walk faster so that we can have dinner in the mining area. Remember, our identities these days are nobles from the Principality of the Moon Guard who come to Castel to do mithril business, and my name is Agnes de Broglie."
Charlotte laughed.
The most common people in Castel Territory are caravans and nobles who come and go for business, and such identities are the most suitable for hiding.
Charlotte even prepared an aristocratic sun hat that could cover her face, hiding her true appearance as well as blocking the sun.
After hearing Charlotte's words, Sebastian smiled slightly and bowed gracefully:
"Then... Miss Agnes, I am your butler La Hire."
"I'm Lisa, the maid."
Shirley said coldly and simply.
As she said that, she looked at Reina across from her.
"You are a maid... Liya."
Reina looked at Charlotte, then looked at Shirley opposite her, tilted her head in confusion, and nodded obediently.
"Hey, Master Charlotte, I am your coachman, Kaul."
From the front of the carriage came a male voice that sounded eager to try. It was Rand, the only one of Charlotte's personal knights who had currently set foot on the stars.
Sebastian, Nice, Shirley, and Reina, a descendant of the royal blood whom Charlotte recruited on the road, plus the young knight Rand who was in charge of driving, made up the lineup that Charlotte would take to the eastern mining area this time.
Among them, Sebastian and Nice, two of whom have outstanding abilities, must be brought along. As for Shirley... it's because she is such a good maid that the increasingly decadent Charlotte can't help but want to keep her by her side to do things.
Charlotte estimated that the round trip would take at least three days, and she might need to disguise herself and hide during the journey. Considering that her skills in this area were almost useless and Sebastian was a man, it was normal for him to have a reliable maid around.
As for Lena... this girl, who is very likely the last descendant of the royal bloodline, has been in a low mood since Anna disappeared. Charlotte was worried about leaving her alone in the Earl's mansion, so she simply took her along to relax.
However, although he was just relaxing, his fighting ability was quite good. He helped the convoy fight against the undead when the undead attacked. He was also an entry-level cultivator, and his real strength might even be no less than that of Charlotte without the liberation of the True Ancestor.
As it turned out, her choice was not bad. After coming out together, Lena was obviously a lot more relaxed, especially when she was holding Nice, the naughty cat.
Although Charlotte was very suspicious that the black cat would take advantage of the opportunity to take advantage of her, she was somewhat surprised that the usually lustful Nice was actually quite honest when he was with Reina.
So Charlotte turned a blind eye.
As for Rand... it was only because Charlotte needed a driver, and he was the strongest among the followers.
The carriage carrying Charlotte and her party soon set off and headed eastwards towards Castel's territory.
The Castel Mining District is located on the eastern border of Castel Territory, adjacent to the Grand Duchy of the North.
Unlike most areas of the earldom, it is not a plain, but low mountains and hills.
Of course, it is called the east, but relative to Beigang in the north, the direction is southeast.
The mining area is not too far from Beigang. Because there are often caravans traveling back and forth, a wide and flat official road has been built, which is very suitable for horse racing. If you drive fast, it only takes one day to get there.
Charlotte and her group set out in the morning and arrived at the main settlement in the mining area - Silver City - at dusk.
As the name suggests, Silver City is a city developed from silver mining. It used to be just a station for miners, but today it has become a medium-sized city with a population of about 70,000.
The city is guarded by a tall wall that is twelve meters high. It is said that it was built to prevent invasion from the Grand Duchy of the North in the northeast.
Different from Beigang, which has a Renaissance style and petty-bourgeois atmosphere, Caiyin City is more rugged and has a steampunk feel. Various metal workshops can be seen everywhere, and even abandoned mines can be seen in the city.
Here, the human races were unexpectedly diverse. Charlotte saw not only humans, but also elves, dwarves, orcs, and subhumans.
Among them, elves and dwarves are mostly craftsmen, most of whom have a superior status, while orcs and subhumans are relatively low, many of them are miners, some are hired, and some are simply slaves.
"Xia... um... Lady Agnes, where are we going next?"
Rand stopped his horse, looked at the dizzying streets, and asked respectfully.
Charlotte and Sebastian looked at each other.
"Has the message been sent?"
“It has been sent.”
Sebastian answered respectfully.
"Where is it?"
"Metasequoia Hotel. Luf said it is the best hotel here and is where most of the caravans and nobles stay."
Charlotte nodded, and then said to Rand, who was driving the car:
"Go to Metasequoia Hotel."
…
Rand drove the carriage, asking passers-by for directions as he hurried on. About ten minutes later, he stopped in front of an inn with a distinct elven style.
The group got off the car. Sebastian stood beside Charlotte as the butler, Shirley and Reina in maid uniforms stood behind her on the left and right, and at the end stood Rand as the attendant.
As for Nice, he had already jumped out of Reina's arms and was walking on the other side of Charlotte as if he was competing with Sebastian.
The interior decoration of the hotel was also full of natural elf style. After Charlotte and her group entered, an elf receptionist soon came to greet them with a smile, and walked straight to Charlotte, who was obviously the host, and asked respectfully:
"Sir, would you like to stay or have a meal?"
Charlotte withdrew her curious gaze from the surroundings and motioned for Sebastian to respond. Sebastian took a step forward and said with a smile:
"Stay and book a private room at the same time."
The elf receptionist couldn't help but look at his outstanding appearance and nodded slightly.
Sebastian covered his ears today and was not recognized as an elf.
The accommodation procedures were completed quickly. It was a suite specially for nobles, which was divided into many rooms. There were five bedrooms in total, one master and four secondary ones.
Charlotte had a master bedroom all to herself, Sebastian, Shirley, and Reina each had a second bedroom, and Nice shared a second bedroom with Rand.
Nice: …
"Targeting me! Sebastian, you are targeting me!"
It said angrily.
"Be content. As a cat, you can still sleep in the bedroom."
Sebastian said with a smile.
"Discrimination! You are discriminating!"
The black cat puffed its whiskers and glared.
Rand looked at Nice with a silly smile, scratched his head and said:
"Master Nice, don't worry, I don't snore at night."
Nice: …
After packing up their luggage, the group went to have dinner.
The dinner was also in typical elf style, with almost no meat and only one meat dish, but the overall taste was excellent and exquisitely prepared.
Charlotte really liked the mead brewed by the elves. It reminded her subconsciously of the pineapple beer she drank in her previous life, but it was more refreshing and delicious.
Two maids and a knight ate with relish.
However, Charlotte did not eat too much, but just tasted a little.
So does Sebastian.
After everyone finished their meal, Charlotte said to the two maids and a knight:
"You two can go out and look around first. Next... Sebastian and I have guests to meet."
Lena and Rand have not really entered Charlotte's core circle yet, and Shirley... has not yet made up her mind to become Charlotte's subordinate, so there is naturally still a layer of separation.
After receiving the order, several people respectfully took their leave, and Charlotte asked the hotel to serve the food again.
Nice also stayed. Although this guy was a bit unreliable, as Charlotte's contracted servant, he was still considered a member of the core circle.
The two people and the cat waited like this until about fifteen minutes later, when the knock on the door was heard.
Charlotte's heart moved slightly as she sensed the identity of the person who came with her keen perception.
She smiled slightly and said:
"Come in."
The next moment, the door was pushed open, and a tall and strong figure walked in, looking exhausted.
It was none other than the werewolf Luf, the leader of the True Ancestor-worshiping subhuman tribe in Bold.
It is said that two months ago, the werewolf tribe received an oracle from the "true God" and headed north to Castel. At the same time, Charlotte, as the leader of the Rose Society, gave Luf the task of investigating the silver mine.
By now, I must have gained something.
Different from the time in Boulder, at this moment he was dressed in rough miner's clothes, looking quite heroic and experienced.
"Lord Charlotte, Lord Sebastian, I'm sorry... I'm late and was delayed at the bar for a while."
He smiled innocently and said embarrassedly.
Charlotte was a little surprised:
"The bar won't let you in?"
"Um... those elves initially thought I was a subhuman slave in the mines."
Luf scratched his head helplessly.
Charlotte's expression suddenly became a little strange.
She couldn't help but glance at Sebastian:
"Do the elves also discriminate?"
Sebastian spread his hands:
"No, many elves, who have a tradition of arrogance, discriminate against anyone except the elves and those who have beauty comparable to that of the elves."
Charlotte: …
She glanced at Luffy's face, which had a deep scar and was covered with thick hair and did not look like a kind person, and silently looked away.
She coughed lightly and said:
"Mr. Luf, thank you for your hard work. I would like to ask, how is the investigation going on regarding the Castel Silver Mine?"
Luf's expression became serious:
"Lord Charlotte, there is a problem with the Castel Silver Mine!"