Gospel of Blood

Chapter 283: The Battle Begins!

Charlotte’s speech finally ignited the fighting spirit of the northern nobles.

The nobles were now filled with enthusiasm, each eager to claim the title of the army’s vanguard and lead the charge into battle.

Charlotte couldn’t quite understand why they were so keen on leading the charge, but she refrained from asking too many questions to maintain her image. Instead, she swiftly handed over command to Baron Angus, the chief commander.

When it came to speeches and morale-boosting, Charlotte could manage, but when it came to actual combat, she trusted the experienced and battle-hardened Baron Angus more than her own theoretical knowledge.

Baron Angus accepted his orders respectfully and began organizing the nobles for the upcoming battle. Each noble in the tent had brought their own troops, essentially serving as officers in Castell’s army. Assigning tasks to them was equivalent to issuing orders to the entire coalition.

While Baron Angus gave his orders, Charlotte listened intently, secretly learning how he commanded and maneuvered the troops.

Although it was best to leave professional matters to professionals, as a feudal lord, Charlotte felt she needed to improve her own military knowledge. She didn’t aim to become a master strategist, but she wanted to be knowledgeable about military affairs.

What surprised and intrigued Charlotte was the simplicity of Baron Angus’ plan for the nobles.

His strategy was straightforward: mobilize the entire army for a direct frontal assault.

He issued many orders in advance, keeping them simple and direct, and instructed the nobles to follow the signal of the horns during the battle. This was the plan for the northern nobles.

The crucial element of the strategy, however, lay elsewhere.

Before the battle, Count Gaston would send an envoy to negotiate with the rebels, proposing a pincer attack on Castell’s forces. This would lure the Lagrisse family’s main cavalry force, hidden behind their camp, into battle.

Sebastian had discovered and reported that the Lagrisse family’s main cavalry force was not in the camp but hidden behind it.

This positioning suggested that the rebels were aware of Count Gaston’s “loyalty” and intended to launch a pincer attack on Castell with Tulip’s troops.

The rebels planned for their cavalry to cooperate with Tulip’s regular forces, potentially crushing Castell’s coalition with a well-timed charge.

However, Charlotte’s strategy differed.

The initial full mobilization of Castell’s forces was a feint, not a real attack on the well-defended rebel camp. Once the Tulip forces signaled the rebels, prompting their cavalry to engage, Tulip’s forces would turn against the rebels, joining the coalition to encircle them.

This would signal the true full-scale assault. Tulip’s forces would split into two groups: the cavalry would join Castell’s cavalry, disguised under Borde’s banner, to deceive and then ambush the rebels. The infantry would remain hidden within the coalition, waiting to activate their magic formations and lead the charge once the rebel main force was encircled.

Baron Angus’ goal was clear: a decisive battle to utterly crush the rebel main force.

The plan was quickly set, with Tulip’s troops playing a pivotal role. If successful, the coalition could defeat the rebels with minimal casualties.

After all, Castell’s true enemies were in the south, and reducing losses against the rebels was crucial.

Once the orders were given, the nobles dispersed to prepare and mobilize their respective troops. The battle was set to commence the next morning, allowing the coalition forces to rest after their journey.

Following Charlotte’s discreet instructions, Count Gaston sent his eldest son, Otis, as the “Borde” envoy to meet the rebel leaders under the cover of night.

He presented Castell’s “battle plan” and discussed the details of the pincer attack on Castell’s forces. It was a straightforward ruse, hinging on whether the rebels believed it.

Charlotte was confident they would, but she couldn’t help feeling anxious as Otis departed. After all, this was her first time participating in a war as a feudal lord.

Despite her confidence in their preparations, the anticipation of battle left her uneasy.

Fortunately, Otis returned safely after three hours, bringing good news: the rebels had accepted the “Tulip forces” proposal.

It made sense—the rebels would never suspect Count Gaston’s allegiance. Who would think a count whose territory lay behind Borde’s lines and had sworn loyalty to a new lord would suddenly side with Castell?

After turning Count Gaston and his son into blood thralls, the balance of the war had shifted decisively in Charlotte’s favor.

Interestingly, when Otis visited the rebel leaders, the rebel commander even suggested launching a night raid on Castell’s camp with the help of the Tulip army. It seemed the rebels had already planned to do so.

However, Otis declined the proposal, citing that the Tulip army wasn’t ready yet.

He explained that the extraordinary soldiers’ armor hadn’t finished charging and it wasn’t convenient to deploy the magical formations, so they couldn’t inflict effective damage on Castell’s forces.

“Who is the rebel commander?”

Charlotte asked after hearing Otis’ report.

The night raid suggestion had genuinely startled her.

She had to admit, the rebel commander was quite sharp. If they had actually launched a night raid, it would have been troublesome.

While Castell’s army could set traps in advance, at best, they would only catch the rebel raiding party. A night raid would likely involve a small elite force, and even if they were eliminated, it wouldn’t be very meaningful for Charlotte.

“It’s a baron from the Lagrisse family, named Chait.”

Otis answered.

“Chait? Is it him?”

Baron Angus raised an eyebrow slightly.

Charlotte felt a curiosity in her heart.

“Who is he?”

She asked.

Baron Angus respectfully replied.

“Countess, it should be Chait de Lagrisse. He is the half-brother of Laura, the illegitimate son of the former Viscount Lagrisse. He is a young man with considerable talent in command. A few years ago, he led the Lagrisse family’s private soldiers to several victories against northern pirates, despite being outnumbered.”

Hearing Baron Angus’s introduction, Charlotte nodded slightly.

“What a pity that such a talented individual is standing against Castell.”

Sebastian, standing by, smiled and seized the opportunity to flatter Charlotte.

“Master, when it comes to talent, you are the greatest. Compared to you, the new generation of the Lagrisse family is nothing. No matter how talented he is, he still fell into your trap…”

Charlotte ignored Sebastian’s flattery.

Since he had started following her, he had become more and more uninhibited, never missing a chance to flatter her.

“Sir Otis, did you see Laura among the rebels?”

Viscount Leon-Castell suddenly asked.

Otis was taken aback.

“Laura? The Lady Viscount of the Lagrisse family? No, I didn’t.”

He shook his head.

Charlotte keenly noticed that after hearing Otis’ response, Viscount Leon-Castell frowned slightly and seemed lost in thought.

“Is there a problem, Viscount?”

Charlotte asked.

The Old Viscount hesitated for a moment before saying,

“No, it’s just… strange. I remember that Laura, due to concerns over family inheritance, was always very wary of her half-brother. I didn’t expect she would now let him lead an army on his own…”

“It seems that there might have been some changes within the Lagrisse family that we are unaware of.”

The Old Viscount added.

Charlotte felt a slight unease.

She recalled the reports from Nice, who had “joined” the Lagrisse family and transmitted information.

Despite his supposed allegiance, Nice had not seen any high-ranking members of the Lagrisse family.

Instead, he frequently encountered a woman named Eudoxia—more precisely, a black dragon in human form.

Many orders from the rebel high command were apparently conveyed through this dragon.

“Otis, did you see a woman named Eudoxia among the rebels?”

Charlotte asked.

Otis paused and then respectfully replied.

“I don’t think I saw her.”

“No?”

Charlotte mused.

“Countess, have you discovered something?”

Baron Angus asked.

Charlotte pondered for a moment, then shook her head.

“No, I’m just curious about the movements of the rebel high command.”

…

The night quickly passed.

The following morning, as the first light of dawn appeared, Castell’s coalition camp began to stir like a giant war machine. After a night of rest, the soldiers had regained their energy.

Following a breakfast of black bread, jerky, and ale, the various noble troops began their preparations.

Light cavalry waved Castell’s black eagle banners, moving between the nobles’ smaller camps to relay information. The nobles raised their family flags and began to muster their troops.

Charlotte stood on a nearby hill, which provided a vantage point over her camp and a view of the rebel camp by the river, where soldiers patrolled.

The most striking sight, however, was the coalition camp.

While it might not have seemed impressive from within, the view from the hilltop showcased the grandeur of the tens of thousands of troops.

Under the fluttering banners, the noble armies moved like rivers, gradually forming organized formations.

As the sun rose above the horizon, spreading golden light across the land, the Dorn River shimmered like a golden ribbon. The coalition troops, too, glimmered under the sunlight, their armor reflecting the light.

Charlotte could easily distinguish the nobles from their private soldiers and conscripted peasants by their equipment.

Notably, in each noble-led formation, the nobles stood at the front, clad in splendid armor, either mounted or on foot. Behind them followed their knights and private soldiers, with the conscripted peasants at the rear.

Most of the knights had been reassigned to Count Gaston’s side to form the disguised and assault cavalry, leaving only a few personal guards.

Seeing the nobles leading from the front, Charlotte couldn’t help but remark.

“The northern nobles… they really do like to be at the forefront of battle.”

“Master, it’s not just the northern nobles, this is a common trait among human nobles across the world. In battle, those with extraordinary powers always lead the charge. It’s said to be part of the ‘knightly spirit’ of ‘bravery’ that human nobles adhere to, and it’s their pride and honor.”

Sebastian said, holding an umbrella to shield Charlotte from the sun.

“Knightly spirit…”

Charlotte murmured, shaking her head.

“They’re commanders, yet they charge ahead. Aren’t they worried that getting caught up in local skirmishes will prevent them from overseeing the battle and lead to chaos?”

“Master, human nobles have always been like this. It allows them to fully utilize their extraordinary powers. Any noble who hides at the back would be ridiculed by their peers.”

Sebastian replied with a smile.

Charlotte sighed.

“No wonder Angus issued all the orders clearly at the start and only plans to use horns for simple communication once the battle begins. He must have known he couldn’t rely on these nobles to follow orders once the fighting started.”

Sebastian shrugged.

“That’s the art of human warfare.”

Charlotte shook her head.

“No, this is the art of Myria’s warfare.”

At that moment, a deep and ancient horn sounded, echoing across the sky.

Charlotte’s heart stirred.

It was the signal for the battle to begin. The clash between the coalition and the rebels was about to start.