Blood Holy Scripture: True Ancestor Charlotte de Castel
Chapter 367: Scapegoat

Chapter 367: Scapegoat

"Oh? So she believed the Duchy’s olive branch and intends to use the Duchy’s power to quell the rebellion in Castel?"

In the Tulip Count Domain, within the New Bold Fortress.

An elderly nobleman with graying hair, wearing the standing army uniform of the Bold Duchy, spoke in surprise.

The old nobleman was not particularly tall, but he exuded an intimidating presence as he sat there, a demeanor that only long-tenured nobility could cultivate.

And behind him stood another man who bore a resemblance to him, also clad in military attire.

However, unlike the elderly noble, he was dressed in the resplendent uniform of the Kingdom’s Regular Army, replete with gorgeous enchanted armor that shimmered brilliantly.

"Yes, Lord Gaston, the rebellion in the Northern Land has thrown the young Countess of Castel into panic. She was as thrilled as a drowning person who has finally grasped a lifebuoy when she received your invitation."

The envoy, returned from North Port and without the disheveled look he had there, spoke respectfully.

The aging Count Gaston’s eyes twinkled slightly:

"Oh? Panic? But looking at how she’s amassing tens of thousands of troops in North Port, it doesn’t seem like something a panicked young girl would do..."

The returning envoy’s pupils flashed an imperceptible red glint, even he himself was unaware of, as he continued respectfully:

"Lord Gaston, if she wasn’t panicked, if she wasn’t afraid, why on earth wouldn’t she seize this opportunity to command her army to head north?"

"It is precisely because of her fear that she continues to hole up in North Port despite having a large force at her disposal!"

"You need to understand that the successful assembly of the nobles was due to Viscount Lien Castel and the Elf Sebastian, yet her presence prevented the nobles from wanting to march north to crush the rebellion!"

Hearing the envoy’s words, Count Gaston’s frown deepened.

He glanced at the returned envoy and suddenly said:

"I’ve heard you encountered people from that notorious pirate family in North Port and even got kidnapped by them?"

The envoy’s expression soured as he spoke through clenched teeth:

"Lord Gaston! They are not nobles at all, but a gang of lawless bandits! Had the Countess of Castel not intervened, I may not have been able to return!"

"Oh? So you were rescued by Charlotte?"

Count Gaston sounded somewhat surprised.

"Yes, she sternly rebuked those madmen! She doesn’t trust the nobles of the Northern Land, not in the slightest!"

The returning envoy declared emphatically.

Seeing his unwavering expression, Count Gaston pondered thoughtfully.

After a moment of contemplation, he nodded:

"I see. You may leave."

After the envoy left, Count Gaston turned his attention to the map of the Northern Land that was behind his seat.

The young man who had been standing by his side couldn’t hold back any longer:

"Father, what are you still hesitating for? The young Countess of Castel has agreed to your proposal, isn’t that precisely what we wanted to see?"

"The Kingdom has tacitly approved the Third Prince’s actions, and it’s likely that in half a month the Duke of Violet will make a significant move. The Third Prince has also prepared a legal order for dispossession, which will soon be issued. If we truly wait until then to make our move, we’ll be directly confronting the main forces at North Port!"

"Our family has spent nearly ten years building up forces within the Tulip Count Domain, and if we wait that long, we will face the most ferocious attack from the Northern Land nobility. Even if we could defend the fortress, the losses would be horrendous."

"Instead of that, we should strike first and lure the Countess Castel out of North Port!"

"Once we have her under control, the initiative will be in our hands, and it is we who will appear as the greatest contributors when the Third Prince reclaims Castel Domain!"

The young man spoke with conviction, but after listening to him, the old count couldn’t help but curse:

"Foolish!"

"Prince Philip can break the rules of the game because he is the Third Prince! Even so, he wouldn’t dare openly strip a noble of their territory without first fabricating a legitimate charge against Castel!"

"We’re different, arbitrarily imprisoning a noble Lord would not go unnoticed by the Kingdom’s Noble Council!"

In saying this, he shook his head and continued:

"Audis, you’ve spent too much time in the Royal Capital and are no longer familiar with the ways of Bold. I’ve once met Charlotte of Castel in person, and she is definitely not a common noble!"

"Or do you think that a young Lord who has not only successfully inherited the domain, gained the loyalty of a renowned Elf, but also managed to quell and suppress internal noble conflicts after inheriting the territory and even secured the overwhelming support of most nobles during a domain rebellion is actually a foolish coward?"

"Not to mention, when Charlotte travels, Sebastian is sure to accompany her, and an Elf of Blazing Sun caliber, even one who’s fallen from Rank, is far superior to the ordinary Silver Moon. It would be difficult to hold onto him even if we managed to control the Countess of Castel, and if he were to escape, it would be an unending problem..."

Listening to the old count, the young man hung his head in shame:

"Father, you are right. I was not considering the full picture."

"No..." the old count interjected with a change in tone, his gaze flickering:

"In fact, you have a point too. If the King is willing to sign a military interdiction order, it is also a tacit approval of the Third Prince’s actions towards Castel."

"Charlotte of Castel is too young and too unfamiliar with our King. Compared to the ambition of the Third Prince, our King cannot tolerate any expansion of the Holy Royal Court’s power."

"Her biggest mistake was making promises to the Holy Royal Court!"

"Audis, you are not wrong, we should indeed take the initiative early on, but just like the legal dispossession order prepared by the Third Prince, we also need to be ready. We must ensure that it is foolproof and does not leave any leverage for others to use."

The young nobleman’s heart stirred:

"Father, you mean..."

The old count glanced at him:

"Audis, do you know how your brother Jordan died?"

"Jordan? Didn’t he die at the hands of a rampaging Undead after attending the Drunk Dream Saloon organized by Tulip Count?"

The young noble said subconsciously.

"No..."

The old count shook his head:

"From the time he had dealings with the Blood Demon Church, his fate was sealed."

The young noble’s heart skipped a beat:

"You mean..."

The old count said meaningfully:

"The reason Charlotte of Castel inspects the nobles is primarily to wipe out the Blood Demon presence in the Northern Land..."

"Tell me, what organization could be more suitable than the Blood Demon Church to abduct the Northern Land Count?"

The gaze of the young noble changed slightly:

"You mean... it was made to look like the handiwork of the Blood Demon Church?!"

The old count nodded:

"Exactly."

"Then... what about the Elf by her side?"

The young noble couldn’t help but ask again.

The old count smiled faintly and said:

"Audis, do you know what the most popular Magic Scroll among assassins is?"

"Bloodline Explosion?"

The young noble said subconsciously.

"No..." the old count shook his head, chuckled, and said:

"It’s the Teleportation Scroll."

...

"Master, do you really plan to meet with the commander of the garrison in Tulip Count Domain? Are you planning to proceed directly with a ’decapitation’ operation?"

In the Count Mansion of North Port, Sebastian couldn’t help but question as he watched Charlotte selecting her traveling attire.

Charlotte glanced at him:

"Wasn’t it your suggestion? To preempt with an overwhelming display of force."

Sebastian looked somewhat embarrassed:

"Yes, indeed I suggested that, I just didn’t expect you to make up your mind so quickly."

Charlotte nodded:

"We must be quick. According to the information from the Legris Family, the Violet Duchy will likely make a big move soon..."

"The Third Prince has planned well, nearly having us surrounded, even planting Tulip’s dagger right in the middle of our territory. Now that we have decided to act, we must be quick."

"The situation in Violet Duchy is unclear, and with Blazing Sun definitely stationed there and it being far away, it’s not suitable to make a move. The Legris Family is also not close and secretly has the backing of the Blood Demon Church, so all things considered, only Tulip Count Domain is the easiest to deal with."

"I was originally considering how to handle the garrison of Tulip Count Domain should we become enemies, but now that the other side has invited me in advance, clearly showing they will be hostile, this might unexpectedly be a good opportunity to solve the problem."

Sebastian’s expression turned serious as he said:

"Master, you must also be careful. The Legris Family has the shadow of the Blood Demon Church behind them, and the Third Prince is in contact with the Legris Family, which suggests that the Blood Demon Church might be behind the Third Prince as well..."

"We can’t guarantee that there won’t be a conspiracy involving the Blood Demon Church and the Third Prince following this invitation."

Charlotte chuckled lightly:

"I’m not sure about the Blood Demon Church, but Gaston’s actions are definitely not directed by the Third Prince."

"According to the records, the Third Prince made his plans for the attack on the Northern Land long ago. Under the pincer movement from north and south, Tulip’s role could only be to contain our forces; an invitation like this could actually tip us off and serve no purpose."

"In my opinion, it looks more like their unilateral action; perhaps, Count Gaston wants to prove himself."

"There are definitely conspiracies, but they most likely have nothing to do with the Third Prince. As for the Blood Demon Church... to be honest, I would actually hope it is related to them."

Sebastian’s eyebrows raised:

"Why is that?"

Charlotte grinned:

"Since we have decided to make a move, our actions must not leave anything that can be used against us; they must be justified and appear reasonable."

"And this means someone needs to step forward and take responsibility for everything."

As she spoke, Charlotte looked toward Sebastian with a smile:

"Tell me, in the New Moon Kingdom, is there any organization more suitable than the Blood Demon Church to take the blame?"

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