Chapter 536: Blood Glory vs. Blood Glory

Charlot Mecklenburg's forces were comprised of four main factions: his original loyalists, the defecting Black Phoenix nobles, newly subdued individuals from the New Continent, and the Ghost Fleet.

When the Mecklenburg Duchy was first established, over a hundred Black Phoenix nobles defected to Charlot. Most were old Black Phoenix nobles with nearly nonexistent loyalty. During the New Continent Council’s aggressive campaign, more than sixty of these nobles surrendered to protect their lands and wealth.

Upon reclaiming territories, these defecting Black Phoenix nobles, fearing retribution, almost entirely aligned with the people of the New Continent. Charlot took the opportunity to strip these nobles of their lands, incorporating them directly into the duchy's jurisdiction.

However, there were Black Phoenix nobles who, in the face of the New Continent Council’s onslaught, abandoned their lands and answered Princess Annie’s call to rally. They brought their entire families to Black Phoenix City and fought alongside the West Wind Knights.

Notable figures among these were Count Norbingham, Count Barnett, and Viscount Angelo.

Charlot rewarded these individuals generously with lands and wealth, ensuring their eventual integration into the Mecklenburg Duchy as loyal vassals.

When preparing for a counterattack, Charlot excluded these old Black Phoenix nobles. Given their familial and social ties to those who had defected to the New Continent Council, he was wary they might act out of sentimentality. Instead, he allowed them to return to their lands to recuperate—a tactful gesture.

As for the newly subdued individuals from the New Continent, Charlot held no illusions about their loyalty. He tasked Mocher with leading a group to another of Annie's territories—the Duchy of Mossred. That land also lacked manpower and the presence of a Saint rank individual, making these New Continent people a suitable fit.

The Ghost Fleet's loyalty, however, was beyond doubt.

Charlot weighed his available forces and mused silently, "The New Continent's resources are seemingly endless, and they excel at leveraging the power of foreign gods. This war may drag on for quite some time."

"Perhaps I should adopt a different approach—dispatch the fleet to intercept their ships and recruit them in advance, preventing them from joining the New Continent Council."

"After all, the people of the New Continent are not an unbreakable monolith."

As this thought occurred to Charlot, the illusionary dreamscape of the Mirror World shattered. Idehyra retracted her dreamcrafting powers, realizing she could not defeat "Charlot" within the Mirror World.

With a gentle tap, Idehyra shattered the enchanted Mirror of Power she had been pressing against. Yet, she knew this action was futile—Charlot’s Mirror World was too vast, and destroying all the mirrors would not trap him in the extradimensional void.

Charlot did not remain hidden in the Mirror World for long. He stepped out with poise, smiling faintly. "Avish initiated this war, but you were not yet on the Old Continent. We bear no animosity."

"You merely seek land; we have ample grounds for cooperation."

Idehyra flashed a captivating smile. "Are you suggesting you’ll offer up your duchy to me?"

Charlot shook his head. "You must have heard of Goring Island, a sparsely populated place. I have a good relationship with the Inglima Empire’s royal family and could persuade them to lift the migration restrictions there. Why not settle on Goring Island?"

Charlot’s proposal was enticing, but Idehyra refused without hesitation. "The Inglima Empire is a veteran empire. They won’t open the Inglima Isles to us. If we could have moved to Goring Island, why do you think we ventured to the New Continent in the first place?"

Charlot sighed. He knew persuading the Inglima royal family to open Goring Island would be difficult. Although its population was sparse, the empire could develop it gradually. If a group of New Continent migrants settled there, it might lead to independence in a few decades.

The Inglima Empire already exercised loose control over Goring Island. An influx of unmanageable migrants would undoubtedly create unpredictable consequences.

Charlot then suggested, "Perhaps you could move to the Aggras Archipelago. It’s rich with islands and land..."

Idehyra scoffed lightly, not even bothering to respond.

Charlot understood. If they could have settled in the Aggras Archipelago, they would not have ventured to the New Continent, crossed the Aggras Sea, or returned to the Old Continent. He sighed, "There must be other ways to resolve this."

Idehyra smiled and said, "Your Mecklenburg Duchy has thirteen major regions. Grant us five or six, and that will suffice for our settlers."

Charlot shrugged. "If you’re willing to be my subjects, it’s not out of the question."

Idehyra knew the people who ventured to the New Continent had fled the political and economic oppression of the empires. None were willing to become subjects again. They had grown accustomed to freedom and would not return to being ruled.

Moreover, she doubted Charlot’s ability to defeat the New Continent Council in its current state.

Both sides understood that this battle was at an impasse. Charlot could not confront a 24th-rank Dreamwalker like Idehyra, while Idehyra could not capture Charlot, who could retreat into the Mirror World at any time. After exchanging a few more words, Idehyra retreated gracefully, returning to Arcadia Port.

Romeos smiled faintly and said, "That young man is troublesome, isn’t he?"

Idehyra replied, "The Mirror World is a wondrous escape technique. In battles above the Saint rank, no one has ever heard of someone killing a Van Gogh clansman head-on."

Romeos spoke calmly, "Bloodline secret arts are not invincible. We happen to have someone who can counter the bloodlines."

"Abelia! Go capture Charlot Mecklenburg!"

The original leadership of the New Continent Council consisted of three Speakers: Avish, Mocher, and Monteblanc. Now, the council had expanded to seven Speakers, with Romeos as Chief Speaker and Idehyra as the First Speaker. Poor Avish had been relegated to Third Speaker.

The remaining four Speakers were also renowned powerhouses of the New Continent. Among them, Abelia was one of only two women. Her origins were shrouded in mystery, and no one knew what extraordinary abilities she mastered.

When Romeos named her, Avish protested, "Can she truly capture Charlot? He’s not particularly powerful but exceedingly cunning."

Romeos smiled faintly. "You should know the bloodlines have a nemesis—Protagoras. Abelia has mastered the extraordinary secret arts of the Protagoras Scrolls. Her Blood Glory technique suppresses all bloodlines."

Avish was stunned. The Fourth Speaker of the New Continent Council, silent until now, took to the skies. She was a strikingly cold beauty...

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