The First Magic World War

"Who struck again?"

"And they used alchemical explosives!" Explore more adventures at empire

The level of black powder technology in the Old Continent was equivalent to that of the First World War on Earth. However, due to the presence of Transcendents in this world, technology had deviated somewhat. Alchemical explosives had taken the power of explosives to a new level, reaching the standard of high explosives from the Second World War.

The Magic-Breaking Bombshell Bullet in Charles's hand was a masterpiece of alchemical explosive.

If alchemical explosives were used to directly make bombs, the power would be extremely astonishing.

Charles sighed. Apart from feeling secretly relieved that the explosion did not happen in his own jurisdiction, he also mourned for the people who suffered and died.

He rushed down from the rooftop and said to his subordinates, "Dobin, pick ten swordsmanship experts to come with me. The rest of you, stay and guard our area."

Dobin agreed excitedly, taking ten men to follow Charles.

Charles did not ask everyone to come because he was worried that the assassins responsible for the explosion would rush into his jurisdiction. Should someone escape from the Lucavaro District, it would be like an unjust accusation falling from heaven.

As Charles led his men out of the jurisdiction, he saw half the street destroyed by the explosion, everything a charred black. The street was littered with limbs and the incomplete bodies of the deceased.

Although his heart ached, Charles moved swiftly passed and did not stop. Yet, he noticed a detail: there were rapiers on the ground, and even several broken wands. A thought quietly arose, "Why didn't the assassins use firearms?"

Soon, Charles saw a coffin blown open completely, the bodies of Duke Ferdinand and his wife tumbled out, their magnificent clothing covered in black ash. The couple's bodies looked as if they had been smoked with kerosene and had lost their usual dignified elegance.

Not far ahead, there was a crystal-clear white sphere, where twelve Priests formed a Radiant Magic Array, protecting the newly appointed Duke of the Behemoth Duchy, Franz Joseph, within.

Although Charles was not a student of the Royal Hogwarts University, he had heard of the Radiant Magic Array passed down by The Lord of Radiance.

Named after radiance and known as the continent's top Defensive Magic Circle, it was praised as the Hymn of the Gods.

It was said that a great Priest of The Lord of Radiance once used this array to withstand a full blow from the Evil God, maintaining the integrity of the light.

The Behemoth Duchy obviously did not have a Priest of this caliber, and Duke Franz Joseph wasn't entitled to call upon the Radiant Priests for bodyguard duties. These twelve Radiant Priests were the personal guards of Emperor Julius VI of the Empire, with an extremely exalted status.

The Royal prefix of the Royal Hogwarts University exists because The Lord of Radiance recognized the authority of the legitimate Empire, allowing his followers to protect His Majesty the Emperor of the legitimate Empire.

Besides the Empire established by the vampire Byron, several other great imperial emperors of the Old Continent also had Radiant Priests by their sides.

However, the Radiant Priests of other nations were not alumni from the Fars Empire's Royal Hogwarts University.

Charles did not dare to approach, fearing that these Radiant Priests would mistake him for an assassin and purify him on a whim. He gave a distant Imperial salute.

Charles had his men take off their coats and spread them on the ground to lay the bodies of the Duke and Duchess of Ferdinand on top.

This act, needless to say, was of no help but could certainly earn merit.

With the ground covered in the coats of the Patrolling Army and the bodies of the Duke and Duchess of Ferdinand lying on top, any officer who came by would ask, "Who did this?"

Charles activated his Insight. Apart from Duke Franz Joseph and the twelve Radiant Priests, there were no other living souls on the scene. He did not know whether the assassins had fled or perished alongside the bodies of the Duke and Duchess, but there was no point in pursuing the matter further.

It was quite a while before the twelve Radiant Priests finally dissolved the Radiant Magic Array. One of the younger Priests approached the bodies of the Duke and Duchess, made a complex gesture, and immediately a magical fluctuation passed over them, cleaning their remains, making them clean and neat once again.

He said to Charles, "Are you the Superintendent of the Lucavaro District Patrol Army?"

Charles nodded, trying to look sad and angry, and said, "We had just taken over our duties when we saw the...incident over here!"

"So I led the team and rushed over to see if we could do anything!"

The young Priest of the Lord of Radiance said with an unperturbed expression, "I will remember your name and describe your loyalty to the Imperial Emperor."

"But now, please leave immediately."

Without any hesitation, Charles nodded slightly and immediately turned around with his subordinates to leave.

Dobin couldn't help asking, "Are we just going to take a look from here, lay a few coats over the Duke Ferdinand Couple? Shouldn't we do something?"

It was only after returning to the Lucavaro District that Charles said indifferently, "If you want your entire family to evaporate, you can go back..."

Dobin was at a loss for words and muttered in defense, "Is it that bad?"

Charles raised an eyebrow and said, "You can take a gamble!"

"Win, and you satisfy your curiosity and restlessness; lose, and it's 'curtains for the whole family.'"

Dobin didn't know the meaning of the Earth slang "curtains for the whole family," but he could tell from Charles' attitude that it was not a good thing.

In his heart, he was still somewhat unconvinced, but this young third-level Sergeant of the forty-seventh grade was only brash, not foolish, and of course, he knew that Charles' approach was the right one.

It took a while before Dobin spoke in a low voice, "Sir! Are you really not curious at all?"

Charles smiled slightly and said, "Curious!"

"But I only take a look at curiosities that are free."

"For those curiosities that cost an arm and a leg, let those with a big family at home appreciate them."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Dobin looked at the smile on Charles' face and somehow felt a chill in his heart, scared not by Charles but by the entire Empire...

As an old hand in the Patrolling Army, he certainly knew that some things should not stir too much curiosity, because colleagues who died of curiosity were no fewer than those who died in the line of duty.

After Charles led his team back to number one Sparrowhawk Street and waited for the convoy for a few hours, completing another escort mission, everyone was hungry and tired. He immediately declared a feast for everyone.

Dobin personally went out and bought a cartload of food and twenty kegs of wheat beer, not trying to save a penny for Charles.

Once the Patrolling Army subordinates had their fill and spirits lifted, just as Charles was about to announce the dispersal of the team, a carriage drove into the City Patrol Army Office.

Mason stopped the carriage with a few men, having now mentally transitioned from adventurer to member of the Patrolling Army, he dutifully said, "This is the office of the Lucavaro District Patrol Army. Please leave immediately if there is no business here."

The coachwoman, a robust woman in neat clothes with skilled hands, arrogantly said, "My lady is the Superintendent of the Lucavaro District Patrol Army; tell Mister Mecklen to come here."

Mason was startled and quickly went to find Charles.

Charles, hearing that his "partner" had arrived, was also surprised and followed Mason to the carriage, where he performed an Imperial salute and asked, "Is it Mrs. Mavis?"