Blood Holy Scripture: True Ancestor Charlotte de Castel
Chapter 175: -6- Third Prince and Eleanor_2

Chapter 175: -6- Third Prince and Eleanor_2

This was her way of indirectly inquiring when she would return from her domain.

The influence of the Castel family in the Bold Duchy was immense, and with their wealth, such power could not be ignored by anyone.

Charlotte had no interest in beating around the bush with these nobles, and instead spoke frankly,

"Your Highness, upon returning to the domain, I fear I might take up permanent residence in Castel."

"You know, I am too young, a female, and uninterested in holding an office within the Duchy, so there really is no need for me to continue staying in Bold City."

"However, as a vassal of Bold, Castel will strictly fulfill its contract and will not hinder Lord Eleanor’s upcoming inheritance of the domain."

Charlotte’s blunt words seemed to make the Third Prince slightly uncomfortable.

He smiled faintly and said,

"Miss Charlotte, thank you for your support of Eleanor. Since you have plans already, we have a long future ahead of us, so I will not insist on your staying."

After the failed invitation, the Third Prince dropped the subject and instead started discussing with Charlotte the sights and events she encountered on her way.

It must be said, this Third Prince was truly well-traveled and informed, and through him, Charlotte learned much about the customs and culture of various regions of the New Moon Kingdom.

Meanwhile, as a member of the Royal Family, the nobles who desired closeness with the Third Prince were countless.

This allowed Charlotte, almost inadvertently, to make the acquaintance of quite a few nobles and even manage to negotiate a couple of deals, reaping some unexpected small gains.

The banquet continued until the early morning.

It must be said, this group of nobles, almost all Transcendents, had such vigorous energy; they danced for such a long time without showing signs of fatigue.

Charlotte, however, was very tired - emotionally exhausted.

In the first half of the month attending banquets, she rarely encountered nobles of higher rank than herself, and at all these events, she was the central figure around whom everyone else revolved.

There were six or seven Earls present at this banquet, and conversing with these old foxes was truly exhausting.

The Moon Guardian Duke took good care of her, reserving the best guest room in the Duke Mansion for her.

After returning to her room, Charlotte closed the door and looked at Sebastian:

"Sebastian, what do you think about the Third Prince and Eleanor?"

Sebastian was startled for a moment, not quite understanding the point of Charlotte’s question initially. After thinking for a bit, he said,

"It seems just as the rumors say, the Third Prince has not given up on the inheritance of the throne and has been secretly expanding his power. Great lady, you were right to decline his invitation."

"No, I wanted to inquire if there is anything amiss with their spiritual state."

Charlotte shook her head.

"Spiritual state?"

Sebastian furrowed his brow.

Then, his expression turned solemn:

"My lady, have you discovered something?"

Charlotte: ...

It seemed Sebastian had not noticed anything abnormal about Eleanor’s state.

No, in fact, other than at the initial meeting, Charlotte had not felt that familiar void during the subsequent times, as if her first impression was merely an illusion.

Charlotte trusted that she would not have illusions without reason.

But she did not want to delve deeper into this matter.

On one side was the heir to the Bold Duchy, and on the other, an aspirant to the Kingdom’s throne. Regardless of the scheming involved, she was weary of wading into murky waters.

However, Sebastian’s words sparked a bit of curiosity in Charlotte:

"Sebastian, you said the Third Prince has not given up on the throne’s inheritance, but I thought the New Moon Kingdom practiced primogeniture? The right of succession shouldn’t reach the Third Prince at all, should it?"

Sebastian respectfully answered,

"Master, the New Moon Kingdom indeed practices primogeniture, but the Eldest Prince of the New Moon Kingdom died long ago in the Star Moon War."

"Nowadays, the King of the New Moon Kingdom is quite old, and the Second Prince, who is closer to the Church, is said to be out of favor with the current king, and the Fourth Prince is too young, so... you understand."

Charlotte immediately understood.

Nobles and the Church, although interconnected, were also not on the best of terms.

Not to mention the princes of the Kingdom, her closeness with the Church alone caused dissatisfaction among the Lower Nobles of the Castel Territory; even the envoys and representatives sent for her coming-of-age ceremony lacked significant stature, let alone a king who was at odds with the Church.

Thus, it seemed the succession issue in the New Moon Kingdom was also fraught with undercurrents.

"So he invited me to attend a banquet three days later, the kingdom’s lords present at those banquets, they must be supporters of the Third Prince, right?"

Charlotte curiously asked.

"Indeed, it seems so, not only this, but the Third Prince’s intention to control the Bold Duchy through the Bold family is probably also to prepare for the struggle for the throne in the future."

Sebastian responded.

After speaking, his expression appeared hesitant:

"Master... there is one thing I think you should be made aware of."

"Speak."

"The accompanying Mithril mine in Castel Territory is the largest Mithril mine in the New Moon Kingdom, and its output also accounts for seventy percent of the Kingdom’s Mithril production. Mithril is a crucial material for Transcendents, and if a war were to break out in the New Moon Kingdom, I fear we won’t be able to remain unscathed."

"But as far as I’m aware, doesn’t the Royal Family control most of the mine?"

"That is true, but since the mine is in Castel, whoever controls Castel in the event of a war will have control over the Mithril."

Sebastian murmured somberly.

Charlotte felt a stir in her heart and slowly nodded:

"I understand."

Sebastian continued:

"Of course, I believe in your formidable power, and no mortal can harm you, but if you want to solidify your position gradually, spread your faith, and meanwhile avoid the eyes of the Holy Royal Court, a stable Castel is essential."

"Castel is already on the frontier of the Kingdom, a place where the Holy Royal Court’s influence is relatively weak, and it’s also close to the north bordering the Northern Territory Grand Duchy where faith is in chaos..."

"Moreover, if you pass through the Dark Forest in the east, you can reach the Black Land of Eastern Yonette, which is teeming with mercenaries of various races, and where faith is even more in disarray..."

"Both of these places are very suitable for you to spread your faith! And they are areas where many from the Bloodline frequent!"

"As long as you establish a firm footing in Castel, your faith will flow like a river towards the north and east!"

Charlotte nodded slightly:

"I understand this matter now."

Although she was still unsure what use faith actually served, irrespective of its usefulness, she decided to start spreading it once she returned to her territory.

...

A good night’s dream.

Early the next morning, Charlotte bid farewell to the Moon Guardian Duke and continued her journey north.

Meanwhile, news of the Castel caravan’s departure had also reached the Third Prince’s vineyard.

"She has already set off?"

Sitting on a silk chair with his legs crossed, Third Prince Philip sipped a glass of wine casually and asked lightly.

"Yes, my Lord, they have already left the city."

In front of the Third Prince, a Personal Guard Knight knelt on one knee, respectfully responding.

"Have you ascertained their strength?"

The Third Prince asked again.

"It has been ascertained. There are over two hundred and seventy Transcendents, among them, one hundred and twenty are Castel’s Armored Cavalrymen, and twenty-three are tier-entering individuals, including one from the Silver Moon Second Tier."

After speaking, the Personal Guard Knight hesitated for a moment, then carefully asked:

"Lord, do you want us to ambush them in advance?"

The Third Prince shook his head:

"No need, if you act, anyone could guess that it was my doing."

Saying so, he chuckled lightly and took a ring out from his pocket to throw to the Personal Guard Knight:

"Inform our friends in Violet of this news. I don’t want to see the little Earl from Castel return alive to his domain. The payment is in the ring."

"Of course, if they can bring me the little Earl personally, the reward can be doubled... I might even grant them a noble title in public in the future, letting them walk in the sunlight."

After receiving the order, the Personal Guard Knight withdrew, as the Third Prince drained his crystal glass of wine, sneering:

"Since she is unwilling to accept my kindness, I shall have to deliver kindness in my own way."

With that, he tugged on a chain in his hand, stepping on Eleanor who was crouching on the ground, and smiling broadly said:

"Dear, tell me... if the heir of Castel is gone, wouldn’t the rights to Castel’s succession possibly fall upon your head?"

"Arf Arf!"

On the floor, Eleanor stuck out her tongue while wagging a fake tail and appeasingly licked the tip of the Third Prince’s shoe.

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