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Chapter 360: Can Two People Lie at Once?
🕑 Added 2025-04-03 16:10:00 +0000 UTCWhen Charlot Mecklenburg reappeared before everyone, a silverback gorilla stood behind him.
No… it was a Silverback Gorilla.
Choudrou, seething with rage but helpless, spotted Antonio Bretagne and erupted in fury, shouting, “Give me back my staff!”
Charlot quickly intervened, saying, “What staff? That is a treasure of the Bretagne family and has nothing to do with you.”
Even Charlot felt his words sounded overly flattering, but he had no choice. Antonio was Annie's brother and had just accepted his relationship with Annie. A little flattery was necessary—it’s not like being a math teacher requires absolute integrity.
Antonio had initially intended to return the Dragon Hammer, as the eldest son of the Bretagne family was a man of honor. However, under Charlot's fervent persuasion, he reluctantly kept the Saint-rank weapon, albeit with some hesitation.
At that moment, nearly all the knights of the Bretagne family felt a surge of goodwill toward Charlot!
Antonio was destined to become the next head of the Bretagne family. The Saint-rank knights present were his future core supporters. They pledged loyalty to this young heir and naturally hoped for his strength to grow, rivaling the current Earl of Bretagne or even becoming the strongest man in Fars in the next generation.
The Earl of Bretagne did possess a Saint-rank short lance. However, in Saint-rank combat, firearms were far less effective than cold weapons due to the vastly different combat dynamics. Obtaining a Saint-rank extraordinary weapon was no small feat. Even the Earl could not easily acquire one; he had to make do with whatever he could get, as custom orders were out of the question.
Although Antonio trained in traditional knightly lance techniques, transitioning to a staff posed little issue. Since ancient times, lance and staff techniques have shared common roots. With minimal adjustment, Antonio could fully harness the power of this Saint-rank weapon. With such a formidable extraordinary weapon in hand, the eldest son of the Bretagne family might truly rival his father!
Before departing, some Bretagne knights had harbored grievances about Annie’s decision to leave home, disrupting the Earl’s many plans. Naturally, they couldn’t blame their young lady and instead directed their frustrations at Charlot. But after seeing Charlot's outstanding performance, these grievances were alleviated. By this moment, they genuinely regarded Charlot as one of their own.
No one blamed Charlot anymore for Annie leaving her home to head to the dangerous front lines.
After all, acquiring a Saint-rank extraordinary weapon made up for everything.
In this world, strength reigns supreme! Every improvement in Antonio Bretagne’s strength directly benefits the family.
...
Choudrou, despite being severely injured, recovered rapidly thanks to his Saint-rank constitution. In just a short time, he was able to walk unassisted. While he would need seven or eight more days to fight effectively again, rallying subordinates and regrouping the orc army posed no issue.
Unlike Tumisan or Argon, Choudrou was a competent commander. His efforts to regroup his forces were smooth, but he felt anxious. He secretly sought out the Leopardman and asked, “I heard the Mecklenburg lord intends to convert all but the Fleshless Creed into Labyrinth Guards?”
“Becoming Labyrinth Guards isn’t unacceptable,” the Leopardman replied thoughtfully. “But turning into an unholy entity incapable of reproducing would mean the extinction of the Silverback Ape-Men.”
Tumisan added meaningfully, “You could instruct your subordinates to claim they belong to the Fleshless Creed, that they have never consumed human flesh and never will.”
Choudrou was startled. “Is Charlot so easily deceived?”
Tumisan replied calmly, “It’s not about being gullible; he’s offering the orcs one last chance.”
Choudrou felt a moment of solemnity and understood what to do.
...
When Charlot began verifying who belonged to the Fleshless Creed, some dim-witted orcs accidentally let slip the truth. These orcs were sent to Dubrovnik to be transformed into Labyrinth Guards. Those who insisted they had never eaten human flesh were sent to Cappadocia, where they underwent Beast God Transformation rituals and received training in Farsian and Ingriman languages to integrate into local life.
As Charlot consolidated his victory, the Black Dragon visited Red Cliff City, leaving the orc encampment temporarily. Upon learning that Choudrou had surrendered to Charlot, along with an army of 30,000 orcs, the Black Dragon was stunned. Such an achievement far exceeded the simple act of nine Saint-rank warriors defeating Choudrou and slaughtering his 30,000 troops. It required extraordinary leadership.
The former only demanded overwhelming strength and merciless killing. The latter, however, required profound wisdom, charisma, and exceptional vision.
The Black Dragon, ever the pragmatist, firmly believed that brute strength and slaughter alone would lead the orcs nowhere. What the orcs needed was not a powerful warrior or commander but a flawless leader who could carve out a path to a brighter future.
Charlot perfectly aligned with the Black Dragon’s vision. Particularly, his handling of the 30,000 orc soldiers deepened the Black Dragon’s loyalty. Initially, the Black Dragon had assumed Charlot would massacre all the orcs.
Although he could have accepted such an outcome, it would have been painful.
...
During the Black Dragon’s visit, Charlot convened a brief meeting. The group unanimously decided that Choudrou would remain in his position and the Leopardman would return undercover to the orc encampment.
Antonio had originally proposed launching an immediate assault on Amisfida. He had no fear of the Lion King but wanted time to master the Dragon Hammer, a divine orc weapon, to maximize his strength before taking on the monarch. The Bretagne family’s creed emphasized avoiding unnecessary risks and ensuring absolute preparation unless forced into action.
Charlot also considered sending Antonio into battle but quickly dismissed the idea. His circumstances had changed significantly in the past few days. With powerful followers now at his side, he could not allow them to think he relied solely on Antonio. Furthermore, the existing plan already had a decent chance of success. Weakening Amisfida further would only increase their odds.
...
With the departure of the three Saint-rank orcs, Charlot initially planned to abandon Red Cliff City. However, after much deliberation, he chose to transform it into a labyrinth. This port, larger than Dubrovnik’s, could accommodate more ships and serve as a vital base to support Sabastine’s fleet.
...
Amisfida, watching Choudrou sobbing on the ground, was visibly displeased. Previously, when the Black Dragon sought to eliminate the Fleshless Creed, the Bull Demon Samson had stolen all the provisions, including even the lizardfolk. Since then, the Black Dragon had undergone a drastic personality change. Now, it was Choudrou’s turn. Though Amisfida was furious with Choudrou’s departure, Samson’s blatant provocations took precedence.
Amisfida had no doubts about the words of the two Saint-rank figures.
After all, can two people lie at once?
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