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Chapter 356: The Bretagne Family's Knightly Order
🕑 Added 2025-04-01 16:06:00 +0000 UTCCharlot had a habit of dispatching scouts. Each day, over a dozen combat squads patrolled the areas around Dubrovnik, sometimes venturing as far as three or four hundred kilometers. Thanks to this vigilance, they discovered the presence of a human knightly order.
Initially, reconnaissance for the West Wind Knight Order was managed by Dubin. However, with Dubin now stationed far in the rear and the area near the Red Dragon Strait controlled by orcs, Charlot replaced the scouts with orc squads. Each orc squad included several soldiers from the West Wind Knight Order, using the guise of orc troops when encountering orc forces and transforming into the West Wind Knight Order when meeting human armies.
This particular encounter, however, left Charlot feeling somewhat embarrassed.
The scout squad that stumbled upon the Fars Empire's knightly order was wiped out almost instantly, with all the orc warriors slain.
The imperial knightly order, upon discovering humans among the defeated squad, mistakenly believed they were captives meant for consumption by the orcs and promptly “rescued” them.
These West Wind soldiers, once rescued, rushed back to report this critical encounter.
Charlot interrogated the returning scouts and sensed something unusual.
The knightly order was remarkably small, numbering only a few dozen, and all were mounted on enchanted Demonflame Horses. Their equipment was exceptionally fine, with nearly half wielding extraordinary artifacts. Leading them was a resolute knight in his thirties whose appearance seemed oddly familiar...
Like the Earl of Bretagne!
Charlot realized the truth. The last time Sophia Gallanord encountered danger outside the city, it was due to the hasty circumstances and the Earl of Gallanord being stationed at the Ferranden frontlines, leaving no time to dispatch a rescue. But with Annie having run away from home, how could the Bretagne family remain indifferent?
When Charlot spotted this knightly squad, the leading knight noticed him as well. The knight’s gaze first fell on Tumisan, the old Leopardman, with a wary glint in his eyes.
A man of similar age beside the knight remarked, “Antonio, I told you not to let those humans go. They must have defected to the orcs and betrayed our movements.”
“They even dispatched two Saint ranks. They must truly hold us in high regard!”
“This time, leave no survivors.”
Despite the presence of two Saints, this knightly squad showed no fear, even making light-hearted remarks.
The knight called Antonio nodded, removed his knight’s lance, and activated his battle energy in preparation for combat.
From above, Charlot shouted, “Are you Antonio Bretagne, eldest son of the Bretagne family and brother of Annie?”
The knight paused, his battle energy subsiding slightly. “Yes, I am Antonio,” he said coolly.
Charlot hadn’t expected Annie’s pursuers to include her brother, Antonio Bretagne, eldest son of the Earl of Bretagne. Although Charlot had never pried into Annie’s family affairs during their time together, he had often heard her speak of her brother with pride. Yet, whenever she brought him up, Annie seemed uneasy, so Charlot never pressed her for details.
Landing with Tumisan’s help, Charlot approached Antonio and said, “Sir Bretagne, I am Charlot.”
The moment Charlot uttered his name, he felt the sharp focus of killing intent from dozens of knights.
Charlot understood the hostility was well-deserved. He straightened his back and said, “Annie is safe in Dubrovnik, under the protection of Grandma Karen.”
Antonio swept his knight’s lance in a broad arc, sending a shockwave through the air. The piercing sound made Charlot’s heart race. Dodging the strike with Swiftstep Technique executed to its utmost, Charlot barely escaped the attack, which left a deep scar on the ground. His face turned pale—there was no way he could have withstood that blow directly.
Herolf the Golden Goat and Tumisan both moved to intervene but were a step too slow. By the time they shielded Charlot, Antonio couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow in surprise and asked, “Them?”
“They are my subordinates,” Charlot replied without hesitation.
The knights behind Antonio collectively gasped in disbelief.
Though Charlot was merely a high-rank knight with impressive skills for his level, his ability to evade Antonio’s strike was noteworthy. However, commanding two Saint ranks was beyond astonishing.
Tumisan felt awkward. He wasn’t truly Charlot’s subordinate, but with Herolf, the Golden Goat, outshining him in strength, any protest seemed meaningless.
Antonio re-holstered his knight’s lance on his Demonflame Horse and said coldly, “If Annie is unharmed, I’ll forgive you. If not, I will not spare you.”
Charlot had no intention of provoking Annie’s brother. He smiled and replied, “The moment I saw Annie, my heart nearly stopped.”
“At that instant, I was willing to give up everything I owned for her safety.”
“If that wasn’t enough, I would even borrow from the gods—even the dark ones.”
Antonio stared at Charlot intently. He had heard much about this young man from Annie. Initially, Antonio thought Charlot was unworthy of his sister. But Charlot’s remarkable progress had surprised even Antonio, especially considering his humble origins as a merchant’s son without the resources of nobility.
Charlot’s recent achievements, including gaining favor with the Lionheart King and securing a position for Annie, were feats even the Earl of Bretagne couldn’t accomplish.
Antonio’s earlier anger had been partly to teach Charlot a lesson, but Charlot’s swift reflexes and ability to rally two Saints had left a deep impression. His declaration about Annie, spoken with conviction, made Antonio hesitate. For once, he thought, Perhaps this man truly is capable of such feats.
As they conversed, a deafening roar erupted from the heavens. It was as if an immense dome had descended, enveloping them all in its vastness. Charlot’s heart seized, and he summoned his Blood Glory to resist the oppressive force.
Terrified, Charlot shouted, “Who is it?” but found his voice stifled by the overwhelming roar.
Tumisan’s face turned pale. “It’s Amisfida!” he cried, grabbing Charlot to flee. Even Herolf, typically haughty, unleashed his Oceanic Combat Energy to withstand the roar.
Charlot had only ever seen two figures with such overwhelming power: the Earl of Bretagne and Viscount Constantine. This individual marked the third.
Antonio snorted coldly, his voice cutting through the oppressive roar like a pebble breaking a still surface. Charlot felt the weight lift and regained control of his body.
“Follow Antonio’s lead! Do everything Annie’s brother commands!” Charlot shouted.
Antonio glanced at Charlot but quickly turned away, raising his knight’s lance and ascending into the air.
Tumisan, reluctant to leave Charlot behind, asked the unmoving knights, “Why aren’t you assisting?”
A knight around the same age as Antonio spoke with a touch of arrogance: "Isn't it just that lion?"
"Do you know what Antonio’s greatest achievement is?"
Charlot couldn’t help but ask, "Annie rarely talks about her brother, and I haven’t heard of Antonio’s accomplishments. Could you tell me about them?"
The knight, who was Antonio's peer, had an expression that turned almost reverent as he said, "That battle was when Antonio joined forces with five other Saint ranks..."
The old Leopardman interjected impatiently, "Since when has a victory involving teamwork been counted as an achievement?"
Even Herolf, the Golden Ram, who occasionally threw in a remark or two recently, felt this was too petty to comment on. He simply snorted lightly, his disdain for such "teamwork victories" evident.
The knight of the Bretagne family waited until the three finished their performance before speaking calmly, "Antonio, along with the other five Saint ranks, slew Zimourman."
This time, it was Herolf and Tumisan who gasped audibly.
If there were tiers within the Saint rank, Zimourman was considered second only to the divine!
It was only after his "death" that the five great empires each gained their first-ranked experts.
While the Lion King Amisfida was fearsome, even the weakest among them, Tumisan, was confident he could withstand ten or so of his strikes.
However, compared to Zimourman, Amisfida could only be considered a long-haired cat.
To participate in the siege of Zimourman was indeed a boast-worthy feat.
To successfully work together to kill Zimourman meant that each participant in the siege possessed power not inferior to the top Saint ranks of the five great empires.
Charlot, of course, knew that Zimourman wasn’t dead!
But this did not diminish Antonio’s accomplishment. For six top Saint ranks to jointly defeat and capture Zimourman alive in critical condition was undoubtedly a battle of the highest level.
He looked up at the sky, and suddenly, the entire expanse trembled. A resounding roar followed shortly after.
However, the roar lacked the power it had earlier, no longer exerting the same oppressive force over those below. It was clear that the Lion King Amisfida had no strength to spare "tending" to Charlot and the others and was now fully focused on battling Antonio.
Charlot had initially assumed that this knightly order must be extraordinarily formidable; otherwise, they wouldn’t have come to the Red Dragon Strait to rescue someone. But now, he realized he had underestimated his "brother-in-law." Antonio could actually hold his own against Amisfida.
This eldest son of the Bretagne family was astonishingly powerful—terrifying, even. While perhaps not yet on par with Earl Bretagne, the gap was not too significant.
Unlike previous battles between Saint ranks, Charlot saw neither hide nor hair of Amisfida throughout the clash. Once Antonio rose into the skies, he, too, vanished. The entire sky transformed into something akin to mist, though Charlot knew it wasn’t mist. It was an extraordinary phenomenon caused by the overwhelming combat energy of two top-tier Saint rank combatants.
The sky was eerily silent, only to be shattered sporadically by deafening thunderclaps.
Occasionally, the Lion King's roars would echo, only to abruptly cut off, as though someone had yanked the sound away.
About half an hour later, the sky suddenly cleared.
Charlot still did not see Amisfida. All he saw was a lone figure standing proudly in the sky. Antonio casually threw down a lance, which one of the Bretagne knights leapt up to catch, carefully putting it away for him.
Antonio descended slowly after a moment, remarking nonchalantly, "That old lion was quite fierce. It managed to injure me slightly."
Charlot was shocked and quickly asked, "Is it serious? We should hurry to Dubrovnik to find someone to treat you!"
Antonio smiled faintly and said, "No need. I’ve already used combat energy to heal myself. I’ve recovered mostly."
"That lion, however, overestimated its endurance. It took one of my strikes head-on. I’d wager it won’t be roaring for at least seven or eight days."
Charlot exhaled in relief. Though Antonio had shown off at his expense, Charlot didn’t mind; after all, he was his brother-in-law.
Antonio, however, accompanied Charlot back to Dubrovnik. He wasn’t here to duel with Orc experts or to start a war—he had come to bring his sister home.
When they returned to Dubrovnik, Antonio finally saw his sister. The worry on his face disappeared at last. He spoke softly, "Come back to Strasbourg with me."
Although Annie felt some reluctance, she understood that Charlot was no longer in immediate danger. Her staying would only cause unnecessary trouble, so she nodded and said softly, "I’ll go back with you."
Antonio had initially been worried that his sister might be so infatuated that she would refuse to return. Seeing Annie agree to leave eased his mind, and he said to Charlot, "Father said that the things Annie brought with her can stay with you for now, but when you return to Strasbourg, you must return them all."
Charlot chuckled awkwardly and asked, "Could we negotiate? You can take everything back except for one magical rapier—"
"Consider it a gift for Annie!"
Antonio had never encountered someone so shameless. Though he had read extensively about Charlot’s past and knew he wasn’t exactly upright—youthful frivolity, lack of integrity—he had significantly improved since meeting Annie. Even so, he hadn’t expected Charlot to be this brazen.
"A gift for Annie?"
It was obvious Charlot just wanted to keep it for himself!
Charlot sighed and explained, "That rapier was what I used to recruit the Black Dragon. I really can’t return it."
"If you find it unacceptable, Antonio, could I be allowed some time to find a similarly high-tier artifact as compensation?"
Antonio snorted coldly and replied, "The Bretagne family isn’t that petty."
"Keep it. You don’t need to return it."
Charlot realized Antonio intended to take Annie away that very day. Unable to hold back, he asked, "I have one more request. Since you can battle Amisfida to a standstill, could you help me eliminate the Orc camp completely?"
"Now that the camp’s strongest—Samson the Bull Demon and Argon the Elephantman—have left, and the Black Dragon has defected to me, only two Saint ranks remain."
"If the Orc camp could be eradicated completely, it would remove a significant threat to the Fars Empire!"
"The war has dragged on this long. Every hidden threat could eventually erupt. The Fars Empire still has the resources to deal with minor troubles, but if the war continues for years, the Empire may no longer have the strength to address the Orc camp."
Antonio remained silent for a long time before saying flatly, "I can agree to this."
"But you must share half the military credit with Annie."
Charlot was overjoyed and said quickly, "Give it all to Annie. I don’t need any."
Antonio replied, "No, you do need it. You need a significant amount of military merit and higher status."
"I initially wanted to persuade Annie, but she insisted on betting with me, saying you would manage it... We bet seventeen times, and my sister won every single time!"
Antonio cast a calm yet scrutinizing glance at Charlot and said, "Your performance this time has earned my recognition."
"However..."
"Don’t have an illegitimate child before the wedding."
Charlot, brimming with excitement moments earlier, was now thoroughly embarrassed. He had no idea how to convince Antonio Bretagne that he wouldn’t father an illegitimate child before marriage.
Would swearing on the Serpent of Fate work?
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