The First Magic World War

Just as a fierce battle between the South Ceraph Reclamation Army and the Westwind Knights was unfolding at the foot of Mostar Castle, Cyrus had already leaped onto the city walls, and his direct subordinates from the Restoration Army were throwing grappling hooks, scaling the unguarded walls of Mostar Castle.

By the time seventy to eighty percent of his troops had climbed onto the battlements, a combat squad of a few hundred people led by two girls appeared below the city. Cyrus only glanced coldly at them before leading his troops toward the duchess who was watching the battle from the castle, completely disregarding those who were fighting Belisa and Anatasiya below the walls.

The Augusladin High Priest sensed the approach of the Southseraph Lady on the city walls. He had just leaped into the air when a streak of flame shot towards him—Vigo of the Sacred Order from South Ceraph had intervened, blocking the High Priest from joining the fight. The radiance and flames entangled around both of their bodies grew more intense as they fought, moving further away, evidently unable to provide support to the troops below anymore.

With Cyrus leading the charge, he showed no mercy to the watching nobles on the city walls, cutting through the "spectator seats" in one breath and charging straight toward Grand Duke Joseph's wife.

This Duchess had not been in her position for long, as not long before, it had been Duchess Ferdinand and her husband ruling the Behemoth Duchy. Terrified, she lost all her composure and cried out, "Please don't kill me."

Cyrus spoke indifferently, "Madame, please lend me your head for a moment." Explore hidden tales at My Virtual Library Empire

With one sword stroke, he severed the neck of the Imperial Duke's wife, grabbed her head, and turned to leave without a moment's hesitation.

Baron Fabolais witnessed this scene and was so frightened that he jumped straight off the city walls, even screaming, "Charles, save me!"

But no one paid him any heed. Cyrus's siege was solely to kill the Grand Duke's wife and was not aimed at him. Charles was tied up fighting the Southseraph Lady's army and had no spare efforts to save the baron. When Baron Fabolais leaped from the city walls, he broke both legs and lay on the ground, howling in agony.

Cyrus led his troops from inside to open the gates of Mostar Castle and charged out, shouting loudly, "I have breached Mostar Castle and slain Grand Duke Joseph's wife—long live Lady Southseraph!"

At the very moment Cyrus exited the castle, the South Ceraph Reclamation Army, already locked in bitter combat with Charles's Westwind Knights, collapsed completely, scattering in retreat.

The morale of the Westwind Knights soared. Charles dared not pursue the fleeing soldiers and ordered his troops into a defensive square formation to prepare for Cyrus's assault. The Westwind Knights contracted their line, forming into several iron squares and moved closer together. The iron square defense was an old tradition of the Westwind Knights, after all, they had once been the Patrolling Army.

After exiting the city, Cyrus took a distant look at Charles and without further attention to his lifelong adversary, he regrouped the Restoration Army and slowly began to withdraw.

Charles breathed a sigh of relief. He had no confidence that he could withstand Cyrus's full assault on the plains. After the South Ceraph Reclamation Army retreated, he finally noticed Baron Fabolais, still wailing until his voice was hoarse, and had him taken back into Mostar Castle.

He himself had absolutely no desire to enter Mostar Castle, as he had no wish to encounter his "family."

In this short battle, Charles's forces had lost over a thousand men, not counting the squad that Anatasiya led away.

He was inconsolably grief-stricken.

Although war always brought death, it was unacceptable to lose one's own men.

Facing the fallen soldiers of the Westwind Knights, Charles was certain he could not be a qualified military leader.

Dobin volunteered with his men to undertake reconnaissance.

After about two hours, when he returned, he brought back not only Belisa and Anatasiya but also several hundred prisoners.

Dobin announced loudly, "Lady Southseraph has already retreated."

"They scaled the walls from the north, but Belisa and Miss Anatasiya held the rear of their forces. Cyrus, in his eagerness to kill the duchess, abandoned these men, and we captured them."

Charles was silent for a long time. He finally realized that he had been deceived by Cyrus once again.

Cyrus never intended to duel, and even killing the duchess may not have been his true goal; his goal was "retreat."

As for why retreat? There were only two reasons: logistic support was failing, and the situation of the battle had changed, requiring Lady Southseraph to continue serving as cannon fodder.

Charles silently gathered the Westwind Knights, cleaned up the battlefield, and collected all the baggage left by the South Ceraph Reclamation Army, as well as the equipment of the fallen soldiers. He first ensured a round of supplies for his troops, then sent the remaining goods and the bodies of the deceased to Machu Picchu.

Back on Earth, when he read those historical transmigration novels, he never quite understood why they went through the trouble of building tombs for the soldiers. The ancestral grave of the Old Yellow's family had long been forgotten, but at this moment, he could empathize fully.

At dusk, a baron from Mostar Fort sent an invitation for him to enter the city. Charles glanced at the name and promptly refused.

It wasn't much later that Baron Fabolais also sent an invitation for him to enter the city, but Charles still chose to refuse, saying that Lady Southseraph might attack again, and he needed to protect the peace of the night for the baron.

Baron Fabolais was deeply touched and sent over a batch of food.

Charles directly distributed it to his soldiers.

In total, seventeen or eighteen nobles from Mostar Fort sent invitations, and Charles refused them all. He truly didn't want to enter the city,

A night passed without incident, and by the next morning, Charles was pondering whether to leave early, as the battle for Mostar Fort was over.

Although the battle had a strong start but a weak finish, Lady Southseraph had surrounded Mostar Fort with great momentum. Yet, when Cyrus breached the fort, he only killed the duchess and then withdrew his forces without even pillaging.

He was just hearing a report from his subordinates that a visitor had arrived, claiming to be his brother.

Charles sighed. He really didn't want to have any ties to the past, nor did he want to see his "family," but he couldn't just ignore them.

For the first time, he met his brother, Mycroft Meklen, and his sister-in-law, Winnie Meklen, who had taken her husband's surname upon marrying, in a military carriage.

Charles' brother was seven years his senior, in the prime of life, and as quite a successful businessman, there was a hint of cunning in his demeanor but a complex mix of feelings towards this brother. Charles, apart from getting into university, had been quite a disappointment when he was younger.

Winnie's feelings were even more complicated than her husband's. Her maiden name was Winnie Martin.

Indeed, Charles's sister-in-law was also Silvie Martin's sister. She had once pushed strongly for Charles's marriage to Silvie, but later, Charles had done several discreditable things. Silvie "blew her top" and repeatedly tried to cancel the engagement, with Winnie persuading her sister.

In the end, Silvie successfully called off the engagement.

And Charles put on a show of… the prodigal son returning home…