Chapter 260: Proof of Oath

Charlot dragged Berserker Blade backward as he retreated a step, then swiftly spun his lance to counterattack.

On the battlefield, a rapier was not the most practical weapon, and Charlot had gradually adapted to using a knight’s lance. The lances of the Black Phoenix Dynasty differed significantly from those popular in Fars, Byron, or the Ingrima Empire, both in design and technique. The Black Phoenix Dynasty's lance techniques were far more intricate, full of unexpected variations.

In comparison, the lance techniques of Fars, Byron, and Ingrima were much simpler and more straightforward. Even Byron’s famed 77 Movements of Heaven’s Wing, known for its versatility, paled in terms of variation.

Fortunately, Charlot had Swiftstep Technique ×10, and in every exchange, he relied on his speed to outmaneuver his opponent, forcing the battle into his own rhythm.

Chloe parried Charlot's strike with a horizontal sweep of his lance, dissipating the attack. The lance in Chloe’s hand spun rapidly, producing seven or eight flashes of light, each forming a five-petaled "flower." This elegant and intricate technique was so extraordinary that, despite having seen it numerous times, Charlot couldn’t help but inwardly marvel.

Unable to counter this lance move, Charlot simply retreated a step and waited for Chloe’s stance to wane before launching a lightning-fast strike with Berserker Blade in retaliation.

The two fought fiercely on the battlefield for over half an hour, neither gaining the upper hand.

Behind Chloe, the Black Phoenix Dynasty’s banner fluttered in the wind, faintly emanating the image of the War God. A shadow of a hill loomed over his body as he manifested three of the Five Knight Proofs, making him as impenetrable as a turtle shell.

Charlot, however, did not walk the path of a knight. His Stardust Battle Energy, derived from Blood Glory, was a pure swordsman’s inheritance and could not condense into Knight Proofs. But Charlot’s versatility allowed him to exploit his speed to create distance and then fire his alchemical pistol.

Unfortunately, the energy bullets from his Blue Rattlesnake—powered by cartridges provided by Baron Valentine—were of average potency and couldn’t break through the protective barrier formed by Chloe’s Proof of the Hill.

Charlot had tested Chloe’s lance techniques in previous duels and suspected that Chloe also possessed the skill to deflect Anti-magic Armor-piercing Rounds. Thus, he had deliberately refrained from using them, instead sticking to energy bullets as a probe. In this duel, he started with energy bullets again, watching as Chloe repeatedly used the Proof of the Hill to deflect them without making any special effort to counter. Charlot thought to himself, “Now’s the time.”

After firing two consecutive shots, Charlot switched the Blue Rattlesnake to a special alchemical magazine and pulled the trigger.

A scroll of parchment suddenly materialized over Chloe’s body. Almost instinctively, Chloe’s lance spun rapidly, its blade encasing the oncoming Anti-magic Armor-piercing Round and deflecting it to the ground.

The round exploded, leaving a deep crater in the earth.

Charlot was stunned and exclaimed, “You’ve even condensed the Proof of Oath?!”

Chloe glanced at Charlot, his gaze filled with wariness. Without the Proof of Oath, which could shield him against all forms of ambush and conspiracy on the battlefield, Chloe would have been in serious danger. He hadn’t expected Charlot to conceal the fact that he possessed Anti-magic Armor-piercing Rounds through so many duels, only to unleash them after firing two energy bullets to catch him off guard. If Chloe had relied solely on his own reflexes, he might have been severely injured.

Chloe roared in anger, “Coward! Fight me head-on!”

“You Farsonian swine only know how to grovel to women!”

“Come on! Fight like a man!”

“If you dare face me head-on, I’ll name my son after you, Charlot!”

Charlot’s incredible speed had always frustrated Chloe, and now he finally erupted into a tirade on the battlefield.

Charlot looked a bit sheepish. He had once used this same tactic to ambush Zolman, killing him with a single shot.

However, unlike Chloe, Zolman—despite possessing the Five Knight Proofs of Glory, Courage, War, Hill, and Earth—had failed to condense the Proof of Oath due to his lack of integrity. Thus, he had been vulnerable to Charlot’s ambush.

Charlot hadn’t expected the Proof of Oath to be so effective, completely nullifying his schemes and rendering all his efforts futile.

Relying on his mid-tier strength to challenge a high-tier opponent, Charlot’s only advantage was his remarkable speed. There was no way he could engage Chloe in a direct confrontation. As for whether Chloe’s son would be named Charlot, it didn’t matter to him—after all, they didn’t share the Mecklenburg name.

Charlot holstered the Blue Rattlesnake and switched back to Berserker Blade, musing to himself, “High-tier transcendent weapons require high-tier transcendent strength to be truly effective. If I had high-tier strength, each bullet would pack the power of a high-tier’s full-force attack. With just gun-and-lance techniques, I could go toe-to-toe with this guy for an entire day.”

“Unless I find a high-tier to help me craft bullets, but each one would take a day or two to forge. Who would want to do such a grueling job?”

Charlot and Chloe battled fiercely for the rest of the day, exhausting themselves before retreating to their respective camps. Chloe, still fuming, shouted, “Charlot Mecklenburg is nothing but a battlefield scoundrel, too afraid to fight me directly and only capable of running around and using underhanded tricks!”

“Tomorrow, I won’t duel him anymore. I’ll lead the army in an all-out assault!”

Chloe’s adjutant, a young lady, had never seen him this enraged before. Chloe Hadrian, despite being from a distant branch of the royal family, held a respected position as one of the Black Phoenix Dynasty’s brightest young talents. Although he couldn’t match the previous generation’s Zimourman Axel Robin or the current prodigy Clair Bretagne, Chloe was widely admired for his gentle temperament and steadfast courage.

For the adjutant, it was the first time witnessing Chloe losing his composure and venting his frustration on the battlefield. She refrained from advising him, knowing full well that Charlot’s antics would make anyone furious. Lacking any solutions, she could only offer gentle comfort.

Charlot, meanwhile, had no adjutant to console him. Dolores Soumet, a Chief Overseer, was more of a colleague than a subordinate. Not that Charlot would dare have one even if he could—he remembered the wisdom of a certain predecessor named Ancient Dragon, who once said, “Men come in many types, but women are all the same.”

“Thinking your girlfriend or wife is unlike other women is just… ignorance. Not true.”

“No woman doesn’t get jealous. It’s just a matter of how strongly they feel it.”

Charlot brushed such frivolous thoughts aside. Returning to his camp, he first operated Blood Glory to replenish his energy and then began contemplating a midnight raid.

“Chloe has the Proof of Oath, which warns against attacks and conspiracies targeting him. But surely, it doesn’t protect against a full-scale raid?”

“Though Chloe himself is formidable, his subordinates aren’t particularly strong. I currently have nine transcendent beastman warriors. In a raid, it’s all about overwhelming numbers, and there’s a good chance I can take him down.”

“Still, these beastman labyrinth guards would likely lose a few to him.”

“What a pity…”

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