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Chapter 154: Writing Letters
🕑 Added 2025-01-13 02:28:23 +0000 UTCAfter Charlot Mecklenburg’s comforting words, Anastasia's emotions did indeed improve slightly. Ever since her mother’s betrayal and subsequent torture to death at the hands of Lady Nancella, followed by her father being ambushed and her entire army annihilated, she had not experienced any happiness or peace.
She lived every moment consumed by regret, grief, sorrow, despair, and helplessness. Many times, she had contemplated ending her life, but the hatred for her mother’s killers kept her going.
Each time Anastasia thought of giving up, she would recall the scene of her mother’s torment and swear vengeance upon her enemies. This singular desire for revenge was the only thing sustaining her.
Seizing the moment, Charlot extended an invitation, saying, “With the great battle approaching, it’s too dangerous for Miss Anastasia to be alone out here. I invite you to join the West Wind Knight Order. Let us fight side by side.”
After learning of Anastasia’s mother’s tragic fate, Charlot felt fully reassured. There was no possibility of betrayal from someone with such deep-seated hatred against Lady Nancella—hatred even greater than that of a true Behemoth national.
Anastasia hesitated briefly before agreeing. The people around her included remnants of defeated Behemoth soldiers and servants left by her mother. With no proper logistics, they were already in dire straits and could hardly sustain themselves.
Charlot also gave her a strong sense of trustworthiness.
Especially because he had recaptured Silver Dove Castle—the city where she had grown up, filled with countless beautiful memories.
During this period, Anastasia had heard much about Charlot Mecklenburg. Among the South Seraph restorationists, in particular, he had become infamous for killing Jonan and forcing back a Saint-ranked warrior who was revered as a divine figure by the South Seraph people. They painted Charlot as a demonic overlord, a monstrous butcher.
However, among the Behemoth people, Charlot’s reputation was vastly different.
In terms of renown, Charlot stood apart. Nearly every noble of the Behemoth Principality had suffered catastrophic defeats or even perished on the battlefield, but Charlot had risen to become a savior in their eyes.
Even Charlot himself noticed how much easier it was to rally defeated soldiers on the frontlines compared to his previous attempts.
Charlot brought Anastasia back to the West Wind Knight Order’s camp. From the soldiers they had gathered, he selected about five hundred of the best and reinforced Anastasia’s forces with them.
Anastasia was completely taken aback by Charlot’s generosity, offering her such substantial reinforcements. Her admiration for the young and legendary Mr. Mecklenburg grew even further.
In truth, Charlot simply found it frustrating that the rallied soldiers could not form an effective combat force immediately.
Anastasia, on the other hand, clearly had experience leading troops. The fact that she could lead over a hundred people to launch surprise attacks during such desperate times demonstrated her capability.
Charlot also made sure to bolster his own forces. He supplemented his units—Dubin Alger, Yellow Bear, Gwen the Spotted Deer, and Bancroft the Gale Wolf—with new recruits. His fifty-man combat squads expanded to over twenty teams.
Charlot believed this had been a routine battle.
What he did not know was that by slaying Karon and the South Seraph third-rank Transcendent knight, he had already caused an uproar among the South Seraph restorationists.
Several South Seraph generals jointly proposed to Hughes that a Saint-ranked warrior should be dispatched to eliminate Charlot.
Hughes, of course, wanted Charlot dead, but after the failed ambush attempt, the vampire Saint had left to participate in the decisive battle at Ferranden. The remaining South Seraph Saint alone would not be able to contend with Grandma Saint Karen.
The fact that Charlot had a Saint-ranked protector was a detail Hughes was reluctant to disclose, as it would shatter morale.
Making matters worse, Byron had been demanding that the South Seraph Saint also be deployed to Ferranden, issuing severe threats and leaving Hughes under immense pressure.
Without a Saint to hold the line, could they really gamble on Grandma Saint Karen’s "mercy"?
Hughes refused to dispatch the Saint. This decision enraged the South Seraph generals, as none of them wanted to face Charlot in battle.
Though they all clamored for vengeance against Charlot for killing Jonan, when it came time to confront him, each found reasons to avoid the fight.
Charlot’s feat of slaying Jonan amidst thousands of troops was simply too shocking.
Especially since the South Seraph people knew Hughes was a high-ranking Transcendent who had mastered techniques like the Blood Furnace and the Golden Requiem—top-tier knightly inheritances. In their minds, Hughes was a future Saint. Yet even he had failed to defeat Charlot.
This only deepened the fear and reverence toward the young Behemoth commander.
Unaware of the South Seraph’s inner turmoil, Charlot reorganized his forces and sent messengers to Mostar Castle. He also feigned condolences to the Grand Duchess.
He made no mention of his idleness at Machubi Fortress, instead portraying himself as a warrior striving to break through to Interlaken but constantly thwarted by Hughes and the South Seraph restorationists. He claimed to have witnessed the fall of Interlaken, the death of Duke Joseph, and had fought valiantly to the end.
As for whether the Grand Duchess believed him...
It hardly mattered.
Charlot also wrote letters to his father and brother. To avoid suspicion, the letters were brief and penned by different subordinates, so they could not be identified by handwriting.
Each letter included these lines:
“The battle is imminent. The South Seraph people have returned. I cannot write much.”
And:
“Busy with the fight. This letter was dictated to a soldier and may lack personal sincerity. I deeply regret this.”
Unfortunately, just as he sent the letters, the South Seraph forces encircled them, leaving no gaps. Mostar Castle never replied, and Charlot remained in the dark about the Grand Duchess’s stance or his family’s situation.
The South Seraph forces soon began their assault on Mostar Castle. However, with the West Wind Knight Order “watching like a tiger stalking its prey,” they could not commit all their forces and had to keep one or two units guarding against Charlot’s sudden attacks.
The siege dragged on for five or six days, during which Charlot refrained from engaging.
But two arrivals forced him into action.
The first was a small detachment from Strasbourg, numbering fewer than a hundred, bearing Charlot’s new commission.
The second was Baron Febollet’s knightly force, over three thousand strong. This time, Baron Febollet had no servants or caravans accompanying him, appearing unusually “frugal.”
Baron Febollet ordered Charlot to regroup with him and follow his command. Upon receiving this order, Charlot promptly clashed with a nearby South Seraph restorationist force and requested reinforcements from Baron Febollet, claiming he could barely hold his position.
Ah, such was Charlot.
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