Earl of Ulster didn't know how many years it had been since he last came to North Port.
Fifty years? One hundred years? Two hundred years
As a traditional vampire, Yurst almost never left his castle. The last time he moved was when he was defeated in the Lilac War and had to retreat from Beren, the capital of the Fallen Star, to live in seclusion in the countryside.
Looking at the bustling and almost congested port in front of him, and the endless stretch of buildings on the water, even though he had been mentally prepared, the Blood Earl still couldn't help but be dazed for a moment, and couldn't help but sigh:
"It is said that Castel is the richest territory in the north. Today, I see that it is indeed worthy of its reputation!"
"No wonder the Council of Elders is unwilling to give up Castel. Such a prosperous place is rare even in Falling Star..."
Waging war requires huge amounts of money.
Although the vampires have never been short of money thanks to their long lifespans and their sluggish lifestyle, and can eventually become wealthy even if they just live a hard life, the fortunes of many descendants of the Ness clan were long gone in the Lilac War.
The Council of Elders did have reasons not to give up on Castel. Over the past few years, just by indirectly infiltrating power into the Castel silver mine, the Ness clan had gained a considerable fortune and created a large number of enchanted equipment.
Earl Yust believed that if he could completely control Castel, the chances of successfully regaining control of the Fallen Star Kingdom would increase.
Thinking of this, Yust felt a headache and nervous again.
A mysterious god appeared behind Castel, and all the plans of the Ness clan were disrupted, and they almost lost the possibility of controlling the North.
To be honest, as one of the persons in charge of the Return to Star Project, he really didn't want to come to Beigang at this critical juncture to face a strange god.
But who can blame the vampire clan for having such strict hierarchy
A higher rank meant absolute power. As a descendant of the Duke of York's subordinates, he had no chance of refusing and could only go ahead with it.
"My Lord Earl, we are going to get ready to go ashore."
The captain's respectful voice woke Yulster from his reverie.
Unlike the Earl of Eustace, the captain of this Carrick sailboat was not a Ness blood descendant, but a retainer of their peripheral blood servants.
Yurst nodded, suppressed his anxiety, and said seriously:
"Well, let's prepare the boat for landing."
The Carrick sailboat had a relatively deep draft, and the port at North Harbor was too busy and crowded, so the ship could only stay in the harbor, and those who disembarked had to take a small boat to the shore.
Because of the existence of the Holy Royal Court, the identity of the blood clan cannot be openly displayed in the open. This time their public identity is a noble caravan from the Falling Star Kingdom.
Count Yust ordered the vampires traveling with him to raise the caravan's flag and row their boats towards the dock.
The dock was even more lively, filled with countless people, trucks, caravans, mercenaries, sailors... bustling about.
Yulster and his party did not attract much attention.
After they registered their identities in a low-key manner at the registration office at the dock, they were led by their guide directly to the underground base of the Nice Clan in North Port, a tavern on the Coastal Street.
"My Lord Earl, welcome to Beigang. Thank you for your hard work on this journey."
The tavern owner, who had already received the news, bowed respectfully to Earl of Ulster.
"Prepare three suitable carriages for us. We are going to visit Count Castel at the Earl's Palace tonight."
"Remember, the style of the carriage should be solemn but not too dull, and low-key but not too plain."
Lord Eustace gave the order casually.
As a vampire, he has always had very high requirements for travel conditions, especially this time he is going to visit his master in the north, he takes it more seriously than ever before.
"Okay, Lord Earl, you take a rest for a while, I will go and prepare."
The tavern owner said respectfully.
Looking at the haggard boss and the empty tavern, Earl Yust's heart moved and he frowned slightly:
"Are you the only one left at the clan's base?"
The tavern owner laughed bitterly:
"My Lord Earl, ever since Earl Castel began to examine the blood descendants in the territory, our people have either evacuated or been captured. Now I am the only one left here."
The Earl of Eustace was somewhat surprised:
"Castel is moving so quickly?"
The tavern owner sighed:
"Yes, Count Castel's control over the territory is much stronger than we thought. In particular... she seems to have special channels to investigate our identities. Many of our people were arrested by the city guards before they could evacuate."
Lord Ulster paused at once.
He couldn't help but look at the tavern owner again, and suddenly said:
"You mean to say that, apart from the last outpost and you, all other organizations that the clan has been secretly operating in North Port over the years have been wiped out? Even those peripheral organizations that did not participate in the infiltration of Castel?"
"Yes, they were all uprooted, and even all the local nobles involved suffered. Not only did they lose their titles, but their properties were also confiscated... Really, although Count Castel is young and a woman, her style of action is really fast, accurate, and ruthless..."
The tavern owner sighed.
Earl of Eustace was silent, his brows gradually furrowed.
Seeing the Earl suddenly in deep thought, the tavern owner's heart skipped a beat and he couldn't help asking:
"Mr. Earl, what's wrong with you?"
Earl of Yust glanced at the door of the tavern and suddenly said:
"I was wondering... If Count Castel really had a special channel to investigate your identities, why was this the only place that wasn't shut down?"
After hearing what he said, the tavern owner was stunned.
The next second, accompanied by a violent sound of breaking the door, fully armed city guards led by extraordinary knights rushed in and quickly surrounded all the Ness vampires in the tavern:
"Don't move! We are the North Port Guards. After investigation, we have reason to suspect that you are related to the descendants of the Fallen Star. Now... you are under arrest!"
Seeing dozens of armored men rushing in, the tavern owner panicked, while the descendants of Ness who were traveling with Earl Yust stood up one after another with vigilant expressions.
Only Yust himself was still sitting there calmly, as if he had already sensed the arrival of the North Port Guards.
He took a sip of the mead that the tavern owner had personally served on the table, then looked at the city guards surrounding the crowd and said calmly:
"I am Yulster, Yulster Ness."
"I am here on behalf of the Ness clan to speak with Lord Castel."
After hearing what Count Eustace said, the city guards looked at each other in bewilderment.
The leading knight snorted and said:
"What's the meaning of 'nice, not nice'? I've never heard of it. How can you see the Earl whenever you want?"
"Everyone, hold your heads and squat down. Don't move!"
Ulster: ...
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