Axel

Chapter 510: Charlot Mecklenburg's Rule Over Hegelon

Added 2025-06-17 15:10:01 +0000 UTC

Charlot was well aware of the precarious nature of the newly formed West Wind Knight Order. Though it included some Transcendents—such as candidates of the Evil God, General Douma, and a few council members from the port city of Lazaro Cardenas—its internal cohesion was shaky. Most members had little faith in the group, and figures like General Douma and those city council members harbored significant dissatisfaction. After all, they had surrendered their city, only to be...

Bound and humiliated by Charlot!
Stripped of all authority and consigned to the army to fight on the front lines.
Had they not been worried about their personal safety and the wellbeing of their families, they would have surely protested.

Yet Charlot also knew that victory could solve everything. He began his campaign by sweeping through the towns around Lazaro Cardenas Port.

Within a matter of days, seven or eight towns had fallen to him, swelling the ranks of the West Wind Knight Order to over three thousand.

When Charlot set his sights on another port city in the Hegelon region, unexpected news reached him—news he found difficult to process.

Of the seven major cities in the Hegelon region, three had chosen to surrender without a fight.

And another piece of information accompanied this news: the three cities unwilling to surrender had formed a city-state military alliance, preparing to resist Charlot's invasion. Each of these cities had high-ranking Transcendents stationed there, confident they could repel the "outsider."

Charlot understood why the three cities had allied against him; resisting an invader was natural. What he found puzzling was why the other three had capitulated so readily.

He had not portrayed himself as overwhelmingly powerful.
Nor did he have elite subordinates. Most of the officers in his ranks came from Mosuli or Lazaro Cardenas Port.

So why had three cities chosen surrender?
Charlot was baffled but wasted no time in taking action. Leading the West Wind Knight Order, he quickly took control of the surrendered cities. In each, he conscripted young men to bolster his forces. Yet even with his considerable administrative skills, assimilating three cities with insufficient assistance proved a daunting task, forcing him to pause further military actions temporarily.

Meanwhile, the alliance of three cities, though united, faced their own challenges. Mobilizing troops quickly was impossible; they needed to hold meetings to resolve logistical questions such as manpower, resources, division of spoils, and command structure.

As two opposing military groups reached a stalemate, a brief period of peace ensued. Neither side made an aggressive move, and no formal declarations of war were issued. The city-state alliance spent over ten days in meetings resolving these issues, and just as their coalition forces were finally about to march, an unexpected threat emerged—Yishemierlen's Ghost Fleet appeared in the waters off Lazaro Cardenas Port.

This fleet of over 900 ghost ships terrified the port's residents.

A fleet of such magnitude could ravage almost every coastal city on the New Continent, sparing only those with Saint-ranked guardians in the largest metropolises. For ordinary cities, it was an unstoppable calamity.

Each ghost ship carried at least dozens of ghostly crew, most of which exceeded a hundred. Even if they launched a land invasion, they could easily muster a ghost army of over 100,000.

To the residents of Lazaro Cardenas Port, this was an apocalyptic "plague of the undead." Convinced their city was doomed, many prepared to flee.

At this critical moment, Charlot "valiantly" stepped forward. He proclaimed loudly that this fleet was nothing to fear and that he could protect the people of Lazaro Cardenas. To demonstrate his confidence, he offered to buy the properties of fleeing residents at "fair prices."

This move earned him the trust of only a small minority, but it failed to stem the exodus.
However, most of the fleeing residents took Charlot's offer, selling their immovable assets to him before leaving. True to his word, Charlot paid for the properties, making everyone involved surprisingly satisfied with the transaction.

News of the Ghost Fleet's appearance spread quickly through the fleeing crowds to nearby regions. The city-state military alliance also received word of the "terrifying" development—a fleet of nearly a thousand ghost ships was about to assault Lazaro Cardenas Port. This intelligence immediately halted their planned offensive.

The military leaders of the three allied cities convened an emergency meeting. But how could such a crisis be resolved through meetings?

Yishemierlen "generously" waited until most residents had fled before slowly steering the Ghost Fleet into the port.

Charlot led the West Wind Knight Order to the city's walls, adopting a stance of resolute defiance.

The residents of the New Continent, long accustomed to being toyed with by Evil Gods, displayed mixed reactions. Those who chose to stay were less panicked, though still deeply fearful. Despite this, they managed to carry out Charlot's defensive instructions.

The sight of over 900 ghost ships was undeniably terrifying, their sinister aura exuding a predatory dominance. Though lacking the ancient magical ghost battleships of legend, the fleet's appearance alone was enough to strike terror into the hearts of men.

General Douma, watching the Ghost Fleet, broke into a cold sweat. Turning to Charlot, he pleaded, "You should leave, my lord! We cannot possibly stand against such a powerful Evil God!"

"Staying here will only mean certain death for us."

"If you can lead the city's people to safety, I am willing to cover your retreat."

This statement earned Charlot's admiration. Smiling, he replied, "You are a good man, but not a good commander."

Inwardly, he added, "To be honest, neither am I."

"We will win this battle!"

"Believe in me."

Unbeknownst to Douma, the Ghost Fleet belonged to Charlot. But Charlot’s refusal to flee, his insistence on confronting the enemy, and his willingness to buy up the fleeing residents’ properties earned him a measure of respect from the general.

Douma sighed, thinking to himself, "Fine, I’ll fight alongside him against these ghosts. If things go south, I’ll flee at the last moment. That’ll be enough to repay his kindness."

"Bah, the man tied me up when I tried to surrender. Whatever I do, I’ve already done enough for him."

As Douma mentally prepared himself, Charlot suddenly clapped his hands. Several Transcendents stepped forward, hauling over large stones to construct a platform. Charlot leapt onto the high platform, his gaze fixed on the Ghost Fleet.

He shouted toward the fleet, "I am the Chosen One! Warriors of the sea, bow before me and offer your loyalty!"

Most of the newly recruited members of the West Wind Knight Order looked at Charlot as if he had lost his mind.

But in the next moment, they witnessed an astonishing sight. Ghostly sailors emerged onto the decks of the ships, kneeling on one knee toward Charlot Mecklenburg, letting out eerie howls as they pledged their "loyalty."

In that instant, every member of the West Wind Knight Order from the New Continent was utterly stunned. Deep within their hearts, a seed of fear was firmly planted.

Decades later, this scene would be immortalized by an artist in a painting valued at nearly a thousand gold écus—a masterpiece titled Charlot Mecklenburg’s Rule Over Hegelon.