Gospel of Blood

“Hey, Lady Charlotte, everything is moving forward! The Starfall Magic Association is very interested in the collaboration you proposed. They are quite eager to engage in magical research with the support of the royal family and the mithril resources from Castell!”

Nice said cheerfully.

Charlotte nodded slightly.

“What about the nobles?”

Nice grinned.

“Heh heh, everything is going smoothly on that front too. I know these people well, if there’s money to be made, they’re more than willing to participate. I hinted a bit about the cooperation to Count Stafford, and it seems many families are very interested. Everyone knows that the alchemical industry in the Starfall Kingdom is the most profitable!”

Nice then looked at Charlotte curiously.

“Lady Charlotte, how did you come up with this idea? Using magical technology and the alchemical industry to bind the Starfall Magic Association to our cause, while also roping in the nobles to jointly establish… establish that thing, what’s it called again?”

“Magical Technology and Alchemical Industry Company.”

“Oh right! A company! Getting the nobles and bloodbornes to jointly establish a Magical Technology and Alchemical Industry Company, forming a community of shared interests, and making a strong alliance between the Starfall Kingdom and Castell… it’s a genius idea!”

Nice said with a look of admiration.

Charlotte: …

She glanced at Nice, shook her head, and said,

“Alright, enough with the flattery. Don’t tell me you never thought of such a method. The magical technology and alchemical industry in the Starfall Kingdom have been developing rapidly in recent years. Many new nobles have risen through alchemical workshops. If it weren’t for the lack of mithril, the alchemical products of the Starfall Kingdom would have already made it to the Western Yunette Empire.”

“Heh heh heh…”

Nice chuckled awkwardly.

Combining Castell’s strengths with those of the Starfall Kingdom to develop magical technology and the alchemical industry was one of Charlotte’s plans to make money.

Of course, making money was one aspect, technological innovation was another, and enhancing strength was yet another.

Charlotte’s foundation was too thin. Even as the Queen of Starfall, the forces she could rely on were limited, and the strength of the Nightshade Cult was far inferior to that of mainstream orders like the Holy Court.

With the Divinity Descent Day approaching and the Gods about to return, Charlotte needed to strengthen her power quickly.

Enhancing herself was one aspect, and strengthening her forces was another.

Charlotte had not yet ascended to Godhood and needed to reserve her strength to deal with potential myth-level enemies, so she couldn’t expend too much divine power to enhance her followers’ strength.

The Nez Clan was not weak, but Charlotte couldn’t rely solely on the bloodbornes, as their weaknesses were too obvious and easily targeted.

She had to think of other ways.

Going on campaigns wasn’t the first choice, and the growth of extraordinary individuals required time. So, the best approach was to start with equipment and industrial upgrades.

This wasn’t just Charlotte’s wishful thinking.

In fact, after transmigrated and observing for a long time, Charlotte had realized that the world of Myria was at a delicate point similar to the early Renaissance in the history of Earth.

The power of religion was weakening, and secular power was increasing. With the continuous improvement of magical array technology, the iteration of magical technology was accelerating, and various alchemical workshops were springing up like mushrooms after the rain…

For the residents of Myria, the most direct feeling was that magical alchemical items were becoming more common in the market. As long as one was a noble, they could buy one or two magical items as luxury goods for showing off.

But for Charlotte, with her two lifetimes of experience, she realized that human civilization on the Myria continent was likely at a historical turning point, and the next step might be similar to the Industrial Revolution on Earth.

Of course, it probably wouldn’t be called the Industrial Revolution in Myria but rather the Magical Technology Revolution.

To be honest, Charlotte considered herself not particularly talented in state governance, invention, or trade.

Before transmigrated, she was an ordinary person, and most of the knowledge she had learned was forgotten. Even after becoming a Demigod and recovering those memories, she couldn’t use her knowledge to invent and create things like other transmigrators.

But she didn’t need to.

The world wasn’t lacking in smart people, and she didn’t need to see herself as too clever. She just needed to use her advantages and push things forward.

Like in the field of magical alchemical technology, Charlotte had money and mines. It was enough to bring those who mastered extraordinary power, like the nobles and organizations, into the fold.

Charlotte just needed to provide the support a king could offer and steer things in the right direction. The rest could be left to the professionals.

“Alright, I’ll leave these matters entirely to you. Do a good job, and I hope to see Starfall-Castell magical products sold in every corner of the continent within ten years.”

Charlotte said to Nice.

Nice patted his chest.

“Rest assured, Lady Charlotte, you can count on me for this!”

“Don’t forget, the development of new magical technology must also continue.”

“Heh heh, of course, that’s my specialty! The Starfall Kingdom’s Magic Association has some resources.

According to your ideas, developing those things shouldn’t be a problem. It’s just a matter of reducing costs.”

Nice laughed.

After speaking, he hesitated and then said,

“However… Lady Charlotte, are you sure you want to pursue this path? Although it’s still uncertain, I can almost foresee that if we follow your plans, magical technology will eventually become widespread.”

“The spread of extraordinary power among ordinary people… is that really okay?”

Charlotte glanced at him and smiled.

“What’s wrong with that? It’s the trend of the times. I’m just pushing things along and gaining an advantage in advance.”

“Taking the initiative, huh…”

Nice pondered.

“Besides…”

Charlotte paused and continued.

“I need you to continue pretending to be my double in the coming days.”

“Pretend to be your double? Lady Charlotte, are you planning to leave Starfall?”

Nice’s heart skipped a beat, and he asked.

Charlotte nodded.

“Yes, I’m worried about the North. I must go there personally.”

Nice nodded.

“I understand. Rest assured, with me here, everything in Starfall will be fine! If there’s any issue, I’ll pray to you through our contract!”

…

In a dark red world.

The sky was dark red, the earth was dark red, and even the castle on the hillside was a deep dark red.

Countless black crows flew in the sky, cawing hoarsely and circling the castle. If Charlotte were here, she would notice that the architecture was very similar to the Nez Clan’s stronghold.

At the center of the castle complex was a towering palace.

The palace was also dark red, adorned with ancient mythological murals and decorations. At the top of the palace, a blood-red rose symbol was faintly glowing.

This was the symbol of the Harcos Clan, one of the five major bloodborne clans, masters of the Flesh and Blood Path.

Suddenly, a crimson light flashed, and a circular magic array appeared in front of the palace.

After a violent spatial fluctuation, a figure in a black robe emerged from the void.

Seeing the figure, the black-clad blood servants standing guard in front of the palace saluted.

“Lady Sophia…”

The figure nodded slightly and walked straight into the palace.

At the center of the palace was a massive blood pool, surrounded by complex and mysterious magical runes extending outward, almost enveloping the entire palace.

Thick red liquid wriggled in the blood pool as if alive. At the center of the pool stood a tall altar, on which was placed a dark red statue.

The statue wore a cloak adorned with blood-red roses. Upon closer inspection, one could see it was a voluptuous Goddess.

In front of the blood pool, an elderly woman in a dark red robe was praying softly.

Hearing the footsteps behind her, she stopped and looked at the newcomer. Her aged voice revealed no emotion.

“Sophia, you’re back. How did it go?”

Sophia removed her hood, revealing a captivating face.

She glanced at the blood pool below the statue, bowed slightly to the statue, and then looked at the woman.

“It’s a bit troublesome. The Northern Archduke doesn’t fully trust us. He wants to bring in the Divine Queen to balance our influence in the North.”

“The Divine Queen has already extended her reach to the North. The God behind her has subdued the Nez Bloodborne of the Starfall Kingdom and is now interested in the North. It might really be a prince from the Kirali Clan.”

“The Archduke promised the Free Tribe Alliance to her, but the ancestor statue there is crucial to the Queen’s grand plan. We might need to change our plans…”

The woman fell silent after hearing Sophia’s report.

After a long time, she sighed.

“Her Majesty does not wish us to act directly against the Free Tribe Alliance. Though we have taken different paths, that place was once Her Majesty’s homeland.”

“In that case, report this to Her Majesty. The Divinity Descent Day is near, and maintaining the barriers is becoming more difficult. Even Her Majesty must make a decision soon.”

“Follow me…”

The woman said, standing up and walking deeper into the palace.

Sophia took a deep breath and followed respectfully.

They walked through a long corridor and came to a tightly shut hall door.

The door was tall and ornate, adorned with intricate, mysterious patterns that emitted a dark red glow, exuding a vast, mysterious aura.

The woman took a deep breath, bowed respectfully to the door, and said,

“Your Majesty, there has been a new development. We need your guidance…”

She then recounted what Sophia had reported.

Crimson light flickered, and the magical lamps around cast shifting shadows. As the woman uttered the Crimson Queen’s true name, a profound, vast aura began to descend.

The woman closed her eyes, her body emitting a faint light as if she were listening to the whispers of a majestic presence.

After a long time, the light faded, and she reopened her eyes, her expression calm.

“Her Majesty orders that no divine fragments are to leave the North, including the True Ancestor’s statue.”

“The plan remains unchanged. Continue with it and retrieve all the fragments, no matter the cost!”