Blood Holy Scripture: True Ancestor Charlotte de Castel
Chapter 395: -143- Consuming

Chapter 395: -143- Consuming

The nobles in the council hall were sharply divided into two factions, furiously debating whether the noble families of the south should surrender or not.

Until Viscount Lien Castel bellowed out,

"Enough! What time is it now, and yet here you are still quarreling?!"

As a member of one of the three most prestigious Viscount families in the Northern Land, the Old Viscount still had considerable influence among the Castel nobles.

And in that angry shout, there was also the added force of the Silver Moon Second Tier’s Transcendent Aura.

The authority that surpassed all nobles save for Charlotte herself was released, and the clamor in the council hall suddenly fell into silence. For a moment, almost all the nobles’ eyes were on the Old Viscount.

The Old Viscount’s gaze swept around the room and he sighed,

"Gentlemen, with a formidable enemy at our doorstep, what’s most important now is unity. It’s clear to us all that the Third Prince is by no means a good leader..."

"The fall of the south is beyond our control, and no single noble family can stand against the enemy alone. Only by uniting around the Count can we possibly win this war."

"Win? Viscount Lien Castel, Lord, the allied forces of Bold and Violet number fifty thousand, with thirty thousand of those being elite standing troops. Our forces in North Port, even at full count, number less than thirty thousand, and the only elite standing troops we have are the allies from the Tulip Domain... And they can’t even enter battle now. With such a disparity, how can we win?"

A noble couldn’t help but ask.

Viscount Lien Castel shook his head and replied,

"No, as far as I am aware, even if we were to combine all the standing forces of Violet Duchy and Bold Duchy, their numbers simply couldn’t reach thirty thousand..."

"Not to mention, both in Violet and Bold, the nobles of the two duchies are not completely loyal. Neither the Bowat Linte family nor the Bold family could possibly commit all their standing troops to war."

"The Third Prince claims to have fifty thousand troops, thirty thousand standing, but in theory, if he can muster thirty thousand troops and ten thousand standing, that would already be quite impressive."

"Viscount, even if it’s thirty thousand troops and ten thousand standing, that’s still an extremely formidable force... How can we possibly win?"

Another noble followed up with a question.

After listening to the question raised by the other party, the Old Viscount’s expression was also somewhat hesitant.

His eyes scanned the crowd, seeing that the eyes of the nobles were all on him, with many subtly glancing towards the silent Charlotte standing behind him.

The Old Viscount knew that, though it seemed as if the nobles were questioning him, what they truly sought was an answer from Count Castel.

The Old Viscount hesitated for a moment, contemplating how to respond, but just at that time, a personal soldier suddenly burst into the council hall:

"Report! Count, there is new battle news that has been delivered!"

The personal soldier quickly presented the battle report, and as the host of the meeting, Viscount Lien Castel was the first to take the report.

He merely glanced at the content on the parchment scroll, and his expression changed dramatically in an instant.

This sudden change of expression naturally caught the eyes of the nobles.

For a moment, the gaze of the nobles once again focused on the Old Viscount:

"What happened to the south, Viscount?"

Viscount Lien Castel couldn’t help but look back at Charlotte. After receiving a signal from her, he sighed and said,

"The Roman Fuer’s fleet has returned to port."

"They sent a message that they ambushed the fleets of the two duchies in the Star Moon Strait a few days ago but did not succeed. Now, the fleets of the two duchies are heading straight for North Port."

Saying this, he hesitated for a second, then sighed,

"Furthermore, Del Castle... has also fallen as of yesterday."

Upon hearing this, the nobles in the council hall burst into an uproar:

"What? Del Castle has fallen too?"

"Del Castle is the gateway to North Port; doesn’t that mean that the duchy’s armies will reach North Port in just a few days?"

"The naval battle was lost as well? Does that not mean we’re at risk of losing control of the seas?"

"Without control of the sea, won’t North Port become a sitting duck?"

News of another defeat reached the nobles, plunging them once more into turmoil, as fear and anxiety spread uncontrollably throughout the assembly hall.

Even Viscount Lien Castel’s shouts for "Order" proved futile in curbing the chaos within the hall this time.

Viscount Lien Castel found himself casting a pleading glance toward Charlotte for assistance.

Charlotte, however, did not speak up.

She lifted a glass of fruit milk from the maid’s tray and took a light sip, sweeping her gaze around with her deep blue, pure eyes, then slightly tilted her body, releasing her own transcendent aura.

The presence, far surpassing that of an ordinary Silver Moon, unfurled, sending a heart-thumping oppression that immediately enveloped every noble present.

Feeling that powerful aura, which was considerably stronger than Viscount Lien Castel’s, the nobles almost instinctively ceased their bickering.

It was then that Charlotte slowly withdrew her gaze, and gently began to speak,

"Have you argued enough? If you have, then be quiet for a while, and if not, continue arguing..."

No noble responded, all bowing their heads in silence.

Powerful transcendent strength was always something to be revered.

Although Charlotte was still young, her strength as a Second Tier Silver Moon, coupled with her status as a lord and the reputation she had accumulated from leading the troops to a resounding victory over the rebels recently, was sufficient for her to assert control over the situation.

Turning her gaze away from the nobles, Charlotte looked toward the guards:

"How many ships of the Roman Fuer family’s fleet that returned to port are left?"

The guard bowed respectfully and answered nervously,

"Back...back, Count, there are three galleons, and it seems like there are over a dozen sail-oared ships, though many appear to have sustained serious damage."

"A dozen or so... it seems like the main force is still intact."

Recalling the reports regarding the Roman Fuer family’s fleet, Charlotte murmured to herself.

After pausing briefly, she smiled and continued,

"Don’t worry, everyone. The fact that the main fleet of the Roman Fuer family was able to retreat successfully indicates that although Bold’s and Violet Duchy’s navies are strong, they do not have an absolute advantage."

"The coastal defenses of North Port are still quite formidable, and with the combined forces of all your troops, it won’t be easy for the enemy to seize North Port."

"Count, are you suggesting... that we use North Port as a base to resist the allied forces of Bold and the Violet Duchy?"

A noble couldn’t resist asking.

Charlotte nodded slightly, confirming it.

"Count, but... what’s the point? The gap between the strength of our armies is too great. Even if we resist, once we are besieged and cut off from outside supplies, failure is only a matter of time..."

"North Port... after all, it’s just an island!"

A noble fretted.

Charlotte glanced at him and chuckled lightly,

"Oh? A matter of time? Sir Talas, do you think now that we have revealed the Third Prince’s various crimes, is it him who can afford to wait, or is it us?"

Hearing Charlotte’s words, the nobles were stunned, then suddenly came to realization.

They weren’t fools; with just a little nudge from Charlotte, they connected the dots all too easily.

Castel had already dealt a blow to the Third Prince by making his misdeeds public. As long as they could hold out long enough, the other enemies of the prince within the kingdom would naturally move against him.

"Not to mention... I believe I’ve said before, we have reinforcements too."

Charlotte paused, then continued.