Chapter Summaries

Charlotte experimented with a rope dart but recognized that it could not penetrate heavy armor, so he agreed to practice House of Asilo's Wings of Heaven spear technique with Julian. The chapter ended with Julian knocking Charlotte down and explaining the principles behind the spear technique.

• Charlotte made a rope dart by tying short blades to both ends of a rope and combined it with his throwing knife and Meteor Hammer techniques.
• Julian saw the rope dart's potential in a duel, but Charlotte noted that it could not pierce armor, so he kept the Meteor Hammer as his more reliable weapon against Ban Lamorak.
• Julian offered to teach Charlotte House of Asilo's Wings of Heaven spear technique, which relied on Star War Qi and emphasized speed and spiritual suppression.
• Charlotte and Julian sparred with ordinary Knight's Lances in Lafayette's Shop's underground training ground, and Julian easily knocked Charlotte down.
• Julian explained that Charlotte's thrust lacked the true essence of House of Asilo's spear technique, then recited its principles for attacking and defending.

Charlotte received a formal duel challenge from Ban Lamorak, with Emperor Alfred Guillaume among the witnesses, and prepared for their match on the River Severn. After signing the challenge, Charlotte received commendation documents from a Fars envoy and went to rest before the duel.

• Charlotte sparred with Julian and realized Julian's spear technique surpassed Hughes's, though Charlotte's own skills improved slowly.
• Aurora sent Charlotte a duel letter, a Transcendence-grade Knight's Lance called Mountain Breaker, and a high-quality rapier.
• Charlotte learned that his opponent was Ban Lamorak and that their duel would take place three days later on the River Severn, witnessed by Count Lamorak, Count Soumei, and Emperor Alfred Guillaume.
• A Fars envoy delivered commendation documents for Charlotte and Archpriest Augsladin, then left the embassy.
• Charlotte put away the documents and rested, conserving his strength for the duel.

Charlotte arrived at the River Severn for his duel with Ban Lamorak after watching three exhibition fights, including a deadly bout in which both participants died. Ban accused Charlotte of stealing Aurora’s heart and charged again, while Charlotte met him on the water with his Knight’s Lance.

• Charlotte brought Dorothy, Anastasia, Belisa, the Over-the-Back Red Bear Warriors, and his entourage to the River Severn for the duel.
• Charlotte watched two exhibition duels, then saw two men die in a fight to the death while the man accused of wrongdoing remained unharmed.
• Ban Lamorak called on Charlotte to stay away from Miss Soumei and admit defeat, but Charlotte leaped into the air to refuse.
• Charlotte and Ban clashed above the river, and Charlotte kept pace with Ban during their first exchange.
• Ban accused Charlotte of stealing Aurora’s heart and launched another charge, forming ice beneath his feet with Frost Dragon Battle Qi.

Charlotte Mecklen fought Ban Lamorak across the River Severn, changing weapons several times before finding his advantage with twin Magic Rapiers. Their duel continued for hundreds of exchanges, while Aurora Soumei watched and wondered why Menilman drew so many admirers.

• Charlotte Mecklen and Ban Lamorak clashed with Knight's Lances until Charlotte asked to change weapons and Emperor Alfred Guillaume approved.
• Charlotte fought with a Rope Dart, but Ban Lamorak figured out its limitations and began to gain the upper hand.
• Charlotte switched to Meteor Hammers, but Ban Lamorak's Frost Dragon Battle Qi froze and shattered them.
• Anastasia threw Charlotte both of her Magic Rapiers, and Charlotte used his twin swords and House of Asilo's swordsmanship to fight more naturally.
• Charlotte and Ban Lamorak fought for two or three hundred exchanges as Aurora Soumei watched and envied Menilman's admirers.

Charlotte and Ban Lamorak’s duel on the River Severn intensified as Charlotte revealed his skill with twin swords and then unleashed the Ninth Movement, Aria of the Night. After declaring the warm-up over, Charlotte prepared to take the fight to another level.

• Charlotte used his spiritual enhancement to control both swords independently, but Ban Lamorak gradually gained the upper hand through his deeper cultivation and experience.
• Charlotte alternated the styles of his twin swords, balancing their attacks and eventually gaining an advantage, while Julian recognized the technique’s connection to House of Asilo’s swordsmanship.
• Ban Lamorak defended against Charlotte’s attacks and read the strengths and weaknesses of his dual-wielding technique.
• Charlotte threw one rapier aside and, wielding the other, unleashed the Ninth Movement, Aria of the Night, darkening the river and elevating the duel.
• Emperor Alfred Guillaume asked what title would suit Charlotte, while Count Soumei dismissed the idea and Aurora reflected on her age and potential suitors.
• Charlotte smiled at Ban Lamorak and announced that the warm-up was over.

Charlotte defeated Ban Lamorak in a prolonged duel by secretly melting the ice beneath him, then changed clothes and joined Emperor Alfred Guillaume to watch a performance on River Severn. The chapter left Charlotte stuck beside the Emperor as the dancers performed.

• Charlotte used the Hands of Blazing Flame to weaken the ice beneath Ban Lamorak, then defeated him with the Unicorn Vulture and received his Knight's Lance.
• Charlotte returned to shore and asked Dorothy for dry clothes, but Julian brought him a change of clothes instead.
• Royal Knights summoned Charlotte to Briton Bridge to meet Emperor Alfred Guillaume.
• Emperor Alfred Guillaume talked with Charlotte about the Royal Song and Dance Troupe and its lead dancer.
• Flower boats brought dancers to Briton Bridge, and Charlotte soon lost interest in their performance.

Charlotte endured a performance for Emperor Alfred Guillaume, then accepted Aurora’s invitation to dinner and struggled through Inglima cuisine while discussing the Emperor’s security. Meanwhile, the Fars Embassy received Ban Lamorak’s famous Knight’s Lance, Whale-Slayer, also known as Lion’s Orb.

• Emperor Alfred Guillaume questioned Charlotte about Fars, urged him to work harder, and departed after inviting him to return in a few days.
• Aurora took Charlotte to dinner by the River Severn, where he sampled several unpalatable Inglima dishes.
• Aurora explained that multiple Saint Rank experts protected Emperor Alfred Guillaume, making assassination attempts dangerously unlikely to succeed.
• Dorothy, Anastasia, and Belisa returned to the Fars Embassy with Charlotte’s weapons and Ban Lamorak’s Knight’s Lance.
• The embassy residents examined the lance, which was famed as Whale-Slayer and known as Lion’s Orb, a symbol of Ban Lamorak’s identity.

Charlotte received a promotion and orders to return to Strasbourg, where he would take up a new appointment. Emperor Alfred Guillaume assigned him to travel with a widowed Grand Princess and Aurora Sumay, leaving Charlotte unnerved by the Emperor’s suggestive expectations.

• Charlotte retrieved his weapons, read his royal dispatch, and learned he had been promoted to a twenty-seventh rank, third-class Administrator Chief.
• Archpriest Augsladin told Charlotte that he had been ordered to return to Strasbourg and receive a new appointment.
• Charlotte applied to return home, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs' residence arranged for him to travel aboard an Inglima warship.
• Emperor Alfred Guillaume invited Charlotte to a feast and announced that his aunt, a widowed Grand Princess, would accompany him as ambassador, with Aurora Sumay as commissioner.
• Emperor Alfred Guillaume described the Grand Princess’s personal preferences to Charlotte, who left the palace shaken by the Emperor’s suggestive assignment.

Charlotte visited the residence Emperor Alfred Guillaume had granted him and discovered that a mysterious black-robed female Saint Rank lived nearby. After preparing to leave Briton, he bid Julian farewell and headed to the harbor to return to Fars, where he encountered someone familiar.

• Charlotte visited his new residence at River Severn South Riverside Avenue Number 698 and discovered that a black-robed female Saint Rank lived in the neighboring house.
• Charlotte explored the dusty residence at the hilltop, then returned to the Fars embassy without visiting his neighbor.
• Charlotte bought gifts for Strasbourg and bid Julian farewell, knowing they might meet again as enemies on the battlefield.
• Charlotte boarded the warship Leviathan's departure preparations with Dorothy, Anastasia, Belisa, and eighteen Over-the-Back Red Bear Warriors, and saw a familiar face at the harbor.

Charlotte welcomed Captain James Cook aboard the Leviathan and waited with him and Aurora for the Grand Princess, who arrived as the mysterious Saint Rank neighbor Charlotte had met before. The Princess, May Guillaume, visited Charlotte’s cabin to borrow novels and used her overwhelming power to confront him over his contempt for Old Continent literature.

• Charlotte reunited with James Cook, who welcomed him aboard the Leviathan and gave him a cabin near the captain’s quarters.
• Aurora arrived and was surprised to see James Cook chatting warmly with Charlotte as they waited for the Grand Princess.
• The Grand Princess appeared above the Leviathan, and James Cook arranged a quiet cabin for her beside his own.
• After cultivating Bloody Glory in his cabin, Charlotte opened the door to find the Grand Princess, May Guillaume, asking to borrow novels.
• Charlotte’s unspoken disdain for Old Continent novels angered May, who pressed him down with her power until he claimed he liked classic literature.

Charlotte avoided punishment from Grand Princess May Guillaume by telling her the story of Roland, and she became so engrossed that she kept him reciting throughout the day. After dinner aboard James Cook’s warship, May summoned Charlotte back to continue the story, leaving him exhausted by nightfall.

• When Grand Princess May Guillaume challenged Charlotte’s knowledge of classic novels, he began reciting the story of Roland to avoid her anger.
• May became captivated by Roland’s story, drew Charlotte into her room, and listened as he recited for half an hour.
• Aurora called Charlotte to dinner, and May used battle aura to seal the room’s sound before secretly leaving.
• At dinner, Charlotte asked James Cook about the Magic Alchemical Warship while Aurora remained quiet.
• After dinner, May summoned Charlotte to her room, where he continued the story and improvised around its chemical knowledge until night.

Charlotte entertained Princess Mei with stories from Earth, but the Leviathan was forced west into the open ocean when two Byron warships pursued it. The ships remained locked in a standoff as they sailed into the Giant Whale Sea.

• Princess Mei enjoyed Charlotte’s retelling of two novels but demanded that he bring her different stories and the originals from Fars.
• Charlotte invented excuses for why the novels’ authors could not meet Princess Mei, then struggled to choose another story the next morning.
• Charlotte heard the ship’s alarm and saw two Byron Magic Alchemical Warships approaching, accompanied by Saint Rank fighters.
• James Cook ordered the Leviathan to turn away rather than face both warships, and it headed west with the pursuers close behind.
• After several days, the three warships entered the Giant Whale Sea, where Charlotte saw giant whales surface.

Charlotte proposed using a disguised decoy to draw one of the pursuing Byronian warships away from the Leviathan. Princess Mei chose Charlotte to impersonate James Cook, then carried him into the air to lure the enemy ships.

• James Cook suggested landing Charlotte on Goling Island so he could continue drawing both Byronian warships away from the diplomatic mission.
• Charlotte proposed having Princess Mei take a disguised decoy near the enemy ships, forcing them to split their pursuit.
• James Cook agreed to present the plan to Princess Mei, who approved it and selected Charlotte to impersonate him instead of Aurora Soumei.
• Charlotte entrusted weapons to Dorothy, changed into James Cook's uniform, and transformed to resemble him.
• Princess Mei flew with Charlotte near the Byronian warships, carrying him beneath her arms.

Princess Mei threw Charlotte onto a Byronian warship while she attacked its cannon, leaving him to fight alone as James Cook maneuvered the Leviathan toward a duel with the other enemy ship. After rescuing Charlotte from the besieging sailors, Princess Mei explained that she had thrown him into danger because he admired Menilman, whose fiancé had killed her husband.

• Princess Mei dodged a shell from a Byronian warship, then hurled Charlotte onto it and charged its cannon while two Saint Rank vampires intercepted her.
• Charlotte fought through the warship’s crew under James Cook’s appearance, suffering wounds as he tried to evade being surrounded.
• James Cook saw the other Byronian warship attack the Leviathan and maneuvered to face it one-on-one.
• Princess Mei rescued the exhausted Charlotte from the warship and evaded the two pursuing vampires.
• Princess Mei told Charlotte that Zimmerman Axel Robin, Menilman’s fiancé, had killed her husband in a duel, explaining why she had thrown him into danger.

Princess Mei explained why she blamed Charlotte for her husband’s death, then dropped him into the sea as the Saint Ranks fought. Charlotte swam toward Goling Island, encountered a giant whale, and ended up riding on its back.

• Princess Mei said Alfred Guillaume had sent Charlotte to approach her and insisted that she had saved him after punishing him.
• Charlotte asked Princess Mei to leave him on an island, and she let him fall into the sea.
• Charlotte avoided the Saint Rank battle and swam toward Goling Island while recovering his Bloody Glory.
• A giant whale breached beneath Charlotte, tossed him through the waves, and let him climb onto its back.
• Charlotte tried speaking to the whale, but it sprayed water over his clothes, so he waited to see where it would take him.

Charlotte reunited with Princess Mei, who had arrived on her contracted whale Stargazing, and learned that she and James Cook had both struck serious blows against the Byronians. Instead of returning immediately, Princess Mei took Charlotte on a week-long ocean trip, where he advanced his Blood Flame Qi and learned another secret art.

• Charlotte spotted a pink mass falling from the sky, and Princess Mei descended onto the giant whale, which she called Stargazing or Ah Kong.
• Princess Mei told Charlotte that she had severely wounded a Byronian vampire Saint Rank and that James Cook had sunk the Byronian warship.
• Princess Mei refused to hurry back to the Leviathan and stayed at sea with Charlotte aboard Stargazing, asking him to continue telling Duwei’s story.
• Charlotte spent seven or eight days on the whale, enduring the harsh weather while Princess Mei listened to his stories and rode around the area.
• Charlotte’s Blood Flame Qi broke through, and he mastered the fourth page of the Vampire Secret Scroll, Blazing Roaring Bullet, delaying Carnstein’s return by nearly twenty days.

Charlotte and Princess Mei bypassed Saint Michael’s Island, returned to Cappadocia, and found Charlotte’s merchant fleet and the city thriving in his absence. After Princess Mei finally agreed to sail for Fars, she gave Charlotte the Blood Core she had dug from a vampire Saint Rank expert, leaving him stunned.

• Princess Mei warned Charlotte that Saint Michael’s Island was protected by powerful ships and a Saint Rank expert, so they traveled on toward Cappadocia City instead.
• Charlotte and Princess Mei arrived in Cappadocia, where residents welcomed Charlotte and Cruz explained that the merchant fleet had grown to twenty-three ships and the city had prospered.
• Seaman told Charlotte that the fleet had stayed because it was profitable and Cappadocia collected no taxes.
• Princess Mei spent more than ten days exploring Cappadocia and listening to Charlotte’s story before agreeing to set sail for Fars.
• After they reached Fars, Princess Mei gave Charlotte a crimson core and revealed that she had dug it from a vampire Saint Rank expert.

Charlotte traveled back to Strasbourg with Princess Mei, studying the Dolian Blood Core and the House of Adonis secret arts along the way. In Strasbourg, Count D'Artagnan received Princess Mei and told Charlotte he could go home and await further orders.

• Charlotte identified the golden specks as Bloody Runes and confirmed the treasure was a Blood Core from the Dolian clan.
• Charlotte concealed the Blood Core in his seventh Bloody Vortex and continued studying the Demonic Flame Horse secret art and Blood Flame Qi.
• Charlotte and Princess Mei crossed battle-scarred Fars without trouble and returned to Strasbourg several days later.
• Count D'Artagnan welcomed Princess Mei at a royal palace and reassured Charlotte that he could return home to await the Empire's next arrangements.
• Charlotte said farewell to Count D'Artagnan and returned to Champs-Élysées Avenue Number 58.

Charlotte returned to Strasbourg, reunited with his friends, and learned that his next appointment would send him back to Behemoth for a military operation against Nansera. After several days of paperwork, he discovered that Kreil Brittany would command the operation and that the Empress had recommended him to Kreil.

• Charlotte retrieved weapons and other belongings from Falcon Street Number One, then invited Anne, Dorothy, Vinnie Arsenault, and Sylvie Martin to Champs-Élysées Avenue Number 58.
• The women gathered for afternoon tea, while Sylvie wondered whether Charlotte had become an even greater womanizer; Charlotte later withdrew to study his diary with his kittens.
• Anne told Charlotte that his new appointment was in the Duchy of Behemoth, where Fars planned to attack Nansera to draw Byron's troops away from Ferlanden.
• Charlotte spent the next few days dating Anne and completing the paperwork for his Inglima posts and honors.
• Charlotte learned that Kreil Brittany would command the Nansera operation and that the Empress had recommended Charlotte to him.

Charlotte met Kreil Brittany, who had been appointed military governor of the Duchy of Behemoth and was preparing an attack on Nansera Territory. Charlotte agreed to support him, then went shopping with Anne, leaving the payment on Champs-Élysées Avenue Number 58 unresolved.

• Kreil Brittany and Abner Soumei visited Charlotte with Anne and explained that Kreil had taken command of the Duchy of Behemoth and would lead the Brittany Offensive against Nansera Territory.
• Kreil described the depleted Knight Orders and told Charlotte that he and Abner had gathered all Eight Knight Proofs and were nearing Saint Rank.
• Charlotte promised Kreil his full support and offered to bring his West Wind Knight Regiment from Machu Picchu when the army set out.
• After Kreil and Abner left, Anne urged Charlotte to go shopping with her, and they discussed whether to pay off the remaining balance on Champs-Élysées Avenue Number 58.