The First Magic World War

Charles, for caution's sake, carefully selected the Labyrinth Guardian and then interrogated Majion thoroughly again. To his surprise, he learned earth-shattering news—Morgan Axel had returned to Strasbourg and was set to ascend to the throne in a matter of days, issuing an edict throughout the Fars Empire to quell the disloyal.

This news was so startling that it took Charles several dozen minutes to recover from the shock.

Charles had thought that he had long since gone to the New Continent; he never expected that Crown Prince Morgan Axel could play such a brilliant move.

The sudden reappearance of the former Crown Prince, who had rallied a batch of "loyal old ministers," was a drama not uncommon in the Eastern Great Nation, with some dynasties even experiencing it on a mass scale. It wouldn't even be surprising for a former Emperor to engage in such machinations, as many ancient politicians who hid their claws and feigned foolishness successfully were quite numerous, with the most famous being Goujian, the ancient King of Yue State.

This Crown Prince was the legitimate first-in-line to the Fars Empire throne.

His initial abandonment of the throne could be attributed to various possibilities, including the belief that Earl Brittany was too formidable to contend with, feigning indifference to power and wealth in hopes of a later comeback.

Once the news of the Crown Prince's "coronation" spread throughout the Fars Empire, many would defect, aligning once more with the legitimate Emperor of the Axel Dynasty, including Charles' highly regarded former Royal Knight Commander Kresto, the first vice commander Aspros, and the second vice commander Regulus who might all return to the Axel Clan.

It could even lead to reclaiming the Fars Empire without bloodshed.

Under the "inevitable trend," the Old Earl of Brittany might be forced to give up the Emperor's position and willingly confess his crimes, and even if the old Earl refused to yield, the legitimacy of his claim would certainly not be preserved.

Charles, a staunch supporter of the Brittany faction, would never allow such a situation to occur; he had to swiftly address the issue.

Upon hearing the news, both Krel Brittany and Ebner Sumei were more nervous than Charles, jointly advising, "Duke, you must make a decision immediately. This cannot be allowed to happen."

Both of them, one a member of the Brittany Family, and the other having demonstrated loyalty by personally killing Princess Redmir's wife—although Redmir was a rebel and had killed the former Emperor—still bore the Axel name. Like Charles, they were staunch Brittany partisans, and a restoration of the old dynasty could not be permitted.

Majion had not expected that these people were unaware of this "great secret," and after revealing it, he felt a twinge of regret. But then he thought, "It's not just me who knows this, and in a few days, Morgan will ascend to the throne. Sooner or later, everyone will know, so even if it leaks, it's not a big deal."

He consoled himself for a moment, and without waiting for Charles to continue his questioning, he spilled all he knew about Strasbourg like coffee beans tumbling from a hopper.

The Axel Clan's foundation was incredibly formidable; the rebelling Axel Clan in Strasbourg now included eleven Sacred level members, over sixty Transcendents, and at least fifty families that had repledged their allegiance to the former royal family. The Brittany Dynasty had just been established, and the most loyal dozen Knights were with the Emperor at the front lines; there was no force capable of resisting in Strasbourg.

The current situation in Strasbourg was solid as iron, with nearly everyone "cheering" for the return of the legitimate dynasty.

Now leading the rebellion within Strasbourg City were three people: besides Morgan Axel, there was the former Imperial Chancellor Wood Brandon, and the former number one expert of the Axel Clan, Asturias Axel. Asturias, who had suffered severe injuries during the siege against Zimmerman, had healed over several years, and not only recovered but also advanced, reaching the twenty-third level. He was also the leader of the newly formed Royal Knights Order.

Of the five royal family members who were part of the siege against Zimmerman, two had already died from severe injuries, another lay bedridden with injuries to this day, and the last, Prince Aifuri, had escaped Strasbourg early to ally with the old Emperor of Brittany.

Hmm, this Prince Aifuri truly had some substance...

Charles carefully inquired about the situation in Strasbourg and first had the man who brought the information taken away to receive the most generous treatment—they even assigned him two Great Act Devils. Then, he gathered the returned group for a meeting.

Krel Brittany and Ebner Sumei both supported a surprise attack on Strasbourg.

Mama Karen looked deeply worried and wanted to inform His Majesty Brittany about the matter first.

Andreas was all excitement; he couldn't care less what happened to Fars. He was a vassal of Duke Mecklen, whose Duchy boasted considerable independence. Even if Fars were to revert to the hands of the Axel Clan, it would not affect Charles Meklen's status. Moreover...

He had a secure fallback.

Andreas's father, Count Constantine of Byron, held even higher status than during the days of the Black Phoenix Dynasty; if all else failed, he could simply return and inherit the family estate.

Anne was the most flustered of all. She was a good girl, and Morgan also her uncle; she had no idea what to do in the current situation.

Charles raised his hands, signaling his desire to speak, and said to Mama Karen, "Take Anne with you, and seek out His Majesty Brittany right away. Set out immediately, and take great care on the road. This is very important, so please do not mention it to anyone other than His Majesty."

Mama Karen breathed a sigh of relief, "I will leave at once."

Charles said to Anne, "Dear Anne! I need your unconditional support, trust in me! Please follow Mama Karen immediately. The sooner you appear by His Majesty Brittany's side, the more advantageous it is for us."

Anne, her mind in turmoil, obediently stood up and said, "I'll go with Mama Karen right away."

After sending off the two women, Charles then said to the remaining three, "We cannot possibly storm Strasbourg. The Axels of the Light in Strasbourg alone have eleven individuals at the Sacred level, as well as formidable beings like Asturias Axel, and those nobles who have recommitted their allegiance to the Axel Family."

"To attack Strasbourg would be like throwing eggs against rocks."

"However, we must not sit idly by. Once Morgan announces his return to the Old Continent, His Majesty Brittany will find himself in an extremely awkward position."

"The four of us must infiltrate Strasbourg immediately and assassinate Morgan! We cannot allow him to live to see tomorrow's sun. Moreover, we must pin this deed on Wood Brandon's head; I will propagate with all my might that it was Wood Brandon, the Imperial Chancellor, who killed Crown Prince Morgan."

The rebellion's greatest advantage was Crown Prince Morgan, but he was also their greatest vulnerability.

This former heir to the throne was not at the Sacred level...

That was their greatest vulnerability.

Even if Charles were politically unsophisticated, he knew he had no other choice.