Blood Holy Scripture: True Ancestor Charlotte de Castel
Chapter 398: -146- Starlight brillance

Chapter 398: -146- Starlight brillance

The Bolder-Violet Alliance’s formal offensive against North Port started from the sea.

As the grand Duchy Fleet followed the footsteps of the army and entered the waters around North Port, the battle erupted once again.

Since the Castel Fleet, led by the Roman Fuer family, had been dispatched to patrol the Don River, Castel no longer had the power to directly confront the Duchy Fleet on the open sea.

Naturally, in fact, the Castel Fleet, which was smaller in firepower and only suitable for sneak attacks, was not adept at frontal combat with the Duchy’s fleet.

Entering the Don River was both for defense and to preserve the strength of the Castel Fleet.

However, out at sea, this result meant that North Port had lost the protection of its fleet and would face the Duchy Fleet directly.

Dozens of Duchy warships lingered offshore, nearly encircling North Port, their broadsides uniformly aimed at the city, spouting white fog amidst the thunderous roar.

"Boom—!"

"Boom—!"

Accompanied by continuous howls, one Enchanted Stone Bullet after another was fired.

Meteor-like stone bullets fell like rain, either splashing around North Port or smashing into the city, with the fortification outside the main island of North Port and the city’s port being targeted particularly.

"Bang—!"

"Boom..."

One after another, the stone bullets struck the thick outer walls of North Port.

Fortunately, at that moment, the outer walls of North Port had already activated their defensive Magic Shields.

These stone bullets failed to penetrate the defense of the outer walls and merely left ripples on their surface.

Protected by the Shield, the outer walls remained undamaged.

But the port within range was a different story.

Those ships docked at the port had essentially become live targets for the Duchy’s warships, and it was not uncommon to see sailboats hit and sink amidst screams and cries.

As for the Shallow Water Street on the outskirts of North Port, also within range, it had completely turned into Hell.

Those shoddy waterfront houses had no defense to speak of, and under the bombardment of the Duchy Fleet, were easily ripped apart, destroyed, turning into debris on the water.

If Charlotte hadn’t preemptively ordered the forcible evacuation of the impoverished from the Shallow Water Street, who knows how many people would have perished under the gun in the first round of bombardment.

"Ding—! Ding—! Ding—!"

The grating sound of bells rang out everywhere in North Port, and the City Hall alarm was sounded.

From time to time, huge booming sounds could be heard emanating from various parts of North Port City, these were stone bullets that surpassed the outer walls and fell inside the city, each one nearly signifying a building suffering a devastating blow.

However, North Port wasn’t just passively receiving hits.

Following the bombardment by the Duchy Fleet, North Port’s coastal Stone-shooting Cannons also began to retaliate, firing stone bullets toward the fleet on the sea amidst loud explosions.

These coastal Stone-shooting Cannons had longer ranges and greater power.

However, compared to North Port, the spread-out fleet was obviously much harder to target.

Although North Port’s coastal Stone-shooting Cannons were immensely powerful, the results were quite limited, with the majority of stone bullets falling into the sea, raising huge plumes of water.

But occasionally, a lucky stone bullet would hit a Duchy warship, dealing a heavy blow directly.

"Boom—!"

"Boom—!"

"..."

After a series of retaliatory cannon fire, the Duchy’s warships also suffered damage, and the Joint Fleet also clearly felt the threat from North Port’s coastal cannons.

For a while, those overly forward galleons and brigantines all retreated, moving away from North Port’s range.

Only the Carrick heavy three-masted warships, relying on their longer firing range, continued to bombard North Port.

"Count, the Magic Shield of the Count Mansion has been activated. Please return to the mansion for shelter, it’s too dangerous here."

On the tower of the outer wall fortress in North Port, a noble entrusted with defending the fortress approached Charlotte and urgently advised her.

Charlotte glanced at the three-masted warship on the sea that continued to spew white fog towards the city, and then at the city that was being battered by the artillery fire.

The whizzing sound of solid bullets overhead echoed continuously, and smoke rose within North Port City.

She heard the frightened screams and cries of the residents mixed with the sound of gunfire, and under the Bloodline’s keen hearing, people’s fear and despair were even more apparent.

Charlotte frowned slightly.

"If I’m not mistaken, doesn’t North Port also have a Magic Shield covering the entire city? Why only activate the Magic Shield of the Count Mansion and the outer wall fortress?" she asked.

The noble hesitated for a moment, then answered:

"Count, North Port has been at peace for too long; we lack sufficient Magic Crystal Stones. The existing reserves must be prioritarily supplied to the Magic Crystal Cannons and the defense of the North Port bridge."

"Activating a shield that covers the entire city consumes too much. Chairman Laidon estimated that even if we include the Magic Crystal Stones provided by the Mercenary Association, it would last at most five days. However, if we protect only the military fortifications, we could last for a full two months."

Chairman Laidon, of course, was the chairman of the Mercenary Association’s North Port Branch.

After the war began, Charlotte had employed all the mercenaries in North Port that could be hired, and as a Silver Moon Mage, Chairman Laidon was among them.

Not only that, but as one of the rare Second Tier Mages in North Port, he was also responsible for the support and operation of North Port’s Magic Shield.

"Five days? That’s enough. Tell Chairman Laidon to fully activate North Port’s Magic Shield without concern for consumption," Charlotte said.

Upon hearing Charlotte’s words, the noble looked somewhat hesitant.

Charlotte furrowed her brows and reiterated:

"Do as I say—activate all shields and protect the civilians! If anyone asks, say it was my order! Even if something goes wrong, I, Castel, will take responsibility!"

The noble hesitated for a moment, then bowed his head in acknowledgment, and respectfully took his leave.

Soon, knights mounted their steeds and rushed to various magic nodes within North Port, shouting, "The Count has ordered the activation of all shields to protect the civilians!"

Following Charlotte’s command, specks of water-blue light began to rise from around North Port.

With the Mage Tower as the center and the outer wall fortresses as bases, the Magic Shields were deployed.

After the shields were activated, the Ducal Fleet’s bombardment of North Port obviously became ineffective—rarely did any stone bullets penetrate the shields to crash into the city.

Cheers erupted from various parts of the city—the voices of North Port’s citizens.

Clearly, they too recognized the shields that had unfolded above the city.

Not only that, but with her keen hearing, Charlotte even heard some residents thanking and praising her.

Meanwhile, shortly after the shield was activated, Charlotte thought she saw specks of surreal light flying out of the city and converging towards her.

Looking at that light, as brilliant as starlight, Charlotte wore a look of surprise.

She couldn’t help but reach out to touch them, and as they merged into her body, Charlotte felt as if her soul had undergone some inexplicable changes...

"Do you see anything?"

Charlotte scanned the Personal Guard Knights following her and couldn’t help but ask.

The knights looked at each other and blankly shook their heads.

"Forget it, it’s nothing."

Charlotte, thoughtful, gave up on asking.

On the other hand, within the Bolder-Violet Alliance.

Watching the Magic Shield fully light up over North Port, the Third Prince Philip scoffed:

"Such foolish compassion is her own undoing!"