The war in the north ended, and peace returned to Castel.
Of course, it will take time to settle everything completely. Neither rewards nor punishments can be accomplished in a short period of time.
However, this was not something Charlotte needed to worry about personally, and she handed over all these tasks to the newly formed Earl's cabinet.
The new cabinet still referred to Castel's old system, and Charlotte only made some slight improvements. The three most important positions: Minister of War, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Minister of Finance were held by Viscount Roman-Ford, Viscount Leon Castel, and Sebastian respectively.
This was not a drastic change from before, that is, the position of the Legris family was replaced by Sebastian, or more precisely, it was taken back by the Earl's Mansion.
It is worth mentioning that Charlotte also gave Nice the title of magic consultant and threw him into the cabinet.
It would be ridiculous to hear that a cat entered the cabinet, but... the nobles in the north did not object in the end.
the reason is simple.
First, whether the nobles were willing or not, Charlotte's authority had been established in the territory with the two wars. She had already gained the submission of her vassals and became a true lord.
Second, no one in the territory really regards Nice as a black cat.
After all, where in this world can you find a pet cat that can design magic blueprints, make magic props, and has more theoretical knowledge than the most prestigious magician in the North
Some northern wizards have speculated that the black cat in the Earl's Mansion is actually the alchemical incarnation of a famous wizard.
In addition to this, some outstanding nobles or heirs were selected from some secondary families and emerging families to enter the Earl's Palace and take up various positions.
There are all kinds of positions, from maids and attendants to butlers and managers.
This is also the main way for Miriah noble lords to maintain relations between their vassals.
After the rebellion was quelled, only two of the three viscount families remained. However, some knight families that had made great contributions took advantage of the situation and were destined to gain territories under Charlotte's promise and become the new elites of the North.
Perhaps Charlotte could not remember them all, but the cabinet would remember them, and with the help of the earldom positions and the subsequent marriages between various families, they would be naturally incorporated into the aristocratic management system of the North.
On the whole, although some noble families rose with their military achievements, after the two wars, the overall power of the nobles in the North had obviously shrunk, while the strength of the lords had greatly increased.
Not to mention anything else, Charlotte has almost doubled the area of her direct jurisdiction. Although a lot of it was obtained from the enclave of the Glis family, it has actually strengthened her control over the territory.
Especially the Castel Silver Mine, the control has basically completely returned to the Earl's Mansion, and it will never be sidelined by the nobles as it was before she came to the territory.
After everything was over, Yust did not stay in Castel any longer, but returned to the Fallen Star Kingdom as soon as possible.
Although he was very curious about where the ancestor was, the Ness clan still had important matters that required his attention. Under the repeated urging of Duke Yorock, he had to rush back.
This made Nice feel relieved. At last, he didn't have to face the old people who knew his background.
Nice did not disappoint Charlotte. A few days later, he recorded the rituals and inscriptions of Nicholas' magic array and presented them to her with both hands.
Charlotte's magical attainments were not very advanced, and she relied almost entirely on the Blood Codex for help.
But even so, she could see that the magic array technology provided by Nice was far superior to the magic array level of the Principality of Boulder or even the Crescent Kingdom.
"Hey, of course. What the Crescent Kingdom got was what I researched hundreds of years ago. Many years have passed. Although my strength has declined, my theoretical knowledge has been improving. The version I gave you has been improved countless times by me."
In the study, Nice pinched his waist in a humane way and said proudly.
Charlotte sat leisurely behind her desk.
Today she changed into an aristocratic silk gown suitable for traveling. It had a black base, with intricate golden patterns and embroidery of the Castel family crest, making her look more noble and mature than usual.
She sipped her sweet milk while browsing the drawings in her hand and said with a smile:
"Not bad. Then, the next thing is to build our own extraordinary army in our territory. As for the technical aspects... it should be no problem for you to leave it to me, right?"
Nice seems to be quite comfortable with the word "we".
He glanced proudly at Sebastian, who was serving tea and milk, and his tail was lifted even higher:
"No problem, leave the technical matters to us!"
"Speaking of which... I am a little curious, why are you so proficient in these extraordinary military formations? Could it be that you once wanted to form your own extraordinary army?"
"Ahem... Lady Charlotte, we were too young back then, so let's not talk about it, let's not talk about it..."
Nice scratched his head and said guiltily.
Charlotte raised an eyebrow but didn't ask any further questions.
Although we already know that Nice is the legendary wizard Nicholas who was famous in the continent hundreds of years ago, it is obvious that this guy still has many secrets.
For example, he did not tell us how he offended many churches or how he turned into a cat.
Charlotte didn't force it.
Who doesn't have some secrets in this world? As long as they don't have any malicious intentions or are not deceitful or treacherous, she doesn't mind her followers having their own little secrets.
Thinking of this, Charlotte put down the blueprint and looked at Sebastian beside her:
"Sebastian, how is the follow-up with Violet and Bold going?"
Sebastian bowed and replied respectfully:
"Master, the Violet Principality is very fast. Their first batch of ransom has been delivered, and the relevant nobles have been handed over and released. The second and third batches should be in place next month."
"Where's Polder?"
"Bold is quite far away. The Mage Tower sent a message a few days ago saying that their team is on the way."
Charlotte nodded slightly:
"Well, let's arrange the handover before we leave."
"I will follow your orders."
"And the horses of the Northern Grand Duchy..."
"Please rest assured. I have already arranged it. The stable is ready to receive it at any time. It depends on when the North will deliver it."
"good."
Charlotte went through the tasks that needed to be arranged in advance with each person and the cat one by one.
The central meeting of the royal capital was about to be held. This round trip would probably take a month or two to return, so she had to deal with the follow-up matters in advance.
At this moment, a knight of the royal guard knocked on the door of the study:
"My Lord, the priest Lottie from the church is here to visit you."
Charlotte's heart moved slightly:
"Lottie? Please ask her to come in."
The door was pushed open, and the priest Lottie, dressed in a white robe, quickly entered.
She glanced at Sebastian and Nice beside Charlotte, then bowed to the girl and handed her a parchment scroll:
"Lord Charlotte, there is news from the parish."
Charlotte took the parchment and read it carefully, raising her eyebrows slightly.
"Master, what is it?"
Sebastian asked curiously.
"Nothing. It's an internal church document asking the Castel branch to prepare for the reception in advance. The investigation team from the Crescent Parish is coming."
Charlotte said.
"Investigation team? Are they here to investigate the... um... unusual movement that happened a few days ago?"
Sebastian spoke carefully choosing his words.
Charlotte nodded slightly:
"Well, the town bell rang, and it was the town bell of the parish. They had to send someone down to check it out."
After hearing what the girl said, several people couldn't help but look at her with puzzled expressions.
It sounded as if the ringing of the God-suppressing Bell had nothing to do with someone...
"An advance reception, tsk... It seems that the identity of the priest coming this time is not simple. He even sent an internal document. Lady Charlotte, can I see who is coming?"
Ness asked curiously.
"Here, look."
Charlotte handed it over.
Nice took the parchment and took a quick look at it. After just one glance, his eyes widened:
"Meow?! Meow! The Grand Inquisitor of the Diocese?! And a cardinal?! This... This... is enough.
Two Legends?! Damn it! There are only five Legends in Crescent Parish, and two of them are here?! "
"There are only five legends in Crescent Parish?"
Charlotte was a little surprised.
"Five is already a lot! Ah no no... That's not the point. The point is that the one who came is the Chief Judge! Lady Charlotte, the Chief Judge of the Crescent Parish has a record of 'killing gods' in the past!"
Ness screamed.
"Is it the old god resurrection incident in the Moon Coast City-State twenty years ago? It's just an old god who has just been resurrected. As far as I know, the strength of that god has not even recovered to Blazing Sun."
Sebastian said, thinking back to the church texts he had read in Boulder.
"But that's also killing a god! Killing a god and exiling a god are two different things!"
Nice said.
"Sir Nice, don't worry. We have already prepared our disguises and notified the Blood Wolf Tribe in advance to keep a low profile for the time being. The beliefs in the North are mixed. Even if the church comes to investigate, everything will point to the Blood Demon Cult and those weird religions."
"This is a blessing! I really want to thank the Blood Demon Cult for their sacrifice ceremony! However, Lady Charlotte, we have to set off quickly, and avoid taking the same route as the inspection team to prevent you from meeting them directly! Who knows if they will carry artifacts blessed by the Lord God and be able to sense the breath of the gods!"
After hearing what Nice said, Charlotte nodded slightly.
Strictly speaking, when the church sends an investigation team, the local lord must definitely meet them.
But, who asked her to attend the central meeting in the royal capital
The religious power and royal power of the Crescent Kingdom have been competing with each other for many years. As a noble lord, she could reasonably avoid the other side by attending the royal capital meeting.
Besides, the investigation team was investigating the unusual movements of the God-Suppressing Bell, and those unusual movements were caused by the Blood Demon Cult. What did that have to do with her, a devout lord who believed in the Holy Royal Court
Thinking of this, Charlotte looked at Sebastian:
"Sebastian, have you made all the preparations before departure?"
"Master, everything is ready. The carriage, supplies, escorts, gifts and so on are all ready."
"Very good, it's almost time for us to leave. Inform Shirley, Reina, and Eudocia. We will set off immediately."
After saying that, Charlotte looked at Nice again:
"Nice, you will not be going with me on this trip to the capital. Help me look after the house and collect the ransom after the war. You are most familiar with the internal mechanism of the Holy Royal Court. Staying in the territory will also help you deal with the scrutiny of the Church Inquisition."
After hearing what Charlotte said, Niss suddenly looked bitter:
"I... I'll try my best! I haven't dealt with the Chief Judge much, and to be honest... I'm a little scared."
Charlotte smiled:
"Be more confident, Nice, you are a big shot in the church."
Nice: …
"Okay, it's almost time, let's just stay here and leave early. Maybe we can leave the North tonight."
Charlotte said as she checked the time on the magic clock.
…
After taking care of the affairs in the territory, Charlotte left the Earl's Mansion.
The sun was shining brightly today. Charlotte looked at the bright sunshine for the first time in a long time and smiled slightly.
She didn't hold an umbrella.
After merging with the statue, her physique had also subtly changed. Although she was not yet immune to the weakening power of direct sunlight, she had already developed a considerable resistance.
At least... a short walk in the sun is no longer a problem.
Outside the Earl's Palace, the Castel family's travel convoy was ready. It was huge, with twenty vehicles. In addition to the nobles, officials and waiters who were traveling with them, they were also loaded with a large amount of cargo.
Especially mithril. Among the twenty carriages, almost one-third were loaded with mithril of different qualities and various associated minerals.
During this trip, Charlotte will not only attend the central meeting of the kingdom and meet with King Louis V, but also deal with many lords of the kingdom. Some of these goods will be used as gifts to build relationships, while others will be used as commodities for trading.
There are not many opportunities for nobles from all over the country to gather in the royal capital. For Charlotte, this is also an opportunity for her to expand the trading channels of Castel's extraordinary materials.
The convoy was surrounded by an escort of armored knights, totaling 150 people, and Baron Chalon was still the commander.
Not far away, there were nobles and officials from the direct-controlled territory who had heard the news and rushed to see him off.
"My Lord Earl!"
After seeing Charlotte, the knights, nobles and officials all saluted with great fanfare.
Charlotte saluted slightly to everyone, and then, in full view of everyone, with the help of Sebastian, she boarded the last of the three most luxurious main carriages.
Shirley, Reina, and Eudocia, who had changed into Castel's maid uniform, also boarded the carriage. They would travel as personal maids.
After everyone was seated, Baron Sharon shouted:
"Set off!"
After saying this, the knights escorted the convoy and drove slowly away from Beigang under the awed and curious gazes of the Beigang citizens...
(Volume 2, End)