The First Magic World War

The old Emperor had no siblings, but the Axel was a large family. Just like Charles only had one brother and one sister, the family surnamed Mecklen was a large one, with at least dozens of members! If Charles had an estate to pass on, he might leave it to his own daughter, or perhaps to his grandchildren, but unless there were none, it was unlikely to be passed on to the children of his brother's line, and definitely not to Zimmerman's bastards. Of course, the Mecklen Family and the Axel Family were not the same. Charles said in a low voice, "He seems to be going to the Imperial Palace!" Anne nodded. With telepathic understanding, the two left the dining table together. Charles left behind a Fu Er and took Anne onto the carriage, which followed the convoy in front and soon entered the Imperial Palace. Earl Brittany had long controlled the entire Strasbourg, including outside and inside the Imperial Palace, and by now, all the Imperial Palace staff had been replaced by the Brittany Family's people. Therefore, the Prince's convoy was stopped outside the Imperial Palace. Soon, a steward-like person went to negotiate with the palace guard. The Brittany Family's guard, of course, did not let them through directly, blocking the Prince while sending someone to inform Antonio. Nowadays, Antonio was in charge of everything in the Imperial Palace. Charles and Anne didn't follow the convoy the entire way; they got off the carriage, bypassed the convoy, and arrived in front of the Imperial Palace. This time, the guards at the Imperial Palace glanced at the two and let them in without any obstruction. The negotiating steward, unable to contain his anger, shouted, "Why can these young people freely enter the Imperial Palace, while our Prince Aifuri has to wait?" Charles smiled, finding it amusing as well. Not long ago, he was just a clerk who might never have the chance to see the King in his lifetime. Now, he could freely enter and leave the Imperial Palace without even needing to notify in advance. There was no helping it—who would've thought he was now leading Princess Annie by the hand? As for that Prince, he would soon understand that the new dynasty bore the name of Brittany, not Axel. Charles and Anne soon saw Antonio hurrying over. He nodded slightly towards them and said, "Come with me to meet Prince Aifuri." Charles and Anne didn't refuse and followed Antonio out of the Imperial Palace. On the way, Antonio did not forget to explain, saying, "I joined forces with Prince Aifuri to lay siege to Zimmerman, but he was seriously injured. Now, he should have recovered from his injuries." Charles asked curiously, "You mentioned him before, but what does he want to do? Why has he returned to Strasbourg? Is he here to seize the throne?" Antonio shrugged and said, "I'll let him know that he really is old." With the Dragon Slaying Stick in hand, Antonio might fear Zimmerman and even his own father, but apart from these two, no one else in the Empire was a threat to him. The three of them left the Imperial Palace, and the angrily arguing steward fell silent upon seeing Antonio, retreating back into the convoy. A somewhat feeble voice said, "Is that Antonio? This is Aifuri!" Antonio was slightly surprised and strode into the caravan, pulling open the door of a carriage. Charles and Anne followed behind, Charles peering over Antonio's shoulder to see a pale-faced old man who seemed to have suffered severe injuries, his aura indescribably waning. Antonio inquired, "How did this happen to you? Who in the world could inflict such injuries on you?" Realizing what he had just said, Antonio softly added, "Your Highness, please accompany me to see my father." The caravan entered the Imperial Palace and was arranged to rest, except for one carriage that, under Antonio's protection, made its way to a palace within the palace grounds. The Old Earl of Brittany had already received the news and came out to greet them. Charles and Anne also went inside with them. Normally, in matters of such secrecy, outsiders would be dismissed, and the Earl would never allow his daughter to involve herself in these affairs, but after giving them a glance, he tacitly allowed their presence. Prince Aifuri struggled to descend from the carriage, his breath extremely weak. The Old Earl seated him on a sofa and had a bottle of Magic Potion brought to him. The Prince drank a vial of potion with healing properties, and his complexion slightly improved. The old Prince's first words took Charles by surprise as he said, "Don't worry, old friend, I wasn't injured by Zimmerman!" The Old Earl Brittany pondered for a moment and said in a low voice, "I suspected as much. Had it been Zimmerman, I might have managed to escape unscathed, but you would likely have died in battle." His words were brimming with dominance, and they were rather disrespectful to Prince Aifuri, but the Prince didn't mind and said, "Exactly! Had I really encountered Zimmerman, I would have been beaten to death for sure." "It was Midaphis who did this to me. His territory is adjacent to mine. So he led his troops to attack my land, hoping to subjugate me, which I naturally refused, and I was severely injured in a one-on-one duel." "Luckily, he was only Midaphis and also sustained some injuries. I took the opportunity to flee my territory with my family and returned to Strasbourg." "I probably won't be able to fight for a long time." "To take back my land, I can only hope to rely on... His Majesty." Everyone in the room breathed a sigh of relief. Prince Aifuri wasn't here to usurp the throne but to seek refuge, which was a comforting thought. As someone who had fought Midaphis to a draw and though possibly somewhat inferior to Antonio, he would doubtlessly be much stronger than the likes of Golden Ram Herolf. Such a formidable person, once recovered from his injuries, would be the greatest asset to their cause. Especially since Aifuri was a Prince of the Axel Family, his support for Earl Brittany would greatly enhance the legitimacy of the Brittany Family's rule. The Old Earl of Brittany patted Aifuri's hand and said, "Once I ascend the throne, I will seek justice for Your Highness." "I will reclaim all your losses from Midaphis's territories to compensate you." Prince Aifuri's spirits indeed lifted slightly, and he even inquired, "What are Charles and Anne's identities?" Upon learning that Anne was the eldest daughter of Brittany and receiving his praises, the question came around to Charles, and the cunning Prince said, "I only have a daughter, no sons. I wonder, Lord Mekelen, would you consider changing your surname to Axel and becoming my adoptive son?" This question was a difficult one to answer! Charles, for a moment, truly didn't know how to respond. Changing surnames was quite common in this world, for example, Zimmerman had changed his surname, and many married women also changed their surnames, adding an additional family name between their own in a very peculiar fashion. Charles's surname was Huang, but whether he was called Mecklen or Axel, he wasn't particularly concerned. But this was a political issue, very sensitive!