Melodious music sounded, solemn but also light.
The Royal Band, wearing blue and white uniforms, stood upright on one side and played their instruments under the command of the band leader.
Today is the day when Charlotte officially accepts the king's appointment as a direct vassal, and it is also the day when the royal power contract of the Castel family is re-signed.
In the palace, the nobles who came to watch the ceremony gathered early, and they were so densely packed that they filled the entire hall.
Logically speaking, a count's vassal canonization ceremony would not cause such a big fuss.
But maybe it was because of the events that happened in the past few days that suddenly made Charlotte famous among the nobility, or maybe it was because the royal family and the church were trying to divert the attention of the nobility and priests from their respective purges. In short... he was obviously just an earl. The vassal ceremony finally attracted a large number of nobles to be curious and watch the ceremony.
Many people are interested in Charlotte, the legendary living saint.
In particular, this saint caused the royal family to lose a prince, and then refused a position in the church, which even directly caused the church to have to conduct an internal purge to avoid incurring the wrath of the gods.
However, despite clearly being a slap in the face to the two major forces in New Moon, both the royal family and the church had a very gentle attitude toward the young earl, which could even be called friendly.
This naturally made the nobles more curious.
Especially those nobles who did not have the right to participate in the Central Council, mainly direct members of the major noble families. Almost all those who could come to watch the ceremony came to watch the ceremony.
The music keeps flowing, getting higher and higher.
Under the spotlight, Charlotte, accompanied by the royal knights, slowly walked into the royal palace hall covered with silk red carpet.
Today she was dressed up for the occasion, wearing a white lace aristocratic dress. The skirt was decorated with golden patterns and the coat of arms of the Castel family. It was gorgeous and dignified.
Her movements are elegant and her figure is tall and straight. The slim-fitting long skirt sets off her slightly green figure to just the right degree, showing off her seductive and beautiful curves.
There is youthfulness in the youth, vitality in the youth, and nobility and elegance in the vitality, making it difficult for everyone to take their eyes away from her body.
The magic crystal lights in the hall flickered, reflecting the dreamy brilliance, making Charlotte even more dazzling.
The moment she entered, the entire hall fell into silence. The women looked stunning and the men had scorching eyes.
"Is she Charlotte de Castel? The last descendant of the Castel family?"
"It is indeed a family favored by the God of Beauty. With such outstanding appearance, when he grows up, he will surely be a figure who can stir up the politics of the entire kingdom with just a smile..."
"Grow up? No...in fact, she has already grown up."
"Huh? She's an adult? Are you sure? She seems younger..."
"Of course, her coming-of-age ceremony two years ago caused quite a stir in Boulder. Many nobles in Boulder know about it."
"Is it the rumored time when the statue of the God Lord was lit?"
"Yes, it is said that even the statue of the God Lord in Lutecia was lit up at that time."
"Is this the power of the saint?"
"She is also very capable personally. I heard that when she succeeded to the throne, the former Duke of Bold wanted to force a marriage and seize the territory of the North. The nobles in the North did not listen to her command. As a result, Bold Not only was she deftly able to resolve the pressure, it also took her less than half a year to successfully integrate the internal forces in the North, and even defeated the attack of 100,000 troops from the two principalities of Violet and Bold!"
"Hiss... an army of one hundred thousand? God Lord, this is really awesome! Compared with her, the younger generation of the central nobles are all useless!"
"Who says otherwise? Her extraordinary power is also very strong. I heard that she has only awakened the power of blood for two years, and she already has power approaching the level of Silver Moon."
"Damn it! She has only awakened her power for two years? Looking at her extraordinary aura, I thought she had awakened the power of her bloodline since she was a child! Could it be that... Crescent Moon will produce another legendary figure like His Majesty the King? "
"After all, she is the saint chosen by the God Lord. If she didn't have excellent bloodline and qualifications, how could she have been favored by the God?"
"This is not necessarily true. It may be that it is precisely because of the blessing of the God Lord that I have gained such a strong talent..."
"Hmph, I heard that some families still want to strive for a marriage with Castel. Not to mention that this man has already made a declaration of celibacy. Even without a declaration, a person who can defeat two principalities at a young age can defeat two principalities. Is it so easy to control?"
"It's just that he covets Castel's beauty, wealth and territory."
"..."
The nobles talked a lot and looked at the girl in the hall curiously.
There was surprise, gossip, yearning, and admiration in their eyes.
Louis V was not a weak and incompetent monarch, and the Crescent Parish was not a vase-like decoration. Being recognized by both parties already explained a lot of problems.
Even though Charlotte looks much younger than her actual age, at this moment, not many of the nobles in the hall dare to look down on this young noble, nor will they forget that innocent and harmless look like an angel. Underneath her beautiful appearance, there is a strong soul that cannot be underestimated.
"Sir Charlotte de Castel, are you willing to give up your promise to donate soil, abide by the code of the Crescent Nobles, safeguard the glory and inheritance of the nobility, and become a true noble?"
On the throne, Louis V, who was dressed in a gorgeous royal robe and a golden crown, looked at the beautiful girl under the spotlight and asked with a majestic expression.
The girl held up the hem of her skirt, elegantly and dignifiedly, and answered softly:
"I do."
Louis V paused and continued to ask:
"Are you willing to abide by the Royal Contract, uphold the principles of the contract, remember your rights and obligations, and support the rule of the Varva family?"
Charlotte also bowed again and answered with a clear and sweet voice:
"I do."
Louis V nodded slightly and asked again:
Are you willing to obey the "Sacred Code", take over the scepter of glory, become a direct vassal of my Valva family, and be named an honorary knight?
Charlotte continued to salute, and her beautiful voice echoed in the hall:
"I do."
Louis V's expression gradually relaxed.
He glanced at Charlotte with satisfaction, and there was a hint of smile in the corner of his eyes. Even the usually strong sense of majesty was weakened a lot, and he looked more friendly.
"Then...congratulations. From today on, you will be the official direct vassal of my Valva family."
he said gently.
After speaking, Louis V motioned to the royal knight standing aside, and the royal knight immediately stepped forward and presented a long tray covered with golden silk with both hands.
In the tray, there is a gorgeous honorary knight's sword.
"Sir Charlotte de Castel, this is the honorary knight's sword that symbolizes honor and inheritance. Now it is yours. I hope you will remember your oath and become a qualified lord, a true noble."
Louis V regained his majesty.
He picked up the sword of honor, stood up from the throne, came to Charlotte, and handed it to Charlotte with his own hands.
Seeing this scene, the nobles who were watching were stunned and their eyes widened again.
"With your own hands! Your Majesty actually handed her the Honorary Knight Sword with your own hands!"
"Your Majesty! Is this the kind of treatment only a duke can receive?! Does your Majesty want to make her a duke?!"
"No, it shouldn't be. Maybe it's because of her noble status as a saint..."
The nobles talked a lot and looked at Charlotte with surprise and envy.
As the central nobles of Crescent Moon, they all know very well that during the canonization ceremony, the king will rarely personally hand over the honorary knight's sword, which symbolizes power and responsibility, to the corresponding noble.
In New Moon, only those powerful nobles at the duke level and nobles who are highly admired by the king will enjoy such treatment!
It is obvious that even without mentioning the strength of the Northland itself, this alone has confirmed that the young Earl of Castel has been recognized by His Majesty the King.
Charlotte took the sword and gave a slight greeting to Louis V:
"Thank you for your grace."
Seeing her obedient look, Louis V was even more satisfied.
He nodded slightly, then looked around the entire hall and said in a deep voice:
"Charlotte de Castel is upright and courageous, loyal and fearless. According to the "Sacred Code" and the "Contract of Royal Power", Louis de Valva, the thirty-seventh king of the Crescent Kingdom, hereby announces the canonization of Xia Lot de Castres is an honorary knight of the crescent. The territory he inherited, the Count of Castres, has officially become a direct vassal territory of the Valva family and enjoys the treatment of a direct vassal of the kingdom. Charlotte de Castres Terr was named Earl of Castells, and was given the title of Cabinet Advisor of the Crescent Kingdom!"
Upon hearing the official canonization of Louis V, the nobles were once again stunned and fell into discussion again:
"Advisor? Cabinet advisor? Does His Majesty the King think so highly of Count Castells? He actually appointed him as a cabinet advisor!"
"Is she really just an earl from the North, not His Majesty's illegitimate daughter?"
The nobles looked shocked and extremely surprised.
Charlotte in the main hall was also a little surprised.
In Crescent, the king is the supreme ruler, but it is not just the king who governs the country, but also the cabinet.
The cabinet assists the royal family in governing the country and has great power. There are nine seats in total. Its responsibilities involve all aspects of the kingdom's military, diplomacy, finance, religion, vassal management, etc. It can even directly decide the convening of the central parliament, including the military controller and the foreign minister. , Financial Controller, Royal Patriarch, etc. are all cabinet positions.
Entering the cabinet means entering the real center of power of the Crescent Kingdom.
Although the Cabinet Advisor is an empty seat in the cabinet and does not have direct power like the Minister of Military Affairs or Foreign Affairs, he can still participate in cabinet discussions and determine many political trends in the Crescent Kingdom.
It was obvious that Louis V was further wooing Charlotte.
Although Charlotte was not very interested in joining the Crescent Kingdom's cabinet, it was still a good thing to waste the title of a cabinet advisor.
What a noble cares about most is the circle, which means that she can be closer to the center of power of the Crescent Moon. Not only can she know the first intelligence of many important news in a timely manner, but she can also further expand her influence.
This was helpful for Charlotte in dealing with other nobles in the kingdom and developing her own territory.
In particular, the title of consultant is still a virtual title. Perhaps for other ambitious nobles, the virtual title will not bring any substantial benefits, but for Charlotte, it is just right.
She still has a lot of things to deal with in her own territory, and her faith needs to be spread. There are still busy things to do, and she doesn't want to divert her energy to worry about other things.
There is no need to take care of things, this is exactly what Charlotte wants.
Even knowing that Louis V was worried about the church's influence on him, which further improved his favor, Charlotte's eyes seemed to make the old king look cute in an instant.
"Thank you for your love."
She pinched the hem of her skirt and bowed again.
Louis V nodded slightly and said gently:
"Without courtesy, I hope you will remember today's contract and become a true noble."
After saying that, his eyes fell on Charlotte again, and he said meaningfully:
"Mr. Castel, the status of a saint is a favor from the gods, but it is also a shackles. Favor... is not always a good thing."
"Since you have declined the church's invitation, I believe you have your own views and understanding of life. I hope you will stay true to your heart and always remember the meaning of your life."
Do you remember the meaning of life...
After hearing Louis V's meaningful hint, Charlotte was thoughtful.
…
The canonization ceremony went smoothly.
After the ceremony, Charlotte received congratulations and invitations from various noble families, and for a time she became a favorite in the aristocratic circle.
Charlotte didn't have any real feelings about the canonization. Due to her status as a time traveler and her "demigod" status, her eyes were actually not limited to the Crescent Kingdom. Although she was satisfied, she was not excited.
No, or to be more precise, after reading the information about Advent from Albrecht's memory two days ago, she felt that other things seemed not that important in comparison.
After thanking the nobles for their congratulations and declining many invitations, Charlotte got on the carriage and returned to the manor with the rewards.
Not long after, a royal convoy also arrived, which was Louis V's additional compensation for the Bold-Castle War.
The compensation was a carriageload of extraordinary materials, most of which were used by mages for meditation. This was obviously given to Charlotte herself, after all, her external extraordinary identity was that of a mage.
Sebastian estimated that the value should be around 15 million quintana, showing the sincerity and wealth of the royal family.
Charlotte naturally stayed behind and expressed her gratitude to the palace messenger.
After the messenger left, Charlotte's expression became solemn.
"God's favor is a grace or a shackle..."
Chewing these words of Louis V, Charlotte was thoughtful.
She thought of Albrecht's memory that she read yesterday, and of the Holy Advent mentioned in the memory.
She didn't know if Louis V's words were related to the upcoming Holy Advent, but most likely they were.
Thinking of Advent, Charlotte's eyes became serious again.
The Holy Presence, the Holy Presence, the Holy One is coming.
As the name suggests, Advent is the day when the earthly incarnation of the true God comes to the earth.
In other words, this is the day when the stars align and the sleeping gods awaken one by one.
