Gospel of Blood

Seeing Charlotte and Count Stafford so resolute, Marquis Howard hesitated but eventually nodded, slightly bowing to Charlotte.

“As you command.”

He waved to the nobles who had come to greet them, and they promptly stepped aside, revealing a carriage already prepared.

Charlotte glanced at the royal carriage adorned with the Roman family crest and boarded it confidently.

“To the palace.”

She commanded.

The carriage began to move, forming an impressive procession of nobles and soldiers, making its way towards the heart of Starfall City—the Red Palace.

…

The Red Palace was located in the northern part of Starfall City, about a thirty-minute journey from the docks. As the grand procession escorting Charlotte arrived at the palace gates, it was evident that the knights guarding the palace

had been forewarned.

Fully armored soldiers stood at the palace gates, forming a neat line and blocking the tightly closed palace doors behind them.

With the road to the palace obstructed, the grand procession had to come to a halt.

Count Stafford’s face darkened. He looked at the royal knights blocking the Red Palace and shouted.

“The Queen is here. Why are you blocking the way? Move aside at once!”

Some knights clearly recognized Count Stafford. They hesitated, appearing somewhat uncertain, but quickly, a higher-ranking officer among them spoke.

“Maintain formation! Do not falter!”

A knight wearing a red cape and superior armor to the others stepped out from the ranks. He saluted Count Stafford and Marquis Howard and then said sternly.

“Lord Speaker, Lord Marquis, the Commander has ordered that no claimant to the throne may enter the Red Palace until the new king is formally crowned. The Red Palace is a symbol of the Starfall Royalty, and only the rightful king may enter.”

“Outrageous! As a member of the Knights, do you not understand what I represent here? I am acting on the late king’s orders, bringing Queen Charlotte de Castell back to Starfall. Move aside at once!”

Count Stafford released his extraordinary aura, his Blazing Sun pressure intimidating the royal knights. Despite the overwhelming aura, the knights, whose average strength was below Silver Moon, remained unyielding.

In response, the runes on their armor began to glow faintly red, creating a continuous light that enveloped the knights.

It was a magical formation. The Royal Knights had activated a fixed magical formation for extraordinary military units!

Count Stafford felt his extraordinary power collide with an invisible barrier, solid and unyielding.

Sensing the unified aura of the knights and the extraordinary power connected by the faint red light, even Stafford felt a twinge of anxiety.

“Outrageous! Activating a magical formation in the presence of Her Majesty. Are the Knights rebelling?”

Facing Count Stafford’s fury, the knights remained impassive. The leading high-ranking officer said sternly.

“Lord Speaker, we are merely following protocol. With the throne vacant, we only obey the commander’s orders. The commander has tasked us with guarding the Red Palace, and that is our duty. No one may enter until a new king is chosen.”

“After all… the Red Palace is not only the royal palace but also the magical center of Starfall City. As I said, until the new king is decided, no one may enter.”

Seeing the unyielding officer, not only Count Stafford but also the nobles escorting the royal carriage were furious.

“Outrageous! Her Majesty the Queen is the chosen one of the Roman Sword, the rightful heir by divine decree. Move aside at once!”

“Open your eyes! Even Bishop Campbell is here. Do you not understand what you are doing?”

“Treason! This is treason! Move aside at once!”

Perhaps bolstered by having Stafford and Charlotte as their leaders, and seeing the significant number of nobles in the procession, the nobles found some confidence and began to berate the knights harshly.

The high-ranking officer frowned at the increasingly agitated nobles and made a gesture. In response, the royal knights drew their weapons.

The faint red light enveloping the knight formation expanded, and a cold, murderous aura spread from the array, pressing down on the nobles.

Feeling the chilling aura, the nobles hesitated and instinctively stepped back.

Seeing the knights using the magical formation to push back the crowd, Count Stafford became even angrier.

“What are you doing? What do you think you’re doing? Are you really rebelling?”

“Step back, Count.”

A calm yet pleasant voice came from the carriage. Hearing this voice, the anger on Count Stafford’s face dissipated instantly.

He glared coldly at the knights and then respectfully approached the carriage.

“Your Majesty…”

The carriage door was opened by the guards, and a finely crafted wooden ladder was placed down.

Under the gaze of many, the royal knights saw a noble young girl elegantly descend from the carriage, holding a long sword that seemed quite familiar to them, accompanied by a black cat with his head held high and tail raised.

The girl had beautiful golden hair and clear, star-like blue eyes. Her perfect face resembled the Goddess Aphros Herself. Despite her young age and somewhat youthful features, her finely tailored noble dress added a touch of maturity to her figure.

As the girl stepped out of the carriage, the nobles fell silent. They stepped back and bowed slightly, making way for her.

The girl slowly made her way to the front of the group. She calmly glanced at the royal knights blocking the palace and said lightly.

“Do you know who I am?”

The knights’ eyes flickered, but they did not answer. Only the high-ranking officer at the front’s expression tightened.

“Countess Castell, only the true king can enter the Red Palace. You do not have the qualifications yet. Please step back to avoid harm from the magical formation.”

His tone, though respectful, still carried a hint of threat.

Before Charlotte could respond, the Roman Sword she held couldn’t help but interject.

“Only the true king can enter? What? The one I chose, Edward’s designated successor, doesn’t have the right to enter the Red Palace?”

“Back then, the inscriptions in this palace were engraved by me, your sword grandfather, for the Roman family!”

Hearing the Roman Sword speak, the royal knights widened their eyes.

There weren’t many talking swords, and a talking elven sword was quite unique. Evidently, the knights recognized the Roman Sword’s identity.

Charlotte glanced at the knights, weighed the Roman Sword in her hand, and asked,

“Do you… know who this is?”

The knights’ eyes flickered, but they remained silent, though their expressions showed hesitation once more. No one answered, but their faces betrayed their thoughts.

Of course, Charlotte didn’t expect an answer. She began walking toward the knights, undeterred.

“Countess, please stop!”

The senior officer’s face changed, and the knights behind him became restless. But Charlotte seemed not to hear them. She advanced with the Roman Sword, walking directly into the magical formation’s light.

Seeing this, the nobles widened their eyes, preparing to intervene. However, what happened next surprised everyone.

When Charlotte entered the attack range of the formation, the expected “automatic attack” didn’t occur. Instead, the energy that was supposed to envelop her was blocked by an invisible barrier, keeping it from reaching her.

For the kingdom’s knights, the feeling was even more profound. To them, it felt like they were facing an abyss, not a delicate noble girl. The magical formation seemed to collide with an unseen sponge barrier, failing to halt her advance and being quickly absorbed instead.

Charlotte continued forward without stopping, and as she neared, the knights felt an increasing pressure, almost tangible, rising from their souls.

None dared to attack her. Though the formation was ineffective against her, her status also played a part. They could only claim she wasn’t coronated yet, not daring to physically stop her. Charlotte had anticipated this.

She advanced with her sword, and the knights grew increasingly agitated. Some began retreating. Step by step, Charlotte’s advance pushed them back.

It was an absurd scene: one girl forcing a fully armed, magical formation-activated unit of knights to retreat. Watching this, the nobles’ admiration and respect for Charlotte grew.

A strong individual always commands respect, and strength is essential for a ruler. Though they didn’t know how Charlotte managed it, seeing her push back the knights earned their genuine approval.

Charlotte kept advancing, and the knights felt the pressure intensify.

They retreated until they had nowhere left to go. Gradually, knights started moving aside, leaving fewer and fewer blocking her path. Eventually, only the senior officer remained.

The senior officer felt immense pressure, both psychological and physical. The closer she got, the stronger her aura and pressure became, like facing a mountain. No, deeper than a mountain—like a stormy sea. His legs trembled, and his mind buzzed, feeling he might collapse under the pressure. Yet he gritted his teeth and stood firm.

Charlotte reached him, noting his sweat and strained expression, and nodded approvingly with a smile.

“You’re… not bad.”

With that, she walked past him. The nobles, cheering “Long live the Queen”, followed her into the palace.

The pressure lifted, the senior officer collapsed to the ground, trembling and gasping, unable to stand.

The nobles, following Charlotte, entered the main hall of the Red Palace.

Charlotte, with the Roman Sword, walked to the royal throne and sat down. Count Stafford, chief speaker of the Starfall Kingdom Parliament, was visibly moved. He knelt on one knee, bowing to Charlotte, and declared loudly.

“John Stafford… greets Her Majesty the Queen!”

Following Stafford’s lead, the nobles who had accompanied Charlotte knelt, creating a loud, synchronized sound that became a powerful, deafening cheer.

The cheer echoed through the palace, beyond its doors, spreading far and wide.

Smiling at the nobles kneeling before her, Charlotte sheathed the Roman Sword and raised her hand gently.

“Rise.”

The nobles in the palace rose, still respectful, but with faces now showing genuine approval and awe, unlike their initial meeting at the port.