Chapter 245: Congratulations! The West Wind Knight Order Becomes the First Loyalist Army

When Charlot was in university, he once delved into the history and culture of the Thirty-One Vampire Clans.

He knew that among vampires, the Three Royal Clans were the most revered.

The Three Royal Clans consisted of the Arsilo Clan, the Arthur Clan, and the Van Gogh Clan.

The Arsilo Clan excelled in swordsmanship, ancient and noble. The Arthur Clan was unmatched in magic, their Blood Clan Verbal Spellcasting unparalleled in its mysteries, with the Origin Blood Boundary rivaling even the Radiant Magic Array in defensive capabilities.

The Van Gogh Clan was even more enigmatic than the Arsilo and Arthur Clans. Vampires from this clan were solitary wanderers, seldom holding official positions within the Byron Empire.

In his research, Charlot once encountered records of the Van Gogh Clan's foundational secret art, known as the Infinite Mirror World. This technique could create a world within mirrors and allow for free traversal between them.

The Protagoras Scrolls also documented encounters where Protagoras himself barely survived battles against three extraordinary members of the Van Gogh Clan. He recounted how he had narrowly avoided death each time, only surviving because he carried a special tree sap that could coat reflective surfaces to nullify mirror reflections.

Charlot was convinced that the blood vortex formed in his eyes was linked to the Van Gogh Clan's secret arts. The mirror composed of silvery runes hidden within the vortex was undoubtedly the Infinite Mirror World.

After pondering deeply, Charlot mused, “Could the blood progenitor of the Van Gogh Clan be Agmirlas? Did He abandon His turmoil on the Old Continent to quietly head to the New Continent and establish an entirely new faith?”

“This doesn’t make sense either! If Agmirlas were the Van Gogh Clan’s blood progenitor, why would their abilities differ so greatly?”

“While the Infinite Mirror World allows for void traversal and can even evolve into a mirrored dimension, which might seem akin to a labyrinth in some ways, their fundamental powers remain distinct.”

“Or perhaps Agmirlas is merely a descendant of the Van Gogh Clan’s blood progenitor?”

“Hmm, I recall...”

“Never mind, I don’t recall anything specific about Agmirlas’s encounter with Karnstein. What happened between those two deities?”

Despite racking his brain, Charlot could only vaguely recall fragmented memories from a time when his soul had been shattered. Unable to perceive the outside world, he had no knowledge of what transpired between the two evil gods.

Charlot had already activated nine blood vortexes, two of which were undocumented in the Protagoras Scrolls. These vortexes contained eight blood runes. Most astonishingly, the blood vortexes of the Three Royal Clans had also been activated, each condensing a blood rune. In terms of fortune alone, Charlot was no longer inferior to the Protagoras of the past.

He was immensely curious about his newly acquired abilities.

However, finding a mirror in Machubi was no simple task, so he had to set the matter aside for now.

...

Charlot closed his diary, reflecting, “If I stay in Machubi, I should have some time to recuperate, but... I must take action!”

“Why not lead the Labyrinth Guardians to patrol the nearby areas and capture as many beastmen soldiers as possible?”

Having spent considerable time in this world, Charlot was well aware of how wars on the Old Continent were often decided. Victory hinged on the outcomes of extraordinary duels rather than conventional military strength.

It was reminiscent of the battles in old tales, where audiences only cared about duels between mighty warriors, assuming that such encounters determined the fate of wars. The number of soldiers or the efforts of civil officials never seemed to matter much.

Charlot, who had once charged into battle on his own, had fought in over a hundred battles and knew firsthand how negligible ordinary soldiers’ combat strength could be.

His Labyrinth Guardians now boasted nine extraordinary individuals, including five warriors from the Redback Bear Tribe, three warriors from the Yellow Bear Tribe, and one werewolf Charlot didn’t even recall capturing. Among these, four bear warriors were mid-tier extraordinaries, including his latest captive—a mid-tier warrior from the Yellow Bear Tribe named Invincible Bear.

Transformed into a revenant, this mid-tier warrior’s eyes glowed with an eerie blue flame. Charlot couldn’t tell whether he could see or not, but his combat reflexes were remarkably agile.

With this thousand-strong force of beastmen Labyrinth Guardians, Charlot could even contend with a regular army of over ten thousand soldiers.

...

When Sophia Gallanord arrived in Machubi, she was astonished by the transformation of this ancient orc fortress ruin.

Dolores and Belisa, who had heard of the famed Rose of Strasbourg, were equally surprised that Charlot had brought her here.

As the chief steward of Machubi, Dolores led the dozen or so Sheffield University students to freshen up and change into clean clothes.

When Sophia Gallanord reappeared in hunting attire, even Dolores couldn’t help but exclaim, “Miss Gallanord, your beauty truly lives up to its reputation. You could charm birds into singing on your shoulders.”

Sophia smiled faintly. “I’ve heard that the Laurel Goddess’s beauty could inspire any man to duel for her favor.”

Dolores shrugged, clearly uninterested in anyone dueling for her sake.

Sophia’s tall, elegant figure surpassed Dolores and Anne, her sapphire-like eyes not soft but commanding and brimming with authority.

For Charlot, this was his first time seeing the true appearance of the Rose of Strasbourg. She had looked so disheveled before that he hadn’t imagined she could look like this.

The first thought that popped into his mind was Catherine the Great.

Of course, not the real empress from history, whom Charlot had never seen, but the version played by Marina Alexandrova in a historical drama.

The Sheffield students, though talented, faded into the background as mere followers in Sophia’s presence.

Sophia formally curtsied to Charlot, saying, “Sophia Gallanord thanks Charlot Mecklenburg for his rescue. Should you ever need assistance, the Gallanord family will repay this debt.”

Charlot wanted to ask Dolores about the significance of the Gallanord family but restrained himself. Such a question couldn’t be asked openly.

He smiled slightly and said, “Miss Gallanord, there’s no need to dwell on this matter. I merely did what any Farsian would do.”

Sophia quickly discerned that Charlot was no ordinary individual. Transforming a ruined orc fortress into a thriving stronghold housing two thousand people and organizing a near ten-thousand-strong knight order was beyond the capabilities of a typical imperial official.

Especially upon meeting Dolores, Sophia grew even more convinced of her suspicions.

Although Charlot officially held only a minor rank as a civil servant, Sophia mused, “Charlot Mecklenburg must be leveraging this war to rise to a higher status, possibly aiming for a title of nobility!”

In the Old Continent, rebellion was nearly unheard of. After all, anyone with ambitions for an imperial throne could simply expand their territory. For instance, Grand Duke Guillaume had seized the British Isles to establish the Ingrima Empire. The New Continent was almost boundless, with vast unclaimed lands. Anyone with sufficient capability could claim as much as they could control. Thus, if Charlot had been on the Old Continent, Sophia might have suspected him of harboring treasonous intent.

Sophia’s promise to repay Charlot was a form of political support. Her position within her family far exceeded that of Anne or Dolores within the Bretagne or Soumet families, and even surpassed the standing of Clair Bretagne and Ebner Soumet in their respective clans. This gave her pledge substantial weight.

However, Charlot himself had no clue about the gravity of Sophia’s promise.

Dolores, on the other hand, understood and was mildly surprised but chose not to comment.

Charlot, regaining his composure, found himself more impressed by Sophia Gallanord than by Menielman. The latter had no real-world counterpart for him to compare, but Sophia so strongly resembled the actress who had portrayed Catherine the Great that it was hard not to be struck by the resemblance.

Back when he had watched that historical drama, his only thought had been, Release my Empress!

After his momentary shock, Charlot returned to business and asked Sophia, “Would you and your companions be willing to temporarily join the West Wind Knight Order?”

Sophia responded decisively, “We are all willing.”

Charlot nodded, immediately assigning the Sheffield University students a two-hundred-man combat unit. These university elites were some of the empire’s best talents, and it would be a waste not to put them to use.

“We cannot confront Saint-rank opponents,” Charlot declared, “but we can’t just stand idle either. My plan is to patrol the outskirts of Strasbourg and strike at the invading beastmen.”

“You may rest in Machubi for two days. After that, we set out.”

...

Charlot returned to Machubi and was immediately engulfed in work. He didn’t specially entertain his fellow students, but none of them minded. Instead, they were impressed by the commanding presence of their senior.

On Charlot’s second day back, Anastasia arrived with over two thousand elite knights of the West Wind Knight Order from Silver Dove Castle. Charlot was initially taken aback but soon learned it was Dolores who had sent a letter calling for reinforcements, leaving Dubin and the Yellow Bear behind to command the other three knight orders.

Silver Dove Castle no longer faced any threats; the beastmen had already advanced toward Strasbourg. Leaving the West Wind Knight Order’s best troops there would have been pointless.

Charlot, now bolstered by reinforcements, spent another day regrouping before mobilizing the entire force.

The current structure of the West Wind Knight Order, designed by Charlot himself, organized fifty knights into each combat unit. However, direct subordinates like Dolores, Dubin, and himself commanded larger units of up to eight hundred knights.

This structure allowed the knights to operate independently in battle. Each unit could fight autonomously without needing detailed instructions from higher command.

Given Charlot’s limited military acumen, this decentralized approach was ideal. As someone who wasn’t even a “keyboard warrior” in terms of military knowledge, he could issue broad commands while the unit leaders handled specifics.

This system had proven effective since Charlot had first transformed the Lukavaro patrol guards into the knight order. On the battlefield, their coordination felt almost seamless.

With their forces fully mobilized, the West Wind Knight Order swiftly engaged with the beastmen’s outermost troops.

Charlot deliberately avoided targeting powerful tribes, instead focusing on weaker, smaller groups. Over the next seven to eight days, they achieved successive victories, capturing anywhere from dozens to hundreds of beastmen each day.

By the end of this campaign, Charlot’s Labyrinth Guardians had expanded to over two thousand beastmen, allowing him to enter his familiar “troop-building” rhythm.

Charlot had initially planned to sustain these skirmishes for a while longer, but something unexpected happened.

The beastmen forces began to scatter and retreat in large numbers. After successive victories against several beastmen tribes, Charlot grew increasingly suspicious and decided to lead the West Wind Knight Order directly toward Strasbourg.

This time, their journey was unimpeded by storms.

...

When the West Wind Knight Order arrived at the gates of Strasbourg, the skies were clear. The only remnants of the beastmen’s Saint-rank shamans were the massive ring-shaped dunes encircling the city, formed from accumulated sand and dust.

Charlot soon encountered the Royal Knight Order, who were pursuing the retreating beastmen.

The leader of this Royal Knight Order was a young man Charlot had met once at the Foreign Minister’s residence. Although they weren’t close, their acquaintance had reached a level above formalities.

The young man smiled upon seeing Charlot. “Charlot Mecklenburg, congratulations! Your West Wind Knight Order is the first loyalist force to arrive.”

He quickly penned a letter of commendation and handed it to Charlot. “My advice is to forgo the pursuit of the beastmen and head directly to the Central Government Office.”

Charlot, understanding the implicit suggestion, smiled back. “I see. Thank you for your counsel.”

“This isn’t the right time for formal thanks,” he added, knowing that their shared camaraderie as imperial elites wasn’t something to display openly in public.

The young man merely smiled, leading his Royal Knight Order past Charlot’s forces and into the distance.

After a brief hesitation, Charlot decided to follow the advice. Leaving most of his forces outside the city—particularly the beastmen Labyrinth Guardians, who were certainly not welcome in Strasbourg—he brought two thousand knights from the West Wind Knight Order and marched into the city.

On their way, Charlot saw several Royal Knight Orders heading out to pursue the beastmen. However, he neither encountered anyone he recognized nor was approached by anyone.

He left his knights stationed at No. 1 Falcon Street and, accompanied by Sophia Gallanord, Dolores, Belisa, and Anastasia, proceeded to the Central Government Office.

All his male commanders were absent, leaving him with an all-female entourage.

...

Charlot submitted the letter of commendation at the Central Government Office. Not long after, a royal messenger arrived, bearing an imperial decree.

The messenger, smiling broadly, addressed Charlot. “The Emperor himself led the counterattack against the beastmen army, personally commanding the battle that slew seven Saint-rank shamans. His Majesty is gratified to learn that someone had come to Strasbourg’s aid so promptly.”

“Julius Axel has decided to reward your loyalty. Charlot Mecklenburg is hereby promoted two ranks to a Level 25 Chief Clerk and granted the right to expand your private knight order to a hundred men.”

“Furthermore, as His Majesty heard that you practice Blood Glory, he has gifted you a Blood Core of a vampiric baron and instructed Stellar Workshop to craft a custom vampiric weapon for you, all expenses and materials provided by the royal treasury.”

This unexpected reward left Charlot both astonished and delighted. He accepted the royal decree and the sealed box containing the Blood Core, offering a generous gratuity to the messenger before seeing him off.

Reflecting on the events, Charlot felt deeply grateful to the young man from the Royal Knight Order. He suspected the man had rushed out first to claim credit, ensuring Charlot’s recognition came through. However, given the circumstances, it would be some time before he could thank him in person.

...

After completing his duties at the Central Government Office, Charlot allowed Sophia and Dolores to return home, as both were Strasbourg natives.

Charlot himself returned briefly to No. 1 Falcon Street to organize his affairs before heading to his residence at 58 Elysée Avenue.

He was still unclear on how the empire had managed to turn the tide against the beastmen, so he sent Mrs. Nancy to inform Annie of his return and requested that she bring back recent newspapers on her way.

...

Back in the familiar comfort of his home, Charlot indulged in a rare moment of peace. After a refreshing bath, he changed into clean clothes and enjoyed a meal prepared by Madam Umeboshi.

However, this tranquility was short-lived as Annie burst in, her tears streaming as she threw herself into Charlot’s arms.

Charlot coughed lightly, beginning his performance. In a voice full of emotion, he said, “I encountered the beastmen army. From their captives, I learned that they had crossed the border to attack Strasbourg.”

“Though I trusted Strasbourg’s defenses, I couldn’t quell my anxiety. So I led the West Wind Knight Order through great peril to return, only to be repeatedly delayed. When the storms subsided, I rushed into Strasbourg at once.”

“Seeing you safe and sound makes every risk I took and every battle I fought worthwhile.”

Nestled in his arms, Annie felt a deep sense of warmth. Hearing his recount of deeds didn’t particularly move her, but the mention of the West Wind Knight Order stirred her emotions.

She had long known the name of Charlot’s knight order but hearing him speak it aloud brought a newfound depth of meaning.

Quietly, she murmured, “I would rather you stayed safe and never returned than risk your life to claim the honor of being the first to arrive in Strasbourg.”

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