Chapter Summaries

Charlotte escorted Grand Duke Ferdinand’s funeral convoy through Lucavaro District and negotiated a three-month truce with Frederica, who wanted to relocate the Orc Assassin Alliance’s detective agency. After the convoy left his jurisdiction, a huge explosion erupted where it had been traveling.

• Charlotte joined the City Patrol escort for Grand Duke Ferdinand’s coffin and saw the new duke, Franz Joseph, and the assassin being transported in the convoy.
• Charlotte detected Frederica preparing to act on a nearby rooftop and confronted her before she could attack the procession.
• Frederica asked Charlotte for benefits to move the detective agency to Lucavaro District and explained that Algernon had abandoned the assassination mission and fled Strasbourg.
• Charlotte agreed to resume their conflict in three months, allowing Frederica time to rebuild the Strasbourg branch while he handled the coming duel.
• Charlotte watched the convoy leave Lucavaro District, then saw a massive explosion and black-gray fire rise from the convoy’s route.

The author explained that family troubles, illness, and exhaustion had disrupted his writing, and that he wanted to recover his craft before completing Martial Immortal and Immortals: Those with Boundless Mana. He introduced The First Great War of Magic as a chance to try Western fantasy and asked readers to support its release.

• The author recalled One Sword Flying Immortal's early success and the four years it took to finish amid family troubles.
• He said he completed Full-Time Martial God, One Sword Smashes Through the Nine Heavens, and Immortal Son-in-Law Riding a Dragon with few breaks, while Martial Immortal remained ongoing.
• After testing positive twice, the author struggled to continue Immortals: Those with Boundless Mana and needed to reread many chapters to understand the story.
• The author decided to regain his form through The First Great War of Magic before giving Martial Immortal and Immortals: Those with Boundless Mana relatively complete endings.
• He explained that Western fantasy would challenge his habits and let him write without as much pressure over results, then asked readers for first-day subscriptions and monthly tickets.

After a bombing killed Grand Duke Ferdinand and his wife, Charlotte inspected the scene but avoided interfering with the Radiant Priests and returned to his district. As he was about to dismiss his fed and rested patrol, a carriage arrived claiming that Chief Inspector Mavis had come to see Mr. Mecklen.

• Charlotte took ten patrolmen to the bomb site, where he found wreckage, the dead Grand Duke and his wife, and Duke Franz Joseph protected by twelve Radiant Priests.
• Charlotte and his men laid their coats beneath the Grand Duke and his wife, then left after a Priest thanked him and ordered him away.
• Charlotte warned Dobbin not to pursue the bombing, explaining that curiosity could cost his family their lives.
• Charlotte treated his exhausted patrol to a meal and ale after they returned to the Lucavaro District.
• Mason stopped a carriage at the patrol office, and its coachwoman demanded that Mr. Mecklen meet her mistress, Chief Inspector Mavis.
• Charlotte greeted the carriage with an imperial salute and asked whether the passenger was Madam Mavis.

Charlotte received a promotion and reward from the Crown Prince through Madam Mavis, then prepared to leave for Machu Picchu. Before he departed, Hermontha brought him a supernatural short gun she had found at the explosion site, asking him to exchange it for money so she could become a Knight.

• Madam Mavis delivered the Crown Prince's decree, promoting Charlotte to Chief Clerk, fourth grade, and awarding money to the Lucavaro District City Patrol.
• Dobbin shared rumors that Madam Mavis was the Crown Prince's secret lover, while Charlotte distributed most of the cash reward among his officers.
• Charlotte arranged supplies and transport for a trip to Machu Picchu and asked Madam Nancy to have the three clever cat kittens cared for at the Cat and Clover Coffee Shop.
• Hermontha gave Charlotte a rune-covered supernatural short gun she had found at the explosion site and asked him to exchange it for money to fund her advancement to Knight.
• Charlotte recognized that the weapon was likely the assassin's gun used to kill Grand Duke Ferdinand.

Charlotte kept Hermontha from exposing the supernatural pistol that had killed Grand Duke Ferdinand and set out with Madam Nancy, Anne, Sylvie, and Vinnie Arsenault for Machu Picchu, where he was due to duel Mr. Alva. On the way, Nanny Karen took Anne home, but Anne secretly gave Charlotte a weapon to use in the duel and promised to wait for him in Strasbourg.

• Charlotte warned Hermontha to keep the pistol secret and promised to help her become a Knight.
• Charlotte told Hermontha not to inform Mason and the others, then prepared to take the pistol to Machu Picchu.
• Madam Nancy, Anne, Sylvie, and Vinnie Arsenault accompanied Charlotte on the journey to witness his duel.
• Charlotte stopped the carriage near dusk and saw Nanny Karen waiting to take Anne home.
• Anne returned with Nanny Karen after secretly handing Charlotte a newspaper-wrapped weapon for the duel.

After Saint Rank Nanny Karen took Anne away, Charlotte learned how far above him Anne’s family stood and discovered the gifts she had left in a newspaper. He inspected the powerful Silver Rhino and its enchanted ammunition, then returned to the carriage for the night.

• Sylvie asked Charlotte whether he felt pressured after Nanny Karen took Anne, and Charlotte admitted to himself that the Saint Rank nanny intimidated him.
• Vinnie reminded Charlotte to check what Anne had left, and he found a Fire Cromwell Silver Rhino and a report that Grand Duke Ferdinand had been assassinated as the Duchy of Behemoth declared war on Nansera Territory.
• Vinnie identified the Silver Rhino as a rare Transcendent firearm, and Charlotte found that it was serial number thirteen and came with six Demon-Breaking Armor-Piercing Bullets.
• Charlotte learned through contact that the Silver Rhino’s Psionic Magazine held thirty-five powerful bullets made from several kinds of energy.
• Vinnie and Sylvie tried the Silver Rhino, and Vinnie added Cat Elf Magic bullets that could transform targets into kittens.
• Charlotte returned to the carriage and settled into its luggage compartment while Madam Nancy slept at the driver’s position.

Charlotte arrived at Machu Picchu Fortress to face Harriet Alva in a duel to the death over Harriet’s brother, Addison. Harriet refused to cancel the duel and unleashed the Proof of War after Charlotte evaded his opening attacks.

• Charlotte met Harriet Alva, who revealed that Zimmerman Axel Robin had once beaten him and cost him the chance to apply to university.
• Harriet waited through the witnesses’ checks and formalities, then refused Charlotte’s offer to cancel the duel.
• Charlotte sensed that the labyrinthized Machu Picchu had classified more creatures as NPCs, bringing its total to 1,321.
• Harriet attacked with a military saber and Radiant Battle Qi, while Charlotte used his Alchemy Staff and Agility Technique to dodge twelve slashes.
• Harriet announced that he held two Proofs of Knighthood and summoned the blood-red military banner of the Proof of War.

Charlotte retreated from Harriet’s Proof of War-enhanced assault into Machu Picchu, where a maze separated Sylvie, Aubrey Teuton Atwood, and Vinnie Arsenault from the duel. Charlotte then vanished and left Harriet to clash with Lord Leo, while Charlotte used his Anti-Space Long-Range Rifle to help turn the fight against Harriet.

• Harriet activated the Proof of War, forcing Charlotte to retreat into Machu Picchu as Aubrey Teuton Atwood and Vinnie Arsenault pursued them.
• Sylvie Martin lost her way in the shifting ruins, while Aubrey Teuton Atwood sensed a maze and escaped; Vinnie Arsenault used Cat Transformation Technique to move through the fortress.
• Charlotte struggled against Harriet’s blood-red banner and vanished after several exchanges, leaving Harriet to attack what he thought was Charlotte.
• Lord Leo intercepted Harriet, and Charlotte revealed that his true name was Qian Nan and fired an Anti-Space Long-Range Rifle at Harriet.
• Lord Leo pressed his advantage while Charlotte covered him with the rifle, leaving Harriet badly disadvantaged.

Charlotte learned that Machu Picchu’s game-like labyrinth and its mission system reflected his own memories, and he considered rescuing Lord Leo to earn the Arthur Family’s Blood Kindred True Word Technique. Harriet’s fight with Lord Leo turned against him, and Charlotte’s shifting labyrinth trapped the fleeing knight as Leo pursued him.

• Charlotte discovered the labyrinth’s mission system and rejected missions that would grant Leo or Harriet greater permissions, while deciding that rescuing Leo could earn him the Blood Kindred True Word Technique.
• Harriet unleashed his Proof of Glory but could not locate Charlotte, while Lord Leo transformed his rapier into the Spear of Sharlons and called two servants from his shadow.
• Lord Leo and his servants wounded Harriet, who fled from Machu Picchu Fortress, but Charlotte shifted the labyrinth’s paths and prevented his escape.
• Lord Leo pursued Harriet through the labyrinth and fired an Anti-Space Long-Range Rifle, but Harriet dodged the shot; Charlotte watched with a Silver Rhino in hand.

Charlotte ambushed Harriet in Machu Picchu Fortress while Lord Leo kept him under fire, then learned that vampire blood essence could help him condense a Blood Core. Lord Leo gave Charlotte a vampire secret scroll to use as a reference after Charlotte admitted he was an unauthorized descendant.

• Charlotte used the maze and Blood Rose to wound Harriet twice while Lord Leo's gunfire forced Harriet to keep moving.
• Lord Leo explained that Charlotte should use Harriet's life essence to condense a Blood Core rather than raise his Transcendence rank through devouring.
• Charlotte told Lord Leo that he was an unauthorized descendant and had not learned House of Adonis's vampire secret arts.
• Lord Leo gave Charlotte a book containing House of Arthur's Vampire Secret Scroll as a reference for condensing a Blood Core.

Charlotte received House of Arthur’s Vampire Secret Scroll from Lord Leo, then helped kill Harriet as the fortress maze opened and Lord Leo escaped. Charlotte chose to strengthen Hand of Blazing Flame instead of studying the scroll, with fewer than seventy days left before Carnstein would claim his soul if he failed to master the Adonis Secret Scroll.

• Lord Leo lent Charlotte the Vampire Secret Scroll and warned him to keep the secret, while Charlotte decided he had no use for a Blood Core.
• Harriet shouted that Charlotte was a Byronian vampire, but Vinnie Arsenault and Sylvie Martin dismissed his claims.
• Lord Leo’s shots drove Harriet into Charlotte’s path, and Harriet killed himself before Charlotte’s Blood Rose pierced him; Charlotte later saluted the fallen Imperial soldier.
• The maze paths cleared, allowing Lord Leo to escape as bats without returning for his servants or Charlotte.
• Charlotte opened the Vampire Secret Scroll, then set it aside and invested his absorbed life force into Hand of Blazing Flame.
• Charlotte faced a deadline of fewer than seventy days to master the Adonis Secret Scroll before Carnstein took his soul.

Charlot mastered seven Hands of Blazing Flame after defeating Harriet and considered which secret art to learn next. He rescued Sylvie Martin and Vinnie Arsenault from Machu Picchu and left the ruins with them, while the reason he disliked being called Sylvie’s cousin remained unresolved.

• Charlot realized he had condensed seven Hands of Blazing Flame and tested them by wielding a gun and Blood Rose.
• Charlot learned that Carnstein’s descent had been delayed by another eighteen days and decided to cultivate the Spirit Spider Technique before the Blazing Roaring Bullet.
• Charlot found Sylvie Martin, who objected to being called his cousin but agreed to accept the identity rather than the alternative.
• Charlot found Vinnie Arsenault, showed her a shallow cut to pretend he was a vampire, and took both women out of Machu Picchu.
• Vinnie and Sylvie reflected on Harriet’s defeat but did not ask Charlot how he had survived.

Charlotte returned to Strasbourg after failing to recover Mr. Harriet’s body, then learned that Kreil Brittany supported his marriage to Anne and urged him to seek advancement on the battlefield. Saint Karen offered him the Silver Rhino and Demon-Breaking Armor-Piercing Bullets, leaving Charlotte poised to head to war.

• Charlotte gave Aubrey Teuton Atwood Harriet’s saber and returned to Strasbourg with Vinnie Arsenault and Sylvie Martin.
• Charlotte found Kreil Brittany and Saint Karen visiting his home with Anne Brittany.
• Kreil apologized for failing to help Charlotte duel, pledged lifelong friendship, and asked whether Charlotte truly intended to marry Anne.
• Kreil explained that Charlotte needed to advance beyond the fourth rank to qualify to marry Anne and urged him to fight on the battlefield, where he could develop Bloody Glory and earn distinction.
• Charlotte agreed to go to the battlefield for Anne, the Empire, and humanity’s peace.
• Saint Karen let Charlotte borrow the Silver Rhino indefinitely and gave him a box containing one hundred and twenty Demon-Breaking Armor-Piercing Bullets.

Anne persuaded Charlotte to go to war, believing it was the only way for him to earn the Count’s approval to marry her. After celebrating with Madam Nancy and his three kittens, Charlotte learned that Nancy’s former coworker had been enslaved and sold after her master broke a promise to free her.

• Anne tearfully asked Charlotte to go to war for her and vowed never to marry if he did not return; Charlotte agreed, seeing the battlefield as a chance to grow stronger.
• After Anne left, Nanny Karen told her that the Count had investigated Charlotte, destroyed the results, and was furious about what he had learned.
• Charlotte asked Madam Nancy to bring his three kittens and supplies so they could celebrate, then prepared a barbecue in the backyard.
• Madam Nancy took over grilling and told Charlotte about a New Continent woman who had been promised freedom but was sold after her former master went bankrupt.
• Madam Nancy said she remembered the woman by the nickname Madam Umeboshi Sauce.

Charlotte bought Madam Umeboshi Sauce out of the slave market after Madam Nancy brought her to him, and planned to free and employ her. He returned to cultivation, aiming to master the Spirit Spider Technique so he could fight while retreating from a High-Order Transcendent.

• Charlotte told Madam Nancy to bring Madam Umeboshi Sauce back from the slave market after learning she was in trouble.
• When the slave trader tried to sell Madam Umeboshi Sauce, Charlotte threatened a joint City Patrol operation, and the trader gave her to him without charge.
• Charlotte received Madam Umeboshi Sauce's deed of sale and planned to issue her a certificate of freedom and hire her as a cook in the City Patrol.
• After Charlotte left, Madam Nancy warned Madam Umeboshi Sauce about his rules and dangers, and Madam Umeboshi Sauce ate the food Nancy prepared.
• Charlotte deactivated Insight and resumed cultivating the Spirit Spider Technique to improve his chances against a High-Order Transcendent.

Charlotte learned that the Lucavaro District City Patrol would become the Free Knight Regiment and could be sent to war, while Madam Mavis prepared to resign and warned him he might be sent to the Duchy of Behemoth. After receiving authority to expand the force and a stack of transfer documents, Charlotte went to Kilmainham Prison to recruit personnel.

• Charlotte learned that Hermontha had trained in an incomplete Breathing Technique and offered to help her study Golden Forbidden Flame and advance toward Knight.
• Madam Mavis told Charlotte that the City Patrol would be reorganized into the Free Knight Regiment and that she would resign as Chief Inspector because of her Imperial Guard duties.
• Madam Mavis warned Charlotte that he might be sent to the Duchy of Behemoth to fight Madame Nansera.
• Madam Mavis told Charlotte he could expand the force to three thousand men, then delivered appointment and dismissal documents for the City Patrol and Free Knight Regiment.
• Charlotte realized many employees had come to process transfers, then headed to Kilmainham Prison to recruit personnel.

Charlotte recruited over a thousand prisoners through Warden Anthony and gathered Lucavaro District gang representatives to fill out the reorganized Free Knight Regiment. He asserted that the district would remain under his authority and offered the gangs places in the City Patrol, leaving them subdued by his threat and supernatural weapon.

• Charlotte asked Warden Anthony to connect him with other prisons, and Anthony promised to send more than a thousand prisoners to Falcon Street Number One.
• Charlotte returned to Falcon Street Number One and had Dobbin summon Lucavaro District’s gang leaders.
• Representatives of thirteen gangs arrived, including Scar of the Lone Wolf Gang, Yellow Bear of the Night Beast, Golden Rat of the Grov Brothers, and Doll Sister.
• Charlotte demanded that Lucavaro District remain under City Patrol jurisdiction and offered the gangs blank documents so their people could join the force.
• Scar tried to claim all the recruitment slots, but Charlotte threatened challengers and displayed his Silver Rhino, quieting the gang representatives.
• A Night Beast representative offered to help Charlotte shoulder responsibility for managing the district.

Charlotte reorganized the Lucavaro District City Patrol with prisoners and gang recruits, then led the force to attack the Black Scorpion Gang. The chapter ended as his troops stormed the gang's territory, catching its leader off guard with their overwhelming numbers.

• Charlotte assigned City Patrol expansion slots to thirteen gangs and ordered them to send recruits to Falcon Street Number One for training.
• Anthony sent prisoners from Strasbourg's six major prisons, while the gangs supplied recruits, swelling Charlotte's force to nearly three thousand people.
• Charlotte organized the recruits into squads, appointed his established subordinates as officers, and led the assembled force out for a meal.
• Charlotte directed Maxon and Hermontha to buy food for the Black Scorpion Gang, then announced that the force would seize the gang's wealth and fired a shot that destroyed its front gates.
• Charlotte's adventurers and prisoners charged into the Black Scorpion Gang's territory, and the gang members from the thirteen allied groups followed them.
• Black Scorpion, who had dismissed Dobbin earlier that day, remained unaware that Charlotte had expanded the City Patrol to nearly three thousand troops.

Charlotte led the City Patrol in capturing the Black Scorpion Gang headquarters, killing its leader and promising to share the gang’s wealth. The next morning, Ross Bard offered to bring the Bard Merchant Association into the City Patrol, and Charlotte ordered Dobbin to identify any gangs that still refused to join.

• Charlotte shot Black Scorpion dead, and the Black Scorpion Gang surrendered after its resistance collapsed.
• Charlotte’s forces occupied the headquarters, where dozens died and more than a hundred fled before the remaining members were disarmed.
• After Mason and Hermontha brought food, Charlotte distributed it and promised to divide the Black Scorpion Gang’s valuables among his forces according to their contributions.
• Charlotte kept his exhausted troops at the headquarters overnight and spent the night cultivating Bloody Glory.
• Ross Bard arrived with members of the Bard Merchant Association and offered to join the City Patrol; other visiting gang members also agreed to join.
• Charlotte told Dobbin to find any gangs unwilling to join voluntarily and said he would help them join with dignity.

The Empire of Fars declared war on Byron as the Lucavaro District City Patrol was reorganized into the Free Knight Regiment under new Chief Inspector Dorothy Soumei. Dorothy arrived to work with Charlotte and brought the troops he had been promised.

• The Empire of Fars declared war on Byron, stirring an uproar across the empire.
• The Central Government Office ordered the Lucavaro District City Patrol reorganized into the Free Knight Regiment, transferred Madam Mavis, and appointed Dorothy Soumei as Chief Inspector.
• Dorothy arrived at Charlotte’s office and revealed she was a third-tier Card Magician who used Card Magic to boil water.
• Charlotte explained his dark-roasting method for coffee beans, and Dorothy praised the resulting coffee.
• Dorothy said she had brought the troops Charlotte needed, though he realized he had already addressed the staffing problem with prisoners and recruited gang members.