Chapter 193 43 Banquet and Audience

Chapter 193 -43- Banquet and Audience

Earl's Mansion, Banquet Hall.

The elven musicians in traditional silk gowns gracefully directed the half-elven band to play the elven music that swept Miria, which was quite exotic; the colorful crystal lamps illuminated the magnificent hall.

The Castel nobles dressed in their best clothes were talking and laughing, holding their goblets elegantly, toasting each other, and chatting in the hall of the Earl's Mansion.

Looking around, there were probably three or four hundred nobles of all sizes attending the banquet, from three viscounts, to seventeen fiefdom barons, to fiefdom knights of all sizes and landless nobles in the territory, almost all of them came with their families.

Since the former Earl of Castel took office as the head of the Boulder Mage Corps, Castel Territory has not held a banquet of this scale for more than ten years.

If we count the servants and guards who were traveling with the nobles and were not qualified to enter the hall, the number of people attending the banquet at the Earl's Mansion would probably be even greater.

"Lord Angus, I haven't seen you for many years. You are still so handsome."

"Lord Ghent, this is your youngest son, right? I didn't expect that he has grown up so big in the blink of an eye.

"Mr. Cole, I heard that you are planning a new alchemy workshop recently? Are you looking for investors everywhere?"

"Hahaha, Lady Lola, are you interested? It would be great if the Legris family is willing to participate! ”

“…”

The nobles gathered in twos and threes, talking and laughing.

Some were talking, some were reminiscing, some were exchanging information, and some were taking advantage of this opportunity to cooperate with their families.

Almost all the nobles in Castel had fiefs.

Even those who did not have fiefs at least had a manor or workshop industry, or were major shareholders or organizers of certain chambers of commerce or fleets.

Although the nobles would hold banquets with each other on weekdays, most of the time they stayed in their own territories.

Communication often brings information, and information is always accompanied by opportunities. As for the interpersonal relations between the nobles... it is a necessary daily routine to enter Castel's upper class society and maintain status and identity.

That is why, as long as you are not stupid, no one will miss this opportunity to communicate with other nobles. The nobles of the entire territory were able to gather together and attend the banquet.

After all, only the Lord of Castel could gather all the nobles in the territory.

There were more and more nobles in the banquet hall, and the atmosphere in the venue became more and more heated.

When the elven dance music sounded, the highlight of the banquet came along.

Ballroom dancing has always been an important part of the social life of Miria nobles, and almost all banquets are inseparable from dancing.

As the melodious melody sounded, the nobles came in pairs, gracefully saluted each other, and danced to the music.

The dance made the atmosphere of the venue lively and cheerful. Even the most serious nobles were gradually infected by the atmosphere and smiled unconsciously.

Even the sleepy Viscount Roman-Fol, who was sitting on the side, was knocking to the music. Beating the beat, shaking her head slightly.

Nobles like Laura, who were originally passionate and unrestrained, had already left the stage and danced gracefully with the cooperation of their partners, which attracted applause.

When the Lord of the North, Count Charlotte de Castel of Castel, came to the venue accompanied by the elf butler, the atmosphere in the banquet hall immediately reached a climax.

This was the first time that Charlotte hosted a banquet as a lord, and it was also the first time that she entered the venue as a lord.

Today, she chose a white-based bustier dress. Her soft blonde hair and pink skin sparkled under the lights, giving people a mysterious, noble and holy feeling.

She wore a gorgeous ribbon on her chest with a black eagle painted on it, symbolizing the glory of Castel.

In Charlotte The moment she entered the venue, the half-elf band stopped playing, and the waiters, maids, and guards saluted respectfully.

The nobles also quickly noticed the arrival of their lord. The dancing men and women almost stopped instantly, and hundreds of eyes fell on Charlotte.

That sight, there was surprise, joy, respect, curiosity...

Regardless of how the nobles present saw her in their hearts, when Charlotte cast her eyes on everyone, she only saw smiling, respectful and elegant faces.

There was no malice, no hostility, no contempt.

There was only a bright smile that seemed to come from the heart.

If Charlotte hadn't felt the contempt of the nobles, she would have almost believed it.

Drama queen.

They are all drama queens!

Charlotte complained in her heart, but her face was elegant and demure, like a noble lady.

With Sebastian's help, she gracefully walked through the crowd and walked to the front of the banquet hall.

The nobles made way to both sides, opening the way for Charlotte to the lord's seat in the front.

Whenever she passed by, the nobles on both sides would consciously bow and salute, with standard and respectful movements.

The black cat Nice still followed behind Charlotte.

Looking at the nobles on both sides bowing and saluting like the wind blowing wheat, it raised its tail high, held its head high, and showed the pet circle with the black eagle emblem on its chest. It looked so proud that at first glance, it was thought that the nobles were visiting it.

Charlotte slowly walked to the front of the banquet hall. The hall that accommodated hundreds of people was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

Under the gazes of many people, Charlotte came to the lord's seat and sat down gracefully. Then she nodded slightly, saluted the band, and smiled and whispered a word:

"Continue."

After receiving the signal, the half-elf band continued to play the music, and the nobles hesitated for a moment, and continued to dance. Soon the venue returned to a warm atmosphere.

Charlotte sat on the lord's seat, with one hand supporting her head gracefully, and the other hand resting on the gorgeous armrest. Her azure eyes gently swept through the crowd, and she verified the nobles' costumes and emblems with the information she had read.

Mayor Madoc of North Port stood beside her.

Whenever Charlotte's eyes were directed to a place, he would lean over slightly and respectfully introduce the other party's identity and family background to Charlotte.

Charlotte nodded and observed secretly, and soon recognized the three viscounts and seventeen barons among her direct fiefdom vassals.

The dancing nobles seemed chaotic.

However, if you look closely, you will find that the Castel nobles gathered in the hall are divided into four factions.

Among them, the three major viscount families are each a faction, each with their own friendly nobles, especially Ryan Castel and Leglis, who can be said to be the moon surrounded by stars.

Charlotte's mind also quickly emerged with the information of these two families.

She is very familiar with Ryan Castel, the main family of Baron Sharon, a branch of the Castel family, and also a loyal noble in the records. He may have some of his own little thoughts, but he has always been a die-hard supporter of Castel.

Its head, Emery, is a senior Silver Moon Knight. He has served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Earldom for many years and has a wide network of contacts.

As for Leglis... It is said that he is the earliest knight who followed the first generation of Earl Castel. He has the blood of the red dragon and is a true dragon descendant.

The fiefdom of the Leglis family is adjacent to the Grand Duchy of the Northern Border. It has a brave and combative cavalry unit. Its influence in the Earldom cannot be underestimated.

However, Charlotte remembered that the Legris family had declined in recent years with the death of its old patriarch, but what she saw today was not the case.

Its new patriarch was also a Silver Moon, and she was such a young woman.

As for the last of the three viscounts, although the nobles gathered around the Roman-Forer family were the least, the aura of this family was the strongest.

Charlotte keenly noticed that the other nobles almost all moved away from the place where they gathered, with a feeling of isolation, awe, and fear.

This was similar to the information she had read.

Unlike other families, the Roman-Forer family was a surrendered family with the most complicated background.

Their ancestors, the Roman family, were pirates in the north. In the era of rampant pirates in the north hundreds of years ago, the northern tribes to which the Roman family belonged often attacked the coastline of the Crescent Kingdom.

Later, the Roman family occupied the land in the north of the Crescent Kingdom. In order to win them over, the Crescent Royal Family, whose monarchy was declining at the time, had to confer them the title of Roman Duke, which is the origin of the current Roman Duchy.

However, the Roman family later invaded the Falling Star Kingdom and established the Roman Dynasty in the Falling Star Kingdom, and the Roman Principality followed suit and became an enclave of the Falling Star Kingdom.

The Roman-Forer family was separated from the Roman Principality shortly thereafter.

Unlike the main Roman family, they chose to stay in the Crescent Kingdom.

Because they also inherited the pirate tradition, the Roman-Forer family did not have a very good reputation. Although they had some choices in the objects of privateering, they were despised by many nobles.

However, despite being despised, the Roman-Forer family controlled a powerful fleet. In Castel, which was famous for its trade, they were completely sideways and feared by almost all families.

Not only that, in the Star-Moon War, it was said that they had wavered between the two kingdoms, and even angered the Duke of Bolde at the time...

In short, they were a powerful noble family with a complex background and a subtle stance.

Recalling the various materials she had read, Charlotte slowly withdrew her eyes from Viscount Roman-Forer.

For some reason, the moment she saw the other party, she felt a sense of familiarity.

In addition to the three viscounts, there are also some landless nobles who have formed a small circle. Although their titles are very low compared to those old nobles, many of them only have the title of baron or knight without fiefdom, but their clothes are quite gorgeous, and they even look richer than many old nobles.

After browsing the information, Charlotte knew that these people were the new nobles who have gradually grown in recent years. Unlike the traditional nobles who rely more on territory taxes, almost everyone of them is engaged in business, or has a workshop, and even many of them are originally businessmen, and their titles are bought.

They don't care about anything else, they only care about whether they can make money and how to get a higher status in the earldom.

These four forces are almost the current situation of Castel nobles.

Charlotte doesn't know which of these people are involved with the Nice blood clan, it may be one faction, or more than one faction.

However, her purpose today is to observe.

Of course, observation alone is not enough.

To really understand, communication and testing are still needed.

Charlotte signaled with her eyes, and the waiter immediately understood and pulled up the curtain in front of the lord's seat.

The curtain was engraved with exquisite and complex patterns, and if you look closely, you can see some magical inscriptions.

This is a special kind of curtain blessed with special magic.

The curtain can block the view of the nobles outside, but from the inside of the curtain, Charlotte can clearly see every move of the nobles on the field.

Not only that, the curtains isolated the sounds from inside and outside. Charlotte could vaguely hear the music at the venue, but the conversation inside the curtains could not be heard at all.

This is a curtain specially used to meet the lord!

This is a banquet, and it is also an event to receive the nobles' audience. While the banquet is held outside, Charlotte will be on this side of the curtain to receive the nobles' audience one by one.

Of course, not all nobles are required to meet. Charlotte only named three viscount families and a few more influential baron families. Those who want to meet the rest must apply by themselves.

The curtains were closed, leaving only Charlotte, Sebastian, and Nice, two people and a cat.

The nobles looked at each other, knowing that the opportunity to meet the lord had come.

However, the first person to come to see Charlotte was not the Castel noble.

But an old acquaintance of Charlotte.

"Sister Lottie, I haven't seen you for a few days. Is the church work going well?"

Looking at the gentle Priestess in front of her, Charlotte smiled in surprise.

She had just asked about Lottie's work a few days ago. She heard that the priestess had been very busy after coming to Castres, and she didn't know how much work the church in Castres had backlogged.

Charlotte thought Lottie wouldn't come today.

After listening to Charlotte's words, Lottie sighed, looking a little tired:

"It's a bit complicated. The church in Castel has accumulated more affairs than I thought. I have been busy dealing with them these days and finally got some free time..."

As she said that, she couldn't help but said:

"Did you know? There is no presiding priest in the Castel Church! Only when I arrived at the church did I realize that my priesthood is the highest!"

Charlotte was immediately happy.

She knew that the Holy Royal Court's control in Castell was weak, but she did not expect it to be so weak.

"There's not even a priest in charge? Wouldn't that be equivalent to a permanent shutdown?"

"Yes, the problem is...even the Boulder Church doesn't know that the priest in charge of Castres has long since disappeared, and the church of Castres has not reported it. This has been seven years!"

"Seven years?"

Charlotte's heart skipped a beat.

With the troubles at the Castres silver mine in the past, she was now quite sensitive to the number seven.

"Yes, it's been seven years. After the chief priest of Castel was promoted seven years ago, there has been no arrangement for a new priest. There is no record in Boulder, and the trial court of the principality has not been inspected for many years. ”

Lottie said.

Charlotte raised an eyebrow:

"Being suppressed by the great priest Linus?"

Lottie sighed:

"I'm afraid so."

Charlotte sneered:

"This copper-smelting addict is still lingering after being tried. It seems that he did not lack the benefits of some guys in the beginning."

Lottie's heart moved:

"Some guys?"

"Some rats want to cause trouble. I originally thought they just reached out to the nobles, but now it seems that they may have infiltrated even the church."

After listening to Charlotte's words, Lottie's expression also showed a hint of worry:

"Speaking of which, Lord Earl, I have heard a lot of bad rumors these days, about you and the church..."

"You say that I want to force faith and force unbelievers and heretics to convert, right?"

Charlotte said.

Lottie hesitated for a moment and nodded slightly.

"Don't worry about them. After all, I'm not a true believer in the Holy Spirit. These rumors will be disproven as time goes by."

Charlotte shook her head and said.

However, as soon as she finished speaking, she seemed to have thought of something again, and her expression condensed slightly:

"etc……"

"My Lord Earl?"

Lottie looked confused.

Charlotte pondered for a moment, and suddenly said to Nice, who was eating dried fish at the side:

"Nice, after today's banquet, you go back to the church and conduct identity checks for all the church's priests."

Nice put down the dried fish:

"Identity check? Meow? Lady Charlotte, do you suspect that Castle's church has also been infiltrated?"

Charlotte narrowed her eyes:

"Just be careful. Although I'm not afraid of certain rumors, I have to be wary of others messing around in my name."

After saying that, she smiled at Lottie again:

"However, maybe this is also a good thing. Since there is no priest in Castel, then maybe we can apply to Grandpa Raoul to let you serve as the chief priest in Castel."

After listening to Charlotte's suggestion, Lottie hesitated to speak.

Of course she understood what Charlotte meant, which was to completely control the belief in the territory and completely empty the Holy Royal Court.

As a priest of the Holy Royal Court, she should have prevented this kind of thing, but at this moment, she only hesitated slightly before accepting it.

The speed of acceptance surprised even herself.

Maybe... I have already fallen from the moment I found out that the protective umbrella behind Zuimeng Salon was the great priest.

Lottie sighed in her heart.

After her faith was shaken, she was still protected by the Holy Light. To be honest...she didn't even know what she should believe now.

Maybe... only time will gradually tell her the answer.

"Sister Lottie, please be careful when you are in the church. When the banquet is over and you go back, take two guards from the Earl's Palace to defend yourself. I found two advanced guard captains at the mining workshop, which is pretty good."

Charlotte said.

"Thank you for your concern."

Lottie bowed her head slightly.

No matter how her beliefs changed, while being a priest, she still remembered that she was a descendant of the Broglie family.

The Broglie family has always repaid their kindness. After being rescued by Charlotte, she had already decided to follow him. This is the only thing... she will never be wrong.

…

Lottie's visit was more like a greeting.

After chatting for a few words, she exited the curtain.

After Lottie withdrew, Viscount Lenn Amory, the head of the Lenn-Castle family who was a branch of the Castells and had a somewhat detached status in the earldom, took the lead in entering the curtain.

As soon as the old Viscount entered the curtain, he bowed tremblingly towards Charlotte and said solemnly:

"Your Majesty, I have important information to report to you!"

"The Leglis family... I'm afraid they have different intentions!"

It’s the end of the month, shamelessly ask for a monthly ticket..._(:з)∠)_