Chapter 435: A New Direction in War

Charlot Mecklenburg stood before a map.

He was holding a military meeting, attended by the core members of the West Wind Knight Order.

Although the map depicted the entire Old Continent, most areas were blank. Only the territory of the Black Phoenix Dynasty was densely marked with details.

Charlot was troubled, unsure of how to proceed with the war.

In his previous campaign, he had invaded the Black Phoenix Dynasty and carefully gathered intelligence on the distribution of noble territories, autonomous regions, and directly governed districts. During the war, he deliberately targeted weaker opponents, capturing twenty-eight cities and seizing land that more than doubled the size of his Mecklenburg Earldom.

However, any future attacks would likely provoke reinforcements from neighboring noble territories, turning every battle into a hard-fought struggle. This was not Charlot’s preferred way of waging war. He was patiently waiting for the Four-Nation Alliance to launch their offensive while weighing the pros and cons of each move, hesitant to act decisively.

The Black Phoenix Dynasty was over four times the size of the Fars Empire, but most of its land was barren desert. Its core consisted of twelve directly governed coastal districts, which, despite covering only one-twentieth of its total landmass, housed over seventy percent of its population and accounted for its most developed economy.

Beyond the directly governed districts, the Black Phoenix Dynasty also had 1,106 noble territories and 58 autonomous regions, with no overseas colonies or dependencies. As the Black Phoenix Dynasty was established later than the empires of Fars and Ingrima, it missed the era of aggressive overseas expansion. By the time it unified into a powerful empire, the Age of Exploration had already ended.

The Black Dragon coughed lightly and said, “We’ve already taken control of one and a half directly governed districts and twelve noble territories of the Black Phoenix Dynasty. I believe we should refrain from further attacks and focus on consolidating the territory we’ve gained.”

The old lizardman’s suggestion garnered widespread agreement.

Charlot, despite his relentless recruitment efforts after invading the Black Phoenix Dynasty, had incorporated over ten thousand local troops into his army. Yet, even with this force, he struggled to fully occupy such vast lands. Many areas lacked stationed garrisons and were left to continue their own “autonomy.”

Charlot shook his head. The Bretagne Emperor had promised him that the lands divided from the Black Phoenix Dynasty would be merged into the Mecklenburg Earldom. Halting his campaign now felt like a betrayal of that promise.

Charlot could not allow fertile lands to fall into the hands of others!

Even the less fertile lands could not be left to Ingrima, Byron, or the Lionheart Empire for free!

While uncertain about his next target, he firmly opposed halting the attack.

Charlot shook his head and declared, “I must occupy more land, especially the Black Phoenix Dynasty’s twelve directly governed districts. They are all fertile regions!”

Clenching his fist, Charlot nearly typed out his desires for all to see.

He then asked, “Are the four Saint ranks of the Black Phoenix Dynasty still unwilling to surrender?”

Gareth Mecklenburg, his "beloved son," replied, “Father, they have shown no sign of surrender!”

“I think we should execute one as an example!”

Charlot agreed that such an action might break the others’ resolve, but he ultimately dismissed this ruthless suggestion, replying, “Let’s keep them alive for now.”

Though Gareth was well into his fifties, possibly nearing sixty, he still addressed Charlot as “Father,” causing many of the Saint ranks present to stifle their laughter, covering their mouths to avoid any unseemly sounds.

They could hardly contain themselves!

Seeing that the meeting was no longer productive, Charlot sighed and concluded, “That’s all for today!”

As the military council dispersed, Gareth stayed behind. Once the room was empty except for himself and Charlot, he whispered, “Father, I have a plan.”

Even Charlot sometimes found it difficult not to laugh when Gareth called him “Father,” but he restrained himself. After all, he was a loving father. How could he mock his only son?

Suppressing his laughter, Charlot responded briefly, “Speak!”

He dared not say more for fear of breaking his composure.

Gareth pointed to the map and said, “The most valuable lands of the Black Phoenix Dynasty are its twelve directly governed districts, but the dynasty’s power is concentrated there. While we are strong, it’s impossible to swallow them all at once.”

“However…”

“Sesath is an exception!”

Charlot’s eyes shifted to the Black Phoenix Dynasty’s map, his expression changing subtly. Sesath was an autonomous region guarding the Black Dragon Strait.

The Black Dragon Strait connected the Giant Whale Sea and the Furious Sea. Beyond it lay the dynasty’s Northern Territories.

In fact, the Mesu family of Fars was not a native noble house but originated from the Northern Territories. Their fleet was even called the Northern Fleet!

The Mesu family was rumored to guard a great secret tied to the Furious Sea, prompting the Duchess of Mesu to take enormous risks exploring it. These efforts significantly weakened the Northern Fleet’s power.

If the Northern Fleet had retained its peak strength instead of pursuing expeditions, it could have rivaled the Imperial Navy of Ingrima, leaving the navies of Byron and the Black Phoenix Dynasty insignificant by comparison.

But history often defies human plans.

The Mesu duchess’s obsession with exploration caused her fleet’s decline, and subsequent conflicts with Byron and the Black Phoenix Dynasty further eroded its strength. In the end, she was forced to defect to Byron with the Fontainebleau, preserving her power but tarnishing her reputation.

This betrayal would take decades for the Mesu family to recover from.

The Northern Territories remained the most mysterious part of the Old Continent. Though crossing the Black Dragon Strait allowed access to the region, it was still shrouded in secrecy for humanity. The Black Phoenix Dynasty had established dozens of free territories and hundreds of noble fiefs there, but the region remained largely untamed.

By seizing Sesath, Charlot could control the connection between the Northern Territories and the Old Continent, aligning with his ambition to claim more land.

Though controlling Sesath wouldn’t guarantee control over the Northern Territories, it would provide a foothold for gradual expansion.

Charlot studied the map intently, moved by Gareth’s suggestion. He resolved to convene another military meeting the next day to discuss plans for capturing Sesath.

Praising Gareth’s insight, Charlot shifted the conversation to his son’s recent training.

Gareth sighed in frustration. “I have immense power but can’t wield it effectively! I don’t know what’s wrong.”

“Every time I channel my strength, I feel a dangerous force that might tear me apart.”

Charlot nodded. He understood Gareth’s condition: Soul Fragmentation. While fragmented souls could regenerate over time if undisturbed, the resulting soul would be fundamentally different, like reshaping shattered clay.

Although Gareth retained the strength of a 22nd-tier Saint rank, he lacked the wisdom, spirituality, and mastery of family secrets needed to control it.

A Saint rank, even at the lowest 19th tier, could split the skies and seas with ease. Such overwhelming power without proper control posed a risk of self-destruction.

Aware that he couldn’t pass down the Mossred family’s secret techniques, Charlot had planted the Blood Butcher Seed in Gareth, encouraging him to master the Beast God Transformation.

Despite his frustrations, Gareth shared some progress. “I’ve started to awaken Bloodfire Combat Energy, and I can already transform into a Charning Falconman. Soon, I’ll unlock Bloodflame Aura as well.”

“But I don’t understand why I need to train in two techniques simultaneously. If I focused on one, I might already be at Transcendent Second Tier!”

Charlot smiled. “Concentrate on the Blood Butcher Technique. The Beast God Transformation is only a safeguard, so you can escape quickly in emergencies. Remember, Charning Falconmen have wings! I don’t want you to face danger like last time.”

Gareth was touched by his father’s meticulous care, replying softly, “Thank you, Father.”

After reassuring Gareth, Charlot contemplated the map of the Black Phoenix Dynasty, his ambitions surging.

The Bretagne Emperor’s promise of land division was too enticing to resist.

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