The First Magic World War-Chapter 228 - 223, Grand Duke Joseph’s last estate

Dobin didn’t get promoted.

Not long ago, it couldn’t be blamed on Charles.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t reported it; it’s just that the higher-ups had always failed to approve it.

But now, the responsibility fall squarely on Charles’s shoulders.

With his continual promotions, he had long received the authority to approve the positions of many, including Dobin’s, though it involved some bureaucratic wrangling and wasn’t a direct promotion.

So, Charles had no problem providing Anatasiya with a compensation of a Level 41 Class 1 Clerk and Belisa with a Level 45 Class 1 Assistant.

Poor Dobin.

Charles could swear to the heavens that he had no intention of deliberately suppressing this loyal subordinate; he had simply forgotten about it.

Krel Brittany now commanded four knighthoods. He personally led the Purple Goldfinch Knights, while the Maple Leaf Knights were assembled by Krel Brittany and Ebner Sumei themselves. Krel did not trust others and handed the leadership to his best friend, Ebner Sumei.

The other two were Charles’s Westwind Knights and the Silver Pigeon Fortress Knights that Anatasiya took over, a name recently changed by Baron Fabolais; previously, the knighthood was not known by this name.

Krel Brittany only stayed at Silver Pigeon Fort for three days to resupply before continuing on his journey.

He had almost given all his supplies to Menilman, leaving his own troops rather low on resources. It was only after resupplying at Silver Pigeon Fort that the knighthood’s combat capability was restored.

Krel Brittany’s way of resupplying was to levy an additional fee directly according to the Empire’s wartime regulations.

Feeling somewhat remorseful toward the people of Silver Pigeon Fort, Charles led a detachment of the Westwind Knights back to the fort to distribute compensation to everyone who was taxed after Krel Brittany departed with his troops.

Although the amount of the compensation was not substantial, it won Charles even warmer support from the residents of Silver Pigeon Fort.

Those he had taken to Machu Picchu would occasionally travel back and forth to purchase supplies and brought back news, like no taxes in Machu Picchu and almost free housing, and so on.

However, Machu Picchu was a derelict fortress, and its living environment was nowhere near as good as Silver Pigeon Fort, so not many were interested in living there.

But this time, Charles purposely returned to issue compensation to the people of Silver Pigeon Fort...

Nobody knew that the money actually came from Baron Fabolais, even though he would never spend it on his subjects. Almost all the people of Silver Pigeon Fort believed it was compensation out of Charles’s own pocket, and a minor "settle in Machu Picchu" movement even emerged there.

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This was something Charles hadn’t expected.

After Joseph’s death, his knights had fled back to the Behemoth Duchy, gathering at Mostar Fort without a nominal leader to this day.

After leaving Silver Pigeon Fort, Krel Brittany headed straight for Mostar Fort, intent on securing the "last legacy" left by Grand Duke Joseph.

As long as he could take control of this knighthood, there would be no force in the Behemoth Duchy capable of resisting him.

Archduke Ferdinand had died without an heir, murdered, which led the Empire to entrust the Behemoth Duchy to his nephew, but after Joseph’s death, particularly since the Grand Duke’s wife also passed away, the Empire was no longer willing to relinquish control of Behemoth Duchy.

Although the nobles of Behemoth Duchy did not want to be annexed by the Empire, they were a disorganized lot, each with their own agenda. Everyone wanted a piece of the benefits, and no one wished to put in the effort. The situation was no longer in their hands.

In short, the situation at Mostar Fortress is in complete chaos.

A few days later, Krel Brittany led troops into Mostar Fortress.

Charles was also a member of this army, and the Westwind Knights were even an important part of it.

Charles had never set foot inside Mostar Fortress; the last time he came, he only stayed outside the city and did not enter.

This time, as he entered the capital of Behemoth Duchy, he felt quite emotional since he was, after all, a Behemoth native.

However, not long after he entered the city, he saw nobles swarming in. These nobles had already engaged in several rounds of "civil war" to fight for power, resulting in at least dozens of deaths.

Charles listened as the nobles rushed to curry favor with Krel Brittany, supporting their causes and attacking each other, and it didn’t take long for him to feel relieved for Belisa.

If Belisa hadn’t made a quick decision to escape Mostar Fortress, she would likely have been tormented to death by these nobles by now because of her identity.

Although Belisa might be somewhat naive, she was not foolish, and sometimes she could make decisions promptly; it was just that she had always been by the duchess’s side and lacked some experience.

Of course, because she had always been by Grand Duke Joseph’s wife’s side, her insights in certain areas were more than sufficient.

Krel Brittany had no interest in these local nobles of Behemoth. He ordered his soldiers to expel these wastrels but directed Charles to call several leaders from Grand Duke Joseph’s former faction to the Ducal Mansion to discuss affairs.

Having received the order, Charles set out with only Anatasiya to the Mostar Fortress barracks.

Anatasiya had by then cast aside the identity of Baron Fel’s illegitimate daughter and no longer mentioned being a person of Behemoth or the affairs of Lady Southseraph. She had settled down in Strasbourg and was now a bona fide Imperial clerk.

Just like when she traveled with Charles, she was a first-class clerk of the 41st rank, a resident of the Imperial capital.

The gates of the Mostar Fortress barracks were tightly closed. During this period, this knighthood also received numerous overtures from nobles, but most of them could not promise them a future, and these local nobles of Behemoth might not even have a future themselves.

This caused the knighthood to be very wary.

Upon arriving at the barracks, Charles immediately announced his name loudly, calling out, "Commander of the Patrolling Army of Lucavaro District, Westwind Knights’ Commander, Head of Lucavaro District Administration Bureau, the Fars Empire’s Special Plenipotentiary War Commissioner to the Inglima Empire, Charles Mecklen Meklen of the 27th rank and third-class domestic affairs!"

"I request the three squadron leaders of Mostar Fortress Knights to open the camp gates and accompany me to meet Behemoth’s military Governor, Krel Brittany."

Charles shouted this three times in a row, but no one in the barracks responded.

Without hesitation, Charles pulled out an Anti-Space Sniper Rifle from his collar. He had returned to Machu Picchu and retrieved his most trusted weapon.

He raised Bloody Glory and shouted, "If you don’t open the gates, I’ll blow them up and make my own way in."

This threat, too, received no response.

Without any hesitation, Charles pulled the trigger. A single Magic-Breaking Bombshell Bullet blew up the gates of the barracks.

That was rather violent.