Axel
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Chapter 387: Son, You Must Work Hard
🕑 Added 2025-04-17 15:07:00 +0000 UTCAfter sending off Julian Arsilo and Yulia, Charlot Mecklenburg still felt as though he were in a dream.
At the time, he hadn’t noticed anything special about Yulia’s name, nor had he thought much about the significance of the Star Castle Ball she had mentioned. He was simply not someone with excessive killing intent. Charlot truly hadn’t expected that such a small detail would result in Julian’s gratitude and lead to him receiving an official letter from Byron!
Clearly, Byron had no desire to open a new front in the conflict.
Even if they were to conquer Moldova, it wouldn’t pose any threat to the Fars Empire. Moldova and Fars don’t share a border, with Saint Mabiga standing between them. Currently, Byron, like Fars, faced a severe shortage of military resources and had no interest in dividing its forces to claim strategically insignificant Moldova.
One critical factor in all this was Julian leveraging the vast political clout of the Arsilo Family.
Among the three vampire clans, the Van Gogh clan remained politically distant and elusive. In reality, Byron’s highest political power was controlled jointly by the Arthur and Arsilo families.
For Moldova, this was a matter of life and death—a monumental event involving a change of governance. But for a vast empire like Byron, it was nothing more than a trivial matter.
Although Fars’ acknowledgment of Moldova’s independence was only in Princess Axo Axel’s personal capacity, it was nothing short of miraculous to obtain formal recognition from the Lionheart Empire and Byron, along with the possibility of establishing diplomatic ties. In other words, while Charlot had initially expected to capitulate to international condemnation and reluctantly relinquish Moldova, things had now taken a different turn. He was steadily advancing along the path that would lead to Annie Bretagne’s ascension as the Duchess of Moldova.
Moldova, after all, was an independent principality. Unlike Behemoth, which owed allegiance to the Fars Empire’s royal family, its political significance was entirely distinct.
Aside from its poverty, Moldova was actually quite an interesting place.
Charlot shook his head. While he had been the one to orchestrate the events, it all still felt absurd to him.
Taking the official letter Julian had delivered, he sought out Annie Bretagne. Annie was equally astonished upon seeing the formal letter from Byron!
To have obtained recognition from three of the five major empires of the Old Continent meant that even if the remaining twenty-nine nations refused to acknowledge it, Annie Bretagne already had sufficient legal standing to inherit and govern the Principality of Moldova.
In the days that followed, Princess Axo Axel, representing the Fars Empire, engaged in rounds of negotiations with officials of the Lionheart Empire.
The Lionheart Empire’s officials, while favorable towards Charlot, didn’t let sentiment cloud their judgment. After all, becoming a character in classical literature was a shortcut to historical immortality. On Earth, even a forgotten Daoist priest mentioned in a martial arts novel could become a household name. The same applied to the Old Continent, where minor figures immortalized in literary works often became part of history.
No noble could resist the allure of eternal fame.
Literature in the Old Continent hadn’t developed extensively, with few influential novelists. But Annie Mecklenburg had emerged as a literary force, with several consecutive bestsellers that circulated widely across the Old Continent and even saw tens of thousands of copies shipped monthly to the New Continent.
Among her works, The Lionheart King stood out, depicting the founding emperor of the Lionheart Empire, King Charlie, as a godlike figure walking among mortals. His countless achievements and struggles were dramatized and overcome, painting a grand and heroic picture. This depiction left the Lionheart Empire’s nobility both blushing and captivated. While everyone knew that Lionheart King Charlie hadn’t been as illustrious as portrayed, the narrative resonated deeply.
After all, wasn’t this their history?
Still, admiration was one thing; national affairs were no trifling matter.
Emperor Baldwin Asa of the Lionheart Empire, in his prime, exemplified diligence and ambition, standing in stark contrast to Fars’ aging Emperor Julius VI and Ingrima’s youthful Red Dragon Emperor. Baldwin was a ruler at the peak of his power, driving his nation forward through his leadership.
While showering Charlot with goodwill faced little opposition, allying with Fars was an entirely different issue—one of national significance, devoid of sentimentality.
This diplomatic mission was destined to drag on for a long time.
Before long, Byron’s delegation began counteracting Fars’ diplomats at every turn.
Byron had even dispatched two Saint rank individuals. Though they couldn’t match Princess Axo Axel in stature, they maintained a respectable presence.
During this period, Charlot wisely kept a low profile. Although he was part of the Fars delegation, he avoided speaking unnecessarily. Despite her lack of experience, Annie, guided by Grandmother Saint Karen, learned to bide her time.
Eventually, the Lionheart Empire elevated Annie’s status, removing her from the Fars delegation.
After all, Annie was now the Duchess of Moldova—a title that placed her on par with Princess Axo Axel in status, surpassing any diplomat.
While Byron’s mission achieved no significant breakthroughs, news of Moldova’s change in sovereignty spread like wildfire across the thirty-three nations of the Old Continent.
When Earl Bretagne received this news, he summoned his son. “Your sister has stirred up a major event,” he said flatly.
Antonio Bretagne was shocked and angrily exclaimed, “I told Charlot Mecklenburg not to father an illegitimate child! How dare he ignore my warnings and commit such shameless acts, tarnishing the reputation of the Bretagne family!”
“The only solution now is for them to marry quickly to prevent this from leaking further.”
“Father, for the sake of the Bretagne family’s honor, you must act swiftly!”
Earl Bretagne took a deep breath to suppress his urge to strike his son and said calmly, “That’s not the issue.”
Antonio, bewildered, asked, “Then what could possibly be significant enough to warrant being called a major event?”
Earl Bretagne placed several documents before his son and said, “Princess Axo Axel has already acknowledged it.”
Antonio sighed in relief. “Aunt has always sided with Annie.”
Earl Bretagne continued, “The Lionheart King has also acknowledged it.”
Antonio exclaimed in disbelief, “That’s impossible!”
“This simply cannot be true!”
Ignoring his son’s outburst, Earl Bretagne stated, “The Byron Empire has acknowledged it as well. The Ingrima Empire’s official letter is en route, but their ambassador has already confirmed their approval via magical communication.”
“Of the five major empires, four have recognized it, and three have issued formal letters!”
Antonio, no stranger to political upheavals, was utterly stunned. He muttered, “So now Charlot…”
Earl Bretagne interrupted, “Not Charlot Mecklenburg—your sister, Annie!”
“I had always believed that you were the most promising member of the Bretagne family. All I ever hoped for Annie was that she would grow up in peace, untouched by the ugliness of politics or the corruption of society, forever remaining a pure and innocent girl.”
“But now…”
“Your sister is Annie Bretagne, Duchess of Moldova!”
“Son, you must work harder.”
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