Axel

Chapter 344: The Customs of the Serpent of Fate: Playing Snake Tiles

Added 2025-03-26 16:04:00 +0000 UTC

Charlot Mecklenburg found himself idle in Strasbourg. Unable to sit still, he called upon several gang members from the Lukavaro District…

Well, his West Wind Knight Order had a presence in Behemoth, South Seraph, Cappadocia, Saint Michael Island, and Machubi. But in Strasbourg, they were nearly absent, forcing him to rely on local gang members.

To mobilize this group, Charlot took the opportunity to purge the Lukavaro District of its underworld factions, ensuring that the West Wind Knight Order was the sole remaining force in his jurisdiction.

After assembling these gang members, Charlot began rounding up followers of the God of Joy, strictly following the comprehensive list provided in the divine revelation from the Serpent of Fate. With this guidance, Charlot swept through Strasbourg, capturing every last believer of the God of Joy. To his surprise, these cultists were mostly ordinary people, without a single Transcendent among them.

A special edition of Charlot’s Chronicles themed around the God of Joy had already been published.

In the Special Edition of Charlot’s Chronicles, the God of Joy was described as a loyal pet of the Serpent of Fate, wholly dedicated to promoting a peculiar custom: Playing Snake Tiles...

Yes, it was essentially mahjong!

This new edition of Charlot’s Chronicles was priced over ten times higher than the standard version. It not only detailed the many rules of “Playing Snake Tiles,” such as tile ranks and winning combinations, but also dedicated over 30,000 words to explaining mahjong. Each book came with a complimentary set of Snake Tiles.

Charlot didn’t treat the captured followers of the God of Joy harshly. Each was given a copy of the new edition of Charlot’s Chronicles to memorize. Those who managed to memorize the text were allowed to go home after paying a fine. This wasn’t about greed—it was simply to cover the production cost of the new edition, which included the pricey Snake Tiles. For those who failed, meals were reduced to one a day, consisting of no more than a small vegetable ball the size of half a fist.

Such a brutal "learning environment" significantly accelerated their progress. Within a few days, some cultists could recite a third of the text, and even the slowest among them had memorized ten to twenty pages.

However, the fastest learners turned out to be…

Those playing Snake Tiles!

More than half of these unfortunate cultists had already mastered the game, while the rest could read the tiles and understood how to achieve a winning hand.

Charlot had not expected the new edition of Charlot’s Chronicles—which he assumed to be overly expensive and filled with filler content—to become a runaway success. Not only was it a hit in Strasbourg, but merchants from all over the Fars Empire came to stockpile it. Some weren’t even booksellers.

Unbeknownst to Charlot, copies of the new edition graced the bedside tables of both the Red Dragon Emperor and the Lionheart King Charlie. In fact, the book's popularity had a surprising effect: it fostered harmony in the Lionheart King’s harem, as his numerous consorts formed several regular Snake Tiles groups.

As the custom of Playing Snake Tiles spread throughout Strasbourg, the Second Great Naval Battle of the Four Nations was quietly unfolding.

This conflict was initiated by Byron’s navy, which ambushed Duchess Mesu’s Northern Fleet.

Menielman Soumet led her Imperial Rose Fleet into battle upon receiving the news. Soon, the fleets of Black Phoenix and Ingrima arrived at the battlefield.

The most legendary figure of this battle, however, was neither the duchess nor Menielman, but Sophia Gallanord, the Rose of Strasbourg, a newcomer to the navy. Commanding the swift Queen Bee, she sank three of Byron’s magical alchemical warships in quick succession, creating an opening for Duchess Mesu’s Northern Fleet to break free. The duchess, calm and composed, directed her fleet to counterattack.

For twelve arduous days and nights, the two sides clashed across the vast sea. The Black Phoenix fleet was the first to falter, losing even its flagship to Menielman’s forces. Along with it, another magical alchemical warship and numerous standard vessels were seized.

Thanks to the additional three Saint-rank individuals under her command—two pirates and Septimius, an orc assassin from the Orc Assassin Alliance—Menielman achieved this remarkable victory. With five Saint-rank fighters, including herself, her fleet delivered devastating results.

The collapse of the Black Phoenix fleet and Byron’s inability to sustain its forces forced the latter to retreat in order to preserve its navy.

The Northern Fleet, the Imperial Rose Fleet, and the Queen Bee pursued the Byron navy back to their port before finally setting sail for home.

In terms of losses, both sides suffered comparable casualties. Fars and Ingrima both took significant hits, and the Northern Fleet lost three magical alchemical warships due to its initial encirclement. Strategically, however, it was a resounding victory for Fars and Ingrima, as the Black Phoenix fleet was shattered and the Byron fleet driven into retreat.

Menielman’s forces emerged unscathed, capturing two magical alchemical warships and amassing enough strength to rival the Northern Fleet.

Although Duchess Mesu achieved victory with significant spoils, the loss of three magical alchemical warships diminished the strength of her fleet.

This battle turned Sophia Gallanord into an overnight sensation.

Her father, Count Gallanord, a Minister of War who had previously avoided naval matters, seized the opportunity to secure a fleet for his daughter, establishing her as a new "power center" within the Imperial Navy.

Contrary to expectations, Sophia named her fleet East Wind rather than “Rose Fleet” or “Gallanord Fleet.” Her reasoning was clear:

"Isn’t Annie the West Wind Goddess? Isn’t your knight order the West Wind Knight Order? Let’s see if the West Wind overpowers the East Wind, or if the East Wind prevails over the West Wind. Is it your knight order’s prowess or my fleet’s fortune that will shine brighter?"

This naval battle not only reshaped the offensive and defensive strategies of several nations but also fundamentally altered the Fars Empire’s naval hierarchy.

No one realized it yet, but a new era was dawning.

The wind was starting to blow.

...

After two major naval battles, Byron, acknowledging its inability to match the joint naval strength of Ingrima and Fars, shifted its focus back to Ferranden. Over ten days, it launched seven to eight large-scale engagements, spilling rivers of blood and sacrificing over 70,000 soldiers.

Meanwhile, Charlot Mecklenburg’s carefree days in Strasbourg were coming to an end...