Tome of Blood

A familiar voice came and attracted everyone's attention.

The door of the meeting hall was gently pushed open, and Charlotte, who was wearing a black noble dress, appeared in everyone's sight.

Sebastian was the first to react.

I saw that the flame elf stood up from his seat almost instantly, his expression full of surprise.

"Owner!"

He hurriedly knelt down on one knee, and saluted with his right hand in front of his chest.

Seeing the girl who pushed the door and entered, the knights and nobles closest to the door were also slightly stunned.

Then, they also got up one after another, bowed and saluted:

"Master Earl!"

"Master Earl!"

"My lord..."

Respectful voices sounded like echoes in the chamber one after another.

As if there was a chain reaction, the nobles and knights in the hall were like a wheat field blown by the wind. They stood up first, and then bowed and saluted one after another:

"Master Earl!"

Charlotte's eyes slowly swept across the hall.

She nodded slightly, as a response to everyone's honor, and then walked towards the front of the meeting hall.

The personal guard knight who guarded the door consciously greeted him.

They lined up on both sides, raised their saluting swords, showed respect, raised their heads and chests, and followed closely behind Charlotte.

As Charlotte entered the arena, the nobles consciously gave way to the sides, giving way to a direct path to the front.

Charlotte passed through the crowd calmly, and the nobles on both sides bowed their heads in greeting.

She came to the front of the meeting hall, and her blue eyes glanced at Viscount Leon-Castel who also stood up with a half-smile.

The old Viscount saluted equally tremblingly, and said respectfully and excitedly:

"Count... my lord!"

Charlotte glanced at him quietly, nodded slightly, and then naturally sat down on the main seat.

Looking across the audience, she said gently:

"Sit down, you don't need to stand."

After receiving Charlotte's order, the nobles sat down again.

The hall was extremely quiet, completely different from the noise of the vegetable market before.

Obviously, although Charlotte has only been in Castelland for a few months, she has already established a certain authority among the nobles by virtue of her work of eliminating the infiltrated vampires!

At least... authority has been established among the nobles who are still surrounded by Castel's banner!

"Where did you discuss it just now? Oh, yes, don't worry about me for now. This should be an interim noble meeting called by Sebastian, right? You continue discussing first, and I will listen in for a while."

Charlotte sat on the lord's throne, moved her butt left and right to change to a more comfortable sitting position, and said.

"Owner……"

Sebastian stood up slowly, his scarlet eyes fell on Viscount Len-Castel, and he said with a chuckle:

"As you can see, just now we are listening to His Excellency Viscount Leon Castel's proposal to form a temporary regency cabinet!"

Charlotte's eyes naturally fell on the old Viscount.

Her expression did not show the slightest bit of dissatisfaction, but even a little curiosity.

However, being watched by her pair of beautiful blue eyes, Viscount Leon-Castle felt a great pressure.

The old Viscount stood up again almost immediately, and quickly explained:

"My lord, please forgive my recklessness."

"You haven't shown up these days, the people in the territory are fluctuating, and my proposal is only to integrate the power of the Castel nobles..."

"Of course, since you are safe and sound, there is no need for the so-called regency cabinet. After all, you are the backbone of Castel."

Charlotte nodded slightly:

"Your Excellency, Viscount, don't be so panic-stricken. As the lord of Castel, I understand what you're doing."

Saying that, she looked at Sebastian again:

"Sebas, you have been the one who has been presiding over the work of the territory on my behalf for a while, so you can continue to preside over today's meeting."

"Yes, master."

Sebastian saluted respectfully.

He looked at the nobles in the venue again, and his confidence was much stronger:

"The master has already arrived. I don't think you will continue to have doubts about the Earl's Mansion, right? Now... everyone should be willing to follow me and fight against the rebels of the Legris family, right?"

After hearing Sebastian's words, the nobles in the hall looked at each other, and then nodded one after another:

"Since the Earl is safe and sound, then we must fully support the Earl in suppressing the rebellion."

"My lord Earl shows up, and all the rumors in the territory are self-defeating. We are willing to follow the lord Earl and quell Legris' rebellion!"

"The 800 soldiers of our Valais family have assembled and are always ready to fight for Castel!"

"Our Long family has recruited a thousand soldiers and is willing to fight with the Earl!"

"All for Castel!"

"..."

Even the Viscount Leon-Castel at the front said respectfully:

"The Len-Castel family has also gathered 600 light infantry, 200 heavy infantry, 200 archers, 100 cavalry, and a full three extraordinary knights, waiting for the order of the Earl's House... ..."

The nobles in the hall showed their loyalty one after another, reporting the number of recruited troops one after another.

Listening to the oath of allegiance of the nobles, Charlotte nodded slightly with a satisfied expression.

However, unlike the calm on the surface, sitting on the lord's seat at this moment, her heart was already in chaos.

Especially after hearing that several towns in the north of Castelland have fallen:

good guy...

This sounds like a discussion, has the Legris family in the north officially rebelled?

How long has she been asleep?

Charlotte doesn't know what's going on in her own territory.

After waking up from the secret room, she changed her clothes and followed the call of blood and went straight to the council hall. When she came in, she only heard Viscount Len-Castle proposing some regent cabinet there, and the rest was completely Confused.

However, she did not interrupt the meeting hastily.

Falling asleep was her secret.

Although I don't know how the nobles found out that she was missing, and Nis, who was supposed to be a substitute, didn't know where she died, but as a lord, she must not show that she is ignorant of what happened in the territory .

This not only damages her authority, but also makes some interested people doubt her after a long time...

Charlotte still recognized Sebastian's ability.

Since the power was delegated to the other party, she might as well sit on the sidelines and listen in, to understand the ins and outs of the matter.

Charlotte thus became an audience.

And following the discussion among the nobles in the hall, Sebastian deliberately guided and inadvertently explained, gradually, Charlotte also had a general understanding of Castel's current situation...

First of all, four months should have passed since her deep sleep.

In the third month of her slumber, a major event happened in the territory.

That was when the Legris family, one of the three viscount families, hired mercenaries to attack "her" when "she" went to inspect the Castel silver mine.

Of course, it wasn't the real "her" that the Legris family attacked, but Niss, who was disguised as a substitute for "her".

After that, the Legris family raised the banner of rebellion.

They first claimed that Castel had been emptied by the nobles headed by the Leon-Castel family, and launched a rebellion in the name of "the side of the Qing Dynasty".

After gaining the support of the neighboring lords of Castel, the Legris family even announced that Charlotte's bloodline was in doubt.

They claimed that the real Charlotte was long dead, and that the fake Charlotte ruled Castel illegally and brutally, and formally waged war on the Earl's Palace in the name of overthrowing the rule of the hypocrite and tyrant.

Within a month, they had assembled more than ten thousand troops, successively captured several cities in the north of the Castel Territory, and the flames of war spread all the way to the south...

If the Silver Mining City had not had Viscount Remisio and the Royal Army sitting in the town, and Viscount Remisio had repeatedly warned the rebels not to invade the Castel Silver Mine, which would affect the normal mining of the Crescent Royal Family, otherwise the neutrality would be lifted If the position is involved in the rebellion... I am afraid that even the City of Mining Silver has already fallen.

But even so, the rebels have cut off the connection between the Earl's Mansion and the Silver Mining City, and North Port has almost lost contact with the Castel Silver Mine.

And after Legris in the north announced the rebellion, Sebastian also immediately summoned the nobles of the territory and called up troops in the name of Charlotte to suppress the rebellion.

Afterwards, the lords from all over the country led their troops to Beigang.

What happened next, even if Sebastian and the nobles didn't talk about it, Charlotte could probably guess it all.

That's right, she did hand over the management authority of the territory to Sebastian before she fell asleep, but what she herself firmly controlled was only Castel's direct jurisdiction.

Feudalism is not the county of the Celestial Dynasty, and the lord's constraints on the vassals are not so strong. Although Charlotte has won the loyalty of many nobles, Charlotte is Charlotte, and Sebas is Sebas.

Being in Beigang, Sebas may be able to directly mobilize the army in Beigang, but he lacks effective restraint on the nobles who follow orders from all over the place.

Only Charlotte and the Castel family can restrain the nobility.

Charlotte has been "missing" for too long, and there are various rumors flooding the territory. Under such circumstances, unless Charlotte shows up, it will be difficult for Sebastian to win the support of the nobles.

Even if they win support, it may be difficult to unite.

Today's meeting is held under such circumstances.

Sebastian wanted to use this meeting to integrate the power of the nobles and form an allied force to counter the rebellion.

Without Charlotte's restraint, the nobles who were summoned were unwilling to bow to Sebas and give up the leadership of the coalition forces.

Under such circumstances, the leader of the Loyalist nobles, Viscount Len-Castel, who had been completely bound to Castel, proposed to form a regency cabinet.

Thinking of this, Charlotte couldn't help but glanced at the old Viscount who was discussing the battle plan with Sebastian.

From this point of view, she had misunderstood the old noble just now.

It is true that under the premise that the lord is missing, his actions are suspected of seizing power.

But after traveling for more than a year, Charlotte's understanding of Miria's aristocratic system is no longer a novice.

Even if Viscount Leon-Castle had selfish intentions, if she hadn't shown up all this time, forming a regent cabinet council would indeed be the fastest way to unify the power of the nobility.

There are many things that are difficult to distinguish right from wrong. It can only be said that even Charlotte didn't expect that Nisi's perverted cat was kidnapped, which directly led to the disappearance of her substitute!

However, although Nice's whereabouts are unknown, Charlotte can still clearly feel the connection between her soul and the other party.

The guy is still alive.

"My lord, we have finished our discussion. This is a rough plan, please review it."

The words of Viscount Len Castel interrupted Charlotte's thoughts, Charlotte nodded slightly, and took the parchment that recorded the battle plan from the other party.

Looking at the numbers recorded above, Charlotte was a little surprised:

"You pulled a total of 35,000 people?"

Viscount Leon-Castle said respectfully:

"That's right, there are forty-five families of nobles who have been summoned this time, and each family has brought at least 100 conscripts and 20 private soldiers. The noble army has assembled 22,000 people."

"In addition, there are thirteen noble families coming, including three barons. They should be able to summon about 3,000 conscripts. There are a total of 25,000 nobles in the coalition army."

Sebas nodded:

"Except for the defenders on the front line, the direct-controlled territory can still mobilize a standing reserve of 2,000 people, 3,000 conscripts, and 5,000 mercenaries."

"All the troops add up to thirty-five thousand men."

Charlotte: ...

Good guy, so many people were pulled out of an earldom, she would have believed it was a kingdom in her previous life!

Ah, no, even for those countries in the Middle Ages in the previous life, it is not easy to gather so many armies. The mobilization ability of the other world really cannot be regarded with common sense...

"My lord..."

Viscount Lien-Castle stepped forward and said respectfully:

"Our military strength is three times that of the rebel army, and our military strength has the upper hand. Not only that, although the rebel army is composed of the elite private soldiers of the Legris family, more than 80% of them are conscripts and mercenaries, and their combat effectiveness is not strong. "

"At present, the rebels have already attacked the upper reaches of the Dorn River in the north. I suggest that the coalition forces go north immediately after integrating their troops, and station on the side of the Dorn River to prevent the rebels from crossing the river. At the same time, they will train on the spot and seek possible fighters..."

"His Excellency Baron Angus de Valle once made great achievements in the Star-Moon War, and he can lead the army to fight as a commander."

After listening to Viscount Len Castel's suggestion, Charlotte fell into deep thought. She glanced at Sebastian and said:

"Sebas, what do you think?"

Sebastian sighed:

"Master, I still have some experience in managing territories, but I'm not good at leading troops in battle."

Charlotte nodded slightly, expressing her understanding.

Forget about Sebastian.

When it comes to fighting, she herself is a layman.

Let alone fighting in the extraordinary world, everything happened so suddenly now...