The First Magic World War

Charles, this time, didn't delay his journey, and soon he encountered fleeing soldiers.

As before, Charles gathered these deserters. He had brought ten ordinary combat squads precisely for this purpose, and by the time he was nearing Mostar Fortress, he had more than five thousand men under his command.

By then, the capital of Behemoth Duchy, Mostar Fortress, was completely surrounded by the vast army of South Serif, with despair hanging overhead, and scarcely any soldiers on the walls.

Charles saw the flag of his "old friend Cyrus" as well as the banners of several other units from the South Ceraph Reclamation Army. The army had seemingly just closed around the fortress, and their formation was still relatively loose.

Instantly, Charles abandoned any plans to forcibly enter Mostar Fortress. Entering would be like trapping himself in a sealed jar, making it difficult to come out alive.

At a location several dozen kilometers from the camp of the South Ceraph Reclamation Army, he used the wagons to set up a temporary camp and took Dobin to scout the enemy.

Dobin owned a magical horse and was originally responsible for gathering intelligence, commanding a small cavalry unit. At this life-or-death moment, Charles, not trusting anyone else, had already decided that if the battle situation turned dire, he would promptly retreat, as preserving his own life was the utmost priority.

He was not the kind of person who thought that "life is but a trivial matter!"

The two set off together, and Dobin indeed noticed that Charles's speed was incredibly fast, not falling behind even compared to himself, who rode a magical horse.

Ever since Charles had mastered Radiant Fighting Spirit, he could travel a thousand miles in a day and was close to advancing to the Second Order.

This world was truly unfair. Many people reached their fifties without even nearing Transcendence, while others, still very young, were already High-Level Transcendents.

In his younger days, Dobin had missed many opportunities, but this also allowed him to delve deeper, refining his swordsmanship and nurturing the seed of life so that once he broke through, due to his substantial accumulation, his early progress in cultivation was extremely rapid.

Dobin thought that now that he had become a formal knight and had a magical horse, he should be the envy of the entire Westwind Knights for his speed.

In contrast, Charles had not expected to compete over such trivial matters with him. When they neared Cyrus's camp, Charles watched from a distance for a while. His insight couldn't see that far as insight provides a panoramic view, not a long-distance view.

Even if he could have seen that far, he wouldn't dare to look. Playing with skills in front of the Sacred Order could lead to a horrific death.

After observing for a while, Charles moved to a different military camp.

The South Ceraph Reclamation Army was not actually a unified force; it had seven or eight internal factions. When Jonathan was alive, he could suppress the other commanders with his authority, but after Jonathan was killed by Charles, Cyrus lacked the prestige to command the rest of the armies.

In this camp, the faint sound of wailing could be heard. Charles listened for a while but couldn't continue; he knew there might be someone undergoing torture inside, but feeling powerless to save them, he only suggested to Dobin, "Let's scout the other camps."

Dobin said somewhat angrily, "These South Serif people are really too cruel."

Charles sighed. He, of course, knew how much the South Serif people despised the people of Behemoth. If not for the betrayal of the Behemoth Duchy, they would not now be merely a territory, but a duchy like Behemoth, and not so many would have died in the war.

But Charles also felt that the South Serif people's mistreatment and slaughter of Behemoth's people were wrong.

Of course, this was just his opinion. He believed that if this issue were discussed on various social media platforms back on Earth, there would surely be six or seven different viewpoints.

This matter: only disputes, no answers!

Charles had just stood up when he hurriedly ducked down and held Dobin as well. Dobin, seasoned in combat, didn't ask why but instead drew a Magnum Hand Shuttle and grasped the hilt of his sword with his other hand.

Soon, the two heard the sound of many people moving. They exchanged glances, each showing a hint of surprise.

Charles thought, "Which army could it be?"

"Are they planning to ambush this military camp? Isn't that a certain death?"

"I must intervene to save them."

He weighed the situation and didn't expose himself immediately, knowing that if he went out then, he might be mistaken for an enemy, which would be troublesome to explain. Charles planned to wait until these people charged into the camp ahead and were in danger to act—no explanations needed then. Action would speak louder than words, and he could immediately earn their trust.

The army quickly passed by where Charles and Dobin were hiding. Using his insight, Charles could see that this army was clearly dressed in Behemoth attire, half in military uniforms and the other half seeming like servants of nobility, led by a young lady dressed in exceptionally fine clothes tailored by a master.

"This style, I've seen Anne wear it!"

Charles muttered, already having a rough idea of their identity—it must be a miss from a noble family of the Behemoth Duchy. As to which family, Charles couldn't determine; he wasn't versed in these matters.

As they neared the Southern Serif military camp, the young lady swung her arm, drawing the two side swords at her waist and charged ahead into the enemy camp, her swords flashing as she killed two sentries.

Charles was slightly surprised and thought to himself, "Her swordsmanship is impressive! Genuine Hatingen Thunder and Storm University secret sword techniques. The last time I encountered this swordsmanship, it was with Anne's cousin, Mr. Krel Brittany."

Hatingen Thunder and Storm University are renowned for producing the most knights, whether Thunder Knights or Storm Knights, representing the pinnacle of knightly heritage on the Old Continent.

Only the bloodsucking techniques of the Ebulrahan Clan, known as the foremost among Vampire Knights, can compare.
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This young lady, like Krel Brittany, was trained in both the Hatingen Thunder and Storm University knighthood traditions. One of her swords was wreathed in lightning, with arcs gently leaping, and the other sword generated gusts of wind, determined to pulverize all enemies.

Though but a girl, she emanated an invincible, fierce, and dominating aura on the battlefield. Except for being slightly less powerful, she was nearly a perfect knightess.

After killing the seventh soldier, her sword finally met resistance—a distinct Vampire Knight from a specific clan, his face twisted into a fierce grin, his sword targeting the flaws in the young lady's swordsmanship.

Charles couldn't help but think to himself, "They were well-prepared indeed!"

"To be able to withstand an assault at the camp gates shows that they were prepared. It also shows that the commanding officer had no concept of counter-ambushing the camp. Isn't this the time to set up an ambush?"

Charles, playing the armchair military strategist, muttered quietly—the only listener nearby, Dobin, couldn't understand at all.

The Old Continent has simpler military tactics. Everyone relies on the strength of their leading transcendents to duel, then just push straightforwardly as a group. Occasionally, they execute forced marches, but things like camp raids or counter-stealth raids are neither part of any school curriculum nor summarized in war tactics.