"Quick, quick! Wipe the inscription on this stone cannon. The master wizard said that this big thing must be wiped clean before it can be used properly!"
"Are the stones ready? The people at the bridge head are urging us again. The Earl's Palace said that the outer wall of the bridge head must be repaired today!"
Beyond Northport, the River Dorne.
On the North Harbor Bridge, the only bridge across the Dorne River in Castel County, craftsmen were busy repairing the outer wall of the bridge under the guidance of mage apprentices.
North Port Bridge.
As the only bridge across the River Dorne, its role is as important as the Castell Bridge connecting North Port and the mainland.
If the Castel Bridge connecting the north coast of the mainland and Northport is the last line of defense to protect Northport, then the Northport Bridge connecting the north and south of the Dorne River is the only way to determine whether the rebels can continue to move north and completely cut off Northport's retreat.
At this moment, the city walls on both sides of the Beigang Bridge have been repaired, and craftsmen are busy preparing various fortifications.
There is only one purpose, and that is to protect this bridge.
In the tower of the Earl's Palace.
Charlotte stood at the railing, looking at the busy North Port under the shadow of war, the warships patrolling inside and outside the port, the huge stone-shooting cannons that had been newly pushed out on the coastal defense wall, and the camps and tents on the north bank of the Dorne River. Her thoughts drifted away.
It was not until she heard the familiar sound of footsteps that she withdrew her gaze, glanced at the person behind her, and chuckled:
"Has another noble surrendered?"
Behind him, Viscount Ryan Castel hesitated for a moment and nodded:
"Yes, Lord Earl, news has come from the south that the army of Bold Violet has captured the castle fortress closest to North Harbor. I'm afraid that the enemy's vanguard will arrive at the Dorne River tomorrow at the latest."
"Oh? The last castle fortress has also fallen? Which family did it belong to?"
Charlotte raised an eyebrow slightly.
Viscount Ryan Castel looked a little embarrassed:
"The Earl... is... from our family."
Hearing this, Charlotte turned around and gave him a strange look.
Facing her gaze that seemed to see through everything, the old viscount's scalp suddenly went numb and he quickly said:
"My Lord, our loyalty to Len Castel..."
"Don't worry, I won't blame you."
Charlotte interrupted the old viscount.
She turned around and looked at the vast plains, hills, crisscrossing water systems, and scattered villages and towns in the distance of Castel Territory, and then said:
"The speed at which the South fell was somewhat beyond my expectations, but it is understandable."
"After all... for a noble family, long-term survival is the most important thing."
“You can’t put all your eggs in one basket, and even the most broken basket is still a spare basket.”
Upon hearing this, Viscount Ryan Castel's expression became even more embarrassed.
He hesitated for a moment and said:
"My Lord Earl, no matter what the rest of the family chooses, since I have chosen to stand here, I will fight with you until the last moment."
Charlotte glanced at him and nodded:
"I understand. I am already very satisfied that you can help me defend North Port."
As she spoke, she chuckled again:
"Honestly speaking, compared to those nobles who can only rely on the armies of their own direct jurisdictions to fight against their superior lords, I am very lucky to be able to gather an army of more than 10,000 people."
After hearing what Charlotte said, the old viscount was speechless for a moment.
And Charlotte did not continue to talk about this somewhat sensitive topic.
The speed at which the South fell was indeed beyond her expectations, and this could only be explained by the fact that many nobles did not actually fight to the death.
But Charlotte didn't feel too indignant about this.
No matter how bad the Third Prince's reputation was, the noble territories on the front line had no other choice in the face of tens of thousands of troops.
The feudal lords’ power to control their subjects was limited. Compared with the relationship between the emperor and his subjects in the Celestial Empire, it was more like the relationship between a company boss and his employees.
The nobles had already fulfilled their obligations by providing her with conscripts and taxes for fighting, and even coming to help in person. She could not force them to fight to their death.
To truly achieve the latter, one must be a monarch who has successfully strengthened central power, possesses a strong personal charisma, and is fanatically worshipped and loyal by the nobles.
Even Louis V could not do this, and even in Charlotte's past history, not many people could do it.
"Anything else?"
Charlotte looked at Viscount Ryan-Castell and asked.
The old viscount hesitated for a moment and said:
"My Lord, regarding the North Port Bridge... Are you really not considering destroying it?"
"Excuse me, but the North Harbor Bridge connects the north and the south. As long as we destroy it and control the Dorne River, we will be invincible... We can definitely fight the Third Prince."
Charlotte shook her head.
"We can keep fighting, but if we destroy the Beigang Bridge, won't our army be unable to move south?"
The old viscount was stunned for a moment, and then couldn't help but said:
"Are you really planning to counterattack? But our army is too weak compared to the enemy..."
"Wait, are the reinforcements you mentioned real? Aren't they to comfort the nobles of North Harbor?!"
Charlotte smiled.
"When did I say the reinforcements were fake?"
"So, what exactly are the reinforcements you are talking about..."
…
The coalition forces marched faster than the third prince had imagined.
Or to be more precise, compared to the impoverished Bold and the forest-filled Violet, the better-developed Castel had significantly better road conditions, so much so that the army could move much faster.
Faced with the overwhelming superiority of the coalition forces, almost all the northern nobles surrendered along the way. Except for some stubborn and overconfident "clowns", most regions were unable to stop the army from moving north.
Only ten days later, the huge army arrived at the banks of the Dorne River.
The third prince Philip rode on the back of a dragon-scale horse.
Looking at the North Harbor Bridge across the Dorne River in the distance, and the isolated North Harbor in the distance, which was only connected to the north bank by a bridge, a trace of greed flashed in the depths of his eyes.
The third prince turned around, raised his hand and pointed at the prosperous city in the distance, then smiled to those around him:
"From now on, this place will no longer be called Castel."
"Notify them to take a day off and attack tomorrow!"
…
At the same time, the Roman Principality.
The Falling Star Kingdom is located in the largest port on the continent, Port of Mile.
Fast galleys loaded with stone-throwing cannons and soldiers were also ready to set sail at any time.
Count Eustace stood at the bow of the flagship, closed his eyes gently, and slowly opened them after a long time.
"The time is almost here. Notice all ships to fly the Castel flag, hoist the sails, and prepare to set sail."
He ordered the vampire beside him.