The First Magic World War

Charles had indeed brought Julian along.

He had not delayed along the way, for he did not return to Machu Picchu since he had Julian with him. Instead, halfway there, he sent Dobin, Yellow Bear, The Spotted Deer Gwen, and The Wind Wolf Bankcroft to take the Westwind Knights to Machu Picchu, leaving the four there and calling Taoles back, also having Taoles bring back a batch of war horses.

To be sent on a mission to the Inglima Empire, Taoles, as a lady from Su Mei's Home, was naturally the right choice. Since he had called Taoles back, he certainly needed to leave someone to watch over the home. Charles, not trusting Dobin alone nor the rest, simply left them all behind.

When Taoles met Charles, she didn't complain much. Machu Picchu was not far from Strasbourg, and she often sent people to Strasbourg to buy newspapers. Although the news was a bit delayed, she was not completely uninformed.

She asked a few eager questions, deeply regretting that she hadn't been able to go to Mostar Fortress to witness the Grand Duchess's beheading.

When she met Anastasiya and Belisa, she was even more curious.

Seeing Julian, she was somewhat surprised.

Charles, however, did not conceal Julian's identity and had informed several key subordinates beforehand to prevent them from treating Julian as a mere companion out of ignorance.

The Augusladin High Priest had already sent people to pass messages several times, urging him to return to Strasbourg quickly. Charles waited near Machu Picchu for a day, waiting for Dobin and the others to escort the Knighthood personnel and also for Taoles to rejoin the group.
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As soon as Taoles returned, he immediately continued on his journey.

Over two hundred kilometers, in this era, it really took a few days to travel.

Fortunately, after the army left, only a small troop of fifty remained, and with the war horses Taoles had brought back, their speed greatly increased.

When Charles saw Strasbourg again, he felt an endless array of emotions. When he had left, he was a thirty-fourth rank, fourth level Clerk Chief, but now he was a twenty-ninth rank, first level general affairs chief. War, indeed, was the quickest shortcut to a promotion.

Upon returning to Strasbourg, Charles and Taoles went first to the Central Government Office military Knighthood division.

The Westwind Knights had received orders to support the Behemoth Duchy.

Although Grand Duke Joseph had died in battle and the Duchess had been beheaded, along with some nobles with actual power who had died alongside Grand Duke Joseph in the small town of Interlaken, the Duke's most trusted Baron Filio also perished on the battlefield, and his entire family was wiped out, leaving only Anastasiya, his illegitimate daughter...

It was considered a completed mission.

Cyrus had ultimately retreated after all.

The Central Government Office military Knighthood division, apparently having been hinted at by higher-ups, allowed the Westwind Knights to mark the mission as completed, giving the highest evaluation, reporting to higher authorities, and also issued new orders. They commanded the Westwind Knights to assist the Inglima Empire in clearing out the "pirates" hidden in Cappadocia City, without alarming the allies.

Though part of the Old Continent, the territory of the Inglima Empire was not located on any part of the mainland; it was a nation consisting of three large islands and thousands of smaller ones.

The three main islands were collectively called the Inglima Tri-Islands, each known as Notruden, Song Spirit, and Ojibwe!

The capital of the Inglima Empire, Notruden, was on the smallest of the Inglima Tri-Islands, Notruden. Although the smallest in area among the three islands, it was flat and fertile, and nearly ninety percent of the population of the Inglima Empire lived on Notruden.

Cappadocia City was on Song Spirit Island, the second largest island of the Inglima Empire, but the island was almost entirely mountainous, with only small plains, thus the population was very sparse and scattered across the island.

Cappadocia had been occupied by pirates, and its population once exceeded ten thousand, making it the largest city on Song Spirit Island at the time.

Even now, as it has become a mere small town with only a few thousand inhabitants, it still ranks as the fifth "large city" on Song Spirit Island.

Charles obtained a document, roughly two hundred years old, in which the Inglima Empire requested assistance from the Fars Empire to eradicate the pirates of Cappadocia City. He also acquired the formal military dispatch orders from the Fars Empire. Politically speaking, there were virtually no flaws.

Of course, while its legality wasn't an issue, Charles knew that if anything went wrong, he would be a "sacrificial lamb." The Empire would surely find an excuse to shirk responsibility and pin the blame on him.

The Augusladin High Priest, who pushed for this action, naturally believed that nothing would go wrong, after all, neither he nor Charles would allow the Westwind Knights to appear on the Inglima Empire's territory.

After completing the necessary "procedures," Taoles parted ways with Charles; she returned to Strasbourg, having personal matters to attend to.

Charles arranged for everyone to gather at Sparrowhawk Street number one. After some hesitation, between visiting the Augusladin High Priest and Anne Brittany, he decided to go to the University of Georgia first.

Anne had just finished her class when she saw a black carriage parked outside the academic building.

Previously, Charles did not have a permanent pass to enter the University of Georgia, only a multiple-entry permit, which should not have allowed him to drive in. However, cloaked in dark luxury, he transformed it into a carriage only after entering the university campus.

Charles, with a smile, stepped down from the carriage and asked, "Might I have the honor of inviting Miss Anne for afternoon tea?"

Anne was both shocked and delighted. Had it not been on campus, she might have thrown herself into Charles's arms. Even so, she graciously offered her hand with a beaming smile, allowing Charles to help her onto the carriage.

Once on the carriage, Anne threw herself into Charles's arms. The two had never been so close; Charles could hear Anne's heart pounding. He felt slightly proud, a bit sweet, and of course, somewhat troubled.

His greatest crisis during this trip to the Behemoth Duchy was the threat from Cyrus to expose his past.

Charles was still unaware that the Duke had already conducted a "background check" on him and thought that his past remained unknown for now. Yet, he was very concerned about what Anne might think if she ever learned about Charles Mecklen's past.

Charles inwardly debated, "Should I just turn raw rice into cooked rice?"

"Hmm, maybe not!"

"I feel like Earl Brittany would kill me."

"Besides, it's not ethical."

"I'd rather fail than use such despicable methods to succeed."

On the way to the Behemoth Duchy, Charles omitted the beginning and end of his story, sharing only half of it with Anne.

Anne also spoke about how much she had missed Charles.

As the carriage left the University of Georgia for the reserved restaurant, Charles, instructing the Hunchback Red Bear Warrior to slow down, took out a carefully prepared gift.