Chapter 267
The curtains were intricately designed with exquisite patterns, and if one looked closely, they would even find some magic inscriptions.
This was a kind of curtain blessed with special magic.
The curtains could shield the view of the nobles on the outside, but on the inside, Charlotte could clearly see every move of the nobles on the field.
Not only that, but the curtains also blocked the sound from inside and out, Charlotte could faintly hear the music from the venue, but the conversations inside the curtain would not leak out at all.
This was a curtain specially used for meeting the lord!
This was a banquet but also an event for receiving the nobles. While the banquet was held outside, Charlotte would be on this side of the curtain to receive the nobles one by one.
Of course, not all nobles had to meet, Charlotte had only named three Viscount families and several influential Baron families to meet. The remaining who wished to meet must apply on their own.
The curtains were drawn, and only Charlotte, Sebastian, and the two humans plus one cat, Nisi, were left inside.
The nobles looked at each other, knowing that the opportunity to meet the lord had come.
However, the first to come to meet Charlotte was not a Castel noble.
It was an old acquaintance of Charlotte.
“Lotti sister, long time no see, how’s your work at the Church going?”
Looking at the gentle female priest before her, Charlotte asked with a somewhat surprised smile.
A few days ago, she had inquired about Lotti’s work and heard that this priestess had been swamped with tasks since her arrival in Castel, to the point where she barely touched the ground, and she wondered just how much backlog the Church in Castel had accumulated.
Charlotte had thought that Lotti wouldn’t come at all today.
Hearing Charlotte’s words, Lotti sighed, looking somewhat exhausted:
“It’s a bit complicated. The backlog of tasks at the Castel Church is more than I imagined, and I’ve been busy dealing with them. Only today did I manage to get some time…”
As she spoke, she couldn’t help but add:
“Do you know? There is no chief priest in the Castel Church! After I arrived at the Church, I found out that my clergy rank was the highest!”
Charlotte immediately laughed.
She knew that the control of the Holy Royal Court in Castel was weak, but she didn’t expect it to be this weak.
“Without a chief priest? Isn’t that tantamount to being inoperative?”
“Exactly, and the problem is… even the Bold Church didn’t know that Castel’s chief priest had been gone for a long time, and the Church of Castel also never reported it. It’s been seven years!”
“Seven years?”
Charlotte’s heart skipped a beat.
With the previous troubles concerning the Castel silver mine in mind, she was particularly sensitive to the number “seven” now.
“Yes, seven years. Seven years ago, when the chief priest of Castel was promoted, there was never a new priest arranged, and Bold didn’t keep any records either. It’s been years since an inspection from the Judgement Court as well.”
Lotti said.
Charlotte raised an eyebrow:
“Suppressed by the Great Priest Linus?”
Lotti sighed:
“I’m afraid so.”
Charlotte snorted:
“This copper-smelting obsessive, he’s been judged and he still lingers on. It seems like he must have taken quite a few benefits from certain people before.”
Lotti’s heart stirred:
“Certain people?”
“Some rats that want to cause trouble. I originally thought they only extended their reach to the nobles, but now it seems that even the Church is likely infiltrated.”
Hearing Charlotte’s words, Lotti’s expression also took on a hint of worry:
“Speaking of which, Lord Count, in these days I’ve also heard quite a few unsavory rumors about you and the Church…”
“Are they saying I’m forcibly pushing faith, coercing non-believers and heterodox believers to convert?”
Charlotte said.
Lotti hesitated for a moment, then gently nodded her head.
“Don’t worry about them, after all, I’m not really a holy believer, and these rumors will collapse on their own over time,”
Charlotte shook her head and said.
However, no sooner had she finished speaking than she appeared to remember something, her expression becoming slightly more solemn:
“Wait…”
“Count?”
Lotti looked puzzled.
Charlotte pondered for a moment, then suddenly said to Nisi, who was nibbling on dried fish:
“Nisi, after the banquet ends today, go back to the Church and give all the priests there an identity check.”
Nisi set down the dried fish:
“An identity check? Meow? Lord Charlotte, do you suspect that the Church in Castel has also been infiltrated?”
Charlotte narrowed her eyes:
“Just to be on the safe side, although I’m not afraid of some rumors, I have to watch out for others causing trouble under my name.”
Speaking of which, she smiled at Lotti:
“However, this might be a good thing, since Castel lacks a priest, perhaps we can apply to Grandpa Lawuer, letting you take the role of Castel’s main priest.”
Upon hearing Charlotte’s suggestion, Lotti stopped short.
Of course, she understood what Charlotte meant, this was to take full control of the faith in the territory and completely sideline the Holy Royal Court.
As a priest of the Holy Royal Court, she should have prevented such things, but at this moment, she hesitated only briefly before accepting.
The speed of her acceptance surprised even herself.
Perhaps… from the moment I knew that the Great Priest was the backer behind the Drunk Dream Saloon, I’d already fallen.
Lotti sighed in her heart.
Her faith shaken yet still sheltered by the Holy Light, to be honest… she now didn’t know what to believe in.
Perhaps… only time will gradually give her the answer.
“Lotti sister, please also be careful when you’re at the Church, and after the banquet ends, bring two guards from the Count Mansion for protection. I’ve found two good tier-entering Guard Captains at the Mining Workshop,”
Charlotte said.
“Thank you for your concern.”
Lotti bowed slightly.
No matter how her faith changed, while being a priest, she still remembered she was a descendant of the Broey family.
The Broey family had always been grateful, and after being saved by Charlotte, she’d already decided to follow her, only this point… was definitely not wrong.
…
Lotti’s audience was more like a greeting.
After a few words of conversation, she exited the tent.
And after Lotti exited, as the head of the Castel branch that was somewhat aloof in the Count Territory, Viscount Lien Emery of the Lien-Castel family was the first to enter the tent.
The moment the Old Viscount entered the tent, he bowed tremblingly towards Charlotte and said with a solemn expression:
“Count, I have important information to report to you!”
“The Legris Family… may have ulterior motives!”