Gorgia University Black Moon Era Year 33 Fellowship

As a First-Rank Chief Clerk and a thirty-seventh-rank employee of the Empire, Charlotte had already entered the Empire's privileged class, even if only at its lowest tier.

At Kilmainham Prison, no one but Menilman could give him orders, and no one could discipline him for arriving late or leaving early.

When Charlotte walked out of Kilmainham Prison, he unexpectedly spotted a carriage. The carriage looked very familiar, and the little face peering out its window looked even more familiar.

Slightly surprised, Charlotte greeted her. "Miss Anne! What are you doing here?"

Anne Brittany's lovely face was filled with a gentle smile as she said cheerfully, "I just happened to be passing by. Mr. Mecklen, you're getting off work so early today. Do you have something else to do?"

Anne Brittany was somewhat nervous. She had actually arrived quite early, but she had no idea how to find an excuse to enter an Imperial prison. None of her family's relatives were inside.

Charlotte smiled faintly. "I just slipped out early. There wasn't much to do today."

Anne Brittany immediately said, "I happen to have a private gathering to attend and need a male companion. I wonder whether Mr. Mecklen would be willing to help?"

Charlotte was no fool. The excuse of just happening to pass by was truly terrible.

Across two lifetimes, this was the first time he had encountered something like this.

A girl was actually pursuing him!?

And she was a textbook fair, wealthy, beautiful young lady.

From Anne Brittany's looks, figure, temperament, learning, and upbringing to her family background, there was nothing to fault.

Between returning to Sheffield University and going on a date with Anne Brittany, Charlotte hesitated briefly before decisively making his choice. "I'm deeply honored to receive Miss Anne's invitation."

At the same time, he quietly thought, I need to put writing to my brother on the agenda as soon as possible.

Charlotte boarded Anne's carriage and left Kilmainham Prison.

The private gathering Anne Brittany was attending was the Gorgia University Black Moon Era Year 33 Fellowship.

Nearly every country on the Old Continent had this custom, and all sorts of small social groups were highly popular. People at the bottom of society favored knitting clubs and laundry clubs, mainly to find work, while slightly wealthier families joined reading clubs and cooking clubs to expand their connections.

Small societies like university fellowships were already extremely high-end social gatherings. After all, the Empire of Fars had only four universities, each one a land blessed by the gods. Every student was a favored child of heaven, with excellent jobs after graduation and boundless prospects ahead.

The gathering was being held at the home of a young lady named Belinda. She had been Anne Brittany's university classmate. Their relationship was neither bad nor particularly close. Under other circumstances, Anne would have declined such a gathering, since she did not enjoy lively occasions.

This time, she had accepted the invitation for Charlotte's sake. Asking a gentleman out alone required far too much courage, while a gathering like this seemed much less abrupt.

Charlotte worried about his "future." He neither wanted the labyrinth to devour his soul nor wanted to see Carnstein again, so he slowly circulated Bloody Glory in the carriage, maintaining his cultivation. Several golden runes flickered in and out of sight within the Bloody Vortex at his heart. Having faced the vampire evil god Carnstein twice, his Blood Feast Meditation Technique had advanced by leaps and bounds, already showing slight results. When the carriage stopped, he opened his eyes and felt that Bloody Glory had improved a little more.

Anne observed Charlotte throughout the journey. She keenly sensed that he was cultivating, which both delighted and impressed her.

"Many people stop exploring Transcendence after graduation. This path is simply too difficult. But Charlotte still has the will to strive, and his future achievements will surely be limitless."

"If he can become a High-Order Transcendent, then between us..."

"Perhaps there will be more possibilities."

At that thought, Miss Anne's lovely face could not help flushing crimson again.

Charlotte suddenly opened his eyes and saw Anne Brittany's slightly reddened face, bright and radiant. His eyes immediately lit up, but he wisely said nothing.

Anne was genuinely a little shy. She lowered her head slightly and let Charlotte get out of the carriage first, then extended her small hand for him to help her down.

When a butler saw the two guests arrive, he raised a hand in signal, and servants came forward to open the doors for them.

Although Belinda's father also held a position in the Empire and possessed an honorary title, he could only be considered a minor noble. He was utterly incomparable to the Brittany Family.

Anne's arrival delighted the young lady immensely, and she personally came out to greet her. When she saw Anne holding Charlotte's arm, she was slightly surprised.

Anne had been known at school as a cold beauty. She never dated any boys and never gave any man a pleasant look. This was also the first time Belinda had seen this Brittany Family young lady being so intimate with someone of the opposite sex her own age.

Belinda used a small fan to cover half her face, both to avoid revealing any overly expressive reaction that might displease Anne and to preserve her own elegant bearing. She chuckled lightly. "Anne, everyone has been waiting for you for quite a while."

"Would this gentleman mind introducing himself?"

Anne smiled reservedly. "Mr. Charlotte Mecklen, a graduate of Sheffield University. He currently works at Kilmainham Prison as a First-Rank Chief Clerk." She linked arms with Belinda and headed toward the drawing room.

In a public setting like this, one needed to make one's status clear without being excessively modest. Yet it was clearly more appropriate for Anne to introduce Charlotte than for him to introduce himself.

When Charlotte had introduced himself to Anne, he had not emphasized his official position and had highlighted his status as a First-Order Transcendent instead, so that she would be more inclined to trust him. Now that the situation had changed, Anne adjusted the details of his introduction, concealing his identity as a Transcendent and placing greater emphasis on his government post.

Belinda's pretty face changed slightly. Even the small fan in her hand could not conceal her astonishment as she asked in a low voice, "You are a First-Rank Chief Clerk?"

If Charlotte had introduced himself as a First-Rank Chief Clerk, Belinda would never have believed him. She would only have assumed she had encountered a swindler.

Two or three years after graduating from university, nearly everyone in government was only a First-Class Clerk. A handful of people with powerful family backgrounds might receive an early promotion to Second-Class Clerk. Becoming a First-Rank Chief Clerk was truly shocking; only children born to great nobles could advance that quickly.

The gap between a First-Class Clerk and a First-Rank Chief Clerk was anything but small. From the forty-first rank to the highest thirty-seventh rank, there was also a rare change of position involved, representing at least more than a decade of promotions and tempering. Many civil servants might never overcome the threshold of that career change in their entire lives.

This change in status was not merely a salary three-point-six times higher. It also came with identity, standing, treatment, benefits, authority, and a whole host of other things.

Belinda's father was only two ranks higher than Charlotte in the government's civil service hierarchy.

Anne smiled sweetly and replied, "Yes. Not long ago, Mr. Mecklen also bought a house for less than two hundred Écu."

Belinda could no longer doubt it. Being able to purchase a house worth two hundred Écu meant Charlotte's salary was definitely not that of a First-Class Clerk.

Charlotte quietly sighed to himself. He knew that this was the Empire: filled with snobbery, class divisions, contempt, privilege, wealth, and corruption...

He still needed some time to get used to it.