Gospel of Blood

“So, you’re saying that the troops sent out a few days ago to capture those Violet deserters not only failed to complete their mission but also allowed our prisoner camp to be attacked?”

In the Count’s mansion, Charlotte sat on the lord’s chair, looking at the noble officer responsible for pursuing the deserters, her brows slightly furrowed.

Facing her gaze, the noble officer looked embarrassed and quickly bowed to admit his fault.

“Countess, it was my negligence. I underestimated the trouble those Violet bandits would cause…”

“But rest assured, our prisoner camp is heavily guarded. Although it was ambushed, the losses were minimal.”

Charlotte shook her head.

“Just being attacked is disgraceful enough. Those were only some deserters from the Northport battle.”

She paused for a moment.

“And you say the losses were minimal. Does that mean there were some losses? What exactly was lost?”

“Around two to three hundred Isaac prisoners escaped in the chaos.”

Charlotte: …

“Were they recaptured?”

She asked, frowning.

The noble officer’s embarrassment deepened.

“No… they weren’t…”

Charlotte’s frown deepened further.

“Oh? So you couldn’t clean up the rampaging deserters, and you can’t recapture the escaped prisoners either?”

Facing the girl’s penetrating gaze, the noble officer swallowed hard and hurriedly explained.

“Countess, it’s not for lack of trying. Those bandits are exceedingly cunning…”

Charlotte: …

Damn, why does this sentence sound so familiar?

“Weren’t you capturing prisoners? How did it involve the Violet deserters? Do you mean to say those Violet deserters recruited the escaped Isaac prisoners?”

Charlotte frowned.

However, as she finished speaking, she saw the noble officer’s expression grow even more awkward, without refuting her.

Charlotte: …

She was stunned for a moment.

“So, they were indeed recruited by the Violet deserters?”

The noble officer dared not answer directly and cautiously said,

“We… we found traces of those Isaac cavalrymen while tracking the deserters. They… they seemed to have joined forces.”

Charlotte: …

“Don’t these deserters know we’ve already made peace with Violet?”

She asked, frowning.

But before the noble could answer, she shook her head and muttered to herself.

“No, news of the war’s end has spread throughout the territory. Even the drunks in the taverns know we’ve signed a peace treaty with Violet. These deserters, who have attacked towns, couldn’t possibly be unaware…”

The noble officer also nodded.

“They surely know. To dispel their resistance, we even shouted at them during the chase, but instead of surrendering, it seemed to have the opposite effect.”

“Not only that, they’ve made contacts with many defiant villagers, so news surely isn’t blocked…”

Charlotte felt something was off as she listened.

“Wait… Are you saying that many of the locals are helping them?”

The noble officer sighed.

“That’s right. These deserters are quite cunning and very different from what I expected. They skillfully exploit the hatred some villagers have towards the nobles. When they attack villages and towns, they target only the disliked nobles and merchants, never robbing the villagers.”

“Moreover, after seizing money and supplies, they take only half, distributing the rest to the local villagers, making them willing to cover for them and report any movements to them…”

“Our biggest challenge in not having cleared them out yet is their ability to always anticipate our moves and escape before we can encircle them.”

Charlotte: …

The more she listened, the more familiar it all sounded.

“What happened to the nobles and merchants they attacked?”

Charlotte asked again.

The noble hesitated, then said,

“Most were released after paying the ransom, a few were killed by the villagers.”

Charlotte was stunned.

“Killed by the villagers?”

“Yes, they handed over those nobles to the villagers, who then killed them!”

The noble officer angrily responded.

Charlotte: …

“Those killed nobles, were they all notorious?”

She paused, then suddenly asked.

The noble officer instinctively wanted to deny it but, facing Charlotte’s piercing gaze, he hesitated and finally confessed.

“Their reputations… might not have been the best…”

Charlotte’s expression turned peculiar upon hearing this.

“So these deserters are helping clean up Castell for me?”

The noble officer’s expression changed, and he quickly said,

“Countess, please don’t think that way! These bandits, wherever they go, plunder or destroy all military supplies stored by local noble families and incite the villagers to revolt against the lords!”

“They… they’re undermining our rule!”

Charlotte glanced at him.

“If our rule in Castell can be undermined by this, then it only means our rule is truly unpopular and in need of serious reform.”

The noble officer opened his mouth but didn’t know what to say.

Charlotte touched her chin, a hint of interest flashing across her face.

“These deserters are quite interesting…”

“To achieve this, there must be a leader among them, and they must be quite talented!”

She looked at the noble officer, feeling a budding interest in recruiting the leader of these Violet deserters.

“Do you know who’s leading these deserters? Have you spoken to them?”

The noble officer was taken aback, then awkwardly shook his head.

“We don’t know yet.”

“These deserters are highly organized. We haven’t captured any prisoners, so we’re unclear who’s directing them…”

“As for speaking… we’d like to, but they hold a deep grudge against Castell. We haven’t had the opportunity.”

“But it’s likely a fallen noble from Violet. According to the villagers who’ve seen the deserters, they refer to their leader as ‘Sir’ or ‘Baron’…”

Charlotte’s heart skipped a beat at the noble officer’s words.

“A Baron, huh…”

At that moment, she thought of Baron Betel, who had been missing since the Northport battle and whose title had been transferred to her by the Violet Duchy.

“Could it be such a coincidence?”

Charlotte couldn’t help but mutter.

After some thought, she said,

“Send my orders: within three days, I want the name of this ‘Baron’ behind the deserters.”

Charlotte quickly issued the order to investigate the identity of the deserter leader.

With the direct order from the lord, the nobles’ efficiency increased. Moreover, the deserters’ activities have become more prominent recently, making it harder for them to stay hidden.

Within two days, Castell had the information on their leader.

“Guillaume de Betel-Veillet?”

Charlotte was slightly taken aback, seeing the name.

Clicking her tongue, she chuckled lightly.

“So it is Betel, and from the Veillet family, no wonder he refused to negotiate with Castell…”

She thought for a moment, then instructed the maid Sherry.

“Sherry, call Agnes over. She has a new task to undertake.”