The First Magic World War

Charles was startled; he truly hadn't anticipated that Lady Southseraph could be so utterly ruthless.

He strained his eyes looking into the distance, even using Insight to see those three piles of heads, none of which belonged to anyone he knew. However, his heart trembled slightly as he thought to himself, "I'd better pretend, just in case he actually finds the family of Charles Mecklen."

Although he very much wanted to sever ties with the past of Charles Mecklen, he didn't wish for it to end in such a tragic way.

After all, Charles's elder brother had been kind to him. Even though he had not wanted him to interfere with the family business, he wasn't stingy when it came time to divide the inheritance; he had been quite fair.

At this thought, Charles burst into loud wailing, pretending to leap down from the battlements to fight Cyrus to the death, while whispering, "Quick, stop me!"

Dobin and Yellow Bear were closest to Charles and, hearing his command, although puzzled by the order, they did not hesitate and went up to hold him back.

As Charles struggled fiercely, he exclaimed, "Let me go, I want to kill this bastard, I want him to pay with his blood for this debt!"

Seeing Charles reacting like this, Cyrus felt a weight lift from his heart and a tad bit of satisfaction, thinking to himself, "I indeed chose the right course; I truly have killed his entire family."

The Westwind Knights and the militias from Silver Pigeon Fort, witnessing this scene, thought Charles was genuinely grief-stricken. They believed Cyrus had actually slaughtered Charles's entire family. Instantly, they were united in their animosity and fought side by side, filled with furious roars, and the voices of thousands cursed Lady Southseraph for her shamelessness.

Cyrus didn't bother to argue with the Westwind Knights and the militias on the battlements. With a wave of his hand, the South Ceraph Reclamation Army swarmed forward, initiating the "third" siege.

Charles told Dobin and Yellow Bear they needn't hold him back any longer and threw himself into the battle.

The classic volley of rifles, handguns, and bows and arrows, followed by Transcendents each leading their own combat squads to defend a section of the wall, commanding the other squads and the militias of Silver Pigeon Fort.

After more than two hours of fierce fighting, Cyrus, seeing that the walls of Silver Pigeon Fort could not be breached, ordered his troops to withdraw, leaving behind hundreds of corpses.

This siege was not very intense and the defense was relatively relaxed, which allowed the maze-ification of Silver Pigeon Fort to progress to (3/18).

Charles wished that Cyrus would attack a few more times, but this time, Cyrus had come to deliver "heads," to confirm whether Charles's family had been killed or not. The siege was simply opportunistic and he had no intention of continuing the battle.

Watching Cyrus's retreat, Charles became worried, thinking to himself, "At this rate of fighting, when will Silver Pigeon Fort be fully maze-ified?"

"Only when Silver Pigeon Fort is fully maze-ified can I move all of Baron Ferlanden's assets and take greater control of this city, further interpret 'Agmillar's Labyrinth,' and prevent the arrival of the Evil God."

The danger of two Evil Gods possibly descending at any moment hung over Charles like the Sword of Damocles, always ready to fall and utterly obliterate him.

After all, Charles was not a military man, nor was he well-versed in this world, his vision limited to Silver Pigeon Fort. What he didn't know was that at this time, the war machines of several major empires had already been set in motion. Just in the Southern Seraph Territory alone, Byron had deployed two imperial armies.

By now, Grand Duke Joseph was completely out of resources, with no external reinforcements, and the messengers he had sent out had been "killed by Lady Southseraph." His heart was filled with bitter frustration. He kept writing letters to his wife, expressing his deep love for her just as Uncle Ferdinand adored Auntie Ferlanden. He also continually sent people to Strasbourg for help, hoping that an army would come to rescue him from dire straits.

However, the Fars Empire, aside from dispatching the Westwind Knights, surprisingly maintained silence and did not send a second army into Behemoth Duchy.

It was not until recently that three knight orders belonging to Fars invaded Ferlanden of Byron!

Ferlanden's standing in Byron far exceeded that of Behemoth Duchy in Fars. His Majesty Emperor Julius Axtel VI of Fars evidently intended to abandon Behemoth Duchy, allowing Grand Duke Joseph to tie down Byron's forces while Fars's main forces would enter like a dagger, thrusting straight into the heart of Byron.

On the second day after the Fars Empire's knighthood struck at Ferlanden, the Black Phoenix Dynasty also declared war. As the sworn enemy of the Fars Empire, they would only choose to support Byron.

The various beastman tribes of the southern continent also subsequently announced their support for Byron, leaving the situation of the Fars Empire perilously dire, surrounded by a tripartite alliance.

The future of the world was uncertain, but at least at this moment, the situation was extremely unfavorable for Fars.

On the second day following Cyrus's retreat, the Lady of Grand Duke Joseph also sent a messenger. This messenger was one of the Grand Duchess's personal maidservants, and she arrived at Silver Pigeon Fort with three guards.

The last messenger from the Grand Duke had been an unpleasant experience for Charles, but faced with the duchess's maid, he had to show some courtesy, after all, he too was a Behemoth.

This maidservant of the Grand Duchess, named Belisa, was only nineteen years old, very young, and also quite the beauty. Upon entering Silver Pigeon Fort, she requested a private audience with Charles.

Charles received the Grand Duchess's personal maidservant on a terrace within the Pigeon Fort.

Belisa took several deep breaths to calm her emotions before saying to Charles, "Mister Mecklen, you are now the only knighthood within Behemoth Duchy."

Charles was slightly surprised and asked, "Did Grand Duke Joseph take all the troops away?"

Belisa nodded and said, "Originally, there was also Baron Felman's Yahoo Knights, but he was unfortunately ambushed by Lady Southseraph, and his forces were completely annihilated. Therefore, there are no other organized troops left within Behemoth Duchy." Discover hidden tales at empire

"But the Grand Duke needs help. I am here specifically on behalf of the Duchess to request Mister Mecklen to travel to Interlaken City and fight alongside the Duke's men. Please depart today."

Charles thought, "I'm still waiting for the maze-ification of Silver Pigeon Fort!"

"Moreover, what do I care about the Duke's life or death? Although the Westwind Knights have fought a few battles and vaguely honed a semblance of military presence, they are still a motley crew. Even if I went to Interlaken City, it would only mean marching to my death."

He shook his head and said, "Silver Pigeon Fort is also in grave danger. Those damned South Serif women have already attacked Silver Pigeon Fort a few times. I must protect this place."

Belisa took several deep breaths again and said in a low voice, "I apologize, Mister Mecklen. The Duchess guessed you might be in trouble, so she has already invited your father, brother, and all your family to her estate."

Cyrus, as a South Serif, did not know the details about Charles's background and could not find his real family. But the Grand Duchess had long been aware of who the commander of the Westwind Knights was, what his family was like—these details were clearly written in the documents that arrived from Strasbourg.