Blood Holy Scripture: True Ancestor Charlotte de Castel
Chapter 364: -117- Envoy from Bold

Chapter 364: -117- Envoy from Bold

Holy Calendar 1445, December, the Castel Domain welcomed the first snow since the onset of winter.

As a coastal earldom, Castel did not receive snow every year, but the climate this year was noticeably colder than usual. The cascading snowflakes fell from the sky, speckling the earth with dots of white.

Five days had passed since Charlotte awoke, and the Legris Family’s rebel army was still stationed upstream of the Don River. They seemed to have forgotten their mission to continue the assault, showing no intention of crossing the river, even establishing a long-term camp on the North Shore.

Outside North Port, the noble forces gathered from various places were fully prepared, with tents large and small set up along the banks on one side of the Castel Bridge, stretching as far as the eye could see.

On the coastline, ship transport was busier than usual, with cargo ships leaving the docks of North Port almost every moment, while new ships folded their sails and entered the port.

Military supplies from different regions converged in North Port, supporting the operation of tens of thousands of troops. The daily consumption of military rations alone was an astronomical figure.

The tense atmosphere was palpable throughout North Port, the approaching steps of war pressing in on everyone.

Especially when an increasing number of warships entered the port, the military sailboats from various noble families lined up in a row, the side of each ship displaying a line of dark, imposing stone-shooting cannons.

For a time, rumors that the young Count of Castel had appeared at the Noble Council, calling for nobles to prepare to head north to confront the rebels, were rife in North Port.

The eyes of all the citizens of North Port City were almost entirely focused on the Count Mansion in the city center.

In the taverns, each drinker, in between sips, bet on when the young Countess would leave the city to quell the rebellion, and just how many troops she had gathered.

Some said twenty thousand, some said thirty thousand, and there were even those who claimed she had amassed fifty thousand.

However, regardless of the discussions, there seemed to be a consensus already reached in North Port.

That was, although the rebellion in the north was formidable, it would ultimately be extinguished by the young Count.

The reason for this judgment was simple.

First, Castel had mobilized nearly all the nobles of the entire domain.

Even with the Legris Family’s considerable military prowess, they were at an absolute disadvantage against the combined forces of the private armies of more than three-quarters of the noble families of the earldom and the elite troops of the Castel family.

Perhaps previously the nobles couldn’t unite, and the scattered forces of the Northern Land would have had difficulty resisting the large army summoned by the Legris Family.

But now, with the young Count personally appearing at the Noble Council, the nobles had found their backbone.

A scattered domain and a united domain were entirely different matters.

In many people’s view, the Legris Family’s rebel army stationed upstream of the Don River had missed the best opportunity to take North Port.

On the other hand, with time passing, more and more cargo fleets were traveling to and from the Tulip Count Domain.

Even the slowest merchants could sense something different in the air, which was that the stationed troops of the Bold family in the Tulip Count Domain also seemed to have begun preparations for battle.

In light of the relationship between the Bold family and the Castel family, many people believed that the Duchess of Bold, who had declared neutrality, might not remain neutral after all.

Especially as rumors from the Tulip Count Domain began to surface over time.

It was said to be from an intoxicated officer in a tavern who had let slip that the Bold Duchy was also ready for war.

After this message spread, many people believed that it was probably some kind of agreement reached between the young Count Castel and the Bold family after the count’s appearance.

As part of the Castel Clan, the Bold family would no longer remain neutral but would participate in the war as lords, aiding Castel in suppressing the rebellion.

Of course, aside from these theories, there were also opposite rumors circulating among some of the nobility in North Port.

There were still many who believed that the Bold family’s motives were not to suppress the rebellion but were aimed at the Castel family.

They were in cahoots with the rebels.

Many believed this conspiracy theory as well.

The evidence they provided was that Count Castel had once been ambushed on his way to the domain.

The ambush had been orchestrated by the husband of the Duchess of Bold, the Third Prince Philip.

These two opposing views caused uproar in taverns and various noble salons.

Not until two days later did a noble who claimed to be an envoy from the Bold family arrive by boat from the Tulip Count Domain, seeking an audience with the young Count Castel.

"Count, the Duke was very pleased to hear that you are safe and sent me to inquire whether you require the support of the Bold family."

"As a supporter of Castel, the Bold family is willing to assist you in quickly quelling the rebellion and restoring order to the Northern Land," said the envoy in the drawing room, with a smile, respectfully.

Charlotte looked at the envoy from the Bold family expressionlessly.

After a moment, she responded indifferently:

"Oh? But hadn’t Bold already announced their intention to remain neutral in this matter?"

"Lord Count, at that time, Duke Bold wasn’t aware of your safety concerns. There were widespread rumors in the south that you might encounter misfortune, so the Duke declared neutrality for stability’s sake. However, in actuality... the Tulip Count Territory has always been preparing for war."

The envoy replied respectfully.

Speaking of which, he looked at Charlotte with hopeful eyes:

"Lord Count, what are your thoughts?"

Charlotte looked at him intensely, smiled faintly, and said,

"Your Excellency the envoy, I appreciate Bold’s support. However... this matter is of great significance, and many nobles of Castel may not wish to see a higher lord become involved. I need to discuss this with the nobles and will get back to you afterward."

After sending the envoy away for the time being, the smile completely vanished from Charlotte’s face.

She approached the window and gazed at the densely packed, impressive military camp along the shore, asking softly,

"What do the nobles of the domain think about the envoy from Bold? I’ve heard he had been publicizing his intentions even before meeting with me."

Behind Charlotte, Sebastian, dressed in a tailcoat, respectfully said,

"Master, opinions are divided. Those who know the truth about the ambush in the Violet Forest do not trust them. However, most nobles still believe that the Bold family is here to support Castel and assist us in quelling the rebellion."

"Assist us in quelling the rebellion? Heh, Sebastian, what are your thoughts?"

Charlotte scoffed.

Sebastian pondered for a moment before responding,

"The Third Prince once wished to take your life. His coveting of Castel certainly means that he harbors no good intentions. While we have yet to find definite evidence, I also suspect that the Legris family’s rebellion might have Bold’s support."

"Yes, they certainly must harbor no good intentions,"

Charlotte sighed.

"Master, should we strike first? Or shall we continue investigating Bold’s movements?"

Sebastian inquired.

Charlotte thought for a moment and said,

"Continue the investigation; for now, let’s not act rashly. If Bold truly intends to target us, relying solely on the garrison of Tulip Count and the rebels is probably not enough. They must have other plans underway."

Sebastian looked hesitant,

"But... if they really are going to make a move against us, won’t their preparations become ever more adequate the longer we delay?"

"Don’t rush, the delay is also beneficial to us. After all... we’re not without backup."

Charlotte spoke.

"Backup?"

Sebastian’s heart skipped a beat.

Following Charlotte’s gaze, he looked out the window toward the great ocean.

That was the direction of the Falling Star Kingdom.

Sebastian’s expression shifted subtly, reflective.

And just at that moment, a clamor suddenly arose from outside the hall, drawing their attention.

Charlotte frowned slightly and turned to look toward the door:

"Sebastian, go see what happened outside."

"As you command."

Sebastian bowed and swiftly left.

It wasn’t long before he returned, but with a somewhat bizarre expression:

"Master, something has happened to the envoy from Bold. They’ve been bound outside the Count Mansion."

"What? Bound?"

Charlotte was taken aback.

Sebastian’s expression grew even more peculiar:

"Yes, it was the doing of the Roman-Fuer family. They’re currently outside the Count Mansion requesting an audience with you."