Two individuals stood before Charlot Mecklenburg. One was named Gwen, nicknamed "Spotted Deer," and the other was Bancroft, known as the "Gale Wolf." In their younger days, they had adventured together as companions. After reaching middle age and accumuting some wealth, they left their adventuring party and settled in Silver Dove Castle.

  Both were tenth-rank knights, having mastered Knightly Breathing Techniques and Blood Banquet Meditation to their limits, yet neither had ever obtained a Knight Proof, leaving them unable to advance further as mid-tier knights.

  Charlot dispyed a subtle intent to recruit them. Although the two initially wanted to decline, the allure of the extraordinary weapons in their hands proved too tempting. They ultimately agreed to join the West Wind Knight Order.

  This successful recruitment of Gwen and Bancroft lifted Charlot’s spirits. It gave him the satisfying illusion of having traversed to the era of the Three Kingdoms, enlisting the great warriors of his time. Of course, "Spotted Deer" Gwen and "Gale Wolf" Bancroft would never be considered top-tier combatants on the Old Continent, but the sense of accomplishment felt the same.

  Once they joined the West Wind Knight Order, Charlot assigned them to lead two newly formed battle squads of 200 men each. The main fighting force of the knight order now consisted of Charlot, Dubin Alger, Dolores Soumet, Frederica, Yellow Bear, and the two new squads. While not exactly elite soldiers, they were leagues ahead of the motley crews of other battle squads within the order.

  Charlot’s personal squad included a mix of seasoned adventurers, elite members of the city patrol guards, and top enforcers from local gangs. Dolores and Frederica each led squads of female adventurers and gang members. Dubin’s squad was primarily composed of former city patrol guards, while Yellow Bear’s squad consisted entirely of gang members.

  Gwen and Bancroft’s squads were formed from the remnants of the disbanded Yahoo Knights, along with their old adventuring comrades who had also settled in Silver Dove Castle.

  To Charlot’s surprise, following the recent battle defending Silver Dove Castle, where the West Wind Knight Order lost five or six hundred men, their ranks had not decreased but instead swelled to over 7,000. Many soldiers who had previously fled during the conflict, particurly former members of the Yahoo Knights, had quietly returned to the castle, choosing to "rejoin."

  Charlot took advantage of this momentum to conduct another round of recruitment in Silver Dove Castle. With his heroic exploits in the castle's defense—personally leading a charge to sy the enemy commander and defeat the South Seraph restorationists—and his identity as a Behemothian, Charlot had earned the admiration of the castle’s popuce. Recruitment efforts went smoothly, even allowing him to select the strongest local men to bolster the ranks. The West Wind Knight Order’s numbers quietly increased to 8,000.

  However, Charlot dared not expand the army further, as Silver Dove Castle’s finances could barely support the current force. Baron Feller, known for his extravagant lifestyle, had invested little in the military and allocated an insufficient budget for its upkeep.

  The next day, Charlot began cataloging the baron’s personal assets. He also sent messengers to Strasbourg to summon Louis Simy and Ross Bard to Silver Dove Castle.

  Charlot entrusted Dolores with the task of inventorying the baron’s wealth. Being a dy of the Soumet family, Dolores was unlikely to be swayed by the baron’s riches, whereas Charlot had little faith in anyone else for the job.

  Charlot was uncertain how the empire would deal with him, but he knew time was short. He had to liquidate the baron’s wealth quickly. The Agmirs Labyrinth, capable of transforming Silver Dove Castle into a byrinth, wouldn’t incorporate the baron’s immovable properties into Charlot’s wealth. Selling them off would ensure dual benefits—ownership of the byrinth and the proceeds from the sales.

  Certain luxury items in the baron’s collection, though capable of being hidden within the byrinth, were primarily for ostentatious dispy. Without an audience, they lost their value, so these, too, needed to be sold promptly.

  …

  Charlot had enjoyed only five days of peace before the South Seraph restorationists attacked Silver Dove Castle again. Fueled by hatred, Hughes unched a probing assault despite cking reinforcements.

  Under Charlot’s command, Frederica, Dolores, Yellow Bear, Gwen, and Bancroft, all seasoned Transcendents, led the West Wind Knight Order and auxiliary militia in repelling the attack with ease, winning the people’s support once more. The victory advanced the byrinth’s transformation progress to 1/18.

  Encouraged by this success, Charlot sent men to provoke Hughes outside the city. The taunts drove Hughes into a rage, prompting him to unch another assault in his exhausted state. Charlot’s forces, lying in ambush, cut off and routed Hughes’ army, securing a second decisive victory and pushing the byrinth progress to 2/18.

  This victory held special significance for Charlot, as it was won in a direct battle outside the city walls. Though strategy pyed a role, it demonstrated the growing effectiveness of the West Wind Knight Order after several engagements.

  Unfortunately for Charlot, Hughes retreated too quickly, denying him further opportunities to bait more attacks on the castle.

  …

  Days ter, instead of a third assault by the restorationists, Charlot received a letter from Grand Duke Ferdinand. The duke urgently commanded Charlot to march to Interken and join the battle.

  The duke’s messenger was arrogant, treating Charlot—a "thirty-fourth-ranked chief clerk"—with utter disdain, issuing commands as if to a servant. Charlot, suppressing his temper, learned from the messenger that the duke was besieged in the small city of Interken and in dire straits. Feigning indignation, Charlot promised to set out the next day.

  However, on the following morning, Charlot cimed a sudden bout of acute stomach pain had left him bedridden, deying his departure. The duke’s messenger cursed him at the door for an entire day.

  The next day, Charlot faked an injury from a mysterious fall, further postponing the march. This time, the furious messenger barged into his room, only to find Charlot’s legs bandaged like mummies. Furious, the man stormed off.

  On the fourth day, the messenger returned, threatening to report Charlot’s deliberate deys to the duke. This time, Charlot dropped all pretense, orchestrating an ambush that left the messenger with two broken legs. He sent the injured man, along with a mocking letter, to Hughes.

  Hughes, enraged by the insult, executed the duke’s messenger and sent the severed head to Interken. Reportedly, the duke was so incensed he coughed up blood on the spot.

  While handling the aftermath of this fiasco, Charlot welcomed the arrival of Louis Simy and Ross Bard, who had brought their respective merchant caravans to Silver Dove Castle.