"A-choo! Which bastard is plotting against me again?!"
"That lackey Sebastian must be saying bad things about me in front of Lady Charlotte again. This guy with an elf face and a devil heart just does bad things all day long!"
After saying that, Nice's eyes rolled around:
"Speaking of which... it has been more than ten days since the news of Lady Charlotte's return came. Calculating the time, she should be back soon."
"No, I have to prepare early and go to the city to greet her in advance to leave a good impression on her!"
Thinking of this, Nice felt that it was time to cheer himself up after being so carefree for almost two months, and at least not be outdone by those fawning nobles in the territory.
"Jennifer, quickly prepare the carriage for Master Cat. Master Cat is going out. Go outside the city to meet Lady Charlotte in advance!"
Nice said to the maid who was cleaning the room.
The maid paused for a moment, and was about to answer when a young wizard in a long robe suddenly ran in, followed by two knights on guard:
"Lord Nice! Lord Nice! News has come from outside the city that the Earl's convoy has entered the Viscount of Beigang!"
After hearing the young wizard's words, Nice was instantly startled and jumped up:
"Ah? What? So soon? Has she entered the Viscount of Beigang?"
"According to the knight who led the way, the Earl was eager to return home, so he declined the invitations of the nobles along the way and did not stop on the way."
The young mage from the Earl's Mansion said.
"Okay, I understand. Let's make arrangements quickly and prepare a carriage to go outside the city to welcome him. We are all confidants of the Earl's Mansion and we cannot be outdone by those nobles from the North. We must be the first to see Lady Charlotte before them!"
Nice ordered quickly.
After hearing what it said, the mage's expression was a little strange:
"Well, Master Nice, it seems that all the nobles in the city have left the city a day ago to wait..."
Nice: …
"Shit, what a bunch of shameless lackeys! Hurry! Now! Quickly! Prepare the carriage!"
It glared with its cat eyes and cursed.
…
Outside Beigang City.
A convoy bearing the coat of arms of Castell, escorted by armored knights, came in a mighty procession from afar.
Both sides of the road were filled with nobles who were eagerly waiting.
Looking around, there were probably no less than a thousand people, including family members and servants. Almost all the famous nobles in the North had come.
Including the two viscounts under the Earl of the North, the two old viscounts, Viscount Roman Fore and Viscount Ryan Castel, were all present. They led a group of clansmen and stood in front of the team on the left and right.
Nice stood at the front with the Earl's cronies.
This guy was not lying on the recliner, but standing proudly on the back of a tall horse, with a fully armed knight of the Earl's guard sitting behind him.
Seeing the approaching convoy and the dust rising in the distance, Nice felt a little nervous for a moment.
It coughed lightly, and quickly turned its head to look at the knight behind it:
"Hey, Mr. Cat, do you look okay?"
The Royal Guard Knight nodded:
"You look quite energetic."
Niss breathed a sigh of relief.
However, looking at its ball-like body, the Royal Guard Knight hesitated for a moment, then said cautiously:
"It's just... have you gained weight again recently?"
Nice: …
"What do you mean by fat? This is called plumpness! Do you understand what plumpness means?"
It blew its beard and glared.
But after saying that, it stretched out its chubby paws and touched its round belly, its eyes becoming a little vague:
"It seems... a little stronger than before."
"No, it seems that Master Cat needs to lose weight, otherwise it will be difficult to scratch."
Knight Guard: ...
"Okay, I get it. Lady Charlotte's convoy is here. Let's go and greet them."
Looking at the Earl's convoy getting closer and closer, Nice rubbed his cat paws and said.
…
This is Charlotte's second time back in the territory.
After crossing the last hill leading to the Viscount of North Port, Charlotte saw the welcoming team outside the city. The scale of the team was far greater than what she had seen the first time.
Not only that, during the half-day journey after she entered the North, the vassal territories she passed by along the way welcomed her with their families and invited her to stay in their castles or manors.
Of course, she declined them all.
The convoy slowly stopped and the nobles came to greet them warmly.
Charlotte signaled the dragon maid Eudocia to open the curtains. After seeing Charlotte in the carriage, the nobles immediately smiled with joy. Led by the two viscounts, they said respectfully:
"My Lord Earl, welcome back to the territory. Congratulations on officially becoming the direct lord of the kingdom!"
Looking at the nobles who saluted her in unison, Charlotte sighed.
When she first came to the territory more than a year ago, almost no nobles paid any attention to her, and almost all vassals from all over the country were hypocritical.
But now, with the rebellion of the Legris family put down and the victory of the Bold-Castell War, Charlotte has proven herself and suppressed and conquered the nobles through various means, and the situation of the Castell family has changed a lot.
Maybe she cannot be said to have the final say in the territory now, but she is already a lord recognized and loyal to by the northern nobles.
Of course, nobles are nobles, and she still needs to work harder to gain the recognition of the majority of the subjects. If one day, it is not just nobles who come to greet her, but also many subjects, then it means that she has truly won the hearts of the people.
"Meow! Lady Charlotte! You are finally back! I haven't seen you for so many days, I missed you so much! I haven't been able to eat properly every day!"
A flattering, rough and loud voice came from the side, and a big black ball rolled in front of Charlotte.
Charlotte looked for a while before she realized it was the black cat Nice.
I haven't seen him for almost two months, and it seems like he has gained weight again.
"Oh, didn't you have a good meal? Mr. Nice, you should really look in the mirror and take a good look at your figure. Think about whether you will blush when you say this."
Sebastian sneered and said sarcastically.
Nice immediately glared back:
"What do you know?! This is called depression and obesity! I haven't seen Lady Charlotte for so many days, and I feel depressed every day. I can only relieve it by eating!"
"Depressed and fat? Isn't it simply because he has become lazy and greedy without the restraint of his master?"
"Meow! Slander! This is blatant slander! You are an evil-minded elf who only knows how to speak ill of others behind their backs! You are a disgrace to all elves!"
"No, I never said anything bad about anyone. I was just stating facts, facts about lazy, greedy pets."
"You! Meow! You're making me, the cat, so mad!"
It was obvious that Nice couldn't speak as well as Sebastian, and he was so angry at Sebastian that his lungs were about to explode.
"Meow... Lady Charlotte, this guy is bullying me again. How can Master Cat be lazy? Master Cat is diligently looking after the house. In his spare time, he also guides the spellcasters in the Earl's Mansion and even compiles a secret method of blood awakening for them. Master Cat is really working so hard!"
Nice rushed in front of Charlotte and said with tears and snot.
It's just that his body is too fat and his voice is too rough, and when he imitates the cuteness of a cat, it's a bit eye-catching.
However, Charlotte didn't care much about this.
She just remembered something when she heard the words "secret method of blood awakening" and her face suddenly turned dark.
"Okay, be quiet and go back to the city."
Charlotte said.
After saying that, she looked at the two old viscounts again:
"Sir Roman Fowl, Sir Len Castel, please accompany us."
After hearing what Charlotte said, Viscount Leon Castel's face lit up with joy, and the serious Viscount Roman Forge was also respectful.
They saluted Charlotte, then mounted their horses one on the left and one on the right, and followed Charlotte's carriage.
Being able to follow the lord is a sign of the lord's recognition and closeness.
Although they are old, the two viscounts are extraordinary people after all, so they are more than capable of riding a horse.
"Let's keep going."
Charlotte ordered.
Without even a glance at Ness, she closed the curtains again.
"Hey."
Sebastian glanced at Nice provocatively and raised his chin proudly.
Nice's already dark face seemed to have become even darker.
He glared at Sebastian angrily and cursed inwardly, but when his eyes swept towards Charlotte's carriage, his wandering eyes showed a hint of guilt.
No way... Has he been caught with something again
Nice's little brain immediately started working rapidly, thinking about whether he had any dark history that had been exposed recently.
Charlotte, on the other hand, no longer paid attention to it.
Castel's convoy continued to move forward, and the welcoming nobles gradually joined the team, following behind the convoy and heading towards North Port.
…
"My Lord Earl, the post-war reconstruction work in North Port has been almost completed. However, the Northern Territory will still need some time. Although we have the support and free aid from the Earl's Mansion, the remaining funding gap is still relatively large. If we only rely on the local lords, it will probably take a long time to recover."
"Thanks to the previous naval battle, the Shallow Water Street in Beigang was destroyed in the war. The City Hall has taken this opportunity to successfully demolish most of the buildings on Shallow Water Street and has planned the construction of the Beigang New District on the land outside the island. It is currently being promoted in an orderly manner."
"Castel College has been officially established. It has borrowed the estate of the Legris family in the city as its school site. The first batch of students has also been recruited, totaling 67 people. Most of them are from commoner families. Because of their lack of background, the enthusiasm of the nobles is not very strong, so most of them still choose to hire tutors."
"In addition, about half a month ago, the church's northern investigation team also completed the investigation of Castel County. According to your instructions before you left, we have reported all the ruins. In the end, the church concluded that the Blood Demon Cult was responsible."
"The ruins have not been sealed and are still under our control. However, after investigation, we found that there is nothing left in the ruins, just some ruins."
"… "
North Port, Earls Court.
Charlotte, who had returned to the territory, did not rest much, but listened to the report from Viscount Ryan Castel in the study.
Although she had only been away from the territory for two months, the North was not idle during this time, and everything was developing according to Charlotte's original plan.
The nobles are still very capable, they have money and connections, and after so many days, it is almost impossible to tell that Beigang had suffered a war not long ago. The slum area of Beigang, Shallow Water Street, can be considered a blessing in disguise as it has the possibility of being demolished.
After listening to the nobles' report, Charlotte pondered for a moment and said:
"The funding gap for post-war recovery can continue to be filled by the Castel family, but the remaining funds are only loans, not gifts. Of course, localities are allowed to mortgage or exchange land or other assets."
"The reconstruction of the shallow water area must do a good job of post-war work and properly resettle the poor. In the process of building the new area, priority should be given to recruiting workers from the poor and using them as labor instead of relief. For those buildings on the shallow water street that were not destroyed in the war, compensation should also be provided."
"The academy doesn't need to worry. It's always difficult to get started, and it's bound to lack foundation. So, I will donate all the books in the Earl's Mansion and the books confiscated from the rebellious noble families to the academy to form the academy's library. Any teacher who has worked in the academy for more than one year can enter and read freely."
Hearing this, Viscount Ryan Castel widened his eyes:
"Donate all the books? This... Lord Earl! Absolutely not! Extraordinary knowledge is the foundation of the nobility. If all are donated... then Castel..."
"The Royal Library has hundreds of thousands of books and is also open to students of the Kingdom Magic Academy. So why can't I, Castel, do the same?"
Charlotte interrupted Viscount Leon-Castell.
Viscount Ryan Castel paused slightly.
And Charlotte continued:
"It's settled. We have to bring out knowledge to attract real talent. This applies to both the faculty and students of the college."
"Of course, not everyone can enter freely. Only those who have proven their worth can enter the library. For details, you can refer to the management of the Royal Library. But remember one thing, do not favor the nobles, but take care of the common people."
After hearing what Charlotte said, Viscount Ryan Castel sighed:
"My Lord, your heart is shameful..."
After saying this, he felt a little moved.
After all, the Castel family is the lord of the North, and over the centuries they have accumulated a large number of books, especially extraordinary knowledge, with a deep foundation.
Viscount Ryan Castel thought that perhaps after the library was built, he could send members of his family to the academy to serve as teachers, or even send some of his children to study in the academy.
Being able to donate all of their own collections of books to the academy, no noble family in the Miria continent can do that!
Viscount Len-Castell sighed in his heart, not knowing whether to say that his own earl was magnanimous or a bit of a spendthrift.
However, Charlotte really didn't care that much about Castel's collection of books.
The reason was simple. Compared with the royal library that she had emptied, the Castel family's collection of books was just a little brother.
If one adds to the blood clan heritage of the Holy Book of Blood and the magical knowledge in Nice's head, he will be even more of a younger brother.
Of course, it was different for the nobles and commoners in the North.
Rather than leaving the collection of books gathering dust in the Earl's Palace, it would be better to use them more efficiently.
As for the royal library in her mind, it was prepared for her believers in the future, and she couldn't take it out even if she wanted to.
After spending half a day, Charlotte finally finished the meeting with the nobles and got to know the situation of the territory in the past one or two months.
After everything was over, Charlotte picked up the sweet milk offered by Shirley, took a sip, and then looked at the black cat Nice, who was standing aside with a smile, and was as honest as could be.
This guy was left out in the cold by Charlotte for a long time, and now he has finally come to his senses. Something must have happened again that is related to him.
"Nice, have you been hiding something from me?"
Charlotte gave it a significant look.
Being stared at by Charlotte's deep blue eyes, Nice felt a little guilty.
It laughed dryly:
"Look at what you said, Lady Charlotte. We have been contracted for two years. Nice has long been your cat. From body to heart, she is in your shape. How can there be anything I am hiding from you?"
Charlotte said nothing, but continued to look at it calmly.
Nis's scalp suddenly went numb.
It coughed dryly, and its eyes became more and more vague.
It ran to Charlotte with a giggle, opened its big watery eyes, and hugged Charlotte's calf in white stockings, with a flattering look on its face, but cautiously tested:
"Lord Charlotte, um... You said I was hiding something from you, but what exactly do you mean? Can you remind me?"
Charlotte: …