The First Magic World War

Chapter 431: 398, Count Charles Mekelen held Duke Anne Brittany

McLaren Brittany chuckled, then was submerged in sorrow again, whispering, “Nanny was also my most precious treasure! I would trade all my wealth, all my lands, and all my power just to have her back!”

“Go! Anne will be yours, but not as a reward from me. That is a matter for you two alone!”

Charles and Antonio left hand in hand, and McLaren Brittany, soon-to-be Emperor of the Empire, looked towards the departing door and muttered to himself, “Count Charles Mekelen, what kind of man is he, really?”

“Every word he says, every letter, seems so hypocritical, it sounds like braggadocio, making one want to slap him!”

“But, he truly did make every word he said come true!”

“I really don’t know if handing Anne over to him was the right choice.”

“But… even if I tried to stop it, Anne would elope with him anyway!”

“Anne, that guy literally snatched her from my hands!”

“Right here, I watched him pry my fingers open one by one, so domineering and tyrannical, taking Anne away.”

“Although… I still quite fancy killing that bastard!”

“Anne!”

McLaren Brittany glanced at a pile of “confessions” in the corner. Those were from thirty-two individuals of Silver Pigeon Fort, who under very special circumstances had written by their own hand how they “envied” the outstanding Charles Mekelen, “fabricated” “rumors” about Charles Mekelen, and there was a pile of evidence proving just how pure and nobly virtuous the young Charles Mekelen was.

The only concern of the old Emperor was, at the time of the wedding, that this bastard wouldn’t be too flamboyant, so as to avoid revealing his “pure toad’s feet.”

Charles left 58 Sixth Avenue in Val de Vaz District, looked back, and felt a cold sweat run down his back. It was the residence of Earl Brittany.

He had never imagined that the former Earl Brittany, the future Emperor McLaren Brittany, would be so cunning, forming an agreement with Byron, Inglima, and the Lionheart Dynasty to divide the Black Phoenix Dynasty without a whisper, making the old Emperor seem too aged and Redmir a simpleton!

Although Redmir, in his bid for the throne, managed to redeploy all of the Sacred Order from Strasbourg, like Count Galanode who had been in Ferlanden and Princess Akso who was sent to the Lionheart Dynasty, and McLaren Brittany himself was dispatched to the frontline, creating a temporary “vacuum” in Strasbourg and drawing Duke Mosleyd to his side, and even having fierce warriors like Midaphis, as well as more than ten loyal members of the Sacred Order, he still acted like a simpleton!

Antonio, walking ahead, suddenly felt that Charles wasn’t keeping up, turned back to look, and saw Charles gazing at 58 Sixth Avenue in Val de Vaz District, and he felt a profound sense of emotion. The son of a merchant was now the Emperor of Brittany’s appointed leader of the twelve sacred knights!

Although McLaren Brittany did not say it expressly, the very fact that he named Charles first, before his own son, when bestowing honors, certainly showed his attitude.

Count Charles Mekelen was destined to become the new powerbroker of Fars!

His family would at least have a duke, an earl, and even formidable strength. Charles now had seven of the Sacred Order under his command, and aside from Vigo, five were strong members of the 22nd Order. He even had Kresto, the great leader of the Royal Knights Order who was capable of repelling Amisphidas, King of Ten Thousand Lions, on par with himself, Antonio, Midaphis Axer, and even one of the former top five of the three elites.

Marrying the Emperor’s eldest daughter, having a bond of life and death with his eldest son, commanding a strong military, and surrounded by mighty warriors…

Count Charles Mekelen’s future was limitless!

Aside from his strength being a bit weak…

But at Charles’ age, a High-Level Transcendent of the 15th Order couldn’t really be considered weak anymore.

Antonio called out, “Charles, it’s time to pick up Anne.”

Charles turned around and said, “I have fantasized countless times that one day, I could enter these doors, stand tall, and say to Your Majesty: I want to marry your daughter!”

“However, I never imagined that when I truly entered these doors…”

“It would be to receive Your Majesty’s conferment!”

Antonio fell silent for a long while before saying, “Count Mecklen! We should hurry to meet the Grand Duchess of Brittany!”

“There isn’t much time, your brief sentiments can be put aside for now!”

For the first time, Charles witnessed his normally solemn uncle’s whimsical side. He raised his eyebrows and followed Antonio’s pace.

The two met Anne’s procession a few dozen kilometers away from Strasbourg.

Upon seeing her brother and Charles, Anne cried out loud and threw herself into Charles’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

Antonio actually reached out his hand too, but upon seeing this scene, he could only sheepishly say, “Let us return to see His Majesty!”

Charles nodded, effortlessly swept Anne into his arms, and stepped onto the carriage!

This scene was just witnessed by a wandering painter who passed by. After returning, he silently reminisced about that moment and painted a timeless masterpiece “Count Charles Mecklen Embracing Anne, Duchess of Brittany”.

Because of this masterpiece, the posture of holding someone in one’s arms across became known throughout the Old Continent as the “Princess Anne Embrace,” commonly referred to as the princess carry!

Charles was unaware that he would one day become the subject of a “world-famous painting”. Anne, who had been in tears throughout the journey, felt a slight consolation upon seeing Charles and cried herself to sleep. He merely worried about jolting her and did not let go of her throughout the carriage ride.

Although Antonio felt this was improper, he could only silently turn his head and pretend he hadn’t seen anything.

The young Earl Antonio Brittany had no idea that, although no one saw this scene, a few years later, a painter inspired by “Count Charles Mecklen Embracing Anne, Duchess of Brittany” would use his extraordinary imagination to create “The Unwillingness to Disturb the Mood”, depicting Charles holding Princess Anne, while young Earl Antonio Brittany turned his head slightly to the side, pretending to see nothing.

This painting too became a world-renowned work!

Charles and Antonio also had no idea that the scene of them going out to bring Anne home would soon become the subject of world-famous paintings. Years later, when Anne Brittany found out about these two paintings, she spent a considerable sum to acquire the works and their copyrights from the two painters. She then included both masterpieces as illustrations in the latest edition of “The Chronicles of Charles”.

When Charles once more laid eyes on 58 Sixth Avenue, he couldn’t help but feel a bit sentimental.

Antonio patted him on the shoulder and said, “From now on, this place is your home too.”

Charles hesitated for a moment before responding, “I don’t think that’s quite appropriate! I think it would be better to ask His Majesty for a ducal mansion.”

Antonio sensed the vengeful spirit of his brother-in-law!

Antonio Brittany could never have imagined that there would come a day when simply being an “earl” and living in an “earl’s mansion” would subject him to open ridicule right to his face!

And he could not refute it because his sister really was Anne Brittany, the Grand Duchess.

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