Gospel of Blood

Sebastian will handle the follow-up matters in the North.

Charlotte had already informed him of the intelligence she knew, and with Sebastian’s capabilities, he should manage well.

Albrecht was assigned to monitor the nobles and priests of the Starfall Kingdom’s Parliament faction.

Being a Legendary Bloodborne who has survived for thousands of years and is highly skilled in concealing his presence, Albrecht was the best choice for this task.

As for the mission involving the Nez Clan’s faction guide…

Naturally, this task fell on Yurst, the double agent.

Yurst was already well aware of Charlotte’s core purpose for this trip back when they were in Castell, so he wasn’t surprised by her command.

Of course, not being surprised and being willing are two different things.

Although he had become Charlotte’s blood servant and repeatedly reminded himself that his current True Ancestor of Blood was vastly different from the historically terrifying figure, his deep-seated bloodborne morals, clan honor, and lingering fear of the past still made the Blood Count look worried and hesitant.

Seeing his conflicted expression, Charlotte knew what he was worried about.

Charlotte chuckled softly and asked.

“Yurst, tell me, who is the Supreme Leader of the Bloodbornes?”

Yurst was stunned for a moment.

Facing Charlotte’s crimson gaze, he swallowed and honestly answered.

“Of… of course, it is you.”

“Good. So, as the Supreme Leader, is there any issue with visiting one’s subordinates and disciplining those who disobey?”

Charlotte changed to a more comfortable position, crossing her long, fair leg over the other and tilting her head with a smile.

Cold sweat immediately broke out on Yurst’s forehead.

Despite the cute appearance of the Ancestor on the throne, he felt immense pressure, as if dealing with a prehistoric monster far more terrifying than Kraken…

“N… no problem.”

He answered with a stiff upper lip.

“Do you think the Countess of Castell you know is an unreasonable person?”

Charlotte continued to ask.

“N… no.”

Yurst shook his head, answering this time more decisively.

He had to admit that before knowing the Countess of Castell was the True Ancestor, he even considered her a friend!

Of course, friends turning into superiors changed the dynamic, making it impossible to return to how things were.

“Then… do you think the True Ancestor of Blood in your memory would give you the chance to stand here and express your hesitation and confusion through your expressions and emotions?”

Charlotte’s tone shifted again, asking softly.

Yurst’s pressure skyrocketed.

With a thud, he knelt on the ground instinctively when Charlotte mentioned “the True Ancestor of Blood in your memory”, clearly frightened.

“N… no…”

He answered, pale-faced.

“If so, do you have any doubts about leading the way?”

Charlotte’s smile faded, her clear, youthful voice now carrying a tone of authority.

Yurst, suppressing the trembling in his blood, stammered.

“N… no more.”

Charlotte smiled.

Nodding slightly, she said,

“Since that’s the case, let’s move. You are the most familiar with the Nez Clan, so take me directly to meet their Elder Bardock.”

After speaking, she added reassuringly.

“Don’t worry too much. I don’t have a habit of randomly killing blood descendants. The True Ancestor of Blood in history is in history, I am me. Don’t confuse us.”

“If the Elder Bardock you remember is the same as the one I remember, I don’t think we will have any conflict.”

Yurst was slightly stunned by Charlotte’s words.

He couldn’t quite understand why the True Ancestor would speak so highly of Elder Bardock. After all, in his impression, Elder Bardock was a staunch opponent of the True Ancestor.

However, seeing the confident look on the girl’s face, his anxiety and worry diminished considerably.

Seeing Yurst’s trembling appearance, Charlotte also felt somewhat melancholy.

She preferred the way they interacted when he didn’t know her true identity.

It was more natural and relaxed.

But there was no helping it. The strict hierarchy of bloodbornes and the formidable reputation of the “True Ancestor of Blood” made it inevitable that he would be fearful once he knew her identity.

And Charlotte, operating under the identity of the True Ancestor of Blood, couldn’t forsake the deterrence her title held among bloodbornes.

Of course, this was also because her relationship with Yurst wasn’t close enough to disregard rank. Someone like Priestess Lottie, despite knowing Charlotte’s true identity, remained respectful without being overly distant.

Strength also played a role.

If Charlotte were invincible in the world right now, she wouldn’t need to maintain her aura and dignity deliberately. True powerhouses exude natural deterrence, allowing them to act as they please.

For now, Charlotte couldn’t let go completely.

However, Sebastian and Nice, despite their reverence for her, were becoming increasingly relaxed and comfortable in their interactions with her as they grew closer.

…

Time passed quickly.

In the blink of an eye, night had fallen.

Tonight, there was supposed to be a welcome banquet for Charlotte hosted by the Starfall nobles at the palace. However, Charlotte postponed it to the next day, citing physical discomfort.

The moonlight was beautiful tonight.

Starfall Kingdom’s climate was humid, and foggy weather was common. Tonight was one of those misty nights.

The light fog enveloped the city, making the moonlight appear even more hazy. Even the city lights seemed more mysterious and unreal.

In an alleyway about a street away from the Red Palace, Yurst stood in front of a low-key carriage, anxiously awaiting the arrival of the True Ancestor.

This was the meeting place he had agreed upon with the True Ancestor before parting ways earlier in the day.

As bloodbornes who had always been active in the Starfall Kingdom, the Nez Clan had more than one stronghold in the capital, Starfall City. Some of these strongholds were equipped with teleportation arrays that could bypass the magical restrictions of the capital and transport directly to the core areas of the Nez Clan’s influence.

Of course, such teleportation points were heavily guarded and only accessible to specific individuals.

Yurst happened to be one of them. His plan was to take the True Ancestor through such a teleportation array, directly to the core area of the Nez Clan.

To show his respect, Yurst had arrived half an hour early to wait. About ten minutes before the agreed time, he finally sensed a familiar presence.

It was the presence of the True Ancestor. Naturally, being able to sense the True Ancestor’s presence meant the True Ancestor was intentionally revealing it.

“True Ancestor…”

Yurst quickly turned and bowed in the direction of the presence. When he looked up, he was momentarily stunned and instinctively shuddered.

Yurst’s eyes widened involuntarily.

Standing before him was not Countess Castell he was familiar with.

It was the figure who once dominated Myria, seated high on the throne of the Dark Night Castle.

A tall, striking figure with long silver hair down to her waist, mysterious and gorgeous golden-red eyes, and a captivating face. She wore a black divine dress adorned with the divine symbol of thorny roses.

It was the adult form of Charlotte.

This “adult form”, similar to the True Ancestor’s Liberation state, was something Charlotte could now control well after becoming a Demigod.

She chose this form partly because it was more suitable for releasing divine power, and partly because if it was indeed Bardock, he would recognize her identity through this appearance.

As for Countess Castell’s appearance, while Bardock might recognize it, Charlotte did not want to publicly expose Countess Castell’s identity and connection to the bloodbornes just yet.

Yurst stared blankly at “Charlotte”, and after a few seconds, he finally reacted, quickly bowing respectfully.

“True Ancestor…”

Charlotte nodded slightly.

“Let’s go.”

With that, she boarded the carriage. Naturally, Yurst assumed the position of the coachman.

The carriage moved slowly, carrying Charlotte towards the largest hidden teleportation stronghold of the Nez Clan…

…

In the southern part of the Starfall Kingdom, Wickes County.

As one of the oldest counties in the Starfall Kingdom, it was also the core area of the Nez Clan, who had secretly ruled the Starfall Kingdom for nearly eight hundred years.

Even when the Nez Clan lost control of Starfall, and most bloodbornes were forced to hide their identities or flee to the continent or nearby islands, the Nez Castle hidden in Wickes County continued to operate, serving as the base of the Nez Elder Council.

In a forest perpetually shrouded in mist, black castles connected to form a spectacular castle complex.

Bats flew in swarms between the castles, accompanied by the hoarse cries of crows and the enveloping mist, making this already eerie forest appear even more mysterious.

The mist covering the forest was also a high-level bloodborne magic barrier. Without the Nez Clan’s permission, outsiders could hardly find the entrance.

In the depths of the forest, on the square surrounded by the castle complex, a magic array on the ground suddenly emitted a blue glow.

After a spatial fluctuation, Yurst appeared in the array. The gargoyles around the square all cast their crimson eyes at him.

When they saw Yurst, the leader of the gargoyles issued a raspy, mechanical greeting.

“Count Yurst… welcome back.”

Yurst nodded, prepared to drive the carriage away, but the next moment, the gargoyles blocked his path.

“Count Yurst, by Lord Bardock’s order, since two months ago, all carriages entering the Misty Forest must be inspected.”

Seeing the mechanical stubbornness of the gargoyles, Yurst sighed.

“Isn’t it better to stay alive?”

The gargoyles tilted their heads, seemingly not understanding Yurst’s words.

Until an ethereal voice came from the carriage.

“Let’s get off here.”

Hearing the unfamiliar voice, the gargoyles all turned their eyes towards the carriage.

Yurst sighed again.

He jumped off the carriage, walked to the carriage door, and bowed slightly, respectfully opening the door like a loyal servant.

In the crimson gaze of the gargoyles, a tall figure gracefully stepped down from the carriage.