"Who made a move this time?"
"And they used alchemical explosives!"
In the Old Continent, the black powder technology is comparable to that of Earth's World War I level. However, given that this is a world with supernatural powers, technology has taken some unique paths. Alchemical explosives have greatly enhanced the power of explosives, bringing them up to the level of high explosives used in World War II.
The piercing explosive rounds that Charlotte possesses are a masterpiece of alchemical explosives.
If alchemical explosives were used to create direct explosives, the resulting power would be quite terrifying.
Charlotte sighed, feeling relieved that the explosion didn't happen in his jurisdiction, and silently mourned for those who suffered and died.
He quickly descended from the rooftop and said to his subordinate, "Dubin, pick ten of our best swordsmen to come with me. The rest, stay here and guard the district."
Dubin responded enthusiastically, selecting ten men to follow Charlotte.
Charlotte didn't bring everyone along because he was worried that the culprits behind the explosion might flee into his district, which would unfairly put the blame on him.
As Charlotte and his team rushed out of the district, they came upon a scene of devastation: half a street had been destroyed, with blackened debris everywhere, and dismembered bodies and limbs scattered across the ground.
Although Charlotte felt a pang of sorrow, he quickly moved on without lingering. However, he did notice a few telling details: among the wreckage, there were swords and even several broken staves. A thought crossed his mind: "Why didn't the assassins use guns?"
Soon, Charlotte reached the scene where the casket had been completely blown apart, and the bodies of Grand Duke Ferdinand and his wife were exposed, their once opulent clothes now covered in soot, their dignified appearances lost.
Not far ahead, there was a pristine, white sphere of light. Inside it, twelve priests had formed a radiant magic circle, protecting the new Duke of Behemoth, Franz Joseph.
Although Charlotte was not a student of the Royal Hogwitz University, he had heard of this radiant magic circle passed down from the Lord of Radiance.
The Radiant Magic Circle, as its name suggests, is reputed to be the most powerful defensive magic circle on the continent, with the epithet "Chant of the Gods' Radiance."
It is said that a high priest of the Lord of Radiance once used this formation to withstand a full-force attack from an evil god, keeping the radiance unscathed.
Of course, the Principality of Behemoth didn't have priests of that level, and Duke Franz Joseph didn't have the standing to command such a defense. These twelve Radiant Priests were personal guards of Emperor Julius VI, and held extremely high status.
The Royal Hogwitz University bears the "Royal" title because the Lord of Radiance recognizes the authority of the legitimate empire, allowing his followers to protect the rightful emperor.
Aside from Byron, the vampire-ruled empire, the other great empires on the Old Continent all have Radiant Priests by their emperors' sides.
However, the Radiant Priests in other countries are not graduates of the Royal Hogwitz University of the Fars Empire.
Charlotte wisely kept his distance, fearing that these Radiant Priests might mistake him for an assassin and purify him on the spot. From afar, he made a formal imperial salute.
Charlotte then had his men remove their coats and lay them on the ground, carefully placing the bodies of Grand Duke Ferdinand and his wife on them.
This act was, of course, of little consequence, but it would earn them credit.
A row of coats on the ground, with the bodies of the Grand Duke and his wife lying on them, would make any superior officer ask, "Who did this?"
Charlotte activated his insight ability, and aside from Duke Franz Joseph and the twelve Radiant Priests, there were no other living beings at the scene. He couldn't tell if the assassins had escaped or perished with the Grand Duke and his wife, but there was no need to pursue them.
After a long while, the twelve Radiant Priests finally dismantled the Radiant Magic Circle. One of the young priests approached the bodies of the Grand Duke and his wife, making a complex gesture. A wave of magical energy passed over the scene, cleansing the bodies of the Grand Duke and his wife, making them clean and pristine once again.
The priest then turned to Charlotte and said, "You're the commander of the Lukavaro District City Guard?"
Charlotte nodded, doing his best to appear sorrowful and angry as he said, "We had just completed our handover when we saw this… incident!"
"So I led my men over to see if we could do anything."
The young Radiant Priest, his expression calm and unruffled, replied, "I have noted your name and will inform His Majesty of your loyalty."
"But for now, please leave immediately."
Without hesitation, Charlotte nodded slightly and led his men away.
Dubin couldn't help but ask, "We just came here to take a look and lay some coats on the Grand Duke and his wife? Shouldn't we do something more?"
It was only after they had returned to the Lukavaro District that Charlotte coolly replied, "If you want your entire family to disappear, you can go back."
Dubin was speechless for a moment, then muttered, "It's not that serious, is it?"
Charlotte raised an eyebrow and said, "You can take a gamble!"
"If you win, you satisfy your curiosity and the itch in your heart; if you lose, your entire family will be wiped out."
Dubin didn't understand the phrase "wiped out" that Charlotte used, but he could tell from Charlotte's attitude that it wasn't a good thing.
He was still somewhat unconvinced, but as a seasoned sergeant of the city guard, he knew that Charlotte was right.
After a while, Dubin finally muttered, "Sir, aren't you even a little curious?"
Charlotte smiled slightly and said, "Curious!"
"But I only indulge in free curiosity."
"Curiosity with an expensive ticket is best left to those with large families to appreciate."
Dubin looked at the smile on Charlotte's face, and for some reason, he felt a chill in his heart. What frightened him wasn't Charlotte, but the entire empire…
As a veteran of the city guard, he knew well that some things were best left unexplored, as the number of colleagues who died from curiosity wasn't much less than those who died in the line of duty.
Charlotte led his men back to Swallow Street No. 1. After waiting for the convoy for several hours and then escorting the mission, everyone was tired and hungry. He immediately announced that everyone could have a hearty meal.
Dubin personally led a group to buy a cartload of food and twenty barrels of ale, not skimping on the expense.
After the city guards had eaten their fill and were in good spirits, Charlotte was about to announce the disbandment of the team when a carriage drove into the city guard office.
Marson and a few others went up to block it. He had now fully adapted to his role as a city guard and dutifully asked, "This is the Lukavaro District City Guard Office. If you have no business here, please leave immediately."
The carriage driver was a stout woman, neatly dressed and with skilled hands. She arrogantly said, "My mistress is the Grand Warden of the Lukavaro District City Guard. Bring Mr. Mecklenburg here."
Marson was taken aback and quickly went to fetch Charlotte.
Charlotte was also surprised to hear that his "partner" had arrived. He followed Marson to the carriage and, with an imperial salute, asked, "Is it Lady Mayweather?"