Gospel of Blood

Charlotte put away Nice’s grimoire and dismissed the guilty-looking black cat. She then immersed her consciousness and entered the Dark Night Castle.

Seated high on the Blood Throne, the young girl summoned Sebastian.

In the next moment, a crimson light flashed, and Sebastian’s consciousness appeared in the castle hall.

Perhaps because he was serving as the Castell envoy, Sebastian was not wearing his usual butler attire but a noble robe in the Yunette style. Of course, as an elf who valued his appearance, his outfit was still elegant and fitting.

“Great Master, your most loyal servant, Sebastian Flameheart, offers you his most sincere blessings. May your glory shine upon the land, may your fame spread among mankind…”

Sebastian knelt on one knee and respectfully bowed to Charlotte. His expression was full of devoutness and respect.

Charlotte nodded slightly. Although over time, the number of followers with sycophantic tendencies around her seemed to be increasing, it had to be said that in terms of skill, Sebastian was still the best.

“Rise and tell me about your observations in the North.”

Charlotte said.

“Thank you, Great Master!”

Receiving Charlotte’s command, Sebastian slowly stood up. He bowed slightly again and then, with a solemn expression, respectfully said,

“Great Master, I have met with the Northern Archduke and conducted some investigations in the North. Contrary to what I previously imagined, the waters in the Northern Grand Duchy are… quite deep.”

Charlotte was not surprised by Sebastian’s words.

The North harbored a vast barrier that could isolate even the faith connections of the Gods. If there were no hidden stories behind it, that would be the real surprise.

“Continue.”

She gestured for Sebastian to continue.

Sebastian adjusted his expression and continued.

“Master, Archduke Stefan Sobieski invited the Castell envoy to the North not because he genuinely wanted to spread the faith of the Holy Court. More accurately, he intends to use the Holy Court’s banner to suppress the totem beliefs of the various tribes in the North!”

“The Archduke does not truly want to spread the Holy Court’s faith, but… he does plan to unify beliefs in the North under the guise of the Holy Court’s name. He wants to establish a new faith that he can control, under the name of the Holy Court!”

“This is not merely a nominal or false faith. After further secret investigation, I discovered that the Archduke has already trained some ‘priests’, and these ‘priests’… can also use divine spells!”

“Of course, these ‘priests’ are not from the Holy Court. Their ‘divine spells’… resemble the tribal totems of the North. It seems the Archduke wants to create a new faith by merging the Holy Court’s teachings with the North’s totem beliefs!”

“Moreover, the Archduke has been secretly monitoring Castell’s situation. He has taken an interest in our frequent missionary activities and has begun to suspect my faith and your true stance…”

“He… has already noticed the presence of our Nightshade Cult.”

Hearing Sebastian’s words, Charlotte nodded slightly, not feeling too surprised.

She had already suspected that the Northern Archduke was not genuinely interested in the Holy Court’s faith. Various pieces of information indicated that he was a ruler as ambitious as, or even more so than, Louis V. Such a person would not be content to become a puppet of the Holy Court.

Faith, after all, is safest when held in one’s own hands.

As for Castell… the existence of the Nightshade Cult was bound to be discovered, especially after extensive missionary work.

However, with the “Divinity Descent Day” approaching, various “cults” were emerging across Myria, and Castell, on the fringes of the Holy Court’s dominion, was temporarily not in the spotlight.

Nevertheless, it was essential to prepare in advance.

Fortunately, Charlotte’s “officially recognized” saintess status remained. Even if the Holy Court discovered the Nightshade Cult’s existence, they would have to consider her position.

After all, the Holy Court, now plagued by internal divisions, was no longer the colossal, terrifying force that could effortlessly mobilize hundreds of thousands of holy legions to dominate the world.

“And what is the Archduke’s attitude?”

Charlotte continued to ask.

Sebastian respectfully replied.

“He is probing, but… also showing goodwill. He seems quite interested in the Nightshade Cult and has subtly expressed a desire to ally with Castell.”

“In his words, if Castell is willing to cooperate, he is willing to help you deploy troops and assist you in fighting the Starfall Kingdom’s bloodborne, helping you become the true Queen of Starfall!”

Hearing this, Charlotte was genuinely surprised.

“And his conditions?”

Charlotte asked.

Sebastian had a peculiar expression.

“The Archduke hopes that after helping you ascend to the true throne, those captured bloodbornes will be handed over to him for disposal. In his words, the bloodbornes have caused hundreds of years of division in the North, and this is the North’s revenge against the bloodbornes.”

Hearing this, Charlotte’s expression also turned strange.

What?

Trading future bloodborne captives for an alliance with Castell?

Seeing Charlotte’s subtle expression, Sebastian continued.

“Great Master, actually… this isn’t the first time the Northern Grand Duchy has made such an offer.”

“As you may not know, decades ago, the first Northern Archduke, who was also Archduke Stefan’s grandfather, made a similar offer when he allied with Louis V…”

“Back then, the exchange involved the bloodborne of the Shedite Clan, members of the ‘Blood Demon Cult’ active in the Crescent.”

Sebastian took a deep breath and continued.

“Master, the Northern Archduke seems to have a peculiar interest in bloodbornes. According to my investigation, the bloodbornes who were ‘exiled’ to the Northern Grand Duchy by the Crescent Kingdom during the Star-Moon War all vanished without a trace and completely disappeared.”

“Behind the Northern Archduke, there might be other forces interested in or hostile to bloodbornes supporting him…”

Other forces interested in bloodbornes?

No… The so-called hostile force against bloodbornes might very well be bloodbornes themselves.

More precisely, the force behind the Northern Archduke is likely the Harcos Clan, one of the six major blood clans.

Charlotte pondered, making this judgment.

This wasn’t a random guess. As the ruler of the North, the Archduke couldn’t possibly be completely unaware of the magical barrier enveloping the North. Charlotte already knew that the maintainer of this magical barrier was the Harcos Clan.

Under such a barrier, attempting to develop a new faith would be impossible without cooperation from Harcos.

As for why the Harcos Clan would need captives from other clans… there are many possibilities.

During the thousand-year Blood War, the major clans fought viciously, remaining enemies. For a magical race like bloodbornes, whose extraordinary powers are intertwined with their blood, it is possible to seize the power of others through bloodline devouring.

This is a weakened version of Charlotte’s “devour” ability.

Charlotte can “devour” the power of other extraordinary or even Gods. Though lesser bloodbornes cannot do this, they can strengthen themselves by consuming extraordinary blood or by directly “devouring” the bloodline power of their kin to elevate their rank.

In Albrecht’s memories, the Harcos Clan was the most proficient at inheriting such power through the blood and flesh path.

Of course, devouring the bloodline power of their kin is taboo in bloodborne society.

But now…

Could it be that someone from the Harcos Clan has begun to touch these taboos?

Charlotte naturally thought of this. After all, when it comes to “disappearance”, it’s hard not to think the worst.

Of course, with limited information, her guess might not be entirely accurate.

But one thing Charlotte could confirm: behind the Northern Archduke is likely the Harcos Clan, at least as collaborators if not as supporters.

From the Archduke’s actions, it seems they too are gathering strength, preparing for the Divinity Descent Day.

Thinking of this, Charlotte exhaled lightly.

The Divinity Descent Day… the Divinity Descent Day…

Almost every major force’s significant actions revolve around this upcoming event.

The Divinity Descent Day represents the return of the Gods. However, besides the Gods’ own churches, this return hasn’t been welcomed by most secular forces. On the contrary… it is seen as the greatest crisis in a thousand years by various extraordinary forces.

Although… the original source of power for these extraordinary forces is likely some God.

Moreover, some ambitious individuals might already be planning to seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for divine hunting.

In a way, this situation is somewhat ironic.

“Sebastian, never mind the Northern Archduke for now. How about the Free Tribe Alliance?”

Charlotte continued to ask.

“Master, the divine connection of God’s favored Astrid has been suppressed, making it impossible to wield the power you bestowed again. According to my tracking, they have embarked on a journey back to their tribe, likely intending to visit the foretold temple to try to re-establish the connection.”

Sebastian respectfully answered.

Charlotte pondered for a moment and commanded.

“Catch up with them and assist them in reconnecting their faith. Their own prayers might not be enough.”

No matter what secrets the Northern Archduke and Harcos are hiding, what matters most to Charlotte now is quickly incorporating those tens of thousands of believers formally.

As for other matters, spending time investigating further is enough. For now, the North hasn’t shown any threat towards her.

“Master, how should I respond to the Northern Archduke?”

Sebastian asked.

Charlotte thought for a moment.

“Show goodwill, but… delay as much as possible. If delaying fails, refuse politely with a suitable reason, but do not break ties.”

“When I have dealt with matters in the Starfall Kingdom, I will personally visit the North. For now… continue to investigate cautiously.”

After saying this, she pondered for a moment and then conjured a light ball with a wave of her hand.

Charlotte waved her hand, and the light ball automatically flew towards Sebastian.

Sebastian instinctively caught it, and suddenly, his mind was filled with considerable information about the North, including details about the Harcos Clan’s barrier array.

“This is…”

He widened his eyes in surprise.

“Some information that might help your actions.”

Charlotte said calmly.

Sebastian’s expression became increasingly reverent.

He nodded, slightly bowing.

“I obey your divine decree.”

After conveying the next step of orders to Sebastian, the summoning time was almost at its limit. Charlotte waved her hand, ending this blood summoning.

Returning her consciousness to reality, she pondered for a moment, then followed the blood servant connection and commanded Yurst in her mind.

“Yurst, come see me immediately.”

Not long after the command was issued, Yurst hurried over.

“Co… no, Your Majesty the Queen!”

He nervously bowed.

Charlotte glanced at him and asked.

“How are those who smeared deep-sea demon squid ichor on the warship?”

“I was about to report to you. They have all landed. Should I have them surrender to Count Stafford?”

“No need, just detain them for now.”

Charlotte shook her head.

“Besides…”

She paused and continued.

“Prepare, I will visit the Nez Clan’s headquarters tonight.”