Frederica observed Charlot Mecklenburg’s expression and guessed his thoughts, whispering, “The opposing faction must have Transcendents among them. The castle alone won’t be enough as a defensive stronghold.”

  Charlot thought to himself, "Transcendents can determine victory, but they cannot dictate the spoils of war!"

  The Old Continent, due to the presence of Transcendents, waged wars unlike anything Charlot had ever read about in Earth's history.

  Although Charlot wasn’t even close to being a keyboard strategist, he understood the essence of war—profit. High-ranking Transcendents could determine the outcome of battles, but without enough soldiers to consolidate the fruits of victory, and without sufficient war dividends, a nation would only grow weaker the longer it fought.

  Transcendents could not decide everything.

  The ancient Orc Kingdom and the Sherlock Dynasty had both prospered in their times, with numerous high-ranking Transcendents, yet they eventually declined. This was because, during their ter stages, the internal state of these nations deteriorated badly. However, their upper nobility failed to see this as a problem.

  Charlot Mecklenburg had read historical records in university but felt nothing at the time. Yet, after Huang Haisheng transmigrated here, he keenly noticed the deep-rooted issues in the nations of the Old Continent. The entire society was fraught with dysfunction.

  He took a deep breath and said, “Order all soldiers of the West Wind Knight Order to defend the castle walls. Additionally, conscript the youths within Silver Dove Castle. Tell them that Lady Nancel intends to sughter everyone in Silver Dove Castle, killing every family to exact vengeance for their fallen nation. Let everyone fight for their loved ones, their families, and their home.”

  Dolores Soumet retorted, “That’s an utterly meaningless act.”

  Charlot took another deep breath and decred, “I am the commander! Everything must be done as I say.”

  Dolores offered no further argument and hurried to the military camp to deliver the orders.

  Frederica wanted to say, "I’m leaving."

  She had originally used Charlot as a means to escape Strasbourg, as internal conflicts within the Orc Assassin Alliance had forced her to y low temporarily. But at this moment, the leopard-girl hesitated before saying, “I’ll help too.”

  Charlot nodded and instructed Dart, the housekeeper, “Gather the young men within the castle. I will lead them to fight for Silver Dove Castle.”

  Baron Feller’s Silver Dove Castle housed hundreds of servants—a considerable force. Allowing them to leisurely shelter inside the castle would be disrespectful to the soldiers fighting outside.

  Dart dared not object and went to assemble the castle’s servants.

  ...

  Half an hour ter, Charlot stood atop Silver Dove Castle’s walls. The battlements were crowded, not only with the soldiers of the West Wind Knight Order but also with people from all walks of life. They had been frightened by Charlot’s depiction of a massacre. Coupled with the longstanding grudge between the Behemoth Principality and Lady Nancel’s domain, this propaganda seemed unusually convincing. No one wanted their families sughtered, so many rallied enthusiastically.

  Charlot quickly expanded the ranks again, reorganizing the residents of Silver Dove Castle into auxiliary troops to support the combat teams.

  Outside Silver Dove Castle, an army of over ten thousand soldiers was forming ranks. They had no intention of setting up camp but were preparing for a direct assault.

  The terrain around Silver Dove Castle, though picturesque with crisscrossing waterways, was not elevated. Limited by Baron Feller’s finances, the castle’s walls were barely three meters tall—far from formidable. Charlot squinted into the distance but couldn’t discern much; even the enemy formation was too vast for him to see entirely.

  A small contingent emerged from the South Seraph restorationists' ranks, halting just dozens of meters from the castle walls. A middle-aged man cd in leather armor bellowed, “I am Jonan of the South Seraph restorationists! Many of you must have heard my name.”

  “I command you to surrender immediately!”

  “Resist, and my sword will bathe this castle in blood.”

  An uproar broke out atop the walls. Many of Silver Dove Castle’s residents fully believed Lady Nancel intended to massacre them. One furious voice shouted, “Get lost! You despicable South Seraph scum aren’t worthy of a nation.”

  “South Seraph dogs!”

  “The Empire will annihite all of you!”

  “You can’t even keep hold of the South Seraph domain!”

  The feud between the Behemoth Principality and Lady Nancel’s domain had sted for generations, fueling the rage of the Silver Dove Castle residents. They hurled insults without restraint.

  Charlot, who had never heard of Jonan, guessed the man might be a leader of the South Seraph restorationists. He calcuted the distance, then pulled an Anti-Space Long-Range Rifle from his colr, aimed at Jonan, and pulled the trigger.

  An anti-magic armor-piercing round streaked through the air like a fiery dragon, leaving a red trail that targeted Jonan with precision.

  In an instant, the knights around Jonan radiated a dark red light, forming a magical barrier. The anti-magic armor-piercing round struck the barrier, causing it to ripple before erupting into brilliant sparks but failing to penetrate.

  Charlot refrained from firing a second shot, startled. He excimed, “The Ultimate Wall!”

  The Radiant Magic Array, hailed as the continent’s foremost defensive magic array, bore the poetic name Gods’ Lament.

  The vampires had a comparable defensive array called Origin Blood Barrier.

  The Origin Blood Barrier and the Radiant Magic Array were legendary counterparts, known collectively as the Ultimate Wall.

  In terms of pure defensive capability, the Origin Blood Barrier rivaled the Radiant Magic Array.

  The Origin Blood Barrier originated from the Arthur Cn, one of the vampires’ profound Verbal Spellcasting secrets.

  To Charlot’s shock, there were vampire Transcendents among Jonan’s knights—more than a dozen of them activating the Origin Blood Barrier to block the anti-magic round.

  Jonan’s face remained impassive, showing no reaction to the failed ambush. He spoke coldly, “The people of Silver Dove Castle are prepared to sacrifice themselves, accepting death with resolve.”

  “Begin the assault!”

  Jonan waved his hand, and the army behind him began its slow advance. Their battle cries echoed to the heavens, leaving the defenders of Silver Dove Castle visibly shaken.

  Charlot raised his voice, “Victory will always belong to the people of Silver Dove Castle!”

  “Behind us is our homend, our families, our everything. Not a single South Seraph scum shall step into Silver Dove Castle!”

  After shouting the rallying cry, Charlot addressed Jonan directly, “I am the commander of the West Wind Knight Order and the leader of Silver Dove Castle. Jonan, let us settle this with a duel on the battlefield!”

  Though Charlot issued the challenge, he was already pnning to shoot another anti-magic round the moment Jonan stepped away from his knights.

  Jonan gazed deeply at Charlot but did nothing, ignoring the challenge.

  Charlot was about to hurl a sarcastic remark to boost morale when a warm sensation spread through his chest. A sudden thought entered his mind:

  Charlot Mecklenburg, acting as the temporary commander of Silver Dove Castle, is resisting the South Seraph restorationists. The conditions to establish the third byrinth have been met. Silver Dove Castle will undergo byrinthification. You must withstand eighteen waves of attacks from the South Seraph restorationists. During this period, you may neither leave nor surrender.