The First Magic World War

"Anne! Is this Mister Mecklen?"

Anne hadn't yet figured out how to placate Charles when she heard an exceptionally gentle voice.

Two young officers approached side by side.

Both were in their late twenties, triumphant and vibrant.

One of the young officers was strikingly handsome, with golden short hair and emerald eyes, slightly effeminate, bearing a slight resemblance to Anne.

Having joined the Patrolling Army, Charles had to catch up on some military knowledge from the Old Continent and recognized the other's military rank on his epaulet, surprisingly a 24th Rank First-Level Warrant Officer.

The 24th Rank position, in the Empire, was deemed an insurmountable class that ordinary citizens could not achieve in their lifetime through regular promotions, even with faultlessness and additional commendations.

The other young officer, sunny and robust, with black hair and black eyes, naturally exuded an oppressive aura, was a 25th Rank Fifth-Level Army Warden, ten ranks higher than Charles's Third-Level Clerk Chief. Without external help, Charles would need at least thirty more long years to reach such a position.

Charles awkwardly performed an Imperial salutation and said, "I am Charles Mecklen, good afternoon to both gentlemen."

The young officer, who resembled Anne, stepped forward and said, "Anne has asked me to help you with a duel."

"Although I have agreed, I do have a small request."

"If you can withstand my three moves, I will help unconditionally. If you cannot, I will still help, but please stay away from Anne afterward."

Anne's expression changed slightly, and she said, "Cousin Krel, I can do without your help."

Krel Brittany gave a slight smile and said, "Mister Mecklen, what do you think?"

Charles took a deep breath and said, "I respect Anne's opinion!"

"But... personally, I would very much like to duel with someone of your caliber, a High-Level Transcendent like Mister Brittany."

Charles knew what to do to "earn points" in front of a member of the Brittany Family; he could not let Anne think he was a coward, nor could he show cowardice in front of Anne's cousin Krel, giving him a bad impression.

Most importantly, dueling with Krel held no risk to life.

He was soon to face a duel invitation from the Fierce Horse Society, and having the experience of sparring with a skilled opponent would be greatly beneficial for the upcoming duels.

Charles did not have the habit of placing all his hopes on others.

He was ready to take matters into his own hands.

Krel raised an eyebrow and said to Anne, "I won't strike too hard."

The Fifth-Level Army Warden at Krel's side stepped back, clearing the area.

Anne was a bit anxious but after looking at the two men, ultimately she stepped aside.

This is the University of Georgia, where a martial spirit prevails among nearly all nations of the Old Continent. If Charles were to dodge this duel, it would not take long before he'd be nicknamed a coward.

On the other hand, losing a duel is a fairly common occurrence and does not harm one's reputation.

He also believed his cousin would not strike too hard.

When someone challenges to a duel, it is quite an attractive event at the university. Soon, dozens of students had gathered around, and more were continuously arriving.

Krel Brittany stood more than ten steps away from Charles, but he did not move immediately. Instead, he leisurely took out a pair of pristine white silk gloves and said, "Do you mind?"

Charles shook his head and replied, "Not at all!"

As Krel put on the gloves, he said, "I have a bit of a germ phobia. During a duel, I prefer to wear gloves so as not to directly touch the opponent."

Seeing that his opponent intended not to use a weapon, Charles also slowly activated Bloody Glory and said, "I washed my hands just before coming here."

Krel smiled and said, "Please, defend yourself!"

He appeared refined and somewhat effeminate, yet once he moved, he was as swift as a hurricane. His hands struck like blades, unleashing dozens of thrusts in an instant, filling the air with the phantom of his pointed fingers.

The very first moment, Charles activated his Insight, and by the next, he had determined that he could definitely not keep up with the "hand speed" of the blond young officer, and his body instantly transformed into a mass of Blood Flame.

Krel hailed from Hatingen Thunder and Storm University, which, unlike the other three universities, produced the most knights. Both Thunder Knights and Storm Knights are the top knightly legacies in the Old Continent.

While Sheffield University boasts techniques such as Dark Breath and Black Moon Meditation Technique, Lady Black Moon's most genuine legacy is not that of a knight but a Dark Moon Sorcerer!

The University of Georgia is favored by the Elf God, and its most orthodox legacy is astrology and card magic. Anne Brittany chose the Transcendent path of the Dreamwalker, which belongs to this tradition.

Incidentally, the Fairy Cat Magic mastered by Vinnie Yarsaenu also originates from the University of Georgia.

The Blood Flame state is immune to most physical attacks, but knights from Hatingen Thunder and Storm University all have an element of thunder or storm in their Fighting Spirit. Charles had no intention to resist Krel's hand blades directly but instead tried to "empty" his body. Under the agitation of the Fighting Spirit, the Blood Flame floated around like nimble feathers, clinging to Krel's thrusting hands, lightly swirling around.

Charles maximized his use of the special abilities Insight and Angel's Thorn.

Though Krel was unarmed, he employed the authentic knightly swordsmanship of Hatingen Thunder and Storm University.

With Insight, Charles anticipated changes in the airflow. With the swordsmanship knowledge from Angel's Thorn, linked to the Asiluo Clan, he predicted his opponent's swordplay shifts and managed to withstand a round of assaults from this Seventeenth Rank Knight.

Krel was greatly surprised. Although he had indeed held back, he had not expected Charles to navigate the danger so adeptly, avoiding his deadly Thunderstorm Sword Technique.

Switching from thrusts to a light flick, Krel struck with his palm, and Charles, unable to react in time, was sent reeling back dozens of steps. Despite a gap of more than ten ranks between them, if Krel had been serious, he could have instantly killed Charles. However, after flicking Charles away, he did not strike again. Instead, he took off his gloves, casually stimulated his Fighting Spirit and shattered them into fine dust, asking, "Did you choose Bloody Glory at the university?"

Charles regained his human form, his face somewhat pale. Krel truly was a Seventeenth Rank Grand Knight. Although by leveraging Insight and Angel's Thorn, he avoided the opponent's initial flurry of thrusts, it was akin to dancing on a knife's edge. The Bloodflame Transformation Technique was still affected by the residual force of Krel's Fighting Spirit, and he sustained minor injuries.

"If we were on a battlefield, my Insight would hardly be of any use; even if I could predict the opponent's strike direction, I wouldn't be able to withstand it. Even though Angel's Thorn contains the Asiluo Clan's sophisticated swordplay, my rank is too low..."

Charles took a deep breath, Bloody Glory slowly circulating as he attempted to expel the residual force of the Fighting Spirit from his body, and answered, "Yes, I chose Bloody Glory."