Chapter 434: Swift as Lightning, Devastating as Fire

Charlot took a deep breath and declared, “I will undoubtedly overcome all enemies before me!”

Under Charlot Mecklenburg’s command, there were already nine Saint ranks, and they weren’t all like Viggo, who had barely reached the 19th rank. Among them, seven were seasoned veterans with remarkable combat prowess.

As long as he didn’t encounter Viscount Constantine, Charlot considered himself invincible.

Fortunately, Viscount Constantine had pledged allegiance to Byron, making it highly unlikely for them to cross paths.

Antonio didn’t linger long at the Duke’s mansion. After he departed, a steady stream of carriages began delivering Anne’s belongings. Charlot had always thought Anne was frugal until he saw this convoy and the items being unloaded.

Though there were only thirty carriages in the convoy, they were divided into three groups. Ten carriages arrived first, unloading their cargo at the Duke’s residence. As soon as they were done, the second group arrived, followed by the third. Then, the first group returned for another round.

For the first time, Charlot understood what opulence meant—what being a noble truly entailed.

Miss Anne Bretagne merely appeared modest before him. Now, as Princess Anne Bretagne, her grandeur was on full display.

Charlot was also surprised at how quickly Dubin Alger and Homonsa had acted. Shortly after Charlot had left, they announced their wedding plans for the very next day and invited all their colleagues.

When Charlot received the wedding invitation early the next morning, he was utterly baffled. He had never encountered a wedding arranged with such urgency—it was to be held on the same day the invitations were issued.

Charlot brought Anne to the wedding as agreed, and the gift he prepared delighted the newlyweds.

With Charlot and Anne attending, Charlot’s nine Saint-ranked subordinates naturally followed suit. Even Antonio brought along several Saint-ranked knights upon hearing the news.

Thanks to Charlot, Claire Bretagne and Ebner Soumet not only attended in person but also brought gifts.

Charlot didn’t forget to send invitations to Detective Venie Arsenault and his former fiancée, Sylvie Martin. Frederica, however, was not in Strasbourg. She was preoccupied with relocating the Leopardman tribe, and even Charlot rarely saw her these days.

The presence of Crown Prince Antonio, the Grand Duchess of Moldova, Princess Anne, and the newly titled Count Mecklenburg made the wedding the talk of Strasbourg’s noble circles.

Thankfully, Dubin realized his house wasn’t large enough to accommodate so many guests and borrowed No. 1 Falcon Street to host the wedding. By the end, even No. 2 Falcon Street was filled with celebratory crowds.

Initially, Charlot intended to officiate the wedding for Dubin, but with Antonio present, who could outshine the Crown Prince?

Well, perhaps only the Emperor of Bretagne himself—but that was a privilege reserved for Charlot and Anne’s future wedding.

For Dubin, having the Crown Prince officiate was more than enough.

What started as Dubin’s humble vision for a modest ceremony transformed into a grand affair. With the Crown Prince and an Imperial Princess in attendance and the Crown Prince himself officiating, the wedding could not have been more perfect. Dubin grinned from ear to ear throughout, and the gifts they received filled the City Patrol Guard’s storeroom.

Charlot, Anne, and Antonio didn’t stay long and left shortly after the ceremony.

Even after their departure, the wedding continued to grow more lively. Holding Dubin’s hand, Homonsa felt a deep sense of gratitude.

She had once been an ordinary adventurer, with no prospects or clear future. Even saving some money didn’t bring certainty about settling down, as adventuring was both dangerous and unpredictable. A chance encounter with a seemingly unreliable man had led her into an adventure in Machubi, where they lost several companions. At the time, she thought Charlot was a fraud and deeply doubted him.

Even after Charlot secured legitimate roles for them within the City Patrol Guard, she remained wary of the enigmatic man.

What happened next was beyond her imagination. She watched Charlot ascend to extraordinary heights in a short period, becoming an elite transcendent and a rising power within the Empire. His influence grew, and he even commanded Saint-ranked subordinates.

Yet all of this was now distant from Homonsa’s life.

She had made her decision: after the wedding, she would settle in Strasbourg and focus on her family.

Homonsa was genuinely satisfied with Dubin as her husband. He was now a second-rank transcendent, held a high position as a regional City Patrol Guard leader, and was more than capable of providing a stable life for their family.

And Homonsa herself was also a transcendent!

For those of humble origins, Homonsa and Dubin’s life was the epitome of success—a happy marriage with a hint of upward mobility.

After attending the wedding of his subordinates, Charlot spent the following days reorganizing the West Wind Knight Order. Veterans unwilling to return to the battlefield were reassigned to the City Patrol Guards or the Administrative Bureau, while the rest prepared to follow him back to South Seraph.

No, it would no longer be called South Seraph. The land would soon bear a new name: the County of Mecklenburg.

This was the official decree of the Fars Empire.

Charlot’s future would be firmly rooted in his own domain as Count. He was determined to ensure that every resident of Mecklenburg County could live prosperously, with the majority of common folk enjoying stability. His goal was to maintain fairness and peace across the territory.

As Antonio had hinted in advance, on the fifth day of his ascension, Emperor Maclaine Bretagne issued a proclamation that shook the continent.

The decree announced an alliance with the Ingrima Empire, the Byron people, and the Lionheart Empire, declaring war on the treacherous Black Phoenix Dynasty. The document also enumerated dozens of heinous crimes committed by the Black Phoenix Dynasty, providing a legal justification for the coalition’s crusade.

Charlot received an official letter regarding the proclamation. After bidding farewell to Annie Mecklenburg, he led his troops away from Strasbourg. Following a period of marching, he returned to Mecklenburg County.

Many of the residents of South Seraph, driven by the chaos of war and encouraged by figures like Charlot, had relocated to places such as the Behemoth Principality and Cappadocia. Although these South Seraph residents lost their lands and part of their wealth, they gained peace and escaped the devastation of war.

Today, Mecklenburg County was brimming with orcs, as Charlot had relocated hundreds of thousands of orcs from the Red Dragon Strait region and provided them with settlements. Charlot believed that, in time, the South Seraph residents who had left would choose to return. When that happened, he planned to integrate the various groups into a harmonious community.

As long as fairness prevailed and no one was allowed special privileges, there was no population that couldn’t be united.

However, Charlot had little time to manage his domain. He was now required to join the royal knights of the Fars Empire in an offensive against the Black Phoenix Dynasty.

…

Upon returning to his territory, Charlot immediately launched a surprise attack.

His long-time rival, Chloe Hadrian, with whom he had engaged in countless tactical battles, was captured within less than half a day. When Charlot interrogated him, Chloe protested indignantly, “Charlot, is this how you play the game? Using Saint-rank fighters for ambushes to claim victory? Who in this world would respect such a win?”

Charlot chuckled and replied, “You must have heard about the Four-Nation Alliance, haven’t you?”

Chloe’s expression darkened as he nodded. “I’ve heard of it… Emperor Maclaine Bretagne is a formidable character.

“He has just ascended the throne, yet he managed to secure the Four-Nation Alliance. The Black Phoenix Dynasty did nothing wrong. How could it meet such a fate?”

Chloe’s voice was laden with sorrow. Though he did not want to admit it, he had a sinking feeling that the Black Phoenix Dynasty might soon vanish from the annals of the Old Continent.

Charlot sought to console him, saying, “Weakness is the ultimate sin. If the Fars Empire were weaker, it might be us facing the combined wrath of the Four Empires.

“In that case, our roles would reverse, and you would be lecturing me from a position of superiority.”

“I hope you’ll surrender and avoid unnecessary sacrifices. Each of your soldiers is a living, breathing life. There’s no need for them to perish in such a war.”

Chloe muttered bitterly, “Your twisted logic isn’t worth rebutting! Every citizen of the Black Phoenix Dynasty is born ready to die for the empire.”

Charlot had more arguments prepared, but he could only sigh and say, “I won’t make things harder for you.”

He imprisoned Chloe and accepted the surrender of most of his forces. The few who refused to yield were sent to Cappadocia.

After defeating Chloe decisively, Charlot did not rest.

He lingered in Mecklenburg County for only a few days before leading the West Wind Knight Order deep into the territory of the Black Phoenix Dynasty.

With nine Saint-rank fighters under his command, Charlot moved with the speed of a tempest and struck like wildfire. In just over a month, he captured 28 cities of the Black Phoenix Dynasty.

Most of these cities lacked Saint-rank protectors. In the few that did, Charlot’s ruthlessness showed as he commanded all nine of his Saint-rank fighters to battle simultaneously, employing overwhelming force.

Even on the Ferranden battlefield, where the two great empires had deployed dozens of Saint-rank fighters, it was rare to see more than ten Saints in a single battle.

The combined power of nine Saints was truly unstoppable.

In this relentless campaign, Charlot captured four Saint-rank fighters.

Meanwhile, the allied armies of the Four Empires had yet to arrive at the frontlines. Charlot’s zeal stemmed from Emperor Maclaine Bretagne’s promise that the conquered lands of the Black Phoenix Dynasty would be annexed into Mecklenburg County. With each battle, Charlot was effectively expanding his domain. How could he not be excited?

Back in the Black Phoenix Dynasty, the imperial family and the nobility were in chaos. Heated debates and violent clashes broke out as they argued over whether to continue the war or sue for peace.

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