Gospel of Blood

“Is the Countess planning to control the magical defense system herself?”

“Has she gone mad? Even President Layton barely manages it. No matter how talented she is, she can’t possibly maintain the entire magical shield in this state!”

“What on earth is she thinking?”

“She was the one who insisted on fully maintaining the shield, and now she’s the one unwilling to reduce its power. This is…”

“This is pure bullshit!”

“Yes, bullshit!”

“Viscount Leon-Castell, won’t you try to persuade the Countess again?”

“Hoping for divine intervention is utterly ridiculous!”

Outside the mage tower, the nobles couldn’t hold back their dissatisfaction with Charlotte any longer, and they vented their complaints to Viscount Leon-Castell.

Feeling the nobles’ grievances, Viscount Leon-Castell felt a headache coming on.

To be honest, he also found their liege’s recent actions baffling.

She claimed to want to protect the commoners but didn’t consider that fully deploying the magical shield could lead to the collapse of Northport’s entire defense system.

She mentioned reinforcements, yet she never said when they would arrive or how strong they were. The nobles were kept in the dark, unable to see any hope.

In Viscount Leon-Castell’s view, such actions were eroding the nobles’ trust in her. He even felt that Charlotte still didn’t fully trust them, despite their loyalty.

This made Viscount Leon-Castell uncomfortable.

After all, the nobles of Northport had sworn loyalty to Charlotte by the Dorn River. Their willingness to defend Northport with her should indicate their genuine support. Yet, her actions left them disheartened.

Frankly, this approach was bound to cause problems. If it weren’t for Count Gaston’s troops stationed in Northport and the extraordinary soldiers’ suppression, the Old Viscount felt some nobles might have already defected.

Despite his own dissatisfaction with Charlotte’s actions, as a supporter of Castell, Viscount Leon-Castell had to cover for her.

“Everyone, please be patient. Perhaps the Countess has her considerations…”

But such a response didn’t quell the nobles’ discontent.

“Considerations? What considerations could she have? After all, she is just a 16-year-old child!”

“Yes, Viscount, while I admired her decisive methods recently, it doesn’t mean she won’t make a mistake!”

“Exactly, the magical shield is a prime example. She oversimplified everything!”

“Viscount, mistakes in war can be fatal! We can’t gamble everything!”

The nobles continued their complaints, from criticizing Charlotte’s actions to questioning her abilities, to expressing pessimism and concern about the war’s outcome. Some even began discussing the possibility of aligning with the Third Prince attacking Castell.

“Actually, I think… maybe the Third Prince isn’t as bad as rumored…”

“Yes, after all, he is a royalty. Would he really turn against us after taking Castell?”

“Our families have deep roots in Castell. If he forcibly stripped us of our titles, the North would be in turmoil!”

“Exactly, even the Countess didn’t move against us, only against those who sheltered the bloodbornes!”

Hearing these increasingly outrageous discussions, Viscount Leon-Castell’s expression changed.

He reprimanded them.

“Enough! What nonsense are you spouting?!”

“Even if the Countess is wrong, the Third Prince is not a wise ruler. Have you all forgotten the news brought by Count Gaston?”

“Since we are here, we must work together to defend Northport!”

He glanced at the mage tower and added.

“I will speak with the Countess again and persuade her to adjust the defense strategy.”

“Everyone, disperse and perform your duties. Protect Northport.”

“Don’t worry, there is still time…”

The nobles hesitated, wanting to say more, but under Viscount Leon-Castell’s stern gaze, they finally sighed and dispersed.

Watching them leave, the Old Viscount frowned slightly.

He had anticipated their discontent with the Countess’ actions, but the speed of their change in attitude was surprising, especially regarding the Third Prince.

The nobles’ shift seemed too consistent, making him suspect other influences.

Shaking his head, he turned towards the mage tower. Taking a deep breath, he said to his eldest son Derek.

“Come, let’s go see the Countess and try to persuade her.”

However, as the Old Viscount took a step, Derek called out.

“Father…”

Viscount Leon-Castell turned, puzzled, to see his son hesitating.

“What is it, Derek?”

Derek de Leon-Castell bit his lip and said,

“Father, I think… you trust Charlotte too much.”

“Since Charlotte took power, our family has been used by her, yet she has brought nothing to our family.”

“We have done enough. I don’t think she is a wise ruler. Compared to her, perhaps supporting the Third Prince would be…”

“Enough! Be quiet!”

The Old Viscount’s expression changed with anger.

Releasing his Silver Moon pressure, he instantly overwhelmed Derek, who paled and lowered his head.

The Old Viscount looked at him with disappointment and said,

“Derek, remember, our family is Leon-Castell, not just Leon!”

“Any family can betray the Castell County, but we cannot!”

“This is our family’s principle!”

“Do you understand?”

Derek silently lowered his head.

The Old Viscount sighed and said,

“Fine, you stay here. I’ll speak to the Countess alone and try to persuade her.”

“She has never maintained a magical shield before. She can’t do it alone. Once she realizes how difficult it is, she might listen to our ad…”

Viscount Leon-Castell’s words were cut off.

As he spoke, he suddenly felt a strong surge of magic from the mage tower.

Startled, he looked towards the tower and saw a blue beam shoot into the sky, striking the shaky magical shield, and the shield above Northport rapidly stabilized.

Seeing this, he couldn’t help but widen his eyes in amazement.

“Gods above! She… she actually did it?!”