Chapter 313: The Five Saint Ranks Besiege Krenlof Bohr

Krenlof Bohr spent an entire day in the military camp cursing Charlot Mecklenburg, Clair Bretagne, Ebner Soumet, and tKrenlof Bohr spent an entire day in the military camp cursing Charlot Mecklenburg, Clair Bretagne, Ebner Soumet, and two other Saint Ranks whose names he couldn't even recall.

When he learned that South Seraph would become the primary target of the Black Phoenix Dynasty's offensive, he scrambled to secure the position of supreme commander on the new battlefield. However, his efforts were in vain, as a noble with a much deeper background replaced him.

Left with no better options, Krenlof Bohr aimed to reach the frontlines ahead of everyone else and seize control of the other knight orders, thereby sidelining the tardy noble who had taken his position.

While he treated Clair Bretagne and Ebner Soumet with some courtesy—leaning on his stature as an alumnus of Hartington Thunder and Storm University—his attitude toward Charlot was far less cordial. He intended to give Charlot a harsh lesson to establish dominance.

Before Charlot even arrived, Krenlof Bohr had already conspired with Clair and Ebner, though Clair staunchly opposed the plan, leading to an unpleasant argument.

Krenlof Bohr was confident that as long as he could win over Clair and Ebner, a mere Assistant Clerk at the 25th rank and 5th level, who had not yet crossed the "Unreachable Class," would be of no concern. He did not believe Clair would break ties with him over Charlot, a non-noble of humble origins from a small merchant family in Seagull City.

Charlot, the lowest-ranked of them all, even had the audacity to arrive late. At that moment, Krenlof Bohr decided to unleash his temper, humiliating Charlot as much as possible.

He had expected Charlot to resist; if Charlot had shown a more conciliatory attitude, Krenlof might have granted a minor concession out of respect for Clair. However, he intended to ensure Charlot understood who was in charge at the frontlines.

What he did not anticipate was Charlot turning and walking away without uttering a word.

Even more unexpectedly, the two Saint Ranks followed suit, leaving Krenlof Bohr completely baffled.

In this world, Saint Ranks held unparalleled status, transcending that of most mortals and even many nobles. It was unheard of for Saint Ranks to take orders from an ordinary individual. Yet Clair and Ebner left without offering any explanation.

Krenlof Bohr's rage could have scorched half of Strasbourg.

He simply could not comprehend how Charlot dared to leave him humiliated, nor why the two Saint Ranks would follow an ordinary person.

Even Clair and Ebner—who stood to gain nothing—refused to give him face. Why would they support Charlot?

Consumed by anger, Krenlof Bohr failed to notice Charlot's tactical maneuver to relocate the camp. The Bohr Knight Order, filled with his inept relatives, never prioritized talent or competence, so no one realized Charlot's strategic motives either.

And who would dare provoke Krenlof Bohr during one of his fits of rage?

By dinnertime, after a few unsatisfactory bites, he slammed his utensils down, called the cook before him, and had the poor man executed by strangulation. Only after ordering a fresh dish was his temper somewhat pacified.

As he ate, Krenlof Bohr's mind raced with ways to destroy Charlot. He concocted dozens of accusations, ranging from treason and collusion with spies to tax extortion and moral slanders such as seducing a subordinate's wife—all with the goal of utterly ruining Charlot's reputation.

After dinner, Krenlof summoned a clerk and began dictating his charges against Charlot. Halfway through his tirade, a chilling cry rang out from outside the camp: "Enemy attack!"

Rushing from his quarters, he was stunned to see five Saint Ranks hovering in the air. Panic overtook him, and without a second thought, he fled toward Strasbourg.

But Andreas had anticipated his escape. With a resonant phoenix cry and a flash of movement, Andreas intercepted him. The speed of the Lamia Breathing Technique he had cultivated rivaled the swiftest Saint Ranks.

Krenlof Bohr and Andreas exchanged only a few moves before Krenlof sought to disengage, unwilling to fight. Yet Monson, Baron Dakis, Nikolaos, and another Saint Rank closed in, forming an unprecedented sight: five Saint Ranks surrounding Krenlof Bohr.

Krenlof Bohr had never imagined himself in such dire straits. In his youth, he possessed some heroic ambition, which had enabled his advancement to the Saint Rank. However, indulging in decadence after his promotion had dulled his skills. He had not practiced his swordsmanship in months. Even one-on-one, he struggled against the Black Phoenix Dynasty's Saint Ranks; facing five was an insurmountable challenge.

Within moments, Monson struck his back with a devastating punch, causing him to spit blood and leaving him wide open. Baron Dakis seized the opportunity to sever one of his legs with a spear strike.

Reeling from the successive blows, Krenlof Bohr faltered further. Andreas capitalized on his vulnerability, piercing his heart with a sword. Finally, the youngest Saint Rank of the Black Phoenix Dynasty raised a palm and crushed Krenlof Bohr's skull, scattering his brains.

Even the five Saint Ranks were surprised by how swiftly they dispatched him. Their earlier battles against Clair Bretagne, Ebner Soumet, and the Golden Rams Fleet's Herolf had been grueling. Herolf, an old guard among Saint Ranks, had dominated the Giant Whale Sea for decades and was far stronger than the relatively newer Saint Ranks like Clair and Ebner.

Andreas urged, "We shouldn’t linger. The other knight orders could arrive to reinforce them at any moment. Let’s retreat now."

The others readily agreed. In wars between empires, ordinary soldiers were mere pawns; Saint Ranks were the true combatants. Destroying the Bohr Knight Order's rank and file held no strategic value now that their leader was dead.

They had attacked over a hundred kilometers from the Bohr Knight Order's camp, and the regular soldiers remained unaware of their commander's demise. When the Black Phoenix Dynasty's forces abruptly withdrew, the soldiers celebrated, believing they had repelled the enemy.

Charlot had not expected the Black Phoenix Dynasty's Saint Ranks to be so ruthless or to deploy five against a single target. Nor had he anticipated Krenlof Bohr's rapid defeat.

Clair, like Charlot, had underestimated the Black Phoenix Dynasty’s resolve to launch such an all-out assault. Clair’s calculated strategy focused on preserving his forces and maintaining the flexibility to respond to potential threats against either Charlot or Krenlof Bohr.

Fearing a diversionary tactic, Charlot had remained cautious. He dispatched Herolf and a squad to reinforce Krenlof Bohr while keeping Leopardman in reserve to guard the camp. Charlot's response was steady but lacked the boldness to preempt complex strategies.

Clair, however, chose a more decisive approach. Mobilizing his knight orders, he struck directly at the Black Phoenix Dynasty's camp, assuming the enemy would not commit all their Saint Ranks to a single engagement.

Clair’s gamble paid off in one respect: he encountered no resistance and swiftly captured the enemy base. Yet his elation was short-lived. Realizing the lack of Saint Ranks and suspecting an attack on either Charlot or Krenlof Bohr, Clair immediately led his forces toward Charlot, who was closer and more personally significant to him as Annie Mecklenburg's boyfriend.

Leopardman, hearing Clair's forces approach, rushed out to meet them, confused by the lack of any attacks on their camp. Recognizing the true target of the Black Phoenix Dynasty's Saint Ranks, he shouted, "Quick, we must save Charlot!"

Though puzzled, Leopardman joined Clair's advance. It was only halfway to their destination that Leopardman deduced the truth: the Black Phoenix Dynasty’s Saint Ranks had gone after Krenlof Bohr. Charlot, now moving to assist, risked clashing with the enemy. Accelerating, they raced to intercept.

Leopardman reached the Bohr Knight Order’s camp to find it unscathed. Charlot had only just arrived and was locked in a standoff with the camp’s soldiers, who refused to grant him entry.

On his way back, Charlot Mecklenburg noticed the retreating Black Phoenix Army. However, he did not rush to provoke them. Instead, under the cover of night, he avoided them entirely. The Black Phoenix soldiers, eager to return to their stronghold, did not bother with Charlot’s small force, which clearly displayed no intention of engaging in battle. The two sides thus passed each other without incident.

When Tumisan saw that Charlot had returned unharmed, he quickly reported the battlefield situation. Charlot was alarmed and worried that Clair Bretagne and Ebner Soumet might be in danger. Without hesitation, he ordered Tumisan and Herolf of the Golden Rams Fleet to rush to their aid.

Upon hearing Tumisan’s intelligence, Charlot finally understood that all five Saint-ranked experts of the Black Phoenix Dynasty had been deployed. He thought to himself, "Krenlof Bohr must already be dead—or at least exiled. There's no way he remains in the camp."

Without hesitation, Charlot returned to the encampment of the Bohr Knight Order. When confronted with resistance at the gates, he dispatched the guards with a single kick. With his formidable twelfth-rank strength, though not yet at Saint level, he easily overwhelmed ordinary Transcendents.

In one burst of energy, Charlot defeated eight Transcendent knights of the Bohr Knight Order and reached a small wooden cabin. He kicked open the door and saw a clerk trembling as he clutched several sheets of paper. Without hesitation, Charlot snatched the documents from the man’s hands, scanning them quickly.

Anger surged within him.

He wasn’t sure if Krenlof Bohr had truly been killed, but the man’s situation was undoubtedly grim. Initially, Charlotte had infiltrated the camp merely to harass Bohr, but after reading the venomous accusations detailed in the papers, rage overtook him. These accusations, should they succeed, could ruin him entirely.

Charlot bellowed, “Seize control of the entire Bohr Knight Order!”

He added fiercely, “Their leader is gone. I want the entire order under my command!”

His thoughts burned with fury: Krenlof Bohr, you’d better be dead. If not, I’ll make sure you meet your end.

The malicious accusations within the documents enraged him further. If Bohr had succeeded, I might have been forced to flee to the Ingrima Empire for refuge. His anger turned to decisive action. Ignoring the fact that the Bohr Knight Order was technically an allied force, he began forcing their surrender.

The Bohr Knight Order, being a private militia of a powerful noble, naturally included aristocratic officers who refused to obey. Charlot showed no mercy to these dissenters. He pulled them aside and used Mind Channel to send them to Cappadocia. Most onlookers assumed Charlot had employed some mysterious Transcendent ability to make the rebels “vanish” entirely.

Many soldiers of the West Wind Knight Order did not know the truth behind Charlot’s actions. Some, who had experienced similar treatment, even reassured the Bohr knights: “Don’t worry. If you comply, nothing will happen to you. Only those who resist disappear.”

Some added tales: “My neighbor was stubborn like you. Haven’t seen him since. Hope he’s doing well wherever he is.”

Having never encountered such ruthless tactics, the Bohr Knight Order’s resistance quickly crumbled.

By dawn, Charlot had successfully reorganized the Bohr Knight Order, seizing all their supplies and preparing to retreat. Back at the West Wind Knight Order’s base, Charlot reassigned roles and made arrangements for his now-expanded forces. He also learned that Krenlof Bohr had employed a team of carpenters to construct modular wooden cabins that could be easily assembled and disassembled. Amazed by their craftsmanship, Charlot decided to leave the carpenters with his clerks, ensuring they would have a comfortable environment for drafting documents.

Charlot’s personal project—a serialized novel—remained incomplete, yet the carpenters proved useful in supporting his literary ambitions.

By noon, Clair Bretagne and Ebner Soumet, exhausted and covered in dust, returned to Charlot’s camp. Clair reported, “Herolf and the Saint-ranked expert are still in a standoff with the enemy. They should withdraw soon.”

He added enthusiastically, “Last night’s battle was exhilarating. We fought their five Saint-ranked experts all night long.”

Ebner nodded in agreement. Both felt they had achieved a significant victory. After all, they had taken the enemy’s main camp, capturing thousands of prisoners.

As the three conversed, Herolf and Tumisan also returned, their expressions far less fatigued. Herolf’s formidable strength explained his resilience, while Tumisan had barely participated in the fight.

When Charlot learned of Clair’s success in capturing the Black Phoenix Army’s main camp, his expression turned peculiar. Unbeknownst to Clair, Charlot had also conquered a camp of his own, though he refrained from sharing this detail.

While the group deliberated their next steps, a messenger from the Black Phoenix Army arrived—a familiar face, Chloe Hadrian.

Chloe brought a wooden box and, upon seeing Charlot, remarked, “Do not be disheartened. Victory and defeat are common in warfare.”

Disheartened? Why would I feel that way? Charlot thought.

Chloe opened the box, revealing a severed lower torso. Speaking softly, he explained, “Andreas accidentally crushed Krenlof Bohr’s head during the battle. He sent the upper body as proof of victory and left the lower half for you.”

“Andreas kept Bohr’s sword as a trophy. He declared that if the Bohr family wishes to reclaim it, they may challenge him to a duel after the war. Should they win, they may retrieve the family heirloom.”

Charlot, Clair, and Ebner displayed varying reactions. Charlot exhaled deeply, a single word echoing in his mind: Satisfying.

Feeling triumphant, Charlot patted Chloe on the shoulder and said, “I’ll return the bodies of the Black Phoenix soldiers who died yesterday.”

Chloe nodded. Such exchanges were common courtesies in war—returning the fallen to their comrades, allowing bereaved families to retrieve their loved ones’ remains, and enabling them to reclaim relics through honorable duels.

Clair sighed. “We lost,” he admitted.

Ebner agreed. Despite their tactical success, the death of a Saint-ranked expert from the Fars Empire was an undeniable blow.

In a cordial exchange, both sides traded corpses and supplies. Chloe left with Krenlof Bohr’s remains and hundreds of bodies, marking the interaction as a diplomatic success.

Only later did Clair realize the need to inform the Bohr Knight Order of their leader’s demise. He returned to his camp and dispatched a messenger. By evening, the messenger returned with shocking news—the Bohr Knight Order’s camp had been razed, leaving no trace of soldiers or supplies.

Clair’s mind swirled with disbelief, a single thought arising: Annihilated.

Unbeknownst to him, Charlot had orchestrated the Bohr Knight Order’s disappearance, sending ripples through Strasbourg. Charlot’s forgeries, altering the dates on the Bohr Knight Order’s documents, further intensified the chaos.

This battle shook Strasbourg’s noble class to its core, even drawing the attention of Emperor Julius Axel himself.

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