The First Vampire

Chapter 544: 542 Start_1
 

The atmosphere in the Knight Hall subtly shifted once again.

Lady Grace’s question had touched on the crux of the matter.

Though everyone knew that Cardinal Turennes wouldn’t dare to plot against a Duke without the Pope’s orders, if they couldn’t prove this, the legitimacy of their call to arms in the North Territory would be seriously weakened.

Everything must be conducted in a righteous manner, particularly at such a crucial moment.

If the Pope denies everything, blaming Turennes, and the North Territory cannot provide any strong evidence, all public blame would then shift towards the North Territory.

By that point, even if the St. Hilde family forcefully dragged all the Northern Lords into the war, how would they convince their subjects and other powers to support them?

Marquis Garcia was clearly aware of the severity of this issue, his brow was furrowed and he remained silent.

Colin, on the other hand, gave a slight smile and said, “Lady Grace, there is someone here who is more qualified to answer your question than we are.”

Lady Grace raised an eyebrow, asking, “Who?”

“Archbishop Agani.” Colin smiled and said the name, immediately catching everyone off guard. He then nodded to the guard at the door.

Soon enough, Archbishop Agani, clad in a white priest’s robe, entered the Knight Hall with a graceful stride.

Lady Grace was reminded of the shocking statement made by this Archbishop of the North Territory right after the incident at the Central Cathedral in Winterfell City. She initially thought it was an unguarded slip of the tongue, but now it seemed to be a premeditated declaration!

But what confused Lady Grace was, given the Archbishop’s high position in the Church and her rumored close relationship with the Pope, why would she suddenly switch sides to support the St. Hilde family under these circumstances?

Amid the surprised and suspicious gazes of everyone, Agani gracefully approached the table and bowed to Colin and Marquis Garcia.

Marquis Garcia clearly didn’t expect this, he looked at Colin with surprise as if asking –

How many more cards do you have up your sleeve?

Clearing his throat, Colin addressed Archbishop Agani, “Archbishop Agani, regarding the matter of Duke St. Hilde being plotted against, could you please explain to the Northern Lords present?”

“Yes.” Agani responded and then turned to face the crowd. She narrated the whole incident about how the Pope had secretly cast a spell on Vera during her baptism, and how Cardinal Turennes was sent to Winterfell City to plot against Vera and Colin.

Her voice was soft, but in the ears of the Northern Lords, it was as startling as a clap of thunder.

The Archbishop of the North Territory has defected!

They didn’t know how Colin had persuaded Agani to betray the Pope, but her testimony could land a devastating blow on the Pope!

“I am deeply disappointed by Gregory’s actions,” she declared. “To prevent our Lord’s glory from being tarnished by such a hypocrite, I felt compelled to stand up and reveal his true face.

I hereby announce my severance from Gregory and call on all true believers of our Lord to denounce him!”

Agani’s righteous declaration resonated throughout the hall, leaving the Northern Lords feeling dazed.

They realized with sudden joy that with Archbishop Agani’s testimony, the St. Hilde family would gain the upper hand in public opinion, allowing them to gather support from their subjects.

With this, their chances of victory greatly increased.

But there was even more shocking news to follow.

They saw Agani turn again to face Colin, her voice respectful as she said:

“Honored Protector of the North Territory, Count Angler, I deeply regret what has happened to Duke St. Hilde. I bear some responsibility for her misery, as I was not able to stop Turennes in time…”

“Archbishop Agani, you need not blame yourself.” Colin waved her off before she could finish. “I understand your predicament, and I know it would have been difficult for you to stop the conspiracy of the Pope and the Cardinal.”

“Thank you for understanding.” Archbishop Agani bowed slightly and said, “As an apology, to express my support for the St. Hilde family, and to uphold the glory of our Lord, I announce here that I will donate all of the tithe tax from the North Territory Diocese in the coming year to all the lords in recognition of their efforts to uphold the glory of our Lord!”

Whoa——

As soon as these words were uttered, the lords in the Great Hall could no longer keep their exclamations to themselves.

“Thank you for your generosity, Archbishop Agani!” Colin thanked her seriously. Then, with a smile, he scanned the room and said, “Don’t forget to remind your tax commissioners that you no longer need to hand over your tithe tax for the next year!”

“Thank you, Archbishop Agani!”

“Thank you, Archbishop! We will uphold the glory of our Lord to the death!”

“Yes! The impostor believers who tarnish the glory of our Lord must receive the punishment they deserve!”

…

Now with tangible benefits tempting them, the lords could no longer hold back and all stood one after another to express their stance.

Lady Grace watched all this in silence, admiring the situation.

It was clear to her that the rhythm of this Lord’s Conference was firmly under Colin’s control. Although she did not know how this Guardian of the North, who had risen only two years ago, managed to command the obedience of northern heavyweights like Count Uman, Count Schultz, and even Archbishop Agani, there was no doubt that the North was now completely in the hands of this young count.

He was like a skilled puppet master, manipulating everyone’s every move with a thread of interest.

These northern lords who had accepted Archbishop Agani’s “donation” of tithe tax will be completely bound to Colin’s war chariot, just like the nobles in the East…

Thinking of this, Lady Grace suddenly realized that those lords in the East who had deeply offended the church would not miss this storm against the Pope.

And the Royal Family?

Would they miss such a great opportunity to weaken the Theocracy?

Lady Grace’s murky eyes sparkled with a strange light, and she felt more and more that the odds of winning this action against Pope Gregory were extremely high!

Perhaps this is an opportunity to completely change the political situation of the Empire!

And after this storm, at what prominent position would this young Guardian of the North ascend?

Lady Grace was stirred. She suddenly found herself incredibly wise for making the Morrison Family swear loyalty to Marquis Angler.

Perhaps this is also an opportunity for the Morrison Family to rise again.

While Lady Grace was watching the young and heroic figure on the stage and thinking wildly, Colin had already pulled out his sword and raised it in front of him, loudly proclaiming:

“To all the faithful vassals of the St. Hilde Family, to the devout guardians of the Lord of Glory! Your courage and wisdom will illuminate the entire North Territory, even the entire Empire!”

“In three days, the Northern Alliance Army will set off with the aim of Dragon City!”

“Before false believers like Gregory are judged, no one will be able to stop our advance!”

“Judge Gregory!”

“Judge Gregory!”

“Judge Gregory!”

…

As the voices roared in the Great Hall, the war machine of the North Territory officially started to operate.