Gospel of Blood

“Your… Your Highness! Congratulations on your improved strength, getting closer to your peak again…”

Yurst hurriedly arrived at the study, closed the door, and bowed deeply to Charlotte.

Charlotte nodded slightly and said,

“Rise, and remember… I am now Charlotte de Castell.”

Yurst quickly adjusted his posture and stammered,

“Then… Master…?”

Charlotte shook her head.

“No need to be so formal. Use the old titles. Do you want everyone to know my identity is questionable by acting so nervous?”

She then looked at the trembling Yurst.

“I’ve already heard from Nice. So, what’s the current attitude of the Nez Clan?”

Yurst hesitated for a moment before smiling bitterly.

“Mas… Countess Castell, the situation is a bit complicated.”

“During your slumber, there have been changes within the clan…”

“To expedite the Returning Star Plan, all the clan’s elders have awakened. Losing the Roman Sword and the death of Prince Henry has infuriated them, and even the Great Elder is quite displeased.”

“Now, the faction within the clan close to Castell, represented by Duke Yorok, has been stripped of their execution authority over the Returning Star Plan. The current leader of the plan is the Great Elder himself.”

“The Great Elder’s stance is clear. He hopes you will publicly renounce the Starfall throne, and the Nez Clan will, in return, hand over the Roman Duchy and recognize your sovereignty over the Roman Sword.”

Yurst’s voice grew softer towards the end.

Charlotte smiled and asked.

“Yurst, do you think I’ll agree to these terms?”

Yurst sighed.

“Of course not. But the clan doesn’t think so. No matter how much I try to persuade them, the Elder Council’s stance is very firm. Starfall is the foundation of the Nez Clan, and they won’t risk introducing another mythical force, even a potential bloodborne myth. This would turn the Nez Clan into mere vassals of an ‘unknown God.'” ṟ�

“What about other bloodbornes outside the Elder Council?”

Charlotte inquired.

Yurst hesitated before saying,

“The other bloodbornes are not aware of the mythical figure behind Castell. They vaguely know of the alliance between Nez and Castell, and they… support the Elder Council’s decision.”

Charlotte nodded.

“So, the Nez Clan is ready to support a new king and battle the nobles of the Starfall Kingdom?”

Yurst gave a bitter smile.

“From the perspective of the higher-ups, yes.”

“The Elder Council’s eight elders, except Duke Yorok and the Great Elder, are hardliners. Before some elders had awakened, there was a tendency towards compromise, but now… with all the elders awake and Duke Yorok stripped of his authority, their attitude has shifted.”

“Especially the previous Great Elder, Bardock, who has also awakened. He is the Great Elder’s senior, a true second-generation bloodborne, and one of the first bloodbornes you created, even senior to the third-generation Stargazer Casey.”

“The Great Elder’s decisions are heavily influenced by Bardock. No… more precisely, Bardock has effectively replaced the Great Elder as the true leader of the Nez Clan.”

Bardock?

Hearing the familiar name, Charlotte recalled a tall, muscular warrior. If she remembered correctly, the legion commander of the Free City she met during her second time travel was also named Bardock. He was the one who brought her to the Dawn City to meet Lilith and Harald.

Is it… the same person?

Charlotte pondered.

“Countess Castell, is there a problem?”

Yurst asked nervously, seeing Charlotte’s thoughtful expression.

Charlotte shook her head.

“No, continue telling me about this Elder Bardock.”

Yurst nodded.

“Yes… Yes.”

“Elder Bardock holds a high status within the clan. The Elder Council respects him greatly, and many decisions are still based on his pre-slumber directives.”

“He is a staunch supporter of Casey and a typical hardliner within the clan, advocating for seizing power through force and crushing opposition in Starfall.”

“From the start, the Returning Star Plan was meant to be a coup. With Edward III gone and the succession in doubt, even with many nobles opposed, there were still some willing to compromise with the Nez Clan. War, to Bardock, favors Nez.”

“Moreover, after eighty years of the Star-Moon War and nearly seven years of the Lilac War, the nobles of Starfall are weary of another bloody civil war. Bardock believes that threatening civil war could force their compromise.”

“This sentiment is shared by mid to lower-level bloodbornes in the clan. Many participated in the previous wars and suffered significant casualties.”

“Civil war… is the last resort.”

Charlotte was intrigued.

“So… Castell is the only variable?”

Yurst hesitated but nodded.

“Yes. If you renounce the throne, even if Starfall’s nobles are unwilling, they’ll likely have to compromise with Nez. It’s hard to oppose a prepared Nez Clan.”

Charlotte realized.

“This is why the Nez Clan is being so tough on Castell?”

Yurst hesitated.

“You could say that. Elder Bardock became a bloodborne during the Mythic Era and understands myths well. He believes that even if there is a Bloodborne myth behind you, ‘Their’ power is still weak.”

“Moreover, the clan’s dealings with you have always been a test. Over the past year, they’ve concluded that the ‘God’ behind you is not as feared as before…”

“Most elders, led by Bardock, believe that the ‘God’ behind you is probably only powerful in name but lacks real strength.”

“Otherwise, Castell would have already intervened in Nez affairs.”

Hearing Yurst’s explanation, Charlotte nodded slightly. The Nez Clan’s assessment wasn’t entirely wrong. Until recently, her state was indeed “powerful in name only.”

Or more accurately, her “realm” was that of the Gospel of Blood, and she could only temporarily “liberate” the True Ancestor’s power for a few minutes.

The Nez Clan, a seasoned extraordinary force, had strong foundations. If they had opposed her, even if she could initially suppress them, her limited peak state would turn the battle in their favor.

But now, things were different.

Charlotte had ignited the divine flame, significantly improving her divine power efficiency. After merging several Faceless Statues, her body had transformed to be nearly indistinguishable from a resurrected God.

Even without the Gospel of Blood, she was now a Demigod.

Her endurance in battle had drastically improved, and with the bloodline suppression unknown to the Nez Clan, she believed their Legendary bloodbornes wouldn’t stand a chance against her.

This was why Charlotte wasn’t planning to relinquish the throne.

Because the balance of power had shifted.

Of course, the Nez Clan wasn’t aware of this yet.

“Mas… Countess Castell, what are your plans?”

Yurst cautiously asked.

Charlotte gathered her thoughts and said,

“Inform the Nez Elder Council that I will personally travel to the Starfall Kingdom soon to negotiate the throne’s succession.”n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Though the envoy from the Starfall Council hadn’t arrived yet, Charlotte could guess their terms, likely involving some exchange of benefits.

If the current leader of the Nez Clan was the awakened second-generation bloodborne and her acquaintance from the Free City, Bardock, the course of events might be different.

Charlotte felt it necessary to visit Starfall personally.

“Soon? Countess, may I ask for a specific time?”

Yurst inquired.

Charlotte glanced at him.

“The envoy from the Starfall Council is already on their way. At least… after meeting with them.”

It was important to meet with the local forces supporting her bid for the throne before traveling to Starfall.

Moreover, Charlotte thought it might be best to return to Starfall with them.

“Understood. I will inform the Elder Council that you will soon travel to Starfall for negotiations.”

Yurst confirmed.

Charlotte nodded slightly.

“You may.”

With Charlotte’s definitive response, Yurst finally felt relieved. Though still worried, his previous urgency had eased, indicating he now had a clear direction.

After Yurst left, Charlotte pondered and then used her blood servant contract to contact an unfortunate Legendary Bloodborne, directly issuing an “oracle” in his mind.

“Albrecht, come to Northport within a week. Also, stop by the Crescent Royal Library on your way and confirm the following pattern on the tower’s top.”

With that, Charlotte activated her divine power, manifesting the Chinese characters “I was here” in the unfortunate person’s mind.

Somewhere in the Eastern Yunette Blacklands, Albrecht, who was enjoying a drink with several charming half-human maidservants, trembled slightly, spilling his ale all over…