《Gospel of Blood》 Chapter 1: Last Meal "Wandering ruler of the abyss and the present world""The embodiment of depravity and decay" "Savior of the Blood Descendants" "......" "Thy humble servant hereby prays for favors ......" ...... Charlotte once again awakens from his sleep. What met his eyes was the familiar purple and black bed roof, carved with an exquisite thorn-rose pattern, with black and gold-rimmed gauze curtains draped around it, and four pointed bedposts painted with religious bas-reliefs loomed in the middle of it. Even though it had been three days since he crossed over to another world, he still felt a bit uncomfortable looking at this gothic-style noble bedroom. Of course, the murmur-like prayers that he heard every night in a daze that resembled the whispers of ancient Gods was also one of the reasons. Charlotte always had the illusion that something was calling him from the underworld. But every time he woke up, he couldn''t remember what he heard. Turning his head to look out the window, night had already fallen. Under the deep moonlight, occasionally a hoarse cat howl could be heard. Charlotte was a bit surprised. Today''s nap, he had actually slept directly from midday to night! The bedroom room door was knocked gently. "Ugh, is it that time again ......" Charlotte frowned slightly, instantly getting a headache. Without waiting for him to say anything, the door of the room was slowly pushed open with a creak, and two columns of maids dressed in black and white dresses walked in neatly. Their expressions were ancient and serious, and they held in their hands a set of aristocratic girlish dresses of various styles and magnificence and complexity, and wooden boxes filled with trinkets and jewelry dazzled the eyes. "Good evening, Miss Charlotte." "It''s time for dinner, Mrs. Castell asks you to change your attire and go straight to dinner." The head maid stepped forward and curtsied woodenly with extremely standardized movements. Oh, right. It should be a "she" now. Charlotte numbly swept a glance at the women''s clothes they had brought with them, instantly changing into the stupid, silly appearance from the original body''s fragmented memories, with the look of a clueless girl who had just woken up from a nap and was naturally drowsy. "Goo-- good evening! Ms. Mariana!" And then, naturally skipping over the overly sweet and cute girly dresses, she pointed to a gothic lolita that was predominantly black with gold inlays, supplemented by burgundy and white, tilting her little head slightly and sweetly. "That¡¯s it!" The voice was soft and delicate. That innocent and lovely appearance was a far cry from the calm and helpless appearance when she was just alone. Men''s desire for protection would explode when they saw her, and the women''s motherly love would overflow when they saw her. Even the fat black cat passing by outside the window was momentarily lost in thought, and almost fell when it unfocusly stepped on the air. It can be said that this girl is really good at acting, and her acting skill is top-notch. However, as the professional servants of the long-history Castell family, the well-trained maids remain serious and without any fluctuation, making Charlotte feel rather bored. After receiving permission, these archaic maidservants acted like a silent army and immediately took action. The great nobles were used to this. There was no need for them to do anything at all, others served them in everything. Someone carried a silver basin filled with water to wash up for Charlotte, someone held a silk gauze dipped in rose dew to wipe her body, and someone picked up a whalebone hairbrush to take care of her long hair. ...... Charlotte herself was at their mercy, like a dress-up doll. What can she do? She never had this kind of experience in her previous life. Not to mention this kind of complicated aristocratic dress, she hadn''t even touched women''s clothing. The costume change lasted for nearly thirty minutes. Charlotte, on the other hand, felt as if a century had passed. "Miss Charlotte, the change is done." After a while, the head maid once again bowed and ordered someone to push over a gorgeous standing mercury mirror. In the mirror was a young girl who looked to be thirteen or fourteen years old. Not tall, her features were as delicate as a doll. The black and white butterfly headdress gathered her soft and silky long blonde hair and the end was tied into a curl and naturally hung on the shoulder. Milky white and smooth skin with a hint of sickly pale, with sky-like clear blue eyes, giving people a kind of delicate and pitiful feeling. The ruffled decorated white shirt with a burgundy bow ribbon in front, and black corset will be the youthful waistline girded extremely delicate. The tulle outer skirt with black and gold as the main tone is decorated with complex and gorgeous lace patterns, matched with the inner burgundy skirt, black silk stockings and small leather boots, bringing a strong sense of mystery and nobility to the people, as if adding the forbidden touch of maturity and seduction to her still young and immature face ...... To be honest, with such a beautiful and lovely appearance, even after days of looking at herself, Charlotte would still fall in a daze in front of the mirror. But sadly¡­ this person was herself. However, although there was a bit of a problem with her identity after she transmigrated, Charlotte didn''t have any complaints. Beauty itself was a rare resource. Changing to a very different life was also a novel experience. Following the maid out of the bedroom, the young girl walk through the gorgeous long corridor covered with handmade silk carpets into the dining room. The dining room was equally luxurious, the walls were covered with religious decorative paintings, and the large crystal candle lamps cast a faint light that reflected a dream-like splendor from every angle. A wide variety of dishes served with exquisite porcelain laid on top of more than ten meters long purple and black carved U-shaped dining table. Roasted suckling pig, baked escargot, pan-fried scallops with foie gras, grilled paper-steamed fish, pan-fried steak, braised potatoes, fruit salad, flaming pancakes, chocolate lava ...... as far as the eye could see, I''m afraid there were no less than fifty variety. An old woman wearing a monocle stood in front of the food cart and was setting a cream of mushroom soup on the table. Seeing Charlotte, she smiled slightly, put down the porcelain plate on her hand and said dotingly, "Oh, who is coming, isn''t this the jewel of Castell and lovely Miss Earl, my precious Charlotte?" Saying that, she took out a small exquisite box from behind her back as if she was doing a magic trick, and inside it was a beautiful cross necklace that was absolutely valuable at a glance. Holding the jewelry box in front of the young girl and shaking it, the old woman speaks lovingly, "Happy birthday, my baby! This is your birthday present this year!" Sweeping a glance at the shiny necklace, Charlotte subtly twitched her mouth. But soon she noticed the old woman''s apron that had not yet been removed, she smiled feeling a slight warmth in her heart. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "Dear Grandmother, are you cooking the dish personally today?" The old woman put down the trinket box and first carefully wiped her hands with a wet towel, then dotingly rubbed her little head and said gently, "Of course, today is your day, and no one knows better than me what you like to eat." "Let¡¯s eat, my little birthday girl, tonight''s dishes are all your favorites." If the maids and deacons in the manor were always looked unsmiling, serious and depressing, making Charlotte after transmigrated feel as if these servants had some kind of terminal disease...... Then the grandmother of this body was the existence that had comforted her the most in the past two days. Elaine de Castell. She is Charlotte''s grandmother, the current head of the Castell family, and the young girl''s only relative. As the acting head of a high and mighty noble family, and at an age where she should be taking care of herself, the old woman still personally cooked for the young girl, showing how much she doted on her granddaughter. Preparing so many sumptuous delicacies, even with the assistance of a chef, was not an easy task for an old grandmother. "Dear Grandmother, you''ve worked hard." Charlotte''s heart warmed. She skillfully pinched up her skirt and gracefully made a bow, then naturally sat down at the dining table. After three days, she was already familiar with these noble processing. The old woman, on the other hand, glanced at the gorgeous pendant clock on the wall and the night color outside the window. "It''s getting late, let¡¯s start dining." After saying that, she politely declined the maid who came forward to serve her, and personally tied the napkin for the young girl, her movements slow and gentle. Honestly speaking, if it wasn''t for the fact that her legs and feet weren''t weak and it wasn''t convenient to walk around the table, Charlotte seriously doubted that her grandmother, who had spoiled her to the skies, would even take over maid¡¯s job and personally divide the meal for her...... Today''s dinner was even more delicious than the last two days. It was well-cooked, flavorful, and memorable. Charlotte dined elegantly under the maid''s service while thinking about her future life. The memories after transmigration were not complete. But two or three days is already enough time for her to figure out her family background and current situation, and gain a firm foothold. It had to be said that this identity that Charlotte had transmigrated to was a real surprise. Although the gender was different, the rest of it was perfect, definitely a textbook-level start of Soaring Phoenix. This body is named Charlotte, which is sort of the same name as her previous life after the phonetic translation. Her parents died when she was young, and she is the only direct descendant of the long-history and wealthy Castell family. A true otherworldly old aristocrat, the future head of the family. Even though she is still young, with the experienced old countess personally sitting as her escort, no one dared to covet the Castell family''s estate. When Charlotte turns 16 years old and reaches adulthood, she will be able to officially inherit the family''s earldom and a large area of affluent territory with dozens of castles, manors and wineries. In other words, Charlotte''s transmigration starts with financial freedom and the pinnacle of her life. She inherited a family fortune that she couldn''t even finish spending for the rest of her life! After familiarizing herself with her identity, Charlotte knew she was going to soar in this world. In the past two days, she had already begun to think about how to take advantage after she inherited her title. Utilize her Blue Star knowledge to advance the technology in this primitive foreign world? Use the capital of this status to create a business empire spanning the entire continent? Or hire a hundred beautiful young ladies to serve her every day and live a dreamy life of joyful salted fish? However, just when Charlotte was thinking about it, she realized that her grandmother, Countess Castell, had not moved her knife and fork. This aged noblewoman had simply been sitting there quietly, smiling at her. The young girl hesitated and gently put down her cutlery. In the fragmented memories she had inherited, eating alone without waiting for the elders to start was unladylike behavior and a matter that the original body tried to avoid as much as possible on a regular basis. "Dear Grandmother, aren''t you going to eat?" Charlotte asked. Countess Castell, however, gently shook her head, "No, my little Charlotte, these are yours." Saying that, she smiled faintly and reached out her hand to gently and slowly caress the young girl''s cheek, "After all, this is your last meal." Last... meal? Charlotte froze slightly. She couldn''t help but look at Countess Castell, only to feel that the other party''s smile suddenly became deep and eerie. The clouds outside the window slowly drifted past, revealing a round scarlet moon. The blood-like moonlight poured through the window into the dining room, coating everything with a hazy scarlet color. In Charlotte''s suddenly contracted pupils, the originally dignified and kind Countess Castell suddenly underwent a shocking change. Her face became as pale as a dead person, and her blue-gray eyes were gradually tinted with the blood color of madness. The loving kindness in her gaze had completely disappeared. In its place, there was bloodlust and greed ...... S?a??h the n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "My dear baby, you don''t seem to look well." The old woman smiled faintly at Charlotte, the corners of her mouth grinning up to the base of her ears, her long tongue, like a snake letter, constantly sliding gently over the young girl''s cheeks. Damn! Monster! Charlotte was so shocked that she instantly stood up. The tableware on the table was swept to the floor by her, colliding with each other and making a soft piercing sound. "Miss Charlotte, you dropped your knife and fork." The head maid''s emotionless voice rang out. A rotting arm full of maggots picked up the knife and fork and gently placed it in front of Charlotte''s body. Holy shit! Charlotte''s eyes instantly widened. She stiffly turned around, only to see that the face of the head maid beside her had long since rotted, white bones were faintly visible under the bloody rotting flesh, and a few fat maggots were wriggling in her eye sockets. Outside the window, flocks of crows circled and made a series of cawing sounds. In the dining room, nearly a hundred waiters and maids looked at Charlotte in unison, the corners of their rotting mouths grinning slightly in a bizarre and uniform smile. The stench of rotting corpses spread out instantly. Charlotte''s scalp instantly turns numb. Without hesitation, she turned around and fled. However, just as she took a step, her body suddenly went limp and she instantly lost all her strength. Oh no! The food was ...... poisoned! A strong sense of exhaustion permeated her limbs, and she fell on her butt to the ground, limping slowly. At the end of her consciousness, she heard the indifferent and cold command of "Countess Castell", "It''s almost time, prepare for the final bloodline sacrifice ritual." Chapter 2: Bloodline Sacrifice Ritual Hurt.It hurts! When Charlotte woke up again, she found herself hanging on a metal cross, with four large iron nails piercing through the palms of her right and left hands and two crossed feet. Gurgling blood flowed down the cross like a small stream, pouring into the grooves that had been carved into the ground long ago. Charlotte endured the pain and looked around, seeing through the dim scarlet moonlight of the skylight. The grooves are a circular pattern centered on the cross, with intricate and complex designs, like magic formations in novels, surrounded by kneeling living corpses dressed in maid and waiter costumes. Countess Castell stood at the forefront, exuding a chilling aura. She was facing herself, holding a blood-red scrap of a page in her hand, as if she had torn it from some ancient book. Seeing Charlotte waking up, the Countess smiles faintly, revealing two sharp teeth, S?a??h th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "Yo, my baby, you''re awake." Charlotte''s heart sank. Hanging on a cross is not a good situation. Combined with the inappropriate-looking magic formation underneath her, and the surrounding living corpses that were obviously doing some kind of prayer, Charlotte, who was familiar with the online trend, had roughly guessed that she was going to be used as a living sacrifice by the other party. This world ...... is not an ordinary another world at all! Charlotte''s brain works fast. She sniffled, crystal clear tears instantly rolling down like silver beads, leaving two curved tear tracks on the pink and lovely face. "Uuuuuu... grandmother..." She tears up and opens her mouth, looking at Countess Castell with a weak, pitiful and helpless cute gaze. Seeing that pitiful and unbearable appearance, even Countess Castell who had transformed into a monster is slightly stunned and the terrifying aura on her body vaguely stopped. But soon, her gaze became deep again. Scarlet eyes flickered slightly, and her greedy sight slowly slid over Charlotte''s body. "What a charming little goblin, it''s a pity that you can''t be converted to a charming Blood Servant." Saying that, she cracked open her hideous mouth, mocking like a hunter teasing his prey, "Poor little thing, now now¡­ stop pretending." "Little Charlotte died of illness long ago, you are nothing more than the Saints of Holy Royal Court¡¯s true spirit that I summoned over in order to complete the final bloodline sacrifice ritual." "Aah... with the Saint True Spirit as a sacrifice, I think my lord will be quite satisfied!" The secret of transmigration was seen through, and Charlotte could feel her heart tightening. But along with that, there is also a hint of doubt. ¡®The Saints'' True Spirits of the Holy Royal Court? What the hell was that?¡¯ As if figured something out, Charlotte''s mind moves slightly. She quickly stopped sobbing and quickly said, "Grandmother- no, Countess Castell, I think... there might be some misunderstanding between us..." However, the old woman lost interest in continuing the conversation and shook her head mockingly. "Misunderstanding? Hey, your struggle is pointless." After saying that, she takes out a filthy cross from her bosom and aims it at the young girl hanging in mid-air. The old woman''s crazy voice trembled slightly, and her expression was turned hideous and fanatical. "Come on! Holy Spirit! Let me enjoy admiring the divine light of your imminent depravity and the twisted expression of your agony!" Deep rays of light blossomed on the cross with a chaotic evil aura. In the cruel and tyrannical gaze of Countess Castel, the filthy light shone on Charlotte''s body. "Wail! Scream miserably! Feel the agony and despair that... belongs to the darkness!" ¡®This is bad!¡¯ Seeing that evil halo of light that made one vaguely feel like vomiting just by looking at it, Charlotte''s heart tightens. She was so frightened and mad that she couldn''t avoid it, so she could only turn her head sideways, close her eyes and grit her teeth. The evil and chaotic light was like sludge thrown into the present world, wrapping the young girl in it. However, the imagined pain did not come. Other than feeling a bit chilly and hearing countless crazy prayers constantly murmuring in her ears, Charlotte did not feel any discomfort in her body. ¡®Hm?¡¯ She slowly opens her eyes. The Countess was still fervently holding up the filthy cross, her expression incomparably hideous. The cross flickered with light and darkness, and the pressure was overwhelming, enveloping everything. The basement was eerily chill and quiet, akin to falling into the abyss. But other than that¡­ nothing happened. Charlotte''s expression is quite bewildered. Although she didn''t open her mouth, that somewhat confused and puzzled expression, which also seemed to be mixed with celebration and apprehension, seemed to be saying, ¡®That''s it?¡¯ The old woman also froze up. Her brows furrowed slightly as she flipped around and scrutinized the defiled cross in her hand as if trying to figure out what went wrong. After some scrutiny, she frowned and lifted the cross back up, before channeling her magic once more and chanting in an even more frantic voice, "Scream! Beg for mercy! Scream in despair at the light of the Fallen!" The deep light blossomed once again, enveloping Charlotte''s body with an even more evil and chaotic aura than before. However, this time¡­. still nothing happened. Charlotte: ...... Countess: ...... The two look at each other in the eyes. The atmosphere is pretty awkward. The old woman''s expression instantly turned hideous, and her terrifying magic power erupted like a volcano. "Why! Why is there no divine light on your body? Why aren''t you corrupted by the Light of the Fallen?!" The tsunami-like pressure rose and fell in succession, accompanied by a frantic roar, bringing unprecedented pressure to the young girl. However, Charlotte quietly breathed a sigh of relief in her mind. Combined with the old witch''s previous words, she can roughly guess what the reason is. The young girl regained her composure and her voice had a hint of confidence. "Countess Castell, I think... there really is a misunderstanding between us." "Misunderstanding? What misunderstanding?" The old woman''s eyes were scarlet, and her expression was as dangerous as a furious beast. Charlotte weighed her words and said, "You, should be holding some special ritual, right? And this ritual is also related to the Saints of Holy Royal Court?" "What I want to say is that I''m actually not any Saint of Holy Royal Court." "That is... it seems like you are summoning the wrong person." Countess Castell was silent. In the next second, Charlotte only felt a strong spiritual force descend on her body. A moment later, the spiritual force dispersed, and the Countess'' expression became increasingly ugly. "There''s no Holy Seal..." "Surprisingly, she really isn''t a Saint of Holy Royal Court!" "How is this possible? How!" "If you''re not a believer of Holy Royal Court, why were you summoned by the Holy Spirit Summoning Ritual?" ¡®How am I supposed to know? I was just working all night and fell asleep in a daze, who knew that I would wake up in this hellish place! And her gender even got swapped!¡¯ Charlotte cursed in her mind. Her face remained unchanged and she shook her head, "I don''t know." "When I woke up, I was already like this." Saying that, she weighed her words, revealed a smile that she thought was friendly, and continued, "Countess Castell." "As you can see, I am not the True Spirit of the Saints that you need, and there doesn''t seem to be the slightest reason for you to sacrifice me." "Perhaps, we can talk about it..." "Talk about it? Do you think you are qualified?" Countess Castell''s scarlet eyes flashed with mockery on her face. Her killing intent was so strong, as if she was completely attributing the failure of the summoning to Charlotte. Charlotte did not doubt that if she couldn''t come up with a suitable reason, the old hag in front of her would definitely kill her in the next second without hesitation. Pressing down the apprehension in her heart, Charlotte feigned composure and continued to laugh. "That''s not necessarily true, compared to a sacrifice that is doomed to fail, I rather feel that I will bring you more benefits by staying alive." "Summoning me here might even be another unexpected blessing for you." A great man is always flexible. Now amid life and death crisis, facing the crazy old woman who was obviously mentally unstable, Charlotte egged on without any bit of pressure. Face and self-respect and whatever were temporarily put aside. First, think of a way to survive! We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "Oh? So... you still have some abilities that I don''t know about?" Countess Castell raised her eyebrows slightly. This time, she carefully sized up the young girl and seemed to gain some interest. "Tell me, what do you have?" Charlotte smiled slightly and continued. "For example... I know a lot of gourmet dishes, all of which are delicacies you have never seen before." After saying that, she saw Countess Castell''s gaze slightly moved. This was also expected, from the fragmented memories that Charlotte had inherited, Countess Castell was indeed a gourmet. It was just that... "If it''s just gourmet food, it''s not enough to buy your little life, my little Charlotte." The Countess shook her head slightly. "I also know how to do business, and knowing Castell family''s business, I am confident that I can expand it several times within ten years!" Charlotte pondered for a few seconds and continued to raise the stakes. Countess Castell pondered, seemingly moved. But in the end, her gaze towards the young girl remains the same, trying to probe for deeper reasoning. Charlotte gritted her teeth, "I also know many, many pieces of knowledge, all of which are not found in this world, and each of which has the potential to bring a revolutionary era!" "I..." "Wait!" Hearing this, Countess Castell suddenly interrupted her. She narrowed her eyes slightly and then asked. "You just said that¡­ you know a lot of knowledge that is not found in this world?" Charlotte hesitated for a moment. "Yes." "You... came from another world?" Charlotte subconsciously wanted to deny it. But feeling the aura that restrained her in the dark, she only hesitated for a moment and slowly nodded again. "Umm... Yes." The secret of the body''s possession was already known anyway. Adding another one of being from another world didn''t seem like much difference. Countess Castell was silent once again. Gradually, only the corners of her mouth rose slowly, turning into a satisfied smile, which continued to bloom, becoming more and more excessive, and finally turning into an exciting maniacal laugh. "Hehe... Ehehe... heAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" "Good! Good! Very good!" Seeing the other party so happy, although Charlotte''s heart felt a little strange and uneasy, but in the end it was considered a temporary relief. Burying her scorn, grievance and anger deep in her heart, she pressed down her apprehension and nervousness, and tried to show a relaxed appearance as she smiled. "It seems that you are satisfied." "Then... is it possible to put me down first?" Saying that, she twisted her body, which was already full of pain that she almost fell unconscious, and sighed pretending not to care. "Honestly, it''s kinda uncomfortable hanging on here, I feel like my blood is about to run dry..." "Pfft..." Dull pain suddenly came from her abdomen, Charlotte feeling the urge to vomit rising, and couldn''t help but vomit out a mouthful of fresh blood that was mixed with broken pieces of internal organs. She slowly lowered her head, looking bewildered. Underneath her body, a fist-thick, hideous black tentacle pierced through her stomach and was twitching and stirring madly inside. On the other side of the tentacle, there is Countess Castell who is smiling but no emotion in her eyes. "Why... did..." Feeling the rapidly dissipating life force, Charlotte''s eyes widen, feeling confused and unfair. The old woman let out a chilling laugh. "Why? Of course, it''s to follow the ritual and continue the sacrifice." As she said that, her expression became hideous, bloodthirsty and crazy. "Oh, unexpected joy, you''re right, you really are my unexpected joy!" "An Otherworldly Soul, ah, this is an existence that is a hundred times more precious than a Saint''s True Spirit!" "What is a Holy Saint?" "As long as I sacrifice your blood, I will surely usher in the Lord''s favor and receive unprecedented divine grace!" Damn it! Because of this? Charlotte curses silently. She lifted her head with difficulty and used her last bit of strength to pull out a smile at the old woman. "Alright ... you madafaka." Countess Castell frowned. Although she didn''t understand the other party''s weird vocabulary, she instinctively felt that it wasn''t a good word. Looking at the red moon that was getting fuller and fuller outside the skylight, she grinned cruelly. "The auspicious time has come." "Oh, my unexpected joy...... enjoy your last scarlet moonlight!" After saying that, Charlotte saw her putting down the dark cross and raising the blood-red remnants of the page high, and the light on her body increased. Charlotte only feels that she is locked by a bizarre power that is hard to describe in words, and instantly loses control of her body. The blood in her body gradually churned, and the hideous wound in her abdomen seemed to be constantly burning, that was the sign of the start of the sacrifice ritual. Damn it. Just two days after transmigrated, she was about to die, perhaps there was no one more miserable than herself among the transmigrator. Charlotte sighed inwardly. If only she had known it would be like this... After transmigrating, she shouldn''t have been so reserved. She should have taken the time to study her new body first. Lost in such thoughts, time seemed to slow down as never before. Meanwhile, Countess Castell and her undead''s depraved prayers slowly reached Charlotte''s ears. "Wandering ruler of the abyss and the present world," "The embodiment of depravity and decay," "Savior of the blood descendants..." "The Great Bloodborne Demon Archduke - Abaddon!" "Thy humble servant hereby prays for favors..." "I am willing to offer the most precious bloodline of the Castell family and souls from other realms, praying for you to grant eternal youth and vitality to your humble servants..." ¡®Hmm... This prayer... Seems... somewhat familiar...¡¯ Just as Charlotte''s consciousness began to blur, her vision suddenly brightened. Amidst crimson light, a series of ancient and strange characters slowly appeared before her eyes. [Gospel of Blood detects an ongoing divine ritual¡ª] [Ritual Name: Blood Sacrifice Ritual] [Offering: Charlotte de Castell] [Sacrificer: Elaine de Castell] [Recipient: Bloodborne Demon Archduke - Abaddon] [Ritual Effect: Using one''s bloodline as an offering, the sacrificer gains the power of their bloodline and life force, while the recipient gains their soul and memories.] [Interception Probability Assessment: 100%] [Would you like to intercept?] Charlotte: ... Chapter 3: Who the hell are you?! The Golden Finger might be late, but It will never be absent. When she saw the novel-like dialog box in her field of vision, Charlotte knew that she had been saved. Me... being able to intercept the ritual of this old witch?¡®Intercept! It had to be intercepted!¡¯ Charlotte, who was getting more and more exhausted, no longer had the extra energy to think more, she knew very well that she couldn''t hold on any longer, and the breath of death was approaching. Charlotte made her choice without hesitation. [Error ......] [Interception...... Failed ......] [Gospel information missing ......] [Self-Repair initiated ......] [Repair Completed......] [Owner of the Gospel]. [Please reformulate your unique symbol] Charlotte: ...... The text continues to change, but the ritual does not stop. Charlotte feels as if she is connected to something. An illusory piece of parchment appeared in her vision, and various patterns changed within her mind. ¡®Whew!¡¯ ¡®Why is it so troublesome!¡¯ Charlotte, who is getting more and more unfocused, is about to go crazy. She knew that if she didn''t stop the sacrifice ritual, she would die. Biting the tip of her tongue, she concentrated the last bit of her energy and casually imagined the thorn rose pattern on the top of the bed that greeted her every morning when she got up. ¡¾Symbol Deployed¡¿ ¡¾Interception Begins¡¿ In a trance, Charlotte only feels a mysterious force suddenly acting on her body. In the sound of muffled prayers, her consciousness became clear again, and her vision changed miraculously. S?a??h th? N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte is "looking" at her surroundings again. However, it''s no longer from Charlotte''s point of view, but a bird''s-eye view like an observer. She seems to have arrived in a majestic illusory castle, sitting high on the Throne of Blood, with a blood-colored ancient book floating in front of her. Under the throne, the basement is in full view. The blood-colored magic circle, the chilling cross, the girl who is hung up, the crazy old woman who prayed feverishly. Everything seems to be crawling at her feet. The countess in the middle of the magic circle keeps bowing, under Charlotte''s gaze. It feels like¡­ she worshipping Charlotte herself. A strange condescending feeling like looking down on the ants appears in Charlotte''s heart, making her feel that she is the master of everything. A new dialog box slowly emerges - [Successfully intercept the bloodline sacrifice ritual] [The recipient of the ritual has been changed to: Charlotte de Castell] [Shall the procedure be terminated or modified?] Looking at the new text, the girl''s eyes widened. Thinking back to the old witch''s hideous smile just now, the aggrieved anger churned in her heart again. Charlotte did not hesitate and shouted in her consciousness. "Modify! I want it to be modified!¡± "Swap the offering with the sacrificer!" "The offering is her, and the sacrificer is me!" ¡®Want to sacrifice my soul?¡¯ ¡®Dream on!¡¯ ¡®Let''s see who sacrifices whom!¡¯ ...... Countess Castell is thrilled. It''s been a decade... She has been preparing for this day for a decade! As long as she completes this bloodline sacrifice ceremony, she will be able to successfully acquire the gifted bloodline of Castell family, bid farewell to old age, and regain her youth! Not only that but as long as she successfully sacrifices this otherworldly soul, she is more likely to receive a gift from her Lord! That''s the legendary Divine Grace! A divine grace that mortals dream of! Once obtained, she will possess incredible powers and become the legendary Apostle of the Gods! Thinking of the bright future, the Countess of Castel became more and more excited. "O Great Demonic Bloodborne Archduke! Cast your sights!¡± She raised high the blood-colored page and called out feverishly. The magic circle shines brightly, and the blood-colored moonlight pours down, forming a crimson mist. An ancient and vast aura slowly converged in the basement, as if some terrifying and mysterious existence traveled through countless time and space, casting Its gaze at this moment. ¡®Here it comes!¡¯ ¡®The gaze of the gods is coming!¡¯ The Countess''s breathing turns heavy. She looks up with difficulty, looking through the layers of fog, her gaze more fanatic than ever. She saw amidst the blood-colored mist, a majestic illusory throne was gradually conjured. Above the throne, scarlet light is gathering, as if an ancient and majestic existence is descending slowly. ¡®My Lord!¡¯ We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now ¡®It''s my Lord!¡¯ ¡®My Lord''s eyes are on me!¡¯ The Countess'' eyes widened, she held her breath, her face flushed, her whole body trembled, and her eyes were full of anticipation. The brilliance gathers and condenses into a human form. And then¡ª She saw a familiar petite figure... The Countess:... "Cha... Charlotte?!¡± She was stunned. At the same time, Charlotte, who was sitting on the throne, smiled at her and spoke with her soothing and ethereal voice. "My dear grandmother, your sacrifice...... I will take it.¡± The magic circle suddenly lit up, and crimson light rose into the sky. In the countess'' stunned gaze, blood-colored light instantly swallowed herself. "Aaa¡ª¡ªAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!¡± Countess Castell let out a heart-rending wail of pain. Her already old body quickly aging and withering under the bloody glow. At the same time, Charlotte on the cross feels an abundant warm current akin to rain after a long drought pouring into the wound in her lower abdomen. A warm and strange power continued to swim through her body, and the fatal wound quickly began to heal. It''s an amazing feeling, it''s hard to put into words. If I really want to say it, it''s like being in a warm and comfortable bath, and it''s like the afterglow after some kind of intense workout. Refreshing, intoxicating, utterly captivating. Charlotte seems to be a hungry glutton, greedily snatching and devouring everything from Countess Castell. "Ahhhhh¡ª¡ª!¡± "No! No! Don''t take away my power! Don''t take away my power!¡± "You... No way, who are you?! Who the hell are you?!¡± Countess Castell screams frantically and struggles incessantly. However, the crimson light seems conscious and keeps imprisoning her to death. When the sacrifice ritual begins, it can never be stopped. "Stop! Please stop!¡± "Demon...! You damn demon!¡± "My lord will not let you go! My lord will never let you go!¡± ...... Gradually the voice of Countess Castell grew quieter and the movements of her struggle became weaker. Finally, after about five minutes of being devoured, she lost her movement completely. Fear permeates the surroundings. The terrifying aura dissipated instantly and with a series of "plopping" sounds, the living corpses of the maids and waiters who were kneeling around the circle fell to the ground one after another. As if they had lost the strength that supported themself, they turned into ordinary rotten corpses. In the circle, the light slowly fades away, revealing Countess Castell that were wrapped in it. She had been reduced to a dehydrated, dried corpse, her shriveled face still retained her horror and confusion. The moonlight outside the skylight is obscured by the clouds again, and the magic circle on the ground is dimmed. In the entire basement, only Charlotte is left alive. The wound on her abdomen has completely gone, not even a single scar remains, only the horrific bloodstains remained. And her expression is still a little intoxicated. That wonderful devouring seems to be addictive, and the girl at this moment actually feels a strong sense of loss and unfulfillment. She felt as if she had taken some powerful tonic, her mind became faster and clearer than ever, and her body seemed to have an inexhaustible amount of energy, as if she could break free from the cross at any moment. ¡®More...¡¯ ¡®I still want more!¡¯ Hunger and thirst which are difficult to describe in words along with strong addiction came to her heart. Charlotte swallows a mouthful of non-existent saliva, forcibly suppressing the throbbing that seemed to come from her body''s instinct. She didn''t like the feeling of being addicted to drugs. Fortunately, the hunger and thirst only lasted for a moment before disappearing. She closes her eyes and lets out a long breath, "Finally... It''s over.¡± At this moment, the locked iron door of the basement is suddenly smashed open. In the stirring dust, four or five knights in black robes, armed with crosses and silver swords rush in. The leader held up a parchment, and his voice was cold and serious. "Countess Castell, we are the knights of the Order of Demon Hunters." "Based on real-name report, we have reason to suspect that you have been contaminated as a bloodborne, and having relation to the bloodborne case in Boulder City during this time, and attempting to sacrifice your granddaughter, Charlotte de Castell, you..." Before he could finish his words, the tragic scene in front of him directly stopped him. A huge blood-colored circle. Hundreds of corpses that have been decomposing for an unknown amount of time. Fallen in the circle, the corpse of a woman who could be vaguely identified as having the identity of a noblewoman, and the beautiful girl on the blood-stained cross, covered in bruises, rags, and looks pitiful... Seeing the stranger who broke into the basement, Charlotte was also slightly stunned. However, she is quick to react. Misty tears instantly surge into her watery eyes, and the girl sobs in a weak, delicate and pitiful voice. ¡°Wuu uuuu uuaaa..." ¡°Painful... It¡¯s so painful..." ¡°Mister Knight...... I''m in so much pain, I''m so scared...." ¡°Woo woo woo ......" "......" Chapter 4: Im a Bloodborne? "How''s she doing?""She is awake and Miss Lottie is feeding her lunch." "How about her wound meow?" "It''s not a simple case, you know, we don''t dare to treat that rashly. Only captain can surely check it." "Kara? That guy is indeed fine, but it''s a pity that she is a little too persistent in chasing Bloodborne, even to the point of being excessive...... Meow.¡± "There is no other way, captain has always been like that... Uh, Your Excellency Nice, with all due respect, can you speak without the meow?¡± "Meow...... Sorry, I''m used to it, ahem, how is she mentally? "She was still dazed a bit, after all, she just experienced such a horrible thing last night. Hey, she''s only fourteen years old." S?a??h the N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "It''s fifteen years old, and yesterday was her birthday." "Hell! What a poor child, I heard that she was the only survivor left in the entire Castell Manor..." ¡°It''s hard to say, there were no offerings that survived in the previous Bloodborne cases." "Didn''t you say that the stupid Bloodborne had drawn the sacrificial circle upside down?" "It''s not that simple, this incident has already alarmed the higher-ups, the high priest and the duke are quite enraged, and the Inquisition is ready to intervene." "Damn! Those madmen in the Inquisition are trying to reach out to our demon hunter jurisdiction!¡± "..." A distinct audible conversation came from outside the door, one hoarse and the other young and respectful. Although the door is closed and the talker deliberately lowers their voice, Charlotte, who is half-lying on the hospital bed, can still hear it clearly. Since last night''s sacrifice ritual, her hearing seems to have undergone a qualitative change, and her sensitivity has long surpassed that of ordinary humans. "So... Do you not know what''s going on either?¡± A gentle inquiry sounded in front of her. It`s a beautiful and dignified woman who spoke. She is dressed in a black robe, her long brown hair is coiled on one side, she holds a wooden bowl full of thick porridge in one hand, and a soup spoon in the other. Priest Lottie. That''s what Charlotte heard from the demon hunters. At the same time, the other party is also the doctor who has been with her since she was transferred from the basement of Castell Manor to the church hospital last night. Meeting Lottie''s soft gaze full of concern, Charlotte steeled her mind. As the ultimate beneficiary of the evil ritual, she certainly knew what had happened last night. But these things should never leave her mouth. "I... I don''t know..." ¡°Grandmother suddenly became a monster...... It happened so suddenly......" "Woo woo woo..." Charlotte lowered her head slightly, her delicate little face was desolate, and her eyes were faintly red, like a frightened kitten. Looking at the pitiful appearance of the girl, Lottie''s heart melted. She sighed, a faint anger flashing in her eyes that were almost overflowing with love, and said hatefully, "Those abominable demonic bloodborne!" Demonic... Bloodborne? Charlotte''s heart flutters. It was the second time she had heard that word. Her being certainly ignorant asked. "Bloodborne?" Lottie''s expression softened, and she patiently explained, "You can understand that they are very evil creatures." "They fear light and holy power, thirst for blood, live by sucking blood, evil, insane and ferocious......" ¡°The monster who wanted to sacrifice your blood last night is a bloodborne." ¡®Thirst for blood?¡¯ ¡®Isn''t this a vampire?¡¯ It''s hard for Charlotte not to associate the other person''s description with certain Western legends from her past life. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "Okay, stop thinking so hardly, let''s eat some porridge." Looking at the girl who fell silent, Lottie sighed softly. She scoops up the porridge, blows it softly, and then slowly brings it to Charlotte. "This is milk porridge, a patient meal from the church hospital, made of cereal, boiled and cooked with milk, eggs, and broth, which is very helpful for your recovery." Lottie sooth with a gentle voice. She seems to enjoy sharing all kinds of knowledge with the young girl. Whenever the girl shows confusion about something. She will patiently explain. Looking at the milk porridge in Lottie''s soup spoon, Charlotte obediently opened her mouth and swallowed it. Now her hands and feet are wrapped in bandages and gauze like a mummy. There is no psychological shadow at all about being fed. It''s just that, compared to the delicious milk porridge, Charlotte feels that the aroma emanating from the beautiful priest big sister in front of her is more attractive to her. It''s not the faint smell in common sense, but more like a tantalizing aroma of delicious food towards a hungry person. Especially when the other party is only one step away from her. That alluring aroma even made Charlotte have an instinctive urge to pounce on the other party, bite through her skin and suck her blood! ¡®Outrageous!¡¯ ¡®Why did she want to suck her blood!¡¯ Charlotte was shocked. It is clear that although she had escaped last night, there had been some unknown mysterious change in her body. This feeling made it difficult for her not to think of what the other party previously said. ¡®The thirst for blood... Could it be ...... I sacrificed the old witch through the ritual, devoured the opponent''s power, and became a bloodborne?!¡¯ "Don''t be afraid, this is the inside of the church of the Holy Royal Court, the most sacred place in Boulder City, and those bloodbornes won`t dare entering." "You`re safe here.¡± Looking at the girl''s pale face and look of bewilderment, Lottie shows pity and gently strokes her little head. Charlotte:... ¡®Wait a minute¡­ If everything really turned out to be as she had guessed, wouldn''t the church hospital not only be unsafe for her but also dangerous?!¡¯ Realizing this, Charlotte instantly feels uncomfortable and everything in the ward seems to be out of place with her. Fortunately, in the eyes of the demon hunters, she is just an unlucky and pitiful little girl now. They didn''t seem to notice the changes in the girl''s body, and Charlotte hoped that the demon knights would never notice the changes in her body. Charlotte shrank slightly, but accidentally touched her wound and couldn''t help but hiss. Lottie''s gaze is even more pitying. She gently and carefully pinches the corner of the quilt for the girl and looks apologetic. "It hurts, doesn''t it?" "Sorry... You''ve gone through the Bloodborne Ritual, so I don''t dare to rush to perform divine healing on you.¡± "But don''t worry, Captain Kara is the strongest demon hunter in the Branch of Boulder City, and she has reached the peak of silver moon the second rank at a young age, and her divine healing skills are quite excellent." ¡°When she returns, I will help her carefully examine your body, Remove the erosion and treat the injury.¡± "Don''t worry, you''ll be healed and discharged from the hospital in a week at most, and there won''t be any traces of scar." Charlotte:.... She was depressed. The changes that had taken place in her body made her feel that she could not handle the scrutiny. She also didn''t know what kind of chemistry the so-called "divine healing technique" would have when facing the Bloodborne. In particular, the other party is still a demon hunter with the moniker of "the strongest"! Religion is often accompanied by fanaticism, not to mention that her current verdict is likely to be evil. And the end of evil is... Charlotte doesn''t dare to gamble. She has to save herself, prevent any physical examination and find a way to get out of here. And... She shouldn¡¯t be doubted. It''s hard to get out of here. The same is true for preventing physical examinations. Then, the only thing she can do is to find a way to hide the changes in her body. To do this, she first had to figure out how the so-called "physical examination" is done. "Physical examination... physical examination¡­ physical?¡± Charlotte''s beautiful blue eyes widened. She tilts her head slightly and appropriately makes a blank expression. After a short time together, she has already discovered that as long as she shows such an ignorant and stupid expression, the priest lady would begin to explain patiently. She needs this explanation to get more information from the opponent. Sure enough, Lottie smiled and said, "The so-called physical examination is actually a kind of divine ritual." "It is the power of God that examines your body, there are no after-effects, and it does not invade your privacy." "Of course, in order to learn more about this Bloodborne case, the Church may ask you some details about last night." Chapter 5: Gospel of Blood After feeding Charlotte lunch, Lottie left. As a priestess at the church hospital, she was always busy. The ward was now empty except for Charlotte. But her keen perception told her that there was a demon hunter standing outside the door. That strong presence was even greater than the pressure her grandmother had given her last night.Obviously, although the demon hunters rescued Charlotte, the only survivor, from the cross last night, they still didn''t trust her. The demon hunter outside the door was both a protector and an observer. Even though she had successfully escaped the blood sacrifice from her "grandmother" last night, the girl''s survival was still not completely assured. However, after listening to the explanation from Priest Lottie just now, Charlotte fell into contemplation. "Divine...ritual?" Divine ritual. This was the second time Charlotte encountered this term. The first time was during the blood sacrifice. She clearly remembered that the ancient characters that appeared in her vision referred to the blood sacrifice as a divine ritual. Not only that, she successfully intercepted and modified the sacrificial ritual. In the end, Charlotte was able to survive thanks to that sudden and magical ability. This also led her to wonder... The blood sacrifice was a divine ritual, and the body inspection at the Demon Hunting Hall was also a divine ritual. Then...was it possible for her to "intercept" the upcoming body inspection just like she did in the basement last night? This thought made Charlotte''s heart pound. She seemed to see a glimmer of hope! That mysterious ability might be her "cheat" after transmigrating. However, she was still not clear about what this "cheat" was and how to activate it. But she remembered the name mentioned in those strange characters. The item that detected the blood sacrifice and successfully intercepted it... Or more accurately, the blood-red book that appeared beside her when she entered that strange state last night. A sense of excitement originating from her heart... Charlotte almost blurted out. "Gospel of Blood." With ups and downs in her pronunciation, it sounded strange. It wasn''t a language from the other world that Charlotte inherited after transmigrating. It was even more alien and ancient, but it seemed to come out instinctively from her mouth. As Charlotte silently recited, her vision turned crimson once again. In the depths of her mind, a simple book slowly emerged... With its black-red cover edged in gold, adorned with intricate and mysterious thorn rose patterns, the ancient and mysterious script depicted the name that Charlotte could understand the meaning of¡ª "Gospel of Blood" The Gospel of Blood! S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte''s spirits lifted. The book that appeared in her mind was the same one that had appeared beside her in that strange state last night! As the Gospel of Blood shone brightly, its heavy cover opened by itself. Unlike its heavy appearance, the Gospel of Blood seemed to have been torn and divided, with most of its content lost. Behind the cover, there were only two sporadic blood-red pages left, which seemed very familiar to Charlotte... Wait, weren''t these pages the same blood-colored pages that the old hag held during the sacrifice? Charlotte''s heart skipped a beat. Countess Castell was dead, and the blood-colored pages in her hands were probably taken away by the demon hunters a long time ago. Even though Charlotte was curious and surprised, there was currently no way for her to investigate. She quickly focused her attention on the remaining two pages of the Gospel of Blood. One page should be the title page, and the other should be the content page. The title page was still intact, with an illustration of a towering castle that seemed to have come to life, making Charlotte feel a bit familiar. Below it, two lines of beautiful golden letters were particularly eye-catching. "I stand amid the darkness, looking up at the light that belongs to you. - Lilith" Charlotte couldn''t help but silently recite it in her heart. The crimson light suddenly burst forth, and Charlotte felt as if she had established some mysterious connection with the book. Under the light, the title page turned over on its own. The golden light kept flickering, and new words slowly appeared on the back of the title page¡ª [Gospel of Blood ¡¤ Genesis Chapter] [I dream of ancient epochs and distant memories,] [I narrate lost myths and primordial ancestors,] [I chant the songs of bloodbornes and the dawn before darkness...] [Genesis Ability Unlocked¡ª] [Master of the Gospel (Activated), Blood Summoning (Cooldown 0%), True Ancestor Liberation (Sealed)] [Master of the Gospel: Charlotte de Castell] [Symbol: Thorn Rose] [Race: Bloodborne] [Clan and Bloodline: Shedit (Clan of Darkness), Half-Elf] We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now [Transcendent Rank: Blood Acolyte (Apprentice Rank)] [Blood Resonance: Darkness (Entry), Wild (Unmastered), Flesh (Unmastered), Spirit (Unmastered), Insight (Unmastered)] [Darkness: Novice Blood Embrace (Blood Spirit Arts)] [Wild: None] [Flesh: None] [Spirit: None] [Insight: None] [Blood Descendants: Zero] ... Bloodborne... she really was a Bloodborne! Looking at the information in front of her, Charlotte felt both delighted and worried. She was delighted that in this extraordinary world with extraordinary powers, she had indeed stepped into the realm of the extraordinary. But she was worried because this identity was definitely something that couldn''t see the light of day. Charlotte couldn''t understand many of the things that appeared, but she could roughly determine that it was somewhat similar to a personal panel in a system. "Blood Summoning? TrueAncestor Liberation? Are these abilities of the Gospel of Blood? One is in cooldown, and the other is still sealed?" "Shedit, Clan of Darkness, is this the division of Bloodborne clans? But what in the world is a half-elf bloodline?" "Apprentice Rank... Last night, I seized the power of Countess Castell, and what I gained should be the extraordinary power at her level, but it feels a bit weaker than hers." "Five Blood Resonances should be different directions of development for Bloodborne." Charlotte quickly browsed through the information, analyzing her current status. She soon focused her attention on the one power she possessed. "Novice Blood Embrace." As her focus intensified, information about Blood Embrace appeared in Charlotte''s consciousness. Blood Embrace. An inherent ability of Bloodborne, a basic technique of Blood Spirit Arts. Practitioners could create blood descendants through the Embrace, transforming targets into Blood Thralls or lower-ranking Bloodborne. "Unfortunately, while this information and ability might be useful in the future, they''re not helpful in solving my current crisis." "What I need right now isn''t this, but the magical ability to intercept divine rituals like I did last night!" Charlotte shook her head slowly, withdrawing her gaze from the title page, and looked at the only remaining content page. The content page was blank, with nothing written on it. However, when Charlotte focused her attention, golden letters quickly appeared on it¡ª [Gospel of Blood ¡¤ Divine Chapter (Damaged)] [I shall be unstoppable,] [I shall be dominant,] [I shall look down on all living beings!] [Divine Chapter Ability Unlocked¡ª] [Divine Ritual Counter (Activated)] [Divine Ritual Counter: As the supreme artifact of Bloodborne, the Gospel of Blood has the ability to detect divine rituals within a certain range passively. It can actively intercept and modify divine rituals of lower levels, but the modification must adhere to the inherent mechanism of the ritual and cannot change its nature or function.] "This is it!" Seeing this description, Charlotte''s eyes lit up. Just at that moment, a gentle knock on the door suddenly interrupted the girl''s exploration. Accompanying the knocking was the gentle voice of Priest Lottie. "Miss Charlotte, Captain Kara has returned. May we come in?" Chapter 6: The Churchs Questioning Charlotte didn''t have a good enough reason to stop the other party from coming in. Even if she did, it would only delay things temporarily, adding suspicion without any other utility. She quickly snapped out of that strange state, repositioning herself on the hospital bed. Pretending to be weak, she said,"Cough... Please come in." The door was gently pushed open, and the figure of the priest Lottie reappeared. Behind her, followed by seven or eight people, making the already not very spacious ward even more crowded. Charlotte''s gaze slowly swept over these visitors, easily determining that they should belong to three different factions. The two people at the front were dressed the same as those who rushed into the basement last night, a man and a woman, presumably the so-called demon hunters. The attire of the two people behind them was the same as Lottie''s, with the holy court''s ring cross emblem on it, presumably also priests from the church hospital. The last few people at the back were much more gorgeously dressed, obviously nobles. The leading figure was quite fat, and Charlotte even felt a sense of familiarity, presumably someone she knew from her original memories, followed by a young noble swordsman. Quickly analyzing the situation, Charlotte''s gaze soon fell on the female demon hunter following Lottie. She was a tall woman with shoulder-length black hair tied up in a neat high ponytail. A terrifying scar diagonally crossed her cheek, destroying the beauty she should have had, and making her look extremely ferocious and terrifying. She had no expression on her face, her demeanor was cold, and everyone except Lottie lagged behind her, with several nobles occasionally casting awe and fear-filled glances at her. Especially the young noble swordsman among them, who had the most imposing aura and obvious strength, his serious gaze never leaving the female knight. However, strangely, Charlotte didn''t feel any pressure from the female knight. Charlotte became even more nervous in an instant. Unable to be sensed, yet feared by someone stronger than her... This only indicated that the strength of this female knight had reached a level beyond her reach! "Miss Charlotte, this is Captain Kara, a Demon Hunter of the second-tier Silver Moon realm, and also the most promising extraordinary person in the Boulder Principality to enter the third-tier, the Blazing Sun realm in a few years," Lottie said gently. Charlotte was not surprised. She had already guessed the identity of the female knight. Suppressing her vigilance and tension, Charlotte made a pitiful appearance. She shrank into the small blanket, her innocent big eyes inadvertently meeting Captain Kara''s. Time seemed to stop at that moment. Those were a pair of eyes as cold as icebergs, tinged with a faint silver light. Clear, deep, like a bottomless abyss, yet also like a sword that could penetrate everything, carrying scrutiny and exploration... Just with one glance, Charlotte felt as if she had been stripped naked as if everything about her had been seen through. The female knight''s eyes flashed, and Charlotte felt her image elevated infinitely in her field of vision, surrounded by towering blood seas and desolate bones, as if substantial evil spirits were rushing towards her. She felt as if she were a small boat facing a storm, or a rabbit being stared at by a cheetah on the vast grassland, about to be destroyed and torn apart by an irresistible force at any moment. How many people has she killed?! Charlotte was horrified. "Kara, you scared her! She''s not an interrogation subject, she''s a victim, a patient of our hospital!" An old voice rang out, with a hint of helplessness. The speaker was one of the two church priests who followed closely behind, quite old and seemingly of high rank. The female knight paused for a moment, retracting her gaze. Only then did Charlotte break free from that terrifying sense of oppression. Her chest heaved violently, and her vigilance against the female knight reached the highest level ever. This is definitely a "god of death"! "I''m sorry, Miss Charlotte, Kara has been working at the demon-hunting agency for years, accustomed to killing and interrogating, which frightened you," the old priest said apologetically. "This is our Dean Raoul, also a second-tier Silver Moon." Lottie quickly introduced him to Charlotte. Second-tier Silver Moon... Third-tier Blazing Sun... Is this the division of extraordinary powers? What am I now? An apprentice? Zeroth-tier? Charlotte''s mind stirred. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Raoul was a kind old man. His white hair and beard, holding a divine staff, exuded a sacred aura all over his body, making Charlotte subconsciously associate him with the white-robed wizard Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings. He took a step forward, stood beside the female knight, first placed his right hand on his chest in the shape of a ring cross, devoutly reciting a sentence of "Praise the Lord", and then gently comforted. "Miss Charlotte, I am Dean Raoul, the Dean of the Boulder Church Hospital under the Holy Court. I know that everything you experienced last night must have been frightening and painful, but for your safety, before Kara conducts a body examination, the church still needs to ask you some details." After speaking, he whispered a few words to the priest beside him, and the priest turned around and gestured for the nobles behind to leave. The faces of the nobles instantly didn''t look very good. The leading fat noble frowned: S?a??h the N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "Dean Raoul, this incident involves the nobles of the principality, and we represent the Duke''s Mansion. We have the right to know about this matter." Dean Raoul rubbed his temples with a headache, looking at the female knight with difficulty. The female knight Kara didn''t look back, but her cold and calm voice was unquestionable. "Irrelevant people, leave." Brief, indifferent. The nobles didn''t move. But Kara glanced at them indifferently. She didn''t repeat what she had said, but the unquestionable flavor had once again been poured into her cold gaze and the slightly raised silver sword. Seeing the gleaming silver sword, the nobles all changed color. The young swordsman also looked startled. He frowned, about to say something, but was stopped by the leading fat noble. "Alright, we''ll listen to Lady Kara." The fat noble smiled awkwardly, then frantically signaled to the people around him, forcibly pulling the young swordsman away. Before leaving, he even threw a friendly and brilliant smile at Charlotte. With the nobles gone, only a few church priests and demon hunters remained in the ward. Priest Lottie breathed a sigh of relief. However, the captain''s gaze quickly fell on her and the remaining priests and demon hunters. Lottie:... "Captain Kara, Dean, we''ll leave first." She understood the other party''s meaning in seconds, smiled bitterly, and left the ward with the remaining priests and demon hunters. In front of Charlotte''s bed, only Captain Kara and Dean Raoul remained. This was a strange combination. The nobles obviously feared Kara a lot but seemed somewhat disdainful of Dean Raoul. However, the female knight seemed to respect the old priest very much. There were fewer people. But Charlotte felt the atmosphere become even heavier. Dean Raoul cleared his throat, breaking the inexplicably heavy atmosphere. Then, he looked at Charlotte and smiled, saying, "Miss Charlotte, now it''s just me and Kara." "Please relax, we''re just going to ask some simple questions. It''s okay if you can''t answer, but please don''t remain silent, and don''t lie..." Charlotte peeked her head out from the blanket, like a little animal, nodding gently. That appearance, as if after being frightened, she was trying to act calm and composed like an adult. She must calm down. The more crucial the moment, the less she could reveal her flaws. However, just as Charlotte was mentally prepared. The question from the old priest made her heart tighten again. "Miss Charlotte... How did the wound on your abdomen heal?" Chapter 7: Body Examination Dean Raoul''s voice was gentle and soothing. Charlotte, however, felt increasingly nervous.Ever since being rescued, she had harbored a doubt in her heart. That doubt was the fatal wound that had once pierced her abdomen. The wound had healed during the sacrifice, but the bloodstains and visceral fragments scattered on the ground during her injury were unmistakable. S?a??h the n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. There were too many clues to reconstruct the scene. A failed sacrifice, yet the sacrificial victim, fatally wounded, had survived¡ªthat was the biggest problem. From last night until now, Charlotte had been pondering how to handle it. And in her mind, she had already formulated a corresponding rhetoric. Thinking of this, the girl took a deep breath, preparing to speak. However, when she looked up, she suddenly felt a chill in her heart. Beside Dean Raoul, the female knight still looked at her calmly. Her gaze was as indifferent and icy as ever. Under the gaze, Charlotte, who was about to explain, had a feeling of being enveloped in surveillance. No. Rather, it wasn''t a feeling. It was a kind of intuition. And she believed in this intuition. Especially after becoming a member of the Bloodborne, her intuition seemed to have been greatly enhanced. In the depths of her mind, Charlotte had a premonition... In the forthcoming speech, she must avoid telling lies! Thinking of this, Charlotte squeezed the wound in her palm hard, and the intense pain immediately activated her tear glands. A mist spread over Charlotte''s eyes, and she turned into that pitiful little cutie again. "Monsters... I saw many, many monsters..." "Grandma tied me up. She said she was going to sacrifice me to the Bloodborne Demon Archduke..." "She turned into a monster... such a terrifying monster... sob, sob, sob..." As she spoke, tears as big as pearls scattered like beads, pitiful and touching. Even Charlotte herself was surprised at how easily this body could cry. It had its power. The expressionless female knight remained silent, while Dean Raoul''s expression softened visibly. "And... what about the wound on your body?" The old priest asked again, his voice very soft. "I... I heard her begging for mercy, and then... and then she died!" "But my injuries healed..." Charlotte huddled under the blanket, her face full of horror and confusion while saying that. Any explanation or lie had its loopholes. The real rhetoric was to tell the truth but leave the other party without answers and unable to find fault. After waking up, Charlotte had been thinking about how to clear herself of suspicion in the death of Countess Castell. But later, she figured it out. Since she could still lie here as a patient, it meant she was temporarily safe. If her guess was correct, there might be some unknown reason interfering with these people''s judgment. Apart from the healed wound, these people probably had no evidence pointing to her as the one responsible for the changes in last night''s sacrifice. At most, there were suspicions. Otherwise, they wouldn''t be here asking her questions. In this situation, the more one said, the more mistakes one made. It was better to speak some ambiguous truths, and she didn''t need to find reasons to explain. After all, she was just a weak, pitiful, helpless, and young victim. What could a frightened little girl remember? Dean Raoul pondered. He glanced at Captain Kara on the other side. "The truth." The female knight crossed her arms and said lightly. Damn it! She really could distinguish between truth and falsehood! Charlotte felt a mix of relief and wariness. The old priest nodded. "Alright, I''ve finished questioning. Kara, start the body examination and treatment." The highlight is coming! Charlotte''s heart tensed. She raised her head and looked quietly at the female knight. Her heart, however, raced uncontrollably. Could the countermeasure against divine magic succeed? Would there be any signs after triggering it? Would intercepting the divine ritual alert the other party? Would she be burned by divine light? She didn''t have answers to these questions... But now, she could only focus her energy on the Gospel of Blood in her consciousness. Captain Kara came to Charlotte''s side. One of her hands rested on Charlotte''s head, while the other gripped the hilt of her sword. This was an extremely cautious demon hunter. Even now, she was ready to fight at any moment. Even in front of a delicate and beautiful, pitiful young girl. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Charlotte held her breath, heightened her vigilance, and looked at the calloused and scarred palm. And Kara''s gaze instantly became sharp, her dignified and cold voice resounding. "Sacred... Fire!" The sacred light flourished, blooming in the female knight''s palm, quickly turning into golden flames, enveloping Charlotte. Charlotte felt as if burning oil had been poured on her, an unprecedented pain erupted in both her physical and spiritual dimensions. Bloody hell! It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts! Even though she was mentally prepared, Charlotte couldn''t help but reveal a painful expression, almost jumping off the bed. In an instant, Dean Raoul''s face changed, and Kara''s eyes turned cold as she drew her silver sword. This is bad! Charlotte''s heart sank. However, just when she thought she was going to face a game over, the familiar crimson light finally burst forth before her eyes, and the ancient and strange characters slowly appeared: ["Gospel of Blood" detects an ongoing divine ritual¡ª] [Spell Name: Sacred Fire] [Caster: Kara Duval] [Recipient: Charlotte de Castell] [Ritual Effect: The Sacred Fire of Lord Harald, capable of burning all entities marked as evil by the Holy Court to ashes; when the Sacred Fire acts on other entities, especially on the bodies of sacred believers, it will stimulate the target''s physical potential, resulting in excellent healing effects.] [Interception Probability Judgment: 90%] [Proceed with interception?] Finally, it''s here! Charlotte was both surprised and delighted. "Intercept!" Ignoring the 10% failure rate, she shouted in her heart without hesitation. Charlotte''s luck wasn''t bad. The moment she made the decision, the Bloodline Scripture in her consciousness suddenly radiated a crimson light. Charlotte felt as if an invisible protective film had appeared on the surface of her body. Although she still felt hot and uncomfortable, the burning pain disappeared. [Divine Fire successfully intercepted] [Proceed to terminate or modify the ritual?] "Modify! Modify the ritual judgment! Judge the recipient as not evil! Instead, a devout believer of the Holy Court!" Charlotte commanded in her heart. Successfully intercepting the divine magic ritual was a big step towards victory. But it wasn''t enough. Since she was going to be investigated, she wanted to take this opportunity to completely clear herself of suspicion, especially the suspicion of being a member of the Bloodline. And the best way to do that was to let the Church personnel handle it personally. Ask yourself, what identity would make the Church feel more at ease than a devout believer of the Holy Court? With Charlotte''s command, the Gospel of Blood in her consciousness once again shone brightly, and its hidden rhythm acted on her body. In Charlotte''s perception, the Sacred Fire enveloping her suddenly underwent a miraculous change. It was still "fire". But in Charlotte''s perception, it was no longer scorching hot, but gentle like a breeze. It was like the sunlight in spring shining on her body. Charlotte felt a warm power surging into her body, stimulating her physical potential and repairing her injuries. At the same time, Charlotte also noticed that the Gospel in her consciousness emitted a faint halo, seemingly absorbing the power of the Sacred Fire. The scripture opened on its own, and the golden characters on it flickered slightly. And on the opposite side of the title page, the "Blood Summoning" section, the "Cooldown" rate, was no longer a gray 0%, but slowly increasing... 1%, 2%, 3%... Charlotte''s spirits lifted. She never expected that after modifying the judgment of the Sacred Fire, this divine magic could still energize her scripture! Excitement spread. She was not afraid anymore but hoped that the other party''s divine magic would last longer, so she could absorb more wool to replenish her scripture... The joyful and enjoyable expression didn''t need to be hidden. Moreover, Charlotte deliberately acted more exaggeratedly, showing a fanatical and devout appearance, pushing the boat along and praising the Sacred fervently. Seriously, Oscar really owed her a little golden man. Seeing the radiant Sacred Fire enveloping Charlotte and the girl''s excited and fanatical expression, Dean Raoul''s expression gradually relaxed, and Captain Kara quietly put down the silver sword she had raised. Charlotte knew she had passed the test. Chapter 8: Mysterious Symbol "Your dark corruption has been purified, but your injuries have not fully healed yet. You need to rest quietly for the next steps.""Although the treatment effect of Sacred Fire is good, you are still young and should not rely on it too much, as it will consume your body''s potential." "For the next few days, you can eat more meat products to replenish your nutrition." "If necessary, you can ask Lottie to perform Sacred Healing to accelerate the healing of your wounds." "Lottie is my student, and her Sacred Healing skills are superb. Although not as good as Kara''s, they are much gentler." "Oh, by the way, Miss Charlotte, have you heard of Sacred Healing?" The physical examination ended, and Dean Raoul stood kindly by the bedside, chatting with Charlotte incessantly. At first, he advised on dietary and treatment matters during the wound recovery period. But as he talked about Sacred Healing, it seemed like he opened some kind of wonderful switch, becoming a chatterbox like a machine gun, incessantly talking about various divine medical techniques to treat injuries. From discussing the efficacy of Sacred Healing to its origins, then from its origins to the developers of divine magic. From the developers of divine magic to the history of the Holy Court, and from the history of the Holy Court to the customs of the continent... s?a??h th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. At this moment, Charlotte somewhat understood why Lottie, who took care of her, liked to educate and chat so much. It turned out to be passed down from master to disciple. Raoul kept talking. Charlotte listened obediently. Sometimes, she even made a curious baby-like expression, skillfully acting cute while fishing for information. She also hoped to learn more about the common knowledge of this world. After all, her original memories about this aspect were completely blank. This world was not ordinary at all. During the three days since she transmigrated, Charlotte felt enlightened because her original grandmother had never taught her this common knowledge, only some noble etiquette. Oh, wait. Noble etiquette was also taught by the steward. She hadn''t turned into a zombie back then. Speaking of which, this world is called Myria, a world with gods and extraordinary beings. The gods protect all living beings, forming beliefs and differentiating into various churches. The extraordinary beings rule the world, establishing countries for the powerful and the noble. Charlotte was in a feudal kingdom called the Crescent Kingdom in the western part of the continent. The title she was to inherit was the Countess of Castell, and her lord was Duke Boulder of the Kingdom''s Nine Dukes. By the way, in history, the Crescent Kingdom was once subverted by the Bloodborne, so the entire kingdom, from top to bottom, was very vigilant against the Bloodborne. The nobles control the extraordinary power, firm and deeply rooted in people''s hearts, but they also have to yield to faith. The Gods are the masters of all things, and faith is the foundation of everything. The power of the extraordinary comes from the Gods, and the power of kingship is also blessed by the Gods, all glory belongs to the Gods. The Holy Court is the largest church force in the world of Myria, a multi-god faith centered around the Lord Harald, the Creator God. Charlotte listened attentively to Dean Raoul''s education. This knowledge was essential for her to quickly familiarize herself with this world. However, she did not fully accept all the knowledge that the old priest talked about. Dean Raoul always kept mentioning Lord Harald, obviously having his own biases. Although there were indeed gods in this world, having studied the history of Earth, Charlotte knew what kind of goods religions were, and the words of this old priest were definitely beautified. But it didn''t matter, Charlotte only needed to get a general idea. What Dean Raoul talked about was much richer than the memories she inherited. It even made Charlotte somewhat doubt whether the original owner had been kept as a canary in the manor all these years... She didn''t even know about the currency units! When she heard something interesting, Charlotte even took the initiative to ask some deeper questions, making Dean Raoul''s eyes light up, and his enthusiasm increased even more. The old priest enthusiastically educated, gradually shifting the topic to the doctrine of the Holy Court. It was different when he began talking about doctrine. At this moment, Dean Raoul seemed to transform into an old scholar reciting scriptures. Although he looked enthusiastic and excited, the content he spoke of became boring and sleepy, making people want to doze off. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now It''s not that he didn''t speak well. It''s just that for Charlotte, who had a preconceived notion and was an absolute atheist, it was like talking to a brick wall. Charlotte felt dizzy listening, completely losing her previous interest. But she still had to pull herself together and listen attentively, showing a respectful and fanatical expression. There was no other way. After all, she had just modified the ritual to designate herself as a devout believer of the Holy Court. This was a really painful process. She felt like she was the Monkey King with a tight headband around her head. The kind-looking old priest in front of her slowly overlapped with Master Sanzang in movies and TV shows. The tall priest''s hat was the Five Tathagatas, his priestly robe was the kasaya, and the priest''s staff in his hand was the Zen stick... It''s really... too alike! Charlotte felt drowsy listening, but the old priest became more and more enthusiastic. He became more and more excited as he spoke, and finally, he even grabbed Charlotte''s hand and started preaching on the spot, asking if Charlotte had any interest in joining the church and becoming a probationary priest... "How about it? Miss Charlotte, your faith is so devout, I can serve as your introducer and recommend you to enter the church school for further study." Charlotte instantly woke up. Listening to the doctrine was okay. But if she really became a priest, that would be too stimulating. A weak and helpless newborn bloodborne believing in a god-centered religion aiming to eradicate evil? Isn''t this seeking death? Although for a moment she was also a little tempted, after all, after joining the church, she would have the opportunity to continue to leech energy during the ritual... But Charlotte remained relatively calm. The power of Divine Ritual Counter had its limits. Deceiving a divine ritual and becoming a priest were not the same thing. Charlotte could deceive the Sacred Fire, but she couldn''t use the Sacred Fire. If she really joined the church, she might be exposed in front of more powerful priests! Moreover, becoming a priest might also bring disputes over her inheritance rights to the territory. The risks... were too great. However, directly refusing seemed to contradict the devout believer persona that Charlotte had just established. Charlotte was caught in a dilemma. "Raoul, it''s time to go." The female knight glanced coldly at the old priest. Her cold and indifferent voice, at this moment, sounded so pleasant to Charlotte''s ears. Dean Raoul was slightly stunned, only then realizing that he had gotten a little carried away. "Sorry, ahem, I got a little carried away." His old face turned red, and he cleared his throat, returning to the dignified appearance of a respected elder, kindly saying: "Miss Charlotte, thank you very much for your cooperation. Please rest well, and please consider my proposal." "May the Lord be with you, and I wish you a speedy recovery and discharge from the hospital." After saying that, he drew a cross on his chest, and together with the female knight, turned to leave. However, just as he took a step, he stopped again. "Oh, right, there''s one more thing." Dean Raoul slapped his forehead. He took out a piece of parchment from his pocket and unfolded it in front of Charlotte, solemnly asking. "Miss Charlotte, have you seen this symbol before?" Charlotte''s heart tightened when she looked over. On the parchment, there was the thorn rose pattern she imagined last night when intercepting the sacrifice. Chapter 9: Charlottes Weapon Do they know about this pattern?! Could it be that they have discovered something...A chill ran through Charlotte''s heart. The gaze of Knight Commander Kara fell on Charlotte once again, shimmering faintly with silver. Charlotte knew that she still couldn''t lie next. Fortunately, she had anticipated this situation. The young girl took a deep breath, and tilted her head slightly, her golden bangs lifting to reveal a slightly innocent and silly expression. "Huh? This pattern seems familiar, let me think about it..." "Hmm?" Dean Raoul''s gaze slightly intensified, becoming more solemn. "Um... Oh! I remember now! I''ve seen it!" Charlotte slapped her head, feigning realization. "When? Where?" Dean Raoul asked. His voice was urgent and serious, and even Kara''s gaze was fixed firmly on the girl. Charlotte became more certain that they had definitely discovered something, but they probably hadn''t suspected her yet. She sweetly smiled, revealing a pair of charming dimples, her clear blue eyes innocent as she said: "It was a long time ago, we have many patterns like this in our estate, a lot of the decorations on the furniture are like this." "Hehehe, my bed canopy is like this too, I quite like it, haha!" What she said was true. Raoul: ... Kara: ... The old priest''s expression was slightly unnatural, as if the anger he had just raised was stuck in his chest. However, soon, he seemed to think of something, and his expression changed slightly again, gradually becoming solemn. He once again placed his right hand over his chest in a cross and bowed slightly. "Miss Charlotte, thank you very much for the information you provided." "If you remember any more relevant information, please inform me through Lottie as soon as possible." Seeing his solemn expression, Charlotte''s heart stirred. She skillfully put on the harmless curious baby expression, slightly twisting her body, and coquettishly asked. "Grandpa Raoul, is there something wrong with this pattern?" With her cute big eyes and sweet voice, coupled with a hint of coquettishness, her charm was irresistible. Not to mention just Charlotte''s delicate and lovely doll-like appearance was enough to melt anyone. "Gran... grandpa..." The old priest felt as if he had been shocked, unable to help but shiver, his mind filled only with the sweet voice and large innocent eyes of the girl. Facing the cute little face and the innocent trusting gaze of the girl, he felt it was difficult, as an elder, to lie to such an adorable junior. After all, who could resist the closeness and trust of a little cutie? Listen carefully! She called him Grandpa! The old priest''s expression softened almost instantly, like an old chrysanthemum that had been blooming for many years, even his aged cheeks seemed to flush red. Such an obvious change even surprised Charlotte, the instigator. Wow. So... she could be very lethal to Grandpa if she seriously sold her cuteness? Charlotte felt like she had discovered a new world... "Cough." The female knight coughed lightly, instantly waking Raoul up. Dean Raoul immediately felt embarrassed. He slightly made his expression solemn, reverting back to the sacred appearance of a priest, and said gently and seriously. "Charlotte, this pattern... is very dangerous. In the future, you must forget about it, never draw it, understand?" Even the old priest himself didn''t notice that he had already stopped addressing her as Miss, instead calling her by her name directly. And his tone, even gentler. "Mm-hmm, I understand, I''ll be good! Grandpa Raoul~" Charlotte nodded obediently, looking quite adorable. She had gradually immersed herself in the role, and even her cute act was becoming more and more skilled. The old priest couldn''t help but shiver, not from being cheesy, but rather from being pleased. However, as a priest, he didn''t want to lose his composure. After entrusting the girl with some instructions, he quickly bid farewell to the female knight and left, looking a bit like he was fleeing. This time, they really left. ... "If I had a granddaughter, she would be about her age now, wouldn''t she?" Leaving the patient room, Dean Raoul''s expression still carried a hint of reminiscence. "Did you hear that? Just now she called me Grandpa! She''s so adorable." He seemed to be talking to himself, but it also seemed like he was speaking to the female knight beside him, his expression full of emotion. However, the female knight remained silent as ever. Dean Raoul quickly becomes bored. "Kara, this is something you''re not good at, always so serious and quiet." He shook his head slightly, slowly retracting his smile. His expression gradually became serious. "Things... might be a bit troublesome..." ... Boulder Church Hospital, Office of the Priest. A group of hospital priests and demon hunter knights gathered around a table, listening intently to a story. "Meow! You guys have no idea how shocking it was at the time!" "After seeing those undead, it really scared the shit out of me. That wealthy Castell Manor turned out to be a den of demons!" "And those undead seemed to have been transformed for a long time, quite well-hidden indeed!" "A Bloodborne that''s weaker than first-tier could transform so many undead, it can only be said... it''s truly the works of the Cursed Tome!" We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "If it weren''t for this cat body able to run fast, I would have gone to meet the chief God already!" "Hehehe, but... the little one from the Castell family is quite cute, indeed worthy of the legendary beautiful family. This self was almost smitten, no wonder she was hidden by that Bloodborne for so many years!" The one telling the story was a black cat, with a hoarse voice, its human-like face showed a bit of smugness, like an uncle that likes to boast. Its body was extremely fat, sitting on the table, at first glance, it looked like a pig disguised as a cat. When Dean Raoul and Demon Hunter Captain Kara entered, this was the scene they saw. The female knight frowned slightly. Dean Raoul also looked helpless. He cleared his throat a few times, and the priests and demon hunters turned back instinctively, then quickly saluted and stepped aside, making way for the two. "Lord Raoul, Lady Kara!" Seeing Raoul and Kara, the black cat perked up. It twisted its fat body and jumped down, walking in front of the two, somewhat cutely. "Meow, is it over? How was it?" Kara''s gaze swept over Lottie and the others. The priests and demon hunters immediately understood and left one after another. "She hasn''t been contaminated, although her body has some dark erosion, it has been purified by Kara." Dean Raoul closed the door and said. "Meow? That''s strange, this cat hasn''t heard of anyone who has accepted the power of the Bloodborne and hasn''t been contaminated, let alone she''s the sacrifice." The black cat raised its back legs and to scratch his head, somewhat puzzled. But because it was too fat, even if it raised its legs, it couldn''t reach its body, completely scratching in vain, looking extremely comical. "Kara has carefully examined the sacrificial array. Charlotte is not a sacrifice, the sacrifice is Countess Castell." "Also, Nice, you need to lose weight." Dean Raoul shook his head. "Lose weight? Oh, no! This cat''s figure is obviously healthy! Many young girls like it!" The black cat patted its almost-touching-the-ground belly, looking dissatisfied. After speaking, it licked its paw, somewhat puzzled, and said. "It''s strange, this cat knows about sacrificial formation, even if Charlotte isn''t a sacrifice, as the core of the array, the blood cross is still the key to activating the sacrifice, and she''s the medium." "Raoul, you know, the activation of bloodline sacrifices means the death of the medium." "This is why Kara and I need to personally investigate. She survived, it''s probably because some entity saved her, and we need to find out what that is." Dean Raoul and Kara exchanged glances and said. "Some... entity? So you mean, you''ve already determined that the sacrificial formation was not set up by that stupid Bloodborne who mixed up the sacrificer and the sacrifice?" The black cat suddenly became interested, its tail gently tapping the ground. "This is the question I''m going to address next, Nice. I have something I need you to look at." Dean Raoul said solemnly. Saying that, he took out the parchment he had just shown Charlotte from his pocket and placed it in front of the black cat. "What is this..." Seeing the thorn rose pattern on the parchment, it was somewhat puzzled. "This is the imprint of the sacrificial mark that Kara copied from the sacrificial formation." S?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Dean Raoul said. "Sacrificial mark?! Damn! Raoul, do you know what you''re talking about? This is a symbol! A SYMBOL!" The black cat jumped up instantly. "To be able to incorporate the sacrificer''s mark as part of the sacrificial formation, it must use the blood and true name of the sacrificer! and only Gods can use ''symbol'' as the mark of the formation!" "In this world, who would dare to use the symbol of a God as the mark of the sacrificer? Letting Gods be the sacrificer? That is disrespectful and blasphemous to the Gods!" "Gods will not allow such formation to operate!" "Do you mean to say that last night it was some God personally presiding over the blood sacrifice?! I think you''re crazy!" Dean Raoul fell silent. The black cat suddenly had a bad feeling. "Wait... what''s with that expression of yours..." Dean Raoul sighed. "Kara, bring out the copy of the sacrificial target from last night." Kara nodded slightly and took out the second parchment from her pocket, placing it in front of the black cat. The black cat cautiously unfolded the parchment, then its amber eyes widened instantly. Only to see the parchment, depicting the same thorn rose symbol as the sacrificer from earlier. "Nice..." Dean Raoul spoke again. His expression became unusually serious, his voice incredibly solemn. "Do you know why this Bloodborne case alarmed the Grand Archbishop and the Duke so quickly?" "Why? Isn''t it because the Castell family is too famous? They''re so wealthy, generation after generation of renowned beauties in the kingdom, and they''re even a branch of the Boulder family..." "No..." Dean Raoul shook his head. "Because the God Bell of Boulder Church''s Town rang." "Last night, an Evil God... was resurrected." Chapter 10: Resurrected Evil God Outside the window, the sun hung high. But inside the office, Nice felt a chill in his hands and feet, shivering all over. His fur stood slightly on end as his hoarse voice trembled a bit."An Evil God? Damn! So... are you saying that last night''s sacrifice awakened an Evil God?" Dean Raoul nodded. "More accurately, it''s very likely that Lady Castell had contacted something before the sacrifice, drawing the attention of certain entities." He exchanged a glance with the female knight, their expressions turned serious. "The conversation with the young lady from the Castell family just now confirmed this. Similar symbols have long appeared in Castell Manor." "Meow... forgive me for being blunt, are you sure this is true? To me, this pattern looks more like the furniture patterns popular in Koria..." The black cat picked up the parchment and turned it over, feeling it resembled the decor on its imported cat bed from the Kingdom of Koria. That was a gift from a priestess at the Church academy. "Nice, be serious, this is not a joke!" Dean Raoul''s expression was stern. With a long sigh, he continued. "Actually, this is the most terrifying part." "If this symbol has appeared long ago, do you know what that means?" "It means that the mysterious God may have been planning its resurrection for a long time..." "As for Countess Castell, perhaps unknowingly, she has already been tainted by another Evil God." "We speculate that she thought she was offering sacrifice to the Bloodborne Demon Duke, but in fact, from the beginning, she was sacrificing to another sleeping Evil God." "The symbol she drew was not the Bloodborne Demon Duke''s divine symbol from the start, but this pattern." "And this mysterious Evil God... likely used this sacrifice to successfully descend into the world in the guise of the sacrificer." Hearing Raoul''s words, Nice couldn''t sit still. "Meow! This is a big deal! No wonder I heard that the Inquisition is going to intervene... such a dangerous matter, didn''t the district high priest going to report it to Archbishop?" It paused, then quickly answered its own question. S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "Of course not! The High Priest will have a chance to compete for the position of Archbishop in less than a year. Once successful, he can leave this poor place behind..." "He definitely doesn''t want any accident during this crucial time that his competitors could use against him. He''ll try to suppress this news as much as possible and let his subordinates handle it themselves!" "Even if he delays his responsibility, once he''s promoted, it won''t be his problem anymore!" "The only bright side is, recently revived Evil Gods are generally weak. As long as we can find it, even mortals have a chance to banish it again before it fully recovers!" Suddenly realizing something, it paused. "Wait a minute, so... from the beginning, you weren''t checking on the girl''s injuries, but suspected that she, completely unscathed, was actually the descending Evil God?!" "Meow! You... were investigating her true identity? Checking if she was possessed by the Evil God?" Dean Raoul and Kara exchanged a glance, nodding slightly. "That''s right." "And the result? Hmm... she should be fine now, otherwise you wouldn''t be here chatting with me." "Yes, she passed the test of the Sacred Fire, she''s a devout believer and a good girl." "A devout believer? But as far as I know, the heir of the Castell family has been weak since childhood, barely leaving the estate these years, she hasn''t even attended the noble academy. How could she become a believer?" Nice was puzzled. "Perhaps... it''s because of Countess Castell''s influence. She has hidden her identity as a Bloodborne for years and openly appeared as a devout believer, donating a lot of gold to the Church hospital." Dean Raoul shook his head. "That makes sense." Nice also found this explanation reasonable. Extending its paw, it scrutinized the symbol on the parchment again. "So... the next task is to find this hidden Evil God, right?" "That won''t be easy. As a well-traveled cat, I know that it''s hard to find Evil Gods once they hide. Carelessness could lead to the emergence of an evil cult a dozen years later... Damn, if what you said is true, Koria might already have one!" Dean Raoul nodded. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "That''s right, but... its condition should not be good, or rather, very poor. As long as It wants to recover Its strength, it will definitely show Itself." "It healed Charlotte, so It probably isn''t one of those crazily chaotic Evil Gods. These Gods... generally have certain boundaries and lean more towards order." "But it''s still an Evil God, an enemy of the Holy Court, something that needs to be sealed and banished!" Nice reminded solemnly. "I know that." Dean Raoul nodded slightly. He put away the parchment, pondering. "The Blood Demon cult has been restless recently, likely planning something big. If this resurrected Evil God finds out, it won''t miss this opportunity." "If the Church handles it properly, it''s also an opportunity to wipe out the Bloodborne influence hidden in Boulder. And if we''re lucky, we might even seal and banish this mysterious Evil God, killing two birds with one stone!" Nice had a thought. "Wait, was the girl''s injury healed by the Evil God?" "It''s just speculation, and the most likely one." Nice''s cat face turned serious. "Raoul, every move of the Gods has a purpose." "If it healed the heir of the Castell family, it means she had caught that God''s attention." "Have someone keep an eye on her, the key to finding this evil god may very well lie with that girl!" "But! Beware of those foolish nobles! They''re a bunch of greedy jackals!" "Uh, also... each Divine''s symbol is unique, and while history may change, the core of the Divine''s symbol remains unchanged." "Thorns... roses..." "Look into it, find out which Ancient God this symbol belongs to." Raoul glanced at the female knight and smiled. "You don''t have to worry about that, Kara will specifically investigate this matter. Also... Nice, your words reminded me, there''s one more thing I want to ask of you." "Don''t wanna!" "A jar of honey-glazed ridgeback dragon wings from the Northern Duchy." "Slurp~! Fine, what do you want me to do?" ... "Sigh... it''s finally over..." Charlotte lay on the bed, looking relieved and relaxed. She knew her identity was temporarily safe. The healing effect of the Sacred Fire was indeed remarkable. Though her hands and feet were still tightly wrapped, she could feel that her wounds had scabbed over. In a few days, she would be able to leave the hospital. However, compared to her soon-to-be-healed wounds, Charlotte now had something more interesting on her mind. That was Gospel of Blood, whose origins and abilities she hadn''t fully understood yet. This obviously blood-related mysterious book had saved her twice and introduced her to a more mysterious and vast world. And now, Charlotte was filled with intense curiosity about that world. Thinking about it, she closed her eyes and sank back into consciousness. In her mind, the ancient book still floated with a crimson light and a hint of golden radiance. On the Gospel, in the "Blood Calling" section, the cooldown showed progress reaching 81%. Although she didn''t know the specific effects of this ability recorded in the Genesis Chapter, referencing the "Divine Ritual Counter" in the Divine Chapter, it surely wouldn''t disappoint her. Blood Calling, just as the name suggested, Charlotte speculated that this ability was likely to summon some creatures or servants. Now she was alone and weak, so having a few "helpers" would indeed be a useful card. "There''s still 19% progress left, and since I have nothing else to do, maybe I can use the Church''s power in the next few days to recharge it through the Sacred Fire?" "That girl named Kara is too dangerous, maybe I can ask Lottie for help under the pretext of healing?" Charlotte pondered. Just as she was considering whether she could use Lottie''s divine art to treat her injuries and recharge the Gospel with Church power, a gentle knock on the door sounded again. "Miss Charlotte, may I come in?" This is... Priestess Lottie! Recognizing the voice, Charlotte''s spirits lifted. She quickly opened her eyes, huddled under the blanket, and resumed her pitiful and fragile appearance, softly saying. "Please... come in..." As soon as she spoke, the door was gently pushed open, and the beautiful and dignified priestess walked in. Charlotte smiled sweetly. She was about to start buttering her up, but Lottie spoke first. "Miss Charlotte, the Boulder family wants to see you. They''re waiting outside." Chapter 11: Invitation to the Duke Mansion T/N: Boulder > Borde from now on._________________________________________ Charlotte felt like a busy person. Just like a boss who hadn''t been to the company for a long time, one by one, everyone lined up to see her. However, while it seemed like she was being welcomed, in reality, not a single person genuinely cared about her, they all had ulterior motives. But... The Borde family? The Duke''s family? Charlotte''s heart stirred. The Borde family was the ruling family of the Borde Duchy and the object of loyalty for the Castell family. By the way, the two families also had a familial relationship. Firstly, the ancestors of the Castell family were split off from the Borde family, considered a branch family of Borde. Secondly, the second wife of the former Duke of Borde, Lady Catherine, was Charlotte''s aunt. If you really calculated the generations, Charlotte was of the same generation as the current Duke. Hmm... even though in reality, the two were separated by several decades. In Charlotte''s vague memories, one of the few experiences of leaving Castell Manor was mostly to visit her aunt at the Duke''s mansion. However, Lady Catherine had passed away many years ago. And Charlotte herself hadn''t left the manor for ten years. Charlotte thought of the nobles who had been driven out by the female knight earlier. If she remembered correctly, they seemed to claim to represent the Duke''s mansion... Could it be... them? Charlotte pondered. With a whisper to herself about being in demand, she nodded gently and obediently said. "Please, let them in!" The door was pushed open again, and several nobles in gorgeous attire entered the patient room. As expected, it was the group of people who had been driven out by Captain Kara before. "Miss Charlotte, we meet again. It''s been so many years, and you''ve become more beautiful," The leading fat nobleman said with a kindly smile, performing a standard noble etiquette. Then, his expression became solemn, as if he were changing faces in Sichuan opera, becoming mournful and heavy. "The incident last night, the Duke''s mansion already knows about it. Regarding the ordeal of the Castell family, the Duke is deeply saddened and extremely angry." "This morning, the Duke has urged the Demon Hunters Bureau to thoroughly investigate this matter, vowing to unearth all the sinister bloodbornes of Borde and wipe them out in one fell swoop!" "Please rest assured, no matter what happens, the Borde family will always be the strongest backing for the Castell family!" The fat nobleman was indignant and his expression looked sincere. Charlotte, on the other hand, shrunk slightly under the blanket, putting on a bewildered and timid expression. She tilted her little head, her big eyes seeming full of question marks. "Excuse my rudeness... who are you?" The fat nobleman''s breath paused. But it was the young noble swordsman behind him who couldn''t help but chuckle. "Hehe, Bruno, I told you a long time ago, it''s been ten years already, how could the Castell family''s young lady remember you." After speaking, the swordsman walked over the fat nobleman and came to Charlotte''s side. He was about to speak, but suddenly remembered something and imitated the fat nobleman''s actions, performing a noble etiquette. Charlotte still made a wary little animal appearance, pretending to be a naive and timid little girl. However, she was quite calm in her heart, analyzing the identity of the other party based on their performance. Let''s leave aside the fat nobleman for now. His steward''s attire was too conspicuous, obviously a steward or servant of the Duke''s mansion, probably with a viscount or baron title. What interested Charlotte was the swordsman. Judging by the memories she inherited, the swordsman''s movements were quite unorthodox, but it was evident that he was trying his best. This should be someone who had only recently become a noble, or a powerful extraordinary being. Her conversation with Dean Raoul had given Charlotte some understanding of the nobles in this world. In the world of Myria, nobles almost monopolized the extraordinary powers. It was normal for wild extraordinary beings to be recruited by nobles, and some of them could even directly become new nobles with titles. However, looking at the swordsman''s obviously high-end and gorgeous attire, especially the lion emblem of the Borde family that only main family members could wear on his right chest, Charlotte further adjusted her judgment. This was a newcomer recognized by the Borde family, newly gaining main family member status. "Nice to meet you for the first time, Miss Charlotte, I''m Leno Borde," the noble swordsman said. "Cough cough cough... Ahem..." S?a??h the ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The fat nobleman next to him coughed desperately, gesturing with his eyes. The swordsman was stunned for a moment, then instantly reacted, scratching his head and saying somewhat embarrassedly. "Uh... Leno de Boulde..." "De" was a common suffix in the noble names of the Silver Moon Kingdom, usually indicating the family or territory, meaning "belonging to" or "coming from". For example, Charlotte herself, Charlotte de Castell, colloquially meant "Charlotte from Castell''s domain". In the Crescent Kingdom, the best way to judge noble status was to see if there was a "de" between the given name and the surname when someone introduced themselves. Obviously, this newcomer to the Borde family wasn''t used to his noble status yet. This time when he reintroduced himself, he even nervously mispronounced the surname "Borde". The fat nobleman was almost going crazy. As if wearing a mask of pain, he covered his face instantly, despairingly reminding in a low voice. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "It''s Borde..." The swordsman: ... The young noble''s expression froze for a moment, then his face turned red. His expression changed for a moment, then, as if he had given up, he cursed grumblingly. "Damn! Nobles are really troublesome. Damn Borde!" The fat nobleman widened his eyes, almost fainting as he covered his head, his entire body almost collapsing. However, the young swordsman didn''t care anymore. "Alright, Bruno, don''t stare at me with your little eyes. No matter how big you stare, they''re still small!" "And don''t lecture me anymore. Even if the old man came today, I wouldn''t care." "I''ve said it many times, if I can''t get used to it, I will not follow it. There are too many rules at home. I''d rather be a mercenary and be free!" With that, he looked at Charlotte again and quickly said. "Miss Charlotte, let me reintroduce myself. I''m Leno." "As you can see, I used to be a free mercenary. I''ve just returned to the Borde family recently and am not familiar with anything. If I''ve offended you, please forgive me." "I came here this time not only to visit but also to deliver an invitation on behalf of the old man." "Damn! Honestly, I feel crazy delivering a birthday invitation now! After all, something like that happened just yesterday, now is not the right time at all..." "But the old man insisted I deliver it, saying it''s important for the future of the Castell family, especially after what happened at Castell Manor." "Miss Charlotte, I know you''re afraid, in pain and very sad right now... But people always have to look forward." "Mercenaries have a saying: life is the most damned adventure, only the most damned determined bastard can shout ''screw it'' and come back triumphant with a beauty and treasure in hand." "You''re not just yourself, you represent the Castell family, so please be strong." "Alright, I... cough, I''m done speaking, and the invitation is delivered. I won''t disturb you anymore." "I wish you a speedy recovery! Goodbye!" The young swordsman, named Leno, finished quickly, without even a hint of losing his breath, then turned and left. Charlotte, Lottie, and the fat nobleman were all stunned. However, just before leaving, Leno stopped again, turned his head to carefully examine Charlotte, and pondered for a moment. "Miss Charlotte... you''re very beautiful and cute, truly as the legends say, more beautiful than any girl of any race I''ve ever seen. You must be destined to be stunning in the future." "It''s a pleasure to see a beauty from the Castell family. If it were in the past, I could boast to my companions for several years!" "However, because of this, please be more cautious..." "Innate beauty and wealth are blessings from the Gods, but they are also curses." "Especially when there isn''t enough strength to match them..." "They not only bring blessing, but also disaster." "Some things, when it''s time to give up, must be given up!" With that, Leno didn''t explain further, but opened the door and left gracefully. The fat nobleman hesitated, apologized to Charlotte with a bow, then turned and ran after Leno. "Oh! Lord Leno, wait for me! Wait for me!" The two came quickly and left quickly. In the blink of an eye, only Charlotte and Lottie remained. Looking at Charlotte lost in thought, Lottie was full of apologies. "I''m sorry... Miss Charlotte, I didn''t expect him to be so rude... I shouldn''t have let him in, did he frighten you?" Saying that, the beautiful priestess shook her head again, frowning. "A bastard is a bastard, without any noble etiquette. He''s really tarnishing the Borde Duke''s face!" The Duke''s illegitimate son, huh... Charlotte looked at the Duke''s invitation in front of her with a pensive gaze. Chapter 12: Charlottes Troubles Regarding Duke Borde''s affairs, Charlotte didn''t know much. After all, even though she inherited the memories of her original body owner, she hadn''t left the estate for ten years.However, Leno''s visit woke Charlotte up to a rather serious issue. That is the current situation of the Castell family. More accurately, her own situation. Regardless of when Countess Castell became a vampire, or what her strength was before. Before last night''s sacrifice, the old lady was indeed the main figure and protector of the Castell family all along. Now, this main figure is dead. Suddenly dead. The Castell family is left with only an underage female heir. If Charlotte were inheriting a normal earldom, that wouldn''t be a problem. But she isn''t. Through memory integration, Charlotte knows just how wealthy the family she''s inheriting really is. To put it in perspective, the steward in her memories once proudly mentioned: "The entire Castell earldom contributes more than one-sixth of the fiscal revenue of the Borde Duchy." What does that mean? Two-thirds of Borde Duchy''s fiscal revenue comes from direct taxation of the Duke''s territories, and one-third from vassal noble contracts. And the Castell family, equivalent to a vassal noble, monopolizes half of the contract tax revenue outside Borde Duchy''s direct control. In other words, Castell family contributed just as much as all the other vassal nobles in Borde Duchy, more than a dozen families combined. And the taxes paid to the lord are only a quarter of the Castell family''s income. In reality, the Castell family''s visible income probably approaches that of the duchy''s territory taxes! Although Borde Duchy is relatively remote and impoverished within the kingdom overall, its status is somewhat akin to the central and western provinces of the Republic of China. But even compared to the wealthiest duchy, the Castell earldom would still be considered quite wealthy territory. Using a comparison from China, it''s like a second-tier economically developed city in the central and western provinces. So, here''s the problem. A vast and wealthy territory. An underage female heir. Will Charlotte''s inheritance of the estate go smoothly? Will she successfully inherit the title? And even if she does inherit, will she be able to maintain it? At this moment, various small plotlines about power struggles began to spread in Charlotte''s mind... At the same time, whether it was the church''s goodwill or the duke''s invitation, they all became much more intriguing in Charlotte''s eyes. Charlotte felt a bit of a headache. The hidden dangers of her vampire identity were not yet resolved, and she was likely to be embroiled in the power struggles of the duchy. The game of power is always turbulent and cruel. Just because she''s cute and pitiful doesn''t mean everything will be fine. This isn''t a Mary Sue novel! Acting cute and foolish can indeed gain favor and lower others'' guard. But that only works when there''s no conflict of interest, or when the conflict isn''t significant enough. Not to mention, even without considering wealth, her appearance alone is enough to make people covet her. After all, even after experiencing various beautiful photos online in her previous life, she could still gaze into the mirror and become infatuated, exclaiming that it was worth living this life just to have this face! "Some things, when it''s time to give up, must be given up..." Charlotte remembered Leno''s hint before leaving. She understood. The other party was suggesting that in the worst-case scenario, she could consider relinquishing her inheritance rights to the estate to avoid being caught up in the power struggles among nobles. But... "Why should I give up?" Charlotte shook her head. She survived the blood sacrifice; could her current situation really be worse than being crucified last night? Even if she gets involved in struggles and crises, isn''t that something for later? Nothing has happened yet, right? Not to mention, will everything be fine if she gives up her inheritance rights? Some things can be prepared for in advance, but it''s not wise to give up just because it might rain. Moreover, is she really just a powerless little girl? No. She isn''t. Although she''s weak now, Charlotte knows that the path to transcendence has already opened up for her. Charlotte thought of the "Gospel of Blood" in her consciousness. That''s her trump card. It''s also her opportunity to become stronger. All she needs is time. She needs time to strengthen herself, to consolidate her position in this world. As long as she becomes strong enough, she can hold onto everything that belongs to her. The estate is not just wealth, it''s also a backing. She must find a way to inherit it because it will be the base for her survival in the future. She''s a vampire! Where else is more suitable than her own estate to hide her identity? Of course, before becoming powerful enough, she also needs some appropriate and clever techniques to deal with the difficulties she might encounter. She will make full use of everything she can use. "Although the future is still uncertain, it doesn''t mean there''s no hope." S?a??h th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte muttered in her heart. Pushing aside these worries, Charlotte refocused her attention on charging the "Gospel of Blood." Nobles have their rules, and the church has its order. She should be relatively safe for the time being. Although it''s a bit strange to be a vampire living in a church hospital, in a sense, it''s also a form of protection. She can''t do much now, so she might as well think about how to fully charge the Codex and develop more of its functions. At the same time, she can also take this opportunity to learn more about extraordinary powers through the hospital''s priests. Of course, she also needs to study her own body! Uh, not that kind of man-interest study, but a scientific study of a "vampire" (serious face)... Thinking of this, Charlotte raised her head again and looked at Lottie, who was still rudely mocking Leno''s rough behavior on the side. In her eyes, this gentle, beautiful, and kind big sister priest has become a reserve charger for the Gospel, as well as a survival guide in another world. Charlotte took a deep breath, slightly raised her beautiful face, and began to skillfully act cute and pitiful. She poked her nearly healed wound forcefully, feeling the familiar pain, making a mist of tears welled up in her eyes. "Hmm? Miss Charlotte, are you feeling unwell?" Seeing the girl''s pitiful yet forced strong expression, Lottie couldn''t help but feel her heart clenched, overwhelmed with pity. That pitiful and somewhat sensible appearance instantly triggered her maternal instinct. "Sister Lottie..." Charlotte raised her head, and her pure and innocent watery blue eyes looked at Lottie. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly, and her voice, slightly muffled, sounded particularly moving. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "My wound... it seems to start hurting again... ..." "Is it hurting again?" Lottie subconsciously held the girl''s arm, her voice full of concern. "Yeah..." Charlotte obediently nodded. She sniffled and wiped her nose, slightly tilting her head, her clear and innocent pupils reflecting Lottie''s slender figure. "Sister..." "Can you... use divine magic to help treat Charlotte''s wound again?" After saying that, she gently lowered her head again, weakly saying. "If... if it''s inconvenient, forget it..." Lottie hesitated a bit. That shy, nervous, and extremely apprehensive pitiful appearance is hard to refuse. She fell silent for a moment, let out a soft sigh, and nodded slightly. "Alright." "Divine treatment should not be received too much in a short period. If you feel tired, let me know immediately, and I will stop." After saying that, Lottie took a deep breath, placed her hands above Charlotte''s palm, and closed her eyes. Her expression gradually became solemn and sacred, and her gentle and solemn prayer sounded slowly. "O Lord Harald!" "You are the creator of the new world," "You are the holy one in the court," "The gods follow in your footsteps," "The believers listen to your teachings," "Great and merciful Lord!" "Please heal me, and I will recover." "Please redeem me, and I will be saved." "..." Dazzling and radiant golden light radiated from Priest Lottie. Countless flickering photons slowly gathered and danced in her palms then falling on Charlotte like snowflakes. However, when the warm light fell on the girl, it brought burning pain like a branding iron. But Charlotte was already prepared for this. She endured it. Not only that, she raised her head and made expressions of joy and happiness. Before her eyes, a blood-red color slowly emerged. The familiar text finally unfolded. ["Gospel of Blood" detected an ongoing divine ritual¡ª¡ª] [Ritual name: Sacred Heal] [Caster: Lottie de Brois] [Recipient: Charlotte de Castell] [Ritual effect: One of the most basic healing divine spells of Lord Harald, capable of effectively treating minor injuries, relieving pain, and dispelling minor toxins. When the recipient is marked as evil existence by the Holy Court, it will cause pain.] [Interception Probability Assessment: 100%] [Do you want to intercept?] The familiar interface, the familiar inquiry. Charlotte also made a skillful response. ''Intercept.'' Ritual judgment modification. All in one go. When a warm breeze replaced the burning pain, the progress of the Blood Calling also changed... 81.1%, 81.2%, 81.3%... Watching the slowly rising progress bar, Charlotte felt relieved. She knew that she could now freely leech the Holy Court. Chapter 13: Charlotte Gathering Snacks "She''s here?""She''s here! She''s already here!" "Where, where?" "She''s in the main hall! Worshiping with Lord Raoul!" "Let''s go! Hurry and take a look!" The crowd of believers in various costumes surged and gathered in a corridor outside the praying hall of Borde Church Hospital. Among them were apprentice priests from the Church Hospital, residents living nearby, and young nobles who came with their entourage out of curiosity. This strange scene surprised passersby who were unaware of the truth. "What''s going on? Why are there so many people gathered?" "Yeah, isn''t the church here usually not very crowded?" "Is there an event at the Church Hospital today?" "It''s Miss Charlotte!" Excited residents said. He pointed to the main hall not far away and continued. "She''s worshiping in the hall! She''s been attending for three days in a row!" "Miss Charlotte? Why does that name sound familiar?" "Of course it''s familiar, she''s the daughter of the Castell family!" "Castell? Is it that Castell? A few days ago, the family was ruined, but only one glance from the illegitimate son of the Duke makes him enchanted by her beauty?" "That''s right! It''s her!" The crowd''s eyes lit up. "Let''s go! Hurry and take a look!" Watching the excitement is always a pleasure for ordinary people, especially if it''s related to nobles. Like a viral spread, passersby soon became excited and quickly joined the crowd to watch. However, at the center of attention, in the main praying hall of the Church Hospital, there was a solemn and sacred scene. The ethereal hymns cleansed the hearts of the people, and the holy light illuminated the hall. Priest Raoul wore a white divine robe. With a divine staff in one hand and a holy scripture in the other, he solemnly expounded the doctrine of the Holy Kingdom. The divine light shone on him, making him look like a messenger of the gods. Bright, holy, majestic... However, as a preacher, he was not the focus of the entire scene. Under the pulpit, a beautiful girl in a pure white gown, with her hands rested on her chest clasped together. She knelt on the ground, her eyes closed lightly, her long eyelashes trembling slightly, and her delicate face filled with peace and holiness. Her golden hair shimmered like silk in the divine light, naturally scattered on the ground. The sparkling photons enveloped her, like dancing fairies. Angel... She was an angel that had fallen to earth! This was the only thought in the minds of everyone witnessing this scene. The faithful who listened to the church in the main hall became more devout, and their eyes toward the girl and the priest were full of admiration and enthusiasm. Those who came to watch the legendary beautiful noble girl couldn''t help but quiet down. They were afraid of disturbing the praying girl. They were afraid of ruining such a sacred and beautiful scene. They felt ashamed and felt that any disrespect to the girl at this moment was like blasphemy against the gods... Even the free-spirited artists who were attracted to come couldn''t help but look at all this excitedly, eager to open their sketchbooks on the spot and depict this sacred scene. "Our Lord in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven..." The old priest solemnly finished the final prayer, gently placing down the holy scripture. He crossed his chest devoutly. "Praise the divine!" "Praise the divine!" The believers also traced the holy emblem on their chests, praising in unison. The hymn ceased, and the divine light that enveloped the main hall was also removed by the priests. Today''s worship service was over. Priest Raoul nodded slightly to the faithful, then left the church together with the girl. The main hall quieted down again for a moment, and the solemn atmosphere gradually dissipated. Outside the door, the onlookers breathed a sigh of relief. They looked at each other, seeing admiration and shock in each other''s eyes. "So beautiful... she''s really beautiful... no wonder so many people like her!" "Praise the Lord! Is she the daughter of the gods?" "No wonder she''s from the Castell family..." "She''s also the heir to the title! If anyone could pursue her, they could also obtain the wealth of the Castell family!" "Don''t daydream, even ordinary nobles probably aren''t worthy of the Castell family!" "But didn''t the Castell family suffer a disaster? I heard there''s only her left?" "Pitiful... she''s not even an adult yet?" "Hey, even if her family suffered a disaster, the price of a meal for her is probably your annual salary." "Yeah, I heard everything in the Castell family, even the bed and toilet, are made of gold!" "..." ____________________________ "Hehe, little Charlotte, how did you consider my proposal earlier?" "Becoming a priest doesn''t mean giving up the inheritance of the estate, as long as you don''t hold an official position in the church, there are also many noble that become church priests." In the corridor of the Church Hospital, Dean Raoul walked side by side with Charlotte, his old face wearing a kind smile. "To be honest, I''m increasingly fond of you. You''re really suitable to become a priest, no... perhaps even a saint of the church in the future!" "Have you noticed? With you here, the number of believers who have come to worship in the church these days has increased a lot, and even the priests are more dedicated." "How about it, lil'' Charlotte, are you willing to join the church?" Charlotte smiled sweetly. She skillfully drew a cross on her chest and didn''t answer directly. "Grandpa Raoul, I''ll consider it again." Dean Raoul nodded gently, indicating understanding. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "Sorry, I was a bit hasty, you must have some other concerns." "But, what I said was sincere. You have a high affinity with the divine power. It''s not a common occurrence to be surrounded by divine light every time one worships." "You see, even the power of the gods likes you, blessing you eagerly!" Of course, those thing all wanted to purify me, but in the end, I persuaded them to change their minds... Charlotte smiled, her chest slightly raised, like a proud little kitten. "Of course, I''m a devout believer of the Lord!" "I feel very honored and happy to be able to personally attend the worship service presided over by you!" She was really happy. A second-tier priest is indeed a second-tier priest. Through today''s worship, she harvested more energy through the divine ritual than in the past few days combined! Dean Raoul nodded slightly, also smiling. He had no doubts about the girl''s devout faith. "Is the wound completely healed?" "Thanks to you and the other priests, it has healed completely, without leaving a single scar." "No, it''s because you''re a devout believer of the Lord, a favored existence by our Lord." The old priest shook his head gently. "Discharged officially tomorrow?" "Yes." "It''s a pity, tomorrow I need to go to the Grand Cathedral to meet the High Priest, so I can''t personally send you off." "No need to trouble yourself. Sister Lottie has already informed my family. The family will send servants to pick me up." "But the Castell Manor... Oh, right, the Castell family still has some shops in the city, where everything is fine." "Hmm..." The atmosphere suddenly became heavy after talking about the Castell family''s matters. After a moment, Dean Raoul sighed and gently patted Charlotte''s shoulder. "Lil'' Charlotte." "Uh..." "I''ve heard some not-so-good rumors recently... After you''re discharged, if you encounter any difficulties that can''t be solved, send someone to find me. I still have some face in the church, and I can also say a few words to the High Priest." Charlotte hesitated for a moment. She slowly raised her head and saw the firm and loving gaze of the old priest. A warm feeling rose in her heart, and Charlotte nodded gently. "Thank you, Grandpa Raoul." This time, she didn''t use her usual deliberately cute tone. The old priest smiled. He smiled very happily. "Alright, enjoy the peace of the Church Hospital a little longer! I''ve helped you intercept quite a few noble visits these days... Hmm... you seem to dislike dealing with them." "But after you''re discharged, I won''t be able to help you anymore!" After speaking, Dean Raoul gently rubbed the silky hair on the girl''s head and left with a hearty laugh. Watching him leave, Charlotte sighed lightly. Although the old priest had the selfish motive of wanting to recruit her into the church, he was indeed sincerely good to her. This made her feel a little guilty about deceiving him. Of course, this guilt was fleeting and disappeared in an instant. After all, surviving in this otherworldly world was her top priority now. Back in her ward, Charlotte closed the door. Several thick books were placed on the bedside bookshelf, all borrowed from the church these days. She had been in the hospital for six days. By the third day, her wound had already healed. During these days of leisure time, apart from finding ways to leech the church, Charlotte spent the rest of her time reading or testing her current physical condition. She secretly tested several things. Although this body was only fifteen years old, the energy contained within it could easily knock down three strong men. Whether it was speed, strength, or endurance, they were all strong. Ordinary people were no match for her at all. And if it were after nightfall, her overall physical fitness would rise to a whole new level, doubling directly! However, correspondingly, she did have some obvious weaknesses. S?a??h th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Bloodborne was indeed a vampire. Through these days of observation and experimentation, she found that she did indeed fear sunlight, just as in the legends. It was fine to stay in the room, and even exposure to candlelight was okay. But if she appeared under direct sunlight, her skin would experience a noticeable burning sensation. Short exposure didn''t show much. But if she stayed for a longer period, her skin would gradually redden, blister, and her body temperature would rise sharply. Charlotte didn''t dare to test too long. She estimated that if she stayed longer, there was a high probability of a life-threatening situation. Although she wasn''t sure if triggering the protective mechanism of the "Gospel of Blood" would help, it was better not to take risks while in the church. In addition, under direct sunlight, Charlotte would feel extremely tired. Her overall physical fitness would significantly decrease, weakening by about 50%. But apart from this, items like garlic, silverware, or crosses posed no threat to her. The exception is divine magic. The restraining power of the divine magic of the Holy Court was very strong against her. Fortunately, she had the divine ritual counter of the "Gospel of Blood" to manipulate it, which put them as the least of her worries. It just meant she couldn''t bask in the sun anymore. But nothing is absolute. As the vanguard against the "Blood Demon Cult" the Church Hospital''s library also had many records about Bloodborne. Some books mentioned that some powerful bloodborne could ignore the sunlight''s exposure, and some bloodborne with special bloodline talents could freely walk under the sunlight. In other words, if she could continue to improve her strength, Charlotte also had the hope of standing under the sun again one day. Moreover, Charlotte also gained some understanding of the extraordinary power system in the world of Myria. The division of extraordinary powers in this world was not as complex as in many novels she had read in her previous life. On the contrary, it was quite straightforward. In this world, there were four tiers of extraordinary powers. From weak to strong, they were the Starry Sky First Tier, the Silver Moon Second Tier, the Blazing Sun Third Tier, and the Legendary Fourth Tier. Below the Starry Sky First Tier, there was a special stage between ordinary people and extraordinary beings, generally referred to as the Apprentice Tier, Squire Tier, Novice Tier, or Zero Tier. This refers to those who have mastered extraordinary powers but their power is not enough to completely surpass the limits of ordinary people, or not enough to independently trigger "Divine Magic" and "Miracles." Like Charlotte now. Above the Legendary Fourth Tier was the realm of gods that ordinary people could not touch. The realm of gods is for myth. That''s what ordinary people look up to. Mythical gods are all gods, but they can be further divided into demigods and true gods. For example, the sacrifice recipient of the old witch, the Bloodborne Archduke, is a demigod and one of the officially recognized evil gods by the Holy Court. This information was all collected by Charlotte from church books. It was embarrassing. The supreme artifact of the bloodborne, the "Gospel of Blood" was in her hands, but it was so damaged that she had to find so much knowledge in the church. Fortunately, after these days of leeching the church, the charging of the Blood Summoning had finally been completed. Charlotte planned to try it out after leaving the church and returning to the manor tomorrow. Sitting back on the bed, Charlotte felt a little thirsty. She poured herself a glass of water and planned to read for a while longer. However, after drinking the water, the thirst didn''t diminish. Instead, it became stronger. Charlotte''s heart skipped a beat. It seemed like her "bloodthirst" was about to trigger... Chapter 14: Please... Show some restrain This is the first time Charlotte has felt a craving for blood in the last six days.Unlike the previous time she arrived at the Church Hospital, this craving didn''t have a cause; it seemed to appear suddenly. At the same time, this craving didn''t start as intense as the first day when she was attracted by the fragrance of Priest Lottie. Initially, Charlotte only felt a slight thirst. Gradually, this feeling of thirst intensified. She became very thirsty, extremely thirsty. Like a traveler in the desert who hasn''t had a drop of water for a long time. However, no matter how much water Charlotte poured for herself, she couldn''t alleviate this thirst. This thirst seemed to be imprinted on her soul. "Their fear of light and holy power, their craving for blood, their dependence on sucking blood for survival, their evil, madness, and cruelty..." Priest Lottie''s words surfaced in Charlotte''s mind again. The need for regular blood consumption is a sign of being a Bloodborne. The church''s books also describe bloodborne as creatures that need to consume blood regularly to survive. During these peaceful days, Charlotte thought that she could satisfy her need for blood just by eating and sleeping normally. She thought that perhaps having the Gospel made her immune to the need for blood. But now, it seemed she was wrong. It wasn''t that she was immune, but the time hadn''t come yet. "Hold on! I''ll be discharged tomorrow. After leaving the hospital, I''ll find a source of blood to satisfy my needs!" Charlotte encouraged herself. Bloodborne need to drink blood regularly. But whether it was the church''s books or the priests in the hospital, they never said it had to be human blood. Charlotte wasn''t that twisted. She had already decided that once she left the church tomorrow, she would quickly send the family''s servants to buy some livestock and poultry. Whether it''s chickens, ducks, geese, rabbits, deer, fish, or anything else, their blood should solve the problem and also cover her tracks. With that in mind, Charlotte forcefully diverted her attention, trying not to think about bloodsucking. But she underestimated the speed at which this bloodthirsty desire erupted. As time passed, the thirst became stronger and stronger, and Charlotte found it increasingly difficult to divert her gaze. Her mind seemed to be filled with thoughts of when she could finally drink blood. The more she thought about it, the thirstier she became. Her breathing became rapid, her gaze became unfocused, and her panting became heavy. Charlotte felt a faint heat on her cheeks, and her brain gradually became drowsy, as if she were running a fever. She reluctantly sat up on the bed and looked at herself in the mirror on the bedside table, only to be startled by her reflection. In the mercury mirror, the beautiful girl''s cheeks were flushed, her gaze unfocused, her long eyelashes trembling slightly, and her eyes seemed watery... That delicate appearance seemed like it was about to shed tears, as if being a maiden in heat. Charlotte:... She felt like something deep inside her had collapsed. The self-esteem that hadn''t been pierced even when acting silly and cute collapsed at this moment... "No... this isn''t me, absolutely not me!" Charlotte threw away the mirror, turned over, and buried her head in the pillow. She couldn''t sleep that night. ... "Good morning, lil'' Charlotte... Huh? What''s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" The next morning, Priest Lottie, as usual, was performing her duty, but what she saw was a girl wrapped up in a small blanket like a silkworm cocoon. She walked to the bedside with some concern. The irresistible and tempting fragrance immediately filled Charlotte''s nostrils, making her shiver involuntarily. So fragrant! She wanted to pounce on her... She wanted to... bite into her slender neck and suck her sweet blood! Various crazy thoughts surged like a tide, impacting Charlotte''s sanity. She gritted her teeth, resisted the urge to assault, continued to curl up in the blanket, and mumbled. "I''m... fine... I''ll sleep a little longer." Listening to the suppressed trembling in her voice, Priest Lottie''s gaze slightly condensed. She hesitated for a moment, then lifted the girl''s blanket, and directly uncovered it. Charlotte was suddenly exposed to the light. The two almost made eye contact in an instant. Priest Lottie was slightly stunned while Charlotte inwardly cursed, "Oh no!" But just as she thought she was about to expose her identity as a bloodborne, she saw the beautiful priest first slightly stunned, then blushing, and gently averted her gaze. Lottie reached out and covered her with the blanket again, her gentle voice carrying reminders and reprimands. "Little Charlotte... Your body has just healed, and you''re still quite weak. You... need to control your urge a bit." "I know you''re curious at your age, but... you need to pay attention to the frequency and intensity of such behavior." Charlotte:...? ... Charlotte knew that her symptoms of blood addiction were misunderstood by Lottie. Her mood was complicated. She didn''t know whether to feel fortunate that her identity hadn''t been exposed or ashamed for being misunderstood for doing something wrong... At this moment, she should be thankful for her desire for blood. As time passed, Charlotte''s craving for blood did not diminish. Moreover, this craving began to affect her thinking. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Everything she saw seemed to be a source of blood. Even the mosquitoes in the room became adorable, and it was difficult for her to think deeply about anything else. As a result, she didn''t have to worry about the shame of being misunderstood anymore. Because she no longer has the energy. Fortunately, Charlotte''s will was still firm, and her consciousness was still clear. Although her whole being was about to be consumed by desire, she still maintained basic rationality. Or maybe she had endured for too long. Her state of being like a maiden in heat finally began to change after nearly a day. As night fell and the Castell family''s carriage finally came to pick her up... Charlotte had somehow returned to normal. However, she seemed absent-minded. Charlotte knew that she hadn''t overcome it. In fact, she was now like a volcano about to erupt, just forcibly suppressing all desires for the moment... She is calm for now. But once triggered, her bloodsucking instinct would probably erupt completely, and she would no longer be able to suppress it. But Charlotte''s absent-minded state was misunderstood by the priests as the sadness and reluctance of a girl leaving. "Lady Lottie, thank you for taking care of Miss Charlotte, this is a token of appreciation from the Castell family, please accept it." The servant of the Castell family was an old man with a hunched back named Casimodo. He was extremely ugly, with two servants dressed in Castell family uniforms following behind him. The priests at the church hospital all knew this old man. He was the owner of the Castell family''s silverware shop in the west district of Borde City. Despite being born with a congenital disability, he was rescued and adopted by the previous Count Castell, and he was extremely loyal to the Castell family. He had even saved the life of the old count in the past. The master-servant relationship between the two was also a good story in Borde City. Lottie glanced at the box of gold and silver being offered, motioning for the apprentice priest to accept it, and then sighed lightly, saying. "Healing Charlotte is what the Church Hospital should do." "However... as servants of the Castell family, you have not visited your master for several days, it seems you are not very competent." At the end, the priest''s voice carried a hint of reproach. The old servant''s hunchback deepened further. He looked guilty and sighed. "You are right... I will make sure to improve in the future, but... these days, because of the turmoil in the estate, the whole family has been in chaos, and I couldn''t spare any time..." "Alright, it''s getting late, hurry and take Charlotte away, remember what I said." Lottie shook her head, interrupting Casimodo''s explanation. The old servant bowed deeply, then turned to the silent Charlotte and gave a bow, saying. "Miss, let''s go." "Um..." Charlotte, who was still struggling with the temptation of blood, nodded listlessly. She suppressed the bloodthirsty desire attracted by the enticing fragrance of the many priests, with the help of the old man, she boarded the carriage. "Miss Charlotte, have a safe journey. If you have time, you can come back to visit us again!" A priest waved goodbye. Charlotte forced herself to smile weakly. "I don''t want to be hospitalized again." S?a??h th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "Hahaha..." The many priests were amused by the girl''s words. The leaving carriage took Charlotte away. The priests of the Church Hospital stood at the door of the church, watching the carriage disappear at the end of the road. "Ah, with Miss Charlotte gone, the daily mass will be much less fun." One priest sighed. "Yeah, just seeing her every day would improve my mood a lot." Other priests echoed. Lottie silently watched the direction the carriage had gone, silent for a long time. Then, with a sigh, "Let''s go, let''s go back, there''s still a lot of work to do at the hospital." With that, many priests turned around. However, just as they were about to enter the church hospital, with a stir of dust, another carriage hurriedly passed by, attracting everyone''s attention. "Stop!" Under the coachman''s command, the carriage slowly stopped in front of the church hospital. A hunched old man, wiping the sweat from his forehead, tremblingly jumped down from the position of the coachman. He had an ugly face, was panting, and bowed to the priests. "I''m sorry, my lords, there was some trouble at the shop, and I''m late." "I''m Casimodo, here to pick up my master, Miss Charlotte, to go home..." Looking at the old man''s identical appearance, the priests were suddenly stunned. Chapter 15: Hijacking Under the Moonlight Charlotte sat in the carriage, her mind feeling heavy and sluggish. The carriage shook violently, and the howling wind made the curtains on both sides rustle. The craving for blood made the girl''s thoughts extremely sluggish. But even so, she still felt that something was off...The carriage... Was it... going a bit too fast? "Slow... Slow down..." Charlotte leaned back in the reclining chair inside the carriage, massaging her buzzing temples, and softly spoke to the old servant in front. However, the old servant did not respond, and the speed of the carriage did not decrease at all. "Please... Slow down..." She struggled to knock on the window frame again, trying to remind the attendants riding on both sides of the carriage. The attendants also ignored her, silently guarding on both sides of the carriage. Charlotte suddenly became a bit more alert. She reluctantly sat up straight, propped up her dizzy head, and pulled open the curtains of the carriage. Outside was a rather dilapidated cobblestone road, with low, crumbling buildings on both sides rapidly moving away. Even though Charlotte didn''t recognize the way home, she could tell that this was definitely not the road back to the Castell Manor. The reason was simple. Castell Manor was located in the prosperous section of the noble district of Boulder City. Although the streets there were not particularly clean and tidy, the inherited memories also included spacious and smooth roads. But here, the road was bumpy, the buildings were gloomy and dilapidated, and there were few lights visible on the buildings on either side of the road, like haunted houses in a horror show. "Miss, the wind outside is too strong, please close the curtains quickly." Finally, the attendant outside the carriage spoke. However, the first thing he did was to reach out and close the carriage window. Charlotte''s heart sank. She realized that she might have been abducted by someone. These people probably were not servants of the Castell family at all! Realizing this, Charlotte became completely alert. Her first thought was to jump off the carriage and escape. The senses of the bloodborne were very sharp. She could clearly sense that neither the old servant driving the carriage nor the attendants riding on both sides were extraordinary individuals. They didn''t even have the enticing aroma of church priests on them. Their scent was similar to the commoners in the ordinary hospital wards, like dry black bread. Tasteless to eat, but a pity to waste. These people... were most likely just ordinary people who had undergone some training. Although the carriage was fast now, Charlotte was not an ordinary little girl. The special physique of the bloodborne gave her the confidence to jump off the fast-moving carriage unharmed and then escape quickly. Even though she was not in a good condition now, constantly on the verge of a blood frenzy... However, just as Charlotte was about to act, a cold light reflected in front of the attendant. Charlotte saw clearly that it was a loaded crossbow in front of the attendant! Damn it, how could these people have crossbows?! Charlotte cursed inwardly and instantly dispelled the idea of jumping off the carriage. She barely knew a bit about history in her past life and had some understanding of this kind of lethal weapon from the era of cold weapons. In the medieval era of Earth, whether it was in the East or the West, such things were prohibited from being used outside the battlefield. Even though she had crossed into this world with extraordinary powers, she didn''t think that such a thing, which could directly pierce through a knight''s armor at close range, would be allowed to be brought into the city! Not only that, Charlotte had been searching for books about extraordinary powers in the church these days. Among them, there was a book comparing the combat power of extraordinary individuals and ordinary people, which mentioned several weapons that ordinary people could use that might pose a life threat to extraordinary individuals. Among them was the crossbow! It was clearly stated in the book that ordinary individuals who had not stepped into the ranks of the extraordinary could not contend with a crossbow. And even if they had stepped into the ranks, before reaching the second-tier of Silver Moon, specially trained ordinary people, under the premise of being fully prepared, also had a certain chance of killing a first-tier extraordinary like Charlotte with a crossbow. It was obvious that the crossbow in the hands of these people was to guard against possible extraordinaries. The need to use a crossbow to guard against extraordinaries indicated that these people probably did not have an extraordinary person as an accomplice, but since they could obtain crossbows, the forces behind them were definitely not small. Charlotte quickly made this judgment. However, although she had just entered the realm of the extraordinary, she had not yet stepped into the first tier. With the physique of the bloodborne, if these people were unarmed, perhaps she would not be afraid at all. But now was different. They had weapons. Sharp ones to boot. If she acted rashly, if these people aimed their crossbows at her, she might be in danger. Not only that, even if she successfully escaped, if she exposed her identity as a member of the bloodborne, she would also invite endless trouble. At least... the identity as Charlotte de Castell would definitely be doomed. S?a??h th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Her mind was so heavy and sluggish that it was difficult for Charlotte to focus her thoughts. But even so, she made a decision. Don''t act rashly for now. These people are obviously still alert after successfully kidnapping their target. She had to wait until they relaxed before she could consider quietly escaping or directly confronting them. These people didn''t know she was an extraordinary, just treating her as a powerless little girl. Then... their disdain for her was her chance! Thinking like this, Charlotte calmed down. Outside the window, the moonlight gradually deepened. With the night falling, Charlotte clearly felt that her body''s functions were steadily improving at a considerable speed... night was the bloodborne''s playground. Under the moonlight, Charlotte''s strength would only become stronger than during the day! However, at the same time, perhaps due to the side effects brought about by the enhancement of night-time powers, as Charlotte''s bloodborne powers increased, her bloodthirsty desire became increasingly difficult to suppress. Her rationality gradually began to tilt toward the edge of losing control, to the point where the scent emanating from the attendants and the old servant, from being as bland as black bread, gradually became as delicious and enticing as creamy mushroom soup. This was a development that Charlotte could not have anticipated. She felt that she was about to lose control to her impulse. The carriage raced in the moonlight. After an unknown amount of time, it finally stopped in a desolate and uninhabited courtyard. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "Stop!" The old servant driving the carriage pulled the reins, and the panting horses let out a neigh, stopping slowly. The horses nervously snorted, their legs trembling and excrement constantly flowing down. The old servant glanced strangely at the trembling horses, pinched his nose, and cursed softly. "Damn it! These useless horses we were given are all useless trash. They''ve only run for so long and can''t go on anymore!" His voice was full of vigor, completely different from the frailty he had just shown in front of the hospital. "Hey! You two, go outside and keep an eye out. Don''t let anyone follow us for real!" He ordered the two attendants. The two attendants looked at each other, glanced at the carriage with suspicion, then sneered doubtfully. "Hatchet, are you trying to sneak off and play with the cargo while we''re not around?" "Damn it! This is the young lady of the Castell family! The master specifically ordered the goods to be checked by him personally and made it clear that we couldn''t touch them. If you want to die, go ahead and try!" The old servant glared, annoyed. "Hmph!" The two attendants snorted lightly, unwillingly dismounted and went to the entrance of the courtyard. "Really blind bastards, don''t even see what kind of junk you are, and you still desire to eat swan meat like a toad!" The old servant cursed a few more times, spat heavily on the ground, took out a piece of hard black bread from his pocket, took a few hard bites, chewed, took a few sips from the water bottle he carried with him, and then jumped down from the carriage. When he came to the front of the carriage, he had put on a smiling face. "Miss Charlotte, we''re here." The old servant with his hoarse voice lightly knocked on the carriage. --- The horses neighed softly, and the night wind rustling the messy bushes sounded. There was no response from inside the carriage. "Miss Charlotte?" The old servant repeated. Still no answer. The old servant''s face changed slightly. He quickly opened the curtain, and his sharp eyes shot into the carriage. But when he saw the girl cowering in the corner of the carriage, he instantly breathed a sigh of relief. He smiled slightly, but his ugly face looked even more hideous. "Miss Charlotte, why aren''t you speaking? You really scared this old man." "Hehehe, we''ve arrived, you should get off." The girl in the carriage did not move. The old servant frowned slightly, his face gradually darkening. He snorted, roughly opened the side door of the carriage, preparing to forcibly pull the girl out. However, when he opened the door and his hand covered with calluses and body hair was about to touch the girl, he suddenly stopped. The cold moonlight shone through the window, pouring onto the girl, coating her beautiful golden hair with a layer of silver brilliance. The girl slowly raised her head. Her face was as delicate as a doll''s, but lacking any expression. A pair of blood-like eyes as deep as the sea looked at the old servant who opened the carriage. Cold, indifferent, but seemed to be carrying the madness and brutality. The corners of her mouth lifted slightly, outlining a beautiful and charming curve, with a pair of sharp fangs faintly showing. The old servant''s entire body hair suddenly stands to its limit. Chapter 16: She is a Monster! "Ugh! What a nuisance! Did you see how he acted just now?""Yes, yes!" "Isn''t it just because he got lucky and was chosen by the magician to be cast with a disguise spell? He really thinks he''s the boss now!" "Yup, yup!" "What''s wrong with playing in advance? She''s just a little girl without awakened bloodline power, a little threat is enough to stop her blabbering!" "Yeah, yeah!" Outside the courtyard, two servants stood side by side watering the grass. One grumbled while the other kept agreeing. This area was quite desolate, surrounded by abandoned houses, occasionally some passing homeless people casting curious glances at the two. "What are you looking at? Look again and I''ll shoot your eyeballs to pieces!" The grumbling servant glared and shouted. He flashed the crossbow at his waist, scaring the homeless man away instantly. "What bad luck! Once I''m done with this job and become a knight, I''ll never come to this ghostly place again!" The servant snorted coldly, holstered his crossbow, and pulled up his pants. After relaxing, the two glanced around roughly before turning back towards the courtyard. This area was quite remote and rarely visited on ordinary days. They had already arranged for people to distract the Castell family, and they had been running around in circles, not worried at all about someone discovering the truth and chasing after them in a short while. Next, they had plenty of time to hand over the goods. Just thinking about the reward they would soon receive filled the two with anticipation. "Let''s hurry up! Who knows if that guy distracted us really for caution or if he wants to play sneakily in advance. The Castell family''s young lady is a temptation even a God would envy!" "Yes, yes!" "Damn! Do you think... he wouldn''t really eat her alone, wouldn''t he?" "Yes, yes... hmm, you make sense! Let''s go quickly!" The two servants immediately quickened their pace. However, just as they took a few steps, a piercing scream came from the direction of the courtyard, exceptionally clear in the deep night. They froze in their tracks. "Just now... who was that?" "It sounded... like Hatchet..." They glanced at each other, their expressions slightly changed, then immediately picked up their crossbows, becoming even more vigilant. "There might be trouble, let''s be careful!" The two exchanged a glance, nodded silently, then tightened their grip on their crossbows and cautiously walked toward the direction of the courtyard. The night was deep, and the mercury-like moonlight spilled onto the ground, adding a hint of eerie mystery to the dilapidated courtyard. After that scream, there was no sound coming from the courtyard anymore. Only the rustling of leaves blown by the night wind, the chirping of insects in the grass, and occasionally the hoarse meowing of a cat could be heard. "HATCHET¡ª HATCHET¡ª?" The two servants stood at the courtyard gate, calling out from afar. However, there was no response. A gust of night wind blew, cold and eerie, carrying a strong smell of blood, making the two feel a chill. They looked at each other, seeing a hint of seriousness in each other''s eyes. Swallowing hard, they both subconsciously tightened their grip on the crossbows in their hands, as if only such powerful weapons could give them some sense of security. They cautiously approached. The courtyard was eerily silent. The further they went, the stronger the smell of blood became. And when they saw the carriage parked in front of the house, their pupils suddenly contracted. Blood... There was blood everywhere... The carriage had been destroyed, the draft horses were nowhere to be seen, and the dilapidated carriage looked as if it had been drenched in a rain of blood, with blood everywhere within sight. In a puddle of blood not far from the carriage, lay Hatchet dressed in servant clothes. His appearance was no longer that of an ugly old servant but that of a rough middle-aged man. But at this moment, his eyes bulged out, his tongue sticking out, his expression full of terror. That expression... seemed to have seen something extremely horrifying. There were traces of tearing all over his body, his limbs twisted at incredible angles, and his chest and abdomen were directly ripped open. The strong smell of blood rushed over, accompanied by a suffocating stench. The two servants almost instantly changed their complexion. "Lu... Lupe, look over there!" One of the servants tugged at the sleeve of the other, pointing tremblingly at the ground. The other followed his gaze, only to see a grim bloodstain on the ground starting from the front of the carriage, extending all the way to the woods in the distance. There were rustling sounds in the woods as if something was moving. Looking at the deep and dark forest, the two swallowed hard. "Monster... there must be a monster here!" We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "For the love of the gods! I knew it! The church has kept this district forbidden for so many years, there must be a reason!" "Lupe... maybe... maybe we should give up the bounty... and just leave!" The servant who had been agreeing all along was clearly panicked, making the sign of the cross frantically across his chest. But the other servant''s expression changed drastically. After a moment of hesitation, he looked at the empty carriage and clenched his teeth, cursing under his breath. "Fool! Don''t you want the Awakening Seed? Not to mention if the goods are gone, if we leave now, we''ll surely die in the end!" "Go and see what''s exactly going on!" "Don''t be afraid! Unlike Hatchet, we have crossbows!" The other servant hesitated. But seeing the gloomy yet determined expression on his companion''s face, he finally gritted his teeth and followed. The two held their crossbows and walked towards the woods. Along the way, they could sporadically see some remains of the carriage horses. The sounds from the forest gradually became clearer. It seemed that some wild beast was tearing at something. Their hearts pounded almost out of their chests, sweat soaking their backs, and the hands holding the crossbows felt numb. Approaching the forest cautiously, the sounds from within became even clearer. The two held their breath, tremblingly lifting a branch, finally seeing the scene in the woods. They saw the missing carriage horse lying in the forest. The carriage horse was already dead. A petite figure was crouched beside it, seemingly sucking on something. The moonlight poured through the branches, illuminating the petite figure clearly. The blood-stained white dress, the blood-stained golden hair, and under the moonlight, the face that looked like a doll. It was none other than the girl they had abducted! But at this moment, the girl''s beautiful face was also stained with blood, adding a hint of cruelty and strangeness. "Oh, God! Lupe! It''s the girl we brought here!" The timid servant couldn''t help but whisper. Disturbed by the whisper, the petite figure stopped moving instantly. She slowly turned her head, and what the servants saw were her familiar, captivating features. But at this moment, her sky-blue eyes had turned completely blood-red, with craziness filling her crimson pupils. She looked at the two men, giving a faint smile, her two sharp teeth constantly dripping with fresh blood. Eerie, sinister, yet beautiful... The two servants suddenly shivered coldly. In a panic, the timid servant directly pulled the trigger, and the bolt shot out, piercing through the girl''s chest, bursting into a spray of blood. The girl trembled slightly, slowly lowering her head to look at the bolt embedded in her body. "Damn it! What are you doing, Antonio?!" The other servant, watching the girl hit by the arrow, widened his eyes, his expression even more terrified. However, the girl did not react. She seemed completely unaware, tilting her head slightly, her crazy and dazed gaze falling on the embedded arrow, as if slowly pondering what had just happened. Then, she slowly raised her hand, gripping the half arrow protruding from her body¡ª and pulled it out directly! In the horrified gaze of the two servants, blood splattered, and the gruesome wound on the girl''s chest slowly began to heal! ... The servant who had pulled the trigger trembled, and the crossbow in his hand fell directly to the ground. "Monster... she... she''s a monster!" He widened his eyes, his voice trembling. "She''s a bloodborne! Run!" Seemingly realizing something, the other servant''s expression changed dramatically. He didn''t hesitate at all to turn around and start running. However, just as he turned around, the girl who had been kneeling in the woods suddenly appeared in front of him. Quiet... without any sound. Her beautiful yet eerie face was less than thirty centimeters away from his. He could even see the delicate pores on the girl''s face and smell the sweet yet incredibly bloody scent emanating from her body. The girl stood in front of him, playing with a beating heart in her hand. She leaned slightly forward, her warm and fragrant breath sprayed onto the servant''s face. "Where... are you going?" The servant''s body hair stood up. He was about to raise his crossbow to counterattack, but he felt a dull pain in his chest, his whole body went weak, and he slowly fell down. As his consciousness faded, he was left with only one thought. Oh... that heart... was mine. The remaining servant instantly fell to the ground. Watching the girl, drenched in blood under the moonlight, his gaze was dull, trembling in fear, clearly terrified by what had just happened. Her crimson eyes moved slowly, the insane gaze falling on him. S~?a??h the N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The servant was terrified, instantly breaking down, and execrating urine and feces. "D-don''t... don''t kill me! Don''t kill me!" "I surrender... I surrender...!" Chapter 17: How should I call you? Charlotte discovered two characteristics of the bloodborne.Firstly, if one goes without blood for a long time after craving blood, they will eventually lose control and go berserk, doing unpredictable things. Secondly, if one drinks fresh blood while in a frenzy and sustains injuries, even if the blood comes from animals, as long as the injuries are not fatal, they seem to heal rapidly. As for the cost... It is the deprivation of the feeling of fullness and satisfaction brought by drinking blood, replaced by hunger once again. At the same time, after the frenzy ends, she also becomes extremely weak. The moonlight tonight is beautiful. However, Charlotte had no interest in admiring the moon. Looking at the bloody scene around her and the trembling attendants, only shock remained in her heart... What has she just done? In fact, Charlotte''s memories from before were very clear. It was truly a terrifying experience. On one hand, her consciousness was very chaotic, on the other hand, she seemed very clear-headed. She vividly remembered the moment when the old servant opened the carriage door, and the restrain in her mind finally snapped. She vividly remembered how she erupted and brutally killed the other person... She vividly remembered how she dragged the packhorse into the woods to drink its blood, enjoying the sweet taste as if it were rain after drought... She also vividly remembered how she tore off the crossbow bolts from her body, how she scooped out the escaping attendant''s heart with one move... The moist heat of the flesh, the slippery texture of the heart, the pulsation of the blood vessels... she remembered all the sensations clearly. Cruel, brutal, bloody... If it were now, even if she decided to kill those two people, she would never use such bloody methods. But at the time of those memories, it was as if she were controlled by some kind of murderous instinct, almost like a wild beast, ruthlessly destroying anything that posed a threat to her. Not only that, she felt very pleased at the time. It wasn''t until the last attendant begged for mercy with tears streaming down his face that she finally came to her senses, shuddering directly, and threw the heart in her hand away... That was Charlotte''s first time killing someone. No nausea, no disgust, no fear. She didn''t know if becoming a member of the bloodborne had somewhat affected her thinking, making her heart become colder and harder. The brutal self just now made her feel very unfamiliar. Charlotte knew that she had definitely "gone berserk" at that time. The only thing that made her feel somewhat fortunate was that she managed to maintain a bit of rationality during the frenzy and didn''t drink the blood of the corpses... Even though their blood smelled much better than the foul-smelling animal blood. This could be considered Charlotte''s bottom line. She always felt that if she really drank the blood of corpses, she would completely lose her humanity and gradually sink further into the path of depravity, becoming a true "ghoul." It was obvious that she still knew too little about the power of the bloodborne. Charlotte closed her eyes lightly, her long eyelashes trembling slightly. After a long time, she opened them again. At this moment, she made a decision. She must completely control the power of the "bloodborne" and never allow such out of control "frenzy" to happen again! Just now, she was very powerful, extremely powerful, definitely reaching the level of an extraordinary. But uncontrollable power was meaningless. This time, her enemies were in front of her. But next time, what if it''s her companions? Or what if it''s an enemy she can''t defeat? The sobbing cries were extremely harsh in the deep night, interrupting the girl''s thoughts. Charlotte shifted her gaze and looked at the last attendant who was completely terrified. She didn''t continue to kill this person just now. It wasn''t because she came to her senses, but because her frenzy had ended. She felt like an amateur athlete who had just finished a marathon, sore and exhausted all over, weak, feeling like she could faint at any moment. Honestly, Charlotte was even a bit nervous now. Because if she really had to fight, she might not be able to beat the other person in her current state. Fortunately, this attendant had been scared out of his wits and Charlotte''s current weak state was completely unknown to him. This was also good. Charlotte still had some questions she needed to ask. She still kept the appearance of going berserk just now, with a sinister smile on her lips yet her voice sounded indifferent and lacked any emotion. "Tell me, who are you people?" If her crimson eyes hadn''t reverted to the sky-blue color like before, Charlotte would have looked exactly like the killing machine she had just been. Of course, the terrified attendant had already stopped noticing these details. "Mercenaries... We are mercenaries... We are free mercenaries from Borde!" He sobbed as he spoke. Free mercenaries... Charlotte''s heart moved slightly. After meeting Duke''s son, Leno, that day, she had specifically consulted Priest Lottie about mercenaries, knowing that in this world, unaffiliated mercenaries were equivalent to adventurers and bounty hunters in the fantasy novels of her previous life. The difference was that the vast majority of unaffiliated mercenaries were ordinary people struggling to make a living, rather than extraordinaries. Of course, when saying they were ordinary people, it was in the sense of strength compared to extraordinary. In fact, most mercenaries were desperados who had nothing to lose. As long as the bounty was attractive enough, they were willing to do anything. "Who sent you? What was your mission?" Charlotte asked again. "I... I don''t know who our employer is..." "We just took the job from the Rose Society''s task board, which asked us to kidnap the young lady of the Castell family and deliver her to the person who came to pick her up..." The attendant said shakily. "The Rose Society?" Charlotte raised her voice slightly. "The Rose Society is the largest underground gang in Borde, often acting as an intermediary between mercenaries and employers, taking a cut..." Underground gang... Charlotte remembered the name of the Rose Society. Charlotte looked at the "old servant" called Hatchet lying on the ground: We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "Who gave him the appearance?" "It... It was our employer..." "Huh? Didn''t you just say... you don''t know who the employer is?" Charlotte''s voice suddenly became cold. The attendant was on the verge of collapse. "I... I really don''t know..." "He covered his face and deliberately changed his voice... all we know is that he is a mage..." "Oh, right! It was he who helped us prepare the carriage, and he also helped us prepare the crossbows and costumes!" Listening to the man''s words, Charlotte pondered. Whether it was disguising mercenaries as servants of the Castell family, forging Castell family uniforms, or knowing the schedule of her return to the estate, it all showed that the other party knew a lot about the Castell family. Not only that, the fact that the other party could obtain crossbows, a banned item, meant that the other party either had a background in the military or had dealings with military personnel. Only the direct vassal nobles of the Crescent Kingdom and the trusted confidants of the direct vassal nobles could get involved. In other words... it was the direct vassal of Duke Borde in the Crescent Kingdom. But another problem came up. Since they wanted to kidnap her, with so many unafiliated mercenaries, why did the employer choose such an unprofessional group? And what was the significance of kidnapping her? At this moment, Charlotte smelled the scent of conspiracy. "Where is your rendezvous point?" "Outside the city... our first stop was here, we had to change to a new carriage hidden in this courtyard in advance, then leave Borde City through the west gate..." The attendant said tremblingly. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The rendezvous point is not here! Charlotte breathed a sigh of relief. Her current state was not good, if the other party''s rendezvous point was this courtyard, she would have to consider fleeing immediately. "Tell me the specific location of your rendezvous, then get lost." Charlotte said indifferently. The attendant was overjoyed. He hesitated slightly before he took out a piece of parchment from his pocket, offering it with both hands. "Ma... ma''am... it''s the location marked on the map." Charlotte took the map and looked it over. "Ma''am... can I go now?" The attendant asked cautiously. Charlotte glanced at him. "Get lost!" The attendant was like he had received amnesty. "Thank you... thank you, ma''am! Antonio will never speak of tonight''s events! Antonio swears on God!" With that, he stood up tremblingly, staggering towards the courtyard, his posture very embarrassed, obviously still very weak. However, just as he was about to leave the courtyard gate, he suddenly stopped, hesitated for a moment, gritted his teeth, and turned in another direction. There... were the nearest Holy Court Church and Demon Hunter Base! The attendant took a step forward, about to run out of the courtyard, but the next moment, he suddenly felt a pain in his chest. He slowly lowered his head, only to see half of a crossbow bolt protruding from his chest. He widened his eyes, opened his mouth slightly, and then slowly collapsed. Behind him, Charlotte, with an expressionless face, slowly put down the crossbow in her hand. She had no intention of letting him go. From the moment he participated in the kidnapping and recognized her bloodborne identity, she had already sentenced him to death. Letting him run first was only because she, in her weakened state, didn''t have the confidence to defeat him. Although she looked cute, she was not a saint! The last kidnapper who knew her secret died, and Charlotte also put away the crossbow in her hand. This crossbow was really good, it was a pocket-sized type, but it had great power, and it didn''t require too much effort to use. She was already planning to take it back and use it as a self-defense weapon in the future. Well... it could be hidden in her skirt! Charlotte quickly had an idea. However, just as Charlotte breathed a sigh of relief, a hoarse voice suddenly sounded behind her. "Would a great being like yourself use a mundane weapon that even secular knights look down upon to deal with ants like ordinary people?" ''Who?!'' Charlotte was startled. She turned around and saw, under the moonlight, a fat black cat slowly walking out of the shadow. A... talking black cat?! Charlotte''s heart was instantly on guard. As a member of the blood race, she couldn''t even sense the presence of this black cat just now! The black cat''s face had a human-like solemnity. Under Charlotte''s vigilant gaze, it elegantly made a bow with its front paws and then spoke hoarsely. "Meow... Nice to meet you..." "I am Nice, an elegant noble among cats, and also a devout follower of the God of Contract." Saying that, it raised its head, and the fat cat''s face showed a meaningful smile. "You tell me, should I call you Miss Charlotte or Your Majesty the Bloodborne Royalty?" Chapter 18: Cat among Peers Nice...?Charlotte''s gaze shifted slightly. This name wasn''t unfamiliar to her. She had heard this name when she lay in her hospital bed on her first day at the church hospital, eavesdropping on the conversation outside her room. At that time, the "gentleman" who was talking with the young demon hunter standing guard at the door was called Nice. However, at that time, Charlotte had only thought that "Nice" was a powerful demon hunter with a peculiar speech habit. But now, it seemed that the other party was not just a peculiar speaker but actually just a cat! The other party was... an intelligent supernatural creature! And for some reason, Charlotte also felt a bit familiar with it, as if she had seen it somewhere before. The black cat sat on the ground, its amber vertical pupils reflecting the moonlight, like two lanterns in the night, gazing gently at Charlotte. Charlotte''s heart sank slightly. The Holy Court always considered the bloodborne as one of the evil entities that must be eradicated. The Demon Hunters were the law enforcement agency under the Holy Court specially dealing with evil beings. Although the black cat claimed to be a follower of the God of Contract, after a period of intensive study during her hospitalization, Charlotte also gained some understanding of many gods in this world. The God of Contract was an ancient God who was also a member of the Holy Court and one of the many subordinates of the God King Harald. Obviously, in some sense, the black cat was also a supernatural being subordinate to the Holy Court. If you were to make an analogy, it would be like a civil servant in the administrative units. The appearance of the black cat, which had a close relationship with the Demon Hunters, was definitely not as simple as wanting to chat with Charlotte and make friends. Especially the strong sarcasm hidden in the other party''s words indicated that the other party was definitely not well-intentioned. At a certain moment, Charlotte even suspected that this kidnapping might have been orchestrated by the other party. At this moment, she became alert. Charlotte''s current condition was really bad. Not to mention that the other party was likely a highly-ranked supernatural being. Even if it was just a talking black cat, she felt that she didn''t have the energy to deal with it after her outburst. Even the bolt she had just shot out was something from the first servant she had killed! She didn''t have the strength or time to reload her crossbow now! However, the mysterious black cat neither attacked nor directly acted after meeting her, which made Charlotte slightly calmer. The other party... seemed uncertain about her strength? ''It appeared voluntarily, indicating that it didn''t consider me a threat. But it didn''t attack directly, indicating that it still had some fear of me! And the title it just used for me... Royalty? Could it be... it mistook me for a Bloodborne big shot?'' Charlotte''s thoughts were unusually quick, and she soon made further judgments. Honestly, "Royalty" was the first time she had heard such a title, and the tone of the other party became solemn when it mentioned this title. This made Charlotte a bit curious. What did the other party... take her for? A perverted old monster who possessed underage girls? Thinking of this, Charlotte''s mind became more active. Although she didn''t know what misunderstanding this black cat, who claimed to be a follower of the Contract God, had about her. But since the other party had some fear, she might as well play along with the other party''s fear and misunderstanding... Put on a show, huh? Coincidentally, she was very familiar with this! With her thoughts sorted out, Charlotte suddenly felt more confident. She started with a light laugh, naturally sitting down on the wreckage of the carriage stained with blood, one fair and slender leg elegantly crossed over the other. Her indifferent gaze didn''t even look at the solemn black cat, but rather inspected the hand crossbow in her hand with interest, seemingly not even caring about the other party. The cold and aloof voice contrasted strongly with her sweet and charming appearance, carrying a profound sense of maturity that didn''t match her age. "Though mortals are lowly ants, they are the ones who rule the world." "With their own tools, even weak mortals can slay powerful and arrogant dragons..." As she spoke, Charlotte chuckled softly. She casually threw the hand crossbow onto the ground, and leaned back slightly, one hand horizontally supporting her chest, the other hand resting on top, gracefully propping up her smooth chin. Her deep and wise eyes looked down at the black cat, whose expression had become increasingly solemn. She hinted meaningfully. "Weakness and ignorance have never been the cause of destruction." "Arrogance... is." Her speech was slow but powerful. Although cold, it was extremely oppressive. The terrifying scene of sprayed blood and the beautiful girl sitting among them as if nothing had happened. Combined with her majestic and profound gaze that didn''t match her appearance, it created an unprecedented sense of dissonance and shock. Quite intimidating. The chubby face of the black cat almost instantly became solemn. After meeting the cold blue eyes of the girl, it swallowed a mouthful of saliva, casually shifted its gaze away, and whistled nonchalantly, feeling a bit guilty. Charlotte: ... Darn it! So, this fat cat is just a dirty old man! S?a?ch* Th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 19: Nices Ambition "Ahem, sorry, I lost my composure. It seems you haven''t yet adjusted to your new body..." S?a??h th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.The black cat Nice cleared its throat, attempting to cover up the recent embarrassment. But soon, its expression returned to normal, pretending as if nothing had happened. Clearly, the thickness of this cat''s skin matched its size perfectly. It lifted its head again, looking directly at Charlotte once more. Its chubby cat face revealed a human-like smile, and its amber eyes were full of curiosity. "Speaking of which, I''m really curious..." "As far as I know, among the current five Archdukes of the Bloodborne, none of them should bear the symbol of thorns and roses." "Could it be that you are one of the ancient beings from the primordial era?" "Your Excellency, can you satisfy Nice''s curiosity and tell me your title?" Thorns and roses? Ancient beings? Symbol? Title? Charlotte''s heart skipped a beat. Looking at the black cat with piercing eyes, she suddenly had a strange thought. Your Excellency of the Bloodborne, a great being... Hiss... Could this guy be mistaking her, a transmigrated person, for a resurrected Evil God? This thought arose, and the more Charlotte thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Her mind raced, and she immediately decided to go along with the conversation. However, just as Charlotte was about to continue with the conversation, she realized that something didn''t seem right. Wait a minute... If the black cat considered her a resurrected Evil God, why would it ask her so many questions? Charlotte had also studied religious knowledge in this world. She had seen topics related to Evil Gods in the books hidden in the church hospital. The girl clearly remembered that an author in one of the books repeatedly warned readers in a stern tone. ''Once encountering a resurrected Evil God, do not communicate with it. Instead, promptly seal it and exile it to another dimension before it becomes powerful.'' So here''s the question. Why would the black cat Nice, who considered her an Evil God, actively engage in conversation with her? And... for such a long conversation? Oh no! It was probably stalling for time! Charlotte almost instantly made this judgment. At that moment, the familiar crimson color suddenly filled her vision again. Ancient characters also slowly appeared... ¡¾"Gospel of Blood" detects an ongoing divine ritual¡ª¡ª¡¿ ¡¾Ritual name: Prison of Order¡¿ ¡¾Practitioner: Nice de Robel¡¿ ¡¾Recipient: Charlotte de Castell¡¿ ¡¾Ritual effect: The Prison of Order of the Contract God Mithra, the practitioner can set a target, forming a sealed space centered on the target to temporarily imprison it. This ritual requires a long preparation time, and the practitioner cannot move during the preparation and casting process.¡¿ ¡¾Interception probability judgment: 100%¡¿ ¡¾Intercept?¡¿ Divine ritual! It''s a divine ritual! This cat has been secretly preparing a divine ritual! It''s a Priest! Charlotte''s expression changed slightly. She subconsciously prepared to intercept this divine ritual but suddenly hesitated. This was a sealing-type divine ritual. If she chose to intercept it, at most, she would only be able to remove the seal or transfer it to the black cat. However, removing the seal did not mean she would become safe. Transferring it to the black cat, the other party might still find a way to escape. At that time, she would still have to continue the confrontation with the black cat. By then, the black cat would know that she could modify the divine ritual and her advantage would be lost. Charlotte''s condition was very poor, extremely poor, and she was not suitable for combat at the moment. She also didn''t know what rank the black cat''s strength was. If she really fought, she wouldn''t be a match and she would be the one in danger instead. Without knowing what effect the blood summoning would have, her chance... only existed in intercepting and modifying the divine ritual. And that shouldn''t be now! All this thinking existed in the blink of an eye, and Charlotte quickly made a decision. She gave up resistance. A silver light burst forth instantly, and a square cage of light instantly enveloped Charlotte. Charlotte reached out to probe, feeling like she had touched an invisible wall, unable to move it at all. "Hehe, don''t bother, this is the Contract God''s seal designed specifically to exile beings like you, called the Prison of Order!" "With your recently awakened power, I think you can''t break free from it." Looking at Charlotte''s slightly condensed gaze, the black cat grinned, with a hint of satisfaction. Successfully sealing Charlotte seemed to excite it quite a bit, and its attitude became less respectful, or... its true colors were revealed. It looked at the girl with disdainful eyes, sneering. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "Raoul is really foolish, not even sensing the truth from the Sacred Fire. He actually asking this Cat Master to protect an Evil God!" "Meow! Fortunately, this Cat Master kept a close eye!" "Hehehe, You Excellency the Evil God, are you surprised?" "You''re about to be sealed shortly after your resurrection, and the one that is going to exile you is a talking black cat!" "Weakness and ignorance are never the main cause of destruction, arrogance is!" "You... hehe, are just too arrogant!" Nice the Black Cat looked excited using a provocative tone in its voice. Its chubby cat face was full of mockery, giving off a smug feeling, which made Charlotte want to slap it. Charlotte fell into silence. It wasn''t because she was flustered. In fact, she was quite calm now. Sealing, and... exile. Charlotte glanced strangely at the triumphant black cat. After a moment of silence, she lowered her head, trying to hide her emotions. And when she raised her head again, she had once again turned into the weak, pitiful, and helpless little girl from the hospital of the church. She shrank slightly, her delicate little face wrinkling, her deep blue eyes full of grievances, with tears shimmering, looking like a wounded little girl. "Wuwuwu..." "Kitty... are you, are you really going to exile me with a divine ritual?" Her voice sounds crisp, giving a weak, sad, and helpless feeling. That pitiful look was enough to arouse anyone''s pity. Of course... That''s only if they didn''t know her true self. If they did, the feeling would be a bit weird. The black cat was instantly stunned. It couldn''t help but shiver, and its fur stood up like getting an electric shock. Its gaze towards Charlotte was full of strangeness. "Hiss..." "You''re really a terrifying existence... in every sense of the word." "If I didn''t know your true face, I might really have been deceived by you..." Charlotte certainly knew she couldn''t deceive the other party. She wasn''t trying to deceive the other party. She just wanted to use this chilling way to raise the other party''s vigilance, indirectly reminding and urging the other party to cast the exile divine ritual quickly to avoid unexpected changes after this. Then she would directly modify the target at the moment the divine ritual was cast, and in turn, exile the other party! Once the practitioner was exiled, the Prison of Order would also dissipate on its own. Then she would be free. As for when the other party would return after being exiled, that would be an unknown. For a cat to return from a dimension beyond who knows how many dimensional layers back to the Myria world, the difficulty was no less than asking a grasshopper to complete the Long March of twenty-five thousand li. Presumably... it wouldn''t be easy, right? But at least the other party would still be alive, after all, she wasn''t a devil. Thinking like this, Charlotte made up her mind. However, after carefully examining her for a while, Nice the Black Cat fell into deep thought. It seemed to remember something, its gaze slightly brightened, and it suddenly laughed. "Hehehehehe..." "Actually, what you said makes sense." "It''s too much of a waste to exile you when you have that wonderful body!" "Meow! Cat Master has changed his mind!" "Why exiling an Evil God?" "It''s more exciting to make this beautiful and cute body my servant, and then let Her serve me every day, giving me a knee pillow, massaging me, feeding me fruits, feeding me small fish... isn''t that more exciting?!" "Hehe... hehehehehe!" The Black Cat burst into a series of lewd uncle-like laughs, then its expression became serious, and it shouted. "Contract: Servant''s Final Oath!" With that, the brilliance of the divine ritual suddenly bloomed on it. At the same time, new information appeared in Charlotte''s vision¡ª¡ª ¡¾"Gospel of Blood" detects an ongoing divine ritual¡ª¡ª¡¿ ¡¾Ritual name: Servant''s Final Oath¡¿ ¡¾Practitioner: Nice de Robel¡¿ ¡¾Recipient: Charlotte de Castell¡¿ ¡¾Ritual effect: The Servant''s Final Oath of the Contract God Mithra, one of the most strict and overbearing servant contracts in the world; the practitioner will sign an eternal and irrevocable master-servant contract with the recipient, the servant will unconditionally obey any requests of the master, and survival and death are only at the master''s whim.¡¿ ¡¾Interception probability assessment: 100%¡¿ ¡¾Intercept?¡¿ Charlotte: ... Chapter 20: Give it Quickly Nice was very excited. Since becoming extraordinary, it had never imagined it would have a day like today.It had fallen so far, yet it still had the chance to enslave a Goddess! Not only that, but such a beautiful Goddess, whose mere presence would brighten one''s mood every day! Just thinking about how the lofty Goddess would be defiled by it, and how it would reluctantly pout every day to give it a knee pillow, groom it, feed it small fish, and warm its bed... Nice felt its brain unable to contain itself from trembling with excitement! The feeling of trampling a strong opponent underneath, seeing the other party furious yet helpless against oneself, was truly an immensely pleasurable thing! It had almost imagined what kinds of embarrassing things it would make the other party do under its influence after successfully enslaving her! And the benefits of enslaving a God were not just limited to that. Once it signed the Servant''s Final Oath, a contract that directly targeted the soul, sealing the other party''s strength, the other party wouldn''t be able to escape its grasp for the rest of its life! Not only would it gain a noble and beautiful attendant, but it would also gain a powerful sidekick! Nice could already imagine the wonderful and fantastical new life it would have after signing the contract. "Hehe, when I return to the church hospital with her, Raoul''s expression will surely be quite entertaining!" Imagining the old priest''s dumbfounded expression, Nice became increasingly excited. Brilliant light emanated from its body, and its proud and unrestrained voice echoed through the night. "Meow¡ª¡ª!" "Your Excellency the great and arrogant Evil God! Please remember, all arrogance... comes with a painful price!" "Hehehe... If anyone is to blame, it''s you for choosing such a weak vessel as the medium to descend upon!" With that, Nice waved its paw, and a phantom silver halo connected it to Charlotte. This was the most crucial step to come. It would sign the most stringent master-servant contract with this evil god on the level of the soul. Sacred radiance enveloped Nice. It felt its soul being instantly pulled, soaring towards the sealed evil god. It was suddenly stunned. Wait a minute! Why is it my soul being pulled instead?! Before it could figure out what was happening, it was brought into a vast and mysterious spiritual world. It found itself in a towering and mysterious black castle, surrounded by crimson mist. In the center of the castle hall, on ascending stairs, a majestic and mysterious Blood Throne came into view. S?a??h the Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Above the throne, crimson light gradually condensed into a beautiful blond-haired, blood-colored eyes girl. She wore a black-gold Gothic gown, crossed her legs, supported her head with one hand, and flipped through a thick blood-colored book with the other. An ancient and vast aura emanated from her as if it originated from a long-forgotten past. She chuckled lightly, her eyes as bright as the blooming spring, casting a playful glance. "Nice, your contract... I gladly accept it." Her voice was ethereal and melodious. However, to Nice''s ears, it sounded like a demon''s whisper. At this point, it finally realized a terrifying reality that made its hair stand up... Sh*t! The covenant it cast... was f*cking reversed! When did this happen?! When did it get contaminated?! Nice was instantly horrified. Bewilderment, shock, incomprehension, confusion... Various thoughts tumbled in its mind. "No... no! I won''t sign the contract! Meow!" Nice cried out, wanting to escape from this illusory spiritual world. But soon it found that it had completely lost control of its consciousness. The contract ritual... had already begun. "Meow¡ª¡ª!" In Nice''s desperate gaze, one after another silver chains converged around it, forming a mysterious thorn and rose imprint, and then directly pierced into its soul. Boom! The dazzling divine light dissipated, and Nise returned to reality. In a daze, it felt like its soul had gained some extra shackles. The serene moonlight was still beautiful. But the black cat felt like the whole world had lost its color. Charlotte still stood in the Prison of Order, looking at it with a smile that was not a smile. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Looking at those sapphire-like beautiful eyes, Nice shuddered coldly. It swallowed hard and forced out a smile. "Cough... Your Excellency..." "I suddenly remembered, the cat bowl at home seems to be unwashed..." "Uh, you can enjoy the moonlight slowly. Nice has something to do, so Nice will leave first!" "Goodbye to you!" With that, it turned around and ran away. "Stop." A cold command rang clear amid the night wind. On Nice''s forehead, the thorn and rose imprint flashed, and the cat abruptly stopped in its tracks. It wasn''t because it wanted to stop. It was because its damn body stopped on its own! "Sit down." The second command came. With a "plop," the black cat Nice, as if seized by an irresistible force, sat down on the ground, its fat cat face turned extremely ugly. "Roll over." The third command came. Nise widened its eyes, somewhat incredulous. "Meow! You can kill a Cat! But never humiliate!" It said angrily then... it obediently lay down on the ground, rolling over playfully. Nice was on the verge of tears but it was obvious that Charlotte had no intention of letting it go. "Well done, now do a backflip." Her voice was much more playful and cheerful. Nice:... It glared angrily at the girl, its eyes almost spitting fire. But its chubby body moved involuntarily, leaping up... And then with a "plop"... It fell to the ground. ... "Caw caw caw..." In the distance, several crows cawed cheerfully, as if mocking Nice for eating sh*t. In the cool night breeze, Charlotte sighed lightly. "You need to lose weight." Nice:... At that moment, the sound of hooves became clear, and several powerful auras rushed towards the courtyard. Charlotte''s gaze slightly narrowed. Her cold gaze swept across the messy courtyard, and her eyes finally met Nice''s. Looking at the bloodstains and the gruesome corpses all over the ground, Nice''s eyes flickered slightly, and it suddenly smiled. "Hehe, it seems that the people from the Demon Hunter Department are here." "Unfortunately... your secret will eventually be revealed!" Saying this, it became gloating again. Charlotte also smiled. Watching Nise smile. That beautiful and charming smile, in Nice''s eyes, was like a devil disguised as an angel. The next moment, her expression turned cold, and she glanced lightly at the black cat. "Clean up, understood?" The holy symbol on its forehead flickered slightly, and Nice''s smile froze on its face. Chapter 21: Cat Prop and Drama Queen "Sir Knight! It''s the courtyard ahead! I saw a carriage go in there with two horsemen following!""They also had crossbows in their hands!" On the dilapidated street, a skinny vagrant pointed to the yard not far away, trying to please. In front of him were two squads of knights. One squad dressed in black robes and carried silver swords, obviously knights from the Demon Hunter''s group. Leading them were the Silver Moon female knight, Kara, and the Duke''s son, Leno, followed by the anxious old butler of the Castell family, Casimodo. The other squad was uniformly dressed in leather armor, the city guards of Borde City, led by a nobleman with a mustache. The nobleman in the robe was talking to the vagrant. He touched his mustache with dignity, nodded slightly, and then looked obsequiously at Leno beside him. "Lord Leno, it should be here. This used to be the mansion of Count Brois. After the disaster ten years ago, it was abandoned." "We received a report about fifteen minutes ago that someone was galloping through the city. The description of the carriage matches that of the Castell family''s carriage, and it''s likely the kidnappers." Leno nodded solemnly and then looked at Kara. Kara didn''t speak but directly led the Demon Hunter knights into the yard. Leno hesitated for a moment, subconsciously wanting to follow, but after scanning the hopeful vagrant beside him, he stopped and reached into his pocket. After some searching, his expression became awkward. After exchanging a glance with the vagrant, he cleared his throat and awkwardly averted his gaze, casually saying to the others. "Captain Kara has gone in. Let''s catch up." With that, he rode after them. The vagrant sighed and looked at the nobleman in the robe, who was the sheriff. The nobleman:... "What are you standing around for? Get out of the way! Can you afford to delay the affairs of the Demon Hunter?" He had a stern face, and his whip cracked in the air as he coldly ordered. Then, he also rushed in with the remaining city guards. Kicking up dust in the air and leaving the cursing vagrant. "Damn! Stingy nobles! Curse you all for not having assholes in your next life!" ... S?a??h th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. As everyone entered the courtyard, a strong smell of blood hit them. Almost everyone''s faces changed drastically. Kara''s gaze swept over the beast-like bloodstains on the ground. She dismounted, knelt down, and grabbed a handful of blood-stained soil. Leno also followed up, looking around. He said. "The blood has not yet solidified, probably within fifteen minutes to half an hour ago. Judging from the signs of the battle, it should be some kind of small monster, humanoid in nature." Surprisingly, Kara glanced at him but said nothing. Her gaze followed the bloodstains to the broken carriage and the hideous corpses not far away. "Two attendants had their hearts ripped out, and one... sigh... looks miserable, seems to be the first one to encounter the monster." Leno clicked his tongue. He then stroked his chin, lost in thought. "This killing method... is a bit like¡ª" "Bloodborne." Kara continued. Her gaze had been wandering around as if searching for something. "Blood... bloodborne?! Lady Kara, do you mean my master has encountered a bloodborne again?!" Casimodo widened his eyes, looking terrified, large beads of sweat almost instantly forming on his forehead. "Don''t panic first, your master is not here, which is a good thing." Leno comforted. After saying that, he went up to investigate but was tripped by something on the ground. Leno looked down and found it was a hand crossbow. He picked up the hand crossbow, intending to throw it away after a few glances, but his expression suddenly changed. After carefully examining the handle of the crossbow, his face became even more unsightly. Quietly looking at the demon hunter knights and city guards who were searching the scene, he silently put away the crossbow. The scene in the courtyard was appalling. After a careful investigation, everyone confirmed that the three people who had kidnapped the young lady of the Castell family were all dead. Even the horses pulling the carriage were found dead in the woods. However, the abducted girl was nowhere to be found. Casimodo''s expression became even more anxious and worried, and the faces of the demon hunter knights gradually became solemn. At this moment, a crazy roar suddenly came from the deeper part of the courtyard. "Roar!" Without hesitation, Knight Kara rushed over almost instantly, followed by the remaining demon hunter knights. Leno hesitated for a moment, then followed with the nobleman and the city guards. They bypassed a patch of woods and the view opened up. What came into view was an abandoned garden, with a conspicuous silver light cage in the night, trapping a hunched humanoid monster inside. It had sharp fangs, and its long tongue was dripping with saliva. It kept roaring and struggling inside the cage. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Leno''s gaze slightly narrowed, and Kara''s eyes flashed with a cold light. "It''s a frenzied bloodborne." "Yo! You guys finally came, meow!" A hoarse voice attracted everyone''s attention. They looked over and saw a fat black cat lying lazily on a broken sculpture not far from the light cage. One of its front paws was propping up its head, while the other front paw was yawning. "Yawn... if you didn''t come soon, this Cat Master would have fallen asleep." "Lord Nice? What are you doing here?" The demon hunter knights were slightly surprised. Knight Kara wasn''t surprised but asked concisely. "Where is she?" "Yawn... she''s in the carriage behind me!" It gestured with its paw behind it. There, a perfectly intact carriage was parked. Under the moonlight, with the night breeze blowing, the curtains of the carriage were blown open, revealing the scene inside. Inside the carriage, a petite and beautiful girl was curled up in the corner, sleeping peacefully. Her breathing was steady, her white dress was neat, her slightly developed chest rose and fell gently, her long eyelashes trembled slightly, and she occasionally puckered her lips, as if dreaming sweetly. "Master!" Casimodo was overjoyed and hurriedly went over. "Shh! Keep your voice down! She''s still asleep!" The black cat quickly raised a paw to its mouth and hushing. "Um... oh oh!" Casimodo was stunned for a moment, nodded quickly, and became unusually gentle and careful in his movements. The black cat breathed a sigh of relief. At this moment, Kara looked at it, her voice as cold as ever. "What happened?" "Heh, what else could happen? Those three idiots had bad luck. Whether to choose or not to choose this courtyard as their base, who knows there was still an out-of-control bloodborne hidden here!" The black cat sneered. With a resentful tone, it continued. "That''s really an ugly and cunning bloodborne! So cruel! So evil!" "If it weren''t for this Cat Master secretly following along, Miss Castell might have suffered!" "Well, it''s good you''re here. Maintaining this Prison of Order has exhausted this Cat Master!" "Is it you? Did you save my master?" Casimodo was full of gratitude. The black cat''s expression was slightly unnatural. It coughed and glanced guiltily at the sleeping girl behind it before arrogantly saying. "Um cough, Cat Master was also entrusted by someone to protect your Miss just before! If you want to thank... go thank Raoul at the church hospital!" When it mentioned the name Raoul, it almost gritted its teeth. "Thank you! Thank you very much! The Castell family will never forget your kindness!" Casimodo kept thanking. The voices of everyone seemed to wake up the sleeping girl. A weak hum came from the carriage. Casimodo''s spirits lifted, and he hurriedly went over, surprised. "Master! Master, you''re awake!" Her long eyelashes trembled slightly, and the girl slowly opened her drowsy eyes, her confused gaze carrying a hint of bewilderment. Seeing Casimodo''s ugly and worried face, her gaze gradually regained focus. Her delicate and pretty face revealed a sweet and innocent smile, and her delicate voice was pleasant to the ear, like an angel. "Oh! It''s Casimodo..." "Are we... home?" Nice:... Chapter 22: Moderation is Also Key in Losing Weight "It was a good performance."In the slowly moving carriage, Charlotte crossed her legs casually, one hand resting on the windowsill, the other holding a crystal goblet filled with milk, looking quite relaxed. In the corner at the diagonal end of the carriage, Nice the black cat curled up, its amber vertical pupils staring fixedly at the milk stains at the corner of the girl''s mouth, struggling to swallow a mouthful of saliva. Noticing its brazen gaze, Charlotte''s expression turned cold, and she lightly wiped her mouth with a handkerchief. Nice had a rather regretful expression and sarcastically said. "I can''t compare to Your Excellency. You are a true genius actor. You could go straight to the theater and play the leading role!" Charlotte:... Charlotte took a sip of the rich milk and said. "In the future, address me as Charlotte in public." "Afterwards, address me as master in private." Nice stared with widened cat eyes, immediately angered. "Bah! You evil god! Don''t think you can make me submit!" "Oh?" Charlotte glanced at it lightly. The holy emblem on its forehead flashed, Nice''s expression changed, and finally gritted its teeth. "Master!" That resentful tone, as if it wanted to eat her flesh and drink her blood. "Good." Charlotte smiled satisfactorily, her lips slightly curved. She was feeling quite good now. Finally out of the church hospital, finally escaped the crisis, defeated the plot to kidnap her, and incidentally acquired a seemingly powerful cat prop. Everything was getting better. And now, seeing this previously audacious black cat visibly angry but having to yield to her dominance, made Charlotte''s mood even more delightful. This feeling of deriving happiness from others'' pain is quite nice. She felt as if some strange attribute within her had awakened. "Tell me, how did you summon a monster just now?" Charlotte leaned against the window and looked at the black cat with interest. Nice face sneered sarcastically. "Does it please you to use me for entertainment? As an evil god, you should be familiar with this kind of specified evil summoning spell, right? There are many exiled bloodbornes in the dark dimension!" "Summoning spell? In that case... you''re not just a priest, but also a mage?" Charlotte raised an eyebrow. Nice remained smirking, his resentful expression seeming to say: You''re pretending, aren''t you? "Actually... you misunderstood. I am not an Evil God." Charlotte pondered for a moment. Since she had become the master, she felt it necessary to clarify some things in advance, to be open and honest, and to avoid misunderstandings and trouble in the future. "Of course, I''m not the original Charlotte. You can see me as a traveler who accidentally arrived in this world." Nice remained silent, just sneering in the corner. Its expression was full of disbelief, its hoarse voice as sarcastic as ever. "Oh, yes, yes! Everything you say is true! Whatever you say, that''s what it is!" Charlotte: ... She suddenly had the urge to grab the back of its neck and throw it out of the carriage window. Taking a deep breath, Charlotte reminded herself not to stoop to the level of a fat cat. Then, she shook her head and said. "Actually, you didn''t need to summon a blood demon." "Just find a reason to say you banished it." Nice stared blankly for a moment. It widened its eyes as if having a sudden realization. Damn! How didn''t I think of that?! Charlotte secretly shook her head, feeling that this guy''s head wasn''t as sharp as she had thought. She looked at the dress she was wearing and asked her final question. "One last thing... why do you have the clothes I wore at the church hospital?" The angry expression on the black cat''s face instantly dissipated. Instead, there were evasive eyes and a dodging gaze. It turned its head unnaturally, whistling as it looked out the window: "Cough, cough, the moon tonight is really beautiful!" Charlotte: ... Her expression gradually turned cold, her gaze deepening. That disdainful look, as if she were looking at trash, made the black cat''s heart pound. Suddenly, the girl smiled. Her voice was sweet but devoid of any warmth. "Roll down by yourself and run along with the carriage." Nice in a shocked state: ... ... "Huh? Lord Nice, why did you get off the carriage?" We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Outside the carriage, the demon-hunter knight serving as the rearguard was puzzled to see the black cat suddenly roll out of the carriage and pant heavily as it followed the carriage. "What are you looking at? This master wants to lose weight! Is it not okay to run along with the carriage?!" Nice mumbled a few curses with his big fat cheeks drooping, but his four short legs were not idle. Inside the carriage, Charlotte chuckled lightly and withdrew her gaze. She could see that although her new servant seemed quite capable and had quite a background, it also had many annoying habits. To make it obedient, she would need to give it some proper discipline. Otherwise, this guy would definitely be a typical one who wouldn''t respect boundaries. The grand procession moved forward smoothly, surrounded by seven or eight demon-hunter knights guarding around. Charlotte felt like a rare protected animal. Thinking about it, she could understand. She was kidnapped in front of everyone on the day she was discharged from the hospital, which was also a naked slap in the face to the church. At this time, they would definitely arrange for demon-hunter knights to escort her all the way. However, Captain Kara had already returned early, supposedly performing other tasks. Similarly, the Duke''s son, Leno, hurriedly left as well, seeming to have encountered some urgent matter. Their early departure reduced a lot of pressure on Charlotte. Both of them were genuine second-tier Silver Moon transcendent beings. They were powerful. As long as the several third-tier old folks in the city didn''t come out, they would be able to act freely in Borde. Although both of them didn''t know her true identity, standing in front of such strong people, Charlotte still felt a little uneasy. The carriage continued on its way. It wasn''t until it completely left the dilapidated block that the demon-hunter knights guarding around finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Master, we have left the abandoned area. Are you going back to the estate or to the lodging point in the Eastern City?" Casimodo, the carriage driver, stopped the horse and lowered the soundproof window to ask respectfully. "The lodging point in the Eastern City?" Charlotte''s heart moved. "The family has a villa in the Eastern City that has been unoccupied for a long time. I''ve had it cleaned up. It''s smaller than the estate, but it''s much cleaner and safer than the estate." Casimodo said. Perhaps it was because of the existence of transcendent beings, the scale of the cities in this world was much larger than that of medieval eras on Earth. Take Borde, the capital of the Borde Duchy, for example. The whole city could be divided into the outer city and the main city, with each district having a population of at least over a hundred and fifty thousand. Among them, the outer city was the largest, with a population of over two hundred thousand, inhabited by commoners and the lower class, with slums and the abandoned city area where Charlotte was kidnapped also located here. The main city was smaller and less populated, but it was the core of Borde City, which could be further divided into the east and west city districts. The Eastern City was built around the Duke''s mansion and the cathedral, serving as the political center, cultural, and religious center of the entire Borde Duchy. Almost all the Duchy''s nobles, priests, and merchants owned property here, and some big families even directly owned estates. Of course, these estates located in the city were much smaller than those in the countryside, more like villa groups with large gardens or vegetable gardens. The Western City was the commercial and handicraft area, mainly inhabited by wealthy citizens, artisans, technicians, fallen nobles, and merchants, and was closest to the outer city where ordinary civilians lived. Because the land price was lower than that of the Eastern City, most of the noble families'' estates were also located here. Charlotte crossed the Castell Estate, located in this area. It wasn''t that the Castell family couldn''t afford an estate in the Eastern City. It was because as a branch family of the Borde family, the Castell family''s first-generation head of the family moved out of the Eastern City since the founding of the family. Even though they had developed later, the focus of the family had long shifted to Castell, the Count''s territory. Since then, the Castell family no longer purchased new estate properties in the Eastern City. Charlotte quickly understood Casimodo''s meaning. This old servant was probably worried that the Castell Estate, where something had happened, would leave her with psychological shadows. In addition, the Eastern City''s villa, being close to the Duke''s mansion and the cathedral, was indeed safer. Seriously speaking, Charlotte did have some psychological shadows about the Castell Estate. Anyone who thought that there had been hundreds of undead there for an unknown period of time would feel a chill. "Has the estate been cleaned?" After a brief moment of thought, Charlotte asked. Casimodo hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "It has been cleaned." "Then let''s go back to the estate." Charlotte said. Although the Castell Estate was, in a sense, a "haunted house," considering her current status as a bloodborne member, Charlotte felt that this place, which was far from the church, was more suitable for her. She also planned to study the abilities of bloodborne and the Gospel at home, and it was safer to try blood summoning in a more private place. In addition, staying away from the Eastern City would reduce interactions with other nobles. Charlotte could imagine how popular she would be in noble circles now. Not only was she beautiful and cute, but she also owned a large estate that she was about to inherit. A walking gold mine, or a buy-one-get-one-free type of deal. With Charlotte''s order, Casimodo hesitated but ultimately bowed respectfully. "As you command." Once the destination was confirmed, things proceeded quickly. The Castell Estate was not far from the outer city, and after about fifteen minutes of travel, the carriage arrived. "Master, we''re here." S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Casimodo opened the door for Charlotte. With the careful support of the other, Charlotte gracefully stepped out of the carriage and looked at the Castell Estate in the night. This place, which was warm and beautiful in her memory, was now pitch black and looked somewhat eerie and desolate. "Miss Charlotte, we''ve escorted you home, so we''ll take our leave now." The leading demon-hunter knight said. Charlotte glanced at Casimodo, and he immediately understood, taking out a purse from his chest and handing it over with both hands. "To the esteemed gentlemen, thank you for escorting us. Please accept this token of gratitude from Castell..." After some refusal, the demon-hunter knight accepted the purse, feeling its weight, and his face immediately broke into a smile. He tossed the purse to his companion, then placed his right hand over his chest and bowed. "Miss Charlotte, you''re too kind. I''m Chatham, a first-tier Starry Sky knight, and the captain of the third squad of Borde''s demon-hunter squad." "If you need anything in the future, come find me at the Borde Demon Hunter Headquarters." "Miss Charlotte, until we meet again!" With that, the demon-hunter knights mounted their horses and were about to leave. Only at this moment did Nice, the black cat, panting heavily, come running from afar. As soon as it reached the carriage, it collapsed directly to the ground, limbs sprawled out, belly up, panting heavily. "Huff... Huff... Finally... Finally arrived..." "It''s too damn far... It''s really too damn far! It''s worn this master out!" Seeing its gasping appearance, the captain of the demon-hunter squad hesitated for a moment and was reminded seriously. "Lord Nice, even if you''re trying to lose weight... you still need to do it in moderation!" Nice: ... Chapter 23: Retrieve my Belongings Charlotte finally had a good night''s sleep. Without the nightly "praying whispers towards Ancient God" that she experienced when she first transmigrated, and without the anxiety she felt at the church hospital, she slept straight through until almost noon.In fact, if it weren''t for the annoying window knocking from the black cat Nice that woke her up, Charlotte felt that she could have slept until evening. "I should have told you last night, just come back through the front door and don''t disturb my slumber." With her beautiful golden hair looking like a hedgehog, Charlotte sat half upright on the bed, hugging a pillow, and looked coldly at the black cat drinking water from a teapot. "Cough, isn''t the front door closed, meow? Besides, Cat Mast... um, I''m used to coming in through the window." Nice said with a smirk, its amber eyes constantly peeking at the white chest of the girl. No matter how Charlotte looked at it, she felt like the other party was doing it on purpose, clearly deliberate revenge. "Oh? So... the cat I saw outside the window that evening during the blood sacrifice was you?" She used the pillow to block her body and squinted at the elongated neck of the black cat. "Huh? Cat? What cat?" Nice retracted its neck, looked up at the ceiling, and started playing dumb. "The demon hunter knights that night, did you also call them here for backup?" "What are you talking about? I don''t know anything! It wasn''t me, don''t falsely accuse me!" S?a??h the N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Nice denied it outright. Charlotte understood. "Did you find out what I asked you to investigate last night?" She was too lazy to argue with the other party about these trivial matters and turned to more serious matters. "Well... how should I put it, I''m not sure if I''ve found out." The black cat scratched its head. "Hmm?" Charlotte snorted lightly. "Yesterday when we left, I told the city guards to track it down, and I also arranged for the demon hunter guys to ambush, but... neither the city guards nor the demon hunter found anyone waiting at the location on the parchment." Nice said. "Nobody?" "Yeah, nobody." "The plan got found out?" "No... it''s more like nobody showed up at all." "No one showed up? Strange, then why did they kidnap me..." Charlotte frowned. She initially thought it might be an enemy of the Castell family, but now she felt something was wrong. Everything that happened last night quickly flashed through her mind like a slideshow, and the girl began to rethink. From being abducted by the fake servant, to killing him later, to the demon hunter knights and city guards arriving, to Nice''s fruitless investigation... Gradually, a complete chain of events... began to form in her mind. Charlotte had some guesses. Thinking about it, she reached out and searched under the blanket, pulling out the hand crossbow she brought back last night. Then, she tossed it to Nice directly. Nice''s eyes lit up, it hugged it with both paws and then stretched its neck to sniff. But when she saw Charlotte''s cold gaze, she quickly coughed and shrank back, looking guilty. "Go check the vagrant who led the way last night, and find out where this crossbow came from." Charlotte said. "Huh? How do I check? Isn''t this a standard hand crossbow from Crescent Kingdom?" Nice held the crossbow, turning it over and over, looking puzzled. Charlotte shook her head. "If my guess is correct, you should be able to easily trace its source by continuing to investigate it. Perhaps... it belongs to the Duke''s mansion." "The... Duke''s mansion?!" Nice widened her eyes, astonished. "What about the Rose Society? How''s the investigation going?" Charlotte didn''t explain further but turned to other questions. "The Rose Society probably has nothing to do with this. It''s just a black intermediary group that takes commissions. They rely on having a second-tier transcendent being as their background support for protection in the underworld." Nice shook its head. With that, it scratched its chin. "But Cat Master... cough, I unexpectedly found out something else." "What?" "It seems that your cheap grandmother has a very close relationship with the Rose Society. There are many tasks posted on their mission board that she once issued, including some requests to buy sacrificial materials, and she even sold a page of a cursed book. Moreover... she seems to be an honorary member of the Rose Society." Countess Castell? A page from the Gospel? Charlotte''s heart stirred. She never imagined that the old lady with the crazy reputation had more than one page of the Gospel in her possession! Charlotte was about to ask further questions but noticed the high-raised tail of the black cat. Suddenly, she squinted her eyes and said. "You seem quite excited?" "Huh? What? Excited? Meow! No way!" Nice continued to play dumb. Charlotte quietly looked at it. After a moment, seemingly unable to bear her oppressive gaze, Nice scratched its head and reluctantly admitted. "Okay, I admit it, I''m a bit excited, but... please allow me to ask you a question first." We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "Ask." "That night, your cheap grandmother did indeed offer a sacrifice to the Bloodborne Archduke, right? And... just like you changed my servant oath yesterday, did you also change her sacrifice?" Wow, it figured that out? Charlotte looked at Nice unexpectedly, neither admitting nor denying it. Nice instantly became excited. "Do you have a grudge against the Archduke?" "What does that have to do with you?" Charlotte asked in return. "Meow! Of course, it matters! Because I also have a grudge against him... uh, no, against the Blood Demon Cult!" Nice exclaimed, raising its paw excitedly, even its raised tail trembling. "Meow! If you''re going to deal with the Blood... Demon Cult, you must take me with you!" Charlotte didn''t respond. She didn''t know if she had a grudge against the Blood Demon Cult. It depended on whether they would continue to cause trouble for her and if they had any pages of the Gospel in their possession. The Gospel of Blood were Charlotte''s trump card, and she was the owner of it. Completing the Gospel of Blood would undoubtedly be one of her future goals. "If necessary, I will. After all, you''re my servant." Charlotte said lightly. With that, she asked again. "How much do you know about the pages of the cursed book?" "Cursed book''s pages?" Nice was stunned. After thinking for a moment, it replied. "I only know that it was once a very ancient artifact of the Bloodborne, but it was destroyed during the Bloodborne Civil War. Not only did it lose most of its power, but it was also cursed... Anyone who gets the pages will eventually go mad, even the bloodborne will lose control and become monsters!" A curse... Charlotte pondered. She thought of the Countess from that night. After a moment of contemplation, she continued. "Continue investigating the Rose Society and the Blood Demon Cult, and also find out the whereabouts of the cursed page that Countess Castell sold, as well as other clues about cursed pages." "Why are you investigating these things?" Nice asked curiously. "Of course, to retrieve my belongings." "Your belongings?" Nice looked confused. "Well, I''m getting up now, you can leave, and remember to organize all the magic you know into a book and give it to me." Charlotte didn''t explain further but issued the eviction order. Nice:... Although it was curious in its heart, ultimately fearing Charlotte''s authority, it sighed and left the bedroom obediently. "Retrieve... her belongings?" After closing the door, Nice, still holding the crossbow, remained puzzled. Suddenly, seeming to realize something, the black cat''s figure suddenly froze. "Her belongings? Wait! Cursed page?!" With a "clatter," the crossbow in Nice''s arms fell to the ground. Its eyes widened, and it couldn''t help but start trembling. "Her... her, her, her, her...!" "Could it be... could she be...!?" ... Charlotte had no idea how much shock her words had brought to the cat. After Nice left, she struggled to get out of bed. After the night''s sleep, the aftermath of her bloodthirst had disappeared. Charlotte felt as if she had been reborn, full of strength throughout her body. Without the service of maids, she naturally abandoned the cumbersome noble dress and simply put on a dress that even she could manage on her own. But her beautiful golden hair was a bit difficult to manage. There were always servants to help with grooming, and even female priests helped when she was at the church hospital, but now it was just Charlotte herself, and she could only stare blankly. At this moment, she truly realized how much effort the servants had put into maintaining her beautiful golden hair. Beauty comes with a price. Perhaps I should see if there''s any magic that can take care of it on its own. Maybe I can learn it too? Charlotte thought so. Breakfast... no, lunch was very simple. A plate of vegetable salad, a small steak, a small piece of fried goose liver, and a small dish of flower skin cheese. In addition, there was Charlotte''s favorite, mushroom cream soup. Lunch was prepared by Casimodo. Although it didn''t taste as good as the estate chef''s, it was still decent. There was no choice. Now the vast Castell estate only had Casimodo and Charlotte. Being able to manage the business of the silverware shop while taking care of herself, Charlotte considered this old servant almost like a versatile warrior. "After eating, go summon some servants." After eating and drinking, Charlotte looked at the empty estate and her somewhat messy golden hair and said after some contemplation. But noticing the other''s expression, Charlotte''s heart stirred. "Hmm? Is there a problem?" Casimodo sighed, smiling bitterly. "Master, actually... there are indeed some problems." Chapter 24: Financial Crisis "What? No money?"Charlotte''s tone slightly rose, her expression somewhat incredulous. She really couldn''t understand it. The wealthy Castell family could actually have a day when they had no money! "Yes, Countess... um, that person seems to have spent all the money in the accounts. I specifically checked after your orders, and now there''s only a little over 5000 gold Tana left in the family accounts..." Casimodo scratched his head, looking troubled. Charlotte: ... "5000 gold Tana..." She couldn''t help it, she even smirked slightly. No wonder... Because this amount of money was not insignificant, even for ordinary people or even for extraordinary individuals who had not reached a high level, this was already a huge sum. After traversing so many days, Charlotte wasn''t exactly a novice anymore, even during the days she spent in the hospital, she feverishly self-studied the common knowledge of this world. Let''s talk about it, in the Myria world, regardless of any race or country, the currency used was the "Tana," issued jointly by the Holy Court leading several other divine churches. Tana was a circular metal currency, divided into gold, silver, and copper, with a very simple and crude official exchange ratio of 1:100:1000. Of course, this setting was quite ridiculous, absolutely something the responsible issuing priests came up with on a whim, completely out of touch with reality. In fact, depending on the quality of the minting, the economic situation of the local area, and differences in gold and silver ore reserves, the real exchange rates of various countries and regions were different, and they were always changing, mostly higher than the official ratio. Take the Borde Duchy for example, the current real exchange rate of Tana on the market was 1:117:1316, slightly lower on the black market, but still considerably higher than the official rate. As for the income of ordinary people... Charlotte had once chatted with citizens who came to worship at the church. The other party was shocked and told her that in Borde City, a skilled craftsman''s monthly salary was probably around 2-3 gold Tana. 5000 gold Tana... The other party wouldn''t earn that much even if they didn''t eat or drink for three lifetimes! That was for skilled craftsmen in the western city area. The income of commoners in the outer city area would likely be even less! The income of extraordinary individuals would certainly be a bit higher; the monthly allowance for apprentice priests in the church hospitals was generally around 15 gold Tana. But even so, it was outrageous! 5000 gold Tana would be enough for an apprentice priest to live without eating or drinking for over twenty years! Ridiculous... And he still called it being broke? She didn''t plan to hire one or two hundred servants like she used to, she just wanted enough to maintain the normal operation of the estate! Not to mention, a considerable sum of money would be sent to the estate at the end of each month. Although Charlotte didn''t know exactly how much money was sent to the estate each month, in her memory, there was always a large group of armored knights escorting the money carts when this happened! In other words, we just needed to hold out until the end of the month. 5000 gold Tana... Could it not even last half a month? How was that possible? Charlotte was about to complain, but when she saw the lunch on the table that she hadn''t finished, she suddenly had a thought and asked. "How much is this steak?" "This is an imported steak from the Northern Duchy, a royal exclusive, probably around 30 gold Tana." Charlotte: ... "And this pan-fried goose liver?" "It''s an imported Highland Hill Wild Goose liver from the Fallen Star Kingdom, marinated with secret sauce, this small piece... at most 50 gold Tana." At most... Charlotte felt her eye twitching. "And the Truffle Cheese and Creamy Mushroom Soup?" "It''s the same as the one supplied to the Crescent Royal Family by the Honey Factory, limited production, transported directly by mages after preparation, it costs 25 gold Tana, the vegetable salad is cheaper, only 5 gold Tana." Charlotte: ... Damn cheap! This plate of sparse leaves costs as much as two months'' income for a skilled craftsman?! Was she eating gold?! No, even gold wasn''t this expensive! She finally understood why the money wasn''t enough... Was she really spending over 100 gold Tana on one lunch?! Equivalent to a regular artisan''s income for ten years?! And this was considered a "simple lunch" as Casimodo said? "Has the estate... always been like this?" Charlotte took a deep breath and asked. Casimodo scratched his head, looking somewhat embarrassed. "No, it wasn''t like this before, the quality used to be better, but now, we''re tight on finances, so we can only be a bit more frugal." Charlotte: ... Damn frugal! "What''s wrong, my lady, are the dishes not to your liking?" Casimodo asked cautiously. "No, they''re fine; I just feel... my stomach is quite valuable." Charlotte sighed. Casimodo tilted his head, seeming not to understand. "How much do you spend on your meals each day?" Charlotte suddenly asked. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "Me?" Casimodo blinked slightly. "Yes." Charlotte nodded. The old servant thought for a moment and said. "Reporting to my lady, our family has always been very generous to the servants; when we''re at the inn, we have about 10 silver Tana per day for meals, and when we''re at the estate, it''s a bit higher, about 30 silver Tana." Charlotte: ... So the daily meal allowance wasn''t even enough for a single leaf of vegetables on the table! "What did you have for lunch?" Charlotte asked again. "Um... I haven''t had anything today. Yesterday... I had a grilled pancake, a ham sandwich, half a roast chicken, and a large cup of wine." Casimodo answered honestly. Isn''t that quite sumptuous?! And... it''s only 10 silver Tana! Damn financial crisis! It''s obviously just the estate being too extravagant! The price of a dessert after a meal was equivalent to a monthly allowance for a church priest... The life of nobles was truly extravagant! S~?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "From now on, reduce the cost of my meals to about the same as yours, I don''t eat much anyway." Charlotte thought for a moment and said. "This... isn''t appropriate, my lady. You''re the master, we''re the servants... and this is also beneath the dignity of nobility..." Casimodo hesitated. "Being dignified when you''re rich is dignified. Being dignified when you''re broke is just being a poser and asking for trouble." Charlotte shook her head. She picked up a crystal goblet and took a sip of milk, continuing. "Now that I am the head of the Castell family, everything goes as I say. Since there isn''t much in the family coffers, we need to be frugal and save some money, and the extra money can be used to hire more servants." Casimodo hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, my lady. It''s just that..." "Just what?" "Just that... I''m afraid no one would be willing to come to our estate." Casimodo smiled wryly. Charlotte was taken aback for a moment, then instantly understood. The Castell estate had seen deaths, and not just ordinary deaths, but a notorious case involving bloody ritual, with the previous head of the family likely being involved with a blood demon cult. In a place involving blood sacrifices to evil gods, any normal person would probably not dare to come. After all, nothing was more important than one''s life. With the recent activities of the blood demon cult, no one dared to guarantee that the Castell family wouldn''t have another incident... "Give it a try; increase the commission a bit, there will always be brave ones. Um... or, we can also call back some servants from the family''s shops in the city." Charlotte thought for a moment and said. Casimodo was even more hesitant. "About that... actually... I wanted to report to you..." "Hmm?" "Most of the clerks of our shops... have left..." Charlotte: ... "Huh? What''s going on?" "It''s just rumors... in the days after the incident, rumors were spreading underneath, saying that the blood demon cult was eyeing the Castell family, and if they didn''t leave soon, they''d end up being sacrificed sooner or later, or turned into undead. As a result... most of them left in a few days..." Charlotte: ... "Sigh, forget it, let''s try our best." She rubbed her temples and sighed. After receiving the orders, Casimodo prepared to clear the table and leave. "Hold on, let me finish eating first before you clean up." Looking at the remaining lunch, Charlotte hesitated for a moment and said. Although she was already full, she couldn''t bear to waste this meal when she thought about its cost. This was all money! A meal like this could cover her food expenses at the church hospital for several months! Forcing herself to finish the last piece of steak, Charlotte finished lunch, and Casimodo cleaned up and left. When the old servant left the estate, only Charlotte was left. Casimodo wouldn''t be back for a while, so Charlotte glanced at the time and decided to try out the Blood Summoning that had already been fully charged. Chapter 25: Blood Calling Charlotte had been looking forward to the Blood Calling for a long time.To be on the safe side, she chose the location to try it out in the basement of the mansion. This was her second time in the basement after transmigrated. The first time, she was a sacrifice who couldn''t control her own life and death, but the second time, she was the lord of the entire mansion and even the Castell family. Life is so unpredictable. The basement had obviously been carefully cleaned, empty along with some dim light, and not much different from the ordinary cellar of a mansion. No one would think that just a few days ago, there were still hundreds of living corpses here... Lighting the candles and closing the iron door, Charlotte sat down in the center of the basement. Closing her eyes and sinking into consciousness, she once again projected that ancient book in her mind. [Gospel of Blood - Genesis Chapter] [Master of the Scripture (Activated), Blood Calling (Available), True Ancestor Liberation (Sealed)] Seeing the completed charging of the Blood Calling in the Genesis Chapter, Charlotte no longer hesitated, commanding in her consciousness. "Initiate the Blood Calling!" With her intention, the Gospel suddenly burst into a crimson light. Charlotte felt a strong suction force, and her consciousness suddenly began to rise rapidly... The crimson mist enveloped the entire world, and the surrounding scenes slowly blurred and distorted like ink dripping on paper. When everything became clear again, Charlotte found herself back in that illusory castle. She was still sitting high on the Blood Throne. The crimson mist pervaded all around. But this time, both the castle and the throne were more solid than ever before. Charlotte lowered her head and found that her body had also become incredibly real, completely unlike the illusory spiritual world. Her clothing had also changed. No longer the white dress from reality, but a black and gold Gothic-style magnificent long dress, adorned with mysterious and intricate thorned rose patterns. But that wasn''t the most important thing. Looking at the two arcs in front of her that were enough to block her vision, Charlotte almost froze in an instant. Wow! Are they really this big?! Almost instinctively, she stood up from the throne, and indeed, she really stood up. Her vision seemed much higher than usual, and the weight felt much heavier. Charlotte quickly realized that something was wrong. Her body... seemed to have suddenly grown! A mirror... I need a mirror! Charlotte thought so. A magical scene appeared... When she had this thought, the crimson mist suddenly spread in front of her, slowly transforming into a beautiful Gothic-style silver mirror. Do thoughts become reality? Charlotte was slightly stunned. And when she looked into the mirror, she was directly stunned. In the mirror, it wasn''t her familiar childish face, but a beautiful woman who looked mature, tall, and graceful. Possibly in her twenties, or maybe eighteen or nineteen. The exquisite and beautiful face resembled Charlotte''s memory of herself, equally stunning, but more mature and mysterious. This... seems to be the grown-up Charlotte! But the hair and eyes were different. The waist-length hair was no longer brilliant gold but a gorgeous silver with a hint of pink, tied with a thorny rose hair accessory on the side, and a golden circular crown on top of her head. The blood-red pupils contained a golden shimmer as if containing the entire starry sky. As Charlotte admired her "new skin," the crimson mist slowly spread in her field of vision, forming familiar words-- [We drink blood and entwine with darkness] [We have never died, nor lived] [We walk forever in the dark night, and everything we touch will crumble into nothingness] [Until... the end] [Blood Calling: As the source of all bloodbornes, the Master of the Gospel has the ability to summon entities with blood power flowing within them to the Dark Castle and sign blood contracts with them. After completing the contract, the summoned target will become the Gospel Master''s blood servant, and the Master of the Gospel will become the target''s blood totem, with the maximum number of blood servants being directly proportional to the restoration level of the Gospel.] [Dark Castle (Unlocked)] [Blood Servant (Unlocked)] [Current maximum number of Blood Servants: 0/1] [Great Master of the Gospel, are you ready to initiate the Blood Calling?] Summon entities with blood power flowing within them and sign contracts with them? Does this mean... summoning other bloodborne? S?a??h the N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Looking at the description in her field of vision, Charlotte''s heart stirred. She didn''t know if she understood it correctly, but regardless, since she possessed "blood power," the summoned objects must be related to bloodborne. This made her even more excited. She had no idea how to improve her strength as a bloodborne, but if she could summon a bloodborne that could impart experience, it would be perfect. If there was anything she felt regretful about, it was probably that the blood servant''s contract was only ''available'' rather than automatically signed upon summoning. "It seems that I may have to act again." We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now The girl shook her head. Slowly withdrawing her gaze, Charlotte no longer hesitated. First, she concealed her figure with the crimson mist, and then she called out. "Begin!" The crimson light burst forth again, spreading across the entire field of vision like an exploding supernova. Before Charlotte''s eyes, a brilliant crimson sky full of stars appeared. In the sky, countless blood-red stars flickered incessantly. Some were faint and illusory, while others were bright and dazzling. They varied in size and distance, but without exception, they all gave Charlotte an inexplicable sense of intimacy. The larger the star, the brighter the light, and the stronger the aura. The brightest ones were even too dazzling for Charlotte to look at closely, giving her a suffocating feeling with just a glance. In the distance, there were even five stars resembling suns. Because their light was too bright, Charlotte shielded her eyes directly. Obviously, each of these stars represented a summonable object. "Perhaps... I should choose a weaker one first. If the other party is too strong, even if I can successfully summon them, I will have a hard time suppressing them, let alone signing a contract." "And this time, I don''t necessarily have to sign a contract. Familiarize myself with the summoning mechanism and accumulate some experience. Currently, there is only one slot for the servant, so I must summon several times to choose the best and most suitable one." Charlotte pondered. She was quite self-aware. Without even being a first-tier now, even if she summoned, she needed to be cautious. After some consideration, Charlotte chose one of the closest stars with a weaker aura among them. "This one should be good. The aura is not too strong, but not the weakest either, perfect for the first summon as a warm-up!" With Charlotte''s selection, that star immediately emitted a brilliant light. But the next moment, she felt a strong and terrifying aura slowly descending... ... This was a gorgeous bathroom. In the huge marble-built bathtub, mist filled the air, and countless red rose petals floated in the water. A tall and handsome man was half-lying in the bathtub, looking relaxed and comfortable. He had long red-colored hair and pointed ears, his left hand resting on the edge of the bathtub, while his right hand held a goblet filled with red wine, with two scantily clad beast-eared girls massaging his shoulders behind him. He took a sip of wine elegantly and handed it to one of the beast-eared girls kneeling beside him, then smiled at the cold-faced female knight standing by the edge of the bathtub. "Miss Kara, let me reiterate." "The Rose Society has always been law-abiding citizens. Although we''ve had dealings with the Countess of Castell, we haven''t been involved in the activities of the Blood Demon Cult." "If you''re here to investigate the Blood Demon Cult, I''m afraid you''ve got the wrong person." The woman standing by the edge of the bathtub was none other than Kara, the captain of the Demon Hunters. She looked at the man in the bathtub coldly and asked without expression. "Sebastian, where are the cursed pages sold by the Countess of Castell?" "This question is difficult for me. You should know that the Rose Society never inquires about the whereabouts of sold goods." The man opened his mouth and leisurely swallowed the grapes peeled by the beast-eared girl for him. "Have you seen this symbol?" The female knight took out a piece of parchment depicting a thorned rose pattern from her bosom. "A symbol? Haha, are you joking? Isn''t this just a rose ornament from Korya?" The man smiled. After saying that, seeing the serious expression of the female knight, he was slightly moved. "What? Is there a problem with this pattern?" Silver light flickered in Kara''s pupils. She didn''t explain but deeply looked at the man in the bathtub, no longer speaking, and turned to leave. "Hey hey! Aren''t you going to explain? It''s not a good habit to keep people guessing!" The man waved his hand. But Kara''s figure had completely disappeared. Looking in the direction she had left, the man slowly retracted his smile. After pondering for a moment, he said to the maid beside him. "Go and check if there have been any recent occult cases related to thorny roses." The maid respectfully retreats. The man picked up the refilled wine glass and took a sip, the light in his hand flashed, and a blood-colored page appeared. "Hehe, the Rose Society never inquires about the whereabouts of sold goods, but unfortunately, the person who bought them is me." The man muttered with a smile. Looking at the crimson page, his gaze gradually deepened. "Cursed page... Can you really solve my problem as the prophecy says?" A strange drowsiness surged up. Unconsciously, he fell asleep in the bathtub. Chapter 26: Elegant Lady of the Night Sebastian suddenly woke up. He found himself standing in a majestic and solemn ancient castle, surrounded by eerie and deep crimson mist.Looking down, he was wearing his favorite black tailcoat instead of being naked like before he fell asleep. "A dream?" Sebastian almost instantly made this judgment. Very few extraordinary individuals dream. Unless their spiritual senses perceive something, most extraordinary individuals don''t dream at all. At least, they don''t dream actively. If they enter a dream without reason, it only means one thing... He has been summoned. Sebastian''s expression became serious almost instantly. He pulled up his left sleeve and looked at his wrist. There, a familiar and hideous grimace-like face, as if both crying and smiling, seemed to be alive, emitting a black-red mist. Sebastian''s face immediately turned ugly. "The power of the blood curse has erupted..." "Damn it! Has the Adam Cult found me so soon?" "These crazy bloodsuckers! Is the White Witch not even kidding?" "I ran from Korya to the Crescent Kingdom, and they still won''t let go! Not a bit of elegance like other bloodsuckers!" Sebastian was full of resentment. He clenched his fists, raised his vigilance, and prepared to face the imminent dream attack at any moment, but suddenly he paused slightly and raised his left hand. In his hand, he still held the crimson remnant page that he had scrutinized in the bathtub. "When did cursed pages enter the spiritual world?" Sebastian was puzzled. At that moment, the surrounding crimson mist suddenly began to recede, and the scene in the castle gradually became clear. Sebastian found himself standing in a mysterious dimly empty hall. In front of him were ascending stairs, and at the end of the stairs was a black and red throne, with a figure sitting quietly hidden by the crimson mist. With years of rich experience, he quickly judged that the figure should be a woman, with a pretty good figure, perfect even. The mysterious woman''s face couldn''t be clearly seen, only vaguely seen wearing a gorgeous black long dress, her hair seemed to be silver, a pair of eyes with a hint of gold like stars in the darkness, piercing through layers of mist, quietly looking at him. Almost instantly, Sebastian had a feeling that everything about him was thoroughly seen through by the other party. He understood that the other party was his summoner. Not only that but the one who could silently bring him into the dream... Must be a powerful being! Long years of life had already made him experience countless ups and downs. Although he was extremely nervous and doubtful at this moment, Sebastian still suppressed his nervousness and smiled gracefully. "Beautiful and noble lady, may I know how to address you, and why you summoned me here?" Just like Sebastian who hid his nervousness in his heart, Charlotte, who sat high on the throne, was equally nervous. As the initiator, she did not expect that the "weaker" one she had selected after much consideration would turn out to be a powerful extraordinary individual after being summoned! Although she didn''t know the other party''s rank, just standing there gave her great pressure, even more than the female knight Kara gave... This was an extraordinary individual of at least the Second-tier Silver Moon, and it was even possible to reach the Third-tier Blazing Sun! After realizing this fact, Charlotte instantly felt guilty. Rank distribution was like a pyramid. Extraordinary individuals who stepped into a rank and those who didn''t were fundamentally different. And among the four major ranks, each rank up would cause a dramatic change in the strength of extraordinary individuals. If a First Tier extraordinary individual had power surpassing ordinary people, capable of breaking through enemy lines in wars, capturing enemy generals, and seizing flags, then... In the eyes of a Second Tier extraordinary individual, the First Tier extraordinary individual was just a slightly stronger ordinary person. Although Charlotte had never seen Captain Kara take action, she had read a story in the church''s archives. Once there was a fallen Second-Tier mage who directly used necromancy to easily destroy a town with a population of over a hundred thousand, slaughtering over a hundred First-Tier extraordinary individuals who came to besiege him without knowing the difference! We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now The Second-Tier Silver Moon was already an existence that ordinary people, using all means including magical artifacts, couldn''t kill. As for the Third-tier of Blazing Sun... The book only had one sentence: Blazing Suns are legendary figures and walking disasters. Although Charlotte was the master of the spiritual world, she could clearly feel that her castle world was hard to maintain against the opponent''s power. After the opponent came out, she felt the edge of the world trembling slightly, as if it could collapse at any moment. Maintaining the current level was already barely manageable. In other words, if the other party discovered her true strength, they could break free at any time and return to reality. And Charlotte couldn''t even predict whether she would be backlashed if that happened! Ridiculous! She clearly chose a star with weak aura. Why did she summon a monster? Taking a deep breath, Charlotte raised her spirits. Although the summoned presence was a bit too strong, she didn''t want to waste this opportunity. However, before Charlotte could say anything, the summoned one in front of her suddenly began to soliloquize. "Phew... thankfully, she''s wearing clothes and not naked. She should not be one of those crazy savages who worship nature like the Adam Cult... let alone the White Witch..." Charlotte: ...? What does he genuinely mean by wearing clothes? What does he mean by being not naked? Charlotte had no idea what nonsense the other person was talking about. But the summoned one seemed to be a talkative chatterbox. "Why isn''t she talking?" "Who is she exactly?" "She can resonate with the blood curse left by the Adam Cult. She must be a bloodborne, but which Count or Duke of the bloodborne is she?" S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "Or...hiss...is she some Prince or Archduke?" "She shouldn''t be... right?" Seeing Sebastian smiling and talking to himself, Charlotte suddenly realized something and gradually figured it out. Could it be... she heard the other party''s thoughts? The summoned one''s "soliloquy" continued. He smiled, graceful in posture, but his mind was quite active. "How did she summon me? What''s the medium? This is a huge hidden danger!" "Unfortunately... I know too little about high-ranked bloodbornes!" "The cursed page came in with me. Could the medium be the cursed page?" The cursed page? Charlotte''s heart skipped a beat. Her gaze fell on the other party''s hand, but the other party''s hand was behind him and couldn''t be seen clearly. But even so, when her gaze fell, Charlotte still felt a slight movement in her hand holding the Gospel of Blood! "Noble and beautiful lady, my name is Sebastian. How may I address you? And why did you summon me here?" The summoned one repeated with a smile, bowing gracefully. This time, he placed the word "noble" in front. His name is Sebastian... Charlotte remembered this name. Combining the thoughts of the other party just now, Charlotte had an idea. She leaned back slightly, making a lazy and relaxed posture, and gently waved her hand. The crimson mist gathered in Charlotte''s hand, condensing into a crystal goblet filled with red wine. She leaned against the throne, one hand resting leisurely on the throne, the other hand holding the wine glass, and casually smiled. "You may call me... Lady of the Night." Her voice was ethereal and mysteriously charming. Then, following the memory of her original body, she elegantly took a sip of red wine and then casually tossed it aside. The wine glass instantly turned into crimson mist and dissipated. The whole movement was smooth and natural. It possessed both the nobility of aristocrat and the mystery of the bloodborne. Sebastian''s eyes almost stayed blank for a moment. Then, a brilliant light burst forth from his eyes. "Elegant!" Chapter 27: Who is she exactly? "Indeed... only wine and goblets can create the most refined elegance!""Different from those bastards of the Adam Cult who cursed me, this is a truly noble and elegant blood aristocrat!" Watching the mysterious woman on the throne who called herself the Lady of the Night, Sebastian couldn''t help but cheer inwardly at every move she made, feeling that each gesture perfectly resonated with his pursuit of art. In fact, if it weren''t for his fear of the unfathomable power he couldn''t sense and the purpose behind her summoning him, he would have really wanted to become close friends with her. "Lady of the Night... that shouldn''t be her real name. She probably just chose it as a random alias to keep me from knowing who she really is." "To be honest... that alias is even a bit tacky, nothing like the elegance she just displayed!" "So, maybe her real name is well-known among the bloodbornes?" "Surely it must be an elegant name..." "But I wonder if she knows anything about the curse magic on me..." Sebastian''s mental activity was as rich as ever. Of course, outwardly, he still maintained an elegant demeanor. But on the other hand, Charlotte was starting to lose her composure a bit. What the hell does he mean by "tacky alias"? She felt like veins were about to pop on her forehead. Of course, despite her subtle mood, Charlotte quickly moved past this meaningless detail and focused on the more critical issue. "Wait, did he just say... curse magic?" She knew about curse magic. She had seen descriptions of it in the library of the church hospital. It was a type of magic that was the opposite of blessing magic. Unlike regular magic, curse magic was harder to cast, but its effects lasted longer, some even affecting the victim''s entire life and possibly their descendants. This type of magic usually targeted the victim''s bloodline. Thinking of this, Charlotte couldn''t help but look down at Sebastian again. She suddenly had a wild guess. Returning to the Gospel of Blood, Charlotte proactively shifted her focus to Sebastian using the power of her mental realm. The next moment, familiar words appeared in her field of vision. [Gospel of Blood detects ongoing ritual¡ª] [Name of Ritual: Blood Curse] [Caster: Anastasia White Vandrath] [Recipient: Sebastian Flameheart] [Effect of Ritual: The blood curse of the "Vandrath," one of the six major bloodborne clans; created by Prince Augustine; targets the bloodline; the recipient will bear ghostly markings, suffer intermittent blood burning, and gradually have their bloodline power devoured by the curse over time, leading to continuous weakening until death.] [Interception Probability Assessment: 0%] [Proceed with interception?] It really is curse magic! Charlotte''s heart skipped a beat. She suddenly understood why, despite selecting one of the weakest stars, she had summoned a powerful transcendent. Because what she sensed wasn''t the true aura of the other person, but the blood curse on them! This transcendent who called himself Sebastian wasn''t a member of the bloodborne at all! The reason she could summon him was that he had suffered from a blood curse and retained the power of the bloodborne within him! Ridiculous! "So... noble Lady of the Night, why have you summoned me here?" Sebastian asked his question for the third time. He really thinks of me as an old monster of the bloodborne. Charlotte was sure of it. Having read his thoughts, she knew that as long as she played the role of the "old monster" well, he would naturally return once the blood summoning expired. But she wasn''t satisfied with just that now. Knowing that he possessed a page of the Gospel and was burdened with an ongoing curse, she thought this might be a good opportunity... If she played her cards right, she could not only obtain a page of the Gospel but also possibly gain the loyalty of a transcendent who might even reach Third-Tier Blazing Sun in the future! Thinking of this, Charlotte smiled faintly. Her voice was still ethereal, echoing waves of ripples in the castle. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "Don''t worry, I just felt a familiar aura on you by chance, so I came to take a look." With that, she lazily leaned on the chair, one hand supporting her chin and the other playing with the armrest of the throne, her deep gaze appraising Sebastian, as she cast a meaningful sigh. "Carrying something like that on you all the time must be uncomfortable, right?" Upon hearing this, Sebastian''s eyes almost lit up instantly. But outwardly, he still maintained his elegance, smiling as he probed. "Lady of the Night, I''m not quite sure what you mean." Charlotte smiled faintly. She lazily changed her posture, pausing for a bit of amusement, and leisurely said. "Even for the bloodborne, blood burning is quite unbearable pain." "Let alone... having the bloodline power being constantly consumed." Upon hearing these two sentences, Sebastian''s body visibly trembled. He suddenly raised his head, his gaze fixed firmly on Charlotte on the throne, for the first time losing his elegance. "Lady of the Night, can you see the problem on me?" Charlotte chuckled lightly, her ethereal voice somewhat elusive. "It''s just the blood curse of the Vandrath, a toy left by that guy Augustine." "To me, this dirty thing is as bright as a star in the darkness, there is no way I couldn''t see it." She really can see the curse on me! No, she even understands it perfectly! Who is she really? Even the Bloodborne Count in the Northern Duchy couldn''t detect the curse on me, how did she find out? Wait... Did she just directly address some bloodborne noble by name?! Sebastian''s heart suddenly raced. "Can... can you solve my physical problem?" Seeming to have thought of something, he asked excitedly. "It''s just curse magic, it seems to have been cast by that little guy, so solving the problem shouldn''t be difficult, it just takes some time." Charlotte replied casually. She... she actually called the Pure White Witch a little guy?! Who is she really? Wait... Did she just say solving the problem isn''t difficult? Sebastian''s eyes almost lit up instantly, looking at Charlotte with hope and anticipation. However, Charlotte changed the subject. "But why should I solve it?" Sebastian was immediately taken aback. Looking at the smiling Lady of the Night, Sebastian suddenly felt a stroke of luck. "Noble lady, what do you need me to do in exchange for your help in solving the curse for me?" Sebastian elegantly bowed, asking respectfully and sincerely. Charlotte smiled faintly. She didn''t directly propose signing a contract with him because she knew her current strength was too weak to handle the curse magic on him, so even signing a Blood Contract would be futile. Convincing him to sign a contract now would not only fail to gain his genuine loyalty but might also entangle her in an unresolvable mess. So, she chose another approach. "I never said I wanted anything in exchange, I just said solving the problem isn''t difficult." Sebastian was taken aback, but after a moment''s thought, a glimmer of hope appeared in his eyes again. "Lady of the Night, I am willing to pledge my loyalty to you! As long as you need it, I am willing to serve you!" He answered without hesitation. Charlotte smiled faintly, a hint of joy flashing in her eyes. "So... do you know what this is?" s?a??h th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 28: Sebastian, King of Brainstorming "She''s collecting cursed pages?""Is she crazy? How dare she collect such things?" Sebastian widened his eyes. He stared at the golden eyes tinged with red in the mist, feeling as though the gaze, although directed at him, penetrated through him, actually looking at the cursed page hidden behind him. Those were not eyes engulfed by madness. Calm, profound, yet... also beautiful, as if carrying a faint smile, as if possessing a kind of irresistible charm that kept one''s gaze fixed. But Sebastian found it difficult to endure being looked at by those eyes for too long. The longer their gaze met, the more he felt as though the other could read his thoughts. And when he averted his gaze, it landed on the blood-red book beside her, his pupils froze instantly. Without the mist to obscure, he saw more clearly. Beneath the thick cover, there were clearly countless cursed pages collected! So many?! She actually collected so many cursed pages?! And... she''s not even a bit insane? Wait, what did she say earlier? She said... those were her things? Sebastian''s heart suddenly skipped a beat. Cursed pages carried the curse of the gods. Anyone who held them for a long time would fall into madness, even the bloodbornes were not exempt. But this was said to be for mortals. What if the other was not a mortal? Thinking back to the other''s disrespectful address to the bloodborne nobility just now, Sebastian suddenly had a bold and crazy guess... Wait... Could it be... Lady of the Night also be a bloodbone noble who descended to the mortal realm?! She... No, It... it''s actually a God?! This crazy idea surfaced, and Sebastian couldn''t hold it back. Yes... The Bloodborne Count couldn''t see through the curse on him, but the mythical Bloodborne nobles could. Ordinary bloodborne couldn''t withstand the pollution of cursed pages, but the gods among bloodbornes, the archdukes and princes, could! No wonder... No wonder It didn''t tell him Its true name! For a God above, conversing with mortals was already the greatest gift! Let alone... a Bloodborne being known for their arrogance! Tell Its true name? Would one tell a mere ant their name? Thinking of his experience just before being summoned, and the cursed pages that could actually follow him into the dream world, Sebastian suddenly realized more details. Wait... A God''s every move is never without purpose. Did this mysterious Lady of the Night summon me because It sensed the cursed pages on me? And the cursed pages, acknowledged as unable to enter the spiritual world, could follow me into the dream world, perhaps because the summoner is a God? The more Sebastian thought about it, the more he felt it was true. At the same time, he became more and more excited. A God! This is a God! And, also the Bloodborne God is known for "honoring contracts"! Although the mystical Bloodborne nobles are considered as Evil Gods by the Holy Court, even the most evil Bloodborne Archduke always keeps his word! No wonder... No wonder the prophecy said that the opportunity to resolve the curse on me lies with the cursed pages! So that''s it! The cursed pages are really just the opportunity... The Lady of the Night attracted by the cursed pages is probably my real hope! At this moment, Sebastian felt that he had figured out everything. More active thoughts and more ideas are followed closely. I must take the initiative! There are so many cursed pages in the other''s hands, and the one in my hand is probably nothing in Its eyes. It must have noticed the cursed page in my hand long ago! Instead of waiting for them to ask for it, I might as well offer it directly, leaving a wonderful impression! If It is pleased, It might not only be willing to lift the curse for me but also possibly bestow some blessings! That''s... the blessings of a God! And if I''m lucky enough to gain Its favor, I won''t be afraid of the Adam Cult''s pursuit at all! Oh no... Let''s forget about that for now. The internal struggle among Bloodbornes is too brutal and intense. Dealing with one Adam Cult is enough for me, and I don''t want to get involved in the rest. Being caught in the struggle between Gods and Demigods could be fatal! I just need to solve the curse on me! Thinking of this, Sebastian no longer hesitated. He decisively took out the cursed page hidden behind him, held it up with both hands and offered it gracefully and politely with a respectful smile. "You... are collecting this, aren''t you?" "Great and noble Lady of the Night! If I can exchange your precious promise to resolve the curse, humble Sebastian is willing to be your temporary servant walking on the ground, doing my best to find the lost pages for you..." Sebastian''s actions were respectful and elegant, and his deep voice was full of sincere respect. At the same time, every word he said, every word he spoke, was tasteful and carefully chosen, leaving no room for criticism. Charlotte, sitting high on the throne, was already stunned. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now She had prepared various excuses, but she didn''t expect this extraordinary being named Sebastian to be so good at improvising. Before she could speak, he had already imagined everything. And... it seemed that if she revealed her thoughts of not wanting to get involved in the internal struggles of the Bloodbornes, even if she proposed to sign a Blood Contract with him now, he would probably agree... What kind of person did she summon? Charlotte''s mood was quite complicated. However, this also saved her some effort. The signing of the contract could be postponed, as she was not prepared at the moment. Let him help her with something first, search for the lost pages of the Gospel. Thinking of this, Charlotte straightened up slightly, smiled lightly, and said. "You are interesting." "I accept this promise." Having said that, she waved lightly, and the page in Sebastian''s hand flew up towards her. The blood-red page seemed to have a life of its own, like a cheerful fairy, flying around Charlotte in circles before eagerly entering her disguised "Gospel of Blood." It really is the master of cursed pages! Seeing this scene, Sebastian''s heart skipped a beat, and his attitude became even more respectful. With the third page in hand, Charlotte was also delighted. But before she could continue speaking, she sensed the rapid collapse of the dream world from the edge. The summoning time limit was about to expire. "Let''s end it here today. Remember what you said." Charlotte gently closed the "Gospel of Blood" and lazily leaned back on the throne, smiling slightly. Even the crimson mist couldn''t hide the charm in that smile. Sebastian was slightly stunned, and then quickly bowed his head respectfully. He dared not meet the other''s gaze a second time, afraid that his loss of composure would displease the God. The distorted and ink-like rendering appeared once again at the edge of the dream world, and the crimson mist re-emerged. Seeing the gradually blurring throne, Sebastian suddenly remembered something and hurriedly shouted. "Your Royal Majesty! How can this humble Sebastian see Your greatness again?" In the crimson mist, a distant and ethereal voice came. "When I think of you again, I will naturally summon you." "Before that... strive to fulfill your promise." A light and playful voice with a hint of a smile sounded at the end. "Don''t disappoint me, Mr. Sebastian..." S?a??h th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. With the last sound, the entire dream world also shattered. In a daze, Sebastian''s vision plunged into darkness... ... In the mist-filled bathhouse, Sebastian slowly opened his eyes. What came into view was the magnificent ceiling of the bathroom adorned with religious murals. Beside him, the beautiful elf maid was still gently serving. He breathed a sigh of relief, regained his composure, and asked in a deep voice. "How long have I slept?" "Master, it''s been about fifteen minutes." The maid answered respectfully. "Fifteen minutes..." Sebastian pondered. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he quickly raised his left hand. There was nothing in his hand. The cursed page was gone... It seems that it was really a summoning by a God! Sebastian''s gaze slightly condensed, and then he pondered. The mysterious Lady of the Night was undoubtedly a noble among the Bloodbornes. But Sebastian, who knew a little about several Bloodborne nobles, could not judge which myth the other was. There was no way, the Bloodborne transformation magic had always been powerful, and the other was a God above, who knows whether there was deliberate disguise and whether the true form was male or female. But... "He seems to be the real master of the cursed pages." "I have limited knowledge of the cursed pages, only knowing that they are very ancient... once a divine artifact, but many Blodbornes are very secretive about them." "If I can find out the true origin of the cursed pages, perhaps... I can know the true identity of Lady of the Night!" "Which one of the five Archdukes... is It?" Thinking of this, Sebastian immediately got up from the bath, causing ripples of water. "Prepare a carriage for me. I want to go to the abandoned city district." He commanded the maid. Chapter 29: SHE is True Ancestor of the Bloodbornes An abandoned city district was in the western part of Boulder City.Since the terrifying disaster of the Flame Demon ten years ago, this area had been designated as a forbidden zone where ordinary people were not allowed to enter by the Holy Court. Ten years had passed, and the most powerful monsters had already been cleared out by the Demon Hunters and the Inquisitor. The terrifying memories had gradually faded from people''s minds, existing only in the reminiscences of those who had experienced it. Although the corruption of the dark miasma still lingered in some unseen corners, with the continuous development of urban commerce and craftsmanship in recent years, the citizen class had grown stronger. Wanderers and free citizens flocked into the continuously expanding city. Now, this place had become a paradise in the shadow of Borde City. At the northwest border of the abandoned city district. This was Borde City''s largest slum and the most densely populated area. Most of the people living here were the bottom-tier workers from various makeshift workshops in the western city district, servants of minor nobles and wealthy households, aspiring mercenaries eager for wealth, farmers and tenant farmers who had lost their land due to the enclosures by the nobles in recent years, as well as bandits, thieves, beggars, and the like. This was also the favorite place of the cultists. On the dirty and chaotic muddy streets, a luxurious carriage slowly passed by. Seeing the red rose pattern on the side of the carriage, the pedestrians on the street, with numb expressions, lowered their heads and hurriedly avoided to the sides, bowing and saluting. This was the carriage of the largest underground gang in Borde City, the Rose Society. In the abandoned city district, the Rose Society was like a god, with influence almost equal to that of the Holy Court. The carriage stopped in front of a dilapidated shack. The door of the carriage opened, and two beautiful beast-eared maids stepped down, laying down a red carpet on the muddy ground all the way to the door of the shack. Sebastian, with a tall and slender body, dressed in a black tailcoat, wearing white gloves, and holding a magnificent noble cane, gracefully stepped down from the carriage. Approaching the shack, he reached out and gently knocked on the door. After a moment, the door creaked open, and a girl who looked about fourteen or fifteen cautiously stuck out her head. She had beautiful brown long hair and a pair of snow-white, turbulent eyes that completely belied her age. Her shabby maid outfit was filled with patches, and her strange reddish-golden pupils were full of vigilance. Seeing the girl, Sebastian smiled slightly and conjured a rose. "Good afternoon, Miss Leina. Do you remember me?" The door was instantly slammed shut. Sebastian: ... He twitched the corner of his mouth, put down the rose, and knocked on the door again. "Miss Leina, I came to visit Miss Anna. Please open the door." The door remained unmoved. Sebastian sighed. He cleared his throat and said loudly. "Miss Anna, I am Sebastian, the president of the Rose Society, here to visit you for important matters!" It wasn''t until a moment later that the door opened again with a creak. A girl named Leina glanced at Sebastian warily, her reddish-golden pupils still full of caution. "Leina, let him in." An old voice came from inside the shack, with a distant sigh. Leina glanced back and then nodded obediently, silently opening the door. "Thank you, Miss Leina." Sebastian smiled brilliantly and elegantly entered the shack. Inside the shack, the light was dim. An elderly, emaciated woman was sitting on a recliner, dozing off. Sensing Sebastian''s approach, she slowly opened her eyes, revealing a pair of pale and cloudy eyes. "Lord Sebastian, I believe I have told you not to disturb this old woman again." The old woman''s voice was old and calm, with a hint of resignation. But as soon as she finished speaking, she froze directly. She stared blankly at the top of Sebastian''s head, and her cloudy eyes hid a glimmer of light. Gradually, her eyes widened, and she couldn''t help but stand up from the recliner as if she had seen something unbelievable. Trembling, she reached out her withered arm towards Sebastian, as if trying to grasp something. Her voice suddenly started to tremble. "Crimson!" s?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "I see crimson-like blood!" "The golden sun sets into the eternal darkness..." "A scarlet blood moon rises in dazzling brilliance!" "Roses hold up roses..." "The blood moon raises the throne!" "This... this is..." "Flame!" "This is flame!" "Flame burning! Flames spreading! Flames... consuming everything!" "And then..." "Everything is reborn!" The old woman''s voice was hoarse and hysterical. Her mad appearance startled Leina and Sebastian. With her shouts, the light in the entire shack fluctuated, flickering between brightness and darkness, and a violent wind blew the wooden shack, making creaking sounds... Sebastian''s expression almost instantly became solemn. He knew that the other party''s foresight eye had seen another prophecy. The old woman''s madness lasted for a long time. It wasn''t until a long time later that everything returned to calm. She sat back down on the recliner, looking quite exhausted, and she seemed to have aged even more. After a moment, she raised her head again, her pale and cloudy eyes fixed on Sebastian. "Lord Sebastian..." "Can you tell me, what did you encounter?" "Why did your appearance once again trigger my foresight eye?" "Your fate seems to have undergone earth-shattering changes... I can no longer see your future!" We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "What... have you encountered?" Looking into the old woman''s pale eyes, Sebastian''s heart raced. He certainly knew what he had encountered. But... he hadn''t expected that his visit again would elicit such a big reaction from the other party! Taking a deep breath, he smiled and said. "Miss Anna." "I have come to thank you, your previous prophecy came true." "I really found an opportunity to lift the curse through the cursed pages!" "This is my reward, please accept it..." As he spoke, he took out a small and exquisite ring from his pocket and placed it respectfully in front of the old woman. However, the old woman didn''t even look at the ring. She quietly looked at Sebastian, and a glimmer of light flashed in her pale eyes. After a moment, she suddenly said: "So... everything originates from the opportunity you found?" Sebastian smiled without saying a word. The old woman remained silent. After a long time, she let out a long sigh. "Let it be. If you don''t want to say anything, then don''t say it." "This old woman is getting old and can''t stand any more fuss." "Upon careful consideration, sometimes knowing less about certain things may lead to greater happiness..." With that, she gestured for the girl Leina to accept the ring. Then, she calmly said. "Enough about that, what do you want to ask me this time?" Sebastian smiled. He sat down beside the old woman''s recliner and conjured a goblet filled with red wine, elegantly taking a sip. Then, he smiled and said. "This time, it''s actually related to the last prophecy." "I know that your knowledge is quite profound, especially in the field of the bloodbornes." "I want to ask you about the origin of the cursed pages..." Hearing Sebastian''s words, the old woman looked at him meaningfully. "Why do you ask these questions?" "Probably... out of curiosity about the origin of the cursed pages?" Sebastian took a sip of wine and smiled. The old woman snorted, clearly not believing it. After a moment, she said. "The cursed pages were once a divine artifact of the Bloodbornes, or more accurately... when all the cursed pages were put together, they were a divine artifact of the Bloodbornes." "It was the oldest and most mysterious artifact of the Bloodbornes." "No one knows what the purpose of that artifact was, including the Bloodbornes. All those who knew of its existence only knew that it contained all the legacies of the Bloodbornes..." "Of course, after it was destroyed, the legacies were cursed. When touched by mortals, they would be contaminated, and even the gods would view it as ordinary things... the cursed pages were left with nothing but corruption and curses." "And when the artifact was intact, it once had an ancient and resounding name..." As she spoke, the old woman stared directly at Sebastian and said in a deep voice. "The Gospel of Blood!" "The Gospel of Blood..." Sebastian pondered the name. He straightened up, his expression solemn, and asked. "So... who was its owner?" "Why do you ask about that?" The old woman didn''t answer directly but suddenly asked. "Just curious." Sebastian lightly sipped the wine and smiled. The old woman snorted. After a moment, she said. "The Gospel of Blood was once the most sacred artifact of the Bloodbornes, and it belonged to the oldest and most sacred existence within the race." "For example... the creator of the race." "Or to be precise the origin and ancestor of the race..." As she spoke, the old woman looked at Sebastian deeply. "Lord Sebastian..." "Now, do you know who the owner of the cursed pages is?" Sebastian had no idea what the old woman was talking about. Because at this moment, all he could hear in his mind was a roaring voice. "True Ancestor!" "It''s the True Ancestor!" "The most sacred and ancient existence, the source of all bloodbornes!" "Lady of the Night is not a demigod and not a bloodborne nobility!" "She is the owner of the Gospel of Blood, she... is the True Ancestor!" "She is a true God!" "She is a... true divine being!" Chapter 30: Sebastians Life Goal Regarding the origin of the Bloodborne, there are various opinions on the Myria Continent.Some say that it dates back to when the elves, fleeing their homeland, first set foot on the Myria Continent three thousand years ago, bringing with them the bloodline curse resulting from their intermarriage with humans. Others claim that it originated from a legion of immortals created by an ancient God during the forgotten war between Gods in annal of history. However, regardless of the source, any origin story mentions a mysterious and grandiose presence. Described as the oldest entity, the source of all bloodbornes, a true myth. It is depicted as the progenitor of the Bloodborne, an entity revered by all Bloodbornes as the True Ancestor. No one knows what the True Ancestor of the Bloodbornes is called. Some say HE is called Cain, some say SHE is Lilith, some say HE is a brooding, elegant male, and others say SHE is a beautiful female whom even Gods would admire. Some even say that the True Ancestor never had a name. IT is simply itself, IT is the True Ancestor. During the era when the True Ancestor walked on the mortal realm, bloodbornes held the pinnacle of secular power, and their influence could be found behind the scenes in almost every country. Until the Bloodborne Civil War. No one knows what exactly happened during the Bloodborne Civil War two thousand years ago. Time can drown everything, turning history into stories, stories into legends, and eventually burying legends in the passages of time. People only know that since then, the Bloodborne began to decline. The True Ancestor became a thing of the past, and the Bloodborne split into six major clans, beginning a long and brutal internal struggle. At the same time, the Holy Court, which ruled the entire continent right now, began to rise. Today, there are only five out of the six major Bloodborne clans left. During the Thousand-Year Holy War, the Holy Court buried the past, wrote a new history, and Bloodbornes were completely branded with the label of evil race and forced to survive by hiding in the darkness... ____________________________ The old woman spoke with a calm and weathered tone, recounting the secrets buried in history. Sebastian''s expression gradually became solemn. "So... where is the True Ancestor of the Bloodbornes? Where did HE go?" he asked. "I don''t know..." The old woman shook her head. "Some say HE was betrayed by the Bloodbornes and fell, some say HE disappeared, and some say HE grew weary of HIS divine status and exiled HIMself..." "However, there has always been an ancient prophecy among the Bloodbornes¡ª" The old woman paused, her expression serious, and slowly said. "When the progenitor returns, HE will eventually reclaim HIS divine throne, and all traitors will receive their fair punishment!" Sebastian''s heart skipped a beat, then he fell silent. After a moment, he suddenly murmured softly. "So... HE will return someday?" "That''s not for me to know. I''m just an old woman about to pass away. As for this ancient prophecy... frankly speaking, many Bloodbornes no longer believe in it." The old woman chuckled lightly. But then, her expression turned solemn again. "However, even if a fallen myth returns, it won''t be easy. In the process of reclaiming the divine throne, there will undoubtedly be various difficulties..." "A slight misstep could lead to failure." "Of course, if HE really returns, then... in this era when true Gods are in retreat, it will surely stir up a storm that sweeps through the entire world!" "Some will benefit from it, and it''s even possible that some will follow in HIS footsteps and ascend to the divine throne." "Some will face destruction, even if... they are lofty Gods!" Listening to the old woman''s words, Sebastian''s eyes flashed with determination. His hands subconsciously clenched and then relaxed, then clenched again. And his mood was like a tsunami, surging and turbulent, stirring up waves of shock and awe. The return of the God! It''s very likely that Lady of the Night is a returning ancient God! Sebastian''s heart was crying out, roaring, trembling! At the same time, there seemed to be some kind of thought churning in his heart, growing stronger and stronger... Everyone has ambitions and pursuits. The long lifespan had already robbed Sebastian of any life goals. Apart from the troubles brought by the Adam Cult, he lived a monotonous life day after day. Boring, uninteresting, and tiresome. He had no interest in getting involved in the struggles of any power. In his view, even the demi-gods revered by mortals were nothing more than the afterglow of true gods behind the scenes. But now, things were different. He suddenly realized that he might have come into contact with the truly towering figures behind this world! To follow a demi-god might make one a legend in epic tales. But to follow a true God might offer the chance to become a myth written on the walls! There''s no denying that Sebastian was tempted. Myth! That''s a myth! It means true eternity and the admiration of mortals! If the desire in his heart wasn''t strong enough, it could only mean that the temptation presented to him wasn''t strong enough. What temptation could be more enticing than following in the footsteps of a true God, witnessing THEIR return to THEIR divine throne, and witnessing THEIR radiance shining upon the world once again? The Gods never mistreated their followers. The stories of those who followed myths, demi-gods, and even true gods were not uncommon in the legends of the Myria world! S~?a??h the N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The more Sebastian thought about it, the more tempted he became. He felt as if flames were burning deep within him, his heart pounding wildly. He seemed to see a path he had never considered before, one he had never dared to hope for. His expression kept changing, his breathing becoming increasingly rapid, his face gradually flushing, his gaze becoming brighter... After a long time, he gently closed his eyes, returning to calmness. When he opened his eyes again, those crimson pupils were filled with unprecedented determination. He made up his mind. He must seize this once-in-a-millennium opportunity, hitch a ride with Lady of the Night, and see the unseen sights from a higher vantage point! At this moment, Sebastian had never been so eagerly anticipating Lady of the Night''s call! "Sebastian... your eyes have changed." Seeing Sebastian''s expression, the old woman looked surprised. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "I can sense that your heart no longer seems as confused as it used to..." "You seem to have found your path." "Can you tell me what you''re thinking?" Sebastian''s gaze fell slowly on the old woman. He was about to answer when he suddenly stopped. After a moment of hesitation, he smiled faintly. "It''s nothing, just some small thoughts." The change in his thoughts brought about a change in his way of thinking. After deciding to follow Lady of the Night, who was likely the resurrected True Ancestor of the Bloodbornes, Sebastian found that many of his thoughts had changed. For example, looking at the prophetess witch with her foresight eyes before him, he suddenly felt a sense of caution deep in his heart. "I can''t tell her about Lady of the Night''s matters!" "At least... not now!" "She''s too mysterious, and her abilities are too miraculous." "Lady of the Night is hiding her identity, obviously not wanting more people to know about her return." "As the chosen one of Lady of the Night, I have a responsibility and obligation to keep her secret!" "Even if I tell Anna about Lady of the Night''s secret and invite her to join... that''s something for later, and I''ll need the permission of the Great Being!" "I am the chosen one of Lady of the Night, and only I can be the first companion of the Great Being to walk on the mortal realm!" Sebastian was persuading himself like he was self-convincing. Perhaps he couldn''t fully distinguish whether he was genuinely considering Lady of the Night''s well-being or if he had some concerns about someone else taking the position closest to the God. "The return of God must come with signs. Maybe I should investigate if there have been any related events on the Myria continent recently." "I can''t just rely on Lady of the Night''s call again, I should actively seek her out, approach her, and offer my loyalty!" "I need to do it quickly, no, I must do it quickly! I am not a Bloodborne; if Lady of the Night finds someone she favors among the Bloodbornes, I will lose my advantage..." "No, I have to go back quickly and investigate the news about the cursed pages, try to find more cursed pages as much as possible!" Sebastian soon made up his mind. And after making up his mind, he couldn''t sit still anymore. He stood up in one go, gracefully and lightly picked up the wine glass, and smiled politely. "Ms. Anna, thank you for clarifying my doubts. This is your reward for this time, please accept it." With that, he took out a gorgeous ring and placed it on the table. "I suddenly remembered that there are other matters to attend to. I''ll leave it here for today, and I''ll visit again when I have time next." After speaking, Sebastian hastily bowed to the old woman and then left gracefully. Watching his departing figure, the old woman''s gaze remained unchanged for a long time. After a long while, she sighed lightly, laughing and scolding. "What an impolite old fox!" But soon, she coughed violently, her aged face showing an unnatural paleness. Leina hurried over, her amber eyes filled with concern. "Leina, I''m fine..." The old woman waved her hand gently, her gaze full of affection as she looked at the girl. Suddenly, as if remembering something, she gently took the girl''s hands, whispering softly. "Leina, how long have you been with me... ten years, right?" The girl didn''t speak but nodded obediently, her cute appearance evoking pity. "It''s been ten years, huh..." The old woman sighed with emotion. "Time flies so fast. Ten years have passed in the blink of an eye, and you haven''t changed at all, but I have grown old." "Perhaps... this is the price of foresight, giving me miraculous power but taking away more of my hope..." The old woman sighed deeply, as if lost in memories. After a long time, she held the girl''s hands again. "Leina..." This time, her expression became unusually serious. "If one day I''m no longer here, go and find Sebastian." Leina trembled slightly. She raised her head, and her big eyes instantly filled with mist, pleading and reluctant. The old woman paused for a moment, then smiled. "What''s with that expression? I''m not going to abandon you." She sighed lightly. "It''s just... I don''t have much time left." "I can''t accompany you forever, nor can I protect you for a lifetime..." "But he''s different..." "I don''t know what he encountered, but... I see a new prophecy in him, I see a possibility!" "That''s not only his hope but also yours." "He must have encountered something, and your destiny... perhaps only that kind of power he encountered can change it." "Leina..." "When I''m gone, go find him." "I believe that the entity he encountered will not only change him but also bring you... a new life!" ______________________ T/R: Man, this chapter makes me contemplate on my translation... I''m not sure if it was Sebastian that was fickle or the author. They started with respectful god''s pronouns but then later went back to casual pronouns. Also, the races translated entirely to vampire now... I''m not sure if I should keep the bloodborne, and even if I change to vampire, idk how to smoothly change it without giving an inconsistent translation feeling. If u pay attention at the start of the story, they''re called Blood Demon (Bloodborne)/Bloodkin, and there''s no one calling it a vampire. Hence later on MC stated that the race is similiar to vampires from Earth''s myth. So by that point, it should''ve been only MC that knows the term vampire... Sigh... That is my rant for now Chapter 31: Spirit Path, Majesty "Ah-choo!"In the basement of Castell Estate, Charlotte sneezed and couldn''t help but shrink her neck. Although it was June, the temperature in the basement was still a bit low, making her nose feel stuffed. The Blood Calling had ended. Charlotte glanced at the hourglass she had prepared in advance, estimating that about fifteen minutes had passed. "The cooldown of the Blood Calling has returned to 0%, it seems I''ll have to attend more church services later..." "My body feels a bit cold, I must have just entered that magical world with my consciousness while my body remains outside." "It was the right decision to perform the Blood Calling in the basement. During the summoning process, my external body will lack protection." Charlotte quickly deduced this conclusion. She dusted off her dress, stood up from the ground, but suddenly felt dizzy. It felt like she had just completed a hundred obscure and difficult math problems. Charlotte felt her whole brain buzzing, dizzy, and confused. As a girl who had some understanding of the supernatural power, she knew that this was a sign of mental exhaustion. However, despite feeling particularly tired, Charlotte''s mood was quite joyful. She had obtained the third page of the Gospel! Although she hadn''t had time to see what the content of the additional page was on the Gospel of Blood in the dream world, at the moment of the dream''s collapse, Charlotte did sense some additional information on the Gospel. After resting against the wall for a while and feeling that her mental strength had recovered slightly, Charlotte left the basement. After all, she had some unpleasant memories here, and she didn''t want to linger for too long after she was done. Returning to the ground floor of the estate, the bright sunlight made the girl feel like she was back from another world. Leaning against the wall back to her bedroom, she collapsed onto the bed, not wanting to move at all. She subconsciously shook the silver bell on the bedside, wanting to have a maid bring up a glass of milk, but then suddenly realized that there were no longer any maids in the house. The vast manor still had only her alone, desolate, with only the chirping of birds in the garden. The thought of having to go through two corridors and then around a big circle to get milk from the pantry, a walk that would take a full ten minutes, made her instantly lose motivation and feel like a slug. "It''s not good to have such a big house... It''s so inconvenient to even want a glass of milk. Without maids, everything is so inconvenient." Charlotte shook her head, suddenly missing her petite and exquisite house from her previous life, where she didn''t need to do more than a few steps to reach the refrigerator in the kitchen. With a sigh, she lay down on the bed and closed her eyes to rest her mental strength. And this rest lasted for about two hours. Two hours passed, and most of the overused mental strength had recovered. Ensuring that she could communicate with the Gospel of Blood again, Charlotte couldn''t wait to submerge into her consciousness. She really wanted to know what abilities the additional page of the Gospel had provided. The familiar crimson enveloped her vision, and the heavy gospel reappeared. After flipping through the first two pages, the third page appeared in the Gospel. The page was still blank. However, when Charlotte''s consciousness focused on it, familiar golden words slowly appeared¡ª [Gospel of Blood - Spirit Chapter] [Darkness rises like a veil] [Looking around, I perceive my awakening...] [Demand respect from opponents, majesty is my glory,] [Command obedience from enemies, domination is my scepter,] [Extend the limits of perception, illusion is my disguise.] [Spirit Chapter - Majesty (Unlocked)] [Discovered spell: Low-level Majesty Magic] [Low-level Majesty Magic: Basic magic of the Path of Majesty, the common magic of the Spirit Path, can enhance one''s majesty and intimidate or charm targets when facing the user.] [Do you want to inherit?] S?a??h th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte was quite accustomed to this kind of description, similar to a game system. The Gospel of Blood seemed to have the ability to adapt to the habits and cognition of its owner, so in her vision, it was presented as a system image like a cheat. After all, Charlotte had read many web novels in her previous life that featured systems. She had experimented and found that if she wanted to change the way the Blood Scripture was displayed, she could do so completely. Such as materializing parchment, changing it to a blackboard, or even turning it into a virtual character in her consciousness, even a two-dimensional anime girl would suffice... We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now However, Charlotte preferred to let the Gospel simulate a "system". This gave her the feeling of playing a game or being a protagonist in a novel. Different from the first two pages of the scripture. The new page belonged to a new chapter and did not possess special abilities like the Genesis and Divinity chapters but merely recorded a spell of bloodborne. "Low-level Majesty Magic? Spirit Path?" Charlotte pondered. It is said that there are five development directions for the bloodborne, also known as the resonance of the five major bloodlines. This was determined by Charlotte after studying her personal information in the Genesis chapter several times. The five bloodline resonances are the Darkness, Wilderness, Flesh and Blood, Spirit, and Insight. Charlotte currently had only resonated with Darkness Path, mastering the basic blood magic of the Darkness Path, and was perfectly proficient. That is the ability to create blood servants and blood descendants. This was the basic ability of the bloodborne, innate, and served as a solution for the difficulty of achieving natural reproduction of the bloodborne. Bloodbornes are known as dark creatures, and besides not dying naturally, the primary reason is the possession of this basic talent of the darkness path. Now, Charlotte finally had the opportunity to learn the second bloodborne magic! "Majesty Magic... From the description, it''s a magic that can enhance one''s aura, which is very useful for me right now." "Although it doesn''t directly increase combat power, if used properly, it might be effective in future dealings with servants, nobles, and the church." Charlotte pondered. She was well aware that socializing as a noble was necessary, and it had to be done well! With this in mind, Charlotte didn''t hesitate and made her choice immediately. "Inherit!" With the decision made, Charlotte felt a vast amount of information flooding into her mind. Dots of crimson light constructed in her mental world, constantly spreading and outlining, finally condensing into an illusory magic structure. At the same time, Charlotte felt her understanding of low-level Majesty Magic soaring rapidly. It was like being fed a blueprint, knowing how to chant magic, how to evoke the magic structure in her mind, how to resonate with mental power, and successfully learning Majesty Magic... Everything took shape in her mind. [Inheritance Successful] [Low-level Majesty Magic Mastery (Basic: 0/100)] After about a dozen seconds, the knowledge infusion ended. Charlotte had a feeling... If she wanted to, she could completely cast this magic now! Of course, not proficiently. She was just given a roadmap, but how to walk, how to walk better and faster, and how to truly integrate everything, required a lot of effort. She couldn''t wait to find a target to try it out on. Looking around, Charlotte soon saw a chattering sparrow on the branch outside the window. She had an idea. Sitting up straight, she locked eyes with the sparrow on the branch, following the magic structure in her consciousness she had just inherited, and then silently recited the convoluted and mysterious incantation: "Majesty!" A subtle light flashed in Charlotte''s pupils, feeling a mysterious power somehow added to her body and projected onto her eyes. "Come here!" She waved to the sparrow, her childish voice carrying a hint of majesty, quite commanding. The sparrow trembled slightly, then spread its wings and flew up, obediently landing on the girl''s palm. Watching the sparrow on her palm, which seemed a little scared but also inexplicably dependent on her, Charlotte smiled slightly. At the same time, the information about low-level Majesty Magic in her consciousness changed. After the basic description... 0/100 turned into 1/100. However, just at this moment, Charlotte''s consciousness suddenly stormed... The crimson light appeared again, and the familiar text gradually spread¡ª [Conditions met...] [Glorious Master of the Gospel, do you want to open the Inheritance Ascension Tree?] Chapter 32: Charlottes Advancement Method Inheritance Ascension Tree?Charlotte''s heart stirred slightly. "Open!" She silently recited in her mind. Familiar power bloomed in the spiritual world, and Charlotte felt her vision rising again. She seemed to be in a starry sky, with a huge "constellation" stretching infinitely in front of her. No... Rather than a constellation, it looked more like a skill tree styled after the games she played in her previous life, most likely another manifestation according to her habits by the Gospel. Most of the skill tree was buried in mist-like nebulae, faintly divided into six levels from near to far, like six ranks. But Charlotte could only clearly see the base part, unable to reach even the first level. The base part was divided into five major branches, corresponding to the resonances of the Darkness, Wilderness, Flesh and Blood, Spirit, and Insight Path. Under each direction, there were three secondary branches. In other words, there were probably fifteen branches of talent in the bloodline talent tree! Most of the bloodline directions and secondary branches were dim and obscured like distant constellations. Only the resonant branches of the Darkness Path and the Spirit Path were partially illuminated. Charlotte could clearly see that the Darkness Path had branched into three secondary branches: Blood Spirit, Shadow, and Necromancy. While the Spirit Path had branched into three secondary branches: Majesty, Domination, and Illusion. In Charlotte''s talent tree, both the Blood Spirit and Majesty branches were already illuminated, recording the low-level Blood Embrace and low-level Majesty magic she had learned. Charlotte looked up from the base and could see the just-illuminated Majesty branch extending upwards, forming a light path leading to the first level. Charlotte looked at that light path, and the information "Entry: 1/100" suddenly appeared in her field of vision. S?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. She instantly understood that this light path represented the mastery level. And once she completely mastered the low-level Majesty magic, the light path would completely open the way to the first level. However, the Blood Spirit branch on the other side had no light path. Even though the low-level Blood Embrace had been completely mastered by Charlotte. This secondary branch under the Darkness Path seemed to exist independently, although it was located within the "constellation," it seemed to float outside the skill tree, not participating in the "leveling up" of skills. After a moment of contemplation, combined with the inherent abilities of the bloodborne, Charlotte understood. "The Blood Spirit branch is the innate talent branch of the bloodborne, naturally mastered without the need for learning, so it exists independently outside of the inheritance tree." "After I advance to the next rank, I will automatically master the next stage of Blood Spirit magic!" "But other branches require deep comprehension through learning, which is likely the advancement path of the bloodborne." "Learning magic, strengthening bloodline resonance, comprehending the path of the bloodborne!" "Darkness, Wilderness, Flesh and Blood, Spirit, Insight... These are the five paths of advancement for the bloodborne." "From the ''skill tree,'' any breakthrough in bloodline resonance can help me open the way to the next rank." "In other words, for now, as long as I completely master a magic in the secondary branch, I can start to comprehend the corresponding bloodline resonance to open the passage to the next rank." "For example, now, as long as I thoroughly master the low-level Majesty magic, start by comprehending the Spirit path, the light path will extend to the first level, and I should advance to the first-tier Starry Sky." "The Gospel... is probably also the inheritance book of the bloodborne!" Looking at the Inheritance Ascension Tree, Charlotte quickly figured out the method to advance to the first tier. "So... for now, if I want to advance to the first tier as soon as possible, the fastest way is to practice the low-level Majesty magic more and strengthen my understanding and comprehension of the Spirit Path!" "Of course, I can also choose other bloodline resonances, but that means I need to find other cursed pages." "The low-level Majesty magic... I''m quite lucky. Literally speaking, this is probably the most suitable method for my advancement at the moment." "I am a noble, I need socialization, I need to manage the family, and it''s most suitable to practice Majesty magic while socializing and managing the family!" "Especially in the next few days, there are likely to be various nobles visiting." "All of this will help with my skill practice, helping me comprehend the bloodline resonance of the Majesty branch of the Spirit Path." "Intimidation, charm..." "Hmm... Am I going further down into the path of drama and acting?" Charlotte''s expression was a bit strange. But at the same time, she felt a bit excited for some reason. Compared to fighting, she preferred to manipulate things behind the scenes. Playing tricks, setting traps, stabbing cold knives at critical moments. Thinking about how those who had always treated her as an innocent and cute lady finally realized who the real troublemaker was in the pit before their demise, imagining the surprise, frustration, and anger... Hmm... She was a bit excited... Ah, there''s no way. Who made her possess such a deceptive appearance! If she didn''t use her advantages well, she felt she was not doing justice to her cute-to-the-point-of-breaking-the-rules face! Before, Charlotte was worried that her face lacked intimidation, and sometimes it might have the opposite effect. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now But now, it was different. Majesty magic was here too. Ready, set, go! Charlotte quickly planned her agenda for the near future. Set a small goal first, practice the low-level Majesty magic to "perfection"! And just then, the unique perception of the bloodborne suddenly sensed movement outside the bedroom window. Charlotte''s heart moved, and she exited the "skill tree." She cast her gaze towards the window sill, only to see the black cat Nice trying to move the window, attempting to open it to a size that even its size could climb through. Their eyes met in an instant. Charlotte: ... Nice: ... With a slight change in her girlish thoughts, Charlotte''s gaze turned cold. "Didn''t I say that you should be using the front door from now on?" The lingering effect of the low-level majesty magic added a powerful pressure to her icy gaze. Nice almost shivered instinctively, its fur bristling, and its tail unconsciously tucked between its legs. It gave an awkward smile, quickly retracted its claws, and was about to say something, but it forgot it was still in mid-air, directly missed a step, and fell from the second-floor window with a . "Meow¡ª!" It screamed pitifully. Charlotte: ... ... "That... cough, would you like some milk?" "That... cough, would you like to taste some fruit?" In the splendid bedroom, the black cat Nice wore a flattering expression, carefully placing a delicately arranged fruit platter in front of Charlotte. Charlotte sat on the high-backed chair, holding the goblet that had just been served to her, and looked at the fawning black cat with a strange expression, murmuring in her heart. Really? Is the effect of the low-level majesty magic... this strong? Nice''s flattery continued. "That... cough, are you tired? Do you need... cough, Nice to massage you?" Standing on the stool brought over, its chubby cat face was full of smiles, its amber eyes filled with flattery that made Charlotte feel a bit chilly. Just imagining how a cat with a deep voice would massage someone, Charlotte felt even colder and got goosebumps. "If you want to knead a mound, go find a mattress and knead slowly. I don''t provide motherly services here." ( ?¡ã ?? ?¡ã) Nice: ... Its chubby cat face stiffened slightly, then it awkwardly put down its paw, but quickly put on a fawning smile again. "That... esteemed and great... Miss Charlotte, do you need me to do anything for you?" "Huh? What did you call me?" Charlotte raised her tone, lightly kicked Nice''s stool, and looked straight at it. Nice''s gaze dodged, and it reluctantly smiled. "Uh... ma... master..." Charlotte: ... Looking at the cat with an obviously unwilling expression, but forcibly pleasing herself, Charlotte couldn''t help but feel a bit amused. This must not be the effect of the low-level majesty magic! Something''s fishy here! "What trouble did you cause?" She picked up the goblet, took a sip of milk, and asked calmly. Nice felt a chill in its spine, couldn''t help but shiver, and its fur stood on end. "It''s confirmed. The crossbow of the abductor... is indeed from the Duke''s Mansion." "Also, the homeless man who reported last night''s news, he''s dead." Chapter 33: Sudden Assassination "Meow! Do you know how that vagrant died?""He drank himself to death! Can you believe it? A poor, destitute vagrant, dying from overdrinking in a tavern!" "Damn it! How is that any different from telling Master Cat he was silenced by someone?" "But, do you know what''s even more outrageous?" "Meow! Master Cat went to the underground black market with the hand crossbow, only to discover private soldiers from the Duke''s mansion clandestinely selling crossbows in the black market!" "The special mark on the crossbow hadn''t been erased yet. Master Cat compared it quietly and found it was exactly the same as the one the kidnapper had!" The black cat, Nice, was indignant. However, Charlotte''s expression remained relatively calm as she listened. "Hmm? Aren''t you surprised? Miss Charlotte, uh, no, great master?" Seeing Charlotte''s pensive look, Nice''s heart stirred. "What should I be surprised about? Surprised about the vagrant''s death, or that the crossbows came from the Duke''s mansion?" Charlotte replied lightly, taking a sip of milk. S?a??h th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. She was beginning to believe that her transformation into a Bloodborne had somewhat influenced her emotions. Upon hearing that someone had been silenced, her mood surprisingly remained calm. Even though... she had already had a vague expectation. "Meow! I know you seemed to anticipate something before asking me to investigate, but don''t you find it eerie?" "Do you believe there are such coincidences in the world?" "Master Cat barely started looking for clues when the man died!" "Master Cat had just started investigating, and before he could even begin, clues about the Duke''s mansion selling crossbows fell into his lap! And it just so happened that the special mark of the Duke''s mansion hadn''t been erased yet!" "Meow! Do they think Master Cat is a fool?!" Nice grew angrier as he spoke, his cat-faced cheeks trembling slightly. "So... what''s your judgment?" Charlotte finished the milk in her goblet and lightly tapped the cup. Nice immediately understood and quickly refilled it for her, then exclaimed. "Conspiracy!" "This is a conspiracy!" "Someone is fabricating the illusion that the Duke''s mansion kidnapped you! They''re trying to frame and incite discord between you and the Duke''s mansion!" After saying this, Nice widened his amber eyes, looking towards Charlotte expectantly, like a cat seeking praise, only to find Charlotte still calm. His heart skipped a beat. "Don''t tell me you already guessed?" Charlotte glanced at him without giving a direct answer. "From the moment I was kidnapped to the abandoned mansion until the Demon Hunters arrived, how much time had passed in total?" "Probably... half an hour?" "How far is it from the abandoned mansion to the nearest Demon Hunter outpost?" "Um... judging by our return time, approximately fifteen minutes if we hurry." After saying this, Nice stopped in his tracks. His eyes widened, and he suddenly realized. Charlotte just took another sip of milk, continuing. "Fifteen minutes for a round trip is taking half an hour." "However, this is the speed of hurrying back..." "You see, how could a messenger have possibly used such a short time to go to the Demon Hunter outpost to deliver the message?" "No hesitation, no delay, no time difference, and yet he ran so fast?" "And conveniently, Captain Kara and his team arrived at that Demon Hunter outpost at the same time?" After hearing Charlotte''s words, Nice''s face turned ugly. "Conspiracy! This is a conspiracy! It''s a well-planned performance!" "No wonder the kidnapper was such an unreliable freelance mercenary. Probably, the mastermind behind the scenes never intended to successfully kidnap you!" "It''s not certain." Charlotte shook her head. She touched the crossbow in her hand and said softly. "Everyone thinks I''m just a powerless child, and no one knows that you''ve been secretly following behind the carriage." "Perhaps, the kidnappers were prepared for both success and failure. If the kidnapping succeeded, that would be good. If it failed, it wouldn''t matter." "Perhaps they were just trying to create a time gap, but when they found out it couldn''t succeed, they withdrew and didn''t continue the contact." "Low-level freelance mercenaries may be unreliable, but they wouldn''t dirty their hands. These guys don''t have the slickness of experienced mercenaries, they leave traces everywhere to avoid being used as pawns!" Nice looked at the girl unexpectedly. "You seem to know a lot about freelance mercenaries." "It''s fortunate. After meeting the Duke''s son, I studied relevant books in the church hospital." Charlotte said indifferently. "However, if that''s the case, then it''s interesting, meow. The kidnapper''s reaction was so swift. It seems... there should be a mole in the rescue team!" Nice narrowed his eyes slightly. Charlotte didn''t confirm or deny, just lightly chuckled. "Perhaps." The cat and the girl glanced at each other, not saying anything more, but a figure emerged in both their minds. "Go investigate him." Charlotte said coldly. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "This might be a bit troublesome. After all, he''s a nobleman." Nice scratched his head. "Hmm? Any problem?" Charlotte glanced at it casually, a hint of her low-rank majesty magic flashing in her eyes. "Uh... meow, no, no..." The black cat, intending to use the opportunity to sell some sympathy points and suffering, immediately shut up. However, soon, it became serious again. "Miss Charlotte." "Hmm?" Charlotte glanced at it askew, with a hint of authority. "Uh... no, Master, Master." Nis quickly corrected himself. "Speak." The girl nodded satisfactorily and took another sip of milk. Nice took a deep breath and looked at the seemingly innocent but extremely evil old monster in front of him seriously. "Forgive me for being straightforward, but do you really plan to attend the Duke''s mansion banquet a week from now?" "I know, great... uh, respected you, sooner or later, will regain what rightfully belongs to you and regain your former glory." "But, you haven''t fully recovered your strength yet. Regardless of the truth, this kidnapping is inevitably linked to the Duke''s mansion. I think... it''s better to be cautious!" Huh? When did this guy become so concerned about my "Evil God" recovering THEIR strength again? Charlotte glanced at the black cat in surprise, feeling like he had misunderstood something again recently. "No harm. Instead of waiting for them to act, it''s better to take the initiative. After all, it''s easier to dodge a bullet than to defend against a hidden arrow." Charlotte said. "Easier to dodge a bullet, harder to defend against a hidden arrow..." Nice chewed on these two sentences, feeling that the other party was indeed quite skilled, planning to remember them and show off elsewhere in the future. As the two were chatting, suddenly, the silver bell connecting the mansion''s gate rang. Charlotte stood up and looked out the window, seeing seven or eight carriages at the gate, each bearing the emblem of the Castell family. Seeing the carriages filled with servants, she smiled faintly. "Casimodo is back." "Let''s go, tidy up and take a look. It seems he''s brought quite a few new people." ... "Master!" In the mansion''s hall, seeing Charlotte coming down from upstairs, Casimodo, who was giving instructions to the new servants, brightened up. He bowed tremblingly to the girl, respectfully saying. "Master! Casimodo hasn''t let you down. I''ve successfully recruited twenty new people!" At the same time, the new servants behind Casimodo, all wearing the Castell family uniform, also saluted Charlotte unevenly. "Master!" Casimodo''s face instantly turned embarrassed, and he lowered his head shamefully. "Sorry... Master, those... they may be a little different from what you imagined..." "It''s fine, it''s good enough." Charlotte was quite satisfied. Although a bit disorderly, they were new recruits after all, so there was no need to demand too much. "Are their backgrounds clear?" Having already had her fill, the girl waved away the new milk offered by the lackey-like black cat and asked. "Clear, they''re all clear. I''ve carefully checked them one by one and even searched their bodies. They''re all very safe." Casimodo said respectfully. After speaking, he hesitated for a moment and added. "However, they were all temporary servants for small merchants and minor nobles in the past, completely inexperienced in working for large families. It may take some time for them to be competent in their jobs..." "No matter, take your time." Charlotte smiled. She stepped forward, passing by the new recruits, and carefully scrutinized each one. Some looked down in fear, some wore pleasing expressions, some showed curiosity, and some bowed respectfully. Charlotte''s steps suddenly stopped. She looked again at the newcomer who had just respectfully saluted her, seemingly lost in thought. It seemed that the newcomer noticed the new master''s gaze. He quickly lowered his head and slightly bent his body, presenting an even more standard and respectful posture. Charlotte''s smile suddenly disappeared. "Look up." She commanded coldly. The servant hesitated for a moment, slowly raised his head, his face somewhat pale, appearing nervous. Charlotte looked at him quietly, a glimmer of light flashing in her eyes. The majesty surged instantly. With a soft laugh, the seemingly soft and feeble voice seemed to carry pressure deep into the soul. "Your manners are good." "Tell me, where did you learn them?" Casimodo and the new servants behind him all changed their colors. Under the gaze of the new master, sweat beads began to appear on the servant''s forehead. He began to tremble all over, then suddenly gritted his teeth and pulled out a dagger gleaming with cold light from his chest, roaring towards Charlotte''s chest. "Demon of Castell! Die!" Chapter 34: Kneel Down! "Demon of Castell! Die!" A grim-faced servant brandished a dagger gleaming with cold light and thrust it towards Charlotte''s chest. This scene happened so unexpectedly that everyone was stunned. "Master, be careful!" Casimodo reacted the fastest. His face changed drastically as he threw himself forward, regardless of his own safety. However, he was too far from Charlotte. The servant''s eyes were bloodshot, veins bulging on his forehead, and his pupils filled with hatred. He lunged forward and instantly reached Charlotte''s face. He could see the almost imperceptible pores beneath the girl''s delicate skin, the fine hairs on her fair and rosy cheeks. He could smell the faint scent emanating from her, like lavender, and feel the warm breath from her every inhalation. He could almost see his dagger piercing Charlotte''s chest. He seemed to see blood splattering, and Charlotte falling in terror and despair. He laughed. A reckless laugh. In that grimace, there was the pleasure of revenge and the frenzied madness. But the next moment, his smile froze. The dagger in his hand was less than three centimeters away from Charlotte''s chest. However, these three centimeters became an insurmountable gap. A slender arm gently lifted and stopped the dagger in his hand. The arm was so slender, so delicate, it seemed so fragile that it could be broken at any moment. But with such a slender arm, such a smooth and delicate palm, it firmly held the dagger in place. It was Charlotte''s hand. She only extended two fingers. The servant''s eyes widened instantly. Although it was only two fingers holding the weapon, he felt as if he had plunged into an unbreakable rock, unable to move it at all. Unable to penetrate, unable to withdraw. Moving his gaze away from the girl''s gently undulating chest, his eyes slowly rose, and what he saw was a calm and beautiful face, and a pair of deep, insurmountable azure eyes. No panic, no fear, no astonishment. Only calmness and maturity that did not match her youthful appearance. "My dear Casimodo, your search seems rather inadequate, doesn''t it?" Charlotte chuckled lightly, her smile as brilliant and charming as a blooming flower, seemingly ignoring the assassin in front of her. With a flick of her hand, the servant felt an irresistible force emanating from her palm. The dagger he tightly grasped tore through his hand, like a released arrow, flying out and embedding itself in the wooden door of the distant hall, swaying a few times before sticking firmly. The servant was knocked to the ground by the residual force, stumbling, with only one terrified voice echoing in his mind. Extraordinary! She''s extraordinary! She''s a noble with awakened bloodline power! His expression changed rapidly, from astonishment to fear, anger... until it turned into madness regardless of everything. He raised his head, his fierce gaze locked onto the standing girl, and after a hoarse roar, he attempted to charge at her again. Seeing the approaching servant, Charlotte''s beautiful blue eyes shimmered with light, and she instantly released an intimidating posture using her majesty magic. Her gaze became cold and indifferent in an instant, a clear, ethereal, yet extremely majestic reprimand came out of her mouth. "Kneel down!" Boom! The servant that attempting another attack felt as if a thunderous roar shook his soul. The figure of the girl in front of him seemed to soar infinitely in an instant, as if she transformed into a towering king and an immortal God. The majestic reprimand echoed in his mind, like carrying an irresistible force, instantly shattering his recently gathered courage and his fragile heart... Unprecedented fear and awe instantly filled his brain, and the servant''s face turned extremely pale in an instant, as if experiencing a tremendous mental shock. He stumbled, his legs almost uncontrollably losing strength, with a thud, he knelt down, and then directly lost his strength. He even lost the courage to stand up again... ... ... Not far away, Casimodo and the other newcomers, who were still ordinary people and hadn''t awakened yet, trembled, almost subconsciously kneeling down in a large group... Even Nice, the black cat on the stairs, under the majestic reprimand that seemed to have surpassed common suppression magic, felt a tremor in his heart and involuntarily prostrated himself. Wait! Why is this cat''s body also kneeling?! It quickly realized and climbed up, but seeing a large group of servants kneeling in the hall and the only standing girl, it inexplicably felt a pressure that couldn''t be described in words and obediently kneeled back down with its tail tucked... Charlotte''s gaze swept slowly across the room, slightly frowning. "Why are you all kneeling?" "Get up!" After a moment of hesitation, dozens of newcomers looked at Casimodo together. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Casimodo stared straight at the girl, who, although still youthful in appearance, exuded the dignity and aura of a true noble family head, with an incredibly intense gaze. His expression changed from joy to sadness, from relief to guilt... But soon, the old servant regained his composure and tremblingly stood up. The remaining servants followed suit, all standing up, and subconsciously moving away from the assassin. "Why are you still standing there? Take down the assassin! If our great master gets injured! Can you bear the responsibility?!" A hoarse and aggressive voice came over, and Nice, the black cat, bounced up and down, pointing excitedly at the assassin who was still trembling under the majesty magic. There was quite an atmosphere of bullying in his tone. A talking cat?! S?a?ch* Th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Some newcomers who had never encountered extraordinary beings were obviously frightened. Of course, no one listened to a cat''s command, but they subconsciously looked at Charlotte and Casimodo. This made Nice, who was excited, gradually feel a strange embarrassment and almost began to look for a corner to hide. Charlotte glanced at it, suppressing the smile that was about to emerge, and then commanded Casimodo. "Lock him up in the dungeon." Casimodo respectfully bowed his head and rallied the remaining newcomers to arrest the assassin, who had completely lost his resistance. Almost every noble estate had dungeons, and the Castel Manor was no exception. It was the darkest and most terrifying place in the family. After a busy period, it was already night. A weary Casimodo entered the study and knelt in front of Charlotte, who was sitting at the desk. "Master... Casimodo is incompetent, I didn''t even notice the assassin hidden among the servants..." "I''ll dismiss them all and re-select..." Charlotte put down the parchment recording the Castell family''s assets in Boulder City, rubbed her slightly swollen temples, and then tapped the table in front of her. The black cat sitting on the table immediately understood and skillfully filled the empty cup with milk. "Get up, you''re not young anymore, and your knees aren''t that good, stop kneeling all the time." She gently sipped the milk, her beautiful face adorned with an innocent smile, completely different from the queen-like aura she exuded in the hall that afternoon. Listening to the girl''s concerned words, the old servant''s face was filled with infinite gratitude, with tears flashing in the corners of his eyes. "As you command, Master." He respectfully bowed, his voice choked, and his entire body trembled. "No need to dismiss them all, let Nice recheck later." Charlotte added after taking a sip of milk. She couldn''t help but admit that the milk in this world was really delicious, rich and fragrant, and tasted wonderful. Charlotte didn''t know if it was because this body itself liked milk, or if she herself had developed a taste for it after transmigrated, but now she couldn''t go a day without it. Hearing the girl''s words, Nice''s ears stood up instantly. It cleared its throat, lifted its head proudly, and with a confident look. Casimodo glanced at the black cat and bowed respectfully. "Understood, as you command." "Have you found out his background?" Charlotte asked again. Casimodo hesitated for a moment before answering. Charlotte found it strange. She looked at the old servant and quickly caught the fleeting hesitation on his face. "Speak up, there''s nothing you can''t say." Charlotte said. Casimodo sighed and replied. "Master, he... he volunteered." "Volunteered?" Charlotte was puzzled. She frowned. "What''s going on?" Seeing the girl''s puzzled expression, Casimodo sighed. "Master, do you... still remember the Flame Demon disaster ten years ago?" Chapter 35: Flame Demon Disaster and the Rumors ¡°Flame Demon... Disaster?¡±Charlotte''s heart stirred. She seriously tried to recall, but couldn''t make sense of it. The memories Charlotte inherited weren''t very complete, especially her childhood memories. The memories from ten years ago seemed like a dividing line. It was inevitable. Humans aren''t machines; memories naturally fade with time. Only the most profound impressions remain from experiences that happened long ago. It was the same in her previous life. As she grew older, her childhood memories faded even more. By the time Charlotte was ready to start a family and career, the only remaining childhood memories were that of the old willow tree in her grandmother''s yard and the warm quilt carrying the scent of sunshine that her mother sunned out. This life was much the same. In Charlotte''s inherited memories, impressions of her childhood were limited to fragmented experiences of visiting the Duke''s mansion with her mother and father to see her Aunt Catherine. Apart from that, there were memories of running and laughing with childhood friends in the woods. Huh? Childhood friends? In a moment, fragments of new memories flashed through Charlotte''s mind. It seemed like buried memories from the original owner, gradually surfacing as she delved deeper into her recollections. She seemed to see a familiar forest, beautiful gardens, and a splendid mansion. She saw a young Charlotte happily running under the sun with two beautiful girls, playing hide and seek joyfully. But the next moment, the beautiful mansion turned into a sea of flames. She heard people shouting, crying in pain, screaming in agony... She seemed to see the entire sky turn crimson, saw her father and mother pat her little head, gently instructing her to hide and not run around, then drawing their wands, holding hands, and resolutely facing the distant towering figure shrouded in red... Huh? Was she crying? In a daze, Charlotte suddenly realized her vision was blurred. Those weren''t her tears. They were Charlotte''s. It was an instinctive reaction of this delicate body when painful memories resurfaced unwillingly. "It seems you''ve remembered." "Thinking about it, after experiencing such pain, even if you try to forget, how could you really forget?" Seeing the tear-streaked girl, Casimodo sighed softly. Charlotte:... No, I haven''t remembered. This is just the natural reaction of this body! She wanted to say. Fortunately, it seemed that memories had also been stirred up. Casimodo soon began to speak to himself. "Ten years ago, Count Brois of the Borde Duchy invited nobles to attend the coming-of-age ceremony of his twin daughters. Your parents, as a friend and colleague, were also invited." "The family head, madam, and you, as a friend of Count Brois''s daughter, all attended." "However, what no one expected was that the coming-of-age ceremony was just a cover..." "The real purpose of Count Brois was to communicate with the Bloodborne Archduke and, using his daughter''s body as a vessel, summon the most terrifying dark creature under the Archduke''s command¡ª the Flame Demon, Valaroka!" "He wanted to break through to the legendary realm and he wanted to gain the power of demons!" "He succeeded... The incarnation of the legendary demon descended, bringing endless calamity. Almost all the nobles who attended the coming-of-age ceremony perished, including your..." Casimodo''s voice choked up, and he looked at the girl sorrowfully, not continuing. Charlotte knew he wanted to mention the original body owner''s parents. Perhaps inheriting the memories of the original owner, inexplicably, a trace of sadness arose in her heart. Charlotte quickly suppressed this trace of sadness. The past is the past. If the original owner had any regrets, as the successor, she was willing to smooth them out for her. But what needs to be addressed now is the present and the future. Count Brois...This name sounds somewhat familiar. Where have I heard it before? Charlotte frowned slightly. She soon remembered. This was the name of the owner of the abandoned mansion she was abducted to last night. But besides that, she felt like she had seen this surname somewhere after she transmigrated... But for a moment, she couldn''t remember. "But... What does this have to do with the assassin from yesterday?" The girl suppressed her doubts and continued to ask. "This involves the secrets of the past. Although the news has been blocked by the Duke''s mansion to minimize the adverse effects, many people still know about it, including me." Casimodo sighed lightly, then continued. "Count Brois''s summoning of the Flame Demon was conducted through a ritual called ''Pure Sacrifice.''" "It''s an evil sacrifice that requires the blood of an underage virgin." "For this, he secretly abducted or kidnapped underage girls in the duchy over the past few years. It is said that there were more than a thousand, including some daughters of nobles... Some girls were even four or five years old." "Beast!" Charlotte said coldly. Casimodo sighed. "Who would argue with that... And, it also includes the daughter of last night''s assassin." "He wasn''t an ordinary assassin. He used to be a fallen noble without awakened powers. His three daughters... were also kidnapped and eventually died in the evil sacrifice." "His entire family was annihilated by Count Brois more than a dozen years ago while tracing his daughters'' whereabouts. Only he happened to be out at the time and survived." Charlotte was confused. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "But what does this have to do with him seeking revenge on me? Even if it''s revenge, shouldn''t he go to Count Brois?" Casimodo shook his head. "The Brois family was wiped out on the night of the Flame Demon disaster." "They brought it upon themselves. The entire family, hundreds of people, all died at the hands of the summoned Flame Demon incarnation, including the count himself and his daughter." "As for why the assassin came to kill you..." Casimodo paused, then smiled bitterly. "Because you are the only survivor of that disaster and the only surviving girl among all those considered sacrifices..." "After that disaster, there was always a rumor in Borde City that Count Castell, the vice-commander of the Borde Mage Corps, and his wife, were actually in cahoots with Count Brois." "They held an evil sacrifice together, and the reason you survived was also because of this." "Absurd! They were heroes who fought against the demon incarnations!" Recalling certain broken images in her mind, Charlotte furrowed her brow. "Yes, but so what?" Casimodo sighed. "Rumors are easily spread and easily believed. When everyone spreads the same rumor, falsehood becomes truth in people''s minds." "Human nature is inherently evil... The Castell family is extremely wealthy and influential. For the public, what''s more exciting than seeing a noble family''s downfall, accusing a noble family of evil?" "In fact, if it weren''t for Lady Catherine repeatedly dispelling rumors, and the Duke''s strong support for the Castell family, the rumor from that year might have persisted until now!" Casimodo was indignant. Listening to his words, Charlotte''s heart moved. "So... the recent events at the mansion have revived this suppressed rumor?" "Exactly, and it''s getting worse..." Casimodo sighed. "Although the nobles know the truth is not like that, the public doesn''t know it, and the assassin from last night doesn''t know it either." "He still believes that the Castell family and the Brois family are in cahoots, and the resurgence of the rumor has completely ignited his anger." "A grieving father who lost his daughter and family, driven mad with grief." Charlotte concluded in this way. After saying this, she rubbed her temples and sighed. "So... someone is secretly spreading this rumor again?" Casimodo bowed. "I believe so." He gritted his teeth and said. "This is a conspiracy against you!" "Inheriting a title requires the blessing of the church. If rumors continue to spread, coupled with the actions of the old lady did... the Castell family is likely to be labeled as colluding with the Blood Demon Cult in court!" "And once that happens, your inheritance rights to the territory and title will be greatly weakened, or even directly revoked!" Charlotte fell silent. She hummed lightly after drinking the last sip of milk in her tall glass. "So... the nobles of the duchy are also happy to see this rumor spread and have been secretly fanning the flames behind their backs, right?" Casimodo sighed. "That''s right... Once your inheritance rights are weakened, the Castell family will have to form alliances with other nobles to keep their titles and territories, thus strengthening their inheritance rights and seeking allies..." "And for those nobles who have ambitions for our family, this is the greatest opportunity." Charlotte laughed coldly after hearing this. "Heh, I''m familiar with this. Marry me off and then make me stumble in the future, huh? Do they think I''m Mary of Burgundy?" Casimodo didn''t quite understand. "Mary of Burgundy?" "It doesn''t matter, just a miserable female duke who owned a large piece of rich land and ended up losing it to someone else." Charlotte shook her head. S~?a??h the n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Casimodo scratched his head and thought for a long time, but couldn''t remember any Duchess surnamed Burgundy. But he understood the general meaning the master wanted to convey. In other words, it''s another way of saying "eating a barren house." "Well... if I, the sole heir, were to die now, who would inherit the title and territory of the Castell family?" Charlotte motioned for Nice to refill her glass of milk and suddenly asked. Casimodo hesitated for a moment, didn''t answer directly, but swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and said. "The Castell family is a branch of the Borde family..." Chapter 36: Game of Thrones In the feudal era, there were generally two situations regarding the inheritance of territories after the extinction of a noble family line.One situation was that the territory was directly reclaimed by the lord, becoming a directly governed territory of the lord or being granted to other nobles. This situation was not particularly common, usually occurring when the lord was strong or when the extinct family had not formed alliances or side branches. The other situation, which was the most common, involved a fierce struggle, after which the territory was inherited by a marriage-related family or a side branch with a certain inheritance right of the extinct family. The Myria world was no exception. Moreover, because the Myria world possessed extraordinary powers, and marriages between extraordinary individuals could increase the probability of awakening extraordinary powers in their offspring, marriages among nobles in this world were even more frequent. Taking the Castell family as an example, if one were to trace it, nearly the entire Borde Duchy, and even some other noble families outside the Borde Duchy in the Crescent Kingdom, had married into the Castell family, whether near or distant relatives. In other words, if something were to happen to Charlotte, there would be plenty of families both within and outside the Borde Duchy claiming weak rights to the inheritance of the Castell Count''s territory. Of course, there is an order in having claim rights. Among all the inheritors, the Borde family, which was both the lord and the main family and had also married into the past generations, was undoubtedly the first. Others were at most weak claims, but the Borde family obtained a strong claim. In other words, once something happened to Charlotte, it was almost certain that Count Castell''s territory would return back to the Duke. S~?a??h the N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Having quickly caught up on the noble knowledge of this world, Charlotte soon understood all these ins and outs. "How did that assassin bring in the weapon?" She thought for a moment and asked again. This time, Casimodo looked at the black cat, Nice, and Nice grinned, saying. "It was temporary space magic, and quite advanced at that. Your servants aren''t extraordinary, so naturally, they couldn''t see it." "Temporary space magic? Was there an extraordinary person behind him?" Charlotte''s heart fluttered. "Yeah, meow, but he wouldn''t say, or maybe he couldn''t remember. He seemed to have been subjected to a mental-type forgetting curse, only remembering that he had a hidden weapon." Nice said, licking his paws. "In his words, even if he was being used, as long as he could avenge his family, he would willingly do it." Nice paused for a moment, then continued. "But if we trace it, we can still trace it back to the Duke''s mansion, right?" Charlotte took a sip of milk, squinting slightly. Nice grinned twice, tacitly acknowledging, clearly having discovered "evidence." "A fool who overestimates himself, used as a pawn by others!" Charlotte''s gaze turned cold as she added a new label to the assassin. Clearly, this was another attempt to frame her. Indeed, from the perspective of inheritance, if someone wished for Charlotte''s demise, it was undoubtedly the Duke of Borde on the surface. Such framing would be more easily believed by the public. But Charlotte didn''t believe that the Duke of Borde would be so foolish. Nobles had their own rules, and adhering to those rules was the most valued thing among all Myria nobles. In the game of power, many dirty deeds could be hidden in the shadows but not displayed openly. If the Duke of Bold had really attempted to assassinate her and the matter came to light, he would bear the charge of murder. And this wasn''t just any ordinary murder charge. As beneficiaries under the extraordinary ruling system, Myria nobles had privileges. Emperor Charles I, the founding emperor of the Yunette Empire that governed the Holy Court and established the current political structure of Myria, had once signed a "Sacred Code," which clearly defined the various rights and obligations of the nobles. Murdering a noble, even a lower-ranking one, was not allowed in the political circle of Myria. Even the Holy Court regarded it as a crime, having the authority to administer punishment to the murderer, and banish them from the church! The divine right of kings, the royal authority derived from divine power, was also needed for the nobles to control their land. It would be quite a spectacle by then. Once punished, the Duke of Borde''s control over the territory would even be weakened, not just their claim right. By then, it was certain that the inheritance right of the Castell Count''s territory would not be obtained, and vassal nobles might even cause trouble. No one was a fool, and everyone was watching the Duke''s mansion. It wasn''t easy being a leader under the current feudal system. Each vassal noble was shrewd, playing tricks and deceits, obeying but disobeying in secret. Even the Castell family, praised by the Duke of Borde as the backbone of the Duchy, was accustomed to falsifying accounts to lower the declared income of the territory, thereby reducing the paid contract taxes. Not to mention other families. Most of the vassal nobles under the Duke of Borde actually wished for the immediate weakening of the Duke''s authority, so they could raise prices and reduce the contract tax rates in their vassal agreements. By then, even other lords and even the royal family of the Crescent Kingdom might be eager to fish out in muddy water. The King would certainly not miss such a good opportunity and would definitely use it as an excuse to weaken the Borde family, even reclaiming some of the Duke''s directly governed territories. Centralization of power had always been the dream of every feudal monarch. So... as long as the Duke of Borde wasn''t stupid, he wouldn''t attempt to assassinate Charlotte. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now At least not with his own hands. If he did, it would have to be done sneakily, without leaving any evidence. Not to mention, that would be the lowest of the low methods. Thinking from another perspective, if Charlotte were the Duke of Borde herself, wouldn''t it be great to have a riding accident after the marriage? Even if not, the offspring would bear the name Borde! The Duke''s family was not without any other pla... damn it! Suddenly, Charlotte had a thought, her expression turning somewhat ugly. At this moment, she suddenly remembered the rumors circulating like wildfire among the chattering believers when she was in the church hospital. "Casimodo, the Duke invited me to attend a banquet in a week and specifically reminded me that it was related to the future of the Castell family. What... does that mean?" She took a deep breath and asked. "Related to the family''s future?" Casimodo hesitated for a moment, looking puzzled. Seeing his clueless expression, Charlotte knew that her old servant was loyal but probably had almost zero political acumen. "Do you think... the Duke''s residence intends to marry me?" Charlotte voiced her speculation. Casimodo frowned. "Marriage? But the Duke doesn''t lack male heirs... Wait! What about the illegitimate child?!" His eyes widened suddenly. Then, Charlotte saw her old servant, like an angry mother hen, suddenly becoming furious, his beard fluttering. "Daydreaming! This is daydreaming!" "He actually wants to marry our noble Castell family with a filthy bastard child, even if he''s the Duke, he can''t insult our master like this!" Charlotte was startled by Casimodo''s reaction. The usually gentle old servant was now like a powder keg ignited, cursing the Duke''s family from top to bottom, even though this was just Charlotte''s speculation. Listening to the opponent''s lack of noble etiquette and filthy curses, Charlotte gradually understood. Like Earth, no, worse than Earth. In this world, the status of noble illegitimate child was quite low. Not only did they lack inheritance rights, but they were also at the bottom of the noble hierarchy. No, not even as good as a baron at the bottom. At most, they were equivalent to a knight relying on extraordinary powers, but still, a knight with a stain. However, Casimodo''s reaction also relieved Charlotte. If even her own servant was so angry, then if the Duke proposed a marriage, she could firmly refuse it using the excuse of to not tarnish the family''s honor. Casimodo cursed for a long time. And as he cursed, seeming to tire or remember something, he suddenly stopped and asked. "Wait, master, how old is the Duke''s illegitimate child? What''s his strength? Has he awakened his bloodline power?" "About twenty or so, and seems to be Second Tier." Charlotte said, raising her cup elegantly, bringing it to her lips as she spoke. "Twenty years old? Second Tier?!" Casimodo''s eyes lit up instantly. He stood up, excitedly pressing down on the table. "Master! We must capture him! We must find a way to capture him!" "Pfft..." Charlotte choked, spraying milk all over Casimodo''s face. But Casimodo didn''t mind at all. Instead, he exclaimed excitedly. "Second Tier! He''s Second Tier! Such a young Second Tier Silver Moon!" "You should have said so earlier! Then there''s no problem! No... it''s not a problem at all! Rather, his illegitimate child status is actually a good thing!" "By combining with him, our family will gain a strong reinforcement, with unlimited potential! Strength can overshadow the stain. Plus, illegitimate children cannot inherit territory, they must be adopted, and our Castell family can continue the bloodline!" "Not to mention, you have awakened your bloodline power today, and it''s so powerful. With a strong alliance, we can definitely produce even stronger heirs!" "Obtaining a Second Tier Silver Moon as an ally for free, and continuing the powerful bloodline..." "Master! This is a huge opportunity!" Seeing Casimodo getting more excited as he spoke, Charlotte''s expression turned completely dark. She wished she could pick up the high-footed cup and smash it against his shiny forehead. Damn it! Who the hell wants an heir? Screw you! I came back here, cross-dressing, acting cute, and playing along... all for the sake of enjoying myself as a lord in the future! Not to friggin'' strip naked, close my eyes, and lie on the bed for others to enjoy! Marriage? Hell no! Chapter 37: Steward Needed Casimodo obviously didn''t notice his master''s increasingly dark complexion, still eloquently expounding on the benefits of the alliance.It wasn''t until Nice, who had already felt the chill, glanced at the gloomy Charlotte and shivered coldly, coughing lightly a few times to wake the old servant from his fantasy. "Meow... After the alliance, will the great master be able to avoid further schemes?" Nice cleared his throat, asking with a hint of meaning. Casimodo was taken aback, his expression changing slightly, and he quickly fell silent. It was clear that he had also thought of incidents like the "riding accident." So what if a bastard is married into the family? As long as the Castell family itself does not have enough strength to suppress them, even with the protection of the "Sacred Code," it is still prey in the eyes of others. Putting hope on someone else is equivalent to entrusting one''s life to others. "Sorry... Master, I thought about it too simply..." Casimodo bowed his head, his old face showing guilt. Looking at the slightly relieved Charlotte, Nice secretly shook his head. Really, this old servant doesn''t know what he''s thinking. He actually wants such a great existence to marry a mortal... Simply asking for divine punishment! Charlotte, however, regained her composure, smiled faintly, and comforted. "It''s all right, you''re also doing it for the family." With that, she sighed deeply. Charlotte had already realized. Unconsciously, she had become the vortex of this power game in the Borde Duchy. The fuse of the vortex was the inheritance of the Castell Count''s territory a year later. The core behind it was the conflict of interest between the Duke''s family and the vassal nobles. The Duke would definitely have thoughts about the wealthy Castell, the same goes for other nobles. Whether it''s framing, assassination, or malicious rumors, everything revolves around the same purpose. First, to destroy the relationship between Castell and Borde, to preemptively destroy the possibility of an alliance between the two families, to hinder Borde''s possible inheritance of the Castell Count''s territory, and to prevent the Duke''s family from further expanding. Second, to use rumors and survival pressure to pressure Charlotte, forcing Castell to seek alliances among the nobles, and giving their side more opportunities to compete for the inheritance of the Castell Count''s territory... However, there was one thing Charlotte hadn''t figured out. Was this afternoon''s assassination attempt a show, or was it real? This really confused her. After all, in the eyes of outsiders, she was still just an ordinary little girl, and this assassination attempt had a real chance of success. If I die and it''s revealed that the Duke side was the attacker, who benefits the most? The lower nobles of the kingdom? Other dukes of the kingdom? The king? Or... someone else? Charlotte pondered. Unfortunately, there was too little information and she had no clue. Thinking in vain, the girl gave up her contemplation. Onlookers see clearly, and continuing to meddle will only make things worse for her. Instead of that, it''s better to jump out of the vortex temporarily, even if it''s only temporarily, to observe the situation and discover clues within it. Thinking of this, Charlotte suddenly said. "Casimodo, I''ve changed my mind. I won''t see any nobles for the next few days." Casimodo was slightly stunned, then hesitated. "Is that... fine?" "It''s fine. Just say I was attacked at home this afternoon, and I need to rest due to excessive fright. Before the banquet at the Duke''s mansion, I''ll decline any visits or invitations." "Okay... okay." "You secretly monitor the situation in the city, especially the movements of various families, and also... rumors." "Okay." "Also, do the whole act. For the next few days, go to the church hospital to invite some priests to come here for spiritual comfort therapy, and then go to the nearest church to invite some priests to pray with me." "Ah? Invite priests to the house? That might be difficult..." "Use the lunch fee for therapy and invitation fees, and people will come." "Okay... okay." "Also, go to the western city district''s demon hunter headquarters and find the squad leader, Chatham. Tell him I want to hire them to protect my safety in the next week." "Hire demon hunters? Master, demon hunters belong to the church and generally don''t take contracts from nobles..." "It''s fine. This isn''t a hire, it''s a request between friends. Didn''t we become friends yesterday? Of course, friendly tips should be provided." S?a?ch* Th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "Isn''t that still hiring..." Nice muttered, then quickly closed his mouth under Charlotte''s gentle gaze. Charlotte paused for a moment, then continued. "No need for them to follow me all the time, just arrange for people to patrol around the estate. The main purpose is to borrow some momentum. I also want to see the courage of those people in the dark." "Understood." "If there''s not enough money, find some of the least valuable collections in the estate, like paintings and artworks, and sell them off temporarily. We''ll have money by the end of the month and can buy them back." "Uh... okay." Casimodo''s eyelids twitched, barely holding back from saying that those collections in the estate were the favorite treasures of the former family head... Well, the father can only cry if the son sells his field. "In addition, starting tomorrow, I will personally train the new servants in the house." "Oka... huh?" Casimodo was dumbfounded. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now He looked up at the girl sitting behind the desk, hesitated for a moment, and said. "Master, this... old servant can handle it. Your identity is noble so..." "It''s fine. I''ve also learned noble etiquette. This matter is settled." Charlotte said. She had this idea after stopping the assassin this afternoon because she realized that her proficiency in low-level majesty magic had increased significantly, reaching 24/100. Since she didn''t plan to interact with nobles for the time being, the best way to improve her skill would be to practice with these new servants. It would instill fear in them, increase their loyalty, and quickly master the magic, killing two birds with one stone! "Okay." Seeing Charlotte''s determination, Casimodo no longer objected but bowed respectfully. In his eyes, this was a sign that the young master also wanted to grow up quickly. Although it was not in line with etiquette, it was still a good thing. Wait, wrong. Since the lunch fee was reduced, noble etiquette and the like have already been thrown out of the window. After some arrangements, Charlotte breathed a sigh of relief. She leaned back and stretched lazily, but suddenly remembered something, and smiled slightly. "Actually... what you said makes sense." "I am indeed too weak now. Perhaps I really need to find a strong force to deal with these flies in the kingdom..." Seeing the slightly mischievous smile on Charlotte''s pretty face, Nice''s heart moved, and he made some guesses about the girl''s thoughts and goals, silently lighting a candle in his heart... Charlotte didn''t further explain, but glanced at the deepening sky, and yawned lazily. "Well, it''s getting late. If there''s nothing else, let''s end here for today, I need to rest too." Upon hearing this, Nice quickly jumped off the desk, like a sycophant, and brought the thick-soled shoes to the girl. Charlotte''s feet under the desk were bare as she had already taken off the uncomfortable thick-soled shoes previously since this thick-soled shoe was so uncomfortable to wear. However, outside the desk, the old servant Casimodo''s expression was hesitant, wanting to speak but holding it. Charlotte''s heart moved. "Casimodo, is there anything else?" "Uh... indeed, master, this afternoon I saw you use extraordinary power to intimidate the assassin. Um... may I ask what kind of bloodline power you awakened?" Casimodo asked eagerly. "What kind of power? Does our family''s bloodline powers have more than one kind?" Charlotte was slightly stunned. Casimodo thought about it, first shook his head, but soon nodded: "This... how should I put it..." "If we trace back to the original power, the Castell bloodline power does have only one kind, just like Borde and even the Crescent royal family, they are all elemental awakening of the mage category..." "But as you know, the nobles have been intermarrying for generations. Now, the bloodline powers of the entire Myria nobles have long been mixed." "Everyone has intermingled, and besides the most likely original bloodline, other bloodline awakenings are possible." "In general, everyone''s bloodline powers are no longer singular but have become varied. Anything is possible, so..." Seeing Casimodo''s conflicted expression, Charlotte understood. In other words, from an extraordinary perspective, the nobles who have intermarried for generations are all already hybrids. What kind of power could be inherited according to bloodline is random. This was a good thing for her. Because of this, the identity as a Bloodborne could be more hidden. "I don''t know what I awakened, probably something related to the mind or spiritual." Charlotte thought for a moment and said. The bloodborne identity must not be exposed, even to Casimodo. Casimodo thought for a moment and said. "If you''re not sure, you can go through the family''s collection of books on bloodline powers. It records all the bloodline powers of the families that the Castell family has intermarried with throughout history, just to prevent situations like yours now." "If you find out what kind of power you awakened, you can then find specific ways to improve it, train it, and enhance your strength." "I understand." Charlotte nodded slightly, planning to look through it later and find a scapegoat. After Casimodo told her where the books were stored, he left. Watching him leave, Charlotte sighed slightly. Casimodo was very loyal, extremely loyal. But he was just a mortal after all. Not only that, when considering the problem, he leaned more toward the standpoint of the Castell than from her interest. He was indeed very loyal. But not entirely loyal to Charlotte herself. In addition, this diligent old servant also lacked sufficient political sensitivity... At this moment, Charlotte suddenly understood why the family had previously arranged for such a loyal servant to be a shopkeeper instead of leaving him as the steward of the estate. He was quite qualified as a servant. But as a steward... he was indeed a little lacking. "It seems that I need a more loyal and competent steward..." "It would be best if it were an extraordinary who had risen in rank." Charlotte muttered to herself. After saying that, she quickly shook her head. Even she herself had not yet advanced to the first tier. It was just wishful thinking! Chapter 38: Sebastians Decision In the following days, Charlotte''s life became much calmer. She would sleep until she naturally woke up, then devoutly attend the church service with the priests who came from the church, followed by receiving "spiritual therapy" from the priests from the church hospital. Her enthusiasm, initiative, and religious fervor impressed the priests who came to earn extra income. Charlotte was indeed very devout. Watching the blood calling recharge bar rise again, she offered heartfelt blessings and sincere thanks to the Great God Harald every day... The only regret was probably not being able to see Miss Lottie. The beautiful priestess not only was pleasing to the eye, smelled good, and kind, but also brought Charlotte a natural intimacy. She was the first person to treat Charlotte kindly after she crossed over. During those days at the hospital, Lottie took care of Charlotte meticulously, and Charlotte could genuinely feel the other''s heartfelt concern and gentleness. Charlotte was looking forward to her visit, but instead, the priests who came were all men, one more enthusiastic than the other, but none pleasing to the eye. Later, after some cute gestures and getting friendly, Charlotte chatted with the priests and learned that Lottie had gone to study at the cathedral during these days. Regrettably. After the "charging" in the morning, it was lunchtime. The new maid who had started working respectfully served the girl''s meal, allowing Charlotte to return to the sinful life of having everything served on a silver platter. Lunch was as sumptuous as ever. In the end, Casimodo successfully persuaded Charlotte to increase her meal fee, ultimately lowering it to one-fifth of the original amount. Lower than the original but still higher than Charlotte demands. According to him, he had already exchanged eighty thousand gold tana with the cheapest porcelain in the pawnshop opened by the Yucca people, enough to cover the upcoming expenses. And there were several rooms in the manor with similar collections... Charlotte was truly amazed by her family''s heritage. She felt astonished that the manor had not been targeted by thieves during this time, it was truly a miracle. "They won''t dare, because in the past few days, the Duke''s mansion has been sending people to help watch over, and the leader even sent a first-tier extraordinary to patrol the surroundings." Casimodo explained. "Then what about our extraordinaries? Don''t tell me that the Castell family, such a prestigious family, doesn''t even have one first tier?" Charlotte asked the question she had been wanting to ask. Casimodo sighed. "There are indeed first-tier rextraordinaries in the family, and there are even two Viscounts in the Second Tier Silver Moon. There used to be at least one who was always by the Lord''s side, but over the past few years, all the extraordinary have been sent back to the Count''s territory by the previous Countess under various pretexts..." Charlotte instantly understood. It wasn''t that the Castells didn''t have Extraordinary personnel. It was that the old witch feared exposure and sent them all back to the territory. This resulted in the Castell Manor in the city of Borde becoming a mere figurehead! "Absurd, she''s not even afraid of being attacked." Charlotte muttered. "With the Church here and the Sacred Code, who would dare to cause trouble in the capital?" Casimodo shook his head. "But now that such a big incident has occurred at the manor, why haven''t the extraordinaries in the territory rushed back?" Charlotte asked again. Casimodo fell silent. Obviously, he couldn''t answer this question. Perhaps he guessed something but didn''t dare to answer. Charlotte quickly returned to her senses. "Ah, it''s not easy being a feudal lord..." She sighed helplessly. S~?a??h the ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. First-tier extraordinary that loyal to the great nobles were, of course, also considered nobles. Being nobles, they almost all had their own territories. Even if they didn''t have territories, it was very easy to obtain a rural estate. And with a territory, there were personal interests... Obviously, the Castell family, which had been managed by the old Countess for ten years, was probably a mess internally. The inheritance of the Castell title had not yet been decided, and everyone eyeing it. Of course, this was not a problem that Charlotte was worrying about now. If she is going to be worried, it would be after she successfully inherited the territory in the future. Now without officially inheriting the territory, she couldn''t even command those lower-ranked nobles... After lunch, habitually drinking a glass of milk, and taking a nap, the afternoon was the time to train the servants. Majesty magic was indeed a good thing. They could intimidate and charm. Coupled with Charlotte''s understanding of noble etiquette from her memories, within a few days, she trained the newcomers to be respectful and fearful of her. Charlotte estimated that in a couple of months, she could mold these people to her liking from head to toe. As the days went by, the proficiency of the low-level majesty magic skyrocketed. She broke through 100 on the third day, advancing from basic to intermediate, and the progress bar became 0/300. The power didn''t increase much, but it became more handy to use. At least the duration became quite long. Before, it would only last for about fifteen minutes, but now, she could sustain it for almost an hour. Charlotte estimated that in another week, she should be able to reach maximum proficiency and reach the next level. Evening time was relatively free, and Charlotte usually chose to read to learn, absorbing as much knowledge about this world as possible. Especially information about the nobles and her own family. As she delved deeper, she began to understand why the response from her territory was so sluggish. There was nothing special, it was because the Count''s territory was originally an enclave of the Borde Duchy. The Borde Duchy was located on the southwestern coast of the Crescent Kingdom. However, the Count''s territory was located on the northern coast, the northern border of the kingdom. Originally territory of the Orc Tribe that was conquered by the first Count. The area was not small, accounting for one-third of the total area of the Borde Duchy. The two territories were separated, one to the south and one to the north, separated by several duchies, and had strong control over their own. In fact, the Castell family had always been living in their own territory over the years, only leaving once a year to see the Lord. It wasn''t until the previous Count became the leader of the Duchy''s Mage Corps that they stayed in Borde City for a long time. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now As for the source of the family''s strong income... in simple terms, the Castell family had mines. And it was a silver mine that contained mithril. In addition, as a territory facing the Fallen Star Kingdom across the sea, adjacent to the Northern Territory Grand Duchy, and a land route to the Badlands of Eastern Yunette and even the Coria Kingdom in the east... in recent years, the commercial development of the Count''s territory had also been thriving. Charlotte finally understood why the nobles were coveting her family''s territory. Hundreds of years ago, it was indeed a desolate place, but now it was a land of hope with high potential for future development. In addition to studying family records, the girl also didn''t forget to find a scapegoat in the bloodline record. After picking and choosing, Charlotte found that the effect of her majesty magic was quite similar to the bloodline power of an ancient and declining noble family in the Coria Kingdom. This bloodline had a grandiose name ¡ª "Heaven''s Chosen." The effect was to comprehensively strengthen physical fitness, increase the probability of becoming a knight or a mage, plus an aura release similar to majesty magic. This bloodline ability was quite good, almost like tailored for her identity, so she directly chose it. Just wondering, as a bloodborne, could she still truly awaken her noble bloodline power? Charlotte still harbored doubts about the "half-elf" in her bloodline, but asking Casimodo or consulting literature didn''t yield any results. She could only speculate whether the ancestors of the Castell family had intermarriage with elves. In the following days, the internal situation of the estate remained relatively calm. However, things in the city of Borde were somewhat strange. During the days when Charlotte was "recuperating," rumors about the Castell family colluding with Blood Demon Cult became increasingly rampant... Even the priests who came to the manor every day to earn extra income were interpreted by the public as the Castell family''s confession of guilt to cover up their tracks. Some even more maliciously described Charlotte as a bloodborne who borrowed a corpse to return to life or a succubus who bewitched people''s hearts... When Charlotte heard the old servant indignantly recounting the information she had inquired about, she couldn''t help but feel a little guilty. Because the last rumor... in a sense, was partially true. Obviously, there were still people behind the scenes. They were definitely related to the vassal nobles of the Duchy, and maybe even encouraged by the Duke in secret. Apart from this, the assassination attempts had stopped. The other party seemed to be quite wary of the Demon Hunters, even though most of them were trainees patrolling, they still stopped. In the blink of an eye, a week had passed... The Duke''s birthday banquet is tomorrow. At the same time, in a luxurious mansion in the outer city area. Lying leisurely on a soft bed, Sebastian, the president of the Rose Society, enjoyed the fruit peeled by the demi-human maids and elegantly held a goblet filled with red wine. Finally, after sorting out the information collected from the search, he saw a parchment on the table, clearly copying the sacrificial array in the basement of the Castell Manor that night. Sebastian picked up the parchment, and he slowly sipped his red wine, contemplating. "The Countess of Castell possessed cursed pages. She wanted to sacrifice her granddaughter to communicate with the Blood Duke but ultimately died in a mysterious sacrificial ritual..." "I got the cursed pages from her, and shortly afterward, I was summoned into the dream by Lady of the Night..." "The Blood Duke is one of the five Blood Archdukes, the leader of the Bloodborne''s ''Shadows''." "Lady of the Night is likely a revived Bloodborne..." "A coincidence?" "Or is there... some deeper connection between the two?" Sebastian''s gaze gradually deepened. He put down the parchment and picked up a piece of drawing paper underneath. On the drawing paper was a beautiful blonde girl. She was dressed in a holy white gown, kneeling, closing her eyes in prayer in front of the statue of Harald. The holy light shone on her, making her look extremely sacred, like an angel descending. "Charlotte de Castell..." Sebastian touched the drawing paper, his clear eyes filled with admiration for beauty. "It''s worthy of being the heir of the Castell family, truly beautiful and moving, even the White Witch is inferior." "However, to survive such a sacrifice, this is not something an ordinary person can do." "Perhaps, she has experienced something and knows something..." Thinking of this, Sebastian fell into contemplation. He continued to flip through the information about the city of Borde, searching for clues. "Hmm? There''s such a rumor?" He frowned slightly. After casually flipping through a few pages, Sebastian sneered. "Hey, these greedy human nobles are really shameless! They don''t even feel embarrassed to bully a child!" As Sebastian turned to the last page, his eyebrows raised. "The Duke''s birthday banquet?" After pondering for a moment, he felt a slight movement in his heart, coming up with an idea. "It''s interesting. Perhaps... this is a good opportunity for a personal investigation!" He put down the information, finished the red wine in his goblet in one gulp, and then gracefully got up, ordering the demi-human maid who was waiting. "Prepare an elegant dress for me and some decent gifts." "Tomorrow, I will attend the Duke''s birthday banquet at the Duke''s mansion." Chapter 39: Towards the Banquet "Quick! What are you dawdling for? Does it take this long to fetch a basin of water?""Who told you to bring the everyday clothes? Go get the formal attire!" "What? You think this is formal attire? This is everyday clothing! Can''t even differentiate between everyday and formal attire as a servant of the Castell family?!" "The formal attire is in a separate wardrobe! Each set is specially tailored in advance for every banquet! Each set can only be worn once!" "No need to bring them all, just bring the few warm-toned ones. The mistress specifically requested a mature and sunny look." In the Castell Manor, Casimodo directed the busy maids and servants with a stern expression. Although they had been trained by Charlotte for many days, it was evident that the newcomers were still not prepared for a Duke''s banquet of this caliber, and they were all a bit flustered. Inside the manor, the roar of the old servants could be heard without interruption. As Charlotte looked helplessly at the formal dresses brought by the maids, she sighed, finally selecting a gorgeous evening gown predominantly white in color. Speaking of which, perhaps the existence of extraordinary powers allowed for advanced productivity in the Myria world. The clothing, food, housing, and transportation of the nobility were quite advanced. Overall, although society was still in a feudal era, with commoners and the lower class living lives similar to the Middle Ages on Earth, the upper class had clearly entered a period resembling the Renaissance or even the Industrial Age in terms of material conditions. The wealth gap was enormous. Even tailcoats were being tailored, which initially led Charlotte to believe that she had transmigrated to the seventeenth or eighteenth century. It wasn''t until she left the manor that she realized how much more backward this world actually was. Through various alterations and additions, the overall estimate was akin to the late Middle Ages of Earth, around the fifteenth century. Unlike the avant-garde Gothic dresses, the evening gowns were elegant and beautiful in pattern, with a preference for heavy fabric, intricate decorations, a lot of embroidery and cutting, and many places adorned with jewels, overall exuding a rich and luxurious style. Furthermore, the styling was quite exaggerated, with cinching and padding everywhere, making it uncomfortable to wear. Especially the large petticoats, which made Charlotte feel like she was wearing an oversized heavy hula hoop. But there were advantages too, this dress was convenient for hiding small items. While no one was looking, Charlotte decisively tucked her hand crossbow for self-defense inside. After stuffing it, she still felt there was plenty of space, so she casually tucked in a dagger and a few magic scrolls she had obtained from Nice. Grooming, bathing, dressing, hair styling, makeup, perfume spraying... After a tedious preparation, it was already forty minutes later. Standing in front of the mercury mirror, Charlotte felt that her reflection in the mirror looked even more beautiful and charming than usual. Underneath her youthful and charming appearance, there was a touch of maturity. She also smelled good, surprising even herself with how fragrant and soft she was. This was all thanks to the formal dress and perfume, as well as Charlotte''s natural beauty. Under the cumbersome formal dress, even her chest appeared much larger, and surprisingly, there were even cleavage lines. Although Charlotte always felt that having cleavage somehow... made her feel she had lost something precious in her innermost being. After getting ready, she boarded the carriage to the banquet. The chosen carriage was the best one from the Castell Manor, adorned with exquisite carvings, decorated with gold edges and gems, and on the side, the black eagle family crest of the Castell family shone brightly, luxurious and grand. The old servant Casimodo served as the temporary steward, accompanied by two maids and two male servants. The maids and male servants sat on the second servant carriage, with a religious oil painting selected from the manor''s collection, valued around two hundred thousand gold Tana selected as the birthday banquet gifts placed on top. This was the entire entourage for the banquet. Nice, the black cat, lay on the window of the second floor, watching the departing crowd with amber eyes full of pity. Of course, no one truly pitied it, not even the maids in the manor. During this time, this guy didn''t dare to act recklessly towards Charlotte, temporarily dispelling Charlotte''s idea of giving it a luxurious version of a neutering package. However, it made the maids anxious, and they even had to check if a fat cat was lurking nearby before changing clothes. Although being watched by a cat seemed harmless, being stared at by a speaking cat with such a strange gaze made people uncomfortable, feeling as if they were being peeped at by a pervert. Charlotte felt that this lecherous cat would eventually pay the price sooner or later, and it would eventually be neutered. It was just bullying the maids and other ordinary people. In terms of strength alone, this guy couldn''t even beat Charlotte, and its physical quality was also that of an unawakened trash, just slightly stronger than an ordinary cat... But unfortunately... Nice could still perform a series of high-level divine rituals and even magic. It was eerie. Charlotte was sure this cat had its secrets, but it refused to say, and Charlotte didn''t force it. After all, who didn''t have a secret or two in this world? We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now As long as it didn''t betray her, that was enough. Trust and loyalty would gradually change over time. After a brief thought, Charlotte waved at the window on the second floor. After all, this guy had quite a few divine rituals and magic with it, barely considered a master, so she might as well let it accompany her. Seeing the girl''s signal, Nice''s eyes lit up. It meowed excitedly, and eagerly jumped out onto the carriage on the back, making the maids scream out of surprise. "Stay away from me, mind your identity. You can follow me, but as a pet." Charlotte said coldly as she watched the excited black cat. Nice''s cat face immediately fell. It forcibly stopped itself from looking at the girl''s enticing cleavage, sighed regretfully, and then jumped onto the back servant carriage to harass the maids. The convoy slowly started moving, leaving the Castell Manor. Charlotte leisurely leaned against the window of the carriage, taking out a goblet and the milk bag prepared by the maids in advance, skillfully filling it up for herself. Passing through the spacious and bright streets of the western city area, the convoy headed east, and after about fifteen minutes, entered the eastern city area. As the most central area of Borde City and also the area with the most nobles, the buildings in the eastern city area were much more magnificent overall. S?a??h the ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The streets were spacious and bright, clean and tidy, with religious sculptures, fountains, and small gardens everywhere. Even the clothing of pedestrians on the street was much neater and more luxurious. This scene formed a sharp contrast with the dilapidation and backwardness of the outer city area, as if spanning two to three hundred years. The beautiful scenery made Charlotte, who liked to admire the scenery, brighten up. But as the carriage continued to move forward, she gradually lost interest. Although the scenery of the eastern city area was good, they all are too similar. All the sculptures were about religion, the decorations on the fountains were also patterns of the Holy Court, and even the greenery in the gardens was pruned into the stiff style of the church. Heavy, oppressive, and full of restraint. This feeling couldn''t be experienced without careful consideration. But Charlotte was always sharp. "So... religious authority is the most powerful force in this world." Taking a sip of milk, the girl sighed. As the carriage continued to move, similar convoys on both sides of the street became more numerous. Every carriage was also adorned with various badges, and as they moved in the same direction as Charlotte and the others, it was obvious that they were all nobles attending the banquet. Charlotte noticed that when her family''s carriage passed by, almost all the convoys slowed down to let them pass. Sometimes, the windows of the carriages would even open, and people would salute towards Charlotte''s carriage. Nobles were also ranked. Even though there was a trend of decline and the risk of extinction, the wealthy Castell family was definitely one of the most powerful noble families in the Borde Duchy. Perhaps, the "one of" words could even be removed. After another fifteen minutes of travel, Charlotte finally saw a magnificent palace, the Duke''s Mansion. The history of the Borde Ducal Mansion was quite ancient, tracing back to the founding period of the Yunette Empire 1,100 years ago. At that time, it was a fortress used to resist the orc tribes and also a majestic castle. Now, the orc tribes on the Crescent Peninsula have long been completely annihilated, and the once-active orcs have all become slaves or migrated to distant places. The historical mission of the Borde Castle has long been completed. Therefore, around seven hundred years ago, during the time of the first head of the Borde family, the castle was ordered to be rebuilt into a palace with fortress functions, and the city was built around it. The city of Borde also developed from that time on and was expanded several times. At this moment, on the garden square in front of the Duke''s Mansion, there were already more than a hundred carriages from various families parked. The Duke''s family servants, dressed in deep blue butler uniforms, stood at the door, guiding various nobles into the palace. When the Castell family carriage arrived, it almost attracted the attention of everyone, whether they were nobles, attendants, or commoners who came from afar to watch the excitement, their eyes were full of curiosity. "Mistress, we have arrived." The carriage door opened, and Casimodo''s old and respectful voice came over. Charlotte nodded slightly. "Help me down." She took a deep breath, extended her fair little hand, placed it in the palm of the maid attendant, and then, with the careful assistance of the maid, gracefully stepped down from the carriage where the ladder was placed. The bright sunlight shone on her, accompanied by a light breeze, lifting her beautiful golden hair slightly. She appears in her sacred and gorgeous evening gown, with her beautiful and divine face, and her elegant and noble demeanor... At that moment, the entire garden square fell silent. Chapter 40: A Sinful Woman The style of clothing can change a person''s appearance.Charlotte is at just the right age, and her development is relatively late, so she looks somewhat young. When she wears children''s clothing and acts cute, she appears as an innocent, lovely, and charming child. However, when she puts on a mature and elegant evening gown, her childishness is concealed, and her youthful charm is enhanced. Especially today, she deliberately requested the maids to apply slightly mature makeup for her. This was Charlotte''s little idea. Previously, in order to appear cute and reduce others'' guard against her, she would deliberately wear clothes that emphasized her youthfulness to enhance her young appeal. But this time at the banquet, she must let everyone know that the heir of the Castell family is not just a child. She has already passed her fifteenth birthday. She is already grown up and ready to inherit the territory. So, this situation came. When Charlotte stepped down from the carriage, the entire garden square fell silent. Everyone''s gaze was focused on her, and for a moment, it was difficult for anyone, male or female, to look away. Ultimately, it was the well-trained servants of the Duke''s Mansion who reacted the fastest. They were the first to come back to their senses and quickly put on respectful and enthusiastic smiles, rushing to Charlotte''s side. However, someone was even faster. "Oh! It''s Miss Charlotte! Miss Charlotte, you''re here!" A sharp and enthusiastic voice came over. The chubby nobleman Bruno, dragging his fluffy body, jogged over to Charlotte''s side, his small eyes narrowed into slits as he smiled. Having searched for information about the ducal household, Charlotte already knew the exact identity of the other party. He was a second-tier steward of the Duke Borde''s Mansion, with the title of Court Viscount. Court titles specifically refer to those nobles who, although holding titles, do not have territory, commonly found within the Courts of Duchies, Kingdoms, Grand Duchies, or Empires. "Good afternoon, Viscount Bruno." Charlotte performed an elegant noblewoman''s courtesy. She was already quite proficient in this gesture. Addressed by the young lady, Bruno seemed quite happy. He proudly lifted his chin towards the other stewards who hadn''t caught up as fast, then instructed the butlers who followed. "What are you standing around for? Hurry up and help Miss Castell get settled from the carriage!" The stewards quickly sprang into action, bustling around the Castell family''s carriage and leaving other nearby nobles on the sidelines, even though... Charlotte didn''t really need that many stewards. Meanwhile, Bruno warmly escorted Charlotte towards the Duke''s Mansion. Nice the black cat also jumped down from the carriage, tail held high, and proudly followed, chest puffed out. It wasn''t until the girl''s figure gradually disappeared that the others in the garden square began to react. "Which noble lady was that? She''s really beautiful..." "Haven''t you seen it? The family crest on the carriage was a black eagle." "Castell? Ah... is it her? Could it be true what the rumors say, that she''s a bewitching succubus?" "Tsk, have you ever seen a succubus walking in the sunlight? In my opinion, with looks like hers, she must be a witch who practices dark magic!" This was the conversation among the commoners watching the excitement. Recently, rumors had been rife in Borde City, and those who were just there for entertainment and conspiracy theories were them. There was nothing to be done about it, the masses were the easiest to sway with public opinion, lacking sources of genuine information and being led by the nose by manipulative noble families. Information cocoons existed in every era. However, it was different for the nobles. "It''s the one from the Castell family." "She''s really beautiful, and her etiquette is very standard and elegant. She''s truly the heiress of the Castell family." "It''s a pity she''s been plagued by rumors recently. It must be quite a headache for her." "I wonder which family she''ll choose for a marriage alliance..." "Yes, who will be the lucky one? The dowry from the Castell family is nearly half a Duchy!" What was the rumor, what was the truth, these self-righteous fellows could distinguish clearly. Those who couldn''t were simply not qualified to receive an invitation to the duke''s banquet. Amidst the discussions, the slightly more influential noble families noticeably quickened their pace and joined the girl''s entourage. If one were to look closely, they would notice that among the noble families attending the banquet, apart from the heads of the families, there were also young and handsome male family members. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Everyone''s gaze moved with the girl''s movements, seemingly ready to approach and strike up a conversation at any moment, and the eye contact between them carried a hint of tension. Coupled with the unique magnificent attire and exaggerated styles of the nobles, they looked like a group of peacocks always ready for a duel. Charlotte also noticed. She even curiously glanced at them and politely smiled. But with just that casual glance and a polite smile, a large group of young nobles became excited. "She looked at me! She just looked at me!" "No! She looked at me! And she smiled at me!" "She was clearly looking at me!" "Idiot! She was looking at me!" "Want to duel?!" "Come on! Who''s afraid of who?!" Chaos ensued. S?a?ch* Th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte slowly withdrew her gaze, and the corner of her eye couldn''t help but twitch slightly. She inwardly cursed herself for being such a sinful woman... Of course, these were the more impulsive young nobles, mostly from medium and small families. The big noble families, who were also competitors for marriage alliances, were much more gentlemanly. They casually approached the girl, courteous and polite, casually bringing up topics and wearing elegant and charming smiles on their faces. Among them were some faces much more handsome than any popular celebrity from her previous life, enough to make any girl scream and make Charlotte feel sour and envious to death. But it had to be said, these guys'' social skills were indeed impressive. Even though she knew they had ulterior motives, and she harbored a male-like hostility towards their handsome faces, the topics they brought up often succeeded in piquing Charlotte''s interest. But unfortunately... All their flirting was wasted on a blind man. Charlotte was interested in the information they discussed, and the various noble intrigues they revealed, but she felt nothing for them personally. Not only that, seeing these people come up so elegantly and gracefully, enthusiastically displaying themselves, and knowing their true intentions were to lust after her body and her wealth, Charlotte even had the impulse to knock them down with one punch, then mercilessly step on their faces with her foot... Oh, wait. She can''t step on their faces herself. Who knows if, among these lustful hyenas, there might be some weirdo who would see that as a reward. Charlotte was quite confident in her beautiful legs and feet. It should be Casimodo who would step on them fiercely! She thought to herself. Of course, even if she could hear some information, a swarm of flies buzzing around in her ears for too long would be annoying. After a while, Charlotte grew a bit impatient. But someone was even more impatient than her. "Why are you all crowding around? I''m taking Miss Charlotte to meet the Duke. Do you all want to tag along?!" The chubby steward Bruno spoke up. The young nobles instantly wilted, one by one retreating. As one of the few Third tier Blazing Sun in Borde, the Duke''s name still carried weight. Charlotte''s heart stirred. "The Duke... wants to see me?" "Yes, Miss Charlotte, the Duke is waiting for you in the study. He said that when you arrived, I should bring you to see him first." Bruno said obsequiously. Charlotte nodded slightly, thoughtful, and then continued to walk with Bruno towards the palace, her mind alert. Being a major noble and with Bruno leading the way, Charlotte naturally bypassed the on-site inspection at the Duke''s Mansion gate. However, just as she was about to enter the inner palace gate, she heard someone calling her name from behind. Turning around, she saw Nice the black cat being lifted up by the neck by one of the mansion''s gatekeepers, as if carrying a little chick. Nice was meowing and struggling while looking at her with a pitiful expression. Beside him stood the somewhat helpless Casimodo... "The mansion rules stipulate that pets... are not allowed inside!" The Knight looked at the old servant, his face serious. Charlotte:... Chapter 41: Duke of Borde "Viscount, it seems my servant has encountered some trouble. Please allow me to go and see what happened."Charlotte gracefully bowed to Bruno and then headed towards the gate of the Duke''s Mansion. There were already quite a few nobles gathered in front of the mansion. Most of them looked at Casimodo and Nice, who was being held up by the knight, with expressions ranging from curiosity to disdain to schadenfreude. A few young nobles who wanted to help stepped forward, but they were quickly stopped by their elders and gestured to remain quiet. Ultimately, it was because of the Borde Duchy. When attending a birthday banquet, it was only natural to show enough respect to the host, even if it was just the host''s gatekeeper knight. Trying to sneak a pet inside was quite rude behavior. "What''s going on?" Seeing Charlotte approaching, the gathered nobles made way for her. Casimodo, feeling like he had found his backbone, hurriedly approached and whispered helplessly. "Miss, pets are not allowed inside the Duke''s Mansion. I tried to persuade Lord Nice to wait outside in the pet area, but Lord Nice refused and wanted to sneak in..." "And then... he was caught by the knight at the door." Pet area? Charlotte was puzzled. Thinking of Nice, who, although cheap, always showed a hint of pride in his character, she could somewhat understand why he didn''t want to stay in the pet area with those real cats and dogs. But... Charlotte furrowed her brow slightly and glanced lightly at Nice, who was being grabbed by the back of his neck. Can''t you speak? Can''t you explain it yourself? Nice looked pitifully innocent, with a hint of grievance in his eyes. ''Explain what? Explain that I belong to the church? The Lord Nice of the church has actually become someone''s pet. Can I still mix in the church circles in the future?'' Charlotte''s gaze swept around, turning cold. ''Then go obediently to the pet area and don''t cause me any trouble. I''ll explain the situation to the people in the Duke''s Mansion later and bring you in.'' The black cat''s eyes instantly widened in panic. ''No! Don''t let this Cat Master stay with those stupid cats and dogs, not even for a minute! Kill Master Cat if you have to, but don''t leave it!'' The communication between the human and the cat through eye contact was unimpeded. It could also be considered an additional ability of a contracted servant. Seeing Nice''s pitiful expression, Charlotte sighed in her heart and decided to help him, but she would settle the score with him later. However, just as she was about to explain to the gatekeeper knight, Bruno''s sharp voice came. "Huh? Isn''t this Lord Nice? Osamu, are you crazy? Hurry up and put Lord Nice down!" Hearing Bruno''s words, the knight looked at the black cat in his hand, somewhat hesitating. "But... pets are not allowed..." "Fool! Lord Nice is an important figure in the church. He has been ordered by the church to protect Miss Charlotte day and night! Hurry up and put him down!" Bruno scolded. "An important figure in the church?" "A... cat?" "But isn''t there a pet collar around its neck?" "Wait a minute, I seem to have heard the name Nice in the church..." The surrounding nobles discussed, looking at the black cat with surprise and curiosity. Nice:... The cat''s face instantly collapsed. It was over, it couldn''t hide its affiliation with the church... It could almost predict the expressions of those bastards in the church when they found out that it, the Cat Master, had been treated as the heiress of Castell''s pet! Heaven knows, for the past few days in the mansion, it had deliberately avoided those priests every morning! All in vain! Although it was indeed the pet of an ancient evil god... But could the pet of an evil god be the same as the pet of a little girl! But... it couldn''t reveal the secret. Nice''s cat face was full of complexity. After hearing Bruno''s words, the knight still hesitated, but after looking at the black cat in his hand, he finally let it go. "Lord Nice! Are you okay?" The chubby steward fawned, bending down to the black cat. Seeing that the matter had been exposed, Nice stopped pretending and sighed helplessly, then tidied up his mood and arrogantly raised his head. "Well... it''s okay, this knight is indeed a true knight." "Meow! The Cat Master just wanted to test whether he was diligent or not." It proudly raised its head, like a leader inspecting the lower ranks. S?a??h the N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "A talking cat!" We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "Extraordinary creature!" The surrounding nobles'' eyes lit up. Seeing more and more nobles gathering around, Nice quickly cleared his throat and shrunk his almost invisible fat neck as much as possible, hiding the collar that Charlotte had deliberately put on him a few days ago to punish him for peeking at the maids while bathing. "Alright, the misunderstanding is resolved. Let''s go in quickly and don''t block the door here." Saying that, it hurriedly slipped into the Duke''s Mansion behind Charlotte, as if afraid of being seen by acquaintances again. "Hehe, Miss Charlotte, let''s continue inside. The Duke might be getting impatient." Bruno said cheerfully. After that, he led the way towards the inner palace. Watching the fluffy back of the other party, Charlotte''s gaze slightly condensed, sinking into contemplation. Nice said that only Dean Raoul of the church hospital and Captain Kara of the Borde Demon Hunter Team knew about its actions. Even the incident of being kidnapped was explained as an accidental encounter with her. How did Bruno, the steward of the Duke''s Mansion, know that Nice had been with her all this time and that it was arranged by the church? Passing over the seemingly always cheerful fat face of the steward, Charlotte temporarily suppressed her thoughts and smiled as she followed. As for Casimodo and "guest from the church" Nice, who were not nobles, they were guided by the servants, with Casimodo being arranged in the area where the servants were located, and Nice being taken directly to the guest area. The scale of the Duke''s Mansion was much larger than that of the Castell Manor. In terms of style, it was less luxurious than the Castell family''s mansion, but more solid, reflecting the former fortress identity of the Duke''s Mansion. After passing through countless corridors, Bruno finally stopped in front of a semicircular door guarded by knights. He took a step forward and respectfully knocked on the door. "My Lord Duke, Miss Charlotte is here." "Let her in." An old voice came from behind the door. After saying that, the knights reached out and opened the door, while Bruno made a respectful gesture. "Miss Charlotte, please." Charlotte took a deep breath and stepped in. Behind the door was a quite spacious study, with tall bookshelves filled with countless books, densely packed like stars. In front of the bookshelves was a carved oak desk. An old man dressed in a black noble robe, wearing a wig, was sitting at the desk, writing something. Feeling Charlotte''s entry, he put down the quill in his hand and slowly raised his head. It was a very old face, probably giving the impression of being sixty or seventy years old. Deep wrinkles, a face full of age spots, but a pair of blue-gray eyes were still bright and sharp, and the old face was full of dignity. Andre de Borde. The current Duke of Borde, one of the nine dukes of the Crescent Kingdom, a third-tier blazing sun knight, a member of the Crescent Kingdom''s cabinet, and also a holder of the military commander title. Although he looked sixty or seventy years old, he was actually only fifty. It was just that he had been seriously injured multiple times during the Star-Moon War that had lasted more than eighty years between the Crescent Kingdom and the Fallen Star Kingdom. The excessive use of divine magic treatments had drained his body, making him appear so old. Of course, with numerous military exploits, he had also accumulated enough prestige within the kingdom. But unfortunately, a severe injury in his youth had permanently deprived him of his ability to reproduce. Apart from Eleanor, his daughter born in his early years, who had already made a marriage contract with the third prince of the Crescent Kingdom, his only offspring was his illegitimate son Leno. Looking at the old man in front of her, Charlotte quickly recalled the relevant information she had studied. She took a deep breath, pinched the hem of her skirt, and gracefully and correctly performed a vassal etiquette, then respectfully said. "The Wise Lord, Lion of Borde, Charlotte de Castell extends her highest respect to you..." "May your glorious divine light forever illuminate the land of Castell." The Duke of Bould calmly watched the girl bowing respectfully, a hint of appreciation flashing in his blue-gray eyes. He nodded slightly and smiled faintly. "You may rise." Charlotte finished her courtesy and stood up, and the Duke pointed to the chair in front of the desk. "Sit." Charlotte picked up her skirt and sat down at the desk, and soon a waiter brought a crystal cup filled with milk and respectfully offered it to her. Seeing the girl''s slightly surprised expression, the old Duke smiled and said. "I heard that you particularly liked these during your stay in the church hospital, so I prepared them in advance." After saying that, he carefully examined the girl and couldn''t help but sigh. "It''s been a few years since we last met, and you''ve grown up so much. So beautiful, you''re already the brightest pearl of the Crescent Kingdom." "Looking at your eyes, I can feel that your experiences during this time have matured you a lot." Charlotte remained silent for a moment, then sighed softly. "People always have to grow up." This time, she didn''t deliberately act cute. Because she knew that in front of people like Duke Borde, there was no point in being cute. "Yes... people always have to grow up." The old Duke nodded in agreement. And then, his expression became serious. "Charlotte, do you know why I specifically summoned you this time?" Charlotte''s heart moved slightly, and she bowed slightly. "Please enlighten me, my lord." Instead of directly explaining, Duke Borde suddenly stood up and looked at the map of the Borde Duchy behind him, saying meaningfully. "As the heir of Castell, how do you view the current situation of Castell?" Chapter 42: Lets get married "The current situation of Castell?"Charlotte''s heart skipped a beat. She raised her head and looked at Duke Borde standing in front of the map, pondering the meaning behind his question. The old Duke didn''t wait for her to answer. Perhaps the brief silence made him think the girl wasn''t clear about the current situation, so he took the initiative to make his own judgment. "Count Castell''s territory is located at the northernmost part of the kingdom, separated from the capital of the duchy by three entire counties and two viscount territories." "And among these three counties, there are those who have always coveted Castell, those who have always sought to defeat the sworn allies of Borde, and the faithful supporters of His Majesty the King, backing His Majesty in weakening the vassals, strengthening authority, and expanding royal lands¡­" "It can be said that outside the duchy... the situation is quite difficult, with everyone keeping an eye on wealthy Castell!" At this point, the old Duke took a deep breath, his expression turning somewhat grim. "Even within the duchy, it''s not peaceful." "Those families loyal to Borde, each harboring ulterior motives!" As he spoke, as if recalling something, a hint of anger flashed across the old Duke''s face, and his voice trembled. "Especially upon seeing Eleanor betrothed to the Third Prince!" "The Third Prince is ambitious, but Eleanor is weak-willed, and that bastard Anthony is unreliable, idling about spending his days on divination and astrology, not focusing on managing the duchy!" "The esteemed Borde family, all turned out to be a bunch of useless trash! Worthless!" The old Duke angrily cursed his own kin, completely unaware that he himself was also a member of the Borde family, a piece of garbage incapable of producing a qualified heir. Meanwhile, Charlotte lowered her head slightly, contemplating the information related to the Borde family. She had already researched the Borde family''s information, knowing that what Duke Borde was most irritated about was his only daughter''s engagement to the Third Prince. Initially, the old Duke intended to ingratiate himself with the Crescent royal family. After the engagement was arranged, he even boasted everywhere. But he didn''t expect to be pierced by the spears of the enemy''s pikemen on the battlefield, rendering him unable to produce an heir. In the end, he inadvertently entangled his only daughter, who was originally intended to marry a suitor, into the mess, leaving him completely dumbfounded. As for the Anthony mentioned by the Duke, his full name is Anthony de Borde, not yet thirty years old. He is the Duke''s half-brother, designated heir to the duchy, and titled the Count of Tulip, with his territory also being an enclave adjacent to the Castell domain. This has been an old tradition of the Borde family. Although the Castell domain is an enclave, the Duke''s mansion has always had a small indirect jurisdiction adjacent to the Castell domain, serving as the next Duke''s territory, to strengthen control over the Castell family. By the way, the Count of Tulip is also Lady Catherine, Charlotte''s aunt''s, only son, making him Charlotte''s cousin. The relationship between the two families is quite good. In Charlotte''s memory, he even played with her, a very elegant, gentle, and considerate gentleman to be around. However, although he is the heir to the Borde Duchy, the Count of Tulip is not interested in inheritance and governance. His interests and skills are all askew. He is obsessed with divination and astrology, with almost zero managerial ability, leaving the tiny Tulip domain in a mess, and even being driven back by the rebellious subjects. Now he has completely let himself go, either holed up in the Duke''s mansion studying divination or running to the Mage Association to discuss astrological magic, unwilling to manage anything, much to the old Duke''s disappointment. These matters are known to the nobles of the Borde Duchy. Clearly, if the old Duke were to die, the Count of Tulip, who is not interested in governing the territory, would be unable to control the duchy. The entire Borde Duchy might be taken advantage of by the Crescent royal family, with the Third Prince, Eleanor''s husband, possibly becoming the next Duke of Borde. At that time, the Borde Duchy would change its name, and the Count of Tulip, Anthony, that wastrel, might be excited because he''d got rid of the title of Duke, having more time to study astrological magic... Anyway, astrological magic is different from other magic. It doesn''t require much money, it just burns your brain circuit. The old Duke continued to grumble, growing angrier as he spoke. "These greedy bastards... all think that my Borde main line is about to die out, that the duchy might change its name, and each one wants to take a big bite out of us! " Towards the end, as if touching on an old wound, he began coughing violently, a flush of abnormal redness appearing on his face... "Duke...?" Charlotte quickly got up, but was stopped by the old Duke''s raised hand. "Cough... it''s an old ailment, I''m fine." After taking a deep breath, the old Duke calmed down a lot, but his voice remained authoritative, suppressing his anger like a volcano about to erupt. "Abductions, assassinations, rumors..." "Hmph!" "You see, look at what they''ve been up to lately!" As he spoke, he took out a crossbow from under the table and slammed it angrily on the table. "These greedy bastards even dare to slander my Borde family, thinking that just because I''m old, I can''t deal with them anymore?!" Seeing the crossbow on the table, Charlotte''s eyelids twitched. She recognized it as the other crossbow carried by the mercenaries who abducted her that night. Before leaving that night, she specifically asked Nice to find it, but Nice couldn''t find it after searching for a long time. Combined with Leno hastily leaving that night, she now understood. Perhaps at that time, Leno had already recognized that it belonged to the Duke''s mansion, so he hurriedly took the crossbow back to report. Maybe... he might have thought it was his own doing at the time, so he left in such a hurry. "It seems you''ve recognized it. This is the crossbow used by the mercenaries who abducted you that night!" "Even now, they don''t forget to sow discord between Castell and Borde!" "If I hadn''t called them over one by one these days and given them a good beating, the entire Borde City would have been turned upside down by them!" The old Duke said indignantly. Seemingly tired of speaking, he sat back in his seat, sighed heavily, and rubbed his temples. After a moment, the Duke continued. "Castell and Borde are of the same root, like brothers. Although one is the main family and the other a branch, the lord and the vassal, as the feudal lord, I have never regarded Castell as an outsider." "During the Second Star-Moon War, it was I who, along with your grandfather, repelled the invading forces of the Fallen Star Kingdom trying to occupy the Castell domain. It was also I who, together with your father, thwarted the Northern Duchy''s conspiracy attempt to subvert Castell''s authority..." "At the same time, it was the support of the Castell family for generations of Dukes that kept the various nobles in the duchy in check, preventing them from being unruly!" "And now, difficult times are upon us again, and it''s time for us to stand together once more." At this point, the old Duke turned around slowly, his expression dignified and solemn. "Without Borde, Castell will sooner or later be swallowed by other lords." "And without Castell, Borde''s strength will also be greatly diminished, unable to withstand the pressure from the royal family and other nobles..." "We, are originally one family." Upon hearing the implied implications in Duke Borde''s words, Charlotte''s heart skipped a beat. She slowly raised her head, seeing a pair of resolute blue-gray eyes. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "Lady Charlotte." Duke Borde''s voice became serious. After a series of preludes, he finally expressed his thoughts. "Let our two families... form an alliance." "Castell will eventually choose a marriage partner to consolidate its rule, but I think you also understand that those parasites in the duchy will only consume the declining Castell..." "Only the Borde family has always been the solid support of Castell." "Only by uniting can we overcome the current difficulties!" Charlotte fell silent. The inevitable would eventually come. Although she knew that the Duke likely wanted to form an alliance with her, when she discovered how determined and inevitable his intentions were, she couldn''t help but sigh inwardly. She knew that after this banquet, the Castell family would probably break ties with the Borde family. At the same time, she would also completely lose the protection from the Duke''s mansion, facing the malice of other nobles... "Is it Lord Leno?" Charlotte asked. A hint of surprise flashed in the Duke''s eyes, seemingly unexpected at the girl''s composure. He nodded. "Yes." "Although Leno is an illegitimate child and has a low background, he has already become a Silver Moon Knight at a young age." "He doesn''t even use the Awakening Seed, awakening naturally just like most nobles!" "I dare guarantee that his potential on the path of the extraordinary surpasses even mine!" "Although Leno lacks some manners, he is righteous, a true holy knight at heart..." "With him by your side, you will have nothing to worry about. I believe he will bring you happiness, and with Castell''s support, Borde will also continue to remain great!" "This is a win-win situation." The old Duke''s expression was sincere. He was indeed sincere, at least from the perspective of Borde, because he had already disclosed all the family''s difficulties, which was indeed a sincere approach in negotiations. But Charlotte was on the verge of cursing. Win-win my foot! Happy my foot! An ordinary girl might believe their nonsense, but she didn''t! It sounded nice, but ultimately, wasn''t it because the Borde family felt they couldn''t control the nobles beneath them, so they wanted to strengthen their power with the wealthy Castell?! Yes, the situation of the Castell territory is somewhat delicate, but the Duke''s mansion''s plight is not a secret either. Moreover, the Duke''s mansion is not the only choice for Castell, nor is it the best choice. Even if she were to die right away, she would never let a man ride on top of her! Her destiny could only be controlled by herself! Taking a deep breath, Charlotte raised her head, preparing to politely decline with the prepared reasons. But the old Duke suddenly waved his hand to stop her: "You don''t need to rush to tell me your answer. You can go back and think about it." "I know you have concerns, especially about Leno''s identity as an illegitimate child. Being an illegitimate child is indeed a stain for the Castell family to accept." "But, rest assured, at today''s banquet, I will let you see the sincerity of the Duke''s mansion first..." ... Charlotte ultimately didn''t manage to immediately voice her refusal. It seemed the old Duke had a premonition about her choice and directly blocked her. This made Charlotte speculate about the "sincerity" the Duke''s mansion mentioned... However, the girl didn''t care. Regardless of what the Duke''s mansion''s so-called sincerity was, her answer wouldn''t change. Her biggest purpose in attending this banquet was to put an end to the greedy thoughts of these nobles. However, the deep conversation with the Duke made the girl realize how dire the situation of the Castell family really was. S?a?ch* Th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. It could be said that she was now dancing on a tightrope, with hungry eyes on both sides of the abyss. Back in the main hall of the banquet, which hadn''t started yet, the nobles gathered in groups of three or five, chatting quietly. The girl picked up a highball glass filled with milk from the waiter''s tray and sat alone in a corner to rest. From the journey from the carriage to entering the Duke''s mansion, she couldn''t avoid being exposed to the sun, feeling somewhat uncomfortable in her body. The conversation with the Duke also consumed her energy further, and now the girl just wanted to rest. The band from Moon Bay played beautiful music, soothing and melodious. But Charlotte found it noisy. Especially when she entered, those young nobles, excited like animals in heat, gathered around her one after another, showing off their charm like roosters that had taken aphrodisiacs. Smelling the thick perfume intertwined on their bodies, Charlotte felt like she was suffocating. She wasn''t in the mood to talk to these peacocks now. Looking at the handsome faces that would immediately light up with excitement when she glanced over, the girl narrowed her eyes slightly, thinking about how to give these energetic guys something to do, to properly trick them, and at the same time, find some fun to relax herself. But at this moment, a graceful and gentle voice suddenly interrupted the young nobles'' enthusiastic flattery. "Gentlemen, continuously disturbing a lady''s rest in front of a lady is not gentlemanly behavior." "Can''t you see the fatigue between the lady''s eyebrows?" Hearing this voice, Charlotte''s heart skipped a beat because she felt the tone and voice of this flirtatious guy were somewhat familiar. The girl raised her head and looked towards the source of the voice, then instantly froze. Behind the young nobles stood a man in a black tailcoat, tall and handsome, with extraordinary red hair. He wore a monocle, and in his crimson eyes, there was a faint smile. In the hand adorned with neat white gloves, he held a highball glass filled with red wine. It was none other than the extraordinary person she had seen in the dream world of the Blood Calling ¡ª Sebastian! Chapter 43: Lady of the Night! Sebastian? How is he here?Charlotte''s heart skipped a beat. In that instant, she even had the thought that he might have discovered her true identity and followed her from reality... Of course, she quickly dismissed that thought. Because the current her looked and sounded completely different from the Charlotte in the Dark Night Castle. Not to mention, there was also the shroud of crimson mist back then, making it impossible for him to see her clearly. So, there was only one possibility: he must also reside in Borde City! So... do the crimson stars in the Blood Call represent the distance between me and the real world? Charlotte speculated. Then, she became even more curious about Sebastian''s identity in reality. The Duke''s mansion banquet is not a place just anyone can enter. Those who can enter are either nobles recognized in the Borde Duchy or distinguished guests. Such as some renowned musicians, writers, sculptors, troubadours, wandering knights, or traveling mages. Then... what is Sebastian''s identity? "Who are you?" Looking at the more handsome face than her own, the young nobles around Charlotte showed cautious expressions, like a group of huskies seeing a competitor. However, soon someone noticed the pointed ears hidden in Sebastian''s red hair. "Pointed ears? Are you... an elf?!" An elf? Charlotte''s ears twitched, and she also cast a glance at Sebastian. Elves are a well-known long-lived race in the Myria world, natural extraordinary beings with lifespans nearly twenty times that of humans, usually living close to fifteen hundred years. They are active in many places on the continent, almost every mercenary group in Myria has their shadow, and some elves become troubadours honored by nobles. Charlotte had noticed earlier that Sebastian''s ears seemed somewhat different, but she didn''t expect him to be an elf! "Let me introduce myself, I am Sebastian Flameheart, a fire elf from the Moon Goddess Island." Sebastian smiled slightly and gracefully performed an elven courtesy. "Sebastian Flameheart? Is it you? The president of the Rose Society?!" A young noble recognized Sebastian''s identity instantly. The Rose Society? President? Wait... the underworld boss of the outer city? Charlotte was directly stunned. Then, she witnessed a rather subtle scene. All the young nobles stepped back at once, originally standing in front of Charlotte, but now they were behind her. And their expressions as they looked at Sebastian were either wary or terrified, like a group of cats seeing a husky. What''s even more bizarre is that a few young nobles panicked directly and slipped away, running while hunching over, as if covering their groins. Charlotte: ... What''s going on here? "What are you doing here? You traitor from the Moon Goddess Island! The scum of the elf clan! Dirty rat in the sewer!" A son of a count exclaimed harshly. However, Charlotte looked at his trembling voice, feeling that he had somewhat tried to act bravely. Despite being scolded like that, Sebastian didn''t get angry at all. Instead, he took a sip of wine, and leaned slightly forward, his handsome face almost touching the terrified face of the count''s son. He leaned slightly to the side, whispered in the other''s ear, and then, with a low, mellow voice, said. "Count Eltan... Have you heard that you attended the Drunken Dreams Salon in the abandoned city last week?" "Does the Count know about this? Or do you need me to take care of this little problem for you?" Sebastian''s face wore a gentle smile, his voice slow and soft. However, upon hearing his words, the count''s son shivered directly and plopped down on the ground with a thud. He looked at Sebastian''s smiling face in horror as if seeing a terrifying demon, shuffling back a few steps, then covering his lower body and getting up to flee, yelling as he fled. "No! No! I didn''t do anything! I didn''t do anything!" "You... don''t come over! Don''t come over!" The count''s son fled in panic, and Sebastian looked back at the remaining young nobles with a smiling gaze. The remaining nobles all shivered and subconsciously shrunk their bodies under Sebastian''s seemingly smiling expression. "Miss Charlotte, I suddenly remembered that I have something to do. Let''s talk later!" "I... I have something too!" They stuttered out various excuses, then fled in the face of Sebastian''s seemingly smiling expression, leaving no young nobles around the girl in less than a minute. Watching them panic and flee, Sebastian chuckled lightly. "They''re really unreliable, aren''t they?" Charlotte: ... He''s here for me! He came specifically for me! Watching Sebastian, who deliberately brought up a conversation topic, Charlotte quickly realized his true intention. What followed was deep vigilance. She knew she had fooled him in the dream world. But that was in the dream! Now it''s reality, she was just an ordinary extraordinary person, while the other party had at least reached the Second-Tier Silver Moon, and might even be a Third-Tier Blazing Sun! We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Rumors say that the president of the Rose Society is ruthless and evil... From the reactions of those young nobles just now, it''s clear that Sebastian is not a good person, he must have done something to make them so terrified. Charlotte really didn''t dare to imagine what would happen if he found out that he had been fooled by her... Why did he come to find me? I shouldn''t have been exposed. Or... does he have another purpose in finding me? Thoughts tumbled in Charlotte''s mind. However, as an excellent actress, she quickly regained her composure. She tilted her head slightly, revealing a naive and innocent look, her big eyes full of timidity, looking a bit confused, and said. "Are you... are you a bad person?" Sebastian was directly stunned, apparently not expecting such a question. He turned to look at the girl, seeing a beautiful and tender face. Although she was wearing a mature gown and deliberately wearing various jewelry necklaces to give an older impression, her innocent and pure cheeks could not hide her childish innocence, her pair of deep blue eyes bright and pure, like a starry sky untainted by any pollution. She was still just a naive child. Sebastian almost made this judgment in an instant. At this moment, he even had a hint of doubt about his visit. Would such a childlike person... Really have anything to do with the "Resurrected Evil God"? However, when he thought again that the other party had survived the sacrifice ritual but still remained alive, he quickly suppressed his hesitation. Perhaps ordinary people don''t understand. But as a knowledgeable elf, he knew that anyone who could survive such a ritual must be hiding a secret! And from this perspective, the innocent look of the girl made Sebastian suddenly vigilant. As the heir of a major aristocratic family, even if she was well protected, could she still be so naive and innocent after experiencing such things? Thinking like this, Sebastian already had an answer in his heart. He smiled slightly, gracefully took a sip of wine, and said lightly. "For those dandies, I should be considered a bad person." Speaking, he looked at the innocent girl again, and his smile gradually became meaningful. "As for you, it depends on whether you can answer some questions for me." Oops! I played the role too obviously! Charlotte quickly realized her flaw and felt a bit heavy in her heart. She was about to remedy her answer, but she saw Sebastian suddenly shaking his head. "Forget it." "I''ll come and see for myself." With that, the fire elf suddenly looked serious, and his crimson eyes stared directly at Charlotte. In those ruby-like eyes, it seemed that streams of water were constantly flowing. "Spiritual Guard, Memory... Probe!" With an emotionless voice, Charlotte felt an immense and irresistible mental force rushing towards her, breaking through her mind in an instant. He wants to probe my memories! Charlotte was shocked and angry. However, just as that terrifying mental force rushed into the girl''s consciousness, the Gospel of Blood in her mind suddenly burst out with crimson light. Charlotte felt her consciousness being pulled back again, returning to the Dark Night Castle in the dream world. Once again, she became the adult Charlotte, wearing a black divine gown with thorns, sitting high on the Blood Throne, and looking down at Sebastian in a tailcoat below. This time, there was no crimson mist between them. S?a??h th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Under the stairs, Sebastian, holding a glass of red wine, looked confused. He seemed not to have expected that his memory probe would directly bring his consciousness here. And when he raised his head and saw Charlotte, who was almost identical to the "Lady of the Night" in his memory, seeing the familiar figure with the mysterious thorn rose pattern on her body... His confusion soon turned into astonishment. The bewildered expression on his face quickly turned into a dumbfounded one. The anger of being impudently probed still lingered in Charlotte''s chest. Especially when she looked into his eyes. Under the blessing of the Gospel, the girl became angry and ashamed, subconsciously blurting out. "Get out!" Ethereal, melodious. Yet with a kind of noble and majestic dignity that cannot be violated. In that instant, Sebastian felt as if thunder had sounded in his mind, and the Spiritual Guard protecting his soul collapsed in an instant, the whole world collapsed in an instant! Like being hit by a meteorite, he felt his soul suddenly burst, as if countless cracks appeared. The entire spiritual world almost shattered in an instant, and Sebastian was immediately overwhelmed by an irresistible force, kneeling on one knee, unable to help but "puh" spit out a mouthful of blood. And when Sebastian raised his head again, his pale face was filled with disbelief, his gaze at the girl full of horror. "Lady of the Night!" Chapter 44: Lost the Disguise Oh no! I lost my disguise!Seeing the shocked expression on Sebastian''s face, Charlotte''s hand holding the tall cup of milk trembled slightly, and she was in a terrible state. Lady of the Night! She''s actually Lady of the Night! S?a?ch* Th? N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. On the other side, as Sebastian recalled the mysterious and noble figure and the familiar voice, his wounded soul was almost scared out of its vessel. It all makes sense now. Everything makes sense! In this instant, all of Sebastian''s doubts were resolved. The town''s guardian bell of the Borde Church is the one that rings for Lady of the Night! The "evil god" being revived is none other than Lady of the Night! The Thorny Rose is HER holy emblem! And the heir of the Castell family is the sacred vessel SHE chose to descend upon! Charlotte de Castell isn''t someone who caught the attention of a God, SHE is a divine being walking on the earth! Heavens! What was he just doing?! He actually tried to probe Lady of the Night''s memories! He actually... attempted to pry into God''s secrets! Blasphemy! This is blasphemy! Sebastian felt anxious and even had an urge to turn and run. But he knew he couldn''t run away because that would only provoke even greater wrath... He forced down his fear, swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and with difficulty and slowness, his gaze moved upwards, looking at the young girl sitting on the chair. He didn''t meet her gaze directly because he didn''t dare. But even so, Sebastian soon noticed more details that he hadn''t paid attention to before... The demeanor was similar to Lady of the Night hidden in the crimson mist. The elegance of lifting the tall crystal cup that made him feel like he found an idol. And the rich and transparent red liquid in the crystal cup... Huh? Milk...? Sebastian froze. Looking at the white liquid in the girl''s cup, amidst nervousness, fear, and astonishment, he almost blurted out involuntarily. "Do you... like drinking milk?" And Charlotte, who had just been discovered her identity and was pondering how to respond, almost instinctively replied to this out-of-place question. "I''m underage... can''t drink alcohol." Sebastian:... Charlotte:... At that moment, both of them, one feeling guilty for being discovered and the other fearing divine wrath... Both fell silent. Under the eerie quiet, no one broke the silence. One didn''t know how to approach the topic of conversation as a God. And the other cursed himself for speaking such nonsense. Eventually, it was Sebastian who awkwardly forced out a smile, gracefully and tactfully saying. "No wonder it''s you." "Even though incarnated in an immature vessel, you are still so elegant and wise, emphasizing physical health and the growth of the vessel..." Charlotte:... She didn''t feel physically healthy. She just felt that the tall cup in her hand was a bit awkward. Sebastian''s hardcore flattery did not relieve the awkward atmosphere. Until a hoarse and surprised voice came, completely breaking the silence. "Huh? Sebastian? How did you, you rascal, manage to sneak in here?" Hearing this familiar voice, Charlotte couldn''t help but look over and see the black cat Nice, with its tail held high, swaying over. Its cheeks were puffy as if it was still eating something, and behind it was a waiter holding a tray filled with dried fish. Beside it, another acquaintance of Charlotte, the Duke''s son Leno. He seemed to be looking for someone, looking somewhat distracted. Upon seeing the beautiful girl in an evening dress, his gaze involuntarily flashed with amazement. But he quickly regained his composure, bowed with a non-standard aristocratic etiquette, and cheerfully said. "Miss Charlotte, we meet again. You look truly beautiful today, almost like a descended angel!" However, as soon as the greeting ended, the Duke''s son shifted his gaze away from Charlotte and began scanning the hall again with an anxious and expectant expression. Clearly, the person he was looking for was not Charlotte, even though she was the undisputed focus of the venue. And his expression just now, perhaps, it seems he was clueless that Duke Borde had already arranged a major event that would affect the rest of his life... While Leno was absent-minded, Nice''s attention was all focused on Sebastian. Especially noticing Sebastian''s kneeling posture, like a submissive knight, its amber eyes almost instantly sharpened. Even Nice itself didn''t realize that it almost instantly darted between Charlotte and Sebastian, separating the two, its fat body didn''t affect its speed at all. Swallowing a few mouthfuls of dried fish, Nice raised its tail high, its limbs forming an eight-character (°Ë) stance, appearing vigilant and ready to attack at any moment. "What are you doing here? What business do you have with the magnificent... ahem, with the beautiful and noble Miss Charlotte?" Noticing that it almost let the cat out of the bag, Nice quickly paused and changed its wording. However, when it raised its head, it quickly noticed the crimson bloodstains at the corner of Sebastian''s mouth. "Huh? When did you get injured?" Nice was slightly stunned, seemingly bewildered that someone like Sebastian could get injured in a place like Borde. Sebastian gracefully stood up, discreetly taking out a neatly folded handkerchief from his pocket, gently wiping away the bloodstains at the corner of his mouth, and casually placing it on the tray carried by a passing waiter, then smiled politely. "It''s nothing, just a few mouth ulcers lately." Charlotte:... Nice:... mouth ulcers my ass! Nice squinted slightly, completely disbelieving Sebastian''s words. And when it noticed Sebastian''s still respectful demeanor after standing up, and the reverence in his gaze towards the girl sitting behind it, it instantly felt a jump in its heart. Good Lord! Did he find out about Her identity? Did he just do something disrespectful and get punished by the old monster? Wait a minute... What does this burning gaze mean? Could it be... he also wants to join the party?! It seemed to realize something, Nice narrowed its eyes, becoming alert in an instant. At the same time, Sebastian, who wiped away the bloodstains, also saw the collar on the neck of the black cat. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Especially the black eagle badge symbolizing the Castell family on the collar... Sebastian''s gaze also momentarily focused. A pet collar? From the Castell family? Damn! This lecherous old thing found out Lady of the Night''s identity a long time ago? Directly becoming a pet for the Castell family? How shameless! Does it really think it''s a real cat!? Isn''t this too shameless? Clearly, I was the first one summoned by Lady of the Night! Sebastian''s smile gradually faded, and he looked at the black cat with a hint of hostility in his eyes. As for whether he really was the first one summoned, he had automatically ignored it. One man and one cat confronted each other, tension rising, unexpectedly igniting a sense of gunpowder in the standoff. "Respected... lady, this black cat is a complete waste, greedy, lazy, gluttonous, and lecherous, with countless enemies. Please be careful, try to stay away from it, don''t be deceived by its appearance." Sebastian smiled slightly at Charlotte, looking down at the black cat with disdain. "Meow! Miss Charlotte! This guy is the boss of the gang in the outer city! It''s him who sold the materials for the sacrifice to Countess Castell! You can blame him for hanging you on the cross!" The black cat Nice showed no fear, coldly retorting. Sebastian:... Hearing Nice''s words, the smile of this fiery spirit almost froze on his face. Him? Charlotte couldn''t help but glance over. Noticing the girl''s probing gaze, Sebastian''s scalp almost went numb, sweating coldly. He swallowed a mouthful of saliva, forcing out a smile with difficulty. "Misunderstanding, it''s all... a misunderstanding." Seeing the other person so cautiously guarded, Charlotte finally felt relieved. Fortunately... Although the disguise was lost, the protection and counterattack from Gospel of Blood made the other party completely mistake her for the revived evil god! In that case, she had to continue the act. "No problem, it''s all in the past. Without that sacrifice, there would be no me today." She took a sip of milk lightly, saying calmly. Hearing the girl''s words, Leno sighed slightly, feeling sympathetic and emotional, his gaze towards Charlotte also carried a hint of admiration. "Yeah, after experiencing storms, people will eventually grow." "The past is gone, Miss Charlotte, the future road is still long..." However, the same words heard by Sebastian and Nice had different meanings. The two almost simultaneously had the same thought. Exactly! SHE successfully descended through that sacrifice! And just at this moment, a commotion suddenly appeared at the entrance of the hall. Almost everyone in the hall stood up almost simultaneously, cheering. Charlotte''s heart moved, and she stood up, looking towards the entrance. At the entrance of the hall, several priests and demon hunters followed an old priest with gray hair, dressed in a golden divine robe, entering the venue. Among the team were several acquaintances of Charlotte. Priest Lottie, the Dean of the Church Hospital, Raoul, and the Commander of the Borde Demon Hunting Team, Kara, were among them. Leno''s spirits lifted, and his shiny gaze fell directly on the female knight, Kara. Sebastian''s expression became serious, taking a step back, seeming not to want to be seen. "The High Priest is here, Raoul and the others are here too." Nice scratched its chin. Saying that, it looked towards Charlotte, with a slight hesitation. "Um... Miss Charlotte." "According to the rules, I have to go and pay my respects..." "Go ahead, no one''s stopping you." Charlotte glanced at it. "Also, remember what I told you." "Don''t worry! I promise to deliver the message!" Nice patted its chest, then covered the collar on its neck, and rushed towards the priest''s team in a flash. However, someone was faster than it. Nobody knew when, The Duke''s son Leno had already approached the female knight Kara, enthusiastically greeting her, but he was met with the female knight''s expressionless and indifferent face. At this moment, Charlotte''s hair stood on end. She seemed to smell the scent of a simp. The feeling was so familiar that it made her heart ache for her past life... "The Duke''s son Leno and the captain of the Demon Hunter Team, Kara, once served together in a mercenary group, fighting side by side as comrades. Leno has always harbored affection for her..." "However, Kara has no interest in love matters, she only seeks revenge, wanting to avenge the Blood Demon Cult responsible for the Flame Demon Disaster ten years ago." "For this... she even accepted the invitation of the High Priest and joined the demon hunter organization." Sebastian''s explanation came from beside her, making Charlotte''s heart slightly moved. No wonder... No wonder every time she saw Kara, Leno always happened to be there. It turns out it was deliberately coincidental! She looked at Sebastian, who was enlightening her, and Sebastian also happened to meet her gaze. Then, this elegant fire elf suddenly, while everyone''s attention was focused on the entrance of the hall, directly taking advantage of the misplacement of tables and chairs, kneeling down in a place where no one could see, in front of the girl. He placed one hand on his chest, performing a submissive gesture, his gentle voice filled with reverence and fanaticism. "Honorable and beautiful lady..." "From the moment Sebastian saw you, he knew that you were the only direction in his life." "The humble Sebastian is willing to offer you the most fervent loyalty, only hoping to accompany you, follow you forward, and become the most significant strength in your hands..." ______________________ T/N: Don''t worry. There is no romance. Chapter 45: Boot-licker and Green Tea This is... a gesture of allegiance?Charlotte, who was very familiar with the etiquette of the Myria world, quickly realized. But what followed was confusion. She knew very well, through the mind reading in the Dark Night Castle that, Sebastian had no intention of partcipating in the Bloodborne''s conflicts. Even if he regarded her as the Bloodborne''s evil god, he was only willing to be a "temporary servant". But now, seeing the respectful attitude and fervent expression of the other party, it didn''t seem like intending to be a temporary servant at all. It looked more like a brainwashed fanatic! What happened in a place she didn''t know about? Charlotte was astonished. She couldn''t pinpoint exactly what had changed the other party''s mind, but one thing was clear, the other party must be serious. If not, he could have exposed her on the spot. But Charlotte remained cautious. Even though she believed the other party was serious, she didn''t think it was a good time to accept his allegiance. Firstly, there were many people here, and secondly, the Blood Calling had not yet fully charged. People change for a reason; there is no love without reason, no hate without reason, and no allegiance without reason... There was currently only one slot for blood servant. Although she was already quite interested in Sebastian, she remained calm. She would wait until the Blood Calling available again, ascertain the other party''s true thoughts in the dream world, and then consider his proposal and decide whether to formally sign the Blood Contract. Being cautious in this world is always a good thing. Of course, Charlotte couldn''t blatantly refuse the other party''s allegiance. At this time, she had to use the skills she had enjoyed lately. Thinking of this, Charlotte gently raised her tall cup, gracefully took a sip of milk, and glanced lightly at the kneeling Sebastian. "Before you pledge your loyalty to me, don''t you have anything else to say?" Hearing the girl''s calm yet suggestive voice, beads of sweat immediately falling on Sebastian''s back. The Lady of the Night is somewhat displeased with me! Indeed, my recent indiscretion probably triggered HER displeasure! Sebastian regretted. He was so eager to express his allegiance to make the Lady of the Night overlook his previous offense, but now... it seemed that what had to come would come. Thinking of this, Sebastian quickly lowered his head and said with a trembling voice. "Honorable and beautiful lady... I didn''t realize it was you, the great you, so I behaved so rudely... Please forgive Sebastian''s recklessness. Regardless of the punishment you give to foolish Sebastian, Sebastian is willing to accept... I only hope that you will leave a corner for Sebastian to serve you under your feet..." This guy can really boot-lick... Charlotte couldn''t help but glance at him, and the tuft of hair on her head twitched slightly. On the surface, she continued to act coldly. "Oh? Are you implying that it''s okay to pry into someone''s memories at a birthday party if it''s just an ordinary human girl?" Sebastian''s sweat began to flow again. He swallowed hard, looking fearful, and bowed even lower. "No... it''s all very rude... It''s Sebastian''s arrogance, Sebastian''s recklessness..." Feeling that the timing was about right, Charlotte slowly withdrew her gaze, took a sip of milk, and then said lightly. "You were indeed reckless. If I were you, I wouldn''t swear allegiance at someone else''s birthday party." S?a??h the ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Hearing this, Sebastian''s gaze dimmed. "But..." the girl''s tone changed. "Seeing how proactive you are, I can give you a chance to prove if you have the qualifications and attitude to be my follower." A follower...? Hearing this, Sebastian''s eyes almost instantly lit up. "Honorable lady! Sebastian is willing to accept any test from you! Please use me as you wish!" Charlotte chuckled lightly and said calmly. "I''ve already given you your test." We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Sebastian was momentarily stunned. Then, he quickly remembered that the Lady of the Night was referring to finding the cursed pages! "Of course, that''s not enough. That''s just part of our deal. You have offended me, and I''m not happy about it. As for how to make me happy, it depends on your actions next." Saying this, the girl drank up the milk in her tall cup, elegantly placed it on the nearby table, and then smiled faintly. "I allow you to stay by my side temporarily, but you need to fulfill all my needs as much as possible. Some things, I won''t say on my own, but you need to understand, think, and act on your own. Don''t cause any trouble for my identity; I would be very unhappy. After all... I''m just an innocent little girl." SHE''s willing to let me stay by HER side! SHE''s willing! Although it''s only temporary, this is my chance! Sebastian became excited instantly, completely unaware that his pledge of allegiance had turned into an effort to please HER to gain HER approval. "Get up, it''s not good to always kneel like this in front of others." Charlotte suddenly reverted to the appearance of an innocent girl, smiling naively. SHE smiled at me! SHE told me to get up! SHE still has me in HER heart, I still have a chance! Sebastian''s heart was filled with excitement. "Yes, honorable and beautiful lady!" "Call me Charlotte." "Yes, honorable and beautiful Lady Charlotte!" Charlotte: ... Sebastian stood up, respectfully standing by the girl''s side, lagging half a step behind her. And just at this moment, even more enthusiastic noise and cheers came from the entrance of the hall. Duke Borde has arrived. Under the escort of more than a dozen court nobles, the lord of the duchy, the focus of the banquet, finally arrived at the venue, followed by a young nobleman who seemed absent-minded, the well-known scoundrel in the aristocratic circle, Count Leno. The music of the band became louder, and all the nobles paid their respects to Duke Borde. However, the girl noticed that the Duke didn''t seem too happy, especially when his gaze swept over the empty seats reserved for the Kingdom''s Lords. Obviously, the lords and nobles outside the duchy did not come to this birthday party. The old duke''s displeasure was fleeting, quickly replaced by a gentle smile. He first respectfully greeted the high priest surrounded by priests, then turned to the lively nobles on the scene, took a glass of red wine from the steward, drank it in one gulp, and then exclaimed loudly. "For Borde!" "For Borde!" Cheers erupted from the nobles in the hall. The music of the band reached its climax, igniting the atmosphere of the banquet completely. The entire venue was filled with enthusiastic cheers and praise for the duke. It wasn''t until Duke Borde gently raised his hand and slightly lowered it that the venue gradually quieted down. He smiled slightly and continued, his old voice full of energy. "Honorable High Priest Linus, distinguished guests, thank you very much for attending the old man''s birthday banquet." "Here, on behalf of the Borde family, I express my sincerest gratitude to you all!" As soon as he finished speaking, another round of enthusiastic cheers erupted in the venue, with cheers of "For Borde" and "Long live Borde" echoing one after another. Until the old duke raised his hand again and lowered it slightly, the venue quieted down again. He smiled slightly and continued, "In addition... before the banquet begins, I have an important announcement to make." After saying this, he glanced over the crowd, paused slightly on Charlotte, showing a reassuring look at the girl. Then, he gestured for everyone to quiet down, and with a meaningful look, he said. "Furthermore, I have already communicated with the head of the Castell family..." "The Castell family will continue to be under Borde''s protection, as it was in the past and will be in the future. We will share the glory of Borde together." "I hope everyone understands..." Hearing this somewhat ambiguous statement, the entire venue suddenly quieted down. Countless eyes turned to Charlotte, making her instantly the focus of the entire banquet. Charlotte felt a slight sinking in her heart and muttered inwardly. What an ambiguous statement... He''s really a crafty old fox! Chapter 46: My Heart Already Belongs to Regarding the legalization of Leno''s illegitimate status, although the Duke has never mentioned it, many nobles of the Borde Duchy, including Charlotte, already speculated about it.However, legalizing an illegitimate child is one thing, designating them as the heir is another. Even though Count Tulip was once the designated heir of the duchy, and he held that position for over a decade, now, the Duke''s words have completely disrupted everyone''s plans. Especially towards the end, when he mentioned the Castell family. Though not explicitly stated, the implications were clear, causing a subtle change in the expressions of nobles who had thoughts on the Castell. Could it be... the Castell have already decided to marry into the Duke''s family? In an instant, Charlotte once again became the center of attention. All the nobles understand that even with the support of the Holy Court, it''s not easy for a legalized illegitimate child to completely control the Duchy, the difficulty even surpasses that of Count Tulip. Nobility values bloodline. Under the pressure of divine authority, nobles might not openly oppose, but passive loyalty is their specialty. The best way to destroy a ruler''s authority is through passive support, which fundamentally undermines the ruler''s power. But if the Castell family''s support is obtained, it''s different. As the largest and wealthiest noble family in the Borde Duchy, once the Castell, who are about to become extinct, completely aligned with the Duke''s family, even if the heir changes, the Borde family can smoothly navigate through the turbulence of succession. Thus, the choice determining the future of the duchy suddenly fell into Charlotte''s hands, or so it seemed. But Charlotte knew it wasn''t that simple. The Duke''s words, while sounding like he''s protecting the Castell, in reality, have pushed Charlotte onto thin ice. As the nominal heir of the Castell family, Charlotte currently has no inheritance of the title, nor any control over the territory and subordinate nobles. At most, she just receives a considerable sum of money from the territory every month. She hasn''t even received the money for this month. In this situation, she simply cannot determine the fate of the principality. If she does decide, it can only be after successfully inheriting the title with the support of the duchy. Charlotte knows this is the Duke''s way of indirectly telling. Telling that he can help her completely control the family estate. S?a??h th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. At the same time, this is also laying the groundwork for what comes next... His gaze once again fell on the girl, lingering for a long time without shifting, and all the attention of the people also focused on Charlotte. The Duke smiled slightly and continued. "Miss Charlotte, this is my sincerity." "The support from the Duke''s mansion, and... the legalization of Leno''s identity, he will become a true noble." "On this basis, there is also the entire Borde Duchy!" "Hehe, how about it? How do you feel about the previous proposal?" "Once agreed, you will not only be Count Castell but also... the future Lady of Borde!" With these words, all the nobles were stirred up. A marriage proposal! This is a marriage proposal! The Duke of Borde unexpectedly proposed a marriage to the Castell at this time! Listening to his father''s words, Leno''s expression was somewhat unpleasant. He was about to say something, but under the Duke''s cold gaze, he held back. The young male nobles were resentful, their gazes towards Leno filled with hostility. While the unmarried noble girls from various families directed their gaze towards Charlotte, their eyes filled with intense envy... In an era of strict hierarchy, for most noblewomen who cannot choose their marriage partners, nothing is more anticipated than climbing social classes. Despite the wealth of the Castell family, they are only a Count, and counts are under the duchy. Not to mention she is not even an inheritor yet. But once she becomes the wife of the future Duke, it not only means the stability of the count title but also signifies becoming the mistress of the duchy, standing on the stage of the entire Crescent Kingdom! For the nobles of the duchy, it is a broader world, signifying entry into the true upper class of the kingdom, truly a great honor! In this situation, what does it matter if there is a legalized illegitimate child? It''s more accurate to say that because of the legalized illegitimate child status of the future Duke, he will rely even more on the Castell girl''s noble origin to enhance his prestige and suppress other nobles'' doubts about his lineage. For the Castell girl, this is a good thing because it means more authority after marriage. Of course, a marriage with the future Duke cannot be a form of joining the wife''s family, the Castell family is also destined to become extinct. But so what? Who cares? Does he still want to rely on an underage girl to rejuvenate the family? Sincerity! Such sincerity! From any perspective, the Borde family has shown great sincerity in this marriage proposal! Even the most demanding nobles cannot think of any reason for the Castell girl to refuse... We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now As for love? The nobles remained very calm. A political alliance is a political alliance, and love is love. If one truly wishes to pursue love, the parties in the marriage alliance can completely turn a blind eye to each other''s private lives after producing an heir. From this perspective, within the Borde Duchy, no noble can offer better marriage terms than the Duke''s family. The young male nobles who had figured everything out looked ashen-faced, filled with regret as if they had already seen their ideal goddess stripped naked and lying on the dirty bed of the illegitimate child... But Charlotte fell into silence. Is that sincerity? That is. But for her, it''s worthless. It''s even less valuable than marrying into the family; at least with a marital alliance, the initiative lies in her hands. Of course, that''s just how she sees it. Marriage? She wouldn''t do it even if she died. Charlotte doesn''t have time. She''ll be 16 in less than a year. Once a marriage contract is formed, after a year when she comes of age, according to the "Sacred Code," the Duke can fully enforce the marriage contract without giving her a chance to delay. Even if she just agrees to the marriage alliance, the Duke''s mansion has a reason to intervene in Castell''s affairs. The reason is simple. The girl hasn''t completely controlled the family, the Duke can entirely use the pretext of helping the girl control the family and cleaning up the parasites. Noble and righteous, without fault. As for Leno''s personal feelings during the marriage process... From his recent performance, it''s clear that under the authority of the Duke of Borde, it''s meaningless. It''s obvious the Duke has bigger ambitions. He not only wants Leno to successfully inherit the Duchy, to glorify the family, but also wants to legitimately and reasonably swallow everything from Castell! At the same time, Charlotte also realizes the Duke''s other intention. No, rather it was... a threat. Accepting the marriage alliance means accepting sincerity, successfully inheriting the territory, and becoming the mistress of the Duchy. But if she doesn''t accept, it''s a direct slap in the face to the Brde family. If that happens, it also means rejecting the protection of the Borde family, and the Duke''s mansion will turn a blind eye to the actions of other nobles towards Castell. By then, Castell will probably become the bait that feeds the nobles of the Duchy, in order for the nobles to obtain support for Leno''s inheritance of the Duchy. The fate of the young girl is likely to be quite tragic. And in the division of the Castell family, it is undoubtedly the Duke''s mansion, which is the most powerful, that will take the biggest share. Nobles stand under the holy light, accepting the blessings of the gods, draped in splendid attire. But at the same time, nobles also hide the world''s most barbaric and primitive darkness under their clothing. Accepting the marriage alliance means accepting blessings. But refusal will bring darkness. This is not only an extremely sincere marriage proposal. At the same time, it''s also a threat hiding malice! In such a situation, for the Castell family heir who is difficult to protect, there is no choice! However... Is it really so? Under the gaze of everyone, only the girl in the white dress smiled brightly. That innocent smile was like a spring breeze, brushing through the hearts of every noble, making everyone who saw it unable to help but feel happy, unable to move their gaze away from her enchanting appearance. Just as Charlotte pinched her skirt and gracefully bowed towards the Duke of Borde, her voice sweetly said. "Your Grace, thank you very much for your kindness..." Seeing the obedient girl, the Duke of Borde showed a satisfied smile. "But..." Charlotte''s tone suddenly changed. Just as she slowly raised her head, she looked past the Duke, towards the archbishop on the side. More accurately, she looked towards the old dean of the hospital beside the archbishop, Raoul, and the black cat, Nice, next to Raoul. Meeting Charlotte''s gaze, Nice nodded slightly, giving the girl a reassuring look. And Raoul smiled slightly, under the archbishop''s discreet hint, revealing an encouraging smile. At that moment, Charlotte''s lips curved up slightly, her pure blue eyes carrying a childlike eagerness and a hint of mischievousness. With her cheeks slightly flushed, appearing shy and timid, her voice was soft and sweet, and her expression seemed to carry innocent joy as she looked at the old archbishop. "But... Charlotte''s heart has already found its belonging." As soon as these words were spoken, everyone''s gaze focused entirely on the old archbishop, who was old enough to be the girl''s grandfather, their expressions strange. Raoul''s face darkened, unable to help but twitch his mouth. The smile on the old Duke''s face froze instantly. Chapter 47: I Shall Dedicate Myself to God Quiet.A complete silence. As Charlotte looked at the old priest ahead of her and shyly confessed her allegiance, the entire banquet fell into an eerie silence. "You you you... Castell! Do you know what you''re saying!" "He''s a priest! And an old one at that!" "Are you out of your mind!?" A young nobleman widened his eyes and couldn''t help but exclaim. Upon hearing his words, the girl also widened her eyes, her azure blue eyes filled with puzzlement and disbelief, her slightly flushed cheeks tinged with embarrassment. "Your Grace... What are you saying, Sir Yale? That''s quite impolite!" After speaking, Charlotte looked ahead again. She clasped her hands together, her expression devout and sincere, her gentle and innocent voice filled with the simplest aspirations and fervor. "What I mean is, my heart has long belonged to the Great God, to the Supreme Divine..." Seeing the girl glance at him again, Raoul twitched his eye. However, when his peripheral vision swept towards the wall behind him, he suddenly felt a stir in his heart and quickly made way without a sound. Charlotte''s gaze, however, remained unchanged. As the nobles followed the girl''s gaze and looked carefully, they discovered that she was not looking at the old archbishop Raoul, but rather at the mural behind Raoul! More accurately, it was a religious mural depicting the God Harald creating a new world after the Great Flood. The young nobleman who had tried to stop the girl was immediately dumbfounded, his face turning red in an instant, wishing he could find a hole to crawl into. Meanwhile, Charlotte made the sign of the cross in front of her chest in a standard manner. With a happy and devout expression, she reminisced. "That night, when I encountered such a thing, I was really frightened, and afraid... and desperate..." "It was the knights of the church who rescued me, bringing light to me in the darkness." "When I was in the church hospital, Sir Raoul and Lady Lottie would accompany me and chat with me every day." "In the process of communicating with them, in my confusion, I deeply felt the greatness and sanctity of the God..." "I think... it must be because the Castell family has committed too many unforgivable sins, so as the heir, I have suffered such a terrible calamity." "However, even so, God is still willing to forgive me, still willing to accept me, still willing to save me..." "After being discharged, I would communicate deeply with the priests every day, discussing the teachings of our Lord." "And with deeper understanding, I increasingly feel the majesty of our Lord and the vastness of HIS divine radiance..." s?a??h th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "From that time on, the black and white world had new colors, I saw the light, I saw the future, I saw my true belonging..." "My heart... has long belonged to the great divine." Saying this, the girl bowed slightly towards the God Harald depicted on the mural, her childish voice filled with reverence and sincere gratitude. "Praise be... to the divine!" The light of the crystal chandelier shone on her, making her look dreamy and colorful. The beautiful girl in the white dress appeared devout like a celestial angel bowing to her Lord. Seeing this sacred scene, the priests were also moved, showing expressions of reminiscence, as if recalling their first worship under the divine light, that kind of inner longing and awe, piety, and fervor. The elderly priest sighed slightly, extending his hand as well and drawing the sign of the cross in front of his chest. "Praise be... to the divine." The other priests also followed suit, drawing the holy emblem and speaking with devout and firm voices. "Praise be... to the divine!" The nobles fell silent. Watching the priests show signs of reminiscence under the girl''s influence, seeing the pure and flawless eyes of the girl and her happy and satisfied smile, although feeling extremely absurd, many couldn''t help but have one thought. She... is serious! And many more nobles, who had been paying attention to the girl who had experienced the bloodborne incident at the Castell Manor, fell into contemplation. After recalling, they did find many details. After being rescued, Charlotte had indeed been quite enthusiastic about various activities of the church, participating fully in worship and various religious ceremonies at the church every day. Even after returning home, she still spent a lot of money inviting priests to the estate... These things were not secrets and could be verified with a little effort. The Duke of Borde frowned. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now He glanced at the nobles below, and an old count immediately understood, stepping forward and looking solemnly at the praying girl. "Miss Castell, are you serious?" "Please don''t forget, you are the heir of Castell. If you choose to join the church and become a priest, it means becoming an ascetic, unable to marry or inherit the land." "That means you will voluntarily relinquish your inheritance!" Upon hearing the old count''s words, Charlotte smiled slightly, gracefully bowing. "Count Gaston, thank you for your reminder." "I do intend to join the church and indeed intend to dedicate everything to the divine, but I have not forgotten my duty as a member of the Castell family." The old count frowned. "Do you mean you want to become a noble priest who doesn''t serve in the church?" "But forgive me for being blunt, noble priests can still marry, so that''s not a reason for you to refuse Duke''s proposal." Hearing the count''s words, Charlotte looked apologetic. "I apologize, Count Gaston, I didn''t make myself clear." "What I meant was that I intend to dedicate everything to our great Lord, not only myself but also the land I am about to inherit." "As we all know, although the Northern Duchy successfully expelled the orc tribe, the entire country is still in a state of religious confusion and needs the divine to bring light to them." "But in the north, our Lord has always lacked sufficient power." "I want to contribute to our Lord." "I am a member of the Castell family, so I must shoulder the responsibility of inheriting the family." "But equally, in order to dedicate everything to our Lord, I will not marry in the future." "I will live for the subjects in my limited life, be loyal to the lord, be a loyal subject of Castell, and fulfill the responsibilities and obligations of Castell." "At the same time, I will fulfill the responsibility of a devout believer, spreading the radiance of our Lord to the north as much as possible!" "I promise that when I return to the kingdom of our Lord in the future, I will dedicate everything to the Lord. The divine flag will replace the eagle flag and fly over Castell!" Listening to the girl''s words, the nobles in the hall all changed their expressions. "Are you saying... you want to offer Castell''s territory to the church?!" "Impossible! This is absolutely impossible! The... King will never agree! This violates the provisions of the Sacred Code!" The old count said angrily. Other nobles also echoed, either rebuking, cursing, or accusing, but they all said the same thing, that what the girl wanted to do was illegal and unacceptable. It wasn''t until a solemn voice sounded that everyone quieted down. "Why... not?" It was the high priest who spoke. This old man, always with a kind smile, the highest religious figure in the Borde Duchy, for the first time, put away his smile. He glanced faintly at the angry nobles and slowly said. "The Sacred Code indeed stipulates that the church cannot encroach on noble land." "But it does not stipulate that devout believers cannot dedicate their land to the church." "Furthermore, that is a matter for the future. Even if the church obtains land, it is only to establish a theocratic barony, not to annex them and become part of the ecclesiastical state." "The theocratic barony still pledges allegiance to the lord, still belongs to the duchy, and even the kingdom as a whole." "Do you all forget? Among the twelve duchies under the Crescent Kingdom, three of them are theocratic duchies." The voice of the high priest was gentle and calm. The angry nobles fell into silence collectively. Their eyes fell on the sacred girl, and for a moment, they couldn''t be sure whether she had truly become a fervent devotee of the divine, or was just using the church as a shield... "Alright, let''s continue the banquet. These are all matters for the future. Today''s protagonists are our Duke and Lord Leno. I haven''t performed the sacred ceremony for Lord Leno yet." The high archbishop smiled faintly and said gently. Performing the sacred ceremony is a sacred ritual that every noble must undergo when they come of age, representing the recognition of their status by the divine. For illegitimate children, it also represents the legalization of their status. Seeing the smiling high archbishop, the old Duke''s expression became ugly for the first time. Chapter 48: Being young is really something! After hearing the insinuating words of the High Priest, a cold gleam flashed in the eyes of Duke Borde. However, he quickly regained his composure and restored his faint smile. Although the smile seemed quite forced. He realized that he had been played by the High Priest. But he couldn''t react rashly. The legitimization of Leno''s illegitimate status still required the church''s approval, and he couldn''t afford to fall out with the church now, as it would completely disrupt his plans. He knew, perhaps the High Priest also understood this, which is why he took the opportunity to support the Castell girl. The High Priest''s intention was actually quite simple. To exchange Castell''s future territory as a religious vassal for the legitimization of the illegitimate child and the support of the church. This was a transaction. An unexpected transaction. This was not the result the old duke wanted. However, this time he had no choice. The old duke''s gaze shifted subtly between the fervently beautiful girl, the respectful and obedient old priest Raoul, and the always smiling high priest, who seemed like a kind old grandfather. In his heart, he was puzzled. Who? Who exactly? Who proposed this despicable and cunning idea? What perfect timing to completely disrupt his plans! The old duke didn''t believe that this plan was proposed by the young Castell girl. After all, there was nothing in it for her. Leaning towards the church wouldn''t bring much benefit to the girl, at most just temporary protection, and what the church could offer, he believed he could offer as well, and even more and better. Making such a choice seemed more like the girl didn''t trust them, so she sought refuge with the church, or... was it truly for faith? Thinking of this, the duke narrowed his eyes slightly. He didn''t think a canary long kept in a cage would be capable of such deep scheming. Most likely, she was manipulated. He also believed he was not unkind to the Castell family. If the girl behaved and obeyed, he was truly planning to make her the mistress of Borde. After all... Leno needed a noble wife to erase his stain. But now, everything was out of control. After much thought, the old duke felt that it was more likely that the girl was deceived by the church''s priests. It must be those old foxes taking advantage of the young and ignorant Castell heir, wanting to expand the church''s territory through this. With such thoughts, the deep gaze of Duke Borde soon fell on the two priests. He smiled faintly but clenched his fist slightly under his sleeve. Taking a deep breath and suppressing his anger, the old duke''s gaze once again fell on Charlotte. But there was much more indifference in his eyes. He smiled slightly and said to the girl. "The divine light protects us. Although it''s regrettable, since Lady Charlotte has made her decision, as devout believers, we naturally have to respect it..." "Of course, people''s minds always change, especially when they''re young. A year''s time is full of variables. If Lady Charlotte changes her mind in the future, the doors of the Borde family will still be open to you, and we will always be your strong support..." With that, the old duke looked again at the High Priest on the side and nodded slightly. "Your Excellency High Priest, can we begin the sacred ceremony for Leno?" The response from the Duke pleased the High Priest greatly. He smiled and nodded. "Of course, Lord Leno is a true holy knight. It is only right for him to return to the embrace of Borde and restore his deserved glory." Thus, the deal was reached. At least on the surface. Next was the agreed-upon process. Accompanied by ethereal hymns, and bathed in divine light, the High Priest performed the sacred ceremony for Leno, who knelt on one knee. However, the atmosphere was not particularly warm. The protagonist, Leno, didn''t seem particularly pleased. He seemed preoccupied and his gaze couldn''t help but glance towards the direction of the church several times. The nobles had various expressions, and some had already begun to show signs of distraction. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Although the old duke was smiling, his smile had never changed, and there was a chill in his eyes. Only the beautiful Castell girl, with a devout expression, silently walked to the front of the nobles, her face full of fervent yearning under the holy light. As the sacred ceremony ended, the High Priest declined the nobles'' invitations, citing discomfort, and retired to a side hall to rest. The birthday banquet continued. Charlotte''s declaration of faith seemed like a little episode, apparently not affecting the progress of the banquet. But even the dullest nobles could sense that the atmosphere of the birthday banquet had worsened. And with this episode, the flies buzzing around Charlotte disappeared as well. Although some young noble males still gazed at her eagerly, eager to try their luck, they were soon stopped by their elders. The Duke might be on equal footing with the High Priest. But these nobles are not. Just as the Castell heir finished declaring that she would dedicate everything to the church and never marry, someone came to vie for her affection. It would be a direct challenge to the church. Sebastian, who had infiltrated the birthday party, was itching to come over and flatter the girl with a few words, but he shrunk back under Charlotte''s cold glance. He hadn''t forgotten Charlotte''s words. He couldn''t afford to cause trouble for her in her current position. But he was genuinely curious and excited about the girl''s choice. The actions of the Gods are never without purpose. The great Lady of the Night decided to "join" the Holy Court, but why? "Madam Anna said that the decline of the Bloodborne is due to the decisive role played by the Holy Court." s?a??h th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "Could it be... Lady of the Night is laying the groundwork for revenge against the Holy Court in the future?" "No wonder she''s such a great presence returning from ancient times! Just as she''s revived, she''s already focused on the most powerful church in this world as the start of her far-reaching layout!" "Returning to the Kingdom of the Lord... Heh, I''m afraid when that time comes, it will be the great Lady of the Night who returns to the throne, ruling over Myria. Who returns to whose kingdom, it''s really hard to say!" Sebastian''s gaze was intense, filled with excitement. Ironically, he never wanted to be involved in the struggles between the Gods, but now, he was excited to be drawn into the competition among True Gods. He could feel that he was about to witness a great history being made! No one disturbed Charlotte, and she enjoyed the delicacies of the banquet leisurely. After receiving the approval of the church, she was quite satisfied, finally resolving a dilemma that had been troubling her for days. In fact, the idea of joining forces with the church had been in Charlotte''s mind since the attempt on her life. No force was more suitable for dealing with the scheming duke and the subtle disputes among nobles than the church, which transcended the secular world. Moreover, she had been deeply affected by her conversations with Old Priest Raoul. The old priest was like a lighthouse in her heart, guiding her toward the direction of faith. Perhaps in the beginning, she was just using the church as a shield, but gradually, her belief became firmer. The truth it was like a seed planted in her heart, and it was growing silently. As for the young noble males who had their eyes on her, she ignored them completely. She didn''t have the time or interest to deal with those foppish and shallow people. The only person she had ever wanted to impress was now gone. Under the watchful eyes of the nobles, the beautiful Castell heir left the banquet hall quietly, leaving behind only an indelible impression on the nobles. She disappeared into the night, heading towards the side hall where the High Priest was resting. The banquet continued late into the night. But the dazzling fireworks outside the window couldn''t dispel the faint chill that permeated the hall. The High Priest''s expression remained calm, but his eyes revealed a trace of doubt. His gaze shifted from the door where the Castell girl had left to the side hall where she was headed. He wasn''t worried about the girl''s safety. After all, she was under the protection of the Holy Light. What he was worried about was... the future. The future was always full of variables. And the girl''s choice tonight had opened up too many possibilities. Too many possibilities that made him uneasy. Even with his wisdom and foresight, he couldn''t predict what would happen next. And that was what worried him the most. After all, the most terrifying thing in this world was the unknown. Chapter 49: The Accused Thorn Rose After leaving the side hall and returning with the help of the maid to change into another set of backup formal dresses, Charlotte finally breathed a sigh of relief.Although the High Priest was very kind, very gentle, and his attitude was very friendly, for some reason, Charlotte always felt uneasy when she was with him. s?a??h th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. This feeling was completely different from when she was with the old priest, Raoul. Charlotte had spent a lot of time with Raoul at the church hospital, but she never felt this way. Perhaps it was because the High Priest was a high-ranking person, which made this puny Bloodborne feel intimidated. Or maybe it was because of his invitation for her to drink milk, which subconsciously reminded her of the crazy old lady at home, triggering a bit of PTSD. Anyway, after leaving the side hall, Charlotte felt much more relaxed, and her whole body felt much lighter. The rest of the banquet was not very meaningful. The girl, having tasted various delicacies, was already full, and she used the excuse of feeling unwell to skip the latter part of the dance party. In fact, even if Charlotte had attended, with the declarations made in the first half, it was unlikely that any young noble would dare to invite her to dance for fear of being misunderstood by the church. If anyone dared to invite her, it would probably only be the Duke himself and the High Priest. But the old Duke was quite old, and he probably couldn''t bear to lose face, and the High Priest had also gone to rest. Sebastian, on the other hand, looked on eagerly from a distance, obviously wanting to do something, but after some hesitation, he eventually obediently became invisible in the corner. Charlotte was quite satisfied, this guy was still sensible. Now that no one dared to approach her, if the president of the Rose Society came over, it would be obvious that something was amiss. With no one inviting her, Charlotte was happy to be alone and ran to the outdoor viewing platform to enjoy the breeze. Anyway, she hadn''t danced any social dances before. Even in her original memories, due to age and limited outings, she didn''t learn much. It was the black cat, Nice, who had somehow come over again. Its attitude was surprisingly enthusiastic, like a clingy cat, bringing milk for the girl and fetching fruit for her. "Weren''t you chatting and bragging with Dean Raoul and the others? Why did you come to find me again?" The girl looked at Nice strangely. "Meow! What are you saying? You are my current master. After finishing the church''s business, of course, I had to come back to you." Nice said righteously. Charlotte nodded slightly, her gaze sliding over the crowd. "Where are Dean Raoul and the others?" "They''ve already left. There''s another case at the church hospital, and Kara went with them." Nice said. "Captain Kara? Has something happened again?" Charlotte''s heart stirred at the thought of Knight Captain Kara''s identity. "Yeah, just when things quieted down for less than two weeks, there''s another Blood Bemon Cult case." Nice sighed. "Blood Demon Cult case? Where?" Charlotte''s raised goblet paused in midair. "It''s a household in the outer city, a fallen noble family. The details aren''t very clear, but it''s said that almost everyone was wiped out, and three daughters went missing. Only one servant survived and is being treated at the church hospital." Nice said solemnly. "Wiped out, missing..." Charlotte''s gaze slightly hardened. She waited for Nice to continue, but found that the other party didn''t continue, instead looking at her with a hesitant expression. Charlotte felt somewhat strange, but soon understood, her face darkening. "You''re not thinking of asking me if this has anything to do with me, are you?" "Cough, cough, how could that be! You have a grudge against the Blood Demon Cult! It''s just..." Nice stammered. Charlotte''s expression turned cold. "Spit it out." Swallowing a gulp of saliva, Nice said. "At the scene... there''s your symbol." Symbol? Charlotte paused. But soon she reacted. "Thorn Rose?" Nice nodded. Charlotte frowned. She knew that both Nice and Sebastian regarded her as the resurrected evil god, and they even considered Thorn Rose as her symbol. Although it was just a pattern she casually copied from carved furniture, combined with the personal information in the Gospel, the Thorn Rose had indeed become her symbol and established a mysterious connection with her. Charlotte even suspected that if she truly became a God one day, this pattern might actually become a genuine symbol! And now, this symbol appeared at the scene of a bloodborne incident, which was somewhat intriguing. "Is it a sacrifice formation?" The girl asked. "No, it''s not. This time, it''s different from the incident at Castell Manor. It''s more similar to the other Blood Demon Cult cases in the past six months. They all involve killing others and the disappearance of underage girls..." "The church suspects that the Blood Demon Cult has never given up and intends to continue summoning the Flame Demon." "Just that, this time, the symbol left at the scene changed from the Blood Demon Cult''s emblem to... Thorn Rose." Nice said. After speaking, it hesitated for a moment and looked at the girl. "Miss Charlotte, do you think... the Blood Demon Cult has also discovered your resurrection and is deliberately testing it?" Discovered my resurrection? No, that was just a piece of furniture pattern... However, considering that even Sebastian and Nice regarded her as a god of evil, perhaps the Blood Demon Cult also thought that Borde had resurrected a God related to the Bloodborne, so they took action... Thinking of this, Charlotte''s expression gradually became serious. The Blood Demon Cult probably did come for her. Or rather, they came for the existence symbolized by Thorn Rose. However, she didn''t know what the other party''s purpose was. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Regardless, considering the strange connection formed by Thorn Rose''s symbol with herself, Charlotte had a feeling that she couldn''t ignore this matter. Is the incident located in the outer city... Charlotte pondered, thinking of a good candidate to investigate the matter. "I see, I''ll send someone to investigate this matter." The girl nodded lightly, saying calmly. Nice looked somewhat puzzled. "Send someone to investigate? Do you have other manpower in the outer city?" But soon, it realized something and almost instantly jumped up. "Wait! You don''t intend to let Sebastian investigate, do you?!" "Great Miss Charlotte! That guy Sebastian is Borde''s most infamous underworld leader! He''s full of secrets!" "This guy... not only betrayed the Luna Island but also offended some major forces in the dark! He''s nothing but trouble!" "Moreover, back then, he was the one who was responsible for you to be hung on the cross..." Charlotte gave Nice a cold glance, and it shut its mouth, not continuing the second half of its sentence. Meanwhile, the girl took a sip of milk and calmly said. "Everyone has secrets. He has his, and I have mine." Saying this, she looked at Nice again, her gaze meaningful. "So... do you not hide any secrets?" "Me?" Nice paused for a moment, then its eyes immediately became evasive as it looked elsewhere. "Meow! What are you talking about! What secrets could I possibly have! I''m just a little cat who can speak and perform some small tricks! Meow meow meow~!" "Oh? Small tricks, referring to contract magic and dark summoning magic, perhaps?" Charlotte glanced at it. Nice instantly felt guilty. "Alright, speak up. As a ''big shot'' of the church, how did you meet Sebastian? And how long have you known each other?" The girl smiled at the black cat. As she looked at the girl''s radiant smile, Nice''s scalp instantly went numb. "Cough... probably... it''s been a long time? At first... um... I think we met at a banquet?" Poor Nice completely failed to realize that it had intended to pry into the girl''s secrets, ask about the bloodborne incident, and also inquire about how she knew Sebastian. The result was that it found itself being "interrogated" instead. "Forget it, if you don''t want to say, then don''t." Seeing the stuttering black cat, Charlotte didn''t press further. She lightly tapped her high goblet, implying something as she said. "In the future, you can speak when you''re ready to. Alright, I''m a bit tired now, go find other pretty ladies to cling to." With that, the girl issued her dismissal. Nice: ... Its expression gradually became awkward. But as it looked at the girl''s indifferent expression, it quickly realized something and felt conflicted again. Nice understood Charlotte''s implication. Only when it could honestly talk about its own affairs would the girl truly accept it, rather than just treating it as a servant bound by a contract. Nice hesitated. After a moment of hesitation, it sighed and respectfully bowed to Charlotte. "Great Mistress Charlotte, as you said, everyone has their own secrets, and Nice also has its own difficulties." "However, since we have a contract, Nice naturally cannot betray you." "So... Nice will take its leave for now." Watching the black cat''s departing figure, Charlotte sighed softly. It seemed that there were more secrets on Nice than she had imagined. To completely subdue this fellow, it seemed she still had a long way to go. ... The Duke''s birthday banquet continued into the late night. After the banquet ended, the Duke''s mansion tried to retain the guests, having already prepared guest rooms for those who wished to stay. However, after so much had happened, Charlotte didn''t feel like staying at the Duke''s mansion any longer. She politely declined the invitation and chose to return to Castell Manor. Upon seeing her master, the old servant, Casimodo, seemed hesitant, as if he had many questions to ask. Charlotte''s heart stirred, guessing that it was probably related to her declaration at the banquet. Presumably, by now, rumors must have already spread throughout the Duke''s mansion. However, in the end, the old servant didn''t ask anything but instead busied himself with preparing the carriage. Late at night, the bustling and lively Borde City became incredibly quiet, devoid of the daytime clamor. The carriage traveled through the darkness, heading towards the western district. Nice lay in the corner of the carriage, sound asleep, occasionally smacking its lips and smiling in its sleep, as if it was having a good dream. Meanwhile, Charlotte leaned against the window, enjoying the moonlight outside. She felt a bit thirsty, perhaps due to the night''s influence, and her bloodlust was beginning to rise again. However, at this moment, the carriage suddenly slowed down, and Casimodo, who was driving, tapped on the window. "What''s wrong?" Charlotte''s heart stirred. "Master..." Casimodo''s expression was serious as he leaned back slightly and whispered through the window. "There''s a carriage following us from behind." Chapter 50: Unlucky Stalkers Somebody is following?Charlotte felt a stir in her heart. She opened a slit in the curtain of the rear window and looked out. Sure enough, she saw a black carriage trailing behind in the night. Closing her eyes to sense with her bloodborne perception, she opened them again with a light chuckle and shook her head slightly. "No worries, let them follow." Casimodo hesitated. But after a glance at the composed expression of his master in the carriage, he nodded and urged the carriage to speed up. The carriage continued on its way. After turning a corner and leaving the eastern district, the sounds of fierce fighting came from behind the carriage. There were cries of surprise, screams of pain, and the mournful whinnies of horses. Faintly, one could feel a powerful supernatural presence, like a raging torrent and devastating tsunami. The mere residual magic and pressure made people tremble in fear. Casimodo shivered slightly, instinctively wanting to turn back, but he heard his master''s calm voice. "Don''t mind them, keep going." The girl''s voice was not loud, but it seemed to carry a reassuring power. Thinking that his master had awakened supernatural powers, Casimodo nodded understandingly, took a deep breath, and continued to drive the carriage. The sounds of battle gradually faded away and the night returned to tranquility. Casimodo couldn''t help but look back, and there were no more trackers behind the carriage. In the carriage, the beautiful girl lazily leaned against the window, one hand supporting her smooth chin as she admired the moonlight, while the other played with the empty goblet. It seemed she hadn''t been bothered by what just happened and had anticipated the outcome. Seeing her calm and composed, as if everything was under control, a sense of indescribable awe gradually rose in Casimodo''s heart. He felt that his young mistress had become more mature and mysterious since that disastrous night. She had her own judgment and her own thoughts. And it was very likely... she had her own power in secret. Casimodo didn''t know how his young mistress did it. But nobles who wielded supernatural powers were mysterious and powerful in the eyes of ordinary people. He had wanted to ask the young lady why she had turned to the church, but Casimodo dismissed the thought. He was a servant, and the young lady was the master. Although she was not yet an adult, the young lady was gradually maturing and had the ability and judgment of a master. He didn''t need to ask anything more. He just needed to trust his mistress completely and carry out her orders unconditionally. Casimodo''s expression became more respectful and obedient, and his hunched back gradually straightened. Meanwhile, sitting in the carriage, the girl pondered whether she could prepare a hidden compartment in the carriage for blood bags in the future. She glanced at Casimodo, the servant driving the carriage, pretending to be calm, and her proficiency in low-level majesty magic inexplicably increased a bit. Wondering if the old servant had imagined something just now, Charlotte scrutinized the Inheritance Tree in her consciousness and decided to quickly raise her proficiency in low-level majesty magic after returning, trying to advance to the first-tier Starry Sky as soon as possible. There was no other way. The recent encounter was different from any previous crisis. The people who targeted her this time were truly at the level of Starry Sky... "The church can help me confront the pressure from the Duke and the nobles openly, but privately, I need to have the strength to counter the hidden knives. A promise of the future and the church''s protection won''t completely deter others from coveting. It will only make their actions more covert, seeking out my weaknesses." "I need to quickly raise the proficiency of majesty magic to perfection and start advancing to the level of Starry Sky!" "It''s best to train the servants to improve proficiency in majesty magic. Using nobles to improve proficiency is not effective. The gains from today are not as good as training the maids in the house for half an hour on a normal day." "The young noble men are a little better, my charm effect is good, but they always surround me... looking at me with such hungry eyes, it''s really nauseating." "However, the servants at home already respect me enough under the majesty magic, and the training effect is getting worse... With nineteen servants, maintaining the normal operation of the manor is barely enough, but to take care of all aspects of the manor, more are needed, especially those with less work experience... At least double the number, maybe tomorrow I can personally go to the outer city to select some new people." "In addition, I can let Sebastian find some reliable first-tier extraordinary to serve as the manor''s guards..." Sitting in the carriage, Charlotte contemplated. Although Sebastian was still under consideration as a blood servant, she had already begun to consider how to leverage the advantage of being a Rose Society insider. It was strange that even Casimodo could help improve her proficiency in majesty magic, but Sebastian, who was like a lapdog, couldn''t. This puzzled Charlotte considerably. The journey was safe from then on. Nothing unusual happened until she returned to Castell Manor. Under the service of the maids, Charlotte changed out of her gown, washed up, and put on a simple black dress. Instead of going straight to bed, she went to the backyard of the manor and dismissed all the servants. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now In the night, the trees in the garden rustled under the cool breeze. The girl stood in front of the stairs, elegantly holding a goblet, took a sip of the animal blood she had prepared in advance, and looked into the distance with her eyes turning from azure to crimson. "Come out, I''m home." As soon as she finished speaking, a blurry figure emerged from the darkness and appeared in front of Charlotte in an instant. Even though she was mentally prepared, Charlotte was still startled and almost dropped the goblet in her hand. "Great and beautiful Lady of the Night! Your humble servant Sebastian is always ready to offer his heart and loyalty to you!" In front of the girl, Sebastian, the fire elf, dressed in a black tailcoat with a single eyepiece and white gloves, elegantly bowed, his expression reverent and fanatical. Hearing the embarrassing name "Lady of the Night" she casually chose for herself, Charlotte''s mouth twitched slightly. "Call me Charlotte." "Yes! Honorable and beautiful Lady Charlotte! Thank you for granting Sebastian the honor of calling you by your true name!" Sebastian bowed gracefully once again. Charlotte: ... Helplessly ignoring Sebastian, who behaved like an overenthusiastic golden retriever, she looked past him. There, four unconscious extraordinaries lay twisted and contorted on the ground, stacked together like a pile of bricks. Obviously, Sebastian had done the fighting behind the scenes. He had been following all along, not deliberately avoiding Charlotte, and had even exposed his presence when Charlotte was investigating. So... Charlotte hadn''t paid any attention to the stalking at all. She looked at the stalkers Sebastian had caught, and among them, she recognized one swollen face as that of a familiar person, the leader of the Demon Hunter, Chatham. Charlotte: ... Noticing the girl''s gaze, Sebastian quickly stepped aside, his smile slightly forced. He glanced at the girl with a strange expression, then looked back at the two ''blood cultists'' lying on the ground, one of whom was groaning and seemed to be waking up. Sebastian instinctively kicked him hard again, knocking him unconscious once more. "Cough... It''s okay, he can sleep a little longer now." Seeing the girl''s corner of the mouth twitching, Sebastian explained somewhat guiltily. Charlotte: ... "Take care of it yourself and don''t cause me trouble, including their medical expenses!" She said coldly. "Understood! Understood! I''ll send them back right away..." Sebastian nodded like a chick pecking rice. After that, he kicked hard each of them again, and in an instant, he met the girl''s strange gaze. He quickly chuckled and explained. "Uh... Let them sleep a bit more deeply, so they won''t wake up too early..." "It''s okay... I''ll cover the medical expenses." Charlotte: ... She suddenly felt like she had summoned a weirdo... Apologizing silently to the unlucky Captain Chatham in her heart, Charlotte adjusted her expression. S?a?ch* Th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Looking at the other two blood cultists lying unconscious on the ground, her expression became serious. "I have something for you to do." Chapter 51: The Extravagant Nobleman "Is it about tracking down the Blood Demon Cult? Those bastards dared to use your holy symbol after committing evil deeds, unforgivable!"Watching the slightly stern girl, Sebastian exclaimed indignantly. Charlotte looked at him unexpectedly. "You''re quite well-informed." Sebastian proudly lifted his chin. "Honorable Lady Charlotte, in the outer city, no one has more information than us in the Rose Society!" Charlotte nodded slightly. The Rose Society had considerable influence in the outer city, so what he said was not wrong. If it weren''t for this, she wouldn''t have asked him to do this task, nor would she have planned to personally go to the outer city tomorrow. The situation in the outer city was extremely complex. Without the covert cooperation of the Rose Society, going there as a coveted beautiful heiress could easily lead to trouble. "Alright, take them downstairs, and also investigate the secrets of these two Blood Cultists. Tell me the results tomorrow." Charlotte glanced at the two people who had just been kicked several times by Sebastian while he spoke, controlling the urge to twitch her mouth, and said calmly. She hadn''t intended to personally investigate these two newly embraced free mercenaries. It''s not that she didn''t want to investigate, but her strength was too weak to handle it. Even if Sebastian or Nice could seal the powers of the two, Charlotte was worried that the Blood Demon Cult might leave some kind of trap on them. Embraced Bloodborne with mediocre strength were generally weaker than their embracing "parent," so these two mercenaries, who had reached the first-tier Starry Sky, likely had Bloodborne behind them with strength reaching the second-tier Silver Moon! Not to mention, if something happened, it would be easy for her to lose face in front of Sebastian and Nice, downgrading her persona... Right now, she was a revived evil god in the eyes of the two. To maintain her persona, it was better to be cautious. So, Charlotte simply handed it over to Sebastian. It was convenient and also a way to test his abilities. Presumably, the boss of an underground gang should be quite skilled at these things, right? "Alright, your humble servant Sebastian will do his best to fulfill your test task." Receiving Charlotte''s order, Sebastian''s eyes lit up, excitedly saying, with a look of eagerness. Obviously, he regarded the girl''s arrangement as a test. After all, how could the legendary True Ancestor, who could inflict heavy injuries on him, herself not be able to handle these trivial matters? "Also, prepare for tomorrow. I want to personally pick some servants in the outer city." Charlotte thought for a moment and continued. Sebastian''s eyes instantly lit up, suddenly excited, and quickly stood at attention. "Please rest assured! Sebastian will make sure you enjoy a perfect experience of feeling at home in the outer city!" "... I mean, keep a low profile and don''t cause me trouble." Sebastian: ... His face instantly fell, like a big dog with drooping ears, making Charlotte''s eyelids twitch. Goodness... Did this guy really intend to do something weird? Under Charlotte''s strange gaze, Sebastian pondered for a moment, then smiled elegantly. "Rest assured, Sebastian will prepare well and ensure that you are not troubled while feeling at home." Charlotte: ... For some reason, seeing Sebastian''s confident appearance, she had a somewhat bad premonition. "As long as you know." "Alright, I''m going to rest now, you go back early too." Charlotte finished the blood in her goblet and dismissed him. "Honorable and beautiful Lady Charlotte, your humble servant Sebastian wishes you a wonderful night, and your loyal servant hereby takes his leave..." Sebastian placed his right hand over his chest, elegantly bowed, and then disappeared into the darkness dragging the four extraordinaries like dead dogs. Charlotte shook her head slightly and also turned back indoors. ... The next day was overcast. The sun hid behind heavy clouds, and the glaring sunlight disappeared. It was just the right weather for someone like Charlotte to go out, and the young girl could even spend more time outdoors. When Charlotte woke up from her sleep again, the maids, whom she had trained to be almost perfect, had been waiting outside her bedroom for a long time. "Mistress, please choose your attire for today." Standing by the window, they held various dresses, respectfully asking the still-yawning girl sitting in bed. Being the head of the household had its perks. No need to adhere to a fixed waking time or dress in noble gowns full of girly charm. She could sleep as long as she wanted and wear whatever she pleased. However, Charlotte still didn''t oversleep. She disciplined herself to get up at the usual time. She overslept on the first day after coming back because she was simply too tired. In the following days, although she still slept until she woke naturally, it was regulated, and she went to bed and woke up early. Even if she didn''t sleep early yesterday, Charlotte struggled to get up on time today. To the young girl, self-discipline was a reflection of whether a person could achieve something, because it represented a person''s ability to manage and control their desires. Indulging in desires would only lead to a plunge into the abyss of depravity, and over time, one would be ruined. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "Just this one." Charlotte casually selected a set of black Gothic dress suitable for going out from the wardrobe. It had to be said, Gothic dresses matched her quite well. The clothing mostly used vertical lines and folds, showing off the slender and elegant figure, and giving a lightness and fluttering impression. The dress also showing a combination of intricate folds and simple lines, bore Coria''s dark patterns and embroidery, retaining Yunette''s corset style, reflecting a noble and mysterious color. Clearly, Charlotte had become quite accustomed to wearing such dresses. Humans were truly adaptable and terrifying creatures... "At your command." Receiving the order, the maids quickly bustled around and got to work. Even though Charlotte had simplified the process of grooming and dressing, it still took half an hour after everything was done. "Mistress, everything is ready." The maids wheeled in a crystal full-length mirror. Looking into the mirror, the golden-haired, blue-eyed beautiful girl was extremely charming. Today, she was still noble and beautiful. Breakfast was arranged by Casimodo. A cup of sweet milk, a single-sided fried egg, a piece of chocolate and raisin-filled sweet bread. Charlotte habitually glanced at Casimodo, who quickly introduced. "The milk is from a membership contract signed with the royal ranch some time ago, at a discounted price, this cup costs around 3 gold Tana." "The fried egg was just made, it''s from the red-winged thunderbirds in the Northern Forest, costing around 5 gold Tana each, imbued with magic and rich in nutrients." "The sweet bread is special, slightly more expensive, the chocolate comes from Luna Island, the most traditional elven flavor, also imbued with magic, and the raisins are imported from Coria. The total price... is 8 gold Tana." Charlotte: ... Alright, a breakfast costs 16 gold Tana, which is equivalent to the monthly allowance of a novice priest... She had already become numb to the extravagance of the big nobles. This was still Casimodo''s attempt to reduce the dining expenses. Perhaps... I should find a reliable chef too. Always eating these special foods, most of which are teleportation-delivered by mages, it would be suspicious if the price is cheap! Charlotte thought to herself. Of course, although she complained in her heart, the young girl still enjoyed the meal, savoring it with relish. You get what you pay for. Especially the fried egg and sweet bread, after eating them, Charlotte felt warm all over as if charged with energy. Watching the young mistress start her meal, Casimodo also secretly breathed a sigh of relief, thinking thankfully that the mistress didn''t delve into the issue of the milk too deeply. After breakfast, the maids cleared the table. Casimodo respectfully handed the silk napkin to the young girl, then asked. "Mistress, do you have any plans for today?" "Today, I''m going to the outer city. Arrange for a carriage for me." Charlotte replied. "What? Mistress, you''re going to the outer city?" Casimodo widened his eyes. After hesitating for a while, he gritted his teeth and reminded. "Mistress, the outer city is too dangerous, really too dangerous!" "I heard that another Blood Demon Cult incident happened there yesterday, and the scene was exactly the same as the night at the mansion, filled with evil thorny roses symbol! Going there now... is really too dangerous!" Charlotte: ... Evil... symbols... Ridiculous! How is this news spreading so quickly?! Seeing the not-so-good expression on the girl''s face, Casimodo obviously misunderstood and immediately lowered his head. "Forgive me... mistress, Casimodo overstepped." "Since you''ve made your decision, I''m sure you''re prepared. Casimodo just wanted to remind you..." "No worries, I''m well aware. Go prepare the carriage." Charlotte didn''t mind. Casimodo hesitated for a moment and respectfully took his leave. In the hall, he called a male servant. "Go prepare the carriage. Mistress is going to the outer city today. Also, go to the Demon Hunter Bureau and invite Captain Chatham to come along." Casimodo didn''t know yet that a certain captain was destined to lie in bed for a few days. However, upon hearing the butler''s words, the male servant froze, wearing a puzzled expression. "Master Casimodo, the carriage... isn''t it already prepared at the gate of the estate?" "Prepared?" Casimodo also froze. And while they were talking, there was suddenly a commotion outside the door. s?a??h th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Casimodo looked over and saw several young girls in Castell maid uniforms walking elegantly to the door, laying out a long red carpet in front of the door. Casimodo: ...? Chapter 52: Rose Society is... our ally? "Master! Good morning~!" (in unison)Looking at the figures standing at the entrance of the hall, lined up on both sides, each dressed in their own maid outfit, adorable and charming in appearance, their postures respectful and obedient, their tone of voice professionally standard, Charlotte''s eyes twitched. On the side, the old butler Casimodo and more than ten male and female servants stood dumbfounded, their mouths wide open enough to fit a duck egg. Charlotte''s inquiring gaze swept past them, instantly met with Casimodo''s wry smile. "It''s... not arranged by me..." After saying that, he looked somewhat puzzled. "Isn''t it arranged by Master? They... they seem to be..." They are all extraordinary beings. In her heart, Charlotte spoke the words that the old butler didn''t say aloud. These beautiful elf maids did not deliberately conceal their aura. With her sensitive perception, Charlotte could feel the faint magical fluctuations emanating from them. The two leaders are probably even at the first-tier. No wonder Casimodo didn''t stop them from coming in. In the face of extraordinaries, he couldn''t stop them either. At the same time, the fact that these elf maids could swagger into the mansion also meant one thing. That is, since the blood magic incident at the mansion, the Duke''s covert protection of the Castell Manor has been completely withdrawn. Watching the respectful bows of the elf maids, and the red carpet that stretched all the way to the gate, covered with rose petals, Charlotte realized who the instigator was. "Don''t be nervous, they should be on our side." Sighing inwardly, she said. Should... be? Casimodo was stunned. The girl didn''t explain but walked towards the outside of the hall. Outside, the red carpet extended all the way to the gate of the mansion, with elf maids standing on both sides, probably seventy or eighty of them. And... all of them are extraordinaries! Although except for the two leaders, none of them have reached first-tier, and their aura is much weaker than Charlotte''s... But they are still extraordinaries, each one probably comparable to an experienced city guard. "Master, good morning!" At the sight of Charlotte, the elf maids outside also bowed and greeted her, their delicate voices sounding in unison, attracting the attention of countless passersby outside the mansion. Charlotte:... Wrong. It should be said that countless passersby had already been attracted. When the girl looked towards the gate of the mansion, her expression quickly stiffened. At the gate, at the end of the carpet, an incredibly luxurious elongated carriage was parked there. Unlike the low-key luxury carriage of the Castel Manor, this carriage was extremely high-profile, with exaggerated styling, predominantly black in color, and decorated with various exquisite and elaborate elf-style patterns. S?a?ch* Th? N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Even the horses pulling the carriage were not common carriage horses, they were actually four rare black-haired unicorns. On the side of the carriage, the large and shiny black eagle emblem of the Castell family was eye-catching, so new that it seemed to have been set overnight. And in front and behind the carriage, there were eight or nine slightly smaller carriages, each with a shiny new Castell family emblem, guarding the front and rear like escorts. On both sides of the road, there were also sturdy men wearing the Castell family''s male servant uniforms, looking fierce and imposing, with extremely sharp auras. Each one of them was tall and muscular. More and more onlookers gathered around. In fact, if it weren''t for the imposing aura of those strong men, this street would probably have been crowded. Charlotte:... She took a deep breath, calmed her turbulent emotions, and clenched and then loosened her fist. With a composed face, the girl walked up to the carriage. A figure appeared in front of her in an instant. A mysterious man wearing the Castell family''s steward black uniform, with a gentleman''s hat and a crow mask, elegantly and respectfully bowed to her. "Oh! What a beautiful day it is!" "Noble master, your humble servant, Stian, is at your service!" Charlotte:... "Sebastian?" "Noble master, you''ve mistaken me, I am your humble servant, Stian!" "Sebastian." "Stian!" "Sebastian." "St... Stian?" Listening to the girl''s emotionless repetition, the man''s voice sounded a bit guilty. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Charlotte glanced at his slightly exposed ears and red hair that hadn''t been completely concealed. "Has anyone ever told you?" "When you''re in disguise, you should also cover your pointed ears and red hair..." The man''s body stiffened instantly. He awkwardly smiled, elegantly snapped his fingers, and his red hair instantly turned black, and his pointed ears became the same as a human''s. Then, he once again respectfully bowed. "Noble master, thank you for your wise reminder, your humble servant, Stian, is at your service!" Charlotte:... She saw through him, this guy did it on purpose. He showed a flaw in front of the leader, pretended to be stupid, let the leader point it out personally, and then patted himself on the back, winning the leader''s favor... She was too familiar with this in her past life. So familiar that she felt sorry for herself. On the other side, Casimodo, who was following Charlotte, was already completely stunned. As the owner of the former Castell family shop in the outer city district, who frequently operated in the outer city district, he was more familiar with a certain legendary figure in the outer city district than anyone else. Although people from a distance might not see clearly, he also saw the pointed ears and red hair that flashed by under the girl''s reminder. Combined with the master''s address to the other party, and some news he heard at the banquet last night, he quickly recognized the identity of the mysterious person. Sebastian! He is Sebastian Flameheart! The president of the Rose Society, the true master of the underworld in the outer city district! Oh my god! He actually called himself a servant in front of the master?! Is it himself who''s gone crazy, or is this world gone crazy? Wait a minute... Could this guy be trying to curry favor with the young master in this way? It is said that at the banquet last night, he approached the master and even drove away the heirs of other families! Thinking of something, Casimodo''s expression changed slightly. No! He must not let the master be deceived by him! After thinking about it, Casimodo gritted his teeth and stepped forward, leaning close to the girl''s ear, and earnestly advised. "Master, the Castell family is a long-standing, prestigious noble family, while the Rose Society is... an underground gang." "Be careful when you''re with such a person... be careful of his intentions..." Looking at the old servant''s worried expression, Charlotte gave him a reassuring look. "Don''t worry, I have a sense of measure, he, like you, also serves the family." After hearing the girl''s words, Casimodo was stunned. The Rose Society? Serve the family? What on earth is going on? He couldn''t help but look at Sebastian wearing the mask, and Sebastian smiled gracefully, giving him a bow. "Sir Casimodo." "The master is right, I, like you, also serve the Castell family, just that you are in the sunlight, while I am in the shadow." "Remove the extra people, get on the carriage, don''t be so ostentatious." Charlotte didn''t dwell on this issue any longer but looked at Sebastian coldly. "Obey your orders!" Sebastian elegantly bowed and began to arrange things. After dismissing the maids and servants, he knelt gracefully in front of the carriage. "Noble master, the ground is too dirty, and the carriage is too high, please step on Stian''s back and shoulders to get on the carriage!" Charlotte:... She looked at Sebastian coldly, and gently uttered a word. "Get lost." Ignoring the excited fire elf who was almost going crazy, Charlotte gracefully jumped onto the carriage by herself. On the other side, Casimodo was completely dumbfounded. "The Rose Society... turns out to be the family''s hidden force?" Chapter 53: Effect of Extraordinary Blood Acting weird is just an acting.When Charlotte''s expression became a bit impatient, Sebastian immediately became serious. He stood up gracefully, brushed off the dust elegantly, bowed to the still dumbfounded Casimodo, and smiled slightly, saying. "Lord Casimodo, we are setting off now, and the glorious task of guarding the manor is entrusted to you." With that, Sebastian laughed heartily, gracefully jumped, and also boarded the elongated carriage. The door closed, and the stout butler driving the carriage exclaimed "Ya" and the carriage slowly started moving. It wasn''t until the carriage was far away that Casimodo reacted, his expression changing slightly. He quickly commanded the servants beside him. "Quick! Prepare the carriage! We must catch up!" And only at this moment, lazy meowing came from upstairs. The black cat Nice, twisting its fluffy body cutely, lazily descended the stairs, yawning. "Meow... The Duke''s dried fish is really good! The maids'' long legs are also very beautiful!" "The wine is also great, this night, this cat slept so comfortably!" "Beautiful Miss Charlotte, how was your rest last night?" After speaking, it looked around, trying to find a familiar petite figure. But it only saw the busy servants and Casimodo, who was hurriedly preparing to board the hastily prepared carriage. The familiar figure was not inside the carriage. "Meow? Where''s Miss Charlotte?" Nice tilted its head. "Lord Nice! The master was taken away by Sebastian from the Rose Society! I must hurry to catch up!" Casimodo quickly said. With that, he exclaimed "Ya" and drove away, raising a cloud of dust. "Meow cough cough..." Nice was choked by a noseful of dust, coughing several times. Its brain, just awakened, finally reacted, and its cat eyes widened instantly. "Meow?" "Meow meow meow?!" "What? Sebastian took away the great Miss Charlotte?!" "Damn it! This shameless guy! He actually stole from me when I wasn''t paying attention! How insidious!" After speaking, it lifted its short legs and hurriedly chased after the carriage, even remembering to cast a quickenng spell on itself while running, panting, and shouting. "Casimodo! Wait for me! I''m going too! Meow¡ª!" ... Meanwhile, inside the Rose Society''s exclusive customized elongated luxury carriage. Charlotte sat on the soft silk velvet cushion, facing Sebastian, who had removed his mask and had a respectful expression. This carriage was much larger than the Castell family''s carriage, equally luxurious inside, with decorations in elven style visible everywhere. There was also soft and soothing music flowing slowly, a magical echo formation humming ethereal elven songs installed in the corner. On the side shelf of the carriage, there were exquisite and elegant varieties of red wine, milk, blood vials, and goblets. One can imagine how much the owner of this carriage must enjoy in daily life. "Great master, would you like some milk or fresh blood?" Sebastian elegantly picked up the most delicate bottle of milk and a small bottle emitting a faint magical wave, smiling in a courteous and respectful manner. "The milk is from the celestial cows in the Moon Forest of Luna Island, with a mellow taste and rich nutrition, beneficial for the growth of your sacred body." "The blood is from the second-tier magical creature, the bipedal wyvern, containing a hint of dragon power, with special magic formation preserving the most prime vitality." With that, Sebastian slightly lifted the red bottle, respectfully saying. "Sebastian recommends you to taste the blood of the bipedal wyvern." "Last night, I found out that you were drinking the most ordinary animal blood, and it was only preserved crudely with ice cubes, so I prepared this specially." "Considering that your body is still that of a newly transformed Bloodborne, merely drinking ordinary blood might not fully satisfy your body''s craving for blood and could only delay the onset of the blood curse..." "Although I know that for someone like you, you don''t care about the blood curse in your body, and drinking blood has already become a pleasure for you..." "But considering that your strength has just recovered, drinking the blood of extraordinary creatures or intelligent beings might be more helpful for your strength recovery." Blood curse? Charlotte''s heart moved slightly. This was a new term she had heard about Bloodborne. She wondered if it was synonymous with blood addiction. She hadn''t felt any side effects from drinking horse blood these days, at least each time it only satisfied her blood craving. However, looking at the red bottle Sebastian picked up, looking at the viscous, crystal-clear red liquid inside, she couldn''t help but feel a strong desire in her body. However, Charlotte quickly suppressed this desire. Instead of directly answering Sebastian''s question, she leaned back against the window, calmly looking at him. Those beautiful, deep blue eyes carried a calm and mature demeanor as well as a kind of lofty aura that didn''t match her youthful appearance. Being stared at by such eyes, Sebastian inexplicably felt a little guilty, awkwardly shifting his gaze. "You''re competent in your work, but don''t play such tricks in the future." The girl said calmly. With that, she glanced meaningfully at Sebastian. "I dislike being tested." Although her tone remained calm, there was a hint of displeasure in her words. Cold sweat instantly dripped down from Sebastian''s forehead. He slightly paled, swallowed hard, and then respectfully and nervously bowed his head. "Sebastian... understands, it was Sebastian''s rashness." Indeed, it was a test... Seeing the other''s performance, Charlotte couldn''t help but sigh inwardly. She felt that Sebastian''s state today wasn''t quite right. Although he was trying to present himself, many aspects were too exaggerated, so much so that sometimes it seemed like he was trying to provoke her. This gave her a somewhat familiar feeling. It was like her past self, constantly testing the limits of her crush, trying to grasp the true personality and boundaries of her crush in order to get closer to her as much as possible without causing displeasure. This was a necessary way for a "bootlicker" to actively understand the other person. Because of inner humility and reluctance to ask directly, it was necessary to actively understand and admire the other party in this awkward way. This way of obtaining information was not the best, and sometimes it might backfire. But if handled properly, it could be the most effective. It was obvious that Sebastian handled it quite well. Charlotte instantly understood. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now This was because Sebastian still had no idea about her various thoughts, so he repeatedly jumped around on the dangerous edge in this way. At the same time, he was probably trying to further understand her character. And a person, only when truly wanting to submit to the other, would choose to do so. Thinking about it, she said. "I don''t like overly exaggerated people." "Doing things down-to-earth will catch my eye." Sebastian''s heart stirred, respectfully lowering his head, like an obedient golden retriever. "Sebastian... understands." After reprimanding the other person around a bit, Charlotte leaned back, relying on the window, lazily extending her hand. "Bring it over, let me see how the dragon''s blood you prepared tastes." Sebastian''s eyes instantly lit up, and it seemed like there was a tail wagging behind him, as if he were an acknowledged big dog. He suddenly smiled, his eyebrows raised, and eagerly said. "Please taste it!" Charlotte took it, and gracefully took a sip, feeling a sweet and warm power flowing down her throat and quickly spreading throughout her body. In that instant, she was surprised to find that the Bloodborne power, which hadn''t improved much since awakening, had subtly increased a bit! So... drinking the blood of extraordinary creatures could help Bloodbornes enhance their power! S?a?ch* Th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte was shaken. Wait, just now Sebastian also mentioned blood from intelligent beings. Could drinking the blood of intelligent beings also have some special effects on Bloodbornes? So, the reason why vampires in the church records liked human blood so much, especially the blood of extraordinary individuals, was because of this? Charlotte pondered. She had always been thinking about how to strengthen herself after the mastery of majesty magic, but now... it seemed like she had seen another path! "However, it''s not right. The church''s records state that Bloodborne ranks are strict, and even specifically mention that, without the support of "elders," it is generally difficult for Bloodbornes to advance in ranks." "If just drinking the blood of extraordinary beings can continuously increase strength, then Bloodbornes would be too abnormal, and they definitely wouldn''t have recorded it like that." "In that case, this method of enhancing strength through blood drinking should have limitations, probably unable to truly advance, but only allowing vampires to infinitely approach the peak of the same rank..." "But for me, this is what I need most, it can allow me to infinitely enhance my strength to nearly the first tier Starry Sky before advancing!" With that in mind, Charlotte''s gaze toward the wyvern blood in her hand changed. She took a deep breath and drank the blood in the goblet in one gulp. After drinking a cup of wyvern blood, Charlotte felt instantly full. It wasn''t the ordinary sense of fullness, but more like the feeling of overflowing energy after being charged. This energy might be the remaining life force in the blood. She could feel a slight increase in her strength, just a slight. After this slight increase, it gradually stopped, as if it had reached the limit of this digestion. And the overflowing energy within her body had nowhere to go, beginning to dissipate slowly through the girl''s breathing. "It may not be possible to enhance strength quickly by drinking large amounts of blood. Instead, it is likely necessary to slowly savor to fully absorb it!" Charlotte made a new judgment. "How is it? Does it suit your taste?" Sebastian looked at the girl expectantly. Charlotte slowly put down the goblet, suppressing the excitement in her heart, and said calmly. "Not bad." Sebastian''s eyes instantly lit up. "Please taste the milk next!" He handed over a cup of milk next, as eager as a wagging big dog. Although she was already full, seeing his enthusiastic and expectant appearance, like a big dog wagging its tail non-stop, Charlotte couldn''t bear to refuse. She took it and took a sip. And with this sip, Charlotte''s eyes lit up once again. Silky, mellow. With a warm energy. It even faintly tasted better than the milk prepared at home! Obviously, even though the Rose Society''s financial resources couldn''t match Castell''s, their connection in the extraordinary realm far surpassed Casimodo who is a mere mortal. These things couldn''t even be obtained with all the gold tana! "How about it? Great master?" Sebastian looked at the girl with anticipation. Charlotte fell silent. Her gaze fell on him, pondering for a long time, she finally made a decision. Suddenly, the girl smiled, her beautiful and innocent face blooming like a flower, with a brilliant smile full of innocent purity, like a little girl who had found a beloved toy. "Sebastian, you... not bad, stay by my side as a steward in the future." Seeing the enchanting smile, Sebastian was momentarily stunned, then quickly bowed respectfully. But soon, he realized what the girl had said, and his gaze almost lit up instantly, excitedly saying. "Great master! Your humble servant Sebastian will not disappoint you!" "Of course, it''s just a probationary period. If I''m not satisfied, you''ll have to pack up and go back to being the boss of your gang." Charlotte changed the subject. She leaned against the window, lazily extending a verdant finger to spin the goblet, smiling. "No problem! Great master! Rest assured! The entire Rose Society is also your power! From today onwards, the Rose Society will be surnamed Castell!" Sebastian exclaimed excitedly. Charlotte:... "Hide your identity well, at least for now. Don''t give me any trouble." She changed her tone instantly, coldly. "Alright! Great master! From now on, by your side, I''m Stian! From top to bottom of the Rose Society, I will not cause you any trouble!" Sebastian hastily assured. Having obtained Charlotte''s approval, he was quite excited. If it weren''t for the low carriage compartment, the girl even suspected that he might jump up excitedly. Charlotte shook her head and returned to the main topic. "Okay, calm down. How did the investigation I asked you to do yesterday go?" Upon hearing the girl''s words, Sebastian''s expression also instantly became serious. Chapter 54: Hierarchy and Blood Demon Cult "Great master, I have interrogated them thoroughly. Those two Bloodbornes were indeed targeting you.""Their goal was to assassinate you and then blame everything on the Duke." Sebastian said solemnly. "Assassinate me? Blame the Duke?" Charlotte''s hand holding the goblet paused slightly. "Yes." Sebastian nodded respectfully. "Who gave them the order?" Charlotte''s expression grew more serious as she continued to inquire. Sebastian looked somewhat embarrassed. Charlotte understood instantly. "Dead?" Sebastian sighed. "Yes, they are already dead." "Just as I intended to continue questioning them about the mastermind behind them, they died, consumed by the ignition of their blood, leaving no trace of their souls..." "They were not just Bloodbornes, but blood servants, slaves of higher-ranking Bloodbornes, bound by contracts that lead to instant death upon betrayal! They are the forbidden blood servants of the Dark Clan!" Forbidden blood servants... Charlotte pondered. After obtaining the Gospel of Blood, she gained some understanding of the titles and ranks of Bloodbornes. The hierarchy of Bloodbornes was complex, divided into seven tiers: Blood Attendant, Blood Baron, Blood Viscount, Blood Count, Blood Marquis or Duke, Blood Archduke or Prince, and True Ancestor. Corresponding to that hierarchy were the ranks of Non-awakened, First-Tier Starry Sky, Second-Tier Silver Moon, Third-Tier Blazing Sun, Fourth-Tier Legendary, Demi-God, and lastly True God. Among them, the titles of Marquis and Duke, as well as Archduke or Prince, depended entirely on the Bloodborne''s identity and status within the race group, with no distinction in strength. Outside the seven tiers, there was another special tier called blood servants. Blood servants typically referred to those who had been initially embraced by Bloodbornes but had not been fully endowed with Bloodborne powers. They were generally unawakened individuals with only partial Bloodborne powers and were not recognized by Bloodbornes as their kin. The most significant difference between them and the lowest-ranking Blood Attendants was that they could not embrace others. Each blood servant had the most stringent blood contract with their "masters," comparable in severity to the Final Oath of the God of Contract. The master could terminate the blood servant''s life at any moment within a certain distance. They were the most basic servants of Bloodbornes. But there was also an exception. Some Bloodbornes would apply the contracts originally intended for blood servants to other Bloodbornes, turning other lower-ranking Bloodbornes into their slaves. Or, they would simply elevate the power of blood servants to the level of Bloodbornes. Thus, blood servants with Bloodborne powers emerged. They were called forbidden blood servants. Charlotte learned from the Church''s records that such practices were also prohibited among Bloodbornes. Because to most Bloodbornes, this behavior, which led to hierarchical confusion, was a great insult to their noble identity and posed a significant risk to the stability of Bloodborne society. Most Bloodborne clans vehemently opposed it and strictly prohibited it. Except for one clan. The Dark Clan ¡ª Shedite. And the one who ruled the Dark Clan was Charlotte''s "old acquaintance," the Bloodborne Archduke Abaddon. Obviously, the Blood Demon Cult had set its sights on Charlotte, intending her demise. Charlotte was not particularly surprised by this, considering that the old witch had already wanted her dead once, and the old hag was a member of the Blood Demon Cult. However, since the old witch''s actions were for blood sacrifices, and she had possessed cursed pages for a long time, her mind might not have been clear, or her actions might have been completely contrary to the goal of Blood Demon Cult. But now that the Blood Demon Cult had taken action again, it meant that they also did not want Charlotte to live. So the question was, what benefit would they gain if she died? And why would they frame the Duke? After some thought, Charlotte asked. "I heard that Rose Society has had dealings with the Blood Demon Cult. How much do you know about the Blood Demon Cult?" Sebastian thought for a moment before respectfully replying. "The Blood Demon Cult is an underground secret society that worships the Bloodborne Archduke, active mainly in the region adjacent to Western Yunette, especially in the Crescent Kingdom." "Their core members are almost all Bloodbornes, but they also recruit some humans as peripheral members. They are also the Bloodborne cult that has historically overturned the Crescent Kingdom." "Bloodbornes are called Bloodkin in the Crescent Kingdom because of them." "Oh, by the way, great master, these lunatics also like to collect cursed pages. I think you might be interested in them." Fragments of the Gospel... Charlotte''s interest was piqued. She had indeed become interested. Seeing the girl becoming more serious, Sebastian continued. "The Blood Demon Cult''s active purpose, legend said, is to find a way to bring the Bloodborne Archduke descended into the world." "The Flame Demon Disaster ten years ago was a disaster planned by the Blood Demon Cult." "It is said that they seduced Count Brois at the time, aiming to summon the Flame Demon Valaroka, as incarnation vessel of the Bloodborne Archduke, and thus allow the HIM to descend as a divine being!" "Of course, they failed in the end. Even the half-descended Flame Demon Valaroka was sealed." "But in the past six months, the disappearance of people and the sharp increase in murder cases in Borde, especially in the outer city area, are always signified by Bloodbornes, and traces of shadow magic and necromancy are commonly found..." "So, we have always suspected that the Blood Demon Cult is stirring up trouble again." "That''s why we have been making deals with people who may be members of the Blood Demon Cult." "Of course, more accurately, we are making deals with Bloodbornes of the Dark Clan because we are not sure which Bloodborne is a member of the Blood Demon Cult." "As you know, even if they are from the same clan, it doesn''t mean they will definitely be loyal to their Prince or Archduke, let alone join the corresponding cult." "In fact, what we have done with the Bloodbornes of the Dark Clan is only some ordinary intelligence business or legitimate goods trading. Our real purpose is to penetrate into the Blood Demon Cult and figure out their motives." "After all... in a sense, they are also enemies of the Rose Society." Charlotte was somewhat surprised. "Enemies of the Rose Society?" "Yes." Sebastian nodded. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now S?a?ch* Th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "The Rose Society is the underground ruler of Borde, and maintaining the underground order of Borde is one of the Rose Society''s responsibilities." "We don''t intervene in vendettas or duels among the extraordinary, and we don''t intervene in conflicts among the extraordinary. But if someone stretches their hands from the darkness to the surface, using extraordinary powers to harm innocent civilians, then we will intervene." "Obviously, the Blood Demon Cult has crossed the line. Ten years ago, when the Rose Society had not yet been established, their activities were unrelated to me. But now it''s different." Hearing this, Charlotte was somewhat astonished. "I didn''t expect your Rose Society to have such a side. Aren''t you a gang?" Sebastian chuckled. "Of course, we are a gang, but gangs have their rules. We take money, so naturally, we provide protection." "Even if it''s only beggars who come to us every month with three copper tana, as long as they pay, we will provide protection within our Rose Society''s territory." "Of course, our protection is aimed against extraordinary powers. We won''t interfere if other beggars bully them, but if someone with extraordinary powers acts, then we will step in." "The Flame Demon Valaroka has been sealed, and the Blood Demon Cult shouldn''t be planning a summoning like ten years ago. They must have another purpose." "To investigate the Blood Demon Cult''s purpose and maintain order in the outer city area, we have also conducted relevant investigations. But in the end, all the clues were cut midway... just like this time." "The Blood Demon Cult is obviously much more cautious than before, making it difficult to find their tracks." "And besides, we are often interfered with by nobles or the church during the investigation, each time seemingly coincidental, but too many coincidences are no longer coincidences." "So... I have always suspected that the Blood Demon Cult also has a lot of connections with nobles or the church." Hearing Sebastian''s words, Charlotte''s heart skipped a beat. "Are you suggesting that there are members of the Blood Demon Cult in the nobility and the church?" "Not necessarily, it may also be a cooperative relationship, and it is a very thorough cooperation." Sebastian thought for a moment and said. Hearing Sebastian''s words, Charlotte''s expression became serious. "Do you have any evidence?" Sebastian thought for a moment and shook his head. "No, just intuition." "In other words, you suspect that the Blood Demon Cult''s attack on me is related to the nobility or the church?" "You are openly leaning towards the church, and they have sent out protectors, so it is more likely to be the nobility." "The nobility..." Charlotte pondered. She thought for a moment and suddenly asked. "If I die now, who do you think would benefit the most?" "A lot." Sebastian said. "First of all, the church will definitely suffer because the promise between you and the church can only be fulfilled when you inherit the territory." "Before you formally inherit the territory, if something happens, the Duke and the noble of the Duchy can completely deny your proposal to the church by claiming that you have not formally inherited the territory." "Of course, this also means a deteriorating relationship with the church. So... the mastermind obviously does not fear a deteriorating relationship with the church, or more accurately, does not fear a deteriorating relationship with the High Priest." "The Duke will also suffer, especially since this framing is very clever, because the Duke really had the motive to assassinate you... after all, even if you lean towards the church, you have not formally inherited the territory." "Of course, this is definitely not done by the Duke. Not to mention that the target of the framing is the Duke, the High Priest also has the right to revoke Leno''s sacred blessing at any time, because it is not truly legal, but it is on the blind spot of the ''Sacred Code''..." "All in all, the biggest beneficiaries are the nobles of the duchy, and just like the duke, they also have a motive to assassinate you." "Once you are in trouble because of this, although the duke''s mansion is the first inheritor of the Castell, it will definitely be interfered with by the church, and in the end, the ones who benefit are still the nobles of the duchy, especially the big nobles." "In addition to your current identity, there are six vassal viscounts of the Borde Duchy, and each of these six big nobles has suspicions." Listening to Sebastian''s words, Charlotte''s heart skipped a beat. "I lean towards the church, but they dare to take action openly?" Sebastian shook his head. "Perhaps not necessarily in the past, but the timing now is very delicate." "Master, do you know that your resurrection was observed by the church''s Divine''s Bell, but the news was suppressed?" Charlotte nodded. "I have heard something about it." She had heard this from Nice. "Then do you know why the church suppressed the news?" Sebastian asked again. Charlotte subconsciously replied. "Of course, because the High Priest is preparing for promotion, and he doesn''t want any extra trouble at this critical moment..." As she said this, she suddenly paused. A light flashed in her mind, vaguely understanding why the Blood Demon Cult left the Thorn Rose symbol at the crime scene... "So... they are forging the scene to threaten the High Priest with the news of Evil God''s resurrection?" Charlotte narrowed her eyes slightly. "Yes, once the High Priest''s suppression of the Evil God''s resurrection news is broken out, even if he has made great contributions, his dream of promotion will not come true, because this is a matter of principle." Sebastian said. Charlotte immediately understood. She had given the high priest a big gift. But some nobles, who had a connection with the Blood Demon Cult, or were simply members of the Blood Demon Cult, also held the High Priest''s secret of suppressing the news of Evil God''s resurrection. After discovering that Charlotte had leaned toward the church, the other party acted decisively, setting up a case with a Thorn Rose symbol at the scene, intending to warn the High Priest. "Who knows about the Thorn Rose symbol?" Charlotte narrowed her eyes. "You have to ask your pet cat about this. Not many people know about the resurrection of the evil god. Even fewer people know about the symbol. Even the source of information for Rose Society is from the cat that sold it to the black market half a month ago." Sebastian smirked triumphantly. Charlotte: ... Meanwhile, next to Cassimodo, the black cat, Nice, who was catching his breath, suddenly shivered coldly. Chapter 55: High Priests Wrath At the junction of the abandoned and western districts of the city, stood a magnificent residence.A rushing carriage arrived from afar and entered the residence, finally stopping in front of the villa. The side door of the carriage opened, and a figure hidden in a cloak stepped out. He declined the service of the servant and strode into the hall. As soon as he entered the hall, he began to roar, his aged voice full of anger. "Jordan! You little rascal! Come out here!" The angry roar echoed through the hall, frightening the maids inside. Moments later, accompanied by hurried footsteps, a slender and handsome figure descended the stairs. If Charlotte were here, she would have recognized him as none other than Jordan de Gaston, the young nobleman who had embarrassed himself in front of her at the Duke''s banquet. Seeing the cloaked figure, Jordan''s expression changed slightly, becoming nervous. Waving his hand, he instructed the maids to withdraw, then put on a respectful and pleasing face. "Sir... Sir High Priest, why have you come?" The visitor snorted and removed his cloak. He was none other than the High Priest of the Borde Duchy, Leonard de Caen! The High Priest looked coldly at the young nobleman, his aged voice suppressing his anger. "Why have I come? You should know." "Tell me, did you, you little rascal, disclose the Thorn Rose matter to that fellow?" Upon hearing the High Priest''s words, Jordan''s eyes evaded, his face filled with fear. "Sir... Sir High Priest, you... please let me explain..." "I... I had no choice..." "Nonsense! I have sheltered you so many times, is this how you repay me? Aren''t you afraid I''ll expose those things you were involved in to your father?" The High Priest exclaimed angrily. Jordan turned pale and almost collapsed to the ground. Just then, with a distant sigh, a gentle and calm voice came from the stairs. "Lord Leonard, please calm down." "Getting too angry is not good for your health, especially for someone of your age." With steady footsteps, a man dressed in mage robes slowly descended. Seeing the man, the High Priest''s gaze narrowed slightly. He squinted his eyes, his expression turning cold. "It''s you? You''re here too?" "Hmph! Perfect! About yesterday''s blood magic incident, don''t you owe me an explanation?" The man smiled faintly. He gestured for Jordan to step aside, then said calmly. "Explanation? I wonder what kind of explanation Lord Leonard wanted. Do you want to ask about those missing girls, or about the Thorn Rose I left at the scene?" The High Priest''s expression immediately darkened. "I must remind you, you''ve crossed the line. Don''t forget our agreement!" "Agreement? Hm? Wasn''t it Lord Leonard who broke the agreement first?" The man said indifferently. "What do you mean?" The High Priest''s expression turned grim. "What do I mean? It''s exactly what I said. Without my consent, you made a deal with the Castell family''s young lady behind my back. Where does that leave me?" The man said leisurely. His voice also turned cold. "Don''t forget, we agreed from the beginning. The Castell family''s young lady can belong to you, but the Castell domain must belong to me!" The High Priest narrowed his eyes and said. "That was just a temporary agreement. An empty promise. I didn''t sign any contract with her." "After I successfully ascend to the position of Archbishop in six months, you can do whatever you want with her, and I can even cooperate from the side!" "Oh? Is that so? I''m afraid that by then, you''ll happily take her away from this place of turmoil and forget about me, won''t you? Besides, the Holy Court is not solely under your authority." The man chuckled lightly. The High Priest fell silent. He narrowed his eyes slightly. "What exactly do you mean?" "Nothing special, I just wanted to remind you not to forget our agreement." "I know you''re eager to make achievements and increase your own bargaining chips, which is normal, but please don''t interfere with my plans." The man said coldly. Upon hearing the man''s words, a flash of anger appeared in the High Priest''s eyes, but it quickly turned into fear. He took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and said. "What do you want?" "I want the Church to stop protecting Charlotte de Castell and to stop the theocracy from making demands over the Castell domain." "That''s impossible!" The High Priest objected decisively. "Then don''t blame me for hindering you." The man said leisurely. "You! Asking for death!" The High Priest immediately became furious. He grabbed the man, and the terrifying pressure of the Third-Tier Blazing Sun was unleashed. The man''s face turned slightly pale, but he managed to smile albeit with difficulty. "You better calm down." "If you kill me, the matter of you hiding the resurrection of the evil god, and those things you did before... will spread throughout the streets of Borde tomorrow." The High Priest''s expression changed slightly. His hands trembled, his eyes turned red, and his gaze at the man was full of anger, but he eventually relented and let go. "That''s better, Lord High Priest." The man said leisurely. The High Priest closed his eyes slowly, grinding his teeth. "I regret it now, I shouldn''t have listened to your nonsense! I was deceived by you!" "Hey, there are always regrets in life, but drowning in regret is not acceptable. We must move forward." The man said with a smile. After speaking, he hinted meaningfully. "Don''t be too angry. Perhaps... helping me get hold of the Castell domain as soon as possible would also be beneficial to you." The High Priest''s interest was piqued. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "What do you mean?" The man paused for a moment, then said leisurely. "I heard that the great Duke of Borde''s old injury has recurred, and he may not have many days left." "If you were hoping he could lend you a hand, I''m afraid your hopes will be extinguished." "His body has been overtaxed by years of war and can no longer tolerate divine treatment." Upon hearing the man''s words, the High Priest''s expression changed slightly. "Is that so?" "Heh, otherwise, why do you think he''s so eager to appoint his illegitimate son Leno as his heir?" The man chuckled lightly. The High Priest fell silent. His expression kept changing. Looking at the High Priest lost in thought, the man chuckled. "It seems you''ve thought about it." "Borde is about to descend into chaos. At this time... whoever can get hold of the Castell domain first might be able to assist you." "Hehe, the Castell family is wealthy enough to support a small country. It''s not that we lack means, but we lack enough funds." The man said coldly. The High Priest looked at him coldly. "Your purpose is not just the Castell, is it?" The man chuckled twice but didn''t answer. The High Priest looked at him silently for a few seconds, then said coldly. "The Church''s words that have been spoken will not be retracted. The Church will still protect the Castell on the surface." "Of course, for your actions, I will turn a blind eye." The High Priest continued. "That''s enough. Rest assured, I''m a man of my word. I won''t kill her. Instead, I''ll train her well and send her to you. Of course... for outsiders, she is already dead." The man said with a smirk. The High Priest snorted coldly, his expression easing slightly. He paused and said. "No need for training, I want her as she is." "Besides... don''t be overconfident. Even without the Church''s protection, Castell still has hidden power. Last night, two of the Church''s Demon Hunter Knights sent to protect her were mistaken for stalkers and taken down. Not even a trace of the attackers was found." "You don''t need to worry about that. I have my own plans." The man said with a smile. "And about the resurrection of the evil god..." "You don''t need to worry about that either. As everyone knows, the diligent High Priest has never hidden news of the evil god''s resurrection. It''s all rumors." "Hmph! Remember what you said!" the Grand High Priest said fiercely, glaring at him and then leaving without a farewell. S?a??h the N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "You don''t need to remind me!" The man called out loudly. Only after the High Priest''s carriage left did he laugh lightly and turn back upstairs. Entering the study, he sat down at the desk, and a dark shadow slowly emerged behind him, eventually taking human form, becoming a stooped figure draped in a black hood. Seeing the stooped figure beside him, the man smiled faintly. "You''re back? How did your investigation go?" "Hehehe, it''s the Rose Society. The ones secretly protecting her should be the Rose Society. My blood servant died inside Rose Society''s territory, and this morning, a suspected Rose Society subhuman maid appeared in the Castell Manor." The stooped figure said hoarsely. "Rose Society? They''re a bunch of stubborn ghosts! They''ve been messing around for so many years, and I never even bother them for once, and yet they come sticking to me like annoying flies." The man frowned. "So... how do you want to deal with these annoying flies?" The stooped figure asked with interest. The man snorted lightly and pulled out a stack of parchment from under the desk. "I was planning to deal with them later, but it seems... I''ll have to do it early. The president of Rose Society is quite a troublemaker. I must eliminate him early." "Being able to get support from Rose Society, it seems the Castell''s background is quite enormous..." The stooped figure said noncommittally, engrossed in reading the parchment. "Hey, protecting wanted heretics? Smuggling contraband? Involvement in bloodborne cases? Ties to the Adam Cult? And... cooperating with the evil god? Tsk tsk, where did you find all these good things? Some of them must be forged, right?" "You don''t need to worry about that. Just give these to the Inquisition, and those guys will be damned." The man said coldly. "Rose Society... from top to bottom, I want them... all dead!" The man said coldly. "Hey, the problem is, who are you going to send? The Inquisition always takes sources of information seriously. Don''t tell me you plan to report anonymously, that won''t work. The Inquisition is surrounded by watchful gaze! Even birds can trace the source back to you!" The stooped figure said. "I have my scapegoat candidate." The man said indifferently. After speaking, he lightly pressed the bell on the table. After a moment, the door of the study was gently knocked. "Come in." The man said majestically. With a creak, the door was pushed open, and a gentle and beautiful priestess walked in. She bowed respectfully to the man. "My lord." "Get up, the High Priest has left, you don''t need to hide anymore." The man nodded slightly. Speaking, he supported his chin with both hands, looked at the beautiful priestess, and smiled faintly. "How many years have you been with me?" The priestess respectfully replied. "It''s been seven years." "Seven years..." The man sighed lightly. "In seven years, you have become a first-tier priest. The Church trusts you, the Demon Hunter trusts you, and even the usually strict Inquisition... has many judgment knights who have received your treatment and owe you favors." He said with a slight smile. "Lottie, now I have two things for you to do." Chapter 56: Castell Family Old Acquaintances Charlotte didn''t expect that Nice, this handful cat, would actually engage in information sale.If you calculate the time, it should have been when she was still hospitalized at the church hospital half a month ago. This guy is really bold. As a cat of the church, he actually dares to profit from the church, not afraid of provoking the wrath of the High Priest. She decided to wait until she returned home to interrogate the other party properly and give it a good beating, so she wouldn''t be sold one day. The carriage continued to move and entered the outer city area. This was Charlotte''s first time coming to the outer city area during the day, feeling as if she had entered another era. Dirty streets, and rows of cheap houses, although better than the dilapidated and desolate old city area, most pedestrians were dressed plainly and looked impoverished, giving the feeling that time had suddenly regressed by one or two hundred years. Clearly, it was separated by only one wall from the inner city, yet it felt like another world. It felt like, riding a bus in previous life through an underpass spanning the city, suddenly moving from a brand new, beautiful, skyscraper-filled new city district to an old city district full of make-shift and rundown buildings. If it weren''t for the occasional luxurious carriage passing by on the street, Charlotte would almost believe she had transmigrated again. "Master, do you want to visit your store? I heard that the servants would come back happily after hearing the news of you leaning towards the church. They should be working hard now." Sebastian said with a smile. Charlotte: ... She didn''t believe those who ran away would come back on their own, let alone that the news of her leaning towards the church wouldn''t spread so quickly in the outer city area. She leaned more towards believing that those servants had been lured back by some influential and favored figure... "No need, leave it to Casimodo. Let''s go directly to the best servant market." Charlotte glanced at the sky, which seemed to be clearing up, and spoke. "All right." Sebastian nodded respectfully. The carriage continued to drive, and after about twenty minutes, it stopped in front of a secluded, old two-story building. Charlotte glanced at the small building, where she saw a few crooked words nailed to it with wooden boards: "Frank Employment Agency". "Employment agency?" A strange feeling rose in the girl''s heart. "Yes, if you want to hire servants, you should come here. Although Frank Employment Agency is not a major agency, it''s one of our Rose Society''s subordinates." "It''s very secretive here, ordinary people can''t find it at all, even your servant Casimodo can''t." "Here, you can hire any servant you want in Borde, even extraordinary ones are not impossible!" Sebastian said proudly. After saying that, he paused, smiled, and said. "Of course, I think you can directly select servants from Rose Society. They''re definitely more professional, more powerful, and more loyal!" "No need, here is enough." Charlotte shook her head. The servants of Rose Society had been well trained by Sebastian, which was not conducive for her own majesty training. She wanted to personally assemble a team of servants loyal to her alone. It''s quite tragic, really. Despite being the head of a prestigious noble family and the heir to the domain, destined to return to the estate and manage the land, Charlotte''s options for manpower are remarkably limited. But now, Charlotte had very few people she could use. All in all, there was only Casimodo, plus Sebastian now. Even the scoundrel Nice, who had signed a life-and-death contract, could only be considered half a subordinate at most. After all, that fellow was too unreliable. As for Sebastian... Although he was respectful, he likely had his own purposes and thoughts behind his loyalty to her. While it seemed like they were connected, in reality, they had not yet formed a true bond. As for the members of Rose Society, they were loyal to Sebastian, not to her. For those who had already pledged their loyalty, they were no longer blank slates. The effectiveness of the majesty magic brainwashing would be limited, especially since Sebastian held such high prestige within Rose Society. Charlotte didn''t need people from Rose Society, she needed to find some true blank slates instead. She needed gems that she could freely mold and shape according to her own image! Especially personal maids. She really wanted and needed to cultivate several maids who could serve her closely, those who could be loyal without having to conceal her Bloodborne identity in front of the other parties. Ideally, they would not only be young and beautiful, but also professional, reliable, and possessing extraordinary powers... Of course, for now, Charlotte just wanted to recruit moderately. Commoner extraordinary were either already recruited by nobles or had grown up and become accustomed to freedom. As for finding some initial embraces... For now, Charlotte wouldn''t consider it, as it would increase her chances of getting exposed. "Well, everything will be as you need." Sebastian said, seeing the girl''s refusal. He didn''t continue to insist. He signaled for the carriage to stop, donned his mask, opened the door, instructed the demi-human maid to lay out the carpet, and then gracefully extended his hand towards the carriage. "My lady, please be careful." Charlotte glanced at the demi-human maid laying the red carpet at the entrance of the small building and twitched her lips. But before she could descend, a limping middle-aged man hurriedly rushed out of the small building, looking surprisedly at Sebastian, who was disguised with a mask. "Lord Sebastian, why are you here?" Sebastian: ... "This gentleman, you''ve mistaken me. I am the steward of this master, Stian." Sebastian said elegantly. "Haha, don''t joke with me! Even with a mask, I can still recognize your elegant demeanor, not to mention you''ve laid out the red carpet!" The man laughed heartily, pointing at the carpet on the ground. Sebastian: ... Charlotte glanced oddly at the flame elf, while Sebastian coughed awkwardly and said. "It''s alright. He''s a member of our Rose Society, so it doesn''t matter if I''m exposed." With that, he turned to the middle-aged man and said. "Frank, this is Miss Charlotte. From now on, I am her steward. Seeing her is like seeing me... No, you should be even more respectful than seeing me!" We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "You? A steward?" The middle-aged man was stunned. But when he saw Charlotte''s appearance and then, later, recognized her, he suddenly fell into a trance, freezing in place and murmuring. "So similar! Incredibly similar!" "Wait, the Black Eagle family crest?" Seeing the emblem on the carriage, the middle-aged man''s eyes widened. His body began to tremble, and he suddenly became excited. "You... You, you''re Lady Charlotte of the Castell family?" Immediately, the middle-aged man knelt down in front of the girl, choking up with excitement. "It''s you! It must be you!" "Lady Charlotte, it''s me, do you still recognize me? I''m old Frank!" "I didn''t expect to see you again after ten years!" Charlotte looked at Sebastian with a puzzled expression, and Sebastian looked surprised. "Um... It''s not my arrangement. I''m not sure what''s going on." "However, Frank was taken in by me a few years ago. He used to be a wizard, but his magic circuit has been broken." "Frank has always been vague about his past experiences. Following the principle of not doubting and questioning people, I have never asked much. After all, Rose Society is not lacking in people with complicated backgrounds." s?a??h th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "Now it seems... he may be an acquaintance of yours." "I was a battle mage! I used to be a battle mage of the Borde Mage Corps, always following Lord and Lady Castell!" "My wife used to be the head maid of the Castell Manor!" Frank hastily said. Charlotte''s heart stirred. The original owner''s parents were the heads of the Borde Mage Corps. This middle-aged man claiming to have been a member of the mage corps might indeed be an acquaintance of the Castell family. Moreover, his wife had once been the head maid of the manor? Charlotte carefully recalled her inherited memories and found some vague memories of the head maid getting changed, but it wasn''t very clear. But... how did they end up in the outer city area and then taken in by Sebastian? Charlotte was curious and puzzled. She glanced at the residents gradually gathering in the distance to watch the excitement, revealing a reassuring smile. "Let''s go inside first and talk slowly." Seeing the girl''s innocent and warm smile, Frank was momentarily stunned. But he quickly reacted, bowed respectfully, and then excitedly said. "Alright... Alright! Mina will be very excited to see you, very excited!" ... Led by the excited and nervous Frank, Charlotte and Sebastian entered the two-story building. In front of them was an old hall, where an old servant was dozing at the door. At the end of the hall was a bar counter, behind which stood a woman in her forties or fifties, her hair already showing signs of graying, but still exuding the charm of her youth. She was smiling and introducing something to a few guests. Behind her, a huge display board was covered with all kinds of servant information. On the old steps of the stairwell, two pretty little girls in dresses were giggling and playing freely under the guidance of a beautiful young girl in an old maid''s uniform. The girl in the maid''s uniform looked about sixteen or seventeen, tall and outstanding, with fair skin. She had long black hair and a pair of rare black eyes, which made Charlotte feel familiar. However, although her beautiful face was delicate, it lacked vitality, appearing expressionless like an iceberg. The feeling it gave was like that of an unapproachable cold beauty in animation. "Mina! Mina! Look who''s here!" As soon as they entered the hall, limping Frank called out excitedly. Hearing his voice, the two girls, the beautiful girl accompanying them, and the woman working all turned their heads. "Daddy!" The two girls called out sweetly and then pounced into Frank''s arms like cheerful pigeons. "Dear Father." The beautiful girl stood elegantly, bowed to Frank, and made a very standard gesture. Her voice was cold, almost devoid of emotion. After speaking, she obediently stood aside, using her cold, vigilant, and distant gaze to size up Charlotte and Sebastian. The woman who was communicating with the guests was a bit impatient. She put down her work and said coldly. "Frank, I''ve told you many times, don''t keep making a fuss, it''s disrespectful!" However, when she saw Charlotte, her gaze quickly settled. With a "thud," the information in her hand fell to the ground, and she also trembled. "Madam Catherine?!" But soon, the woman shook her head. "No... no..." "But... she really looks like her!" Charlotte''s heart stirred. Catherine was her aunt. Before marrying into the Duke''s Mansion, she had always lived in the manor. "Lady Charlotte! Mina, she''s Lady Charlotte! Don''t you remember? She''s our little mistress! She''s grown up!" Frank said excitedly. "Lady Charlotte..." The woman was stunned. Then, suddenly, she became excited. "It''s you! You''re here! You''ve come to the outer city!" "Castell hasn''t forgotten us! Castell hasn''t forgotten us! Sob... Sob..." As she spoke, the woman''s eyes turned red and she cried out. ... Chapter 57: The Missing Loyal Servants Charlotte didn''t expect that she would encounter her former acquaintances just on a whim to select new servants in the outer city area.Seeing the middle-aged couple''s excitement upon meeting the girl, amidst their almost incoherent narrative, Charlotte gradually pieced together their identities. Overall, the male and female proprietors of this employment agency were once extraordinary individuals loyal to the Castell family! Old Frank used to serve as a Starry Sky level combat mage in the Borde Mage Corps, and he was even bestowed with the title of baron by Charlotte''s father. As for his wife, Lady Mina, she was granted the Awakening Seed and promoted to Starry Sky, becoming a combat maid. Furthermore, Lady Mina was the head maid of the Castell Manor ten years ago, faithfully serving the Castell family for generations. She was also Charlotte''s mother''s personal maid and etiquette teacher for the Crescent Kingdom''s customs. Yes, Charlotte''s mother wasn''t from the Crescent Kingdom. She hailed from the Fallen Star Kingdom and apparently had a complicated background. However, due to the Star-Moon War, a war originating from the succession of the Crescent Kingdom''s throne, which lasted intermittently for nearly eighty years, the two neighboring countries of Crescent and Fallen Star had become sworn enemies. Thus, this secret was deeply buried and rarely mentioned. Even Lady Mina, the maid, only knew that her mistress came from the Fallen Star Kingdom and nothing else. Charlotte was aware of her mother''s origins in the Fallen Star Kingdom. Of course, the specifics were unclear. But this matched Lady Mina''s identity perfectly! This secret, barely known even within the Castell family, indicated that she had indeed served the Castell family loyally. As the two chatted excitedly, some distant and blurry memories from Charlotte''s inherited memories seemed to awaken. When she was very young, there seemed to have been a maid named Mina who served as the head maid. Not only that, but at that time, the Castell Manor was also the temporary headquarters of the Borde Mage Corps. In Charlotte''s revived memories, she often saw mages in robes coming and going around the estate. Many mages from commoner backgrounds chose to marry maids from the Castell family. However, after the Flame Demon Disaster ten years ago, Charlotte''s parents died in battle against the Flame Demon, and the Borde Mage Corps disbanded. Many faces disappeared since then. "Uncle Frank, Aunt Mina." Charlotte said after a moment of contemplation. "I''ve heard from Casimodo that after the Flame Demon Disaster, many loyal servants of the family were sent back to the family estate. Why are you here? And... you lost your powers?" Charlotte carefully chose her words, puzzled. Watching the girl''s pure and innocent eyes, Frank and Mina looked at each other with a touch of melancholy. "Because... we are the sinners of the Castell family, tainted ones. Losing our powers is our punishment..." Old Frank sighed and said. "Sinners?" Charlotte blinked in confusion. "Yes... During the Flame Demon Disaster, we failed to fulfill our duty of protecting the master and were contaminated by the Flame Demon''s power..." "To purify ourselves from the contamination, we lost our powers. Because of our failure to protect, we were driven out of the family by the angry old lady..." Mina sighed with a touch of sadness. Was it that old hag who drove them out of the family? Charlotte blinked. Then, she felt a slight anger rising. Excuses! It was all that old hag''s excuses! What failure to protect? She had asked Casimodo and Nice before. The Flame Demon summoned ten years ago, Valaroka, was legendary! How could there be any protection in that situation? Surviving was already lucky! Many people ended up dying! Moreover, according to Charlotte''s inherited memories, it was not a matter of protection failure at all. Her parents voluntarily stepped forward to fight the Flame Demon! Charlotte''s parents were both Thrird-Tier Blazing Sun. Why would they need protection from Starry Sky servants? It was clearly the crazy old hag seizing the opportunity to purge dissidents and eliminate all those truly loyal to the Castell family! Ten years had passed, and Frank and Mina remained so loyal, which was a testimony! No wonder... No wonder the Castell family hardly had any loyal servants left, only one marginalized figure like Casimodo. Charlotte had always wondered why even if the old Countess dispatched all the extraordinaries in the family back to the family estate, there should still be some loyal retainers who would stay behind out of concern for the young Charlotte. Now, it turned out to be this reason... Those loyal to the Castell family either died in the Flame Demon Disaster or lost their powers, then were driven out of the family by the crazy old hag! Taking a deep breath, Charlotte sighed. "No, you did nothing wrong." "You never forgot your original intentions. It was the Castell family''s fault for letting you down." "Lady Charlotte..." Upon hearing the girl''s words, tears welled up in the couple''s eyes. And at this moment, Charlotte realized that her proficiency in her majesty magic had subtly increased again! The girl was moved by the loyalty and dedication Frank and Mina showed to the Castell family. Because if it weren''t for their strong beliefs, they wouldn''t have triggered the majesty magic''s response with just a casual remark from her. In other words, Charlotte''s simple apology had completely stirred up the loyalty buried deep in the couple''s hearts! They were loyal servants! The lost loyal servants of the Castell family! Charlotte had her answer. "Uncle Frank, Aunt Mina, how many people are there in the outer city area like you who were forced to leave the family?" After a moment of contemplation, she asked softly. Old Frank sighed. "There are many..." Then, he looked gratefully at Sebastian. "We must thank Lord Sebastian. People like us who lost our powers and almost became disabled, Lord Sebastian took us in." "Now, under the protection of Rose Society, we have managed to find some work in the outer city area, barely able to survive..." Sebastian? Charlotte subconsciously turned to look at the quasi-steward standing behind her. Sebastian coughed and hurriedly explained. S?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "It''s just a coincidence, my lady. As you know, people like Mr. Frank and Mrs. Mina, even if they have lost their powers, their experience and knowledge are still quite valuable." "Gold shines everywhere. For Rose Society, they are precious talents." Charlotte looked deeply at Sebastian, neither affirming nor denying. Then, she looked at the couple''s aged faces, the two pretty little girls peeking from behind the stairs, and the expressionless beautiful girl standing behind the couple... After a moment of thought, Charlotte said. "Uncle Frank, Aunt Mina, have you ever thought... about returning to the family?" "Grandmother has long since fallen, she even wanted to kill me. Her expulsion of you was illegitimate from the beginning." "If you''re willing, the gates of Castell Manor are open to you at any time." Upon hearing the girl''s words, Uncle Frank was slightly stunned, then almost instantly became excited. "We are willing... um..." We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Before he could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by Mrs. Mina. The former housekeeper remained silent for a few seconds, then squeezed out a smile with apology. "Sorry... Lady Charlotte." "Although we would love to return to the family, we are quite content with our current life." "These many years, we... have also grown tired, so..." "Sorry..." She lowered her head with guilt. Lady Mina''s words surprised Charlotte a bit. Although somewhat regretful, since the other party declined gracefully, she no longer insisted. "Alright, I apologize for my impetuosity." Charlotte sighed. The couple isn''t young anymore. They wish to avoid trouble and live peacefully in their old age, Charlotte understands this. However... Being politely rejected is so damn awkward! Charlotte felt like the atmosphere in the entire room was getting stiff. "Hehe, Frank, we''ve caught up enough. Let''s get back to the main topic. We came here today to hire some new servants for the master." Sebastian chuckled, breaking the awkward atmosphere. Upon hearing his words, Uncle Frank''s spirits lifted. He was about to say something but was pulled back by Mrs. Mina. "Lady Charlotte, may I ask what kind of servants you would like to hire?" She asked respectfully, her demeanor completely different from her earlier excitement. "New people. I want some new people, with clean backgrounds who have never served other nobles." Charlotte said after thinking for a moment, exhaling in relief. Uncle Frank''s eyes almost instantly lit up again. But he was quickly pulled back by his wife. "Your request is not unreasonable. I believe... we should be able to find the candidates you need. How many people do you need?" Lady Mina asked respectfully. "About fifty people." Charlotte replied. "Fifty people...?" Lady Mina pondered for a moment, seemingly calculating something. After a moment, she stood up with Uncle Frank. "I understand." "Please wait here for a moment, and Frank and I will go upstairs to look for relevant information." Saying that, she turned to the beautiful girl standing aside. "Sherry, please prepare a cup of milk for Lady Charlotte." With that said, Mina forcibly dragged Uncle Frank upstairs. Why does everyone in the world know I like to drink milk? Watching the beautiful girl silently preparing the warm milk, Charlotte couldn''t help but mutter in her heart. ... Lady Mina dragged Uncle Frank upstairs. As soon as they reached the second floor, Uncle Frank angrily broke free from his wife''s hand. "Mina! What were you doing just now? Why did you reject Lady Charlotte?" "Aren''t you the one who has been yearning to return to the manor day and night? Aren''t you the one who talks about returning to serve Castell again every day? Didn''t we agree that we would one day return to serve Castell with loyalty?" "Why did you refuse Lady Charlotte now?" "Don''t you see how upset she was just now? She''s our little mistress!" Uncle Frank said angrily. But as soon as he finished speaking, he was slightly stunned because he saw his wife already in tears, completely different from her calm demeanor downstairs. Lady Mina wiped her reddened eyes and whispered. "Frank... do you think I don''t want to?" "I also want to return to Castell Manor. I also want to be by Lady Charlotte''s side..." "She''s our little mistress. When she was very young, I was the one who helped her learn to walk..." "But... we are not who we used to be..." "We''re old now. We''ve lost our strength. We''ve been labeled as tainted due to Flame Demon Disaster..." "These years, to survive, we''ve done a lot of dirty work for Rose Society. These things are not secrets, they could become ammunition for other nobles or even the church to attack our little mistress." "We are no longer qualified to return to the manor. We would only be burdens to Castell, stains on the family, and dim the glory of the great Black Eagle..." "We... can''t go back to the past." Uncle Frank stared blankly at his wife, who was unable to speak through her tears, feeling somewhat dejected for a moment. "Does that mean... we can never stand under the soaring banner of the eagle again?" Suddenly, Lady Mina raised her head, her gaze unprecedentedly firm, her expression unprecedentedly sincere. "No, of course, we can." "Perhaps we ourselves can''t stand proudly behind the master again, but our will can, our legacy can..." "For so many years, we have been passing on what we have learned in our lifetime to Sherry. Isn''t that for this day?" "Leaves eventually return to the soil, but new buds will bloom on the branches." "The firewood will eventually burn out, but the spark... can be passed down from generation to generation!" "We are like this, and so are others." "We, the generations of servants who have followed and served the Castell family for generations, have never chosen to leave the city of Borde. Instead, we have settled down, quietly educating the next generation. Isn''t it for this day?" "For so many days, you and I have been paying attention to the movements of Castell Manor, and I''m sure we are well aware of the hardships our little mistress is facing." "The fact that the little mistress has come to the outer city area must mean that she has reached a point where no one else is available..." "She needs our strength now, and it''s time for us to offer her our strength!" "Frank, go tell everyone about Lady Charlotte''s arrival in the outer city area." "Tell everyone that Castell has come, that Castell hasn''t forgotten us!" "Tell everyone that it''s time for our legacy to shine under the great Black Eagle again!" "Our descendants will follow Castell again in our place, follow our master, and let the glorious Black Eagle banner... fly over the sky of Borde!" Lady Mina''s expression was excited. Downstairs, Charlotte, with keen senses, let out a long sigh and slowly withdrew her gaze from the second floor. Her eyes were filled with complexity. Chapter 58: The Little Match Girl "Sebastian, you''ve known the origins of Mr. Frank and Mrs. Mina for a long time, haven''t you?"Taking her gaze away from the beautiful girl busy squatting in front of the cabinet, Charlotte looked at the respectfully standing Sebastian. Sebastian smiled faintly. "Master, what are you talking about?" Charlotte quietly looked at him, her deep blue eyes carrying a strong sense of oppression that didn''t match her youthful appearance. After a moment, Sebastian uncomfortably averted his gaze and sighed, respectfully saying. "Indeed, you are, truly great master... nothing can escape your eyes." ¡°Why beat around the bush instead of just telling me directly?¡± Charlotte frowned. Sebastian smiled bitterly. "They''ve been working for Rose Society for many years. Although most people like Mr. Frank are loyal, there is a small minority who hold grudges against Castell. I was afraid they might bear a grudge." "Rather than me telling you about their past, it''s better to let them recognize your identity in person. The effect would be better..." Charlotte fell silent. After a moment, she shook her head. "If they really held grudges, how could these followers of the Castell family still stay in Borde City?" "Miss Charlotte, please have some milk." Just as the two were chatting, the beautiful girl in a maid uniform approached with a steaming cup of milk. Her voice was clear, her posture elegant and standard. Is this Sherry, whom Mr. Frank and Mrs. Mina have taught everything? Charlotte couldn''t help but look at the girl a few more times, subconsciously comparing her to the maids trained at her estate. Standing like a peony, sitting like a rose, walking like a lily... Watching the girl''s movements, Charlotte naturally associated them with a phrase from her past life. Although Sherry''s clothes were worn out, every move she made exuded the elegant demeanor of a noble servant. Even the gesture of handing over the milk was obviously trained, respectful yet graceful, elegant yet restrained. Charlotte took the milk, which was just the right temperature¡ªnot too hot to scald, but not cold either. She took a few sips. Although the taste was far from the rich milk at home, it was warm and comforting with just the right amount of sweetness. Soon, Charlotte came to a conclusion. The girl''s demeanor surpassed that of her own maids by several levels. Even the "maids" she had in her estate right after transmigrated couldn''t compare to her professionalism. Charlotte was more and more satisfied as she looked at Sherry. With a clean background, like a blank sheet of paper, and extremely high professionalism. Isn''t this the kind of person she was looking for on this trip? Of course, unlike the excited Mr. Frank and Mrs. Mina, Sherry was obviously much more distant from Charlotte, even cold towards her. But Charlotte could understand. Unlike Mr. Frank and Mrs. Mina, who had their hearts in Castell, Sherry had grown up almost entirely in the outer city and had no feelings for Castell. But that''s even better. Turning this blank sheet into her own color, wasn''t this the best opportunity to enhance her majesty? Conquering the indifferent and prideful girl, wasn''t that a more fulfilling challenge? The more Charlotte looked at Sherry, the more satisfied and expectant she felt. Meanwhile, Mr. Frank and Mrs. Mina, who had finished their discussion, went into action separately. Mr. Frank, with his lame leg, went to the backyard, mounted a pack horse, and hurried away, while Mrs. Mina wiped her red eyes, put on a respectful yet distant smile again, and returned to Charlotte''s side. "Miss Charlotte, we can find the people you need. Mr. Frank is already preparing, but... it may take some time." "It''s alright, we can wait." Charlotte smiled. Descendants of loyal servants who haven''t forgotten their original intentions for ten years are worth her wait. ... This is a dilapidated alchemy shop. A dirty old man is dozing off in front of the shop. Suddenly, urgent hoofbeats are heard, accompanied by an excited and joyful voice. "Karl! Karl! Are you still alive, old man?" The old man looked up, frowned, and said. "Frank? What are you doing in broad daylight? Can''t you see I''m resting?" "Hahaha! Don''t sleep! Miss Charlotte is here! Miss Charlotte is here! Castell hasn''t forgotten us! Castell wants to call back its loyal servants!" "Why are you still standing there? Hurry up and take Landon with you to meet her!" Without waiting for the old man to come to his senses, Frank shouted again and rushed off in another direction. The old man was slightly stunned, then gradually came to his senses. "Miss Charlotte... Charlotte..." "She''s our little miss!" His old, cloudy eyes suddenly lit up. He suddenly stood up, limped into the shop, and rushed inside, shouting excitedly. "Lisa! Lisa! Good news! Good news!" ... In a small tavern in the outer city slums. A woman with half of her face scarred stood behind the bar, pouring drinks for the drunken patrons. Suddenly, the tavern door was pushed open, and Frank, out of breath, appeared in front of everyone. His gaze quickly fell on the woman, and he said excitedly. "Epinephrine! Epinephrine! Miss Charlotte is here! Miss Charlotte is here in the outer city!" "She''s at our house now, she wants to call back the loyal servants of Castell!" "Why are you still sighing over the uniforms on the wall? Hurry up and take Jennifer to meet her!" Without waiting for the woman to come to her senses, Frank turned around again and hurriedly left the tavern. Leaving the woman standing there, her gaze vacant, not even noticing that the ale in her hand had spilled all over the table. "Charlotte... she''s... our little miss!" Her eyes suddenly brightened. "Hey hey! Epinephrine! The ale spilled! The ale spilled!" Seeing the spilled ale all over the table, the drinkers quickly shouted. The woman was stunned for a moment, then immediately got up. "Sorry... Everyone, I have something to do suddenly. Today''s tavern will be closed temporarily." ... A bustling clothing shop on the outer city commercial street. An elderly couple of tailors were busy making clothes for their customers. Suddenly, with the sound of hooves and the astonished exclamations of passersby, a stumbling figure quickly rushed in. "Maddock! Diva!" "Miss Charlotte is here! Miss Charlotte is here in the outer city!" "She''s at our house now, she wants to call back the loyal servants of Castell!" "Oh! Stop sighing over the uniforms on the wall, quickly take the children to meet her!" After saying this, Frank, out of breath, left the shop again. The elderly couple were stunned. The woman soon became excited. "Little miss! It''s the little miss!" "My dear, I knew it! Castell hasn''t forgotten us!" However, the old tailor had an angry expression on his face. "Hmph! What''s there to be happy about! You abandoned us in the first place, and now you want to call us back? Dream on!" "Nobles... not a single good one among them!" With that said, he stormed to the wall and tore down the framed Castell family uniforms. His eyes were red with anger, he was about to smash them to the ground, but when his hands touched them, he found it hard to follow through. Trembling as he looked at the faded uniforms, the old tailor let out a faint sigh, and gently closed his eyes, tears glistening at the corners. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now After a moment, he opened his eyes, the anger long gone, replaced by loneliness and sadness. "The Castells have come, but... it''s already too late." "We... don''t have the right to wear them anymore." "Go call Lora and Silvano." "Today... the shop will be closed." ... Today was destined to be a busy day in the outer city. Horses galloped through the streets, and wherever they passed, shops closed or households boiled over. Even old servants, serving their masters, suddenly dropped their work, turned around without a word, and left excitedly, leaving their bewildered masters behind. On the streets, carriages of all sizes drove out of alleys, carrying old men and their children towards the same destination. They were like droplets of rain, soon turning into streams, and with time, those streams gradually converged into a rushing river... ... Frank''s Employment Agency. Charlotte, waiting for Frank to return, sat at the table, one hand holding a doll, the other a wolf plush, earnestly narrating Earth''s healing fairy tale. "So, the little match girl who was kicked out of her home and the wolf who escaped from the circus after being abused, lived in the forest." "Sharing the same fate, they became good friends who shared everything. The girl would secretly give food to the wolf, and the wolf would let the girl sleep in its warm embrace on cold nights..." "A week passed, and it was finally time for the banquet." "Encouraged by the wolf, the little match girl finally mustered the courage to attend." "However, no matter how much the girl begged, her wicked stepmother and stepsisters refused to let her attend the prince''s ball, so the little girl could only cry and run away..." Charlotte''s voice, soothing and melodious, carried a faint sorrow. Frank''s two beautiful daughters sat beside her, obediently propping their chins, their big eyes focused on the girl telling the story, their pretty faces filled with concern. Even the indifferent elder daughter Sherry stood aside, quietly listening, her hands tightly gripping the tray, her fingertips slightly pale, seemingly worried about the little match girl''s fate. "That wicked stepmother! The little match girl is so pitiful! The wolf is really gentle!" "What happened next, Charlotte? What happened next?" The two chattering pretty girls eagerly asked. Charlotte paused, took a sip of milk, and continued to wave the dolls, emotionally recounting. "On a snowy night, the girl cried holding matches in the deserted street. At this moment, the wolf appeared again." "Dressed in circus prince attire, the wolf came to the girl and gently said¡ª" "Beautiful miss, may I have this dance with you?" Seeing the wolf in the circus outfit, which looked somewhat ridiculous, the girl was a bit puzzled¡ª" "Mr. Wolf, don''t you hate circus costumes the most?" "The wolf said¡ª" "If others can''t be your prince, let me be your prince." Frank''s younger daughters were completely fascinated, eagerly asking. "What happened next, Charlotte? What happened next?" Sherry, too, unconsciously sat down at the table, her face tense, her expression focused. Charlotte glanced at them, revealing a pure and warm smile, continuing her narration. "The girl laughed through her tears." "She took the wolf''s outstretched hand and danced gracefully in the snow, like a beautiful princess at a ball." "After a while, the girl grew tired." "She looked at the wolf''s ugly and terrifying face, and happily and innocently asked¡ª" "Mr. Wolf? Why do you have such big eyes?" "The wolf said¡ª" "So I can see you clearly." "Then why do you have such a big nose?" "The wolf said¡ª" "So I can remember your scent." "Then why do you have such a big mouth?" Charlotte suddenly paused. Looking at the three pairs of eyes staring straight at her, she continued: "The wolf bent down, leaving a kiss on the girl''s forehead¡ª" "So I can deeply kiss you." "The girl cried..." "She hugged the wolf¡ª" "Mr. Wolf, take me away, let''s leave this sad place together, let''s start our own new life." "The wolf also hugged her, gently saying¡ª" "Let''s travel together, let''s pursue our happiness together, from now on... there will be no more sadness or tears." Finishing the story, Charlotte gently placed the two dolls together, letting out a distant sigh. The two little girls listening to the story were completely enthralled. "Mr. Wolf... is so kind! I also want such a gentle Mr. Wolf!" "That''s great, they can finally live happily together!" The girls expressed their longing and excitement. The beautiful maid Sherry, who had been eavesdropping on the story from the side, quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Her previously indifferent eyes now showed a hint of vitality. Even Sebastian, standing behind Charlotte, had his scarlet eyes soften warmly. Seeing the group in such a state of healing happiness, Charlotte''s lips curved into a subtle, devilish smile. She suddenly sighed, gently picked up the wolf doll, and spoke in a tender, melodic voice tinged with sorrow. "The next morning, people found the little girl frozen to death on the street." "She had a blissful smile on her face, holding the worn-out wolf doll her deceased mother had given her, surrounded by spent matchsticks..." The girls: ¡­ Sherry: ¡­ Sebastian: ¡­ ¡°Waa¡ª!¡± The two beautiful little girls immediately burst into tears. ¡°Crack¡­¡± Sherry crushed the tray in her hands. Even Sebastian, who had been smiling, had his expression freeze instantly. At this moment, the door of the small building was pushed open, and Mrs. Mina reappeared. ¡°Waa¡ª! Boohoo! Mommy! The little girl died! The little girl died! Waa!¡± In her bewildered gaze, her two daughters ran over and cried loudly. Maid Sherry sprang up, hitting her knee on the table corner. s?a??h th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. She staggered, wobbled a bit, but still stood up, hobbling and storming upstairs without looking back, as if holding her anger. Seeing her charming smile, Sebastian couldn''t help but twitch the corners of his mouth. "Master, you... really know how to tell a story!" "I''m teaching them the cruel reality." Charlotte said leisurely. Sebastian:... "Well done..." He had nothing else to say but this. On the other side, Mrs. Mina comforted her daughters who were crying uncontrollably, then came to Charlotte''s side respectfully, saying: "Charlotte, my lady..." "They''re here." Chapter 59: True Effectiveness of Majesty Have they arrived?Charlotte''s heart stirred slightly. "Where?" She suppressed her anticipation and asked. "In the backyard, everyone is waiting for you." Mrs. Mina said respectfully. Charlotte immediately stood up. "Take me there." Guided by Mrs. Mina, Charlotte arrived at the backyard of the two-story building. When she walked out, she was slightly stunned. The backyard of the small building was very large, more like a square that could accommodate two or three hundred people. It should have been specially used for live-in servant transactions between masters and servants. But at this moment, the yard was already full of people. Elderly people supported each other quietly standing. Some had lost a leg, some had lost an arm, some were using crutches, some had disfigured faces... Their clothes were all different, but they were all washed clean, mostly patched, but some had a sickly complexion, and ragged clothes, indicating that they were not living well. Behind them, there were also young men and women, the youngest possibly only twelve or thirteen years old, the oldest not exceeding sixteen, totaling about fifty people. Seeing Charlotte coming to the yard with Mrs. Mina, everyone''s eyes focused on her. The elderly people''s expressions quickly became excited, while the young men and women were mostly curious. Old Frank stood at the forefront of the crowd. He also leaned on a crutch, his face solemn. Seeing Charlotte, he took a step forward, placed his right hand over his chest, straightened his back, and with an old and trembling voice filled with strong pride. "Lady Charlotte! Castell Battle Mage Corps, Castell Maid Corps... reporting to you!" "Castell Battle Mage Corps, Castell Maid Corps... reporting to you!" The other elderly people standing proud echoed in unison. They placed their right hands over their chests, performing the most ancient and sacred allegiance ceremony of the Crescent Kingdom. Then, they all stepped back together, pushing the young people behind them to the forefront. Unlike the elderly, they were not wearing well-fitted Castell uniforms, and most of the colors were faded with many patches. However, despite the old uniforms, they were neatly cleaned, without a single stain, showing the owner''s care. The young men and women were a little uneasy, many clearly unprepared. Encouraged by their parents, they began to nervously report. "Number 1, Apprentice Knight... Rand reporting!" "Number 2, Apprentice Maid... Jennifer reporting." "Number 3, Apprentice Tailor... Laura reporting..." "Number 4, Apprentice Knight, Silvano reporting!" "Number 5..." The young men and women reported one by one. Their professions were different, but all revolved around the heritage of noble servants, and the vast majority were unranked extraordinary! Every one of them, even if they did not become followers of nobles, could live better lives than commoners in the future. But now, they were all standing here. After the last young man reported, Mrs. Mina forcibly brought over her daughter, Sherry. Although seemingly reluctant, the beautiful maid still stood at the end of the line. Her cold voice showed no emotion. "Number 55... Apprentice Mage and Apprentice Knight, Sherry... reporting." With that, everyone finished reporting. "Lady Charlotte..." "They are the best newcomers I have found for you. They are our descendants and our hope." S?a?ch* Th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "Although we can no longer follow you, they can..." "To offer loyalty to the great Castell is their glory! I hope you can treat them kindly, teach them, and let them follow you further on the path towards the future..." Mrs. Mina sincerely and hopefully said. Seeing over a hundred excited elderly people and more than fifty young men and women in front of her, Charlotte felt an indescribable emotion spreading in her chest. Although she knew that bringing these servants'' descendants was not only about loyalty to Castell but also for the future of the next generation, she was still deeply moved. A great family that had been passed down for hundreds of years could not lack heritage. They were the lost heritage of Castell! At this moment, Charlotte suddenly felt a little envious of her deceased parents, who could have such loyal and lovely followers'' loyalty. She knew that she had found the ones she was looking for. The girl came to the front of the crowd, took a deep breath, and in the dim and bright, old and young eyes, she spoke. "Everyone..." "I am Charlotte de Castell." "The lord of Castell, the inheritor Count of Borde." "I deeply apologize for the unfair expulsion that Castell made to you ten years ago..." "Castell was wrong, Castell committed unforgivable sins." "You are the loyal guardians of the family, you should not be branded with stigma..." "Please allow me to apologize on behalf of Castell..." After saying that, under the somewhat confused gaze of the crowd, Charlotte pinched her skirt and bowed. "Lady... Lady Charlotte, you... what are you..." Seeing the girl bowing to herself, Old Frank was startled and quickly approached her. Many elderly people also wanted to reach out to stop her, but seeing their dirty and calloused hands, they all trembled and withdrew, only able to move to the sides to avoid the girl''s bow. After Charlotte bowed, she wanted to continue speaking. But seeing the pure, expectant, uneasy, excited, and joyful gazes of the elderly, a thousand words finally turned into a sigh. "Everyone..." "Let''s go home." Hearing the girl''s words, the elderly people were stunned, and then their vision blurred. Low sobs rang out in the crowd, quickly turning into sobbing cries. At the same time, Charlotte''s mastery of majesty magic also soared in an instant, finally entering the advanced realm, only one step away from the perfect realm. At this moment, Charlotte understood somewhat. The truly effective majesty comes from sincerity. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now ... The elderly accepted Castell''s apology. However, they ultimately declined Charlotte''s invitation, and no one chose to return to the manor. They had lost their strength, they were extremely inferior, and they did not want to become the filth on the brightest star in their hearts, nor did they want to become a burden to their descendants. Even though in Charlotte''s eyes, they were clearly the most adorable people. Although regretful and helpless, seeing the elderly people so persistent, Charlotte did not force them anymore. However, when the girl left, the carriages accompanying her were filled with young men and women. They were the descendants of the elderly people, and they would take over the relay baton from their parents, inheriting their legacy... They would be the beginning of Castell''s future. A great family had never been alone. Loyal subjects, fervent followers, faithful servants... they were all part of the family. None of them could be missing. Of course, many of them might also become nobles in the future, become lords, and become the ancestors of another noble family loyal to Castell. However, looking at the spacious carriage, maid Sherry was reluctant to get on. Under the repeated urging of the Frank couple, she reluctantly boarded the carriage, but it was obvious that she was not very willing. "Hehe, my lady, it seems that you still have a long way to go to completely win their hearts..." "Do you need my help to teach them well?" Beside Charlotte, Sebastian smiled slightly. Charlotte glanced at him and shook her head gently. "No need, I''ll handle it myself." "I will let them know that I am a lord worthy of loyalty." "Of course, you are, and Sebastian has never doubted it." Sebastian elegantly bowed, not missing the opportunity to flatter. With the young men and women on board, the carriage slowly drove away from Frank''s employment agency under the gaze of the elderly. As the carriage left the block, the Castell family''s carriage also arrived. From afar, Charlotte heard Casimodo''s excited voice. "My lady! My lady! Phew... Finally found you! Finally found you..." The carriage stopped, and the relieved old servant also came to the side of the carriage, but he soon discovered the young people on the carriages behind. "Hmm? They are..." "They are my new servants." Through the carriage window, Charlotte said. Glancing at the ill-fitting clothes on the young men and women, Casimodo suddenly realized, then showed relief. "So... it''s them." "Do you know them?" Charlotte''s heart moved. Casimodo respectfully replied. "Yes, my lady, the old servant has always known..." "It''s just that their parents'' identities are special... and every time the old servant visits, they shut the old servant out, and the old servant doesn''t know how to welcome them back." After speaking, Casimodo looked at the girl, showing excitement and relief. "But now, it seems unnecessary." Charlotte fell silent. But in her heart, there was a light sigh. How could ten years of being ignored and expelled not leave a trace of resentment? However, that trace of resentment had dissipated when she personally came to the outer city. However, regarding Casimodo''s words, Charlotte still had some doubts. "Parents?" "I see many people are already very old, but their children are very young..." Regarding this question, Casimodo didn''t know how to answer. But Sebastian beside him sighed lightly. "Below legendary, the lifespan of extraordinary humans is not much longer than that of ordinary people. Whether it''s pollution purification or loss of power, it will greatly reduce the lifespan of former extraordinary." "They declined your offer, not just because of unwillingness, but also because they don''t have many years left to live." Charlotte fell silent. After a long time, she sighed softly. "Let''s go home, and then... find out their current whereabouts. Send a sum of gold tana to them every month in the future to help them improve their lives." "Those who don''t have a job, let them have some easy work in the family shop." "Kind master, I will obey your orders." Casimodo bowed. "Let''s go, let''s go home." Charlotte said. With that, the girl lowered the carriage curtain. However, as soon as she turned her head, she saw the black cat Nice trying to sneak onto the carriage. The two looked at each other. Charlotte:... Nice:... "Ah hee hee... Great Miss Charlotte, good morning!" "Meow meow meow, why didn''t you tell Nice when you went out? Nice was left behind and really sad!" The black cat widened its amber eyes and started to act cute. Then, it saw Charlotte''s expression gradually turning cold. "Who let you on the carriage?" Suddenly, the girl smiled. "Get off and run after the carriage." Nice: ??? Chapter 60: The years are peaceful, but storms are brewing "Wow! Is this Castell Manor? Is this where we''ll be working in the future?""So... huge, so beautiful! It''s not as terrifying as the rumors say!" "Trees! So many trees! And flowers! Wow! And there''s even a fountain!" "Such a big house! Is this... is this a palace?" "It feels... like a dream." In Castell Manor, the young boys and girls who got off the carriage looked around curiously, their expressions filled with excitement. Even the most nervous child at this moment had sparkling eyes. Having grown up in the outer districts, they had never seen such a sight. Even Sherry, looking at the colorful flowers and butterflies dancing in the garden, had a slight sparkle in her cold eyes. "Of course, this will be where everyone works from now on." "Not only that, everyone''s monthly allowance will be calculated similarly to apprentice priests in the church, twenty gold tana per month." "And if everyone performs well in the future, or ascends in rank, the treatment will be further improved." Looking at the excited young boys and girls, Charlotte smiled. Upon hearing her words, everyone became even more excited. "Twenty gold tana?!" "Oh my god! More than my father''s annual income!" "Castell Manor is amazing!" "Hail Lady Charlotte! Hail the Castell family!" The young boys and girls cheered. Watching their excitement, Charlotte''s lips curled up slightly. Unlike the older servants who had been hired before, these young boys and girls were like blank slates, the easiest to shape and satisfy. Facing them, Charlotte didn''t need to put in as much effort training them as she did with the previous servants. Back then, just getting the servants not to see her as a little girl took a lot of effort. Teenagers are more susceptible to kindness than coercion. Facing these newcomers, as long as you treat them well, and let them feel that you are one of them, combined with the natural noble and master identity, you can completely gain the recognition and loyalty of the vast majority of people. In other words, the charm effect in majesty magic might be much better than the intimidation effect when facing these newcomers. The most obvious evidence was that from the moment they first saw her, the young apprentice knights and mage apprentices in the group blushed, their eyes avoiding hers, but each of them seemed eager to become faithful followers of the girl. Especially when Charlotte glanced at them inadvertently. She smiled slightly, her golden hair shining in the sunlight, her azure, pure eyes seeming to carry a profound magic, almost drawing the souls of the young men away. The pure and goddess-like feeling, reminiscent of first love in the schoolyard, Charlotte perfectly replicates it. The knightly spirit and protective desire buried in the hearts of the teenagers were almost instantly aroused, they wished to kneel down before the girl and offer their loyalty. Although... in reality, they probably couldn''t beat Charlotte alone. There are differences among extraordinary individuals who have not ascended in rank. Although most of these children of extraordinary individuals have awakened extraordinary powers, they are not as powerful as Charlotte, who is Bloodborne. But they are the hope of the Castell family''s future. With a little training and the resources of the wealthy Castell family, Charlotte could make them stand out in a few years. They are the future personal guard knights and court mages of Charlotte. Apart from them, there are maids, including Sherry, who calls herself an apprentice mage and apprentice knight, totaling twenty-three people. They have all received professional training, suitable for the etiquette training of the Castell family. Although the charm effect is slightly weaker on them, whenever the girl smiles at the girls, they blush and lower their heads. Except for Sherry. She is the most versatile, able to attend banquets and work in the kitchen, with cooking skills even better than those of the manor chef, and her awakened extraordinary power is also the strongest among the maids. However, she has always been cold to Charlotte. "The mask you wear really is deceptive." She said coldly. Charlotte smiled faintly, ignoring the girl''s sarcastic provocation. She knew the girl was very wary of her, and she didn''t want to stay here, wishing Charlotte would return her immediately. She also knew why. After communicating with Casimodo, Charlotte learned that Sherry had witnessed her parents being driven out of the manor when she was young and had experienced a quite difficult period. In this situation, it''s normal for her not to trust the Castell family, even loathe them. But even so, she still listened to her parents and came to the manor silently, which indirectly showed that she was a good and obedient child. Charlotte looked forward to the day when she could open the girl''s heart and gain her loyalty. This gave her an impulse and challenging feeling like playing a game. After all, the more thorny the rose, the more fragrant it blooms. ... The addition of more than fifty young boys and girls made the previously somewhat deserted Castell Manor lively. However, Charlotte didn''t stay outside for too long. The longer the sun was out, the more uncomfortable she felt. Returning to the study, Nice, who was panting, finally rushed back. It collapsed on the ground like a dead cat, its eyes full of resentment as it looked at the girl. "Miss Charlotte... my lord... what did I offend you again?" Charlotte glanced at it lightly, not answering directly, but instead asked. "How many people know about the Thorn Rose?" Nice''s eyes widened suddenly. It instantly understood why it was being punished, and for a moment, it felt guilty. "Uh... well... Miss Charlotte, it''s a misunderstanding. I wasn''t your servant back then..." "Meow... You know, even a cat has to buy fish with money... the church doesn''t give me allowances, so I have to figure it out myself..." Charlotte gave it a cold glance and repeated. "How many people know about the Thorn Rose?" Nice shrank its neck. It thought for a moment and said. "Uh... not many." "I did indeed sell information... but only to Rose Society..." "Wait! Was it that guy Sebastian who told you?! That guy without any sense of contract!" Realizing something, Nice was suddenly furious. But seeing Charlotte''s icy gaze, it shivered and withdrew its gaze, tucking its tail and continuing. "Uh... besides Rose Society, there''s... Raoul, Kara, the Duke, and the High Priest." "No, wait... there should be one more person who knows, the second son of the Gaston family, seems to be called... Jordan?" "As the children of vassals, they must serve in the lord''s house for a period of time, and he is the personal guard knight of the Duke''s mansion." "Kara mentioned it to the Duke, and when she went out, she happened to meet him. He had a dodgy look in his eyes at the time, probably heard it outside the door." Jordan? The scaredy-cat peacock? Charlotte''s heart moved slightly as she looked at Sebastian beside her. "A cowardly waste, but... he has made a group of friends. Maybe we can investigate him thoroughly. The secrets of your Holy Symbol are likely to have leaked from him." Sebastian said. Charlotte nodded slightly. "You go and investigate this, and also... prepare some extraordinary blood for me, like last time." "As you command." Sebastian bowed respectfully, eager to perform. After giving the orders, Charlotte looked at the nervous black cat Nice and said coldly. "What you did in the church before, I can overlook it." "But now that you''ve become my servant, you need to know what to do and what not to do." "If I find out that you''ve done something against me..." "Would you like to lose your life, or would you like to lose the two little things below the cat''s butt? It''s your choice." Hearing the girl''s threatening words full of killing intent, Nice felt a chill under its belly and couldn''t help but shiver. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "Alright, now get lost." Charlotte gave the order to leave. Nice felt as if it had been granted a reprieve and quickly slipped away with its tail between its legs. Sebastian also smiled slightly, gracefully bowed, and took his leave. But as he walked out of the study, he couldn''t help but smile at the nervous black cat. ¡°Haha, Lord Nice.¡± ¡°You should be careful! Don''t end up like the prisoners of the Eastern Yunette Empire that got turned into a cat!¡± With that, he laughed heartily and left. Watching the departing figure of the fire elf, Nice was both angry and frustrated. "Ugh! That shameless lackey! Taking advantage of this cat''s predicament!" But after cursing, a sense of urgency rose in its heart. "No... I must redeem my image in front of the Evil Lord!" "I can''t let that scheming elf ride on this cat''s head!" Speaking to itself, Nice hurriedly left. ... In the next few days, Charlotte''s life became much calmer. As her speech of faith in the church continued to spread, rumors about the Castell family in Borde City also dissipated. No nobles continued to cause trouble for the girl, and it seemed that even the Blood Demon Cult had given up on their assassination plan after their failure, and everything seemed to return to normal. After a bit of pressure, the black cat Nice delivered a big gift the next day: a thick, well-organized spellbook containing various spells it had learned. Charlotte flipped through it briefly and couldn''t help but feel excited. Wow, from the easiest apprentice spells to higher-level spells that only Third-Tier mages could learn, there were hundreds of them, covering a wide range of types, including legendary and taboo spells! Outrageous, a cat that wasn''t even first-tier could still master taboo spells?! Falling Sun Meteor, Frozen Realm, Divine Slaughter, Blasphemous Eye... What are all these ominous-sounding names? And could there be some strange things mixed in? What''s the deal with this guy? Charlotte became increasingly curious. "Can you use taboo magic?" She asked casually. "Uh... not right now. At the moment, I can only use lower-tier spells... but I can still use some decent divine magic." Nice replied awkwardly. Charlotte: ... Charlotte wanted to ask where it learned legendary and taboo magic, but the black cat began to beat around the bush, obviously not wanting to talk about it. The girl didn''t press further, just feeling that this guy was indeed full of secrets, as Sebastian had said. With the spellbook provided by Nice, Charlotte was also excited to try learning a few spells to improve her strength. But unfortunately, she gave up after trying for two days. Because she realized that she didn''t have a magic circuit. S?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. In the world of Myria, you needed a magic circuit to learn magic, similar to a knight''s Source Core. But unfortunately, the Bloodborne''s body gave Charlotte extraordinary strength, but at the same time, it replaced her original magic circuit. Without finding a solution, she couldn''t learn magic outside her bloodborne talents. In the following days, Charlotte returned to her regular routine. In the morning, she invited priests from the church to lead her in worship and praise the great Holy Light. In the afternoon, she accompanied the newcomers in training, bonding with them. The only difference was that she drank some blood of the bipedal dragons every day to enhance her strength. Unconsciously, several days passed, and the charging of Blood Summoning was about to be completed again, and her mastery of Majesty Magic was getting closer to perfection. However, the effect of drinking the blood of extraordinary creatures became worse and worse. However, Charlotte''s strength had improved significantly. Although she hadn''t tried, she felt that with the nourishment of the blood, her physical quality should be close to First-tier by now. With several days of companionship and friendliness, the fondness of the young boys and girls towards Charlotte also increased. Several apprentice knights even showed signs of falling for her, gradually becoming her loyal followers. It''s just that teenagers are really aesthetic creatures. Encountering such a beautiful and gentle "master" like Charlotte, they couldn''t resist surrendering. Except for Sherry. This maid remained as cold as ice. No matter how Charlotte teased her, she always maintained a frosty demeanor. Only when she told dark fairy tales like before would her expression occasionally change. This made teasing Sherry and watching her reactions become another source of enjoyment for Charlotte. For example, sneaking up behind her and touching her flat body when she dressed... Seeing the maid''s ears turn slightly red, her body trembling, and her angry gaze when she turned around, Charlotte would then reveal an innocent, pitiful look. Or, quietly approaching her while she cleaned, using the silent steps of the Bloodborne to get close, and blowing in her ear when she wasn''t paying attention... Seeing the maid startled and her whole body covered in goosebumps, Charlotte found it truly amusing. Or, like before, adapting a few dark fairy tales and writing them on parchment, secretly placing them in the room she needed to clean... Seeing her pick up the parchment while cleaning and gradually becoming absorbed in the stories before suddenly being surprised and petrified on the spot, Charlotte found it extremely satisfying. "Have you had enough fun? Please don''t disturb me while I work." Sherry said coldly. Charlotte elegantly lifted her teacup, took a sip of milk, and smiled innocently. "This milk is really delicious." Sherry: ... Of course, Charlotte knew how to play around just enough. She wouldn''t push the other''s limits too much but would ensure her presence was always felt in their lives. At the same time, she would occasionally give the maid some interesting little gifts based on her observations or show care for her in daily life. With a mix of teasing and care, the relationship between them slowly developed. One step at a time... melting the iceberg! Of course, Charlotte also realized that Sherry''s heart was not easily conquered, but she was also a serious person who valued commitments. Having listened to her parents'' words and become a maid, she was truly doing her job seriously, although... just her job. She wouldn''t leave on her own initiative, but she wouldn''t truly pledge her loyalty either. So Charlotte let herself go. Set a small goal first, like taking off her cold exterior! Of course, playing around, teasing, and provoking slowly expanded to involve others... Charlotte''s daily games, from teasing Sherry alone, evolved into a collective "teasing" with the new maids. Nobles emphasize etiquette. These maids, inheriting their parents'' appearances, were all flawless. Any one of them could have been a goddess in her past life. A group of beautiful and cute little maids together, even if they didn''t do anything, the beautiful and incredibly soothing scene was enough to move and trigger the yearning of the young apprentice knights and apprentice mages on the sidelines. Especially the beautiful and lovely young lady who was always surrounded by everyone. Since being transmigrated, Charlotte finally felt another obvious benefit of being a cute girl. Being able to mess around with girls legally and intimately... Indeed, too convenient! And... girls really smell nice and soft! Of course, Charlotte didn''t know that the thoughts of her maids were exactly the same as hers. Just relieved to be maids to the Castell Miss, it was really... Fantastic! As the saying goes, when you''re eating tofu from someone else, you might be having your tofu eaten by someone else. However, what puzzled Charlotte was that it had been three days, and Sebastian, who went to investigate Jordan, had not returned. But she hadn''t spent much time with Sebastian, so she didn''t know if this occasional disappearance was his usual habit. Beautiful and leisurely times always flew by. Unknowingly, in her busy schedule of milking the sacred power, teasing Sherry, training apprentice knights and mages, and getting along with the pretty and cute maids... it was already the weekend. A week had passed, and the young boys and girls were ready to visit their families, taking the rose-themed disguised carriage back home on Saturday night. With more than fifty people leaving, the lively estate returned to its quiet state. Sunday''s weather was gloomy. Dark clouds gathered, indicating that it was going to rain. After completing the worship in the morning and the final charge of Blood Summoning, Charlotte sat quietly in the study, reading a book alone. Sebastian still hadn''t returned, and she felt a little uneasy, wondering if something had happened and if she should use Blood Summoning to contact him. But after hesitating for a moment, she decided to wait one more day. However, until evening, neither Sebastian nor the young boys and girls returned. Charlotte finally felt that something was wrong. Just then, a loud knock came at the door, accompanied by Cassimodo''s panicked voice. "Master! Master! Something terrible has happened!" "The Inquisition has launched a Holy Judgment against Rose Society, declaring it an evil organization that needs to be purified!" "The Judgment Knights... are on the move!" Chapter 61: Rose Societys Crisis As the largest religious force in the Myria world, the Holy Court has two extraordinary teams famous across the continent.The first one, there is a large number of them, with bases spread across cities and even major villages, managed by local churches. They are responsible for cleansing sinister demons and protecting ordinary people in their Demon Hunter Headquarters. Their status is somewhat similar to the police officers in the past dynasties of China. The formal members of the Demon Hunter Headquarters are called Demon Hunter. More often than not, demon hunters bring a sense of safety, justice, and reassurance to ordinary people, rather than fear. Of course, demon hunters have a higher degree of freedom than the clerics of the church. Many of them also engage in some freelance work or wander around like freelance mercenaries, which is tolerated by the church. The second one, independent of the Holy Court and the secular churches, is the Inquisition managed directly by the country authorities. Different from the Demon Hunters, the Inquisition has its own independent management system from top to bottom and has headquarters in major cities in various countries, responsible for supervising the branches of church districts and judging heresy and evil forces. Their status is somewhat similar to the Imperial Guards in the history of China. The most famous members of the Inquisition are the Judgment Knights. Compared to the relatively friendly demon hunters, who are even considered as one of life''s ideals by many children dreaming of becoming knights, the reputation of the Judgment knights is much worse among the secular population. Even many local church clerics shudder at the mention of them. The average strength of the Judgment knights is stronger than that of the demon hunters, and although their numbers are fewer, each one of them is a fanatic, showing no mercy to sinners, heretics, and evil forces. Faith fanatics, neurotics, bloodthirsty maniacs, the church''s henchmen, cruel, bloody, ruthless... These are the labels they bear in the eyes of the world. Judgment knights... Only recognize faith! The Inquisition is usually not active and has a low profile. But once they are mobilized, it means something significant has happened, and someone is in big trouble. And the result each time is either a high-ranking priest toppled from power, or a big noble family being destroyed, or even an underground secret cult being completely wiped out... Charlotte, who has already caught up on knowledge related to the Holy Court, quickly recalled relevant information about the Inquisition and immediately stood up from her seat. "Don''t panic, take it slow. What''s going on exactly? Why is Rose Society being targeted by the Inquisition? And how many Judgment knights are mobilized?" Charlotte asked seriously. "Not too many, I looked from afar. There are probably more than twenty Judgment knights in red clothes, and judging by their badges, the highest should be Second-Tier Silver Moon, and there are several of them." Casimodo said quickly. "No Third-Tier Blazing Sun?" Charlotte was somewhat surprised. According to the records in the books, when the Judgment knights are mobilized, they usually go all out. As far as she knew, the highest-ranked Judgment knight stationed in the Borde Duchy was Third-Tier Blazing Sun, just like the Duke and High Priest. "Not all Judgment knights are mobilized... It means the situation hasn''t reached the point of no return..." She said, then asked again. "What exactly happened? Why did the Inquisition target Rose Society? Rose Society is just an underground gang, even if they need to be managed, it should be the local lords who do it!" However, this time, Casimodo seemed somewhat at a loss, clearly unable to answer this question. "I don''t know... I just saw the Judgment Knights'' team heading aggressively toward the outer city district. Along the way, they directly sealed off a Rose Society shop in the western city district and arrested all the shop assistants." Casimodo said. "And... I also saw some people in gray clothes, they were likely from the Religious Inquisition Troops!" Religious Inquisition Troops... Charlotte''s expression became serious. The Religious Inquisition Troops were secular forces directly under the Inquisition, composed of both extraordinary individuals and ordinary people. In the church''s literature, they are an ancient tradition left over from the history of the Holy Court. When the Holy Court was conquering the continent, they were the main force in the holy wars. At that time, they had a grandiose title, known as the Holy Legion, disciplined and powerful. Of course, now that the Holy Court is the undisputed overlord of the Myria world, and the Holy Legion has lost its meaning, it has been reorganized into local Religious Inquisition Troops. The Religious Inquisition Troops are nominally under the command of the Judgment Knights and assist them in their work. However, in practice, the Religious Inquisition Troops need the unanimous consent of the Judgment Knights and the local church officials to mobilize, so they usually keep a low profile. In other words, even the High Priest agrees with the actions against Rose Society. "Casimodo, quickly contact Frank and the others, let them transfer to the Castell Manor as soon as possible. For those too far away, find a place to hide quickly, don''t get caught up in this mess!" "Also... inform Rose Society, those who can evacuate, evacuate as soon as possible!" Charlotte said seriously. Since even Rose Society''s shops have been sealed off, it is very likely that the Inquisition intends to eradicate Rose Society entirely. For the peripheral personnel sheltered by Old Frank and others, it is very likely that they are also within the scope of the crackdown! The girl paced in the study, thinking, and continued. "Sebastian hasn''t sent any news... I wonder if it''s related to this." "The good thing is that the Judgment knights will only target the extraordinary individuals; Frank and the others should only face the arrest of the Religious Inquisition Troops..." "Bring some of our family uniforms! Let them change into them! Now everyone in the Borde Duchy knows that we are under the protection of the church. Even if it is the Religious Inquisition Troops, they dare not act recklessly!" Charlotte thought for a moment and said. However, upon hearing the girl''s words, Casimodo''s face turned pale. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now He gritted his teeth and said. "No... we can''t bring the family uniforms. We can only transfer them over as quietly as possible..." "If the Religious Inquisition Troops see our uniforms, the family might also suffer!" Charlotte frowned. "Why? Would they dare to act against nobles protected by the church? Even if they have been reorganized, they used to be disciplined and proud Holy Legion!" S~?a??h the N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Casimodo hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to explain to the girl, but it was the black cat Nice who suddenly jumped in from outside the window and said seriously. "They definitely would." "Because... they are no longer the Holy Legion you know from the church records." "In fact... the current Religious Inquisition Troops have a much worse reputation than the Inquisition and the Judgment knights. They have tarnished their names." Charlotte was slightly stunned by Nice''s words, then her expression became serious. "How so?" Nice sighed lightly. "Anything can become corrupt and decayed one day, and so did the Holy Legion..." "They used to be the proudest holy war legion of the Holy Court, but after being reorganized into local Inquisition troops, many people lost their goals and motivation, choosing to leave the troops. The reduction in personnel in the Inquisition troops became more severe..." "Later, in order to maintain combat effectiveness, Nero IV, the thirteenth Pope of the Holy Court, reformed the local Inquisition troops, announcing that they could recruit sinners willing to repent into the troops." "These were a group of people without freedom, who signed soul contracts, and were also cannon fodder, a group of prisoners, criminals, and even former cultists who voluntarily joined the organization to escape religious judgment!" "Their joining greatly increased the combat effectiveness of the Religious Inquisition Troops, even surpassing the period of the Holy Legion. But what followed was deteriorating discipline..." "Now, the local Inquisition troops are like a group of religious slaves, with no human rights in the eyes of the Judgment knights, and the final outcome is only death in religious judgment time and time again..." "These people, when they go crazy, are more unrestrained and detestable lunatics than the Judgment knights!" Listening to Nice''s words, Charlotte''s expression changed. The boys and girls haven''t returned yet, and they may have encountered the local Religious Inquisition Troops. "Prepare the carriage for me, I want to go to the cathedral immediately to see the High Priest!" The girl made a decision immediately. "Yes, miss..." Casimodo bowed and then hurriedly ran out of the study. "I thought you would decide to go to the outer city district immediately." Nice said unexpectedly, jumping to Charlotte''s side. "I''m not that foolish." Charlotte glanced at it and rang the bell to summon the maids to change her clothes for the trip. She was extremely worried about the boys and girls and Frank and the others. But she knew that the more urgent the situation, the more she should stay calm. If she rushes to the outer city district now without understanding anything, not only will she not be able to solve the problem, but she may also put herself in danger. She had to start with the church. Although the High Priest does not have direct jurisdiction over the Judgment knights, as the highest holy figure of the Holy Court in the Borde Duchy, he still has a say in the divine judgment of local groups. Moreover, the High Priest also has a certain degree of control over the local Religious Inquisition Troops! The High Priest''s tenure as the chief priest also requires Castel''s help, it''s just a matter of spending more gold tana, as long as she is willing to spend the money, Charlotte is confident that she can persuade him to stop the divine judgment of the Inquisition. Thinking about it, she took out a stack of parchment from the desk and put it into her arms. "What''s this?" Nice poked its head out. Charlotte glanced at it. "Materials prepared to whitewash Rose Society. I originally wanted to wait until later to use them more fully, but it seems... I have to use them early now." Since she had decided to accept Sebastian as the steward, Charlotte had already considered how to whitewash an underground gang, Rose Society. She was, after all, a noble, and Rose Society was a gang. Mixing the two together openly would be unacceptable and could become a weapon for other nobles to attack her. She had been sorting out these things in her spare time these days, but fortunately, Rose Society was somewhat capable. Although there was a lot of mess behind them, they had also done many good deeds, so they were somewhat ambiguous. The technique of using the ''Spring and Autumn Period'' style to whitewash the Rose Society was not difficult for keyboard warriors in her past life. () This trip to see the High Priest is a good opportunity to handle this matter, and solve it once and for all! Under the service of the maids, Charlotte changed into suitable clothes for the trip and specifically chose a holy white dress. Then, she boarded the prepared carriage. "Meow! I''m going too!" Nice called out and also jumped onto the carriage. Charlotte glanced at it and did not stop it. Although this guy is unreliable, in terms of understanding the church, no one in the manor can compare to it. Bringing it along might yield unexpected gains. The carriage drove off, carrying a girl and a cat, quickly towards the cathedral in the eastern city district... ____________________________________ The "Spring and Autumn Period" refers to a historical text from ancient China, traditionally attributed to Confucius, which chronicles events in the state of Lu from 722 to 481 BCE. It''s known for its concise, objective style of recording historical events and is often cited as a model of historical writing. Using the "Spring and Autumn Period style" in this context likely means adopting a similarly objective and factual approach to documenting the activities of the Rose Society, akin to how events were recorded in the ancient text. Chapter 62: The High Priest is.... a Big Problem! "Sorry... Lady Charlotte, the High Priest said that he received divine inspiration in his sleep last night, and he needs to pray all day today, so he won''t accept any visitors."In the cathedral of the eastern district, the young apprentice priest, with a slightly red face, looked apologetic as he lowered his head, observing the beautiful girl in front of him who appeared weary from travel. "Divine inspiration?" Charlotte furrowed her brows slightly. "Huh? Divine inspiration? Don''t kid me, this is already the seventh time this year that the High Priest has received divine inspiration. It seems the Great Lord really favors the High Priest, doesn''t he?" Behind the girl, Nice swayed its spherical body, speaking in a teasing manner. The apprentice priest looked somewhat embarrassed. He didn''t know how to respond, but before he could, Nice, with a loud voice, shouted in the cathedral. "High Priest! It''s me, Nice! Miss Charlotte of the Castell family is here to visit you!" "Regarding the previous blood demon case, Miss Charlotte remembered some details she wants to report to you, it''s about the thorn roses and the evil..." Before Nice could finish saying "God", the door to the central prayer room smashed open, and the figure of High Priest Leonard de Caen appeared before everyone. He looked stern, staring coldly at the black cat who was about to say "God", and rebuked with displeasure. "What''s with this commotion in the cathedral''s sacred grounds?" Seeing the High Priest appear, Nice immediately dashed behind Charlotte, then pretended to look around and whistle while admiring the scenery. "High Priest." Charlotte bowed to the High Priest. Seeing Charlotte, the High Priest''s expression was slightly unnatural, but he quickly regained his composure. He once again became the kind old man, smiling kindly and saying. "Oh... it''s Miss Charlotte." "I wonder what Miss Charlotte has come to see me for?" He naturally glossed over the thorn roses and the evil god. Charlotte being aware and understanding all the intricacies, didn''t dwell on this issue and went straight to the point. "High Priest, I''m here about Rose Society." "Just now, I received news that the Inquisition has taken action against Rose Society, launching a divine judgment..." The High Priest looked thoughtful. "Oh... so it''s about this matter." Saying that, he interrupted the girl, glanced at the increasingly curious glances from inside the cathedral, then gestured to the empty prayer room behind him. "It''s not convenient to talk here, come inside." With that, he took the lead into the prayer room. As Charlotte was about to follow, she suddenly stopped in her tracks. Her gaze fell on the table in the prayer room. There, two empty cups had already been set. One was an old crystal cup, the other an empty goblet. Beside the goblet, there was still a pot of steaming milk. Next to the table, there wasn''t the usual penitential pad for prayer, but instead, a soft chair, large enough for two people to lie down on. Charlotte''s gaze froze for a moment. "Miss Charlotte, won''t you come in and sit?" Entering the prayer room, the High Priest sitting in the chair smiled gently, patting the empty seat next to him. With her rich experience in some aspects from two lives, Charlotte immediately became wary. She stood at the door, shook her head slightly, bowed to the High Priest, and said with apology. "High Priest, thank you for your kindness, but... let''s talk in the hall." "The matter I want to discuss concerns the reputation of the Castell family, and if possible... I hope all the priests in the hall can be witnesses." With that, Charlotte straightened her back, her expression carrying the stubbornness of a young girl who wanted to uphold her family''s honor. The High Priest raised an eyebrow. He looked deeply at the girl, then suddenly smiled slightly. "Alright." He slowly got up, walked out of the prayer room, and said. "I heard... you went to the outskirts to meet with Rose Society a few days ago?" "Miss Charlotte, forgive me for speaking frankly, but the Inquisition has already declared Rose Society an evil organization, you should reduce your dealings with them!" We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "Take a look at what they''ve been up to these past years." Saying that, the High Priest sighed deeply, instructed a nearby priest to fetch a scroll of parchment, and handed it to the girl. Charlotte took it, her eyelids raised slightly. It turned out to be an anonymous report! And on the report, various crimes of Rose Society in recent years were listed! However, from the information obtained from Sebastian about Rose Society, Charlotte, who was familiar with what Rose Society had been up to, quickly noticed familiar traces in this information. Like the whitewashing materials she had prepared these days, these materials were also written with the same spring and autumn penmanship, and some were even outright fabricated. Charlotte instantly understood that someone was targeting Rose Society. At that moment, a hint of hesitation arose in the girl''s heart as to whether she should continue to stand up for Rose Society. Right now, she just wanted to quietly wait until she formally inherited the estate and quickly leave this place of trouble and intrigue, without getting involved in any more conspiracies. But she quickly quashed that hint of hesitation. Although Rose Society was an underground gang, they always exercised restraint in their actions and, as Sebastian put it, did not cross the bottom line of the church and nobility, which was their way of survival. But now they were being targeted, obviously for doing something different from before. And considering the recent movements of Rose Society, the only difference from before was that they had made contact with her, the heiress of the Castell family, and even stood on her side, so to speak. This wasn''t a secret, it just took a look at Sebastian''s clumsy disguise to know. Everyone turned a blind eye, but in fact, they all knew what was going on in their hearts. They''re coming after me! Rose Society now provided some kind of protection for me, and those who were secretly targeting Rose Society wanted to get rid of this protection! They and the Blood Demon Cult that had previously assassinated me were likely the same group of people! And once Rose Society was eliminated, they would probably target me next! Charlotte''s expression gradually became serious, and she quickly made such a judgment. "How about it? Miss Charlotte, do you now realize how serious the situation is?" Sighed the High Priest. Charlotte fell silent. She quickly calculated in her mind, and soon had a plan. She suddenly sighed softly and said. "High Priest, this is slander..." "Oh?" The High Priest raised an eyebrow. Charlotte took a deep breath and began to blather. "High Priest, these materials, I''m afraid they were fabricated by the Blood Demon Cult." "Perhaps you don''t know, but the leader of Rose Society, Sebastian, pledged allegiance to the Castell family ten years ago." "The underground gang, Rose Society of Borde, is actually a peripheral force of the Castell family, and the leader Sebastian established Rose Society for the purpose of investigating the Blood Demon Cult and avenging my parents." "The Rose Society may seem like a gang, but in recent years, they have been maintaining the underground order of Borde..." "They are also the power of the Castell family, and sooner or later they will be the power of the church too!" After hearing Charlotte''s words, the High Priest suddenly realized. "Oh... so that''s how it is, it''s wrong for family members to blame each other!" With that, he looked embarrassed. "But... I can''t directly order the Inquisition." "How about this, I''ll write a letter to the Judgment Knights who are in action, asking them not to kill, and after the misunderstanding is cleared up, release the people of Rose Society. What do you think?" "However, the Judgment Knights stationed in Borde are not easy to deal with. How about this, tonight I will invite the Chief Knight to the mansion for a banquet. You can also come over personally, and we can all have a good chat. Once the misunderstanding is cleared up, everything will be easy to say." The High Priest said with a smile. Looking at his kind smile, Charlotte''s heart sank. She realized that the High Priest was just trying to brush things off. He didn''t want to stand up for Rose Society, or even... for the Castell family. S~?a??h the n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Not only that, he seemed to have some special interest in her... And combined with his behavior today, Charlotte also realized a somewhat creepy fact. The High Priest... probably is a big problem! Chapter 63: Charlottes Response Charlotte soon came out of the cathedral.She realized that the High Priest couldn''t be relied upon. This was very unusual. To be so blatant even in the cathedral hall, knowing that as the High Priest, he relied on Castell''s support, yet he was being negligent, which greatly affected the trust between them. The only explanation was that the High Priest no longer cared about cooperation. He had found better collaborators, or perhaps... he had given up on the Castell family. If that was the case, considering that the High Priest hadn''t openly turned against her, it seemed he still wanted to portray the church as the Castell family shelter, which led Charlotte to deeper speculation¡ª The High Priest... probably reached some kind of unilateral agreement with a force against her. And perhaps, the bargaining chip for both sides was her and her family. This bold conjecture sent shivers down Charlotte''s spine. After all, she speculated that the force against her was likely related to the Blood Demon Cult, and from that perspective, could it be that the High Priest was also connected to the Blood Demon Cult? He was the highest-ranking clergyman in the Holy Court of Borde Branch! Even if the church was corrupt, God truly exists in this world! Charlotte had also read the doctrines of the Holy Court, which were indeed the doctrines of true Gods, with the overall trend being towards goodness. The power of believers comes from the Gods, so wouldn''t the corruption of the church affect the Gods? "Do the Gods... not care at all about their faith gradually deteriorating?" Leaving the cathedral, she couldn''t help but speak. It was unclear whether she was speaking to herself or conversing with the black cat following behind her. "Hey, faith deteriorating? Why would the Gods care?" "The God is God, faith is faith. Master Cat once heard someone say that Gods are just a group of parasites wrapped in hypocrisy and selfishness." "As long as there are believers, they don''t care if faith deteriorates!" Parasites? Charlotte''s heart stirred. She couldn''t help but look at Nice, and noticing the girl''s gaze, the black cat suddenly felt that what it had said was somewhat offensive, and quickly laughed awkwardly and changed its tone. "Uh... cough, Master Cat didn''t mean you, you''re not relying on faith to live..." "Master Cat meant those Gods who spread faith." "You know quite a bit about the Gods?" Charlotte was somewhat surprised. "Uh... a little bit, a little bit, just heard some random things from others." Nice said somewhat nervously. "Are you really a follower of the Contracted God?" Charlotte asked again. "Uh, I think... I guess?" Nice said cautiously. Charlotte: ... She quietly looked at Nice, while the black cat began to look away again, whistling to himself. Charlotte remained silent for a few seconds, then suddenly commanded. "Turn all your understanding of the Gods into a book and give it to me." To survive well in the Myria world, it was necessary to further understand the true rulers of this world. Perhaps the black cat was a good starting point. Through the incident with the High Priest, Charlotte suddenly realized that she might know too little about the Gods of this world, and there might even be some misunderstanding about the relationship between faith and the Gods. She always thought that priests could only gain divine power by strictly adhering to the beliefs of the Gods. The stronger the priest, the more devout the belief, and the more their actions would conform to the teachings of the church. This led her to misjudge the actions of the High Priest. Listening to the girl''s words, Nice was about to feign ignorance again, but the thorn rose imprint between its brows suddenly flashed, causing it to stiffen. "Alright... alright." It scratched its head. After that, it sighed again. "Ah... I suddenly understand why many resurrected Gods hide from their believers during the resurrection period." "Why?" The girl glanced at it. "Just looking at you, you''ll understand. It seems that, as rumored, there is a price to pay for the resurrection of Gods, such as memory loss and so on..." "Just like you, if it weren''t for seeing your power and your understanding of extraordinary powers, without knowing... I might really have mistaken you for a true mortal." "For high-ranking Gods, they definitely don''t want their believers to see their pathetic appearance, right?" "I am just a mortal." Charlotte said lightly. There was nothing to conceal about this. She was really just a mortal, or rather, a bloodborne. She just happened to have a divine artifact in her hand, and the divine artifact happened to recognize her as its master. S?a?ch* Th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Perhaps this made her exhibit some of the traits of Gods, but Charlotte never thought of herself as a true resurrected God. Maybe in front of Sebastian, who pledged allegiance to her without understanding why, she needed to disguise herself as ''Lady of the Night'', after all... he was a true powerhouse. But in front of Nice, whose fate was already in her hands, she didn''t need to pretend. However, upon hearing Charlotte''s words, Nice showed a look of disbelief. The expression seemed to say. Here you go again, stop pretending, I understand, I get it... We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Charlotte: ... She slowly withdrew her gaze from it, not continuing to dwell on this issue. Obviously, the High Priest was not as straightforward as everyone imagined. This highest-ranking clergyman of the Borde Church had his secrets. Relying on the power of the church to confront the forces behind the scenes was no longer feasible on the surface. Ultimately, it was because her own power was too weak, forcing her to rely on others, to mediate between the major forces... She was facing the most powerful force in the Duchy before she even grew up... Whether it was the Blood Demon Cult, the Duke''s Mansion, the deeply rooted noble families, or the Church, none of the powerful forces was something she could confront head-on. It was like encountering a map boss before leaving the novice village. However, Charlotte was not afraid, nor was she intimidated. On the contrary, it ignited her fighting spirit. Yes, this start was difficult. But the Gods had already set the rules for this world, and although the gap between extraordinary powers was huge, they still had to operate within the rules. Nobles had their own rules, and the church had its own rules, and these rules were the political correctness of this world. She didn''t believe that she really couldn''t find a way to break through the intricate situation of Borde and inherit her territory to fly away. She would revitalize this game! It''s better to rely on oneself than on others. It seems... she needs to leverage her current greatest advantage. "I heard... the Demon Hunter Bureau has always had a bad relationship with the Inquisition?" Charlotte suddenly asked. "Yes, the responsibilities of the Demon Hunter Bureau and the Inquisition overlap to some extent, but the two sides have different philosophies." "The Inquisition has always wanted to absorb the Demon Hunter Bureau, but the Demon Hunter Knights only have faith in their eyes. Many times, even the rigid Judgment Knights cannot stand them." "You should also know that for mortals, the boundary between black and white is not so clear. In this respect, although under the jurisdiction of the church, the Demon Hunter Knights who often take private jobs can see much more clearly than the Judgment Knights." Listening to Nice''s words, Charlotte pondered. After a moment of contemplation, she said. "Nice, I have something for you to do." "What is it? Just order!" The black cat straightened its body. "I''ll give you a hundred thousand gold tana, and hire all the Demon Hunter Knights that in Borde that can be hired." Nice: ... It widened its eyes instantly, unable to help but swallow a mouthful of saliva. "A... a hundred thousand gold tana?!" "Not enough?" Charlotte frowned. A hundred thousand gold tana was already the largest amount she could afford at the moment. A few days ago, she had another item sold by Casimodo, and now the family account had a total of 130,000 gold tana. "No... it''s more than enough. If you just want to hire people, this money is enough to hire twenty or thirty first-tier extraordinaries for a month. If it''s just for a day, calling three or four hundred first-tier extraordinaries from the black market is very likely. Even the Second-Tier Silver Moon can be hired... and you can definitely afford a considerable number of Demon Hunter Knights... of course, this is theoretically speaking." Nice said. The hiring cost of first-tier extraordinaries was so high? Charlotte was somewhat surprised. But soon, she understood. With power crushing from all directions and identity equivalent to the lowest-ranking noble, it was normal for the price to be high. However... the Castell Manor was not short of money. The collections in those houses were enough for her to squander. "If the money is not enough, you can promise first, I allow you to go unlimited." Charlotte said after some thought. Nice: ... It had already become numb to the wealth of the Castell family. "Are you planning to use the Demon Hunter Knights to stop the Judgment Knights? Forgive my bluntness... while they may be hired for private jobs, they definitely won''t participate in something as big as the Divine Judgment." Nice said. "Then tell them that I have a great opportunity to slap the faces of the Judgment Knights hard. This Divine Judgment is already illegal. Let''s see if they are willing to come." "And... there''s no need for them to act against the Judgment Knights, just stand behind me, protect me, and protect my retainers." "Ask them if they are willing to be witnesses." Charlotte said. "Slapping the faces of the Judgment Knights?" Nice was stunned. Suddenly, it seemed to realize something, and its eyes lit up. "Oh oh oh! I understand..." "Hehe... hehehe... I understand... hehehe... you''re so wicked... hehehe... but I like it..." "However, Second-Tier Silver Moon usually doesn''t lack money either, and it would be difficult to invite them. Especially Captain Kara, she''s never interested in hiring." "Then tell her that I have news about the Blood Demon Cult." Charlotte said lightly. Chapter 64: Rose Societys Encirclement Like wandering serpents, lightning slashed through the night sky, and the booming thunder resembled rushing torrents. The howling winds and bean-sized raindrops, like countless pearls, hammered down from the canopy, turning the uneven streets of the outer city district into a muddy mess.On both sides of the street, every household tightly shut their doors, even extinguishing the candlelight, as if afraid of attracting attention. In the heart of the outer city district lies the Rose Manor. This is the largest estate in the outer city district and also the core base of the Rose Society. And at this moment, in this beautiful garden filled with roses, a fierce battle is taking place. A huge translucent divine magic barrier shrouded the entire estate, with mysterious runes faintly visible swirling around it. Inside the barrier, under the leadership of the Judgment Knights clad in red and white uniforms, hundreds of novice judgment knights were battling against the last stubborn resistance of Rose Society''s Extraordinaires, led by a Judgment Knight wearing a red divine robe. The Judgment Knights shimmered with a golden light on their bodies under the illumination of the divine magic barrier, as if forming an impenetrable shield. They paid no attention to the attacks of Rose Society''s extraordinary, effortlessly defeating one opponent after another. Amidst the intertwining sounds of wind, rain, and thunder, cries of agony, angry curses, and clashes of swords, chants of spells were faintly audible. On the ground, trampled rose petals scattered all over, mingling with crimson blood to form streams, but they were soon washed clean by the rain. Several Judgment Knights, draped in red cloaks and wielding silver swords in the shape of a cross, sat on dragon-scale horses, coldly observing the manor amid the storm. Their chests embroidered with silver moon marked them as the leading Second-tier Silver Moon Judgment Knights. The leader appeared to be a middle-aged man in his forties. With gray curly hair, a hooked nose, and pale gray eyes filled with indifference. The bean-sized raindrops fell, but about ten centimeters away from him, they slid freely to both sides, forming a rain-free zone around him, not even wetting his clothes. Discharge of source power. This is the greatest symbol of the Second-tier Silver Moon knights. Glancing at the sky, his gaze fell on the divine magic barrier shrouding the estate, and he coldly inquired. "Have they been sealed with Judgment Prison?" The accompanying judgment knight respectfully replied. "Yes, Lord Rajiv, it has been sealed, and no evil-doers within the manor will be spared." "Pay attention to the underground. These kinds of gangs often build secret tunnels to escape through underground. Don''t let them get away. Although the city gates have been closed, it will still be troublesome to search in the outer city district." Rajiv, the Second-tier Judgment Knight, said lightly. "Understood." The judgment knight bowed and then led several novice judgment knights into the estate. Meanwhile, Second-tier Knight Rajiv continued to coldly watch the manor amidst the storm. He was not worried about the outcome of this battle to eradicate Rosae Society. In fact, with the Judgment Prison enveloping the manor, the Second-tier knights didn''t even need to take action. Although the Rose Society wielded supernatural powers, the vast majority were zero-tier extraordinaires, and there were not many who had reached the first-tier Starry Sky. s?a??h th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. As for those who had reached the second tier or above, there was only one person, the President of Rose Society, Sebastian Flameheart. And now, Sebastian Flameheart was not even in the manor, so the leaderless Rose Society was no match for the Judgment Knights. The battle quickly came to a close. No. It was more like a one-sided crushing from the beginning. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now The Rose Society was ultimately an underground gang, and a relatively new one at that, founded less than ten years ago. Without their powerful leader, such a force was no match for the fully armed Judgment Knights. One after another, the Rose Society''s extraordinaires were captured and bound by the Judgment Knights, then escorted to the empty ground in front of the manor. Roughly speaking, there were probably no less than two hundred people, with half of them being extraordinary. They were men and women of various ages and even different races. The vast majority were humans, but there were also many demi-humans, underground dwarves, and even half-elves. The Judgment Knights had already entered the interior of the estate''s buildings and began the final search. Soon, two Judgment Knights hurried out of the estate, pressing a demi-human maid between them. They came before several Second-tier Judgment Knights, pushed the maid to the ground, and then knelt in front of their superior, respectfully saying. "Lord Rajiv, we have captured the steward maid of Sebastian Flameheart, the President of Rose Society." "She destroyed Rose Society''s documents, and we failed to catch up in time. The roster of Rose Society members has been burned by her." "She tried to commit suicide, but we stopped her. However... we failed not stop her from biting off her tongue." "In addition... through questioning some peripheral members of the Rose Society, we learned that when we set out, Rose Society had already received the news and started evacuating personnel." "Many people, especially the peripheral members... may have already fled." Saying this, the two Judgment Knights lowered their heads in shame. Upon hearing the Judgment Knights'' words, Rajiv, the leading knight, was indifferent. He said lightly. "It doesn''t matter. I already have the list of Rose Society members here." "This is not a secret either, anyone with determination can find it." "The city gates have been closed, and I have ordered the Judgment forces to track down these underground vermin." "Their people... including those peripheral members, won''t get away!" As he spoke, he took out a scroll from his chest. If Charlotte were here, she would recognize that the scroll contained the report information shown to her by the High Priest! Moreover, this scroll contained even more comprehensive information than the one copied by the High Priest, including the list of Rose Society members. And above the list, names such as Frank, Mina, and others were prominently listed! Upon hearing Rajiv''s words, the expression of the judgment knights was somewhat hesitant. "Lord Rajiv... Sending the Judgment forces to track them down, will it not have a negative impact on the city? They won''t be cooperative, this is Borde City, even in the outer city district..." "In Borde, what else is there that has a more detrimental impact than Rose Society, this kind of filthy and evil organization?" Rajiv shook his head slightly. "Those who are sensible will stay indoors at this time. As for those who dare to shelter Rose Society at this time... they should know their fate." "Don''t worry, most of the peripheral members are not extraordinary, and they have no value in joining the Judgment forces. If they die, they die. This is also the price they pay for joining Rose Society!" The Second-tier Judgment Knight said coldly. Chapter 65: Dare to try touch my people In the abandoned western district of Borde, within a dilapidated courtyard.Mina leaned against the corner of the wall, her face pale, consciousness blurred, a fierce wound piercing through her chest, the crimson blood already staining her entire outfit. Two beautiful young daughters gathered by her side, tears streaming down as they held their mother''s hand. S~?a??h the N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The Limp Frank held a piece of tile, collecting rainwater through the leaking roof, bringing it to his wife''s lips. "Mina... don''t sleep, have some water." His condition wasn''t much better than his wife, a terrifying sword wound had nearly severed his right arm, and it was only hastily bandaged. It was the wound he sustained while defending his wife and daughters. In fact, if their elder daughter, Sherry, hadn''t returned in time and angrily killed the intruding knights, he, his wife, and even their two daughters might have already perished under the knight''s blades. "Father, mother... how are you?" Sherry, holding a longsword, entered the dilapidated house, approaching her parents with a cold voice tinged with a slight tremor. Seeing his eldest daughter''s blood-stained maid''s dress, Frank sighed deeply. He was about to answer when Mina suddenly struggled to grasp his hand, intermittently saying. "Frank, don''t... don''t mind me." "Hurry... take Sally and Mary and leave the city..." "Rose... is going to be judged, don''t go find Sherry... or Lady Charlotte..." "That will only bring trouble to them..." Mina''s consciousness was already becoming unclear. She spoke intermittently, her memory seeming to linger on the moment when the knights broke into the shop. Frank touched his wife''s forehead, the combination of severe injuries and rain had caused her to develop a high fever. However, during their escape, they didn''t even dare to light a torch. He knew his wife wouldn''t last much longer. And he also knew that he couldn''t run too far in his current condition. Taking a deep breath, he glanced at Sherry entering the room and gritted his teeth. "Sherry, take Sally and Mary and go to 17 Old Street, it''s a shop our family owns in the outer district." "Although the city gates are closed and we can''t leave the city or enter the inner city, there might be a way to contact Castel Manor there." "Mina and I probably won''t hold on much longer; take them and go there... seek refuge from our family!" "The attackers at the shop were too strange, they arrived much earlier than the Judgment Knights, and they weren''t wearing iron chains, which means they''re not true Judgment Knights!" "This so-called sacred judgment against Rose Society... someone is orchestrating it in the dark!" However, upon hearing her father''s words, the young girl remained motionless. "Sherry!" Frank repeated angrily. Sherry didn''t respond but quietly rolled up her sleeve. On her wrist hung a bracelet in the shape of an eagle. Frank''s eyes widened slightly. He recognized it, it was the magic bracelet of the Castel family, the symbol of the core servants of Castell. It had only one function: to locate within a certain range. In the past, almost every core follower of the Castel family had one. When they were members of the Mage Corps and the Maid Corps, Frank and Mina also had one, but they were taken back when they were expelled from the family. Obviously, Castell valued Sherry''s group very much, already considering them as future core followers. However, several hours had passed since the earliest attack, and the true Judgment Knights had already been mobilized for half a day. Even they had been evading the true knights'' pursuit and engagement for a long time, even fighting more than once. But so far, there had been no news from the Castell family, which made Frank fall into silence. With such a big commotion in the outer district, the Castell family couldn''t possibly be unaware of what happened to the Rose Society. "Father, we have been abandoned once again." Sherry said softly. "No, it''s impossible. The family must be entangled in something, maybe they''re negotiating with the church!" "Take Sally and Mary and go quickly!" Frank stubbornly shook his head, seemingly trying to convince himself. Sherry wanted to say something more, but suddenly raised her sword and looked out into the courtyard through the broken window. With a loud bang, the courtyard gate was smashed from outside. Disorderly footsteps echoed, and faintly, a flattering voice could be heard. "G-gentlemen..." "Those people who just entered this courtyard, they''re all injured and in a hurry. They must be the evildoers of Rose Society!" "Yes... I can smell the stench of Rose Society on them, you''re right!" A hoarse voice chimed in. "T-then... sirs... may I be allowed to leave?" "Of course." After the hoarse voice spoke, there was the sound of a crossbow bolt piercing flesh from outside the room. Accompanied by a scream, the flattering voice disappeared completely. Dazzling lightning illuminated everything in the courtyard. Entering the courtyard were seven or eight figures wearing gray robes, their hands and feet bound with iron chains. They were Religious Inquisition Troops! The lightning illuminated the courtyard, as well as the house, and the figures of Sherry and her companions. Through the tattered window, several cruel eyes glanced over, one of them squinting slightly. "I recognize them, Frank and Mina, they were peripheral members of Rose Society when I joined the Inquisition." "That girl should be his daughter, if I remember correctly, she''s also an extraordinary." The leading knight sneered. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "The Inquisition judged that all members of Rose Society, including peripheral members, must be executed." "Judging from their appearance, they probably wouldn''t resist much, did they?" After saying that, his expression turned cold, and a bloodthirsty excitement flashed in his eyes, as he said viciously. "Kill them!" After his command, they drew their weapons and rushed towards the small house. Sherry also tightened her grip on her silver sword. She stood at the doorway of the small house, her cold eyes seemingly filled with determination, like a knight guarding her family. The battle soon erupted between the girl and the knights. ... Sherry didn''t know how many times she had repelled these knights'' attacks. Nor did she know how many times these people had swarmed her. Although they were both extraordinary, the sacred chains ultimately limited the strength of the opponents, and these people were not her match. However, even so, with their rich combat experience, these people were slowly wearing her down. A sharp pain came from her lower left abdomen, another sneaky sword left a wound on her body. Her maid''s dress was already tattered, and her clothes were completely dyed in blood. Sherry felt her strength waning. However, the adjudicators besieging her remained unhurried, even though the balance of victory was tilting in their favor. "They''re toying with me, enjoying watching me weaken little by little, waiting for me to collapse on my own." Seeing those mocking and excited gazes, Sherry quickly understood the enemy''s intentions. "Sherry! Run! Don''t mind us!" Her father''s anxious voice came from behind. Sherry didn''t move. Her parents were behind her, her sisters were behind her, and she couldn''t abandon them. Even if the outcome of this battle was death, she would die with her family. Torrential rain poured down, raindrops dripped down the girl''s cheeks. The enemy''s sneer, the pain of her wounds, the chilling raindrops... made Sherry feel as if she had returned to that night ten years ago. That rainy night, after her parents, who had dedicated everything to Castell, lost their power, they were expelled from the manor. Suffering from a high fever, she was sore all over, but could only wander with her parents in the rain, hiding from those enemies who dared not attack Castell but dared to target them, who had once been loyal to Castell. The beautiful childhood memories at the manor were like a dream, but when they lost their value, when Castell needed a scapegoat, her powerless parents became victims. Castell abandoned them. The family that once called them their members, abandoned them. And now, ten years later, when Castell found them again, it was because Castell was also facing a crisis, and Castell needed new blood. How ironic. When they weren''t needed, they were cast aside, and when they were needed again, they were remembered. And now, when the crisis came again, Castell had indeed abandoned them once more. Sherry didn''t know what she was feeling right now. Perhaps the interactions of the past few days, the warm smiles of the young lady and the mischief after, had touched her heart slightly, and for a moment, there was a flicker of hope. Of course, it was just a flicker. Castell was still Castell. When the church''s iron fist came down, they abandoned their people once again. Sherry hated extraordinary power. She hated it very much. If her parents hadn''t had extraordinary power from the beginning, perhaps they could have lived peacefully as ordinary people, not being absorbed by Castell as core members, and not ending up like this. If she didn''t have extraordinary power, perhaps her parents wouldn''t have hoped for her to return to Castell, but would have left with her to lead their own lives. However, at this moment, Sherry also longed for extraordinary power. If she could be stronger, maybe she would be able to defeat these enemies now, and she could leave with her parents and sisters... And never to come back. Unfortunately... there are no "ifs." The girl''s strength gradually weakened, almost reaching its limit. Finally, she exhausted the last ounce of her strength, and the long sword in her hand was directly knocked away by the knight''s attack. The knight kicked over, kicking weakened Sherry in the abdomen. She couldn''t help but spurt out a mouthful of blood, falling directly to the ground, unable to get up again. "Sherry!" Behind her, came the anxious cry of her father. Sherry saw her father struggling with his heavy injuries as he rushed over, shielding her in front of him. Just like when she was a child... "Such touching father-daughter affection..." The knight walked over with a sinister smile. Their expressions were ferocious, no different from before they became Judgment Knights, some still wearing the sacred chains of the Holy Court on their hands and feet. But clearly, these chains couldn''t save the girl and her family. They were a group of crazed dogs nurtured by the church. And now, they had been let out. The knight raised his long sword high, his gaze towards Sherry and old Frank filled with indifference. Meanwhile, inside the house, accompanied by the rushing knights, the cries of her younger sisters grew louder and louder. Looking at the cold sword, Sherry gently closed her eyes, a hint of despair surging in her heart. It''s over. Everything is over. However, just as the sword was about to pierce old Frank''s chest, accompanied by a breaking sound, a crossbow bolt shot out, directly hitting the head of the attacking knight. The force of the crossbow bolt was so great that it directly sent the knight flying, stumbling a few steps before sitting down on the ground, never to make another sound. Amid the pouring rain, the dilapidated cottage suddenly ushered in a moment of quiet. And following closely, was a cold, tender voice. "You, dare try to touch any of my people." Chapter 66: Sobbing Cries "Who? Who is it?!"Watching their companion perish in an instant, the remaining Judgment Knights immediately became alert. They tightened their grip on their long swords, heightened their focus to the utmost, and cast their sinister gazes toward the direction from which the crossbow bolts had come. In the darkness, a petite figure stood at the courtyard''s entrance. Another lightning bolt streaked across the sky, illuminating the darkness. The knights could now see her clearly. She was a girl who appeared to be around thirteen or fourteen years old. She wore a white dress, her features delicate and lovely. However, at this moment, her expression was devoid of emotion. In her hand, she held a hand crossbow that had just fired the bolts, and her crimson eyes gazed coldly at the knights at the door. The knights'' expressions immediately turned serious. Walking through the abandoned city at this special time of night, she couldn''t possibly be an ordinary girl. Especially the invisible pressure emanating from her made them feel apprehensive even while under the influence of the sacred chains. What made them even more wary was that although she stood in the rain, her body was not wet at all, as if an invisible barrier shielded her from the rain. This made the knights tense up. Power discharge? Or... a magical barrier? Power discharge meant Second-Tier Silver Moon... And if it was a magical barrier, they felt no fluctuations of magic. That meant the wielder of magic had reached a terrifying level of mastery, perhaps even more formidable than the Second-tier Silver Moon upon further thought... And coupled with her unbelievably young age... Who was she exactly? Or rather... what was she? The knights'' expressions gradually became serious. "Master! It''s the master!" A weak yet surprised voice came from inside the house. Sherry also trembled slightly, slowly raising her head, looking at the familiar figure under the rainy night with an incredulous expression. It was none other than Charlotte de Castell, the head of the Castell family and the heir of Count title who was only fifteen years old. Master? A noble?! The knights squinted slightly. "Miss, we are from the Inquisition, and we are apprehending members of Rose Society. Please do not obstruct the church''s actions." One of the knights said solemnly. For renegades nurtured by the church, such polite words already indicated their fear of the girl. They didn''t even speak for the corpse lying on the ground. However, Charlotte did not engage in conversation with him. She slowly lowered the hand crossbow, saying indifferently. "Nice, what crime is it to illegally attack peaceful citizens and loyal subjects of nobles?" "Hehe, according to the Crescent Code, illegally attacking civilians as an extraordinary will be severely punished by the local lord, and if the lord is absent, it can be punished by a noble loyal to the lord!" With a hoarse voice, a fat black cat walked out of the darkness and stood by the girl''s side. It stayed half a step behind the girl, adopting a respectful posture, implicitly acknowledging her as the master. Its body, too, remained untouched by rainwater. A talking black cat?! The knights were stunned. As cannon fodder squads nurtured by the Inquisition, they had never been in contact with the core circles of the Borde Church and were unfamiliar with Nice. "What if it''s an attack on a noble''s vassal?" Charlotte continued casually. "Hehe, according to the Sacred Code, illegally attacking a noble''s vassal by an extraordinary, the assaulter will be handed over to the noble for punishment, and depending on the severity of the harm, the highest penalty is death!" Nice continued with a smirk. "Very well." Charlotte nodded slightly. She gracefully took out a crossbow bolt from her skirt, skillfully loaded it, and looked at the members of the Inquisition team, smiling faintly. "Mr. Knights, you have attacked the vassals of the Castell family and the civilians loyal to the Castell family." S?a??h the N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "As the head of the Castell family, I will represent the Castell family in meting out punishment to you." With that, she coldly locked eyes with one of the knights, using her sensitivity to blood as a Bloodborne to quickly identify him. The sword in that person''s hand was still dripping with blood. And that blood belonged to Sherry and smelled quite sweet and delicious. Glancing at the wound on the maid Sherry''s abdomen, Charlotte raised her hand crossbow and aimed it at the knight''s abdomen. A breaking sound rang out, and the adjudicator''s expression changed slightly as he quickly rolled to the side, dodging the incoming bolt. "You dodged it." Charlotte smiled even more happily. "Nice, isn''t this resistance?" The black cat chuckled. "Of course, great Miss Charlotte, undoubtedly he is resisting your punishment." The girl''s expression suddenly became indifferent. "So... do you know what to do now?" We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "Of course, great Miss Charlotte, attacking peaceful civilians who love peace, attacking noble vassals, resisting noble punishment... these people are undoubtedly evil terrorists!" "For these evil terrorists, death is their only destiny." The black cat said solemnly. Listening to the conversation between the girl and the cat, the knights'' faces gradually become serious and ugly. They glanced at each other, without hesitation. "Retreat!" However, before they could retreat, a hoarse incantation spewed from the black cat''s mouth. "Contract - Banishment to the Void!" As soon as the words fell, the space around the knights immediately began to distort. Feeling the tearing of the void, the knights'' expressions changed drastically. "Wait! We are from the Inquisition..." A terrifying void vortex appeared behind the knights like a small black hole. They didn''t finish their words before they disappeared into the suddenly appearing void vortex. Except for the corpse on the ground, it was as if they had never appeared. On the other side, Frank was already stunned. "Oh my god... a cat that can perform contract magic?!" Even Sherry was slightly stunned, obviously greatly impressed by Nice''s performance. Only Charlotte furrowed her brows slightly. She looked at the wet corner of her skirt with some dissatisfaction. "Your magic affected the magic shield." "Sorry... well, after all, Banishment to the Void is also a high-level magic, and my shield is only low-level." Nice scratched its head. "Do you need to use Banishment to the Void to deal with a few extraordinaires who haven''t even reached first tier?" "Hey! Isn''t it according to your instructions to give them the most severe punishment? They can only be gradually devoured by the void, from flesh to soul, in the boundless void..." "Oh? How come I see that you just want to use up your energy because in a while I''ll let you deal with the church''s true Judgment Knights?" "What? What are you talking about? Why can''t Nice understand? Meow meow meow!" As they spoke, the duo walked away, leaving Frank staring blankly. They arrived in front of Sherry. Looking at the heavily injured Sherry and the unconscious Mrs. Mina, Charlotte apologized. "I''m sorry... I almost arrived too late." Hearing the girl''s words, Frank was excited. "Master..." "Don''t move." Charlotte stopped his movement. "Nice, healing scrolls." She reached out to the black cat. The black cat nodded, and with a swipe of its paw in the void, three scrolls appeared in front of it, causing Charlotte''s eyes to widen in surprise. Then, holding the scrolls in its mouth, it obediently handed them to the girl. Charlotte took the scrolls and casually stuffed the still-warm hand crossbow into its paw before infusing the scrolls with Bloodborne magic to heal Sherry and the Frank couple. The scrolls were made by Nice, just the lowest-level inferior healing spells, but even so, in a halo of light, Mrs. Mina''s breathing gradually stabilized, and the faces of old Frank and Sherry improved significantly. That''s enough. The rest of the treatment could be left to the church''s Demon Hunter Knights. Sherry remained silent, while the two beautiful little girls threw themselves into Charlotte''s arms, crying. "Charlotte, sister..." "Be good, don''t be afraid, I''m here." Charlotte embraced the two little ones gently, soothing them. At this moment, a series of hoofbeats could be heard from outside, and the worried voice of Chatham, the captain of the Demon Hunting Knights, echoed from afar. "Miss Charlotte, your carriage is too fast! There are now those rubbish Inquisition Troops everywhere, it''s very dangerous for you to drive alone!" "Oh, by the way, where did you buy your horse? It''s so fast, can you get some for our Demon Hunter squad too?" As he spoke, Chatham led a few Demon Hunter Knights in, and when he saw the heavily injured people and the knight with an arrow in his head, he was momentarily taken aback. Seeing the Demon Hunter Knights who followed, Charlotte''s eyes reddened slightly, her delicate and lovely face suddenly filled with infinite fear and grievance. Holding the two crying little girls, she pointed at the knight''s corpse on the ground, her azure eyes misty, her voice filled with sorrow and anger. "Captain Chatham... not only did the Inquisition Troops from the Inquisition lay hands on my vassals, they even wanted to attack me after I revealed my identity!" "If it wasn''t for Lord Nice arriving in time, I might... I might... I might never see you again!" "Waaah..." The girl shrank with the two crying little girls in her arms, tears streaming down her face, looking pitiful. Frank:... Sherry:... Chatham hesitated, his gaze naturally falling on the black cat. More precisely, on the hand crossbow tightly held in the excited black cat''s two paws. Nice:... With a thud, the hand crossbow in its paw fell to the ground. Chapter 67: Lord Nice said It will take the blame! "Nice, your decisiveness in dealing with those scum raised by the Inquisition is truly admirable!"Watching the hand crossbow drop in front of the black cat, Chatham, the captain of the Demon Hunter squad, showed admiration. Although the Demon Hunter Bureau and the Inquisition were not on good terms, one still had to be careful when taking action. Even if action was necessary, it was best not to cause casualties, let alone leave any evidence behind. Chatham believed that if it were him, he would at most subdue the Judgment knights and hand them over to the Inquisition after a severe beating. However, Demon Hunter Knights had to be cautious. While obstructing the Inquisition''s actions was acceptable, causing casualties would be too much, even if it was just a group of dogs raised by the Inquisition. Such actions would definitely lead to disciplinary action afterward, either in the form of budget cuts or a halt in promotion opportunities. That''s why the Demon Hunter Knights admired the black cat so much. Using a hand crossbow, shooting with pinpoint accuracy, and targeting from behind, this Lord Nice... was truly ruthless and decisive! Truly worthy of being an extraordinary being sheltered by the church! Truly... well done! The Demon Hunter Knights whispered in their hearts. The Demon Hunter Bureau already detested these scoundrels who were once wanted criminals, and the reason for the black cat''s actions was justifiable, undoubtedly venting their frustrations for them. After all, it wasn''t their budget being cut, nor their promotions being halted. Oh, wait. Lord Nice didn''t seem to have a budget or a position to begin with. So, it didn''t matter to it either way! Seeing the strange gazes from the Demon Hunter Knights and the occasional "pitiful" look from Charlotte, Nice felt its throat dry up. It wanted to say "It wasn''t me," but seeing Charlotte''s occasional "wronged" look, it could only grit its teeth and say seriously. "Um... in urgent situations, since these Judgment Knights dared to attack nobles, the situation has changed." "As a member of the church, I have an obligation to clean up these scum for the Inquisition!" s?a??h th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "Captain Chatham, please hurry and save my servants..." Charlotte looked at the captain of the Demon Hunter squad with a pitiful look again. Chatham''s gaze fell on Mrs. Mina and the others, nodding solemnly, and said to his accompanying comrades. "For this gentleman and the lady, provide medical treatment. Additionally... quickly send this lady to the church hospital." The Demon Hunter Knights immediately got busy. Old Frank struggled to sit up. "Master... there are others! Others are being hunted too!" Sherry also tightened her grip on her long sword, staring coldly at Charlotte. Although she didn''t speak, Charlotte seemed to see the same hope in her eyes as in old Frank''s. "Don''t worry, with Lord Nice and the Demon Hunter Knights here, we will definitely save everyone." Charlotte comforted. After saying that, she looked at Captain Chatham with a pitiful look. "Captain Chatham..." Seeing the girl''s irresistibly cute look and subconsciously patting his bulging wallet at his waist, the captain of the Demon Hunter Knights looked solemn. "Of course, accepting your employment was for this purpose!" "Those Judgment Knights who illegally attacked the Castell''s vassals must be stopped!" Although obstructing the actions of the Inquisition was controversial, the girl had given too much. And with her pitiful and easily evoking protective instincts gaze, it was hard for the Demon Hunter Knights to refuse. Moreover... going against the Inquisition felt pretty good to them. "Great! Captain Chatham, you''re amazing! Just like Lord Nice!" "Just now, I persuaded Lord Nice not to act, but Lord Nice insisted and said it would let everyone act without hesitation!" The girl exclaimed excitedly. Her pure azure eyes curved into crescents, her innocent and radiant smile extremely healing. Nice:... For a moment, the gazes of the Demon Hunter Knights once again gathered on the black cat. Seeing the Demon Hunter Knights'' gazes and Charlotte''s smiling face, Nice felt its throat parched. It wanted to say it wasn''t the one who did it, but seeing Charlotte''s occasional "wronged" look, it could only sigh and grit its teeth, saying. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "Yes, those bastards dared to attack innocent citizens, we cannot tolerate it!" "As members under the holy light, we have an obligation to clean up the mess for the Inquisition!" The Demon Hunter Knights'' gazes became even more admiring. "Lord Nice, you''re the best!" Captain Chatham gave a thumbs up. Then, he said to the other Demon Hunter squad leaders. "Go tell everyone, Lord Nice has given orders to quickly stop those Judgment Knights who continue to chase the peripheral members of Rose Society!" "Lord Nice said if something happens, it will take the blame! Everyone, act freely! It''s all on it if it causes casualties!" Nice: ??? Charlotte almost couldn''t help but laugh out loud. Clearly, this Captain Chatham was also quite cunning. He suddenly found a perfect scapegoat and immediately jumped on board. Moreover, he even took the opportunity to spread the protection to the entire peripheral members of Rose Society. "Captain Chatham, please have the knights take this!" Charlotte took out a black eagle badge from her bosom. She had previously used the badge to sense Sherry, who happened to be the closest. It was just unexpected that it was Sherry''s family. Captain Chatham quickly took it with both hands and handed it to the others. "Miss Charlotte, are you going to the Rose Manor next?" Seeing the girl''s firm expression, Chatham''s heart stirred. "Yes, Rose Society has always been a peripheral force of the Castell, and it has always been a family secret with the family''s restrictions. Rose Society has always acted according to principles." "The bell must be unrung by the person who rang it... by stopping the true Judgment Knights, the Inquisition Troops will naturally be ordered to stop." "Captain Chatham, this sacred judgment was originally instigated by informants behind the scenes, aimed at the Castell family!" "Please come with me and several other captains to be witnesses!" After hearing the girl''s words, the Demon Hunter captain hesitated a little. Beating up the Inquisition Troops was acceptable. Rescuing the noble''s vassals from the Inquisition Troops was a slap in the face to the Inquisition, but it wouldn''t cause a complete rift. It was like walking on the dangerous edge, repeatedly jumping back and forth, which was their purpose for this trip. But if they were to fight the true Judgment Knights, the situation would completely change. "We don''t need to engage in substantive conflicts with them. Like I said before, you just need to protect me and my vassals." "And... Captain Kara will also come." Charlotte added. After hearing the girl''s words, Chatham felt relieved. There''s someone to rely on in times of trouble, and even Captain Kara is coming, they have nothing to fear. They were also curious how the girl had the confidence to snatch people from the Judgment Knights. And if the girl succeeded... Well, that would be interesting indeed. The Demon Hunter Bureau would definitely not miss such an opportunity to add insult to injury! "Let''s go! Let''s follow Miss Charlotte to the Rose Manor!" Captain Chatham said to the other Demon Hunter squad leaders. After that, he glanced at Mrs. Mina again, pondering. "Take this lady with us too. Captain Kara''s healing skills are a bit more advanced than the church''s, and the Rose Manor is closer than the church hospital." "Then... I want to go too!" Old Frank struggled to stand up. Sherry also covered her preliminarily treated wound and stood limping next to her mother. "Then let''s go together and witness this together!" Charlotte said. Mrs. Mina was lifted onto the carriage, and old Frank and Sherry supported each other into the carriage. Under the protection of the Demon Hunter Knights, the group set off grandly towards the Rose Manor... Chapter 68: Take them down! The arrest of members of the Rose Society was a long and complicated process.Of course, "long" and "complicated" were only in terms of the swift judgment of the Holy Court. In fact, the Inquisition, which had always suppressed evil with thunderous means, had hardly ever spent more than 24 hours on a divine judgment. Especially here in Borde, the power center of the Church in the southwest of the Crescent Kingdom. From the moment the city gates closed, Rose Society, as an underground gang, was already like a turtle in a jar. The time had come to early morning, the thunderstorm had ended, and the wind and rain were gradually subsiding. Above the canopy, the heavy dark clouds were still churning, presenting a kind of gloomy dark gray in the night. In the Rose Manor, however, the lights were brightly lit. More and more members of the Rose Society who had been arrested here, numbering at least five hundred, could be seen at a glance. They were all tied up with their hands bound by sacred chains, half kneeling on the ground. Behind them, piles of oily firewood were piled up. Although the heavy rain had just stopped, under the effect of magic, these firewood piles remained dry. Several Judgment Knights held torches, ready to ignite the firewood. The flames of the torches were a pale gold, the judgment flames capable of burning souls. These were the flames of divine judgment for enemies, criminals, heretics, and evildoers, notorious throughout the Myria Continent. Anyone existing beneath these flames would have their souls utterly destroyed. Looking at those pale gold flames, some members of Rose Society turned pale, some looked dazed, but... more people glared angrily at the Judgment Knights. All extraordinaires knew the procedure after igniting the flames of judgment. It meant the beginning of divine judgment, and the only choices left to them were two¡ª Either to be reduced to ashes in the flames of judgment. Or to sign the most stringent contract of judgment, becoming a Judgment Knight, fighting for the court until the last moment of life... Even death was not the end, their soul power would be reclaimed by the Judgment Spear of the Holy Court, becoming part of the foundation of the Holy Court. As for those ordinary people without extraordinary powers, their fate was only one¡ªto be consumed in the flames of judgment. "Lord Rajiv, except for those who were killed in desperate resistance and a few who escaped to the inner city or outside the city before the gates were closed, most of the remaining members of Rose Society are here." Before the second-tier judgment knight Rajiv, a probationary knight respectfully reported. "Most...? Moreover, why are there so few peripheral members of Rose Society?" Rajiv quickly seized the loophole in his subordinate''s words. The probationary knight hesitated for a moment, then whispered in Rajiv''s ear. After a moment, Rajiv''s gaze sharpened, and his brows furrowed slightly. "What? The Demon Hunters are obstructing? And they even attacked the Inquisition Troops?" "These faith-corrupted fellows... don''t they know what they''re doing?! Is it an order from the Church?!" "No... it''s not. According to the judges, they seem to have been hired." The probationary knight spoke cautiously. "Hired?" Rajiv was stunned, then suddenly enraged. "Who dares to hire them? How dare they take on such employment?" "It seems... it seems to be the Castell family." "Castell?" Second-tier knight Rajiv was slightly surprised. He narrowed his eyes and looked at the parchment in his hand. "If I''m not mistaken, it seems that quite a few peripheral members of Rose Society have close ties to the Castell family, and the president of Rose Society... has some dealings with the heir of Castel." "Humph! These decadent noble families, colluding with gangs, oppressing the common people, I haven''t even gone to trouble them yet, and they dare to come to me..." Beside him, several other second-tier judgment knights nodded in agreement. "Castell... if I remember correctly, isn''t that one of the families His Excellency the Grand Knight specifically instructed us to focus on?" "They... seem to be suspected of involvement with the Cult of the Evil Gods. His Excellency the Grand Knight has been suspicious of the Blood Demon case that night, and the High Priest seems to be hiding something." "Humph, for the sake of his own future interests, he actually allied with such filthy families. His Excellency the High Priest has really grown old." "Just hiring won''t involve the Demon Hunters in the Holy Judgment. Since Castell is behind it, there may also be the shadow of His Excellency the High Priest..." "After this trial, it must be reported to His Excellency the Grand Knight. His Excellency the High Priest completely disregarded the sanctity of faith and the authority of our court!" The judgment knights were angry. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now As supervisors of the Church, it was also their duty to oversee the qualification of the clergyman. "Enough, let''s discuss this matter after His Excellency the Grand Knight captures Sebastian Flameheart. Let''s begin the trial." Leading the way, Rajiv stopped his colleagues from continuing their discussion. With that, he looked at the gathered members of the Rose Society in the manor, his voice solemn. S~?a??h the N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "According to the report, Rose Society harbors wanted heretical demi-humans, smuggles hand crossbows, controlled blades, awakening seeds, and other contraband, colludes with the Blood Demon Cult, is involved in several Blood Demon cases in Borde, the president of Rose Society, Sebastian, has connections with the Adam Cult active in Coria, and has ambiguous relations with the highly wanted criminal of the Holy Court, the Pure White Witch... Evidence is conclusive..." "According to Chapter 66, Verse 13, Volume 4 of the Sacred Code... Rose Society is confirmed as a secret evil organization, assessed as extremely dangerous, and the level of purification is immediate execution!" After saying this, he looked at the people of Rose Society. "Of course... our Lord has always been merciful, and evildoers will eventually receive their due punishment, but repentant individuals can also have a chance to live." "Those who have fallen into the abyss of evil, make your choice, to be purified by the Lord''s Fire of Judgment, or to repent and spend the rest of your life atoning?" "! Dogs of the Holy Court! Bastards!" An angry curse came from the crowd, immediately drawing the angry gaze of the Judgment Knights. "Kneel!" A Judgment Knight kicked the cursing man to the ground. Rajiv followed the voice and saw that the one cursing was a male demi-human, tall and strong, with a hideous appearance, and two black wolf ears on top of his head were particularly eye-catching. "He is Luff, the second-in-command of Rose Society, highly regarded within Rose Society, and also the chieftain of the demi-human remnant taken in by Sebastian, the president of Rose Society." One of the Judgment Knights hurriedly introduced to Rajiv. "Werewolf? Huh... remnants of bloodthirsty cultists that worshipped the extinct Bloodborne royal family as their totems... it seems that Rose Society is indeed related to the Blood Demon!" Rajiv sneered. After saying that, he withdrew his gaze and looked at the other members of Rose Society present. "The stubborn ones, stay still. Those who want to repent, step forward!" Hearing the words of the Judgment Knight, the captured members of Rose Society were in turmoil. After a series of angry curses, rebukes, sighs, or tears, about half of the members stepped forward. But none of the demi-humans and the extraordinary chose to move. Rajiv was not surprised by this, in the face of life and death choices, the vast majority of people still hoped to live, even if what the Holy Court offered was only a path of slow death. This was also the reason why local Inquisition Troops were able to continuously replenish their strength. In fact, as a newly formed underground gang, having half of their people choose death already surprised Rajiv quite a bit. In the years he had dealt with cults, there were not many who chose to die even in the face of such proportions. This was indeed worthy of some admiration for Rose Society, and even Sebastian, the president of Rose Society who was being pursued by the Grand Knight, had some admirable qualities. The ones who persisted in their beliefs were always worthy of admiration. Of course, admiration aside. As evildoers, they must be punished! "Put the sacred chains on those who want to repent, and execute judgment on the rest of the guilty!" Rajiv commanded. However, as soon as he finished speaking, a clear voice broke the silence. "Hold on!" The Judgment Knights turned their heads, only to see a huge procession coming from outside the manor, led by a carriage adorned with a black eagle emblem. On top of it, sat a beautiful girl in a white dress. Around her, there were hundreds of Demon Hunters following! Seeing that black eagle emblem, Rajiv''s face instantly turned ugly. His gaze fell on those who were only first-tier Demon Hunters, his expression turned cold, waving his hand he ordered. "What are you still waiting for?" "Take down Charlotte de Castell, the heir of the Castell family colluding with Rose Society!" "Take down all the Demon Hunters who obstruct the divine judgment!" "If something goes wrong, I''ll take the blame!" Rajiv stood tall, his powerful second-tier aura sweeping across the scene. Chapter 69: The Fist is the Ultimate Negotiation In the Myria world, the nobility holds many privileges, and even the church usually cannot arrest or interrogate nobles without the lord''s consent. But there is one exception. That is when the nobles collude with the evil groups determined by the Holy Court, or when the nobles themselves are involved in demonic matters and the evidence is conclusive. There is no doubt that the Castell family, who has ambiguous relations with Rose Society and hired Demon Hunters to disrupt the sacred judgment conducted by the Holy Court, has crossed the bottom line of the Judgment Knights. They meet all the conditions for the church to arrest nobles. As for how to deal with the issue after the arrest, that''s another matter. The church will definitely negotiate with the feudal lords. If they are not demonic themselves, nobles generally won''t be in danger of losing their lives, but they will certainly have to pay a price for offending the Holy Court, at least figuratively they are forced to shed some skin. Whether it''s the nobles themselves or the families they represent... As for the subsequent matters, Rajiv didn''t need to worry about them. That was something for the Duke and the High Priest to worry about. As an executor of the Holy Court, he only knew that the Castell, who dared to provoke the authority of the Inquisition and the Holy Court itself, must be punished, along with those Demon Hunters whose minds were clouded and were misled! A total of five Second-tier Judgment Knights simultaneously stepped forward to participate in the sacred judgment. Behind them, more than ten First-tier Judgment Knights, more than twenty First-tier Judgment Priests, and more than one hundred probationary Judgment Knights were also ready to act. They quickly surrounded Charlotte''s carriage along with more than one hundred Demon Hunter Knights. This was a rather terrifying force. If placed on the battlefield, so many extraordinary trained in special combat would easily handle the armies conscripted by feudal lords. The expression of the Demon Hunter Knights instantly became serious. They gathered around Charlotte''s carriage, their eyes vigilant as they watched the approaching Judgment Knights. However, the girl on the carriage remained calm. She jumped down from the carriage and came to face Rajiv, the leading Judgment Knight, elegantly lifting the hem of her dress in a curtsy. "Sir Judgment Knight, greetings. I am Charlotte de Castell, the lady of the Castell family. You must be Rajiv, the one leading this sacred judgment?" "For this sacred judgment, the Castell family has objections. We have reason to believe this is a conspiracy against Castell by some hidden force. Therefore, we request that you suspend the judgment." "Master!" "Miss Charlotte!" Seeing the girl getting off the carriage, there were exclamations among Rose Society members who had been captured on the estate. Charlotte glanced over and saw many familiar figures among them. There was no way, the Inquisition actions were much faster, even with the Castell''s resonance badges, some newcomers and old servants of Castell had long been arrested by the Judgment Knights. At the same time, the core members of Rose Society also lifted their heads one after another, casting curious and complex gazes at the girl, including the werewolf Luff and other demi-humans. As followers of Sebastian, they naturally knew that Sebastian had pledged loyalty to the lady of Castell. They couldn''t change Sebastian''s decision, and after trying to persuade him as followers, they could only obey. But that didn''t mean they also pledged loyalty to Castell. But at this moment, watching the girl leading the Demon Hunter Knights hastily arrive to stop the sacred judgment on Rose Society, there was a touch of emotion in their hearts, along with great confusion... What was the relationship between their Rose Society and Castell? Why did Lord Sebastian pledge loyalty to the heir of Castell? Why was the heir of Castell willing to stand up for Rose Society under such immense pressure? That was indeed immense pressure... The Inquisition had many privileges, and no noble was willing to really deal with these fanatical lunatics. The members of Rose Society were very confused. Charlotte, on the other hand, was quite clear-headed. Because she knew that saving Rose Society also meant saving herself. And she did have some cards up her sleeve. "Don''t worry, everyone. With me here, the injustice against Rose Society will be cleared." Charlotte addressed the people on the estate. Upon hearing the girl''s words, some people showed gratitude, some looked worried, but many wore expressions of confusion. "Injustice...? Although we don''t think we deserve the Holy Court''s sacred judgment, we know what we''ve done. The black and white in this world is not so clear-cut. After running the underworld in the outer city for so many years, our hands... are not exactly clean." They weren''t confident they could escape the judgment. Many of them felt guilty and were avoiding eye contact. "Charlotte de Castell, huh..." Rajiv quietly evaluated the girl who had left many legends in Borde in recent days, murmuring to himself. Just like the rumors, she possessed a beauty as if blessed by the Gods. Even he, who had already devoted his body and soul to the Gods, found it hard to look away from her perfect appearance, crafted like the finest artisan work. He suddenly understood why the Demon Hunters might side with her. Such a beautiful lady, with considerable wealth to boot, could indeed under the dual temptations of beauty and money, lead those bastards who were always wanted to challenge the authority of the Inquisition. What a bunch of fools! But unfortunately... The Inquisition never judged based on appearances! Looking at the beautiful girl who stepped forward, Rajiv''s words remained firm. "Suspend the judgment? Miss Charlotte, do you know what you''re saying to the Inquisition? Do you think you have the right to say such things?" "Or do you think that by hiring these ignorant fools to stand behind you, you have the right to interfere with the Inquisition''s judgment work?" "Please show some restraint. If you disband your team now, I can pretend nothing happened." Rajiv spoke solemnly. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now However, even he himself didn''t realize that his demeanor had softened somewhat. Moreover... the decision to initially arrest them upon seeing them had turned into a "please show some restraint." It seems... a face that''s too pretty can still affect one''s decisions. Even for a resolute Judgment Knight. "I''m sorry, Sir Judgment Knight, but I''m here to stop this illegal sacred judgment." The girl shook her head gently. Rajiv''s expression instantly turned cold. "Illegal? Miss Charlotte, do you work for the Inquisition now? Do you think you have the qualification to say that?" "Or do you think that with this group of ragtag individuals behind you, you can stop the Inquisition''s judgment?" With that, he looked at the Demon Hunter Knights behind her. Indeed, to Judgment Knights who had been trained as the core strength of the Church from a young age, these Demon Hunter Knights recruited from wandering knights, mercenaries, and fallen nobles by the Church were indeed ragtag. Seeing his contemptuous gaze, the Demon Hunter Knights immediately glared back at him. But no one dared to make a move. Rajiv snorted coldly and looked even more contemptuous at these Demon Hunter Knights. "Worthless, even if there are more of you gathered, you''re still worthless!" However, before he could finish his words, a cold female voice rang out. "Oh? And what if I, another ''worthless'' person, join them? Would that give us the qualifications?" Hearing this familiar cold voice, Rajiv''s gaze hardened. He looked behind the Demon Hunter Knights and saw several figures on horseback slowly appearing in the night. The leader was none other than Kara, the chief captain of the Borde Demon Hunter Squad. By her side, there were three other Silver Moon Knights from the Borde Demon Hunter Squad, and... Huh? The Duke''s son, Leno? Rajiv was stunned. His face quickly darkened. "Is the Demon Hunter Squad trying to rebel, Kara? And... does the Duke''s Mansion also want to stand up for Castell?" Rajiv''s gaze fell coldly on Leno. "Don''t look at me. I''m not representing the Duke''s Mansion now, only myself. Right now, I''m just a crude mercenary, doing things for money." Leno said with a grin. After saying that, he whistled towards the girl in front of the carriage. "Miss Charlotte, don''t forget my commission afterward! Just about the same as the Demon Hunters'' pay!" S~?a??h the n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte:... Did you call him here? She glanced at the black cat. It wasn''t me! I didn''t call him! The Duke''s Mansion is probably secretly pleased at this moment! How could they possibly come out to help? Nice gave a pitifully puzzled look. Charlotte''s gaze shifted between Leno and Kara, her expression somewhat strange. This Duke''s illegitimate child... Could it be that Nice called Captain Kara and got him as a bonus? However, although Leno''s help was somewhat unexpected for Charlotte, having another second-tier knight join her undoubtedly boosted her confidence significantly. Especially, the Judgment Knights probably didn''t know that this bootlicker''s motive is simply to follow Kara here. They probably thought the Duke''s Mansion was backing Castell. This excessive display of support was impossible to ignore! She smiled sweetly at the Judgment Knights. "Respected Sir Rajiv, Captain Kara and Lord Leno are here now. Can we have a proper discussion?" Meanwhile, Rajiv''s face darkened completely. He could scold the zero-tier and first-tier Demon Hunter Knights as worthless. But the second tier couldn''t be insulted. Furthermore, the chief captain of the Borde Demon Hunter Squad, Kara, who had the potential to advance to the third tier and had already shown signs of transformation in her source power, was powerful enough to take on several second-tier by herself! Fists ultimately ruled negotiations. With no stronger knights present, Rajiv and the other Judgment Knights exchanged glances and fell silent. "What do you want to discuss?" Looking at the beautiful and charming girl, Rajiv suppressed his anger and asked coldly. Chapter 70: The Holy Light Bear Witness "Of course, we''re discussing this sacred judgment.""Lord Rajiv, as the heir of the Castell family and the true allegiance of Rose Society, I have reason to suspect that this sacred judgment against Rose Society is manipulated by someone behind the scenes." Charlotte said calmly. With these words, the expressions of Judgment Knights changed. They looked at the girl with anger and sarcasm. Rajiv squinted slightly and said lightly. "Miss Charlotte, do you know what you''re talking about?" "The Rose Society shelters wanted heretics, smuggles contraband, colludes with the Blood Demon Cult, is involved in several bloodborne cases in Borde, and the president, Sebastian, has connections with the Adam Cult..." "These matters have already been secretly investigated by the Inquisition, and the evidence is conclusive!" With that, Rajiv''s expression turned cold. "Given that situation, do you still want to excuse Rose Society? Or perhaps, Castell wants to protect Rose Society?" Charlotte sighed and took out a scroll from her pocket. "Lord Rajiv, this is what I''m going to talk about next." "In fact, it was only recently that I officially contacted Rose Society and learned that they have always been a secret line of Castell family..." "In recent days, in order to understand what Rose Society has been doing over the years, Castell family has also conducted some investigations." "The information Castell family obtained about these matters differs slightly from what you said." "Firstly, sheltering heretical heretics is slander. More accurately, Rose Society takes in heretics, and the true purpose is to help the lost heretics return to the right path!" "These heretics were indeed once heretics, but they have long since changed their beliefs under the glory of our Lord and become devout holy believers!" Upon hearing the girl''s words, Kara, whose eyes were flickering with light, paused slightly and couldn''t help but glance at her. And Rajiv, whose pupils were also shimmering with silver, frowned slightly. However, they did not interrupt the girl''s words, and Charlotte did not pause either. "Secondly, Rose Society''s involvement in bloodborne cases... is not true. In fact, Rose Society''s purpose is to investigate the actions of the Blood Demon Cult." "Furthermore, Mr. Sebastian from Rose Society does have connections with the Adam Cult... but it is not collusion as the informant claimed. In fact, it''s quite the opposite. Mr. Sebastian actually offended the Adam Cult and forced him to flee to the Crescent Kingdom." "Finally, as for... smuggling contraband, this is indeed true, but which underground force does not engage in such activities? The Castell family is willing to pay fines for Rose Society''s smuggling, but this... is not enough to classify Rose Society as an evil organization." "These matters... the Castell family also has conclusive evidence, which Lord Rajiv can review one by one." Charlotte spoke calmly and convincingly. After speaking, she handed the scroll in her hand to Nice and instructed him to hand it to the Judgment Knights. Rajiv took it and did not open it, but said indifferently. "Miss Charlotte, do you know that the Inquisition possesses a solidified divine magic called the Eye of Truth, which can discern lies?" "This divine magic is rarely mastered by anyone, but coincidentally, I am one of them..." With that, he looked coldly at the girl. "Miss Charlotte, you lied." With these words, the expressions of Judgment Knights became even angrier as they looked at the girl, and the Demon Hunter Knights also looked surprised and couldn''t help but glance at Kara. Kara remained silent for a moment before nodding gently. "She did indeed lie." Upon hearing this, the Demon Hunter Knights were also in a commotion, feeling a bit guilty. Praise be to the Holy Light! When did they... become followers of the Holy Court? The demi-humans have no goodwill towards the Holy Court, and some of the wolf-eared ones with strong limbs even changed their faces on the spot, ready to erupt. But they quickly quieted down under the signal from their leader, Luff, the werewolf. The werewolf leader frowned and looked at the girl talking to the Judgment Knights. Although he didn''t know what the other party was thinking, associating it with the respect Sebastian, the lord of Rose Society, had for the girl and her confident demeanor, he inexplicably had a strange thought... She might really have a way. This thought surprised Luff himself. As the second-in-command of Rose Society, this was the first time he had seen Charlotte de Castell. Before this, he even had some dissatisfaction with her. However, at this moment, looking at the girl under the night sky, he didn''t know why he inexplicably felt a strange trust in her words... It was like some kind of instinct. Luff was puzzled and confused. On the other hand, the Second-tier Judgment Knight Rajiv''s brow furrowed more and more. This was a situation he hadn''t anticipated. He thought the girl was just causing trouble, but he didn''t expect her to have evidence in hand as well. However... "Miss Charlotte, this is just your word against ours. While the documents in your hand are detailed, they still need to be verified for authenticity. Furthermore, delaying time to fabricate evidence is not impossible. On the contrary... the Inquisition has already investigated the charges against Rose Society." Rajiv said in a deep voice. Listening to the Judgment Knight''s words, Charlotte smiled slightly. After circling around for so long... she finally circled back to this topic. In fact, first pretending and then being truthful was the rhetoric she had prepared, and her goal was to continuously shift everyone''s attention, ultimately making everyone ignore the various loopholes in her rhetoric and focus on verifying the authenticity of the Inquisition''s evidence... "You''re right." "We do indeed have suspicions of delaying time to fabricate evidence." "But similarly... wouldn''t it possible the reported materials in your hands have been carefully planned and fabricated as well?" The girl said calmly. With these words, Rajiv was stunned. His gaze swept over the Demon Hunter Knights, finally settling on the leading girl with a cold expression. "Miss Charlotte, are you questioning the ability of the Inquisition?" "No... I''m just worried that the esteemed knights of the Inquisition may be misled. If my guess is correct, this report should be anonymous, right?" "There are many doubts in this divine judgment. I''m just concerned... that the great Radiance may misjudge HIS devout followers." The girl shook her head. "Outrageous! Are you questioning the radiance of our Lord?!" We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Upon hearing the girl''s words, the other second-tier knights beside Rajiv became furious. Rajiv''s expression became even more grim. He gestured for the other Judgment Knights to remain calm, then looked deeply at Charlotte for a moment before suddenly sneering. "How about this?" "Since Miss Charlotte is so confident and distrustful of our Inquisition, let''s leave everything to the Judgment of the Holy Light." "Evidence may be wrong, but the Light does not lie. I have never heard of demi-humans changing their faith. Let the Judgment of the Holy Light witness the truth." Upon hearing Rajiv''s words, the girl raised her right hand and drew a standard cross in front of her chest, devoutly saying. "Praise the Lord! This is perfect. I believe... the great Lord will witness the purity of Rose Society, and the Light of Justice... will witness the devotion of Rose Society!" Watching the girl''s fanaticism, Rajiv furrowed his brow slightly, unable to understand whether she was truly naive or pretending to be so. "Holy Light Judgment?!" The Demon Hunter Knights were also startled, their gazes toward the girl becoming quite strange. Yes, the Holy Light does not lie. But at the same time, the Holy Light is also more overbearing. Especially Its Judgment. The Holy Light Judgment is a sacred art that judges the faith of the target, first created by the Holy Court''s Saint, Benedict III. Under the Holy Light, the devout are unharmed, while heretics, those with wavering faith, unbelievers, and those who commit sins, all receive severe punishment. From minor mental disorders to direct death under the burning of the Holy Light. This is the Holy Court''s most severe judgment method. The Inquisition may make mistakes, but the Holy Light Judgment does not. Moreover, for the most severe Holy Light Judgment, even stains unrelated to the current divine judgment are often greatly magnified... Hundreds of years ago, the main reason the Holy Court removed the Holy Light Judgment from divine judgment was that this art was too rigid, rigid to an extreme that was bordering sinister. In order to identify the true devout, it would purify all the sinners that the Inquisition had originally intended to absorb into the Judgment Troops. At that moment, Rajiv even had an imagination. The Inquisition just wanted to eradicate Rose Society because they wanted to replenish the local Judgment Troops with fresh blood. But Charlotte de Castell... wanted all members of Rose Society to die. Even the knights of the Church were not so extreme, the faces of Rose Society members turned even greener. "Uh... can I refuse the Holy Light Judgment and just join the Judgment Troops?" Some people were almost in tears, some even raised their hands directly. Ignoring the turmoil of Rose Society, Rajiv said indifferently. "Since Miss Charlotte wants the Holy Light to judge, then prepare for the Holy Light Judgment." At this point, whether or not to accept Rose Society members into the Judgment Troops no longer mattered. The matter had escalated to such an extent that he had to regain his dignity. Obviously, this young heir of Castell had no idea how severe the Holy Light Judgment was. Naive, simple, and even a bit foolish! As an underground gang like Rose Society, with dirty hands, how could they withstand the judgment of the Holy Light? Rajiv''s expression grew colder. This time, he had to deal with Rose Society and Castell family ruthlessly, to warn the world of the authority of the Inquisition! With Rajiv''s command, the Judgment Knights immediately took action. They approached the members of Rose Society, raising their silver swords high, their voices fervent and devout. "Our Lord Harald!" "You are the creator of the New World!" "You are divine in the Holy Court!" "May your Holy Light descend," "To give the most severe judgment to the demons and evils..." ... Seeing the knights approaching them, chanting spells, and releasing the Holy Light Judgment, many members of Rose Society turned pale. "No! Please! I confess! Don''t use the Holy Light Judgment!" Some people exclaimed. However, it was already too late. The Judgment Knights were always swift in their actions. With their chanting, the brilliant Holy Light suddenly bloomed in Rose Society''s manor, engulfing everyone. S?a?ch* Th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Some people let out cries of agony. But as they cried, their voices disappeared. Still alive... But their expressions were all filled with confusion. Looking at their hands emitting a gentle halo under the Holy Light, they all stood still. Huh? Why... doesn''t it hurt? The demi-humans were even more dumbfounded as they looked at the light of faith on their bodies. Huh? When did I truly become a Holy Court believer? On the other side, seeing the members of Rose Society, with their faith lights shining either dimly or brightly under the Holy Light, the knights of the Church were also stunned. Rajiv furrowed his brow slightly. Looking around, his gaze fell on a Judgment Knight, and he casually threw the person into the Holy Light. Accompanied by a piercing scream, the member of the Judgment Troops thrown into the Holy Light quickly turned into ashes... The Holy Light lasted for about half a minute before disappearing. Although many members of the Rose Society were mentally dazed and clearly received some punishment, they all survived. At that moment, the entire estate fell silent. Chapter 71: We offer our allegiance to you The faith of Rose Society is so devout?That''s the only thought in the minds of all the church knights right now. Absurd, bizarre, unbelievable... Yet, it''s the truth. The Holy Light cannot lie. Even the evil ones in the Judgement Troops have died under the Holy Light''s judgment. Although many members of the Rose Society have been directly purified, the vast majority have survived. This fact alone is enough to overturn everyone''s understanding. "How about it, Lord Rajiv? Do you still think Rose Society is an evil organization?" Charlotte asked casually. Rajiv fell silent. Or rather, all the Judgment Knights fell silent. It''s not unexpected that some members of the Rose Society would be purified. After all, for a non-church organization, you can''t expect everyone to be devout believers. And even for the church itself, if every person were to undergo Holy Light Judgment from top to bottom, the Judgment Knights couldn''t be sure how many scoundrels would be purified. No organization, no matter how tight knit, can avoid the occurrence of corruption over time. For Rose Society to have so many people withstand the Holy Light''s judgment has greatly shocked them. Even more shocking is that those they considered heretics, the demi-humans, each and every one of them is radiating with the light of faith. Absurd! Are these guys really demi-humans? Even the Demon Hunter Knights were dumbfounded by the light emanating from them. Rajiv''s expression grew darker. He didn''t answer the girl''s question but instead gave a cold snort, stepped forward, and grabbed the collar of the demi-human leader, Luff the Werewolf, and coldly asked. "Tell me, what is your faith?" His eyes glowed, and the Eye of Truth instantly activated. Luff had previously cursed them as lackeys of the Holy Court, but now the light of faith on his body was as bright as stars. Rajiv couldn''t believe there was no problem here! Seeing this Second-rank Judgment Knight being so cautious, Charlotte''s gaze also narrowed slightly. She secretly sighed and began to prepare her next targeted rhetoric. Luff fell silent. His gaze shifted from the girl to the Judgment Knights for a long time before looking back at the Judgment Knight again, contemplating. "Speak!" Rajiv angrily repeated. "I naturally believe in the great divine." Luff lifted his head proudly and said lightly. Silver light flashed in Rajiv''s eyes, and he was slightly astonished. The other party was telling the truth... Charlotte, on the other hand, glanced at the Wolfman unexpectedly. This guy is really good at skating around the edge. The great divine... Although the continent of Myria generally associates this statement with the Holy Court, Nice once told her that a long time ago, this phrase actually applied to all true Gods. It''s just that with the Holy Court becoming dominant, this saying gradually became monopolized by the Holy Court. Now, most people, especially the Judgment Knights, equate the great divine with the Lord Harald. In this case, is the faith of demi-humans actually related to a true God? Didn''t the books say they only worshipped totems? Charlotte was somewhat curious. Of course, now is not the time for curiosity. Since Rajiv''s questioning was cleverly resolved by the smart werewolf, there was no need for her to brew rhetoric again. It''s time to strike back, and she must not let the Judgment Knights detect any flaws in the werewolf''s words! "Lord Rajiv, do you not believe in the Holy Light''s judgment? Or... are you doubting the power of our Lord?" Charlotte asked calmly. Rajiv stiffened slightly, loosening his grip on the werewolf''s hand. His expression changed uncertainly, and the Judgment Knights exchanged glances. "Yes, Lord Rajiv, don''t you believe in the Holy Light''s judgment?" "Actually wanting to judge devout believers, the Inquisition is really corrupt!" "Hah! A bunch of lunatics who do evil under the banner of faith!" Seeing Rose Society gain the recognition of the Holy Light and the Inquisition suffering, the Demon Hunter Knights were immediately delighted, and their confidence bolstered. S?a?ch* Th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. They were all being sarcastic and adding fuel to the fire, afraid that the situation wouldn''t become chaotic enough. Even worse, many Demon Hunter Knights stepped forward, rubbing their hands together, eager to move, obviously ready to fight. If they were hesitant to fight before because of the great gap in strength, and they were afraid of taking responsibility, now... they had every reason to stop the Inquisition. Protecting devout believers was the duty of the Demon Hunters! Even the female knight, Kara, placed her hand on the hilt of her sword. Rajiv''s complexion grew even uglier. He glanced at the increasingly nervous Judgment Knights, gritted his teeth for a moment, and finally sighed, commanding. "Stop the judgment! Release the people from Rose Society, let''s go!" After saying that, he mounted his horse, leading the Judgment Knights, and turned to leave. "Hold on!" Charlotte suddenly called out to him. Rajiv looked at the girl coldly. "Miss Charlotte, we have already suspended the divine judgment. What else do you want?" Rajiv asked. Charlotte glanced at the black cat, Nice, who immediately understood, stepped forward, and sneered. "Hey! What do you mean? Tonight, the Inquisition has caused such great harm to Rose Society. I don''t know how many devout believers have died under the sword of the Inquisition. Now that you have found out you judged wrong, do you just want to leave?" Rajiv''s brow furrowed even deeper. "What do you mean, Lord Nice?" "Of course, I mean it literally, Lord Rajiv. You represent the Inquisition, don''t you? The Inquisition represents the church. A wrong judgment has harmed innocent believers. Shouldn''t you explain? Shouldn''t you compensate? How can the church gain people''s trust in the future?" Nice said leisurely. Rajiv was furious. "Are you mocking the Inquisition?!" However, looking at Nice''s smug cat face and the gathered dangerously looking Demon Hunter Knights, he fell silent for a moment. Finally, he sighed. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "I will report this matter to His Excellency, the Grand Knight." "How to compensate Rose Society will be decided by His Excellency, the Grand Knight." With these words, Rose Society''s status as an innocent organization was completely confirmed. Charlotte breathed a sigh of relief. She smiled slightly and said. "I trust in the fairness of His Excellency, the Grand Knight, and I believe in the promises of all the esteemed Judgment Knights." She didn''t continue to pressure them, lest these crazy people become even more desperate. With a serious expression, the girl continued. "However, I think it is most important for the Inquisition to investigate the identity of the informer." "The Judgment Knights are righteous and admirable. It is only because they were misled by the informer behind the scenes that they mistook Rose Society for an evil organization." "This secretive informant is malicious. It may seem like they are targeting Rose Society, but in reality, they are targeting Castell and the Church!" "I highly suspect that this hidden force is likely related to the Blood Demon Cult!" "So... Lord Rajiv, I believe that capturing these truly sinister instigators who sow discord is the most important thing!" "The Blood Demon Cult?" Judgment Knight Rajiv narrowed his eyes. Even the female knight, Kara, instantly became serious, her gaze fixed on the girl. "Yes, a few days ago, after the Duke''s banquet, I was almost assassinated again. The assailant was from the Blood Demon Cult." Charlotte said. Rajiv''s expression immediately became solemn. "I see," he said after a moment of contemplation. Then, he nodded slightly and gestured to the other Judgment Knights, "Retreat." The Judgment Knights acted swiftly. After Rajiv gave the order to retreat, they quickly withdrew from the Rose estate. As they left, their faces were all unsightly, clearly holding back a lot of anger. Charlotte smirked. Presumably... the Blood Demon Cult hidden in Borde would have a hard time for a while. Turning her gaze away from the departing Judgment Knights, the girl approached the members of Rose Society and said to the Demon Hunter Knights who had followed. "Esteemed knights, please release the members of Rose Society from their sacred chains." Upon hearing this, the Demon Hunter Knights immediately took action, and the freed members of Rose Society all focused their gaze on Charlotte. There were complex emotions among them¡ªgratitude, excitement, confusion. "Master! We knew it! Castell would never abandon us!" The old servants and young boys and girls who had been arrested as peripheral members were excited, kneeling on one knee. Even those elders and newcomers who had been rescued early and came with the girl also bowed respectfully. "Please rise. Protecting family vassals is my duty." Charlotte said, helping them up. At the same time, led by the werewolf leader, Luff, the members of Rose Society came to Charlotte. Luff''s expression was complex. Under Charlotte''s astonished gaze, the second-in-command of Rose Society suddenly knelt down and said hoarsely. "Lady Charlotte, thank you for rescuing us." "Although I don''t know what methods you used to save us, the Blood Wolf Tribe has always repaid kindness... I have never understood why Lord Sebastian chose to follow you, why he made us pledge allegiance to you, but now... I somewhat understand." "From today onwards, we will also pledge our allegiance to you, just like we do to Lord Sebastian!" After speaking, Luff bowed his head and kissed the girl''s toe, performing the most solemn allegiance ritual among the demi-humans. Behind him, the other demi-humans also prostrated themselves. Like a chain reaction, gradually, the members of Rose Society knelt one by one, paying their respects to the girl. Underground forces place the greatest emphasis on loyalty and righteousness. The president of Rose Society has declared his allegiance to Charlotte more than once within the organization, but the upper and lower echelons of Rose Society have always been puzzled and resistant. But this time, after being rescued, they finally accepted it. As the first rays of golden sunlight broke through the darkness, bringing light, the night had passed, the clouds had dispersed, and the sun... had risen. The warm and gentle morning sun shone on the girl, adding a touch of sanctity to her already beautiful appearance, like a savior angel. Seeing her dazzling figure, the posture of the members of the Rose Society became even more respectful. At the same time, in Charlotte''s perception, her Majesty Magic began the most rapid growth in history... Soon, her Majesty Magic reached the pinnacle of mastery, just one step away from true perfection. She was just one step away from advancing to the first-tier Starry Sky. "Great Lady Charlotte, did you modify the Holy Light Judgment? How did you modify the Holy Light Judgment?" Nice couldn''t help but ask his question. Of course, it asked through the telepathy function of the Servant''s final oath. Charlotte glanced at it and answered in her mind. "Of course, after the judgment of the divine believers, I added ''or loyal to the Rose Society, or loyal to Charlotte de Castell." Nice: ... "To filter subordinates with the Holy Light... That''s quite evil. I can only say, only you would do it!" It showed an admiring expression of worship. At that moment, accompanied by the sound of hooves, a Judgment Knight returned. Under the wary gaze of everyone, they saw him come to Charlotte and quickly say. "Lady Charlotte, Lord Rajiv asked me to tell you something." "The divine judgment of Rose Society can be revoked, but the president of Rose Society, Sebastian, attacked the Church''s clergy a few days ago." "He has been judged as a sinner and is being pursued by His Excellency, the Grand Knight." "I also hope that you know who should be saved and who should not..." With that, the knight mounted his horse again and quickly left. And Charlotte''s brow furrowed. Chapter 72: Second Blood Summoning Attack on the church''s clergy? Sebastian?Charlotte furrowed her brows. "Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" "Lord Charlotte, Lord Sebastian has always been cautious in his actions, and he has always instructed us not to antagonize the church and the nobility. He would definitely not attack the clergy!" The werewolf Luff firmly denied, shaking his head vigorously. Charlotte pondered. Others might not be aware of what Sebastian had done, but Charlotte knew. He had gone to investigate the young nobleman Jordan, who was likely involved with the Blood Demon Cult. Attacking the Holy Court''s clergy... Regardless of whether it''s true or false, if Sebastian had really done such a thing, Charlotte believed there must be a reason behind it. Perhaps... Sebastian had discovered something. Fortunately, since the Judgment Knights said that the Grand Knight was chasing Sebastian, it meant that Sebastian hadn''t been captured yet. That was a good thing. As long as he hadn''t fallen into the hands of the Inquisition, there was still room for maneuver. Thinking this, Charlotte took a deep breath. S?a??h the Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Sebastian must be saved. He was currently the strongest force she could rely on. Even if she returned to the Castell''s domain in the future, Sebastian would still be her loyal dog... No, her servant. The key was how to save him. Escaping from the pursuit of a Third-Tier Grand Knight meant that Sebastian''s current strength, even if not at the Third tier, was probably far beyond the Second tier. To be honest, Charlotte couldn''t intervene in a battle of this level. Moreover, Charlotte didn''t even know where Sebastian was at the moment. However, she had an idea of how to contact Sebastian. As for how to rescue him from the pursuit, she had some ideas as well... "I understand Sebastian''s character. He''s definitely not a reckless guy. There might be a misunderstanding in this matter." "You all should go and heal your wounds first. The matters afterward will be handed over to Castell family." Charlotte promised to the members of Rose Society. The members of Rose Society glanced at each other. Each family knew its own affairs. They were well aware of their own capabilities. According to the dark history of Rose Society, they would certainly not escape the Holy Light Judgment. Without a doubt, the girl must have done something secretly before the Holy Light Judgment. However, they were not fools. They naturally knew what to ask and what not to ask. After the Holy Light Judgment, those who remained here were almost all loyal supporters of Sebastian or Charlotte, and they wouldn''t speak nonsense. Now, with the previous rescue, they also had some awe of the girl''s mystery. Although they didn''t know what she intended to do to rescue their leader, in the face of Charlotte''s reassuring words, they finally calmed down. The Demon Hunter Knights looked at each other, and finally, Captain Chatham spoke to the girl. "Miss Charlotte... Regarding matters involving the Grand Knight... we are powerless. Even Captain Kara cannot interfere." "The Grand Knight is a truly powerful and supreme Blazing Sun Knight..." "I think... perhaps you can go to find the High Priest. Only he can find and persuade the Grand Knight of the Inquisition." "I know he refused you before, but I think it must have been for the sake of the overall situation. Now that Rose Society has been proven to be righteous and as the backing of Castell, I believe the High Priest will take action." Captain Chatham''s expression was sincere. But Charlotte felt a bit helpless. Go find the High Priest again? That old hypocrite was probably a pervert... If she went to find him, she would be throwing herself into the lion''s den. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Of course, on the surface, she expressed her gratitude for the advice of the Demon Hunter Knight. After all, they had no idea what she had encountered, and she couldn''t afford to offend the High Priest without evidence. "Captain Chatham, thank you for your reminder, and thank you to all the knights for your help today." The girl bowed to the Demon Hunter Knights. The Demon Hunter Knights waved their hands repeatedly. They were just doing their job for money, and they were also delighted to see the Inquisition lose face today. After speaking to the Demon Hunter Knights, Charlotte looked at Kara and thought for a moment before saying. "Captain Kara, regarding the Blood Demon Cult..." "After everything has settled down, I will visit again." Kara responded calmly. After that, she turned and left. The Duke''s son Leno also hesitated for a moment, smiled politely at the girl, and then quickly followed Captain Kara, running faster than the wind. Charlotte felt a little regretful but also relieved. She still didn''t know Sebastian''s situation, and the specific information about the Blood Demon Cult was also in his hands. At present, it was not the right time to have a deep conversation with Kara. "Master, I have instructed them to search for those family members and new members who have not been found. What should we do next?" Casimodo asked respectfully. "Contact the hospital of the church to treat the injured, and then take our people back to Castell Manor first." Looking at the sun that was about to come out completely, Charlotte said. ...... Returning from the outer city to Castell Manor, it was already bright outside. Once back at the manor, Charlotte instructed everyone not to disturb her and locked herself in the study alone. The second Blood Summoning was already fully charged, and time was running out. She planned to perform the second Blood Summoning. This time, her target for the summoning was not someone else but Sebastian. She wanted to communicate with him through the Blood Summoning, learn about his situation, and help him escape through the Blood Summoning! More precisely, it was to help him escape by signing a blood contract with him! Thinking of this, Charlotte immediately took action, silently chanting the Blood Summoning, and once again entered the Dark Night Castle. The familiar crimson flooded everything, and the girl stood once again upon the Blood Throne, her petite figure changing into her adult form. Silver hair, golden-red eyes, tall figure with graceful curves, and that mysterious and noble black divine dress... According to the explanation in the "Gospel of Blood," this form was Charlotte''s liberated state in the Dark Night Castle! Sitting high on the throne, Charlotte gently closed her eyes. With her intention, the sea of blood descended once again, and countless crimson stars emerged, floating around her. Among all the crimson stars, there was one that gave her a strong sense of familiarity, and Charlotte could even ''smell'' Sebastian''s breath faintly. However, at this moment, the light of that star was extremely dim and weak, giving a feeling of instability, as if it could extinguish at any moment. Charlotte didn''t hesitate. She reached out and touched the star belonging to Sebastian. At the next moment, the crimson light burst forth! Chapter 73: Sebastians Allegiance This is a sparse forest.Within the forest, a dilapidated wooden house looms faintly among the bushes. Inside the wooden house, Sebastian is half-lying amid the weeds, his face pale. He is covered in blood, his elegant tailcoat already tattered. The left half of his sleeve is even more empty, as his entire left arm has been cut off from his shoulder by a sharp weapon. The trickling blood flows down his wounds, gathering beneath him into a small stream. As an ancient flame elf, he keenly feels his life force rapidly draining away. Struggling to lift his head, Sebastian looks towards the window. A golden energy shield has already enveloped the wooden house. He recognizes it as one of the signature divine magic of the Holy Court, a sealing spell used to imprison divine beings. This complex and intricate divine magic is usually only used when sealing off large forces. But now, it''s being used on him alone. "Heh, they''re using the Judgment Prison directly. The Grand Knight really thinks highly of me." With a smirk, Sebastian laboriously raises his right hand, skillfully retrieving a goblet from his storage space and pouring the last drop of red wine from the bottle into it. Elegantly lifting the goblet, he takes a gentle sip. "Sebastian, you''re surrounded." "The Grand Knight said, if you voluntarily surrender and seal your own power, the Inquisition can spare your life and give you a chance to reform!" "Are you still waiting for someone to come and save you? The Inquisition has already initiated the sacred judgment against Rose Society. I''m sure Rose Society is now completely finished." The shouts of the Judgment Knights come from outside the wooden house, urging Sebastian to surrender. Sebastian scoffs. "Surrender? Join the ranks of the Judgment Troops as cannon fodder?" "I''ve even betrayed Luna Island. No one can force me to do something I don''t want to do!" "If you''re capable, come in yourselves!" Surrender? He is a proud flame elf. In his dictionary, the word surrender has never been written! Sebastian''s proud and disdainful words resonate from the wooden house. Around the wooden house, the Judgment Knights look at each other. "Grand Knight, he refuses to surrender... Should we launch a strong attack? He''s already heavily injured. Even if you don''t intervene, he won''t be our match." The Judgment Knight who shouted respectfully asks the Grand Knight behind him. The Grand Knight is a middle-aged man who looks to be in his forties or fifties, with a standard square face, stubble, sharp features, and a stern expression. However, unlike his rugged appearance, his eyes have a different calmness. Looking at the wooden house in the Judgment Prison, he shakes his head gently. "No need..." "Sebastian Flameheart was once a high elf just one step away from being a legendary. Every elf is a natural magical creature, able to resonate with elements at the cost of their own soul." "Someone like him, even if heavily injured, can still take a few with him before he dies." "Since he refuses to surrender, then let''s set it on fire. I want to see if this so-called flame elf is afraid of flame..." The Grand Knight says lightly. He doesn''t hide his voice. His calm words enter the wooden house, causing Sebastian, who is sipping wine lightly, to sigh inwardly. The Judgment Knights are always fighting against the enemies of the Holy Court, surrounded by danger at every turn throughout their lives. To rise from the smallest trainee Judgment Knight to become a Grand Knight suppressing one side, besides powerful strength, calmness and caution are necessary. Sebastian knows that his idea of taking a few Judgment Knights down with him has failed. The Judgment Knights quickly take action. They take out buckets of grease and bundles of dry firewood, pouring them towards the wooden house and stacking them up. Watching the actions of the Judgment Knights through the window, Sebastian can only sigh lightly. He is too heavily injured, really too heavily injured. The magic power in his body has long been completely exhausted, his entire left arm has been severed by a sword, and even the pair of legs under him has been rendered useless under the the Grand Knight''s Sacred Fury. He can no longer use any magic. All he can do is wait for the Judgment Knights to approach, burn his soul, trigger an elemental storm, and perish together. However, even this is no longer possible now. "Lord Sebastian, wake up! The Blood Demon Cult behind you has already abandoned you. They won''t come to your aid." "Now surrender, while you still can." After stacking the firewood and pouring the oil, the Judgment Knights shouted again. "I have no interest in living a life of compromise!" "Furthermore... don''t insult me by mentioning the Blood Demon Cult! That bunch of trash, I don''t even care about them!" Sebastian mocked. Upon hearing this, the Grand Knight frowned slightly, then ordered. "Ignite it." With his command, the Judgment Knights raised torches burning with the flames of judgment and set the pile of firewood ablaze. The fire quickly spread, engulfing the entire wooden house. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "Is it over..." Watching the thick smoke spreading around him, Sebastian muttered to himself. There''s some reluctance in his heart. He never expected his life to end here. However, it was his choice, and he must bear the consequences of his choice. I wonder... What is the Lady of the Night doing now? I haven''t returned for so many days, is SHE worried about me? Upon hearing the news of Rose Society being judged by the Holy Court, will SHE stand up for Rose Society? At this moment, Sebastian''s thoughts slowed down infinitely, thinking about many things. But soon, he felt that thinking like this was childish and ridiculous. "What are you thinking? SHE''s the Lady of the Night, SHE''s a true God." "Although SHE has not regained her power now, although SHE looks like a mortal now, but... how could SHE really be a mortal?" "Gods won''t mistreat their followers, but Gods also have their own indifference and calmness..." "Now, what qualifications do I have for HER help and rescue?" "Perhaps in the Lady of the Night''s eyes, I... am just a waste." Sebastian sighed lightly. He knew he had never truly gained the Lady of the Night''s complete trust. Because he had never truly devoted his loyalty to the Lady of the Night. As an elf with a long lifespan, he had seen too many stories about Gods and their followers. And in every story, when a God chooses their followers, the first question they ask is "What do you want"... But the Lady of the Night never asked. He didn''t believe that the Lady of the Night, such an ancient God, didn''t know this "unspoken rule". He believed even more that the other party had already seen through his thoughts and was waiting for him to speak first. s?a??h th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. But he didn''t dare to speak. To follow a God in order to become a God? Such a selfish and disrespectful purpose, I''m afraid no God would approve of it, right? In history, the followers of those Gods were all fervent believers. Becoming a God was a gift they received from the God they follow. Rather than the direction they strived for. Sebastian knew that he couldn''t gain the Lady of the Night''s approval for this reason. So, he had never dared to tell the Lady of the Night proactively why he pledged allegiance to HER. But he knew that the Lady of the Night must have already understood. However, knowing and not saying it was two different concepts for Gods. He was afraid, he was uneasy, he was worried... So, he repeatedly performed in front of the Lady of the Night. He wanted to prove himself, prove his strength, prove that even if he didn''t reveal his heart, he still had value to the Lady of the Night. Prove that he had the ability to become a God''s follower. He believed that this was a tacit transaction between himself and the God. "Perhaps... deep down, I am still very proud." "No... this is not pride, but arrogance." "Even though I decided to follow a God, I have always had the mentality that I can eventually follow the God and become a God myself, and I have never genuinely felt awe for the Gods." "Such a person like me, I''m afraid I have never truly entered the Lady of the Night''s view..." "Heh heh, looking at it this way, I am indeed a foolish person, proud yet humble, arrogant yet self-deprecating..." Sebastian self-mockingly said. There are still many things he can''t let go of. Luna Island, Rose Society, his lost homeland... He also really wants to go and see the scenery from a higher place. However, he can''t go that far anymore. He didn''t give his sincere heart. And when the crisis came, he would inevitably be abandoned. The temperature in the wooden house began to rise, and the smoke became thicker. Under severe injuries, Sebastian''s consciousness became increasingly blurred. In the haze, his vision seemed to be filled with crimson flames. A familiar voice sounded in his ears. "Sebastian, you look quite miserable today." Chapter 74: Blood-kin The Lady of the Night?It seems that it''s time for my death, and I''m starting to have hallucinations. It''s as if I can hear the voice of the Lady of the Night... Sebastian mocked himself inwardly. With a light sigh, he closed his eyes, waiting for death to come. However, he quickly realized that something was amiss. At some point, the world around him seemed to suddenly fall silent. The stinging smell of burning oil and dry firewood disappeared. The gradually increasing temperature of the blazing wooden house seemed to vanish. Even the crackling of flames, and the conversations of the Judgment Knights, all disappeared. Almost instinctively, Sebastian opened his eyes again, and soon he was slightly surprised. What greeted his eyes was not the grayish-white smoke and the dilapidated wooden house accompanying the firelight, but the familiar crimson mist and the still majestic ancient castle... Upon layers of ancient steps, the majestic Blood Throne resided in the center, with a tall figure concealed within the crimson mist seated upon it. The Lady of the Night! It''s the Lady of the Night! The Lady of the Night has summoned him back to this strange spiritual world again! Sebastian''s spirits lifted. Instinctively, he wanted to rise and bow, and then... he actually succeeded in standing up. This was the spiritual world. Here, his hands and feet were intact, and even his black tailcoat remained elegant and refined. "Lady of the Night...!" Seeing the familiar figure on the throne, Sebastian''s voice was filled with excitement. But soon, he became anxious again, ashamedly lowering his head: "Forgive me, Lady... Sebastian is incompetent for getting caught by the Inquisition..." Sebastian''s voice grew smaller, various regretful thoughts churning in his mind. At the same time, sitting high on the throne, Charlotte was also startled. She heard Sebastian''s true inner voice. She also understood Sebastian''s true intentions in wanting to follow her. Wow... So he regarded me, who possesses the Gospel Blood, as the resurrected True Ancestor of the bloodborne, and wanted to hitch a ride to Godhood! He really thinks wildly, I''m not even a Starry Sky, yet... he''s already thinking about how to become a God! Wait a minute... slow down... Does he think I know all this? Does he think he''s doing some kind of unspoken deal with me? So he''s boot-licking because of this? What the hell! Listening to Sebastian''s chaotic inner thoughts, Charlotte was at a loss. However, after the confusion, she quickly figured out many things. Strong individuals have their own pride. Like Sebastian, turning into a lapdog so soon after meeting someone is indeed abnormal. Now that she knows the other''s inner thoughts, she understands everything. He''s not seriously boot-licking. Boot-licking is just his way of alleviating his inner unease and tension. He''s boot-licking because he''s feeling guilty. He thinks his reasons for following this "Evil God" won''t be accepted. He has ambitions and pride, he thinks he can''t possibly pledge allegiance to a God as a pure believer. But he also admires the power of the Gods immensely. He wants to follow God, but he''s afraid his true thoughts will provoke God''s wrath... Charlotte didn''t know what the Gods of Myria thought of Sebastian''s mindset. Perhaps, just like Sebastian thought, they really would be angry at the existence of someone who followed them with the purpose of "becoming a God", considering such arrogant thoughts as trampling on the dignity of the Gods. Perhaps, in their eyes, humble mortals simply have no right to negotiate with the Gods, what the Gods give is a blessing, and what mortals offer is a duty. Regardless of what the true Gods think, Charlotte doesn''t have such thoughts at all. Perhaps it was her identity as a transmigrator that made her lack sufficient awe for Myria''s gods. Perhaps it was her education in her past life that formed a moral value of "nobles, kings, and generals should have their own dignity". Perhaps it was the existence of the Gospel of Blood that gave her a lot of unfounded confidence. Anyway... She didn''t think Sebastian''s thoughts were unacceptable, nor did she think they were blasphemous. He just wants to become a God, right? When one person achieves greatness, even their pets ascend to heaven. If one day she could also occupy a divine seat, as long as her followers are loyal enough, what does it matter if she shares some positions? At the same time, a strange thought began to spread in Charlotte''s mind... It seems... even mortals in this world can become Gods. Even Sebastian has thoughts of becoming a God, why can''t she give it a try? What''s the point of disguising herself as an Evil God with artifacts? Becoming a true God would justify her transmigration to this world! Of course, the road has to be taken step by step, and the meal has to be eaten bite by bite. She wasn''t even first-tier now, nor had she inherited any territory. Thinking about becoming a god now is like an elementary school student worrying about whether to go to Tsinghua University or Peking University in the future. Knowing Sebastian''s true intentions makes it easier. Her second blood summoning was to save the other party and completely subdue him. And now, it''s time to be open and honest. With this in mind, Charlotte lightly tapped the armrest, and her clear and dignified voice echoed from the Blood Throne, tinged with a hint of disappointment. "You are indeed incompetent, not only incompetent but also foolish." "Your arrogance wants the whole world to know about your relationship with Castell, hitching yourself to Castell''s bandwagon." "Your arrogance has never allowed you to truly appreciate loyalty, willingly imprisoning yourself in shackles." We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "And your foolishness has put both you and Rose Society in unprecedented danger..." Listening to Charlotte''s words, Sebastian''s face grew even paler. He felt as though every word of the Lady of the Night was striking his soul, exposing all his inner thoughts and anxieties. She knows! She really knows everything! She has been waiting for me to confess my desires voluntarily! This isn''t some unspoken deal... It''s my own unilateral arrogance! Upon hearing the implied meaning in the Lady of the Night''s words, Sebastian''s face fell. He knew he had disappointed her. However, just as Sebastian was sinking into despair, the divine figure sitting high on the throne changed the tone. "But..." "As a probationary steward, your ability is indeed commendable." "Even when pursued by the Inquisition, you did not expose your master''s secret." "Sebastian, not as a follower of a God, but as the Count of Castell¡ªCharlotte de Castell''s follower..." "Are you willing to pledge me your allegiance?" Sebastian was momentarily stunned, raising his head with a puzzled expression. In the mist, he still couldn''t see the Lady of the Night clearly, but he seemed to sense a faint smile in her words. As if realizing something, Sebastian suddenly became excited. "You... you mean?" The figure on the throne continued. "Everyone has their own goals, and I have never cared about your so-called blasphemous thoughts." "I only care... whether you are truly loyal." "I cannot promise you anything, after all... I am still just a weak little girl." "But... as the heir of Castell, I will naturally not mistreat those who are loyal to me." "As long as your achievements match your merits, even if it''s the stars in the sky, they will be yours in the future." Sebastian understood. He was almost instantly exhilarated, cheering in his heart. SHE hasn''t given up on me! The Lady of the Night hasn''t given up on me! SHE doesn''t care about my ambitions at all, SHE''s willing to give me a chance! God! This is what a true God is like! A true God represents absolute confidence and greatness, absolute power and majesty! A true God... doesn''t care about mortal ambitions at all! "I''m willing! I''m willing to truly submit to you! To be the sword and shield in your hands!" "I''m willing to witness your return to greatness, witness your ascension to the Divine Throne!" "I... with my true name, Sebastian Flameheart, swear on it!" Sebastian exclaimed excitedly. He respectfully knelt on the ground, performing the most ancient allegiance ceremony of the Elven race. And when he raised his head again, he was momentarily stunned. At some point, the crimson mist above the throne had dissipated, and he saw the Lady of the Night''s appearance clearly for the first time. He didn''t know what language to use to describe the majesty and beauty of the Lady of the Night. It was just that her magnificent silver hair, deep and mysterious golden eyes, elegant posture, and splendid yet solemn black divine gown made it difficult for him to find suitable words to praise her otherworldly mystery and perfection... He was almost dazed with just one glance, and then quickly bowed his head respectfully, not daring to look again. "Raise your head." The majestic and melodious voice came from the throne. Almost instinctively, Sebastian raised his head, seeing that the Lady of the Night now held a crystal goblet in her hand. The goblet contained a flowing crimson liquid, shimmering with radiance. With a gentle wave of her hand, the crystal goblet floated in front of Sebastian. "In that case, drink this cup of blood contract." "I don''t want to see my followers perish just after they''ve been chosen." "Think it over carefully." "Once you drink it, you will become my blood-kin, never to betray, completely marked with my seal..." "Of course, you will also gain some extraordinary powers." The Lady of the Night smiled. Sebastian didn''t hesitate. He decisively picked up the crystal goblet and drank the crimson liquid in one gulp. In the next moment, dazzling crimson radiance bloomed on his body. Sebastian felt a strange power entering his consciousness, difficult to describe in words. He faintly sensed that he had established a mysterious connection with the figure on the throne, the Lady of the Night. That strange power quickly crossed the boundaries between dreams and reality, flowing through Sebastian''s physical body in reality. Sebastian was astonished to find that, at this moment, he could feel his physical body in reality, and that his broken body was beginning to heal rapidly! However, Sebastian''s focus quickly shifted away from his own body. He couldn''t help but look again at the Lady of the Night sitting on the throne. S?a?ch* Th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. After drinking the blood covenant and formally pledging allegiance to the Lady of the Night, he felt that her temperament had suddenly changed. The ancient Dark Castle suddenly began to tremble, and the crimson mist began to boil. In Sebastian''s awe-filled gaze, an ancient and vast aura began to rise from Charlotte... Sitting high on the throne, Charlotte was also stunned. Her majesty magic... had just reached perfection. The brilliance of the spirit path spread like flames, illuminating the first step of her ascension. She was about to advance. And... it seems it won''t be ordinary advancement. Chapter 75: Advancement Charlotte only felt the Gospel of Blood in her consciousness suddenly burst into crimson radiance, with golden inscriptions on it lighting up one by one, as if coming alive...She felt she could hardly suppress a force rapidly rising from the depths of her spiritual world. With the Ascension Tree in her consciousness as the starting point and the artifact "Gospel of Blood" as the medium, a vast and majestic force surged, and swiftly began to reshape Charlotte''s spiritual world. In Sebastian''s astonished gaze, the crimson mist boiled incessantly, the ancient Dark Night Castle collapsed suddenly, then swiftly reformed, only to collapse and reform again... Only the Dark Night Lady sitting high on the Blood Throne remained unchanged throughout eternity. In Sebastian''s sight, her expression was incredibly calm, as if she had everything around her under control. Seeing her like this, Sebastian gradually felt reassured, as if he had found his idol. At the same time, sensing her increasingly terrifying aura, a joyous thought arose in Sebastian''s mind ¡ª Could it be... the Lady of the Night has regained some power? Charlotte didn''t know if advancing in ranks counted as regaining power, she only knew that the changes in her spiritual world had slipped from her control. She wasn''t calm. Rather, under that mysterious power, she had lost some control over her facial expressions. Fortunately, the force ravaging the castle world subsided after about a minute. But that vast force did not disappear. Instead, it followed the connection between Charlotte and reality, surging into her physical body. Charlotte could clearly feel her physical body in reality starting to undergo a transformation. In her perception, she could distinctly feel her power skyrocketing... In the depths of her mind, she felt as if she had broken through an invisible barrier, and her entire life seemed to have undergone sublimation in an instant. At the same time, Charlotte''s consciousness suddenly began to rapidly expand... She still sat high on the Blood Throne, yet "saw" the real world, saw beyond the study, saw the bustling activity in the Castell Manor, saw the streets outside. Her consciousness quickly ascended, seeing the entire Borde City, seeing it gradually shrink, seeing the plains, mountains, rivers... She saw the stars. No, they weren''t ordinary stars. They were planets, enveloped in radiance, emitting dazzling light, yet they were not stars. Charlotte''s gaze quickly fell on the nearest star. The radiance of the star seemed to emanate from the great power shrouding it. Through the radiance, Charlotte could see countless beings seemingly living on it, their expressions devout, bowing towards one grand temple after another in worship. In the center surrounded by numerous temples on the star, a towering colossal temple stood. Through that towering temple, Charlotte seemed to see a giant of light seated on a throne. The light giant was so immense that Charlotte could sense its incomparable power and its terrifying and vast aura with just one glance. At the moment she cast her gaze, the figure also cast its gaze towards her. Charlotte couldn''t see the figure clearly, everything about it was hidden in the radiance. But a voice, old and gentle, came through. "My dear child, peering into the Kingdom of the Gods is not a good habit." The voice was calm. Charlotte even detected a polite tone within it... Damn! This is a God! Charlotte was startled. She couldn''t maintain this strange state in an instant, and her consciousness fell rapidly. In a daze, her consciousness returned to the dream world once again. The castle was still the same castle, everything seemed unchanged. But Charlotte soon noticed the difference. Looking at the castle walls, her gaze slightly condensed. She saw vivid paintings appearing on the walls. In the painting, a mysterious woman wearing a divine robe sat high on a throne, accepting the bow of an elf wearing a tailcoat... It depicted the scene where Sebastian had just pledged allegiance to her. Sebastian also saw the painting on the wall. He was immediately excited, tears filling his eyes. Charlotte could even hear his inner joy. Painting! We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now It''s a painting! Praise the Lady of the Night, I, Sebastian, can actually appear in a painting! I am the Lady of the Night''s first vassal! S?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. SHE... truly acknowledges me! Charlotte: ... Watching Sebastian''s excitement, she felt it would be better if he didn''t know she wasn''t the one who had created the painting... Perceiving her own state again, Charlotte could feel that her power had changed. Her senses were sharpened many times more than before, and she felt as if she had endless power. She felt that her current self, even if encountering an elephant, could easily tear it apart like crushing an ant... She seemed to have regained the power she had that night of her blood frenzy. Charlotte knew this was advancement. She had advanced to the first-tier Starry Sky. However, she could clearly feel that the mysterious power awakened by her advancement had not disappeared, but still existed, lingering deep in her consciousness. Charlotte could perceive them. They seemed to have merged with her, yet seemed to be everywhere, making her feel as if her consciousness were enveloped in an invisible energy. Charlotte also sensed their source, the "Gospel of Blood" as always. However, it wasn''t simply emanating from the Gospel, but seemed to have undergone some strange chemical reaction with her soul, giving birth to it on its own... At this moment, new system window information slowly emerged in Charlotte''s consciousness ¡ª [Condition Met] [Gospel of Blood ¡¤ Genesis Chapter, Ability Unlocked ¡ª] [True Ancestor''s Liberation (Activatable)] [As the descendant of royal blood, the master of the Gospel will possess the ability of True Ancestor''s Liberation, temporarily gaining the power at the level of the True Ancestor by consuming divine power.] [The intensity and duration of True Ancestor''s Liberation are limited by divine power, with the current maximum output level being equal to the Legendary level and a duration of one minute.] [After liberation ends, the ability goes on cooldown and can only be activated again after divine power has recovered.] ... True Ancestor''s Liberation? Divine power? Charlotte was stunned. But soon, she forcibly shifted her attention. "Alright, let''s return to reality, first solve your trouble." The girl said calmly. Her advancement took about a minute from start to finish. Although she really wanted to study her newly acquired power and see the new abilities unlocked by the Gospel of Blood, she was also curious about the ''starry sky'' she had just seen... but Charlotte knew it wasn''t the right time now. Now, she had to save Sebastian first. After signing the contract with Sebastian, she could ''see'' his situation if she wanted to, and she knew that the flame elf was being ''assaulted by fire''. The fire was about to burn his butt. If she waited a little longer, he would probably turn into a roasted elf. "Obey your divine commandment!" Sebastian exclaimed excitedly and respectfully, bowing once more. With that said, his figure disappeared from the Dark Night Castle. As Sebastian returned to reality, Charlotte also planned to summon him and rescue him through the summoning of the servant contract. However, sensing the mysterious power that could be summoned by her at any time deep in her consciousness, she suddenly paused. After pondering for a moment, she decided to conduct a small experiment first. Instead of immediately summoning Sebastian to her side in reality, she connected to his vision through the contract. In the next moment, Charlotte had Sebastian''s perspective. Chapter 76: Beneath Elegance Lies Awkwardness This was truly a wonderful experience.It''s like having three monitors turned on while playing a game, with three gaming accounts running simultaneously. Charlotte could perceive the perspectives of the Dark Night Castle, the physical body, and Sebastian all at once. But it''s not just about perspectives, she could sense the situation in 360¡ã within these three perspectives. Among them, the perspective of the Dark Night Castle was her primary consciousness, and any slight change in the entire spiritual world could not escape her perception. The physical body and Sebastian were more like secondary perspectives, with their observation limited to the study in Castell Manor and the burning cabin where Sebastian was located. Moreover, when Charlotte made an effort to control herself, she could even distract herself to manipulate her physical body in reality. However, this multi-perspective state was unfamiliar to her. She tried to manipulate her body, but as soon as she stood up, she stumbled back, even knocking over the milk jug on the table, spilling the creamy milk all over herself, like a child who hadn''t learned to walk yet. Just with a slight attempt, Charlotte no longer cared about the drenched in wet clothes physical body in the study but instead continued to focus her attention on Sebastian''s perspective. As her consciousness focused, Charlotte was surprised to find that her perception of the spiritual world began to decline while her perception of Sebastian''s surroundings further enhanced. It was like switching between main and secondary accounts. She could hear the crackling of flames burning in the dry wood, the low hum of birds in the woods outside the cabin, and the chirping of insects in the grass. She could even hear the steady breathing of the Judgment Knights surrounding the cabin. She could sense the rising temperature inside the cabin, see the sparks bursting in the smoke, and see Sebastian''s tailcoat already catching fire along with his red long hair. Even more miraculously, she heard Sebastian''s thoughts again, just like in the Dark Night Castle. No, it''s even clearer than in the Dark Night Castle. It was as if she had entered his innermost thoughts, she could even clearly perceive his overwhelming excitement, joy, and yet profound shock. Sebastian was very excited, really really excited. Although he had vaguely sensed something in the spiritual world, he was still immensely surprised upon returning to reality. All the injuries from being chased by the Grand Knight these past few days had miraculously healed! Not only that, but the dried-up magic inside him was replenished once again! Even his lost left arm had grown back, functioning perfectly, with muscular arms still so perfect. Sebastian could even see the ghostly face pattern representing the bloodline curse on his wrist, now seemingly trembling, wearing a terrified expression, and cowering in the corner. It was afraid of the new power within him! It did not dare to devour his bloodline power anymore! Discovering this, Sebastian was even more surprised. Indeed... the Lady of the Night is the True Ancestor of the Bloodborne! All Bloodbornes would respect and fear HER! Pure White Witch... You wait for me. Someday, I will make you pay! Thinking about the pain he had suffered under the curse over the years, Sebastian gritted his teeth. At that moment, Sebastian suddenly felt some new information in his mind... S?a??h th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. It was actually a way to pray to the Lady of the Night and obtain the power of the messenger of blood! "Prayer? Pray for the power of the Gods? Gain the blessing of divine power? Could it be... I have become a divine messenger?" Sebastian''s eyes widened and gleamed. For those who follow the Gods and become Gods themselves in history... Becoming a divine messenger is often the first step on their mythical journey! Realizing the change in his identity, Sebastian became even more excited, his breathing even becoming rapid. While Charlotte, sharing the perspective, was about to look away... Can you imagine a scene? An elf with tattered clothes, excitedly looking at his exposed arm and touching his newly grown biceps. He looked excited, breathing heavily, his handsome face overshadowed, with a silly grin on it, revealing his white teeth... With fire behind him and smoke above his head. Charlotte found it hard to connect the current Sebastian with the elegant Flame Elf she knew. The impression... is about to collapse! Calm down, brother, look at your clothes, look at your hair! It''s on fire! She really wanted to remind him directly in his consciousness. But she felt it was weird to do so, like telling him she was spying on him... But she really couldn''t stand it anymore. The scene... was really too much to bear. Fortunately, while Charlotte was muttering, Sebastian seemed to respond as if sensing something, and focused his attention on himself. He quickly found that his clothes and hair were on fire... "Damn it!" The elegant elf finally cursed for the first time since Charlotte entered into his consciousness. Snapping his fingers lightly, the flames on Sebastian''s body quickly left his clothes and hair, turning into flying fireballs into his fingertips. They were called Flame Elves because they had a natural affinity for fire elements and were skilled in fire elemental magic. Earlier, Sebastian had lost his ability to control fire due to his depleted magic, but now... his power had returned! Easily extinguishing the fire on his body, Sebastian put away the flames on his fingertips, then quickly focused on the blazing fire around him. With his gaze, the surrounding flames, like obedient children, parted to create a path leading outside. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Like this? Watching his hair transform into a punk style, his clothes into something unconventional, and his handsome face into that of a charcoal furnace, Charlotte was somewhat surprised. She thought the usually elegant Sebastian would change his clothes. However, just as he took a step forward, Sebastian seemed to realize the problem and quickly stopped. He lowered his head, looking at his tattered clothes, lost in thought. Charlotte''s curiosity immediately arose. In many movies and TV shows from her past life, especially in anime, when a dying protagonist gets defeated and then suddenly gains power, their tattered clothes often magically restore themselves, making it convenient for them to look impressive. She had always been curious, ignoring the premise of bugs, and thinking from a scientific perspective, how those clothes were restored... For example... take off the clothes and put them back on? Charlotte continued to look at Sebastian and saw that he... quickly took off his clothes. Charlotte: ... Sebastian''s movements were quite skilled and quick, obviously not the first time he had done it. He took off his outer clothes in three or five movements, revealing the elf''s purple elf pants beneath the tattered clothes. Throwing the torn clothes into the flames casually, Sebastian, in his underwear, summoned a white towel with space magic and wiped his face. Then he took out a mirror and scissors to tidy up his hair, followed by a brand-new tailcoat... The speed was fast, the efficiency was high, and before Charlotte could react, he had finished wiping his face, fixing his hairstyle, and changing his clothes... He even summoned a glass of red wine and elegantly took a sip. But Charlotte... could no longer look at his elegance directly. She couldn''t forget Sebastian''s awkwardness in his underwear. Everything was ready, and Sebastian snapped his fingers again. The flames around him rushed towards his palm... ... In the woods. The Gand Knight of the Inquisition watched calmly as the flames under the burning wooden house grew stronger and stronger. He could feel that Sebastian''s aura was getting weaker and weaker. Finally, when the flames completely engulfed everything, he could no longer sense the other party''s aura. Sebastian''s aura vanished. His soul fluctuations also disappeared. The Grand Knight sighed slightly, somewhat regretful. He knew that the other party was dead, leaving only a body gradually disappearing in the flames. "Even if it''s a Flame Elf, without magic, it''s just a dead body under the flames." After waiting for a while and confirming that he could no longer sense the other party''s soul fluctuations, the Grand Knight lightly shook his head. "Prepare to capture his wandering soul and interrogate him about the Blood Demon Cult." He commanded the Judgment Priest next to him. The Judgment Priest was stunned. "Capture the wandering soul? Isn''t he a member of the Blood Demon Cult?" When a believer dies, their soul returns to the Kingdom of the Gods. So do the members of the Blood Demon Cult. The Grand Knight shook his head. "No, he isn''t." "If he was, he would have used the Bloodborne power long ago." "Sebastian Flameheart is an elf who betrayed Luna Island, losing even the belief in the Moon Goddess." "He''s a pitiful unbeliever." After saying that, the Grand Knight turned and left. However, after walking a few steps, he hesitated for a moment and then turned around abruptly. "Hold on!" He ordered the knights and priests who were preparing to extinguish the flames. Then, his gaze stared at the burning wooden house. Just now, the Grand Knight had sensed Sebastian''s aura again. Not only that... the aura, like being reborn from the flames, quickly grew stronger after reappearing! That aura did not exceed the third tier. But for some reason, it gave the Grand Knight a feeling of palpitation, as if it contained something terrifying. Soon, the raging flames seemed to be absorbed, quickly shrinking and dissipating. Sebastian''s figure reappeared before the Grand Knight''s eyes. He was wearing a brand-new tailcoat, completely unharmed, and holding a glass of red wine elegantly in his hand. "Your Excellency Grand Knight, it seems that the flames of the Inquisition were not as fierce as you imagined." He smiled slightly. Seeing the healed Flame Elf, the Grand Knight''s expression instantly became serious. Chapter 77: The Bewildered and Uncertain Grand Knight "He''s still alive!""How is that possible! His injuries! His wounds are gone!" The Judgment Knights looked on in astonishment at the unscathed Sebastian. But soon, they witnessed an even more astonishing scene... Sebastian took a few steps forward and approached the still-intact seal of the Judgment Prison. After a moment of contemplation, he reached out his hand and gently touched it. At that moment of contact, the legendary Judgment Prison, which was said to be unbreakable from within, trembled slightly and then suddenly collapsed! As the seal collapsed, the more than ten Judgment Priests who maintained the magic were immediately hit by the backlash, their faces turning pale. Blood slowly flowed from their nostrils and mouths as they went unconscious and fell to the ground. The Grand Knight''s expression grew even more solemn. At the moment Sebastian touched the Judgment Prison, he keenly felt the power of the magic was being absorbed by him. This discovery greatly shocked him because he had never heard of anyone being able to absorb unleashed divine power, not even sacred believers... Charlotte, who was secretly observing, understood what was happening. As her blood kin, he had the power boost of Messenger of Blood, which seemed to be randomly obtained. Sebastian, who signed a contract with her, gained the power of "Divine Ritual Counter"! Of course, Sebastian''s "Divine Ritual Counter" was a weakened version. Perhaps because he was hunted by the Holy Court when he signed the contract, and because he hated the Holy Court, his "Divine Ritual Counter" was specifically targeted at the Holy Court''s power. Furthermore, his counter was not "modification" but merely "termination". However, although it was a weakened version, because Sebastian''s strength was far greater than Charlotte''s, the effect of his counter was also better! What surprised Charlotte even more was that when Sebastian "terminated" the Judgment Prison, she felt, through her connection with him, that she had gained some of the Judgment Prison''s divine power. It was similar to when she bathed in the holy light to leech the Holy Court''s divine power. However, this indirect leeching effect was much weaker. But even though it was much weaker, the joint effort of more than ten priests to cast the Judgment Prison caused her Blood Summoning charge, which had already been reset to zero, to rise by a considerable amount! However, unlike when she leeched before, absorbing the power of the light this time gave Charlotte a sensation similar to when she was sucking blood... Charlotte was somewhat astonished. She didn''t know if this sensation was something she acquired after advancing, or if it was due to unlocking the ability of True Ancestor Liberation, or if it was something that only happened after her consciousness descended onto Sebastian. But undoubtedly, with this promotion, her body and soul seemed to undergo some kind of transformation. It was not just a simple promotion but a deeper transformation. Sebastian was equally excited. The most troublesome thing about the Judgment Knights was their powerful divine magic. As clerics, their source power had long been integrated with the power of faith, giving them stronger and more enduring combat abilities than regular knights. However, now that he possessed the "Divine Ritual Counter" against the Holy Court, their power became a disadvantage. Now, even though he had not fully recovered to the third-tier Blazing Sun, he was confident enough to take on the Grand Knight! With this in mind, Sebastian raised his head and looked at the chief knight of the judgment court. For many days, he had been on the run, and now... it was finally his turn to take action. He simply poured the red wine from the tall cup in his hand onto the ground, elegantly threw away the cup, and then slightly raised his right hand. Where the wine spilled, flames suddenly ignited, and a sword resembling a spirit made of flames was slowly drawn out by Sebastian. "Step back!" Seeing Sebastian''s determined expression, the chief knight''s expression became slightly solemn as he commanded the other clerics. Although the other party''s aura was far weaker than his, his spiritual perception told him that the other party was now very dangerous! He also drew his silver sword and rushed towards the opponent. The two sides immediately engaged in battle! This was Charlotte''s first time witnessing a battle between strong individuals after transmigration, and she could freely switch between first-person and third-person perspectives. One side was at the third tier Blazing Sun, described as a walking disaster. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now The other side, although only at the second tier Silver Moon, had once been a third tier and was able to the enemy''s power. The Grand Knight and Sebastian were like two meteors colliding with each other. One was a golden light, and the other was a red flame. The power of the golden light was stronger. Every sword aura of the Grand Knight would leave terrifying marks on the ground, hundreds of meters long and several meters or even more than ten meters deep. Even as a spectator, Charlotte could sense the terrifying power within them. The trees in the forest were easily torn apart like fragile foam, with soil turning over, leaving a mess behind. It was fortunate that this place was obviously not inside Borde City but outside the city. Otherwise... just the aftermath of each collision between them could easily destroy a street. If they kept fighting without any external intervention, they could easily destroy an entire city district! S?a??h the ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The golden light was overwhelmingly powerful and dazzling. In contrast, the power of the red flames was much weaker. However, despite being much weaker, it stood firm like a rock under a torrent, standing tall against the attacks of the golden light... The Grand Knight became more and more bewildered and uncertain as he fought. Although Sebastian''s aura was far weaker than his, whenever his third-tier Blazing Sun power struck the opponent, it would always suffer great mitigation. Moreover, when he used divine magic, it was as if rain falling into the sea, unable to stir up any ripples... The power of divine magic was ineffective against him! He could restrain divine magic! The chief knight soon discovered the clue. And this discovery made him even more uncertain. God be above! When did this flame elf gain such bizarre power? Moreover... what on earth could restrain the great divine power? The power of divine magic had no effect, and the Grand Knight couldn''t analyze the nature of Sebastian''s power. He felt that the other party was like an unfathomable abyss, swallowing up all the investigative divine magic he released during the battle. The Grand Knight''s expression grew even more serious. After another sword clash with Sebastian, he suddenly retreated, keeping his distance from him. Sebastian''s breath also became somewhat heavy. Although the power of "Divine Magic Counter" greatly weakened the Grand Knight''s attacks against him, it was still difficult for him to defeat the other party, and could only defend himself. However, after a struggle, Sebastian also understood his current strength. He no longer had the will to fight and was ready to withdraw from the battle. "The Lady of the Night is still recovering her strength. It''s not wise to provoke the Holy Court openly at this time." "With the power to counteract divine magic, I haven''t exposed the Lady of the Night''s secret, and he can''t figure out the true identity of my power..." "It''s better to retreat and find a way to escape." Sebastian had the intention to retreat. However, when he raised his head to look at the Grand Knight, he suddenly froze slightly. The Grand Knight''s expression was emotionless. Unlike his previous enthusiasm, his gaze towards Sebastian was now filled with killing intent... "Whether you have made a pact with demons in hell or reached an agreement with devils in purgatory, whatever evil power you have obtained... Anything that threatens the existence of the Holy Court must be purified!" The Grand Knight said coldly. After speaking, he inserted his cross-shaped silver sword into the ground, dispersing all his divine power, and slowly spread his arms. With the Grand Knight''s movement, his substantial divine power spread out from him, and a terrifying pressure immediately rose from his body! Chapter 78: Scram! "Spiritual... Force Field!"Sebastian''s gaze slightly narrowed. In the world of Myria, below the myth, there are four major tiers of secular extraordinary existence. Among them, the essence of advancing to the first tier Starry Sky is to condense the seed of extraordinary power within the body. For knights, it is the heart of source power; for mages, it is the pool of magic power; for warlocks or various innate extraordinary beings, it is the transformation and return of ancestral bloodline power. The essence of advancing to the second-tier Silver Moon is the manifestation and projection of extraordinary power. It represents the perfect integration of the extraordinary power with their own body, and signifies the further strengthening and fusion of extraordinary power and physical strength... Starting from the second tier, the descendants of extraordinary beings within three generations will inevitably awaken extraordinary power, and the probability of awakening extraordinary power for descendants within six generations outside of three generations will also greatly increase! As for the third tier Blazing Sun, the hallmark of extraordinary power is the transformation of spiritual power. It is the sublimation of spirit and soul. In addition to the body and energy, the spiritual power of extraordinary beings will also possess incredible might. The spiritual power is stronger, the soul is more resilient, and even after physical death, transcendent beings can survive for a certain period of time in the form of a soul... Many high-level undead and dark knights are unwilling to perish after death, so they actively choose to transform. Spiritual power is extremely powerful, to the point where it can interfere with reality to a certain extent. That... is the Spiritual Force Field! All Blazing Sun extraordinary beings have their own Spiritual Force Field. The Spiritual Force Field signifies a powerful pressure, indicating suppression on the level of soul and spirit... Where the force field envelopes, the Blazing Sun can easily destroy any soul that cannot resist, lift objects only with spiritual power, and even tear them apart directly! The Spiritual Force Field is the greatest trump card of the Blazing Sun. Inside the force field, all Silver Moons are mere ants! And now, in order to deal with Sebastian, the Grand Knight of the Inquisition finally unleashed his own Spiritual Force Field! An invisible ripple spread out from the Grand Knight, and all the trees, debris, and rocks that were affected were instantly turned into powder. Several first-tier Judgment Priests who were closer to the Grand Knight and had been assisting him in releasing magic were also directly enveloped. They didn''t even have time to scream before they burst into blood mist! Sebastian''s expression changed slightly. As a former Blazing Sun, he was not unfamiliar with the Spiritual Force Field because he had once possessed it. However, during the pursuit by the Adam Cult, he had repeatedly unleashed the Spiritual Force Field, suffered severe injuries, and the Bloodline Curse had been eroding his bloodline power at all times. This eventually led to the rupture and dissipation of his Spiritual Force Field, and his soul was also damaged, causing his strength to directly and permanently fall to a lower tier. Each person only has one opportunity in their lifetime to condense a Spiritual Force Field. Once lost, they will have no chance of reaching the third-tier Blazing Sun. And if a powerful Blazing Sun''s Spiritual Force Field is destroyed, they will also fall to a lower tier. The Spiritual Force Field is a trump card. But it''s also a weakness. Undoubtedly, the Grand Knight who was currently displaying the Spiritual Force Field had completely turned hostile toward Sebastian! He even opened his Spiritual Force Field to the maximum from the very beginning, ignoring the distinction between friend and foe! "Grand Knight, have you gone mad? You actually disregarded your own priests and unleashed the Spiritual Force Field!" Sebastian''s expression suddenly became serious. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now The Grand Knight gave him a cold look, his expression indifferent. "Every member of the Inquisition is prepared to sacrifice themselves for our Lord before joining the Inquisition." "For the sake of eradicating the enemies of the Holy Court, this is their glory!" "Grand Knight, seriously, I didn''t kill any clergy of the Holy Court, and I don''t want to be your enemy either." "No..." S?a??h th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The Grand Knight slowly rose into the air, looking down at him from above. "Since you possess the power to suppress the divine power, you are already an enemy of the Holy Court." With that, the Grand Knight shouted loudly and pressed his hands toward Sebastian. "Suppression!" Within the spiritual force, Sebastian felt an intense pressure as if being pressed by a heavy mountain, making him feel suffocated. He was instantly pressed to the ground, and even though his body was as strong as a Blazing Sun''s, it couldn''t bear the burden at this moment, making creaking sounds, as if it could be torn apart at any moment. Damn it! He has gone too far! Sebastian clenched his teeth, trembling all over, but unable to break free. There is no divine power in the Spiritual Force Field. His divine power counter does not affect the current Grand Knight! Seeing Sebastian instantly suppressed, the Grand Knight''s expression was indifferent and cold. The Spiritual Force Field is the trump card of the Blazing Sun, but it is also a power that Blazing Suns are normally unwilling to use. Especially for Blazing Suns who want to advance to Legendary, every time they use the Spiritual Force Field, it will delay their time to advance to Legendary, and may even reduce their probability of successfully advancing to Legendary. Approaching the immobile Sebastian, the Grand Knight lifted him up, his voice stern and cold. "It''s over!" With that, he manipulated the Spiritual Force Field, and attacked Sebastian''s body and soul! However, just as his Spiritual Force Field attacked Sebastian''s consciousness, the Grand Knight suddenly felt a strong suction coming from Sebastian''s body... His expression changed slightly, and subconsciously he wanted to release his control, but was horrified to find that he had lost control of his Spiritual Force Field! In an instant, that eerie suction flowed back along the Spiritual Force Field he had emitted, quickly penetrating into his spiritual world. The Grand Knight felt as if his consciousness was being pulled in an instant. In the darkness, he seemed to see a majestic and solemn ancient castle. The castle looked ancient and heavy, decorated with intricate and mysterious rose patterns, resembling popular Coria furniture designs but with an added sense of mystery. He saw endless scarlet mist pervading the castle, and within the mist, there were faintly visible layers of steps. He followed those steps upwards and saw an ancient and mysterious Blood Throne at the end of the steps. And... the towering figure that seemed to be shrouded in mist, but whose majestic figure could vaguely be discerned. A pair of crimson-gold eyes instantly glanced over, carrying a hint of surprise. Charlotte: ... Grand Knight: ... Subconsciously halting her summoning of Sebastian, Charlotte gently uttered a word to the bewildered Grand Knight. "Scram¡ª" With a loud rumble, the consciousness of the Grand Knight, who had been inadvertently drawn into the Dark Night Castle by Charlotte, collapsed in an instant! Chapter 79: You Colluded with an Evil God! "Scram¡ª"Charlotte''s voice wasn''t loud. In fact, like when Sebastian had tried to probe her memories before, it was just a subconscious outburst from someone who liked to pry but hated being pried upon. Caught off guard, it was somewhat awkward, like a little cat hissing at a stranger who barged into the room. If you dared to kick the table, the cat might just run away with a swoosh. But in the ears of Sebastian and the Grand Knight, it sounded entirely different. Sebastian felt as if, at the moment when his consciousness was about to be shredded by the Spiritual Force Field, along with the always cold and majestic reprimand from the Lady of the Night, a vast and majestic aura suddenly surged from the depths of his consciousness. That voice and aura carried an irresistible will, like a rushing torrent, shattering the Spiritual Force Field that enveloped him as if it were fragile wood. He instantly remembered the first time he had offended the Lady of the Night so recklessly in reality. At the Duke''s mansion, even with his spiritual guard, he had suffered soul damage directly under the Lady of the Night''s reprimand. Every time he thought of it afterward, Sebastian felt a shiver of fear. And now, that familiar feeling had returned! s?a??h th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. However, unlike before, this time he wasn''t the center of the storm but rather the one protected by that terrifying power. Life is so unpredictable. This time, the center of the storm was the Grand Knight. Sebastian could clearly sense that the Lady of the Night''s reprimand was even more terrifying than before. Just hearing the echoing voice made his soul tremble. This made him feel a hint of relief. Obviously... the Lady of the Night had held back when SHE reprimanded him before. Now, what the Grand Knight felt was the true reprimand from the Ancient Gods! And the chance to follow such a powerful God, and finally gain their approval, made Sebastian feel extremely excited. After all, who wouldn''t want their master to be even stronger? The stronger the Lady of the Night becomes, the more likely he is to follow her in the future and successfully embark on a path he never imagined! But the Grand Knight''s feelings were completely different. At this moment, this leader of Borde''s Inquisition had only horror left in his heart. In his perception, that reprimand, as if originating from ancient times, was like a thunderclap beside his ear, carrying unparalleled momentum and awe-inspiring might! His consciousness suddenly exploded, and the illusion of the castle and throne shattered directly. In his mind, there seemed to be only a pair of reddish-golden eyes left. Those reddish-golden eyes looked at him calmly. In the echoing thunder-like voice, he only felt wave after wave of terrifying mental tsunami crashing towards his soul... In the reprimand, the holy symbol protecting his soul didn''t last for even a second, flashing once before completely breaking down. His divine power, which had shrouded him in protection since entering the battle, was torn apart like paper. And all these attacks were just the aftermath of that one "Scram." Under the assault on his soul, the Grand Knight''s mental world was in chaos. His fully open Spiritual Force Field was shattered as if a fragile wooden sail had struck an iceberg! And his soul, which had carried a faint holy light, was torn apart like a torn sack, leaking everywhere and about to collapse. He couldn''t help but let out a scream of agony, directly blasted out by the substantial spiritual impact as he hurtled backward, blood spewing out as he flew more than ten meters. Collapsed on the ground, the Grand Knight felt as if his brain was about to explode, bleeding from all orifices, his breath as feeble as a thread. This extraordinary being of the third tier Blazing Sun was actually severely injured. And his aura plummeted in an instant... The Spiritual Force Field is the symbol of the third-tier Blazing Sun. When the Spiritual Force Field is destroyed, the extraordinary being naturally falls in rank. Seeing the Grand Knight lying on the ground, unable to get up, Sebastian was stunned. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now The Judgment Knights and Judgment Priests in the distance were also stunned. Even the instigator, Charlotte, was equally stunned. How could she have directly made a Blazing Sun spit blood with just a shout in her consciousness? But soon, she noticed that the time limit for her True Ancestor''s Liberation had been reduced by one second... Charlotte instantly understood. Her shout just now inadvertently activated the power of True Ancestor''s Liberation. Wow... Is this new ability so powerful? Charlotte clicked her tongue secretly and immediately listed the research of True Ancestor''s Liberation as her top priority after saving Sebastian. At the other end, Sebastian gradually regained his senses from the shock. He breathed a sigh of relief, straightened his back, elegantly sipped from the glass of wine in his hand, and then, like the archvillain in fiction, smiled slightly in imitation of Charlotte''s tone from before. "Your Excellency Grand Knight, you really look pathetic now." Charlotte: ... And only at this moment did the Grand Knight gradually come to his senses. His face was pale, his eyes were filled with tears of blood, and he looked at Sebastian with horror and fear in his voice, hoarse and terrified. "Evil God! It''s an Evil God!" "You... you actually harbor an Evil God in your consciousness!" "Cough, cough, cough... you evil elf, you... actually colluded with an Evil God!" Hearing the Grand Knight''s exclamation, Charlotte, who was observing in secret, narrowed her eyes. Although she, whose power all came from the Gospel of Blood, didn''t consider herself an Evil God, if her identity were discovered by the Holy Court, that would be troublesome. Even though the Grand Knight hadn''t recognized her identity, with her current relationship with Rose Society and Castell, it was still a potential hazard. Charlotte had to admit, at this moment, she harbored murderous intent. For her safety, probably the life of the Grand Knight... couldn''t be spared! But soon she became suspicious. The Grand Knight was a devout believer in the Holy Court, worshiping the God Harald. According to the scriptures, when devout believers die, their souls will return to the Kingdom of the Gods. So... if the Grand Knight, a devout believer, died, would her existence be noticed by the Gods? Charlotte immediately became cautious. It''s not impossible! So... to be more careful, she can''t let the Grand Knight''s soul return to the Kingdom of the Gods. Charlotte immediately had an idea: to order Sebastian to directly obliterate the Grand Knight''s soul! However, she didn''t give the order in the end. Because when she had this idea, Sebastian seemed to be influenced by some strange force, and he also thought of it in his mind, and the questions he was thinking about were exactly the same as Charlotte''s. He squinted his eyes, carefully looking at the Grand Knight, then suddenly chuckled, his expression becoming extremely dangerous. "Your Excellency Grand Knight, I didn''t intend to be your enemy." "Unfortunately, you seem to know too much." "Now... I really have to kill the clergy of the Holy Court." After saying that, Sebastian muttered a spell, and with a slight grip of his hands in the void, another new flame sword was drawn out from the void by him. However, unlike the previous flame sword, this sword''s flames were black, exuding a detestable aura that even made Charlotte frown. Seeing that black flame sword, the Grand Knight was slightly stunned, then fell into anger, with a hint of fear hidden in his anger. "The Dark Knight''s Blasphemous Sword?" "You... you actually want to shatter my soul!" Chapter 80: Now, no one know the secret. The Dark Knight''s Blasphemous Sword!As a high-level undead, the Dark Knight, like other undead, possesses the ability to attack the souls of targets. Their most powerful weapon is the Blasphemous Sword, formed from the condensation of half their soul. It''s a weapon used by Dark Knights to consume and shatter the souls of other beings, even those of divine believers. This information was obtained from Sebastian''s memories that Charlotte perceived when he summoned the weapon from the void. Not only that, but he also learned that this Blasphemous Sword was obtained by Sebastian during his travels in the Dark Domain when he was still a Third-tier Blazing Sun. This experience from blood contract was indeed quite suitable for a gossip enthusiast. When Charlotte possesses Sebastian''s perspective, it seems like all of his secrets are laid bare for her, except for those buried deep within his heart that he didn''t want to recall. Sebastian was almost like a transparent person. "You actually recognized it. You''re truly knowledgeable." Sebastian expressed his surprise. With a solemn expression, he ceased conversing with the Grand Knight and approached him instead, raising the Flame Sword in his hand. "Fallen evil! The Holy Light will bring judgment upon you! The Holy Light will one day bring judgment upon you!" The Grand Knight''s face was contorted with anger. However, with his soul severely damaged, he was now powerless to fight back. Sebastian wasted no time and struck him down with a swift blow. Accompanied by a piercing scream, the Grand Knight''s soul was shattered, and the fragmented soul power was absorbed by Sebastian''s Blasphemous Sword. The proud Third-tier Grand Knight, one of three bigwigs of the Borde City alongside the Duke and the High Priest, met his end in such a humiliating and ridiculous manner. Only a lifeless body remained, still exuding a sacred aura. After killing the Grand Knight, Sebastian used the Blasphemous Flame to incinerate his body, then turned his gaze to the other Judgment Knights and Priests. The other Judgment Knights and Priests hesitated for a moment before turning to flee. But Sebastian was faster. With the Blasphemous Sword in hand, he chased them down like a demon returned from hell, swiftly annihilating their souls one by one, just as he did with the Grand Knight. After killing the last Judgment Knight, Sebastian did not stop. Instead, he silently recited an incantation and summoned black flames from the Blasphemous Sword, burning the entire battlefield. As the black flames burned, a faint cold aura emanated from the surrounding ground, a pollution characteristic of undead blasphemy. This pollution from the power of the undead wasn''t severe and would dissipate within a week, but it was enough to conceal Sebastian''s presence and traces from others. All extraordinary powers have a certain pollution ability, also known as "traces." Some extraordinary individuals with special powers can even trace the identity of the extraordinary through these traces. What Sebastian did was destroy the evidence, preventing others from linking the battle here to him. After burning the entire scene, Sebastian finally stopped and looked at the Blasphemous Sword in his hand, muttering to himself. "Now... nobody knows the secret of the Lady of the Night." Charlotte, who was secretly observing, didn''t expect Sebastian to be so cautious. It seemed that he had some tricks up his sleeve to survive the Adam Cult''s pursuit for so long. Just after Sebastian cleaned up the scene, two powerful auras swiftly approached from a distance. Sebastian''s gaze sharpened, and Charlotte also sensed it. Those two auras were no weaker than the Grand Knight''s, clearly belonging to two Third-tier extraordinary from Borde City. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now But Charlotte was ready to withdraw. Killing a Judgment Knight who discovered the "Evil God" was enough. In fact, even killing the Grand Knight was because he was too audacious, rushing forward with his Spiritual Force Field and directly injuring himself from the collision with Charlotte''s consciousness. If they had fought normally, who knew what the outcome would have been? S~?a??h the ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Third-tier individuals were monsters, and it was hard to say if they had any more trump cards. Charlotte had read in the Church''s scriptures that some Third-tier clergies could summon legendary divine angels at the cost of sacrificing their lives. Charlotte hadn''t mastered the power of True Ancestor''s Liberation yet, and she didn''t know how to recover after using it, so she didn''t want to confront the Duke and the High Priest. Especially the Duke. Despite him coveting Castell, from his standpoint, he had indeed fulfilled his duty to Charlotte, even if their perspectives differed. Charlotte didn''t want to further weaken her hand, nor did she want to increase the risk of exposure. She decided to withdraw. Without hesitation, Charlotte promptly communicated with Sebastian''s consciousness. Sebastian, upon hearing the familiar voice in his mind, was immediately filled with excitement. But soon, he noticed a layer of red light surrounding him, and a mysterious and intricate rune appeared under his feet. "Teleportation? Is it the Lady of the Night?" Sebastian''s heart fluttered slightly. The next moment, his figure disappeared into the radiance. Just as Sebastian vanished, two streaks of light hurriedly approached from the distance. One was silver, the other golden. It was Duke of Borde Andre and High Priest Leonard. The old Duke was still dressed in his casual attire, his white hair somewhat disheveled, indicating he had rushed over in haste. The High Priest was also similar, wearing the ceremonial robe used for worship. It was evident that they had both sensed disturbance from the battle and rushed to the scene. However, their expressions were too serious. Their solemn demeanor didn''t seem to be merely provoked by the disturbance caused by the Third-tier''s battle... The High Priest''s gaze fell upon the chaotic scene, quickly shifting to a damaged Holy symbol lying amidst the soil. He raised his hand slightly, and with powerful spiritual force, brought the symbol to him. After scrutinizing it for a moment, his expression grew even more solemn. "It''s Erde..." "He has been slain." The Duke''s expression shifted slightly. Erde... was the name of the Grand Knight of the Inquisition. Chapter 81: Pressure from the Evil God "Lord Leonard, the Grand Knight has been slain?"The old duke''s expression became somewhat solemn. "It seems so. I can no longer sense his faith, and even this symbol is damaged. It''s likely that not even his soul remains..." The High Priest gazed at the damaged symbol in his hand and sighed. "Who could have done this? Is it related to the recent phenomena in Borde?" The duke''s expression grew more serious, his brow furrowing slightly. The High Priest fell silent for a few seconds, then shook his head slightly. "I do not know..." "But the protective symbol worn by Erde is specially crafted by the Holy Court and can withstand legendary powers. It''s unlikely that an ordinary person could destroy his soul." "Unless..." The High Priest didn''t continue. But considering the recent events in the sky above Borde, the Duke quickly fell into silence. His expression fluctuated, indicating he was deep in thought. "He''s gone, and quite swiftly too. Let''s see if we can find any traces. I seem to smell the stench of undead." The High Priest said. With that, he silently prayed, and holy light radiated from him. Extending his hand gently, he let the light fall upon the ground. As the particles of light touched the ground, dark wisps of energy rose from the soil. "Undead power?" The old Duke was somewhat surprised. As an experienced Blazing Sun Knight, he was familiar with such powers. Although the Holy Court emphasized the necessity of faith, there were still a considerable number of extraordinary and ordinary people who appeared to have faith in the Gods but were actually non-believers. The Holy Court couldn''t possibly verify each individual''s faith, so there were quite a few non-believers. After their deaths, if their bodies weren''t properly dealt with, their souls would linger in the world until they dissipated. Some, under certain conditions, would become undead. Because of this, almost every noble territory had experienced the rise of undead incidents, and it was common for Demon Hunters and noble lords to deal with those arisen undead. However, as the old Duke felt the familiar aura of undead, he frowned slightly, feeling that something was amiss. "The one who fought the Grand Knight was a high-level undead? That''s impossible, right?" "Yeah, it''s impossible. The Holy Light of our Holy Court is most effective against the undead. Unless the opponent was a legendary Lich King, no one could defeat Erde in such a short time..." The High Priest also shook his head. The old Duke squinted his eyes. "It seems the other party wanted to conceal their traces..." "Indeed." The High Priest nodded. At the same time, he continued to use divine magic to investigate the traces of the battle. "There are no traces left. Undead power is best at contamination, so the other party is likely a habitual offender." After a moment, he shook his head slightly. "What was the Grand Knight doing on this mission?" "He was probably hunting down the leader of Rose Society, Sebastian Flameheart." "Rose Society. I heard that Rose Society regained the Church''s recognition last night." The old Duke looked deeply at the High Priest, his words carrying profound meaning. The High Priest remained silent for a moment before responding. "This matter has nothing to do with me. I never expected Rose Society to be related to Castell, nor did I expect... Rose Society to withstand the judgment of the Holy Light." The old Duke remained noncommittal, pondered for a moment, then said. "It probably wasn''t Sebastian." "I''ve had dealings with him, and he''s quite an interesting elf." "He''s a staunch non-believer who firmly believes that it was the Moon Goddess who destroyed the old continent, forcing the elves to wander to the new continent." "He not only blasphemed the Moon Goddess worshiped on Luna Island, but it''s said that he also insulted the Bloodborne Archdukes. He''s a complete madman, but surprisingly not a bad person." "However... I remember his power had already dropped a tier long ago." "It must be something else..." We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now The High Priest didn''t deny it. He picked up the damaged symbol again and infused it with a bit of divine power. However, just as the divine power entered the symbol, a chilling aura suddenly rose from it. It came quickly and disappeared just as fast, dissipating in an instant. But in that moment, the High Priest trembled slightly. Somehow, he seemed to hear a reprimanding voice of ancient Gods. "Scram!" Under that voice, the High Priest''s face paled slightly, as if his soul had been directly wounded. He immediately threw the damaged emblem away, swaying unsteadily on his feet. Seeing the High Priest''s condition, the old Duke''s eyes twitched. He instinctively looked at the symbol discarded on the ground, ready to pick it up with his sword, but was immediately stopped by the High Priest. "Don''t move!" "Don''t touch it!" "It''s been tainted!" "It''s... the power of an Evil God! An uncanny Evil God has just descended here!" The High Priest said in horror. An Evil God...! The old Duke''s expression changed abruptly. The High Priest once again performed a series of sacred purifications on the symbol, then carefully picked it up after a long while. "The aura is gone. She should have left." The High Priest breathed a sigh of relief. However, the old Duke''s face looked somewhat unsightly. "Is... it the one symbolized by Thorny Rose?" The High Priest fell silent. After a long time, he sighed slightly. "I... am not sure." The old Duke became angry. "Lord Leonard, I address you as ''lord'' because you are a priest of the Church!" "As a priest, you have a duty to report the revival of the Evil God!" "Except for the Blood Demon Cult, it has been a long time since Borde has seen the emergence of a new heretic organization." "To be able to kill a Grand Knight, it''s very likely that it''s the mysterious Evil God was the one with the Thorny Rose symbol!" "Clearly... after so many days, her power has recovered significantly." S~?a??h the N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "Lord Leonard, this matter can no longer be concealed from the higher-ups." "I know you want to compete for the position of Archbishop, but this is Borde! I am the Duke of Borde! I still need to be accountable to the people of Borde!" "If this matter becomes known, even if you become Archbishop, you will be investigated and punished! All your efforts will be meaningless!" Hearing the words of the old Duke, the High Priest''s expression fluctuated. After a long time, he sighed deeply. "My lord, please don''t be hasty. I will handle this matter." "Humph! Please do so quickly!" The old Duke snorted coldly and left. Watching the old Duke leave, the High Priest''s expression also became unsightly. He glanced at the broken symbol, his expression uncertain. After hesitating for a long time, he seemed to have made a certain determination, and he put it away carefully. The High Priest didn''t deceive the old Duke. Indeed, he had sensed the terrifying aura left by the Evil God on the symbol. However, he didn''t tell the other party that even after several purifications, the aura on the symbol had not completely disappeared... This mysterious evil god seemed to have a higher status than he had imagined. So high that even he had some crazy ideas... Chapter 82: Praise be upon you, Lady of the Night! Charlotte confirmed another thing.In the future, she must refrain from using the Blood Contract to summon a servant to her side. This kind of action, involving spatial teleportation, consumes an outrageous amount of energy. Just summoning an elf below the Third tier would unexpectedly shorten her True Ancestor''s Liberation available usage time by half a second. Outrageous! It took her a whole second just to frighten a Blazing Sun. S~?a??h the N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. What''s more critical is that she hasn''t figured out how to replenish this ability''s time limit yet! Charlotte winced at the thought, while on the other side, it took Sebastian several seconds to regain his senses. He had been directly summoned to the study of Castell Manor by the Lady of the Night! Taking in his surroundings, he quickly spotted the Lady of the Night seated expressionlessly at her desk. He hastily bowed respectfully, fervently praising. "Praise be upon you! Great Lady of the Night!" However, as he finished his bow and glanced towards Charlotte, he quickly blinked, then lowered his head again. "Do you need to change into a new outfit?" He cautiously reminded her. Charlotte blinked, quickly glanced at her own body, and remembered that she had accidentally spilled milk on her clothes while multitasking perspectives. Initially, she hadn''t minded, but now, feeling sticky, she realized her upper body was completely soaked. It was indeed... not very elegant. "I''ll go change my clothes. You rest for a bit and come see me later at the evening meeting." She said somewhat unnaturally. "And, try not to leave the manor. If you must, disguise yourself so no one recognizes you." She added. With that, the girl left the study. Watching Charlotte leave, Sebastian heaved a sigh of relief. After the recent battle, he held a deep reverence for the Lady of the Night. But now, seeing the spirit restored to her girl form, he felt a different kind of connection. The distance created by fear seemed to have diminished in an instant. The Lady of the Night was a God, but not the disdainful, haughty kind that looked down on mortals! He mused silently. Afterward, Sebastian pushed open the study door, ready to head to the kitchen for some food to fill his stomach. After being hunted for so many days, besides wine, he had nothing left in his storage space to eat. Relaxing now only made him realize how hungry he was. "Too bad Misha isn''t here. If she were, she could make me some elf cakes." He muttered to himself. Misha was his elven maid, whom he had trained in the art of cooking. She was particularly skilled at making elven food. But just as he said that, Sebastian''s gaze darkened. The Inquisition had launched a pursuit against him, and Rose Society had also been subjected to divine judgment. He had been saved by the Lady of the Night, but the Rose Society hadn''t. The Lady of the Night and the Rose Society were not familiar, and SHE needed to conceal HER identity. He didn''t believe the Lady of the Night would intervene for the Rose Society. Thinking this, Sebastian sighed. The Rose Society... had probably become history. He felt a bit melancholic at the thought. Although the founding of the Rose Society had been a whim, born out of his disgust with some of the black gangs in Borde bullying and exploiting the commoners and elf slaves in the outer city, it had grown to mean a lot over the years. Loyal subordinates with strong limbs and simple minds, but pure-hearted werewolves; fierce and aggressive, quick to kill, yet sticking to their principles, the gangly brutes who would laugh and give flowers to little girls... Thinking about it, Sebastian''s mood became somewhat subtle. He sighed, shook his head, and decided to throw away these thoughts. He was an elf with a long lifespan. He had experienced many such partings. However, just as Sebastian descended the stairs, he came face to face with the limping girl, Sherry. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Seeing her nearly bandaged into a mummy-like appearance, he blinked in surprise. "Sherry?" ... Having changed into a new outfit, Charlotte regained her elegance and summoned Sebastian once again. The Flame Elf seemed to be in quite a good mood, even more excited than when she had summoned him back earlier. Charlotte found this strange and was about to ask when she saw Sebastian suddenly kneel before her, reverently and fervently declaring. "Praise be upon you! Great Lady of the Night! Sebastian and Rose Society will forever be your most faithful assistants!" Charlotte realized quickly that he must have learned that she had saved the Rose Society. She smiled lightly, gracefully lifted a tall glass, took a sip of milk, and said calmly. "As I''ve said, I naturally won''t mistreat those loyal to me." Sebastian''s attitude became even more respectful. If when he signed the contract, he only intended to offer loyalty to the Lady of the Night, like a vassal following a noble... then after witnessing the Lady of the Night''s formidable power and her protection for him and the Rose Society, his thoughts had subtly changed. Perhaps... he could try to change his mindset and have faith in the Lady of the Night? After all, she came from ancient times and wasn''t like those detestable Gods. Thinking so, Sebastian''s voice grew even more fervent. "You are a noble, magnificent, true God!" Feeling the fervor in his words, Charlotte felt somewhat awkward. She knew her power came solely from the divine artifact, the Gospel of Blood. "You don''t have to treat me as a God. Right now, I am just Charlotte." She said. However, upon finishing her sentence, she found Sebastian even more excited and respectful. "Okay, the great, beautiful, noble, and elegant mistress Charlotte!" Charlotte: ... What was inside this guy''s head? Charlotte muttered to herself. "Tell me, how did your investigation go?" She changed the subject. Sebastian also became serious. "I found out. The one who attempted to assassinate you was indeed the Blood Demon Cult!" "Count Gaston''s son, Jordan, indeed has dealings with the Blood Demon Cult. He is one of the participants in the Dreaming Salon. Many related nobles are likely involved with the Blood Demon Cult." "Dreaming Salon?" Charlotte''s interest was piqued. Sebastian''s face showed disdain. "That''s a party activity among the Borde nobles. It''s a social platform for nobles on the surface, but in reality, it''s a gathering of debauchery and sin. It''s quite famous within the noble circles, and many nobles in the duchy prohibit their offspring from attending, but in reality... many nobles participate in the Dreaming Salon." Wow... a debauched party? Charlotte clicked her tongue. "You seem quite familiar with the Dreaming Salon?" She asked. "To be honest, I''ve always suspected that the Dreaming Salon is involved in the trafficking of people from the outer city. So, I''ve investigated it before and even infiltrated it once, causing a commotion and punishing a few nobles who were raping young girls. Those girl... was taken from the outer city by them." Sebastian said solemnly. Punishing? Charlotte''s heart skipped a beat, remembering the young nobles'' actions at the Duke''s banquet, bowing their bodies to protect their lower regions. Charlotte: ... She had a pretty good idea of what his punishing meant. Chapter 83: Dreaming Salon "So... you suspect the Dreaming Salon is also related to the Blood Demon Cult?" "Not suspect, but certain. With the clues provided by you and Nice, I followed the thread and, using Jordan as a breakthrough point, discovered quite a few traces. In the process, I even managed to destroy a hideout of the Blood Demon Cult." Sebastian boasted. Destroyed a hideout of the Blood Demon Cult? Charlotte''s heart stirred. "So... any gains?" Sebastian sighed. "They''re still the Blood Servants, and they vanished too quickly. I didn''t have time to continue tracking." s?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "It was at that time I was falsely accused of killing clergy, and among the Blood Servants, there were vampires disguised as priests..." "But, it''s not like there was no gain." With that said, a crimson page flashed in Sebastian''s hand, then he respectfully presented it to Charlotte. A page of the Gospel! Charlotte''s eyes lit up. "Well done." She accepted it with satisfaction. As the page was acquired, it instantly turned into a red light and flowed into Charlotte''s body. Seeing this scene, Sebastian''s expression became even more respectful. Taking a deep breath, he continued, "The Blood Demon Cult is collecting the cursed pages, and there must be a conspiracy... the Dreaming Salon is probably one of their channels." "The Dreaming Salon is infamous, but it has never been dealt with. It has great momentum behind it, and its influence reached half of the nobles in the country... There must be a core figure secretly controlling it, and besides colluding with the Blood Demon Cult, there must also be a protective umbrella!" "Not only that... I suspect they were also behind framing me and the Rose Society!" The Dreaming Salon, huh... Charlotte pondered. "Where is the Dreaming Salon held?" "It changes every time. You need an insider''s introduction to have a chance to enter." Sebastian said. "In addition, during the investigation, I also found a familiar figure in Jordan''s mansion..." "Who?" Charlotte raised an eyebrow. Sebastian knew her situation, and for her, there weren''t many people who could be called acquaintances. "Priest Lottie." Sebastian solemnly said. Lottie? Charlotte was genuinely surprised this time. "What''s going on?" She asked. "Lottie has close ties with the cathedral, and the upper echelons of the church... are also likely to be related to the Dreaming Salon." Sebastian hinted. The upper echelons of the church... Charlotte narrowed her eyes. She remembered the obviously abnormal High Priest. The High Priest had reached an agreement with her, but in the end, he abandoned Castell, obviously finding a better collaborator. Thinking of the nature of the Dreaming Salon and the perversions that the High Priest had revealed openly and subtly that day, she could probably guess who the protective umbrella of the Dreaming Salon might be. "Think... if we also write a report and directly report it to the higher-ups of the Holy Court, what effect will it have?" Charlotte contemplated. Sebastian instantly understood the girl''s meaning and widened his eyes. "You suspect... the High Priest is the protective umbrella?" Although somewhat surprised, Sebastian did not doubt Charlotte''s judgment. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now In his view, God''s judgment must be correct. He thought for a moment and said. "Five things..." "First, there must be evidence, and it must be precise, ensuring a fatal blow." "Second, the Grand Knight has just died, and in the next few days, the Inquisition of Borde will inevitably be in chaos." "Although your power is unparalleled, I think it''s best not to attract too much attention from the higher-ups of the Holy Court..." "A fall from grace of a High Priest may well attract the Legendary attention, and Legendary... can communicate directly with Gods." "Third, the factions within the Holy Court are complex, and the fact that the High Priest has a chance to compete for the Archbishop position shows that there are relevant factions supporting him." "Even if it''s reported, it may not necessarily get a response." "Fourth, even if the High Priest is the protective umbrella, his goals may not necessarily align with the Blood Demon Cult..." "And the greatest malice towards you comes from the Blood Demon Cult, as well as the nobles cooperating with the Blood Demon Cult, not the church." "At least not for now." "Fifth, all conspiracies are futile in the face of absolute strength. With your power, I don''t think the people behind the scenes can really threaten you." "Mistress Charlotte, we can collect information in absolute secrecy, identify possible targets, and then quietly pay them a visit!" Sebastian''s expression was excited, showing anticipation. Having witnessed the power of the Lady of the Night, he now had more confidence than the Lady of the Night herself. Charlotte, however, fell into contemplation. Sebastian was right. Perhaps before today, Charlotte was still very concerned about her safety, but now that she had successfully advanced to the first tier Starry Sky, her strength had greatly increased, and her ability to protect herself had also improved significantly. Not to mention, she had also unlocked a new ability, "True Ancestor''s Liberation". Although she hadn''t had time to study it carefully yet, judging from today''s performance, this ability could temporarily grant her power far beyond that of a third-tier Blazing Sun! She wasn''t sure if this power had reached the level of Legendary but undoubtedly, if used properly, Charlotte could completely dominate Borde. Of course, the drawbacks were also obvious. This ability couldn''t be exposed to the public, and there were time limits and an unknown cooldown period. But overall, she was indeed out of immediate danger now, and she did have the power to fight back. Being assassinated and targeted, she also had a lot of pent-up anger. Perhaps, it was time for her to take action. "So... what should we do next, do you understand?" Charlotte took a sip of milk lightly. Sebastian chuckled. "Of course, continue investigating the Dreaming Salon, unearth the secrets of the Blood Demon Cult!" "No need for that trouble, just tie up Jordan and bring him to me." Charlotte said calmly. After speaking, she thought for a moment, then changed her mind. "No, no need to bring him to me, just tie him up and call my name." Sebastian''s heart skipped a beat. "Understood." "Remember not to expose yourself, disguise well. You can also let your subordinates do it, but don''t leave any traces, arouse suspicion, or startle the snake." Charlotte reminded again. The Grand Knight had just died, and he died during the process of chasing Sebastian. Sebastian''s current situation was very delicate. Although she had provided cover, it didn''t clear suspicion, and Charlotte even had a bit of a headache about solving this problem next. Sebastian also thought of these. He respectfully bowed again. "Understood." "In addition... if you find members of the Blood Demon Cult again, don''t alarm them, just call my name as well." Charlotte added. Sebastian''s heart stirred slightly, bowing respectfully, "Understood, I accept your oracle!" After receiving the orders, Sebastian took his leave. And Charlotte finally had some free time to properly study the new powers she had obtained. Chapter 84: Power Beyond Mortal Limit Charlotte acted upon her thoughts.Setting aside the various enhancements brought by the "Gospel of Blood", she first wanted to test her own physical qualities to understand the true power of the Starry Sky. Different races and individuals had varying strengths upon entering the First-tier. Judging solely by feeling was not accurate. Charlotte wanted to conduct practical tests, which would help her understand her strength at its weakest and formulate how to protect herself. Afterward, she would delve into understanding the new power of the "Gospel of Blood." After pondering for a moment, the girl pressed the silver bell on the desk, summoning her personal maid. "Prepare a set of knight training attire for me, and then have Casimodo open the door to the training room." In the world of Myria, noble families with extraordinary powers always had training rooms specifically for the training of extraordinary individuals. Knight families liked to call it the training room, while mage families preferred to call it the meditation room. The Castell family had produced both mages and knights over the generations, so they had always referred to it as the training room according to noble tradition. During the days she spent after returning to the manor, Charlotte conducted her daily etiquette training of the newcomers in the training room. Therefore, the maid was not surprised after hearing Charlotte''s instructions and respectfully excused herself. About fifteen minutes later, Charlotte changed into suitable knight training attire. Although it''s called knight training attire, it was actually a tight-fitting top with elongated riding pants. The main color was white, and the fabric was silk from the Far East, making it silky, comfortable, and light to wear. Of course, it was also quite expensive, the training attire alone cost over a thousand gold tana. Wearing the training attire, Charlotte tied her golden hair into a high ponytail, looking a bit less cute and more heroic. When she arrived at the door of the training room, Casimodo was already waiting there. "Master." Casimodo bowed respectfully to Charlotte, looking very excited. "Help me adjust the testing equipment. I want to test my current physical fitness." Charlotte commanded her old servant. Most of the training rooms of the major noble families were equipped with devices specially designed to detect extraordinary strength. These devices were usually alchemy products in nature, a type of magical equipment that even ordinary people could master after training. These devices were very expensive, crafted by Silver Moon mages, and typically valued at tens of thousands of gold tana. They would assess various aspects of the body such as strength and speed, magical or source power intensity, and magical affinity or sensitivity to source power. The tests were not particularly accurate, mainly used for self-evaluation by those at the First-tier and below, aiding them in their self-improvement training. As for more powerful extraordinary individuals... their powers had undergone a qualitative change, beyond what existing tools and equipment could measure. To test their strength, magical probing or direct combat judgment was necessary. Charlotte was not a knight. As a Bloodborne, she belonged to the magical creatures, but her physical qualities were different from ordinary people. So, the tests she needed to undergo were for strength, speed, magical intensity, and magical affinity. Excitedly, Casimodo replied to Charlotte''s request. "You''ve come at the perfect time. Rand and the others are currently inside conducting training!" "Rand? Training?" Charlotte was somewhat surprised. Rand was one of the young men and women she had recruited from the outer city, an apprentice knight, considered one of the most talented among the dozens of newcomers. Usually, the young men and women would undergo extraordinary training in the morning in the training room, and in the afternoon, they would receive etiquette lessons led by Charlotte, with Casimodo assisting, sometimes even sparring with Charlotte. Of course, almost every time, they would be thoroughly beaten by the seemingly more delicate Charlotte. However, with such a big event last night and many people even getting injured, she had already given the young men and women an extra day off... Moreover, because of the chaos last night, some people still hadn''t been found, and the Rose Society was still sending people to search. What was happening today? "Hehe, you''ll see once you go in. It''s a surprise!" Casimodo chuckled without explaining directly. Hmm? A surprise? Charlotte''s heart fluttered slightly. She didn''t continue to inquire but decisively pushed open the door. As the door opened, the training room came into view. The training room of Castell was quite large, almost equivalent to a small sports arena, able to accommodate hundreds of people for daily training without issue. The training room was bustling with noise, over thirty young men and women were undergoing their daily extraordinary training, honing their magical and source power abilities or simply their physical fitness. Those who hadn''t been injured last night or whose injuries were relatively minor had all come. Seeing Charlotte, the nearest young men and women''s eyes brightened, they stopped their movements and greeted the young lady respectfully. "Lady Charlotte!" Their demeanor was even more respectful than the previous week. And their grateful gazes towards Charlotte were beyond measure. Yesterday, the young lady had personally led the Demon Hunter Knights to save them and their families, which was quite rare for nobles. Especially considering the danger Charlotte herself faced in the chaos of the outer city last night. Amid the crisis, Charlotte''s status in the hearts of the young men and women had undoubtedly become even more revered. If before they were merely attracted by the wealth of the Castell family, the promising future, and the beauty and loveliness of their mistress Charlotte... Now, the vast majority of them truly regarded themselves as members of the Castell family. "Weren''t we supposed to have a day off today? Some of your parents were injured in last night''s accident." Charlotte surveyed the room and said. Hearing her words, the young men and women looked at each other with complex expressions, feeling somewhat unwilling. A young man fell silent for a moment before speaking. "Lady Charlotte... we... we''re just too weak. We want to improve our strength as soon as possible." We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "We grew up in the outer city. Because our parents were once extraordinary individuals and with the help of the Rose Society, many of us awakened extraordinary powers when we were very young." "In the outer city... we''ve always been proud of our strength. But it wasn''t until last night that we realized... in front of advanced extraordinary individuals, in front of the Judgment Troops, we are still too weak." "As knights, we can''t even protect our families, and... we even need your protection." "If it weren''t for you last night, perhaps we would have died." The young man bowed his head in shame. Hearing the young man''s words, other young men and women echoed. "Yes... we''re too weak..." "We must become stronger as soon as possible..." Charlotte felt a slight realization. These young men and women were stirred by the battle with the Inquisition last night. She sighed and said. "It''s good that everyone wants to become stronger." "However, advancing to a higher tier isn''t something that can be achieved overnight. Everyone needs to take it step by step." With that, she smiled slightly, her beautiful and innocent smile like a blooming flower, making it difficult for the young men and women to look away. "Don''t worry, from now on, I will hire some instructors specifically to help you improve your extraordinary powers." "Thank you, Lady Charlotte!" "Long live Lady Charlotte! Long live Castell!" The young men and women cheered. "Alright, you don''t need to mind me. Continue your training." Charlotte said to the young men and women. The crowd soon dispersed, returning to their training. However, Casimodo, who was beside Charlotte, seemed hesitant. "Master, we hired Demon Hunters last night and spent too much gold tana. If we hire professional instructors, we might not have enough money..." "It''s alright, we have the Rose Society. We can select some people from the Rose Society to be instructors." "That is indeed a way, but forgive me for speaking frankly... the Rose Society was, after all... well, once an underground organization, and each extraordinary individual there is quite formidable. Training under them might be... difficult." "You mean they might not be able to handle it?" "Yes, that''s what I mean." "Wouldn''t that be even better? Everyone wants to improve their strength quickly, right? Devilish instructors with devilish training will help them improve their strength faster." S~?a??h the ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte said with a smile. After saying that, she looked at Casimodo again. "And what about the surprise you mentioned?" "If it''s just the newcomers being enthusiastic, that wouldn''t count as a surprise." "Master, look over there." Casimodo didn''t directly answer but pointed to the annex used for testing physical fitness in the training room. Charlotte glanced over and saw a crowd of young men and women gathered there, occasionally exclaiming in surprise. Charlotte had just noticed these people; it seemed they were watching something. She hadn''t even noticed their presence when she entered, but now she was somewhat curious. She walked over without a word and saw a fourteen or fifteen-year-old boy at the center of the crowd. Charlotte recognized him as Rand, an apprentice knight she had high hopes for. During the etiquette training for newcomers, Charlotte had sparred with them, relying on her bloodborne agility and exceptionally high physical fitness, none of the newcomers were her match. However, there were some individuals with significantly stronger physical strength, like Rand. Although Rand was only an apprentice knight, his explosive strength could reach over eight hundred pounds, equivalent to a punch carrying over three hundred kilograms of force, roughly equivalent to a professional boxer in the heavyweight division on Earth. And he was just a fourteen-year-old boy, weighing less than seventy kilograms. This was the terrifying aspect of extraordinary strength. As descendants of extraordinary knights, their awakened source power would continuously reshape their bodies until they surpassed the limits of ordinary people, condensing the heart of source power and entering a higher tier. When Charlotte trained with them one-on-one, she most enjoyed sparring with this young apprentice knight because his strength was closest to hers and he was the most resilient. At this moment, with each of Rand''s punches, the surrounding young men and women exclaimed in unison, chanting the numbers on the magic sandbag. "Two thousand four hundred pounds! Two thousand four hundred pounds! He hit two thousand four hundred pounds this time!" Two thousand four hundred pounds? Charlotte''s heart stirred slightly. The biggest difference between the First-tier and Zero-tier extraordinary individuals was that first-tier individuals surpassed ordinary people. And an ordinary person, even with the most professional training and the most robust physique, would find it very difficult to exceed one thousand eight hundred pounds of force, roughly equivalent to the strength of boxing champion Tyson on Earth. But Tyson weighed over one hundred and ten kilograms. And now, Rand, who weighed only sixty kilograms, had punched out a force surpassing one thousand kilograms! This meant only one thing. Rand had surpassed ordinary people. "He''s a First-tier." "Rand, he has advanced to the First-tier!" Casimodo exclaimed excitedly. Chapter 85: Lets have a Spar! First Tier.Charlotte''s heart stirred slightly, followed by a wave of excitement. As a lord, she couldn''t rely solely on her own strength to control her territory. Extraordinary followers were necessary. And a boy who condensed the heart of source power at the age of fourteen to become an extraordinary knight, although could not be called a genius, was indeed extremely gifted. At this moment, the young men and women who had been watching finally noticed Charlotte. They quickly fell silent and abandoned Rand to gather around the girl, bowing respectfully. "Lady Charlotte!" Charlotte smiled faintly. "You''ve all worked hard." Rand also quickly walked over. This carefree young man was also very excited, his bare arms, forehead, and body covered in sweat from hitting the sandbag. Charlotte could even sense his strong aura through her keen intuition! Although much weaker than Chatham, the captain of the Demon Hunter squad, he was much stronger than the other newcomers. Standing together, they gave Charlotte the feeling of stars and the moon. "Lady Charlotte!" Rand knelt down on one knee, his right hand placed over his chest, respectfully performing the knight''s gesture of facing his liege. "Please rise. When did you advance?" Charlotte smiled, her smile naive and romantic, filled with the joy of a young girl. Rand scratched his head innocently. "Hehe, it was last night. After returning home last night, the Inquisition attacked our house, injuring my father. Then, out of anger... I condensed the heart of source power." The condensation of the heart of source power is often influenced by intense emotions. Obviously, the young man had advanced under extreme anger. In fact, many nobles would choose similar methods, perhaps in different ways but leading to the same result. This was also the mainstream path for extraordinary knights to advance in tiers without using the awakening seeds. Of course, the process of the young man''s advancement was certainly not that simple. Charlotte could even imagine that although Rand was speaking lightly now, it was probably a moment of life and death for him at that time. For the heretic... the local Inquisition forces were always merciless. He was probably in a life-or-death struggle, and he advanced from being engulfed in extreme anger and fear. "Injured your father? Is it serious? How is he now?" Charlotte frowned slightly, her expression filled with concern, her clear blue eyes full of tension. Rand gratefully said. "With the help of the Demon Hunter Knights, my father''s injuries are already healed." Charlotte breathed a sigh of relief at this. "That''s good..." Strictly speaking, although Charlotte was concerned about Rand''s father''s injury, she wasn''t as exaggerated as she was just now. But since she appeared as a cute little girl, she knew how to make these followers feel closer to her. Charlotte knew her heart wasn''t pure. But so what? Even if you''re not a gentleman at heart, if you keep doing gentlemanly things all your life, you''re still a gentleman. As a ruler, she knew how to do better. Seeing her like this, the young men and women''s eyes became even more respectful. "What bloodline power did you awaken?" Charlotte asked again. Unlike nobles with inherited bloodlines, extraordinary individuals like Rand, although their parents were extraordinary, their ancestors might never have been extraordinary. Or even if they were, they might never have been Second Tier, Silver Moon extraordinary. Extraordinaries below the Second Tier do not form inheritable bloodlines, so the awakened powers of people like Rand are usually not accompanied by special bloodline effects. Of course, after becoming a First Tier, extraordinary individuals are considered to have awakened for the second time. Those without bloodlines will awaken bloodlines, and those with bloodlines will strengthen them. Charlotte was an exception. She was different from other nobles. For the original body owner before possession, she had always been treated like a canary and had never awakened her bloodline. After the possession, Charlotte became a Bloodborne, and her noble bloodline was likely overshadowed by the Bloodborne bloodline. But even so, after becoming a First Tier, Charlotte vaguely felt that something had changed deep in her bloodline. But she hadn''t tested what it was yet. She just felt that it seemed to be related to the Bloodbornes. "It''s the Stone! My bloodline power... is the Stone!" Rand said happily. The Stone... Charlotte''s heart stirred slightly. The Stone is one of the commonly awakened bloodlines for extraordinary individuals without inherited bloodlines after advancing to the First Tier. As the name suggests, it enhances defense and strength. Especially in terms of defense, the bonus is very high, and when the bloodline is activated, the body becomes as hard as a rock. Charlotte even seriously suspected that perhaps she had beaten Rand too much last week, and when he awakened, he was also beaten by the Judgment Knights, which led to the awakening of this bloodline. But... it''s not bad. The Stone bloodline is one of the best bloodlines for guardian knights. Hmm... although Charlotte seriously doubted whether with her own strength, does she really need protection from others. He was very suitable as a punching bag. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Rand, who successfully advanced to the First Tier, seemed quite excited. He clenched his fist and said joyfully. "Lady Charlotte, now... I''m also a Starry Sky Knight." "I know. Before, you chose me as your sparring partner because I could take a beating the best..." "But, I know you still restrained your power. You could take on many of us alone. The old me was no match for you." "But now, hehehe... now I''ve advanced to First Tier! And awakened the Stone bloodline!" "From now on, you can unleash your power on me as your sparring partner!" Rand became more and more excited as he spoke, clearly proud to be the first among the newcomers to reach the First Tier as an extraordinary individual. At the same time, Charlotte sensed that this young knight also had the stubbornness of youth. Although he didn''t say it, he was probably quite frustrated about being beaten by a "little girl" all the time. However, Rand''s words made Charlotte instantly interested. Testing physical abilities with magical devices is one thing, but... compared to using devices, she was more interested in sparring with people. Now she had encountered someone who had also awakened Starry Sky power, and it was also the one who she had previously beaten. She suddenly felt a bit itchy to fight. Of course, she was a Bloodborne, and strength wasn''t her strong suit, agility and magic were. She was even only halfway decent at magic. She only knew the Majesty magic for now. With Rand advanced to First Tier and awakened his bloodline power, his strength must have undergone a tremendous change. But Charlotte didn''t care about winning or losing. After all, she was just a little girl, what did it matter if she lost? "Sure, let''s give it a try." Charlotte said, her eyes bright with eagerness. Hearing the girl''s words, the young men and women around them were stunned. "Master, be cautious... Rand just awakened his Source Core. Although I''m not an extraordinary individual, I know that those who have just advanced to the next tier find it hard to control their power. You..." Casimodo''s face changed slightly as he hurriedly interjected. "Mr. Casimodo, you don''t need to worry. I''m used to my current strength, and I won''t go all out. I''ll just use one hand and a third of my strength... that should be about the same level as Lady Charlotte." Rand said confidently. After saying that, he scratched his head. "If you''re really worried, I can also refrain from retaliating!" "To be honest, I also want to test the defensive power under my current bloodline activation. Among the manor residents, Lady Charlotte is the strongest." "Lady Charlotte, please strike me with all your strength and let me test my defensive power now!" "This..." Casimodo hesitated. Charlotte, on the other hand, was delighted. She confirmed one thing again: the perception of a knight is indeed not as acute as that of a mage. Charlotte had sensed Rand''s formidable strength, but Rand had not noticed that she had also advanced. There was no point in hiding her strength to surprise the other party, after all, he wasn''t an enemy. Charlotte didn''t tease them anymore. Instead, she actively released the magical aura within her body and smiled. "No need, you can go all out." Rand was taken aback for a moment and was about to say something, but he felt the sudden surge of formidable aura emanating from Charlotte''s body, and his simple expression quickly became serious. At the same time, the young men and women around them also quieted down. They stared dumbfoundedly at Charlotte, feeling as if the girl were a terrifying volcano of magical power, and her aura became even more terrifying. As for Casimodo, he was already a bit unsteady, and his legs were trembling. He widened his eyes, looked at Charlotte in astonishment, and exclaimed. "First... Tier?!" Several apprentice mages also swallowed hard with difficulty, their expressions bewildered. "Lady Charlotte... You''ve, you''ve opened your magic pool and become a mage?" "But... you were able to beat Rand before, you... weren''t you an apprentice knight?" "No... Lady Charlotte is not just a mage, nor just a knight." Said Rand solemnly. His gaze fixed firmly on the girl, feeling a strong and formidable aura similar to Source Power emanating from deep within her bloodline, his eyes filled with complex emotions. "Lady Charlotte, you are a dual cultivator..." Taking a deep breath, he slightly clenched his fist, his eyes also filled with determination. "Lady Charlotte, you truly deserve to be the head of the Castell family." "It seems... I really don''t need to hold back." Charlotte smiled slightly. She was certainly not a dual cultivator. But as a Bloodborne, as a magical creature, it wouldn''t be wrong to say she was a dual cultivator. Humans are not magical creatures. Without an affinity for magic and magic circuits, they can only become knights. And those who have opened their magic pool and become mages, focusing solely on magic, find it difficult to pick up Source Power training again to condense their Source Core. But magical creatures are different. Magic and Source Power are two different manifestations of the same energy. In magical creatures, Magic is both Magic and Source Power. Magical creatures... are essentially dual cultivators! S?a??h the N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 86: Ridiculous Power "Did you hear? Lady Charlotte is going to spar with Sir Rand!""Oh? Is Sir Rand going to be a punching bag again?" "No! Sir Rand has become a Starry Sky knight!" "Huh? Then why is he sparring with Lady Charlotte?" "But Lady Charlotte has also advanced to First Tier Starry Sky!" "What? Why didn''t you say so earlier! Are they fighting in the training room? Let''s go check it out!" The news of Charlotte sparring with Rand quickly spread throughout the entire Castell Manor. Upon hearing the news, almost all the servants rushed to the training room. Watching extraordinary individuals spar was one of the few entertainment options in the world of Myria, especially when the participants were First Tier or above individuals! Inside the training room, as more and more people gathered to watch, even Sherry, leaning on her cane, limped her way to the scene. Charlotte and Rand stood in the center of the training room, with the nearest spectators standing several dozen meters away. However, even this distance wasn''t safe, as the destructive power of First Tier individuals was too strong. Several magic apprentices had already been called by Nice to help cast protective spells. "Meow meow meow? She''s going to fight with this little guy? Miss Charlotte seems to be in a good mood and enjoys bullying people." Muttered the black cat while casting a first-tier magic shield. But to the others, the two on the field looked completely different. On one side was the delicate and lovely young girl, and on the other was the tall and sturdy young man. Neither wore armor or carried weapons, clearly intending to engage in hand-to-hand combat. Although they knew both had reached the First Tier Starry Sky, some servants couldn''t help but say. "Sir Rand has awakened the Stone bloodline, so isn''t it unfair for Lady Charlotte?" "Unfair? Heh." Hearing the discussion, Nice rolled its eyes. Then, it turned to the two fighters and said. "Miss Charlotte, the magic barrier is ready!" Charlotte nodded and looked at Casimodo. After hesitating for a moment and glancing at Nice, who was munching on dried fish on the side, Casimodo felt somewhat reassured and announced. "Let the battle... begin!" As he spoke, everyone held their breath, their eyes glued to the sparring grounds. "Lady Charlotte, you go first. We''ll stop at your signal. Let''s just test our strength." Said Rand, bowing respectfully. "Alright, but you go first." Charlotte replied with a smile and a shake of her head. Rand hesitated for a moment. But he still followed Charlotte''s words, his expression instantly becoming serious. "In that case... Lady Charlotte, I''ll obey." With that, he shouted loudly, clenched his fist, and charged towards Charlotte. His skin gradually hardened like stone, and the terrifying punch generated a whistling sound as it broke through the air, eliciting gasps... The onlookers could clearly see that as Rand took a step forward, the ground noticeably sank in a large chunk before slowly recovering under Nice''s magic. "Lady Charlotte, my fist now packs two thousand pounds! Please be careful!" Rand shouted as he charged forward. Charlotte''s expression also became serious. Having stepped into the First Tier, theoretically, her strength should have surpassed human limits, reaching at least eighteen hundred pounds. But facing off against a Starry Sky Knight who had awakened the Stone Bloodline, she still had to be cautious. She took a deep breath and mobilized the power of her bloodline within her. Charlotte was a Bloodborne. As the price of becoming Bloodborne, she lacked a Heart of Source Power or a Magic Pool. However, after advancing to the First Tier, she distinctly felt her heart become a source of power. The strength of the Bloodbornes stemmed from their bloodlines, and the core of the bloodline... was the heart. With her intention, Charlotte could feel her heart beating strongly, as the magical power within her blood continuously gathered towards her arms. She raised her arms, assuming a defensive posture. Rand closed in instantly, landing a punch on Charlotte''s elbow. A dull roar echoed, causing the entire ground to tremble, even the protective magic rippled, startling Nice. At the same time, both participants in the sparring were stunned. In Rand''s perception, it felt like his fist had struck a solid rock, not only failing to penetrate the opponent''s defense but also causing a reverberating shock that numbed his hand. Charlotte furrowed her brow instantly, sensing that the opponent''s fist seemed... somewhat weak? "Did you really use all your strength?" She couldn''t help but ask. Rand was also bewildered. Huh? Did I... not exert enough force just now? "Again!" Rand took a deep breath and clenched his fist once more. "Hah!" He shouted and charged towards Charlotte again. This time, Rand''s internal source power erupted completely, using all of his strength! With each step he took, the ground beneath him cracked, and even Nice''s magic took several seconds to repair it. His punch was even more ferocious, and he flew towards Charlotte like a cannonball. Feeling the seemingly no stronger than before force, this time, Charlotte only extended one hand... As the two collided once more, Charlotte remained unmoved, while Rand felt the counterforce on his fist even stronger, making his entire arm numb. This time, he finally confirmed a terrifying fact: even when he exerted all his strength, he couldn''t make the girl budge an inch! She even only extended one hand! We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Ridiculous! How strong is she really? Rand''s mind was filled with shock as he looked at Charlotte, and he even began to doubt his own strength. The surrounding spectators, unable to truly feel the terrifying power of the confrontation due to the protective magic, only saw the boy''s attacks being easily blocked by Charlotte. "Rand, are you even trying?" "Yeah, even Lady Charlotte, you''re making it too obvious that you''re going easy on him." Several apprentice knights expressed their dissatisfaction. S~?a??h the N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Rand''s face turned red with frustration. God, he really wasn''t holding back! Lady Charlotte is just too strong... Rand''s expression became somewhat bewildered. Why... why did he feel like the gap between himself and Lady Charlotte became even wider after he advanced to First Tier? "Is it over? Then... let me try my strength." Charlotte said. Upon hearing the girl''s words, Rand''s expression immediately became serious. He quickly assumed a defensive stance, looking like he was facing a formidable enemy. Seeing him like this, the onlookers laughed. "Rand, don''t overdo the act!" "Yeah, yeah!" "No, he''s not acting. He''s really going all out to defend." Nice said while nibbling on dried fish. Really going all out to defend? The crowd was stunned. They didn''t doubt Nice''s words, even though it was just a cat, it could cast magic and divine rituals. They couldn''t help but look at the girl on the field, feeling that her delicate figure had suddenly become mysterious. Meanwhile, Charlotte continued to concentrate on her magical power. She could clearly sense the flow of magic in her blood, strengthening her power. Taking a deep breath, she clenched her fist. At first, she intended to exert full force as well, but thinking back to the opponent''s strength just now, she hesitated. She unloaded half of her strength, and after careful consideration, she unloaded some more, only using one-third of her full strength. Next, she gave a light shout and rushed towards Rand. The ground beneath her feet instantly shattered, even the protective magic trembled slightly, scaring Nice into exclaiming "Holy cow." Her petite fist swiftly approached and struck Rand''s arms, causing the boy''s expression to change drastically. With a loud bang, the newly advanced Starry Sky Knight was sent flying by a punch, flying over ten meters before crashing into the wall... After slowly sliding down from the wall, Rand lay down for a while before struggling to sit up. In the blink of an eye, the entire training room fell silent. Charlotte also looked at her fist in bewilderment. Wow... Is my strength really just at the entry-level of the First Tier? However, the Stone Bloodline truly lives up to its name. Even after being thrown over ten meters and lying there for more than ten seconds, Rand still managed to struggle and sit up. Coughing and trembling in both arms, clearly he hadn''t recovered, he looked at the girl with fear in his eyes. "Cough cough, I... I''m done, no more, I won''t fight anymore..." "Your... your strength, it''s... too strong." Casimodo, who was watching as the referee, snapped out of his daze after a while. "Lady... Lady Charlotte wins!" With that said, Nice removed the protective magic, and the crowd erupted into a clamor, swarming over. "Lady Charlotte... you really just advanced to the First Tier?" "Rand, did you really not hold back?" "Total domination... this was a total domination..." "Lady Charlotte is so strong!" "Rand, you''re so embarrassing..." The boys and girls chattered, while Charlotte looked at her fist thoughtfully. However, she quickly put away her inner surprise and said to Casimodo. "Casimodo, prepare the thing for me, I want to test my strength alone." Seeing Charlotte''s expression, Casimodo immediately understood and quickly said. "Everyone, go train first, the master wants to conduct a personal test, don''t disturb." Although the boys and girls were very curious about Charlotte''s true strength, they knew they had to obey orders, reluctantly leaving the training room. Charlotte walked in alone, closed the door, and came to the magic sandbag. Taking a deep breath, she mobilized all her strength, and punched upwards. With a dull bang, the sandbag trembled violently, almost deforming, and the connected magic stone suddenly emitted a dazzling red light, displaying a series of numbers. Charlotte looked over, her gaze focused slightly. That number, eight thousand eight hundred pounds, four times that of Rand''s. Converted into kilograms, she had almost four tons of force with a single punch! Ridiculous! Is this the strength expected of a Baron-level Bloodborne? Isn''t strength supposed to be a weakness for the Bloodbornes? Something''s wrong! There must be something wrong! Chapter 87: Royal Bloodline Charlotte pondered for a moment and telepathically communicated with Nice.Soon enough, the black cat pushed open the door to the training room and walked in. Perhaps it was because the food at the Castell household was too good, this fellow had been getting fatter recently, showing a tendency towards becoming round. "Meow, esteemed Miss Charlotte, did you summon me?" Charlotte glanced at it and said calmly. "How much strength would be considered average for a bloodborne that recently advanced to the First Tier?" "Meow! That depends on what race they were before becoming bloodborne. Different races have different standards. For humans, it should be similar to that of extraordinary knights." Nice replied instinctively. S~?a??h the ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. After speaking, it glanced at the number on the magic sandbag, its eyes widening. "Tsk... 8,800 pounds! Your strength has recovered quite quickly." "You''re not surprised?" Charlotte''s mind stirred. "Surprised about what? Even if you smashed the sandbag with one punch or shouted a Blazing Sun strongman unconscious, Nice wouldn''t be surprised." The cat replied, licking its paw. "You''re neither ordinary nor a typical bloodborne. Anything that happens with you is quite normal." Charlotte: ... That sounded somewhat reasonable. With the Gospel of Blood in her possession, she seemed to defy conventional logic, often endowed with extraordinary strength. However... Charlotte was certain that she wasn''t currently tapping into the power of the Gospel of Blood. Her current strength belonged entirely to her. "How much strength does a Second Tier Silver Moon extraordinary knight have?" Charlotte asked after some thought. "If they''ve just been promoted, their physical strength alone should be at least 20,000 pounds, possibly close to 30,000 pounds. And if their source power erupts, it''s even more terrifying. However, the bodies of Silver Moon knights have undergone qualitative changes, and strength is no longer the sole measure of their power." "The First Tier Starry Sky knights, when trained to the utmost limit, can have source power eruption strengths close to 20,000 pounds. However, they are no match for Silver Moon knights at all, because Silver Moon knights have greater endurance, stronger recovery, and more powerful source power eruptions." Nice explained. 20,000 to 30,000 pounds... that''s already over ten tons of pure physical strength, and if source power erupts, multiplying that several times probably wouldn''t be a problem. So, her strength hadn''t reached that of the Silver Moon, it was just among the stronger ones within the Starry Sky. However, it was daytime now. When it came to nighttime, a bloodborne''s strength would double. At that time... her strength would be even greater. Charlotte pondered. Then, she looked at the other testing equipment in the training room. Two brightly lit crystal balls and two translucent slabs. These were alchemy devices for testing magic or source power intensity, and magic affinity or source power sensitivity. Strength was a weakness of the Bloodborne, but now Charlotte''s strength was already so exceptional that she was curious about her magic power. "What''s the magic power of a recently advanced Starry Sky mage? And how about magic affinity?" Charlotte asked. "Probably around 3,000 grains, and as for magic affinity, it''s generally around 60%, but some are naturally high, reaching 90%." Nice said. A grain is a unit of magic power. One grain is roughly equivalent to the magic power consumption to maintain the simplest apprentice-level spell, Light, for one minute. Converted to first-tier magic, Starry Sky mages can use about thirty to forty grains at a time, and those with high magic affinity can use close to fifty. Magic affinity is the efficiency of a mage''s magic power utilization and meditation. The higher the affinity, the higher the utilization efficiency and meditation efficiency, with a maximum of 100%, meaning there is no waste when converting magic power into magic, and all absorbed magic power during meditation can be stored at 100%. "What about Silver Moon?" Charlotte asked again. "Hey, although mages aren''t physically strong, their mental strength is formidable. And when it comes to Silver Moon, a mage''s mental strength undergoes a qualitative change, as does the magic power pool." "The magic power of Silver Moon mages is generally over 30,000 grains, but when they use magic, they no longer need to rely solely on their internal magic power. They can resonate with the magic power in the air, greatly reducing magic power consumption." "Starting from Silver Moon... as long as they don''t get close, extraordinary knights are no match for mages. Of course, knights with exceptional talents, like Kara, are exceptions. They''re monsters." "In addition, the magic affinity of Silver Moon mages is over 90%." Nice replied. Charlotte nodded slightly. With Nice''s explanations, she finally had a clear understanding of the strength of First Tier Starry Sky and Second Tier Silver Moon extraordinary beings. After some thought, Charlotte placed her hand on the crystal ball and infused it with her magic power. As she did so, the crystal ball instantly lit up, emitting a crimson light. Gradually, a blurry number appeared on the base - 13,000 grains. 13,000 grains? Isn''t that over four times the strength of a recently advanced Starry Sky mage? Charlotte''s heart skipped a beat. At this point, she finally confirmed that it wasn''t just her strength that was too strong, but rather since advanced to the First Tier Starry Sky, she had surpassed the norm in every aspect! Charlotte took a deep breath and began testing her magic affinity. As she touched it, the translucent slab immediately took on a deep black hue, and the affinity meter on the magic crystal below shot up to maximum. Magic affinity, 100%. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now And it was dark magic affinity, 100%. Charlotte wasn''t surprised by this. The magic affinity of magical creatures was always extremely high, and the Bloodborne were, after all, creatures of darkness. After testing her strength and magic, Charlotte looked at the black cat again. "Do you have any knives?" The black cat''s eyes widened in alarm, protecting its two cat eggs. "What... what do you want to do?" Charlotte rolled her eyes. "I''m not performing surgery on you. Hurry up and hand it over." "Erm..." After some thought, the black cat cautiously retrieved a nail clipper from the void. "Are you kidding me?" Charlotte frowned. Seeing the girl''s increasingly impatient expression, Nicee sighed and fetched a small dagger, handing it over. Satisfied, Charlotte took it and made a cut on her own arm. A burning pain and fresh blood flowed instantly. But soon, Charlotte noticed that muscle was growing beneath the wound on her arm. After a while, the wound on her arm had completely healed. "My self-healing ability has improved, although not as much as during that night''s rampage, it''s still quite powerful." Charlotte nodded in satisfaction. With this, she had a preliminary understanding of her physical qualities. Although she had just advanced to the Starry Sky, she had already surpassed the ordinary Starry Sky in all aspects and was no longer afraid of most threats at this tier. Of course, if facing a Silver Moon alone, unless she used the power of the Gospel of Blood, she would still... need to run away quickly. With the tests complete, Charlotte was quite satisfied with her new physical qualities. Although she still looked like a pitiful little girl on the outside, her true strength was now monstrous. Throwing the dagger back to Nice, Charlotte left the training room. "Lady Charlotte, how did it go? What were your test results?" The boys and girls immediately gathered around, their eyes full of curiosity. Charlotte smiled faintly. "A bit stronger than Rand." Rand: ... Are you sure it''s just a bit? The boy''s gaze carried a hint of resentment. Charlotte didn''t delve further into the topic. She encouraged everyone a bit and then left. With the physical tests completed, she now needed to study the new power of the Gospel of Blood. Because she might have to study the power of the "True Ancestor''s Liberation," Charlotte didn''t choose the study but secluded herself from everyone, coming to the basement of the manor. After closing the door to the basement and instructing Nice to stand guard outside, Charlotte immersed herself in her consciousness and communicated with the Gospel of Blood. The crimson light bloomed in her consciousness, and the heavy gospel reappeared in her vision. As she flipped through the pages, familiar information rushed into her mind: [Master of the Gospel: Charlotte de Castell] [Symbol: Thorny Rose] [Race: Bloodborne] [Clan and Bloodline: Kirali (Royal Clan), Half-Elf] [Extraordinary Rank: Blood Baron (First Tier Starry Sky)] [Abilities Unlocked: Master of the Gospel (Activated), Blood Summoning (0% Cooldown), True Ancestor''s Liberation (58.5s), Divine Ritual Counter (Activated)] [Bloodline Resonance: Dark (First Tier), Mental (First Tier), Wild (Unmastered), Flesh and Blood (Unmastered), Insight (Unmastered)] [Dark: Low-tier Blood Embrace (Perfect)] [Mental: Low-tier Majesty (Perfect)] [Wild: None] [Flesh and Blood: None] [Insight: None] [Blood Descendants: Zero] [Blood Servants: Sebastian Flameheart] ... Charlotte browsed through her information and soon paused. She found that her Bloodborne bloodline had changed. "Royal Clan... Kirali?" Vaguely, Charlotte seemed to understand why her strength had become so powerful after advancing to the First Tier Starry Sky. Chapter 88: Bloodborne Clan and True Ancestors Liberation "The Bloodline of Royal Clan... Could it be that the reason I became so powerful after advancing to the Starry Sky is because my bloodline as a Bloodborne has changed?"Charlotte pondered. Charlotte was well aware that her previous bloodline was not from the Bloodline of Royal Clan, but rather from the Bloodline of Shedite, the Dark Clan. That was the bloodline she awakened after seizing the power of the crazy grandmother. After becoming a Bloodborne, Charlotte specifically studied the bloodlines of the Bloodborne. It is said that there are six major clans among the Bloodbornes. However, in the internal struggles over thousands of years, the vampires had long declined, and only five of the six major clans remained. From what Charlotte understood, the current five major vampire clans are: Wild Clan, Vad¨¢llat, specializing in the resonance of the wild path, is mainly active in the Coria Kingdom and the Eastern Yunette Blacklands. Mental Clan, Szellem, specializing in the resonance of the mental path, is mainly active in the Kingdom of Coria and the Western Yunette Empire. Flesh and Blood Clan, Harcos, specializing in the resonance of the flesh and blood path, is mainly active in the Western Yunette Empire and the Northlands Grand Duchy. Insight Clan, N¨¦z, specializing in the resonance of the insight path, is mainly active in the Fallen Star Kingdom and Luna Island. And, the Dark Clan, Shedite, specializing in the resonance of the dark path, is mainly active in the Crescent Kingdom and the Luna Island Coastal Cities. Besides these, there was the last Bloodborne clan that had already gone extinct. That was the clan that once ruled over all Bloodbornes, also known as the Royal Clan, or the Royal Bloodborne Clan¡ªthe Kirali. Because the Royal Clan had long disappeared, not even Charlotte could find out what was special about the Kirali clan. But now, Charlotte''s bloodline had become Kirali, and her strength far exceeded that of ordinary Starry Sky individuals. This made her guess¡ª Perhaps her current strength, far surpassing those of the same tier, was due to the enhancement of the Bloodborne Royalty bloodline? Royalty... This bloodline might also be related to the Bloodborne True Ancestors? Charlotte pondered. At the same time, Charlotte remembered a detail when she advanced. At that time, when she advanced to the Starry Sky, the Gospel of Blood had once erupted with a mysterious force that surged into her body. Under the influence of that mysterious force, Charlotte''s physical body in reality also underwent a transformation, and only then did she advance to the Starry Sky. And after awakening "True Ancestor''s Liberation," Charlotte knew what that mysterious force was. It was divine power. More accurately, it was the divine power of blood. The source of the divine power of blood still originated from the Gospel of Blood. However, it was not simply from the Gospel of Blood anymore, but rather some kind of wonderful chemical reaction produced by the fusion of Charlotte''s soul with the Blood Codex. Charlotte then focused her attention on "True Ancestor''s Liberation." Information about True Ancestor''s Liberation once again surfaced in Charlotte''s mind¡ª ¡¾True Ancestor Liberation (Activatable)¡¿ ¡¾As a descendant of Bloodborne royalty, the master of the gospel will possess the ability of True Ancestor''s Liberation, capable of consuming divine power to temporarily gain the power of the True Ancestor.¡¿ ¡¾The strength and duration of True Ancestor''s Liberation are limited by divine power. The current highest output level is Saint, with a maximum duration of one minute.¡¿ ¡¾After the liberation ends, the ability needs to cool down, and can only be activated again once divine power has recovered.¡¿ "Only Bloodborne royalty descendants can awaken the ability of True Ancestor''s Liberation... So, when I advanced at that time, I should have triggered some mechanism of the Gospel of Blood, and the surging divine power transformed my bloodline." "And after having the Royal Bloodline, I unlocked True Ancestor''s Liberation..." Charlotte quickly sorted out the relationship between them. And with it came another bizarre thought. Only Bloodborne royalty could master "True Ancestor''s Liberation." In that case, the Gospel of Blood seemed to have been tailored for Bloodborne Royalty descendants. "Gee... Could it be that the extinction of the Bloodborne Royalty was not caused by the other five major clans working together?" Charlotte''s expression was somewhat strange. Of course, she hadn''t entered the Bloodborne society now, and the Bloodborne internal affairs had nothing to do with her. But she had a faint feeling. After she steps into the Bloodborne society in the future, her bloodline might become a big surprise, or... big trouble. As for now, the Bloodborne society in Borde was only the group of lunatics from the Blood Demon Cult, and Charlotte had no intention of mingling with them at all. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Not only that, but she also wanted to get rid of them. Putting aside her scattered thoughts, Charlotte continued to study "True Ancestor''s Liberation." She carefully communicated her consciousness with the divine power hidden deep in her body around the Gospel, and the feeling of the leap in perspective she had when she advanced came again. However, this time, Charlotte was prepared. She did not activate "True Ancestor''s Liberation" but repeatedly probed its edge, sensing the specific information about this ability. With Charlotte''s perception, a crimson light radiated from her body, its brilliance flickering intermittently, exuding an ancient and profound aura. After a moment, Charlotte opened her eyes again. In the repeated probing, a vast amount of information poured into her mind, and she finally gained a further understanding of the power of "True Ancestor''s Liberation." "True Ancestor''s Liberation can allow me to temporarily possess the power of a Saint. Saints are the form taken by the Gods when they descend to earth." "Currently, the power of a Saint is almost equivalent to that of a Demi-God, but it cannot reach the level of a Demi-God because the world of Myria is currently in a period of low magic and cannot withstand Demi-God-level power." "The current highest output level is Saint. Under the highest output level, divine power will be rapidly consumed, and the time to maintain the True Ancestor''s Liberation state may be further shortened..." "If the power of the Saint is completely erupted, it may not be able to last for 58.5 seconds, or even only last for a few seconds..." "The power of ''True Ancestor''s Liberation'' must be used cautiously!" "The Gospel of Blood is an artifact. Inside the cover, there used to be a lot of divine power of blood, but most of it is sealed and must be continuously unlocked through completing the Gospel or the owner advancing in tiers..." "Other than that, if the divine power is depleted, it can only be replenished through other means." "There are two ways to replenish it." "One is to absorb the power of other Gods, similar to absorbing the holy light of God from God Harald when countering divine ritual. This is an ''upgraded version'' of the Bloodbornes'' ''bloodsucking'' power." "And the other is to use belief conversion..." "Belief conversion? Belief can also be converted into energy? Does it mean... faith?" Charlotte''s heart skipped a beat. "Wow, does this mean I have to go preach?" Charlotte instantly rejected the option of preaching. She was currently deep inside the Crescent Kingdom, within the territory of the largest religion, the Holy Court. Preaching here would be like inviting death upon herself... Not to mention, she was not a God. She couldn''t respond to believers and couldn''t bestow divine ritual. S?a??h th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Even if she preached secretly, she would have to wait until she returned to her own territory to figure out how to do it! Castell''s territory was far from the reach of the Holy Court''s faith, and it was perfect for causing trouble. "So... if I want to gain divine power now, other than advancing or completing the Gospel of Blood, I have to leech other religions!" Charlotte quickly turned her attention to the Holy Court. Of course, she currently didn''t lack divine power for the next 58.5 seconds... but it was better to be prepared. Understanding the power of "True Ancestor''s Liberation," Charlotte became more excited. Undoubtedly, this would be her biggest trump card! Suppressing the joy in her heart, Charlotte focused her attention on the newly acquired cursed page. In the ocean of consciousness, the Gospel of Blood opened again and soon flipped to the back of the Dark Chapter, where the extra page appeared. Golden characters slowly appeared on the Gospel, and new information about the Gospel emerged in Charlotte''s mind¡ª ¡¾Gospel of Blood ¡¤ Dark Chapter¡¿ ¡¾In the darkness we wander,¡¿ ¡¾Darkness embodies us, we are its essence¡¿ ¡¾Commanding the power of blood, our spirits find their origin;¡¿ ¡¾Under the veil of night, shadows become our armor;¡¿ ¡¾Unveiling the mysteries of life and death, death becomes our limbs.¡¿ ¡¾Dark Chapter ¡¤ Necromancy (Unlocked)¡¿ ¡¾Discovered Magic: Undead Resurrection¡¿ ¡¾Undead Resurrection: Fundamental necromancy magic within the Dark Path bloodline, capable of awakening the resurrected undead; the duration and quantity are inversely proportional to the magical energy expended and the strength of the undead.¡¿ ¡¾Would you like to inherit it?¡¿ Undead Resurrection? Charlotte was slightly stunned. She recognized it. This cursed page... was actually the one that was taken away by the Demon Hunter Knights from the crazy old lady! Chapter 89: Undead Resurrection Charlotte once inquired with the black cat Nice about the power of the cursed page held by her grandmother.According to Nice, the power possessed by that page was none other than the "undead resurrection." At the time, relying on the power of the cursed page, all the servants in the entire manor had been transformed into zombies. "Grandmother''s cursed page was reclaimed by the Demon Hunters." "However, Sebastian managed to retrieve it from the base of the Blood Demon Cult..." "Interesting, quite interesting." Charlotte clicked her tongue. Sebastian was unaware of the origin of this cursed page, but Charlotte knew. This cursed page had been reclaimed by the Demon Hunters and sealed in the sealing room of the Holy Court in the Borde Cathedral, only accessible to the upper clergy of Borde and with the permission of the High Priest. However, now that it was in Charlotte''s hands, presumably the box that sealed the cursed page in the sealing room of the Holy Court Cathedral in Borde should have long been empty, right? "So... the High Priest is really the protector of the Blood Demon Cult." Charlotte sighed lightly. Although she had already guessed this, getting indirect confirmation now still made her sigh involuntarily. No wonder for so many years the Borde Duchy couldn''t eradicate the Blood Demon Cult. With a mole like the High Priest, eradicating them was nothing short of a miracle! At the same time, Charlotte thought of another question. "Even this cursed page has come out. If there are other cursed pages still inside the cathedral, it is very likely that they have also fallen into the hands of the Blood Demon Cult..." "So, over these years, how many cursed pages has the Blood Demon Cult collected in the Borde Duchy?" With this thought, Charlotte''s desire to wipe out the Blood Demon Cult in Bould grew even stronger. "I can use the Blood Summoning to have a chance to directly find the Bloodbornes of the Blood Demon Cult, but... it might also attract the attention of the Bloodborne Archduke." "The Dark Night Castle belongs to the power of the Gospel of Blood. The Bloodborne nobles must know about it. It''s my deepest secret and my greatest trump card." "Ordinary Bloodborne can''t see through my details, but the Bloodborne Archduke might not be the same." "The risk of summoning the Bloodborne of the Blood Demon Cult into my spiritual world is too great. I hope Sebastian can quickly capture Jordan, dig out the mastermind, and find the lair of the Blood Demon Cult... perhaps I can rely on him." "As for now, let''s proceed with inheriting the magic." Recalling her thoughts, Charlotte decided to learn the Undead Resurrection first. Although dark magic was frowned upon, she had no choice. Having some magic skills was better than having none. "Inherit!" Charlotte silently recited in her consciousness. As she made the decision, Charlotte felt a surge of vast information flooding into her mind. Just like when she inherited the Majesty magic, faint crimson light constructs began to form in her spiritual world, continuously outlining and finally condensing into an illusory magic design. How to chant the incantation, how to communicate with the wandering undead, how to awaken them again... Everything took shape in her mind. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now [Inheritance successful] [Undead Resurrection Mastery (Beginner: 0/100)] The infusion of knowledge quickly ended. At the moment of inheriting the Undead Resurrection, Charlotte also faintly felt changes in her Inheritance Skill Tree. She felt a movement in her heart and quickly communicated with the skill tree. Familiar power blossomed in the spiritual world, and Charlotte felt her vision rise again, coming to the "Skill Tree" Constellation. This time, she noticed that the first tier representing the Starry Sky constellation had already been unlocked, and the light path leading to the second tier representing the Silver Moon constellation had also been unlocked. However, to reach the second tier, she needed to learn more magic, resonate with more bloodlines, and master more bloodline paths. As for the more detailed aspects, she couldn''t delve into them now. It probably required learning more magic and practicing it to perfection to understand further. However, looking at the familiar proficiency mechanic of the Undead Resurrection, Charlotte felt a headache again. Unlike other magic, practicing Undead Resurrection wasn''t easy because most intelligent beings in Myria had beliefs. After their deaths, their souls would return to the Kingdom of the Gods. The requirement of Resurrection of the Undead was for the souls of the deceased to still linger in the mortal world and be awakened by the practitioner. To achieve this, either the practitioner had to act quickly after the death of an intelligent being, before their souls accepted the call back to the Kingdom of the Gods, or choose unbelievers. Unbelievers were rare in this world. As for acting quickly after the death of intelligent beings... unless they had strong attachments during their lives, or were extraordinary beings, believers would quickly be called back to the Kingdom of the Gods after death. "Is there a place where people who have just died, whose souls haven''t had time to return to the Kingdom of the Gods, can often be seen?" Charlotte pondered. Soon, she got a series of answers. "In fact, there are quite a few, such as funeral societies, cemeteries, and church hospitals..." "However, funeral societies and cemeteries are not convenient for me to go to. I have a special status, and I am quite famous in Borde. Going to such places would easily arouse suspicion, even if I hide my identity, it is still very inconvenient." "As for church hospitals... it''s the same. Although people die there often, priests conduct funerals quickly and help the souls of the deceased return to the Kingdom of the Gods." "In addition, unless I''m crazy, I wouldn''t practice Undead Resurrection in a church hospital. By then, I''m afraid just the fluctuation of dark magic would attract a bunch of clergies." S?a??h the ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte shook her head and quickly rejected these practice methods. However, she soon had other ideas. "In fact, this magic doesn''t need to be practiced so urgently. It can be done slowly... even if I can''t find a target for practice, I should have plenty of opportunities to practice while dealing with the Blood Demon Cult." "For example... killing members of the Blood Demon Cult, then summoning their souls to inquire about them, and by the way, completely crushing the summoned souls to prevent them from returning to the Divine Kingdom of the Bloodborne Archduke..." "From this perspective, it seems like a good magic for destroying evidence?" Charlotte pondered. And just as Charlotte was contemplating how to practice Undead Resurrection in the future, she seemed to hear someone calling her name faintly. Charlotte''s heart stirred, immediately holding her breath, and in a trance, it seemed as if she heard Sebastian''s voice... "Sebastian?" "He captured Jordan so quickly?" Chapter 90: Divine Sensing Outer City, Rose Manor.A heavy rain had washed away all traces of yesterday''s bloodshed, leaving the garden and buildings immaculate. If it weren''t for the trampled rose bushes in the garden and the lingering traces of magic burns on the structures, no one would have guessed that a fierce battle had taken place here last night. In the infirmary of the manor, the werewolf Luff looked at the demi-human maid lying on the bed and said solemnly. "Misha, don''t worry. I''ve issued a reward in the black market and will find a Second Tier healer to treat your throat." "For now, just focus on resting well. I''ll take care of things here at the manor." "What''s wrong with Misha?" A gentle and familiar voice came from behind. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Luff''s heart skipped a beat, instinctively turned around, then instantly lit up with joy. "President! You''re back?!" "Shh..." Sebastian, dressed in a black tailcoat, elegantly placed his index finger on his lips. "I''m still in a bit of trouble right now, don''t tell anyone yet." Luff immediately nods in understanding. "Got it." With that, Sebastian looked at his own demi-human maid again. "Injured?" "Misha''s temper is too fierce. Last night, she bit off her tongue to preserve the secret of the Rose Society." Luff said in a deep voice. Sebastian frowned and cursed coldly. "These bastards plotting the Rose Society behind the scenes, I will make them pay sooner or later!" After that, he looked at Luff again. "I''ve heard about what happened last night, Master saved you all, but... I''m not clear on the details, and Master didn''t tell me. Tell me what happened." "President, it''s like this..." The werewolf Luff honestly recounted everything that happened last night. After listening to his account, Sebastian''s heart jumped. "You mean... you all passed the Holy Light Judgment?" "Yes, only a small number of people didn''t pass... and among those who didn''t pass, many were people I was planning to expel from the organization." Luff said. After that, he couldn''t help but ask. "President, how... did Lady Charlotte do something about it? I don''t think we could really pass the test... after all, we''re not believers of the Holy Court..." Sebastian didn''t answer but looked meaningfully at Luff. "Luff, do you know why, on the first day I announced allegiance to Castell, I took you all, the maids of the Blood Wolf tribe, to the manor to meet Master?" The werewolf Luff rubbed the back of his head, puzzled, and shook his head. "I don''t know." "Hey, you''ll know one day. I think... being saved by Master might be the reward for your perseverance over the years." Seeming to remember something, Sebastian smiled faintly. The werewolf Luff tilted his head, not quite understanding what his President meant. But Sebastian didn''t continue to explain. Although he didn''t know how Lady Charlotte did it, considering the identity of the Lady of the Night, whatever she did wouldn''t surprise him. Moreover, these werewolves'' beliefs... Thinking of something, Sebastian suddenly asked. "Luff, over the years, are you sure your Blood Wolf tribe hasn''t changed its faith and still worships the True Ancestor of the Bloodborne?" Sebastian didn''t notice that when he mentioned the term "True Ancestor of the Bloodborne", the magic lamp in the infirmary flickered slightly, and the half-open window also swayed slightly as if a breeze had passed. At the same time, someone far away in Castell Manor also heard his call. The werewolf Luff was slightly stunned, then nodded solemnly. "Yes, according to our legends, the Blood Totem bestowed us with wisdom, and the faith of the werewolves has always been the True Ancestor." We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "And over the years, you have never received a response, so many people in the tribe believe that the True Ancestor has fallen?" "That''s right, since the Thousand-Year Blood War, we''ve lost contact with the Gods. Now, perhaps, among those who still hold faith, we are the last tribe of werewolves who once followed the Bloodborne royal family." The werewolf Luff sighed softly, looking desolate. Sebastian pondered. He rubbed his chin and suddenly said. "Luff, do you think... there is a possibility that the True Ancestor has not fallen after all?" "It''s just that your usual way of praying is wrong?" Hearing Sebastian''s words, Luff was puzzled. "Wrong way? But... President, our Blood Wolf tribe''s prayer ceremony has been passed down for thousands of years. There can''t be anything wrong with it..." "In case, over thousands of years, which is a very long time, even for us elves, anything handed down may have flaws. Moreover, after wandering for so many years and experiencing one war after another, when you pray, you don''t even have a holy symbol." Sebastian shook his head. Luff frowned, quite puzzled. "Are you saying..." "What I mean is, next time you pray, you might as well try a different approach, it might have miraculous effects." Sebastian said meaningfully. With that, he took out a piece of parchment from his pocket and handed it to Luff. "Try this symbol next time you pray." Luff subconsciously opened the parchment and saw a symbol of a thorny rose drawn on it. "Thorny... rose? President, isn''t this the information about the Evil God you bought from Lord Nice? Are you suggesting... we should turn to the Evil God?" The werewolf''s eyes widened. "Cough cough cough... Evil God? What Evil God? Show some respect!" Sebastian glared. After that, he paused for a moment, then added meaningfully, "What I mean is, when you pray next time, add this symbol." Add this symbol? Could symbols of Gods be added arbitrarily? Luff looked a bit bewildered. "Alright, don''t worry about it. Just remember what I said. Next time you pray, add it, it won''t harm you." Seeing the werewolf''s dumbfounded expression, Sebastian wants to facepalm himself. These big, burly werewolf men, and the graceful, charming werewolf women, almost all of them were born extraordinary, but unfortunately lacked a bit of intelligence. He had hinted so clearly, but he couldn''t just say that this symbol of thorny roses was directed to the True Ancestor, could he? Sebastian had always known that the werewolves he sheltered believed in the Blood Totem. After guessing the Lady of the Night''s identity, he brought almost all the demi-human maids to the manor on the first day of the visit just to show goodwill in this way. But unfortunately, the Lady of the Night never responded, and he didn''t know what she was thinking. It seemed that she didn''t want to acknowledge these believers of hers. So he hadn''t brought up this matter again, for fear of angering the Gods. But now that he knew the Lady of the Night had protected the werewolves last night, Sebastian knew that at least the Lady of the Night didn''t dislike these werewolves. Now thinking about it, perhaps the werewolves'' way of praying was wrong, which caused the Lady of the Night''s dissatisfaction and no response from her. He couldn''t speculate on the thoughts of the Gods, but as a God follower, he felt it was necessary to bridge the gap between the two sides. After all, faith was also a part of the Gods'' returns. To speak the truth plainly would be a bit lacking in interest and might even make the Lady of the Night dislike him. So Sebastian decided to simply point the right direction to the werewolves and let them earn the Lady of the Night''s attention on their own. "Alright, just remember this matter. I have another thing to ask you to do." "You know Gaston''s third son, Jordan, right? Find a way to tie him up and bring him to me, don''t leave any evidence... It''s best to disguise it as an enemy of Gaston." Sebastian changed the topic. And upon hearing his words, the werewolf Luff also became serious. "Gaston''s third son, Jordan?" "President, is this about the investigation of the Dreaming Saloon you asked me to do earlier? Coincidentally... I also have some information to report to you." Chapter 91: Mysterious Informant "Um? You said you''ve already found out where the next Dreaming Salon will be held? Tonight? I remember our Rose Society was already blacklisted from the Dreaming Salon, right? How did you manage to find out?"Sebastian was somewhat surprised. The werewolf Luff scratched his head. "This is a long story, President Sebastian. It all started with a warning we received a few days ago from the Church..." "A warning from the Church?" Sebastian was surprised. "Yes." Luff nodded. "It was about three days ago. Someone came to our shop in the western district and warned us that the Inquisition was going to launch a sacred judgment against us, telling us to pack up and hide in advance." "They concealed their face and voice, so our people couldn''t identify them, but judged from the scent on them, that informant was from the Church." Sebastian frowned. "Since you received the warning, why didn''t you retreat in advance?" Luff looked ashamed. "We didn''t know the identity of the person, so we weren''t sure if it was genuine." "As you know, we have good relations with some priests in the Church, and they have a close relationship with our Rose Society." "The Church and the Inquisition don''t get along well. If the Rose Society were to be judged, they would definitely notify us in advance..." "But when our people went to find them, they claimed to have no knowledge of the matter." Sebastian nodded. "I know, someone in the Church suppressed the news of this sacred judgment, and apart from the core circle, no one else knew about it. This sacred judgment was originally intended to wipe out our Rose Society in one fell swoop." "It seems... the person who warned you is from the core circle of the Church." "It''s strange, we shouldn''t have our own people in the core circle..." Sebastian mused to himself. After speaking, he looked at the werewolf again, somewhat dissatisfied. "Luff, regardless of whether the intelligence is true or false, we must be vigilant. As for the priests we are friendly within the Church... we can trust them, but we cannot fully trust them!" Luff felt even more ashamed. He sighed and said. "You''re right. We didn''t take it seriously enough this time." "But you can''t blame yourselves. After all, no one would have thought that we would actually be judged by the Inquisition... Those noble families have done much dirtier things than us and yet... They should be the ones facing judgment!" "I''ve seen the list of charges, and the person behind this is really ruthless. It seems they''ve been investigating our Rose Society for a long time." Sebastian sighed. Then he asked strangely. "But what does this have to do with the Dreaming Salon?" "It starts with the informant." Luff continued. "After the informant left, we sent someone to follow him secretly. Although we lost track of him in the abandoned city district, we accidentally stumbled upon several extraordinary kidnapping young girls..." "And then, you intervened?" We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "Yes, after subduing them, we rescued more than a dozen girls from the carriage, all underage teenagers, and we also found Dreaming Salon tokens on those extraordinary." Sebastian''s expression turned cold. "They work specifically for the Dreaming Salon?" "Yes, before each Dreaming Salon be held, they would abduct beautiful young girls from the outer city district. After further interrogation, we found out that a new Dreaming Salon was about to begin." Luff replied. Sebastian pondered for a moment. "It seems that the informant deliberately led you there." "They used us to rescue those girls." Luff nodded. "That''s right. Moreover... if I remember correctly, this isn''t the first time. There have been many times before when someone gave us a tip-off before the Dreaming Salon started, using us to save many girls." "I know about this. Many of our Rose Society members'' single problems have been solved in this way. Now it seems... the person who tipped us off before, and the person who tipped us off this time, should be the same." Sebastian took a sip of wine from his glass, thoughtfully. "Let''s put aside this person''s matter for now. Regardless of who they are, at least... they don''t have malicious intent towards our Rose Society." "Let''s set aside the matter of Jordan for now. I know that guy, he always disappears for a long time before the Dreaming Salon is held... Even if we wanted to catch him, we couldn''t." "But now that we have intelligence about the Dreaming Salon, there''s no need to rush to catch him." "Luff, give me the Dreaming Salon token. I need to go back to Castell Manor..." ... Sebastian left the Rose Manor after taking the token from the werewolf. At the same time, far away in Castell Manor, Charlotte also severed some kind of mysterious connection with the other party. "So that''s how it is. It''s not that Sebastian found Jordan, but the mention of the Blood Ancestor indirectly calling the name of the Bloodborne True Ancestor would also trigger my senses, allowing me to see the other party''s perspective and hear their voice..." "In that case, with the Gospel of Blood, does that mean I also occupy the position of the True Ancestor in some sense?" Charlotte pondered. The Bloodborne True Ancestor has long since disappeared, and no one knows where they went, whether alive or dead. Although Charlotte pretended to be a daring Evil God in front of Sebastian before, now that she realizes she may have truly taken on the position of a missing God, she suddenly feels a bit guilty. She knows her own business. She''s just a transmigrator with a cheat, with no connection to the Ancient Gods of the world of Myria. "I didn''t expect that the werewolf''s faith would actually be the Bloodborne True Ancestor... No wonder I always felt close to them the first time I saw them, perhaps due to the influence of the Gospel of Blood." "Wait a minute, if they really pray to the Thorny Rose, would I really receive a response?" Charlotte''s heart skipped a beat. Although she really looks forward to having followers who provide faith power as a pseudo-evil God who wants to empower the Gospel of Blood, she also feels guilty. "However, the Thorny Rose was drawn by me casually, representing myself. If it really points to me, does it mean that... the Bloodborne True Ancestor has already fallen?" "The Gospel of Blood has chosen me, does it mean that it intends to train me into a new Bloodborne True Ancestor?" "Never mind, I won''t think about it. Let''s see what these werewolves are going to do. I might not even be able to sense their prayers." Charlotte shook her head. The power of the Gods is too mysterious, beyond her current understanding. S?a??h th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. However, the matters of the Dreaming Salon and the Blood Demon Cult need to be dealt with as soon as possible. "The high-ranking members of the Church are involved with the Blood Demon Cult, but there are also mysterious informants... I wonder who it could be." Charlotte pondered. Chapter 92: The Missing Girls Exiting the spiritual realm, Charlotte returned to reality.She stood up from the ground and left the basement. Nice, the black cat, was still outside guarding. When Charlotte pushed open the door of the basement, she saw the cat looking straight at her with its amber-colored eyes, making her feel uneasy. "Have you seen enough?" the girl said coldly. Under the gaze of those deep blue eyes, Nice quickly averted its gaze. But it couldn''t help occasionally lifting its head to size up Charlotte, struggling to find the right words. "Spit it out." Charlotte frowned. "Um, it''s nothing, just a bit curious... Miss Charlotte, did your power recover a bit?" The black cat asked cautiously. Huh? Charlotte looked at it strangely. "Um... well, I just received a message from the church, although it hasn''t been announced yet, but I guess the whole of Borde will know soon..." Nice scratched its head as it followed Charlotte, speaking hesitantly. As it spoke, it glanced at Charlotte strangely and swallowed saliva, cautiously saying. "The Grand Knight of the Inquisition, he... he was slain..." Charlotte paused slightly, nodding slowly. She returned to her study and sat down again. Nice, the black cat, voluntarily jumped onto the desk and poured her a cup of hot milk. "Um... you don''t seem surprised? Did you...?" Nice asked cautiously. "Me? I''ve been in Castell Manor all along." Charlotte said as she elegantly picked up the high-footed cup. "But I sensed that guy Sebastian! Meow! I definitely wouldn''t mistake his dog smell!" "The aura of that unlucky guy who should have been chased by the Grand Knight actually appeared in the manor, and the Grand Knight suddenly died. Apart from you... I can''t think of anyone else who could do it!" Nice said urgently. "No worries, someone is more anxious than I am. He''ll do everything he can to cover it up." Charlotte thought to herself. After confirming, Nice sighed. "Anyway... I hope you''ll be careful. The Holy Court is always vigilant about the resurrection of fallen Gods. Don''t let them discover your existence! Otherwise, they''ll really send down the Legendary to investigate." "In this era, it''s not like thousands of years ago when you could call the shots." Listening to the black cat''s words, Charlotte''s expression gradually became serious. "Don''t worry, I''ll be careful." She nodded. After saying that, Charlotte pondered for a moment and said. "Nice, I need you to do something." "Meow? What''s the matter?" "Go investigate a person." "Who?" "Priest Lottie." "Priest Lottie? Isn''t she Raoul''s student? Why do you want to investigate her?" Nice was puzzled. "I suspect she''s connected to the Blood Demon Cult." Charlotte paused and said. "The Blood Demon Cult?!" The black cat''s eyes widened suddenly. After thinking for a moment, it nodded solemnly. "I understand, leave it to me!" After receiving the order, Nice wiggled its butt and left. Charlotte fell into thought. The death of the Grand Knight would surely bring a series of chain reactions, and the upper echelons of the Holy Court would definitely send people to investigate. Nice could think of it, and the Blood Demon Cult could probably think of it too. Sebastian had mentioned that the Blood Demon Cult was likely brewing a major conspiracy. If that was the case, perhaps the death of the Grand Knight would also prompt them to act faster. "It seems I need to act quickly." Charlotte sighed lightly. She rang the bell and called a maid. S~?a??h the N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "Prepare a glass of wine, and... unless there''s an order, don''t disturb me." The wine was not for her to drink, but for Sebastian. If she judged correctly, he would be back soon. After giving the order, in a short while, the maid returned to the study with the prepared wine. However, the person who came was not just the maid, but also the solemn-faced old servant Casimodo, and more than a dozen boys and girls. Leading them was Rand, who was now a Starry Sky Knight, and Sherry, who was highly respected among the newcomers. In the middle of the three was a crying girl with a worried expression. Charlotte recognized her as one of the newcomers, a trainee maid named Elena. She also had a younger sister, only twelve years old, also one of the newcomers to the manor. "Rand, why are you all here? Sherry, shouldn''t you be properly recuperating? What are you doing running around?" Charlotte frowned. Then, she looked at the tearful girl in front of her and asked. "What happened?" "Sorry... mistress, something urgent happened. I need to report to you. It involves the newcomers and many people''s families. They... are related, and I couldn''t stop them." Casimodo bowed his head. Trouble? Charlotte''s heart skipped a beat. After Casimodo finished speaking, the boys and girls behind him suddenly all knelt down together. "Lady Charlotte... please save our comrades and families!" ... "Hehe, the Lady of the Night probably didn''t expect me to have such gains so quickly!" Having obtained the token of the Dreaming Salon, Sebastian was quite happy. He returned to Castell Manor at the fastest speed. However, as soon as he entered the manor, he felt that the atmosphere seemed a bit off, quite oppressive. In the manor, the young boys and girls who were rescued and were originally excited now looked quite anxious. Huh? Sebastian''s heart skipped a beat. His figure disappeared and reappeared in front of the study on the second floor of the manor, gently knocking on the door. "Come in." A sweet and melodious female voice came from inside the room. Sebastian opened the door and entered, then respectfully bowed. "Mistress, I''m back." As he raised his head, he quickly noticed the prepared wine on the table and the already arranged chairs, looking somewhat surprised. Huh? Did the Lady of the Night already know he was coming back? "Sit." Behind the desk, Charlotte gestured for him to sit down. Sebastian respectfully took his seat in front of the desk and was about to speak, but Charlotte spoke first. "Have you found out the location of the Dreaming Salon?" Sebastian was even more surprised. However, he quickly nodded, taking out a badge from his pocket and placing it on the table respectfully. "Great Mistress, I haven''t found Jordan yet, but... I found the token of the Dreaming Salon!" "I''ve found out the time and location of the next Dreaming Salon!" Charlotte picked up the badge on the table and examined it. It was a badge shaped like a clown mask, decorated with stars and moons. "Not bad." She nodded slightly. Sebastian, however, sensed something different in Charlotte''s expression. He felt a slight tremor in his heart and asked. "Mistress... has something happened in the manor?" Charlotte put down the badge and sighed. "Six of the newcomers to the manor, as well as some of their sisters, disappeared last night." Huh? Sebastian''s gaze sharpened. "They?" "Yes, them." Charlotte nodded, saying coldly. "Nine in total, all girls." "They were taken away by the earliest ''Local Inquisition Troops''." Chapter 93: Priest Lottie "The earliest ''Local Judgement Troops''?"Sebastian quickly caught on. "A bunch of impostors stirring up trouble, taking advantage of last night''s chaos to abduct quite a few girls from the outer city." Charlotte said coldly. Sebastian understood instantly. "People from the Dreaming Salon?" Charlotte neither confirmed nor denied. She lightly tapped her high-footed cup, then chuckled softly. "It seems... there''s another reason for a sudden raid on the Dreaming Salon." "A raid?" Sebastian''s eyes lit up, and then he quickly became excited. "Are you... are you going by yourself?" "Can''t I?" Charlotte countered. Sebastian had mentioned that he had caused quite a commotion at the Dreaming Salon once and left unscathed. This indicated that the Salon''s defense force would not exceed the level of the Silver Moon Tier. Now that she had advanced to the Starry Sky Tier and was much stronger than an ordinary Starry Sky individual, not to mention that the Salon would be operating at night, her strength would further double. With this power level, she had the qualification to investigate in person. Furthermore, if she encountered a strong opponent, she still had the "True Ancestor''s Liberation" ability. That was a power that would make even the Blazing Sun retreat. All in all, Charlotte was not afraid of danger now. On the contrary, others should be afraid. Before the investigation team sent by the Holy Court arrived, it was most important to deal with the Blood Demon Cult and the nobles behind the scenes. Charlotte decided to take matters into her own hands. "No, of course you can... It''s just that, given your identity, it might not be easy to infiltrate." Sebastian thought for a moment and said. "Oh?" Charlotte raised an eyebrow. "You know, activities like the Dreaming Salon mostly attract adult male nobles. Even if you disguise yourself as a man, you... don''t quite have the appearance of an adult." Sebastian assessed Charlotte''s petite and adorable figure. "We still have you, don''t we? If I follow you, naturally we can get in." Charlotte said casually. "Follow me?" Sebastian''s eyes blinked. He quickly caught on and said. "That could work... but, it might inconvenience you. If you''re going to follow me in, you''ll have to disguise yourself as a maid or... well, a slave." "No problem." Charlotte took a sip of milk. This suits her intentions perfectly. With Sebastian leading the way, she can actually reduce her own presence and operate more effectively in secret. S?a?ch* Th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "This time, you''ll need to conceal your appearance well. I don''t want you to be discovered as soon as we enter." Charlotte reminded, looking at his red hair and pointed ears. "Don''t worry, for something this important, I guarantee even if I transform into the Pure White Witch, no one will recognize me! I''ll also use magic to conceal our aura!" Sebastian said proudly. After saying that, he couldn''t help but scrutinize Charlotte and added. "However... you''ll also need to do your makeup well. You must deliberately make yourself look uglier. As you are now... you''re just too good-looking. Even if you change your appearance, you''ll still attract attention if you don''t make yourself deliberately unattractive." Charlotte: ... "I will. I''ll leave the preparation of the setup to you. Tonight, we must uncover the secrets of the Blood Demon Cult and the nobles behind the scenes." Charlotte said. "Of course, everything as you wish," Sebastian said respectfully. However, right after he finished speaking, he quickly froze. Huh? Did he... tell the Lady of the Night about the Dreaming Salon''s event being held tonight? ... It was a dimly lit corridor, with no end in sight, illuminated only by flickering candlelight. On both sides of the corridor were dark rooms resembling prison cells, each holding one girl after another with various outfits. The girls all appeared to be young, none older than sixteen, and the youngest seemed to be only eight or nine years old. In one of the cells, several girls dressed in Castell uniforms were unconscious. With a creaking sound, the door at the entrance of the corridor slowly opened, and a woman wearing a black robe, hood, and a mask covering her face entered. "Madam!" The guards on both sides of the corridor saluted promptly. The woman nodded slightly, walked toward the depths of the corridor, and was followed by two attendants in black robes. However, halfway through, she suddenly stopped. She turned her head and looked at the Castell household''s maids imprisoned in the cell, her gaze flickering slightly. "Castell?" We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now She questioned. "These are the goods brought back last night." The person behind her, wearing a black robe, said respectfully. The woman frowned. "These are the Castell family''s maids. Were you blind when you captured them?" "Castell had tracking badges. The sacred judgment failed, and the Rose Society still exists. At this time... you dare to keep their people?" The woman said with a cold tone. "Madam, you don''t need to worry. We destroyed their tracking badges long ago, and... tonight at the salon, we''ll take care of them. They won''t be a problem." The black-robed person smiled slightly. After hearing this, the woman fell silent for a moment. After a few seconds, she snorted softly and continued walking toward the depths of the corridor. At the end of the corridor was a lavishly decorated study, filled with various magical books on the shelves, and a celestial globe in the center of the room. A man in a mage robe stood in front of the desk, tinkering with the celestial globe. "Count." The woman entered the room and respectfully bowed. The man stopped what he was doing and looked at her, giving a slight smile. "Ah, Lottie. Sit." Then, he waved his hand to dismiss the two black-robed figures who had followed, and they bowed and closed the door behind them. The woman then took a seat in the study, removing her mask and hood to reveal brown hair and a mature, beautiful face. It was Priest Lottie. "I heard... the sacred judgment failed last night?" The man put away his smile and sat at the desk. "Yes, the heir of Castell arrived in time with the Demon Hunter Knights and stopped the Inquisition''s judgment." Lottie answered respectfully. "Stopped? How did they stop it?" The man narrowed his eyes. "It was the Holy Light Judgment. Members of the Rose Society... passed the Holy Light Judgement." Lottie said. "Holy Light Judgement? That''s impossible!" The man frowned. Lottie lowered her head instead and didn''t respond further. The man frowned in thought. After a moment, he shook his head slightly. "Never mind, it''s not your fault. No one expected the Rose Society to pass the Holy Light Judgment..." He didn''t dwell on the matter any longer and turned to other questions. "Lottie, you''ve come to see me, it mustn''t be just to talk about this, right?" Lotti nodded. "The Grand Knight... has fallen." The man''s movements froze. "What did you say? The Grand Knight has fallen?" His expression turned serious instantly. "Yes." "When did this happen?" "This morning, at about thirty kilometers north of Borde City." "Who did it? He should have been chasing Sebastian, right? Could it be... he encountered members of the Adam Cult?" "I don''t know... the High Priest and the Duke have blocked more detailed information. It''s said that there were no traces left at the scene." Lottie said. The man''s brow furrowed deeper. He stood up abruptly from his seat, pacing around the study with an unsettled expression. After a long while, he slammed the table hard, gritting his teeth. "That slippery old fox, such a big incident and he still kept it from me!" After speaking, the man took a few deep breaths to calm himself and sat back down in his seat. He looked down at Lottie from above, nodding slightly. "You''ve done well, bringing timely news." "The matter of the Rose Society as well, although the sacred judgment failed, you didn''t disappoint me." "However..." The man suddenly changed the subject, supporting his chin with his hands and gazing steadily at Lottie. "I should have given you two tasks." "The first is to anonymously report the Rose Society to the Inquisition. The second is to attend the ceremony at Castell Manor while Sebastian, the head of the Rose Society, is being pursued, and find a way to contact Charlotte de Castell and attempt to bring her out..." "Why didn''t you carry out the second task?" Chapter 94: Brois Sisters "Lottie, I need an explanation."The man leaned back slightly, his ash-gray pupils coldly fixed on the woman in front of him. Lottie remained silent for a moment before saying. "Charlotte has hidden protection from the church. Even without Sebastian, there''s still a risk of being found out... and I just haven''t found the opportunity." "Oh, I see. I thought maybe you''d grown fond of her after taking care of her for half a month." The man nodded, his smile returning. But as he continued smiling, his tone shifted again. "However, there''s still one question..." "My informant told me that three days ago, someone suspected to be from the church sent a report to the Rose Society." "There aren''t many people in the church who know about the Sacred Judgment. I know it''s unlikely to be you, but... I still want to ask, where were you that morning?" With a deep gaze, the man looked at her again. Lottie calmly replied. "That day, I was at the church hospital." "Alright, I believe you''re not lying, after all, this can be easily verified. But... do you have any thoughts on who might have sent the report?" The man asked, playing with the star map in his hand. Lottie remained silent for a moment before shaking her head. "I don''t know." After hearing Lottie''s answer, the man fell silent and just watched her quietly. Lottie lowered her head respectfully. "Well, maybe it was a leak from the High Priest''s side. You can go now. Tonight''s Dreaming Salon will be hosted by Jordan, and you''ve been quite busy lately, so take a good rest." The man smiled and dismissed her. After she left, the man''s smile faded, his gaze turning cold. Behind him, black mist filled the air, and a hunched figure slowly emerged, its voice hoarse and mocking. "Hehe, that little one lied in the end." "Of course, I knew. After all... although she had served me from the very beginning, her motives are not pure." The man said lightly. "But you still accepted her, even knowing her motives aren''t pure." "Of course, because we need her. We need her to complete the final ritual, and we need her as a control node." The man narrowed his eyes. Having said that, he looked at the hunched figure. "Did you hear what she just said?" "Yes. The Grand Knight is dead, seems like... we need to speed up our actions." "How certain are you? I don''t want to repeat the mistakes of ten years ago." "Don''t worry, this time it''s solid. The vessel is almost restored, the only potential risk might be the resurrection of that fallen God from the other day. Nothing in Borde poses a threat to the Grand Knight''s power, except... for the God." "The Thorny Rose, huh..." The man pondered. Suddenly, he had a thought. "You mentioned... the Rose Society passing the Holy Light Judgment, could it be related to that mysterious God? After all, the Grand Knight was chasing the Rose Society''s leader at the time... Could it be that God intervened?" "A God? You''re overthinking it. If a God could deceive the Holy Light Judgment, then our Blood Demon Cult wouldn''t need to hide like this. Don''t underestimate the power of the Divine, HE is the leader among Gods, the Uncrowned King of all Gods." The hunched figure shook its head. "I see..." The man nodded slightly. "Alright, stop speculating. No matter which God it is, we''ll steer clear of it. Let the Holy Court deal with that headache. We only need to complete the ritual. Once successful, you and I will both become Divine Messengers! By then, I''ll be the executor of our Lord''s will on Earth, and you... will be the ruler of Borde!" "Hey, I''m not interested in being a Divine Messenger. I still have to deal with the Holy Court. I don''t want to be burnt as a heretic. I just need your covert cooperation." The man chuckled. Speaking of which, he had another thought. "You mentioned earlier that the vessel''s restoration is almost complete? How do you know?" "Hehe, guess." The hunched figure chuckled. ... Exiting the study, Lottie put on her hood and mask again. Instead of leaving the dungeon directly, she headed in another direction down the long corridor. At the end of the corridor, there was a tightly closed stone door guarded by two figures in black robes. They emitted strong auras, unmistakably two extraordinary individuals of the First Tier Starry Sky. In front of the door stood a little girl wearing a white dress, barefoot, playing on the ground. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now She appeared to be around twelve or thirteen years old, with features strikingly similar to Lottie''s¡ªbrown hair and brown eyes. When the girl saw Lottie, her eyes lit up, and she cheered. "Lottie!" With that, she ran towards Lottie, but her tiny body passed right through Lottie... "Open the door, I need to check on the vessel." Facing the two black-robed guards, Lottie said. She seemed entirely unaware of the girl. "Madam, the High Priest has ordered that no one except him is allowed to enter recently." The two black-robed individuals remained unmoved. Lottie frowned. "Open the door." She repeated. The two black-robed figures still didn''t budge. Lottie clenched her fist. She took a deep breath, gave them a deep look, then turned and left. "Hey! Lottie! Can''t you see me?" Seeing Lottie about to leave, the girl hurriedly caught up. It seemed that she sensed something, as Lottie turned her head, but all she saw was the dim candlelight in the underground corridor. Looking at the flickering candlelight, she felt puzzled. After a moment''s hesitation, she withdrew her gaze, hesitated for a moment, then left the dungeon. "Lottie!" The girl called out again, about to catch up. However, a hoarse voice sounded behind her. "Hehe, Miss Marie, stop calling her out. Besides me, no one can see you." Hearing this voice, the girl slightly jumped aside and trembled, like a startled little animal. She turned around, looking at the hunched figure that had appeared behind her, a hint of disgust flashing in her bright eyes. "It''s you?" "Exactly, it''s me." The hunched figure chuckled. s?a??h th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. With that, he sized up the girl and squinted his eyes, "Looks like you''ve been recovering well lately. Besides rescuing the girls abducted by the Dreaming Salon, you''ve also started sending dreams to members of the Rose Society..." "What are you talking about? I don''t understand." The girl frowned. "Hehe, stop pretending. I know it''s you who leaked the information and pretended to be a member of the Church in dreams, making the Rose Society members think it was real." "How foolish! Don''t forget who allowed you to regain consciousness, and what power allowed you to continue living..." "If living means sacrificing others, then I''d rather die." The girl said coldly. The hunched figure sneered. "Then I advise you to be honest. If... you don''t want anything to happen to Lottie, you better stay alive and refrain from passing on any messages." The girl''s expression changed instantly. "Are you threatening me?" "Hehe, so what if I am? So, Baroness Brois, will you listen or not?" The hunched figure said calmly. The girl clenched her fist, gritting her teeth. "If you dare lay a hand on my sister, I won''t let you off!" ... Leaving the secret chamber, Lottie returned to the surface. The brilliant sunlight shining through the windows of the mansion was a bit dazzling. Glancing back at the door of the secret chamber, Lottie clenched her fist and murmured. "I know you must still be alive, somewhere in Borde..." "Otherwise, the Blood Demon Cult wouldn''t continue the ritual..." "I will definitely save you, no matter the cost." "Sister..." After saying this, she let out a sigh and walked out of the mansion. However, as she approached the gate about to leave the estate, Lottie was stopped by the guards at the entrance. "Lady Lottie, the Count has ordered that you are not allowed to leave the estate for a while." Chapter 95: Charlotte the Maid Although in her past life, she always joked with her friends about wearing maid costumes if certain conditions were met, Charlotte knew very well that it was just idle talk.Back then, she would never have imagined herself actually wearing a maid outfit one day. Oh no. In fact, she couldn''t even imagine herself transmigrating to this world. After all, who could have thought that after staying up all night, working hard, she would suddenly wake up as a cute girl about to be hung on a cross three days later? "Lady Charlotte, your makeup is done." The respectful voice of the maid came like music to her ears. Charlotte also breathed a sigh of relief, stretching her stiff neck a bit. Although the world of Myria possessed magic, and even illusion magic capable of disguising appearances, she ultimately decided to use the oldest, most cumbersome, yet most reliable method - makeup. The familiar standing mirror was pushed in front of her, and Charlotte saw her current appearance clearly. Her beautiful golden hair had been dyed black, her fair skin toned down a bit, and her facial features refined, making her look less childish. It could be said that she was now completely different from before. The only flaw might be her pair of bright blue eyes, too pure and beautiful, which clashed with her subdued appearance and dark hair. However, Charlotte''s bloodborne power surged, tinting her azure eyes crimson. Her turned crimson eyes lost some of their friendliness and gained a bit of mystery, finally matching her dark hair. Her appearance no longer attracted unwanted attention. However, it was still of admirable quality. If her previous appearance could be rated a perfect ten, then now she might be an eight, on par with Sherry. It seemed... she was still too outstanding. "Can''t you make me look uglier?" Charlotte asked. The maid was embarrassed, but Sebastian, who was standing aside, said. "Master, continuing to apply makeup would make it look out of place." Out of place? Charlotte''s heart stirred. She quickly realized that maids who could accompany nobles must have their strengths. If they didn''t have any other abilities, they must at least not look ugly. The current image of her was just right. Though attractive, was not overly eye-catching, compared to being plain and ordinary. Charlotte looked at Sebastian again. The flame elf had finally taken his disguise seriously today, with black hair, black eyes, hidden ears, and a robe instead of his usual tailcoat. However... "Why are you wearing a mask?" She glanced at the half-mask on Sebastian''s face. "Master, the Dreaming Salon itself is a masquerade salon." Sebastian smiled. Charlotte: ... Then why did she spend so much time putting on makeup? "This is good, get me one too." She said. "This, I''m afraid, won''t work... Your identity is that of an accompanying maid, and according to the rules of the Dreaming Salon, maids are not allowed to wear masks, only the attending nobles may." Sebastian said respectfully. Charlotte: ... Why did she feel like she''d led herself into a trap? "Master, why not take a look at the maid outfit I''ve chosen for you?" Sebastian suggested, trying to change the subject. Charlotte no longer dwelled on this issue and instead looked into the mirror. Unlike the traditional Castell family maid outfits adorned with lotus leaf decorations and a white collar, the maid outfit she was wearing had obviously been modified, sacrificing some functionality for aesthetics. While the apron remained predominantly white with lotus leaf edges, the jumpsuit portion had been changed from a long dress to a short one, paired with white stockings underneath. The entire ensemble was decorated with plenty of lotus leaf edges, lace edges, and large bows, giving off a youthful and lively vibe. "The skirt... Isn''t it a bit too short?" She remarked. "Um, in the Dreaming Salon, it''s already quite conservative. Traditional functional maid outfits don''t fit the salon''s style and needs and might give away our intentions..." "As you put it, why do I feel like the maid''s identity... isn''t very dignified?" Charlotte asked. "Well... do you think the nobles who attend the Dreaming Salon are dignified?" Sebastian countered. Charlotte: ... We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now She feels like she has dug herself into a hole more and more. Of course, now that she was prepared to take the plunge, she couldn''t back down. Tonight, she had to uncover the secrets of the Blood Demon Cult, no matter what! "That''s enough. Tidy up, we leave early." Charlotte said, glancing at the sky. Just then, the window of the dressing room was pushed open with a creak, and Nice''s attractive voice rang out. "Meow? Leaving? Leaving where, Miss Charlotte? Where are you going?" Sebastian glanced at the black cat and chuckled. "Master''s affairs, pets should not interfere." Nice: ... "Pah! A pet? You stupid dog is the pet here! Your whole family are pets!" The black cat instantly lost its composure, its fur standing straight. Gracefully lifting a goblet of red wine, Sebastian took a sip, smiling. "Hehe, that''s not bad either. Being the pet of my master is Sebastian''s greatest honor." Nice: ... "Sebastian, you shameless guy..." Nice muttered. "Pot calling the kettle black. In my opinion, someone who peeks at maids bathing every day is even more shameless... As for now, I suggest you retract your intrusive gaze if you don''t want to be castrated." Sebastian said with a smirk. Upon hearing his words, Nice shivered and quickly averted its gaze from Charlotte''s maid skirt, subconsciously shrinking its tail and hind legs. Of course, it continued to be unrelenting with its words. "Hmph! At least... I''m not like someone, causing trouble for Miss Charlotte! Getting chased and making Miss Charlotte clean up after you!" Sebastian: ... The flame elf couldn''t hold back either. "Oh? Are you saying that you haven''t caused enough trouble? Who''s always so short-sighted and always being punished by Master?" Sebastian retorted. "Meow! But I wouldn''t bring Miss Charlotte into danger!" Nice shot back. "You useless black cat!" "You crazy boot-licker!" Charlotte: ... Watching the cat and the man quickly getting into an argument again, she rubbed her forehead slightly. These two... were like water and fire, completely incompatible. Every time they met, they would argue at the drop of a hat, never living peacefully. "Enough, quiet down." She raised her voice. Upon hearing Charlotte''s words, Nice and Sebastian finally quieted down, grunting at each other before turning away. S?a??h the N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte glanced at the black cat and asked. "Shouldn''t you be checking on Lottie''s information? Why did you come back so soon?" "Lottie?" Sebastian''s mind stirred. Meanwhile, Nice smirked proudly, puffing out its chest. "Meow! Great Miss Charlotte, who is Nice? Nice is an important figure in the Church!" "Wanting to find out about a priest''s information is simply too easy!" "Oh, so you already have the results?" Charlotte''s gaze flickered. "Of course." Nice nodded. Then, it became serious. "I found out. I finally understand why you wanted me to investigate her... Her identity is forged..." "Although her name is indeed Lottie, she didn''t join the Church as reported in public records." "Her true information has been hidden by the Church, more precisely, by the High Priest..." "Fortunately, my authority in the Church has always been high. Even the High Priest doesn''t know about this, which allowed me to quietly uncover her true information." "She has a surname, and... her surname should be very familiar to you, well... if you still have your past memories, you should be very familiar with it." "Very familiar?" Charlotte raised an eyebrow. "Yes." Nice nodded slightly, solemnly saying. "Her name is Lottie de Brois, the daughter of the late Count Brois, the chief court mage of Borde, who should have died as a blood ritual sacrifice in the Flame Demon Disaster ten years ago!" Chapter 96: Welcome to the Dreaming Salon "Count Brois''s daughter?"Charlotte''s mind stirred slightly, recalling two blurry figures from deep within her memory. Casimodo mentioned that Brois'' twin daughters were childhood friends with the original owner of this body. She instantly understood why she felt an inexplicable sense of closeness when she first met Lottie. It was because she was friends with the original owner! Wait... "Twin daughters?" "She should still have a sister, right?" Charlotte asked. "I know this." Sebastian nodded, lost in thought. "The sacrifice of the Flame Demon Disaster, Marie de Brois, the eldest daughter of Count Brois, and the first heir of the Brois family, died in the sacrifice ritual." "Second daughter Lottie''s name isn''t that well-known. Of course, that''s because she''s the second daughter. Although they are twins, the order of birth has determined their future inheritance status." "But I remember that both of Count Brois''s daughters were sacrifices. If Lottie is one of them, how did she survive? And why is she associated with the Blood Demon Cult?" "In a sense, the Blood Demon Cult should be her enemy. This isn''t a secret, unless she has amnesia." "Meow, I don''t know about this. But... ten years ago, only half of the summoning of the Flame Demon was completed, and the power of the Flame Demon Valaroka did not fully descend. Perhaps that''s why she survived. As for why she joined forces with the Blood Demon Cult, that''s unknown. Maybe we can only ask her in person." The summoning of the Flame Demon... it''s the summoning of the Flame Demon again. Even though ten years have passed, Charlotte still feels that this disaster looms over Borde like a curse. Combining the various legends she''s heard and the recent cases of girls disappearing in Borde City, Charlotte inexplicably develops a thought. Sebastian mentioned that ten years ago, the Blood Demon Cult''s plot failed, and the Flame Demon Valaroka was sealed. But, it was only half of its power that was summoned initially. Now that the main character of that disaster has resurfaced, Charlotte can''t help but ponder the conspiracy of the Blood Demon Cult... Did they really give up on summoning the Flame Demon? "Mistress, I didn''t expect Lottie to be the Lottie from ten years ago. I''m suddenly a little worried... The Blood Demon Cult might have other ways and may still not have given up on summoning the Flame Demon." Sebastian also clearly thinks of this issue, his expression grave. "The Church has long suspected this, and the High Priest has conducted relevant investigations, but there has been no conclusion." "High Priest? Nice, it''s not certain whose side the High Priest is on." After Sebastian said this, Charlotte and Sebastian simultaneously fell into silence. The reactions of the two made Nice feel alarmed in his heart. "Wait... Miss Charlotte, Sebastian, what expressions are those?" Charlotte''s eyelids drooped as she said softly. "After Sebastian came back, he brought me a cursed page. That page contains a spell to resurrect the undead." Nice''s eyes widened instantly. Having personally reported and witnessed the Blood Mage case in Castell Manor, it naturally knew what effect the cursed page in Lady Castell''s hands had, and where the page had ended up. "This... Is he... crazy? Actually, being involved with the Blood Demon Cult!" Nice still found it hard to believe. "Hehe, Nice, it seems that as a big figure in the church, you don''t really understand the church''s affairs." Sebastian shook his head. "Meow! I''m not the High Priest of Borde. How could I possibly know so clearly?" "I think you''ve spent all your energy peeking at the female priests, haven''t you?" "You! You''re slandering me!" "Can you say you haven''t?" The cat and dog started quarreling again, but Nice''s tone was clearly a bit guilty. Charlotte estimated that this guy''s authority was probably all used to peep at female priests, otherwise, he wouldn''t have been able to investigate Lottie''s information so clearly and so quickly. It''s clear that he''s a habitual offender. "Alright, quiet down." Charlotte tapped the table lightly. The action wasn''t big, but Sebastian and Nice quickly quieted down. Nice carefully examined the disguises of the two and asked curiously. "Miss Charlotte, judging by your attire, are you two trying to conceal your identities while going out? Where are you going? Take Nice with you!" "That won''t do. Pets are not allowed inside the Dreaming Salon." Sebastian chuckled. "Meow! Who are you calling a pet?!" Nice got angry again. But soon, it realized and brightened up. "Meow? Wait... are you going to the Dreaming Salon? Did you get the token?" We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "Meow meow meow! I want to go too! I want to go too!" Seeing its eager expression, Charlotte smirked and said. "No, your appearance is too conspicuous, so you shouldn''t come along. Besides... I have something to assign to you." "Ah..." Nice''s face instantly darkened, feeling despondent. However, it quickly rallied and asked. "What do you want me to do?" "The Dreaming Salon is likely related to the Blood Demon Cult. I want you to stay at the church, listen for my signal, and immediately find Kara if needed. Be ready to mobilize the Demon Hunters at any time." Charlotte said. "Meow? Then why not let the Demon Hunters follow you like last night?" "Because I don''t want to expose my identity, especially to the Church." Charlotte said lightly. ... Borde City, outer district. Although this area experienced a bloody battle last night, after a day and night passed, everything returned to calm, as if nothing had happened. Night fell, and the lights in the city gradually dimmed until the entire city was enveloped in darkness. For the common people, lighting lamps at night was quite luxurious. Of course, not entirely. For example, the commercial street on the outskirts of the city, the busiest area in the outer district, remained brightly lit. And on the edge of the commercial street, a dilapidated tavern stood. From time to time, carriages would arrive under the cover of darkness. These carriages were finely crafted, clearly from noble families, but most of them had no family crests. The carriages stopped in front of the tavern, and soon figures cloaked in capes hurriedly got off and entered the tavern. Suddenly, another carriage arrived and stopped in front of the tavern. The carriage door opened, revealing an elegant middle-aged nobleman. He wore a mask, accompanied by a beautiful maid. It was Sebastian and Charlotte in disguise. "Is this where the Dreaming Salon is held?" Charlotte looked at the dilapidated tavern in front of her, somewhat surprised, her voice filled with curiosity echoing in Sebastian''s mind. "More accurately, this is the location leading to the Dreaming Salon. The actual venue can only be entered through the teleportation array." Sebastian respectfully replied in his mind. Teleportation array leading to the Dreaming Salon? Charlotte''s heart stirred slightly. With curiosity in her heart, she followed Sebastian into the tavern. The tavern was not large, and there were no customers inside. There was only an old man half asleep at the bar. Seeing the two enter, he slightly opened his eyes and said. "The tavern is closed today." Sebastian didn''t reply but took out the token of the Dreaming Salon. Seeing the token, the old man''s eyes flickered slightly. He straightened up instantly and pointed to the corridor behind the tavern, respectfully saying. "Sir, go straight inside and turn left into the second room." Sebastian put away the token and walked toward the corridor with Charlotte following behind. Entering the corridor, the two found the room the old man had indicated. After pushing open the door, what greeted Charlotte''s eyes was a complex magic array. And besides the magic array, there was a guardian hidden in the shadows, exuding an extraordinary aura. "Token." He said softly when he saw the two. Sebastian once again took out the token. The guardian took it, verified it, and handed it back respectfully, saying. "Sir, welcome to the Dreaming Salon." With that, he gestured for them to enter. Sebastian lifted his head proudly and stepped into the range of the magic array. Charlotte naturally followed suit. A burst of light flashed, and the two figures disappeared into the magic. S?a??h the N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. After the dizziness passed, Charlotte heard the melodious music slowly ringing in her ears, and she found herself in a magnificent hall. Chapter 97: This isnt a Salon, its a Den of Demons! The magnificent crystal chandeliers refracted colorful fantasies, stunningly illuminating the luxurious hall.The melodious music flowed slowly, and beautiful maidens stood on the platforms on both sides, smiling faintly with vacant eyes as they played their instruments. This was an extremely huge hall, capable of accommodating over a thousand people at a glance. And gathered here were at least three to four hundred guests. In the center of the hall were rows of iron cages, each containing at least one girl. They wore chains around their necks, and some even had shackles on their hands and feet, curled up in the cages, trembling. Outside the cages, masked guests dressed in gorgeous attire gathered in groups, pointing, chatting, and laughing at the girls in the cages, as if assessing merchandise. "Master, this is the auction section of the Dreaming Salon. These girls are all abducted from outside by the organizers before each Dreaming Salon event, many of whom are local girls from Borde city." "The identities of these girls are not to be revealed, and they are not allowed to be taken away. Those being auctioned are just for their usage tonight." Sebastian''s voice echoed in Charlotte''s mind. Charlotte''s gaze fell on the rows of cages, but she did not see her own maid. As if noticing the gaze of the girl, Sebastian continued. "Your maids are all extraordinary individuals. Even for the Dreaming Salon, they are rare commodities. If I''m not mistaken, even if they are to be auctioned tonight, they should be the finale." "As for now... they probably haven''t been brought up yet, and might be confined somewhere." Charlotte remained expressionless. Looking at the trembling girls locked up, she felt a fire burning in her heart. "They are a bunch of beasts." "Of course, in my opinion, many times, human nobles are no different from beasts, um... I''m not referring to you." Sebastian said. Charlotte fell silent. Her gaze fell further away. At the end of her sight was another hall, where many independent private rooms could vaguely be seen. Occasionally, masked guests, or scantily clad attendants, or girls dragged by chains, walked towards the hall. For some reason, when her gaze fell on that hall, the Gospel of Blood in Charlotte''s spiritual world suddenly fluctuated slightly, as if sensing something. "What''s that place?" S?a??h th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. She asked. Sebastian fell silent for a moment before saying. "Actually... I don''t really recommend you go there." "That''s the party area, and I''m afraid the decadence and depravity there might taint your eyes." The party area? Charlotte frowned. "Doesn''t matter, let''s go in." Sensing the fluctuation of the Gospel of Blood, she said. With the baptism of her past life''s memories, she believed her resilience should be quite strong. "At your command." Sebastian hesitated for a moment before respectfully replying. The two walked towards the party hall, one after the other. However, as soon as they entered the hall, Charlotte inexplicably felt a palpitation. At a certain moment, she seemed to hear countless girls moaning, crying, and pleading. It''s as if she saw an endless sea of blood, with sinister energy soaring into the sky, and felt as though she were imprisoned by some mysterious force. She seemed to see from the blood sea, one delicate and frail arm struggling to reach out, constantly reaching upward. She seemed to hear countless voices of pain and despair lingering in her ears. "Save me... Save me..." These scenes flashed by in a daze. Charlotte''s vision quickly returned to normal. However, looking at the brightly lit hall, she felt extremely oppressed and suffocated. Was that just an illusion? Charlotte frowned slightly. But soon, she felt the fluctuation coming from the Gospel of Blood in her spiritual world intensify. Charlotte''s heart stirred, and she quickly diverted her attention, finding a page of the Gospel of Blood emitting a crimson light. It was the Dark Chapter. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now It was the section she had recently acquired, recording the Undead Resurrection. Charlotte instantly understood why she had experienced that illusion. Having learned the Undead Resurrection, she naturally possessed spiritual sight, able to see things that ordinary people couldn''t. "There have been deaths here, many, many deaths..." She murmured. Following Sebastian, Charlotte entered the party hall. The party hall centered around a massive stage. Masked guests surrounded the stage, laughing heartily as they watched scantily clad girls dance boldly and erotically. Around the stage were rows of soft beds and chairs. Seeing those beds and chairs, Charlotte''s gaze almost froze in an instant. As far as her eyes could see, all sorts of debauched scenes, seen, unseen, heard of, unheard of from her past life''s videos, were visible here. The scale, the debauchery, the brutality of the methods shocked even her, who had rich experience in watching videos from her past life. Screams, leers, pleas, curses... poured endlessly. In the air, mixed with the strong perfume, was the foul smell of debauchery, making Charlotte''s stomach churn upon entering the party hall, almost causing her to vomit. At the back of the hall, a huge painting depicting the Creator God Harald hung high, the divine light shining down, akin to irony, overlooking the debauched, indulgent, and corrupt nobles under the crystal lights. "Ah¡ª!" The sound of agonizing screams drew Charlotte''s attention. She looked towards the hall, only to find that the guests with the leering smiles and the struggling girls had disappeared. In the place they disappeared was another group of girls. They were naked, many with bruises from abuse all over their bodies, screaming and struggling to escape. And illusory figures in black robes chased after them, piercing them with filthy crosses. Crimson blood slowly flowed on the ground, gathering into streams, and then continuously seeping into the ground. Suddenly, a naked girl stumbled and crawled to Charlotte''s feet. Half of her face was scarred by wax burns, her eyes full of tears of despair, and the lower half of her body torn open and still bleeding... "Save... Save me..." She struggled to reach out to Charlotte, but the next moment, her arm passed through Charlotte''s body as if it were a phantom. Charlotte''s gaze slightly hardened. And in the next instant, the figures of the girls dissipated one by one, and the entire hall returned to normal. She saw the masked nobles leering and dragging the struggling girls frantically again, heard the girls'' cries of pain, and heard their pleas for mercy... Charlotte felt somewhat dazed. She looked at the flame elf beside her and asked. "Sebastian, did you see anything just now?" "You... what do you mean? Are you referring to those debauched and disgusting nobles?" Sebastian asked heavily, his voice tinged with an unconcealable disgust. Charlotte fell silent. She knew that probably only she had seen the scene just now. That scene of slaughter seemed like an illusion. But she knew that it was definitely not just an illusion. It seemed to be a scene that had appeared in this hall before. And... it probably had appeared more than once. Looking down at the bright red carpet in the hall, it was dazzling and eerie, making Charlotte''s back feel cold. Thinking of the fate of those girls abducted by the Dreaming Salon, a terrible conjecture gradually emerged in Charlotte''s mind... The girl clenched her fists slightly and gently closed her eyes. "Sebastian..." "What kind of salon is this?" "This... is clearly a den of demons!" However, as soon as she finished speaking, she heard a clear, sad voice coming from ahead. "Can you... see them?" Charlotte opened her eyes and looked towards the source of the voice. In the hall stood a little girl wearing a white dress. She looked at Charlotte, her pretty face filled with sadness. Chapter 98: Into the Darkness That was a little girl with pretty brown hair.She was wearing a clean white dress, innocent and lovely, completely at odds with the debauchery and decadence of the Dreaming Salon. For some reason, when Charlotte saw her, she felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity. "Who are you?" Charlotte asked in a deep voice. "Master, who are you talking to?" Sebastian''s curious voice came from beside Charlotte. Huh? Charlotte glanced at the flame elf beside her, furrowing her brow slightly. "You didn''t see her?" She asked. "Her? Who?" Sebastian sounded puzzled. "A little girl in a white dress." Charlotte said. But just after she finished speaking, there was no one where the little girl had appeared. Was it another illusion? Charlotte''s brow furrowed deeper. At that moment, there was a commotion outside the hall, and many of the masked nobles who were enjoying themselves began to dress and head towards the outer hall. "Master, the auction segment of the Dreaming Salon is about to begin. The organizers will have someone on hand to explain. This is our best chance to launch an attack and expose the mastermind behind it all!" Sebastian reminded in a low voice. The Dreaming Salon was just relatively secretive, and its highest defensive strength would not exceed the Second Tier Silver Moon. Even though there were many defensive forces here, having witnessed Charlotte''s previous power, Sebastian was extremely confident in the girl. However, Charlotte hesitated when she glanced in the direction where the little girl had disappeared. Having seen the illusions just now, Charlotte was certain that there was indeed involvement from the Blood Demon Cult behind the Dreaming Salon. S?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. There was no doubt that the hooded figures who slaughtered the girls were dressed just like her grandmother, who had tried to sacrifice her cheap soul at the Castell Manor. Even the corrupt cross they held was exactly the same as the one in the hands of the Old Countess Castell! They were undoubtedly members of the Blood Demon Cult! Clearly, the Dreaming Salon was not as simple as it seemed on the surface. The gathering of debauchery, abduction of people... These wicked acts were not just the backstage manipulation of corrupt nobles but seemed more like a sinister ritual being held through the Dreaming Salon. The atrocities committed by the masked nobles against the girls were just the beginning. In the illusions she saw, the girls who had been ravaged were chased and killed by the Blood Demon Cultists in despair and fear, and then bled... That was probably the real purpose of the ritual. Sacrifices... Every girl in the Dreaming Salon was a sacrifice for a mysterious evil ritual! They were first awakened to immense fear and despair in the ravages, and then, in pain and fear, they were slaughtered as sacrifices... And thinking about how many years the Dreaming Salon had harmed so many girls, Charlotte felt a chill down her spine... Corruption breeds darkness, despair breeds resentment. When she entered the Dreaming Salon just now, what she saw was the overwhelming aura of death, and the power represented by the gathering of such a large aura was the most terrifying. "Master, the auction is about to begin. It would be more conspicuous for us to stay here." Sebastian kindly reminded. Charlotte nodded slightly and turned to leave. However, just as she turned, she saw a flash of white dress again. Charlotte''s figure stopped abruptly. She turned back, looking towards the direction where the girl had disappeared. That was the end of the hall. There, a tightly closed iron gate hung. Charlotte''s gaze hardened slightly. "What''s over there?" She asked. "Over there? I don''t know... I haven''t been in the Dreaming Salon for too long. I couldn''t resist my impulse after seeing this hall last time." Sebastian said somewhat embarrassedly. Charlotte remained silent. In fact, listening to the screams of the girls in the hall, she also wanted to end this filthy den immediately. But she knew that if she didn''t uncover the true secret behind the Dreaming Salon, if she didn''t uncover the conspiracy of the Blood Demon Cult... Even if one Dreaming Salon was destroyed, there would be a second one. Charlotte''s gaze fell on the iron gate. In her heart, she had a feeling that the mysterious little girl who had just appeared was telling her to go there. "We won''t go to the auction hall. Let''s go there and take a look." Charlotte shook her head, looking at the door at the end of the hall. With that, she took the lead and walked towards the iron gate. Sebastian didn''t hesitate at all and followed suit. The two quickly arrived at the iron gate. However, they were soon stopped by two masked attendants. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "Esteemed guests, this area is not open to the public." They exuded a powerful aura, both being Starry Sky extraordinary individuals! Charlotte glanced at Sebastian, who understood immediately. Sebastian smiled slightly, looking somewhat apologetic. "Is that so? My apologies... I was a bit pressed, and I thought this was the entrance to the washroom." "You''re mistaken, sir. The washroom is in front of the hall." The attendant said respectfully. "Oh, I see. Thank you." Sebastian smiled slightly and then gracefully turned away. The two attendants immediately relaxed. But the next moment, Sebastian suddenly turned back, his hands forming claws as he grabbed their necks directly. His speed was extremely fast, and the strength as a peak Silver Moon was far beyond the reach of the two Starry Sky extraordinaries. Under the sneak attack, the two attendants didn''t even react, and even Charlotte couldn''t see his movements clearly. With a crack sound, Sebastian easily snapped their necks, and their bodies slowly slumped down, not even making a sound. Damn! Charlotte was instantly shocked by Sebastian''s combat power. When she watched him fight the Great Knight before, she didn''t have much of a sense of reality, just feeling his destructive power was impressive. But standing beside him now, she realized... he was truly powerful! Killing two Starry Sky extraordinaries was just like slaughtering chickens. This also sounded an alarm bell for Charlotte. If she were to face a Silver Moon alone... At critical moments, she should not overestimate herself, and when necessary, she should not hesitate to unleash her True Ancestor''s Liberation if needed. The difference in tier... was terrifying. Sebastian''s movements were quick. After killing the two extraordinaries, he kicked open the iron gate directly, dragged the two unlucky guys in, and then summoned black flames quickly, burning their bodies to ashes. His movements were smooth, obviously not the first time he had done this. Looking at Charlotte''s somewhat strange gaze, Sebastian smiled and said. "Just being careful and leaving no trace to delay their discovery as much as possible, and also... let us disguise our identity a bit, it will make things easier." Charlotte:... She felt that she had been reckless enough tonight. But obviously, Sebastian was even more reckless! But it didn''t matter. Tonight, she was here to make a scene at the Dreaming Salon. Just... "Why is there only one set of clothes left?" Looking at Sebastian in his attendant disguise, Charlotte asked. "This... Master, you''re not very tall, so you can''t wear it." Sebastian said carefully. Charlotte:... She felt that if she was short was the reason, just say it, why beat around the bush? She wouldn''t get angry, promise! "Besides... You''re fine like this. As long as you follow me, no one will suspect your identity. Of course... it would be even better if you could disguise yourself." Sebastian added respectfully. "Disguise?" Charlotte''s heart stirred. "Let''s forget it, it''s too offensive to you." Sebastian hesitated for a moment, shaking his head. Charlotte:... She hated guys who only spoke halfway. With the iron gate closed behind her, their conversation ended. Charlotte put her mind back and turned to look around. This was a long staircase leading downwards. The surroundings were dim, with only dim candles on the walls on both sides. And when Charlotte looked towards the bottom of the stairs, she saw the white dress flash again. Her heart moved, saying. "Let''s keep going." The two walked down the stairs and soon reached the bottom. Before them was a long corridor, with dark rooms on either side like prison cells, and some figures in black robes could be seen patrolling constantly. Blood Demon Cultists! Charlotte''s gaze sharpened instantly. But soon, she was attracted by the cells on both sides of the corridor. In the dim candlelight, Charlotte saw many girls imprisoned in the cells. Her gaze quickly focused. Because she saw a familiar figure in one of the cells... Several girls dressed in Castell maid uniforms! They were her people. And when she took advantage of the dim light to see the shackles worn on the girls'' necks, she suddenly realized what kind of disguise Sebastian meant by... Chapter 99: True Ancestors Authority "Master, they are ours." Sebastian said in Charlotte''s mind. Charlotte nodded slightly. Of course, she had noticed her own maids. However, her attention was quickly drawn to the patrolling black robes rather than her own maids. Perhaps it was because there were already two Starry Sky extraordinary individuals guarding outside, so the strength of the Blood Demon Cultists patrolling here was not high. The two of them were in the middle of the corridor. In Charlotte''s perception, apart from the strong aura coming from both ends of the corridor, the others were all zero-tier. What made Charlotte feel strange was that when she carefully sensed it, all these suspected Blood Demon Cultist extraordinary individuals made her feel a strange sense of familiarity. No, more accurately, it was the power emanating from them that gave Charlotte a sense of familiarity. That kind of familiarity seemed to originate from the bloodline. It even gave Charlotte a very peculiar feeling... If her power were strong enough, she could even command them directly. Absurd! Why did she have this feeling? Could it be because her own bloodline had changed? "Master, those patrolling people might very well be the forbidden blood servants." "To the south, there should be two Starry Sky extraordinary individuals, and the same to the north. The distance is too far, I''m afraid I won''t be able to take them down without alerting anyone unless I kill them... But if they are blood servants, killing them might alert the Bloodborne behind them." "Before we find out the secrets, it''s best not to disturb the Bloodborne behind them. After all... The Blood Demon Cult has been hunted by the church for so long, and so they are best at running away." Sebastian spoke again. Blood servants... Charlotte pondered. Blood servants were slaves of the Bloodborne, unconditionally obeying the commands of the Bloodborne. If the peculiar feeling she had was indeed a power of her awakened Bloodborne Royalty... Could it be... when the strength of the Bloodborne royal descendant was strong enough, they could override the contract between these blood servants and their masters, and command them alone? She was only First Tier, not stronger than the strongest among these suspected forbidden blood servants. However, she had the most powerful backup. S?a??h th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. That was the True Ancestor''s Liberation! She didn''t need to fully activate the True Ancestor''s Liberation. Just a short channeling would be enough. Thinking of this, Charlotte decided to give it a try. "Let me try." She said to Sebastian. After saying that, Charlotte closed her eyes, sank into consciousness, and communicated with the Gospel of Blood. In the spiritual world, the crimson pages opened, and Charlotte quickly channeled the dormant divine power of blood in her consciousness. The next moment, her aura changed. Sebastian felt an ancient and profound aura rising from the petite body in front of him, giving him a feeling of palpitations. He noticed that the girl''s black hair turned silver in an instant. "Who?!" The change in aura quickly attracted the patrolling Blood Demon Cultists. They instantly drew their weapons, alertly approaching the two. Even the four Starry Sky extraordinary individuals from the south and north sides followed suit. Sebastian''s gaze was slightly focused, immediately taking a stance, preparing for battle. However, the next moment, he heard Charlotte''s voice in his mind. "Deceive them." The girl''s voice trembled slightly as if enduring something. Deceive them? Sebastian was slightly stunned. However, he quickly reacted, instantly switched his demeanor, smiling slightly, and said to the vigilant Blood Demon Cultists. "Heh, it''s me. I just got another good catch, and I was asked to bring it down as the highlight of today." "Hey, this time it''s a rare Starry Sky extraordinary! And quite beautiful too!" "Are there any spare anti-magic chains? My hypnosis won''t last long. This girl is about to wake up." "A Starry Sky extraordinary?" The Blood Demon Cultists were puzzled. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "Hypnosis?" Several Starry Sky extraordinaries frowned. In the dim light, they quickly saw Sebastian and the silver-haired maid beside him who was no longer hidden. The maid trembled, appearing struggling, her aura fluctuating irregularly, indeed resembling someone about to awaken from hypnosis. Charlotte was indeed struggling. Struggling quite intensely. Because she found that the power of the True Ancestor''s Liberation was too powerful. Just a brief channeling almost made her lose control. She felt that the True Ancestor''s Liberation was like a boiling cauldron. And she was like a little mouse trying to sneak a little steam out of the cauldron... But how could that be possible? In fact, after channeling the divine power of blood, now even suppressing her aura was quite difficult! However, at the same time, that familiar feeling came again. Charlotte''s field of vision instantly began to rise, ascending infinitely... She saw the hall where the Dreaming Salon was held, the beautiful mansion outside the hall, the outer city district and the Western area outside the mansion, and the entire Borde City under the night. This capital of the Borde Duchy was clearly divided into two parts in the night. The brightly lit inner city and... the completely dark outer city. No, this wasn''t a field of vision. This... was actually perception! Charlotte knew that she couldn''t keep expanding it anymore. If she continued, the True Ancestor''s Liberation would be fully activated. No. It wasn''t time yet. Fully activating the True Ancestor''s Liberation now would be like using a cannon to kill a mosquito. She exerted all her willpower, forcibly retracting her perception, only enveloping the entire corridor. And when her perception retracted, the world in her "vision" changed again. As if the quantity caused a qualitative change, she clearly "saw" all the extraordinary individuals in the corridor. A total of twenty-three people. Among them, nineteen were Zero Tier, and four were First Tier. They all had a crimson glow on their bodies, the symbol of Bloodborne power. However, they also had an illusory chain connecting to the void. That was... the blood servant contract! All these extraordinaries were blood servants of a certain Bloodborne! At the moment of perceiving the contract, Charlotte instinctively spread her consciousness. Her perception swept over each extraordinary, and the illusory chain on their bodies was immediately intercepted from the middle. The chain was not severed. But... the power of the contract was temporarily intercepted. In an instant, Charlotte felt as if she had suddenly gained more than twenty people who could unconditionally obey her like her own children. The next moment, she slowly opened her eyes. Those were not the previous blood-red pupils activated by Bloodborne power. But a pair of strange golden-red eyes. Those eyes exuding a mysterious power, flickered with profound brilliance and akin to black hole devouring stars. At the moment they saw those eyes, all the Blood Demon Cultists inexplicably felt a palpitation. They were about to speak, but the girl spoke first. "Kneel!" A mysterious fluctuation swept through the corridor. The consciousness of the Blood Demon Cultists was instantly flickered. They only felt an irresistible will descending upon them, as if a command come from their master... A series of sounds echoed as their knees hit the ground. They knelt uncontrollably, one after another. Facing the silver-haired girl. As if they were worshiping their king. Chapter 100: Could it be... him? Wow, is this considered NTR?Opening her eyes and looking at the Blood Demon Cultists kneeling on the ground, Charlotte''s mood was quite strange. Sebastian also widened his eyes in astonishment and said. "Master... They...?" "They are now under my command." She said, sensing the connection between herself and these blood servants. This connection is temporary, not permanent. Once she withdraws the divine power of blood, these cultists will regain their freedom. S?a??h the n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. But for now... They belong to Charlotte. At least temporarily. "As expected of you! Great... Master!" Sebastian sincerely praised as he looked at the kneeling cultists. Yes, the Lady of the Night is the True Ancestor! The ancestor of the Bloodbornes! These lunatics of the Blood Demon Cult dare to target their own ancestors. They must be tired of living. Sebastian regretted not taking the Lady of the Night to raid the Blood Demon Cult earlier. With the power of the Lady of the Night, if SHE had acted earlier, SHE might have wiped out the Borde''s Blood Demon Cult long ago! Of course, Sebastian was unaware that Charlotte had just discovered this method of overriding other''s blood servants only after awakening her royal bloodline. Looking at the kneeling cultists, Charlotte also had some new ideas. "Lift your heads and tell me, who is your master?" Her voice was crisp but carried an unexpected majesty that contradicted her appearance. The cultists looked confused. Upon hearing the girl''s words, they trembled incessantly, as if experiencing an epileptic fit, as if in a struggle with the contract within their souls. After a moment, they opened their foaming mouths, their voices coming out intermittently. "Our master is... the... High... Priest..." High Priest? Charlotte''s brow twitched. "The High Priest? The Blood Demon Cult''s High Priest? He''s still alive?!" Sebastian''s gaze sharpened. Charlotte glanced at him. Sensing the girl''s confusion, Sebastian quickly explained. "Master, you may not be aware, but the priests in the Blood Demon Cult are divided into four ranks, corresponding to extraordinary tiers from Starry Sky to Legendary. The divisions are the Lower Priest, the Middle Priest, the Upper Priest, and the Divine Grace Priest." "Ten years ago, the one who led the Flame Demon Disaster was an Upper Priest of the Blood Demon Cult. However, he preferred to be called the High Priest by others." "In the official records of the church, it was stated that he was killed along with the failure of the Flame Demon Disaster. But I didn''t expect... he''s still alive." Sebastian explained. Charlotte looked at him strangely. "Even now, do you still believe in the records of the Borde Church?" Sebastian hesitated, then awkwardly nodded. "You have a point." He then curiously looked at the blood servants. "Strange... Are they all blood servants of the High Priest?" "No wonder... No wonder the Blood Demon Cult is so well hidden this time. In addition to their connection with the nobles and the church, their internal connections are even tighter than ten years ago..." "But... how did the High Priest of the Blood Demon Cult manage it? From what I know, the burden of the blood servant contract is significant on the soul. Even a Third Tier Blazing Sun would selectively sign contracts." "Even those who are not even Tier Zero extraordinary are turned into blood servants... How much soul power does he have?" Sebastian was puzzled. Listening to him, Charlotte had some speculations. The Blood Demon Cult was collecting fragments of the Gospel. Although the Gospel fragments were cursed, they did have some power. Her grandmother once controlled a large number of undead using the power of the Gospel''s fragment. If the High Priest of the Blood Demon Cult also had similar fragments of the Gospel, she wouldn''t be surprised. As Sebastian said, they were a group of lunatics. "Who are your collaborators among the nobles?" After thinking about it, Charlotte continued to question these cultists. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Before confirming the presence of a believer entering the Dark Night Castle, Charlotte was reluctant to directly summon them into the spiritual world for questioning. Sebastian was an accident last time. At that time, she was naive and hadn''t experienced the power of the "God" yet. After signing the Blood Contract with Sebastian and feeling the power similar to that of a God, she became more cautious. However, now that she had overtaken these blood servants, it was a good opportunity for questioning. She wanted to seize this opportunity to dig out all the secrets of the Blood Demon Cult and the nobles behind it! After hearing Charlotte''s second question, the blood servants stopped trembling. Obviously, the answer to this question was not within the constraints of the contract. They immediately responded straightforwardly. "It''s... the Count, my lord." The Count? Charlotte frowned. In Borde, there were only ten people who could be called Counts, including herself. Excluding her and those Court Counts who had no real power, there were only six Territorial Counts left. "Which Count?" She asked again. However, this time, the blood servants stared blankly, not giving an answer. Seeing their vacant gaze, Charlotte quickly realized that her miraculous control power also had drawbacks. Her control belonged to forced control. The controlled blood servants only retained some instincts and subconsciousness. For them, this control might be more like sleeping and dreaming. Obviously, their subconscious knowledge of the "Count" was limited to "the Count." Charlotte''s gaze fell on the end of the corridor, where the room was guarded by two forbidden blood servants. "Tell me, what''s behind that room?" She asked. "It''s... the temporary... study of the... Count, my lord." The trembling blood servant guarding the room replied. The study of the Count? Charlotte exchanged a glance with Sebastian. "Master, shall we go in?" "How are the conditions of these girls?" Charlotte didn''t act directly but looked at the cells on both sides and asked. In the cells, the imprisoned girls were all quiet. She hadn''t noticed before, but now she saw that everyone was unconscious. Sebastian went over to check and said. "It should be some kind of delayed excitement sleeping potion, to keep them energized for... convenient service to guests." "Beasts!" Charlotte cursed coldly. Pausing on her own maid, she said. "Let them continue sleeping for a while, and we''ll rescue them later." Her current state was special. Even if she disguised herself, the fewer people who saw her, the better. "You two, open the study." Charlotte ordered the two forbidden blood servants guarding the door. Receiving the order, the forbidden blood servants mechanically opened the door at the end of the corridor. Then, the servants stepped aside, making a path. With Sebastian accompanying her, Charlotte walked past the blood servants standing on both sides and entered the room. Behind the door was an extravagantly decorated circular chamber. Curved bookshelves were filled with densely packed magical books. Several magnificent mage robes hung on the rack, and there was even an astrolabe on the table. Sebastian casually picked up a book, squinted his eyes, and then put it down, picked up another one, and then put it down again, and picked up another one... "Tsk, Master, the magic books here all record astrology magic." He said, squinting his eyes. Astrology magic? Count? Charlotte''s movement paused slightly. Looking at the astrolabe on the table, her gaze narrowed slightly, and in her mind, an elegant figure from her original memory floated... "Could it be... him?" Chapter 101: Count Tulip In the world of Myria, although astrology magic is niche, it is not uncommon.Many mages would dabble to some extent in astrology studies, at least enough to conduct certain magical divinations through star observations to enhance the success rate of their magical research. Looking at the plethora of astrology magic books in the room, it was evident that the owner of the study was quite obsessed with astrology magic. And being obsessed with astrology magic, referred to as "the Count" by the Blood Demon Cultists, the direction became quite clear. Especially when Charlotte picked up the astrology device and saw the Borde''s coat of arms on it... "Count Tulip." Charlotte frowned. Count Tulip was quite famous in the Borde Duchy. However, it wasn''t due to his status as the original heir of the Duchy but because of two embarrassing incidents. One was when shortly after being declared heir and going to the Tulip domain, he managed to incite the anger of the locals within three months, leading to a revolt that sent him back. The other was his obsession with astrology magic, and his utter disregard for governance, which even caused the political alliance Duke Borde had painstakingly arranged for him to be ruined, infuriating the Duke to the point of nearly breaking the Count''s legs... It could be said that Count Tulip, while holding a prestigious position with minimal presence, had become quite a laughingstock in Borde''s aristocratic circles. Even Charlotte only remembered him because of his relationship with the original body owner as her cousin, due to her occasional contact during her childhood. However, this person, such a waste in the public eye, was actually a collaborator with the Blood Demon Cult? Disguise? Had he been pretending all along? Charlotte was genuinely surprised. However, after some deep thought, she had a sudden enlightenment feeling... Charlotte knew that the nobles were colluding with the Blood Demon Cult and plotting her assassination because they aimed to gain control of Castell. If you considered the lineage inheritance, if she were truly dead, Castell would return to the Duke''s estate. The first to inherit in that case wouldn''t be the Duke but Count Tulip. Because he was Charlotte''s aunt''s son, the closest blood relative of the Castell family! This fact was known to everyone. But nobody believed that, in the unlikely event the Castell''s estate would eventually fall into the hands of Count Tulip. Even if he were to inherit, it was highly likely that, like Count Tulip''s estate, it would soon be reclaimed by the old Duke''s estate. Because he behaved like such a wastrel. However, now, Charlotte suddenly realized that this widely-regarded astrology-obsessed, irresponsibility-ridden Count might have been pretending all along! Wastrel? If he had been covertly rallying the nobles of the estate through the Dreaming Salon, if he had clandestine dealings with the Blood Demon Cult, and with the High Priest... He was no wastrel! "It turns out to be Count Tulip... It seems that the entire noble circle of Borde has been deceived by him, perhaps even the Duke has been deceived by him. He has been pretending all along." Charlotte said, surprised. "It should be him, only he, with his status, could have acquired the kingdom''s standardized hand crossbows and framed the Duke''s estate... No, to be more precise, he should be framing the Duke." She pondered. "Looks like, perhaps, the Borde family isn''t as united as the outside world believed." Sebastian narrowed his eyes. "Master, what should we do next? Lay in ambush here and wait for his return?" He respectfully inquired. S~?a??h the ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte checked the remaining time of her True Ancestor''s Liberation. During this time controlling the blood servants, the time limit for True Ancestor''s liberation had decreased by 0.1s from 58.5s. Obviously, even though she hadn''t fully liberated her True Ancestor state, controlling the blood servants outside the door still reduced the time limit for True Ancestor''s Liberation. Sensing around the study and confirming the absence of any Gospel pages, Charlotte thought for a moment and said. "No need. A fleeing monk cannot escape the temple. The Blood Demon Cult''s conspiracy is the more important matter." "We will continue tracking the secrets of the Blood Demon Cult." After identifying the mastermind behind the Dreaming Salon, the two exited the study. This assault turned out to be even smoother than Charlotte had imagined. It had to be said... When you possess sufficient power, many things that once seemed quite difficult become simple. Even if the obtained power is temporary. Returning to the corridor, over twenty blood servants respectfully bowed to Charlotte. As the girl stepped out of the study, she once again caught sight of the little girl in the white dress darting past, disappearing in the direction opposite the corridor. Charlotte''s heart stirred. "Let''s go there again." Following the mysterious little girl''s figure, Charlotte arrived at the other end of the corridor. This should be directly below the hall of the Dreaming Salon, where she saw a stone door carved with intricate magic runes. Upon arriving here, Charlotte felt an indescribable sense of gloom, as if there were waves of chill emanating from the cracks of the stone door. Sebastian stepped forward, examining the magic runes on the stone door, and soon raised his eyebrows. "Master, this is a sealing door. Something must be sealed behind it, and... there are warning runes on the seal. Unauthorized entry may alert the person behind the scenes." We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "I am quite ashamed... I am not well-versed in sealing magic. Perhaps, you will need to step in to break the seal and the warning runes." Sebastian said respectfully. ''But I don''t know sealing magic either. In fact, right now, I only know low-level majesty and necromancy...'' Charlotte scoffed inwardly. But just because she doesn''t know it doesn''t mean others don''t know either. "Open this door without alarming the warning runes." She ordered the other two forbidden blood servants who had followed. They had been standing guard in front of the stone door just now. Upon hearing the girl''s command, the two first-rank forbidden blood servants trembled once again, even more violently than before. They seemed to be struggling with the soul contract once again. But in the end, Charlotte''s power prevailed. "Yes." After a moment of trembling, they respectfully bowed their heads and then took a step forward, taking out keys from their pockets and inserting them into the stone door. The next moment, the magic runes on the stone door suddenly lit up, emitting a deep light. With a grating sound that made one''s heart ache, the stone door swung open, and a tide of blood and malice gushed out, causing Sebastian and Charlotte to pale simultaneously. And when the stone door fully opened, the two also saw what was inside. It was an underground cave. The dome of the cave depicted intricate and complex magic runes and various evil and corrupted patterns. They extended from the surroundings to the depths of the cave. The ground was covered with a lot of white bones, countless of them. In the center of the cave was a giant blood pool emitting a strong bloody smell. The blood pool was designed in the shape of an incredibly sinister and evil eye. "It''s the Eye of the Demon! It''s the symbol of the Bloodborne Archduke Abaddon!" Sebastian''s expression turned grave. Bloodborne Archduke Abaddon? Charlotte''s heart twitched. Her gaze quickly fell on the blood pool. In the center of the blood pool, white bones were stacked to form the pupil of the "eye," and in the center of the pupil, a black coffin emitting a chilling aura was placed. For some reason, looking at that coffin, Charlotte felt a strong sense of unease in her heart. Charlotte looked around, wanting to find the little girl''s figure again, but found no trace of her. Thinking for a moment, the girl withdrew her gaze and looked again at the blood servants behind her. The brilliance flowed in her eyes. "Tell me, what is the Blood Demon Cult planning?" Upon hearing the girl''s command, the blood servants trembled once again. This time, their trembling was even more violent than the first. Their expressions were ferocious, their eyes rolling back, and Charlotte could sense their souls undergoing intense turmoil, beginning an unprecedented frenzy. Obviously, Charlotte''s question touched on their deepest restrictions. Charlotte exerted a bit more force, slightly increasing the output of her blood power. The next moment, the blood servants trembled even more violently. Not only that, Charlotte even sensed the soul contracts within them beginning to emit a faint light, as if they were about to tear their souls apart at any moment. Her heart sank, and she quickly stopped the interrogation. It was evident that these blood servants'' soul contracts were built around keeping the secrets here. If Charlotte forcefully obtained the answers, even if she got results, it would inevitably alert the Blood High Priest behind the scenes. She didn''t want to alert the High Priest unless absolutely necessary. Withdrawing her gaze from the blood servants, Charlotte looked again at the dry bones in the cave. The bloodborne''s keen perception, coupled with the Dark Path''s unique awareness, allowed her to clearly sense that there were still countless lost souls lingering here. Associating with the various illusions she had just seen in the hall, she formed a slight idea. Charlotte approached the countless bones, gently closed her eyes, and spread her consciousness over them. Then, she once again connected to her divine power of blood. Under Sebastian''s awe-struck gaze, a hint of ancient and vast aura slowly rose from Charlotte''s body, then vanished in an instant. A crimson light radiated from the girl, quickly enveloping the entire cave. In a flash, Charlotte felt a huge memory filled with boundless hatred, fear, and despair rushing into her mind... Then the world before her eyes shattered. Chapter 102: Buried Memories A vast memory surged into Charlotte''s mind, shattering her vision abruptly.No, it wasn''t her vision that shattered. In reality, she had her eyes closed. What shattered was her perception. After a burst of light, Charlotte found herself in a magnificent world. More precisely, it was a world of dreams. She discovered herself standing in a long floating corridor, surrounded by darkness, with countless shattered mirrors floating on either side. Each shard emitted a faint halo, like slides playing independent images. Some glowed brightly, radiating soft light, peaceful and serene. Some gleamed with blood, emanating a chilling aura, causing intense discomfort just by looking at them. Charlotte chose the shard closest to her. In the next instant, her view shifted, revealing an adorable little girl giggling, sitting in a shabby room celebrating her birthday with her modestly dressed parents. On the crude wooden table, the food was not plentiful, just some simple black bread and a small piece of stale cheese cake. However, gazing at the girl''s innocent and radiant smile, at the indulgent gazes and gentle eyes of her parents, one could vividly feel the family of three''s simple, easily contented happiness. But in the next moment, the scene was engulfed in flames. Amidst the harrowing cries, the girl''s parents collapsed in a pool of blood, while a blood cultist in black robes grabbed the girl by her hair, roughly stuffing her into a sack... The scene continued to flicker, Charlotte saw the girl being imprisoned, saw her being auctioned in the Dreaming Salon, saw the confusion and terror on her face... She saw the girl being violated, saw the Blood Demon Cultists pursuing her after the Dreaming Salon, and saw the girl slowly approaching death in pain and fear. Charlotte quickly retreated from the fragments of memory, the immersive despair and agony chilling her heart. With a slight perception, she judged that browsing through memories had only taken an instant. Although she saw many scenes, the vast memory information had actually flooded into her consciousness in an instant. Hesitating for a moment, Charlotte looked towards the next memory fragment... The view changed, and another new girl appeared in the scene. This was another girl''s memory. Still, it was a memory of happy moments. However, the simple happiness was soon once again consumed by blood and despair. Charlotte saw the appearance of the Blood Demon Cultists again, saw them abducting the girl, saw in the midst of desperate cries, they used the girl as a sacrifice, pushing her into the abyss of death... Charlotte quickly withdrew from the memory fragments again. Her mood grew heavier. Looking at the countless fragments around her, she knew that each one represented a girl who had met a tragic end. The memories here were the most profound memories of their short lives. Happy memories, fearful memories... Painful memories, desperate memories... Even in death, their memories lingered like remnants of their souls. Charlotte was a little hesitant to continue. The immersive sense of despair made her heart cold, and her soul trembled. But she knew she had to continue. The secrets of the Blood Demon Cult were likely hidden in these memory fragments. She continued to look towards the next fragment... One after another... Charlotte didn''t know how many memory fragments she had seen. She only knew that she saw one shattered happy family after another, saw one innocent girl after another being consumed by despair... She saw the evil and brutality of the Blood Demon Cult, she saw the decadence and darkness of the nobility. Watching, repeatedly watching, she felt herself growing numb. In her heart, there was only disgust and anger towards the Blood Demon Cult and the corrupt nobility. After watching countless memory fragments, Charlotte suddenly paused in front of one of them. In this memory fragment, she actually saw someone she knew. Kara, the chief captain of the Borde Demon Hunter Bureau! However, this wasn''t Kara''s memory fragment. It was a little girl''s. That little girl bore a striking resemblance to Kara, and in the memory fragment, Kara had no scars on her face. Moreover, Kara in the memory fragment looked quite young. She appeared to be at most eighteen or nineteen years old. It was a beautiful memory of two sisters. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now As a mercenary, the elder sister took care of the younger, adorable sister. They depended on each other, living happily, though not wealthy, but warm and joyful. The beginning of the memory was still a simple and beautiful one. But when the thugs appeared, everything changed. Charlotte saw the girl being abducted and saw Kara severely injured. She saw the female knight, bearing gruesome scars on her face, awakening extraordinary power in despair, yet could only watch as her sister was taken away. Hmm? Thugs? Wait a minute... Not the Blood Demon Cultists? Charlotte was stunned. And the subsequent development of the memory images was different. Charlotte didn''t see the Dreaming Salon. Instead, there was fire. Blazing fire. She heard countless vague voices reciting praying. She heard people praising the abyss and darkness, heard them extolling corruption and decay. She heard fervent voices, shouting the title of the Bloodborne Archduke! She saw the girls locked in the dungeon embracing each other in fear, looking out through the window into the night, at the towering figure engulfed in flames... The sinister goat head, the roaring flames, the deafening roars! That was a terrifying Flame Demon! Charlotte instantly realized. This memory fragment was even older, from ten years ago! S?a??h th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. What she was seeing now was the scene of the Flame Demon Disaster ten years ago! The little girl who looked like Kara''s sister was not one snatched by the Dreaming Salon in recent years, but one abducted by Count Brois ten years ago! After realizing this, doubts quickly arose in Charlotte''s mind... Wait a minute. If she remembered correctly, ten years ago, the Flame Demon Ritual originated from Count Brois. According to records, during the Flame Demon Disaster, all underage girls who were abducted ultimately died in the sacrifice. As for the Dreaming Salon, it only gradually appeared after the Flame Demon Disaster. But here is beneath the Dreaming Salon... If Kara''s sister was abducted ten years ago, how could her memory fragment appear here, in the ritual sacrificial site of the Dreaming Salon? Wrong. In the memory, the girl saw the Flame Demon. This indicates that she didn''t die at that time. Not only that, but none of the girls imprisoned in the dungeon died. So... what happened later? Charlotte''s mind was full of doubts. But soon, her doubts were answered. With an angry roar, the Flame Demon disappeared into a brilliant light. After who knows how long, the dim dungeon was smashed open with a loud bang. Blinding light descended, piercing through the despairing darkness, and bringing comforting warmth. A figure clad in pure white robes appeared in the girls'' view. It was an elderly priest. His expression was full of exhaustion. When he saw the girls in the dungeon, he hesitated for a moment. Then, quickly, he smiled kindly. Stretching out his hand, he gently stroked the head of the girl closest to him. The old man''s voice, gentle and kind, sounded slowly in the girl''s ear. "Child, you are saved." His smile was incredibly kind, incredibly gentle. So gentle, even somewhat fake, sending shivers down one''s spine. That priest was none other than the highest-ranking clergy of the Borde Duchy, High Priest Leonard. Chapter 103: The Depraved High Priest "Children, you''ve been saved.""It''s still not safe outside. I''m sorry to inconvenience you to stay here for a while longer." "..." "Children, I have some unfortunate news. The church has judged you as objects that need to be purified. You can''t go back..." "Is it true or false? Of course, it''s true. Don''t worry, I''ll protect you." "You want to meet your family? I''m sorry, that''s not possible." "Let me help you check your bodies, and purify the impurities." "..." "Listen! Why aren''t you listening?" "Do you want to be purified by the holy light?! Do you want to bring trouble to your family?!" "Be obedient... Yes, that''s right... Be obedient..." "Mmm... That''s good... I like obedient children." "Come, my darlings, let me teach you some new knowledge today..." "..." "Ah, my dear, why did you grow up so fast?" "So fast... It''s already disappointing me." "..." "Who? Who leaked the information?!" "Do you think you can escape from my grasp like this?!" "Do you even know who he is? Do you know who''s behind him?!" "Foolish! You''re all foolish!" "You will be punished tonight!" "Cry louder! Scream louder!" "..." "Hmph, Anthony, don''t think you can threaten me like this!" "I can agree to cooperate with you, but you must do something for me too!" "What should you do? Of course, help me deal with them." "I''m already tired of them." "I need new darlings." ... "My dear, goodbye..." "Thank you for accompanying me these years." ... The scene finally fades into darkness. As Charlotte exits the fragments of memory, a chill rushes through her heart. "So... not all the girls from the disaster of the Flame Demon ten years ago perished." "Some of them survived, but they were taken away by the High Priest." "He''s truly a pervert, someone who enjoys young and innocent girls!" "He kept them captive, then was caught by Anthony, the Count of Tulip..." "They still haven''t escaped the fate of being sacrificed, but... their fate is even more tragic than the girls sacrificed before the Flame Demon Disaster!" Charlotte calms her emotions and looks towards the remaining fragments of memory. There aren''t many fragments left, maybe a few hundred. However, their light is deeper, colder, and their aura more desperate. Charlotte hesitates for a moment, then continues to look. Soon, she once again sees the figure of the High Priest in the memories. No. It should be said, the figure of the High Priest appears in every subsequent memory. The sacred and righteous priest among the citizens of Borde, in these memory fragments, is like a demon in hell! He brought not hope or light to the girls, but despair and darkness and dragged them into the abyss! These last few hundred memory fragments represent the hundreds of poor girls harmed by the High Priest, then discarded to the Dreaming Salon for processing once again! As she views each memory fragment, Charlotte''s anger grows. Even though she''s lived two lives, witnessing some of the decadent and cruel methods and behaviors in these memories surpasses her moral limits, eliciting strong discomfort and indignation. Deep within her consciousness, the Gospel of Blood trembles slightly with her changing emotions, as if responding to its master''s will, spreading a terrifying spiritual fluctuation that shakes the entire dream world to its core... Charlotte quickly realizes her loss of composure and hastily calms her emotions, stabilizing this strange memory space. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now She lifts her head, looking ahead in the corridor. There are no more memory fragments on either side. She has reached the end of the dream world. However, at the end of the path, there''s one final, darkest memory fragment, floating silently in the air, emanating a chilling glow. Charlotte approaches the fragment. For the last time, she reaches out her hand. Touching the dark fragment, immense memories flood into her consciousness once again. It''s an image formed by thousands of overlapping memory fragments... She sees within the dark cave, hundreds of cultists clad in black robes, raising the Eye of the Demon and the Dark Cross in reverence toward the altar built of bones. She saw blood dripping from the cave ceiling, flowing slowly into the blood pool, shimmering with crimson light, and ultimately being absorbed by the coffin on the central altar... She heard countless fervent voices chanting together in prayer. "O Master of the Abyss and the Mortal Realm," "The incarnation of corruption and decay," "The savior of the bloodborne progeny..." "Bloodborne Archduke¡ªAbaddon!" "Your humble servants offer you the power of darkness and despair!" "Darkness shapes the sacred body," "Despair condenses the sacred soul!" "May your will walk upon the earth... as in the Abyss!" ... The fervent prayers echo incessantly. Charlotte sees the deepening radiance spreading, the black mist enveloping... In the haze, she seems to glimpse a majestic figure casting its gaze within the memory fragments. She feels ancient, world-weary eyes settling on the cultists, but in the next moment, the mist subtly shifts. S?a??h th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. She seems to see a pair of crimson, profound eyes turning, piercing through countless dimensions, gazing directly at her. Those are eyes that can hardly be described in words. Crimson, darkness. Like two abyssal black holes. Faintly, Charlotte seems to hear a stern and icy voice. "Who?" The voice reverberates in Charlotte''s mind like thunder, echoing with resounding reverberations. In an instant, the dream world shatters, and Charlotte is abruptly returned to reality. Her mind spins, the echoes of countless roars trembling within her consciousness, causing her to stagger. It''s only when the cool divine power of blood from the Gospel of Blood gently flickers, brushing across her consciousness, that she manages to regain her composure. "Mistress, are you... alright?" Sebastian''s concerned voice quickly reaches her. "I''m fine." Charlotte takes a deep breath after responding. Raising her head again, the girl looks towards the bones in the cave, then her gaze falls upon the coffin emitting a palpable sense of dread. Charlotte''s expression is unusually solemn. She probably... already knows what ceremony is being held here. "This isn''t a summoning ritual of the Flame Demon." Charlotte shakes her head. "Not a summoning ritual of the Flame Demon?" Sebastian''s gaze flickers slightly. "That''s right." Charlotte nods slightly, her gaze solemnly fixed on the altar in the center of the blood pool. "This is..." "A ritual to call upon the Gods!" As soon as she finishes speaking, Charlotte momentarily freezes. Because at the moment she utters those words, a clear and melodious voice simultaneously speaks what she wants to say. Charlotte quickly turns around. At the entrance of the cave stands a girl in a white dress. Her figure is ethereal, and she lifts the hem of her dress, performing a standard noble gesture towards Charlotte. "Hello... great and mysterious being..." "I am Marie de Brois." With a hint of hesitation, she can''t help but look at Charlotte, her ethereal face tinged with a trace of anxiety. "Should I... address you as Miss Charlotte?" Chapter 104: Please stop everything! Marie de Brois?The eldest daughter of Count Brois? Didn''t she die in the Flame Demon Disaster? No... her current state seems somewhat strange. Looking at the girl in front of her who revealed her identity, Charlotte was extremely surprised. However, when the other party mentioned Charlotte''s identity by name, it made her heart race even more. Does she recognize who I am? S~?a??h the N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Does she also know... that I''m not the original Charlotte? With a sense of astonishment, Charlotte looked at the girl in front of her. The girl''s posture was respectful, and her expression seemed somewhat nervous and tense... This expression, she was too familiar with it, just like when Sebastian first realized her identity. Charlotte instantly understood. Just like Sebastian, the girl regarded her as some ancient being who had descended into this body. "Do you know who I am?" Charlotte asked. The girl hesitated for a moment, then shook her head. "I don''t know who you are..." With that, the girl smiled slightly, a smile tinged with a hint of sadness. "But... to see a friend who should have perished from the Flame Demon''s corruption standing before me again, even if I know it''s not her anymore, still makes me happy..." "Your anger towards the unjust spirits here makes me fearful, but at the same time... it makes me yearn..." "You are a noble and righteous being, possessing the great power to stop everything, to change everything." "As long as you are willing, in my eyes... you are her." After hearing the girl''s words, filled with both sorrow and hope, Charlotte''s heart stirred. She fell silent for a moment, letting out a soft sigh. "Now, I am Charlotte de Castell." The girl laughed. She laughed joyfully, relieved. She understood the implicit meaning in Charlotte''s words. Now, she is Charlotte de Castell. Similarly, she would shoulder the responsibilities that matched her current identity. "Master... who are you talking to?" Seeing Charlotte talking to thin air, Sebastian was puzzled. "An acquaintance, you can''t see her." Charlotte said. An... acquaintance? Sebastian''s heart skipped a beat as he looked towards the gloomy cave, his expression even more uncertain. Obviously, what he understood as an acquaintance and what Charlotte meant might have some discrepancies. The girl''s state was very strange. She was neither a spirit nor a physical entity, more like a miraculous projection, yet only Charlotte could perceive her. Charlotte could feel that she was able to see the girl perhaps due to the influence of the Gospel of Blood, as she sensed a faintly familiar and comforting aura from her, seemingly originating from the Gospel itself. "Thank you..." "Esteemed... Lady Charlotte." The girl bowed to Charlotte again. And after bowing, the girl''s expression became urgent again. "Lady Charlotte..." "Please save Borde, please... save my sister Lottie." "The High Priest of the Blood Demon Cult, Biren, wants to summon the Blood Demon Lord into the world, and he''s already made the final preparations!" "The true purpose of the Flame Demon summoning ten years ago was not to summon the Flame Demon." "My father was framed, he was framed!" "He only wanted to cure the congenital frailty of my sister Lottie and me, but he was manipulated and framed by the Blood Demon Cult!" "The failure of the Flame Demon summoning didn''t matter to the Blood Demon Cult at all..." "They wanted to use the power of the Flame Demon to leave a vessel and node for the Blood Demon Lord in this world!" "He wants to use my body as the sacred vessel for the Blood Demon Lord''s descent. With the twins united, he wants to use my sister''s soul... as the medium to awaken the Blood Demon Lord!" "There''s not much time left, really not much..." "The death of the Great Knight made him decide to advance all actions!" "Once the incarnation of the Blood Demon Lord descends, the entire Borde Duchy will face a disaster!" We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "Please... stop all of this! Only you can do it!" Lottie? Priest Lottie? Charlotte was slightly stunned. She was about to ask more questions when she saw the girl suddenly look terrified. "No! Don''t come over! Don''t come over! Don''t come over!" "No¡ª!" The girl''s figure suddenly flickered and shimmered as if it were disrupted by interference, and then began to sway and blink. Then, with a soft sound, her body dissipated into countless photons... "Marie? Marie?" Charlotte''s expression turned serious as she called out. However, the girl''s figure did not appear again. "Marie?" Sebastian was slightly stunned. "Count Brois''s eldest daughter, I just talked to her, but... she''s gone now." Charlotte said solemnly. "Count Brois''s eldest daughter? Wait... didn''t she die? Is she a spirit? Is her ghost still here?" Sebastian was puzzled. "No, it doesn''t seem like a ghost..." Charlotte shook her head. She possessed necromancy magic for resurrecting the undead, but she did not sense any ghostly aura from the girl. To her, the feeling she got from the girl was more like some kind of projection. "Master, what did she tell you?" Sebastian asked. Charlotte turned her head and looked at the coffin above the altar, saying in a deep voice. "She told me the secret of the Blood Demon Cult..." "Sebastian, the Blood Demon Cult is preparing for a ritual to summon the Bloodborne Archduke!" "They... want to summon the incarnation of Abaddon!" ... Somewhere in Borde. A figure cloaked in black robes, his entire body hidden, gazed coldly at the altar in front of him. On the altar, layers upon layers of tumors and blood vessels were attached, intertwining and converging above the altar, connecting to a swollen and ugly lump of flesh. The exterior of the lump of flesh resembled a twisted octopus, with blood vessel tentacles tightly coiled around a giant eye. The eye was tightly shut, spherical in shape, with tentacle-like filaments growing on its wrinkled eyelids, and the faint outline of a face could be vaguely seen, looking like a girl in extreme pain. Around the eye, illusory black chains extended from all sides, firmly imprisoning it. The cloaked figure stood in front of the lump of flesh, staring coldly at the face on the eye, and said coldly. "It seems I''ve been too lenient with you. You''ve gone out again." "You heard my conversation with Anthony, didn''t you? You want to seek help from that mysterious god, don''t you?" "Hmph! I''ve told you, don''t struggle anymore. Your fate has been sealed!" "You''re truly foolish. Do you really think a not-yet-recovered God would dare to appear in front of my master, the Lord of the Bloodborne?" "Next, you just have to stay put. Before the ritual begins, you won''t be going anywhere." While the cloaked figure was speaking, a Blood Demon Cultist came up behind him and respectfully saluted. "Excellency High Priest..." "What is it?" The cloaked figure said coldly. "Count Tulip just sent a message. The Dreaming Salon is about to begin, and he''s asking when the collection ceremony will be held." The Blood Cultist said respectfully. "No need to worry about him." "The Eye of the Demon already has enough power, and the vessel and medium are already in place." "His mission... has been completed." At the same time, in the second-floor bathroom of the mansion where the Dreaming Salon was held. Count Tulip, who had just finished washing up, changed into a new set of mage robes. He smiled faintly, put on his mask, and said to the servants attending him. "The Salon is about to begin, let''s go." Chapter 105: They Are Pawns "Bloodborne Archduke Abaddon? They want to summon that Evil God into this world?!" Sebastian widened his eyes. Then, he frowned. "Is the High Priest out of his mind? How could he collaborate with such a lunatic?" "No, perhaps he doesn''t even know the true intentions of the Blood Demon Cult. He might just know that Count Tulip has dealings with them, serving merely as the Dreaming Salon''s protector." Charlotte shook her head slightly. In her last glimpses of memory, although the High Priest''s figure frequently appeared, he was at most disguised and participated in the Dreaming Salon. The High Priest''s communication was limited to Count Tulip, Anthony. In the fragments of memory, this highest-ranking clergy in Borde had gradually become a collaborator after being recruited by Anthony. Count Tulip probably held a lot of leverage over him. As for what the Blood Demon Cult was really up to, the High Priest was probably clueless. Otherwise... the arrival of an Evil God would be enough to bring disaster upon the entire Borde Duchy, or even the entire Crescent Kingdom. Wanting to be promoted? Perhaps the first to be purified by the Holy Court would be this freakish traitor. "Master, we must stop them! We must prevent the incarnation of the Bloodborne Archduke from descending! If the Bloodborne Archduke discovers your resurrection, it will probably add to the difficulty of your return!" Sebastian said solemnly. Surprised by the fiery reaction of the Flame Elf, Charlotte felt a bit amazed. Although she also felt that the descent of the Bloodborne Archduke must be prevented, she didn''t expect Sebastian to be even more eager than her. Seemingly noticing the unexpected expression of the girl, Sebastian hesitated for a moment and asked cautiously. "Master, your past memories... probably haven''t been restored yet, right?" Charlotte:... What past memories?! She subconsciously wanted to retort, but quickly realized what Sebastian meant. She knew that Sebastian regarded her as a resurrected True Ancestor. Nice had once said that many resurrected Gods had their memories sealed during the resurrection phase. Resurrected Gods often didn''t even know who they were until their powers gradually recovered, and they began to regain their memories. Clearly, what Sebastian meant was that he also regarded her as such an existence. Although Charlotte, who possessed memories of her previous life, felt that she was not the so-called resurrected True Ancestor, but merely a lucky transmigrator who obtained the authority of the Gospel of Blood after being recognized as its owner. But at this moment, she couldn''t explain it. Could she really reveal her true identity, telling him that she was a transmigrator who got the authority of the highest-ranked Bloodborne artifact and gained similar powers to a God? Clearly, on the basis of assuming that she was a resurrected God, any of her actions could be regarded as her memories not having recovered yet... Since she couldn''t explain it clearly, Charlotte didn''t bother to explain it. On the contrary, going along with this assumption, perhaps it could make many of her actions more reasonable. After thinking about it, she apologized to the possibly sleeping or already deceased True Ancestor in her heart and then said. "I haven''t inherited other memories. What do you want to express?" Sebastian showed an expression of ''as expected,'' and then said solemnly. "Master, perhaps you don''t know. In the long years of your absence, there has been internal strife within the Bloodborne race, with each noble harboring their own ambitions... This is well known within the extraordinary circle." "Various signs indicate that even your disappearance... may be related to the nobility of the Bloodborne." "I have never heard of any Bloodborne noble wanting to awaken their great ancestor. Throughout the long years, the nobles may have already gotten used to the days without you." "Forgive me for my presumption, but they... are likely no longer your descendants, but your enemies." "Master, the power of a True God exceeds the imagination of mortals, and every action has its own meaning." "After you were resurrected, you have never sought support from the Blood Demon Cult but chose to confront them. I believe... besides the conflict between your vessel body identity and the Blood Demon Cult, it''s also likely because you subconsciously consider them your enemies." Charlotte:... Although she felt that what Sebastian said had nothing to do with the facts, damn, it seemed to explain why she, as the ''True Ancestor of the Bloodborne'', didn''t return to the Bloodborne society to perform the ritual of the True God''s return after her resurrection... We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now It''s just as well thought. This could save her a lot of trouble. "Master, please give your orders. As your retainer, Sebastian will do everything possible to thwart the Blood Demon Cult''s conspiracy and follow you back to the Divine Throne!" Sebastian said respectfully. Seeing his initially solemn but soon eager appearance, Charlotte felt quite strange. Why did it seem like this guy was quite interested in preventing the descent of a mythological figure? Charlotte''s feeling was right. Sebastian was indeed very interested. No, it''s not just interest anymore, it''s excitement. Sebastian bowed respectfully, but his heart was filled with anticipation. Myth! This was a myth that wanted to descend into the world! If he could prevent the descent of a myth, even if he had to follow the Lady of the Night to do it, it would still be quite an exciting experience! Moreover, as the ruler of Borde''s underground world, he felt that he also had an obligation to stop the Blood Demon Cult''s crazy idea. "Master, do we destroy the ritual layout here now and stop the Blood Demon Cult''s plan?" Sebastian asked expectantly. Listening to his words, Charlotte recalled the various scenes she had seen in the fragments of her memory and looked at the coffin on the altar. After a moment of contemplation, she shook her head and said. "This place is not the true venue for the God Summoning Ritual. This is just a place for sacrificial offerings to accumulate dark energy and despair." "The place is only a cover location. The true location is probably elsewhere." "And... they''re probably almost ready." With that said, she looked at the blood servants who had followed and a golden light flashed in her pupils. "Tell me, where is your true ritual venue?" This time, she didn''t hold back and increased the output of her blood power. At this moment, knowing the secret of the Blood Demon Cult, it didn''t matter whether she alarmed the High Priest or not. No... it should be said that if she really alarmed the other party, it would be a good thing. If she could lure the other party over, it would be even better than the possible descent of a God. As long as Charlotte didn''t feel the need to use True Ancestor''s Liberation. S?a??h th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. However, this time, the blood servants did not tremble, but just shook their heads blankly. "Pardon, I... don''t know." Charlotte''s expression instantly became serious. No resistance. Means they probably really didn''t know. After pondering for a moment, Charlotte realized it instantly. These blood servants... are just insignificant pawns. Sebastian also quickly realized what Charlotte was doing and what she meant. Looking at the blood servants around him with hollow eyes, his expression gradually became serious, shaking his head. "Master, they have probably been abandoned. We can''t find out the true venue of the ritual from these blood servants." Charlotte nodded slightly. After a moment of contemplation, she said. "Then, we only have one person to ask..." "Perhaps he can provide some clues." With that said, she squinted her eyes and looked up. "If everything follows the usual procedure, counting the time... he should be coming down soon." Chapter 106: Good Evening, Count Accompanied by his attendants, Count Tulip, wearing a mage robe and a unique mask, entered the hall of the Dreaming Salon."Oh, isn''t this our esteemed Count? You look quite dashing today." "Haha, Count, good evening. Last time you found me such a wonderful little darling! Is she here today?" "Count, cheers to you!" ... Seeing Count Tulip enter the hall, the nobles gathered around, warmly greeting him. Enjoying the flattery from the crowd, Count Tulip was pleased and responded. "Hehe, esteemed guests, you''re looking quite dashing today too." S~?a??h the ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "Apologies, our little darlings only serve once, but... if you have a need, I can arrange someone with a similar style for you." "Cheers! My dear friends!" ... With Count Tulip''s responses, the atmosphere among the nobles became even livelier. Many of these nobles had no idea of his true identity, they only knew him as the Count. But as the host who personally sent out invitations, he knew the background of each person here! Ten years... He had been operating for a full ten years! Ninety percent of the noble families in Borde had someone attending the Dreaming Salon he hosted! Though most attendees weren''t the heads of their families, together they formed a formidable force. Many among them were the future heirs of their families! He had become friends with these nobles and held leverage over them. This was the network and resources he had secretly accumulated! Count Tulip smiled behind his mask. But there was a glint of coldness in his eyes. Heh, elder brother... Thanks to you, the whole of Borde thinks I''m just a waste... But this waste will eventually reclaim what''s rightfully his! The County of Castell, and the Duchy of Borde. Soon, they will all be mine! With that thought, Count Tulip quickly suppressed the sharpness in his gaze. He raised his glass to the crowd, smiling, and downed the crimson wine. The hall erupted in cheers. He made a slight gesture, signaling for everyone to quiet down, then spoke gently. "Ladies and gentlemen, the Dreaming Salon is about to begin. I''ll go check on tonight''s highlight first. We''ll meet again later." "Ha-ha! See you later!" "I heard tonight''s highlight is extraordinary individuals?" "Yes, indeed. Stepping onto the path of the extraordinary at such a young age, even among commoners, they''re considered a genius." "I''m suddenly more excited for tonight''s salon." The nobles chattered amongst themselves. Meanwhile, Count Tulip smiled as he crossed the hall and walked toward the iron door at the end. However, upon reaching the door, his brow furrowed. "Isn''t anyone supposed to be on guard duty today?" Seeing the empty entrance, he turned and asked, his voice displeased. His attendant broke out in a cold sweat and hurriedly replied. "There should... there should be someone on duty. Perhaps... perhaps they had to leave for something?" We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Count Tulip''s frown deepened. Although he knew that the dungeon below had guards stationed every few steps, those members of the Blood Demon Cult were not exactly reputable. If some intoxicated noble accidentally stumbled upon them and discovered their identities, it could lead to trouble. "Even if there''s something, someone must stay on guard!" "Find out who was on duty today, and have them meet me after the auction!" He snorted coldly. With that, he pushed open the iron door and entered alone. As he descended into the underground corridor, the surroundings quickly darkened. But Count Tulip was accustomed to it. In the cells lining the corridor, the offerings for tonight''s ritual still slept soundly, undisturbed. He wasn''t surprised. The effects of the drugs on these girls hadn''t worn off yet. The deeper they slept now, the more energetic they would be later. One of his purposes in coming to check on them was to administer a tonic to wake them up. "It''s about time. Administer the tonic to wake them up. Their stage awaits them soon." Count Tulip commanded the Blood Demon Cult member who was standing guard. However, upon hearing his words, the cultist did not respond. Stopping in his tracks, Count Tulip turned around to face the cultist he had just ordered, his brow slightly furrowed. "What are you standing there for? Didn''t you hear me?" The cultist slowly turned around, not answering, but bowing respectfully, their voice devoid of emotion. "Count, the master... awaits you in the study." "Hmm? The High Priest is here early today." Count Tulip was somewhat surprised. He nodded slightly and, leaving a reminder, proceeded deeper into the corridor towards the study. Today''s dungeon was unusually quiet. Not only were the sleeping girls silent, even the cultists on guard were quieter than usual. What was going on with these lazy fellows today? Muttering to himself, he arrived at the study door. Two First Tier forbidden blood servants stiffly bowed, then opened the door. Count Tulip casually walked in, feeling at home. As he entered the study, the two blood servants closed the door behind him. Count Tulip paid no mind. He preferred discussing matters with the High Priest in private, away from prying ears, even those of the blood servants. Scanning the study, Count Tulip searched for the High Priest''s figure. However, after looking around, he didn''t see anyone. What he did notice was that the alchemy product rotating chair behind the desk had shifted direction, facing the bookshelf. The tall backrest obscured everything, leaving only the sound of flipping pages audible. Count Tulip chuckled. No wonder he couldn''t find the High Priest. Turns out he was sitting in that chair! He wanted to tease. The High Priest of the Blood Demon Cult was already short in stature and usually hunched over, so now, sitting in that chair, his head couldn''t even be seen from behind! "Heh-heh, Your Excellency, the High Priest, when did you become interested in my collection of magic books?" Count Tulip took off his mask and placed it on the shelf, smiling as he spoke. At the sound of his voice, the flipping of pages abruptly stopped. The chair slowly turned around to reveal a silver-haired maid seated on it, holding a stack of parchment scrolls. Her amber eyes sparkled with amusement. "Good evening, Count Tulip." Count Tulip was stunned. Chapter 107: Youve actually sided with the Evil God! "You... who are you?" Seeing the girl sitting in front of his desk, Count Tulip became wary. The girl didn''t answer his question but continued to read the parchment in her hand, reciting the words written on it. "On April 21st, five newcomers were brought to Nasni by the High Priest, the youngest of them being eleven years old and the oldest fourteen... At the same time, three female servants were dealt with. After offering their blood, their bodies were buried at South Street No.15 in the outer city area..." "On July 6th, four newcomers were brought to Nasni by the High Priest, the oldest of them being thirteen... Six female servants were dealt with, five were offered as sacrifices, and one was taken in as a servant for the salon..." The girl recited the words on the parchment lightly, her voice devoid of emotion. She slowly lifted her head, looked at the wary Count Tulip, and suddenly smirked. "To let the High Priest shelter this filthy place, you really have put in quite an effort." "I''m afraid no one would expect that behind the infamous Dreaming Salon of Borde, the true mastermind would actually be Count Tulip from the Borde family!" Count Tulip narrowed his eyes slightly. As a Starry Sky Mage, he could sense the faint magic emanating from the girl. She was also a Starry Sky Mage! S?a??h the Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. However, despite knowing that she was just a Starry Sky Mage, he didn''t let his guard down. How did she appear here? Didn''t the blood servants outside notice her? Where is the High Priest? Count Tulip subconsciously scanned the study with his peripheral vision, but he heard the girl in front of the desk speak indifferently. "Don''t bother looking. The High Priest won''t come." Count Tulip jumped in surprise. He retracted his gaze and looked back at the girl, smiling slightly, saying. "Miss, I don''t understand what you''re talking about." "However, barging into someone else''s study is not a good habit." Saying this, his right hand quietly slipped into his sleeve, preparing to activate the teleportation scroll he carried with him. Something seemed off here. Caution was paramount. He needed to call for reinforcements first! However, just as he was about to reach for the scroll, a hand wearing white gloves gently rested on his shoulder. A gentle voice suddenly sounded beside his ear. "Count, making small moves in front of Master isn''t a polite habit." Who? Count Tulip was startled. He almost subconsciously jumped to the side but was horrified to find that he had lost control of his body. The hand with the white glove felt like a rock, making it impossible for him to move even an inch. A Silver Moon! This was a Silver Moon! Count Tulip felt a chill in his heart. He stiffly turned around, only to see a tall figure wearing a mask standing behind him. The servant skillfully reached out and snatched the teleportation scroll from his arms, opened it, and examined it for a moment, then clicked his tongue. "Tsk tsk, a short-range directional teleportation scroll... This kind of high-level magic isn''t easy to inscribe." "Who are you?" Count Tulip''s face grew increasingly grim. He looked back at the girl sitting at the desk and suddenly felt a strange sense of familiarity with her appearance. Count Tulip prided himself on having seen numerous beautiful girls and was confident in his ability to recognize them. As long as it was a girl he had seen and was interested in, he would never forget her face. It was obvious that he had seen this girl somewhere, and... probably more than once! We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Feeling a certain familiarity emanating from her, he carefully examined her again. Wait a minute... This petite figure... These features were obviously disguised, but still had discernible details... And this melodious voice... Gradually, the figure in his memory slowly overlapped with the girl in front of him. "Charlotte?! Is it you?" Count Tulip widened his eyes. Huh? Recognized? This damned abductor also had some tricks up his sleeve... Charlotte was somewhat surprised to be recognized, feeling quite astonished. However, since she had been recognized, she didn''t bother to pretend anymore. She smiled slightly and said. "My dear cousin, it seems that your level of attention to me is quite high. Even after I changed my appearance, you still recognized me so quickly." Saying this, her gaze gradually turned cold. "Plotting against me, framing me, slandering me, attempting to kill me... It seems that we have some accounts to settle." "However, compared to settling scores, I have more important things I want to know now..." "Tell me, where is the true location of the Blood Demon Cult''s divine descent ritual?" Charlotte''s voice gradually became majestic. Although still immature, it seemed to carry an irresistible momentum. It was Low-Level Majesty... At this moment, she once again used Majesty! Count Tulip felt as if the girl''s questioning thundered in his heart, generating an indescribable sense of fear. He was shocked, but also felt absurdity. Damn it, was this really Charlotte? When did she develop this kind of personality? And... when did she gain such powerful extraordinary power? What''s going on? Wait a minute... Did she just mention the divine descent ritual? She actually knew about the Blood Demon Cult''s divine descent ritual?! Count Tulip was in turmoil. And at this moment, the gentle voice of the servant sounded again in Count Tulip''s ear. "Count, Master is asking you a question. It''s not a good habit to be distracted in front of Master." "Or... do you want me to handle the small problems for you, just like how you deal with those clueless nobles?" Saying this, the servant lightly took off his mask and wig, revealing a handsome face, wearing a faint smile. Seeing the iconic red hair and pointed ears, as well as that not-unfamiliar face, Count Tulip suddenly felt a chill down his spine. "Sebastian!" However, he soon realized another problem... Wait a minute... The Grand Knight who pursued Sebastian died at the hands of the mysterious Evil God, but the Flame Elf being pursued was unscathed. Charlotte, who almost lost the possibility of awakening her extraordinary powers after the Fire Demon Disaster, suddenly gained powers stronger than him at this moment... The pursuit of the Flame Elf wouldn''t have been without reason. A girl who almost lost the possibility of awakening wouldn''t have suddenly become powerful for no reason. A flash of insight passed through his mind, and Count Tulip''s eyes widened in disbelief. "So that''s how it is..." "You... you actually sided with the resurrected Evil God!" Chapter 108: Transaction After listening to Count Tulip''s words, Sebastian''s expression became somewhat peculiar.He couldn''t help but glance at the girl behind the desk, seeing the "Lady of the Dark Night" with a similarly subtle expression. The more Count Tulip thought about it, the more he felt he had discovered the truth. "No wonder... No wonder every plan fails." "No wonder Lady Castell became the sacrificial lamb..." "So, you''ve already allied with the Evil God!" "Count, please be mindful of your address, don''t equate the great master with the vile Bloodborne Archduke." Sebastian suppressed his smile and calmly said. Charlotte, on the other hand, was not concerned about the title of the Evil God. Instead, she was more interested in someone mentioned by Count Tulip. "Lady Castell? So you''re saying, my insane grandmother... was also seduced by you?" "So what if she was? Anyway, Castell has no future. I just gave her a new hope. But I didn''t expect her to go crazy over a page, summoning some spirit from the Holy Court, and end up sacrificing herself." Count Tulip sneered. "New hope? You''re quite the talker. You just wanted to manipulate the Castell family... My parents were never unkind to you in my memory, but you... is this how you treat your family?" Charlotte''s expression turned cold. However, upon hearing her words, Count Tulip became enraged. "Kind to me? Hah!" "What would you know, you caged canary! What do you know?" "No! You know nothing!" Count Tulip almost gnashed his teeth. "Everyone treated me like trash, everyone saw me, as a disgrace to the nobility, driven back to Borde by a peasant uprising..." "But who knew, that uprising was orchestrated by your Castell family!" "Back then, I went to Tulip County with a heart full of passion, wanting to make a difference as a Count, but it was your dear parents who ruined everything for me!" "They were nothing but two dogs raised by my hypocritical brother!" "My hypocritical brother never intended to let me inherit the land! It was he who planned the uprising with the Castell family, it was he who spread all my disgrace in Borde, and his purpose... was just to pave the way for his illegitimate child who couldn''t see the light!" "Do you know any of this? No! You know nothing!" "How I''ve lived these years, how I''ve endured the disdainful gazes of other nobles, you have no idea!" "My hatred! My anger! You know nothing!" The more Count Tulip spoke, the angrier he became, his expression incredibly fierce. Meanwhile, Charlotte fell silent. Was the uprising in Count Tulip''s domain eleven years ago orchestrated by the original body''s parents under the Duke''s orders? She really didn''t know about this. She had heard about the uprising, it seemed like many people died... However, thinking back to the loyalty and pride of the Castell people in the outer city, she found it hard to imagine that her original parents, who sacrificed themselves to defeat the Flame Demon, were such people. "About this matter... I do know some details." Just then, Sebastian suddenly spoke. He glanced at the enraged Count Tulip and calmly said. "As far as I know, the Count and Countess Castell were not the instigators of the uprising. They went to help quell the farmers'' anger after receiving advance notice..." "However, they failed." "You''re lying!" Count Tulip glared fiercely at Sebastian. "I have no reason to deceive you, after all... eleven years ago, I had just entered the Crescent Kingdom, and my foothold was in the Castell domain." Sebastian shook his head. "But..." He couldn''t help but glance at Charlotte and continued. "According to the Rose Society, the uprising in Count Tulip''s domain eleven years ago was indeed related to the Duke''s estate." S?a?ch* Th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte looked at the Flame Elf in surprise, relieved that her original parents were innocent. As the heir of the Castell family, she certainly hoped that her family had no stains, at least... no major stains. "No matter what happened, it''s not a reason to harm the innocent... let alone collaborate with the Blood Demon Cult." We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Charlotte shook her head gently. "Hmph! What right do you have to speak against me? Haven''t you also allied with the Evil God?!" "The Borde Duchy should have been mine, everything is mine. Sacrificing just a few subjects is nothing." Count Tulip sneered. Sebastian frowned slightly, looking at Charlotte. "Mistress, this guy has gone mad." Charlotte looked thoughtful at the furious Count Tulip. As if realizing something, she looked deeply at the other party and chuckled. "My dear cousin..." "If you''re trying to delay time by talking and waiting for the High Priest of the Blood Demon Cult to return, I''m afraid you''ll be disappointed." "It''s been so long and no one has come. Haven''t you realized you''ve been abandoned?" "Wake up, the Blood Demon Cult has already decided to proceed with the ritual without you. They won''t come." Upon hearing the girl''s words, Count Tulip was about to retort sarcastically. However, he soon saw the door of the study gently pushed open, and two black-hooded Blood Demon Cultists bowed respectfully to Charlotte at the desk. "Mistress, those girls have gradually awakened. Should we arrange for them to withdraw through the secret passage?" Seeing the Blood Demon Cultists bowing to the girl, Count Tulip''s eyes widened suddenly, his expression somewhat frozen. Although he had felt that the Blood Demon Cultists outside were not quite right before... But he never expected that these people would actually defect! Weren''t they the Blood Servants of the High Priest?! What''s going on?! Why listen to Charlotte''s words? Could it be... Could this also be some kind of power of the Evil God?! "Alright, arrange for them to withdraw." Charlotte nodded behind the desk. After speaking, she looked at Count Tulip again, squinting her eyes. "Count, as you can see, I''ve already forcibly taken control of these Blood Servants." "It''s been so long, and the High Priest of the Blood Demon Cult hasn''t made a move yet. I think you should wake up." Upon hearing Charlotte''s words, Count Tulip fell silent. He looked at the girl with a gloomy gaze, his expression changing constantly. After a few seconds, he said in a deep voice. "If I tell you the location of the Blood Demon Cult''s ritual, can you let me go?" "Let you go? Even if I say I''ll let you go, would you believe it?" Charlotte looked at Count Tulip calmly. After a moment of silence, Count Tulip suddenly raised his head and stared at the girl firmly. "I have a Divine Contract Scroll." "If you can swear to the God of Contracts, and let me go after I tell you the location, I''ll tell you where they''re holding the ritual." "I''ll also swear in the contract not to disclose your secrets." "It''s a transaction..." "If you''re willing, I''ll tell you. If you''re not... then just kill me." "But then, you''ll never find out where the Blood Demon Cult''s ritual is, and since they''ve abandoned me, they''ll probably proceed with the ritual soon." "By then... I think you''d better worry about your own safety!" "The Bloodborne Archduke is coming, and the Evil God behind you won''t be able to protect you! She might even become the Archduke''s food!" "A Divine Contract Scroll?" Sebastian''s expression became even stranger. He couldn''t help but look at the girl behind the desk, only to see Charlotte smiling slightly, saying. "I agree to your transaction." It''s like she gets whatever she wants. If she couldn''t get the information out of him, she would have to resort to risky undead summoning. But resurrected undead are easy to lose parts of their memory. But now... perhaps she didn''t need to kill him first and then take the risk of summoning the undead. Chapter 109: She... isnt Charlotte! Charlotte''s promise relieved Count Tulip. S?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.He gritted his teeth and pulled out a silver scroll from his pocket. But as soon as he took it out, Sebastian snatched it directly. "It''s indeed a contract scroll from the Contract God, and it''s the highest level of contract." Sebastian glanced over it roughly, raised his eyebrows slightly, and said to Charlotte. Charlotte didn''t care about the level of the contract at all. She nodded slightly and said. "Let''s begin then." "Let''s begin." Sebastian threw the scroll back to Count Tulip. Catching the scroll, Count Tulip was somewhat puzzled. So decisive? Is the other party really willing to let him go? He couldn''t believe that both of them didn''t understand the value of the contract scroll. This was the highest-level magical contract! Violating the highest-level magical contract meant being marked by the spirit of the contract, becoming a renouncer, and being cursed by the Contract God. Although the other party was protected by the evil god and might not care about the curse, all renouncers would leave tracking marks in the Contract Church and be pursued by the Contract Church. Of course, nowadays, the Contract Church has long merged with the Holy Court. The enforcement of pursuing renouncers, once carried out by the Contract Guardians, was now under the jurisdiction of the Holy Court''s Inquisition. Many times, the Contract Guardians only needed to provide a list to the Inquisition, and the Inquisition would dispatch Judgment Knights to hunt them down. In other words, if the other party really violated the contract, they''d be pursued by the Holy Court. Ordinary renouncers would at most be imprisoned or fined by the church. But for heretics... that was no different from seeking death. Count Tulip was filled with doubts. But he couldn''t think of any loopholes. After all... he had only heard that the Holy Court was even more ruthless in pursuing renouncers than the former Contract Church, but he had never heard of anyone being able to live carefree after becoming a renouncer. With a nervous heart, under Sebastian''s supervision, Count Tulip infused magic into the scroll. The next moment, the silver scroll ignited, and a phantom slowly rose from the flames. Its appearance was much like the genie in the lamp from Aladdin. The Contract Spirit. This was a special spirit summoned by the contract scroll, with only a vague self-awareness, loyal not to any existence but to the contracts they maintained, specifically helping mortals sign contracts. A dignified and sacred aura slowly rose, and the Contract Spirit indifferently said. "Mortals, state your vows!" Count Tulip became solemn. He took a deep breath and swore towards the flames. "I, Anthony de Borde, swear to the Contract God, as long as Charlotte de Castell is willing to swear to let me leave safely, I will provide her with the true and accurate location for the final ritual of the Blood Demon Cult and keep all her secrets. If violated, the contract may punish!" As he finished his words, the Spirit of the Contract radiated brilliance, enveloping Count Tulip, and its solemn and indifferent voice echoed once again. "Your oath has been received by the contract." Count Tulip breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the girl. "Charlotte, it''s your turn." Charlotte looked with interest at the Contract Spirit before her. She could sense the faint divine power fluctuations emanating from it. This Contract Spirit was naturally part of the contract magic. "I, Charlotte de Castell, swear to the Contract God, if Anthony de Borde provides me with the true and accurate location for the final ritual of the Blood Demon Cult, I will let him leave safely. If violated... the contract may punish." Charlotte said calmly. After speaking, she saw the Contract Spirit once again radiate brilliance, enveloping her. The familiar crimson once again filled her vision. The scarlet text slowly emerged... [The Gospel of Blood detected an ongoing ritual: Contract Spirit''s Soul Contract] [Ritual Name: Contract Spirit''s Soul Contract] [Caster: Contract Spirit] [Recipient: Charlotte de Castell] [Ritual Effect: The Contract Spirit, a servant of the Contract God, utilizes divine power to assist mortals in forming oaths. Violators will be cursed by the Contract God and marked by the contract.] [Interception Probability Assessment: 100%] [Proceed with interception?] We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now However, just as Charlotte, enveloped in light, was about to modify the ritual, she saw the Contract Spirit suddenly tremble. Its imposing figure suddenly shrank, as if in an instant, from the lofty Contract Spirit to a nervous little wandering soul... And its appearance also became angular, looking a bit square... The Contract Spirit leaned slightly towards Charlotte, its voice respectful but with a hint of nervousness. "Your... your promise, the contract witnessed it." Seeing the Contract Spirit''s change, Charlotte was stunned. At the same time, she was surprised to find out that the Contract Spirit didn''t continue to let her complete the contract but took the initiative to retract the magical ritual. It really just "witnessed" it. And didn''t "accept" it. "Thus, the contract is established..." It said cautiously. The Contract Spirit hurriedly bowed to Charlotte, and its figure quickly dissipated with a "pop." While its arrival was majestic, its departure was faster than a rabbit, as if afraid to stay here for one more second. And Charlotte sensed that she was not bound by the contract at all... This Contract Spirit actually skipped the restriction on her directly and let her off! Charlotte couldn''t help but look at Count Tulip, but she found that he had relaxed completely, apparently not noticing the change in the Contract Spirit. No, as a common extraordinary, he couldn''t see the other party at all. He could only see the flames of the contract. It was Sebastian, who had signed the Blood Contract with her, who witnessed everything and looked at Charlotte with increasingly fanatical eyes. The Contract Spirit''s Soul Contract targeted mortals. For the Lady of the Night, who was not mortal, it naturally couldn''t restrain her! Indeed worthy of the Lady of the Night! Even if the ritual wasn''t changed, this contract... had already become a unilateral vow that Count Tulip must fulfill! "Now, can you tell me everything?" With the ritual completed, Charlotte smiled at Count Tulip. Feeling the binding of the contract in his soul, Count Tulip gritted his teeth and said. "The ritual of the Blood Demon Cult is a sequel to the summoning by the Flame Demon ten years ago. And the location of the ritual is in the exact center of the abandoned city area, where the Flame Demon Valaroka was defeated ten years ago..." "In there, there''s a hidden passage leading to an underground temple about thirty meters deep. That''s the final ritual location." The abandoned city area... Noting the location provided by Count Tulip, Charlotte thought for a moment. She stood up, put away the scroll recording the crimes of nobles and the High Priests, and walked out of the study. "Wait! I''m done speaking, can you let me leave now?" Count Tulip hurriedly asked. Charlotte glanced at him and said to Sebastian. "Tie him up and disable his magic pool." Sebastian smiled faintly. "I will obey your command." Watching the girl and the malicious fire elf gradually leave, Count Tulip widened his eyes. "No! You can''t violate the contract! How can you violate the contract!" "Being marked by the contract, do you really think the evil god can protect you! You are only mortals after all! You will inevitably be hunted by the Holy Court!" "Are you insane!" Sebastian lifted the shouting Count Tulip. He snapped his fingers and took out a set of ropes from the storage space, elegantly tying him up. Then he leaned over and whispered softly in Count Tulip''s ear. "Your Excellency, what you said is correct. Mortals indeed cannot violate the contract." "However, unfortunately, the great master is not in this category." "The great... master?" Hearing his words, Count Tulip was about to mock, but suddenly realized something, his eyes widened. Watching the petite figure disappear from his sight, gradually, he began to tremble, his face turned pale. "She... she she she... she''s not Charlotte!" "She is the resurrected Evil God!" Chapter 110: Awaken, O Slumbering Dead! "Master, are we really not going to kill him?" Sebastian respectfully asked as he handed over the bound Count to the blood servants and followed Charlotte. "Kill him? After all the sins he has committed, simply killing him would be too easy." Charlotte shook her head. "So, what do you plan to do?" Sebastian inquired. "Every wrong has a retribution, and as the mastermind behind the Dreaming Salon, he should receive the punishment he deserves." The young woman said meaningfully, looking towards the cells on either side of the corridor. The cells were now empty, the girls who had been imprisoned there had been sent away by the blood servants under her command, including the Castell''s maidservants. They had been saved, and by now, they should have left the mansion. Perhaps someone had already gone to contact the city guard? Of course, even if they had, it probably wouldn''t make a difference. Because this was the Dreaming Salon. Even the city guard probably wouldn''t dare to offend so many nobles. Thinking of this, Charlotte sighed lightly. Nobles are the maintainers of the Order of Myria, but they are also its destroyers. Power brings not only responsibility but also corruption and decadence. Though the light still shines, where it cannot reach, darkness reigns. The corridor was quiet. The controlled blood servants stood on either side, stiff and submissive. Every time Charlotte passed by, they would bow, not daring to look directly at her. Faint noises from the ground level could be heard, indicating that the Dreaming Salon was still ongoing. Charlotte, with her keen senses, could even hear the laughter of the nobles mingling as they enjoyed themselves. Crossing the long corridor, the girl returned to the cave where the sacrifice ritual had taken place. In the dark and cold cave, countless white bones piled up like mountains, as if one could hear the cries and wails of the girls who had been slaughtered in despair and pain. Charlotte, who had once examined these lingering memories, could truly understand their pain, and feel their despair and resentment. That kind of resentment, that obsession, kept their spirits from departing. Even after so many years, even after experiencing ritual after ritual of sacrifice, they still lingered here. Not only did they not dissipate, but they also increased in number. "This farce... should end." Charlotte sighed lightly. Hearing the girl''s words, Sebastian narrowed his eyes. He rolled up his sleeves, looking eager to try. "Master... are we going to destroy this place?" "No, not us." Charlotte gently shook her head. Her gaze fell on the countless white bones, and she said softly. "They will." Sebastian''s heart stirred. "Master... are you going to?" "I want to wake them up. I want them to return to this world, to end the evil that brought them despair." Charlotte said. Sebastian frowned slightly. "Master, with so many souls... it might attract the attention of the Duke''s Mansion and the Church." s?a??h th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte smiled lightly. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "Wouldn''t that be better? Let the world see the evil here, let the Duke''s Mansion and the Church see the hatred of those girls! Everything here, nothing should be hidden!" "But... you may also expose your identity..." "That remains to be seen if the Duke and the High Priest, who did not personally fight against the Flame Demon Disaster, have the courage to come and face the Lady of the Night themselves." With that, Charlotte took a step forward, coming to the front of the bone mountain. She gently closed her eyes, channeling the divine power of blood stored in the Gospel of Blood. The huge power was drawn by her, and an ancient and vast aura rose from the girl''s body. Sebastian felt a vast and majestic momentum spreading from the girl''s center, giving him an urge to worship. He widened his eyes, looking at the girl in front of him with fanaticism, feeling that the petite figure at this moment seemed like a giant emitting a crimson radiance. Charlotte gently closed her eyes. With the blessing of the divine power of blood, the time for the True Ancestor''s Liberation was further shortened, but she felt an unprecedented strength in her five senses, and her magical energy surged. Although True Ancestor''s Liberation was not fully activated, her senses could easily cover every inch of land in the entire mansion. She could feel the wandering spirits, hear their cries, and see their resentment towards the nobles still indulging in debauchery in the Dreaming Salon. She also had a feeling that she could communicate with them. Thinking back to the Undead Resurrection inherited in the Bloodline Talents, Charlotte''s magic quietly circulated. With the resonance of divine power, her magic seemed to carry an incredible power, quickly spreading and diffusing throughout the entire cave. Charlotte gently stretched out her hands, and slightly raised them. She opened her eyes, and the scarlet eyes emitted a crimson radiance. With a solemn yet tender voice, she said. "Awaken, O Slumbering Dead!" With the explosion of divine power, everything was swept away. At the next moment, the countless white bones began to tremble! A cold wind howled in the cave, and the dense resentment erupted like a tide. Sharp screams and cries echoed through the cave, and twisted black shadows struggled to crawl out of the bone mountain. No, those weren''t black shadows. Those were grim remnants! The dense red light illuminated the darkness, like pairs of burning eyes, causing Sebastian''s scalp to tingle. No... those were eyes. Those were the eyes of the dead! Those burning eyes carried despair, pain, hatred, and boundless anger of the dead! And through the darkness, Sebastian seemed to see the illusory figures of girls. They were ragged, covered in wounds, their deathly pale skin and terrifying eyes bulging. Specters... These were a group of specters awakened by the Undead Resurrection! Feeling the almost endless resentment and the countless aura, even Sebastian, a peak Silver Moon extraordinary, couldn''t help but feel frightened. Lady of the Dark Night above! How many dead had she awakened?! Charlotte looked at the specters she had summoned, her solemn yet tender voice echoing in the cave. "Go, the time for revenge has come... Find your enemies! End all of this..." Hearing her words, the specters'' crimson eyes suddenly burst into crimson light. They all raised their heads and looked upwards. Faintly, the music of the Dreaming Salon seemed to still be lingering. And that elusive music completely ignited the fury of the dead. They began to scream angrily, their bodies bursting with unprecedented terror and resentment, turning into twisted shadows that rushed towards the hall above the cave! Chapter 111: Its that Evil God! In the Dreaming Salon.Adorned with masks, the aristocrats in splendid attire continued to revel in the wild, decadent, depraved, and dark party. Music, sinister laughter, lashes, curses, mingled with moans, screams, sobs, and pleas. However, just as the nobles indulged in their beastly abandon, the crystal chandeliers in the hall suddenly flickered, and crimson mist rapidly surged from the floor''s crevices... Accompanied by sharp cries of resentment, countless twisted spirits poured into the hall, rushing towards one noble after another, who appeared glamorous on the outside! The nobles, engrossed in their revelry, had no time to react before the grotesque spirits overwhelmed them, tearing at their flesh and souls. The hall quickly descended into chaos as screams echoed through the Dreaming Salon. "What is this?! What is happening?!" "Ahhh! My hand... my hand!" "Evil Specters! They''re evil Specters!" "Don''t come near! Stay away!" "Ahhhh!" The vengeful spirits roamed everywhere, seeking revenge on the nobles in the hall. Thousands of souls attacked simultaneously, catching the unsuspecting nobles off guard. Those without extraordinary powers were quickly torn to pieces... However, upon closer inspection, it was evident that these attacks by the Specters followed a pattern. The imprisoned girls and the music-playing women, although equally terrified, were not targeted by the Specters. Their targets... were only the nobles present. "Get away! You filthy things!" Some powerful attending nobles quickly realized what was happening. They disregarded their attire, picked up weapons, and fought the Specters. However, their counterattacks only further enraged the spirits, and they were soon overwhelmed by the countless Specters. "Ahhhh!" Amidst the piercing screams, a noble with power almost reaching the Silver Moon was bitten into pieces by the Specters... As the mansion turned into chaos, Jordan, the son of Count Gaston who served as the auctioneer, was stunned. With a cry of alarm, Jordan''s expression turned pale, and his legs weakened. Gritting his teeth, he crawled desperately out of the hall. However, he soon felt something grab his legs from behind... Jordan shuddered slightly, turning stiffly to see a hollow-eyed female corpse crawling on the ground, sharp nails embedded in his flesh. With bloodied tears streaming from her pitch-black eye sockets, she spoke in a hoarse and horrifying voice. "Jor... dan..." Jordan''s eyes widened in recognition. It was the commoner girl whose eyes he had gouged out during his first attendance at the Dreaming Salon... More Specters crawled towards him as he was caught. As he looked through the Specters'' black mist and saw those familiar faces of girls, he finally understood what was happening. "They... they''re...!" "They''ve come back to life! They''ve come for revenge!" "No... no! I was wrong...! I was wrong!" Jordan collapsed to the ground, releasing all his bodily fluids, crying and pleading. But no one listened to him. The Specters overwhelmed him, drowning him in darkness. "Ahhh!" He only let out a piercing scream before soon... falling into silence. ... In the dungeon study. With the destruction of the Magic Pool by Sebastian, Count Tulip, now completely devoid of extraordinary power, looked pale. He remained vigilant, watching the motionless blood servants outside the door, enduring the excruciating pain from the destruction of the Magic Pool, slowly cutting the ropes behind him with a hidden knife. However, as he was halfway through, faint cries of agony could be heard from above. His movements paused slightly before he quickly lowered his head, accelerating his efforts to free himself from the ropes. And just as Count Tulip was about to succeed, a black mist began to spread in the study. Distorted Specters emerged one after another from the ceiling, the walls, and the door cracks... More and more Specters gathered... By the time Count Tulip finally regained his freedom, the entire study was almost filled with malevolent energy. The joy of regaining his freedom had not yet risen, and as Count Tulip raised his head, he saw those twisted and terrifying figures shrouded in black mist. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Looking at those "girls" with their grotesque faces, his expression froze. Struggling to force a smile, he murmured dryly. S?a??h the ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "So... this is how it is." The next moment, the Specters screamed in unison, swarming and engulfing him completely... ... Tonight is destined to be another sleepless night in Borde City. With the eruption of overwhelming resentment, almost all the extraordinaries in Borde City sensed it, looking towards the area where the outer city district meets the western city district. Among them, it was the mages and clergies of the church who felt it the most deeply. In their perception, the astonishing resentment surged like an erupting volcano, almost obscuring the sky... As for the mansion where the Dreaming Salon was located, it had already been completely engulfed by the black malevolent energy. Above the ground, the Demon Hunter Knights who discovered the problem had already taken action, rushing to the scene of the resentment outbreak at the fastest speed. However, someone was faster. In the eastern city district, from the direction of the cathedral and the Duke''s mansion, two powerful auras rose successively. In the darkness of the night, two streaks of meteor-like light rose into the sky, swiftly heading toward the direction of the resentment outbreak. It was none other than High Priest Leonard and Duke Andre of Borde City. "Where did this necromancer come from? How dare they summon undead in Borde city?!" The expression of the High Priest, who was faster, was one of shock and anger. He was furious, truly furious. He was preparing to compete for promotion! Leaving aside the death of the Grand Knight for now, the cause was a power beyond the Blazing Sun. As long as he handled it properly, even if they discovered that an Evil God had resurrected, they might not necessarily blame him. But if at this time Borde City were to suffer another calamity like the Undead Resurrection, his dream of becoming Archbishop would truly be in danger. The Grand Priest was both anxious and angry, wishing to rush to the scene immediately and tear apart the necromancer who was causing trouble. However, as he gradually approached the location of the resentment outbreak, he soon fell into doubt. Wait a minute... This direction... Could it be... the Dreaming Salon?! The High Priest had not hesitated to attend the salon incognito before. As a protective umbrella for the Dreaming Salon, he naturally knew about the shadow of the Blood Demon Cult within. The expression of the High Priest changed suddenly. Whether it was the disaster caused by the undead or not, if the secret of the Dreaming Salon were to be exposed because of this, if his relationship with the Dreaming Salon were to be made public, then his dream of becoming Archbishop would truly be shattered! He had to be quick... He must be quick! He had to get there before anyone else and kill this necromancer who seemed to have lost their mind, then completely destroy the secret of the Dreaming Salon! Feeling the increasingly close aura of the Duke, the High Priest took a deep breath and hastened his pace towards the scene of the incident. However, as soon as he arrived at the scene, he immediately slammed on the brakes, looking at the mansion where the resentment was erupting with suspicion. As a clergy, he could see more than common extraordinary... In that overwhelming resentment, he felt a familiar aura. That ancient, profound, and dark aura. It made him tremble, it filled him with terror. It was the aura of the Evil God that he had sensed from the holy symbol of the Grand Knight Erde, which had been destroyed. The High Priest swallowed hard, trembling as he activated his Faith''s Eye, which allowed him to directly perceive the power of the Gods. Immediately after, he saw in that black malevolent energy, a dazzling crimson radiance, like a hanging high blood moon! An Evil God! The one causing this Undead Disaster... Was that resurrected Evil God! That Evil God was now in the mansion of the Dreaming Salon! Realizing the mastermind behind the Undead Disaster, the High Priest''s face turned pale in an instant. Chapter 112: Revenge of the Dead Damn it, hasn''t that Evil God already left Borde City?Why did it come back again?! The High Priest felt fear in his heart. He felt really unlucky during this period. Since the incident with the Blood Demon at the Castell Manor, his luck had been bad, and today he felt like everything in Borde City was slipping out of his control! Looking at the distant mansion where the malevolent aura was surging, he felt shocked, afraid, and angry. He didn''t dare to approach, fearing to follow in the footsteps of the Grand Knight, yet he didn''t dare to leave, fearing that after the departure of the Evil God, all his secrets would be exposed. Until the Duke Borde also arrived. "Your Excellency, the High Priest." Seeing the High Priest, the old Duke greeted him respectfully. Suppressing the anxiety in his heart, the High Priest returned the gesture with difficulty. "Your Grace..." The old Duke withdrew his gaze, his eyes falling on the mansion in the distance. His expression gradually became serious. s?a??h th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "It''s the undead summoning..." "Such a large-scale undead summoning, how many souls have the necromancer behind this collected?" "Your Excellency, we must stop him!" However, after saying this, he saw that the High Priest did not act. The old Duke frowned, sensing that something was not quite right with the other''s expression. "Your Excellency?" After a moment of silence, the High Priest said dryly. "This is not an ordinary undead summoning..." "I sense HER presence... SHE''s inside, SHE''s behind everything!" "HER?" Duke Borde was slightly stunned, quickly grasping the key point. "That Evil God?!" His face changed immediately. The High Priest took a deep breath and nodded gently. "Your Grace..." "This undead calamity, I''m afraid we can no longer intervene." The old Duke was immediately furious. "Are you suggesting we allow the rampage of the Evil God?! The Flame Demon Disaster ten years ago destroyed nearly half of Borde City. Do we really want a repeat today?" The High Priest looked at him deeply. "Your Grace, if you wish, go ahead on your own, as long as you don''t mind ending up like Erde." "What we need to do now is not to throw eggs at rocks, not to stop her, but to evacuate the nearby residents as quickly as possible to prevent them from being affected by this disaster!" The old Duke''s expression became solemn. Although unwilling to admit it, the power of this mysterious Evil God had already exceeded what they could handle. This Evil God... was not the kind that had just been resurrected, whose power had not yet been restored, and even common extraordinary had a chance to seal. Her strength was already formidable enough. If they were to deal with her, they would have to rely on Legendary figures dispatched by the church. "I will arrange manpower to evacuate the nearby residents as soon as possible, but I also wish you to arrange priests and deploy divine ritual as soon as possible!" Duke Borde said. However, upon hearing his words, the High Priest shook his head. "No, we don''t need to deploy divine ritual. That would only further anger her..." Saying this, he looked deeply at the old Duke and said meaningfully. "Your Grace, even if she is an Evil God, she is still a transcendent myth, and Myths... should be revered." The old Duke frowned. He felt that the High Priest''s attitude today was quite strange, and his words were quite cautious. Not only did he not exhibit the usual aversion and hostility of the Holy Court towards Evil Gods, but instead, there was a strange sense of respect in it. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Chewing on the meaning of his words, gradually, he realized... An Evil God! There is a hidden Evil God in the manor! The power of an Evil God was beyond the imagination of mortals. Every word they were saying now could possibly be heard by the other! The reason the High Priest changed his tone might be to reduce the Evil God''s attention. Realizing this problem, the old Duke''s scalp suddenly tingled, wishing to leave immediately. Because he realized that he might already be under the gaze of the Evil God, and his life and death might be entirely at the other''s mercy. "Don''t worry, as long as we''re still standing here, I mean... as long as we don''t provoke her actively, she won''t bother with us either." "We... just need to wait for her to finish what she wants to do and leave." It seemed like the High Priest was comforting the other, but it also seemed like he was comforting himself. Listening to the words of the High Priest, the old Duke felt a little relieved. However, looking at the undead calamity that seemed grand but seemed to be confined to the mansion, he became puzzled. "But... why did she choose here? What is her purpose?" "These undead... where did they come from?" The High Priest fell silent. The actions of the Gods were not without meaning. They often had their own purpose. Although he was not clear why this Evil God suddenly went crazy, he could roughly guess what it was related to... Not only that, combined with the secrets hidden in the mansion, he also roughly guessed the origin of these resurrected undeads. Of course, he wouldn''t say these things. However, while the High Priest remained silent, someone spoke up for him. "Why choose here? Probably... because this place is full of decadence and evil. This is the venue for the Dreaming Salon!" Two Blazing Suns turned their heads at the same time, only to see the Demon Hunter Knights and the City Guard finally arriving. The Chief of the Demon Hunting Squad, Kara, dismounted and saluted the two of them, and a black cat which was familiar, Nice, jumped off her horse. And the one who just spoke was Nice. "Nice?" The High Priest squinted his eyes. Nice cleared its throat and said. "Your Excellency, the High Priest, Your Grace..." "We received a report that a noble was holding an evil and decadent party here, colluding with the Blood Demon Cult..." "On the way here, we also rescued several girls who escaped, and even caught a heretic from the Blood Demon Cult, which has been confirmed." Hearing its words, the High Priest''s expression tightened, and the old Duke''s gaze became sharp. He looked at the mansion still shrouded in malevolence. "The Dreaming Salon? So, everyone inside are nobles?!" "Yes, the Dreaming Salon. According to the confession of the heretic from the Blood Demon Cult, for so many years, the ongoing incidents of missing children and the Bloodborne incidents in Borde City are all related to it." The black cat''s expression was solemn, full of a sense of justice. Saying this, it looked back at the Demon Hunting Knight behind it. "Bring that Blood Demon Cultist up here." A Blood Demon Cultist with a blank expression was soon brought over. Nice jumped in front of him and ordered. "Speak up, tell His Grace and the High Priest what exactly happened here." Hearing its words, the Blood Demon Cultist raised his head. His eyes were blank, and his expression quickly became fanatical, obviously not normal. "Revenge! It''s revenge!" "The Majestic Monarch listened to the pain and despair of the girls and gave them a chance for revenge!" Hearing the words of the Blood Demon Cultist, the High Priest''s expression changed slightly. The next moment, the malevolent aura shrouding the manor suddenly changed, and groups of Specters flew into the sky, flying toward various parts of Borde City... Among them, one of the specters rushed towards the High Priest! Chapter 113: The Panicking High Priest The scene happened quite unexpectedly.Looking at the specters charging towards the High Priest, almost everyone was stunned. The High Priest snorted coldly, and holy light radiated from him, ready to purify these presumptuous specters with divine magic. However... before he could act, the specters charging towards him suddenly disappeared on their own. Leaving the High Priest alone, poised to cast his magic, awkwardly frozen in place. The eyes of the crowd fell on him, each with a hint of strangeness. In fact, although the specters had just charged in his direction, no one really thought that he, a holy figure, was their true target. However, the High Priest''s preemptive action made the atmosphere suddenly tense. The gazes of the crowd became even more peculiar. Even though the specters had vanished unexpectedly. But the High Priest''s reaction gave the impression that he subconsciously believed that these specters were coming for him. In other words, it gave off a sense of guilt. The High Priest also realized his lapse and quickly tried to remedy it. "This heretic has gone mad..." "The specters are getting out of control, and if we continue like this, it may harm the innocent. We must intervene!" However, as if defying him, the mad heretic fervently exclaimed. "Harm the innocent?" "No..." "The Majestic Monarch is just, and only the sinners will receive retribution from the dead!" Seeing that the heretic seemed like he wouldn''t stop, the High Priest decisively unleashed a Sacred Fire, burning him to ashes. Then, he commanded the Demon Hunter. "Kara, take the Demon Hunters and quickly pursue those specters. We cannot allow the threat to expand any further!" The High Priest looked solemn, his face stern with righteousness. However, upon hearing his words, the usually swift female captain didn''t immediately move. Kara silently watched him, seemingly waiting for further explanation, while the High Priest frowned impatiently, urging. "Kara? Why haven''t you sent anyone yet?" "As you command..." Under the pressure from the High Priest, Kara finally averted her gaze and led the Demon Hunters away. But the High Priest knew that his momentary lapse had left lingering effects. Once suspicion and estrangement took root, it was difficult to eradicate them. "High Priest, didn''t you say not to act rashly to avoid angering the one behind the scenes?" Seeing the High Priest''s somewhat uneasy expression, Duke Borde frowned slightly and said quietly. The High Priest fell silent. He glanced at the mansion gradually returning to normal after the specters dispersed and said. "HER presence has disappeared. That God... should have left." Upon hearing his words, the Duke''s attention also turned to the mansion and noticed that, indeed, after the specters scattered, the oppressive aura above the mansion began to dissipate rapidly. "So that''s it. I thought... that perhaps you were also involved in the salon and were being pursued by the specters..." The old Duke chuckled and said. The High Priest''s expression instantly turned unpleasant. s?a??h th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "Duke, the heretics are adept at manipulating hearts and sowing discord. I believe you are aware of that." "You''re right." The old Duke nodded. With that, he looked at the mansion where the specters had erupted and said. "Now that the God has left, let''s go and take a look." With that said, he didn''t wait for the High Priest''s response, leaping up with the aid of his unleashed power, and flew towards the mansion first. Seeing the Duke''s indifferent expression, the High Priest''s mood turned sour. If he could, he wouldn''t want to go forward with the Duke but rather go ahead himself and erase all evidence related to him. But now, he was somewhat stuck in a dilemma. With a grim face, he quickly caught up. The two Borde''s formidable figures soon entered the mansion. After the undead calamity, the mansion had turned into a veritable hell on earth. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now The thick smell of blood assaulted them, and the entire ground was stained red with blood. In the hall, there were no living nobles to be seen, only from the piles of flesh and debris on the ground could one vaguely discern the fragments of fine clothing. However, from the empty iron cages in the hall, the beds and chairs that still bear traces, and the various torture instruments and toys, one could vaguely discern what this place used to be. "It seems that this was indeed the venue for the salon..." Duke Borde frowned. "Search around and see if there are any survivors!" He turned back to command the guards who followed. The High Priest hesitated, wanting to stop the guards from searching. However, looking at Duke Borde, he eventually swallowed his words. His strength was not much greater than the Duke''s. He had missed the best opportunity. He knew that Duke Borde was already suspecting his involvement with the salon. Now, if he tried to stop them, it would only deepen their suspicions. The High Priest could only hope now that there were no survivors here who knew his secret. There shouldn''t be... right? After all, the nobles had all turned into minced meat. However, what one least wants to happen always happens at the least opportune moment. Before long, the guards returned. "My lord Duke! High Priest! We''ve found several surviving members of the Blood Demon Cult in the dungeon! They are all unconscious." Surviving members of the Blood Demon Cult? The High Priest''s expression changed instantly. Duke Borde''s face also became serious. He snorted angrily. "These damned bastards... are actually associated with the Blood Demon Cult! If I find out who is behind the salon, I will make sure to send their entire family to the Inquisition!" Hearing the old Duke''s words, the High Priest couldn''t help but glance at him, while the guards who had returned coughed awkwardly. "Cough... My lord Duke, we... we also found a study in the dungeon, and we think... you should take a look." "A study?" The old Duke frowned. A study? The High Priest''s heart skipped a beat. ... The two secular masters of Borde soon arrived at the study in the dungeon. Seeing the shelves full of astrology magic books, the family''s astrology instrument on the desk, and the familiar wizard robe on the hanger, the old Duke''s expression changed almost instantly. And when he saw the pile of minced meat on the study floor, he fell into silence. After a long while, the old Duke sighed lightly. "High Priest, let''s go." The two quickly left the study. But as soon as they left, more guards came up to them. "My lord Duke! High Priest! We found something new over here!" "Something new?" Seeing the study, the Duke seemed obviously distracted. "Something new?!" The High Priest became nervous again. "Over here... it looks like some kind of evil ritual." The guard said respectfully. Ritual? The high priest frowned, suddenly feeling a sense of unease. Guided by the guard, the two heavy-hearted Blazing Suns quickly arrived at the sacrificial site on the other side of the corridor. And at the sight of the iconic demonic eye and the altar made of bones, the High Priest''s expression changed completely. The God''s Descent Ritual! Damn it! These madmen of the Blood Demon Cult! They''re actually preparing for the God''s Descent Ritual! Chapter 114: Cooperation with the Evil God? The God''s Descent Ritual!That lunatic Count Tulip! He''s actually collaborating with the Blood Demon Cult to prepare for the God''s Descent Ritual! The High Priest was shocked, fearful, and angry all at once. By the Gods above, if he knew these reckless fellows were up to such things, he would never have mixed with the Dreaming Salon even if it meant giving up his holy position and retiring. It''s crazy! If the God''s Descent Ritual were to succeed, allowing the Bloodborne Archduke to descend, forget about the Borde City, the entire Borde Duchy would be done for! At that moment, the High Priest was genuinely afraid. Not just afraid, but also anxious. "Your Excellency, what does this ritual mean?" Noticing his slight change in expression, Duke Borde frowned and asked. As a Blazing Sun Knight, he possessed great power, but he wasn''t very knowledgeable about such divine ritual. Looking at the puzzled Duke Borde, the High Priest fell silent. After a moment of hesitation, he said. "It''s nothing, just a ritual to offer sacrifices to the Bloodborne Archduke in exchange for blessings." He doesn''t dare to tell the Duke what the ritual really was. If he did, the Duke would surely report it to the diocese immediately. Undoubtedly, both the Duke and the Demon Hunter Knights were now suspicious of his involvement with the Dreaming Salon. Even though all the involved nobles were dead, the Inquisition had its methods, and the High Priest couldn''t risk it. He had left too many traces, and he needed time to handle his own issues. However, the High Priest also knew that this matter could not be delayed. If the Blood Demon Cult''s conspiracy really succeeded and the Bloodborne Archduke descended, his fate would be grim as well. The High Priest was caught in a dilemma. An unprecedented dilemma. "Damn it! It''s the Blood Demon Cult again, and the Evil God too... it''s never-ending!" The Duke cursed. After calming down a bit, he said to the High Priest. "Your Excellency... The corrupt nobles of the country held evil Dreaming Salons and colluded with the Blood Demon Cult. We must carry out a severe purge... I hope you can support me in striking at these audacious fellows!" Upon hearing the Duke''s words, the High Priest''s heart trembled slightly. He looked up at the Duke and saw an old, calm face, with firm belief and profound sincerity. The High Priest understood immediately that the Duke wanted to make a deal with him. He didn''t mention what happened in the study just now. He wanted to exclude the Duke''s family from the Dreaming Salon. At the same time, he wanted to take this opportunity to cleanse the restless nobles in the country. As for the content of the deal... Although the Duke didn''t say it, it was quite obvious. He would not delve into the High Priest''s involvement with the Dreaming Salon, nor would he pursue whether the High Priest had any connection with it. This suited the High Priest just fine. He was troubled enough as it was, and having another Blazing Sun Knight causing trouble would be too much. "Of course, Your Excellency. The fallen nobles of the country must be severely punished!" He said solemnly. "Your Excellency, I''ll take my leave now. I''ll leave the handling of these heretics to you. I believe you can extract a complete list of nobles from them." S?a??h the N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The Duke said meaningfully. It was a plain exchange of interests. "Of course, Your Excellency can also provide the church with a list of suspicions, to corroborate each other." After thinking for a moment, the High Priest reciprocated. The two old foxes quickly exchanged demands. There was no point in staying any longer, and Duke Borde soon left. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Before leaving the dungeon, he destroyed Count Tulip''s study completely with a sword. The High Priest''s eyelids twitched, but he didn''t stop him. In fact, he even breathed a sigh of relief. After all... who knew if there was any evidence left in that study that could incriminate him? It wasn''t until the Duke left that his expression gradually became serious. Duke Borde was willing to make this deal because he didn''t know what the ritual in the dungeon represented. But the High Priest did. He could deceive others, but he couldn''t deceive himself, nor the truth. The God''s Descent Ritual was a serious matter, one he couldn''t conceal, and he had to report it. However, the High Priest didn''t dare to report it. Even if he wiped away all traces of himself, even if he blamed the Blood Demon Cult''s actions on the dead nobles, it wouldn''t work. The reason was simple. Count Tulip knew his secret. Count Tulip collaborated with the Blood Demon Cult. So was there a possibility... that someone in the Blood Demon Cult also knew his secret? The High Priest didn''t dare to gamble. If he really attracted the attention of the diocese, even if he thwarted the Blood Demon Cult''s conspiracy, his secret might be exposed. His actions were almost tantamount to cooperating with the Blood Demon Cult. By then, his fate would be either being sent to the Inquisition or being purified directly... The more the High Priest thought about it, the more desperate he felt. He suddenly realized that he had walked into a dead end without knowing it. Reporting this matter would likely expose his secret, and the outcome would be almost the same as death. But not reporting this matter, letting the Blood Demon Cult grow bigger, and if the God Descent really succeeded, everything would become more serious. Not only that, but even if he didn''t mention this matter, the death of the Grand Knight had already alarmed the diocese. The diocese... would eventually send someone down to investigate. Never mind the Blood Demon Cult, even his news hiding of the Bloodborne Archduke''s Descent might be discovered! Wait a minute... Evil God? It seemed that he thought of something, and the High Priest''s heart moved. All signs indicated that this mysterious Evil God... seemed to have a grudge against the Blood Demon Cult. Whether it was the failed Bloodborne sacrifice at Castell Mansion or the destruction of the Dreaming Salon, it seemed that the other party was targeting the Blood Demon Cult. So, was there a possibility that he could use the power of this Evil God to resist the Blood Demon Cult''s preparations for God''s Descent? Obviously, this Evil God acted on principles and should be the type that could communicate. So... was it possible for him to find a way to contact this Evil God and make a deal with him? If things went smoothly, perhaps he wouldn''t even need to report the Blood Demon Cult''s conspiracy and could solve the Blood Demon Cult''s troubles on his own. And after solving the problem, he could even push everything onto this Evil God... The more the High Priest thought about it, the more likely it seemed! As long as he handled it properly, perhaps he could use this to his advantage, solve the Blood Demon Cult''s problem once and for all, and let that Evil God take the blame! The High Priest felt that this idea was worth a try. All signs indicated that this Evil God didn''t seem to have much enmity towards the Holy Court. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have been able to stand outside the mansion peacefully just now. Soon, the High Priest had figured everything out. And if there was something he couldn''t understand... Perhaps it was the resentful specters that had clearly intended to attack him but suddenly disappeared. ... "Great master, why didn''t you let those resentful specters attack the High Priest just now?" Under the night sky, after releasing all survivors except the Blood Servant and using Count Tulip''s teleportation scroll to leave the scene of the incident, Sebastian looked at Charlotte, who was acting with him, and asked curiously. Charlotte sighed softly. "Kara''s sister is also among those resentful specters." "She has been kind to me. Even if it means exposing the High Priest''s crimes, I cannot let her sister''s soul be consumed... anyway, I''m just letting him live a little longer." With that, Charlotte looked at the scroll in her hand, which recorded the High Priest''s crimes. Chapter 115: Lottie and the Cults High Priest Charlotte never intended to let the High Priest off the hook.However, she also didn''t plan to take direct action. The death of a Grand Knight had already caused a significant impact. If the High Priest were to die, it would practically announce to the Holy Court that there was a major problem in Borde. Legendary investigators would undoubtedly be dispatched. She not only had to deal with potential threats but also had to avoid falling into greater danger herself. "Master, what do we do next?" Sebastian asked respectfully. "Of course... we go straight to the source." The girl said calmly. Amid the night''s darkness, Charlotte stood on the eaves of a clock tower in the outer district, her gaze fixed on the Borde''s darkest area. ... Lottie slowly woke up from the darkness. She found herself in a dim dungeon, her divine power completely sealed. Dreaming Salon? That was Lottie''s first thought. But soon, she dismissed the idea. As a clergy who had followed Count Tulip for seven years, she was more familiar with that filthy and corrupt place than anyone else. The cells here looked even more dilapidated and ancient, with a faintly familiar feeling, but it was definitely not the underground prison of the Dreaming Salon. And when she saw the Blood Cultists guarding the cell door, although she had expected it, her heart sank slightly. Have I... finally been found out? Lottie was not surprised at being imprisoned. In fact, she had long been prepared for Count Tulip''s anger, especially after she secretly saved so many girls targeted by the Dreaming Salon, and immediately informed the Rose Society branch in the western district after reporting the Rose Society. In fact, she had been hiding and doing so much damage to the salon for so many years, but she had never been found out, which was already surprising to her. As if someone was secretly protecting her, not only was she not suspected, but she was also increasingly trusted. Lottie sometimes felt quite foolish. Clearly, she had approached Count Tulip to investigate the truth of the Flame Demon''s Disaster ten years ago, and she had infiltrated the Dreaming Salon to find her missing sister. She had already prepared herself to be ruthlessly focusing on achieving her goals... But when she saw those suffering girls, she couldn''t help but be moved and subconsciously take action. S~?a??h the N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Perhaps, it was also a kind of guilt. Although she had found out that her father ten years ago had been controlled, the fact that thousands of girls died at the hands of her own family was true. She was very distressed. Extremely distressed. For seven years, she had thought about exposing everything about the Dreaming Salon more than once, but she knew she couldn''t do it. Sisters share a bond, and she knew that her only relative in this world, her sister who had protected her in a crisis ten years ago, was still likely under the control of the Blood Demon Cult. She knew her sister must have been contaminated, and if she reported everything here to the higher-ups of the church, her sister would probably also be purified... Not to mention, she didn''t know who else to trust. Even the High Priest had colluded with Count Tulip. Higher-ups of the church, were they worthy of trust? Lottie didn''t know. Over the past seven years, she had seen too many nobles being dragged down by Count Tulip. She had seen too many people who were virtuous and noble in public but dirty and cruel in private. She had also seen more than once servants who couldn''t stand the Dreaming Salon choose to report to the church or the Duke''s Mansion, but... all those informants ended up in a miserable state. Information sent to the church ultimately ended up in Count Tulip''s hands. Information sent to the Duke''s Mansion couldn''t even make it to the Duke''s desk. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Year after year, the Dreaming Salon still existed. Lottie knew that her power was too weak. She couldn''t change the situation at all. She could only try to save as many girls as possible, she could only try to investigate her sister''s whereabouts as quickly as possible... But now, it seemed that it might all come to an end. "Was it my report to the Rose Society that was discovered by the Count?" Lottie couldn''t help but think. But the next moment, a hoarse and elderly chuckle suddenly sounded outside the cell. "Discovered? No, you should thank your sister, because of her secret help, Count Tulip has never discovered your little tricks, and furthermore... in fact, the number of girls you saved is not as many as you think. After all, many times, the girls you saved did not exist at all. It''s just your self-deception." Lottie was stunned and looked towards the darkness outside the cell, only to see a figure shrouded in darkness slowly appearing. It was the High Priest of the Blood Demon Cult! "Yes, it''s me, Miss Lottie, or should I say... Miss Brois." The High Priest smiled faintly. Lotti was horrified. "You... can you hear what I''m thinking?!" However, the Blood Demon Cult''s High Priest did not directly answer her question. The High Priest merely entered the cell, and looked down at her from above, and in his lofty gaze, there was mockery and pity. "Miss Brois, have you ever felt that you have always been acting according to your own will?" "To investigate the truth of ten years ago, you approached Count Tulip, to investigate the life and death of your sister, you infiltrated the Dreaming Salon..." "Hehe, then... have you ever thought that you have actually been a puppet on a string all along?" Listening to the words of the High Priest, Lottie widened her eyes. Then, as if suddenly realizing something, her face turned slightly pale. "Domination magic!" "You... you used Bloodborne Magic''s Domination magic on me!" Domination magic. One of the innate magic of the Bloodborne. It can control others'' thoughts and modify their memories. This time, it was the turn of the High Priest to be surprised. "Oh? It seems that what you have investigated over the years is more than I imagined..." "Yes, I did use Domination magic on you, a long time ago." The High Priest chuckled. "Hehe, Miss Brois, in a sense, you and your sister should both call me a benefactor. After all... if it weren''t for me, both of you would have died ten years ago." "Sister? Is my sister still alive?!" Lottie subconsciously stood up. "Of course she''s alive. What, do you want to go see her?" The High Priest smiled. Chapter 116: Gods Descent Ritual Although the High Priest''s words almost overturned Lottie''s worldview and beliefs, the news of her sister still shook Lottie''s heart, and she couldn''t help but follow along.However, when she followed the other party to the place where her sister was supposed to be, Lottie soon froze in place. It was a dilapidated temple that seemed quite antiquated. The walls on both sides of the temple vaguely showed ancient and mysterious mural paintings depicting scenes of worshiping Gods. The worshipers in the paintings wore uniform robes, with pointed teeth barely visible at the corners of their mouths, all of them were Bloodbornes. As for the God, it was unclear. Only THEIR ancient and majestic throne could be seen clearly beneath THEM, still exuding a sense of majesty and grandeur after who knows how many years. Obviously, this was a temple of some ancient God from the Bloodborne race. Lottie wasn''t very interested in this. In fact, she didn''t even bother to look closely at the temple. After entering, her gaze naturally fell on the altar in the center of the temple. It was a rather terrifying altar, with layers of crimson pages plastered on its base, giving off an eerie horror feeling, while layers of fleshy lumps and veins were attached to it. The veins pulsated and intertwined, gathering above the altar, connected to a swollen and hideous mass of flesh. No, rather than calling it a mass of flesh, it was more like a "pedestal" composed of octopus-like tentacles, surrounding a huge, grotesque eye in the center. Oh God! What on earth is this thing?! Lottie was stunned. And soon, the High Priest gave Lottie an answer that she couldn''t believe. "This is your sister." Sister?! Lotti''s eyes widened. "No... you''re lying to me!" The High Priest didn''t answer. Instead, he chuckled lightly and said to the closed eyeball. "Marie, your sister is here to see you." Upon hearing the High Priest''s words, the ugly eyeball trembled slightly. The wrinkled eyelids twisted slightly, revealing a human face, contorted in extreme pain. "Sister... Marie!?" Lottie instantly recognized her sister''s face and rushed over. The giant eyeball struggled for a while, desperately trying to open its eyes, but in the end, it only trembled slightly, unable to do anything. "What''s wrong with my sister? What have you done to her?!" Lottie looked at the High Priest, trembling with anger, her voice suppressed with rage. The High Priest smiled faintly. "No, Miss Lottie, it''s not what I did. Your sister has become like this, because of you." "Because of me?" Lottie was dumbfounded. "Yes." The High Priest nodded. He looked at the trembling eyeball, with a look of intoxication, as if admiring the most beautiful piece of art. "Ten years ago, Count Castell and his wife disrupted our God''s Descent plan, causing it to fail... However, it wasn''t a complete failure. Although the Flame Demon was sealed, and the Divine Vessel Reconstruction Ritual was interrupted, we unexpectedly obtained this Demon Eye..." S?a??h th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "God''s Descent?! You... you''re not summoning the Flame Demon!" Lotti widened her eyes. The High Priest sneered. "Summoning the Flame Demon? Heh!" "If it were just to summon a legendary Flame Demon, it wouldn''t have been worth all the trouble for me..." As he spoke, he looked at the trembling eyeball and continued. "The Divine Vessel Reconstruction failed, it ended up on the brink of death, and lost the possibility of containing the Lord''s descent..." "However, the Demon Eye is a creature that matches the power of our Lord, but cannot exist for long in the world of Myria..." We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "Hehe, so I came up with a bold plan..." "Since that''s the case, why not let them merge, and then use the power of the cursed pages to reshape it, creating a new Divine Vessel for our Lord?" Merge... Merge?! Lottie was dumbfounded. Feeling the trembling in her heart, the High Priest smiled meaningfully, whispering in her ear. "Yes, merge..." "Countess Brois, what''s in front of you is your sister, a fusion with the demon..." Upon hearing the High Priest''s words, Lottie felt dizzy, almost falling down. She stared blankly at the terrifying eyeball in front of her and her heart trembling. She knew, she had always known. Ten years ago, she was supposed to be the main sacrifice, but her sister discovered her father''s anomaly and stepped forward to replace her. Otherwise, it would have been her suffering right now. Feeling Lottie''s inner pain, the High Priest''s smile became even more radiant. He whispered softly in Lottie''s ear, continuing. "Unfortunately, the soul of the Divine Vessel still exists." "After the initial fusion, she refused to use the power of the Demon Eye and further merge with it, which has been preventing our plan from being implemented..." "She has never cooperated with us until you appeared." As he spoke, the High Priest looked at Lottie, smiling meaningfully. "Hehe, Miss Lottie, I really have to thank you." "In order to help you cover up your traces of saving those girls, your sister finally agreed to use the power of the Demon Eye." "You have saved those girls from the claws of the Dreaming Salon time and time again, and she has repeatedly helped you clean up using the ''Dream'' power of the Demon Eye..." "You thought your actions were flawless, but little did you know... someone has been bearing the burden for you behind the scenes." "Thank you. After all these years, with your help, she has finally merged completely with the Demon Eye." "With your help, she has become the monster she didn''t want to be." Lottie fell to the ground. Her face turned pale and her lips trembled. "No... no..." "No!" "I didn''t think like this... I didn''t want this!" Finding and saving her sister had been Lottie''s spiritual pillar for so many years. And at this moment, upon hearing such truth from the High Priest, she collapsed. Black smoke billowed from behind Lottie, an evil, corrupt aura slowly rising from her... Seeing this scene, the High Priest smiled satisfactorily. As the medium for the God''s Descent, he had naturally left a backhand on Lottie. And as a medium for communicating with the Gods, what was needed to completely awaken them was not just powerful magic. It was the power to resonate with the Gods. For the Holy Court, it meant firm and powerful faith. For the Blood Demon Cult, it meant pain and despair. Only when one fell into great pain and despair, would the power of corruption and darkness awaken! And when the vessel awakened, it was time to start communicating with God and performing the God''s Descent Ritual... "It''s about time. Gather all the true believers. It''s time to start the ritual." The High Priest turned around and said to the Blood Demon Cultists behind him. "Yes." The Blood Demon Cultists saluted respectfully and withdrew. However, as time passed by, the Blood Demon Cultists who left did not return. Chapter 117: Charlotte de Castell? "Why haven''t they come back yet?"The High Priest furrowed his brows slightly. Just as his patience was about to run out, the departing Blood Demon Cultists finally returned. Behind him, one figure after another clad in black robes followed, all of them were Blood Demon Cultists. However, all the Blood Demon Cultists looked somewhat puzzled, and their numbers were fewer than the High Priest had anticipated. "Why did it take so long for you to return? And... why are there so few of you?" The High Priest frowned and asked. "Great High Priest, there were some unexpected circumstances." The leading Blood Demon Cultist seemed flustered and hurried forward to whisper. "What? You''re saying there are traitors among our true believers?" The High Priest was slightly taken aback. "Yes... it seems there are traitors among the true believers we gathered. They suddenly attacked our people..." "Not only that, there''s news from the western city district that something seems to have happened at the Dreaming Salon." Upon hearing the Blood Demon Cultist''s words, the High Priest narrowed his eyes. He pondered for a moment and then suddenly asked. "The traitors... are they all blood servants?" The Blood Demon Cultist was taken aback. "How did you know?" "Well... because I already know there''s trouble at the Dreaming Salon. Those blood servants I left there have all turned into traitors." The High Priest sneered. He glanced at the Blood Demon Cultists entering the temple, his words laden with meaning. "The traitors are not true believers, but rather... the blood servant that got their contracts seized by someone." "Seizing blood servant contracts? No... How is that possible?!" The Blood Demon Cultists'' expressions changed suddenly, and they fell into turmoil. S~?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The ones gathered here were the core strength of the Blood Demon Cult in Borde, almost all of them were cultists who had escaped from the failed ritual ten years ago. Over the past decade, they had followed the High Priest''s footsteps and developed many new believers as blood servants to invigorate the Blood Demon Cult. The Blood Demon Cult in Borde, centered around them, was a tight-knit cult organization with numerous blood servants as their followers. To distinguish themselves from the blood servants, they called themselves true believers. "Hey, there''s nothing impossible. I know... the extinct Kirali clan had the power to seize the blood servants of other clans." The High Priest shook his head. He scanned the surroundings and continued. "Check the contracts with your blood servants. See if there are any issues." Upon hearing his words, the Blood Demon Cultists quickly acted, and in no time, cries of astonishment rang out. "I can''t contact my blood servant!" "Damn it! I have blood servants I can''t contact too!" Seeing the suspicious expressions of the crowd, the High Priest''s gaze became increasingly serious. "Is the main gate closed?" He looked at the leading Blood Demon Cultist and asked. "It''s already closed, no... it was closed long ago." The Blood Demon Cultist who was asked answered respectfully. "Not good! Check each other''s identities and contracts, now, hurry!" Realizing something, the High Priest''s expression changed slightly. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now The Blood Demon Cultists reacted quickly. As a cult organization, they had their own strict measures to prevent infiltration. Before long, the vast majority of true believers and blood servants who had checked their identities entered the temple, leaving fewer and fewer people outside. The High Priest drew his dark sword. He looked coldly at the dwindling crowd of Blood Demon Cultists who had not yet verified their identities, his expression full of vigilance, ready to act at any moment. Suddenly, a strong sense of crisis came over him. He instinctively raised his sword horizontally, and a shadow quickly rushed out of the dwindling crowd and attacked him. In an instant, black flames spread out, and several Blood Demon Cultists who were burned emitted a scream. Their bodies, both physical and spiritual, were quickly burned to ashes. "Blasphemous Fire!" The High Priest''s eyes narrowed. He snorted, and the Third Tier power of darkness erupted, forcing the "assassin" to retreat with a single sword strike. The Blood Demon Cultists dodged to both sides, and under the dim light, the shadow of the assassin was also exposed to everyone. It was a tall figure shrouded in black clothes. He covered his face, making it impossible to see his appearance, but a head of red hair hung down from his hood during the attack. Seeing that blood-like red hair and feeling the power that was weaker than his but stronger than most Silver Moons in the recent attack, the High Priest squinted his eyes. He chuckled and said. "Second Tier, Silver Moon... Heh, with such power, even if it''s an assassination, it''s impossible to defeat the Third Tier Blazing Sun..." "But, even if it''s a Silver Moon, with such strong power and at the same time, with red hair... from what I know, there is only one person in Borde City who fits this description." As he spoke, the High Priest looked at the assassin and continued with a meaningful smile. "What do you think, Mr. Sebastian?" Upon hearing the High Priest''s words, the assassin let out a helpless sigh. He elegantly put down the hood, revealing his appearance. With a handsome appearance and pointed ears, it was none other than the Flame Elf, Sebastian, the president of the Rose Society. Seeing Sebastian''s appearance, the High Priest smiled lightly. "Could it be that Anthony told you the location?" "I lost contact with my blood servants at the Dreaming Salon. It must have been you, right?" "Can you tell me... how did someone who is not a bloodborne like you gain the power to seize our blood servant contracts?" However, upon hearing the High Priest''s words, Sebastian did not answer. Not only that, he seemed to completely disregard the leader of the Borde''s Blood Demon Cult and respectfully said to a figure behind him. "Sorry, master, I failed in the assassination." "You''ve won. With the power of a Second Tier Silver Moon, even if it''s an assassination, I can''t defeat a Third Tier Blazing Sun..." "It seems that there is still a long way to go before I can recover my strength..." Master? Who?! The High Priest''s heart sank as he looked behind Sebastian. There were several Blood Demon Cultists who had not yet completed their identity checks. Seeing the gaze of everyone else, they shivered coldly, subconsciously moving to the sides, leaving only an unmoving petite figure. The High Priest''s gaze instantly fell on that petite figure, only to see that petite figure let out a soft laugh, and calmly said. "Sebastian, for the wager, I want the milk with the best taste provided by Luna Island." As she spoke, she gently removed her hood. Beautiful silver hair cascaded down like a waterfall. Under the delicate and perfect face, her reddish-gold eyes shimmered with strange light. Looking at her familiar face, the High Priest was slightly stunned, and there was a hint of disbelief. "Charlotte de Castell?" Chapter 118: Friendly-Fire Blood Servants Seeing her identity exposed, Charlotte was somewhat surprised."It seems... my fame is quite significant. Even the High Priest of the Blood Demon Cult can recognize my identity so quickly." "Of course, Master, you are the Pearl of Castell, the most beautiful woman in Borde." Sebastian said respectfully. The High Priest''s expression turned solemn. He squinted, watching the two of them warily, and commanded the other Blood Demon Cultists. "What are you waiting for? Take them down!" Upon hearing the high priest''s words, the true believers of the Blood Demon cult were swiftly imbued with a crimson hue. The eyes of blood servants they controlled ablaze with crimson fury. Then they let out furious roars and drew their weapons in unison. However, at that moment, the beautiful girl raised her head slightly. She glanced indifferently at the blood servants rushing towards her, and a golden-red light shimmered in her eyes. In that instant, all the true believers felt a sharp pain in their brains, horrified to find that they had completely lost their connection to the remaining blood servants. In the next moment, a scene that terrified all the Blood Demon true believers unfolded. Those blood servants who had just seemed to be charging toward the two suddenly turned around, wielding their weapons and roaring as they attacked the Blood Demon Cultists. Some of the Blood Demon true believers didn''t even have time to react before being struck down by the very blood servants who had just pledged loyalty to them. "Damn it! She is controlling our blood servants!" One of the Blood Demon Cultists said in horror. They watched their blood servants suddenly turn on them and surround the petite girl like a guarded queen. In just an instant, the situation in the underground temple had completely reversed. More than three-quarters of the nearly two hundred Blood Demon Cultists gathered here were now attacking their own people! All of them were... blood servants! Seeing the girl who had seized control of almost all the blood servants in an instant, the High Priest''s expression was equally horrified: "This is... the authority of the Bloodborne Royalty!" "You are not Charlotte! Who are you?!" Charlotte didn''t answer the High Priest''s question. She chuckled and said. "Who I am doesn''t matter." "What matters is that this should all end now." With a cold expression, she ordered the blood servants under her control. "Kill them!" The command from a higher-level Bloodborne echoed in the minds of the blood servants. With their reddened eyes, they roared like wild beasts devoid of reason and fought against the Blood Demon true believers regardless of the cost. Screams rang out among the Blood Demon true believers, and the underground temple descended into chaos. With an absolute numerical advantage, the Blood Demon true believers, who were unprepared, were no match for the blood servants. The blood servants, driven by madness, displayed a combat power that overwhelmed the Blood Demon true believers. More and more Blood Demon Cultists fell in pools of blood, staining the ground of the temple crimson, and gradually forming a river of blood... Charlotte watched all of this coldly. There was no pity, no sympathy, only indifference. These Blood Demon cultists were the most cruel and evil cultists. Each one of them bore the weight of countless innocent lives. Charlotte felt no guilt in killing them. Soon, the last Blood Demon cultist fell under the blades of the blood servants. With their reddened eyes and their vacant expressions, the blood servants surrounded the queen-like girl. Together, they encircled the malevolent altar prepared for the God''s Descent the Blood Demon Cult''s High Priest. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Charlotte''s gaze fell on the altar. Seeing the unfinished ceremony and the unconscious priestess Lottie on the altar, she smiled faintly. "It seems... I arrived just in time." "Your Excellency, do you know?" "In many stories, to highlight the importance of the protagonist group and intensify the tension of the story, authors often have them arrive just when the most dangerous conspiracy is about to erupt..." "Sometimes, to deliberately drag out the pace, they even make the villains breakthrough suddenly, causing the protagonist group, who had the victory in their hands, to suddenly encounter an even greater crisis in the final battle..." "The protagonists struggle and fight to the death, ultimately defeating the enemy, thwarting the conspiracy, and upholding justice..." "Of course, they also pay a heavy price." "However, I don''t like this approach." "In my opinion, since absolute advantage has been established, there''s no need to prolong the night and dream more. Just go straight to the point, wipe out all the villains, and be done with it." "Don''t give the other side a chance to turn the tables or an opportunity for their conspiracy to succeed." "Of course, I don''t think I am the protagonist of justice..." "But you... seem very much like the antagonist in the story, don''t you think?" Charlotte stood in front of the High Priest, smiling as she spoke. The Blood Demon Cult''s High Priest looked at the girl in front of him, his gaze became even more solemn. "I can feel a chilling aura emanating from you..." "That''s not a power ordinary people possess." "Perhaps, compared to Miss Charlotte, I should address you as Your Majesty?" Without waiting for Charlotte''s response, he continued. "Your Majesty... our Blood Demon Cult does not wish to be enemies with you." "I can sense a similar power from you, indicating that you may be a resurrected Kirali clan Royalty, right?" "Your power is very powerful, extremely powerful. I know I am no match for you. In your eyes, I am just an insignificant ant..." "But, you should know who stands behind me." "The resurrection of the Gods is a long process, and it''s also dangerous for a God in the recovery period since they become weak. This is not a secret to us true believers who serve the Bloodborne Archuke." "Although I am only a Third Tier, as the executor of the will of our Lord, I am also under the watchful eye of our Lord..." "I think... Your Majesty wouldn''t want to see a conflict between us, right?" The Blood Demon Cult''s High Priest''s attitude was respectful. However, there was a hint of threat in his words. "Master... he is probably a reserve retainer of the Bloodborne Archduke! If we kill him, it is very likely to attract the attention of the Bloodborne Archduke!" Sebastian said solemnly. Reserve retainer? Charlotte''s heart trembled slightly. S?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Her gaze swept over the blood flowing on the ground without changing her expression, and suddenly she smiled. "Are you threatening me?" "No..." The High Priest shook his head. He suddenly reached out his hand, drew out a dagger, and plunged it into his own chest with fanatic expression. "I''m just... buying time." With his action, splashes of fresh blood sprayed onto the ground, and the blood shed by the Blood Demon Cultists suddenly flowed rapidly toward the central altar... Chapter 119: Gods Descent This scene happened so unexpectedly.As the High Priest plunged the dagger into his heart, the entire temple altar seemed to come alive, instantly bursting forth with a crimson glow. The bodies of the Blood Demon Cultists on the ground rapidly aged and decayed, ultimately turning into ashes, while those controlled blood servants emitted screams, bursting into clouds of blood mist... Above the altar, the grotesque eyeball suddenly burst forth with profound darkness, exuding a trace of ancient and world-weary aura, while slowly ascending. Looking at the surprised girl, the High Priest struggled to force out a smile. "Cough... Your Mysterious Majesty..." "You wished to prevent the descent of our Lord... Unfortunately, you are about to fail." "Since you killed our brethren... the ritual had already begun." "Our Lord will remember you, regardless of your standing. You cannot escape His gaze. Even if you destroy this ritual, you will be marked by our Lord!" The High Priest''s expression was fanatical. Though his complexion grew paler and his aura got weaker, his gaze became even brighter. He knew that his years of planning for the Descent Ritual were likely to fail. The intervention of this mysterious God would surely prevent him from completing the ritual. But so what? The ritual had already begun, and the gaze of the Bloodborne Archduke had already been cast. Even if the ritual failed, upon knowing another God''s resurrection, the marvelous God would forcefully assist THEIR followers in completing the remaining ritual process to Descent! The reason was simple: when a God was resurrected, it meant too many things... Perhaps for most mortals and extraordinary individuals, a God meant grandeur, authority, and the true ruler of this world... But as a cultist, as a High Priest of the Blood Demon Cult, as an ancient bloodborne with immortality, he knew more secrets about the Gods. When a God resurrected, it was at its weakest, with the weakest control over its power. For a mad opportunist, this was the best opportunity to slay a God and seize its power. And for those mythical beings who looked down upon the mortal world, these resurrected comrades were also a great supplement! No myth would refuse to act against a recently resurrected God... s?a??h th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Seizing their divine power, absorbing their authority, gaining their strength! Especially for the Bloodborne Archduke who wanted to further advance and achieve the position of a True God! Obviously, the resurrected God before him seemed to have not fully mastered her power yet and was likely still searching for her memories. If she could discern what was important, she would know that the first place a resurrected God shouldn''t appear was before a God''s Descent Ritual! Death was not the end for believers... The High Priest knew that even if he forcefully performed the ritual at the cost of his own life, once he pleased the Lord, he would also receive rewards and be awakened anew! The gathering crimson light shone on the altar, and the aura above the altar became increasingly terrifying. Feeling the chilling atmosphere, the High Priest couldn''t help but smile. Now, even if this mysterious God destroyed the altar, it was already too late. However, the High Priest suddenly froze when he looked at the girl. The mysterious God before him did not stop his actions. Not only that, but this mysterious God also somehow took out a chair, sat down, and casually crossed her legs. The flame elf, Sebastian, stood respectfully behind her, holding a crystal jug, while the girl leaned against the backrest, elegantly holding a crystal goblet filled with milk, and leisurely sipping on it. She sat there, not at all intimidated by the increasingly terrifying atmosphere on the altar. On the contrary, she looked curiously at the blood that was continuously flowing towards the altar, as if she were watching a play in a theater. "Why are you looking at me?" "Keep going, continue the ritual. I haven''t seen what the Blood Demon Cult''s Descent Ritual looks like yet!" We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Charlotte lightly sipped her milk, smiling calmly at the High Priest. Upon hearing the girl''s words, the High Priest was completely dumbfounded. For a moment, he was somewhat confused, unsure if the resurrected God before him was out of her mind or if he himself was hallucinating... Why? Why didn''t this sinister God stop him from performing the Descent Ritual? Didn''t she know that once the incarnation of the Bloodborne Archduke got summoned, only downfall awaited her? Or was she so arrogant as to think that with her recently resurrected power, she could confront the great Bloodborne Archduke? The High Priest felt puzzled, even suddenly feeling uneasy and wary. He felt like he had missed something... But he had no time to hesitate. Once the ritual began, it could not be stopped. In order to forcefully perform the ritual, he sacrificed himself and all his followers. Feeling his power weakening and consciousness fading more and more, he gritted his teeth and roared, uttering the final prayer. "O Master of the Abyss and the Mortal Realm," "The incarnation of corruption and decay," "The savior of the bloodborne progeny..." "The Great Bloodborne Archduke¡ªAbaddon!" "Your humble servants offer you the power of darkness and despair!" "Darkness shapes the sacred vessel," "Despair condenses the sacred soul!" "May your will walk upon the earth... as in the Abyss!" With the High Priest''s roar, the altar radiated brightly. A dazzling pillar of light soared into the sky, and an ancient and majestic aura slowly converged in the temple, as if some terrifying and awe-inspiring mysterious existence was casting its gaze. It''s here! The gaze of our Lord has come! Feeling the terrifying power converging in the temple, the High Priest became excited, and his pale face gained a trace of ruddiness. The crimson mist erupted above the altar, instantly engulfing everything. The High Priest struggled to raise his head, looking through the layers of mist towards the altar, only to see a majestic and solemn illusionary throne slowly materializing within the blood-colored mist. On the throne, dazzling blood-colored light gathered, and gradually, a towering figure emerged. However, as that figure gradually became clear, the High Priest was stunned. Gorgeous silver long hair. Mysterious golden eyes. The familiar black robes of the Blood Demon Cultists... It was none other than Charlotte! Seeing her sitting on the illusory chair, lazily crossing her legs, holding a phantom crystal cup filled with milk, her posture and demeanor were exactly the same as when she watched the play at the temple entrance. She took a sip of milk, looked down at the bewildered High Priest, and smiled gently. "Your Excellency High Priest, we meet again..." "Pfft..." Seeing the seemingly smiling God, the Bloodborne High Priest couldn''t help but spew out a mouthful of blood, and his body slowly collapsed. Chapter 120: Wipe Out The Blood Demon Cult''s High Priest is dead.He died because he sacrificed all his life force and bloodline power. In order to forcibly perform the ritual, he willingly offered himself as a sacrifice, yet until his last breath, he couldn''t understand why, despite the summoning target being the Bloodborne Archduke, this mysterious God appeared instead. Even as he breathed his last, his eyes remained wide open in disbelief. Sebastian, however, knew exactly what had happened. Excitedly watching the illusion on the altar, he fervently exclaimed. "Praise you, mighty master!" "You truly are remarkable! With barely any effort, you caused a Third Tier Blazing Sun expert to self-destruct..." "But to dare perform a divine ritual before you, these Blood Demon Cultists really courted their own doom!" Charlotte smiled faintly, neither confirming nor denying. Indeed, performing divine rituals before her, who possessed the power to counteract them, was akin to courting doom. While modifying a large-scale divine ritual prepared by a Blazing Sun extraordinary for nearly a decade was quite challenging, with the blessing of blood magic, as long as she was willing to expend divine power, everything was possible. As for what she modified, it was simple: she changed the summoning target to herself. At the same time, she became a beneficiary of the ritual. With a Blazing Sun extraordinary and hundreds of cultists as sacrifices, the power they offered was considerable. Charlotte could clearly sense that her physical abilities in reality were undergoing rapid enhancement from being nourished by such vast bloodline power and life force. However, this immense power only partially transformed her body. More power was absorbed by the Gospel of Blood, transforming into divine power... The descent ritual was originally a divine ritual passed down by Gods. Its essence was to sacrifice the power of living beings, convert it into divine power for the God, and then use it as a source of power for the God''s incarnation. The Gospel of Blood''s Divine Ritual Counter did not elaborate on the principles of this ritual. However, after experiencing the process of power conversion firsthand, Charlotte naturally understood the general idea. Of course, only the general idea, knowing the fact but not the reason. To draw an analogy, divine power was like an electrical appliance to her. When given an appliance, she knew how to use it, but she didn''t understand the detailed principles of how it worked, how to assemble it, or how to manufacture it by hand. As for this ritual... in the concept of ordinary people, it was more like providing them with fully automated equipment to manufacture electrical appliances. Ordinary people only needed to follow the instructions, input the raw materials, press the switch, and wait for the electrical appliance to be manufactured. At the same time, Charlotte vaguely understood why those resurrected Evil Gods recorded in the Holy Court''s myths were so fond of conducting bloody sacrificial rituals in the mortal realm. It was nothing else but because sacrificing living beings was a quick way for resurrected Gods to regain power. Especially sacrificing extraordinary beings. Even Charlotte herself, after experiencing the Blood Demon Cult''s sacrificial ritual, couldn''t help but feel excited. Yeah, right. This time, using the power of blood magic to ambush the Blood Demon Cult not only didn''t consume much of her stored divine power, but because of the Bloodborne High Priest''s sacrifice in the end, she even gained another few seconds of True Ancestor''s Liberation! However, she quickly suppressed the idea of ??using sacrifices to replenish divine power. No matter how others saw her, she didn''t consider herself an Evil God. Unlike an Evil God, she didn''t want to kill innocent people to increase her own power. One must have principles. Especially when gaining powerful abilities. Without principles, one would gradually lose themself in power and end up become enslaved by that power. As the projection summoned by the High Priest dissipated, Charlotte''s consciousness returned to her body. Although the Blood Demon Cult had been wiped out, she knew everything was far from over. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "Sebastian, take care of the rest." She called out the name of the Flame Elf. Sebastian immediately understood and summoned the Blasphemous Sword, thrusting it into the High Priest''s corpse. With his action, the High Priest''s corpse immediately let out a miserable cry. No, it wasn''t the corpse that was making the sound. It was a phantom! The appearance of the phantom was extremely similar to the High Priest''s, and its expression as it looked at Charlotte was filled with fear. This was the High Priest''s soul. As a Third Tier Blazing Sun extraordinary, his mental power and soul had transformed. Even if their body died, they could exist in the form of a soul for a certain period of time. If they could find a new vessel within this time, the Blazing Sun even had a certain chance to continue to exist in a new form... Obviously, although the High Priest died in the sacrifice, he hadn''t completely given up yet, attempting to hide quietly. But unfortunately, in front of Charlotte, who possessed the ability to resurrect undead, he had nowhere to hide at all, and for Sebastian, who had once been a Third Tier, his struggle was also futile. Under the Blasphemous Fire, the High Priest''s soul quickly burned out. The sacrifice had consumed too much of his power. Even as a phantom, he had lost all resistance and was no match for Sebastian. At this point, this Third Tier Blood Demon Cult''s High Priest was truly fallen. After completely killing the High Priest, Sebastian burned the remains of the Blood Demon Cultists to ashes with another fire. This wasn''t just to destroy the evidence. More importantly, it was to use the Blasphemous Fire to completely burn the souls of the Blood Demon Cultists, preventing their souls from returning to the embrace of the Bloodborne Archduke, and then being discovered by this God. Charlotte wasn''t very clear about the relationship between Gods and believers, nor did she know how long it took for a believer''s soul to return to the divine realm after death. But at least... the souls of the believers wouldn''t be immediately called back to the divine realm after death, which gave her the opportunity to prevent the souls of the Blood Demon Cultists from returning to the divine realm. When the Blasphemous Fire swept through the temple, Charlotte finally relaxed. At this point, she could finally check on the unconscious Priest Lottie on the altar. However, when Charlotte''s gaze fell on the ugly demon eye above the altar, her eyes suddenly narrowed. Although she had modified the divine ritual, a dark power still lingered around the hideous demon eye that made her heart skip a beat. No, that wasn''t the power of the demon eye. It was the power of the altar. Charlotte was instantly on guard. This descent ritual... had not yet completely ended! Not only that, but among these chunks of flesh-stacked eyeballs, she seemed to sense a familiar aura. She could feel waves of spiritual fluctuations emanating from the eyeballs, yet it seemed to be subject to some kind of restraint. Looking at the chains surrounding the eyeballs like seals, Charlotte''s heart twitched. "Sebastian, give me the sword." "At your command, great master." Sebastian handed over the Blasphemous Sword with both hands. S~?a??h the ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte took the Blasphemous Sword from Sebastian and then used it to cut off those chains. The ugly eyeball trembled slightly, and dots of light converged in front of the altar. Soon, a little girl in a white dress appeared in front of Charlotte again. It was Count Brois'' eldest daughter, Marie. As soon as she appeared, she bowed to Charlotte and said anxiously. "Great being..." "Please... save Lottie!" Chapter 121: Flame Demons Seal "Miss Marie?"Charlotte looked at the little girl in front of her in surprise. This time, even Sebastian saw her. "Dream projection?!" His eyelid twitched. Dream projection? Charlotte pondered. Seeming to notice her expression, Sebastian hurriedly explained. "Great Mistress, your powers have not fully recovered, so you may not be familiar with this... Dream projection is a phenomenon where some extraordinary beings use the power of sentient beings'' dreams to cast illusions in reality, enabling communication with sentient beings!" "In general, this power is commonly associated with demons!" "And they can even lurk within the dreams of sentient beings, gradually consuming their mental world to seize their bodies." Demons... Charlotte thought to herself. She looked at the little girl, activated her divine power of blood, and quickly discovered the clue. The source of her power was none other than the grotesque eye on the altar! Wait... her true form... is that eye? "Demon Eye... This is a Demon Eye!" "Master, the Blood Demon Cult''s High Priest actually fused a Demon Eye with that girl''s body!" "This is the sacred vessel he prepared for the Bloodborne Archduke!" Sebastian spoke solemnly. Sacred vessel? Count Brois'' eldest daughter''s body? Charlotte was slightly stunned. She couldn''t help but look at the ethereal figure of the little girl, her gaze slightly focused. "Miss Marie... You..." The little girl''s expression dimmed. "As Lord Sebastian said, I am no longer human..." "But that''s not important!" "What matters is that the seal of the Flame Demon Varaloka is about to be broken!" "Flame Demon Varaloka? Wasn''t it sealed in another dimension by Count and Countess Castell?" Sebastian frowned. "That''s right, but Count Castell only succeeded in sealing half of the Flame Demon Varaloka''s power, while its other half has been lurking in the crevices of reality!" "The crevices of reality?" Sebastian''s expression grew serious. "Do you mean... dreams?" "Yes... it''s dreams! More precisely, it''s Lottie''s dream!" "Ten years ago, when only half of Flame Demon Varaloka descended, Count Castell interrupted its descent and sealed it, but a strand of its consciousness entered Lottie''s dream as a sacrifice!" "The High Priest wanted to summon the Bloodborne Archduke through the ritual, but he didn''t forget about Flame Demon Varaloka!" Marie said anxiously. Listening to the girl''s words, Charlotte''s expression became solemn. She finally understood why the ritual hadn''t ended completely in her perception. The High Priest was indeed a cunning extraordinary being. Even though he was ambushed by Charlotte due to a lack of information, his plan for the God''s Descent Ritual was not so simple. Summoning the divine being through God''s Descent Ritual was just the most direct summoning method. Other than that, awakening the Flame Demon Varaloka was also a viable method. It was a backup to the God''s Descent Ritual, a part of the Blood Demon Cult''s God''s Descent plan. Even if the God''s Descent Ritual was disrupted, the awakened Flame Demon Varaloka could still continue their plan! This... was a chain of summonings! And it was a very cunning chain of summonings! We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "Great Mistress... It seems we need to enter Lottie''s dream." Sebastian said solemnly. Charlotte nodded slightly. S~?a??h the ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The damage caused by Flame Demon Varaloka was by no means small, as evidenced by the destruction of half a district during the Flame Demon Disaster ten years ago. Since she had taken action, she had to eliminate all threats. And as the culprit behind the death of the original body''s parents, in a sense, Flame Demon Varaloka was also an enemy of this body. Since she had inherited the Castell surname and inherited Charlotte''s identity, she felt it was necessary to settle the score with this demon. However, before entering Lottie''s dream, she still had a question that needed to be answered. She looked at the ethereal figure of the little girl and asked. "Miss Marie... Why do you know so much about the Blood Demon Cult''s summoning ritual and the power of Flame Demon Varaloka?" Charlotte was indeed puzzled. If her judgment was correct, the chains that had imprisoned the Demon Eye were likely left by the Blood Demon Cult, perhaps even by the High Priest himself. Obviously, Marie had been forcibly detained by the Blood Demon Cult. In such a situation, Charlotte did not believe that the High Priest would tell her the plan. However, the things Marie revealed were all the deepest secrets of the Blood Demon Cult''s God''s Descent plan. Vigilance was necessary. Even at this point, she needed to understand these details. Upon hearing Charlotte''s words, Marie''s expression dimmed. "Because... I am no longer human." Charlotte''s heart stirred. She looked at the Demon Eye surrounded by dark power on the altar, sensing the faintly familiar dark aura that was similar to what was on Lottie''s body. She finally understood. Deeply looking at her, Charlotte sighed lightly. "I understand." After saying that, she looked back at the unconscious Lottie, activated her divine power of blood, and said to Sebastian. "Let''s go." "Let''s go meet the most terrifying lackey under the Bloodborne Archduke''s command." Approaching the altar, Charlotte placed her right hand on Lottie''s forehead. She had summoned Sebastian into her spiritual world many times using the Gospel of Blood''s power and had even entered the memories of those sacrificed girls using her divine power of blood. And now, the method to enter Lottie''s dream world was the same. Thinking of this, Charlotte gently closed her eyes. The crimson light radiated from her, the light of the Gospel of Blood in her consciousness shone brightly, and Charlotte''s vision ascended once again... The next moment, the world around Charlotte suddenly changed. She found herself in a beautiful mansion. The mansion was hosting a lively birthday banquet, with bright lights and clinking glasses. This is... Countess Brois'' mansion? Looking at the scene, which was similar to certain memories deep in her original body''s memory, Charlotte''s heart stirred. But soon, she noticed a subtle difference in her field of vision. Her line of sight... seemed higher than usual. Charlotte instinctively looked down, but for a moment, she couldn''t see her feet. Instead, she saw the curvature in front of her chest that would never appear under normal circumstances, and she saw herself wearing the black divine robe from the Blood Summoning. At the same time, a red light appeared beside her, and Sebastian''s figure appeared. As soon as the flame elf appeared and saw Charlotte''s appearance, it was startled and instinctively saluted. "Lady... Lady of the Night!" Charlotte instantly understood. Her appearance had turned into the mature version of herself once again. Chapter 122: The Mastermind Behind the Flame Demon Disaster "Was it the divine power of blood that changed my appearance in the dream world?" Charlotte pondered. She attempted to materialize objects as she did in the Dark Night Castle but failed. This confirmed another thing for Charlotte. If she entered a dream that wasn''t hers, she couldn''t change anything with her thoughts. Other intruders were just guests. Only the dream''s owner could alter the dream world. In other words, Charlotte probably couldn''t interfere with anything in this dream. Of course, this was under the assumption that she could only use her own power. Currently, her true power was only at the level of a First Tier Starry Sky, unable to even project her mental strength outward, let alone interfere with someone else''s dream world. However, just because she couldn''t do it herself didn''t mean she couldn''t do it with cheats. With this in mind, Charlotte tried to use the divine power of blood and simultaneously visualized a mirror in her mind. A crimson light burst forth in her consciousness, a faint glow appeared in Charlotte''s hand, and a simple mirror slowly materialized... Charlotte felt a slight relief. Even though her own power was too weak to interfere with this dream, the divine power of blood could restore her ability to shape the dream world as she pleased. This was a sure thing. Next, she just needed to find Lottie''s consciousness and the Flame Demon Varaloka. Once she confirmed her own state, Charlotte removed the mirror. Unfortunately, using any power in this dream would consume divine power, eating into her True Ancestor''s Liberation available time. She had to use it sparingly; good steel needed to be used on the edge. "Let''s go. Let''s enter." Charlotte said to Sebastian, looking towards the grand hall where the banquet was being held. The two of them walked towards the hall, surrounded by nobles coming and going. No one noticed their actions. Or, more accurately, the people around, including the guards, couldn''t see them at all. Dreams and illusions were only a hair''s breadth apart. Undoubtedly, for Charlotte and Sebastian, Lottie''s dream was an illusion. However, Charlotte had a feeling. As long as she used the divine power of blood and had the power to interfere with dreams, the people in these dreams could see her. After entering the hall, the surroundings became even more lively. Nobles gathered in twos and threes, chatting and laughing. Charlotte could even hear their conversations. Some talked about recent gossip, some discussed literature and art, and others talked about the experiences on the continent... Seriously, if she didn''t know she was in a dream, Charlotte wouldn''t be able to tell the difference between here and reality. "My Lord, this dream scene... I''m afraid it''s the birthday party of the Brois sisters in Brois mansion ten years ago, the night of the Flame Demon Disaster." Sebastian said solemnly. Charlotte nodded slightly. Seeing the familiar scene around her, she had already guessed. Her gaze swept around the hall as she searched for Lottie''s figure. Lottie was the dream''s owner. Finding Lottie would allow her to wake her from this dream. She had to be quick, to wake Lottie up before the Flame Demon Disaster occurred in the dream world. Dreams often reflected reality to a certain extent. Marie said that the Flame Demon Varaloka was trying to awaken. Since the dream world was a reflection of the night of the Flame Demon Disaster, the eruption of the Flame Demon Disaster would signify the resurgence of Varaloka. Charlotte''s gaze swept around the hall in circles. However, she didn''t find Lottie. Instead, she heard a lot of gossip from the nobles around her... When Charlotte looked around and her gaze inadvertently fell on Sebastian, who followed her in, she saw a somewhat serious expression on his face. Charlotte''s heart moved slightly, and she asked. "What''s wrong, Sebastian?" "My Lord, something''s not right with this dream..." Sebastian looked around at the nobles, speaking in a deep voice. "Not right?" Charlotte raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Tell me your judgment." Charlotte said. "My Lord... as far as I know, dream worlds are created around the dream''s owner, evolving from things the dream''s owner knows or understands. Generally, in places where the dream''s owner is not present, the dream world tends to become vague... Only the closer you get to the dream''s owner, the more real the dream world becomes." Sebastian said respectfully. With that, his gaze swept across the hall. "But this dream is too real... There''s no gradual transition of the dream, everything seems so real no matter where you look..." "We can even hear the conversations of these nobles clearly. Honestly... I don''t believe Lottie''s dream would manifest so meticulously detailed..." "This is not normal..." "This dream should be Lottie''s memory. She couldn''t possibly remember the scenery so clearly and couldn''t possibly remember the conversations of the nobles so vividly, especially since she''s not in the hall right now, yet everything in the hall is still running normally." "My Lord... there''s something wrong with this dream!" Of course, there''s something wrong. After all, it''s the dream of the Flame Demon Varaloka''s descent. Charlotte thought to herself. However, Sebastian''s words reminded her of something. When she first brought Sebastian into the Dark Night Castle, the edge of the mental world was filled with crimson mist, which fit the setting where the dream world revolved around the dream''s owner. But now, they didn''t see any mist at all. This could only mean that the scene of this dream was very large, even larger than Charlotte had imagined. However, Lottie alone couldn''t manifest such a specific detailed dream. Combined with the significance of this dream, Charlotte speculated. "This dream... is probably not just Lottie''s dream." "It''s also Varaloka''s dream." Sebastian''s expression gradually became serious. "I''m afraid... there''s only this explanation." Charlotte withdrew her gaze from the hall and pondered. "In that case... Lottie''s main consciousness is probably with Varaloka." "Lottie is probably taken by Varaloka to some place in the dream." Listening to Charlotte''s words, Sebastian pondered. Suddenly, his expression changed slightly. "The location of the ritual?" We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Charlotte thought for a moment and nodded. "It''s not impossible." "It seems we need to find out where the Brois mansion''s dungeon is. As far as I know, the sacrificial site of the Flame Demon Disaster ten years ago was in the dungeon of Brois mansion!" Sebastian said after some thought. However, Charlotte shook her head slightly. "It''s not that troublesome." "Someone... will lead us there." Huh? Sebastian''s heart moved slightly. The next moment, applause and cheers rang out in the hall, attracting countless eyes. Sebastian also subconsciously looked toward the source of the sound and soon saw two splendid figures. One of them she was very familiar with, was Lord Andre, the Duke of Borde. The other person looked much stranger, a middle-aged nobleman, with some resemblance to Lottie. "Count Brois... and Duke Borde?" Sebastian raised an eyebrow. But soon, he frowned slightly. "Wait a minute... Did the Duke also attend the banquet ten years ago?" Charlotte was also a little surprised. On the night of the Flame Demon Disaster, various records never mentioned that the Duke also attended the banquet. But in the dream, he appeared. This was a bit odd. Almost all the guests on the night of the Flame Demon Disaster died. Very few people escaped. And no one in the later Mage Corps who participated in the battle had ever seen Duke Borde. This indicated that the Duke should have come and gone quickly. As if to verify Charlotte''s speculation, after toasting, Duke Borde left the hall. After that, Count Brois also followed suit. Watching the two leaving together with the retreating attendants, Charlotte''s heart moved slightly. "We''ll follow them." She said to Sebastian. Following behind Duke Borde and Count Brois, the two also left the hall. However, instead of heading towards the mansion''s main gate, the Duke headed towards the garden behind the mansion. After entering the garden, the person leading the way changed to Count Brois. The two followed the garden path and soon arrived at a hidden iron gate behind the garden, quietly sneaking in. "My Lord... it''s Brois mansion''s dungeon!" Sebastian said with a slight solemnity. My goodness... Did the Duke actually participate in the Flame Demon Disaster ten years ago? Charlotte''s heart skipped a beat. Looking at the iron gate in front of her, she squinted her eyes. "We''ll follow them too." Following the two into the iron gate, beyond the iron gate were winding stairs leading downwards, and at the end of the stairs, there was indeed a dungeon. In the dungeon, guards were stationed layer by layer, following Count Brois as "observers". Charlotte and Sebastian quickly found the ritual site deep in the dungeon. It was an altar. The altar resembled the one where the Blood Demon Cult summoned their God. However, instead of the demonic eye, there was an empty crystal coffin. Count Brois and Duke Borde were standing and talking in front of the altar. "How''s the preparation for the ritual?" "Back to the Duke, it can be done tonight. If everything goes smoothly, my daughter will recover tomorrow morning, and it will be much safer to perform the ritual for you then." "Hmm... not bad, just be careful not to be discovered. The Church already suspects your connection with the Blood Demon Cult, and it''s getting harder to find sacrifices." "Please rest assured, I have arranged it properly. Once the ritual is successful, I will kill their informants and actively report the whereabouts of the Blood Demon Cult to the Church... As for the ritual prepared for you, there are enough sacrifices." "Um... Are you really sure the demonic contracts they provide are effective?" "It''s been verified, no problem." "Can it heal any hidden illnesses of the body?" s?a??h th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "Yes." "Even mine?" "Yes, it can heal your fertility issues too..." "Very good! After this matter, Borde will remember the contribution of the Brois family." Listening to Count Brois'' reply, Duke Borde was quite satisfied. And behind them, Charlotte''s expression was serious, and waves of turmoil surged in her heart. Ten years ago, during the Flame Demon Disaster... Duke Bould was actually one of the masterminds behind it! Chapter 123: Found them After Duke Borde and Count Brois exchanged a few words, they left.The Duke left the mansion and disappeared at the end of the dream. Watching the direction the Duke left, Sebastian couldn''t help but say, "I didn''t expect Duke Borde to be behind the scenes of the Flame Demon Disaster... It seems that, as the rumors say, he has never given up on finding a solution to his fertility problem over the years." "Demonic contract... he really dares to think! Although the Bloodbornes have always adhered to contracts, the price of the contract is not something ordinary people can afford, especially when it involves both demons and the Bloodborne Archduke Abaddon!" Charlotte frowned slightly. "Solving fertility problems... but wasn''t he already paving the way for Leno to inherit the territory ten years ago?" Sebastian thought for a moment and said. "I suppose he was prepared on both fronts, Master. You may not know, but human nobles value lineage greatly, not inferior to the Bloodbornes in this regard." "I think perhaps this concept is also influenced by the Bloodbornes, after all, before the Thousand-Year Holy War, the nobles of the Crescent Kingdom and the Bloodbornes were almost similar. Even though they changed direction later, some ideas are bound to be inherited." "Leno is, after all, a bastard. Compared to a bastard, the Duke undoubtedly still hopes to have a legitimate son as his heir." "However, people''s thoughts can change. I remember that Lord Leno began to emerge only nearly seven years ago. As his potential gradually became apparent, the Duke''s expectations of him also grew..." "Duke Borde''s health has been deteriorating, which is no secret in the Duchy. Even if he regains fertility and has a new heir, he probably won''t last until the heir comes of age." "Now, he... probably has completely given up on the idea of ??having children." "In recent years, Duke Borde has been vigorously cracking down on the Blood Demon Cult, probably also to completely bury his own history and pave the way for Leno." Charlotte disdainfully pursed her lips. Completely bury? His history... was at the expense of thousands of innocent girls. Ten years have passed, and who remembers those innocent girls? Charlotte recalled the various scenes she had seen in the memories of those girls, recalling the despair they had felt... Vaguely, the scene in the dungeon began to overlap with those scenes in her memory. And this overlapping memory gradually awakened certain memories deeply buried in her body since she transmigrated... In a daze, she recalled some experiences from the night of the disaster ten years ago. She remembered that beautiful little garden, remembered the giggling, running figures in the garden... In an instant, the door of memory burst open¡ª Oh! Right! That night, the original body owner should have been playing hide-and-seek with the Brois sisters in the garden... When it was the original''s turn to hide, she waited for a long time but didn''t see the shadow of the Brois sisters. And when she cautiously emerged from the woods... what she saw was the burning sky and the awakened Flame Demon. "Master, Miss Lottie is probably not here. Maybe she''s still enjoying the birthday party somewhere else." "But this is indeed the starting point of the disaster. As a sacrifice, Miss Brois will definitely appear here. Should we wait here?" Sebastian looked around and respectfully asked. "Still enjoying the birthday party somewhere else?" Charlotte''s mind stirred. "There''s a possibility." "Master, from what I know, demons often use dreams to lure mortals into corruption, usually in two ways, one is through nightmares, the other is through beautiful illusions..." "The starting point of this dream is a birthday banquet, full of joy and beauty. The way currently used was obviously the latter." "If I''m not mistaken, Miss Lottie is probably still having fun somewhere in this dream..." "However, to conclude her corruption, she will definitely be brought here by Valaroka, because the ritual is the endpoint of this dream." We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "Master, I think we can wait here and wait for them to come to us." Sebastian expressed his judgment. However, hearing his words, Charlotte fell into thought. "Having fun somewhere..." She muttered to herself, her heart moved. Withdrawing her gaze from the depths of the dungeon, Charlotte shook her head. "No, there''s no need to wait. I can probably guess where Lottie is." "Let''s go and meet her." After saying that, she didn''t hesitate anymore. They turned around and left the dungeon. Charlotte and Sebastian returned to the surface, where the laughter and music in the mansion hall seemed even more lively. Sebastian''s heart stirred and said. "Master, the banquet has reached its climax. As the protagonists, the Brois sisters may already be at the banquet." However, Charlotte shook her head. "No, they won''t be there. If this dream is Valaroka''s attempt to lure Lottie into corruption, they won''t appear at the banquet." "When we were at the hospital, I communicated with Lottie a lot. She''s someone who enjoys quietness, actually she doesn''t like the hustle and bustle." "Her happiest memories... are not in the banquet hall." After speaking, Charlotte did not return to the hall, but turned and walked deeper into the mansion. Sebastian was quite curious about the girl''s actions. But out of unconditional trust in the great Lady of the Night, he didn''t ask too much, but followed closely behind. The brightly lit hall gradually receded, and the noise faded away. Under Charlotte''s lead, the two came to the back of Brois Mansion, before a beautiful and dreamy small garden. It was indeed a dreamy small garden. Moonlight poured down like water, casting colorful spots on the ground through the rustling branches and leaves. Countless flickering particles danced freely in the garden, like elemental sprites, shimmering with radiant light, following the cool and comfortable night breeze like ribbons of light. And in the night breeze, the silver-bell-like laughter could be faintly heard coming from the garden. Hearing that crisp laughter, Charlotte''s heart stirred slightly, her lips curling slightly upwards. "We found them." Taking a deep breath, she took a step forward, pushing aside the bushes that blocked her view. In the grove, on a spacious grassy area, three beautiful girls were playing happily. Among them, the two older ones looked about twelve or thirteen years old, both with beautiful brown hair and cute white dresses. As for the slightly younger one, she was only about four or five years old, with delicate features like a blond-haired, blue-eyed doll. The three seemed to be playing hide-and-seek, with one of the older girls counting numbers while facing a big tree, and the other two girls moving stealthily towards the bushes. s?a??h th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. As soon as the two looked up, they saw Charlotte and Sebastian entering the bushes, and they both froze in surprise. "Someone''s here! Let''s run!" The little girl giggled and then grabbed the girl several years older than herself and ran deeper into the grove. Watching the two disappear into the woods, Charlotte squinted her eyes slightly. And Sebastian was curious. "Master... what just happened... was that... the past? You?" "No, the past me shouldn''t be able to see me." Charlotte shook her head. "That was... It." Chapter 124: Your disguise really annoys me Lottie felt very happy.She liked the beautiful garden in her family mansion, and she enjoyed playing freely here with her sister and her best friend. Carefree, without worries, there was only happiness and laughter. However, occasionally she had a feeling, a feeling that she had forgotten something. It seemed like there were some important things she needed to do. It felt like it was something very, very important, making her feel unsettled. But no matter how much she tried, she couldn''t remember what she had forgotten... "Lottie! What are you daydreaming about?" Her friend''s clear and melodious voice interrupted her thoughts. Looking at her friend''s lovely appearance, Lottie felt her mood brighten. "I... I don''t know, I just feel like I''ve forgotten something." Lottie shook her head and said. "If you can''t remember, then don''t think about it! If you can''t remember, it must not be anything important! Let''s just play happily!" "Okay, stop worrying! Come on! It''s your turn to find us!" The little girl giggled. Lottie hesitated. But when her friend reached out and took her hand, Lottie''s worries seemed to fade in an instant. Yes. Since she couldn''t remember what she had forgotten, it meant that whatever she had forgotten wasn''t important. Tonight was her birthday party, and she wanted to play happily! With that in mind, Lottie''s furrowed brow relaxed a lot. She regained her smile and continued playing with her sister and friend. Happy times always flew by quickly. Unknowingly, they played several rounds of hide and seek. The moon hung high in the sky, scattering its silver light. Lottie didn''t know how long they had been playing, but looking at the moonlight, it seemed unchanged... As time passed, that faint feeling of unease surged in her heart again. "Charlotte, have we... been playing for too long? Shouldn''t the banquet have started by now?" "Hey! Lottie! Let them do what they want, and we''ll do what we want! Do you still want to pretend to smile with those hypocritical adults?" The girl pouted. Lottie thought she had a point. She really didn''t like dealing with those adults who wore masks every day. Especially in recent years, even the adults at home seemed much colder, the atmosphere more oppressive, making her increasingly uncomfortable. Only when she was with her sister and friend could she truly relax and be full of laughter. "Well then... shall we play a little longer?" She hesitated and said. "Yeah! Let''s play a little longer!" The little girl said happily. "Marie! It''s your turn to catch us!" The three of them continued playing hide and seek. Marie faced the big tree, counting down the numbers, while her friend pulled Lottie''s hand and hid in the bushes. However, just as the two were about to dive into the bushes, the bushes were parted from the outside. Lottie saw two slender figures appear in front of her. The leader was a beautiful young lady. Her magnificent silver hair shimmered in the moonlight, her beautiful face adorned with ruby-like eyes, and her gorgeous yet solemn long dress made her look mysterious and noble... At first glance, Lottie was stunned, not even able to tear her gaze away to look at the handsome elf behind her. So... beautiful! Only this thought remained in Lottie''s mind. What followed was a strange sense of familiarity and intimacy. That inexplicable familiarity and intimacy made Lottie subconsciously stop and couldn''t help but ask. "Excuse me..." "Lottie! Someone''s here! Let''s run!" Her friend''s giggling voice interrupted her words, and she pulled her hand and ran deeper into the garden. Lottie didn''t have time to react and was pulled along. The two ran deeper and deeper, farther and farther... Lottie didn''t even know how long they had been running, or whether the garden in her family mansion was really this large. In any case... they ran for a long, long time, but they were still in the garden. The surrounding trees became denser, and the shadows of fireflies gradually diminished, leaving only the silver moonlight pouring down. Lottie was out of breath, unable to run anymore. "Huff... let''s... stop for a moment... Charlotte... let''s stop..." We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now But her friend, still holding her hand, laughed without panting. "Lottie... you have such poor stamina!" "No... it''s just that your stamina is too good, really... I can''t imagine that you''re not tired after running so far!" Lottie shook her head and said. After speaking, she hesitated for a moment and asked again. "Charlotte... why did you drag me to run? That lady just now seemed to be looking for us." "Looking for us? Lottie, do you want those hypocritical adults to find us? Don''t you feel oppressed when you''re with them?" The little girl asked discontentedly. Lottie hesitated. "But... she didn''t make me feel oppressed, and... and I feel like she made me feel very familiar, maybe she''s someone I knew before..." "That''s enough! Lottie! The only people you know are me and Marie!" The little girl shook her head and said. As she spoke, she reached out her hand again towards the girl''s arm. But just as she was about to grab the girl''s arm, a hand wearing a white glove suddenly lifted her from behind. "Your Excellency Valaroka, it''s not a good habit to deceive a beautiful lady by pretending to be someone else, especially... the disguise you''re wearing really annoys me." Sebastian smiled as he lifted the girl up like a chick. Hearing Sebastian''s words, the girl''s expression changed slightly, and she struggled. "Who are you! Let me go! Let me go!" Lottie was also panicked. "Who... who... who are you! What are you going to do to Charlotte!" "This is the Brois Mansion! How dare you act recklessly... I''m going to call someone!" Sebastian smiled faintly. "Miss Lottie, I''m Sebastian, the one who''s going to rescue you from this fake dream." "Sebastian...? Dream?" Lottie''s expression was confused. The name Sebastian sounded very familiar to her, but for a moment she couldn''t remember where she had heard it before. "Lottie! He''s a bad person! Call the guards to take him down!" The girl who was grabbed said angrily. "Hehe, guards? It seems that your recovery is not complete yet, and you still need Miss Lottie to control the dream." Sebastian chuckled. With that, he looked down at the little girl in his hand from a high vantage point and sneered. "Your Excellency Valaroka, although you are a myth... your choice of disguise is not very good." "What are you talking about! Let me go! I''m the eldest daughter of the Castell family! How dare you treat me like this! Are you trying to make enemies with the Castell family?!" The girl said angrily. Sebastian laughed. Only to see him look towards Lottie''s back, and chuckled. "Great master, did you hear that? It says it''s the eldest daughter of the Castell family!" "It?" Lottie was stunned. However, she quickly noticed the gaze of the person behind her. Lottie couldn''t help turning her head, only to see that the beautiful young lady who had just stood in front of her had somehow appeared behind her. She frowned and looked at the girl who was lifted up by Sebastian, saying coldly. "Sebastian, get rid of it." "As you command..." Sebastian bowed, then summoned a flaming sword, and in Lottie''s shocked gaze, pierced the girl''s chest. s?a??h th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "Charlotte!" Seeing her friend pierced through with a sword, Lottie couldn''t help but cry out. But the next moment, she froze. She saw the girl who had been pierced through the heart by the sword suddenly melt like a candle melting, turning into a black liquid and merging into the ground. Lottie stared blankly at everything, feeling shocked and confused, until an ethereal voice came from beside her. "Don''t look, it''s fake." Lottie couldn''t help but turn her head and look at the beautiful young lady beside her, only to see a crimson light suddenly radiate from her. Then, a strange scene appeared. Her figure slowly shrank, quickly turning into a fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl, her magnificent silver hair turning into dazzling gold, her ruby-like eyes turning into sapphire-like skies, and her facial features were eight or nine points similar to her friend. "You... you are..." Seeing the appearance of the other party, Lottie was shocked and uncertain, feeling an unprecedented sense of familiarity and intimacy surging into her heart, as if something in her mind was awakening. Looking at the girl who showed a puzzled expression, Charlotte sighed lightly. "Sister Lottie, you should wake up... from this dream." As she spoke, she reached out and placed her hand on the girl''s shoulder. A brilliant red light bloomed, and Lottie felt the memory gate in her mind shatter, and a massive amount of information flooded into her mind... Chapter 125: Varalokas Node Lottie felt like she was in a dream. A wonderful, beautiful dream. However, dreams always have a waking moment.When the real memories awakened from the depths of her mind, she gradually regained herself. At the same time, Charlotte, who awakened Lottie, also touched Lottie''s memories, just as she had touched the remnants of those sacrificed innocent girls before. A vast amount of memories flooded into Charlotte''s mind in a very short time. She witnessed the long memories of Priest Lottie over the past ten years... Her attempt to investigate the truth of the Flame Demon Disaster. Her struggle and confusion in the darkness. The efforts made time and time again to find and save her sister. And in the end, discovered that she had been manipulated by the Blood Demon Cult''s High Priest throughout, feeling anger, confusion, and despair... Under Charlotte''s astonished gaze, Lottie''s body suddenly emitted a faint halo. Her figure changed rapidly, quickly returning to her adult appearance from ten years later. At the same time, the surrounding trees withered rapidly, and the dense, suffocating smoke gradually spread. Along with the spreading smoke, there were the crackling sounds of burning flames, people''s screams, and faint roars... Lottie looked at her hands in confusion, gradually becoming aware. But just as she became aware, her expression suddenly ignited with anger and urgency. However, this anger and urgency quickly turned into confusion when she saw Charlotte and Sebastian beside her. Lottie raised her head, looking somewhat dazedly at Charlotte beside her, and her confused gaze gradually regained focus. "Charlotte? And... Mr. Sebastian?" "What... What''s happening to me? Where am I?" After saying this, Lottie heard a faint roar coming from the distance. Subconsciously, she looked towards the source of the voice, only to see the entire sky seeming to be burning, with crimson clouds churning... This familiar and terrifying scene gradually overlapped with a certain scene from her memory, and Lottie subconsciously widened her eyes. "This... This is..." "This is a dream related to you, from the night of the Flame Demon Disaster ten years ago." Charlotte said. "A dream? My dream?" Lottie widened her eyes. Charlotte was about to continue explaining, but suddenly felt a movement in her heart, looking towards the other side. Then, another clear voice slowly sounded. "Yes, it''s your dream, but more precisely, it''s the dream shared between you and the Flame Demon Valaroka..." Hearing this familiar voice, Lottie subconsciously follows the gaze, only to see fireflies suddenly flying towards her, constantly condensing, and finally turning into human form. It was a little girl wearing a white dress. It was Count Brois'' eldest daughter, Marie. Lottie saw Marie smiling and showing a joyful expression toward her. "Lottie... We finally meet again." "Sister?! Sister! Is it really you!" Lottie was suddenly excited. She almost instinctively pounced towards the other party, wanting to hug her, but passed through the girl''s body... "Sister?" Lottie was stunned. "Sorry... Lottie, I am no longer considered human. It''s already my limit to be able to meet you in this form..." The little girl said somewhat sadly. Saying this, she looked at Charlotte beside her and respectfully bowed. "Lady Charlotte, thank you for awakening Lottie, and thank you for suppressing the Flame Demon Valaroka... Allowing me to enter its dream." Suppressing...? Charlotte''s heart moved. She exchanged a glance with Sebastian, and Sebastian immediately understood. "Its dream? Miss Marie, are you saying... that this dream no longer belongs to Miss Lottie?" Sebastian asked. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "That''s right, Lady Charlotte has already awakened Lottie, but the dream still exists, because the Flame Demon Valaroka maintains it." "Valaroka''s level is much higher than Lottie''s. After Lottie lost control, the nature of this dream changed, and the changes in the surrounding scenery are the signs." "Now, the dream... belongs to the Flame Demon Valaroka. It uses this to corrupt Lottie, to use Lottie as a medium to open the door to the void, and to completely break free from the seal!" Marie said. After saying that, she bowed to Charlotte again and earnestly pleaded. "Lady Charlotte... Please, you must destroy this dream, you must stop the Flame Demon Valaroka''s complete descent!" "In the years of being sealed, although the Flame Demon Valaroka has been in slumber, it has never given up on entering the present world!" "Ten years ago, on the night of the Flame Demon Disaster, although half of its power that invaded the mortal world was sealed, it also gave itself a point node." S?a?ch* Th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "During its slumber, it has already connected its other half of power with the passage to the mortal world through the seal of the void. Once the seal is completely broken, after it wakes up, it will possess not half but its full power!" "That kind of power... is definitely not something the Borde City, or even something the Borde Duchy can bear, and once it fully descended, it will definitely continue the Bloodborne Archduke''s Descent Ritual!" Hearing the girl''s words, Charlotte and Sebastian''s expressions gradually became solemn. Lottie, however, felt increasingly uneasy, a sense of unease surging in her heart. "Sister, how do you know so much about the Flame Demon Valaroka?" Marie did not answer Lottie''s question but looked earnestly at Charlotte. Charlotte looked at her deeply. "Miss Marie..." "If I''m not mistaken, you should know where the Flame Demon Valaroka is in this dream, right?" Marie nodded. "Yes, I know, not only that... I also know that it has not fully awakened yet. Now is the best time to interrupt its descent and completely banish it to the void!" "As long as we seal its consciousness in this dream and completely destroy its point node in the mortal world, it will lose the opportunity to step into the mortal world!" Hearing Marie''s words, Charlotte''s gaze gradually became profound. "Have you... prepared yourself?" Marie was slightly stunned, then smiled. "Of course..." "My existence is for this day." Listening to the mysterious conversation between Marie and Charlotte, Lottie''s sense of unease grew stronger. Charlotte sighed softly. "In that case, let''s go." Marie nodded, then gently raised her hand. As she moved, the withered trees seemed to come to life, parting to both sides, and a dark passage appeared on the ground, leading straight underground. Seeing Marie easily intervening in the dream, Lottie''s eyes widened in disbelief, and an unbelievable guess appeared in her mind. "Sister, you..." Marie still didn''t reply to Lottie but said to Charlotte. "Lady Charlotte, the path is open, let''s go." Charlotte didn''t hesitate, followed by Sebastian, she stepped into the underground passage opened by Marie. The group entered the constantly descending dark passage. After an unknown amount of time, they finally reached the end... At the end of the passage was a familiar dilapidated temple, exactly the same as the underground temple where the Blood Demon Cult held their descent ritual in the real world. In the center of the temple was a towering altar, surrounded by layers of fleshy lumps. The fleshy lumps intersected with each other, converging above the altar, and connecting to a huge and hideous eye. That was the Demon Eye, the same as Marie''s demonized body in the real world! "Lady Charlotte, this is Valaroka''s slumbering consciousness'' point node." Marie said respectfully. Seeing that familiar demon eye, Sebastian was slightly stunned, then his expression became somewhat complicated. "Miss Marie, have you... already merged with the Flame Demon Valaroka?" Chapter 126: Awakening "Miss Marie, have you... already merged with the Flame Demon Valaroka?"Sebastian''s gaze at Marie, who remained calm, was somewhat complicated. Lottie also widened her eyes. "Sister, you..." Marie remained silent for a moment, then nodded gently, revealing a lonely smile. "Yes." "The Demon Eye obtained by the Blood Demon Cult is actually Valaroka''s eye. The High Priest merged it with my body..." "I... am actually the node of the Flame Demon Valaroka, and also the core of the Bloodborne Archduke''s Descent Ritual." "Ten years ago, Valaroka planned from the beginning to transform one of its eyes into the sacred vessel for the Bloodborne Archduke. This was part of the Flame Demon''s plan..." "Now, what the Blood Demon Cult is doing is just the remaining part of the plan." "The Blood Demon Cult had everything planned out, but what they didn''t plan for was that my consciousness was not completely consumed, but instead I maintained my existence because Valaroka was sealed..." "This was the contingency left by my father in the ritual..." "The Blood Demon Cult used their domination magic to control our father''s mind. They turned our father, who loved his people like his own children, into an executioner who saw the people as tools. They wanted our father to kill his own daughter..." "But, they overlooked our father''s love for us..." "Even though his mind was controlled, our father still regarded his daughters as his most precious treasure..." "Between Valaroka, the Bloodborne Archduke, and his daughter, he ultimately chose his daughter." "From this perspective, when the Blood Demon Cult chose us as vessels and mediums ten years ago, they had already failed..." With that, Marie took a deep breath and said to Charlotte. "Lady Charlotte, please act." "I know you also possess the miraculous power to interfere with the dream world. Please destroy Valaroka''s dream node and banish it completely!" Sebastian''s expression became serious. "Miss Marie, are you serious? You must understand that losing the consciousness node in the dream world for a high-ranking demon like Valaroka would at most mean losing the pathway to invade the real world. But for you, who have fused with its consciousness node, it means death..." "This is not ordinary death, but the annihilation of the soul. As a coexistor, your soul will be completely purified, and even the possibility of resurrection as an undead will be lost..." Marie smiled slightly and said. "Mr. Sebastian, I have long been prepared for this." "I have witnessed the horror of Valaroka, and I have gained some of its memories through our fusion..." "I know how evil and terrifying it is." "To see Lottie safe and sound, to see Lottie rescued from the control of the Blood Demon Cult, my final wish has been fulfilled." "No! Sister! There must be another way!" Lottie said urgently. Marie smiled and shook her head. "Lottie, it''s time for everything to end. You..." Marie didn''t finish her sentence. Halfway through, her whole body suddenly trembled, and her illusory figure became unstable. At the same time, the entire temple suddenly began to shake violently, the ground cracked, and large chunks of stone and earth fell from the dome. The Demon Eye above the altar emitted a deep glow, and the terrifying eyeball trembled slightly, its moving eyelids seeming like they could open at any moment. Seeing the changes in the Demon Eye, Marie''s expression changed slightly. "Oh no... Valaroka has sensed my actions..." "It''s trying to reclaim all control over the dream... Its level is far beyond mine! I can''t hold on for much longer..." "Lady Charlotte... Please... Quickly destroy it!" Marie barely finished speaking before an ancient and desolate darkness slowly spread throughout the temple... With the gradually rising pressure, the eyeball above the altar slowly opened. The wrinkled eyelids flickered, revealing a cold and indifferent pupil, within which a deep and dark hellfire seemed to burn... At the moment the Demon Eye opened, Mary''s trembling stopped abruptly. Her aura also changed in an instant, and her brown eyes also turned golden-red. The anxious expression disappeared, replaced by a cold indifference. "Sister... Sister?" We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Lottie looked at "Marie" whose temperament had changed in surprise and suspicion. Sebastian''s expression became serious. "No, she is no longer Miss Marie..." "She is Valaroka, the Flame Demon!" Hearing Sebastian''s words, "Marie" immediately cast her gaze downward at the few people below the altar. She narrowed her eyes slightly, and her gaze toward the three of them was threatening, but she remained silent, seemingly uninterested in communicating with ants. A terrifying aura emanated from her, and the entire dream world suddenly began to undergo earth-shattering changes. The dilapidated temple was instantly shattered, and scorching lava erupted from the cracks in the ground, quickly engulfing everything, leaving only the altar with the Demon Eye. In an instant, the dream world turned into a hellish landscape of lava... The thick scent of sulfur filled the air, accompanied by unbearable heat. If one didn''t know they were in a dream, it would be hard to distinguish the surroundings from reality. Seeing the changed scenery around her and sensing the increasingly terrifying aura of the other party, Sebastian''s expression changed slightly. "This is bad! It''s about to awaken! Master, we must retreat from the dream!" However, when he looked at Charlotte, he suddenly frowned. Charlotte had not moved. She still stood in place, looking at the increasingly terrifying "Marie", seemingly lost in thought. "Master?" Sebastian called out anxiously. Charlotte only then snapped out of her reverie and said. "Sorry, I was lost in thought." "Sebastian, you mentioned... if a myth were to be converted into divine power, how much power would it provide me?" Sebastian:... "M-Master!" The expression of the flame elf was extremely helpless. Yet, within that helplessness was also anxiety. "Master! We must retreat! If what Miss Marie said is true, Valaroka has already acquired all its power. Once it awakens, it will be a complete Legendary!" "That''s a level of power we can''t contend with right now!" After hearing Sebastian''s words, Charlotte nodded. "You''re right. Even if I were to confront a Legendary in the real world, it would not be easy..." Master? S~?a??h the ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Does Mr. Sebastian refer to Charlotte as "Master"? A... a Legendary? Charlotte was going to confront a Legendary? Listening to their conversation, Lottie was stunned. And Charlotte''s voice continued. "However, this is not reality, but Valaroka''s dream..." Sebastian became even more anxious. "That''s even more terrifying! This is its home ground!" "No..." Charlotte shook her head. She looked up at the increasingly powerful "Marie" and suddenly smiled. "Mary said it herself, in the dream world, levels... are the source of power." "Levels? Wait... could it be that you..." Sebastian''s heart skipped a beat. Charlotte narrowed her eyes and nodded slightly, "Yes, I want to see, after I am completely liberated, what level I can reach, and what level it can reach... Who is higher." With that, Charlotte sank into consciousness and communicated with the Gospel of Blood. Chapter 127: True Ancestors Liberation! Charlotte would not underestimate an awakened myth.But at the same time, she had no intention of simply withdrawing from the dream of the Flame Demon Valaroka. To withdraw meant to give up, to withdraw meant to give the Flame Demon Valaroka a chance to fully descend, to withdraw meant that she might have to face a fully descended myth in the real world... There were too many interfering factors in the real world, and Charlotte didn''t believe she could easily win under those circumstances. She wanted to try. To try to seize control of this dream world from the opponent. To try to use a higher level of power to influence the dream world and suppress the Flame Demon Valaroka in reverse! At this moment, Charlotte decisively communicated with the Gospel of Blood, completely unleashing the divine power of blood hidden within the Gospel. She activated the True Ancestor''s Liberation! A crimson light radiated from her body, and Charlotte felt the divine power of blood within her body suddenly become active and turn into burning divine flames. Those red divine flames, centered around her heart, continued to burn and spread to her entire body and her limbs... As the divine flames spread, Charlotte felt her vitality level undergo a tremendous change. Her flesh gradually merged with the divine flames, and her bones and blood gradually tinged with gold. She felt an infinite surge of constantly rising power within her! As the radiant light shone, Charlotte''s figure changed once again. Her golden hair once again turned into magnificent silver, and her height continued to rise, quickly returning to her adult form. But this time, her aura was even more majestic, more dignified, radiating an incredibly dazzling, sacred, and terrifying reddish-golden light. A terrifying pressure spread out from her body, causing the entire dream world to tremble. With a "plop", under the terrifying divine power, Sebastian instantly lost control of his body, kneeling directly on the ground. He raised his head, staring blankly at Charlotte, whose entire body was radiating light. Feeling the dazzling light sting his eyes and his tears streaming down, he quickly averted his gaze... As for Lottie... The moment Charlotte''s aura radiated, she had already fainted. The Saint''s stance! The great Lady of the Night unfolded her Saint''s stance! Watching the radiant Charlotte, Sebastian quickly realized what she was doing, and his heart was filled with excitement. The Saint''s stance was a special stance for the Gods to walk on this world. The power of Gods was too immense, and ordinary planes couldn''t withstand it. Every time a God descended with their real strength, it would cause irreversible divine contamination to the plane. And the Saint''s stance... was the strongest combat stance that a God could evoke on this world without causing irreversible destruction to this world! That was a power infinitely close to mythology... Feeling Charlotte''s terror, Sebastian was incredibly excited. The great Lady of the Night could now unfold her Saint''s stance! Her strength had recovered to some extent! Sebastian was very excited. At the same time, Charlotte who had just undergone True Ancestor''s Liberation, slowly opened her eyes and displayed the burning golden flames in her pupils. Charlotte felt that her current state was very strange. She felt as if she had merged with the divine power at this moment, the divine power of blood that had once required difficult manipulation to activate, now seemed to be part of her body, obedient to her command. She felt very strong. Extremely strong... Taking Sebastian as an example, the Flame Elf who usually brought her considerable pressure, at this moment, seemed like an ant that could be easily crushed in her perception. She had a feeling that even if she just slapped him with all her might, she could directly crush him to death with the divine power in her body... At the same time, the threat posed by "Marie", who had just given her terrifying pressure, was no longer so strong at this moment. Seeing Charlotte''s changes, "Marie", who had always regarded several people as ants with indifference, suddenly became serious. "A descending myth?" We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now That wasn''t Marie''s voice. S~?a??h the N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. It was a deep and profound voice. However, "she" quickly focused on Charlotte''s power, and for the first time, a trace of doubt emerged in her indifferent expression. "Wait a minute..." "This aura... Who are you?!" Charlotte didn''t answer the opponent''s question. In fact, while she was pleasantly surprised by her newfound power from True Ancestor''s Liberation, she was also worried about the rapidly consumed available time. Just maintaining the Saint stance, without taking action, the duration of True Ancestor Liberation had already begun to decrease like flowing water. Charlotte knew that she couldn''t maintain this stance for too long. Fifty seconds? Forty seconds? No... If she exerted all her power, perhaps the time would be even shorter. Charlotte knew that she had to defeat the opponent before the time for True Ancestor''s Liberation ran out. But at this moment, another problem arose. Although she temporarily gained immense power, Charlotte awkwardly realized that she seemed incapable of utilizing this power. When it came to action, it seemed like she could only rely on brute force with her divine power, or perhaps employ blood magic like majesty or necromancy. It was quite embarrassing. This was a situation she hadn''t anticipated at all. She thought that after activating True Ancestor''s Liberation, she would also awaken some ways to utilize her divine power, but she didn''t expect that she would only gain enhanced strength but lack awareness of how to utilize it. However, although she didn''t know how to use the power of Saint''s stance, Charlotte probably still knew how to penetrate this dream. Dyeing! When she first entered the dream, that''s how she did it. Not being able to use power was not a problem, this wasn''t the real world, but a dream. As long as she turned this dream into her own, then... she could do whatever she wanted. With this thought in mind, she decisively manipulated her divine power to spread into the dream. As divine power permeated, Charlotte suddenly saw a new change in her field of vision. Wherever the divine power spread, Charlotte was surprised to see countless flying threads appear. Those strange illusory lines intertwined with each other, shuttling back and forth, ubiquitous, weaving the entire dream world. No, not just the entire dream world. Even on Sebastian and Lottie''s bodies, there were also threads, faintly outlining their body contours. Among all the threads, the most numerous were the pitch-black threads, centered on "Marie", spreading throughout the entire world like a dark web. That dark web was everywhere, like the foundation of the dream. What was this? Charlotte was puzzled. Subconsciously, she reached out towards those black threads. As her touch connected, those black threads immediately absorbed her divine power, gradually turning crimson. The next moment, a strange scene appeared. With Charlotte as the center, those black threads all turned into blood-red lines, and Charlotte found that she had begun to gain partial control of the dream. Not only that, her control over the dream continued to spread with the extension of the red lines. This discovery astonished Charlotte. With a slight movement in her heart, she looked at the lava not far away, or more accurately, the illusory black threads behind the lava. Charlotte reached out and used divine power to break those black threads. The next moment, an even stranger scene occurred. As the threads broke, the lava corresponding to the threads in the dream world collapsed with a loud rumble, instantly dissipating into smoke. Seeing this scene, Charlotte''s heart skipped a beat. She vaguely guessed what these threads were... Chapter 128: You are the Bloodborne True Ancestor! Spiritual power!These threads are manifestations of spiritual power! The essence of the dream world is the spiritual world, and spiritual power is the cornerstone of the spiritual world... Assimilating these spiritual powers, she can completely gain control of the dream, seize the spiritual power belonging to the Flame Demon Valaroka, and erode its strength like sucking its blood! Charlotte quickly realized what these ubiquitous threads around her were and immediately began to act. With a slight movement of her mind, the divine power of blood erupted completely, rapidly spreading the crimson radiance throughout the dream world. The majestic and vast aura continued to boil, and the ubiquitous black lines in the dream world quickly took on Charlotte''s red color and spread rapidly around... At the same time, in Sebastian''s view, the entire dream world underwent earth-shaking changes! Space tore apart, the earth shook, and the dream composed of lava collapsed with a thunderous roar, as if doomsday had come. Terrifying cracks quickly spread across the dream world, and crimson mist gushed out from the cracks in the dream. Under the diffusion of the crimson mist, volcanoes and lava collapsed one after another, and the collapsing dream suddenly began to reassemble! Blocks of black bricks, seeming to possess vitality, transformed continuously, constantly building, soon forming solemn and majestic ancient walls. The dream continued to reassemble, layers of stairs spread with the diffusion of crimson mist, and a majestic Blood Throne slowly emerged beneath Charlotte... Under the support of the throne, Charlotte slowly rose into the air, overlooking the entire world from a high vantage point. She sat on the Blood Throne, stroking the familiar armrest of the throne, silently watching and marveling at the dream world gradually transforming into the Dark Night Castle in her mind. After invading Valaroka''s dream world, it unexpectedly transformed into the Dark Night Castle in her consciousness! Now, this dream was hers! Charlotte looked down at "Marie" from above. No, it wasn''t "Marie" anymore. With the invasion of Charlotte''s power into the dream, Valaroka''s appearance also reverted to its true form, a terrifying demon with burning hellfire and fearsome demonic horns! However, at this moment, this terrifying Flame Demon, who was like a world-ending giant in the Flame Demon Disaster, looked quite petite... Its body hadn''t even reached the size of Sebastian standing below the throne, making the Flame Elf stare wide-eyed in astonishment. However, Charlotte, who had just become the master of the dream, knew what was going on. She had seized the dream, and Valaroka''s power had returned to its true form. It had not fully recovered and its consciousness in the dream world was just a part of its whole consciousness... And at this moment, the Flame Demon looked at Charlotte on the throne in horror, its flaming pupils filled with dread. "Dream erosion?! This is... the devouring power!" "True Ancestor! You are the Bloodborne True Ancestor!" Valaroka roared strangely, its terrifying demonic head bearing a human-like fear. Without hesitation, it turned and fled, rushing towards the still unclosed crack in the reformed dream world... But Charlotte acted faster. With a slight movement of her mind, the crimson mist instantly condensed into chains, flying towards the fleeing Flame Demon. In an instant, Valaroka was imprisoned by dream locks transformed by the divine power of blood. Charlotte raised her hand slightly, and the divine power of blood continued to spread, eroding Valaroka''s strength. We rely on your support! novelplex.org S~?a??h the ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Donate now With the blessing of divine power, she once again saw the spiritual threads of Valaroka. These were deeper-level spiritual threads, still black in color, the core spiritual power that made up this part of Valaroka''s consciousness. However, this time, the threads were somewhat different from before. They intertwined with each other and interwove with a dim milky-white thread. The milky-white thread was enveloped by layers of black threads, even showing a certain degree of assimilation. On that milky-white thread, Charlotte sensed a familiar aura. This was... Marie''s spiritual thread? Charlotte''s heart stirred. She manipulated her divine power, continuing to erode Valaroka''s strength, while... carefully avoiding the seemingly fragile milky-white thread that could break at any moment. With Charlotte''s actions, Valaroka let out a painful roar. The crimson mist rose continuously on its body, emitting sizzling sounds, its flames extinguished, and its pitch-black demonic armor began to melt... Soon, Valaroka''s aura gradually weakened, the black power faded away, and the illusory figure of Marie reappeared. She fell to the ground, unconscious. Her connection with Valaroka had been severed by Charlotte. The fusion with the demon was irreversible... but, that was for ordinary people. Under the True Ancestor''s Liberation state, Charlotte wasn''t ordinary. She could save the girl whose consciousness had merged! Of course, Charlotte had just discovered this ability while trying to separate the girl from the demon. After rescuing Marie, Charlotte continued to erode the remaining power of Valaroka. Under the erosion of the divine power of blood, the demon''s power was no match and was quickly devoured... And as Charlotte devoured them, various memories also flooded into her mind. These were Valaroka''s memories. More accurately, they were the memories of this part of its consciousness. These memory fragments were not much, obviously adjusted through consciousness projection. It was retained only the plan and belief of the main body''s awakening from the seal through the God''s Descent Ritual... Charlotte''s heart moved, quickly realizing that this part of Valaroka''s consciousness was not sharing memories with the main body. However, although there was no memory sharing, Charlotte, through the obtained memories, located the seal of the opponent. Charlotte slowly raised her head, the reddish-gold flames burning in her pupils, perceiving a faint black thread penetrating the void... That was the connection between Valaroka and this part of its consciousness. Perhaps because it penetrated the seal, this connection was quite weak, but for Charlotte, it was like a path straight to the opponent''s seal! Charlotte glanced at the remaining two-thirds of the time of True Ancestor''s Liberation, and without hesitation, poured the divine power of blood into the connection in the void. She wanted to follow this connection and invade Valaroka''s spiritual world again! The divine power of blood continued to spread, aided by the connection in the void, and Charlotte soon saw the other end of the connection. However, what she "saw" was not some closed extra-dimensional space, but the Borde City at night... Charlotte was startled, her expression changed suddenly. She realized what was going on. She, in her True Ancestor''s Liberation state, was very powerful, easily seizing control of the dream world, but at the same time, she had also destroyed Valaroka''s seal! The main body of Valaroka had taken the opportunity to enter the real world! Chapter 129: From the Soul "Great master, you... dealt with it?" Beneath the Blood Throne, Sebastian asked with awe and anxiety as he looked at the dissipating Flame Demon Valaroka and the serious expression on Charlotte''s face. "No... it went to the real world." Charlotte shook her head. "The real world?" Sebastian was puzzled. Then, his expression changed slightly. "Borde City?!" Charlotte nodded slightly and sighed. "Sebastian, please take care of the people at home for me." Sebastian''s heart trembled. "Are you going to..." "I''ll go meet it." Charlotte said in a deep voice, glancing at her diminishing True Ancestor''s Liberation time, and then waved her hand, dispelling the Dream Realm and returning to reality. To avoid causing a ruckus in the real world, Charlotte''s recent True Ancestor''s Liberation took place in the spiritual world. But now, she had to make a scene in reality. With her Liberation time limit, Charlotte didn''t have full confidence in defeating her opponent. But she believed she had to act. Having read Valaroka''s memories, she knew the Flame Demon was furious about being sealed in Borde City. If she didn''t act, its first act upon descent might be to destroy the city. Though Charlotte didn''t have any personal attachment to Borde City, some people there had become like family to her. As someone with relatively normal values, she didn''t want to watch tens of thousands of innocent civilians die at Valaroka''s hands. Fortunately, having read Valaroka''s memories, Charlotte knew the demon wasn''t in a great state. A decade of sealing had weakened its Legendary power. She had a chance to win. And... it was a big chance! With these thoughts in mind, Charlotte returned to the real world. Without hesitation, the divine power of blood surged, and she once again activated True Ancestor''s Liberation! ... The upheaval at the Dreaming Salon didn''t completely disturb the tranquil night of Borde City. In fact, many civilians, except for those with keen senses, weren''t even aware of the recent undead resurrection. The night had grown late, and most people remained asleep in their dreams. Only the Demon Hunters and City Guards were busy, their heads were full of the recent chaos at the salon and the undead resurrection. The High Priest was no exception. In fact, he was feeling extremely terrible at the moment. Tonight''s events were pushing the High Priest''s Dream even further away from him. At a certain moment, the High Priest truly wished he was just having a nightmare. None of this had happened yet; the Evil God hadn''t descended and the incident at the Dreaming Salon hadn''t been exposed... But unfortunately, the reality was cruel. At this moment, he could only hope that the Blood Demon Cult''s ritual wasn''t ready yet, giving him a chance to communicate with that mysterious Evil God and use that opportunity to defuse this time bomb... However, when a person is unlucky, the more they hope a bad thing won''t happen, the more likely it is to occur... Just as the High Priest was preparing to leave the scene of the Dreaming Salon, an inexplicable sense of palpitation suddenly rose in his heart. Behind him, the City Guards who were still dealing with the scene at the mansion exclaimed one after another. "Look! What''s that?!" "It''s burning! The sky is burning!" The sky... is burning? The High Priest''s heart skipped a beat. He turned around and looked at the sky, only to widen his eyes in horror. Above the canopy, raging flames spread, gradually obscuring the entire sky. Amid the flames, a dark red spatial crack akin to a huge wound suddenly tore open. A dark aura emanated from that crack. Ancient, vast, evil, and corrupt... In the next moment, in the horrified gaze of the High Priest, a monstrous arm protruded from the crack! It was a demon''s arm. The pitch-black scales were burning with hellfire, and speckled flames continuously fell from the sky, igniting the buildings on the ground... We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now The arm pushed aside, and a huge goat head emerged from it. The goat''s head was also burning with flames, and its two moon-like demon eyes flickered with malice and cruelty. It took a deep breath of the pure air of the mortal world and let out a roar... Terrifying sound waves spread from its roar to the ground, bringing waves of scorching winds and a dense rain of fire. "Flame Demon... Valaroka!" The High Priest stared blankly at the monstrous gigantic demon, his face pale in an instant. However, before the High Priest could recover from his shock, another even more majestic and vast aura suddenly rose from the Borde City abandoned district area! A crimson pillar of light soared into the sky, illuminating the night sky and shattering the flames above. A figure, shining with black and red light, slowly ascended within the pillar of light. It was a graceful figure with a slender body. She wore a golden crown on her head, her face blurred, but one could see her iconic beautiful silver hair and those deep and indifferent golden-red pupils. Her body, draped in a black divine robe with thorny rose patterns swayed by the wind, was majestic and mysterious. The High Priest felt his brain buzzing and ringing with deafening noise after just one glance. He only felt his eyeballs ache, his vision blurred with a layer of blood-red, and he quickly closed his eyes. His soul was injured. Just one glance had injured his soul. Two lines of blood and tears slowly flowed down his wrinkled cheeks... The power of the Gods was too vast, and mortals couldn''t look directly at it. Ordinary people couldn''t even see the appearance of Gods, only giant balls of light. Even extraordinary humans with supernatural powers, though they had the opportunity to glimpse the divine form beneath the power of the Gods, would still suffer a serious backlash. The more powerful the mortal, the stronger the backlash they would suffer in the face of the divine power. Clearly, the High Priest, who had glimpsed the True Ancestor''s Liberation state, was injured. However, at this moment, the High Priest no longer cared about his own injuries. In his heart, there was only an unprecedented shock. "The Evil God!" "The resurrected Evil God!" "The Lord is above! It has also appeared!" Charlotte ascended slowly, looking solemnly at Valaroka emerging from the spatial crack. Through the connection formed by devouring its consciousness, she could feel the demon''s emotions¡ªmadness, anger towards being sealed in Borde City, and joy at breaking free. Madness was its nature. Anger was directed at the Borde City. And joy... was for its liberation. S?a?ch* Th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. She could sense its incredibly powerful strength. Even with True Ancestor''s Liberation, Charlotte could feel a strong threat emanating from it. This won''t be easy! This fight... might not be easy! Charlotte''s expression became even more serious. At the same moment, Valaroka also noticed Charlotte ascending. A pair of crimson eyes burning with flames glanced over. Charlotte felt a vast spiritual power sweep over her. The next moment, she found Valaroka''s emotions changed. Anger and joy dissipated. Replacing them were astonishment and doubt. And after feeling the connection with Charlotte''s consciousness, that astonishment and doubt turned into shock, panic, and fear... Immediately after, Charlotte saw that the once arrogant Valaroka suddenly stopped its movement toward the mortal realm. It retracted its flames and aura, panicked, and shrank back towards the dimensional crack... Charlotte:...? Chapter 130: Bloodline Suppression What... is going on?Watching the Flame Demon Valaroka turn and run, Charlotte was stunned for a moment. However, she quickly realized what was happening. The other party should have recognized her identity, just like in the dream world! No... More accurately, it recognized the power she possessed from her True Ancestor''s Liberation! It regarded her as the Bloodborne True Ancestor! The movement of Valaroka''s retreat was swift. It was very anxious and very afraid. Charlotte could even feel its genuine anxiety, regret, fear, and dread. Actually, thinking about it, it''s understandable. As a Legendary demon who had finally broken through the seal and descended to the real world, ready to exert dominance, suddenly encountering a descending myth, anyone would be startled. Not to mention, Charlotte didn''t hide her hostility at all. Her divine power surged fiercely... As a Legendary, especially one who had been sealed for ten years, Valaroka clearly did not perceive Charlotte''s true state. Though her True Ancestor''s Liberation looked terrifying, it had its limits, and its power hadn''t reached the true mythical level. To a divine being, it was more like an empty shell. Valaroka... was bluffed! Charlotte''s gaze turned somewhat strange. Although empathizing, she found it strange to see Valaroka in such a panicked state... Was the identity of the Bloodborne True Ancestor that terrifying? Of course, Charlotte wouldn''t let the other party leave like this. It''s quite dangerous to expose one''s back to the enemy while fleeing. Clearly, Valaroka was frightened by Charlotte''s "identity," so much so that it forgot to defend itself and just tried to escape as fast as possible... And this gave Charlotte the chance to strike! Seize the opportunity while he''s down, that''s the best time to strike. Charlotte didn''t hesitate, unleashing all her remaining blood divine power, forming a sword with her fingers, and slashing towards the Flame Demon Valaroka! The crimson divine power erupted at Charlotte''s fingertips, forming a faint divine sword that directly struck Valaroka''s back. Valaroka let out a painful wail as a deep wound appeared on its back, and the golden-red divine power turned into boiling flames, suddenly burning in the wound... Meanwhile, Charlotte was astonished to find that with the burning of divine power, the time of her True Ancestor Liberation began to recover! And Valaroka''s aura instantly wilted. What... is happening again? Charlotte was surprised. She hadn''t actively absorbed the other''s power like bloodsucking. However, when her divine power attacked the other party, she naturally began to "suck blood," and the consumed divine power in her body was replenished. Not only that, her divine power of power wasn''t replenished from external sources. Rather, it surged naturally from the depths of her consciousness, as if it stemmed from a deeper connection with Valaroka... This kind of connection stemming from bloodline allowed her to possess a power that surpassed the other, enabling her to seize the opponent''s strength when attacking! Suppression... This was blatant bloodline suppression! We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Valaroka was a retainer of the Bloodborne Archduke and also possessed the power of the Bloodborne. Charlotte''s miraculous power likely originated from the bloodline! With such a miraculous power, even if she only had half the time left for her True Ancestor''s Liberation, even if she had only a few seconds left, Charlotte could become stronger with each blow, directly wearing down Flame Demon Valaroka to death... Clearly, Valaroka probably knew that she possessed such power, which was why it ran so fast! Charlotte quickly gained confidence. She once again unleashed her divine power, and the brilliance of the divine sword on Valaroka''s back became even more dazzling. Under the burning of the golden-red flames, Valaroka let out a miserable cry. And Charlotte felt the depths of her bloodline surge with new power again under the True Ancestor''s Liberation state. That ecstatic sensation akin to bloodsucking came again, making her want to moan. Valaroka''s transmitted emotions grew even more terrified. Just then, it roared, suddenly drawing a demonic blade, curling up its large, pointed tail, and forcibly chopping off the half of its body that was burning with golden-red flames. That half of the body was the part Charlotte had attacked, connecting to the left arm and half of the upper body. Black-red demon blood splattered, and Valaroka''s aura became even more withered. However, it finally took the opportunity to enter the crack of space... Charlotte was about to chase after it, but seeing the half of Valaroka''s body, which was continuously burning, falling towards the Borde City below, she hesitated for a moment. The demon''s body carried the power of contamination and corruption. Ten years ago, just half of Valaroka''s power destroyed half of Borde City, leaving behind pollution that hadn''t been cleansed even after several years. If this time, its half body fell to the ground, it would probably bring an even more terrifying disaster to Borde City! Deeply glancing at the half of Valaroka''s body fleeing into the crack of space, Charlotte didn''t pursue it anymore, but used a divine fire to burn down the half of its body that had been cut off. Or, more strictly speaking, it wasn''t burning down, but absorbing it. Under the burning of the golden-red flames, the half of the demon''s body quickly withered, collapsed, and eventually turned into ash... At the same time, Charlotte sensed that a lot of divine power of blood surged from the depths of her bloodline again, and the time of her True Ancestor''s Liberation was extended by a few more seconds. When she looked back at Flame Demon Valaroka, it had successfully escaped back into the crack of space and completely sealed the crack... Vaguely, Charlotte seemed to sense emotions like regret, relief, and palpitations through the connection with the other party. However, this last thread of connection was quickly severed by the other party. Charlotte sighed softly, knowing that Valaroka had realized who had disrupted its consciousness and had voluntarily severed the connection. It was somewhat regrettable not to have Valaroka killed, but... even if it survived, Charlotte knew it had undoubtedly suffered unprecedented damage. After the battle, although Charlotte''s True Ancestor''s Liberation had been replenished, overall, the time was still reduced, with about twenty seconds left in total. It was still a loss. However, Charlotte had no regrets. Without using True Ancestor''s Liberation, she would never fully understand the extent of the power she possessed. In the crimson radiance, Charlotte descended to the ground, tenderly retracting her divine power, swiftly ending her True Ancestor''s Liberation. Her figure once again shrank, returning to the appearance of a young girl, and her black divine robe transformed back into the cloak of the Blood Demon Cult. The night sky of Borde City returned to calmness once again. S?a??h the N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Only many houses in the abandoned city district were still burning due to the flames of the Flame Demon. The startled residents and extraordinaries still gazed blankly at the night sky. It was as if the awe-inspiring scene just now was nothing but an illusion. Meanwhile, in the mansion of the Dreaming Salon, the High Priest''s body trembled incessantly. He knew that tonight, the fact that an Evil God had descended upon Borde City... could no longer be concealed. Chapter 131: Guess who I am? Lottie slowly woke up from her slumber.What met her eyes was a strange brown-black canopy bed, adorned with exquisite thorny rose and vine patterns, with black gauzy curtains hanging around. Outside the window, the sun was shining brightly, casting soft rays onto the bed, and creating a warm atmosphere. Where... is this? Looking at the luxurious and unfamiliar bedroom, and the priceless silk pajamas on her body, which she had only seen in the storefront window of a clothing shop, Lottie''s gaze was somewhat bewildered. If she remembered correctly, she was supposed to have been captured by the Blood Demon Cult''s High Priest and locked in a dungeon. Oh, right, she seemed to have had a dream. She dreamed that the High Priest had taken her to an altar and told her that the creature on the altar was her sister. She dreamed that the High Priest told her she had always been the other''s puppet. She even dreamed of that night ten years ago, of her sister, of Charlotte, of the resurrected Flame Demon Valaroka... But then, she couldn''t quite remember what happened next. Lottie''s gaze was dazed. But as she gradually woke up, her blurry memories also became clearer... No! That wasn''t a dream! Lottie''s face changed slightly, and she instantly sat up from the bed. "No! Sister!" Pulling back the covers, she clumsily rolled out of bed. As she stood up, she felt dizzy for a moment and nearly fell. However, just as she was about to fall to the ground, a slender arm steadied her, and a gentle and mellow voice sounded in her ear. "Miss Lottie, your mental exhaustion is quite severe. If you get up too quickly, you might faint." S?a??h th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Lottie felt that this voice was quite familiar. When she looked up, she was slightly stunned. "Mr. Sebastian?" Sebastian smiled slightly, helped her back onto the bed, and gently said. "Good morning, Miss Lottie. You look like you''ve had a good rest." "Where... is this? Mr. Sebastian, where is my sister?" Lottie asked hurriedly. "This is Castell Mansion. You were unconscious last night, and Master asked me to bring you back. As for your sister, there''s no need to worry, she has been rescued." Sebastian smiled. "She''s rescued? Where is she?" Lotti grabbed Sebastian''s clothes tightly and asked. "Now... she should be with Master. Don''t worry, you''ll see each other in a moment." Sebastian said after a moment of thought. Upon hearing his words, Lottie breathed a sigh of relief. But at the same time, she had a lot of questions. "Master? Castell Mansion... Could it be... Charlotte?" Lotti couldn''t help but ask. "Of course, my master is the beautiful and noble Miss Charlotte." Sebastian said proudly. Lotti fell silent. She looked at Sebastian with a complicated expression, wanting to speak but hesitating. In the end, she nodded gently: "I... I understand." The sound of her stomach growling came from her abdomen. Lottie was stunned for a moment, subconsciously covering her stomach, looking embarrassed. Sebastian smiled. "Are you hungry?" "Breakfast is ready. Please change your clothes and have breakfast with Master." We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Lottie hesitated for a moment before nodding gently. After changing into her priest robes, she followed Sebastian out of the bedroom. Unlike the old and solemn Castell Mansion she remembered, the current mansion was lively, with no traces of the bloodbath from that night. The bright sunlight illuminated the beautiful corridors, contrasting sharply with the dark dungeon from last night, giving Lottie a feeling of being in another world. Through the windows of the corridor, Lottie could see young knights practicing swordsmanship in the field and occasionally hearing cheers from the outside. At one moment, she even wondered if she had been dreaming for a very long time. In the corridor, people were bustling about. Beautiful maids in uniforms were busy with their tasks. From time to time, male servants passed by them, carrying large and small boxes. When they saw the two, they all respectfully greeted them. Sebastian smiled and explained when he noticed Lottie''s curious gaze. "They are making space in the warehouse. Tomorrow is the day the Count''s convoy arrives in Borde City to escort the monthly supplies. Not only does the warehouse need to be cleared, but the mansion also needs to prepare guest rooms for the knights." The Count''s convoy from Castell estate? Lottie''s heart stirred. She counted the days and suddenly realized that it was indeed tomorrow. It is said that the Count''s convoy from Castell estate is quite famous in Borde City. As one of the most prominent nobles in the Duchy, every month, heavily armored extraordinary knights escort valuable supplies from the territory. The mighty knight procession is always a very attractive sight when entering the city. Even Lottie had seen it herself. Thinking of this, Lottie couldn''t help but ask. "Miss Charlotte... is about to return to the territory too, right?" "Yes, after Master receives the sacred blessing and the succession blessing from the Holy Court, she will formally inherit the title and leave Borde City." Sebastian smiled. Hearing Sebastian''s words, Lottie''s figure paused slightly, unable to help but say. "The blessing of the Holy Court? Are you... sure?" "Hehe, of course. The Castell family is devout believers in the Holy Court, especially the great master!" Sebastian said with a smile. Lottie:... The memories from last night made her subconsciously feel that something was wrong, but when she wanted to speak up, she didn''t know how to say it. And so, as they walked and talked, Lottie followed Sebastian to the mansion''s dining room. "Miss Charlotte, Miss Lottie is here." Sebastian bowed to the dining room and respectfully said. "Come in." A melodious and pleasant voice came from inside the dining room. Lottie looked over and quickly saw the petite golden-haired girl sitting at the head of the dining table. Today, she was wearing an elegant white dress, looking extremely noble and beautiful, completely different from the appearance in her dream last night. Seeing Lottie, the girl showed a pure and radiant smile, gently beckoning. "Lotti, come and have a meal!" After a moment of hesitation, Lottie entered the dining room and sat down at the table. The waiters quickly served various delicious foods for Lottie, all of which were appetizing and tempting. "You may all leave. Leave only Sebastian." Charlotte said to the waiters. After receiving the order, the waiters respectfully withdrew, leaving only Charlotte, Sebastian, and Lottie in the dining room. And as soon as the door to the dining room closed, a pair of furry hands suddenly reached out from behind and playfully covered Lottie''s eyes. "Ding-ding-ding! Guess who I am?" A clear and pleasant voice came from behind, making Lottie feel extremely familiar. She trembled slightly, and her hands subconsciously clenched. "Sister?!" Lottie instantly removed the hands covering her eyes and looked back eagerly, but soon her expression froze slightly. Behind her was a furry teddy bear. Lottie:...? Chapter 132: Lets go to Castell! "Sister Marie...?"Lottie asked hesitantly, looking at the fluffy toy. "That''s right!" The toy happily bounced around. But the next second, it lost all its strength and flopped to the ground with a thud. "Sister?!" Lottie was startled and quickly crouched down to pick up the toy. But the next moment, a familiar voice sounded behind her. "Oh dear, this body isn''t quite up to par... Lord Sebasian, I think I might still have to wait for the new body you''re preparing for me." Hearing the voice behind her, Lottie froze for a moment, then quickly turned around, but when she saw the "sister" behind her, she was even more stunned. In mid-air, there floated a semi-transparent, ethereal shadow, vaguely human-shaped, recognizable as the figure of a young girl. "Sister? You... what''s going on with you?" Lottie''s eyes widened. "Her body was destroyed, self-destructing with the failure of the ritual, but... I used the necromantic power to bring her back to life." "Of course, in the form of a ghost." On the other side of the dining table, Charlotte took a delicate sip of milk and said gracefully. A ghost? Lottie''s eyes widened. Resurrecting ghost... that''s forbidden in the Holy Court! She looked at the ethereal Marie and couldn''t help but ask. "So, sister... can she be resurrected?" Charlotte looked at Sebastian, who then explained. "If a suitable body can be found, theoretically, it should be possible." "Miss Marie has once fused with the Flame Demon Vararoka, and her soul has undergone some mutations, acquiring a slight Blazing Sun quality. In terms of status, it''s somewhat similar to a high-ranking ghost, able to exist independently. This is the fundamental reason why Master can allow her to exist in the form of a ghost... and high-ranking ghosts can also ''reincarnate'' by taking over a physical body." Hearing that her sister could be resurrected, Lottie breathed a sigh of relief. But Sebastian''s next words made her heart tense again. "Of course, this is just theoretically; in practice, there might be some issues." "What... kind of issues?" Lottie pressed for an answer. "Miss Marie doesn''t want to be resurrected. Instead of changing bodies and being reborn as a human, she prefers to be a ghost and has even asked me to make a body suitable for ghost activities." Sebastian said. "Sister...?" Lottie couldn''t help but look at Marie floating in the air. Marie shook her head and said. "Lottie, it was my request. Being able to survive is already a great fortune for me." "I don''t want to take over someone else''s body just for the sake of being reborn." Hearing Marie''s words, Lottie''s expression became deeply guilty. "I''m... sorry..." "It''s all my fault... if it weren''t for me, sister wouldn''t have ended up like this..." "Why apologize? No! Lottie, you''re not wrong! The ones at fault are the evil Blood Demon Cult! We are all victims!" Marie shook her head. Then, she cheerfully added. "Actually, being a ghost isn''t bad. Lady Charlotte and Lord Sebastian will help me adapt to my new identity." "I''ve already thought about it, I''ll ask Lord Sebastian to find someone to make me a golem puppet, and I''ll be a puppet maid in the House of Castell!" "A maid of Castell? You... you''re leaving Borde?" Lottie''s eyes widened in surprise, unable to help asking. Marie nodded and said. "Yes, Lottie, the Flame Demon Valaroka has been defeated by Lady Charlotte, and everything has settled down." "The Flame Demon was defeated by Charlotte?!" We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Lottie trembled slightly, looking incredulously at the innocent-smiling girl on the other side of the dining table. Combined with the vague memories from her dreams, she suddenly felt that the girl''s image in her heart had become incredibly unfamiliar and mysterious... "Not only that, but Lady Charlotte and Lord Sebastian also wiped out the entire Blood Demon Cult, including the High Priest, last night, and even those nobles from the Dreaming Salon received their due punishments..." "It''s over, everything''s over, and I''ve gained my freedom. It''s time to leave this sad place and start a new life." With that, Marie floated in front of Lottie, her face full of hope. "Lottie, when Lady Charlotte inherits the title, come with us, let''s go to the territory of the Castell County together, and start a new life!" "For so many years, although I couldn''t communicate with you, I''ve been watching you all along, and I know you haven''t been happy here either..." "I know you''ve been lurking by the side of the Tulip Count to find me, now... we can be together." Hearing Marie''s words, Lottie hesitated. Feeling her hesitation, Marie smiled and changed the subject. "Of course, if you want to continue staying in Borde, that''s also a good choice." "Although the church has dark corners, there are also places of light, and Lord Raoul is a saintly figure worthy of respect..." "Don''t worry, Lottie, after I get a new body, I''ll come to see you!" With that, the girl suddenly yawned, and her figure became even more ethereal. "Ah, I''ve been out for a bit too long, Lottie. Lady Charlotte said that my current state is unstable, and I need to sleep often to adapt to the ghost power." "I... I need to go to sleep for a while." "After I wake up, I''ll continue to chat with you!" With that, the girl turned into a gentle breeze and entered a clear crystal ball on the dining table. That was the crystal ball brought by Sebas, which could protect ghosts. Marie fell asleep, and there were only three people left in the dining room: Lottie, Charlotte, and Sebastian. Sitting at the dining table, Lottie was clearly a bit nervous and uneasy looking at the smiling master and servant. Charlotte sighed softly and said. "The Holy Court forbids undead resurrection, and Borde is a core diocese of the church. Here... Miss Marie is always at risk of being discovered for her true identity." "Compared to Borde, Castell is a better place to go." "Sister Lottie, don''t worry, I will take good care of Miss Marie." Hearing the girl''s words, Lottie hesitated for a moment, then couldn''t help but say. "Is it... the same for you?" Charlotte was taken aback, then smiled. "Yes, for me, Castell is also a place where I can stretch my legs more." Lottie fell silent. After a while, she softly asked. "Can I... still call you Charlotte?" Charlotte paused for a moment, then sighed. "Sister Lottie, you can always call me Charlotte..." Lottie trembled slightly, her gaze toward the girl was complex. After bowing her head in silence for a while, Lottie looked up again and asked. "The Holy Court''s blessing... would it be the High Priest?" "If we follow the traditional process, it should be." Charlotte nodded. "To be honest... I don''t think the High Priest is a good choice." Lottie hesitated for a moment and reminded her. Charlotte smiled. "Sister Lottie, I understand what you mean." "However, High Priest is just a position, and there are still a few months before I inherit the title. Who knows which High Priest will bless me by then?" Lottie''s heart stirred, and she looked up in surprise. S?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Seeing her astonished expression, Charlotte continued to smile. "Sister Lottie..." "I can tell that you don''t really have any attachment to Borde either... but you seem to have something on your mind, something weighing heavily on you." "Are you... thinking about High Priest Leonard and Duke Borde?" Lottie hesitated for a moment, then nodded. Chapter 133: Gods and Beliefs Charlotte''s inquiry plunged Lottie into silence once again.With a soft sigh, she nodded. "Yes, I was indeed thinking of them..." "Duke Borde is one of the masterminds behind the Flame Demon Disaster. My father''s downfall is closely linked to his support..." "Perhaps his original intention was not to bring about the descent of the Flame Demon, but his indulgence has brought too much suffering to the people of Borde." "The High Priest is even worse. As the highest official of the Holy Court in Borde, he became an umbrella for the Dreaming Salon, and even he himself... was a guest of honor at the Dreaming Salon." "I cannot accept it... If their crimes are not exposed to the world, if they do not receive the punishment they deserve, I cannot accept it..." "The Brois family has done too many wrong things, and ultimately suffered retribution, receiving punishment..." "This is what we brought upon ourselves." "But I cannot just watch those masterminds, those high-and-mighty umbrellas, still active in the light of day..." As she spoke, Lottie let out a bitter laugh, self-mockingly saying. "You can also consider it my inner sense of injustice." Charlotte''s heart stirred. "Do you want to personally expose their crimes?" Lottie nodded. "Yes, as an eyewitness to everything, I believe I have the responsibility and the duty to reveal the truth." "Although the ritual failed back then, I did survive, and later even gradually recovered from my congenital weakness and illness..." "The Blood Demon Cult did not completely deceive my father. I could recover because I received the life force of those innocent girls who were sacrificed." "During these years in hiding, in order to gain the trust of Count Tulip, I have also done many wrong things, watching those girls slip into darkness..." "My existence is inherently evil." "All I can do is repent, reveal those truths, and clear the names of those innocent girls..." "That was also my original intention for joining the Holy Court." "I joined the Holy Court not just to obey Count Tulip''s orders to get close to the High Priest, but with a heart full of repentance..." As she spoke, Lottie let out a long sigh. "Of course, even I didn''t expect when I joined that, the Holy Court, which preaches goodness and upholds order and justice, was not so holy after all." "The power of the clergy comes from the Gods, from their faith in the Gods..." "Yet, even though the High Priest is so corrupt, the light of his faith is still so dazzling..." "I am confused..." "I once believed that I could cleanse the evil in my heart with holy faith, but today, even the meaning of faith... is confusing to me." Lottie''s expression was full of desolation. Hearing Lottie''s words, Charlotte put down her wine glass and pondered. "Confusion is normal, but rather than relying on faith, I believe what''s more important is one''s own heart..." "In my view, faith is just a tool to help you clarify your own heart, a belief and set of values imposed on you by the Gods." "If your own heart remains clear, if your inner self remains strong, what does it matter even without faith?" "Your own heart, the beliefs within you, is your faith." Hearing Charlotte''s words, Sebastian, who was serving beside her, couldn''t help but have his eyelids twitch wildly. Goodness... What a statement, "what does it matter even without faith!" S?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. What a notion, that one''s own heart and beliefs are faith! Such a denigration of divine faith, perhaps only the Lady of the Night could utter it! And... it was said right in front of a priest of the Holy Court! Wait a moment... If that''s really the case, then everyone can be their own God, so what do we need the exalted Gods for? But that''s not right... The source of extraordinary power comes from the Gods, from the blessings of the Gods to the races and ancestors... any True God can inflict divine punishment and strip extraordinary beings of their powers. Without the faith of the Gods, what do mortals who have lost their powers have left? Sebastian was bewildered. Charlotte didn''t pay attention to Sebastian''s strange expression. After pondering for a moment, she continued. "You don''t need to worry about the Duke and the High Priest; they will receive their due punishment. As for you, I don''t think you should continue to be involved in this matter." As she spoke, she smiled slightly. "Sister Lottie, when I entered your dream, I also saw your memories. I know you have never lost your own heart, and you have never fallen..." We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "The Inquisition is always strict, and your identity is somewhat special. It''s not worth it to get yourself involved for the High Priest and the Duke." "Think carefully about Miss Marie''s proposal, Sister Lottie. Perhaps my territory still needs a just priest to preside over..." Hearing Charlotte''s words, Lottie was slightly taken aback and fell into deep thought. Charlotte smiled. "Sister Lottie, let''s eat first. You can think it over about my and Miss Marie''s proposal." ... After dining with Charlotte, Lottie took her leave. Charlotte did not try to keep her, nor did she continue to persuade her. She knew that this priestess needed some time to consider, to think things throughly. She also knew that the other had seen through the issue with her identity. However, from that one phrase, "May I call you Charlotte?" Charlotte knew that no matter who she really was, in Lottie''s heart, she would always be "Charlotte." Perhaps it was Charlotte''s protection of the Castell family that gained her recognition. Or perhaps it was her rescue of Marie that earned her gratitude. But in any case, the other had acknowledged her. As for Charlotte''s "Evil God" identity... Lottie didn''t seem to know, or perhaps it was the instinctive protection of her soul, as she didn''t remember clearly some things from the night before. Sebastian explained that weak mortals could not directly face the majesty of the Gods. If the Gods did not wish to leave an impression in the hearts of mortals, they would even forget that they had ever had contact with the Gods. Charlotte didn''t think she was really a God. But in her True Ancestor''s Liberation state, she did indeed control power akin to that of a God. Lottie''s forgotten memories were probably related to this, as she was only a Starry Sky extraordinary individual. However, after talking with Lottie, it made Charlotte think about another issue. In the world of Myria, the Gods rule everything, and the source of all extraordinary powers originally came from the Gods. So, what exactly is the relationship between Gods and extraordinary beings, Gods and their followers? What is the connection between the strength of faith and the power of the clergy? Confused... Charlotte was really confused too. She once believed that the power of faith was the source of the Gods'' power, as well as the source of the clergy''s power, and even the Holy Code of the Holy Court was written this way. But now it seems that''s not the case. The fact that the corrupt High Priest could still receive the protection of the Holy Light was the strongest evidence. Charlotte felt very puzzled. The black cat, Nice, had told her that Gods only needed followers and did not care about the corruption of faith, that Gods were parasites in false guise... However, the clergy''s power indeed comes from the Gods. Not only the clergy, but even the nobility because their ancestors were the Gods'' subjects. If the Gods didn''t care about the corruption of their followers'' faith, if the Gods were "parasites," then what did they want to get from their followers? What is the standard for the clergy to grow stronger? Is it really as the Holy Code says, the more devout, the stronger? Or is there actually another hidden selection criterion? Charlotte didn''t know. But she had a vague feeling that if she could figure these things out, she would have grasped the greatest secret of the Gods in the world of Myria... At the same time, perhaps this would be very crucial for her to control the Gospel of Blood and ascend to the true Divine Throne, as in the myths and legends! Of course, the secrets of the Gods are not something that can be unraveled overnight. Even if one has ambitions, it must be done step by step. In recent days, Charlotte has read many Myria ascension legends, and in any legend, a new God who ascends to the Divine Throne must first possess the Legendary power. Even if she wants to become a God in the end, Charlotte must first raise her true strength to the Legendary level. As for the relationship between followers and Gods... Charlotte actually has many ideas, many guesses, and even experiments she wants to try, but all of that needs to wait until she leaves Borde and returns to her own territory. Pulling her thoughts back, Charlotte returned to the study. Sebastian followed beside her, hesitating to speak. Charlotte''s heart stirred. "Is there something on your mind?" Sebas hesitated for a moment, then respectfully asked. "My lady... do you plan to take action against the Duke and the High Priest next?" Chapter 134: New Gospel Pages "Take action? Of course we have to take action. One is the mastermind behind the Flame Demon Disaster, and the other is the protector of the Dreaming Salon. Both have their eyes on Castell and me. If we don''t take action... are we going to let them go?" Charlotte said without hesitation. "You make a good point... but, how do you plan to take action? Last night... the commotion we caused seems to have been too much." Sebastian asked cautiously. Clearly, although Charlotte''s decisive actions last night had impressed him, Sebastian had different views on how to deal with Duke Borde and the High Priest, the secular and spiritual leaders of Borde, respectively. Charlotte also understood his meaning from his expression. The commotion last night was significant. Coupled with the death of the Grand Knight, it wouldn''t take long for the Holy Court to send an investigation team. If anything happened to the Duke and the High Priest, it would further increase her risk of being discovered. "Don''t worry, I understand what you mean. Of course, I won''t personally take action." "Since one is seeking to address his fertility issues and secure the inheritance of his family title, while the other wishes to become the Archbishop, let their most desired things be the basis for their rightful judgment." Charlotte squinted her eyes as she spoke. With that, she took out the "evidence" she had found in Count Tulip''s study and handed it to Sebastian. "Sebastian, Miss Kara has been investigating the Blood Demon Cult and the Flame Demon Disaster. Next... you should know what to do, right?" Charlotte asked. Sebastian''s heart trembled slightly as he respectfully accepted the evidence. "I understand..." "However, if I remember correctly, the records of Count Tulip do not implicate the Duke. The evidence regarding the Duke, we only saw it in Miss Lottie''s dreams." Sebastian replied after a moment of thought. Charlotte glanced at him and said. "Do you remember how the Rose Society was reported?" Sebastian pondered for a moment before saying. "Are you suggesting that we can also include the Duke''s crimes?" "I understand your point, but the Duke is always very cautious. While the evidence against the High Priest is hinted at in Count Tulip''s diary and can be investigated, the Duke''s case may not be so straightforward." "He''s a cunning old fox. Even if there is evidence, it''s likely he destroyed it long ago." "Even if there are signs indicating he is likely the mastermind behind the scenes, as long as there is no decisive evidence, even the Holy Court''s Inquisition cannot take action against a reigning Duke." Sebastian shook his head as he analyzed the feasibility of reporting the Duke. After speaking, he thought for a moment and added. "However... the Duke''s urgent need to change his heir suggests that his health is nearing its limit. His health issues are not a secret in Borde. Even if we don''t target him, he probably doesn''t have many days left to live." Charlotte snorted softly. "Then let him repent for his sins in the last days of his life, and die in despair and regret." Sebastian''s heart stirred. "Do you mean...?" "Have you met Leno?" Charlotte suddenly asked. "The illegitimate child of the Duke''s family? Well... I''ve seen him a few times when he was a mercenary. He''s a pretty good lad, cherishes life, loves freedom..." "And... his relationship with Kara is quite delicate. If he hadn''t been forcibly brought back to the Borde family, perhaps he would have followed Kara and joined the Demon Hunter Squad to become a Demon Hunter Knight, right?" Sebastian thought for a moment before answering. After speaking, he hesitated for a moment, then suddenly realized. "I... understand." ... S?a??h the Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Sebastian left with the "evidence" that Charlotte had given him. Meanwhile, Charlotte lazily stretched, standing up from her seat. After a busy night, everything had finally settled. The conspiracy of the Blood Demon Cult had been thwarted, and her maids had been rescued. Now, all that was left was to wait for the judging of the High Priest and the Duke. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now As for now... perhaps she should take a good look at the gains from annihilating the Blood Demon Cult. With that thought in mind, Charlotte locked the door behind her, picking up a delicate ring from the table. This was a magic ring, also known as a spatial ring, a commonly seen magical equipment in the world of Myria. And the one in Charlotte''s hand was a gift from Sebastian. The Rose Society controlled the underground black market of Borde, so such regulated equipment was abundant. The one in Charlotte''s possession had a spatial capacity of five cubic units, which was quite large for a spatial ring. The gains from last night''s annihilation of the Blood Demon Cult were inside the ring. Following Sebastian''s instructions, Charlotte activated the ring by channeling her magic power. In the next moment, her consciousness was instantly drawn to the micro-matrix on the ring, establishing a connection. In that moment of connection, she sensed the space within the ring and felt the cursed pages she had taken from the altar. One by one... there were a total of twenty-three pages! When Charlotte saw the altar last night, she knew she was going to strike it rich. And now, looking at so many pages, she couldn''t help but get excited once again. The Gospel pages! Twenty-three Gospel pages! Each one likely represented an unknown magic or even a unique ability! All her power stemmed from the Gospel of Blood, and with so many pages, she could offset the spent time from True Ancestor''s Liberation usage! Charlotte retrieved the Gospel pages from the ring and held them in her hand, then immersed her consciousness, communicating with the Gospel of Blood. With her intention, the twenty-three pages radiated brilliance, transforming into streams of light, and flowing into her body. In her consciousness, the Gospel of Blood shone brightly. The heavy book cover flipping open on its own, emitting a brilliant crimson light to welcome the return of the pages. Page after page flowed into the Gospel, and with each page, Charlotte could clearly feel the aura of the Gospel of Blood growing stronger. In Charlotte''s perception, of the twenty-three pages, one entered the Divine Chapter, four entered the Mental Chapter, and twelve entered the Dark Chapter. As for the remaining six, they formed three new chapters. Two formed the Wild Chapter, three formed the Flesh and Blood Chapter, and one formed the Insight Chapter... Thus, all seven chapters of the Gospel of Blood had taken shape, namely the Genesis Chapter, the Divine Chapter, and the five chapters corresponding to the resonance of the five major bloodlines of the Bloodborne. At the same time, a massive amount of information flooded into Charlotte''s mind. A large number of new magic emerged on the Gospel of Blood, one for each of the five directions of bloodline resonance! However, contrary to what Charlotte imagined, these returned pages did not represent twenty-three new magic. In fact, there were only a dozen or so spells that appeared. Moreover, the majority were low-level magic, especially those in the new Wild, Flesh and Blood, and Insight chapters. Only the Mental Chapter and the Dark Chapter, with the most pages, had higher-level magic. In particular, the advanced versions of the low-level spells Charlotte had already mastered, such as the low-level majesty magic and undead resurrection, had been recorded. Among them, the advanced versions of the low-level majesty magic are two: Mental Shock and Charm Voice, effectively refining and strengthening the majesty magic. Although Charlotte''s low-level majesty magic was effective, it was only for non-awakened individuals. For awakened individuals, the effect was actually very poor. However, these more refined versions could target stronger awakened individuals. As for the undead resurrection, there was stronger undead manipulation. Undead resurrection only allowed her to revive undead and did not allow her to manipulate them. Unless divine power was used, her control over the undead was very limited. However, stronger undead manipulation could allow her to control the undead without using divine power. However, in the Mental Chapter and the Dark Chapter, where the number of magic was fewer than the number of pages, there were higher-level magic. As for the other chapters, almost all of the new ones that appeared were low-level magic. And in all the chapters, there was not a single high-level magic that bypassed low-level magic and appeared out of nowhere. This made Charlotte vaguely speculate on the relationship between the Gospel pages and the recorded magic. These fragments... were probably not as she imagined, one page corresponding to one magic. Except for the Genesis Chapter and the Divine Chapter, where the rules were still unclear, the pages of the other five chapters likely represented a law or the power of bloodline resonance. And when they were collected, new magic would condense according to the intensity of the law. As for the condensed magic, they naturally condensed from low-level to high-level. The more pages, the easier it was to condense high-level magic! However, one page was an exception. That was the unique new page belonging to the Divine Chapter. Chapter 135: Divine Blessing Charlotte focused her consciousness on the Divine Chapter of the Gospel, and the familiar crimson light bloomed once again. The ancient golden script slowly emerged on the new blank page:¡¾Gospel of Blood ¡¤ Divine Chapter¡¿ ¡¾God proclaimed, "Let there be light," thus light emerged.¡¿ ¡¾then God proclaimed, "and darkness shall be its counterpart," and hence darkness descended.¡¿ ¡¾Divine Chapter Ability Unlocked¡¿ ¡¾Divine Blessing (Active)¡¿ ¡¾Divine Blessing: The master of the Gospel possesses the ability to bestow divine blessings upon a target. By consuming a certain amount of divine power, the recipient will receive a certain blessing effect. The effect and duration of the blessing are determined by the master of the Gospel, and the consumption of divine power is proportional to the strength of the blessing effect.¡¿ Looking at the newly appeared abilities in the Divine Chapter, whether it was the Mental Chapter''s Mental Shock and Charm Voice, the Dark Chapter''s Undead Summoning, or even the curious ability to transform into a bat from the Wild Chapter, among others, the significance of the new spells brought by the twenty-plus Gospel pages suddenly diminished in her mind. The reason was simple, the new magic emerging from the Gospel of Blood was all mid to low-level magic. But Divine Blessing... was a new ability that utilized divine power! Charlotte had used True Ancestor''s Liberation before and had used the divine power of blood. She knew how terrifying that power was. It was much stronger and of a higher level than magic, to the extent that the world itself couldn''t directly withstand it. She merely attached divine power to herself, and under the influence of divine power, the effects of her usual magic became unbelievably powerful. Merely permeating divine power could pollute others'' dreams and their minds... When she fully unleashed her divine power, others couldn''t even directly look at the light on her body. Lottie, even in her dream, would faint directly... Divine power was very strong. At the moment, Charlotte could only roughly explore two ways to use it, either directly using divine power as a direct form of energy output like forming a divine power sword, or using its permeation to corrupt others'' dreams and spiritual worlds. However, these two uses, were just Charlotte''s own crude attempts. The latter''s devouring effect was even an attribute seemingly inherent to the so-called "blood-sucking" authority of the divine power of blood. S?a??h th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. And when resurrecting the undead in the Dreaming Salon, Charlotte could clearly perceive that most of the divine power of blood she released was actually wasted. She didn''t really understand how to use the divine power of blood during True Ancestor''s Liberation. But now, she finally obtained a new ability to correctly use divine power! "So... does the Divine Chapter mean the chapter of the Gods? The abilities appearing in the Divine Chapter are all abilities of the Gods?" "Divine Blessing... this is the Gods'' power to bestow blessings. If used on objects, it can be used to create divine artifacts, and if used on living beings, it can grant them strength?" Charlotte was intrigued. This ability didn''t seem to directly increase her combat power during True Ancestor''s Liberation, but if used properly, it could further strengthen her. For example, making some divine artifacts to defend herself, or enhancing the strength of her followers. However, the consumption of this ability was ultimately the divine power, and for Charlotte, divine power was currently a quite scarce resource. She didn''t even have a continuous and effective source to replenish the divine power... So, for now, she needed to be cautious about using this power properly. Especially since she didn''t have a "calculator" to measure how much divine power her Gospel of Blood actually had. Currently, the only way she could judge the amount of divine power was through the remaining time of True Ancestor''s Liberation. "If only the divine power of the Gospel of Blood could materialize into specific numerical values, then I could also judge how much divine power the Gospel actually stored..." Charlotte couldn''t help but think. As soon as she thought of this, the Gospel of Blood suddenly emitted a crimson light again. In Charlotte''s curious gaze, new golden letters slowly emerged on the pages of the Divine Chapter: ¡¾Current Divine Power Storage Value: 23.8¡¿ Huh? Can the specific divine power value be materialized according to my will? We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Charlotte''s heart moved, and she was immediately delighted. Obviously, with the replenishment of the pages, the power of the Gospel of Blood was also correspondingly restored, and even her spiritual world became stronger. However, looking at the number 23.8, Charlotte felt a sense of familiarity left and right. She thought for a moment, and the Gospel of Blood turned its pages on its own, quickly flipping back to the Genesis Chapter. In the Genesis Chapter, behind the True Ancestor''s Liberation section, it was marked in gold: "Time Limit: 23.8 seconds." Charlotte:... She took a deep breath, barely holding back her urge to comment, "Isn''t this just directly copying the time limit of True Ancestor''s Liberation?" However, considering the way various energy units were calculated on Earth, Charlotte understood the concept of the Gospel''s divine power storage value calculation. One divine power value was the normal consumption of divine power for the True Ancestor''s Liberation in the Saint state for one second. "Alright, just materialize it like this. At least it looks more pleasing than the time limit of True Ancestor''s Liberation." Charlotte murmured. Like the abilities of Divine Ritual Counter, Blood Summoning, and even True Ancestor''s Liberation, the ability of Divine Blessing did not have the memory inheritance. Charlotte just needed to activate the power of the Gospel of Blood as if she were activating a simple appliance to use it directly. There was no way around it, she was just a First Tier Blood Baron, and such obviously God''s domain powers could only be used through divine artifacts, and she was currently unlikely to understand the essence and nature of Gods and divine power. In other words, this was all the power of the Gospel of Blood, and she could only integrate with it as the master of the Gospel and use it as its master. However, the newly added ten or more Bloodline Magic were truly inherited and instilled. After learning these spells, they were her true abilities. Even without the Gospel of Blood, she could still use them, and she could understand the principles and essence of those powers. Charlotte, without any exception, instilled them all. The content of more than ten magic was all inherited at once. Even though Charlotte was talented, she felt dizzy, and her head was about to burst... She withdrew from the spiritual world and took a long time to recover. More than ten new magic, diverse in types, including many abilities commonly seen in vampires, Charlotte planned to practice them one by one in the future. And this... would significantly enhance her strength! Charlotte thought and acted on it. However, just as she took a moment to recover and stood up from her seat to try out the new magic she had inherited in the basement, she suddenly heard someone calling her in her mind. The voice was ethereal and elusive, yet it seemed to echo in her ears. "Sebastian?" Charlotte''s first thought was that Sebastian, as her Blood Servant, was calling her again. But she soon realized something was wrong. This call was even more vague and ambiguous than Sebastian''s call... This wasn''t Sebastian! Charlotte quickly made further judgments after determining it wasn''t Sebastian calling her. And after determining it wasn''t Sebastian, she became curious about who was calling her. There seemed to be a flash of light in her mind, and Charlotte remembered the conversation between Sebastian and the werewolf Luff after she heard her name mentioned inadvertently by Sebastian and entered his perspective. She suddenly had a slight idea. "Could it be... those werewolves tried to change their praying symbol to the Thorny Rose and prayed to the True Ancestor after hearing Sebastian''s words?" With a curious heart, Charlotte communicated with the Gospel of Blood and cautiously cast her gaze along the faint call. The scenery changed, and Charlotte saw a dimly lit secret room. However, when she saw the person in the secret room calling her, she was instantly stunned. "High Priest?" Chapter 136: The High Priests Call Borde City, Eastern District, in a secluded villa.High Priest Leonard stood in a room with closed doors and windows, anxiously observing the altar before him. It was a hastily arranged sacrificial altar commonly used by cultists to communicate with Evil Gods. In its design, he drew various runes engraved that resembled those used by the cults to enhance spiritual perception, inspired by the Blood Demon Cult. In the Holy Court''s records, where various evil rituals were on the verge of breaking out, cultists often used these runes to communicate with ancient and mysterious beings. Some crazed individuals even caused a series of disasters because they didn''t even know who they were praying to. Evil rituals like these were always severely punished by the Holy Court. However, the High Priest never imagined that one day he would be constructing such an evil ritual and performing a sinister summoning himself... Applying the blood of high-ranking extraordinary creatures to the runes above the altar, the High Priest solemnly sketched the thorny rose holy symbol in the center of the altar according to the parchment. The entity he intended to communicate with... was none other than the mysterious Evil God that had recently appeared in the Borde Duchy! This idea came to him when the Grand Knight died. S?a?ch* Th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.At that time, the Grand High Priest was merely filled with anxiety due to the possibility that the Holy Court''s upper echelons would investigate him, which led to the crazy idea of seeking refuge with the Evil God. He knew this idea was insane, so he suppressed it afterward, wanting only to unassociated himself from the Grand Knight''s death as much as possible and find a way to suppress the news of the Evil God''s resurrection... However, the events that followed later forced him to reconsider this possibility. The Flame Demon''s descent last night was witnessed by almost the entire Borde City, and many also saw the mysterious powerful figure who defeated it. Mortals only felt the immense power, but didn''t understand its significance. However, as the highest-ranking clergy in Borde, the High Priest knew that it was the Evil God who had intervened. Not only that, but he also believed that many Second Tier Priests in Borde, and even some knowledgeable First Tier Priests, could guess that it was an Evil God incarnation. In fact... this morning at the cathedral, he heard many priests discussing it in secret, and even the commoners on the streets were discussing the strange events of last night. The Evil God''s resurrection couldn''t be concealed. The upper echelons of the Holy Court would undoubtedly intervene strongly, and even Legendary Judgment Knights might be mobilized. The scandal of the Dreaming Salon had also been exposed, revealing the alliance between the Dreaming Salon and the Blood Demon Cult. Even the Blood Demon Cult''s God''s Descent Ritual was displayed to the world along with last night''s Flame Demon appearance... With all these events unfolding, as the High Priest of Borde, he had many responsibilities, and many matters couldn''t withstand investigation. He had to secure his own future... With these thoughts in mind, the High Priest took a deep breath and lit all the incense sticks that enhanced his spiritual power and perception. He took out a small dagger, cut his palm, and let the blood drip into the groove of the altar. Then, with solemnity, he chanted in a deep voice. "O Mighty being who defeated the Flame Demon Valaroka..." "The Owner of Thorny Rose..." "I, Leonard, the High Priest of the Holy Court in Borde... beseech your attention!" The High Priest didn''t know the prayer chants directed towards this mysterious Evil God. So... he could only substitute it by using their holy symbol and deeds. Although this decreased his chances of success, as a highly spiritual being himself, coupled with the fact that the other party had just appeared in Borde City, he felt confident in his ability to communicate with the other side. After praying, the High Priest anxiously watched the altar before him. However, as time passed, he received no response. Seeing the silent altar, the High Priest''s hopeful and expectant gaze gradually dimmed. Just when he thought he had failed, the candles in the secret chamber suddenly began to flicker. The candlelight flashed, illuminating the dim room, and the incense smoke curled up without wind. The High Priest''s heart trembled. He looked up hastily, only to see the altar he arranged suddenly radiating a crimson light, instantly engulfing everything around it. The High Priest was astonished. And when he came to his senses again, he found that the surroundings had changed. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now He was no longer in the villa''s secret chamber but appeared in a towering ancient castle. Is this... an illusion? The High Priest''s heart skipped a beat. He looked around nervously and cautiously, only to see boundless crimson mist within the castle. The mist shrouded everything, making it difficult to see clearly. He could vaguely make out a staircase leading straight up ahead. And at the top of the stairs, there seemed to be a crimson figure sitting on a throne. The High Priest couldn''t see the figure clearly, but he felt it was a twisted silhouette that made his brain ache and his spirit falter at a glance. He instantly realized what he was experiencing. Success! My call was successful! This mysterious Evil God heard my call and brought me into this illusion! The High Priest quickly made this judgment. Taking a deep breath, he knelt down without waiting for the silhouette on the throne to speak, respectfully saying. "High Priest Leonard from the Holy Court of Borde... I pay my respects to your noble and mighty presence!" As soon as he said this, the High Priest felt a majestic gaze sweep over him and settle on his body. He didn''t dare to lift his head, fearing to anger this terrifying Evil God, who had torn a legendary demon in half like slaughtering a chicken just yesterday. Instead, he tried to show more respect and submission as much as possible. Soon, he heard a hoarse, profound, and indistinct chuckle. "The High Priest of the Holy Court... Why do you pray to me?" She responded! The High Priest''s heart trembled slightly as he quickly replied. "Noble and mighty being!" "Last night, I witnessed your unparalleled greatness, your radiance, and felt your immense power..." "I... want to make a deal with you!" Yes, the High Priest wanted to make a deal with this mysterious Evil God. Throughout history, there have been countless examples of mortals making deals with Gods. Some lucky ones even received blessings or divine favors from the Gods. Some were mere whims of the Gods, while others were a test of the mortals'' faith, and some... were the Gods wanting to use mortals to achieve certain goals. The High Priest''s idea was grand and audacious¡ªto collaborate with this Evil God as the High Priest of the Holy Court! He believed that the other party could sense the power of the Holy Court, the terror of the Holy Court... Even for an Evil God who could easily kill a Legendary demon, as long as her true form walked the mortal realm in Saint form, she would inevitably attract the pursuit of the Holy Court, until she fell! He believed that for an Evil God in urgent need of recovery and departure from the mortal realm, the information within the Holy Court was crucial. He wanted to exchange the secrets of the Holy Court for the other party''s protection and covert support, to help him deal with the upcoming investigations by the church! As long as he reached an agreement with the Evil God, in the absence of the Grand Knight, he might be able to erase all traces before the church sent someone and push all the blame onto the internal struggles of the Bloodborne dukes... The High Priest''s mind raced. Meanwhile, hidden on the Blood Throne, Charlotte heard his thoughts loud and clear... Chapter 137: A Deal with the Evil God The High Priest actually wants to make a deal with me, to form a cooperative relationship?Listening to the inner thoughts of the High Priest, Charlotte''s mood was somewhat strange. She really didn''t know whether to call the High Priest bold or unlucky, to think of seeking refuge with her. Charlotte''s first thought was whether to take this opportunity to permanently deal with the High Priest. But this thought only flashed by. When she sensed the High Priest calling her altar, she abandoned the idea. The thorny rose symbol on the altar was not her own, and even if she could leave the High Priest''s soul in the dark castle, she couldn''t do anything to the altar in the secret chamber. She couldn''t afford to attract too much attention from the Holy Court. On the contrary, she needed to lower her own presence as much as possible. Furthermore, she had no need to waste her power on someone who was destined to perish. Not only that, but Charlotte was actually quite interested in the "terms of the deal" proposed by the High Priest. She suddenly felt that this was a good opportunity to obtain some even more confidential information from him, to strengthen her understanding of the Church and the Gods. She had read quite a bit from the library of the church hospital, but much of the content was obviously for external propaganda and couldn''t really help her understand the Holy Court. Lottie was a new breakthrough, but Lottie was only a First Tier Priest, and her understanding of the Holy Court was definitely not as deep as the High Priest''s. Of course, she had no intention of sheltering the High Priest. She just wanted to extract some information from him... Thinking of this, Charlotte let out a soft laugh and said. "A deal with a mortal?" That voice, with a teasing tone, contemptuous, with a kind of superiority and disdain. However, this kind of response was quite normal in the eyes of the High Priest. Not only that, upon hearing the voice of the Evil God, he immediately became spirited. "Yes, a deal! I want to exchange the information of the Holy Court for your shelter..." After speaking, the High Priest anxiously lowered his head, waiting for the response of the Evil God. While Charlotte tapped the armrest of the throne slowly, she did not immediately answer. The rhythmic tapping continued incessantly, while the imposing figure on the throne remained silent. The High Priest could only feel as though each tap was striking his soul, making him increasingly nervous and anxious... Until even he, who was usually composed, couldn''t help but restrain himself. Then, the faint laughter emerged once again from the crimson mist: "You truly are a bold fallen priest." "But... with your chips, it might not be enough to seek my shelter!" S~?a??h the Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "If you want shelter, you''ll need to offer something more interesting." Although Charlotte was quite interested in the information about the Holy Court, she didn''t immediately respond to the High Priest''s proposal. Apart from the information about the Holy Court, she felt that she might learn more from him... On the other hand, upon hearing Charlotte''s words, the High Priest was not disappointed, but rather excited. "Mighty existence... So, what do you need me to do to gain your shelter?" Charlotte let out a soft laugh. "This question... you need to ask yourself what interesting information you can offer to win my favor." Listening to Charlotte''s words, the High Priest fell into contemplation, while Charlotte realized that the time for her to "summon" the other party almost ended. This summoning time was ridiculously short, catching Charlotte off guard. Obviously, with her current power, summoning a Third Tier individual was still too much of a strain, and this time was far shorter than the time when she first summoned Sebastian. "Think carefully, and let me know any information you have that might interest me, and when I am satisfied, you will welcome my gaze!" Charlotte said in a deep voice. After speaking, the crimson mist permeated once again, and the high priest felt that everything around him began to blur... He quickly realized that the other party was about to end the summoning. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "Mighty existence! How can I contact you! How can I call your name!" He cried out hastily. "You can call me... Nyx..." The ethereal voice gradually faded away, along with the dispersal of the crimson mist. When the high priest''s consciousness cleared up, he found himself back in the secret chamber. Thinking about his recent communication with God, his expression changed. Obviously, the Evil God did not directly agree to his deal. However, this Evil God gave him an opportunity. The High Priest was sure, that this God, although classified as an Evil God, might have been a Just God in history... For such a God, what they said was generally true. "It seems... I have to sort out the various information of the church." The High Priest murmured, his expression filled with anticipation. ... After the end of the High Priest''s summoning, Charlotte also returned to reality. However, unlike the nervous High Priest, she was very calm. The words spoken to the High Priest were just something she casually said. It was good to hear some useful information from the High Priest, which would give her some upper hand when facing the investigation of the Holy Court in the future. But if there was none, she wouldn''t force it. She didn''t intend to shelter him, nor did she intend to summon him again in the future. She had never considered herself a trustworthy person, and for depraved ones like the High Priest, she would not really fulfill her promises. She just wanted to keep an eye on him using this method. She also looked forward to his look of surprise the moment when he thought he had escaped danger, only to suddenly meet his doom... Thinking of this, Charlotte''s mood also became pleasant. Pouring herself another cup of hot milk, Charlotte drank it all in one gulp. Then, she stretched lazily, preparing to go to her personal practice room and try out the various magic she had newly learned. Opening the door again, Charlotte ascended to the first floor. However, when she arrived in the large hall on the first floor, she saw all the young men and women she had recruited from the outer city gathered there. Dozens of them stood in rows on the side, dressed in uniforms. Including several maids who had been rescued from the Dreaming Salon by her, not one was missing. With a cold expression, Sherry and Rand, who had already reached the First Tier Starry Sky, stood at the forefront, with Sherry even using crutches. Seeing them, Charlotte was slightly stunned. "Why are you all gathered here?" Saying this, she looked displeasingly at Sherry again. "You''re still injured. Why are you running around again?" Sherry pursed her lips. Then, in the surprised gaze of Charlotte, this usually proud maid suddenly leaned on her crutch, knelt on one knee, and for the first time, her cold voice carried some emotion. "The Count of Castell, the kind and just Lady Charlotte... Your maid Sherry is willing to offer her loyalty to you." As soon as her words fell, dozens of young men and women also knelt on one knee. "We are willing to offer loyalty to you!" Seeing the determined look on the faces of the young men and women, Charlotte''s heart moved. She knew that after experiencing the sacred judgment and rescuing the maids from the Dreaming Salon, she had finally gained the loyalty of all of them. If before, it was only because of the conditions and the charm of her demeanor, then now, they truly recognized her as their master. Chapter 138: The Convoy From the County The sunlight in the sixth month of the calendar grows warmer and more intense day by day.Three days have passed since the often-talked-about failed judgment by the Church, and also two days have passed since the phenomenon of the Flame Demon that startled the masses. Although patrons in taverns still occasionally mention the lucky Rose Society that escaped the sacred judgment, or debate whether the Flame Demon in the night sky was real or an illusion, arguing over whether the glory of slaying the demon belonged to the Duke or the High Priest or someone else... Nevertheless, whatever happened has already passed, and Borde City quickly returned to its usual tranquility. That''s just how the world of Myria is. The existence of extraordinary powers is no secret. Despite being surprised by various phenomena and powers, people''s acceptance, especially in a large city like Borde with the presence of Third Tier Blazing Sun, has always been strong. Of course, more importantly, neither the Duke family nor the church has offered any explanation for that night''s phenomenon. Although there are various incredible rumors, since even the Church hasn''t shown up to explain and there hasn''t been any further alienation from the populace, it means that the phenomenon of that night has been resolved without major consequences. And today, many have already shifted their attention to the north gate of Borde City. Especially the residents of the outer city. They gather outside the city gates, looking towards the wide road leading north out of the city, with eager expressions. Today is the day when the convoy from the Castell family''s county enters the city, as it has been every 20th day of the month for many years. Despite the development of spatial magic technology, although teleportation arrays and spatial rings have gradually become popular among extraordinaries, considering the operating costs and certain inherent flaws in spatial technology, long-distance transportation still relies on ordinary convoys. The wealthy Castell family is no exception. For the children of the outer city, every month of this day is their lucky day. "Hasn''t it arrived yet?" "It should be coming soon, right? It''s always around this time every month!" "I wonder how many silver tana I''ll get to pick up today!" Excited discussions among the children can be heard. However, outside the city gates, the most eye-catching are not these gathered children. The most eye-catching was a group of horsemen standing by the roadside. Exquisite carriages adorned with intricate and elaborate patterns, with the side displaying the striking black eagle emblem. Young men and women dressed in black and white uniforms stand respectfully, surrounding a magnificent umbrella, shielding the proud sun overhead. Under the umbrella, a young girl dressed in a black and red gothic gown sits on a makeshift recliner, gazing into the distance. Many passersby find it difficult to take their eyes off the beautiful girl. Some merchants visiting Borde for the first time can''t help but ask their companions and guides about her origins. "Who is that beautiful noble girl? She has such an elegant demeanor! Is she the daughter of a major noble family?" However, they often receive looks of bewilderment from their companions or Borde residents. "Who is she? Didn''t you see the family crest on the carriage?" And when these merchants notice the emblem on the side of the carriage, they quickly show expressions of realization, looking at the girl with curiosity, admiration, and longing. "The double-headed black eagle... So, it''s the Castell family! So, she''s the heiress of the Castell?" "Charlotte! She''s Charlotte! The jewel of the Castell, the wealthiest girl in Borde!" "I heard that if anyone could marry her, it would be like getting half of the Borde Duchy as a dowry! All the wealth of the entire Crescent Lowlands would be in one''s arms!" "Hey, that''s in the past. Don''t you know? The heir of the Castell is a devout believer of the Holy Court. She has decided never to marry and after returning to the divine realm, she will dedicate her land to the Church." "Hiss... Is that true? That''s such a pity!" "To the church? Is Duke Borde willing? Is His Majesty the King willing?" "Well, we don''t know. The affairs of the nobles and the clergy are not something we need to worry about." The pedestrians discuss cheerfully. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now And the perceptive Charlotte hears all the discussions about her from the crowd. "I''m quite famous, it seems... There are so many people interested in me even outside the city gates." She couldn''t help but mock herself. By her side, Sebastian smiled and flattered as usual. "Of course, esteemed mistress, wherever you go, your radiance will always make you the center of attention." Charlotte: ... She didn''t bother to respond to Sebastian''s insipid flattery but looked at the increasingly glaring sunlight. Even with the umbrella shading her, the scattered sunlight still made her uncomfortable. Seemingly noticing the girl''s discomfort, Casimodo, standing beside her, couldn''t help but say. "Mistress, the weather is getting hotter. Actually... you don''t need to personally come out to greet them." "It''s fine. As the head of the Castell family, I feel it''s necessary to personally welcome the family knights who have come a long way." Charlotte smiled and said. Of course, the real reason was that she was quite curious about the armored knights in the world of Myria. Although she had played a lot of games in her past life, she had never seen them in reality. Warhorses and armor are also a man''s romance! Amid the eager anticipation of the children, a faint cloud of dust gradually appeared on the horizon. Some older children''s eyes suddenly brightened. "They''re here! They''re here! I think I saw the Castell''s flag!" Charlotte''s heart moved slightly. She looked in the direction of the rising dust and soon saw a group of horsemen at the end of her sight. s?a??h th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The first thing that caught her eye was a majestic and imposing knight wearing a black cloak, atop a black-armored warhorse. Followed by two armored knights with black eagle banners at his side, one on each side. Further away, a row of wagons loaded with goods gradually came into view under the escort of uniformly dressed armored knights. "They''re here! They''re here!" The children cheered and ran towards the convoy. The Castell family''s convoy always throws coins before and after entering the city, all in silver tana, which is very attractive to them. Charlotte couldn''t help but stand up, also excitedly watching the approaching armored knights. Knights! Knights from the County! Her knights! After being alone for so long since transmigrated, gradually building her own power bit by bit, when she saw the convoy, she finally felt the real sense of being a Countess for the first time... On the vast road, the convoy gradually approached. When the leader saw the Castell family''s carriage in front of the city gate and the golden-haired girl surrounded by maids and attendants, he quickly straightened up his demeanor. He lightly patted his horse''s back, and the black horse beneath him immediately sped up, quickly leaving the team and rushing to the front of the crowd. Dismounting, the dusty armored knight knelt respectfully in front of Charlotte, bowed solemnly, and said in a deep voice. "Sharon... greet Mistress Charlotte!" Chapter 139: Is our family really that rich?! The convoy from Castell''s County consisted of about three hundred people, escorting around forty carriages.Among them, one hundred were armored knights of the Castell family, three were mages, and the remaining two hundred were attendants and coachmen. Leading the convoy was Baron Sharon, whose full name was Sharon de Leon-Castell, a senior First Tier Starry Sky Knight. After learning the other party''s full name, Charlotte was somewhat surprised. She hadn''t expected to see her own family''s surname in his name. However, after Casimodo''s explanation, Charlotte learned that the Leon-Castell family was a branch of the Castell family. Just like the Castell family was a branch of the Borde family, the Castell family also had many branch families. Some branches retained the Castell name in their surnames, while others completely changed to new names. Similar family branches were quite common in the world of Myria. This was determined by the inheritance laws of the Myria nobility, originating from the Yunette Empire, which laid the basic political framework of Myria. The Yunette Empire advocated for divided inheritance, where each offspring of nobles, besides the eldest son who received the main titles, would inherit secondary noble titles and estates. As a result, over the past millennium, various noble families had branched out, and apart from the main families, side branches continued to emerge, leading to the formation of increasingly large noble surnames. In other words, Baron Sharon''s ancestors were also direct members of the Castell family. However, what rises with divided inheritance can also fall with divided inheritance. Although divided inheritance maintained a certain fairness and allowed noble families to continuously grow, it also brought wars, especially struggles among heirs for inheritance rights. Moreover, continuously divided inheritance weakened central authority, leading to the decline of royal power, including many feudal kingdoms like the Yunette Empire, as continuous division weakened the monarchy''s control over the regions, eventually leading to the downfall of nations. Of course, that was ancient history. People have long memories, and nobles are no exception. To this day, a thousand years later, the vast majority of noble families have long abandoned divided inheritance and opted for the more "advanced" inheritance. Although offspring other than the firstborn might still receive fiefs, it wasn''t for inheritance purposes but rather as grants from the lord. As for the Castell family... Apart from more than a hundred years ago when they branched out, forming side branches, in the past hundred years, the head of the Castell main branch family had been passed down for five generations. By the time it reached Charlotte, it was almost the same as being on the brink of extinction. Thus, although there were branches of the Castell family in Castell County, their blood relationship was not even as close as marriage ties with other kingdoms and duchies'' families. This was also true for their claims and inheritance rights to Castell. Despite their blood ties and being considered part of the Castell family, the nobles of her territories were almost on par with those enfeoffed nobles. In addition to Baron Sharon, among the one hundred armored knights escorting the convoy, there were five Second Tier extraordinary, including one hereditary noble and four extraordinary knights who awakened through the Awakening Seed. The remaining knights were all awakened individuals. As for the three mages, one was a First Tier, while the remaining two were Zero Tier. Obviously, the ratio of mages among the extraordinaries was much lower than that of extraordinary knights. But this was normal. The conditions to become a mage were stricter than those to become an extraordinary knight, not to mention that extraordinary knights could be produced through the Awakening Seeds. Although the produced extraordinary were slightly weaker, they were still extraordinary. Seeing the strength of the escort knights, Charlotte had a more intuitive understanding of her own family''s strength. It was worth noting that in the Demon Hunter Bureau of Borde City, the total number of First Tier and above Demon Hunter Knights did not exceed forty, but here, in the Castell family''s convoy, there were seven! However, the knights escorting the convoy were not the strongest force of this team. The strongest force was a middle-aged man who stood beside Baron Sharon. Unlike the armored knights, his equipment seemed much more weathered, and he exuded a rugged aura. In him, Charlotte felt a distinct sense of threat, though not as strong as Sebastian''s, it was quite intense. Silver Moon! He was a Second Tier Silver Moon extraordinary! Realizing the opponent''s strength, Charlotte couldn''t help but glance at him with curiosity. S?a?ch* Th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Undoubtedly, compared to the majestic armored knights, this Second Tier Silver Moon was the real escort. Just him alone could probably easily defeat these knights! Noticing her gaze, Sharon quickly respectfully introduced him. "Miss Charlotte, this is Mr. Carlisle." After that, he introduced Charlotte to the Second Tier extraordinary. "Mr. Carlisle, this is our Castell family''s young mistress, Miss Charlotte." Mister... Carlisle? We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Her heart stirred. As a First Tier Knight, Sharon did not address the other as ''Lord'', indicating that the other was not a noble. Second Tier Silver Moon, but not a noble, coupled with the rugged appearance, the answer was already apparent. The other... was probably a freelance mercenary! As if verifying Charlotte''s guess, the middle-aged man couldn''t help but glance at her a few more times before averting his gaze. His gaze lingered briefly on Sebastian before turning to Baron Sharon. "Baron Shalon, we''ve arrived at Borde. I should take my leave." "Mr. Carlisle, won''t you stay and rest? Let us extend our hospitality." Baron Sharon said solemnly. However, the extraordinary named Carlisle shook his head. "Thank you for your invitation, but I have other matters to attend to." After some refusal, the Second Tier Silver Moon extraordinary left. Before leaving, Baron Sharon instructed a knight to hand him an exquisite bag. Charlotte keenly took a glance and found it filled with shiny metallic objects, resembling the legendary mithril. She immediately understood. This mercenary was not a vassal of Castell, he was simply hired to assist in escorting the goods. However, being able to hire a Silver Moon to escort goods for a month indicated the wealth of Castell and the value of the goods being transported. According to Nice''s assessment of the prices for hiring extraordinary individuals in the black market, it would probably cost tens of thousands of gold Tarna, if not more! This... made Charlotte even more curious about the goods being transported by the convoy. After all, just the cost of this trip would probably amount to tens of thousands of gold Tarna! Accompanied by the excitement of the children, the Castell family''s convoy entered Borde City, while the knights on the periphery scattered silver Tarna to clear the way, receiving cheers. Sitting in the carriage, Charlotte couldn''t wait to have the knights send over the inventory list to have a look. Upon hearing her command, Baron Sharon hesitated slightly but ultimately complied. After seeing the list, Charlotte finally understood why forty carriages were used. It turned out that their escorted convoy not only transported funds for the manor but also supplied goods for the family''s shops throughout the Borde Duchy. Most of the forty carriages were loaded with goods! They were not just a convoy transporting funds but also a caravan. As for the goods they transported... there were high-quality textiles from the Fallen Star Kingdom, elf accessories and magical items from Luna Island, as well as minerals and gemstones from Castell County. And when Charlotte saw the column for the funds transported to the manor, her eyes lit up. Five hundred thousand! The funds transported by the convoy to the manor for the family''s activities amounted to five hundred thousand gold Tana! My goodness, this was the budget for one month! In a year, it would be six million gold Tarna! Was her family really this wealthy?! Charlotte felt her heart fluttering. She realized she had underestimated her family''s wealth. And at that moment, the old butler Casimodo couldn''t help but knock on the carriage window. "Mistress, about the funds transported from the family county... approximately how much is it?" "Five hundred thousand gold Tana!" Charlotte took a deep breath, her face flushed with excitement. However, upon hearing her words, Casimodo''s brows furrowed slightly. "Five hundred... thousand?" Seeing his expression, Charlotte found it strange. "What''s wrong? Is there an issue?" Casimodo hesitated for a moment before speaking in a low voice. "It seems... there might be some issue." "Mistress, I haven''t been involved in family affairs for many years, so I''m not quite sure about the current state of the county." "But just five hundred thousand... seems too little." Charlotte: ...? Chapter 140: The Countys Financial Situation "Five hundred thousand... Is that too little?"Charlotte couldn''t help raising her voice. Cassimodo nodded. "Indeed..." "Master, you may not be aware, but when this old servant was still involved in managing the manor ten years ago, the monthly funds sent to the manor were at least one million five hundred thousand Gold Tanas." Charlotte: ... Goodness! One million five hundred thousand per month... An annual income of tens of millions? That''s not just some Yuan of Earth! If we were to compare it in terms of purchasing power, one Gold Tana is roughly equivalent to one to two thousand Earth''s Yuan, rounded up to over twenty billion per month... And this isn''t revenue. This is just money delivered to the manor. Incredible! With such income, even on Earth, they would be considered top-tier tycoons! Although due to the existence of extraordinary powers in the world of Myria, the monetary system here is slightly different from Earth''s. But even so, the Castell family can truly be considered wealthy enough to rival a country! Of course, money isn''t everything. For a First Tier extraordinary like Charlotte, money is still important, but beyond the Second Tier, money is just a number. They have too many ways to make money, so they become less concerned about money and more about extraordinary things that are more valuable than money. And many extraordinary things cannot be measured in terms of money''s worth. "Master... the fact that someone could deplete the family''s treasury after so many years already surprised me greatly. Now, it seems that not only was it due to someone spending a fortune on various magical materials for a sinister ritual, but also because the funds transported to the estate in recent years have been decreasing." Casimodo said solemnly. Upon hearing his words, Charlotte nodded slightly. Although five hundred thousand Gold Tana had already surprised and satisfied her considerably, as a Lord, no one would complain about having more Gold Tana in their pocket. After all, everything requires money, and nurturing extraordinaries also requires money. "Let''s not worry for now. We''ll talk about it after we return to the manor." Charlotte glanced at Baron Sharon, who had been silent and seemingly preoccupied after paying his respects to her, and said thoughtfully. The carriage rumbled back to the Castell Manor. And after entering the Manor, Baron Sharon, who had remained silent the whole time, looked around and couldn''t help but speak up again. "Miss Charlotte, I heard on the way here that something happened to the family? The old lady... is no more?" Charlotte wasn''t surprised that Baron Sharon knew about the affairs of the family. The changes in the Castell family were not small matters in Borde. Although this convoy had definitely left the county a month ago, he was very likely to have heard about the family''s affairs from other merchants or locals during their journey. However, it was clear that the other party''s understanding was quite limited, probably just hearing some rumors. Thinking of this, Charlotte''s expression dimmed slightly, revealing a look of sadness and sorrow. "Yes, grandmother... has passed away. She was misled by the Blood Demon Cult and ultimately died in an evil ritual." "Did the old lady really fall? Did she turn into a bloodborne? Miss Charlotte... I know mentioning this matter will cause you grief, but... as a noble of the county, I still need to inquire clearly from you what exactly happened in the Manor?" Baron Sharon asked with a solemn expression. Charlotte glanced at Sebastian beside her. Sebastian nodded and stepped forward, elegantly saying. "Baron Sharon, this matter is quite complicated..." As he spoke, Sebastian informed him of everything about ex-Countess Castell''s situation. After listening to Sebastian''s account, Baron Sharon''s expression gradually became serious. After a long silence, he sighed deeply. "I didn''t expect such a thing to happen. Lady Charlotte, please accept my condolences..." He naturally changed his address to "Lady" Charlotte. After finishing, he looked at Sebastian''s typical elven appearance again and couldn''t help but ask. "I was curious just now. I don''t think I''ve seen you by Lady Charlotte''s side before. Who are you?" "I am Sebastian, the steward of the Castell estate, and a loyal servant of Mistress Charlotte." Sebastian smiled. "Sebastian?" Baron Sharon was momentarily stunned. Soon, he widened his eyes again, almost instinctively jumping up. "Wait a minute? Sebastian? The Flame Elf? Are you the president of the Rose Society?" Sebastian smiled faintly. "That''s correct." "But as the president of the Rose Society, an underground syndicate, why did you become Miss Charlotte''s steward?" Baron Sharon frowned, his expression carrying some caution and hostility. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Nobles have always despised gangs, even if Sebastian is powerful, he doesn''t like the other party and is even more wary because of it. "Of course, because the Rose Society has always been a hidden force of the Castell family, and I have always been a servant of the family in secret. It was only after the Countess'' accident that I came to the manor to serve Master." Sebastian said naturally. "The Rose Society is a hidden force of the family?" Baron Shalon''s brow furrowed even deeper. Obviously, the incident of the Sacred Judgment had not spread too far yet. Baron Sharon was still unaware of it, and there might also be deliberate concealment of the news by the Holy Court, after all... a failed judgment was not something worth publicizing. Baron Sharon looked at Charlotte. Charlotte nodded slightly in acknowledgment, and the baron hesitated for a moment before reluctantly nodding. "I... understand." After telling him about the current situation of the Manor, Charlotte indirectly asked about the condition of the County, hoping to see if the other party would voluntarily mention the issue of dwindling funds being transported. However, what she got in return was the other party''s official response of "everything is fine within the County." Charlotte glanced at Casimodo and he understood immediately. He stepped forward respectfully and asked. "Lord Sharon, I looked at this month''s invoice. The funds sent to the manor... seem to be much less than before?" "Much less?" Baron Sharon was stunned. He picked up the invoice and looked at it, shook his head, and said. "No, this amount has been consistent for the past two years." s?a??h th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "But I remember, the funds sent by the county used to be around one million five hundred thousand Gold Tana per month, sometimes even exceeding two million." Casimodo frowned. Baron Sharon was silent for a moment before sighing. "That was many years ago. Things are different now." "Why? Has something happened to the county?" Casimodo pursued. Baron Sharon glanced at him, did not answer directly, but bowed to Charlotte. "Lady Charlotte, could we... talk privately?" Charlotte raised her eyebrows. Her gaze swept past Casimodo and Sebastian, and she nodded lightly. "Sure." ... One after the other, Charlotte and Baron Sharon entered the study of the mansion. As soon as they entered the study, Baron Sharon couldn''t help but ask. "Lady Charlotte, does the county know about the affairs of the family?" "Casimodo has sent messages to the county, and he also called several viscounts and barons to Borde City." Charlotte replied. With that, she glanced at Baron Sharon again. "But... we haven''t received any response yet." Baron Sharon''s expression became somewhat embarrassed. He cleared his throat and explained. "Lady Charlotte, you may not know, but last month there were several conflicts between Castell and the Vlad Duchy, and the communication magic towers were damaged. They haven''t been repaired yet." Vlad Duchy? Charlotte''s heart skipped a beat. The Vlad Duchy was one of the twelve duchies of the Crescent Kingdom, and also the neighbor of the Castell''s County, with a delicate relationship with the Borde Duchy. The Castell''s County, a fiefdom enclave of the Borde Duchy, had been in constant conflict with the Vlad Duchy due to commercial competition and territorial disputes. "The communication magic tower is broken? So you mean... the territory may not have received the message yet?" Charlotte furrowed her brows and asked. "It''s very likely." Baron Sharon thought for a moment and replied. Very likely? Charlotte''s brows furrowed even deeper. She pondered for a moment before continuing. "Let''s put aside the matter of communication for now. What about the monthly funds that Casimodo mentioned? I''ve heard that the county''s business has been thriving in recent years, and the silver mine has been continuously producing. Why is the income decreasing compared to before?" Looking at Charlotte''s youthful and innocent appearance, Baron Sharon sighed and said. "Lady Charlotte, you probably don''t understand the composition of the family''s income, do you?" "I know a little. Seventy percent of the income comes from the Castell silver mine, ten percent from vassal taxes, and twenty percent from direct territory taxes and business income." Charlotte said. After hearing her answer, Baron Sharon sighed deeply. "Yes... seventy percent of the family''s income comes from the silver mine, especially the associated mithril mine, which accounts for the vast majority of the income." "But the portion of the associated mithril mine allocated to the family... is on the verge of depletion." Chapter 141: Vassals and Feudal Lords "Is the mithril mine running out?" Charlotte blinked slightly. Charlotte was not unfamiliar with mithril, a precious mineral that had appeared in many fantasies in her previous life. It was extremely valuable, with a shiny silver-white appearance, dazzling and beautiful, much stronger than steel yet lightweight. It also possessed excellent affinity with magic and storage capabilities. Many magical equipment, artifacts, and even divine artifacts relied on it for their production, making it a rare magical material. The Castell family was founded on the Castell Silver Mine, or more accurately, on the mithril within it. Even the wealthy elves on Luna Island were willing to pay high prices for it. If what Baron Sharon said was true, then the income of the Castell family would indeed sharply decline. Thinking of this, Charlotte sighed inwardly. Even the richest mine would eventually be depleted. It seemed that Castell County was also in need of a transition in its economic structure. Of course, even if the income decreased, 500,000 gold tana was not a small amount. S~?a??h the ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Even with a two-thirds reduction in income, the Castell family was still far from impoverished. "Does the Crescent Royal Family know about the depletion of the mine?" Charlotte asked. The Crescent Royal Family was a partner in the Castell Silver Mine, and most of the output of mithril mines was actually taken by the royal family. Baron Sharon sighed. "The royal family is not aware yet. Even if they were, they probably wouldn''t care. After all, the royal family takes the richest vein of mithril, and that part hasn''t been affected much. The part that has been significantly affected is only our family''s." Charlotte thought for a moment. "Alright, I understand. When I return to the county, I will personally inspect the mithril mine." The depletion of a mine could be easily determined upon investigation. Charlotte estimated that Baron Sharon was not lying to her. But at the same time, she did not completely trust his words. The attitude inadvertently revealed by the other party was clearly treating her more as a child than a Lord. She would not completely believe all his words. She decided to investigate for herself after returning to the county. After discussing the matter of the mithril mine, Charlotte noticed that Baron Sharon seemed hesitant, as if he had something else to say. She was intrigued and asked. "Baron Sharon, do you have something else to say?" Baron Sharon nodded and said solemnly. "Lady Charlotte, indeed, I have something else to say. I do not know how Sebastian gained your trust, but this elf... is a well-known traitor of Luna Island." "Castell County has always had economic ties with Luna Island and can be considered a good partner. If Luna Island were to learn of his relationship with you, it might hinder the relationship between our family and the elves." "Many nobles in the county have trade relations with the elves. If our relationship with Luna Island is affected, it may damage your prestige and support in the county." "Moreover, forgive me for being blunt, but I do not believe that a Silver Moon would willingly serve you wholeheartedly, especially considering he is a leader of the underground gang. He... may have grander ambitions!" Baron Sharon''s expression was serious. Through his words, Charlotte could clearly feel his hostility and wariness towards Sebastian. Charlotte felt somewhat helpless. The relationship between her and Sebastian was indeed not easy to explain. The concerns of the County''s knight were understandable. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Of course, regardless of others'' attitudes, Charlotte would not abandon Sebastian, her only blood servant and a Silver Moon bodyguard. But at the same time, responding to Baron Sharon''s words required strategy. After all, the other party represented the vassals of the family, and her response might also be transmitted to the county through him. The Count was indeed a rather special position. Charlotte was not like the protagonists who transmigrated into emperors or kings, where the whole country was under their control, and the only headache was how to balance and compromise with their subordinates. Nor was she like many protagonists who started from scratch, building their own forces and having the final say on their own territory. She had a little of both sides, needing to consider both. She had already dealt with crises as a vassal. But as a lord, perhaps it was just beginning. Lords still needed the support of vassals, much like local officials who took office in the China government and needed the support of their old subordinates. Perhaps vassals were of lower status and weaker, but when facing a new lord, they often had a unified stance and interests, and could completely sideline the new lord. Even though Charlotte had not yet fully understood what the relationship between Gods and belief was in the world of Myria, she knew from history and myths that the first step to becoming a God was to have one''s own power and develop one''s own beliefs. Referring to the paths of predecessors, even if it was for the sake of becoming a God in the future, Charlotte could not fight alone but needed to prepare in advance, stand firm in Myria, and have her own forces. But at the same time, Charlotte could not rely on the power of the True Ancestor to suppress and dominate her subjects. If she did, she would truly be no different from the Evil Gods, and no Evil God... had ever truly grown strong. The County was a good starting point. If she wanted to completely control Castell''s county, it was essential to gain genuine loyalty from the vassals. She couldn''t show weakness, nor could she appear arrogant or ignorant, leaving a bad impression. "Sebastian''s loyalty is beyond doubt. He owes a life debt to Castell, and he has sworn allegiance to me before the Gods. He has already been tested by the Gods, and I will take care of this matter." After thinking for a moment, Charlotte said. Hearing Charlotte bring up the banner of the Gods, Baron Sharon opened his mouth to speak but ultimately said nothing in opposition. In a world with Gods, the Gods were the masters, and this move could be said to be quite astute. After much hesitation, Baron Sharon could only sigh slightly. "If he has gained the recognition of the Holy Court, then there is nothing for his subordinates to say. I just hope that you... will consider the feelings of Luna Island''s elves and the nobles." ... The convoy from the Castell''s county settled in the manor, and Charlotte hosted a grand welcome for everyone. The members of the convoy would spend two days in Borde, leaving behind goods and funds from the County while purchasing goods from Castell''s commercial partners in Borde City. Charlotte took this opportunity to gain a thorough understanding of her domain through these knights and attendants who had come from afar. As for Baron Sharon, who led the convoy, he did not stay in the manor. It was said that he had a small villa in the western district of Borde City and had many friends to visit, even having a small gathering these nights. However, just when Charlotte thought that the baron would not return to the manor at night, he suddenly hurried back. As soon as he saw the elegant girl sitting in the hall, listening to music and drinking sweet milk, he hurried forward and asked seriously. "Lady Charlotte! I heard... that you have sworn to the Gods not to marry?!" The high-footed cup in Charlotte''s hand paused slightly. She knew that the inevitable question had finally come... Chapter 142: Being single is a matter of principle Regarding her oath to the Holy Court, Charlotte knew it would certainly provoke opposition from the vassal nobility.For vassals, the family matters of their liege lord are somewhat equivalent to "state affairs," especially the lifelong matters of the liege lord, which concern the future heir. A feudal lord family without an heir would bring too much uncertainty and would not give the vassals enough sense of security. Especially in a wealthy domain like Castell, where there are too many covetous eyes, the lack of an heir virtually signifies a struggle for inheritance rights. And in Charlotte''s case, the situation is even more complicated. Not only does she swear celibacy, but she also promises to donate her territory to the church after "death." This makes the nobles even more furious... In the world of Myria, the interests of feudal nobles and ecclesiastical lords are different. It''s difficult for the nobles, who rely on marriage and inheritance to strengthen their families and maintain their rule, to align with ecclesiastical lords. One thing that nobles particularly detest is that when a territory becomes ownerless, ecclesiastical lords are highly likely not to grant the land to nobles but to reclaim it for church management. Undoubtedly, Charlotte''s promise to donate the county to the church will inevitably provoke strong reactions from the nobles. Just look at Baron Sharon''s expression now. Charlotte dares to affirm that he will soon try to persuade her to retract her oath, at least the promise to the church. "Lady Charlotte, please... think this over! It is well known that His Majesty and the ecclesiastical authorities are in conflict. The Crescent Royal Family absolutely does not want to see another ecclesiastical domain in the kingdom, especially a wealthy one like Castell!" "Your decision... may further amplify the conflict between the kingdom and the church in the future, and may even bring chaos to Castell!" "The Castell lineage has been passed down for hundreds of years. For the sake of the family and the subjects, please, you must reconsider!" Baron Sharon earnestly persuades. Charlotte unexpectedly glances at him. This extraordinary knight does not warn her from the perspective of the nobles'' interests but uses the pressure from the higher-level king and the moral high ground of the subjects. It must be said that he was quite clever. Even if she knows that the other party is likely just waving the flag to dispel her thoughts, at least... a noble who can mention the interests of the subjects will not be disliked by Charlotte, who is a transmigrator. However, Charlotte will not give a commitment. Even if she knows it will cause backlash from the nobles, she cannot loosen her declaration of celibacy and the promise of donating the land. That would leave evidence and worsen relations with the church, plunging her, who is already firmly established, back into an inheritance crisis... Not to mention, after lifting the oath, would they really make her bear offspring? S?a??h th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Just thinking about some possibilities and scenarios, Charlotte shuddered and got goosebumps all over. No! She absolutely will not! This is a matter of principle! "Baron Sharon, I have my own considerations in this matter, no need to say more." Charlotte says firmly. "Lady Charlotte!" Baron Sharon still refuses to give up. "That''s enough! Baron Sharon, do you still want to decide the lifelong matters for your lord?!" Charlotte raises her voice, looking displeased, and directly uses her majesty magic. With a light reprimand, Baron Sharon feels as if Charlotte''s voice is thundering in his ears. Though immature, it carries undeniable majesty, making him involuntarily feel a sense of fear and genuine dread. He immediately lowers his head and kneels on one knee. "I... dare not..." Seeing the kneeling baron, Charlotte let out a soft sigh, slightly relaxing her authority magic, and said. "Regarding the future of the territory, I have my own considerations, rest assured... I will not put the vassals and subjects in jeopardy." "Baron Sharon, you may retire if there''s nothing else." We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Charlotte dismisses him. Baron Sharon opens his mouth, but in the end, he lets out a long sigh. "I... take my leave." With that, he stands up and leaves. Exiting the hall, Baron Sharon feels considerably relieved. It''s only when he leaves the manor that he completely shakes off the influence of Charlotte''s majesty magic. At this moment, he realizes he''s sweating profusely and becomes aware of his loss of composure in the hall. Damn it! He, a distinguished First Tier knight, was actually subdued in front of a fifteen-year-old girl! Was it magic? Or some kind of bloodline power? He can''t help but wonder. Recalling the petite figure that reprimanded him in the manor, Baron Sharon suddenly gains a new understanding of this future lord. She... is no longer just a child. She has her own thoughts, her own opinions, and equally possesses the authority of a lord. He suddenly realizes that the child once protected by her family is about to come of age. He''s unsure whether this is a good thing or a bad thing, especially for the various noble families in the current County of Castell. With complex emotions, Baron Sharon returns to his small villa. Inside, his friends are still gathered for a meeting, obviously waiting for his return to inquire about the news from Castell Manor. "Baron Sharon, have you finished advising Miss Charlotte?" A merchant asked. "Yes, I had finished advising her." Baron Sharon sighed. "And what was the result?" Another person hurriedly asked. "No result, Lady Charlotte is very determined." Baron Sharon shook his head. "In that case... Miss Charlotte''s faith is indeed as fanatical and steadfast as rumored... the church will have another ecclesiastical lord in the future." One person sighed. Another person shook their head slightly, sneered, and commented. "Well, after all, she''s still a child, impulsive and reckless. When she returns to her territory, I''m afraid she won''t be able to withstand the opposition of the noble gentlemen..." But as soon as he finishes speaking, he realizes his mistake and quickly apologizes and explains to Baron Sharon. "Ah... Baron Sharon, I didn''t mean you." Baron Sharon didn''t mind and just shook his head indifferently. "What you said is not wrong. If Lady Charlotte really wants to donate the land to the church, our family will definitely oppose it." "Oppose? But... the church is backing her. With all due respect, even if Baron Sharon is unwilling, there''s nothing you can do." Someone shook their head and said. However, someone quickly refuted it. "That''s not necessarily true. The church hasn''t signed a contract with Castell yet. Considering that the legal boundaries of contracts with minors are relatively vague. The High Priest may be waiting for her to come of age." Baron Sharon suddenly froze with this revelation, his face showed him deep in thought... Chapter 143: The Anxious High Priest The Castell convoy stayed in Borde City for two days before leaving.After that evening, Baron Sharon didn''t bring up the same question to Charlotte again, and the matter of donating the land to the church seemed to have been pushed aside by him. From the vague attitude he showed, Charlotte speculated that he probably already knew she hadn''t signed a contract with the church, realizing that she had only temporarily used the church''s influence. Since he didn''t ask again, Charlotte didn''t explain either. No, even if he had asked, she wouldn''t have explained, to avoid leaving any trace. This was fine. At least the baron could bring back his attitude to the county, and it would temporarily reassure those vassals who had not met her. With the convoy''s departure, Castell Manor returned to its former tranquility. After receiving the funds, Charlotte''s first task was to send Casimodo to redeem all the items she had sold. She had been thinking about this matter and had promised Casimodo, so naturally, she wouldn''t break her promise. After that, Charlotte''s daily life returned to its usual rhythm. Prayers, exercises, learning... Besides the training, which now included various newly acquired talents and magic, and the learning, which now included new information about the territory, along with spending time each day investigating and pondering methods to increase divine power... there wasn''t much different from before. But, as time passed, the death of the Grand Knight gradually became a topic of discussion, and the sighting of Charlotte''s True Ancestor''s Liberation was repeatedly mentioned. She had to keep a low profile. Especially when some extraordinary individuals concluded that the sighting that night was indeed after the arrival of the Flame Demon... Then things got lively. Despite the church''s repeated reassurances, it inevitably sparked people''s curiosity about the existence that defeated the Flame Demon that night. There were speculations that it was a passing Legendary, some guessed it was a divine messenger of the church, while others speculated it was the incarnation of the God King Harald. But at the same time, some speculated it was a mysterious Evil God... Even worse, some connected the two events, wondering if the death of the Inquisition Grand Knight was also related to that night''s sighting. For a while, all sorts of rumors were flying around. However, one explanation had been confirmed by the church. That was, the sighting that night was a plot by the Blood Demon Cult, but it had been thwarted by the church. s?a??h th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Meanwhile, with the exposure of the Dreaming Salon, the Duke''s family also began to clean up and pursue related noble families... The reasons for the cleanup were solid. Those involved with the evil Dreaming Salon, colluding with the Blood Demon Cult! This inevitably shifted the residents'' attention back to the nobles. There were no citizens unwilling to watch the event of nobles, especially this kind of "anti-corruption and evil" massive cleanup. For a while, the reputation of the Borde family soared with the continuous cleanup of the implicated nobles, especially with the Duke''s son leading the way. "Heh heh, master, it seems that the old Duke is laying the groundwork for the succession of Lord Leno. This move is really clever, not only can it strike the noble forces, protect the new Duke, but also enhance the new Duke''s authority..." "I even suspect now, did the old Duke already know about the Dreaming Salon affair and had such a plan." Sebastian chuckled as he poured Charlotte a cup of hot milk. Charlotte shook her head slightly. "Let him go for now. Regardless of his real intention, cleaning up these corrupt nobles is a good thing." "But it''s not just about cleaning up corrupt nobles, my esteemed master. According to your orders, I secretly instructed the Rose Society to track those affected nobles. Most of them were indeed involved in the Dreaming Salon and colluding with the Blood Demon Cult, but there were also many innocent people." "Clearly, the old Duke is taking advantage of the opportunity to suppress dissidents amidst the cleanup." Sebastian said. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "How are those affected nobles?" Charlotte asked. "Most of them were not clean to begin with, but there are also some decent ones among them. They were only suppressed by the old Duke because they oppose Lord Leno''s succession, so these people... the Rose Society has helped them escape as much as possible." "All the evidence has been kept?" "Of course, it''s all kept." "Very good, after the inspection team from the Holy Court arrives, hand over those materials along with the ones including the High Priest to Captain Kara." Charlotte said. Meanwhile, after experiencing so many changes, the Holy Court did not immediately send down any Legendary clergies for inspection. At first, Charlotte was a little puzzled. She had prepared to deal with Legendary clergies, but many days had passed without a word. It wasn''t until through the "intelligence" from the High Priest that Charlotte learned what had happened. It turned out that shortly after she thwarted the Blood Demon Cult''s plan, there was a change of the District Bishop of the Holy Court''s Crescent Diocese. The handover of power between the old and new authorities inevitably led to some chaos. Add to that the fact that although something had happened in Borde, it had been "successfully suppressed" by the church, and the High Priest kept sending signals above that "nothing had happened here," so... eventually, no one was sent down immediately. But not sending anyone immediately didn''t mean they wouldn''t send anyone at all. The sighting in Borde was well known, and it couldn''t be concealed. And after the new District Bishop issued instructions, the responsibility for investigating into the Blood Demon Cult incident in the Borde Duchy fell entirely on the shoulders of the evaluation team coming to the Duchy. As for the evaluation team... they were the team responsible for the Holy Court''s clergy evaluation, jointly formed by the Inquisition''s Judgment Knights and the Church''s priests, specifically to evaluate candidates for the position of Archbishop. In other words, the evaluation team was here for the High Priest, specifically to assess whether the High Priest was qualified to compete for the position of Archbishop. This was the last step before the competition for the position of Archbishop. As long as it was successfully completed and passed the vote of the review team, the High Priest might be able to realize his dream of becoming an Archbishop. The High Priest was both happy and worried. He was happy that after his efforts and a little luck, the Holy Court did not send a Legendary figure down for inspection. But he was worried that the investigation would be handled by the evaluation team, which would only make the investigation into him more rigorous. Although he had done his best to prepare everything, the evaluation team shouldn''t have been too hard on him. But the addition of the investigation task had suddenly disrupted his plans. It was because the evaluation task was led by the Church''s priests, while the investigation task was led by the Inquisition. In order to balance their power, the diocese simply appointed a new head for the evaluation team, a just and experienced priest. The other party was also a Third Tier, even stronger than the High Priest. "Oh Majestic God Nyx, this humble Leonard prays to you for protection, to help me smoothly pass the evaluation..." Facing the altar, the High Priest prayed respectfully. After the prayer, he didn''t forget to take out all the secret information he had collected from the church, reciting it one by one in front of the altar. There was no other way, God Nyx didn''t accept sacrifices (actually, couldn''t), so he could only transmit information in this way. After reciting the information, and looking at the flickering candles, the High Priest''s heart felt somewhat reassured. Chapter 144: Youre under arrest! The days of waiting were long and agonizing.Amid anxiety, tension, and anticipation, days passed by slowly, until the High Priest finally welcomed the arrival of the Church Evaluation Team from the Crescent Diocese. After days of preparation, he had taken care of everything meticulously. Even the various anomalies in Borde had been suppressed one by one through the tacit cooperation between him and the old Duke. Speaking of which, he also had to thank God Nyx, who was evidently hostile to the Blood Demon Cult, for resolving the troubles caused by the Blood Demon Cult and allowing him to cleverly take credit for it. He had truly made a lot of preparations. For safety''s sake, he had even temporarily set aside that little beauty from the Castell family. Next, as long as the High Priest himself could pass the church''s evaluation test, he would be able to completely rid himself of this crisis. What happened in Borde would definitely not escape the Legendary''s investigation, but if he wanted to deceive a Blazing Sun Priest... with the covert help of the God, the High Priest still had a certain degree of confidence. Of course, he had also prepared for the worst. He had already deactivated the protection of the Church''s holy symbol in advance, and he had also brought along the advanced magic scroll for long-distance teleportation. If he sensed anything amiss, he would promptly escape. That was the worst-case scenario, one that the High Priest hoped would never come to pass. But in case it did, he would have no choice but to completely rely on that mysterious God Nyx. These days, he had been praying to God Nyx frequently, not only hoping to gain the other''s protection during the evaluation but also preparing for the worst-case scenario. The melodious sound of the bells rang out from the bell tower of the cathedral, accompanied by rising dust, as the grand procession appeared outside Borde City. It was the Evaluation Team composed of Judgment Knights and Church Priests. The entire team comprised over a hundred people, marching in grandeur towards Borde City, while the High Priest Leonard, accompanied by the Borde''s priests, personally welcomed them at the city gate. The leader of the Evaluation Team was named Gast, a senior clergy of commoner origin, deeply favored by divine grace, his strength only a step away from Legendary. He was also one of the three ducal-level lord clergies of the Crescent Kingdom, ruling over the Landis Ecclesiastical Duchy in the central part of the Crescent Kingdom, also known as the Landis Archbishop. At first glance, the High Priest saw the Landis Archbishop surrounded by priests. As a senior clergy of the Holy Court, he had been able to obtain a lot of intelligence on high-level church movements in advance. He knew that the Landis Archbishop had long been valued by the Sacred College and would soon be summoned back to the ecclesiastical state to undergo the divine grace test. Once he passed the test, he would formally ascend to the rank of a Cardinal with Legendary power, relinquishing his position as the Landis Lord and joining the Sacred College of Cardinals. The position of the Archbishop that High Priest Leonard dreamed of was actually that of the Landis Lord! Thinking of this, the High Priest took a deep breath, put on a friendly and dignified smile, and approached the Landis Archbishop warmly, saying: "Praise the Divine! Your Excellency Gast, welcome to Borde!" The Landis Archbishop was a tall, white-haired old man with a stern face. Despite the High Priest''s goodwill, he showed no reaction, only giving the other a cold glance, and then led the members of the Evaluation Team towards the direction of the cathedral. The High Priest''s smile froze on his face instantly. Although the Landis Archbishop was a vassal lord of the ecclesiastical state ruling the divine authority, in terms of rank, he was actually on par with High Priest Leonard. Both of them belonged to the ducal level, with the only difference being that the Landis Archbishop''s position as a clergy lord was half a rank higher than his, somewhat similar to the difference between nobles with court positions and feudal nobles. For two priests of almost the same rank, such a cold and indifferent attitude upon meeting was abnormal, even for a senior evaluation officer like him. The High Priest faintly felt that the Landis Archbishop''s attitude seemed a bit off, but he couldn''t figure out where he might have offended the other. However, regardless, as the evaluation officer evaluating for the qualification of the High Priest, he had to manage the relationship well. We rely on your support! novelplex.org s?a??h th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Donate now Maintaining a stiff smile, the High Priest turned and followed the procession of the Evaluation Team. He approached the Landis Archbishop, enthusiastically introducing the customs and church situation of Borde. But the Landis Archbishop remained expressionless, unmoved, which made the High Priest quite embarrassed. If it weren''t for the other two vice evaluation officers who followed up with some conversation topics, the High Priest felt that he might not be able to withstand this serious, awkward, and cold atmosphere for long. This was not normal! Definitely not normal! Even if the church prohibited too much interaction between the evaluation officer and the evaluated clergy, the attitude of the Landis Archbishop was still too abnormal! The High Priest felt increasingly restless. The Evaluation Team hadn''t even begun to investigate the situation in Borde, yet such an attitude appeared. Could it be... the diocese had discovered something? The High Priest''s heart sank slightly. But upon careful consideration, he felt that he had already covered all his tracks, leaving no loopholes behind. Even if there were any, it would be due to the oversight of the Evil God''s resurrection. Yet he had the merit of rooting out the Blood Demon Cult and the achievement of turning Castell into ecclesiastical territory in the future. These were his advantages. Not to mention, he also had the covert protection of God Nyx. The High Priest suppressed the unease in his heart, continuing to smile and chat with the members of the Evaluation Team until they reached the cathedral of Borde. As the evaluation officer, the Landis Archbishop entered the cathedral first and naturally stood on the high platform in the hall. The Judgment Knights who came with the Evaluation Team also lined up on both sides, solemn in their demeanor. The High Priest was also somewhat nervous. He knew that according to the convention, the Evaluation Team would soon read out the church''s evaluation documents and related procedures. As if verifying his judgment, after the Landis Archbishop took his position, a priest respectfully handed him a parchment scroll. However, when the High Priest saw the parchment scroll, he suddenly froze. The color of the parchment scroll''s cover... was not the usual gold used by the church for issuing ordinary documents. Instead, it was an ominous black. Black documents were only used within the Holy Court for suspension, investigation, disciplinary action, or arrest. The sound of creaking came from behind, and the High Priest noticed that the Judgment Knights had directly closed and locked the main door of the cathedral from the inside. As for the other two vice evaluation officers, who also possessed the Third Tier Blazing Sun power, they had already stood on either side of him, seemingly prepared to act at any moment. This was bad! The expression of the High Priest changed slightly. At the same time, on the high platform, the Landis Archbishop opened the black parchment scroll and solemnly recited. "Based on a genuine report, High Priest Leonard of the Borde''s Holy Court branch had conspired with the Blood Demon Cult to harm civilians, with conclusive evidence..." After finishing, he put down the parchment scroll and looked coldly at the High Priest. "Leonard, you are under arrest." Chapter 145: The Whistle-Blower High Priest Leonard has been arrested.On the first day of the evaluation team from the Holy Court entering Borde City, he was arrested. Even though he had prepared for the worst, everything he had prepared was completely meaningless under the complete encirclement of the three Blazing Sun Knights. The teleportation scroll in his arms hadn''t even been torn open yet when it was snatched away by the Blazing Sun Judgment Knight, and then his whole body was restrained... Although both were Third Tier Blazing Sun, the combat power of Judgment Knights was usually far higher than that of clergies like High Priest Leonard. Not to mention, he was surrounded by three Blazing Sun Knights. The High Priest felt anxious, calling desperately in his heart for the name of the Evil God, but received no response. It wasn''t until the Judgment Knight rudely chained his hands with anti-magic chains that he finally realized, the Evil God... had not protected him at all. The High Priest''s heart instantly cooled halfway, even though it was a scorching summer day, it felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave. "No! Slander! This is slander! Your Excellency of the Evaluation Team! I want to appeal!" He exclaimed, disheveled. "Appeal? Your appeal... you can take it to the Sacred Judgment and speak with the Chief Judge of the Crescent Diocese." The Landis Archbishop said coldly. Sacred Judgment! The High Priest''s face turned slightly pale. His expression was dazed, showing despair, and he instantly lost his strength. Sacred Judgment! The harshest judgment in the Holy Court! Only after obtaining concrete evidence would it be carried out, and each time it is carried out, the judgment and sentence will inevitably make the judged party pay a price! The disasters that the Rose Society had faced in the past, today... had descended upon him alone. At this moment, the Great High Priest finally realized... he was done for. ... When the devout followers from Borde went to the cathedral with excitement, ready to attend the grand welcoming event of the Holy Court evaluation team led by the High Priest, what they saw instead was the sight of the disheveled High Priest wearing shackles, being pushed out of the cathedral by the Judgment Knights. This unexpected scene stunned all the believers. "What happened?" "Why was the High Priest arrested?" The believers discussed one after another, with shocked expressions. However, soon, the Landis Archbishop and the other two Blazing Sun Knights walked out of the cathedral. He glanced at the gathering of devout believers around the cathedral and whispered a few words to the priests following him. The priests following the Landis Archbishop nodded, then came to the square in front of the cathedral and, using the church''s amplification array, spread the judgment of the Borde''s High Priest throughout every corner of the square. Assaulting thousands of underage girls, serving as a shield for the Dreaming Salon, colluding with the Blood Demon Cult... These charges were recited one by one, causing a sensation. The incomprehension towards the actions of the evaluation team quickly turned into anger towards the fallen priest. Shock, disappointment, disgust, anger... The fervent believers began to curse and insult angrily. "Demon! A demon in human skin!" "Burn him! Burn this evil fallen one!" It was unclear who first picked up a stone from the ground and threw it towards the disheveled High Priest, but it quickly incited others to follow. Stones, rotten food, feces... all sorts of filth came flying from all directions. The once highly respected High Priest, at this moment, became the object of everyone''s scorn. The Landis Archbishop watched coldly and did not intervene. The Holy Court despised corrupt priests the most. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now And every corrupt priest not only faced the most severe judgment, but all their sins would also be exposed to the public, to be condemned by the world. Perhaps this self-exposure of evil undermined the authority of the Holy Court, but it was precisely because of the Holy Court''s severe punishment that the Church, which had lasted for thousands of years, still stood. The fervent believers vented their anger on the imprisoned High Priest, and more and more citizens came from all directions to inquire about the commotion. Watching the scandal was always a pleasure for mortals, and the scandal of clergies was no less than that of nobles. As more and more citizens came to condemn, the scene became somewhat chaotic. The Landis Archbishop frowned slightly. He glanced at the dispirited High Priest sitting on the ground, preparing to end this farce. But just then, a ragged old woman suddenly rushed out of the crowd. She crossed the Judgment Knights who maintained order, her eyes red, and rushed towards the High Priest, screaming hoarsely. "Demon! You damned demon! Give me back my daughter! Give me back my daughter!" The woman was soon stopped by the knights. But the chaotic crowd gradually quieted down. "It''s Old Widow Luna..." "I heard that her three daughters, who depended on each other, were all taken away by the Dreaming Salon..." S?a??h the N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "Beasts..." Watching the weeping woman, the onlookers showed complex expressions. At the same time, one after another, new elders stood up, crying uncontrollably. These were the pitiful parents who had lost their daughters to the Blood Demon Cult and the Dreaming Salon for ten or even more years. For more than a decade of bloody sacrifices, thousands of girls had been killed, and countless families had been destroyed. Although the nobles who organized the Dreaming Salon were dead, everyone understood that without the protection of the High Priest, this bloody and evil activity... could never have continued to this day. The organizers of the event deserved to die. But the umbrella behind the scenes was even more despicable. Watching the weeping elders, the Landis Archbishop sighed deeply and said. "Help them up, and then... take Leonard away." The knights and priests quickly helped the elders up, and the High Priest was also escorted away by the Judgment Knights. As the ringleader was taken away, the crowd gathered in the square gradually dispersed. In a corner of the square, Kara, dressed in plain clothes, stood in the shadow of the sidewalk trees, silently looking in the direction of the cathedral. Beside her, Duke''s son Leno wore a complicated expression, showing signs of lamentation. "I never expected... that the protector of the Dreaming Salon would turn out to be the High Priest!" "No wonder the Blood Demon Cultists in Borde couldn''t be completely eradicated for so many years! It turns out... there was a problem within the Church!" As he spoke, he couldn''t help but look at the expressionless female knight Kara. "Kara, I just heard them say... it seems that the High Priest was reported, but I don''t know who reported him, and how they could investigate it so clearly." As soon as he finished speaking, several evaluation team Judgment Knights rode over from the distance. Leading them was the vice-leader officer of the Evaluation Team, the Third Tier Blazing Sun Judgment Knight, who was also the newly appointed Borde''s Grand Knight. He came to Kara''s side, showing an appreciative smile, drew a cross with his right hand, and said. "Praise the Divine! You are the Borde''s Demon Hunter Squad leader, Kara, right?" "Kara, thanks to your report on High Priest Leonard, the Holy Court was able to timely clear this corrupt scourge!" Ka...Kara reported? Leno was suddenly stunned. While the Blazing Sun Knight looked solemn, he sincerely asked. "Madam Kara, the Chief Judge of the Crescent Diocese highly appreciates you. Are you interested in leaving Borde and joining the Diocese''s Judiciary?" Chapter 146: I am... really tired The Blazing Sun Knight had a sincere expression.Borde''s Demon Hunter Squad Leader, Kara, reached the pinnacle of the Second Tier Silver Moon at a young age, has limitless potential for the future. It was almost a certainty that she would step into the Blazing Sun and even have the chance to peek into Legendary. Such talent would be welcomed anywhere, worthy of recruitment from a Blazing Sun Knight. Upon hearing the words of the Blazing Sun Knight of the blazing sun, Kara''s expression slightly changed, followed by the Demon Hunter Knights behind her. They looked worriedly at their own captain, hesitant to speak. However, Kara, who had been silent all along, gently shook her head. "Grand Knight, thank you for your offer." The Blazing Sun Knight didn''t get angry at her refusal but instead smiled kindly. "It''s okay. If Madam Kara changes her mind, the Diocese will welcome your arrival at any time." "The Demon Hunter Bureau... for someone as talented as you, it''s too small." "Madam Kara, I''ll take my leave now. If you change your mind, you can always find me at the Borde''s Inquisition." With that, he nodded slightly to Kara and turned to leave. Only after the Blazing Sun Knight''s figure was no longer visible did the Demon Hunter Knights behind Kara couldn''t help but spit on the ground. "Phew! So what if he is a Blazing Sun? Those guys from the Inquisition! They always try to poach from our Demon Hunter Bureau!" "Captain Kara! You did the right thing! You can''t go to that Inquisition place!" The Demon Hunter Knights chattered. However, Kara remained silent. Leno felt that Kara''s mood was off today. He couldn''t help but turn his head to look at Kara, but what he saw was a lonely and weary face. "Kara, are you... okay?" Leno asked with concern. The Demon Hunter Knights finally noticed Kara''s expression and said worriedly. "Captain?" Kara still didn''t answer but instead took off the silver cross sword hanging from her waist. She placed the sword together with the Demon Hunter''s Leader uniform, then handed it to the bewildered Demon Hunter Knight, and calmly said. "Return these things to the church. From now on... I am no longer your captain." Upon hearing Kara''s words, the demon hunters looked shocked. "Captain? Are you... Are you quitting the Demon Hunter Bureau?!" "Captain, what''s going on?" Kara shook her head slightly. "It''s nothing, I''m... just tired." After saying that, she turned and left. Watching Kara''s departing figure, Leno was also puzzled. He was about to catch up, but a roll of parchment fell out of the Demon Hunter''s Leader uniform pocket. Leno''s heart skipped a beat as he picked up the parchment and glanced at it, then his eyes widened suddenly. No wonder. That parchment turned out to be evidence of the crimes committed by the High Priest. And the most striking thing was a name marked on the list. It was Kara''s sister''s name. Leno understood everything in an instant. He looked towards the direction Kara had left, his expression full of complexity. He could understand Kara''s feelings. Perhaps many demon hunters didn''t know why Kara joined the Demon Hunter Bureau in the first place, but he knew that she joined the Holy Court in order to investigate the disappearance of her sister. But now, after everything was revealed, the mastermind behind the scenes of the Dreaming Saloon was the High Priest who brought her into the church... No matter who it was, it would be hard to accept. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Leno didn''t know if Kara had found out about this evidence herself or if someone else had given it to her. But it didn''t matter anymore. After knowing the truth, even if she personally sent the High Priest to the Sacred Judgment, it would probably not eliminate the fatigue and disappointment in Kara''s heart. Watching the figure walking away, Leno''s eyes were full of pity. He took a deep breath and rode his horse to catch up, soon walking side by side with Kara. Carefully looking at the silent female knight, Leno swallowed and carefully chose his words. "Kara, I know you''re feeling bad... If you don''t want to stay in the Demon Hunter Bureau anymore, then don''t." He squeezed his fist and gathered his courage again, saying: "Kara, let''s go to the tavern together. Tonight, we won''t come back until we''re drunk! Tomorrow is the beginning of a new day!" Leno''s expression was sincere. However, the female knight beside him did not respond to his words. "Kara?" Leno repeated. Kara still didn''t respond to him. Leno finally felt something was wrong. Although Kara''s attitude towards him was neither cold nor warm normally, he knew it was because her sister''s matter weighed heavily on her heart. When they were mercenary partners a long time ago, their relationship was much better than it is today. Leno had always believed that once the matter was resolved, Kara would be back to her past self. But now, why did she become even more indifferent to him after the High Priest, the culprit behind the scenes, was caught? He was sure that her current attitude wasn''t because of the High Priest''s matter. He could feel that Kara just didn''t want to talk to him. "Kara? What''s wrong? Why don''t you even want to talk to me anymore?" Leno couldn''t help but repeat again. This time, Kara finally stopped. She turned her head, looking at Leno with indifference, and said coldly. "Lord Leno, let''s part ways here." Leno widened his eyes. "Why? Did I do something wrong?" Kara didn''t answer, but once again took out a piece of parchment from her bosom. It was made of the same material as the parchment that had just fallen out of her leader''s uniform, looking like it had been torn from it. She threw the parchment to Leno wearily and said. "I am... really tired." After saying that, she didn''t say anything more and turned away again. Leno instinctively opened the parchment. It was also a piece of parchment recording crimes. However, unlike the previous parchment, this one didn''t list enough evidence of the crimes, more like a simple record. However, what it recorded was not the crimes of the High Priest. It was the crimes of Duke Borde. The parchment recorded the duke''s conspiracy with Count Brois, kidnapping girls with the intent of sacrificing them to demons, and the hidden secrets behind the Dlame Demon Disaster ten years ago, a darker and completely buried truth! Leno''s eyes widened almost instantly, his expression full of disbelief. He looked up suddenly, staring blankly in the direction Kara had left, finally understanding the reason behind her indifferent attitude... Kara''s sister had disappeared long before the Flame Demon Disaster. If the contents of this parchment were true, if the direct culprit behind Kara''s sister''s death was indeed the High Priest... S?a??h the N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Then the highly respected Duke Borde, the illustrious Borde family... was the source of everything! Leno clenched his fists, his nails almost digging into his flesh, his expression extremely ugly. He gripped the parchment tightly, his face dark, then immediately turned on his horse and galloped fiercely towards the direction of the Duke''s mansion... Chapter 147: The Real Old Fox In the eastern district of the city, at the Duke''s mansion...The gray-haired Duke of Borde reclined halfway on a chaise lounge, gently closing his eyes. Behind him, a professionally trained maid cautiously massaged his shoulders using techniques said to be inherited from the Elven tribe. A faint smoke rose and swirled around from the incense on the table. It was a magical incense from the Luna Island, capable of calming the mind and relaxing the mood with a slight refreshing effect. Occasional coughs echoed, causing the old Duke''s body to shake violently. The intense coughing seemed as if he might cough out his heart and lungs, making everyone uncomfortable to hear. However, the old Duke was already accustomed to it. He knew his health was deteriorating day by day. Aging and illness were natural, and although he had struggled and strived, he had long since accepted it. Being able to peacefully pass down the family legacy was enough for him to be content. "What''s Leno doing?" After a few coughs, Duke Borde asked slowly. The attendants looked at each other, and finally, someone stepped forward and nervously answered. "Your Grace, today the evaluation team from the Holy Court has arrived. Lord Leno has gone to the cathedral for the ceremony." "The ceremony? Heh, that lad isn''t so concerned about the Holy Court. Is he going to see that knight from the Demon Hunter Bureau?" The old Duke chuckled and sneered. The attendants lowered their heads, tense and nervous, focusing on their tasks, and no one answered. The Duke felt bored and said no more. He knew his son had a crush on a certain knight. He had even investigated personally, and indeed, she was a promising talent, becoming a Silver Moon Knight at such a young age. But unfortunately, she was of common birth, not a noble. Leno''s origins already had flaws, and Duke Borde would not allow the future Duchess of Borde to come from an even lower background. Talent only represents future potential, and the future is always uncertain. Since she wasn''t a noble, she was not within his considerations. Leno''s origins were already flawed. Even if he made preparations, he might not gain the recognition of other nobles, especially those of the same standing in the kingdom. Without recognition, the Duke''s position wouldn''t be stable. Duke Borde couldn''t possibly let a crude mercenary knight become the future Duke''s wife. But his own considerations were not enough. The old Duke knew his son well. He knew Leno wouldn''t give up. Thinking of this, Duke Borde pondered for a moment and said calmly. "Go and contact the High Priest. After the evaluation, ask him to transfer her away." Duke Borde couldn''t personally deal with a knight belonging to the Church, especially a Silver Moon knight. But he could have someone else do it. Once she was transferred from Borde, out of Leno''s sight, with his years of connections, the old Duke was confident he could handle her quietly without dirtying his own hands. He was quite adept at this kind of thing, experienced too. Thinking of this, the old Duke squinted slightly. Borde''s upper and lower echelons thought he had been tricked by the Castell family and the Church deals, while his foolish brother thought his secret actions went unnoticed... But who knew, he actually knew everything his foolish brother had done? As the master of Borde, nothing could escape his eyes. From the moment he knew he had a bastard wandering outside, Duke Borde began to pave the way for his future. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now However, just as the Duke of Borde was contemplating how to deal with the little troublesome female knight, suddenly a guard knight hurriedly returned from outside. "Your Grace! Something''s happened! There''s trouble at the cathedral!" Seeing the guard panting, the old Duke frowned. "What''s happened?" S?a?ch* Th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "The High Priest has been arrested by the Church''s evaluation team!" "What? The High Priest has been arrested?" "Yes! It''s said that they received a specific report, claiming the High Priest was the patron of the Dreaming Salon and colluded with the Blood Demon Cult!" A specific report? Someone knew the High Priest''s secrets? Duke Borde''s expression turned serious. He quickly got up from the lounge chair, feeling somewhat uneasy. He had recently been using the pretext of the Dreaming Salon to deal with the nobles within the Duchy. If the secret of the High Priest being involved as a patron was exposed, would this fire burn onto him, who had some kind of transaction with the High Priest? However, after careful consideration, the old Duke soon calmed down again. If this fire were to burn onto him, the messenger wouldn''t be the guard knight of the Duke''s mansion, but rather the judgment knight from the evaluation team. He sat back down, closed his eyes, and recalled, confirming that he hadn''t left any traces of involvement in the Blood Demon Cult''s turmoil that lasted more than a decade. Exposing his dealings with the High Priest wouldn''t matter much, it could be argued that it was to avoid scandal for the Borde family. The role of Count Tulip was evident at this moment. As for himself... ten years ago, he did indeed take more intense and risky actions, indirectly dealing with the Blood Demon Cult. But at that time, he remained behind the scenes, and all those who knew had already died. Duke Borde believed those secrets had been buried in history with the passage of time, existing only in his memory. Thinking of this, Duke Borde regained his composure. With the Holy Court arresting the High Priest, he was probably done for. Life was unpredictable, and even he hadn''t expected the High Priest to be finished off so suddenly and unexpectedly. "Even I only had some guesses about the High Priest''s affairs. Who could have reported him?" The old Duke couldn''t help but wonder. At this moment, he suddenly felt as if there was a force in Borde City manipulating everything. For a moment, he thought of the terrifying existence that defeated the Flame Demon that night, and the mysterious Evil God. But he quickly shook his head. That Evil God was so powerful that if she wanted to do something in Borde, no one could stop her, so why bother? Just then, a noise came from outside, and Leno pushed aside the knights guarding the door, bursting into the study with a menacing air. Seeing Leno, the old Duke frowned, rebuking him discontentedly. "What''s the rush? You have no trace of nobility left in you. Have you forgotten all the etiquette you were taught?" However, Leno just looked at him coldly and threw a parchment in front of him. "Etiquette? If noble etiquette means associating with evil, then I''d rather not have such etiquette." Leno said coldly. The old Duke''s expression darkened. He picked up the parchment and glanced at it casually, and soon his gaze froze instantly. Chapter 148: The Dukes True Purpose "Where did this parchment come from?"The solemn gaze slowly withdrew from the parchment, and Duke Borde watched cautiously towards Leno. Seeing his solemn expression, Leno''s expression changed, quickly turning into disappointment. "Judging by your expression... everything written on this, is it all true?" The old Duke''s gaze fell on the surrounding maids and servants. "You all leave first." The maids and servants bowed and hurriedly left. Only father and son remained in the study. Leno looked at Duke Borde with a complicated expression, pursing his lips as he asked. "Ten years ago, during the Flame Demon Disaster... was the Borde family the true mastermind?" "The uprising in Count Tulip territory, was it orchestrated by you?" "Tell me, is all this true or false?" Leno pressed on with his questions. Duke Borde was about to answer when Leno interjected. "I want to hear the truth." Duke Borde fell into silence. He set down the parchment in his hand, sighed lightly, and asked back. "What if it''s true? What if it''s false? These are all things of the past." Leno''s face instantly turned ugly. "Things of the past? So, you''re saying... the Borde family truly was the root cause?" S?a??h the N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "Did the revered Borde family, guardians of the Borde Duchy, secretly cause the Flame Demon Disaster ten years ago? Resulting in the destruction of thousands of families?" "And the purpose... was it for you to restore your fertility?" "Did you plot the rebellion against Count Tulip, causing tens of thousands of subjects to become ruined?" "Is this the Borde family? Is this what you call the glory of nobility?" Listening to Leno''s accusations, Duke Borde''s face turned pale and then flushed. He fell silent for a moment before saying, "Leno, what''s written here is just one side of the story, there''s no evidence." "Evidence? Even if there were evidence, I''m afraid you''ve already destroyed it, haven''t you?" Leno sneered. Duke Borde''s expression immediately darkened. "Leno, mind your tone and your status! I am your father!" "But I don''t remember having such an evil father..." Leno shook his head coldly. Watching his stubborn attitude, the old Duke frowned. He knew his bastard son had a stubborn temper, not yielding to coercion. Especially at this moment, he should use a softer approach. Thinking of this, the old Duke set aside the parchment and sighed lightly, saying, "Yes, ten years ago during the Flame Demon Disaster... the Borde family was involved, and I did orchestrate the uprising in Count Tulip territory. But there were reasons for all of it." "Reasons?" Leno frowned. The old Duke sighed deeply and continued. "Yes, my child, all of this... is for the future of the Duchy, and you." We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "I have already lost my fertility long ago, and you are my only son. But the entire Borde Duchy will never acknowledge your lineage. Everyone will only see your uncle, Anthony, as the heir to the title." "But from the beginning, I knew that you were more suited to inherit the Duchy. You are my child, the one who should inherit the title!" "For you, for the future of the Duchy, and to eliminate Count Tulip''s right to inherit the title, I orchestrated the rebellion in his territory..." "The purpose of rebellion in the Tulip County and the Flame Demon Disaster are both the same." Leno laughed bitterly. "For me?" "How noble!" "So many people died in the Tulip Rebellion, and you say it''s for the Duchy!" "The Flame Demon Disaster caused so much damage to the Borde Duchy, and you say it''s for me!" The old duke frowned faintly and calmly said. "I know what is written on this parchment claims that I did it all to restore my fertility. I have to admit, the person who gave you this parchment indeed knows some secrets from back then." "However, that is not the complete truth." "The truth? At this point, are you still talking about truth with me?" Leno said angrily. But the old Duke had completely regained his composure. He looked quietly at his illegitimate son and said slowly. "Leno, do you know how precarious the Borde family was ten years ago?" "At that time, there were four Blazing Suns in the Duchy, three of whom were not from my Borde family, and two of whom were from the Castell family..." "The Star-Moon War had ended, the Duchy was in ruins, but the Castell family was thriving..." "The Count of Castell and his wife were highly respected, and countless nobles and commoners followed them. Many lords of other kingdoms, when mentioning our Borde Duchy, only knew of Castell, not Borde..." "Their power was too strong, they had already threatened the rule of our Borde family... If we let them continue to grow, the entire Borde Duchy will fall into chaos." "Wait... are you saying..." Hearing the duke''s words, Leno was slightly stunned. The old Duke looked deeply at him and continued. "Yes, you''re right." "The Borde family did indeed manipulate the Flame Demon Disaster, but... the true purpose was to suppress the influence of the already dominant noble families..." "The Castell family was too powerful, and they were very close to Anthony, even the Brois family were their allies..." "Perhaps during the war, they were the arms of the Duchy, but the war has ended, and the Duchy does not need so many Blazing Suns." "We need to utilize the Blood Demon Cult, utilize the Flame Demon Disaster, utilize the Dreaming Salon, to strike these increasingly powerful nobles." Leno was completely stunned. "So you secretly encouraged Count Brois? So you allowed the outbreak of the Flame Demon Disaster? You watched as the Flame Demon ravaged the city, allowed the Blood Demon Cult to harm innocent girls, just to eliminate the family that contributed the most to the Duchy during the Star-Moon War?" As he spoke, he suddenly realized something, and his face turned ugly. "Wait... is this also true for the Dreaming Salon this time?" "Do you mean you already knew everything? You were just waiting to close the net?" The old Duke fell silent for a moment and sighed. "Was that... bad?" "If we don''t utilize the Dreaming Salon, how can we eliminate those noble families that are likely to challenge our rule in the future?" "Leno, I know you may find it hard to accept, but it''s necessary." "We are the Borde, we are the Lords of the Duchy, and we cannot allow any vassal to possess the power to challenge us." "Nobles value honor, dealing with it in this way, we can be seen as saviors in the eyes of the people, and we can also eliminate threats." "If sacrificing a small number of subjects can ensure the long-term stability of the Duchy, isn''t this good?" Leno stared blankly at the old Duke as if he were looking at a stranger. "Crazy!" "You... you must be crazy!" Chapter 149: Parting Ways (End of First Book) "Crazy? No... this is being clever." Duke Borde shook his head lightly. With that, he looked calmly at Leno and said. "If you want to be a qualified Duke of Borde, you must have some skills." But Leno burst into laughter. "What a cleverly! What a skill! What a Borde!" With that, he tore off the lion emblem from his chest and threw it on the ground, saying, "If this is what you call the revered Borde, then... keep this emblem for yourself!" "This filthy surname, such nobility, disgusts me!" After saying this, Leno also took off his splendid noble robe, threw it on the ground, and then turned and left. "Stop! You rebel! Pick up the family emblem for me!" Duke Borde''s expression darkened, and his voice was stern. The pressure of a Third Tier Blazing Sun burst out instantly, and Leno''s face turned pale instantly. However, he still stood tall and coldly said. "No... that''s your family emblem." "From today on, I have no relation with Borde anymore." "I swear to the Lord Harald, I, Leno, have no more ties with the Borde family!" With that, he slammed the door and left without looking back. Duke Borde looked in the direction Leno disappeared with an ugly expression, angrily crushing the armrest of the chair. But soon, he slumped back into the chair, looking much older all of a sudden... ... Borde City''s North Gate. Kara led her horse, silently looking at the beautiful girl who came to see her off. Under the black parasol, the girl with golden hair and blue eyes smiled charmingly and asked sincerely. "Miss Kara, have you really decided to leave Borde and restart your mercenary career in the Eastern Yunette Blackland?" "Would you reconsider my proposal?" Kara remained silent for a moment, then shook her head gently. "No, I''m tired." Upon hearing Kara''s words, the girl''s expression was somewhat regretful. She sighed softly, saying, "I understand. Thank you for your care in Borde. I wish you a safe journey and hope you can start a new life in the Eastern Yunette Blackland." "The Easter Yunette Blackland is not too far from the Castell domain, and Castell''s gates are always open for you. I hope in the future... we can meet again." Kara nodded slightly, then mounted her horse. "Thank you." She left these last words and rode away. Watching the gradually disappearing figure of the female knight on the horizon, Sebastian, holding the umbrella for Charlotte, sighed softly. "Clearly wanting to find out the truth, but always working for enemies... Miss Kara is really pitiful." Charlotte also nodded in agreement. Kara must have been utterly disappointed with the church to the point of resigning from the Demon Hunter Bureau. She still hoped to recruit such an extraordinary knight to her territory. But unfortunately... after experiencing various setbacks, the other party no longer had the mood to work for Castell. "I hope that after leaving Borde, she can soon get out of the past''s shadow." The girl said. "But unfortunately... she didn''t manage to strike a blow to Duke Borde. From what I know, Kara''s report to the church did not involve the Borde family." Sebastian said regretfully. Charlotte smiled ambiguously. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "That''s not necessarily true." While the two were talking, the urgent sound of horse hooves came from behind. Charlotte''s heart stirred and she turned around. After seeing the person riding on top clearly, she smiled slightly and said. "Lord Leno, why did you come out of the city?" The person riding the horse was indeed Leno. s?a??h th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. He had changed back into the clothes and equipment of a free mercenary, and there was no longer the emblem and sword of the Borde family. He eagerly looked around, as if searching for something. Even after hearing Charlotte''s voice, his mind was not on talking with the girl, but rather absent-mindedly said. "Oh... Miss Charlotte..." After speaking, he hurriedly asked. "Ah! Miss Charlotte, have you seen Kara? I heard someone say she left the city from this direction!" "Miss Kara? She has headed north." Charlotte said. "North?!" Leno''s spirits lifted. "Yes, she''s leaving Borde. She said she''s going to the Eastern Yunette Blackland to start a new life..." Charlotte continued. "Leaving Borde... heading to Eastern Yunette..." Leno murmured to himself, his gaze towards the distance becoming firm. "Miss Charlotte, thank you for letting me know!" After that, he looked apologetic again. "Also... I''m sorry." He performed a mercenary etiquette towards Charlotte, then continued riding his horse, chasing towards the north. Watching Leno gradually disappear, Sebastian couldn''t help but say, "It seems that the old Duke will have another headache for his succession issue." Charlotte nodded slightly. The old Duke was as cunning as a fox. Apart from those memories in Lottie''s dream, he had left no evidence pointing to him. The Duke was a prominent noble in the kingdom. Without sufficient evidence, even the Holy Court couldn''t act against him. But sometimes, striking the enemy doesn''t necessarily require sufficient evidence. His own life was not going to last long, yet he severed ties with his only heir... For Duke Borde, who regarded the succession of his family as paramount, this was akin to witnessing the end of his family line, a punishment more agonizing than death itself! Taking her gaze back from the distance, Charlotte reached out gently. Dots of light gathered in her hand, and the specters of the victim girls appeared. "Everything is over now, you guys... can also rest in peace." She sighed. They gently bowed to Charlotte. A breeze blew, and the dots of light scattered with the wind. Charlotte watched the last wisp of soul dissipate. Then, she turned and left. ... In the Holy Calendar year 1444, in the Seventh Month, the High Priest of Borde colluded with the Blood Demon Cult, causing great outrage in Borde and even in the Crescent Kingdom. In the Ninth Month of the same year, the criminal Leonard was arrested by the Holy Court in the capital of the Crescent Kingdom. Due to his severe impact, he was immediately sentenced to burning at the stake by the judge of the Crescent Diocese. At the same time, the heir of the Borde family, Leno de Borde, announced his separation from the Borde family and went to the adventurer''s paradise, the Eastern Yunette Blackland, to become a free mercenary... In the Tenth Month, after a detailed investigation, the Holy Court confirmed the suspected appearance of a Bloodborne Divinity in Borde. According to the confession of the criminal Leonard, the Holy Court referred to THEM as God Nyx and listed THEM as a key target of investigation... Chapter 150: Blood Acolytes "Supreme True Ancestor...""The embodiment of darkness and shadow..." "The origin of all bloodlines..." "As your devout and humble descendant, I pray here for your guidance..." ... In the splendidly lit secret chamber. Numerous werewolves led by the black hooded werewolf Luff fervently prayed at the altar and raised the crimson emblem composed of Thorny Roses. The altar was intricately carved with exquisite magical runes, adorned with a throne made of thorns and roses, emitting a crimson haze as the werewolves prayed. Amidst the haze, Luff, the leading werewolf, faintly seemed to hear an illusory and majestic voice echoing in his ears. A crimson mist pervaded around the altar, and a blood-colored light enveloped Luff. And Luff felt a warm power surging into his body, making him feel being filled with strength. It was a blessing! It was a blessing from the great True Ancestor! Luff was excited. He firmly remembered the ethereal and majestic voice that had just echoed in his ears and fervently bowed towards the direction of the altar. "Your Majesty the Great True Ancestor! Your devout and humble descendant will always remember your guidance!" "Your guidance... is the direction of our lives!" The crimson radiance gradually disappeared from the altar, and the fervent Luff slowly stood up and turned around. Facing the numerous werewolves, he spoke in a deep voice. "Everyone! It has been eight months since we had re-established contact with the great Ancestor..." "Just now, the Majestic True Ancestor sent us another divine oracle..." "The Holy Court has noticed the activities of our Nightshade Cult. We must now head north and leave Borde behind." "Everyone, the gaze of the True Ancestor is upon us." "For the early return of the Lord, for the future of the werewolves, let the crimson radiance... accompany our footsteps towards the north!" "Praise... the True Ancestor!" Luff exclaimed excitedly. "Praise the True Ancestor!" Other werewolves echoed one after another. ... S?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. In the luxurious small reception room of Castell mansion. A beautiful young girl with golden hair and blue eyes, dressed in a gorgeous gown, sat elegantly on a silk armchair. It was a strapless gown primarily in white, adorned with golden patterns, elegant and dignified, enhancing the girl''s already beautiful appearance, adding a touch of maturity to her youthfulness. She rubbed her temples slightly, looking apologetically at the Judgment Knight in front of her. "I''m sorry... Sir Knight, I felt a little dizzy just now, and I didn''t catch your question clearly. Could you please repeat it?" Shifting his gaze away from the increasingly charming face of the girl, the Judgment Knight took a deep breath and adjusted his expression. "Miss Castell, you are the first Borde noble that come into contact with the power of God Nyx. Do you really have no clue about this?" "Sir Knight, I''m really sorry. As a devout believer in the Holy Court, I have always avoided matters related to these Evil Gods... You know, my grandmother was once bewitched by the Blood Demon Cult, and I was almost killed because of it..." "Well, we''ve noted your words. Thank you for your cooperation. If you remember anything later or get any clues related to God Nyx and the Nightshade Cult, please report immediately to the Inquisition." The Judgment Knight said solemnly. "Oh, by the way..." After speaking, he stood up from his seat, and his solemn expression softened a bit, his tone slowing down. "Miss Castell, on behalf of the Inquisition and the Grand Knight, I congratulate your coming of age. May the divine light always be with you!" The girl also stood up, curtsying slightly, revealing a pure and beautiful smile. "Thank you for your blessings. May the divine light be with you too!" The Judgment Knight soon left, and after watching him leave, the girl''s smile slowly faded. She picked up the goblet on the table, took a sip of fragrant milk, and fell into thought. "Meow! Miss Charlotte, it seems that the Inquisition takes God Nyx very seriously. It''s been so long, and they''re still investigating, and even digging out the secrets of the Thorny Rose..." "Choosing today to inquire, these knights from the Inquisition really lack romance!" The black cat Nice wiggled its chubby body, jumped off the chair, skillfully picked up the milk jug, and eagerly filled the girl''s cup. "No worries, we''re leaving here soon anyway." Charlotte didn''t mind, shaking her head gently. "Then you should pay attention to your subjects, the intelligence of werewolves... might not withstand the investigation of the Holy Court." "I have my arrangements." Charlotte said indifferently. "Meow! That''s good! I can''t wait to follow you to Castell County now. I heard that the fish from the Star-Moon Strait is delicious!" Nice eagerly expressed as he licked his paws. Charlotte glanced at it strangely. This guy... used to want to run away at any time, but now it''s already assumed that it will follow her to Castell County. After finishing speaking, the black cat left the reception room. Charlotte fell into contemplation. It had been exactly one year since she came to this world. After eliminating the influence of the Blood Demon Cult in Borde and sending away the High Priest, she enjoyed quite a long period of freedom. In nearly a year, with daily perseverance in training, her true strength had improved further, and she had mastered various bloodborne innate magical talents one by one. Unfortunately, after successfully controlling Borde City, the newly appointed High Priest shifted his focus back to the event of the Evil God''s appearance in Borde, restarting the investigation. Honestly, Charlotte wasn''t afraid of the investigation herself. But she wasn''t alone anymore. Shortly after the High Priest prayed to her last year, she received prayers from the werewolves. With a try-it-and-see attitude, Charlotte accepted the werewolves'' prayers and successfully established some kind of strange connection with them. Thinking about this, Charlotte immersed herself in consciousness and activated the Gospel of Blood again. The crimson radiance spread in her consciousness, and she once again saw the starry sky composed of illusory crimson stars corresponding to the Blood Summoning. But at this moment, the starry sky had changed significantly from when Charlotte first saw it. Around Charlotte, in the center of the starry sky, there were nearly two hundred reddish-gold stars. These were stars representing the werewolves, and they also represented Charlotte''s believers. Yes, believers. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Charlotte immersed herself in consciousness, looking at her personal panel on the Gospel of Blood. Behind the Blood Affiliation, there was a new column added¡ª ¡¾Blood Acolytes: 179 (Werewolves)¡¿ That''s right, Charlotte has acquired believers. Half a year ago, after accepting the prayers of the werewolves, it was as if she was an aircraft carrier that had re-established contact with the carrier-based aircraft, establishing a wonderful connection with these werewolves. Like Sebastian, she could send her gaze through the stars represented by these werewolves to them and could also hear their prayers. However, she couldn''t bestow power upon them, nor could she summon them to her side like summoning Sebastian. Moreover, Charlotte did not gain the power of belief from these followers, even though they indeed worshipped the True Ancestor. Charlotte initially thought this was because she was not the real True Ancestor. But as she looked at the thorny rose emblem used by the werewolves for their prayers, she overturned this idea because... the thorny rose was pointing to her. This is interesting... Through this, Charlotte speculated that the gods cultivating believers did not necessarily seek to gain power from the believers. Or, it is even possible that there is no such thing as the power of belief in this world. Then, what is the purpose of divine evangelism? Charlotte was quite curious. For the past half year, she had been secretly studying the mysteries of believers and Gods, but unfortunately, she had not been able to make any sense of it. She speculated that either the power of the Gospel of Blood was not enough and her true power was too low, or she had not grasped some key aspect... The only special point, perhaps, was that when she bestowed divine blessings upon these blood acolytes, the efficiency of using the divine power of blood was much higher than when blessing ordinary beings, and the duration was also longer. This even made Charlotte speculate whether continuously bestowing blessings could forcibly create a presence among the followers similar to a Divine Messenger. Of course, this was only Charlotte''s speculation. She is currently lacking in divine power. She doesn''t have so much divine power to experiment with. For the past half year, the only stable source of divine power she could find was from leeching Harald! By absorbing the power of large-scale divine rituals, she accumulated divine power little by little... But it''s ridiculous! Half a year has passed, and her divine power has only recovered by 3 points, totaling 27.8! In order to accumulate divine power, she didn''t even perform new blood summoning. And these hundred-plus blood acolytes couldn''t provide her with any divine power! But one thing is certain, after acquiring these blood acolytes, she could clearly feel that her connection with the Gospel of Blood seemed to deepen. Even when she practiced the Bloodborne magical talents and studied the Bloodline Resonance. This was a breakthrough in research, but unfortunately, Charlotte was not sure if this change was really related to the believers. Without obvious benefits, Charlotte didn''t have much motivation to preach. Furthermore, in the heartland of the Holy Court''s faith, Borde City, she didn''t dare to preach recklessly... So, these werewolf believers were "kept" in the Rose Society by her. Not to mention anything else, at least as blood acolytes, they could ensure loyalty. However, Charlotte''s temporary lack of preaching impulse did not mean that the werewolves didn''t have it. The Nightshade Cult was formed under such circumstances. Although it was only in its infancy and was not established by Charlotte herself, it... naturally and inevitably established itself in the underground world of Borde City and gained the enthusiastic support of the werewolves... Charlotte could even guess that Sebastian must have had a hand in this. However, since Sebastian was willing to help her secretly establish a church, she was happy to see it happen. Regardless of what the purpose of divine evangelism is, almost every God spreads faith. This indicates that faith and believers play a crucial role in the growth of Gods. Although Charlotte currently couldn''t figure out the purpose of the Gods, it didn''t prevent her from making plans for the future. Therefore, after discovering that the Holy Court had noticed the existence of the Nightshade Cult, she contacted the leader of the werewolves, Luff, and conveyed the "oracle" for them to set off north as soon as possible. It could be considered paving the way for Charlotte, after all, Castell territory was in the north. Thinking of this, Charlotte slowly withdrew from her consciousness. At the same time, Sherry, who had already taken up the position of head maid and Charlotte''s personal maid, also came to the reception room. Seeing Sherry, Charlotte smiled slightly. "Are they all here?" Sherry slightly lowered her head, still expressionless, but her voice carried a hint of anger. "Yes, the guests have almost all arrived. Are you going to the banquet hall now?" Charlotte did not directly answer but asked back. "How did you think about the matter I asked you to consider?" Listening to her words, Shirley''s expressionless beautiful face lowered slightly, seemingly hesitant. Charlotte didn''t force it but smiled. "Don''t feel pressured. Even if you don''t become my follower, you can still continue to work by my side." "However, if you want to continue following me, then drink that bottle of blood." Sherry remained silent for a moment before nodding gently. The blood Charlotte referred to naturally was the blood that one needs to drink to become her servant. That blood was her own, containing a trace of the bloodline power needed to become her servant. After recovering more than twenty pages of the Gospel, Charlotte''s quota for blood servants had increased by three, and for Sherry, her personal maid, she hoped to recruit her as a servant as well. This would facilitate her future actions. Of course, if the other party was unwilling, Charlotte wouldn''t force it. In that case, she would have to find a more suitable personal maid, and the proposal of drinking the blood to become a servant would be erased from Sherry''s memory... Modifying memories... that was a Bloodborne magic talent, an ability under the Mental Path''s Domination. The Blood Demon Cult''s High Priest had once used domination to modify Lottie''s memory. And after obtaining the pages from the Blood Demon Cult, Charlotte also gained the inheritance called "Memory Domination". The number of Bloodborne magic she now mastered was already vastly different from before, and she could be considered a qualified Bloodborne member. Standing up from her seat, Charlotte adjusted the gown on her body. Today marked the first anniversary of her crossing into this world. At the same time, it was the sixteenth birthday of this body, also the day of the coming-of-age ceremony, formally inheriting the title of Countess Castell... Today''s Castell Manor gathered quite a few nobles from the Duchy! "Let''s go, let''s meet our guests." Wearing the family crest of Castell on her chest, Charlotte smiled and said. Chapter 151: Coming-of-Age Ceremony When Charlotte, dressed in elegant attire, entered the mansion''s grand hall, warm applause erupted instantly.In the luxurious reception hall, amidst the bustling crowd, nobles rose one after another, paying their respects to the young lady. Among them were families and merchants with business dealings with Castell, representatives from various allied families, and envoys from vassal nobles of Castell County. Charlotte wore a gorgeous noble gown, her long golden hair naturally cascading down her back, elegant and noble, beautiful and charming, like a pristine angel under the dazzling crystal chandeliers. Today, she looked even more beautiful and mature. Of course, Charlotte knew that this was all due to the effects of clothing and makeup. She measured her height every once in a while, and since transmigrated, she hadn''t actually grown taller at all. Underneath her clothes, she was still that pitiful little figure. Charlotte seriously suspected that her physique and appearance had been permanently fixed from the moment she became a Bloodborne. Seeing the young lady entering the hall, the crowd attending the ceremony made way, and a wine-red silk carpet led straight to the front of the hall. There, the Dean of the Church''s Hospital, Raoul, wore a white priest robe, stood with a contented smile on his face. Charlotte made her way through the crowd and approached the front of the hall. She lifted the hem of her skirt and gracefully curtsied to Raoul, smiling. "Good evening, Grandpa Raoul." Raoul also smiled. "Good evening, Charlotte. Congratulations on your coming of age. You look truly beautiful today." "Thank you for your praise." Charlotte smiled. With a blink, she added. "Congratulations to you too, on becoming the High Priest of Borde City." "Just an acting High Priest. If I can''t pass the church''s grace test to become a Blazing Sun Knight, I''ll still have to return to work at the Church''s Hospital." Raoul shook his head. The church''s grace test... Charlotte''s heart stirred, silently remembering the name. The appointment of Raoul, the Dean of the Church''s Hospital, as the High Priest of Borde City was quite surprising to Charlotte. Generally, only Third Tier Blazing Sun priests were qualified to become High Priests. According to what Black Cat Nice knew, this seemed to be the result of power struggles between the Inquisition and the Borde City Church. The newly appointed Grand Knight did not want to see a strong High Priest in Borde City, so he supported Raoul, who was still a Silver Moon. The reason was to clean up the corrupt priests. As the saying goes, "A fish rots from the head down." As High Priest Leonard willingly fell, there must be also his supporters within the Borde City Church. Perhaps these supporters were not aware of the High Priest''s secrets, but their hands were not clean. Some of them even participated in the activities of the Dreaming Salon. In recent months, under the scrutiny of the Inquisition, the Borde City Church has been in chaos every day. However, for Charlotte, this was a good thing. She had always maintained a good relationship with Raoul, and having Raoul perform the coming-of-age ceremony for her could also avoid unnecessary trouble. "You will definitely pass the test, after all... your faith is so devout." Charlotte smiled. But the priest Raoul didn''t seem so excited. Instead, he smiled bitterly. "I hope so... Borde City is in a mess right now. Nearly a quarter of the entire cathedral has been removed from office by the Grand Knight. Who knows what will happen in the future." Charlotte blinked again. "If you don''t want to stay in Borde City, apply to come to Castell. Castell needs honest priests like you." "Hahaha... Charlotte, you''re getting better and better at talking." Raoul laughed heartily. After saying that, he seemed to think of something, hesitated for a moment, and asked again. "Charlotte, does the oath you made to the church before Leonard still count?" Charlotte''s smile faded slightly, and she lowered her head. Raoul suddenly understood. He sighed lightly and said. "I understand. I know Leonard''s actions have made you disappointed with the church, but... he has already received the punishment he deserves." "If you have any thoughts, the doors of the Holy Court will always be open to you." Charlotte hesitated for a moment, raised her head, and looked sincerely at the old priest. "Grandpa Raoul, I did hesitate." "I think... maybe it''s because my faith is not devout enough." "If possible, after inheriting the title and returning to the county, I hope that in my spare time, I can enter Castell''s church school for further studies, learn more about the church''s knowledge, and pray and repent under the Holy Light." Upon hearing the girl''s words, Raoul''s face showed relief. "Inheriting the territory while also being a noble priest... I understand." "Don''t worry, I will write a letter of recommendation for you. The Holy Light will witness your devoutness and listen to your voice." Charlotte smiled sweetly, delighted. "Thank you!" She was really delighted. As long as she concurrently held the position of noble priest, even if it was just in name, even when she returned to Castell, she could walk into the local church and leech them anytime. "That''s only right." Raoul smiled. After saying that, he straightened up. "Well, it''s almost time, let''s begin." Raoul clapped his hands, and the music in the hall instantly stopped, followed by the boiling crowd quieting down. Charlotte''s coming-of-age ceremony officially began. In Myria, a noble''s coming-of-age ceremony consists of two parts. First, the elders formally introduce the adult noble to the guests and receive blessings from them. Secondly, the bestowal of the sacrament, where the church clergy represents the church in bestowing a sacred blessing upon the adult noble, is a ritualistic ceremony that can enhance physical qualities, resistance to diseases, and strengthen the noble''s bloodline power. Because there was only Charlotte left in the direct line of the Castell family, Charlotte entrusted Raoul, the old priest, with the entire ceremony. Formally introducing Charlotte to the nobles was just going through the motions. As the current substantive head of the Castell family, Charlotte had already taken over the family''s authority a year ago, so the attending nobles were more or less familiar with her. It was only the envoys and representatives from the Castell County vassals who arrived upon hearing the news who looked at her with curiosity, wondering about this future lord. Many representatives from Castell County attended Charlotte''s coming-of-age ceremony. However, Charlotte noticed that these representatives seemed to hold low positions, as not a single noble family head was present, and many of the representatives couldn''t even be considered nobles... Clearly, the nobles of Castell County didn''t attach much importance to her as the young successor. The formal introduction ended quickly, and then it was time for the sacrament. This was a process that Charlotte paid close attention to (because she might take advantage of the opportunity to leech the power of the Holy Light). Accompanied by ethereal hymns, Charlotte lifted the bulging hem of her skirt and gently knelt down on one knee. Bathed in the divine radiance, Raoul, holding the Sacred Scriptures, chanted the blessings of the coming-of-age ceremony with cadence, one hand covered with holy oil, gently tracing a cross representing the Holy Court on the girl''s forehead. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now With Raoul''s movements, the holy light enveloped Charlotte. Familiar burning pains spread from various parts of her body, and Charlotte quickly saw new information appearing in her consciousness. ¡¾"Gospel of Blood" detected an ongoing divine ritual¡ª¡ª¡¿ ¡¾Name: Sacrament Ceremony¡¿ ¡¾Caster: Holy Light¡¿ ¡¾Recipient: Charlotte de Castell¡¿ ¡¾Ritual Effect: The blessing and marking of mortals by the Holy Light, capable of stimulating the potential and power of the recipient, enhancing their physical constitution and bloodline power, while also marking and suggesting the recipient, marking the coordinates of the recipient''s soul, and making the recipient''s stance more inclined towards the Holy Court.¡¿ S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡¾Interception Probability Assessment: 100%¡¿ ¡¾Intercept?¡¿ Sacrament Ceremony? Charlotte''s heart stirred. She hadn''t detected this divine ritual during Leno''s last sacrament. So... could it be that the former High Priest Leonard didn''t really perform a true sacrament for him, but just went through the motions? But... Marking the soul and suggesting the stance? Charlotte pondered. She vaguely understood why the Holy Court wanted to implement sacrament ceremonies among the nobles. This was a blessing, but also a means for the Holy Court to indirectly control the nobles. Charlotte noticed that although Raoul was performing the sacrament, the caster detected by the Gospel of Blood was "Holy Light". This was the power of Lord God Harald. In other words, it was Harald who, through the hands of believers, bestowed blessings upon the recipient, while also marking the coordinates of the recipient''s soul and suggesting their stance. Charlotte''s heart stirred. The coming-of-age sacrament... was a means for the Holy Court to cultivate potential believers among the nobility, as well as a means for the Gods to extend their gaze to mortals! Charlotte didn''t intercept this divine ritual but allowed it to fall upon her. The pure light radiated on the girl, and Charlotte distinctly felt a burning power akin to flames flowing into her body. However, at the moment the Holy Light entered her body, she manipulated the Gospel of Blood and used the divine power of blood akin to "blood-sucking" to devour the Holy Light. At the same time, Charlotte felt as if she had established some kind of inexplicable connection with a brilliant sea of light in the depths of her mind. It seemed that the Holy Light''s blessing failed to take effect. After the Holy Light entering her body was devoured, the divine radiance enveloping Charlotte didn''t end. In Charlotte''s perception, the sea of light in the depths of her mind suddenly boiled! The dazzling light continued to radiate on the girl, and Charlotte felt even more Holy Light pouring into her body, seemingly desperately trying to "purify" her as a heretic. Charlotte accepted all the Holy Light that poured in and then completely devoured it. Then... the Holy Light enveloping her became even more dazzling. As if in defiance, the Holy Light became even more dazzling, and Charlotte even faintly felt a strong sense of rejection and hostility from that Holy Light. This rejection and hostility didn''t have independent consciousness. In the girl''s perception, this rejection felt like a pre-set program. But at this moment, because of Charlotte''s "stubbornness," this program increased its output of Holy Light. Thus, a scene that shocked Dean Raoul and many guests appeared. The radiant light on the girl was incomparably dazzling. Holy photons descended from the sky, danced around the girl, and rushed into her body one after another. Like... a miracle! Some of the priests present became excited on the spot, drawing crosses on their chests one after another, looking at the girl bathed in the radiant light of holiness with fanaticism, their voices trembling: "Miracle... this is a miracle!" "Praise the divine! She has received the favor of the Holy Light!" "The radiance of divine grace... could she really be a natural saint?!" The priests were excited. Under the fierce assault of the Holy Light, Charlotte enjoyed absorbing the power belonging to the God Harald. Until she vaguely reached a certain critical point, a strong sense of palpitations and unease surged in her heart. In the depths of her consciousness, Charlotte perceived an ancient will gradually awakening. Her heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly stopped this near-cheating absorption, ending the sacrament ceremony. The Holy Light gradually weakened and ceased its assault on her. The radiance faded, the sense of rejection and hostility quickly vanished, and the holy glow enveloping the girl dissipated¡­ In Charlotte''s perception, her connection with that mysterious sea of light was completely severed. Charlotte felt somewhat unsatisfied. Although being burned by the Holy Light was unpleasant and even quite painful, she had just seized a considerable amount of divine power! To put it into perspective, she had spent over half a year struggling to recover her divine power to 27.8 points, but in those three minutes under the Holy Light, it more than doubled, reaching 55 points! This greatly delighted Charlotte. At the same time, she was very curious about the sea of light she had just connected with. "That gradually awakening will, could it be the God Harald? Is he sleeping?" "Did I just¡­ connect to him directly?" Charlotte pondered. The sea of light she had glimpsed was immensely vast. Compared to it, the power she had secretly absorbed was like a drop in the ocean. But just this single drop had nearly restored her divine power to the amount before her use of True Ancestor''s Liberation... "Indeed, rather than finding ways to produce divine power myself, this plundering ''blood-sucking'' is much more effective and faster!" Charlotte thought to herself. Emerging from the joy of her major gain, Charlotte opened her eyes. However, when she saw the scene around her, she was stunned. The hall was silent, so quiet that a pin drop could be heard. All eyes were focused on her. The priests looked excited, their gazes towards her burning with intensity as if seeing a treasure. The guests, on the other hand, had their eyes wide open, expressions filled with shock. Charlotte: ... Good grief, did she just make a huge commotion? ... Meanwhile, in the various churches of Myria where statues of the God Harald were enshrined... Priests and believers knelt before the statues, praying with fervent devotion. Just moments ago, they all witnessed an extraordinary scene¡­ All the statues of the God Harald in the churches were illuminated. Chapter 152: Embark on a New Journey Charlotte had no idea that her actions during the "Sacrament Ceremony" and "blood-sucking" had alarmed almost the entire Holy Court and the holy statues worshiped there.However, thanks to her keen Bloodborne senses, she quickly picked up on the astonished expressions of the priests and the whispered discussions among the guests, revealing the strange occurrence that had just happened to her. But unlike the priests and guests, Charlotte was very clear that the holy light on her body was not a divine blessing. In truth, the recent phenomenon was more like divine wrath. The brilliant descent of the Holy Light was not meant to bestow divine favor upon her, but to purify her, a "wicked heretic." It was only because Charlotte absorbed the Holy Light meant to purify her that the onlookers couldn''t feel the destructive power contained within it, they merely witnessed its splendor and sanctity. "It seems... I need to be more careful when encountering rituals involving the Holy Light in the future." Charlotte thought to herself. Among the present priests, the highest-ranking one was Raoul, a Second Tier Silver Moon. If there had been a Blazing Sun or even Legendary priest here, they might have discerned the true nature of the Holy Light''s descent. After the sacrament ceremony, the atmosphere in the hall became noticeably subtle. The priests'' gazes towards Charlotte grew increasingly fervent as if she were a treasure, and even the elderly priest Raoul couldn''t hide his excitement. As for the noble guests, their expressions were far more complex. There was curiosity, amazement, fanaticism, contemplation, and worry... Particularly among the representatives from Castell County. With her keen senses, Charlotte noticed that most of these vassal nobles'' emissaries had become almost uniformly serious. "Charlotte, it seems your affinity with the Holy Light is indeed remarkable. In my over thirty years of conducting sacrament ceremonies, I''ve never seen such a dazzling divine favor. Are you sure you don''t want to join the church?" Dean Raoul asked again, unable to contain himself. Charlotte smiled slightly: "Thank you for your invitation, Grandpa Raoul." "But, after all, I am a noble, and I have my own responsibilities and duties..." She knew very well whether the descending Holy Light was divine favor or divine wrath. The Holy Court, with its thousand-year history, certainly had experts who could discern her problem. If she truly joined the church, it would be like dancing on a tightrope, constantly flirting with danger... Even if she wanted to take advantage of the church, she wouldn''t be crazy enough to court death so openly. Wouldn''t it be better to stay in her own territory and discreetly leverage the church''s resources whenever she wanted? Seeing Charlotte''s polite refusal, Dean Raoul nodded regretfully. "I understand... However, remember, the church''s doors are always open for you." With that, he smiled slightly. "Alright, let''s proceed with the final succession ceremony!" After the coming-of-age ceremony, the next event was the succession ceremony for her title. The succession ceremony could vary in scale, but typically involved two main steps. The first step was to receive the scepter symbolizing authority and status from the family elder or head, marking the official transfer of land management rights and becoming a substantive feudal noble. The second step was to swear an oath of allegiance under the witness of the Holy Light, pledging loyalty to their Lord. Since Charlotte was the last remaining member of the Castell family and Duke Borde, the feudal lord, was bedridden and unconscious, Dean Raoul officiated the ceremony for the young girl. Charlotte knelt on one knee, received the scepter engraved with the Castell family crest from Raoul, and then faced the temporarily hung Borde family crest on the hall wall to swear her allegiance. Although she didn''t like Duke Borde, she still went through the necessary procedures. After swearing allegiance and returning to her territory, no one could control her, as she would be far from the central authority. Perhaps because the sacrament ceremony''s phenomenon was so shocking, the succession ceremony seemed relatively low-key and ordinary. After the ceremony, Charlotte was officially recognized as the Countess of Castell. Whether Duke Borde acknowledged it or not was irrelevant, the Church had already recognized her. The succession documents were ready, and regardless of the old Duke''s resentment, the Castell County had a new Lord. From today on, others would no longer address her as Miss Charlotte but as Countess Castell. ... News of Charlotte''s formal succession as the Countess of Castell quickly spread throughout Borde''s streets. As one of Borde''s most prominent noble families, such a transfer of title was always a popular topic. Besides the succession, the "miracle" during the sacrament ceremony also became a subject of widespread discussion. Regardless of the truth, a widely believed narrative among many of Borde''s priests began to circulate in the streets¡ª Charlotte de Castell... was seen as a favored one of the God Harald, a pure saintess blessed by the Holy Light. Particularly combining the sacrament ceremony''s phenomenon with her status as the sole survivor of the Bloodborne incident, this belief solidified. Because she was a pure saintess protected by the Holy Light, the evil Blood Demon Cult couldn''t kill her... S~?a??h the Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte found the whole situation absurd, yet somehow, these spectators managed to piece it all together. It''s said that when the bedridden Duke Borde heard about this, he started coughing violently, spitting up a lot of blood before passing out again. Rumors were spreading that Duke Borde had little time left and could pass away at any moment. As Duke Borde¡¯s condition worsened, the atmosphere and situation in Borde City became increasingly tense and unpredictable. The nobles were keenly interested in the succession issue of the Borde Duchy. Considering that Duke¡¯s illegitimate son, Leno, had voluntarily renounced his claim to the inheritance to form a mercenary group in Eastern Yunette, and the original heir, Count Tulip, had "died of illness," the new heir was Duke¡¯s only daughter, Eleanor. News from the capital stated that Eleanor and her husband, Prince Philip of Crescent Kingdom, were already on their way south to Borde. Some opportunistic Borde nobles had even sent people north to welcome and pay homage to their new rulers. This was partly because Duke Borde had been excessively harsh over the past year through the use of the Dreaming Salon, leading to alienation and abandonment. As a result, the ducal residence had become increasingly deserted, with fewer nobles visiting. It was foreseeable that the Borde family, which had controlled the Borde Duchy for 900 years, would likely last only one more generation before everything reverted to the Crescent royal family. However, Charlotte was no longer concerned with these matters. Having formally inherited her title, she planned to leave, distancing herself from Borde and its power struggles. She had decided to pay her contract taxes on time and provide troops as required by her vassal contract, but beyond that, she would stay out of the nobles¡¯ intrigues and ensure they left her alone. ... The next day. Charlotte embarked on her journey back to her territory. When she first arrived in this world, she bore the title of nobility but was alone. A year later, her entourage now exceeded 500 people. Among them, nearly 300 were from the Castell County¡¯s escort team, with over 100 being armored extraordinary knights, led by Baron Sharon. In addition, there were over 30 representatives of vassal nobles from her territory who had attended Charlotte¡¯s coming-of-age ceremony and would return with her. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now The remaining 170 or so were people Charlotte had recruited herself, including boys and girls from the outer city, members of the Rose Society, and a few Demon Hunter Knights. Yes, Demon Hunter Knights. After Kara left the Demon Hunter Bureau, many other Demon Hunter Knights, dissatisfied with the Church and the Inquisition, chose to resign and were recruited by Charlotte with a financial lure. This group even included Chatham, a former squad leader of the Demon Hunters and an extraordinary Starry Sky knight, who had a good relationship with Charlotte. Seizing the opportunity amidst the chaos in the Borde Church, with Raoul becoming the new High Priest, Charlotte dared to poach from the Church. Additionally, Sebastian and Nice would accompany Charlotte. Sebastian was her trusted butler and primary bodyguard, essential to bring along. Though the black cat Nice was unreliable, it knew a lot and often had unexpectedly strong abilities. Charlotte didn''t plan to leave it behind. However, she left Casimodo in Borde City. Casimodo wasn¡¯t an extraordinary person and had never been to Castell County. He was more valuable in managing the family affairs in Borde City, overseeing the Castell Manor, and handling the family¡¯s business interests in the city after Charlotte left. The large group of over 500 people, more than half of whom were extraordinary individuals, with over 20 being first tier or higher, set off. Alongside the Castell family¡¯s grand entourage were some armed merchant caravans seeking protection by traveling with Charlotte. The journey from Borde City to Castell County was long and fraught with potential dangers, including bandits, robbers, and magical beasts in the forests, making the route unsafe. Naturally, armed merchant caravans wouldn¡¯t miss the opportunity to travel with such a powerful group for temporary protection. Of course, this protection came at a fee. Charlotte welcomed the extra income and didn¡¯t turn any of them away. Including these additional merchant caravans, the final group gathered at Borde City¡¯s north gate numbered over a thousand. From a distance, it resembled a small army. Only a noble as prominent as the Castell family could muster such a grand escort to return their lord to their domain. "Master, everything is ready. Shall we depart now?" At the city gate, Sebastian, impeccably dressed in a tailcoat, bowed gracefully to Charlotte and respectfully inquired. Standing under the black parasol held by the maid Sherry, Charlotte, dressed in a black and red gothic dress, looked toward the city gate and gently shook her head. "Let''s wait a little longer." As time passed, more and more residents gathered at the city gate to watch the Castell convoy. When she couldn''t spot the person she was waiting for, Charlotte felt a bit disappointed and was about to give the order to depart. However, just then, the sound of hoofbeats came from the direction of the gate. Charlotte felt a stir in her heart and turned to look. She saw Lottie, dressed in clerical robes, riding towards her. Charlotte''s expression relaxed, and a smile appeared on her face. Lottie quickly arrived in front of Charlotte and dismounted, speaking with a hint of apology. "Sorry, Countess, I was delayed at the cathedral finalizing my transfer order." "Just call me Charlotte." Charlotte said with a smile. "A transfer order? Is it to Castell?" "Yes, after verifying some details, Lord Raoul found that there were several vacant priest positions in the Castell territory and arranged a transfer for me." Lottie replied. Charlotte''s face lit up with joy. "That''s wonderful." Lottie had been working at the church hospital, technically not a full-time church employee. Charlotte had planned to bring her to the territory as a privately hired noble priest. But now things were different, or rather, even better. With the transfer order, Lottie would officially be a church employee, transitioning from a temporary worker to a formal position within the church. This development opened a potential path for Charlotte to gain influence over church affairs in Castell, enabling her to achieve true autonomy in her domain. It goes to show, that having the right connections is truly beneficial. With Lottie''s arrival, Charlotte no longer felt the need to delay. She gave the order to depart as the Countess of Castell. At her command, the knights mounted their horses, merchants and nobles boarded their carriages, and Charlotte, accompanied by the maid Sherry, entered the most luxurious Castell family carriage at the center of the convoy. Eight Starry Sky knights surrounded the carriage to guard it. The black cat Nice tried to enter the carriage with Charlotte but was unceremoniously tossed out by the girl. It sighed and slunk into another carriage to find comfort among the maidens. Amidst the clatter of hooves, the large convoy set off, raising dust as they began their journey. Sebastian rode beside Charlotte¡¯s carriage. As he mounted his horse, he suddenly felt something and glanced back at the merchants'' convoy. "What''s the matter?" Charlotte asked, lifting the curtain. "Nothing¡­ I thought I sensed something familiar for a moment." Sebastian replied, uncertain. In an inconspicuous carriage at the back of the Castell convoy, an elderly woman in a gray hood pulled a peeking young girl back inside, her expression serious. "Rena, don''t look around. We¡¯re following secretly. That person¡¯s senses are beyond your imagination. Don¡¯t get us discovered." Hearing this, the girl tilted her head in confusion. The old woman paused, shaking her head. "No¡­ I don''t mean Sebastian." She looked toward the center of the convoy, a solemn expression on her aged face: "I mean the one he follows." ... Meanwhile, deep within the Yunette Empire, in the heart of the Holy Court, at the Grand Cathedral of the Holy See''s capital. In the brilliantly lit hall, the Pope of the Holy Court rose slowly, facing the solemn statue. He gently placed the holy scepter in his hand aside and turned to the reverently waiting priests, his aged voice imbued with gravity: "The reports from various regions have arrived. The phenomenon did not only occur at the Grand Cathedral." "Investigate the source of these phenomena." With their orders received, the priests respectfully departed. The Pope turned back to the statue, devoutly drawing the circle cross. "O the Merciful and Supreme Lord..." "Are YOU about to awaken?" Chapter 153: Touring-style Travel The Castell County is located in the northern part of the Crescent Kingdom.Traveling from Borde in the south to Castell in the north takes about a month by land. While powerful individuals might make the journey faster on their own, for Castell''s thousand-person caravan, a month is already considered quick. Of course, there is also the option of traveling by sea. The western region of the Borde Duchy is coastal. If one heads west to the coast and then sails north through the Star-Moon Strait, they can also reach Castell in the north. Traveling by sea might be faster. However, Charlotte did not choose this route. Firstly, the war between the Falling Star Kingdom and the Crescent Kingdom just ended not long ago, and the control of the Star-Moon Strait has always been dominated by the Falling Star Kingdom. Additionally, the Boite Duchy, which borders the sea to the west, is a longtime enemy of the Borde Duchy. Even if Charlotte doesn''t have a favorable view of Duke Borde, she is still a part of the Borde Duchy when traveling, making her a potential target. Moreover, passing through the Star-Moon Strait would require traveling through the Falling Star Kingdom''s enclave, the Roman Duchy. Therefore, Charlotte decided it was better to be cautious. Castell County has always been a coveted land for the Falling Star Kingdom during the decades-long Star-Moon War. Secondly, Charlotte wanted to take this opportunity to better understand the world she was in. Although she had already learned a lot from books, practical experience is invaluable. Unlike the predominantly urban Borde City, leaving Borde and entering the vast countryside gave Charlotte a true glimpse of a feudal kingdom''s reality. Borde City is the capital of the duchy. Such large cities are rare even in the kingdom. In the Crescent Kingdom, there are numerous castles, mansions, churches, and villages. Each castle represents at least one baron; each mansion often signifies an extraordinary knight; each church usually houses a priest. Whether or not these individuals are of high rank, they are extraordinary beings, much stronger than ordinary people, and they have their own retainers or servants. Most villages are built around mansions, churches, and castles, receiving protection from nobles and priests. Cities often develop around noble castles. Cities that develop generally are either located at key transportation routes or belong to influential local nobles, usually starting from the rank of viscount. These cities are much smaller than Borde, most being towns with populations of two to three thousand. Towns with over fifty thousand people are considered large cities. However, there are many such cities, scattered like stars across the land. These cities, castles, mansions, and villages form the lifeblood network of the kingdom''s governance. Around cities, castles, mansions, and villages are vast farmlands, but beyond them lies an endless wilderness. The wilderness is not safe, harboring bandits and robbers who attack passing merchants. However, these bandits and mercenaries rarely include extraordinary individuals, posing a greater threat to common people. What truly drives common people to seek protection from nobles are the magical beasts roaming the wilderness. The origin of magical beasts is uncertain, but a widely accepted belief is that their power comes from fallen gods. The extraordinary powers in the world of Myria come from gods, and magical beasts also possess such powers. They are believed to be monsters born from the corpses of fallen gods, breeding over generations and spreading across the Myria continent, posing a significant threat to civilization. Because of these magical beasts, nobles with extraordinary powers become the main protectors of common people and rulers of various territories. Compared to bandits and robbers, magical beasts are the greatest fear for traveling merchants. Bandits often seek wealth, but encountering even the lowest level of magical beasts can spell disaster for unprotected merchant caravans. Charlotte''s caravan encountered a magical beast shortly after leaving Borde. In her view, it wasn''t particularly powerful¡ªjust a pack of zero-tier demonic wolves called Wind Wolves, capable of using wind blades and light body magic. However, the problem was that it was a pack of over thirty Wind Wolves. A First Tier extraordinary individual could easily wipe them out, but for an ordinary caravan that couldn''t afford to hire such a person and happened to miss any passing mercenary adventurers, survival was unlikely. Of course, Charlotte didn''t let them go. She personally led the knights, and the thirty-plus Wind Wolves quickly turned into over thirty fine wolf pelts. A merchant in the accompanying caravan remarked that each wolf pelt could fetch ten gold tana on the market! "That expensive?" Charlotte was surprised. "Yes, master, anything related to extraordinary powers is pricey. Wind Wolf pelts are quite decent magical materials and are among the best materials for making mage robes." Sebastian explained. He continued, "By the way, don''t be fooled by Castell''s abundant income; that''s without a large-scale investment in extraordinary power. If you want to develop extraordinary power on a large scale... the income from your territory won''t look as impressive." Charlotte pondered this. Castell County is a vassal of the Borde Duchy, and the duchy often shoulders much of the burden of extraordinary affairs. We rely on your support! novelplex.org S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Donate now Take the Borde Mage Corps that once followed the Castell Count and Countess, for example. While the Castell family covered most of the salaries, many extraordinary resources were provided by the duchy. Borde Duchy''s income might not be much higher than Castell County''s, but due to its vast land, it has far more extraordinary materials than Castell County. Extraordinary materials often can''t be measured in money; they''re strategic resources that are both expensive and scarce. Charlotte knew that the future might see Castell and Borde grow distant, so she would need to develop her own extraordinary power. She wasn''t extravagant enough to use her divine power of blood to nurture extraordinary subordinates. Spending money on extraordinary resources was far less practical than controlling the sources of those resources. Charlotte thought of her silver mine¡ªan essential strategic resource for Castell, as it also contained mithril. Mithril was not only valuable but also a hard currency for trading extraordinary materials. "It seems that the first thing to do when I return is to investigate the depletion of the mithril mine." Charlotte thought. In the past six months, she hadn''t been idle. Comparing the territory''s accounts, she found that the depletion of the mithril mine coincided with the old Castell Countess sending all accompanying extraordinary individuals back to the territory. This was too coincidental. Charlotte suspected there might be a connection, and the depletion of the mithril mine might not be as simple as it seemed. The caravan continued northward, drawing attention along the way. In the second Star-Moon War, the Castell family made a name for themself, especially in the Battle of Roman, where they stopped the Falling Star Kingdom from invading Castell, earning fame throughout the kingdom. Although the Castell couple were gone, the family''s territory remained wealthy and significant within the kingdom. Thus, Charlotte received warm welcomes from local nobles wherever they stopped. From minor viscounts and barons to counts and even marquises, many sent envoys to invite her to banquets and social dances when the caravan rested. Nobles are like that. Unless there''s an irreconcilable blood feud, most meetings are cordial and friendly. Even on the battlefield, many would spare each other''s lives, capturing instead for ransom. This seems to be an unspoken rule among Myria''s nobles. It''s better to have more friends than enemies, and nobles value expanding their social circles, especially among peers. A historically significant and wealthy family like Castell naturally attracts many ''friendly'' nobles. Castell also had numerous businesses in the kingdom''s heartland. While more nobles were engaging in commerce, most still lived off manors and taxes. Few, like Castell, had flourishing commercial enterprises, maintaining many business connections. Therefore, nobles along the way showed immense enthusiasm for Castell''s caravan, and Charlotte, adopting a "tourist mindset," didn''t refuse, attending banquets almost every day. The only thing she found challenging was the intense gazes given by many nobles inviting her to dance. Despite a year since her arrival, Charlotte still wasn''t used to such attention. However, she had changed. The Bloodborne''s innate magic, such as memory manipulation, mental shock, or charm, could quickly subdue any inappropriate advances. A single glance from Charlotte could make a previously audacious noble fall at her feet. She found using mental magic to control others quite satisfying, though Sebastian gently cautioned her. "Master, your identity is special. We should be more discreet." "Don''t worry, I know my limits." Charlotte replied. Along the way, she encountered only mid to minor nobles, with the highest being of Silver Moon rank. As long as she was careful, it was relatively safe. Thus, Charlotte''s leisurely journey progressed slowly, with the caravan moving even slower. Half a month had passed, yet they hadn''t left the Moon Guardian Duchy. But Charlotte enjoyed it. Each stop brought enthusiastic receptions, new friends, and broadened horizons, providing insights into the Crescent Kingdom''s noble circles. More importantly, she gleaned information about the Bloorbornes¡ªspecifically the Blood Demon Cult. Despite being eradicated in Borde, traces of them remained elsewhere. As a peace-loving and just person, Charlotte naturally wouldn''t let these cultists run rampant. When encountering confirmed information, she decisively acted to eliminate them, aiding local nobles. Unexpectedly, she even acquired two more pages of the Gospel, proving the Blood Demon Cult''s penchant for hoarding cursed pages. Charlotte grew fond of these cultists. Her actions also had a noticeable impact, as her reputation spread through merchants and bards. Stories of her coming-of-age ceremony''s anomalies further exaggerated her legend. Tales of her being a divine favored one, a natural saint, and a purifier of the bloodborne proliferated, causing Charlotte some anxiety. Such high-profile attention might help conceal her Bloodborne identity, but it could also attract the Holy Court''s higher-ups. Half a month into her journey, Charlotte finally reached another city comparable to Borde in size but even more prosperous¡ªAnro City, the capital of the Moon Guardian Duchy, with a population exceeding 500,000. The Duke of the Moon Guardian Duchy, having received the news, sent an envoy to invite Charlotte to a banquet at the ducal palace before the caravan entered the city. Meanwhile, Charlotte learned from other merchants that another distinguished guest was also at the ducal palace¡ªthe third prince of the Crescent Kingdom, Philip de Valois, traveling south with his wife, Eleanor, to the Borde Duchy. Chapter 154: Official Army of the Kingdom As soon as Charlotte entered the city, she saw the army escorting Prince Philip south.This was the first time Charlotte had seen a professionalized official army of the kingdom since coming to this world. They were uniformly equipped with standard armor and all were extraordinary individuals. Although most were not of high rank, their equipment was exceptionally refined, and a significant proportion of them were first or higher-tier individuals. Comparing them with her own armored knights, Charlotte quickly realized that her team was significantly inferior in both extraordinary strength and equipment. Her knights wore chainmail and scale armor made of refined iron, while the kingdom''s official army wore brighter, more reflective plate armor made of refined steel, with magic crystals and mithril embedded in their chest plates. Having lived two lives, Charlotte knew a bit about the differences between plate armor and chainmail or scale armor. Chainmail was made of interlocking iron rings, each ring connecting with four others, forming a mesh; scale armor was made of overlapping metal scales; but plate armor was different, made of large, shaped metal plates and was considered top-tier protection, being more challenging to craft. At the same weight, plate armor offered much better protection and flexibility compared to other types. Even on Earth, they were not of the same era; plate armor became common after the 14th century, while chainmail and scale armor had been around since before the calendar. Moreover, the ranked officers in the kingdom''s army wore even more impressive plate armor, adorned with intricate magical engravings and embedded with mithril, offering protection comparable to the physical bodies of Silver Moon knights. In a direct clash, her side would likely be utterly crushed... In short, it was very enviable. "Sebastian, can you take on these official soldiers by yourself?" Charlotte glanced at the accompanying flame elf, curiously asking. Sebastian looked at the kingdom''s official army patrolling the streets, pondered for a moment, and said. "As long as it''s not on the battlefield, of course, I can." "Oh? You can''t on the battlefield?" Charlotte''s interest was piqued. Sebastian explained. "On the battlefield, they form battle arrays and anti-magic arrays, receive blessings from mages, and become like an iron wall. They''re often led by Silver Moon extraordinary individuals. Unless you''re at the Blazing Sun rank, only a madman would fight them head-on." "Anti-magic arrays?" Charlotte was curious. "Yes, master. Do you see those magic crystals on top of their armor? Those are part of the anti-magic array. These official soldiers form a walking magic array on the battlefield, capable of suppressing the extraordinary powers of enemies within a certain range, reducing the resonance and external projection power of the Silver Moons." Sebas continued. "The professional armies of the various kingdoms are among the few forces capable of overcoming higher-ranked extraordinary individuals on the battlefield, a nightmare for mid-to-low-ranked extraordinary individuals." Charlotte pondered on Sebastian''s words. After a year in this world, she was no longer a novice regarding Myria''s extraordinary system. In Myria, there are four extraordinary ranks: Starry Sky, Silver Moon, Blazing Sun, and Legendary, corresponding to low, mid, high, and divine domain powers. Leaving aside the Legendary rank, which involves law mastery, among the other three ranks, the low rank breaks the human limits, the mid-rank allows for power projection and resonance, and the high rank involves a qualitative change in mental power, directly affecting reality... If the anti-magic array can nullify power projection and resonance, then a Silver Moon extraordinary would indeed struggle against these armored soldiers. "Of course, if a Blazing Sun appears, they would have to retreat. On the battlefield, Blazing Suns are true calamities; all are ants beneath the Blazing Sun." Sebastian added. Blazing Sun... Charlotte reflected. Indeed, Blazing Suns are the true trump cards of many major powers. She had seen the terrifying power of a Grand Knight of the Inquisition, who could easily destroy a town with a mere gesture, far more frightening than a Silver Moon. However, Blazing Suns are extremely rare. Since leaving the Borde Duchy, Charlotte hadn''t encountered a single Blazing Sun on her journey. "Also, due to the immense destructive power of Blazing Suns, they are prohibited from participating in domestic conflicts between lords within Myria''s countries, only engaging as strategic forces during wars between kingdoms." "As for Legendaries... they probably only appear in annihilation wars." Sebas continued to explain. Charlotte nodded in understanding. From this perspective, even if she returned to her territory and had conflicts with other lords in the kingdom, the highest rank she would face on the battlefield would be Silver Moon. Even if other lords had Blazing Sun individuals, they wouldn''t participate directly in battles. As long as they didn''t, she should be able to handle them with the power of the True Ancestor. The power of high-ranking individuals is heavily regulated in Myria''s conflicts, determined by the extraordinary system rules. Without such rules, Myria would have long been torn apart by high-ranking extraordinaries. As a result, mid-to-low-ranked extraordinary individuals, when gathered in large numbers, form a considerable force. Unless one possesses rule-breaking power, unless one can rival the civilization of Myria, one must play by the rules of the civilized world. This led Charlotte to think about the Gods'' rule over Myria. In Myria, Gods are even more powerful, but they rarely descend to the mortal world. Aside from their overwhelming power making it difficult for them to descend, perhaps there''s also a reason to protect Myria from being destroyed by divine power. "When I return to Castell, I must raise an army like this." Looking at the well-equipped kingdom''s official army, Charlotte said enviously. "Then we''ll need to find ways to earn more gold Tana. You know, the enchanted armor of these official soldiers costs tens of thousands on the black market, and the officers'' plate armor is even more expensive. Being enchanted gear, their maintenance is also costly. The kingdom has a stable source of extraordinary materials, so their costs are relatively low, but we can only purchase them." Sebastian said. Charlotte: ... Damn, suddenly I don''t feel so rich anymore! ... The Castell convoy was arranged by Moon Guardian Duke''s envoy to stay at one of the most luxurious hotels in Anro City, while Charlotte was invited to rest at the ducal mansion. We rely on your support! novelplex.org S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Donate now By the time the convoy was settled, it was already evening, and Charlotte naturally attended the duke¡¯s banquet, accompanied only by Sebastian, Nice, and Lottie and Sherry, her attendant priest and personal maid, respectively. The Moon Guardian Duchy, located in the heartland of the Crescent Kingdom, was much more prosperous than Borde, as evidenced by the more luxurious decor of the ducal mansion. The banquet hall could easily accommodate a thousand people, with sparkling crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and exquisite murals and decorations adorning the walls. Charlotte instinctively compared it to her own manor. Though her manor wasn¡¯t much less luxurious, it was not nearly as large. Not to mention the elite knights at the entrance of the duke''s mansion; Charlotte had never seen any below the Starry Sky rank, all clad in standardized plate armor similar to that of the kingdom¡¯s official army. Black Cat Nice mentioned that the Borde Duchy and Violet Duchy were the two most impoverished regions in the north and south of the kingdom. Charlotte had already sensed Borde¡¯s poverty to some extent. The comparison makes everything clear: whether it¡¯s the density of towns in the duchy, the appearance and infrastructure of the capital, the luxury of the ducal mansion, or the number of extraordinary individuals¡ªall highlighted Borde¡¯s shortcomings compared to the Moon Guardian Duchy. Furthermore, as soon as Charlotte entered the banquet hall, the Gospel of Blood in her consciousness faintly alerted her... There was a Blazing Sun individual present! Charlotte immediately became vigilant, setting aside any thoughts of using her blood magic to sway the nobles'' attention. Just like at every banquet in the past half month, Charlotte became the center of attention as soon as she entered. Being beautiful naturally attracted attention, and Charlotte¡¯s beauty, enhanced by her half-elf lineage, was almost beyond compare. The Castell family was known for their attractiveness, and Charlotte¡¯s elegance, augmented by the Gospel, made her even more captivating. Additionally, the noble dress chosen by Sebastian for his mistress accentuated her elegance and pure beauty to the fullest. Once everyone learned of Charlotte¡¯s identity, even more nobles gathered around, becoming increasingly enthusiastic. A young, wealthy, unmarried, beautiful countess¡ªthis was an irresistible combination for many. Even though Charlotte had once made vows, many nobles still harbored romantic fantasies and hopes. After all, the scandal with the Holy Court in Borde had spread throughout the kingdom, and who knew if the Countess of Castell would still align herself with the church? If one got lucky, they wouldn¡¯t just gain a renowned beauty but might also win half of Borde Duchy! "Beautiful Countess, may I have the honor of a dance?" "Lady Castell, you are as enchanting as the moonlight tonight. May I invite you to dance?" The enthusiastic nobles vied to invite Charlotte. The banquet at the ducal mansion was on a scale far beyond the banquets she had attended along her journey at the homes of counts, viscounts, or even barons. Here, one could easily bump into the heir of an earl¡¯s family or even higher nobility. The nobles surrounding Charlotte eagerly introduced themselves and extended invitations, with hardly anyone below the rank of count, and even two marquises who weren¡¯t present in Borde Duchy. Surrounded by a throng of nobles, Charlotte felt a twinge of frustration but managed to keep her composure. Fortunately, she had gained some experience over the past weeks. She displayed a regretful expression, her beautiful face showing visible fatigue, and spoke in a soft, charming voice, delicately holding the hem of her skirt: "Thank you for your kind invitation, but... I am really sorry..." "I¡¯ve traveled a long way and am very tired today, so I fear I do not have the energy to dance with you." Her tender and lovely voice, combined with her innocent and pure blue eyes, evoked a sense of protectiveness in the nobles. Seeing her large, watery eyes and somewhat pale face, the nobles found themselves unable to press their invitations and fell silent. Finally, Charlotte managed to free herself from the crowd. Just as she breathed a sigh of relief, a commotion arose at the entrance of the hall. Charlotte looked toward the entrance and saw Moon Guardian Duke, John de Anro, accompanied by a well-dressed man and woman. Moon Guardian Duke appeared to be a somewhat slender middle-aged noble and was a Third Tier Blazing Sun individual, specifically a grand mage. As far as Charlotte knew, he was one of the four legion commanders of the Crescent Kingdom and also held the title of advisor to the royal cabinet. Incidentally, according to records in Castell Mansion¡¯s study, the Duke of Moon Guardian had some ties with the Castell family. This was linked to a bit of history. During the Second Star-Moon War, Borde Duchy''s army fought under the command of the Duke of Moon Guardian¡¯s second legion. At that time, the Duke of Borde was not yet the kingdom¡¯s military commander but the Duke of Moon Guardian¡¯s deputy, and the Count and Countess of Castell were among their ranks. Seeing Charlotte, Moon Guardian Duke immediately greeted her warmly: "It¡¯s Countess Castell, isn''t it? Haha, it''s been years, and now you¡¯ve grown so... um, beautiful." Charlotte: ... Did he just hesitate before talking about my height and then change his mind? He hesitated before speaking, didn¡¯t he?! What''s wrong with being short? Did I eat your candy or something? She took a deep breath, gracefully held up her skirt, and curtsied to the Duke, looking up and smiling: "Charlotte de Castell, at your service, Duke of Moon Guardian." After her courtesy, Charlotte couldn''t help but glance at the two nobles beside the Duke. To the left was a handsome black-haired man wearing a splendid robe with the crescent emblem of the royal family, smiling and looking energetic. To the right was a woman who appeared to be in her twenties or thirties, also smiling. She wore a burgundy gown and had facial features resembling Leno''s, with golden-brown curls and a pair of blue-gray eyes. However, when Charlotte met the woman¡¯s blue-gray eyes, her heart skipped a beat. Despite the smile, Charlotte saw no emotion in those eyes, just an inexplicable emptiness. That emptiness gave her a strong sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu... "Let me introduce you. This is the third prince and his lovely wife, Eleanor." Noticing Charlotte''s gaze, the Duke introduced them proactively. Chapter 155: The Third Prince and Eleanor Eleanor?So, she¡¯s the daughter of Duke Borde? Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred. With Leno leaving the family and renouncing his inheritance, the only legitimate heir to the Borde Duchy was the Duke¡¯s sole daughter, Eleanor. In terms of seniority rather than age, Eleanor was actually her niece. Eleanor had been betrothed to the Crescent Royal Family from a young age and moved to the capital over a decade ago to study and live there. In the memories Charlotte inherited, she was not familiar with Eleanor, having barely met her. She had no idea about Eleanor¡¯s personality or appearance, but at this moment, seeing her slightly stiff smile, she inexplicably felt a strong sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu... However, this d¨¦j¨¤ vu came and went quickly. Eleanor¡¯s smile soon returned to normal, as if the earlier emptiness was just Charlotte¡¯s illusion. Charlotte wanted to investigate further, but with the Grand Mage Duke of Moonshield right beside her, she didn¡¯t dare act rashly. Moreover, both Eleanor and the Third Prince were clearly wearing some kind of magical artifacts that concealed their auras, making it impossible for Charlotte to sense their power. Meanwhile, the Third Prince, Philip, standing next to Eleanor, was examining Charlotte, and a flash of amazement appeared in his eyes. He smiled brightly, saying gracefully and amiably: ¡°I¡¯ve long heard that the Pearl of Borde, Miss Charlotte de Castell, possesses a beauty that even Gods envy... Seeing you now, your reputation is indeed well-deserved.¡± As soon as he said this, the surrounding nobles couldn¡¯t help but turn their attention to the young girl and the prince. Charlotte¡¯s heart skipped a beat. The Third Prince¡¯s words sounded like praise, but they compared her to the Gods, subtly putting her in a precarious position... After all, in a world with real Gods, how could a mortal be compared to a God? Though Charlotte knew of the discord between the Crescent Royal Family and the Church, she hadn¡¯t expected a prince to speak so boldly in public. It seemed the divide between the royal power and the religious power was even greater than she had imagined, and their struggle was more intense. ¡°Your Highness, you flatter me. Everything I have is a blessing from the Gods.¡± Charlotte responded devoutly, not forgetting to draw a proper ring-cross on her chest. The Third Prince was clearly taken aback, then smiled and said: ¡°It seems you are indeed a true devotee, just as the rumors say... I apologize for my presumptuous words.¡± He then looked curiously at Sebastian, who was standing beside Charlotte, and asked: ¡°So, this esteemed elf, could he be the ¡®Scarlet Flame Blade¡¯ Sebastian?¡± Scar... Scarlet Flame Blade? What kind of chuunibyou title is that? Charlotte was visibly stunned. She glanced oddly at Sebastian, who stiffened slightly before replying elegantly: ¡°Your Highness, that¡¯s all in the past. It¡¯s just a title the mercenaries made up. I am now merely Miss Charlotte¡¯s butler.¡± s?a??h th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The Third Prince seemed to understand and nodded slightly. He didn¡¯t dwell on the topic, instead turning to Charlotte: ¡°Miss Charlotte, I heard you are heading north to your territory?¡± ¡°Yes, I recently inherited my title, and there are many matters in the territory that require my personal attention.¡± Charlotte replied with a smile. ¡°How long will you stay in Anro? Castel is Borde¡¯s stronghold, and as Eleanor¡¯s husband, you are naturally my friend as well.¡± ¡°I have a vineyard in Anro, and in three days, I¡¯m hosting a wine tasting. Many lords from across the kingdom will be attending. If you¡¯re interested, I¡¯d like to extend my hospitality and invite you to taste Anro¡¯s finest wines.¡± The Third Prince said enthusiastically. As he spoke, he affectionately pulled Eleanor¡¯s hand, and she looked at Charlotte with a warm, bright smile. Even the Duke of Moonshield smiled and said: ¡°Miss Charlotte, it seems the Prince is genuinely looking forward to meeting you.¡± ¡°Our Moonshield Duchy¡¯s wines are renowned throughout the continent, and the wines from the Prince¡¯s vineyard are famous even within our duchy. Even His Majesty the King praises them highly.¡± Charlotte understood that the Third Prince was trying to win her over. The Castell family was one of the most prominent noble families in Borde. Gaining their support would certainly bolster Eleanor¡¯s position as the Duke¡¯s heir. However, from the interaction, it was clear that Philip was the dominant one between Eleanor and him. Who would actually control Borde was uncertain. Regardless, Charlotte had no intention of getting involved in the impending power struggles in Borde. She just wanted to return to her territory and stay there. With that in mind, Charlotte curtsied to the Third Prince and said apologetically: ¡°I''m sorry, Your Highness, but there are urgent matters in my territory. I must leave Anro early tomorrow.¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s polite refusal, the Third Prince didn¡¯t get upset. Instead, he regretfully said: ¡°That¡¯s truly a pity. Eleanor and I are heading south to Borde, and now, who knows when we will meet again.¡± Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred, sensing the probing in his words. He was indirectly trying to find out when she would return from her territory. The Castell family¡¯s influence in Borde was significant, and their wealth couldn¡¯t be ignored. Charlotte was tired of these noble games, so she spoke frankly: ¡°Your Highness, I plan to reside permanently in Castell upon my return.¡± ¡°You know, I am too young and a woman, and I have no interest in holding office in the duchy, so there is no need for me to stay in Borde City.¡± ¡°However, as a vassal of Borde, Castell will strictly honor its agreements and will not hinder Lady Eleanor¡¯s succession to the territory.¡± Charlotte¡¯s straightforwardness made the Third Prince a bit uneasy. He smiled slightly and said: ¡°Miss Charlotte, thank you for your support of Eleanor. Since you already have plans, we have plenty of time in the future, so I won¡¯t insist on keeping you.¡± After his failed attempt to recruit her, the Third Prince changed the topic and began chatting with Charlotte about her travels. This Third Prince was indeed knowledgeable, and through him, Charlotte learned a lot about the customs and traditions of the Crescent Kingdom. Meanwhile, as a member of the royal family, many nobles sought to be close to the Third Prince. This inadvertently introduced Charlotte to several new nobles and even led to two business deals, which was a pleasant surprise. The banquet continued until dawn. These nobles, almost all extraordinary individuals, had incredible stamina, dancing tirelessly for hours. Charlotte, on the other hand, was mentally exhausted. In the past half-month, she rarely encountered nobles with titles higher than hers, and at every banquet, she was the star, with everyone revolving around her. At this banquet, there were six or seven counts present, and conversing with these old foxes was truly tiring. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now The Duke of Moonshield took good care of her, reserving the best guest room in the ducal palace for her. Upon returning to her room, Charlotte closed the door and looked at Sebastian: "Sebastian, what do you think of the Third Prince and Eleanor?" Sebastian was taken aback, unsure of Charlotte''s intent. After a moment of thought, he said: "It seems the rumors are true. The Third Prince has not given up on the throne and has been quietly expanding his power. My great mistress, you were right not to accept his invitation." "No, I meant their mental state. Do you think there''s something wrong with them?" Charlotte shook her head. "Mental state?" Sebastian frowned. Then, his expression became serious: "Mistress, did you notice something?" Charlotte: ... It seemed Sebastian hadn''t detected Eleanor''s odd state. In fact, except for the initial meeting, Charlotte hadn''t felt that strange emptiness again. It was as if her first impression was just an illusion. Charlotte trusted she wouldn¡¯t have hallucinations without reason. But she didn¡¯t want to dwell on this issue. One was the heir to the Borde Duchy, the other a contender for the kingdom¡¯s throne. No matter what intrigue lay within, she had no intention of getting involved. However, Sebastian¡¯s words piqued her curiosity: "Sebastian, you say the Third Prince hasn¡¯t given up on the throne, but doesn¡¯t the Crescent Kingdom practice primogeniture? Shouldn¡¯t the succession never fall to the Third Prince?" Sebastian replied respectfully: "Mistress, the Crescent Kingdom does indeed follow primogeniture, but the eldest prince died long ago in the Star-Moon War." "Now, the king of the Crescent Kingdom is old, and the second prince, who is close to the Church, is reportedly not favored by the current king. The fourth prince is too young. So... you understand." Charlotte understood immediately. Although nobles and the Church were closely related, they often did not get along well. It wasn¡¯t just the kingdom''s princes; her own close ties with the Church had caused discontent among the lower nobles in Castell territory. Even for her coming-of-age ceremony, there were no significant envoys or representatives. So, the succession issue in the Crescent Kingdom was likely fraught with hidden currents. "So, his invitation to the wine tasting in three days must be aimed at rallying the kingdom''s lords who support him?" Charlotte asked curiously. "Probably so. Furthermore, the Third Prince wants to control the Borde Duchy through the Borde family, likely as a move to secure his claim to the throne." Sebastian said. Then, hesitantly, he added: "Mistress... there is something I feel I should remind you." "Go ahead." "The companion mithril mine in the Castel territory is the largest in the Crescent Kingdom, producing seventy percent of the kingdom''s mithril. Mithril is a crucial material for the extraordinary. If war breaks out in the future, we might not be able to stay out of it." "But isn¡¯t most of the mine already controlled by the royal family?" "That¡¯s true, but the mine is in Castell. In the event of a war, whoever controls Castell controls the mithril." Sebastian said quietly. Charlotte''s heart stirred, and she nodded slowly: "I understand." Sebastian continued: "Of course, I believe in your great power; no mortal can harm you. But if you want to be safe, spread faith, and avoid the scrutiny of the Holy Court, a stable Castell is essential." "Castell is already on the kingdom¡¯s border, where the Holy Court¡¯s influence is relatively weak. To the north is the Northern Grand Duchy with its chaotic beliefs..." "Moreover, passing through the dark forest to the east leads to the blacklands of Eastern Yunette, filled with mercenaries and various races, and religious chaos..." "Both places are perfect for spreading your faith and cultivating numerous Bloodbornes!" "Once you establish a firm foothold in Castell, your faith can flow north and east like rivers!" Charlotte nodded slightly: "I understand." Although she wasn¡¯t sure what use faith would be, whether useful or not, she would start spreading it once she returned to her territory. ... After a good night''s sleep. Early the next morning, Charlotte bid farewell to the Duke of Moonshield and continued her journey north. Meanwhile, news of Castell''s departure reached the Third Prince''s abode. "She''s already left?" Sitting cross-legged on a silk chair, Third Prince Philip took a sip of wine and asked casually. "Yes, my lord, they have left the city." The knight kneeling before him replied respectfully. "Have you identified their strength?" The Third Prince asked again. "Yes, there are over 270 extraordinary individuals, including 120 armored knights from Castell. Among them, 23 are ranked, with one at Silver Moon level." After speaking, the knight hesitated, then cautiously asked: "My lord, should we ambush them in advance?" The Third Prince shook his head: "No, if you act, everyone will suspect me." He chuckled, took a ring from his pocket, and tossed it to the knight: "Inform our friends in Violet. I don¡¯t want the little countess of Castell to return to her territory alive. The ring is their reward." "Of course, if they can bring the little countess to me personally, the reward will double... I might even grant them a noble title, allowing them to walk in the sunlight." The knight accepted the order and left. The Third Prince finished his wine, smirking: "Since she refuses my goodwill, I¡¯ll have to show it in my own way." He tugged on a chain and stepped on Eleanor, who was crawling on the ground, smiling: "My dear, if Castell''s heir is gone, won''t the inheritance fall to you?" "Woof woof!" On the ground, Eleanor wagged a fake tail and licked the Third Prince''s shoe ingratiatingly. Chapter 156: Attack from the Undead After leaving the Moonshield Duchy, Charlotte quickened her pace.The Castell convoy didn''t stop in the two neighboring counties but continued heading north. After traveling for about ten more days, they finally entered the northern part of the Crescent Kingdom, arriving at the Violet Duchy, which bordered Castell County. As they entered the Violet Duchy, the surrounding landscape changed noticeably. The vast plains disappeared, replaced by rolling hills and endless forests. Under the azure sky, rivers like silver ribbons meandered through the hills and low mountains, flowing quietly and shimmering in the sunlight, reflecting fluffy white clouds. Every now and then, they could see carefree deer and rabbits leaping out from the woods, drinking and playing by the streams. Large clusters of wildflowers dotted the bushes, attracting colorful butterflies. Charlotte found it hard not to be captivated by such picturesque scenery, and similar beautiful landscapes were everywhere in the Violet Duchy. However, contrasting with this idyllic beauty was the noticeably sparse population. Villages and towns were few and far between, making the area seem almost deserted. Sometimes, they would come across old battlefield remnants. Ruined and moss-covered war chariots, faintly discernible bones, and rusted pieces of armor or weapons¡­ "Violet was once one of the main battlefields of the Star-Moon Wars over a decade ago." Sebastian explained when he noticed Charlotte''s curious gaze. Charlotte nodded slightly. During her time in Borde, she had read records about the Star-Moon Wars, which had spanned decades and nearly halved the northern population of the Crescent Kingdom, especially in Violet Duchy, the main battlefield. Only Castell County had escaped disaster, protected by the kingdom''s heavy garrison. At this point, the importance of the mithril mine became evident. To prevent such a critical strategic resource from falling into the hands of the Falling Star Kingdom, the Crescent royal family had heavily invested, stationing an entire legion on the border between the Falling Star Kingdom''s continental enclave, the Rom¨¢n Duchy, and the Castell County. Decades of war had ravaged the north, but the Castell County, located slightly further north, had become increasingly prosperous, partly due to this reason. With the chaos of war, it had received many refugees from the northern kingdom and was situated on key trade routes and crossroads. With its own mines, it was no wonder Castell thrived. In contrast, the Violet Duchy, as the main battlefield, suffered considerably. Its breathtaking, sparsely populated landscapes were enchanting, but they also signified poverty and backwardness. War is never grand and heroic; it''s cruel and filled with tragedy. As they traveled, Charlotte occasionally saw the remnants of villages, including skeletal remains, evidently casualties of the war. What surprised Charlotte was that despite the abundance of skeletal remains in Violet, she sensed almost no presence of the undead. Battlefield ruins are often breeding grounds for the undead. It''s challenging for priests to perform holy rites for all fallen soldiers, guiding their souls back to the divine realm, so some spirits inevitably linger on the battlefield. But on this journey, Charlotte hadn''t encountered a single undead. Not even at night¡ªonly the howls of magical beasts could be heard. "Undead? Maybe they were all hunted down by mercenaries? The vast forests of Violet are a haven for magical beasts, and many mercenaries operate here. Of course, there are also plenty of bandits." Sebastian speculated. Magical beasts are feared by ordinary people but are seen as walking treasures by extraordinary individuals. Violet''s extensive forests are not only a paradise for magical beasts but also for mercenaries. The Violet Duchy, Eastern Yunette Blacklands, and the Snake Ridge Mountains... These three places are hotspots for freelance mercenaries in Myria. However, Charlotte wasn''t entirely satisfied with Sebastian''s answer. As a Bloodborne proficient in necromancy, Charlotte had a fair understanding of the undead. Undead are special spiritual entities skilled at hiding and retaining some of their former intelligence. Such beings aren''t easily hunted down, not even by mercenaries. Moreover, upon entering the Violet Duchy, Charlotte noticed that the ambient magical energy was significantly higher than in other places. Violet''s numerous magical beasts were likely linked to this high magical environment. Such conditions also favor the emergence of undead. The magical energy in Violet was notably chaotic and mixed, further facilitating the birth of the undead. Charlotte doubted mercenaries could hunt down wandering undead so thoroughly. Unless... an organization like the Holy Court intervened, periodically "purifying" the entire region. But Charlotte doubted the Holy Court had that much free time. Though curious, Charlotte buried her questions. She was merely passing through Violet. Although strange and somewhat intriguing, it wasn''t worth staying to investigate. Due to the hilly and mountainous terrain, the roads in the Violet Duchy weren''t particularly easy to travel. Nevertheless, the Castell convoy maintained a decent pace. The pace wasn''t due to an increased speed but rather the scarcity of settlements in Violet, including noble castles and cities. With fewer places to stop and rest, and with Charlotte''s orders to press on, the convoy naturally moved quickly. Unlike the Moonshield Duchy and the Borde Duchy, the settlements in Violet Duchy, even the smallest villages, were often fortified with tall wooden walls. Towns surrounding castles were surrounded by sturdy stone walls, resembling fortresses. Charlotte knew this was another legacy of the decades-long Star-Moon Wars. For Violet''s people, only tall walls could provide enough security. Charlotte could clearly see the scars left by the Star-Moon Wars on this duchy. Many of the villages and towns they passed displayed deep caution towards the Castell convoy, tightly shutting their gates. Only after confirming the convoy''s identity and gaining enough trust would they cautiously allow them in for rest. However, once aware of the convoy''s identity, the villagers became extremely hospitable. For the impoverished Violet, the prosperous Castell in the north was a place to aspire to. The Violet Duchy was indeed much poorer. This was evident even in the noble banquets Charlotte attended. The overall impression was less grand than similar gatherings in Borde. Both the castle decorations and the banquet food appeared rather modest. In contrast, Charlotte noticed that the martial prowess in Violet was much stronger than in Borde or even the Moonshield Duchy. In the nobles'' castles, the proportion of extraordinary individuals was high. Even a baron had followers who had stepped into the extraordinary realm. The villages, too, were guarded by militias, almost all of whom were extraordinary individuals. Charlotte speculated that this was related to the noticeably higher magical energy in the Violet Duchy. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now However, unlike the enthusiastic villagers, although Violet''s nobles were very hospitable when inviting Charlotte, she could sense a certain distance beneath their cordiality during the banquets. While they were outwardly courteous, Charlotte could feel that the nobles of Violet didn''t truly welcome her. However, she didn''t mind. Passing through without being welcomed saved her from the hassle of socializing. After bidding farewell to yet another lord, the Castell convoy continued northward, entering the northern part of the Violet Duchy. This area was even more sparsely populated, and the forests were denser. The northern part of Violet is covered by the Violet Forest, which spans the northern part of the Crescent Kingdom. Once they passed through this forest, they would reach the Castell territory. As for Linte City, the capital of Violet, it was located further west. Charlotte, traveling northeast, wouldn¡¯t pass by and naturally wouldn¡¯t visit the Duke of Violet. The Violet Forest was vast, and it would take several days to traverse it. Fortunately, along the way, the merchant caravans traveling with Castell had gradually reached their destinations and parted ways. By now, only a few merchant caravans headed towards Castell County remained, reducing the convoy to less than seven hundred people. With fewer people and caravans, the convoy could move faster. Even so, it would still take at least three days to cross the Violet Forest, meaning the entire convoy would have to camp in the forest overnight. That night, the moonlight filtered through the dense trees, illuminating the forest floor. The convoy, having traveled all day, set up camp, pitching tents and lighting bonfires around the wagons. They scattered a circle of a spice called Avira around the camp, which repelled magical beasts and insects, ensuring the camp''s safety. S?a?ch* Th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Of course, the spice alone wasn¡¯t foolproof. The forest was teeming with magical beasts, some immune to its effects. Thus, the extraordinary knights camped at the perimeter, remaining vigilant. Ordinary people, including the accompanying merchants, stayed within the camp. The forest was cold at night, and they huddled around the crackling bonfires, warming their hands and listening to a traveling bard sing ancient ballads. Occasionally, the howls of unknown magical beasts echoed from deep within the forest, startling bats and birds and making the forest seem even more mysterious and dangerous. This made the ordinary people in the camp shiver and huddle closer for comfort. Charlotte, however, enjoyed the environment. Night was the domain of the Bloodbornes, and as a natural magical being, Charlotte appreciated the high-magic environment of the Violet Forest. She stayed alone in her tent, eyes closed in meditation, revisiting the various bloodborne magic she had learned. Her body would occasionally transform into a cloud of black mist with a puff or turn into countless black bats with a swish¡­ The black mist was dark resonance''s shadow magic and the bats were wild resonance''s polymorph magic¡ªshe had truly mastered these abilities. In the next moment, the bats coalesced back into the form of a girl, though this time with large bat wings on her back. A flash of red crossed Charlotte¡¯s pupils, and shadows enveloped her, blending her into the night. With a leap, Charlotte flew out of the tent. No one noticed her departure. Only Sebastian glanced skyward, sensing a familiar presence before returning to his leisurely wine drinking. Charlotte flapped her wings and soared into the sky, initially unsteady but quickly gaining stability, reveling in her bloodborne talent. She usually had to conceal her identity, cautiously hiding her strength wherever she went. Only in the deep forests of Violet could she freely experience the might of the extraordinary. Having mastered over ten bloodborne magic, Charlotte had significantly improved, even without tapping into the power of her True Ancestor''s Liberation. However, as she prepared to fly around the nearby woods, a piercing scream suddenly broke the night. Charlotte''s heart skipped a beat. She stopped playing around and descended to the ground. Returning to her normal form, she headed to the camp¡¯s edge. There, several extraordinary knights had already taken up their weapons, ready to head into the forest. "What happened?" Charlotte asked. The knights bowed respectfully to her before one of them explained. "Countess, it''s Daren. He went into the woods... to relieve himself and likely encountered a magical beast..." "A magical beast? He didn¡¯t take any Avira spice?" Charlotte frowned. The knights looked at each other, unable to answer. The strong scent of blood drifted from the forest, making Charlotte¡¯s heart race. "Let¡¯s go check." She said solemnly. With that, she led the way into the forest and the knights quickly followed. When Charlotte reached the dense woods, she soon found Daren, the extraordinary knight, lying on the ground. Unfortunately, he was already dead. His death was gruesome and horrifying. His armor was torn off, his body covered in claw marks, and his chest and abdomen were ripped open¡­ A shadow shrouded in darkness was crouched over him, greedily devouring his flesh. "Blood... Bloodborne?!" Exclaimed the two extraordinary knights beside Charlotte, eyes wide in terror. Charlotte''s gaze sharpened. "No¡­ not a Bloodborne¡­" Looking at the shadow, she squinted. "It''s an undead." The clouds obscuring the moon dispersed, and silver moonlight pierced through the branches, illuminating the shadowy figure. The knights could now clearly see the attacker. It wasn''t a monstrous Bloodborne but a rotting corpse clad in tattered armor. Its eye sockets glowed with eerie green flames. At that moment, more howls echoed from deep within the forest. Countless green "lanterns" lit up and spreads across the dense woods¡­ Chapter 157: The Countess... is truly amazing! "Undead! So many undead!""Countess, be careful!" The extraordinary knights cried out in alarm, immediately raising their swords and steel shields to protect Charlotte. "Roar¡ª!" Hearing the knights'' voices, the undead in the dense forest let out a low growl and charged towards them like a horde of zombies from a movie. The battle erupted instantly. The extraordinary knights swung their swords, cutting down the undead that came at them. However, the next moment, the fallen undead wobbled back to their feet and continued to charge at the knights. "Cut off their heads! Extinguish their soul fire!" The experienced leading knight shouted. The remaining extraordinary knights immediately adjusted their attacks, aiming for the heads of the undead. One by one, the rotting heads were severed, spraying foul black blood. The headless bodies staggered and then collapsed, reverting to ordinary corpses. These undead were not very strong. Although they were much stronger than ordinary people and felt no pain, none of them had entered the tiered strength. As long as they weren''t caught off guard, they were no match for the extraordinary. However, the sheer number of undead was overwhelming. The forest was filled with the eerie light of countless soul fires, and more undead surged forward, overwhelming the extraordinary knights. In no time, Charlotte and the others were surrounded. "Protect the Countess! Break through!" The leading extraordinary knight decapitated another undead and commanded loudly. As the only Starry Sky knight accompanying the Countess on this investigation, he led the charge, carving a path back to the camp. However, just as he gave the order, a sudden gust of foul wind blew, and an undead far faster than the others lunged at him. This undead clearly had First Tier strength and higher intelligence. It leaped with a rusty sword, executing a sword technique aimed directly at the knight captain''s head. "It''s a ranked undead! Captain, watch out!" The extraordinary knights exclaimed in shock. The knight captain''s heart tightened, and he quickly turned to defend. But he had just parried a blow and didn''t have time to gather his strength for a proper defense, let alone against the sudden attack of a ranked undead. As he barely managed to assume a defensive stance, the undead''s attack descended. The knight captain felt a tremendous force at his wrist, causing his hands to go numb, and his sword was knocked to the ground. But the undead''s assault wasn''t over. It twisted its body at an unnatural angle, raising its rusty sword again to slash at the captain. "Captain!" The extraordinary knights shouted in alarm. Seeing the rusty sword coming down at him, the knight captain''s face turned pale. He knew he couldn''t block this attack! However, just as he thought he was about to die, a sharp whistling sound came from behind. A crossbow bolt pierced through the head of the ranked undead, sending its rotten head flying and pinning it to a nearby tree. The headless undead staggered a bit before collapsing. The astonished extraordinary knights blinked in surprise, as did the knight captain. Instinctively looking back, he saw their beautiful and composed Countess calmly putting away a hand crossbow and reloading it with practiced ease. Unlike her elegant demeanor at banquets or her innocent and playful behavior on ordinary days, Charlotte now appeared calm and fearless, utterly unafraid of the horrifying undead, looking nothing like a sixteen year old girl. She walked over, stepping past the fallen corpses, and picked up the rusty sword the ranked undead had used, weighing it in her hand. But after unsheathing the rusty sword, she seemed to notice something, frowning slightly and sniffing the blade. Then, raising her eyebrows, she narrowed her eyes. "Countess...?" The knight captain hesitantly called out, noticing her contemplative expression. Hearing his voice, Charlotte snapped back to reality. She waved the rusty sword, looked toward the horde of undead, took a deep breath, and calmly said. "Follow me to break through." With that, she moved past the knight captain, heading towards the camp. Attracted by her vibrant life force, the undead roared and lunged at her. "Countess!" The knight captain''s expression changed. S?a??h th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. He quickly picked up his sword, ready to assist. But before he could reach her, he saw their Countess taking the initiative to attack. In the clear moonlight, her golden hair shimmered with a touch of silver. She swung the rusty sword, cutting down the undead rushing at her. Her movements were simple and direct, but incredibly fast. The knight captain realized he couldn''t keep up with her speed. Fast... very fast! Charlotte''s sword flashed in the moonlight, severing the heads of the undead charging at her. Those in the front were cut down, their ragged armor split in two. Despite this, she moved effortlessly, shaking the black blood from her sword. A faint crimson glow flickered in her blue eyes. For the first time, the extraordinary aura carrying strong magical waves emanated from Charlotte. That powerful aura made the knight captain, a Starry Sky knight, feel a slight prickling sensation on his skin. She was First Tier extraordinary! The Countess was a First Tier extraordinary! The knight captain''s eyes widened in shock. At that moment, another swift figure dashed out from the horde. It was another ranked undead! Like the first, it cunningly chose the perfect moment to attack, launching a surprise assault from behind Charlotte. The knight captain''s expression changed dramatically, about to warn her, but saw the Countess raise her crossbow and shoot a bolt with pinpoint accuracy. The bolt pierced the undead''s head, pinning it to a tree, and extinguishing the green fire in its eyes. Silence. An eerie silence fell over the extraordinary knights despite the undead''s roars. They stared at the girl leading them as if seeing their newly appointed Countess for the first time. Unaware of Charlotte''s strength, the knights from Castell territory only knew she was also extraordinary from her loyal retainers. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now But her true power remained a mystery, as the journey had been peaceful until now. The knights initially assumed that their young Countess had merely awakened her bloodline powers. It was difficult for them to associate the beautiful, innocent, and endearing Countess, who instinctively evoked their protective instincts, with a powerful extraordinary being. However, at this moment, the girl¡¯s combat prowess exceeded their expectations. By the Gods, the Countess was indeed a First Tier extraordinary! And... a rather powerful one at that! Such formidable strength at such a young age¡ªcould it be that Castell would produce another Blazing Sun in the future? Sensing the knights¡¯ gazes, Charlotte turned slightly and looked back. Seeing their focused attention, she smiled and said. ¡°What are you standing there for? Break through with me.¡± As she spoke, she put away the now-empty crossbow and casually threw the rusty sword behind her, pinning another sneaky undead to a tree. Silver moonlight bathed the girl, enveloping her in a layer of mysterious radiance. Casually, she pulled the rusty sword from the pinned corpse, flicking off the black blood once more. ¡°Oh, by the way.¡± As if remembering something, she placed her left index finger on her lips, smiled slightly at the knights, and a trace of blood-red color flickered in her eyes. ¡°Keep my strength a secret, okay?¡± With a light laugh, she turned and continued fighting her way towards the camp. The extraordinary knights stared blankly at her petite figure, a touch of red flickering in their pupils, their faces showing confusion and admiration. It took them a while to snap out of it and quickly follow her lead. Watching the seemingly delicate yet Valkyrie-like figure effortlessly maneuvering through the horde of undead, the knight captain couldn''t help but murmur. ¡°The Countess... is truly amazing!¡± ... Night was the domain of the bloodbornes. Having trained for over half a year in Borde, Charlotte''s strength had vastly improved. These undead attacking her were no match. Bringing the zero-tier extraordinary knights back to the camp unharmed was more challenging than clearing out the undead. However, they hadn''t strayed far from the camp, and under Charlotte''s lead, they soon returned. But the camp was in chaos as well. As Charlotte emerged from the dense forest, she saw a holy light enveloping the camp¡ªLottie and a few apprentice priests were casting purification and blessing spells. Additionally, a silver light shot up, forming a translucent shield that protected everyone. Charlotte recognized it as Nice¡¯s contract magic. Around the camp, countless undead were attacking the defensive structures temporarily erected with earth element magic by the accompanying mages. Looking down the road, Charlotte saw the dense green soul fires. These were not ordinary undead. This was clearly an undead army controlled by someone! ¡°Countess!¡± Seeing Charlotte safely return with the extraordinary knights, Baron Sharon, who was leading the camp¡¯s defense, breathed a sigh of relief and quickly had the knights clear a path for them. Charlotte entered the camp, tossing aside the blood-stained rusty sword. The black cat Nice soon jumped over. ¡°Meow! Miss Charlotte, you¡¯re finally back! We were about to go out and rescue you!¡± Charlotte disdainfully grabbed him by the scruff, stopping his leap, and asked. ¡°How¡¯s the camp?¡± Nice¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°Not good! There are too many undead attacking! And many of them are ranked!¡± ¡°Although they can''t breach the camp yet, everyone will tire eventually... unless a God intervenes, the longer this drags on, the more dangerous it becomes.¡± Nice emphasized ¡°God¡± with a clear implication. Charlotte gave him an understanding look, while Nice cleared his throat and said. ¡°Miss Charlotte, I think we¡¯re being ambushed. So many undead must be controlled by someone, and... they wouldn¡¯t set up an ambush without being fully prepared.¡± Charlotte remained noncommittal. She nodded slightly, glancing around to find another figure. ¡°Where¡¯s Sebastian?¡± ¡°Meow! No idea! That guy disappeared as soon as the fight started!¡± Nice indignantly replied. Charlotte gave him another calm glance. Under her deep gaze, Nice¡¯s tail drooped slightly, and he honestly said. ¡°Meow... probably... probably went to find the necromancer behind this?¡± Charlotte then set him down. She considered calling Sebastian back through their mystical connection but then noticed a movement above. Sebastian, agile as ever, leaped down from the towering trees along the road, landing directly in front of her. ¡°Back already? What¡¯s the situation?¡± Charlotte asked. Sebastian glanced at the other knights, his expression serious. ¡°Master...¡± Noticing his gaze, Charlotte felt a slight unease and ordered the other extraordinary knights to continue fighting, leaving only Sebastian, herself, and Nice. ¡°Tell me, how many undead are there, and how strong are they?¡± ¡°A lot! Too many! Probably more than five thousand! Maybe more! And... there are death knights among them!¡± Sebastian replied solemnly. Charlotte raised an eyebrow. Death Knights were Second Tier Silver Moon. However, the absence of Third Tier Blazing Sun Dark Knights in such a large undead tide suggested the necromancer behind it was likely of Silver Moon tier, but probably not alone. ¡°Did you find the necromancers¡¯ locations?¡± Sebas looked grim. ¡°No, they¡¯re very good at hiding their presence.¡± Charlotte nodded knowingly, as if expecting this. ¡°That makes sense, given that... night is the domain of bloodbornes.¡± ¡°Bloodbornes?¡± Sebastian¡¯s eyes widened, his expression turning odd. ¡°Yes, Bloodbornes.¡± ¡°I smelled a familiar scent in the blood of those undead...¡± Charlotte said, narrowing her eyes. Chapter 158: Castells Enemies ¡°Bloodbornes¡­ undead¡­ that means the ones attacking us are probably from the Blood Demon Cult. Those disgusting people love playing with corpses.¡± Sebastian said with a slight shiver. Charlotte frowned. ¡°Those people really are persistent.¡± ¡°Heh, after all, the Crescent Kingdom is the main activity area for the Shedite Clan (Dark Clan)¡­ Master, what do you plan to do with these traitors who betrayed you?¡± Sebastian asked respectfully. He had already adopted the role of the True Ancestor''s steward, viewing all bloodbornes who attacked Charlotte as traitors. As for locating the necromancers, Sebastian no longer inquired, trusting that his great master would have a way to handle it. After witnessing Charlotte awaken slumbering undeads in Borde with just a wave, sparking an undead calamity, he knew these bloodborne-controlled undeads were no threat to her. He believed that if his master wished, she could seize control of all these undead instantly. His confidence grew, but Charlotte had no intention of confronting the bloodborne necromancer head-on. Her true strength was only at the First Tier Starry Sky. Although she had improved greatly over the past year through intense training, she was still a low-rank extraordinary. Competing with the bloodbornes for control over the undead would require tapping into her divine power of blood and partially activating the True Ancestor¡¯s Liberation, which would likely consume a lot of divine power as it did in Borde. Charlotte had learned over the past year how difficult it was to replenish divine power. She preferred not to use it unless absolutely necessary. Using divine power against these mid-to-low-level undeads would be overkill. Plus, seizing control of the undead would escalate the battle and create more unpredictability. The best way to deal with a necromancer is to catch the leader. Knowing that Bloodbornes were behind this, Charlotte already had a better idea. Glancing at the camp fortifications, still holding under the protection of divine and magical powers, she pondered for a moment and said. ¡°Guard the outside for me, don¡¯t let anyone disturb me.¡± With that, she entered her tent alone. Black Cat Nice and Sebastian exchanged glances, Nice feeling a slight tremor. ¡°Is she going to use the Ancestor¡¯s Authority?¡± Sebastian smiled, showing his white teeth. ¡°Guess?¡± Nice: ¡­ Charlotte, once inside the tent, immediately sank into her consciousness to connect with the Gospel of Blood. The night belonged to the bloodbornes, and they were adept at hiding. Finding the bloodbornes controlling the undead in the vast Violet Forest would be challenging. Even if the necromancers weren¡¯t at the Blazing Sun level, they were at least Silver Moon level. Without using the divine power of blood, she might not be a match. However, Charlotte had the Gospel of Blood. She could summon any Bloodborne consciousness into the Dark Night Castle through Blood Summoning. Once she summoned the mastermind''s consciousness, the undead horde would lose their mental connection and collapse. Regardless of the necromancer''s real strength, in her mind realm, they would be at her mercy. To locate the necromancer¡­ she would find the nearest crimson star with the same aura as the undead blood she sensed. With this plan, Charlotte decisively entered the Dark Night Castle mind realm. Transforming back into her adult form, she sat on the ethereal Blood Throne, gently flipping through the thick Gospel, and began the Blood Summoning. Crimson mist filled the Dark Night Castle, and crimson stars gradually appeared. The first stars she saw were those representing Sebastian and Nice. Both had traces of her power in them, being her blood servant and contract servant, making them observable through Blood Summoning. Following them was the star symbolizing Marie, Lottie¡¯s sister. When Charlotte saved Marie in Borde, she used her bloodborne power, leaving a trace of bloodborne in Marie''s soul. Of course, since they hadn¡¯t found a suitable body, Marie''s soul was still in a crystal ball, temporarily kept by Lottie. These were the closest stars representing "her people." Next would be the star representing the Bloodborne necromancers behind the undead horde. When the fourth star appeared, Charlotte was stunned. The fourth star¡­ was very close, almost overlapping with the first three stars! Moreover, its crimson glow was incredibly pure, far more than Sebastian¡¯s, giving Charlotte an unprecedented sense of closeness. Charlotte¡¯s heart skipped a beat: was there another bloodborne hiding in her convoy? And it seemed closely related to her by blood? Charlotte became intrigued. The person hid so well that she hadn¡¯t noticed all this time! However, although curious, Charlotte quickly suppressed the thought. The Gospel of Blood had grown stronger with the addition of dozens of pages. Through the crimson star, she sensed this wasn''t the necromancer. This was just a bloodborne hiding in the convoy. And their strength wasn''t high. The star''s glow wasn¡¯t bright; though pure, it was weaker than Sebastian¡¯s. Charlotte didn''t act rashly. Even though she was curious about the person¡¯s purpose. They probably didn¡¯t know they were discovered. She could investigate after dealing with the undead horde. For now, finding the necromancer was most important. With this resolve, Charlotte focused on the vast crimson star sea. The mist spread, and soon¡­ two new stars appeared. One had a mixed aura but a brighter glow, and the other had a purer aura but dimmer glow. Only two? Charlotte was surprised. Summoning so many undead, she expected more, but only two stars were near the convoy. Moreover, these two stars¡¯ auras weren¡¯t strong, at least not stronger than Sebastian''s. This instantly piqued Charlotte''s curiosity. How did the other party manage to summon such powerful undead waves? Did they have some other method? Or had they controlled other necromancers? Charlotte wondered. Meanwhile, she also keenly sensed a familiar aura from the star with a purer aura. It was similar to the undead''s scent, and only this star had it¡­ "Found you!" s?a??h th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte''s lips curled into a slight smile. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Catch the ringleader first. Having identified her target, Charlotte did not hesitate and immediately pointed at the star, beginning the Blood Summoning. Crimson light flared, and the mist churned. However, just when Charlotte thought she was about to pull the opponent into the Dark Night Castle, the summoning failed. The star representing the necromancer merely trembled slightly before becoming still again. "Failed?" Charlotte was astonished. She knew that the blood power of this star was not strong, even weaker than Sebastian''s. Yet, she had summoned Sebastian successfully on the first try. Why did this summoning fail? Charlotte''s interest was piqued. She tried summoning again. But again, it failed. Vaguely, Charlotte felt a faint resistance preventing her summoning. Charlotte frowned. She strengthened her connection to the Gospel of Blood, enhancing her power. But as her power grew, so did the resistance. Determined, Charlotte intensified her summoning, even starting to use her divine power. However, at that moment, the entire crimson star sea trembled slightly. In the depths of the star sea, which Charlotte had screened off, a brilliant star suddenly shone brightly, almost blinding her. "Whoa!" Charlotte exclaimed, quickly stopping her summoning. The dazzling star slowly faded. Charlotte''s mood darkened slightly. There were five giant stars in the depths of the crimson star sea, likely representing the five princes of the Bloodborne. Her failed summoning suggested only one thing: the summoned was under the protection of a Bloodborne prince. Charlotte believed she could break through this resistance with enough divine power of blood. But that would also likely draw the attention of the Bloodborne prince. "Is the mastermind a vassal of a Bloodborne prince?" Charlotte frowned. She became alert, her mind racing with possible reasons why her convoy was targeted. She had to be cautious; her identity was too special. If a Bloodborne prince discovered the existence of the Gospel of Blood, Charlotte doubted her fate would be good. "It shouldn''t be my identity that''s exposed. If it were, it would be normal for a bloodborne duke or marquis to come after me¡­" "The other party probably just has the protection of a Bloodborne prince." "A divine favor? Or just a devout follower?" Charlotte pondered. Besides Sebastian, she hadn''t performed Blood Summoning on anyone else, so she couldn''t be sure what this meant. Even when she pulled the perverted High Priest into the Dark Night Castle, it was because he prayed to her first. Although the summoning failed, her actions allowed her to sense the opponent''s general location. Since she couldn''t summon them to the spiritual world, she would go directly. The opponent''s aura wasn¡¯t strong anyway. With this thought, Charlotte withdrew from her consciousness and exited the tent. "Sebastian, come with me." ... In the depths of the Violet Forest, atop a raised hill. From there, through layers of trees, one could faintly see the winding road to Castell. At the horizon, holy light flickered, and the battle between the convoy and the undead tide on the road could be vaguely seen. A girl, appearing about seventeen or eighteen years old, stood under a tree, gazing into the distance. She wore a black long dress, her beautiful flaxen hair slightly fluttering in the night breeze, and her crimson eyes were indifferent. In her hands, she held a thick book with a deep black cover inlaid with dark golden patterns. She flipped through the heavy book, its yellowed pages emitting a profound glow. Around her, one undead after another rose, roaring and rushing towards the distant road. The night breeze blew, making her flaxen hair a bit messy. She gently brushed her hair aside with a delicate hand and withdrew her gaze from the distant camp, murmuring, "It seems the intelligence wasn''t accurate. There''s a powerful contract priest hidden in Castell''s convoy..." She glanced at the heavy book in her hands, her eyes flickering. As if making a decision, she bit her fingertip, squeezing out droplets of blood onto the open pages. But the next moment, a strong hand stopped her. "Miss¡­ it''s enough. We''ve summoned enough undead." Said a robust middle-aged man. He was nearly two meters tall, wearing heavy knight armor, with a resolute expression. The girl frowned slightly. "No, Lahel. The Castell family has deep foundations. You can''t imagine their hidden strength. To keep the young Countess of Castell here, we must go all out and avoid any mistakes!" Lahel, the middle-aged knight, hesitated. He glanced at the distant holy light, hesitated for a moment, then asked in a deep voice. "Miss, do you truly believe that person''s promise?" "With all due respect, I don''t think a bloodborne can truly gain a title in the Crescent Kingdom. Walking in the sunlight means death for them." "Besides¡­ you never intended to leave any survivors." The girl fell silent at his words. She bit her lip, a flash of deep hatred crossing her crimson eyes. "So what?" "For our goal, I won''t let our enemy return to their territory easily!" "Everyone in Castell deserves to die!" Her voice was resolute. At that moment, a graceful laugh suddenly came from beside them. "Oh? Enemies? Hehe, I never heard that the noble Castell family had any enmity with the bloodborne?" "Who?!" Lahel instantly turned, drawing his weapon. From the shadows of the forest, a tall red-haired elf emerged. Chapter 159: The Hypocritical Book Spirit An elf?!The middle-aged knight was momentarily stunned. However, when he noticed the opponent''s distinctive red hair and the powerful aura emanating from him, his expression quickly became serious. "The Scarlet Flame Blade... Sebastian!" The red-haired elf''s posture stiffened slightly, and his expression seemed somewhat unnatural upon hearing this title. The smile on his face faded considerably, and he gracefully took a step forward. The next second, his entire figure vanished in an instant. "Miss, fall back!" The middle-aged knight''s heart tightened, and he shouted loudly. Instinctively, he raised his longsword in defense, but as soon as he did, he felt a tremendous force coming from between his hands. "Bam!" A flaming sword appeared out of thin air, striking the knight''s longsword and sending it flying. On the other end of the flaming sword was the reappeared red-haired elf. The knight let out an angry roar, his body erupting with dazzling silver light. External manifestation of source power, a sign of Silver Moon strength. He drew a backup short sword from his waist, the silver light flowing over the blade, exuding a sharp aura like the shimmering moonlight. Lightly tapping the ground, the hill beneath him cracked and caved in, and he shot toward the red-haired elf like an arrow released from a bow. The two clashed instantly. The intersection of the silver light sword and the flaming sword burst into a dazzling brilliance. The terrifying intertwining of source power and magic formed a powerful energy storm, shredding the surrounding trees to pieces... A loud explosion. The girl holding the heavy book had already retreated to a distance. She bit her lip, watching the sudden battle with tension. But the fight was over in the next moment. In the moonlight, the swirling dust of wood chips and stone fragments settled, revealing the two combatants. The knight was still holding his short sword high. But the next second, the short sword shattered into several pieces. He staggered slightly, then suddenly spat out a mouthful of dark red blood before slowly collapsing. Barely managing to drive the broken sword into the ground, the knight maintained a kneeling position on one knee, staring in disbelief at the red-haired elf standing before him. "You... haven''t fallen in rank?" The red-haired elf was unscathed. He didn''t answer the knight''s question but stood there elegantly, his flaming sword still burning. He looked the knight up and down with interest, a hint of surprise in his gaze. "Silver Moon source power... is this Crescent swordsmanship? How does a bloodborne like you know the royal sword technique of Crescent Kingdom?" The knight remained silent. He struggled to lift his head, glaring at the elegant and indifferent red-haired elf with a solemn expression. The elf chuckled lightly, about to speak when frenzied roars suddenly came from all around. The elf raised an eyebrow, looking around to see several two-meter-tall, armored undead wielding longswords charging at him, accompanied by a horde of zombies... In the elf''s somewhat surprised gaze, he was instantly engulfed by the undead tide... "Lahel!" Nearby, the girl finished her spell and quickly put down the heavy book, rushing to the knight''s side and helping him up with a worried expression. "Miss, cough... forget about me! Run! We can''t defeat him!" The knight coughed up blood as he spoke. Meanwhile, a rumbling sound came from the undead tide surrounding the elf. Scarlet light burst forth, and red flames shot into the sky, tearing all the undead apart and turning them into fireballs... When the light faded, the unharmed elf reappeared before the pair. He remained elegant, his tailcoat without a single crease. The girl stared blankly, looking at the red-haired elf in disbelief as if seeing a monster. The elf smiled slightly, asking with interest. "The strength of these undeads is too weak. Do you have any other tricks?" Feeling the disdain and mockery in his words, the girl''s expression darkened. She bit her lip, opened the book again, and let her crimson blood drip onto the heavy pages. The red-haired elf did not stop the girl''s actions but watched her with great interest. As the blood dripped, dark shadows converged on the heavy book, gradually forming a dark figure before the girl. It was a grotesque, twisted shadow, exuding an ancient and eerie aura. With the appearance of the shadow, the girl''s aura grew visibly weaker, as if she had paid a great price. "Mortal, speak your wish!" The dark shadow looked down at the girl holding the book, its voice cold and indifferent. "Gost! Kill him! Summon the strongest undead and kill him!" The girl nearly gritted her teeth as she shouted. Upon hearing her words, the dark shadow turned into a deep light, reentering the book, which then emitted a ghostly glow. In the next moment, several complex and mysterious blood-red magic circles appeared around the elf, and one after another, formidable undead emerged from the circles. Their armor was more intact, the soul flames in their eye sockets burned brighter, and their figures were taller. They roared and charged at the elf. The red-haired elf remained calm. A flash of light appeared in his hand, the scarlet flaming sword vanished, and he elegantly reached out, drawing a black flaming sword from the void. Seeing the black flaming sword, the girl''s expression changed dramatically. "The Blasphemous Sword!" With a swing of the elf''s sword, the undead charging at him burst into black flames, quickly turning to ashes... Crushing. Utter and blatant crushing. The girl bit her lip, reopening the wound on her already-healed finger. But before she could let the blood drip onto the book in her hand, a black flaming longsword was suddenly at her neck. "My beautiful Bloodborness, didn''t your elders tell you that summoned creatures through ancient book spirits cannot exceed your rank by more than one level?" "A few Second Tier Silver Moon undead servants might trouble a camp, but they''re hardly enough for me." The elf spoke with a calm smile. Hearing the red-haired elf''s words, the girl stiffened slightly. She looked up, pale-faced, meeting a pair of playful, scarlet eyes. The next moment, she felt a tightness around her body, and a magic-restraining chain bound her tightly. "Miss!" The middle-aged knight called out anxiously, but in the next instant, he too was bound by a magic-restraining chain and thrown beside the girl. With the girl''s magic sealed, the heavy book lost some of its mysterious connection, and its deep glow faded. Under the somewhat surprised gaze of the red-haired elf, the summoned undead trembled slightly before turning to ashes. The ashes then transformed into dark streams of light, converging back into the book from all directions. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now The red-haired elf seemed thoughtful. He stroked his chin and leisurely picked up the heavy book from the ground. Seeing her book taken, the girl glared at him furiously, as if she wanted to devour him alive. However, just when she thought he was going to open the book or put it away, she saw the elf suddenly turn gracefully. Holding the book in one hand and placing the other on his chest, he bent slightly, offering a respectful and elegant bow towards the distance. "Great Master, your loyal Sebastian has captured these little flies." Master? Both the bound bloodborne girl and the middle-aged knight were stunned. They couldn''t help but look in the direction the elf had bowed, hearing slow footsteps approaching from the darkness. Clouds drifted, and clear moonlight illuminated the hill, piercing through the dense forest. From the darkness, a petite figure slowly emerged from the woods. It was a girl who looked about thirteen or fourteen years old, dressed in an elegant and noble black-and-red gothic dress, starkly contrasting with her surroundings. She had beautiful golden hair and clear blue eyes, her delicate and lovely appearance stunning even the bloodborne girl who prided herself on her beauty. However, noticing the distinctive hair color and the emblem on the black-and-red dress, the girl quickly recognized her. Her eyes widened in shock, confusion, and anger. "You are... Castell?!" The one emerging from the woods was Charlotte. She looked curiously at the two bound individuals, squinting as she asked. "You... know me?" The bloodborne girl did not answer, but glared at her with hatred, as if she wanted to tear her apart and drink her blood. Faced with such intense hostility, Charlotte was puzzled. How had she provoked these people? Even if it was the Blood Demon Cult, they shouldn''t know that she was the one causing trouble in Borde, right? Why did someone suddenly show up to ambush her? S?a??h the n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Wait, did they mention having a grudge against Castell? Castell''s enemies? And bloodbornes at that? Could her family be hiding some secrets she didn''t know about? Charlotte frowned. At this moment, Sebastian interrupted her thoughts. "Master, I found an interesting item on them. It seems to be the key to their ability to summon undead on a large scale. Please inspect it." Charlotte was intrigued and looked at Sebastian, who offered her a heavy book with both hands. She took the book, feeling its weight. The cover was black with dark gold magical patterns, and on the cover, there was a line of strange golden text. Charlotte did not recognize the script, but it seemed somewhat similar to the mysterious text in the Gospel of Blood, possibly related. However, she instinctively understood its meaning, as if she naturally knew how to read it. Charlotte almost unconsciously read aloud. "The Path of the Undead?" As she pronounced the mysterious words, the heavy book glowed faintly. Charlotte sensed a dark, decayed, and aggressive power flowing from the book into her body. Frowning, she activated the blood divine power''s "absorption" effect, assimilating all the invading power. In the next instant, the book trembled slightly and stopped its assault, retracting its deep glow and curling up. She felt a hint of fear from the book. "Interesting..." Charlotte stroked the cold cover of the heavy book. As she touched it, the sense of fear grew stronger. "What is the origin of this book?" She looked at the two bounded bloodbornes. The bloodborne girl continued to glare at her angrily, without responding. Instead, the middle-aged knight hesitated for a moment before asking. "If we tell you its origin, will you let us go?" "You don''t have the right to negotiate with the Master when she asks you questions. However, the great Master is always magnanimous. If you please her, she might consider sparing you." Sebastian said with a smile. The knight fell silent. After a moment, he spoke. "This is a sacred artifact of the Undead Executor, bestowed by the Bloodborne Duke during the vampire civil war¡ªthe legendary Book of the Dead. By paying a certain price, the book''s spirit can summon the undead stored within." Hearing his companion''s explanation, the bloodborne girl''s eyes widened, looking at the knight in shock. However, seeing his flickering gaze, she suddenly understood and remained silent. As the owner of the Book of the Dead, she knew its evil nature better than anyone. Summoning undead with the book required signing a necromantic contract and paying a hefty price, especially for the contract holder. For non-contract holders, attempting to use the book would only result in a more terrifying backlash... Though the knight revealed the book''s function, he only told half the story. She realized he was setting a trap for their enemies. Given the number of undead she had summoned for this attack, those closest to them had been reabsorbed by the book after their connection was severed. However, undead farther away, especially those fighting the Castell family convoy, continued following their last orders... Clearly, their captors wanted to address this problem. The Book of the Dead was a divine artifact, and provoking its spirit could lead to a backlash even a Blazing Sun couldn''t withstand. If they tricked their enemies into activating the book, they might turn the tide. With this thought, the girl lowered her eyes and coldly looked at Charlotte. "A book spirit?" Charlotte mused. She weighed the book, gently stroking its cover, and said. "Book spirit, come out and meet me." Silence... The Book of the Dead remained unresponsive. Seeing the girl awkwardly calling the book spirit, the bloodborne girl pressed her lips together and decided to nudge her. "You haven''t paid the price." "You need to offer blood essence. Only after drinking the blood essence will the book spirit be willing to..." Before she finished her sentence, the Book of the Dead was already reacting. In the stunned gazes of the middle-aged knight and bloodborne girl, the book glowed brightly, and the dark shadow emerged, clear and distinct, bowing deeply to Charlotte. Its respectful voice was tinged with fear. "Noble and great one, what can your humble servant Gost do for you?" Bloodborne girl: ... Middle-aged knight: ... Chapter 160: Escape "Sh-she... how... how did she manage to summon that arrogant book spirit just like that?!"Seeing the spirit acting obediently and respectfully like a servant, the bloodborne girl widened her eyes, almost questioning her entire life. Heavens, she regularly fed it her essence blood, yet it always treated her with disdain, barely acknowledging her! Charlotte, however, was not surprised by the spirit''s appearance. Earlier, this entity had tried to invade her body, but she had directly siphoned off a significant portion of its power. She could sense that it now feared her immensely. This was normal. After all, Charlotte had the ability to destroy the Book of the Dead completely at any time! Sacred objects like this were not unfamiliar to Charlotte. Ever since she gained the power of the [Divine Blessing], she had spent the past half-year studying how to imbue items with divine power to create artifacts. Though she hadn''t managed to create a matching set of artifacts for herself due to the preciousness of her divine power and a lack of sufficient materials, her extensive research had deepened her understanding of both artifacts and sacred objects. Like artifacts, sacred objects were also creations of divine beings and contained divine power. Broadly speaking, since sacred objects were divine creations, they could be considered a type of artifact. However, many extraordinary beings in the world of Myria liked to categorize them separately. Unlike artifacts, sacred objects always possessed a spirit. This meant that sacred objects were intelligent weapons. However, this did not mean that sacred objects were stronger than artifacts. In fact, it was the opposite. Sacred objects were generally much weaker than artifacts. This was because the power of artifacts came directly from divine power, whereas the power of sacred objects came from the offerings and sacrifices of their contractors. In essence, artifacts were equipment crafted by gods for their avatars to use in the mortal realm. While mortals could also use them, it often came with a heavy price. Sacred objects, on the other hand, were specifically made for divine agents. Although they also had a cost, it was within a mortal''s ability to bear. Sacred objects could not use divine power as their primary source of strength. For them, divine power was necessary to maintain the spirit within. If a sacred object contained too much divine power, the spirit could be overwhelmed and consumed by it. Conversely, if the sacred object lacked enough divine power, the spirit could fall asleep or even dissipate, reducing the sacred object to an ordinary weapon. Charlotte was not sure if there were any artifacts with spirits. The texts she had read never mentioned such artifacts. Having a spirit seemed to be a taboo for artifacts... Therefore, Charlotte knew that if she wanted to destroy this book, all she had to do was drain the tiny bit of divine power within it. Alternatively, she could inject divine power into it, polluting and consuming the spirit. If she did that, the sacred object might even transform into a more powerful artifact. Of course, doing so would cause the spirit to dissipate, which for an intelligent weapon like a sacred object would be akin to "death." Charlotte knew this, and the spirit of the book, sensing her divine power of blood, knew it too. The spirit''s submission was understandable. Of course, the bloodborne girl and the middle-aged knight were unaware of these intricacies. They could only stare in disbelief at the once aloof spirit, now acting like a groveling dog. "Retrieve all the undead." Charlotte gave a casual glance at the spirit and commanded. "O mighty one, as you command..." The spirit bowed deeply to Charlotte, and the Book of the Dead emitted a deep, eerie glow. The tide of undead immediately collapsed, all of them turning into streams of light that flowed back into the book. At the same time, the bound bloodborne girl turned pale, feeling dizzy and even weaker. She widened her eyes, glaring at the spirit with a mix of shock and anger: That vile, shameless, damned spirit! It followed someone else''s orders but used her power to retract the summoned undead! Noticing the girl''s gaze, Charlotte smiled knowingly. She had studied artifacts and sacred objects extensively over the past half-year and knew that sacred objects required a contractor. She also knew that these two were trying to set a trap for her. But with her advantages, the spirit was forced to turn on its contractor. It was the girl''s own doing. Having resolved the issue of the undead tide, Charlotte closed the Book of the Dead. The spirit, as if granted a reprieve, bowed to her once more before swiftly retreating into the book, seemingly afraid of staying out any longer. Naturally, she handed the Book of the Dead to Sebastian for safekeeping. Charlotte then sat elegantly on a noble chair that Sebastian had conjured up at some point, crossing her legs. Sebastian quickly presented her with a glass of sweet milk, served in a crystal goblet. Charlotte accepted it almost instinctively, sipping with practiced elegance. Only when she brought the goblet to her lips did she realize¡ªwhen had she become so adept at this? She couldn''t help but glance at Sebastian, who returned a bright smile, standing respectfully by her side like a loyal butler. Charlotte: ... She felt like her behavior was increasingly influenced by Sebastian''s over-the-top aristocratic style... This whole scene left the bloodborne girl and the middle-aged knight dumbfounded. Although they wanted to question why someone would carry a fancy chair and drink milk from a crystal goblet while traveling... Admittedly, paired with Charlotte''s unique aura, it did give off an air of distinct elegance. Charlotte took another sip of the milk and then handed the crystal goblet back to Sebastian, who promptly offered her a neatly folded silk napkin. Charlotte wiped her mouth gracefully and placed the napkin back on the tray Sebastian procured from somewhere. Only then did she leisurely ask. "So, who are you, and why did you attack my convoy?" "My time is limited, and so is my patience. You have one minute to answer." She sat on the chair, legs crossed, looking down at the bound girl and knight. Charlotte could tell these two were not members of the Blood Demon Cult. Though they were Bloodbornes and wielded a sacred object left by the Bloodborne Archduke Abaddon, and although summoning them into the Dark Night Castle had attracted the attention of a Bloodborne prince, Charlotte did not sense the repulsive aura of Blood Demon Cultists on them. She believed she would never forget that foul aura, the corrupt and fallen scent of souls tainted by blood sacrifices. Ever since unlocking True Ancestor''s Liberation, Charlotte had become highly sensitive to it. This only piqued her curiosity further. Hearing Charlotte''s words, the girl glared at her but quickly encountered Sebastian''s innocent smile. "Beautiful lady, if you continue to look at my master so rudely, I might just have to pluck out those pretty eyes of yours." The girl hesitated, her demeanor instantly deflating. She bit her lip and looked away. The middle-aged knight, maintaining a solemn expression, stared at Charlotte and her companion. After a few seconds, he spoke. "Mercenaries. We are freelance mercenaries operating in Violet." Hearing his words, the girl glanced at him, bit her lip, and fell silent. Charlotte, however, narrowed her eyes. Her gaze lingered on the girl''s dress, which, despite being washed to the point of fading, still showed signs of high-quality craftsmanship from a top-tier textile workshop. She also noted the knight''s armor, though damaged, clearly of royal military style. "Mercenaries?" The knight noticed Charlotte''s scrutinizing look and the amusement in her tone but remained composed, replying firmly. "Yes, mercenaries." "No matter what identities we had in the past, at least... now we are freelance mercenaries in Violet." The past, huh? Charlotte''s curiosity was piqued. To be honest, the girl and the knight¡¯s attire greatly resembled that of fallen nobles, making her suspect they might belong to a family that had past grievances with Castell. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now However, she did not delve deeply into this issue. Since they claimed to be mercenaries, their meaning was clear. Their attack on her convoy was not just due to personal grudges but because they were hired for a task. Someone¡­ didn¡¯t want her to return to her territory. ¡°Who hired you?¡± Charlotte asked. This time, the middle-aged knight did not speak. Charlotte frowned, and noticing her displeased expression, Sebastian snorted and snapped his fingers. With his gesture, the anti-magic chains binding the middle-aged knight tightened, releasing a series of electric sparks. The middle-aged knight gasped, his face instantly paling, and he almost collapsed. ¡°Sorry, this¡­ I cannot say. It¡¯s a mercenary¡¯s code.¡± He gritted his teeth and said, trembling. ¡°The Third Prince! The person who hired us to ambush your convoy is the Third Prince of the Crescent Kingdom!¡± On the other side, the silent bloodborne girl suddenly spoke. ¡°Miss?!¡± The middle-aged knight¡¯s eyes widened. The girl bit her lip and gave him an apologetic glance, then straightened up, her figure even flatter than Charlotte¡¯s, and calmly said. ¡°Lahel is my blood servant. I am the one in charge here. If there¡¯s anything, come at me.¡± ¡°Miss!¡± The middle-aged knight couldn¡¯t help but try to get up, but the girl stopped him. ¡°Enough, Lahel. Surviving is more important for us than the mercenary code! I don¡¯t want to see you suffer for me anymore!¡± Hearing the girl¡¯s words, the middle-aged knight opened his mouth, his expression complicated. Charlotte, however, frowned. The Third Prince? Was it the Third Prince who didn¡¯t want her to return to her territory? To be honest, learning this answer didn¡¯t surprise her much. Although she had only met the Third Prince Philip once, Charlotte instinctively didn¡¯t have a good impression of him. It seemed to be some kind of instinct¡­ S?a?ch* Th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Moreover, Charlotte was sure that her feeling about Eleanor, the daughter of Duke Borde, acting strangely that day was not an illusion. The Third Prince¡­ was not that simple. Charlotte felt a bit of a headache. She could roughly guess why the Third Prince targeted her. Count Tulip was dead, Duke Borde could pass away at any moment, Leno had given up his claim, and her promise to the Church had become ambiguous due to the fall of the High Priest. If one considered the current first-in-line heir to the Castell County, it would undoubtedly be Eleanor. Thinking of this, Charlotte sighed softly. It seemed Sebastian was right: the strategic position of the Castell territory was too important, and too many people wanted to take it. Of course, she did not immediately believe the girl¡¯s words and looked at Sebastian. Noticing Charlotte¡¯s gaze, Sebastian immediately understood. He picked up the Book of the Dead again and, imitating Charlotte¡¯s tone, asked. ¡°Book Spirit, is what she said true?¡± The Book Spirit didn¡¯t respond. Charlotte glanced at the book indifferently. ¡°Book Spirit?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true, it¡¯s all true.¡± The book flickered slightly, and a respectful yet urgent voice came through. Bloodborne Girl: ¡­ Middle-aged Knight: ¡­ Both of them widened their eyes, seemingly shocked once again by the shameless betrayal of the Book Spirit. Having confirmed it, Charlotte squinted slightly. She looked at the two and said. ¡°Where is your mission contract?¡± For such a large-scale task as attacking a convoy, the two would certainly have signed a mercenary contract with the Third Prince. Calculating the time, the Third Prince should have already arrived in Borde by now. Borde was too far from Castell, and as a royal, Philip would certainly be protected by Blazing Sun Knights. Besides, her own territory likely had many issues that required her personal attention, so Charlotte didn¡¯t have the energy to go after the Third Prince immediately. But this didn¡¯t mean she would let it slide. Hiring mercenaries to attack other nobles was a serious taboo. While some nobles might do such things secretly, it could never be done openly. Obtaining the mercenary contract and exposing this incident would be enough to trouble the Third Prince. Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, the bloodborne girl bit her lip and finally said through gritted teeth. ¡°The contract¡­ I put it in the storage ring.¡± ¡°Miss! You can¡¯t!¡± The middle-aged knight couldn¡¯t help but change his expression. For mercenaries, breaking a contract meant ending their career, and they would be blacklisted by the Mercenary Association. The two didn¡¯t seem to be living well off, clearly indicating that mercenary work was their main source of income. ¡°Storage ring? Where is it?¡± Charlotte asked. ¡°In my backpack.¡± The girl indicated the bag placed on the ground not far away. Charlotte gave Sebastian a look, and Sebastian nodded, retrieving the bag. After some searching, he quickly found a ring. However, just as Sebastian took out the ring, the vampire girl suddenly shouted. ¡°Lahel! Now!¡± With that, she suddenly collided with the middle-aged knight, who fell backward in the direction where Sebastian had just picked up the bag. The two quickly fell to the ground, and the next moment, a dazzling light emerged from the ground. In Charlotte¡¯s surprised gaze, the two figures flickered and disappeared in an instant. Sebastian¡¯s expression changed. He rushed to the spot where the two had vanished and, after a quick inspection, looked grim. ¡°Master, it¡¯s a one-time long-distance teleportation array¡­¡± ¡°The bag on the ground was the trigger!¡± An escape plan? Charlotte was somewhat surprised. ¡­ At the same time, in a certain castle. In a dark chamber, the ground shimmered with light, faintly revealing a large circular array. Accompanied by a series of spatial fluctuations, the bloodborne girl and the middle-aged knight, both tied up, fell out of the light. Chapter 161: What? Trying to run away? "Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch!" Falling out of the teleportation, the bloodborne girl felt like her head had hit an iron plate, causing her to grimace in pain. Until a weak voice came from beneath her. "Miss, you''re... pressing on my wound." The girl''s face stiffened as she realized she had fallen directly onto the knight. The rough contact she felt was from his dented armor. At that moment, blood was seeping through the cracks in his chest plate. "I''m sorry, Lahel! I didn''t mean to!" She exclaimed, quickly wriggling her bound body like a large caterpillar to the side. Then she cautiously brought her face close to his, worriedly asking: "Are you... are you in pain? You''re bleeding!" "Not mortally... The elf''s attack avoided the vital area." The knight coughed weakly, his face pale. He struggled to get up, but the girl stopped him. "Don''t move, I''ll untie you!" Then she realized she was also bound. "Dagger... there''s a dagger at my waist." The knight said weakly. The girl looked at the knight and quickly found the dagger. She wriggled into position and awkwardly used her hands, tied behind her back, to take the dagger from his waist. Slowly, she cut through the anti-magic chains binding her. Once free, she wasted no time and immediately cut the chains on the knight. "Quick, treat your wounds!" She struggled to help the knight up and took a flask from her pocket. Opening it, a strong smell of blood wafted out. The flask didn''t contain water, but blood, which had long coagulated. However, the girl seemed used to this. Biting her fingertip again, she let a drop of her blood fall into the flask. Like a magical reaction, the coagulated blood quickly liquefied. The knight tried to take the flask, but she stopped him again. "Don''t move, I''ll feed you." "Lahel, you''re my last family. I don''t want anything to happen to you! That''s an order!" Seeing her determined eyes, the knight reluctantly opened his mouth, and she fed him the blood. As he drank, his eyes glowed a strange crimson. With each gulp, his pale face regained color, and his wounds began to heal. Seeing the knight recover, she breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed to the ground. "Phew... Being a bloodborne isn''t all bad. This healing method is far beyond human capabilities." "Good thing I prepared the teleportation array, or we would have been prisoners of Castell today!" She then asked, puzzled. "Lahel, isn''t the Scarlet Flame Blade Sebastian supposed to have fallen in rank? Why is he still so strong? Even you, undefeated at night against another Silver Moon, aren''t his match?" "And... what''s the deal with Castell''s heir? Why did that annoying book spirit betray me for her?" "Strange! It''s really strange! Even the sadistic Count Sherdet didn''t get that level of respect, and he''s a devout follower of the Bloodborne Archduke!" The knight Lahel thought for a moment, then shook his head. "I don''t know..." "As a bloodborne, my power at night far exceeds that during the day, but I clearly felt I was no match for the Scarlet Flame Blade Sebastian..." "He¡¯s not an ordinary Silver Moon; he originally fell from Blazing Sun rank. Before his fall, he was famous in the mercenary circles of Eastern Yunette Blacklands and Coria Kingdom." "It seems he has found a way to regain his power. Though not fully restored to Blazing Sun, he''s far beyond an ordinary Silver Moon." "As for Castell''s heir, I''ve heard some mercenary rumors, some uncertain guesses..." The girl was intrigued. "Tell me!" The knight hesitated, then said. "There are rumors that a year ago, when Charlotte de Castell was attacked by the Blood Demon Cult, she awakened and received the favor of the God Harald..." "Recently, there were also rumors that during her coming-of-age ceremony, a miracle occurred, with the Holy Light of Harald descending directly." "She... might be a saint chosen by the Gods!" "If that''s true, the Book of the Dead likely sensed Harald''s power." "You know, for such an evil artifact, the power of the Holy Court is its greatest fear..." Hearing this, the girl frowned. "A saint of the Holy Court... can she be called a ''saint''?" The knight shook his head. "I don''t know... Unless she''s a reincarnated God? If that were the case, the Theocratic State would have dispatched the Templar Knights to escort her. But look at Castell''s convoy, only a hundred or so of their own armored knights came, clearly not heavily guarded." Hearing this, the girl''s face remained troubled. She sighed. "Fine, I''ll ask that damn book spirit directly later." After some thought, she muttered in frustration. "Damn it! That squinty-eyed prince''s information was too inaccurate! Had I known Castell''s side was so strong, had I known there were so many secrets, I would have extorted him more! At least doubled the commission, no, tripled! No, quadrupled!" "Even with quadruple the commission, such opponents are beyond us." "But I could have sought reinforcements! Many Bloodbornes are very interested in this castle. Using it as a trade, I could find a Bloodborne Count. I bet a Bloodborne Count could handle them! An awakened extraordinary for just a year can''t be that powerful!" Lahel: ... "Miss, this castle is worth far more than any commission." The knight pointed out. "But it''s not our castle. We might stay here for now, but we''ll have to leave eventually. We can''t sell it to humans; that would endanger them." "Trading a destined-to-be-lost castle for Castell''s head, a hefty commission and a Bloodborne Count''s friendship seems worth it!" She exclaimed excitedly. Hearing her reasoning, the knight was speechless. Remembering something, he asked. "Miss, did you really put our task contract in the storage ring?" "Of course not! I tricked them! The contract is here in the castle." She shook her head, smiling proudly. Surprised by her response, he stared at her, making her uncomfortable. "Why are you looking at me like that?" "Nothing... I just didn''t expect you to lie." The knight shook his head. She fell silent. After a moment, she spoke softly. "After all... people grow. Since becoming a Bloodborne, I''m no longer who I was." We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Sighing again, she added. "However, our mission has failed..." "As long as there''s a backup plan, there''s always hope, Miss. We¡¯ll have another chance." His words brought a faint smile to her face. She patted her cheeks and forced herself to cheer up. ¡°You¡¯re right, we still have a chance.¡± She pursed her lips, took out a pre-drawn scroll, and said through gritted teeth. ¡°Alright, time to summon that damned book spirit back. Don¡¯t stop me, today I¡¯m going to give it a proper lesson! It needs to know who its true contractor is!¡± Contractors have a binding link with their sacred objects. No matter where the sacred object is, it can be summoned back through the contract. That¡¯s why, even though the Book of the Dead was taken, the girl wasn¡¯t worried. However, when she injected magic power to activate the summoning scroll, the Book of the Dead didn¡¯t respond. The scroll burned to ashes in the flames of magic power, confirming the contract was active, and she could feel the Book of the Dead receiving her summon¡­ but nothing happened. The girl¡¯s eyes widened and she exploded. ¡°Not coming back? It dares¡­ it dares not come back?!¡± ... ¡°Master, there is no mercenary contract in the storage ring. We¡¯ve been deceived.¡± Sebastian reported, holding the tattered package with a grim expression. Hearing this, Charlotte slowly opened her eyes, withdrawing from her inner thoughts. She had suspected as much when the girl and the knight escaped, but knowing for certain they had been tricked still irked her. She quickly adjusted her mood and chuckled. ¡°Never mind, let them go. They¡¯ll come back.¡± She had just used Blood Summoning to search and found that the stars representing the girl and the knight had vanished from the nearby vicinity. Clearly, their teleportation destination was far away, blending them into the vast sea of stars, making it difficult for Charlotte¡¯s current perception to track them unless they were nearby or unless she used divine power. But she wasn¡¯t planning to expend extra divine power to find them. She knew they would return. The Book of the Dead was still with her, and it was clear the girl was its contractor. Unless a legendary force intervened, the sacred object contract couldn¡¯t be unilaterally terminated. Though the contract prevented the Book of the Dead from outright betraying its contractor, and Charlotte likely couldn¡¯t extract specific information about the girl, holding the book gave her leverage over the girl¡¯s life. The reason was simple. The Book of the Dead would draw power from its contractor to function. For the bloodborne girl, this meant using her blood and life force to maintain the book''s operations. This book, which bullied the weak and feared the strong, wouldn¡¯t dare trouble Charlotte. If she used the book, it would continue to drain the bloodborne girl¡¯s strength. In other words, Charlotte didn¡¯t plan to sever the contract but instead use the Book of the Dead to continuously bleed the girl dry. With this lethal leverage, the girl would undoubtedly try to reclaim the book. Thinking this, Charlotte¡¯s gaze shifted to the Book of the Dead in her hand. It was shimmering faintly, emitting a soft glow. Feeling a mysterious rhythm, Charlotte smirked. ¡°Trying to run?¡± The Book of the Dead trembled slightly, its glow extinguished, and it obediently settled down, acting as docile as the Gospel of Blood. ¡°That¡¯s better.¡± Charlotte nodded in satisfaction. ... After confirming that the remnant teleportation circle couldn¡¯t track the girl and knight, Charlotte and Sebastian returned to the camp. With the undead tide retreating, the battle in the camp had ended, and the knights and mercenaries were tallying casualties. Thanks to Nice¡¯s high-level area protection spell, the caravan had few casualties. Apart from the knight Daren, who ventured alone into the woods and was ambushed, only four died, all during the initial surprise attack of the undead tide. Thirty others were injured, but the accompanying priests were treating them. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Miss Reina¡¯s support, I would¡¯ve been killed by the undead.¡± A mercenary undergoing treatment by Lottie remarked. ¡°Indeed, me too.¡± others echoed. ¡°Reina?¡± Charlotte was slightly curious. ¡°Reina?¡± Sebastian was puzzled, finding the name familiar. ¡°A young mercenary lady from the Kane Trading Company. She¡¯s very young!¡± A mercenary enthusiastically introduced her to Charlotte. A mercenary... Charlotte became interested. ¡°Where is she?¡± ¡°She¡¯s¡­ huh? Where did Miss Reina go?¡± ¡°Huh? Where is she? She was just here¡­¡± The mercenaries were puzzled. Seeing no sign of her, Charlotte didn¡¯t press further. She knew not all mercenaries liked nobles. Many young mercenaries particularly disliked them. Reina¡¯s disappearance seemed to indicate she was avoiding Charlotte, so she let it go. ¡°For those who died in battle, triple compensation.¡± Back in her tent, Charlotte instructed Sebastian. ¡°And¡­ quietly check the people in the caravan for anyone suspicious. Don¡¯t reveal yourself.¡± ¡°Suspicious people?¡± Sebas raised an eyebrow. ¡°For example¡­ a hidden bloodborne.¡± Charlotte said. Sebas was taken aback but then nodded solemnly. ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Additionally, spread the word that the attackers were mercenaries skilled in necromancy, hired by the third prince of the Crescent Kingdom.¡± Sebas raised an eyebrow again and bowed. ¡°As you command.¡± With the orders given, Sebastian went to make arrangements. Charlotte leisurely took out a cup of extraordinary blood and began to sip. She hadn¡¯t forgotten there was still a hidden bloodborne in the caravan. However, since they hadn¡¯t caused any trouble, they were likely just catching a ride with the Castell convoy. Curiosity didn¡¯t compel Charlotte to use divine power to root them out; this task was better suited for Sebastian, who had become more sensitive to the presence of Bloodbornes due to his connection with the Blood Magic. As for the Third Prince, who allegedly orchestrated the attack, Charlotte was inclined to believe the bloodborne girl¡¯s claim. But for now, returning to her territory took priority, and she didn¡¯t have time to confront the prince directly. The prince, being a member of the royal family, was well-protected, unlike the more vulnerable Count Tulip. Without the mercenary contract to prove the prince¡¯s conspiracy, rumors would suffice to handle many things. As for concrete evidence, that would come when the bloodborne girl returned for the Book of the Dead. ... Meanwhile, in an inconspicuous tent within the Castell convoy. An elderly woman, Anna, frowned at the girl before her. S?a??h the ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Reina, didn¡¯t I tell you not to act recklessly on this journey?¡± Reina trembled slightly and looked up with big, pleading eyes at Anna. Seeing those beautiful eyes, the elderly woman¡¯s heart softened, and she sighed. ¡°Alright, alright. I had planned to observe a bit longer, but since you¡¯ve taken action, we might be exposed.¡± ¡°In that case¡­ tomorrow, come with me to meet her in person.¡± Chapter 162: Pay Respect to the Great True Ancestor Charlotte''s pointed command caught Sebastian''s attention.There were other Bloodbornes hidden within the Castell caravan! As the one responsible for personnel inspections before departure, Sebastian felt deeply embarrassed that even he hadn''t detected the Bloodbornes'' stealthy infiltration. He, the steward of a divine being, felt utterly humiliated. Thus, after leaving Charlotte''s tent, he immediately began a thorough personnel inspection. He had a solid pretext: the undead assault had frightened everyone, and as the Castell family''s steward, he needed to check on the family''s knights who had defended their ground and apologize to the accompanying merchant convoy. What was he apologizing for? Naturally, for the trouble caused by being associated with the Castell family. The undead targeted Countess Castell, and the necromancer was acting under the orders of the Crescent Kingdom''s Third Prince. If it weren''t for their association with the Castell family, they wouldn''t have faced such a threat. This served a dual purpose. Not only did it give him an excuse to investigate the entire caravan, but it also spread the news that the Third Prince was behind the attack through the merchants and their hired mercenaries. Merchants and mercenaries are often key spreaders of information. Sebastian didn''t even need to seek out anyone specific to spread the news; just hinting at it during his rounds ensured that this explosive news would quickly travel throughout the Crescent Kingdom. The royal family of Crescent, a wealthy and beautiful unmarried countess, orphans, noble conspiracies, inheritance rights, and necromancers¡ªall these elements were perfect gossip material that would quickly become the talk of the town in taverns and brothels. As Sebastian had anticipated, the Castell family knights weren''t likely to spread rumors about their own lord. However, the accompanying merchants, upon learning the "truth" of the night''s attack, were instantly energized, bombarding Sebastian with questions. Outwardly, they expressed outrage at the Third Prince''s actions and sympathy for Countess Castell, perhaps even flattering the young Countess by saying that traveling with the Castell caravan might have saved them from bandits or treacherous mercenaries. In reality, their eyes gleamed with excitement, practically spelling out "gossip" on their foreheads. Traveling far and wide, these merchants and mercenaries often supplemented their income by selling valuable information. The conflict between the Third Prince and the Castell family was prime intelligence. It signaled that Castell might further strain relations with the Borde Duchy, perhaps even indicating the young Countess''s intention to break away from the Duchy and swear direct allegiance to the king. Such developments held vast implications and opportunities. Even Charlotte hadn''t anticipated how seriously the merchants and mercenaries would take the information Sebastian had spread. In her current position, she might not yet fully grasp the full weight of her power as a feudal lord. Every word she spoke carried significant implications, influencing the future of the entire Castell County and its millions of inhabitants. When the representatives from various vassal families visited Charlotte''s tent in the middle of the night, expressing their concerns and interpretations of her supposed intentions to secede from the Borde Duchy, she was bewildered. "What? Independence from the duchy?" Charlotte stared in confusion at the envoys, taken aback. "No... isn''t it? Sebastian mentioned that tonight''s undead attack was orchestrated by the Third Prince..." one of them started. "Such despicable behavior! To treat our Castell family this way! But, Lady Charlotte, we must carefully consider our relationship with the Borde Duchy..." another added. "Indeed, if you do intend to seek independence, you should discuss it with the vassals of your domain..." one more chimed in. "But I think independence is the right move! Our County has long been dissatisfied with the Duchy. The Castell County has paid enormous taxes, but what has the Duchy done for us? They just leech off us!" argued another. "That''s foolish! Without the protection of the Borde family, Castell would have been devoured by the surrounding greedy lords long ago!" someone countered. Charlotte watched the representatives argue, feeling increasingly frustrated. She never intended to declare independence right away. Though she had considered the idea for the future, she never meant for it to be misinterpreted and discussed so prematurely. "Enough, stop arguing. I''m tired and need to rest." She finally said, her voice cold as she issued the order for them to leave. She refrained from explaining further, fearing they would misinterpret her words even more, concocting new theories. Releasing her first-tier aura, not yet as formidable as Silver Moon''s, but still enough to make the non-awakened representatives turn pale, she silenced them quickly. The representatives, now facing a young but powerful noble, bowed respectfully before retreating. Far from the tent, they sighed in relief, marveling at her prowess. "So young and already First Tier. The Castell family has a promising future!" "But she''s too impulsive. Announcing the Third Prince''s involvement with the undead, true or not, is reckless! That''s royalty, a potential future duke." another cautioned. "Indeed, she''s still just a child!" Hearing these words, Charlotte, with her sharp senses, couldn''t help but crush the crystal glass in her hand, her lips twitching in frustration. "Damn, these nobles are impossible to please!" Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself down, recognizing the challenges of her new authority. The vassal nobles clearly did not take her seriously, but now was not the time to deal with them. Even if she wanted to address this issue, Charlotte would first need to return to her domain and thoroughly understand the situation. Although bloodbornes had many methods of mind control, Charlotte did not want to rely on extraordinary powers to forcibly gain the nobles'' loyalty. There was no magic in this world that couldn''t be broken. Shortcuts might be easy, but they were not sustainable and carried significant risks. If she wanted to turn Castell into a solid and unified foundation for her power, Charlotte needed the genuine loyalty of her subjects from top to bottom. For now... It was time to have a conversation with the newly acquired Book of the Dead. Although she didn''t expect the book to provide much information, one could never be sure. With this thought, Charlotte focused her gaze back on the Book of the Dead. The book trembled slightly, as if shivering. ... Sebastian was unaware of the late-night visit by the representatives of the Castell family to their Countess. In fact, even if he knew, he wouldn''t care. He believed that the great Lady of the Night could handle those individuals. The diligent and responsible elven steward continued to search for the bloodborne hidden within the caravan. After inspecting the Castell family''s own knights and merchants, he found nothing amiss. This did not surprise him. The screening process for their own people was the most stringent, with each person''s background being clear and complete. It was clear that if there was a bloodborne hidden in the caravan, it would likely be among the accompanying other merchant groups. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Sebas visited one tent after another, offering his condolences while using his enhanced senses from his blood nature to their fullest. Yet, he did not detect any bloodborne aura from the accompanying groups, although he did uncover several freeloaders who hadn''t "bought tickets" to join the caravan. Sebastian greeted them warmly and "persuaded" them to purchase their "tickets." After leaving yet another merchant tent, Sebastian elegantly adjusted his hair using a mercury mirror. But as he was about to move on to the next tent, he suddenly halted. S?a??h the N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. In the distance, an elderly woman, stooped and leaning on a cane, was being supported by a beautiful young girl in a tattered maid outfit, both smiling at him. "Mister Sebastian, what are you looking for?" The old woman asked. Seeing her, Sebastian was momentarily taken aback and couldn''t hide his surprise. "Lady Anna? What are you doing here?" ... The night passed quickly. As the first rays of sunlight penetrated through the forest and into the camp, Charlotte awoke from her sleep. She yawned lazily and reached out, satisfied to find the Book of the Dead still beside her. It hadn''t dared to escape. After the representatives of various families had left the previous night, she had a deep conversation with the book spirit. It was indeed a deep conversation. The Book of the Dead, crafted by Bloodborne Archduke Abaddon, possessed bloodborne powers and was a unique form of intelligent life. Charlotte could summon it into her spiritual world. In her spiritual world, she had complete control. She marked it with her divine power, ensuring she could track it even if it fled. But the book had clearly been intimidated. It hadn''t dared to escape even after she slept. As she suspected, the book spirit didn''t know much. It spent most of its time in a dormant state, only being summoned when needed by its contractor. According to the spirit, it had been sealed for hundreds of years until it was discovered by a fourth-generation bloodborne about twenty years ago. The spirit knew little about its contractors since it rarely communicated with them. It only knew that its last contractor was a fifth-generation bloodborne named Agnes, once a human noble and the progeny of the fourth-generation bloodborne who had found it. Over a decade ago, Agnes had killed the fourth-generation bloodborne and inherited the book. Bloodbornes were categorized into generations. Charlotte had learned from her research that the True Ancestor was the first bloodborne in the world of Myria, belonging to the first generation. Perhaps out of loneliness or the need for war, the True Ancestor created the second generation of bloodbornes, known as the Blood Legion. The second generation wasn''t very powerful and mostly perished in ancient wars, but they left behind descendants, the third generation. Recognizing the weakness of bloodbornes, the True Ancestor enhanced the third generation''s power, making them the strongest. These third-generation vampires were now legends. The current vampire princes and archdukes belonged to this generation. Fourth-generation vampires, naturally, were the offspring of the princes, true descendants of legends. Even the weakest fourth-generation vampire was at least a Bloodborne Count, at the Third Tier Blazing Sun. To have killed a fourth-generation bloodborne was impressive, and Charlotte now looked at the bloodborne girl who had escaped from under her nose with newfound respect. She also learned another surprising piece of information from the book spirit. After killing the fourth-generation count, the girl named Agnes did not flee but assumed the count''s identity and infiltrated bloodborne society with her blood servant, Lahel. "Bloodborne society, huh..." Charlotte mused. Bloodborne society was highly secretive. Most bloodbornes active in Borde were outcasts from mainstream society, belonging to cults. As a new bloodborne, Charlotte had no chance to penetrate the inner circles. But now it seemed she might have an opportunity soon. Stretching lazily, Charlotte rang a bell, summoning her cold, beautiful maid, Sherry, who quickly entered to assist her with her morning routine. Over the past year, she had fully embraced the comforts of her new lifestyle. Once she was ready and had finished her breakfast, Sebastian returned. "Master, I have... a friend outside. She and her granddaughter wish to see you. I believe they are the ones you asked me to find." He said hesitantly, with respect. "A friend?" Charlotte raised an eyebrow, finishing her sweet milk. "Please, let them in." She said, wiping her mouth elegantly with a napkin. Sebastian bowed and soon, an elderly woman, supported by a maid, entered the tent. As they entered, Charlotte''s gaze locked onto the maid. In that instant, she felt a strong resonance in her bloodline. Even the Gospel of Blood within her seemed to emit a faint response. This girl was the bloodborne she was looking for! And her bloodline was very high! Charlotte''s heart raced. At the same time, the elderly woman, supported by the girl, trembled and bowed deeply. "Anna the Witch of Prophecy, with my granddaughter Reina, greets the great True Ancestor..." Chapter 163: The Last Bloodborne Royalty Charlotte knew she was just a transmigrator who happened to be recognized by the Gospel of Blood and not the long-lost Bloodborne True Ancestor of the Myria world.However, with the Gospel of Blood, she had bound herself to many characteristics of the Bloodborne True Ancestor, and the power she exhibited indeed resembled that of a resurrected Bloodborne True Ancestor. In fact, it was quite possible that the Gospel of Blood was designed to cultivate a new Bloodborne True Ancestor. From this perspective, Charlotte, for convenience, had in a sense tacitly acknowledged the guesses of her identity made by the black cat Nice and Sebastian. But she never imagined that someone would see through her "disguise" upon their first meeting... To recognize her as a bloodborne was already unprecedented, let alone addressing her as the True Ancestor right away! This moment even made her doubt herself... Could her disguise be so easily seen through by certain beings? Charlotte couldn''t help but glance at Sebastian from the corner of her eye and noticed that the elven butler had turned his head awkwardly after the old woman revealed her "identity," clearly feeling a bit guilty. Charlotte: ... Goodness, could it be that Sebastian had leaked her disguised identity? But Charlotte quickly dismissed this suspicion. After a year of getting to know him, she understood this elven butler very well. To become her closest follower, Sebastian would rather be the only one in the world to know her "true identity"; he couldn''t possibly leak her secret. Perhaps this guilt came from inadvertently revealing some information that led the old woman to guess her "identity"... The Witch of Prophecy... Similar to... a prophet? Charlotte''s thoughts were racing. Though her mind was racing, Charlotte maintained her composure. "Witch of Prophecy? What is your relationship with the Nez family?" She asked, slightly tilting her body with interest. The Nez, the Insight Clan, is one of the five existing bloodborne clans, specializing in divination and prophecy through the bloodline resonance. Only humanoid females with strong magic can be called witches, whether human, bloodborne, elf, or other humanoid species. For instance, the head of the well-known bloodborne clan, the Vadallat, who follow the Path of Wildness, is known as the White Witch. And calling her True Ancestor indicated that the other party was also bloodborne. However, Charlotte did not sense any bloodborne power from the old woman. What Charlotte did notice was that the Book of the Dead at her side quivered slightly when the old woman and the maid entered the tent, as if sensing something. "Great True Ancestor, as you can see, I was once a member of the Nez family, though... I left the family many years ago and have not been in contact with other bloodbornes for a long, long time." The old woman answered respectfully. Once? Charlotte was intrigued. Once? Sebas couldn''t help but look at the old woman, visibly surprised, clearly hearing this for the first time. The old woman then turned to the girl beside her, showing a kind smile. "Of course, that was in the past. Now, I am just a grandmother who wants to see her granddaughter safe and sound." Saying this, she pulled the girl and bowed to Charlotte again. "Great True Ancestor, please forgive Anna for her disrespect..." "From the moment Sir Sebastian first visited me to inquire about the history of bloodbornes, I had already guessed your arrival, but it wasn''t until today that I formally came to pay my respects..." "Please forgive my negligence, forgive my arrogance, forgive my selfishness... I do not wish to deceive you, and I know I cannot deceive you..." "It''s just that you have long become a legend among bloodbornes. Gods are too far from mortals; mortals cannot fathom the thoughts of Gods. Without sufficient understanding of you, I truly did not know if I should bring Reina to meet you." Charlotte''s heart skipped a beat, understanding the implication. This mysterious woman named Anna, in her uncertainty about Charlotte''s temperament and due to some unknown concerns, was afraid to meet her. And this attitude and mindset indicated one thing¡ª Like Sebastian once was, she was also a non-believer! But why was she afraid to meet Charlotte? Could it be that she thought Charlotte would harm her? "Are you very afraid of me?" She asked. The old woman trembled and bowed lower. "A God... must be feared by mortals, especially a great being like yourself." "In Borde, you severely wounded the Flame Demon Valaroka with a single strike, taking half of its power. Your immense power left a deep impression on me and indeed deserves respect and fear." Huh? Even Sebastian hadn''t clearly seen how she defeated the Flame Demon Valaroka, yet this woman did? It seemed... her rank was much higher than Sebastian''s. Charlotte was thoughtful, yet she didn''t sense any strong extraordinary aura from the woman. This "bloodborne" named Anna must have encountered some problem with her body. Meanwhile, Charlotte also perceived from this encounter some of the bloodbornes'' attitudes towards their "True Ancestor"... The old woman used the word "fear." Charlotte believed this fear wasn''t just from mortals but likely included the bloodbornes themselves. This piqued her curiosity about the relationship between the True Ancestor and ordinary bloodbornes. Anna clearly knew many bloodborne secrets, but it wasn''t convenient for Charlotte to directly ask now. Additionally, from Anna''s words, Charlotte vaguely guessed the source of Anna''s fear. Bloodbornes crave blood, and Charlotte could strengthen herself by consuming the blood of extraordinary creatures. The battle with the Flame Demon Valaroka had revealed a lot; in her True Ancestor state, she possessed a similar "bloodsucking" ability, or rather, it was more like "devouring." As a bloodborne, if they discovered that their newly resurrected ancestor could "restore" their strength through "devouring," anyone, except the true fanatics, would feel a jolt of fear and suspicion, right? After all, if the ancestor sought to restore their power through "devouring," what in this world would be more suitable than bloodbornes themselves? That would be a kindred power. Gods are lofty and detached, and in the eyes of gods, mortals are mere ants. If Gods could restore their power by consuming ants, what would they do? Of course, Charlotte had never considered this path. She was not a true god and was not that bloodthirsty. Unless someone was her enemy, she would not harm others without reason. After some thought, she smiled gently and said. "Madam Anna, let me reintroduce myself. I am Charlotte de Castell, the Lord of Castell County, Countess Castell, and noble of the Crescent." Charlotte preferred a human perspective over that of a God. Gods do not speak idly. If the other party truly saw her as a God, Charlotte believed she understood her intentions. Moreover, constantly being regarded as a God worried Charlotte that she might slowly start to believe she was one, gradually losing herself in the power of the Gospel... S?a?ch* Th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Upon hearing Charlotte''s words, the old woman visibly relaxed and respectfully replied. "Of course, esteemed Lady Charlotte, you have been kind to the Rose Society, and over the past year, you have repeatedly helped families shattered by the Blood Demon disaster. You... are a true noble." Charlotte smiled slightly. She knew the other party understood. "So, Madam Anna, please state your purpose." Charlotte said. The old woman took a deep breath, gently pushed the girl beside her forward, and respectfully said. "Lady Charlotte, Anna wishes to ask you to shelter Reina and provide her a place of refuge..." Reina... Charlotte couldn''t help but look at the girl beside the old woman. This name was not unfamiliar to her. If there was no other person with the same name, then the girl who helped those mercenaries fend off the undead yesterday must be her. Charlotte could sense the extraordinary power within her, not weaker than her own, and a certain bloodline connection. "I can feel her restless bloodline power... Can you tell me the reason?" Charlotte asked. The old woman respectfully replied. "Esteemed Lady Charlotte, Reina''s full name is Reina Palma Kirali..." "She is the last descendant of the Kirali. Due to the other clans'' fear of the Kirali, they have been hunted for millennia..." "You are the source of all bloodborne... If possible, I hope you can protect her, the last of the Kirali..." "After all, they are the only clan that steadfastly believed in your return during the millennia of the Holy War. It is precisely because of this unwavering belief that they have been ostracized by other clans." Kirali? The extinct royal bloodline?! Charlotte''s heart skipped a beat. She couldn''t help but look closely at the girl, her heart stirred, and she suddenly said. "Lift your head." The girl named Reina did not move. It was only when the old woman nudged her that she timidly lifted her head, revealing a pair of crimson-golden eyes filled with unease and confusion. "Lady Charlotte, please forgive Reina''s rudeness. Ten years ago, she was pursued by the Shedite (the Dark Clan) and cursed by the Bloodborne Archduke, causing her mind to regress to that of an eight or nine-year-old..." The old woman sighed deeply. What?! A God''s curse? What did she do to deserve this? Charlotte''s heart skipped a beat. It seemed that the old woman wanted her to take in the girl not only for protection but also in the hope that she could lift the curse. But Charlotte knew her limits. She was not a true God. Even with the power of the True Ancestor''s Liberation, she was only at a Legendary level. Purifying a God''s curse would not be easy. A misstep could even attract the attention of a God. However, she saw this as an opportunity. First, Agnes, who had infiltrated the bloodborne society; now, Anna, who had left her clan for many years but knew many bloodborne secrets... Setting aside the elusive Agnes for now, through this old woman, Charlotte felt she could further deepen her understanding of bloodbornes. To enhance her power, she could not avoid dealing with bloodbornes. As her power grew, she would inevitably step into bloodborne society. Charlotte saw no reason to refuse the last royal bloodline seeking her protection. If Myria''s True Ancestor had truly fallen, Charlotte could use this as a starting point to cultivate her own bloodborne force. And if the real True Ancestor returned in the future, gathering the loyal forces for THEM could help her maintain her disguised identity and perhaps even gain THEIR favor. Of course, Charlotte was just thinking. Given the various traits of the Gospel of Blood, she believed the real True Ancestor was likely truly fallen, and she might be the next True Ancestor chosen by the Gospel of Blood or the real True Ancestor. With this in mind, Charlotte pondered for a moment and said. "Since leaving Borde, many of my maids have stayed at the manor. Let her stay at Castell, and for now, she can work with Sebastian on some tasks." "As for the curse on her... I will help lift it when the time is right." Upon hearing Charlotte''s words, the old woman brightened up. "Thank you, esteemed Lady Charlotte!" She quickly pulled the girl to bow to Charlotte. "Reina, quickly bow to the great True Ancestor!" Under the old woman''s gentle push, Reina dazedly bowed to Charlotte. "True Ancestor..." "Just call me Countess or Lady Charlotte." Charlotte said. Then, she looked at the old woman. "As for you... Madam Anna, stay by my side for a while and talk to me about the bloodbornes." Keeping her close was both for questioning and monitoring; Charlotte did not completely trust her yet. However, upon hearing Charlotte''s words, the old woman fell into a brief silence. She sighed deeply and respectfully but apprehensively said. "Lady Charlotte, thank you for your kindness, but forgive Anna''s rudeness... After entrusting Reina to you, I must leave." Leave? Charlotte was slightly taken aback. Reina also trembled slightly, looking up at the old woman with eyes full of reluctance. "Madam Anna, do you know what you are saying?" Sebastian frowned on the other side. The old woman sighed softly. "I know..." "I understand Lady Charlotte''s intentions, and I believe Lady Charlotte can grant me more time, but... my heart cannot deceive itself." "I don''t think I will ever follow any god in my life. Forgive me, but I cannot stay by your side..." "I know Lady Charlotte has just awakened and may not yet have all the divine memories. I have recorded everything I know about the bloodborne in a book, which I will present to you..." "Entrusting Reina fulfills my last wish; I have no regrets." The old woman said with satisfaction. As she spoke, her body began to emit photons of light, indicating that she was starting to fade away. Chapter 164: Traitor "Lady Charlotte, entrusting Reina to you fulfills my final wish, leaving me with no regrets..." Anna said with a look of relief. As she spoke, her body began to gradually turn transparent, tiny photons emanating from her form, signaling her imminent dissolution. This happened so suddenly. Reina''s eyes widened, and she whimpered, "Ahh," while lunging towards the elderly woman, only to pass right through her and tumble to the ground. Charlotte, momentarily stunned, instinctively stood up from her seat, only to witness the old woman vanish, leaving behind a thick scroll of parchment. Sebastian was equally astonished. s?a??h th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. In an instant, he dashed to the spot where Lady Anna had disappeared, sensing for a moment before picking up the parchment scroll. Glancing at its contents, his expression shifted from initial disbelief to a look of understanding and a hint of sadness. He quickly approached Charlotte, presenting the scroll with both hands, his voice tinged with complexity. "Master, she¡¯s dead. No... she has been dead for a long time..." Charlotte took the scroll and began to read. The first page bore a confession to the great True Ancestor, filled with remorse but without specifying the cause. It also contained her hopes and regrets for Reina, explaining her condition. She should have been dead already, or rather, she was already dead. Anna had been a Bloodborne, but after awakening the Eye of Prophecy, she suffered from a familial curse that left her nearly depleted. The current her persisted only to secure a future for Reina and to meet the True Ancestor foretold in her visions one last time. With her wish fulfilled, her lingering obsession dissipated. Yes, obsession. The Anna they had just conversed with was merely the lingering will of Madam Anna. After the Blazing Sun, an extraordinary individual¡¯s mental power undergoes an unimaginable transformation, and at the Legendary level, one''s will can significantly affect reality. This Witch of Prophecy... she must have once been a Legendary figure. Looking at the disheartened girl, Reina, sitting on the ground, Charlotte sighed. She cast a spell of mental calmness on her before calling for Sherry to take care of her. Meanwhile, the tent''s entrance shook, and the stout body of the black cat Nice burst in, exclaiming: "Meow! What''s happening? Has Sebastian ascended?" Nice found himself staring directly into the eyes of the flame elf, both blinking at each other in surprise. Sebastian: ... His expression darkened momentarily before he quickly masked it with a gentle smile. "Lord Nice, it seems you¡¯ve eaten too much again and want to exercise to lose weight." Nice: ... "Huh? Weird... if it¡¯s not you ascending, then who? I just sensed the aura of a spirit ascending..." The black cat looked around, scratching his head in confusion. But he quickly noticed the unusual atmosphere. Charlotte and Sebastian were both staring intently at him. Nice, feeling uneasy under their gaze, muttered. "Meow... Lady Charlotte, why are you looking at me like that? Did I say something wrong?" "Spirit ascending?" Charlotte raised her voice. Nice became even more uneasy. "Meow... did I say something wrong? Hmm... I had some unique experiences in my early years, making me sensitive to the auras of ascending spirits..." Hearing Nice''s words, Charlotte gave him a meaningful look. This creature certainly had many secrets. Even though she controlled the Gospel of Blood, she couldn¡¯t detect any such aura, yet he could. Who knows what he was before becoming a cat. Of course, Charlotte¡¯s inability to detect might also be because she hadn¡¯t utilized the divine power of blood. Thinking of this, Charlotte subtly connected with the Gospel of Blood, releasing the power of the True Ancestor''s Liberation. Instantly, her hair turned silver, and her eyes took on a golden hue. At that moment, she indeed sensed a faint, dissipating aura in the tent. The aura wasn¡¯t repulsive; it even felt somewhat familiar. It was the aura of a familiar bloodborne. Charlotte¡¯s heart skipped a beat, immediately linking it to the disappearing elderly woman. She looked at the parchment left by the woman and asked suddenly. "Sebastian, how much do you know about the Witch of Prophecy?" "Master, I¡¯ve only been on the continent for fifteen years, previously living on Luna Island. I¡¯m not very knowledgeable about human civilization..." Sebastian replied. He continued. "However, I¡¯ve heard that the Witch of Prophecy is a powerful human mage, though I never expected her to be Madam Anna and even less that she was a bloodborne..." "Really? The Witch of Prophecy? You should have asked me! I know about her! I even collaborated with her once... but that was a long, long time ago. The Witch of Prophecy I knew must have long been dead, the grass on her grave probably taller than me by now." Nice chimed in proudly. The Witch of Prophecy... Charlotte frowned. "Master, I don¡¯t know what secrets Lady Anna was hiding, but... there¡¯s one thing I¡¯m sure of: we¡¯ve known each other for over ten years, and she, like I once was, is an unbeliever." Sebas pondered before adding. "Heh, that¡¯s likely true. The Witch of Prophecy could see many things, including some divine secrets. To make them believe in false gods would indeed be difficult for them." Nice sneered. Realizing his words might have been inappropriate, he quickly looked at Charlotte, stammering an apology. "Of course! I didn¡¯t mean you! I mean those hypocritical gods!" Charlotte ignored Nice¡¯s rambling. She frowned slightly, feeling a sense of contradiction in the elderly woman. An unbeliever, yet possibly ascending to the divine realm? Strange, truly strange! She felt that the elderly visitor was shrouded in mystery, but alas, all secrets were buried with her disappearance. The only certainty was that the faint aura detected after using her blood divine power indeed linked the woman to the bloodborne lineage. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now "Prophets" are often eccentric, either living brief lives like mayflies or enduring like ancient turtles. For some reason, Charlotte had a feeling. Perhaps she would see Anna again in the near future... For now, regardless of whether the other was alive or dead, at least Charlotte sensed no malice from her. After thinking for a moment, she said to Sebastian. "Sebas, take good care of that girl from the Kirali clan." Reina was entrusted to her. Regardless of the other¡¯s motives for approaching her, perhaps everything was connected to this last bloodborne royalty. ... In a grim and solemn castle hall. The black stone walls of the hall were intricately carved with elaborate patterns and ancient reliefs depicting the myth of the Stargazer, Casey, following the Bloodborne True Ancestor in battles, ultimately achieving divinity. In the center of the hall stood a solitary black coffin, wrapped in chains that emitted an ancient and timeworn aura. Around the coffin, four black demon statues with bat wings stood at the four corners, holding tridents, standing tall like sentinels. Suddenly, the coffin trembled slightly, and the black chains seemed to come to life, slowly retreating. Next, the coffin lid creaked open, and grayish-black mist spilled out. The mist quickly dispersed, revealing an elderly figure slowly sitting up from the coffin. It was an aged woman. If Charlotte were here, she would notice the striking resemblance to Lady Anna, though this woman, unlike the plainly dressed Anna, wore a luxurious and mysterious black nightgown that clashed with her aged appearance. However, the elderly woman''s appearance soon began to change remarkably. As if reacting with the outside air, the wrinkles on her skin gradually vanished, her white hair turned brownish-black, and her once aged face regained its youth. A beautiful and dignified woman emerged. She slowly opened her eyes, revealing a pair of blood-red irises. Simultaneously, the four demon statues around her began to move, their eyes glowing red. With creaks and groans, they moved their long-neglected bodies, bowing slightly to the woman in the coffin. "Lady Eugenia..." The bloodborne woman, Eugenia, coldly surveyed the demon statues and asked. "How long have I been asleep?" "Lady Eugenia, you have slept for seventy-three years." The demon statues answered respectfully. "Seventy-three years, lost almost five years..." Eugenia frowned. She rubbed her temples, sighing lightly, her expression filled with worry. "The day of the prophecy¡¯s fulfillment is drawing nearer..." Saying this, she stood up from the coffin, snapping her fingers, transforming her nightgown into a formal and mysterious dress. She walked towards the hall¡¯s exit. However, just as she was about to leave, the demon statues blocked her path. "Lady Eugenia, the Duke has ordered that you may not leave until you are willing to prophesy again." Eugenia¡¯s expression darkened. "However, the Duke also said that if you share the details of this ¡®reincarnation¡¯ and your prophecies with the clan, although you can¡¯t leave the castle, you will have the freedom to move within it." The demon statues added. Eugenia narrowed her eyes, silent. "Lady Eugenia, do not persist. No matter how you try to circumvent the seal, after each ¡®reincarnation,¡¯ you will inevitably lose most of your memories and be hunted by the clan..." "No matter how many times you try, you will fail, because... you will never have your own node." "Lady Eugenia, betraying the clan... will only lead to destruction." The demon statue¡¯s voice was solemn. Eugenia glanced at it. "Is this his warning?" The demon statue bowed slightly, acknowledging. Eugenia sneered. "Then convey this message for me, I will never yield to the traitor." "Traitors... will never end well, and all betrayals... will eventually backfire!" With that, she turned and re-entered her coffin. The castle echoed with her final sigh. "That includes me." ... Madam Anna''s entrustment was just a small interlude. Charlotte kept the girl, Reina, initially planning to have Sebastian take care of her, but later decided to keep her by her side as one of her personal maids. Without Anna''s company, the already silent bloodborne girl became even more reticent, stirring Charlotte¡¯s sympathy. Regardless of Reina¡¯s true age, she seemed like a child to Charlotte, reminding her of her sister from her previous life. Reina, after all, is a bloodborne, and a royalty at that. Keeping her close might be the best option. During her spare time, Charlotte carefully read through the parchment Madam Anna left behind. These records were indeed useful, detailing internal bloodborne information, especially the distribution of bloodborne forces in the Crescent Kingdom, the Falling Star Kingdom, and the Yunette Empire, as well as notable bloodborne within these regions. The records were peculiar, mainly focusing on the Insight clan, Nez, spread across the Falling Star Kingdom and the Roman Duchy, and spanning a vast time period, often fragmented. Charlotte figured many were things Anna had read from ancient texts. The clearest records were from recent decades. However, Anna''s experiences seemed unpleasant, as she was described as being continuously hunted by the Nez clan bloodbornes. She barely remembered her past, only that she had betrayed her clan and seemed to be searching for something, though the details were vague. Charlotte found the information somewhat confusing, but it wasn¡¯t without value. At least, she gained considerable insight into the bloodbornes of the Roman Duchy. The Roman Duchy neighbored the Castell County, making it the closest bloodborne society to Charlotte. As for the Crescent Kingdom... those blood-crazed lunatics were better left unmentioned. Thus, while browsing through Anna¡¯s records and traveling, Charlotte and her companions finally exited the Violet Forest and arrived at the Castell territory. Chapter 165: Castell County As they emerged from the dense Violet Forest, their view suddenly broadened.What lay before Charlotte was a vast plain. Standing on the hill, she could see a network of rivers crisscrossing the landscape, dotted with lakes and ponds. Interspersed among the waterways were clumps of reeds, groves of shrubs, and large patches of farmland. Winding stone roads stretched into the distance, cleverly linking one farm to another. At the crossroads, villages sent thin columns of smoke into the sky. Windmills of various sizes stood around the villages and fields, turning slowly. If one looked closely, one could see farmers busy at work and artisans guiding donkey carts loaded with goods to and from the windmill workshops. The sky was clear and blue, with occasional black birds soaring above, gliding between the waterways. These northern hawks were the inspiration for the Castell family crest. What a beautiful pastoral scene! Charlotte could keenly sense the vitality here, a stark contrast to the eerie silence of the Violet Forest and the sparsely populated countryside of the Borde Duchy. s?a??h th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Looking further northeast, one could see a city and castle nestled among the waterways, surrounded by silver-grey walls. Following the city¡¯s direction northward, the view extended to the horizon where the sea met the sky. That was the ocean. More precisely, it was the Star-Moon Strait, which separated the Falling Star Kingdom from the Crescent Kingdom. Castell County was indeed a coastal domain. Standing on the hill, Charlotte gazed into the distance. After leaving the forest, the wind grew noticeably stronger, likely due to the proximity to the sea. Though not harsh, it was stronger than a breeze, tousling her beautiful blonde hair. Charlotte smoothed her hair, her eyes alight with excitement as she looked at this idyllic land. She could not help but feel a surge of emotion. She had finally arrived, in her own territory. From now on, everything her eyes could see belonged to the Castell lands! The convoy left the Violet Forest, and everyone¡¯s expressions became lighter and brighter. As soon as they emerged from the forest, a knight in full armor led a group of over thirty cavalrymen from afar, seemingly waiting at the forest''s exit. The leading knight and Baron Sharon were evidently acquainted. After a brief exchange, they approached Charlotte. The unfamiliar knight, guided by Baron Sharon, came to the carriage and respectfully saluted. "Angus de Wale, Commander of the Castel County''s Cavalry, at your service, Countess!" Sherry, sitting in the carriage with Charlotte, lifted the gauzy curtain, allowing Charlotte to see the kneeling knight clearly. This middle-aged man, around forty years old, had a resolute expression. Charlotte had studied the relevant information about Castell County in advance and quickly recognized the knight by his name. Angus de Wale, one of the seventeen barons directly under Castell County, head of the Wale family, and commander of the Castell County knights. He was also the lord of Wale City, the gateway to Castell County from the Violet Duchy. The city Charlotte had seen from the hill was Wale City. Looking at the determined knight before her, Charlotte recalled the documents she had read in the Castell Mansion study. The Wale family was one of the most loyal noble families to the Castell family in Castell County. Angus de Wale had taken over at seventeen, followed the Count and Countess of Castell in battles for over a decade, and participated in the Roman campaign to repel a large invasion from the Falling Star Kingdom. Angus de Wale was known to be taciturn, disliking socializing and forming alliances. His only passion was fencing, being a dedicated swordsman and a stern knight. Unfortunately, he lacked talent and remained at the Starry Sky tier throughout his life. These details were in the documents left by her predecessor, the former Count of Castell, her father. Though only ten years old, they were still valuable. By the way, Baron Sharon''s family, the Leon-Castell, was also one of the families noted for their loyalty to the Count, as Charlotte later discovered by carefully reviewing the records. Unlike the Wale family, the Leon-Castell held the title of viscount, one of the three viscount families in Castell County. Their fief was northeast of Wale City. "Rise, Sir Angus." Setting aside her wandering thoughts, Charlotte spoke warmly. Her voice was gentle, neither overly enthusiastic nor distant, but perfectly balanced to make people feel comfortable and naturally drawn to her. After training in the bloodborne magic of mental resonance for so long, even without using majesty or charm magic, Charlotte had developed quite a knack for it. Following her command, Angus stood up and solemnly said. "Countess, you must be weary from your journey. The Wale family has prepared a banquet in your honor. On behalf of the people of Wale, I welcome you." Angus''s aversion to socializing was evident in his stiff expression and serious demeanor, which matched the descriptions in the Castell Mansion documents. Charlotte did not immediately accept Angus''s invitation. Instead, she looked past him and asked. "Is the Wale family the only one here?" "Countess, the Wale Barony is the gateway from the Violet Forest to Castell County. We are closer and received the news earlier. Other families, being farther away, probably do not know yet." "We knew you were coming this way and came to meet you." Angus replied solemnly. Charlotte: "..." What an honest answer! Shouldn''t he be making a good impression on the lord and subtly criticizing the nobles who didn''t show up? Charlotte gave the baron a curious look, confirming that he was indeed a straightforward person. As for the excuse about the other nobles not showing up, she didn''t believe it at all. Fooling an honest person, there were so many family representatives in the convoy, that Charlotte couldn''t believe they hadn''t sent word before entering the Violet Forest. In a magical world, it''s quite convenient to send magical messages from the city''s Mage Association. However, no one coming to greet her was to be expected. This wasn''t an imperial tour of the Heavenly Dynasty. Even as a countess, the centralization of Castell County wasn''t that high, and the lord''s control over the vassals wasn''t that strong. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now It was more of an optional matter¡ªcome if you want, don''t if you don''t. No one was forced. Moreover, Charlotte had just ascended to the title and had no authority. "Sir Angus, thank you very much for your invitation. However, I have already spent too much time on the road, and I don''t plan to attend any banquets before reaching Northport." Charlotte said gently. Yes, she won''t attend any banquets. Charlotte had decided this before entering Castell County¡ªno more noble banquets until she returned to Northport, the main city of Castell. Actually, it didn''t matter whether people came to greet her after entering the territory. The Duke of Borde didn''t always have all the nobles flocking to his mansion like sycophants every time he returned. He was a lord, not their father. From the messengers sent by various families to her coming-of-age ceremony and ascension, it was clear they didn''t think much of her. To be clear, Casimodo had informed all the families in the territory. It wasn''t the first time he had sent messages. He had summoned the nobles after the Castell Mansion bloodborne incident to "protect" her. Of course, no one showed up, claiming the mage tower of the territory''s Mage Association was broken. Charlotte could foresee that attending banquets would only involve more superficial politeness and deceptive kindness. Lack of respect indicated indifference, which meant disregard, pretense, and potentially breeding ambitions... Charlotte was tired of these games. On this journey, she had attended various banquets and seen enough scheming to know that nobles were experts at pretending. If possible, before returning to the main city, she didn''t want to enter any noble''s territory and receive a crafted first impression. Though the Castell family archives gave her a preliminary understanding of the territory''s nobles, first impressions still mattered, and incorrect ones could lead to misjudgments. She wanted to see the true attitude of these nobles toward her and their genuine nature. She wanted to see how many nobles would come to see her if she didn''t visit them first. Of course, the Wale family might genuinely want to invite her. But since she had decided not to attend any banquets, she couldn''t make an exception. Charlotte''s refusal clearly caught the middle-aged knight off guard. He hesitated, not knowing how to respond, then scratched his head and said in a deep voice. "Well, then... I shall escort you to Northport with Baron Sharon." Charlotte looked at the knight in surprise, now convinced that he truly was a loyal supporter. "Thank you, Sir Angus." She smiled warmly. That bright smile visibly stunned Baron Angus for a moment. A smile from someone as beautiful and charming as Charlotte had a strong effect, even on a reserved middle-aged knight. He quickly recovered, bowing respectfully. Then, the baron knight mounted his horse again and, along with Baron Sharon, escorted Charlotte''s carriage. One on each side, like two guardians. "The Wale family... was it Baron Angus''s younger brother who attended my coming-of-age ceremony?" Charlotte asked as she lowered the curtain. "Yes." Opposite her, Sherry replied while pouring her a cup of milk. Charlotte nodded slightly. Having the head of the family¡¯s brother attend her coming-of-age ceremony was among the higher-ranking representatives of all the noble families that visited. Angus''s cavalry joined the Castell convoy, and Charlotte set off again. This time, they didn''t detour to Wale City in the northeast but continued north along the main road of the county. The merchant convoys that had finally reached their destination also parted ways with Castell''s convoy. Throughout the journey, Charlotte had earned nearly two thousand gold tana in protection fees. Without the merchant convoy, the Castell convoy moved faster. According to Baron Angus, they would reach their destination in three days at most. Castell County was vast, very vast. According to Charlotte''s knowledge, it was about a third the size of the Borde Duchy, with an officially recorded area of around 120,000 square kilometers. From the map, the whole county was shaped like an obtuse triangle with a 120-degree angle, the obtuse side facing slightly northeast. The northern side faced the Star-Moon Strait, where the capital Northport was located. Incidentally, the county had a population of over five million. When Charlotte first learned these numbers, she was astonished. Seriously, this scale was comparable to a duchy. Even in similar historical contexts on Earth, it would be a significant fiefdom. Of course, the world of Myria had extraordinary powers, and administrative divisions were much larger than in similar historical periods on Earth. For example, the Crescent Kingdom reportedly had a population of eighty to ninety million. But even so, Castell County was undoubtedly a grand noble domain. Even if it were separated from Borde Duchy, it would be a significant power in the Crescent Kingdom. As the convoy headed north, more towns appeared along the way, and the roads became busier. The people of Castell County were clearly wealthier. Even the farmers dressed similarly to residents of Borde''s outer city. In Borde¡¯s countryside, the farmers dressed almost like beggars. However, what puzzled Charlotte was the reaction of passersby upon seeing the Castell convoy. Their expressions changed, and they either stepped aside or avoided them, casting complicated and even hostile glances at the Castell family crest. "Why are they looking at us like that?" Charlotte frowned and looked outside, puzzled, at Baron Angus on horseback. Baron Angus hesitated. Seeing his reaction, Charlotte felt a pang of anxiety. "It''s okay. If there''s anything, just tell me." She said. Baron Angus hesitated a moment before speaking solemnly. "Countess, there have been some unpleasant rumors circulating in the county recently..." Chapter 166: Northport "Rumors? What rumors?"Angus''s words piqued Charlotte''s interest. "Countess..." Angus glanced at the accompanying priest Lottie and several former demon hunters in the convoy, carefully choosing his words before continuing. "The rumors say that you betrayed the family, betrayed Castell, and in order to successfully inherit the title, you sold out Castell''s interests to the Church." Charlotte: ... Damn, how is it that even though she wants to refute it, she doesn''t know how to do so? "Is this because of the oath I took last year in Borde?" Charlotte asked. Baron Angus thought for a moment and said. "It has some relation, but it¡¯s not entirely because of that." Charlotte was puzzled. "How so?" Baron Angus respectfully replied. "Your promise in Borde last year is well known in Castell. It had a significant impact among the noble circles, with many families strongly opposing it..." "However, when the High Priest of Borde was later arrested and tried by the Church¡¯s Inquisition, everyone realized your promise was a bluff. So, gradually, no one mentioned it." "But after you inherited the title, it was brought up again." "But that incident isn¡¯t the root cause. Perhaps the nobles care greatly about who their feudal lord is, but I think most of the common people don''t care whether they are ruled by the Church or the nobility. After all, in many cases, the Church''s taxes are even lower." Charlotte said. After speaking, she looked at Baron Angus again. "Moreover, after I inherited the title, I also hinted to the envoys who came to the territory that the empty promises I made were just a tactic to balance the pressures from the duke¡¯s family and other nobles." "The problem lies in the fact that, to this day, most nobles, including myself, believe you don''t genuinely intend to give Castell to the Church in the future, but the fact that you stand with the Church remains." Baron Angus said. S?a??h th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte¡¯s heart skipped a beat. "Oh? So, the nobles and commoners of Castell don''t want to see me getting too close to the Church?" Baron Angus nodded. "Yes, the fact that you departed from Borde with a priest appointed by the Church was relayed back to the county through magical communication as soon as you began your journey." "And recently, a new narrative has emerged. It claims you don''t truly intend to pledge Castell to the Church in the future but plan to bring Castell back under the Church¡¯s religious rule..." "Many people are saying that with your ascension, the Church will also re-establish religious control over Castell, reinstating the tithe tax, and that you will pay all the past taxes owed over the years in one go..." Charlotte: ... She knew what the tithe tax was. Similar to a historical practice in her previous world, it was a religious tax imposed by the Holy Court, requiring residents to give one-tenth of their agricultural products. The "Sacred Code" clearly stated that paying the tithe tax was a duty for all residents under the Holy Court¡¯s faith, with the amount set at one-tenth of their agricultural or pastoral harvest. Incidentally, Borde Duchy imposed a tithe tax. Not just Borde; every duchy or county she had passed through on her journey also imposed a tithe tax. Paying the tithe tax had become a daily obligation for the people of Myria. In some theocracies, in addition to the tithe tax, residents had to pay land tax, trade tax, and various other taxes... The Holy Court was not a charity, and the Church¡¯s protection came at a cost. But that wasn¡¯t the main issue. The main issue was the two implications revealed by Baron Angus''s words. First, Castell¡¯s religious beliefs were not unified. Second, based on this, the Holy Court likely hadn''t enforced substantial religious control over the area for many years. "Are Castel''s beliefs not unified?" Charlotte asked in surprise. This matter was never mentioned in the documents at Castell Mansion! "Yes, our Castell has always been on the periphery of the Holy Court¡¯s religious control. When the first Count of Castell established the territory, there were indeed many Holy Court believers. But as the territory developed, more immigrants from the mainland and the north arrived, and most of those from the mainland were opponents of the Church, while those from the north were mostly non-believers and heretics." "Today...the beliefs in the territory are quite mixed." Baron Angus said. Charlotte: ... No wonder the Holy Court supported her as the ruler, despite her disavowing last year''s promise. The real situation in Castell was that it was full of heretics! Her grand ¡°divine miracle¡± at the coming-of-age ceremony almost solidified her reputation as a saint, so it was no wonder the locals were hostile to her. "How long has it been since the Holy Court collected the tithe tax in Castell?" Charlotte asked again. Baron Angus scratched his head. "Probably... over a hundred years?" Charlotte: ... Compared to the Church¡¯s supernatural protection, the tithe tax was neither too heavy nor too light. But if the rumor suggested repaying it all at once, a hundred years'' worth of taxes...was a bit excessive. However, Charlotte had never mentioned anything about repaying the tithe tax. She didn¡¯t even know that Castell hadn¡¯t paid the tax for over a century until now. Clearly, someone is fueling these rumors. "This is completely baseless. This is the first time I¡¯ve heard that the Church¡¯s rule in Castel has long been non-existent." Charlotte said, shaking her head. Baron Angus visibly sighed in relief, breaking into a smile. "Indeed, I didn¡¯t think you would do such a thing." We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Charlotte: ... Your obvious relief shows you thought I might actually do that, didn''t you? Though Baron Angus was a noble, he was a straightforward, serious, and rather dull knight. If even he couldn''t grasp Charlotte¡¯s true intentions, it¡¯s no wonder the rumors spread throughout Castell. Honestly, Charlotte didn¡¯t take the tithe rumors seriously. Such an outrageous claim of repaying a hundred years of taxes would collapse on its own. Charlotte never even considered reinstating church taxes, as she wasn¡¯t a genuine believer in the Holy Court... However, she could clearly sense the malice behind the rumors. Moreover, though the tithe tax issue seemed the most critical due to its direct impact on the commoners, it wasn¡¯t the real danger. The true threat was the rhetoric that positioned her against her subjects by aligning her with the Church, the deeper implication behind the tithe tax rumor, and the notion of "bringing Castell back under the Church¡¯s religious rule." Charlotte initially intended to operate under the banner of the Holy Court. But now, she might need to reconsider her stance. On the bright side, the chaotic state of Castell¡¯s faith could be advantageous for Charlotte, allowing her to exploit the situation. She wasn¡¯t aiming to preach for the Holy Court but rather to spread her own beliefs. Therefore, she also needed to investigate who was behind the rumors. If she were a devout "saint," such rhetoric would be a direct attack on her Achilles¡¯ heel. As the saying goes, to identify your enemies, you must consider who benefits from your misfortune or whose interests are affected by your arrival in Castell. Though the mansion¡¯s archives had records, the details were insufficient, given that the documents were over a decade old. Charlotte needed more information. She had a gut feeling that the nobles in the territory were involved. After all, spreading rumors across Castell required considerable resources. The convoy continued forward. Despite sensing the indifference and even hostility from the locals, it hadn¡¯t escalated to the point where people blocked their way. Besides Baron Angus, Charlotte didn¡¯t encounter any other nobles along the journey. Castell was noticeably more urbanized than both Borde and even the Moonshield Duchy, especially as they traveled further north. Towns of various sizes were almost everywhere, and the population density seemed to surpass that of the two counties directly under the kingdom¡¯s ducal authority. There were also many petty nobles. Many small nobles visited along the way, but apart from inviting Charlotte to banquets, none accompanied them like Baron Angus. Charlotte could clearly sense it. Though she had successfully inherited the title, she lacked authority and control in Castell, appearing more like a figurehead. However, this situation improved significantly upon entering the directly governed territory of the Count of Castell. Indeed, the directly governed territory. The Count of Castell had a directly governed territory. Besides the three viscountcies and seventeen baronies, Castell retained one-fifth of its land as directly governed, about 26,000 square kilometers, with a population of around 1.8 million, accounting for one-third of the county¡¯s population. Honestly, this was a significant area, enough to be a prosperous county in the Crescent Kingdom. This territory was divided into two parts, located at the obtuse angles of Castell¡¯s triangular shape, one to the left and one to the right. The left area, in the northernmost part of Castell, included the capital, Northport, also known as Northport Viscounty. Yes, a viscounty. Strictly speaking, Charlotte held the title of Viscount of Northport in addition to Count of Castell. Northport Viscounty covered about 16,000 square kilometers, roughly the size of the capital of China, concentrated in Castell¡¯s most prosperous region, with a population exceeding 1.5 million, which was Charlotte¡¯s destination. The right area was the Castell Silver Mine District on the border, about 10,000 square kilometers, mostly hilly lowlands, with a population of around 200,000. Unlike Borde Duchy¡¯s directly governed land with baronial vassals or the Crescent Kingdom¡¯s ducal territory with count vassals, Castell¡¯s directly governed land had no noble lords with ranks of baron or higher. In this area, the territory was directly governed by the Castell family through city officials and court nobles without fiefdoms. They only had administrative authority, no land ownership, and no military authority. Of course, they owned personal land, but it was limited to some estates. Northport Viscounty was visibly wealthier than other parts of Castell. The public roads resembled city roads in Borde¡¯s outer district, travelers were better dressed, and the roads were filled with carriages. As soon as Charlotte entered the directly governed territory, she was warmly welcomed by long-awaiting city officials. It was a truly warm welcome, making Charlotte instinctively think of inspections in her previous life, with many officials present, and even a large number of onlookers. Moreover, there were soldiers on both sides, well-equipped, with a significant number of extraordinaries, indicating Northport¡¯s armed forces. Looking around, the welcoming party for Charlotte probably numbered three to four hundred people, and with the onlookers, it likely exceeded a thousand. It seemed not everyone believed the rumors, or perhaps in the directly governed territory of Castell, the people had more trust in the Castell family. And this was just at the entrance to the directly governed territory, not yet in the capital, Northport. Leading the welcoming party was Northport¡¯s mayor, Madoc Orlan, a city official of common origin. Madoc appeared to be a middle-aged man around fifty, with quite a bit of gray in his hair. He looked more like a businessman than a mayor, chubby and always smiling, resembling a Maitreya Buddha, reminding Charlotte of Duke Borde''s chubby steward. As soon as he saw Charlotte, his eyes lit up, and he, along with the other officials and nobles, rushed over, delightedly saying: "Lady Charlotte, you¡¯re finally back. It¡¯s been years, and you¡¯ve become more beautiful." Great, another familiar stranger. Not to mention Charlotte¡¯s inherited memories were incomplete; even if they were complete, the people she met as a child would be hazy after so many years. Charlotte could only smile and nod in greeting. "Lady Charlotte, after your long journey, the count¡¯s mansion in Northport is ready for you to move in at any time!" Madoc said cheerfully. Then he took the reins of the carriage himself, personally driving it for Charlotte. Surrounded by the crowd, Charlotte¡¯s carriage continued north. After about half a day, Charlotte finally reached her ultimate destination, the capital of Castell County, the economic and trade center of the northern lowlands, one of the super cities in the Crescent Kingdom with a population exceeding half a million, known as the Pearl of the Sea¡ªNorthport. Chapter 167: History of the Castell Family The capital of Castell, Northport, is a city established near the sea, located near the estuary of the Doen River, the largest river in the Western Yunette region.It is said that 800 years ago, this area was just a coastal swamp, uninhabited and surrounded by dense forests, teeming with magical beasts, and was once part of the Violet Forest. Back then, the Violet Forest wasn''t called the Violet Forest; it spanned the northern lowlands and was known as the Dark Forest. Many magical beasts frequently formed beast tides in the spring, attacking the southern human kingdoms'' villages. Later, to permanently solve the problem of northern beast tides, the King of the Crescent Kingdom implemented a policy of granting pioneering knights lands for development. Anyone willing to head north and venture into the Dark Forest to establish settlements, regardless of being noble or commoner, could obtain the title of pioneering knight. All the land they developed belonged to them, with any rare resources discovered on the land being shared equally with the royal family. All pioneering knights who gained land could also receive corresponding hereditary noble titles. The Castell County, the Violet Duchy, and even the Roman Duchy, now an enclave of the Falling Star Kingdom on the continent, were all developed in this way. The origins of the Castell family date back to 700 years ago. At that time, the prominent Borde family in the southern part of the kingdom had a magical genius named Castell. At that time, the theory of four extraordinary ranks hadn''t been proposed, and the ranks were not clearly defined, but... historical records suggest that the founder of the Castell family was likely a Legendary figure at his peak in middle age. Being the posthumous son of the old duke, Castell did not inherit any fief or title. To obtain his own land, he chose to become a pioneering knight upon reaching adulthood. With the support of his elder brother, the Duke of Borde at the time, he organized a pioneering team of a thousand people. The Castell County was developed by Castell leading his pioneering team. S?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. With his formidable magical prowess, Castell slew countless magical beasts, carving out a territory in the Dark Forest. He chose to build a city on an island at a shallow sea beach along the Doen River, marking a large part of the Dark Forest as his domain. There were four main reasons for building the city there. First, the shallow sea served as a natural barrier against beast tide attacks. Second, proximity to the Doen River allowed upstream travel, facilitating trade with the kingdom''s interior and even the Yunette Empire and Coria Kingdom to the east. Third, according to the pioneering knight treaty, noble fiefs were divided radiating from a central stronghold. A stronghold deep in the Dark Forest would secure a vast territory. Fourth, Castell had pre-scouted the area, ensuring the chosen stronghold included the flattest and most fertile parts of the Dark Forest, which could be converted into arable land once cleared of magical beasts. Thus, Northport City was built, becoming the northernmost city of the Crescent Kingdom, with the Castell family acquiring a vast 120,000 square kilometers of land. The Borde Duchy, already the largest duchy in the Crescent Kingdom, also benefited significantly, enjoying great prestige. Many believed the Castell family was favored by the gods. During the Great Expansion, when extraordinary power flourished in the human world, materials from magical beasts were highly sought after in all kingdoms. Utilizing the rich resources of the Dark Forest, Castell¡¯s Northport became a haven for adventurers and mercenaries. Merchants from all over Myria flocked there to trade with mercenaries and adventurers, purchasing precious magical materials and selling them worldwide. In a sense, the Castell family¡¯s wealth originated from commerce from the very beginning. Over the next 200 years, the Castell family, using Northport as a base, gradually eradicated the magical beasts from their lands. Northport City continually expanded from a population of less than 2,000 to a burgeoning new city with tens of thousands of inhabitants. Magical beasts gradually disappeared from the Castell County, and the once dense forests were completely cleared. The residents of Castell began farming, and villages started to emerge. However, because the land was no longer forested, the trade in magical beast materials gradually shifted away from the Castell County to the southern, Violet Duchy and the northern, Northern Tribal Alliance. Logically, Castell County might have declined because of this. But the gods¡¯ favor came once again. While clearing the hilly area in the eastern part of their territory, the Castell family unexpectedly discovered rich silver mines! The then Count of Castell, also a mage, personally surveyed and found high-quality mithril in the mines¡­ Thus began the great silver mining era of the Castell County. The mining of silver and mithril brought enormous wealth. Not only did the Castell family benefit, but the Borde family and the Crescent royal family also reaped rewards. Especially with mithril. The extraction of mithril led to the emergence of the precious metals processing industry in Castell, which gradually developed into workshops for jewelry and extraordinary materials. Merchants from all over the world flocked to Castell once again, this time in pursuit of the precious mithril. As the mithril workshop industry grew, Castell County became the most famous mithril production site in all of Myria. This made it the most important trade hub for elves and humans who prized mithril. From that moment, Castell¡¯s commercial value became increasingly evident, positioned at the center of five powers: the Luna Island of the overseas elves, the Falling Star Kingdom across the Star-Moon Strait, the Crescent Kingdom on the Crescent Peninsula, the Blacklands Mercenary Alliance in Eastern Yunette, and the Northern Grand Duchy formed by the Northern Tribal Alliance. The Castell family amassed immense wealth, becoming one of the richest families in the Crescent Kingdom. As the capital of the Castell County, Northport underwent multiple expansions, transforming from a city built to fend off magical beasts into a mega-city with a population exceeding 500,000. To this day. Charlotte, upon seeing Northport for the first time, instinctively thought of two cities from her previous life on Earth. One was Venice, renowned as the "City of Water" on the Apennine Peninsula, and the other was Amsterdam, the capital of the Dutch Republic, known as the "Sea Coachman" during the Age of Exploration. Indeed, they were very similar. Entering the city through the outer walls rebuilt during the Star-Moon Wars, one would find canals and waterways everywhere, with numerous bridges. While not as extreme as Venice, where waterways replace streets, Northport could certainly be described as "inhabited on water, water entering the city, people and water coexisting." Northport¡¯s prosperity surpassed even that of Borde City, the capital of the Borde Duchy, and Anro City, the capital of the Moonshield Duchy. One would hardly believe it was just the capital of a county. The city was crisscrossed by canals, with spacious roads on either side. Merchant ships traversed the waters, while carriages moved ceaselessly on the roads. It is said that every expansion of Northport was personally designed by the reigning Count of Castell, each time involving a grand mage in the renovation. As an immigrant city, Northport¡¯s architectural style was influenced by various regions of Myria, with Gothic architecture from the Crescent Kingdom being the most prevalent. The Count¡¯s residence, located in the center of Northport, was built on the foundation of the Castell Fortress constructed by the first Count of Castell, resembling a solemn manor-like castle palace. We rely on your support! novelplex.org Donate now Due to the long-term absence of a resident lord, the mansion had few servants. Yet, as Charlotte alighted from her carriage, 200 stewards and maids lined up on either side to greet her respectfully. Charlotte nodded slightly and, accompanied by her followers, entered the Count¡¯s residence. Standing beside her was Sebastian, dressed in a butler''s tailcoat, elegantly and respectfully holding an umbrella for her. The black cat Nice followed behind, head held high, exuding an air of arrogance. Upon entering the castle palace of the Count¡¯s residence, Charlotte felt an intense sense of familiarity, as its decor was very similar to the Castell Mansion in Borde. Clearly, the Castell Mansion was a scaled-down version of the Count¡¯s residence. The layout of the residence was also very similar. After passing through stairs and corridors, Charlotte easily found the Count¡¯s master bedroom and study. The only significant difference in the nearly identical corridors was the portraits of the previous Counts hanging on the walls. Charlotte even noticed a decorated blank space next to the last portrait, clearly reserved for a new portrait. And it was likely intended for her. In addition, from her time at the mansion, Charlotte knew that the Count¡¯s residence had a secret chamber dedicated to the magical research of the Castell Counts. Entering the master bedroom, Charlotte followed the records of the previous Counts, feeling along the walls until she found the mechanism. With a gentle infusion of magic, the wall rotated, revealing a passage to the secret chamber. Charlotte walked down the passage, her expression turning somewhat peculiar. This wasn¡¯t just a simple secret chamber. In fact, after passing through the passage, Charlotte discovered a hidden bedroom. This room was just as luxuriously decorated, with an opulent bathroom and bath. She immediately realized its purpose¡ªit was likely a place where previous Counts kept secret lovers or engaged in illicit affairs. It might not have been her father, but certainly some ancestor, perhaps even used by multiple generations. However, deeper inside was the real magical research chamber recorded in the archives, a circular room equipped with various intricate magical devices. Bookshelves lined the walls, filled with books, serving as both a research lab and a study. As a bloodborne mage, magical research wasn¡¯t very useful to Charlotte, and she wasn¡¯t inclined toward research. However, this space was perfect for honing her innate magical abilities or studying the powers of the Gospel of Blood. After familiarizing herself with the residence, Charlotte was quite satisfied. ¡°Countess, the Mage Tower is ready for a mass transmission. You can notify all the nobles of your arrival in Northport whenever you wish. Do you want to order them to come for an audience as soon as possible?¡± After a round of inspection, Charlotte returned to the main hall, where Northport¡¯s mayor, Madoc, greeted her with a respectful smile and inquired. ¡°The Mage Tower? The one that broke down last year?¡± Charlotte¡¯s curiosity was piqued. Madoc looked slightly embarrassed. ¡°Cough¡­yes, but that was an accident¡­¡± ¡°Our county has only one Mage Tower capable of long-distance transmissions. It was renovated the year before by elven craftsmen and is now the most advanced in Myria. It can transmit messages to all nobles in the territory at any time.¡± ¡°This is the highest level of elven magical craftsmanship, but it¡¯s also somewhat unstable¡­ Last year¡¯s mishap was due to stormy weather disrupting the magic array.¡± ¡°At that time, the elven craftsmen had returned to Luna Island for the Lunar Festival, so it took two months to repair the transmission¡­¡± Listening to Madoc, Charlotte gave him an unexpected look. ¡°You know magic too?¡± Madoc scratched his head. ¡°To be honest, I dreamed of becoming a mage in my youth, but unfortunately, I lacked the talent to awaken a magic circuit. However, I¡¯ve always been interested in magic and have learned a bit about it.¡± Charlotte nodded in understanding. ¡°Countess, do you want to send the transmission?¡± Madoc asked again. ¡°Do it. Inform them of my arrival and¡­ I will host a banquet at the Count¡¯s residence in a week. Invite the nobles from across the county. Until then, I want to tour the territory without interruption.¡± Charlotte decided after some thought. Meeting the nobles upon arriving at the county was necessary. Charlotte needed a banquet to assess the situation of the county¡¯s nobles. Madoc bowed respectfully. ¡°As you command. I will arrange it immediately.¡± ¡­ The news of the new Count¡¯s arrival in Northport quickly spread throughout Castell County via the Mage Tower. Meanwhile, in a dilapidated ancient castle near the Violet Duchy in Castell County. Middle-aged knight Lahel looked at the bloodborne girl Agnes, who was trying on various maid outfits in front of a mirror, and hesitated. ¡°Miss, are you really going to attend her banquet?¡± Agnes turned and glared at him. ¡°Of course! Why not?¡± ¡°The Book of the Dead is still in her possession! This is a great opportunity to infiltrate the Castell Count¡¯s residence. I¡¯m definitely going!¡± ¡­ Charlotte was unaware that the two bloodbornes who had previously attacked her had learned about her upcoming banquet. With seven days left until the banquet, she had other plans. Most importantly, she intended to visit the Castell Silver Mine to the east. Chapter 168: Do the elves also discriminate? The next morning, outside Northport City.Charlotte, dressed in noble attire suitable for traveling, sat in the carriage, gazing eagerly at the street scenes of Northport through the window. On the clear waterways, boats glided by slowly, and the ancient city streets along the banks bustled with pedestrians. Occasionally, the melodious sound of bells rang from afar, startling a flock of seagulls. Regardless of the state of the Holy Court''s church here, the regularity of the bell tolls was impressive. The distant majestic castles, the nearby quietly flowing canals, the variety of Gothic buildings lining the waterways, and the fashion of the pedestrians, which was significantly more advanced and ornate than in Borde''s countryside¡ªall of this gave Charlotte the illusion of being in a Renaissance-era Venice from a historical film. At first, she thought that wearing noble attire might be too ostentatious, but after observing the passersby in Northport, she realized that even commoners here dressed as finely as rural nobles in Borde. Though Borde was already considered a relatively impoverished duchy within the kingdom, this disparity was telling. Thanks to the Castell Silver Mine. It not only brought immense wealth to Northport but also countless business opportunities and capital for initial accumulation. This place was not only wealthy but also populous, with a large influx of immigrants from all directions, providing ample labor¡ªtruly a blessed land. If this were on Earth, it would be the perfect place for an industrial revolution, undoubtedly the origin of new ideas. Even in a world with extraordinary powers like Myria, Charlotte felt that a magically modified version of an industrial revolution was not out of the question. Enjoying the gentle breeze and the picturesque scenery, Charlotte idly waited, lost in her thoughts, only missing the harmonious accompaniment of some soothing music. When Sebastian''s familiar figure appeared in her view, Charlotte perked up and gestured for Sherry to open the carriage door. Sebastian smiled at Sherry, thanked her, and then elegantly entered the spacious carriage, which could comfortably accommodate four people, and sat opposite Charlotte. As for Nice, he also leaped into the carriage. He first looked at Charlotte''s lap, then at Sherry''s, weighed the pros and cons, and finally obediently jumped onto Reina''s lap at the opposite of Sherry. Reina, initially startled, instinctively began stroking Nice''s head, causing the fat cat to display an extremely content expression. Charlotte gave him a peculiar look. But noticing Reina relax after holding the black cat, she ultimately sighed softly and averted her gaze. "So, all done?" She asked Sebastian, who was seated comfortably opposite her. Just as Sebastian was about to speak, Nice, being petted by Reina, spoke up boastfully. "Hey, of course, it''s all done! Lady Charlotte, don''t you know who''s handling this? With me, Nice, on the job, those guys, no matter how well hidden, had to be flushed out!" Unexpectedly, this time, Sebastian didn''t bicker with Nice but nodded in agreement. "Yes, as you predicted, Nice is indeed very sensitive to their presence. We''ve captured all those lurking around, every single one, and tied them up at the city hall''s entrance." "The city hall?" Charlotte raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I did a brief interrogation. They were spies sent by the nobles of the territory to monitor your movements. Handing them over to the city hall seemed appropriate." Sebastian explained respectfully. Charlotte narrowed her eyes slightly upon hearing this. "I''ve just arrived in North Port, and they''re already spying on me. It seems there''s some intrigue among the Castell nobles..." "Hehe, we''ve already informed that chubby city official. When we return, you''ll have a detailed list." Nice chuckled. "Good. Let Madoc deal with this. It''ll be a good test of his loyalty to me." Charlotte nodded in satisfaction. With her keen senses, Charlotte had noticed the surveillance as she finished breakfast and prepared to leave for the eastern mines. S~?a??h the N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. And there were quite a few spies. So, she stopped and directly sent Sebastian and Nice to root out these spies. Sebastian was the most powerful combatant aside from Charlotte in her True Ancestor state, virtually unbeatable in the Castell territory without any Blazing Sun presence. As for Nice, after the incident with Anna the Witch of Prophecy, Charlotte discovered its sensing abilities were extraordinarily strong, completely disproportionate to its inconsistent combat abilities¡ªperfect for a feline detector. Thus, following their mistress'' orders, the cat and dog team worked together surprisingly well. "Alright then, now that there are no more flies, let''s set off. If we hurry, we can have dinner at the mining area. Remember, for the next few days, we''re nobles from the Moonshield Duchy here to trade for mithril, and my name is Agnes de Broye." Charlotte said with a smile. The Castell territory was full of merchant caravans and nobles conducting business, making this disguise perfect for blending in. Charlotte even had a noble''s sun hat ready to obscure her face and shield her from the sun. Hearing this, Sebastian smiled slightly and gave a courteous bow: "Then... Miss Agnes, I shall be your butler, Lahel." "I''m the maid, Lisa." Sherry said coolly and succinctly. She then looked at Reina across from her. "You will be the maid... Leah." Reina glanced at Charlotte, then at Sherry opposite her, tilted her head in confusion, and nodded obediently. "Hey, Lady Charlotte, I''ll be your coachman, Carl." Came an eager male voice from the front of the carriage¡ªit was Rand, the only one of Charlotte''s loyal knights who had reached the Starry Sky tier. Sebastian, Nice, Sherry, Reina (a royal bloodline descendant picked up by Charlotte along the way), and the young knight Rand, who was in charge of driving, made up Charlotte''s entourage for the journey to the eastern mining area. Sebas and Nice, both highly capable, were definite inclusions. As for Sherry, she was such an excellent maid that the increasingly indulgent Charlotte couldn''t resist bringing her along for assistance. The round trip was estimated to take at least three days, potentially involving further disguises and infiltration. Given Charlotte''s lack of skills in this area and Sebastian being a man, having a reliable maid was very practical. Reina, who was likely the last of the royal bloodline, had been deeply despondent since Anna''s disappearance. Charlotte didn''t feel comfortable leaving her alone at the count''s estate, so she brought her along to lift her spirits. Despite being there to relax, Reina was quite capable. During a recent undead attack, she had assisted the convoy, demonstrating her own significant combat skills, likely on par with Charlotte''s without her true ancestor''s liberation. It turned out to be a good decision, as Reina visibly relaxed during the trip, especially when holding the mischievous Nice. Though Charlotte suspected the black cat might take advantage of the situation, she was surprised to find Nice behaved unusually well around Reina. Charlotte decided to let it slide. Rand was brought along simply because Charlotte needed a coachman, and he was the strongest among her followers. The carriage set off, heading east toward the Castell mining area. The Castell mining area was located at the eastern border of Castell, adjacent to the Northern Grand Duchy. Unlike most of the count''s territory, this area was characterized by low hills and mountains rather than plains. Although referred to as the east, relative to Northport, it was more southeast. The mining area wasn''t far from Northport. Frequent trade caravans had resulted in a wide, smooth road being built, ideal for fast travel, making it a day''s journey by carriage. We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now Charlotte and her party set out in the morning and arrived at the main settlement of the mining area, Silver Mine City, by dusk. As its name suggested, Silver Mine City had developed from silver mining. Once just a miners'' outpost, it had grown into a mid-sized city with a population of about seventy thousand. The city was protected by high walls, twelve meters tall, reportedly built to defend against incursions from the Northern Grand Duchy. In contrast to Northport''s Renaissance style and refined atmosphere, Silver Mine City was rugged, with a distinct steampunk vibe. Metal workshops were everywhere, and abandoned mines could even be seen within the city. The population here was remarkably diverse. Charlotte saw not only humans but also elves, dwarves, beastman, and demi-humans. Elves and dwarves were mostly artisans and held high status, while beastman and demi-humans were relatively lower in status, many working as miners, either hired or enslaved. "Miss Agnes, where should we go next?" Rand asked respectfully, stopping the carriage amidst the bustling streets. Charlotte exchanged a glance with Sebastian. "Did you send the message?" She asked. "It''s been sent." Sebastian replied respectfully. "And the location?" "The Fir Tree Inn. Luff said it''s the best inn here and the preferred place for most merchant caravans and nobles." Charlotte nodded and instructed Rand. "To the Fir Tree Inn." Rand drove the carriage, asking for directions along the way, and about ten minutes later, they arrived at an inn with a distinct elven style. The group disembarked, with Sebastian standing beside Charlotte as her butler, and Sherry and Reina in maid outfits flanking her. Rand, serving as an attendant, followed behind. Nice had already jumped out of Reina''s arms and walked alongside Charlotte, seemingly competing with Sebastian for position. The inn''s interior also had a strong elven theme. Upon entering, an elf hostess quickly approached with a smile, addressing Charlotte directly. "Welcome, guest. Are you here for accommodation or dining?" Charlotte, still taking in the surroundings, gestured for Sebastian to respond. Stepping forward with a smile, Sebas replied. "Accommodation, and please reserve a private dining room as well." The elf hostess, noting his handsome appearance, nodded lightly. Today, Sebastian had hidden his ears, preventing him from being recognized as an elf. The accommodation was arranged swiftly: a suite reserved for nobles, with multiple rooms¡ªone master bedroom and four secondary ones. Charlotte took the master bedroom, while Sebastian, Sherry, and Reina each took a secondary bedroom. Nice shared a room with Rand. Nice grumbled. "Sebastian, you''re targeting me!" Sebastian, smiling, retorted. "Be grateful. As a cat, you''re lucky to have a bedroom." Nice fumed. "Discrimination! This is discrimination!" Rand, scratching his head, reassured Nice. "Don''t worry, Master Nyss, I don''t snore at night." Nice: ... After settling in, the group went to dine. The dinner had a typical elven flair, with hardly any meat¡ªjust one meat dish¡ªbut everything was exquisitely prepared and tasted excellent. Charlotte particularly enjoyed the elven-made mead, which reminded her of pineapple beer from her previous life but was even more refreshing. The maids and knight indulged heartily, but Charlotte only sampled a bit, as did Sebastian. Once everyone finished dining, Charlotte addressed the maids and the knight. "You may go explore the area for a while. Sebastian and I have a guest to meet." Reina and Rand were not yet in Charlotte''s inner circle, and Sherry hadn''t fully committed to becoming Charlotte''s retainer, so there was still a barrier. Following her orders, they respectfully left, and Charlotte had the inn bring another round of dishes. Nice stayed, as despite its playful nature, it was part of Charlotte''s inner circle due to their contract. The two waited with Nice until about fifteen minutes later when there was a knock on the door. Sensing the identity of the visitor, Charlotte smiled slightly and said. "Come in." The door opened to reveal a tall, burly figure, dusty from travel¡ªnone other than Luff, the leader of the beastman tribe that worshipped the True Ancestor in Borde. Two months ago, the beastman tribe received a divine oracle to head north to Castell. Simultaneously, Charlotte, as the head of the Rose Society, tasked Luff with investigating the silver mine. By now, he should have some findings. Unlike his appearance in Borde, Luff was dressed in rough miner''s attire, exuding a rugged, weathered aura. "Lady Charlotte, Lord Sebastian, sorry for the delay. I got held up at the bar." Luff said with an embarrassed smile. Charlotte was surprised. "The bar wouldn''t let you in?" "Well... the elves initially mistook me for a beastman slave from the mines." Luff said, scratching his head. Charlotte''s expression turned peculiar. She glanced at Sebas. "Elves discriminate too?" Sebas shrugged. "Many elves, especially those who value arrogance as a tradition, discriminate against anyone who isn''t an elf or doesn''t possess elven beauty." Charlotte: ... She looked at Luff''s face, scarred and hairy, clearly not friendly-looking, and averted her gaze. Clearing her throat, she asked. "Sir Luff, you''ve worked hard. May I ask, what have you found about the Castell silver mine?" Luff''s expression turned serious. "Lady Charlotte, there''s something wrong with the Castell silver mine!" Chapter 169: ------------------ _________________________¡°There''s an issue with the Castell silver mine?¡± Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred. The silver mine is the cash cow of the County, and the precious mithril is almost priceless. Although the revenue from trade has been taking an increasingly larger share of Castell''s income in recent years, until the mithril mine is exhausted, the main source of income for the territory remains the silver mine, especially the mithril mine. The timing of the depletion of the Castell family''s associated mithril vein coincided with the old witch sending all the nobles around her away. Charlotte felt something was off when she learned about this, and now it seems... perhaps there really is something fishy going on. With this thought, Charlotte instantly became more alert and asked seriously. ¡°What¡¯s the issue?¡± ¡°Lady Charlotte, there might be some kind of terrifying monster hidden beneath the Castell mine!¡± Luff said solemnly. ¡°A monster?¡± Charlotte was taken aback. She frowned and said. ¡°Explain in detail.¡± Luff nodded and recalled. ¡°It all started when we first arrived at Castell¡­¡± ¡°About twenty days ago, after our Blood Wolf Tribe arrived at Castell, we headed straight to the renowned Castell silver mine.¡± ¡°I selected a few of my strongest tribesmen, and we entered the mine as hired workers. After about a week, we gained the trust of the mine¡¯s overseer nobles and were allowed to work deeper in the silver mine, with our wages quadrupling as a result.¡± ¡°However, after delving deeper into the mine, I noticed some strange phenomena.¡± ¡°Strange phenomena?¡± Charlotte¡¯s curiosity was piqued. Luff nodded. ¡°Yes, strange phenomena.¡± ¡°For example, despite the silver mine''s emphasis on efficiency, there were very few strong miners like my tribesmen and me. Most of the miners looked rather frail.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why the overseer quickly noticed us. But it¡¯s odd because we¡¯ve seen the main silver vein inside. Even if the associated mithril vein is depleted, the silver mine itself is not exhausted. I don¡¯t believe the mine can''t attract strong miners¡­¡± ¡°Moreover, after joining the miners, I noticed that the old miners looked at us strangely, so I became cautious and invited one of the old miners for a few drinks at the tavern to ask about my concerns.¡± ¡°At first, he was reluctant to talk, but after a few drinks, he couldn¡¯t help but advise me to leave, to stop working in the mine. After pressing him further, he finally revealed the mine¡¯s secret¡­¡± ¡°The Castell silver mine¡­ there¡¯s a monster inside! The strong miners who venture deep into the mine end up being eaten by the monster!¡± A monster that eats miners? Charlotte frowned even more. ¡°Does the mine management have any explanation for this?¡± She asked. ¡°I¡¯ve hinted at this question, but the mine management completely denies it, saying it¡¯s just a rumor among the miners¡­¡± ¡°But among the miners, it¡¯s an open secret. Not only do strong miners disappear, but some have also reportedly heard terrifying roars and strange noises from deep within the mine¡­¡± ¡°Apparently, these roars are deep and heavy, like the legendary dragon¡¯s roar!¡± ¡°Therefore, some miners believe that deep within the mine lives a dragon that feeds on the veins and the miners!¡± Luff¡¯s revelation left Charlotte both amazed and puzzled. A dragon? Charlotte was completely stunned. She had a feeling something was wrong with the mithril vein¡¯s depletion, but how did an investigation into that lead to discovering a dragon? ¡°Are you suggesting¡­ that the mithril vein was also consumed by this¡­ suspected dragon monster?¡± Charlotte asked. This time, Luff shook his head. ¡°No, I haven¡¯t seen the mithril vein. It has been sealed off. The mine¡¯s official reason is that the vein is exhausted and at risk of collapse, so it¡¯s off-limits.¡± ¡°However, I asked the old miners, and they told me there¡¯s definitely something hidden in the mithril vein area. One miner sneaked in to get some mithril ore fragments¡­¡± ¡°You know, mithril is valuable, and even the ore fragments are worth a fortune. But after he went in, he quickly escaped, and when he came out, he was insane¡­¡± ¡°Later¡­ he disappeared, and the mine management never mentioned this again. As for the miners¡­ none dared to approach the sealed mithril vein anymore.¡± ¡°But the old miner had a theory. He said he once heard a legend about a type of dragon that lives in underground caverns and feeds on various precious metals¡­¡± ¡°He said that deep within the Castell mine, there might be such a dragon!¡± Luff¡¯s explanation left Charlotte both amazed and curious. She was amazed to hear of a dragon in her territory. Charlotte, familiar with various fantasy stories in her previous life, was no stranger to dragons. In many tales, the protagonist often had some unresolved connections with dragons, with some stories even featuring dragons as companions or mounts. After transmigrating, Charlotte searched for related information out of curiosity and found that dragons did exist in the world of Myria and were incredibly powerful. Upon reaching adulthood, they had at least the strength of a Blazing Sun, and some old ones could even reach Legendary. However, Charlotte was also puzzled. She wondered, if there really was a dragon in the Castell mine as Luff suggested, why would the mine management suppress the news? On the contrary, they would likely publicize it widely and recruit mercenaries to slay the dragon to prevent further damage to the veins. But in reality, the mine¡¯s overseer nobles simply announced that the vein was exhausted and sealed it off. What¡¯s even more surprising is that none of the other nobles in Castell seemed to question this. If they had, someone would have informed her when she reconnected with the territory over the past year. After all, even if she lacked authority, she was still the Count of the territory, the lord of the domain, and the nominal owner of the Castell silver mine. She would be a natural ally to seek support from. Charlotte had even asked Baron Angus, a silent, socially anxious knight who accompanied her to Northport, about the mithril vein. He confirmed that the vein was indeed exhausted, and his son had even personally inspected it as part of a noble delegation. Unless Angus was lying to her. But she really didn¡¯t want to believe that the only loyal noble who came to meet her and personally escorted her to Northport was also a traitor¡­ Or perhaps¡­ Angus¡¯s son was lying to him? Charlotte¡¯s intuition told her that there was a secret in the Castell silver mine, especially in the mithril vein area, which might hold a big secret! ¡°What do you think?¡± After some thought, Charlotte looked at Sebastian and Nice. These two, one being a long-lived elf and the other a mysterious extraordinary being, surely knew more than she did and might be able to infer something from Luff¡¯s investigation. ¡°A dragon that feeds on veins, huh¡­ I¡¯ve indeed heard of such dragons, but I also know that dragons that feed on precious metals do not eat meat.¡± Sebastian pondered and said. Charlotte then looked at Nice. Nice put down his greasy paw, reluctantly swallowed the food stuffed in his cheeks, and mumbled: ¡°I¡¯m curious about one thing. If there really were a dragon in the Castell Silver Mine, even if it were just a rumor, mercenaries from Eastern Yunette Blacklands would flock here.¡± ¡°There have always been many people eager to make a name for themselves by slaying a dragon. They¡¯d line up from Crescent Kingdom all the way to Coria!¡± Luff nodded in agreement. ¡°Indeed, I¡¯ve heard from some miners that there was a time when mercenary groups came because of the rumors. But... then nothing happened.¡± ¡°Nothing happened? What do you mean?¡± Charlotte asked. Luff explained: ¡°It¡¯s just as it sounds¡ªthere were no further developments. No news of dragon slaying, nor any news from the mercenary groups involved. Some say the mercenaries left because they found no dragon. Others say... those mercenaries disappeared, just like the strong miners.¡± We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now Charlotte fell into deep thought upon hearing Luff¡¯s words. It was clear that there was a significant issue beneath the Castell Silver Mine, one that was far from ordinary. Mercenary groups confident enough to hunt dragons wouldn¡¯t be weak. For such a group to vanish without a trace was indeed suspicious. ¡°I understand. Luff, thank you for your efforts. For your safety, I advise you and your people to stay away from the mine for now.¡± Charlotte said. Luff was moved. ¡°Lady Charlotte, are you planning to investigate this matter yourself?¡± Charlotte didn¡¯t hide her intention and nodded. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s my plan.¡± Luff hesitated but then sincerely said. ¡°Lady Charlotte, even though only strong miners have gone missing, the mine is still too dangerous...¡± ¡°Hey, Luff, don¡¯t worry. What may be dangerous for others is no danger at all for our master.¡± Sebastian said confidently. Even Nice, who was busy eating, nodded, seemingly unconcerned about Charlotte¡¯s safety. Seeing their nonchalant expressions, Luff couldn¡¯t help but want to persuade them further. But before he could speak, he noticed something¡ªSebastian¡¯s wrist, once marked by a ghostly curse, was now almost clear, seemingly fully suppressed. Luff had a sudden realization. Could it be... that Sebastian has regained his strength? ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. It¡¯s not my strength that¡¯s been restored, but don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s no safety issue here. If there is, it¡¯ll only involve Nice.¡± Sebastian said, seemingly reading Luff¡¯s thoughts. Nice instantly glared. ¡°What do you mean by me? Let me tell you, if something happens, I have plenty of ways to escape first! I¡¯m much better at this than a certain someone who had to rely on our master to escape the pursuit of a Blazing Sun!¡± Sebastian: ... ¡°Really? And yet you¡¯ve become a servant chasing after a carriage for exercise?¡± He retorted coldly. ¡°You!¡± Nice puffed up angrily, and his food instantly lost its appeal. The cat and the dog quickly started arguing again. Ignoring their bickering, Charlotte looked at the stunned Luff and smiled. ¡°Luff, is there anything else?¡± Luff hesitated before responding. ¡°If Sebastian is confident, then there should be no problem.¡± But he still looked hesitant. Charlotte noticed and asked. ¡°Is there something else you want to say?¡± Luff sighed. ¡°To be honest, yes. My people and I don¡¯t plan to leave the mine just yet.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t plan to leave? Why?¡± Charlotte frowned, curious. Luff and his people were her followers, though they were unaware of it. She didn¡¯t want to see any of her precious followers perish. S?a??h th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Luff scratched his head awkwardly. ¡°The main reason is the income from the mine is pretty good, and we like it there. Moreover, we¡¯ve made many friends among the miners. If we leave now, it feels like we¡¯re abandoning them.¡± ¡°If possible, I¡¯d like to stay until everything is settled and ensure the miners¡¯ safety.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. As long as we stay on the outskirts and avoid deep areas, it¡¯s relatively safe. Also... if possible, I¡¯d like to accompany you down. I¡¯m familiar with the mine and can guide you.¡± Charlotte didn¡¯t want him to take the risk, but seeing the determination in his eyes, she sighed and said. ¡°I understand.¡± ... After talking with Luff, Charlotte decided to investigate the mine herself. She wouldn¡¯t go alone but would bring Sebas and Nice with her. Moreover, she planned to disguise herself rather than enter openly. Luff left the inn after finishing his meal, arranging to meet Charlotte later that night to avoid detection. Leaving the inn, Sebastian accompanied Luff. After walking a few steps, Sebastian suddenly said. ¡°The last thing you said to our master during the meal... wasn¡¯t the real reason you insisted on staying in the mine, was it?¡± Luff hesitated and then admitted. ¡°Lord Sebas, you see through everything. Yes, I did hide something. Some things... I don¡¯t want Lady Charlotte to know.¡± Sebastian¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°Luff, do you know what you¡¯re saying? You¡¯re hiding something from our master?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget who saved your life¡ªeight years ago, it was me; a year ago, it was Lady Charlotte. And Charlotte is my master!¡± Luff¡¯s expression turned complex. ¡°I know, Lord Sebas. We werewolves never forget our debts. I¡¯ll always remember your and Lady Charlotte¡¯s kindness.¡± ¡°But... there are things we werewolves cannot go against. I won¡¯t betray you or Lady Charlotte, but we and Lady Charlotte are not the same. Some things can¡¯t be fully shared...¡± Sebastian was confused by Luff¡¯s words. ¡°Wait... not the same? What do you mean?¡± Luff sighed. ¡°Yes, we arrived in Castell a month earlier and heard some rumors from Borde. Lady Charlotte¡¯s coming-of-age ceremony had divine manifestations. She is the chosen of the god Harald, a saintess walking on the mortal realm...¡± ¡°The people of Castell believe she¡¯s here to spread the faith of the Holy Court.¡± ¡°But you know we worship the Bloodborne True Ancestor, and the Holy Court... was once the reason for the decline of the Bloodborne.¡± ¡°I did hide something because I met many demi-humans in the mine, slaves, and workers who live poorly and face discrimination.¡± ¡°Their strength comes from the Blood Totem. After regaining our Lord¡¯s favor, I feel my long-stagnant power steadily growing.¡± ¡°I believe... they can too.¡± ¡°They were once part of us... but now, they¡¯re lost in their faith. I want to bring them hope and the faith of our Lord. I want to contribute to our Lord¡¯s revival.¡± ¡°You taught me how to gain the True Ancestor¡¯s favor, so I know you¡¯re not against our Lord. That¡¯s why I¡¯m telling you this.¡± ¡°But Lady Charlotte... she¡¯s a saintess of the Holy Court!¡± Luff sighed, conflicted. Sebastian: ... He didn¡¯t know what to say. Seeing Luff¡¯s pained expression, torn between faith and loyalty, Sebas couldn¡¯t help but suggest. ¡°Isn¡¯t it possible... that our master, you, and I are all on the same side?¡± Luff was stunned. ¡°What?¡± ________________________ There is a dragon in the mine? Chapter 170: I am really cute When Sebas returned to the hotel room, he found Sherry applying makeup to Charlotte.Without turning around, Charlotte could see the flame elf entering through the mirror and smiled lightly. "Done talking?" "Yes, we are done." Sebastian nodded, instinctively glancing at Charlotte, who was sitting at the dressing table with her back to him. This glance left him stunned. Charlotte had replaced her noble attire with a patched-up commoner''s outfit. But what was truly surprising were the furry wolf ears on top of her head and the wolf tail somehow fixed behind her. Her hair color had also been changed to the same gray as the werewolves. Sherry continued her work carefully, sticking werewolf-like fur onto Charlotte''s cheeks. Sebastian was speechless. "How do I look? Do I resemble one?" Charlotte signaled Sherry to stop and turned to smile at Sebastian, revealing a pair of red eyes. Those eyes were the only part of her that wasn¡¯t disguised. Sebastian, momentarily dazed by her sweet smile, couldn''t help but say: "You look very much like a fallen noble lady of the werewolf tribe¡­ and the outfit is quite authentic." Charlotte rolled her eyes at him. She looked back at the mirror, pondered for a moment, and then told Sherry. "Make my skin rougher and duller." Sherry nodded and continued her work. Sebastian marveled at how Sherry¡¯s hands seemed to fly over Charlotte''s face like magic, rapidly transforming her appearance. As he watched her become more and more like an ordinary werewolf girl, Sebastian couldn''t help but remark: "Sherry''s makeup skills are as good as a magician''s." Charlotte laughed. "Of course, Sherry is a professional maid." After saying that, she looked at Sebastian through the mirror, thought for a moment, and asked. "I noticed during dinner that Luff seemed to have something on his mind?" Sebas''s expression became strange, and he nodded. "Yes, he does. He just told me everything." "Does it concern me?" "Yes, it does." "Speak." "Thanks to the ''miracle'' at your coming-of-age ceremony, he truly believes you are a saintess of the Holy Court." Charlotte was speechless. "Even Luff thinks so. It seems this label is sticking more firmly than I imagined." Charlotte said helplessly. She had indeed planned to use the title of saintess to make her actions in the territory more convenient. However, if it became too widespread and conspicuous, it could backfire. On one hand, it meant she became a target representing the Holy Court, potentially leading to misunderstandings or even harming her allies. On the other hand, it could draw the attention of the Holy Court''s higher-ups. Charlotte wanted to benefit from the situation, not get herself caught up in it. "Indeed, the rumor of you being a saintess is spreading more widely than we expected. Moreover, it seems to be even more intense in the Castell territory. Someone must be fueling the fire behind the scenes." Sebastian said. Hearing this, Charlotte narrowed her eyes. "It must be those nobles who oppose me. Let them have their fun for a few more days." Then she changed the subject. "Tonight, you and Nice will come with me. We will pose as new miners. You will be my brother, and Nice will be my pet." In the Castell silver mine, strong miners mysteriously disappeared, so most of the miners were actually old, weak, sick, and disabled, with countless child laborers. Of course, for non-humans and beastman, even child laborers could have the strength of slightly weaker adult human males. The wages for the old, weak, and sick were certainly lower than those of ordinary miners, except at night. The Castell silver mine operated day and night throughout the year, with miners working at night as well. To earn more money, many child laborers chose to work at night. However, many non-humans naturally preferred nocturnal activities, making them more efficient at night. This information was all provided to Charlotte by the werewolf Luff. Charlotte felt a bit conflicted when she learned about the large number of child laborers in the mine. After all, the Castell silver mine was nominally her property, meaning she was the one exploiting child laborers. However, she also saw it as an opportunity to inspect the mine''s conditions. "What do you think, Sebas, my brother?" Charlotte turned her head, wiggling her fake ears, and smiled brightly at her butler. "B-Brother¡­" Sebas couldn''t help but gasp, standing straighter and feeling both pressured and oddly satisfied. "What? Is there a problem with ''brother''? How about ''big brother''?" Charlotte tilted her head cutely. Seeing her adorable expression, Sebastian swallowed and, with a spirited look, said. "Brother is fine. No need to use names." "I feel like you¡¯re actually enjoying this." Charlotte teased. "You misunderstand. I¡¯ve always wanted a lovely¡­ um, beautiful sister like you." Sebastian blushed, straightened up, and respectfully replied. He almost said ''cute'' but changed it to ''beautiful'' to show respect to his ''goddess''. Charlotte didn''t mind. She knew she was indeed very cute. Every morning, she would look in the mirror and admire her stunning beauty, thinking, "I¡¯m really cute," which would keep her in a good mood all day. It was a way of self-consolation. Although her gender had changed, many people would love to become such a beautiful and cute bloodborne with powers and wealth, but couldn¡¯t. We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now After Charlotte finished her makeup, Sebastian also got his done. Soon, a pair of fresh werewolf siblings were ready. The only issue was that the sister was much shorter than the brother, making them look more like father and daughter. Charlotte¡¯s body seemed to develop late. Even at fourteen or fifteen, she looked twelve or thirteen. After becoming a bloodborne, she stopped growing. But Charlotte was satisfied. Except for her height, she wasn¡¯t burdened by her fully grown true ancestor form. When they were ready to leave, Nice was already prepared. He seemed to have gotten fatter, especially with his round belly, indicating he had been eating while everyone else was busy. "Meow! Lady Charlotte, you¡¯re finally ready! When do we leave?!" Finally being able to accompany the great "God" on a mission, Nice appeared very excited and sprang to the front of Charlotte, his cat tail held high. However, Charlotte looked at Nice, whose weight would surely prompt a vet to say, "Your cat is severely overweight and needs to lose weight, or it might develop arthritis, heart disease, and have a shorter lifespan," and quickly fell into deep thought. "A pair of impoverished werewolf siblings wouldn''t have such a fat pet cat, right?" She asked, glancing at herself and Sebastian in their patched-up clothes. "No, unless it''s their food. After all, werewolves eat meat." Sebastian replied with a smile. Nice was speechless. Charlotte sighed, squatting down to pat Nice''s chubby head. "Nice, you really need to lose weight." With that, she walked past the black cat and headed out. Sebastian also patted Nice''s head, sighing, "Sir Nice, did you hear? Master hopes you''ll lose weight. After this mission, you should walk instead of taking the carriage. Get more exercise." Nice remained silent. Despite Nice being as fat as a pig disguised as a cat, Charlotte decided to take him along. Not as a pet to be carried but letting him follow behind under the cover of darkness. With his black fur, he would be practically invisible at night without lights. The mine''s overseers were human nobles, not demi-humans with night vision. The Castell Silver Mine was located east of Silver Mine City, spanning inside and outside the city. This wasn¡¯t the original mining site; the initial site was elsewhere. Over centuries of continuous excavation, the mine grew deeper, and the main mining area moved here. Castell¡¯s underground vein was vast, divided into the southern and northern districts. The southern district, the largest, belonged to the Crescent Royal Family, while the smaller northern district was owned by the Castell family. The two districts were connected, and managed together by the Castell Mining Workshop, under the Castell family''s jurisdiction. Originally, the main Castell family owned the entire mining workshop. However, after centuries of division and interest allocation, the main family now held less than 50% ownership, with the remainder scattered among other noble families of Castell. Notably, the Crescent Royal Family did not participate in the workshop''s operations. They only collected silver and mithril, with 1,500 supervisors and soldiers stationed there. This puzzled Charlotte. If there was a dragon in the mine, why hadn¡¯t the royal supervisors and soldiers reacted? Only extraordinary individuals, at least Silver Moon, were appointed as supervisors and guards by the Crescent Royal Family. As for the army, Charlotte had witnessed the kingdom''s regular troops escorting the Third Prince Philip on her way to Castell, demonstrating their considerable strength. A dragon might be formidable, but the Crescent Royal Family could easily muster forces to slay it, unless it was a Legendary dragon. But a Legendary dragon wouldn¡¯t allow humans to mine under its nose. Or perhaps there was no dragon in the mine, but something else? Charlotte pondered. With these questions in mind, Charlotte met with the werewolf Luff outside the mine at the agreed time. Seeing Charlotte''s appearance, Luff was visibly taken aback. "How do I look? Do I resemble one?" Charlotte asked with a smile. Luff nodded, looking emotional. "You look¡­ very much like one. If I didn¡¯t know it was you, I would have thought you were a tribesman from afar." "From afar? So there are still flaws up close?" Charlotte caught the key in Luff''s words. Luff scratched his head, hesitating to speak. "Go ahead, it''s alright." Charlotte encouraged. After a moment of hesitation, Luff said. "It might only be noticeable to werewolves with keen senses. Humans probably wouldn¡¯t notice..." He looked at Charlotte cautiously. "You smell too good." Charlotte was speechless. Luff''s words made her realize a problem. No matter how well she disguised herself, she was still essentially a noble who bathed daily. The local Myria nobles weren¡¯t as hygienic as she was, let alone werewolves who did various laborious tasks. True, bloodbornes excel at concealing their aura, but that hides magical energy, not scent. Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but look at the black cat Nice. As a sensitive, extraordinary creature, she doubted he missed this flaw. Feeling uncomfortable under Charlotte¡¯s gaze, Nice cleared his throat and said. "Ahem... Lady Charlotte, we haven''t entered the mine yet. I¡¯ve prepared a scent-concealing spell." Satisfied, Charlotte nodded. "With Lord Nice¡¯s spell, there shouldn¡¯t be any problem." Luff said. Nice cast a scent-concealing spell on Charlotte and Sebastian, and then they followed Luff into the mine. At the mine''s entrance, about twenty miners were waiting, all demi-humans with beast-like features and human-like appearances. Most were werewolves, both male and female, young and old. Charlotte even spotted a werewolf boy who seemed her age, dirty, thin, and weak. Given her appearance, she seemed younger than her actual age. Considering demi-humans lifespans, he was likely a twelve or thirteen-year-old child. The leader was an elderly werewolf, hunched over, with a wine flask at his waist. Seeing Luff, he frowned. "Why are you late today?" He then looked at Charlotte and Sebastian behind Luff, puzzled. "Old Logan, these are my tribesmen, Barce and his sister Resa. Tanan and Roka had matters to attend to tonight, so they volunteered to fill in." Luff said solemnly. s?a??h th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 171: Its indeed very dangerous The old werewolf''s eyes scrutinized Sebastian and Charlotte, finally settling on Charlotte. He frowned."Luff, let''s set aside your brother from the tribe for now. What''s the deal with this little one?" "Old Logan, although Resa is young, she''s quite strong and can handle the work." Luff responded, pretending not to catch the underlying question in the old werewolf''s eyes. The old werewolf: ... "You know that''s not what I meant." He said with a frown. "Old Logan, Resa insisted on coming. She wants to contribute. Besides, there are others around her age in the tribe." Luff gestured towards the dirty young werewolf in the group. The old werewolf had nothing more to say. With a sigh, he shook his head. "Fine, fine." "Since they''re from your tribe, they can be considered one of us. They can come along, but they must stay in the outer area and not venture into the inner mining zone." "You know, the supervisors of the mining workshop turn a blind eye to the outer zone, but the inner zone is strictly monitored. After all... it''s easy to find mithril ore there." Luff immediately smiled and said. "Of course, they''re novices. Working in the outer area is enough." The old werewolf hesitated and added. "Also, I advise you not to venture into the inner mining zone with us. We have been doing this for years and can handle the risks, but it''s different for you." Luff nodded and smiled. "Don''t worry, Old Logan. I know what to do." His response did not satisfy the old werewolf, who grew serious. "Luff, I''m serious. You need to take this seriously too." Glancing at the curious beastmen behind him, the old werewolf suddenly extended his withered arm, pulling Luff aside and whispering: "Luff, you''re the only werewolf I''ve seen in years who can still unleash their bloodline power." "I don''t know how you do it or what you''ve been through, but you might represent the future of our kind." "A person like you shouldn''t be in the mines; you should be out in the world, finding better opportunities for our people." The old werewolf sighed, his expression complex. "Our kind hasn''t awakened their totem powers in many years..." Hearing the old werewolf''s heartfelt words, Luff felt a warmth in his heart. "Old Logan, I..." The old werewolf interrupted. "Let me finish." "I know you have ulterior motives for offering me drinks and asking for information, but... that doesn''t matter." "Whether you''re here to scavenge for silver ore or gather secrets for someone, it''s irrelevant." "I''ve observed you for days. I can see you care about everyone and genuinely want to make Castell your tribe''s settlement." "That''s enough." "Luff, the mining zone is more dangerous than you think. Just because you returned safely last time doesn''t mean you''ll be safe this time... Most of those who disappeared in the inner mining zone vanished on their second visit." "You might have been marked by the monster the last time you were there." Hearing the old werewolf''s heartfelt advice, Luff''s gaze grew complicated. He sighed and said: S?a?ch* Th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "Don''t worry, Old Logan. Since I''m with Barce and Resa, I''ll stay with them." The old werewolf finally relaxed and nodded in satisfaction. "That''s for the best." Then he turned back to Sebastian and Charlotte, who had been disguised as werewolves by Sherry, and addressed Sebastian sternly. "You''re called Barce, right?" "Mr. Logan." Sebastian greeted with a slight nod. Despite being disguised as a werewolf, his smile remained as elegant and charming as ever. The old werewolf paused, taken aback by Sebas''s radiant smile. After a moment of hesitation, he spoke solemnly, half-warning, half-advising. "I can see you have a distinguished aura, likely with an impressive past. You seem well-educated." "But, now that you''re in Castell''s mining zone, you must follow the rules. The most important rule here is to stay within the designated mining area." "I assume Luff has told you about the monster legends in the mines, so I won''t repeat them. Just remember, not only is it dangerous to venture into the inner zone, but even leaving your designated area can be perilous!" "If you want to earn your keep, follow the rules!" He then looked at Charlotte beside Sebastian, his expression softening slightly. "And take care of your sister. Don''t let her be seen. Though werewolves like her might not disappear due to monsters, it''s still unsafe." "Unsafe?" Sebastian probed. The old werewolf responded with a disdainful scowl, spitting: "Don''t you get it? Do I need to spell it out? The mines are no place for someone like her! The mine supervisors are far more dangerous for her than any monster!" Sebastian: ... He nodded and replied respectfully. "You''re right. If the mine supervisors act recklessly, it could be very dangerous." The old werewolf nodded in approval. "That''s better!" "Alright, come along now. Hide your sister''s hair to make her look like a boy; it''ll be safer." He gestured for Sebastian and Charlotte to follow. Sebastian looked at Charlotte, who nodded, indicating he should help her tuck her hair into a headscarf. As for why she didn''t do it herself... she simply didn''t know how to tie her hair up. That''s right, after a year, she still hasn''t learned to do her own hair. Living a life where maids serve you every day can turn a person into a useless mess. After a year of being here, not only has she not picked up any new life skills, but some of the abilities from her previous life have also become rusty due to being served so well. With a bit of tidying up, Charlotte transformed into a young werewolf boy. Unfortunately, despite the makeup and tied-up hair, her natural beauty made her stand out among the dirty, grimy werewolves. The old werewolf sighed and suddenly dug a large chunk of dirt from the ground. "Smear this dirt on your face." He said, approaching Charlotte. We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now Seeing the dirty clump of soil, both Luff and Sebastian hesitated to speak. However, Charlotte boldly grabbed a handful and smeared it on her face, much to Sebastian''s astonishment. "Alright, let''s move out." The old werewolf nodded in satisfaction and led the way to the mining area. Under the moonlight, although his figure was hunched and small, Charlotte felt his shadow was tall and grand. Being a bloodborne, Charlotte had sharp senses and had overheard the conversation between the old werewolf and Luff. Over the past year, most of the nobles she encountered were eccentric and perverse. Seeing such a responsible and dedicated old werewolf leader in the mining area filled her with a sense of admiration. It was ironic that those considered barbarians by the civilized world, struggling to survive, still had hearts yearning for the light. Yet, many human nobles, who held power and privilege, had fallen into depravity. Blending into the group of demi-human miners, Charlotte successfully infiltrated the mining area. It proved to be the right choice because, upon entering, she noticed numerous defensive formations and patrolling soldiers. The Castell mining area had stringent security. Charlotte estimated that without using her bloodborne powers, it would have been difficult to sneak in. Divine power was precious and should be used sparingly. Soon, someone from the mining workshop came to greet the group. Charlotte noticed it was a human steward, but not a noble. His relationship with the old werewolf seemed unexpectedly good. He didn''t trouble them much, merely giving the group a cursory glance before letting everyone through without thorough checks. This surprised Charlotte, making her think that the seemingly tightly guarded mining area might not be without its loopholes. "Mr. Mael is a friend of Grandpa Logan. Generally, he doesn''t give us a hard time. He knows we often bring other tribesmen to mine for money and turns a blind eye." Said a crisp, young voice beside Charlotte, as if answering her curiosity. Charlotte turned to see it was the young werewolf boy around her age. "Noah, you can call me Noah." Said the werewolf boy. Despite his dirty appearance, his voice was clear and pleasant. Charlotte smiled warmly at him. "Hello, Noah, I''m Resa." Noah was momentarily dazed by Charlotte''s smile but quickly recovered. Charlotte was slightly surprised. Even with layers of dirt on her face, a year of using bloodborne charm magic had given her a natural charm. Usually, few could resist her smile, especially those driven by base instincts. However, this young werewolf''s quick recovery was much faster than those aristocrats at fancy banquets. Intrigued, Charlotte found herself curious about this young boy. But Noah solemnly advised. "Resa, never smile at strangers like that. It''s too dangerous for you." Charlotte: ... She felt as if she was being lectured by a child younger than herself. "Actually, you shouldn''t be here. The mines are no place for a little girl, even if we''re werewolves." Noah continued. Charlotte smiled, pointing to Sebastian beside her. "It''s okay, my brother will protect me." Noah fell silent. He glanced at Sebastian, his expression complicated, but said nothing more and retreated back into the group. Sebastian, surprised, remarked. "I thought he would say that if he were me, he wouldn''t let his sister come along." Charlotte sighed. "It seems everyone here has a story." "Hey, who doesn''t have their own story in this world?" Sebastian replied, shaking his head with a smile, lost in his own thoughts. "Be quiet!" The old werewolf''s stern voice came from the front of the group. Seeing Charlotte quiet down, Sebastian immediately fell silent. As they passed through the open mining area on the outskirts, the group quickly followed the old werewolf into the actual mine. Despite being called a mine, to Charlotte, it looked like a steampunk underground city. After hundreds of years of mining, the Castel mine''s tunnels crisscrossed to form a massive underground network. The mine was brightly lit, with hundreds of miners busily working. Some pushed mine carts along tracks, others hammered away at the ore with crude tools, and dwarf craftsmen operated large, steam-emitting alchemical devices. Surprisingly, Charlotte saw no magical devices. In a magical world, she had expected to see some magical apparatuses, believing magic to be the ultimate productivity tool. However, after a moment''s thought, she realized that the extraordinary powers in the world of Myria were monopolized by the nobility. Operating magical devices required magicians, and there were no magical tools usable by ordinary people. Developing such tools was taboo, considered blasphemous by the Mage Association against Magic and the Elemental Gods! Many magicians were nobles, and even those who weren''t were often employed by nobles or became renowned mercenaries with high fees. In such a scenario, it was too expensive to employ magicians in a mine. Even for a mithril mine, hiring magicians would be akin to letting mice guard the granary. Most magicians knew a few tricks to steal some precious mithril for themselves. So, in the end, it was still ordinary people and non-magical, low-level extraordinaries who worked in the mines. Charlotte curiously observed everything in the mine, inspecting what was nominally her "underground city." But she didn''t stay long and soon followed the group deeper into a mining tunnel. At the end of the tunnel was a mining cavern, flickering with spots of silver light under the dim oil lamps. Some demi-human miners were already working there. The old werewolf stopped and addressed Charlotte, Sebastian, and Luff. "Luff, Barce, and Resa, you can work here. The tools are ready. Do what you can, wages will be settled according to the amount mined, but don''t overexert yourselves. Your health is most important." "And don''t try to smuggle ore out. There are magical devices to check for that." Then, he looked at the young werewolf boy. "Noah, you stay here and work too." "Why? I want to go into the inner mines! I''ve been there so many times before without any trouble!" Noah protested. The old werewolf Logan glared at him. "No trouble, my foot! Don''t think I don''t know what you''re up to. You say you''re mining, but you''re actually looking for the dragon in the cave. Do you have a death wish?" "But! There really is a dragon in the mine!" "That''s even more reason not to let you go. If you anger it, do you want everyone to die with you?" Logan scolded. "No... it won''t. I believe it won''t." Noah shook his head stubbornly. Chapter 172: Are you from Castell? "Enough! If you want to join us in the inner mines to find the legendary dragon, then talk to me when you can lift a mining cart!" The old werewolf, Logan, glared fiercely at Noah. "I can lift it!" The young werewolf, full of defiance, approached the mining cart, rolled up his sleeves, and squatted down. However, he was too small. He couldn''t even grasp one side of the cart, let alone lift it. Despite using all his strength, his face turned red from exertion, but the cart didn''t budge. In fact, he strained so hard that he stumbled and fell backward with a thud, sitting down on the ground. This elicited laughter from the other miners who had arrived earlier in the cave. "Hahaha... Noah, try again when you''re older!" "Save your strength. With that small frame, even when you grow up, you might still not be able to lift it..." "Oh my, Noah, you just can''t do it, really..." "Alright, give Noah a break. He still needs to find a wife!" "Hahaha..." The miners laughed heartily until old Logan gave them a fierce look, and they quickly fell silent. "Hmph, stubborn kid!" Logan smirked and stopped arguing with the young werewolf, leading the group deeper into the mine. Noah sat by the mining cart, sulking by himself. Charlotte and Sebastian exchanged a glance and nodded subtly. Receiving the cue, Sebastian stepped forward, approaching the young werewolf with a smile. "Noah, have you seen the dragon in the mines?" Mentioning the dragon perked up the young werewolf immediately. However, before he could answer, the surrounding miners burst into laughter. "Haha, him? Seeing a dragon in the mines? If he had really seen a dragon, he wouldn''t have come back alive!" "Hey, hey, hey... not necessarily. Didn''t Noah say that the dragon in the mines... oh, wait, the monster... doesn''t eat people?" "Really? Then where did the missing miners go?" "Who knows, maybe they were kept by the monster in the deep mines to continue digging!" "Hahaha! Shouldn''t they be paid then? Dragons are very wealthy; they should pay more than the Castell family, right?" The miners chattered away, clearly not believing the monster in the deep mines was really a dragon. While they joked about the monster, they would lower their voices when mentioning it, indicating a deep-seated fear of the legend. Charlotte noticed that while there were rumors of a dragon in the mines, not all the miners believed it. However, the young werewolf seemed to believe firmly. Besides him, old werewolf Logan seemed to believe there was a dragon in the mines, as suggested by the information he had previously shared with Luff. But unlike Noah, who thought the dragon didn''t eat people, Logan seemed to believe it was dangerous. Clearly, both Noah and Logan knew or had seen something. Noah glared angrily at the jeering miners, which only made them laugh harder. That was until Sebastian, under Charlotte''s signal, smiled and released a bit of his aura, silencing the miners instantly. They turned away and resumed their work quietly. "An...an extraordinary..." One miner widened his eyes, almost speaking out, but was quickly silenced by his companion. "Shut up, keep your head down and keep digging!" At that, almost all the miners lowered their heads, focusing on their work. Having worked in Castell Silver Mine for years, they were used to seeing the occasional audacious extraordinary, but even the lowest level Ascendants were beyond their challenge. Avoiding trouble was the best survival strategy for these bottom-tier non-human miners. Furthermore, the pressure of being near such a mysterious extraordinary made them instinctively move away, soon distancing themselves. Some even tried to take Noah with them, but after seeing Sebastian in their way, they silently retreated with lowered heads. Soon, only Charlotte and her group were left in that part of the mine. "An extraordinary? Are you an extraordinary?" Noah''s eyes widened. But he quickly became wary. "You... you didn''t come here to mine! You tricked Grandpa Logan!" With that, the young werewolf stood up, ready to chase after Logan and the others, but Luff stopped him quickly. "Noah, calm down. We are not bad people." "Uncle Luff..." Noah stared at Luff, eyes full of confusion and suspicion. "Are you with them? Are you deceiving us too?" Luff sighed. "Noah, although I brought them here, I genuinely want to be friends with everyone in the mines. You must have seen my clansmen; we sincerely plan to settle in Castell." "Then... him..." Noah glanced warily at Sebastian. Luff hesitated and then said. "He is my benefactor and friend. He means no harm." Luff''s words didn''t completely erase the young werewolf''s doubts. He remained on guard, looking at Charlotte and the others. "Who exactly are you? Mercenaries? Bounty hunters? What are your intentions?" Charlotte gave Sebastian another look, and Sebastian understood immediately. He took a step forward, gave a slight bow to Noah, and elegantly said. "Noah, allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Barce, an extraordinary hired by the Castell family to investigate the disappearance of miners in the silver mines." "The Castell family? Wait... Do you mean the legendary Castell family? The owners of the mining workshop?! The incredibly wealthy nobility?!" Noah''s eyes widened. But quickly, he frowned again, still filled with suspicion. "How can I believe what you say? The Castel family has never inquired about the disappearance of miners. Why are they suddenly sending investigators now?" We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now "Moreover, if you truly are extraordinary from the Castell family, why would you sneak in secretly?" "Of course, because we don''t trust the noble overseers of the Castell Mining Workshop. As for why we suddenly came to investigate, you might have heard¡ªit is naturally due to the orders of the recently returned Count of the family." Sebastian replied confidently. Hearing Sebastian''s words, the young wolf-boy''s eyes widened even more. For a young child, Sebastian''s answer was overwhelmingly shocking. "The Count... do you mean the legendary Holy Court''s saintess, the daughter of the God Lord Harald?" Charlotte: ...? How did the rumors get so twisted? Sebastian couldn''t help but glance at Charlotte, then smiled at Noah. "The Count is indeed holy, but the talk about the Holy Court''s saint is just a rumor." Noah then looked at Luff, who nodded and said in a deep voice. "Noah, I swear by the great Blood Totem that he is indeed from the Castell family, sent by the Count of Castell." Noah fell silent. Perhaps older, more experienced subhumans would be much more cautious and harder to trust, but for a young wolf-boy, this conversation was enough to convince him somewhat. "I know that the overseer nobles of the mining workshop possess something like a Black Eagle emblem, which is supposedly a symbol of the Castell family and each is a magical artifact of great value..." "If you truly are from the Castell family, do you have such a token?" He continued to probe, though his tone had softened considerably. The Black Eagle emblem? The Castell family¡¯s magical equipment? Sebastian''s thoughts stirred. He looked at Charlotte, who smiled slightly and pulled out a handful of Black Eagle emblems from her bosom. "Is this what you mean?" Seeing the handful of emblems in the girl¡¯s hand, Noah''s eyes widened further. "A... token! It''s really the overseer''s token!" "But... why so many? Did you steal them from Castell''s warehouse?" "No, wait... Resa, are you also an investigator hired by the Castell family?" Charlotte smiled slightly. "Yes, I am also here to investigate the truth of the mines. I have a good relationship with the Count of Castell, and she gave these to me. If you can assist us, I can even give you one." Noah: ... "Who knows if they are real or fake." He muttered, swallowing hard while looking at the shiny emblems. But by now, he was more than half convinced. After all, an extraordinary wouldn¡¯t need to deceive a weak wolf-boy like him. If they truly wanted information, they had many ways to make him talk. "Come with me. There are too many eyes here. I''ll tell you whatever you want to know." Noah said, looking around. Charlotte and the others followed Noah to a corner of the cave, where Noah leaned against the wall and sat down. "I can tell you everything I know, but... I have a condition." Sebastian smiled. "Please, go ahead." Noah''s expression became firm. "If you plan to enter the mines to find the dragon, you must take me with you." Sebastian didn¡¯t agree immediately but instead asked. "Why are you so obsessed with the dragon rumored to be in the mines?" Noah was silent for a moment, then said. "Because I want to ask it how my brother went mad. Where did my brother go? I want to know what my brother did. I don''t believe he would be so bold as to steal Mithril slag..." "Your brother?" Charlotte''s heart stirred. "Yes, my brother used to be a miner here, but... he''s been missing. He was accused of stealing Mithril slag and punished by the workshop, causing all the demi-human miners to be whipped, which ruined his reputation among the clan." The young wolf-boy''s ears drooped as he pursed his lips. Stealing Mithril slag? Charlotte recalled what Luff had said about the old wolf''s story of missing miners. She hadn''t expected the protagonist to be Noah''s brother. She sighed. "My condolences..." "No, it''s okay, I''ve already come to terms with it. I just... want to know what happened to him. I know my brother¡¯s character; he was always upright. I don¡¯t believe he would steal. Maybe only the dragon can tell me the truth, and that¡¯s why I started working in the mines." "Have you really seen the dragon in the mines?" Sebastian asked with interest. But Noah shook his head. "No, I haven''t seen it." He continued. "But my brother did. Not only that... my brother and it were friends. My brother often told me their stories. They met in the mines and became friends there. He didn¡¯t tell anyone about it, fearing mercenaries would come after the dragon. For years, my brother was the most famous miner, always extracting large amounts of Mithril, all thanks to the dragon." So there really was a dragon in the mine? Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but exchange a glance with Sebastian, both seeing the astonishment in each other''s eyes. A dragon that could befriend humanoids and lived in the depths of a Mithril mine... could it be a gold dragon? Before coming, Charlotte had indirectly learned that if any dragon in Myria loved precious metals, it would be the gold dragon. Kind and metallic dragons were indeed likely to become friends with humanoids. "So, the Mithril vein of Castell was really being devoured by a dragon?" Sebastian asked. S?a??h th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte perked up her ears too. However, Noah frowned. "Mithril vein? No... despite all the rumors, my brother said the dragon ate meat, not ore. He used to secretly bring food to it. The Mithril issue has little to do with the dragon." "Eats meat?" Charlotte was taken aback. Gold dragons... don¡¯t usually eat meat. "Yes." Noah nodded. "My brother said it was a black dragon, a real black dragon!" Chapter 173: Master, your offering has arrived Black Dragon?Sebas and Luff were both stunned. No wonder, as among all dragons, black dragons had the worst reputation. These chaotic dragons were synonymous with evil and betrayal. They had a strong desire to dominate other intelligent beings, and unless they encountered a stronger presence, they were almost impossible to engage with on equal terms. "You mean to say that there is an evil black dragon, the most vicious and brutal of all dragon kinds, living in the mine, and this black dragon... became friends with a miner?" Sebas looked skeptical and couldn''t help but question. "It''s true, I''m not lying to you. My brother said it''s definitely a black dragon!" Seeing their disbelief, Noah insisted. The werewolf Luff shook his head and said. "Noah kiddo, you are too young." "When I was young, I once had the misfortune of seeing a black dragon in the Eastern Yunette Blacklands. Such a creature... arrogant, powerful, evil, and insane... far beyond your imagination. In an instant, it destroyed a city built by mercenaries just because they refused to submit to it..." "The so-called black dragon might be a mistake by your brother. Besides, how do you explain the disappearance of the miners?" Recalling his past, Luff''s face showed reverence, obviously still haunted by the memory. Sebastian, however, suddenly changed his tone. "However, if everything is as he said, it seems there really is some monster in the mine. If it''s not a black dragon, it could be... a dragonkin." He looked at Charlotte and asked with a respectful tone that Noah didn''t notice. "Resa, what do you think?" Charlotte glanced towards the depths of the mine and said. "It doesn''t matter what it is. We''ll know once we go inside." She stroked her chin with interest and said eagerly. "If it is a dragonkin, I hope it is indeed a black dragon." Luff was taken aback by Charlotte''s fearless words and hesitated to speak. Sebastian, on the other hand, brightened up, respectfully bowed slightly, and looked at Charlotte with admiration. Indeed... For the great Lady of the Night, for the returning Bloodborne True Ancestor, only a terrifying legendary dragon like a black dragon would be worthy of her attention! "Let''s go and see the depths of the mine." Charlotte said. She raised her head and looked into the depths of the cave, her gaze becoming deep. Yes, she was very interested in the legendary black dragon. However, more than the black dragon, she was more interested in the role the Castell nobles played in this matter. If a monster that resembled a black dragon had appeared in the mine, the nobles should not have kept it a secret and declared the mithril mine depleted. There must be something hidden in the depths of the mine that cannot see the light of day. The nobles in the know must be hiding something. Thinking of this, Charlotte took a step forward and walked towards the depths of the mine. Sebastian and Luff quickly followed, taking the oil lamps given to them by the old werewolf Logan for illumination in the mine. "Wait! I want to go too! I know the way to the mithril mine area!" The young werewolf Noah patted his backside and hurriedly caught up. Sebastian glanced at Charlotte, who nodded slightly, indicating her approval of Noah''s participation. The information was provided by Noah, and he was also involved. Moreover, he knew the way. As for encountering danger... Charlotte was confident in ensuring their safe retreat. Whether to let the young werewolf retain his memory would be another matter. With a deliberate or inadvertent embrace around Charlotte, the group quickly ventured deeper into the mine. The deeper parts of the mine were more complex, with interconnected passages, some clearly not well-dug and others seemingly in disrepair, as if they could collapse at any moment. Soon, the group stopped at a fork in the path. "Grandpa Logan and the others should have gone to the deeper part of this passage. There are still some scattered mithril ores there, which the workshop is currently focusing on." Noah pointed to the left passage and said. Then he pointed to the right. "This way leads to the restricted area, where the main mithril vein is." Charlotte and Sebastian exchanged a glance and nodded in agreement. "Let''s go in." Entering the right passage, the surrounding temperature noticeably dropped, and Charlotte noticed that the air''s magic concentration increased. Mithril is a precious magical material with properties of magic conduction and storage, so it''s normal for places with mithril veins to have a high magic concentration. After winding through the passage for about ten more minutes, the group finally reached the end. The passage ended in a cavern, which appeared to be an abandoned ore transfer center, with the underground tracks for transporting ore ending there. Inside the cavern was an entrance sealed with chains, with a sign that read "No Entry." In the dim light of the oil lamps, it looked eerie. "That is the entrance to the mithril mine, completely sealed with anti-magic chains. No one can get in." Noah shivered and said. By now, the surrounding temperature had dropped significantly. The three of them, being extraordinaries, didn''t feel any discomfort, but the young werewolf was shivering from the cold. Suddenly, a coat fell on Noah, covering him tightly. Noah was surprised and looked back to see the werewolf Luff with his upper body exposed. "Uncle Luff?" "Put it on. Don''t catch a cold. We are all extraordinaries." Luff shook his head. "We...?" Noah was taken aback. He couldn''t help but look at Charlotte beside him and found that this girl, who was about the same age as him, indeed showed no signs of being cold, which shocked him again. "A... an extraordinary! Resa, you are also an extraordinary!" Charlotte smiled at the young werewolf, neither confirming nor denying it. She stepped forward and approached the sealed entrance to the mithril mine. Sebastian also stepped forward, closed his eyes, extended his hand to sense the seal, and said in surprise. "A compound seal?" Charlotte raised an eyebrow. "Is it easy to break?" Sebastian''s expression was somewhat awkward. "Breaking seals... is not my specialty." "It can''t be broken. I''ve heard mercenaries in the tavern say that to prevent extraordinaries from sneaking in, the mine invited the Mage Association to place a powerful and clever seal here. Even a legendary archmage would have a hard time breaking it." Noah shook his head. "But... my brother told me about a secret tunnel. If we squeeze through, we should be able to crawl in..." He added. However, after he finished speaking, he noticed that no one responded to his suggestion. Noah looked at the group and saw the girl suddenly speaking into the darkness. "Since you''re already following us, stop hiding and come out to help." As soon as she finished speaking, a plump black cat jumped out of the darkness, meowed, and approached Charlotte. "Miss... Lady Resa, I didn''t want to interrupt since you all were having such a good conversation!" "A pig? A talking little black pig?" The young werewolf was once again stunned, looking bewildered. The black cat Nice stumbled slightly. "Open your wolf eyes wide and take a good look. I''m a noble, elegant, and handsome Coria shorthair cat!" The black cat gave the young werewolf a displeased glare and proudly lifted its head. "A-a cat?!" Noah''s eyes widened even more, unable to reconcile the round creature in front of him with the image of an elegant, agile cat. "Alright, stop fooling around and get to work." Charlotte gave Nice a stern look. "Hehe, right away!" Nice rubbed his paws together, eager to get started. He approached the seal, threw a challenging glance at Sebastian, as if to say "Is this the best you can do?" Then, with Sebas gritting his teeth in frustration, Nice confidently placed his paw on the seal. A flash of silver light later, the chains on the seal slid off by themselves, much to Noah''s astonishment. We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now "A talking black cat that can break legendary seals..." He muttered in disbelief, feeling numb with shock. "Hehe, just a simple Third Tier Sealing Magic. Probably set by a few Silver Moon mages who have dabbled in seal magic for a few years. The technique is a bit lacking¡ªno magical torsion matrices or dual-layer spell reinforcements, and they didn''t even utilize the dense magic in the area. Far inferior to Master Cat here!" Nice proudly flicked his tail. This guy¡­ his grasp of magic theory is really impressive. Just who is he? Charlotte couldn''t help but give Nice another look. "Not bad." She put aside her curiosity, nodded in satisfaction, and led the way into the now-unsealed mine tunnel. Inside the tunnel, the magic was even denser, so much so that Charlotte felt like every pore on her body was rejoicing. As a bloodborne, a magical creature, she naturally preferred places rich in magic. She instinctively took a deep breath, but almost choked on the air she inhaled. The removal of the seal by Nice had caused a pressure differential, creating an inward wind filled with a strong stench of decay. Charlotte was all too familiar with this smell. Or, more precisely, it was something she would never forget. It was the same stench she had smelled on the living corpses the day she was hung on the cross by the old witch¡ª The stench of corpses! "Ugh..." Behind her, the young werewolf who had also taken a mouthful of the foul air was already vomiting. "Stay alert and let''s go in and take a look." Charlotte''s expression turned serious. Sebas and the others nodded, drawing their weapons and preparing for any potential threats. The group ventured deeper into the mine. Soon, Charlotte noticed shimmering silver patterns on the walls. These patterns, like molten silver, were fused with the rock, glimmering in the dark, dazzling and surreal. "This... is mithril ore. So, the mithril mine hasn¡¯t run dry!" Sebastian spoke solemnly. The mithril mine hasn¡¯t run dry... Charlotte¡¯s eyes glinted. Learning this, she felt a bit relieved. The income from the mithril mine made up eighty percent of the Castell mines'' revenue, and the mines contributed seventy percent of the county''s income. Additionally, half of the remaining thirty percent was related to the mithril industry. In other words, seventy percent of her income was tied to the mithril mine. If the mithril mine was intact, it meant she could reveal the truth and regain control of the mine, restoring her income. However, this also made Charlotte more cautious. Whoever had the power to disguise an intact mithril mine as depleted must have significant plans¡­ At that moment, Charlotte''s keen senses picked up a faint tapping sound from deeper within the mine. "Do you hear something?" s?a??h th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. She looked at Sebas and the others. Luff shook his head in confusion. Nice sniffed the air with his eyes closed. Sebastian, after a moment of listening with his ears raised, looked surprised. "It sounds like mining." Charlotte narrowed her eyes. "Proceed carefully." The group advanced with heightened caution. The tapping sound grew more distinct as they moved forward. Eventually, even the weakest among them, young werewolf Noah, could hear it. "This¡­ really sounds like mining." He muttered in disbelief. Charlotte¡¯s expression became increasingly serious. The deeper they went, the stronger the stench became. Recalling the missing miners, a bold hypothesis formed in her mind. "Stay vigilant, we might encounter old friends again." She squinted, warning the others. They continued deeper. After about three more minutes, they reached the end of the tunnel. The tunnel opened into a massive cavern, larger than any they had seen before. The sound of tapping was now unmistakable, a dense and oddly synchronized rhythm, like machinery. Noah nervously peered into the cavern and instantly froze in terror. He was about to scream when Charlotte swiftly covered his mouth. Charlotte''s expression was graver than ever. Her gaze fell upon the cavern¡¯s interior. Under the brilliant light of the mithril veins, numerous decomposed miners were swinging their tools, chipping away at the mithril ore. There were thousands of them! Their eyes were hollow, glowing with a greenish light. Behind them, heaps of mithril were being loaded onto mine carts and transported deeper into the cave. Charlotte peered further into the darkness, her crimson eyes glowing. In an instant, her pupils dilated, and her irises expanded, covering her entire eyes. [Eagle Eye Vision] This was a bloodborne magic she had learned from the Gospel pages after defeating the Blood Demon Cult. With Eagle Eye Vision, Charlotte''s already sharp sight became even more precise and clear. She instantly spotted the scene at the far end. It was a massive workshop hidden in the darkness. Countless undead were mechanically operating various tools, tirelessly working. On one side of the workshop was a mountain of mithril. ... Meanwhile, in a room within the Castell mining workshop, a door was gently knocked. "Come in." A lazy voice responded from inside. The door opened, and a middle-aged steward in a robe entered. If Noah were here, he would recognize this steward as Mael, who often turned a blind eye to the demi-humans, favoring them and letting them pass. It was also Mael who had permitted Charlotte and the others to enter the mine. Mael approached the desk and respectfully addressed the shadow in the dark. "Master, your offerings have arrived." The shadow in the dark slowly turned. A pale face emerged, with red eyes glowing like lanterns in the dark. "Is it those three werewolf miners from last time?" The lazy voice asked faintly. Mael hesitated. "Only one of the three came today, the other two didn''t. They were replaced by newcomers." "Replaced? Then why are you here? Aren''t you afraid I''ll devour you?" The voice suddenly grew sharper, tinged with dissatisfaction. Mael''s face turned pale. He bit his lip and said. "Master, although they were replaced, after they entered the mine, I received reports from some miners that... they might all be extraordinaries!" "Extraordinaries?" The voice finally showed a hint of interest. "Understood. Well done. Go and claim your reward." The voice said indifferently. Mael left, beaming with joy. The shadow also stood up, fully revealing itself. It was a black-haired man in a black robe. His arms were covered in black scales, and black dragon wings grew from his back. He licked his lips, eyes gleaming with a bloodthirsty light, and chuckled softly. "Extraordinaries trying to steal mithril, huh..." "Hehe, it''s been a while since I tasted extraordinary blood." Chapter 174: Help me... ¡°Noah, take a close look. Do you recognize anyone among these zombies?¡±Charlotte shifted her gaze from the zombie miners to Noah. The young werewolf was clearly shaken by the sight, whether from the cold or fear, as he continued to tremble. However, upon hearing Charlotte¡¯s request, he mustered the courage to peek at the zombies digging the mine. As he looked, he quickly froze in shock, almost crying out. ¡°Dorr¡­ That¡¯s Uncle Dorr! Oh my gosh! It¡¯s him!¡± ¡°He¡¯s still wearing his favorite Coria tunic!¡± ¡°He¡­ he wasn¡¯t eaten, he¡¯s turned into a zombie!¡± ¡°Kubo! And Brother Kubo, he¡¯s here too! He disappeared a month ago, and he¡¯s here!¡± ¡°It¡¯s them¡­ it¡¯s really them!¡± ¡°They¡¯re the missing miners! They¡¯re all here!¡± ¡°Sister Resa, they¡¯ve all been turned into zombies!¡± In the darkness, Noah¡¯s voice trembled as he looked at the vacant eyes of the zombies. Charlotte sighed lightly, confirming her suspicions. ¡°So, this is the secret of the mine. The mithril mine wasn¡¯t exhausted; it was deliberately sealed off. Someone is turning the miners into undead to continue mining mithril!¡± ¡°This is too big to cover up easily. Master, it seems the waters run deeper in the County than we thought.¡± Sebas couldn¡¯t help but comment, even changing his address for Charlotte. ¡°Master¡­?¡± Noah stared blankly at Sebastian, unsure if he should still show surprise or confusion. Charlotte considered the attitudes of the territory¡¯s nobility toward her and nodded slightly. ¡°Indeed, it needs to be sorted out.¡± Nice looked at the blank-eyed zombies and after a moment of examination, said. ¡°These zombies are not very intelligent, very sluggish. The necromancer who turned them must be of a low level, probably not above Silver Moon.¡± ¡°They can only do simple, mechanical work; they can¡¯t do much else.¡± ¡°However, I see many zombies have been here for some time, some even showing signs of skeletal transformation, indicating this operation has been running for years.¡± Hearing Nice¡¯s analysis, Charlotte became thoughtful. She looked at Noah and asked again. ¡°Noah, when was the mithril mine sealed off?¡± ¡°Seven years ago. It was sealed seven years ago, and the miners started disappearing around that time.¡± Noah answered, his face pale. ¡°Seven years ago¡­¡± Charlotte recalled the records she had read, realizing the income from Castell County began to plummet around that time. Incidentally, it was seven years ago that her stingy grandmother dismissed all the high-ranking nobles following the Castell family and sent them back to their territories. Seven years ago, the Castell family lost control over the local nobility. And seven years ago, the mithril mine had its incident. Covering up the mithril mine and arranging thousands of zombie miners to continue mining required the cooperation of the mining workshop¡¯s high-ranking officials. Clearly, there were nobles involved behind the scenes. The Castell¡¯s mithril mine represented the interests of many nobles, and hiding the truth about the mine wasn¡¯t easy. To keep such a big operation hidden for so many years, there had to be significant power involved. Or rather¡­ a figure uniting all the relevant nobles! Charlotte thought over the family records again. There was no such dominant local power among the Castell nobility. In fact, the Castell family had always been far more powerful than their vassal nobility. This made Charlotte ponder deeply. ¡°Noah, the rumors of a dragon in the mine also started seven years ago?¡± Sebastian suddenly asked. Noah, still dazed by the shocking revelations, kept his eyes on the horrifying zombies but mechanically nodded. ¡°If it¡¯s a rumor, yes, but¡­ my brother said it¡¯s been here much longer.¡± ¡°Really? Sebastian, do you think it¡¯s related to that black dragon?¡± Nice¡¯s eyes widened, looking incredulously at the flame elf. Sebastian nodded slightly. ¡°Although it sounds unbelievable, it¡¯s not impossible.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that some powerful dragons can even take human form. Dragons always love wealth, and precious mithril is just as attractive to them¡­¡± ¡°Is a black dragon controlling the Castell nobles to mine for it?¡± Nice gasped. ¡°Wow, you really dare to think that. A black dragon infiltrating the human world¡­ You¡¯re treating black dragons like silver dragons! Such a creature, even if it mastered transformation, wouldn¡¯t bother turning into a human.¡± ¡°Not to mention, black dragons are magic idiots, with all their talent in magic resistance and physical strength. Except for those ancient ones, most black dragons can¡¯t master transformation.¡± ¡°And for those ancient ones, a small Castell County wouldn¡¯t even catch their eye.¡± Sebastian looked at Nice in surprise. ¡°You seem to know quite a lot.¡± Nice looked smug. ¡°Hey, unlike a certain useless elf, I have a wealth of adventure experience! Back when you were still sipping honey, I was already rubbing shoulders with legendary dragons!¡± Sebastian: ¡­ ¡°Oh really? Then how did such an experienced adventurer end up as a cat who can¡¯t even defeat a low-level bloodborne?¡± He smiled slightly. Nice¡¯s cat face turned black, clearly hit where it hurt, and he bristled instantly. ¡°Who says I can¡¯t beat them! A single Void Banishment from me could take it down! Forget bloodborne, I¡¯m not afraid even if they are resurrected evil god! The Holy Court once asked me to seal an evil god!¡± ¡°Mm-hmm, and then you became a pet constantly on a diet.¡± Sebastian nodded in agreement. Nice: ¡­ The cat and dog stared at each other, looking ready to fight again. ¡°Silence!¡± Charlotte glanced at them. S~?a??h the Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Hmph!¡± They snorted at each other and turned away. Charlotte: ¡­ Both of them had good abilities and plenty of secrets, but they couldn¡¯t seem to cooperate without bickering. But a black dragon¡­ Charlotte considered Sebastian¡¯s theory. Though it sounded plausible, something felt off. As she looked again at the piles of mithril in the cave, she realized what was wrong. A greedy dragon wouldn¡¯t leave so much mithril unprotected, nor would it seal the mine with an easily breakable seal. With this thought, Charlotte looked at Nice again and asked. ¡°Nice, do you sense any dragon¡¯s aura here?¡± Nice immediately became serious. ¡°That¡¯s what puzzles me. I don¡¯t smell any dragon¡¯s aura here. Either it left a long time ago, or it never existed.¡± Sebastian: ¡­ He looked at Nice speechlessly. "Since you didn''t smell any trace of the dragon, why didn''t you say so earlier?" Nice let out a sly laugh. "Why say it earlier? I enjoy watching certain people squirm when their judgments are wrong." "You¡ª!" A cat and a dog were on the verge of another fight until Charlotte''s cold gaze swept over them, silencing them both. Charlotte turned her gaze back to the undead in the cave, a faint light flickering in her eyes. After a moment, she withdrew her gaze and said. We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now "These undead are indeed of the lowest rank, even inferior to those that attacked us the other day." "Despite their terrifying appearance, they aren''t dangerous. They likely just follow the caster''s orders mindlessly..." "I haven''t sensed any mental waves from a necromancer, so these undeads must have been left here to mine on their own." "Let''s go. We should investigate further, maybe we''ll find something." With that, she took the lead and entered the cave. Sebastian and Nice quickly followed, flanking her on either side, with Luff behind them. Little werewolf Noah, though trembling with fear, felt even more anxious staying behind and hurriedly caught up. As Charlotte moved deeper into the cave, just as she had anticipated, the mining undeads paid no attention to the intruders. They continued their rigid, mechanical mining motions. Only those that appeared to have been recently transformed seemed to have a bit of awareness, turning their stiff heads towards Charlotte''s group with glowing green eyes. Some, not yet fully decayed, still had their original eyeballs, making their rotting, hollow faces especially eerie. This sight caused Noah to turn pale with fright, clutching Luff''s coat tightly as he hid behind him. "If you''re scared, you don''t have to look at them." Luff said, glancing at the little werewolf. However, despite his fear, Noah''s gaze remained on the undead, seemingly searching for something. Charlotte noticed this and asked. "Noah, how long has your brother been missing?" Noah''s ears drooped. "Seven years." Charlotte sighed. "This place should be safe for now. We''re short on time, so let''s split up. Luff, take Noah to look around the more decayed miners." Seven years... If Noah''s brother had been turned into an undead, it might be hard to recognize him now. Luff nodded silently and led the little werewolf toward the older-looking miners. "Sebastian, check out the workshop area." Charlotte instructed Sebastian. There was nothing unusual about the workshop, but its design seemed elven. Sebastian might discover something. Sebastian complied and left, while Charlotte continued examining the undead miners, hoping to find something new. As she passed one that seemed to have been recently transformed, it suddenly reached out to her. Even though Charlotte''s keen senses had prepared her, she was still startled. However, the undead didn''t attack. Instead, it trembled and, with a vacant look, said: "Help... help... me..." Charlotte was momentarily stunned, then her expression turned solemn. This undead still retained some consciousness. But when she looked again, it had resumed its stiff mining actions. "Living transformation... This is a method even the most wicked necromancers find abhorrent!" Nice, beside her, spoke with a grave tone. Charlotte''s heart stirred. "Living transformation?" "Yes, some evil necromancers, lacking sufficient skill, will forcibly turn living people into undead to retain more of their sentience." "They''re dead, but not completely. Before they truly die, their souls retain their consciousness. They witness their own decay, and feel the pain of their bodies being eaten away, until their sentience fades, turning them fully into undead. Their bodies then eternally repeat their final commanded actions..." "Because it''s so cruel, even among necromancers, living transformation is a forbidden practice!" Nice explained solemnly. Charlotte fell silent. She glanced at the vacant-eyed undead and extended her hand before it. Soft light flickered in her red eyes. At that moment, just like she had done for the tormented young female spirits before, Charlotte initiated a memory-sharing with the undead. But this time, instead of memory fragments, all she received was a bone-deep terror and pain. It was the miners'' agony¡ªtheir suffering as they were forcibly turned into undead, losing control over their bodies, watching themselves rot, feeling the worms consume them, their souls extinguishing bit by bit! That fear and pain were like an endless abyss. When Charlotte withdrew from the memory-sharing, her back was drenched in cold sweat. She panted slightly, that immersive pain and fear making her shudder. "Lady Charlotte, you shouldn''t read memories of undead created through living transformation." Nice said gravely. "Even though it''s strange for a little cat like me to explain this to you, it seems you''ve forgotten more than I thought..." Charlotte was silent. She gave up on the memory-sharing. After another glance at the trembling undead, she sighed and moved forward. But as she walked, Nice suddenly stopped. Charlotte turned, noticing he was staring at a patch of mushrooms on the ground with a peculiar expression. "What''s wrong, Nice?" She asked. "Lady Charlotte..." Nice''s expression was odd. "Perhaps Noah was right. There might have been a dragon here." "Hmm?" Charlotte raised an eyebrow. Nice pointed to the mushrooms on the ground. "Lady Charlotte, these scaly mushrooms are called dragon spittle mushrooms. They only grow where dragons have been..." "However, these mushrooms seem to be deteriorating, suggesting the dragon left a long time ago, which is why I couldn''t smell it." A dragon had really been here... Charlotte pondered. Soon after, Sebastian, Luff, and Noah returned. The little werewolf looked a bit disappointed but also somewhat relieved. "Didn''t find anything?" Charlotte asked. Noah nodded with a complicated expression. "Not finding anything might be a good thing, it might mean your brother is still alive." Charlotte consoled him. She then looked at Sebastian. "The workshop only has a few working undead... Um, master, did you find something?" Sebastian asked after reporting. "Nice found some dragon spittle mushrooms." Charlotte said. "Dragon spittle mushrooms?" Sebastian was surprised. "So, my guess might have been right?" "Who knows? But... we might find out soon." Charlotte looked at the surrounding undead miners. With that, she closed her eyes again, extending her hands as magic surged around her. Nice''s eyes widened. "Lady Charlotte, are you planning to..." "Free them. They are in too much pain." Charlotte sighed. "And, by doing so, we might draw out the one behind this." Necromancers and their undead share a connection. Even without a contract, they can sense disturbances among their creations. Having discovered the secret of the mithril mine, Charlotte was done playing hide and seek. With her trump card as a True Ancestor, she feared nothing. She would destroy this place and force the mastermind to appear. However, just as Charlotte finished speaking, a lazy voice echoed through the cave. "Oh? Draw out? Were you referring to me, lovely werewolf lady?" Chapter 175: You... who exactly are you?! "Oh? Draw out? Were you referring to me, lovely werewolf lady?"A lazy voice echoed through the cave, immediately capturing everyone''s attention. "Who?" The werewolf Luff instantly became alert, drawing out his concealed weapon. Charlotte and the others looked towards the source of the voice. On the other side of the cave, behind a cluster of jagged rocks, a massive shadow flickered in the light of the mithril. Accompanied by clearly audible footsteps, a creature in a black robe appeared before them. It was indeed a "creature." It had menacing dragon wings, claws on both its hands and feet, and although its head was human-like, it had cold-blooded crimson reptilian eyes and a pair of fearsome horns. A vast aura emanated from it, bringing a faint sense of oppression. This pressure seemed to come from its bloodline and soul, making the weakest among them, the werewolf Noah, momentarily breathless and his face turn instantly pale. "A... a monster!" He widened his eyes, staring in terror at the mysterious figure. Only when Luff shielded him did that oppressive feeling gradually lift. "Monster?" Hearing the young werewolf''s words, the mysterious "creature" narrowed its crimson eyes, showing a dangerous glint. "You dare call the great true dragon Gikode a monster?" "You, a lower werewolf with no sense of reverence, must pay for your words!" As if touched on a sore spot, the previously lazy and indifferent creature flew into a rage. With a roar, its black robe shattered, its body rapidly expanding, and black scales spreading all over. In an instant, it transformed into a six- to seven-meter-tall black dragon! "A dragon... it''s a dragon!" Noah exclaimed again. The black dragon roared and charged towards them. "Be careful, Lady Charlotte!" Luff''s expression changed as he moved to protect Charlotte and Noah. However, Sebastian was faster. He elegantly drew a flaming sword from the void, stepping forward and blocking the black dragon. The clash between the dragon''s claws and the flaming sword produced a deafening explosion, sending ripples of magical energy throughout the cave. The mountain trembled slightly, and fragments of mithril mixed with ore rained down like a meteor shower, incredibly beautiful. Under the tremendous force, Sebastian only took a half-step back, but no more. He had blocked the black dragon''s attack. "An elemental sword of the elves? You''re not a werewolf?" The black dragon halted its assault, its crimson eyes fixed on Sebastian. Under the fierce magical wind, the wolf ears Sebastian had glued on were blown away. He elegantly adjusted his slightly wrinkled clothes, his gray hair turning blood red, quickly restoring his original appearance as a flame elf. "Of course I''m not a werewolf. So, Mr. Gikode, who claims to be a black dragon, what about you?" "Despite being a mighty ''black dragon,'' you were blocked by me. Should I say that I am too strong, or that you, as a ''black dragon,'' are... too weak?" Sebastian twirled his flaming sword with a smile, looking at the ferocious black dragon before him. Hearing this, a flash of anger appeared in the black dragon''s eyes. With a roar, it charged at Sebastian again. "Arrogant elf! How dare you disrespect the great black dragon Gikode!" "The great Gikode will devour you and drink your elven blood!" s?a??h th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. An even more immense pressure erupted from the black dragon. Its body expanded once more, and it struck at Sebastian. However, just as the dragon''s claw was about to strike, a deep, hoarse voice echoed in the cave. "Contract ¡¤ Cage of Order!" Silver light blossomed, and shining silver bands descended like serpents, surrounding the black dragon and forming a square cage of light. It was a sealing spell from Mitra, the God of Contracts. The black cat Nice had intervened. The charging black dragon collided with an invisible barrier, and abruptly halted. "A black dragon... an elf... a cat... and divine magic...?" The young werewolf stared blankly at the unfolding scene, feeling his recently reconstructed worldview shatter again. The black cat Nice, uncharacteristically, didn''t bicker with Sebastian. Instead, it squinted at the black dragon trapped in the cage of order and chuckled. "Heh, indeed. The powerful black dragon is trapped by a single spell from Master Cat. Since when did Master Cat become so strong?" Hearing the sarcasm in Nice''s words, the black dragon grew even more furious. "Roar¡ª!" "Wretched insect! The great black dragon Gikode will devour you all!" Black and red mist erupted from the black dragon, and its aura intensified further. Its crimson eyes were filled with bloodlust and madness as it raised its head and struck the cage of order. The black cat Nice lazily watched the struggling black dragon, but its expression quickly stiffened. Under the black dragon''s strike, the black-red mist enveloped the silver light, causing cracks to appear in the supposedly unbreakable cage of order before it shattered completely. "Huh? Is that... divine power?" For the first time, Nice showed a look of uncertainty. The black dragon, infuriated by Nice''s "sneak attack," ignored Sebastian. After breaking free, it roared and charged straight at Nice. Nice was startled. Feeling the black dragon''s overwhelming aura, it didn''t hesitate to turn and flee, hiding behind Charlotte. Only its round head peeked out to watch the ferocious black dragon. Now, the black dragon''s target naturally shifted to Charlotte. Luff''s eyes narrowed. He raised his sword, shielding Charlotte, but was swiftly swatted away by the dragon. "Uncle Luff!" The young werewolf beside Charlotte cried out in alarm. Ignoring the fallen Luff, the black dragon continued its charge toward Charlotte and Nice. However, just as it was about to reach them, the familiar flaming sword blocked it once more. "Don''t forget, your opponent is me." Sebastian said with a slight smile. "Elf!" The black dragon roared in fury, redirecting all its wrath at Sebastian. Sebastian elegantly swung his sword, a brilliant arc of moonlight emanating from him as he transformed into a streak of light, charging toward the black dragon. A dragon and a man instantly resumed their battle. The terrifying elemental fluctuations erupted once more, turning the entire cavern upside down and making it feel like it could collapse at any moment. The aftershocks of the fight shattered the mithril ore, scattering dazzling silver light. The zombie miners, who were still working, became innocent victims, frequently being knocked over by the horrific magical storms. After a prolonged struggle, neither the black dragon nor Sebastian could gain the upper hand, resulting in a stalemate! Noah was already stunned. "Sir Barce... so strong! Sir Barce can actually fight a Legendary dragon one-on-one!" We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now However, Charlotte beside him gently shook her head. "No, it¡¯s not that he is too strong." She watched the black dragon battling Sebastian with great interest. "It¡¯s that this ''black dragon''... is too weak." The black dragon and Sebastian were locked in an intense battle, unable to determine a winner. After a prolonged high-intensity fight, the bloodlust and madness in the black dragon''s crimson eyes gradually faded, returning to normal. With a long roar, it spread its dragon wings and retreated, instantly withdrawing from the battle. Perched on a distant boulder, it looked down at the unscathed Sebastian, its red eyes flickering slightly. "Elemental sword, Arch-Moon sword technique... you¡¯re from Luna Island?" "An elf from Luna Island appearing here... are you breaking the contract established back then?" Sebastian''s expression changed almost instantly. He squinted his eyes and raised his voice slightly. "Luna Island? Contract?" Seeing Sebastian''s reaction, the black dragon¡¯s expression turned enigmatic, and it suddenly chuckled lightly. "So... I was wrong. It seems the long-eared ones from Luna Island aren¡¯t united either." After saying this, it leaped back again, distancing itself from the battlefield. It coldly observed everyone in the cave, its voice carrying a cold authority. "Intruders, your strength is indeed formidable." "However, you have seen things you shouldn¡¯t have." "Since you¡¯re here, you will remain here forever!" With that, it stomped its foot lightly, causing the entrance of the mine tunnel to close with a rumble. Then, it extended its menacing dragon claw, and with a flash of light, a blood-red page appeared in its grasp. The page emitted a crimson glow, enveloping all the zombie miners, and the black dragon¡¯s icy voice resounded again. "Go, kill them!" As soon as it spoke, all the zombie miners began to twitch, rapidly absorbing the magical energy within the mine, their auras rising continuously. Some of the skeletal zombies even ignited with black flames, transforming into advanced undead on the spot! In an instant, thousands of ghostly green flames focused on Charlotte and her companions. The zombies, wielding sharp mining tools, advanced like a silent army towards them. Seeing the quickly forming undead army, Sebastian''s eyes narrowed. While the average strength of these undead might not be high, their sheer number was enough to make even a Silver Moon tremble... However... Sebastian couldn''t help but glance back at Charlotte, who was staring at the blood-red page in the black dragon¡¯s claw with an astonished expression. His gaze turned slightly peculiar. The black dragon didn¡¯t notice the exchange of glances between Sebastian and Charlotte. Even if it had, it probably wouldn¡¯t have thought much of it. With its cold gaze on the group surrounded by the undead, the black dragon sneered. "Intruders, let¡¯s see if your strength is greater or if my undead army is stronger!" "Go, kill them!" It commanded with a sinister grin. The crimson page in its claw glowed brightly, and the undead army raised their mining tools. But just as the black dragon expected its undead army to charge, all the undead froze in place. The black dragon was stunned. "Go, kill them!" It frowned and commanded again, the crimson page in its claw glowing once more. However, the undead still did not move. "Go, kill them!" The black dragon roared in anger, kicking the nearest undead to the ground. This time, the undead moved. But instead of charging at the intruders, they stiffly turned their heads, focusing their hollow gazes on Gikode. Their empty eye sockets burned with eerie green flames, silent and oppressive. Being stared at by thousands of undead, even the most hot-tempered dragon sensed something was wrong. "What are you looking at? Go, kill them!" It ordered angrily again. Of course, the undead did not respond. Instead, in the black dragon¡¯s shocked gaze, these undead it had personally created raised their mining tools and took a step towards it. "What are you... what are you doing?" The black dragon asked, confused and alarmed. It raised the crimson page high, trying to regain control of the undead. "Undead! Obey my command! Obey my command!" The undead... ignored it. A soft sigh echoed from behind the undead, clearly audible in the empty cave. The gathered undead suddenly moved aside, creating a path, and the skeletal undead bowed respectfully. The black dragon watched in disbelief as the werewolf girl, who had seemed insignificant, walked out from the crowd of undead. The powerful elf who had fought it stood respectfully half a step behind her, like a devout follower. The mysterious black cat that had cast a divine spell walked beside her, strutting like a pet following its master. The girl held a heavy black book, which glowed with a deep light. In mid-air, a phantom of a book spirit floated, bowing respectfully to the girl. The girl¡¯s hair, previously styled as a tomboy, now fell around her shoulders. No longer gray like a werewolf¡¯s, it was a beautiful and mysterious silver, and her eyes, with a mix of red and gold, seemed to hold an extraordinary power. She looked at the confused black dragon with pity and shook her head. "Lost in the wild path transformation, your self-awareness completely twisted. How pitiful..." As she spoke, Charlotte gently closed the book in her hands, eyeing the crimson page in the black dragon''s claw with a meaningful expression. "Mr. Gikode, has anyone ever told you that relying too much on the cursed pages, power that isn¡¯t yours, will drive you mad?" "Even... for a bloodborne." The black dragon''s gaze fixed on the heavy book in the girl''s hands, its expression changed completely. "The Book of the Dead?! How is the Book of the Dead in your hands?!" "You are not a werewolf either!" "Count Hol? No... you¡¯re not Count Hol! You¡¯re not his maid either!" "Who... who are you?!" ... Meanwhile, in a castle somewhere in Castell. A bloodborne girl named Agnes, who had just finished washing up and was about to go to bed, suddenly stumbled and collapsed to the ground. "Count Castell!" "Book of the Dead Spirit!" "You bastards, how dare you randomly draw on my power again!" She lay on the ground, weak and pale, gritting her teeth in frustration. Chapter 176: Overwhelming Superiority! Looking at the undead army that had instantly turned against him and the mysterious girl surrounded by everyone, Black Dragon Gikode''s expression changed completely.No. Perhaps he should no longer be called a black dragon. A real black dragon would be much stronger than him. Charlotte''s voice seemed to carry some mysterious power, ringing like a bell in Gikode''s mind. His aura quickly became chaotic, and his hideous dragon form began to twitch and change, sometimes appearing to want to revert to a human form, other times trying to maintain his dragon shape. "No! I am Black Dragon Gikode! I am Black Dragon Gikode!" He roared and bellowed, his eyes blood-red, quickly descending into madness once again. Gikode let out a dragon''s roar, and his terrifying dragon might exploded again, stronger but more chaotic than before. Cracks began to appear on his dragon body, and through these cracks, black and red flesh could be seen constantly churning, breaking down, and regenerating beneath his scales. Feeling the unprecedented power, Sebastian and the others immediately became serious. However, Charlotte remained calm, her gaze towards the black dragon filled with pity. As a bloodborne, she was not unfamiliar with his current state. She had experienced something similar once. It was shortly after she had become bloodborne, when she had not drunk blood for a long time, leading to a blood frenzy and a rampage of her bloodline. But unlike the creature before her, Charlotte did not completely lose herself then and was able to recover from the bloodline rampage. However, the bloodborne named Gikode before her had obviously completely lost himself to the dragon''s power. After dealing with the Blood Demon Cult of Borde and obtaining over thirty pages of the Gospel, Charlotte further completed the Gospel of Blood and gained a deeper understanding of the resonance of the five major bloodlines. The Wild Path... It is a bloodline path that resonates with all living things, allowing the user to unleash their nature, borrow and integrate the powers of other creatures, and even transform into other creatures. For example, Charlotte had acquired the ability of the [Night Bat] from the Wild Path, allowing her to transform into a bat. And this bloodline resonance is most crucial in that, when using its power, one must always remember their true self, staying aware of who they are. Losing oneself would lead to a power rampage. The power of bloodbornes is strong but also dangerous. Any bloodborne has the potential to rampage. The strange power grants bloodbornes great strength but is also a curse passed down through their bloodlines. Bloodbornes must continually drink blood to delay the outbreak of a bloodline rampage. But if there is a problem with the bloodline resonance, even drinking blood... would be useless. Taking the Wild Path as an example, once the power rampages, the mild result would be becoming completely deranged and turning into the creature one transformed into, losing oneself; the severe result would be an inability to bear the powerful form, leading to self-destruction in madness. After the rampage, the power is indeed strong. But the line between strength and collapse is often very thin. Seeing the cracks spreading on "Black Dragon" Gikode and the flesh buds growing and breaking down beneath them, Charlotte knew that even if she did nothing, this bloodborne, having lost himself and been provoked by them, would self-destruct. At the moment when his perception completely collapsed, Gikode had no future left. However, "Black Dragon" Gikode didn''t care about his gradually disintegrating body. Feeling his increasingly powerful strength, his blood-red eyes gleamed with unprecedented madness and triumph. After a long roar, he charged at Charlotte again. "Lowly mortal, tremble before the great Black Dragon Gikode!" "No matter who you are, Lord Gikode will devour you!" "Master! Watch out!" Sebastian and the others'' faces changed slightly. But Charlotte remained calm. She did not accept Sebastian''s protection but instead stepped forward, directly facing the charging "black dragon." Crimson light flickered in Charlotte''s eyes, her gaze turning cold as an ancient and majestic aura rose from her body. Charlotte''s lips moved slightly, and a crisp, ethereal yet authoritative reprimand echoed through the cave. "Kneel!" In an instant, an invisible, strange wave spread out from Charlotte, sweeping over everyone present. S~?a??h the N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The first to be affected was the weakest among them, the young werewolf Noah. When the reprimand, as if resounding in his soul, reached him, he felt as if he had returned to his childhood when his mother scolded him. His whole body trembled, and he almost instinctively fell to his knees. At that moment, even he didn''t realize how or why he had knelt. Nice, sensing something wrong when Charlotte opened her mouth, had a vague idea of what was coming. However, having experienced kneeling once in the mansion, he felt somewhat prepared this time and thought he could withstand this power with some characteristics of a spoken command. He smiled knowingly, ready for the impact, while watching Sebastian, expecting to see his embarrassed reaction under the sudden reprimand. But when the reprimand fully sounded, Nice realized he was still too naive. He had been mentally prepared, but Charlotte was no longer the Charlotte of the past... As the voice reached him, he felt this reprimand was even more terrifying than before, an unquestionable command interwoven with laws, like the majesty of a God. "Damn..." Under the immense pressure, he involuntarily cursed, a coarse word he had learned from Charlotte, watching helplessly as his limbs fell to the ground, his tail curling up. As for Sebastian... Before the power of the reprimand reached him, at the moment when Charlotte uttered the "kne" of "kneel", he had already knelt on one knee. He knelt elegantly, naturally, and with a clear conscience. Nice watched in amazement. As the reprimand echoed through the cave, thousands of undead in the mining area knelt down like wheat being harvested, prostrating before Charlotte as if worshiping their king. But these were just the aftershocks of the reprimand amplified by the cave''s echoes. The true center of the storm was "Black Dragon" Gikode, charging at Charlotte. When the reprimand reached him, he felt a deafening thunderclap in his mind, tearing apart the stormy chaos of his spirit world... For a moment, his maddened eyes cleared, but the next moment, they were filled with fear and dread seemingly from his soul. His hideous dragon form collapsed instantly, black scales falling off, his massive body rapidly shrinking. And when he fully realized what had happened, he had already reverted to his human form and... was kneeling. We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now He tried to stand up but found he couldn''t control his legs. It wasn''t because his body was seized by some power... Gikode could feel his legs trembling, his body trembling, his very soul trembling... He was terrified, he was scared, and at this moment, he couldn''t muster any thought of resisting her! The werewolf Luff had also knelt down. He struggled to lift his head, blankly staring at the petite figure standing alone in the cave. This incredibly powerful and strange force faintly overlapped with a certain legend from his tribe... Especially when the "black dragon" bloodborne, who had lost all reason and gone berserk, was suddenly awakened and then knelt down directly on the ground. Luff''s eyes widened, and he looked at Charlotte in disbelief, muttering: "Royal authority... This is the authority of a royal bloodborne!" "By the True Ancestor! Lady Charlotte... is actually of the royal bloodborne?!" Luff''s expression was a mix of shock, absurdity, and bewilderment, but gradually, he began to understand. He looked sharply at Sebastian, meeting the eyes of the elegantly kneeling Flame Elf, who responded with a slight smile. That smile seemed to say: "See, our master is indeed one of us." Luff hesitated, then lowered his head again, kneeling with even more reverence. This time, it wasn''t due to the command of the "Majesty Magic." It was from the heart. Though he had many questions unanswered, and he didn''t understand why the royal bloodborne, which was said to have vanished, had become the "Saintess of the Holy Court," he believed there must be a reason. The demi-human tribes, led by the werewolves, originated from the blood totem, worshiping the True Ancestor of Blood, loyal to the royal bloodborne... That was enough. However, at the center of the storm, the fully awakened bloodborne Gikode knew the truth was far from simple... The power that awakened him in an instant was not just that of the lost royal bloodborne. That power was grand and vast, ancient and timeless, as mighty as divine will... It was an unimaginable power. It was... an absolute suppression of his very essence! At this moment, Gikode felt the cursed pages he held trembling, cheering. They seemed to be calling out, wanting to break free, wanting to return somewhere... Gikode dumbly raised his head, his now-clear red eyes reflecting Charlotte''s silver hair and crimson-gold pupils. That petite figure suddenly overlapped with certain ancient legends he had heard from the third-generation bloodbornes... "You... no, you are..." He widened his eyes, speaking with a mixture of absurdity and terror. But he couldn''t finish his sentence. A gleam flashed in Charlotte''s eyes, and Gikode''s mind instantly collapsed. His clear red eyes quickly turned dull and vacant. [Mental Domination] One of the renowned spells of the Bloodborne''s Mental Path, it was also one of the innate spells Charlotte acquired from the Gospel pages she had taken from the Blood Demon Cult. Due to its overpowering nature, frequent use of this spell could easily lead to an addiction, causing one to see all beings as ants and oneself as supreme, devoid of regard for others. Thus, although Charlotte had mastered it, she avoided using it whenever possible. People need different voices around them. In ancient times, wise emperors often became corrupt as their reigns lengthened. The main reason was that, as they centralized power to an incredible extent, their unparalleled prestige left no room for opposition, leading them to become lost and corrupted by absolute power and flattery, eventually becoming what they once despised. Mental Domination works similarly. Frequent use of this innate spell worried Charlotte that she too might become lost. Moreover, this spell could significantly impact the sanity of its target, sometimes leaving permanent damage, reducing the victim to a state of idiocy. So, generally, Charlotte refrained from using it. However, at this moment, facing Gikode, she chose to use it. No matter what he thought she was, for safety, she couldn''t allow him to finish his sentence. Moreover, for an evil bloodborne who had turned thousands of innocent miners into living corpses, she had no need for mercy. Charlotte stood before Gikode, looking down at him. Though she was smaller in stature, at this moment, before the prostrate Gikode, she seemed like a sovereign holding the power of life and death. "Tell me your origin, and your purpose in the Castell silver mine." Charlotte''s eyes flashed red as she coldly asked. He slowly raised his head, speaking respectfully. "Great master, I am Gikode Black Vadallat, from the Coria Kingdom." "I was tasked with overseeing the mining of mithril in the Castell silver mine, protecting our mithril mining, and ensuring its timely transport..." "Va... Vadallat?!" Sebastian, who had been kneeling respectfully, suddenly twitched, almost losing his composure. Charlotte gave him a curious glance. The Vadallat clan, one of the six major bloodborne clans, controlled the wild legacy. The Pure White Witch who once chased Sebastian across half a continent was the head of the Vadallat clan. "You are a bloodborne of the Vadallat clan? Who is behind you? Is it the Vadallat clan?" Charlotte asked again. But this time, Gikode didn''t answer, instead starting to tremble slightly. He looked conflicted, his eyes unfocused, his mental state becoming unstable. Charlotte''s heart skipped a beat. She recognized this state, a sign that her question had touched upon a soul-bound contract. "Who is behind you?" Charlotte asked again, her eyes flashing as she increased the power output. Gikode''s trembling intensified. He struggled, his eyes rolling back, shaking like an epileptic as he stammered. "Ne... Nez..." "The one behind me... is Nez...!" Chapter 177: Gikodes Letter Nez?The Insight clan, Nez? Charlotte''s eyes flickered. She hadn''t expected that just two questions would directly implicate two bloodborne clans! Charlotte knew a bit about the Nez clan, especially after reading the information provided by the Witch of Prophecy, Anna. This is the most low-key and mysterious clan among the six major bloodborne clans, possessing a bloodline that masters the insight path, often active in the Falling Star Kingdom and Luna Island. Yes, Luna Island. Due to their unique embrace mechanism, any intelligent life form could become a bloodborne, and Luna Island, home to the Elf Alliance, also has bloodbornes with legitimate elven bloodlines. As a result, the Nez clan is divided into two branches: Falling Star Kingdom and Luna Island. Both branches believe themselves to be the most authentic Nez lineage. The branch in the Falling Star Kingdom is more enthusiastic about infiltrating the human world and is more active, while the branch on Luna Island is more influenced by the elves, relatively more reclusive and indifferent to worldly affairs. They have a relationship of both competition and cooperation, each having their own bloodborne duke, yet they all revere the same bloodborne prince - the Stargazer Casey. Externally, especially when contending with other bloodborne clans, they unite and act as one. Recalling Gikode''s surprise at recognizing Sebastian''s elven identity, Charlotte''s heart stirred, and she asked. "Is the Nez clan behind you from the Falling Star Kingdom? Does the Nez branch on Luna Island also participate in the affairs of the Castell Mithril Mine?" Hearing Charlotte''s question, Gikode trembled even more but did not deny it. Charlotte knew she had asked the right question. Recalling what she knew about the bloodbornes, she continued to ask. "Why is the Nez clan intervening in the Castell Mithril Mine?" Upon hearing Charlotte''s words, Gikode trembled, foaming at the mouth. "Nez... Nez has taken a fancy to Castell''s Mithril... They... they need Mithril... a lot of Mithril..." Charlotte frowned slightly. This was obvious. Intervening in the mithril mine was certainly for the mithril, but the crucial point was their underlying purpose. "Why do they need so much mithril? To what extent have they infiltrated Castell? What is their ultimate goal?" She asked again. S~?a??h the N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. This time, Gikode convulsed more violently but did not answer. Charlotte''s frown deepened. She knew this reaction meant her question had touched on taboos within the opponent''s soul contract. If she continued to press, it might directly lead to the other''s death. The soul contract on Gikode didn''t seem to belong to divine ritual, as Charlotte hadn''t received any information indicating divine ritual counter activation. For now, she couldn''t deal with this contract and had to stop with this line of questioning. After thinking for a moment, Charlotte changed direction and asked. "The Vad¨¢llat clan holds a transcendent status in the Coria Kingdom, always disdainful of joining forces with other bloodbornes, let alone being subordinate." "Why are you, a Vad¨¢llat, working for the Nez clan?" The Vad¨¢llat clan is one of the two bloodborne clans with the greatest influence in the civilized world. They mainly operate in the Coria Kingdom, secretly controlling the real ruling power of the kingdom, referred to with awe by knowledgeable nobles as the Blood Court. Although the Coria Kingdom also falls within the Holy Court''s sphere of influence, the Holy Court''s faith only exists among the populace, having long lost its influence within the actual ruling class. Strangely, whether it''s due to the Blood Court''s cooperation with the Holy Court''s spread of faith or some unknown agreements between the two, the Holy Court has always turned a blind eye to the affairs of the Coria Kingdom. Charlotte knew these details from Sebastian. Back when this elven butler traveled through the Coria Kingdom, unaware of the true situation, he offended the Vad¨¢llat''s Pure White Witch at a bloodborne gathering and was hunted by the entire Vad¨¢llat clan for over a decade until he fled to the Crescent Kingdom... One could say that Vad¨¢llat is the strongest and most assertive clan among the six major bloodborne clans. Charlotte looked at Gikode, waiting for his answer. Gikode, showing pain, trembled and said: "I... am an exile from Vad¨¢llat..." Exile? Charlotte frowned. "Exile is what Vad¨¢llat calls its banished members. He must have committed some betrayal or become a victim of internal political struggles. In short, he should be a disgraced and banished Vad¨¢llat bloodborne." Sebastian explained. Charlotte understood and nodded slightly. She glanced at the piles of mithril in the cave and asked indirectly. "Where are these mithril ultimately being transported to?" However, this time, Gikode trembled more violently than ever. His eyes rolled back, his whole body convulsed, veins bulging on his face, his throat making gurgling sounds, and his aura began to rapidly destabilize. Not good! Charlotte''s expression changed slightly. This was a direct touch on the deepest taboo of the soul contract, a sign of contract backlash! In an instant, she flashed in front of Gikode, placing her hand on his forehead, attempting to counteract the restraints of his soul. However, it was already too late. "These mithril... are to be sent to... Castell''s..." Gikode convulsed a few more times, his eyes losing their luster, and he fell to the ground, dead. Charlotte''s eyes darkened. The soul contract on Gikode was more domineering than she had imagined; just a slight delay had already resulted in his death. "It''s a true soul contract of the bloodbornes, one of the most domineering soul contracts in Myria." The black cat Nice stepped forward, solemnly stating. "Yes, I''ve heard of such contracts too, said to be as notorious as the Servant''s Final Oath." Sebastian nodded solemnly. Nice: ... The black cat''s expression froze. Sebastian, unaware he had touched on a sensitive topic, muttered in confusion: "To sign such a true soul contract... Even as an exile, he is still a proud Vad¨¢llat. What did the Nez clan offer him?" Puzzled, Sebastian shook his head and respectfully said to Charlotte: "Master, it seems that the final destination of this mithril is the key to the Nez clan''s scheme." "The Nez clan''s headquarters are already quite close to Castell. It appears they have taken advantage of the Castell family''s decline to extend their influence deep into the county." Charlotte nodded slightly, sharing the same judgment as Sebastian. It was clear that Gikode, as an exile, had been recruited by the Nez clan. Although his various reactions and answers didn''t directly resolve her doubts, they indicated that the hidden force influencing the local nobles'' attitudes towards her was likely the Nez clan. The Nez clan had infiltrated Castell and might have even co-opted some of the local nobility. They were probably plotting something in Castell. Thinking of this, Charlotte narrowed her eyes slightly. It seemed she needed to pay extra attention to the upcoming banquet in a few days and clean up the traitors within her ranks. We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now Moreover, the Nez clan... Charlotte''s eyes flashed. "Sebastian, when we return, thoroughly investigate the flow of mithril in the territory over the past few years, especially in the black market." Although Gikode was dead, he had pointed Charlotte in the right direction. Finding out where the mithril went might reveal the Nez clan''s secrets. The usually reclusive Nez clan''s uncharacteristic intervention in Castell might be tied to a secret they were plotting. And that... was definitely not just because Castell produced mithril! "At your command." Sebastian said, placing his right hand over his chest. After speaking, he approached Gikode''s body, retrieved the cursed page he held, and searched his pockets. With Gikode dead, the last dragon scales on his face had fallen off. When Sebas turned him over, a pale, handsome face was revealed. Seeing this face, the kneeling young werewolf, Noah, couldn''t help but exclaim: "Ah! He is the chief steward of the mining workshop! He is Sir Kode, the chief steward of the mining workshop!" The chief steward of the mining workshop? Charlotte glanced at the young werewolf, her mind stirred. As Castell''s biggest money-maker, the appointment of the mining workshop''s chief steward required a vote by all the nobles with dividend rights, with the final decision made by the Count of Castell. Of course, the count''s title had been vacant for many years. Although Charlotte had been the titular young count for over a decade, her father had died in battle without naming her as his successor. Before she took over, her grandmother had interfered in the management of the county and was not recognized by the territory''s nobles. Her grandmother had clearly given up control of Castell County, likely not participating in the appointment of the steward, leaving this power entirely in the hands of the territorial nobles. In other words, Gikode''s appointment as steward indicated that the nobles of Castell had been infiltrated more deeply than Charlotte had imagined. "Master, your gospel page." Sebastian said, respectfully presenting the gospel page with both hands. Charlotte nodded slightly, taking it with satisfaction and was surprised to find a small, exquisite wooden box with intricate thorny rose patterns along with the gospel page. It was the same thorny rose pattern Charlotte had casually drawn when deciding her holy symbol... But she was sure the pattern on the wooden box had nothing to do with her. Considering the origin of the thorny rose pattern, this should be an item from the Coria Kingdom. "This was found on Gikode, tightly held to his chest, possibly containing key information." Sebastian said respectfully. Charlotte nodded and opened the wooden box. The next second, a melodious tune started playing from the box, and two lifelike mechanical dolls appeared, dancing gracefully to the music. Charlotte and the others were stunned; it turned out to be a music box. The music box didn''t contain any information, only a luxurious badge and a carefully folded, yellowed parchment. Charlotte first examined the badge, which was a shield-shaped emblem depicting a fierce dragon. "This should be Gikode''s family crest. He was likely a noble in Coria." Sebastian surmised. Charlotte nodded, put away the badge, and picked up the parchment, discovering it was an unsent letter. She opened it and read. "To my beloved Cici, As I write you this letter, I am far from home, in the deep of night when I miss you the most. At this moment, you are all I can think of. Knowing you have been my luck, and the longer I spend with you, the stronger my attachment grows. I long for your warm embrace, passionate kisses, romantic walks, and the happiness of being with you... My love, I have successfully suppressed the backlash of the black dragon''s power... Wait for my return. Once I fulfill my agreement with Nez, I will return to Coria and reclaim what belongs to us. All glory to Fekte! Yours, Gikode." After reading the letter, Charlotte put it away, feeling a bit emotional. It seemed Gikode was a bloodborne with a story, but unfortunately, he ultimately lost himself in the black dragon''s power, unable to remember who he was. "Sebas, have you heard of Fekte?" Charlotte asked, thinking of the name mentioned in the letter. "Fekte? It sounds like the previous royal family''s surname in the Coria Kingdom, but they were overthrown many years ago." Sebastian replied with a frown. Then he curiously asked. "Master, what did the letter say?" "It''s not information, just Gikode''s private letter. Perhaps his exile was related to political struggles in the Coria Kingdom." Charlotte said, handing the letter to Sebastian. Sebas read it and sighed. "It seems he was a bloodborne supporting the previous royal family in Coria, possibly in love with a noble lady of the royal family. Cici... could she be Princess Cici of the former Coria royal family?" Charlotte''s heart stirred. "Is the Fekte family human?" "Yes, at least the vast majority are." Sebastian replied, handing back the letter. "Bloodbornes and humans in love..." Charlotte said thoughtfully. She didn''t discard Gikode''s belongings but instead kept them properly. Then, Charlotte looked at the still-kneeling living corpses in the cave. Estimating that the bloodborne girl Agnes on the other side of the Book of the Dead had likely been drained, Charlotte chose not to use the Book''s power but instead called upon the divine power of blood, softly sighing: "Your suffering... is over." She opened her arms slightly, and delicate crimson light spread throughout the cave. The living corpses trembled slightly, the ghostly green flames in their eye sockets flickering with more life. They all bowed to Charlotte, their bodies disintegrating into piles of bones. As a breeze blew, Charlotte saw the souls of the miners slowly ascend and dissipate. The living corpse miners, as forsaken beings, were not typical undead. Their souls had been desecrated, losing their sanctity and unable to return to the realm of the gods. For them, returning to the earth was the best fate... Young werewolf Noah, watching the dispersing living corpse miners, looked sorrowful. He pursed his lips and said sadly. "I didn''t expect the chief steward of the mining workshop to be the mastermind..." "So, the black dragon my brother believed in, the truth was like this..." Black dragon? Charlotte and Sebastian exchanged a curious glance. Niss chuckled lightly. "Black dragon? Hey, little Noah, he wasn''t the black dragon your brother saw." "Your brother likely didn''t lie to you. There was indeed a dragon here, and it was a black dragon." "The power of the black dragon... Just think, where did his black dragon power come from?" Chapter 178: I am the Countess of Castell "Dragon''s power?"Noah looked a bit confused. Charlotte glanced at Gikode''s corpse and said: "The shapeshifting technique of the bloodborne''s wild resonance requires the target''s blood. The reason he could transform into a dragon is that he drank the blood of a living dragon." "In other words, he encountered the black dragon your brother saw and successfully obtained its blood." Noah still seemed a bit bewildered, but Charlotte didn''t continue explaining. After all, although they were traveling with the young werewolf now, she might consider erasing part of his memory when they parted ways. Noah had seen her power. Although it seemed that the demi-humans had some inexplicable connection with the Bloodborne True Ancestor, and Sebastian had mentioned that the werewolf Luff was trying to spread faith among the demi-human miners in the Castell mines, it was unwise to expose too many secrets in front of too many people until she could ensure the loyalty of the demi-humans. However, Noah didn''t dwell on this issue for long. The revelation that Gikode was the mastermind behind the mine made him think of more things, and his expression became more complex. "In recent years, many of the new managers in the mine were appointed by Mr. Kode, including Mr. Mael, who was friendly with Grandpa Logan and always helped us..." "Could it be that the mine turning a blind eye to us bringing in unofficial miners was to convert those strong miners into undead?" Charlotte sighed. "I''m afraid that''s exactly it." Noah fell silent. "Let''s go. Now that we know the truth, it''s time to leave." Charlotte said, glancing around the cave. After a moment, she added. "Luff, bring Gikode''s body with us." Luff silently nodded, obediently slinging Gikode''s body over his shoulder and standing respectfully behind Charlotte. After witnessing Charlotte''s power, his attitude towards her completely changed. If his previous attitude could be described as respectful and grateful, now it seemed to have deepened with something more profound: awe, fervor, and a hint of curiosity. He was curious about Charlotte''s true identity, wondering if she might be a messenger of the great True Ancestor of Blood walking among mortals. After all, such overwhelming regal authority was not something an ordinary bloodborne could possess! "Just the body? Aren''t we taking the mithril too?" Nice looked eagerly at the mountain of mithril in the depths of the cave, rubbing his paws expectantly. "Lady Charlotte, I''ve never seen so much mithril in my life! Even though it''s unrefined ore, it must be worth at least a million gold tana." "No need." Charlotte shook her head. "With the commotion we caused, the mine authorities must have already been alerted. Let the mining workshop handle it." "The mining workshop?" Nice was surprised. Charlotte nodded slightly. "Specialized work should be done by professionals. I have no use for raw mithril ore, what I need is the refined mithril and the gold tana from its sale." "Of course..." Her eyes glinted. "Before they can work again, I need to ensure they understand who the true master of the Castell Mining Workshop is." Nice''s eyes lit up instantly at Charlotte''s words. "Are we going to storm the mining workshop''s headquarters?" "Hehe... Hehehe! Let''s go, let''s go! I love doing this sort of thing! I can''t wait to see their faces when they find out your true identity!" "True... true identity?" Hearing Nice, Noah glanced at Charlotte, looking even more puzzled. Everything that happened today had been too shocking for him. Especially the moment when everyone instinctively knelt before "Resa." He had begun to sense the respect his companions had for "Resa." "Resa''s" identity was definitely not just "Barce''s" sister, or rather... "Resa" and "Barce" might both be aliases. Moreover, upon leaving the cave, Noah noticed that even Uncle Lulf''s attitude towards "Resa" seemed to have changed. He became more silent but never took his eyes off "Resa." This only made Noah more curious. Who was "Resa" really? Noah wanted to ask, but the earlier command to "kneel" still echoed in his mind, deterring him from speaking. Though curious, he dared not ask. Their original path had been blocked by Gikode. But that was not a problem for them. The obstacle was merely a hidden stone door, which the most powerful Sebastian easily destroyed, creating a way back. The journey back was much quicker since they now knew the way. However, upon returning to the outer mining area, they found not a single miner in sight. The mining site was in disarray, with tools scattered as if their owners had left in a hurry. "Where... where are the people?" The young werewolf looked around, confused and puzzled. Charlotte was equally surprised. But seeing the stones on the ground that seemed to have fallen from the cave''s ceiling, she quickly guessed what had happened. "Perhaps the commotion we caused scared them into thinking the mine was collapsing, prompting an emergency evacuation." Sebastian, a peak Silver Moon, had immense destructive power. Even though he had restrained his strength, the battle with the dragon-transformed Gikode had been intense enough to shake the mine like an earthquake. Miners, fearing a collapse, would have evacuated immediately. As if to confirm her guess, when they exited the mine and reached the entrance, they saw a crowd of miners outside, peering anxiously toward the mine entrance. The area around the mine entrance was cordoned off. Sebastian glanced at the guards maintaining order and the manager in the Castell Mining Workshop uniform and smiled slightly at Charlotte. S?a??h the N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "Master, it seems we don''t need to visit them specially." The group emerging from the mine naturally drew everyone''s attention. Among them, the old werewolf Logan, who was negotiating with the workshop manager, noticed them and beamed with joy. "Noah! Luff! You''re alive!" "Grandpa Logan!" Noah, equally delighted, looked like he had found a family member. Charlotte''s gaze, however, fell on the workshop manager next to Logan. Unlike other managers, this one was dressed more elaborately, even wearing a family crest on his chest. He was a noble. And likely a senior manager. We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now Charlotte could also sense a considerable extraordinary aura from him. This senior manager was a Starry Sky extraordinary individual. Charlotte was scrutinizing the senior manager of the workshop, who was also warily watching them. Soon, Charlotte noticed someone whispering into the senior manager''s ear, and his expression instantly changed. His face turned cold as he narrowed his eyes at Charlotte and her group. "So you are the extraordinaries who infiltrated the mine to steal mithril..." "Hmph! Guards, seize them!" At the senior manager''s command, more than fifty guards clad in chainmail, armed with swords and shields, swarmed around Charlotte and her companions as they exited the mine. Their movements were precise and coordinated, clearly well-trained. Noticing the black eagle emblem of the Castell family on the guards'' chests, Charlotte nodded to herself. Her family was indeed formidable. At least, the guards stationed at the mine were quite competent, and the proportion of extraordinaries among them was high. Moreover, the two leading guards were obviously captains and were also First Tier extraordinaries, although only at the initial stage. Seeing the mine guards mobilize, the old werewolf Logan was stunned. "Manager, isn''t there some kind of mistake?" "Mistake? Logan, I have received a report that these people are not miners but extraordinaries trying to steal mithril!" Beside the senior manager, Manager Mael, who had always been helpful to the demi-human miners, spoke coldly. He pointed at Charlotte and Sebastian in the crowd. "Look at them, do they look like werewolf miners? They are clearly disguised humans and elves! A human-elf combination is typical of mercenaries; these people must be mercenaries from the Eastern Yunette Blacklands!" Although Logan had suspected that Sebastian and Charlotte had concealed their identities, he was still taken aback to find that they had changed their species. However, seeing Noah and Luff next to Charlotte, he couldn''t help but try to speak up. "Manager, Noah and Luff..." "No need to say more." The senior manager raised a hand to stop Logan, giving him a cold glance. "We are being merciful by not pursuing your demi-human tribe for bringing intruders into the mine. These two werewolves are clearly accomplices of the intruders and must be captured along with them!" With that, he ordered the guards surrounding Charlotte and the others. "What are you waiting for? Seize them!" The guards charged at Charlotte and her companions, but Sebastian moved faster. He instantly appeared before the guards, easily lifting the two leading First Tier extraordinaries like chickens and then throwing them aside. Before the other guards could react, the two extraordinaries were thrown four or five meters away, landing heavily. The remaining guards immediately halted. "Si...Silver Moon!" Their eyes widened as they warily watched Sebastian, taking a few steps back. The senior manager''s expression changed. He shouted. "Towers! Level two alert!" At his command, Charlotte saw the watchtowers around the mine shift, and the guards started aiming several large, dark devices at them. Her eyes twitched, and with her bloodborne vision, she quickly recognized them as stone-throwers, seemingly magically modified and operated by a few mage apprentices. Clearly, these stone-throwers were designed to combat higher-tier extraordinaries. Additionally, some guards pushed forward several heavy crossbows, their large bolts aimed directly at Charlotte and her group. Charlotte noticed magical runes on the crossbows, indicating they were not ordinary and was also likely designed for extraordinaries. She even sensed the presence of a Silver Moon. One of the operators was a Silver Moon mage! It was clear that, although the highest-ranking guards stationed at the mine were only at the Starry Sky tier, the mine was prepared for an attack by a Silver Moon enemy. Seeing this, Noah was visibly frightened, but Charlotte remained calm. "Nice, time to work." She called to the black cat. "Hehe, got it!" Nice jumped to Sebastian''s side, waved his paw human-like, and the magical runes on the stone-throwers and crossbows began to flicker. Then... they exploded. The surrounding mage apprentices and guards exclaimed in surprise, and when they recovered, the stone-throwers and crossbows were already destroyed. "High... high-level elemental resonance?!" The only Silver Moon mage in the crowd couldn''t help but exclaim in shock and disbelief. "Luff." Charlotte signaled to the werewolf with her eyes. Luff nodded, stepped forward, and threw Gikode''s body at the guards'' feet. "Sir Kode!" Seeing Gikode''s corpse, the senior manager was horrified. Then, his expression turned even darker. "You killed Sir Kode; are you declaring war on the Castell family?!" "Haha, declaring war on the Castell family?" Sebastian sneered. He glanced back at Charlotte, who nodded at him. Receiving the signal, Sebastian stepped forward again. He snapped his fingers, and his worn miner''s clothes transformed into an elegant and formal Castell family butler''s suit. Sebastian then elegantly took out a black eagle emblem from his pocket and displayed it to everyone, speaking clearly: "I am Sebastian Flameheart, the butler of Countess Charlotte de Castell." "The chief steward of Castell Mining Workshop colluded with external forces, harming family property. After investigation, the evidence is conclusive, and he has been executed." The butler of Countess Castell? The miners and guards were stunned. They were familiar with the Castell family uniform and emblem. Seeing Sebastian''s appearance, the crowd began to buzz. The senior manager''s expression shifted. He frowned and said. "Who are you really? How dare you impersonate the countess'' butler?!" "Of course, he is the butler of Countess Castell." From behind Sebastian, Charlotte''s clear voice rang out. The senior manager''s gaze shifted to Charlotte. His eyes flickered with vigilance. "And you... who are you?" Charlotte stepped forward, gently touching a magic ring on her finger. A glow surrounded her, and her worn miner''s clothes disappeared, replaced by a black and red gothic noble dress. She elegantly smoothed her golden hair, her doll-like face beautiful and her sapphire eyes sparkling like stars. "I am the Countess, Charlotte de Castell." Chapter 179: Seize him! "Countess Castell? She is the Countess of Castell?!""Could it be that the Countess has already arrived in Castell?" "The Northern Eagle emblem, indeed it''s the family crest of the Castell family, and she does have the distinctive blonde hair and blue eyes..." "Her appearance too, I''ve heard the Castell family has a bit of elven blood and is known as the family favored by the Goddess of Beauty. The rumors seem true..." "No wonder... No wonder there''s an elven butler." "But isn''t the Countess supposed to be sixteen years old? She looks... no more than twelve or thirteen." "Could it be... also because of the elven bloodline?" Charlotte''s self-revealing statement instantly set off a commotion throughout the mining site, throwing everyone into a frenzy. In the lowland plains of the Northern Territory, Castell was like the sky, an uncrowned king. With Charlotte''s revelation, all eyes were focused on her, and the murmurs grew louder. The truth cannot be faked, and the fake cannot be made true. A highly skilled elven butler, the genuine Castell emblem, along with her distinctive appearance, luxurious noble attire, and mysterious noble demeanor¡ªall these convinced many on the spot. Young werewolf Noah was utterly stunned. His eyes widened, mouth agape, almost big enough to fit a goose egg. He had imagined every possible hidden identity for Resa, but never had he thought she would be the legendary Countess of Castell! The richest young Countess of the Crescent Kingdom, the ruler of the northern lowlands, a saint walking the mortal realm, the daughter of the god-king Harald... By the ancestors! He had met the legendary Countess of Castell and had even chatted with her casually! Was he dreaming?! Noah felt dizzy, as if he had been joking around with someone for a long time and suddenly realized the person was the leader of the country. It was absurd and disorienting. Of course... there was also a sense of delight. He knew the Countess of Castell! He had even gone on an adventure with her before! Noah realized that if this was all true, today''s experience would be something he could boast about for the rest of his life. It wasn''t just young Noah who was shocked; the old werewolf Logan in the crowd was equally astonished. This old miner who had personally brought Charlotte and her group into the mining site never expected that the person he brought in was such a significant figure! But the most affected were the guards surrounding Charlotte and her group. After hearing Charlotte''s words, they too were shocked and soon fell into a commotion. One guard after another began to sheath their weapons, starting with one and then followed by a second, a third... Even the two leading officers, looked hesitant, exchanged glances, and slowly lowered their weapons. Seeing this, the senior manager''s expression completely changed. He eyed Charlotte with suspicion and a hint of panic. However, his expression quickly turned resolute. He gritted his teeth and sternly shouted: "How dare you! Impersonating the Countess!" "The Countess is clearly in Northport, how could she be here in the Silver Mine City?" "The emblem she carries must have been stolen from Lord Kode! She''s a fake!" "Guards! Do not be deceived by her!" Hearing the senior manager''s words, the doubtful guards hesitated once more. However, none immediately raised their weapons again. Such was the power of Castell''s name. While these guards were indeed supposed to obey orders, they primarily served as guards of Castell''s direct territory, loyal not to the mining managers but to the Castell family. Seeing this, the senior manager was furious. He gritted his teeth and barked at the two officers. "Raymond, Fray! Don''t forget your duties!" The two officers hesitated. "Raymond! Fray!" The senior overseer angrily repeated. The two officers exchanged another glance, gritted their teeth, and commanded the surrounding guards. "Guards, take up your weapons, and surround them!" But after giving this order, they both respectfully bowed to Charlotte and her group. "Sir... even with the Castell family emblem, it might not be enough to prove your identity. Forgive us, but we cannot stand down from our defense." "If you truly are the Countess, once your identity is confirmed, we will accept any punishment!" Sebastian looked at the two officers in surprise and smiled at Charlotte. "Master, it seems... you do have some decent soldiers." Charlotte smiled and said. "The Castel silver mine is the family''s treasury. Those assigned here are naturally the elite of the elite." She then fiddled with the Castell emblem in her hand and muttered to herself. "However... it seems I''ll need a unique token of my own. There are just too many family emblems." "Heh, perhaps no previous countess has ever gone on an incognito visit without even a noble retainer." Nice chuckled from the side. This entire conversation was conducted openly, without any concealment. Although the guards remained on alert, hearing Charlotte and her group''s conversation, they seemed further convinced of their identity, and their weapons lowered slightly. Even the two officers stood more upright subconsciously. Seeing this, the senior manager''s expression grew even darker. His eyes flickered, and he whispered to the steward Mael beside him. "Quickly, go and summon Lord Remisio..." He then raised his head and continued to shout at Charlotte, who was surrounded. "You... don''t move! Until your true identity is verified, you are not to move! Otherwise... we will shoot!" Sebastian glanced disdainfully at the heavy crossbows and sneered. He turned to Charlotte and smiled. "Master, it seems he''s trying to call for reinforcements again and is even threatening us with arrows!" "Let him call." Charlotte was indifferent, smiling as she said. "Perfect, we can resolve the mithril mine issue thoroughly." With that, she gave Sebastian a look, and Sebastian immediately understood. With a snap of his fingers, he summoned a noble chair from his storage space and placed it behind Charlotte with respectful elegance. After Charlotte naturally sat down, he then respectfully summoned milk and a goblet. Fortunately, Charlotte stopped him in time with a "not this one," preventing an awkward scene of her drinking milk from a goblet. In private, it didn''t matter much. But with so many people watching, she didn''t want to do that. It felt awkward. Sebastian quickly got the hint and replaced the milk with tea and the goblet with a beautifully carved porcelain cup from the Far East. This time, Charlotte naturally accepted it and took a light sip. While sipping her tea, she didn''t forget to chat with the surrounding guards and officers. "Which one of you is Raymond? Which one is Fray? From which family?" We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now The two officers were visibly flattered and respectfully replied. "I am Raymond." "I am Fray." "Madam, we are not nobles but commoners." Their nervous and respectful posture, looking more like protectors than attackers, created a rather bizarre scene. The senior manager''s face grew increasingly grim. Charlotte, however, appeared somewhat surprised and smiled, saying: "An awakened from a civilian background? Impressive!" "Once this incident is resolved, come back to the Count''s estate and serve as my personal guards." Hearing Charlotte''s words, the two officers became visibly excited. While being an officer in the mine might offer plenty of perks, following a noble lord as a personal guard knight presented the chance to become a true noble! They almost instinctively wanted to bow, but noticing the senior manager''s expression, they quickly realized the inappropriateness of their action and suppressed their excitement, straightening their faces again. Just then, another commotion erupted from the crowd in the distance, with the faint sound of disciplined marching footsteps. Charlotte''s interest was piqued. She handed the porcelain cup to Sebastian and looked toward the source of the noise. The crowd parted, and a well-equipped troop of soldiers marched in. They were all extraordinary individuals, clad in enchanted steel plate armor. These were the kingdom''s regular army, the ones stationed at the Castell Silver Mine. The kingdom''s soldiers took positions on either side, and then a tall, fully-armored knight arrived, surrounded by a group of knights. He appeared to be in his forties, tall and imposing, with a hooked nose and a harsh countenance. The sight of this middle-aged knight caused another stir among the onlookers. "It''s Viscount Remisio! Commander of the Third Detachment of the First Legion!" "The commander stationed at the Castell Silver Mine?" S?a?ch* Th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "I heard he''s good friends with Manager Kode and is a Second Tier Silver Moon knight, just one step away from Blazing Sun..." "Oh no, won''t this spell trouble for the Countess?" "Keep your voice down. It''s not certain she''s the Countess yet..." The miners discussed in low voices, and many seemed fearful at the sight of the fearsome and respected commander of the kingdom''s forces at the mine. "What happened here?" The middle-aged knight asked, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. The senior manager visibly relaxed upon seeing him. He quickly approached, gave a flattering bow, and then said angrily. "Sir Remisio... someone is impersonating our Countess and has cruelly murdered Manager Kode!" He then tearfully continued. "You are Manager Kode''s friend and a collaborator of the workshop. Please, you must avenge him!" "Oh? Impersonating the Countess of Castell and killing Kode? Who is bold enough to do this?" The middle-aged knight''s expression turned dangerous. "It''s them!" The senior manager pointed to Charlotte and her group, who were surrounded by guards. The middle-aged knight''s gaze immediately locked onto Charlotte and her companions. Sensing his aura, which was no weaker than his own, and the well-equipped kingdom soldiers ready to engage, Sebastian''s expression became serious. He stepped forward to shield Charlotte. "An elf?" The middle-aged knight seemed surprised to see Sebastian. But his gaze quickly returned to Charlotte, squinting slightly. At the same time, the kingdom soldiers raised their weapons, poised for action. The atmosphere, once relatively calm, became tense and hostile. "Sir Remisio, it''s her! She even slandered Manager Kode, accusing him of colluding with outsiders!" The senior manager cried out. "Sir Remisio, you know that Manager Kode has always been diligent and is a great benefactor to the Castell family! This impostor not only killed him but also bewitched our Castell soldiers. As a knight of the kingdom, you must uphold justice for the Castell family!" The senior manager''s cries caused another stir among the onlookers. He was evidently seeking to have the kingdom''s forces directly suppress the girl, who might be the Countess of Castell. "This... the manager wants the kingdom''s military to intervene?" "Isn''t that inappropriate? It gives the military a chance to interfere in the County''s affairs." "What is the manager thinking?" "This is really bad... I''ve heard Viscount Remisio acts without scruples, guided by his whims. If the Countess can''t immediately prove her identity, she might be in real danger..." The onlookers continued their discussions, and among them, the old werewolf Logan''s expression shifted. He glanced at Noah and Luff, then looked closely at Charlotte, who remained elegantly seated and extraordinarily calm. His eyes flickered with thought. After a brief hesitation, the old werewolf Logan gritted his teeth and suddenly shouted. "I... I can testify! She is the Countess!" "The Countess has come in disguise to investigate the truth about the depletion of the mithril mine! That''s why she didn''t bring any other nobles with her!" Logan''s words left the onlooking miners stunned. They instinctively stepped back from him. For a moment, all eyes were on the old werewolf, even Viscount Remisio looked intrigued. "Logan! You ungrateful scoundrel! What nonsense are you spouting?!" The senior manager''s expression changed, and he angrily cursed. "Guards! What are you standing around for? Arrest this werewolf who is colluding with outsiders!" He commanded the guards. But when the senior steward turned back, he was taken aback. The Castell guards had not acted but instead stood in front of Charlotte, warily eyeing the kingdom''s regular army. "Raymond! Fray! What are you doing? Have you gone mad?" The senior manager shouted. The two guard officers glanced at Viscount Remisio and coldly said. "Sir Manager, have you lost your mind?" "Regardless of whether this is indeed the Countess, the affairs of Castell... cannot be interfered with by other kingdom nobles!" Witnessing this, the old werewolf Logan''s spirit lifted, and he grew bolder. "People! That is the Countess! The Countess is here to reform the mine!" "Come, stand with me! Protect the Countess with the guards! We can''t let these kingdom soldiers harm the Countess!" With that, he was the first to act, charging out of the crowd and standing with Charlotte and the guards. Some sharp miners quickly followed suit, picking up mining tools and rushing towards the mine entrance. In an instant, the mine was clearly divided into two factions, creating a highly dramatic scene. The senior manager stood there, dumbfounded as he watched the Castell guards and many miners quickly switch sides in the presence of the kingdom''s troops. Trembling, he exclaimed. "Treason! This is treason!" "Sir Viscount! These people have been completely bewitched! Please help the Castell family suppress these traitors!" Hearing the senior manager''s words, Sebastian''s expression tightened. "Master, this viscount... is likely on their side as well." He said cautiously, watching the middle-aged knight. However, when Sebastian looked at Charlotte, he found her expression still calm. Not just calm, but with a slight smile as she looked at the middle-aged knight. Sebastian was momentarily taken aback. Then he saw Charlotte rise from her seat and walk forward. The guards and miners hesitated but stepped aside at her signal. Standing before the crowd, Charlotte calmly looked at the emotionless middle-aged knight and suddenly smiled. "Viscount Remisio, long time no see. You still look as imposing as ever." "After all these years, how is Lady Camille''s health?" Hearing Charlotte''s words, the middle-aged knight''s eyes narrowed further. Then his expression turned cold. "Seize this offender who dares to impersonate a noble of the kingdom!" Viscount Remisio commanded. With his order, the senior manager breathed a sigh of relief, but the next moment, he was stunned to find the kingdom''s soldiers pointing their weapons at him. "Lord... Lord Remisio?" He stammered, bewildered, staring at the middle-aged knight. However, Viscount Remisio didn''t spare him a glance. Instead, he bowed slightly to Charlotte and said with a smile. "Countess Castell, it has been many years." Chapter 180: Truly deserving of the Countess title! "Countess Castell, it has been many years."Viscount Remisio gave a slight bow to Charlotte, looking at the graceful young girl with a smile. "I didn¡¯t expect that after so many years, you would now look just like your mother, Lady Annie... Hmm, beautiful." Charlotte: ... Why is it that every time someone tries to compliment her on growing up, they always look at her height and then subtly change their wording? So what if she¡¯s a bit petite and looks young? Had she known this, she wouldn¡¯t have absorbed the old witch¡¯s power while hanging on the cross back then. Even if she were to become a bloodborne, she should have waited until she developed a bit more! Listening to Viscount Remisio¡¯s subtle praise, Charlotte was filled with regret. Meanwhile, the senior manager of the mining workshop was completely panicked. "Sir Remisio, this isn¡¯t what we agreed on..." "What are you standing around for? Quickly take this criminal who slandered the kingdom¡¯s noble down!" Viscount Remisio looked at the soldiers with dissatisfaction and shouted. Following his order, the kingdom¡¯s soldiers roughly gagged the senior manager of the mining workshop and dragged him away. Charlotte¡¯s eyes followed the terrified senior manager disappearing into the soldiers, while Viscount Remisio bowed again. "Apologies, Countess Castell. I didn¡¯t know this man dared to act against the kingdom¡¯s nobility. I was deceived into believing he truly represented the Castell family." "Um... I just heard that the chief manager of the mining workshop, Kode, was executed by you for betraying the family?" Charlotte retracted her gaze and smiled slightly, saying: "Kode wasn¡¯t part of the Castell family. He was a spy planted by some covetous individuals. Over the years, he harmed miners, stole Castell¡¯s mithril, and falsely reported the depletion of the mine. His crimes were severe, and he has been duly punished." Charlotte¡¯s words weren¡¯t loud. However, they quickly caused a stir among the people. "What? The miners'' disappearances were related to Manager Kode?" "Ugh! These managers are utterly heartless!" "So the mithril mine hasn¡¯t run dry?" "I knew it! How could Castell¡¯s mine have problems when even the royal mines are fine?" Viscount Remisio also twitched. "Oh? So the Castel¡¯s mithril mine hasn¡¯t run dry?" "Of course." Charlotte nodded lightly. Viscount Remisio sighed in relief. "This is wonderful. The mines are always interconnected. You wouldn¡¯t believe the worry that spread through the capital when the news of Castell¡¯s mine depletion reached the king. It¡¯s a relief to know it was all a false alarm." "Yes, a false alarm indeed..." Charlotte sighed slightly, looking somewhat regretful. "I never expected that after being away from Castell County for so many years, so many parasites would emerge. Not only did they deceive everyone, but they even dared to attack me." "Attack you?!" Viscount Remisio seemed startled. "Who had the audacity to attack a kingdom¡¯s noble?" Charlotte shook her head and sighed. S?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "It was many days ago. I was ambushed before entering the County. Fortunately, a strong guardian was with me, allowing us to turn the tables..." She continued with some displeasure. "Looking back, those who ambushed me were probably connected to these traitors. They didn''t want me to return to Castell County and even tried to frame Prince Philip. It¡¯s truly despicable!" "Prince Philip?" Hearing a certain name, Viscount Remisio perked up. Despite his fierce appearance, his upright ears and eager expression made him look like a gossip uncle. "Yes, they slandered Prince Philip, claiming he was behind the attack on me..." Charlotte said with some resentment. After saying this, she sighed and stopped mentioning it. "It¡¯s all in the past now, no need to embarrass yourself further." Viscount Remisio, however, was clearly intrigued by what Charlotte left unsaid. He looked like he was itching to hear more gossip but couldn¡¯t force her to continue. "Um... Countess, since the truth is clear now, I won¡¯t delay your handling of family affairs any longer. I¡¯ll visit again once things settle down." Viscount Remisio scratched his head and said. "Of course, thank you for your timely arrival today and for helping to suppress these miscreants." Charlotte smiled. "Haha, if you need any assistance, just call me. I¡¯m stationed right outside Silver Mine City. It¡¯s no trouble at all to help deal with a few traitors." Viscount Remisio laughed. After giving another noble salute to Charlotte, he hurriedly left with the well-equipped kingdom soldiers. Charlotte withdrew her gaze from the departing soldiers and looked at the guards of the mine. This time, the guards didn¡¯t hesitate. Led by two officers, hundreds of guards knelt on one knee before Charlotte, their voices echoing in the night. "Greetings, Countess!" Simultaneously, among the gathered workshop managers, some also knelt. "Greetings, Countess!" At this moment, no one doubted Charlotte¡¯s true identity. Charlotte¡¯s gaze swept over the kneeling crowd, finally landing on the many managers who were pale, retreating, and even trying to hide among the crowd. Her eyes turned cold, and she issued her first order after regaining control of the mine¡¯s guards. "Guards, seize these family traitors!" Following Charlotte¡¯s command, the mine guards immediately sprang into action, swiftly capturing the managers attempting to flee and bringing them before Charlotte. There were over thirty people. The managers looked ashen, terrified, and despaired, with many wetting themselves and begging for mercy. Charlotte looked at them coldly. "Take them away and lock them up!" "Yes." The guards saluted respectfully and escorted the managers away, eliciting cheers from the surrounding miners. Normally, the mine¡¯s managers were oppressive and bullying, so seeing them in trouble delighted the miners. Especially after hearing that the managers were involved in the miners¡¯ disappearances. After dealing with the obviously problematic workshop managers, Charlotte looked at the remaining managers. "Which of you holds the highest position here?" "Y-Your Excellency, that would be me." An elderly steward stepped forward, trembling. "What is your name?" "I-I¡¯m Hank, Hank de Leon-Castell, senior manager of the mining workshop, in charge of logistics." The old manager answered respectfully. Leon-Castell? A relative of Baron Sharon? Charlotte raised an eyebrow. After a moment of contemplation, she said: "The management of the Castell Mining Workshop has been seriously derelict in their duties. As of today, all managerial positions are revoked. From now on, my steward, Sebastian, will handle all affairs of the mining workshop." She glanced at the old werewolf Logan in the crowd and continued. "Werewolf miner Logan, for his meritorious service in assisting the family during this crisis and given his extensive experience in mining, is hereby promoted to senior manager of the workshop, assisting Sebastian in managing the affairs." Upon hearing this, everyone''s eyes turned to the old werewolf. Their expressions ranged from shock and envy to confusion and excitement. Some miners regretted not being the one to shout "Protect the Countess!" earlier and were extremely envious of Logan''s luck. The old werewolf was momentarily stunned, seemingly not expecting such a surprise. He quickly regained his composure, his face beaming with excitement, and bowed to Charlotte. "Logan¡­ at your service! Logan¡­ will not disappoint the Countess!" "As for the rest of you..." We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now Charlotte''s gaze shifted to the remaining managers. "You are temporarily suspended pending review. During this suspension, you will undergo a family investigation. Those who pass the investigation may continue to assist Sebastian and Logan in managing the workshop. The review period will be three months, and those who qualify may resume their managerial positions." "Hank, you will be the chief responsible manager during this period of suspended management. You will assist Sebastian and Logan in familiarizing themselves with the workshop''s operations. If you qualify, you may continue as a senior manager." The old manager trembled slightly and bowed respectfully. "Hank... obeys." Charlotte nodded slightly, raised her voice, and addressed the remaining managers. "Do any of you have any objections?" The managers looked at each other, lowering their heads. However, a different voice soon broke the silence. "I... I have an objection!" "Hmm?" Charlotte looked over and saw a young manager standing up. "What is your objection?" Charlotte narrowed her eyes. "The appointment of managers for the Castell Mining Workshop requires a vote by the noble council! Even if you are the Countess, you cannot make unilateral decisions!" The young manager spoke boldly. Charlotte raised an eyebrow and asked. "What is your name?" "I am Gerson de Lagrisse!" The young manager straightened his back and replied. Charlotte smiled. "A manager from the Lagrisse Viscount family..." In the next moment, her expression turned cold as she said. "Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. I have reason to believe that noble families are involved in the betrayal within the mines. Thus, I am temporarily reclaiming control of the mines." "Mr. Gerson, are you representing the Lagrisse family in opposing me? Or perhaps the Lagrisse family is involved in this deceit?" As she spoke, Charlotte''s eyes glinted, and a powerful aura emanated from her. Feeling the immense pressure, the young manager became visibly nervous. "I... I... no... not at all..." He hesitated, sweating profusely, and eventually sat back down. Charlotte continued to survey the managers, who now avoided her gaze. "This matter is settled. Sebastian, I want you to sort out the accounts of the mining workshop within three days and uncover any hidden issues. Also, compile a list of managers who can continue working in the workshop." "In addition, list the miners who have gone missing over the years and send compensation to their families in the name of the Castell family." "At your command." Sebas bowed slightly and performed a respectful yet graceful salute to Charlotte. After instructing Sebastian, Charlotte addressed the surrounding people. "From tomorrow, the Castell mines will be closed for three days for reorganization. If anyone has concerns or needs to report any wrongdoing within the workshop, you may directly report to Sebastian. Those who provide valuable information will be rewarded by the Castell family!" Hearing Charlotte''s words, the miners'' eyes lit up, and their breathing grew heavier as they glanced at the old werewolf Logan. "Alright, the matter is settled. Everyone, go home and rest." Charlotte''s gaze swept over the miners as she spoke. With that, she was the first to rise and leave the mine under the escort of the guards. Watching Charlotte''s gradually receding figure, the miners spoke with reverence. "Although the Countess is young, she has quite an imposing presence!" "And she''s so beautiful..." "Truly worthy of being the heir of the Castell family and the Holy Court''s saintess!" "..." ... "Are you... really the Countess of Castell?" In front of the mining workshop''s office, the young werewolf Noah looked at Charlotte, who had revealed her true appearance, and finally mustered the courage to ask. Even though he already knew the answer, it still felt like a dream to him. "Do I not look like it?" Charlotte smiled. "You do... no, I mean... not like... I mean..." Noah stammered, at a loss for words. Charlotte stopped teasing him and looked into his eyes, saying: "Noah, you must keep our adventure in the mines a secret. Do you understand?" As she spoke, her eyes glowed faintly red. The young werewolf appeared dazed. "Keep... a secret? What secret?" Charlotte smiled gently. "Nothing, just go home." She had erased part of his memory of their time in the mines, specifically the parts where she had taken action. After sending Noah off, Charlotte entered the workshop''s office. As soon as she entered the chief manager''s office, Sebastian followed and spoke in a low voice. "Master, that Viscount Remisio... took the senior manager away." Charlotte seemed unsurprised and nodded slightly. "I know." "Master, do you know Viscount Remisio? He seems to be involved in some workshop affairs and may have collaborated with Gikode. Yet, you don''t seem concerned... what''s going on?" Sebastian asked curiously. Charlotte sat down in the manager''s chair, and Sebastian immediately handed her a goblet of sweet milk. As she sipped the sweet milk, Charlotte explained. "I probably met Viscount Remisio a few times when I was young, but I don''t remember clearly. However, family records mention him." "Viscount Remisio has long been stationed as a kingdom military officer in the mines. My father worked with him extensively and compiled a lot of information. I reviewed it before coming to the territory." "He is a traditional Silver Moon noble with a beloved wife and a happy family. Despite his gruff nature, he has certain principles and dislikes trouble." "His viscounty has long suffered from the devastation of the Star-Moon War, leaving it impoverished, even destitute..." "To raise funds for his territory''s development, he often takes lucrative jobs. Stationing himself at the Castell silver mines also had this purpose. Years ago, my father provided him with many conveniences, so they are somewhat old acquaintances." "He might indeed be involved in some workshop matters, but probably only financially, and wouldn''t break ties with the Castell family over it." "Taking away the senior manager was likely due to some guilt, as he probably did some dirty work himself." "Perhaps he made some promises, but upon seeing you and me, he reevaluated his position and abandoned those promises." Sebastian nodded in understanding. "I see." However, he soon frowned. "Such a person... cannot be trusted deeply." "No need to. Such people are opportunists. Use them as needed." Charlotte said. Then, she smiled slightly. "For instance... I was thinking about how to trip up the Third Prince, and here''s an opportunity." "Hmm?" Sebas''s curiosity was piqued. Charlotte glanced at him, smiling. "Family records show that Viscount Remisio is a staunch supporter of the Second Prince." Meanwhile, at the kingdom''s military encampment near the Castell silver mines. As soon as Viscount Remisio entered the barracks, he hurriedly summoned his personal guards, eyes gleaming with excitement, and ordered. "Quick, find out what happened to the young Countess of Castell on her way to the territory!" Chapter 181: Return After sorting out matters at the mining workshop, Charlotte planned to return to the inn, accompanied by the werewolf Luff. Sebastian and Nice stayed behind at the workshop, with Charlotte leaving the management in their hands, the dog and cat would undoubtedly be busy over the next three days. Throughout the journey, Luff''s gaze never left Charlotte. He tried to speak several times but hesitated, clearly having many questions he wanted to ask. Charlotte was aware of what was bothering the werewolf and decided to address it directly, smiling as she asked. "Luff, is there something you want to ask?" With Charlotte initiating the conversation, Luff finally mustered the courage to speak. After carefully choosing his words, he cautiously asked. "Lady Charlotte, are you of the Royal Bloodline?" Instead of giving a direct answer, Charlotte responded with a smile. "What do you think?" s?a??h th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. This response, which was nearly an admission, energized Luff. Despite his prior suspicions, he couldn''t help but feel excited at this confirmation. "Royal Bloodline... So you really are of the Royal Bloodline! The Royal Bloodline has not vanished! It hasn¡¯t vanished!" He quickly began to mutter to himself. "Of course, with signs of the great True Ancestor''s revival, it makes sense that the descendants of the True Ancestor would also reappear..." Then, unable to contain his curiosity, Luff asked. "But if you are of the Royal Bloodline, how did you become the Saintess of the Holy Court?" Charlotte gently shook her head. "Saintess? I never said I was the Saintess of the Holy Court." Luff was momentarily stunned. Upon reflection, he realized that Charlotte had indeed never explicitly claimed to be the Saintess of the Holy Court. "However..." Charlotte continued, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. "The identity of the Saintess can be quite useful at times. Perhaps... occasionally using it isn¡¯t such a bad idea." Luff: ... "So... does that mean you are not a follower of the Holy Court?" He asked again. Charlotte glanced at him. "Back during the Sacred Judgment, I mentioned that you were all devout followers of the Holy Court. So... are you truly?" Luff hesitated. This was a question that had puzzled and intrigued him. Their Blood Wolf Tribe did not worship the Holy Lord Harald, but rather the "Evil God" Bloodborne True Ancestor, according to the Holy Court. Yet, they had not only escaped the Holy Court''s judgment but had even appeared as devout followers under the Sacred Judgment¡¯s scrutiny. Luff had always believed that it was the work of Charlotte, as the Saintess, who had saved them. But if she didn¡¯t follow the Holy Lord Harald, how had she managed it? Divine power can only be countered by divine power, a well-known truth in Myria. Twisting the outcome of the Sacred Judgment was not something ordinary divine magic could accomplish. Recalling his earlier conversation with Sebastian, Luff''s heart raced. Could it be... Could Lady Charlotte be the divine agent of the True Ancestor? It must be. Only a divine agent could alter the Sacred Judgment¡¯s results. Only a divine agent could exert such powerful royal authority! The Bloodborne Royalty were followers of the Bloodborne True Ancestor, but Lady Charlotte must be more than just a follower! "Lady Charlotte... Are you not the Holy Court''s Saintess, but the agent of the Bloodborne True Ancestor?" Luff asked, unable to contain himself. Charlotte laughed, her words filled with meaning. "Sir Luff, Sebastian has already told me the true reason you remained at the Castell Silver Mine." "I have high hopes for you. Please fulfill your goals well. Your faith... will not betray your loyalty." Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, Luff¡¯s spirit soared. At that moment, he had no more doubts. Indeed! Lady Charlotte must be the agent of the great True Ancestor, THEIR divine envoy! Seeing the werewolf''s slightly flushed face, Charlotte smiled gently, putting her finger to her lips like a mischievous little devil. "Oh, by the way, Sir Luff, today''s conversation must remain a secret." We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now ... Luff soon left, in a daze but filled with vigor. As he departed, his whole body brimmed with enthusiasm. He planned to return to the tribe and quickly attempt to spread the true faith of the great True Ancestor among the miners. Previously, he had hesitated, worrying that his actions might displease Charlotte and that their differing faiths might eventually cause a rift between him and his worldly lord. But now, he had no such concerns. Not only was she not an enemy, but she was also likely a forerunner in his faith! All along, they had to hide, even knowing that the True Ancestor had begun to revive, always being cautious of the Holy Court''s pursuit. But now, they no longer had to worry. Because the highest lord of Castell was one of them; the Countess of Castell was the True Ancestor''s agent! "Great True Ancestor! Luff will not fail your expectations. Luff will strive to spread your faith! May your glory fill the world and protect your people, ensuring their prosperity!" The excited werewolf prayed in his heart, dreaming of a bright future. Watching Luff leave, Charlotte felt a burden lifted from her heart. The werewolf was her follower, and any misunderstandings needed to be cleared up to avoid future mishaps. However, she did not plan to reveal her true identity to him. Even though his faith pointed to her, she still felt a strange guilt about directly accepting the identity of the "Bloodborne True Ancestor." Despite all signs suggesting that she currently occupied that position, for safety reasons, she preferred to keep her true identity a secret. Even with the [True Ancestor''s Liberation] power, she could only maintain her invincible state for a short time, so the fewer people who knew her secret, the better. Besides, there might also be an element of keeping some distance to maintain her mystique. Luff was a believer. While Sebastian and Nice were her followers, they were not strictly believers. Conversations with followers and believers were different. Charlotte was not yet ready to face her believers as an object of worship. After parting ways with Luff, Charlotte returned to the Redwood Inn. Entering the city with a grand escort of guards, she experienced the treatment of being surrounded by adoring subjects. The grandeur of her arrival even startled the elves at the front desk, who thought something significant had happened at the inn. It wasn''t until some well-informed individuals explained the recent events at the mining workshop that the long-eared proprietors of the inn relaxed. The elves quickly became excited, realizing that having the Countess of Castell stay at the Redwood Inn was tremendous publicity and an endorsement of their establishment. What could be a better advertisement than the lord personally staying there? The inn''s owner, a moon elf from Luna Island, even got up in the middle of the night to personally visit Charlotte, waiving her fees and generously offering many rare gifts from Luna Island. Their enthusiasm contrasted sharply with the aloof and indifferent demeanor often described in books about elves. It seemed that even the proud elves couldn''t resist the allure of absolute power and benefits. They were not as rigid and old-fashioned as the books depicted. Many elves engaged in commerce were, in fact, even more shrewd than humans. The following day, after learning about Charlotte''s arrival, the mayor of Silver Mine City led a group of officials to personally visit her. This did not surprise Charlotte. Silver Mine City was a direct domain of Castell, and a lord inspecting their territory was bound to attract attention. When Charlotte revealed her identity the previous night, she anticipated that the officials would come calling the next day. They seemed more like they were there to apologize than to pay a courtesy visit. The elderly mayor, appearing to be in his sixties or seventies, led the officials in kneeling before Charlotte and apologizing profusely. "Lord Amel, please rise. The mining workshop is managed by various families and is not directly under Silver Mine City''s jurisdiction. This matter does not concern you or the city officials." Charlotte said. This was true, as the Castell Silver Mine had long been used to garner support from various nobles. However, Charlotte didn''t fully believe that these officials were completely unaware of the mine''s issues. The secrecy surrounding the mithril mine suggested significant backing, possibly involving some of these officials. Nevertheless, Charlotte understood the need for experienced personnel to govern her territory. A complete overhaul would only lead to greater chaos. After reassuring the Silver Mine City officials, Charlotte announced that she would not accept further visits for the time being, particularly from nobles. Given the turmoil at the Castell Silver Mine, she knew that nobles would soon come rushing to clear their names. She had no intention of entertaining them before the Northport banquet, where she would formally meet with her territory''s nobles. In the following days, various family envoys arrived in Silver Mine City, seeking an audience with Charlotte. Listening to their pleas and declarations of loyalty, Charlotte chuckled. "They''re quick to cut ties, aren¡¯t they? Each one trying to distance themselves from the mining workshop incident." Of course, she met none of them. Messages were delivered through various means, including envoys shouting their innocence in the inn¡¯s lobby before being escorted out by guards. Charlotte instructed Sebastian to inform them that she suspected collusion between nobles and cultists and would not meet any nobles until the Northport banquet. Reading through the list Sebastian had compiled, Charlotte inquired. "Is this all the information we''ve gathered from the workshop managers?" "Yes, this is all. Apart from identifying which families might be backing them, the crimes are mostly pinned on minor players." Sebastian replied. "Even using the mind control you granted me, the managers seemed genuinely motivated by greed rather than orders. I suspect they were also under some mental influence. They were mere pawns, and the masterminds likely planned to abandon them." "Perhaps." Charlotte mused. "But even if these managers were expendable, the nobles still need them. If we can trace the connections back to the families, evidence or not, it¡¯s enough." After a few more days organizing the workshop, Charlotte left Silver Mine City, having replaced about two-thirds of the managers. Returning to Northport, she received important news: the Duke of Borde had passed away. Chapter 182: -------------- The Death of the Old Duke------------------------------ Borde City, Duke¡¯s Mansion. "Cough, cough, cough... cough, cough, cough..." The violent coughing echoed intermittently as the old Duke of Borde, Andre, lay in bed. He was a shadow of his former self, a far cry from the vibrant figure he had been a year ago. A lit incense in the brazier gently emitted pale blue smoke, mixing the aromas of spices and medicines. In the large bedroom, the windows were tightly shut, creating a cold and empty atmosphere. Only a long-serving maid remained to attend to the ailing Duke. "Duke, it¡¯s time for your medicine." The maid said respectfully, holding a tray. The old Duke opened his cloudy eyes and glanced at the tray, which held a silver vessel filled with black powder and a goblet of water. "What... what is this?" He asked hoarsely, his weak and slow voice sounding like it came from a rickety old carriage. "This is a secret elixir that Prince Philip found in ancient Eastern texts. It¡¯s made from the powder of a thousand-year-old mummy and Coria ointment, mixed with holy water from the church. It should help with your condition." The maid replied respectfully. "A mummy? Cough, cough, cough..." The old Duke''s voice rose slightly, and his coughing became more severe. "Duke..." The maid placed the tray by the bed and quickly stepped forward to help the Duke catch his breath. The Duke opened his mouth, taking a few difficult breaths, and weakly said. "Help... help me up." The maid supported the Duke''s arm, which was as frail as a withered branch, and with difficulty helped him sit up. Through the mercury mirror at the bedside, the Duke''s cloudy eyes reflected his own gaunt appearance and disheveled gray hair, his expression somewhat gloomy. He trembled as he opened his mouth, and the maid carefully mixed the black powder with the holy water, feeding it to him bit by bit. The "elixir" with a spicy aroma entered his throat, causing the Duke to cough violently again until he managed to swallow it with a few sips of holy water. As the elixir settled in his stomach, the Duke soon felt a warm strength gradually spreading through his body, revitalizing his increasingly decayed form. With a bit of strength restored, the Duke''s sluggish thoughts began to slowly turn. "You... you just said, who... who brought the prescription?" "Duke, it was His Highness Philip." The maid replied respectfully. "Phil... Philip? He''s... already here?" The Duke was taken aback. "Yes, Duke, His Highness Philip arrived last night. He is waiting outside with Lady Eleanor." The maid said. The Duke fell silent. After a long pause, he sighed and said in a hoarse voice. "Let them... come in." The bedroom door creaked open, sounding like decaying wood, as Prince Philip and Eleanor entered the room hand in hand. "Father Andre..." Prince Philip and his wife approached the bed and bowed respectfully to the old Duke. The Duke stared blankly at his daughter, whom he had not seen for many years. She seemed to have lost weight and the sparkle in her eyes was gone. Life in the royal family must have brought her immense pressure. The Duke felt a pang of guilt in his heart. Perhaps... he should not have arranged for his daughter to marry into the Crescent Royal Family. If not for that marriage, he could have found a son-in-law for her to continue the family lineage. If not for that marriage, his daughter could have stayed by his side, and he wouldn¡¯t be facing his final moments alone. But alas, there are no "ifs" in this world. When he discovered he had an illegitimate son, he had already forsaken his daughter. Perhaps this was the Lord''s punishment for him. His daughter became a pawn to solidify his rule, and now, he had lost both her and the heir he hoped for. The centuries-old Borde family might end with him. Thinking back to the tall figure who stormed out a year ago, a deep sadness flickered in the Duke''s eyes. He couldn''t quite describe his feelings now. Despair? Sadness? No... When the reality of his family''s extinction hit him, he found himself surprisingly calm. Maybe he was too tired to think anymore, or maybe he was simply worn out. Reflecting on his life, he remembered becoming Duke at fifteen during turbulent times, following the King into battle, defeating enemies in numerous wars. He had participated in countless battles and slain many foes. Soldiers of the Falling Star Kingdom trembled at his name, and the people of the Crescent Kingdom cheered his army. He was known as the greatest Duke Borde had seen in a thousand years, Lion Andre. He had his moments of glory, commanding immense power and respect, with even the King seeking his counsel. Yet, in his quest to gain more influence through war, he depleted the family¡¯s centuries-old resources. By empowering the nobility for support during his campaigns, he gradually lost control over his territory. The once mighty lion had aged. And as he fell from power, not a single loyal noble stood by him. He had been outmaneuvered even by a mere girl. The Duke understood that his tight grip on power in recent years had contributed to his isolation. But what else could he have done? He didn¡¯t want to leave his descendants a shaky legacy. Just like when the King inherited the Crescent throne, he wanted stability for his successors. Maybe he had been wrong from the start. Perhaps he shouldn''t have spent most of his life on the battlefield. Maybe he should have paid more attention to his lands and family. He might have treated the Castel family differently¡ªthe promising count and countess, and their seemingly naive but profoundly astute daughter. A year was enough for the Duke to uncover some truths and gain some clarity. But it was too late. The Duke trembled as he lifted his head and looked at his only daughter. "Eleanor." He called out weakly, extending his hand. Eleanor quickly grasped it. "Father..." She responded, her touch bringing him a sense of peace. In that moment, the Duke suddenly felt that nothing else mattered. So be it. We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now The Duchy of Borde, the Castell family¡ªit was all insignificant now. He was tired and needed rest. As for his daughter... even if she wouldn''t become a powerful Duchess, with the royal family as her support, at least she could live a happy life. He had owed his daughter all her life. Now, perhaps, it was time to repay that debt. With this realization, the old Duke took a deep breath and, with great effort, tried to sit up. "Duke..." The maid hurried forward to support him, but he gently waved her away. The old Duke, once a mighty force, now struggled to even sit up on the bed. He looked directly into the eyes of the third prince, Philip, and in that moment, his once-cloudy eyes regained their sharpness. "Prince Philip..." The old Duke clasped the prince''s hands, using all his remaining strength. "I know your ambition. I know your desire to control Borde!" "Everything I have... I can give to you. Everything of Borde... can be yours!" Prince Philip was taken aback. He hadn''t expected such words from the aging Duke, who was known to be stubborn and ruthless, devoted entirely to his family. "But I have one condition..." The old Duke''s tone changed. He stared intensely into the prince''s eyes, as if trying to peer into his soul. "I... I want you to treat Eleanor well. I want you... to ensure her happiness!" Upon hearing this, Eleanor trembled slightly, and a flicker passed through her blue-gray eyes. Prince Philip lowered his eyelids, and when he looked up again, he wore a radiant smile. "Of course, esteemed Andre." He said. "Eleanor is my beloved wife. I will make her happy." Hearing the prince''s promise, the old Duke finally felt a bit relieved. "Cough, cough... remember what you said." He coughed violently. Having settled his concerns, the Duke felt his strength ebb away. His body slumped, and his eyes, filled with a mix of guilt and affection, fell on his daughter. But as his gaze passed over Eleanor''s sleeve, he noticed the countless scars hidden in the shadows beneath. The Duke''s aura changed instantly. Suddenly, a surge of strength returned. He struggled to reach out and pull back Eleanor''s sleeve, revealing her arm, which should have been smooth and white, covered in bruises and hideous scars. The Duke''s expression changed instantly. S?a??h the ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. A decayed yet astonishing aura erupted from him, and his once dormant extraordinary power reawakened. Furiously, the Duke grabbed the prince''s collar and roared. "Philip! What... is this?!" Prince Philip remained calm. He slowly pried the Duke''s withered fingers from his clothes and stood up, looking down at him with a sigh. "Duke, if only you had said those words a little earlier." The Duke, filled with rage, glared at him. But suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his stomach and spewed a mouthful of black-red blood. In an instant, he felt his strength draining rapidly, with burning pain spreading from his stomach throughout his body. He looked desperately at the maid standing by, only to see her move respectfully to the prince''s side, her eyes cold. "You...!" The prince stepped forward, blocking his view, and leaned in with a smile. "Duke, I never liked charity, nor being forced into transactions, and I despise being someone else''s bargaining chip." "I want to obtain what I desire with my own hands, by any means necessary." "Borde Duchy, Castell County, I will take them myself." "And..." He lowered his voice, speaking into the Duke''s ear. "You shouldn''t have shown a killing intent in front of me." The Duke, seeing the prince''s devilish smile, felt a surge of anger. He glared at the prince with a murderous look, as if wishing to tear him apart... But soon, he started laughing uncontrollably. "Cough, cough... Haha... Borde... and... Castell... Haha..." The Duke laughed wildly, more and more frenzied, and increasingly pitying. Prince Philip frowned slightly. "Duke, what¡¯s so funny?" But the Duke didn''t answer. He continued to laugh, his eyes losing focus. A tear slid down his wrinkled cheek, and his hands fell limp. Even in his last breath, his blue-gray eyes remained wide open. "Dead, huh..." Prince Philip frowned, feeling a sense of futility. Yet, the Duke''s eerie laughter left him inexplicably uneasy. He heard soft sobbing beside him and turned to his wife. His expression grew cold. "Did I allow you to cry?" Eleanor trembled, lowering her head, her voice shaking. "S-sorry..." "Good girl." The prince patted her head in satisfaction. Then he ordered the maid. "Take care of this. The old Duke has passed. From now on, Borde belongs to Eleanor and me." The maid trembled slightly and bowed in reverence. Holding Eleanor''s hand, the prince left the room. In the grand hall of the Duke''s mansion, he naturally took the main seat. Soon, a soldier rushed in, kneeling and presenting a parchment. "Sir, urgent news from the north! The young Countess of Castell has returned to the territory!" Prince Philip''s brow furrowed as he took the parchment, reading quickly. His expression darkened. "Useless, all of them! They couldn''t even stop a little girl!" "With such incompetence, how do they expect to reclaim the Falling Star Kingdom?" Chapter 183: The Extraordinarys Lifespan "Has he finally died? He held on longer than I expected."Charlotte paused briefly with her raised wine glass before slowly taking a sip of milk. "After all, he was a Blazing Sun knight, with deep reserves. Frankly, I thought the old duke could have lasted a bit longer. Knights like him tend to have more robust lifespans than mages." Sebastian remarked as he glanced at the letter brought by the messenger. Charlotte showed some interest. "This is the first time I''ve heard that. Sebastian, under normal circumstances, how long can a Blazing Sun knight live?" Sebastian was not surprised by Charlotte''s sudden question. He knew that their "God''s" memory had not fully recovered and did not expect a "God" to be particularly concerned with the affairs of mortals, especially since she was an ancient True Ancestor, ageless and deathless from birth, with no concept of a lifespan. "It depends on the race. For instance, we elves generally live for over a thousand years, with no significant changes before reaching the Legendary tier. For short-lived humans, if they remain healthy and uninjured, living to eighty or ninety years old is not a problem." Sebastian answered respectfully. "Eighty or ninety years? That short?" Charlotte raised an eyebrow. "For humans, that''s quite remarkable. Their average lifespan is less than sixty years." Sebastian shook his head and continued. "Not to mention that extraordinary beings often incur hidden injuries. Most Blazing Sun knights have emerged from mountains of corpses. Even mages achieve breakthroughs through numerous magical surges, which are harmful to the body. Humans aren''t naturally magical beings, so it''s normal for extraordinary humans to have shorter lifespans than expected." "As far as I know, many Blazing Sun knights in the human world, like the old duke, burn out early, especially those who have exhausted their life potential in wars." "However, the human population is enormous. Even though Blazing Sun and Legendary figures may seem fleeting to you and me, there are so many in each era that they push their entire race to the pinnacle of civilization." Charlotte was genuinely surprised. As long as they regularly obtain blood sources, bloodbornes can live forever, so she had not paid much attention to the lifespan of extraordinary beings in this world. The old duke''s passing had stirred a bit of curiosity about their longevity. To her surprise, extraordinary beings didn''t live much longer than ordinary people, despite their great power! "I thought Blazing Suns could live for centuries." Charlotte mused. "Perhaps if they reach Legendary tier, they might. Most Legendary humans live to about one hundred twenty or thirty years, but that''s the limit for short-lived species." Sebastian replied after some thought. "One hundred twenty or thirty years? But I''ve read that some Legendary mages can live for two or three hundred years." Charlotte remarked with some surprise. Sebastian continued respectfully. "Master, mortals may not have the strength of Gods, but they often find unique ways to extend their lives, creating various strange magic spells. Some can extend life, but such spells usually have significant side effects and require irreversible body modifications. A two or three hundred year-old Legendary human mage might not be considered human anymore in terms of body composition." Charlotte nodded slightly. This explained why the Blazing Suns she had seen did not seem very old. Even lower-ranked extraordinary beings were younger than she had imagined. Unlike the cultivation worlds where stronger power equated to longer life, in Myria, extraordinary beings were not much different from ordinary people, aside from their powers. "Mortals remain mortals because no matter how strong their power, they cannot escape the ravages of time. The most powerful Legendary human can make even descended Demigods wary and might even slay Gods in their saint state. Yet, these god-slaying entities are mere passing stars in a century." "Life is too short. Countless Legendary mages would rather turn into liches than return to the divine realm at the end of their lifespan. Even as liches, they are just clinging to life." "Eternity truly belongs only to the Gods." Sebastian mused, reflecting on the various Legendaries he knew. Seeing the long-lived elf contemplating the brevity of life, Charlotte felt a bit peculiar. However, considering that he was comparing them to eternal Gods, it made sense. Ascension was the main reason Sebastian chose to follow her. At that moment, Charlotte thought it was great to be a bloodborne. Despite needing regular blood and facing various restrictions and periodic sleep, bloodbornes, with their immortality, were one of the few beings who could rival Gods in longevity. Even dragons, with their three-thousand-year lifespans, couldn''t outlast the tenacious bloodbornes. Oh, and the undead too, but their quality of life didn''t compare to bloodbornes. The undead were ultimately dead, while bloodbornes, despite some similarities, were vibrant living beings. Charlotte could somewhat understand why, according to some documents, everyone wanted the favor of bloodbornes and to be turned during their heyday two thousand years ago. Aside from the uncontrollable blood thirst and the difficulty of tier advancement, bloodbornes were indeed quite enviable. No wonder many bloodbornes looked down on other beings. However, Charlotte didn''t share this arrogance. While bloodbornes might have god-like lifespans, they were still essentially parasites, dependent on other beings for blood. Including herself. "Hmm?" Charlotte noticed Sebastian''s raised eyebrows as he read the letter. "Does the letter say anything else?" She asked. "Master, the daughter of the Borde Duke, Eleanor, succeeded him the day after his death. She has sent magical messages to all local lords, announcing the old duke''s death and inviting them to mourn and pay homage to the new duke. She specifically mentioned several counts, including us, Castell." Sebastian said, putting down the letter with a peculiar expression. "Summoning me back to Borde?" Charlotte paused, then chuckled. "This must be the prince''s order, right?" "Most likely. From what I observed at the banquet, Eleanor is clearly submissive to the prince, almost to the point of complete obedience." Sebastian pondered. "Are you planning to go back, Master?" He asked. "Of course not." Charlotte replied, taking a small sip of milk. What a joke¡ªsummoning her back right after ambushing her? No way! Besides, the issues in Castell still need to be resolved. Even if Castell''s problems were settled and the Third Prince hadn''t hired someone to attack her, she still wouldn''t go back. The emperor was far away, and she enjoyed the freedom in her own territory. She had already tasted the power and had no intention of relinquishing it to return to Borde. She had successfully succeeded her position, and no one could touch her. This wasn''t like ancient China where vassals had to obey their lords. We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now She might come up with a polite excuse to decline, but as for whether the Third Prince would be angry, well, he would have to deal with the escalating rumors first. Soon enough, the rumor that he hired necromancers to attack a vassal would reach Borde. They say the Third Prince is domineering. It''s true¡ªdemanding all lords to pay homage right after the new Duke''s succession. But Charlotte wasn''t the only noble dissatisfied with him. Charlotte was preoccupied with managing her territory, but she could give others the means to trouble the prince. Many other nobles would happily take the opportunity to oppose him. "Any news from Viscount Remisio lately?" Charlotte asked after some thought. "My spies report that yesterday, Viscount Remisio left the military camp and hurried south. He also sent people to Northport to inquire about our journey to Castell." Sebastian replied. "Oh? And how did you handle that?" Charlotte raised an eyebrow. Sebastian''s lips curled into a slight smile. "As you commanded, I spread the news of our attack by necromancers as widely as possible." Charlotte nodded slightly and then chuckled. "Looks like our dear prince has more headaches ahead. Let him deal with the nobles and ministers first." The Third Prince had many protectors from the Crescent Royal Family. Even with her True Ancestor powers, Charlotte couldn''t easily deal with him. But often, she didn''t need to act directly; the prince had plenty of enemies. She just needed to provide them with the means to strike. This approach might not solve the problem permanently, but it would certainly trouble the prince. And when she had more time, if he continued to cause trouble, she wouldn''t hesitate to deal with him personally. "How''s the investigation into the secret mithril embezzlement from the territory going?" Charlotte asked, setting aside thoughts of the prince. Sebastian''s expression turned serious. "I''ve been busy with the mining workshop, so I haven''t had time to investigate thoroughly. But from the manager''s confession and some information from Northport, I''ve found some clues related to a business called the ''Returning Star United Trade Association.''" "The Returning Star United Trade Association?" Charlotte felt a stirring of interest. "Yes." Sebastian nodded. "I''ve checked, there hasn''t been much secret mithril traded on the black market in Castell County recently. But there has been a lot of hidden mithril slag, indicating the mine is still producing, but the mithril itself is being sold directly to a fixed buyer." "Is that buyer this trade association?" "Yes. The association was registered in the Falling Star Kingdom seven years ago and has dealings with many noble families in the county. The rumor is it''s backed by a noble known as Count Hol." "Count Hol? The same one mentioned by Gikode?" Charlotte sat up straight. "If there''s no duplicate name, yes. However, I''ve found no record of Count Hol in the Falling Star Kingdom." Sebastian said. Charlotte drained her glass of milk and smiled. "It doesn''t necessarily have to be the Falling Star Kingdom, or even a human noble. Remember what Gikode said?" Sebastian''s eyes widened in realization. "You mean¡­?" Charlotte''s eyes narrowed. "A Bloodborne Count is still a count, and I asked the Book of the Dead. Its previous owner was called Hol." ¡­ "Sir Hol, how are the association''s operations going lately?" In a dark, curtained room, several indistinct figures stood proudly, their crimson eyes faintly visible in the shadows. All eyes were focused on the tallest figure. "Everything is proceeding as usual." The tall figure said in a deep voice after a moment''s silence. "But I''ve heard there are problems at the workshop, and you took on the Third Prince''s task as a mercenary and failed." The leading figure said discontentedly, his crimson gaze falling on the tall figure again. "Sir Hol, I must reiterate: our goal is to control Castell, not kill the Countess. We need to win her over, control her, dominate her. If necessary, turn her into a servant and make her a puppet. That''s our best path. Taking the Third Prince''s task as a mercenary was a mistake, it likely alerted the Countess. The workshop troubles might be related to this." "The banquet at the Count''s estate is approaching. I don''t want any more complications in our plan." "That''s all for today. We''ll meet again if needed." The indistinct figure finished, and then the others gradually vanished. The tallest figure remained silent for a moment before also leaving. Visions flickered as middle-aged knight Lahel returned to reality. As soon as he woke up, the young bloodborne girl Agnes jumped over. "Well? Did you get any intel today?" Lahel scratched his head, looking conflicted. S~?a??h the N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "Miss, I feel I can''t keep this up. I know nothing, and they''ll find out sooner or later." Lahel said. "Don''t worry! If anything happens, we''ll just run. Now, tell me, what did they say?" Agnes pressed. "They asked about the association, but I know nothing about it. I followed your instructions and said everything was normal. They also mentioned the workshop and the Countess of Castell, seemingly wanting to control her." Lahel said after some thought. "Miss, what''s this workshop they mentioned?" Agnes shrugged. "How should I know? I''m not familiar with them." Chapter 184: Scare her! "A Bloodborne Count named Hol? But as far as I know, among the few bloodborne secluded in and around Castell, none hold the rank of Count."Sebas frowned as he spoke. After a moment of thought, he added. "Of course, my knowledge of the bloodborne is limited. The few bloodbornes I do know of are rather prominent in the extraordinary world, particularly in the mercenary circles. Bloodbornes are always low-profile, with many in constant slumber¡ªsome sleep so long that they''re forgotten. You know, some wake up to find their castles demolished. So, perhaps it''s a bloodborne member I''m not aware of, especially those ancient ones waking from their long slumbers." "Master, I recall Madam Anna provided you with some information on the bloodbornes. Was there anything relevant in those documents?" Charlotte shook her head slightly. "Most of what Madam Anna provided pertains to the Nez family bloodbornes. The sections on the Crescent Kingdom focus primarily on the Shedite family. These dark families are quite active in the heart of the Crescent Kingdom, especially near the capital. But we are in the northern part of the kingdom." "She did mention a few bloodbornes members residing in the Roman Principality, but there was no mention of a Count named Hol." "Why don''t we ask the Book of the Dead again? It should have some knowledge of its former owner." Sebastian suggested. Charlotte''s expression darkened. "I''ve already asked. That useless book spirit only knows the previous owner''s name was Hol and that he was a fourth-generation bloodborne member. It knows nothing else." "Perhaps it is as you said¡ªa very ancient bloodborne member who has slept for countless years." "But... who Count Hol was is no longer important. If the Book of the Dead''s information is correct, he should have been killed by that bloodborne named Agnes." "The current ''Count Hol'' is actually Agnes'' knight, Lahel, in disguise." Charlotte''s expression turned peculiar. "From this perspective, the Nez family''s plan may have already gone awry. The question is, do they know?" Sebastian''s expression mirrored Charlotte''s peculiarly. "That would be interesting. If that¡¯s the case, as long as we have the Book of the Dead, we can just wait for them to come to us." Charlotte nodded slightly. She had the same thought. "But..." Charlotte continued. "Waiting for them to come to us is too passive. Since we''ve identified the Nez family as the troublemakers, we should visit the bloodbornes in Castell before the banquet. They might know something." "The bloodbornes are very territorial. To me, the Nez family are invaders, and to them, they would be the same." Sebastian''s interest was piqued, and he eagerly asked. "Are you finally planning to visit the nearby bloodbornes? Who would you visit first?" Charlotte thought for a moment. "Who is the closest bloodborne you know of?" Sebas respectfully replied. "That would be Viscount Laval. Viscount Laval is an honorary president of the Northern Mercenaries'' Association, well-connected in the mercenary world. I visited him once during my travels in Castell ten years ago." "Of course, though called a Viscount, he is not a noble of the Crescent Kingdom but holds the rank of a Viscount within the bloodborne clans." "Though a bloodborne, he is quite upright and almost never drinks the blood of intelligent beings, a member of the bloodborne''s ascetic faction." "Viscount Laval?" Charlotte''s interest was piqued. "The Vadallat family''s Laval?" Sebas was surprised. "You know of him?" "He was mentioned in the information provided by Madam Anna." Charlotte said. "But¡­ is it alright? You seem to have some issues with the Vadallat family." She gave Sebastian a sidelong glance. Sebastian''s expression turned a bit awkward. "It¡¯s fine. Viscount Laval is part of the ascetic faction, and those members are exiles from the Vadallat family. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have visited him ten years ago." Charlotte¡¯s curiosity was piqued. s?a??h th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "Viscount Laval... also resides in Northport, right?" "Yes, he is the honorary president of the Northern Mercenaries'' Association, whose branch is in Northport." "Do you know his exact address?" "Yes, if I remember correctly, he stays at the branch." "How convenient! Since he¡¯s so close, we might as well visit tonight." Charlotte smiled. ... "Miss, they¡¯re summoning us for void meetings more frequently lately. I¡¯m really worried we might slip up. I even feel they already suspect us..." Said the middle-aged knight Lahel with concern. "And they¡¯re collecting mithril and trying to take control of Castell. They must be brewing some grand scheme." The young bloodborne girl Agnes shook her head. "What are you worried about? Let them plot their schemes. It has nothing to do with us. If the sky falls, there are taller ones to hold it up. If anyone has to worry, it should be the little Countess of Castell!" The middle-aged knight couldn''t help but grumble. "But that little Countess isn¡¯t that tall either..." Agnes rolled her eyes at him. "It''s a metaphor! A metaphor!" The middle-aged knight hesitated. "Then what should we..." "We¡¯ll continue to fish in troubled waters. If we can figure out what they''re up to, great. If not, we''ll try to gain some benefits. If they suspect us, it doesn''t matter¡ªwe can always run!" Agnes said as she nudged the knight''s elbow. "Alright, stop looking so glum. We''re in Northport, so enjoy yourself a bit. We still need to go to the association tonight to handle some paperwork and post our commission." The knight''s eye twitched. "Are you really going to sell the castle? Pardon me, but given that we might already be under suspicion, won''t posting a commission on the black market attract attention?" "Bloodborne Counts are very rare. The one you managed to kill was weak from long sleep and poisoned... I''m worried that if we do find a Count, they might be one of those guys." We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now "Today''s warning also showed that they wouldn''t easily kill the Countess of Castell unless absolutely necessary." Agnes fell silent. Her expression changed multiple times before she gritted her teeth and said. "In that case, we won''t directly seek help from a Count. Instead, we''ll auction the castle and use the money to hire another powerful being from the black market! It doesn¡¯t have to be a Bloodborne Count!" "All we need is to complete the third prince''s commission and obtain the kingdom''s enfeoffment decree!" The middle-aged knight Lahel remained silent for a long time. Finally, he sighed. "Miss, will the third prince really keep his promise?" Hearing her knight¡¯s question, Agnes also fell silent. After a while, she sighed deeply and said. "We are already bloodbornes. Do we have any other choice?" "He is still royalty. Whether he keeps his promise or not, we must try if there''s even a slight chance." Agnes patted her cheeks. "Alright! One step at a time! For now, let''s sell the castle and make as much money as we can before our cover is blown!" ... Perhaps gradually realizing that the Countess had no intention of seeing any nobles before the banquet, the number of requests to visit Charlotte significantly decreased once she returned to Northport. Charlotte unexpectedly found herself with some rare leisure time. It might seem strange, as a newly appointed lord would typically be extremely busy. But that was the reality. Charlotte temporarily declined visits, the county''s cabinet was on hold, and municipal officers managed the affairs of the fief. Apart from reviewing detailed information about the territory, she had no official duties. The only busy task, managing the mining workshop, was handed over to Sebastian. This was common for Myria nobility. Nobles of Myria, being both lords and managers, often didn''t directly oversee their fiefs. They could rely on senior officials and vassal nobles to manage the fief, focusing instead on major decisions. Many nobles, especially those in the lord''s cabinet, spent more time fulfilling their obligations to the lord and maneuvering within the higher ranks of nobility. For a lord like Charlotte, who was not yet serving in the Duchy and hadn''t fully controlled her fief, it was normal to have some downtime. This approach allowed Myria nobles to have more time for other pursuits, though it could lead to problems if the lord lacked power, especially during transitions between generations. Charlotte believed that the new Duchess of Borde, Eleanor, was likely facing similar challenges. Charlotte herself had once been a rebel in Borde. Still, Charlotte kept herself occupied with practicing her innate magic and familiarizing herself with the affairs of the fief, making the time pass quickly. Before she knew it, it was evening, the time she had agreed with Sebastian to visit Viscount Laval at the Mercenaries'' Association. Like Borde, Northport was divided into inner and outer districts. The inner district was on the original island where the city was first built, called the inner island, with more land routes than waterways. The outer district was created through land reclamation by mages over the centuries, with more waterways, called the outer island. The Northern Mercenaries'' Association, established since the city''s founding, was in the inner island, not far from Charlotte''s estate. Given the special nature of their visit, Charlotte didn''t notify Viscount Laval in advance but took her family''s carriage with Sebastian directly to the association at night. Why not during the day? According to Sebastian, Viscount Laval preferred to sleep during the day and visited the association at night. This was Charlotte''s first visit to the Mercenaries'' Association. While Borde''s association was small and simple, Castell''s association, in the former adventurer¡¯s paradise, was grand like a small count''s mansion. However, with the shrinking Violet Forest, Castell''s mercenary organizations had declined. Although the association''s branch looked grand, it was rather deserted. The Castell family emblem was still a powerful symbol. As soon as Charlotte''s carriage stopped, the mercenaries standing guard at the entrance quickly ran inside. Soon, a group of staff in uniform emerged. Leading them was an elderly mage, giving Charlotte a slight sense of pressure. He was a Silver Moon mage! However, the Silver Moon mage smiled warmly at the sight of the carriage, even somewhat fawningly. He approached the carriage, bowed respectfully, and said with a smile. "I''m Layton, the president of the Northern Mercenaries'' Association. How can I assist you, Countess Lady?" Charlotte was surprised. "You know me?" President Layton smiled. "Of course, the Castell family is a major patron of our association. Your portrait was circulated in the association the day after you left Borde." Charlotte: ... She remembered that her family''s trade caravans often hired mercenaries from the association. Seeing the association¡¯s enthusiasm, Charlotte got straight to the point. "President Layton, I¡¯m here to visit Viscount Laval." However, upon hearing her request, the mercenaries exchanged puzzled and strange looks. Even President Layton''s expression stiffened. Charlotte sensed something was wrong. "President Layton, is Viscount Laval not here?" The old mage sighed. "Countess Lady, it''s a long story. The wind is strong outside, please come inside the association so we can talk." Charlotte was puzzled but nodded and entered the association''s branch, surrounded by mercenaries. Not long after Charlotte¡¯s carriage entered the association, a pair of figures, one large and one small, appeared at the entrance. "Whew... finally made it. This walk was exhausting." Said the young bloodborne girl Agnes, wiping imaginary sweat from her forehead. "Miss, if you''re too tired, we could hire a carriage." Suggested the middle-aged knight respectfully. "A carriage? No! Too expensive! It costs at least three silver tana for a ride! We don¡¯t have much money, so we need to save!" The girl shook her head. "Alright, let¡¯s get inside and finish our business. Then we can prepare for the banquet in two days, and sneak¡ªno, retrieve the Book of the Dead, and give that little countess a scare!" With that, she eagerly led the way into the association hall. Chapter 185: Youre so lucky! ¡°What? Viscount Laval is in hibernation?¡±Hearing the explanation from Layton, the head of the Mercenaries'' Association, Sebastian looked surprised. ¡°Yes, Mr. Sebastian, you know Viscount Laval''s race is unique. Beings like him often undergo hibernations lasting years, even decades. A few years ago, sensing he was about to break through in power, Viscount Laval temporarily resigned from his honorary position and went to find a place to hibernate.¡± President Layton answered. ¡°A few years ago? Exactly when?¡± Charlotte felt a slight stir in her heart. ¡°If I recall correctly, it was seven years ago. It was quite sudden, as Viscount Laval had never mentioned he would hibernate.¡± President Layton recalled. Seven years ago? Charlotte couldn''t help but exchange a glance with Sebastian. That timing was rather intriguing; it coincided with the year when the mining workshop was infiltrated. ¡°Did Laval mention where he was going?¡± Sebastian asked. President Layton shook his head. ¡°No, the location of their hibernation is extremely important to them. Viscount Laval didn¡¯t disclose it before he left.¡± After saying this, he asked. ¡°Countess, Mr. Sebastian, is there something you need from Viscount Laval? If necessary, you can leave a message at the association. Viscount Laval did say he would return after waking up, but exactly when that will be is unknown. As you know, his race... their sense of time is quite, uh, unique, on par with dragons.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to leave a message, but if you hear anything about Laval, please send someone to inform the Count¡¯s estate.¡± Charlotte shook her head and said. The hibernation of a bloodborne is indeed quite unpredictable, sometimes lasting a few months, sometimes decades, or even centuries. Knowing that Viscount Laval was hibernating meant he was unlikely to be available for a meeting. Still, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to have the Mercenaries'' Association keep an eye out for any news. Additionally... ¡°Sir Layton, have there been any new bloodbornes in the county in recent years?¡± Charlotte asked. They had come to find Viscount Laval to learn about the bloodbornes. Since he wasn¡¯t available, perhaps the Mercenaries'' Association could provide some useful information. Even though the Mercenaries'' Association in Castell had declined along with the shrinking of the Violet Forest, it remained a network with extensive connections. ¡°Bloodbornes, huh¡­¡± President Layton frowned as he thought for a moment, then shook his head. S?a??h th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°That... I¡¯m not quite sure. Bloodborne activities are always very secretive. Someone like Viscount Laval is quite the exception. However¡­¡± ¡°However what?¡± Sebastian felt a slight stir. ¡°However, in recent years, Castell has indeed seen an influx of many unfamiliar extraordinary individuals. Most of them are very low-key and mysterious, which does align somewhat with the behavior of bloodbornes.¡± ¡°As for more details, we don¡¯t know much. The Mercenaries'' Association respects the privacy of its clients and doesn¡¯t pry too much into their affairs, so our information is limited.¡± President Layton said. Quite a few unfamiliar extraordinary individuals? Charlotte''s eyebrow twitched. Extraordinaries aren''t exactly common, especially those who have stepped into the numbered tiers. Although the Mercenaries'' Association couldn¡¯t provide precise intelligence, given the infiltration of Castell¡¯s mining workshop, Charlotte could infer that these so-called unfamiliar extraordinary individuals were likely members of the Nez bloodborne clan. She began to piece together a rough timeline in her mind. About seven years ago, the Nez clan set their sights on Castell, successfully infiltrating the Castell silver mine and winning over several local nobles. Their goal appeared to be to orchestrate some plan, one that required a significant amount of mithril. Additionally, there might have been a black dragon beneath the Castell silver mine. The connection between this dragon and the Nez clan was unclear, but it was likely that the Nez clan controlled the dragon¡¯s power. Dragons are born at the Starry Sky tier, and after a few years of growth, they reach the Silver Moon tier. Based on Noah''s descriptions, the dragon in the mine wasn¡¯t a hatchling, it was at least a juvenile or even a young adult. In other words, the Nez clan¡¯s highest combat power could potentially be at the Blazing Sun tier! With this realization, Charlotte''s expression grew serious. It wasn¡¯t that she was intimidated by the bloodbornes¡¯ strength, but rather that she was thinking of deeper implications. Despite the many days that had passed, she hadn¡¯t received any reports from nobles about bloodbornes, indicating the Nez clan¡¯s infiltration was both hidden and powerful. Their control over Castell seemed almost determined. From this perspective, the Nez clan¡¯s infiltration of Castell likely wasn¡¯t just an action by a high-ranking bloodborne within the clan but part of a systematic plan. In other words, she might be facing the entire Nez clan! This was troubling. While Charlotte''s powers as a True Ancestor gave her a significant edge over other bloodbornes, and she had the cheat-like ability of True Ancestor''s Liberation, she wasn¡¯t ready to face an entire clan. Unlike the Blood Demon Cult, which was hunted by the Holy Court and forced into hiding, the Nez clan was more akin to a well-organized secret society. Their organizational capacity and operational efficiency far surpassed that of the Blood Demon Cult, capable of challenging even the Holy Court within their territories. Of course, this was the worst-case scenario. Given that Castell was nominally under the Holy Court¡¯s domain, Charlotte surmised that the Nez clan wouldn¡¯t make too much of a scene. As for Viscount Laval of the Mercenaries'' Association... To be honest, his sudden decision to hibernate at this critical moment suggested that he might have known something in advance and chose to avoid trouble by going into hibernation. ¡°Master, it seems... Laval knew something beforehand and chose to flee. I know him well, despite his elegance, he avoids trouble. He probably caught wind of the Nez clan¡¯s plans and feared they would target him, so he found an excuse to hide.¡± Sebastian''s solemn voice resonated in Charlotte''s mind, clearly having reached the same conclusion. Charlotte glanced at him, noting the unprecedented seriousness in the Flame Elf''s expression. ¡°Master¡­¡± His voice continued in her mind. ¡°Bloodbornes have a strong sense of territoriality. In the underground world, Laval is a notable bloodborne noble in the North. If he sensed a significant threat, he wouldn¡¯t have fled unless it was severe.¡± ¡°The Nez clan¡¯s plan might be bigger than we thought. The banquet the day after tomorrow... may not be as peaceful as anticipated.¡± Charlotte nodded slightly. Sebastian was right. If the Nez clan had grand schemes, the banquet she planned might indeed be part of their scheme. Charlotte had intended to use the banquet to distinguish friend from foe, ideally dealing with the traitorous nobles in one go. But now, it seemed that the conspirators might see the banquet similarly. If the Nez clan could infiltrate Castell¡¯s nobility to control the silver mine¡­ So, with her as the young countess returning to the territory, what could be more convenient for controlling the North than by controlling her, the Lord of Castell? Charlotte could almost foresee that if the Nez clan was truly determined to take over Castell, then at this banquet, they would likely make a move against her. ¡°Doesn''t matter. If soldiers come, we fight them; if water comes, we block it with earth. If they plan to strike at me during the banquet, it might actually be an opportunity.¡± We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now Charlotte replied in her mind. Since she would inevitably have to confront the Nez clan, it would be more advantageous to fight on her own territory rather than in theirs. After chatting with President Layton of the Mercenaries'' Association for a bit longer and confirming they couldn''t get any more information, Charlotte decided to leave. ¡°Sir Layton, if there¡¯s any useful information in the future, Castell is always willing to reward you. Consider this an advance payment.¡± Charlotte said. She gave Sebastian a look, and he immediately understood, retrieving a pouch of gleaming gems from the storage space and placing it on the table. Seeing the gems, President Layton became even more enthusiastic. ¡°Of course, the Mercenaries'' Association is happy to serve you!¡± Leaving the gems behind, Charlotte stood to take her leave, but as they exited the VIP room, they saw a receptionist hurrying over to whisper something to President Layton. Layton¡¯s expression turned visibly peculiar. ¡°A commission for an auction? That castle? Are you sure?¡± The receptionist nodded vigorously. Layton¡¯s expression grew even more intricate. Charlotte felt a stir in her heart. ¡°Sir Layton, is something the matter?¡± ¡°Countess¡­¡± Layton looked at Charlotte with a peculiar expression. ¡°It seems you are truly favored by the Gods. As soon as you mentioned it, we received information possibly related to bloodbornes.¡± ¡°Oh? What information?¡± Charlotte¡¯s interest was piqued. ¡°Have you heard of Spire Castle?¡± Layton asked. ¡°Spire Castle?¡± ¡°Yes, Spire Castle. It¡¯s an old castle on the southwestern border of Castell County. It¡¯s been abandoned for a long time, so not many people know about it anymore. It¡¯s said to be held by a fallen noble family.¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s on the border between Violet and Castell, its ownership has always been unclear. The nobles who lived there in the past allegedly pledged allegiance to both Violet and Borde.¡± ¡°However, rumors say that a very ancient bloodborne once lived there¡­¡± Layton¡¯s expression became even more peculiar. ¡°Just now, someone came in to commission the association to auction off Spire Castle and the surrounding lands¡­¡± ¡°By the way, the person who made the commission is a registered bloodborne mercenary, and like you, they are also inquiring about other bloodbornes¡­¡± A bloodborne mercenary? Charlotte felt a stir and inexplicably thought of two figures, one large and one small. She had been asking about others and had forgotten that there were bloodbornes registered as mercenaries in the association! Unlike other parts of the Crescent Kingdom, the more open North allowed bloodbornes to register as underground mercenaries openly. Charlotte¡¯s interest was immediately piqued. ¡°Interesting... Sir Layton, what kind of person is the commissioner?¡± Layton bowed apologetically. ¡°Well... Countess, although we just accepted your commission, the guild has its principles. If the client wishes to remain anonymous, we cannot disclose their information.¡± ¡°To be honest... telling you they¡¯re bloodborne is already overstepping our boundaries.¡± Charlotte felt a stir. ¡°Oh? So what do you mean?¡± Layton smiled. ¡°While we can¡¯t disclose information, we can facilitate a meeting. No one in Castell is wealthier than you. If you¡¯re interested in buying the castle¡­¡± Charlotte gave the old president a peculiar look, thinking he was quite the talent. Persuading her to buy a castle? It not only provided her with information but also completed a commission and potentially earned a middleman¡¯s fee¡ªa triple win. However, she was indeed somewhat interested. ¡°Sir Layton, how much is Spire Castle worth?¡± Layton took the documents from the receptionist, adjusted his monocle, and respectfully answered. ¡°The castle, along with fifty hectares of forest land, considering the remote location and the castle¡¯s state of disrepair, is estimated to be worth around one million gold tana. But the exact price depends on the seller¡¯s expectations and urgency.¡± ¡°Land on the Castell border with some territorial disputes with Violet¡­ alright, no need for an auction. Let the seller name a price, but I want to meet them first. After all, a castle is not a small expense.¡± Charlotte said. One million gold tana was not a small sum. Honestly, Charlotte wasn¡¯t particularly eager to buy the castle. She mainly wanted to meet the seller. Since she was already here and the seller was also inquiring about bloodbornes, there might be some valuable information to discover. Not to mention... the identity of a bloodborne mercenary reminded her of the two who attacked her that day. ¡°Oh, and don¡¯t reveal my identity to them.¡± Charlotte added. ... At the Mercenaries'' Association reception. The bloodborne girl Agnes paced nervously back and forth. When the receptionist returned, she eagerly stepped forward. ¡°How did it go? What did President Layton say?¡± The receptionist smiled. ¡°Miss Agnes, you¡¯re in luck. A VIP client of the association was just meeting with the president. Upon learning of your commission, they were very interested and want to meet with you.¡± ¡°Would you like to meet them?¡± Is someone willing to buy directly? Agnes¡¯ eyes lit up. She was eager to sell the castle quickly and had planned to auction it off for that reason. But if she could find a buyer directly, that would be even better. ¡°Of course! I¡¯d be happy to meet them!¡± She answered without hesitation. A wealthy patron! This time, she had encountered a wealthy patron! Chapter 188: Are you a Bloodborne?! "Name?""A... Agnes." "Surname?" "......" "Who is your bloodborne elder? When and how did you become bloodborne?" "......" In the interrogation room of the Count¡¯s estate, Charlotte sat gracefully behind the interrogation table, sipping the tea Sebastian had prepared while questioning the tightly bound bloodborne girl. As for why it wasn¡¯t milk tea... simply because she felt drinking milk during an interrogation seemed too informal. However, it was obvious that the girl before her was not cooperative. Apart from stating her name initially, Agnes responded to none of Charlotte¡¯s questions, silently glaring at her with defiance. Charlotte didn¡¯t get angry. She gently stroked the Book of the Dead on the table, and behind her, the spirit of the book, manifested as a blurry figure, cautiously stood, massaging her shoulders in an ingratiating manner. Charlotte took another sip of tea and smiled, saying: "Miss Agnes, I have many ways to make you talk. However, I am a reasonable person, and unless absolutely necessary, I do not wish to resort to extreme measures." "I hope you will cooperate a bit, after all... my patience isn¡¯t limitless." Seeing Charlotte¡¯s delicate hand gently stroking the Book of the Dead, Agnes¡¯ face turned pale. She pursed her lips and stubbornly said: "This time I¡¯ve been caught! I have nothing to say. Do what you will! But... I will never bow to the Castells!" "Castell... Castell again. It seems you hold quite a grudge against Castell, or perhaps a deep-seated enmity?" Charlotte smiled faintly. Agnes turned her head away, maintaining her silence. Charlotte set down her teacup thoughtfully. "Let me guess? You were once a noble. Could it be... you were enemies of the Castell family in the past?" Agnes remained silent. Charlotte quietly observed her, then suddenly chuckled. "It seems you really don¡¯t want to cooperate." With that, her expression turned indifferent, her deep blue eyes suddenly transforming into a blood-red hue, emitting a crimson glow. A faint aura of authority emanated from Charlotte as she gazed into Agnes'' eyes, her voice cold and commanding: "Answer my questions!" As Charlotte¡¯s command rang out, Agnes felt as if a thunderclap resounded in her mind, causing her thoughts to become muddled. Simultaneously, everything around her seemed to dim, leaving only the pair of crimson eyes with a hint of gold in her world. At that moment, Agnes felt as if her soul was being drawn into those eerie eyes. Her thoughts slowed, and then... as if being opened from the outside, she lost all resistance, her eyes losing focus. "de Veillet. My name is Agnes de Veillet..." de Veillet? Charlotte frowned slightly, not recalling the surname in her memory. But the next second, she felt a strong resistance from Agnes¡¯ mental world. A faint glow erupted from the bloodborne girl¡¯s body, a hazy image of a scythe appearing behind her. At the same time, Charlotte sensed her control over Agnes being severed by something. Agnes¡¯ vacant eyes regained focus instantly. She stared at Charlotte in disbelief, even a hint of fear in her expression. "Mental domination! It''s mental domination!" "How can you use Bloodborne''s mental domination?! You... you are a bloodborne?!" Charlotte frowned, not expecting her control to be broken so quickly. It seemed the bloodborne girl had some protection for her mind, and not a low-level one at that, breaking Charlotte¡¯s innate magic without her using divine power. However, when Charlotte looked at Agnes again, she was surprised to find the girl seemed even more exhausted. Charlotte pondered. It appeared that while Agnes could break free from control, it came at a cost. If she used mental domination a few more times, the girl''s spirit would eventually be completely dominated. However, seeing Agnes''s worn-out state, Charlotte dismissed the idea of using mental domination again. Mental domination could dominate a target''s mind, but it also had side effects. Using it once was fine, but repeated use could completely destroy the target''s mind. Charlotte hadn¡¯t intended to go that far, as it conflicted with her initial goal of interrogating her. For her next plan, she needed the bloodborne girl to remain herself. Seeing the terror on Agnes¡¯ face, Charlotte¡¯s lips curled into a slight smile. "It seems you recognize this power." "If you don¡¯t want me to use it again, then answer my questions honestly." Agnes'' expression was conflicted. S~?a??h the Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. She pursed her lips, stubbornly maintaining her silence, even though she knew she might completely collapse under repeated mind control. However, Charlotte noticed the girl¡¯s uneasy glances around the room, as if searching for something. Charlotte¡¯s mind stirred, and she looked at her calmly. "Miss Agnes, remember, you are not my only subject of interrogation." "You might be willing to let your mind be destroyed rather than answer my questions, but... your knight may not be able to resist mental domination." Agnes'' expression finally changed. "You intend to control Lahel?!" She almost immediately responded with anger and urgency. "Where is Lahel?! What have you done to him?!" Seeing the girl suddenly becoming agitated, Charlotte knew she had found her weak spot. She chuckled softly and said: "Your knight is still safe. He¡¯s gravely injured, and even with Bloodborne''s healing capability, it¡¯s hard to recover quickly. He is currently receiving treatment, so I started questioning you first." Then, Charlotte¡¯s expression turned cold. "However... if you don''t cooperate, I will have to interrogate your knight. He may not know as much as you do, but he should be able to answer my basic questions." This time, Agnes remained silent. Charlotte, however, shifted her tone again, regaining her smile. "I think you¡¯ve already realized that I have no intention of killing you, at least... not for now." "You don¡¯t have many choices. You can refuse to answer my questions, and I will keep trying. Perhaps I won¡¯t get anything from you, but you will undoubtedly break under my mental domination." "And I can still get the answers I want from your knight. After you collapse, he might continue to be controlled by me, forget about you completely, and serve me loyally as a knight until his death." Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, Agnes glared at her with wide eyes, full of anger. "You dare!" "Of course, I dare." Charlotte took a sip of tea and said calmly. Then, she changed her tone again, smiling sweetly. We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now "Of course, there¡¯s another way." "You can voluntarily tell me everything I want to know, and I promise not to harm your knight. Perhaps there¡¯s still hope for you." "Other than that, you have no other choice." Agnes stared blankly at Charlotte, biting her lip in anger. "Devil! You¡¯re a devil!" "Thank you for the compliment." Charlotte smiled, revealing a pair of small fangs, looking as innocent and charming as a little demon with horns. "So... what¡¯s your answer to this devil¡¯s proposal?" She asked with a sweet smile. Agnes continued to glare at Charlotte. But soon, she succumbed to the piercing gaze of those crimson-gold eyes, her defiance draining away. When one¡¯s fatal weakness is exposed, even the strongest person will fall. The girl seemed to lose all her strength in an instant, lowering her head slightly, and muttered. "The one who turned me into a bloodborne was Count Hol, a fourth-generation bloodborne from Shedite. I was captured and turned into a bloodborne eighteen years ago." Eighteen years ago! That meant she was at least in her thirties or forties! Charlotte''s eyebrow twitched. The Book of the Dead''s sense of time was inconsistent and not very reliable. This was the first time she knew the exact duration Agnes had been a bloodborne. But... Shedite, huh. It seemed not all dark clan bloodbornes were like the blood-crazed cultists despised by other bloodbornes. "And then? Did you kill Count Hol and disguise yourself with your knight?" Charlotte asked. Agnes glanced at the book spirit behind Charlotte. "It was that thing that told you, right? Don¡¯t you already know everything? Why ask me?" "Just confirming with you." Charlotte took another sip of tea and continued. "Where did Count Hol transport the mithril he collected?" "Mithril? What mithril?" Agnes looked puzzled. Charlotte frowned. They had been pretending to be Count Hol for so long and didn¡¯t know about the mithril mine? "You don¡¯t know what Count Hol was up to?" She asked. "How would I know? I just knew he and some other bloodbornes were up to something big, but I didn''t know the details. It¡¯s been only two and a half years since I killed him and gained freedom!" Agn¨¨s shook her head. Two and a half years? So, the real Count Hol was managing the Returning Star United Trade Association two and a half years ago? Charlotte frowned. "Wait... mithril? Mithril mine? The Castell Mining Workshop?! So that¡¯s what the workshop was about!" Seemingly realizing something, Agnes widened her eyes. Charlotte: ¡­ She suddenly felt that the girl in front of her might know less than she did... This was absurd. They had been disguising themselves as Count Hol for two and a half years and hadn¡¯t infiltrated the enemy¡¯s ranks? The real Count Hol had been dead for two and a half years, meaning the Returning Star United Trade Association had been without management for that long. However, from the investigation of the mining workshop, the Bloodbornes¡¯ plan continued without interruption, and the trade operations continued normally. Ridiculous! How could the Nez Clan not have noticed anything wrong with Count Hol for two and a half years? "In two and a half years... you didn¡¯t find out what Count Hol was doing?" She couldn¡¯t help but complain. "We don''t dare! Every time we attended meetings, the bloodbornes present had incredibly strong auras. It was hard enough to maintain our disguise, let alone investigate what they were up to!" Agnes complained. Meetings? Incredibly strong auras? Charlotte''s heart skipped a beat. "Meetings?" Charlotte raised her voice. Agnes pursed her lips, seemingly reluctant to speak, but under Charlotte¡¯s intense gaze, she finally relented. "They used crystal ball projections for remote meetings. Many bloodbornes attended, and I could tell from their accents that they were from the Falling Star Kingdom." "Do you know their specific identities?" Charlotte asked. Agnes thought for a moment and said. "They rarely mentioned their identities, and seemed quite familiar with each other. But... I remember three names, probably the highest-ranking among them: Count Yurst, Count Nottingham, and Count Lachlan." Three counts? Charlotte¡¯s heart skipped a beat. These names weren¡¯t unfamiliar, as she had seen them in the information provided by Anna, the Witch of Prophecy. Yurst, Nottingham, Lachlan¡ªthese were place names in the Falling Star Kingdom, representing three Bloodborne Counts of the Nez Clan! Three Bloodborne Counts were targeting Castell County! And that didn¡¯t even include Count Hol, whom Agnes had killed! Frankly, Charlotte was curious how a bloodborne girl without a Silver Moon strength managed to kill a Blazing Sun Bloodborne. Agnes continued to recall and speak. "Among those three counts, the highest ranking should be Count Yurst. He almost always called the meetings..." "Oh, and they often mentioned ''His Grace'', who seemed to be the real orchestrator behind the scenes. However, ''His Grace'' never attended the projection meetings, and it was always Count Yurst who relayed his messages." His Grace?! Charlotte¡¯s eyebrow twitched. In vampire society, "His Grace" referred to a Bloodborne Duke. And a Bloodborne Duke corresponded to the fourth tier of the extraordinary¡ªLegendary! This was a true high-ranking bloodborne, at least elder-level, possibly even the clan leader! Thinking of this, Charlotte''s heart sank. The Nez Clan''s infiltration of the Castell County was orchestrated by a duke-level bloodborne! "Now... do you understand why it was so hard for us to stay hidden? Under such circumstances, we wanted to be as inconspicuous as possible. How could we dare investigate what they were up to!" Agnes said weakly. Chapter 189: Youre definitely not an ordinary bloodborne! Indeed, if she put herself in Agnes'' shoes, knowing that behind Count Hol were three other counts and a duke, Charlotte thought she might have fled long ago.It took real courage for someone as bold as Agnes to dare to impersonate an identity. "Have these three counts all come to Castell?" Charlotte asked again. Agnes shook her head. "I''m not sure. We''ve only seen them during meetings, and we can''t even see each other''s figures clearly. If Count Hol didn''t use a special magical tool to disguise his real voice every time he attended the meetings, we wouldn''t even be able to impersonate him." "However, from the snippets of conversation during the meetings, it''s highly likely that the highest-ranking Count Yurst is remotely commanding from the Falling Star Kingdom. As for Count Nottingham, Count Yurst always asks him about things in the Roman Principality, so it''s likely he''s stationed there. When it comes to matters involving Castell, they always ask us and Count Lachlan, especially the latter. It seems clear that Count Lachlan is the one who has actually come to the Castell." So, the one personally involved in infiltrating Castell might only be this Count Lachlan? With this answer, Charlotte felt somewhat relieved. Three Blazing Sun Counts and a Legendary Duke would be quite overwhelming, but if only one Blazing Sun Count was involved in the infiltration of Castell, it would be much more manageable. This also aligned with the current state of Castell. To be fair, if three Blazing Sun Counts had really acted against Castell, Charlotte thought her family''s territory would have changed hands long ago. In reality, although Castell had been significantly infiltrated, she still had some degree of control. This was evident from the fact that the nobles still needed to use rumors to undermine her authority in the territory. Only when there is still a threat does one resort to such underhanded methods. Also, if only Count Lachlan was involved in the infiltration of Castell, it indicated that the Nez clan had broader ambitions than just targeting Castell. If their goal was solely Castell, it wouldn''t be just one count working while the others watched. Charlotte believed this suggested that the Nez clan''s plot was larger than just taking over Castell, and infiltrating Castell might be just a necessary step in their plan, with the other counts having other tasks. This was actually good news! It implied that as long as she was cautious, Charlotte might temporarily avoid attracting the attention of the bloodborne duke. She really didn''t want to deal with a bloodborne duke. To become a bloodborne duke, one had to be favored by the bloodborne nobility, and one misstep could bring real trouble. However... Count Hol also disguised his identity during meetings? Noticing this detail Agnes mentioned, Charlotte felt a twinge of interest. Disguising oneself in meetings with one''s own kind seemed unnecessary unless they weren''t truly allies. If so, Count Hol and the Nez clan were likely just collaborators, perhaps even wary of each other. This could explain why the Nez clan hadn''t noticed anything wrong when Count Hol encountered problems. However, the fact that the Nez clan''s plan continued despite Count Hol''s demise indicated that his responsibilities weren''t critically important. Or rather, didn''t require much direct oversight from him. Considering that Sebastian''s investigation showed the main activity of the Returning Star United Trade was acquiring mithril, Charlotte guessed that Count Hol was probably in charge of transporting the mithril. This was indeed important. However, if the trade was already running smoothly, Count Hol himself wouldn''t be that crucial. Thinking along these lines, Charlotte asked again. "On a daily basis... do they interact with you much during meetings?" Agnes hesitated for a moment and then answered. "Not really. Most of the time, we''re just listeners. They don''t ask us many questions. I always felt... they were a bit wary of us." "Thanks to this, we were able to maintain our disguise." Hearing Agnes'' words, Charlotte''s expression turned somewhat strange. Count Hol encountered problems, and the Nez clan didn''t notice. They were even wary of Agnes and her knight during meetings. This sounded... as if Count Hol had been sidelined by the Nez clan long ago? "Besides the three bloodborne counts, did Count Hol have any other contacts?" Charlotte thought for a moment and asked. "I''m not sure. I was just treated as a maid before and only gained his trust for three years." Agn¨¨s shook her head. But she seemed to remember something and, after some thought, said. "However... he seemed to have a good relationship with elves. I recall seeing elves visit him occasionally in the castle." Elves? Charlotte''s heart skipped a beat. At that moment, she thought of the Nez clan''s branch on Luna Island. Gikode had mentioned that the elves on Luna Island were also involved in the Nez clan''s plans. Could Count Hol''s work be related to this? "You never investigated what they were up to?" Charlotte couldn''t help but ask. "I told you, we didn''t dare!" "If you didn''t dare to investigate what they were doing, why take the risk of impersonating Count Hol?" Agnes fell silent. After a long time, she finally said dejectedly. "Because Count Hol mentioned that if the plan succeeded, they could establish themselves in the human world, even gaining titles in the sunlight..." "I want a title. I want to return to the human world and regain a title!" "Regain a title?" Charlotte looked surprised. Agnes glanced at her and sneered. "At this point, why pretend? When you heard the name Veillet, you should have known, right? My family was ruined because of your Castell!" Charlotte: ... Ruined by Castell? Heavens, she really didn''t know that! Not to mention, Agnes became a bloodborne eighteen years ago. At that time, not only had the current Charlotte not transmigrated, but the original Charlotte hadn''t even been born yet. Even the archives in the Castell mansion''s study didn''t mention the Veillet name. "I don''t know much about the family''s past, and the name Veillet is unfamiliar to me." Charlotte thought for a moment and said. Hearing Charlotte''s words, Agnes looked shocked. She widened her eyes in disbelief. "You don''t know? You really don''t know? Has Castell forgotten about Veillet after just a few years?" "I really don''t know, but... if you tell me, I''ll listen." Charlotte adjusted her sitting position and said. Agnes pursed her lips, gritting her teeth as she spoke. "Our Veillet family was the Violet Ducal family before the Star-Moon War." "But during the Star-Moon War, we lost our territory due to Castell''s betrayal, ultimately leading to the destruction of our family and our removal from the nobility!" Violet? Charlotte was slightly taken aback. We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now This was the first time she''d heard of this. She only knew that the current Duke of Violet was reappointed by the Crescent royalty after the end of the Second Star-Moon War, but she had no idea that there had been a Veillet family before. "And you are..." "I am the daughter of the former Duke of Violet, Agnes de Veillet." Agnes said, straightening her back. Charlotte nodded slightly. She couldn''t comment on old disputes involving the previous generation. Honestly, she didn''t know much about the Star-Moon War either. She only knew that the Violet Duchy was the main battleground, and the entire duchy was almost completely devastated. However, if it was indeed Castell that led to the destruction of the Veillet family, then this grudge was significant. "Alright, I''ve told you everything I know. Do as you wish, but please uphold the honor of the nobility and do not insult me or my family!" Agnes said coldly. Seeing her resolute demeanor, Charlotte smiled. "Aren''t you afraid that I might really kill you?" Agnes pursed her lips and said. "Death is better than being a prisoner of my enemy!" "Don''t expect me to bow down! Castell ruined my family, and I will never submit to Castell! We will always be enemies until death!" Charlotte smiled even more. "Unyielding until death? The way you just told me everything in detail didn''t seem very unyielding." Agnes: ... Her face turned white, then red, and finally, she snorted and turned her head away. Seeing the bloodborne girl glaring at her, Charlotte felt a strange sense of amusement. She stopped teasing her and asked her final question. "Alright, Miss Unyielding Agnes, I have one last question¡ª" "How do you participate in those remote bloodborne meetings? Since you can disguise your identity, you must be using some kind of magical tool, right?" Agnes glared at Charlotte but remained silent. Charlotte smiled slightly. "Miss Agnes, I have limited time. If you can''t answer my question, I''ll have to ask Mr. Lahel." Agnes: ... Her eyes widened in astonishment, as if she couldn''t believe Charlotte''s audacity. However, under Charlotte''s playful gaze, she finally gave in and gritted her teeth. "It''s a communication crystal, a magical crystal for remote communication." "Oh? A communication crystal? Where is it?" Charlotte asked. "In... my backpack." Agnes said. The backpack again. Charlotte clicked her tongue and rang the bell. Soon, the door to the interrogation room was knocked on, and a guard entered respectfully. "Countess, do you have any orders?" "Search her backpack and bring the crystal from it." Charlotte ordered. A short while later, the guard returned with a crystal-clear orb. "Countess, is this it?" Charlotte looked at Agnes, who nodded woodenly. Confirming it, Charlotte took the crystal ball while the guard respectfully withdrew. Charlotte carefully examined the crystal ball, which was about the size of her palm. Its center glowed faintly, and upon close inspection, she could see a cluster of rotating runes. "Are you planning to use it to infiltrate those bloodborne meetings? If that''s your plan, I advise you to give up." Agnes said, glancing at Charlotte. "Oh?" s?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte looked at her with interest, gesturing for her to continue. Agnes paused and then explained. "This communication crystal was given to Count Hol by the Nez clan. It''s specially processed and requires bloodline authorization to activate. Only the relevant bloodbornes can use it." "Unless you are a blood relative of the related bloodbornes, like a descendant. Of course, higher noble bloodlines can also use it, like those of the third-generation bloodborne elders." "We can use it because I am a direct descendant of Count Hol, and Lahel is my direct descendant." "You may be a bloodborne, but you are not of the Nez clan''s bloodline, nor are you related to Count Hol. Moreover, like me, you are a newly turned bloodborne, so you have no connection to noble bloodlines and can''t use it." Agnes looked directly at Charlotte and said. "Unless... you want us to continue infiltrating the meetings for you." Charlotte gave her a meaningful look. "Remote meetings can only be known by the participants, right?" "So what? You have no other choice," Agn¨¨s said. Seeming satisfied that she had finally turned the tables, Agnes looked more confident. However, Charlotte didn''t engage her further and instead began examining the crystal ball on her own. Seeing Charlotte''s actions, Agnes twitched. "Are you going to try it yourself?" She shook her head and said. "I tell you, you can''t do it. You can''t even activate it, let alone join a bloodborne meeting." "Your rashness will only cause the crystal to self-destruct and alert the bloodbornes behind it. Your bloodline..." Agnes didn''t finish her sentence. Because the crystal ball in Charlotte''s hand suddenly glowed, clearly activated. Agnes'' eyes widened in disbelief. "It... it activated? How is this possible? How could you activate it?!" She looked at Charlotte with suspicion. "You... you can activate the Nez clan''s encrypted crystal?! You''re definitely not an ordinary bloodborne!" "You even broke my family''s Scythe Guardian! Even Count Hol''s mental domination couldn''t break my Scythe Guardian!" Taking a deep breath, Agnes stared into Charlotte''s eyes. "A newly turned bloodborne can''t have this kind of power! It''s impossible to have this kind of power!" "Who are you? Who exactly are you?!" Charlotte smiled faintly, revealing a pair of cute fangs. She placed her delicate finger on her pink lips, her voice clear and melodious, her mischievous look like a little devil playing a prank. "Guess?" Agnes: ... Chapter 190: Northport Expansion Plan "How often do the Nez clan''s remote meetings take place? Is there any pattern to them?" Charlotte asked, ignoring Agnes'' astonished expression while playing with the communication crystal. Agnes remained silent for a moment before responding, "The remote meetings only happen on the 1st, 11th, and 21st of each month. It seems that the crystal controlled by the Nez clan requires recharging." "However, the meetings don''t necessarily happen every ten days. Typically, the crystal ball will emit a signal and its glow will turn red three days before a meeting." "So, the 1st, 11th, and 21st, huh..." Charlotte mused. Today is July 22nd, which means Agnes and her knight likely communicated with the bloodbornes just yesterday, and the next meeting should be on August 1st. "Did you have a meeting yesterday?" "Yes." "What did they discuss?" "They inquired about our progress and mentioned something about a workshop having issues." "A workshop, huh..." Charlotte nodded slightly. This definitely refers to the Castell Mining Workshop. It''s clear that Charlotte''s actions have already raised the suspicions of the bloodborne behind the scenes, potentially disrupting their plans. "Hey! I''ve told you everything I know. You still haven''t told me who you are." Agnes gritted her teeth. "Victors take all. I''ve lost, but at least... let me die knowing why!" Charlotte glanced at her and chuckled. "When did I ever say I was going to kill you?" Agnes was momentarily stunned. However, Charlotte offered no further explanation, getting up and leaving the interrogation room. She left Agnes alone, stewing in her thoughts and suspicions. S?a?ch* Th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. At the same time, Sebastian also emerged from another interrogation room. Seeing Charlotte, he naturally approached her and said respectfully. "Master, Lahel''s interrogation is complete." "Oh? How did it go?" "It went quite smoothly. At first, he was reluctant to speak, but after I used Agnes as leverage, he revealed everything he knew." Sebastian said with a slight smile, presenting the middle-aged knight''s confession. As Charlotte accepted the confession, she gave Sebastian a curious look, thinking that the master and servant really were alike, even down to the reasons for their confessions. Of course, Sebastian and Charlotte had chosen similar methods. After reviewing Lahel''s confession, Charlotte found it matched Agnes'' statements, with no discrepancies. It was clear Agnes hadn''t lied to protect her knight, and the same went for Lahel. "Master, we''ve asked all we could. What should we do with them now?" Sebastian asked respectfully. Charlotte pondered for a moment and then said. "Keep them locked up for now. They might still be useful." Honestly, although Agnes and Lahel had summoned the undead to attack her convoy, since they hadn''t caused much damage, Charlotte didn''t harbor intense hatred towards them and had no real intention of killing them. Now, knowing the reason for Agnes'' hatred towards Castell, she felt even less inclined to act ruthlessly, despite Agnes clearly hating her guts. Knowing that Agnes and her knight had a way to participate in the bloodborne''s remote meetings, Charlotte indeed planned to infiltrate one. However, she didn''t intend to attend personally. The reason was simple. Although she had successfully activated the Nez clan''s communication crystal, the crystal hadn''t been as calm as it appeared. When Charlotte activated it, she felt the crystal trembling. It seemed the communication crystal reacted strongly to her bloodline. Agnes mentioned that the communication crystal required a specific bloodline to activate. Clearly, with the Gospel of Blood and having undergone deep physical modifications by it, Charlotte''s bloodline strength far surpassed that of an ordinary bloodborne. Charlotte didn''t know if her current body''s bloodline strength qualified as "True Ancestor," but it was certainly stronger than that of a third-generation bloodborne like Count Hol, who Agnes could overpower. In this situation, Charlotte wasn''t sure if infiltrating the meeting herself might cause something unexpected. From the description, she estimated that this kind of remote communication might be an advanced use of the mental world. If that''s the case, her stature might be too high, and she could end up transforming the entire meeting space into her Dark Night Castle the moment she entered. That would be problematic. She''s too weak now, her cheat abilities are limited in time, and she still needs to hide her identity. Charlotte pondered that she might need to use Agnes and Lahel for this. Directly entering the meeting might cause anomalies, but if she could infiltrate through Lahel''s mental world, like using Divine Blessing to possess and attend the Nez clan''s meeting, it could work. This, however, would require Lahel''s cooperation. She wouldn''t need him to become her blood servant, just to open up his mental world to her, similar to how she entered Lottie''s mental world before. But there''s no rush. There''s still about nine days left. Right now, Charlotte was more curious about the banquet at the Count''s estate the day after tomorrow, and what the nobles and infiltrating bloodbornes in the territory might do. With this in mind, Charlotte scanned her mansion and asked. "Where''s Nice?" "He should be trying to charm the maids. Just before I entered the interrogation room, I saw him meowing and acting cute to some of the maids." Sebastian said with a slight smile, always ready to make Nice look bad in front of Charlotte. Charlotte: ... Her expression darkened as she said. "Tell him to meet me in the study." Before long, Nice trotted into Charlotte''s study. "Meow! Great Lady Charlotte, you called for me?" Looking at the black cat, which seemed to have grown fatter and with shinier fur since coming to the territory, Charlotte clicked her tongue and said. "Nice, it seems you''re living quite well. How are the maids?" Hearing Charlotte''s words, Nice''s eyes lit up. "Meow! They''re wonderful! The maids here are of much higher quality than those in the manor! I, the great cat lord..." Nice didn''t finish his sentence. Because he quickly noticed Charlotte''s amused expression. "Go on, why did you stop?" Charlotte asked with great interest. Nice swallowed hard, shivering slightly. Quickly shifting the topic, he said, "Um... so, why did you call for me?" Charlotte ignored the private life of the lecherous cat and got straight to the point. "What''s the highest level of protective and sealing magic and divine rituals you can currently perform?" Nice thought for a moment and replied honestly. "Well, for magic, I can only cast up to second-tier spells. But divine rituals are a bit better, thanks to the power I can draw from Mithra, the great God of Contracts. So, I can cast up to third-tier divine spells." Charlotte: ... Did he just say ''draw''? Was he trying to say ''leech''? Ever since taking him as a servant, she had never seen this lecherous cat pray to any God. Now, it seemed he must be exploiting some loophole to use divine rituals. We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now This guy definitely isn''t a real follower of the so-called God of Contract, Mithra! Charlotte gave Nice a strange look, then said, "Nice, I need you to cast all the highest-level protective and sealing divine rituals you can during the banquet at the Count''s estate. Can you do that?" Nice''s eyes lit up. "Is it to deal with those bloodbornes that might infiltrate? Meow! Don''t worry! Leave it to me! I''ll make sure all those uninvited guests are sent to another dimension!" Charlotte''s eye twitched. "That''s not necessary. I need them alive." But after thinking for a moment, she added. "Still, it wouldn''t hurt to have an emergency option to banish them to another dimension." "Meow! Leave it to me, I''ll handle it!" Nice patted its chest confidently. After giving Nice the order to prepare the divine rituals, Charlotte finally found some time to relax and planned to check out the Count''s library. However, it seemed that her return to Northport from the mining workshop would not allow her any rest. Before her sweet milk on the desk could even cool, she received a request for a meeting from Madoc Oran, the mayor of Northport. "Madoc? Let him in." She said to Sherry, the maid who reported this. Sherry respectfully withdrew, and soon, the plump mayor of Northport, Madoc Oran, hurriedly entered. "Countess, I heard you captured the mercenaries who attacked you on Shallow Water Street?" The chubby old mayor asked as soon as he entered the study. Charlotte was a bit surprised. "The news spread that fast?" Madoc Oran nodded. "Yes, it spread quickly. After all, the city guard mobilized to Shallow Water Street this morning, and even the Mercenary Association sent quite a few mercenaries. It was quite a commotion." He sighed. "This is also my failure. I didn''t expect those audacious mercenaries to hide in Shallow Water Street, nor did I expect the impoverished residents there to dare harbor criminals..." "But Shallow Water Street has been a problem for a long time. Please give me more time, and I assure you I will resolve the public security issues there!" "Rest assured, I will give you a satisfactory explanation for this matter!" Madoc Oran said, gritting his teeth. Charlotte gave him a strange look. "The mercenaries who attacked me were not local to Northport. Why bring up Shallow Water Street?" Madoc Oran was stunned. "Aren''t you quite dissatisfied with Shallow Water Street?" Charlotte frowned. "Me?" Her expression turned cold. "Who said that?" Madoc Oran hesitated, then said honestly. "The city guards told me. The guards said you were very displeased with Shallow Water Street''s harboring of criminals when searching for fugitives..." Charlotte paused, quickly recalling her interaction with the guards. She did express dissatisfaction, but it was directed at the guards who described the residents of the slums as unruly troublemakers. It seemed her expression had been misunderstood by the guards and even communicated to the mayor, Madoc. At this moment, Charlotte somewhat understood why people in high positions often carefully controlled their words and actions. Because their demeanor could easily be interpreted as their stance, influencing those beneath them. "I wasn''t displeased with Shallow Water Street''s harboring of criminals. I was astonished that a wealthy place like Northport still has such impoverished areas. After all, no lord would be happy seeing their subjects living poorly." Charlotte said thoughtfully. Hearing this, Madoc Oran breathed a sigh of relief. "Shallow Water Street has been a long-standing issue in Northport. I''ve always wanted to solve it, but shamefully, I''ve never been able to eradicate it." Charlotte''s interest was piqued. "How long has Shallow Water Street, or such a slum, been around?" Maddock Oran respectfully answered. "A long time, likely since Northport''s land was fully developed. You know, Northport is built on the water. Initially, it was a small island on a shallow sea. Over time, successive counts expanded it to its current size." "However, as Northport couldn''t expand further, the population kept growing rapidly due to the booming alchemy workshop industry. Eventually, it reached its limit..." "Shallow Water Street emerged under such circumstances. Those who couldn''t afford to live in the city built houses along the outer city wall by the water, eventually forming today''s Shallow Water Street. No, honestly, it has grown beyond just a street; it''s almost a district now." Charlotte frowned. "Since it''s due to lack of land, has there been no plan to expand Northport over these years? I saw Shallow Water Street is completely exposed outside the city walls. In good weather, it''s fine, but during storms, it must suffer significant damage every time, right?" Madoc sighed. "You''re right. After every storm, Shallow Water Street is a mess. Post-storm relief has always been a headache for the city hall." "As for the city''s expansion plans, there have been several, but none have been executed. The earliest was eighty years ago, but it halted due to the Star-Moon War." "Expanding Northport requires a lot of money, and at that time, all funds were diverted to the war efforts. So, the plan was postponed." "No one expected the intermittent Star-Moon War to last over eighty years, thus delaying Northport''s expansion until the war ended..." "But soon after the war, your father, the previous Count, sacrificed himself, and the expansion plan stalled again... until now." Charlotte pondered. "How much would it cost to expand Northport?" Madoc thought for a moment. "It''s a complex calculation. Recruiting high-level mages or even legendary mages costs a fortune... We no longer have a Blazing Sun Mage." Charlotte considered for a moment, then ordered. "Prepare a detailed estimate for me. I need to see the overall cost of expanding Northport, and also gather all information about Northport and Shallow Water Street and bring it to the Count''s estate." Since she became the lord, she had to start taking action. Consolidating power was one aspect; improving her territory was another. Places like Shallow Water Street were never mentioned in the study materials at Castell Mansion. She only discovered them after personally visiting the territory. Comparison often highlights issues. Compared to the comfortable lives within the city, it''s natural for residents living in such conditions to harbor resentment. Charlotte felt she couldn''t ignore what she had seen. While consolidating power among the nobility, she also needed to take action to win the people''s approval, laying a foundation for future governance. "Understood, Countess. Are you planning to expand Northport?" Madoc asked eagerly. Charlotte gave him a glance. "It''s just a preliminary idea. Let me see the information first, and don''t spread this around yet." "Yes, ma''am!" Madoc bowed respectfully. Madoc''s efficiency was impressive. It was clear he wanted to make a good impression on Charlotte. The next day, he had the information delivered to the Count''s estate by cart. "Countess, this is all the information on Northport and Shallow Water Street. However, regarding the expansion funds, it will take more time to calculate due to the complexity. Different expansion plans require different amounts, and we need to revise old plans." "No problem, there''s no rush." Charlotte said, instructing the maids to send the materials to her study. Charlotte didn''t review the information immediately. She had to prioritize tasks. Expanding Northport wasn''t a decision to be made in a day or two. The immediate focus was preparing for the banquet and meeting her vassal nobles. The banquet at the Count''s estate was the next day, and she needed to make some preparations today. Specifically, setting up a thorough defense with Nice at the Count''s estate, ready for any potential bloodborne infiltration. If the Nez clan didn''t act, so be it. But if they did, she intended to capture them all. The day passed quickly, and soon, the day of the Count''s estate banquet arrived. Chapter 191: The Big Three Families As the most bustling city in the northern region and a renowned port of the Crescent Kingdom, Northport was always lively and busy.However, today Northport was even busier than usual. At the port facing the Starlight Strait, one sailing ship after another arrived from the north and south, slowly docking at Northport''s deep-water wharf. These ships varied in size, from the common two-masted square-rigged vessels to the recently popular Carrack three-masted ships. Unlike the usual merchant ships engaged in maritime trade, each of these vessels flew a variety of flags, each displaying increasingly intricate and elaborate crests, many directly imprinted on the sails. These were noble crests, each representing a noble family. The only route from the Continent''s Peninsula to Northport, the Castell Bridge, was equally busy. Luxurious carriages from all directions converged and headed towards Northport, creating a rare traffic jam. Like the ships at the port, each of these carriages bore a finely crafted crest on its side, each representing a noble family. The Northport city guards, dressed in standardized chainmail, were already lined up along both sides of the bridge, maintaining order from one end of the mainland to the city of Northport. Seeing the rare but well-known crests of the north, the merchant caravans entering and exiting Northport had no choice but to make way for these carriages, which likely carried barons or even viscounts. Passersby and merchants curiously eyed the noble carriages, engaging in constant discussion and complaints. ¡°Damn! What¡¯s happening today? It¡¯s not the Festival of Expansion, so why are so many nobles here? We need to get to the port to load goods!¡± ¡°Load goods? You might have to wait until tomorrow. Northport is incredibly busy today. I heard the Count is hosting a banquet and summoning all the nobles from his territory.¡± ¡°All the nobles?! No wonder! I thought I saw the Griss family carriage earlier! And they had armored knights escorting them!¡± ¡°Hey, the Leon-Castell family¡¯s carriage also arrived about a quarter of an hour ago.¡± ¡°Leon-Castell? So, two of the three Viscount families are here. What about the Roman-Four family?¡± ¡°No idea. They usually don¡¯t attend the Count¡¯s events. But... I heard someone saw a black Carrack ship in the outer port, which looked like theirs.¡± ¡°Damn! If I knew the Castell Bridge would be this crowded, we would¡¯ve sailed into the port too!¡± ¡°Then you¡¯d be disappointed. The port is even more crowded. Many cargo ships are anchoring outside due to lack of berths. Remember, the Castell nobles never lack ships. Whatever you can think of, they¡¯ve already thought of.¡± ¡°Damn it! Couldn¡¯t these nobles have arrived a few days earlier?¡± The merchant caravans complained incessantly, but facing the rulers of Castell, they had no choice but to step aside. Meanwhile, the center of all this congestion, the Castell Count¡¯s estate, was equally bustling. Carriages and longboats from all directions converged here. Longboats docked at the estate¡¯s waterway berths, and carriages, guided by stewards in black-and-white uniforms, entered the square beside the mansion. Elegantly dressed nobles disembarked from their carriages or boats, their eyes scanning each other''s family crests, exchanging smiles and greetings. Some were elegant and reserved, some flattering and fawning, some confrontational, and some smiling with hidden daggers. Everything depended on the status and previous relations between the families. Regardless of whether they were the haughty ¡°great nobles¡± or the cautious new nobles, upon entering the Count¡¯s estate and facing the estate¡¯s stewards, they all put on elegant and appropriate smiles, showing the utmost respect for Castell. Madoc Oran stood at the estate¡¯s entrance. The mayor of Northport personally took over the duties of the Count¡¯s steward, donned the Castell butler uniform, and smiled as he directed the mansion¡¯s stewards and maids to guide the arriving nobles. Suddenly, a luxurious carriage slowly approached, escorted by knights, led by none other than Baron Sharon, who had escorted Charlotte north. Seeing the cross-cut family crest with a black eagle and silver shield on the carriage side, many minor nobles voluntarily made way, and Madoc¡¯s spirits lifted as he went forward to greet them, smiling even more brightly. At the same time, a young male noble in elegant attire stepped down from the carriage and then turned to help an elderly noble down. Seeing the elderly noble, Madoc stepped forward, nodded to the familiar Baron Sharon, and then respectfully greeted the elderly noble. ¡°Viscount Leon-Castell, welcome to Northport. It must have been a tiring journey.¡± Then, he glanced at the young noble beside him and smiled. ¡°And this must be your eldest grandson, Lord Derek. I hear he is already a Starry Sky Knight at such a young age. Surely, he will be another Silver Moon in the future.¡± Hearing Madoc¡¯s words, the young noble clearly enjoyed the compliment, standing a bit straighter. The elderly noble smiled gently, shaking his head. ¡°Him? He¡¯s still far from it. Already twenty and still so reckless. It would be enough if he can properly take over our Leon-Castell responsibilities.¡± ¡°You are too modest. I heard that Lord Derek became a Starry Sky Knight at eighteen, showing great talent in swordsmanship. He will certainly become a Silver Moon like you.¡± Madoc smiled. The elderly noble smiled and shook his head. ¡°If we talk about talent, the Countess is truly exceptional. I heard that the Countess became a Starry Sky Knight even before coming of age, and it seems she was a Starry Sky Knight from the moment she awakened. The Countess is the real genius!¡± Then, the elderly noble curiously asked. ¡°Madoc, I heard the cause of the mithril depletion in the mine has been uncovered? Someone was manipulating the workshops? What exactly is going on?¡± ¡°You know, our Leon territory is in the south. Although we have shares in the mine, we haven¡¯t been much involved in managing the workshops, only having a marginal steward there.¡± The elderly noble¡¯s expression grew serious as he finished. ¡°Such a significant matter being concealed for so long... this is no simple affair...¡± Northport''s Mayor Madoc sighed. ¡°Yes, since the Countess returned from the workshops, her mood hasn''t been great. It seems the situation is more complicated than we thought. However, the Countess hasn¡¯t shared the details with me, so I¡¯m not entirely sure.¡± Then, he smiled and added. ¡°But if there¡¯s something you wish to know, you might ask the Countess directly. After all, the Leon-Castell family and the Count¡¯s household are one and the same¡ªfamily.¡± The old noble sighed. ¡°Speaking of the Countess, I feel deeply ashamed. I should never have returned if I had known the Countess would face so many difficulties at the Castell Manor. I should have stayed by his side.¡± The young noble beside him couldn¡¯t help but interject. ¡°Grandfather, it couldn¡¯t be helped. Who could have foreseen that Lady Elaine would corrupt and become a bloodborne?¡± ¡°As for the silver mines¡­ I¡¯m sure the Griss family is involved. Their fief is closest to Silver Mine City. I heard that the Griss family¡¯s steward even argued with the Countess during the recent reorganization of the mining workshops!¡± Hearing his grandson¡¯s words, the old noble frowned slightly, seemingly displeased with the interruption. At that moment, a lazy female voice came from behind them with a light laugh. ¡°Oh? It seems the Leon-Castell family is quite well-informed! Apparently, they¡¯re not completely ignorant about the mine situation!¡± We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now Hearing this voice, Madoc¡¯s eye twitched. He looked up to see a stunning woman in a burgundy gown elegantly stepping down from a carriage, flanked by armored knights. A silver badge with a fire dragon emblem adorned her ample bosom. Recognizing the woman¡¯s identity, Madoc hurriedly bowed again. ¡°Viscount Laura de Griss, welcome to Northport.¡± The woman nodded slightly at Madoc, then glanced at the young noble Derek and addressed Viscount Leon-Castell. ¡°Lord Emery, you should manage your heir better. I, Laura de Griss, have a clear conscience regarding the Castell silver mines. The honor of the Griss family does not allow such slander!¡± ¡°With such an ill-mannered heir, I truly worry for the future of the Leon-Castell family.¡± Hearing her words, the old noble frowned slightly, while Derek snorted and said. ¡°The Griss family is well-known for their military arrogance in Castell. Who knows what role you¡¯ve played in the mining workshops?¡± He then looked at the woman with disdain. ¡°The Griss family, once formidable in the Star-Moon War, now has only a woman in charge. It seems the Griss family is indeed in decline.¡± The woman¡¯s expression changed slightly at Derek¡¯s words. But quickly, she laughed lightly and said to Madoc. S~?a??h the ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Sir Madoc, did you hear that? The Leon-Castell family clearly looks down on our Countess. They seem to forget that our Countess is also an excellent woman!¡± She then raised her voice to the surrounding nobles. ¡°Did everyone hear that? The Leon-Castell family despises female nobles!¡± Her words caused the passing nobles to exchange strange looks and whisper among themselves. Derek¡¯s face changed, and he hastily said. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t mean that! I didn¡¯t!¡± ¡°Enough!¡± The old Viscount Leon-Castell glared at him, then calmly addressed the woman. ¡°Lady Laura, our family¡¯s affairs do not concern you. You should focus on preparing for the Countess¡¯ wrath.¡± He gave her a meaningful look. ¡°Although Derek was reckless, he wasn¡¯t wrong. In terms of influence, besides the Count family, no one can match the Griss family in the Castell mining workshops.¡± The woman¡¯s expression changed again. But she quickly regained her composure, smiling coldly. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m also curious. The Leon-Castell family used to lead the mine investigation team. How did you fail to discover that the mithril depletion was fabricated?¡± She narrowed her eyes. ¡°Or could it be¡­ that the Leon-Castell family, who always prides themselves on loyalty, has long harbored treasonous intentions?¡± The old noble finally erupted in anger. ¡°Outrageous!¡± The powerful aura of a Silver Moon spread out, causing Madoc to stumble, nearly falling. However, Laura also let out a cold snort, her own formidable aura clashing with the old Viscount¡¯s. ¡°Silver Moon?¡± Viscount Leon-Castell looked at Laura in surprise, slowly retracting his aura, his expression curious. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Lady Laura to have become a Silver Moon without any indication. I¡¯m truly curious how you managed it, especially since¡­ if I recall correctly, you became a Starry Sky Knight only three years ago.¡± ¡°Hmph, that¡¯s none of your concern.¡± Laura¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, her tone cold. The two Viscounts glared at each other, tension rising. Madoc, watching from the side, felt a headache coming on. Further away, other nobles had already moved aside, entering the Count¡¯s estate through a different route. The Leon-Castell and Griss families were two of the three most powerful families in Castell County, and no one wanted to provoke them. These two families, one in the south and one in the north, guarded their respective regions. Their long-standing enmity was well-known in the Count¡¯s territory. As the two Viscounts confronted each other, another commotion arose at the Count¡¯s estate¡¯s waterway dock. A longboat arrived, and several black-clad swordsmen escorted an elderly man ashore. The old man, in a black robe and holding a cane, seemed sleepy but had meticulously groomed gray hair. Seeing him, the other nobles instinctively made way, and those further away began to whisper. ¡°It¡¯s the Roman-Four family! They¡¯ve come too!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the Roman-Four Viscount¡¯s relationship with the Count¡¯s estate strained since the Star-Moon War?¡± ¡°Who knows? That was a long time ago. Maybe they¡¯re trying to mend ties with the new Count.¡± ¡°Really? But I heard that the Duke of Falling Star Kingdom has been trying to woo them. After all¡­ they¡¯re a branch of the Roman family and related to the Falling Star royalty.¡± ¡°Shh, don¡¯t mention that. Be careful the Roman-Four privateers don¡¯t burn your merchant fleet¡­¡± As the nobles whispered, the elderly man approached the Count¡¯s estate. Seeing his pale face, Madoc felt the pressure mounting. He forced himself to bow respectfully. ¡°Viscount Roman-Four, welcome to Northport.¡± The Viscount Roman-Four nodded slightly without saying anything. He didn¡¯t spare a glance at the Leon-Castell or Griss families and walked straight into the Count¡¯s mansion. The Viscounts of Leon-Castell and Griss exchanged a glance, snorted, and also entered the mansion. Seeing this, the other nobles breathed a sigh of relief and followed them in. In the years when the Count was absent, the three Viscounts held the most sway in Castell. Any one of them commanded the respect of all present nobles. Thus, all three Viscounts of Castell County had arrived. Chapter 194: Assassin! Charlotte was quite surprised.Before receiving her vassals, she had imagined various scenarios, but she hadn''t expected the current situation. One by one, the nobles presented themselves, all pledging loyalty while also accusing their colleagues. If the accusations were taken at face value, nearly all the nobles in the Castell territory, from top to bottom, were implicated. The three viscount families, in particular, had been reported countless times. In a word, it was chaos. Yet, none of the accusers were making baseless claims¡ªthey came with documents and evidence. Although Charlotte couldn''t immediately determine the truth, the evidence was coherent and well-organized. At least on paper, verifying the claims seemed easy. After seeing more than a dozen major and mid-tier nobles, Charlotte''s headache grew worse. The pile of accusation documents beside her had become a small mountain, with almost every noble implicated in some crime. The three leading viscount families were depicted as treacherous conspirators, rebellious by nature, and deserving of the harshest punishments. The information on Castell Manor had been almost completely overturned. Every family seemed problematic, even the loyalist Baron Angus, who personally welcomed Charlotte back to the territory, was reported for colluding with nobles from the Roman Duchy and collaborating with suspected bloodbornes. Sebastian and Nice were equally astonished. The usually eloquent flame elf managed to stammer out a comment. "Master, at least... they''ve all pledged loyalty. In a way, it shows they still have some reverence for Castell." Charlotte: ... Yes, they''ve pledged loyalty, but they''ve also all been reported. It felt like a game of Werewolf, and she had no idea how many wolves were among them! Moreover, apart from Laura, the head of the Griss family who openly revealed her identity, none of the other nobles were bloodbornes. Not only that, Charlotte even used the power of the Gospel to secretly check, finding no signs of mind control among the nobles. Everyone came of their own volition, actively pledging loyalty and making accusations. After this round of audience, instead of uncovering nobles connected to the Nez clan, the situation in Castell had become even more confusing. Charlotte sighed softly, her deep gaze penetrating the curtains to observe the nobles at the banquet. The audience had ended, but the banquet continued. As the music changed, the atmosphere grew livelier, with more nobles joining the dance floor, full of laughter and elegance. If it weren''t for the mountain of accusation documents beside her, it would be hard to believe these dancing nobles had just been indignantly making accusations. Charlotte even noticed nobles who had reported each other dancing together, smiling and graceful. Despite the seemingly joyous and peaceful atmosphere, Charlotte''s keen senses detected the undercurrent of tension behind their masks. Although the nobles were enjoying the banquet, she could feel many covert glances directed towards the curtains, waiting for her next move. The dance floor, seemingly the center of the banquet under the crystal chandeliers, was not the true focal point. The true focal point lay with the beautiful figure behind the curtains. "What do you think of the recent audience with the nobles?" Charlotte asked, drawing her gaze back. Hearing her serious tone, Sebastian quickly composed himself. After pondering for a moment, he said. S?a??h the N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "Master, I''ve traveled across the continent and witnessed the rise and fall of many human families. Unlike our elven race, humans have very short lifespans and much stronger desires." "Your family hasn''t effectively ruled Castell for ten years. Such a long time is enough for ambitions to grow..." Charlotte''s heart stirred. "Are you saying...?" Sebastian considered his words carefully and continued. "I believe that given the substantial evidence and confident accusations, it''s likely that their reports aren''t baseless. Perhaps... they''re all true, or at least partially true, even if exaggerated or embellished." "You mentioned that the nobles of Castell have been deeply infiltrated. For various reasons, many of them might indeed have contacted the Nez clan''s bloodbornes..." "Of course, this doesn''t mean they''ve all betrayed you. They might be fence-sitters, keeping options open. After all, before you successfully inherited Castell, its future was uncertain, and nobles hate uncertainty." "However, despite the surprising number of accusations, we can piece together part of the truth from them." "For example, there are indeed bloodbornes from the Starfall Kingdom infiltrating Castell, and many nobles are secretly gathering troops and preparing for war." "This is not baseless. I believe it''s part of the Nez clan''s plan. If they''ve infiltrated so many families, they might be using Castell''s nobles to prepare an army, planning a war!" "If that''s the case, this is no ordinary conflict. To overthrow Castell, they wouldn''t need such a large operation. The fact that nobles are willing to accuse each other suggests that the bloodbornes behind the scenes have made significant moves." Charlotte pondered Sebastian''s analysis. Some of his thoughts aligned with hers. She also felt that given the nobles'' confident accusations, there must be some truth to them. However, she hadn''t considered Sebastian''s theory that the Nez clan might be using Castell''s nobles to prepare for war. "Using the nobles'' power to prepare for war? If they can achieve that, they must have thoroughly controlled the nobles, right?" Charlotte asked. "Hey, that''s not necessarily the case!" Nice suddenly spoke up. "Oh?" Charlotte looked at him inquiringly. Meeting her gaze, Nice straightened his chest proudly, like a student ready for an exam, and said confidently. "Lady Charlotte, don''t you find it odd that all these nobles chose the same way to meet you?" "They all came with accusation materials, all pledged their loyalty to you, and all reported rival families..." "If it were just one or two families, it would be understandable, but for every noble family to do this, it clearly indicates a more powerful force behind the scenes!" "Sebastian is right about one thing: the force behind this, or to be more straightforward, the bloodbornes from the Starfall Kingdom, might indeed have stirred things up too much." "They''ve certainly infiltrated many noble families, but they may not have complete control or perhaps acted too hastily, leaving traces." "And now, you''ve arrived, clearly investigating the truth behind the scenes, even representing the Holy Court on paper..." "At this time, everyone reporting simultaneously can muddy the waters, making it hard for you or the Church behind you to take any action!" "In this way... on one hand, the Nez clan can buy more time to fully control Castell. On the other hand..." "On the other hand, they can confuse you, undermine your trust with the nobles, divert your attention, and create opportunities to strike!" Sebastian continued Nice''s line of thought. We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now Nice glared at Sebastian, clearly displeased with his interruption, but quickly refocused on Charlotte, looking serious. "Lady Charlotte, the Nez clan... they might be planning to make a move against you." Charlotte''s eyes flickered. She understood what Nice was implying. The Nez clan didn''t need to completely control Castell''s nobles. They only needed to infiltrate enough to influence the nobles'' decisions. In other words, the Nez clan just needed to infiltrate the management of each noble family, not necessarily control their leaders completely. By turning Castell''s nobles into a disorganized group, and then... if they could control her as the lord, they could naturally command the leaders of each family. At the same time, by combining this with a bottom-up infiltration of each family, they could eventually fully control each family. By that time, the Nez clan would have complete control over Castell! Thinking about this, Charlotte had some guesses about the Nez clan''s plans. But at the same time, she felt like she was overlooking something, which made her uneasy. Just then, Charlotte noticed a noble leaving the dance floor and heading straight towards the curtains. It was a middle-aged noble, dressed in a traditional but somewhat old and worn noble''s outfit. He looked anxious, walking faster and faster, soon reaching the curtains. The Castell guards on either side of the hall quickly approached, raising their weapons to block him. "Who are you? What do you want? If a noble below the rank of baron wishes to see the Countess, please apply at the desk over there." Northport Mayor Madoc looked at the newcomer and frowned. The middle-aged noble didn''t answer Madoc''s question. He raised his head, facing the curtain, and shouted. "Countess! I am Arle, a knight of the Leon-Castell fief! I want to report that the Leon-Castell family is plotting rebellion!" His voice was loud, drawing everyone''s attention in the hall. The half-elf musicians instinctively stopped playing, and after a murmur of discussions, all eyes fell on Viscount Leon-Castell in the hall. Viscount Leon-Castell''s expression changed. "Nonsense! Guards! Stop him!" He angrily ordered the Castell guards. The guards didn''t move, still blocking the curtain, seemingly waiting for the lord''s command. Charlotte exchanged glances with Sebastian and Nice, her heart skipping a beat. She subtly signaled Nice, then looked at the nobles outside the curtain and ordered the guards. "Draw back the curtain." The guards respectfully pulled back the curtain, and the middle-aged noble looked up at Charlotte. He was a weathered-looking noble, his expression resolute. "Countess! I have solid evidence of Leon-Castell''s betrayal!" He knelt on one knee, pulling out a parchment scroll from his chest and holding it high. "Bring it here." Charlotte said calmly. Following her order, a guard took the scroll from the middle-aged noble and turned to present it. Just then, another loud shout echoed through the hall. "Countess, watch out! They are assassins!" Charlotte looked over in surprise, seeing Vincent, son of Viscount Roman-Four, rushing over with several black-clad swordsmen, looking urgent. Meanwhile, the guard holding the scroll suddenly leaped towards Charlotte. Sebastian snorted coldly, stepping in front of Charlotte, but the guard''s move wasn''t altered, he charged straight at Sebastian instead. Seeing the empty eyes of the guard and the glowing scroll in his hand, Charlotte''s heart skipped a beat. "Sebastian, retreat!" She commanded. But it was too late. Brilliant light suddenly erupted between the guard and Sebastian, enveloping them instantly. A circular magic array formed beneath them, and in an instant, both figures vanished. At the same time, the middle-aged noble shouted, replacing the guard as he charged towards Charlotte. His eyes were bloodshot, and he drew a gleaming dagger from his chest as he leaped. Mayor Madoc''s expression changed dramatically. He quickly stood in front of Charlotte, grabbing a chair as a weapon and shouted. "Everyone, protect the Countess!" But it was too late. Another guard leaped up, cutting down Madoc along with the chair, while the middle-aged noble continued his charge towards Charlotte. Charlotte could see his grotesque face, the large pores, and sweat clearly now. However, just as the noble was about to strike, the sound of an arrow piercing through the air suddenly cut through the hall. A crossbow bolt gleamed as it flew, piercing the middle-aged noble''s head. The noble collapsed to the ground, his dagger sliding across the floor, sizzling and smoking where it touched. Vincent, son of Viscount Roman-Four, landed in front of Charlotte. He discarded the emptied crossbow and drew his sword, swiftly cutting down the guard who tried to continue attacking Charlotte, like a knight descending from the heavens. "Protect the Countess!" He ordered the black-clad swordsmen accompanying him. Chapter 195: The Real Assault The sudden assassination attempt came quickly and ended just as abruptly.Regardless of their rank, nearly all nobles are extraordinary individuals. After their initial shock, they quickly followed the lead of the Roman-Four family, subduing the guards who attempted to assassinate their lord one after another. Charlotte didn''t even have to utter a word, everything was swiftly resolved. However, before the nobles could present the "traitorous" Castell guards to Charlotte, these guards began to convulse and soon died one by one. In the end, all Charlotte saw were lifeless corpses with vacant eyes. She gave Nice a look, and Nice immediately understood, leaping over to inspect the bodies. "It''s mental domination magic. They were forcibly controlled." He said. Charlotte nodded slightly, her gaze sweeping over the nobles who had come to "protect" her, finally resting on Vincent, who led the black-clad swordsmen and stood in front of her. At the same time, the nobles looked at her, their faces full of unwavering loyalty and concern, as if they had personally thwarted the assassination. The hall was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. Everyone awaited the lord''s command. Charlotte remained calmly seated on the lord''s throne. Her demeanor was serene, sharply contrasting with her youthful appearance. After giving a long, deep look at Vincent, the son of Viscount Roman-Four, who stood naturally beside her, she picked up her teacup, took a sip of tea, and said calmly. "Continue the banquet." The nobles hesitated. However, seeing their lord''s seemingly indifferent reaction to the assassination, they eventually resumed their dancing. The half-elf musicians hesitated briefly before resuming their music. But the banquet''s atmosphere was gone. Soon, servants arrived to drag away the corpses, and the injured nobles received treatment one after another. Thus, the unexpected assassination attempt quickly concluded and was soon forgotten. At least, it appeared to be forgotten. During this brief assassination attempt, apart from the assassins, no one died. The banquet continued. After staying for a while longer, Charlotte slowly rose and decided to leave the hall. The recent assassination was definitely not the Nez clan''s main objective. If they wanted to control her, they certainly wouldn''t choose to assassinate her. Charlotte believed this was merely an introduction to create an opportunity for the real attack. As for who the Nez clan''s real accomplices were, she already had a vague suspicion after witnessing everything. Of course, mere suspicion wasn''t enough. Next, it was time for further verification and a crackdown. Thinking this, Charlotte''s deep gaze swept over the Roman-Four family''s black-clad swordsmen. She then ordered the Northport mayor, who still looked apprehensive. "Madoc, investigate when these guards were controlled." Madoc received the order and withdrew. However, as soon as Charlotte left the hall, Vincent of the Roman-Four family quickly followed her, accompanied by several black-clad swordsmen. Charlotte gave him a meaningful look. "Sir Vincent, is there something you need?" Vincent, with a solemn expression, responded concisely. "Lady Charlotte, the guards were controlled without anyone noticing. There may be a traitor in the hall, someone very familiar with the mansion, possibly someone close to you!" "Leaving now is too dangerous." Charlotte raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What do you suggest?" Vincent solemnly replied. "Before my father left, he said you might be in danger today and instructed me to protect you." "At least... please allow me to escort you out of the hall." We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now Charlotte felt a slight stir in her heart. "Oh, so the viscount did not leave early due to illness?" Vincent paused, then respectfully said. "I apologize, Lady Charlotte. I lied to you earlier. My father did not leave because of illness. He left because he spotted signs of the bloodborne near you." "My father... went to track the bloodborne." "Oh? If he found traces of the bloodborne, why didn''t he inform me?" Charlotte asked, narrowing her eyes. "Because there were others around when he sought your audience." Vincent replied matter-of-factly. Charlotte was momentarily taken aback by this answer, while Vincent continued. "Lady Charlotte, please allow me to escort you out." Charlotte gave him an amused look and suddenly smiled. "Alright." With that, she took the lead and walked out. The black cat Nice also leaped lightly, landing beside Charlotte. "Lady Charlotte, are you planning to fish? Do you suspect Roman-Four?" Nice''s excited voice echoed in Charlotte''s mind. "Perhaps. After all, this escorting act is too typical. His timing was too coincidental and abrupt, making it hard not to suspect." Charlotte replied in her mind. "Meow! If I saw correctly, Sebastian was teleported away, right? Aren''t you worried?" Nice asked. "Not really. He was teleported to the sea about fifty kilometers away. He should be able to swim back by tomorrow morning." Charlotte replied. Nice: ... "Alright, get ready to catch someone. Perhaps... we can soon uncover the bloodborne behind all of this." Charlotte said in her mind. As she conversed intermittently with Nice in her mind, Charlotte continued to leave the banquet hall under Vincent''s escort, heading towards her study. S?a??h the N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. However, Charlotte was slightly puzzled because Vincent seemed to genuinely only be escorting her. Until Charlotte entered her study, he hadn''t said a word. Could she have been wrong? Charlotte was puzzled. "Lady Charlotte, the Castell guards were controlled so subtly. This indicates that the mastermind is likely someone within the mansion. Please be cautious!" Vincent said respectfully before leaving. Then he bowed once more and left with the black-clad swordsmen. Charlotte: ... Did he just... leave? Was her judgment wrong? Or did the bloodborne behind it all abandon today''s action? Watching Vincent disappear, Charlotte grew increasingly puzzled. At this moment, Northport Mayor Madoc''s voice came from outside. "Lady Charlotte, I have completed the investigation and have come to report!" "Come in." Charlotte naturally commanded. Madoc quickly entered the study. However, what Charlotte heard was not Madoc''s report but the sound of the study door being locked. Her heart skipped a beat, and she slowly looked up to see a familiar yet unfamiliar face. Chapter 196: The Bloodborne Count Appears "Madoc? Is it really you?"Charlotte looked at the Mayor of Northport, who had silently locked the door, her expression filled with surprise. No, Charlotte wasn''t even sure if the person in front of her could still be called Madoc. Although it was still Madoc''s plump, round face, his expression was completely different from the ingratiating and slick city official she knew. Now, his demeanor was serious and solemn. "Yes, Countess, it''s me." Madoc calmly took out one magic scroll after another from his chest. The shimmering magic light emanated from his body, and eerie red patterns appeared on his face. Meanwhile, Charlotte noticed that Madoc''s aura was rapidly growing! He was no longer an ordinary person, but instantly possessed powerful magic, becoming an extraordinary! Madoc... had become a Starry Sky Mage! He lifted the scrolls, tearing them one by one. Glows spread through the room, creating layers of magical barriers that isolated the space from the outside. After completing all this, Madoc walked directly to Charlotte and bowed, saying: "Countess, now... there are finally no annoying flies around." Charlotte frowned. She had considered that the traitor could be Leon-CastelL or Roman-Four, but she had never thought that it could be her own direct subordinate, the mayor! It was indeed hidden right under her nose! Upon arriving in Castell, Charlotte was warmly welcomed by her direct vassals. She had subconsciously believed that her officials were still loyal to her and that only the enfeoffed nobles were problematic. But now, she suddenly realized she might have been wrong from the start. Yes, if the bloodbornes had infiltrated every aspect of Castell, why couldn''t they have infiltrated her direct domain? However, what surprised Charlotte was that Madoc, who had no aptitude for magic, had now become a Starry Sky Mage. How was this achieved? Was it those strange patterns on his face? What were they? Charlotte''s curiosity was piqued. But her questions were soon answered. "Huh? Forbidden Magic Runes? Even after all these years, someone still uses this stuff?" The black cat Nice''s voice rang out, filled with surprise and even excitement. Forbidden Magic Runes? Charlotte''s mind was stirred. At the same time, her long-dormant divine ritual counter ability was suddenly activated again. Familiar scarlet words began to appear in her vision¡ª [Gospel of Blood detected an ongoing divine ritual¡ª] [Ritual Name: Nicholas'' Forbidden Magic Runes] [Caster: Humphrey de Lachlan] [Recipient: Madoc Oran] [Effect: A blasphemous ritual created by the legendary mage Nicholas, the caster grants the recipient a blessing akin to that of a God. The recipient sacrifices their life potential and soul power to gain immense magical energy and transcendent potential.] [Interception Probability: 100%] [Intercept?] A blasphemous ritual by the legendary mage Nicholas? Humphrey de Lachlan? Wait, is this the Bloodborne Count of the Nez Clan who infiltrated Castel? Seeing the information appear before her, Charlotte''s heart fluttered. She squinted at Madoc. "You''ve allied with the Nez Clan?" Madoc seemed surprised. "You know about the Nez Clan?" Charlotte took a sip of her tea and responded. "Infiltrating nobles, controlling mining workshops, intending to seize control of my Castell... The disturbance is so big, I''m not blind." "Honestly, I don''t understand why these Nez Clan members don''t just stay in the Starfall Kingdom and instead come to my Castell to cause trouble." Then, Charlotte looked at Madoc again and calmly asked. "Madoc, Castell has treated you well. Why betray us?" Madoc sighed slightly and said. "Forgive me, Countess." "No matter how hard I tried, as someone without extraordinary potential, I could at most obtain a non-hereditary barony in the territory..." "I am indeed grateful for everything the Castell family has given me, but my contributions to the territory far outweigh what I''ve received." "I am the Mayor of Northport, yet because I''m not a hereditary noble, every hereditary baron or knight looks down on me..." "Hereditary nobility is reserved for the extraordinary. Since Castell cannot give me what I want, I had to seek it elsewhere." "Besides... Castel has no future. In the face of greater power, even if you are the Saintess of the Holy Court, you cannot stop Castell from changing hands!" After speaking, Madoc looked at Charlotte with a sincere expression. "Lady Charlotte, although I haven¡¯t worked with you for long, I can see that you genuinely want to be an excellent lord." "But unfortunately, your power is too weak. Without Sir Sebastian, you can''t possibly contend with the power of the bloodbornes." "You have no idea... the extent of our control over Castell!" "For old times'' sake, I sincerely suggest you submit to the Nez Clan." "If you are willing to pledge your loyalty to the Nez Clan, all the nobles in the territory will swear allegiance to you, and you will become the true master of Castell." Being drawn in by the extraordinary power and titles of the Nez Clan... Charlotte pondered. "Pff... extraordinary? So you think you''re an extraordinary being now?" "Indeed, forbidden magic runes can grant great power, but that power is borrowed, and the corresponding price is even more terrifying. In the end, it''s nothing but a derivative of a failed experiment." "Do you think with such false power, you can control Lady Charlotte?" The black cat, Nice, shook his head and said. Madoc glanced at Nice and smiled. "Sir Nice is right; I know my power is borrowed." "But... I don''t have many years left to live anyway. Creating a bright future for the next generation is enough." "Moreover, after the mission is complete, I will naturally receive the noble embrace of the Nez Clan. At that time... I will be stronger and more noble than ordinary extraordinary beings, not only possessing power beyond the ordinary but also gaining the ability to live forever!" "In comparison to the immortality of the future, what do these few years of life and soul power matter?" Madoc''s expression was fervent, filled with longing. Then he looked at Charlotte again, persuading: "Countess, this may be the last time I address you as Countess. Accept the recruitment of the Nez Clan." "I know you''ve made various preparations in the count¡¯s mansion, but unfortunately... even if you''re prepared, you''re just a First Tier Starry Sky Mage. Even with Sir Sebastian¡¯s assistance, you can only contend with a Silver Moon tier at best." We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now "I can tell you clearly, the being behind me is a Bloodborne Count, a real Third Tier Blazing Sun! And... there¡¯s more than one!" "You cannot contend with us. If you are willing to accept the offer, I think... the Lords of the Nez Clan would be very happy to accept you, grant you the power of the bloodborne, and make you part of the great Nez Clan!" After Madoc''s words, Nice gave Charlotte a peculiar look. A lackey of the bloodborne, not even qualified as the lowest blood servant, standing before the great Bloodborne True Ancestor, persuading her to accept recruitment and become a descendant of a bloodborne clan that had gone through countless generations... This scene, one had to admit, was quite amusing. Charlotte laughed. She stroked her chin, as if pondering. "Immortality? It does sound like a good suggestion..." Madoc also laughed. S?a??h th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. But before he could say anything more, Charlotte''s tone changed. "But what if I refuse?" Madoc''s smile gradually faded. "It seems you haven''t listened to my words." He sighed and said. "In that case, we''ll have to use force to make you obey..." With that, he drew a complex serpentine symbol on his chest and exclaimed loudly. "Oath ¡¤ Bloodborne''s Spirit Descent!" A dark red light burst from Madoc¡¯s body. Simultaneously, familiar scarlet words appeared in Charlotte¡¯s vision again¡ª [Gospel of Blood detected an ongoing divine ritual¡ª] [Ritual Name: Nicholas¡¯ Oath of Spirit Descent] [Caster: Madoc Oran] [Summoned Object: Humphrey de Lachlan] [Effect: A blasphemous ritual created by the legendary mage Nicholas. The caster establishes a connection with the summoned object through an oath, projecting the will of the oath object in a manner akin to divine descent before the caster.] [Interception Probability: 100%] [Intercept?] Will projection? Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred. She did not stop Madoc¡¯s actions, allowing him to continue. The next moment, a powerful aura rose from behind Madoc. Under Charlotte¡¯s surprised and curious gaze, scarlet light slowly gathered and formed a phantom figure behind Madoc. The phantom wore a half-mask, obscuring its face, revealing only a pair of scarlet eyes and a majestic silver robe adorned with star and serpent patterns, the insignia of the Nez Clan. With the appearance of this figure, a faint blood-red mist filled the study, accompanied by an overwhelming pressure... It was a Spiritual Force Field. This was a Third Tier Blazing Sun powerhouse! The phantom looked at Madoc and spoke in a booming voice. "Madoc, you called too late." "Apologies, Count. I originally wanted to try persuading Castell to join us, but it seems I have failed." Madoc respectfully bowed to the phantom and answered. "Acting on your own! If this happens again, you will never receive the sacred embrace." The phantom coldly glanced at Madoc. Hearing this, Madoc''s expression grew tense, showing fear. "It won''t happen again! Never again!" But the phantom no longer paid attention to him, instead turning its gaze to Charlotte. "Charlotte de Castell?" The scarlet eyes stared at the girl behind the desk, with a hint of inexplicable emotion. "Humphrey de Lachlan?" Charlotte also looked at the figure, with a curious expression. Being directly named, the phantom seemed slightly surprised. "You know me?" "Hmph! The Roman family... truly unreliable!" The Roman family? Charlotte¡¯s eyes flickered. The phantom''s gaze then fell on Charlotte''s extraordinarily beautiful face. Scarlet eyes flashed with amazement and nostalgia as the booming voice spoke again. "How similar... so very similar..." "The inheritance of humanity is truly marvelous. Seeing this face almost identical to Anne Your Highness'' brings back so many memories..." Hearing the phantom¡¯s words, Charlotte''s heart skipped a beat. "You knew my mother?" Anne was the name of the mother of the body Charlotte had transmigrated into, and Charlotte knew her mother was a noble from the Starfall Kingdom. However, no one in Castell ever mentioned her mother''s identity, as if it were a deliberately buried piece of history. As far as Charlotte knew, it was related to the Star-Moon War that lasted eighty years. But at this moment, hearing the title from the Bloodborne Count, Charlotte''s heart raced. Anne... Your Highness? Charlotte was very curious about her mother¡¯s identity which warranted such a title. However, the phantom clearly had no interest in chatting with Charlotte. It looked down at her, its voice gradually growing excited and trembling, with a hint of gnashing of teeth. "Such nostalgia... makes one want to destroy it, makes one want to tear it apart, makes one impatient to see you grovel at our feet, begging for mercy!" Its gaze became more and more unrestrained, its voice increasingly angry. "Yurst said to try persuasion first, to try recruiting you, saying Castell is ultimately not Roman..." "I have been against this from the beginning." "And now, it seems I was right!" "After all, seeing such a face, no Nez can restrain their inner rage!" The phantom grew more solid, emitting an even more terrifying pressure. Accompanying this pressure was a mental shockwave like a tsunami. "Remnants of the Roman family! Suffer the wrath of the Nez Clan, become the eternal slaves of our bloodborne clan!" A terrifying aura erupted, and the vast will of a Third Tier Blazing Sun transformed into a dark red mental storm, surging towards Charlotte¡¯s soul! Seeing this, the black cat Nice couldn''t help but cover his eyes, sighing in his heart. Ah... why do these overestimating fools always try to invade this old monster''s mental world? Chapter 197: Beat the Lackey, the Boss Appears? Charlotte knew that the Nez clan had been preparing for a long time and that they would inevitably make a move against her today.What surprised her, however, was that the one targeting her was not an ordinary bloodborne, but a Blazing Sun Bloodborne Count. Though the enemy¡¯s power was shocking, it wasn¡¯t beyond Charlotte¡¯s expectations. Since learning from Agnes that there was a Bloodborne Count among the Bloodbornes targeting Castell, Charlotte had prepared for the worst¡ªto face a Blazing Sun during the banquet attack. To this end, Charlotte even ordered Nice to set up five high-level divine and magical spells throughout the count¡¯s estate, almost draining the last bit of the black cat¡¯s magic and exhausting it to the brink of collapse. As for herself, she was always ready to unleash her True Ancestor form to deal with the possible appearance of the Bloodborne Count. Charlotte¡¯s plan was comprehensive. What she didn¡¯t expect was that the attack would come not from a real Blazing Sun but from a projection of the Bloodborne Count¡¯s will, facilitated by a forbidden spell. This outcome left Charlotte somewhat frustrated. If the real Blazing Sun had descended, she could potentially use her True Ancestor¡¯s power to keep him there, but dealing with a mere projection of will was more challenging. A Blazing Sun¡¯s greatest strength is their extraordinary mental power. Destroying a remotely projected will would at most inflict some mental damage on the Blazing Sun. Yet, the situation was dramatic. The Nez clan aimed to control Castell, and the Bloodborne Count¡¯s projected will chose mental domination as the most convenient and likely to succeed approach for the Nez clan. Honestly, this wasn¡¯t a wrong judgment. A Starry Skky extraordinary had no power to resist the mental invasion of a Blazing Sun. But Charlotte was not an ordinary Starry Sky. Though her actual power wasn¡¯t formidable, her fusion with the Gospel of Blood had altered her soul in ways she herself hadn¡¯t fully understood, imbuing it with some divine-like qualities. Even without using her True Ancestor powers, the automatic protection of the Gospel would give any invader a hard time. Both Sebastian, who had suffered mental trauma, and the disgraced, fallen knight of the Holy Court''s Inquisition could testify to this. Seeing the radiant will projection, Charlotte offered no resistance, letting the immense mental force invade her mental world. She didn¡¯t plan to use the Gospel¡¯s power to harm the invader immediately. Mental connections are mutual, since the opponent had come, she intended to turn the tables and control him instead. It was a bold and crazy idea, but Charlotte decided to try. As the Bloodborne Count Humphrey de Lachlan¡¯s will successfully invaded, the Gospel of Blood deep in Charlotte¡¯s consciousness automatically opened, radiating red light, and an ancient aura rose from her. The invading will quickly sensed something amiss. Upon entering Charlotte¡¯s mental world, instead of a misty soul realm of typical extraordinary, he saw a vast, boundless sea of blood. ¡°This... is a little girl¡¯s mental world?!¡± Staring at the near-infinite soul sea, the invading will trembled slightly, stunned. He had invaded many mental worlds, including those of powerful extraordinaries. However, even the strongest extraordinary he had invaded did not have a soul realm as boundless as this ocean. The will projection immediately sensed danger, a faint sense of crisis rising... Bloodbornes, nearly immortal and old monsters, were masters at self-preservation. Sensing the strangeness of the mental world, the Bloodborne Count Lachlan¡¯s will projection wasted no time, turning to flee swiftly from the mental world. His actions were quick. Deciding to leave, he immediately disengaged from the invasion and returned to the real world. However, just then, a soft laugh came from behind him. ¡°Since you¡¯re here, why leave in such a hurry?¡± The will projection¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Looking around, he found himself not in the study of the count¡¯s mansion but in a grand, solemn castle. Turning back, he saw not a bookshelf and a girl behind a desk but a tiered, elevated platform. Atop the platform sat a majestic throne, upon which a silver-haired, red-eyed girl was seated. The girl¡¯s appearance was identical to that of the Countess of Castell, but her crimson-gold eyes and the exquisite black divine robe filled the will projection with a sense of foreboding. This isn¡¯t the real world! This is the mental world! A vivid mental world! Damn it! How could she have a dominion over the mental world? How did she silently pull me into her mental world? The will projection instantly grasped the situation. Shock, absurdity, confusion, panic... various emotions surfaced. The will projection had intruded into others¡¯ mental worlds before, but being passively drawn into a mental world only meant one thing: the other party¡¯s soul strength far exceeded his imagination. On the elevated platform, Charlotte, seated on the throne, gently flipped through the Gospel of Blood disguised as an ordinary book, and chuckled. ¡°Come as you please, leave as you wish. Sir Lachlan, do you think my mental world is your backyard?¡± ¡°Who are you? Who exactly are you?!¡± The will projection looked at the petite figure on the throne, his voice filled with uncertainty and suspicion. From her high vantage point on the throne, Charlotte smiled down at the will projection she had drawn into the Dark Night Castle. ¡°Me? Just a young countess who recently inherited her territory.¡± As she spoke, she turned the pages of the Gospel and, using the mysterious soul connection, summoned: ¡°Nice, come see me.¡± The Gospel radiated light, and the black cat Nice¡¯s figure slowly materialized beside Charlotte. At this moment, he too had been drawn into the mental world. However, Nice seemed much calmer, clearly having anticipated this. Seeing the black cat in the mental world and the girl on the throne, the will projection¡¯s gaze darkened. By this point, if he hadn¡¯t realized he had fallen into a well-prepared ambush, he would have wasted all these years of life. He couldn¡¯t stay here any longer! If he remained, the other side could reverse the invasion through his will projection and invade his true self! Quickly, the will projection made a decision. Without hesitation, he struck his chest, intending to self-destruct this thread of will. Even though destroying this thread might leave his true self weak or even comatose for a while. But just as he raised his hand, silver light suddenly burst forth, and chains of illusion shot from all directions, quickly binding him. Simultaneously, he realized with horror that he had lost control over the projection! ¡°The God of Contracts'' Heavenly Lock!¡± He cried out, never expecting to encounter the high-level divine magic of the God of Contracts here. On the other side, the black cat Nice snickered and proudly raised its tail. ¡°Trying to run? I can¡¯t perform such divine magic in the real world, but here, it¡¯s different!¡± We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now ¡°Enough. Is the ritual ready?¡± Charlotte glanced at the smug black cat and asked calmly. ¡°Hehehe¡­ Lady Charlotte, it¡¯s long ready. The Servant¡¯s Final Oath is my specialty in contract magic!¡± Nice patted its chest confidently. The Servant¡¯s Final Oath?! The will projection¡¯s eyes widened in shock. Seeing the eager black cat and the calm girl on the throne, he quickly realized Charlotte¡¯s intention. ¡°You¡­ you want to enslave me?!¡± Charlotte laughed softly. ¡°So what if I do?¡± Yes, she planned to use the Servant¡¯s Final Oath to enslave him. Although Charlotte had some authority as the Bloodborne True Ancestor, she was still a low-level extraordinary and had not mastered the forbidden method of turning other bloodbornes into blood servants, as the dark clan Shedite did. Even though she could suppress targets with her bloodline in her True Ancestor form, this form had time limitations. For stability and security, using a fundamental contract like the Servant¡¯s Final Oath to control enemies was safer than bloodline suppression. After all, Nice had once dared to use this contract to control a ¡°newly resurrected God¡±! Although it had ultimately failed. The will projection was finally panicking. The Servant¡¯s Final Oath was infamous, and he knew its terrifying power. ¡°No! Please stop! Perhaps we can talk!¡± He shouted urgently. But Charlotte had no intention of continuing the conversation. Talk? If it weren¡¯t for her unique abilities, he would have already completed the mental invasion and turned her into a mindless puppet. ¡°Begin.¡± She ordered Nice. ¡°Alright!¡± Nice replied excitedly. As a victim of the Servant¡¯s Final Oath, he was pleased to see another suffer from it. As for the potential threat to his status, he wasn¡¯t worried at all. He knew the powerful ally he had attached himself to wouldn¡¯t truly accept this troublemaker, who had wreaked havoc on Castell, as a servant. The Servant¡¯s Final Oath was a temporary measure. In Charlotte¡¯s deeper vision, he saw clear coldness toward the enemy. Thinking of this, Nice snickered. He drew a complex symbol on his chest with his paw, and his voice became solemn. ¡°Contract: Servant¡¯s Final Oath!¡± Silver light shone from Nice, a manifestation of the God of Contracts¡¯ power within Charlotte¡¯s mental world. With Charlotte¡¯s permission, Nice temporarily had some control over the mental world¡¯s power! Silver light transformed into chains, linking one end to the will projection and the other to Charlotte on the throne. Charlotte quickly sensed a connection forming between her and the will projection. But this wasn¡¯t enough. The will projection was just a fragment of Humphrey de Lachlan¡¯s consciousness, not his true soul. To succeed, Charlotte needed to use the Servant¡¯s Final Oath to reverse-invade Lachlan¡¯s mental world and plant the contract deep within his soul! Determined, Charlotte activated the power of the Gospel of Blood. This was the crucial moment. With a chance to control a Bloodborne Count, she had to seize it with all her might! As Charlotte used the Gospel¡¯s power, her image in the Dark Night Castle quickly changed. In an instant, she transformed into her ¡°adult¡± form. At the same time, the will projection felt a familiar and terrifying power emanate from Charlotte. ¡°A Bloodborne! You¡­ no, you are also a Bloodborne!¡± ¡°Who are you? Which clan duke are you? There must be some misunderstanding between us!¡± The will projection spoke frantically, clutching at straws. Charlotte didn¡¯t respond. Under the augmentation of the divine power of blood, her mental strength surged, using the Servant¡¯s Final Oath to channel up the connection towards Humphrey de Lachlan¡¯s true self... It felt like traversing countless dimensions. Charlotte sensed herself breaking through an invisible barrier, her vision changing, just like when she had once used the Blood Totem¡¯s power to descend on Sebastian. She ¡°saw¡± the true body of the will projection, Bloodborne Count Humphrey de Lachlan. In an old castle, in a bedroom, there was a black coffin where Humphrey de Lachlan lay. He appeared as a middle-aged noble in a black cloak, his eyes tightly shut and face filled with terror. Without hesitation, Charlotte launched her final invasion through the mental channel. But just as she broke into his mental world, another dark red light suddenly burst from his mind. An even more powerful, vast, and terrifying aura, far stronger than the one she faced against the Flame Demon Valaroka, descended! Charlotte¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she realized a crucial flaw in her plan. Most bloodbornes have Elders. Bloodborne clans have strict hierarchies. A Bloodborne Count, especially a core count of the Nez clan, would certainly have an Elder! Her invasion had triggered the mental mark left by Lachlan¡¯s Elder! S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. And this Elder was a Legendary. Chapter 198: Bloodborne Duke Legendary!This is a Legendary being! Feeling the overwhelmingly powerful aura, much stronger than that of the Flame Demon Valaroka, Charlotte''s heart skipped a beat. Encountering a Legendary being was not part of her plan. Although she possessed the ability to absorb other bloodlines in her True Ancestor form, making her a nemesis of bloodbornes, at this moment, she had only projected a thread of consciousness into Count Lachlan''s mental world, augmented by divine power. Perhaps in a direct confrontation, her True Ancestor form could easily dominate, using her divine power of blood to crush the opponent. However, the current situation felt more like they were connected through a "phone call." Charlotte''s phone wasn¡¯t even her own¡ªit was the Gospel of Blood''s, the phone line was provided by Nice, and the server belonged to Count Lachlan. In this context, relying solely on remote invasion, she couldn¡¯t overpower a legendary being like when she had crushed Valaroka. Continuing with the Servant¡¯s Final Oath had become a luxury because the legendary will, awakened from Count Lachlan¡¯s soul source, was now blocking the direct path to Lachlan''s soul. After a brief hesitation, Charlotte decided to detonate the divine power within her consciousness thread that had entered Count Lachlan''s mental world, aiming to destroy his mental world entirely. Count Lachlan had already sensed something unusual about her identity. Even if he hadn¡¯t discovered her "true identity," she needed to eliminate the danger in its infancy to prevent the Nez clan from learning her secret. However, just as Charlotte was preparing to destroy Lachlan¡¯s mental world and escape, a dignified and ancient voice suddenly echoed within his mental world. ¡°Who are you, sir? Since when did the noble descendants of blood become lapdogs of the Holy Court?¡± Huh...? Lapdogs of the Holy Court? Charlotte was momentarily stunned. Simultaneously, dark red light blossomed, and a tall, ethereal figure gradually materialized in Lachlan''s mental world. It was a young man whose age was indiscernible, dressed in a blue-black robe adorned with starlight. His silver-gray hair and extraordinarily handsome features gave him an androgynous appearance. His scarlet eyes shimmered with starlight, exuding both dignity and mystery. As he appeared, the entire mental world was bathed in a deep starlight glow. Charlotte¡¯s heart sank. She sensed that Lachlan''s mental world was now protected by this figure. The bloodborne before her was undoubtedly Count Lachlan¡¯s direct superior and very likely the mastermind behind the chaos in the Castell territory. ¡°I am Yorok Nez. How may I address you?¡± ¡°Hiding like this, have you forgotten the honor of the bloodborne after becoming a follower of the God of Contracts?¡± The dignified voice spoke again, and the descending Bloodborne Duke cast a cold, wary gaze at her. Hearing this, Charlotte''s mood grew more complicated. Wait... He mistook her for a follower of the God of Contracts? Instinctively, Charlotte focused on the thread of consciousness she had projected and quickly realized what was going on. It was simple. She had invaded Count Lachlan¡¯s mental world using the Servant¡¯s Final Oath, a spell cast by Nice from the God of Contracts. During the invasion, she naturally followed the path of the contract magic. Contract magic served as a disguise, masking the essence of her consciousness. Moreover, since the contract magic was manifested using the divine power of blood Nice borrowed from her, her divine power also carried traces of the God of Contracts. Honestly, Charlotte had no idea how Nice managed this transformation. The mysterious black cat had only told Charlotte that it could use the power of the mental world to perform divine rituals from the God of Contracts, given her permission within her mental world. Regardless of how Nice did it, when Charlotte projected her consciousness and divine power through contract magic, the combined forces created a bizarre result. In the perception of the descending Bloodborne Duke, Charlotte¡¯s aura bore the marks of the God of Contracts, Mithra, despite having traces of bloodborne essence. She had been mistaken for a bloodborne follower of the God of Contracts! Realizing the truth, Charlotte¡¯s mood grew even more peculiar. However, she quickly had an idea. Not being recognized was beneficial. Whether it was Charlotte''s true identity or her status as the master of the Gospel, either revelation would bring endless trouble if discovered by the Bloodborne Duke. Conversely, since the Bloodborne Duke had misidentified her, she might as well go along with it... Completing the Servant¡¯s Final Oath seemed impossible now, and even destroying Lachlan¡¯s mental world had become quite challenging. However, if she played her cards right, she might not only avoid exposing her identity but also extract some secrets from the Nez clan... With luck, she could even intimidate the Nez clan into refraining from attacking Castell again, buying her time to consolidate her territory! Thinking this, Charlotte glanced at Lachlan¡¯s mental world. Unable to bear the dual descent of Charlotte and the legendary bloodborne, Count Lachlan had fainted and his consciousness had fallen into a deep sleep. With Count Lachlan unconscious, no one could expose Charlotte¡¯s identity. As long as she and this self-proclaimed Yorok Nez Bloodborne Duke were here, her identity remained safe. With this in mind, Charlotte manipulated the divine power hidden beneath the contract magic. The light transformed, and a mist of crimson and silver-gray interwove, creating a vague, graceful figure. Charlotte couldn¡¯t change her manifested appearance within an uncontrolled mental world. However, she could blur it. After the True Ancestor''s Liberation, she transformed into her adult form. Now, influenced by contract magic and deliberately blurred by her own actions, a female figure that even Charlotte herself couldn''t recognize was born. She chuckled softly and said leisurely. "The honor of bloodbornes? Hidden in darkness, using filthy tricks like rats... you dare speak of bloodborne honor?" "Who I am is not important. What''s important is that the descendants of Nez... you''ve crossed the line." She didn¡¯t know it before she spoke, but the moment she did, even Charlotte herself was startled. During her True Ancestor form, she hadn''t paid much attention to her voice. Now, in Count Lachlan''s mental world, her voice, amplified by divine magic, had changed along with her body. Gone was the childish tone, replaced by a commanding and seductive one. Duke Yorok''s expression remained unchanged, but a dark look appeared deep in his eyes. After a few seconds of silence, he laughed lightly. "Embracing the darkness is the very essence of a bloodborne''s existence. Those who betray their bloodline are the true desecrators!" "Ha! You don''t even dare to say your real name. It seems you know well that siding with the Holy Court is a disgrace that the noble bloodborne abhors." With a stern expression and a grand voice, Duke Yorok continued. "As for crossing the line... if anyone has, it¡¯s the Holy Court. The Videl Treaty clearly delineates our rights and duties, yet you have violated it, undermining the authority of Nez in Starfall!" Undermining the authority of Nez in Starfall? Charlotte''s heart skipped a beat. We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now She knew the Nez clan had significant influence in the Starfall Kingdom, almost like the uncrowned kings. While they didn''t control the monarchy as thoroughly as the Wild Clan Vadallat in the Coria Kingdom, they were an undeniable power among Starfall nobility. However, as far as Charlotte knew, the Holy Court didn''t interfere much in the Starfall Kingdom. Their relationship with the Nez clan, while adversarial, was mostly one of mutual non-interference. But listening to Duke Yorok now... it seemed something had gone awry within Starfall? After some thought, Charlotte feigned confusion and asked. "Undermining Starfall''s authority? The Church has always maintained non-interference with Starfall''s bloodbornes. What are you talking about?" Duke Yorok snorted, laughing derisively. "Non-interference? Ha... it seems you haven¡¯t earned the full trust of the Holy Court." Charlotte''s mind raced. She wanted to inquire further, but seeing the Duke''s scrutinizing gaze, she decided to hold back. Posing as a follower of the God of Contracts, it wouldn¡¯t be wise to reveal her ignorance about the Church. After some thought, Charlotte decided to shift the focus to her own territory. "The Church has its own principles, but the order of Castell cannot be challenged." "The land of my Lord''s faith must not be desecrated. If you continue to meddle in northern affairs, it will be akin to declaring war." Duke Yoroc fell silent. After a long pause, he looked at Charlotte and said softly. "Is this the will of the Holy Court?" Charlotte neither confirmed nor denied it. Duke Yorok remained silent. Charlotte watched him, curious about how he would respond. Like her, this legendary being wasn''t present in the flesh; he was also a consciousness projection attached to the unfortunate Count''s mental realm. Considering this, he probably couldn''t fully grasp her strength and wouldn¡¯t dare act rashly. Meanwhile, Duke Yorok met Charlotte''s gaze. His starlit red eyes glowed brighter, and Charlotte felt his aura rising sharply. Is he really going to make a move? Charlotte cursed inwardly, increasing the output of her divine power and preparing to destroy the mental world if necessary, even if it exposed her divine power of blood. Exposing her divine power of blood would only reveal her True Ancestor''s power. But if Count Lachlan survived, it would be more than just exposing her divine power of blood! Just as Charlotte was about to make a show of force, Duke Yorok suddenly stopped. He looked at her deeply and then said. "I understand." With that, his ethereal figure began to dissipate, as if he were retreating. Huh? He''s leaving? Charlotte was stunned. However, just as Duke Yorok''s figure vanished, Count Lachlan''s mental world abruptly shattered, detonated by the Duke himself. Charlotte wasn¡¯t the one who did this. It was Duke Yorok. This Bloodborne Duke... had wiped out his own Count from the soul level before leaving! Charlotte felt a strong force eject her, and in an instant, she was back in the study of the Count''s mansion. She had exited the mental world and returned to reality. Count Lachlan''s presence was gone, and Mayor Madoc was foaming at the mouth on the floor, seemingly suffering backlash from Lachlan''s soul annihilation. After ensuring he was still alive, Charlotte pondered over what had just happened. The sudden appearance and departure of the Bloodborne Duke, and the information he revealed, left her deep in thought. Killing his own kin without hesitation before leaving, it seemed the Nez clan had grand schemes afoot. Judging by the clues, their actions were likely tied to internal strife within the Starfall Kingdom. And... what exactly was the Videl Treaty? Charlotte was puzzled. However, since it involved the Holy Court, she had a professional to ask. "Nees, what is the Videl Treaty?" "The Videl Treaty? Why are you asking about that?" "Just tell me if you know." "Uh... okay, it should be a treaty signed three hundred years ago between the Church and the heretics of Starfall Kingdom... you know, Starfall is overseas, and the Church''s control there isn''t very strong, especially after the decline of the Holy Legions over the centuries. The Videl Treaty was a compromise with the heretics active in the Starfall Kingdom." "What does the treaty stipulate?" "Let me think, I don''t remember the exact terms, but generally, it allows the Holy Court to turn a blind eye to the heretics in Starfall, provided they operate underground and don¡¯t disrupt the Church¡¯s preaching or the kingdom¡¯s order." "It sounds... somewhat similar to the situation in the Coria Kingdom?" S?a??h th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "Hey, it''s different. The bloodbornes in the Coria Kingdom are much more dominant. The Church''s rule is almost nominal; I¡¯ve heard that priests there don¡¯t even dare to leave their churches at night!" Charlotte: ... "And what about the Starfall Kingdom? Has the Holy Court done anything there in recent years?" "I wouldn¡¯t know. I¡¯ve been in the Crescent District all this time and don¡¯t know much about the Starfall District. But if I had to guess, maybe only the civil war from thirteen years ago?" Nice replied. "Civil war?" Charlotte¡¯s interest was piqued. "The Lilac War, the internal struggle for the throne of Starfall Kingdom that lasted three years following the end of the Star-Moon War. The prolonged wars left the kingdom in ruins, and eventually, two branches of the Roman family fought for the throne." Nice explained. The Lilac War... Charlotte mused. She had read about this war in records, but it had been over a decade ago. Of course, more than ten years had passed since then, and the Starfall Kingdom had long since returned to normalcy. But now, it seemed that things in the Starfall Kingdom might not be as peaceful as they appeared. Chapter 199: A Minor Trouble "Nice, did the Holy Court also participate in the Lilac War? How much do you know about this war?" Mulling over the internal conflict in Starfall that the black cat Nice mentioned, Charlotte pondered and asked. "Heh, I happened to see some documents from the Cardinal in the Crescent Diocese. Speaking of which... it¡¯s related to the Crescent Kingdom." "After the Star-Moon War ended, the then King of Starfall, Henry ''The Fool'' Roman, was overthrown by the nobles of Starfall Kingdom. Since Henry ''The Fool'' had no heirs, two branches of the Roman family started a civil war over the throne. Because both branches used lilacs as their emblem, this war was also known as the Lilac War." "Among them, the more powerful Roman branch used the red lilac, while the slightly weaker branch used the purple lilac. At the start of the war, the red lilac family was dominant. However, the purple lilac family later received assistance from the Holy Court and the Crescent Kingdom, eventually turning the tide and defeating the red lilac family..." "Seeing the tide had turned, the red lilac family eventually relinquished the throne and submitted to the purple lilac family, leading to reconciliation. The head of the purple lilac family, Edward Roman, eventually ascended the throne of Starfall, becoming the current King Edward III." "Lady Charlotte, if the Holy Court did anything significant in Starfall, it would be this event." Nice scratched his head as he spoke. "And the church''s missionary work in the Starfall Kingdom has also progressed well over the years?" Charlotte pondered for a moment and asked again. Nice nodded. "Of course, after helping the purple lilac family defeat the red lilac family, the purple lilac family naturally needed to show their gratitude. Not only the church but even the Crescent Kingdom gained many benefits from this." "And what about the red lilac family? Were they purged afterward?" "Heh, not really. Although they fought fiercely, they are ultimately family. Rather than a total victory, it was more of a compromise. You know, after the war, King Edward III married the daughter of Duke Lanstor from the red lilac family!" Charlotte gave Nice a surprised look. "You seem to know quite a lot." "Hehehe, just a bit, just a bit. The romantic affairs of the Starfall royalty are widely known, especially the stories about Edward III and Duke Lanstor''s daughter. Some enthusiasts even wrote books about it." Nice chuckled. Charlotte: ... Looking at Nice''s expression, she could tell those books were probably not serious literature. "However, although Edward III didn''t purge the red lilac family, he did purge many nobles, earning him the nickname ''Tyrant Edward.''" Nice thought for a moment and added. Purge many nobles, huh... Charlotte nodded slightly, deep in thought. From the limited information she knew, the Holy Court, being highly esteemed, rarely intervened in mundane conflicts. Such involvement in a kingdom''s civil war was unusual. S?a??h th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Considering the position of the Nez clan in Starfall Kingdom¡¯s nobility, combined with what Nice mentioned, Charlotte quickly formed a bold hypothesis. Could it be that during the Starfall civil war, the Nez clan supported the red lilac family? On the surface, it was a battle for the throne between two branches of the lilac family. But in reality, it was a struggle between the Nez clan and the Holy Court for control over the Starfall Kingdom? The two branches of the lilac family were merely their proxies? And in the end, the Nez clan lost? This speculation made Charlotte¡¯s heart race. However, as she connected the dots, she felt this could very well be the truth... The red lilac family, supported by the Nez clan, lost. The Holy Court''s influence in the Starfall Kingdom strengthened, squeezing the survival space of the Nez clan. Charlotte didn''t know what the Nez clan faced after the Lilac War, but judging by Count Lachlan''s anger, the Nez clan likely suffered significant losses. It seemed the Nez clan was preparing for war. If viewed from this angle, were they planning to instigate a second civil war in the Starfall Kingdom? Is that why they were reaching into Castell? At this thought, Charlotte''s heart skipped a beat. This was highly likely because if the Nez clan wanted to start a war in the Starfall Kingdom, they would need a secure base. As the Northern Lowlands across the sea from the Starfall Kingdom, Castell was perfect for this. Additionally, there was the Roman Duchy... Duke Nottingham of the Nez clan was likely stationed in the Roman Duchy. Like Castell, if Charlotte''s guess was correct, the Roman Duchy could also be a staging ground for the Nez clan¡¯s counterattack. Of course, this was just a hypothesis. However, Charlotte felt it was very close to the truth. Even Count Lachlan¡¯s hatred towards the Roman family could be explained. Regardless of being red or purple lilacs, they were all Romans. In the Lilac War, the two Roman branches ultimately reconciled. If the Nez clan truly supported the red lilac family, it would be akin to being betrayed by the Roman family... Yet, Charlotte was puzzled why the Nez clan''s anger extended to her as Castell''s Lord, and why Count Lachlan referred to her mother as "Your Highness." Could it be... her mother''s true identity was royalty of Starfall? This was not impossible because Charlotte had long known that her mother came from a major noble family in the Starfall Kingdom. Due to sensitive circumstances, all past ties were hidden when she moved to the Crescent Kingdom. Charlotte hadn''t paid much attention to this before. But since she might now be dragged into the conflict of Fallen Star Kingdom, she thought it might be time to investigate. "Nice, since you''ve read so many books about the Starfall royalty, have you come across a royal member named Anne?" Charlotte asked. "Anne? There are many Anne in Starfall Kingdom, and quite a few in the royal family. Which Anne are you referring to?" Nice scratched his head. Seeming to recall something, he suddenly raised his chubby face and asked. "Wait... Are you suspecting your mother is part of the Starfall royal family?" Charlotte nodded. "To be addressed as ''Your Highness,'' she should be a princess or someone of similar status, right?" "A saintess or some exceptionally high-ranking women can also be addressed this way... But your mother was a devout believer of the Holy Court. She probably doesn¡¯t fit that category. She often fed me small fish at the church before you were born!" Charlotte: ... There were so many issues with that statement that she didn''t know where to start. Noticing Charlotte''s strange expression, Nice quickly corrected himself. "Ah, no... Sorry, I meant before your current body was born." Scratching his head, he said. "Honestly, you''re much more human than I imagined, to the point where I always forget your true identity..." We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now Charlotte: ... Why did that sound so odd? "Lady Charlotte, are you curious about your mother¡¯s background? If you want to find out, perhaps I can help by asking some people to investigate. Despite how I look now, I still have many friends in the church. Several have been transferred to Starfall Kingdom as priests, and even some as high priests. If I ask them to investigate, they might find some clues." Nice patted his chest as he spoke. Charlotte was moved and nodded. "Alright, I''ll leave this matter to you." "Got it!" Nice happily wagged his tail. With Sebastian rarely absent, it was finally Nice''s turn to show off in front of Charlotte. The poor black cat had no idea that over time, with each confrontation with Sebastian, it was slowly becoming more subservient. "Alright, call someone in and lock up Madoc. Once he sobers up, interrogate him thoroughly." Charlotte said, glancing at the Northport mayor foaming at the mouth on the ground. ... This anticlimactic attack did not affect the banquet at the count¡¯s mansion. In fact, because the main conflict occurred in the mental world, the nobles in the banquet hall didn¡¯t even realize Charlotte had been attacked by a bloodborne. Not being able to control Count Lachlan was unfortunate, but Charlotte didn¡¯t come away empty-handed. At the very least, she had a rough idea of what the Nez clan might be up to. Madoc was likely just a small player, but by using him as a breakthrough, more information could be uncovered. Moreover, although Count Lachlan was killed by Duke Yorok, Charlotte managed to roughly pinpoint his location during the spiritual invasion. Duke Yorok clearly didn¡¯t have the confidence to save Lachlan from her, hence why he acted as he did. It was evident that Count Lachlan knew significant information about the Nez clan. Charlotte planned to send people to launch a surprise attack once Sebastian returned. However, she didn¡¯t have high hopes. Lachlan¡¯s castle was indeed within the county, but it was quite far from Northport. It would take two or three days to reach it. Two or three days... Charlotte estimated that would be enough time for Duke Yorok to clean up. By the time she sent people there, the castle might be empty. However, the coming period would be the best time for Charlotte to consolidate her territory. Count Lachlan was likely the Nez clan¡¯s representative infiltrating Castell. With him dead, the hidden bloodborne forces in Castell would certainly be thrown into disarray. Duke Yorok was frightened away by her, and he wouldn¡¯t act rashly in the short term, giving Charlotte time. However, Charlotte didn¡¯t think this was a permanent solution. In fact, her performance had some flaws. If Duke Yorok investigated, he might easily link the ¡°mysterious bloodborne expert¡± with ¡°Charlotte of Castell.¡± The probability of discovering they were the same person was very low, but guessing there was a connection was almost certain. The only consolation was that the Nez clan and the Holy Court were enemies. Duke Yorok couldn¡¯t ask the church to verify if there was a bloodborne worshipping the God of Contracts... But nothing was absolute. The Nez clan excelled in divination. Who knew if they would use it to confirm some information? As for whether the Nez clan would continue targeting Castell, honestly, Charlotte wasn¡¯t sure. All she could do now was strike them unexpectedly before they had time to react! Thinking of this, Charlotte picked up the documents provided by the nobles at the banquet. She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "It seems these materials, likely meant to confuse the situation, could be quite useful." ... In a lush forest. Tall trees blocked out the sun, and low shrubs were dense and green. White spires, ingeniously crafted, rose among the trees, surrounded by flowers and vines, forming a city in the forest like a dream. In the tallest spire at the city center, two slender figures sat facing each other, leisurely playing a game of Myria Chess. One was a handsome young man in a star-studded blue-black robe, with silver-gray hair naturally cascading down his back. If Charlotte were here, she would recognize him as the Bloodborne Duke she had just confronted in the mental world¡ªYorok Nez. The other was a beautiful elven woman. Wearing a luxurious gown adorned with flowers and grass, with silver hair and golden eyes symbolizing elven royalty, she looked noble and mysterious. Suddenly, Yorok Nez''s movements paused slightly, the black priest chess piece in his hand stopping mid-air. Noticing his momentarily serious expression, the elven woman smiled slightly and said. "Sir Yorok, what¡¯s the matter?" Duke Yorok¡¯s eyes flickered as he slowly placed the priest piece down. "Elder, there¡¯s a problem in the clan. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t continue our game today." "Oh? What happened?" The elven woman asked curiously. A red glint flashed in Yorok¡¯s eyes as he said nonchalantly. "It¡¯s nothing serious, just a minor issue in Castell..." With that, he rose from the chessboard, bowed to the elven woman, and said. "Elder, may I use a meditation room on your island?" The elven woman smiled. "Of course. The Nez clan is a friend of our Luna Island. With my emblem, my kin will naturally lead you to our finest meditation room." "Thank you for your generosity." Duke Yorok said. Then, he hurriedly left the spire. "A minor issue..." Looking at the chessboard where the black pieces had a clear advantage, the elven woman chuckled softly. "For a Bloodborne Duke with a strong competitive spirit to put down his chess piece and rush to a meditation room for divination, it doesn¡¯t seem like a minor issue..." Chapter 200: Divination Duke Yorok hurriedly left the spire and, guided by a beautiful elven attendant, entered the most tranquil meditation room on Luna Island.As soon as he entered, his previously calm demeanor turned grim. He quickly approached the magic platform in the meditation room, took out a shimmering crystal ball from his pocket, and gently placed it on the crystal stand on the platform. "Crystal Spirit, appear before me." Duke Yorok recited an incantation and gently rubbed the surface of the crystal ball. A myriad of colors flickered within the crystal ball, and a phantom-like purple shadow slowly emerged above it. As soon as the purple shadow appeared, a cheerful and frivolous voice immediately echoed from the crystal ball. "Yo! Good morning, Lord Yorok! It''s 10 PM Luna Island time, and it''s been 2569 days, 12 hours, and 31 minutes since you last summoned Adast for divination. The last time you summoned me was when there was a change in the ruling family of the Northern Lowlands. Since then, you haven''t called on Adast again. The days without your summons have been a lonely and tedious wait. Poor Adast could only pass the time by singing in the void. You might not believe it, but Adast seems to have a bit of talent for singing. During this period, Adast composed three songs and seven poems, and now I''ll¡­" "Shut up, Adast!" Duke Yorok snapped, pressing down on the crystal ball as if silencing a chattering pet. The crystal ball fell silent instantly. "Prepare for the highest level of star divination!" Duke Yorok commanded coldly. The crystal ball did not respond. Duke Yorok frowned. "Adast?" The crystal ball flickered slightly, and the frivolous voice spoke again, tentatively. "Lord Yorok, didn''t you tell me to shut up?" Duke Yorok: ¡­ The veins on the back of his hand bulged as he clenched the crystal ball. He took several deep breaths, barely restraining himself from smashing the talkative crystal spirit. If the spirit of the sacred object wasn¡¯t fixed from the moment of its creation, he would have long shattered this family heirloom and reforged it with a less talkative spirit. "I just don¡¯t want to hear your pointless babbling. Prepare the highest level of star divination and tell me if you can do it now." He asked, holding on to the last bit of his patience. Hearing Duke Yorok¡¯s words, the crystal ball''s voice quickly became cheerful again. "Okay, Lord Yorok, it''s wonderful to be at your service again! Tonight''s constellations are clear, perfect for divination. Adast is always ready to serve you! But you don''t look well. Are you unwell, or have you encountered some trouble? If you''re unwell, Adast knows of an excellent calming herb on Luna Island that''s very beneficial for blood descendants like you¡­" "Shut up!" Duke Yorok pressed down on the crystal ball, grinding his teeth, his aura nearly erupted. The crystal ball went silent once more. Duke Yorok took a deep breath, calming his aura, and said coldly. "Just answer my question. If you say one more word of nonsense, I¡¯ll throw you into the latrine of the beastmen!" The crystal ball trembled slightly, seemingly shivering, and the frivolous voice now sounded much more subdued. "Okay¡­ okay, what would you like to divine?" "I want to divine the success rate of the Returning Star Plan again." After some thought, Duke Yorok said in a deep voice. "The success rate of the Returning Star Plan? Lord Yorok, didn¡¯t you already divine this 4021 days, 13 hours, and 45 minutes ago? And then again 2569 days, 12 hours, and 34 minutes ago¡­" "If you¡¯ve forgotten the previous results, Adast would be happy to recount the star signs. The results from 4021 days, 13 hours, and 45 minutes ago indicated that while there were risks, the plan would proceed smoothly if the correct path was chosen. The stars pointed to the Northern Crescent as the land of hope. As long as you gained the support of the Northern Crescent, the Returning Star Plan would be secure¡­" "The results from 2569 days, 12 hours, and 34 minutes ago indicated that the Returning Star Plan was already on track. As long as it followed the predetermined star trajectory, there was almost no chance of failure. This divination was not disrupted by the Holy Court¡¯s blessings, and Adast can ensure the accuracy of the results." "Do you really want to perform a third divination? Adast believes that divining a certain outcome is pointless. Star divination, being the highest form of divination under the Gods, is highly reliable and accurate. Repeating the divination is just a waste of resources." The phantom shadow on the crystal ball started babbling again, but this time, Duke Yorok didn¡¯t show any impatience. His expression was extremely serious, his eyes flickering with uncertainty. Noticing Duke Yorok¡¯s expression, the phantom shadow cautiously asked. "Lord Yorok, has something happened?" Duke Yorok glanced at the crystal ball and said in a deep voice. "That¡¯s why I¡¯m summoning you for a third divination. A powerful unknown bloodborne appeared in the Northern Lowlands, disrupting our plans." "An unknown powerful bloodborne? With all due respect, star divination is the highest form of divination under the Gods. Unless someone knows the results and alters the destined star path, no one can change it¡­" The phantom shadow said. However, as it spoke, it quickly noticed Duke Yorok¡¯s growing impatience and hastily corrected itself. "Of course, if Lord Yorok really wants to perform another divination, Adast is very willing to serve¡­" "Then begin." Duke Yorok rubbed his temples. "Alright, please arrange the star sacrifices according to the ritual. Since this is the third divination for the same purpose, the sacrifices will be four times the initial amount." Duke Yorok nodded. With a flash of light, he procured a Starfall Stone, a Tear of the Moon Goddess, Ritual Gold, Star Illusion Incense, and other rare magical materials. Carefully, he arranged them around the crystal ball in a hexagram pattern and then began chanting an intonated incantation. Specks of starlight blossomed on the crystal stand, a mystical star formation appearing under the crystal ball. Duke Yorok exhaled slowly and commanded. "Adast, begin." "As you command." The phantom shadow replied respectfully. Then, a brilliant light shone from the crystal ball, the phantom shadow transforming into countless photons that flowed into it. Points of starlight continuously swirled within the crystal ball, casting a myriad of colors and projecting a magnificent and mysterious star river onto the meditation room¡¯s dome. Duke Yorok, solemn and focused, stared intently at the luminous crystal ball, his hands unconsciously clenching, clearly anxious. After a long while, the radiant light gradually dimmed, and the splendid starry river on the dome swiftly contracted, returning to the crystal ball. After flickering for a moment, the phantom shadow reappeared above it. "What are the results?" Duke Yorok asked hastily. "Strange! Very strange! The divination results have changed! And they''ve changed so drastically..." The crystal ball flickered as the phantom shadow''s astonished voice emerged. We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now Duke Yorok''s eyelid twitched, his heart skipping a beat. "What exactly did you see?" "Terrible, absolutely terrible! The starlight is dim, the main star is reversed, and even the secondary stars that should have returned to their orbits have changed paths... this almost signals the collapse of the Returning Star Plan!" "Not only that, but the main star is dim and on the verge of disintegration. This means that not only is the Returning Star Plan in jeopardy, but the person executing the plan is also at great risk..." The phantom shadow said solemnly. Then, it couldn''t help but ask. "Lord Yorok, what have you done? Did something go wrong, angering the other bloodbornes or provoking a prince to act?" "Forgive Adast for speaking plainly, but Adast hasn''t seen such a dire divination result in over a thousand years. The last time was when one of your kin tried to divine his fate after accidentally sleeping in Lord Abaddon''s coffin... and he was later turned into a specimen hanging in the castle by Lord Abaddon..." "The current divination results are similar. Your Returning Star Plan is almost certain to fail, and not only that, but the future of the Nez clan is also obscured by dark clouds, making an already dangerous path even more perilous..." "Lord Yorok, did you desecrate a God''s statue or something? This isn¡¯t just a powerful bloodborne interfering with the plan... Honestly, seeing these results makes Adast want to run away, but unfortunately, Adast has no legs..." S?a??h the ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Duke Yorok: ¡­ "It''s really that serious?" He widened his eyes, filled with disbelief. "Adast, could you have made a mistake in your divination?" "Lord Yorok, Adast also wishes this result were wrong, but as an elder of the Nez clan, you should know better than anyone whether a star divination result can be wrong..." Duke Yorok fell silent. "I want to divine the future situation and direction of the Northern Lowlands." After some thought, Duke Yorok said. "The future situation and direction of the Northern Lowlands? Lord Yorok, forgive Adast for speaking plainly, but if the Returning Star Plan fails, divining the Northern Lowlands will be meaningless. Adast can already tell you with the crystal ball that the Nez clan won''t be successfully controlling it. Even so, do you still want to proceed?" "Do as I say and prepare for the divination." Duke Yorok said coldly. The unexpected result of the first divination made him realize that divining the Northern Lowlands might also yield poor results. However, he needed more than just the outcome, he needed to understand what he was up against by divining the Northern Lowlands. Although he couldn¡¯t gauge the strength of the mysterious bloodborne expert, a follower of Mithra alone shouldn¡¯t have the power to endanger the entire Nez clan. He needed more information through divination. "Alright... please place the necessary star offerings according to the ritual." Hearing Duke Yorok''s command, the phantom shadow obediently responded. Duke Yorok nodded, taking out various rare magical materials again, and reluctantly arranged them, chanting a rhythmic incantation. Soon, a myriad of starlight descended once more, and the Star Crystal began its second divination. Moments later, the starlight faded, and the phantom shadow flickered slightly. The frivolous voice reappeared, but this time it sounded more puzzled. "Strange... very strange... Adast''s divination yielded no result..." "No result?" Duke Yorok¡¯s gaze tightened. He frowned. "Are you sure? Did something go wrong?" "Impossible! Adast, crafted by Lord Casey himself, is the finest divination object in Myria. No one is better at star divination than Adast! Adast is certain the divination was effective, but there was no result..." "Strange... very strange indeed!" The phantom shadow shook its head. Hearing this, Duke Yorok¡¯s expression changed subtly. "The divination was effective? Are you certain it was effective?" He asked. "Absolutely, Adast is completely sure." The phantom shadow confirmed. Duke Yorok fell silent again, his expression shifting, eyes filled with suspicion. An effective divination without a result could only mean one thing: the target of the divination was being concealed or protected, preventing any feedback. However, preventing feedback from a divination is much more challenging than performing the divination itself, especially when the diviner is using a sacred object and is a Legendary. While Duke Yorok wouldn''t arrogantly claim his divination skills were the best in Myria, he was confident that few could obstruct him from using the Star Crystal. Unless... a more powerful force had directly interfered! Thinking of this, Duke Yorok''s expression grew more and more uncertain. Could it be that the gaze of Mithra, the God of Contracts, had truly fallen upon Castell? Was it Mithra''s power preventing his divination? Was the mysterious bloodborne expert truly a follower of Mithra, and did the Holy Court intend to act against the Nez clan? If this were the case, it would be troublesome. The Nez clan didn''t have enough strength to contend with the Holy Court at the moment... Information... He needed more information! The Gods had not walked the mortal realm for many years, and those who carried out their will were the Gods'' agents. If the Holy Court truly had plans for the Nez clan, he needed to quickly investigate the true identity and specific strength of that bloodborne expert! "Lord Yorok, are you alright? You don''t look well." The phantom shadow cautiously asked. Duke Yorok took a deep breath and asked. "Adast, do you still have enough starlight stored to continue divination?" "Of course, Lord Yorok, you haven¡¯t used me for seven years. There¡¯s enough starlight left for two more star divinations." The phantom shadow replied. Duke Yorok nodded, his eyes flickering slightly. "In that case, perform one more divination for me." "This time... I want to divine the identity of the powerful bloodborne expert I encountered today!" Chapter 201: Changed Fate ¡°Divining the identity of the bloodborne expert you mentioned? Lord Yorok, forgive Adast for reminding you once again: a bloodborne capable of threatening you must be at least as strong as a Legendary, and such a being would certainly attract the attention of a God.If this powerful bloodborne indeed has divine support, if Castell has truly entered a God¡¯s sight... then this bloodborne is likely a divine agent, and our divination will yield no results, just as it did earlier. After all, the current star divination no longer has the blessing of Lord Casey¡¯s power. Moreover, if our divination catches the attention of a God, that God might turn THEIR gaze upon us. Lord Yorok, Gods loathe having THEIR secrets pried into by mortals. You surely do not wish to rashly draw the attention of an unknown God?¡± The Star Crystal Spirit, Adast, spoke solemnly. Listening to its words, Duke Yorok gradually calmed down and fell silent. After a moment, he sighed softly and said. ¡°You¡¯re right. I was impulsive. But it¡¯s difficult to stay calm when a plan I''ve been plotting for years suddenly faces a crisis...¡± Adast was right. When dealing with matters involving Gods, caution is a necessity. Otherwise, it could place oneself in immense danger. Perhaps... I should temporarily halt the Returning Star Plan, at least the infiltration of Castell, until a more thorough investigation is conducted. Duke Yorok thought. ¡°Lord Yorok, this is not your fault. Adast understands your commitment to the Returning Star Plan, as it concerns the future of the Nez family, the orders of the Council of Elders, and the safety of Lady Eugenia... Huh?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Wait... the divination result has changed!¡± ¡°The divination result changed?!¡± Duke Yorok was slightly stunned. Divination results typically last for a period, but it¡¯s rare to hear of results changing abruptly. Unless the diviner did something that influenced the content of the divination. Duke Yorok''s expression turned serious, and he quickly asked. ¡°What has changed?¡± ¡°The main star¡¯s fate and the subordinate stars¡¯ paths... hmm, meaning you and the fate of the Nez family. Although still obscure, it¡¯s not as shrouded in darkness as before. Furthermore... the main star and fate star seem to be balanced between darkness and light. On one side is the annihilation star abyss representing destruction, and on the other is the boundless star sea filled with hope!¡± Adast¡¯s voice was full of wonder. ¡°Lord Yorok, what did you just do? Not only did the main star and subordinate stars change, but even the future of the Returning Star Plan seems to have altered! Although hope remains slim, a ray of starlight has appeared in the sky!¡± What did I just do? Duke Yorok frowned. He seemed to recall something, and his heart skipped a beat. Wait... could it be the thought I had of temporarily halting the infiltration of Castell? Thinking of this, Duke Yorok suddenly felt like he had grasped something, a flash of light crossing his mind. ¡°Adast, quickly! Help me divine the opportunity for the Nez family to achieve the Returning Star Plan and overcome the Descend of Divinity crisis!¡± While arranging various magical materials to set up the star array, Duke Yorok urgently commanded. ¡°At your command...¡± Starshine spread once more, projecting the boundless star sea onto the ceiling of the quiet room. Soon, Adast¡¯s astonished voice came through. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Duke Yorok hurriedly asked. ¡°Strange! Really strange! Although there was a faint indication during the first divination of the Returning Star Plan, this time, divining the opportunity for the Nez family to break the crisis yields nothing but a blank...¡± Duke Yorok¡¯s eyes flickered slightly. ¡°A blank? Are you sure the divination result is blank?¡± ¡°Yes, Lord Yorok. It seems we¡¯ve encountered some kind of force again... something is blocking my divination. Perhaps...¡± ¡°Perhaps... it¡¯s divine power!¡± Duke Yorok completed the unfinished sentence of Adast, his eyes gradually brightening, and his spirits visibly lifted. ¡°Adast, thank you. If we get through this crisis, when Lord Casey is awakened, I will certainly commend you!¡± ¡°Hmm? Lord Yorok, have you figured something out? Judging by your expression, you seem to have suddenly gained confidence... could it be that you already know the key to breaking the crisis?¡± Adast asked curiously. Duke Yorok shook his head: ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± But then he continued. ¡°However... I do know where the key lies, or rather... who it involves!¡± ¡°You mean... Castell?¡± Adast inquired. ¡°Precisely.¡± Duke Yorok nodded slightly, his eyes gleaming. The divination results from Adast turned up blank twice, likely due to the same force. His first failed divination was about Castell¡¯s future, and the second was about the Nez family¡¯s key to overcoming the crisis. These two divinations, when considered separately, yield no clues. But now, seeing them together, the answer is obvious... The key to overcoming the Nez family¡¯s crisis lies in Castell! Reflecting on the timing of the change in the first divination result, Duke Yorok¡¯s eyes flashed. Perhaps... he had misjudged some things from the start! "Adast, I heard that you experienced the entire length of the Thousand-Year Holy War?" "Yes, indeed. It was an exceedingly dark war. Adast witnessed the once-flourishing bloodbornes being torn apart, continuously retreating under the iron hooves of the Holy Court... Countless dukes and counts fell, and even the princes were replaced. I must say, you being in slumber during that time was a blessing..." "Enough of the idle talk, just answer my questions!" "Uh... yes, I experienced the whole war." "Did the God of Contracts become a God during that time?" We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now "Yes." "What is the exact relationship between this God and us bloodbornes?" "Naturally, it is a hostile one. As a staunch supporter of the God-King Harald, the God of Contracts fully participated in the Thousand-Year Holy War, and our relationship with this God can be described as one of irreconcilable conflict. In fact, even the signing of the Videl Treaty and the Coria Peace Accord faced significant opposition from the contract followers within the Holy Court because the bloodborne bloodline siphoned off part of the contract''s authority." Duke Yorok''s eyes flickered as he nodded slightly. "I see." "Lord Yorok, do you need to perform one last divination? Although the last two attempts failed, it was merely unfortunate coincidence. Adast''s divination skills are not that lacking. Give Adast one more chance, and I will definitely..." "No, it''s enough. I''ll summon you again if needed." Duke Yorok waved his hand, dismantling the setup around the crystal seat. "Well, alright. Thank you for your use. The wise Adast is always ready to assist you with divination..." As Adast continued to ramble, Duke Yorok quickly put away the crystal ball. This spirit of the sacred object was good in many ways, but once it started talking, it wouldn''t stop, making one''s head buzz. Putting away the crystal ball, Duke Yorok paced the quiet room, lost in thought. His conversation with Adast made him reconsider some details he had previously overlooked, most notably the relationship between the God of Contracts and the Bloodbornes. Given that the God of Contracts had an irreconcilable conflict with the Bloodbornes due to authority issues, how could this God possibly take Bloodborne as a follower? Moreover, a Legendary one at that. Even if that God did take one as a follower, the powerful bloodborne Yorok met did not seem like a devout follower who despised bloodbornes. In their brief interaction, the bloodborne never expressed any faith in the God of Contracts, nor did they respond to questions about the Holy Court''s intentions. Now that he thought about it, he might have been wrong from the start. The bloodborne might not be a follower of the God of Contracts at all. "Relying solely on faith markers to discern allegiance is inaccurate... It is rumored that a Legendary mage in human civilization once created a blasphemous spell to steal divine power. What I saw might not be the truth." "That powerful bloodborne might merely be using the identity of a follower of the God of Contracts!" With this realization, Duke Yorok''s mind cleared. He quickly thought of more things. "If the star divination was obscured, there might truly be a power of divinity behind her, but this God... is likely not the God of Contracts." "Not the God of Contracts, but impersonating one. It seems that their relationship with the Holy Court is quite intricate!" "Could it be... an ancient God that has awakened?" "In that case, the new Countess of Castell is very likely a follower of this mysterious God!" "I think... I now understand the key to breaking the crisis." With this thought, Duke Yorok stopped. He quickly approached the magic table, retrieved a slightly smaller crystal ball from his storage space, and placed it on the crystal seat while chanting incantations. Gradually, a crimson glow emerged from the crystal ball, and a blurred projection appeared within it. "Lord Yorok, what are your orders?" The blurry projection asked respectfully. "Yurst, what mission is Lachlan executing these days?" Duke Yorok asked. The projection responded promptly. "Lord Yorok, I was just about to report this to you. Lachlan is in the final stages of infiltrating Castell. If all goes well, we will completely control Castell by tomorrow!" Duke Yorok was stunned. "Completely control Castell? So... he has acted against the new Countess of Castelle?" "Yes, today the Count''s estate in Castell is hosting a banquet, which is ideal for the final infiltration plan. By now, Lachlan''s men should already be in action." Duke Yorok: ... The face of this Legendary Bloodborne turned green instantly. "Yurst! Quickly send out orders to halt all infiltration of Castell! Stop all hostile actions against Castell immediately!" The blurry figure was taken aback. "Halt the infiltration of Castell? Lord Yorok, we are on the verge of controlling Castell. Why stop now?" Duke Yorok sighed. "Yurst, pay more attention to the Returning Star Plan and stop being so absorbed in your experiments. At this rate, I''m worried that the enemy might attack us, and you would still be oblivious." "Uh... Lord Yorok, has our activity alerted the Holy Court? I will contact Lord Lachlan immediately to halt the operation." "No need to contact him. He''s already dead." "Dead... dead?!" The figure in the crystal ball was startled. "Yes, dead." Duke Yorok sighed, his eyes clouded. "Lord Yorok, should we report this to the Council of Elders immediately? The fall of a count is no small matter, especially since Count Lachlan was a member of the Council..." s?a??h th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The blurry projection asked. Duke Yorok''s eyes flickered slightly, and he shook his head gently. "No need. I will explain to the Council myself." "Alright... but it may take some time to take over Castell, as Lord Lachlan was in charge there, and I am unsure how many blood servants he developed. Things might be chaotic for a while..." Duke Yorok: ... "Use whatever means necessary. From now on, I don''t want to see any of our people acting against Castell''s nobility, especially the Count of Castell! Not a single case!" He ordered sternly. "Understood. I will contact Count Nottingham. He is currently stationed in the Roman Duchy, closest to Castell and best suited to take over." The blurry figure replied hastily. Duke Yorok nodded slightly. "Very well." "Do you have any other orders?" The blurry figure asked respectfully. Duke Yorok thought for a moment and said. "One more thing... I order you to use all available resources to secretly investigate the background of the current Countess of Castell. Within a week, I want all information on her!" ... "Achoo!" In the Count''s mansion in Northport, Charlotte, having just finished the banquet, sneezed as she changed into her nightgown with the help of her maid. Suspiciously, she looked at the tightly closed window, rubbed her nose, and muttered to herself. "Why do I feel like... someone was spying on me?" After gulping down the warm sweet milk on the table, Charlotte thought for a moment, then walked to the window and drew the curtains even tighter. Chapter 202: Knocking on the Nobles The banquet at the Count''s estate was fairly successful.Although there was an assassination attempt in full view of everyone and Charlotte seemingly did nothing about it, she managed to achieve her initial goal of formally meeting her vassals. Moreover, thanks to these highly adept nobles in internal strife, she ended the banquet with a large amount of leverage over various noble families. It could only be said that the bloodborne behind the infiltration of Castell was too hasty. However, Charlotte knew this was only the beginning. While she now had a preliminary understanding of her vassals within the territory, her authority had not yet been established. Regardless of how deeply the noble families were infiltrated by the bloodborne or how respectful everyone appeared at the banquet, the fact that the Castell family''s power was waning and noble ambitions were growing had not changed. But it wasn''t all bad news. The Nez clan, which had been operating from the shadows, was now out in the open. Although she was not sure what their next move would be, Charlotte had a vague idea of their purpose in infiltrating Castell. As for how to reprimand her vassals, establish her authority, and expel the Nez clan''s forces, Charlotte had further plans... "Master, Sebastian has let you down, allowing the assassin to exploit a magical scroll..." Sebastian returned earlier than Charlotte expected, arriving early the next morning. The flame elf rushed to apologize as soon as he returned to the castle, still dripping wet and with some seaweed on his head. Yet, despite his state, he knelt and bowed elegantly. Sebastian did not question why Charlotte had not summoned him directly. Nor did Charlotte bring it up. There was no point in mentioning that she didn''t want to expend additional blood divine power and estimated that the assassin wouldn''t pose a significant threat to her, hence she didn''t summon him. As for Sebastian... judging by his apprehensive demeanor, he likely thought Charlotte''s lack of summoning was a sign of her displeasure. Admittedly, it was somewhat embarrassing for a high-level Silver Moon extraordinary being to be outwitted by an assassin who hadn''t even reached entry level. "You have indeed become complacent. From now on, you must be more cautious and never underestimate any enemy." Charlotte spoke calmly. Sebastian bowed even lower. "Great master, I will remember this lesson and never repeat it." "Alright, no need to dwell on it. Since you''re back, you must have heard about Madoc." Charlotte took a sip of her steaming sweet milk and asked. "I heard from Nice." Sebastian replied. But his expression carried a hint of gritted teeth, especially when he mentioned Nice''s name. Seeing his expression, Charlotte could guess what had happened. Nice had probably gone to the gate of the Count''s estate right after receiving her orders, just to mock Sebastian when he returned. These two... never missed a chance to kick each other when they were down. "Since you know, it''s straightforward. I''ve pinpointed the coordinates of that Bloodborne Count. I command you to immediately organize a team to investigate. If necessary, you may summon me to descend!" Charlotte said sternly. Sebastian straightened, respectfully bowing his head. "At your command." "Alright, you may go. On your way out, call in Viscount Leon-Castell. I''ve seen him pacing around below for a while." Charlotte glanced at the small square below and said. "As you command." Sebastian bowed and left respectfully. Not long after, Viscount Leon-Castell entered the study with the help of a maid, trembling slightly. "Countess!" The old viscount knelt as soon as he entered. His eyes were red, with large dark circles, indicating he hadn''t rested well. It''s understandable. Besides the treason of Madoc, which the nobles were unaware of, the assassin''s attack last night happened in full view. Although the attacker wasn''t from the Leon-Castell family, the assassin''s accusation against them thrust them into the spotlight... Some things, said privately and publicly, have completely different effects. In any case, after last night''s incident, the old viscount was bound to come and explain himself to his lord. "Stand up. I know why you''re here. In fact, even if you hadn''t come, I planned to summon you." Charlotte said. "Countess! I had no knowledge of the assassination! Regarding the bloodborne... I did have dealings with them, but it was to feign compliance and uncover their intentions. My loyalty to Castell is unwavering!" The old viscount spoke excitedly, his words becoming somewhat incoherent. Charlotte nodded slightly and said gently. "I understand. I have never doubted the loyalty of the Leon-Castell family." "Countess..." The old viscount looked moved. "However... I have also received some other information, all related to the Leon-Castell family." Charlotte''s tone shifted as she picked up a stack of parchment from her desk and handed it to the maid, Sherry, to pass to the old viscount. The parchments contained reports from other families accusing the Leon-Castell family. The old viscount took them with trembling hands and started to read, his eyes widening and his hands shaking as he read further. "Slander! This is slander! The Leon-Castell family has never done such things!" "Oh? Really?" Charlotte lowered her eyelids, her expression turning cold as she used her blood divine power to exert the might of her authority on the Silver Moon viscount. At that moment, Viscount Leon-Castell felt an overwhelming pressure emanating from Charlotte. Even though he didn''t sense any power surpassing the Starry Sky from the young girl in front of him, an inexplicable fear and anxiety gripped him. We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now "I..." The old viscount swallowed hard, his scalp tingling. "Enough, there''s no need to explain." Charlotte interrupted him. "Viscount Leon-Castell, I trust your loyalty. However... as you said, the bloodborne''s influence has infiltrated every aspect of our territory. I believe not everyone in the Leon-Castell family shares your steadfastness." "Many of the incidents documented here are easily verifiable, and I fear they will not stand up to scrutiny. The noble families of Castell need to be reorganized, and the Leon-Castell family is no exception." "The information here could be enough for me to strip your family of its title, but I don''t intend to do that." "Because I trust you, Viscount. Among the three viscount families, the Leon-Castell family is the most loyal. I believe that, even if the things recorded here are related to your family, they were not your orders but the machinations of the bloodborne infiltrating your ranks." "My purpose in showing you this information is simple: I command you to reorganize your family!" "The past is the past. From now on, I don''t want to see such things happening in the territory again!" "Countess..." The old viscount looked moved again. Charlotte continued. "Of course, my trust in you is also because you gave me a heads-up." "Now that the banquet is over, I can be open with you. In fact, I knew about the assassin''s plan before the banquet." The old viscount was stunned. "You... you knew?!" "I have my own intelligence sources." Charlotte said calmly. The old viscount hesitated, then couldn''t help but ask. "Then why did you..." "Why did I still hold the banquet?" Charlotte glanced at him and said calmly. "Because I was also looking for an opportunity, a chance to bring out the mastermind!" She chuckled softly and added. "In fact, things went quite smoothly. With just the two of us here, I can tell you some things." "Viscount, the bloodborne of the Starfall Kingdom has been infiltrating the families of Castell for a long time. Last night''s assassination... the mastermind was them." "However, last night''s assassin was not their real killer move. In fact, after I left the banquet hall last night, they launched another attack on me." "You... you were attacked again?" The old viscount''s eyes widened. "It''s fine. The fact that I can stand here and talk to you means everything has been resolved." Charlotte nodded and said. She smiled slightly. "Viscount, do you know why I''m telling you all this?" The old viscount hesitated and bowed his head respectfully. "I do not know, my lady." "Because I have a task for you, or rather, for your Leon-Castell family." Charlotte''s expression turned serious. Viscount Leon-Castel straightened up. "Please give your orders. The Leon-Castell family will do everything in its power!" "I need you to form an inspection team to investigate every noble family in Castell County and root out all the bloodbornes!" S?a??h the N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte said calmly. "Investigate... investigate all the noble families?!" The old viscount''s eyes widened. "Is there a problem?" Charlotte lowered her eyelids. "Countess, there is indeed a problem... If we inspect all the noble families, it will likely cause dissatisfaction among the vassals and could destabilize the territory..." "Especially since the bloodborne''s power is so brazen and likely stronger than we imagine... They will not sit idly by while we conduct this inspection." The old viscount spoke with difficulty. "If you''re worried about the bloodborne, rest assured. For the foreseeable future, they will be without a leader and unable to cause trouble." Charlotte chuckled. "Without a leader?" The old viscount was stunned. Charlotte nodded slightly, taking a sip of her sweet milk, and said calmly. "The bloodborne infiltrating Castell is the Nez clan, one of the six major bloodborne clans, and the organizer behind the scenes is a bloodborne count named Lachlan." "Last night''s second attack on me was orchestrated by this bloodborne count!" She smiled and looked at the old viscount. "And he... is now dead." "Dead? A bloodborne count... is dead?" The old viscount was stunned again. Charlotte did not elaborate further but pointed to the pile of parchment on the desk. "As for whether other noble families will oppose... if they do, just show them this." "I''ve just taken over and honestly don''t want to cause too much upheaval. I hope each family will remain loyal to me. But if someone is truly blind..." Charlotte''s expression turned cold. "I won''t hesitate to reappoint new nobles." Chapter 203: Charlottes Counterattack "Viscount, I¡¯m giving you three months. Within three months, all nobles in the county must undergo inspection. Any noble who refuses will be considered as having voluntarily renounced their title.""Here is the list of specific items that need to be inspected and the register of accusations against each family. Take it back and review it carefully." Charlotte pulled out a pre-prepared set of inspection documents from the drawer and had the maid hand them to Viscount Leon-Castell. The Viscount was already subdued by the pressure of the Majesty magic augmented by blood divine power. Yet, when he saw the content to be inspected, he couldn¡¯t help but widen his eyes in shock. "Countess! This... this might be..." "Hmm? What? Is it difficult?" Charlotte gave him a faint glance. The old Viscount instinctively lowered his head. After a long silence, contemplating the accusations against the various noble families alongside the inspection contents, he sighed. "Your Grace, I accept the order. However... the bloodborne is extremely adept at hiding their identity. Even with your mandate, it will be challenging to uncover all of them..." "Furthermore, these inspections nearly uncover the very foundations of each family. Even if the bloodborne behind the scenes lost their power to resist, if the nobles unite against this, it might still lead to serious repercussions, despite the leverage you hold over them." Charlotte smiled slightly and said. "You need not worry about identifying the bloodborne members. Since I¡¯m entrusting this task to you, I¡¯ll provide you with specialized personnel to verify their identities. Your responsibility is simply to ensure all nobles submit to the inspection." "Viscount, as the external affairs manager of the County, I believe no one is more familiar with the situation of each noble family than you..." "As for whether the nobles will oppose..." Charlotte chuckled dismissively. "If they truly unite, let them. I will declare all resisting nobles as rebels in the name of the Countess of Castell. Their titles will be revoked, and I will call upon loyal nobles to help suppress the rebellion. Those who distinguish themselves in this endeavor will have a chance to earn these revoked titles." The Viscount was momentarily stunned, unsure how to respond. Charlotte continued. "Of course, this task is not easy, so I¡¯ll assign you some professional assistance capable of dealing with nobles who intend to rebel." The Viscount¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. "Professional assistance? To deal with rebellious nobles? Are you deploying the County¡¯s guard?" Charlotte smiled. "Not necessarily. The County¡¯s guard has its own tasks. If the nobles unite, even the guard cannot swiftly subdue them. The personnel I¡¯m assigning are more specialized." "More... specialized personnel?" The Viscount¡¯s eyelid twitched, seemingly connecting some dots. Charlotte didn¡¯t elaborate further. She leaned forward, gazing intently at the Viscount and said meaningfully. "One more thing..." "I know you are a devout follower of the Holy Court. However, due to the special circumstances in the County, refrain from promoting the idea that I¡¯m here to spread the Holy Court¡¯s faith or that I¡¯m a Saintess of the Holy Court." Charlotte emphasized the words "devout" and "promote." Feeling as though he had been thoroughly seen through, the Viscount quickly lowered his head. "That¡¯s all I have to say. Any questions?" Charlotte adjusted her posture, resting her chin on her hand with a smile. The Viscount swallowed hard and sighed. "No, Your Grace." Seeing his dejected demeanor, Charlotte smiled and said. "Viscount, don¡¯t feel too pressured." "There is an old saying in the ancient Eastern kingdom: ''A new monarch brings new officials.''" "Although I am not a ''monarch,'' I am the ruler of Castell. Complete this task, and the Leon-Castell family will undoubtedly be the greatest contributors." "And I... will not treat contributors unfairly." Upon hearing this, the Viscount couldn¡¯t help but look up, meeting her deep blue eyes. After taking a deep breath, he bowed respectfully and said. "I understand, Your Grace." After taking on the task of inspecting the nobles, Viscount Leon-Castell left with a heavy heart. As soon as he left, the study window opened from the outside, and the plump body of the black cat Nice squeezed in. Charlotte glanced at him, frowning. "Why don''t you ever use the front door?" "Heh, I didn¡¯t want to interrupt you while you were meeting with the vassal, so I came through the window out of habit." Nice expertly rolled onto the desk, grabbed a snack, and savored it. Charlotte decided not to expose the lazy cat¡¯s reluctance to climb the stairs and got straight to the point. "Have you finished interrogating Madoc?" "Of course! When Nice gets involved, it''s always swift!" "Oh? Judging by your tone, it didn¡¯t take long?" "Hehe, not at all! If it were someone else, it might have been different, but with Madoc and his forbidden magic tattoos, I have a thousand ways to make him talk!" Seeing Nice''s smug expression, Charlotte recalled the texts on the divine ritual counter and felt a sudden urge to ask. "Nice, do you know the legendary mage Nicholas?" "Huh? Nicholas? Who''s that? I don¡¯t know him! Never heard of him!" Nice quickly shook his head like a rattle. Charlotte was too familiar with this reflexive denial. Whenever he was hiding something, he would always react this way. She stared deeply at him and suddenly smiled. "Speaking of which, I¡¯ve never seen you pray to the God of Contracts. Aren¡¯t you a devout follower?" "Ah... well, Your Grace, I do pray privately every day... Praise the Contract!" Nice solemnly drew the symbol of the God of Contract Mithra in the air, sincerely praying. The gesture didn¡¯t look very practiced. Charlotte silently watched, not speaking. Under her intense gaze, Nice nervously averted his eyes. He coughed twice, and a register appeared in his paw with a flash of light. "Your Grace, here is the list Madoc provided. It contains the nobles and officials in the direct domain who were infiltrated by the Nez family." As it spoke, its expression became peculiar. "I must say... it''s impressive your direct domain has lasted this long. After reviewing the list, it¡¯s practically a sieve." Charlotte: ... Although knowing he was trying to change the subject, she had to admit he succeeded. She didn¡¯t continue probing Nice''s secrets and instead took the register to review, her eyelid twitching. "This many?" "Fortunately, there are no bloodbornes. Most of those influenced are court nobles and city hall officials. Given that the direct domain is the central hub for the Holy Court in the north, even if the priests were incompetent, the Nez family probably didn¡¯t dare to be too audacious..." "So, I should be grateful to the Holy Court?" Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but retort. After a moment''s thought, she nodded in agreement. We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now "In every sense, I suppose I should indeed be grateful to the Great Lord." "Praise be the Holy!" Charlotte also drew a cross symbol on her chest, her movements far more fluid than Nice''s. After finishing speaking, she handed the list back to Nice and praised: "Well done! Now that we have the list, go ahead and arrest these people. No one on this list is to be spared, and all their properties are to be confiscated! The expansion plan for Northport needs a lot of funds, so let''s start with these confiscated assets." "Lady Charlotte, there are quite a few people on this list. Are you sure you want to take action?" "Of course, we have to take action. I am already planning to act against the nobles, so why would I leave out the direct domains? This is our foundation." Charlotte replied without hesitation. Nice seemed quite pleased with the word "our," so much so that his tail was held even higher. However, he was still somewhat puzzled. "Lady Charlotte, I understand you want to quickly control the county, but aren''t you worried about causing chaos in the county with such drastic measures? I remember you mentioned before that you wanted to proceed cautiously." Charlotte smiled and said. "That was before. Back then, I didn''t know the extent of the Nez family''s infiltration into the county, so I had to be cautious. But now..." Her eyes flashed as she continued. "The Nez family''s infiltration into the county is indeed severe, but perhaps for efficiency or balance, they haven''t consolidated the infiltrated noble forces..." "This can be seen from the nobles'' mutual denunciations. Even if the nobles are infiltrated, their forces are scattered and independent." "Perhaps this worked well when Count Lachlan was alive, but now that he''s dead, the Nez family''s control has undoubtedly weakened significantly. Re-establishing control over the infiltrated forces won''t be easy, because... underground work is inherently difficult." "Therefore, I must seize this opportunity." She stroked her chin thoughtfully and added. "Speaking of which, it was unexpected that the Bloodborne Duke would kill Count Lachlan so decisively. A Bloodborne Count is no minor character. This swift action makes me believe they might have had a personal vendetta..." "The bloodline is a strong bond for bloodbornes. Such actions are surprising. It suggests either deeper secrets within the Nez family or a real grudge between the Duke and Count Lachlan..." "I suspect the Nez family has its own factions, and they might not be as united as we imagined." Nice nodded. "I understand now. But why did you assign this task to Viscount Leon-Castell? Do you really think they are loyal?" Charlotte took a sip of her sweet milk and said slowly. "I know they cannot be completely loyal. In fact, I don''t think Viscount Leon-Castell is as devout a holy believer as he appears. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have ignored the church''s decline in Castell." "In truth, I believe Leon-Castell is more like a fence-sitter with his own little schemes. He might not openly betray me, but he''s probably been colluding with the Nez family in secret..." "But that''s no longer important. With Count Lachlan dead, the Nez family''s Duke must be uncertain about my backing. There are no secrets that cannot be leaked. Once the nobles learn of the Bloodborne Count''s demise, they will be filled with doubt." "In such a situation, fence-sitters will choose the side that benefits them the most!" "Moreover, the Leon-Castell family is one of the weakest among the three viscount families. They have influence but lack strength, so I''m not worried about them growing too powerful during the noble inspections..." Nice had a sudden realization. "I see, by having them conduct the inspections, they will be pitted against the other nobles. Even as fence-sitters, once you deal with the Nez family''s infiltration, they will have no choice but to follow you." Charlotte nodded. "Exactly." "You are truly... wise." Nice couldn''t help but say. "Speaking of which, I also have something to ask you." Charlotte said, changing the topic and looking at the black cat. "Nice, you must know more than just Contract Magic, right?" Nice was taken aback and began to play dumb. "Uh? What are you talking about? I..." "Do you know Holy Magic?" Charlotte asked, staring at him. "I..." Nice opened his mouth. "Do you?" Charlotte pressed, not breaking her gaze. Under her increasingly intense gaze, Nice swallowed and finally confessed. "Well, maybe a little." "What about Detect Evil?" "Uh... I know that too." "Good!" Charlotte nodded and said. "Since you know a little, I''ll give you another task. When the inspection starts, you''ll be an assistant. With your keen senses and Detect Evil Holy Magic, no vampire should escape your notice." "An assistant for the noble inspections?" Nice''s eyes lit up, and his amber pupils seemed to sparkle with the shape of a golden tower. He straightened up, gave a human-like bow, and said excitedly. "Nice will complete the task!" "Alright, once you''re done, go report to Viscount Leon-Castell. Remember, you''re an assistant but also a supervisor. Call my name if necessary." "Understood!" After receiving the task, Nice left. Charlotte pondered for a moment and then called her maid, Sherry. S?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "Sherry, bring me some official stationery for noble correspondence..." Sherry quickly brought the stationery and ink. Charlotte picked up a quill, dipped it in ink, and after a moment of thought, began to write. However, after awkwardly writing a single word, she stopped. This was quite embarrassing. Although she had inherited most of her predecessor''s memories, Charlotte hadn''t quite inherited her writing skills. Or rather, even her predecessor had focused more on etiquette, not these skills. After some thought, Charlotte looked at Sherry. "Shirley, have you learned to write?" Sherry nodded. "I have." "Good, I''ll dictate, and you write." Charlotte handed the stationery to Sherry. Sherry took the paper respectfully, and Charlotte, after a moment of contemplation, began to dictate. "To the Honorable Viscount Remisio..." "I have returned to the territory for over a week now, and Castell''s situation is more complicated than I imagined. The Remisio family has always been a friend to the Castell family. As the Lord of Castell, I have a matter I wish to collaborate with you on..." "Would you be interested in accepting employment to earn a large sum of extra commission income while guarding the Castell silver mine?" "..." Chapter 204: Using Public Resource for Oneself Leaving the count''s estate, Viscount Leon-Castell worriedly rode his family carriage back to their residence in Northport.As soon as he got out of the carriage, Derek de Leon-Castell hurriedly approached, surrounded by servants, and asked anxiously. "Grandfather, how did it go? Did the young Countess of Castell make things difficult for you?" The old Viscount frowned at him and reprimanded him. "What young Countess? That''s our Lord, the esteemed Countess of Castell!" Derek was taken aback, seemingly puzzled by his grandfather''s sudden change in attitude. "Grandfather, weren''t you..." The old Viscount glared at him, glanced at the surrounding servants, and said in a low voice. "Follow me to the study." Once in the study, Viscount Leon-Castell dismissed the servants and maids, while Derek took the initiative to pour his grandfather''s favorite Yunette honey wine. The old Viscount sipped the wine, his expression softened slightly, and Derek couldn''t help but ask. "Grandfather, why are you suddenly so respectful to the young... Countess?" The old Viscount gave him a look and said calmly. "We are vassals of Castell. Loyalty to our lord is our duty; naturally, we should respect the Countess." "But... but didn''t you say before that Castel had no future and would eventually be swallowed by other great nobles?" Derek couldn''t help but say. He frowned, confused by his grandfather''s change. "Without the protection of the Blazing Sun and having lost the Borde family''s patronage, Castell is still a vassal of Borde, but anyone can see it''s on the brink of collapse. As a branch of Castell, we must plan ahead, and the Starfall bloodborne is a force worth investing in..." Hearing his grandson''s words, the old Viscount looked at him deeply. "Those words, did your friends from the Starfall Kingdom tell you that?" Derek paused, quickly lowered his head, and said. "You... you''re overthinking. I don''t have any friends from the Starfall Kingdom..." The old Viscount waved his hand. "Enough, I''m old but not blind. I may not ask about certain things, but that doesn''t mean I don''t know. I usually don''t ask because having multiple plans isn''t a bad thing..." "Rest assured, the Leon-Castell family will be yours sooner or later. I don''t have the energy to cultivate a new heir. Although you lack your father''s talent, you''re still better than your wastrel uncles. Entrusting the family to you will at least slow down its decline." Hearing his grandfather''s words, Derek''s face turned pale and then flushed. "Grandfather, I didn''t..." The old Viscount sighed. "I know you mean well. I''ve been strict with you, and your uncles have their own territories. It''s natural for you to worry about your inheritance. It''s understandable to associate with extraordinaries to strengthen your position..." "In fact, I tacitly approved your actions. The north is not like the south. If the Starfall Kingdom''s bloodborne wants to extend its reach into Castell, our small Leon branch has no power to resist... Rather than resisting, it''s better to align with them, potentially preserving and even strengthening the family''s position during the power transition." S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "Then... have you changed your mind now? Why?" Derek couldn''t help but ask. The old Viscount looked at him. "You should know about the attack on the Countess last night, right?" Derek instinctively wanted to deny it, but seeing his grandfather''s deep eyes, he finally nodded honestly. "Yes, I know..." But after nodding, he quickly added. "But I didn''t know they would use Arle as a cover, nor did I expect Arle to push our Leon-Castel family into the spotlight! This isn''t what we agreed on!" The old Viscount snorted coldly and said. "Can''t you see? The Starfall bloodborne is forcing us to take a stand. Among the three Viscount families, we are the closest to the Castell family, with the best reputation and highest influence. It''s easy to expand our power through marital ties if the Castell family falters..." "The Crescent is not Starfall, nor is it Coria. Those bloodbornes ultimately don''t dare to openly rule the north; they still need the northern nobles!" At this point, seemingly recalling something, the old Viscount suddenly asked. "Derek, after yesterday, have the bloodbornes from the Starfall Kingdom contacted you again?" Derek looked embarrassed, as if his grandfather had seen through him. "You... you knew?" "To be honest, no, they haven''t contacted me again. They promised they would succeed, but it seems... it seems..." "But it seems they failed, and after failing, they disappeared, right?" Viscount Leon-Castell asked. "Yes." Derek answered honestly. Looking at his not-so-bright but always arrogant grandson, the old Viscount felt exhausted. He sighed deeply and said earnestly. "Derek, stop associating with the Starfall bloodborne." "The Starfall Kingdom''s bloodborne is likely no match for the Countess. The Countess'' background far exceeds our expectations. After all, she is the child of that Highness. Even if the family has declined, she still holds some trump cards." "Grandfather, what exactly happened?" Derek couldn''t help but ask. The old Viscount paused and said. "The Bloodborne Count who orchestrated this infiltration from the Starfall Bloodborne is probably dead." "Dead... dead?" Derek''s eyes widened, and he couldn''t help but exclaim. The old Viscount glared at him. "Keep your voice down. It''s enough that you know about this, but... I imagine it will soon spread within your circle anyway." We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now "Overnight, the Countess silently eliminated a Blazing Sun Bloodborne who was targeting her. She must have powerful protectors in the shadows, and Castell''s foundation still stands strong." Hearing his grandfather''s words, Derek''s expression changed slightly. "Then... what should we do?" The old Viscount looked at him with disdain. "What''s there to panic about? It''s the Starfall Kingdom''s bloodborne that''s trying to overthrow Castell, not our Leon-Castel!"l "But..." "No buts, Derek. The past is the past. Even if the Countess doesn''t know the details of your actions, she probably has a pretty good idea. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have reprimanded me. But she doesn''t seem inclined to pursue it further. The ones who will suffer are those bloodbornes who infiltrated the County and the nobles who are loyal to them." Hearing his grandfather''s words, Derek suddenly felt a stirring in his heart. "You mean..." "I mean, this might also be an opportunity for our Leon-Castell family." The old Viscount said meaningfully. As he spoke, he took out the investigation order Charlotte had given him and handed it to his grandson. "Derek, from now on, you must sever all ties with the Starfall bloodborne and help me complete this task." Derek took the order, read it carefully, and then turned pale. "Investigate the nobles? Wait... and audit the family businesses?! The Countess is putting our Leon-Castell on the spot! And... how do we have the power to make other nobles comply?" "Grandfather, if we really go through with this, our reputation among the nobles will collapse. All the Castell nobles will turn against us!" The old Viscount sighed. "I understand all that, but we have no choice... The Countess has made it clear that she will not allow us to play both sides. Castell''s power can''t dethrone all the nobles in the County, but dealing with a single Viscount family is more than enough." With that, he gritted his teeth. "Since we have no choice, we might as well pledge our loyalty fully to the Countess, assist Castell in crushing the Starfall bloodborne''s schemes, and maximize the benefits for our Leon-Castell family!" "But... won''t this provoke a rebellion among the county''s nobles? Our Leon-Castell will be the first to suffer! The Countess might just be overthrown, but we could face utter destruction from the wrath of the other nobles!" The old Viscount drained his honey wine in one gulp and said quietly. "Derek, do you know how many people the Countess used to reclaim the mining workshop?" "How many?" Derek couldn''t help but ask out of curiosity. The old Viscount held up three fingers. "Three, only three people. Besides the Countess, there were just three, and two of them were servants, plus a pet cat..." "Three people? That''s impossible! There are extraordinaries and guards stationed at the mining workshop! How could she..." Derek was incredulous. "How? By relying on the prestige of the Castell family that has ruled the north for centuries, by the title of Count of the North, and by Castell''s influence in the kingdom!" The old Viscount said emphatically. Looking at his grandson, he continued with a tone of frustration. "The Countess may be younger than you, but she is far stronger." "From what I know, she stormed into the mine with just her steward, killed a Silver Moon bloodborne, and won the loyalty of the mine''s guards with just a few words!" "Not only that, but even Viscount Remisio, who oversees the Castell silver mine, has old ties with the Castell family. He assisted the Countess in quelling the rebellious mine manager that day!" "Before I left, the Countess mentioned sending professionals to assist with the investigation. If my guess is correct... it could very well be Viscount Remisio." "The royal guard? She... she dares to seek aid from the royal guard? Castell isn''t a vassal of the king! Such behavior would never be accepted by the nobles!" Derek couldn''t help but exclaim. "But... what if the Countess holds evidence of the nobles'' betrayal? What if she has a legitimate reason to reclaim their titles?" The old Viscount said quietly. With a sigh, he continued. "The Starfall bloodborne made a mistake, a fatal mistake..." "They thought they could better balance the power of the nobles by inciting internal strife among the Castell nobles, making it easier for them to control. But they ended up giving the Countess a big gift..." "With leverage over various nobles, the Countess has every reason to escalate minor issues, seize the opportunity to reclaim titles, and if anyone objects, it would be seen as rebellion. Through private connections, she could likely seek aid from Viscount Remisio." "I''ve heard the Remisio family is in dire need of money, and Castell has plenty of it. Viscount Remisio is the kind of man who would do anything for the right price. The Countess can circumvent the royal guard''s restrictions by hiring or even allying with the Remisio family!" "When the army guarding the Castell silver mine raises the Remisio family banner instead of the Crescent flag, everyone will know those aren''t Remisio''s conscripts but actual royal guards. Yet, they''ll have no choice but to accept it, and the northern nobles'' private soldiers are no match for those well-equipped professional troops!" "Derek, the Starfall bloodborne can no longer control Castell. To control Castell, they must control the Countess, but they have already failed." "With mysterious protectors for extraordinary strength and the Remisio family available for worldly military support, if I''m right, Viscount Remisio might have already received a call for aid from the Countess!" Hearing his grandfather''s analysis, Derek was dumbfounded. The old Viscount looked at his grandson, who, despite having some extraordinary talent, was otherwise almost useless, and sighed. "Derek, from now on, get close to the Countess." "I have a feeling... even with the backing of Legendary Bloodborne, the Starfall bloodbornes might not be a match for the Countess!" "Although the Countess is young, when standing before her, even as a Silver Moon knight, I dare not breathe heavily. Anyone who treats her like a child is bound to suffer greatly!" ... The conversation between the Leon-Castell family''s grandfather and grandson roughly set the direction for the family''s allegiance. Meanwhile, at the Castell silver mine, Viscount Remisio, stationed with the royal guard, received Charlotte''s letter sent through the teleportation array. This fierce-looking Viscount sat by the campfire, eating roasted meat, and with greasy hands, picked up the letter and chuckled. "Hmm? Hiring the royal guards to garrison the mine? Heh, this young Count is quite bold! How could the royal guard interfere in the affairs of a ducal vassal? That''s public power for private use! And it''s overstepping!" He took a large gulp from his mug, but when he saw the remuneration figure in the letter, he sprayed his drink out in shock. "Pfft... cough cough... cough cough cough... At least five hundred gold tana per kingdom soldier?!" With a changing expression, Viscount Remisio shot up and shouted to his lieutenant, who was drinking with others nearby. "Glenn! How many family banners did we bring? Bring them all out!" Chapter 205: Choose a Side Charlotte moved swiftly.After summoning the Leon-Castell family, she announced her audit plan for the entire county, officially appointing Viscount Leon-Castell as the examiner and starting the audit from her own domain. Overnight, chaos erupted in the Northport City. Nice led the Castell guards in raids based on the list provided by Madoc¡¯s confession. Many governing officers and low-ranking nobles from the direct domains were arrested along with their families and taken to prison. This large-scale audit naturally caused an uproar among the nobility. Those still in Northport after the Count''s banquet swarmed to the Count¡¯s estate, seeking to persuade, oppose, berate, or test her intentions. Despite the seemingly cordial atmosphere of the banquet, where nobles maintained at least a superficial respect, they now revealed their true stance as Charlotte began her crackdown to reclaim the Castell family''s waning authority over the past decade. Opposition. Unified opposition. Charlotte realized she had underestimated the deeply rooted nobles of her domain. The day after the audit plan was announced, the nobles still in Northport drafted a petition against it. They demanded Charlotte retract the audit plan, citing numerous downsides and harshly criticized the Leon-Castell family. ¡°The property and privacy of nobles are sacred and inviolable. Even their lord has no right to conduct such a strict audit, let alone property verification!¡± ¡°This is contempt for the Sacred Code! It undermines the foundation of our rule! It is the act of a tyrant!¡± ¡°While the assassination at the banquet warrants investigation, it should not be an excuse to vent anger on vassals!¡± ¡°She is a naive child who will ultimately ruin Castell¡­¡± ¡°A woman of the Starfall bloodline. No matter how well the Castell family hides it, they cannot hide the truth. Her heart may not even belong to the North, but to herself alone!¡± Public opinion was overwhelmingly against her. Overnight, Charlotte transformed from a promising young lord into a tyrant in the eyes of all her subjects. Holding the nobles¡¯ petition and listening to reports of their criticisms from the guards, Charlotte¡¯s expression darkened. Although she had anticipated some resistance from the nobles, the blatant disregard and sexist remarks were particularly infuriating. Despite her anger and the urge to punish those insolent nobles, Charlotte remained calm. She knew the uproar was largely fueled by the nobles whose interests were threatened. The general populace had not yet reacted to the audit plan, which did not target them directly. However, she understood the need for swift action. ¡°Who are the main instigators?¡± Charlotte asked calmly. ¡°Mostly new nobles who rose through workshops and trade caravans, along with some low-ranking nobles from the direct domains.¡± Nice replied. ¡°New nobles from workshops and trade caravans? No other viscounts or barons involved?¡± Charlotte was surprised. ¡°No, none.¡± Charlotte frowned. After a moment of thought, she understood. ¡°A bunch of fools being used as pawns¡­¡± The new nobles, despite their wealth, lacked significant influence and could not have rallied so many nobles overnight. They were likely being used by the old nobles to pressure her and test her limits. These new nobles feared the financial audits more than the bloodborne checks, having likely evaded taxes extensively. ¡°Nice, investigate and arrest the leading agitators based on the provided evidence and confessions.¡± We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now Charlotte ordered after some thought. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of rebellion?¡± Nice asked. ¡°Even if there is a rebellion, the direct domains won¡¯t orchestrate it. Only those with private armies can truly rebel.¡± Charlotte replied. ¡°And your reputation? Doing this might label you as a tyrant.¡± Nice continued. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, someone else will handle that.¡± Charlotte said. She turned to her maid, Sherry, and instructed. ¡°Sherry, send word to the Leon-Castell family¡¯s residence. Tell them it¡¯s time to show their influence among the nobles.¡± S?a??h the N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ... Specialized tasks require specialized people. While the nobles¡¯ protests were loud, it was unclear how many were firmly against Charlotte, how many were opportunists, or mere spectators. But one thing was certain: appointing the Leon-Castell family to audit the nobles was the right choice. Following Charlotte¡¯s orders, the Castell family¡¯s guards moved out, suppressing the rebellious direct domain nobles. As the rulers of the North, the Castell family maintained a standing guard of three thousand. While not enough to rival the combined private armies of the nobles, it was more than sufficient to quell minor uprisings in the direct domains. Simultaneously, the Leon-Castell family publicly supported Charlotte. The elderly viscount personally condemned the rebellious nobles, asserting the audit''s legitimacy for territorial security. Notably, the viscount focused not on the nobles¡¯ crimes but on the threat posed by the bloodborne infiltrations, invoking historical fears of bloodborne rule. Public opinion swiftly shifted, especially among commoners who saw the audits as a form of justice against the nobles. Charlotte¡¯s previously tarnished image as a tyrant was transformed into that of a righteous new lord. The Castell family¡¯s head skillfully manipulated public sentiment, rallying some traditional loyalist families and allies of Leon-Castell to support the audits, including four baronial families. Surprisingly, even the rival Griss family¡¯s viscountess hinted at supporting the audits, though she demanded that her family be audited directly by Charlotte and sought to replace Leon-Castell as the executor of the audit plan. Charlotte rejected this, adhering to her principle of trust once decided. Granting power to the Griss family would only fuel their ambitions, given their already substantial military strength. Charlotte intended to deal with the Griss family later, possibly by leveraging her knowledge of their bloodline status. Meanwhile, the Roman-Four family maintained silence, departing Northport quietly after the banquet. Charlotte suspected they harbored secrets, especially regarding their maritime power. The Castell family¡¯s actions caused a clear divide among the nobles. While supporters were few, the Griss family¡¯s tentative support and the departure of other nobles indicated a refusal to support Charlotte openly. Charlotte sighed, understanding she could only choose one major noble ally for now. The Castell family¡¯s actions muddied the political waters, and Charlotte¡¯s deployment of family guards quickly suppressed the rebellious nobles in the direct domains. However, the departing nobles signaled their dissatisfaction and potential future conflicts. Charlotte knew this was just the beginning. Although the immediate unrest was quelled, she anticipated possible conflicts and prepared for potential battles. Shortly after, the communication crystal seized from Agnes activated, indicating an incoming message from the Nez bloodborne. Charlotte felt a surge of anticipation. It seemed the Nez clan was initiating the meeting earlier than expected. Chapter 206: I would rather die than submit Agnes did not understand why the young Countess of Castell hadn''t killed her.She asked herself and felt that she had already been completely drained of all the information she knew. Logically, she should have had no further value to him, and she was ready to face death. Yet, the Countess of Castell did not kill her. Not only did he not kill her, but he also provided her with good food and drink. Although she was imprisoned and her powers were sealed, she was fed three meals a day, and the guards did not torment or insult her as she had read in stories. She didn''t know what that seemingly weak but truly insidious and nasty person was thinking. After the interrogation, she seemed to have completely forgotten her, never visiting again. This indefinite imprisonment drove Agnes nearly crazy. Being a quick-tempered person, she preferred a swift end, even being burned at the stake, rather than being forgotten in a cell. This treatment made her feel insignificant, as if her life and death meant nothing to Castell. Her revenge, her hatred, did not matter to Charlotte at all, as she never regarded her seriously. Realizing this, Agnes felt furious, but as time passed and she gradually calmed down, she became more and more bewildered. She, Agnes de Veillet, daughter of the former Duke of Violet, heir to the Veillet family, could neither revive her family nor avenge them. Now, she had even become a prisoner of her enemy, unable to control her own fate and future... She felt like a complete failure, a clown. "Miss, since they have spared our lives, it means we still hold some value to them..." "Don''t lose heart. As long as we live, there is hope for the Veillet family to rise again, and our revenge remains possible." "If you give up, the Veillet family... will truly become history. Those slanders, those fabricated stains, will be nailed to the Veillet family forever, unchangeable." Seeing the increasingly despondent girl, the middle-aged knight Lahel advised her earnestly through the iron window. Hearing her loyal knight¡¯s words, a glimmer of light appeared in Agnes¡¯ dark pupils. She lifted her head and saw the familiar resolute face of her knight. For over a decade, he had never left her side, protecting her even in the most dangerous moments. Now, imprisoned, he continued to encourage her. Unknowingly, Lahel had become the most important person in her life. Throughout the years, they had faced countless life-and-death crises, but Lahel had never given up. He always supported her, believed in her, and remained loyal to her. He was always proud to be a knight of the Veillet family. Seeing the Veillet family crest, the most well-preserved and cleanest part of Lahel¡¯s worn-out armor, Agnes had mixed feelings. She took a deep breath and sighed. "Lahel, you are right. As long as we live, there is hope for the future..." "No matter what that monster of Castell is thinking, as long as I live, I should not give up hope..." After speaking, she stood up, walked to the cell door, picked up the food she hadn¡¯t touched for two days, and began to eat ravenously. "Clap, clap, clap..." Suddenly, clear applause sounded outside the cell, accompanied by a sweet female voice that made her grit her teeth. "Well said, as long as there is life, there is hope. The dead... have nothing." Agnes paused in her bread-eating, raising her head sharply, her crimson eyes glaring at Charlotte who had suddenly appeared outside the cell. She said coldly. "Are you here to mock me?" Charlotte smiled and glanced at Agnes. "I heard from the guards that a certain prisoner seemed to be giving up, having not eaten for two days, so I came to check. It seems I was worried for nothing." Agnes stiffened slightly, her expression unnatural. She bit her lip and said. "If you just want to mock me, go ahead. I don''t know why you spared us, but if you want us to surrender, you should give up. I, Agn¨¨s de Veillet, would rather die than bow to Castel!" "Oh, really? But I remember someone saying the same thing a few days ago, yet soon after spilled all the information they knew." Agnes looked up suddenly, her eyes blazing with anger. We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now "That was only because you..." "Because I, this bastard, threatened you with your knight, using what you cared most about to force you, leaving you no choice." Charlotte finished Agnes¡¯ sentence. After speaking, she smiled slightly and said. "Miss Agnes, you know, once someone has been caught with a fatal weakness, it''s hard for them to turn the tables. So, if I now threaten your lives against each other, what would you choose?" Agnes stared in disbelief. "You... despicable! People like you are the disgrace of nobility!" "Sorry, Miss Agnes, I never considered myself a true noble." Charlotte, who had risen halfway, spoke calmly. Then, she suddenly changed the subject and said. "The Veillet family, also known as the Violet family, founders of the Violet Duchy, an ancient family that ruled the Violet Forest and its surrounding areas after breaking away from the Crescent Kingdom..." "Erd de Virlette, the last Duke of the Violet family, one of the seven legends of the Crescent Kingdom, commander of the Second Guard Corps during the Star-Moon War, known for his wise governance of his territory as ''Wise Erd.''" "However, in the Second Star-Moon War, Erd''s greed for merit led him to advance recklessly, resulting in the annihilation of the entire Second Corps during the First Roman Battle, causing a reversal in the war and the loss of the Violet Duchy. Erd himself died on the battlefield..." "Upon hearing the news, the king was furious and decided to strip the Veillet family of their ducal title, demoting all Veillet nobles to commoners." As she spoke, Charlotte looked at the increasingly upset Agnes and said. "Miss Agnes, this is what I found about your family and your father. Am I right?" Agnes'' eyes immediately reddened. "Slander! This is slander!" "At that time, it was Castell''s betrayal of my father, their ally, that caused the originally victorious battle to fail!" "The Starfall Kingdom''s main attack was never Violet. My father diverted the Starfall Kingdom''s army to the border between Violet and Roman to protect Castell''s silver mines, only to be betrayed by Castell, who was supposed to support us!" Charlotte allowed Agnes to vent and curse, and when she had almost finished, she sighed softly and said. "The Star-Moon War has long ended. Honestly, I don¡¯t know what truly happened back then. I can only see the records circulating within the kingdom." "After finding information about Duke Veillet, I was surprised. Low taxes, encouragement of arts and culture, using magic research to develop agriculture and industry... Your father was indeed a respected lord." "Honestly, after reading the official records of the First Roman Battle, I also found many doubts. But as the head of Castell, I consider myself quite knowledgeable about my own family and do not believe it was as bad as you think..." "What are you trying to say with all this?" Agnes said coldly, her expression full of vigilance. Charlotte smiled. "Miss Agnes, I am tired of the same old threats. I know you have deep-seated hatred for Castell, and that¡¯s fine." "I want to make a deal with you." "A deal?" Agnes looked puzzled, her eyes even more wary. "Yes, a deal." S~?a??h the N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte nodded and said. "I want you and Sir Lahel to submit to me, continue to pretend to be Count Hol, and assist me in my conflict with the Nez clan. In return, I promise to help rebuild the Veillet family in the future." Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, Agnes froze for a moment before becoming furious. "Dream on! Do you think I would believe your lies?" "I, Agnes de Veillet, would rather die than bow to you!" Chapter 207: Pretend now to Strike Later Count Castell''s Estate, Meditation RoomAgnes, now dressed in a brand-new maid''s outfit, fidgeted with the lace hem of her skirt uncomfortably. Despite her cute face, her expression was wooden and stiff, making one wonder if she might suddenly rip off the black and white headpiece with Castell''s emblem and stomp on it angrily. Similarly, Lahel, the middle-aged knight who had donned the Castell''s standard knight uniform but stubbornly kept the Veillet family crest on his chest, watched his young mistress with a hesitant look. "What''s the matter, Lahel? Do you have something to say?" Agnes asked, glancing at him. Lahel scratched his head. "No, nothing much. It''s just... You just sternly refused Count Castell''s offer, so I thought you were planning to keep opposing her. But now... you seem to have changed your mind so quickly." Agnes: ... The girl¡¯s expression became slightly unnatural. She pursed her lips and said. "I just suddenly figured it out. Even if I reject her offer, she¡¯ll just keep us locked up. And as long as we¡¯re locked up, we¡¯ll never have a chance..." "Instead of that, it''s better to pretend to submit..." "Charlotte de Castell can activate the encrypted crystal of the Nez clan, which means she must have a big secret. We don''t even know if she is the real Charlotte." "Facing an enemy who is much stronger than us and has secrets, we might as well pretend to join her, lie low for now, and find her weaknesses while building up our own strength." "We can¡¯t fight her now, but I don¡¯t believe she is without flaws! Given enough time, we¡¯ll find her secrets!" "When we uncover her secrets, find her weaknesses, and wait for the right time... we¡¯ll strike and defeat her!" "Just like when we endured and retaliated against Count Hol!" "Then, I will make her taste the suffering our Veillet family has endured!" Agnes said through gritted teeth. The girl was visibly agitated, but the middle-aged knight seemed thoughtful and hesitant. Agnes noticed and asked. "Lahel, do you have something to say?" Lahel hesitated for a moment, choosing his words carefully. "Miss, I¡¯ve been thinking about something." "Countess Castell is different from Count Hol. She has many followers and a vast, prosperous territory. She knows about our past revenge on Count Hol and seems more composed and less arrogant than Count Hol..." "In this situation, even if she accepts our ''submission,'' she definitely won¡¯t let her guard down." "Our every move will likely be under her surveillance..." "Also, after meeting her this time, I felt her aura was even stronger than when I first saw her. I suspect she might have some method of increasing her power." "I¡¯m worried... that over time, instead of closing the gap, we might fall further behind. Not to mention, once she fully controls her territory, opposing her will become even harder." "In this case, can we really find an opportunity to strike back?" After listening to Lahel''s words, Agnes clenched her fists, her expression uncertain. After a moment, she said. "I don¡¯t believe anyone is without flaws. I also don¡¯t believe her power and influence will grow indefinitely..." "Bloodbornes are notoriously difficult to advance in power, and when they do, they enter a period of deep slumber. She¡¯s currently only a Starry Sky tier, not even a Silver Moon. We will have our chance!" "Besides, we¡¯re bloodbornes, and if there¡¯s one thing we have, it¡¯s time. We can wait. If a month isn¡¯t enough, then two months, if not two months, then three months, or even a year, two years, three years..." "We¡¯ll wait until she enters deep slumber, until we find her weakness!" Agnes grew more determined as she spoke, her initial hesitation turning into firm resolve, as if trying to convince herself. However, Lahel still seemed hesitant. He remained silent for a long time before sighing. "Miss... actually, I¡¯ve thought about it, and her proposal isn¡¯t completely unacceptable for us." "From the beginning, our goal has been to revive the Veillet family. If she can truly help us rebuild, reconciling with Castell might be an option." "You¡¯re right, we are bloodbornes and can wait, but our scattered kin cannot. They might remember the Veillet name now, but in a generation or two, they¡¯ll forget. By then, the Veiillet bloodline might be lost..." "There¡¯s no grudge between nobles that can¡¯t be resolved. Though it was Castell¡¯s inaction that led to our defeat, it was ultimately the King who stripped us of our title." "The Duke died not just because of the battle but was also ambushed by a Starfall''s Legendary during the retreat..." "Instead of dwelling on revenge, it might be better to focus on rebuilding our family." Agn¨¨s''s expression changed instantly. She angrily slammed the table. "Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" "Castell is our enemy. We can never reconcile, never!" "Lahel, don¡¯t say that again! Remember! Even if we temporarily submit, it¡¯s to bide our time! Today''s endurance is for tomorrow''s victory!" "Rebuilding the family and revenge are equally important!" Seeing the girl¡¯s unwavering determination, Lahel sighed. "Alright, I¡¯ll follow your lead." "Let''s not discuss this further. Lahel, why do you think Countess Castell suddenly wants to recruit us?" Agnes asked, changing the topic. Lahel thought for a moment and said. "Since she mentioned impersonating Count Hol, it might be related to the communication crystal. When we were released from the dungeon, I saw many imprisoned nobles and a few Northport officials. Something must have happened to Castell while we were locked up." Agnes nodded. "I think so too." After thinking for a moment, she said. "The Nez clan''s plan at the banquet must have failed. Not only that, but the little Countess of Castell probably used the banquet to expose many of their people. Maybe... just like the previous times, the Nez clan activated the communication crystal prematurely." At this point, Agnes'' eyes flashed. "Lahel." "I''m here, Miss." "Countess Castell doesn''t yet know that both you and I can activate the communication crystal on our own. So, if she wants us to impersonate Count Hol, we''ll tell her that both of us must participate." "Both of us?" "Yes, just like before, you¡¯ll disguise yourself as Count Hol, and I¡¯ll maintain the operation of the crystal..." We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now Lahel''s heart stirred. "You mean..." Agnes narrowed her eyes. "Charlotte daring to let us disguise ourselves probably means she has a way to prevent us from leaking secrets to the Nez clan during the meeting..." "Although I don''t know what method she will use to monitor us, the communication crystal works through a remote mental connection. Even if she knows that you, disguised as Count Hol, will attend the meeting, she would never guess that the crystal operator can also secretly open a mental channel to communicate privately!" Lahel''s heart skipped a beat. "You want to contact the Nez clan?" Agnes nodded. "Yes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Although I don''t trust the insidious bloodbornes of the Starfall Kingdom, our goal of dealing with Castell aligns." "I believe they wouldn''t refuse a ''friend'' who can secretly provide them with intelligence on Castell." Smiling, Agnes continued. "Lahel, you worry that the gap between us and Countess Castell will widen over time. But what if we can drag her down from behind?" Seeing his mistress¡¯ eyes light up, Lahel hesitated but swallowed his words. Honestly, based on past experiences, he wasn¡¯t optimistic about her plan. He felt Countess Castell had a mysterious power and might have a way to completely prevent them from contacting the Nez clan privately. At this moment, the door to the meditation room creaked open, and Charlotte entered gracefully in meditation attire. The girl and the knight immediately fell silent. Charlotte, eyeing them in their maid and knight outfits, nodded in satisfaction. "Not bad, fits well." Seeing her look at them like amusing toys, Agnes bit her lip, her fists clenched tightly. "Countess, why have you brought us here?" Lahel asked, stepping in front of Agnes. Charlotte didn¡¯t beat around the bush and bring out the flashing communication crystal. "The Nez clan¡¯s communication crystal has reacted. It seems they¡¯re calling an early meeting. I want to join you in the meeting." Join... together? Both Agnes and Lahel were taken aback. "You... will operate the communication crystal too?" Agnes couldn¡¯t help but ask. "Me? No, of course, you two will operate it. I¡¯m just an observer." Charlotte shook her head. An observer? Agn¨¨s was even more puzzled. She exchanged glances with Lahel and said. "We can assist you in disguising yourself, but... for the best effect, one of us needs to operate the crystal while the other disguises." "Okay." Charlotte nodded. So readily? Agnes couldn¡¯t help but glance at Charlotte. Charlotte hadn¡¯t yet revealed how she would prevent them from leaking secrets while disguising, which made Agnes uneasy rather than reassured. S?a??h th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. After all, Charlotte hadn¡¯t even signed a contract with them! But at this point, Agnes had no reason to hesitate. She exchanged a look with Lahel and nodded, starting to place her hand on the communication crystal, injecting magic to activate it. The familiar power spread from the crystal ball, verifying their bloodline power. Gradually, the crystal ball emitted a dreamy glow, and Agnes felt her mental power connect with it. Connection successful! Agnes felt a surge of excitement. "It¡¯s activated. Lahel can prepare to join the meeting." She glanced subtly at Charlotte and readied herself to open the secret mental channel. However, just then, Charlotte interrupted them. "Wait a moment." She smiled slightly and closed her eyes. When she reopened them, her azure eyes had turned golden. A terrifying mental force erupted from her, and in Agnes¡¯ astonished gaze, the crimson brilliance engulfed the world in an instant. Agnes felt a moment of disorientation, the world spinning. Suddenly, black stone walls rose, and steps ascended in layers through the crimson mist... In an instant, Agnes found herself in a towering ancient castle. Charlotte sat regally on a majestic throne, her casual clothes transformed into an ornate black gown with thorn and rose patterns. Her blonde hair turned silver, and even her height seemed to increase slightly. The communication crystal floated in mid-air, appearing somewhat ethereal, like a projection rather than a physical entity. Agnes and Lahel remained in their positions, touching the crystal. Feeling the omnipresent mental power around her, Agnes¡¯ eyes widened in disbelief. A mental world! This is a mental world! She was pulled into the other¡¯s mental world! Damn it, who is this young countess, able to pull someone¡¯s consciousness into her mental world?! Isn''t this something only Legendary can do?! No, just being able to construct such a realistic mental world is already absurd! Is she really just a Starry Sky?! There¡¯s no way to secretly contact the Nez clan now! Looking at Charlotte, who sat high on the throne with a playful smile, Agnes was left speechless. As the daughter of a Legendary expert, she knew well about mental worlds. In such a world, any minor actions of an outsider would be exposed, and even their life and death would be in the host''s hands... In other words, she and Lahel were now under Charlotte¡¯s 360-degree surveillance, and she could sever their connection to the communication crystal at any moment. "Alright, now... you can start disguising and join the Nez clan¡¯s meeting." Charlotte said, shifting into a more comfortable position, smiling. Agnes: ... Chapter 208: Nez Clans Remote Meeting In a majestic and ancient palace.Black curtains shrouded the surroundings, making the already dark palace even more oppressive. Beneath the curtains, a rectangular table was placed in the center of the palace, with ancient stone seats arranged on either side. Several tall, blurry figures sat on either side of the table, their appearances indistinct. Only their scarlet eyes flickered with a deep light in the illusory curtain. Suddenly, a dim red glow appeared on one of the stone seats on one side of the table. With a distortion of space, a new tall figure slowly materialized in front of the table. Seeing the newly appeared figure, many of the shadows around the table slightly bowed their heads and respectfully greeted him. "Lord Count Hol." Only the two figures at the head of the table merely glanced at the new figure and nodded slightly. "Count Hol... you are quite late for this meeting." One of the figures at the head of the table spoke softly, his voice imposing and somewhat displeased. "Count Hol" was silent for a moment, then spoke in a deep voice. "Lord Count Yurst, this impromptu meeting was too sudden. I didn''t have time to prepare, so I am quite late." "Count Hol" was, of course, the disguised Lahel. However, at this moment, Lahel''s mind was far from calm. While he manipulated the illusory figure to converse with the Nez Clan''s Count, he couldn''t help but glance back at the figure seated high on the Blood Throne. And beside him, Agn¨¨s, who was touching the phantom crystal to maintain the communication, was already dumbfounded. She couldn''t help but be dumbfounded. Although Agnes had known her plan would fail the moment Charlotte unfolded her mental world, it wasn''t until she and Lahel fully activated the crystal and entered the meeting in disguise that she realized just how formidable Charlotte''s power was... Because Lahel''s consciousness didn''t enter the communication crystal as usual. Instead, the virtual meeting room of the crystal was directly projected into reality! The crimson mist above the communication crystal manifested the meeting scene as if it were a projection, making it feel like they were truly present. It was like a 3D video conference: the ancient palace descended into the mental world, the shadows of the Nez Clan and the disguised figure of Lahel appearing simultaneously, while Agn¨¨s and others watched as if they were spectators. Including Lahel, who operated the joining illusion. From the scarlet gazes of the bloodborne members in the meeting room, it seemed they hadn''t noticed that their remote meeting had been projected into someone else''s mental world, nor had they noticed the three individuals observing their meeting. This secret online meeting had been forcefully turned into a 3D "movie" by Charlotte! "Don''t be nervous. Continue speaking to them as you normally would. I want you to extract any possible information." "Don''t worry, they can''t see us, nor can they hear our voices." Charlotte, seated high on the throne, watched with interest the meeting of the Nez Clan, directly projected into her mental world through the psychic connection. She ordered Lahel, disguised as Count Hol. Lahel forced himself to look away. Suppressing his inner turmoil, he focused on the meeting room and soon noticed an issue. The seat originally belonging to Count Lachlan was empty! "Alright, now that everyone is here, let''s begin the meeting." The figure at the head of the table, representing the Nez Clan''s Count Yurst, spoke in a deep voice. However, just as he finished speaking, the figure on the other side of the table, who also hadn''t greeted Lahel, asked the question Lahel was curious about. "Lord Count Yurst, you seem to have forgotten that Count Lachlan has not yet arrived." The figure representing Count Yurst glanced at him and said. "Count Nottingham, Count Lachlan will not be coming. He has already sacrificed himself for Nez and returned to our master''s realm." Upon hearing this, the remote meeting room fell into an uproar. Lahel and Agnes were both stunned and then couldn''t help but look back at the beautiful figure seated on the Blood Throne. Having participated in the last remote meeting, they were well aware of what Count Lachlan had been up to before. However, they had originally thought that Count Lachlan had merely been defeated by Countess Castell, but they never expected that he had actually perished! A genuine Bloodborne Count! A true Blazing Sun! Even though they had once killed the real Count Hol through deceit, they were well aware of how lucky they had been. Even when they succeeded in killing Count Hol, it was only after gaining his trust and attacking him with poison and ambush while he was in his periodic slumber. And even so, they had almost lost their lives in the process! Count Lachlan was even more different. Unlike Count Hol, who had parted ways with the Blood Demon Cult, Lachlan was a bloodborne member of the Nez Clan, with backing from a duke-level bloodborne! Killing such a bloodborne would be far more difficult than killing a Blazing Sun! Who could have done it? Was there a powerful protector behind the Countess of Castell? Or... Agnes and Lahel''s eyes fell on Charlotte, feeling a sense of shock at the absurd idea that arose in their hearts. However, looking at the almost tangible castle in the mental world, at the meeting projection pulled into the mental world by Charlotte, and at the many bloodborne members in the meeting room unaware of being watched, it was hard for them not to wonder. Is the Countess of Castell really just a Starry Sky? "Count Lachlan has fallen? How is that possible?" "His strength far surpasses an ordinary Blazing Sun, and the Castell County has fewer than five Silver Moons. How could anyone there kill him?" "What exactly happened?" In the meeting hall, Count Nottingham''s gaze sharpened as he asked in a serious tone. Count Yurst sighed deeply and said. "This information comes from the Duke himself. I don''t know the specifics yet, but from the Duke''s attitude, it seems there is a power within the Castell family that even the Duke fears." A power that even the Duke fears? The bloodbornes in the meeting hall looked astonished and soon fell into an uproar again. "The Castell family? But hasn''t the Castell family already fallen? There''s only a newly adult Countess left!" "Yes, I heard that the Countess of Castell almost got killed by the Blood Demon Cult while in the Borde Duchy. How could he possibly pose a threat to Count Lachlan?" "Wait a minute, could it be the work of the Holy Court? I heard the young Countess of Castell is a Saintess of the Holy Court. Could there be powerful protectors in secret?" "Impossible! If she were truly a Saintess of the Holy Court, the Templar Knights would have personally escorted her before she even entered Castell County." We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now The bloodbornes discussed fervently. Watching the chaotic scene, Count Yurst knocked on the table and said. "Silence!" The overwhelming mental force of the Bloodborne Count swept across the hall. Except for Count Nottingham, the projections of the other bloodbornes trembled and quickly fell silent. Lahel also felt the unparalleled mental force from Count Yurst. However, as the mental pressure swept over, he felt a gentle crimson glow envelop him, shielding him from any pressure. He couldn''t help but glance at the small figure on the throne behind him, feeling that she was increasingly mysterious and unfathomable... S?a??h th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Count Yurst''s gaze swept across the hall. Seeing everyone quiet down, he nodded in satisfaction and said solemnly. "I urgently powered the communication crystal to summon you here to relay the Duke''s orders..." "The Duke has commanded that, from now on, all infiltration plans against Castell are to be suspended. No attacks on Castell nobility, especially the Castell family, are permitted!" He then looked at Count Nottingham. "Count Nottingham, you are closest to Castell. From now on, you will take over all of Count Lachlan''s duties. However... you are not to continue the previous efforts. Instead, you must quickly rebuild communications, restrain the various blood descendants and vassals, and avoid antagonizing Castell!" Upon hearing this, the Nez bloodbornes were once again taken aback. "Pause the infiltration plan? But... the plan has reached its most critical stage, and I''ve received intelligence that the young Countess of Castell intends to move against our people!" Count Nottingham couldn''t help but protest. "Then have our people withdraw! In any case... the Duke''s orders are to avoid antagonizing Castell until he issues new instructions!" Count Yurst said firmly. Then he looked at everyone. "Additionally, the Duke has another order: we are to use all available resources to investigate and gather information about the Countess of Castell¡ªCharlotte de Castell!" Investigate Charlotte? Lahel and Agnes were taken aback. They instinctively turned around and glanced at the figure behind them with a peculiar expression. "Investigate Charlotte de Castell? Is she connected to Lachlan''s fall?" Count Nottingham''s voice held a hint of surprise. Count Yurst nodded slightly. "Most likely, as Lachlan was heading towards her when he fell." Then he looked at the other bloodbornes. "Many of you have successfully established intelligence points in the Crescent Kingdom. What information do you have on Charlotte de Castell? The more detailed, the better!" "Charlotte de Castell..." The bloodbornes fell into contemplation. "I heard she inherited the usual beauty of the Castell family, known as the Jewel of Borde, and is the most beautiful girl in the Crescent Kingdom." One bloodborne thought aloud. "If I remember correctly, the Castell family once had ties with the elves. She likely has some elven blood, albeit diluted, making her a half-elf." Another bloodborne mused. "I heard a rumor that the mother of the Countess of Castell came from the Starfall Kingdom, and... she might even be from the Starfall royal family." Another bloodborne couldn''t help but mention. Upon hearing this, many bloodbornes turned their attention to Count Nottingham. Count Nottingham''s eyes flickered slightly as he said. "Indeed, she was Anne the ''Devout'' of the Roman family, a well-kept secret. Few know of it." "The ''Devout'' Anne? Princess Anne? The half-sister of Henry the ''Fool''? The half-sister of Edward III? But didn''t she die of a cold?" A bloodborne asked curiously. "A cold? I heard Henry the ''Fool'' poisoned her out of fear of her threat to the throne!" Another bloodborne said in confusion. Count Nottingham shook his head. "No, no. Anne the ''Devout'' fell in love with the previous Count of Castell during his visit to Starfall, renounced her claim to the throne, and followed him to the Crescent Kingdom in anonymity." Hearing this, some bloodbornes'' eyes flickered. "Does this mean the Castell family might be protected by the Roman family?" Count Nottingham shook his head again. "No, that''s unlikely. The Roman family is currently ruled by the Lilac faction. Although Edward III is related to Anne the ''Devout,'' there was little affection between them. Moreover, Anne chose the Crescent Kingdom, which the Romans see as a betrayal..." "If there is a power behind the Castell family that even the Duke fears, it must be something else." Hearing Count Nottingham''s explanation, the bloodbornes fell into discussion again. Watching the meeting, Lahel and Agnes were surprised. Anne the ''Devout''? Princess Anne? The Countess of Castell... has such a prestigious background? Charlotte''s eyes also twitched. She didn''t expect that her curiosity about her mother''s original identity would be unveiled in the Nez Clan''s meeting. And, as it turned out, she really was a princess of the Falling Star Kingdom, and even a sister to both the former and current kings! However... it sounded like quite a complicated situation. Watching the bloodbornes deep in discussion, Count Yurst scanned the hall and said solemnly. "These are old stories. Besides this, does anyone have any more information about the Countess of Castell?" The bloodbornes fell silent. After a moment, one bloodborne hesitantly said. "Actually, I''ve heard a rumor..." "When the Countess of Castell was in Borde, she seemed to be involved in an incident concerning the descent of an Evil God..." Chapter 209: The Chaos Caused by Thorny Rose ¡°Oh? An Evil God?¡±Yurst''s eyes flickered as he looked at the bloodborne who had spoken. All the other crimson gazes in the conference hall also focused on this bloodborne. ¡°Viscount Scott¡­ If I¡¯m not mistaken, your task is to form a mercenary group in Eastern Yunette Blacklands, right?¡± Count Yurst asked curiously. The bloodborne who spoke nodded slightly. ¡°Yes, my lord, which is why I said this is merely a rumor I heard¡­¡± Viscount Scott''s eyes turned distant, as if recalling something. ¡°Rumor has it that a year ago, Borde encountered a summoning plan by the Blood Demon Cult, which was ultimately thwarted by the Holy Court.¡± ¡°This summoning plan involved many families in the Borde Duchy, including the Castell family. It¡¯s said that the Countess of Castell almost lost her life because of it!¡± A summoning plan by the Blood Demon Cult?! Archduke Abaddon? Hearing the Viscount''s words, the bloodbornes'' eyes twitched, and they all became serious. Although Archduke Abaddon and the Observer Casey were both Bloodborne Princes, their relationship was not good, with completely different ideologies. The Nez family and the Shedite family had a relationship similar to that between Starfall and Crescent¡ªentangled in grudges and not seeing eye to eye. ¡°Viscount Scott, I¡¯ve heard of this as well. It¡¯s said the Holy Court dispatched three Blazing Suns to investigate, but as far as I know, the Blood Demon Cult¡¯s plan failed.¡± A bloodborne said solemnly. Viscount Scott shook his head. ¡°Sir Rune, you don¡¯t understand. The summoning incident in Borde wasn''t as simple as it seemed. In fact, a year ago, it wasn¡¯t just the Shedite clan attempting the summoning, there was also an unknown God!¡± ¡°And it wasn¡¯t the Holy Court that thwarted the Blood Demon Cult¡¯s plan, but this unknown God who appeared and severely wounded the unsealed Fire Demon Valaroka, destroying the cult''s plan to summon Archduke Abaddon!¡± The Bloodborne named Rune from the Nez family was surprised, his gaze serious. ¡°So that¡¯s how it was¡­¡± ¡°But what does this have to do with Countess Castell?¡± He asked curiously. ¡°This brings us to the role played by the Castell family. It¡¯s said that the unknown God first appeared at the Castell family manor!¡± ¡°The former head of the Castell family was bewitched by the Blood Demon Cult and intended to sacrifice Charlotte de Castell to Archduke Abaddon. However, it was the head of the Castell family who ended up being sacrificed instead!¡± ¡°After the incident, the Holy Court¡¯s Demon Hunters found unknown symbols at the scene, pointing to an unknown God! And¡­ it¡¯s likely a God from Coria!¡± Viscount Scott said solemnly. Count Nottingham''s heart stirred. ¡°You mean the young Countess of Castell was saved by a resurrected God?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Viscount Scott nodded. Count Nottingham frowned slightly. ¡°Gods don¡¯t save mortals without reason. Those who receive divine intervention are usually devout followers¡­¡± ¡°But as far as I know, Charlotte de Castell is highly regarded by the Holy Court. Although not a true saint, the light of the divine appeared during her coming-of-age ceremony.¡± ¡°She is¡­ a devout holy follower!¡± ¡°Are you suggesting that this resurrected God is a demigod of the Holy Court? But you mentioned an Evil God earlier?¡± S?a??h the N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Viscount Scott said solemnly. ¡°This is what confuses me about the rumors. From what I understand, the Holy Court views this resurrected God as an unknown Evil God. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have sent three Blazing Suns to investigate.¡± ¡°Moreover, last year the Holy Court even sent a team to Coria to further investigate the unknown God.¡± Count Nottingham¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°Coria¡­ This is the second time you¡¯ve mentioned Coria. But the kingdom of Coria has always been under the influence of Vadallat and Szellem. Even the Holy Court only has minimum control.¡± ¡°Are you suggesting that this unknown God is an ancient Bloodborne Prince?¡± Viscount Scott sighed. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°However, this unknown God¡¯s symbol should be familiar to everyone present. Many of you might even have it in your homes¡­¡± As he spoke, Viscount Scott¡¯s indistinct silhouette raised a hand, sketching a faint symbol on the long table. It was a pattern of thorns and roses, with elegant lines that carried a hint of mystery. Seeing this pattern, almost all the bloodbornes present were stunned. ¡°Thorny roses? Damn! Isn¡¯t that Coria¡¯s most beautiful decorative pattern? It¡¯s carved on my usual coffin!¡± One of the bloodborne couldn¡¯t help but exclaimed. ¡°Seriously? Scott, are you kidding? My house¡¯s furniture is all from Coria! All with this pattern!¡± Another bloodborne exclaimed in disbelief. Even Count Yurst, who presided over the meeting, had a twitching eye. Thorny roses? Lahel and Agnes, who had been silently observing, were also stunned. The reason was simple: they had just seen this symbol! They couldn¡¯t help but turn back to look at the beautiful figure sitting on the throne behind them. The figure wore a noble and mysterious black dress adorned with intricate patterns of thorns and roses, and the wall behind the throne displayed a symbol identical to the one the bloodborne had conjured. Under the crimson glow, the mysterious symbol shimmered with a profound light, evoking a sense of nobility and mystery. A closer look would involuntarily arouse a sense of awe and compel one to bow their head. After being drawn into the mental world, Lahel and Agnes had seen these symbols, feeling their strange power. Just a few glances left their minds in a daze. Now, with the bloodborne¡¯s information, they finally understood why. A holy symbol! This was a holy symbol of a God! Agnes, not particularly sharp-witted to begin with, felt her thoughts becoming even more disjointed. Even she now realized a terrifying possibility. She stared blankly at Charlotte on the throne, stammering. ¡°Thorny roses¡­ holy symbol of an Evil God¡­¡± ¡°You¡­ you¡­ you¡­¡± Charlotte glanced at her. ¡°Handle the crystal properly, or I¡¯ll dry you out and feed you to the fish!¡± Agnes immediately complied. She quickly lowered her head, obediently continuing to maintain the connection with the communication crystal. ¡°Thorny¡­ roses¡­ holy symbol¡­¡± We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now ¡°Scott, are you sure your information is accurate? Where did you get this information?¡± Yurst¡¯s voice was solemn. His voice had never been this serious, not even when discussing the fall of Count Lachlan. Viscount Scott nodded. ¡°Yes, my lord, it''s true. I learned this information from a mercenary from the Crescent Kingdom while drinking. He had a distinct southern accent and was very knowledgeable about the customs of the Borde Duchy. Despite his rough behavior, he was quite familiar with some human aristocratic etiquette. I judged that he might be a fallen noble from the Borde Duchy, making his information somewhat credible¡­¡± ¡°I was also very curious about the resurrection of an Evil God, especially since this pattern is so common among us bloodborne. Thorns and roses are our favorite elements. Even the carpet in my house had this design. Oh¡­ and just in case, I¡¯ve already burned that carpet.¡± ¡°After learning about this, I conducted a special investigation. Although this matter is secretive, the incident involving the Evil God is real. The only uncertain part is whether Countess Castell is truly related to it.¡± Upon hearing Viscount Scott¡¯s words, the bloodborne in the conference hall quickly became restless. ¡°Damn it! Scott, you should have mentioned this earlier! Damn, if it really is a God¡¯s holy symbol¡­ oh, heaven, I need to change my coffin as soon as I get back!¡± The bloodborne with a coffin adorned with thorns and roses cursed. ¡°Silence!¡± Count Yurst''s authoritative voice restored order. The bloodbornes quickly quieted down, but their flickering gazes revealed their inner turmoil. Count Yurst was equally unsettled. He took a deep breath, his voice more serious than ever. ¡°Scott, your information is very important. I understand. There are many mercenaries from the Crescent Kingdom in Eastern Yunette Blacklands, which is close to Coria, making it convenient for gathering information. Please continue to investigate this matter.¡± Then, Count Yurst looked at the others. ¡°The rest of you, continue to investigate any information related to Countess Castell, as thoroughly as possible.¡± ¡°Also, remember the Duke¡¯s order. Do not engage in conflict with the nobles of Castell under any circumstances! If necessary, temporarily withdraw our infiltrated personnel.¡± The bloodbornes¡¯ eyes sharpened. Although Count Yurst did not further analyze or judge Scott¡¯s information, combined with the Duke¡¯s wariness of Castell, they vaguely guessed the truth. This resurrected God¡­ might indeed be real, and the Duke may have already encountered THEM! ¡°Alright, everyone, act quickly. Today¡¯s meeting is over. In the coming days, stay alert to any changes in the communication crystal.¡± Count Yurst said solemnly. With that, his figure gradually became indistinct, leaving the hall first. The remaining bloodbornes were once again in turmoil, but the commotion didn¡¯t last long. They left the hall one after another, each leaving more urgently than the last. The remote meeting of the Nez clan was thus concluded. ... Count Yurst disconnected the communication and returned to reality. His already pale face appeared even paler, his scarlet pupils filled with uncertainty. ¡°Thorny¡­ roses¡­ this must be reported to the Duke immediately!¡± He said, rising from his coffin. But upon seeing the beautiful pattern of thorns and roses on his coffin, he felt uneasy. Thorns and roses were the favorite plants of the bloodborne, including himself. Like the other bloodbornes, his coffin was from Coria, a luxurious limited edition with more elaborate patterns. Count Yurst once loved the decoration of his coffin, but after the meeting, looking at it again made him feel a chill, as if eyes were watching him from the darkness. He quickly got out of the coffin, shut its lid, and called out. ¡°Bruce! Is Bruce here?¡± ¡°Yes, my lord, what can I do for you?¡± An elderly butler soon entered and bowed. ¡°Prepare a remote communication immediately. I need to speak with the Duke, right now!¡± Count Yurst said quickly. ¡°My lord, I¡¯ve already arranged it. You can contact the Duke at any time.¡± The butler replied respectfully. ¡°Well done.¡± Count Yurst nodded in satisfaction. Then he hesitated for a second, pointing to his coffin. ¡°Oh, by the way, have that coffin taken out, chopped up, and burned¡­¡± ¡°Chopped up? Burned? Isn¡¯t this your favorite coffin?¡± The butler was stunned. Count Yurst¡¯s face darkened. ¡°That was before. It¡¯s not anymore.¡± ¡°Understood¡­ understood.¡± The butler nodded and prepared to act. ¡°Wait¡­¡± Count Yurst suddenly called him back. ¡°My lord?¡± The butler looked puzzled. Count Yurst thought for a moment and said. ¡°Don¡¯t chop it up or burn it. Fill it with stones and sink it into the sea.¡± ¡°And¡­ get rid of all furniture and fabrics with thorny rose patterns in the house. Sink them all!¡± The butler was stunned. He glanced at the thorny rose-patterned decorations all around the castle and fell silent. ¡°Did you hear me?¡± Count Yurst gritted his teeth and repeated. ¡°Yes¡­ yes, I heard you¡­¡± The butler nodded with a heavy heart and left to arrange the task. Count Yurst then hurried out of the bedroom, starting to use remote communication magic to contact Duke Yorok. ¡°Your Grace, this is Yurst. I have important news to report!¡± ... ¡°What? Thorny roses? Holy symbol of an Evil God?¡± In a luxurious elven-style bedroom, Duke Yorok¡¯s eyes twitched, and he couldn¡¯t help but raise his voice. He looked at the decorative thorn and rose patterns on his starry robe, and his thoughts became disjointed as well. Chapter 210: The Gods Holy Symbol After experiencing two failed divinations, Duke Yorok suspected that a mysterious God might be supporting Castell. Therefore, he wasn''t too surprised when he heard Count Yurst''s report.However... A holy symbol made of thorny roses? Duke Yorok was baffled. As a third-generation bloodborne born in the same era as several Bloodborne Princes, Duke Yorok could be considered a living fossil of the extraordinary world. He had not only lived through the millennium-long holy war but had also witnessed the rise and fall of the bloodborne race. Additionally, he had participated in the Gods'' War 2,500 years ago, witnessing the Bloodborne True Ancestor defeat the old and new Gods of the Myria Continent to ascend to supremacy. Back then, the Bloodborne True Ancestor was not even called the Progenitor; she had two other famous titles¡ªthe Queen of the Night or the Eternal Night Sovereign. Duke Yorok considered himself very knowledgeable about the history of the extraordinary world. Even though he often slept for decades or even centuries, each time he woke up, he would catch up on new history, paying special attention to matters related to mythology. However, in his memory, he had never heard of a holy symbol made of thorny roses! Moreover, this pattern was extremely common among bloodbornes and had been popular for hundreds of years. Recently, it has even become fashionable in the human world. If this really were the holy symbol of some God, the craftsmen of Coria would never dare to use it as decoration, and someone would have discovered it over these hundreds of years! Unless this was a mysterious God that had been planning its resurrection for centuries... But then again, Duke Yorok had never seen such a holy symbol, so how could there be talk of resurrection? Or could it be that there were Gods even he didn''t know about? Duke Yorok pondered. This was actually not impossible. Too many Gods had fallen during the Gods'' War. Even he had joined the battle as a member of the Blood Legion at the last minute, and he lacked sufficient understanding of the earlier Gods. "Yurst, are you sure this is really a God''s holy symbol?" After thinking for a moment, Duke Yorok asked seriously. In the crystal ball, Earl Yurst hesitated briefly before cautiously replying. "I... I''m not sure, and I don''t dare to verify it, which is why I reported it to you." Verifying whether a symbol is a God''s holy symbol is simple: perform a ritual and pray to it. If there really is a God behind it, the holy symbol will respond. But no one in their right mind would randomly pray to an unknown God. Who knows if the God might "crawl through the network", if it¡¯s an ancient being looking for a new host, it might even possess the person on the spot. Obviously, Count Yurst didn''t have the courage for that either. Duke Yorok frowned slightly. Honestly, after hearing Yurst''s report, he was also hesitant to pray to this symbol. The Nez Clan was not what it used to be. The holy followers occasionally received vague divine messages from Lord Harald, but their own myth had long been asleep. Prayer is essentially a resonance of the mind and spirit. Facing an unknown God without the protection of their myth was dangerous, even for a Legendary. After pondering for a moment, Duke Yorok said. "I understand. Warn all bloodborne members not to pray to the thorny roses. For now, store away all items related to thorns and roses." "Yes, my lord." Count Yurst saluted. Then he hesitated. "My lord, what about the Elder Council..." "I''ll explain to the Elder Council. Continue tracking information on Countess Castell and gather as much information as possible on the thorny roses." Duke Yorok instructed. "Yes... yes, my lord." Count Yurst nodded. After reporting on, Count Yurst disconnected the remote communication. Watching the light on the crystal ball gradually fade, Duke Yorok pondered for a moment and took out the Star Crystal again. A hazy purple shadow slowly appeared, and the cheerful voice of the crystal spirit Adast quickly rang out. "Yo! Good afternoon, Lord Yorok! It''s now four-thirty in the afternoon on Luna Island. Since your last summoning..." "Shut up!" Duke Yorok immediately interrupted the crystal spirit. We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now He glanced at the suddenly silent crystal spirit and said. "Adast, I need you to divine again, this time on a symbol!" As he spoke, Duke Yorok displayed the pattern of thorny roses. "Hmm? Thorny roses? My lord, isn''t this a decorative pattern from Coria? Why divine this?" The crystal spirit Adast asked, puzzled. "Divine whether it is a symbol of a God." Duke Yorok said. Adast: ... "Lord Yorok, do you... have a grudge against me?" "Of course not." "Then why make me do such a divination?" "It''s just a verification. Besides, divining whether it¡¯s a God''s symbol is within the safe range." Duke Yorok said calmly. "Alright, Lord Yorok, but let me make it clear: I can only divine whether it is related to a God. I won''t go deeper. If it really is related to a God, my divination will likely fail." "Agreed." After some negotiation, the crystal spirit Adast quickly got to work, and specks of starlight began to shine on the crystal ball again. Duke Yorok focused intently, watching Adast''s changes. However, the crystal ball only flickered a few times before the starlight dissipated, and the purple shadow soon spoke in surprise. "Huh?" "What is it?" Duke Yorok asked. "No results, just like last time... but I felt the same interference." The crystal spirit answered honestly. The same interference, the same blank... Duke Yorok straightened slightly, his expression becoming serious. s?a??h th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The Gods are immune to divination. Given the blank result, this symbol is likely a God''s holy symbol... And with the same interference, it undoubtedly points to the mysterious God behind Castell. Thinking of this, Duke Yorok became solemn. "Adast." "I''m here, Lord Yorok. What do you need?" "You were created even before Lord Casey ascended to the divine throne. You should know more about the Gods'' War than anyone in the Elder Council. Have you ever seen this symbol during the war?" "This... no, I haven''t. In fact, I always thought this pattern was just a popular decoration. If not for your divination, I wouldn''t have known it was related to a God. But as far as I know, earlier Gods in the Gods'' War didn''t have holy symbols. Holy symbols were created towards the end of the war." No holy symbols? Duke Yorok''s heart stirred. "Are you saying holy symbols aren''t essential for Gods?" Adast shook his head. "A long time ago, yes, but not anymore. I don''t know the exact reason. Even the True Ancestor''s holy symbol..." "Hmm? Wait... what is the True Ancestor''s holy symbol again? I can''t seem to remember." The crystal spirit paused, suddenly blanked. The True Ancestor''s holy symbol? Wasn''t it... Duke Yorok instinctively tried to recall, but he also blanked. Hmm? Wait... Did the Bloodborne True Ancestor... have a holy symbol? Chapter 211: Are you an Evil God? Does the Bloodborne True Ancestor have a holy symbol?As this thought crossed his mind, Duke Yorok couldn¡¯t help but ponder the question. He felt there seemed to be a well-known symbol among the bloodbornes in his memory, but when he tried to recall it, it was as if he had no impression at all. This made Duke Yorok''s expression grow serious. The Bloodborne True Ancestor is the source of all blood descendants. As a part of the Bloodborne clan, as a Legendary being, it was impossible for him to forget whether their True Ancestor had a holy symbol or not. Even though these ancient blood descendants had long parted ways with their progenitor, even if they no longer wanted to see that terrifying sovereign again... they could never completely forget the mark belonging to that progenitor. ¡°I... seem to have forgotten something, like there¡¯s some force interfering with my memory of the True Ancestor.¡± Duke Yorok said solemnly. ¡°Interfering with your memory of the True Ancestor? Could it be that you can¡¯t remember either?¡± Adast asked. Duke Yorok nodded. ¡°Yes, I... can¡¯t remember either, I just¡­¡± He suddenly got stuck again. The Legendary Bloodborne looked dazed, as if he had fallen into some kind of stupor. After a moment, he came to his senses. ¡°Wait... Adast, what were we just talking about?¡± ¡°We were discussing the origin of the Thorny Rose.¡± The crystal spirit naturally answered. ¡°Oh, right... the origin of the Thorny Rose.¡± Duke Yorok was momentarily puzzled, then nodded instinctively. He thought back carefully and indeed remembered that he had been discussing this topic with Adast, and nothing seemed out of place. ¡°So... as you said, it¡¯s very likely an ancient God who fell into slumber early during the Gods'' War?¡± ¡°Yes, all signs indicate that this symbol was likely forged by a resurrected ancient God. Furthermore, she might even be one of the Gods from Myria before the Catastrophe of Extinction and the Great Migration of the Elves.¡± ¡°Myria? Those old Gods of Myria who were swept into the dustbin of history by the True Ancestor and other myths?¡± ¡°Precisely. Many of the events involving the resurrection of Evil Gods on Myria today are struggles of these ancient remnants. Though most were obliterated, some survived by clinging to their powers. Occasionally, some fortunate mortals would ascend to divinity by seizing these ancient beings¡¯ authorities. Such stories have been told frequently over the past two thousand years, so this possibility cannot be ruled out.¡± Adast''s phantom nodded slightly, discussing the potential implications behind the Thorny Rose symbol with Yorok. They never mentioned the True Ancestor''s holy symbol again, as if they had never discussed it. Neither Duke Yorok nor Adast realized this anomaly. ¡°Thorny Rose... It seems I should first understand how this symbol originated and the forces that have quietly spread it over the past few centuries.¡± Duke Yorok''s eyes flickered as he spoke. ¡°You¡¯ll need to send someone to Coria for investigation. This symbol definitely originated from there.¡± Adast suggested respectfully. ¡°That won¡¯t be an issue. Although Vadallat is unpleasant, I still have a few friends there. I can write to inquire.¡± Duke Yorok nodded. This emblem couldn¡¯t have appeared out of nowhere. He believed that by investigating its origins, he could uncover the identity of the God behind it! Of course, before that, the infiltration plan into Castell must be completely halted. He didn¡¯t want to make an enemy of a mysterious God who had possibly been resurrecting for centuries. ¡°It seems you plan to completely halt the infiltration of Castell. You must explain this to the Elder Council properly. Time is running out for the Nez clan, and they might not agree with your decision.¡± Adast reminded him. ¡°I will explain the stakes to them. Even if our positions differ, we are all working for the future of the Nez clan, for the future of the blood descendants.¡± Duke Yorok said solemnly. S?a?ch* Th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now After speaking, he felt a bit of a headache. The Elder Council... Indeed troublesome. ... The Thorny Rose symbol made the already troubled Duke Yorok even more troubled. At this moment, a new message appeared in Charlotte''s vision¡ªthe mastermind behind all this. ¡¾The Gospel of Blood has detected unsynchronized identity information¡ª¡¿ ¡¾Unsynchronized Information: True Ancestor Holy Symbol¡¿ ¡¾Synchronization Probability: 0.99%¡¿ ¡¾Would you like to synchronize this identity?¡¿ Charlotte: ... Is there even a need to ask with a 0.99% probability? ¡°Not for now.¡± She answered in her mind. With her choice, the information from the Gospel slowly faded away. However, Charlotte could sense that this information was only hidden. She could summon it from the depths of her consciousness at any time to decide whether to synchronize it. Identity... synchronization? True Ancestor Holy Symbol? What does this mean? Does it imply synchronizing my symbol with that of the Bloodborne True Ancestor? Did the previous True Ancestor not have a holy symbol? She frowned, pondering deeply. The sudden message from the Gospel of Blood made it hard for Charlotte not to connect it with the recent remote meeting. The Gospel of Blood was evidently deeply tied to the True Ancestor¡¯s status. Clearly, something had happened just now, causing the Gospel in her consciousness to react. Could it be... that the Nez clan¡¯s treatment of the Thorny Rose as a God''s symbol triggered some mechanism? Charlotte speculated inwardly. Finding no answers, she temporarily put the matter aside. Although the Gospel provided no further information, she could make a fairly accurate guess based on various clues. At this point, she increasingly believed that the Gospel of Blood was really engaging in some sort of ¡°True Ancestor training¡± program. The remote meeting ended, and Charlotte withdrew her spirit from the Dark Night Castle. The consciousness of the three participants also returned to reality. Though the meeting wasn¡¯t long, she gathered substantial intelligence. Not only did she gain insights into the Nez clan¡¯s investigation plans and attitude changes towards her, but also obtained complex information about her mother¡¯s background, making her keenly aware of the chaotic marriages within the Starfall Royalty. What surprised her most was the Nez clan¡¯s attitude. She had been prepared for a confrontation with the nobles backed by the Nez clan, but it turned out that the Nez clan backed down first. She wasn¡¯t sure if this was related to the will of the Bloodborne Duke named Yorok she encountered in Count Lachlan''s spiritual world. While contemplating, Charlotte retracted all the blood divine power, but suddenly sensed something strange in the atmosphere of the meditation room. Charlotte looked up at Agnes and Lahel standing before the communication crystal. These two had not spoken a word since the meeting ended. They just stared blankly at her, and when she looked back at them, they almost simultaneously lowered their heads, appearing cautious and upright. It was as if they had the word ¡°nervous¡± written all over their faces. Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but smile. She shifted her position and said. ¡°What¡¯s with those expressions? I believe I¡¯ve already said, that if you submit to me and do your job well, I won¡¯t trouble you.¡± Agnes swallowed hard. She bit her lip, mustered her courage, cautiously looked up at Charlotte, her eyes filled with apprehension and hope, and stammered. ¡°Are... are you...¡± ¡°Are you an Evil God?¡± Chapter 212: Sooner or later, the time will come Charlotte thought it was a miracle that Agnes had managed to stay alive until now.Setting aside whether or not she herself was an "Evil God," it was quite bold to directly call someone a "suspected Evil God" to their face. Agnes quickly realized the mistake in her words. She immediately covered her mouth and stammered. ¡°Ah no... I didn''t mean to call you an Evil God... I meant to ask you... I... I...¡± Agnes'' face turned red. She seemed at a loss for words, struggling to find the right terms while clearly very nervous, and didn''t know what to say. Charlotte glanced at her and smiled brightly, saying, ¡°Miss Agnes, you seem a bit too nervous.¡± ¡°I am Charlotte de Castell, Countess of the North, and head of the Castell family.¡± ¡°I am now, and will be in the future.¡± ¡°As a devout holy believer, I forgive your recent offense. Just don''t talk about such nonsense outside, it could cause unnecessary misunderstandings and trouble. And I... don''t particularly like trouble.¡± Agnes: ... With that, Charlotte put away the communication crystal. ¡°Well, thank you both for your cooperation today. You can leave now.¡± ¡°The Castell estate doesn''t keep idle people. Go find Nice and Sherry, they''ll tell you what you need to do around the estate.¡± ... Agnes left the meditation room in a daze. Only when she could no longer sense Charlotte¡¯s presence and pressure did she fully wake up. She grabbed the sleeve of the middle-aged knight, excitedly saying, ¡°La... Lahel! Did you see that?! Did you see it? She... those symbols on her were described as a holy symbol by those bloodbornes! Described as a holy symbol!¡± ¡°I told you, she definitely isn¡¯t an ordinary bloodborne if she can ignore the Nez family¡¯s bloodline sense and activate the communication crystal!¡± ¡°Even that pretentious book spirit was respectful to her!¡± ¡°She can create a mental world almost identical to reality! Even my father can''t create such a realistic mental world!¡± ¡°I''ve heard stories about resurrected Evil Gods from my father when I was a child. All the traits she shows match those described in our family''s books!¡± ¡°She is a God... she must be the Evil God the Nez clan mentioned as being resurrected!¡± Agnes was thrilled. However, Lahel¡¯s face was full of worry. The middle-aged knight hesitated and cautiously said. ¡°Miss... that¡¯s indeed a bold assumption.¡± ¡°But, forgive me for saying so, you seem a bit too excited...¡± ¡°Excited? Oh, right! Of course, I''m excited! Lahel! This is a mythical existence! A resurrected evil... um, God!¡± Agnes said exuberantly. Lahel glanced at his mistress and sighed. ¡°Miss, do you... think this is a good thing? Escaping from a bloodborne and escaping from a God are two very different matters.¡± Agnes answered without hesitation. ¡°Of course it¡¯s a good thing! Lahel! Don¡¯t you know? We might be close to myths and legends now!¡± ¡°If this is true, perhaps we don''t need to think about leaving so soon. Staying by her side might be better! Because she might really have the power to help us revive our family!¡± ¡°Moreover, if this is true, do you know what it means? It means the Castell family no longer exists! It no longer exists!¡± ¡°She¡¯s an Evil God! The story about Countess Castell escaping a sacrifice surely isn¡¯t true! The truth is probably that she took over the identity of the young Countess Castell! Resurrecting through a human body...¡± We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now ¡°This is a classic move for Evil Gods! It must be like this!¡± Listening to the girl, Lahel¡¯s expression became strange. ¡°Miss, your hatred for the Castell family... is truly deep.¡± ¡°Of course, we Veillets and Castells are enemies till death!¡± Agnes said without hesitation. Seeing his lady¡¯s resolute look, Lahel hesitated but resisted the urge to pour more cold water on her. As a bodyguard for a great noble, he was also of noble birth and had read some mythological tales, many about Gods resurrection. Gods resurrecting through human bodies could happen in many ways: taking over a corpse, possessing a body, and even more direct reincarnation and awakening. Considering the Countess of Castell¡¯s repeated emphasis on her identity, he ultimately didn¡¯t propose another possibility. That is, perhaps she had been a resurrected God from the moment she was born. However, leaving aside the connection between the Castell and the Evil God, there was one thing he felt he must remind his overly excited lady. ¡°Miss, do you think... staying near a resurrected Evil God is safe?¡± ¡°Have you forgotten all the legends about the resurrection of Evil Gods recorded in history?¡± Legends about the resurrection of Evil Gods? Agnes froze, then stood dazed for a moment. It was then that she suddenly realized another thing. The reason Evil Gods were called Evil Gods was naturally because they didn''t do good deeds. In numerous historical records and church accounts, those resurrected Evil Gods were all cruel and malevolent beings, each of whom caused great disasters after their resurrection until they were suppressed or banished. Thinking of this, Agnes calmed down. She glanced back at the meditation room and couldn''t help but shiver, then whispered. ¡°It shouldn''t... be that bad, right? Seriously, although she has threatened us, I don''t think she is that evil...¡± ¡°Moreover, she hasn¡¯t forced us to sign any contract. Well... maybe a resurrected God wouldn¡¯t fear our escape, but... at least we are still somewhat free at the soul level.¡± Agnes spoke uncertainly, much less confident than before. Just then, a maid came up to them. ¡°Miss Agnes, Sir Lahel, Sir Nice and Lady Sherry are waiting for you in the front hall.¡± ¡°Oh... okay, we¡¯ll go now.¡± Agnes said reflexively. She and Lahel exchanged a glance and said. ¡°One step at a time. At least... we are still somewhat free now.¡± Lahel hesitated but finally nodded. The two followed the maid to the front hall, where Nice and Sherry were waiting. Agnes and Lahel curiously looked around the luxurious hall of the count''s estate, finally resting their eyes on a person and a cat. S~?a??h the N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Seeing the girl and the knight, Nice snickered, a glow flashing in his claws as he produced two scrolls, and said with glee. ¡°Finally here?¡± ¡°Now that you¡¯re here, sign these two deeds of sale contracts!¡± Agnes: ...? Lahel: ...? Chapter 213: Contractor, you should feel lucky Charlotte certainly wouldn''t let two people who knew part of her core secrets roam freely under her watch, nor would she naively believe that Agnes and Lahel would truly pledge their loyalty to her.Her inaction didn¡¯t mean others wouldn¡¯t act. Being the first to proactively sign a contract with her, Nice had always been eager to ensure others experienced the same treatment it once did. Of course, this time it wasn''t a servant''s oath but rather a secrecy contract. Leaking secrets would result in death, but betrayal would only lead to curses and marks. The servant''s oath was too domineering, and the bond between master and servant was much deeper. Charlotte didn''t sign such contracts with just anyone. For Agnes and Lahel, a general contract was sufficient. Charlotte didn¡¯t want to be a tyrant who maintained control through contracts alone. Moreover, Agnes and Lahel were already bloodbornes. With Charlotte holding the Gospel of Blood, she had absolute dominance. As long as there was a link between them, they couldn''t escape her grasp. After the contract was signed, these two, like Reina before, would be handed over to Sherry for training. Once Sebastian returned, he might also be involved. Charlotte didn¡¯t have high expectations for them. She simply thought that their disguised identities as Count Hol might be useful and had a certain fondness for them as fellow bloodbornes, perhaps harboring hopes she hadn¡¯t even recognized herself. Although she didn¡¯t fully understand the relationship between gods and their followers in this world, she knew God needed believers. Since she might become a God to the Bloodbornes, it was best to recruit as many potential bloodborne followers as possible. Who knows, she might find a better way to supplement her blood divine power. After the contract, she returned Agnes'' Book of the Dead. Holding the Gospel of Blood, it wasn¡¯t beneficial for her to keep an already claimed sacred object. It was better to give it back to Agnes. "That''s... returned to me?" Agnes was stunned as she took the Book of the Dead from the maid. She had come to Northport to retrieve this book, but she hadn¡¯t expected it to be returned after being forced to submit. The ethereal book spirit floated above the book, arms crossed, in its usual arrogant manner. It looked down at her, as if it were the true master. "Contractor, now that you''ve become a subordinate of that existence, serve her well." "This is a great opportunity for you. Do you know how many have longed to meet her, let alone be granted a contract?" "You should be grateful to the supreme existence for giving you, a humble ant, endless possibilities..." The spirit''s voice was arrogant, making it seem like Agnes had gained a tremendous advantage by being forced into submission. However, Agnes ignored its high and mighty tone. "Her? Supreme existence? So... she really is a resurrected God? You even know which God she is?!" "Who is she? Tell me! Tell me now!" She looked excitedly at the book spirit. But the spirit proudly raised its head, revealing nothing. "The supreme existence has her reasons for not revealing her true identity to you. As her servants, we naturally won''t go against her will." Seeing the spirit¡¯s ¡°I know, but I won¡¯t tell¡± attitude, Agnes clenched her teeth. "You! Don''t forget, you are my contracted spirit first. I am your master!" "Hmph! Even if you don''t say, I¡¯ll figure out who she is sooner or later! I''ll know her identity one day!" The girl waved her fist angrily at the spirit. Watching the girl bickering with the spirit, much like she used to in Count Hol¡¯s castle, the middle-aged knight Lahel sighed, unsure what to say. Miss... seems to have completely forgotten her recent vow to never submit. ... Perhaps due to the will of the Nez Clan¡¯s higher-ups, after the remote meeting ended, Leon-Castell''s inspection task faced fewer obstacles. Although there was still some resistance, it came mostly from nobles and rarely from actual bloodbornes. Without the Nez Clan¡¯s support, those infiltrated nobles were clearly no match for the Castell family. Under the Countess¡¯ will, the inspection plan proceeded more smoothly. We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now No bloodbornes were found in Castell¡¯s direct domain. Actually, there were bloodbornes. When she used the Blood Summoning to project the Dark Night Castle to spy on the Nez Clan¡¯s remote meeting, Charlotte discovered many crimson light clusters nearby, clearly bloodbornes hiding in Northport''s direct domain. It was normal to find bloodbornes hiding in human territories where the Holy Court¡¯s influence was weak. In a sense, Agnes and Lahel could be considered such bloodbornes. However, the infiltrators belonging to the Nez Clan did retreat. Charlotte felt both satisfied and disappointed. Maybe she subconsciously hoped the Nez Clan would resist, giving her an excuse to uproot all potential dissenters in her territory... As for the hidden bloodbornes in the north, Charlotte had some plans, intending to act after consolidating the power of Castell County. Viscount Leon-Castell left after completing the direct domain''s inspection. This was not the end, but the beginning. Inspecting the direct domain took less than three days. The real task was to inspect all the nobles in the county. Before leaving, the old viscount formally met the Countess¡¯ designated professional assistant. "The Countess¡¯... cat?" Seeing the black cat Nice, fluffed up and with his tail high, served by Castell maids, the old viscount¡¯s expression was priceless. Nice puffed out his chest and cleared his throat. "Viscount Leon-Castell, I am Nice, the contracted being of Lady Charlotte and a devout contract follower." "I will accompany you for the upcoming inspections." A talking extraordinary intelligent being! Seeing the talking black cat, the viscount¡¯s eyes widened. Indeed, Castell¡¯s foundation was not to be underestimated! ... The viscount and Nice left Northport together. With the departure of the last major noble, Northport returned to its usual calm. The inspection targeted only nobles, and Charlotte¡¯s control over her direct domain was strong, so the operation didn¡¯t significantly disrupt the commoners'' lives. However, Northport¡¯s bureaucratic system underwent a major shake-up, and for the next few days, even Charlotte couldn¡¯t afford to slack off and had to be busy. As the Count of the North, Charlotte soon found herself buried in a sea of documents from various parts of her direct domain, tasks previously handled by Madoc. "Perhaps, it¡¯s time to appoint a new mayor for Northport." Looking at the growing pile of documents, Charlotte rubbed her temples in frustration. "Lady Charlotte, the milk is warmed." At her desk, the maid Sherry respectfully poured her a glass of milk. Charlotte took it, sipping lightly, but then looked at the maid who seemed to have something to say. "Sherry, you seem to have something on your mind?" Sherry hesitated, then slowly nodded. She suddenly knelt on one knee, surprising Charlotte, and held up the vial of blood Charlotte had given her to become a blood follower. "Lady Charlotte, regarding your earlier proposal... I¡¯ve made up my mind." S?a?ch* Th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "I... I can¡¯t drink it and become your follower." Chapter 214: Sherrys Choice "Lady Charlotte, I''m afraid I cannot drink this and become your follower." Sherry said, kneeling on one knee and holding up the red vial. Her usually expressionless face showed deep apology. Charlotte was somewhat surprised; she hadn''t expected that her personal maid of over a year would make such a choice. She believed she understood Sherry well¡ªdiligent in her work, dedicated, and gifted in both magic and swordsmanship. Even while busy with her maid duties, Sherry had not neglected her training and, with Charlotte''s resources, had become the second young follower after Rand to step into the Starry Sky tier. Despite her silence and stoic demeanor, Charlotte knew Sherry''s heart was not cold. Sherry was also deeply grateful, having wholly pledged herself to Charlotte after the latter saved her entire family from the Inquisition''s attack on the Rose Society. She was thoroughly loyal, if not as noticeable as Sebastian or even Nice, the audacious fat cat. Sherry had seamlessly integrated into Charlotte''s life, managing her meals, daily schedules, and wardrobe choices with utmost care and skill. "Why? May I know the reason?" Charlotte asked gently. After a moment of hesitation, Sherry replied. "Lady Charlotte, drinking your blood would make me a bloodborne, right?" Charlotte nodded slightly, confirming. "Yes, that''s correct." Charlotte had come to a deeper understanding of her blood servant abilities. Becoming her blood servant meant inheriting her bloodline power, leading to a transformation of one''s own blood. Sebastian had experienced this transformation, he looked almost like a bloodborne when unleashing his bloodline power. Despite being an elf and once a Blazing Sun expert, his body continued to change towards that of a bloodborne with each use of the power. He had warned Charlotte that this transformation was inevitable as her power grew. Sherry, being human and not a magical being, would undoubtedly transform into a bloodborne if she became Charlotte''s blood servant. "Lady Charlotte." Sherry began respectfully. "I heard that becoming a bloodborne hinders one''s personal growth in power and halts any further advancement in magic..." "I don''t want to give up my magical talents." Charlotte, taken aback, considered Sherry''s words. "Perhaps that''s true, but becoming a bloodborne would also grant you new strengths." Sherry bowed her head. "But those strengths would be gifts from you, not the result of my own efforts. I want to follow you through my own hard work, not because I must rely on you to keep progressing." We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now Understanding Sherry''s perspective, Charlotte nodded slightly. She too had lamented not becoming a mage, so she could sympathize with Sherry''s reluctance to give up her magical potential. Sherry had excellent magical talent, recognized even by Nice, making her dilemma understandable. "Have you considered that as a bloodborne, you would escape aging, gaining nearly unlimited time?" Charlotte asked. Sherry responded respectfully. "I have thought about it. While long life is attractive, I can''t bear the thought of watching my loved ones age and die while I remain unchanged." Charlotte paused, reflecting on her own contentment at escaping the bounds of mortality. She had achieved a form of eternal life soon after arriving in this world, unlike the immortal seekers of her previous life. Despite its flaws, her eternal life seemed promising with enough time to grow even stronger. Unlike Sherry, she had no ties in this world. "Moreover." Sherry continued. "As your head maid and personal attendant, I need to interact with ordinary people and work under the sunlight. Becoming a bloodborne would hinder my ability to perform my duties." Charlotte, who had not considered this angle, realized the practicality of Sherry''s concerns. She had thought that making her attendants bloodbornes would ensure their safety, overlooking the impracticalities of their daily roles. "I respect your choice, Sherry, but know that your loyalty has never been in question." Charlotte said, understanding yet slightly disappointed. Despite recognizing Sherry''s valid points, Charlotte had hoped for a different outcome. "Thank you for understanding, Lady Charlotte. My life has belonged to you since you saved my family." Sherry said earnestly, kneeling. Charlotte nodded thoughtfully, acknowledging Sherry''s loyalty and independence. Each person must make their own choices, and she respected Sherry''s. Though disappointed, she realized the unsuitability of a bloodborne as her head maid. As Sherry departed, Charlotte looked at the returned vial, sighing softly. Everyone had their own paths to follow, and she understood and respected Sherry''s decision. Reflecting on Sherry''s words about immortality, Charlotte felt a pang of homesickness, a rare feeling since arriving in this world. Shaking off the thoughts, she reminded herself to focus on her immediate goals: consolidating her territory, building a safe haven, and pursuing her path to strength and Godhood. S~?a??h the ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. As she resumed her work, reviewing the candidates for the next mayor of Northport, she suddenly felt a familiar call from afar. It was Sebastian, who had left days ago with the Castell guards to track down Count Lachlan. Chapter 215: The Black Dragon and the Mysterious Mage ¡°Sebastian? He''s calling for me directly, could it be that he has made an important discovery?¡±Charlotte''s heart stirred. She pondered for a moment, then stood up and closed the study door, instructing the maid not to disturb her temporarily. She then sank into her consciousness, connecting with the Gospel of Blood within the sea of her mind. The surroundings shifted once more, and Charlotte found herself back in the mental world of the Dark Night Castle. She summoned the crimson star sea that represented the bloodbornes and gently pointed at the star that signified Sebastian, which was flashing. A wisp of her consciousness passed through the void and projected itself to where Sebastian was. ... At a ruined castle perched atop a coastal cliff. The tall stone walls were already dilapidated, but the past grandeur was still faintly discernible. At this moment, a fierce battle was taking place outside the castle. Castell guards, clad in chainmail, hid behind the castle''s crumbling battlements, their hands trembling as they gripped their bows, staring fearfully at the sky. Above them, a menacing black dragon with a wingspan of over fifteen meters was engaged in a fierce struggle with Sebastian. The furious dragon''s roar, carrying immense dragon might, assaulted the soldiers'' minds like a tsunami, causing many to foam at the mouth and faint under the terrifying pressure. Within a one-kilometer radius of the castle, the area was in ruins. Dragon breath had corroded the forest and coastline into a desolate wasteland, with terrifying claw marks and sword scars over ten meters long everywhere. Sebastian floated in mid-air, a ring of levitating magic power gathered behind him, wielding a black flaming sword. He looked quite battered but had successfully shielded the Castell guards within the castle from the dragon''s breath. On the black dragon''s back sat a black-robed mage wearing a Demon¡¯s Eye mask. He looked down at Sebastian and said with some surprise. ¡°Impressive, Crimson Flame Blade, once renowned in Eastern Yunette Blacklands. Even with your broken mental state, you still possess the power to contend with a dragon¡­¡± ¡°But no matter how strong your endurance is, how long can you withstand the dragon''s might? I don¡¯t understand. You could have retreated unscathed, so why protect these humans?¡± ¡°Or have you truly become Castell¡¯s loyal dog as the rumors say, giving up your freedom?¡± Hearing the black-robed mage¡¯s words, Sebastian sneered. He elegantly wiped away the blood from his mouth, and then said indifferently. ¡°I have chosen to pledge my loyalty to Castell, so I will do my job. My ambitions and pursuits are beyond the comprehension of short-sighted people like you.¡± He then gave the black-robed mage a deep look. ¡°But you, despite being an elf, are associating with the Blood Demon Cult, notorious even among bloodbornes¡­¡± ¡°Oh no, you''re not even an elf anymore. I sense a familiar aura on you. You must be an elven bloodborne from the Nez clan of Luna Island?¡± ¡°Betraying the elves and your own clan... aren¡¯t you afraid of Luna Island and Nez joining hands to hunt you down?¡± Hearing Sebastian¡¯s words, the red eyes behind the mage¡¯s mask flickered. He almost instinctively covered the pointed ears beneath his mask, then furiously exclaimed. ¡°Shut up, you trash chased across half the continent by the Pure White Witch!¡± ¡°Odossia, kill him!¡± The black-robed mage shouted angrily, the black magic book in his hand flashing red. The black dragon roared and flapped its wings to charge at Sebastian. Seeing the black dragon rushing toward him, Sebastian smiled slightly. He abandoned his defense and raised his flaming sword high, chanting rhythmically. ¡°Imprison, Flame of Death!¡± Black flames spread from the sword, transforming into a massive prison that enveloped both Sebastian and the black dragon. ¡°Dark Knight¡¯s Death Imprisonment? Haha... Sebas, it seems you gained quite a lot of good stuff during your adventures in Eastern Yunette Blacklands.¡± ¡°But if you think an incomplete Third Tier imprisonment spell can confine Odossia, that¡¯s truly laughable.¡± The black-robed mage sneered. However, seeing Sebastian¡¯s faintly smiling expression, a chill suddenly ran down his spine. At the same time, a brilliant light erupted from Sebastian, and a formidable aura surged from him... Sensing the heart-stopping aura, the black-robed mage¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯ve regained your strength?!¡± ¡°This is bad! Odossia, retreat quickly!¡± He shouted, the light from the magic book in his hand flaring, commanding the black dragon to halt its attack. Blood-red light radiated from the dragon¡¯s body. The black dragon roared angrily, halting its charge. The black-robed mage, without hesitation, took out a scroll from his chest and tore it apart. Brilliant light burst from beneath the dragon, forming a large circular magic array. The figures of the black dragon and the mage gradually blurred, and they vanished into the light before Sebastian¡¯s flame prison closed in. Watching the dissipating magic light, a trace of regret flashed across Sebastian¡¯s face. ¡°Hmph¡­ they ran pretty fast.¡± We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org S?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Donate now He chuckled and slowly descended from the sky. Just as he landed, he wobbled slightly, almost collapsing. ¡°Sir Sebastian!¡± Seeing this, Castell guards in the castle rushed out, with the captain reaching out to support him. ¡°I¡¯m fine, just a bit exhausted. Check the casualties from the recent battle.¡± Sebastian shook his head, refusing the captain''s support, then entered the inner hall of the castle alone. ¡°I need to meditate and rest. Do not disturb me for now.¡± He instructed. ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The soldiers saluted respectfully. Sebastian closed the door of the inner hall behind him. As soon as the door closed, crimson mist spread around him. Sebastian sensed it and slowly raised his head. Everything around him had changed, no longer the dilapidated castle but the familiar Dark Night Castle. Charlotte¡¯s clear and melodious voice came from the front. ¡°Sebastian, your mission this time was unexpectedly exciting.¡± Sebastian looked up to see his liege seated on the mysterious and majestic Blood Throne. Perhaps because they were familiar with each other, her form was not the "Lady of the Night" but the "Countess" he usually saw. ¡°Master, Sebastian failed to keep them here.¡± Sebastian knelt on one knee respectfully. ¡°Doesn''t matter, they escaped quickly. There will be another opportunity.¡± Charlotte shook her head. Then she looked at him. ¡°Just don¡¯t be so reckless in the future. Using your life to imprison the enemy is too dangerous, even if I respond to your call and lend you power.¡± ¡°Remember, you are my servant now. I need you alive to serve me, not to take reckless risks.¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, Sebastian was moved and bowed respectfully. ¡°Sebastian understands.¡± Seeing his reaction, Charlotte also sighed in relief. She had been truly startled just now. When she projected over, she almost collided with the black dragon. Fortunately, it retreated in time. Otherwise, she would have had to forcibly use her True Ancestor powers. This wasn¡¯t like when they were in Borde City. At that time, she and Sebastian were close, and the energy consumption for projecting through Sebastian¡¯s body was minimal. But now¡­ Charlotte estimated that Sebastian should be in the northeastern border area of the county, quite far from Northport, making the projection much more energy-consuming. Not to mention, just by looking through Sebastian¡¯s perspective at the black dragon and mage, she could sense they weren¡¯t simple. The mage aside, whose power seemed weaker than Sebastian''s, the black dragon was definitely much stronger. She wondered how Sebastian managed to hold his ground or if the enemy was not fighting at full strength. ¡°That black dragon just now... it has a familiar aura. Is it the same dragon that was once in the silver mine?¡± Charlotte asked. ¡°Probably¡­ Yes, its dragon might is similar to Gikode¡¯s but more refined, likely the source of the dragon power for that Vadallat bloodborne.¡± Sebastian answered respectfully. Charlotte nodded slightly. ¡°Odossia¡­ sounds like a female name.¡± Sebas nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a common name among dragons. As you saw, it¡¯s likely a female dragon.¡± Charlotte nodded, then asked. ¡°Tell me, what did you discover during this investigation?¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s question, Sebastian¡¯s expression turned somewhat strange. ¡°Master, it¡¯s odd. When I arrived here as you directed, the bloodbornes in the castle had already withdrawn, leaving an empty fortress.¡± ¡°We tracked their traces to a nearby city and found signs of Nez clan bloodbornes. However, they didn¡¯t seem interested in entangling with us.¡± ¡°Moreover, we even got a list of nobles they recruited in the nearby city from a Nez bloodborne. Before leaving, they even extended goodwill to us, leaving a considerable amount of refined mithril¡­¡± ¡°Master, I¡¯m suddenly confused about what the Nez clan is up to.¡± Charlotte: ... She knew why. It seemed the order from Duke Yorok had been successfully conveyed, and the bloodbornes under Count Lachlan had received the message and begun an orderly retreat. She had to admit, this Blood Duke of the Nez clan¡­ was quite interesting. Chapter 216: The Blood Demon Cult and the Nez Elder Council "I know about the Nez Clan. This matter relates to decisions made by their upper echelons, and they will likely halt their infiltration of the Northern Lands for the time being."Charlotte pondered for a moment and then spoke. Decisions by Nez''s upper echelons? S~?a??h the N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Sebas felt a slight stir in his heart. Reflecting on the attack on the Count''s estate and the usual tactics of the Nez Clan, he began to form some suspicions. "Sebastian, what about that Blood Demon Cult member just now?" Charlotte asked. Sebastian''s expression grew solemn. "Master, I was just about to report on this. After conducting further covert investigations in the nearby cities, we found that those nobles who had allied with the bloodline were not only collaborating with the Nez Clan but also had connections to the Blood Demon Cult!" "The Blood Demon Cult has also infiltrated the Northern Lands, but I am currently unsure of the extent of their infiltration. However, based on the traces left by the Nez Clan, it appears they are cooperating with the Blood Demon Cult." "Though, it seems there has been a conflict between the Nez Clan and the Blood Demon Cult, which might be related to the Nez Clan''s retreat. We discovered signs of their battles during our investigations, including traces of dragon breath at the scene." "After discovering the presence of a dragon, I decided to withdraw the team, but during the retreat, we were attacked by that Blood Demon Cultist and the black dragon, forcing us to organize a defense in the old castle..." Nez Clan''s infiltration of Castell involving the Blood Demon Cult? Charlotte frowned slightly upon hearing Sebastian''s report, yet felt a sense of realization. When investigating Castell¡¯s silver mine, she had noticed that the necromancy used by the bloodborne named Gikode neither matched the Nez Clan¡¯s style nor the documented techniques of the Vadallat Clan. Instead, it bore the distinct characteristics of the Blood Demon Cult. Combining this with Sebastian¡¯s findings, she now understood the situation¡ªthere was an involvement from the Blood Demon Cult. However, the reason behind the Nez Clan''s cooperation with the cult remained unclear. Was it a desperate measure or something else? From her in-depth exchanges with Nez and the recent investigations into the noble circles within her domain, Charlotte had roughly discerned the Nez Clan¡¯s motives. After the Lilac War, the Nez Clan faced severe survival challenges in the Starfall Kingdom. They were likely preparing to counter-attack the current ruling family supported by the Holy Court, aiming to regain their influence. In other words, the Nez bloodborne might be secretly preparing for a second Lilac War. As for the role the Blood Demon Cult played in this, Charlotte was unsure. Considering the cult''s usual objectives, it likely involved summoning the Bloodborne Archduke or destabilizing the Crescent Kingdom''s regime. The Blood Demon Cult... always eager to create chaos and disrupt order, it was the biggest dark force and source of disorder on the Crescent Peninsula. Charlotte thought for a moment and then asked. "Which city were you investigating, and who is the lord there?" Sebastian respectfully answered. "Master, it was Nord City, and the lord is Devon de Griss." "Griss family?" Charlotte''s gaze flickered. "Yes." Sebas nodded. "Griss, huh..." Charlotte lightly drummed her fingers on the armrest of the Blood Throne, her mind conjuring up the image of that Lady Viscountess Laura from the Griss family. "Master, have you thought of something?" Sebastian asked, noticing Charlotte¡¯s thoughtful expression. Charlotte gently shook her head. "Not much, just pondering a question. When that Lady Viscountess of the Griss family sought an audience with me, she claimed she was framed by the Leon-Castell family and attacked by the bloodbornes. At the time, I thought it was a tactic by the Nez Clan to balance the power among Castell''s noble families. But now, it seems... it might not be the case." Sebastian''s heart skipped a beat. "Are you suspecting the involvement of the Blood Demon Cult?" "We cannot rule out that possibility." Charlotte considered. "Should we investigate the Griss family?" Sebastian inquired. "No rush. We are already in the process of scrutinizing the entire domain. Viscount Leon-Castell has started his investigations, and the Griss family is a crucial part of this. Before concluding investigations on other noble families, we shouldn''t pressure them too early. Besides, we don¡¯t fully understand the Lady Viscountess'' true stance." "However, with the Nez Clan''s retreat, the Griss family might also react accordingly." "Let¡¯s observe their next moves for now." Charlotte advised. Among the three major forces in Castell''s domain¡ªthe once prestigious Leon-Castell, the mostly sea-focused Roman-Four, and the militarily powerful Griss family¡ªthe Griss family was undoubtedly the strongest. Charlotte had always planned to deal with the Griss family last. She assessed that if the domain¡¯s nobles united to resist her, the flag bearer would likely be Griss, as no other family had such prestige and power. Charlotte''s inspection actions were bound to face opposition from the nobles, especially the major ones. Pressuring the Griss family too much could escalate the situation and even lead to war. Charlotte wasn''t aiming to exterminate the nobles, just to ensure their loyalty and reclaim the powers they had seized during the Castell family¡¯s absence. War, being an extension of politics and the last resort, would inevitably damage the livelihood of Castell''s people and should be avoided if possible. However, if the Blood Demon Cult was truly involved with the Griss family... It might present a different scenario altogether. With this in mind, Charlotte commanded. "Sebastian, withdraw the guards to the Silver Mine City, then monitor the Griss family covertly. Report any issues to me immediately." "At your command." Sebastian bowed respectfully. "And remember, don''t be too reckless. Safety first." Charlotte reminded. "Sebastian... understood!" Sebastian adopted an even more respectful and submissive posture. "Alright then, that''s about it for now. Call on me when there is more news." Charlotte said with a smile. With that, she waved her hand, and crimson mist began to spread throughout the dark night castle. Sebastian sensed a familiar force repelling him from all directions. His consciousness blurred as if traversing time and space. When the mist cleared, he had returned to the real world. Taking a deep breath, Sebastian stood up and exited the inner hall of the old castle. He then instructed the Castell guards who had accompanied him. "Relay the order: Rest for half an hour, then we head to Silver Mine City." ... We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now In a black temple. The temple was circular, surrounded by a ring of tall stone pillars. Each pillar was engraved with ancient and mysterious carvings depicting constellations and fate, and beyond the pillars lay an endless, starry sky. At the very back of the temple floated an ancient, dilapidated stone door emitting a ghostly blue light. In front of the door stood a large conference table. A tall shadow stood in front of the conference table. His crimson gaze was fixed on the closed stone door, deep and far-reaching. After a long sigh, he turned around, sweeping his eyes over the three other shadows standing around the table. Seeing only the three shadows, he frowned slightly and said in a deep voice. "Only you three came?" His gaze lingered on one particularly tall shadow. "Alec, where are the other elders from Luna Island?" The tall shadow smiled casually and said. "Grand Elder, the two old folks on the island are not interested in this kind of meeting, so I had to come alone as their representative." The Grand Elder''s frown deepened. He glanced at Alec and said lightly. "Tell them to stop tinkering with their plants. They are elves, but they are also part of the Nez. The Starfall and Luna Island lineages are one. When the Day of Divinity''s Descent comes, the Moon Goddess won''t be able to protect them. Only the grace of Lord Casey can shield us." Then, the Grand Elder looked at another shadow, who appeared quite old and stooped. Before he could speak, the old shadow spoke first. "Grand Elder, the other three elders have not yet awakened..." The Grand Elder sighed deeply. "Let them continue to sleep then. They did suffer greatly in the Lilac War." Turning his attention to the last of the three shadows, he said. "Yorok, tell us, did something happen in the Roman Duchy or Castell?" "Grand Elder, indeed as you said, there have been some changes on my end..." Duke Yorok gave a slight bow and recounted everything that had transpired in Castell and his divination results. "Thorny roses? A holy symbol? Yorok, are you joking? This Coria pattern is everywhere. If it were truly a holy symbol of some God, why has no one discovered it for hundreds of years, only for you to find it now?" Among the three, the old stooped shadow frowned and said. Duke Yorok glanced at him and said. "Maxim, if you don''t believe it, you can divinate it yourself." "However, without the sacred artifact bestowed by Lord Casey, I can''t guarantee what will happen." Maxim''s shadow gave him a deep look, then turned to the Grand Elder. "Grand Elder, whether or not there is a resurrected God, I believe we cannot give up Castell." "Castell''s power is indispensable to the Returning Star Plan. Controlling Castell will severely damage the Starfall royal family''s trade with the continent. We can control the Star-Moon Strait, preventing even the Holy Court''s fleet from landing on the Starfall Island!" Duke Yorok frowned and said. "Maxim, I have already reported my divination results. It is not a newly resurrected God but likely a god who has slumbered for hundreds of years. My divination has warned me that opposing it could bring disaster to our Nez." Maxim shook his head. "Yorok, divination results can be interpreted in many ways. Yours is not necessarily correct. Moreover, affected divinations might be erroneous, as time and again has been proven." "I do not find your reasons sufficient, or are you suggesting we abandon the Starfall Kingdom to avoid conflict with the Holy Court and move to the Eastern Yunette Blacklands?" Hearing Maxim''s words, Duke Yorok''s expression darkened. "Maxim, are you accusing me of finding excuses to retreat?" "Isn''t that the case?" Maxim glanced at him. Duke Yorok snorted coldly. "Having committed to the Returning Star Plan, I will not abandon it halfway. I merely wish to avoid adding another foreign God to our enemies, making an already precarious situation even worse!" Maxim shook his head. "An affected divination result is not necessarily from a God. Our success in the Returning Star Plan has been smooth. If this were a God who has been dormant for hundreds of years, why were our prior calculations so successful?" "Or are you suggesting we convene the Elder Council again for another joint divination?" "Yorok, given your relationship with Eugenia, are you trying to use this to plead for that traitor?" Duke Yorok''s expression changed instantly. He coldly glared at Maxim and said. "Maxim, watch your words! She is the Holy Maiden of our Nez!" Maxim snorted coldly. He was about to retort but fell silent at the Grand Elder''s calm command. "Silence!" "Grand Elder, this concerns Nez''s future. Please decide!" Yorok bowed to the Grand Elder. The Grand Elder did not immediately reply. He closed his eyes lightly, faint starlight flickering around him as if divining something. The bloodborne elders watched him in silence, their hearts stirred. The Nez Clan excelled in divination. Aside from the traitorous former Holy Maiden Eugenia, the Grand Elder was the highest diviner in the clan. After a moment, the starlight around the Grand Elder faded. He opened his eyes, his crimson gaze deep and distant. "Grand Elder, what is the result?" Maxim asked curiously. The Grand Elder''s gaze swept around the circle, and after a moment of silence, he said. "Notify everyone to dispose of all items with thorn and rose patterns." Maxim''s eyes widened, and Duke Yorok visibly relaxed, letting out a sigh of relief. However, as he started to relax, the Grand Elder stopped him. "Yorok, Castell is crucial to the Returning Star Plan and cannot be abandoned. Since you are in charge of Castell''s affairs, you must bear this responsibility..." He looked at Yorok. "I trust you understand my meaning?" Yorok:... Chapter 217: You understand what I mean, right? Disconnecting from the Elder Council''s projection meeting, Duke Yorok returned to reality.Recalling the Grand Elder''s meaningful gaze, his expression shifted, and he couldn''t help but curse. "These old foxes... every single one of them!" Afterward, he paced around the room before sighing and taking out a smaller communication crystal. The crystal glowed, and a shadowy figure appeared within it. The figure, clad in a mage''s robe, was thin and standing before a magical workstation filled with various bottles and devices. He was busy with some magical research. Sensing the summons, the shadowy figure in the crystal hesitated for a moment. Quickly regaining his composure, he put down his work, approached the crystal, and respectfully bowed to Duke Yorok. "My lord, have you finished the Elder Council meeting?" Seeing the bottles and devices projected from the crystal, Duke Yorok''s face darkened with anger. "Yurst! I should have told you that, as the direct manager of the Returning Star Plan, you need to be more attentive and stop fiddling with these bottles and gadgets!" "The failure of the Lilac War is partly due to people like you who neglect their duties and tinker with nonsense all day! We don''t even clearly understand the betrayal by Red Lilac!" The shadow projected in the crystal was Count Yurst. However, at this moment, the Bloodborne Count lacked any of the authority and presence he had in the Nez clan''s remote meetings, looking instead like a mage obsessed with research. He tried to hide his magical workstation, laughed awkwardly, and coughed. "Uh, my lord, you know, with our long lifespans, boredom is inevitable. Finding hobbies is our way to pass time, just like you enjoy playing chess with the Elf Queen..." Seeing Duke Yorok''s face darken further with his explanation, Yurst quickly stopped and changed the subject. "Um, my lord, we''ve stopped infiltrating Castell. Was your meeting successful? Is there something specific you need me to do?" Duke Yorok took a deep breath and said. "The Grand Elder has ordered that all items related to the thorny rose pattern must be disposed of immediately. However, Castell is a crucial part of the Returning Star Plan and cannot be abandoned." Yurst''s eyes widened. "Dispose of items related to the thorny rose pattern? Does that mean there''s truly a God behind Castell?" "Wait, the Grand Elder said we can''t abandon Castell? Does that mean we should continue infiltrating Castell? But... isn''t there a resurrected God behind Castell? We can''t report to the Holy Court about an Evil God''s resurrection, can we?" Duke Yorok frowned. "What''s the point of reporting? Not to mention whether reporting will be effective against a God who has been dormant under the Holy Court''s nose for centuries, attracting the Holy Court''s attention now would surely lead to the Returning Star Plan''s failure." Yurst respectfully asked. "Then, what do you propose?" Duke Yorok thought for a moment and said. "The Grand Elder stated that Castell is crucial and cannot be abandoned..." "For us, we need Castell to support us during the execution of the Returning Star Plan, to be our ally." "Securing support doesn''t always mean integrating them into our power. Negotiating and forming alliances is also an option!" Yurst''s interest was piqued. We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now "My lord, are you suggesting we make friendly relation with Castell?" Duke Yorok nodded. "I have that thought. However, it depends on the exact situation in Castell." Yurst''s expression became serious. "I understand. I will send word to accelerate the background investigation on the Countess of Castell..." "That''s not enough..." Duke Yorok shook his head and said. "Halting the infiltration has already significantly delayed our plan. Since we''ve decided to change our approach, we need to act quickly." "You mean...?" "I''m considering sending a delegation to Castell, representing our Nez clan, to directly negotiate with the Castell family." Duke Yorok said quietly. Yurst''s eyes widened. "Send a delegation? Direct negotiation?" "But... it''s said that the Countess of Castell is currently investigating the bloodborne in the north, targeting our Nez clan. Sending a delegation now could be..." Duke Yorok interrupted him. "I know there''s a risk, but it also shows our sincerity." Yurst''s eyes lit up and he said. "I understand. I will arrange for a delegation to go and negotiate with the Castell family." Duke Yorok shook his head. "A standard delegation is not enough. To show our sincerity, a count must lead this effort." "Although human counts and our counts are different, sending a count as our representative also shows our respect and sincerity!" Hearing this, Yurst instinctively looked at Duke Yorok, who also looked at him. "Yurst, you are the direct manager of the Returning Star Plan. No one understands its details better than you." "I think you understand what I mean, right?" Count Yurst:... S~?a??h the N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ... The traces of the Blood Demon Cult added an element of uncertainty to Charlotte''s investigation plan. However, apart from the attack on Sebastian, no more Blood Demon cultists appeared in Castell in the following period. Even the black dragon seemed to have vanished. Viscount Leon-Castell''s investigation in the southern part of the Castell County also proceeded smoothly. Despite inevitable opposition from local nobles, the strong support of the Castell family left the small and medium nobles with no choice but to comply. Staying in the capital Northport, Charlotte received almost daily reports on the progress from the old viscount. To her surprise, the Nez clan had indeed completely withdrawn. The old viscount''s success was partly due to this withdrawal. The abandonment by the bloodborne left those scheming nobles with no choice but to accept the new lord''s scrutiny. Meanwhile, a Carrack ship from the Starfall Kingdom, carrying a delegation led by the Nez'' Count Yurst, sailed into Northport''s harbor. Chapter 218: You are under arrest! Count Yurst couldn''t remember how many years it had been since he last visited Northport.Fifty years? A hundred? Or even two hundred? As a traditional bloodborne, Yurst rarely left his castle. The last time he had to move was after the defeat in the Lilac War, forcing him to retreat from the capital of Starfall, Beron, to the countryside. Looking at the bustling, almost congested port in front of him, and the sprawling waterfront buildings, even though he was prepared, this Bloodborne Count couldn''t help but marvel. "They say Castell is the wealthiest territory in the North. Seeing it today, it truly lives up to its reputation!" "No wonder the Elder Council is reluctant to give up Castell. Such a prosperous place is rare even in Starfall..." Waging war requires substantial funds. Although bloodbornes, with their long lifespans and hoarding lifestyle, usually never lack money, many of the Nez clan''s assets were squandered in the Lilac War. The Elder Council indeed had reasons not to abandon Castell. Over the years, just by infiltrating Castell''s silver mines indirectly, the Nez clan had amassed considerable wealth and forged numerous enchanted equipment. Count Yurst believed that if they could fully control Castell, the chances of reclaiming control over the Starfall Kingdom would significantly increase. Thinking of this, Yurst felt a headache and nervousness. An unknown God had appeared behind Castell, disrupting all of the Nez clan''s plans and nearly erasing any possibility of controlling the North. To be honest, as one of the leaders of the Returning Star Plan, he really didn''t want to come to Northport at this critical juncture to face an unknown God. But the bloodborne hierarchy is strict. A higher rank means absolute power. As a subordinate to Duke Yorok, he had no choice but to face it head-on. "My lord, we need to prepare to go ashore." The captain''s respectful voice brought Yurst out of his thoughts. Unlike Count Yurst, the captain of this Carrack ship was not a Nez bloodborne but a retainer from their outer circle. Yurst nodded, suppressing his unease, and said sternly. "Prepare the landing boats." The Carrack ship had a deep draft, and with Northport''s busy, crowded port, it could only anchor in the bay. Those disembarking had to take small boats ashore. Because of the presence of the Holy Court, the bloodbornes'' identities couldn''t be openly displayed. Officially, they were a noble merchant caravan from the Starfall Kingdom. Count Yurst ordered his accompanying bloodbornes to display the merchant caravan''s banner and rowed towards the dock. The dock was even more bustling, filled with countless people, carts, merchant caravans, mercenaries, sailors... a constant throng. Yurst''s group didn''t attract much attention. After discreetly registering their identities at the dock''s office, they were led directly to the Nez clan''s underground base in Northport, a tavern on Seaside Street. "My lord, welcome to Northport. It must have been a hard journey." The tavern owner, having received the news in advance, greeted Count Yurst respectfully. "Prepare three suitable carriages for us. We will visit Count Castell''s estate tonight." "Remember, the carriages should be dignified and solemn, but not too dreary. They should be low-key yet not overly simple." Count Yurst casually commanded. As a bloodborne, he always had high standards for travel conditions, and this visit to the lord of the North made him even more particular. We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now "Understood, my lord. Please rest for a while. I will make the arrangements." The tavern owner replied respectfully. Noticing the owner''s haggard appearance and the empty tavern, Count Yurst felt a pang of concern and frowned slightly. "Is there no one else left at our clan''s base?" The tavern owner forced a bitter smile. "My lord, since Countess Castell began investigating the bloodbornes in her territory, our people have either fled or been captured. Now, it''s just me here." Count Yurst was surprised. "Castell''s actions were that swift?" The tavern owner sighed. "Yes, Countess Castell''s control over the territory is much stronger than we anticipated. Especially since... she seems to have special means to identify our people. Many of our members were captured by the city guards before they could escape." Count Yurst paused. He couldn''t help but glance at the tavern owner again and suddenly asked. "You mean to say that aside from this last base and you, all the other organizations the clan has secretly established in Northport over the years have been wiped out? Even those not involved in infiltrating Castell?" "Yes, they''ve all been uprooted. Even the local nobles involved lost their titles and had their properties confiscated. Really, don''t be fooled by Countess Castell''s young age and gender; her methods are swift, accurate, and ruthless..." The tavern owner lamented. Count Yurst fell silent, his brow furrowing deeply. Seeing the Count deep in thought, the tavern owner hesitated and asked. "My lord, what''s the matter?" Count Yurst glanced at the tavern''s entrance and suddenly said. "I''m wondering... if Countess Castell really has special means to investigate your identities, why hasn''t this place been targeted?" Hearing this, the tavern owner was stunned. The next second, with a loud crash, heavily armed city guards, led by an extraordinary knight, burst in, quickly surrounding and apprehending the Nez bloodbornes in the tavern. "Don''t move! We''re the Northport Guard. Based on our investigation, we have reason to suspect you''re involved with the Starfall bloodbornes. You''re under arrest!" Seeing the armored guards flood in, the tavern owner was panicked, while the Nez bloodbornes accompanying Count Yurst stood up, alert. Only Yurst himself remained calm, seemingly expecting the Northport Guard''s arrival. He took a sip of the mead the tavern owner had served him and then looked at the surrounding guards, speaking calmly. "I am Yurst, Yurst Nez." "I am here on behalf of the Nez clan to speak with Countess Castell." Hearing Count Yurst''s words, the guards exchanged glances. The leading knight snorted and said. "Nez or not, I''ve never heard of you. You can''t just meet the Countess whenever you want." "Everyone, hands on your heads, squat down, and don''t move!" Yurst: ...? S~?a??h the ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 219: The Academys Vision The ethereal hymn was beautiful and dreamlike, the radiant holy light divine and majestic.In the prayer room of Northport Church, Charlotte sat gracefully in a white dress before the statue of the God Harald, hands clasped and eyes closed in prayer. Watching the young countess bathed in holy light, the priests of the Holy Court were visibly moved, drawing the ring cross on their chests and silently praising the divine. A devout Lord often meant the strengthening of faith, which was especially important for the church in the increasingly declining North. If anyone in Northport City was most hopeful and loyal to this young countess, it was undoubtedly these priests. To them, the holy light surrounding the girl was dazzling and almost indistinguishable from the legendary saintess. Moreover, given the recent rumors in the North and Charlotte''s recent crackdown on the bloodborne forces, the priests saw her as a devout and steadfast missionary, a "saintess" destined to save the Northern Church... After a long while, the radiance faded, and the hymn slowly ceased. S?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte gently opened her eyes, a flicker of light flashing in the depths of her pupils, her expression revealing a trace of satisfied joy. To the watching priests, this overflowing joy confirmed her piety and fervor, and their gazes upon Charlotte grew even more fervent. "Praise the divine!" Charlotte extended her right hand and drew a standard ring cross on her chest, then gratefully nodded toward the statue. "Praise the divine!" The priests, visibly excited, followed Charlotte''s lead, bowing in unison and with devout voices. Only Lottie, the acting priest of Northport Church, averted her gaze unnaturally, looking at the other priests with a hint of sympathy in her eyes. Daily prayers had become Charlotte''s routine to replenish her blood divine power through the strength of the holy light. Though each session provided only a small amount, it was a steady and long-term source of divine power. Her gratitude to the great God Harald... It was entirely sincere. After the prayer, Charlotte rose with the help of Sherry, while the priests gathered around her. Looking at the priests, Charlotte smiled and said. "Sirs, have you considered my previous proposal?" The priests exchanged glances and respectfully replied. "My lady, we believe you are right. The North is unlike other places, and we know spreading the faith of the God here is extremely difficult. It must be done gradually..." "Indeed, the church has long lost its foundation in Castell. Furthermore, the North is full of non-believers and pagans hostile to the church. Using harsh methods to spread our Lord''s Light might not be a good idea." "We agree with your suggestion of a gentle approach. If we can truly let them experience the Church''s light and goodwill, they will eventually be moved and converted..." Seeing the unanimous agreement among the priests, Charlotte smiled radiantly and said warmly. "Then I must rely on you all. Reopening the church school will be the first attempt. The Castell family will fund the church school." "However, given the public''s perception of the church, I suggest renaming the reopened church school to ''Northland Academy.'' What do you think?" "This..." The priests looked at each other, but considering the church''s current predicament in Castell, they eventually nodded in agreement. "Everything... will be as you command." Charlotte''s smile grew even warmer. We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now "Then I will need your continued support. No one is more suited to teaching general and etiquette courses than you, esteemed priests. Once the school reopens, you will all be very busy." "Praise the divine, it is our duty! And being instructors will make it easier to guide young souls!" The priests replied solemnly. After a discussion, Charlotte assigned each remaining priest to teach at the soon-to-be-reopened "Northland Academy." As the priests left, they were full of hope for the future. Watching their departing figures, Charlotte smiled. Turning to the silent priest Lottie, she asked leisurely. "Lottie, what do you think of my handling of this?" Lottie, with a peculiar expression, sighed. "As expected of you... effortlessly diverting all the priests'' attention and turning them into useful labor." "General and etiquette courses are always the most boring and busiest subjects. Once they become teachers, they won''t have the energy to preach..." "Moreover, reopening the church school has been a wish of many northern priests. However... judging by your attitude, whether it will ultimately be a ''Church Academy'' or ''Castell''s Academy'' is uncertain." Listening to Lottie''s response, Charlotte smiled without denying it. After the crackdown began, she had been considering what else she could do. Believing in the principle that "education is the foundation of a century''s plan," she thought it crucial to focus on education for long-term stability and faith propagation. This was also part of her plan to consolidate her rule and spread faith in the future. "You are correct. I do plan to extend this further. In the future, I want to bring all noble offspring in the territory to the academy for education." Charlotte said. Lottie hesitated. "This... might be difficult. Nobles have their own traditions and private tutors. Except for those aspiring to be noble priests, few attend church schools." Charlotte laughed. "It''s just a thought. The road ahead is long. For now, it''s about giving the northern priests something to do." "Whoever controls education controls the power of thought. If we want to make the North impregnable, this aspect must be strengthened." Lottie''s heart stirred. "Lady Charlotte, are you planning to start preaching?" Charlotte thought for a moment and said. "Consider it a precaution." After discussing the specifics of reopening the long-closed "Church Academy" with Lottie, Charlotte, having harvested today''s divine power, returned to the count''s mansion. However, as she stepped down from the carriage, she saw the captain of the Northport City Guard hurriedly approaching with the mansion steward. "My lady, the City Guard has urgent news to report!" Saying this, the captain handed over a hastily written parchment scroll. Maid Sherry took the scroll and handed it to Charlotte. As Charlotte read it, her expression changed to one of surprise. "The Nez clan? A delegation?" Chapter 220: Nezs Chips The underground base of the Nez clan in Northport was located in a tavern on the outskirts.Count Yurst sat quietly at the bar, relaxed, sipping honey wine from Luna Island. Beside him, other Nez bloodborne members from the Starfall Kingdom, who were also part of the delegation, stood armed and wary, watching the surrounding guards who had encircled them. The tavern was in disarray, a chaotic area centered around the Nez delegation, indicating a recent fight, though no blood was visible. Further away, heavily armed Castell guards, led by extraordinary knights, surrounded the tavern in multiple layers, even sealing off the entire street. Inside and outside the tavern, the atmosphere was tense. All the guards gripped their weapons tightly, their gazes heavy and alert as they stared at the bloodbornes in the center. "No need to be so tense. We come in peace and do not wish to conflict with Castell." Yurst said as gently as he could, observing the mortal guards, who were more anxious than his own bloodborne. He was genuinely trying to be as gentle as possible. Bloodbornes, including those from Nez, were inherently arrogant. Their disdain for mortals surpassed even that of elves. Sitting here calmly and talking with ordinary guards was almost miraculous for traditional bloodbornes. However, no matter how gentle or friendly his attitude, as a representative of the Nez clan and a Bloodborne Count with considerable power, Yurst couldn''t simply let mortals capture them. This was about the dignity and honor of the Nez clan. This tense standoff arose from such circumstances. Nonetheless, Yurst had been careful not to harm any Castell Guards attempting to capture them. Only the tavern owner looked dejected at the wrecked state of his tavern, wondering how much it would cost to repair it. But he quickly realized that whether the tavern would still be there or if he would even remain in the North after today was uncertain. Thinking about repair costs now was meaningless. The atmosphere in the tavern was oppressive and heavy. Except for the exceptionally strong Yurst, everyone else was quite nervous. Especially as time passed and more Castell guards and extraordinary individuals were summoned, the Nez bloodborne members glanced more frequently at their count. Eventually, when the city guards began bringing over the giant magic crystal cannons enchanted by Legendary mages from the coastal defense, even Yurst grew uneasy. He set down his empty cup, his eye twitching as he glanced at the formidable weapons that had easily shredded the Starfall Kingdom''s vanguard fleet during the Star-Moon War. Clearing his throat, he said a bit unnaturally. "We come with no ill intentions, merely representing the Nez clan to speak with the Countess of Castell." The Castell guards exchanged looks until finally, an extraordinary knight stepped forward cautiously and said. "The captain has gone to report to the countess. Until we receive orders, do not move!" Do not move? If we keep waiting, will you bring all the magic crystal cannons in Northport? Yurst cursed silently, feeling helpless. Though he was a powerful count, and these heavy magic crystal cannons would find it difficult to kill him directly, it was different for the other bloodbornes. Even for him, at such close range and with so many cannons, he would be injured if not killed. This is absurd! Are the humans of the Crescent Kingdom so hostile to bloodbornes? It''s all the fault of those madmen in the Blood Demon Cult! Yurst cursed his fellow cultists internally, forgetting for a moment that Castell''s hostility toward bloodbornes began with their own infiltration and the count''s orders. As Yurst contemplated whether to use a teleportation scroll to retreat, a series of urgent hoofbeats sounded outside the tavern. Yurst looked out to see a dusty messenger dismount and rush towards the extraordinary knight commanding the Castell guards. "Captain Chatham! Captain Chatham! Orders from the countess! Escort the Nez envoys to the count''s estate!" The messenger pulled out a parchment from his chest and handed it over. The knight took the parchment, read the order with its distinctive signature, and nodded slightly. "It is indeed the countess'' command." He then gestured for the soldiers to lower their weapons and bowed slightly to Yurst. "Envoys from the Starfall Kingdom, the count will see you now." He then signaled the soldiers to clear a path. Yurst breathed a sigh of relief, putting away the teleportation scroll he had almost used. He gave a signal to his fellow bloodbornes and then stood up, heading outside. "Wait, though the countess will see you, only the leader may proceed." Captain Chatham stopped the other vampires from following Yurst. The bloodbornes glared at him, but after a moment''s hesitation, Yurst said to them. "Wait here. I''ll go alone." They needed the conversation, not Castell. Despite Castell''s tough stance, they were the ones seeking something. Escorted by soldiers, Count Yurst boarded a carriage bound for the count''s estate. The estate was also heavily guarded. As Yurst alighted, he saw armored knights even more elite than the city guards. Amidst layers of security, he finally entered the Castell mansion. The Castell family was indeed wealthy and prestigious. Even Yurst, with his thousand-year-old picky taste, found the architecture and decor of the northern count''s mansion to be understated, luxurious, and elegant. The servants and male attendants in the mansion were well-trained and impeccably polite, comparable to his own blood servants. Comparing this to his current rural castle, Yurst felt his temporary residence seemed quite shabby. His old castle was splendid, but it had been confiscated by the Roman royal family after the defeat in the Lilac War. Sighing inwardly, Yurst lamented the Nez clan''s thousand-year heritage, largely squandered in that war. If they couldn''t regain their territory through the Returning Star Plan, endless hardships lay ahead. Following the attendants and guards, Count Yurst arrived at the mansion''s reception hall. "Count Yurst, please wait here. The count will arrive shortly." The attendant said respectfully. Yurst nodded lightly and sat gracefully in the reception hall. No sooner had he sat than a young, beautiful maid entered with a tray of wine, pouring him a glass of guest wine. After pouring the wine, the maid didn''t leave. Instead, she curiously observed him and couldn''t help asking. "Are you Count Yurst of the Nez clan?" Hmm? Count Yurst paused slightly as he picked up his wine glass. He instinctively looked at the maid but quickly froze because he sensed a familiar aura from her. It was the aura of a bloodborne! She was... a bloodborne! Moreover, she gave him a strong sense of affinity, indicating she was likely a pureblood, at least a fifth-generation, possibly even fourth-generation! What''s going on? Wasn''t Countess Castell purging the bloodbornes from her territory? How could there be a bloodborne working openly as a maid in her estate? "You know me? Which clan do you belong to? What''s your name?" Count Yurst asked calmly. The young maid seemed excited and opened her mouth to say something, but a light cough came from the door. "Ahem, Miss, the Countess will be here soon." Miss? Count Yurst''s heart stirred. We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now He looked toward the door and saw that the speaker was a Castell guard. However, when he sensed the guard''s aura, he was stunned again. It was because the other party was also a bloodborne! Although not as pure as the maid, the guard was likely also a fifth-generation bloodborne! What is this? Are bloodbornes now freely working as servants in the Castell estate? Wasn''t the young Countess Castell supposed to despise bloodbornes because of her grandmother? And... they seem to know me? Count Yurst was deeply puzzled. However, there was one thing he seemed to be certain of. That was, the Countess of Castell might not be as hostile to bloodbornes as those lower-level bloodbornes had investigated. This suddenly gave him a glimmer of hope. Could it be... that the Nez clan might actually be able to negotiate with the ruler of the Northlands? "Agnes, what are you doing here?" A clear, melodious female voice came from the doorway, immediately drawing Count Yurst''s attention. He looked over and saw a petite, beautiful noblewoman appearing at the door, accompanied by respectful maids and guards. She was indeed a very beautiful young lady. Even with Count Yurst''s two thousand years of experience, her appearance could be considered among the best he had seen, including those proud elves. Her smooth blonde hair fell naturally, and her pure blue eyes were like exquisite gemstones. Her delicate features and fair skin were as if carved from jade. Charlotte de Castell! Count Yurst instantly realized her identity. Only the girl reputed to be the most beautiful in the Crescent Kingdom could have such looks. However... she looked even younger than he imagined, more like a thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl rather than a sixteen-year-old. Seeing the girl at the door, the maid shrank back guiltily. She hurriedly moved away from Count Yurst, stammering. "Nothing... nothing... I was just curious..." "Curious? Did you finish weeding the garden?" The girl glanced at her with a faint smile. The maid became even more nervous. "Weeding! I''ll get right to it! I''m very efficient!" With that, she scurried out in a hurry. Watching the bloodborne maid''s disappearing figure, Count Yurst''s heart stirred. That bloodborne seemed to fear this young Countess? No... that look wasn''t just fear, it seemed to have a bit of something else. To be precise, it looked more like reverence? S?a??h the N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Count Yurst couldn''t help but look at the girl. The girl likely had something concealing her aura, he couldn''t immediately sense her power. However, from the initial investigation, the Countess of Castell should only be an extraordinary at the Starry Sky tier. Count Yurst sized up the girl while she sized him up as well. "Are you Count Yurst of the Nez clan?" She asked softly. Count Yurst withdrew his gaze and stood up to greet her. "Indeed, I am Yurst Nez, representing the Nez clan." The girl nodded. "I am Charlotte de Castell." Then, she instructed the maid and guard behind her. "You all may leave." The guards hesitated but respectfully saluted and left. The girl gracefully entered the reception room and sat opposite Count Yurst. Seeing her composed demeanor, Count Yurst was moved. As a Bloodborne Count, most human nobles he encountered would instinctively fear him, not just due to his status but also because of the disparity in power. However, this girl was so calm. Moreover, she dared to meet him alone, indicating she wasn''t afraid of his strength. Considering the experiences of Count Lachlan and Duke Yorok''s attitude, he increasingly believed there must be experts protecting this young lord of Castell! With this thought, Count Yurst became more cautious. He hadn''t sensed any other auras, if there were indeed experts, their power must far surpass his! Was it... the unknown divine agent? Or perhaps, the unknown God THEMSELF? Taking a deep breath, Count Yurst put away his increasingly outlandish thoughts. He took out a scroll from his robe, held it with both hands and placed it before Charlotte. "Honorable Countess of Castell, I am here on behalf of the Nez clan to seek reconciliation with Castell." Charlotte glanced at the scroll on the table but didn''t open it immediately. Instead, she smiled and said. "Reconciliation? Count Yurst, the Nez clan has severely damaged Castell''s interests over the years. If you truly seek reconciliation, shouldn''t you offer an explanation first?" Count Yurst nodded slightly and said. "You are right. However, we come with sincerity. This scroll contains records of all the Northern nobles who have cooperated with the Nez clan over the years. This... is one of our tokens of sincerity." "I believe... with it, you will understand our genuine determination for reconciliation, as it means we will completely lose the trust of all Northern nobles." "Moreover, we will offer some precious books and extraordinary knowledge as compensation to make up for the disadvantages caused to Castell over these years." Hearing Count Yurst''s words, Charlotte was somewhat surprised. She thoughtfully glanced at him and suddenly laughed. "Count Yurst, you came to the Northern Port not just for reconciliation, did you?" Count Yurst nodded. "Of course, besides reconciliation, I also represent the Nez clan in seeking cooperation." "Cooperation? Are you trying to persuade me to support the Nez clan in reclaiming authority in the Starfall Kingdom in the future?" Charlotte smiled faintly. Count Yurst looked surprised, then nodded and sighed. "Your intelligence is even faster than I imagined. Indeed, we wish to cooperate in this regard." Charlotte shook her head. "Sorry, I am not interested in getting involved in the power struggles of the Starfall Kingdom." "Countess Castell, wouldn''t you at least hear our terms first?" Count Yurst said. "Oh? Terms?" Charlotte raised an eyebrow. Count Yurst nodded and said meaningfully. "Countess Castell..." "I wonder if you are interested in acquiring a duke''s title and a territory as wealthy as Castell?" Chapter 221: Proposal "Oh? A duchy title and a large piece of land comparable to Castell? Let me guess, you''re referring to the territory of the Starfall Kingdom, correct?" Charlotte chuckled lightly and asked in return. Count Yurst nodded. "Naturally, it is the Starfall territory. As you can see, once the Nez Clan regains its former power, fulfilling the promise of exchanging land will naturally be a matter of course." Charlotte laughed. "But the control of the Starfall Kingdom is not in the hands of the Nez Clan right now, is it? And I have heard that even before the Lilac War, the Nez Clan was only relatively influential in the Starfall Kingdom. Even if you regain your former status, so what?" "How can you make me believe that the Nez Clan will have the power to control the Starfall Kingdom in the future? Not to mention, to gain this so-called land, wouldn''t I need to contribute manpower, resources, and fully support the Nez Clan''s war efforts?" "Using a future promise of land to gain my support¡ªhow is that any different from me personally conquering a piece of land myself?" Count Yurst''s expression grew serious as he replied. "Naturally, it is different. Over the years, Edward III''s tyranny has caused the Starfall royal family to lose the people''s support. Once we initiate the war, it will inevitably be a war of succession, and the new king of the Starfall Kingdom will naturally be someone from the Nez Clan." "By then, we will naturally grant you the land as the royal family of the Starfall Kingdom. All you need to do is provide some support during the war, which should not be particularly difficult for the wealthy Castell." "Moreover, to be honest, we have already gained considerable support among the nobles of the Starfall Kingdom. Once the war begins, the majority of the nobles will stand with us." Charlotte shook her head. "Count Yurst, there is no need for such words. If your side was truly confident in winning the war, why would you seek others'' support?" "I understand that you want to become the behind-the-scenes power in the Starfall Kingdom, like the Vadallat Clan in the Coria Kingdom. But I think you may have misunderstood one thing..." "The Vadallat Clan has always controlled Coria Kingdom and contended with the Holy Court, repeatedly driving the theocratic forces out of Coria. But the Nez Clan... lost its power right after the Lilac War." "You are not only facing the Starfall royal family but also the Holy Court that supports them. This is your greatest enemy." "And I have no interest in waging war against the Holy Court. After all, I am a devout follower of the Holy Court." Count Yurst: ... He glanced at Charlotte, who was casually making the sign of the Holy Cross on her chest, and was left speechless, not knowing how to respond. A follower of the Holy Court? If he hadn''t known about Castell''s secrets through the Duke, he might have actually believed her! After learning about the Thorny Rose and seeing the bloodborne servants in the count''s mansion, who would believe she was a follower of the Holy Court! "Countess Castell, regarding the Holy Court, I think you needn''t worry too much. We do not intend for bloodbornes to come to the forefront but to support a new king." "For the Starfall Kingdom, this remains a civil war, not a war of faith. And in secular wars, the Holy Court cannot directly intervene." "We won''t repeat the mistakes of the first Lilac War. Not to mention, don''t you want to know where the land we promise is?" Count Yurst said. Charlotte shook her head. "Sorry, Count Yurst, to be honest, I''m not interested in gaining an enclave, especially one that is far overseas and possibly much larger than Castell." "The duchy title is indeed tempting, but I have yet to fully control my own territory, let alone have the ambition to take on more." "Moreover, if I become a duke of the Starfall, would I be considered a noble of the Starfall or a noble of the Crescent?" "The legal standing of a duchy is higher than that of a county, and I do not wish to become a target of contention for both nations. Although the Star-Moon War has ended, territorial disputes between the two nations remain unresolved." Count Yurst smiled. "Countess Castell, you misunderstand. In fact, we are not promising an enclave." "Hmm?" Charlotte paused slightly. The Starfall Kingdom is an island nation, isolated overseas. If the Nez Clan isn''t promising an enclave on Starfall Island, then the remaining territory can only be one place. That is the mainland part of the Starfall Kingdom, the birthplace of the Roman family, and currently the most disputed territory between the Starfall Kingdom and the Crescent Kingdom¡ªthe Roman Duchy. Thinking of this, Charlotte looked at Count Yurst in surprise. "Count Yurst, are you saying that your offer is the Roman Duchy? You''re going to give away the Roman family''s ancestral land?" Count Yurst nodded. "You are correct, it is the Roman Duchy." "The Roman Duchy is the last piece of Starfall''s land on the mainland and also a neighbor to Castell. If you obtain the Roman Duchy, your land area will increase nearly threefold, and the population will more than double." "Not only that, but although Castell has fertile coastal plains, much of the land has long been unsuitable for crops due to prolonged seawater erosion, leading to limited grain production. As I understand, purchasing grain from other territories is something Castell nobles do every year..." We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now "During the Star-Moon War, Castell experienced several famines. If it weren''t for the war-torn regions surrounding it, Violet and Roman refugees wouldn''t have fled to Castell." "Unlike Castell, the Roman Duchy has vast arable land and is a significant grain-producing area in the northern mainland, and a key region for Castell''s grain trade." "Once you acquire the Roman Duchy, Castell will fill its final gap and become the most powerful force in the northern mainland." "I think... you understand what possessing the Roman Duchy means." "As for the legal conflicts you are concerned about, they won''t be an issue." "The Roman Duchy was once part of the Crescent Kingdom. Even now, the Crescent royal family is eager to reclaim this land. If the Starfall relinquishes it, the Crescent royal family would welcome it. You would remain a duke of the Crescent, with no territorial disputes." "At that point, Castell wouldn''t need to constantly worry about the possibility of renewed war between the two kingdoms, as the most contested territory, the Roman Duchy, would be resolved." "And as the middle ground between the Crescent and Starfall, Castell could monopolize the trade across the Star-Moon Strait..." "Countess Castell, no land in the north is more attractive than the Roman Duchy. Five hundred years ago, before the Roman royal family ruled the Starfall Kingdom, your ancestors fought the Roman dukes multiple times for border territory. I believe... the Castell family is very aware of the Roman Duchy''s significance." "Countess Castell, now... do you think our offer is sufficient?" Count Yurst asked with a smile. Charlotte fell silent. She had to admit, she was indeed tempted. It wasn''t that Charlotte was an expansionist, but the issues of Castell¡ªlack of grain, being in a strategically dangerous position¡ªwere facts she had studied in the manor''s study before arriving. These were real problems. Ordinarily, Castell could buy grain from nearby territories, but during wartime, it was another story. S?a??h th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The Roman Duchy had the grain that Castell lacked. Moreover, the industries of the Roman Duchy and Castell complemented each other. If Castell acquired the Roman Duchy, it would significantly strengthen the north. Moreover, Charlotte knew that the Roman Duchy was populated by the descendants of northern tribes, who had migrated there. Although they had culturally integrated with the Crescent people, their faith was similar to Castell''s. Most people there... were not Holy Court believers! According to Charlotte, the Roman Duchy''s population was twice that of Castell, around eight million. In the long run, the Roman Duchy could become a significant source of faith. Additionally, like Castell, the Roman Duchy was located in the northern mainland, far from the Holy Court''s center, separated from the Crescent heartland by the rugged Violet Duchy. If she acquired the Roman Duchy, Charlotte could potentially develop a force that could contend with the Holy Court in the future, like the Coria Kingdom. Picturing the future, Charlotte was tempted. However, she remained calm. Count Yurst''s proposal was indeed attractive, but the timing wasn''t right. Currently, Castell was in a delicate situation. Though it seemed prosperous, it lacked secular protection, faced internal noble ambitions, and external threats. Since the fallout with Borde, Charlotte had received several complaints from Borde nobles, all testing the waters. Had Castell not avoided direct conflict with Borde, she suspected nearby dukes might have already initiated territorial disputes. With internal and external troubles, Charlotte didn''t think Castell could afford to wage an external war. Charlotte guessed the Nez bloodbornes weren''t aware of these issue. Otherwise, they wouldn''t have made such a promise. As for why the Nez Clan suddenly sought to reconcile, Charlotte could guess most of the reasons. The Nez Clan was likely short of funds. Moreover, they probably aimed to use Roman and Castell to cut off Starfall from the mainland. They had foreseen the ''resurrected God'' behind Castell, though they didn''t know it was Charlotte herself, causing them to change strategy, attempting to ally with her instead of infiltrating the north. Additionally, they might want to make Castell a buffer between Starfall and the Crescent, isolating the Holy Court from Starfall Island entirely... The Roman Duchy was attractive, but as the Roman family''s foundation, it was a liability for the Nez Clan. If the Nez Clan intended to retreat to the Starfall Island, it was a burden. This was a transparent plan Charlotte could see. However, the Nez Clan''s urgency suggested they had more pressing reasons beyond regaining power... Their desperation gave Charlotte an idea for addressing Castell''s current challenges and opportunities. "Well, Countess Castell, have you made a decision?" Count Yurst asked. Charlotte gathered her thoughts and looked at him. Her eyes twinkled slightly as she smiled. "Count Yurst, your proposal is indeed tempting, but these are future promises, unpredictable. For Castell, if you want to secure our support... it¡¯s not enough." Chapter 222: Sincerity "Oh? Not enough? Then could you tell me what kind of conditions would secure Castell''s support?"Count Yurst frowned and asked. Charlotte paused for a moment and said. "Count Yurst, to be honest, your offer is indeed enough to make me agree. But unfortunately... considering the Nez Clan''s past transgressions in Castell, I find it hard to trust you." "Handing over information on all the nobles you''ve collaborated with is certainly a show of sincerity. But then again, without the Nez Clan''s interference, the relationship between the Castell family and the local nobles wouldn''t be as delicate as it is now..." "As for your claim of ''losing the trust of northern nobles,'' nobles rarely trust each other in the first place. It''s mostly about interests. As long as the stakes are high enough, some will take risks. That doesn''t prove much." "What you''ve already offered is not enough to make up for Castell''s losses, and your promises are intangible, lacking a foundation for mutual trust." Hearing this, Count Yurst''s brow relaxed, and he smiled. "You don''t need to worry about that, Countess Castell. Since we are here, we naturally come with sincere intentions. If you have doubts, we can sign a contract." Charlotte shook her head. "Words alone cannot truly earn trust, and as for contracts... any contract can have loopholes. Rather than promises, I prefer to see action." "Oh? Countess Castell, what kind of action would you like to see?" Count Yurst asked. Charlotte paused slightly and said. "Count Yurst, thanks to your side, the internal situation in Castell is unstable. To be frank, perhaps thinking that Castell is temporarily unable to focus, some annoying characters around the north have been secretly causing trouble recently." "Although they are just minor annoyances, they are still troublesome. If your side truly has sincerity, why not show me your strength first?" Count Yurst raised his eyebrows. "You mean the local lords near Castell? You want us, the Nez Clan, to intimidate them?" Charlotte smiled. "Since your side plans to overthrow the Starfall royal authority, you should be capable of intimidating a few Crescent lords, right? As far as I know, your forces in the Crescent Kingdom are not limited to just Castell." "If you can forsake the local nobles around Castell after abandoning Castell''s nobles, then I can truly believe that you are showing goodwill toward us." Count Yurst looked surprised. "You know quite a lot." Charlotte remained silent but smiled. Of course, she knew a lot. After all, she had observed a remote meeting of the Nez Clan, where most of the participating bloodbornes were involved in underground activities in the Crescent Kingdom and its surroundings. Not only Castell but many nearby lords and nobles were also targets of their efforts. Castell just seemed to be the most important one. After a moment of thought, Count Yurst decisively nodded. "No problem. Since you want to see sincerity, we will show sincerity. I can assure you that in the upcoming period, the lords around you should have no energy to harass Castell." Hmm...? So straightforward? Looking at Count Yurst, who agreed so readily, Charlotte was a bit surprised. Noticing her expression, Count Yurst smiled. "Don''t be surprised. Compared to Castell, our attempts to woo the surrounding nobles were incidental." "If we can gain your support, even giving up the support of other Crescent nobles is worth it." "But..." Count Yurst''s expression gradually turned serious, and his crimson eyes looked deeply at Charlotte. "I hope you understand that our willingness to extend an olive branch and use the Roman Duchy as a bargaining chip is not just to show goodwill to Castell but also to the one symbolized by the Thorny Roses behind you." Count Yurst emphasized the term "behind you." Charlotte glanced at him with some surprise, not expecting the Bloodborne Count to suddenly bring up their suspicions about the "Thorny Roses." No, it could no longer be called a suspicion. Various signs indicated that the Nez Clan now genuinely believed there was a God behind Castell symbolized by the Thorny Roses. Seeing Charlotte''s surprised expression, Count Yurst smiled. "Countess Castell, don''t be surprised. Our Nez Clan knows more than you might imagine." s?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "Rest assured, we have no intention of interfering or threatening. On the contrary, we prefer peaceful coexistence." "The Roman Duchy represents not just a large piece of territory but also millions of potential followers. I think this would be crucial for any resurrected great being. For us Nez, trading a duchy that we would inevitably give up in the future for the friendship of a great being is a worthwhile deal." "Moreover, deceiving a God that has been awakened in Myria for centuries is a price our Nez Clan is unwilling to bear." "The Holy Court may be powerful, but its core strength is far in Eastern Yunette, while Castell... is our neighbor!" "Countess Castell, with this explanation, do you believe in our sincerity?" "Furthermore, we can promise that if we succeed in taking the Starfall Kingdom, the Nez Clan is willing to provide means and resources to help the God restore THEIR divine power as quickly as possible!" Wow? We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now Means and resources to restore divine power? Charlotte''s eyelids twitched wildly, almost losing her composure. Hmm, this indeed shows a lot of sincerity. Not to mention, the Nez Clan, a force that has existed for thousands of years, even has ways and resources to help a God restore divine power... The other party''s words practically confirmed their belief that there was a "resurrected God" behind Castell. Though Charlotte already knew from the Nez Clan''s remote meeting that they knew many things about her, having them state it outright represented a completely different significance. At this point, Charlotte realized another issue. The Nez Clan wanted more than just Castell''s support, they were also interested in the "God" behind Castell! No, it might not be support but a gesture of goodwill or an investment. Of course, only she knew what the so-called "God" really was. But Charlotte was puzzled about how the Nez Clan knew that the "God" needed ways and resources to restore divine power? And what did they mean by having been awakened for centuries? Looking at the Bloodborne Count in front of her, who acted as if he knew everything, Charlotte couldn''t help but feel he might have misunderstood something. Regardless, a duchy that complemented the northern region, along with means to restore divine power... Charlotte was indeed thoroughly tempted. But she knew she had to stay composed. The other party definitely misunderstood, thinking there was a powerful hidden God behind her. Only she knew she was a fake with a sixty-second cheat. And even the cheat was at a Legendary level, with the status of a God but not the power, enough to bully some bloodline-pressured bloodbornes at best. After some thought, Charlotte said. "Count Yurst, your intelligence network is indeed impressive. However, mortals cannot fathom the thoughts of Gods. I am merely the Lord of Castell and cannot promise you anything." "But... I have seen your sincerity. Now it just needs to be put into practice." Count Yurst nodded and smiled. "That is enough. You will soon see our sincerity. I hope for a pleasant cooperation in the future..." He raised a glass of mead. "Hopefully." Charlotte also smiled slightly and raised a goblet of dairy-based drink. They looked at each other and drank their respective beverages. "Oh, right." Charlotte put down her glass and suddenly said. "Since we have been so open, I think there''s one more thing I should convey." Count Yurst''s expression changed slightly. "Oh? Please go ahead." Charlotte paused and said. "Since you''ve investigated my background, you should know that I do not get along with the Blood Demon Cult..." "The Blood Demon Cult? Rest assured, even though we are both bloodbornes, we actually don''t get along either. In fact, I have always disliked those who act without any bottom line." Count Yurst said instinctively. Charlotte raised an eyebrow. "Oh? But are you aware that when your side was infiltrating my Castell silver mine, there was a shadow of the Blood Demon Cult behind it?" "The shadow of the Blood Demon Cult?" Count Yurst was slightly taken aback. As if realizing something, his expression gradually became serious. He asked. "Are you... certain?" "It seems you didn''t know? I thought your side had already entered into deep cooperation with the Blood Demon Cult! It''s just... your relationship might not be as good as we imagined. At least a few days ago, our people found traces of fighting between your side and the Blood Demon Cult in northern Castell." Charlotte feigned surprise. Count Yurst''s expression grew more serious. He seemed to be thinking of something, his face becoming somewhat suspicious. After a moment, he bowed to Charlotte and said. "Countess Castell, thank you for the information. We will soon show you Nez''s sincerity and look forward to the day we can cooperate with Castell and the great being behind you!" "I will report today''s negotiations to the duke as soon as possible. Please await my good news..." With that, Count Yurst hurriedly left. Watching his serious demeanor, Charlotte felt a stir in her heart. It seems... there might be some conflict between the Blood Demon Cult and the Nez Clan that she wasn''t aware of? Chapter 223: Ambushed Upon leaving the Count''s mansion, the Castell guards no longer troubled Count Yurst.It was only when this Bloodborne Count returned to the wrecked tavern that he finally breathed a sigh of relief and felt more at ease. He couldn¡¯t explain why, but despite not encountering any threats at the Count''s mansion, ever since meeting the Castell Countess, Yurst felt a vague sense of unease and pressure. He couldn¡¯t pinpoint the source of this pressure; he just had a feeling it was likely related to the mysterious God behind Castell. Perhaps¡­ when he was just conversing with the Castell Countess, that mysterious God was secretly observing him! Thinking of this, Count Yurst grew restless again. The mission assigned by the Duke was technically completed. He had indeed stepped into the arena between legends and myths. Now, he only wanted to leave Northport as quickly as possible, report everything back, and then retreat to his castle. ¡°Count, you¡¯re finally back! How did the negotiations go? Can we return to Starfall?¡± Seeing Yurst return unharmed, the tavern owner was extremely excited, nervously and expectantly asking. Clearly, the head of this Nez bloodborne''s underground base was terrified by the recent Castell crackdowns. With the tavern also smashed, he now just wanted to seize this opportunity to escape and get away from the trouble. Count Yurst looked at him strangely. Feeling relaxed, the Bloodborne Count also had a bit of playful impulse. He chuckled and nodded. ¡°The negotiations went very smoothly.¡± Hearing this, the tavern owner''s eyes lit up. But Yurst took a bag of gold tana from his pocket and stuffed it into the owner¡¯s hand, saying, ¡°Fix up the tavern well. Your task is going to be even tougher from now on.¡± ¡°What? Fix the tavern? Aren¡¯t we leaving?¡± Looking at the gold tana in his hand, the tavern owner was confused. Count Yurst grinned. ¡°Yes, we are leaving, but you need to stay here.¡± ¡°We are about to cooperate with Castell and need a liaison. I am too busy to travel frequently between Starfall and Crescent. And you¡­ will act as our representative to communicate with the Countess.¡± With that, Count Yurst took out a communication crystal from his pocket and placed it on the tavern¡¯s bar. ¡°This is a communication crystal that can reach me, and it is temporarily entrusted to you.¡± ¡°Hold onto it well. Such precious magical devices are rare even within the clan.¡± The tavern owner was stunned but eventually accepted the crystal under Yurst''s somewhat oppressive gaze. ¡°Do well, and if you achieve great merits, I will reward you with the Blood of Origin.¡± Count Yurst added. The tavern owner''s eyes lit up, and he eagerly said. ¡°Thank you, Count! I will work hard! I will definitely work hard!¡± It was difficult for bloodbornes to enhance their power. And the Blood of Origin bestowed by a high-ranking bloodborne was the greatest hope for lower-ranking bloodbornes to enhance their power. After reassuring the head of their base in Northport, Count Yurst hurriedly set sail. He needed to report the negotiations with the Castell Countess to the Duke as soon as possible. ¡°The Duke was right, it seems the God behind Castell might be having some trouble restoring THEIR power. Otherwise¡­ that young Countess wouldn¡¯t be so interested in ways to restore divine power!¡± ¡°No wonder THEIR symbol has appeared on the continent for hundreds of years without making a name. It¡¯s probably because THEY has been lurking due to limited strength and only recently accumulated some power¡­¡± ¡°From this perspective, this mysterious God does seem like a suitable partner for Nez. After all¡­ THEY are a deity but doesn¡¯t seem to pose a huge threat yet!¡± On the sailing Carrack ship, Count Yurst was writing furiously on a parchment while muttering to himself. In the cabin, candlelight flickered, and a light blue incense smoke wafted, emitting a refreshing and aromatic scent. He had to admit, the clan¡¯s fleet knew how to enjoy themselves. Even the incense in the cabin was high-grade, invigorating and refreshing. Yurst almost wanted to ask where it was purchased. However, recalling the information the Castell Countess mentioned about the Blood Demon Cult, his interest quickly dissipated, and his brows furrowed again. ¡°The Blood Demon Cult¡­ could Elder Maxim still not have given up on cooperating with them?¡± ¡°They appeared in the North¡­ could it be Elder Maxim¡¯s doing?¡± ¡°No, this matter must also be reported to the Duke immediately!¡± Yurst pondered for a moment, then picked up his quill and resumed writing his report on the parchment with increased speed. Just then, there was a gentle knock on the wooden door of the cabin. "My Lord, it''s time for afternoon tea. Today''s treats are Bloodflower Red Wine from Luna Island and Crescent Almond Cake." Hearing the voice outside the cabin door, Yurst instinctively paused his work. Work was important, but for the elegant and enjoyment-loving bloodborne, so was life. The Nez bloodborne could be driven to countryside castles by mortal nobles, but they would never miss their daily afternoon tea! Unless, of course, they were asleep in their coffins. "Come in." Count Yurst said calmly. The wooden door of the cabin was gently opened, and a young blood descendant entered, carrying a tray. Yurst glanced casually and noticed it was one of the blood descendants escorting the delegation to the North. He couldn¡¯t remember exactly how many generations down this one was, maybe ninth or tenth, with strength approaching the Second Tier Silver Moon, making him a core member of the escort team. "My Lord, please enjoy the refreshments." The blood descendant stammered, appearing somewhat nervous. We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now Seeing this, Yurst chuckled silently. The bloodborne''s hierarchy was strict, and many low-ranking blood descendants acted this way in his presence. As an enlightened member of the clan, Yurst didn''t view the status difference as seriously as some of the more rigid bloodbornes, but he was used to it and felt somewhat resigned. Yurst covered the parchment, nodded lightly, and elegantly picked up the wine glass. However, just as he was about to drink the red wine, he suddenly felt a sense of unease and stopped. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the blood descendant had not left. Moreover, the descendant was staring intently at the red wine in Yurst¡¯s hand, with trembling hands hidden under his sleeves. The heartbeat, like a drum, was as clear as stars in the night to Yurst''s perception. Yurst''s eyebrows furrowed. He inconspicuously sniffed the wine, his expression changing slightly, and his demeanor darkened. With a cold snort, he casually threw the wine glass to the ground, then pointed a finger. The blood descendant was instantly pulled forward by an invisible force. In the cabin, the candlelight flickered as a fierce wind rose. The blood descendant, pale and terrified, was lifted into the air, unable to move. Yurst looked at him calmly, his crimson eyes filled with sarcasm. "Child, did no one tell you that your rapid heartbeat can''t fool a high-ranking bloodborne''s perception?" "Tell me, who ordered you to do this?!" Yurst¡¯s voice boomed, his pressure like thunder. The blood descendant before him, face pale, trembled with fear. Just then, a commotion arose outside the cabin, mingled with exclamations, curses, and screams. The faint scent of blood gradually permeated, reaching Yurst''s nose. Yursts expression shifted. He threw the blood descendant aside, collected the parchment, and left the cabin. On the deck, chaos reigned. When Yurst arrived, he witnessed a brawl. Those who had accompanied him as the delegation were surrounded, under attack from the escorting blood descendants, led by the ship''s captain, a Bloodborne Viscount named Zachary. At that moment, this captain, also of the Nez clan, raised a silver sword and stabbed at a blood descendant loyal to Yurst. Seeing this, Yurst was furious. With a roar, he summoned a shadow tendril that knocked Zachary to the ground. Then, transforming into a cloud of black mist, he appeared before his besieged blood descendants, coldly gazing at the attackers. "Zachary! Have you lost your mind?" "Cough, cough¡­" Captain Zachary stood up, looked at Yurst with a complex expression, then lowered his head and said. "Apologies, my Lord. My master does not wish to see the Castell negotiations succeed, so¡­ we must inconvenience you." Yurst was enraged. "Inconvenience? Inconvenience means raising swords against your kin?!" Red light flared around Yurst, and his oppressive aura surged. However, just then, he felt a sharp pain in his chest, his face paled, and he spat out a mouthful of black blood. His aura became unstable, and he collapsed. Poisoned? When? Yurst was stunned. Seeing his shocked expression, Captain Zachary said gravely. "My Lord, it¡¯s best if you don¡¯t try to use your powers." "Inhaling the scent of the Phantom Death Flower, the more you use your extraordinary abilities, the weaker you become¡­" Hearing this, Yurst''s expression changed. "The scent? The incense¡­! You tampered with the incense?!" Captain Zachary neither confirmed nor denied. S~?a??h the ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "Apologies, Lord Yurst, but you are a Count. To deal with someone of your stature, I had to resort to such dishonorable means." Yurst''s expression was grim. He snorted coldly and said. "Zachary, I don''t know which old fool is behind this, but¡­ if you think poisoning can deal with a Bloodborne Count, you underestimate the power of a Count!" "I will bind all of you and bring you to the Elder Council. You and your backers will face the clan¡¯s punishment!" With that, Yurst roared and forcibly activated his power, summoning a Spiritual Force Field. Just then, a loud dragon''s roar suddenly came from the sky. The dragon''s might, clashing with the Spiritual Force Field, pressed down on Yurst, shattering his force field. A force field is linked to the soul. When it is damaged, so is the soul. Yurst''s face turned white, and he spat out another mouthful of black blood. He staggered, nearly falling, but a blood descendant behind him quickly supported him, helping him stay upright. A massive shadow covered the ship as a majestic black dragon slowly descended. Seeing the figure on the dragon''s back, shrouded in a black robe and wearing a Demon Eye Mask, Yurst¡¯s expression changed. "The Blood Demon Cult!" Chapter 224: The Eternal Slumber of the Gods "Blood Demon Cult! Zachary! You actually defected to the Blood Demon Cult!" Count Yurst exclaimed, both shocked and enraged upon seeing the distinctive mask with the demon''s eye. Captain Zachary averted his gaze uncomfortably and, along with the other crew members, stepped aside to make way. In the sky, the majestic black dragon slowly descended onto the deck, its form shrinking as it did. A Blood Demon Cultist, dressed in black robes, leaped from the dragon''s back and slowly approached the utterly exhausted Count Yurst, looking down at him. With a slightly raspy voice, tinged with amusement, the cultist spoke from behind his mask. "Yurst Nez, one of the fourth-generation bloodbornes of the Nez clan, holding the title of Count." "A confidant of Duke Yorok, one of the ten dukes of the Nez clan, and the direct overseer of the Returning Star plan. However, due to your obsession with magical inscriptions, you often neglect your duties, causing the blood descendants executing the plan to work independently and inefficiently..." As the cultist laid bare his background, Yurst''s face alternated between pale and flushed. He gritted his teeth and shouted angrily. "Curse you, Shedite! Interfering in Nez affairs, are you trying to provoke a war?!" The Blood Demon Cultist chuckled softly and replied. "Provoke a war? Oh, certainly not." "To be more precise, my dear Count, Shedite is also an ally of Nez!" Licking his lips under the mask, his pupils gleamed with a heated intensity. "I''ve never owned a blood servant of a Count¡¯s caliber before. Today¡­ I might just get the chance." With that, the cultist gently raised his right hand, lifting a black staff, and dark red light began to gather on it. Sensing the pressure emanating from the bloodline power, Yurst¡¯s expression shifted slightly. But just as the cultist was about to cast his spell, Captain Zachary stepped forward, positioning himself in front of Yurst. "Envoy, the Duke has ordered that the handling of the conservatives is an internal matter of the Nez bloodbornes. Even if we are collaborating, Shedite cannot interfere, nor can you use the Desecration Staff against Nez!" The Blood Demon Cultist paused, his crimson eyes fixed on Zachary. After a moment, he laughed softly. "Since it is the Duke''s order, I will naturally comply. This Count¡­ will be left to the Duke to try out the new staff." With that, he slowly retracted his staff, looking regretfully at Count Yurst. The¡­ Duke? Yurst was taken aback. A flash of recognition passed through his mind, a familiar figure surfacing. Yurst''s expression changed. He wanted to say something, but the side effects of his damaged spiritual force field made him increasingly dizzy. The hallucinogenic poison in his body also fully erupted as his strength waned. Ultimately, he passed out¡­ --- Yurst did not know how long he had been unconscious. When he woke up, the mental agony had subsided, and the poison in his body had dissipated. Recalling the attack he suffered before passing out, Yurst quickly sat up, only to find himself in a dimly lit room. "You''re awake." An elderly, gentle voice caught Yurst''s attention. He looked up to see an old man in noble robes sitting at a nearby desk, reading a parchment. We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now Shadows obscured the old man''s face, making it difficult for Yurst to see his features. However, he could clearly see the parchment on the desk in the candlelight. It was the very letter he had been writing on the ship! Yurst''s expression tightened, and he quickly reached into his clothes. As expected, his letter, the communication crystal for contacting Duke Yorok, and his storage items containing personal and magical equipment were all gone. "No need to search. I''ve taken your belongings. Of course, if you cooperate, you''ll get them back soon." The old man set down the parchment and spoke calmly. The flickering candlelight revealed his face. Upon seeing the old man¡¯s face, Yurst''s expression changed dramatically. It was none other than Maxim Nez, a more ancient third-generation Bloodborne Duke, and a standing elder of the Nez clan¡¯s Elder Council, who usually didn''t get along with Duke Yorok. "Maxim Elder?! It¡¯s you!" "So you haven¡¯t given up collaborating with the Blood Demon Cult!" "What do you want? Kidnapping me¡­ Do you intend to completely break with Duke Yorok?!" Count Yurst demanded angrily. Elder Maxim glanced at him indifferently and chuckled. "Break? My relationship with Yorok has never been good, so where¡¯s the talk of a break?" "Then why attack me? Collaborating with the Blood Demon Cult to attack your kin, aren¡¯t you afraid of the Grand Elder''s wrath? Ruining Duke Yorok''s negotiation plans with Castell, are you trying to destroy the Returning Star plan?!" Count Yurst continued angrily. Elder Maxim chuckled and said. "Yurst, don¡¯t try to pry information out of me. I¡¯ve been out of the coffin longer than you¡¯ve been asleep, so stop your probing. The Grand Elder¡¯s name doesn¡¯t hold much weight with me." "As for destroying the Returning Star plan¡­ heh, the one who would ruin the plan and the Nez is Yorok. I, on the other hand, am genuinely thinking about Nez¡¯s future." "Hmph, negotiating with Castell. He¡¯s regressing with age, pinning hopes on a so-called ''God'' whose existence is unverified!" Yurst¡¯s eyes widened. "Are you¡­ crazy? All of Duke Yorok¡¯s actions were approved by the Elder Council and guided by the Grand Elder¡¯s divination!" "Are you¡­ questioning the Elder Council and the Grand Elder?!" Elder Maxim gave him a meaningful look and said. "Oh? The Grand Elder¡¯s divination?" "Yurst, let me tell you a secret even your Duke doesn¡¯t know." "Our Grand Elder hasn¡¯t heard the Gods¡¯ voice in nearly five hundred years." "Success and failure both lie with the divine agents. As a divine agent, he has long lost his divination power." The Grand Elder¡­ lost his divination power? No! Wait¡­ the Grand Elder hasn¡¯t heard the Gods¡¯ voice in centuries?! Yurst''s eyes widened. As he pieced things together, his face turned pale. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Seeing his reaction, Elder Maxim said meaningfully. "It seems you¡¯ve realized." "Indeed¡­ the god we serve may have truly fallen into eternal slumber." Chapter 225: Pray to the Gods! "Heh, the Grand Elder and Yorok are truly regressing with age, trying to contact a dubious existence that may not even be a God. It seems the long years have made them forget that divination is not omnipotent. Not all existences have benevolent intentions towards the bloodbornes!""Yurst, a God in eternal slumber cannot protect THEIR followers. The Nez clan must find another path..." "The Day of the Divine Descent is imminent. As one of the first awakened from slumber and a divine Bloodborne God, the Blood Demon Archduke represents the future of Nez!" Elder Maxim''s voice was loud and authoritative. Hearing this, Yurst''s expression changed. "Lord Abaddon? You¡­ you''re not just collaborating with the Blood Demon Archduke! You¡¯ve defected to him!" Elder Maxim gave him a calm look. "Defected? Even if I have, why not?" "You may not have experienced the Age of the War of the Gods, but you witnessed the power of myths during the Royal Blood Era. You should understand that in this world, only those who possess mythical power can control their destiny!" "Extraordinary power comes from the Gods, and all glory belongs to the Gods. Without divine protection, the so-called extraordinary is just water without a source, a tree without roots." "Though you may survive for a time, under the erosion of years, as the bloodline weakens, you will ultimately face destruction and extinction..." Yurst¡¯s eyes widened. "So¡­ you chose the Blood Demon Archduke? Elder Maxim, have you forgotten what a lunatic God he is?!" "Lunatic? So what if HE''s a Lunatic? Yulster, if you had experienced the War of the Gods, you would understand that compared to madness... rational Gods are even more terrifying for mortals." Elder Maxim shook his head slightly. "You''re insane! You must be insane! You want to defect to the Blood Demon Archduke! Do you want Nez to become another Blood Demon Cult, hated by everyone?" "Even if Lord Casey has truly fallen into eternal slumber, even if the Nez clan has lost its divine protector, the future of the Nez clan cannot be entrusted to a hysterical madman!" Yurst shouted angrily. Elder Maxim''s expression darkened. "Yurst, in consideration of our shared blood, I will forgive your offense this time..." He then coldly looked at Yurst. "Now, I give you two choices." "First, submit to me and sign a blood pact, pledging your loyalty. I will not hold your past mistakes against you. On the contrary, I will grant you further potential." "Second, you can refuse. But if you do, don''t blame me for using the Desecration Staff to turn you into a blood slave..." "A blood slave! You intend to turn a blood descendant into a blood slave! You¡­ you madman!" Earl Yulster roared. Elder Maxim gave him a calm look. "Chaos is coming, and all old rules will be broken. Those who cling to outdated norms will ultimately be eliminated by the times..." "Yurst, I admire your expertise in magical inscriptions. After all¡­ you were once an alchemist as famous as the legendary mage Nicholas..." "The era of human rule is ending. Following that fool Yorok will not bring you a better future. Instead of wasting time in your rural castle, pledge your allegiance to me, and I will grant you a better future." "Yurst, I give you three days to consider. After three days¡­ I will return to ask you." "Will you become my follower, or will you become a blood slave, losing all freedom and will!" With that, Elder Maxim turned and left. "Wait! What about my fellow blood descendants!" Yurst shouted. Elder Maxim paused slightly and said calmly. "Rest assured, those who accompanied you on this mission are still alive." "Of course, whether they live or die next depends on your choice..." With that, Elder Maxim said no more, leaving the room and locking the door behind him. Only Yulster was left in the dim room, looking somber. "Bang!" He punched the wall, his already pale face turning ashen. --- Count Yurst had no idea how long he had been imprisoned. In the dark room, he couldn''t perceive the passage of time. Even the candle on the table had been removed. Despite his long life making him insensitive to time, he felt an immense torment at this moment. He didn''t know if Duke Yorok had noticed his disappearance or where his fellow blood descendants were. He hoped the duke would notice his absence. But rationality told him this possibility was almost zero. Three days was an unbearably long time for someone forced to make a decision, but for a Bloodborne Duke waiting for a subordinate''s report, it was just a blink of an eye. We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now Count Yurst knew he had to make a decision. He knew Elder Maxim would never let him leave peacefully. It seemed he had a choice, but in reality, he didn''t. Either betray the duke he followed and desecrate the honor of the bloodborne. Or stay true to himself, but inevitably face the fate of becoming a blood slave under someone else''s control... "This isn''t a choice! No matter what... I will end up as a tool for Elder Maxim to use against the duke and even the Grand Elder!" "The Blood Demon Cult has no bottom line, and the Blood Demon Archduke Abaddon is a paranoid madman. They are not the future of Nez!" "Cooperating with the Blood Demon Cult will only turn the Nez clan into a tool for the Blood Demon Archduke, a stepping stone for HIS descent into the world!" "No wonder the duke said my mission could decide Nez''s future... Elder Maxim, being a senior elder for so many years, has probably recruited many blood descendants!" "No! I must find a way to report everything to the duke! I must warn him! Elder Maxim started using the Desecration Staff of Shedite to create forbidden blood slaves. He''s gone mad and wants to destroy the bloodline foundation that Nez has maintained for thousands of years. He''s going to ruin the entire Nez clan!" The more Count Yurst thought about it, the more anxious and fearful he became. But when he looked around, he felt a wave of despair. He was imprisoned. All his belongings were confiscated. Even his bloodline powers were temporarily sealed. In his current state, how could he contact the duke? Feign submission and look for an opportunity? No, impossible. Elder Maxim would never give him a chance. Once he submitted, the elder would surely force him to sign an unbreakable blood pact. Even if he wasn''t turned into a blood slave, he would lose the ability to resist. Think quickly! Think of a way! Count Yurst couldn''t help but pace around the room. However, this only made him more anxious. At this moment, Count Yurst suddenly felt regret. He regretted returning from Northport so hastily. If he had stayed longer in the North or, more directly, if he had contacted the duke through a communication crystal before leaving the North, he might not be in such a passive position now. He might still have been attacked and captured, but at least he could have relayed the negotiation results with Castell before being imprisoned. He could even foresee that Elder Maxim would blame his disappearance on Castell! Wait... Castell? As if struck by inspiration, Yurst paused. A thought flashed in his mind, and Count Yurst suddenly had a bold idea... "Wait..." "If I can''t contact the duke, then... can I try praying to the Thorny Rose?" This thought startled Yurst himself. Praying to a God he didn''t worship was extremely dangerous, especially when he knew nothing about that God. In fact, praying to an unknown God often went unanswered, and at most, one might attract a fleeting, "polluted" gaze. However, once Yurst had this crazy idea, he couldn''t suppress it. Even though praying to another God was fundamentally similar to Elder Maxim defecting to the Blood Demon Archduke Abaddon... "No... it''s different. Believers are often influenced by their Gods. From my interactions with Countess Castell, that mysterious God doesn''t seem to be a mad God..." "Although I haven''t built mutual trust with Castell, she hasn''t rejected the possibility of cooperation, which must be with God''s consent!" "Moreover, I promised to provide a way to restore divine power!" "From this perspective, that mysterious God is likely to respond to my call!" "Not only that, although the Holy Court has covered it up to some extent, I know that the Blood Demon Cult recently attempted a failed divine descent ritual, and it was that mysterious God who thwarted them!" "The mysterious God behind Castell... is very likely to have an irreconcilable feud with the Blood Demon Cult!" "The enemy of my enemy is my friend, and the Nez clan has what that mysterious God needs!" "Praying to THEM might actually bring THEIR gaze and help!" Thinking this through, Yurst took a deep breath and firmed his resolve. S?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Rather than bowing to the notorious Blood Demon Archduke, he preferred to seek favor from the God behind Castell! Having made up his mind, Yurst no longer hesitated. He bit his fingertip, drawing blood, and began to sketch the mysterious symbol he had seen, illuminated by the dim light... Chapter 226: A Call "Countess, regarding the reconstruction plan for the Northern Academy, the church has sent two documents that require your review and signature.""Additionally, Viscount Leon-Castell has written to inform you that as of yesterday, the review team has successfully completed the inspection of three baronies in the south. Two baron families accused of collaborating with the bloodborne have offered to pay a substantial atonement sum and cede three castles and four estates in exchange for your forgiveness." "The Viscount has attached the letters of confession from the two barons for your review and decision." "¡­¡­" "Countess? Countess¡­?" In the study, where Charlotte was processing administrative matters, the secretary softly called out to the drowsy figure behind the desk. Charlotte snapped awake, shaking off her drowsiness. She glanced wearily at the ever-growing pile of documents on her desk and nodded slightly. "Alright¡­ Leave the documents there. I''ll look at them later." "And about the signatures¡­" The secretary asked cautiously. "Hand them over." Charlotte extended her hand, and the secretary hurriedly presented the documents that needed signatures. After carefully reviewing them to ensure there were no issues, Charlotte picked up a quill pen and, dipping it into the fragrant carbon ink, signed her flamboyant signature. The secretary respectfully withdrew with the signed documents, while Charlotte yawned, revealing dark circles under her eyes, a testament to her fatigue. "Countess, please enjoy some coffee milk and pastries." The head maid, Sherry, brought a steaming beverage and placed it respectfully before Charlotte. The coffee milk was much like the coffee milk from Charlotte''s previous life, made from finely roasted elven coffee and special hot milk from Luna Island. It was a common drink among elves in the world of Myria and had been popular across the continent for thousands of years. The pastries were wheel-shaped puffs filled with nut cream and almond powder, a specialty from the Honey Workshop. S?a??h the N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte picked up the milk coffee, and the rich aroma instantly refreshed her. She took a small sip, the perfect sweetness and rich texture bringing a satisfied nod. Sherry clearly understood her tastes better and better. "Countess, while it''s important to handle affairs, please also take care of your health and ensure sufficient sleep. After all¡­ your body is still growing." Seeing Charlotte happily sipping coffee milk and enjoying pastries, Sherry hesitated but spoke cautiously. Charlotte: ... Although she knew Sherry meant well, the maid''s glance at her head and chest made her feel that the coffee milk suddenly lost its appeal. "Alright, I''ll be careful. Thank you." Charlotte smiled. "If there''s nothing else, please leave. I''d like to enjoy my coffee milk and the view outside alone." Sherry bowed respectfully and withdrew, while Charlotte sighed and rubbed her temples in exhaustion. Since the departure of Count Yurst of the Nez clan, she hadn''t slept well for two days. It wasn''t just the busy workload¡ªthough that was partly true, with Sebastian not around to help and many of the officials in the direct domain dismissed following the audit, she had to handle many matters personally. More importantly, she hadn''t been able to sleep well for two nights. Since the night before last, Charlotte had felt a persistent unease, as if someone was calling her. We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now At first, she thought Sebastian needed to report something, but the blood servant''s soul contract showed no reaction. Then she considered whether it might be the werewolf Luff conducting some religious ceremony or recruiting new members, as he had been devoted to spreading the faith of the True Ancestor since arriving in the North. However, after observing the light points representing her followers in her mental realm, she ruled that out. Charlotte wondered if it was a situation similar to when the High Priest prayed to her. But this call was much weaker than the High Priest''s prayer, making it difficult for her to pinpoint its source. Although faint, the intermittent call was like a mosquito, constantly buzzing in her ear. Especially at night, it became more persistent, even causing her bloodline to stir, making sleep impossible. Fortunately, the call weakened and became less frequent during the day, giving Charlotte hope for a brief rest. However, just as she finished her coffee milk and pastries and planned to take a nap in her chair, the call came again¡­ Not only that, this time it was stronger and clearer than ever. "Damn it! Where is this noise coming from? It''s like a constant, annoying renovation sound!" Hearing the call that seemed to come from both her soul and her bloodline, Charlotte could no longer bear it. She ordered the maid not to let anyone disturb her, locked herself in the study, and sank into her consciousness, directly using the divine power stored in the Gospel of Blood. She didn''t believe she couldn''t find the source of the call with the use of divine power! Under the protection of divine power, Charlotte''s golden hair turned silver, and her blue eyes transformed into mysterious golden pupils. With enhanced perception, she entered an "observer" state that seemed to perceive everything. This time, perhaps due to the stronger call, she finally located its source. To her surprise, the source was the crimson star sea in the depths of her consciousness, representing the bloodbornes! No, more precisely, it was one particularly bright red star among the others! "A bloodborne member? A bloodborne member¡­ is calling me?" Charlotte was astonished. "Wait¡­ this aura feels familiar." She pondered. After a moment of contemplation, Charlotte carefully touched the glowing blood-red sphere in her consciousness. Immediately, she felt her consciousness being pulled, ascending infinitely, as if crossing an endless void, to a dark room. In the room, blackened bloodstains on the floor formed twisted symbols that looked oddly familiar, resembling her Thorny Rose. In the corner, a nobleman with disheveled hair, pale from severe blood loss, sat on the floor, staring blankly at the latest blood symbol in front of him. His gaze was dull but carried a hint of hope. The symbol before him was the most accurate Thorny Rose among the room''s many scrawled symbols¡­ When Charlotte recognized him, she was stunned. "Count Yurst?" Chapter 227: Audience with the "Count Yurst? So he was the one calling me?""Wait¡­ he looks like this, could he be imprisoned?" "Ugh¡­ such ugly symbols. No wonder the call has been so faint. This doesn''t resemble the Thorny Rose at all! It''s even worse than my handwriting. It''s a miracle I could sense it at all..." In the void, Charlotte''s will "observed" Count Yurst, who was praying in front of the blood-red symbol, finally realizing who had been disturbing her sleep these past few days. It seemed this Bloodborne Count had run into some trouble and had chosen to call out to her, a "mysterious God"! "Trouble, huh..." Charlotte''s interest was piqued as she extended her awareness, aided by the blood divine power, from Count Yurst to the surroundings. Soon, she "saw" the scene outside the room. Yawning guards, a maze of corridors, and solemn stone walls... This was a grand and imposing castle. Within the castle, there were many bloodbornes and blood servants. In some rooms, Charlotte even saw familiar Demon Eye symbols. "The Blood Demon Cult? They captured Count Yurst?" Charlotte''s heart skipped a beat. Capturing a Bloodborne Count alive was much harder than defeating or even killing one. Instantly alert, Charlotte spread her consciousness cautiously. To her relief, she didn''t sense any overly powerful presence for now. The guards in the castle weren''t stronger than Count Yurst himself, but it seemed his powers had been sealed, explaining his current state. Of course, the absence of a strong presence was only temporary. If someone could seal a Bloodborne Count''s powers and imprison him, there must be an even stronger¡ªpossibly Legendary¡ªbeing behind it! After some thought, Charlotte''s gaze returned to Count Yurst. She was genuinely curious. As a bloodborne of Nez, if captured by the Blood Demon Cult, he should pray to Nez''s nobility. But why did this Bloodborne Count turn to her? After pondering for a while, Charlotte decided to respond to his call and ask him directly. After all, this was the first time she had been called by a bloodborne. With that in mind, Charlotte increased the output of her blood divine power and began a Blood Summoning through the scarlet star representing Count Yurst in the crimson star sea... ... Count Yurst deeply regretted his actions. He regretted not memorizing the symbol of that mysterious God, only knowing its concept as the Thorny Rose. He had thought such a common pattern was ingrained in his mind, but when it came time to draw it, he realized that "recognizing" and "reproducing" it were completely different. The result was numerous attempts with no response. Yurst didn''t know if it was because his symbols were too off or because he lacked the necessary ritual or altar for resonance, but likely it was both. After all... even mortals praying to an unknown God need the right holy symbol and a series of intricate rituals. "Indeed... relying on imperfect symbols and prayers without a ritual or altar won''t transmit my voice to the God..." Yurst felt despondent. Looking at the symbols covering the floor, he knew his time was running out. The guards and Elder Maxim could appear at any moment, diminishing his hope. However, just as Yurst was sinking into despair, a breeze suddenly stirred in the room... Gradually, the symbols on the floor began to glow and writhe like worms, seemingly coming to life. With his powers sealed, Yurst didn''t notice the breeze or the symbols'' changes. It wasn''t until the crimson light grew brighter that it caught his attention. "Hmm?" Yurst''s heart skipped a beat. He perked up, hurriedly looked at the floor, and saw the last symbol he drew glowing with a crimson hue, while the surrounding symbols moved towards it like swimming fish! As the symbols converged, the central symbol became clearer, its twisted outline turning graceful and smooth, eventually becoming identical to the common decorative pattern of the Thorny Rose! "This¡­ this is¡­ this is the Thorny Rose! The true Thorny Rose!" Seeing the familiar symbol, Count Yurst was elated. S?a??h th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The next moment, radiant light burst from the Thorny Rose. He felt enveloped in a sea of crimson light, a mysterious force pulling him, drawing his consciousness in... It felt like crossing endless voids, a sensation of vertigo and weightlessness overwhelming him. Crimson mist engulfed everything, flooding in like a tidal wave and quickly obscuring his vision. Yurst felt a moment of disorientation. When his consciousness cleared, he found himself standing in a misty world. Next, the crimson mist roiled, and enormous pillars and stone walls rose from the ground, slowly towering amid thunderous noise. Black reliefs appeared on the pillars and stone walls, faintly outlining a vivid and mysterious mural, adorned with intricate and exquisite thorns and roses. Yurst watched the rapidly changing scene around him in shock. When the crimson mist gradually dissipated, he realized he was standing in a majestic and solemn ancient castle, with every decoration perfectly fitting the aesthetics of the bloodborne. Mysterious, strange, yet subtly exuding a sense of holiness and solemnity. "This¡­ this is the Dark Night Castle?!" Seeing the mysterious and solemn architecture around him, Count Yurst couldn''t help but exclaim, almost jumping up. The Dark Night Castle... We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now The highest sanctuary where the Bloodborne True Ancestor summoned HER descendants. Although Yurst had only entered it once in his youth, following the duke, he remembered it deeply. Memories from a thousand years ago began to awaken as Yurst''s eyelids twitched, looking at the familiar decorations around him. But when his gaze fell on the reliefs and murals on the walls, he was quickly puzzled. Because the reliefs and murals did not depict the bloodborne creation legends and the battles of the Gods recorded in the castle where the Bloodborne True Ancestor resided, but stories he had never seen before. Within the crimson mist, there were four distinct reliefs and murals. One depicted an evil yet sacred sacrificial ritual. A girl bound to a cross, a gigantic sacrificial array, evil worshippers screaming in pain, and hundreds of corpses falling backward... Another depicted a solemn submission ceremony. A tall woman sitting on a throne with an indistinct face, a mysterious and majestic thorny rose glowing brightly, and an ardent and longing flame elf kneeling with one knee on the steps below... Another depicted a vast battle. A city under the night, a terrifying demon trying to break free from a seal, a Goddess standing proudly in the sky, and the divine sword in her hand, whose mere sight conveyed supreme power, slashing at the demon... The last one depicted a prayer scene. A thorny rose standing on an altar, a hooded preacher, a fervent werewolf priest seemingly singing the God''s name to his companions, and numerous devout believers listening to the teachings under the holy symbol... No... This couldn''t be the True Ancestor''s Dark Night Castle. The stories depicted here weren''t the same, and he hadn''t heard of them either. Looking at the four relief murals, Yurst calmed down a bit and sighed with relief. The Bloodborne True Ancestor, though a figure of history and legend, still held residual power. Seeing the surroundings had initially scared him more than being captured by Elder Maxim. However... It really looks like it! Yurst''s gaze wandered around, feeling an intense sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. Apart from the reliefs and murals symbolizing the legends of the God, this place indeed resembled the castle of the True Ancestor in his memory! "Have you seen enough, Bloodborne of Nez?" An ethereal and lofty female voice echoed from all directions. Ethereal, mysterious, mature, with a hint of alluring charm. The voice was so enchanting, like a divine melody, and seemed to carry supreme majesty, inspiring awe and reverence. When the voice reached Yurst''s ears, he felt his heart stop for a moment, and his blood seemed to boil as if stirred by the ethereal, mysterious voice. A reverence, from his blood and soul, slowly spread within him... Such powerful mental strength, able to so easily stir my extraordinary bloodline! Yurst''s heart raced, and he quickly diverted his gaze from the reliefs and murals. All extraordinary powers originate from God, and God''s power naturally suppresses mortal extraordinary powers. But to so effortlessly shake his bloodline, besides the long-vanished Bloodborne True Ancestor, the nobles leading the bloodborne clans, and the God-King Harald who once waged war against the bloodborne clans, this was his first time! Yurst''s gaze roamed around, trying to find the source of the voice, and after finding nothing, he knelt down respectfully and said. "Mysterious and mighty majesty! Please forgive Yurst''s rudeness..." He hesitated for a moment, then mustered the courage to say: "Mysterious and mighty majesty, Yurst... wishes to request an audience and beseech your help!" Yurst''s voice echoed through the solemn castle. He lowered his head, anxiously awaiting the God''s response. He knew his request might be presumptuous to an unfamiliar God, especially since he hadn''t prepared an altar or offerings. But now, Yurst couldn''t care about that. Yurst had never felt time pass so slowly while waiting for a response. Every second of silence felt like a year. Silence brought immense pressure, and just as Yurst grew more anxious and tense, the ethereal voice finally rang out again, like a heavenly melody. "Come forward." As soon as the words fell, the castle floor began to tremble, and the crimson mist churned again. Yurst felt a surge of energy and looked up to see the mist parting to the sides, revealing the transforming ground. Stone slabs, seeming alive, rolled and layered, forming a staircase leading straight ahead... After a slight hesitation, Yurst stepped forward and ascended the staircase. At the top of the stairs, he saw a high platform with a majestic and ancient throne surrounded by intricate thorny roses. On the throne sat a woman in a black divine dress, lazily leaning and watching him with interest. Through the mist, Yurst couldn''t see the woman''s face, only her mysterious, radiant red-golden eyes and silky silver hair. Even so, he could feel the woman''s divine and majestic presence, ancient and vast, with an unparalleled beauty that even the mist couldn''t hide. Yurst felt this vague figure seemed familiar. But when he tried to recall, nothing came to mind. After a moment''s hesitation, he even forgot what he was trying to remember, feeling only the Goddess'' mystery and beauty, even with her face concealed... Yurst dared not look any longer, fearing to anger the mysterious Goddess. Taking a deep breath, he respectfully bowed and introduced himself again. "Yurst Nez, fourth-generation bloodborne of Nez, Bloodborne Count, greets the mysterious and mighty majesty..." "May your glory always shine upon the world, and may all honor belong to your throne!" Hearing Yurst''s reverent, almost flattering praise, the "Goddess" on the throne chuckled softly. She shifted her posture slightly, crossing one slender white leg over the other, tapping the armrest of the throne, and smiling faintly. "Bloodborne of Nez, I understand your request. Call me Dark Night." Her mist-covered gaze grew profound, and her voice took on a playful tone. "I always adhere to the principle of equivalent exchange. Since you seek my help, what price are you willing to pay?" Chapter 228: I wont eat you "Dark Night?"Her title is "Dark Night?" Yurst''s eye twitched, and he couldn''t help but widen his eyes in surprise, his mind immediately running wild... He couldn''t help it; the title "Dark Night" was too sensitive for the bloodborne. After all, the Bloodborne True Ancestor who created the Bloodborne was known as the Queen of the Night, and her sanctuary was called "Dark Night Castle!" Given the towering castle around him that closely resembled the style of the Dark Night Castle in his distant memories, it was hard for Yurst not to make the connection... Especially as he got closer to her, he increasingly felt a certain disturbance deep within his bloodline. S?a??h the N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. His power, his blood, seemed to come alive in an instant, as if it had its own life, cheering, celebrating, and... giving him a feeling that it might break free from his control at any moment and rush into her embrace. That was resonance! Blood resonance! Yurst realized almost immediately what was happening, and his heart surged with waves of shock. Wait a minute... This kind of resonance, akin to that of a Bloodborne Prince but even stronger, originates from the bloodline... This kind of power... This kind of feeling... Could she be...?! Yurst''s heart pounded wildly, his breathing quickened, and he couldn''t help but tremble. All these clear signs unmistakably connected this mysterious God before him to that ancient and powerful figure in his memories. Though her aura seemed somewhat different from his ancient memories, and the surrounding scenes differed from his memories of Dark Night Castle, this kind of power, akin to that of a Ruler over the Bloodborne, was not unfamiliar to Yurst, a Bloodborne Count who had lived for thousands of years and had once had the honor of meeting that great being. Such power... could only belong to the True Ancestor! This was the True Ancestor''s power! Such terrifying blood resonance and oppression could only belong to the True Ancestor! Yurst made his judgment almost instantly, and his entire body went numb. His mind went blank, and for a moment, he didn''t know how to respond to her question. His mind was filled with a single, roaring thought. It''s her! It must be her! She''s back! She''s going to settle accounts with her descendants! At this moment, Elder Maxim and the Blood Demon Cult were no longer important in Yurst''s mind. His mind was a storm of thoughts and waves of shock, leaving only one thought. The Myria Continent... Is about to change! Yurst''s face was filled with horror, his complexion pale. And sitting high on the Blood Throne, Charlotte, who could see through his thoughts thanks to the special abilities of Dark Night Castle, felt a bit helpless. She knew that this bloodborne member was likely to recognize the source of her power after being summoned to Dark Night Castle. After all, he was a seasoned bloodborne member, and the power she was using now was the blood divine power. No matter how others perceived her, Charlotte understood that she was not truly a God. Her "divine power" came from the Gospel of Blood. She could use this power, but she couldn''t disguise or change it. In other words, as long as she used the blood divine power, it was only a matter of time before some beings familiar with this power recognized its source. She just didn''t expect to be exposed so quickly, just like when she faced that guy, Sebastian. But after hearing Yurst''s thoughts, she understood: this Bloodborne Count was also an old antique who had lived for thousands of years! He had seen the real True Ancestor! We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now One had to admit... the bloodbornes really lived up to their reputation. As long as they didn''t encounter any accidents, they could survive even longer than elves and dragons! Also, it turned out that Dark Night Castle was the sanctuary of the True Ancestor... It seemed that if she summoned others here in the future, she would have to completely change the environment and refrain from calling herself "Dark Night." Charlotte thought thoughtfully, summarizing the various issues exposed by this Blood Summoning. With the blessing of the blood divine power, her thinking speed was far beyond normal. At this moment, multitasking was not a problem. Of course, her main focus was still on Count Yurst. The chaotic thoughts in his mind revealed one piece of information after another, which piqued her interest, such as the internal strife of the Nez clan, the past of the Bloodborne True Ancestor, and the conflicts between the True Ancestor and the Bloodborne Clan. However, it was clear that Yurst was now terrified by her. She could even sense his thoughts becoming increasingly chaotic and disordered, the information conveyed diminishing, commonly referred to as a "mental blank." Clearly, even after thousands of years, the True Ancestor''s residual might still lingered among the Bloodborne Clan. Even a count could lose composure so dramatically. Charlotte thought for a moment and then smiled faintly. "Blood descendant of Nez, what is your answer?" The ethereal, lazy voice seemed to carry a power that could penetrate the soul, pulling Yurst out of his shock and fear. And with that came even greater fear. Oh, heavens! He... he... He had lost his composure in front of this being! Yurst was shocked, scared, and terrified. He now regretted it to death. If he had known that the being behind Castell was this entity, he would never have dared to pray to her, even if he became a blood slave! Facing Elder Maxim, he would lose his freedom. But facing this being, a single misstep could mean annihilation! Recalling the events of thousands of years ago, he had no doubt that his rudeness would be met with a supreme seal or a terrifying slap that could make a prince spin 1080 degrees in place... Even after thousands of years, there were still several second-generation princes who had offended the True Ancestor sealed in stones somewhere! Not to mention... The current Princes and their actions towards her... Recalling the countless attempts by various clans to diminish the True Ancestor''s influence, erase the True Ancestor''s faith, and hunt down the bloodborne royalty to prevent her return, he felt a chill run down his spine. Charlotte felt the same chill. Good heavens... what had the Bloodborne True Ancestor done to make the entire Bloodborne Clan so hostile to her? "Great... Great... Your... Your Highness..." "I... I... I..." Yurst stammered, unable to form coherent words. Seeing his mouse-like behavior in front of a cat, Charlotte lost interest in frightening or deceiving him. Because it was unnecessary. This Bloodborne Count was clearly already in complete disarray. Under Charlotte''s insight, she could feel his deep-seated fear and regret, wishing he could give his own praying self a few slaps. Moreover, she could clearly sense that he no longer had any thoughts of seeking help. He just wanted to leave here as quickly as possible, far away from her. In his heart, she was far more terrifying than the Blood Demon Cult and the Blood Demon Archduke combined! Charlotte sighed and said. "You can relax a bit. After all... I won''t eat you." Hearing her words, Yurst abruptly raised his head, his wide eyes filled with tension and anxiety, and couldn''t help but ask. "Really?" Charlotte: ...? Chapter 229: The Fear of the Bloodborne Count "What does that mean? Did the Bloodborne True Ancestor really eat people in the past?"Seeing the nervous expression on Count Yurst''s face, Charlotte couldn''t help but think this might be the case. To be honest, it''s quite possible. After all, having inherited the Gospel of Blood and possessing powers similar to the Bloodborne True Ancestor, she can increase her blood divine power by consuming bloodline energy. The strike she unleashed against the fire demon Valaroka was proof of that. From this perspective, if the Bloodborne True Ancestor in history treated her descendants as reserve food sources, it doesn''t seem entirely implausible. Thinking this, Charlotte decided to probe further. As the inheritor of the Gospel of Blood, possibly designated as the new Bloodborne True Ancestor, she needed to understand the secrets of the Bloodborne True Ancestor to be at ease. "Oh? It seems... you''re quite worried that I might eat you?" She said playfully. Yurst was even more terrified. "No... not worried... I... I''m not worried..." He stammered, shaking his head vigorously. But inside, Yurst''s turmoil grew more chaotic. "What does she mean by this? Shouldn''t I be worried that she might eat me? No... How can I not worry! Extraordinary power comes from the Gods, and the True Ancestor is the source of all bloodbornes... For thousands of years, she would devour her descendants to become stronger. Blood descendants are her flock. Now she''s clearly recovering her strength, so why wouldn''t she take the simplest shortcut?" Yurst''s expression showed his fear, while his chaotic thoughts couldn''t help but spill out. Charlotte''s heart skipped a beat upon hearing his inner turmoil. "So the Bloodborne True Ancestor really did use blood descendants as food... I knew it. Love might be irrational, but hatred has reasons. No wonder the Bloodborne True Ancestor, worshipped by the bloodbornes, later became estranged. The true reason probably lies here, right?" Charlotte''s mind raced, conjuring up an image of the former Bloodborne True Ancestor: mysterious, powerful, insidious, ruthless... Could it be that she had inherited the true "villain" storyline? Thinking this, Charlotte''s gaze fell on Yurst. She wanted to see if this centuries-old Bloodborne Count could reveal more secrets about the Bloodborne True Ancestor... But under her intense crimson-gold gaze, Yurst suddenly went pale, as if he had realized something. "Damn! This is the Dark Night Castle!" Charlotte heard Yurst''s inner exclamation, and his chaotic thoughts became even more disordered. But the chaos lasted only a moment. To Charlotte''s surprise, Yurst''s expression quickly became respectful and submissive. Despite his pale face and trembling legs revealing his fear, he appeared increasingly calm and respectful. Meanwhile, Charlotte noticed his thoughts rapidly diminishing. Soon, Yurst''s mind was filled with a single repeated phrase. "Praise the True Ancestor! Praise the Great Progenitor! Praise the True Ancestor! Praise the Great Progenitor..." Charlotte: ... She had a rough idea of what was happening. It seemed that her ability to hear others'' thoughts in the Dark Night Castle wasn''t a secret, at least not to someone like Yurst, who had lived for centuries. "You don''t need to fear me so much. If I wanted to consume your bloodline energy, I would have done it when you visited Castell." Charlotte said after thinking for a moment. Yurst''s eyes widened upon hearing her words, and his previously empty thoughts became chaotic again. We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now "She admitted it! She really is the resurrected Bloodborne True Ancestor! And... she''s in Castell! She mentioned consuming bloodline energy, she really has such thoughts! Oh my God, no wonder Castell is cleansing all bloodbornes. Is she preparing to recover her strength?" Charlotte: ...? What kind of twisted logic is this? "You don''t believe me?" She frowned. "I-I do believe you... Of course, I believe you..." Yurst nodded rapidly like a pecking chicken. But his expression became even more terrified. Charlotte felt a bit helpless. Yurst''s fear and vigilance were far beyond her expectations. This conversation... seemed to be going nowhere. "Enough, whether it''s true or not, whether you believe it or not, time will tell. Let''s talk about why you summoned me." Charlotte said, shaking her head. She gave up trying to gain his trust and redirected the conversation to the purpose of his summoning, with a smile she thought was kind. Hearing Charlotte''s words, Yurst shivered. Especially upon seeing her faint smile beneath the crimson mist, his entire body tensed up even more. His barely suppressed thoughts resurfaced. "She... she smiled! Oh heavens, is the world ending? She... she''s becoming more and more abnormal! She... No, empty your mind! Empty your mind!" "Great... great one, I... I''m fine! I don''t need any help! I have no thoughts! Yes, I have no thoughts! I didn''t know the pattern pointed to you... I..." Count Yurst was incoherent and visibly terrified. Charlotte: ... "Are you mocking me?" She frowned. S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. With a thud, Count Yurst dropped to his knees. Sweat poured from his head, and he looked on the verge of tears. "No... no... how could I mock... mock you... I''ll do whatever you need! Anything you need, just forgive my offense..." Charlotte: ... This sounded as if she was the one bullying him. However, based on his intermittent thoughts after being summoned to the Dark Night Castle, she roughly understood his situation. The Blood Demon Cult... and the internal conflict within the Nez Clan, huh? After a brief consideration, Charlotte said. "Yurst, I already know why you summoned me. Honestly, I don''t care about your so-called offense, and I''m not interested in consuming you. I can protect you and help you through this crisis, but... you need to do something for me." "Ah... what do you need me to do?" Yurst asked cautiously. "I haven''t decided exactly what yet... Oh, wait, there is something. You know about the missing pages of the Gospel, right? Help me find them." Charlotte though for a moment and replied. Chapter 230: Devoured and Forgotten "The pages of the Gospel...? Do you mean the Gospel of Blood?"Yurst asked in surprise. Charlotte glanced at him. "Is there another Gospel?" Yurst quickly lowered his head and responded fearfully. "No, there isn¡¯t. I understand. I¡¯ll do it, I¡¯ll do it!" Seeing him so terrified, Charlotte was really curious about what kind of shadow the previous Bloodborne True Ancestor had left on him to make him so fearful. Honestly, if it was just about being devoured, it shouldn¡¯t make him this scared, right? Or perhaps, for an immortal bloodborne, the most terrifying thing is death? Charlotte wasn¡¯t sure. However, his fear saved her a lot of trouble. "In that case, our contract is established..." Charlotte said. With those words, a radiant light flashed in her hand, revealing a goblet filled with crimson blood. She gently waved her hand, and the goblet floated towards Yurst. "Drink it, as a witness to our agreement." The goblet contained the contract blood needed to sign a blood pact, initially prepared for Sherry, who had declined. Now, since Yurst had discovered her identity, signing a pact to bind him for secrecy was necessary. Though Charlotte could suppress Yurst in the mental realm using her blood divine power, it would be different in the real world. A Bloodborne Count is equivalent to a Blazing Sun! Not to mention the vast distance between them. With Nice absent, she couldn¡¯t sign a servant¡¯s final oath while also protecting Yurst from a Legendary Bloodborne''s blood slave contract. Thus, the best solution was to sign this highest-level blood pact, which disregards power and distance, requiring mutual consent. While this pact would occupy one of Charlotte¡¯s blood contract slots, it would also ensure Yurst¡¯s loyalty, binding him to her cause. The risks of her "Bloodborne True Ancestor" identity were greater than she imagined. Until she had sufficient strength, she had to hide her identity and eliminate any exposure risks. Gaining a BloodborneCcount from the Nez clan for free was a good deal in Charlotte''s view. Such an old monster, having lived for thousands of years, would certainly know many secrets about the Bloodborne. As for loyalty, she could cultivate that over time. "A blood pact?!" Seeing the floating goblet, Yurst¡¯s eyes widened in terror. Huh? Terror? Charlotte was puzzled, not understanding why he was so afraid of the contract blood she offered... Sebastian had once seen it as a divine gift! "What are you afraid of? Why are you hesitating?" She asked, sensing his unease. "No... I... I¡¯m not... I¡¯m not!" Yurst''s face grew paler as he stared at the blood in the goblet. He bit his lip, as if making a difficult decision, and with trembling hands, took the goblet, looking as if he were about to drink poison. He closed his eyes, pinched his nose, and drank the contract blood, just as if he were downing poison. We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now As the crimson blood flowed down, a red glow enveloped Yurst, and Charlotte felt a new bond forming in the depths of her bloodline. However, unlike with Sebastian, Charlotte sensed a faint connection to the deepest part of the crimson starry sea, where the great star representing the five Bloodborne Princes lay. Charlotte realized that this connection was Yurst¡¯s faith link with the Nez clan¡¯s Bloodborne Demigod known as the Star-Gazer, Casey. Yet, at the moment their contract was formed, this faint link began to fade, eventually disappearing completely. Charlotte understood that this meant the blood pact had successfully overridden the Demigod¡¯s influence. Regardless of whether Yurst was under the Demigod¡¯s watch before, now the Nez clan¡¯s Bloodborne Demigod couldn¡¯t actively focus on him. Truth be told, snatching a blood descendant from a Bloodborne Demigod made Charlotte uneasy, but she was lucky not to attract attention. Another reason was that they signed the contract in her mental realm, her domain. With the contract sealed, Yurst looked defeated and dejected. Yet, seeing Charlotte¡¯s gaze, he forced a strained smile. S?a?ch* Th? N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "You don¡¯t seem too happy about becoming my blood pact subject?" Charlotte asked. "I''m happy... happy, of course I''m happy..." Yulster replied, forcing the words. Charlotte frowned. He seemed used to hiding his thoughts. When answering her questions, he no longer revealed his inner thoughts. "I want the truth." She demanded coldly. Yurst¡¯s scalp tingled with fear. Biting his lip, he decided to lay it all out. "Alright... I am conflicted. Being your subject means being linked to your power, with the risk of being devoured at any moment... To be honest, I fear death, but I fear being devoured and forgotten by the world even more... I¡¯d rather choose death over being devoured by you." With that, Yurst seemed to release a burden, collapsing weakly to the ground. Forgotten by the world? Charlotte frowned, pondering. At this moment, she sensed the time limit of the Blood Summoning was nearing. "That¡¯s enough for today. Remember our contract." She said. "The contract is sealed, and you have my protection. I will watch over you, and I expect you to fulfill your promises..." She waved her hand, and crimson mist spread through the castle. Feeling the guiding force reappearing, Yurst quickly asked. "Your Grace, you truly won¡¯t devour me?" "That depends on your future actions." Her ethereal voice echoed, gradually fading. ... The Blood Summoning ended, and Charlotte returned to her study in reality, but she didn¡¯t dispel her blood divine power. Instead, she delved into her consciousness, reconnecting with Yurst¡¯s vision through their blood pact. The Blood Summoning had ended, but Yurst¡¯s ordeal was far from over. As the Blood Summoning ended, Charlotte sensed a powerful presence approaching. The Nez clan elder named Maxim, mentioned in Yurst¡¯s thoughts, seemed to be returning. After half a month, Charlotte was about to indirectly face a Legendary Bloodborne again. Chapter 231: Not Even the True Ancestor Can Save You! After a dizzying sensation of weightlessness, Yurst returned to reality.He was back in the same dim room, illuminated by flickering candlelight that seemed ready to extinguish at any moment. Everything he had just experienced felt like a surreal dream. But the thorny rose mark now imprinted deep within his soul reminded Yurst that it was all real. He had truly succeeded in summoning the God behind Castell. Yet, no one could have anticipated that this God was actually the Bloodborne True Ancestor who had been missing for two thousand years! Reflecting on the various legends about the True Ancestor, Yurst sighed deeply. He knew that from now on, he had completely lost his freedom. No matter what promises that being made, it didn¡¯t change the fact that he had become a reserve meal, ready to be devoured at any moment. All he could do now was try to please the entity or simply reduce her focus on him, and then live carefully, anxiously, and difficultly. Damn it! This was even worse than signing a subservience contract with Elder Maxim or becoming a blood slave! At least with the latter, though he would lose his freedom, there was still a chance to regain it if he survived long enough! At this moment, Yurst wished he could go back to the moment before he drew the thorny rose and give himself a few hard slaps. The Duke had warned him countless times not to pray to unknown Gods. And this was the first time he did so, immediately faced the consequences. But it had already happened, no amount of regret could change it. He could only sigh and accept his tragic fate. "Alas... Your Grace, why can¡¯t you treat your descendants as well as other true Gods do?" "Considering being a descendant of the Bloodborne True Ancestor as a great terror, only the bloodbornes would think so, right?" Yurst sighed inwardly. Of course, he only dared to sigh inwardly. The contract was set, and who knew if that terrifying entity was watching him. If he recklessly voiced his thoughts and they reached that entity¡¯s ears, he might immediately become fresh meat. There had been similar occurrences in history! Although becoming a blood servant of myth made Yurst despondent, being a God''s servant still had its perks. Back in reality, he noticed that his strength, unchanged for a thousand years, showed signs of breaking through its bottleneck. Yurst felt that his current potential had increased. If he drank enough extraordinary blood and had a good rest, he might achieve a higher level of blood resonance, advancing his strength. Even if he couldn¡¯t become a Duke, he could potentially reach the peak of what a Count could achieve! This should have been a cause for celebration. But he couldn¡¯t feel happy. A shepherd naturally wants his sheep to grow quickly, well, and fat. Because that way, the meat would be plentiful and delicious. Thinking this way, Yurst felt even more depressed. However, despite his depression. Now that he had become a blood servant, he was fully bound to the True Ancestor¡¯s cause. According to the Nez clan records, the True Ancestor''s blood servant is considered her sibling. If the True Ancestor were to fall, she could fully resurrect through her servants. Because of this, bloodbornes who didn¡¯t want to see the True Ancestor resurrected would naturally purge all her blood servants. For the sake of his own life and existence, Yurst had no choice but to help the resurrected True Ancestor hide her identity and fulfill her various domineering demands. With that thought, Yurst sighed again and began erasing the traces left from his summoning. Fortunately, he had used his own blood as the catalyst for the summoning. Utilizing the power of his bloodline made erasing the traces quite convenient. Just as he finished, the room''s tightly shut door creaked as someone slowly pulled it open from the outside. Blinding light flooded in, making Yurst shield his eyes instinctively. Immediately after, Elder Maxim¡¯s aged voice echoed through the room. "Hehe, Yurst, the three days are up. What have you decided?" Elder Maxim seemed to be in a good mood, his tone much gentler than during their last meeting. Yurst could even smell the strong scent of alcohol on him. S?a??h the ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Based on the various legends about this Legendary Elder within the clan, Yurst instantly realized that Maxim had probably been binge-drinking in some human tavern for the past three days. We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now "Why the silence? I¡¯ve given you three days. Haven¡¯t you made up your mind yet?" "Will you submit to me, pledge your loyalty, and join me in forging a new future for the Nez clan, or will you stubbornly resist, forcing me to turn you into a blood slave?" Seeing Yurst remain silent, Elder Maxim frowned and asked. "Hmph, think carefully. If you pledge your loyalty, you can retain some freedom. I might even promise to let you go once I control the Nez clan..." "But if you force me to make you a blood slave... heh, I can¡¯t guarantee your will remains your own." Seeing Yurst still not respond, Elder Maxim¡¯s smile vanished, and he threatened with a stern face. Listening to him, Yurst slowly raised his head and looked at the legendary elder who had sided with the Blood Demon Archduke. Forcing loyalty or becoming a blood slave was a tremendous insult and unacceptable for a bloodborne who followed the Elder... Yet at this moment, faced with Maxim¡¯s fierce coercion, Yurst felt no inner turmoil. He wasn¡¯t angry, he even felt like laughing. Of course, it was a cold laugh. It might even be a mockery. Submission contract? Becoming a blood slave? Forget it. These soul-binding contracts couldn¡¯t possibly work when his soul was already marked by the True Ancestor¡¯s symbol! The domineering blood contract had even severed his connection to Lord Casey. No way a Legendary Elder could force a contract on him, not that his faith had been particularly fervent anyway. Yurst, now completely disheartened, had no interest in arguing or negotiating with Elder Maxim. With the True Ancestor''s return, internal conflicts within the Nez clan, or among the five major bloodborne clans, meant nothing¡ªnone would escape! However, seeing Maxim¡¯s condescending attitude, treating him as a plaything under complete control, Yurst felt a renewed sense of irritation. This irritation, mixed with the frustration of signing the blood contract, created a peculiar chemical reaction, making Yurst feel increasingly stifled and agitated, like fuel to a fire. Especially Maxim¡¯s arrogant demeanor, treating him with such disregard, ignited a rebellious spirit in Yurst, who had initially resigned himself to despair. To hell with it! The True Ancestor may have the power to toy with me, but who do you think you are? A Legendary Duke stooping to underhanded tactics against a mere Count like me? Pathetic! If you¡¯re so capable, face the Grand Elder and Duke Yorok head-on! Bullying a lowly Count¡ªwhat does that prove? Yurst cursed inwardly. And as he cursed, a thought struck him. His eyes flickered, and he suddenly sneered. "Oh? Submission?" "Elder Maxim, I¡¯ve thought for three days and nights, pondering what makes you worthy of my loyalty, but after all this time, I still can¡¯t find a single reason..." "Compared to who I follow, you are so weak, so pathetic, like a clown jumping around, making me sick..." "I have no interest in following weaklings. Someone like you only resorts to underhanded tricks behind the scenes. You don¡¯t even have the courage to challenge the one I follow!" "Heh, becoming a blood slave? Please, even without using the Desecration Staff, I know how risky it is to force a loyal bloodborne into a blood slave." "You¡¯re not offering me a choice. You¡¯re just insecure, afraid of exposing yourself before the one I follow." "Your courage is tiny. You¡¯re not confident you can turn me into a blood slave without alerting my patron. Or rather, you¡¯re afraid of the one I follow!" "Heh, as far as I¡¯m concerned, you can¡¯t even sever my existing blood contract." Yurst sneered, berating Elder Maxim with disdainful eyes. Maxim was about to explode from anger, especially after Yurst compared him to Duke Yorok. "Silence! You insolent fool! How dare you defy a Duke Elder!" "Very well! Since you¡¯re so eager to become a blood slave, I¡¯ll fulfill your wish! I¡¯ll erase your will, twist your bloodline, and turn you into my puppet, the most miserable blood slave!" "Sever your contract? Fail to turn you into a blood slave?" "Hmph!" "Today, I¡¯ll show you that not even the True Ancestor can save you! Even the True Ancestor herself can¡¯t preserve your bloodline connection!" Elder Maxim growled, his eyes bloodshot. He pulled out the Desecration Staff, pointing it at Yurst, and roared. "Dark... Blood Contract!" Dark red light erupted from the Desecration Staff. Simultaneously, Maxim¡¯s mental power surged like a tidal wave, channeling through the staff¡¯s glow, crashing toward Count Yurst¡¯s soul... Chapter 232: De... Dead? Elder Maxim was furious.As a Legendary Bloodborne who lived through the same era as Duke Yorok and was even a few centuries older, Elder Maxim had always hated Yorok. Despite having less seniority, Yorok was more favored by the Gods and even blessed with a sacred artifact, being groomed as a divine reader. "Yorok! Yorok! It''s always Yorok!" "Yurst! You arrogant bastard! You must pay for your unforgivable words and deeds!" A tidal wave of mental power, combined with the dark red glow of the Desecration Staff, shattered Yurst''s mental defenses. Roaring in fury, Elder Maxim transformed into a phantom red giant, descending into Yurst''s mental world. The surroundings collapsed, transforming into an endless alchemy workshop. This was Yurst''s mental world. Every Blazing Sun''s mental power would evolve, forming a personal mental world. The mental world represents the Blazing Sun''s pursuit and belief and is the true source of their Spiritual Force Field. The soul''s essence of a Blazing Sun also resides deep within their mental world. As Maxim descended, Yurst''s mental world trembled violently. Magic books and alchemy tools flew at the red giant Maxim had become, instinctively repelling the intruder. Feeling the pale power, Elder Maxim''s eyes flashed with disdain. While the owner of a mental world is omnipotent within it, this only holds if the intruder''s soul isn''t too powerful. But he was a Legendary! With a mere wave, Maxim shattered the attacking magic books and alchemy tools, absorbing their pure mental power and strengthening himself. He then casually reached into the depths of Yurst''s mental world, grasping the phantom figure representing Yurst''s main consciousness and soul essence. S?a??h the N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The phantom, identical to Yurst in appearance, struggled but couldn¡¯t escape Maxim''s grasp. Elder Maxim held Yurst''s main consciousness like a chick, his gaze condescending as if mocking a powerless ant. His eyes were cold and his voice was icy. "Yurst." "I''ll take your remaining life." A terrifying wave of mental power erupted from Maxim''s hand, beginning to erase Yurst''s independent will and destroy all contracts and connections within his soul essence. As Maxim acted, Yurst''s mental world shook violently and started to collapse. Even Yurst''s main consciousness in Maxim''s hand began to blur. Elder Maxim coldly watched as Yurst''s consciousness was rapidly assimilated, confident of his victory. But then, Yurst''s consciousness, which had lost its resistance, suddenly stopped struggling. It looked up at Maxim with a mocking gaze. Maxim frowned slightly. His millennia of experience told him something was wrong. Before he could react, crimson light burst from Yurst''s consciousness, and a mysterious symbol appeared on his forehead. Seeing the somewhat familiar symbol, Maxim froze momentarily. "Thorny... Rose?" His expression changed. Realizing something, he quickly released Yurst and stepped back, but Yurst''s consciousness grabbed his mental avatar''s robe. "Why the hurry, Elder? Now that you''re here, why rush to leave?" We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now Yurst grinned wickedly. He raised his head, his expression ferocious, and shouted. "Great Majesty! I present you with a fine soul as a sacrifice, now offered to you to restore your strength!" "May your gaze fall upon your servant!" As soon as he finished speaking, the thorny rose symbol shone with unprecedented brilliance. Elder Maxim''s face showed horror. He felt an ancient, overwhelming will awakening within Yurst''s consciousness, a powerful pressure from soul and bloodline making even this Legendary Bloodborne tremble. "Divine will! This is divine will! You... you... you¡¯ve allied with the Evil God behind Castell!" Elder Maxim exclaimed in terror, stepping back. But it was too late. Crimson light solidified around the thorny rose. An endless red mist radiated from Yurst''s soul essence, quickly engulfing the entire mental world. Then, within the crimson, golden light burst forth, carrying supreme divine brilliance and accompanied by ethereal hymns. The mental world, composed of bookshelves and alchemy tools, rapidly transformed and restructured into a massive temple. Wait... A temple? Not Dark Night Castle? Seeing the temple identical to the Holy Court''s style, Yurst was stunned. If not for the familiar trembling in his soul essence, he would have suspected he had summoned a God from the Holy Court! Maxim was equally shocked, his voice trembling. "Divine... divine light?" He shrieked and turned to flee. But before he could run far, a giant sword of judgment emerged from the thorny rose, striking Maxim''s mental form. A terrifying power erupted, and Maxim screamed in agony. In Yurst''s awestruck gaze, the Legendary Elder''s soul cracked, then shattered into countless glowing fragments. And then, the "divine light" with an ancient aura swallowed him... The sword of judgment faded, and the terrifying pressure subsided. "De... dead?" Yurst stared blankly at the spot where Maxim had turned to ashes, filled with reverence. As soon as he spoke, an ethereal voice, devoid of emotion, sounded behind him. "Only an avatar, nothing significant." "Yurst, you really know how to create trouble for me." The divine light faded, and the crimson glow reappeared. In an instant, the surrounding temple turned back into the familiar Dark Night Castle. Chapter 233: Overeaten "An... an avatar?"Yurst was stunned. The holy and ethereal voice sighed slightly. "It¡¯s normal that you couldn¡¯t tell. After all... you¡¯re just a mere Blazing Sun." Hearing this, Yurst broke into a cold sweat. No need for further hints, he instantly understood why the True Ancestor said he had caused trouble. The mysterious Thorny Rose had existed for centuries, indicating that the resurrected ancestor had no intention of stepping into the spotlight yet. By bringing a Legendary''s avatar here, he might have exposed the True Ancestor¡¯s identity. Especially to a Legendary Bloodborne! At this thought, Yurst broke into a cold sweat. "True... True Ancestor, I¡¯m very sorry, I... I only wanted to help you regain your strength faster..." He stammered. "Oh, is that so?" S?a??h th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte chuckled softly. The Blood Throne reappeared, and the now-adult Charlotte sat gracefully upon it. This time, Yurst''s vision was unobstructed by mist. Seeing the mysterious, majestic, and beautiful figure enhanced by the crimson divine power, even the two-thousand-year-old Yurst was momentarily stunned. Ancient memories slowly resurfaced... Although the passage of time had blurred his recollection of the ancestor¡¯s true appearance, who frequently changed identities, seeing her relaxed posture now made him feel that this was indeed the ancestor''s true form. No, it was definitely the missing True Ancestor! As his memory sharpened, the image of the ancestor before him merged with the godly figure from the Gods'' War. Quickly, Yurst remembered everything. It was the True Ancestor! This appearance... truly was the returned True Ancestor! Yes, he remembered now, this was indeed how the True Ancestor looked! Recalling the terrifying stories about the ancestor, Yurst¡¯s reverence grew, and he hurriedly retracted his gaze, explaining nervously. "True... True Ancestor... I..." "Doesn''t matter, I don¡¯t actually care about your motives. I just want to tell you that as my servant, your every move must be under my watch..." Charlotte interrupted Yurst, waving her hand dismissively. She smiled softly and said. "Do you understand?" Despite Charlotte¡¯s bright smile, Yurst felt a chill down his spine. Though Charlotte said the entity he faced was just an avatar of Elder Maxim, Yurst knew firsthand that even as an avatar, it possessed power far beyond any Blazing Sun''s. At least... much stronger than him! Yet, in front of the True Ancestor, it couldn''t hold out even for a moment before being obliterated... Although the True Ancestor had no plans to step into the limelight, her power had clearly recovered significantly! Realizing this, Yurst''s reverence for the ancestor''s power grew, and he became increasingly fearful of his rash actions. We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now Swallowing hard, he said. "I... I understand, True Ancestor. From now on, before taking any significant action, I will pray to you in my heart and proceed only with your permission." "I... I will remember this!" Charlotte nodded slightly, chuckling. "Good that you understand." She waved her hand lazily. "Alright, since the Legendary avatar that imprisoned you is gone, you may leave now." "There are no other strong guards outside, your crisis is over." "Oh, and make sure to do what I¡¯ve instructed you to do. If needed, I will summon you..." With that, Charlotte waved her hand, and crimson mist spread again, bringing a familiar sense of expulsion. Taking a deep breath, Yurst quickly bowed again. "Farewell, True Ancestor..." The crimson mist thickened, engulfing everything. Yurst felt a familiar dizziness, soon returning to reality. Opening his eyes, he saw that Elder Maxim, who had been so overbearing moments ago, was now a withered corpse, as if drained of all life. Seeing the corpse, which looked different from the Elder Maxim he remembered, Yurst couldn¡¯t help but mutter. "It really was an avatar! And... it seemed to be a corpse avatar of the Dark Path!" "So, Elder Maxim must have already aligned himself with the Blood Demon Cult." Jumping over the corpse, Yurst flexed his arms, feeling the power that had been unsealed with the avatar¡¯s death, deep in thought. Reflecting on his uncertain future, he sighed, opened the door, and walked out. ... "Phew... That was close. I almost blew it. That Legendary Elder didn¡¯t discover my identity, did he?" Alone in the mental world of the Dark Night Castle, Charlotte sighed with relief, collapsing on the throne. The Blood Summoning of the Gospel of Blood allowed her to see all the bloodborne''s stars. When Elder Maxim was pulled into the Dark Night Castle, she knew it was just an avatar. Thankfully, it was only an avatar. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to use the blood divine power and bloodline suppression to kill it instantly. However, she wasn¡¯t sure if the death of the avatar left any memories with the real body. Despite her calm facade, only Charlotte knew how much effort that one lethal strike had cost her... Her current strength after the True Ancestor''s Liberation was at the Saint level, comparable to a Legendary. The bit of blood divine power accumulated over the past six months was almost entirely used up. Now, she had only a third of her divine power left, enough to maintain a full True Ancestor state for less than fifteen seconds. Of course, there were considerable gains. Killing Elder Maxim¡¯s avatar, Charlotte had used the "bloodsucking" power to absorb almost all of the avatar¡¯s energy, most of which went into the Gospel. This time, the absorbed energy was much stronger than when she slashed the Flame Demon Valaroka. Although not fully digested yet, she believed that once fully converted, the blood divine power in the Gospel of Blood would be almost completely restored. Additionally, a small portion of the energy was transferred to Charlotte''s body, making her feel as if she had taken a powerful tonic, with overflowing energy filling every cell of her being. She felt overeaten. Moreover, directly absorbing the avatar of a Legendary Bloodborne had seemingly caused another change in her bloodborne power. She seemed... ready to advance. Chapter 234: Advancement Process Bloodbornes are ageless and immortal, but it''s very difficult for them to increase their strength.However, "very difficult" does not mean "impossible." Through understanding bloodline resonance, bloodbornes can still slowly increase their power until they reach the limits of their bloodline. S?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Of course, this process is extremely slow, often taking years, even in the optimal state of deep slumber for comprehending bloodline resonance. Dark, Wild, Flesh and Blood, Mental, Insight... These five bloodline resonance paths represent the five ascension routes for bloodbornes. Breaking through any of these resonance paths means a bloodborne can advance further. Since reaching the Starry Sky tier, Charlotte had spent over a year practicing various bloodborne techniques acquired from the Blood Demon Cult, dedicating at least two hours daily to meditation. After more than a year, with the help of the Gospel of Blood, Charlotte''s bloodline resonance in the Tree of Ascension had all reached the Starry Sky tie. The Dark Path, in particular, had become increasingly profound with repeated use of necromancy spells. Now, by directly "devouring" the avatar of a Legendary Bloodborne, Charlotte''s Dark resonance, which was only a step away from completion, finally reached its peak... Overflowing bloodborne power surged within her. As Charlotte delved into her consciousness, she saw the light path representing the Dark Path on the Tree of Ascension finally opening a route to the second layer. Charlotte''s thoughts stirred. "Devouring the bloodborne''s power seems to bring not just an energy change, but also an understanding of the bloodline path..." She pondered and then opened the Gospel of Blood in her consciousness. Sure enough, a new text had appeared on the last page of the Dark Chapter, detailing a method for crafting a bloodborne avatar! Its name was "Advanced Corpse Puppet Technique." Reading the description of this bloodborne magic, Charlotte quickly recognized it as the method Elder Maxim used to create his avatar. However, the crafting process was extremely cruel and inhumane. Just reading the descriptions made Charlotte frown and close the Gospel. Dark Path magic was indeed sinister, matching the crazed and evil image of the Blood Demon Cult. "It seems the Gospel of Blood can regain its original power not only by collecting pages but also by absorbing bloodborne power!" Charlotte mused, realizing she had found another way to increase her power besides collecting pages. She could use the power of the Gospel to devour other bloodbornes, thus enhancing her strength and deepening her understanding of bloodline resonance! But despite discovering this method, Charlotte did not feel overly excited. On the contrary... she felt some hesitation. The power of "devouring" was too sinister. Having lived two lives, Charlotte never believed in true shortcuts. Every shortcut comes with a corresponding price. The more outrageous the shortcut, the greater the cost... The Gospel of Blood could be used by Charlotte, and it recognized her as its master, but Charlotte saw herself as merely using this power, not understanding it. Recklessly enhancing a power she didn''t fully understand could bring unforeseen dangers. Could she be lost to the "devouring" similar to blood addiction? Charlotte didn''t know the answer. However, after careful consideration, she decided that this method couldn''t be used as a quick means to enhance her power. It could be used in critical moments, but not regularly. With this principle in mind, Charlotte felt much more relaxed. Her body overflowed with energy, her bloodline resonance had reached its limit, and she was just one step away from advancing to Silver Moon... Feeling the restless magic within her, Charlotte decided to seize this excellent opportunity and push directly for Silver Moon! We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now With this resolve, Charlotte exited the mental world and returned to reality. This crucial step was not suitable in the study, her unique situation might cause unexpected phenomena during the advancement. After some thought, Charlotte rang the bell to summon the maid Sherry. "Prepare the meditation room. I need to enter deep meditation." Sherry immediately understood Charlotte''s intent. After a slight bow, Sherry left and soon had everything ready. Changing into her meditation clothes, Charlotte entered the meditation room. "Notify everyone that no one is to disturb me during meditation." She instructed Sherry. Sherry bowed. "Understood." Closing the door of the meditation room, Charlotte infused the magical core maintaining the spell barrier with energy, elevating the barrier''s level to the highest, and then entered a meditative state. Returning her consciousness to the Tree of Ascension, Charlotte attempted to take the final step towards Silver Moon. As she willed it, the nearly overflowing energy became even more active, and the light path representing the Dark Path burst with unprecedented brilliance, rushing towards the gate of Silver Moon. With a thunderous sound, the light successfully reached the second layer of the Tree of Ascension. However, just as Charlotte was about to begin her advancement, an overwhelming drowsiness suddenly struck her. Charlotte found it difficult to describe this feeling... It wasn''t ordinary sleepiness from fatigue, but rather a cocoon-like transformation. She instinctively felt that starting her advancement would inevitably lead to a prolonged sleep. How many days? No, it wasn''t that simple. Charlotte sensed that this advancement sleep might be measured in months. "Is this... the deep slumber stage that bloodbornes must go through to increase their power?" Charlotte pondered. She didn''t hesitate and decided to halt the advancement temporarily. The situation in Castell was unstable, and she couldn''t afford to sleep now. If she had to enter a potentially months-long slumber, she needed to arrange everything properly to ensure the safety of her territory and herself during this time. However, when Charlotte tried to halt the advancement, she found she could no longer stop the bloodline transformation and the increasing drowsiness... In other words, she couldn''t stop this advancement that might lead to long-term slumber. Quickly, Charlotte used the Gospel of Blood to suppress her increasingly active bloodline, but even so, she could only delay the inevitable sleep... Sensing her situation, she roughly estimated how long she could stay awake. "Ten days? Twelve days? Hmm... at most half a month?" Thinking this through, Charlotte ended her meditation and stood up decisively. She needed to use these final days of wakefulness to handle as many affairs as possible and arrange everything for her upcoming slumber... Chapter 235: Emergency Recall At the Entrance to the Castell Bridge connecting Northport and the MainlandA long line of various carriages formed, orderly accepting the guards'' inspections. Some carried goods from various regions, while others transported travelers and friends, all gradually crossing the bridge into Northport. Suddenly, urgent hoofbeats echoed from a distance on the emergency official road by the bridge. A luxurious carriage adorned with a black eagle emblem sped from the north of the continent. The carriage halted at the checkpoint. The guards hurriedly and respectfully approached, revealing a handsome, elegant red-haired elf who nodded slightly at them. "It''s a carriage from the Castell family!" "Red hair¡­ an elf¡­ could it be that renowned flame elf named Sebastian, favored by the Countess?" "I heard he made quite a name for himself in Eastern Yunette and is a powerful extraordinary being!" S?a??h th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Merchants and passersby curiously watched as the guards respectfully ushered the luxurious carriage in, engaging in lively discussions. Meanwhile, Sebastian settled back into the carriage, driving it swiftly towards the city. The Castell family emblem granted unhindered passage. Amidst respectful salutes from patrolling city guards and the deference of passersby, the carriage raced to the Count''s mansion, halting at the entrance. Sebastian gracefully leaped from the carriage and quickly headed inside. "Master Sebastian..." Seeing the approaching elf steward, the maids and servants respectfully greeted him. Sebas nodded and asked. "Where is the Countess?" "The Countess is in the study, discussing matters with Viscount Leon-Castell." The servant respectfully replied. "Viscount Leon-Castell? Does that mean the review of the southern nobles is over? That guy is back too?" Sebastian raised an eyebrow, musing to himself. Handing the carriage reins to a servant, he hurried towards the Count''s study. Entering the mansion''s hall, he saw a familiar black cat lounging lazily by the door, basking in the sun and nibbling on small fish prepared by the maids. "Hey! Sebastian, your speed on the road is lacking. I''ve been back for two days already, and you¡¯re just now leisurely arriving." The black cat greeted him smugly, belching. Sebas glanced at him and said, "The northern roads are less smooth than the southern ones and farther. It''s normal to be a bit late. Competing with me over such trivial matters, you¡¯re becoming more and more like a real cat." "Meow! What¡¯s wrong with cats? Carefree and doing whatever I want, eating well, sleeping well, worry-free¡ªmuch happier than humans." Nice lazily scratched himself and replied. Sebastian agreed. "Indeed, that¡¯s how pets are." Nice: ¡­ About to retort, Nice held back, grumbling. "Fine, fine. For the sake of the upcoming months of cooperation, I¡¯ll overlook it today. Hurry and see the master. Lady Charlotte said if you, her good dog, returned, you should go see her immediately." Sebastian: ¡­ Thinking of the master''s urgent summons, Sebastian ignored further banter with the black cat and hurried to the second-floor study. Inside, Charlotte was receiving Viscount Leon-Castell. Sebastian prepared to wait outside, but Charlotte gestured him in, continuing her conversation with the old viscount of the Leon family. "Viscount, I¡¯ve witnessed your loyalty. However, the southern nobles are just a part of Castell. The western and northern regions are more significant. Please continue your efforts." Viscount Leon-Castell hurriedly bowed. "Countess, rest assured, the Leon-Castell family will spare no effort in assisting you with the territory''s review!" We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now Charlotte nodded. "I believe you can do it well. Continue to strive." She yawned and added. "The review work remains heavy and challenging. Not all nobles in the territory are willing to comply. External threats from neighboring lords and even unrest in the north persist¡­ In the coming days, Sebastian will be fully responsible for the subsequent review work. You will coordinate directly with him." Viscount Leon-Castell glanced at the flame elf, hesitated briefly, then respectfully bowed to Charlotte. "As you command, Countess." "Alright, Viscount, the review plan is a significant and arduous task requiring unified effort. Once everything settles, I will not forget the contributions of the Leon-Castell family. Those with merit will be duly rewarded. For now, I have more matters to discuss with Sebastian. If there¡¯s nothing else, please take your leave and rest." Charlotte sipped her caffeinated milk and said. "Yes, Countess." The old viscount bowed again and respectfully left. Only Charlotte and Sebastian remained in the study. Charlotte signaled the chief maid, Sherry, to close the door. Seeing Charlotte yawning repeatedly, Sebastian felt concerned. "Master, are you¡­" "Sebas, I will likely enter a period of slumber soon." Charlotte got straight to the point. "Slumber? Master, is it the kind of slumber I think?" Sebastian''s heart skipped a beat, asking. Charlotte nodded. "Yes, the slumber you¡¯re thinking of. I urgently summoned you for this reason. During my slumber, Castell needs someone I trust to oversee it. The nobles in the territory can''t be fully trusted. You are the most suitable person." Confirming her words, Sebastian felt a mix of joy and worry. "Master, how long will you sleep? Recently, I''ve discovered numerous Blood Demon Cultists in the north, including suspected Nez clan bloodbornes. They might be plotting something..." Charlotte shook her head. "I¡¯m unsure of the exact duration, possibly one to two months, maybe three to four." "I¡¯ve informed Nice about this. During my sleep, he will use illusion magic to disguise as myself in the mansion. But it can only manage the disguise. You are the one who needs to handle the real responsibilities." "I¡¯m aware of the Blood Demon Cult''s activities. It''s complex and possibly tied to an internal conflict within the Nez clan. I have agents in the Nez clan. Before I sleep, I¡¯ll tell you how to contact them." Charlotte meticulously instructed Sebastian on post-slumber territory management. Sebastian solemnly noted everything. After addressing territorial affairs, she remembered something. "Oh, one more thing. Ensure my slumber is secure. I will sleep in the mansion''s secret chamber. During my slumber, ensure no disturbances and absolute safety." "Slumber security?" Sebas was momentarily confused. Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he nodded. "I understand. I know an excellent magic craftsman who can urgently customize something to your satisfaction." "Customize?" Charlotte was puzzled. Seeing Sebas¡¯s confident demeanor and feeling increasingly drowsy, she refrained from further questioning, nodding. "I trust you. Go ahead and prepare." Chapter 236: Deep Slumber Charlotte thought she could hold out for half a month.But in reality, she could barely manage ten days. To prevent falling into a deep sleep, she had to keep herself awake. Forget about suppressing the urge to sleep¡ªno one can stay awake for ten days or half a month. Being able to hold out this long was already a testament to her unique bloodborne constitution. "Um... Lady Charlotte, haven''t you been overworking yourself lately? I think you might need a good rest." Said Agnes, the bloodborne "apprentice maid," cautiously. She watched Charlotte, who had huge dark circles under her eyes, yawning every few seconds, and was so drowsy she could barely keep her eyes open. Charlotte forced herself to perk up, looked at Agnes, smiled faintly, and said calmly. "You don''t need to test me." "I''ve already told you, as long as you do your job well, I will fulfill my promise to you." Agnes'' face stiffened, and she laughed awkwardly. "How... how could that be?" "Knowing your true identity, Agnes has completely given up the thought of opposing you!" Charlotte gave her a sidelong glance. "So, you switched to secretly investigating my past?" Agnes froze, her expression becoming unnatural. Charlotte sighed, rubbing her temples as she handed a signed appointment letter for the new Mayor of Northport to Agnes. "Deliver this appointment letter to the city hall. And... from now on, you and Lahel will follow Sebastian''s orders." Although Agnes had chosen to submit to her, she still had her own little schemes. Charlotte thought it was a potential risk if she couldn''t keep an eye on Agnes during her sleep. So, Charlotte decided it would be best to let Sebastian manage her. She trusted Sebastian, her elven butler who had once built the largest underground gang in Borde, to handle this. Hearing Charlotte''s order, the bloodborne girl hesitated. But seeing the determined look on Charlotte''s face and recalling the terrifying power she had felt in the mental realm, Agnes finally swallowed her objections, obediently nodded, and left the study. After sending Agnes and Lahel to work under Sebastian, Charlotte resolved yet another problem before her slumber. She picked up what must have been her nth cup of milk coffee that day and downed it. However, after so many days, the coffee''s stimulating effects were significantly diminished. No matter how much she drank, it was difficult for Charlotte to focus as she used to. "The new Mayor of Northport has been chosen, the plans and directions for the next few months have been roughly agreed upon with Sebastian, and I''ve even given early warnings to Viscount Remisio. If there''s a rebellion in the territory, Castelle can count on external aid from the Remisio family..." "I haven''t received any new information from the Nez Clan, but I''ve told Sebastian how to contact Count Yurst." "The biggest risk is probably the Legendary Bloodborne named Maxim. Having lost an avatar, I''m not sure if the avatar''s memories will be shared with the main body..." "But it shouldn''t be a big problem. After all... I swapped the Dark Night Castle to the Holy Court''s Cathedral back then, so my identity shouldn''t be exposed." "Hmm... by listing things out, I''ve done all I can. All foreseeable arrangements have been made. Castell is vast, I can''t manage everything personally. From here, it''s up to Sebastian." "According to the timeline, the safety preparations Sebastian mentioned for my sleep should be almost ready." With that in mind, Charlotte put down her quill. S?a?ch* Th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. She stood up and walked toward the secret room in the Count''s mansion. The secret room was located in the Count''s bedroom, known only to Charlotte, Sebastian, and perhaps Nice. Sebastian was a blood servant bound by a blood contract, and Nice was bound by a servant contract. Neither could betray Charlotte, even if she fell asleep. When Charlotte entered the bedroom, Sebas was making some final preparations, and the increasingly plump black cat Nice was beside him. Seeing Charlotte, Sebastian bowed gracefully. "Great master, your timing is impeccable. Your resting place is ready!" "Resting place?" Charlotte was puzzled. Sebastian nodded. We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now "Yes! A resting place! Crafted by the finest elven artisans of Luna Island. It is absolutely secure, absolutely luxurious, and perfectly befitting your status!" "Rest assured, I did not expose your identity. The artisans did not know who I was." Crafted? Custom-made? Charlotte was taken aback. She suspiciously entered the secret room, where she saw a luxurious black coffin. Charlotte: ... "Great master!" Sebastian followed her inside, enthusiastically introducing it. "This coffin is named Eternal Heart. It is made from the core branches of the Millennium Life Tree on Luna Island, inlaid with six thousand high-grade mana crystals. It is reinforced with twelve high-level permanent spells, making it immovable even by Legendary beings..." "The carvings and thorny rose patterns on its surface were crafted by the best elven carvers. The paint is a mixture of dragon blood and bone powder, providing extraordinary magical and spiritual effects." "Inside, I''ve prepared the finest silk from the Far East, ensuring softness and comfort. Fresh sleep roses and calming flowers are placed all around to aid you in deep meditation." The more Sebastian introduced, the more excited he became. Meanwhile, Charlotte''s face darkened. "So... all this preparation was for a coffin?" She asked, her mouth twitching. "Are you... dissatisfied?" Sebastian asked, confused. He hesitated, then cautiously added. "Master, this is the best coffin the artisans of Luna Island could produce in a short time. The elves there often collaborate with the bloodbornes of the Nez Clan, and their skills in this area are quite exceptional..." Charlotte shook her head, her expression odd. "No, I wasn''t expecting a coffin." Sebastian was now the confused one. "Huh? Isn''t that what you wanted? Aren''t coffins the traditional resting places for bloodbornes?" Charlotte: ... She gave Sebastian a speechless look but found herself unable to argue. Feeling the overwhelming drowsiness, she sighed. "Fine, a coffin it is." Though the idea of sleeping in a coffin was abstract and ahead of its time for Charlotte, she had no better choice due to time constraints. And despite it being a coffin, it seemed like a pretty good resting place based on Sebastian''s description. Sebastian indeed put a lot of thought into it. The secret room was intricately inscribed with complex magical formations, which even Charlotte, with her rudimentary magical knowledge, could tell were extraordinary¡ªlikely involving Nice''s handiwork too. Gently stroking the textured surface of the coffin, Charlotte said to Sebastian. "Sebastian, the management of the territory during my sleep is in your hands." "Of course, great master. Your loyal Sebastian will protect Castell and await your return..." "Me too! Me too!" The black cat Nice added proudly, puffing up. Charlotte nodded slightly, satisfied with her two loyal followers. "I leave everything to you both." Reaching her limit of resisting sleep, Charlotte decided not to hold on any longer. After bidding farewell to her followers, she shut the secret room door, changed into a nightgown, and lay down in the coffin. As soon as she lay down, the overwhelming drowsiness took over. Within a few breaths, Charlotte fell into a deep slumber... Chapter 237: Awakening Charlotte didn''t know how long she had slept.When her consciousness resurfaced, she was awakened by the sound of the wind howling and the biting cold. Slowly opening her eyes, what she saw was not the lid of the coffin inlaid with luminous crystals. Instead, it was a roof made of grass, stones, and wood. Charlotte was lying on a pile of dry grass, covered with a dirty, gray-black sheepskin blanket. The fierce wind caused the roof to creak as if it could collapse at any moment. Flickering firelight cast a dim glow over everything, and she could hear the crackling of burning wood and smell the musty scent of burning wood and vegetation. Snowflakes drifted in through the gaps in the roof and windows, landing on Charlotte''s small face, cold and crisp, gradually waking up her sluggish thoughts. Looking at the unfamiliar straw hut, Charlotte was confused. Wait a minute... Wasn''t she sleeping in a coffin? Where was this place? Charlotte tried to get up, but her limbs were so sore and stiff that it felt as if they hadn''t moved for centuries. Unwilling to give up, she attempted to use her magic, only to be shocked to find that her magic had disappeared. This discovery sent a chill through her, and she struggled to get up despite the pain and stiffness in her limbs. "Ah, you''re awake." A hoarse, deep voice sounded nearby, in an unfamiliar accent, instantly putting Charlotte on alert. Like a startled rabbit, she looked toward the source of the voice. By the burning campfire, she saw a tall figure clad in animal skins, carrying a bow and a hunting knife. It was a middle-aged man with a thick, forest-like beard and eyes of a deep blue that spoke of years of hardship. "Don''t be afraid. I mean you no harm. I found you unconscious outside and brought you in to keep you from the dangers of the wind and snow." Seeing Charlotte''s wary expression, the middle-aged man said. Outside? Dangers? Charlotte was puzzled. She looked down at herself and found that she was still wearing the nightgown she had chosen before entering the coffin, but over it was an ill-fitting animal skin cloak. Or rather, it was more like a primitive fur wrap than a proper cloak. "Who are you? Where is this place?" Feeling the biting wind, Charlotte tightened the fur wrap and asked warily. "My name is Hafdan, a storm hunter. You can also call me Big Beard. As for this place... this is the northern border of the High Tower Kingdom, a place where the light of the Prophets scarcely reaches." The middle-aged hunter replied. High Tower Kingdom? Prophets? Light? Charlotte was even more confused. She understood each word individually, but together they made no sense to her. Having studied the cultures and political landscapes of Myria, she had never heard of a High Tower Kingdom or anything about Prophets. Her first thought was that she was still dreaming, but this dream felt too real. She pinched her thigh hard. Ouch¡ª It hurt. This... didn''t seem like a dream! But if it wasn''t a dream, how did she wake up in such a place resembling a northern tribe? We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now "Hafdan, can you tell me the date and year today?" Charlotte asked after a moment''s thought. "The date? No one in the North keeps track of such things. But the Prophets last sent someone ten days ago, so it should be the eleventh day of the Month of Cold Winds." "And the year... it should be the year 466 of the Prophetic Era." The hunter, Hafdan, replied. Month of Cold Winds? Prophetic Era? Charlotte was even more perplexed. The Month of Cold Winds sounded like winter, which made sense since she went to sleep on Ninth Month 15, 1445, of the Holy Calendar and should have woken up in winter. But what was this Prophetic Era 466? She had never heard of such a calendar! Since the establishment of the Yunette Empire supported by the Holy Court, even the stubborn elves had changed their calendar, so where did this Prophetic Era come from? Could it be that she transmigrated again after falling asleep? S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. But that didn''t make sense either. The language was familiar, albeit with a rough and obscure accent, it was indeed the Common Tongue derived from the elven language of Myria. Or perhaps... she had slept for an unknown number of years? Seeing Charlotte''s bewildered expression, the hunter, Hafdan, hesitated and asked. "Judging by your clothing and appearance, you... shouldn''t be from the North. Are you a follower of the Prophets? Why were you unconscious in the wild?" "A follower... of the Prophets?" Charlotte was confused, not understanding what he meant. After thinking for a moment, she lightly shook her head and said. "I... don''t know. It seems like I can''t remember much." "Can''t remember?" Hafdan furrowed his brows and asked. "Do you remember your name?" Charlotte was about to answer but hesitated, then shook her head again. "I... don''t remember either." "Don''t remember?" Hafdan''s frown deepened. He carefully examined Charlotte and then said thoughtfully. "Your clothing is certainly not from the North. It looks more like the attire of the Prophets." "Not only that, you may not have the divine ears, but you possess a face almost like the Prophets. I think... your identity must be related to the Prophets, perhaps a follower or even... a blessed child of the Prophets." "A follower? A blessed child? What does that mean? And who are the Prophets?" Charlotte asked with a frown. Hafdan looked both awed and respectful. "A follower of the Prophets is someone bestowed with God-like powers by the Prophets, able to control fire and manipulate the snow..." "As for a blessed child, that''s a descendant of the Prophets and the chosen ones, possessing the bloodline of the Prophets and similar God-like powers." "And the Prophets..." Hafdan''s expression became solemn and reverent. "They are the descendants of the Gods, possessing God-like powers, the founders of the Divine Age, and the rulers of all beings... They came from th Divine Grace Continent, bringing extraordinary power and strength to the wild world of Myria!" Chapter 238: Traversing Thousands of Years The piercing wind howled outside, the sky was gloomy, and the rolling clouds resembled a stormy sea, surging like tides.Charlotte, draped in a black animal fur skin, sat by the campfire, holding a wooden cup filled with hot water, listening to Hafdan introduce everything about this country. This place was in the north of the Myria continent, in a land called the High Tower Kingdom. The rulers of this kingdom were beings revered as the Prophets. They possessed divine beauty and powers surpassing mortal comprehension. During the terrifying and chaotic era of the Godfall Cataclysm, they came here from the distant land of Divine Grace. In the stories passed down by the elders of the northern border, the Prophets arrived in Myria like saviors. They defeated the evil Old Gods, built high towers in the wilderness, enlightened civilization, and brought new life to the struggling people of the north. Since the central high tower was erected, the Prophets have ruled the northern border for over four hundred years, and the day the Chosen defeated the Old Gods and established the high tower was named the first year of the Prophetic Era. The first year of the Prophetic Era marked the beginning of this era, and the Prophets symbolized authority and divinity in the High Tower Kingdom! Charlotte listened quietly to Hafdan''s narration of the High Tower Kingdom''s history. In the eyes of this hunter, she saw nothing but admiration and reverence for the Prophets. Especially when mentioning the God-like powers wielded by the Prophets, the fear and longing for this "God-like power" were almost palpable. "Mr. Hafdan, you seem to admire the Prophets quite a lot. You said I look a lot like them? Can you elaborate?" Charlotte asked calmly. Hafdan nodded and said. "Oh, of course. The Prophets look very much like us Northerners, but their skin is more delicate and smooth, like flowing milk. They hardly age, do not die, and their lifespan far exceeds ours. The God-like power they wield can easily defeat all wild beasts..." "If it weren''t for them, the North would still be ravaged by wild beasts. Without them, countless Northerners would have perished under the ice storms of the Old Gods and the claws of the wild beasts..." "Oh, by the way, the most notable feature of the Prophets is their pointed ears. It''s said that this is the mark of the Great Singular Divinity¡ªthe Moon Goddess Artemis, symbolizing nobility and divine grace¡ªthe divine ears!" "Pfft..." Hearing this, Charlotte, who was about to sip her hot water, sprayed it out. "Cough, cough, cough... cough, cough, cough..." She coughed violently, looking at Hafdan with an odd expression. "Pointed ears... and the Moon Goddess Artemis?" "That''s right, did you remember something?" Hafdan asked. Charlotte''s eyes flickered slightly as she asked calmly. "Are the Prophets you''re talking about elves?" "Elves?" Hafdan was puzzled, looking confused. "No, it''s nothing." We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now Charlotte shook her head. However, her heart was not as calm as she appeared... The Moon Goddess Artemis! Charlotte was not unfamiliar with this God. In the year she had spent after transmigrated, she had read many books about Myria and knew that the traditional God worshipped by the Elven race was the Moon Goddess Artemis! S?a?ch* Th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Combining Hafdan''s account of the High Tower Kingdom''s history with the various historical records of the continent she had read over the past year, Charlotte suddenly had an extremely absurd guess. Could it be that she had traveled thousands of years into the past upon waking up? This absurd guess was not without reason. Although the historical records passed down by various races and beliefs of Myria were often different and their accounts of their respective Gods were clearly beautified and mutually conflicting, there were some periods universally recognized by mainstream historians. Myria''s history, according to the most accepted view among historians, began with the appearance of the elves and could roughly be divided into the "Elven Era," the "Mythical Era," the "Blood Moon Era," and the "Holy Era." In the oldest Elven Era, the elves came to the new continent of Myria from the Old Continent for unknown reasons, naming the new land Myria, meaning "New World" in the Elven language. They established a splendid elven civilization, directly causing the awakening of the Old Gods slumbering across Myria, leading to the start of the Mythical Era. During the Mythical Era, elves and Old Gods waged war, during which New Gods ascended to the divine thrones... Ultimately, the brilliant elven culture declined in the war, and the rising New Gods and Old Gods waged a chaotic divine war that lasted hundreds of years... To win the war, the Gods shared their powers with mortals, leading to the emergence of extraordinaries. Eventually, the Moon Goddess Artemis, who led the elves to Myria, the Bloodborne True Ancestor Eternal Night Monarch, and the Sea King Oceanus achieved final victory, gaining dominion over the Gods. Though victorious, the Moon Goddess Artemis chose to withdraw from the world due to the decline of the elves. The Eternal Night Monarch and Oceanus respectively controlled the continent and the ocean of Myria. The sea, home to seaborne monsters, remained far from civilization, while the continent became the true center of the world. With the continent under control, the bloodborne rose, marking the beginning of the nearly thousand-year-long Blood Moon Era in Myria. Later, the disappearance of the Bloodborne True Ancestor, internal strife among the Bloodborne Princes, and the rise of the Creator God Harald led to a thousand-year Holy War... The ancient Creator God revived, suppressing all enemies with overwhelming power and unifying the entire continent. The gods withdrew, and Myria entered an era of human rule under the Holy Court. Until today... These records are extremely precious and ancient. Even Charlotte only managed to gather them through the Castell family¡¯s resources and Sebastian¡¯s influence. Charlotte couldn''t guarantee the absolute truth of these histories, but at least... they were the closest to the truth as recognized by mainstream scholars of Myria. Since the elves set foot on Myria three thousand years ago, countless myths have been born and countless have fallen. Over three thousand years, civilizations have risen and fallen, each cycle representing the eternal burial of a segment of history. Facts and truths sometimes even the Gods might not fully grasp... At this moment, based on Hafdan''s account, Charlotte formed a bold and crazy hypothesis. Could it be that she had awakened after traveling back to the time when the elves had just set foot on Myria, in the overlapping period of the Elven Era and the Mythical Era, two to three thousand years in the past?! Chapter 241: The Sealed Gospel ¡°Awoooooo¡ª!¡±A fierce wolf howl echoed through the sky. In the night, giant wolves surrounded by black mist, with crimson eyes and menacing appearances, encircled a barren hill. More accurately, their blood-red eyes were greedily fixed on the petite figure atop the hill. A terrifying aura emanated from the wolves. They opened their bloody mouths, dripping corrosive acidic saliva, their frenzied and fearsome appearance enough to make anyone tremble. Amidst their encirclement, on the hilltop. The petite figure remained unmoved. She gently turned around and slowly opened her eyes. In the night, her crimson pupils emitted a faint red light, deeper than the wolves¡¯ madness. She raised her hand slightly, and black phantoms burst forth from behind her. The wolves howled as they charged at her, but in the next second, the ghostly shadows weaved through every attacking wolf. Black and red mist blossomed like flowers, and the wolves¡¯ heads instantly separated from their bodies. They continued to run a few steps out of inertia before collapsing to the ground, lifeless. All this happened in an instant, and the petite figure had merely lifted her hands slightly. Her gaze fell on the giant wolf corpses, a hint of satisfaction flickering in her eyes. She extended her hand and lightly beckoned. In the next second, crimson blood, as if given life, flowed continuously from the wolves¡¯ neck wounds towards her. She opened her small mouth, and the blood was effortlessly swallowed like a reverse water tornado. As the blood drained, the wolf corpses shriveled and dried up, ultimately turning into hideous mummies. The thick clouds in the night sky gradually dispersed, revealing the bright moonlight, and illuminating the petite figure. Golden hair, crimson eyes, and a breathtakingly beautiful face paired with a white dress that clashed with the frigid surroundings¡ªwho else could it be but Charlotte, who had activated her bloodborne power? Feeling the abundant magic within her and the fullness from her feast, Charlotte smiled contentedly. She gently touched her somewhat overfilled belly and snapped her fingers, causing ghostly blue flames to engulf the wolf corpses, erasing all traces in an instant. Having done all this, Charlotte nodded in satisfaction, then turned and leaped, transforming into a cloud of black mist, vanishing into the darkness. In the temporary camp. The black mist slowly gathered, forming Charlotte¡¯s shape. She landed steadily, glanced at the gradually brightening sky, and put on the fur coat Hafdan had lent her. She then pointed at the sleeping hunter. With a flash of crimson light, the sleep spell on the hunter was lifted. Soon, Hafdan, who had been snoring, yawned and slowly opened his eyes. Seeing the girl by the campfire, he woke up instantly, shouting in surprise. ¡°Oh! Damn! Blessed Lady, I¡¯m sorry! I fell asleep again!¡± ¡°Damn it! I was supposed to keep watch!¡± Seeing the shouting hunter, Charlotte smiled and said. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It doesn¡¯t matter who keeps watch, I couldn¡¯t sleep anyway.¡± ¡°But it was my duty! I¡¯m really sorry! I must have been too lax to fall asleep while on night watch! You know, there are often wild wolves around here! Those terrifying creatures can kill us in a single blow, especially since they often move in packs! Even the Blessed Ones have to be cautious around them!¡± Hafdan said, full of self-reproach and fear. But after he finished, looking at the orderly camp and the untouched beast-repelling powder, he was puzzled. ¡°Huh? Blessed Lady, was there really no nocturnal wild beast activity last night?¡± Charlotte nodded and replied naturally. ¡°Yes, it was another peaceful night without any monster attacks on the camp.¡± Hafdan looked surprised and scratched his head in confusion. ¡°Strange! I remember there should be quite a few wild beasts on this path... Why haven¡¯t we encountered any in the past few days?¡± We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now ¡°Isn¡¯t it good not to encounter them?¡± Charlotte asked with a smile. Hafdan hesitated and shook his head. ¡°Well, not exactly... Since it¡¯s the return journey, and the energy of the Divine Bow is almost exhausted, it¡¯s safer not to encounter wild beasts. But... not seeing even the weakest wild hare along the way is really... really weird.¡± He said, looking worried. ¡°Blessed Lady, not encountering wild beasts for several days in a row is definitely not normal!¡± ¡°The northern wilderness is usually teeming with wild beasts, and after the snowstorm, they often come out to forage in groups. Not encountering anything for so long might not be a good sign.¡± ¡°Blessed Lady, I suggest we speed up our journey. Wild beasts are always highly perceptive. I¡¯m wondering if they¡¯ve sensed some unknown danger and thus all avoided this area¡­¡± ¡°For instance, some more powerful existence, or some impending disaster.¡± Hafdan said anxiously. Hearing his words, Charlotte smiled and said. ¡°I have no objections.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s pack up and move quickly. No matter what monsters or disasters are around, we¡¯ll be safe once we reach the tribe.¡± Hafdan said. After speaking, he immediately started packing. Charlotte had nothing much to pack. She thought of helping, but Hafdan wouldn¡¯t let her, or rather, didn¡¯t dare let her. The title ¡°Blessed One¡± carried more weight than she imagined, at least for Hafdan. Charlotte felt like this hunter acted like a humble servant before her. Since she didn¡¯t need to help, she enjoyed the leisure and took the opportunity to check her status. It had been a week since she awakened. Apart from the first three days of snowstorms, she had been traveling with Hafdan to the northern tribe. During the day, she traveled with Hafdan, and at night, she would put him to sleep and secretly hunt wild beasts to regain her strength. The absence of wild beasts along the way was naturally because she had killed them all, or rather, those creatures sensed the danger and fled. With constant killing and devouring, over the past few days, Charlotte¡¯s strength had returned to its peak before she awoke, just a step away from breaking through to the Second Tier Silver Moon. However, what troubled Charlotte was that despite her strength returning, she still hadn¡¯t found a way to return to her original era. Unlike before her awakening, she no longer felt the urge to sleep but remained fully awake. As for the Gospel of Blood in her consciousness, after days of recovery, Charlotte discovered the differences compared to before her awakening. S?a?ch* Th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Firstly, the divine power of blood contained in the Gospel had vanished. Charlotte didn¡¯t know if it was consumed entirely by ¡°traveling¡± to this era or for some other reason. In any case, she could no longer sense any divine power. Simultaneously, the True Ancestor¡¯s Liberation, previously in an ¡°active state,¡± was sealed again. In her consciousness, its representative manifestation had turned grey. Additionally, the crimson star sea that could be unfolded by Blood Summoning had disappeared. Or more accurately, the once brilliant star sea had become a foggy world, even the stars representing Sebastian and Yurst, who had blood contracts with Charlotte, were nowhere to be found. However, despite the disappearance of the stars representing the bloodborne, Charlotte could still faintly sense a connection deep within her soul. She could feel that her links to the two blood servants and her contract servant, Nice, were still there, just somehow interfered with or isolated, making it difficult for her to contact them. Charlotte didn¡¯t know if this was due to the power of time or something else, but it was clear that as long as she stayed in this era, she couldn¡¯t use the contracts to reach her servants. The only unexpected thing was her followers. Her followers, mainly from the Blood Wolf Tribe, were still present and could be sensed clearly. But, like the blood servants, although she could sense them, she couldn¡¯t project power or communicate through faith as she normally would. In summary, part of the Gospel of Blood¡¯s power had been sealed. With her ¡°cheat¡± sealed, Charlotte¡¯s sense of security diminished greatly. Now, all she could do was to keep enhancing her strength by devouring the blood of wild beasts and try to break through to Silver Moon in this era. After packing their luggage, they resumed their journey. Three days later, Charlotte finally arrived at Hafdan¡¯s tribe. Chapter 242: Lilith and Harald Hafdan''s village was nestled on a hillside.Scattered thatched cottages surrounded the slope, arranged in a picturesque manner, with winding dirt paths spiraling upward. Looking at the entire hillside from a distance, one could see curling smoke from the chimneys, cattle and sheep grazing on roots, hunting dogs chasing and playing, and busy humans dressed in coarse beast robes and furs. However, what caught Charlotte''s eye the most was the tall tower standing at the center of the village on the slope. Unlike the simple thatched cottages of the village, the tall tower, built from grayish-white stones, exhibited a distinct elven style, adorned with exquisite reliefs and patterns, standing out starkly from its surroundings. At the top of the tower, a light blue crystal floated gently, emanating a soft glow. In the warm sunlight, a faintly visible light shield could be seen, like an overturned bowl, centering on the tower and enveloping the entire village on the hillside. Is this... a mage tower? Charlotte was momentarily stunned. Although it differed somewhat from the mage towers built by the elven craftsmen in Castell County, she was sure that this... was a mage tower! "That is the Tower of Sanctuary, built by the Blessed Ones from the central tower. It possesses incredible powers..." Following Charlotte''s amazed gaze, Hafdan explained. Tower of Sanctuary? So, that''s what the Northern tribes people call it... Charlotte mused. Hafdan continued his enthusiastic introduction. "Every village in the High Tower Kingdom has a Tower of Sanctuary. Only with a Tower of Sanctuary can we survive the disasters and transformations caused by the fallen Gods'' erosion..." S?a??h the N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. "The Tower of Sanctuary is also where the Blessed Ones descend, and it is where we conduct our daily worship and offerings. The chief priest I am taking you to meet also resides there." After speaking, Hafdan looked at Charlotte and smiled. "Blessed Lady, let''s go inside. Once we enter the domain of the Tower of Sanctuary, we will be completely safe." Hearing Hafdan''s words, Charlotte withdrew her gaze from the Tower of Sanctuary. She nodded slightly and followed Hafdan towards the village. As they walked along the winding dirt road, everything about the village became clearer. Charlotte could even hear the clear sounds of livestock and poultry, and see the smiling faces of children playing. When she crossed the faintly visible protective shield emitted by the tower, ancient crimson text suddenly appeared in her vision. [The Gospel of Blood has detected an ongoing divine ritual¡ª] [Ritual Name: Moonlight''s Cage] [Caster: Tower Mage No. 58] [Target: Charlotte de Castell] [Effect: Originally a protective divine spell "Moonlight''s Protection" bestowed by the Moon Goddess Artemis, it was later modified by elven priests. While maintaining its protective effect, it also has monitoring and punitive functions.] [According to the spell''s effect, Moonlight''s Cage can operate in protection, monitoring, or divine punishment modes. The current mode is monitoring. In monitoring mode, any entity entering the spell''s domain will be inspected and recorded.] [Interception Probability: 100%] [Intercept?] ... Identity inspection and monitoring? Charlotte''s heart stirred, and she naturally chose to intercept it. In the mythical era, although the Moon Goddess and the True Ancestor were both victors, they were also adversaries. Charlotte had read records of wars between the bloodbornes and the elves in ancient texts. Not having figured out the depths of the High Tower Kingdom or the attitudes of the elves, she naturally chose not to reveal her identity if she could avoid it. Crossing through the transparent protective shield, Hafdan completely relaxed. He turned to Charlotte with a smile. "Blessed Lady, we are completely safe now! I need to go home first and bring back the spoils of this trip, then I''ll take you to the Tower of Sanctuary to meet our chief priest!" Charlotte nodded slightly and smiled. "Thank you." Following Hafdan, Charlotte entered the village. Hafdan seemed to have a good rapport with the villagers. Along the way, residents greeted him, inquiring about his hunting gains, and Hafdan responded with smiles. After the greetings, almost everyone would turn their eyes to Charlotte. No wonder, she was too conspicuous. Even wrapped in a shabby fur coat, her natural beauty couldn''t be concealed. Her smooth golden hair and delicate skin starkly contrasted with the weather-beaten villagers, not to mention the noble demeanor she had been forced to cultivate over a year. "Hafdan, who is this esteemed person...?" Looking at Charlotte, the villagers instinctively used honorifics, their gazes filled with curiosity. "This is the Blessed One I met on my journey! Also, my guest!" Hafdan raised his head proudly and introduced her to everyone. The gazes of the villagers immediately changed. Their curiosity turned to reverence as they looked at Charlotte, with many quickly averting their eyes and bowing respectfully. Charlotte could even hear some people whispering in the distance. "It''s actually the Blessed One!" "No wonder... no wonder she''s so beautiful! Just like the Prophets..." "Hafdan is so lucky, being able to connect with a Blessed One... His status as a Storm Hunter is surely secure now, isn''t it?" "More than just secure, his two poor children might benefit as well!" The villagers'' chatter was full of envy as they looked at Hafdan. Charlotte, however, felt a bit guilty. Although she suspected that the so-called Blessed One likely referred to a half-elf, she herself had no connection to the elves protecting these Northern people. The villagers didn''t know these intricacies, they were simply very curious about Charlotte''s identity. The title of "Blessed One" was even more significant than Charlotte had imagined. As Hafdan introduced her, more and more villagers came to see the excitement, nearly blocking the already narrow road. We rely on your support! read at https://novelplex.org Donate now Even Hafdan eventually couldn''t take it anymore and hurriedly waved the crowd away. "Alright! Alright! Don''t crowd here! I still have to take the Blessed One to meet the Chief Priest!" After much effort, Hafdan finally dispersed the onlookers. "Apologies, Blessed Lady, many of my kin have never seen a divine face so close before, and I apologize for the fright." Hafdan said apologetically. Charlotte waved her hand. "It''s nothing, I''m used to it." She was indeed used to it, back when she prayed in the Holy Court''s praying room, the crowds watching were even more overwhelming. Hearing this, Hafdan became even more respectful. And within that respect, there was even a hint of gratitude. "Blessed Lady, you are the most approachable Blessed One I''ve ever met. Thank you for your understanding!" "Please, follow me! I have a jar of mead at home that I''ve been saving just for you!" Following Hafdan, Charlotte finally arrived at a simple courtyard halfway up the slope. In the courtyard, a young silver-haired woman was feeding the poultry. Seeing her, Hafdan''s gaze softened, and he happily shouted. "Tamia! I''m back!" Hearing his voice, the young woman trembled slightly. She turned around slowly, and upon seeing Hafdan, she also showed a joyful expression. "Haf! You''re back!" She put down her work and happily ran towards Hafdan, embracing him. They hugged for a moment before separating, and under Charlotte''s curious gaze, Hafdan introduced. "Blessed Lady, this is my wife, Tamia." Only then did the young woman notice Charlotte standing nearby. A look of astonishment flashed in her eyes, and then she asked hesitantly. "Haf, who is this...?" "This is a distinguished Blessed One I met on my journey, and also our guest." Hafdan replied with a smile. "A... Blessed One!" Tamia exclaimed. She couldn''t help but glance at Charlotte''s ears and then hurriedly bowed stammeringly. "B-B-Blessed... One..." "Haha, no need to be so formal. This Blessed Lady is different from others, very easy to get along with. Tamia, quickly bring out the mead I''ve been saving!" Hafdan said with a laugh. "Alright! Right away!" Tamia bowed to Charlotte and then hurriedly turned and went into the house. "Blessed Lady, my wife is also seeing someone like you so close for the first time. Apologies if she embarrassed herself." Hafdan said with a bit of embarrassment. "It''s alright, it''s alright." Charlotte quickly waved her hand. "Please, come in and rest." Hafdan invited Charlotte into the house. Hafdan''s home was as simple inside as it appeared outside, filled with various tools, but it was tidy. Charlotte and Hafdan sat by the fireplace, and soon Tamia returned, bringing a carefully wrapped clay jar. "Blessed Lady, please try our mead." Hafdan took the jar and poured a cup for Charlotte. Charlotte nodded slightly. "Thank you." She took a sip, finding it pleasantly sour and sweet, with a unique flavor. "Very nice." She commented. Hearing her praise, Hafdan beamed with joy. His eyes roamed around the room before landing on his wife. "Tamia, where are Lil and Har?" "Them? They''re out playing." Tamia replied. At that moment, the sound of chattering came from outside, and two small figures burst in, shouting: "Mom! Mom! We heard Dad is back and brought a beautiful big sister! Is it true?" Charlotte looked over and saw two children. A boy and a girl, both around six or seven years old, the boy with golden hair like Hafdan, and the girl with silver hair like Tamia. Their pale little faces were full of innocent excitement. Seeing the two little ones, Hafdan''s gaze softened again. "Lil, Har, come here!" He called the children over and introduced them to Charlotte. "Blessed Lady, these are my two children, Lilith and Harald." "Pfft..." Hearing the names, Charlotte couldn''t help but spit out her mead. ___________________________ T/N: I''m trying to move this project to other group so starting from tomorrow, I will lock all purchase for advance chapters (Can no longer purchase them but if you already unlock it beforehand, you can still read them.) Free chapter would stop for awhile until I get to sort it off with NU Mods. Chapter 243: Making an Impression Charlotte coughed violently, almost to the point of tears. Hafdan and the others were equally startled by her intense reaction.¡°Blessed Lady, are you¡­ alright?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, cough cough, it¡¯s fine¡­¡± Charlotte waved her hand, her eyes strangely fixed on the two little children hiding behind their mother. She couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Hafdan, what did you say your children¡¯s names were?¡± ¡°Um¡­ this is my daughter Lilith, and this is my son Harald. Is there a problem, Blessed Lady?¡± Hafdan asked. Charlotte glanced peculiarly at the two timid children and said, ¡°No, nothing.¡± Nothing could be more wrong! This was a huge issue! These names were far too familiar! One was the suspected Bloodborne True Ancestor mentioned every time she opened the Gospel of Blood, and the other was the name of the Creator God known throughout Myria, at least in later eras. Charlotte wasn¡¯t sure if these were just common names or something more, but hearing these names thousands of years back after waking up was certainly thought-provoking. At the very least, Charlotte found it hard not to think about it when looking at the two snot-nosed kids. Goodness, could these children really be the True Ancestor and the Creator God? The mysterious True Ancestor aside, wasn¡¯t the God Harald recorded in various texts as a resurrected Creator God? This¡­ it was really hard to associate this child with such a being. But Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but speculate. She believed her time travel after her slumber couldn¡¯t be coincidental and was likely related to the Gospel of Blood. Given this background, encountering children named Lilith and Harald made her think that these were more likely to be the future Gods rather than common names. Wait, if these two little ones really were the future rulers of two eras, then wouldn¡¯t she, at this moment¡­ be of a higher rank than them? Thinking this, Charlotte¡¯s gaze toward the two children changed. Although she was sure she had traveled to the end of the Elven Era, she didn¡¯t know if her journey would affect future history or if she could return to her time. But, whether these children were really the future Gods or not, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to be kind to them! The reason was simple. According to various records, these two beings were essentially the protagonists of history. Once they stepped onto the historical stage, they almost always rampaged, slaying demons and gods alike, until they stood at the pinnacle of their era¡­ Given this, whether Charlotte could return to her time or not, building a good relationship with these two wouldn¡¯t hurt! With this in mind, Charlotte instantly put on a friendly smile and sweetly said. ¡°Lil, Har, hello~!¡± ¡­ It turned out that children also had little resistance to and little wariness of cute things. With her charming face, sweet voice, innocent smile, and rich experience dealing with kids in her previous life, Charlotte quickly broke down the two children¡¯s defenses. Charlotte¡¯s version of various fairy tales also played a significant role. Children were easily attracted by interesting stories. After telling two or three fairy tales, the two little ones naturally became Charlotte¡¯s followers. With a mindset to foster a good relationship, Charlotte deliberately refrained from telling the dark fairy tales that had once broken down Sherry and her sisters. Seeing Charlotte getting along well with the children, Hafdan and Tamia were delighted. S?a?ch* Th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte could tell they were genuinely happy. For the common people of this era, gaining the recognition of a ¡°Blessed One¡± or ¡°Prophet¡± seemed to be a considerable honor. After spending some time together, Charlotte also roughly understood the children¡¯s personalities. Lilith was a very outgoing little girl, boisterous and curious about everything. She was older than Harald by a year and always chattered away, constantly asking questions that sometimes left Charlotte either amused or at a loss for words, like ¡°Why can the wolf grandmother talk? Is it a wild beast?¡± or ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it hurt if the wolf grandmother¡¯s belly was cut open?¡± Harald, on the other hand, was a quiet and reserved boy. He was much more timid than his lively sister, always clutching his mother Tamia¡¯s clothes or hiding behind Lilith. However, Harald seemed to really enjoy listening to stories. After a few fairy tales, he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off Charlotte. He would shyly hide behind Lilith, staring at Charlotte with wide, eager eyes, listening intently. When Charlotte told slightly sad stories, his eyes would redden, and he would quietly sob along with the story. When she told happy stories, he would smile innocently, filled with happiness and longing. He was an introverted, sensitive, and somewhat timid child. Looking at the soft-hearted little boy in front of her, Charlotte found it hard to associate him with the future Creator God who held supreme authority and made all the Gods bow down. The same went for Lilith. She was just a carefree, kind-hearted child, far from the cruel, ruthless True Ancestor that Count Yurst had mentioned. This even made Charlotte wonder if they were just common names after all. They say you can tell a lot about a person by the time they¡¯re seven. Could it be that future events dramatically changed their personalities? As she looked at the two children who were becoming increasingly attached to her after being bombarded with fairy tales, Charlotte grew more curious. Hafdan¡¯s family was very hospitable. After getting acquainted with the children, Hafdan and Tamia invited Charlotte to join them for a meal. Having traveled for so long and told stories for half the day, Charlotte was indeed hungry and accepted the invitation. The living conditions in the north were harsh, and the food was simple, mostly consisting of animal milk, stew, and something like black bread. Honestly, it didn¡¯t taste great. But Charlotte had grown accustomed to it after a week in this era. During the meal, Charlotte subtly probed for information about ¡°bloodbornes.¡± As she expected, Hafdan and Tamia had never heard of bloodbornes and looked completely baffled. This made Charlotte suspect that bloodbornes might not exist yet. After all, the True Ancestor was likely just a child now. After the meal, Charlotte decided to follow Hafdan to see the Tower of Sanctuary. The commoners of this era knew little, but perhaps the Tribal Elder Priest could provide Charlotte with more information. She needed as much information as possible to deepen her understanding of this era and seek a way to return to her time. However, before Charlotte and Hafdan could leave, someone arrived. ¡°Blessed One, Elder Enge is very pleased to hear of your arrival and has sent us to invite you to the tower¡­¡± Outside the door, tribal warriors dressed in animal skins stood on either side, and a warrior clearly dressed as a leader respectfully bowed to Charlotte and said in a deep voice. Chapter 244: Respectful Elder Priest Since the warriors had come to invite her, Charlotte naturally accepted their goodwill.Following the fur-clad warriors through the rows of thatched huts, she quickly arrived at the Tower of Sanctuary situated on the hillside. When Charlotte entered the tower, the Village¡¯s Elder Priest was already waiting there. He was an elderly man with a head full of silver hair, his expression weary. Dressed in traditional elven attire, he seemed to have a leg disability and could only half-sit on a reclining chair. Sensing the faint aura of the extraordinary from him, coupled with a hint of resemblance to the divine aura of the Holy Court¡¯s clergies, Charlotte felt a stir in her heart. This was a clergyman! A clergyman of the Moon Goddess Artemis! Seeing Charlotte, the old priest smiled. With the help of the warriors, he wobbled and bowed to Charlotte, then respectfully said, ¡°May the moonlight¡¯s protection be with you, esteemed Daughter of the Prophets. Please forgive my physical limitations, I could not personally greet you upon hearing of your arrival¡­¡± ¡°My name is Enge, the Chief Priest of the Northern Mountain Tribe. How may I assist you?¡± Charlotte was surprised at the Elder Priest¡¯s respectful and enthusiastic demeanor. It seemed that the status of the elves was even higher than she had imagined, given the reception she, a half-elf, received. She had been pondering how to respond if he inquired about her origins, but to her surprise, he did not ask at all. After a moment¡¯s thought, Charlotte cautiously said. ¡°Mr. Enge, I indeed need your help.¡± ¡°To be honest, I was rescued by your tribe¡¯s Sir Hafdan after being found in the wild. After waking up, I have forgotten many things¡­¡± ¡°If possible, I hope to inquire about some information regarding the Prophets. If you have any books on myths or history, I would like to borrow them.¡± ¡°I hope to awaken my lost memories through this method¡­¡± Upon hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, Elder Enge showed a troubled expression. ¡± Blessed Lady, I¡¯m afraid you might be disappointed. Our Northern Mountain Tribe has always strictly adhered to the Central Tower¡¯s requirements and does not possess any books, let alone those on myths and history¡­ You would probably have to go to the Central Tower to find such things.¡± ¡°If you want to inquire about the Prophets, I do know a bit, but it¡¯s just superficial knowledge. After all, although I am the Tribe¡¯s Priest, I am but a mortal who worships the moonlight and cannot receive the same divine favor as you.¡± ¡°However, the Central Tower sends envoys every three months. There are a little over two months until the next envoy arrives. If you don¡¯t mind, you can rest in our tribe until then. When the envoy arrives, they can certainly help you return and assist in awakening your memories.¡± Elder Enge¡¯s expression was sincere and respectful. Yet Charlotte felt a subtle unease. Why does it feel like¡­ this priest believes whatever I say? Doesn¡¯t he doubt my origins at all? Charlotte was puzzled but maintained her composure and continued to inquire. ¡°Mr. Enge, even superficial knowledge is helpful. I have forgotten many things, even the basic common sense of this world, which I need to know.¡± Elder Enge nodded respectfully. ¡°I understand. What exactly would you like to know? As long as it¡¯s within my knowledge, I will tell you everything.¡± Hearing this, Charlotte¡¯s sense of subtlety grew stronger. However, since the other party had offered, she didn¡¯t hold back. She began to ask about various basic common knowledge of the world as if she truly had lost her memory. As promised, Elder Priest Enge patiently answered all of Charlotte¡¯s questions, giving her a deeper understanding of this era. Charlotte cross-referenced what she learned with the texts she had read before her journey, gradually piecing together the worldview of this era¡­ Firstly, unless there was a mistake, she had indeed awakened thousands of years into the past. S?a??h th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. More accurately, she should be in the late Elven Era, approximately 2,800 to 3,000 years ago. The nation she was in, known as the Tower Kingdom, was one of the first countries established by elves arriving in Myria, located in the northern part of the Myria continent, roughly the region of the future Northern tribes, on the plateau north of the Castell County. In this era, elves were revered as Prophets, and their descendants with humans were called the Blessed One. The Prophets were the rulers of various nations, and the Blessed One were their representatives and direct managers of ordinary people, akin to royalty and nobility. They provided protection to ordinary people, and ordinary people, in turn, offered loyalty and tributes. It was due to the protection of the Prophets that ordinary people could survive in this chaotic era, with the root of all chaos being the awakened Old Gods and the corrupted beasts, which were the common enemies of ordinary people and Prophets alike. This information matched the history Charlotte knew. The so-called Old Gods were, of course, the native Gods of Myria awakened by the arrival of the elves, and the corrupted beasts were various beasts mutated by divine blood. It was evident that the war between the elves and the Old Gods had been raging for quite some time in this era. The leader of the elves was the Moon Goddess Artemis, while the Old Gods¡¯ side was varied and not well-known to Enge. Moreover, other Gods of the later eras, such as the True Ancestor of Blood, the Creator God, the Sea King, or the God of Contracts, had not yet appeared¡­ In other words, Charlotte had awoken in the era before the grand mythic period of history, when the Old Gods had not yet fallen, and their divine statuses had not been claimed by various fortunate individuals! ¡°Blessed Lady, is there any other information you wish to know?¡± Seeing Charlotte deep in thought, Elder Enge respectfully inquired. Charlotte snapped out of her thoughts and shook her head. ¡°Thank you for your answers, Mr. Enge. I have no more questions for now.¡± ¡°What are your plans next? If you wish to stay and wait for the central tower¡¯s envoy, I can arrange the best accommodation in the tribe for you. If you wish to go to the central tower, I can also send someone to escort you.¡± ¡°The Central Tower is to the south, about a month¡¯s journey. If you wait for the envoy, it will take over two months, but then you can travel with them through the Divine Favor Array and won¡¯t need to journey alone.¡± Elder Enge added. Divine Favor Array? Could it be¡­ a teleportation array? Charlotte¡¯s curiosity was piqued. Thinking of Hafdan¡¯s two children, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll stay here for a while.¡± She had already found a way to increase her power, so she wasn¡¯t in a hurry to go to the Central Tower. Besides, she had encountered what seemed to be the future True Ancestor and Creator God as children here. Hearing Charlotte¡¯s decision, Elder Enge smiled. ¡°As you wish¡­¡± After deciding to stay, Elder Enge arranged accommodation for Charlotte. Before leaving the tower, Charlotte cast a hidden spell with a subtle turn of her hand, leaving a blood magic called the Eye of Shadow for surveillance. Elder Enge¡¯s overly friendly and trusting attitude made her uneasy, prompting her to secretly investigate further. To her surprise, shortly after she left, she ¡°saw¡± Hafdan, who was supposed to be at home, entering the tower through her monitoring magic. Chapter 245: The Era of Chaos In the central hall of the Tower of Sanctuary, before the statue of the Moon Goddess.The Elder Priest Enge sat in his wheelchair, facing the statue with eyes closed, whispering prayers. The hall was silent, so quiet that a pin drop could be heard, until the respectful voice of a stationed warrior came from outside the door. ¡°Honorable Elder, Hunter Hafdan requests an audience.¡± Elder Enge opened his eyes and said, ¡°Let him in.¡± The warrior bowed and withdrew. Soon, a dusty Hafdan entered the hall, respectfully saluting Elder Enge. ¡°Honorable Priest, I have returned.¡± Elder Enge turned his wheelchair and nodded slightly. ¡°Welcome back, my child. May the Moon¡¯s blessing be with you.¡± ¡°Your hunt went well. Although you brought back a few games, the significance of a Blessed One is much greater than any tributes. The Central Tower values every Blessed One highly, and your contribution will surely be rewarded.¡± Upon hearing this, Halfdan looked overjoyed. ¡°Praise the Moon Goddess! So I wasn¡¯t mistaken, she truly is a Blessed One?¡± Elder Enge smiled and nodded. ¡°Such an outstanding appearance, and an extraordinary aura that even makes me feel pressured, coupled with the fact that she safely entered the Tower¡¯s vicinity¡­ She must indeed be a Blessed One lost from the Central Tower.¡± Hafdan became even more excited. ¡°Then¡­ does this mean our Northern Mountain Tribe¡¯s tribute levels don¡¯t need to be adjusted? Can Lil and Har also stay?¡± This time, Elder Enge fell silent. ¡°Elder?¡± Halfdan called out anxiously. Elder Enge sighed deeply and shook his head lightly. ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Even if she truly is a Blessed One lost from the Central Tower, we are unsure which tribe of Blessed One she belongs to, or whose descendant she is.¡± ¡°Hafdan, you are exceptionally gifted and the top candidate for the next head attendant of the Tower. I won¡¯t hide things from you¡­¡± ¡°Just as there is a vast difference in status between us and the Blessed Ones, there are also differences among the Blessed Ones themselves. If she is a descendant of one of the great figures, then everything will be fine. But if she is merely a descendant of an ordinary Blessed One, then I¡¯m afraid¡­ it won¡¯t make a difference.¡± ¡°No, I believe she must be the offspring of one of those great figures! I¡¯ve seen those envoys from the Tower, and even the most noble ones don¡¯t have her unique presence. Her bloodline must be very noble! Yes! It must be so!¡± Recalling the elegance in Charlotte¡¯s every move, which was so different from the wilderness, Hafdan insisted. Elder Enge sighed. ¡°All this can only be confirmed when the Tower¡¯s envoy arrives. As for Lil and Har, I think¡­ even if this Blessed One has a noble lineage, the Tower will not let them stay out in the wild.¡± ¡°Why? Lil and Har are just two innocent children! They have no beastly strength, nor do they pose any threat! You know this! Everyone in the tribe knows this!¡± Elder Enge sighed. ¡°But they are chosen by the Tower. The Tower is omnipotent and omniscient. If the Tower has determined they are tainted by the Old God¡¯s power, then they must be tainted by the Old God¡¯s power. The Tower never allows those tainted to remain outside its control¡­¡± He then tried to comfort him. ¡°Hafdan, you don¡¯t need to worry too much. Sending them to the Central Tower is not necessarily a bad thing. The Tower is omnipotent, and the taint could also turn into a blessing¡­¡± ¡°Once they go to the Tower, they can not only rid themselves of the curse but may also become Chosen Ones, receiving the grace to merge with the Blessed One or even the Prophets themselves!¡± Hafdan, however, shook his head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t wish for them to become Chosen Ones. It is said that for us mortals, being chosen is the highest honor. But once chosen, they can never leave the Tower, serving the Gods and the Prophets all their lives¡­¡± S?a?ch* Th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Lil is a free-spirited child who hates being restrained, while Har is an introverted boy who quietly endures any grievances¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want them to lose their freedom, and I don¡¯t want them to face those Prophets who possess God-like powers!¡± ¡°Hafdan! Do not speak disrespectfully of the Prophets before the Moon Goddess!¡± Elder Enge¡¯s expression changed, and he quickly reprimanded. Hafdan still looked unconvinced, but Elder Enge sighed and said helplessly. ¡°Hafdan, think carefully. Even if they lose their freedom, serving the Gods at the Central Tower can provide a more affluent and safer life than our tribe.¡± ¡°Besides, without the Tower¡¯s power, how long do you think your children can withstand the Old God¡¯s erosion?¡± ¡°Yes, they may not have beastly strength, but their weakness is evident. We are mere mortals, and mortals cannot bear powers they are not meant to bear.¡± ¡°Hafdan, go home and think it over.¡± ¡°Is there¡­ no other way?¡± Hafdan was still unwilling to give up. Elder Enge pondered for a moment and said. ¡°In fact, if you truly don¡¯t want your children to leave, there is another way¡­¡± ¡°Elder, what way is that?¡± Hafdan immediately became excited. Elder Enge looked at him and said, ¡°If a Prophet or Blessed One accepts your children as followers, they would not need to go to the Tower to serve the Gods, but only to follow their patron.¡± ¡°However¡­ you must understand that becoming a follower of a Blessed One means losing their freedom in another sense.¡± Under the Elder Priest¡¯s meaningful gaze, Hafdan felt a surge of emotions, as if he understood something. ¡°There is no absolute freedom in this world, everyone lives with different shackles¡­ Hafdan, I am tired. Go home and think it over.¡± Elder Enge sighed slightly, issuing a subtle dismissal. Hafdan opened his mouth, then slowly nodded. He bowed respectfully and turned to leave. However, just before leaving the hall, Hafdan stopped. He turned back, hesitated, and said, ¡°Elder, the Prophets saved the world from the demonic calamity, they are our saviors.¡± ¡°I have never doubted this, and I have always held the Prophets in high regard. To me, they represent the most noble and revered beings in the world.¡± ¡°But, even without mentioning my children, our tribe has increased our tribute levels three times in the past three years. This exceeds the capabilities of many of our people¡­¡± ¡°Elder, you said that the Prophets are merciful protectors, but¡­ can they always remain so?¡± Elder Enge¡¯s face changed slightly, and he reprimanded. ¡°Hafdan! Watch your words! This is the sacred Tower of Sanctuary!¡± Hafdan quickly bowed his head and said, ¡°Sorry¡­ Elder, I was impulsive.¡± With that, he turned and left the hall. Watching Hafdan¡¯s figure disappear from his sight, Elder Enge¡¯s anger faded, replaced by a complex expression. He sighed deeply and muttered to himself. ¡°Merciful? Even if they are no longer merciful, what can we do?¡± ¡°After all¡­ we are the ones who need to rely on the protection of the strong to survive¡­¡± ¡°This is a chaotic world where even Gods can fall. We powerless mortals are just struggling ants.¡± Chapter 246: Forbidden Lock The conversation between Hafdan and Elder Enge ended, and Charlotte retracted her Eye of Shadow used for surveillance, falling into deep thought.¡°So that¡¯s it. Because I intercepted the magic of the Tower of Sanctuary, Elder Enge is convinced I am the so-called Blessed One, thus speaking openly to me¡­¡± ¡°A chaotic era where one must rely on the protection of the strong to survive¡­ It seems that elven rule wasn¡¯t as solid as I thought at this time.¡± A small surveillance spell provided Charlotte with a wealth of information. On one hand, she understood why the priests in the tribe were so kind to her. On the other hand, she gleaned a lot of hidden information from the conversation between Hafdan and Elder Enge. The attitude of ordinary humans towards elves in this era was not as fanatical and reverent as she had imagined. The rule of the elves had its problems too. The continuously increasing tributes made even priests like Enge visibly dissatisfied, while hunters and warriors like Hafdan harbored a lot of grievances. Moreover, the mention of the so-called ¡°Old God¡¯s contamination¡± particularly caught Charlotte¡¯s attention. ¡°Lilith and Harald are likely the True Ancestor of Blood and the Creator God in later generations. Could their future ascension be related to this so-called ¡®Old God¡¯s contamination¡¯?¡± ¡°But that can¡¯t be right. When I interacted with them before, I didn¡¯t sense any contamination. If there really was divine power contamination, I should be able to detect it with the Gospel of Blood.¡± ¡°However, there is indeed something wrong with those two kids¡¯ health. Their complexion is much paler than other children of their age, as if their life force has been drained by some power¡­ Maybe I didn¡¯t conduct a thorough enough investigation to find the problem?¡± Charlotte touched her chin, lost in thought. Since discovering Lilith and Harald¡¯s existence, she had taken quite an interest in them. Whether or not she could find a way to return to the future, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to establish a good relationship with these two. Even the Tower of Sanctuary was ¡°keeping an eye¡± on them, so it was unlikely that this was just a coincidence of the same name. It was more likely that they were indeed the mythological Gods of the future! In that case, there was no need to hesitate. She would get acquainted and curry favor, building a strong relationship early on. Whether she stayed in this era or returned to the future, it would only be beneficial. Of course, since she had no point of reference, Charlotte didn¡¯t know whether her current ¡°time travel¡± would alter history or if her time travel was inherently part of history. From what she knew, there didn¡¯t seem to be a God with the same name as hers in history. ¡°Honorable Blessed One, we have arranged a residence for you. Would you like to go there now?¡± The warrior responsible for guiding her interrupted Charlotte¡¯s thoughts. He bowed respectfully and asked cautiously. Seeing his overly cautious manner, Charlotte smiled and shook her head. ¡°Thank you, but¡­ I would like to walk around the tribe a bit more. Also, while I appreciate Elder Enge¡¯s offer of accommodation, I have already found a place to stay.¡± ¡°Huh? Um¡­ where do you plan to stay?¡± The warrior was taken aback. Charlotte replied with a smile. ¡°Before visiting Elder Enge, I accepted Hafdan¡¯s invitation. I will be staying at his house for the next few days.¡± She wasn¡¯t lying. After noticing Charlotte¡¯s fondness for his children, Hafdan had indeed invited her to stay at his home for a few days. At the time, Charlotte thought he simply wanted to get closer to the ¡°Blessed One¡±, but after eavesdropping on the conversation, she realized it was probably for the sake of his children¡¯s future. The mystery of her time travel couldn¡¯t be solved for now, but Lilith and Harald¡¯s issues were certainly something Charlotte cared about. ¡°This¡­¡± The warrior looked troubled. Seeing his expression, Charlotte reassured him with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, just report the truth to Elder Enge. He won¡¯t blame you.¡± The warrior still hesitated but, considering Charlotte¡¯s noble status, he eventually nodded respectfully and bowed. ¡°I understand. I will arrange for some people to help prepare Hafdan¡¯s home in advance.¡± Charlotte didn¡¯t refuse the warrior¡¯s kindness. Having lived two lives, she understood his difficulties. With orders from his superior, he wouldn¡¯t feel at ease unless he did something, regardless of the guest¡¯s polite refusal. Charlotte waited outside the Tower of Sanctuary for a while longer until she saw Hafdan emerge. Seeing Charlotte waiting, Hafdan was a bit surprised and awkwardly said. ¡°Blessed Lady, I¡­¡± ¡°You were called by Elder Enge too, right? We talked about many things, and it seems he is very concerned about your hunting trip¡­¡± Charlotte smiled, easing the conversation for him. Hafdan was momentarily stunned, then quickly said, ¡°Oh¡­ yes, indeed.¡± The usually young-looking Storm Hunter was clearly not good at lying, with an expression that was both unnatural and uneasy. He scratched his head and awkwardly changed the topic. ¡°So¡­ what are your plans now?¡± ¡°I already told Elder Enge that I will be staying in the Northern Mountain Tribe for a while.¡± Charlotte replied. Hafdan¡¯s spirits lifted, and he asked hopefully. ¡°Then you¡­¡± Charlotte smiled slightly, glanced at the warrior beside her, and said, ¡°I already informed this warrior that I will be staying at your house for the next few days.¡± Hafdan was overjoyed. ¡°Great! Blessed Lady, Lilith and Harald will be so happy! Tamia too!¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go back. It¡¯s getting late, and I¡¯m a bit tired.¡± Charlotte looked at the gradually darkening sky and smiled. ¡°Yes! Let¡¯s go back! Let¡¯s go back!¡± Hafdan was very pleased. Following Hafdan, Charlotte retraced her steps back to his home. However, when they arrived, they found a crowd gathered in the courtyard. Seeing the murmuring residents and hearing his wife¡¯s anxious calls from inside, Hafdan¡¯s expression changed. He quickly squeezed through the crowd. ¡°Tamia! What happened? Tamia?¡± S?a??h th? N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Seeing Hafdan, the gathered residents stopped talking and quickly made way. ¡°It¡¯s Hafdan.¡± ¡°Hafdan, you¡¯re back! Go inside and see, Lilith and Harald fainted again.¡± ¡°Yes, it seems serious this time. We were about to carry them to the tower to see the Elder¡­¡± Hafdan¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°Lilith! Harald!¡± He cried out, rushing inside. Lilith and Harald fainted? Charlotte was slightly taken aback and followed him inside. As soon as she entered, she saw a worried Tamia and the two unconscious children lying on simple stretchers. ¡°Lilith! Harald! Hang in there! I¡¯ll take you to the Tower of Sanctuary right away!¡± Hafdan had already reached the stretcher, replacing someone to carry it. But the next moment, he was stopped by Charlotte. ¡°Wait a moment, Sir Hafdan¡­¡± ¡°Blessed Lady?¡± Hafdan was stunned. Charlotte¡¯s gaze fell on Lilith and Harald. Seeing their pale faces and sensing the faint extraordinary aura around them with her bloodborne instincts, she pondered and said, ¡°Before taking them to the tower, let me take a look.¡± Hafdan hesitated. But seeing Charlotte¡¯s thoughtful expression, his anxious look was quickly replaced by hope. ¡°Quick! Blessed Lady, please take a look!¡± He immediately set down the stretcher, making way for Charlotte. Charlotte approached the two children. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, she placed her hands on their foreheads. Activating her magic, Charlotte cast a blood detection spell. However, before the detection spell could respond, her Gospel of Blood reacted first. ¡ºThe Gospel of Blood has detected an ongoing divine ritual¡ª¡» ¡ºRitual Name: Forbidden Lock¡» ¡ºCaster: Mage Tower No. 58¡» ¡ºTarget: Lilith, Harald¡» ¡ºSpell Effect: A bloodline divine ritual developed by a corrupted Moon Goddess priest, released within the range of the Mage Tower. It locks and restricts the bloodlines and talents of born extraordinaries. Before the lock is lifted, it continuously consumes and deprives the target¡¯s life force. The stronger the extraordinary potential, the faster the consumption, until the target dies.¡» ¡ºInterception Probability: 100%¡» ¡ºIntercept?¡» Chapter 247: Restored Divine Power from Interception Bloodline divine ritual? Forbidden Lock?Seeing the crimson words appear in her vision, Charlotte¡¯s eyelids twitched uncontrollably. The information revealed by the divine ritual detected by the Gospel of Blood was so overwhelming that even Charlotte, a seasoned traveler from the future, was momentarily stunned. However, after understanding the effect of the divine ritual, she was slightly enlightened. ¡°Bloodline and talent restriction for born extraordinaries¡­¡± ¡°No wonder even in an era tainted by Old Gods, where magical beasts with extraordinary powers exist, the humans of the Northern Mountain Tribe remain ordinary. It turns out the elves have been using divine rituals to prevent the emergence of extraordinaries.¡± ¡°Suppressing the emergence of extraordinaries, labeling those who survive as tainted by Old Gods, and taking them all to the Central Tower for management¡­¡± ¡°This is probably how the elves maintain their rule in this era and prevent the spread of extraordinary power.¡± Charlotte¡¯s mind raced, quickly understanding many issues of this era. The elves, having crossed the ocean, began the age of civilization on the Myria continent, also initiating the extraordinary era. However, the specifics of how the elves declined have always been a matter of debate. Some say the elves exhausted their racial power and potential in endless battles with the Old Gods, leading to their decline. Others claim the Moon Goddess Artemis, tired and weary from the constant struggles, chose to withdraw, indirectly causing the elves¡¯ downfall. Regardless of the theory, it is universally acknowledged that the elves¡¯ influence waned as the extraordinary powers from the Mythic Era emerged. But now, considering this divine ritual, Charlotte had new hypotheses. Elves have always been proud, to the point of disregarding other races entirely. Setting up a divine ritual specifically to suppress extraordinary power in human tribes suggests that even the proud elves felt threatened. From this perspective, it¡¯s plausible that the elves gradually lost their unique advantage in wielding extraordinary power as it proliferated among humans and other races, eventually being surpassed by those with far superior reproduction rates. As for how humans, originally without extraordinary power, came to possess it, the answer seemed evident. The wild beasts of this era are the magical beasts of the future. And the power of these beasts comes from the slumbering Old Gods of Myria. If beasts could gain such power, humans likely could too! ¡°Extraordinary power originates from Gods¡­ I always dismissed this as church propaganda, but now it seems it might be true!¡± ¡°All extraordinaries¡¯ powers¡­ their source might indeed be the Gods!¡± Charlotte pondered, understanding many things. However, one aspect still intrigued her. Corrupted Moon Goddess Priest¡­ What does ¡°corrupted¡± entail? ¡°Blessed Lady, how are Lil and Har?¡± Hafdan¡¯s voice, filled with worry, snapped Charlotte back to the present. Seeing his anxious expression, she paused and said, ¡°Their life force is too weak, which is why they fell unconscious.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t worry, I can solve the problem affecting them.¡± With so many onlookers, Charlotte refrained from revealing the detected divine ritual and had no intention of getting involved in the elves¡¯ schemes. For her, the priority was attempting to achieve her Silver Moon breakthrough and see if she could return to her own time. However, considering Lilith and Harald¡¯s potential future identities, she felt it worthwhile to intervene. From a strategic perspective, aiding these significant figures early on couldn¡¯t hurt. If they could survive even without her help, why not lend a hand and build goodwill? ¡°You can solve their problem!?¡± Hafdan exclaimed in surprise. He quickly reassured himself. ¡°No, you definitely can! After all, you¡¯re the Blessed One!¡± Then, to Charlotte¡¯s shock, he knelt before her. ¡°Lord Blessed One, please save my children! I swear to the Moon Goddess, I will give you everything I have!¡± Startled, Charlotte quickly helped him up. ¡°Hafdan, please rise. You¡¯ve taken great care of me. Without you, I might have been devoured by wild beasts.¡± ¡°Saving Lilith and Harald is my duty, especially since¡­ I am fond of them.¡± She turned to the two children on the stretcher. ¡°Everyone, please step back. I need space to purify them.¡± ¡°Purify?¡± Hafdan was puzzled but quickly complied, instructing everyone to step back. Under curious gazes, Charlotte placed her hands gently on the children¡¯s foreheads. S?a?ch* Th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Next, a dazzling light radiated from her palms, dreamlike and enchanting. Light extraction spell. A minor bloodborne illusion spell with little practical use beyond dazzling the eyes. Charlotte was merely putting on a show. Her real action was using the Gospel of Blood to intercept the divine ritual affecting Lilith and Harald. As she intercepted it, their condition visibly improved, and their breathing steadied. When the light faded, the children stirred, slowly opening their eyes. The onlookers erupted in excitement. ¡°They¡¯re awake! They¡¯re really awake!¡± ¡°The Blessed One solved what even the Elder Priest couldn¡¯t in an instant!¡± ¡°Divine power! It must be divine power!¡± The crowd¡¯s admiration for Charlotte grew. Hafdan, overjoyed, rushed to the children. ¡°Lil! Har!¡± Charlotte smiled at the sight of the happy reunion. But then, she felt a sudden surge within her, her eyes widening. When she successfully intercepted the divine ritual, the Gospel of Blood within her restored a small amount of divine power! Just like when she intercepted the Holy Court¡¯s divine ritual. Chapter 248: Half a Month Later Intercepting the Moon Goddess Church¡¯s divine ritual could actually restore divine power!Charlotte was astonished. However, her surprise wasn¡¯t just because she had found another way to accumulate divine power in this era. It was the fact that intercepting the Moon Goddess Church¡¯s divine ritual itself could restore divine power that caught her off guard. In the year and more she had been Charlotte, she had intercepted divine ritual from more than one church. There were the big contributors from the Holy Court, the Blood Demon Cult, the God of Contracts Mithra, and the Nez Clan. Yet, whether it was the Blood Demon Cult, the Nez Clan, or the God of Contracts, intercepting their divine rituals didn¡¯t provide Charlotte with as much divine power. Or more accurately, intercepting the divine ritual of others besides the Holy Court brought minimal feedback, almost negligible. Only the Holy Court¡¯s ritual was the most effective. Because of this, Charlotte kept exploiting the Holy Court. It wasn¡¯t just because their divine ritual was the most common but also because it provided the highest yield. Charlotte never understood the principle behind this, assuming it might be a unique trait of the Holy Court¡¯s divine ritual. After all, the God Harald had the title of ¡°Creator.¡± Regardless of the truth, being a ¡°Creator¡± and the protagonist of an era implied unique qualities. Now, another big contributor had appeared. The Moon Goddess Chruch¡¯s divine rituals could also rapidly provide her with divine power like those of the Holy Court! Charlotte didn¡¯t know if there was an underlying reason she was unaware of. But it certainly made her speculate. Especially when she intercepted the Moon Goddess Chruch¡¯s divine ritual, the feeling of her blood divine power being replenished was almost identical to intercepting the Holy Court¡¯s divine ritual. The keen perception of a bloodborne was unmistakable, especially with the enhancement of the Gospel of Blood. This sensation was entirely different from intercepting other churches¡¯ divine rituals. If she didn¡¯t know she was intercepting the Moon Goddess Church¡¯s divine ritual, Charlotte would have believed it was still the Holy Court¡¯s divine ritual. Could the Moon Goddess Chruch¡¯s divine ritual be related to the Holy Court¡¯s divine ritual? Charlotte instantly had this hypothesis. But the distinctly different divine power aura left her puzzled. Since she wasn¡¯t truly a God, unable to grasp the essence of divine ritual and power, she could only remain perplexed. Regardless of whether the Moon Goddess Church¡¯s divine ritual was connected to the Holy Court¡¯s divine ritual, one thing was certain: she had found a way to restore her blood divine power! With this method, Charlotte had hope of activating the blood contract she could vaguely sense deep within her soul. Thinking of this, Charlotte looked up at the excited Hafdan, holding his children, and asked. ¡°Sir Hafdan, does the Tower of Sanctuary have daily prayers?¡± ¡­ In the brightly lit hall of the Tower of Sanctuary¡¯s central area, the graceful statue of the Moon Goddess bathed in a radiant glow. Not far from the statue, the elderly priest Enge was assisted by warriors, trembling as he bowed before the statue. Behind him, a dense crowd extended beyond the hall, with people even standing on the slopes outside the tower. The people followed Elder Enge, bowing respectfully and praying devoutly. ¡°May moonlight illuminate the world, may moonlight brighten the darkness, may the Moon Goddess¡¯ radiance forever accompany my heart¡­¡± The murmured prayers flowed through the hall, sacred and solemn. The Moon Goddess¡¯ Ceremony¡­ This was the daily worship of the Moon Goddess Church, the first thing Northern Mountain Tribe believers did upon waking. Every morning, many Northern Mountain Tribe residents gathered at the Tower of Sanctuary to pray and thank the God for protection. Recently, the number of people coming to pray has significantly increased. All because of the figure before the Moon Goddess statue. A beautiful girl stood there. She wore a white dress that stood out among the crowd, her hands clasped, eyes gently closed, her angelic face bathed in holy light. The girl was, of course, Charlotte. She had been in the Northern Mountain Tribe for half a month. Discovering that intercepting the Moon Goddess Church¡¯s divine ritual could replenish her blood divine power, she had been diligently participating in the daily Moon Goddess¡¯ Ceremony. A ¡°Blessed One¡± participating in the ceremony naturally attracted more people. Having experienced something similar in the Holy Court Church, Charlotte was accustomed to it. ¡°Praise the moonlight, may you always be with us!¡± Elder Enge solemnly recited the final prayer. ¡°Praise the moonlight, may you always be with us!¡± S?a??h the ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The crowd echoed, praying earnestly. As the ceremony ended and the light faded, Charlotte slowly rose. ¡°Blessed One¡­¡± ¡°Blessed One¡­¡± Seeing Charlotte stand, the crowd respectfully greeted her. Charlotte smiled slightly and nodded in acknowledgment. The crowd instinctively made way for her, a routine they had become adept at over the days. Without lingering, Charlotte nodded at Elder Enge and left the hall. Only after leaving the Tower of Sanctuary did she relax her smile, feeling slightly relieved. As she anticipated, intercepting the Moon Goddess Chruch¡¯s divine rituals had almost the same effect as those of the Holy Court. Moreover, possibly because the Moon Goddess Artemis wasn¡¯t in slumber like Harald, intercepting her divine rituals before her statue provided even more feedback. In just over half a month, she had accumulated considerable blood divine power, and her connection to the Gospel of Blood had become clearer. Despite the gains, Charlotte remained cautious during each prayer. After all, intercepting divine power in the presence of an awake God was audacious, to say the least¡­ Fortunately, things went smoothly. With her experience exploiting the Holy Court, she managed to avoid causing any significant commotion. Feeling the substantial divine power within the Gospel of Blood, Charlotte was very satisfied. She felt that now she should have the ability to reconnect with her blood contract. ¡°Blessed One Sister! Blessed One Sister!¡± A clear voice called from a distance, interrupting Charlotte¡¯s thoughts. She looked up to see the excited Lilith pulling the shy Harald along as they ran toward her. Chapter 249: Teacher! ¡°Lilith, Harald.¡±Seeing the two children running towards her, Charlotte smiled warmly. But as her gaze fell on their small grass shoes, covered in mud and grass, her eyebrows shot up. ¡°You two¡­ snuck out of the village again, didn¡¯t you?¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, Lilith shrank back guiltily. S?a??h th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. She was about to say something when her face suddenly tightened, and she quickly pulled Harald to hide behind Charlotte. Just as the two little ones hid, Hafdan¡¯s familiar loud voice came from not far away. ¡°Lilith! Harald! You two disobedient rascals! Stop right there!¡± Charlotte raised an eyebrow and saw Hafdan, holding a cane that looked like it would hurt terribly if used, breathlessly running towards them. He was fully armed, with a bow and spear on his back, clearly just back from patrolling outside the village. ¡°Sir Hafdan, are you on duty again today?¡± Charlotte smiled. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s the Blessed Lady¡­ Greetings!¡± Seeing Charlotte, Hafdan quickly stood at attention, hid the cane, and bowed respectfully. After that, he glared angrily at the two children hiding behind Charlotte. ¡°You little rascals! Always hiding behind the Blessed Lady, get out here!¡± ¡°Sister Blessed One! He¡¯s¡­ he¡¯s going to hit us!¡± Seeing the furious Hafdan, Lilith put on a pitiful expression, clutching Charlotte¡¯s dress and acting coquettishly. Watching the little girl, who might very well become the True Ancestor of Blood, act cute in front of her, Charlotte felt a complex mix of emotions. She smiled at Hafdan and said, ¡°Sir Hafdan, there¡¯s no need to resort to hitting. Let¡¯s discuss this calmly.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t, Blessed Lady! If I don¡¯t hit them, they won¡¯t learn!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand! They sneaked out of the village again today!¡± Hafdan said angrily. ¡°We¡­ we didn¡¯t go far¡­¡± Lilith pouted. ¡°Not far is still dangerous outside the protected area! What if you encountered wild beasts?¡± Hafdan scolded. ¡°It¡¯s fine! We¡¯ve recently¡­ um, self-taught ourselves some skills! Even if we met a wild beast, we could definitely escape unharmed, maybe even kill it and bring it back!¡± Lilith said proudly, puffing out her chest. Hafdan became even more furious. ¡°Nonsense! Do you think wild beasts are like chickens raised at home?! Even I have to be cautious around them. Do you think you¡¯re experienced hunters now?!¡± ¡°But I¡¯m telling the truth, we¡­¡± Lilith tried to argue. But when she saw Charlotte¡¯s seemingly casual glance, she swallowed her words and, after a long pause, finally squeezed out. ¡°We¡­ we¡¯ll be careful¡­¡± ¡°Careful isn¡¯t enough! Haven¡¯t I told you how dangerous it is outside? Where did you go this time?¡± ¡°We¡­ we went fishing.¡± Lilith glanced at Charlotte, lowered her head slightly, and twisted her fingers, muttering. ¡°Fishing?¡± Hafdan was stunned, then got angrier. ¡°You went fishing? Don¡¯t you know that sometimes water is more dangerous than land? Why fish of all things?!¡± Lilith bit her lip and aggrievedly said, ¡°We heard the uncles in the village say that eating fish is good for your health¡­¡± ¡°You¡­ you always use the divine bow, we¡­ we just wanted to catch some fish to help you stay healthy¡­¡± Hearing Lilith¡¯s words, Hafdan was stunned, his hand holding the cane froze mid-air. He looked at the two children with a complex expression, finally sighed, and threw the cane aside. After hesitating, he gently rubbed their heads, his angry tone softening. ¡°Daddy doesn¡¯t need you to catch fish, daddy¡¯s body is very strong.¡± ¡°From now on, you are not allowed to sneak out. Understand?¡± Lilith and Harald glanced at Charlotte, then obediently nodded. ¡°Un¡­ understood.¡± ¡°Alright, this time I¡¯ll let it go. Come back with me. If it happens again, you two rascals will be grounded for three days!¡± Hafdan scolded. He then bowed to Charlotte. ¡°Apologies, Blessed Lady, for letting you witness this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no trouble. Their intentions were good, but sneaking out alone is indeed reckless.¡± Charlotte said. She glanced at the two little ones, who couldn¡¯t help but shrink back. ¡°We¡­ we know we were wrong.¡± ¡°If you know you were wrong, then come back with me!¡± Hafdan snorted. He bowed to Charlotte again, then led the two dejected children away. Watching the trio leave, Charlotte chuckled quietly. She took a deep breath and turned to walk in another direction. Leaving the Northern Mountain Tribe¡¯s encampment, Charlotte arrived at the edge of the Tower of Sanctuary¡¯s protected area, a dense forest. This place, with relatively high magical concentration, was where Charlotte had been meditating daily for the past half month. During this time, she often meditated here, and after the Northern Mountain Tribe¡¯s Elder Priest learned of it, he specifically instructed the tribe not to disturb her. Thus, this place had become Charlotte¡¯s private ¡°backyard.¡± During the day, she spent a lot of time here, and at night, after Hafdan¡¯s family fell asleep, she would quietly leave the Northern Mountain Tribe to hunt wild beasts and absorb extraordinary blood. After half a month, wild beasts within a twenty-kilometer radius of the Northern Mountain Tribe had almost been completely cleared out by Charlotte. The results were evident. With the continuous replenishment of extraordinary blood, her magical power had nearly returned to its peak before her slumber. In the forest, Charlotte sank into a trance, communicating with the Gospel of Blood, further integrating the blood divine power she had just obtained by intercepting the Moon Goddess Church¡¯s divine ritual. In her consciousness, the Gospel of Blood radiated light, and Charlotte¡¯s connection to the blood contract deep within her soul became clearer. After an unknown amount of time, Charlotte gently opened her eyes. She glanced sideways and smiled. ¡°Since you¡¯re here, why are you hiding?¡± After she spoke, the bushes shook, and two small figures emerged. The sister was in front, and the brother behind, the elder pulling the younger. It was none other than Lilith and Harald. They approached Charlotte, cutely bowed, and with a mix of excitement, fear, and closeness, called out. ¡°Tea¡­ Teacher!¡± Chapter 250: Contact Attempt ¡°Stop¡­!¡±Hearing the children call out, Charlotte quickly stopped them. ¡°I must have told you many times, don¡¯t call me that.¡± She couldn¡¯t bear being called ¡°teacher¡± by these kids. For ordinary people, it might not be a big deal, but she knew these two could very well become Gods in the future. Having been in this other world for so long, she hadn¡¯t heard any myths or legends mentioning these Gods having a so-called teacher. She wasn¡¯t sure if her actions would affect history or if they were already part of history. While it was fine to go along with the flow and get to know them, getting too deeply involved with these two carried too much risk. ¡°But you taught us so many things! In our tribe, everyone calls the person who teaches hunting skills ¡®teacher¡¯!¡± Lilith said matter-of-factly. Harald, who wasn¡¯t much of a talker, nodded vigorously. Charlotte rubbed her forehead. ¡°I didn¡¯t teach you hunting skills, and besides¡­ some of these things you would have learned eventually. I just told you how to do them a bit earlier.¡± Lilith and Harald didn¡¯t buy Charlotte¡¯s explanation. ¡°But you saved us! Without you, Harald and I might have died long ago!¡± ¡°Not to mention the things you taught us, no one in the tribe knows them! You are definitely our teacher! Not just a teacher, but our savior!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care, you are our teacher! Teacher! Teacher! Teacher!¡± Lilith chattered, dragging Harald along. Seeing the two kids looking up at her with admiration, Charlotte was at a loss. Although she had reminded herself to be cautious in dealing with these two, it was challenging to find the right balance. Especially when trying to establish a good relationship¡­ Seeing their stubborn little faces, she could only sigh. ¡°Fine, call me whatever you want.¡± With her consent, the two children beamed with joy until Charlotte¡¯s gentle voice came. ¡°But since you¡¯re here, let me see how you¡¯ve improved in using your power.¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, their eyes lit up. ¡°I¡¯ll go first! I¡¯ll go first!¡± Lilith, who had a lively personality, jumped forward. She focused, drew her small wooden sword, and took a fighting stance. With a delicate shout, she struck a nearby stone. A faint extraordinary aura spread from Lilith, and the wooden sword glowed slightly, leaving a shallow mark on the stone. Wow! Almost at the point of condensing the Source Seed? Charlotte¡¯s eye twitched. As an ¡°experienced¡± extraordinary being, Charlotte was familiar with the power Lilith displayed. It was the Source power. Lilith¡¯s grasp of Source power was naturally linked to Charlotte. Although Charlotte couldn¡¯t become an extraordinary knight due to her bloodborne bloodline, she knew several knight meditation techniques. She had chosen one to teach the two, helping them awaken their extraordinary powers. It was the most appropriate method. In fact, Charlotte taught them not only knight meditation techniques but also mage meditation techniques. However, Lilith seemed more attuned to the knight¡¯s method. Using source power to enhance a weapon was a power that only extraordinary knights stepping into the Starry Sky tier could master. This growth speed amazed Charlotte. Heavens, it had only been half a month, and she had already mastered this power, nearing the threshold of stepping into the Starry Sky tier! ¡°Teacher! Teacher! Look! I¡¯ve been practicing the meditation technique you taught me every day without missing a single day!¡± Lilith said excitedly, her cute face beaming with pride, clearly expecting praise. Charlotte chuckled and nodded. ¡°Very talented.¡± ¡°Of course! I will become the strongest Storm Hunter in the world! I¡¯ll defeat all the wild beasts and Evil Gods and become a legendary hero! I¡¯ll build a grand palace like the Tower of Sanctuary!¡± Lilith declared proudly. Watching the innocent girl and recalling the legends of the True Ancestor of Blood and the grand Dark Night Castle, Charlotte¡¯s expression turned peculiar. ¡°You will.¡± Then she turned to Harald. ¡°What about you, Harald?¡± Hearing his name, Harald stepped forward shyly. He glanced at Charlotte, then gently extended his hand, chanting softly. As he chanted, a faint magical aura gathered around him, and a golden light bloomed in his palm. The golden light lasted a long time before slowly fading. An apprentice-level spell, illumination. That¡¯s right, Harald had become a mage. Compared to his sister, who was more sensitive to the knight¡¯s meditation technique, the introverted Harald seemed more suited for the path of a mage. He not only had a greater interest in magic but also awakened his extraordinary powers faster than Lilith. Seeing the illumination spell in his hand, Charlotte was almost numb with surprise. Although it was just an apprentice-level spell, Harald¡¯s Illumination was noticeably brighter and lasted longer than what her pre-slumber self could cast. No doubt, another genius! But Charlotte was already prepared for this. It was no surprise to her that these two, who could be targeted by the Moon Goddess Church and potentially become Gods in the future, were geniuses. Seeing Harald¡¯s anxious and hopeful expression, Charlotte nodded. ¡°Yes, very good.¡± Receiving the praise, Harald¡¯s tense expression relaxed, his face flushing slightly with joy almost written all over it. Charlotte smiled and continued. ¡°Alright, now that I know your current level, let me teach you some more practical knight techniques and magic applications¡­¡± Even though she couldn¡¯t become an extraordinary knight or a conventional mage due to her bloodline, the extraordinary nature of bloodbornes had some similarities with extraordinary knights, and bloodbornes also possessed innate magic. Combining her own experience with observations of her personal knight and mage guards¡¯ training and the books she had read, she had more than enough to guide these two little ones. At least for now, it was more than enough. Hearing that Charlotte was going to instruct them, the two kids became serious immediately, quickly gathering to listen attentively. ¡­ Time flew by. Before they knew it, two hours had passed. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s it for today¡¯s instruction. The rest will depend on your own exploration and understanding.¡± Charlotte said. The two kids nodded, still wanting more. They exchanged a glance, then quickly stood up and bowed to Charlotte again. ¡°Thank you, Teacher!¡± Charlotte hesitated to speak. Seeing their respectful and excited faces, she sighed inwardly and gave up on correcting their address. ¡°Also¡­ until you become strong enough, do not expose your powers to others, especially not in front of¡­ the Prophets and the Blessed Ones. Do you understand?¡± Charlotte¡¯s expression became serious, and she spoke sternly. The two looked puzzled. ¡°Teacher, why? Aren¡¯t you also a Blessed One?¡± Lilith asked. Charlotte paused and then said, ¡°Because your powers might not be permitted in this era. If exposed before you are strong enough, it would not only endanger you but also those around you.¡± ¡°Then¡­ when will we be considered strong enough?¡± Harald asked. Charlotte glanced at the Tower of Sanctuary on the hill and said, ¡°When you can topple that tower, then¡­ you will be.¡± ¡°Topple the Tower of Sanctuary?!¡± The two kids were startled, but looking at the tall spire, they seemed eager to try. ¡°And Teacher, aren¡¯t you also a Blessed One?¡± Harald asked timidly. ¡°Me? I¡¯m different.¡± Charlotte smiled. She didn¡¯t elaborate further but instead dismissed them. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s getting late. I need to meditate alone for a while. You go and practice by yourselves.¡± ¡°Thank you, Teacher!¡± The two kids bowed to Charlotte again and then left, hopping away. Watching their disappearing figures, Charlotte exhaled slowly and fell into thought. To be honest, she didn¡¯t know if teaching them extraordinary knowledge was the right thing to do. She felt that her interactions with them were deepening. However, considering their future achievements, even if she hadn¡¯t done so, they would probably awaken their extraordinary powers through other means eventually. Maybe they would have been taken to the Central Tower of the elves and awakened there. Now that she had removed the ¡°curse¡± ritual from them, and they were no longer marked by the Moon Goddess Church, they likely wouldn¡¯t be taken to the tower. From this perspective, her teaching could be seen as an alternative supplement. Of course, when she started teaching them extraordinary knowledge, she didn¡¯t think that much. She was just trying to build a good relationship and test their extraordinary powers to indirectly confirm their identities. The results were surprising. Lilith was suited for the knight¡¯s path, while Harald was suited for the mage¡¯s path. Their extraordinary bloodline powers had nothing to do with Bloodborne or the Holy Court. Lilith¡¯s power was unrelated to the Bloodborne, and Harald had no potential linked to holy power. This made Charlotte doubtful. With little information, she couldn¡¯t delve deeper, so she chose not to worry about it further. Building a good relationship and teaching them extraordinary knowledge was a small matter, her main goal was to accumulate power and find a way back to the future. With the restoration of her magic and replenishment of blood divine power, Charlotte had some vague guesses. Of course, these were just guesses that needed further verification and thorough preparation. S~?a??h the n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Now, Charlotte intended to attempt to use divine blood power to see if she could communicate with her followers in another era! With this in mind, she stood up, muttered a spell, turned into a shadow, and flew away. She stopped about six or seven kilometers outside the Northern Mountain tribe, at a hidden cave entrance she had discovered while ¡°hunting¡± recently. It was a natural cave that had been the lair of some wild beasts, which she had killed. She had then concealed it with several blood magic spells. This was her secret base. While the Northern Mountain Tribe was nice, it was crowded. Meditating deeply here would be safer. Reaching the deepest part of the cave, she stopped before a roughly built ¡°stone coffin.¡± It was actually a large stone she had hollowed out and covered with a lid, inscribed with some magical runes she had learned from Nice for warning and defense. This was her real hiding place. She prepared this as a precaution since breaking through in this era might cause her to fall asleep again, making a safe environment crucial. This was also the safest place to use blood divine power without alerting the Moon Goddess Church. Lying down in the ¡°coffin¡±, Charlotte sank into her consciousness, communicating with the Gospel of Blood. Blood divine power surged, and she decisively activated ¡ºTrue Ancestor¡¯s Liberation¡», then forcibly activated the dimmed ¡ºBlood Summoning¡» on the Gospel pages. Crimson divine power erupted, and the Gospel of Blood shone brightly. The next moment, Charlotte returned to the mental world of the Dark Night Castle. In the dim starry sea, two long-lost crimson stars slowly lit up! They represented her familiar, Sebastian and Yurst! Beyond these two stars was another dim silver star, faintly connected to Charlotte¡¯s soul. It was Nice, who had a soul contract ¡°Servant¡¯s Final Oath¡± with her. Seeing the three stars reappear, charlotte¡¯s spirit lifted. Without hesitation, she focused her consciousness and, using the Gospel¡¯s power, directed her gaze to the star with Sebastian¡¯s aura¡­ Chapter 251: Awakening It was a feeling difficult to describe with words.After Charlotte activated the blood divine power and tried to contact Sebastian, she felt something deep within her soul quietly shatter with a bang. An irresistible pull erupted instantly, like a gushing spring, enveloping her and elevating her consciousness¡­ Charlotte found herself losing control of her body in an instant. As if seeing from a God¡¯s perspective, her vision left her body. She first saw the ¡°stone coffin¡± she had made for herself, then the entire cave. Her vision did not stop and continued to ascend. She saw the low hill where the cave was located, the Northern Mountain Tribe in the distance, the laboring mortals within the tribe, and the towering spire¡­ The spire gradually receded, and the mountains became tiny. Charlotte saw the vast stretches of mountains, the rivers flowing like ribbons, the flocks of migrating birds, and the soaring eagles below¡­ Clouds swirled beneath her feet. Charlotte felt like a rising rocket, gradually seeing the entire land and ocean beneath her. S?a??h th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. She saw the Myria continent. Although not in its entirety, comparing it to the continental map treasured by the Castell family, she was sure the land before her was the Myria continent. And her consciousness¡¯ point of origin was northeast of Crescent Peninsula, in the northern part of Myria, known in later generations as the Northern Plateau¡­ Charlotte silently noted this location while her ¡°gaze¡± scanning the surroundings. She could see the distinct boundary between the earth and sky and the slightly curved horizon¡­ At that moment, Charlotte understood. Although she had traveled to a magical otherworld, the land beneath her feet was still a planet! Her vision continued to ascend, and the full view of the Myria continent gradually unfolded before her¡­ Charlotte felt as if she had transformed into a satellite, overlooking the entire world. And beyond the ocean, to the west of the Myria continent. After spanning nearly a third of the Myria continent, Charlotte saw another continent. It was a smaller, fragmented continent. At its center was a massive circular ocean, with the shattered land radiating outward from the ocean, as if struck by an unimaginably large meteorite. From afar, it looked like a giant scar on the planet, incredibly striking. Charlotte instantly realized that this should be the homeland of the elves before they crossed to the Myria continent, a place referred to as the ¡°Old Continent¡± in some secret documents. Charlotte perked up, wanting to take a closer look at what caused the ocean in the center of the fragmented continent. However, as her vision continued to rise, a strong sense of fatigue and drowsiness began to set in. Charlotte felt the familiar drowsiness, and her clear consciousness gradually became blurry. The next moment, the world spun, day and night alternated rapidly. In a daze, Charlotte seemed to see the sun rising and setting, setting and rising, over and over¡­ It was as if the whole world was speeding up, with day and night alternating, becoming faster and faster. Initially, she could distinguish dawn and dusk, but soon, the rotation of day and night became so fast that they blended together. Like a broken light bulb flickering constantly, the entire world turned into a white blur. Amidst the spinning and flickering, Charlotte could no longer hold on, her consciousness growing increasingly fuzzy. But just as Charlotte thought she was about to fall asleep again, the flickering world gradually fell into darkness¡­ Everything returned to silence. Charlotte felt herself in a boundless darkness. Here, she could not feel the passage of time, nor her own existence. Only her sluggish consciousness flowed slowly and lonely. Just as Charlotte¡¯s consciousness was about to break, a blood-red star suddenly shone in the darkness. No. That wasn¡¯t a star. It was a book. It was the ¡°Gospel of Blood¡± deep within Charlotte¡¯s consciousness! The ¡°Gospel of Blood¡± radiated a crimson light, illuminating the dark world. Charlotte felt a strong repulsion from all directions, followed by a powerful sense of weightlessness. The fatigue washed away like a receding tide, and her consciousness became clear again. In contrast to the strong weightlessness, in Charlotte¡¯s perception, she felt as if she were someone submerged and rapidly rising to the surface¡­ Familiar control sensations returned, and Charlotte felt as if her soul had rejoined her body, regaining control. She felt the soft silk and velvet beneath her, and smelled the distinctive fragrances of soothing roses. The next moment, Charlotte slowly opened her eyes. What she saw was a luxurious coffin lid crafted by Sebastian, inlaid with beautiful luminous pearls and magic crystal cores¡­ ¡­ Northport, the Count¡¯s mansion. In the solemn council hall, nobles of various appearances sat, distinctly divided into two factions. One faction, led by Sebastian, mostly consisted of followers who had come with Charlotte from Borde to Castell, and officials and new nobles promoted by Charlotte after arriving in the territory. The other faction was the fully armed Castell nobles. At the head was Viscount Leon-Castell, who sat there drowsily, with a few heads of baron families of considerable prestige in the North. At this moment, the nobles in the hall were fiercely arguing with Charlotte¡¯s followers. ¡°We must see the lord! If you say the lord is unharmed, why stop us from meeting her? Or are you lying?¡± ¡°Hmph, just an elf expelled from Luna Island, do you really think you control Castell?¡± ¡°We only take orders from the lord, and we¡­ will only listen to the lord¡¯s commands!¡± The nobles were resolute, questioning Sebastian, who was seated at the head. Sebastian glanced at the aggressive nobles, his eyes landing on Viscount Leon-Castell at the forefront. ¡°Viscount, doing this at such a critical time, should I take it as your betrayal of our lord?¡± Hearing Sebastian¡¯s words, Viscount Leon-Castell slowly opened his eyes. He sighed and said, ¡°Sir Sebastian, as the head of the Leon-Castell family, I am naturally loyal to the Countess¡­¡± ¡°However, what everyone is saying is quite reasonable. We are loyal to Castell, loyal to the Countess.¡± ¡°But it has been many days since we last saw the Countess, only you issuing orders on her behalf.¡± ¡°Sir Sebastian, I admit the Countess trusts you, but just because the Countess trusts you does not mean the nobles of the territory also trust you¡­¡± ¡°Moreover, you are an elf.¡± ¡°You tell us the Countess is unharmed, but so much time has passed without the Countess appearing. No matter how we think about it, you must give us an explanation¡­¡± The Old Viscount gazed deeply. ¡°Or as the rebels say, has the Countess already been taken over by them?¡± Sebastian shook his head. ¡°Viscount Leon-Castell, the rebels only took the lord¡¯s substitute. I¡¯ve said this many times.¡± Viscount Leon-Castell shook his head. ¡°Then you should explain everything clearly. If it was a substitute taken, where is the real Countess?¡± ¡°You have been blocking us from seeing the Countess for various reasons, day after day, week after week¡­¡± ¡°Today marks a full month since¡­¡± ¡°With the Countess missing for so long, various rumors have begun spreading throughout the territory, even suggesting the Countess has been murdered.¡± ¡°Sir Sebastian, it¡¯s not that I want to doubt you, but with external and internal troubles, unrest is rising, and for the sake of unity, the nobles need an explanation!¡± Many nobles echoed. ¡°Yes, we need an explanation!¡± ¡°We answered the call for the Countess, not the steward of the Count¡¯s family!¡± ¡°Do you really think you can represent Castell?¡± Seeing the aggressive nobles, Sebastian¡¯s expression darkened. Hearing the nobles¡¯ words, Charlotte¡¯s followers exchanged glances, showing hesitation. ¡°Sir Sebastian, I think they have a point. If you know the Countess¡¯ situation, you should tell everyone.¡± A knight hesitated for a moment and spoke. ¡°Yes, the rebels have declared war on us, gathering over ten thousand troops and gaining support from neighboring lords. If the Countess doesn¡¯t appear soon, it will confirm their claims, and the remaining nobles will waver.¡± Another knight agreed. Sebastian frowned, looking around at the followers. ¡°Is that what you all think?¡± The followers exchanged glances, hesitated, but finally nodded slightly. Under the gazes, sebastian sighed deeply. ¡°The lord is safe, but¡­ it¡¯s inconvenient for her to appear now.¡± ¡°I am entrusted by the lord to act in her place during this period, with a handwritten letter from the lord as proof!¡± He produced a parchment from his pocket and displayed it. All eyes turned to Viscount Leon-Castell. The parchment was passed to the Old Viscount, who examined it closely. ¡°This is indeed the Countess¡¯ handwriting, and it bears her seal.¡± ¡°But merely this won¡¯t be enough to convince everyone¡­¡± ¡°Viscount Leon-Castell, are you trying to force the lord to appear?¡± Sebastian said coldly. The Old Viscount sighed. ¡°Sir Sebastian, you¡¯re wrong. Castell faces unprecedented rebellion. No matter what troubles the Countess faces, appearing to stabilize the hearts is natural.¡± ¡°Though it may sound disrespectful, if the Countess cannot appear, she¡¯s failing in her duty as a lord¡­¡± ¡°So¡­ you mean you want to be the lord?¡± Sebastian coldly looked at him. The Old Viscount shook his head. ¡°I dare not. I am merely the County¡¯s vassal, a supporter of Castell¡­¡± ¡°But, there is a tradition among nobles. When the lord cannot exercise power, the nobles should form a Regency Cabinet to temporarily manage the territory.¡± ¡°Sir Sebastian, if the Countess cannot appear for long, this is the only way to garner all noble support. Only this way can we gather our strength to fight the rebels!¡± ¡°Oh? Regency Cabinet? Then I¡¯d like to ask, who is the Regent?¡± As soon as Viscount Leon-Castell finished speaking, a crisp voice came from outside the hall, with a playful hint. Chapter 252: The Rebellion Against Castell The familiar voice drew everyone¡¯s attention.The door to the meeting hall opened gently, and Charlotte, dressed in a black noble dress, appeared before everyone. Sebastian was the first to react. S~?a??h the N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The flame elf stood up from his seat almost instantly, his expression filled with delight. ¡°Master!¡± He promptly knelt on one knee, placing his right hand on his chest in a salute. Seeing the girl who had entered, the knights and nobles closest to the door were momentarily stunned. Then, they too rose and bowed. ¡°Countess!¡± ¡°Countess!¡± ¡°Countess¡­¡± Respectful voices echoed through the meeting hall like a series of reverberations. As if a chain reaction had started, the nobles and knights in the hall rose like a field of wheat swaying in the wind, bowing one after another. ¡°Countess!¡± Charlotte¡¯s gaze slowly swept across the hall. She nodded slightly, acknowledging their respect, and then moved forward, heading to the front of the meeting hall. The knights guarding the entrance instinctively stepped aside. They stood on either side, holding their ceremonial swords high, looking respectful, with their heads held high, closely following behind Charlotte. As Charlotte entered, the nobles naturally stepped aside, making way for her to walk straight to the front. Charlotte calmly walked through the crowd, with nobles on both sides bowing their heads in salutation. She reached the front of the meeting hall and glanced, half-smiling, at the viscount of Leon-Castell, who had also stood up. The Old Viscount trembled as he bowed, his expression respectful and excited. ¡°Countess!¡± Charlotte looked at him silently for a few moments, nodded slightly, and then naturally sat down on the main seat. She looked around the hall and spoke warmly. ¡°Everyone, please sit down, no need to stand.¡± At Charlotte¡¯s command, the nobles slowly sat down. The hall was now extremely quiet, in stark contrast to the previous chaotic noise. It was evident that, although Charlotte had only been in Castell for a few months, her efforts in eliminating the infiltrating bloodbornes had already established her authority among the nobles! At least¡­ she had established authority among those still rallying under the Castell banner! ¡°Where were you all in your discussions? Oh, right, don¡¯t mind me, this should be a temporary noble meeting called by Sebastian, correct? Continue your discussions; I¡¯ll listen for a while.¡± Charlotte adjusted her position on the lord¡¯s throne for a more comfortable seat and spoke. ¡°Master¡­¡± Sebastian slowly rose, his crimson eyes falling on Viscount Leon-Castell, smiling lightly. ¡°As you can see, we were just listening to Viscount Leon-Castell¡¯s proposal to form a temporary regency cabinet!¡± Charlotte¡¯s gaze naturally fell on the Old Viscount. Her expression showed no displeasure, only a hint of curiosity. However, under her beautiful blue eyes, Viscount Leon-Castell felt immense pressure. The Old Viscount immediately stood up again and hurriedly explained. ¡°Countess, please forgive my presumptuousness.¡± ¡°In these days when you had not appeared, there was unrest in the territory. My proposal was merely to unite the strength of the Castell nobles¡­¡± ¡°Of course, now that you are safe and sound, there is no need for a regency cabinet. After all, you are the cornerstone of Castell.¡± Charlotte nodded slightly. ¡°Viscount, there is no need to be so anxious. As the lord of Castell, I understand your actions.¡± Then she looked at Sebastian. ¡°Sebastian, you have been representing me in managing the territory these past days. Please continue to chair today¡¯s meeting.¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Sebastian respectfully saluted. His gaze returned to the nobles in the hall, now filled with greater confidence. ¡°Master is here. I believe none of you still have doubts about the Countess¡¯ authority, right? Now¡­ is everyone ready to follow us and fight against the Lagrisse family¡¯s rebels?¡± Hearing Sebastian¡¯s words, the nobles in the hall exchanged glances and then gradually nodded. ¡°Since the Countess is safe and sound, we naturally will fully support her in quelling the rebellion.¡± ¡°With the Countess present, all the rumors in the territory are dispelled. We are willing to follow her and suppress the Lagrisse rebellion!¡± ¡°Our Valais family has already assembled 800 soldiers, ready to fight for Castell at any time!¡± ¡°Our Lonn family has assembled 1,000 soldiers, ready to follow the Countess into battle!¡± ¡°All for Castell!¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Even Viscount Leon-Castell at the front spoke respectfully. ¡°The Leon-Castell family has also assembled 600 light infantry, 200 heavy infantry, 200 archers, 100 cavalry, and three extraordinary knights, all awaiting the Countess¡¯ command¡­¡± The nobles in the hall expressed their loyalty, reporting their troop numbers one after another. Listening to their pledges of allegiance, Charlotte nodded slightly, her expression satisfied. However, contrary to her outward calm, her mind was in turmoil as she sat on the lord¡¯s throne. Especially after hearing that several towns in the northern part of Castell had already fallen. Good grief¡­ From the discussion, it seemed that the Lagrisse family in the north had indeed rebelled. How long had she been asleep? Charlotte had no idea what had transpired in her territory during her absence. After waking from the secret chamber, she changed clothes and came straight to the council hall, guided by the Blood Summoning, only to hear Viscount Leon-Castell proposing some regency cabinet. Everything else was a mystery to her. Nevertheless, she didn¡¯t rashly interrupt the meeting. Her slumber was a secret. Although she didn¡¯t know how the nobles discovered her absence, and her stand-in Nice was nowhere to be found, as the lord, she couldn¡¯t show ignorance of the territory¡¯s affairs. This would undermine her authority and, over time, arouse suspicion among some nobles¡­ Charlotte trusted Sebastian¡¯s abilities. Since she had delegated power to him, she decided to sit back and listen, trying to piece together the situation. Thus, Charlotte became a listener. As the nobles discussed, guided by Sebastian¡¯s deliberate explanations, Charlotte gradually understood the current state of Castell¡­ First, she had been asleep for about four months. In the third month of her sleep, a significant event occurred in the territory. One of the three viscount families, the Lagrisse family, had attacked ¡°her¡± while she was inspecting the Castell silver mine, using mercenaries. Of course, the Lagrisse family had attacked not the real ¡°her¡± but her stand-in, Nice. Afterward, the Lagrisse family raised the banner of rebellion. They initially claimed that Castell had been usurped by nobles led by the Leon-Castell family and launched the rebellion under the guise of ¡°purging traitors.¡± Gaining support from neighboring lords, the Lagrisse family then questioned Charlotte¡¯s bloodline, claiming the real Charlotte was dead, and the current Charlotte¡¯s rule was illegitimate and tyrannical, justifying their war against the Count¡¯s family.| Within a month, they had gathered over 10,000 troops, capturing several cities in northern Castell, with the conflict spreading southwards¡­ Had it not been for Viscount Remisio and the kingdom¡¯s army stationed at Silver Mine City, and his repeated warnings to the rebels not to invade Castell¡¯s silver mine, threatening royal intervention, Silver Mine City would have likely fallen as well. But even so, the rebels had severed communication between the Count¡¯s house and Silver Mine City, and Northport had nearly lost contact with the silver mine. After the Lagrisse family declared rebellion, Sebastian immediately summoned the nobles to raise an army in Charlotte¡¯s name to quell the rebellion. Subsequently, various lords led their troops to Northport. What happened next, even if Sebastian and the nobles didn¡¯t discuss it, Charlotte could more or less guess. Indeed, before falling asleep, she had delegated the territory¡¯s management to Sebastian, but she only directly controlled the land owned by Castell. Feudalism wasn¡¯t like the centralized administration of her previous life, a lord¡¯s control over vassals wasn¡¯t as strong. Although many nobles had pledged loyalty to Charlotte, she was Charlotte, and Sebastian was Sebastian. In Northport, Sebastian could directly command the city¡¯s troops, but he lacked effective control over the nobles who answered the call. Only Charlotte, only the Castell family, could truly command the nobles. Charlotte had been missing for too long, and rumors had spread throughout the territory. In such circumstances, unless Charlotte appeared in person, Sebastian could hardly gain the nobles¡¯ support. Even if he did, uniting them would be difficult. Today¡¯s meeting was called under such circumstances. Sebastian wanted to consolidate the nobles¡¯ forces and form a united army to suppress the rebellion. Without Charlotte¡¯s presence, the summoned nobles were reluctant to submit to Sebastian and cede the leadership of the united army. Under these circumstances, Viscount Leon-Castell, leader of the loyalist nobles bound to Castell, proposed forming a regency cabinet. Thinking this through, Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but glance at the Old Viscount, who was now fervently discussing battle plans with Sebastian. In hindsight, she had somewhat misunderstood the old noble. Indeed, in the absence of the lord, his actions could be seen as a power grab. But having lived in Myria for over a year, Charlotte wasn¡¯t ignorant of the noble system. Even if Viscount Leon-Castell had his own motives, if she hadn¡¯t shown up, forming a regency cabinet would indeed be the quickest way to consolidate the nobles¡¯ strength. Many things are hard to judge clearly. The fact that Nice, the stand-in, had been kidnapped, directly leading to her substitute¡¯s disappearance, was unexpected! Even though Nice¡¯s whereabouts were unknown, Charlotte could still feel a connection deep within her soul. That guy was still alive. ¡°Countess, we have finished our discussion. This is the rough draft of our plan. Please review it.¡± Viscount Leon-Castell¡¯s words interrupted Charlotte¡¯s thoughts. She nodded slightly, taking the parchment recording the battle plan from him. Looking at the numbers on it, Charlotte was somewhat surprised. ¡°You¡¯ve mustered 35,000 people?¡± Viscount Leon-Castelle respectfully replied. ¡°Yes, a total of 45 noble families responded to the call, each bringing at least 100 conscripts and 20 private soldiers. The noble army has gathered 22,000 people.¡± ¡°In addition, 13 noble families are on their way, including three barons, which should bring about 3,000 more conscripts. In total, we have a noble army of 25,000.¡± Sebastian nodded. ¡°Excluding the frontline garrison, Castell can mobilize 2,000 regular soldiers and 3,000 conscripts, along with 5,000 mercenaries.¡± ¡°All together, we have 35,000 troops.¡± Charlotte: ¡­ Goodness, casually mustering this many people from a county! She could almost believe this was an entire kingdom in her previous life! No, even in the Middle Ages of her previous life, mobilizing such an army wasn¡¯t easy. The mobilization ability in this other world truly defies common sense¡­ ¡°Countess¡­¡± Viscount Leon-Castell stepped forward respectfully. ¡°Our forces are three times that of the rebels, giving us a numerical advantage. Moreover, although the rebels¡¯ core is the elite private soldiers of the Lagrisse family, over 80% are conscripts and mercenaries, with weak combat capabilities.¡± ¡°Currently, the rebels have reached the upper reaches of the Dorn River in the north. I suggest we consolidate our army and immediately march north, stationing on one side of the Dorn River to prevent the rebels from crossing, while training our troops and seeking opportunities for battle¡­¡± ¡°Baron Angus de Wale, who has distinguished himself in the Crescent War, can be appointed as the commander to lead the army.¡± After listening to Viscount Leon-Castell¡¯s suggestion, Charlotte pondered. She glanced at Sebastian and said. ¡°Sebastian, what do you think?¡± Sebastian sighed. ¡°Master, I have some experience in managing the territory, but leading an army into battle is not my expertise.¡± Charlotte nodded slightly in understanding. Indeed, even she was inexperienced in warfare. Especially in an extraordinary world, and with everything happening so suddenly¡­ Chapter 253: Situation ¡°Countess, Castell faces internal strife and external threats. Neighboring lords have long coveted our lands, and the Borde family has remained ambiguous since the rebellion began¡­¡±¡°This rebellion must not be prolonged. If it drags on, the rebels are likely to gain more support from neighboring lords, and even the Borde family might intervene.¡± ¡°The time we have is limited. If it weren¡¯t necessary for the coalition forces to undergo further training to become combat-ready, I would have suggested assembling the army immediately and marching north to engage the rebels in a decisive battle¡­¡± ¡°Countess, please make your decision soon¡­¡± Viscount Leon-Castell¡¯s expression was solemn and respectful. With his plea, the eyes of all the nobles turned towards Charlotte. Under the scrutiny of the nobles, Charlotte felt the pressure intensify. To be honest, she found Viscount Leon-Castell¡¯s points quite valid. As the lord, she was well aware of Castell¡¯s external situation. This rebellion indeed couldn¡¯t be delayed for too long. However, making a decision based on a single meeting still felt challenging. A 35,000-strong army¡­ Even in this extraordinary world, that was no small force. The fate of tens of thousands was in her hands. Despite her outward calm, the responsibility weighed heavily on her. The real-world ¡°fog of war¡± was far more daunting than in any video game, and the information she had was limited. Although Castell¡¯s army was significantly larger than the rebels¡¯, Charlotte had a nagging feeling that something was amiss. The information from the meeting was still too scarce, and the situation around Castell seemed odd. Especially regarding Viscount Remisio. Before she had fallen asleep, this kingdom army commander had explicitly promised to support Castell in any potential rebellion, yet now he maintained a neutral stance. This was indeed unexpected. Charlotte doubted he would change his stance without reason, implying something had happened during her absence. Moreover, if Castell could muster a force far surpassing the Lagrisse family, why did they dare to rebel? Was it merely because of her ¡°disappearance¡±? No, it probably wasn¡¯t that simple. Reflecting on the lady viscount from the Lagrisse family she had met at the count¡¯s mansion banquet, Charlotte fell into deep thought. Despite various suspicious signs from the Lagrisse family before the rebellion, the lady viscount had not left a particularly bad impression. Before her sleep, Charlotte had anticipated the possibility of a rebellion from the Lagrisse family. The Lagrisse family had vehemently opposed Viscount Leon-Castell¡¯s investigations. Pushing them too hard could indeed force them into rebellion. But that was only a possibility. Before her sleep, she had left a backup plan involving Viscount Remisio and the kingdom¡¯s standing army, believing the Lagrisse family would not dare to act rashly unless they were desperate. Charlotte had also advised Sebastian to postpone any investigations into the Lagrisse family until after she awakened. Yet now, she woke to find the situation had drastically changed. As she carefully reviewed the current situation, Charlotte felt there was a hidden force manipulating this rebellion. No, more accurately, there must be a significant power supporting the Lagrisse family from behind. This force was likely substantial, even capable of influencing the kingdom army¡¯s stance. Charlotte pondered this deeply. Castell was not a small region, but it wasn¡¯t vast either. With 120,000 square kilometers, it was comparable to a province in her past life. The forces competing for influence in Castell were likely those with interests here, which boiled down to a few factions. The Blood Demon Cult, the Crescent Royalty, the Nez Clan, and the neighboring lords around Castell. If it were just the Lagrisse family, Charlotte wouldn¡¯t be too concerned. A viscount family, even with hired troops and a maintained cavalry unit, had limited territorial power. The real challenge was the supporters behind the rebellion. Charlotte had some guesses about who these supporters might be among the factions. Of course, guesses were just guesses. She needed more intelligence to clarify the current situation. This rebellion was also an opportunity. If she could use this chance to eliminate all opposition forces within her territory, she could firmly grasp control over Castell and become a true ruler. ¡°Countess, please make your decision!¡± Viscount Leon-Castell¡¯s repeated request pulled Charlotte from her thoughts. In the hall, the nobles were eager and ready for battle. S?a??h the N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Given their apparent numerical superiority and the potential to reclaim and redistribute rebel lands, their enthusiasm was understandable. ¡°Angus, how many troops are needed to hold back the rebels from advancing south?¡± After a moment¡¯s thought, Charlotte addressed the silent Baron Angus. ¡°Countess, with the current garrison along the Dorn River, an additional three thousand men should suffice for a defensive position.¡± Baron Angus replied respectfully. ¡°And to defeat them?¡± ¡°Countess, that depends on how many regular troops the Lagrisse family has organized. Regular troops wield extraordinary power, which ordinary conscripts cannot match.¡± Baron Angus replied solemnly. ¡°When did the rebels reach the Dorn River?¡± ¡°About a week ago. They lack the means to cross and with winter approaching, the icy waters have stalled their advance. They¡¯ve set up camp along the shore.¡± Charlotte¡¯s thoughts quickened. ¡°You mean they¡¯ve been camped along the shore without further action?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Bring me the map.¡± Charlotte commanded. Several nobles quickly brought a map of Castell and spread it out before her. As Charlotte studied the map of her territory, she fell into deep contemplation. Chapter 254: Charlottes Judgement ¡°Master, have you discovered something?¡±Sebastian asked curiously, observing Charlotte deep in thought. Charlotte furrowed her brows, nodding slightly but then shaking her head. ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m just puzzled about the rebels camping by the Dorn River. Castell County is known for its maritime trade and numerous waterways. Almost every noble family with access to the sea or rivers has ships¡­¡± ¡°The Lagrisse family is one of the three viscount families. It¡¯s impossible they don¡¯t have a fleet. The Dorn River is the largest river in Western Yunette and a major trade route between the Northern and Eastern Yunette. Currently, the upper reaches of the Dorn River are under the Lagrisse family¡¯s control.¡± ¡°The upper Dorn River can directly reach the Eastern Yunette Blacklands, which is a mercenary haven. I know merchant ships often travel between Eastern Yunette and Castell via the Dorn River¡­¡± ¡°Does the Lagrisse family really have no means of crossing the river?¡± Viscount Leon-Castell explained. ¡°Master, the Dorn River is too wide, and the rebel numbers are too great. The only bridge is near Northport, which is heavily defended. Even if the rebels organize a fleet, crossing the river would be difficult, especially since we have our own fleet patrolling the coastline and river mouth.¡± Charlotte pondered for a moment before asking. ¡°What about extraordinary means? As far as I know, some powerful mages can freeze rivers temporarily, especially in winter when the weather aids frost magic. Could the Lagrisse family be planning to hire high-level mages to freeze the river for a crossing?¡± Sebastian considered this and said, ¡°Master, while it¡¯s possible, it¡¯s unlikely. Extraordinary powers are common in war, but to cast a spell that allows thousands to cross the Dorn River would require a high-ranking mage, at least at the level of a Blazing Sun¡­¡± ¡°And maintaining such a large-scale spell is much harder than directly destroying a town. Even a Blazing Sun mage would be heavily drained. If another Blazing Sun opponent interrupts the spell, the losses would be substantial.¡± Viscount Leon-Castell nodded in agreement. ¡°Sir Sebastian is right. Unless in a desperate situation, no Blazing Sun mage would use such a large-scale spell due to the immense energy drain and vulnerability.¡± ¡°Moreover.¡± he continued, ¡°the Mage Guild opposes high-ranking mages participating in mundane wars, especially among noble territories under the kingdom. Even if they participate, it¡¯s typically mage against mage.¡± ¡°The Lagrisse family doesn¡¯t have a Blazing Sun extraordinary. Hiring high-level mages to freeze the river would be difficult unless it¡¯s a larger national conflict or the lord himself is a Blazing Sun mage. In inter-territorial noble wars, it¡¯s almost impossible.¡± Charlotte frowned. ¡°Then it¡¯s even more puzzling. If that¡¯s the case, unless they¡¯re heading directly for Northport, the Lagrisse family has no way to reach this side of the Dorn River. What are they doing camping upstream? Or what are they waiting for?¡± ¡°From any angle, attacking Northport directly seems the best choice. Even if they¡¯re camping, they should be downstream to avoid us flanking them. Aren¡¯t they worried we¡¯ll surround them from downstream?¡± Baron Angus sighed. ¡°Master, we can¡¯t flank them.¡± ¡°Oh? Why not?¡± Charlotte was surprised. Baron Angus explained. ¡°We¡¯re separated by the Tulip County, a Borde enclave. The Tulip County cuts off Northport Viscounty from the Lagrisse Viscounty. To flank them, we¡¯d have to pass through the Tulip County.¡± ¡°The Duchess of Borde has declared neutrality in this rebellion and refuses entry to both armies.¡± Charlotte: ¡­ Damn it, she had almost forgotten about the annoying Borde enclave! The Third Prince is definitely up to no good! ¡°The Borde family chose their enclave well¡­ This piece of land practically cuts off Castell¡¯s territory at the waist.¡± Staring at the map, Sebastian couldn¡¯t help but comment. Baron Angus nodded. ¡°Indeed, that¡¯s why every Lord of Castell has tried to reclaim the Tulip County from the Duke, even offering rich southern lands in exchange. But the Borde Dukes have always refused, despite the Tulip County being smaller than Northport Viscounty.¡± Viscount Leon-Castell sighed. ¡°It¡¯s understandable. The Borde Dukes use Tulip County to check Castell. It¡¯s their northern military stronghold.¡± ¡°For years, neighboring lords have been deterred from attacking Castell because the Borde family keeps a stand-by army in Tulip County. As long as Castell remains a Borde vassal, they¡¯ll never let go.¡± Hearing this, Charlotte had a realization. ¡°Wait¡­ did you say the Borde family has a stand-by army in Tulip County?¡± The old viscount nodded. ¡°Yes, Master.¡± ¡°How many troops? Are they all extraordinary? What¡¯s their equipment like?¡± The old viscount thought for a moment and replied. ¡°If I recall correctly, around three thousand troops, maybe more. I¡¯m not sure about the proportion of extraordinary troops, but it should be significant. As for their equipment, the former Borde Duke served as the kingdom¡¯s military commander, acquiring plenty of standard kingdom armor.¡± Hearing this, Charlotte frowned deeper, studying the map of Castell. The Borde enclave in the middle was an eyesore. What should be a perfect isosceles obtuse triangle of Castell¡¯s territory was marred by this Borde enclave, driving anyone with OCD mad. ¡°Sebastian, any other news from the south?¡± Charlotte asked after some thought. ¡°You mean from the Borde Duchy? Besides declaring neutrality in Castell¡¯s rebellion and refusing entry to both armies, there¡¯s no other news from Borde.¡± Sebastian replied. ¡°What about the other ducal nobles? Have they sworn allegiance to the new Duke?¡± ¡°That¡­ I¡¯m not sure. But most of the ducal nobles attended the new Duke¡¯s inauguration, except for us.¡± Listening to Sebastian, Charlotte nodded slightly. The Third Prince was a popular contender for the Crescent Throne. It made sense for ambitious nobles to cozy up to him. Studying the map a while longer, Charlotte said, ¡°The main allied force shouldn¡¯t rush north. Let them train here. Northport has abundant supplies, and the logistics pressure is minimal.¡± ¡°If three thousand can hold the front, send three thousand to guard the Dorn River. No, to be safe, send five thousand. Viscount, recommends capable commanders for this task. Baron Angus will stay here in Northport.¡± ¡°The main force stays in Northport?¡± Viscount Leon-Castell was surprised and hesitatingly said, ¡°Countess, are you sure? This rebellion shouldn¡¯t drag on too long¡­¡± ¡°Though Tulip County blocks our northern route, it also blocks the rebels from advancing south along the coast. Northport, though close to the front, is the safest. There¡¯s no need to station so many troops here.¡± ¡°Safe? Ha, that¡¯s not necessarily true.¡± Charlotte scoffed, shaking her head. Seeing Charlotte¡¯s suggestive expression, the Old Viscount¡¯s eye twitched. As if realizing something, his expression changed. ¡°Countess, do you suspect¡­ the Duke might attack us?¡± The other nobles in the hall changed expressions upon hearing this. ¡°The Duke? The Borde Duke?¡± ¡°A liege intervening in a vassal¡¯s civil war?¡± ¡°That¡­ can¡¯t be possible, right?¡± Even Sebastian was surprised. ¡°Master, that¡­ shouldn¡¯t be likely, right? Even if the Third Prince wants Castell, he needs a just cause¡­ otherwise, who would support his claim to the throne?¡± Charlotte sighed. ¡°If you want an excuse, you can always find one. We must guard against that ambitious guy.¡± Hearing Charlotte, Sebastian fell into thought, and after a moment, Viscount Leon-Castell nodded. ¡°Countess, I understand. In that case, I recommend Baron Sharon to guard the Dorn River.¡± Charlotte turned to Baron Angus, who also nodded. ¡°Master, Baron Sharon is an excellent commander. I believe he can handle the task.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s settled. Though this rebellion shouldn¡¯t drag on, we must train our allied forces and guard against our neighbors.¡± S?a??h the ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte said. Chapter 255: Second Tier Silver Moon After Charlotte gave the order, the meeting ended.The allied forces split into two groups: Baron Sharon led 5,000 troops north, while the remaining troops continued their routine training near Northport. Training the noble¡¯s army was necessary. Despite the force numbering 30,000, most were conscripted peasants brought by the nobles. Without proper training, their combat effectiveness would be quite dismal. Of course, armies of this era, except for those with extraordinary powers, were not much different. After the nobles left, Charlotte returned to the study in the count¡¯s mansion. Shortly after, Sebastian, who had been hinted to come in advance, entered. ¡°Master, do you have any instructions?¡± He asked respectfully as he approached Charlotte. ¡°I didn¡¯t see any representatives from the Roman-Four family at the meeting. What¡¯s going on with them?¡± Charlotte inquired. She had wanted to ask this during the meeting. However, none of the nobles in the council mentioned this pirate-origin viscount family, and Charlotte was preoccupied with thinking about the rebel movements, so she forgot about it momentarily. Sebastian had a peculiar expression as he explained. ¡°Master, I also asked this question at the first noble meeting I convened, and the answer was somewhat subtle.¡± ¡°The Roman-Four family is rather marginalized in Castell. They almost never attend territorial meetings and are disliked by other nobles. Aside from regularly paying vassal taxes, they hardly interact with any other nobles.¡± Charlotte was taken aback and then frowned. ¡°Never attend meetings? But they attended the banquet I hosted before.¡± Sebastian¡¯s expression grew even more peculiar. ¡°Master, that¡¯s precisely what I found strange. To be honest, I initially thought they might have chosen to rebel too.¡± ¡°However, they later sent an messenger to visit the count¡¯s mansion privately, requesting to see you. After I declined, they left.¡± ¡°Although the Roman-Four messenger left, they later sent warships to assist in defending Northport. If you look out from the windowsill, you should see their black ships patrolling the harbor.¡± Upon hearing Sebastian¡¯s words, Charlotte immediately stood up. She walked to the windowsill and looked towards the port, indeed spotting several imposing carrack ships with black sails patrolling the horizon. Bloodbornes have excellent eyesight, and Charlotte¡¯s vision now far surpassed her previous capabilities. She could even see the busy sailors on the ships and the dark gunports of the bombards on the ship¡¯s sides. ¡°This family¡­ is quite interesting.¡± Charlotte remarked, stroking her chin as she withdrew her gaze. Sebastian nodded. ¡°Yes, after Nice was kidnapped, we even received news from the Mercenary Association that the Roman-Four family ships were spotted in the Lagrisse territory. I initially suspected they had allied with the rebels.¡± ¡°But later, I found out they were searching for you in Lagrisse.¡± ¡°This family is quite odd. They have little allegiance to Castell but seem to care about you. If I¡¯m not mistaken, once news of your return spreads, they¡¯ll probably send someone to visit you.¡± Listening to Sebastian, Charlotte was deep in thought. The Roman-Four family, originating as pirates, naturally didn¡¯t fit in with Castell¡¯s nobles, and their base was on an island. Furthermore, their island used to belong to the Roman Duchy, so it¡¯s normal for the family to lack a sense of belonging to Castell. But recalling her interactions with this family during the banquet at the count¡¯s mansion, Charlotte felt their attitude towards her was indeed somewhat peculiar. However, this didn¡¯t imply malice. On the contrary, compared to malice, Charlotte felt they showed more goodwill. Notably, it was they who first pointed out the assassins at the banquet. ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s not worry about them for now. Since they¡¯ve sent a fleet to escort, it at least shows their stance. Sebastian, I¡¯m curious about something¡ªNice was kidnapped, and you don¡¯t seem worried at all?¡± Charlotte waved her hand and then asked curiously. Sebas smiled and said, ¡°I might have been worried before, but now that you¡¯re awake, I¡¯m not worried anymore.¡± Charlotte: ¡­ ¡°You¡¯re getting better at flattery.¡± ¡°Shameful, but I¡¯m just stating the truth¡­ Not just Nice, even the rebels from Lagrisse wouldn¡¯t be a concern with your return!¡± ¡°Alright, enough flattery. I have a task for you.¡± Sebastian¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°Your orders, please.¡± ¡°Investigate the merchant ships in Tulip County recently. See if there¡¯s anything unusual.¡± Charlotte said. Sebastian¡¯s heart stirred. ¡°You really suspect the Third Prince will act?¡± Charlotte took a sip of the milk on the table and said, ¡°Of course, the Third Prince is someone who dared to hire people to ambush me. We must guard against him.¡± Sebas said worriedly. ¡°Master, if that¡¯s the case, the situation in Castell could be dangerous. Your power is strong, but it¡¯s not convenient to display it openly. It will be challenging to contend with the Borde Duchy with secular power alone.¡± Charlotte smiled slightly. ¡°When did I say I would rely solely on Castell¡¯s power?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Sebastian¡¯s eyes twitched, his expression subtly changing. However, Charlotte didn¡¯t explain further. ¡°Alright, go investigate the Tulip County. Also, if anyone from the Roman-Four family arrives, bring them to see me immediately.¡± Although curious, Sebastian respectfully bowed. ¡°At your command.¡± Sebastian left with his task. Charlotte finished the sweet milk in her cup and sighed deeply. After months of slumber, her territory was indeed in chaos. Waking up to face a rebellion was truly overwhelming. Fortunately, though unprepared, she wasn¡¯t without strategies¡­ The rebels might be supported by the Borde family and the Third Prince. Alright, she also had pieces on the board with the Nez Clan. Frankly, Charlotte was more concerned with the ¡°time travel¡± during her slumber than her territory¡¯s rebellion. The memory was too vivid, so clear that it didn¡¯t feel like a dream at all. Her sudden ¡°awakening¡± left no evidence to determine whether it was a dream or reality. The only potential evidence might be the nightgown she wore during the time travel. However, after waking up, Charlotte didn¡¯t find the nightgown she wore before sleeping. She was naked in the coffin, wearing nothing¡­ At first, she was startled, thinking the clothes didn¡¯t traverse with her, but then she found a layer of ash-like residue on her body, as if her nightgown had disintegrated. Moreover, the moment she rose, all the silk and velvet, the soothing flowers, and the sleeping roses in the coffin disintegrated instantly. Charlotte didn¡¯t know if this was related to her time travel or her successful advancement to the Second Tier Silver Moon, but being naked when she exited the coffin was indeed awkward. Fortunately, she chose a secret room to sleep in, with no one guarding it. Otherwise, it would have been quite embarrassing. Regardless of whether that Elven Era experience was a dream or reality, Charlotte was certain of one thing. Upon awakening, she had officially reached the Second Tier Silver Moon, becoming a Blood Viscount! Perhaps due to having the Gospel of Blood that allowed her to exert divine power, the joy and sense of achievement from advancing to Silver Moon were not as overwhelming as she had imagined. However, Charlotte could clearly feel a significant improvement in her physical fitness and magical power. If a Starry Sky tier extraordinary being could still be killed by ordinary weapons, then at the Silver Moon tier, this possibility was eliminated. Especially physical fitness. She might not be truly invulnerable, but close enough. The Second Tier Silver Moon signifies a comprehensive transformation of physical fitness. Extraordinary power strengthens the body to its limit and starts to overflow, as seen with the source power discharge of extraordinary knights and the magical control of mages. For bloodbornes, this means the complete fusion of body and magic, greatly enhancing their regenerative capabilities. To illustrate, Charlotte¡¯s current regeneration ability almost matches her berserk state from before. Unless a vital spot is hit, she cannot be killed. This is somewhat like an extraordinary knight activating source power, but bloodbornes¡¯ regeneration is stronger, and they also wield magic that extraordinary knights cannot¡­ Additionally, advancing to Silver Moon seemed to strengthen Charlotte¡¯s bloodline and her connection with the Gospel of Blood. Even the divine power within the Gospel seemed easier to mobilize. Feeling the powerful energy within, Charlotte was quite satisfied. Cheats aside, strength is fundamental and the bottom line for safety. However, Charlotte was not currently interested in testing her new powers. She was more concerned about Nice¡¯s situation. There was no way to verify the ¡°time travel¡± during her slumber. Though puzzled, she could only set it aside for now. As his master, Charlotte felt she should be concerned about Nice¡¯s well-being. Hmm¡­ although judging from the soul imprint, he seemed to be doing fine. With this in mind, Charlotte delved into her consciousness and connected with the divine symbol mark of the Servant¡¯s Final Oath¡­ S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 256: The Trapped Nice Inside an alchemy workshop filled with various magical materials.All sorts of common magical workbenches on the continent could be found here, with bookshelves brimming with tomes on alchemy and magic inscription. Several mages and alchemists, clad in robes, bustled between workstations, crafting all kinds of magical items or engraving magical weapons, tirelessly working away. In the corner of the workshop, the finished magical equipment was almost piled into small mountains. Glancing around, one would see mostly armor and weapons. Not far from the magical equipment, on a chair covered with silk velvet, a plump black cat lounged lazily against the soft cushion. He arrogantly raised his head, leisurely chewing on carefully prepared dried fish, watching the busy mages and alchemists with a lazy gaze. S?a?ch* Th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. He seemed to be quite content. Well, he would be if it weren¡¯t for the inscribed metal collar around his neck, which was attached to a chain fixed next to a workbench by magical means. From time to time, an alchemist or mage, carrying an unfinished enchanted item, would approach the chained black cat for advice. Their attitudes were extremely respectful, and their tones were exceedingly earnest. ¡°Lord Nice, how can I perfectly balance the reaction between water and fire elements in this inscription?¡± ¡°Lord Nice, should I use mithril or adamantite as the core component for magic conduction?¡± ¡°Lord Nice, I¡¯ve enchanted this armor three times, but it keeps failing. I can¡¯t figure out why. Could you take a look?¡± The black cat lazily changed its position on the velvet cushion. His amber eyes glanced lightly at the various materials brought by the mages and alchemists. The black cat lazily said, ¡°Balance the reaction between water and fire elements? You need to add Magic Flower nectar to the inscription. Without it, balancing the elements is impossible. It¡¯s a wonder it hasn¡¯t exploded yet!¡± ¡°Mithril? Adamantite? You¡¯ve been reading too many second-rate alchemy and magic books.¡± ¡°Fool! You¡¯re just rote learning! Mithril and adamantite can indeed serve as primary materials for magic conduction components, but that¡¯s only when the item already has a stable magic conduction. Look at what you¡¯re enchanting! A sword made of impure steel! You should be using Starrock, which has a milder magic effect.¡± ¡°Wow¡­ you¡¯ve tried enchanting this three times? Throw it away! It¡¯s hopeless! You¡¯re even dumber than the last guy!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve told you many times, not everything can be enchanted. This armor has been repaired so many times it¡¯s lost its potential for enchantment! Enchanting it is as difficult as carving flowers on your butt!¡± ¡°Go tell the Lagrisse family, if they don¡¯t have enough money, they shouldn¡¯t try to enchant all their equipment! They¡¯d be better off hiring more mercenaries from Eastern Yunette with that money!¡± The black cat¡¯s attitude was far from pleasant, and could even be described as consistently sarcastic, making the mages and alchemists seeking advice feel completely inadequate. However, those seeking advice didn¡¯t seem to mind. In fact, they were almost meticulously attentive, jotting down the black cat¡¯s various critiques with pen and paper. Every so often, a mage or alchemist would display an expression of sudden realization after a round of sharp criticism, ridicule, and insults from the black cat. They would bow excitedly to the black cat, then return joyfully to their workstations to continue their attempts. Meanwhile, the black cat continued munching on his dried fish, glancing casually at the busy crowd, muttering under his breath about the ¡°third-rate level¡± of those around him¡­ Until a piercing bell rang, causing the busy mages and alchemists to pause their work. Aside from those at critical stages of their work, most people instinctively retrieved their eating utensils and hurried out of the workshop. Seeing this, the black cat curled his lips in disdain. ¡°Good for nothing except eating¡­¡± Once the majority of the mages and alchemists had left the workshop, leaving only those completely engrossed in their work, oblivious to everything around them, the black cat¡¯s look of contempt faded. His lazy demeanor vanished almost instantly as he stood up, gripping the metal collar and chain with his plump paws, desperately trying to remove them. However, the chain, made of some unknown material, did not budge despite his efforts. The black cat was undeterred. He looked around, quickly spotting an unfinished enchanted dagger left on a workbench. Then, with great effort, he moved over, stretched his paw to pull the dagger closer, and began to try to cut through the chain with the dagger¡¯s blade. ¡°If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t bother with such futile efforts.¡± A cold voice suddenly echoed, startling the black cat. His fur instantly stood on end, the dagger falling from his mouth with a clatter, his wide eyes warily staring at the workshop¡¯s entrance. At the doorway stood a black-haired girl who looked to be about fourteen or fifteen, arms crossed over her chest. She wore a black skirt armor, her crimson eyes devoid of any emotion, and her delicate face showed no expression. Seeing the girl, the mages and alchemists in the workshop quickly stopped their work, standing up respectfully. ¡°L¡­ Lady Eudoxia!¡± They greeted her with respect, their voices tinged with a hint of fear. The girl glanced at them indifferently, said nothing, and then stepped towards Nice. Seeing her approach, nice instinctively recoiled, his voice filled with vigilance. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s you? What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I came to check on our prisoner. I heard some are thriving in the workshop, impressing many of our seasoned magical craftsmen¡­¡± The girl said, with a meaningful tone. Her gaze fell on the engraved chain around Nice¡¯s neck and the dagger lying next to his paw. She said with a knowing look. ¡°It seems some people haven¡¯t given up on escaping yet. It looks like we need to re-educate them.¡± Nice¡¯s expression changed at her words. He hurriedly swatted the dagger away. ¡°Escape? No, no¡­ it¡¯s a misunderstanding! There¡¯s nothing like that! I¡¯m just helping to check their work! Isn¡¯t that what you want me to do?¡± The girl looked at him deeply but didn¡¯t respond. She came over to Nice, bent down to pick up the dagger he had knocked away, examined it for a moment, and said, ¡°Dual-element composite enchantment. I heard¡­ this is a lost enchanting technique. Did you teach them this?¡± Nice coughed lightly. Seeing the girl didn¡¯t seem to be pursuing his attempt to cut the chain, he gradually relaxed. He resumed his proud demeanor, nodding slightly. ¡°Of course, this cat knows many things. Just a little leak is enough for these guys to ponder!¡± However, the girl suddenly shifted the topic, her gaze becoming piercing as she looked at Nice. ¡°But from what I know, this enchanting technique has been lost in Myria for nearly three hundred years, ever since the disappearance of its inventor, the Legendary Mage Nicholas¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been watching you for many days. You seem to master many ancient enchanting techniques, and some alchemical skills resemble those of the Nicholas School in Western Yunette.¡± ¡°Are you a hidden mage from the Nicholas School?¡± Nice instantly displayed a bewildered look. ¡°Huh? What are you talking about? Nicholas what? School what?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ I learned my knowledge from books. I¡¯m just a talking little cat. I don¡¯t know any school or Nicholas you¡¯re talking about!¡± Chapter 257: The Black Cat and the Black Dragon Nice shook his head blankly, looking completely innocent.The girl glanced at him and said calmly. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m not concerned about your origins or your lineage.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the mages from Nicholas School delved deeply into forbidden magic, even mastering spells capable of resurrecting the dead¡­¡± As she spoke, her gaze fixed on Nice, her crimson pupils filled with curiosity. ¡°Am I right?¡± Under the pressure of the girl¡¯s intense gaze, Nice couldn¡¯t help but swallow nervously. He instinctively shrank back, then forced himself to respond. ¡°Uh¡­ Lady Eudoxia, if you¡¯re seeking knowledge about necromancy, you might be asking the wrong cat. I only know a bit from books¡­¡± ¡°I think, rather than asking me, you should consult your contracted partner. After all, no one understands necromancy better than the senior priests of the Blood Demon Cult.¡± Nice appeared sincere and honest. However, upon hearing his words, the girl¡¯s expression darkened. A terrifying aura exploded from her, pouring out like a tsunami. Under its overwhelming pressure, the mages and alchemists in the workshop almost unanimously fell to their knees, bowing down en masse. The girl instantly flashed before Nice, lifting him like a kitten. Feeling the murderous intent emanating from the girl, nice screamed in terror. ¡°You, you, you¡­! You can¡¯t kill me! I¡¯m the captive designated to be kept alive by your leader!¡± ¡°I¡­ I also have a contract partner! If you kill me, my contract master won¡¯t forgive you! My master will¡­ cough cough¡­¡± The feeble threat did nothing to diminish the girl¡¯s killing intent. On the contrary, it seemed to intensify after hearing Nice¡¯s words. An unprecedented sense of danger surged within Nice. He quickly changed his tone and shouted. ¡°Stop! Stop! I¡­ I know the spell to resurrect the dead! Just stop! Stop! Cough cough¡­¡± As soon as he spoke, the tidal wave of murderous intent rapidly subsided. The girl slowly lowered Nice back down, her crimson pupils fixed on his eyes, now slightly constricted from the intense choking. Her already cold voice grew even colder. ¡°If I hear the term ¡®contract partner¡¯ again, I will kill you without hesitation.¡± Feeling the sincerity in her words, Nice shuddered. He swallowed hard, glanced at the expressionless girl, and cautiously asked. ¡°Um¡­ Lady Eudoxia, have I offended you in some way?¡± ¡°Could it be that I misunderstood, and you didn¡¯t actually sign a contract with the priests of the Blood Demon Cult?¡± Hearing Nice¡¯s words, the girl gave him a light glance, raising her hand once more. Seeing the flash of killing intent in her crimson pupils, Nice quickly shouted. ¡°Stop! Stop¡ª! I won¡¯t ask anymore! Really, I won¡¯t! Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t be impulsive!¡± The girl slowly withdrew her gaze, calmly watching him. After a long silence, she finally said, ¡°Tell me about the spell that can revive the dead.¡± Nice sighed and said, ¡°The only one that fits that description is ¡ºNecromantic Revival¡». I do know how to cast it¡­¡± ¡°But I genuinely suggest you seek help from your¡­ uh, leader, the one who attacked me with you¡­¡± ¡°My understanding in this area isn¡¯t deep, and in Myria, no one delves deeper into necromancy than the bloodbornes of Shedite.¡± The girl fell silent after hearing Nice¡¯s words. After a moment, she continued. ¡°I don¡¯t need the necromantic revival spell.¡± ¡°Ah? You don¡¯t need the necromantic revival spell?¡± Nice was stunned. The girl remained expressionless. ¡°I need a spell that can revive the dead.¡± Nice was taken aback again, and then suddenly his eyes widened. ¡°A spell to revive the dead? Not necromantic revival?¡± ¡°Wait¡­ do you mean reviving those whose souls have completely vanished from the world?!¡± The girl continued to look at him silently, not denying his words. Nice swallowed hard, then said with difficulty. ¡°Lady Eudoxia, to be honest¡­ the soul is the essence of life. If the soul has dissipated, then there¡¯s nothing that can be done.¡± ¡°But I¡¯ve heard that you Nicholas mages possess even more miraculous resurrection techniques¡­¡± The girl said calmly. She gave Nice a deep look. ¡°Don¡¯t try to deny your identity. Even as a cat, I can smell the distinct human scent on you¡­¡± Nice: ¡­ After hesitating for a moment, he sighed and said, ¡°Lady Eudoxia, I think¡­ you might have misunderstood something.¡± ¡°Indeed, I do know some special resurrection techniques. However, what you don¡¯t know is that these miraculous resurrection techniques don¡¯t revive those whose souls are completely gone. Instead¡­ hehe, they cleverly summon back souls from the divine realm without alerting the Gods!¡± Seeming to touch on a point of pride, Nice¡¯s expression became smug. But for the first time, the girl named Eudoxia showed an odd expression. ¡°Summoning souls from the divine realm?¡± ¡°No wonder mages from the Nicholas School are often targets of church hunts. You¡¯re all madmen.¡± Nice grew even prouder. ¡°Hey! That¡¯s called skill! So what if they hunt us? As long as I want, they can¡¯t find me! Not just that, I can even¡­ cough cough¡­¡± Realizing he almost let something slip, he coughed a few times to change the topic. However, the girl didn¡¯t seem interested in his other revelations. After sneaking a glance and seeing she didn¡¯t pursue the topic, Nice relaxed. He cleared his throat and continued. ¡°Anyway¡­ a soul is necessary for resurrection. If the soul is gone, not even the Gods can help.¡± After hearing Nice¡¯s words, the girl remained silent. Finally, she continued. ¡°Is it really¡­ impossible?¡± Nice shook his head. ¡°Really impossible. Even if you asked the Gods, they¡¯d give the same answer.¡± The girl clenched her fists slightly, saying nothing. After a while, she stopped asking questions and turned to leave. ¡°Hey! Lady Eudoxia! Is the person you want to revive a werewolf miner from the Castell Silver Mine?¡± Seeing the girl¡¯s retreating figure, Nice hurriedly asked. The girl¡¯s steps paused, but she neither turned around nor responded. It wasn¡¯t until she completely disappeared that Nice sighed in relief and muttered. ¡°So¡­ she really was the black dragon from the Castell Mine.¡± ¡°Strange, she doesn¡¯t seem controlled by the Blood Demon Cult but rather chose to join them willingly?¡± ¡°I have to escape as soon as possible. Staying locked up isn¡¯t a solution. That hot-tempered little dragon probably guessed my identity¡­¡± ¡°The alchemists of the Lagrisse family treat me well, but they¡¯re just after my knowledge. The real problem is the Blood Demon Cult. If those lunatics find out who I am, I¡¯m done for!¡± ¡°Nice, why did you have to be so arrogant? Once you get arrogant, you get reckless, and then you screw up!¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have helped those struggling alchemists in the first place!¡± ¡°Oh, no¡­ I had to help, otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t get good food and drink¡­ but I shouldn¡¯t have used techniques that were so easily recognizable!¡± ¡°No choice¡­ I have to escape! I must escape!¡± Talking to himself, Nice quickly made up his mind and started looking for the dagger he had just dropped. However, after scanning the area, he realized that all the tools he could reach that might help cut his collar¡¯s chain had been taken by Eudoxia. Nice: ¡­ ¡°Damn it! She did that on purpose!¡± Nice cursed. Slumping onto the chair with a dejected expression, he lamented. ¡°Nice, what were you thinking, leaving Northport?¡± ¡°Great! Now you¡¯re completely stuck, and your secrets are almost exposed!¡± S?a??h th? N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Sigh¡­ Great Lady Charlotte, when will you wake up? If you don¡¯t wake up soon, your territory will be completely taken over, and your poor contracted servant will go from a fat cat to a dead cat!¡± Nice was utterly dejected and full of regret. At that moment, a pleasant voice suddenly echoed in his mind. ¡°Good point. I¡¯m curious too, why did you leave Northport when I told you to stay put, and even used my name to inspect Silver Mine City?¡± Hearing this familiar voice, Nice¡¯s body trembled, his despair turning to joy in an instant. ¡°Lady Charlotte! No, Master! Is it your voice?¡± ¡°Have you¡­ woken up?!¡± Chapter 258: Master! Youre finally awake! The familiar feeling of summoning came over, and crimson mist began to spread.In the blink of an eye, Nice found himself in the familiar ancient Dark Night Castle. Seeing the beautiful and noble figure on the Blood Throne, Nice was extremely excited. Almost instinctively, he rushed forward, crying and wailing, ¡°Waaa¡ªmeow! Lady Charlotte, you¡¯ve finally awakened!¡± ¡°If you didn¡¯t wake up, poor Nice would really have turned into a dead cat! These days of being imprisoned have starved Nice thin!¡± ¡°Nice¡­ is so pitiful!¡± Crying out loud like a child complaining to a parent, Nice rushed towards Charlotte. And then¡­ , it crashed into an invisible barrier just before the steps, sprawled out, and slowly slid down. S?a??h th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. But he quickly got back up, looking pitifully at Charlotte on the throne, teary-eyed and whimpering, ¡°Boo¡­ Lady Charlotte¡­¡± Watching the fat, flirtatious cat with a husky voice trying to act cute, Charlotte felt a chill down her spine. She couldn¡¯t help but shiver and quip. ¡°Alright, stop trying to act cute. With your appearance and voice, it¡¯s really quite gross.¡± Nice: ¡­ He coughed a few times, then said, feeling wronged. ¡°Ahem¡­ um, Lady Charlotte, you really misunderstood¡­ I am truly excited to hear your voice again!¡± ¡°Is that so? From what I see, your days in the Lagrisse family¡¯s magic workshop seem pretty comfortable. Saying you¡¯ve lost weight¡­ looks like you¡¯ve gained another circle instead.¡± ¡°Sir Nicholas, it seems you¡¯ve been getting along well with the Lagrisse mages recently.¡± Charlotte said casually, glancing at him. Hearing Charlotte¡¯s address for him, Nice instinctively looked away. ¡°Huh? Lady Charlotte, what are you talking about? I don¡¯t quite understand¡­¡± Charlotte gave it an exasperated look and teased. ¡°Nice, has anyone ever told you that when you play dumb and lie, you are so exaggerated that you might as well write your thoughts on your forehead?¡± Nice: ¡­ He cautiously lifted his head and saw Charlotte¡¯s amused expression, feeling embarrassed. ¡°Uh¡­ well¡­ Lady Charlotte¡­¡± ¡°Call me Master.¡± ¡°Master¡­¡± ¡°Speak.¡± ¡°Um¡­ when did you wake up? And when did you start watching over me?¡± Nice cautiously probed. Charlotte adjusted herself comfortably on the throne, propping her head on her hand and crossing her legs. ¡°Probably when you were smugly instructing the Lagrisse family¡¯s magic craftsmen to create magical equipment to use against Castell.¡± Nice: ¡­ ¡°Uh¡­ it¡¯s all a misunderstanding, Master. I had no choice. If I didn¡¯t show some value, I would have turned into a dead cat already!¡± ¡°Wait! So you heard everything just now?¡± Nice suddenly realized. Charlotte glanced at it and nodded slightly. ¡°Mm, heard it all, of course. Legendary Mage Nicholas, no wonder you know so many divine spells.¡± ¡°Or, more accurately, you aren¡¯t really a contract believer; the divine spells you know¡­ must have been stolen from the Gods using some forbidden means, right?¡± Facing Charlotte¡¯s meaningful gaze, Nice chuckled awkwardly. ¡°Uh¡­ ashamed to say, I¡¯ve just delved a bit deeper into magic¡­¡± ¡°Oh? So you don¡¯t deny that you are the Legendary Mage Nicholas?¡± Charlotte laughed lightly. Nice sighed. ¡°You¡¯ve heard and seen everything. How can I deny it¡­ I can only remain silent¡­¡± Seeing the black cat¡¯s resigned expression, Charlotte shook her head. ¡°Alright, honestly, I don¡¯t care about your past identity, whether you are a Legendary Mage hunted by various churches or a black cat with extraordinary power. Since you¡¯ve signed a contract with me, now¡­ you are my servant.¡± ¡°Tell me, what happened while I was asleep, and how did you end up in Silver Mine City?¡± Seeing that Charlotte was no longer probing, Nice immediately perked up. He scratched his head and said, ¡°This¡­ Lady Charlotte, it¡¯s a long story¡­¡± ¡°About a month and a half ago, miners started disappearing in Silver Mine City again. To investigate, we sent two extraordinary knights and a squad of soldiers¡­¡± ¡°But we soon lost contact with the team we sent. After discussing with Sebastian, we decided to look into it ourselves.¡± ¡°However, after further consideration, Sebastian stayed in Northport to protect you, while I snuck into Silver Mine City to investigate¡­¡± Charlotte¡¯s interest was piqued. ¡°So¡­ did you go there under the guise of my inspection?¡± Niss scratched his head. ¡°Initially, no, but after arriving in Silver Mine City, to facilitate the investigation, I borrowed your identity a bit¡­ but unexpectedly, I ran straight into the enemy and got captured by the Blood Demon Cult.¡± Charlotte¡¯s eyes flashed. ¡°Oh, the Blood Demon Cult? So you mean to say that the force behind the Lagrisse family¡­ is the Blood Demon Cult?¡± Niss sighed. ¡°Yes¡­ you must have ¡®seen¡¯ that nasty little female dragon just now, right? She is the mount of a priest from the Blood Demon Cult, and the Lagrisse family¡­ has probably been colluding with the Blood Demon Cult for a long time.¡± ¡°Moreover, from what I¡¯ve heard from the mages and craftsmen in the workshop, they seem to mention something about ¡®ruins¡¯. Master, the Lagrisse family¡¯s rebellion might not be that simple. There¡¯s not only the shadow of the Blood Demon Cult but also other motives!¡± ¡°Ruins, huh¡­¡± Hearing Nice¡¯s words, Charlotte starts to ponder. Her thoughts quickly connected more dots. ¡°So¡­ the one who turned Laura de Lagrisse into a bloodborne wasn¡¯t from the Nez Clan, but Shedite¡­¡± ¡°This Blood Demon Cult really is a persistent trouble.¡± Nice nodded repeatedly, with a righteous look. ¡°Yes! These evil guys are causing trouble everywhere, and the wicked Demigod Blood Demon Archduke Abaddon has always coveted the power of the True Ancestor of Blood!¡± ¡°Lady Charlo¡­ I mean, Great Master, you must capture these guys in one sweep and let their Evil God behind them know your power!¡± Charlotte gave a half-smile. ¡°Alright, stop fanning the flames. I remember¡­ you seem to have some grudges with Abaddon as well?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Master is wise. The Blood Demon Archduke has committed countless atrocities, and any righteous person is mortal enemies with them!¡± Nice said righteously. Chapter 259: Calling Reinforcements Seeing Nice¡¯s righteous demeanor, Charlotte decided not to expose his little schemes.She smiled slightly and nodded approvingly. ¡°Well said.¡± ¡°The Blood Demon Archduke has committed countless atrocities, and any righteous person would be their mortal enemy¡­¡± ¡°In that case, as my servant and a just black cat, it¡¯s up to you to step forward and do whatever you can for the cause of justice.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ huh? Me?¡± Nice was taken aback. Charlotte gave him a sidelong glance. ¡°What? Are you unwilling?¡± ¡°Um¡­ Master Charlotte, I¡¯m just a poor little kitty who¡¯s been locked up¡­¡± Nice said weakly. Charlotte stared at him expressionlessly, letting him continue to play the victim. Under Charlotte¡¯s deep, golden eyes, Nice felt more pressure than when facing Eudoxia earlier. Finally, he gave in under Charlotte¡¯s gaze, looking away and sighing resignedly. ¡°Alright, Master, what do you want me to do?¡± ¡°I want you to infiltrate the Blood Demon Cult and the Lagrisse family to uncover their secrets.¡± Charlotte said. ¡°What? Infiltrate the Blood Demon Cult and the Lagrisse family? Master, to be honest¡­ I have some unpleasant history with the Blood Demon Cult. If they discover my true identity, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll be sacrificed in no time!¡± Nice screeched. Charlotte gave him an exasperated look. ¡°Alright, stop bargaining. Don¡¯t I know you? If you were really that scared, you would have been begging me to rescue you by now.¡± ¡°Follow my instructions, and I will naturally ensure your safety.¡± Under Charlotte¡¯s unquestionable gaze, Nice sighed in resignation. ¡°Alright, alright, since it¡¯s your order, I will do as you say¡­¡± Then, he nervously asked. ¡°Um, Master, you will really ensure my safety, right?¡± Charlotte nodded slightly. ¡°Of course, my eyes will always be watching over you¡­¡± Crimson mist gradually spread, and the mental world began to blur. Charlotte knew the remote summoning through the soul mark was almost over. S~?a??h the N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. She glanced at Nice and gently waved. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s it for today. You¡¯re smart, you should know what to do. I expect you to bring back good news¡­¡± With that, she activated the power of the Gospel of Blood, ending the summoning. Feeling the pull back to reality, Nice hurriedly shouted. ¡°Master! You have to keep your word! If I encounter danger, you must rescue me!¡± The scene blurred and shifted, and Nice quickly returned to reality. He was still in the same workshop filled with various magical materials, the same velvet-covered chair, and that damned anti-magic chain still around his neck¡­ In the workshop, mages and alchemists were busy, not noticing the recent summoning. Or rather, such high-level consciousness summoning was beyond the perception of these mere mortals who only possessed some extraordinary powers. Scanning the surrounding mages, Nice made a decision. He took a deep breath and then shouted loudly. ¡°I¡­ I want to see Eudoxia! I want to see Eudoxia!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind! I surrender! I¡¯m willing to surrender!¡± ¡­ Meanwhile, Charlotte also returned to reality after ending the summoning of Nice. However, she didn¡¯t sever the connection with Nice but continued to monitor it through the soul mark. Nice was her contract servant. Though not a blood servant, she could still perform some actions similar to those blood servants through the soul mark. If Nice made any moves, she could quickly shift her focus back, and in critical moments, she could directly channel her power through the soul mark to Nice, performing a remote ¡ºTrue Ancestor¡¯s Liberation¡». Thus, she wasn¡¯t worried about Nice¡¯s safety. In other words, Charlotte could rescue Nice at any moment if needed. But after understanding Nice¡¯s situation, she wasn¡¯t in a hurry to do so. Directly rescuing Nice would only bring back a pet. Since Nice was already ¡°deep behind enemy lines¡±, she might as well let him go deeper. She wanted to use Nice to uncover what the Blood Demon Cult was up to and to understand the true nature of the Lagrisse family. Perhaps due to her ¡°time travel¡± during her slumber, she was also intrigued by the ¡°ruins¡± Nice mentioned¡­ ¡°Summoning Flame Demon, performing blood sacrifices, infiltrating the Nez Clan, inciting noble rebellions¡­¡± ¡°The Blood Demon Cult seems far more active these past couple of years than recorded in the documents.¡± ¡°And why do they seem to be circling around Castell?¡± Charlotte muttered with a frown. The Blood Demon Cult¡¯s objectives were unclear. However, Charlotte suspected it might be related to awakening the Blood Demon Archduke. But regardless of what they were plotting in her territory, one thing was certain. Through this suppression of the rebellion, she not only intended to fully control her domain but also to expel the Blood Demon Cult¡¯s influence entirely! ¡°Extraordinary power should be met with extraordinary power, but besides that, the mundane warfare is also crucial. Although the Gospel of Blood grants me power comparable to a Legendary, these powers shouldn¡¯t be directly displayed on the battlefield¡­¡± ¡°Castell¡¯s army outnumbers the rebels, but their actions are peculiar. They dare to rebel despite their disadvantage, which means they must have powerful support.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s just the Blood Demon Cult¡­ it shouldn¡¯t be enough, as they can¡¯t operate openly and must find proxies.¡± ¡°Could it be¡­ Borde and the Third Prince?¡± Charlotte pondered. After a moment, she shook her head. ¡°Never mind, we¡¯ll handle it as it comes. If the rebels have supporters, I can call in reinforcements too¡­¡± Thinking of this, Charlotte delved into her consciousness and reached out to the star representing Count Yurst of the Nez Clan. If there was any place Castell could find powerful reinforcements, it would undoubtedly be the Nez Clan. Meanwhile, in a rural castle in the Starfall Kingdom¡­ Yurst, who was tinkering with runes in his magical workshop, suddenly had a premonition and felt a summon from the void¡­ Chapter 260: Greeting Blood Count In the Red Apple Castle of the Starfall Kingdom.Count Yurst, dressed in a mage¡¯s robe, was engrossed in studying the structure of rune enchantments in his magical laboratory. This was an interest Yurst had cultivated for over a thousand years, and it was his daily pastime and obsession. As a long-lived species, one had to find some amusement to counteract the erosion of the mind over time. On the display shelves at the back of his magical workshop, various strange and exotic magical items were arranged, all works of this Blood Count who was passionate about alchemy and enchantment. Suddenly, a blinding light flashed, and the rune half-embedded before Yurst exploded with a bang. A semi-transparent shield appeared in front of Yurst, easily blocking the burst of elements. Yurst waved away the drifting smoke, cursing under his breath. ¡°Damn it, failed again!¡± ¡°How did Nicholas manage it back then? He could perfectly balance two opposing elements in a magical structure¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pity¡­ there¡¯s been no news of him for centuries now. Most likely, some church chopped him into pieces¡­¡± ¡°No, even if he escaped the hunt back then, he¡¯d probably be long dead by now. After all¡­ with his character, even if he died, he wouldn¡¯t have chosen lich transformation or body transference¡­¡± Seemingly lost in thought, Yurst sighed with regret. Researching magical runes was a brain-burning task. Few even among mages found such work enjoyable. In over a thousand years, the only person Yurst, the Blood Count, had considered both a confidant and a rival was a renowned Legendary human mage from centuries ago. But unfortunately, the world is fair. Even though the spread of extraordinary powers allowed humans, with their intelligence and reproductive advantages, to experience a surge in overall strength, the lifespan of human extraordinaries was among the shortest of all intelligent species. Now thinking about it, Yurst figured the grass on Nicholas¡¯ grave must be three meters high. ¡°Ah, when this turmoil is over, I should visit Eastern Yunette to sweep his grave.¡± S?a?ch* Th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Sighing softly, Yurst used a cleaning spell to remove the remnants of the failed magic and resumed his experiment. However, at that moment, a summoning from his bloodline and soul suddenly acted upon him. Feeling this familiar summoning, Yurst¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°This¡­ this is¡­¡± Before he could react, crimson mist spread, accompanied by a sense of weightlessness, and he found himself back in that majestic ancient castle. Seeing the beautiful figure faintly visible under the mist on the throne, Yurst instinctively swallowed and quickly knelt. ¡°Yu¡­ Yurst¡­ greets Your Excellency the True Ancestor!¡± ¡°Great Ancestor, you summoned me¡­ is there something you need me to do?¡± On the Blood Throne, Charlotte looked at the Blood Count, still holding a magical flask, and smiled faintly. ¡°Yurst, it seems¡­ you¡¯ve been living quite leisurely these days, even starting to study magical runes.¡± Yurst¡¯s expression was somewhat embarrassed. ¡°Uh¡­ Your Excellency, you know, just as you enjoy traveling the world in various identities, we long-lived species also need to find some amusement to pass the endless years.¡± Traveling the world in various identities¡­ Charlotte was moved and noted the True Ancestor¡¯s hobby. ¡°Alright, enough about your hobbies. How is the task I assigned you progressing?¡± Charlotte asked. ¡°You mean the search for the Gospel pages? It¡¯s done! I¡¯ve been working on it!¡± ¡°These past few months, I¡¯ve been contacting friends in the clan, inquiring about the whereabouts of the Gospel pages, and I¡¯ve actually found some!¡± Yurst replied respectfully. Charlotte felt a surge of joy. ¡°Oh? Show me.¡± ¡°Your Excellency, please wait a moment. Um¡­ may I use spatial magic here?¡± Yurst asked. Charlotte nodded slightly, allowing Yurst to use magic in the mental world. Yurst then traced runes with his hand, chanting a spell, summoning a portal. He retrieved seven crimson pages from the other space and presented them respectfully. ¡°Your Excellency, these are my recent findings, all exchanged from friends in the clan¡­¡± Seeing the seven pages Yurst produced, Charlotte felt a surge of happiness. As expected of a Blood Count, he had found so many Gospel pages in just three or four months. After all, the Blood Demon Cult had collected only twenty-three pages over many years! ¡°Not bad.¡± She nodded in satisfaction, extending her hand slightly. With her gesture, the crimson pages flew from Yurst¡¯s hand, joyfully merging with the Gospel of Blood before Charlotte in a crimson glow. Seeing this, Yurst¡¯s expression grew even more respectful. Taking a deep breath, he continued. ¡°Your Excellency, besides these, there are a few more pages I haven¡¯t obtained yet. They will take some time to acquire.¡± ¡°You understand, even I can¡¯t openly collect these pages, as it would arouse dangerous suspicions¡­ so, I have to proceed carefully.¡± ¡°Moreover, these things are extremely rare¡­ uh, I mean, sacred, and few people truly collect them. So, my findings are limited.¡± ¡°But I did hear some news. Apparently, Maxim, that traitor, has quite a few¡­ but unfortunately, we can¡¯t touch him right now.¡± Hearing Yurst¡¯s words, Charlotte felt a stir. ¡°Oh? From your tone¡­ it seems the Duke who sided with the Blood Demon Cult hasn¡¯t faced severe punishment from your council?¡± Yurst sighed. ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t know what the Elders are thinking. Even though I reported Maxim¡¯s crimes to Lord Yorok, and he reported them to the council, Maxim still hasn¡¯t faced severe punishment, only house arrest¡­¡± ¡°Maxim is too cunning. He left no evidence, and the fleet was silenced in advance.¡± ¡°With insufficient evidence, the council didn¡¯t severely punish him.¡± ¡°But he¡¯s not unscathed. You destroyed an avatar he¡¯d honed for who knows how many years, which will pain him for a long time. According to Lord Yorok, his aura was noticeably weaker at the council meeting! And now, he can¡¯t obstruct Lord Yorok¡¯s actions.¡± Hearing Yurst¡¯s words, Charlotte pondered. A Duke Elder almost certainly colluding with the Blood Demon Cult, yet not severely punished¡­ It seemed the division within the Nez Clan was even worse than she had imagined. After thinking for a moment, Charlotte asked. ¡°Yurst, you were in charge of infiltrating Castell, right? If so, you should have some mundane armed forces, correct?¡± Yurst shivered and stammered. ¡°Y¡­ Your Excellency! Though I did oversee the infiltration of Castell, I¡¯ve stopped all operations now!¡± ¡°At that time¡­ I didn¡¯t know Castell was under your protection¡­¡± ¡°Moreover, I¡¯ve been cooperating with the internal investigation of the nobles in Castell these past few months. Please understand!¡± ¡°Alright, it¡¯s been a long time, and I¡¯m not here to pursue past issues. Tell me, do you have any forces you can deploy?¡± Charlotte shook her head. ¡°You¡­ mean troops? Um¡­ I do have some. What do you intend to do? Are you planning to support Castell?¡± Yurst asked curiously. Charlotte nodded slightly. ¡°You¡¯re quite perceptive.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t directly intervene in worldly disputes. Some things are more suitable for you to handle.¡± Chapter 261: Do Your Job Well ¡°Your Excellency the True Ancestor, are you planning to intervene in the Castell rebellion personally?¡±¡°It¡¯s just a rebellion among the local nobles, which often happens when human lords change their titles. It doesn¡¯t seem worth your esteemed intervention¡­¡± Yurst said respectfully. After speaking, he carefully lifted his head, awaiting Charlotte¡¯s response. Though he¡¯d been cooped up in the castle recently, as one of the executors of the Returning Star Plan, he was well aware of everything happening in the Castell territory. Honestly, he was uncertain of the Progenitor¡¯s intentions and unclear about her current attitude towards the countless bloodbornes in Myria. If it were revenge against the bloodbornes, despite his months of anxiety and psychological preparation, she hadn¡¯t come for him or taken any apparent action. However, he couldn¡¯t quite believe that she wouldn¡¯t pursue the various blood clans for their betrayal. This was a sensitive matter he didn¡¯t dare inquire about directly. After much consideration, he cautiously tested the waters with his question. God¡¯s action was never without meaning; every divine decree carries deep significance. Yurst believed that understanding the Progenitor¡¯s interest in Castell could reveal her true stance. He needed to know the True Ancestor¡¯s attitude. This wasn¡¯t just for his safety but for the Nez Clan as well. As Charlotte met Yurst¡¯s probing, somewhat evasive gaze, she gave him a fleeting look, instantly triggering the bloodline¡¯s pressure. At that moment, Yurst felt an overwhelming power from all directions, like the majestic might of the heavens. He felt like a small boat in a storm, seemingly about to be torn apart by the unstoppable force at any moment. ¡°Your Excellency the True Ancestor¡­¡± Feeling the terrifying pressure, Yurst¡¯s expression changed to one of fear. His face turned pale, and his strength was sapped, causing him to collapse to his knees. Under the release of the True Ancestor¡¯s power, no bloodborne could resist Charlotte¡¯s might in the Dark Night Castle! Just as Yurst¡¯s mind began to blur and his soul trembled, nearing his limit, Charlotte suppressed her power. High on her throne, she looked down at him with calm, crimson eyes. ¡°There won¡¯t be just this minor punishment next time.¡± Damn! I forgot this is the Dark Night Castle! Yurst broke out in a cold sweat. The Dark Night Castle was the True Ancestor¡¯s mental world, where she knew everything. He had been so engrossed in magical inscriptions and caught off guard by the summons that he overlooked this, failing to control his wandering thoughts. ¡°Your Excellency the True Ancestor¡­¡± Yurst trembled with fear. ¡°Get up. Do what I instructed well and don¡¯t overthink it.¡± Charlotte said coldly. She gave Yurst a deep look. ¡°History is a tangled web. The past is the past. As long as the Nez Clan doesn¡¯t oppose me, I won¡¯t pursue other matters¡­ Do you understand?¡± Listening to Charlotte, Yurst¡¯s posture became even more submissive. ¡°I will follow your divine decree, Your Excellency¡­ I will organize troops as mercenaries to aid Castell¡­¡± ¡°How many can you gather?¡± Charlotte inquired. After a moment¡¯s thought, Yurst respectfully replied. ¡°At least three thousand extraordinaries, including one hundred tiered individuals.¡± He didn¡¯t mention regular troops. To a bloodborne, ordinary humans, regardless of their number, were just meaningless figures. After issuing orders to Yurst, Charlotte dismissed him from her mental world. Though she had somewhat forcibly turned Yurst into a blood servant, after events like consuming Elder Maxim, this Nez Clan Blood Count was almost certain of Charlotte¡¯s identity. With some pressure and promises, even if she couldn¡¯t fully win him over, she could use him as an ally. Like Nice, who had come to her willingly. Taking a breath, Charlotte eagerly summoned the Gospel of Blood. Months ago, she had casually asked Yurst to seek the Gospel pages, unexpectedly yielding significant results. This was a pleasant surprise. Following her will, the Gospel of Blood opened. After over a year of supplementation, its pages grew numerous, now resembling more of a book than an empty shell. Charlotte closed her eyes, sensing the Gospel¡¯s information. The seven new pages included two pages of the Dark Chapter and five of the Insight Chapter. Charlotte figured the Nez Clan¡¯s divination expertise led to their collection of these pages. As usual, adding the seven pages increased the Gospel¡¯s recorded spells, notably two mid-level spells: ¡ºDark Armament¡» and ¡ºDoom Command¡». ¡ºDark Armament¡» involved summoning dark elements to form protective armor or various outfits, with defensive and offensive strength tied to the magic used. S?a??h th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡ºDoom Command¡» cast a curse through words, directing bad luck at a target, with success and severity depending on the target¡¯s strength and the curse¡¯s intensity. While Charlotte, used to blood divine power and True Ancestor¡¯s Liberation, wasn¡¯t as eager for new spells, they still enhanced her combat and self-defense capabilities in normal states. Additionally, she could use them more powerfully in her True Ancestor state. Unfortunately, as the number of pages grew, developing new functions for the Gospel slowed. Charlotte thought this might be due to the increased threshold for qualitative changes as the Gospel¡¯s laws improved, similar to how extraordinary advancement grew harder over time. ¡°Nez Clan has long prepared for the Returning Star Plan, and with Yurst as one of the main executors and his extraordinary army, even with support from Borde and the Third Prince, handling the rebellion shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± Charlotte pondered. ¡°But what¡¯s going on with Viscount Remisio? He supports the Second Prince, and I¡¯m at odds with the Third Prince. He promised to support Castelle in the rebellion, yet now he¡¯s neutral?¡± ¡°Could it be that something has changed at the kingdom¡¯s top levels?¡± Reflecting on the Blood Throne¡¯s armrest, Charlotte was thoughtful. ¡°Never mind, I¡¯ll send someone to inquire.¡± With that in mind, she turned her attention to the hundreds of light clusters in the starry sea representing her followers. Chapter 262: The Countess is naturally safe It had been some time since Charlotte arrived in Castell.Including the months of her slumber, Charlotte had been back in her territory for six months. During this half-year, the number of her followers had also increased, growing from around two hundred to about seven hundred. To be honest, this growth rate was quite slow. Charlotte currently hadn¡¯t figured out the exact purpose of faith and followers, so she hadn¡¯t prioritized spreading her faith or developing followers. Consequently, she hadn¡¯t actively promoted her faith. The increase of several hundred followers was due to the Blood Wolf Tribe, which had migrated from Borde to Castell, secretly developing under the leadership of the werewolf Luff. Of course, although it was done covertly, Charlotte would occasionally use the power of the Gospel of Blood to do things a ¡°God¡± should do. Except for the months she was asleep, she would spend time each week focusing on her followers, sometimes listening to their prayers, performing ¡°Divine Blessing¡± to show ¡°miracles¡±, and bestowing divine favors¡­ This was a world with extraordinary power, where Gods truly existed. Without some miracles and benefits, it would be hard to convince people through preaching alone. However, since the main force for developing followers came from the Blood Wolf Tribe that migrated from Borde, most of the new followers Charlotte developed in the past six months were still mainly werewolf miners from the Castell Silver Mine. Fortunately, as one of the Crescent Royal Family¡¯s sources of wealth, the Castell Silver Mine was protected by the Kingdom¡¯s army. When the rebels launched their rebellion and moved south, they didn¡¯t dare touch the Castell Silver Mine, only cutting off the connection between Northport and the mine. As a result, the silver mining area centered around Silver Mine City became a sort of ¡°paradise.¡± Charlotte¡¯s hundreds of followers were thus fortunate not to be caught in the crossfire. Now, with the connection between Northport and the mine severed, no one was more suitable to gather information at the Kingdom¡¯s garrison camp in the Castell Silver Mine than her followers in the mithril mining area. Thinking of this, Charlotte focused her mind on the hundreds of light spots representing her followers, seeking out the one that represented the werewolf Luff. She gently touched it, extending her consciousness over¡­ ¡­ Northeast of Castell, Silver Mine City. As a famous mithril mining area in Western Yunette, Silver Mine City was even noisier than usual. In the city, ragged, emaciated beggars could be seen everywhere in the streets and alleys, and outside the city walls, large and small makeshift tents were set up along the city perimeter. These were refugees fleeing from the north as the flames of war spread. War has a devastating impact on order. The armies and mercenaries led by the nobles had no so-called military discipline, leaving chaos in their wake. Even though the rebellion in Castell was only a localized one, the spread of conflict still triggered a wave of refugees. As the Castell Mithril Mine area was protected by the Kingdom¡¯s army, it naturally became the best refuge for those fleeing the Castell war zone. In the month since the war broke out, refugees from all directions had almost filled Silver Mine City to the brim. Refugees also brought pressure on security. To maintain order, the city hall of Silver Mine City had to seek help from the nearby Kingdom¡¯s army, dispatching troops to maintain order. Only then was a larger chaos in Silver Mine City avoided. Outside Silver Mine City, on the side of the Castel mining area. Outside a rugged tent, emaciated refugees formed a long line, eagerly watching the front of the queue. On the table in front, a pile of black bread was stacked like a small mountain, and next to it was a large clay pot filled with thin porridge. Behind the table, several towering werewolves and humans in Castell Mining Workshop uniforms were busy distributing food to the queuing refugees. S~?a??h the ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. From a distance, the loud, rough voices of the werewolves maintaining order could be heard. ¡°Don¡¯t rush! Don¡¯t panic! Everyone will get their share!¡± ¡°Each person can only take one bowl of porridge or one piece of black bread. No extra portions, and no stealing!¡± With the intimidating appearance of the werewolf miners and the fully armed Castell guards maintaining order, although there were many refugees, the scene was orderly. Watching the refugees receive their food one by one, gratefully praising the benevolent Lord of Castell, Hank, the acting manager of the Mining Workshop, looked emotional as he spoke to the tall werewolf miner beside him. ¡°Sir Luff, we truly must thank you for your help. Almost all the guards from the mine have been reassigned to the city. Without you, it would have been chaotic long ago.¡± Luff smiled warmly and said, ¡°Mr. Hank, it is our duty. Every refugee is a subject of Castell. As followers of the Countess, it is our duty to help.¡± ¡°This has always been the Countess¡¯ priority. When I was still in Borde, I had already participated in many relief efforts for the poor under the Countess¡¯ guidance.¡± Hank nodded slightly and sighed. ¡°Yes, the Countess is benevolent. When she left the Mining Workshop, she repeatedly hinted that I should take care of the lives of the poor and miners in Silver Mine City.¡± ¡°Although Silver Mine City often has refugees due to its proximity to the Northern Grand Duchy and Eastern Yunette, I have never seen so many¡­ I really hope the rebellion ends soon¡­¡± Luff nodded, his expression resolute. ¡°It will end. All those who betrayed the Countess will eventually pay the price!¡± Hank sighed. ¡°Ah, I hope the Countess is safe. There have been many rumors in the north recently, causing unrest in the city. I wonder what the situation is outside.¡± Luff comforted. ¡°The Countess is naturally safe. We just need to do what we can, looking after the Castell Silver Mine for the Countess. With the Kingdom¡¯s garrison here, the rebels dare not act recklessly.¡± Seeing the confident look of the werewolf miner, Hank felt a surge of curiosity. ¡°Sir Luff, it sounds like¡­ you have news of the Countess?¡± Luff shook his head, speaking meaningfully. ¡°No news, but¡­ the Countess is no ordinary person. She is a divine representation walking on earth, and is certainly safe.¡± Hearing Luff¡¯s words, Hank thought for a moment and then nodded. ¡°You are right. The Countess is a living Saintess. Even the rebels of the Lagrisse family wouldn¡¯t dare anger the divine!¡± Luff smiled slightly. He didn¡¯t explain that the ¡°divine¡± he referred to was different from what Hank understood. Although Hank was personally appointed as acting manager by the True Ancestor, it wasn¡¯t yet time for him to know everything. Let this ambiguous misunderstanding remain as it is. However, despite having confidence in the great True Ancestor, even Luff, who was essentially the tribe¡¯s priest, had not received any new oracle for three or four months. Even though the True Ancestor had foreseen this several months ago, as time passed, Luff began to feel uneasy. ¡°Your Majesty, the True Ancestor¡­ Castell is in turmoil. I still follow your divine decrees, spreading your faith in the mining area, but¡­ when will you awaken?¡± Luff sighed inwardly. Just then, a very familiar sensation suddenly descended upon his heart. Chapter 263: Long time no see, Viscount Remisio ¡°Luff, what¡¯s wrong?¡±Hank asked curiously, noticing the werewolf momentarily lost in thought. Luff quickly snapped back to attention and bowed slightly to Hank. ¡°Sorry, Mr. Hank, I suddenly remembered there¡¯s something in the tribe I need to take care of. I must leave for a while.¡± Without waiting for a response, he left the tent and hurried towards Silver Mine City. ¡­ In Silver Mine City, the Old Mining District where commoners gathered. Over the past year, this area had developed into a considerable settlement for demi-humans, centered around the migrating Blood Wolf tribe and the werewolf miners from the Castell mine. The old streets were filled with demi-human residents. Upon seeing the hurried Luff, they stopped to greet him, tracing a thorny rose symbol over their chests with their right hands. Luff acknowledged them with nods while making his way deeper into the Old Mining District. After navigating through several streets and alleys, he finally stopped in front of an abandoned old church. There were werewolves standing guard outside the church. Seeing Luff, they bowed respectfully. ¡°Lord Luff.¡± Luff nodded to them and walked into the church. Inside, the church was well-maintained despite its dilapidated exterior. Several black-cloaked followers were silently praying in the hall, facing a statue in the center. The statue wasn¡¯t of the God Harald but a vaguely featured Goddess. The Goddess sat on a throne surrounded by thorny roses, one hand supporting her chin, the other flipping through a heavy book, her gaze seemingly looking into the distance. ¡°Lord Luff¡­¡± A werewolf, evidently the leader among the black-cloaked followers, approached Luff as he entered. Luff nodded slightly and asked. ¡°Anything happening today?¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s been no new oracle from Her Majesty today.¡± The werewolf replied, shaking his head. Luff pondered for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ll take a look.¡± Following a subtle feeling in his heart, he approached the statue. After taking a deep breath, he bowed respectfully to the statue and then traced a rose symbol on his chest, praising as usual. ¡°Supreme True Ancestor¡­¡± ¡°Embodiment of Darkness and Shadow¡­¡± ¡°Source of all Bloodbornes¡­¡± s?a??h th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Your devout and humble descendant prays for guidance¡­¡± Before he finished speaking, a crimson radiance enveloped the statue. Seeing this, the followers froze momentarily before erupting in joy. ¡°Divine Light! It¡¯s the Light of our Lord!¡± ¡°Her Majesty has finally responded! A new oracle is coming!¡± Luff, also reassured by the crimson light, smiled with relief. He confirmed that the summoning sensation indeed came from the True Ancestor¡¯s guidance. After months of slumber, her Majesty the True Ancestor had awakened again! ¡°Great True Ancestor of Blood, your faithful follower Luff, listens to your divine oracle!¡± Luff knelt on one knee, his voice solemn. The ethereal radiance spread from the statue, enveloping Luff. In the vague light, the followers seemed to hear a distant, ethereal female voice whispering mysteriously. Luff listened intently, his expression growing more respectful. Moments later, the crimson light faded, and the statue returned to tranquillity. In Luff¡¯s hand, a crystal ball had appeared. Looking at the crystal ball, Luff was thoughtful. He stood up and bowed respectfully to the statue again. ¡°Luff¡­ follows your divine will!¡± The followers looked at him with respect, envy, and longing. The leading werewolf stepped forward curiously. ¡°Lord Luff, what is Her Majesty¡¯s command this time?¡± Luff¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°Her Majesty commands us to secretly gather intelligence on the northern rebels while remaining hidden and not revealing our faith.¡± ¡°Gather intelligence on the northern rebels?¡± The werewolf follower was puzzled, then pondered. ¡°I heard that the head of the Lagrisse family is also connected to the Blood Clan. Could it be that¡­ the rebels are also followers of our Lord?¡± Luff shook his head. ¡°No, our Lord is our Lord, and the Blood Clan is the Blood Clan. Since the civil war among the bloodbornes, they have not been on the same path as us.¡± ¡°Our Lord¡¯s divine will has its purpose. You just need to follow it. Also¡­ prepare a suitable outfit for me. I need to visit the kingdom¡¯s military base and see Viscount Remisio.¡± ¡­ Eastern Mining District of the Castell Silver Mine. As the location of the Crescent Royal Family¡¯s mineral share, it also served as the kingdom¡¯s military garrison. At the edge of the mining area stood a fortress over thirty meters high. This fortress, built by the kingdom¡¯s military, was specifically for guarding the Castell Silver Mine and housed 1,500 extraordinary soldiers. Inside the castle, in the commander¡¯s office, Viscount Remisio, dressed in a kingdom officer¡¯s uniform, sat at his desk handling official business. Suddenly, a personal guard approached the door and saluted respectfully. ¡°Report¡ª! Viscount, there¡¯s a werewolf outside the fortress claiming to be an envoy from Castell requesting to see you!¡± Viscount Remisio put down his quill, raising an eyebrow. ¡°A werewolf? An envoy from Castell?¡± After a moment of thought, he waved his hand. ¡°Bring him in.¡± Shortly after, under the escort of fully armed guards, Luff, who had changed out of his miner¡¯s uniform and into the Castell family servant¡¯s attire, entered the office. He bowed slightly to Viscount Remisio and said in a deep voice. ¡°Castell envoy, Luff Bloodwolf, greets Viscount Remisio.¡± Viscount Remisio squinted slightly, examining Luff before smiling. ¡°I remember you. You¡¯re the werewolf who used to follow Lady Charlotte.¡± ¡°You claim to be an envoy from Castell. Do you have any proof?¡± Luff nodded and took out the crystal ball blessed by the divine oracle, presenting it respectfully. Seeing the crystal ball, Viscount Remisio¡¯s eyes twinkled. He nodded to the guard, who then took the crystal ball and brought it to him. Looking at the faint magical inscriptions on the crystal ball, Viscount Remisio was surprised. ¡°Is this¡­ the communication crystal popular among the Starfall Kingdom¡¯s nobles?¡± As soon as he spoke, the crystal ball emitted a radiant glow. The magical inscriptions lit up one by one, projecting a translucent image around it. In Viscount Remisio¡¯s astonished gaze, a beautiful figure in noble attire appeared in the projection. Seeing the beautiful figure, Viscount Remisio slowly recovered from his surprise. He chuckled lightly. ¡°Recently, there have been rumors in the north saying that the young Countess of Castell has been controlled by the Lagrisse family. But¡­ I never believed it.¡± ¡°Now it seems they were just rumors!¡± ¡°Long time no see, Lady Charlotte. I didn¡¯t expect you to contact me this way. I heard that communication crystals are closely guarded by the Starfall Kingdom, and it¡¯s incredibly expensive to obtain one on the Crescent¡¯s black market¡­¡± Hearing Viscount Remisio¡¯s words, Charlotte in the projection smiled slightly. ¡°Frequent trade with Starfall merchants provides some unique methods. A communication crystal isn¡¯t as expensive as you think.¡± After speaking, the girl in the projection gracefully curtsied. ¡°Long time no see, Viscount Remisio¡­¡± Chapter 264: The Kings Command ¡°Dammit! A communication crystal isn¡¯t that expensive? Only someone as wealthy as you, Countess, could say such a thing.¡±¡°A poor viscount like me can¡¯t even gather enough tana to fix the roads!¡± Looking at the ethereal girl in front of him, Viscount Remisio couldn¡¯t help but complain. Charlotte smiled slightly. s?a??h th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Oh? Really? But from my perspective, it doesn¡¯t seem like you¡¯re that short on money.¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, Viscount Remisio fell silent. He glanced at Charlotte with a complicated expression and sighed. ¡°Lady Charlotte, you don¡¯t need to test me.¡± ¡°I understand your intentions. You went through the trouble of using a communication crystal to talk to me because you want to know why, even though I promised to send troops, I have remained neutral in the Castell rebellion, right?¡± Charlotte nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right, I am indeed very curious.¡± ¡°I thought the terms I offered were quite generous. Even after deducting the commission for hiring kingdom soldiers, you could still earn at least fifty thousand gold tana from this war¡­¡± ¡°Yet now, you¡¯ve chosen neutrality.¡± ¡°Although we didn¡¯t sign a formal contract, given the long-standing relationship between the Castell family and the Remisio family, I hope for an explanation.¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, Viscount Remisio sighed. ¡°Yes, at least fifty thousand gold tana.¡± ¡°Just by changing a flag and participating in the battle, I could earn so much money by cleaning up conscripts who don¡¯t even have many extraordinaries. Even the best mercenary groups in Myria can¡¯t earn that much.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°But¡­ I can¡¯t do it!¡± Saying this, Viscount Remisio looked pained. His expression was as if he had just lost a golden opportunity. ¡°Hmm? You can¡¯t do it?¡± Charlotte frowned slightly. Viscount Remisio sighed. ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°Lady Charlotte, you may not know, but I had already prepared the family banners. However, before setting off, I received a ban from the military¡­¡± ¡°His Majesty the King has ordered a strict investigation into the misuse of kingdom troops by noble officers. Violators will not only be stripped of their command but could also face severe charges!¡± ¡°As you know, my Remisio Viscounty is even more impoverished than the poorest regions of the Borde Duchy. Most of my income as a kingdom commander actually subsidizes my territory¡­¡± ¡°The Remisio family absolutely cannot afford to lose the position of legion commander.¡± ¡°In this situation, even if I wanted to earn your fifty thousand gold tana, I¡¯m powerless¡­¡± Hearing Viscount Remisio¡¯s words, Charlotte frowned even deeper. ¡°His Majesty¡¯s order? Why would His Majesty suddenly issue such a ban? As far as I know, noble commanders privately using kingdom troops is an open secret.¡± Charlotte was genuinely puzzled. After all, although the Star-Moon War was a victory, the Crescent Kingdom barely managed a win. The Crescent Royal family didn¡¯t have enough funds to maintain a large regular army and had to rely on the nobles to some extent. In fact, many of the kingdom¡¯s troops had ambiguous statuses, often having both regular army status and a certain noble private army background. In such a situation, the Crescent Royal family had always turned a blind eye to noble commanders privately using kingdom troops. After all, a portion of the maintenance costs for the regular army was covered by the nobles. Charlotte, who had studied the politics and military affairs of the Crescent Kingdom, was well aware of this. This was also her confidence in hiring regular troops from Viscount Remisio. Viscount Remisio smiled bitterly. ¡°Yes, in the past, His Majesty always turned a blind eye, but now it seems that those good days are over.¡± ¡°It¡¯s well-known that His Majesty wants to strengthen his authority, and military power is the most crucial aspect. This ban is likely a signal that His Majesty is ready to reform the military.¡± ¡°Lady Charlotte, His Majesty has decreed that from now on, the mobilization of regular troops must go through formal military orders. Without orders, commanders cannot mobilize troops privately.¡± Hearing Viscount Remisio¡¯s words, Charlotte felt helpless. The kingdom¡¯s regular army ultimately swore allegiance to the king. The major expenses for equipment, extraordinary supplies, and salaries were all provided by the royal family. As for the nobles¡¯ contribution to the maintenance cost, it was mainly for logistical supplies, which was a small part compared to the major expenses of the regular army. If the Crescent Royal family was determined to reform the military, there was nothing she could do. ¡°So, from now on, you need formal military approval to mobilize your troops?¡± Charlotte asked. ¡°Yes, it won¡¯t be as free as it used to be.¡± Viscount Remisio sighed. He then smiled wryly. ¡°But it¡¯s not all bad. At least¡­ all future expenses will be covered by the royal family, so we commanders won¡¯t have to worry about military supplies anymore.¡± ¡°As for other things¡­ there are always ways around policies. We¡¯ll see once the dust settles. For now, I really can¡¯t provide any help to Castell.¡± Hearing Viscount Remisio¡¯s words, Charlotte sighed slightly. ¡°I understand. If it¡¯s His Majesty¡¯s decision, there¡¯s nothing to be done.¡± ¡°Lady Charlotte, though I can¡¯t offer direct military support to Castell, as the commander of the Castell silver mine guards, I can at least ensure the safety of the Castell mining area.¡± ¡°I can promise that as long as the Castell family¡¯s rule remains, the mithril mine will not fall into rebel hands. This is the best I can do.¡± Viscount Remisio said. Charlotte nodded. ¡°Thank you for your promise, Viscount. Securing the mining area is a great help. After the rebellion is quelled, I will still pay you a certain amount of gold tana as thanks.¡± Viscount Remisio cheered. ¡°Hehe, then I¡¯ll gratefully accept it when the time comes.¡± Then, his expression became serious. ¡°By the way, Lady Charlotte, there¡¯s one more thing¡­ be cautious of the Third Prince.¡± ¡°Cautious¡­ of the Third Prince?¡± Charlotte¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Viscount Remisio nodded, speaking solemnly. ¡°Yes, Lady Charlotte. Do you know why His Majesty decided to reform the military at this time?¡± Charlotte¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°Could it be related to the Third Prince?¡± Viscount Remisio nodded. ¡°Rumor has it that the proposal to reform the military came from the newly appointed military director, Duke Orton, who is closely aligned with the Third Prince.¡± ¡°It¡¯s said that in Duke Orton¡¯s proposal, he specifically mentioned the kingdom troops stationed around Castell, including my mining guards. Nearly all commanders that Castell might contact were listed.¡± ¡°Because of this, I dare not move the troops from the mining area at all.¡± Chapter 265: A Talented Monarch After learning the reason for Viscount Remisio¡¯s refusal to send troops, Charlotte terminated the remote communication.In fact, she couldn¡¯t communicate for much longer anyway. The communication crystal she used was a fake, created by her using the blood divine power and divine blessings, based on a crystal she had seized from Agnes. It couldn¡¯t be used for too long. However, the information obtained was sufficient. ¡°So¡­ it was the newly appointed military director, under the influence of the Third Prince, who suggested to the King to strengthen the management of the army. The King, already wanting to centralize power, went along with it and issued the ban¡­¡± Reflecting on the information just received, Charlotte fell into thought. The timing of this military order was so coincidental that Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but think it was targeted at her. Although Viscount Remisio was aligned with the Second Prince¡¯s faction and would not speak well of the Third Prince, Charlotte was well aware that the Third Prince, who had become the co-ruler of Borde through his marriage with Eleanor, indeed coveted Castell. The assassination attempt on Charlotte during her return was proof, with the prime suspect Agnes still scrubbing toilets at the Count¡¯s mansion. Castell was too wealthy, and its mithril mine was a vital strategic resource. For a prince eyeing the throne, its allure was irresistible. ¡°Louis V is said to have ended the 80-year-long Star-Moon War, earning high prestige in the Crescent Kingdom, and is considered one of the most talented monarchs in the kingdom¡¯s history. However¡­ the succession issue of the next generation is a significant hidden danger.¡± ¡°It¡¯s also a bit strange. All information indicates that the current king, Louis V, is wise and brave, not easily fooled. Could it be that he doesn¡¯t see the Third Prince¡¯s schemes?¡± Sitting at her desk, flipping through information on the Crescent Royal family, Charlotte frowned. The life of the current Crescent King, Louis V, was indeed legendary. Originally the second heir to the Crescent throne, he ascended after his brother, ¡°Philip the Bold¡±, died unexpectedly in the Star-Moon War. He became king at the age of 13. At that time, the Crescent Kingdom was retreating continuously under the Starfall Kingdom¡¯s offense. The capital was breached, and less than one-seventh of the territory remained. The nobles were disloyal, and the people were in turmoil. Starfall King Henry had even been crowned the new Crescent King by the Archbishop in the Crescent capital, creating a situation with two kings in the kingdom. But Louis V turned the tide, showing great political and military talent at a young age. He first used the conflicts among the nobles to unite them temporarily, then leveraged the enmity between the Starfall Kingdom and the Northern Grand Duchy to gain the duchy¡¯s support. He prepared his coffin and personally led a coalition of noble private troops and Northern mercenaries to achieve a 1:10 victory in the Battle of Moonshield, halting the Starfall Kingdom¡¯s unstoppable advance and reclaiming the capital and some territories. Moreover, he exhibited impressive extraordinary talent, reaching the Blazing Sun tier before turning 15, becoming the youngest Blazing Sun extraordinary in the human world of Myria. After that, the Star-Moon War entered a long stalemate. With wisdom and strategy, Louis V managed to hold his ground against the Starfall Kingdom, even with only one-fifth of his territory remaining. Over time, he gradually gained the upper hand, launching counterattacks with smaller forces. By the later stages of the war, he had the upper hand. Had it not been for an unexpected defeat in the First Roman Campaign, Louis V would have driven the Starfall Kingdom out of the continent. Even so, he reclaimed all the Crescent Kingdom¡¯s legal territories except for the Roman Duchy, expanding the kingdom¡¯s territory beyond its pre-war size. Years have passed since, and the Crescent Kingdom has recovered from the war¡¯s aftermath, surpassing the Starfall Kingdom in strength. If not for the Starfall Kingdom forming an alliance with the Western Yunette Empire against the Crescent Kingdom, Louis V might have already launched a campaign to reclaim the Roman Duchy. Such a talented monarch should be able to see through his offspring¡¯s petty schemes, shouldn¡¯t he? Infiltrating and assassinating nobles, seizing private lands and extraordinary resources, and strengthening one¡¯s own power are all taboo for any reigning monarch. Or perhaps the Third Prince¡¯s actions are tolerated by Louis V? The Crown Prince, the designated heir, died in the First Roman Campaign. The current heir, the Second Prince, is close to the church and has a strained relationship with the king. Could it be¡­ the king plans to bypass the long-standing succession laws and pass the throne to the Third Prince? Is that why he allows him to strengthen his power through various means? Charlotte¡¯s frown deepened. Ultimately, she was just a countess, and her domain was still Borde. She had limited knowledge of higher-level information. S~?a??h the ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. However, judging from Viscount Remisio¡¯s reaction, he didn¡¯t seem overly concerned. If the king intended to change the heir, the nobles loyal to the Second Prince would have been in chaos by now. Charlotte couldn¡¯t understand. But even if she couldn¡¯t fully grasp it, analyzing the rebellion from the perspective of the entire kingdom made many things clear. At least, she was now sure that her true enemy in this rebellion wasn¡¯t the Lagrisse family but likely the Third Prince. Moreover, in facing the rebellion, she couldn¡¯t expect support from any Crescent lords. The rebels¡¯ boldness might also stem from the Third Prince¡¯s support. Charlotte¡¯s judgment was soon confirmed. A day after her contact with Viscount Remisio, Sebastian, who had been sent to investigate the Tulip County, returned. ¡°Master, the situation is quite severe. The Tulip County fortress has been under military lockdown for half a month, preventing civilian access. Moreover¡­ as you can see, the number of cargo ships coming and going from the Tulip County port is three times the usual.¡± ¡°I sneaked onto one of the ships and found a large amount of military supplies, including food, equipment, and various extraordinary materials. There were even several extraordinary officers aboard!¡± ¡°The Borde family, or rather, the Crescent Third Prince, really intends to act against us during this rebellion!¡± Sebastian reported solemnly. Chapter 266: The Messenger from Borde In the Twelfth Month of the Holy Calendar year 1445, Castell County experienced its first snowfall of the winter.Being a coastal county, snowfall was not an annual event for Castell, but this year, the weather was noticeably colder. Snowflakes gently descended, painting the land in a delicate white. It had been five days since Charlotte had awakened, yet the Lagrisse family¡¯s rebel forces remained encamped upstream of the Dorn River. They seemed to have forgotten about continuing their offensive, showing no intention of crossing the river. Instead, they were fortifying a long-term camp on the north bank. Outside Northport, the noble armies summoned from various regions were ready. A sea of tents stretched along the coast near the Castell Bridge, seemingly endless. The maritime traffic was busier than usual; the docks at Northport saw ships constantly departing and arriving. Strategic supplies from all over were converging on Northport, supporting the operation of tens of thousands of troops. The daily consumption of military provisions alone was astronomical. The tension in Northport was palpable, as the imminent approach of war loomed ever closer. This was especially evident as more and more warships docked, with military vessels from various noble families lined up, their dark cannons exuding a formidable presence. Rumors swirled through Northport about the young countess appearing at a noble assembly, rallying nobles to head north to confront the rebels. All eyes in Northport were fixed on the count¡¯s mansion in the town center. In every tavern, patrons speculated on when the young countess would march out to quash the rebellion and how many troops she had gathered. Estimates varied from twenty thousand to fifty thousand. Despite the different figures, there was a widespread consensus: though the northern rebellion seemed formidable, the young countess would inevitably crush it. This confidence stemmed from two main reasons. First, nearly all the nobles of Castell had been mobilized. Even though the Lagrisse family had a formidable reputation, they were at a distinct disadvantage against an allied force consisting of private armies from over three-quarters of the county¡¯s noble families and the elite Castel forces. The previously disunited northern nobles had now found a leader in the young countess, transforming a fragmented territory into a united front. Second, increasing maritime traffic to and from Tulip County suggested something significant was afoot. Even the most oblivious merchants sensed the change: the Borde family¡¯s garrison in Tulip County appeared to be preparing for war. Given the Borde and Castell¡¯s relationship, many believed that the Borde Duchess, who had declared neutrality, might not remain neutral after all. Rumors from Tulip County hinted at this shift. It was said that a drunken officer had let slip in a tavern that the Borde Duchy was also preparing for war. This led many to believe that after the young countess¡¯s appearance, she had reached some agreement with the Borde family. As Castell¡¯s overlord, the Borde family would abandon their neutrality and assist Castell in quelling the rebellion. However, a contrary belief persisted among some nobles in Northport. They suspected the Borde family wasn¡¯t there to suppress the rebellion but to target the Castell family, allied with the rebels. Those supporting this conspiracy pointed to an ambush the countess had faced en route to her territory, orchestrated by the Borde Duchess¡¯ husband, Prince Philip. These opposing views clashed in taverns and noble salons until, two days later, a noble claiming to be a messenger from the Borde family arrived by ship from Tulip County, seeking an audience with the young Countess of Castell. ¡°Countess, the Duchess is delighted to hear of your safety and has sent me to inquire if you require the Borde family¡¯s support.¡± The messenger said respectfully in the reception hall. ¡°As Castell¡¯s protector, the Borde family is willing to help you swiftly quell the rebellion and restore order to the north.¡± Charlotte gazed at the Borde family¡¯s messenger, expressionless. After a moment, she responded coolly. ¡°Oh? But hasn¡¯t Borde already declared neutrality in this matter?¡± ¡°Countess, at that time, the Duchess was unaware of your safety. With rumors of your potential misfortune spreading in the south, the Duchess declared neutrality for caution¡¯s sake. In reality, Tulip County has been preparing for war.¡± The messenger¡¯s hopeful gaze turned to Charlotte. ¡°Countess, have you considered our offer?¡± Charlotte scrutinized him for a moment, then smiled faintly. ¡°Thank you for Borde¡¯s support. However, this matter is significant. Many of Castell¡¯s nobles might not welcome higher-level intervention. I need to consult with them before giving you an answer.¡± After sending the messenger away, Charlotte¡¯s smile faded. She moved to the window, gazing at the dense, impressive military camp along the coast. She asked quietly. ¡°What do the nobles think of the Borde messenger? I hear he has been quite vocal about his intentions before seeking an audience with me.¡± Behind her, Sebastian, dressed in a tailcoat, responded respectfully. ¡°Master, opinions are divided. Those aware of the ambush in the Violet Forest are skeptical, but the majority believe the Borde family is here to support Castell and assist in quelling the rebellion.¡± ¡°Assist us in quelling the rebellion? Ha, Sebastian, what do you think?¡± Charlotte scoffed. After a moment¡¯s pause, Sebastian said, ¡°The Third Prince once sought your life and covets Castell. He cannot be acting in good faith. Though we lack concrete evidence, I also believe the Lagrisse family¡¯s rebellion likely has Borde¡¯s support.¡± ¡°Indeed, they can¡¯t be acting in good faith.¡± Charlotte sighed. ¡°Master, should we act first or continue monitoring Borde¡¯s movements?¡± Sebastian asked. Charlotte pondered for a moment before replying. ¡°Continue the investigation. Do not act rashly. If Borde intends to target us, the Tulip County garrison and rebels alone won¡¯t suffice. They must have other plans.¡± Sebastian hesitated. ¡°But¡­if they plan to strike, won¡¯t delaying give them more time to prepare?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, delaying benefits us too. After all¡­we are not without allies.¡± Charlotte reassured him. ¡°Allies?¡± Sebastian¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Following Charlotte¡¯s gaze out the window, he saw she was looking towards the sea¡ªthe direction of the Starfall Kingdom. Sebastian¡¯s expression changed showing realization. Just then, a commotion outside the hall drew their attention. S?a??h th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte frowned slightly, turning towards the door. ¡°Sebastian, go see what¡¯s happening outside.¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Sebastian bowed and left. He returned shortly with an odd expression. ¡°Master, the Borde messenger has been captured outside the count¡¯s mansion.¡± ¡°Captured?¡± Charlotte was taken aback. Sebastian¡¯s expression grew stranger. ¡°Yes, by the Roman-Four family. They are outside, requesting to see you.¡± Chapter 267: Audience with Roman-Four ¡°Let me go! Release me! What are you doing? I am a messenger of the Borde family! Do you want to make enemies of the Duke¡¯s family?!¡±Outside the Count¡¯s Mansion, the messenger from the Borde family was tightly bound, his expression terrified as he struggled. Behind him, a tall, burly sailor dressed in black grinned menacingly, lifting the messenger by the collar like a chicken. Next to the sailor stood an elderly man in a black noble robe. He was hunched over, his eyes half-closed, appearing drowsy. Behind the old man, seven or eight stern-looking black-armored swordsmen stood guard, their expressions cold and exuding a faint extraordinary aura, warning others to stay away. A crowd of curious townspeople and nobles had gathered on either side of the street. Some sharp-eyed individuals recognized the crest on the black-armored swordsmen¡¯s attire. ¡°Those are people from the Roman-Four family!¡± ¡°They¡¯re here? And causing trouble right at the Count¡¯s Mansion? Isn¡¯t that the messenger from Borde they¡¯ve captured? What are they doing? Are they rebelling?¡± ¡°I heard they were the only family absent from the recent noble meeting, and now they¡¯ve captured Borde¡¯s messenger. Have they gone mad?¡± ¡°Could the rumors be true that they had long harbored rebellious intentions?!¡± The crowd speculated. Seeing the Roman-Four family capture the Borde messenger, some nobles who arrived turned pale. ¡°Viscount Roman-Four?! What are you doing? Release Borde¡¯s messenger immediately!¡± ¡°This is the Count¡¯s Mansion! Capturing the Duchy¡¯s messenger here is an affront to the Countess!¡± The nobles angrily rebuked the old noble surrounded by the black-armored swordsmen. However, the old noble remained impassive, not even sparing them a glance, as if he didn¡¯t regard them at all. Only the black-armored swordsmen responded with cold, oppressive stares, their faintly extraordinary aura suddenly intensifying, causing the rebuking nobles to pale. ¡°Extra¡­ extraordinaries!¡± Their momentum quickly diminished, retreating a step in unison, their gazes at the black-armored swordsmen filled with apprehension. When the curious Charlotte herself came outside the Count¡¯s Mansion, this was the scene she witnessed. She raised an eyebrow, looking curiously at the Borde messenger tied up by Roman-Four¡¯s extraordinary sailor, and then smiled slightly. ¡°Viscount Roman-Four, you came to Northport and immediately caused a scene at the Count¡¯s Mansion. Don¡¯t you think you owe me an explanation?¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s voice, the old noble finally opened his cloudy eyes. Supported by his attendant, he trembled as he bowed to Charlotte, then respectfully said, ¡°Alfred de Roman-Four greets you, Countess.¡± (T/N: ) ¡°Your Excellency, this man harbors ill intentions and tried to deceive you with false information. That¡¯s why I captured him.¡± Upon hearing the Old Viscount¡¯s words, the bound messenger immediately cried out. ¡°No! I did not! Countess, I am here to offer Borde¡¯s support!¡± Noting the increasing crowd, Charlotte¡¯s eyes flashed with a faint red glow. She scanned the growing number of onlookers and said, ¡°Enough, let him down. We¡¯ll discuss this inside.¡± ¡°As you command.¡± The Old Viscount slightly bowed, signaling the sailor to release the messenger. Then, he led the Roman-Four family¡¯s swordsmen, escorting the still-bound messenger, and followed Charlotte into the Count¡¯s Mansion. Back in the council chamber, Charlotte resumed her seat of authority. She ignored the bound messenger and leisurely accepted the milk tea Sebastian handed her. Sipping elegantly, she crossed her legs and asked. ¡°Viscount, why did you capture Borde¡¯s messenger right at my mansion¡¯s door? And why didn¡¯t you attend the recent noble meeting?¡± Facing Charlotte¡¯s probing gaze, the Viscount remained calm. He slightly bowed and said, ¡°Your Excellency, in Castell, the Roman-Four family serves only one master, and that is you.¡± ¡°No one in Castell, besides you, can make Roman-Four bow.¡± Charlotte¡¯s interest was piqued at the Old Viscount¡¯s seemingly pointed words. The Old Viscount met her gaze unflinchingly, his cloudy eyes filled with a complex emotion. Just as Charlotte tried to discern the emotion in his gaze, the Viscount sighed and lowered his head again. ¡°In any case, it is a relief to see you safe and sound.¡± ¡°So, now that you see I am safe, can you answer my other question?¡± Charlotte asked. The Viscount nodded slightly. ¡°Of course, Countess.¡± With that, he took out a parchment and presented it with both hands. ¡°Your Excellency, please look at this record first. It seems we are in for big trouble in Castell¡­¡± Record? Charlotte raised an eyebrow, signaling Sebastian to take the parchment, then curiously browsed through it. As she read, her expression gradually turned serious. S?a??h th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Viscount Roman-Four, where did this record come from?¡± ¡°Countess, it was extracted from a black market merchant in the Violet Duchy. This merchant is a direct descendant of the ruling Boite-Linte family of the Violet Duchy. Everything in the record¡­ is true.¡± The Viscount said respectfully. ¡°Boite-Linte? A branch of the Boite family? I recall the Boite family is an old enemy of the Borde family. How did they get involved?¡± Charlotte squinted slightly. The Viscount nodded. ¡°Yes, the Boite family is indeed an old enemy of the Borde family. The Boite Duchy has had territorial disputes with the Borde Duchy for centuries¡­¡± ¡°However, the Boite-Linte family, while a branch of the Boite family, has another identity.¡± The Viscount¡¯s expression turned solemn. ¡°They are the maternal family of Prince Philip.¡± ¡°Prince Philip¡¯s maternal family¡­¡± Hearing this, Charlotte¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Master¡­ what¡¯s going on?¡± Sebastian asked, puzzled by the cryptic conversation between Charlotte and the Viscount. Charlotte glanced at him, then handed him the parchment. ¡°See for yourself.¡± Sebastian took it curiously and read it, his expression soon changed. ¡°What? Prince Philip plans to ally with the Violet Duchy to carve up the Castell County?!¡± Chapter 268: The Third Princes Conspiracy Viscount Roman-Four provided the records obtained from a Violet Underground black market merchant.They had attacked the merchant¡¯s ship, plundered its cargo hold, and captured the merchant for interrogation, obtaining this information through pure pirate means. The records were extensive, covering some underground dealings between the Violet and Borde. These deals primarily involved war supplies such as food, extraordinary materials, and weaponry. Additionally, the records included details about the distribution of some industries within Castell, even mentioning Castell¡¯s mithril mine. In the latter part of the records, the informant revealed a cooperation plan between the Violet and Borde duchies. They planned to join forces and, along with the rebels, attack Castell and divide the northern territory. The records even mentioned specific plans for dealing with Charlotte, the Countess of Castell. Borde demanded she be captured alive if possible, while the Violet forces intended to deliver her to the Third Prince, Philip. If the informant had been an ordinary black market merchant, the contents might have seemed fanciful. However, the informant was a direct descendant of the current ruling family of the Violet Duchy, responsible for facilitating underground trade between the two duchies. Furthermore, Viscount Roman-Four attached numerous investigation reports from his family, detailing recent fleet movements in the Violet Duchy and price changes of war supplies at the two duchies¡¯ coastal ports. All this information indicated that the two duchies were indeed preparing for significant actions. ¡°Viscount Roman-Four, the records are so detailed. The source must be more complicated than you said, right?¡± Charlotte asked as she picked up the parchment to review it again. Viscount Roman-Four respectfully bowed and replied. ¡°Countess, you can rest assured. We are very professional in these matters. During the attack, we didn¡¯t fly Castell¡¯s flag but used the privateer flag of the Starfall Kingdom, leaving no trace back to us.¡± Charlotte: ¡­ ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking about that. What I want to know is where your initial information came from.¡± She suppressed her urge to retort and inquired. The Old Viscount responded. ¡°Countess, the information allowing us to ambush the merchant ship came from within the Royal Navy¡­ Count Vere, the commander of the Star-Moon Strait Fleet of the Royal Navy, is an old acquaintance of mine. He provided the intelligence.¡± Charlotte¡¯s interest was piqued. ¡°Count Vere?¡± ¡°A royal court count, and the previous royal court teacher.¡± Viscount Roman-Four said. ¡°A court teacher? An ally of the Second Prince?¡± Charlotte paused, holding her teacup halfway. Viscount Roman-Four subtly nodded in affirmation. Charlotte felt a headache coming on. As a mere countess, she had no interest or desire to get involved in royal disputes. However, her territory of Castell was too strategically important for both Borde and Crescent. From the moment she inherited this wealthy domain, it seemed she was destined to be drawn into the vortex of conflict. ¡°No wonder Viscount Remisio hinted I should beware of the Third Prince. He probably had some intelligence as well.¡± Charlotte thought. After some consideration, she looked at Viscount Roman-Four, her sapphire eyes gleaming slightly. ¡°Viscount Roman-Four, your intelligence is crucial. From now on, the Roman-Four family will need to coordinate with Castell to handle the rebellion and any potential invasions.¡± Viscount Roman-Four, trembling, knelt on one knee, performing an old northern submission gesture. ¡°Of course, the Roman-Four family will always stand with you and follow your orders.¡± Seeing his gesture, which had a distinctive Starfall Kingdom style and seemed to carry hidden meanings, Charlotte pondered. ¡­ After leaving the bound Borde messenger and the records, Viscount Roman-Four departed. Before leaving, the Old Viscount stated he would remain in Northport until the rebellion was quelled, ready to follow orders. Meanwhile, the Roman-Four privateer fleet would continue patrolling the strait, gathering intelligence. The Borde messenger was utterly terrified. This unlucky soul clearly knew nothing of these secret plots and genuinely believed he was merely representing Borde with goodwill. Charlotte didn¡¯t even glance at him, leaving him aside. Sebastian cast a sound-blocking spell around himself and Charlotte, then spoke gravely. S?a??h the N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Master, if the Violet Duchy also joins the war, we¡¯ll be in real trouble. Though poor, they have built a formidable army through decades of war with Starfall. They have at least a five-thousand-strong elite standing force that poses a significant threat even without mobilization.¡± ¡°With rebels threatening from the north, Borde troops poised for a sneak attack in the center, and the Violet Duchy stirring in the south, our situation is beyond dire.¡± ¡°Moreover, when a Duchy-level lord joins the fray, it¡¯s almost certain that Blazing Suns will get involved. Although they are restricted from directly engaging in front-line battles, they can exploit many loopholes, inevitably pressuring us.¡± ¡°If we continue to adhere to conventional methods within the bounds of mortal rules, we¡­ will find it very difficult.¡± Charlotte looked at him, her thoughts stirred. ¡°You¡¯re suggesting we use powers beyond the ordinary limits?¡± Sebastian slightly bowed, indicating agreement. Charlotte thought for a moment and said, ¡°This is an era that respects rules. Even I must tread carefully until I gain an absolute advantage to deal with the rule-makers behind the scenes¡­¡± ¡°The same goes for the rules of war. Millennia of development have established a set of war codes in Myria.¡± ¡°Below the Legendary tier, each power tier has its place and constraints. For instance, Blazing Sun tier beings cannot actively intervene in lower tier battlefields; extraordinary beings cannot slaughter ordinary beings; many dark, necromantic, and psychic magics are forbidden¡­¡± She then chuckled softly. ¡°But you¡¯re right. When others are ready to break the rules, I don¡¯t need to stick to conventional methods either, especially against predetermined enemies.¡± With that, she stepped out of the sound barrier and approached the trembling messenger. A crimson light flashed in her eyes, and she spoke calmly. ¡°Messenger, I have a question. If I accept your proposal, what happens next?¡± ¡°No¡­ I know nothing! I¡¯m just a messenger¡­ just a messenger¡­¡± The messenger trembled, clearly terrified. Charlotte frowned slightly. She smiled faintly, casting a calming spell, and gently said, ¡°Tell me, can you?¡± Under the spell¡¯s influence, the messenger gradually calmed down, his expression dazed. He replied dreamily. ¡°Co¡­ Countess, Lord Gaston said that if you agreed, you would be invited to meet at a place between Tulip County and Northport to discuss the rebellion.¡± ¡°Gaston? Count Gaston?¡± Charlotte¡¯s mind recalled an elderly face she had met at the Duke of Borde¡¯s birthday banquet, whose son, Jordan, had died in her undead summoning at the Dreaming Salon. Thinking of this, Charlotte turned to Sebastian and smiled. ¡°Sebastian, it seems the commander of Borde¡¯s troops is our old acquaintance.¡± Then she turned to the dazed messenger, her sapphire eyes fully turning crimson. ¡°Go back and tell Count Gaston that I accept his proposal. I will attend his invitation.¡± Chapter 269: Taking the Blame ¡°Really? So, she has accepted the Duchy¡¯s olive branch and plans to use the Duchy¡¯s power to quell the rebellion in Castell?¡±At the New Borde Fortress in Tulip County. An old nobleman with white hair, dressed in the noble uniform of the Duchy¡¯s regular army, said in surprise. The old nobleman wasn¡¯t particularly tall, but sitting there, he exuded an aura of authority and intimidation¡ªa presence cultivated from years of high status. Behind him stood a younger man who bore some resemblance to him, also dressed in military uniform. However, unlike the old nobleman, the younger man¡¯s attire was the elaborate, prestigious knight¡¯s uniform of the kingdom¡¯s regular army, gleaming with enchanted armor. ¡°Yes, Lord Gaston, the northern rebellion has made the young Countess of Castell quite panicked. Your invitation was like a lifeline to a drowning person for her.¡± The messenger who had returned from Northport spoke respectfully, shedding his previous disheveled appearance from Northport. Count Gaston¡¯s eyes flickered with interest. ¡°Oh? Panicked? But gathering an army of tens of thousands in Northport doesn¡¯t seem like the actions of a panicked little girl¡­¡± A hidden, subtle red light flickered in the messenger¡¯s eyes as he continued respectfully. ¡°Lord Gaston, if she weren¡¯t panicked or afraid, why wouldn¡¯t she seize the opportunity to order her army north?¡± ¡°It¡¯s precisely because she¡¯s scared that she¡¯s holed up in Northport despite having a large army!¡± ¡°You see, the one who managed to gather the nobles was Viscount Leon-Castell and the elf Sebastian. Her presence actually prevents the nobles from wanting to march north to quell the rebellion!¡± Hearing the messenger¡¯s words, Gaston¡¯s brow furrowed deeper. He glanced at the messenger and suddenly asked. ¡°I heard you met that infamous pirate family in Northport? And that they tied you up?¡± The messenger¡¯s expression darkened, and he gritted his teeth. ¡°Lord Gaston! They¡¯re not nobles, they¡¯re lawless pirates! If it weren¡¯t for the Countess of Castell stopping them, I might not have returned at all!¡± ¡°Oh? So Countess Castell saved you?¡± Count Gaston remarked, somewhat surprised. ¡°Yes, she harshly reprimanded those madmen! She doesn¡¯t trust the northern nobles at all, not one bit!¡± The returning messenger vowed earnestly. Seeing his firm belief, Count Gaston fell into deep thought. After a moment of contemplation, he nodded. ¡°I understand. You may leave.¡± The messenger left, and Count Gaston turned to the map of the northern lands behind him. The young man who had been standing by couldn¡¯t help but speak up. ¡°Father, what¡¯s there to hesitate about? The young Countess of Castell accepted your proposal, isn¡¯t that exactly what we wanted?¡± ¡°His Majesty the King has tacitly approved Prince Philip¡¯s actions, and the Duke of Violet is likely to make a move within half a month. The legitimate confiscation order prepared by the Prince will soon be issued. If we wait until then to act, we¡¯ll be facing the main forces of Northport head-on!¡± ¡°Our family has been entrenched in Tulip County for nearly ten years. If we wait until then, we¡¯ll face the fiercest attacks from the northern nobles. Even if we can hold the fortress, the losses will be heavy.¡± ¡°Instead, we should act first and lure the Countess of Castell out of Northport!¡± ¡°Once we control her, we hold the initiative, and we¡¯ll be the biggest contributors when the Prince confiscates Castell County!¡± The young man was full of confidence, but the Old Count couldn¡¯t help but scold him. ¡°Foolish!¡± ¡°Prince Philip can break the rules because he¡¯s a prince! Even he can¡¯t blatantly confiscate a noble¡¯s territory without a legal pretext!¡± ¡°We are different. Imprisoning a noble lord without cause would provoke the kingdom¡¯s noble council!¡± He shook his head again. ¡°Otis, you¡¯ve been in the capital too long. You¡¯re out of touch with Borde. I¡¯ve met Charlotte de Castell before. She¡¯s no ordinary noble.¡± ¡°Or do you think a young lord who inherited her territory under the scrutiny of nobles, lords, and the church, secured the allegiance of a renowned elf, successfully suppressed the local nobles, and rallied most of the nobles to her side during the rebellion, is actually a foolish coward?¡± ¡°Not to mention, if she travels, Sebastian will be with her. A fallen yet still powerful elf, far above ordinary Silver Moon strength, would be a severe threat even if we manage to capture her. Leaving him free would mean endless trouble¡­¡± The young noble bowed his head in shame. ¡°You¡¯re right, father. I didn¡¯t consider it fully.¡± ¡°No¡­¡± The Old Count¡¯s tone shifted, his eyes gleaming. ¡°You¡¯re also right. His Majesty¡¯s signing of the kingdom¡¯s military ban tacitly permits the Prince¡¯s actions against Castell.¡± ¡°Charlotte de Castell is too young and doesn¡¯t understand our King. The King is more intolerant of the Holy Court¡¯s expansion than the Prince¡¯s ambitions.¡± ¡°Her greatest mistake was promising favors to the Holy Court!¡± ¡°Otis, you¡¯re right. We should seize the initiative. Like the Prince¡¯s confiscation order, we must prepare thoroughly, ensuring success without leaving any evidence.¡± The young noble¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Father, you mean¡­¡± Count Gaston looked at him. ¡°Otis, do you know how your brother Jordan died?¡± ¡°Jordan? Didn¡¯t he die in the riot caused by the undead at the Tulip Count¡¯s Dreaming Salon?¡± The young noble responded instinctively. ¡°No¡­¡± The Old Count shook his head. ¡°His involvement with the Blood Demon Cult sealed his fate.¡± The young noble was startled. ¡°You mean¡­¡± The Old Count said meaningfully. ¡°Charlotte de Castell¡¯s main goal in her noble purges is to root out the Blood Demon Cult from the north¡­¡± ¡°Tell me, what organization is better suited to intercept the Northern Countess than the Blood Demon Cult?¡± The young noble¡¯s eyes changed. ¡°You mean¡­ disguise our actions as the Blood Demon Cult¡¯s work?!¡± The Old Count nodded. ¡°Precisely.¡± ¡°But¡­ what about the elf?¡± The young noble couldn¡¯t help but ask. The Old Count smiled. ¡°Otis, do you know the most popular magic scroll among assassins?¡± ¡°Bloodline Burst?¡± The young noble instinctively responded. ¡°No¡­¡± S?a??h th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The Old Count shook his head, chuckling. ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡± ¡­ ¡°Master, are you really planning to meet the commander of the Tulip Count¡¯s garrison? Are you going for a ¡®decapitation¡¯ strike?¡± In the Count¡¯s mansion in Northport, Sebastian couldn¡¯t help but ask as he watched Charlotte pick out travel clothes. Charlotte glanced at him. ¡°Wasn¡¯t that your suggestion? To use overwhelming power to take the initiative.¡± Sebastian felt a bit embarrassed. ¡°Yes, I did suggest that, but I didn¡¯t expect you to decide so quickly.¡± Charlotte nodded. ¡°We must act swiftly. According to Roman-Four¡¯s intelligence, the Violet Duchy is likely to make a major move soon¡­¡± ¡°The Prince¡¯s plan is nearly perfect, encircling us from both north and south, with Tulip¡¯s knife wedged in the middle. Since I¡¯ve decided, we must move quickly.¡± ¡°The Violet Duchy is unclear and has Blazing Sun individuals, and they are too far. The Lagrisss family is similarly distant and supported by the Blood Demon Cult. Considering everything, Tulip County is the easiest target.¡± ¡°I originally pondered how to deal with the Tulip Count¡¯s garrison if conflict arose. Now, with their invitation and clear hostility, it might be the best opportunity to solve this problem.¡± Sebastian¡¯s expression grew serious. ¡°Master, we must be cautious. The Lagrisse family is linked to the Blood Demon Cult, and the Prince may also have connections to them, implying the Blood Demon Cult¡¯s involvement¡­¡± ¡°We cannot ensure this invitation isn¡¯t part of a plot involving the Blood Demon Cult and the Prince.¡± Charlotte laughed lightly. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the Blood Demon Cult, but Gaston¡¯s actions aren¡¯t likely directed by the Prince.¡± ¡°The records show the Prince has already set the tone for the northern invasion. The Tulip¡¯s role is to distract us, not to send invitations that might alert us. It makes no sense.¡± ¡°This seems more like Gaston¡¯s solo move, probably to earn merit.¡± ¡°There¡¯s definitely a conspiracy, but it¡¯s probably not tied to the Prince. As for the Blood Demon Cult¡­ frankly, I hope it is.¡± Sebastian raised an eyebrow. ¡°Why?¡± Charlotte grinned. ¡°Since we¡¯re taking action, it must be justifiable and legitimate.¡± ¡°And this means someone needs to take the blame.¡± Looking at Sebastian, Charlotte smiled slyly. ¡°Tell me, in the Crescent Kingdom, what organization is more suitable for taking the blame than the Blood Demon Cult?¡± Chapter 270: Déjà Vu Charlotte and Count Gaston agreed to meet at a small town located at the border between the Tulip and Castell counties. The meeting was set for noon, two days later.Both parties agreed to bring no more than five hundred soldiers, apart from accompanying nobles and officers, to maintain an atmosphere of mutual trust. The Tulip County was not far from Northport, a half-day journey. Early on the agreed day, Charlotte set off with her escort of five hundred elite regular cavalrymen and dozens of noble knights, accompanied by Sebastian. The meeting place, a small town called Nell, belonged administratively to Tulip County. The town was small, with fewer than five thousand residents, nestled among rolling hills and boasting picturesque scenery. As Charlotte arrived in Nell, escorted by her heavily armored cavalry, she noticed that Gaston¡¯s troops had already set up camp. Through the window of her carriage, she saw the soldiers of the Borde Duchy, the Borde lion flag, and the Gaston family crest flying in the air. At the same time, the Borde garrison noticed the arrival of Castell¡¯s forces, and the sentry on the watchtower quickly signaled for them to proceed. ¡°Countess, the other side is inviting us into their camp through the kingdom¡¯s signal code. Should we camp here or proceed into the town?¡± A noble asked Charlotte respectfully from outside the carriage window. ¡°Camp here. Sebastian and I will go ahead. Inform everyone that no one is to act without my signal.¡± Charlotte instructed. She intended this visit to be both a tactical maneuver and a baiting strategy, with the army merely as a precaution. Having the troops too close might reveal her intentions. If not for the nobles of Castell insisting on accompanying her, she wouldn¡¯t have brought even the noble knights. ¡°Countess, going with just Sebastian might be too dangerous.¡± The nobles and her personal guard expressed their concern. Charlotte reassured them. ¡°Sebastian is a peak Silver Moon tier extraordinary. With him, I am safe.¡± Sebastian smiled at them, his formidable aura subtly manifesting, causing a palpable sense of dread among the extraordinaries present. Convinced of Sebastian¡¯s power, the nobles stepped aside, allowing Charlotte and Sebastian to ride towards Gaston¡¯s camp. The camp was set up in Nell¡¯s town square. Despite having fewer soldiers than Charlotte¡¯s cavalry, Charlotte¡¯s keen senses, enhanced by her bloodborne power, detected many hidden extraordinary presences within the camp, including several Silver Moons. Upon their arrival, Count Gaston, accompanied by nobles and officers, greeted them warmly, followed by a young noble resembling Gaston, dressed in the kingdom¡¯s knightly attire. Charlotte guessed this was Count Gaston¡¯s eldest son, who was studying at the Knight Academy in the capital. ¡°Haha, Countess Castell, we meet again. You seem even more beautiful after half a year.¡± Count Gaston greeted Charlotte heartily. Charlotte dismounted, assisted by Sebastian, and replied with a smile. ¡°Count Gaston, long time no see. I prefer to be called Charlotte by you.¡± ¡°Haha, then I shall continue to address you as Charlotte.¡± Count Gaston laughed, then turned to Sebastian. ¡°Sebastian, long time no see. Our Gaston family did much business with your Rose Society back in Borde.¡± Sebastian responded with a polite smile. ¡°Count Gaston, indeed, it¡¯s a surprise to meet you again in the North.¡± ¡°Since we are old acquaintances, I have prepared lunch in the town. We can discuss the suppression of the northern rebellion over the meal.¡± Count Gaston invited, gesturing for Charlotte and Sebastian to follow him into a two-story building behind the camp. Charlotte noticed it was a well-decorated inn, likely the best in town, now serving as Count Gaston¡¯s temporary residence. Sebastian glanced at Charlotte, who smiled and followed Count Gaston confidently. Inside the inn, Charlotte sensed more hidden extraordinary presences, but Sebastian showed no reaction. Realizing only her bloodborne power and divine sense allowed her to detect these hidden figures, she enhanced her perception to identify their strength: twenty-eight First Tier Starry Sky and six Second Tier Silver Moon extraordinaries. Such a concentration of power confirmed an imminent conspiracy, but Charlotte remained calm, curious about Count Gaston¡¯s plans against Sebastian, her apparent strongest protector. ¡°Please, Charlotte.¡± Count Gaston gestured towards a luxurious room where a dining table was set. Charlotte entered, noting the table was laden with food, with Sebastian following closely. However, as Sebastian stepped through the doorway, silver light erupted from the floor, and to Charlotte¡¯s astonishment, Sebastian vanished in a flash of light. s?a??h th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 271: Crushing Defeat ¡°Teleportation magic? Count Gaston, what do you mean by this?¡±Charlotte¡¯s gaze moved from the spot where Sebastian had disappeared to Count Gaston. She remained calm despite Sebastian¡¯s sudden disappearance, which took Gaston by surprise. ¡°You truly live up to your reputation, Charlotte. Being able to inherit your territory under the watchful eyes of the Church and the Duke is no small feat. You are even more composed than I imagined.¡± Count Gaston remarked approvingly. He clapped his hands, and two rows of extraordinary individuals, previously hidden, entered the room and surrounded Charlotte. ¡°Charlotte, will you surrender quietly, or do you wish to struggle futilely?¡± Count Gaston asked with a smile. Charlotte did not answer his question. Instead, she looked at the clearly distinct armor worn by the extraordinaries and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Extraordinary mercenaries? Count Gaston, aren¡¯t you afraid of being judged guilty by the Noble Council for hiring mercenaries to attack a fellow noble without cause?¡± ¡°Guilty? Oh, Charlotte, how could that be? You are merely a victim of a Blood Demon Cult ambush and kidnapping. What does that have to do with our Gaston family?¡± Gaston replied, laughing. With that, he signaled to the mercenaries, who then took out and donned the iconic demon eye masks of the Blood Demon Cult. Seeing this, Charlotte¡¯s expression grew even more curious. ¡°From your attire¡­ you must be mercenaries from Eastern Yunette. What did Gaston promise you to make you pretend to be Blood Demon Cult members and attack a count?¡± The mercenaries remained silent, advancing towards her. Count Gaston continued. ¡°Don¡¯t bother trying to bribe them. These are not your typical mercenaries. They are secret agents of the Gaston family in Eastern Yunette, loyal and steadfast.¡± ¡°Gaston family¡­?¡± Charlotte¡¯s eyes flickered with realization. ¡°Ah, I forgot. You Borde Gastons are just a branch of the Eastern Gaston Duchy. I¡¯ve heard that some ancient noble families in the East have a habit of training extraordinary death soldiers. If I¡¯m not mistaken, these are Gaston family death soldiers, correct? Count Gaston, you must have invested quite a bit for today¡¯s ambush.¡± She then looked at the ¡°mercenaries¡± surrounding her. ¡°But you don¡¯t think such a poorly concealed ruse will fool everyone in the North, do you?¡± S?a?ch* Th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Heh, that¡¯s not your concern. Once we decide to act, we have ways to make everyone believe it.¡± Count Gaston retorted. ¡°Also, don¡¯t bother stalling. Sebastian is likely swimming a hundred kilometers away in the sea by now. To deal with him, I used a legendary teleportation scroll. If you¡¯re hoping for his return, you¡¯ll be greatly disappointed.¡± Count Gaston signaled with a serious expression, and the extraordinary mercenaries moved to bind Charlotte. The foremost mercenary, a Second Tier Silver Moon, stepped forward with anti-magic chains. However, just as he was about to touch Charlotte, a silver light burst beside her. Magic inscriptions illuminated the air, forming a glowing circle. A slender arm emerged from the circle, gripping the mercenary¡¯s head. ¡°Flame!¡± A resonant incantation sounded, and scorching flames engulfed the mercenary, turning him into a fireball that exploded in a moment. The dazzling light and heatwave sent the surrounding mercenaries flying. Even Count Gaston stepped back instinctively. When the light faded, the room¡¯s ceiling was gone. Charlotte stood unharmed, a pale blue magic shield around her. In front of her, Sebastian, in a wet tailcoat, bowed gracefully. ¡°Master, were you troubled by these insects?¡± If it weren¡¯t for the seaweed in his hair, he might have looked more dignified. ¡°Long-distance pinpoint teleportation? Legendary spell? This¡­ this is impossible!¡± Count Gaston exclaimed, wide-eyed with disbelief. ¡°Now that you¡¯re back, let¡¯s get to work.¡± Charlotte said calmly, glancing at the extraordinary mercenaries around her. ¡°At your command.¡± Sebastian replied, summoning a flaming sword. His peak Silver Moon aura erupted, causing the surrounding magic to boil. ¡°Stop him!¡± Count Gaston shouted, retreating quickly with two Silver Moon guards. The ensuing battle was fierce, but it was more of a one-sided slaughter. As Charlotte¡¯s blood servant, Sebastian¡¯s power far exceeded ordinary Silver Moon tier. The mercenaries, though formidable, were no match for him. But thanks to their efforts, Sebastian held off by all the mercenaries, allowing Count Gaston to escape. After incinerating another mercenary, Sebastian hesitated, looking in Count Gaston¡¯s direction. ¡°You deal with these people. As for Count Gaston¡­ I will deal with him.¡± Charlotte¡¯s voice echoed as a breeze passed. When Sebastian turned back, Charlotte was already gone. Chapter 272: Youre a Bloodborne! ¡°Father! What¡¯s going on? I thought I heard the sound of an elemental explosion just now¡­¡±Count Gaston stumbled out of the tavern, only to run into his eldest son, Otis, who was waiting outside with soldiers, ready to act at any moment. ¡°Retreat! The plan failed! We need to regroup with the army immediately, there might still be a chance to turn things around!¡± Count Gaston hurriedly said. ¡°Failed?¡± Otis was momentarily stunned. Under the protection of his guards, Count Gaston retreated while speaking grimly. ¡°Sebastian has mastered long-distance pinpoint teleportation spell. The teleportation method failed.¡± ¡°Long-distance pinpoint teleportation spell? Legendary?!¡± Otis exclaimed. ¡°It¡¯s not Legendary. If he were a Legendary mage, he would have seen through our plan the moment he entered the tavern. He must have some precious magical artifact! The ambush plan failed, but¡­ Charlotte didn¡¯t bring many troops. We still have a chance if we quickly regroup with the army and deploy the magic formation!¡± Gaston commanded. ¡°Are we going to start a direct battle? Won¡¯t that¡­¡± Otis asked, but Gaston interrupted him. ¡°We can¡¯t worry about that now. Use the magic formation to trap Sebastian and force Charlotte to stay. We can fix everything else later!¡± Count Gaston ordered decisively. ¡°Oh? A magic formation? Does that mean you brought the entire Tulip garrison?¡± A familiar and pleasant voice suddenly rang out from the front, startling Count Gaston. He turned around and saw that, unbeknownst to him, Charlotte, who should have been guarded by Sebastian in the tavern, was now standing alone under a large tree by the roadside. The shadows concealed her in the darkness, making her seem even more mysterious. ¡°Countess Castell?!¡± Otis was momentarily stunned at the sight of Charlotte. Count Gaston¡¯s expression changed slightly as he scanned the surroundings for Sebastian but didn¡¯t see him. He narrowed his eyes and asked. ¡°Lady Charlotte, did you leave Sebastian to fight and come after us alone?¡± Charlotte nodded and replied with a smile. ¡°Yes, the luncheon hasn¡¯t even started, and you¡¯re already in such a hurry to leave. Keeping promises is a noble virtue. As your colleague, I must advise you to turn back.¡± Count Gaston¡¯s expression darkened. As an experienced count, he knew that the opponent wouldn¡¯t be foolish enough to intercept them alone without a chance of victory. Even as a seasoned Silver Moon, he hadn¡¯t sensed when she had slipped in front of them. But reason also told him that the opponent was just a sixteen-year-old girl whose extraordinary powers had only awakened last year. Even if her talents were exceptional, she couldn¡¯t be that strong; at most, she had some powerful magical artifact. In an instant, he made a decision and ordered the extraordinary guards by his side. ¡°Attack together! Take her down!¡± At Count Gaston¡¯s command, over a dozen extraordinaries charged at Charlotte. Most were zero-tier, and two were Silver Moons. Otis also drew his sword to charge at Charlotte but was quickly pulled back by his father. Charlotte¡¯s gaze fell on the extraordinaries charging at her. Feeling the surge of extraordinary energy from them, she became eager to fight, and her inner magic flowed, causing her bloodborne power to erupt. At the same time, the blood divine power within her consciousness was quietly activated. Her hair instantly turned a splendid silver, cascading past her waist, and her blue eyes turned crimson gold. At that moment, an ancient and indescribable aura spread over her. It wasn¡¯t the full power of the True Ancestor¡¯s Liberation but a partial use of its power. Even at the Silver Moon tier, Charlotte didn¡¯t hesitate to use her trump card power. After stepping into Silver Moon, Charlotte had become more adept at using blood divine power, unlike the crude way she used it in the past. By now, using this partial method had become a habit for Charlotte. Black-red magic surged from her hand, transforming into a black sword. ¡°Dark Armament¡± This was a new mid-tier spell Charlotte had learned, capable of conjuring a dark elemental sword. With the black sword in hand, she faced the two Silver Moon extraordinary guards charging at her. There were no fancy techniques or flashy sword skills. When the weapons of the two extraordinary guards clashed with Charlotte¡¯s black sword, they shattered instantly, like eggs hitting a rock. The strength of ¡°Dark Armament¡± was related to the wielder¡¯s magic power. S~?a??h the N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The magic power of the bloodborne far exceeded that of humans of the same rank, especially with Charlotte borrowing the power of the divine power. Even if the two extraordinary guards wielded high-quality magical weapons, they couldn¡¯t match the divine-powered ¡°temporary artifact¡± in Charlotte¡¯s hands. The two extraordinary guards were stunned. Their expressions changed as they quickly drew their backup weapons, but Charlotte was faster. Her figure instantly turned into black mist, passing through the two extraordinary guards like a specter. When she reappeared, a burst of blood mist erupted from the two extraordinary guards, and they collapsed. In the horrified gazes of the other extraordinary guards, the bodies of the two Silver Moon experts rapidly withered, turning into dried corpses. At the same time, the black sword in Charlotte¡¯s hand seemed to glow even more darkly. ¡°Blood¡­ bloodborne!¡± Seeing this, the remaining extraordinary guards screamed in fear, their faces filled with terror. ¡°Blood¡­ bloodborne?!¡± Count Gaston and his son were equally shocked. ¡°Run!¡± Count Gaston grabbed his son and ran towards the forest without hesitation after seeing Charlotte effortlessly kill the two Silver Moon guards. Behind them, the other extraordinary guards¡¯ cries of alarm echoed. Otis couldn¡¯t help but look back, only to see that within a few seconds, all the extraordinary guards left behind had fallen. Charlotte¡¯s figure disappeared, leaving only drained corpses on the ground¡­ ¡°Father¡­ she¡¯s gone!¡± Otis shouted in fear. An unprecedented sense of danger arose in Count Gaston¡¯s heart. He instinctively drew his sword, but before he could raise it, a great force shattered it, leaving only the hilt. Black mist gathered in front of him, and Charlotte¡¯s figure reappeared. Her melodic voice rang out again, this time more terrifying to Count Gaston. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re running, Count?¡± Looking at Charlotte¡¯s drastically changed appearance, Count Gaston¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ not Charlotte! You¡¯re a bloodborne!¡± Chapter 273: ¡°You¡¯re not Charlotte! You¡¯re a Bloodborne!¡±Count Gaston¡¯s expression changed as he looked at Charlotte, who was now shrouded in dark elemental energy. Charlotte did not respond. She slowly moved forward, blocking their path of escape. Count Gaston¡¯s expression darkened. He knew he had to fight personally now. He discarded the hilt of his broken sword and a radiant glow appeared in his hand. He reached into the air and slowly drew a new long sword. The blade was engraved with intricate runes, emitting a luminous glow and an intense aura. It was clearly a powerful extraordinary weapon. Every ancient noble family had their own inherited extraordinary equipment. Count Gaston was no exception. The extraordinary sword he summoned was his true weapon from decades of battles! With a shout, he charged at Charlotte, his body radiating a dazzling light and an overwhelming pressure. This was the source power of an extraordinary knight. As a seasoned Silver Moon, having experienced countless battles and duels, Count Gaston was also a powerful extraordinary awakener. Despite not being at his peak due to age, he was still a solid Second Tier Silver Moon. His aura was even stronger than the ambushing Silver Moon mercenaries. Their swords clashed, but Count Gaston¡¯s expression quickly changed. He felt as though he wasn¡¯t fighting a powerful extraordinary individual. Instead, it felt like he was confronting a towering mountain, a vast ocean¡­ A terrifying force surged through him, and Count Gaston felt like a grasshopper charging at a chariot. His source power was effortlessly torn apart by Charlotte¡¯s unfathomable magic. He was thrown back, spitting blood before collapsing to the ground. ¡°Father!¡± Otis¡¯ expression changed. He quickly helped his father up, picking up the dropped sword, and stood protectively in front of him. ¡°Father, I¡¯ll hold her off. You gather the troops!¡± Otis¡¯ determined expression was quickly met with curses as his father pulled him back. ¡°Cough, cough¡­ Idiot! She¡¯s not an ordinary bloodborne! Get back!¡± With that, Count Gaston took a silver magic scroll from his chest, preparing to tear it open. But before he could activate it, a bolt infused with dark elemental magic pierced through the scroll, destroying it with explosive elemental force. ¡°Count, for a teleportation scroll to succeed, it must be used unexpectedly.¡± Charlotte said, lowering her crossbow with a smile. Count Gaston¡¯s face grew even grimmer. Struggling to his feet, he pulled Otis along, intending to change direction. But when he turned, he saw Sebastian in a black tailcoat blocking his path, elegantly wiping his white gloves. ¡°Count Gaston, I¡¯m afraid this way is also blocked.¡± Sebastian said with a smile. Count Gaston¡¯s expression darkened. He realized that the extraordinary mercenaries he had summoned were probably all dead. This wasn¡¯t Silver Moon strength! Such power was beyond what a Silver Moon should possess! Damn it! When did this leader of the Rose Society become so powerful? Had his strength really returned to the Blazing Sun tier? How could this be possible? Count Gaston¡¯s expression grew increasingly grim. As a seasoned Silver Moon, he could clearly feel the oppressive extraordinary aura from Charlotte and Sebastian. Sebastian¡¯s presence was almost as overwhelming as the Blazing Sun extraordinaries he had encountered. As for Charlotte¡­ he felt she was like a deep, unfathomable abyss, impossible to gauge. Facing her brought a chilling fear. Count Gaston couldn¡¯t understand this fear¡¯s source. But he was certain of one thing: the girl before him was definitely not just a noble who had awakened extraordinary power a year ago! She couldn¡¯t be Countess Castell, recognized by the Holy Court! No¡­ wait¡­ If she wasn¡¯t Charlotte, then what about Sebastian? Was he also a disguised bloodborne? Looking between Charlotte and Sebastian, Count Gaston¡¯s expression grew more serious, his scalp tingling. He had an unsettling feeling that he had inadvertently stumbled into a Blood Demon Cult conspiracy. ¡°Countess¡­ I don¡¯t intend to oppose the Blood Demon Cult. Perhaps we can talk.¡± Count Gaston said gravely. Charlotte¡¯s expression shifted slightly at his words, looking somewhat puzzled, while Sebastian laughed. ¡°Master, he really thinks you¡¯re with the Blood Demon Cult.¡± Sebastian said. Mas¡­ Master? Count Gaston was momentarily stunned. It was no secret that Sebastian, the notorious flame elf and head of the Rose Society, served Charlotte in the Borde Duchy. As a seasoned noble of Borde, Gaston was well aware of this. Some things might be disguised, but at this point, many disguises had lost their meaning. Count Gaston looked between Sebastian and Charlotte, recalling the gestures and smiles from past encounters. ¡°No¡­ you¡­ you really are Charlotte?¡± ¡°How is this possible?!¡± Staring at Charlotte¡¯s transformed appearance and mysterious aura, Count Gaston¡¯s disbelief was palpable. Shock. He was truly shocked. He couldn¡¯t fathom that the girl blessed by the Holy Court at her coming-of-age ceremony, who had driven out the bloodbornes from her territory, was a bloodborne with unfathomable strength herself! Impossible! How could this be? Could the Holy Court¡¯s holy light be wrong? Count Gaston couldn¡¯t comprehend this. It was beyond his understanding. S?a??h th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Until a moment of realization struck him, recalling rumors from a year ago and the Holy Court¡¯s investigations in Borde following the Blood Demon Cult¡¯s incidents. His gaze fell sharply on Charlotte, his pupils contracting, voice trembling. ¡°Wait¡­¡± ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re the Evil¡ª¡± Before he could finish, Sebastian was already before him, covering his mouth and restraining him, also binding Otis. Count Gaston¡¯s mind raced, but the realization that he had truly stumbled into a profound and dangerous conspiracy left him in utter despair. Chapter 274: Extraordinary Military Formation Charlotte and Count Gaston sat back down at the negotiation table in the tavern.However, this time, the extraordinary awakeners ambushing from Tulip County were completely wiped out, and Count Gaston and his son were securely bound with anti-magic chains. Charlotte, seated leisurely on a round wooden chair with her legs crossed, faced away from the large hole Sebastian had blasted into the tavern wall. She held a parchment detailing the information obtained from interrogating Count Gaston. As for the Gaston father and son duo, they were not only fully restrained but also had their mouths stuffed with two pairs of white gloves by Sebastian, staring at Charlotte in terror. With the blood divine power aiding the interrogation, questioning the Gaston father and son was not difficult; in fact, it was quite easy. A single mental shock and they revealed everything. As Charlotte had suspected, Count Gaston¡¯s actions were indeed self-initiated. To ensure success, he even mobilized an army to ambush outside the town, aiming to control her to gain favor with the Third Prince. The Third Prince had already planned a ¡°pincer attack from the north and south¡± strategy. Unfortunately for Gaston, he ran into Charlotte¡¯s trap and was captured. After a while, Sebastian reappeared beside Charlotte, bowing respectfully and reporting. ¡°Master, I checked. They brought the Tulip County¡¯s garrison. Judging by the flags, it seems to be the main force, all stationed about five kilometers north of the town in the woods. They haven¡¯t noticed the situation in the town yet.¡± Charlotte paused slightly at Sebastain¡¯s words. ¡°The main force?¡± Sebastian glanced at the bound Gaston father and son and nodded. ¡°Yes, the main force of the Tulip County garrison. I estimated there are at least 1,500 well-equipped soldiers, all wearing enchanted armor, capable of forming the most basic magic formation.¡± Magic formation? After being in this world for so long, Charlotte had encountered a new term. Sebastian, noticing her subtle expression change, respectfully explained. ¡°Master, a magic formation is known as the most powerful extraordinary military formation in warfare. Some sophisticated formations can even contest Blazing Suns and give Legendaries a headache.¡± ¡°Since the spread of extraordinary power in civilization, extraordinary military formations have become the key to dominating wars. Every nation¡¯s standing army is capable of forming such formations.¡± ¡°The basis of an extraordinary military formation is the magic or source power of extraordinary soldiers, with enchanted armor as the core. With 500 soldiers forming a formation, they can create an anti-magic field that greatly suppresses the power of enemy extraordinaries. It¡¯s a nightmare for mid to low-rank extraordinaries.¡± ¡°When activated, soldiers in a magic formation can each fight ten enemies. As a formation, they are invincible in conventional warfare. The most famous is the Nicholas Magic Formation, created by the Legendary human mage Nicholas.¡± ¡°King Louis V managed to win critical battles in the Star-Moon War with fewer troops by arming a formation with elven armor provided by Luna Island, forming the Nicholas Magic Formation using the ¡®Nicholas Legacy.''¡± Charlotte: ¡­ For a moment, an image flashed in Charlotte¡¯s mind of a plump black cat lazily reclining, picking his paws, nibbling on a small fish, and smugly declaring, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me!¡± She clicked her tongue, wondering how much more that black cat had hidden from her and how many skills he possessed. Perhaps next time she summoned him, she could try to extract more information. But that was for later. For now, she had to deal with the immediate problem. With that in mind, Charlotte sized up Count Gaston with interest. ¡°I heard that the former Duke of Borde, as the Chief Advisor of the Crescent Kingdom, introduced the extraordinary equipment of the Crescent Guard into his standing army, making them comparable to the kingdom¡¯s regular army. And the garrison of Tulip County is the elite of the Borde Duchy.¡± ¡°Count Gaston, did you mobilize the entire county¡¯s army specifically to target Sebastian?¡± Sebastian froze for a moment at Charlotte¡¯s words, then quickly understood, his expression turning grim. As a seasoned Silver Moon extraordinary, the extraordinaries that ambushed him from Tulip County were no threat to him. Even if transported away, he could quickly return given his speed. But if he returned only to face an extraordinary military formation, it would be a different story. If Gaston captured Charlotte, Sebastian, as her strongest follower, would surely chase after them. After exhausting himself rushing back over a hundred kilometers, facing a magic formation would be risky. If Gaston handled it well, he might capture both Charlotte and Sebastian. S?a??h th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Of course, Gaston misjudged Charlotte¡¯s power. ¡°Master, I found many disguises in their camp. They seem to want to frame the attack on you as the work of the Blood Demon Cult. Should we use this to our advantage and launch a surprise attack before they form their formation, framing it as the Blood Demon Cult¡¯s work?¡± Sebastian suggested. Charlotte looked at the two bound nobles and smiled slightly. ¡°A surprise attack? No, you don¡¯t need to make it complicated.¡± Chapter 275: Youre Not Worthy ¡°Remove the gloves from their mouths.¡±Charlotte commanded Sebastian. S?a?ch* Th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Sebastian responded respectfully, taking out the white gloves from the mouths of Count Gaston and his son. Charlotte put down the parchment she was holding and looked down at the two of them, her eyes gleaming with a subtle light as she actively released her majestic aura. In the eyes of Count Gaston and his son, the Evil God who had descended using a mortal shell seemed to become majestic and mysterious in an instant. Even her melodious voice seemed to carry a more solemn and awe-inspiring tone. ¡°Gaston, Otis, as punishment for your conspiracy and offense, you both should face death.¡± ¡°However, you still have great use to me, and I will not let you die¡­¡± ¡°At least¡­ not now.¡± Upon hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, Count Gaston¡¯s expression flickered. He took a deep breath, suppressing his fear, and said, ¡°You¡­ Do you want us to submit to you?¡± ¡°Though I don¡¯t know which Lord of the Bloodborne you are, it seems you have forgotten one thing¡ª¡± ¡°We, the Crescent-folk have been eternal enemies of the bloodbornes. As a devout noble of the Crescent Kingdom, even in death, we will never bow to you!¡± Count Gaston¡¯s voice was loud. Though he still trembled and was clearly afraid, he proudly raised his head. ¡°Evil¡­ Evil God! The holy light is with us!¡± Otis also mustered his courage to shout, though his voice trembled, clearly terrified of Charlotte¡¯s ¡°Evil God¡± identity. However, as a noble who had mingled in the Crescent circles for more than a year, Charlotte could discern another, more subtle meaning behind Gaston¡¯s seemingly righteous tone¡­ If the conditions were acceptable, he might be willing to yield. Charlotte, however, did not respond to Count Gaston¡¯s words. Instead, she looked at Sebastian and ordered. ¡°Sebastian, bring me some extraordinary blood.¡± Sebastian hesitated for a moment but then respectfully complied. He took out a glass bottle from the void, filled with the extraordinary blood Charlotte usually drank. ¡°Master, this is the blood of the ground dragon from the northern forest, your favorite fire-attributed extraordinary blood. Please drink.¡± ¡°Ground dragon? No, get something milder, and make sure it¡¯s not above the Second Tier Silver Moon. If there¡¯s nothing else, your blood will do.¡± Sebastian: ¡­? Though puzzled by Charlotte¡¯s request, Sebastian obediently fetched another bottle of extraordinary blood. To cater to Charlotte¡¯s preferences, his storage space contained various types of extraordinary blood to meet almost any need. ¡°Master, this is the blood of the Northern Ice Wolf, First Tier Starry Sky, with much milder properties.¡± ¡°That¡¯ll do. Hand it over.¡± Charlotte said. Sebastian handed the blood bottle over with both hands, then couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Master, aren¡¯t you going to drink it?¡± ¡°Drink it? No, it¡¯s just to be used as a ¡®solvent¡¯ for dilution.¡± As she spoke, Charlotte took the blood bottle. She then picked up a small knife, cut her fingertip, and used her magic to activate her bloodline power, dropping a single drop of her essence blood into the bottle. With the drop of her blood, the bottle immediately emitted a faint crimson glow. The glow flashed and then disappeared, leaving the blood looking ordinary again. However, Sebastian could clearly sense the change in the blood. Sebastian¡¯s eyes widened almost instantly. ¡°This¡­ this is the aura of bloodline blood. This whole bottle of extraordinary blood has become bloodline blood?!¡± Bloodline blood is the essence blood bloodbornes use to create new bloodbornes. Obviously, by adding her blood to the Northern Ice Wolf¡¯s blood, Charlotte had caused the entire bottle to transform. In other words, anyone who drank this bottle of blood would be turned into a bloodborne! ¡¾Blood Spread¡¿ This is a derivative ability of Blood Embrace, evolved through the Dark Path, and an advanced talent Charlotte awakened upon ascending to Silver Moon. With this ability, a bloodborne can dilute their essence blood into other extraordinary blood, thereby creating more bloodline blood and potentially more bloodbornes. However, bloodbornes created in this way are more distant in blood relation to the True Ancestor, inherit less power, and are often not regarded as true descendants by their creators. Moreover, bloodbornes created this way have another characteristic. They are difficult for the Holy Court¡¯s Judgment Knights to trace back to their creator through bloodline power. ¡°Sebastian, make them drink it.¡± Charlotte commanded. Count Gaston was stunned for a moment. As a well-informed noble, he instantly realized what Charlotte intended to do and began to struggle frantically. ¡°Y-you¡­ you want to turn us into bloodbornes?! No¡ª! You can¡¯t do this! No¡­!¡± Bloodbornes are reviled in the Crescent Kingdom, while long standing noble families are highly respected everywhere they go. Although bloodbornes possess great power and immortality, in this era, the disadvantages of becoming one far outweigh the benefits. For example, becoming targets for Holy Court persecution; becoming photophobic beings who cannot walk in sunlight; constantly being at risk of insanity; and becoming ¡°prisoners¡± under the control of higher-ranking elders¡­ Unless they are nobles facing their life¡¯s end and greatly fearing death, most nobles would never choose this path. Of course, Count Gaston¡¯s struggles were futile under the anti-magic chains, and his resistance went completely unheeded. Under Charlotte¡¯s orders, Sebastian did not hesitate. He walked straight to the two human nobles, pinched their noses, and poured the blood down their throats. As the blood entered, Gaston and Otis¡¯ expressions instantly became pained, and their auras began to become chaotic. As extraordinaries, their own powers naturally resisted the external invasion. Of course, this resistance was meaningless against the more invasive and pervasive power of the bloodbornes. As time passed, their skin grew paler, their pupils simultaneously turned crimson, fangs emerged in their mouths, and their nails became sharp¡­ Charlotte coldly watched their transformation, her voice devoid of emotion. ¡°Turn into bloodbornes? Don¡¯t overestimate yourselves.¡± ¡°You are not worthy to become my blood descendants yet.¡± Blood Spread indeed allows for the convenient creation of new bloodbornes. But more often, this ability is used by mid-to-high-rank bloodbornes to create blood thralls without any ¡°human rights.¡± Chapter 276: Allies In the end, Charlotte released Count Gaston and his son.Of course, before their departure, Charlotte had transformed them into blood thralls. Regardless of their own wishes, their lives and deaths were now entirely under Charlotte¡¯s control. As the lowest level of blood thralls, modified by Charlotte¡¯s diluted bloodborne power, their related abilities were weak, and their original extraordinary powers were also diminished. However, this wasn¡¯t entirely a bad thing. At least, as thralls with thin bloodborne power but strong innate extraordinary abilities, they wouldn¡¯t burn or die upon exposure to sunlight like traditional blood thralls who became extraordinary through bloodborne power. They would only feel discomfort and weakness under the sun. This would make it harder for others to detect their identity as blood thralls. Furthermore, to prevent them from resorting to desperate measures, Charlotte used her rarely deployed mental spell, Mind Domination, to completely break their resistance to her. In effect, though they retained their self-awareness, Count Gaston and his son had become Charlotte¡¯s puppets¡­ This outcome, in some sense, was even more terrifying than death. ¡°Master¡­ are you planning to control human nobles through the transformation of blood thralls and mind control?¡± Sebastian asked, somewhat apprehensively but also curiously, as he watched the departing Gaston and his son. Listening to Sebastian, Charlotte could clearly sense the underlying tension behind his respectful tone. She understood why. The combination of ¡°transforming blood thralls + mind control¡± was indeed an almost cheat-like power. With this ability, as long as her bloodline power and soul were strong enough, Charlotte could transform all weaker human nobles. Even stronger extraordinary awakeners could be forcibly transformed using the Gospel of Blood and suppressed with blood divine power. Such power was terrifying, and it was natural for others to fear it. In the world of Myria, where Gods exist, forcibly controlling the lives and minds of intelligent beings was common practice among ¡°Evil Gods.¡± This wasn¡¯t just ¡°evil¡± as defined by the Holy Court; it was universally recognized as ¡°evil¡± in the civilized world of Myria. If this kind of ¡°evil¡± were made public, it would provoke an assault from the entire civilized world. Historically, one significant reason for the overthrow of the bloodborne rulers was their frequent use of such methods to control the extraordinary of various races. Furthermore, a widely accepted reason for the bloodbornes¡¯ sudden internal war and rapid decline at their peak was the gradual loss of self-control due to the long-term mental manipulation of other races. Many historical scholars even believe this led to the mysterious disappearance of the True Ancestor of Blood. Mental magic is inherently prone to causing self-loss, especially magic that controls others¡¯ minds. Bloodbornes, in particular, are notorious for power overflows, weak wills, and eventual madness. This applies not only to ordinary bloodbornes but also to those among the bloodborne who have attained myth status. Throughout history, many Old Gods have revived only to lose themselves and become mad ¡°Evil Gods¡± due to similar paths. Charlotte sensed Sebastian¡¯s implicit concern that she might follow a similar path. Shortcuts always come with a price, especially in the intertwined realms of soul and extraordinary power. This mysterious field is believed to touch upon the origins of mythology, a domain even the Gods have yet to fully understand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have no such intentions. Transforming them into blood thralls was just a temporary measure to deal with the current threat.¡± Charlotte said. She indeed had no such intentions. She was cautious about powers like mind control, understanding the convenience and potential for dependency they presented. The key is how to use this power. To genuinely gain loyal followers, one shouldn¡¯t, and couldn¡¯t, rely on ¡°mind control.¡± Dependence on ¡°magic¡± for forced loyalty will ultimately lead to downfall by ¡°magic.¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s reassurance, Sebastian visibly relaxed. ¡°Apologies, Master, I was overthinking.¡± He quickly regained his composure and added. ¡°However, this way, the crisis in Castell can be resolved smoothly.¡± ¡°Using Count Gaston and his son as leverage, we can expose the Third Prince¡¯s conspiracy against Castell. His collaboration with the Blood Demon Cult will deal him a heavy blow, potentially driving him out of the Borde Duchy.¡± ¡°If the situation escalates, he might even lose his claim to the kingdom!¡± ¡°And all this can be achieved without fighting¡­¡± ¡°Master, as expected, you¡¯ve gained the upper hand in the war with just one meeting!¡± With his worries gone, Sebastian couldn¡¯t help but praise her. However, Charlotte shook her head slightly. ¡°No, we still need to fight.¡± ¡°Exposing the conspiracy is just a means of pressure. It might alleviate Castell¡¯s crisis, but it might not work.¡± ¡°If all the Third Prince¡¯s actions are sanctioned by the king, no amount of pressure will suffice against the Crescent royalty¡­¡± ¡°Relying on others is less reliable than relying on ourselves. This war is indeed a crisis for us, but it is also an opportunity.¡± Sebastian, moved by her words, pondered deeply. ¡°An opportunity¡­¡± Meanwhile, in the forest outside the town, the Tulip County army welcomed back their commander. ¡°Count!¡± Seeing the return of Count Gaston and his son, the army¡¯s adjutant hurriedly approached. S?a??h th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Count Gaston glanced at the adjutant, a faint, almost imperceptible crimson glow flickering in his eyes. ¡°Relay the order, retreat immediately, return to base, and¡­ prepare for war!¡± Chapter 277: Marching North to Quell the Rebellion The meeting between Count Gaston and Charlotte was not a secret.In fact, a military maneuver of this scale could not be hidden. The northern nobles were already aware of Charlotte¡¯s intention to meet with the commander of the Tulip County garrison. Similarly, loyal officers of the Borde family remained within the Tulip County garrison. Charlotte did not intend to keep this meeting a secret. Upon returning to Northport, she announced the outcome: she and Count Gaston would form a joint army to march north and eliminate the rebels. The Tulip County garrison, led by Count Gaston, swiftly began preparations to assist Countess Castell in quelling the rebellion. This decision caused quite a stir among the senior officers loyal to the Borde family. Despite Count Gaston¡¯s long-standing influence, the garrison¡¯s loyalty still primarily lay with the Borde family. The officers opposing Count Gaston had valid reasons. Without orders from the Borde family, the garrison could not leave Tulip County, let alone assist a duchy noble in quelling a rebellion. Count Gaston¡¯s decision to move the troops was already contentious. Debates erupted among the nobles and officers in the fortress, with the Borde and Gaston factions clashing fiercely. However, the dispute did not last long. Count Gaston sent an urgent letter via the mage tower to the Borde family. Shortly thereafter, the Mage Tower relayed a response from the Borde family. Duchess Eleanor de Borde approved Count Gaston¡¯s decision and ordered him to assist Castell in quelling the rebellion. With the Borde family¡¯s approval, the opposing officers had no grounds to continue their resistance. Although puzzled by the Borde family¡¯s decision, they ultimately complied with the orders. Meanwhile, in Northport, Charlotte announced that she would personally lead the army north to quell the rebellion. Charlotte would serve as the coalition leader, with Baron Angus acting as the de facto commander. All participating nobles were promised rewards for their merits, with the most distinguished even having a chance to gain lands from the Lagrisse family or even a title. The northern nobles, eager for action, were thrilled by the news. They believed that the coalition forces, now reinforced by Count Gaston¡¯s regular troops, would easily overpower the rebels. This seemed like a certain victory, with the added incentive of potential land and titles. However, not everyone was pleased. For example, the elderly Viscount of the Roman-Four family voiced his concerns. ¡°Countess, why did you agree to Count Gaston¡¯s proposal? The Third Prince¡¯s ambitions for Castell are well-known, and you have seen the intelligence from the Violet side. The greatest threat to us is not the northern rebellion but the Third Prince¡¯s scheming and the restless Violet troops.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think leading an army north at this time is wise, especially if you are personally leading it. This might leave our southern defenses weak, and vulnerable to Violet¡¯s invasion. Aren¡¯t you worried that Count Gaston might betray us during the rebellion?¡± Viscount Roman-Four, ignoring his guards¡¯ attempts to stop him, rushed to the Count¡¯s Mansion to advise Charlotte. Charlotte, in a calm and gentle tone, responded. ¡°Viscount, I am well aware of our true enemies. Rest assured, I will not take all our forces north. The south will remain secure until the northern rebellion is resolved.¡± The elderly Viscount frowned. ¡°That makes it even more dangerous. You¡¯re risking your life!¡± ¡°The rebels aside, the Tulip County troops can form a magic formation. If they betray us, our army would be caught in a deadly trap!¡± Charlotte smiled slightly. ¡°Viscount, the Tulip County troops are no longer a problem.¡± The Viscount was clearly puzzled. Charlotte signaled to Sebastian, who handed the viscount a parchment scroll with a smile. ¡°Viscount, please take a look.¡± Upon reading the scroll, Viscount Roman-Four was stunned. S~?a??h the Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°A secret contract between you and Count Gaston?! He agreed to support you against the Third Prince? How is this possible?!¡± Viscount Roman-Four couldn¡¯t fathom why Count Gaston would side with Castell. The contract, certified by the God of Contracts, was undeniable¡ªviolating it would mean defying the Holy Court, a suicidal act. However, the existence of such a contract meant the viscount had no more objections. Though he remained puzzled, he understood that each noble had their secrets. If Charlotte did not wish to explain, he could not press further. Thus, three days after Charlotte¡¯s announcement, Northport¡¯s troops mobilized. Donning her armor, Charlotte led 25,000 men north, accompanied by numerous nobles. At the same time, the Third Prince in Borde City received a letter informing him of Charlotte¡¯s personal march toward the North to quell the rebellion¡­ Chapter 278: The Third Princes Ambition Borde City, Duke¡¯s MansionPrince Philip, the Third Prince, lounged on the duke¡¯s throne, lazily glancing at a letter delivered via teleportation magic. Behind him stood ¡°Duchess Eleanor de Borde¡±, scantily clad, obediently massaging his shoulders and feet along with two similarly dressed young maids kneeling on the floor. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and a guard¡¯s voice came from outside. ¡°Your Highness, Count Linte requests an audience.¡± The Third Prince lazily lifted his eyelids and said, ¡°Come in.¡± The door opened quickly, revealing a tall, middle-aged nobleman in armor. He appeared to be about forty years old, with gray hair and eyes, and his features bore a slight resemblance to the Third Prince, though he appeared far more resolute compared to the prince¡¯s delicate beauty. Frowning, the nobleman glanced at the Third Prince reclining on the duke¡¯s throne, then at Eleanor behind him. He spoke to the two maids with a stern expression. ¡°Cover Lady Eleanor with some clothes. It¡¯s cold, do you want her to catch a cold?¡± The maids remained unmoved until the Third Prince, smiling at the nobleman¡¯s displeased expression, lazily commanded. ¡°Cover her with some clothes and take her away.¡± Only then did the maids comply, covering Eleanor with a cloak and quickly leading her out. As she passed the middle-aged nobleman, she paused slightly and then lowered her head to leave. Watching the nobleman bow to Eleanor, the Third Prince chuckled. ¡°My dear uncle, your manners are as impeccable as ever.¡± The middle-aged nobleman frowned and said, ¡°Your Highness, Lady Eleanor is, after all, your wife. Some things should not be taken too far.¡± The Third Prince yawned lazily. ¡°Alright, I know. I¡¯ll be mindful.¡± ¡°Now, what good news have you brought me this time?¡± The nobleman¡¯s frown deepened, clearly displeased with the prince¡¯s frivolous demeanor, but he eventually sighed and bowed respectfully, saying in a serious tone. ¡°Your Highness, news from Violet: the army has mobilized. The family has gathered twenty thousand troops, ready to march north.¡± Upon hearing this, the Third Prince brightened and sat up immediately, smiling. S~?a??h the N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Grandfather¡¯s speed is as impressive as ever! But¡­¡± He rubbed his chin. ¡°Only twenty thousand? That¡¯s not typical of Violet.¡± The nobleman sighed. ¡°The mobilization is under the guise of a drill. Violet has a tradition of military exercises due to longstanding tensions with Roman. Twenty thousand is the maximum, any more would make it difficult to keep the mobilization secret and would alert Castell.¡± ¡°Moreover, there are still old nobles in Violet who have not fully pledged loyalty and still remember the Veillet family. My father must keep an eye on them.¡± ¡°The Veillet family? The one whose title was revoked and was demoted to commoners by my father¡¯s decree? I heard they were wiped out years ago.¡± The Third Prince was surprised. The nobleman nodded. ¡°Yes, but after nearly a millennium of influence in Violet, even the name of the duchy is similar to their surname. My father¡¯s caution is justified.¡± ¡°However, you need not worry, Your Highness. The mobilized troops include five thousand elite regulars from the Boite-Linte family. They are more than enough to deal with the small Castell.¡± ¡°Five thousand elite regulars? That¡¯s quite impressive.¡± The Third Prince nodded in satisfaction. ¡°And what other news from Grandfather?¡± The nobleman hesitated before saying, ¡°My father asks when to commence the attack. Reports from Northport indicate that Charlotte de Castell has marched north to quell the rebellion, leaving the South defenseless. Now is the perfect time to strike.¡± The Third Prince smiled. ¡°No rush. Tell Grandfather to move to the border and wait in secret. If we¡¯re lucky, we might advance unopposed.¡± The nobleman frowned. ¡°Wait? For what?¡± The Third Prince handed over the letter he was holding. ¡°Uncle, Violet knows about Charlotte¡¯s rebellion suppression but not the details. It seems Grandfather¡¯s intelligence in the north isn¡¯t as good as we thought.¡± The nobleman skimmed the letter and quickly his expression turned peculiar. ¡°This¡­ is from the Tulip County? Charlotte de Castell has allied with the Tulip garrison to suppress the rebellion?¡± The Third Prince laughed. ¡°The garrison commander is Count Gaston, a branch of the Gaston ducal family. I promised him that if I ascended the throne, I would support them in replacing the main Gaston family and taking over the duchy. He has already secretly pledged loyalty to me.¡± ¡°Uncle, we¡¯re all family here, so I won¡¯t hide it. The Castell rebels are also my people. The Lagrisse and Gaston families have long pledged loyalty to me.¡± ¡°Charlotte doesn¡¯t know this. Gaston gained her trust through past ties. She¡¯s probably pleased about Gaston¡¯s support right now.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve communicated with Gaston and the rebels. When Castell¡¯s army attacks the rebels, Gaston will betray them, delivering a fatal blow to Castell.¡± ¡°Charlotte took most of her nobles north. If we¡¯re lucky, we could capture them all without a fight.¡± The nobleman frowned. ¡°This is indeed a bold plan, but what if it fails?¡± The Third Prince laughed. ¡°Failure is acceptable. Even if it fails, it will severely weaken Castell, making it easier for us to invade the north.¡± The nobleman thought for a moment and then nodded. ¡°I understand. I will inform my father to wait for further news from Castell.¡± ¡°No.¡± The Third Prince shook his finger. ¡°Wait until I arrive. We¡¯ll head north together.¡± The nobleman¡¯s eyes flickered, and then he nodded. ¡°I understand.¡± The nobleman soon departed. The Third Prince stood up and summoned his guard. ¡°Tell the court mage in the mage tower to begin charging the teleportation array. It¡¯s almost time.¡± The teleportation array, capable of sending letters and objects, could also transport people, though the extraordinary materials required for long-distance, precise teleportation were available only to the royal family. Chapter 279: Troops Mobilization Holy Calendar 1446, 1st Month, God¡¯s DayThe ancient and bustling continent of Myria welcomed yet another new year. Under the holy light, people from different countries and races gathered to celebrate the beginning of the new year and the birth of the God Lord Harald. However, for the residents of the North, this year¡¯s God¡¯s Day was destined to be less peaceful. At the dawn of the new year, while most people across the continent were celebrating the festival, Countess Charlotte de Castell, the ruler of the North, led an army of twenty-five thousand northward, issuing an ultimatum to the rebellious Lagrisse family. An army of over twenty thousand was no small number in any duchy of the Crescent Kingdom. Although Castell was a county, many nobles considered its wealth and prosperity to exceed the minimum standards of a duchy. In the Yunette Empire, which was filled with fiefdoms, such mobilization would easily surpass many small duchies. Only in the Crescent Kingdom, dominated by strong duchies, would it not seem so conspicuous. Nonetheless, as one of the major powers in the Crescent Kingdom, second only to the Twelve Duchies, Castell¡¯s every move attracted attention from various forces, becoming a hot topic in noble salons and banquets. Especially the protagonist of this rebellion, the Northern Countess Charlotte, who had been in office for less than a year. ¡°Youngest Countess¡±, ¡°Jewel of Borde¡±, ¡°Wealthy Charlotte¡±, ¡°Saintess Walking on Earth¡±¡­ Various titles and epithets made her the focus of attention and discussion among many nobles. Whether as the last heir of the Castell family or for her promises to the Holy Court at a Borde banquet, each of these would make her a topic of conversation at noble gatherings. For a time, the eyes of almost all the lords of the Crescent Kingdom were on Castell, wanting to know how this young and beautiful countess would quell the rebellion in her territory. Many nobles believed that although an army of twenty thousand was powerful, the rebellion in Castell was not simple. Especially considering the recent unsavory rumors about the Third Prince Philip in the capital and the king¡¯s timely military ban, some conspiracy theorists thought that this countess, who leaned toward the church, might already be on the Crescent royal family¡¯s blacklist. Of course, conspiracy theories are just that¡ªthe Crescent royal family showed no reaction. King Louis V of Crescent continued to hold grand feasts at the court, inviting vassals to celebrate the festival together. However, Third Prince Philip and his wife, Duchess Eleanor de Borde, who should have returned from their territory to attend the court banquet, were absent. Also absent was Hubert de Boite-Linte, the current Duke of Violet. Although some major nobles missed the annual court feast for various reasons each year, the absence of both Borde and Violet aroused some curiosity among the kingdom¡¯s nobles. After all, one ruled the territory of Countess Castell, and the other was her neighbor, while the Third Prince was the nephew of the Duke of Violet. Considering the rebellion in Castell and the ambiguous attitude of the Crescent royal family, some astute individuals couldn¡¯t help but make some connections. However, none of this concerned Charlotte. Such feasts and intelligence were only accessible to the true upper echelons of the kingdom, and no matter how wealthy Castell was, as long as it remained a vassal of Borde, it could not enter the kingdom¡¯s true upper echelon. Naturally, this information was also beyond Castell¡¯s reach. Of course, Charlotte, who had long known about the Third Prince¡¯s conspiracy through other channels, didn¡¯t need it. While Louis V was feasting with his ministers, she was already leading her army through Tulip County, approaching the main forces of the Lagrisse family rebels. With the support of Count Gaston, Castell¡¯s allied forces, passing through Tulip County, didn¡¯t need to cross the Dorn River. The army could simply bypass it from the west and directly attack the rebels from the west. The accompanying nobles were surprised by the support of the Tulip garrison. After all, allowing twenty-five thousand soldiers into Tulip County was a huge risk and pressure. At this point, those doubtful nobles finally believed that Count Gaston truly intended to assist Castell in quelling the rebellion. And when Count Gaston led the main force of the garrison out of the fortress to join the allied forces, the nobles of Castell were even more confident. Unlike the Castell allied forces, mainly composed of noble levies, many of whom didn¡¯t even have proper armor and were at best peasants in armor, the Tulip garrison was uniformly armored, with many equipped with armor comparable to the kingdom¡¯s regular army. s?a??h th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Though few in number, no more than three thousand, over half the soldiers wore intricately engraved enchanted armor. That was enchanted armor. The Tulip garrison had at least fifteen hundred super soldiers equipped with enchanted armor, enough to form a minimum magic formation on the battlefield. In other words, these fifteen hundred soldiers alone could be considered equivalent to fifteen thousand on the battlefield. The remaining half of the soldiers, although not wearing enchanted armor, were uniformly in mail and plate armor, and almost all were cavalry. Elite, this was Borde¡¯s elite! Any Castell noble who saw the Tulip garrison would think this. In comparison, the Castell allied forces still seemed somewhat shabby. Only the noble private soldiers and Castell¡¯s fifteen hundred regular troops could hold the line, with better equipment, although not enough enchanted armor to form a formation, but at least more in number than the Tulip garrison. There were far fewer cavalry. Though the Crescent Kingdom was famous for its heavy cavalry throughout Myria, and the royal family maintained an elite enchanted heavy cavalry corps of over thirty thousand. Castell, mostly in the north, being coastal, had few horse farms. Counting the accompanying noble knights and the cavalry from her domain, Charlotte¡¯s cavalry force didn¡¯t exceed three thousand, and most of her twenty-five thousand troops were infantry. However, for a rebellion, this was more than enough. A count-level war, albeit looking like a small ducal civil war due to Castell¡¯s size, was still a count-level war. The extraordinary resources it controlled were limited, and although Castell had great economic potential, it hadn¡¯t developed its military much. Most of the enchanted armor in the territory was seized by Charlotte from the Castell mines. In the eyes of higher-level lords, no matter the number, it was still a battle of rookies. In a world with extraordinary power, military logistics were also easier. Especially with space magic, a few accompanying mages and space equipment accumulated by noble families over generations could save a lot of non-combat manpower. Thus, Charlotte¡¯s march didn¡¯t face logistical difficulties. After a week of marching, Charlotte finally saw the rebel army camped by the Dorn River. ¡°Countess, our scouts have engaged with the rebel¡¯s scouts, but the rebels don¡¯t seem to be taking action yet. Should we send envoys to issue a surrender notice?¡± A respectful noble asked. Charlotte pondered for a moment and nodded. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Though she held little hope, it seemed issuing a pre-battle surrender notice was a tradition among Myria¡¯s nobles. Following her order, the nobles quickly arranged for an envoy, but it wasn¡¯t long before the rebels sent the envoy back. Or more accurately, they sent back the envoy¡¯s head. Chapter 280: Speak your mind ¡°They¡¯ve gone mad! The Lagrisse family is insane! They¡¯re not even following the rules of war. Are they trying to make enemies of all the nobles?¡±¡°Shameful! It¡¯s a disgrace to nobles! Countess, the rebels¡¯ barbaric actions show they have no respect for the Holy Code. They must be severely punished!¡± ¡°The Lagrisse family¡­ must pay the price!¡± ¡°Countess, our Gerard family is willing to lead the charge!¡± ¡°Our Perrin family is also willing to be the vanguard!¡± In the command tent of the Castel allied forces, the nobles were furious upon learning that the envoy had been beheaded. They were shouting, each eager to lead their troops into battle. On the continent of Myria, ever since Charlemagne I, the founder of the Yunette Empire, established the noble system, nobles have cherished their honor and emphasized order and rules for a thousand years. With the destructive power of extraordinary abilities and the limited noble population available for war, along with centuries of intermarriage among noble families, nobles generally avoided killing each other during wars. Winning the war, capturing the opponent, and then setting a suitable ransom for their release was the norm. Today¡¯s victor could be tomorrow¡¯s loser, so leaving room for negotiation was common practice among Myria¡¯s nobles. Seeing the rebels unhesitatingly behead the envoy enraged the northern nobles. In Myria, only a noble was qualified to negotiate as an envoy during a war. This meant the Lagrisse family had killed a negotiating noble. To the nobles, the Lagrisse family¡¯s act of beheading the envoy severely violated the unwritten rules of noble warfare established over a thousand years. It was neither honorable nor dignified. For a moment, the tent was filled with outrage and fury. Of course, it was unclear whether the northern nobles were genuinely outraged because their honor was tarnished or because they felt confident and eager to achieve merits after seeing the stark contrast in power between the two sides. S?a??h the N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Perhaps it was a bit of both. Charlotte sat at the head of the table, quietly watching the nobles angrily denounce the Lagrisse family¡¯s barbarity and eagerly volunteer to fight. As a transmigrator, she did not share the nobles¡¯ deep-seated sense of honor instilled from birth, so her reaction was not as strong. Was she angry? A little, but it wasn¡¯t overwhelming. There were too many stories of envoys being killed in ancient Earth history. The unfortunate volunteer envoy, however, was truly unlucky. In Myria, serving as a pre-war envoy was usually a light and honorable task, with both sides typically returning the envoy politely. When selecting the envoy, Charlotte remembered that many families had competed for the role. Who would have thought the envoy would lose his life? Hmm¡­ Which family was he from? ¡°Baron Angus, which family was the envoy from?¡± Charlotte asked the allied forces¡¯ chief commander beside her. Though she was the nominal supreme commander of the allied forces, she often just listened and observed, rarely taking command directly. Throughout the march, the route, schedule, and potential battle plans were all devised by Baron Angus, Viscount Leon-Castell, and other nobles. She left professional tasks to professionals, knowing she had no experience in commanding an army. As a ruler, it was enough to know how to employ people. She wasn¡¯t a ¡°micro-manager¡± who needed to increase her own difficulties unnecessarily. When it came to sending an envoy, she had simply agreed to it without choosing the person herself. In her view, this was a war that had to be fought to completely eliminate the rebel forces in Castell and the infiltrating Blood Demon Cult. Negotiations were unnecessary. ¡°Countess, the envoy was from the Leon-Castell family, Viscount Leon¡¯s nephew, Knight Balor.¡± Baron Angus said gravely. Charlotte: ¡­ Viscount Leon-Castell¡¯s nephew? Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but glance at the old viscount on the other side, seeing his somber expression, red eyes, and a face dark as soot. Seeing his expression, a mix of anger and pain, Charlotte felt a bit guilty. After all, she had never intended to negotiate. Sending the envoy was merely to satisfy the nobles¡¯ wishes. ¡°Viscount, my condolences¡­¡± Charlotte finally said to comfort him. Viscount Leon-Castell took a deep breath and said in a heavy voice. ¡°Countess, thank you for your consolation. Balor died for the honor of the nobility. His death is honorable¡­¡± ¡°The Lagrisse family has betrayed their lord, desecrated noble honor, and is unworthy of being northern noble lords. Please give the order to attack and destroy them!¡± ¡°Fight! Quell the rebellion!¡± Other nobles echoed his sentiments. Watching the furious nobles, Charlotte glanced around and noticed Baron Angus, the Chief Commander, frowning slightly as if deep in thought. Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred. ¡°Baron Angus, what are you thinking about?¡± Baron Angus raised his head, hesitated for a moment, and then respectfully said, ¡°Countess, I feel¡­ something is off with the rebels.¡± ¡°Oh? Off? How so?¡± Charlotte raised her eyebrows slightly and asked. Baron Angus continued. ¡°Our scouts report that although the rebels are numerous, their overall strength is much weaker than ours, mostly consisting of conscripts.¡± ¡°If we engage in a direct battle, I don¡¯t think they stand a chance against us.¡± ¡°However, despite our approach, they have not retreated¡­¡± ¡°This is abnormal. Although they have built simple defensive camps by the river, it¡¯s not enough to withstand our nearly thirty thousand troops. Moreover¡­ scouts report that they have not seen the Lagrisse family¡¯s cavalry.¡± ¡°The Lagrisse family¡¯s cavalry is the elite of the rebels, and they were once our Castell¡¯s elite in external wars. It¡¯s abnormal for the main force not to retreat and for the mobile elite to be missing.¡± ¡°Countess, I fear the rebels¡­ have a scheme!¡± Baron Angus¡¯ voice was not loud. But after hearing his words, the furious nobles quickly calmed down. They exchanged glances and saw a hint of doubt in each other¡¯s eyes. ¡°Baron, what do you think the rebels might be planning?¡± Viscount Leon-Castell asked with a frown. Baron Angus shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Honestly, I can¡¯t think of what the rebels could be planning¡­ In the face of absolute strength, everything else is meaningless. Even if the Lagrisse family has cavalry, we have the Tulip reinforcements¡­¡± ¡°The Tulip reinforcements are the elite standing army of Borde. With their support, the rebels stand no chance¡­ However, their current behavior seems too calm.¡± After hearing Baron Angus¡¯ words, the nobles quickly began buzzing with discussion. ¡°Baron, do you think¡­ the rebels might have hired Blazing Sun?¡± A young noble boldly speculated. In the world of Myria, extraordinary power is the decisive factor in warfare, and nobles naturally thought of stronger extraordinary powers. Baron Angus shook his head. ¡°Impossible. His Majesty the King has decreed that any extraordinary power reaching Blazing Sun tier who pledges allegiance to the kingdom can receive the title of Count, and those already of noble birth might even become landed Counts. The Lagrisse family is merely a Viscount family, they couldn¡¯t hire a Blazing Sun.¡± ¡°What about mercenaries from Eastern Yunette? The Eastern Yunette Blacklands is a mercenary haven, and it is not lacking in extraordinary mercenaries at the Blazing Sun tier. And the Lagrisse family¡¯s territory is not too far from the Eastern Yunette Blacklands. Could they have hired powerful extraordinary mercenaries?¡± Another noble speculated. Baron Angus shook his head again. ¡°Also impossible. This is not a kingdom-level war. Even if the Lagrisse family could afford the exorbitant price of hiring a Blazing Sun, and succeeded in doing so, the Crescent Kingdom¡¯s Code of Noble Conflicts limits Blazing Sun to protecting the employer and not participating in mundane battles¡­¡± Hearing Baron Angus¡¯ words, the nobles frowned even more deeply. After pondering for a while, Baron Angus¡¯ expression suddenly changed. ¡°Countess¡­¡± He looked at Charlotte, wanting to speak but hesitating. Seeing his serious expression, Charlotte guessed what he might be thinking and asked. ¡°Baron, speak your mind.¡± Baron Angus took a deep breath and said gravely. ¡°Countess, I have a question for you¡­¡± ¡°Are you really certain that Count Gaston¡¯s army is on our side?¡± The nobles were stunned by his words. But soon, their expressions changed, and they began to mutter. ¡°Could it be that the Tulip Count¡¯s reinforcements are the problem?¡± ¡°Impossible! Are you suggesting that Borde¡¯s army is colluding with the Castell rebels?!¡± ¡°Impossible? What¡¯s impossible? Do you forget who hired necromancers to attack the Countess when she returned to her territory?¡± ¡°That was just a rumor in the kingdom, supposedly spread by forces loyal to the second prince. You all know about the Crescent¡¯s two princes competing for the throne. Besides, the Countess hasn¡¯t said anything yet!¡± The nobles quickly fell into a heated discussion, and the tent became chaotic again. Charlotte was already used to this market-like atmosphere. Under the feudal decentralized system, one shouldn¡¯t expect these nobles to revere their lord like the subjects of Ancient China revered their emperor¡­ However, now was the time to reveal some things. With the impending battle and being far from Northport, even if there were spies among the nobles for the third prince, they couldn¡¯t send out any messages. Now that Baron Angus had pointed out the issue, Charlotte felt it was time to be honest with her vassals. She tapped the armrest of her chair lightly. The sound wasn¡¯t loud, but combined with the extraordinary aura she released, it was very imposing. The aura of a Silver Moon immediately attracted everyone¡¯s attention. Although Charlotte didn¡¯t fully reveal her strength, the aura far surpassing the Starry Sky made the nobles present freeze and quickly become agitated. ¡°Silver¡­ Silver Moon!¡± Viscount Leon-Castell¡¯s eyes widened, almost losing his voice. It was hard for him not to be shocked, or rather, for any noble who realized Charlotte¡¯s true strength. A little over a year ago, Charlotte was just a noble without awakened extraordinary powers. Yet in just a year and a half, she had not only broken through the Starry Sky but also reached Silver Moon! It was too fast, unbelievably fast! For a moment, the tent fell silent. Nobles¡¯ status is tied to their extraordinary power. A noble with insufficient power, no matter how high their title, lacked deterrence against those with powerful extraordinary abilities. Now, with the strength of a Silver Moon and her young age, Charlotte was more than enough to intimidate her vassals. She chose this moment to reveal part of her strength to make her next words more impactful and to give these loyal nobles more confidence in Castell¡¯s future¡­ After a brief pause, Charlotte said, ¡°Since you have chosen to follow me here, your loyalty to Castell is evident. Therefore¡­ I can be open with you about certain matters.¡± ¡°Baron Angus is correct, the rebels indeed have a scheme. They believe they will win this war because they believe¡­ the Tulip army will turn against us and join them against Castell¡¯s forces.¡± After hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, the nobles were stunned, then quickly became agitated. ¡°Countess, is that true?¡± ¡°By the Lord! Do you mean the Third Prince is indeed backing the rebels?!¡± Charlotte gestured for silence, her extraordinary aura spreading, and the nobles instinctively quieted down. She scanned the tent and said, ¡°Indeed, the rebels in our territory are backed by the Third Prince. Moreover, the Third Prince has even colluded with the Blood Demon Cult. His goal is clear: he wants to control Castell¡¯s territory¡­¡± Her words caused another uproar among the nobles. Viscount Leon-Castell said solemnly. ¡°Countess, please be cautious with your words! Having ties to the Blood Demon Cult is a grave crime! Slandering the royal family could provoke royal wrath¡­¡± Charlotte smiled and said, ¡°Of course, I have evidence, and¡­ a witness.¡± She looked outside the tent and said, ¡°Count Gaston, please come in.¡± Chapter 281: Breakup and Resistance As Charlotte¡¯s voice fell, Count Gaston entered the tent, clad in Borde standard commander¡¯s armor.Unlike the image everyone had of Count Gaston, today he wore the Borde lord¡¯s armor but without the insignia representing the Borde regular army on his right chest. Instead, he wore a shield-shaped badge with crossed swords on his left chest, and it was upside down. Some sharp-eyed nobles quickly noticed the badge on Count Gaston¡¯s chest. Heraldry is a necessary etiquette for every noble to learn, including the coats of arms of various prominent families. As northern nobles and members of the Borde Duchy, the nobles in the tent naturally recognized that the badge was the Gaston family crest. However, wearing the badge on the left chest, contrary to the norm, and upside down, had a significant implication. An inverted coat of arms! s?a??h th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. This is a way for nobles to display their rebellion against their lord when they believe their lord is unjust. Incidentally, almost all nobles in the Castell rebel army wear their family crests in this manner. Observant nobles quickly picked up on this detail, and the tent started to buzz with discussions. ¡°It¡¯s Count Gaston!¡± ¡°An inverted coat of arms? Is he declaring a break with Borde?!¡± ¡°By the Lord! What¡¯s going on?¡± The northern nobles were abuzz. Ignoring the nobles¡¯ discussions, Count Gaston walked over and stood beside Charlotte. ¡°Countess Castell.¡± He gave a slight bow, performing a noble gesture to Charlotte. ¡°Count Gaston.¡± Charlotte returned the gesture with a noble lady¡¯s courtesy, her movements now quite practiced. This was a formal etiquette between nobles of the same rank. However, no one noticed that when Charlotte bowed in return, Count Gaston subtly avoided receiving the bow. Moreover, he only raised his head completely after Charlotte finished her courtesy, like a servant waiting for his master. Of course, no one noticed these subtle details, as all the nobles¡¯ attention had already been captured by the explosive news Charlotte had announced. ¡°Count Gaston, are you really planning to resist the Third Prince¡¯s rule over Borde?¡± Viscount Leon-Castell voiced the question on all the nobles¡¯ minds. Hearing the old Viscount¡¯s question, Count Gaston looked at the northern nobles in the tent. His gaze swept around, and he said in a deep voice, ¡°Indeed. The Third Prince, as the husband of Lady Eleanor and the current Duke of Borde, has, since arriving in Borde, acted tyrannically. Not only has he oppressed the local nobles, coerced and bribed them, but he has also set up numerous schemes and used disgraceful means to forcibly strip the duchy¡¯s nobles of their titles.¡± ¡°He has long tarnished the glory of nobility and is a complete tyrant!¡± ¡°Furthermore, he has dealings with the Blood Demon Cult, betraying the Lord¡¯s glory and siding with demons!¡± These words caused an uproar among the northern nobles. ¡°What? Forcibly stripping nobles of their titles? Having dealings with the Blood Demon Cult?¡± ¡°By the Lord! Has the Third Prince gone mad?!¡± Even the usually composed Baron Angus showed a change in expression and solemnly asked. ¡°Count Gaston¡­ is what you¡¯re saying true?¡± Facing the doubtful gazes of the many nobles, Count Gaston slowly nodded. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°I chose to rebel precisely because I discovered decisive evidence.¡± ¡°Even the current Castell rebellion has the support of the Third Prince behind the scenes.¡± ¡°To be frank, the Third Prince has long coveted Castell. This rebellion is just the beginning. In fact, the Third Prince has already allied with the Violet Duchy, planning to divide the Castell territory.¡± ¡°And my original duty was to join the battle and, when you fought the rebels, to ally with the rebels and turn against you¡­¡± As he spoke, Count Gaston began to recount to the northern nobles the various attack plans of the Third Prince against Castell¡­ As the commander of Borde and a family that first chose to pledge loyalty to the Third Prince, he was well aware of the Third Prince¡¯s plans. At this moment, he almost revealed everything, making the northern nobles¡¯ hearts race. Even Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but glance at him a few more times. Perhaps due to mental control and memory modification, he spoke even more thoroughly than when he initially confessed to her, seemingly ¡°wholeheartedly¡± viewing himself as a fighter against the Third Prince. However, regarding the most sensitive part¡ªthe accusation of collusion with the Blood Demon Cult, which could make the nobles¡¯ resistance more justified and possibly gain other lords¡¯ recognition and support¡ªCount Gaston clearly didn¡¯t know more. He was entirely following Charlotte¡¯s script. This was unavoidable. Accusations of colluding with the Blood Demon Cult were too severe in the Crescent Kingdom. Even if the Third Prince really did it, he wouldn¡¯t easily disclose it. Charlotte ultimately used the incident when she and Count Gaston met and were ¡°attacked by Blood Demon Cultists¡± to prove this matter. This was, in fact, a deliberate smear against the Third Prince. The so-called ¡°attack by Blood Demon Cultists¡± was orchestrated by Count Gaston himself, merely used by Charlotte. But Charlotte used it without guilt. After confirming that the rebels were indeed supported by the Third Prince, and considering the various observations made by Nice in the Lagrisse family, Charlotte was almost certain that the Third Prince was indeed involved with the Blood Demon Cult! ¡°The Third Prince is ambitious and has long resorted to any means necessary to compete with the Second Prince for the Throne¡­¡± ¡°As the commander of Tulip, I was ordered to cooperate with the rebels and attack Castell.¡± ¡°But as an old friend of the Castell family, I didn¡¯t want to do this, so I arranged to meet the Count of Castell at the border to privately warn him. However, I didn¡¯t expect to encounter an attack by the Blood Demon Cult¡­¡± ¡°If it weren¡¯t for Countess Castell being prepared, I would have already been controlled by the Blood Demon Cult.¡± ¡°The Third Prince will not give up until he achieves his goal, so after discussing with Countess Castell, we decided to pretend that I had been controlled by the Blood Demon Cult and continue to follow ¡®orders¡¯.¡± ¡°But in reality, I am here to help you defeat the Castell rebels and expose the Third Prince¡¯s conspiracy!¡± ¡°Everyone, after this rebellion, the Third Prince will likely formally declare war on Castell, using a high-sounding reason to reclaim the Castell title.¡± ¡°Moreover, as the richest territory in Borde, the Third Prince has always had the idea of turning Castell into a direct fief and distributing the land to his confidants¡­¡± ¡°By then, the lands of all your families will be in danger!¡± ¡°Everyone, the Third Prince is not a wise ruler. The Gaston family does not want to follow such a tyrant. For the future of Borde, for the future of the Crescent, we must resist!¡± Chapter 282: The Nobles Oath Count Gaston¡¯s voice, rising and falling like elemental bombs, sank into the tent, resonating with the northern nobles¡¯ hearts.For a moment, the tent was silent, the expressions of the northern nobles changing color. But soon, the quiet was replaced by rising murmurs, which quickly turned into a noisy discussion. Undoubtedly, what Gaston described greatly exceeded the northern nobles¡¯ expectations, causing them to fall into chaos. Since the end of the Star-Moon War, Castell had been peaceful for so long that even a highly suspicious rebellion couldn¡¯t make the northern nobles vigilant. As significant taxpayers to the Borde Duchy and partners of the Crescent Kingdom¡¯s royal family in the Mithril mines, the northern nobles couldn¡¯t fathom that the royal family would truly move against Castell. Absurdity, shock, anger, confusion, fear¡­ Various expressions appeared on the faces of different nobles. Charlotte observed all these expressions, unsurprised. Although the nobles of Castell had sworn allegiance to her, their loyalty was far from heartfelt. They were more likely to rally under the Castell family banner out of familial and historical inertia, combined with Charlotte¡¯s decent display of unification and deterrence since taking over the territory. This kind of loyalty wasn¡¯t without retreat, and loyalty with a retreat option was fragile. Perhaps during the Lagrisse family¡¯s rebellion, the northern nobles, as colleagues, would indignantly rally around Charlotte. But when this rebellion escalated to higher-level lords, everything changed. As stipulated in the Holy Code¡ª¡±The vassal of my vassal is not my vassal¡±,¡ªthe Third Prince, who became Duke of Borde through marriage, had no direct feudal obligations to the northern nobles. Charlotte was a vassal of the Third Prince, and the northern nobles were vassals of Charlotte. When meeting the Third Prince, the northern nobles only needed to perform noble etiquette, not the liege-lord etiquette required for Charlotte. Feudal obligations and conflicts were similar. When Charlotte, as a vassal of Borde, clashed with the Duke of Borde, the conflict typically wouldn¡¯t spread to the next level. In the history of human wars in the Myria world, conflicts between lords and their vassals were not uncommon. When a lord defeated a vassal, they usually reclaimed or redistributed the vassal¡¯s direct fiefdom. The lower nobles under the vassal, unless there was a reasonable cause, wouldn¡¯t be punished for participating in the rebellion. Even if lower nobles fought fiercely for their vassal, the victorious higher lord couldn¡¯t act against them as long as they immediately swore allegiance to the new lord. The reason was simple: ¡°The vassal of my vassal is not my vassal.¡± These lower nobles, previously not the higher lord¡¯s vassals but their vassal¡¯s vassals, were following the Holy Code¡¯s prescribed noble duties by participating in the rebellion. After the higher lord¡¯s victory and reclamation of titles, the lower nobles, becoming new vassals, fulfilled their Holy Code duties by timely allegiance to the new lord, avoiding retribution for supporting their former liege in the rebellion. This clarified, segmented power and duty made the lord-vassal relationship intricate, especially when higher lords clashed. According to the Holy Code, nobles could support their liege against higher lords without fearing retribution upon the liege¡¯s defeat. Theoretically, this meant northern nobles could support Charlotte against the Third Prince without concern. However, in reality, the situation wasn¡¯t as straightforward. The Holy Code¡¯s protection of lower nobles¡¯ interests led higher lords, during wars with vassals, to offer various incentives and promises to these lower nobles, making them prized targets for both sides. As a result, many lower nobles wouldn¡¯t truly support their direct liege but instead remain neutral, aligning with the likely victor. This often left the lord fighting alone, relying only on their direct domain. This segmentation of noble hierarchies significantly limited the central authority of feudal lords, a masterstroke by the Holy Court that codified the Holy Code. By ensuring the interests of lower nobles, the Holy Code made it difficult for feudal monarchs to centralize power, even with strong extraordinary abilities, thus preventing threats to the church¡¯s foundational rule. When it comes to Charlotte, the problem becomes apparent. The northern nobles might unanimously support her in quelling a rebellion, but when the Third Prince moves against Castell, it¡¯s uncertain which side they will choose. They could support either Charlotte, their direct liege lord, or the higher Borde Duchy. Given that the current Crescent King, Louis V, is considered one of the greatest monarchs since the founding of the Crescent Kingdom, and that the Third Prince is a strong contender for the throne, his stakes in this power game are significantly higher. Charlotte could predict that as long as the Third Prince declared war on her with a justifiable reason and promised to protect the interests of the northern nobles after his victory, many of them might choose to remain neutral. This was a major concern for Charlotte after learning of the Third Prince¡¯s intentions against her. Her rule in the north wasn¡¯t stable enough to withstand a higher lord¡¯s war, even though it could handle a rebellion. If the northern nobles collectively switched sides in her war against the Third Prince, it would be a huge headache. The phenomenon of vassals playing both sides is truly distasteful for any liege lord. Crescent King Louis V decided to strengthen central power after being similarly disgusted during the Star-Moon War. Back then, when he contested Crescent Kingdom¡¯s throne with Starfall King Henry II, the kingdom¡¯s nobles were indecisive and opportunistic. Charlotte wanted to avoid such a scenario. It wasn¡¯t feasible to control all northern nobles as she did with Count Gaston. Gaining their genuine allegiance through charisma and shared interests was also challenging, and Charlotte had no desire to rule her territory through mental control. The best solution was to make the northern nobles lose all faith in the Third Prince. If the revelations about the Third Prince¡¯s plans came from Charlotte herself, many northern nobles might not believe her. Even if they did, they might assume his actions were solely against the Castell family, not them. For the northern nobles, the outcome of the power struggle seemed to be just a change of their liege from Count of Castell to Duke of Borde. However, the situation was different now because the revelation came from Count Gaston, the commander of Borde¡¯s garrison. This increased the credibility and weight of the information for the northern nobles. The Castell family might bind the northern nobles to their cause for their benefit, but the Gaston family had no such interests, being based in the southern Borde region. Combined with the plausible evidence, it was hard for anyone to doubt the truth behind the claims. ¡°Count Gaston, is it true? The Third Prince intends to ally with the Violet Duchy against Castell? He plans to annex Castell entirely into his direct domain?¡± One noble asked, unwilling to accept the news. Count Gaston only needed a glance and two sentences to deliver a fatal blow. ¡°Gentlemen, please remember that our King desires nothing more than to further strengthen central authority. The Third Prince is a strong contender for the throne, and Castell¡¯s wealth is well-known. If he wishes to annex Castell, do you think His Majesty will support him or not?¡± The answer was obvious. The nobles, deep in thought, wore unpleasant expressions. Indeed, the King wished to strengthen central authority. Compared to the unliked Second Prince, the ¡°Pilgrim¡± Francois, the Third Prince, Philip, was seen as the more likely successor. Conspiring with the Blood Demon Cult? Given the delicate relationship between Louis V and the Holy Court, the northern nobles couldn¡¯t be sure if the King would tacitly approve. The Blood Demon Cult was hard to eradicate from the Crescent Kingdom partly because many nobles had covert connections with it¡ªnot necessarily alliances, but cooperation or simple exploitation. Eradicating the Blood Demon Cult was politically correct, but to the nobles, political correctness was just that. Seeking support from the Church was an option, but many northern nobles had complex beliefs, some even being non-believers. Inviting the Holy Court to reimpose tithes? Ridiculous. Before confronting the Third Prince, many local nobles would likely oppose it themselves. Seeing the nobles¡¯ silence, Charlotte knew the timing was right. She could use Count Gaston¡¯s public revelation of the Third Prince¡¯s conspiracy to deter the nobles from siding with him. However, to unite the northern nobles against Borde, they needed to see tangible benefits and a chance of victory. Charlotte lightly tapped the armrest of her seat, subtly releasing an aura of authority. The northern nobles¡¯ attention returned to her. Scanning the room, she calmly spoke. ¡°Gentlemen, the Third Prince may be powerful, but we are not without hope. His alliance with the Blood Demon Cult will inevitably bring him immense pressure once exposed. And Castell is not without allies. I have hired overseas mercenary armies that will soon arrive in the north. Combined with our united forces, we have a fighting chance. This war is also Castell¡¯s opportunity. If we win, we can reclaim Tulip County and unify the north entirely. The Tulip County is a direct domain of Borde. After reclaiming it, the Castell family will only take half as a direct fief, and the rest will be granted to those who contribute.¡± ¡°Moreover, if we win, we can declare independence from Borde and become direct vassals of the Crescent Kingdom. Kingdom vassal taxes are lower than ducal taxes, which will reduce the tax burden on all your families. You will also have the opportunity to attend various royal banquets. Oh, and Castell¡¯s mithril mines¡ªour workshops¡¯ dividends paid to Borde are a significant expense that we can save. The royal family already has mithril mining rights and wouldn¡¯t care about our revenue.¡± ¡°For any noble family, this is a favorable outcome.¡± The nobles¡¯ eyes brightened at Charlotte¡¯s words. Although the North was prosperous, being vassals under a duchy limited their political status in the kingdom. The northern nobles, with business in trade and needing to interact with various forces, found the prospect of higher political standing within the Crescent Kingdom highly appealing. Lower taxes and new territories were naturally welcomed benefits. These were promises the Third Prince could also make. But compared to the Third Prince, who conspired with the Blood Demon Cult and openly violated the Holy Code, Charlotte was a more trustworthy figure. Defeating him might even remove him from the line of succession. ¡°Countess, my Leon-Castell family is willing to follow you, quell the rebellion, unify the north, and resist Borde¡¯s tyranny!¡± Viscount Leon-Castell stepped forward, trembling, and respectfully bowed to Charlotte. Soon, other northern nobles followed suit, kneeling and pledging their allegiance. ¡°Countess, our Wale family is willing to follow you and repel the invaders of Castell!¡± ¡°My Morrel family swears by the Lord to follow Castell and resist the duchy¡¯s tyranny!¡± ¡­ One by one, the northern nobles knelt, swearing loyalty and allegiance to Charlotte. Seeing this, Charlotte smiled. S?a??h th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. She knew the weakest link in her upcoming war with the Third Prince was now mended. After the smile, her expression turned solemn, exuding an authority that belied her youthful appearance. She drew the Castell family¡¯s sword, raised it high, and declared. ¡°Gentlemen, remember your oaths today. Together, we will start from the banks of the Dorn River and crush these presumptuous rebels one by one!¡± Chapter 283: The Battle Begins! Charlotte¡¯s speech finally ignited the fighting spirit of the northern nobles.The nobles were now filled with enthusiasm, each eager to claim the title of the army¡¯s vanguard and lead the charge into battle. Charlotte couldn¡¯t quite understand why they were so keen on leading the charge, but she refrained from asking too many questions to maintain her image. Instead, she swiftly handed over command to Baron Angus, the chief commander. When it came to speeches and morale-boosting, Charlotte could manage, but when it came to actual combat, she trusted the experienced and battle-hardened Baron Angus more than her own theoretical knowledge. Baron Angus accepted his orders respectfully and began organizing the nobles for the upcoming battle. Each noble in the tent had brought their own troops, essentially serving as officers in Castell¡¯s army. Assigning tasks to them was equivalent to issuing orders to the entire coalition. While Baron Angus gave his orders, Charlotte listened intently, secretly learning how he commanded and maneuvered the troops. Although it was best to leave professional matters to professionals, as a feudal lord, Charlotte felt she needed to improve her own military knowledge. She didn¡¯t aim to become a master strategist, but she wanted to be knowledgeable about military affairs. What surprised and intrigued Charlotte was the simplicity of Baron Angus¡¯ plan for the nobles. His strategy was straightforward: mobilize the entire army for a direct frontal assault. He issued many orders in advance, keeping them simple and direct, and instructed the nobles to follow the signal of the horns during the battle. This was the plan for the northern nobles. The crucial element of the strategy, however, lay elsewhere. Before the battle, Count Gaston would send an envoy to negotiate with the rebels, proposing a pincer attack on Castell¡¯s forces. This would lure the Lagrisse family¡¯s main cavalry force, hidden behind their camp, into battle. Sebastian had discovered and reported that the Lagrisse family¡¯s main cavalry force was not in the camp but hidden behind it. This positioning suggested that the rebels were aware of Count Gaston¡¯s ¡°loyalty¡± and intended to launch a pincer attack on Castell with Tulip¡¯s troops. The rebels planned for their cavalry to cooperate with Tulip¡¯s regular forces, potentially crushing Castell¡¯s coalition with a well-timed charge. However, Charlotte¡¯s strategy differed. The initial full mobilization of Castell¡¯s forces was a feint, not a real attack on the well-defended rebel camp. Once the Tulip forces signaled the rebels, prompting their cavalry to engage, Tulip¡¯s forces would turn against the rebels, joining the coalition to encircle them. This would signal the true full-scale assault. Tulip¡¯s forces would split into two groups: the cavalry would join Castell¡¯s cavalry, disguised under Borde¡¯s banner, to deceive and then ambush the rebels. The infantry would remain hidden within the coalition, waiting to activate their magic formations and lead the charge once the rebel main force was encircled. Baron Angus¡¯ goal was clear: a decisive battle to utterly crush the rebel main force. The plan was quickly set, with Tulip¡¯s troops playing a pivotal role. If successful, the coalition could defeat the rebels with minimal casualties. After all, Castell¡¯s true enemies were in the south, and reducing losses against the rebels was crucial. Once the orders were given, the nobles dispersed to prepare and mobilize their respective troops. The battle was set to commence the next morning, allowing the coalition forces to rest after their journey. Following Charlotte¡¯s discreet instructions, Count Gaston sent his eldest son, Otis, as the ¡°Borde¡± envoy to meet the rebel leaders under the cover of night. He presented Castell¡¯s ¡°battle plan¡± and discussed the details of the pincer attack on Castell¡¯s forces. It was a straightforward ruse, hinging on whether the rebels believed it. Charlotte was confident they would, but she couldn¡¯t help feeling anxious as Otis departed. After all, this was her first time participating in a war as a feudal lord. Despite her confidence in their preparations, the anticipation of battle left her uneasy. Fortunately, Otis returned safely after three hours, bringing good news: the rebels had accepted the ¡°Tulip forces¡± proposal. It made sense¡ªthe rebels would never suspect Count Gaston¡¯s allegiance. Who would think a count whose territory lay behind Borde¡¯s lines and had sworn loyalty to a new lord would suddenly side with Castell? S~?a??h the N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. After turning Count Gaston and his son into blood thralls, the balance of the war had shifted decisively in Charlotte¡¯s favor. Interestingly, when Otis visited the rebel leaders, the rebel commander even suggested launching a night raid on Castell¡¯s camp with the help of the Tulip army. It seemed the rebels had already planned to do so. However, Otis declined the proposal, citing that the Tulip army wasn¡¯t ready yet. He explained that the extraordinary soldiers¡¯ armor hadn¡¯t finished charging and it wasn¡¯t convenient to deploy the magical formations, so they couldn¡¯t inflict effective damage on Castell¡¯s forces. ¡°Who is the rebel commander?¡± Charlotte asked after hearing Otis¡¯ report. The night raid suggestion had genuinely startled her. She had to admit, the rebel commander was quite sharp. If they had actually launched a night raid, it would have been troublesome. While Castell¡¯s army could set traps in advance, at best, they would only catch the rebel raiding party. A night raid would likely involve a small elite force, and even if they were eliminated, it wouldn¡¯t be very meaningful for Charlotte. ¡°It¡¯s a baron from the Lagrisse family, named Chait.¡± Otis answered. ¡°Chait? Is it him?¡± Baron Angus raised an eyebrow slightly. Charlotte felt a curiosity in her heart. ¡°Who is he?¡± She asked. Baron Angus respectfully replied. ¡°Countess, it should be Chait de Lagrisse. He is the half-brother of Laura, the illegitimate son of the former Viscount Lagrisse. He is a young man with considerable talent in command. A few years ago, he led the Lagrisse family¡¯s private soldiers to several victories against northern pirates, despite being outnumbered.¡± Hearing Baron Angus¡¯s introduction, Charlotte nodded slightly. ¡°What a pity that such a talented individual is standing against Castell.¡± Sebastian, standing by, smiled and seized the opportunity to flatter Charlotte. ¡°Master, when it comes to talent, you are the greatest. Compared to you, the new generation of the Lagrisse family is nothing. No matter how talented he is, he still fell into your trap¡­¡± Charlotte ignored Sebastian¡¯s flattery. Since he had started following her, he had become more and more uninhibited, never missing a chance to flatter her. ¡°Sir Otis, did you see Laura among the rebels?¡± Viscount Leon-Castell suddenly asked. Otis was taken aback. ¡°Laura? The Lady Viscount of the Lagrisse family? No, I didn¡¯t.¡± He shook his head. Charlotte keenly noticed that after hearing Otis¡¯ response, Viscount Leon-Castell frowned slightly and seemed lost in thought. ¡°Is there a problem, Viscount?¡± Charlotte asked. The Old Viscount hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­ strange. I remember that Laura, due to concerns over family inheritance, was always very wary of her half-brother. I didn¡¯t expect she would now let him lead an army on his own¡­¡± ¡°It seems that there might have been some changes within the Lagrisse family that we are unaware of.¡± The Old Viscount added. Charlotte felt a slight unease. She recalled the reports from Nice, who had ¡°joined¡± the Lagrisse family and transmitted information. Despite his supposed allegiance, Nice had not seen any high-ranking members of the Lagrisse family. Instead, he frequently encountered a woman named Eudoxia¡ªmore precisely, a black dragon in human form. Many orders from the rebel high command were apparently conveyed through this dragon. ¡°Otis, did you see a woman named Eudoxia among the rebels?¡± Charlotte asked. Otis paused and then respectfully replied. ¡°I don¡¯t think I saw her.¡± ¡°No?¡± Charlotte mused. ¡°Countess, have you discovered something?¡± Baron Angus asked. Charlotte pondered for a moment, then shook her head. ¡°No, I¡¯m just curious about the movements of the rebel high command.¡± ¡­ The night quickly passed. The following morning, as the first light of dawn appeared, Castell¡¯s coalition camp began to stir like a giant war machine. After a night of rest, the soldiers had regained their energy. Following a breakfast of black bread, jerky, and ale, the various noble troops began their preparations. Light cavalry waved Castell¡¯s black eagle banners, moving between the nobles¡¯ smaller camps to relay information. The nobles raised their family flags and began to muster their troops. Charlotte stood on a nearby hill, which provided a vantage point over her camp and a view of the rebel camp by the river, where soldiers patrolled. The most striking sight, however, was the coalition camp. While it might not have seemed impressive from within, the view from the hilltop showcased the grandeur of the tens of thousands of troops. Under the fluttering banners, the noble armies moved like rivers, gradually forming organized formations. As the sun rose above the horizon, spreading golden light across the land, the Dorn River shimmered like a golden ribbon. The coalition troops, too, glimmered under the sunlight, their armor reflecting the light. Charlotte could easily distinguish the nobles from their private soldiers and conscripted peasants by their equipment. Notably, in each noble-led formation, the nobles stood at the front, clad in splendid armor, either mounted or on foot. Behind them followed their knights and private soldiers, with the conscripted peasants at the rear. Most of the knights had been reassigned to Count Gaston¡¯s side to form the disguised and assault cavalry, leaving only a few personal guards. Seeing the nobles leading from the front, Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but remark. ¡°The northern nobles¡­ they really do like to be at the forefront of battle.¡± ¡°Master, it¡¯s not just the northern nobles, this is a common trait among human nobles across the world. In battle, those with extraordinary powers always lead the charge. It¡¯s said to be part of the ¡®knightly spirit¡¯ of ¡®bravery¡¯ that human nobles adhere to, and it¡¯s their pride and honor.¡± Sebastian said, holding an umbrella to shield Charlotte from the sun. ¡°Knightly spirit¡­¡± Charlotte murmured, shaking her head. ¡°They¡¯re commanders, yet they charge ahead. Aren¡¯t they worried that getting caught up in local skirmishes will prevent them from overseeing the battle and lead to chaos?¡± ¡°Master, human nobles have always been like this. It allows them to fully utilize their extraordinary powers. Any noble who hides at the back would be ridiculed by their peers.¡± Sebastian replied with a smile. Charlotte sighed. ¡°No wonder Angus issued all the orders clearly at the start and only plans to use horns for simple communication once the battle begins. He must have known he couldn¡¯t rely on these nobles to follow orders once the fighting started.¡± Sebastian shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s the art of human warfare.¡± Charlotte shook her head. ¡°No, this is the art of Myria¡¯s warfare.¡± At that moment, a deep and ancient horn sounded, echoing across the sky. Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred. It was the signal for the battle to begin. The clash between the coalition and the rebels was about to start. Chapter 284: Bombardment As the sound of the horn echoed, Castell¡¯s coalition army began to move slowly. From the hill, the massive coalition, divided into five formations by Baron Angus, advanced towards the rebel camp in a ¡°2+3¡± wedge formation.The formation wasn¡¯t as impressive as Charlotte had imagined. Compared to the medieval military formations she had seen in movies from her past life, it was far inferior. From a distance, it looked like five enormous, slowly shifting gray-black rectangles, barely resembling a proper military formation. If it weren¡¯t for the relatively orderly nobles at the forefront, Charlotte might have doubted that such a large formation could maintain any semblance of order. This was inevitable. Castell¡¯s coalition wasn¡¯t a well-trained standing army but a collection of nobles, their private soldiers, and conscripted peasants from various regions. Many of the conscripts were likely working in fields or hunting in forests just three months ago, with barely a month of training. Their current discipline and execution were a testament to the efficiency of the northern nobles and Baron Angus¡¯ capability. Despite this, the looming threat of the advancing army cast a shadow over the entire rebel camp. With the bloodbornes¡¯ excellent eyesight, Charlotte could clearly see the rebels spring into action as soon as Castell¡¯s horn sounded. Archers manned the wooden walls and towers, and soldiers operated crossbows and small stone-throwers on the watchtowers, aiming them at the distant army. More soldiers poured out of tents, forming ranks under the orders of mounted nobles. Having camped for two to three months, the rebels had transformed the camp into a considerable fortress. Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but praise their efficiency. In a world with extraordinary powers, work efficiency couldn¡¯t be compared to a similar historical period on Earth. Conversations with local villagers revealed that the rebel camp had originally been a small town with walls, now further fortified by the rebels. The coalition army advanced slowly, like a giant wave closing in. The vanguard stopped about 500 meters from the rebel camp. A low horn sounded across the battlefield. Charlotte saw the leading nobles in the two forward formations give orders, and soldiers moved to the sides, revealing rows of black cannons. These were stone-throwers, formidable siege weapons in Myria. Even against a temporary wooden fort, the coalition had brought twenty of them, mainly provided by Charlotte¡¯s direct domain and the Leon-Castell family. Smaller noble families couldn¡¯t afford such siege weapons. As early cannons, these stone-throwers had short barrels, typically made of bronze or iron, sometimes of purple or yellow brass. Castell¡¯s stone-throwers were about 5 meters long, with a 500 mm caliber, firing 700-pound stone projectiles. The accuracy was low, and the initial speed was slow. To enhance their effectiveness, the barrels were inscribed with magical runes, extending their effective range to 500 meters, far exceeding bows, crossbows, and low-tier mages¡¯ spells. The projectiles weren¡¯t just stones; they often bore inscriptions. Especially in the initial rounds, the coalition used expensive enchanted projectiles with anti-magic effects to destroy extraordinary defenses. Seeing the cannons, the rebel soldiers became visibly agitated, but officers quickly subdued the unrest. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Another low horn sounded, and the twenty cannons fired, producing white smoke. A few seconds later, the roar of the cannons reached Charlotte¡¯s ears. The projectiles hit the rebel camp, causing the semi-transparent wall¡ªthe mages¡¯ shield, ripples like flowing water. The shield absorbed the impact, slowing the projectiles before they glowed red and dissolved like snowflakes. However, one round of bombardment wasn¡¯t the end. Three minutes after the first volley, a second round began. The low-tier mages¡¯ shield couldn¡¯t withstand the enchanted projectiles. After weakening about a dozen projectiles, the shield shattered. Most projectiles didn¡¯t hit the low rebel walls but flew over, crashing into the camp like meteors. Many missed, but two struck targets¡ªone smashing a tent, the other piercing a watchtower. Yet, this was limited. The cannons of Myria were still too weak. The enchanted projectiles could only rely on kinetic energy for damage, lacking the explosive power of later cannons on Earth. Still, the pure kinetic energy and anti-magic effects made them the strongest force against mages on the battlefield. Six minutes later, the third round of bombardment began. This time, the rebels¡¯ mages couldn¡¯t rebuild a large shield in time. The projectiles hit the camp unimpeded. Charlotte saw two more tents destroyed. Several projectiles hit gathered rebel troops, causing severe casualties and panic. One projectile finally struck the wall, creating a breach without magical protection. This caused further chaos among the rebels. They reacted quickly, sending shield-bearers to strengthen defenses at the breach. A few minutes later, the fourth round of bombardment began. With previous adjustments, the projectiles were more accurate, with five hitting the wall. Although two were blocked by suspected high-tier mages, three hit, creating more breaches. The rebel camp¡¯s wall was now on the verge of collapse. A louder horn sounded¡ªthe order to attack. Castell¡¯s coalition resumed their advance. Nobles and elite soldiers raised shields, while peasants carried ladders, charging towards the rebel camp. Chapter 285: Charge As the two armies clashed, the battle for control began swiftly.The rebel camp¡¯s wall, already breached in several places, could no longer resist the coalition¡¯s attack. Led by extraordinary nobles, the vanguard quickly stormed into the camp. A chaotic melee erupted inside and outside the walls. There were no cannons or smoke, just crowded masses, furious shouts, flying arrows, and the flickering of source power and magic from the extraordinaries. Nobles with extraordinary powers were like unstoppable monsters upon scaling the walls. Apart from the rebels¡¯ extraordinaries, almost no one could hold them back. From her vantage point on the hill, Charlotte could see the battlefield clearly; the coalition had an overwhelming advantage. This wasn¡¯t due to superior numbers but because there were too few extraordinaries in the rebel camp to match the northern nobles charging ahead. Despite knowing her side was significantly stronger, Charlotte was still somewhat surprised at the near-slaughter of the rebels by the invading nobles. However, considering the upcoming ¡°fishing¡± plan, she could guess the reason. The rebels¡¯ extraordinaries and nobles were likely all with the Lagrisse family¡¯s main cavalry force. Taking the camp and eliminating the rebels inside was nearly a certainty. But Charlotte¡¯s thoughts had already moved beyond the immediate battle. She scanned the distant horizon, looking for signs of the rebel cavalry. The main concern was whether powerful extraordinaries hidden among the rebel cavalry could threaten her forces, especially that black dragon. She had pressured Sebastian before, and even if she hadn¡¯t reached the Blazing Sun, she was likely at the pinnacle of the Silver Moon tier. Her presence on the battlefield could pose significant trouble for the coalition. Charlotte¡¯s side lacked enough high-end combat power, and while she could use her own extraordinary abilities, exposing them in front of so many troops wasn¡¯t ideal. Unless¡­ she acted under someone else¡¯s identity. After some consideration, Charlotte decided to rely on her butler. ¡°Sebastian, keep an eye on the battlefield. If the black dragon appears, intervene immediately. If necessary¡­ use stronger powers.¡± Charlotte hinted. Sebastian, understanding her intent, nodded respectfully. ¡°As you command, Master.¡± At that moment, Baron Angus stepped forward, watching the battle¡¯s peak. ¡°Countess, the assault is at its height. Shall we have Count Gaston signal to lure out the rebel cavalry?¡± Charlotte looked at the coalition surrounding the camp, engaged in fierce combat, and nodded. ¡°Send the signal.¡± On her order, a crimson magic flare shot into the sky with a piercing whistle. Charlotte tensed, watching the rear of the rebel camp closely. Conscripts could be replaced with time, destroying the elite rebel cavalry would be the true victory. Whether this battle could decisively crush the rebel main force depended on whether the rebels took the bait. The flare¡¯s sound echoed across the battlefield, but there was no movement from the rebels. One minute passed¡­ two minutes¡­ three minutes¡­ Just as Charlotte started to suspect the rebels had sensed something amiss, the ground began to tremble. The tremors were faint at first but grew stronger. Along with the shaking came a rumbling like rainfall¡ªcavalry on the move. Charlotte turned towards the source and saw smoke rising on the horizon beyond the camp. Soon, a cavalry unit bearing the Lagrisse family¡¯s banner and clad in chainmail appeared in Charlotte¡¯s view. The elite forces of the Lagrisse family! Charlotte¡¯s spirits lifted. But as the sound of hooves grew louder and more cavalry appeared, Charlotte¡¯s expression turned serious. It wasn¡¯t just the Lagrisse family¡¯s famed cavalry; it was a massive cavalry corps, thousands strong. Besides the Lagrisse banner, there were unfamiliar black flags with animal totems. The riders under these banners wore light armor and wielded long sabers. Baron Angus¡¯s face changed. ¡°It¡¯s the Northern tribe¡¯s lancers from the Northern Grand Duchy! The rebels have received help from the Northern Grand Duchy!¡± S~?a??h the N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The Northern Grand Duchy? Charlotte frowned, puzzled at why their northern neighbor was involved. She glanced at the coalition¡¯s still-reserved cavalry, comparing numbers. The rebel cavalry seemed to be at least three times her side¡¯s. Charlotte¡¯s heart sank, suddenly unsure of the upcoming battle. ¡°Angus, can we win?¡± After a brief hesitation, Baron Angus replied. ¡°With a surprise attack, victory is possible. Count Gaston¡¯s troops are elite, with a high proportion of extraordinaries. The Northern Grand Duchy¡¯s lancers are mostly regular soldiers¡­ But a complete annihilation is unlikely.¡± Charlotte sighed. ¡°As long as we win, that¡¯s enough. No one expected the rebels to get help from the north. Signal Gaston to attack.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Angus responded respectfully. With Charlotte¡¯s order, the signal was sent. The coalition¡¯s elite regulars and northern nobles¡¯ cavalry, led by the Tulip Count, flew the Borde banner and charged into battle. Seeing the ¡°Borde cavalry¡± charge, the rebel cavalry¡¯s morale surged. However, the vanguard soon fell into confusion as the ¡°Borde cavalry¡± didn¡¯t charge the coalition but headed straight for them. Over 4,000 armored cavalry formed a wedge and charged the rebels. Soon, Charlotte¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Chapter 286: Total Annihilation Many years later, Charlotte still vividly remembered this battle¡ªthe first one she had personally participated in since her transmigration.More accurately, she remembered the knights¡¯ charge under the sunlight. Accompanied by the low sound of horns, more than four thousand armored knights formed a wedge formation, charging towards the rebel cavalry, which outnumbered them several times over. The golden sunlight illuminated the earth and shone on the knights¡¯ gleaming armor, reflecting a brilliant light. No, it wasn¡¯t a reflection of the sunlight. The armored cavalry themselves were glowing. The complex patterns inlaid with magic crystals on the bodies of the Borde regular cavalry, belonging to the Tulip Count, suddenly lit up, shining brightly and connecting their light. In an instant, 1,500 Borde regular cavalry formed a silver light net that enveloped the entire cavalry formation. As the light spread to the heavily armed northern nobles, it seemed to further charge, becoming even more dazzling. Charlotte saw the light net transform into ethereal armor and weapons that attached to the knights and their horses. Their armor seemed to merge with the light, becoming even more brilliant. In that moment, Charlotte noticed that the aura of all the charging knights began to rapidly rise and merge. The varied extraordinary auras she could discern with her bloodborne sensitivity quickly disappeared, replaced by a new, oppressive, unified extraordinary aura. These knights had somehow unified their extraordinary powers, becoming a single new entity. To Charlotte¡¯s perception, they seemed to merge into one, forming a more powerful extraordinary force. The charging wedge formation resembled a giant sword of light. With more knights joining in, the ¡°sword of light¡± grew even stronger. In a moment, the knights in the formation nearly all reached the level of Starry Sky. But this wasn¡¯t the end. Upon crossing that threshold, the connected extraordinary aura further intensified, reaching a level that even moved Charlotte. A more brilliant light burst from the wedge formation, silver-gray light spreading over the cavalry, soon enveloping the entire formation. This was the discharge of source power, a hallmark of the Second Tier Silver Moon. Silver Moon¡­ The aura of these charging knights had all reached the Silver Moon tier! Although their aura was unstable and not enough to pose a threat to someone like Charlotte, a true Silver Moon, it still far exceeded ordinary Starry Sky. Seeing the glowing cavalry formation charging towards them, the rebel main force instantly fell into chaos. Although the battle hadn¡¯t started, Charlotte clearly saw the highly mobile lancers immediately choosing to retreat, slowing down and turning around. But it was too late. With the source power enhancing them, the charging cavalry formation moved even faster. Despite their heavy armor, they outpaced the northern lancers, famed for their mobility. On the open plain by the river, the glowing cavalry formation turned into a giant silver battle axe, crashing into the main body of the rebel cavalry. There were no tactics, no maneuvers¡ªjust a direct, unstoppable charge. With her keen vision, Charlotte saw the rebel cavalry at the front get shredded the moment they encountered the formation. They were literally torn apart, as if made of paper, horse and rider, chainmail and all, smashed into fragments, bursting into clouds of blood. Though both were cavalry, led by armored knights, the Lagrisse family¡¯s elite were like eggs hitting stone, completely outmatched. The battlefield was soon drenched in blood, with the rebel cavalry¡¯s formations shredded by the glowing cavalry, resulting in a one-sided massacre. It was a total rout¡ªbare, uncontained domination. Blood mist spread across the battlefield, the remnants of the shattered rebel cavalry expanding with the cavalry¡¯s charge. Witnessing this terror, the rebel main force¡¯s morale collapsed in an instant. Charlotte saw thousands of cavalrymen fall into panic and chaos. A total collapse followed. The rebel nobles desperately tried to maintain their lines but to no avail. Seeing the might of the glowing cavalry, the charging rebels lost all will to fight and began to flee. Those nobles attempting to salvage the situation were quickly overwhelmed by the charging cavalry, disappearing into the radiant light. The low horns sounded again, the thunder of hooves echoing in the sky. Amidst the glow, the wedge formation transformed, gradually spreading out into three nearly straight lines, like lions hunting prey, beginning the pursuit of the fleeing rebel cavalry. Although their light dimmed slightly after spreading out, their overwhelming advantage remained. With the light¡¯s enhancement, their speed far surpassed ordinary cavalry, becoming a nightmare for the rebels. Each repeated charge turned into a one-sided slaughter. On the hill, Charlotte stood utterly stunned. Upon seeing the number of rebel cavalry far exceed her expectations, Charlotte had imagined her cavalry might struggle and the infantry, engaged in the siege, might suffer heavy losses. However, she had never anticipated this outcome. It was as if the multiplied cavalry were just meaningless numbers. She never expected that the cavalry formation, primarily composed of the Tulip regular cavalry, would unleash such terrifying power! ¡°The magic formation¡­ this is the power of the magic formation!¡± ¡°My lord¡­ I didn¡¯t know that even the Tulip¡¯s regular cavalry could form a magic formation!¡± A trembling voice filled with excitement and astonishment came from Baron Angus, who was also standing on the hill. Charlotte turned to see that the seasoned commander was just as shocked as she was. His wide eyes even held a hint of fear, seemingly not expecting that the combined Tulip regular cavalry would erupt with such terrifying power. Magic formation? Is this what Sebastian referred to as the magic formation? Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but look back at the battlefield, at the knights tearing through the enemy like max-level players in a novice village, feeling her understanding of warfare in this world turn upside down. ¡°The magic formation¡­ is it really that powerful?¡± ¡°No, Countess, a regular magic formation is powerful, but it wouldn¡¯t have such a terrifying effect¡­¡± Baron Angus replied. He glanced again at the devastating battlefield and pondered. ¡°I think it¡¯s partly because we faced too few extraordinaries from the Lagrisse family, and partly because many nobles and knights from our Castells also joined the formation¡­¡± ¡°The effect of a magic formation increases with the strength of its participants. Being extraordinaries, they naturally enhanced its power.¡± ¡°But¡­ but¡­¡± ¡°But their enhancement seems a bit too great?¡± Charlotte continued. Baron Angus nodded awkwardly. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve never commanded a battle with a magic formation, nor did I expect that adding more extraordinaries would make it so terrifying¡­¡± The rest of the battle was no longer suspenseful. In the face of the powerful magic formation, the number of rebel cavalry became meaningless. The rebel cavalry surrounded by the formation had only two fates: to be crushed under the cavalry¡¯s pursuit or to surrender. With their speed and power suppressed, escape became a futile hope. Except for a few distant, lucky cavalry who managed to flee, most of the rebels couldn¡¯t escape. As the last leading rebel noble was swallowed by the cavalry formation, the remaining rebels lost all will to fight. The surrounded rebel cavalry surrendered, laying down their arms without further resistance. Even the conscripted soldiers, used as bait by the rebels in their camp, chose to surrender when hearing the thunderous shouts from the Castell army. ¡°Lay down your weapons, and you shall be spared.¡± From the cavalry charge to the rebels¡¯ defeat and surrender, it took just over twenty minutes. The Tulip infantry troops hidden within the coalition forces didn¡¯t even get a chance to join the fight. As the glow of the magic formation gradually faded, the cavalry formation returned to normal. Charlotte saw that many regular cavalry, drained of all strength, fell from their horses, and even some warhorses collapsed. However, the surrendering rebels were already under control, preventing major chaos. Seeing this, Charlotte realized that the magic formation also had a cost. ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look.¡± She commanded Sebastian and Baron Angus. The battle was over, and the Castell flag flew over the camp. The defeated rebels, dejected, were guarded by soldiers. Riding through, Charlotte saw not strong warriors but mostly ordinary people, frightened and confused. Understandably, most of these rebels were conscripts¡ªsoldiers when armed, peasants when not. The rebel cavalry, the true elite, had become prisoners after the cavalry formation¡¯s devastating charge. Though many Northern lancers escaped, even more were captured. Charlotte approached the cavalry who formed the magic formation. They were resting and exhausted. The nobles who participated in the charge were also greatly fatigued, though their status as seasoned extraordinaries left them in better shape than the regular cavalry. Charlotte soon found Count Gaston, who, despite looking pale and drained, was in better condition than most nobles, as he directed soldiers to tally the captives. Upon seeing Charlotte, he paused and discreetly bowed. ¡°Countess Castell.¡± Charlotte nodded slightly, her gaze sweeping over the exhausted regular cavalry. S?a??h the N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Are they¡­ alright?¡± ¡°They¡¯re just over-exhausted, they need rest. However, they won¡¯t be battle-ready for at least half a month. Many magic inscriptions were also damaged and need repair and replenishment, which will take about twenty days.¡± Count Gaston explained. Needing twenty days to recover from a single battle¡­ Charlotte nodded to herself. Such powerful force surely had its limits. However, even with a twenty-day recovery period, the magic formation was overwhelmingly effective. She needed to form such a powerful regular force as well. Witnessing this overwhelming cavalry charge, Charlotte was inevitably moved. ¡°Thank you for your hard work. Please rest well, let the allied forces handle the cleanup.¡± She said. The battle ended in less than half a day, but the battlefield cleanup took longer than the battle itself. It wasn¡¯t until the next evening that the coalition forces finished tallying the results. In this battle, the coalition forces eliminated about six thousand rebels, including two thousand conscripts and four thousand cavalry. Additionally, approximately three thousand conscripts and nearly four thousand cavalry surrendered, including less than eight hundred Lagrisse cavalry and over three thousand Northern lancers. Around six thousand warhorses were captured, along with countless armor and equipment. Over thirty nobles were taken prisoner, many of whom were extraordinaries, including even a noble from a Northern Grand Duchy. It was estimated that about three thousand rebels managed to escape, mostly Northern lancers. As for the main force gathered by the Lagrisse family¡­ they were utterly annihilated in this single battle. This outcome was close to what Charlotte had anticipated, but the process was entirely different. The powerful display of the transcendental regular forces completely overturned her understanding of warfare. The magic formation was truly a game-changer, an overwhelming force in count-level warfare. Charlotte now understood why powerful duchies and kingdoms were willing to invest heavily in maintaining such forces. Chapter 287: Preemptive Strike ¡°Master, the entire battlefield has been cleared, but we haven¡¯t found the body of Chait de Lagrisse¡­¡±¡°Some captured nobles confessed that the commander of the Lagrisse family did not directly participate in the battle. It seems he fled among the retreating Northern lancers when he saw the situation turn against them.¡± In the occupied camp, Sebastian reported respectfully to Charlotte after tallying the battle gains. ¡°He escaped quite quickly¡­¡± Charlotte raised an eyebrow but didn¡¯t dwell on it. The main elite force of the Lagrisse family had been annihilated in one battle, so the escape of their commander wasn¡¯t a major issue. The rebels didn¡¯t have a deep foundation, and standing armies weren¡¯t easy to come by. Even if the Lagrisse were not maintaining extraordinary army like those of the Borde Duchy, replenishing their forces in a short time wouldn¡¯t be easy. In other words, the Castell rebels were no longer a threat. It was inevitable that Charlotte would dispatch her troops to pursue and reclaim lost territories. ¡°What about the Northern lancers? Why did the Northern troops side with the rebels?¡± Charlotte asked another question that puzzled her. Sebastian had a peculiar expression. ¡°Master¡­ the captured Northern nobles confessed that they were heavily bribed by the Lagrisse family.¡± ¡°Heavily bribed?¡± Charlotte was momentarily stunned. Although she had heard that Northern nobles liked to work as mercenaries, pulling together eight to nine thousand hired cavalry seemed excessively expensive for the Lagrisse family. ¡°What did the Lagrisse family offer them as payment?¡± Charlotte asked. Sebastian answered honestly. ¡°Mithril, a lot of mithril.¡± ¡°A lot of mithril¡­¡± Charlotte narrowed her eyes and chuckled. ¡°It seems more accurate to say that the Northern lancers were hired not by them but by the Blood Demon Cult behind them.¡± In the North, the only significant source of mithril was the Castell Mithril Mine. Over the past decade, the Castell Mining Workshop had likely been infiltrated by the Blood Demon Cult. Only the Blood Demon Cult could procure so much mithril at once. Considering the intelligence provided by Viscount Roman-Four and Count Gaston about the Third Prince, Charlotte was almost certain that the Third Prince was cooperating with the Blood Demon Cult. ¡°Master, what should we do with the captives?¡± Sebastian continued to ask. Charlotte pondered for a moment and said, ¡°As for the nobles, detain them first. Bring them back to Northport for custody and deal with them uniformly after the war.¡± ¡°As for the Northern lancers, confiscate all their horses and equipment. Keep the cavalry as laborers and negotiate their fate with the Northern Grand Duchy after the war.¡± ¡°For the rebel soldiers¡­ those who can be incorporated into the coalition forces will be dispersed and incorporated. As for those who cannot, disarm them and give them some travel expenses before sending them away.¡± The Holy Code already had clear regulations on handling rebellious nobles. Apart from nobles loyal to the Lagrisse family, Charlotte had the right to strip same-rank nobles and Lagrisse family nobles of their titles and reclaim their territories. Charlotte planned to follow these conventions but would wait until the war ended to do so. She didn¡¯t yet know the full role of the Blood Demon Cult in the rebellion or how deeply Northern nobles were entangled with them. If there were indeed entanglements, Charlotte had the right to strip them of their titles and reclaim their lands, no matter who they were. As for the Northern Grand Duchy¡­ Charlotte didn¡¯t have time to deal with them now. She would temporarily detain the captives and demand a hefty ransom later. Regarding the rebel soldiers, most were conscripts¡ª essentially farmers. Charlotte didn¡¯t intend to trouble them. The rebellion was incited by nobles and had nothing to do with these commoners. They were simply following noble orders, and they were still Charlotte¡¯s subjects. Charlotte quickly formulated a plan for handling the captives. ¡°Countess Castell, what are your plans next?¡± Count Gaston asked from the side. Charlotte pondered for a moment and looked at Baron Angus, who immediately understood and said, ¡°Countess, the rebel main force has been destroyed. We don¡¯t need as many troops for the remaining pacification.¡± ¡°I suggest splitting our forces: one group defends the south against possible attacks from the Third Prince, while the other continues north to eliminate the remaining rebels.¡± After hearing Baron Angus¡¯ suggestion, Charlotte nodded slightly. She pondered for a moment and said, ¡°Baron Angus, I appoint you as the commander-in-chief of the pacification forces. Lead 1,500 cavalry and 8,000 infantry north to completely quell the rebellion in the North.¡± ¡°Sebastian, accompany Baron Angus and act as his deputy for now.¡± s?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. With that, Charlotte gave Sebastian a meaningful look. ¡°Sebastian, if you encounter strong enemies during the pacification¡­ you know what to do.¡± Sebastian understood immediately, knowing Charlotte was hinting that if they encountered the Blood Demon Cult, he should call upon her for assistance. ¡°Master, I understand.¡± He bowed respectfully. Charlotte then looked at Count Gaston. ¡°Count Gaston, please accompany me. We¡¯ll take the remaining troops and captives south to prepare for possible invasions from the south¡­¡± After hearing Charlotte¡¯s orders, Baron Angus placed his right hand on his chest and respectfully saluted. Count Gaston also nodded slightly, indicating his compliance. ¡°In addition¡­¡± Charlotte paused, squinting with a smile. ¡°Publicize all the information we have about the Third Prince¡¯s conspiracy. Spread it widely and draft a proclamation to officially declare war on the Third Prince in the name of independence and resistance against tyranny!¡± Upon hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, the surrounding nobles were slightly taken aback. Baron Angus hesitated and said, ¡°Countess, are we¡­ proactively declaring war? Isn¡¯t it too early?¡± Charlotte shook her head and said, ¡°It¡¯s not too early.¡± ¡°The Third Prince will undoubtedly act against us. Even if we don¡¯t declare war on him, he will soon declare war on us.¡± ¡°In that case, we might as well take the initiative and seize the moral high ground.¡± ¡­ After Charlotte issued her orders, the Castell coalition forces began to split their troops. Five days after the battle by the Dorn River, the Third Prince Philip received news of the total annihilation of the Castell rebel main force¡­ Chapter 288: The Furious Third Prince Linte City, the capital of the Violet Duchy.Within the lord¡¯s castle in the city center, Third Prince Philip sat on a noble chair, having arrived through a long-distance pinpoint teleportation spell from the Mage Tower. His brows were furrowed as he listened to the report from his personal guard. ¡°What did you say? The main force of the Castell rebels has been completely annihilated?¡± ¡°Yes, completely annihilated¡­ It¡¯s said that they lasted only half a day by the Dorn River before being wiped out by Castell¡¯s coalition forces.¡± The guard replied, his head bowed. Hearing this, Prince Philip¡¯s expression changed. He stood up instinctively, shaking his head in disbelief. ¡°Half a day? No¡­ that¡¯s impossible!¡± ¡°The northern rebels gathered at least over ten thousand people! And if you add the hired northern cavalry, their numbers could be close to twenty thousand!¡± ¡°Castell¡¯s mage corps was disbanded long ago, they couldn¡¯t possibly muster a force capable of defeating such a large army.¡± ¡°Even if it were twenty thousand pigs, Castell¡¯s troops wouldn¡¯t be able to catch them all in three days. And now you¡¯re telling me they were defeated in just half a day?¡± ¡°What about the northern cavalry? Count Gaston¡¯s troops? Didn¡¯t the Tulip County troops defect during the battle?¡± Prince Philip pressed harshly. The guard swallowed hard, steeling himself to respond. ¡°Your Highness, the Tulip troops did defect, but¡­ they defected to Castell¡­¡± Hearing this, the Prince¡¯s face changed completely. He grabbed the guard by the chainmail collar, his expression darker than ever. ¡°What did you say? The Tulip troops defected to Castell? Do you know what you¡¯re saying? Those were my Borde elite army!¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness, the news from the north says it was the Tulip County troops who defected and joined Castell¡¯s coalition forces¡­¡± ¡°And it was their defection that led to the rebel defeat. Many of the northern cavalry were also captured.¡± As he spoke, the guard carefully handed over a parchment scroll. Prince Philip snatched it up and quickly scanned it, his face growing darker and angrier with each passing moment. ¡°Traitors! Madmen! That old bastard Anatole dared to betray me! Doesn¡¯t he fear I¡¯ll strip him of his title and lands?¡± He tore the parchment to shreds and threw it on the ground, his handsome features twisted with rage. Anatole was the name of Count Gaston, formally Anatole de Gaston, who held the County in southern Borde, known as Elroth County. He was often called Count Gaston due to the prominence of the Gaston family name. Count Gaston¡¯s betrayal plunged the Prince into a fury. The elite armies capable of forming magic formations were few in Borde, and Gaston had taken nearly a third of them! ¡°I knew it! I should never have trusted his oaths of loyalty! These Borde nobles¡­ they¡¯re all bastards!¡± The Prince roared, his teeth clenched in anger, frightening even Eleanor, who was massaging his feet. His anger flared when he saw her, and he kicked her aside, shouting, ¡°Useless! You¡¯re all useless! Even the Borde family is useless! Your own armies defected along with the other nobles!¡± As Count Linte entered the room, he saw the Prince¡¯s outburst. The middle-aged noble, heir to the Violet Duchy, frowned slightly and said in a stern voice. ¡°Your Highness, mind your status. She is your wife and the Duchess of Borde.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Seeing the middle-aged nobleman, the Prince retracted his foot. ¡°Why are you still standing there? Take Lady Eleanor away.¡± Count Linte ordered the guards. The guards trembled, too afraid to move. Count Linte glanced at the Prince again. ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± Meeting the Count¡¯s gaze, Prince Philip took a deep breath, calming his anger. Looking at Eleanor, who was curled up and shivering, a look of disgust flashed in his eyes before he impatiently waved her away, saying, ¡°Fine, take her away.¡± With the order, the guards led Eleanor away, leaving only the Prince and Count Linte in the room. Count Linte sighed and said, ¡°Your Highness, you can have maids do the serving. Eleanor is, after all, the Duchess of Borde¡­¡± ¡°I know she¡¯s the Duchess, but I also know she¡¯s a Borde. My dear uncle, you should know how the old Duke of Borde treated me back then, right?¡± The Prince asked, narrowing his eyes. Count Linte sighed. ¡°What¡¯s the past is the past. Now you are the Duke of Borde and a strong contender for the throne. You should focus on the future. The nobles are watching your every move¡­¡± ¡°Enough, dear uncle. If you¡¯re here to lecture me, save it. I¡¯m in no mood to listen right now.¡± The Prince waved his hand dismissively. Count Linte hesitated. ¡°Is it about the defeat of Castell¡¯s rebels?¡± The Prince glanced at him. ¡°Has the news already reached my grandfather?¡± ¡°Yes, it has spread. It¡¯s said that Tulip¡¯s regular cavalry crushed the rebels¡­¡± Count Linte sighed. The Prince remained silent, and seeing his brooding look, the Count asked. ¡°Your Highness, what do you plan to do about the Gaston family?¡± The prince narrowed his eyes. ¡°Dear uncle, I know what you¡¯re thinking. Count Gaston is part of the Gaston family, and you worry that if I move against him, it will anger Duke Gaston.¡± ¡°But, dear uncle, have you wondered why he betrayed me?¡± ¡°Hmph, if he didn¡¯t have backing, how could a mere count, whose fief is under my control, dare to betray and plot against me?¡± ¡°Stealing my troops to help Castell quell the rebellion¡­ this is to prevent me from gaining control over Castell and increasing my power!¡± Count Linte¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You mean Count Gaston was secretly supported by Duke Gaston? Has the Duke sided with the Second Prince?¡± S~?a??h the N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡± The Prince replied coldly. Count Linte hesitated. ¡°Then you¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know what¡¯s important. The main issue now is Castell. As for Gaston¡­ we¡¯ll deal with him after we settle Castell.¡± The prince said, narrowing his eyes. ¡°It seems I¡¯ve underestimated that young countess.¡± ¡°To make Count Gaston betray me, she must have gained the support of the Second Prince.¡± ¡°Dear uncle, things have changed. We need to head north immediately and declare war on Castell.¡± Count Linte nodded. ¡°Father thinks the same. The Violet army is ready to move as soon as war is declared.¡± The Prince nodded in satisfaction. Losing the Tulip troops angered him, but it wasn¡¯t enough to change the overall situation. Castell, lacking channels for extraordinary resources, could not withstand the combined forces of Violet and Borde! Chapter 289: Declaration of War The shift in the northern war situation caught the Third Prince off guard, but it also solidified his resolve to head north quickly, seizing the best moment to declare war on the north before Castell had completely suppressed the rebellion.With Count Gaston having already betrayed him, the Third Prince was sure that Castell probably already knew his side¡¯s plan, so he had to launch an attack before their main forces returned. Fortunately, under the guise of military exercises, the Violet Duchy had already assembled its army, and even the elite armies of Borde had been shipped to Violet. The combined forces of the two duchies were formidable. Even without mobilizing the nobles, just by summoning and maintaining the regular troops of their own domains, they had gathered an army of 25,000 soldiers. Of these, 20,000 were from the Violet Duchy, commanded by its heir, Count Linte, and 5,000 were from the Borde Duchy, commanded by the Third Prince Philip, who was also the nominal overall commander of the combined forces. The Violet army included 5,000 elite regulars, with an extraordinary proportion of 40%, far exceeding the minimum 30% required to form an extraordinary military formation, and over forty tiered members, including five Second Tier Silver Moon members. The Borde Duchy¡¯s forces were even more formidable, consisting entirely of extraordinary troops. This included 3,500 original extraordinary troops from Borde, with an extraordinary proportion of 30%, like the garrison at Tulip County, and 1,500 of the Third Prince Philip¡¯s personal guards. The Prince¡¯s personal guards were on par with the kingdom¡¯s regular army, with an extraordinary proportion exceeding 50%, making them even more powerful than Borde¡¯s elite forces. Additionally, Borde¡¯s forces included over thirty tiered members, with three of them being Silver Moon. In total, the combined 25,000-strong army of the two duchies included 10,000 soldiers capable of forming magic formations, with 4,000 of them being extraordinary individuals. The combined total of powerful tiered members exceeded eighty, with eight being Silver Moon. Except for the absence of Blazing Sun-tier forces, this level of mobilization was equivalent to a full-scale ducal war. In such a war, extraordinary personnel were the main force. Their opponent, on the other hand, was merely a County with only 3,000 regular soldiers, lacking enchanted equipment, and with an extraordinary proportion below 20%. Oh, and now there was an addition: a garrison of 3,000 troops with a 30% extraordinary proportion from the Tulip County. But so what? Even if the North gathered all its nobles¡¯ forces, they would still be no match for the powerful ducal armies. Castell was wealthy, but in terms of military strength, it was still too weak. The Third Prince understood this clearly. ¡°Send the order: the Castell family no longer has a male heir, and the previous Count did not designate a successor. The current title inheritance is already illegal.¡± ¡°Charlotte de Castell, the current head of the Castell family, has shown disrespect to her lord and refused to swear loyalty to the new duke, blatantly violating the ¡®Holy Code.''¡± ¡°According to Article 17, section 4 of the ¡®Holy Code¡¯, the Castell family has severely violated the noble contract and is no longer qualified to inherit the Castell County.¡± ¡°According to Article 24, section 11 of the ¡®Holy Code¡¯, under the premise that the Castell family is not qualified to inherit, the Borde family, as relatives of the Castell family, has the right to reclaim the territory and strip the Castell family of its title.¡± ¡°In the name of the Duke of Borde, issue an ultimatum to the Castell family: they must abdicate within five days and hand over control of the territory to the Borde family.¡± ¡°Failure to comply will be considered rebellion!¡± The Third Prince ordered the mage in the Mage Tower. The five-day period was actually the estimated time for the allied forces of the two duchies to reach the Border. In other words, the Third Prince had no intention of negotiating with Castell. He was already prepared for war. Regardless of Castell¡¯s response, he would lead the army northward and head straight for Castell¡¯s capital, Northport! In essence, this so-called ultimatum was already tantamount to a declaration of war. ¡°Also¡­¡± The Third Prince paused before continuing. ¡°Send a message to Borde to seal all of Castell¡¯s estates, castles, mansions, and shops in the duchy and confiscate all their properties!¡± With a cold glint in his eye, he added. ¡°From now on, there will be no Castell in Borde.¡± ¡­ The allied forces of the two duchies moved quickly. Once the Third Prince resolved to head north immediately, the well-prepared army set off promptly. In just five days, the grand army reached the Border between the Violet Duchy and the Castell County. By this time, ten days had passed since the Battle of the Dorn River during the Castell rebellion. Standing on a hillside, the Third Prince Philip, the supreme commander, gazed at the crisscrossing waterways and neatly arranged towns of Castell County in the distance, a glint of ambition in his eyes. It was his first time in the north. Though he had yet to see the famed Northport, the sight of the numerous towns in the distance made him feel the prosperity of Castell, comparable to the center of the kingdom. ¡°Do you see, my dear wife? In the future¡­ this will be my direct territory.¡± He turned to his silent wife, Duchess Eleanor de Borde, with a smile. Hearing his words, Eleanor shuddered slightly, lowering her head even further. However, as the Third Prince looked out at Castell, dreaming of the future, Count Linte approached him on horseback, accompanied by several nobles, his expression grave. ¡°My uncle, you seem troubled. What happened?¡± The Third Prince noticed Count Linte¡¯s furrowed brows and asked with a smile. Count Linte glanced at Eleanor, then back at the Third Prince with a complex expression. ¡°Your Highness, my question might be somewhat offensive, but considering we are both allies and family, there¡¯s something¡­ I hope to confirm with you.¡± ¡°Do you have any dealings with the Blood Demon Cult?¡± Hearing this, the Third Prince was momentarily stunned, his smile fading slightly. He then squinted and asked. ¡°Uncle, who told you this?¡± ¡°Your Highness, you just need to answer yes or no.¡± Count Linte replied seriously. S?a??h the N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The Third Prince looked at him for a moment before suddenly laughing. ¡°Hahaha¡­ My dear uncle, many nobles in the kingdom have connections with the Blood Demon Cult, more often for trade.¡± Count Linte frowned. ¡°So you really have dealings with them?¡± ¡°Just transactions. Don¡¯t worry, I know the limits and have never trusted those lunatics. Sometimes you need to use their power to achieve certain goals.¡± The Third Prince said nonchalantly. Count Linte¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°Your Highness, this is playing with fire. The Blood Demon Cult is not to be trifled with. Getting too close to them is not a good idea and will give the Second Prince leverage against you!¡± The Third Prince¡¯s heart stirred, and his smile finally disappeared. ¡°What happened?¡± Count Linte sighed and gestured to the nobles behind him. ¡°Let your men explain.¡± The Third Prince looked at the nobles behind Count Linte and recognized the liaison officer responsible for communication with Borde. Seeing the Prince¡¯s gaze, the liaison officer quickly lowered his head, offering a parchment scroll with trembling hands. ¡°Your Highness, news from Borde¡­ Castell has declared war on us.¡± ¡°What did you say? Castell declared war on us?¡± The Third Prince was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter. ¡°Hahaha! She declared war on me!¡± ¡°The little beauty of the Castell family is quite amusing. Does she think that by suppressing a rebellion, she can contend with me?¡± He said as he took the parchment from the noble liaison officer. But as he read its contents, his expression suddenly changed. Chapter 290: A Declaration of War That Stirs the Kingdom Much like the ultimatum issued by the Third Prince five days earlier, the parchment also contained a declaration of war.No¡­ Compared to the nominal ¡°time to surrender¡± given by the ultimatum, the declaration on the parchment was more straightforward. On it, Charlotte de Castell declared war on the Borde Duchy in the name of the Count of Castell and the Viscount of Northport. The goal of the war was Castell¡¯s independence and the reclamation of the legally rightful Tulip territory. If it had only been this, the Third Prince might have merely laughed mockingly. After all, this wasn¡¯t the first time in history that Castell had sought independence and the reclamation of the Tulip territory, which had been divided by the Borde family. The Borde family had even taken advantage of the settlement ranking opportunity to elevate the Tulip territory to the rank of a county, even though its actual size was no larger than that of the Northport Viscounty. Events of vassal lords seeking independence were not common among noble fiefs, but they were certainly not unheard of. What truly changed the Third Prince¡¯s expression was something else written on the parchment¡­ It was the reasons given for Castell¡¯s declaration of independence and war¡ª The actual ruler of the Borde Duchy, the Third Prince Philip, was accused of colluding with the Blood Demon Cult, attacking the Countess of Castell, instigating rebellion in the north, and attempting to forcibly annex Castell, thereby stripping all northern nobles of their titles! These were very serious accusations. Colluding with the Blood Demon Cult, attacking a noble lord, and forcibly annexing a vassal¡¯s territory to expand his own¡ªall of these actions severely violated the ¡°Holy Code¡± and the political correctness of the Crescent Kingdom, offending the Holy Court, the kingdom¡¯s lords, and the noble vassals, respectively. Moreover, the implicit suggestion in the parchment, that Prince Philip intended to seize Castell¡¯s territory to expand his power and thus position himself for the Crescent Throne, almost exposed the entire political situation of Crescent. While King Louis V might not be satisfied with the current heir, he had not yet issued a decree to strip the heir of his rights (and many nobles would oppose such a move). The conflict between the two Princes was essentially known to all but had not been openly acknowledged. Ultimately, the decision of succession lay with the Crescent King. But Charlotte¡¯s declaration changed everything. By exposing the Third Prince¡¯s intentions, it delivered a significant blow to his authority and legitimacy. Most crucially, the accusations on the parchment were not baseless. Count Gaston, formerly a commander under Borde, had confessed to many of these actions and provided a multitude of evidence. Additionally, the captured northern rebel nobles also testified that the Third Prince supported the northern rebellion and indeed had dealings with the Blood Demon Cult. All these pieces of evidence and accusations were sufficient to substantiate the Third Prince¡¯s actions¡­ This was far more compelling than the Third Prince¡¯s ultimatum, which, strictly speaking, did not comply with proper regulations. Interestingly, the Third Prince¡¯s ultimatum, in a sense, became evidence within the declaration of war. ¡°Bastard! Traitor! Ingrate! Overestimating bitch!¡± After tremblingly reading through the parchment, the Third Prince furiously tore it apart, cursing. Seeing Prince Philip in a fit of rage, his features contorted, Count Linte sighed and said, ¡°Your Highness, news has also come from my father. This declaration has already been sent to the capital by the Northern Mage Tower, causing a great uproar.¡± ¡°It¡¯s said that conservative nobles have already lodged complaints with the noble council, demanding a thorough investigation of the accusations.¡± ¡°Even the kingdom¡¯s nobles, who lean towards you, have expressed their concerns directly or indirectly.¡± ¡°Moreover, the Cardinal of the Holy Court has sent clergies to the noble council to inquire about this matter. If not for the royal exemption and the king¡¯s usual disdain for the church, the Inquisition¡¯s Judgment Knights would have been dispatched by now.¡± Listening to Count Linte, the Third Prince¡¯s face grew increasingly grim. He stared at Count Linte, asking. ¡°So, my dear uncle, what is the stance of the Boite-Linte family?¡± Count Linte sighed. ¡°Your Highness, by deciding to dispatch troops, we are already in the same boat with you.¡± He continued seriously. ¡°Your Highness, the conservative nobles will not miss this opportunity to attack you. They are likely to unite and pressure the King, and the church may also intervene.¡± ¡°Though the King has tacitly approved our actions, if the nobles and the church unite, even the King will have to make concessions¡­¡± Hearing Count Linte, the Third Prince¡¯s eyes darkened. He squinted at him, asking, ¡°So, my dear uncle, what do you suggest?¡± Count Linte sighed again. ¡°From the family¡¯s perspective, ideally, I would suggest halting our advance to avoid completely alienating the kingdom¡¯s nobles.¡± ¡°Castell is merely a stepping stone. Our goal is to support you in inheriting Crescent, and to do that, you need the nobles¡¯ support¡­¡± The Third Prince¡¯s expression soured. ¡°Stop the advance? Abandon Castell? Uncle, do you know how long I¡¯ve prepared for today? If we abandon this opportunity, there may not be another!¡± ¡°Since you know the King has tacitly approved this, you should also understand that this is a test! If I can¡¯t withstand the pressure from the church to take Castell and eliminate the northern territory¡¯s chance of falling to the church, then¡­ in his eyes, I¡¯m out of the running!¡± Count Linte sighed once more. ¡°I know, which is why I said ¡®ideally¡¯. In fact, as you said, we have no retreat. You are the second heir. Losing the conservatives¡¯ support might not prevent you from seizing the throne, but losing the King¡¯s backing certainly will.¡± ¡°So, we must act quickly.¡± ¡°Your Highness, time is not on our side. If we still want to take Castell, we must accelerate our actions and capture Northport before the noble council and the Holy Court can respond.¡± ¡°The longer we delay, the more variables arise. The noble council may bypass the King¡¯s ban and assist the north, and the Holy Court might intervene. Even our nobles might waver.¡± ¡°Fortunately, we still have a chance. The northern army cannot compete with ours; victory is certain. The key is how long it will take.¡± ¡°However, your plan to uproot the northern nobles must be shelved. For a swift victory, we must avoid unnecessary losses and ideally gain their support.¡± The Third Prince frowned in thought. After a moment, he took a deep breath and asked. ¡°The contents of this declaration, the nobles in our army don¡¯t know yet, do they?¡± s?a??h th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Count Linte glanced towards the army and said, ¡°They don¡¯t know yet, but¡­ each family has its communication methods. They will know sooner or later.¡± The Third Prince thought for a moment and said, ¡°Block the news. Draft a response letter to Castell, refuting her accusations to buy us time.¡± ¡°Inform the northern nobles that, in my name, I promise those who pledge loyalty can retain their titles and lands, with taxes reduced by a third. Title revocation is limited to the Castell family only.¡± ¡°Rest and regroup. At dawn, we march!¡± Chapter 291: Naval Battle and Quarrel 17th of the First Month, Year 1446 of the Holy Calendar: The Castell family declared war on the Borde family in the name of independence and the recovery of rightful territory.18th of the First Month: The Borde family, citing the suppression of rebellion and the legitimate revocation of titles, also declared war on Castell. The Castell-Borde War officially began. Simultaneously, Third Prince Philip, in his capacity as Duke of Borde, assured the northern nobles that this campaign targeted only the Castell family. As long as the northern nobles remained neutral, they could avoid the spread of war and keep their titles and lands. Those who swore allegiance to Borde would receive various benefits, including a reduction in vassal contract taxes. The Borde-Violet coalition army, which had reached the Violet-Castell border, marched into Castell territory after the declaration of war, claiming a force of 50,000 troops, with 30,000 regulars. Meanwhile, a joint fleet consisting of five heavy carrack warships, twelve two-masted brigantines, and twenty-three galley warships, totaling thirty-eight ships armed with stone-throwing cannons, set sail from the northernmost port of Violet, heading along the Star-Moon Strait towards Northport. On land, the coalition army advanced swiftly into Castell, encountering little effective resistance apart from a brief stand by a few northern baronial families, including the Wale family, who defended their castles. Everywhere the army marched, northern nobles declared neutrality or outright surrendered upon seeing the overwhelming force. The coalition army did not stop at the villages and castles along the way. They left behind some soldiers and noble officers as temporary controllers to ensure supply lines, while the main force continued north, heading straight for Castell¡¯s direct domain, Northport. In contrast to the unstoppable land army, the Borde-Violet navy encountered trouble. Upon entering the Star-Moon Strait, the joint fleet was ambushed by the Castell fleet led by the Roman-Four family ¡­ Star Moon Strait, Zen Island Waters The roar of cannons echoed through the sky. Dozens of warships, divided into two camps, maneuvered and fired at each other from north and south. White smoke billowed along the ships, and magic stone projectiles were launched from cannons on the decks. Occasionally, faint glows appeared above the ships¡ªmagical shields activated by onboard mages. However, the shields were quickly exhausted, and the fleets entered a direct confrontation without defenses. Ships were hit, some catching fire as their powder magazines exploded, some losing masts and becoming immobile, while others were riddled with holes, sinking amidst continuous cannon blasts. ¡°Hard to starboard! Hard to starboard!¡± ¡°Load the cannons! They¡¯re turning!¡± ¡°Fire!¡± On the flagship of the Roman-Four family, the ¡°Black Order¡±, a first mate who used to be a pirate shouted commands to the crew. At the bow, the fleet commander, Viscount Roman-Four, solemnly observed the battle through a spyglass. Cannon fire rang out incessantly. Ships were destroyed and sunk amid the explosions, with the sea gradually covered by white smoke from the gunpowder. If observed closely, most of the sinking ships bore the flags of the Violet and Borde Duchy. Unlike the heavily armed joint fleet, Castell¡¯s ships¡ªthough fewer in number, with only three carrack warships and eighteen galleys¡ªincorporated significant elven shipbuilding techniques, making them far faster and more maneuverable than the joint fleet. The joint fleet¡¯s firepower often missed, but Castell¡¯s fleet managed to inflict damage whenever they seized an opportunity. Despite their superior performance, Viscount Roman-Four remained grim. ¡°Captain! The Hyacinth has been sunk! The White Oak and Purple Rhododendron report they are nearly out of ammunition!¡± The flag officer shouted to him. Hearing this, the Old Viscount sighed inwardly. Though known for speed and agility, the Castell fleet was too small and had limited ammunition. The Roman-Four family¡¯s fleet, strong as it was, originated from pirates and wasn¡¯t suited for such a direct naval battle. Ultimately, Castell was just a county. There had been no demand or effort to build a large, regular navy. Facing the combined fleets of two duchies, this ambush was never going to succeed. ¡°Signal all ships to retreat.¡± Glancing at the direction of the joint fleet, the Viscount finally ordered. The naval ambush lasted only half a day. After sinking one carrack warship, two brigantines, and three galleys from the joint fleet, at the cost of losing four of their own galleys, the Roman-Four family¡¯s fleet withdrew north towards Northport, relying on their speed. The joint fleet, though not significantly damaged, continued north towards Northport. ¡­ Inside Count¡¯s Mansion at Northport. In the council hall, where a meeting of territorial nobles was convened, news of the naval battle had yet to arrive. However, reports of the land battles were continuously reaching Northport. Charlotte, leading the main force back to Northport, pondered over the battle reports arriving from the south. In the hall, participating nobles were already in an uproar. s?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Shame! This is a disgrace to the North! Countess, those southern nobles are foolish to believe the Third Prince¡¯s promises. It¡¯s self-destructive!¡± A northern noble angrily shook his fist. ¡°Sir, your family¡¯s territory is in the central region, untouched by the war. It¡¯s easy for you to say. How could southern families resist an army of 50,000, including 30,000 regulars?¡± A southern noble retorted. ¡°If they couldn¡¯t resist, why didn¡¯t they retreat? Why surrender?¡± ¡°Retreat? Are you suggesting we abandon our lands and people?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t we do the same during the Star Moon War? Many nobles fought to the last for the kingdom back then. Why have you grown so cowardly?¡± ¡°Am I not fighting for Castell now? My family is in the south. I don¡¯t know what happened there, but I will deal with the traitors after the war. Right now, shouldn¡¯t we focus on how to defeat the enemy?¡± The nobles in the hall argued furiously, resembling a marketplace. Chapter 292: Stalemate In the council hall, the nobles were divided into two factions, loudly debating whether the southern noble families should have surrendered.The commotion continued until Viscount Leon-Castell shouted in anger. ¡°Enough! How can you be arguing at a time like this?!¡± As one of the three most prestigious viscount families in the north, the Old Viscount held considerable sway among the Castell nobility. His shout, infused with the extraordinary aura of a Second Tier Silver Moon, silenced the hall. All eyes turned to the Old Viscount, who commanded respect second only to Charlotte. Viscount Leon-Castell surveyed the room and sighed. ¡°Everyone, the enemy is at our doorstep. Our priority now is unity. I think we all know that the Third Prince is not a worthy ruler¡­¡± ¡°The fall of the South was inevitable, and no single noble family could have withstood the enemy alone. Only by rallying around the Count can we hope to win this war.¡± ¡°Win? Viscount Leon-Castell, the Borde and Violet coalition boasts 50,000 troops, including 30,000 elite regulars. We barely have 30,000 troops in Northport, and our only elite forces are the Tulip armies who can¡¯t even join the battle. How can we possibly win against such odds?¡± A noble couldn¡¯t help but ask. Viscount Leon-Castell shook his head and replied. ¡°No, according to my knowledge, even combining all the regular troops of the Violet and Borde Duchies, they could never reach 30,000¡­¡± ¡°Moreover, neither the nobles of Violet nor Borde are fully committed. The Boite-Linte family and the Borde family won¡¯t deploy all their regulars.¡± ¡°The Third Prince claims to have 50,000 troops, including 30,000 regulars. In reality, if he can gather 30,000 total troops with 10,000 regulars, it would already be impressive.¡± ¡°Viscount, even if it¡¯s 30,000 troops with 10,000 regulars, it¡¯s still a formidable force. How can we possibly win?¡± Another noble questioned. Hearing this, the Old Viscount hesitated. His gaze swept the room, noticing the nobles¡¯ eyes were on him, many subtly looking towards the silent Charlotte behind him. The Old Viscount knew the nobles were ostensibly asking him, but they were truly seeking the Countess¡¯ answer. The Old Viscount pondered how to respond, but at that moment, a guard burst into the council hall. ¡°Report! Countess, a new battle report has arrived!¡± The guard quickly presented the report. As the meeting¡¯s host, Viscount Leon-Castell was the first to read it. His expression changed abruptly after a brief glance at the parchment. This change did not go unnoticed by the nobles. ¡°Viscount, what¡¯s happened in the south?¡± Viscount Leon-Castell glanced back at Charlotte, who nodded for him to continue. He sighed and said, ¡°The Roman-Four family¡¯s fleet has returned to port.¡± ¡°They reported that a few days ago, they ambushed the coalition fleet in the Star-Moon Strait but did not win. Now, the coalition fleet is heading straight for Northport.¡± He hesitated again before adding, ¡°Also, Delburg fell yesterday.¡± The news caused an uproar among the nobles. ¡°What? Delburg has fallen too?¡± ¡°Delburg is the gateway to Northport. Won¡¯t the coalition army reach Northport in days?¡± ¡°The naval battle was lost too? Does that mean we¡¯ve lost control of the seas?¡± ¡°Without naval control, Northport will be a sitting duck!¡± The new report threw the nobles into panic, spreading fear and unrest in the council hall. This time, even Viscount Leon-Castell¡¯s shouts for order couldn¡¯t quell the chaos. He turned to Charlotte for help. Charlotte remained silent, sipping her fruit milk, her blue eyes scanning the room. She then slightly shifted her posture and released her extraordinary aura. The overwhelming pressure, far surpassing that of Viscount Leon-Castell, quickly silenced the nobles. Feeling the formidable aura, the nobles stopped their arguments almost in unison. Charlotte then withdrew her gaze and calmly said, ¡°Have you argued enough? If so, be quiet. If not, continue arguing¡­¡± The nobles, now subdued, lowered their heads. The power of an extraordinary being always commanded respect. Despite her youth, Charlotte¡¯s Second Tier Silver Moon strength, combined with her lordship and the prestige gained from leading her troops to victory against the rebels, was enough to hold the room. Turning her attention from the nobles, Charlotte asked the guard. ¡°How many ships from the Roman-Four fleet returned?¡± The guard respectfully answered. ¡°Countess, three carrack ships and about a dozen galleys, though many seem heavily damaged.¡± ¡°A dozen ships¡­ The main force is still intact.¡± Muttering to herself, Charlotte recalled the intelligence of the Roman-Four fleet. After a pause, she smiled and continued. ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t worry. The fact that the Roman-Four fleet could retreat intact shows that the coalition navy, while strong, doesn¡¯t have an overwhelming advantage.¡± ¡°Our coastal defenses in Northport are solid. Combined with your forces, the enemy will find it hard to take Northport.¡± ¡°Countess, are you suggesting we use Northport as a stronghold to resist the Borde and Violet coalition?¡± A noble asked. Charlotte nodded slightly, affirming it. ¡°Countess, but¡­ What¡¯s the point? Our forces are too weak compared to theirs. If they besiege us and cut off our supplies, defeat is only a matter of time¡­¡± ¡°Northport is just an island!¡± A noble expressed his concern. Charlotte looked at him and smiled. ¡°Is it just a matter of time? Sir Teras, given that we¡¯ve exposed the Third Prince¡¯s crimes, do you think he can outlast us, or can we outlast him?¡± The nobles paused, then understood her implication. S?a??h the N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. They were not foolish. With Charlotte¡¯s subtle hint, they realized the strategic value of their situation. Castell had leveraged a declaration of war to reveal the Third Prince¡¯s misdeeds. If they could hold out long enough, the Third Prince¡¯s other enemies within the kingdom would act. ¡°Besides¡­ I have already mentioned that we have reinforcements on the way.¡± Chapter 293: Defending the City Charlotte¡¯s words ultimately succeeded in calming the panicked northern nobles.Of course, it wasn¡¯t the promise of ¡°reinforcements¡± that reassured them, but rather Charlotte¡¯s explicit strategy: they could afford to wait, but the Third Prince could not. Northport, the capital of Castell, had withstood the Star-Moon Wars and countless magic beast tides and pirate attacks over the centuries. As the most renowned trade center in the north, it was also a fortress, evidenced by its tall coastal walls, large stone-throwing cannons, and towering mage towers. Recent population growth and immigration had caused Northport to expand outward, giving it a less fortress-like appearance. The northern nobles knew this, and their fear was mainly directed at the Third Prince¡¯s powerful army. After Charlotte clarified the situation, they felt a glimmer of hope despite their lingering worries. This became even more evident when Viscount Roman-Four arrived in the council hall. At the sight of the notorious Viscount, the northern nobles visibly relaxed. Despite their general dislike for the pirate-turned-noble, they acknowledged the Roman-Four family¡¯s formidable combat capabilities. The presence of the Roman-Four fleet undoubtedly strengthened Northport¡¯s defenses. ¡°Countess, the entire Roman-Four fleet has docked, and all our extraordinary fighters have disembarked, pledging to fight alongside you until the end.¡± The ever-black-clad Viscount Roman-Four said, kneeling on one knee. Behind him stood several barons and over a dozen hereditary knights from the Roman-Four family. Charlotte recognized them from the roster she had memorized, noting with surprise that all the key members of the Roman-Four family were present¡ªa commitment even greater than that of the Leon-Castell family. Unlike Viscount Leon-Castell, whose family still had a small faction that had surrendered in the south, the Roman-Four family had fully committed to Northport. ¡°Good to have you back. We¡¯ll rely on you for Northport¡¯s naval defense.¡± Charlotte said, nodding slightly. ¡°Rest assured, Countess. We¡¯ve already fought the Borde-Violet fleet once. Though they are strong, with Northport¡¯s defenses, we can resist them.¡± Viscount Roman-Four responded solemnly. Viscount Leon-Castell, after glancing thoughtfully at the ¡°pirate viscount¡±, addressed the now-calm nobles. ¡°It seems everyone has settled down. Now that Viscount Roman-Four is back, let¡¯s discuss how to defend Northport.¡± This time, there were no objections. Under the Old Viscount¡¯s lead, they began discussing Northport¡¯s defense plans. Most nobles only listened, occasionally offering suggestions. The actual discussion involved the higher-ranking viscounts and barons, who had both higher status and more military experience. Charlotte, aware of her lack of experience, chose to listen quietly to the experts, understanding that while she would ultimately make the final decisions, it was best to let the professionals handle the planning. Gradually, a defensive plan emerged, led by Viscounts Roman-Four and Leon-Castell, with input from other nobles. The plan was straightforward: abandon the southern territories, fortify Northport and the Northport Bridge, control the Dorn River with small warships, and use Northport as the central defensive point to delay the enemy. Thanks to the Dorn River, Northport served as the gateway to northern Castell. By controlling the Northport Bridge and the Dorn River, the Borde-Violet coalition couldn¡¯t advance north or completely encircle Northport. This would allow Northport to maintain supply lines and avoid becoming isolated, enabling Castell¡¯s forces to leverage the city¡¯s defenses. Victory would mean the enemy, unable to capture Northport after heavy losses, might retreat under pressure, giving Castell¡¯s forces a chance to counterattack. Defeat would mean the fall of the city and likely the end of the Castell family. Charlotte also suggested evacuating or relocating the poor from the outer districts of Northport into the inner city or the north. The nobles didn¡¯t oppose this, viewing it as an act of mercy on Charlotte¡¯s part. While she did care about the welfare of the poor, her suggestion also had strategic motives. Charlotte had long considered expanding Northport, which would require demolishing the vast slums in the outer districts. The city¡¯s municipal reports often highlighted the difficulties and conflicts of interest involved in such a project. The impending war, however, presented an opportunity to overcome these obstacles. An attack and defense battle would silence the opposition. Notably, the topic of reinforcements, which Charlotte had mentioned, wasn¡¯t heavily discussed. The nobles, while reassured by her promise, didn¡¯t place much stock in it. They believed that the real reassurance came from the political situation in Crescent, Charlotte¡¯s exposure of the Third Prince¡¯s crimes, and Northport¡¯s defensible position. Many nobles doubted that the young girl from Borde, with no deep connections to other noble families, could muster any significant reinforcements. They assumed she could only hire some mercenaries, probably from the Eastern Yunette Blacklands. S?a?ch* Th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. While Eastern Yunette had powerful mercenary groups, hiring them was expensive, and such groups often demanded extraordinary resources rather than money. Castell, though wealthy, lacked channels to obtain such resources, except for their stores of mithril, which were limited. With the northern rebellion cutting off contact with the Silver Mine City and the uncertain northern situation, the nobles doubted Charlotte could hire any powerful mercenary groups. They believed Northport¡¯s extraordinary resources would be needed for the city¡¯s defense, not for hiring mercenaries. The defensive plan was finalized, with Charlotte making the final decision. The nobles then set about preparing for the imminent battle¡­ Chapter 294: The Enemy at the Gates ¡°Quickly, clean the inscriptions on this stone-thrower! Those mages said it must be spotless to work properly!¡±¡°Is the stone ready? They¡¯re pushing us again from the bridgehead. The Count¡¯s mansion ordered the outer wall of the bridgehead to be repaired by today!¡± Outside Northport, along the Dorn River, craftsmen were busy repairing the outer wall of the Northport Bridge under the guidance of mage apprentices. The bridge, which spanned the Dorn River and connected Northport with the mainland, was as crucial as the Castell Bridge. If the Castell Bridge, linking Northport to the northern mainland, was the last line of defense, then the Northport Bridge, connecting the north and south sides of the Dorn River, was the key to whether the rebels could advance north and cut off Northport¡¯s retreat. On both sides of the Northport Bridge, the walls had been repaired, and craftsmen were busy preparing various defensive structures, all aimed at protecting this crucial bridge. In the tower of the Count¡¯s mansion, Charlotte stood by the railing, watching the bustling Northport under the shadow of war. She saw warships patrolling the harbor, stone-throwers repositioned on the coastal walls, and the encampments stretching along the northern bank of the Dorn River. She was lost in thought until she heard familiar footsteps. She turned her gaze from the scene and smiled slightly at the approaching figure. ¡°Has another noble surrendered?¡± Viscount Leon-Castell hesitated before nodding. ¡°Yes, Countess. News from the south: the Borde-Violet army has taken the closest fortress to Northport. The vanguard is expected to reach the Dorn River by tomorrow.¡± ¡°Oh? The last fortress has fallen? Which family does it belong to?¡± Charlotte raised an eyebrow. Viscount Leon-Castell looked embarrassed. ¡°Count¡­ it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s our family¡¯s.¡± Charlotte turned and gave him a peculiar look. Feeling her piercing gaze, the Old Viscount quickly spoke. ¡°Countess, the loyalty of the Leon-Castell family¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t blame you.¡± Charlotte interrupted. She turned back to look at the expansive plains, hills, waterways, and villages of the Castell territory. ¡°The speed of the southern collapse is surprising but understandable.¡± She said. ¡°For noble families, long-term survival is most important. Eggs can¡¯t be all in one basket, and even a broken basket can be a spare.¡± Leon-Castell¡¯s face grew even more awkward. ¡°Countess, regardless of the others¡¯ choices, since I¡¯ve chosen to stand here, I will fight with you to the last moment.¡± He said. Charlotte nodded. ¡°I understand. Your help in defending Northport is enough for me.¡± She said, then chuckled. ¡°Honestly, compared to those nobles who can only rely on their own troops against their overlords, I¡¯m already fortunate to command an army of over ten thousand.¡± The Viscount had no words for this, and Charlotte didn¡¯t dwell on the sensitive topic. The speed of the Southern collapse indicated many nobles weren¡¯t willing to resist to death. She wasn¡¯t outraged by this, understanding that faced with the Third Prince¡¯s overwhelming army, those nobles had little choice. Feudal lords¡¯ control over their vassals was limited, akin to a company boss¡¯ relationship with employees rather than an emperor with ministers. S~?a??h the N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The nobles had fulfilled their duty by providing conscripts and taxes and even personally aiding in the defense. She couldn¡¯t force them all to risk their lives. Such loyalty required centralization, a charismatic leader, and fervent devotion from the nobles, a level of leadership even King Louis V couldn¡¯t achieve. In the history she knew, few leaders had managed this. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Charlotte asked, looking at Viscount Leon-Castell. The Viscount hesitated. ¡°Countess, have you truly considered not destroying the Northport Bridge? Destroying it would secure our position. We could hold out against the Third Prince indefinitely.¡± He said. Charlotte shook her head. ¡°We could hold out, but destroying the bridge also prevents our army from moving south.¡± The Viscount was stunned and then asked hesitantly. ¡°Are you really planning to counterattack? But our forces are too¡­¡± ¡°Wait, do you mean the reinforcements are real? Not just to reassure the nobles?¡± He asked in surprise. Charlotte smiled. ¡°When did I say the reinforcements were fake?¡± ¡°Then, who are these reinforcements?¡± He asked, puzzled. ¡­ The coalition forces advanced faster than the Third Prince had expected. Or rather, Castell¡¯s better-developed roads compared to the impoverished Borde and forested Violet regions facilitated quicker movement. Most northern nobles surrendered without a fight, and only a few stubborn ¡°fools¡± offered resistance. In just ten days, the massive army reached the banks of the Dorn River. Riding his dragon-scaled horse, the Third Prince Philip looked at the Northport Bridge spanning the river and the city of Northport beyond it. A look of determined greed flashed in his eyes. Turning to his companions, he pointed to the distant bustling city and smiled. ¡°From now on, this place won¡¯t be called Castell anymore.¡± ¡°Announce a rest for today. We attack tomorrow!¡± ¡­ Meanwhile, in the Roman Duchy, at Mile Port¡ªthe largest port of the Starfall Kingdom¡ªa fleet of fast galleys loaded with stone-throwers and soldiers was ready to set sail. Count Yurst stood at the bow of the flagship, eyes closed. After a long while, he opened them slowly. ¡°The time is right. Signal the fleet to hoist the Castell flags, raise the sails, and prepare to set sail.¡± He ordered the bloodborne beside him. Chapter 295: The Ethereal Glow The Borde-Violet coalition forces launched their formal assault on Northport from the sea.When the grand fleet of the duchies followed the army and sailed into the waters surrounding Northport, the battle erupted once again. With the entire Castell fleet, led by the Roman-Four family, dispatched to patrol the Dorn River, Castell had no naval forces left to directly confront the duchy fleet in the open sea. In truth, the smaller, raid-suited Castell fleet was not adept at direct naval battles against the duchy fleet. Entering the Dorn River was both a defensive move and a means to preserve Castell¡¯s naval strength. However, the result was that Northport, without the cover of its fleet, faced the duchy fleet directly. Dozens of duchy warships patrolled the nearby waters, almost encircling Northport. The ships aligned their broadsides towards Northport and, with thunderous roars, spewed white smoke. ¡°Boom¡ª!¡± Enchanted stone projectiles flew through the air like meteors. They either splashed into the waters around Northport or crashed into the city. The fortress walls surrounding the main island and the harbor of Northport were the primary targets. S?a??h th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Boom¡ª!¡± Stone projectiles hit the thick outer walls of Northport. Fortunately, the defensive magical shield on Northport¡¯s outer walls had already been activated. The stone projectiles did not penetrate the walls but left ripples on the shield¡¯s surface. The walls, protected by the shield, remained undamaged. However, the harbor within range did not fare as well. The ships docked in the harbor became sitting ducks under the duchy fleet¡¯s bombardment, with some ships struck and sinking amidst screams and cries. The Shallow-Water District on the outskirts of Northport turned into a hellish scene. The flimsy waterside houses had no defense against the duchy fleet¡¯s firepower, easily torn apart and reduced to floating debris. Had Charlotte not ordered the forced evacuation of the Shallow-Water District¡¯s residents in advance, many would have perished in the initial bombardment. The piercing sound of bells rang out across Northport as the city hall¡¯s alarm blared. Explosions echoed from various parts of the city as projectiles breached the outer walls, each impact signaling the destruction of a building. However, Northport was not merely on the defensive. After the duchy fleet initiated its bombardment, Northport¡¯s coastal stone-throwers retaliated, launching projectiles toward the fleet with thunderous roars. These coastal cannons had greater range and power. Nonetheless, the scattered formation of the fleet made them harder to hit. Although Northport¡¯s cannons were powerful, their success was limited, with most projectiles splashing into the sea, creating huge water columns. Occasionally, a lucky shot would severely damage a duchy warship. ¡°Boom¡ª!¡± Following a series of retaliatory shots, the duchy fleet sustained some damage, and the coalition fleet became wary of Northport¡¯s coastal cannons. The frontline galleys and brigantines retreated beyond the cannons¡¯ range. Only the longer-range carrack heavy warships continued to bombard Northport from a distance. ¡°Countess, the magical shield over the mansion is up. Please return to the mansion for safety. It¡¯s too dangerous here.¡± Urged a noble defending the fortress on Northport¡¯s outer walls, approaching Charlotte. Charlotte glanced at the carracks continuing to bombard the city and then at the damaged areas of Northport. She heard the whistling of solid projectiles overhead and the rising smoke within the city. The cries and screams of terrified residents mixed with the sounds of bombardment, amplifying the fear and despair through her heightened bloodborne senses. Charlotte frowned slightly. ¡°If I remember correctly, doesn¡¯t Northport have a magical shield that covers the entire city? Why are only the mansion and the fortress walls being protected?¡± She asked. The noble hesitated before answering. ¡°Countess, Northport has been at peace for so long that we lack sufficient mana stones. The existing reserves are prioritized for the magical cannons and the defense of Northport Bridge. Deploying the city-wide shield consumes too much. According to Master Layton¡¯s calculations, even with the mana stones provided by the Mercenary Association, we can only sustain the city-wide shield for five days. But if we only protect the military installations, we can hold out for two months.¡± Master Layton was the president of the Northport branch of the Mercenary Association. After the war began, Charlotte hired all available mercenaries in Northport, including Layton, a Silver Moon mage. As one of the few Silver Moon mages in Northport, he was also responsible for maintaining the city¡¯s magical defenses. ¡°Five days? That¡¯s enough. Tell Layton to fully activate Northport¡¯s magical shield without worrying about the cost.¡± Charlotte instructed. The noble hesitated. ¡°Follow my orders. Activate all shields and protect the civilians! If anyone questions it, say it was my command! If anything goes wrong, the Castell family will bear the responsibility!¡± Charlotte reiterated. The noble finally nodded, bowed, and left. Soon, knights on horseback spread the word to Northport¡¯s magical nodes, shouting, ¡°Countess¡¯ orders, activate all shields, protect the civilians!¡± As Charlotte¡¯s command was executed, blue glows rose from Northport. The magical shields extended from the mage tower and the fortress walls, covering the city. With the shields up, the duchy fleet¡¯s bombardment lost its impact, and fewer projectiles breached the defenses. Cheers erupted across Northport as residents recognized the shield¡¯s protection. With her sharp hearing, Charlotte even caught words of gratitude and praise directed at her. Moreover, shortly after the shields were raised, Charlotte noticed ethereal lights drifting from the city towards her. Watching the starlike glow, she was amazed. Reaching out to touch them, she felt a subtle transformation in her soul as they merged into her being. ¡°Did you see anything?¡± She asked her personal guards. The knights exchanged puzzled glances and shook their heads. ¡°Never mind, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Charlotte said thoughtfully, abandoning further questions. Meanwhile, in the Borde-Violet coalition forces, the Third Prince Philip sneered at the sight of Northport¡¯s magical shield. ¡°A fool¡¯s compassion leading to self-destruction!¡± He scoffed. Chapter 296: A Sudden Downturn After the naval assault reached a stalemate, the land battle erupted.The horns of war blared, and the Borde-Violet coalition¡¯s artillery engaged in a cannon exchange with the Castell fleet on the Dorn River. Amid the thunderous booms, white smoke spread across the river and battlefield, with pale blue ripples appearing as stone projectiles struck magical shields. This was a contest of ammunition and extraordinary resource reserves. Within Northport, the towering mage tower shimmered, and the activated magical shield gleamed under the sunlight. In the coalition forces, soldiers loaded stone projectiles inscribed with anti-magic runes into the dark cannon muzzles, firing them with loud blasts at the Castell galleys on the Dorn River and the outer walls of Northport Bridge, shielded by magic. ¡°Boom¡ª!¡± The ground trembled, and magical energy boiled. Although protected by magical shields, the artillery of the Borde-Violet coalition was evidently superior to Castell¡¯s cannons. Even as most projectiles¡¯ power was diminished by the shields, some penetrated Castell¡¯s defenses, hitting either the walls or the ships. Especially targeted was the outer wall of Northport Bridge, the first line of defense. Dozens of seven-meter-long stone-throwing cannons belched white smoke, each shot sending a projectile over 900 pounds (400 kilograms) accelerated through the air. S~?a??h the N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Despite magical attenuation, these projectiles, developed during the Star-Moon War to end castle dominance, remained formidable. The anti-magic inscribed stones, after breaching the shield, still carried terrifying kinetic energy, leaving jagged cracks on the walls with each impact. Finally, after countless bombardments, the tall outer wall could no longer withstand the continuous fire. With a loud boom, another anti-magic projectile pierced the weakening shield and struck a wall segment riddled with cracks. Amid exclamations, a section of Northport Bridge¡¯s outer wall collapsed, bricks scattering everywhere. A cloud of dust rose, revealing a massive breach four meters wide in the wall. Through this gap, the duchy army could see the bridge and the Castell troops on the other side. On horseback, Third Prince Philip lowered his telescope, smiling with satisfaction. ¡°Northport¡¯s defenses¡­ are nothing special.¡± Watching the crumbling wall, Count Linte beside him sighed deeply. ¡°Since the advent of stone-throwing cannons, times have changed.¡± For centuries, nobles ruled from castles. Now, even the sturdiest castles faced obsolescence against enchanted stone-throwers. The Star-Moon War¡¯s advancements in enchantment and alchemy quietly revolutionized warfare. ¡°The wall is breached. Order the vanguard to attack!¡± The Third Prince ordered, narrowing his eyes. The horn sounded again, signaling the charge and siege. The coalition vanguard, long prepared, raised their shields and, under a rain of Castell arrows and artillery, charged at the outer wall breach. With the wall breached, the magical shield over the wall also faltered. Northport¡¯s defensive system had been compromised, and soon, soldiers clashed at the breach. First to engage were the conscripts, the cannon fodder meant to deplete the enemy¡¯s extraordinary forces. Soldiers swarmed the breach, and ladders were set against the intact walls. The battle for Northport Bridge had begun. The breached wall lost its defensive advantage, and facing the numerous coalition forces, the outer wall of Northport Bridge quickly fell. Castell soldiers retreated while fighting, and the battle concentrated on the bridge. Arrows fell like rain, and magical glows filled the air. The narrow Northport Bridge became a slaughterhouse, mercilessly consuming soldiers from both sides. Under continuous artillery fire, the sounds of battle and shouts echoed, while blood stained the bridge and turned the Dorn River crimson. Third Prince Philip, observing through his telescope, frowned slightly. ¡°Too slow.¡± ¡°Deploy the extraordinary army formation. Capture Northport Bridge quickly and establish a defensive formation to prevent Castell from destroying the bridge!¡± Count Linte hesitated. ¡°Your Highness, Northport¡¯s magical defense system still protects their soldiers. Deploying our elite now might lead to heavy losses¡­¡± ¡°We must attack regardless. Our time is limited, and we can¡¯t risk them destroying the bridge. It¡¯s the gateway to Northport. If they destroy it, our advance will be severely hindered.¡± The Prince replied, shaking his head. Gazing at Northport¡¯s magical shield, he sneered. ¡°As for Northport¡¯s magical defenses¡­ Inform the fleet to adjust their aim. Stop targeting the fortress, bombard the city!¡± ¡°Besides the anti-magic projectiles, use the latest enchanted projectiles from the Royal Alchemy Workshops!¡± ¡°Heh, if the little Countess wants to protect the entire Northport, let¡¯s see if she can maintain the shield under our bombardment or if she¡¯ll abandon her citizens!¡± ¡°The larger the magical shield, the easier it is to break. I doubt Castell¡¯s Silver Moon mages can withstand this level of assault!¡± Following the Prince¡¯s orders, the coalition fleet soon shifted their bombardment towards Northport. With thunderous roars, projectiles flew like meteors, striking the city. Unlike the rune-inscribed walls, the city-wide shield was weaker and required more mana to withstand the attacks. As projectiles rained down, Northport¡¯s magical shield flickered, growing unstable. Inside Northport¡¯s mage tower, Layton, President of the Mercenary Association¡¯s Northport branch and a Silver Moon mage, personally maintained the shield. When the fleet¡¯s firepower concentrated on the city, he felt immense pressure, coughing up blood from the magic backlash. Simultaneously, elite troops from two duchies, forming a magic formation, marched in unison towards Northport Bridge. The situation for Castell rapidly deteriorated. Chapter 297: The Gods Will Protect Us The wailing horn gradually rose to a crescendo, and a silver glow illuminated the battlefield. With the accompanying mages chanting, the patterns on the Borde-Violet elite soldiers¡¯ armor lit up.¡°Raise shields!¡± The noble officer commanded. The fully armored soldiers raised their shields, which also glowed with patterns, forming a beehive-shaped magical barrier above the formation. Castell¡¯s arrows fell like rain, and the galleys in the river fired their cannons. However, aside from enchanted arrows or expensive anti-magic projectiles, ordinary attacks could barely harm the activated magic formation. The battle quickly moved to the bridge, and it was a one-sided slaughter. The noble leading the Castell soldiers were instantly overwhelmed by the brilliance of the magical formation. The silver army formation cut through Castell¡¯s lines like a sharp steel blade, penetrating the bridge. High in the tower of Northport, Charlotte watched the battle unfold. Once the enemy¡¯s magic formation engaged, the long-contested Northport Bridge fell at a pace of a meter per second, with Castell soldiers either being overwhelmed by the attacking formation or pushed off the bridge. ¡°Countess, Baron Somir reports that Northport Bridge is lost!¡± ¡°Countess, Viscount Roman-Four reports that the fleet¡¯s anti-magic ammunition is exhausted. He suggests destroying the bridge to prevent the enemy from crossing!¡± ¡°Countess¡­¡± Various bad news came one after another, and the situation rapidly deteriorated. Charlotte also noticed that the magical shield covering Northport was faltering under the coalition fleet¡¯s bombardment, on the verge of collapse. ¡°Countess¡­¡± Viscount Leon-Castell, looking solemnly towards the bridge, couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Destroy the bridge. We cannot allow the elite soldiers to cross. If they do, the enemy¡¯s stone throwers will move to the north bank, putting Northport in even greater danger¡­¡± ¡°Countess, please order the bridge¡¯s destruction! If they take control and activate their defensive magic, it will be difficult to reclaim it!¡± ¡°Yes, we can rebuild the bridge later, but we cannot let Northport fall!¡± Other nobles urged. Charlotte slowly withdrew her gaze, shaking her head lightly. ¡°No, Northport Bridge is crucial for our counterattack and cannot be destroyed.¡± ¡°Countess!¡± The nobles grew anxious. ¡°If we can¡¯t even hold it, how can we talk about a counterattack?¡± ¡°Yes, Borde¡¯s elite soldiers are too many. We cannot resist them¡­¡± Viscount Leon-Castell sighed. ¡°Countess, while Northport¡¯s magical defense system is strong, it has its limits. Our shield is near its breaking point to protect the city. Allowing the enemy to advance further would be disastrous¡­¡± He looked at Charlotte deeply and said respectfully. ¡°I believe you have plans and hope for a counterattack, but we must consider how to defend now.¡± ¡°The strength of the magical shield is linked to the power of its maintainer. Although President Layton is an experienced Silver Moon mage, maintaining such a large-scale defense is too difficult.¡± ¡°Castell is no longer the same as it was when we had Blazing Sun. Perhaps your father could have sustained the shield during the Star-Moon War, but times have changed¡­¡± ¡°Countess, Castell¡¯s magical power is not what it used to be. Sometimes, sacrifices are necessary for victory¡­¡± Hearing the Old Viscount¡¯s words, Charlotte was moved. ¡°Viscount Leon-Castell, you mean¡­¡± Viscount Leon-Castell gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Destroy Northport Bridge, stop protecting the city, and only maintain the magical defense over the count¡¯s estate and the fortress, delaying as long as possible!¡± Charlotte frowned slightly. Just as she was about to reply, she heard a cracking sound in the sky, like glass shattering. She looked up to see the magical shield over Northport growing more unstable, with some areas becoming almost transparent. The duchy fleet¡¯s bombardment continued. Under Charlotte¡¯s intense gaze, some projectiles even breached the shield, landing inside the city. Loud explosions ensued, and thick smoke rose from the city, with terrified screams heard sporadically. Suddenly, a soldier hurried over, accompanied by two guards supporting a pale-faced mage apprentice. ¡°Countess, urgent report from the mage tower!¡± The soldier said quickly. Charlotte looked at the apprentice. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Countess, Master Layton can barely maintain the shield. He is reaching his limit¡­¡± Hearing this, the surrounding nobles turned pale. ¡°Countess! We can¡¯t delay any longer!¡± Viscount Leon-Castell shouted. Charlotte remained silent. ¡°Countess!¡± The Old Viscount repeated urgently. Charlotte finally raised her head. She glanced at the magical shield in the sky, then suddenly said, ¡°Viscount Leon-Castell, did you say my father once maintained a shield over all of Northport during the Star-Moon War?¡± The Old Viscount was stunned but instinctively replied. ¡°Yes.¡± Charlotte seemed to be deep in thought. After a few seconds, she raised her head and directly addressed the soldier. ¡°Take me to the mage tower.¡± The soldiers and nobles were stunned. Seeing her serious and beautiful profile, the Old Viscount¡¯s expression changed dramatically. ¡°Countess, you¡­ you don¡¯t intend to control the magical defense system yourself, do you?¡± ¡°Yes, your father did maintain a defense over Northport, but he was a Blazing Sun! It¡¯s different!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve grown rapidly and are incredibly gifted, but you¡¯re still just a Silver Moon!¡± ¡°The mental and magical strength of a Blazing Sun far exceeds other extraordinary. It¡¯s not a gap that can be bridged by numbers. You can¡¯t do it, and it might be life-threatening!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Charlotte suddenly raised her hand, silencing him. She placed a slender finger on her lips, smiling gently and beautifully. ¡°If I don¡¯t try, how will I know?¡± S?a??h the N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. She then raised her head and drew a ring cross on her chest reverently. ¡°We are not only fighting the Third Prince but also the Blood Demon Cult supporting him in the shadows¡­¡± ¡°I believe, as long as we have a devout heart, the Gods will protect us and help us overcome this evil.¡± Chapter 298: Divine Radiance Northport Mage TowerInside the massive control cube, the President of the Mercenary Association¡¯s Northport branch trembled, his face pale under his mage robes. Surrounding him, six auxiliary Starry Sky mages had bloodshot eyes and pained expressions, suffering from mana overload. In the outer circle, forming a hexagram, 32 mage apprentices struggled, over a quarter foaming at the mouth, unconscious and convulsing on the ground. Azure magical energy tides swirled around the cube, radiating from President Layton at the center. The magic energy control network connecting all the mages was on the verge of collapse. Each distant cannon shot made the spell shield covering Northport tremble violently, becoming more ephemeral. The control cube flickered, threatening to cease functioning altogether. Suddenly, another barrage hit, and the shield suffered heavy blows. The weakest of the six auxiliary mages finally couldn¡¯t hold on, vomiting blood before collapsing. The remaining mages felt the pressure surge. ¡°Master Layton, we can¡¯t hold on any longer¡­¡± One Starry Sky mage spoke with difficulty. ¡°Master Layton, we should¡­ shrink the shield¡¯s range. It¡¯s at its limit¡­¡± Another auxiliary mage, barely maintaining his composure, added. The other mages, though not unconscious, were too exhausted to speak, barely maintaining the flow of magical energy through sheer instinct. ¡°No! Hold on a bit longer! The shield must not break!¡± Layton gritted his teeth, speaking with difficulty. As the control core, he bore far more pressure than the other mages. He could feel the full intensity of the duchy coalition¡¯s bombardment, which had reached a frenzied level. He knew that if the shield were shrunk now, even if the city defenses could be protected, Northport itself would suffer immense damage. The Third Prince didn¡¯t care about Northport¡¯s fate; he only wanted to conquer the Castell territory quickly. As the core of the defense system, Layton understood this well. Northport had become his second home after living there for over thirty years. Maintaining the defensive magic was not just a mercenary¡¯s duty but a personal commitment. ¡°Master Layton! Please¡­ look around you!¡± The Starry Sky mage behind him repeated with difficulty. Layton glanced around, seeing the mages¡¯ overextended states. Two more Starry Sky mages collapsed, and nearly half the apprentices were unconscious. Though reluctant to admit it, he had to face reality: Northport could no longer sustain the city-wide defensive magic. ¡°Alright, shrink the shield and cease protecting the entire city¡­ If the Countess asks, tell her it was my decision.¡± Layton sighed. There simply weren¡¯t enough mid-to-high-level mages in Castell. Maintaining such a large-scale defense should have been the work of a Blazing Sun. As a Silver Moon, it was too much for him. If there were other senior Silver Moon mages to alternate the maintenance, perhaps the defense could last longer. But now, this was the limit. He could only prevent the worst-case scenario by sacrificing the city¡¯s protection. It was not a happy choice, but Layton had no other. Just as he ordered the adjustment of the defense system, a familiar voice came from behind. ¡°No, the shield must not be shrunk. Maintain its operation over all of Northport.¡± Layton turned, seeing the young Countess of the North, Charlotte de Castell, entering the control room. ¡°Countess?¡± Layton tried to speak but was stopped by Charlotte. She approached him and said, ¡°Sir Layton, thank you for your hard work. Now, let me maintain the shield.¡± ¡°You¡­ maintain it?¡± Layton was stunned. ¡°Countess, I appreciate your intent, but please leave immediately. The control cube¡¯s operation is not something anyone can handle. Although you are a Silver Moon, it¡¯s still too early¡­¡± ¡°The shield is on the brink of collapse, and the magical energy is close to going berserk. What you¡¯re attempting is dangerous!¡± Layton urged Charlotte to leave, but she stepped forward, standing under the central magic vortex of the control core. Facing Layton, she smiled slightly. ¡°Sir Layton, you¡¯re right. Maintaining the entire Northport defense system is difficult¡­ But how will we know if we don¡¯t try?¡± Try? Layton was taken aback. He watched as Charlotte knelt under the control cube, closing her eyes, hands clasped, her expression devout and solemn. ¡°Merciful Gods, evil forces engulf the North, corrupting your followers¡­ Grant me strength to protect the people from disaster. Bestow your divine radiance and blessing upon your subjects!¡± Layton was stunned again. As the president of the North¡¯s Mercenary Association, he had heard rumors about Charlotte de Castell, especially her supposed identity as a Saintess of the Holy Court. He had never seen the Gods respond to prayers or intervene in human affairs. S?a??h th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. But then, his expression froze. At the end of Charlotte¡¯s prayer, a brilliant light erupted from her, a divine radiance rising to the sky, enveloping the entire control hub! Chapter 299: Divine Grace Charlotte realized she had been overlooking a crucial detail.In the world of Myria, it is a widely accepted rule post-Holy Era that high-level extraordinaries are not allowed to actively participate in front-line battles, slaughtering ordinary people. However, this prohibition doesn¡¯t mean they can¡¯t take any action in wars at all. Yes, if high-level extraordinaries couldn¡¯t even protect their own forces, what would be the point of their existence? The high-level extraordinaries who established these war conventions certainly wouldn¡¯t agree to rules that were disadvantageous to themselves. Indeed, while they cannot actively engage in front-line battles, they can still participate in a defensive capacity. For instance, they can maintain large-scale magical defense systems. When Charlotte learned that her father had personally maintained the magical shield protecting Northport during the Star-Moon War, she realized this. It was akin to nuclear deterrence in her previous world. As a force that could determine the outcome of a war, such a trump card is rarely used in conventional warfare, but it could be employed defensively when facing invasion. Applied to the current Borde-Castell war, it meant Charlotte could certainly use high-level powers to maintain Northport¡¯s defense against the coalition forces of the two duchies. Of course, officially, there were no high-level extraordinaries in Northport. However, this was not entirely true. With the Gospel of Blood, Charlotte could be considered a temporary high-level extraordinary. In the state of using the blood divine power, she could even contend with a Blazing Sun powerhouse, or possibly even a Legendary one, for a short time! Maintaining Northport¡¯s magical shield required immense mental strength and vast amounts of magic power, as well as strong control over defensive spells. While Charlotte couldn¡¯t normally achieve this, with the blood divine power activated, she might very well succeed. The only issue was explaining why she could wield such strong powers. Charlotte¡¯s solution was simple and bold. Since she was already establishing herself as a ¡°Saintess¡±, she might as well attribute all her extraordinary abilities to ¡°God.¡± After all, the God she referenced seemed to be asleep and unlikely to expose her. If these ¡°miracles¡± were believed, she could openly use the blood divine power to protect Northport. Moreover, it would label the attacking Third Prince as ¡°evil¡±, since ¡°only evil would invoke the wrath of the Gods.¡± With this plan in mind, Charlotte acted. She couldn¡¯t truly borrow the power of the God Harald, but her prayers and invocation were a disguise. In the eyes of the exhausted President Layton and the other mages, the moment Charlotte finished praying, holy light descended. It seemed that God had responded to her prayers, bestowing blessings. But in truth, what Charlotte saw was a crimson radiance emanating from her, enveloping the control cube. This was the blood divine power she had activated. Simultaneously, all mages covered by this power became entranced. Illusory Perception, a mental illusion spell from the blood magic Charlotte mastered through the Gospel of Blood pages. It manipulates mental power to create hallucinations for the target. Charlotte used this to create a ¡°divine miracle¡± scene in the eyes of all witnesses. Such large-scale illusion magic would have been difficult with her normal Silver Moon powers but was feasible with the blood divine power. Under divine power boost, the effect of Illusory Perception was amplified. Everyone in the mage tower was pulled into the illusion of ¡°divine grace descending.¡± This illusion was confined to the mage tower, but that was enough. Charlotte didn¡¯t need to display a ¡°divine grace¡± over the entire Northport. She just needed some witnesses to believe what they saw, explaining her sudden surge in power. In the eyes of the onlookers, Charlotte radiated dazzling holy light, merging with the magic core of the mage tower, which then glowed with sacred brilliance. Instantly, the wavering magical shield stabilized! ¡°Divine grace¡­ this is divine grace! The Countess has been blessed by the Gods!¡± President Layton was first stunned, then overwhelmed, and finally filled with great excitement. The other mages and apprentices felt the same, their eyes reflecting shock, awe, and disbelief, mixed with reverence and excitement. As for the ¡°culprit¡± Charlotte, after using the illusion to control all the extraordinaries witnessing her take over the defense system, she began using the blood divine power to support Northport¡¯s magical defense. Mystically, she felt herself connecting to a vast network covering Northport. S?a??h the N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Divine power surged, supporting Northport¡¯s defense with Blazing Sun-level output. Her senses expanded with this release, giving her a marvelous feeling. Charlotte marveled as she seemed to merge with the city¡¯s magical shield. She could ¡°see¡± every corner covered by the defense, ¡°feel¡± each strike from the duchy fleet, and ¡°perceive¡± every movement of the Borde-Violet coalition around Northport. With a thought, the magical shield above Northport lit up, its silver-blue radiance solidifying. The once fragile shield became robust and formidable, visibly stronger even to those unfamiliar with magic. Moreover, through the city¡¯s magical defense network, Charlotte perceived a starry world, a myriad of brilliant stars, as if hearing countless voices through the starlight¡­ Chapter 300: Divergence ¡°Is the Countess planning to control the magical defense system herself?¡±¡°Has she gone mad? Even President Layton barely manages it. No matter how talented she is, she can¡¯t possibly maintain the entire magical shield in this state!¡± ¡°What on earth is she thinking?¡± ¡°She was the one who insisted on fully maintaining the shield, and now she¡¯s the one unwilling to reduce its power. This is¡­¡± ¡°This is pure bullshit!¡± ¡°Yes, bullshit!¡± ¡°Viscount Leon-Castell, won¡¯t you try to persuade the Countess again?¡± ¡°Hoping for divine intervention is utterly ridiculous!¡± Outside the mage tower, the nobles couldn¡¯t hold back their dissatisfaction with Charlotte any longer, and they vented their complaints to Viscount Leon-Castell. Feeling the nobles¡¯ grievances, Viscount Leon-Castell felt a headache coming on. To be honest, he also found their liege¡¯s recent actions baffling. She claimed to want to protect the commoners but didn¡¯t consider that fully deploying the magical shield could lead to the collapse of Northport¡¯s entire defense system. She mentioned reinforcements, yet she never said when they would arrive or how strong they were. The nobles were kept in the dark, unable to see any hope. In Viscount Leon-Castell¡¯s view, such actions were eroding the nobles¡¯ trust in her. He even felt that Charlotte still didn¡¯t fully trust them, despite their loyalty. This made Viscount Leon-Castell uncomfortable. After all, the nobles of Northport had sworn loyalty to Charlotte by the Dorn River. Their willingness to defend Northport with her should indicate their genuine support. Yet, her actions left them disheartened. Frankly, this approach was bound to cause problems. If it weren¡¯t for Count Gaston¡¯s troops stationed in Northport and the extraordinary soldiers¡¯ suppression, the Old Viscount felt some nobles might have already defected. Despite his own dissatisfaction with Charlotte¡¯s actions, as a supporter of Castell, Viscount Leon-Castell had to cover for her. ¡°Everyone, please be patient. Perhaps the Countess has her considerations¡­¡± But such a response didn¡¯t quell the nobles¡¯ discontent. ¡°Considerations? What considerations could she have? After all, she is just a 16-year-old child!¡± ¡°Yes, Viscount, while I admired her decisive methods recently, it doesn¡¯t mean she won¡¯t make a mistake!¡± ¡°Exactly, the magical shield is a prime example. She oversimplified everything!¡± S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Viscount, mistakes in war can be fatal! We can¡¯t gamble everything!¡± The nobles continued their complaints, from criticizing Charlotte¡¯s actions to questioning her abilities, to expressing pessimism and concern about the war¡¯s outcome. Some even began discussing the possibility of aligning with the Third Prince attacking Castell. ¡°Actually, I think¡­ maybe the Third Prince isn¡¯t as bad as rumored¡­¡± ¡°Yes, after all, he is a royalty. Would he really turn against us after taking Castell?¡± ¡°Our families have deep roots in Castell. If he forcibly stripped us of our titles, the North would be in turmoil!¡± ¡°Exactly, even the Countess didn¡¯t move against us, only against those who sheltered the bloodbornes!¡± Hearing these increasingly outrageous discussions, Viscount Leon-Castell¡¯s expression changed. He reprimanded them. ¡°Enough! What nonsense are you spouting?!¡± ¡°Even if the Countess is wrong, the Third Prince is not a wise ruler. Have you all forgotten the news brought by Count Gaston?¡± ¡°Since we are here, we must work together to defend Northport!¡± He glanced at the mage tower and added. ¡°I will speak with the Countess again and persuade her to adjust the defense strategy.¡± ¡°Everyone, disperse and perform your duties. Protect Northport.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there is still time¡­¡± The nobles hesitated, wanting to say more, but under Viscount Leon-Castell¡¯s stern gaze, they finally sighed and dispersed. Watching them leave, the Old Viscount frowned slightly. He had anticipated their discontent with the Countess¡¯ actions, but the speed of their change in attitude was surprising, especially regarding the Third Prince. The nobles¡¯ shift seemed too consistent, making him suspect other influences. Shaking his head, he turned towards the mage tower. Taking a deep breath, he said to his eldest son Derek. ¡°Come, let¡¯s go see the Countess and try to persuade her.¡± However, as the Old Viscount took a step, Derek called out. ¡°Father¡­¡± Viscount Leon-Castell turned, puzzled, to see his son hesitating. ¡°What is it, Derek?¡± Derek de Leon-Castell bit his lip and said, ¡°Father, I think¡­ you trust Charlotte too much.¡± ¡°Since Charlotte took power, our family has been used by her, yet she has brought nothing to our family.¡± ¡°We have done enough. I don¡¯t think she is a wise ruler. Compared to her, perhaps supporting the Third Prince would be¡­¡± ¡°Enough! Be quiet!¡± The Old Viscount¡¯s expression changed with anger. Releasing his Silver Moon pressure, he instantly overwhelmed Derek, who paled and lowered his head. The Old Viscount looked at him with disappointment and said, ¡°Derek, remember, our family is Leon-Castell, not just Leon!¡± ¡°Any family can betray the Castell County, but we cannot!¡± ¡°This is our family¡¯s principle!¡± ¡°Do you understand?¡± Derek silently lowered his head. The Old Viscount sighed and said, ¡°Fine, you stay here. I¡¯ll speak to the Countess alone and try to persuade her.¡± ¡°She has never maintained a magical shield before. She can¡¯t do it alone. Once she realizes how difficult it is, she might listen to our ad¡­¡± Viscount Leon-Castell¡¯s words were cut off. As he spoke, he suddenly felt a strong surge of magic from the mage tower. Startled, he looked towards the tower and saw a blue beam shoot into the sky, striking the shaky magical shield, and the shield above Northport rapidly stabilized. Seeing this, he couldn¡¯t help but widen his eyes in amazement. ¡°Gods above! She¡­ she actually did it?!¡± Chapter 301: Reinforcements The change in the magic shield over Northport was quite noticeable across the entire battlefield.On the side of the Borde-Violet coalition forces, Prince Philip noticed it too. He frowned and looked at Count Linte beside him. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is there a hidden high-tier extraordinary in Northport?¡± Count Linte was equally surprised. After some thought, he shook his head slightly. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be. According to our informants in Northport, the only person capable of maintaining the magic shield is the Mercenary Association branch leader hired by Castell, and he is only a Silver Moon tier.¡± Hearing Count Linte¡¯s words, Prince Philip¡¯s frown deepened. He squinted at the increasingly stable magic defense system over Northport and said, ¡°Investigate this. Find out what¡¯s happening.¡± ¡­ Charlotte felt she had entered a very peculiar state. Through Northport¡¯s defense system, she realized her consciousness seemed to have merged with the entire city, with the glittering stars in the magic network representing each living being within Northport. She could hear the voices of every person in Northport through the magic defense network and communicate with every soldier stationed in the city. She could hear the nobles¡¯ discussions about her behind her back and even hear some discontented nobles secretly plotting to surrender once the city fell, including those who were already in contact with the enemy outside, providing intelligence as ¡°traitors.¡± This is the nature of war. You can never ensure that everyone remains loyal from start to finish. In these times, the silent majority are those who side with the winner. The various discussions she heard soon turned to astonishment upon noticing the changes in Northport¡¯s magic shield. As for the source of everything, Charlotte, now controlling Northport¡¯s entire defense system, no longer bothered to listen to the voices within the city. Once she got used to manipulating the magic defense network, she proactively touched those points of light with her consciousness and said, ¡°I am Charlotte, the Countess of Castell.¡± ¡°I will stand with you all to defend Northport together.¡± This time, Charlotte did not pull out the Holy Court¡¯s banner. Her ethereal and melodious voice echoed in everyone¡¯s hearts, bringing a sense of calm and stability. Looking at the gradually stabilizing magic shield above the city, the keen extraordinary individuals quickly realized something. ¡°It¡¯s the Countess! She has stabilized the magic shield!¡± Those who knew the difficulty of maintaining the entire Northport magic shield showed surprise on their faces. However, more common extraordinaries were simply excited and delighted. Especially in the Northport army, those lower-rank nobles commanding the battles brightened up and quickly encouraged the soldiers, whose morale had been deteriorating due to the worsening situation. ¡°Did you hear that? The Countess herself has stabilized the magic shield!¡± ¡°Hold firm! Victory will be ours!¡± With the magic shield stabilized and Charlotte¡¯s encouragement, Castell¡¯s side quickly regained their previously falling morale. With the magic shield¡¯s protection, the Castell defenders on the Northport Bridge also began to regain some ground. Though they were still no match for the advancing Borde-Violet elite troops, at least it was no longer a one-sided situation. Viscount Leon-Castell, who had been watching the battlefield closely, also noticed the change. Standing on the high platform of the Mage Tower, he could see everything on the Northport Bridge clearly. Seeing the duchy¡¯s elite troops being delayed, he was invigorated and said excitedly. ¡°We can do this! We can still do this!¡± ¡°Using the terrain of the Northport Bridge and the magic shield¡¯s defense, if we fight with everything we have, we can hold on!¡± However, just as the Old Viscount was considering whether to send more troops to support the battle on the Northport Bridge, Charlotte¡¯s voice suddenly sounded in his ear. ¡°Listen up, Castell¡¯s vassals. Abandon the Northport Bridge, and orderly withdraw all troops to defend Northport and the Castell Bridge.¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, the Old Viscount was slightly stunned, utterly astonished. ¡­ ¡°What? You say the one maintaining the magic shield in Northport is Charlotte?!¡± In the Borde-Violet coalition camp, upon hearing the soldier¡¯s report, Prince Philip¡¯s expression was complex. He looked at the magic defense shield covering all of Northport and quickly shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± ¡°Northport¡¯s magic defense network was established by the first Count of Castell and has been reinforced by the Castell family over generations. Only a Blazing Sun can fully utilize its effects¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s just a child who awakened not long ago. How could she possibly maintain the entire magic shield of Northport?¡± ¡°Your¡­ Your Highness, it¡¯s said that she prayed to the Gods and received their blessing¡­¡± The soldier stammered. ¡°A blessing from the Gods?¡± Prince Philip was momentarily stunned, then snorted coldly. ¡°Absurd!¡± ¡°Setting aside whether Charlotte could even draw the Gods¡¯ attention, how could the lofty Gods concern themselves with secular wars? This isn¡¯t a holy war against heretics!¡± However, upon hearing the Prince¡¯s words, the surrounding nobles couldn¡¯t help but glance at him before quickly lowering their heads. Noticing their subtle expressions, the Prince immediately caught on and angrily said, ¡°What do you mean by this? Do you really believe Castell¡¯s nonsense?!¡± At this moment, Count Linte, who had been closely monitoring the battlefield, suddenly exclaimed. ¡°Your Highness, look at the bridge!¡± Suppressing his anger, Prince Philip looked towards the battlefield and was stunned. He saw that the Castell forces, to the sound of repeated horns, had begun to retreat. Moreover, even the Castell fleet on the Dorn River was withdrawing towards Northport. The accompanying nobles from Borde and Violet were also taken aback. ¡°They¡¯re abandoning the Northport Bridge?¡± ¡°It seems so. It looks like¡­ they plan to rely on Northport¡¯s defensive magic.¡± Prince Philip squinted for a while, then thoughtfully said, ¡°It appears our little countess cannot maintain the magic defense so easily¡­¡± ¡°Castell doesn¡¯t have a Blazing Sun. If they did, this war wouldn¡¯t be in this state. Charlotte maintaining the magic shield must have come at a price.¡± ¡°Pass down the order. Attack and surround Northport!¡± Upon hearing the Prince¡¯s command, Count Linte frowned slightly. For some reason, watching the orderly retreat of the Castell forces into Northport, he felt uneasy. However, Castell¡¯s strength was far inferior to the coalition forces, even with the magic defense. In Count Linte¡¯s view, with their overwhelming advantage, taking Northport was just a matter of time. So, he ultimately said nothing more and issued the command. ¡°Blow the horns, attack!¡± The horns blared, and the Borde-Violet army launched a new wave of assaults. After securing the Northport Bridge, the vanguard of extraordinary troops crossed the river and reached the north bank. By nightfall, after a day of battle, the main coalition forces also crossed the river, completing the encirclement of Northport on the north shore. Northport had become an isolated city, connected to the mainland only by the Castell Bridge. ¡­ ¡°Countess, why did you completely abandon the north shore? Now we are utterly isolated!¡± In Northport, Viscount Leon-Castell looked at the girl standing on the observation deck of the Mage Tower, gazing at the sea, and couldn¡¯t help but question. With night coming, both sides temporarily ceased fighting, and the magic shield no longer needed to be maintained, allowing Charlotte to rest. She didn¡¯t immediately answer the Old Viscount¡¯s question. Instead, she kept her eyes on the distant sea horizon and issued a new order. ¡°Viscount Leon-Castell, inform everyone to prepare for battle. We have a big fight tonight.¡± ¡°A¡­ big fight?¡± The Old Viscount was stunned. Charlotte nodded slightly, then looked towards the sea, smiling. ¡°Yes, a big fight.¡± ¡°Our reinforcements are coming.¡± Following Charlotte¡¯s gaze, Viscount Leon-Castell looked out at the sea. However, apart from the gradually rising fog on the horizon, he saw nothing. ¡°Also¡­¡± Charlotte paused, then took a parchment scroll from her pocket and handed it to the Old Viscount. ¡°Temporarily detain everyone on this list.¡± Viscount Leon-Castell opened the scroll in confusion, freezing upon seeing the first name. It was none other than his eldest son, Derek de Leon-Castell. ¡­ Meanwhile, thirty nautical miles away. In the gradually thickening sea fog, dozens of oar-sail ships were raising their sails, moving like ghosts towards Northport at a speed of seven knots. S?a??h the N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Count Yurst stood on the flagship, ¡°Queen.¡± using a telescope to look at the brightly lit Northport and the Borde-Violet coalition fleet blockading the port. After a moment, he put down the telescope, glanced at the clear moon emerging from the clouds, and smiled with a hint of crimson in his eyes. ¡°Tonight¡¯s moonlight is quite lovely.¡± He then turned around and looked at the figures behind him. ¡°Everyone, what do you think?¡± ¡°Hehehehehe¡­¡± On the deck, figures cloaked in black, weapons at the ready, and faintly visible red eyes, chuckled in agreement. Chapter 302: Night Raid Tonight was quite lively.After capturing the Northport Bridge, the Duchies coalition forces were in high spirits. Though they still had tough battles ahead at the Castell Bridge and Northport itself, the coalition believed Castell¡¯s retreat was effectively cut off, and with both sides of the waterway encircled, capturing the northern gem was only a matter of time. Celebrating was only natural. With the bridge secured, the main coalition forces successfully crossed the river, setting up camp on the northern bank of the Dorn River, thereby severing communication between Northport and the mainland. The high command of the two duchies was already discussing the next phase of their northward offensive. However, any further attacks would wait until the next day. After several days of relentless siege, the soldiers needed rest. As the night deepened, the brightly lit military encampment gradually fell silent, with most soldiers already asleep, save for the patrolling sentries. No one anticipated a night raid by Castell. Having fortified their positions with a temporary magic array around the Castell Bridge leading to Northport and with extraordinaries on guard, the coalition forces felt secure. Naturally, the defenses at the coalition¡¯s rear were relatively weaker. On the hard-won Northport Bridge, only two entry-level extraordinaries, thirty elite soldiers, and a hundred ordinary conscripts were stationed. Under the deepening night and the silver moon high in the sky, its ethereal glow reflected off the sea, creating a shimmering path. On the Northport Bridge, a drowsy soldier leaned on his weapon, barely staying awake. A ghostly shadow flickered across the ground, unnoticed by the soldier. It wasn¡¯t until the alarm magic set on the bridge activated that the soldier jolted awake. But before he could sound the alarm, a figure shrouded in black mist appeared behind him, swiftly slitting his throat. The soldier¡¯s eyes widened in terror. His final conscious sight was of crimson eyes and a mouth full of sharp fangs, which then sank into his neck, greedily draining his blood. More ghostly figures drifted onto the bridge, each dispatching the patrolling soldiers one by one before any alarm could be raised. The number of shadowy figures grew, converging on the bridge from all directions. Under the moonlight, these were black-cloaked figures with crimson eyes. They were bloodbornes, along with their thralls and followers. The reinforcements led by the Nez Clan had landed, using the cover of darkness. The night was the domain of the bloodborne¡­ The Northport Bridge, arduously captured by the duchy coalition, fell under the control of these bloodbornes unnoticed. ¡­ At the edge of the duchy coalition¡¯s encampment. A soldier dressed for duty grabbed his weapon and headed to his post to relieve the previous watch. ¡°Pierre, your turn¡¯s up. Time for you to get some sleep.¡± Yawning, he tapped the wooden post of the sentry box. A night wind made him shiver, prompting him to glance at the moonlit sky, grumbling. ¡°Damn it! It¡¯s freezing tonight. The weather here in Castell is much worse than in Borde.¡± However, there was no response from the sentry box. ¡°Pierre?¡± The soldier frowned. Another gust of wind brought a strong scent of blood. Alarmed, the soldier pushed open the sentry box door, finding Pierre on the floor, pale and drained of blood, his neck slashed. His pupils contracted in shock, and he instinctively blew his whistle, shouting. ¡°Enemy attack! Enemy att¡ªah!!¡± Before he could finish, a shadowy figure darted forward, impaling him with a sword. But the alarm whistle had been blown, rousing the sleeping soldiers. ¡°Enemy attack? Where?¡± ¡°Is Castell attacking?¡± Nearby tents emptied as soldiers grabbed their weapons, but before they could ready themselves, shadowy figures swarmed in. Screams filled the air as the bloodbornes began their slaughter. Torches overturned, igniting the tents, and the coalition¡¯s outer camp plunged into chaos. S?a??h th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The disturbance spread, alerting the nobles in the center of the camp. By the time Prince Philip was roused and dressed, stepping outside, the southern section of the camp was ablaze. ¡°What¡¯s happening? What¡¯s going on?¡± He demanded an explanation, seeing the bustling soldiers and hearing the distant battle cries and screams. ¡°Your Highness! It¡¯s the rear! From the direction of Northport Bridge! We¡¯re under attack!¡± A noble reported, rushing over. ¡°The rear? Northport Bridge?¡± The Prince was stunned, blurting out, ¡°That¡¯s impossible! We¡¯ve encircled Northport. How could they get behind us?¡± ¡°Your Highness! It¡¯s really from Northport Bridge! The enemy is formidable, likely a group of extraordinaries. Our outer troops can¡¯t hold them off!¡± The noble explained anxiously. ¡°Extraordinaries?¡± The Prince froze momentarily before realizing, his expression grave. ¡°It must be a team of Northport extraordinaries using the cover of night to get behind us.¡± ¡°Stay calm. Northport¡¯s extraordinaries are limited. Deploy the elite soldiers to stop them and prevent further chaos!¡± But just as he finished, a whistling sound was heard. ¡°Stone cannon! Your Highness, get down!¡± The noble reacted first, pulling the Prince to the ground. As they hit the dirt, a stone projectile struck a nearby tent, tearing several soldiers apart. Only then did the distant cannon fire¡¯s soundwave reach their ears. ¡°Where did they get a stone cannon?!¡± The prince was both shocked and furious. Scanning for the source with a telescope, the noble¡¯s expression turned puzzled. ¡°It seems¡­ it¡¯s from the sea?¡± ¡°The sea?¡± The Prince was taken aback. But the noble¡¯s expression soon shifted. ¡°Your Highness! Look! The sea!¡± Following the noble¡¯s direction, Prince Philip grabbed the telescope and looked toward the ocean, his expression changed. On the vast sea, fires gradually illuminated the darkness, the sound of cannon fire echoing across the water, breaking the night¡¯s silence. The moonlight shone on the sea, where burning ships lit up the sky. Along the perimeter of the besieging fleet, a large group of oar-sail ships emerged! Chapter 303: Defeat ¡°Enemy attack! Enemy attack!¡±¡°Wake up all the sailors! We¡¯re under attack!¡± On the sea, with the continuous fire from the fleet of oar-sail ships, the combined fleet of the two duchies also fell into chaos. No one had expected a night raid. The coalition fleet was no different. When dozens of warships formed up and fired upon the fleet, most sailors were still sleeping in their hammocks below deck. The alarm bells rang out across the ships, waking the sailors who scrambled to dress. The noble commander of the fleet stood at the prow of the flagship in disheveled clothes, peering through his telescope at the unfamiliar fleet firing at them under the moonlight. His expression was a mix of shock, anger, and confusion. ¡°A fleet? Where did this fleet come from?!¡± No one could answer his question. S?a??h th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. The sudden naval battle had already erupted. In the darkness, the mysterious fleet, like phantoms of the night, kept firing at the coalition fleet. Anchored and unprepared, the coalition warships were sitting ducks, suffering damage under the relentless bombardment from the unidentified fleet. ¡°By the Gods! How can they aim at us so accurately? Can they see as clearly at night as they do in the daytime?!¡± On the lookout tower, a sailor watched in terror as the bombardment showed precision equal to daytime accuracy. ¡°Extraordinaries¡­ they have extraordinaries who can see in the dark!¡± The noble commander quickly realized. Silver lights began to rise on the sea, as some warships activated their magic shields. Seeing the lights, the noble commander¡¯s face changed instantly. ¡°Idiots! The enemy has night-vision extraordinaries! Signal them to lower the shields immediately!¡± But it was too late. A barrage of anti-magic cannonballs rained down, hitting the shielded ships. The magic shields flickered a few times before shattering, and the ships were riddled with cannon fire, slowly capsizing amidst the explosions. ¡°Raise sails! Drop heavy items, head northwest! Gunners, get ready to return fire!¡± The commander ordered. However, shortly after, more cannon fire came from the northeast. ¡°We¡¯re doomed! The Castell fleet has also set sail!¡± A terrified sailor shouted from the lookout tower. The noble commander noticed the cannon fire from the northeast as well. He grabbed his telescope and looked towards the illuminated Northport, where he could see several warships sailing out of the port, heading northwest to join the southern fleet in encircling the coalition fleet. An ambush¡­ This is a premeditated ambush! The noble commander realized everything in an instant, his face turning deathly pale. With the Castell fleet joining the battle, the naval combat escalated fully. Meanwhile, the duchy coalition forces on land fell into deeper chaos. No soldier knew where the enemy came from. In the darkness, the camp seemed full of enemies. Screams and clashes resounded, ghostly figures darting through the camp, overturning torches that set tents ablaze, painting the sky red. ¡°Where are the elite soldiers?! Where are our elite soldiers?!¡± Seeing the camp in chaos, Prince Philip grabbed a noble by the collar, yelling in anger. The noble, pale and trembling, replied. ¡°Y-your Highness¡­ it¡¯s too chaotic. We haven¡¯t organized yet, and we don¡¯t know how many enemies there are¡­¡± ¡°Blow the horn! Send signals! Form up and counterattack!¡± The prince shouted. As soon as he shouted, a blaring horn sounded in the distance. It came from the direction of Northport. Silver-blue light illuminated, the magic shield covering Northport lit up again, and the drawbridge of the Castell Bridge connecting to the mainland was lowered. Amidst the battle cries, soldiers clad in magical armor, bearing the banners of Castell and Gaston, charged out of the Castell Bridge¡­ ¡°It¡¯s the rebel troops from Tulip County! They¡¯re charging out!¡± On the coalition side, the commanding noble shouted in terror upon seeing the attacking troops. In the chaos, the coalition forces had no time to organize an effective counterattack. In just one encounter, the defensive fortifications set up during the day to besiege the Castell Bridge were torn apart by the charging elite troops. ¡°Castell¡¯s forces are launching an attack!¡± ¡°We¡¯re defeated! Our army is defeated!¡± ¡°Retreat! Retreat quickly!¡± ¡­ Cries of panic echoed through the camp, and the coalition forces fell into deeper disarray. With Castell¡¯s forces launching a counterattack from Northport, the coalition soldiers, already in disarray from the night raid, completely lost their will to fight and their morale collapsed. Soldiers abandoned their armor and weapons, fleeing in panic. Even the elite soldiers lost control and scattered. In the chaotic retreat, there were large-scale falls and trampling, with continuous screams and wails, making the situation even more chaotic. The fire spread, and battle cries rang out from all directions. ¡°The Third Prince is dead!¡± ¡°Our army is defeated!¡± Various shouts spread through the camp, causing total collapse. Seeing the terrified, fleeing soldiers who had lost all fighting spirit, and the coalition fleet engulfed in flames on the sea under the dual assault of the southern and northern fleets, Prince Philip¡¯s face turned ashen. ¡°Your Highness, we must retreat! This is an ambush, a trap set for us!¡± Count Linte shouted anxiously. ¡°Retreat¡­ how do we retreat¡­ Northport Bridge has already been retaken¡­¡± The Prince muttered, his eyes vacant. ¡°Small boats! Take the small boats by the shore!¡± Count Linte killed an approaching Castell soldier with a sword and shouted. ¡°Right¡­ small boats¡­ we can take the small boats!¡± The Prince snapped back to reality and followed, surrounded by his guards. By the time he followed Count Linte to the Dorn River, only Count Linte, blood-soaked, and three guards remained by his side. ¡°Your Highness¡­ where is Lady Eleanor? Didn¡¯t you bring Lady Eleanor with you?¡± Count Linte asked urgently, looking behind the Prince. The Prince stared blankly at him, shaking his head. ¡°No¡­ she¡¯s still inside¡­¡± ¡°Sigh!¡± Count Linte sighed deeply, then turned back. ¡°Your Highness, retreat first. I will bring Lady Eleanor out! Borde cannot be without Lady Eleanor!¡± With that, he returned to the camp. The Prince stared vacantly in the direction Count Linte had left, his expression utterly despondent. He knew that after tonight, his army was likely finished¡­ Chapter 304: You are Blood Demons! After instructing the soldiers to send the Third Prince away, Count Linte returned to the camp.As a Silver Moon extraordinary knight, his strength was top-notch on the battlefield. Wielding his longsword, he unleashed a pale purple source power, carving a bloody path through the camp alone. The coalition forces had completely collapsed. Amid the night, the camp was in chaos. ¡°Lady Eleanor! Lady Eleanor!¡± Count Linte fought his way back into the camp, searching and calling out. The visible source power and his strong presence made him stand out at night. His shouting soon attracted the attention of the raiders. Naturally, the disguised mercenaries¡ªbloodbornes and their thralls¡ªbegan to encircle him. As he fought, Count Linte quickly noticed something unusual about these raiders. Compared to the extraordinaries he knew, these beings seemed like children of darkness, elusive and eerily stealthy in battle. However, most of his thoughts were on the missing Duchess Eleanor. Despite the oddity of the raiders, he didn¡¯t ponder much, assuming they were likely elite mercenaries hired by Castell in advance. With his Silver Moon strength, the raiders weren¡¯t able to detain him. Finally, after cutting down another would-be attacker, Count Linte returned to the camp where the Third Prince had been. ¡°Lady Eleanor! Lady Eleanor!¡± He continued shouting. But the camp was a mess, and besides fleeing soldiers, there was nothing else. ¡°Lady Eleanor! Have you seen Lady Eleanor?¡± s?a??h th? N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Count Lint grabbed a coalition soldier in frustration, anxiously asking. The soldier looked terrified and shook his head blankly. ¡°Sigh!¡± Count Lint sighed, letting go. ¡°Lady Eleanor¡ª!¡± He continued to call. ¡°Lady Eleanor? Hey! Brave knight, are you looking for this lady?¡± As Count Linte desperately searched, a gentle yet lazy male voice spoke behind him. Count Linte instantly became alert, turning around quickly. He saw a young man dressed as a mercenary, holding the unconscious Duchess Eleanor in his arms. ¡°Lady Eleanor!¡± Count Linte¡¯s expression changed. Noticing his tense gaze, the young man chuckled softly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this lady is just temporarily asleep.¡± Count Linte took a closer look at the mercenary. Though dressed as a mercenary, his clothes were new and clean, even his armor had no scratches, unlike the worn appearance of veteran mercenaries. Moreover, although the man was standing there, Count Linte couldn¡¯t sense his presence at all. This made him instantly wary, his instincts screaming danger. This was an extraordinary disguised as a mercenary. And¡­ very powerful! More cloaked raiders surrounded him from all sides, respectfully standing behind the young man. Count Linte immediately realized that the powerful extraordinary before him was likely the leader of tonight¡¯s raiders. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re not mercenaries! Who are you? I don¡¯t recall any extraordinaries like you in the North!¡± Count Linte said gravely. The young man smiled and said, ¡°Sir Knight, you¡¯re joking. Do you see the badge on our chests? We are all certified extraordinary mercenaries by the Mercenary Association!¡± Count Linte glanced at the brand-new badge on the man¡¯s chest, quickly assessing their strength, and then without hesitation, turned to retreat. However, just as he took a step back, he felt a strong sense of danger. Count Linte instinctively unleashed his source power in defense, only to feel an overwhelming surge of magic strike his back. The violent magic poured into his body, causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood, and his source power was instantly locked, losing control of his body in a moment. ¡°Blazing Sun! You are¡­ Blazing Sun!¡± Count Linte¡¯s eyes widened. Then, angrily said, ¡°As a Blazing Sun¡­ you violated the Myria War Ordinance! Aren¡¯t you afraid of retribution from the Holy Court and the royal families?!¡± The young man sneered. ¡°The Myria War Ordinance? Ha! The ordinances made by the Holy Court and the kingdoms, what do they have to do with us?¡± He shook his head disdainfully and said, ¡°Besides, you humans set these rules yourselves, and you don¡¯t even follow them, so why should others?¡± You¡­ you humans? Count Linte was stunned. Moonlight illuminated the young man, revealing his appearance to Count Linte. He saw a handsome young man in his thirties, with pale skin and a pair of crimson eyes glowing eerily under the moonlight. Seeing those iconic crimson eyes, Count Linte¡¯s pupils dilated, and he gasped. ¡°Blood Demons! You are¡­ Blood Demons!¡± The young man smiled slightly, but his eyes were devoid of warmth. He stepped forward, gently patted Count Linte¡¯s shoulder, then leaned in and whispered softly. ¡°Sir Knight, let me correct you, we are Bloodborne.¡± ¡°Of course, you can also call us Noble Blood Descendants or the True Ancestor¡¯s descendants, but please do not confuse us with those filthy vermin¡­¡± Count Linte¡¯s expression changed, and he tried to struggle, but as soon as he met the young man¡¯s crimson eyes, he felt dizzy and soon fell unconscious. Seeing the unconscious Count Linte, one of the bloodborne stepped forward, intending to kill him, but the young man stopped him. ¡°Wait, don¡¯t kill him yet.¡± ¡°Count Yurst, didn¡¯t you say¡­ all who recognize us must be killed?¡± The bloodborne asked respectfully. Count Yurst shook his head lightly. ¡°He¡¯s different. He¡¯s a human noble and likely of high status.¡± ¡°Spare him. Erase his memory. Though troublesome, it¡¯s more useful than killing him.¡± He glanced at the unconscious Count Linte, squinting slightly. ¡°Light purple source power, and the violet lion crest¡­ if I¡¯m not mistaken, he¡¯s from the Boite-Linte family, likely a high commander in the Violet Army.¡± ¡°Bind him. He will be a valuable captive to our¡­ allies.¡± Chapter 305: Battle Aftermath As the first light of dawn broke in the east, the battle that began with a night raid had come to an end.At sea, the combined fleet of Borde and Violet had been decimated. Only three warships managed to escape the encirclement, while the rest were either sunk or captured. Even the flagship, ¡°Glorious Borde¡±, had become a trophy. The fighting on land was even more brutal. With the Northport Bridge, the only route south, controlled by Castell reinforcements, the duchies¡¯ coalition forces were completely cut off. Trapped and attacked from both sides, they suffered heavy losses. On the Dorn River, floating corpses were a common sight, the result of coalition soldiers jumping into the river in a desperate bid to escape. In the camp along the riverbank, the number of deaths from trampling and crushing exceeded those killed in battle, making the task of collecting bodies extremely difficult. Some clever nobles, along with small groups of troops, managed to break through the encirclement and flee north. However, more nobles and soldiers ultimately chose to surrender. Among the captives were even the elite extraordinary troops from Borde and Violet. The night raid caused the coalition camp to collapse so quickly that the fleeing soldiers disrupted the formations of the extraordinary troops. As a result, they couldn¡¯t organize effective magic formations and were overwhelmed by the Tulip elite troops. Despite having superior numbers and equipment, the elite forces of nearly ten thousand from the two duchies suffered devastating losses. One-third were either missing or dead, and the remaining two-thirds were captured. It was an utterly humiliating defeat. This exposed the limitations of elite extraordinary troops. Without noble command and the time to deploy their magical formations, they were little more than well-trained elite soldiers. Even though many were extraordinary, they are still zero-tier. Besides the elite troops, a larger number of conscripted soldiers surrendered. Entire regiments of coalition soldiers gave up resistance, especially after seeing the destruction of the fleet and the disappearance of the Third Prince. The nobles led their troops in surrender. When Viscount Leon-Castell saw the situation in the camp, he was stunned. He roughly estimated that if the total number of coalition troops from the two duchies who surrendered was indeed the nearly thirty thousand claimed by the nobles, then about fifteen thousand were now prisoners. The confiscated extraordinary equipment alone might cover Castell¡¯s losses in this war. Viscount Lien-Castell realized that Castell had won. This battle had utterly destroyed the coalition forces, dealing a severe blow to the duchies, especially with the loss of so many elite troops. To be honest, he was still in a daze. He couldn¡¯t believe that Castell, which was worried about its future just yesterday, had turned the tide in one night. Viscount Leon-Castell couldn¡¯t help but look at the reinforcements. The number of reinforcements conducting the night raid wasn¡¯t large. This legendary victory was primarily their achievement. However, they showed little interest in interacting with Castell¡¯s forces. After handing over the prisoners, most returned to the fleet anchored in the bay. The Old Viscount only knew that they were extraordinary mercenaries hired by Charlotte. ¡°Are they really just extraordinary mercenaries?¡± Viscount Leon-Castell looked at the fleet on the shore, feeling a bit skeptical. Such a large-scale fleet wasn¡¯t something just any power could own, and the most famous extraordinary mercenaries from Eastern Yunette Blacklands didn¡¯t have a navy. Although these ships flew Castell¡¯s flag, his experienced eye could tell they weren¡¯t locally built. They had a style more reminiscent of Starfall. ¡°Starfall, huh¡­¡± As he connected the dots, the Old Viscount became thoughtful. Regardless of the true origin of these ¡°mercenaries¡±, one thing was clear: Castell had won the war. And now, he understood why Countess Charlotte had always been tight-lipped about the reinforcements and didn¡¯t fully trust the local nobles who swore loyalty to her. Recalling how he had arrested those nobles last night based on intelligence provided by Countess Charlotte, the Old Viscount felt a chill. He hadn¡¯t expected that even at this point, so many northern nobles were still secretly in contact with Borde! What pained him the most was discovering his own son among the traitors. His most trusted child had been in correspondence with the South! If Countess Charlotte had shared her plans for the night raid with the nobles to reassure them, the entire coalition would have known by the next day, and the victory might not have happened. ¡°Viscount Leon-Castell, what are you thinking about?¡± Seeing the Old Viscount lost in thought, Charlotte asked with a smile. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Viscount Leon-Castell sighed and said, ¡°Thinking about those traitorous nobles. I never expected so many fools in the North still harbor illusions about the South, even Derek¡­¡± He paused, his expression bitter. ¡°Countess, our family¡¯s failure to educate them has disappointed you¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t blame yourself. The Third Prince is a strong contender for the throne. It¡¯s normal for many nobles not to want to take risks with me, especially since he gathered such a large army.¡± Charlotte waved her hand dismissively. ¡°But he still failed. You defeated him. After today¡­ your name will spread throughout the kingdom, maybe even the continent! No one will dare underestimate you in Castell, the Crescent Kingdom, or even the entire Western Yunette region!¡± The Old Viscount couldn¡¯t help but praise. Charlotte shook her head. ¡°Just luck. If not for Viscount Roman-Four¡¯s warning, I might not have realized so many nobles still harbored fantasies about the South. My actions in recent days have also been somewhat inappropriate. It¡¯s normal for people to have grievances.¡± Viscount Roman-Four? Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, Viscount Leon-Castell looked towards Vincent, the eldest son of Viscount Roman-Four, standing respectfully beside Charlotte. Noticing his gaze, Vincent smiled and said, ¡°My father only stumbled upon some letters from the nobles. The real credit goes to Countess Charlotte. My father merely gave a timely reminder before the war, but the countess identified all these people.¡± Then he looked at Charlotte and respectfully asked. ¡°Countess, what are your plans for the nobles in contact with the South?¡± Hearing Vincent¡¯s question, Viscount Leon-Castell felt anxious and looked at Charlotte, his expression conflicted and tense. Charlotte thought for a moment and said, ¡°Severely punish the ringleaders. For the rest, judge based on the severity of their actions and their contributions during the war. Let¡¯s see how they perform going forward.¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, the Old Viscount breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Countess, you are merciful.¡± Charlotte smiled but said nothing more. She turned her gaze to the battlefield. ¡°Ensure proper post-war cleanup. After a major battle, there will be a plague. The bodies must be dealt with promptly.¡± ¡°Also, treat the prisoners well, especially the nobles. They are walking tana.¡± ¡°As for the captured extraordinary troops, try to recruit them. I hear many soldiers in these units are ordinary people who accidentally gained extraordinary powers. It¡¯s worth a try.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Though Charlotte lacked experience in commanding battles, she knew a thing or two about post-war handling. Seeing the young countess methodically issuing orders, Viscount Leon-Castell felt even more respectful. At that moment, a noble in charge of cleaning up the battlefield rode up to the group. He dismounted and knelt before Charlotte, respectfully saying, ¡°Countess! The leader of the Nightwalker Mercenary Corps requests to see you!¡± Viscount Leon-Castell¡¯s heart skipped a beat. The Nightwalker Mercenary Corps¡­ the name of the extraordinary mercenary group that supported Castell last night. Of course, he had never heard of this name before. It sounded more like something made up on the spot. Chapter 306: Captives Viscount Leon-Castell soon met the leader of the reinforcements.He was an exceedingly handsome young man, dressed as a mercenary, yet carrying himself with the grace of a nobleman, entirely lacking the roughness typical of mercenaries. The young man approached Charlotte with elegance and bowed. ¡°Beautiful Countess, we meet again.¡± His voice was gentle, with a slight accent from the Starfall Kingdom. Given the galleys anchored in the bay, the Old Viscount quickly realized that the leader was likely a noble from the Starfall Kingdom. So¡­ the Countess¡¯ reinforcements are actually from the Starfall Kingdom¡¯s noble army? Viscount Leon-Castell¡¯s thoughts raced. He couldn¡¯t help but glance at the young countess, his gaze shifting between her and the young nobleman. With his keen eyes, he soon noticed more details. The young man¡¯s courtesy and subtle respect towards the young countess were evident, though not obsequious. This respect seemed to come from a deeper place rather than from a mere difference in status. Reflecting on the Castell family secrets he knew, Viscount Leon-Castell quickly formed a hypothesis. Could it be¡­ that the young nobleman represents those Starfall nobles who had ties with the former countess? The more he thought about it, the more he believed it to be true. Yes, only this could explain why they disguised themselves as mercenaries. After all, the Starfall Kingdom was a longtime enemy of the Crescent Kingdom. Openly participating in Castell¡¯s war as noble forces from the Starfall Kingdom would undoubtedly provoke strong reactions from all Crescent nobles. On the other hand, participating as mercenaries would be much more convenient. The more Viscount Leon-Castell thought about it, the more he felt he had discovered the truth. Of course, he didn¡¯t know that Count Yurst¡¯s respect for Charlotte was actually because he saw her as the worldly representative of the True Ancestor. ¡°Captain, thank you for your support of Castell. Without your help, Castell would have been in grave danger this time.¡± Charlotte smiled at Count Yurst. Count Yurst glanced at the nobles accompanying Charlotte and also smiled. ¡°The Nightwalker Mercenary Corps is Castell¡¯s most loyal ally. Naturally, we will fully support Castell in its time of need.¡± After speaking, he pointed to the tent behind him. ¡°Countess, we captured a special captive in the enemy camp last night. I think you might be interested.¡± ¡°Oh? A captive?¡± Charlotte became interested immediately. Viscount Leon-Castell also looked towards the tent Yurst pointed at. Seeing the heavily guarded soldiers outside, his eyes widened. ¡°Could it be¡­ the Third Prince?¡± Yurst glanced at him and shook his head. ¡°The Third Prince is missing, most likely escaped.¡± ¡°However, these two captives might be even more useful for Castell.¡± ¡°Oh? Two captives?¡± Charlotte was intrigued, her curiosity piqued. Even Viscount Leon-Castell turned a questioning gaze towards the tent. Following Count Yurst, they soon entered the heavily guarded tent. Inside, two cloaked mercenaries were guarding a blood-soaked young knight. His face was pale, his eyes closed, seemingly unconscious. When Viscount Leon-Castell saw the knight¡¯s appearance and the emblem of the Purple Lion on his chest, he exclaimed. ¡°Count Linte?!¡± ¡°Viscount Leon-Castell, you know him?¡± Charlotte asked curiously. The Old Viscount nodded respectfully. ¡°Countess, I attended Duke Violet¡¯s banquet years ago and met him once.¡± ¡°He is the eldest son of Duke Violet and the primary heir to the Violet Duchy, a Silver Moon extraordinary knight.¡± ¡°Countess, this is indeed a valuable captive for Castell!¡± ¡°He is Duke Violet¡¯s most favored son. His value alone is comparable to all those captured Violet soldiers, potentially earning us a huge ransom! Maybe even land!¡± Charlotte¡¯s eyes sparkled as she looked at Count Linte, now seeing a walking mountain of wealth. But her gaze quickly swept around the tent again as she continued. ¡°Captain, there¡¯s only one person here. Where¡¯s the other captive?¡± ¡°Countess, the other captive is in poor mental condition and has been placed separately.¡± Count Yurst said. Then, he glanced at the many nobles following Charlotte and said, ¡°It¡¯s best¡­ not to have too many people go in.¡± Charlotte nodded and looked around. ¡°The rest stay here. Viscount Leon-Castell and Vincent follow me.¡± The Old Viscount and Vincent respectfully complied, following Charlotte and Yurst into the inner tent. s?a??h th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality. Inside was a simple bed, but it was empty, only a messy blanket remained. In the corner, a scantily clad woman was curled up. Seeing people enter, she hid behind the bed like a frightened animal. ¡°Eleanor?¡± Charlotte was surprised upon seeing the woman¡¯s face. Viscount Leon-Castell and Vincent also exclaimed, ¡°Eleanor? The Duchess of Borde?!¡± Realizing her identity, both nobles¡¯ eyes lit up. This was the true ruler of Borde. Philip, the Third Prince, waged war on Castell not by his royal title but through his power as the Duchess of Borde¡¯s husband. All his authority in Borde stemmed from his wife! In other words, capturing the Duchess of Borde meant the war could be declared over. The Old Viscount and Vincent were elated, but Charlotte noticed the scars and bruises on the woman¡¯s body. She frowned. ¡°Captain, what happened to her?¡± Count Yurst shook his head. ¡°These injuries were there when we found her. She seems to have been abused for a long time.¡± ¡°Abused?¡± Charlotte was startled. ¡°Yes.¡± Count Yurst nodded slightly. Chapter 307: Eleanor In the cramped space, Eleanor was curled up tightly, her hands clasped around her legs, her bruised body shivering under her thin clothing.Her eyes were vacant, and she didn¡¯t dare make eye contact with anyone. If Charlotte hadn¡¯t seen this woman at the Duke of Moonshield¡¯s banquet, recognizing her as her niece, the Duchess of Borde, it would have been hard to connect this trembling, pitiful woman with the dazzling noblewoman she once saw at the event. The scars on Eleanor¡¯s body, clearly not from a single day, pointed directly to her abuser¡¯s identity¡ªAs a high-ranking duchess and the wife of a royal family member, who else but her husband, Prince Philip, could have both the capability and the audacity to inflict such cruelty? None of the nobles present were fools; they quickly understood this, and their expressions subtly changed. Charlotte¡¯s face darkened as she coldly cursed. ¡°What a scum!¡± No one disputed Charlotte¡¯s judgment. Their gazes towards Eleanor were filled with solemnity, anger, and pity. Charlotte took a deep breath and sighed. ¡°Lady Eleanor, Lady Eleanor?¡± She tried calling out a few times. At the sound of her voice, Eleanor trembled slightly but did not respond, curling up even more in the corner. Seeing her dull, lifeless eyes, Charlotte frowned. ¡°She¡­¡± ¡°She must have suffered significant mental trauma. There are traces of mental magic on her soul, indicating an attempt to enslave her mind, though it appears unsuccessful.¡± ¡°If my judgment is correct, it was an attempt at mental domination.¡± Count Yurst explained. Viscount Leon-Castell¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Mental domination?! The¡­ bloodborne¡¯s?!¡± Count Yurst nodded. ¡°Yes, it is indeed mental domination from a bloodborne, likely the work of the Blood Demon Cult.¡± ¡°However, the caster was not a true bloodborne, so the mental domination wasn¡¯t fully successful, but it has deeply affected her soul¡­¡± ¡°Mental domination¡­ not a true bloodborne¡­ does this mean the Third Prince is involved with the Blood Demon Cult?!¡± The Old Viscount¡¯s eyes widened in shock. Count Yurst sneered and said, ¡°This isn¡¯t surprising. There are quite a few fools among the Crescent nobles secretly involved with the Blood Demon Cult. These naive individuals think that those fallen bloodbornes abide by the same rules as other bloodbornes, not realizing that even among bloodbornes, there are different factions and beliefs.¡± Hearing Count Yurst¡¯s words, Viscount Leon-Castell and Vincent pondered deeply. Charlotte, after a moment of contemplation, stepped forward to Eleanor¡¯s side. ¡°Lady Eleanor?¡± She called again. Eleanor remained unresponsive, curling even more into herself. Charlotte sighed inwardly, cupped Eleanor¡¯s face with her hands, and knelt down, subtly channeling her magic, using a softer tone. ¡°Eleanor, look at me. I am Charlotte.¡± Hearing her words, Eleanor trembled slightly and slowly lifted her head. Their eyes met, and Charlotte¡¯s pupils quickly turned crimson, releasing a calming spell. ¡°Eleanor, don¡¯t be afraid. The scum who abused you is no longer here.¡± Gentle magic flowed from Charlotte¡¯s hands into Eleanor, healing her damaged soul with soothing energy. Finally, Eleanor responded. Her vacant eyes gradually regained focus, reflecting the beautiful figure of the girl before her. ¡°Cha¡­ Charlotte¡­?¡± Eleanor timidly spoke. Her eyes sparkled more, and her pale face slowly regained color. ¡°Charlotte!¡± Eleanor called out, then buried her face in the girl¡¯s arms, crying. ¡­ After using magic to comfort Eleanor¡¯s soul, Charlotte summoned a maid to take her to rest. The Duchess¡¯ physical and emotional wounds wouldn¡¯t heal in a day; she needed proper care over time. After leaving the tent, Viscount Leon-Castell and Vincent both wore grim expressions. ¡°Although my father has often warned me of the Third Prince¡¯s cruelty, saying he would not make a wise ruler, I never imagined he would treat his own wife like this¡­¡± ¡°How can the kingdom¡¯s nobles still support someone like him? What are they thinking?¡± Vincent said, recalling everything they had just seen. Viscount Leon-Castell glanced at him and shook his head. ¡°The Third Prince¡¯s violent nature is no secret, but his recklessness is also well-known.¡± ¡°He is not the primary heir to the throne, his foundation is much weaker than the Second Prince¡¯s, and he lacks deep cunning. Perhaps some nobles think supporting such a prince makes him easier to control.¡± ¡°Foolish thinking!¡± Vincent cursed. The Old Viscount sighed but did not disagree. He, too, was angry at the Third Prince¡¯s actions that violated both moral and noble boundaries. They did not continue discussing the Third Prince. Some actions can be excused, but others cannot, and the Third Prince had clearly crossed a line. They knew that once today¡¯s events spread, the Third Prince would be finished. ¡­ Eleanor¡¯s plight dampened Charlotte¡¯s joy from their victory. Though she wasn¡¯t close to this ¡®niece¡¯, empathy made it hard not to be affected by her suffering. However, after ensuring Eleanor was settled, Charlotte quickly composed herself. Although this battle was won and the outcome of the Borde-Castell war was decided, there were still many matters to handle, including negotiations and wrap-ups. A major upheaval in the Crescent Kingdom¡¯s upper echelons was imminent. After finishing the post-battle affairs, Charlotte finally had time to speak with Count Yurst alone. This time, she wasn¡¯t just the Countess of Castell but also acting as the ¡°True Ancestor¡¯s Envoy.¡± ¡°Praise the Great True Ancestor of Blood! Countess, may I know if the True Ancestor is satisfied with our support?¡± Sea?ch* The N?velFire.net website on G00gle to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. In the reception hall of the Count¡¯s mansion, Count Yurst, now dressed in noble attire, smiled and elegantly made the sign of the Thorny Rose over his chest, looking expectantly at Charlotte. His gesture was so practiced it seemed he had rehearsed it countless times, even more fluently than Charlotte herself. Chapter 308: The Disheveled Third Prince Charlotte looked at the elegantly poised Yurst with a strange expression, inwardly admiring this bloodborne noble¡¯s adaptability.Clearing her throat, she nodded and said, ¡°Of course, Sir Yurst. Everything you¡¯ve done has been noted, and all your efforts will be remembered.¡± Count Yurst was very pleased with Charlotte¡¯s words, his smile becoming even brighter. Glancing around expectantly, he then asked. ¡°Countess, I would like to pay my respects to the Great Progenitor. Could you arrange for an audience?¡± Instead of answering, Charlotte raised an eyebrow and asked. ¡°Oh? Is there something you wish to report, Sir Yurst?¡± Count Yurst awkwardly touched his nose. ¡°Well¡­ not exactly. It¡¯s just that since I¡¯m here in Castell, as a vassal of the Ancestor, I naturally wish to pay my respects in person¡­¡± He then added nervously. ¡°Of course, if it¡¯s inconvenient, I understand. I know the Progenitor¡¯s identity is still a secret¡­¡± Seeing his cautious demeanor, Charlotte smiled. ¡°If it¡¯s necessary, you will be summoned.¡± ¡°Alright, I understand.¡± Count Yurst sighed and nodded. Then he asked. ¡°So¡­ is there anything else you need me to do? As you know, the extraordinary beings I brought cannot stay here too long, lest they be discovered.¡± Charlotte pondered for a moment and then smiled. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Sir Yurst, while the war between Borde and Castell is likely decided after last night¡¯s battle, the rebellion in Castell is not yet over.¡± ¡°More than ten days ago, I dispatched troops to suppress the rebellion. Recently, I received news that my troops have advanced into the heart of the rebel-held area. However, the rebels have not given up and are defending their positions, so progress is slow¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already ordered the Mage Tower to broadcast the results of last night¡¯s battle. The rebels should soon know the outcome, but given their support from the Blood Demon Cult, I¡¯m not sure if they will continue to resist.¡± ¡°The Blood Demon Cult?¡± Hearing this, Count Yurst narrowed his eyes with interest. Charlotte nodded. ¡°Yes, exactly.¡± ¡°Considering we still have to negotiate with Borde and Violet Duchy, manage many captives, and pursue the fleeing remnants of the defeated army, we¡¯re stretched thin¡­¡± ¡°So, I hope you can lead your troops north by ship to assist my forces in quelling the rebellion in Castell.¡± This was an excuse. The truth was that Charlotte didn¡¯t want to mobilize more troops northward. It cost her money every time, and given the long and narrow terrain of Castell, reinforcements would take time to arrive. It was quicker to let Yurst handle it by ship. Since they were here and mostly extraordinary beings, it would be a waste not to use them. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on G00gle to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Count Yurst seemed to understand and asked. ¡°Is this the Progenitor¡¯s will?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Charlotte nodded. Yurst nodded slightly and agreed. ¡°I understand. I will lead my people northward. Whether it¡¯s for the relationship between Nez and Castell, my connection with the True Ancestor, or my enmity with the Blood Demon Cult¡­ helping Castell through this crisis is my duty.¡± Charlotte smiled. ¡°Then¡­ I look forward to your good news.¡± After meeting with Charlotte, Count Yurst took the extraordinary beings of the night raid coalition and continued northward by the oar-sail warship. They left behind all their spoils and captives. ¡°These mercenaries¡­ it¡¯s surprising they left all the spoils to us.¡± Watching the departing fleet, Viscount Leon-Castell remarked in amazement. Charlotte smiled. ¡°Perhaps the mercenary leader is an upright person.¡± Viscount Leon-Castell: ¡­ He gave Charlotte a strange look but refrained from commenting. ¡°Countess, the coalition has been defeated, and the lost lands of Northport Viscounty have been reclaimed. Should we march south to counterattack?¡± The old viscount asked. Charlotte pondered and said, ¡°Let¡¯s move south, but don¡¯t deploy too many troops. Just reclaim the fallen territories.¡± ¡°Countess, shouldn¡¯t we invade the Violet Duchy? They suffered heavy losses and this could be a good opportunity!¡± A noble couldn¡¯t help but ask. Charlotte shook her head. ¡°No, the Violet Duchy only used the Duke¡¯s direct forces. Most noble vassals didn¡¯t participate. Invading would mean a full-scale war with them.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have the energy for that now. Keep an eye on the captives and wait for their envoys to negotiate.¡± Then she asked. ¡°Where is the Third Prince? Any news?¡± The nobles looked at each other, embarrassed, and shook their heads nervously. ¡°Still¡­ still no news¡­¡± After the battle, they seemed to respect Charlotte even more. Charlotte thought for a moment and said, ¡°No news doesn¡¯t matter. He¡¯s not important anymore.¡± ¡­ The Third Prince didn¡¯t know how long he had been running. He only knew he kept fleeing. With news of the coalition¡¯s defeat and total collapse, the southern Castell territories that had been occupied were also rebelling, raising Castell¡¯s flag under the local nobles¡¯ leadership. Along the way, the Third Prince saw northern nobles everywhere rising up, rebelling, and slaughtering the remnants of the coalition. ¡°Damn it! Those damn bastards!¡± The Third Prince cursed angrily. He continued his desperate escape, avoiding the rebelling nobles and Castell¡¯s pursuers. Finally, under his soldiers¡¯ escort, he reached the border between Castell and the Violet Duchy, gradually recovering from his terror. By then, it had been a week since the Battle of Northport. ¡°Open the gate! I am Prince Philip!¡± At the Violet border fortress, the disheveled Third Prince, supported by soldiers, hoarsely shouted at the closed gate. After a moment, the gate slowly lowered, and well-armed knights emerged. Seeing the well-equipped Violet knights, the Third Prince sighed with relief, his anxious heart finally calming down. ¡°Prepare a carriage and take me to Linte City. I need to see my grandfather.¡± He commanded. However, the Violet knights did not move. Chapter 309: Duke of Violet ¡°What are you standing around for? Didn¡¯t you hear my orders?¡±The Third Prince frowned as he looked at the unmoved Violet knights, his expression turning cold. However, the next moment, the knights stepped forward, surrounding him. The Third Prince was stunned. He immediately became wary and shouted sternly. ¡°What are you¡­ trying to do?¡± The Violet knights remained silent. They drew their weapons, surrounding the Third Prince and his men. Some knights stepped forward, disarming the soldiers, while others pointed their weapons at the Third Prince. The Third Prince was furious. ¡°What is this? Rebellion?! Do you not know who I am?¡± This time, the Violet knights finally reacted. They parted to either side, and a knight who appeared to be their leader stepped forward. He stood before the Third Prince and said calmly. ¡°Of course, we know who you are, Your Highness.¡± ¡°You have seriously violated several key provisions of the Holy Code and the Royal Covenant. According to these laws, we have the authority to disarm you. Please do not resist.¡± The Third Prince was stunned, then angrily retorted. ¡°Are you insane?! I am the Crescent Prince! The second in line to the throne! The Duke of Violet¡¯s grandson!¡± ¡°Which family do you belong to? Who gave you the courage to act against me? Are you declaring war on the Royal Family and the Boite-Linte family?¡± The knight leader glanced at him and replied calmly. ¡°We do not belong to any lesser noble family. We are the Duke¡¯s direct knights.¡± ¡°And it was not us who ordered your disarmament. It was the Duke himself.¡± ¡°Your Highness, please cooperate, or we will have to use force.¡± The Third Prince was stunned again. ¡°The Duke¡­ my grandfather?¡± He shook his head in disbelief. ¡°No! This is impossible! Grandfather would never give such an order!¡± ¡°This is a lie! You must be lying!¡± The knight leader showed no interest in continuing the argument. He waved his hand and ordered the other knights. ¡°The prince is unstable. Bind him and put him in the carriage.¡± At this, the tall, powerful extraordinary knights moved towards the Third Prince. The Third Prince¡¯s expression changed drastically. He struggled, panicking. ¡°No! You can¡¯t do this!¡± ¡°I am the Crescent Prince! The second in line to the throne! You are defying royal authority!¡± ¡°I must go to Linte City! I must see my grandfather!¡± The knight leader looked at the terrified, defiant Third Prince with a hint of disdain in his eyes. ¡°Your Highness, you will have a chance to see the Duke.¡± ¡°Of course, whether the Duke wants to see you is another matter.¡± Sea?ch* The Novel?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. With that, he ordered the knights to bind the Third Prince and put him in the carriage. ¡°No! No¡ª!¡± ¡°You bastards! I will remember this!¡± ¡°When I ascend the throne, I will kill you! Kill all of you!¡± The Third Prince continued to howl, curse, and struggle, but he was eventually subdued and ¡°sent¡± to the carriage by the extraordinary knights. ¡­ Violet Duchy, Linte City. In an old, imposing castle, an elderly nobleman in a dark purple robe was standing by a flower bed, shakily watering the flowers. He bore a strong resemblance to Count Linte, but looked older and more dignified, especially with his silver-gray eyes, which were cloudy and wise. This was Geoffrey de Boite-Linte. He was the head of the Boite-Linte family, the current Duke of Violet, and an advisor to the Crescent Kingdom¡¯s court. As one of the nine powerful dukes of the Crescent Kingdom, he also commanded one of the kingdom¡¯s most formidable standing armies¡ªthe Second Guard Legion. Of course, the Borde-Castell war was an internal noble conflict, so the Royal Guard Legion had no authority to intervene. ¡°Duke, news from the north. The Prince has reached the border fortress, and the knights have him under control.¡± A nobleman who looked like a butler approached Duke Violet from behind, bowing respectfully as he spoke. The Old Duke paused slightly with the watering can in his hand. ¡°Any news from Victor?¡± He asked. The noble hesitated before replying. ¡°Reports from the northern soldiers suggest that the Count has indeed been captured by the Castell family, along with Duchess Eleanor de Borde.¡± The Old Duke was silent for a moment, then nodded slightly. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Have the knights keep a close watch on Philip and prepare envoys to negotiate with Castell.¡± The noble hesitated, then couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Duke, are you really planning to use the prince as a bargaining chip in the negotiations with Castell?¡± ¡°He is the second in line to the throne, the King¡¯s favored child, and your grandson¡­¡± The Old Duke slowly turned around, his face expressionless as he gave a meaningful snort. ¡°The King¡¯s favored child?¡± ¡°Hmph¡­ Whether he is or isn¡¯t, from the moment he was defeated a week ago, he ceased to be.¡± ¡°With Eleanor de Borde captured, his disgraceful deeds will surely be exposed. This hot potato is better left to Castell.¡± The Old Duke paused again and sighed. ¡°Also, prepare for my visit to the capital after the negotiations with Castell. I need to see the King personally¡­¡± ¡­ The recapture of the northern territories was progressing much faster than Charlotte had expected. With the news of the Borde-Violet coalition¡¯s defeat, the surrendered nobles quickly switched sides, re-aligning with Castell. Their speed was astonishing, and Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but marvel at their shameless opportunism. ¡°They support whoever wins.¡± Under feudalism, these autonomous noble lords were pragmatic. Charlotte didn¡¯t have the time to deal with these fickle nobles for now. She simply noted them down, planning to deal with them after the war was completely over. After the resounding victory at Northport, envoys from various parts of the kingdom began arriving. Viscount Remisio, Duke Moonshield, the Boite family, who had a feud with the Borde family, and even the Crescent Second Prince sent envoys. Some came to congratulate, some to express goodwill towards the Castell family, and some to extend olive branches, hinting at alliances. Clearly, the victory at Northport had shaken the entire kingdom. Everyone knew the war¡¯s outcome was now certain. Castell was destined to part ways with Borde, likely becoming a new direct vassal of the Crescent Kingdom, and one of the most powerful forces in the north. After receiving another envoy from a nearby territory, Charlotte received a piece of news. The Violet Duchy¡¯s negotiation team had arrived in Castell. Chapter 310: Envoy Castell County, Northport.In the blink of an eye, a month had passed since the Battle of Northport. Although some southern territories of Castell had yet to be fully reclaimed, this northern gem had already returned to its former peace, free from the ravages of war. Northport¡¯s harbor was once again bustling, with a constant flow of merchant ships and a variety of goods filling the docks. If not for the unpatched cannon marks on the coastal fort and the uncleaned ruins of the Shallow Water Streets outside the city, it would be hard to imagine that just a month ago, this vibrant city was surrounded by tens of thousands of troops and a massive fleet, constantly on the brink of falling. As Count Wittray, Violet¡¯s envoy, disembarked from the sailboat and stepped onto the harbor, he was greeted by this bustling scene. ¡°I¡¯ve always heard that Northport is the most prosperous city in the northern part of the kingdom, and it truly lives up to its reputation. It might even outshine Linte City¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the busy port. ¡°Thank you for your compliment, Lord Wittray. The Count has been informed of your arrival and is waiting for you at the Count¡¯s mansion. Please board the carriage and follow us.¡± Viscount Leon-Castell, flanked by two rows of fully armed Castell knights, smiled as he spoke. Count Wittray glanced at the gleaming chain mail of the Castell knights, nodded slightly, and boarded the carriage. The carriage set off towards the city. Sea?ch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Count Wittray lifted the curtain to look outside and found the city¡¯s prosperity rivaling that of the port. The bustling carriages, dense crowds, vendors, and performing minstrels all painted a lively and thriving scene, reminiscent of his visits to the capital. At this moment, Count Wittray finally understood why the Third Prince had gone mad, attacking Castell even at the risk of violating the Holy Code and the Royal Covenant. For an ambitious lord, such a wealthy territory, not under his control, was indeed intolerable. ¡°I used to hear that Castell¡¯s contract taxes to Borde accounted for half of the duchy¡¯s vassal taxes. It seemed exaggerated, but now it might still be an understatement¡­¡± Count Wittray thought to himself. The carriage drove to the Count¡¯s mansion. After stopping, Count Wittray, assisted by an attendant, disembarked and followed Viscount Leon-Castell into the reception hall. Charlotte was already waiting in the Count¡¯s mansion. Today, she wore a black silk dress with gold trim and patterns, her golden hair smoothly draped behind her, and her sapphire-blue eyes clear as the sky. This was Count Wittray¡¯s first time seeing the legendary young Countess. And she truly was ¡°legendary.¡± Every time they docked overnight on this journey, Count Wittray heard stories about this young Countess at the pier. A saintess performing miracles, a lord turning the tide, a brilliant young woman¡­ He had heard these so often that they became a refrain. Especially the Battle of Northport, which shook the entire Violet Duchy. Castell¡¯s victory over two elite coalition armies with fewer forces was legendary. It was said that even the capital was shaken, and the King himself inquired about the internal strife in Borde and remembered the name of Charlotte de Castell. Thinking of this, Count Wittray couldn¡¯t help but scrutinize the young Countess, finding her even younger than the legends suggested¡ªpractically a child. If he didn¡¯t know what she had accomplished since inheriting her title, it would be hard to connect this young girl with a noble lord. ¡°Countess, the envoy from Violet, Count Wittray, has arrived.¡± Viscount Leon-Castell bowed respectfully to Charlotte. Count Wittray keenly noted the genuine reverence in the Old Viscount¡¯s words and demeanor towards the girl. He also noticed that all the other Castell nobles in the council hall were equally respectful and cautious. Even the personal knights standing behind the girl stood straighter, seemingly proud of their duty. This young Countess had already earned the respect and reverence of her vassals and followers. Count Wittray quickly concluded this. His demeanor became more serious as he bowed slightly to Charlotte. ¡°Envoy from Violet, Bertrand de Wittray, greets the Countess of Castell.¡± Count Wittray¡¯s posture was very respectful. Though both were counts, there were significant differences between them. Not only was Castell¡¯s territory three times larger than his own, but the wealth gap was also incomparable. In a way, Castell had the potential to stand on par with a duchy, with the Battle of Northport being the most significant proof. ¡°Welcome, Sir Wittray. Are you here on behalf of Violet to negotiate with me?¡± Charlotte nodded slightly and smiled. Her exquisite face and gentle smile seemed to have an extraordinary charm, causing even the experienced Count Wittray to pause in admiration. He quickly recovered from his lapse, awkwardly clearing his throat, and took a gold-embossed parchment from his pocket. ¡°Yes, Countess. I am here on behalf of the Duke to negotiate. This is a letter from the Duke for you¡­¡± Charlotte raised an eyebrow, signaling a personal knight to take the parchment from Count Wittray. The soldier took it and quickly presented it to her. Charlotte read the parchment carefully. After a moment, she put it down and chuckled. ¡°So, the Duke of Violet wishes to cease hostilities and exchange the Third Prince for Count Linte and the Violet soldiers we have captured?¡± Count Wittray nodded slightly and said respectfully. ¡°More precisely, Countess, we wish to ransom them.¡± ¡°We hope to exchange the Third Prince for Count Linte, and in addition to the Third Prince, we are willing to pay ten gold tana per ordinary Violet soldier and one hundred gold tana per extraordinary soldier you have captured¡­¡± Chapter 311: Negotiations Upon hearing Count Wittray¡¯s words, Charlotte smiled.¡°Sir, are you trying to deceive me about the value of extraordinary knights?¡± ¡°Ordinary conscripts aside, as far as I know, an apprentice priest in the church earns 15 gold tana a month. Although the pay for extraordinary knights can¡¯t compare to that of priests, their monthly wage is still over 7 gold tana¡­¡± As she spoke, her expression gradually cooled. ¡°You want to ransom extraordinary knights with less than two years¡¯ pay. Are you joking?¡± Despite her youthful appearance and the slight innocence in her voice, the moment her expression turned cold, Count Wittray felt as if the temperature in the entire council hall dropped a few degrees. Facing Charlotte¡¯s icy gaze, Count Wittray felt an indescribable pressure welling up inside him. Although they held the same rank and had a significant age difference, at this moment, he felt a sense of awe akin to a subordinate meeting a superior. This contradiction made him very uncomfortable and increased his stress. He realized almost instantly that the young girl before him was likely not just a respected lord but also a powerful extraordinary being. At least¡­ her power was far beyond that of him, a Silver Moon Mage. This alone could explain how her few words exerted such pressure on him. The pressure wasn¡¯t from the words themselves or the tone but from the mental power contained within her words and the magical fluctuations in the hall that changed with her mood¡­ She was a powerful mage! Far beyond an ordinary Silver Moon Mage! Count Wittray immediately concluded this. And this realization brought him even greater shock¡­ Because he knew very well that the girl before him had not even awakened her bloodline power two years ago! Oh my God¡­ Gaining extraordinary power far beyond an ordinary Silver Moon Mage in just two years¡ªwas it possible that after His Majesty the King, another once-in-a-millennium extraordinary genius was emerging in the Crescent Kingdom?! Count Wittray¡¯s thoughts churned, and he felt a profound sense of awe. Taking a deep breath, his demeanor became more respectful. ¡°Countess, a ransom of one hundred gold tana per person has been the standard for many years. Even during the Star-Moon War, the Starfall Kingdom paid His Majesty the King one hundred gold tana per extraordinary soldier¡­¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not satisfied, we can increase the ransom price by another quarter to show our sincerity.¡± ¡°Additionally, for the nobles you have captured, we are willing to pay a ransom of three thousand to two hundred thousand gold tana, depending on their rank.¡± ¡°Of course, if you are not satisfied, you can negotiate directly with their families¡­¡± ¡°And this is only the ransom price. We will also cover all the food and lodging expenses of the captives during their detention.¡± Charlotte frowned and looked towards Viscount Leon-Castell. The Old Viscount approached her and whispered. ¡°Countess, the ransom price Violet offered for the soldiers is reasonable. One hundred gold tana per person is indeed the ¡®market price¡¯ for extraordinary soldiers accepted among nobles.¡± He paused, then added meaningfully. ¡°Of course, this only applies to ransoming the soldiers themselves¡­¡± Hearing the Old Viscount¡¯s words, Charlotte got an idea in her mind and nodded. To be honest, she had little use for those soldiers. Although recruitment efforts had been made during this time, the results were limited. Most extraordinary soldiers had families and were unwilling to leave their homes. Moreover, many were loyal to their lords and would be difficult to recruit without significant expense. Considering the cost, Charlotte felt it would be better to train her own extraordinary soldiers. ¡°Sir Wittray, we can accept the ransom.¡± Charlotte said. Count Wittray sighed in relief. ¡°However¡­ we will keep the confiscated equipment.¡± Charlotte¡¯s tone changed. ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Count Wittray blurted out. ¡°Oh? Impossible? Do you mean to say that you want to redeem not only the men but also their armor and weapons for just one hundred gold tana?¡± Charlotte chuckled. Count Wittray scratched his head awkwardly and said, ¡°No¡­ of course not.¡± ¡°We are also willing to ransom the extraordinary equipment you captured at a price one-quarter higher than the market value¡­¡± Hearing Count Wittray¡¯s words, Charlotte¡¯s smile grew brighter. ¡°Count Wittray, you¡¯re joking again.¡± ¡°The value of enchanted extraordinary equipment is not lost on me. Even the worst enchanted equipment can sell for three thousand gold tana on the black market¡­¡± ¡°However, that¡¯s just the price.¡± ¡°Ordinary equipment aside, enchanted extraordinary equipment can only be crafted by alchemists and mages, often being priceless.¡± ¡°Sir Wittray, the extraordinary equipment we captured may fetch a higher price if ransomed to Violet, but we can¡¯t buy similar equipment for the same amount of tana.¡± ¡°In a sense, these enchanted items are even more valuable than the soldiers.¡± ¡°Exchanging extraordinary equipment for Tana is a losing deal, not to mention¡­ Castell has never lacked tana.¡± Sea??h the N??elFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, Count Wittray frowned and said, ¡°Countess, do you intend to keep the captured extraordinary equipment to build your own standing army?¡± ¡°With all due respect, every set of extraordinary equipment capable of forming a magic formation has its own maintenance system and upkeep methods. Even activating the formation requires specific spell models¡­¡± ¡°Without these, the equipment you obtained would be just ordinary enchanted equipment, unable to form a magic formation.¡± ¡°Of course, if you wish to exchange for the related technology, that is impossible. The Duke would never agree. The methods for creating and maintaining extraordinary armies are noble family secrets¡­¡± Charlotte smiled and said, ¡°Sir Wittray, I am aware of this. I do not expect to rely solely on these spoil items to form Castell¡¯s own extraordinary army.¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, Count Wittray sighed in relief. Not having the idea of forming an extraordinary army with captured equipment meant Castell did not necessarily need to keep these enchanted items. And as long as they were not adamant about keeping the equipment, there was room for negotiation. The thousands of sets of extraordinary equipment Castell obtained were extremely difficult to produce. This war had cost Boite-Linte decades of savings. Before he left, the Duke of Violet repeatedly emphasized that no matter the cost, the extraordinary equipment had to be brought back. ¡°Countess, then¡­ what conditions must be met for you to return the equipment to us?¡± ¡°If you find our offer insufficient, we are willing to raise the price by another tenth. Additionally, we will unconditionally return the occupied territories to Castell and recognize Castell¡¯s independence and sovereignty over the Tulip County.¡± ¡°We also promise to support you in the upcoming kingdom¡¯s noble council¡­¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Count Wittray asked respectfully. ¡°No, I do not need more money.¡± Charlotte shook her head. Then she looked at Count Wittray and smiled. ¡°I want extraordinary materials equivalent in value to the equipment and¡­ a stable source for acquiring extraordinary materials.¡± Chapter 312: Source of Extraordinary Materials ¡°Extraordinary materials equivalent to the value of the equipment, and a stable means of obtaining extraordinary materials?¡±Count Wittray was momentarily stunned, then gave Charlotte a meaningful look and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Countess¡­ it seems you¡¯ve reaped quite the harvest from Borde!¡± Charlotte smiled slightly, not denying it. Indeed, she had gained much from Borde. Sea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After this war, merging with Tulip County and unifying the entire northern region was a certainty, and the captured Duchess and Borde army represented a ransom sum far larger than what the Violet Duchy could offer. Moreover, to curry favor with the Third Prince, many nobles from the Borde Duchy participated in the war, and most of them became prisoners. This meant another substantial ransom sum. Of course, given Borde¡¯s financial strength, it would be quite difficult for them to come up with such a large amount of money. However, they could offer other things in exchange. For instance¡­ the magic formation and extraordinary technology that Borde possessed. This technology was superior to that of the Violet Duchy. It¡¯s worth noting that the relevant extraordinary technology of the Borde Duchy was acquired by the former Duke from the Crescent Kingdom, making it generally better than what the Violet Duchy had. Moreover, Borde¡¯s extraordinary technology could also be used to maintain the kingdom¡¯s standing army. Once Charlotte acquired it, she could immediately utilize the captured kingdom knight equipment from the Third Prince¡¯s guard. Those over a thousand sets of equipment were far superior to the average duchy¡¯s equipment, all being enchanted plate armor. Charlotte had no intention of returning them and planned to keep them all. She had done her homework beforehand: the guard equipment allocated to the prince had essentially become his private soldiers¡¯ gear, and even the king had no say in the matter. Given the Third Prince¡¯s guilt in this war, even if Charlotte took these pieces of equipment, the Crescent Royal Family would likely have no choice but to accept it. As for the other extraordinary equipment¡­ Castell currently had few extraordinary soldiers; keeping the equipment would only let it gather dust and incur expensive maintenance costs, and its quality was not as good as the kingdom¡¯s equipment. From the start, Charlotte had no intention of keeping it. Count Wittray pondered for a moment before responding. ¡°Countess, I will report your request to the Duke. While extraordinary materials equivalent to the value of the equipment are precious, they are not impossible to exchange for. However, this requires the Duke¡¯s approval, as it is quite challenging to gather such a large amount of materials at once. But¡­¡± He paused and shook his head. ¡°Obtaining a stable source of extraordinary materials is not that simple.¡± ¡°Oh? Why is that?¡± Charlotte raised her eyebrows slightly. Count Wittray thought for a moment and explained. ¡°Countess, each duchy¡¯s sources of extraordinary materials are part of a unique system, the result of long-term efforts by various families. Our Violet Duchy is rich in magical beast resources, but we also rely on bartering with other duchies for other extraordinary resources to establish our stable supply routes. ¡± ¡°In addition, some key extraordinary materials are directly controlled by the royal family, and the kingdom¡¯s vassals only receive periodic quotas. Even we in the Violet Duchy find these scarce resources insufficient. ¡± ¡°If you seek magical beast materials, we can provide them and even sign a long-term cooperation agreement. However, if you need other extraordinary resources, that might be impossible.¡± Hearing Count Wittray¡¯s words, Charlotte felt a sudden realization. ¡°I see¡­¡± Previously unfamiliar with these matters, she had assumed that each duchy controlled stable and comprehensive sources of extraordinary materials. It turned out that they all relied on mutual exchanges! However, it was essentially bartering. Count Wittray continued. ¡°Countess, if you wish to cultivate an extraordinary army in the future and establish Castell¡¯s own material supply routes, we in the Violet Duchy can offer some assistance and introduce you to other duchies.¡± ¡°I personally can also help, as I am responsible for the extraordinary trade in Violet Duchy.¡± ¡°Almost every duchy in the Crescent Kingdom has its own specialty extraordinary resources. Our material supply routes are established through mutual cooperation.¡± ¡°Additionally, since Castell is across the sea from the Starfall Kingdom, you could try to establish cooperation with them. However, the Starfall Kingdom strictly controls the export of extraordinary resources, so this might not be very effective.¡± ¡°Castell possesses valuable mithril mines, which could serve as the basis for transactions. I believe the kingdom¡¯s lords would welcome this.¡± Charlotte nodded slightly after hearing Count Wittray¡¯s words. Castell¡¯s mithril was indeed highly sought after. Most of the emissaries visiting her lately had proposed trade deals involving mithril. Previously, as Borde¡¯s vassal, Castell¡¯s mithril sales were restricted, with only limited transactions allowed, and large-scale deals could only be made with designated partners, often receiving only tana in return. This was one reason Castell, despite its mithril mines, had always lacked extraordinary resources. Now things were different. Once Castell gained independence, these restrictions would be lifted, and establishing its own extraordinary trade network would be a natural progression. ¡°I understand. Thank you for your insights, Sir Wittray.¡± Charlotte gave a slight bow. Count Wittray smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Countess. This information is not secret among the duchy¡¯s vassals of the Crescent Kingdom. You were unaware simply because you hadn¡¯t entered this circle. Once you gain independence from Borde, you will learn these things in due course.¡± Count Wittray¡¯s sincere attitude further eased the atmosphere in the council hall. Despite this being a post-war negotiation, it felt more like a trade discussion. There were no permanent enemies among the nobles. Sitting down for peaceful talks right after the war was quite common in the human world of Myria. In the end, if you trace the noble lineages, many of them are related, whether distantly or closely. Seeing that the atmosphere was suitable, Count Wittray smiled and brought up one last proposal. ¡°Countess, regarding the exchange of the Third Prince and Count Linte, what do you think¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I cannot agree to that.¡± Charlotte shook her head, firmly rejecting the proposal. Count Wittray¡¯s smile froze instantly. Chapter 313: I want territory ¡°Countess, could you tell me your reasoning? The Third Prince holds a noble status and is the instigator of the war. I believe he is more valuable to you than Count Linte.¡±Count Wittray said solemnly. Charlotte chuckled softly and replied, ¡°Sir Wittray, you¡¯re mistaken. The instigator of the war is the Borde Duchy, the ¡®Duke¡¯ of Borde, not the Third Prince.¡± ¡°Perhaps he is of noble status, but what does that matter? Do you think Castell can use him to blackmail His Majesty?¡± ¡°He has already failed and has evidence of dealings with the Blood Demon Cult. He is done for.¡± ¡°I do not care whether His Majesty likes this son or not. I only know that keeping him is not only worthless to Castell but also poses some risks.¡± Count Wittray shook his head and said, ¡°No, Countess, from my perspective, he does hold value for you.¡± sea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Oh?¡± Charlotte raised an eyebrow and looked at him. Count Wittray considered his words carefully and continued. ¡°Countess, breaking away from Borde means you will become a direct vassal to His Majesty the King, and all vassal contracts will need to be renegotiated¡­¡± ¡°I think you might have sensed that His Majesty, who tacitly allowed the Third Prince to wage war on Castell, doesn¡¯t have much affection for those who support the Holy Court.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you see this as an opportunity to show goodwill to His Majesty? For nobles, there are no eternal enemies¡­¡± Charlotte smiled. ¡°You are suggesting that I release the Third Prince unconditionally to show my loyalty to His Majesty?¡± Wittray nodded slightly, tacitly agreeing. Charlotte¡¯s smile faded as she said calmly. ¡°Sir Wittray, the Third Prince violated the ¡®Holy Code¡¯ and the ¡®Royal Covenant¡¯, causing an uproar in the kingdom. Messengers have already informed me that the nobles are preparing to sue him in the parliament.¡± ¡°In recent years, the relationship between His Majesty and the nobles has grown increasingly delicate. I have no intention of antagonizing the kingdom¡¯s nobles just to curry favor with His Majesty¡­¡± ¡°So, let¡¯s discuss the ransom for Count Linte instead.¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, Count Wittray sighed slightly. He realized that the Duke¡¯s plan to exchange the Third Prince for his heir had fallen through. ¡°Countess, since you have made your stance clear, you must have an idea of the ransom. Please, name your price.¡± Count Wittray said, taking a deep breath, bracing himself for her demands. ¡°No, I don¡¯t want tana.¡± Charlotte shook her head. ¡°Uh¡­ what?!¡± Count Wittray was stunned. Charlotte glanced at him and smiled. ¡°I want territory.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Count Wittray blurted out. Realizing his outburst, he quickly cleared his throat and continued. ¡°Countess, you must be joking. Although Count Linte is the Duke¡¯s offspring, he is not a lord. Offering territory as ransom is against the rules¡­¡± ¡°Sir Wittray, don¡¯t you want to know which part of the territory I want?¡± Charlotte asked. Count Wittray hesitated and then asked. ¡°Which territory do you want?¡± Charlotte signaled a nearby guard to bring a map. Pointing to a small piece of land in the northeastern part of the Violet Duchy, sandwiched between the Roman Duchy and Castell, she said, ¡°My request is not much, I only need this.¡± Count Wittray followed her finger and frowned slightly. ¡°The Betel Barony?¡± He knew of this barony. It was a protruding piece of land on the border of the Violet Duchy, situated between the Roman Duchy and Castell, covering an area of about 1,500 square kilometers. The Betel Barony was not prosperous, more than half of its territory was forest, and it had been greatly damaged as a main battlefield during the Star-Moon War. However, this land was not without its history, it had once been a prominent area. Before the Star-Moon War, this barony was a direct territory of the former ducal family of Violet¡ªthe Veillet family¡ªand was their ancestral land. Of course, decades had passed, and the war had destroyed everything. Now, the Betel Barony was a desolate place. Years of war had left the land with a significant undead presence, making it difficult to clear, to the point that even the Boite-Linte family had given up on it. The Violet Duchy was vast, with many baronies. To be honest, if it was this particular, nearly worthless barony, Count Wittray believed the Duke might agree. However¡­ why did Castell want this land? Looking at the map, Count Wittray could only think of the fact that the Betel Barony was a trade route between the Roman Duchy and Castell. The other borders between the territories were either forests or mountains, making the Betel Barony the most convenient route for land-based trade, the essential path for trade caravans. Of course, this assumed the caravans could deal with the wandering undead. Then again, the Roman Duchy belonged to the Starfall Kingdom, and there were frequent conflicts between the two kingdoms. Nobles from other kingdoms would prefer to avoid direct contact with them, let alone share a border. Moreover, even for trade, it seemed sea routes would be more convenient for Roman and Castell, as both were coastal neighbors. A ship journey would only take three days from Northport to the capital of the Roman Duchy. Count Wittray couldn¡¯t understand it. However, he decided not to pursue it further. To him, the Countess of Castell¡¯s proposal didn¡¯t seem excessive. If the Betel Barony¡¯s value were converted to equivalent tana, it might match the ransom for the ducal heir. After all, it was a barren land with minimal resources, plagued by wandering undead, dilapidated castles, and villages unable to pay much in taxes. The only valuable aspect might be some magical beasts, but the Violet Duchy was already rich in magical beasts and even faced beast tides annually. ¡°I understand. However, I cannot make this decision. I will report to the Duke, and it will be up to him.¡± Count Wittray thought for a moment and said. Charlotte smiled. ¡°Of course. The mage tower in Northport is always open for you, making it convenient for you to communicate with the Duke remotely.¡± Chapter 314: Peace Treaty After meeting with Charlotte, Count Wittray settled in Northport.As the envoy of Violet, Duke Violet had already granted him considerable authority in the negotiations. However, any territorial demands made by Charlotte required the Duke¡¯s final decision. ¡°Oh? She wants the territory of Baron Betel?¡± In the guest room of the Count¡¯s mansion, the reflection of Duke Violet appeared in a crystal ball as he asked in a deep voice. The shadow communication crystal. This is a magical device similar to the Starfall Kingdom¡¯s communication crystal, but unlike the mass-produced communication crystals of the Starfall Kingdom, this one is a treasured artifact of the Boite-Linte family, bestowed by the Crescent Royal Family. ¡°Yes, Your Grace. She is unwilling to exchange the Third Prince for Master Victor.¡± Count Wittray responded respectfully. ¡°Which family currently holds the territory of Baron Betel? Is it still that branch of the Veillet family?¡± Duke Violet asked again. ¡°Yes, Your Grace, it¡¯s still the Veillet family¡¯s branch, the Betel-Veillet family.¡± Duke Violet squinted his eyes. ¡°The Betel-Veillet family that has always wanted to revive Veillet¡¯s glory?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°If I recall correctly, their family also participated in this war?¡± Count Wittray¡¯s expression turned somewhat odd. ¡°Yes, but¡­ they seem to have disappeared. I did not see them on the list of war captives in Castell, and they have not returned to their territory.¡± Duke Violet fell silent. After a long while, he sighed and said, ¡°Agree to Count Castell¡¯s terms. The Betel-Veillet family has always been a nuisance to Boite-Linte while in Violet. Giving them to Castell helps erase any traces of Veillet in Violet.¡± ¡°Your Grace, considering that Betel-Veillet are still descendants of the Veillet family, what if they truly become vassals of Castell and pose a threat to the Duchy in the future?¡± Count Wittray couldn¡¯t help but ask. Duke Violet glanced at him. ¡°Wittray, do you know which family the Betel-Veillet family hates the most?¡± Count Wittray hesitated, then uncertainly answered. ¡°Roman? After all, it was Roman who defeated Veillet, causing them to lose everything¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± Duke Violet shook his head, speaking meaningfully. ¡°It¡¯s the Castell family.¡± ¡°The Castell family?¡± Count Wittray was clearly taken aback, then suddenly realized. ¡°Oh! I remember now! It was because of Castell that the Veillet family was defeated in the Second Roman campaign!¡± He looked at the reflection in the crystal ball, his eyes lighting up slightly. ¡°The Betel-Veillet family hates Castell, and if Castell expands its territory, it will surely reward its meritorious followers, leading to inevitable conflict between them!¡± ¡°So¡­ you mean to use Castell¡¯s strength to eliminate the last branch of Veillet?¡± Duke Violet laughed lightly, tacitly agreeing. Seeing this, Count Wittray became even more respectful. ¡°Your Grace, your wisdom commands my admiration¡­.¡± S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Then, he hesitated and asked. ¡°What about the Third Prince¡­¡± ¡°If Castell does not want him, let him return to Borde and fend for himself.¡± Duke Violet said indifferently. Clearly, he had no desire to keep a troublemaker around. ¡­ With Duke Violet¡¯s consent, Count Wittray redrafted the peace terms according to Charlotte¡¯s demands. The Violet envoy worked efficiently, and by the afternoon of the next day, Charlotte saw the final version of the peace treaty. The treaty stipulated: 1. Effective immediately, the Duchy of Violet and the County of Castel will unilaterally cease hostilities, and both parties will withdraw to pre-war borders. 2. The Duchy of Violet acknowledges the independence of the County of Castell and its sovereignty over the Tulip County, promising support for Castell in the noble council and introducing Castell to other kingdom lords. 3. The Duchy of Violet will redeem captured conscripts at the price of 12.5 gold tana per person, extraordinary soldiers at 125 gold tana per person, and will redeem enchanted extraordinary equipments with equivalent extraordinary materials in ten installments. 4. The Duchy of Violet will redeem captured nobles at the rate of 3,600 gold tana per knight, 50,000 gold tana per baron, and 250,000 gold tana per viscount, including 63 knights, 9 barons, and 4 viscounts. 5. The extraordinary equipment of all nobles is to be redeemed by their respective families; equipment that cannot be redeemed will belong to Castell, with no further interference from the Duchy of Violet. 6. The Duchy of Violet must pay a total ransom of 2.43 million gold tana to the County of Castell, as well as extraordinary materials valued at 20 million gold tana, to be paid within three months. All costs of food and lodging for captives during these three months are to be borne by the Duchy of Violet. 7. The Duchy of Violet will exchange Baron Betel¡¯s territory to redeem Victor de Boite-Linte, transferring Baron Betel as a vassal to the Castell family. ¡­ Charlotte was quite satisfied with this treaty. The 2.43 million ransom was a small amount, equivalent to four months of tax revenue for Castell County. The extraordinary materials were the real prize. Even converted to tana, they were worth nearly four years of Castell¡¯s income, and extraordinary materials were invaluable and hard to come by. Their actual value was even higher. ¡°Although I expected extraordinary equipment to be more valuable than the ransom for captives, I didn¡¯t expect it to be worth this much.¡± Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but sigh as she looked at the list in the treaty. ¡°Countess, that¡¯s how it is. People can be re-enlisted, and noble families always have people. But extraordinary equipment is the years¡¯ accumulation for each family¡­¡± Viscount Leon-Castell said. ¡°Viscount is right. In fact, if not for the advancements in magical technology over the years and the increased efficiency of workshops reducing the cost of enchantments, these extraordinary items would be even more expensive.¡± On the other side, Vincent de Roman-Four nodded. Viscount Roman-Four had led the fleet northward with Count Yurst, representing his family alongside Charlotte. Listening to the two accompanying nobles, Charlotte pondered for a moment. After a brief pause, she instructed the Old Viscount. ¡°Viscount, keep a close eye on the implementation of the treaty with Violet.¡± ¡°At your command.¡± Viscount Leon-Castell replied respectfully. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, he asked. ¡°Countess, what about the Borde Duchy¡­¡± ¡°I will handle the Borde Duchy personally.¡± Charlotte said. Chapter 315: The Missing Baron Violet acted quite swiftly.Perhaps due to the internal instability caused by the war¡¯s failure, Duke Violet was very efficient in fulfilling the treaty¡¯s terms. Within less than half a month after the peace negotiations, Violet delivered the first batch of extraordinary equipment redemption materials to Castell, along with a third of the ransom. In addition, contract documents concerning the Betel Barony and the related transfer documents were also sent to Northport. From that moment, the Betel Barony was effectively ceded by Violet to Castell. A week after Castell and Violet signed the peace treaty, envoys from the capital arrived in Northport, bringing two significant pieces of news. First, five of the Nine Dukes of the Crescent Kingdom, along with three public officials and twenty-eight kingdom vassals, had jointly submitted a petition to the Noble Council and the Holy Court. They sought a central meeting to discuss the legitimacy of the Third Prince, Philip de Valva, in light of his blatant violation of the Holy Code and the Royal Covenant. Clearly, with the war¡¯s failure, the Third Prince had lost most of the nobles¡¯ support. King Louis V¡¯s attempt to use the Third Prince to weaken local noble powers and strengthen central authority had backfired. The envoy announced that the central meeting would convene in the capital in a month and a half, and Castell needed to attend as an important representative. Second, King Louis V issued a decree, ordering Borde, Violet, and Castell to end the war and restore peace within a week. Of course, this ceasefire order came a bit late, as Castell and Violet had already negotiated peace a week prior. And as for Borde, after Eleanor was captured and the expeditionary force was wiped out, the war had effectively ended. What remained was the post-war negotiation. ¡°Lord Boite-Linte, the war is over. You may leave here with the knights of Violet.¡± In the Count¡¯s mansion, Viscount Leon-Castell smiled as he spoke to the confined Count Linte. Count Linte, meditating on his bed, slowly opened his eyes and remained silent for a long time before speaking. ¡°The negotiations¡­ are over?¡± ¡°Yes, they ended a week ago. Violet has already sent your ransom, and you can leave now.¡± ¡°The ransom¡­ what is it?¡± ¡°2.43 million gold tana and extraordinary materials equivalent to 20 million gold tana. Of course, this is for the soldiers, other nobles, and enchanted equipment. As for you, the Countess¡¯ price was the Betel Barony.¡± Viscount Leon-Castell said. ¡°The Betel Barony¡­¡± Hearing the Old Viscount¡¯s words, Count Linte¡¯s expression was complex. He closed his eyes gently and let out a helpless sigh. Viscount Leon-Castell continued. ¡°Lord Boite-Linte, news from the capital has arrived. The central meeting will convene in a little over a month to investigate the Third Prince Philip¡¯s actions in the Castell-Borde war.¡± ¡°This war was essentially due to the Third Prince Philip¡¯s unilateral actions. You know well what kind of person the Third Prince is and what he did to Lady Eleanor¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ve all heard of your reputation as a true knight. The Countess hopes that at the central meeting in a month, you can stand up and expose the Third Prince¡¯s crimes.¡± Count Linte fell silent after hearing the Old Viscount¡¯s words. ¡°Of course, whether you stand up or not is your choice. The Countess only hopes you will. You know well whether the Third Prince is suitable as an heir to the throne.¡± Viscount Leon-Castell added. After a long time, Count Linte sighed. ¡°Let me¡­ think about it¡­¡± ¡°Of course, there is still some time before the meeting. You have ample time to consider.¡± The Old Viscount smiled. He then glanced at the time and bowed to Count Linte. ¡°Lord Boite-Linte, the Countess¡¯ knights will escort you to join the Violet team. I must report to the Countess now, so I will not accompany you.¡± With that, the Old Viscount turned to leave. ¡°Wait¡­¡± Count Linte suddenly called out to him. ¡°Lord Boite-Linte, is there something else you wish to say?¡± The Old Viscount asked. Count Linte hesitated before saying, ¡°Please tell Lord Castell that Baron Betel¡­ is a vassal worth recruiting.¡± ¡°He is an excellent commander and a true knight.¡± Hearing this, Viscount Leon-Castell raised an eyebrow slightly, surprised that, as the heir of the Boite-Linte family, he would speak so highly of the last bloodline of the Veillet family. ¡°I will, but¡­ Baron Betel has been missing for many days. Some soldiers said they saw him being knocked off his horse and falling into the Dorn River that night. He is likely already dead.¡± Recalling the news from a few days ago, Viscount Leon-Castell said. Hearing this, Count Linte opened his mouth but ultimately sighed deeply. ¡°Perhaps¡­ this is fate.¡± ¡­ After Violet handed over the contract documents, Count Linte and the other first batch of captives were released. During this time, Castell had not mistreated them. The captives were mostly put to work clearing the war debris in Northport and repairing the city walls. As for the nobles, they were well-fed and cared for, as they were walking tana for the victors. ¡°Has he been sent away?¡± In the nobles¡¯ restroom at the Northport Church Hospital, Charlotte elegantly sipped sweet milk as she asked. She had come to the Church Hospital today specifically to see Eleanor. Although her consolations had improved Eleanor¡¯s mental state, she was still severely traumatized and needed rest and treatment. In this regard, the Holy Court was more adept than she was. So, Eleanor had been receiving treatment from Lottie at the Church Hospital for the past few days. And today was the final treatment session. ¡°Yes, Countess. Count Linte has already been taken back by the people of Violet. However, he did not clearly state that he would expose the Third Prince¡¯s crimes at the central meeting in a month.¡± Viscount Leon-Castell said respectfully. ¡°No matter. He is not the only witness. It is better to have more, but not necessary.¡± Charlotte said indifferently. ¡°By the way, Countess, Count Linte said a few words before he left, asking me to convey them to you.¡± Viscount Leon-Castell hesitated before saying respectfully. ¡°Oh? What did he say?¡± Charlotte was curious. sea??h the ¦ÇovelFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°He said that Baron Betel is a vassal worth recruiting, an excellent commander, and a true knight.¡± The Old Viscount replied. ¡°Baron Betel¡­¡± Charlotte mulled over the name and pondered. ¡°If I remember correctly, a report a few days ago mentioned that this baron fell into the Dorn River and went missing?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± The Old Viscount nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind. We will see if any news comes up. That battle was chaotic, and many nobles went missing. Given how much time has passed, he is likely already dead.¡± Charlotte said. She then seemed to think of something and asked. ¡°By the way, how are things up north?¡± The Old Viscount replied respectfully. ¡°The northern campaign is progressing smoothly. Our troops have advanced to the last direct territory of the Griss family. Viscount Roman-Four and the mercenary group¡¯s support have also arrived, and we should soon quell the rebellion completely. However¡­¡± ¡°However what?¡± ¡°However, we have encountered some issues near Northport. Many fleeing soldiers from that night have not been captured. Their attacks on towns have become more frequent recently, causing significant distress to the nobles and commoners¡­¡± Charlotte frowned. ¡°After all this time, they still haven¡¯t caught a few deserters?¡± Seeing Charlotte¡¯s displeasure, the Old Viscount quickly bowed his head, sweat forming on his forehead. ¡°I have dispatched cavalry units for a sweep. I assure you, within a week, we will have a satisfactory result for you!¡± Charlotte nodded slightly in approval. At that moment, the ward door gently opened, and Priest Lottie, dressed in priestly robes, walked out, looking exhausted. Seeing Charlotte, she bowed respectfully. ¡°Countess¡­¡± Charlotte waved her hand to waive the formalities and asked. ¡°How is the treatment going?¡± Lottie sighed and said, ¡°The situation¡­ is not very good.¡± Chapter 316: The Future of Borde In the hospital room.Duchess Eleanor de Borde sat half-reclined by the window, staring absentmindedly at the branches outside. The door was gently pushed open, and Charlotte and Lottie walked in. Upon hearing the sound, Eleanor quickly turned around, her face filled with tension. However, when she saw it was Charlotte and Lottie, her expression quickly returned to normal, and she gave a pure, innocent smile. ¡°Cha¡­ Charlotte! Hello! Charlotte!¡± Her innocent and romantic demeanor was more like that of a seven or eight-year-old child rather than a noblewoman in her late twenties. Seeing her in this state, Charlotte¡¯s gaze sharpened. Taking a deep breath, Charlotte walked over and sat down beside her, then gently asked. ¡°Ms. Eleanor, do you¡­ know who you are?¡± ¡°Elea¡­ Eleanor, I am Eleanor.¡± Eleanor pointed to herself and giggled. Priestess Lottie sighed. ¡°Countess, her mental issues are more complex than I imagined¡­¡± ¡°Tests show her intelligence has been permanently damaged, probably due to the corruption of dark magic and prolonged mental oppression¡­ the root cause is likely in her soul.¡± ¡°Although she hasn¡¯t become completely idiotic, her current mental age is that of a child¡­¡± ¡°I have tried various holy rituals, but none have had significant effects.¡± ¡°Her condition is beyond what our hospital can treat. The soul is the most mysterious domain, and even Legendary mages cannot fully understand its mysteries¡­¡± ¡°If there is truly someone in this world who can save her, it would likely be the Gods.¡± Saying this, Lottie couldn¡¯t help but glance at Charlotte and then bowed slightly, hinting respectfully. ¡°Countess, if even you cannot save her, then perhaps no one can.¡± Hearing Lottie¡¯s words, Charlotte fell silent. Lottie knew her ¡°identity¡±, which is why she spoke this way. But Charlotte knew her own limitations. Her so-called ¡°God¡± identity was entirely dependent on the Gospel of Blood. Although she could use the blood divine power to perform some miracles and even wield some divine authority, she knew little about the domain of the soul. If she could cure Eleanor, she would have done so already. After all, she held no great grudge against her. In fact, they were relatives, and from the inherited memories, the original Charlotte had a decent relationship with Eleanor in her childhood. Charlotte had considered turning Eleanor into a bloodborne, but bloodbornes were inherently prone to madness. With Eleanor¡¯s mental state, if she were to be transformed recklessly, she might go mad before her regenerative abilities could help. That would be far worse than being mentally impaired. Such risky and potentially revealing actions were not something Charlotte would take impulsively. Perhaps in the future, as her power grew and her understanding of the soul deepened, she might be able to help Eleanor, but certainly not now. Eleanor¡¯s condition reminded Charlotte of Reina in the Count¡¯s mansion. Reina also suffered from intellectual damage, but unlike Eleanor, it was due to the curse of the Blood Demon Archduke, whereas Eleanor¡¯s problem was directly in her soul. Comparatively, Eleanor¡¯s problem might be lighter, but unfortunately, it was still beyond Charlotte¡¯s current abilities. ¡°I understand. This matter requires long-term consideration. Let her rest well for now.¡± Charlotte sighed. ¡­ After visiting Eleanor, Charlotte left the hospital room. Seeing her come out, the waiting nobles quickly approached. ¡°Countess, how is Duchess Eleanor?¡± Viscount Leon-Castell asked curiously. Charlotte shook her head. ¡°Her intelligence is impaired and it¡¯s difficult to cure¡­¡± Hearing this, the nobles exchanged glances. Noticing Charlotte¡¯s slightly furrowed brow, the Old Viscount thought for a moment and said, ¡°Countess¡­ actually, this is not necessarily a bad thing for us in Castell.¡± ¡°Not only that, if we look at it differently, Duchess Eleanor¡¯s current state might actually be an opportunity for you!¡± ¡°Oh? An opportunity?¡± Charlotte glanced at the old viscount. Viscount Leon-Castell nodded and said, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Given Eleanor¡¯s current state, she certainly can¡¯t take over the governance of Borde. In other words, she can no longer fulfill the duties of ruling Borde.¡± ¡°In this situation, you can completely intervene in Borde¡¯s affairs as a member of its branch family!¡± He stepped forward and whispered. ¡°With the ruler unable to govern, the nobles will undoubtedly form a regency council. Since we have not formally signed a treaty with Borde, we are still nominally Borde¡¯s vassals¡­¡± ¡°Tell me, is there any other noble house in all of Borde stronger than us in Castell, more capable of taking the regent¡¯s position?¡± ¡°Once we gain the lead role in the regency council and the recognition of Borde¡¯s nobles, you could effectively become the true master of Borde!¡± ¡°Moreover, when the time is right, you could even dethrone her and take her place, claiming the title of Duchess of Borde by lineage!¡± Sea??h the ¦ÇovelFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Hearing the Old Viscount¡¯s words, Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but look at him. ¡°Are you suggesting I usurp the title of Duchess of Borde?¡± ¡°Why not? According to Borde¡¯s inheritance laws, after Eleanor, you are among the top five in the line of succession due to your bloodline. You have the right to inherit.¡± ¡°Instead of seceding, directly becoming the Duchess of Borde would be a better option for you and Castell!¡± Viscount Leon-Castell smiled. Hearing his words, the other nobles¡¯ eyes lit up, and they looked at Charlotte differently. Needless to say, if Charlotte truly became the Duchess of Borde, they too would benefit! The nobles looked expectantly, but Charlotte shook her head slightly. ¡°This is not appropriate.¡± ¡°Countess, what are you hesitating for? Borde¡¯s elites are in our hands, other nobles are far away, and Duchess Eleanor is under our control!¡± ¡°Exactly! There¡¯s no better time to intervene in Borde¡¯s court!¡± ¡°Countess, Castell is originally a branch of Borde. You are a member of the Borde family! You are a legitimate contender for the title of Duchess of Borde!¡± The nobles clamored. Seeing this group of nobles eager to crown her, Charlotte twitched her lips. She shook her head and said, ¡°Perhaps you have a point, but I cannot become the Duchess of Borde.¡± Then, she looked at Viscount Leon-Castell. ¡°Viscount Leon-Castell, do you remember what gave the Third Prince the confidence to declare war on Castell?¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, the Old Viscount was slightly stunned, and then his expression changed. His eyes flickered and he said with difficulty. ¡°It was¡­ His Majesty the King.¡± ¡°Yes, his Majesty the King.¡± Charlotte sighed. She walked to the window in the corridor, looking at the budding branches outside, and said, ¡°His Majesty the King allowed the Third Prince to declare war on Castell because he wanted to strengthen central authority¡­¡± ¡°Do you think he would allow a noble ¡®inclined towards the church¡¯ to become the new Duchess of Borde?¡± The nobles fell silent at her words. The answer was clear: it was impossible. Given his vigilance towards Castell, the King would never allow Charlotte to seize the Borde Duchy. For the royal family, reclaiming Borde¡¯s title was the best option. Doing so openly was not feasible; Eleanor had already inherited the title, and even the royal family couldn¡¯t easily depose her. But they could prevent others from taking the title and aim for the succession after Eleanor¡¯s eventual passing. ¡°However¡­¡± Charlotte continued, her tone turning thoughtful. ¡°You are right about one thing: the leaderless Borde does indeed need a regent¡­¡± Chapter 317: The Regent Minister After instructing Lottie to take good care of Eleanor, Charlotte left the church hospital.The arrival of the royal envoy marked a clear signal, announcing the end of the war. Following the peace talks with the Violet Duchy, negotiations with Borde would soon commence. Upon leaving the church hospital, Charlotte headed to Tulip County to complete the actual handover of the domain. The Tulip County was without a lord, only guarded by Count Gaston. With his support, the transition of the domain proceeded smoothly. The Tulip nobles, who often intermarried with Castell and had extensive commercial dealings with them, did not resist. Instead, they naturally accepted Charlotte¡¯s rule. This was understandable since geographically, the Tulip territory was part of the north. Economically and by bloodline, they were closely connected. Moreover, after witnessing Castell¡¯s victory over Borde, this tiny county, which lacked even a viscount, had no capital to resist. Borde had long considered it a direct territory to strengthen control over Castell, avoiding the rise of significant noble families. In the end, this benefitted Castell in merging with Tulip County. In the Tulip fortress, Charlotte met with the local nobles, totaling six barons. Although the land treaty between Borde and Castell was yet to be formally signed, the Tulip nobles did not formally swear allegiance to Charlotte. Still, their words and actions already showed their submission to Castell. After meeting the nobles, Charlotte had a private conversation with Count Gaston for an hour. No one knew what Charlotte and Count Gaston discussed. After their talk, Count Gaston handed over all control of Tulip County to Castell and left alone. He used the long-distance teleportation array provided by the Violet Duchy to return to Borde. Handing over the extraordinary troops his family had nurtured for more than a decade was hard to understand. Sea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Not only the Tulip nobles but even the Castell nobles found it hard to comprehend. Some said it was an agreement between Count Gaston and Castell; others speculated it was due to Countess Castell abandoning her celibacy, intending to marry into the Gaston family. The most ridiculous rumor claimed that Count Gaston had fallen for Charlotte, which led him to first help Castell resist Borde and then hand over the troops¡­ Even though Count Gaston was old enough to be Charlotte¡¯s grandfather. Despite being the most absurd theory, many believed it, including numerous nobles. Especially those who had seen the young Countess of Castell. ¡°She is indeed a beautiful lady, youthful, lovely, and pure¡­like an angel sent by the God!¡± ¡°Hic, not just Count Gaston, even I would fall for her just from a distant glance.¡± A fallen noble bragged in a tavern, hiccuping as he recounted his sighting of Charlotte at a Count¡¯s banquet. In short, rumors about Count Gaston and Countess Castell were rampant for a time. The romantic exploits of nobles, especially those of high rank, even if baseless, always intrigued people. Gossip is timeless. Especially in eras with scarce entertainment, such stories are always popular. It wasn¡¯t until the city hall of Northport sternly dealt with a group of rumor-mongering mercenaries and fallen nobles that these wild rumors began to subside. Of course, this suppression was only within direct-controlled territories. In Castell¡¯s vassal lands and surrounding areas, such talk continued to thrive in taverns and salons. Simultaneously, stories of how charming, stunning, and beautiful the young Countess of Castell were spread wider, enhancing Charlotte¡¯s already prominent reputation as the ¡°Pearl of Borde¡± and ¡°Beautiful Lord.¡± The ripple effect even influenced Castell¡¯s diplomacy. Charlotte was surprised to find that more nobles, including heirs and lords themselves, began visiting Castell. However, events in Borde soon overshadowed these rumors. After returning to the Borde Duchy, Count Gaston quickly rallied the scattered Borde nobles, forming a regency council under the banner of being Castell¡¯s ally and Borde¡¯s supporter, and started peace negotiations with Castell. Count Gaston, with his significant influence, was unanimously elected as Regent Minister by the Borde nobles. When this news broke, many astute nobles pieced things together. ¡°Count Gaston must have made some deal with Castell, supporting Castell¡¯s independence, merging the Tulip territory, and gaining control over the Tulip troops in exchange for Castell¡¯s backing¡­¡± ¡°Borde is the defeated side, with many nobles captured. No one is better suited than Count Gaston to represent Borde in negotiations with Castell.¡± An experienced kingdom lord surmised. However, some Castell nobles were puzzled when this news reached them. ¡°Countess, are you not aiming for the Regent Minister position?¡± Viscount Leon-Castell couldn¡¯t help but ask. Charlotte shook her head. ¡°Compete? Why should I? As Regent Minister, I¡¯d still be Borde¡¯s vassal. Even if I controlled Borde in reality, what good would that do?¡± ¡°Viscount, think long-term. Our goal was never Borde. Borde is not our endgame.¡± She continued with a slight smile. ¡°Besides, having Count Gaston as Regent Minister changes nothing for us and even helps divert the King¡¯s attention.¡± Count Gaston moved swiftly. As Regent Minister, he quickly began ¡°negotiations¡± with Castell, and the peace treaty was soon made public. The treaty¡¯s reparations were similar to those with the Violet Duchy. The Borde Duchy would pay 6 million gold tana in ransom for all captured nobles and soldiers, including Duchess Eleanor, and an equivalent of 15 million gold tana in extraordinary materials. All ransoms had to be paid within three months, and the costs of housing and feeding the captives during this period were Borde¡¯s responsibility. In addition, Borde would recognize Castell¡¯s independence and sovereignty over the Tulip territory. It¡¯s worth noting that after the treaty was signed, Duchess Eleanor was not immediately released but continued to recuperate in Castell. Thus, the Borde-Castell War officially ended. As the biggest winner, Charlotte not only unified the northern territories but also received a massive ransom and nearly 1,500 sets of kingdom-standard equipment. However, despite the gains, Charlotte felt like she had forgotten something. Three days after the official treaty was signed, news came from the north about the Isaac prisoner camp being attacked by Violet deserters. Charlotte suddenly remembered that several thousand Isaac cavalry prisoners, who had participated in the Castell rebellion, were still unaccounted for. Chapter 318: Interesting Bandits ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that the troops sent out a few days ago to capture those Violet deserters not only failed to complete their mission but also allowed our prisoner camp to be attacked?¡±In the Count¡¯s mansion, Charlotte sat on the lord¡¯s chair, looking at the noble officer responsible for pursuing the deserters, her brows slightly furrowed. Facing her gaze, the noble officer looked embarrassed and quickly bowed to admit his fault. ¡°Countess, it was my negligence. I underestimated the trouble those Violet bandits would cause¡­¡± ¡°But rest assured, our prisoner camp is heavily guarded. Although it was ambushed, the losses were minimal.¡± Charlotte shook her head. ¡°Just being attacked is disgraceful enough. Those were only some deserters from the Northport battle.¡± She paused for a moment. ¡°And you say the losses were minimal. Does that mean there were some losses? What exactly was lost?¡± The noble officer swallowed and cautiously replied. ¡°Around two to three hundred Isaac prisoners escaped in the chaos.¡± Charlotte: ¡­ ¡°Were they recaptured?¡± She asked, frowning. The noble officer¡¯s embarrassment deepened. ¡°No¡­ they weren¡¯t¡­¡± Charlotte¡¯s frown deepened further. ¡°Oh? So you couldn¡¯t clean up the rampaging deserters, and you can¡¯t recapture the escaped prisoners either?¡± Facing the girl¡¯s penetrating gaze, the noble officer swallowed hard and hurriedly explained. ¡°Countess, it¡¯s not for lack of trying. Those bandits are exceedingly cunning¡­¡± Charlotte: ¡­ Damn, why does this sentence sound so familiar? ¡°Weren¡¯t you capturing prisoners? How did it involve the Violet deserters? Do you mean to say those Violet deserters recruited the escaped Isaac prisoners?¡± Charlotte frowned. However, as she finished speaking, she saw the noble officer¡¯s expression grow even more awkward, without refuting her. Charlotte: ¡­ She was stunned for a moment. ¡°So, they were indeed recruited by the Violet deserters?¡± The noble officer dared not answer directly and cautiously said, ¡°We¡­ we found traces of those Isaac cavalrymen while tracking the deserters. They¡­ they seemed to have joined forces.¡± Charlotte: ¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t these deserters know we¡¯ve already made peace with Violet?¡± She asked, frowning. But before the noble could answer, she shook her head and muttered to herself. ¡°No, news of the war¡¯s end has spread throughout the territory. Even the drunks in the taverns know we¡¯ve signed a peace treaty with Violet. These deserters, who have attacked towns, couldn¡¯t possibly be unaware¡­¡± The noble officer also nodded. ¡°They surely know. To dispel their resistance, we even shouted at them during the chase, but instead of surrendering, it seemed to have the opposite effect.¡± ¡°Not only that, they¡¯ve made contacts with many defiant villagers, so news surely isn¡¯t blocked¡­¡± Charlotte felt something was off as she listened. ¡°Wait¡­ Are you saying that many of the locals are helping them?¡± The noble officer sighed. ¡°That¡¯s right. These deserters are quite cunning and very different from what I expected. They skillfully exploit the hatred some villagers have towards the nobles. When they attack villages and towns, they target only the disliked nobles and merchants, never robbing the villagers.¡± ¡°Moreover, after seizing money and supplies, they take only half, distributing the rest to the local villagers, making them willing to cover for them and report any movements to them¡­¡± ¡°Our biggest challenge in not having cleared them out yet is their ability to always anticipate our moves and escape before we can encircle them.¡± Charlotte: ¡­ The more she listened, the more familiar it all sounded. ¡°What happened to the nobles and merchants they attacked?¡± Charlotte asked again. The noble hesitated, then said, ¡°Most were released after paying the ransom, a few were killed by the villagers.¡± Charlotte was stunned. ¡°Killed by the villagers?¡± ¡°Yes, they handed over those nobles to the villagers, who then killed them!¡± The noble officer angrily responded. Charlotte: ¡­ ¡°Those killed nobles, were they all notorious?¡± She paused, then suddenly asked. The noble officer instinctively wanted to deny it but, facing Charlotte¡¯s piercing gaze, he hesitated and finally confessed. ¡°Their reputations¡­ might not have been the best¡­¡± Charlotte¡¯s expression turned peculiar upon hearing this. ¡°So these deserters are helping clean up Castell for me?¡± The noble officer¡¯s expression changed, and he quickly said, ¡°Countess, please don¡¯t think that way! These bandits, wherever they go, plunder or destroy all military supplies stored by local noble families and incite the villagers to revolt against the lords!¡± ¡°They¡­ they¡¯re undermining our rule!¡± Charlotte glanced at him. ¡°If our rule in Castell can be undermined by this, then it only means our rule is truly unpopular and in need of serious reform.¡± The noble officer opened his mouth but didn¡¯t know what to say. Sea?ch* The novelF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte touched her chin, a hint of interest flashing across her face. ¡°These deserters are quite interesting¡­¡± ¡°To achieve this, there must be a leader among them, and they must be quite talented!¡± She looked at the noble officer, feeling a budding interest in recruiting the leader of these Violet deserters. ¡°Do you know who¡¯s leading these deserters? Have you spoken to them?¡± The noble officer was taken aback, then awkwardly shook his head. ¡°We don¡¯t know yet.¡± ¡°These deserters are highly organized. We haven¡¯t captured any prisoners, so we¡¯re unclear who¡¯s directing them¡­¡± ¡°As for speaking¡­ we¡¯d like to, but they hold a deep grudge against Castell. We haven¡¯t had the opportunity.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s likely a fallen noble from Violet. According to the villagers who¡¯ve seen the deserters, they refer to their leader as ¡®Sir¡¯ or ¡®Baron¡¯¡­¡± Charlotte¡¯s heart skipped a beat at the noble officer¡¯s words. ¡°A Baron, huh¡­¡± At that moment, she thought of Baron Betel, who had been missing since the Northport battle and whose title had been transferred to her by the Violet Duchy. ¡°Could it be such a coincidence?¡± Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but mutter. After some thought, she said, ¡°Send my orders: within three days, I want the name of this ¡®Baron¡¯ behind the deserters.¡± Charlotte quickly issued the order to investigate the identity of the deserter leader. With the direct order from the lord, the nobles¡¯ efficiency increased. Moreover, the deserters¡¯ activities have become more prominent recently, making it harder for them to stay hidden. Within two days, Castell had the information on their leader. ¡°Guillaume de Betel-Veillet?¡± Charlotte was slightly taken aback, seeing the name. Clicking her tongue, she chuckled lightly. ¡°So it is Betel, and from the Veillet family, no wonder he refused to negotiate with Castell¡­¡± She thought for a moment, then instructed the maid Sherry. ¡°Sherry, call Agnes over. She has a new task to undertake.¡± Chapter 319: Baron Betel In the north of Castell, about 120 kilometers away from Northport, there was a forest.Under the trees, Violet soldiers in various outfits were gathered in groups, resting against the tree trunks. There were about five hundred of them, most of whom were conscripted peasants, though there were also a few armored elite soldiers. At the forest¡¯s edge, hundreds of horses of various colors were tied up, most of which had been stolen from different parts of Castell in recent days. Not far from them were more than two hundred soldiers dressed in distinct northern-style attire, wearing Isaac light cavalry uniforms, forming a loosely connected circle with the Violet soldiers. These Isaac soldiers clearly did not get along well with the Violet soldiers, each looking fierce and as wild as untamed wolves. But when their eyes fell on the middle-aged man at the forefront of the Violet troops, their expressions turned to respect and fear. This man, appearing to be in his thirties or forties, wore a battered suit of armor with a violet crest engraved on the breastplate, marking him as a noble. ¡°Baron, our food supplies are running low. We can last for only three more days at most. We need to find a way to replenish them.¡± Before the middle-aged noble, a Violet knight responsible for logistics spoke with concern. The middle-aged noble nodded slightly. ¡°There is another baron¡¯s castle thirty kilometers northeast. That will be our next target.¡± Hearing the noble¡¯s words, the knight hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Baron, there is confirmed news from the south that the war is over. We¡­ no longer have any reason to fight against Castell.¡± The middle-aged noble gave him a glance. ¡°Are you questioning my decision?¡± The knight quickly lowered his head. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare¡­¡± Taking a deep breath, he continued, gritting his teeth. ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­ the Duke has already negotiated peace with Countess Castell. Even if we continue to fight, it¡¯s pointless.¡± ¡°Baron, over these days of following you, I¡¯ve seen firsthand how you¡¯ve rallied the defeated troops bit by bit, trained us into a brave force despite our low morale, and led us to repeatedly break through encirclements and launch surprise attacks on Castell¡¯s nobles¡­¡± ¡°In these days, you¡¯ve led us to win against larger forces, nearly crossing a third of Castell, turning the northern region upside down, scaring those incompetent nobles into wetting their pants when they see us.¡± ¡°Moreover¡­ under your righteous and benevolent military strategy, even though we are striking at Castell¡¯s rear, the northern commoners are willing to hide our whereabouts¡­¡± ¡°Baron, you are the most remarkable commander I have ever seen and the most upright, brave, and kind knight I¡¯ve ever known. It is my honor and pride to fight alongside you.¡± ¡°But¡­ please look at everyone. After so many days of battle, everyone is too tired. The Duke has already ceased hostilities, and everyone longs to return home.¡± ¡°With the war pressure gone from Castell, more and more troops are coming to hunt us down. If this continues, we could be surrounded and wiped out at any moment.¡± ¡°Baron, this is meaningless. We¡­ have no reason to keep fighting.¡± Hearing the knight¡¯s words, the middle-aged noble fell silent. His gaze fell on the Violet soldiers, seeing their weary expressions and the confused looks upon hearing about the peace talks. He sighed deeply. ¡°Yes, the war is over.¡± ¡°You¡­ indeed have no reason to continue fighting.¡± Seeing the complex expression on the middle-aged noble¡¯s face, the knight hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°Baron, it¡¯s not just us. You too¡­¡± ¡°I know you fight for your lord and honor, but the Duke has already transferred you to Castell. Legally speaking, your lord is now Castell.¡± ¡°Recently, Northport has sent multiple messages saying that the young Countess seems to appreciate you greatly. Once this conflict is over, you will surely be valued highly by Castell!¡± ¡°Valued highly by Castell¡­¡± The middle-aged noble¡¯s eyes flashed with mockery at the knight¡¯s words. ¡°I, Guillaume de Betel-Veillet, can bow to anyone but will never bow to Castell!¡± The knight hesitated. ¡°Are you still resentful over the fall of the Veillet family?¡± S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Baron, forgive my bluntness, but the Star-Moon War was decades ago. The past is past, the future is what matters most.¡± ¡°In these recent battles, you must have seen that the current Countess of Castell, though a young girl, is absolutely qualified to be a wise ruler!¡± ¡°I think¡­ if you follow her, there will certainly be a chance to rebuild the Veillet family and let the Violet flag fly again!¡± ¡°Rebuild the Veillet family¡­¡± The middle-aged noble murmured, then shook his head. ¡®It¡¯s no longer possible. The Veillet family has vanished. The remaining members have become accustomed to a commoner¡¯s life and no longer have the qualifications to revive the family.¡± ¡°But, isn¡¯t there still you? You are also a collateral branch of the Veillet family!¡± ¡°Me?¡± The middle-aged noble shook his head again. ¡°I am not of true Veillet blood, only a child adopted by the late Duke back then¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s all the more reason you shouldn¡¯t be fighting against Castell! The Veillet era has passed, you should look forward.¡± The knight couldn¡¯t help but say. The middle-aged noble glanced at him and shook his head once more. ¡°The Veillet family showed me great kindness. My life belongs to the Veillet family, and I will never betray them¡­¡± ¡°Castell is the Veillet family¡¯s enemy, and thus, my enemy.¡± He continued, addressing the knight. ¡°You are right, there is no meaning for everyone to keep fighting. When we reach the nearest town in Castell, you can take everyone to negotiate peace with Castell.¡± After saying this, the middle-aged noble turned and walked into the forest. ¡°What about you? Aren¡¯t you coming with us?¡± The young knight shouted, watching the noble¡¯s retreating figure. ¡°I will follow the oldest tradition and put an end to the grudge between Veillet and Castell¡­¡± The knight¡¯s expression changed. ¡°The oldest tradition?! You plan to engage in a knight¡¯s duel?!¡± ¡°Are you out of your mind? Countess Castell¡¯s strongest follower is the Crimson Blade, Sebastian! He is a genuine pinnacle Silver Moon knight!¡± Despite the knight¡¯s desperate shouts, the middle-aged noble no longer responded. As the soldiers finished their rest and prepared to depart, a soldier on patrol came stumbling in from the outside. ¡°Baron! Baron! Cavalry, likely from Castell, are flanking us from outside the forest!¡± Upon hearing the scout¡¯s words, the soldiers began to stir. ¡°Castell¡¯s cavalry?¡± ¡°Ridiculous, how did they find us here?¡± However, Baron Betel¡¯s concern lay elsewhere. ¡°Likely?¡± He asked with a frown. ¡°Baron, they¡­ they are carrying the Violet flower flag!¡± The soldier responded. Chapter 320: The Contract is Over ¡°The Violet Flower flag?¡±¡°Veil¡­ Veillet?¡± The Violet soldiers were stunned by the scout¡¯s words. Although the Star-Moon War had ended over a decade ago, the prestige and legends of the Veillet family, which had ruled the Violet Duchy for nearly a thousand years, were still deeply ingrained in their hearts. Baron Betel was no different. He pondered for a moment and then suddenly realized something. He began searching through his pockets and quickly found a string of badges tied together with a cord. The badge was shaped like a Violet flower, engraved with intricate patterns and complex magical runes. At this moment, it was faintly glowing as if responding to something. Seeing the light of the badge, Baron Betel¡¯s expression changed instantly. This was the family crest of the Veillet family. Only the direct descendants and recognized members of the Veillet family would possess it, and they could sense each other. ¡°Baron, should we try to negotiate with them or withdraw in another direction?¡± A Violet knight, who had been following Betel, couldn¡¯t help but ask. Baron Betel stared at the Violet badge in his hand for a while, then glanced suspiciously towards the outside of the forest, his expression hesitant. Soon, another veteran on guard duty brought more news. ¡°Baron! Baron! Their troops have stopped about five hundred meters outside the forest! They¡¯ve signaled they want to meet with you! And¡­ they¡¯re using signals from the Star-Moon War period!¡± ¡°Signals from the Star-Moon War period?¡± Baron Betel¡¯s eyes narrowed. After a brief hesitation, he spoke in a low voice. ¡°Everyone, get into battle positions and prepare for both combat and retreat¡­¡± ¡°Some of you, come with me to meet them.¡± Selecting a few volunteer knights and soldiers, Baron Betel walked out of the forest. Outside the forest, heavily armed Castell cavalry were stationed about five hundred meters away, numbering perhaps a thousand or two. They held high the Violet Flower flag and a leading knight waved a white battle flag, signaling a ceasefire for negotiations. Baron Betel motioned for his accompanying soldiers to stop, then stepped forward, looking towards the Castell army, his gaze moving among the cavalry. In a deep voice, he said, ¡°I am Guillaume, the Violet¡¯s Commander.¡± ¡°Who is it? Who wants to see me?¡± Upon seeing Baron Betel, a fully armored knight from the Castell side rode out from the ranks and approached Baron Betel. He was tall, nearly two meters in height. Seeing the approaching knight, the Violet soldiers immediately became wary. As a First Tier extraordinary individual, Baron Betel¡¯s vision was better. He immediately noticed the same violet flower crest on the chest of the other knight¡¯s equally weathered armor. His eyes narrowed slightly. The Castell knight soon stopped a short distance from Baron Betel. He halted his warhorse, standing in the shadow of a tree, his weathered gaze behind his helmet falling on Baron Betel, sighing. ¡°Little Guillaume¡­ it really is you.¡± Hearing this long-forgotten nickname and the somewhat familiar voice, Baron Betel¡¯s expression became dazed. He looked at the tall knight before him in surprise, his voice deep. ¡°Who are you?¡± The Castell knight slowly removed his helmet, revealing a weathered and resolute face. Upon seeing that familiar face, old memories instantly revived in Baron Betel¡¯s mind. ¡°Sir¡­ Sir Lahel? You¡­ you¡¯re still alive!¡± sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Recognizing the person, Baron Betel¡¯s eyes widened. Lahel de Raine. The last knight commander of the Veillet family, a loyal knight to the direct line of Veillet, and the riding and swordsmanship instructor for the last batch of Violet knights, including Baron Betel, trained at the Violet castle. Lahel smiled slightly and said, ¡°Guillaume, it¡¯s been a long time.¡± ¡°After all these years, you have become an excellent commander who can hold his own.¡± Looking at Lahel, Baron Betel¡¯s expression became dazed, and he couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°Sir Lahel, it has been a long time.¡± ¡°You¡­ look almost the same as back then¡­¡± After speaking, as if he thought of something, Baron Betel¡¯s expression changed again, becoming instantly alert. ¡°Why are you in the Castell army, and why are you deliberately displaying the Veillet flag?¡± ¡°Could it be that you have pledged allegiance to Castell and betrayed Veillet?¡± Hearing Baron Betel¡¯s words, Lahel shook his head. ¡°Betray Veillet? No, of course not.¡± ¡°I have always been a loyal knight to Veillet. I was, I am, and I always will be.¡± ¡°The reason I am here is that my young mistress wants to see you. She was once your young master too.¡± ¡°Young mistress?¡± Baron Betel was stunned. After speaking, Lahel turned to look towards the Castell army and shouted. ¡°Miss, it is indeed Baron Betel! Guillaume de Betel-Veillet!¡± Upon hearing Lahel¡¯s words, the Castell army stirred slightly. The cavalry parted, making way. Soon, a young woman on a black warhorse, dressed in a black noble gown and cape, appeared in Baron Betel¡¯s sight. The mysterious young woman rode up to Lahel¡¯s side, and the already dismounted Lahel respectfully stood a step behind her. ¡°You¡­ who are you¡­¡± Looking at the noble attire adorned with the Violet flower on the young woman, Baron Betel¡¯s confusion deepened. Then, the young woman, also in the shade of the tree, removed her cloak, revealing her true appearance. She was a beautiful young girl, around seventeen or eighteen years old. She had the beautiful flaxen hair unique to the direct line of the Veillet family, and her amber eyes were full of smiles. ¡°Brother Guillaume, long time no see.¡± Seeing the beautiful young girl before him, old memories fully revived. Her image overlapped with a distant memory, and Baron Betel¡¯s eyes widened, his expression filled with disbelief. ¡°Miss¡­ Agnes?!¡± ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re still alive too?!¡± But soon, his gaze narrowed, his expression turning puzzled. ¡°No, is it really you? How can you look so young, just like back then?¡± ¡°And¡­ why are you standing with the Castell army?¡± Hearing Baron Betel¡¯s words, Agnes sighed. ¡°It¡¯s a long story¡­¡± ¡°The feud between the Veillet family and Castell has ended. The current Castell is a force helping to revive the Veillet family and the suzerain the Veillet family follows.¡± Saying this, Agnes looked at Baron Betel and earnestly said, ¡°Brother Guillaume, Veillet is no longer your lord. Your knightly contract with the Veillet family¡­ is also over.¡± Chapter 321: Audience At Northport.When the Castell cavalry returned from their ¡°bandit suppression¡± mission, the original force of 1,500 had swelled to over 2,000. Citizens lined the streets, curiously watching the army enter the city gates, especially those in the middle of the formation who had laid down their weapons. Their armor and shields are clearly marked with the Violet crest. ¡°Those are the Violet deserters who were rampaging in the north!¡± ¡°Is it really them? I heard they made those noble lords cry for their mothers¡­¡± ¡°Absolutely! I heard they even robbed Baron Nacelle¡¯s estate, that beast who enforced the right of the first night!¡± ¡°Good for them! It¡¯s a relief to see them get some payback!¡± ¡°However, they were ultimately defeated by the Countess.¡± ¡°Of course, the Countess is formidable. She led Castell to victory against the coalition forces of two duchies!¡± ¡°What do you think¡­ how will the Countess deal with these deserters?¡± ¡°She¡¯ll probably demand a ransom from Violet.¡± ¡°Such a shame¡­ the Countess despises the misconduct of nobles. If only she could keep them.¡± ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not the Violet soldiers that matter, it¡¯s their commander. I heard it¡¯s thanks to their commander¡¯s skills that the deserters were organized.¡± ¡°The commander? Is he a noble too?¡± ¡°Of course, from an ancient family, no less¡­¡± ¡°He does seem to share similarities with the Countess.¡± The citizens chattered among themselves, curiously observing the army entering the city. Within the formation, Baron Betel and Agnes, now disarmed, rode side by side, surrounded by layers of Castell knights. Listening to the citizens¡¯ discussions, Agnes turned to Baron Betel and smiled. ¡°Brother Guillaume, what do you think? Is the reputation of the Countess of Castell different from what you imagined?¡± Baron Betel was silent for a moment before nodding slightly. Agnes looked even more pleased. ¡°Therefore¡­ rest assured, she is different from other nobles. Her style aligns more with our Veillet family. I think¡­ you will fare better as her vassal than you did in Violet.¡± ¡°After all, one important reason you chose to follow my father was because our Veillet family treated commoners well!¡± Hearing Agnes¡¯ words, Baron Betel remained silent. He was not ignorant of Countess Castell¡¯s reputation. During his time conducting guerrilla warfare in the north, he had heard many stories about the Countess from the local commoners. He couldn¡¯t deny his curiosity and admiration for this legendary young woman. However, his previous stance and the longstanding feud between their families prevented any reconciliation. This thought reminded Baron Betel of the Veillet family¡¯s cries when they were stripped of their titles and reduced to commoners. ¡°Castell! We Veillet will be your enemies until death!¡± But now¡­ Seeing Agnes¡¯ proud smile and her casual talk about Castell, he realized that she, the true last direct descendant of the Veillet family, had truly let go of everything. Taking in Agnes¡¯ expression, Baron Betel felt conflicted. For many years, seeking revenge against Castell had been a part of his life. Now, suddenly told that all past grievances were resolved and that his former enemies had reconciled with his lord, he felt a mental shock. Baron Betel realized he needed time to adapt and accept this. But things had developed dramatically. He faced not only reconciliation but also becoming a vassal to the new countess, swearing allegiance. When he first learned of this, he had even considered dying alone. However, Agnes¡¯ arrival disrupted his plans, leaving him without a reason for such a drastic decision. Baron Betel was bewildered. He wasn¡¯t unsure about his future. As a noble and knight, he knew he would become a vassal of Castell. He knew he had no reason to oppose Castell anymore. But¡­ he truly didn¡¯t know how to face this young Countess, who was once his enemy and would now be his liege, or how she would treat him. After all, he had caused turmoil in Castell¡¯s rear for over a month, refusing to surrender even after the war ended. Although he hadn¡¯t harmed many civilians, he had created chaos in central Castell and earned the enmity of the northern nobles. He had even plundered noble estates, including some belonging to the Castell family, the young Countess¡¯s property. He had even killed a few estate managers and minor nobles. Of course, he only learned of this after being told. ¡°Guillaume, we¡¯ve arrived. The Countess is likely in her study now. The Countess¡¯ personal knights will take you to see her.¡± Unbeknownst to him, they had arrived at the Count¡¯s mansion. Lahel smiled at Baron Betel. After a moment of hesitation, Baron Betel dismounted and followed Agnes into the mansion. As soon as they entered, the butler and personal knights, who had been informed, came to greet them. ¡°Are you Baron Betel?¡± Rand, now the captain of Charlotte¡¯s personal knights, curiously examined Baron Betel. Seeing the young knight with Starry Sky strength, Baron Betel¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. He nodded. ¡°Yes, I am Guillaume de Betel-Veillet.¡± After speaking, he noticed the young knight¡¯s expression change immediately. The young knight gave him a thumbs-up and said enthusiastically. ¡°You¡¯re amazing! We¡¯ve long been fed up with those hypocritical, corrupt nobles! Castell needs true nobles and knights like you to deal with these degenerate scoundrels!¡± Baron Betel was stunned by the knight¡¯s admiring expression. ¡°Alright, follow me. The Countess has been waiting for you.¡± Rand smiled. Following the young knight, Baron Betel entered the mansion hall, went up to the second floor, and after several turns, arrived at a modestly luxurious study. ¡°Baron, please enter.¡± The knight gestured. Baron Betel hesitated for a moment before entering. Inside the study, a beautiful blonde girl was sitting behind a desk, writing something. ¡°Are you Baron Betel?¡± The girl put down her quill and asked curiously. Baron Betel hesitated briefly before nodding silently. ¡°You arrived just in time. This is the future development plan for the Betel Barony sent by the cabinet. See if it aligns with reality.¡± S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The girl pointed to a scroll on the desk. Chapter 322: Shes truly a Monster! Development¡­ plan?Hearing the young woman¡¯s words, Baron Betel was stunned. He had imagined the Countess of Castell might try to recruit him, or that she might haughtily await his declaration of loyalty like other noble lords. He even considered that she might first reprimand him, given his disruptive actions in the north, or subtly pressure him to relinquish his lands and title, becoming a landless noble due to other nobles¡¯ influence¡­ But he never imagined that upon meeting, she would simply hand him a stack of documents. A development plan? For the Betel Barony? Perplexed, Baron Betel took the parchment scroll and began to browse it in confusion. However, with just one glance, his eyes were glued to it. The contents of this development plan were incredibly compelling. The entire set of parchment roughly estimated to be eighty or ninety pages long, detailed a twenty-year construction period, divided into four phases, each spanning five years. The document meticulously outlined the significance and necessity of developing Betel Barony, the current conditions and foundational aspects, and the various existing problems within the barony. The descriptions were so thorough that they even surpassed his own understanding as the lord of the land. Following this comprehensive analysis, the plan detailed numerous measures and suggestions across several areas: infrastructure construction, fortification enhancements, security improvements, commercial trade development, agricultural improvements, and sustainable forest management. Each suggestion was interlinked, covering all bases and leaving no gaps. Some suggestions and measures were so insightful that even he, the local lord, found them enlightening, or they resonated with his own long-held ideas. The analysis of the barony¡¯s current developmental difficulties, in particular, offered solutions that enlightened him, solving many issues he had long fretted over. Especially regarding the security improvements for undead purges and the road construction in infrastructure development. He had long thought about these issues. Betel Barony, situated at the crossroads of Roman, Violet, and Castell territories, was a crucial trade route for all three regions. However, despite this prime location, it had failed to develop over the decades and had instead declined. The main reasons were the residual undead from the Star-Moon War and the dilapidated roads, which led to population decline. Moreover, to facilitate reader understanding, the parchment was inscribed with numerous magical illustrations and charts, making the content innovative and accessible. After glancing at it, Baron Betel was entirely captivated by this development plan. Unconsciously, he immersed himself in it, contemplating its feasibility. When he finally finished the entire scroll, he realized that nearly half a day had passed. Baron Betel snapped out of his absorption, feeling a wave of embarrassment. He quickly closed the parchment, ready to apologize, but then heard Charlotte¡¯s slightly amused voice from behind the desk. ¡°So, Baron, what do you think of this development report?¡± ¡°Excellent! Absolutely excellent! Since I was granted my barony, I have never seen such a detailed, rich, clearly targeted, and well-organized plan! It is visionary and valuable!¡± ¡°Especially the yearly planning and the pioneering use of charts. Even those who know nothing about governance, as long as they are literate, can understand it at a glance!¡± Baron Betel praised without hesitation. He couldn¡¯t help but add. ¡°Of course, perhaps because the authors did not have in-depth knowledge of Betel Barony, some suggestions still have flaws and difficulties. But overall, even achieving a third of these plans would completely transform the barony!¡± He spoke with admiration, then asked. ¡°Countess, who wrote this development plan? Undoubtedly, the author is incredibly talented!¡± Charlotte smiled. ¡°It was drafted by several ministers in the cabinet. Their names are listed at the end of the parchment.¡± ¡°The cabinet ministers?¡± Baron Betel was surprised, then sighed. ¡°No wonder Castell is flourishing. With such a professional cabinet, surpassing those corrupt noble territories is only natural.¡± Saying this, he turned to the last page of the parchment to see which Castell nobles had written this report, hoping to visit them in the future for advice. However, when Baron Betel saw the first name at the top, he froze. ¡°Charlotte de Castell?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but look up at the young woman, who smiled and said, ¡°I only provided the framework and direction, and designed the outline and chart requirements. The details and suggestions were mostly drafted by the cabinet.¡± ¡°They were the main contributors. I merely did some minor work.¡± Minor work? No! The framework and direction are the most crucial parts! Each suggestion could be thought of individually by experienced nobles based on actual conditions. But the hardest part is linking all these elements into a cohesive whole. More precisely, being able to outline the entire framework, plan a twenty-year development strategy, and set a long-term direction is the most challenging and critical. Not to mention the charts. To Baron Betel, the most eye-catching part was these straightforward charts. He could already envision how this clear form of expression could be applied to any aspect of territorial governance. These charts could concisely summarize problems, facilitating comparative analysis and helping to identify links between data and reality. Just by comparing the charts, he could suddenly understand many previous confusions about the barony¡¯s development, feeling a sense of enlightenment. Thinking of this, Baron Betel couldn¡¯t help but look at the young woman behind the desk, increasingly astonished. A nearly seventeen-year-old genius with extraordinary power that even he, an experienced knight, found intimidating¡­ A young leader who, within a year of taking the reins, had consolidated her territory and defeated the coalition forces of two duchies¡­ A wise lord who could casually design such a clear and comprehensive development plan, considering every aspect and prioritizing territorial growth¡­ By the Gods, what kind of monster has the Castell family produced? Baron Betel¡¯s feelings were extremely complicated. ¡°Baron, you mentioned that this plan has some flaws. Could you elaborate on them?¡± Charlotte asked again. Baron Betel was momentarily taken aback, then pondered. ¡°Yes, some details need careful consideration. Some plans and measures, though theoretically feasible and excellent, are challenging to implement and not entirely practical¡­¡± ¡°For example, the undead. It¡¯s not that Violet didn¡¯t want to purge the undead in Betel, but the contamination is more severe than expected. Without the intervention of Blazing Sun, it¡¯s almost impossible to resolve everything, and the costs are too high¡­¡± Listening to Baron Betel, Charlotte nodded and smiled. ¡°Could you provide some modifications to this plan?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Baron Betel instinctively replied. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He then picked up the parchment again, discussing the various issues with the young countess. For a moment, he completely forgot that he had been coerced into meeting his lord for ¡°disposal¡±¡­ Chapter 323: Castells Ambition ¡°Clearing the undead is very necessary. Considering the difficulty of the task, I suggest hiring a Blazing Sun mage. To reduce costs, we could promise them a forest where they can continuously collect magical beast materials.¡±¡°Don¡¯t worry about the undead cleansing. We have a professional team for that.¡± ¡°Oh, I see. I forgot about your good relationship with the Holy Court¡­ Then there¡¯s no problem with that. Also, regarding the road construction, I fully support this proposal, but I have a slight concern. Why extend the road directly to the border with the Roman Duchy? While it facilitates trade, it also seems a bit dangerous¡­¡± ¡°This concerns Betel Barony¡¯s trade and is related to Castell¡¯s next phase of planning. As for security issues, Betel is easy to defend and hard to attack, so we can just strengthen the fortress.¡± ¡°I understand. And regarding sustainable forest management, I know a few friendly elven druids¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s excellent, Baron. Can you introduce them to me?¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯d be happy to serve.¡± ¡°And don¡¯t worry about the funding. Castell will cover the costs.¡± ¡°That¡¯s wonderful. It¡¯s impossible for Betel to gather enough funds on its own¡­¡± As the conversation progressed, Baron Betel and Charlotte became increasingly engrossed and detailed in their discussion. Eventually, Charlotte called over her maid, Sherry, who made immediate changes to the parchment whenever they concluded a measure. Unnoticed, time flew by, and when Baron Betel and Charlotte finally finished revising the development plan for the barony, it was already dark. Charlotte picked up the parchment and reviewed it again, feeling very satisfied. She looked at Baron Betel with a smile. ¡°Indeed, having the person involved improve the plan makes it much more feasible. Thank you for your support, Baron.¡± Baron Betel quickly waved his hand. ¡°Countess, you are too kind. This is all for the sake of Betel Barony. Compared to that, I should be the one thanking you.¡± At this point, Baron Betel hesitated for a moment and then asked with some confusion. ¡°However, I do have one question. Why are you so focused on Betel? Despite its strategic location, it¡¯s still just a small barony. Yet you¡¯ve invested so much effort into designing a development plan¡­¡± Charlotte smiled at his question. ¡°The key lies in Betel¡¯s unique situation. It is a crucial trade route that has declined over the years due to historical reasons. It¡¯s very suitable as a pilot for revitalization and development¡­¡± Baron Betel¡¯s mind clicked. ¡°A pilot? Do you mean that¡­ Betel is just a trial, and if successful, you plan to apply a similar model to other parts of the territory?¡± Charlotte nodded slightly. ¡°Exactly. With its small size, Betel Barony is easy to manage and steer. Given its location and resources, it seems the best choice as a highlight for promoting our plans. It¡¯s also likely to yield noticeable results.¡± She sighed. ¡°Castell may have a solid foundation, but in my year as lord, I¡¯ve discovered numerous issues: food production, urban development, public safety, education, military supplies, the wealth gap¡­ The list goes on. Nobles act independently, and territorial power is fragmented. As a lord, my influence over the entire territory, aside from my direct domain, is quite limited.¡± ¡°However, Castell has benefited from its prime location and trade, masking some of these issues temporarily with prosperity.¡± ¡°I hope to have a long-term development plan for the entire territory. But drafting such a plan and implementing it across all the fiefs is extremely difficult under the current noble system. It¡¯s also unrealistic to rely solely on Castell family funds.¡± ¡°Castell is not a centralized county. To get the nobles to support and invest in the development plan, we must show them the benefits¡­¡± Understanding dawned on Baron Betel. ¡°I see. You want to use Betel Barony as a starting point, create a long-term development plan for the entire territory, and gain the nobles¡¯ approval and cooperation.¡± ¡°On closer thought, it¡¯s feasible. As long as the plan brings significant benefits to the nobles, binding their interests with Castell¡¯s development, they are likely to support it¡­¡± Halfway through, Baron Betel suddenly stopped, realizing a deeper implication. If Castell¡¯s long-term plan gains noble approval and is genuinely implemented, it would gradually enhance Castell family¡¯s control over the entire territory. This would be inevitable because executing such a comprehensive plan requires meticulous management of the whole territory. Initially, Castell might need the nobles to execute the plan and win their approval. But over time, as the plan is successfully implemented, Castell¡¯s influence would grow accordingly. Once the nobles become accustomed to a Castell-led development model, Castell could potentially replace the nobles¡¯ roles step by step, reshaping the entire territory¡¯s management model around this plan, possibly even rendering the nobles obsolete. This isn¡¯t impossible. In fact, if Castell strives for this direction, it could be achieved. And if managed properly, if the nobles enjoy the benefits of Castell¡¯s development plan, they might unknowingly fall into this sweet ¡°trap.¡± There aren¡¯t many far-sighted nobles, most are short-sighted. Baron Betel was certain of this. Reflecting on this, Baron Betel grasped the broader significance behind the plan¡­ It¡¯s not just a development plan for Castell. It¡¯s also a move towards future centralization of the Castell family! However, to achieve Castell¡¯s goals, the family needs a highly respected lord whom the nobles trust and a sufficiently long reign. Does Castell have such a lord? Absolutely. To Baron Betel, the young woman before him fit the bill perfectly. A wise, powerful, and young lord who meets all the criteria. The only minor issue might be succession, but given her youth and the unpredictable future, Baron Betel didn¡¯t see it as a major problem, even if she had once vowed celibacy before the God¡¯s statue. With these thoughts, Baron Betel¡¯s gaze towards Charlotte changed completely. Meeting his complex gaze, Charlotte smiled. ¡°Baron Betel, would you be willing to assist me in completing this first step in Betel Barony?¡± ¡­ Baron Betel ultimately could not refuse Charlotte¡¯s request¡ªor rather, the lord¡¯s demand. He was indeed swayed by her words. Even knowing that Castell might be trying to strengthen central authority through a ¡°boiling frog¡± approach, he was moved by the plans and the vision for the future. Strengthening central authority might be a future possibility, but the transformative changes for Betel Barony were certain if the plans were followed. Such comprehensive development could not happen without the higher-level lord¡¯s guidance, layout, and support. Even if the nobles knew how to develop their lands, they couldn¡¯t do it alone, bypassing the lord. To gain something, one must give something or bear some burden. After the audience, Baron Betel accepted Charlotte¡¯s invitation to dine at the Count¡¯s mansion and stayed overnight in one of the guest rooms. It was the best sleep environment he had experienced in over a month, yet he couldn¡¯t sleep well, tossing and turning. The reason was simple: the guest bed in the Count¡¯s mansion was too soft for him, who was used to the hard wooden bed in his castle. The Castell family was indeed as wealthy as rumored. Betel had never been to the capital, nor had he seen the royal palace or the prosperous, wealthy Luna Coast City-states. But compared to the Violet Duchy mansion of the Veillet family he remembered, he even thought the Castell Count¡¯s mansion seemed wealthier. This wasn¡¯t entirely a bad thing, as he knew Castell¡¯s wealth didn¡¯t come from exploiting their people but from having mines and a trade center at the Star-Moon Strait, collecting ¡°passage fees.¡± Only with enough money could the young Castell Countess support her ambitious development plans. When Baron Betel left the Count¡¯s mansion the next morning, the young lord didn¡¯t see him off personally but sent a steward. ¡°Baron Betel, the Countess is busy with official duties and asked me to see you off on her behalf.¡± ¡°The Countess has also arranged for officials to implement the development plan in Betel Barony. They will accompany you and assist in your work.¡± Vincent de Roman-Four, in his black steward attire, smiled as he spoke. Baron Betel was not surprised. As a vassal granted a fief, especially one that had experienced war, it was normal for the lord to send officials to enhance control. ¡°Cooperation¡± was one way to put it; it was also a form of surveillance. Seeing the red lilac crest on Vincent¡¯s chest, Baron Betel realized that the steward before him was likely from the Castell branch of the Roman-Four family, a failed faction from the Lilac War. This crest could only be worn by direct descendants. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Are you a member of the Roman-Four family? What¡¯s your relationship with Viscount Roman-Four?¡± Baron Betel couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°I am Vincent de Roman-Four, the new second steward of the Count¡¯s mansion. Viscount Roman-Four is my father.¡± Vincent replied with a smile. The son of a viscount¡­ Baron Betel nodded. It was normal for a lord to have vassal offspring serve as attendants in the mansion. It represented the lord¡¯s closeness to the vassal family. Only the most trusted vassal families had their children enter the lord¡¯s mansion, serving as stewards, cupbearers, or attendants. Clearly, the young Countess had already gained the Roman-Four family¡¯s support, evident by the Borde-Castell War. Even in Betel, Baron Betel had heard of the defiant Roman-Four family. The previous Count hadn¡¯t fully subdued them. To have the rumored ¡°pirate¡± family under her wing, the young Countess¡¯ prestige in the north was remarkable. With these thoughts, Baron Betel admired the young Countess even more. He gave a slight bow to Vincent, then turned to board the carriage prepared for him by the Count¡¯s mansion. However, he was stunned when he stepped inside. ¡°Hey, Brother Guillaume, you finally came! I¡¯ve been waiting here for so long!¡± Inside the carriage, Agnes greeted him excitedly, her delicate face brimming with joy in her noble dress. ¡°Miss Agnes? Why are you here?¡± Baron Betel asked in surprise. Thinking of something, he quickly looked at the coachman, who smiled at him. ¡°Guillaume, judging by your expression, the discussion went well.¡± The coachman said. ¡°Sir Lahel¡­¡± Baron Betel¡¯s expression became even more colorful, followed by confusion. ¡°What is this all about?¡± ¡°Of course, we¡¯re going back with you.¡± Agnes replied. Baron Betel was stunned, then even more surprised. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re the officials Countess Castell mentioned?¡± ¡°Correct! And remember, you¡¯re now a vassal of the north. Even outside the lord¡¯s presence, you must address her as the Countess.¡± Agnes gestured as she spoke. Sensing the respect for Countess Castell in her words, Baron Betel¡¯s expression became even more peculiar. ¡°You¡­ have you really sworn allegiance to the Castell family?¡± ¡°No, not to the Castell family, but to Charlotte de Castell.¡± Agnes corrected. Is there a difference?! Baron Betel wanted to retort. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to revive your family? The Castell family is just a Count. Even if you reconcile and forget past hatred, if you want to reclaim the duchy¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s a Count now, but that doesn¡¯t mean she¡¯ll always be a Count. And¡­ you¡¯ll realize one day how fortunate you are to follow her.¡± Agnes said meaningfully. Seeing the reverence mixed with awe and gratitude on her face when she spoke of Charlotte, Baron Betel¡¯s expression grew more peculiar. Clearly, the Veillet family¡¯s most legitimate heir had already become a part of Castell. But he didn¡¯t mind following such a lord¡ªin fact, he even looked forward to it. ¡­ In the study of the Count¡¯s mansion. ¡°Have they left?¡± Charlotte asked. ¡°Yes, they have.¡± Sherry replied. ¡°Did Baron Betel ever wonder about Agnes¡¯ unchanged appearance over the years?¡± Charlotte asked again. ¡°Agnes said she would explain it as the blessing of the elves.¡± ¡°The blessing of the elves? That¡¯s a good idea.¡± Charlotte mused before nodding with a smile. Then she waved her hand. ¡°Close the door for me and make sure no one disturbs me.¡± Sherry respectfully left, and after ensuring no one would interrupt, Charlotte immersed herself in her consciousness, communicating with the Gospel of Blood. Just this morning, Sebastian had reported through prayer that the rebellion of the Lagrisse family was about to be quelled. Chapter 324: Ruins Northeast of Castell, Lagrisse Port.As the name implies, this is the last direct territory of the Lagrisse family, the capital of the Lagrisse Viscounty, and the northernmost city in the Castell County. Of course, it is also the final stronghold of the rebel resistance. As a border port city, Lagrisse Port boasts fortifications on par with Northport, causing significant trouble for the Castell army¡¯s siege efforts. But it was merely trouble. After the main forces of the Lagrisse family were annihilated, the fall of this city was only a matter of time. Especially after the arrival of the support fleet led by Viscount Roman-Four and Count Yurst. Facing the formidable Castell fleet and the ¡°extraordinary mercenaries¡± led by Count Yurst, the city had little chance of mounting any effective resistance. In just half a day, Lagrisse Port, which had held out for many days, fell completely. At Lagrisse Port, Castell warships had already retracted their cannon and docked at the port. At the pockmarked city gates, the orderly Castell army, under the command of noble officers, was entering the city in a disciplined manner. The Lagrisse family¡¯s banner atop the city walls had been taken down, replaced by Castell¡¯s battle flag. From today onwards, the history of the Lagrisse family¡¯s rule over this city might end. Strangely, however, after entering Lagrisse Port, the Castell troops found no members of the Lagrisse family. Only soldiers surrendered their arms, no members of the entire Lagrisse family were seen, as if they had vanished into thin air. ¡°Still no sign of them?¡± In the Lord¡¯s Castle of Lagrisse Port, Sebastian, the Flame Elf, frowned at the soldiers coming and going. The soldiers shook their heads. ¡°Lord Sebastian, no one is here. Not even the servants or maids.¡± ¡°What do the surrounding residents say?¡± After a moment of hesitation, a soldier replied. ¡°Lord Sebastian, the residents say they saw people coming and going from the castle yesterday. Last night, they saw the Lagrisse family gathering all the nobles. Many thought the Lagrisse family would make their last stand in the castle¡­¡± Sebastian narrowed his eyes. ¡°Yet the castle is empty¡­¡± ¡°Interesting, the whole family and so many nobles disappeared into thin air?¡± After a moment¡¯s thought, he said, ¡°The Lagrisse family wouldn¡¯t vanish without a trace. They must be hiding somewhere, or¡­ they left through some means.¡± ¡°Search, keep searching. Dig three feet if you have to! Check if there are any teleportation arrays or hidden passages.¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The soldiers respectfully complied and prepared to continue the search. ¡°Wait!¡± As if recalling something, Sebastian suddenly called them back. ¡°Look for any special marks.¡± ¡°Special¡­ marks?¡± The soldiers were puzzled. Sebas nodded. ¡°Yes, special marks. Like a rose, or maybe a cat¡¯s paw.¡± ¡°In short¡­ report back if you see anything suspicious.¡± With Sebastian¡¯s order, the soldiers resumed their search. Soon enough, they had a breakthrough. ¡°Lord Sebastian! We found the mark you mentioned in the castle¡¯s storage room!¡± A soldier ran over excitedly, panting. ¡°Oh? Really? What is it?¡± Sebastian was surprised. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a rose, a rose entwined with thorny vines!¡± The soldier answered respectfully. ¡°A thorny rose?¡± Sebastian paused, then smirked. ¡°I never expected that guy to start flattering Master.¡± S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Let¡¯s go, show me.¡± ¡­ Led by the soldier, Sebastian quickly arrived at the storage room. He immediately noticed the thorny rose pattern carved on the wall. The pattern was not very precise, as if clawed out. It was a miracle the soldiers recognized it. Sebastian instantly recognized it as the work of the black cat, Nice. ¡°Looks like that guy is safe and was taken away by the Lagrisse family.¡± Sebastian murmured. He scrutinized the wall pattern for a while, his eyes glinting. Suddenly, he drew a sword from a nearby soldier¡¯s sheath and slashed the wall with magical power. The force far exceeding ordinary Silver Moon tier shattered the wall, revealing a dark passage. ¡°A secret passage! It¡¯s a secret passage!¡± The surrounding soldiers exclaimed. ¡°Stay here and guard. I¡¯ll check it out.¡± Sebastian ordered. With that, he picked up the sword and entered the darkness. ¡­ It was a typical underground passage in a noble¡¯s castle. However, as Sebastian ventured deeper, he realized it was more than it seemed. The passage connected to a network of others beneath the surface, forming a vast underground city. These brick-lined passages appeared ancient. Even with his centuries of experience, Sebastian couldn¡¯t pinpoint its exact age. As he went deeper, he found more thorny rose marks at intervals, guiding him further. After an unknown time, he reached a spacious underground chamber. Before him lay a grand underground palace. No, it couldn¡¯t simply be called a palace. Sebastian¡¯s heart stirred as he gazed at the ancient, towering wall engraced with murals depicting towers and war scenes, and the dilapidated statue at the palace¡¯s front. ¡°Is this¡­ an underground temple?¡± Sebastian took a deep breath and searched for divine symbols, trying to identify which God this ancient temple belonged to. Surprisingly, all the places where symbols should be had been intentionally erased. During his search, he found another thorny rose mark. Without a word, he followed the marks deeper into the temple, arriving at an ancient stone gate. The enormous gate, at least twenty meters high, was adorned with blurred carvings and grooves emitting a strong scent of blood. Sebastian spotted remnants of blood in the grooves. At the center of the gate was a freshly carved demon eye symbol, obscuring what was previously there. ¡°This is¡­¡± Sebastian¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°The mark of the Blood Demon Archduke¡­¡± ¡°Heh, who knew? There¡¯s an ancient temple still here in the north. No wonder those Blood Demon Cultists are up to something.¡± A lazy voice from behind startled Sebastian. Instinctively, he drew his weapon and turned to see a handsome young man in black. ¡± Bloodborne?¡± Sebastian raised an eyebrow at the man¡¯s crimson eyes. The young man smiled and sized up Sebastian. ¡°Red hair, tailcoat. You must be Sebastian, Countess Castell¡¯s steward.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, Sir Sebastian. You may call me Yurst.¡± Chapter 325: The Ancient Temple ¡°Yurst? Are you the leader of the Starfall Nez Clan that Master mentioned, the commander of the reinforcements to the North, along with Viscount Roman-Four?¡±Upon hearing Yurst¡¯s introduction, Sebastian felt a slight stir in his heart and asked calmly. His face instinctively showed a hint of vigilance. Although he had known of Yurst¡¯s arrival through his mental connection with Charlotte and the ¡°oracle¡±, seeing him in person made Sebastian tense and inexplicably anxious. A bloodborne¡­ The presence before him, exuding a similar contractor blood servant aura, was a genuine bloodborne! And a Count, no less! By the Gods! Lady Nyx has begun reclaiming the Nez Clan. Could it be that she intends to reintegrate those who once betrayed her? Sebastian suddenly felt a sense of instability in his position. ¡°To be more precise¡­ it is under the call of the Progenitor and the oracle that I came to support Castell, our ally, as part of the Nez Clan.¡± Yurst answered with a smile, emphasizing the words ¡°oracle¡± and ¡°Nez Clan.¡± Clearly, this bloodborne felt Sebastian¡¯s subtle, competitive wariness and was asserting his identity and status through his words¡­ Being able to receive an oracle is proof of being trusted by the God! After speaking, Yurst looked at Sebastian, took a deep breath, and then slowly opened his eyes, his crimson pupils filled with interest. ¡°Sir Sebastian, you have a familiar aura, similar to Countess Castell, reassuring and reminiscent inducing¡­¡± ¡°It seems that, like the Countess, you are also one of those watched over by the Progenitor in this world.¡± With that, Yurst smiled slightly, deliberately revealing the blood servant aura and emphasizing his bloodborne status, as if indirectly boasting. It was as if to say: look, I too am under the Progenitor¡¯s watch, and not only that, but I am also a bloodborne! However, upon hearing Yurst¡¯s words, Sebastian came to a realization, and his tense expression eased. He does not know Master¡¯s true identity; he doesn¡¯t know that our master is Countess Castell! Sebastian quickly came to this conclusion. It was evident that, although Yurst had been ¡°recruited¡± by the great being Sebastian followed, he had not fully achieved the same status as Sebastian! Not knowing his master¡¯s true identity was proof enough. Even if¡­ his identity was that of a bloodborne! With this thought, Sebastian¡¯s sense of urgency diminished considerably, and he looked at Yurst with a sense of pride and satisfaction typical of a senior. Although there was still some anxiety about his position, it was far less than when he first discovered the shared blood servant aura. ¡°Sir Yurst, thank you for your support during the naval blockade.¡± ¡°May I ask¡­ what is the Ancient Temple you mentioned? I don¡¯t recall ever hearing such a name.¡± ¡°And if I¡¯m not mistaken, you should be at the docks with Viscount Roman-Four tallying the Lagrisse family¡¯s naval forces. Why are you here?¡± Sebastian¡¯s expression returned to normal, showing a practiced fake smile as he asked elegantly. Noticing Sebastian¡¯s subtle attitude shift, Yurst raised an eyebrow. As a Blood Count who had lived for over a thousand years, he naturally sensed Sebastian¡¯s shifting attitude, from wary to tense, then to a faint arrogance and condescension, akin to the haughtiness of elves. Like those annoying Nez elven bloodborne! ¡°I followed the scent of the Blood Demon Cult. Those who delight in chaotic blood sacrifices emit a stench I can smell from afar.¡± Yurst glanced at the bloodstains in the groove and said. ¡°As for the Ancient Temple¡­¡± Yurst stepped forward, caressing the patterns on the old stone door, a look of reminiscence on his face. He exhaled lightly, then smiled, explaining like an elder recounting the past. ¡°It¡¯s normal you haven¡¯t heard of it. After all, compared to us ancient bloodborne, you are quite young and have not experienced as much history¡­¡± Sebastian: ¡­ As an elf who had lived for centuries, it was the first time he had been called young by someone with an elder¡¯s tone. But then he remembered that these reclusive, coffin-loving, zombie-like beings had indeed lived far longer, making them ancient monsters he couldn¡¯t argue with. Noticing Sebastian¡¯s expression, Yurst felt inexplicably pleased. He stopped keeping Sebastian in suspense and explained. ¡°The Ancient Temple was a grand construction project by the Progenitor before she disappeared¡­¡± ¡°That was about two thousand years ago. The Progenitor built over thirty such temples, but most were destroyed in subsequent bloodborne civil wars.¡± ¡°I never expected one to remain here, apparently preserved underground, hence its intact condition.¡± ¡°The¡­ temple built by the True Ancestor? It was her temple?¡± Sebastian asked, his heart stirred. But this time, Yurst shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°In that distant era, the Progenitor never built temples for herself. These Ancient Temples built before her disappearance were anomalies¡­¡± ¡°No one knows why the Progenitor built these temples. The statues inside are vague and unidentifiable.¡± ¡°Some say the temples are contingency plans for her return, while others believe they were built for an elder to resurrect them¡­¡± ¡°But regardless of the theory, the only certainty is that the Progenitor left her power in each Ancient Temple.¡± Finished speaking, Yurst looked at the stone door before him and sighed. ¡°The Blood Demon Cult must be targeting this place to steal the Progenitor¡¯s power and help the Blood Demon Archduke descend into the world!¡± ¡°Possessing the True Ancestor¡¯s power¡­¡± Sebastian pondered. But then he was struck by another thought. ¡°Wait¡­ Does the True Ancestor have an elder too?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Yurst responded. He explained. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Before achieving divinity, the Progenitor was also a mortal. And as a mortal, she naturally had an elder.¡± Chapter 326: ---------------- Master was also once mortal?Sebastian felt a slight tremor in his heart. As an elf who had lived for centuries, he was no stranger to some divine mysteries and knew that some myths indeed depicted mortals ascending to Godhood. However, the fact that an ancient and mysterious God like the True Ancestor of Blood also had a mortal past was unexpected to him. He had always thought that the True Ancestor of Blood was like the Old Gods of Myria, born as myths. Sebastian was greatly surprised by the secret Yurst revealed. Of course, it wasn¡¯t just Sebastian who was surprised but also Charlotte. ¡°These temples were built by Lilith? For her return? To resurrect an elder?¡± Relying on the connection with the Gospel of Blood, a certain cheeky countess who was ¡°spying¡± on her blood servant¡¯s conversation had a peculiar expression. She didn¡¯t know if she was overthinking things or if the reality was just as fantastical. Yurst¡¯s words inevitably led her to some outrageous speculations. ¡°Wait¡­ could it be that when I ascended, I really traveled back in time? And that Lilith was indeed the historical True Ancestor of Blood, and the so-called elder was actually me?¡± This bold idea was quite a leap. But once Charlotte had this hypothesis, combined with her ¡°dream¡± during her slumber, it seemed absurdly plausible. Of course, this conjecture was only valid if she had truly traveled back to the past, if the Lilith she met was indeed the future True Ancestor, if Lilith¡¯s elder was truly her, and if the purpose of the Ancient Temples was indeed to resurrect this elder. Could it really be that coincidental? Charlotte was unsure. However, regardless of the hidden secrets, Charlotte could be certain of one thing. This Ancient Temple likely contained something she needed! The reason was simple: upon seeing the Ancient Temple through the vision of her two blood servants, Charlotte could clearly feel the Gospel of Blood stirring deep within her consciousness. It felt as if something behind the stone door was calling to her. Unfortunately, some power behind the stone door seemed to be severing her connection with Nice. Although she could sense that the black cat was still alive and had likely entered the Ancient Temple, she couldn¡¯t contact him. There must be a force capable of suppressing soul contracts. Fortunately, the Gospel of Blood¡¯s status was evidently higher, and this power did not seem to affect Sebastian and Yurst. Even as the two stood before the stone door, Charlotte did not feel any interference in their connection. ¡°Haha, now I understand why Countess Castell specifically sent me here. It seems the Progenitor already knew an Ancient Temple was buried here!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, Sir Sebastian. Let¡¯s go in together.¡± Yurst smiled and took the lead. Sebastian hesitated for a moment but then followed suit. Even Charlotte, who was secretly observing, became fully alert, ready to use her connection with the two to channel divine power for a ¡°divine descent.¡± Yurst extended his hand, a drop of crimson blood forming at his fingertip, and lightly touched the stone door. The next moment, the entire stone door glowed with a crimson brilliance and then opened by itself. Curiously, Charlotte peered through the vision of the two into the interior. Behind the stone door was a dark space, with an ancient, dilapidated stone path suspended in mid-air leading into the depths, surrounded by floating, broken architectural remnants. ¡°Is this¡­ an alternate space?¡± Sebastian felt a slight tremor in his heart. ¡°Yes, every Ancient Temple is built within an alternate space.¡± Yurst nodded slightly. Then, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, his crimson gaze towards the darkness had a touch of fervor. ¡°A summoning¡­ I can feel the bloodline call! It¡¯s from the depths!¡± With that, he quickened his pace, heading deeper along the stone path. Charlotte also felt the stirring of the Gospel of Blood grow stronger. A call as if from the bloodline itself, affecting her heart even through the servant observation. Seeing Yurst quicken his pace, Sebastian frowned. He silently prayed to the True Ancestor and drew a thorny rose symbol on his chest before quickly following. The two ventured deeper along the stone path. As they moved forward, the calling feeling grew stronger for Charlotte, and Yurst¡¯s pace quickened even more. His eyes turned crimson, and his expression became increasingly fervent. Sebastian sensed something was wrong. ¡°Sir Yurst? Are you alright? Sir Yurst?¡± He called out. However, Yurst did not respond, muttering fervently to himself. ¡°I¡¯m coming! I¡¯m almost there! Supreme Ruler! Savior of the Bloodborne!¡± Charlotte also realized something was off about Yurst. In her ¡°vision¡±, a dark red force gradually enveloped Yurst, and the star representing Yurst in her crimson sea of consciousness was shrouded in a dark red mist. This was¡­ mind control! Charlotte was startled and quickly channeled the blood divine power to touch the star representing Yurst. Instantly, Yurst felt a majestic and familiar power sweep over him, causing all the crazy thoughts to recede like the tide¡­ His crimson eyes quickly regained clarity, and his pace slowed down. ¡°Sir Yurst, are you alright?¡± Seeing Yurst abruptly stop, Sebastian instinctively gripped his sword hilt, cautiously asking. It was only then that Yurst realized what had just happened¡­ ¡°Damn, it¡¯s the Blood Demon Archduke¡¯s temptation specifically targeting bloodbornes. I was unknowingly caught.¡± He said with a look of lingering fear. After speaking, he drew a thorny rose symbol on his chest, gratefully looking up at the sky. ¡°Praise you, great Progenitor. You just¡­ saved me once again.¡± Seeing Yurst draw the thorny rose symbol, Sebastian finally relaxed his tense nerves. ¡°Sir Yurst, we must be careful. This place feels sinister.¡± He said solemnly. This time, Yurst did not deny it but nodded. ¡°Indeed, it seems the Blood Demon Cult has already taken control here. I was too careless just now.¡± The two continued deeper along the stone path. As they moved forward, more and more corpses appeared in their view. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. These corpses, either armored or in noble robes, were all facing the entrance of the alternate space, as if they were fleeing towards it for their life. Their faces were twisted in terror, their eyes dull, with no hint of blood. Noticing their once-glowing red eyes and sharp teeth, Yurst¡¯s gaze sharpened. ¡°Bloodborne?¡± But Sebastian, who was more familiar with the North, noticed the family crest on these corpses¡¯ chests and became solemn. ¡°Not just bloodborne, they¡­ are all members of the Lagrisse family.¡± A weak cough from afar drew their attention. ¡°Someone is still alive!¡± They quickly moved towards the sound, soon finding a dying knight of the Lagrisse family. Yurst approached him, using dark healing and mind-soothing spells while softly asking. ¡°What happened here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ an Evil God, run¡­ run¡­¡± The knight said brokenly. After speaking, his eyes lost their luster. An Evil God? Yurst and Sebastian were stunned, exchanging looks of surprise and doubt. At that moment, a warning surged in their hearts, and they instinctively jumped back. Just as they did, a corrosive dragon breath descended from above, hitting the spot where they had just stood. Accompanied by a dragon¡¯s roar, a majestic black dragon appeared before them. ¡°You arrived quicker than I expected.¡± The black dragon spoke, her voice clear and cold. __________________________________ Encountering the Black Dragon Chapter 327: The Best Container ¡°Black Dragon?¡±Seeing the massive creature attacking her two blood servants, Charlotte was slightly taken aback. But soon, she frowned. Perhaps because she was observing the battle indirectly through her servants¡¯ vision, or perhaps due to some interference in this place, she felt that there was something off about this black dragon. ¡°Is it you?¡± Sebastian looked surprised at the black dragon before him. ¡°You know her?¡± Yurst glanced at him. ¡°We fought once, and she escaped.¡± Sebastian said casually. Then, he reached out his right hand and summoned a flaming sword, smiling up at the black dragon in the air. ¡°Miss Black Dragon, we meet again.¡± The black dragon didn¡¯t respond, instead letting out a roar as she swooped down toward them. Sebastian chuckled lightly, charging forward with his sword, and Yurst followed suit. The battle quickly ensued. It was at this moment that Charlotte finally realized something was wrong. In her vision, enhanced by the Gospel of Blood, she saw that the black dragon¡¯s magic power was boiling like water. Beneath its ferocious exterior, it was filled with nearly uncontrollable magic power. The feeling it gave was identical to that of ¡°Elder Maxim¡± whom Charlotte had explosively killed before. Charlotte was immediately alarmed. No¡­ This wasn¡¯t a real black dragon, it was a construct made of magic power! She hurriedly sent a warning to her servants through the Blood Summoning, and both of them immediately sensed the urgent warning deep in their hearts. Not good! Danger! Sebastian and Yurst turned pale simultaneously. They hurriedly retreated, but it was too late. Almost at the same time, cracks like spider webs spread across the black dragon¡¯s body. Dark purple magic power erupted, forming a terrifying magic storm. The ¡°black dragon¡± self-destructed. The devastating magic power engulfed everything in an instant. However, just when the two thought they would be severely injured, a familiar and mysterious power once again enveloped their bodies. Crimson light spread over them, and the terrifying magic explosion felt like a gentle breeze, unable to harm them at all. The magic power gradually subsided, leaving the space in disarray. But Yurst and Sebastian were unscathed. They first looked grimly at the site of the black dragon¡¯s explosion, then lowered their heads, observing the crimson light that was fading from their bodies, each with a look of realization. ¡°It¡¯s the Progenitor, she is watching over us. She protected us again!¡± Yurst looked relieved and his voice trembled with excitement. At this moment, he suddenly felt that pledging allegiance to the True Ancestor of Blood was the correct and wisest decision. This wasn¡¯t selling his freedom and life; most of the time, she didn¡¯t even bother with him. And in moments of mortal danger, she could even save his life. It was like having a protective charm in the form of a powerful guardian! Of course, he forgot that if it weren¡¯t for his association with the True Ancestor, he, a typically reclusive person, might never have encountered such dangers¡­ Sebastian piously drew a thorny rose symbol on his chest, then looked towards the depths of the space, speaking in a low voice. ¡°The noise just now was very loud. They should know we¡¯re here by now.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s proceed deeper, and be ready for battle at any moment!¡± They quickly took up their weapons and ventured further into the space. Despite the recent danger, knowing that a God was watching and protecting them gave them more courage and confidence. Meanwhile, in her mental world, Charlotte, who had decisively used the blood divine power, also breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Using divine power remotely and indirectly is too wasteful. It seems¡­ I should consider directly possessing someone through the Gospel of Blood when necessary. That might actually save on unnecessary consumption.¡± Reflecting on the recent divine power usage, Charlotte became thoughtful. But soon, she had another thought and ¡°looked¡± towards the space where the two were. Perhaps due to the black dragon¡¯s explosion disrupting the magic there and weakening some interference, or maybe due to Yurst and Sebastian advancing deeper and strengthening her signal reception, she sensed that her connection with the black cat Nice was beginning to restore. ¡­ Inside an ancient, desolate temple. The God¡¯s statue within the temple had been destroyed, replaced by a grotesque statue with bat wings, resembling a demon. Above the statue was a demon eye emitting an eerie glow, and before it was a large blood pool filled with viscous dark red liquid. At the center of the blood pool was an inverted cross bound with chains, and a fat black cat was tied up tightly, secured to the cross. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Beside the blood pool lay the unconscious current head of the Lagrisse family, Laura de Lagrisse, also tightly bound, looking as if she could be used as a sacrificial offering at any moment. Standing before the blood pool were three individuals: two men and one woman. One was a male elf, hidden in the shadows, wearing a Blood Demon Cult priest¡¯s robe. The other was a human noble with the Lagrisse family crest on his chest. The last one was a girl who appeared to be fourteen or fifteen years old, with black hair and red eyes, expressionless. On the cross, the black cat Nice looked at the three before the blood pool, swallowing hard and then laughing dryly. ¡°Cough, cough, I say¡­ Great Priest, Lord Chait, and Miss Eudoxia¡­¡± ¡°Is there some misunderstanding between us?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that young lady over there supposed to be your prepared ¡®container¡¯? Why tie me up?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m just a clever little kitty, I even helped the Lagrisse family make so many magical items. We¡¯re on the same side!¡± ¡°Or, aren¡¯t you afraid that when the great God descends, they will be furious to find their body is an ugly, fat cat?¡± The human noble chuckled softly at the cat¡¯s words. ¡°Nicholas, you jest.¡± ¡°If there¡¯s a more suitable container for our Lord to descend into, it would be this sacred artifact you crafted, despite¡­ its appearance being that of a cat.¡± Hearing the name, Nice¡¯s expression darkened. It quickly looked at the girl and cursed. ¡°Damn! Eudoxia, did you sell me out? This wasn¡¯t what we agreed on!¡± However, the black-haired girl merely glanced at it without answering. Nice grew more furious. ¡°Breach of contract! You¡¯re breaking the contract!¡± ¡°Have you forgotten the dragons¡¯ code of honor?!¡± ¡°Do you think the being you want to resurrect will approve of you now? Do you really think the Blood Demon Archduke can revive someone who has dispersed into nothingness?!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t delude yourself! I guarantee, no God can do it! Not even the True Ancestor!¡± The girl still did not respond. However, her slightly clenched fist indicated her inner turmoil was not as calm as it seemed. ¡°Alright, time is short. Let¡¯s proceed with the final ceremony.¡± The Blood Demon Priest cast a silencing spell on Nice, then said calmly. ¡°Chait, begin the bloodletting. Laura is the backup container. Using her blood as a lead can increase the success rate of the God¡¯s Descent ritual.¡± Hearing the priest¡¯s words, the human noble stepped forward and approached Laura. However, just as he was about to act, the black-haired girl suddenly spoke. ¡°Wait¡­¡± Both men turned their gazes to her. The girl looked towards the temple entrance, her crimson pupils reflecting the endless darkness. ¡°My incarnation¡­ self-destructed.¡± ¡°Somebody is coming.¡± Chapter 328: Retreat ¡°Oh? They found this place so quickly? Castell¡¯s speed is quite impressive¡­¡±Upon hearing the girl¡¯s words, the male noble looked surprised. After thinking for a moment, he said, ¡°It must be the secret passages in the castle that were discovered. For them to find this place so quickly, it should be Castell¡¯s vanguard¡­¡± The Blood Demon Priest¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. Unlike the male noble, as an experienced Blood Demon Priest, he knew that at such a critical moment, Eudoxia¡¯s reaction wasn¡¯t simply about someone intruding here. Especially since it had led to her avatar¡¯s self-destruction¡­ ¡°Who is it?¡± He asked with a serious expression. Eudoxia closed her eyes and sensed for a moment, then said, ¡°It¡¯s a familiar aura. It should be that elf who once allied with Castell. Besides¡­ there¡¯s also the aura of a bloodborne, and it¡¯s very strong, even stronger than his.¡± ¡°Elf? Sebastian? Bloodborne?¡± The Blood Demon Priest was slightly taken aback, then his expression turned solemn. A weakened elf wasn¡¯t enough to make him feel threatened, but the problem was, after their last encounter, he knew that elf might have recovered his strength. And it would be very troublesome if that elf was fully recovered. Adding a bloodborne of similar or even greater strength made the situation worse. Although he could activate the Fallen Grace to gain power to counter them with God¡¯s help, it would only be short-term. If they couldn¡¯t achieve a quick victory, it would be full of uncertainties. ¡°Eudoxia, stop the ritual. Take the container and the sacrifice core, and we¡¯ll retreat.¡± The Blood Demon Priest decisively commanded. The middle-aged noble was stunned. ¡°Retreat? Priest, you¡¯re saying we should retreat?¡± ¡°No, we¡¯ve prepared for this day for so long, even sacrificing the entire Lagrisse family. Why retreat now?¡± The Blood Demon Priest glanced at him. ¡°The Third Prince has already failed, and this ritual was a hastily prepared last resort¡­¡± ¡°Those chasing us are not ordinary people but those with Blazing Sun strength. Battling Blazing Sun is too risky, not to mention there¡¯s more than one!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve met Sebastian. It was impossible for him to recover his strength on his own, yet he did¡­¡± ¡°Lord Chait, you¡¯re a core believer of our Blood Demon Cult and aware of some of the intelligence we¡¯ve gathered. I think¡­ you should know what this implies¡­¡± S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Hearing the Blood Demon Priest¡¯s words, the male noble¡¯s expression changed. The Blood Demon Cult had been plotting in the Northlands for many years, mainly leveraging various forces¡¯ ambitions to subtly gain control, building power for the Blood Demon Archduke upon his descent. After the failed ritual in Borde City, they had an additional task: using the ancient temples hidden in the Northlands to attempt summoning the Blood Demon Archduke again. However, since the ritual in Borde was thwarted by a mysterious ¡°God¡±, the Blood Demon Cult had faced numerous setbacks, with every plan falling apart at critical moments¡­ The Blood Demon Cultists weren¡¯t fools. The targeted nature of these setbacks over the past year was too obvious, all stemming from the failed ritual in Borde and the mysterious God dubbed ¡°God Nyx¡± by the Holy Court. ¡°That¡­ mysterious Evil God? You mean to say, he is backed by that mysterious Evil God?!¡± The noble exclaimed. ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡± The Blood Demon Priest said solemnly. Then he began gathering the sacrificial items while speaking. ¡°Suitable containers are hard to find, and accumulating the sacrifice core takes time, but there are multiple ancient temples¡­¡± ¡°Besides, we¡¯ve already obtained the power here. Even if we leave, we can perform the ritual elsewhere.¡± He took out a crystal-clear statue from his robes. The statue was identical to the one in the ancient temple, its features indistinct, emitting a misty glow, hinting at some mysterious power. ¡°For the Archduke¡¯s grand plan, it¡¯s better to be cautious.¡± The Blood Demon Priest said, putting away the statue. ¡°And¡­ what about her?¡± The noble pointed to the unconscious Laura de Lagrisse not far away. The priest¡¯s eyes flashed. ¡°She¡¯s just a sacrifice. It¡¯s a pity, but we can¡¯t take too many burdens with us. Deal with her.¡± He signaled Eudoxia with his eyes, but the girl didn¡¯t move. ¡°Eudoxia?¡± The Blood Demon Priest frowned. ¡°Leave her. Accumulating power again will be difficult. Keeping her might be useful later.¡± The girl said. The Blood Demon Priest was momentarily stunned, then narrowed his eyes at Eudoxia and Laura, and spoke in a deep voice. ¡°Then leave her here. Mark her, and we¡¯ll retrieve her later.¡± The male noble was dissatisfied with this decision, but seeing the other two had decided, he could only look regretfully at Laura on the ground, reluctantly preparing to leave. ¡­ Sebastian and Yurst encountered no further resistance. They advanced unimpeded until they reached the grand temple. By the time they arrived, there was no trace of the Blood Demon Cultists, only a large blood pool surrounded by the corpses of Lagrisse family members, indicating a recent sacrifice. ¡°That¡¯s the Desecrated Cross, a sacrificial artifact of the Blood Demon Archduke, capable of blocking other entities¡¯ detection.¡± Yurst said, looking at the cross in the blood pool. Soon, he also saw the unconscious Laura on the ground. ¡°Bloodborne?¡± Sensing her aura, Yurst was surprised. Sebastian was not. ¡°She¡¯s Laura, the head of the Lagrisse family.¡± Looking around, he said, ¡°It seems the Blood Demon Cult abandoned the Lagrisse family. The disturbance we caused must have alarmed them, prompting their retreat.¡± ¡°Ha, those guys are getting more cautious.¡± Yurst took a deep breath and frowned. ¡°With the Desecrated Cross here, they didn¡¯t leave any traces. Tracking them down will be difficult.¡± ¡°What do you think? Should we pursue them?¡± ¡°No need¡­¡± Sebastian shook his head. He walked to the center of the altar, looking at the demon eye on the cross and the thorny rose symbol below it, carved by a cat¡¯s paw, with a peculiar expression. ¡°They¡¯re carrying the True Ancestor¡¯s locator. Since they¡¯ve left here, the True Ancestor probably knows where they are already.¡± Chapter 329: We Meet Again At the northeastern border of Castell, at the junction of the Crescent Kingdom and the Northern Grand Duchy.In a dense forest, a crimson radiance flashed, and a red teleportation array appeared on the ground. As the light gradually faded, three figures in different attire slowly emerged, accompanied by a tightly bound black cat. ¡°We¡¯re out. This should be near the Crescent¡¯s border.¡± Baron Chait said, surveying the surroundings. The Blood Demon Priest nodded slightly, then pondered. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°We can¡¯t stay in Castell for now. The cult has arranged boats at the border dock. We should leave as soon as possible.¡± He then looked at the black-haired girl beside him. ¡°Eudoxia, the other side has bloodborne with keen senses. It¡¯s hard to hide the dragon¡¯s presence. Don¡¯t transform until we leave Castell. We¡¯ll fly once we¡¯re outside.¡± However, the girl didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Eudoxia?¡± The Blood Demon Priest frowned slightly. Eudoxia was silent for a moment, her crimson eyes slowly turning to him. ¡°Will we¡­ come back?¡± The Blood Demon Priest was taken aback, then smiled understandingly. ¡°Of course. I haven¡¯t forgotten our agreement. Once the plan succeeds, you¡¯ll get what you want.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. His Grace the Archduke is always generous. No God in this world is more willing to trade with mortals than him.¡± Hearing this, Eudoxia nodded. ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Priest, are we going to Starfall?¡± Baron Chait asked. The Blood Demon Priest shook his head. ¡°The situation in Starfall is also tricky. The Nez Clan has started an internal purge. We¡¯ll take a boat from Castell and then fly to the capital for further planning.¡± ¡°The capital? You¡¯re from the capital? Since when did the capital become the base of the Blood Demon Cult?¡± A raspy yet curious voice suddenly interrupted. Everyone turned to see the black cat, Nice, who was bound and blinking his amber eyes with curiosity. ¡°Sir Nicholas, you¡¯re not afraid now?¡± Baron Chait narrowed his eyes. ¡°Afraid? Why should I be afraid? Back when I roamed the continent, your great-great-grandfather was still a liquid!¡± The black cat boasted. Baron Chait: ¡­ Annoyed by the rude remark, his expression darkened. Meanwhile, Nice continued to look around and babble incessantly. ¡°Say¡­ Priest, aren¡¯t you an elf? Isn¡¯t it risky to go to the Crescent capital so openly? They strictly check outsiders there!¡± ¡°The church center of the Crescent Diocese is also in the capital. Aren¡¯t you afraid the Holy Court will root out your cult?¡± ¡°And the Crescent nobles, they hate the Shedite Clan that once overthrew Crescent¡¯s rule. Aren¡¯t you afraid of being hunted by the human nobles?¡± ¡°You¡¯re taking a boat? From this direction, you¡¯re heading to North Bay Town at the border, right? If I remember correctly, that¡¯s the only dock on the Castell border where you can leave via the Dorn River. But it¡¯s quite a detour¡­¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Eudoxia, shut him up.¡± The Blood Demon Priest ordered coldly. The girl stepped forward, picked up a stone from nearby, and stuffed it into the black cat¡¯s mouth. Nice: ¡­ Seeing the black cat silenced, Baron Chait smiled. ¡°Sir Nicholas, there¡¯s no point in struggling. Even if you gather some intel, it¡¯s meaningless as a prisoner.¡± Nice¡¯s eyes flickered. He turned his head, looking in the direction they were heading, thoughtful. ¡­ With the liberation of the last city, the rebellion in the Lagrisse Viscounty had been fully quelled, and Castell¡¯s troops were everywhere. Although Eudoxia could transform into a dragon to fly, they chose to keep a low profile and travel discreetly. From their teleportation point, the border dock was neither too close nor too far. About half an hour later, they saw the smoke from a small town and the sparkling Dorn River. There were also Castell soldiers patrolling around the town. After the Lagrisse family¡¯s defeat, all potential escape routes and docks were guarded to prevent rebellious nobles from fleeing. ¡°Change clothes. Avoid using magic if possible. From now on, we¡¯re southern merchants.¡± The Blood Demon Priest instructed as he put away his robes. Just then, he felt a sudden sense of danger. Danger! The Blood Demon Priest¡¯s hair stood on end. Relying on years of experience evading the Holy Court, he instinctively unleashed his magic and stepped back. At that moment, a black flame landed where he had been standing, corroding the ground into pits. ¡°Tsk, quick reaction.¡± A hoarse voice sounded. They looked up to see Yurst¡¯s figure appearing ahead. He glanced at the blazing sun above, then grimaced. ¡°This sunlight is really annoying. It slows me down quite a bit.¡± He then looked at the Blood Demon Priest standing unscathed under the sunlight and smirked. ¡°Being able to walk in daylight unaffected by the sunlight, you¡¯re not a true bloodborne, are you? Let me guess, a Blood Demon follower with elven blood?¡± The Blood Demon Priest¡¯s expression turned grim at the sight of the relaxed Yurst. Meanwhile, the black cat Nice, with a stone in his mouth, widened his eyes in shock. ¡°Mm! Mm?!¡± He mumbled, wriggling his bound body to hide behind Eudoxia, trying to stay unnoticed. Clearly not wanting Yurst to see him. Yurst glanced curiously at the bound black cat, then focused on the Blood Demon Priest. Blazing Sun! Sensing his powerful aura, the Blood Demon Priest¡¯s eyes narrowed. Realizing something, his expression changed. He quickly turned and saw the flame elf Sebastian emerging from the forest behind them, blocking their retreat. ¡°Well, Priest, and Miss Black Dragon, what a coincidence. We meet again.¡± Sebastian said with a smile. Chapter 330: Yes, this is the end Sebastian appeared slowly. At the same time, more than ten hooded ¡°mercenaries¡± emerged from the surroundings, encircling the group.Despite their mercenary disguises and concealed appearances, the Blood Demon Priest recognized their true identities through his keen sense of bloodline power. ¡°Nez Clan!¡± The group¡¯s eyes narrowed. At this moment, they realized their movements had been exposed and they were ambushed in advance! When did it happen? The Blood Demon Priest¡¯s expression turned solemn. But now wasn¡¯t the time to ponder this question. Seeing the two extraordinary individuals blocking them front and back, and the Nez bloodbornes starting to cast binding spells from different positions, he tore off his disguise without hesitation, grabbed his blood staff, and shouted. ¡°Eudoxia! Break through!¡± ¡°Roar¡­!¡± With a resounding dragon roar, the girl¡¯s form instantly transformed into a majestic black dragon. ¡°Heh, trying to escape? Too late!¡± Yurst chuckled. As he spoke, he and Sebastian rushed towards the Blood Demon Priest and the Black Dragon attempting to break through. Simultaneously, the surrounding ¡°mercenaries¡± raised their magical instruments and chanted rhythmically. Crimson radiance rose, dimming the sky and forming a massive dark cage, enclosing everyone within. The battle erupted quickly. Yurst and Sebastian engaged the Blood Demon Priest and the Black Dragon from both sides. The clash between four individuals, whose power approached or exceeded that of the Blazing Sun, was incredibly destructive. In an instant, the magical energy within a kilometer radius became as turbulent as boiling water. The clouds churned, winds howled, crimson flames intertwined with purple-black magic, and black dragon breath descended, engulfing the surrounding forest in an apocalyptic scene. The Nez bloodbornes, after successfully casting their binding spells, quickly retreated from the battlefield. The Blazing Sun was a qualitative leap, possessing immense destructive power. Despite their strength being around Second Tier Silver Moon, they had to avoid this level of conflict. At the battle¡¯s center, Yurst fought the black dragon alone, while Sebastian tangled with the Blood Demon Priest. Within a few rounds, the balance began to tilt. The Blood Demon Priest was not a Blazing Sun. Without the black dragon, he was clearly no match for Sebastian, almost being completely suppressed. The black dragon was in a similar situation. Though theoretically capable of taking on several of the same tier alone, Yurst keenly observed that this black dragon¡¯s combat power was much weaker than expected. With his keen bloodborne senses, Yurst quickly identified the issue. ¡°Heh, Miss Black Dragon, you don¡¯t seem to be in good condition. I think I smell dragon blood¡­¡± ¡°You¡­ are injured?¡± The black dragon did not respond, continuing to fight with full concentration. However, the black cat clutched in her claws let out heart-wrenching screams as he was tossed around. The stone in his mouth had flown out during the battle, but he remained tightly bound, being flung around by Eudoxia, experiencing the wind¡¯s force as the black dragon dove and rose. The spells cast by both sides barely missed the cat¡¯s head, with one particularly close call almost shaving off his fur. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He screamed. ¡°Hey, hey, hey! You fight your fight! Why carry me around like this?¡± ¡°Slow down! Slow down! Crap! Ugh¡­ I¡¯m gonna be sick¡­¡± Yurst frowned at the shouting black cat. For some reason, watching this pitiful creature and hearing its hoarse, curse-laden cries gave him a strange sense of familiarity. He was curious why they were carrying a talking cat, but now wasn¡¯t the time to dwell on it. His focus remained on the black dragon. With the strength of Blazing Sun, Yurst deftly fought the black dragon while observing her. Suddenly, he seemed to recall something and said, ¡°Now that I think about it, I remember an old story from many years ago¡­¡± ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, it was twenty years ago. There was an incident of a black dragon attacking the city in Eastern Yunette.¡± ¡°Though the mercenaries eventually drove the dragon away, it came at a great cost, with two Blazing Sun mercenaries losing their lives¡­¡± ¡°Of course, the black dragon was also seriously injured.¡± ¡°Later, several major mercenary groups in Eastern Yunette hunted this black dragon, but it managed to escape.¡± ¡°And the last place this black dragon was seen was at the border of Eastern Yunette and the Crescent Kingdom¡­¡± Finishing his story, Yurst squinted at the Black Dragon Eudoxia. ¡°Miss Black Dragon, have you heard this old tale?¡± Eudoxia didn¡¯t respond, remaining focused on the battle. Yurst shrugged, then changed the topic. ¡°Miss Black Dragon, I don¡¯t understand why you would team up with the Blood Demon Cult. Don¡¯t you know these guys are masters of deceit and betrayal?¡± Still, no response from the black dragon. ¡°Boring.¡± Yurst pouted and continued the fight. The battle grew more intense. Ultimately, Sebastian and Yurst¡¯s side was stronger. Throughout the battle, the Blood Demon Priest and the Black Dragon Eudoxia made several attempts to break through but were blocked each time. Finally, after another failed attempt, Yurst found an opportunity and pierced the black dragon¡¯s wing with his sword. Dark energy spread over the black dragon, causing her to cry out and plummet from the sky. ¡°Damn!¡± The black cat yelped in a strangely learned manner, then was promptly squashed underneath. Meanwhile, Sebastian also seized a moment of distraction from the Blood Demon Priest and slashed his sword, severing the priest¡¯s right arm holding the blood staff. The Blood Demon Priest grunted, losing his ability to float, and fell beside the black dragon. ¡°This is the end.¡± Sebastian and Yurst ended their levitation spells, landing in front of the two. Seeing them closing in, the Blood Demon Priest¡¯s eyes flickered. Suddenly, he smiled eerily. ¡°Yes, this is the end.¡± He took out a blurry statue from his robe, which was already tainted with a deep black hue. He swiftly turned and thrust the statue into the Black Dragon¡¯s body. The statue melted like liquid, merging into the Black Dragon. A dark-red radiance spread over the black dragon, making her growl in pain. The Blood Demon Priest¡¯s gaze changed completely. He stared at the Black Dragon, his eyes cold and fervent. ¡°Eudoxia, my Lord will remember your sacrifice.¡± ¡°Become¡­ a part of my Lord.¡± The next moment, the Black Dragon¡¯s aura changed. Chapter 331: The Real Ritual ¡°Not good! It¡¯s a Corruption Ritual! Stop him quickly!¡±Seeing the black and red light spreading around the Black Dragon, Yurst¡¯s expression changed instantly. Sebastian¡¯s expression also became serious. As an elf who had lived for centuries, he was not unfamiliar with the ¡°Corruption Ritual.¡± This was an evil divine ritual created by the Blood Demon Archduke Abaddon, capable of assimilating those with cracks in their minds into his fervent followers. The assimilated would become undead beings, stripped of all emotions, with only fanatical devotion to the Blood Demon Archduke remaining in their hearts. Moreover, their power would be greatly enhanced due to the corruption and degeneration¡­ However, this evil ritual was quite troublesome to perform. Especially when trying to corrupt powerful beings, it often required long preparations and daily prayers to gather the Blood Demon Archduke¡¯s power. Furthermore, the caster needed to find a suitable magical carrier to activate the Corruption Ritual. This carrier had to possess strong magic and be infused with the Blood Demon Archduke¡¯s divine power in advance. ¡°It¡¯s the core of the statue from the Ancient Temple! He used the core of the statue from the Ancient Temple as the activation carrier for the Corruption Ritual! He had been preparing for this ritual from the beginning!¡± ¡°Damn it, the Black Dragon has always been solitary and violent, with almost no gaps in their mind, and has very high magic resistance¡­¡± ¡°Serving the Blood Demon Cult is one thing, but how could she succumb to the Corruption Ritual so quickly?!¡± Yurst was shocked and doubtful, while Sebastian said solemnly. ¡°It¡¯s the injury¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s been injured all along!¡± ¡°We can¡¯t worry about that now. Stop the ritual quickly! We must not let the black dragon become fully corrupted. She¡¯ll become an unstoppable monster!¡± Yurst quickly said. As soon as he finished, he and Sebastian rushed toward the Black Dragon from front and back. However, just as they were about to reach the Black Dragon, the Blood Demon Priest blocked their path. His eyes were blood-red, his entire body emitting an evil and frenzied aura, with dark red magic flowing around him. At this moment, his aura also surged, and his severed right arm regrew, covered with spikes and scales, resembling a demon. The three engaged in a swift battle, and for a moment, the combined forces of Sebastian and Yurst were actually held back by the Blood Demon Priest! ¡°It¡¯s demonic corruption! The Blood Demon Cultists are lunatics! They don¡¯t care about their lives!¡± Yurst said grimly. And just in a brief moment, the Black Dragon¡¯s corruption was complete. ¡°!¡± With a deep roar, the Black Dragon spread her vast wings and took flight again. Her body was surrounded by black and red smoke, her scales covered in spikes, looking increasingly terrifying and grotesque. An overwhelming pressure surged like a tsunami. She lowered her head and unleashed a torrent of dragon breath towards the two. Yurst, always composed, changed his expression for the first time. ¡°Not good! It¡¯s Corrupted Dragon Breath! Dodge quickly!¡± The two retreated rapidly, barely avoiding the dragon breath. However, when they looked up again, the black dragon in the sky had vanished. The two were stunned for a moment, and then an unprecedented sense of danger washed over them. Almost simultaneously, they turned and defended, but were met with a tremendous force. Unnoticed, the Black Dragon had appeared behind them, and with a swing of her spiked tail, sent them flying¡­ Under the unstoppable force, Sebastian and Yurst flew like broken kites, crashing through numerous trees. When they landed, even with Blazing Sun¡¯s physical resilience, they were severely injured from the impact and corrosive force. The Black Dragon landed slowly, looking down at them with a crazed crimson gaze. The Blood Demon Priest approached the two. His eyes were blood-red, his expression twisted with madness, a cruel smile on his face. The power of corruption bubbled within him, making it seem as if he could be torn apart by dark magic at any moment, but he didn¡¯t care. He laughed maniacally. ¡°The Crimson Blade and the Nez Blood Count, you¡­cannot stop the descent of my Lord!¡± The descent of his Lord? Wasn¡¯t it about breaking through with the corrupted Black Dragon? Yurst and Sebastian were stunned. At that moment, they saw the corrupted Black Dragon suddenly convulsing. The black and red light spread over her body again, and the blurred statue that had merged with her began to float out on its own. No, it wasn¡¯t a real statue. It was just a projection. The projection emitted a hazy light, illuminating the ground. Soon, a complex and mysterious large magic circle, centered around the Black Dragon, slowly appeared. Still held by the Dragon¡¯s claws, Nice was stunned when he saw the magic circle. He instinctively cursed. ¡°Shit! It¡¯s the God Descent Ritual¡¯s circle! You carved the God Descent Ritual circle into the statue!¡± ¡°You never intended to descend the God at the ruins, but planned to use Eudoxia¡¯s dragon vein power as the node!¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t choose me as the vessel, but her!¡± Hearing Nice¡¯s words, the Blood Demon Priest glanced at him unexpectedly, then smiled at Yurst and Sebastian. ¡°I must thank you for further weakening her power, especially you, Nez bloodborne, for opening up her mental gap completely¡­¡± ¡°Rest assured, I will leave your corpse intact as a gratitude.¡± He picked up his blood staff and chanted a rhythmic incantation. Deep light bloomed from the magic circle on the black dragon, and an ancient, vast aura slowly spread from the void¡­ The aura of corruption surged, and the black and red light shot into the sky. Feeling the increasing pressure, Nice¡¯s black face turned green. ¡°Damn! Damn, damn, damn, damn!¡± Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°If it¡¯s not me, then let me go!¡± However, just as everyone thought the God Descent Ritual would center around the corrupted Black Dragon, the black and red light shone on Nice. Nice: ¡­? ¡°Wait¡­ wasn¡¯t Eudoxia the vessel? Why am I at the core of the circle?¡± The Blood Demon Priest looked at him with a half-smile. ¡°Sir Nicholas, when did I ever say Eudoxia was the vessel for my Lord?¡± Sebastian and Nice¡¯s expressions turned strange. ¡°No, wait¡­ Priest, are you sure you want to choose me? And without the Desecration Cross?¡± Nice couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Stop stalling, Sir Nicholas. My Lord will remember your contribution.¡± The Blood Demon Priest smiled. With that, he waved his blood staff, and a surge of corrupting power flowed toward Nice. However, just as the corrupting power surged into Nice¡¯s body, a crimson light suddenly burst from him¡­ Chapter 332: Two Choices A crimson radiance, distinct from the power of corruption, emerged.It was deep, pure, mysterious, and vast. The moment it burst forth, everyone, including the Blood Demon Priest who was conducting the God Descent Ritual, felt an ancient and timeless will descending. A pressure originating from bloodborne power rose. The Blood Demon Priest felt as if his existence had been locked onto by an indescribable, terrifying entity. His bloodborne power surged uncontrollably, as if dominated by something even more terrifying. It felt as though his extraordinary power was no longer his own¡­ ¡°This¡­ this power is¡­! No! This is impossible!¡± As if realizing something, the Blood Demon Priest¡¯s expression changed dramatically, staring in horror at the crimson radiance. He tried to turn and flee but was horrified to find his bloodborne power suddenly rebelling, no longer obeying his commands. His brain ordered his body to escape, but his bloodborne power restrained his physical movements. He attempted to activate the demon eye mark within his soul, seeking help from the Blood Demon Archduke. However, upon sensing his power, he was terrified to discover his connection to the Blood Demon Archduke had been completely severed. No, it wasn¡¯t simply severed but blocked and cut off from a higher realm! Simultaneously, pressure like that felt by subjects before a monarch surged through his body, making his body tremble uncontrollably. With the trembling came an instinctual emotion of reverence and submission from deep within his soul¡­ The Blood Demon Priest¡¯s fear deepened. Under the crimson radiance, he felt himself rapidly losing control over his body. It wasn¡¯t just physical control he was losing but control at the soul level. He could clearly feel that under this radiance, he was rapidly losing his sense of self! No¡­ It wasn¡¯t just about losing his sense of self. Looking at his gradually transparent body under the crimson radiance, seeing his form disintegrate like broken photons, and the bloodborne power being absorbed by the crimson light, a flash of realization crossed his terrified eyes. ¡°This is¡­ the power of¡­ devouring¡­¡± He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but in an instant, his entire body disintegrated like shattered clouds. At the same time, the crimson radiance grew even brighter. ¡°The True Ancestor! It¡¯s the power of the True Ancestor!¡± Feeling the boiling bloodborne power, Yurst¡¯s eyes widened. He looked at the black cat in the crimson radiance with disbelief, his aura becoming increasingly mysterious and unfathomable. Though he was merely a black cat, in Yurst¡¯s vision, it seemed he had transcended time, seeing a beautiful figure seated high on the Blood Throne. That beautiful figure seemed to sense his gaze, glancing at him lightly with a smile. In that instant, Yurst felt his consciousness blur, his entire mental world seemingly slowing down. When his will cleared again, most of the crimson radiance had receded, and the world had returned to normal. The Blood Demon Priest had vanished along with the dispersal of the crimson light. Also gone was his incomplete God Descent Ritual. Meanwhile, the terrifyingly corrupted Black Dragon was imprisoned in a crimson cage of light. Though still struggling and roaring, it was helpless under the radiance. All the bloodbornes around knelt, including Yurst himself, who didn¡¯t even realize when he had knelt. Their target of reverence was the speaking black cat. However, at this moment, the black cat¡¯s demeanor had completely changed. He was now free, and his amber eyes transformed into a stunning crimson, vastly different from before. Yurst instantly felt a mysterious connection to the cat and a stirring of his bloodborne power upon seeing it. He took a deep breath, preparing to salute the black cat, but someone was quicker. ¡°Praise you, great Master! May your crimson light shine upon the world!¡± Sebastian stepped forward, bowing skillfully, his posture impeccable, his gaze reverent, his expression devout. The fluidity of his actions made him seem less like a proud elf and more like a seasoned sycophant. Yurst: ¡­ Bah! This groveling sycophant! What perfect timing! Muttering a curse under his breath, he bowed deeply with the most ancient, standard, and respectful bloodborne etiquette he knew, towards the black cat. ¡°Praise to you, the Source of the Bloodborne, the Eternal Night Monarch, the Master of Darkness, the Supreme True Ancestor¡­¡± ¡°Your humble descendant, Yurst, offers you the highest respect¡­¡± After speaking, Yurst bowed again and respectfully said, ¡°Great True Ancestor, please forgive Yurst¡¯s poor eyesight for not recognizing your identity earlier¡­¡± But just as he finished speaking, he heard Sebastian chuckle beside him. Frowning, Yurst looked over to see the elf, also imbued with powers, looking at him strangely, chuckling lightly. ¡°Sir Yurst, you might have misunderstood. Our Master¡¯s form is not as you imagine. Master is merely possessing Nice¡¯s body at the moment.¡± ¡°Hey, Master¡¯s form is elegant and beautiful. Right now, she merely descended by possessing Nice¡¯s body.¡± Sebastian shook his head, almost flaunting the pride and superiority of having seen the true form of the True Ancestor of Blood. However, Yurst¡¯s attention was elsewhere. Wait¡­ Possession? He stared blankly at the black cat with deep breaths, and this time, he finally noticed the faint thorny rose symbol on the cat¡¯s forehead. This was¡­ the True Ancestor¡¯s divine symbol! Yurst was momentarily stunned, his expression quickly turning awkward. As a bloodborne, he knew what it meant for a divine symbol to appear on a forehead¡ªthis indicated that the black cat before him was a pet marked by the True Ancestor! By the True Ancestor! He had mistaken the True Ancestor¡¯s possessed pet for the True Ancestor herself! ¡°Sorry, Progenitor, I misidentified your presence¡­¡± Yurst spoke fearfully. ¡°You were unaware of the relationship between Nice and me. No need for apologies.¡± The black cat spoke elegantly. Its voice was no longer the hoarse, low male voice but a clear, ethereal female tone, identical to the voice Yurst heard during his first summoning. Upon hearing this familiar voice, Yurst was now completely certain that the entity controlling the black cat was indeed the returned True Ancestor. But¡­ Nice? Is this black cat named Nice? Yurst¡¯s mind raced. Wait¡­ If he remembered correctly, the Blood Demon Priest who was killed by the True Ancestor earlier had called it¡­ Sir Nicholas? Wait! Nicholas?! As he pieced things together, Yurst¡¯s eyes widened, looking at the black cat again, hesitant to speak. However, Charlotte, now possessing Nice, was no longer focused on him. Experimenting with Nice¡¯s body, Charlotte was amazed. After possession, she could clearly sense that manipulating the blood divine power through Nice¡¯s body was almost identical to using her own! She finally understood why the Blood Demon Priest intended to use Nice¡¯s body as a vessel to summon the Blood Demon Archduke. This body was indeed very suitable. Although it was a cat¡¯s body, it had an exceptionally high compatibility with divine power, almost as if it was designed to be a vessel for God¡¯s descent. Even she had managed a long-distance divine descent with minimal effort. She didn¡¯t know how Nice managed it, but this was definitely not his original body. Curiously exploring the body for a while, Charlotte decided to confront Nice later to see if she could learn how to create such a remarkable body. Then, she looked up at the still-imprisoned black dragon. ¡°Great Master, this black dragon has been corrupted by the Blood Demon Archduke¡¯s power. What should we do?¡± Sebastian asked respectfully. Corrupted, huh¡­ Charlotte looked at the struggling black dragon within the crimson cage, deep in thought. She gracefully approached the cage, using her blood divine power to sense the dragon, and was surprised to find that the dragon¡¯s sanity was not completely eroded. Although she was in a frenzy and her body nearly transformed into an undead dragon, deep within her soul, a battle between the corruption and her original sanity continued, with corruption currently having the upper hand. In other words, the black dragon could still be saved, and with the Gospel of Blood, Charlotte had the means to do so. But unlike the ¡°devouring¡± ability she used to kill the Blood Demon Priest, the black dragon was not part of the bloodborne, and the battle against the corruption was at a soul level. While Charlotte wielded divine power comparable to that of a God, her understanding of its use was still rudimentary. Perhaps she could crush the black dragon¡¯s soul with overwhelming power, but saving it¡­ that required a delicate touch she might not possess. Even if she could, the effort would be substantial. On the other hand, another straightforward choice was to devour the dragon¡¯s bloodline power¡­ Dragons were powerful, and their bloodline could significantly enhance her own strength. Although it wouldn¡¯t bring her to the level of the Blazing Sun, it would greatly enhance her abilities, especially the dragon blood¡¯s potential to improve her sunlight tolerance. This was crucial for Charlotte, who was not a true God. Without using the divine power from the Gospel of Blood, sunlight could easily harm her. This was a significant drawback, especially now that she was a Northern Lord and would need to appear under sunlight frequently. Should she expend divine power to save the dragon and gain a powerful ally? Or should she devour her power to enhance her own strength? Charlotte pondered. Divine-enhanced thinking was swift, and Charlotte quickly concluded. Devouring the dragon¡¯s power would indeed strengthen her, but not enough to reach the Blazing Sun tier. However, if she could subdue the dragon, she would gain a Blazing Sun combatant, a force that could openly participate in conflicts. Moreover, having the dragon as an ally could provide a steady supply of dragon blood. This was far superior to the extraordinary blood provided by Sebastian. Over time, she could still enhance her strength by absorbing dragon blood, and sustainably so! But this required the dragon¡¯s complete submission, whether willingly or through a contract like Nice¡¯s. With this in mind, Charlotte stepped forward, approaching the black dragon. ¡°I am very interested in her. Let¡¯s save her.¡± She said, then used her blood divine power to float up, descending before the black dragon¡¯s head. She extended Nice¡¯s plump paw through the crimson cage, placing it on the dragon¡¯s head. In her mind, the Gospel of Blood radiated intensely. Charlotte quickly connected with the dragon¡¯s mental world. In her vision, the surroundings shattered, replaced by a dilapidated mining area. ¡°This is¡­ the Castel silver mine?¡± Charlotte was surprised by the scene. This was the dragon¡¯s mental world. A mental world¡¯s manifestation often relates to its owner¡¯s deepest memories. Charlotte looked around and soon found the dragon¡¯s consciousness. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. In the dragon¡¯s mental world, her consciousness or soul remained that of a black dragon. However, she was unconscious, surrounded by black-red sludge, corrupted almost entirely. The black-red sludge represented the Blood Demon Archduke¡¯s corruption power, one of Myria¡¯s most insidious powers. Yet, to Charlotte with the Gospel of Blood, it posed no threat. She approached the ¡°black dragon¡±, extending her hand, and the sludge melted away like snow meeting fire, transforming into pure blood divine power that she absorbed. Simultaneously, a flood of memories surged into her consciousness as she purified the dragon¡­ Chapter 333: My name is Eudoxia I am a severely wounded black dragon.I don¡¯t know where I come from, nor do I know where my home is. Even my name was given to me by others. I still vividly remember the moment I first awoke. Those were painful days, curled up weakly in the darkness of the mine, tormented by the tearing of my wounds and the agony in my soul. No memories, no past, only the searing pain of my body and a lingering fear deep in my soul. In the darkness, I seemed to hear a faint female voice whispering in my ear. ¡°So that¡¯s how it is¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Eudoxia, time is limited, I can¡¯t do more¡­¡± ¡°Sleep, the wheel of fate has begun to turn¡­¡± ¡°Our story¡­ has just begun.¡± ¡­ I am a severely wounded black dragon. If it weren¡¯t for the magic-infused mithril in the veins of the mine, I might have already died from my severe injuries and depleted magic. But even though I found mithril to replenish my magic, even though it eased my pain, it was just prolonging my suffering without food. Until¡­ I met him. I still remember the day I saw him. The collapsed mine, the swirling dust, the harsh coughing from the smoke, and¡­ a thin, weak figure that looked quite delicious. It was a demi-human. I don¡¯t know how I knew it was a demi-human, but the moment I saw him, my desire to survive almost overwhelmed my reason. He was a demi-human, but also¡­ food. Dragging my heavy body, I attacked. I growled lowly, baring my fangs and claws. I saw his face pale with fear and heard his terrified shout. ¡°Dragon¡­ a dragon!¡± But I failed. Even with the mithril¡¯s magic, my strength was still fading day by day. Despite my will to survive, my body grew heavier. I was so weak that I couldn¡¯t even kill a frail demi-human. I collapsed in front of him. I saw his terrified expression gradually turn to surprise. I sensed his fear quickly dissipating, replaced by¡­ curiosity. ¡°You¡­ are hurt?¡± Those were the last words I heard before I lost consciousness. ¡­ I am a severely wounded black dragon. I thought I should have died. Although I had lost my memory, and forgotten everything, I still knew who I was. I knew the fate of a severely injured dragon found by lesser intelligent beings. I knew I was so weak that even a mortal could easily kill me. But¡­ I did not die. When I awoke again, I saw a bright campfire, felt its warmth, and smelled an enticing aroma. That thin demi-human was sitting by the fire, quietly roasting something. Food! At first glance, I saw the food on the fire. The enticing meat aroma even surpassed that of the demi-human himself. Struggling to get up, I noticed that my wounds had been covered with a pungent powder at some point. It was a foul-smelling powder. But after it was applied, my pain seemed to lessen instantly. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re awake¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t move, you¡¯re badly hurt. Fortunately, I found these medicinal powders from the tribe, they¡¯ll help you feel better.¡± The demi-human said. Why didn¡¯t he kill me? That was my first thought. I was puzzled. Very puzzled. But he did not explain, instead, he handed me the roasted food. This time, I saw what it was¡ªa large burrowing rat. ¡°Here, you must be hungry. This is all I could find.¡± S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I¡¯m afraid the burrowing rats around here are scarce because of your presence. I had to go far to catch one.¡± He said. I looked at the burrowing rat he handed over, without responding. ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± He asked again. Strange fellow¡­ I didn¡¯t answer him, but I decisively ate the food he handed over. Because I was really hungry. ¡­ I am a severely wounded black dragon. I don¡¯t know why he saved me, or what his intentions were. But I knew I wouldn¡¯t thank him for his aid and food. I am a dragon. A black dragon. Known to be the most ferocious of all dragon species. To me, food is just food. Even if he saved me, he was still food. I decided not to try to kill him for now. I would wait. Wait until my body recovered, until my strength returned. I would kill him with my own hands once I regained my power. I would show him that food should know their place. It was foolish arrogance for the prey to try to save the predator. In the meantime, I would use him. Use his ignorance, use his stupidity, use his kindness¡­ ¡­ I am a severely wounded black dragon. Oh, no. With his help, my wounds have gradually healed over time. He is a very strange demi-human. Though terrified of my dragon¡¯s might, he always ventured deep into the mine. Bringing me food and herbs. Though the food he brought could never fill my stomach, it gave me the strength to heal myself at critical moments. I found myself gradually getting used to his presence. He returned almost every day, always bringing new food. Sometimes it was burrowing rats, sometimes armadillos, sometimes mountain rabbits, sometimes wild chickens¡­ He enjoyed roasting meat over the fire while telling stories. Sharing his experiences in the tribe, and his daily life. Of course, most of the time, he complained about the tyrannical mine manager and the stubborn tribe elders. He didn¡¯t care if I was listening or if I understood. He seemed to just treat me as a silent confidant. Of course, I learned his name. ¡°Kael, my name is Kael, and I¡¯m a werewolf.¡± ¡°Mr. Black Dragon, can you tell me your name?¡± He asked with a smile. I turned my head, ignoring him. He scratched his head, while I arrogantly lifted my head and swallowed the piece of meat I had just put in my mouth. Seeing his slightly awkward expression, I felt quite pleased. Hmm, today¡¯s food tasted better than usual¡­ ¡­ I am a black dragon who has lost my memory. When I woke up, I found myself lying in a mine, covered in wounds, and met a strange demi-human. This demi-human neither feared me nor exposed my existence. Instead, he found food for me and treated my wounds. I don¡¯t understand why he did this. Even though I¡¯ve lost my past memories, I still know how much of an allure an injured dragon holds for the mercenaries of the mortal world, representing enough wealth for an ordinary person to squander a lifetime. Unknowingly, I seem to have grown accustomed to this daily feeding routine. The demi-human named Kael still brings food every day, sharing his mundane daily life. And my wounds are healing day by day. I have long since regained enough strength to kill him. However, I have not acted. Through his stories, I¡¯ve come to know where I am. This is the Northland, a place called Castell, ruled by two young Blazing Suns. I have not acted rashly. Because I know that although my wounds are healing, I have not yet recovered enough to face such powerful beings. I will continue to wait¡­ wait¡­ Wait until my wounds are completely healed. I will personally kill this self-righteous werewolf, then spread my wings and soar into the sky under the gaze of the Blazing Suns. ¡­ I am a black dragon filled with confusion. I don¡¯t know how long I have stayed in this mining area. I just watched that young demi-human grow into a youth, his once naive eyes becoming resolute. Gradually, I began to enjoy listening to him share those mundane daily stories and complain about his repetitive life on the surface. In the dark mine, during the long healing process, his stories seemed to become my only source of entertainment. At some point, Kael stopped coming every day. Sometimes two days, sometimes three days, and sometimes¡­ even a week passed before he returned. He seemed more tired than before, and each time he came to the mine, most of his sharing was replaced by silence. I felt a bit agitated. I didn¡¯t know why I was agitated, I just really disliked this instability. At some point, I had grown used to his daily visits. I somewhat¡­ didn¡¯t want to kill him anymore. Finally, one time, I didn¡¯t see him for an entire week. When he finally came to the mine again, it was half a month later. I still remember that day. He limped, seemingly injured, with a mountain deer on his back. ¡°Sorry, Mr. Black Dragon, I¡¯m late.¡± He said with a bitter smile. Despite having been irritable, I felt strangely calm the moment I saw him. ¡°You are indeed very late this time. What happened?¡± I couldn¡¯t contain my curiosity and asked. Kael was stunned. I saw the mountain deer on his back fall to the ground with a thud, and I saw him stare at me in astonishment, stammering. ¡°You¡­ you¡­ you can talk?!¡± ¡°Wait¡­ Mr. Black Dragon, no¡­ Ms. Black Dragon¡­ you¡¯re a lady?!¡± I proudly lifted my dragon head. ¡°I am a dragon, a noble dragon. Learning the common language of Myria is a given.¡± As I spoke, I glanced at him. ¡°Besides¡­ when did I ever reveal my gender?¡± That was the first time I spoke to him. I never thought I would initiate a conversation with such a short-lived species, and what surprised me even more was that I didn¡¯t feel any aversion to it after speaking to him. Unconsciously, I seemed to have lost some of my initial pride and no longer viewed him merely as an overconfident demi-human. ¡°These days¡­ where have you been?¡± I asked. For the first time, I saw him at a loss. He scratched his head, seemingly unsure of how to respond, and after a moment, he sighed. ¡°I went mining.¡± ¡°Mining? Haven¡¯t you always been mining?¡± ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s different now, Ms. Black Dragon. I need to mine more because I need money, a lot of money¡­¡± ¡°What do you need money for?¡± Kael¡¯s expression turned gloomy. ¡°The Count and the Countess died in battle, and the high ranks of the mining workshop have been replaced. Now the workshop demands more mining from us, and if we don¡¯t meet the quota, they deduct our pay¡­¡± ¡°My father has already passed away from illness, and now it¡¯s just my brother and me at home. We used to have my father to protect us, and the workshop wasn¡¯t so strict before, but now¡­ everything is different.¡± ¡°To treat my brother¡¯s illness, I owe a lot of money¡­¡± ¡°I need to pay off the debt¡­ and support my family¡­ so I must mine more silver.¡± ¡°Sorry, Ms. Black Dragon, I won¡¯t be able to come as frequently in the future.¡± Hearing Kael¡¯s explanation, I fell silent. Honestly, I don¡¯t quite understand family or familial bonds. As a dragon, I can¡¯t grasp the significance and value of money for mortals. But I felt an impulse. An impulse I couldn¡¯t understand¡­ I turned around, and under Kael¡¯s puzzled gaze, I returned to the cave I had dug. From the pile of mithril blocks I had collected over the years, I picked the smallest one, but after some thought, I replaced it with a slightly larger one. ¡°Take this, this piece of mithril should be enough for you.¡± I said. Kael was stunned, looking at the piece of mithril bigger than his head, his expression dazed. ¡°Ms. Black Dragon¡­ this¡­ such a large piece of mithril¡­for¡­ for me?!¡± ¡°Take it. I am pleased with the food you bring each time. Kael, you have earned the recognition of a great black dragon and become someone the great black dragon is willing to converse with. Consider this mithril your reward.¡± I proudly lifted my head and said. ¡°Recognition? Reward?¡± Kael was stunned. ¡°Yes, recognition and reward.¡± I nodded proudly. Kael immediately became excited. ¡°Ms. Black Dragon, does this mean we are friends now?¡± Friends? I frowned. Looking at the excited demi-human wagging his tail, I snorted and said, ¡°You are overthinking it. I never make friends with the weak. This is just a reward.¡± ¡°Not¡­ friends.¡± Kael looked somewhat disappointed. For some reason, seeing his drooping ears made me even more agitated. ¡°But¡­ you can be an exception.¡± For some inexplicable reason, I blurted this out. After saying that, I was stunned. I think I¡¯ve gone mad¡­ As a black dragon, I was willing to lower myself to discuss friendship with a lowly demi-human! I am a black dragon! A cruel and ruthless black dragon! What made me even more uncomfortable was that I realized I didn¡¯t feel as repulsed by this fact as I had imagined¡­ Habits are terrifying. Unknowingly, I had become unlike myself! ¡°Remember, I hate tardiness. Don¡¯t let it happen again.¡± I coldly said and turned to leave. But perhaps, it was more accurate to say I fled. ¡°Ms. Black Dragon! May I know your name?¡± Kael called out loudly from behind me. Name? I paused slightly. A name¡­ Honestly, I didn¡¯t know my name. At least¡­ at that moment, I seemed to have forgotten my name. In a trance, I recalled the call I heard the day I awoke. A strange emotion rose in my heart¡­ ¡°Eudoxia, you may call me Eudoxia.¡± I replied. ¡°Eudoxia?¡± Kael was stunned again. Seeing his dazed expression, I frowned. ¡°What? Do you have an issue with this great name?¡± Kael quickly shook his head, explaining as he shook. ¡®No, no! No issue! Of course, no issue, it¡¯s indeed a great name!¡± Saying that, he scratched his head. ¡°I just¡­ didn¡¯t expect that Ms. Black Dragon would share the name with a totem our tribe once worshipped in legend¡­¡± Chapter 334: The Full of Secret Black Dragon In the mines, time always passes slowly. Day after day, year after year. Until the young demi-human grows a beard, until the injured black dragon gradually heals.¡°Miss Eudoxia, today I brought a Yunette Red Pig from the market, it¡¯s absolutely delicious!¡± The young demi-human happily said, carrying a fat, red-haired wild boar. ¡°Is it okay for you to bring food to the mine so frequently?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I come through the secret passage quietly at night, no one has noticed.¡± Kael said with a smile. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± ¡°Thank you for what? I should be thanking you for the mithril you give me every time! Aren¡¯t we friends?¡± ¡­ My name is Eudoxia. A true black dragon. I used to think that, as a proud black dragon, friendship and companionship could never be a part of a dragon¡¯s life. But I seem to have been wrong. After more than ten years together, Kael¡¯s presence has become almost a part of my long healing process¡­ Habit is a terrible thing. Even someone like me has gradually become accustomed to things I would never have touched before. I no longer plan to kill him. When I recover, I will say goodbye to him, then soar into the sky. As a friend. I thought these days would continue until we parted. I thought so¡­ ¡°Eudoxia, did you go to the eastern mining area a few days ago?¡± ¡°I went to look for mithril, you know, my injuries are almost healed, and I need better quality mithril in these final stages.¡± ¡°Be careful recently, the workshop has begun to suspect the presence of a dragon in the mining area.¡± S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I will.¡± ¡­ ¡°Eudoxia! Run! The workshop has hired Yunette¡¯s dragon-slayer mercenaries! They¡¯ve discovered your whereabouts! They¡¯re coming for you!¡± ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll hold them off, they don¡¯t know about our relationship, I can cover for you and buy you some time to escape!¡± ¡­ ¡°Evil black dragon! So you were hiding here all along!¡± ¡°Defiling the glory of our Lord, our Lord will surely bring down punishment!¡± ¡°Prepare to die!¡± ¡­ Charlotte saw the memories. She saw many, many memories. From a black dragon covered in scars waking up, to accidentally meeting a demi-human, from resistance and vigilance to familiarity and understanding, finally becoming friends. The ending of the memory was not pleasant. The black dragon, whose whereabouts were exposed, was hunted by the Yunette Mercenary Group, while the demi-human died covering for the dragon. A fierce battle broke out in the forest, and the enraged black dragon killed the mercenaries at the cost of being seriously injured again, but the demi-human was gone forever. Charlotte felt strong emotions, emotions belonging to the black dragon. It was not entirely sadness and pain, more so sorrow, self-blame, and confusion¡­ The demi-human¡¯s death had a profound impact on the black dragon, but it was not just the grief of losing a friend, there seemed to be something deeper. This strong impact was somewhat familiar. She seemed to have experienced it once in the distant past. The black dragon felt as if she had forgotten something. Something extremely important. Until¡­ someone found her. ¡°It seems, Ms. Eudoxia no longer needs our help.¡± In a ravaged forest, a figure in a black hood laughed hoarsely. ¡°Who are you?¡± The blood-soaked black dragon looked wary. ¡°Who I am is not important, what¡¯s important is, Ms. Eudoxia, do you know who you are? Do you know your past? Do you know why the Yunette mercenaries are hunting you? And do you¡­ want to revive those you cherish?¡± The black hooded figure asked. The black dragon was silent. Her gaze never left the demi-human¡¯s corpse. ¡°Who are you? Can you revive him? Do you¡­ know my past?¡± She asked. The black hooded figure laughed. ¡°You can call us the Blood Demon Cult.¡± ¡°Join us, and you can know everything you want to know¡­¡± ¡­ Charlotte finished reading Eudoxia¡¯s memories. It wasn¡¯t a very complicated memory. Aside from the day-to-day healing in the mines, the real change happened at the end of the memory. Charlotte also understood the reason why this black dragon joined the Blood Demon Cult. ¡°So, it was to revive her friend and find her past¡­¡± Charlotte pondered. Regarding the friend in the black dragon Eudoxia¡¯s memory, if Charlotte guessed correctly, it should be the older brother of the young werewolf, Noah. He disappeared seven years ago, and now, after seeing the black dragon¡¯s memory, she realized that he had already died. Charlotte couldn¡¯t judge anything, she could only sigh in her heart that even a brutal black dragon could have a friendship. However, after reading the black dragon¡¯s memories and integrating the dragon¡¯s emotions, Charlotte also knew that what truly made the black dragon join the Blood Demon Cult without hesitation, willing to work for them, was not just to revive the demi-human Kael. More importantly, it was to find her past. The death of the demi-human Kael was just a trigger, and with the death of Kael, the shock deep in her soul was the strongest for Eudoxia. When reading the memories, Charlotte could clearly feel the emotions bursting from Eudoxia at that time. It was a kind of anxiety that, even though she knew she had forgotten something important, even though she knew she had forgotten something she must do, she just couldn¡¯t remember. This anxiety, combined with the sorrow of her friend¡¯s death, made the black dragon extremely agitated, ultimately leading her to join the Blood Demon Cult. Of course, in the end, it seems she was deceived by the Blood Demon Cult. Because in the memories Charlotte read, the black dragon Eudoxia never got the answers from the Blood Demon Cult¡­ The crimson light spread over the black dragon. The hideous demonic spines slowly melted, and the black-red corrupting power gradually dissipated, or more accurately, transformed into the purest blood divine power, which was ultimately absorbed by Charlotte, who was possessing Nice. Corrupting power was the power of the Blood Demon Duke Abaddon, and the source of all bloodborne power is the same. For Charlotte, who had mastered the Gospel of Blood, absorbing this power was troublesome but not impossible. What surprised Charlotte was that her compatibility with this black dragon seemed quite good, or perhaps it instinctively sensed that her power was helping it. During the absorption process, Charlotte didn¡¯t feel much resistance, and the whole process was quite smooth. As the power was absorbed, the black dragon gradually returned to a normal state, and after all the ¡°polluted¡± magic was completely removed, a strange scene appeared. The black dragon, as large as a mountain, suddenly began to shrink, finally transforming into a naked black-haired girl. Seeing this, Charlotte was stunned. Sebastian reacted quickly, instantly taking a black robe from the storage space and covering her. When Charlotte cast a surprised glance at him, he smiled awkwardly. ¡°Sorry, Master, I¡¯m used to it.¡± Charlotte: ¡­? Charlotte didn¡¯t delve into what this elf, who had spent years mingling in the human world, was used to. She looked again at the girl who had transformed from a black dragon. The girl¡¯s breathing was steady, clearly having fallen asleep due to exhaustion of magic. This made Charlotte wonder. When a dragon exhausts their magic, do they transform into human form? ¡°Strange, she exhausted her magic and turned into a human. Could her true form be human?¡± On the other side, Yurst couldn¡¯t help but ask the same question. Human? Charlotte¡¯s mind was stirred. She stepped forward, sensing the black-haired girl¡¯s aura again, and after probing, she found that apart from having a human appearance, her essence had nothing to do with being human. Charlotte was confident she wouldn¡¯t be wrong. After all, one of the five resonance paths of the bloodborne, the Wild Path, included the ability for transformation magic, with dragon transformation being a well-known spell. Bloodborne transformation magic requires understanding and mastering the essence of the target¡¯s bloodline. Charlotte had drunk the extraordinary blood of sub-dragons many times to build a foundation. In her perception, Eudoxia¡¯s blood was more pure and delicious than any sub-dragon blood she had ever tasted, definitely not a human with transformation magic. To explain it, there was only one reason: although she was a black dragon, she had a fixed human form. This black dragon named Eudoxia must have a complicated background¡­ Charlotte naturally came to this conclusion. Surely, it¡¯s not that simple. Charlotte had checked, and even using divine power, she found nothing wrong with the girl¡¯s brain or consciousness, meaning her mind was perfectly normal. However, after reading her memories, Charlotte knew this black dragon had no memories from over ten years ago. She had lost her memory, and the loss was bizarre, as if the memories had vanished into thin air. Charlotte was very curious about this. Erasing, modifying, or deleting memories always leaves traces, and the bloodborne, skilled in mental magic, are very sensitive to this. Charlotte was no novice. She had studied mental magic deeply and mastered mind control and memory alteration magic. Yet, even with the help of blood divine power, she found no trace of tampering in Eudoxia¡¯s consciousness. Her memories seemed too normal. But too normal is abnormal in itself. The only explanation Charlotte could think of was that a stronger power, so strong that even with the Gospel of Blood she couldn¡¯t understand it, had influenced everything. She naturally thought of the ethereal female voice she heard when reading Eudoxia¡¯s memories¡­ ¡°Is it the owner of that voice¡­¡± ¡°That voice sounded familiar, but I can¡¯t remember where I heard it¡­¡± Charlotte pondered. The female voice was ethereal, fleeting, and seemed to carry a strange power. As time passed, Charlotte felt her memory of those whispers fading quickly¡­ She hastily reinforced her mind with blood divine power, barely stopping the process, but she could no longer recall the tone of the voice, only that it sounded familiar. With no answers, Charlotte temporarily stopped dwelling on it. She glanced at the sleeping black-haired girl, pondered for a moment, and said to Sebastian. ¡°Send her back to Northport.¡± Sebastian respectfully agreed, while Yurst was taken aback. A black dragon is still a black dragon, even if wounded, unconscious, or in human form. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, this seemingly delicate girl might be the same evil black dragon that descended upon Eastern Yunette years ago, slaughtering an entire city and earning the name ¡°Dark Scourge.¡± He couldn¡¯t understand why they would bring this ticking time bomb to a big city like Northport, seemingly without restraining her power. However, the thought vanished quickly. It was a command from the divine True Ancestor, indicating the black dragon couldn¡¯t cause much trouble in Northport. Wait¡­ couldn¡¯t cause much trouble? An idea struck Yurst. He looked at the glowing black dragon, eyes filled with uncertainty. Could it be¡­ the True Ancestor¡¯s true body is now in Northport? ¡°Yurst, I¡¯m very interested in the black dragon attack on Eastern Yunette over ten years ago. Prepare a report when we return.¡± Charlotte said. Interrupted from his thoughts, Yurst quickly regained his composure and respectfully agreed. For a moment, he felt this resurrected True Ancestor wasn¡¯t as inscrutable and mysterious as he thought. So¡­ even the True Ancestor has things she¡¯s interested in and doesn¡¯t know about¡­ Yurst mused. Despite this, he couldn¡¯t forget the awe-inspiring power he felt when the True Ancestor descended into his consciousness. That kind of power that made his soul tremble was unforgettable. Now, Charlotte sensed it was time to end this possession through the Gospel of Blood. The goal of this God¡¯s Descent had been achieved, and it was time to return, avoiding unnecessary consumption. Blood divine power is hard to replenish and should be used sparingly. With this in mind, she glanced around and said to Sebastian. ¡°The northern lands have been pacified. Arrange things here and return as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Sebastian replied respectfully. With that, Charlotte ended the possession and dispersed the light. The crimson glow faded, and the black cat Nice fell to the ground, also falling asleep. Sebastian and Yurst simultaneously bowed toward the fading light. ¡°Take care, Master!¡± Chapter 335: Charlottes Transformation Ending the God¡¯s Descent, Charlotte¡¯s consciousness returned to the mental world of the Dark Night Castle.This long-distance descent had taken a considerable toll on her, even dimming the divine brilliance of the Gospel of Blood. Charlotte assessed her situation. Based on the standard of consuming 1 divine power point per second for the True Ancestor¡¯s Liberation, her divine power had dropped from nearly full at 60 points, accumulated over recent times, to about 25 points. However, it wasn¡¯t without gain. Charlotte gently extended her right hand, and a crimson brilliance condensed in her palm, gradually forming a blurry statue. The statue¡¯s face was unclear, and it was only palm-sized, glowing with a misty brilliance, seemingly containing some strange power. This was the mysterious statue that the Blood Demon Priest had forcibly implanted into the black dragon to facilitate the descent of the Blood Demon Archduke. It was also the object that had caught Charlotte¡¯s eye in the ruins. No, it wasn¡¯t just in the ruins. Even now, holding it in her hand, Charlotte could feel a strong sense of calling and intimacy from it. It seemed as if this was something that inherently belonged to her. Moreover, Charlotte could sense the great power contained within this small statue¡ªspecifically, divine power. Although she hadn¡¯t yet examined it closely, relying on the Gospel of Blood¡¯s sensitivity to divine power, she could clearly sense that the power within was definitely divine! ¡°Ancient Temple, the mysterious temple left by the True Ancestor Lilith, worshiping the mysterious statue¡­¡± ¡°Undoubtedly, this statue is the core of the Ancient Temple. The Blood Demon Cult chose the Ancient Temple as the ritual site precisely to utilize the divine power within this statue.¡± S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Yurst mentioned that the Ancient Temple was likely built by the True Ancestor either to facilitate her return or to revive a venerable elder.¡± ¡°Regardless of whether my previous ¡®time travel¡¯ was real or not, since the Ancient Temple was established by the True Ancestor and stored a certain amount of divine power, it likely stored the blood divine power!¡± Pondering the small statue before her, Charlotte was deep in thought. After some consideration, she closed her eyes and cautiously extended her perception, probing into the statue. Simultaneously, she heightened her vigilance, ready to end her exploration at any sign of danger¡­ After all, the nature of this object was still unclear. Despite the sense of intimacy in her perception, it was best to be cautious to avoid any unexpected incidents. For instance, there might still be some residual will of the True Ancestor within, waiting to take over her body. However, Charlotte¡¯s fears proved unfounded. Once her consciousness entered the statue, she quickly discerned its nature. In her perception, within the statue, a viscous red liquid, like blood, emitted a misty brilliance. No, it wasn¡¯t actual blood but the materialization of blood divine power. It was divine power, the purest divine power, and¡­ it was the blood divine power that Charlotte had longed for! Charlotte finally understood why the statue made her feel such a strong sense of calling and intimacy. The statue contained blood divine power, and as the successor of the Gospel of Blood, it was only natural for her to feel a sense of kinship. Staring at the immense divine power within the statue, Charlotte was nearly overwhelmed. She instinctively calculated how long True Ancestor¡¯s Liberation this amount of divine power could sustain, and the result startled her. The divine power stored within the statue could likely allow her to fully undergo True Ancestor¡¯s Liberation, sustaining it for half an hour without any issue! This meant that even without replenishing divine power, Charlotte wouldn¡¯t need to worry about the consumption of blood divine power in the short term and could act freely. ¡°It¡¯s fortunate that the Blood Demon Cult¡¯s ritual didn¡¯t succeed. If it had, with this scale of blood divine power, they might have truly summoned the Blood Demon Archduke into the world.¡± Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but marvel. The answer was evident. If her judgment was correct, the Blood Demon Cult¡¯s infiltration of Castell was to use this statue for a God¡¯s Descent Ritual, summoning the Blood Demon Archduke. Or more precisely, to help him quickly regain power after being summoned. Since her transmigration, Charlotte had gained considerable knowledge about the mysterious side of the Myria world. As far as she knew, most of the Gods in Myria were currently in slumber. This included Creator God Harald, the God of Contracts Mithra, and even the Nez Clan¡¯s Stargazer Casey. However, there were exceptions. According to records, the Blood Demon Archduke had completed his resurrection, and it was his revival that enabled the Dark Clan Shedite to overthrow the rule of the Crescent Kingdom. Of course, revival didn¡¯t equate to full power restoration. Otherwise, the Crescent Kingdom wouldn¡¯t have returned to the Holy Court¡¯s rule afterward. If Charlotte¡¯s guess was correct, the Blood Demon Cult intended to use the Ancient Temple¡¯s statue to not only summon the Blood Demon Archduke but also help him rapidly regain power, avoiding the fate of being expelled by the Holy Court again. This was just Charlotte¡¯s speculation. ¡°The Blood Demon Cult has attempted God¡¯s Descents multiple times. Such frequent attempts are impossible without divine authorization. The Blood Demon Archduke¡¯s eagerness to descend into the world suggests that something significant might be about to happen in Myria.¡± Charlotte mused. Unfortunately, Charlotte was not a God and didn¡¯t know much. Although she sensed a looming storm, she couldn¡¯t discern the truth from a divine perspective. ¡°Let¡¯s take it one step at a time. Thinking too much is futile. Next, I¡¯ll continue hunting the Blood Demon Cult. They must know something.¡± ¡°Additionally, since this statue is unclaimed, perhaps I can try leaving my mark on it¡­¡± With this thought, Charlotte gently raised the statue. She took a deep breath, channeling the blood divine power she had mastered from the Gospel of Blood, converting it into the Thorny Rose¡¯s mark, and then covered the indistinct statue with it. In the next moment, a strange scene unfolded. After the thorny rose mark covered it, the indistinct statue suddenly emitted a crimson brilliance, and its appearance gradually became clear. When the brilliance dissipated, the statue no longer looked indistinct but had taken on the form of Charlotte. However, it was not the ¡°youthful and immature¡± version of Charlotte but rather the ¡°mature lady¡± version. Charlotte was momentarily stunned and then sensed that she had become connected to something in a mysterious way. Following that sense of connection, she quickly discovered that it was this statue with which she had formed a bond. A strong pulse of emotion surged within her, accompanied by an inexplicable calling and guidance. Charlotte was astonished to perceive that the statue seemed to have become a part of her, as if it were an extension of her own body, like an external embodiment. Moved by a thought, the statue lifted off on its own, merging into her body just as the Black Dragon had once done. But unlike with the Black Dragon, after merging into her body, the statue quickly dissolved, as if an extension had merged back into the main body, like a wanderer returning home. In Charlotte¡¯s perception, the statue swiftly transformed into a mass of crimson light, which, after flowing through her limbs, finally converged at her heart, bursting forth with unprecedented brilliance. A warm sensation spread from her heart, making Charlotte feel as if she had turned into a blazing fireball or perhaps initiated some kind of new transformation. Points of light spread out, swirling around Charlotte. In the real world, her body lifted into the air on its own, her heart radiating dazzling light, a golden-red brilliance enveloping her body¡­ In an instant, her body transformed into an ellipsoidal cocoon of light. A subtle energy wave spread out from the cocoon, sweeping over the Count¡¯s mansion, the Castell¡¯s estate, and eventually spreading throughout the entire Northport¡­ At that moment, all the extraordinary beings in Northport felt an inexplicable heart palpitation, and the extraordinary blood within them seemed to be stirring. ¡°¡± A heartbeat echoed in everyone¡¯s hearts. The extraordinary beings looked puzzled, not knowing where the sound came from. ¡°¡± Another heartbeat, much stronger than the previous one. The extraordinary beings in the northern lands were bewildered to find that as the heartbeat thumped, their own hearts echoed in near unison. ¡°¡± ¡°¡± ¡°¡± The heartbeat became clearer, like drumbeats. The extraordinary beings were thrown into complete chaos. ¡°What is happening?¡± ¡°Do you hear the heartbeat?¡± ¡°What¡¯s causing it? From where?¡± The extraordinary beings looked puzzled, unable to locate the source of the heartbeat, but feeling their blood and power quivering with each beat. Meanwhile, across the northern lands, some children who had not awakened their bloodline powers suddenly felt as if some shackles within them had broken, and signs of extraordinary awakening began to appear¡­ In the underground liaison office of the Nez Clan stationed in Northport. The guarding bloodbornes had long since prostrated themselves with the heartbeat. What sounded like drumbeats to other extraordinary beings resonated like thunder in their senses. At this moment, all the blood descendants in the northern lands felt a strong bloodline tremor, a soul-deep pressure strengthening with each heartbeat, enveloping their hearts. Even Sebastian and Yurst, far away at the border, felt this tremor. They exchanged glances, seeing a hint of bewilderment in each other¡¯s eyes. In the Castell mining area, within the tribe of demi-humans who had resumed their ancestral faith, the thorny rose symbol on the altar also suddenly changed. Crimson brilliance spread, and the divine symbol swiftly ¡°melted¡± and then ¡°reformed.¡± When the light receded, what appeared before the demi-humans was no longer the divine symbol but a lifelike statue! The statue¡¯s appearance was exactly that of the mature Charlotte! Seeing the reformed statue and feeling the mysterious pressure and tremor, the demi-human priests were elated, and overjoyed. ¡°It is our Lord! Our Lord¡¯s brilliance! Our Lord¡¯s heartbeat! Our Lord¡¯s statue!¡± ¡°Our Lord¡¯s power¡­ has recovered a part of it!¡± ¡°Praise to You! The Supreme True Ancestor! The Embodiment of Darkness and Shadow! The Source of all Bloodbornes!¡± Unusual phenomena appeared all over the northern lands, even causing the Holy Court in the Crescent Diocese to sound the warning bell again, throwing the capital cathedral into chaos¡­ ¡°Archbishop! The warning bell has rung! Another Evil God power has revived!¡± The priest said in panic. Before the statue of the God, the Archbishop in gold and red robes slowly opened his eyes. ¡°Which direction?¡± ¡°The northwest!¡± The priest said urgently. ¡°The northwest¡­¡± The Archbishop murmured, then closed his eyes, gently stroking the holy scepter in his hand. After a moment, he reopened his eyes with a hint of surprise. ¡°It¡¯s the northern lands¡­¡± After a moment of contemplation, he said in a deep voice. ¡°Summon the Chief inquisitor, there¡¯s work to be done.¡± ¡­ Charlotte was unaware of the great commotion caused by her fusion with the statue. After about ten minutes, the cocoon of light shattered, and she regained her freedom. Opening her eyes, she saw in the small mirror on the desk that she was once again naked, her previous clothes having turned to ashes. Charlotte casually grabbed a spare outfit from the rack and put it on, then began to examine her body. Although her power hadn¡¯t significantly increased after fusing with the statue, she could sense that something within her body had changed in a mysterious way. The most obvious change was her skin. Her body, which already had skin like coagulated fat, now appeared even more perfect and exquisite, almost divine. When Charlotte closed her eyes and carefully sensed, she was astonished to find that her heart was no longer its usual red but had turned golden. It beat powerfully, each beat seemingly resonating with some mysterious rhythm. On a higher realm of perception, Charlotte ¡°saw¡± a slowly rotating crimson crystal at her heart, like a heart¡¯s embodiment. The crystal bore the thorny rose mark, with flames dancing in its center, seemingly connected to something else in a mysterious way. However, the crystal appeared somewhat illusory, not entirely complete. Following her instinct, Charlotte communicated with it and quickly discovered that she could manipulate the ¡°heart¡¯s¡± power as she did with the Gospel of Blood. Upon channeling the power, her consciousness instantly spread out. To her surprise, she found herself directly connected to the statues worshipped by the demi-human tribes, forming a vast network! The Gospel of Blood radiated light, its pages flipping on their own. In Charlotte¡¯s perception, the Divine Chapter within the Gospel glowed, new words appearing. ¡ºGospel of Blood ¡¤ Divine Chapter¡» ¡ºI am the longing of the mortal.¡» ¡ºI am the grace of miracles.¡» ¡ºFaith ignites the divine flame; the flame forges the divine throne.¡» ¡ºEternity is with me; yet divine grace is also a shackle.¡» ¡ºDivine Chapter ability unlocked¡ª¡» ¡ºFaith Network¡» Chapter 336: The Secret of the Gods ¡°Faith Network?¡±Seeing the new ability that appeared on the Gospel of Blood, Charlotte was momentarily stunned. She closed her eyes and sensed it, then surprisingly discovered that she seemed to have really woven a vast ¡°network.¡± In the depths of her consciousness, the starlight symbolizing her followers had changed. Around each starlight, a network resembling constellations had formed, linking all the starlights together, ultimately converging onto Charlotte as the core. At the very center of this core was Charlotte¡¯s heart, or more accurately, the illusory crystal of the internal flame in her heart, akin to a divine spark and divine fire from Western fantasy stories. This network used the statues worshipped by the demi-human tribes as nodes, resembling mobile device base stations, connecting many followers through the statues. Charlotte discovered that through this network, she could easily extend her power to every ¡°connected¡± statue and project her power onto the followers near each statue via the statues. It was like a mobile signal. Of course, this was just a crude analogy. In Charlotte¡¯s perception, each follower was actually a ¡°base station¡± as well, capable of receiving and sending her ¡°signal¡±, albeit with varying strength. Even the weakest signal was far more efficient than the previous crude method of connecting to followers via starlight symbols and projecting power. Charlotte tried a bit, using the newly appeared faith network to cast her sight on Luff, Sebastian, and Yurst. She was astonished to find that connecting with them through the faith network almost did not consume any blood divine power! To make a comparison, before, contacting followers and subordinates was like shouting across a distance, requiring effort to transmit her voice. But now, it was as if she had a phone, needing only to speak in a normal volume. ¡°This faith network¡­ is impressive!¡± Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but exclaim. At this moment, a new line of text appeared before her eyes¡ª ¡¾The Gospel of Blood detects an active faith network¡ª¡¿ ¡¾Faith Network Owner: Charlotte de Castell (Master of the Gospel)¡¿ ¡¾Current Network Status: Semi-activated¡¿ ¡¾Fully activate it?¡¿ Fully activate? Charlotte was momentarily stunned again. After a moment of contemplation, she tried to choose activation in the depths of her consciousness. In the next instant, the faith network in her consciousness emitted a faint light, and simultaneously, Charlotte sensed her connection with her followers strengthening further. She showed a curious expression, intending to study it closely, but then an overwhelming flood of voices surged into her consciousness. ¡°Praise you! Great True Ancestor of Blood, bless me to mine more mithril ore today!¡± ¡°My Lord! Please hear your humble follower¡¯s voice and grant me the possibility of bloodline awakening!¡± ¡°Great True Ancestor of Blood, I confess to you¡­¡± ¡°Almighty Lord, I¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± All sorts of prayers from all directions penetrated into Charlotte¡¯s mind, making her startled and quickly adjust the faith network back to semi-activated status. This time, the prayers gradually faded away, replaced by the continuously flickering starlight in the faith network. Each flicker of starlight indicated someone praying to her. Some were strong, some were weak. ¡°Phew, that¡¯s much better.¡± Charlotte sighed in relief. She wanted to check how much divine power she had consumed to activate the faith network just now, but when she delved into the Gospel of Blood, she found that the accumulated blood divine power had disappeared. ¡°Hmm? Where did the divine power go?¡± Charlotte frowned slightly. After some thought, she consciously mobilized the blood divine power and discovered that she could still summon the power. However, this power no longer came from the blood divine power stored in the Gospel of Blood but from her heart! Or more precisely, from the semi-transparent crystal in her heart that seemed both real and illusory. Charlotte¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she carefully perceived it, then found that the divine power in the Gospel of Blood hadn¡¯t vanished but had transferred. The divine power had moved into the crystal with the internal golden flame, merging with the divine power stored in the ancient statue, forming what seemed like a divine power reservoir. At the same time, this divine power reservoir was connected to Charlotte¡¯s faith network. Charlotte sensed that the cumulative divine power in the reservoir was approximately the total of the previous Gospel of Blood and the ancient statue¡¯s divine power, roughly 2000 points, enough for her to squander in full True Ancestor state for over half an hour. ¡°So¡­ could this illusory crystal really be a divine spark? And that flame the divine flame?¡± Charlotte¡¯s expression was peculiar. ¡°Then what am I now? Bloodborne? The Master of the Gospel of Blood? Or¡­ ¡®God¡¯?¡± She mumbled to herself, perceiving her power, and found that without using divine power, she was still the same little weakling with only Silver Moon strength. Charlotte was somewhat confused about her current state. What was this? Schr?dinger¡¯s God? Demigod? False God? Charlotte¡¯s expression was odd, and at this moment, she suddenly had a thought. In her perception, a starlight in the faith network suddenly flickered, and Charlotte keenly sensed weak energy flowing into the divine power reservoir in her heart through the faith network. Although very weak, so weak that it was barely noticeable without sharp perception, and even magnifying it tenfold, a hundredfold, a thousandfold might not amount to a single point of divine power, Charlotte could be sure that her divine power reservoir had increased by a tiny bit. She suddenly became energized, realizing some sort of possibility. She quickly immersed herself in her consciousness, tracing the source of that energy. Following the faith network, Charlotte easily traced back to the flickering starlight. When she projected her consciousness there, her vision changed instantly. She ¡°saw¡± a forest where a fierce beast lay on the ground with a spear embedded in it, and a rough-looking werewolf stood on the beast¡¯s corpse, panting heavily. His breath was unstable, and his entire body seemed to pulsate with strong extraordinary power. The wounds on his body were wriggling with granulation tissue, slowly healing. She saw him forcefully pull out the spear, causing a spray of blood. Then he extended his other hand and awkwardly drew the thorny rose symbol on his chest, saying in a deep voice. ¡°Praise the True Ancestor of Blood for granting me courage!¡± Sensing the aura from the werewolf, Charlotte immediately realized what had happened. ¡°It¡¯s a werewolf believer fighting a beast in the forest. He just broke through to the Starry Sky tier in a moment of crisis¡­¡± ¡°So, the power the faith network collected just now was the extraordinary power that burst out when he broke through?¡± Charlotte was certain that it wasn¡¯t faith power. More precisely, she didn¡¯t know what faith power was. Since transmigrated, she had never heard of it. In this world, there might not be any faith power like the one in the Western fantasies she had read about. The power just now was purely extraordinary power, the energy that erupted when an extraordinary being broke through. With some guesses in mind, Charlotte carefully sensed the faith network again. This time, she discovered many things. For example, her faith network was actually connected to the bloodline and life of all her followers, seemingly linked through the soul and the body. Moreover, the more devout the believer, the closer the connection. This connection was the pathway of the faith network. Charlotte could bestow power to her followers through this pathway and also absorb power from them. At this point, information about the faith network in the Gospel of Blood continued to emerge, as if it had finally completed verification and loading. ¡¾Faith Network: The Master of the Gospel has the ability to weave a faith network. Through the faith of followers, the network can be woven, constructing faith nodes. By connecting to the followers, the master can bestow divine blessings, cultivate and absorb extraordinary power, and retrieve souls and divine grace upon the followers¡¯ deaths.¡¿ Cultivate and absorb extraordinary power? Retrieve souls and divine grace? Reading the description of the new ability, Charlotte was slightly taken aback. She squinted her eyes, her expression somewhat enigmatic. ¡°So¡­ the Gods develop followers to establish close ties with them, to have the followers helping them cultivate?¡± ¡°And this¡­ is the secret of the Gods?¡± Charlotte almost immediately recalled some words that Nice had once said. ¡°Gods are Gods, faith is faith. Master Cat once heard someone say that Gods are just a bunch of hypocritical, selfish parasites.¡± ¡°Parasites¡­ if Gods develop followers to absorb their extraordinary power, that indeed sounds parasitic.¡± Charlotte muttered to herself. Of course, that¡¯s one way to look at it, but not all followers are extraordinary beings; most are ordinary people. ¡°Ordinary people¡­ for them, if they are devout believers, their souls will return to the divine kingdom after death.¡± ¡°So, for ordinary people, it¡¯s about retrieving their souls after they die?¡± ¡°Soul power is also a type of extraordinary power, varying in strength from person to person¡­¡± ¡°Gods develop followers, and the followers who possess extraordinary power will provide feedback to the Gods as they enhance their extraordinary power. After the followers¡¯ death, their souls are retrieved by the Gods.¡± At this moment, Charlotte finally understood the secret of the Gods. ¡°No wonder, no wonder the Gods develop followers. Although there¡¯s no concept of faith power, developing followers is indeed a part of strengthening themselves!¡± ¡°This is like herding sheep. Extraordinary beings absorb the ambient magical power, or extraordinary power, like sheep grazing and growing wool.¡± ¡°And Gods who have established a faith network can absorb some energy during this process, similar to shearing wool.¡± ¡°When followers die, it¡¯s like sheep being harvested. The Gods retrieve the souls and residual extraordinary power.¡± ¡°This also aligns with the need for funeral rites after followers¡¯ deaths.¡± ¡°All churches proclaim that after the funeral rites, the deceased¡¯s soul can find peace, and the remaining extraordinary power in the body can be purified¡­¡± ¡°But in reality, the funeral rites likely ¡®guide¡¯ the souls of the followers back to the Gods¡¯ divine kingdom, with extraordinary power being retrieved through the faith network!¡± ¡°Of course, this is a win-win for both mortals and Gods because if the extraordinary power in the corpses is not retrieved, it would probably turn into undead.¡± ¡°The Gods bestow divine blessings and protection to their followers in exchange for their souls after death and their extraordinary power during life!¡± At this moment, Charlotte had an epiphany. Indeed, the best way to fully understand something is to personally engage with it and even become it. Previously, Charlotte had only a vague idea about the secrets of Gods and followers, but she never truly understood it. Now, with the faith network, everything has become clear. ¡°The method for bloodborne to enhance their power is probably similar. Bloodborne myths rarely care about spreading faith, but they place great importance on the evolution of their descendants¡­¡± ¡°The bloodline of bloodbornes is essentially another form of faith network. My ability to devour other bloodbornes¡¯ bloodline power through the Gospel of Blood is proof of that.¡± ¡°In other words, for bloodbornes, the role of descendants likely replaces that of followers!¡± Charlotte¡¯s thoughts expanded further. Simultaneously, she understood why Nice said it didn¡¯t matter if faith was corrupted, because the Gods truly didn¡¯t worry about it. The Gods only needed their followers to believe in them enough to establish a connection. Even if faith changed, as long as it was directed toward the Gods, the connection remained. And with the connection intact, Gods could continue to draw power from their followers. From the function of the faith network, the status of Gods and followers is not equal. Gods can completely control the life and death of their followers, which aligns with the stories Charlotte had read about Gods falling and followers going mad or dying en masse. But then again, how could the powerful and the weak ever be equal? Mortals seeking protection and extraordinary power from Gods must pay a corresponding price. ¡°My current state is probably closer to being a God. Although I¡¯m not a true God, I can¡¯t be regarded as mortal either.¡± ¡°Gods, divine power, faith, divine kingdoms¡­ if I have to say, what I lack now is a divine kingdom. Perhaps¡­ that¡¯s the essential difference between me and a true God?¡± S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte pondered. She still had many questions about Gods that she couldn¡¯t answer. However, one thing was certain. With the faith network, developing followers must be prioritized. Although there¡¯s no evidence, Charlotte had a strong feeling that she had now embarked on the true path to becoming a God¡­ Chapter 337: The Phenomenons Impact After concluding her research on the new ability, Charlotte¡¯s consciousness returned to the real world.When she tidied her clothes and left the study, she noticed that the expressions of the servants and knights in the count¡¯s mansion seemed unusual. ¡°What happened?¡± Charlotte asked, sensing something was amiss. The knights, still somewhat confused, recounted the various strange phenomena they had sensed earlier. Mysterious bloodline vibrations? Charlotte¡¯s eyes twitched. She nodded slightly, comforting the nervous knights before discreetly asking others in the mansion. She soon discovered that almost everyone had felt the changes in their bloodline just now. As for Reina, the only other bloodborne in the mansion, the impact was much greater. She had fainted alone in the washroom. If Charlotte hadn¡¯t sensed her presence through their bloodline connection, the intellectually impaired maid might have slept in the washroom indefinitely. These signs inevitably made Charlotte think of herself. Could this large-scale bloodline reaction be caused by the phenomenon triggered when she fused with the statue? Charlotte¡¯s heart raced, her expression enigmatic. She hadn¡¯t expected such a huge reaction from fusing with the statue. Judging by the reactions of the people in the mansion, the entire estate had felt it. The mansion was manageable, but if this phenomenon had spread to Northport or even beyond¡­ Charlotte suddenly felt a headache coming on. ¡°Sherry, send someone to find out how many people sensed the bloodline reaction just now.¡± She ordered. This investigation didn¡¯t take long. Sherry soon returned, and the information she brought made Charlotte¡¯s eye twitch. ¡°You mean the entire Northport seems to have sensed it?¡± ¡°Yes, Lady Charlotte.¡± Sherry confirmed. Charlotte: ¡­ Her headache intensified. She hadn¡¯t anticipated such a big commotion from fusing with the statue, even more dramatic than her ¡®resurrection¡¯. This also implied that her recent changes likely touched upon mythological secrets¡­ A phenomenon of this scale couldn¡¯t be hidden. Fortunately, the influence of the Holy Court in the north had waned. In Myria, strange phenomena happen frequently each year. Unless there was something special, the church wouldn¡¯t travel all the way to the north¡­ But, as feared, trouble came. Not long after, Priest Lottie came to visit. ¡°You mean the Diocese¡¯s Divine Warning Bell rang too?¡± ¡°Yes, Lady Charlotte. The Divine warning Bell rang, and the statues in the chapel lit up. The Diocese¡¯s priests urgently contacted us, asking what had happened in the north¡­¡± Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Lottie¡¯s report made Charlotte¡¯s expression turn serious. The Diocese¡¯s Divine Warning Bell was different from others. The Diocese was the religious institution under the Holy Court¡¯s administration, second only to the Central Theocracy. It directly communicated with the Central Theocracy and oversaw the Holy Court¡¯s branches in subordinate countries. For instance, the Crescent Diocese managed the Crescent Kingdom and the Luna Coast City-States, two major political forces. It was also the main opponent Crescent¡¯s King, Louis V, secretly fought to weaken ecclesiastical power and strengthen royal power. Previously, when the divine warning bell of Borde Church rang, it had drawn three Blazing Sun investigators from the Diocese. This time the commotion was bigger, and the Holy Court would definitely take it more seriously. When the divine warning bell rings, the Inquisition will surely act! Fortunately, this phenomenon was caused by Charlotte fusing with the ancient statue, and the statue had already been completely fused, unlike those large-scale sacrifices that left traces. However, this meant that until the Holy Court¡¯s investigation concluded, she had to keep a low profile. Additionally, she needed to find an excuse to explain the phenomenon to prevent the Holy Court from pursuing it relentlessly. At this point, Charlotte naturally thought of a perfect scapegoat¡­ After a brief consideration, she decisively contacted Sebastian at the border through their contract, pulling his consciousness into the mental world of the Dark Night Castle. ¡°Sebastian, the divine warning bell of the Holy Court¡¯s Crescent Diocese rang. Set up a scene mimicking a Blood Demon Cult¡¯s God¡¯s Descent Ritual and prepare for inspection.¡± Sebastian: ¡­ ¡°My great Master, was the recent bloodline phenomenon caused by you?¡± Charlotte: ¡­ Good grief, even the border felt it. How widespread was this phenomenon? ¡°Master, such a large-scale phenomenon will definitely draw great attention from the Holy Court. They will surely send Legendary clergies and inquisitors, possibly with holy artifacts!¡± ¡°The Holy Court has dealt with many myths¡¯ resurrections and has some unique methods. It¡¯s said that some artifacts can even identify resurrected Gods¡­¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t been back long. Although your power has recovered somewhat, I think it¡¯s not the right time to face them directly. It¡¯s best to avoid meeting them.¡± ¡°You may not know, but historically, the Holy Court has even killed Gods. The Inquisition¡¯s Grand Knight of the Church has, as mortals, personally slain resurrected Gods!¡± In front of the Blood Throne, Sebastian spoke solemnly. Good grief, slaying Gods? Charlotte¡¯s heart skipped a beat. After some thought, she said, ¡°Have Yurst handle setting up the scene. He¡¯s a Nez bloodborne and better at disguises.¡± ¡°As for you¡­ finish dealing with the Lagrisse family and return with Nice so we can go to the capital as soon as possible.¡± ¡°To the capital?¡± Sebastian was taken aback. Charlotte glanced at him. ¡°To attend the kingdom¡¯s central council and meet our king.¡± Sebastian immediately understood. The Borde-Castell War had ended, and the central council needed to judge the Third Prince who violated the Holy Code and the Royal Covenant. Nothing could serve as a better excuse to avoid the Holy Court¡¯s investigation team. ¡°Master, I understand. Additionally¡­ about Laura from the Lagrisse family¡­¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t participate in the rebellion and was used as a pawn and sacrifice, correct?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Charlotte pondered for a moment and said, ¡°The Lagrisse family must be dealt with severely. This is not personal, they participated in the rebellion and colluded with the Blood Demon Cult.¡± ¡°As for Laura, arrange for her to recuperate with the Blood Wolf Tribe in the mining area. Consider it a token of old friendship, leaving a seed for the Lagrisse family.¡± ¡°Also, inform the Blood Wolf Tribe to stay low during the Holy Court¡¯s investigation and temporarily halt all activities.¡± ¡°And¡­ the Black Dragon?¡± ¡°Bring it back with you. I will decide after meeting it.¡± Listening to Charlotte, Sebastian respectfully complied. ¡°As you command, master¡­¡± Chapter 338: War Profiteering With the comprehensive restoration of the northern territories, the rebellion in Castell ended with the fall of the Lagrisse family.The official story was that the Lagrisse family colluded with the Blood Demon Cult, attempting to summon an Evil God from the ruins beneath. Ultimately, this backfired, leading to the family¡¯s destruction. These tales gained credibility as the Lagrisse Viscountcy was fully taken over by the Castell family. The recent phenomenon felt by nearly all northern residents, dubbed the ¡°Palpitation¡±, was rumored to be related to the failed summoning attempt by the Blood Demon Cult, adding authenticity to the narrative. In taverns and noble salons, people discussed this with great interest, turning it into a popular topic of conversation. Stories circulated about the Blood Demon Cult discovering an ancient lost artifact, and attempting a divine summoning, only to be thwarted by the Castell family. Other tales included betrayals and sudden awakenings within the Lagrisse family during the ritual, leading to their ultimate failure. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Truth mingled with fiction, and fiction with truth. In short, with Charlotte¡¯s deliberate efforts, the blame was entirely placed on the Blood Demon Cult and the Lagrisse family. Of course, this wasn¡¯t entirely false. The Lagrisse family did collude with the Blood Demon Cult, the Cult did attempt a summoning, and not all members of the Lagrisse family were entirely corrupt. The key difference was attributing the vibrations caused by Charlotte¡¯s fusion with the statue to the Blood Demon Cult. As for whether the future investigation by the Holy Court would believe this¡­ Whether they did or not, the northern residents believed it, the nobles believed it, and Charlotte herself¡­ well, she believed it wholeheartedly. Moreover, since Castell¡¯s official stance was that the Blood Demon Cult¡¯s conspiracy had been thwarted, the concern over the ¡°Evil God¡¯s Descent¡± quickly subsided among the people. What replaced it was curiosity about how the reclaimed lands of the Lagrisse family would be handled. The people were curious, and the nobles were even more so. Recently, many northern nobles had come to Northport to pay homage to Charlotte, bringing their families, pledging loyalty, showcasing their achievements, and discussing their hardships¡­ Their implicit and explicit message was the same. They hoped Charlotte would favor their families with a portion of the reclaimed lands. As a lord, Charlotte patiently received them all. Aside from some excessive requests, she satisfied those that were relatively reasonable. This was part of her pre-arranged deal to gain the full support of the nobles, promising them land in return. The Lagrisse Viscountcy was vast but sparsely populated, so granting some less critical lands wasn¡¯t an issue. It wasn¡¯t yet time to strengthen central authority, and Charlotte needed to exchange some interests for the nobles¡¯ support. No¡­ on second thought, if Charlotte intended to pursue a path to Godhood, whether to strengthen central authority might not even matter. Following the times and taking one step at a time, her main goal now was to gain loyalty and establish her own belief system. Of course, when allocating the Lagrisse family¡¯s lands, Charlotte retained the most crucial territories. These included the direct lands of the Lagrisse family, such as Lagrisse Port, several border fortresses, and the most prosperous baronies within the Lagrisse Viscountcy¡­ Charlotte incorporated all these into the Castell family¡¯s direct holdings. Additionally, there was the Lagrisse family¡¯s share in the Castell mines. Given the Lagrisse family¡¯s proximity to the mines and their significant contributions to their development, they historically received the highest revenue share among the three Viscount families, almost equivalent to the total shares of the other noble families. The Lagrisse family could maintain 1500 fully armored cavalry thanks to the mine¡¯s income! With their title revoked and lands reclaimed, the Lagrisse family¡¯s share in the Castell mines was naturally absorbed by the Castell family, with no plans to redistribute it. Including shares reclaimed from other rebellious noble families, Castell now controlled nearly half of the silver mine¡¯s shares. With the Castell family¡¯s original shares, Charlotte¡¯s current share in the Castell silver mine exceeded 70%. Moreover, with the Castell family having gained independence from Borde, they no longer needed to pay the contractual tax to the Borde Duchy. Even accounting for the future tax reallocation as a direct vassal of the kingdom, the Castell family¡¯s income would significantly increase. A preliminary calculation by the County tax officers gave Charlotte a staggering figure. After the turmoil of external and internal conflicts, the Castell family¡¯s income was projected to increase four to five times, with monthly revenue exceeding two million gold tana, surpassing even what her father earned a decade ago! The North was indeed wealthy, and its nobles were indeed rich. Through an internal war, Charlotte, the lord, profited greatly¡­ Seeing the numbers, Charlotte suddenly grew more interested in centralizing power. She couldn¡¯t help it, the wealth was truly enticing. Reclaiming a viscountcy and some smaller noble estates, coupled with independence from Borde, had this effect. Even excluding the increased income from reclaiming the Castell silver mine, the reclaimed noble lands alone provided Charlotte with an additional monthly income of 500,000 gold tana. And this was just the recorded tax revenue. In reality, the various resources produced within the territories, especially some scarce extraordinary and strategic resources, were invaluable. Take the Lagrisse family, for example. They managed a pasture specifically for breeding warhorses. While the quality of these warhorses was just adequate, far inferior to the dragon-scaled horses of the Northern Grand Duchy, they were still much better than Castell¡¯s own ordinary horses. This pasture, a primary source of warhorses for the Lagrisse family¡¯s cavalry, was also taken over by Charlotte. However, while Charlotte¡¯s income increased, so did her expenses. With Castell¡¯s independence, no longer under Borde¡¯s protection, Charlotte needed to build her own extraordinary army. Besides, she planned to invest further in the territory¡¯s development. But that was for later. Charlotte first ordered the Count¡¯s cabinet to discuss these matters, devising feasible plans to finalize after she returned from the central meeting. After the official handover of the Lagrisse territory, Sebastian and Nice also returned. Accompanying them were the disguised Blood Count Yurst and the magic-sealed Black Dragon Eudoxia, still asleep. However, they weren¡¯t alone. They were accompanied by a group of uninvited guests in distinctive attire¡ª A delegation from the Northern Grand Duchy. Chapter 339: Invitation from the Northern Grand Duchy The Northern Grand Duchy, a northern neighbor of the Crescent Kingdom, was a newly established feudal serfdom.A few decades ago, it was a tribal alliance, but recent reforms under a visionary leader transformed it into a feudal state. For hundreds of years, the Northern people were synonymous with pirates, bandits, and barbarians in the eyes of the Yunette populace, primarily from the Crescent Kingdom, the Starfall Kingdom, and the Western Yunette Empire. They represented barbarism and backwardness. This perception remains, despite the Northern Grand Duchy¡¯s modernization. They still clash with many central and southern countries of the continent, not just due to technological differences but also geographical and cultural conflicts. In the human world, a hierarchy of contempt always exists. People habitually distinguish between ¡°us¡± and ¡°them¡±, deriving a sense of superiority from their identity. Nobles despise commoners, city dwellers look down on rural folk, the Western Yunette Empire looks down on the Crescent and Starfall Kingdom, and the Crescent and Starfall Kingdom look down on the Northern Grand Duchy. Just as the war ended, the Northern Grand Duchy sent an envoy, making this timing quite sensitive, as Castell had recently declared independence from Borde but had not yet sworn allegiance to the Crescent Kingdom. Legally and nominally, Castell was a direct vassal of the Crescent Kingdom, but without an oath of allegiance, the relationship remained ambiguous. Historically, there were instances of border lords declaring independence through successful uprisings, only to later pledge allegiance to neighboring countries. In the feudal era, law is law, but reality is reality. With weak royal power, noble lords had significant autonomy. Strong lords could effectively create states within states. The Northern Grand Duchy¡¯s delegation wasn¡¯t there to woo Charlotte, but like the Violet Duchy, they came to negotiate. Charlotte wasn¡¯t surprised. She still held thousands of Northern Isaac Lancers as prisoners, including many nobles, which was a significant number for the North. The Northern people¡¯s adventurous spirit drove them to become pirates or mercenaries, even after the country had been feudalized. Many Northerners, including nobles, were still eager for adventure. This was why the Lagrisse family could recruit so many Northern mercenaries for their rebellion. This time, the Northern Grand Duchy¡¯s delegation came for these captives. ¡°Merciful, wise, wealthy, and beautiful Lord of the North, Countess Castell, the envoy from the Northern Grand Duchy, Hamid Casimir Novak, extends his highest regards.¡± ¡°Apologies for the trouble some of our compatriots caused during the Castel War¡­¡± In the Count¡¯s mansion, the bearded Northern Grand Duchy envoy, dressed in Yunette-style noble robes but retaining a rough overall look, bowed with a standard Yunette noble gesture to Charlotte. From her lord¡¯s seat, looking at the towering Northern representatives, Charlotte nodded slightly. ¡°Welcome, Sir Hamid Casimir Novak. I understand your intentions. Castell has no intention of retaining the Northern prisoners.¡± ¡°However, prisoners are prisoners, and your support for the rebels caused significant losses to Castell.¡± ¡°If you wish to ransom those nobles and warriors, you must offer a satisfactory price.¡± The Northern envoy became more respectful. ¡°Of course, Countess, we are willing to offer magical beast materials at a rate higher than the usual ransom to redeem our reckless compatriots¡­¡± Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred at the Northern envoy¡¯s words. The Northern Grand Duchy, with its vast and sparsely populated, often harsh, regions, and expansive forests, wasn¡¯t wealthy but had abundant magical beast resources. If not for its remote location and harsh environment, the Northern Forests could qualify as the fourth adventure paradise for free mercenaries. Charlotte was satisfied with the proposal, as Castell lacked extraordinary materials, not mundane currency. However¡­ ¡°Sir Hamid, if you wish to ransom those Isaac Lancers, this alone won¡¯t suffice.¡± Charlotte shook her head gently. The Northern envoy frowned and asked in a thick Northern-accented common tongue. ¡°Countess, what do you find unsatisfactory?¡± ¡°Compensation.¡± Charlotte paused and said, ¡°You mentioned only ransom but not compensation for the damages caused by the Isaac Lancers¡¯ involvement.¡± The Northern envoy pondered this, discussing briefly with his companions before bowing again. ¡°I understand, Countess. Then¡­ in addition to the ransom, we could offer an additional 20% in mineral materials as compensation?¡± Charlotte shook her head. ¡°Castell doesn¡¯t lack ores. Your compensation must come from elsewhere.¡± ¡°Oh? What do you suggest?¡± Asked the Northern envoy. ¡°Horses. I need warhorses.¡± Charlotte paused and demanded boldly, ¡°All warhorses captured during the civil war will belong to Castell. Additionally, the Northern Grand Duchy must compensate Castell with 1,000 suitable standard warhorses, including 100 young and strong male dragon-scaled horses.¡± This was indeed a bold demand. Strictly speaking, most horses ridden by the Isaac Lancers during the rebellion barely met the standards of warhorses. They were just better than Castell¡¯s own horses. Lancers, being light cavalry, didn¡¯t need high-quality warhorses. But the standard warhorses Charlotte demanded were different. A standard warhorse refers to a horse capable of carrying heavily armored cavalry, each one signifying the potential to form an extraordinary cavalry unit. Dragon-scaled horses, infused with dragon blood, are exceptional and cannot be compared to ordinary warhorses. They are practically magical beasts. Many elite knights do not even possess one such horse. Requesting a hundred, all male, is a steep demand even for the resource-rich Northern Grand Duchy. Moreover, considering the historical tensions and border conflicts between Castell and the Northern Grand Duchy, providing such a substantial number of horses might be seen as ¡°aiding the enemy.¡± Charlotte¡¯s bold demand was indeed a classic example of aiming high, not expecting full compliance. She would be content with acquiring 300 standard warhorses and 20 dragon-scaled horses suitable for breeding. Upon hearing Charlotte¡¯s terms, the Northern envoy frowned, turning to discuss with his delegation in their native language, even engaging in heated exchanges. After a while, the envoy bowed again and respectfully responded. ¡°We understand, Countess. We accept your terms.¡± Charlotte: ¡­ Huh? Did they really agree so easily? She was momentarily confused, unsure if the envoy was bluffing or if her demands were within their acceptable range. A thousand standard warhorses could significantly influence a mundane war, let alone 100 dragon-scaled horses, which could potentially transform Castell¡¯s cavalry into formidable units within a few years. ¡°Sir Hamid, are you serious? Can your decision represent the Northern Grand Duchy?¡± Charlotte inquired. Despite the envoy¡¯s immediate agreement, she doubted they would comply so readily. Either it was a trick, or they had ulterior motives. The envoy nodded slightly, replying, ¡°Indeed, Countess. Although your demands are stringent, the Grand Duke is sincere in fulfilling them. This decision aligns with his will.¡± ¡°However, we also have a precondition, or more accurately, a transaction or invitation.¡± There¡¯s a catch¡­ Charlotte raised an eyebrow, asking with a subtle smile. ¡°Oh? What condition?¡± sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Northern envoy took a deep breath, then bowed again respectfully. To Charlotte¡¯s slight surprise, he drew a ringed cross on his chest, a sign of devoutness, with an exaggeratedly pious expression. ¡°Praise be to the Holy One, esteemed Countess. As you can see, I am a devout believer. Not only I but also our current Grand Duke, Stefan Sobieski, is devoted to the Holy Court¡¯s teachings.¡± ¡°The Grand Duke admires the Holy Court¡¯s doctrine and has long wanted to adopt it as the Grand Duchy¡¯s official religion. However, our Northern faith is chaotic, with Old Gods¡¯ beliefs lingering¡­¡± ¡°The Grand Duke highly regards and admires your devout faith in the Holy Court. Your status as a Saintess is renowned in the North.¡± ¡°The Grand Duke seeks your assistance, inviting you and your clergies to visit the Grand Duchy and deploy experienced priests to help spread the Holy Court¡¯s faith among our Northern believers.¡± Charlotte was even more surprised. She had speculated various conditions from the Northern Grand Duchy but hadn¡¯t anticipated an invitation to propagate the Holy Court¡¯s faith. ¡°Thank you for the Grand Duke¡¯s invitation. However, I am merely a small Countess. My fief¡¯s church has only one First Tier priest. Why doesn¡¯t the Grand Duke request priests from the Theocracy?¡± ¡°To my knowledge, many priests and bishops in the Theocracy are keen on spreading faith in the North.¡± Charlotte inquired calmly. The Northern envoy respectfully bowed, saying, ¡°Countess, you jest. The Grand Duke seeks the Holy Court¡¯s faith, and no one represents its doctrine better than you, the walking Saintess. You are more likely to be accepted by believers and the populace.¡± Charlotte raised an eyebrow thoughtfully, understanding the deeper implication. While the Northern Grand Duchy wanted to adopt the Holy Court¡¯s faith, they likely didn¡¯t want the strict control exerted by the church as seen in other Yunette nations. The chaotic Northern faith was detrimental to governance. Feudalization increased religious conflicts, and the brutal Old Gods¡¯ beliefs were no longer suitable. Choosing the benevolent Holy Court to stabilize rule was logical. However, religious power could compete with the ruling class for authority, something the Northern Grand Duchy¡¯s leaders wanted to avoid. Therefore, they sought Charlotte instead of the Theocracy. After pondering, Charlotte smiled. ¡°I understand the Grand Duke¡¯s intention. Deploying priests to assist in spreading the faith is feasible, and I will consider the invitation, though I cannot leave the Crescent Kingdom within the next six months.¡± ¡°Of course, Countess. Inviting you as the Saintess is ideal, but if you are unavailable, sending your trusted priests is also acceptable.¡± The envoy replied respectfully. Negotiations with the Northern delegation proceeded more smoothly than Charlotte anticipated. Once the main points of ransom and compensation were settled, Charlotte concluded the meeting, leaving the details to her cabinet to handle with the Northern delegation. After the envoy left, only Charlotte and her butler Sebastian remained in the council chamber. Sebastian couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Master, will you really accept the Northern Grand Duchy¡¯s invitation and help spread the Holy Court¡¯s faith?¡± ¡°Why not? It¡¯s just deploying some priests. Besides, it¡¯s a way to keep the overly energetic priests in my domain occupied.¡± Charlotte smiled. She then added with a sly grin. ¡°And isn¡¯t it also an opportunity? The Northern faith is chaotic. If we include some of our own teachings, it could work out.¡± Sebastian¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You mean¡­ you intend to spread your faith in the Northern Grand Duchy as well?¡± Charlotte smiled. ¡°If possible, why not?¡± Sebastian pondered her words, his eyes reflecting deep thought. Charlotte glanced around and asked. ¡°By the way¡­ where is Nice? I haven¡¯t seen him much since our return.¡± Sebastian¡¯s expression turned odd. ¡°Nice¡­ if I¡¯m not mistaken, he¡¯s probably playing hide and seek with Sir Yurst right now¡­¡± Charlotte: ¡­? Chapter 340: Yurst and Nice In the garden of the Count¡¯s estate.Gardeners and maids watched from afar as two figures, one large and one small, moved through the garden. Their expressions were rather peculiar. However, Yurst, one of the subjects of their attention, seemed entirely indifferent to their gazes. With a smile, he leisurely followed a shadow, more specifically, Nice, the black cat¡­ The black cat, Nice, swiftly climbed a tall tree, moving with an agility that belied his plump appearance. Yurst, strolling casually, reached the base of the tree and looked up at the panting black cat with a smile. ¡°Honorable Nicholas, why are you hiding from me? I only wish to have a chat.¡± ¡°Meow! Nothing to talk about! You¡¯ve got the wrong cat! My name is Nice! Not Nicholas!¡± The black cat denied from above the tree. ¡°Oh? Really? Maybe I misheard, but¡­ you seem to have left quite a few familiar designs to the Lagrisse family.¡± Yurst took out several design drawings for magical devices from his pocket, which he had found in the Lagrisse family¡¯s possession, and looked at them with interest. ¡°Meow! What¡¯s so strange about that? As the Castell family¡¯s magical cat, is it odd for me to know a bit about magic device design?¡± ¡°Is that so? But these designs look very similar to those of an old acquaintance of mine from hundreds of years ago. Not only do the designs look alike, but your name is quite similar too. He was called Nicholas, a very talented Legendary mage.¡± ¡°Meow! Of course I know about that great and wise Legendary mage. He is highly respected, and that¡¯s why I learned his magical style!¡± ¡°Oh, then I must have made a mistake. My old acquaintance hated cats the most. With his pride, he would never want to become a fat, black cat.¡± Nice: ¡­ ¡°What do you know? My physique is healthy! Healthy, you understand? Being chubby makes me more cuddly! You can ask the maids in the mansion, which of them doesn¡¯t like me?¡± ¡°Well? But they do complain that you like to peep at them bathing, with eyes like a lecherous old man. It¡¯s quite troubling for them.¡± Nice: ¡­ ¡°By the way, being lecherous is also very similar to my old acquaintance. Hmm¡­ could you really be him?¡± Nice: ¡­ ¡°No, no¡­ I must be mistaken. When we discussed life-extending methods for mages, he proudly and confidently claimed that maintaining human form is the skill of a Legendary mage. Methods like becoming a lich, blood infusion, or transforming into another creature were all beneath him.¡± Nice: ¡­ ¡°Hmm? Why are you silent? I wasn¡¯t talking about you, please don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°After all, you¡¯re just a black cat who knows magic, designs magical devices, has a name similar to Nicholas, and has similar tastes and hobbies.¡± Nice: ¡­ Seeing Nice¡¯s already black face darken even more with each taunt, Yurst¡¯s smile grew brighter. No matter how much Nice denied or argued, both knew the truth¡ªthe identity of the ¡°pet¡± in the Count¡¯s estate, who had been getting plumper recently, had been exposed after the Blood Demon Cult¡¯s ritual failed. Seeing the black cat on the tree, huffing and glaring, Yurst felt an immense sense of satisfaction. How many years had it been since he could tease this guy so freely? At least two hundred years since his disappearance. As a Blood Count who preferred to study magical inscriptions in his castle, Yurst had few friends, and Nice was one of them. During the centuries of Nice¡¯s disappearance, lacking a companion for academic debate and argument had been quite lonely. Thinking of this, Yurst¡¯s gaze towards the black cat softened. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. With a light sigh, he said, ¡°Sir Nicholas, it¡¯s been a long time.¡± Nice instinctively wanted to retort. But seeing Yurst¡¯s nostalgic and wistful eyes, he swallowed his rebuttal. After a moment, he quietly said, ¡°Nicholas is a figure of history. I am Nice, a black cat.¡± Yurst¡¯s heart stirred, and he asked. ¡°Then¡­ Sir Black Cat Nice, can you tell me what you have experienced all these years?¡± ¡°You should know, after the Legendary mage Nicholas disappeared, I specifically searched for him. But no matter how I searched, there was no trace, except that he was hunted by many churches.¡± ¡°Perhaps¡­ that¡¯s why he disappeared, Sir Yurst. Peering into the secrets of the Gods always comes with a price.¡± Nice said after a moment of silence. ¡°Peering into the secrets of the Gods¡­¡± Yurst mused. He wore a thoughtful expression and sighed. ¡°Perhaps, after all¡­ he was always a mage who disrespected the Gods.¡± He then looked at the black cat on the tree and suddenly asked. ¡°Then¡­ can you answer another question?¡± ¡°What do you want to ask?¡± Nice asked warily. Yurst¡¯s gaze fell on the black cat¡¯s forehead, more specifically, on the faintly visible thorny rose symbol, with a strange expression. ¡°When did you sign a servant oath, such a slave contract, with the Progenitor?¡± Nice: ¡­ His cat face darkened again, but quickly recovered, adopting a carefree attitude. ¡°What do you know? It¡¯s called catching a free ride, understand?¡± ¡°Those hypocritical Gods are indeed disdainful, but the True Ancestor of Blood is different. After all¡­ even at her reign, she never hides the truth about the Gods as some do. She remains straightforward and upright!¡± ¡°At least¡­ this makes her better than many Gods!¡± ¡°As for now¡­ I¡¯m very satisfied with the resurrected True Ancestor. Witnessing her return is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me!¡± Yurst¡¯s interest was piqued by Nice¡¯s words. ¡°Oh? So you interact with the True Ancestor often?¡± Nice, feeling proud, was about to boast but then became wary. ¡°Get lost! Trying to get information out of me? No way! No way!¡± Seeing the wary black cat, Yurst felt a bit disappointed. To be honest, he was quite eager to learn more about the True Ancestor. He had returned to Northport with the Castell team not only to uncover the identity of a certain black cat but also out of curiosity about the True Ancestor¡¯s identity. After all, if his guess was correct, the True Ancestor should be in Northport! The conversation between the person on the ground and the cat on the tree came to a standstill until a distinctive voice called out. ¡°Nice, Sir Yurst, what are you doing here?¡± Seeing the girl accompanied by Sebastian coming into the garden, Nice instantly leaped from the tree to her side, hugging her leg and faking a cry. ¡°Meow~! Lady Charlotte! You¡¯re finally here! This nasty bloodborne was bullying your pet cat!¡± Yurst: ¡­ Charlotte: ¡­ ¡°Alright, stop whining. Your cover¡¯s blown, hasn¡¯t it?¡± Charlotte pulled her leg out of Nice¡¯s grasp with some disdain and straightforwardly remarked. ¡°Uh¡­¡± Nice¡¯s expression stiffened. Charlotte gave him an understanding look and continued. ¡°Also, isn¡¯t there something missing from the magic book you left last time?¡± ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡± Nice looked puzzled. Charlotte glanced at the blueprints in Yurst¡¯s hand and gave Nice a meaningful smile. ¡°Do you need a hint?¡± Nice immediately understood that she was referring to the magic formations and magic device crafting. He gulped and cautiously said, ¡°Uh¡­ no need, merciful Lady Charlotte. I had some reservations before, so I didn¡¯t write everything down. I¡¯ll complete it later¡­¡± ¡°Good, remember that. I¡¯m planning to build my own extraordinary army, and you know what to do, right?¡± ¡°Rest assured! When it comes to technical matters, I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re satisfied!¡± The black cat swore with its paw raised. Charlotte seemed satisfied with this attitude, nodding slightly. Then she turned to Yurst and smiled. ¡°Sir Yurst, I hope my pet hasn¡¯t caused you any trouble?¡± Yurst, taken aback, quickly replied. ¡°No, not at all. We were just chatting.¡± Charlotte nodded slightly and smiled. ¡°That¡¯s good. Thank you very much for helping quell the rebellion in the North. Without the support of the Nez Clan, Castell would have found it much harder to achieve victory.¡± Yurst hurriedly said, ¡°You¡¯re too kind. I was merely following the True Ancestor¡¯s orders.¡± ¡°Besides, Castell is an ally of Nez. Even for the upcoming Starfall¡¯s restoration, Nez will provide support to Castell.¡± Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred at Yurst¡¯s words. ¡°Oh? So the Nez Clan still plans to reclaim control of Starfall?¡± Yurst hesitated, then nodded. ¡°Yes, the Grand Elder has already imprisoned Elder Maxim. Taking advantage of the rebellion in Castell, he has once again purged the remaining Shedite factions within the clan¡­¡± ¡°There are no more dissenting voices within the clan regarding the reclamation plan.¡± Charlotte nodded slightly and then asked. ¡°So¡­ what is the Nez Clan¡¯s overall attitude towards Castell?¡± Yurst paused, then said, ¡°Do you mean Castell or¡­ the entity behind Castell?¡± ¡°Both.¡± Yurst thought for a moment and said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the entity behind Castell first. After all, that¡¯s the key to Nez¡¯s change in attitude. The Nez Clan has already learned that behind Castell, or more precisely behind you, there is a resurrected God, and most likely an ancient bloodborne myth¡­¡± ¡°However, the clan does not know who this myth is, let alone know it is our returning True Ancestor.¡± ¡°Nez currently hopes to consider Castell and the myth behind them as allies. But if they learn it is indeed the True Ancestor, it might be different.¡± ¡°Frankly, due to historical reasons, the majority of the bloodbornes do not want to see the return of the True Ancestor. Fear and caution are the prevailing sentiments among the bloodbornes.¡± ¡°So¡­ my suggestion is to keep the identity a secret, at least until the True Ancestor¡¯s power is fully restored.¡± Charlotte felt a bit helpless after hearing Yurst¡¯s words. To be honest, she didn¡¯t want to antagonize the Blood Clans, especially after gaining the power of the ¡°Faith Network.¡± Perhaps the True Ancestor of Blood didn¡¯t care about faith and instead strengthened herself through her descendants. But now, with control over ¡°faith¡±, she could not avoid conflicts with the Blood Clans entirely. In this case, finding ways to resolve conflicts and draw those bloodbornes over to her side was the most beneficial approach. However, the relationship between the True Ancestor and the bloodbornes was primarily dependent on the attitudes of the few bloodborne myths. Considering that almost all of these descendants had True Ancestor PTSD, without absolute strength or a way to change the attitudes of the various clans¡¯ myths, she had to keep a low profile. Or, develop allies like Yurst within the various clans and then find ways to divide and win them over¡­ ¡°I understand, Sir Yurst. Thank you for the information. The Divine will consider your suggestion.¡± Charlotte said after some thought. ¡°Ma¡¯am¡­¡± Yurst hesitated and then couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Although the Nez Clan is fearful and wary of the True Ancestor, and will never sit idly by her return, I believe that their fear is of the former True Ancestor¡­¡± ¡°Every resurrection of a God brings some changes. If¡ªI¡¯m just saying if¡ªif it¡¯s the current True Ancestor, perhaps¡­ perhaps there¡¯s hope for a turning point.¡± ¡°Of course, this matter needs careful consideration, and I hope the True Ancestor can give me and Nez some time¡­¡± Charlotte nodded slightly and smiled. ¡°The God will.¡± At that moment, a maid hurried over, catching her attention. ¡°What happened? Why are you in such a rush?¡± Charlotte frowned and asked. ¡°Countess, the girl Sebastian brought back has awakened.¡± The maid said respectfully. ¡°The girl?¡± Charlotte was taken aback and then realized she was referring to the Black Dragon Eudoxia. She nodded slightly and said, ¡°I understand.¡± After that, she turned to Yurst and bowed slightly, smiling. ¡°Sir Yurst, the person Sebastian brought back has awakened. I need to meet her personally, so I won¡¯t be able to chat with you further.¡± ¡°Please feel free, I¡¯ve been in the North for quite some time now, and it¡¯s time for me to leave as well.¡± After a brief farewell, Charlotte left the garden accompanied by Sebastian. Watching the departing girl, Yurst finally breathed a sigh of relief. For some reason, every time he saw this representative of the True Ancestor, he felt an instinctive tension. Especially today, even though her presence wasn¡¯t particularly strong, she exuded an invisible pressure. ¡°Sigh¡­ It¡¯s really difficult being caught between the True Ancestor and the clan.¡± Shaking his head, Yurst sighed. Chapter 341: Submission In the southernmost guest room of the Count¡¯s mansion.The maids cried out in surprise and retreated, while the arriving mansion attendants drew their swords, looking as if they were facing a formidable enemy. Inside the room, a black-haired girl who appeared to be about fourteen or fifteen glared at them with a fierce expression. She let out a beast-like roar while grabbing a decorative sword from the wall to protect herself. Her wary posture was like that of a cat with its fur standing on end. The room was already in chaos, as if a storm had just passed through. Furniture and decorations were overturned, and even the bed was dismantled into pieces. ¡°Drop your weapon and back off!¡± The leading knight commanded the attendants to surround the girl while sternly warning her. Looking at the thoroughly wrecked guest room, no one would believe that this girl, devoid of any magical power, was an ordinary girl. The level of destruction was far beyond what an ordinary person could achieve in such a short time, not to mention her beast-like fierce gaze and growls. The atmosphere in the room was tense, with a fight seemingly about to break out at any moment, until a crisp voice came from the door. ¡°Even after having your magic sealed, you can still cause such a commotion. It seems Sebastian made the right decision to bind your power.¡± Hearing this voice, the guards quickly made their way, slightly lowering their weapons and respectfully greeting. ¡°Countess¡­¡± The black-haired girl looked up to see a beautiful girl about thirteen or fourteen years old, dressed in a black noble dress, entering the room surrounded by people. Behind her was a red-haired elf and a plump cat with his tail held high. The black-haired girl immediately focused on the newcomer. Her expression became even more cautious, and she instinctively stepped back as the beautiful girl entered, reversing her stance with the guards as if facing a major enemy. Seeing her wary look, Charlotte smiled slightly. Her gaze swept over the devastated room before she spoke softly. ¡°Miss Eudoxia, did you know that this room might be older than you? The furniture and decorations you destroyed¡­ from a human perspective, each piece is either an antique or an artifact.¡± ¡°In terms of value, these damaged items are worth around three to four hundred thousand gold tana.¡± ¡°And that decorative sword in your hand was awarded by the Crescent King to the Champion of the Borde family. On the market, it would fetch at least a hundred thousand gold tana.¡± ¡°Destroying so many of my belongings, I can¡¯t just let that go.¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, the girl couldn¡¯t help but look at the decorative sword in her hand, her fierce demeanor instantly weakening. Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred. She glanced at the attendants and maids around. ¡°You may leave.¡± ¡°But Countess! She¡¯s dangerous!¡± The knight warned. Sebastian, standing beside Charlotte, smiled slightly, patting the knight¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Rand, for Master, there is no danger within her territory.¡± Even the black cat Nice chimed in. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s right. All of you together couldn¡¯t take on Lady Charlotte.¡± The knight opened his mouth, glanced between the three and the cat, and finally nodded, signaling the attendants to withdraw. Soon, only Charlotte, Sebastian, and Eudoxia remained in the room, along with the black cat Nice, who had sneaked past Yurst to join the fun. Eudoxia¡¯s expression became increasingly wary. Especially when Charlotte took a step forward, Eudoxia instinctively stepped back, her muscles tensing as if ready to jump and resist at any moment. ¡°Do I really look that scary?¡± Charlotte touched her face, surprised, seeing the girl like a scared wild kitten. Eudoxia stared intently at Charlotte, her voice cold and filled with fear. ¡°Who¡­ are you?¡± ¡°Allow me to introduce myself. I am Charlotte de Castell, Lord of the North, Countess of Castell, and the target of those you assist, the Blood Demon Cult and the Lagrisse family, been trying to overthrow.¡± Charlotte smiled slightly as she spoke. However, her response did not relax Eudoxia, it made her even more cautious. ¡°Who¡­ are you, really?¡± Now Charlotte was a bit taken aback. But she quickly understood the situation after some thought. She had once entered Eudoxia¡¯s mental world and used her power there. As one of Myria¡¯s most powerful magical creatures, dragons are highly sensitive to magic and auras. Although Charlotte had used blood divine power then, she hadn¡¯t hidden her aura while inside Eudoxia¡¯s mind, inevitably leaving some traces. The mental world easily reveals the essence of things. Even though Eudoxia was nearly unconscious at the time, she retained a sliver of awareness. It was clear that Eudoxia had recognized Charlotte¡¯s aura, realizing she was the mysterious entity that had entered her mental world while possessing Nice. With this realization, Charlotte gave a slight bow, and Sebastian naturally presented a chair for her to sit on. Charlotte sat down, accepting the carefully prepared milk tea from Sebastian and taking a sip before saying, ¡°Who I am is not important. What¡¯s important¡­ is who you are.¡± With that, she extended her hand, and Sebastian respectfully handed her a scroll of parchment. Charlotte unrolled the parchment and continued. ¡°Eudoxia¡­ or more accurately, the Black Dragon Eudoxia.¡± ¡°Thirty years ago, the mercenary city-state of Kemia in the Eastern Yunette Blacklands was attacked by an unidentified black dragon. It¡¯s said¡­ that black dragon seemed to appear out of nowhere, launching a frenzied attack on the city-state¡­¡± ¡°Although the mercenary alliance of the Eastern Yunette Blacklands eventually repelled the dragon, Kemia had been reduced to ruins, with tens of thousands dead or injured¡­¡± ¡°And later, that black dragon vanished, and its last known location was the border of Castell, at the junction of the Crescent-Eastern Yunette Blacklands.¡± Charlotte paused slightly and put down the parchment. She looked at Eudoxia and continued. ¡°Later, there were rumors of a dragon appearing in the Castell mines¡­¡± Eudoxia fell silent upon hearing Charlotte¡¯s words. After a moment, she asked. ¡°What exactly do you want to say?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing much. I¡¯m just curious about the past of this black dragon. After investigating, I found that this black dragon did seem to appear out of nowhere. Miss Eudoxia, aren¡¯t you curious?¡± Eudoxia remained silent. After a moment, she said, ¡°I don¡¯t remember my past.¡± ¡°I know you don¡¯t remember.¡± Charlotte replied. She looked at Eudoxia, her sapphire-blue eyes seemingly magical. ¡°First, I must correct your misconception. The idea of reviving a soul that has dissipated is impossible. Even Gods cannot do that.¡± ¡°When a soul dissipates, it means the existence has completely vanished. This process is irreversible. Souls that remain or are taken to the divine realm might be recalled, but a dissipated soul cannot be recovered unless time reverses and history is undone.¡± Upon hearing this, Eudoxia clenched her hands instinctively but eventually let them fall powerlessly. Seeing the silent girl, Charlotte knew she had listened. After a brief pause, Charlotte continued. ¡°Eudoxia, I¡¯ve seen your memories. I know what you¡¯ve been through and why you chose to help the Blood Demon Cult¡­¡± ¡°Of course, saying ¡®helping the villain¡¯ might not be entirely accurate. In the memories I saw, although you joined the Blood Demon Cult, you always avoided harming ordinary people in every action.¡± ¡°Furthermore, you only stood by as the Blood Demon Cult used the Lagrisse family as sacrifices because the Lagrisse family had kidnapped and force-turned Castell miners to become undead, crossing your bottom line.¡± ¡°Miss Eudoxia, although you often claim to be a ferocious and brutal black dragon in your memories, what I saw was more like a dragon who had grown accustomed to coexisting peacefully with humans and other intelligent beings.¡± ¡°This behavior is entirely different from when you first appeared in the Eastern Yunette. While it could be explained by amnesia or your experiences in the mines changing your attitude towards other intelligent beings, it still seems far-fetched to me.¡± ¡°You have a big secret, one you are aware of, or else you wouldn¡¯t rely on the Blood Demon Cult to search for your past.¡± ¡°I must admit, as one of the oldest cults, the Blood Demon Cult excels in mental magic, second only to the Bloodborne Mental Clan, Szelem, and can help many with lost memories recover them.¡± ¡°But, frankly, you are different.¡± ¡°Regarding your memories in the Eastern Yunette Blacklands, as far as I investigated, they indeed seem ¡®forgotten¡¯ like any ordinary amnesiac, which might be related to your past injuries. But your earlier memories are different.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see your earlier memories, but they undoubtedly exist. However¡­ they are absent.¡± ¡°Not sealed, nor simply erased, but as if you never experienced them. Yet, various clues suggest you do have a past.¡± ¡°Your physical condition is also intriguing. To my knowledge, no dragon loses all their magic and becomes human. Yet, you did, as if the human form is your true shape.¡± ¡°However, I¡¯m certain your body contains dragon blood. You are undoubtedly a real dragon by blood.¡± ¡°I believe I am correct, considering my authority on extraordinary bloodlines.¡± ¡°Miss Eudoxia, you are full of mysteries. I¡¯m very curious about you, your identity, and your past¡­¡± Hearing this, Eudoxia couldn¡¯t help but look up. ¡°What exactly do you want to say? What do you want to do?¡± Charlotte smiled, then suddenly became serious. ¡°Submit¡­¡± ¡°I want your submission.¡± ¡°I¡¯m very interested in your past, you, and your power.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I had them bring you here.¡± S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I can promise you, following me offers a better chance of recovering your past than following the Blood Demon Cult or the Szelem Blood Clan.¡± Eudoxia was silent for a moment before asking. ¡°This isn¡¯t an invitation but an ultimatum, isn¡¯t it?¡± Charlotte was slightly surprised, then smiled. ¡°If possible, I hope it¡¯s a friendly invitation. At the very least¡­ I am sincere.¡± Eudoxia was silent. After a moment, she looked up, her crimson eyes filled with emotion. ¡°I¡­ understand.¡± Then, to Charlotte¡¯s slight surprise, Eudoxia bowed stiffly, offering a gesture of submission. ¡°From now on, you are the one Eudoxia will follow.¡± Charlotte was even more surprised. She smiled and said, ¡°Miss Eudoxia, you are more straightforward than I expected. Honestly, this makes many of my prepared words unnecessary.¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious, could you tell me why you agreed so readily?¡± Eudoxia looked at her with a complex expression. ¡°Three reasons¡­¡± ¡°First, you are very strong. I know my abilities and my power. I cannot defy the will of a resurrected God¡­¡± ¡°Second, you feel very familiar to me. I suspect my past self might have interacted with you. You¡¯re right, calmly considering, following you is more likely to help me recover my past.¡± ¡°Third, you saved me. If not for you, I would already be a mindless dragon corpse by now¡­¡± Charlotte was slightly taken aback, then smiled. ¡°See, Miss Eudoxia, you are indeed not an ordinary black dragon.¡± ¡­ Eudoxia submitted, quicker than even Charlotte expected. With the fusion of the ancient statue, Charlotte now possessed considerable divine power and was confident she could suppress a black dragon with adult strength without a contract. However, she still signed a contract with Eudoxia. Not a slave contract like Nice¡¯s, but a dragon¡¯s submission contract. Naturally, Charlotte¡¯s maid team gained a new member. Chapter 342: End of Book Two The northern conflict ended, and Castell returned to peace.Of course, it would take time to settle everything thoroughly; rewards and punishments couldn¡¯t be decided immediately. However, this wasn¡¯t something Charlotte needed to worry about personally. She delegated these tasks to the newly formed Count¡¯s Cabinet. The new cabinet followed Castell¡¯s old system, with Charlotte making only minor improvements. The three most important positions¡ªMinister of Military Affairs, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Treasurer¡ªwere held by Viscount Roman-Four, Viscount Leon-Castell, and Sebastian, respectively. There weren¡¯t any drastic changes; the only significant shift was replacing the Lagrisse family with Sebastian, or more accurately, reclaiming that position for the Castell family. Interestingly, Charlotte also gave Nice the title of Magic Advisor, placing him in the cabinet. The idea of a cat in the cabinet might seem absurd, but the northern nobles did not oppose it. The reason was simple. Firstly, whether they liked it or not, Charlotte¡¯s authority had been firmly established through two wars in the territory. She had gained the fealty of her vassals and become a true lord. Secondly, no one in the territory truly saw Nice as just a black cat. After all, where in the world would you find a pet cat capable of designing magical blueprints, creating magical items, and possessing more theoretical knowledge than the most renowned northern mages? Some northern mages speculated that the Countess¡¯ black cat might actually be the alchemical incarnation of a famous mage. In addition, Charlotte selected capable nobles and heirs from secondary and emerging families to fill various roles in the Count¡¯s estate. Positions ranged from maids and attendants to butlers and overseers. This was how Myria¡¯s noble lords maintained relationships with their vassals. With the rebellion quashed, only two of the three viscount families remained, but some knightly families that had distinguished themselves were poised to receive lands and become the new nobility of the north under Charlotte¡¯s promise. Charlotte might not remember all their names, but the cabinet would, integrating them into the northern nobility management system through positions in the Count¡¯s estate and subsequent intermarriages among families. Overall, despite some noble families rising through military achievements, the nobility¡¯s power in the north was significantly diminished after two wars, while the lord¡¯s power was greatly strengthened. Not to mention, Charlotte¡¯s direct domain almost doubled in size, mostly due to lands reclaimed from the Lagrisse family, which significantly strengthened her control over the territory. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Especially the Castell silver mine, the control of which had completely reverted to the Count¡¯s estate, eliminating any chance of nobles usurping it as before her arrival. After everything ended, Yurst did not stay in Castell but quickly returned to the Starfall Kingdom. Although curious about the whereabouts of the True Ancestor, he had duties to attend to within the Nez Clan. Pressed by Duke Yorok, he had to hurry back. This was a relief for Nice, who no longer had to face those who knew his true identity. Nice did not disappoint Charlotte, recording the techniques and inscriptions for the Nicholas magic formation and presenting them to her within a few days. Charlotte¡¯s magical expertise wasn¡¯t particularly high, mostly relying on the Gospel of Blood. Even so, she could see that the magic formation techniques Nice provided far surpassed those of the Borde Duchy and even the Crescent Kingdom. ¡°Of course, Crescent only got the stuff I researched centuries ago. Although my power has declined, my theoretical knowledge has continued to improve. The version I gave you has been refined countless times.¡± In the study, Nice, in a human-like manner, placed his hands on his hips and boasted proudly. Charlotte leisurely sat behind her desk. Today, she wore a noble silk gown suitable for travel, black with intricate gold patterns and the Castell family crest embroidered on it, making her look more dignified and mature than usual. She sipped sweet milk and browsed through the blueprints, smiling. ¡°Not bad. So, in terms of technology, can I trust you to handle the creation of our territory¡¯s extraordinary army?¡± Nice seemed very pleased with the word ¡°our.¡± He proudly glanced at Sebastian, who was serving tea and milk, his tail curling higher. ¡°No problem. Leave the technical aspects to me!¡± ¡°By the way¡­ I¡¯m curious, how did you become so proficient in extraordinary military formations? Did you ever plan to create your own extraordinary army back in the day?¡± ¡°Ahem¡­ Lady Charlotte, those were the impetuous days of youth. Better left unspoken¡­¡± Nice scratched his head, looking slightly sheepish. Charlotte raised an eyebrow but didn¡¯t press further. Although she knew Nice was the Legendary mage Nicholas from centuries ago, it was clear he had many secrets. For instance, how he offended various churches and how he became a cat were still mysteries. Charlotte didn¡¯t force him to reveal more. In this world, everyone has secrets. As long as there was no malice or betrayal, she didn¡¯t mind her followers having their own secrets. With this in mind, Charlotte put down the blueprints and turned to Sebastian. ¡°Sebastian, what about the follow-ups with Violet and Borde?¡± Sebastian bowed and replied respectfully. ¡°Master, the Violet Duchy has been swift. They¡¯ve already paid the first batch of ransom in full, and the related nobles have been released. The second and third batches should arrive next month.¡± ¡°And Borde?¡± ¡°Borde is farther away. The Mage Tower sent a message a few days ago that their delegation is on the way.¡± Charlotte nodded slightly. ¡°Good. Arrange for the handovers before we leave.¡± ¡°Yes, as you command.¡± ¡°And the horses from the Northern Grand Duchy¡­¡± ¡°Rest assured, everything is arranged. The stables are ready to receive them at any time, just waiting for the North to send them over.¡± ¡°Excellent.¡± Charlotte went over each task with Sebastian and Nice, planning the necessary arrangements in advance. The central meeting in the capital was imminent, and the journey there and back would take at least a month or two. She had to handle the follow-ups in advance. At this moment, a personal guard knight knocked on the study door. ¡°Countess, Priest Lottie from the church is here.¡± Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred. ¡°Lottie? Let her in.¡± The door opened, and Priest Lottie, dressed in white robes, entered. She glanced at Sebastian and Nice beside Charlotte, then bowed and handed her a parchment. ¡°Lady Charlotte, there is news from the Diocese.¡± Charlotte took the parchment and carefully read it, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Master, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Sebastian asked curiously. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s an internal document from the church. The Castell branch needs to prepare for the arrival of the investigation team from the Crescent Diocese.¡± Charlotte replied. ¡°An investigation team? Are they here to investigate that recent¡­ um¡­ disturbance?¡± Sebastian chose his words carefully. Charlotte nodded slightly. ¡°Yes, the divine warning bell rang, and since it was within the Diocese, they have to send people down to check it out.¡± Hearing this, the people around her couldn¡¯t help but glance at her, their expressions inscrutable. It sounded like the ringing of the divine warning bell had nothing to do with a certain someone¡­ ¡°Preparing in advance¡­ it seems the officials coming down this time aren¡¯t simple. They even issued an internal document specifically. Lady Charlotte, can I see who¡¯s coming?¡± Nice asked curiously. ¡°Here, take a look.¡± Charlotte handed it over. Nice took the parchment and glanced at it. Just one look and his cat eyes widened. ¡°Meow?! Meow! The Chief Inquisitor of the Diocese?! And an Archbishop?! This¡­ this¡­ two Legendary?! Damn! The Crescent Diocese only has five Legendaries in total, and they¡¯re sending two?!¡± ¡°There are only five Legendaries in the Crescent District?¡± Charlotte was somewhat surprised. ¡°Five is already a lot! No, no¡­ that¡¯s not the point. The point is the Chief Inquisitor is coming! Lady Charlotte, the Chief Inquisitor of the Crescent Diocese has a record of ¡®slaying God¡¯ in the past!¡± Nice exclaimed. ¡°Are you referring to the Old God¡¯s resurgence incident in the Luna Coast City-State twenty years ago? It was just a newly resurrected Old God. As far as I know, that God¡¯s power hadn¡¯t even recovered to a Blazing Sun level.¡± Sebastian recalled from church records he had read in Borde. ¡°But that¡¯s still God-slaying! God-slaying and banishment are two different things!¡± Nice argued. ¡°Nice, there¡¯s no need to worry so much. We¡¯ve disguised everything and notified the Blood Wolf Tribe to keep a low profile. The beliefs in the north are diverse, and even if the church investigates, all signs will point to the Blood Demon Cult and those other strange religions.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a blessing! We really have to thank the Blood Demon Cult¡¯s sacrificial rituals! But, Lady Charlotte, we need to leave quickly and avoid the investigation team¡¯s route to prevent you from meeting them directly! Who knows if they might carry divine artifacts blessed by the Gods that could detect divine presence!¡± Nice said. Charlotte nodded slightly. Strictly speaking, a local lord should meet the investigation team sent by the church. However, the central meeting in the capital had summoned her. The Crescent Kingdom had long seen a power struggle between the church and the monarchy. As a noble lord, she could reasonably avoid meeting the investigation team by citing her attendance at the central meeting. Moreover, the investigation team was looking into the divine warning bell¡¯s disturbance, which was caused by the Blood Demon Cult. How could it relate to her, a devout believer of the Holy Court? Thinking of this, Charlotte looked at Sebastian. ¡°Sebastian, are the preparations for departure complete?¡± ¡°Master, everything is ready. The carriage, supplies, escort team, and gifts are all prepared.¡± ¡°Good. It¡¯s almost time. Notify Sherry, Reina, and Eudoxia that we are departing immediately.¡± Charlotte then turned to Nice. ¡°Nice, you won¡¯t be coming to the capital this time. Stay here and oversee the post-war ransom work. You¡¯re most familiar with the mechanisms of the Holy Court, and you¡¯ll be useful in handling the church¡¯s investigation team.¡± Hearing this, Nice made a wry face. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best! I haven¡¯t had much contact with the Chief Inquisitor, to be honest¡­ I¡¯m a bit apprehensive.¡± Charlotte smiled. ¡°Have confidence, Nice. You¡¯re a bigshot in the church.¡± Nice: ¡­ ¡°Alright, it¡¯s about time. Let¡¯s head out early, we might leave the North by tonight.¡± Charlotte said, glancing at the magic clock. ¡­ After handling affairs in the territory, Charlotte left the Count¡¯s mansion. The sunlight was bright, and Charlotte smiled as she looked at the sun, something she hadn¡¯t done in a long time. She didn¡¯t use an umbrella. After merging with the ancient statue, her body had undergone some changes. While she wasn¡¯t entirely immune to the weakening effects of direct sunlight, she had developed considerable resistance. At least¡­ short walks under the sunlight were no longer a problem. Outside the Count¡¯s mansion, the Castel family¡¯s convoy was ready, a grand sight with twenty carriages. Besides the accompanying nobles, officials, and attendants, they carried a large amount of cargo. Especially mithril¡ªabout a third of the carriages were loaded with various grades of mithril and associated minerals. On this trip, Charlotte not only aimed to attend the central meeting of the kingdom and meet King Louis V but also to interact with many of the kingdom¡¯s lords. Some of these goods would serve as gifts for building relationships, while others would be traded. Opportunities for the nobles of different regions to gather in the capital were rare. For Charlotte, this was also a chance to expand Castell¡¯s trade channels for extraordinary materials. The convoy was surrounded by armored knights, 150 in total, still under the command of Baron Sharon. Nearby, nobles and officials from the direct dominion had come to see her off. ¡°Countess!¡± Seeing Charlotte, the knights, nobles, and officials saluted in unison, creating quite a scene. Charlotte nodded to them and then, under everyone¡¯s gaze, boarded the most luxurious of the three main carriages, assisted by Sebastian. Sherry, Reina, and Eudoxia, now dressed in Castell maid uniforms, also boarded the carriage, accompanying her as personal maids. Once everyone was seated, Baron Sharon gave a loud command. ¡°Depart!¡± With that, the knights escorted the convoy as it slowly moved out, leaving Northport under the respectful and curious gazes of its citizens¡­ Chapter 343: Journey to the Capital If you were to ask which city is the most famous on the Star-Moon Peninsula, it would undoubtedly be the capital of the Crescent Kingdom, Lutecia.As one of the oldest cities in the Western Yunette Region, Lutecia was already one of the many capitals of the ancient Bloodborne Kingdoms during the era of the Bloodborne Royalty. Around eleven hundred years ago, at the founding of the Yunette Empire, it even served briefly as the imperial capital. Nine hundred years ago, the Yunette Empire faced a succession crisis, splitting the nation into the Eastern Yunette Empire and the Western Yunette Empire. The Eastern Yunette Empire soon perished in a catastrophe, transforming into the monster-infested Eastern Yunette Blacklands. The Western Yunette Empire persisted but experienced its own history of division, destruction, and rebirth¡­ The Crescent Kingdom was established during the fragmentation of the Western Yunette Empire. After the east-west split of the Yunette Empire, the Valois family, with the empire¡¯s weakening royal power, seized the opportunity to claim power and independence. The family¡¯s founder took control of nearly a third of the northwestern territory, declaring independence and crowning himself king, creating what is now the Crescent Kingdom. Naturally, Lutecia became the capital of the Crescent Kingdom. Because of this history, even today, the residents of the Crescent Kingdom pride themselves on being the purest Yunette descendants, engaging in fierce disputes with the reconstituted Western Yunette Empire over the rightful Yunette legacy. Charlotte learned all this from church historical records. The nobility of Myria rarely recorded history, but the Holy Court had the good habit of doing so, allowing Charlotte to thoroughly understand the past of this world. Of course, even the Holy Court¡¯s detailed records only began with the founding of the Yunette Empire. As for the earlier Blood Moon Era, perhaps due to certain taboos or a genuine lack of documentation, much of it has been passed down as oral legend. Maybe some long-lived species like elves and dragons still remember those times. But humans are humans, and they are not the same as those long-lived beings. Elves and dragons, who have always looked down on short-lived species, would not be interested in human history. Regarding the even earlier Mythical Age and Elven Age, even the records of elves and dragons might have buried many details in the past¡­ After all, even dragons, who live longer than elves, can only live up to about 1,700 to 1,800 years, far from being able to remember events from over two thousand years ago. The only ones who might serve as walking historical books of myth are the ancient bloodbornes that have survived from those ancient times. Unfortunately, relying on these creatures, who spend most of their time sleeping in coffins, might sometimes be less reliable than seeking out ancient ruins for murals¡­ But enough of that, back to the present. Lutecia, the capital of the Crescent Kingdom, is located in the kingdom¡¯s central region, about a half-month journey from Castell. With less than a month until the central council meeting, Charlotte minimized visits to noble lords and stayed only briefly at each stop to ensure a timely arrival. The journey went smoothly, with over a hundred fully armed armored knights escorting them. No one dared to provoke Charlotte. Even any bandits or robbers along the way would cautiously avoid the Castell convoy. After about twenty days, Charlotte finally saw the towering walls of Lutecia, the capital of the Crescent Kingdom. Those were indeed tall walls¡­ The massive gates, nearly twenty meters high, constructed from sturdy stone and iron components, stood like giants, proclaiming the kingdom¡¯s authority to all who passed by. The shimmering moat was very wide, likely over fifty meters, connecting to the Kaina River that circled Lutecia, even allowing for boat traffic. As the capital of the Crescent Kingdom, Lutecia was much more prosperous than Northport, reportedly having a population close to a million, second only to the Holy City of the Theocracy. On the main road leading to the city gates, the traffic of carriages, pedestrians, travelers, and merchant caravans was incessant, even busier than Northport¡¯s busiest docks. Charlotte¡¯s grand convoy drew significant attention as it rolled into such a bustling scene. The Castell family convoy was quite conspicuous. Twenty lavishly decorated carriages and over a hundred fully armed knights in armor attracted countless gazes, showcasing the splendor of a great noble family. Nearby pedestrians, travelers, and small caravans all made way, allowing the Castell convoy to proceed unhindered. Of course, they only made way. Unlike in the north, where people might stop and salute or curiously gaze, here, there were few who did so. Most merchant caravans and travelers merely glanced at the armored knights a few more times before moving away, paying no further attention. This was quite normal. Lutecia was full of nobles, large and small, visible everywhere. You could throw a brick on the main street and likely hit a baron or viscount, so the awe of nobility wasn¡¯t as deep-rooted as in other places. Carriage convoys as luxurious as the Castell family¡¯s were common in Lutecia. Even outside the city gates, Charlotte saw several. Charlotte even suspected that what truly made people move aside was the sight of the more than a hundred imposing armored knights escorting them. Moreover, not all convoys yielded to the Castell family convoy. Some carriages, clearly marked with noble crests, did not give way, including several heavily laden merchant caravans. These convoys, often escorted by knights, displayed signs of noble backing, and Charlotte even recognized the crests of several prominent kingdom families she had studied. Unlike the pedestrians, those in the convoys only curiously glanced at the luxurious carriages of the Castell family and the unfamiliar family crest before losing interest. The knights escorting the convoys, however, couldn¡¯t help but keep their eyes on Charlotte¡¯s escort, or more precisely, on the high-quality equipment of the Castell knights. The extraordinary knights¡¯ gazes especially lingered on the knights around Charlotte¡¯s carriage, their faces showing surprise. The reason was simple: many of Charlotte¡¯s knights were also extraordinary individuals, including several who had achieved advanced tiers. Among the nobility of Myria, it¡¯s common to gauge and respond according to status. To make a strong impression on this journey to the capital and to avoid trouble from those who couldn¡¯t see the big picture, Charlotte had brought her most elite personal knights and their best armor. She was attending the council and negotiations as a victor and a newly appointed vassal, and she had no intention of being low-key from the start. After taking a glance at the exterior of Lutecia, Charlotte let down the carriage curtain and waited to enter the city. However, just as the Castell convoy was about to cross the stone bridge over the moat, the sound of galloping horses mixed with screams and curses came from the side and rear of the convoy. Charlotte felt the carriage come to a slight stop, and heard her coachman cursing. Frowning, she lifted the curtain again and asked. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Countess, it¡¯s cavalry! We were about to get on the bridge, but suddenly some cavalry cut into our line and rushed ahead!¡± The coachman responded angrily. ¡°Cavalry?¡± Charlotte raised an eyebrow. She looked out the window and saw two rows of fully armed knights wearing gray cloaks overtaking the Castell convoy to take the lead on the stone bridge leading to the city gate, cutting in front of them. They rode arrogantly, not caring about the pedestrians they knocked over in their path. The screams were from those hit by the riders, and there were still cries of pain, indicating injuries. The knights seemed indifferent, not even glancing at the fallen pedestrians, crudely instructing others to move them to the side. Several knights blocking the Castell convoy even whistled provocatively at Charlotte¡¯s escort knights, making mocking gestures that infuriated them. At the front of the convoy, Baron Sharon, the captain of the guard, was conversing with what was clearly the leader of the rival knights. The leader¡¯s attitude was haughty, only becoming somewhat serious when looking at the Castell knights. When Charlotte noticed the noble crest on the other leader¡¯s chest, she was momentarily surprised. It was no wonder; she was very familiar with that crest, having dealt with it recently. It was the crest of the Gaston family, identical to that of Count Gaston¡¯s family, who had been turned into her blood thrall. The only difference was the Gaston crest had a gold border, whereas Count Gaston¡¯s crest had a silver border. Charlotte intended to use her magic to eavesdrop on their conversation, but before she could, Baron Sharon finished talking and rode over to her. ¡°What happened?¡± Charlotte asked. ¡°Countess, it¡¯s the Gaston Duchy¡¯s cavalry. They said their family members are entering the city.¡± Baron Sharon replied with a grim expression. ¡°Family members? Not the Duke himself?¡± Charlotte¡¯s interest was piqued. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. They didn¡¯t specify, only demanded we move aside.¡± Baron Sharon said, shaking his head. ¡°Tsk, such arrogance.¡± Charlotte clicked her tongue. Baron Sharon hesitated. ¡°Countess, should we¡­¡± ¡°Never mind, let them go first. Send someone to check on those who were hit. Bring the accompanying priests, make sure no one is seriously hurt.¡± Charlotte instructed. The Duke of Gaston was one of the nine dukes of the kingdom. Such blatant behavior likely indicated an important member of the Gaston family, if not the Duke himself. While Charlotte didn¡¯t plan to be low-key, she also didn¡¯t intend to make enemies with other high nobles before understanding the situation. Being cut off was just a minor inconvenience. Charlotte didn¡¯t mind waiting a bit longer. Shortly after, Baron Sharon returned and reported on the injured pedestrians. ¡°The injuries are not severe, no life-threatening wounds. The cavalry seemed to have held back. Our priests are treating them, and they should recover after a few days of rest.¡± Charlotte nodded slightly. ¡°Alright, good.¡± At this point, the Gaston convoy approached under the escort of their knights. Their convoy was even more impressive than Castell¡¯s, with grand, luxurious carriages and dragon-scaled horses pulling them. Just as Charlotte thought the Gaston convoy would head straight into the city, it stopped near the Castell convoy. A young, flippant voice came from the most luxurious carriage closest to Charlotte¡¯s. ¡°The Black Northern Hawk¡­ Castell family?¡± Charlotte looked over and saw a handsome young noble around twenty, seated inside the carriage. Flanked by two scantily clad, beautiful maids with slightly pointed ears, indicating their half-elf lineage, they held wine cups and peeled fruits. Seeing Charlotte look back, the young noble¡¯s eyes flashed with amazement, but he quickly regained his composure. Whistling, he grinned. ¡°You must be Charlotte de Castell? The Pearl of Borde, the Holy Court¡¯s unrecognized Saintess?¡± Not waiting for Charlotte to respond, he continued. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Well, it seems rumors can be true. The Pearl of Borde¡­ I thought it was just hype. But seeing you today, hehe, you¡¯re indeed worthy of the title, even the Pearl of the Crescent Kingdom and Western Yunette.¡± ¡°With looks like yours, you must have elven blood? Such beauty, yet you vow celibacy to the Gods. Tsk, what a pity¡­ such a waste.¡± ¡°Ha ha ha ha ha¡­¡± Charlotte raised an eyebrow, intending to ask his identity, but the young noble had already drawn his curtain and continued forward amidst laughter. In a cloud of dust, the Gaston convoy entered the city under knight escort, with even the guards at the gate saluting them respectfully, only straightening up after the convoy passed. ¡°Let¡¯s go too.¡± Charlotte said. The armored knights, disgruntled by the Gaston convoy, grumbled a few curses and then escorted Charlotte¡¯s convoy toward the city gate. However, just as the Castell convoy was about to cross the stone bridge, they were stopped by the gate guards. ¡°Which family do you belong to? No armed knights are allowed in the capital without permission!¡± The fully armed guards at the gate demanded sternly, eyeing the Castell crest. Chapter 344: The Castell Family! The guards at the gate stopping them left the Castell knights bewildered, and some of the younger knights even frowned slightly.Dissatisfied, they pointed in the direction the Gaston convoy had left and said indignantly. ¡°Armed knights are not allowed without permission? Then why didn¡¯t you check or stop them?¡± The gate guard looked at the knights with disdain and replied. ¡°That was the convoy of tDuke Gaston¡¯s family, high nobility of the kingdom. The one sitting in the carriage is Lord Richard, the heir of the Duke¡¯s family. The escorting knights are from the Royal Guard, so of course, they can enter freely.¡± The Castell knights still felt a bit aggrieved. They wanted to say more, but Baron Sharon signaled them to be quiet. As a nobleman who frequently traveled with trade caravans, Baron Sharon was well aware of the capital¡¯s entry regulations. Indeed, armed knights needed prior approval to enter Lutecia. He approached the guards, took out a document from his chest, and showed it to them, saying, ¡°We are from the Castell family. Here is our entry permit for armed merchants.¡± However, the guard just glanced at the document before arrogantly shaking his head. ¡°This is just a permit for armed merchant caravans. It might be valid normally, but with the central council about to convene, the capital is in a special period, and no armed merchant caravans are allowed to enter!¡± Baron Sharon frowned and repeated. ¡°We¡­ are from the Castell family.¡± He emphasized the name Castell. The guard snorted. ¡°No matter what family you are, if you want to enter the city, you either need to hand over all your weapons and equipment or wait until the central council ends¡­¡± The guard¡¯s words were cut off mid-sentence. He was interrupted by a fellow guard, who was holding a bag of gold coins given to him by the Gaston convoy earlier. The second guard quickly whispered something in his ear while glancing at the Castell convoy¡¯s document and the note in the money bag. As the second guard whispered, the first guard¡¯s eyes gradually widened, and his attitude swiftly softened. What had been a haughty demeanor turned into one of respect as he hastily put on a smile and said to Baron Sharon, ¡°My apologies, I wasn¡¯t aware of your esteemed status. Please, come in.¡± The sudden change in the guard¡¯s attitude after learning their identity made some of the Castell knights sneer and mutter about the guards¡¯ hypocrisy. But Charlotte only smiled faintly. She glanced at the two gate guards with a meaningful expression and said, ¡°Perhaps¡­¡± ¡­ Unlike the frequently expanded and renovated Northport, the architecture of Lutecia, the capital, appeared much older and more solemn. Here, almost every street was paved with gray stone. Aside from the main roads, most streets were narrow and winding, as if telling ancient stories. Tall buildings rose up in the city, resembling gothic architecture from Earth, making one look up in awe. The buildings here were denser, taller, older, and more imposing than those in Northport. The streets were bustling with carriages and pedestrians, surpassing any city Charlotte had seen since her transmigration. As they entered the city, the knights escorting Charlotte couldn¡¯t take their eyes off the surrounding streets. Even those accustomed to the prosperity of Northport were amazed by the capital¡¯s grandeur, especially those visiting for the first time. The outer district of Lutecia was as prosperous as Northport¡¯s inner island district. The wide main roads were somewhat better, but the narrower streets could be described as crowded. If not for the intimidating presence of the Castell knights, many carriages and pedestrians would not have instinctively made way, and the convoy might have gotten stuck. Seeing the outer district¡¯s prosperity, many knights couldn¡¯t help but wonder what the inner district, where the royal palace was located, would look like. However, instead of heading straight to the inner district, the Castel convoy went to their base in the outer district. Yes, base. As a business-oriented northern family, the Castell family had businesses in the capital, mainly dealing in ore and jewelry. Though it was just a small shop with an area of less than 300 square meters, it was a legitimate business. Located in the capital, it brought in considerable profits, earning the Castell family tens of thousands of gold tana annually. When Charlotte¡¯s carriage arrived at the shop, she saw Sebastian stepping out. Seeing the Castell convoy, Sebastian paused, then hurried over to Charlotte¡¯s carriage. ¡°Master? Why are you here?¡± With the maid Sherry¡¯s help, Charlotte stepped out of the carriage, followed by the curious Reina and the expressionless Eudoxia. She glanced at Sebastian and smiled. ¡°Where else would I go? You didn¡¯t meet me at the gate, so I had to come to the shop to find you.¡± Sebastian looked embarrassed and quickly bowed respectfully. ¡°Apologies, Master. There was an urgent matter at the shop, and I couldn¡¯t make it to the gate in time. Was your entry smooth?¡± He glanced at the Castell convoy and frowned slightly. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Strange¡­ Where are the city guards?¡± ¡°City guards?¡± Charlotte was puzzled. Reflecting on the encounter at the gate, she seemed to understand and chuckled. ¡°There was a small incident, but overall it was smooth.¡± ¡°Small incident?¡± Sebastian¡¯s eye twitched. Charlotte shook her head. ¡°We¡¯ll discuss it later. Is our lodging arranged?¡± Sebastian nodded. ¡°Yes, I rented a noble estate in the inner district. It¡¯s been cleaned and is spacious enough for everyone in the convoy.¡± Chapter 345: The Persistent Blood Demon Cult Since Sebastian had already arranged a place to stay, Charlotte didn¡¯t linger at her family¡¯s shop for long.She met briefly with the excited and somewhat incoherent shop manager, listened to his report on the shop¡¯s development and the challenges it faced in Lutecia over the years, and offered encouragement as the lord. She promised to invest more resources into the family¡¯s business in the capital. Then, she got back into the carriage, surrounded by her entourage. This time, Sebastian led the group instead of Baron Sharon. Like major cities in other human nations of Myria, Lutecia was divided into inner and outer districts. The inner district, centered around the royal castle, housed many nobles, clergies, and wealthy individuals. The security at the inner district gates was even stricter than at the outer district. However, the guards didn¡¯t trouble Charlotte. As soon as they saw the Castell family carriage, they recognized the family crest and allowed them to pass without waiting for Charlotte to introduce herself. The officer in charge of security even saluted from afar. ¡°Welcome to Lutecia, Countess Castell!¡± Such a stark contrast in treatment surprised Charlotte and made her further speculate about the situation in the capital. Unlike the crowded outer district, the streets became wider and less congested as they entered the inner district. This wasn¡¯t because the roads were actually wider, but because there were fewer people. This relative sparsity was due to the numerous noble estates and villas in the inner district, resulting in a lower population density compared to the outer district. Moreover, entry into the inner district was subject to more rigorous scrutiny. Sebastian had rented a noble estate in the western part of Lutecia¡¯s inner district, by the artificial section of the Kaina River that flowed through the capital. This estate, named Riverside Street No. 7, spanned about 20,000 square meters. Although not very large, it was well-equipped, featuring a typical Western Yunette architectural style with tall spires, slender columns, and pointed arches. Charlotte preferred to call it gothic. Overall, the style leaned towards the mysterious and solemn, particularly complementing the blue-gray architectural tone of Lutecia, adding a sense of grandeur. The landscaping was well-done, with a delicate fountain garden. From the garden, one could even see the distant spires and copper-green roofs of the Holy Court¡¯s Lutecia Cathedral. Seeing the holy cross at the top of the spire, Charlotte mused. ¡°We¡¯re quite close to the Crescent Cathedral?¡± Sebastian smiled respectfully. ¡°Not too close, but not too far either. It¡¯s a distance that keeps us out of the church¡¯s direct view but not so far as to arouse suspicion.¡± Charlotte nodded slightly at Sebastian¡¯s words. From the perspective of the Crescent Royalty and various kingdom nobles, her relationship with the church was likely quite delicate. Given the overall environment, the main reason King Louis V permitted the Third Prince¡¯s covetousness towards Castell was likely due to her stance on the church. Charlotte could foresee that during the upcoming central council meeting, and her audience with the king, this matter would likely be discussed. ¡°Once I¡¯ve settled, I should visit the cathedral.¡± She said. Making a show of piety was essential, given her public identity as a devout believer. ¡°Of course, as you wish.¡± Sebastian answered respectfully. After examining the estate, Charlotte got out of the carriage. Servants and maids in Castell uniforms were already waiting at the entrance, though there were only about thirty of them. ¡°Countess¡­¡± They bowed respectfully upon seeing Charlotte. ¡°Master, these are some selected servants from the shop, responsible for managing the estate during this period. They¡¯ve all passed magical inspections and can be trusted.¡± Sebastian said. Charlotte nodded slightly and then signaled for the convoy to enter the estate. Soon, the knights and attendants began bustling around, unloading goods, making the estate lively. Charlotte headed straight to the main building of the estate. The interior decor was as solemn as the exterior, with a color scheme of black, gold, and red, which Charlotte favored. It was both luxurious and tasteful, a result of Sebastian¡¯s meticulous selection based on her preferences. ¡°Which family does this estate belong to?¡± Charlotte asked, admiring the smooth, heavy wooden spiral staircase and the valuable large oil paintings on the walls. ¡°It belongs to the Anro family.¡± Sebastian replied. ¡°Anro? That Anro family?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Anro family, huh¡­¡± Charlotte nodded thoughtfully. The Anro family was one of the nine ducal families of the Crescent Kingdom, with its head being John de Anro, the Duke of Moonshield. John was an old acquaintance of Charlotte¡¯s. She had passed through the Moonshield Duchy and visited the Duke when she traveled north to inherit Castell. It was at a banquet in Anro City, the Duchy¡¯s capital, that she first met the Third Prince, Philip. However, as far as Charlotte knew, that encounter with the Third Prince was a coincidence, he was merely passing through Anro City on his way south to Borde. The Anro family itself was a branch of the royal Valois family and a staunch supporter of the king. John de Anro, the Duke of Moonshield, was a steadfast supporter of King Louis V. Being the king¡¯s cousin and with his fief adjacent to the royal territory, John maintained neutrality in the rivalry between the Second and Third Princes. He was also relatively mild towards the church, unlike some other nobles who were more confrontational. In other words, the Duke of Moonshield was a moderate within the royalist faction. Charlotte nodded. ¡°Not bad.¡± Indeed, it was quite suitable. The nine ducal families of the kingdom each had their allegiances, and the Duke of Moonshield held a relatively untouchable position. Renting an estate from another family might raise suspicions about Castell¡¯s allegiances, but the Anro family was a perfect neutral choice. Charlotte wasn¡¯t planning to involve herself in the Crescent Kingdom¡¯s political struggles on this trip to the capital. Her goals were to solidify her status as a royal direct vassal, pledge loyalty to the current king, dispel any doubts the king had about Castell, and inform the church about the Blood Demon Cult¡¯s presence in Lutecia. The Blood Demon Cult had become her enemy. Through a captured cultist, Charlotte had learned that this organization also had a foothold in the capital. However, Charlotte didn¡¯t plan to confront them herself but intended to hand the matter over to the church. Let the professionals handle it. Reporting was something she could do easily, and maybe she could even gain some benefits from the church. Additionally, she aimed to open up trade routes for Castell¡¯s extraordinary materials, connect with various noble families, and prepare for the development of her territory. As for the throne struggle, she didn¡¯t care as long as it wasn¡¯t the Third Prince who won. She believed the Second Prince¡¯s faction would seize this opportunity to strike, as they had facilitated the central council¡¯s convening. Charlotte¡¯s task was to avoid being used as a pawn in this power struggle. Reflecting on her experiences upon entering Lutecia, she calmly asked. ¡°Sebastian, you mentioned earlier that there was an urgent matter at the shop, so you couldn¡¯t meet me at the gate. What happened?¡± Sebastian hesitated slightly before answering respectfully. ¡°Master, it was a shop inspection.¡± ¡°Inspection? Inspecting what?¡± ¡°To check for cultists.¡± Sebastian explained with a bitter smile. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred. ¡°Cultists? Blood Demon Cultists?¡± ¡°Yes, a few days ago, there was an incident involving Blood Demon Cultists in Lutecia. Although the Diocese stopped and captured them in time, it caused a considerable stir¡­¡± ¡°King Louis V was reportedly furious when he found out and ordered the city guard and church to root out all Blood Demon Cultists hiding in the capital.¡± ¡°With the central council approaching, Lutecia¡¯s internal security has been heightened. All shops must undergo inspections to prevent the Blood Demon Cult from causing trouble¡­¡± ¡°Our shop was under special scrutiny because one of the captured cultists was a former employee of ours¡­¡± Hearing Sebastian¡¯s explanation, Charlotte narrowed her eyes. The Blood Demon Cult, again¡­ For her, this organization was like a persistent curse, haunting her wherever she went. Chapter 346: The Maelstrom of the Capital As one of the main areas where the Blood Demon Cult is active, sacrificial incidents of evil rituals are not uncommon in the Crescent Kingdom.Every year, various regions experience one or two such incidents. Even the Holy Court has grown accustomed to this. It¡¯s unavoidable. The world is vast, and despite the church¡¯s strong influence, it cannot cover every corner. There will always be people who, for various reasons, choose to embrace the darkness. Cultists are a perpetual problem. This is a consensus shared by both nobles and the church. Of course, while it¡¯s accepted that cultists can¡¯t be completely eradicated, severe crackdowns are still necessary. At the very least, the church cannot allow its core areas to become havens for cultists. Every time cultists emerge, they face intense retaliation from the church. The recent Blood Demon Cult incident in the capital, Lutecia, occurred in the outer city¡¯s slums. Strictly speaking, this wasn¡¯t a particularly severe incident. It involved ordinary people who had been seduced by the Blood Demon Cult, hoping to gain extraordinary power through blood sacrifices. One of the staff members at the Castell shop was among those seduced, voluntarily worshipping the Blood Demon Archduke and participating in the blood sacrifice to gain power. The blood sacrifice was somewhat successful. The cultists involved did gain power, receiving extraordinary abilities from the Evil God. Of course, as a ¡°quasi-Evil God¡±, Charlotte knew from Sebastian¡¯s description that the so-called extraordinary abilities were likely just bloodborne powers bestowed by a subordinate of the Shedite Clan, turning them into blood servants or blood thralls. This sacrifice was quickly exposed. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Though the Blood Demon Cultists chose a chaotic slum, it was still the capital of the Crescent Kingdom, with the highest quantity and quality of Demon Hunters. The church didn¡¯t even need to mobilize the Inquisition; a Demon Hunter squad stationed in the outer city was sufficient to resolve the Blood Demon incident. The incident¡¯s strength and difficulty were comparable to a peasant rebellion in ancient China, swiftly suppressed by local police. The incident alarmed the king and caused a stir primarily because of its timing. The upcoming Central Conference targets Prince Philip, the Third Prince. Prince Philip has become the object of attack by almost the entire noble council, not only for breaking rules openly but also due to his connections with the Blood Demon Cult. Regardless of how many noble families can guarantee they have no ties with the Blood Demon Cult, suppressing the cult is politically correct in the Crescent Kingdom. Even King Louis V, who detests the church¡¯s interference in royal affairs, has been resolute in combating the Blood Demon Cult. If the Central Conference determines that Prince Philip indeed has ties with the Blood Demon Cult, his political career is finished. However, there¡¯s a significant difference between the prince¡¯s own downfall and being associated with the cult. The latter could suggest the royal family¡¯s involvement with the Blood Demon Cult, which is unacceptable to the king, as it would undermine the royal authority. Charlotte could imagine King Louis V¡¯s fury over this. This incident not only provides ammunition to the nobles but also to the church, undermining his efforts to strengthen royal authority against noble and church power. The Central Conference could easily turn into an event where nobles and the church unite to pressure King Louis V. In such a critical period, another Blood Demon Cult incident in the capital would be deeply annoying for the king, like swallowing a fly. Given his anger, it¡¯s no surprise the king ordered a thorough investigation of the entire capital. Reflecting on her own experience entering the city, Charlotte¡¯s suspicions grew. She asked Sebastian. ¡°So, you originally arranged for the city guards to welcome us, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes, Master. I had to assist with the shop¡¯s inspection, so I requested the city guards to greet you. But it seems they failed.¡± Charlotte chuckled. ¡°Heh, they more than failed¡­¡± ¡°Master, did something else happen?¡± Sebastian asked, sensing something more. Charlotte nodded and recounted their entry experience. Sebastian frowned upon hearing it. ¡°Not recognizing your identity? That¡¯s impossible! I informed the city officials about your arrival, the gate guards should have recognized your crest!¡± ¡°It sounds like the guards were changed at the last minute, possibly to target us.¡± Sebastian suggested, puzzled. ¡°But why? What benefit does it bring? Aside from causing embarrassment¡­¡± Charlotte clicked her tongue. ¡°That would depend on whether they denied our identity entirely. Who knows how the situation could have developed? Intrigues often unfold in layers, possibly affecting the Central Conference.¡± ¡°So¡­ did someone ultimately assist us?¡± Sebastian asked. Charlotte nodded slightly. ¡°Probably.¡± She then asked. ¡°Sebastian, what do you know about the Gaston Duchy?¡± ¡°The Gaston Duchy? They are one of the kingdom¡¯s nine major duchies, known for their neutral stance¡­¡± ¡°Did the Gaston family intervene?¡± Sebastian inquired. Charlotte nodded, confirming her suspicion. She had sensed the Gaston convoy¡¯s involvement through her heightened perception. Without their subtle help, entering the city might have been much more complicated. However, Charlotte didn¡¯t dwell on it. As a key participant in the Central Conference, she was certain of her entry into the capital. Any difficulties were mere side plots. Nevertheless, minor incidents can accumulate into significant conflicts. A single dispute can create lifelong enemies, especially among honor-bound nobles. But one thing was clear to Charlotte: from the moment she entered the capital, she was already entangled in the power struggles of the Crescent Kingdom. ¡°Master, do we need to alter our plans?¡± Sebastian asked. ¡°Alter? Why? We stick to the original plan: express loyalty, expand our business network, and lay low while keeping Prince Philip down. Unless provoked, we don¡¯t need to engage further.¡± Sebastian pondered. ¡°You mean maintaining neutrality during the Central Conference?¡± ¡°Precisely. We aim to remain neutral between the nobles, royal family, and the church while ensuring Prince Philip¡¯s downfall. I have no intention of diving into the Crescent¡¯s power struggles, at least not now.¡± Sebastian warned. ¡°Master, that might be difficult. Taking down Prince Philip might attract the king¡¯s scrutiny, and you have a visible connection to the church¡­¡± ¡°We won¡¯t know until we try.¡± Charlotte said with a smile. She glanced at the sky. ¡°It¡¯s getting late. Make arrangements, I need to rest early tonight.¡± ¡°The conference is in four days, and our arrival will soon be known. I expect we¡¯ll be busy starting tomorrow¡­¡± ¡­ However, Charlotte miscalculated. The day after settling in the capital, no visitors came to the estate. It was as if everyone had forgotten about the Castell family. Chapter 347: The Archbishop of the Diocese Charlotte found the lack of visitors quite surprising.Frankly, she didn¡¯t believe that she had truly been forgotten. The grandeur of the Castell family¡¯s convoy was quite remarkable, and it was impossible for the nobility of the capital not to be aware of it. As the victor of the Borde-Castell War, she was destined to be a prominent figure at the Central Conference. Standing by the window, Charlotte looked out at the deserted street outside the estate. Perhaps due to the remote location of the estate in the inner city, there were rarely any pedestrians on the streets. However, as she stood by the window, her keen intuition made her feel like she was being watched. The feeling was intense and came from multiple directions. Even though she was merely standing at the window, facing an empty street, Charlotte felt as though she was under a spotlight, being watched by numerous eyes. When she followed her intuition and looked in various directions, the sense of being watched from that direction would diminish accordingly. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte¡¯s mind stirred. Without showing any outward signs, she channeled a bit of her blood divine power to connect with the Gospel of Blood in her consciousness. After merging with the divine statue, her control over the Gospel of Blood had become more instinctual. With the divine power, her already keen intuition was further enhanced. In an instant, she ¡°saw¡± the surroundings of the estate, ¡°saw¡± the spies hidden in various places, all centered around her rented estate. One, two, three¡­ Even with a rough glance, there were at least a dozen, clearly belonging to different factions. Charlotte: ¡­ So, she hadn¡¯t been forgotten at all. On the contrary, she was too important. The lack of direct contact didn¡¯t mean no one wanted to contact her. It just meant that, for some reason, no one wanted to be the first to do so. Everyone chose to observe from the shadows. ¡°Master, it seems that the situation in the capital is more delicate than we imagined. The struggle between the king, the nobility, and the church must have reached a critical point.¡± Sebastian, her butler, remarked quietly, also sensing the underlying issue. Hearing her butler¡¯s words, Charlotte pondered. She squinted her eyes and suddenly smiled. ¡°No matter. If no one is willing to visit us, then we¡¯ll go out ourselves.¡± Sebastian¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Where would you like to go?¡± Charlotte glanced at him and said leisurely. ¡°Where else? As a devout holy follower, after arranging my accommodation, it¡¯s only natural to go to the church to pray.¡± With Charlotte¡¯s command, the estate quickly became bustling. After lunch, she boarded the carriage and left her residence, heading towards the cathedral in the capital. As the carriage left the estate, Charlotte keenly sensed that those spies in the shadows immediately began to follow. She clicked her tongue and smirked, but decided to ignore them. ¡­ The Lutecia Cathedral, located in the western part of the capital¡¯s inner city, wasn¡¯t far from Charlotte¡¯s rented estate. It stood opposite the royal palace and the central council, across the river, and was a typical Western Yunette architectural structure. As the center of the Crescent Diocese, the Lutecia Cathedral was also the largest cathedral in the entire Crescent Kingdom, welcoming thousands of devout followers from across the nation every day. Charlotte hadn¡¯t submitted an official visit request to the cathedral as the Castell family but had directly gone there as a follower. Even so, the cathedral greeted her with great ceremony upon hearing the news. In front of the cathedral, priests in their holy robes lined up on both sides, as if they had been informed and were ready for her arrival. The priest welcoming her wore a white holy robe with a sun emblem on his chest, the Mark of the Sun. The one welcoming Charlotte was actually a Blazing Sun Bishop! ¡°Countess Castell, the Lutecia Cathedral welcomes your arrival. May the holy light always be with you¡­¡± The Bishop, wearing a smile, made the holy symbol on his chest and continued. ¡°The Archbishop has been expecting you since yesterday and has been waiting inside the cathedral for some time.¡± Archbishop? Charlotte¡¯s heart skipped a beat. In the Holy Court, those referred to as Archbishop were the highest-ranking priests in a diocese. Moreover, they were always of Legendary power. In other words, from the moment she entered the capital, she had already been noted by the top figure of the Holy Court¡¯s Crescent Diocese. This was truly unexpected. It should be noted that the Archbishop in the Holy Court held a transcendental status, wielding more power than even Grand Inquisitors, and were often more revered than many monarchs. Typically, aside from public ceremonies, even high-ranking dukes found it difficult to meet them. It was for this reason that Charlotte felt bold enough to visit the Lutecia Cathedral without fearing an immediate encounter. But now, the Archbishop had specifically been waiting for her at the cathedral, and it seemed he had been waiting for quite a while. Completely unexpected, truly unexpected¡­ Charlotte hadn¡¯t anticipated avoiding the Grand Inquisitor and Cardinal who had gone north to investigate, only to directly encounter the Archbishop of the Diocese upon arriving in the capital! Taking a deep breath, Charlotte suppressed her astonishment. Stay calm¡­ She had to stay calm! Although she hadn¡¯t expected the Archbishop to personally request a meeting, she wasn¡¯t entirely unprepared for the possibility of encountering a Legendary priest! ¡°Countess Castell, we have arrived.¡± The Bishop said with a smile to Charlotte. He then stepped forward, gently knocked on the wooden door of the prayer room, and respectfully said, ¡°Your Excellency Archbishop, Countess Castell has arrived.¡± ¡°Enter.¡± Came an aged voice from within. ¡°Please, Countess.¡± The Bishop stepped aside. Taking a deep breath, Charlotte gently pushed open the wooden door. The prayer room was quite simple, with only a bookshelf, a table, and two chairs. An elderly man in a white robe sat quietly on one of the chairs, reading the Bible of the Holy Court. He sat there peacefully, appearing as an ordinary old man. However, to Charlotte¡¯s eyes, it was a different scene. ¡°Sun¡­¡± This was the first thought that came to her mind upon seeing the dazzling holy power in the room. Chapter 348: The Churchs Invitation The radiant holy light was dazzling, and the rich holy power was almost tangible. The Gospel of Blood began to operate on its own, quietly resisting the omnipresent holy power.Just standing in the prayer room, Charlotte felt a strong sense of danger. This sense of danger wasn¡¯t due to malice but merely because of the sheer presence of the other party. When one¡¯s power is sufficiently strong, simply being near them represents a threat¡­ This was the essence of a Legendary extraordinary being! Charlotte felt a chill in her heart. She wasn¡¯t unfamiliar with facing Legendary power. During the Borde conflict, she had confronted the Flame Demon Valaroka, the subordinate of the Blood Demon Archduke Abaddon. However, even then, Valaroka hadn¡¯t given her such a strong sense of crisis. Charlotte understood that this sense of danger came not only from the person himself but also from the power he wielded. A Legendary is the eye of the Myth¡­ Facing a Legendary clergyman directly meant being under the gaze of the Gods! Fortunately, as far as Charlotte knew, most Gods, including Harald, were actually in a state of slumber for some unknown reason. Although a slumbering God could still respond to the outside world and even cast their gaze, as long as she was careful, she shouldn¡¯t attract God¡¯s attention. Without matching power or means to counter, Charlotte had no intention of entering God Harald¡¯s gaze, even with her previous ¡°time travel.¡± These thoughts flashed through her mind in an instant. Despite her racing thoughts, Charlotte remained calm outwardly. She took a deep breath, drew a holy ring cross on her chest, and respectfully said, ¡°Charlotte de Castell¡­ pays her respects to the Archbishop.¡± The old man slowly put down his book. He raised his head, revealing a pair of calm and gentle eyes. Those eyes seemed to possess a profound power as if they could see through everything. ¡°No need to be nervous or formal. Sit.¡± He said with a slight smile. Charlotte didn¡¯t hesitate. She bowed slightly and then naturally took a seat opposite the table. The Archbishop looked her up and down, nodding in satisfaction, and said with a smile. ¡°Sir Bernard is very curious about you. It has been a long time since Myria saw a girl favored by the Lord. When the North had an incident, he went there immediately. Unexpectedly, it¡¯s this old man who met you first.¡± Sir Bernard¡­ Charlotte¡¯s mind stirred. Bernard de Champagne. She had done her homework and knew the Archbishop was referring to the Grand Inquisitor of the Crescent Diocese, who oversaw the Diocese¡¯s Inquisitors and was known as the fierce warrior who once killed a God as a mortal. As for now¡­ he should be in the Castell territory investigating the divine warning bell¡¯s alarm. Although Charlotte had prepared for the church¡¯s investigation, she remained vigilant. Showing a slightly embarrassed and cautious expression, she said, ¡°Archbishop, those are just rumors. I¡¯m merely an ordinary holy follower, not someone who has received the Lord¡¯s favor¡­¡± The Archbishop smiled and shook his head. ¡°No need for false modesty, my child.¡± ¡°Your steadfast faith in our Lord has long been recognized. You have invoked the Lord¡¯s miracles more than once. After inheriting your territory, you judged evil, expelled heretical followers, and spread our Lord¡¯s faith¡­ The church knows all these.¡± ¡°Your devotion is commendable, your faith praiseworthy. You are a true holy follower!¡± The Archbishop¡¯s warm and kind words were filled with praise and appreciation for Charlotte. However, Charlotte¡¯s heart pounded. She had indeed used the Holy Court¡¯s banner to do many things and had invoked many ¡°miracles.¡± But she knew her own situation well. The so-called judgment of evil, expulsion of heretics, and spreading of faith were just covers. What she was really doing was consolidating power and strengthening control over her territory. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As for the ¡°miracles¡±¡­ To be honest, they were mostly the result of her counteracting the holy light¡¯s instinctive attempt to ¡°purify¡± her, an ¡°apostate¡±, by rewriting the results with her magic. The ¡°miracles¡± were indeed quite impressive, and many church officials regarded her as a natural-born saintess for this reason. But as for the rest¡­ Charlotte didn¡¯t think the church was foolish. Investigating what she had done in the north was easy, even though the local church was indirectly under her control through Priest Lottie. The church wasn¡¯t blind. Truly devout lords would vigorously promote the holy faith after their succession, either by donating to the church or by helping organize various missionary activities. But she hadn¡¯t done any of that. She had only paid lip service and never implemented it. The actions that did take place were aimed at strengthening her own power. With the Archbishop paying such close attention to her, Charlotte didn¡¯t believe he hadn¡¯t investigated her thoroughly. His current praise only heightened Charlotte¡¯s wariness. She didn¡¯t believe the Archbishop sought her out just to say these things. Sure enough, the Archbishop smiled, recalling something, and his face showed even more approval. ¡°And your vow before the Lord¡­¡± ¡°Since Pope Pippin II, nearly seven hundred years have passed without a noble making such a devout vow. Your vow has spread within the church, and even the Pope has praised your selflessness and devotion¡­¡± Charlotte: ¡­ She knew the Archbishop wouldn¡¯t seek her out for no reason. What goes around comes around. To fend off Borde¡¯s coveting of her territory and to get rid of those pesky suitors, she had used the church¡¯s banner, and now it was time to pay the price. Charlotte had been trying to downplay her vow as much as possible, but now the Archbishop of the Crescent Diocese had brought it up. The vow to donate land after death didn¡¯t worry her. It was an empty promise, whether she or the church would die first was uncertain. The problem was that bringing it up now would further entangle her in the Crescent Kingdom¡¯s power struggles, pushing her against the king and nobility while giving the church an excuse to interfere in Castell affairs! It was only now that Charlotte realized the Holy Court, seemingly detached and indifferent, might actually be very interested in Castell! ¡°My child¡­¡± The Archbishop smiled gently and said warmly. ¡°Would you like to become a true Saintess?¡± Chapter 349: ---------------- Become a true Saintess?Charlotte¡¯s heart skipped a beat. In the Holy Court, the position of a Saintess is exalted. They can communicate directly with the Gods and are the earthly representatives of the divine. Even the Pope would have to bow to them. However, not just anyone could become a Saintess. The extraordinary qualifications alone would disqualify most, not to mention the need for God¡¯s approval to become a true Saintess. To gain the approval of the Gods¡­ Charlotte felt a headache coming on. Even with the Gospel of Blood as a cheat, allowing Charlotte to conceal her identity even when facing a Legendary priest, a clergy is one thing, but a God is another. Charlotte wasn¡¯t bold enough to face a God directly. Not to mention the God¡¯s gaze. Although her ¡°time travel¡± hinted at a subtle relationship with God Harald, Charlotte still hadn¡¯t figured out the exact nature of her time travel. To be safe, she thought it best to avoid God¡¯s attention for now. Moreover, a Saintess has her own duties. Unlike a noble part-time clergy, becoming a Saintess would mean giving up her territorial control¡­ Thinking of this, Charlotte became puzzled. If the Archbishop mentioned her vow, it indicated the church¡¯s interest in Castell. But inviting her to become a Saintess contradicted her vow since relinquishing control nullified the vow. Given the intense power struggle between the monarchy and the church in the Crescent Kingdom, if Charlotte gave up control, the territory would likely be reclaimed by the king, now independent of Borde. If Charlotte became a Saintess, the king would be delighted. So why did the church invite her? Did they really value her ¡°qualifications¡±? Charlotte didn¡¯t believe it. Though puzzled, she maintained a grateful and apologetic expression. ¡°Archbishop, thank you for your kindness¡­¡± ¡°Becoming a Saintess of the Holy Court is an immense honor for any devout follower, but¡­ I am not just a follower, I am also a lord.¡± ¡°Although I¡¯ve dedicated my life to our Lord, I haven¡¯t forgotten my family¡¯s honor¡­¡± Charlotte¡¯s meaning was clear: she wouldn¡¯t give up her territory to become a Saintess. Even though this response nearly revealed her lack of true piety, Charlotte didn¡¯t care. Again, the church wasn¡¯t blind or foolish. Investigating her actions since her transmigration would reveal her vow was likely a strategy to gain the church¡¯s protection against other nobles eyeing Castell. Unexpectedly, the Archbishop didn¡¯t look surprised. Clearly, he knew everything. He smiled slightly and said, ¡°My child, I understand your concerns.¡± ¡°However¡­ rest assured, the church is not asking you to become a full-time Saintess. You can maintain your lordship while serving as the Crescent Diocese¡¯s Saintess.¡± ¡°Becoming a Saintess won¡¯t require you to fulfill Saintess duties or undergo the Holy Gate¡¯s trials in the Theocracy. You can retain your noble status¡­¡± He paused, then added meaningfully. ¡°The church won¡¯t interfere in Castell¡¯s affairs but will be your strongest supporter, even against royal pressure.¡± Charlotte: ¡­ So, they want her to be a part-time Saintess? But what¡¯s the gain? Nobles often had part-time clergies, but their roles were usually ceremonial. Could a Saintess be ceremonial too? Her part-time role as a Saintess might bring a church aura, solidifying her vow and making Castell a future church territory. Moreover, being a Saintess meant lifelong celibacy, reinforcing her vow. Additionally, this role would naturally justify more church officials in Castell, strengthening church influence even without direct involvement. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The church didn¡¯t want a Saintess per se but aimed to enhance its influence in Castell through the Saintess role. Had the church noticed the Nez Clan¡¯s actions in the Starfall Kingdom and intended to use Castell as a springboard for suppression? Or were they interested in the Northern Grand Duchy¡¯s faith? Or maybe¡­ the church already knew something? Charlotte¡¯s mind raced with many speculations. The Archbishop gently asked. ¡°So, my child, will you accept the church¡¯s invitation?¡± Charlotte fell into deep thought. This wasn¡¯t a simple invitation. It was a transaction. Using the church¡¯s protection to gain future control over Castell. The church likely didn¡¯t care about her true piety but sought to use Castell as a base to expand the Crescent Diocese¡¯s influence. Honestly, this conflicted with Charlotte¡¯s goals. She needed to minimize church attention in the North, not draw it in. But rejecting the invitation was risky, almost admitting guilt. No noble seeking church protection would refuse such a sincere offer without a good reason. Charlotte needed a suitable excuse. But what excuse? Her gaze fell on the bed and chair in the prayer room, and an idea struck her. She remembered a scoundrel already judged by the church¡­ With that, Charlotte had a plan. She sighed deeply and said, ¡°Archbishop, thank you for your kindness.¡± ¡°A year ago, I would have gladly accepted your invitation without hesitation.¡± ¡°But now, I cannot deceive my own heart¡­¡± ______________________________ Polite Refusal Chapter 350: Banquet Invitation Charlotte didn¡¯t elaborate on the reasons for her polite refusal. She merely adopted a look of sadness and self-reproach when mentioning ¡°a year ago¡± and ¡°her own heart.¡±The incident in Borde had caused quite a stir. A Bishop had been dealt with, and the one who signed the investigation order was likely the Archbishop before her. This Archbishop probably knew everything. Charlotte didn¡¯t need to say much, just a hint would suffice to show that her trust in the church had been shattered due to the Bishop incident. Thus, she had a reason to refuse the church¡¯s offer without it being her fault. Sure enough, after Charlotte mentioned ¡°a year ago¡± with an apologetic expression, the Archbishop also appeared to be reflecting sorrowfully. He sighed slightly and said, ¡°I am truly sorry for everything that happened in Borde¡­ I understand your choice.¡± Charlotte lowered her head, her expression tinged with some self-reproach. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, Archbishop. I came to the church today for confession because I realized I am not as devout as I imagined¡­¡± ¡°I am not qualified to be the Holy Court¡¯s Saintess, not even a part-time one.¡± The Archbishop nodded and said gently. ¡°My child, no one is perfect, nor is any believer. Even the most devout followers make mistakes. You have done very well.¡± ¡°I understand your heart. Since you do not wish to become a Saintess, the church will not force you.¡± Hearing this, Charlotte felt relieved. She had managed to sidestep the church¡¯s invitation. After chatting a while longer with the Archbishop, discussing some theological matters, Charlotte took her leave. Before departing, she personally donated two hundred thousand gold tana as a contribution from a faithful follower. The Archbishop accepted it graciously, praising her devotion. Two hundred thousand gold tana was no small amount. Even a duke of the kingdom would only donate tens of thousands at a time when praying at the church. This hefty donation would surely leave a good impression. Under the warm smiles of the church clegies, Charlotte boarded her carriage and left Lutetia Cathedral. Once inside, her pious demeanor faded, replaced by a more serious expression. The Archbishop¡¯s summons and invitation were both an attempt to strengthen ties with Castell and a form of outreach. Though she had found a reason to refuse, it was still a refusal. Even if the Archbishop wasn¡¯t angry, her relationship with the church was bound to be affected. There was no avoiding it. She couldn¡¯t really bring the church¡¯s power into her territory. She still had to cooperate with the Nez Clan to reclaim the Starfall Kingdom and divide the Roman Duchy. At that time, she might even have to oppose the church. Becoming a Saintess would be a constraint, giving the church a reason to act against her. Even the king and nobles could become her enemies, as they wouldn¡¯t want the church¡¯s power to grow. But being a holy believer was different. Even if she said one thing and did another, as long as she wasn¡¯t caught, the church couldn¡¯t do anything. With her anti-divine spell, Charlotte had considered joining the church and causing internal disruption. However, once her ¡°Faith Network¡± was activated, she knew that option was impossible. If she wanted to expand her power, she was destined to oppose the church eventually. It was just a matter of when to break ties. Now wasn¡¯t the time. The church was powerful. Even after refusing the church, she had to maintain surface relations. Thinking this, Charlotte sighed softly. Honestly, her feelings towards the Holy Court were quite complex. Despite the Bishop incident, there were many good clergies within the church, like Priest Raoul, who was a respectable elder. The teachings of the Holy Court weren¡¯t evil, they were actually righteous and great. With the ¡°time travel¡±, Charlotte wasn¡¯t sure about her relationship with God Harald. She didn¡¯t dislike the Holy Court, but the Holy Court considered bloodbornes evil and the True Ancestor of Blood a terrifying Evil God. From this perspective, they were natural enemies. Charlotte¡¯s expression turned serious again. Refusing the church¡¯s goodwill had its price. The North had been drawing too much attention recently. Her activities when fusing with the ancient statue weren¡¯t subtle, and now this refusal. The church would likely focus on the North. If the church truly wanted to increase its influence over Castell, they wouldn¡¯t give up easily, even if she refused. Thinking this gave Charlotte a headache. She wanted complete neutrality, but reality often made it impossible. ¡°It seems I must plan carefully to buy myself more time to grow.¡± Charlotte sighed as she pondered her next steps. The wind doesn¡¯t stop even when the tree desires peace. She inherited Castell, defeated the coalition forces of two duchies, and became a significant power in the Crescent Kingdom. Castell was prosperous and could rival a ducal territory. After becoming independent, it would be the thirteenth significant force in the kingdom, disrupting the delicate balance between nobles, the church, and the monarchy. It wasn¡¯t just the church eyeing Castell. She needed to think carefully about her choices and alliances to maximize her interests. Under many secret gazes, Charlotte returned to her estate. She ignored those spying on her. If she was correct, no nobles visited or invited her because they were waiting to see the church¡¯s stance. After all, she had the church¡¯s mark. More boldly, the Archbishop¡¯s offer to make her a part-time Saintess might have already been leaked. Her refusal would soon be known by all. As if to confirm Charlotte¡¯s guess, the day after she refused the church¡¯s invitation, new guests arrived at her estate. More precisely, she received an invitation. ¡°Duke Gaston¡¯s banquet?¡± Charlotte raised an eyebrow at the finely crafted invitation presented by the respectful noble messenger. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 351: The Bloodbornes Scent Charlotte had anticipated that she might soon receive an invitation, but she hadn¡¯t expected it to come so quickly.Moreover, the invitation was from Duke Gaston, a representative of the kingdom¡¯s neutral nobles. The so-called neutral nobles, as the name suggests, are those who remain neutral in the struggle for the throne. They support neither the Second Prince nor the Third Prince, nor do they actively support the king¡¯s efforts to strengthen central authority like the royalist nobles do. This piqued Charlotte¡¯s curiosity. Representing Castell and the force that toppled the Third Prince, she had expected invitations from nobles supporting the Second Prince. Instead, she received one from a neutral party. ¡°Sebastian, why do you think the neutral nobles would invite me to a banquet? Aren¡¯t they supposed to stay out of the succession struggle?¡± Charlotte asked thoughtfully, holding the invitation. Sebastian frowned and shook his head after some thought. ¡°Master, I can¡¯t figure it out either¡­ Perhaps the Third Prince¡¯s actions have crossed their bottom line, so they¡¯ve chosen to take a stand?¡± Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred at Sebastian¡¯s opinion. It wasn¡¯t impossible. But even if the neutral nobles supported the central council¡¯s judgment against the Third Prince, shouldn¡¯t the Second Prince¡¯s faction be leading the charge? This thought deepened Charlotte¡¯s confusion. ¡°Master, the banquet is tonight. Are you going to attend?¡± Sebastian asked. Charlotte glanced at the invitation and nodded slightly. ¡°Yes, why not? Regardless of the situation, I¡¯ll find out by attending.¡± One of the purposes of attending the central council was to make connections with nobles. Since there was an invitation, she should go. As for choosing sides, Charlotte had no immediate plans. Her initial intention was to remain neutral while successfully weakening the Third Prince. However, after declining the church¡¯s invitation, her stance had slightly shifted. Now, she wanted to see the situation before deciding. ¡­ The banquet at Duke Gaston¡¯s residence was to be held in the evening at his estate in the capital. As a grand noble of the kingdom, the Gaston estate was also located in the inner city, though a bit farther from the estate Charlotte rented, on the opposite side of the palace. As evening approached, Charlotte changed into a black evening gown and boarded her carriage. Since it was a banquet, she didn¡¯t bring many attendants, only her butler Sebastian, her personal maid, Sherry, Reina, and Eudoxia. By the time Charlotte arrived at the Gaston estate, many nobles had already arrived. The Gaston estate was quite large, about four to five times the size of the one Charlotte rented. The entrance was bustling with carriages, adorned luxuriously, and decorated with various crests, indicating the attending noble families. Despite nightfall, the estate was brightly lit, with servants bustling about, receiving the guests. Charlotte was surprised by the number of nobles attending, much more than she had anticipated. She recognized many crests, belonging to the Crescent Kingdom¡¯s major nobles, including several ducal families. As Charlotte observed the attending nobles, they also noticed the Castell family¡¯s carriage. Similar to before, many carriages made way for hers. This indicated her status, though she was only a countess, no noble below a duke would underestimate her. Charlotte felt many eyes on her carriage. When she alighted with Sebastian, she became the center of attention, with gazes doubling. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Most were curious and admiring, but there were also some scrutinizing and even hostile looks. Hostile? Charlotte¡¯s senses tingled. Bloodbornes have keen perceptions. Though faint, the hostility represented wariness and displeasure, which she sensed immediately. Following the gaze, she saw a middle-aged noble, about forty or fifty, alighting from a carriage. The estate¡¯s butler and servants were respectfully attending to him. As Charlotte looked over, the noble glanced at her, then quickly averted his gaze, entering the estate. Charlotte raised an eyebrow, recognizing him through the family crest on his carriage¡ªsword and griffin. In the Crescent Kingdom, only one family bore this crest: the Prutz family, one of the nine ducal families. Despite the distance, Charlotte sensed the powerful extraordinary aura from the middle-aged noble¡ªa Blazing Sun. ¡°Hmm? Duke Prutz? He¡¯s here too? Isn¡¯t he a staunch supporter of the Third Prince? Attending this banquet?¡± Sebastian¡¯s surprised voice caught Charlotte¡¯s attention. ¡°Duke Prutz?¡± Charlotte raised an eyebrow. Interesting. Very interesting. A banquet hosted by neutral nobles, with even the Third Prince¡¯s supporters attending, and a duke at that. Moreover, the number of nobles was surprisingly large. Looking at the endless stream of carriages and the many family crests, some seen only in books, Charlotte believed it if told the entire Crescent Kingdom¡¯s notable families attended. It seemed tonight¡¯s banquet wasn¡¯t simple. ¡°Countess Castell, welcome to tonight¡¯s banquet. Please follow me.¡± The estate¡¯s butler and servants greeted respectfully as Charlotte disembarked. Charlotte nodded slightly, following the servants into the estate. The Gaston estate was luxurious, more so than Charlotte¡¯s Count¡¯s estate. Entering the banquet hall, she found it lively. Tall stone pillars surrounded the hall, with long tables covered in elegant cloths, set with gold and silver cutlery, fine porcelain, and exquisite glassware. A roaring fire in the fireplace added warmth and a faint fragrance. Nobles, dressed in splendid attire, laughed and chatted in groups. Servants weaved through the crowd with trays and wine glasses, attentively pouring drinks, while musicians played melodious tunes. The banquet hall was a scene of joy and festivity. However, the moment Charlotte entered, she paused slightly. She smelled a familiar scent¡ªbloodbornes. And not just one. Chapter 352: Legendary Bloodborne Bloodbornes!Charlotte¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She discreetly followed the aura, intending to locate its source. But before she could pinpoint it, the aura vanished instantly. Charlotte¡¯s eyes narrowed. All auras naturally dissipate over time, but this one had clearly been hidden by a spell. There was a bloodborne at tonight¡¯s banquet! Scanning the banquet hall, Charlotte observed nobles laughing and chatting in groups, seemingly oblivious to the recent change in aura. She frowned slightly. The bloodborne aura just now had not been faint. She could sense that a significant proportion of the guests were extraordinary individuals, she detected at least three Blazing Sun and over ten Silver Moon auras. High-level extraordinary beings are usually very perceptive. However, the nobles here showed no reaction, as if the bloodborne aura had been an illusion. But Charlotte was certain it wasn¡¯t. ¡°Master¡­¡± Sebastian¡¯s voice sounded beside her, tinged with seriousness. She glanced at him, noting his wary gaze sweeping the hall. Clearly, he had also sensed the bloodborne aura. ¡°Master, something¡¯s off.¡± He whispered. Charlotte nodded subtly. Her gaze returned to the hall as she silently invoked the Gospel of Blood. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She multitasked, entering the banquet hall with Sebastian and others while discreetly communicating with the crimson star sea symbolizing bloodbornes within the Gospel of Blood. The bloodborne aura could be hidden, but not from the Gospel of Blood, the supreme artifact of the bloodborne. Any bloodborne¡¯s coordinates would appear in the crimson star sea. While long distances might prevent her from locating bloodbornes through the Gospel, she could easily find those nearby. As Charlotte¡¯s mind focused, the Gospel of Blood in her consciousness glowed faintly, illuminating the crimson star sea in her mental world. Centered on Charlotte, the illusory crimson stars spread in her vision. One¡­ two¡­ three¡­ In Charlotte¡¯s ¡°vision¡±, crimson stars representing bloodbornes lit up densely throughout the banquet hall. In an instant, the hall seemed immersed in a crimson world. Seeing this, Charlotte felt her scalp tingle. The dense crimson stars were so close, vividly clear in the Gospel of Blood¡¯s perception¡­ It wasn¡¯t just one hidden bloodborne at the banquet. The proportion of bloodbornes attending was astonishingly high! In her real-world vision, the hall had over three hundred guests. In the Gospel¡¯s vision, there were more than fifty crimson stars, with varying intensities¡ªthe strongest two were Blazing Sun, and even the weakest was Starry Sky. Goodness¡­ At this banquet, nearly one-fifth of the attendees were bloodbornes, most of them nobles. Of the three Blazing Sun attendees, two were bloodborne! If she hadn¡¯t visited the Cathedral of the Holy Court yesterday, she¡¯d believe she had entered the Bloodborne-controlled Coria Kingdom! Ridiculous! Were all the hidden bloodbornes in the Crescent Kingdom gathered here? Charlotte was astounded but showed no sign of it. She gave a discreet glance at Sebastian and whispered. ¡°Stay alert and ready for battle.¡± Her reminder made everyone tense. Sebastian narrowed his eyes, touching his combat equipment at his waist, while Eudoxia scanned the hall, her crimson pupils gleaming with battle intent. ¡°Sherry, I just remembered I forgot something at home. Take Reina and Eudoxia and fetch it for me.¡± Charlotte suddenly said, naturally and without lowering her voice. Eudoxia frowned in puzzlement, and Reina tilted her head in confusion. Sherry reacted the quickest, bowing respectfully before leading Reina and Eudoxia out of the hall. Once the maids left, Charlotte stepped into the banquet hall, instantly drawing the nobles¡¯ attention. Curious gazes fell upon her, and soon, a noble enthusiastically greeted her. ¡°The Northern Eagle Crest? You must be the renowned Countess of Castell. The rumors are true, you shine like a star¡­¡± Smiling, Charlotte gracefully thanked the noble for the compliment. The Borde-Castell War had clearly boosted her family¡¯s reputation, and many nobles, including prominent families of the kingdom, came to greet her. Charlotte responded elegantly and appropriately. If she ignored the Gospel of Blood¡¯s revelation of their true identities, this would seem like a regular noble banquet, with nobles chatting and drinking, just as at previous banquets she¡¯d attended. But Charlotte remained calm and alert. She hadn¡¯t turned off the Gospel¡¯s ¡°vision¡±, and in it, the true identities of the bloodborne nobles were glaringly obvious. Nearly all the nobles who greeted her were bloodbornes. No¡­ More precisely, of the few hundred people in the hall, excluding servants and followers, most of the noble attendees were bloodbornes! This was a Bloodborne banquet! Realizing this heightened Charlotte¡¯s alertness. In the Crescent Kingdom, the most active bloodbornes were from the Shedite Clan. While she couldn¡¯t determine their bloodlines, it was obvious many members of the Blood Demon Cult¡ª were Shedite bloodbornes! Was this an invitation from the Blood Demon Cult? Charlotte¡¯s thoughts raced. Just then, the surrounding nobles parted to create a path. Amid soft, frivolous laughter, a young noble in splendid robes, surrounded by scantily clad half-elf maids, approached. ¡°Hehehe, Countess Castell, we meet again.¡± It was Richard de Gaston, Duke Gaston¡¯s son, whom Charlotte had encountered upon entering the capital. It was a peculiar scene. The young duke¡¯s son stood smiling, with scantily clad half-elf maids by his side, while other nobles stepped back respectfully. This included Duke Prutz, whom Charlotte had seen earlier with Blazing Sun strength. Charlotte knew why everyone was so respectful to the young noble. In the Gospel of Blood¡¯s vision, his crimson glow was dazzling. This was a Legendary Bloodborne. Chapter 353: Sense of Discomfort Why are there so many bloodbornes?What is the Church doing? Are the priests blind? This is the capital, Lutecia, not Borde! Looking at the young noble in front of her, Charlotte was shocked. She never expected that so many bloodbornes could be hiding in the heart of the Crescent Diocese, one of the cities with the strongest power of the Holy Court. Moreover, these bloodbornes dared to openly hold a banquet and even invite an outsider noble like her! S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Countess Castell, there¡¯s no need to look so serious. We invited you to our banquet with full consideration.¡± The young noble said with a slight smile. At the same time, numerous nobles, servants, and maids in the banquet hall turned their gazes toward Charlotte, all smiling slightly. Their movements were synchronized, even their smiles identical, like puppets controlled by someone. Seeing this terrifying scene, Charlotte felt numb, her PTSD from facing the undead when she first transmigrated almost flaring up. The music in the banquet hall subtly changed, no longer the usual melodious tunes. Exaggerated soprano and tenor voices replaced the bard¡¯s singing, eerie and solemn. At some point, clouds obscured the moonlight, and the hall¡¯s lighting dimmed, becoming shadowy and increasingly sinister. The red wine on the trays of the servants became more conspicuous, the strong scent of blood wafting through the air. Crimson eyes lit up in the dimness, all fixed on Charlotte. A subtle divine power fluctuation came, carrying a force that twisted the mind. Corrupt magic. Fortunately, with the Gospel of Blood, the divine counter easily neutralized this level of interference for Charlotte. But her vigilance only increased. Her eyes swept over the bloodbornes in the hall, finally resting on the leading young noble. ¡°Are you¡­ the Blood Demon Cult? Aren¡¯t you afraid of the Holy Court¡¯s judgment for being so blatant?¡± The young noble smiled faintly. He picked up a glass of fresh blood from a servant¡¯s tray, elegantly drank it in one gulp, and then said, ¡°Countess Castell, there¡¯s no need to probe. Since we¡¯re holding this banquet here, we naturally have no fear of being discovered by the Holy Court.¡± Charlotte fell silent. She quickly pondered the implications of his words while discreetly asking. ¡°What is your purpose in inviting me here?¡± The young noble smiled slightly, then performed an ancient bloodborne salutation. ¡°Countess Castell¡­ no, more accurately, Your Excellency. Our Archduke wishes to meet you, so you were invited here¡­¡± Your Excellency! They called me Your Excellency! Charlotte¡¯s heart sank. She narrowed her eyes slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t quite understand what you¡¯re saying.¡± The young noble smiled again. ¡°Your Excellency, there¡¯s no need to continue pretending. Indeed, you hide well, but before the great Archduke, all disguises are meaningless.¡± ¡°The Thorny Rose is your divine symbol, the Dark Night Castle your divine domain. Your power, none of the Archdukes will forget. Your return, the Archdukes have foreseen it all. From the moment you descended in Borde, the Archduke has known of your existence and has been preparing for this meeting¡­¡± Exposed¡­ Charlotte¡¯s heart sank. Following that was confusion. When was she exposed? She knew the Nez Clan was aware of a ¡°God¡± behind her. Considering the Shedite Clan previously had spies in the Nez Clan, the Blood Demon Cult likely got the information too. But knowing there¡¯s a ¡°God¡± behind her and knowing she is that ¡°God¡± are two different things. Not to mention, the implication was that they knew she is the ¡°True Ancestor of Blood¡±! Where did it go wrong? Charlotte was puzzled. She believed she had hidden well, any potential recognizers were either eliminated or recruited. How did the Blood Demon Cult know? Charlotte felt something was off. Vaguely, she sensed a hint of discomfort but couldn¡¯t pinpoint it. However, now wasn¡¯t the time to dwell on how she was exposed¡­ The young noble¡¯s words made Charlotte dread a heavy guess. ¡°You say the Blood Demon Archduke wants to see me¡­From what you¡¯re saying, has he already descended?¡± The young noble¡¯s mouth curved into a sinister smile. His expression turned fanatical. ¡°Yes, Your Excellency, the Archduke has already descended.¡± ¡°And it¡¯s thanks to you. The commotion you caused in the North drew the attention of several Legendaries in the Crescent Diocese, giving us the opportunity¡­¡± Hearing the young noble¡¯s words, Charlotte¡¯s heart sank. She understood what he meant. The Blood Demon Archduke had descended, likely in the capital. No wonder¡­ No wonder the Blood Demon Cult dared to hold a banquet under the Church¡¯s nose with so many bloodbornes. If the Blood Demon Archduke had successfully descended, it all made sense. With a mythic being present, hiding a Bloodborne banquet would be easy. More dramatically, the entire capital might already be under the Archduke¡¯s control! Charlotte regretted coming to this banquet. Clearly, it was targeted at her. She began considering activating the True Ancestor¡¯s Liberation. She doubted the Blood Demon Archduke¡¯s intentions were benign. If the Archduke discovered her true situation, her fate could be dire. Fortunately, even if the Archduke had descended, given the recentness, his power might be limited. With the True Ancestor¡¯s Liberation, Charlotte believed she could still fight. But her unease grew stronger. Particularly when she considered the True Ancestor¡¯s Liberation, she felt an inexplicable reluctance. She sensed she was overlooking something, her discomfort intensifying. ¡°Alright, Your Excellency, the next moment is for the great Archduke.¡± The young noble smiled. Then, his expression turned fervent and zealous. He stepped aside, revealing a mysterious statue behind him, drew a demon eye symbol on his chest, and fervently chanted. ¡°Master of the Abyss and the Mortal Realm¡­¡± ¡°Embodiment of Corruption and Decay¡­¡± ¡°Savior of the Bloodborne¡­¡± ¡°Great Archduke! The True Ancestor of Blood has appeared. Your humble servant requests your descent¡­¡± After speaking, the eerie statue emitted a crimson glow, an ancient and vast presence slowly descending¡­ In Charlotte¡¯s astonished gaze, a giant shrouded in dark red light gradually appeared in the hall. The dark red giant¡¯s features were unclear, but just looking at it induced dizziness. It looked at Charlotte indifferently, its cold voice devoid of emotion. ¡°True Ancestor of Blood, your power¡­ I shall accept it.¡± The dark red divine power erupted, twisting minds. As the divine power swept over the bloodbornes, they all showed ecstatic and intoxicated expressions. Then, the bloodbornes began to ¡°melt¡±, turning into pools of blood, absorbed by the dark red giant¡­ In an instant, all the bloodbornes in the hall were devoured by the giant, enhancing its power! After devouring the bloodbornes, the sinister divine power continued towards Charlotte¡­ Charlotte¡¯s expression changed drastically. She summoned her divine power, the Gospel of Blood operating autonomously, triggering the divine counter. The terrifying divine power engulfed her, burning and corroding her. The Gospel of Blood shone brightly, reinforcing the counter. For a full minute, the Gospel¡¯s power clashed with the dark red divine power before Charlotte barely managed to fend off the attack. Charlotte took a deep breath, preparing for the True Ancestor¡¯s Liberation, but hesitated at the last moment. Feeling the Gospel of Blood¡¯s power within her, looking at the terrifying red giant, Charlotte¡¯s expression turned peculiar. She¡­ seemed to know what felt off. Today¡¯s divine counter didn¡¯t show the usual ancient, mysterious text in her vision¡­ Chapter 354: Eternal Sacred Realm Since her transmigration, Charlotte has become quite familiar with the Gospel of Blood. This Bloodborne¡¯s supreme artifact manifests as a book, with skills described in written form. Many skills, when used, are also displayed visually, much like the ¡®system¡¯ in her previous life. Especially the ability ¡ºDivine Ritual Counter¡» that Charlotte activated at the beginning of her transmigration. Every time it was used, it would display text. But now, there was none. Charlotte looked at her body. Although she had just been engulfed by the divine power of the Blood Demon Archduke, she was unharmed, not even a crease on her noble gown. It was as if¡­ the stinging pain she felt when engulfed by the divine power was just an illusion. Wait¡­ An illusion? Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred, and she suddenly had a bold guess. She tried to communicate with the Gospel of Blood and contact the Dark Night Castle, but she found she couldn¡¯t enter her mental world. The Dark Night Castle¡­ had vanished. As if it had never existed. At this moment, Charlotte finally realized more was amiss. It wasn¡¯t just the ¡ºDivine Ritual Counter¡» that felt off. More accurately, it was the Gospel of Blood itself that had a problem. Charlotte recalled the ¡°Crimson Star Sea¡± she used to detect bloodborne when she first entered the banquet hall. She was multitasking and hadn¡¯t entered the Dark Night Castle for Blood Summoning, she had just thought about it and it naturally unfolded. No¡­ that¡¯s not right. The Crimson Star Sea is an ability attached to Blood Summoning, without performing a Blood Summoning, it shouldn¡¯t be possible to unfold it. The Dark Night Castle couldn¡¯t be summoned¡­ The Divine Ritual Counter had no text description. All these anomalies converged, finally allowing Charlotte to grasp the truth. ¡°This is an illusion¡­¡± She murmured to herself. An illusion! Unknowingly, she had been pulled into an illusion by someone using mental magic! And it was probably an illusion constructed from her own mental world! Because it was an illusion, the Divine Ritual Counter was fake, so it didn¡¯t appear as usual. Because it was her own mental world, the Dark Night Castle, which was her mental world manifestation, naturally couldn¡¯t be summoned! Thinking this, Charlotte looked again at the ¡°Blood Demon Archduke¡± in front of her. Ancient and vast divine power surrounded her, and the evil and terrifying divine might was like an abyss and ocean. However, once Charlotte calmed down, she noticed the various flaws of the ¡°Blood Demon Archduke¡± before her. Charlotte vividly remembered the scene when the flame demon Valaroka broke free. At that time, the entire sky seemed to be burning, an apocalyptic scene¡­ But now, despite being a stronger bloodborne myth than Valaroka, the entire banquet hall remained intact. Charlotte didn¡¯t believe this was a demonstration of the myth¡¯s perfect control over his power because the other had already unleashed his divine power, and when it was unleashed, it was impossible not to damage an ordinary building. Unless¡­ this was an illusion. ¡°True Ancestor of Blood, where is your power? Have you given up resisting?¡± The ¡°Blood Demon Archduke¡± roared, looking down at her. But Charlotte remained calm. She raised her head, looking at the ¡°Blood Demon Archduke¡±, and squinted slightly. She didn¡¯t know who had trapped her in this illusion. But since it was camouflaged with her mental world, it naturally wanted to obtain information from her. Or¡­ make her do something. Recalling the other¡¯s attack on her and the current high-handed provocation¡­ Charlotte¡­ probably already knew what it was. ¡°It¡¯s True Ancestor¡¯s Liberation¡­ the person creating the illusion wants me to perform True Ancestor¡¯s Liberation!¡± ¡°No¡­ more accurately, they want to see me release the blood divine power!¡± Thinking this, Charlotte looked at the ¡°Blood Demon Archduke¡± with complete calm. Now that she knew the illusion¡¯s purpose, she didn¡¯t need to use the power of True Ancestor¡¯s Liberation. Next, she needed to find a way to break free from this illusion. The ¡°Blood Demon Archduke¡± seemed enraged by Charlotte¡¯s attitude. Vast divine power suddenly erupted, plunging the entire banquet hall into a dark red world. ¡°True Ancestor of Blood! Release your power! Fight me!¡± He roared angrily. Charlotte shook her head. ¡°You are not the Blood Demon Archduke, you¡­ are just an illusionary shadow.¡± ¡°¡ª!¡± The Blood Demon Archduke roared in anger. The dark red divine power erupted again, transforming into scorching lava, rushing towards Charlotte. Charlotte remained motionless. She quietly watched the lava formed by the divine power approaching, watched it engulf her body, and watched her body burn in the flames. However, when the flames dissipated, she was still intact. An illusion was just an illusion. Perhaps when she was unaware it was an illusion, she might have been harmed, but once she realized it was a false world, she could no longer be affected. With this thought, Charlotte no longer paid attention to the ¡°myth¡± in front of her but began searching for a way to exit this illusion. Given the circumstances, there are many ways to leave an illusion. The simplest and most direct way is to break it with her mental power. But Charlotte didn¡¯t plan to use such a method. Her mental power wasn¡¯t particularly strong, and if she wanted to use this method, she would still have to use the blood divine power. Knowing the illusion¡¯s purpose, she no longer intended to use the blood divine power. Besides this method, another way is to find the source of the illusion, the intersection of the illusion and reality, and then wake up on her own. Thinking this, Charlotte began to ponder. When did she fall into the illusion? Meeting the young noble? Stepping into the banquet hall? Or¡­ entering the manor? No¡­ It was probably earlier. This illusion wasn¡¯t perfect. Thinking back, it had many flaws, and Charlotte needed to find the initial flaw. Charlotte thought again of ¡ºDivine Ritual Counter¡». As the master of the Gospel, the power Charlotte could genuinely wield was far beyond her own, and any attack on her could trigger the Gospel of Blood¡¯s counter. Especially in the mental world. Charlotte¡¯s mental world was clearly protected by the Gospel of Blood. Even the mental interference of a Blood Duke couldn¡¯t succeed, so only a force stronger than the Blood Duke could trap her in an illusion. That would be divine ritual. A divine ritual so powerful that it rendered the Gospel of Blood¡¯s ¡ºDivine Ritual Counter¡» ineffective. So¡­ when was the last time the ¡ºDivine Ritual Counter¡» didn¡¯t display a text description? Charlotte fell into thought. She soon had the answer. ¡°The church¡­¡± Charlotte murmured, her gaze becoming clearer. ¡°It¡¯s the church, it was when I visited the church yesterday¡­¡± ¡°Or more accurately, when I entered the prayer room and met the Diocese Archbishop!¡± Charlotte¡¯s memory quickly flew to yesterday, to the Lutecia Cathedral, to the moment she stepped into the prayer room. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She saw the Archbishop of the Crescent Diocese, felt the dazzling holy power radiating from him, her ¡ºDivine Ritual Counter¡» activated itself, and she was unharmed under the holy light¡­ At that moment, she saw¡­ the sun! Charlotte suddenly looked up, gazing out the window. A blazing sun rose, illuminating the darkness. The Blood Demon Archduke was gone, the dark red divine power was gone, and even the banquet hall was gone. Golden sunlight bathed the world, and Charlotte¡¯s vision was filled with a radiant sun and a white expanse. Burning pain spread throughout her body, accompanied by intense dizziness, and familiar blood-red text floated before her eyes¡ª ¡¾¡±Gospel of Blood¡± detects an ongoing divine ritual¡ª¡¿ ¡¾Spell Name: Eternal Sacred Realm¡¿ ¡¾Caster: Bernard de Champagne¡¿ ¡¾Recipient: Charlotte de Castell¡¿ ¡¾Ritual Effect: The solidified divine magic of God Harald¡¯s artifact, ¡°Eternal Sun¡±, capable of drawing the target into an illusionary world constructed from their mental world.¡¿ ¡¾Intercept?¡¿ Chapter 355: The Power of Divinity It¡¯s ¡ºDivine Ritual Counter¡»! Seeing the familiar text appear in her vision, Charlotte felt a surge of joy. However, after reading the description of the divine spell in ¡ºDivine Ritual Counter¡», a chill ran through her heart. ¡°Eternal Sacred Realm¡±¡­ Charlotte was not unfamiliar with this spell. She had once perused the library of the Borde Church and had some understanding of the divine spells of the Holy Court. And ¡°Eternal Sacred Realm¡± was one of the most renowned among them. This was an extremely powerful holy illusion, requiring the use of the Holy Court¡¯s artifact ¡°Eternal Sun¡± to cast. It was said that even myths could fall victim to it. Once drawn into the illusion, the victim would completely lose control over themselves in the real world. If the victim could not escape the illusion, their soul would be eternally trapped within. Upon the death of the victim¡¯s ¡°body¡± in the real world, their soul would be purified by the ¡°Eternal Sun¡±¡­ According to church records, twenty years ago, there was an incident involving the resurgence of an Old God on the Luna Coast City-state. At that time, the Grand Inquisitor of the Crescent Diocese¡¯s Inquisition used the ¡°Eternal Sun¡± to cast the ¡°Eternal Sacred Realm¡±, trapping the resurrected Old God and ultimately killing it. Gods are notoriously difficult to kill. As long as their essence remains, and as long as someone remembers them, they could potentially return from history. But the illusion of the ¡°Eternal Sacred Realm¡± could sever the connection between Gods and mortals, trapping the essence of God¡¯s soul. By trapping a God in the illusion and then killing the body that hosts the divine soul, one could achieve the goal of annihilation. This more obscure knowledge wasn¡¯t just what Charlotte had read from books. It was the black cat Nice who had explained it to her when talking about the Grand Inquisitor¡¯s experience in slaying a God in the Crescent Diocese. Upon thinking about this, Charlotte felt her heart sink. Bernard de Champagne¡­ The caster described by ¡ºDivine Ritual Counter¡» was none other than the Grand Inquisitor of the Crescent Diocese. Charlotte wasn¡¯t sure if she had fallen victim to the divine ritual left by this Grand Inquisitor in the Lutecia Cathedral, or if he had never gone to Castell in the first place. But regardless of the situation, the Grand Inquisitor plus the Eternal Sacred Realm indicated that the Holy Court probably suspected her connection with an Evil God. ¡°They must be merely suspicious, otherwise¡­ upon drawing me into the illusion, the church could have taken action against me already.¡± ¡°Now they are creating an illusion to provoke me into using my powers, which means they are still unsure of my identity and want to see my strength clearly¡­¡± Charlotte quickly came to this conclusion. And soon, she made another discovery. She had been in the illusion for quite some time. Even though the time flow in the ¡°Eternal Sacred Realm¡± might differ from the real world, she must have been exposed to the holy power in reality for a while now. But now, even without modifying ¡ºDivine Ritual Counter¡»¡¯s judgment, she only felt a burning pain and dizziness under the holy light¡¯s illumination¡­ The illusion hadn¡¯t ended, and Charlotte hadn¡¯t been attacked. This suggested that the church¡¯s illusion test was ongoing, implying that her physical body in reality probably hadn¡¯t shown any abnormal reactions under the holy light¡¯s illumination, and the church likely didn¡¯t know what she was experiencing in the illusion. This meant¡­ her resistance to holy power had increased. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Upon thinking this, Charlotte felt a mix of emotions. She recalled the red divine flame that ignited in her heart after merging with the ancient statue. ¡°Could it be¡­ that after merging with that statue, my body and soul have undergone some kind of upgrade, allowing me to withstand sunlight and even partially resist holy power?¡± It seemed possible! However, now wasn¡¯t the time to verify these speculations. Charlotte needed to respond to Divine Ritual Counter and prepare to leave this illusion. Upon thinking this, Charlotte fell into deep thought again. How to modify Divine Ritual Counter¡¯s judgment was also a problem. Before leaving the illusion, she must prepare to face the church. ¡°Eternal Sacred Realm¡± could even trap Gods. Before the church voluntarily ended the illusion, if she, a mere Silver Moon extraordinary, could break free on her own, it would be akin to putting ¡°I have a problem¡± on her forehead. This was different from her past interceptions and modifications of divine rituals. Previous divine rituals weren¡¯t as targeted, but this time it was clearly aimed at her. But Charlotte didn¡¯t intend to do nothing and passively wait for the church to end the illusion. Such a passive and variable approach would be risky. If the church decided to strengthen the illusion after seeing her not using her powers for a long time, that would be disastrous. She could currently resist the holy light¡¯s illumination, indicating the current ritual¡¯s strength wasn¡¯t too high. If the church intensified the divine power, the consequences were unpredictable. After all, she was trapped by an artifact similar to the Gospel of Blood. Charlotte intended to leave actively. But how to leave and modify the judgment needed a plan¡­ What was certain was that Charlotte couldn¡¯t simply and rudely judge herself as a devout holy believer as she had in the past. Because no matter how devout a believer was, they couldn¡¯t possibly break free from such a divine ritual on their own. Moreover, the church had used such a divine ritual, indicating their deep suspicion of her. An ordinary believer¡¯s identity wouldn¡¯t fool the church. She needed to think of a way to dispel the church¡¯s suspicions. So¡­ how should she modify the judgment? Looking at the ¡°sun¡± in front of her, Charlotte had a bold idea¡­ ¡­ In the prayer room of the Lutecia Cathedral. The golden light shone brightly, and a finely crafted, ancient round crystal mirror floated in midair. The crystal mirror emitted a holy light, its surface facing downwards like a blazing sun, projecting a golden beam that enveloped a beautiful girl. The girl had her eyes closed, frowning slightly, still in the same posture she had when she entered the prayer room. Inside the prayer room, the Archbishop of the Crescent Diocese, Charles de Lorraine, clad in white and gold-trimmed sacred robes, looked thoughtfully at Charlotte enveloped in the light beam. Beside him, standing to his left and right, were two senior clergy of the Holy Court. On his right stood an inquisitor appearing to be around fifty years old. He wore the red robes of a Grand Inquisitor, his expression stern. This was none other than Bernard de Champagne, the Grand Inquisitor of the Crescent Diocese¡¯s Inquisition. This Legendary inquisitor, who was supposed to investigate the warning from the divine warning bell in Castell, had never left Lutecia, but instead waited in the cathedral for Charlotte to come! At this moment, he held a golden sun miniature in his hand, connected to the glowing crystal, maintaining the holy light covering Charlotte. The side of the sun miniature was engraved with intricate and mysterious patterns and the ring-cross symbol representing the God, indicating it was part of the crystal mirror. To the Archbishop¡¯s left stood a relatively young priest, appearing to be about forty years old. He wore a white robe with purple trim. This was a Cardinal Priest, also a Legendary. Joseph de Mazarin. He is one of the five cardinals of the Crescent Diocese, and the highest-ranking clergy overseeing the Demon Hunter Bureau, also known as the Hunter Cardinal. Charles de Lorraine, the Archbishop of the Diocese, Bernard de Champagne, the Grand Inquisitor, and Joseph de Mazarin, the Hunter Cardinal¡­ These three clerics are the pinnacle of power in the Holy Court¡¯s Crescent Diocese. At this moment, all three Legendaries had their eyes focused on Charlotte, who was enveloped in the holy light. Some frowned slightly, while others looked puzzled. ¡°Still can¡¯t see her mental world?¡± The Archbishop Charles glanced at the Grand Inquisitor Bernard and asked. Grand Inquisitor Bernard closed his eyes, and the sun miniature in his hand flickered slightly. After a moment, he opened his eyes and shook his head gently. ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°It seems her mental power is protected by some mysterious force. Although we successfully pulled her into the Eternal Sacred Realm using the ¡®Eternal Sun¡¯, her mental world remains closed¡­¡± ¡°Mysterious force? Not the power of an unknown God?¡± On the other side, the Hunter Cardinal Joseph frowned slightly. Grand Inquisitor Bernard hesitated and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­¡± ¡°The ¡®Eternal Sun¡¯ did not issue any warnings, indicating that the force protecting her was not repelled by the holy power. This force is deeply hidden, and I can¡¯t determine its nature for now¡­¡± ¡°Of course, there is another possibility, that this force is at a level high enough to contend with holy power¡­¡± ¡°At a level capable of contending with holy power¡­¡± Archbishop Charles murmured, deep in thought. Although he had only served as the Archbishop of the Crescent Diocese for a year, he had paid great attention to last year¡¯s widely known Borde Evil God incident. A God that could reseal the released Flame Demon Valaroka directly upon its emergence had a power far surpassing those newly resurrected Gods. Such an existence, whether recognized by the church as an Evil God or an unknown foreign God, posed a great threat to the Holy Court. The previous Bishop of Borde, who had been judged, referred to this mysterious God as ¡°Nyx.¡± The Holy Court had also secretly pursued ¡°God Nyx¡± for a year. However, after the turbulence in Borde subsided, this ¡°God Nyx¡± seemed to disappear, never appearing again. Until the divine warning bell of Lutecia rang¡­ Thinking of this, Archbishop Charles looked again at the girl shrouded in the holy light, his gaze growing profound. Charlotte de Castell. The movements of this ¡°Walking Saintess¡± from the beginning had various overlaps with the traces of ¡°God Nyx¡±¡­ If the Borde incident was a coincidence, the second warning of the divine warning bell, and the fact that the warning location happened to be the northern region where she was, made it hard not to connect her to it. Although the northern church had reported the second divine warning bell warning as a sacrifice by the Blood Demon Cult, Archbishop Charles felt it wasn¡¯t that simple. Especially after receiving an anonymous report¡­ Thinking of this, Archbishop Charles took out the report letter received by the church some time ago. This report letter specifically targeted Charlotte de Castell. It accused that behind the young Countess of Castell, there was an awakened Bloodborne Evil God! Moreover¡­ the God behind her was ¡°God Nyx¡±! The report letter was unsigned. However, with his advanced divine magic, Archbishop Charles traced the report letter back to within the Blood Demon Cult¡­ Interesting indeed. The Blood Demon Cult reports the whereabouts of God Nyx to the church. But, knowing what God Nyx did in Borde, Archbishop Charles could understand. It was just an internal conflict between the bloodborne myths. These fellows had been fighting for countless years. However, since it was the Blood Demon Cult, an enemy of the Holy Court, no matter how persuasive the report letter was, Archbishop Charles didn¡¯t fully trust it. God Nyx needed to be suppressed, but the Blood Demon Cult also needed to be eradicated. Although the church had long suspected Charlotte de Castell, they also needed to guard against the Blood Demon Cult digging a pit for the church. At the same time, Charlotte de Castell was an important lord in the Crescent Kingdom, and the church couldn¡¯t act rashly¡­ Thus, this relatively ¡°gentle¡± ¡°illusion test¡± was conducted. ¡°Eternal Sacred Realm¡± is one of the Holy Court¡¯s most powerful divine rituals. If Charlotte had issues with her identity, it would surely be exposed. However, no one expected that even such a divine ritual would encounter problems! Unable to see the target¡¯s mental world¡­ Although this already proved that Charlotte de Castell indeed had issues, it also brought more unsettling doubts to Archbishop Charles¡­ If the mysterious force protecting her was indeed capable of contending with holy power, that would be troublesome. With the Creator God asleep and the Holy Court¡¯s Pantheon Gods yet to return, an unknown God capable of contending with the power of the Creator God would be a disaster for the Holy Court. On the other hand, if this were true, they might have already attracted the ¡°attention¡± of the unknown God. Or perhaps¡­ could the girl before them be the incarnation of the unknown God? Of course, there was another possibility. That the girl was truly a Saintess protected by the Lord, and the power protecting her was indeed holy, which is why the divine ritual failed. But then again, if it were holy power, these clerics would surely sense it. ¡°Your Grace, we still cannot see her mental world. Should I enhance the holy power input to strengthen the effect of ¡®Eternal Sacred Realm¡¯?¡± Grand Inquisitor Bernard asked solemnly. Archbishop Charles thought for a moment and nodded slightly. ¡°Go ahead, enhance the divine ritual¡¯s effect.¡± After speaking, he hesitated for a moment and then added. ¡°If we still can¡¯t see her mental world, we¡¯ll take direct action.¡± Upon hearing this, Grand Inquisitor Bernard and Hunter Cardinal Joseph were both taken aback. Facing the gazes of his colleagues, Archbishop Charles said sternly. ¡°The prophecy leaves us with less and less time. For the sake of the church, we can¡¯t take risks. Any potential threat must be nipped in the bud¡­¡± Grand Inquisitor Bernard nodded solemnly. He looked at the girl under the holy light, preparing to pray again and enhance the artifact¡¯s effect. However, before he could pray, the holy light enveloping the girl suddenly burst into a dazzling brilliance. ¡°She¡¯s exerting power in her mental world!¡± Grand Inquisitor Bernard said, his heart stirred. Archbishop Charles¡¯s expression tightened, staring intently at the girl in the holy light. ¡°Eternal Sacred Realm¡± could project the power exerted in the ¡°illusion.¡± If the girl exerted her full power in her mental world, it would be visible in the real world! Moreover, if there was indeed a God behind her, it would definitely draw attention, and the church could use the ¡°Eternal Sun¡± to locate the God¡¯s position! In an instant, the gazes of the three Legendary clerics were all focused on the girl, ready to act at any moment. The brilliant light erupted from the girl like a blazing sun. Feeling that familiar aura, the three Legendaries were simultaneously stunned. ¡°Holy¡­ holy power?!¡± Holy power¡­ Under the ¡°Eternal Sacred Realm¡±, the power projected from Charlotte was the purest form of holy power¡­ Chapter 356: The Archbishops Test A gentle holy light spread outward from Charlotte as its center. Sacred, warm, kind¡­ Although it was merely the projection of the girl¡¯s power within the ¡°Eternal Sacred Realm.¡± the three Legendary clerics were certain that the light cast by the artifact ¡°Eternal Sun¡± was indeed the holy power of the Creator God. God above! The power protecting her was the Creator God¡¯s holy power? This¡­ how could this be? The three Legendary clerics exchanged looks, their expressions complex. Watching the holy light surrounding the girl, they were unsure if they were seeing things or if they, too, had fallen under the effects of the ¡°Eternal Sacred Realm.¡± ¡°God above! This¡­ could there be an issue with the Eternal Sun?¡± Hunter Cardinal Joseph¡¯s eyes widened, his expression full of doubt. Grand Inquisitor Bernard¡¯s expression also shifted. He stared intently at the functioning artifact, the Eternal Sun, and after a moment, shook his head slightly. ¡°No, the Eternal Sun is functioning normally.¡± He then hesitated, glanced at Archbishop Charles, and asked somewhat uncertainly. ¡°Your Grace, should we continue to enhance the divine ritual?¡± The ¡°Eternal Sacred Realm¡± could project the hidden power of the subject. Although they could not yet penetrate the mysterious force protecting the girl to enter her mental world, the hidden power of the girl had already been successfully projected. In other words, if the goal was merely to use the ¡°Eternal Sun¡± to investigate the secrets hidden within the girl, they had roughly achieved their aim. Archbishop Charles was silent. He frowned at Charlotte, who was enveloped in light, and shook his head slightly. ¡°No need to enhance it further.¡± Hearing this, Grand Inquisitor Bernard breathed a small sigh of relief. The protective power hidden within the girl had already been revealed, and it was a familiar divine power, indicating that the power safeguarding her did indeed come from the Creator God. As the Chief Inquisitor wielding the Crescent¡¯s Eternal Sun, he could trace the power source of a subject through the ¡°Eternal Sacred Realm.¡± He had even used the Eternal Sun to kill newly resurrected Old God but had never dared to use this artifact to trace holy power¡­ Because that would mean prying into the Creator God. And no Gods liked to be spied upon by mortals. If it was to trace and locate other Gods with the protection of the Creator God¡¯s power, he wasn¡¯t afraid. But to pry into the Creator God¡­ Grand Inquisitor Bernard had never done it and did not wish to. As a devout believer, he feared such reckless actions might incur divine wrath. He hesitated and said, ¡°Since we have ruled out her being backed by an unknown God, I won¡¯t continue maintaining the divine ritual.¡± Archbishop Charles was silent for a moment and then sighed. ¡°Dispel it.¡± Given permission, Grand Inquisitor Bernard once again manipulated the sun miniature, preparing to awaken the girl enveloped in the holy light. But before he could act, the halo of the ¡°Eternal Sacred Realm¡± flickered slightly and gradually dimmed. Grand Inquisitor Bernard was taken aback. This was the ¡°Eternal Sacred Realm¡± automatically dispelling itself. However, he was not surprised. The ¡°Eternal Sun¡± was an artifact created by the Lord, given to the Holy Court to deal with heretics. Since the girl¡¯s identity had been verified, it was normal for the artifact to autonomously dispel the divine ritual. The brilliant holy power gradually dissipated, and the crystal mirror floating in mid-air also slowly extinguished its light, returning to the sun miniature in Grand Inquisitor Bernard¡¯s hand. At the same time, Charlotte, standing at the doorway of the prayer room, swayed slightly. Her eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes. ¡­ The white world shattered, and a strong sense of dizziness and vertigo returned. Along with the dizziness came a rapid return of ¡°reality.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ finally returning to reality.¡± Feeling the real sensation in her limbs, Charlotte sighed with relief. However, she did not relax but quickly heightened her vigilance. The ¡°Eternal Sacred Realm¡± had been broken by her through Divine Ritual Counter. But breaking the illusion was just the beginning. She still had to face the church¡¯s Legendary clerics. She wasn¡¯t sure if her recent trick had worked, so she couldn¡¯t let her guard down. With her senses fully restored, Charlotte opened her eyes. What greeted her was still the prayer room of the Lutecia Cathedral, and she remained in the same position as when she had entered. All the conversations with the Archbishop, the church¡¯s invitation, the Gaston Duke¡¯s banquet¡­ were all illusions. From the moment she stepped into the prayer room, she had fallen under an illusion-type divine ritual. With her vision restored, Charlotte quickly met the gazes of three people. She recognized one of them: the Crescent Diocese¡¯s Archbishop, Charles de Lorraine, whom she had seen upon entering the prayer room. However, the other two were unfamiliar. Despite their unfamiliarity, Charlotte guessed their identities from their attire. The cleric on the right was clearly dressed as an inquisitor, holding a mysterious crystal mirror overflowing with holy light. Charlotte immediately realized that this must be Grand Inquisitor Bernard de Champagne, who had cast the ¡°Eternal Sacred Realm¡± on her, and the sun-shaped crystal mirror must be the artifact ¡°Eternal Sun.¡± As for the one on the left¡­ wearing a purple-edged clerical robe, clearly a cardinal, with the mark of a Demon Hunter Knight on his chest, he must be the Hunter Cardinal Joseph de Mazarin, who oversaw the Demon Hunter Bureau of the Crescent Diocese as recorded in her files. Hiss¡­ The three giants of the Crescent Diocese¡ªthe Holy Court certainly thought highly of her, directly waiting for her at the cathedral. Charlotte clicked her tongue inwardly. However, she quickly noticed that the three Legendary clerics were looking at her in a strange, inexplicable way. Surprise, bewilderment, confusion, curiosity¡­ And the Hunter Cardinal even seemed a bit excited. However, their gazes lacked vigilance and hostility. At most, the Crescent Archbishop, Charles, had a slightly thoughtful and scrutinizing look in his surprised eyes. It seemed¡­ she had succeeded. Charlotte felt a sense of reassurance. She could roughly guess why these Legendary clerics were showing such expressions. If she was correct, just before she woke up, her body must have exhibited the holy light of the God Harald. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The ¡°Eternal Sacred Realm¡± tried to tempt her into using the True Ancestor¡¯s Liberation power within the illusion world. Based on her knowledge of the church from books, she guessed that the Holy Court intended to use the illusion to draw out her power and thereby determine her identity. So¡­ when she modified the ¡ºDivine Ritual Counter¡», she cleverly changed it to ¡ºDetermine that the power she releases in the illusion world is the Creator God¡¯s power¡». Then, she did the opposite and directly performed ¡ºTrue Ancestor¡¯s Liberation¡» in the illusion world. Of course, it wasn¡¯t a real ¡ºTrue Ancestor¡¯s Liberation¡». Realizing it was her mental world, Charlotte had found a way to wake up and could partially control the power of the mental world. So, she merely ¡°imagined¡± using the True Ancestor¡¯s Liberation in the mental world. Then¡­ under the ¡°Eternal Sacred Realm¡± judgment, the power she used became ¡°Creator God¡¯s power.¡± It was a bit convoluted, but since Charlotte didn¡¯t understand the essence of the Creator God¡¯s power, she couldn¡¯t imagine it in her mental world. Thus, she had to take this tricky approach. Judging by the expressions of the Legendary clerics, it seemed she had succeeded. However, this was not the end. Next, it was time to see her acting skills. With this in mind, Charlotte¡¯s confused gaze gradually cleared, then quickly turned vigilant as she took a step back. She looked warily at the three clerics, quickly pulling a hand crossbow from under her skirt, like a frightened kitten, ready to counterattack. ¡°Your Grace, what have you done to me?¡± She looked at the leading Archbishop Charles and questioned in a voice filled with shock and anger. Archbishop Charles seemed surprised by Charlotte¡¯s reaction. His scrutinizing gaze froze for a moment, and then he frowned slightly. Grand Inquisitor Bernard and Hunter Cardinal Joseph exchanged glances. Facing Charlotte¡¯s angry gaze, the Grand Inquisitor hesitated and then quietly put the Eternal Sun behind his back. The Hunter Cardinal tugged at his goatee, his expression somewhat pained and conflicted. Finally, Archbishop Charles spoke. He sighed deeply and said apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Countess Castell.¡± ¡°The church received an anonymous report alleging your involvement with the mysterious Evil God, ¡®God Nyx,¡¯ who resurrected in Borde last year, and that you are a follower of this God.¡± ¡°We had no choice but to test you with a divine ritual illusion upon your entering the church to determine your identity¡­¡± ¡°An anonymous report? God Nyx?¡± Charlotte frowned, her expression bewildered. However, her heart skipped a beat. Good heavens, someone had reported her? Who could have done this? Her mind quickly ran through the entities and forces that knew her identity. Ultimately, a certain organization¡¯s name surfaced in her mind¡­ They knew about her connection to the ¡°Evil God¡± in Borde. And they harbored hostility toward her. Hiss¡­ Could it be those bastards from the Blood Demon Cult? Charlotte speculated internally, but she maintained an expression of confusion, her brows furrowed tightly as she coldly said, ¡°This is slander! My faith has always been steadfast. How could I be a follower of an Evil God?¡± Archbishop Charles nodded slightly and sighed. ¡°Judging by the result, it seems we misunderstood¡­¡± As he spoke, he made a ring-cross sign on his chest. Then, to the surprise of Grand Inquisitor Bernard and Hunter Cardinal Joseph, he bowed slightly to Charlotte in apology. ¡°Countess Castell, we apologize deeply for the fright caused by this test. To express the church¡¯s regret, we will offer appropriate compensation¡­¡± ¡°But please understand, every appearance of an Evil God brings disaster to the orderly world. Even the slightest possibility requires us to handle it with caution¡­¡± Seeing the Archbishop bowing in apology, Charlotte was also a bit surprised. As the highest cleric of the Crescent Diocese, a Legendary extraordinary, this gesture was quite humble. Considering the circumstances, Charlotte¡¯s public identity was merely that of a countess! Of course, Charlotte believed that the Archbishop¡¯s humility was also because he had seen ¡°her power.¡± Given her status and the Holy Court¡¯s influence in the secular world, Charlotte no longer held a stern demeanor. She frowned slightly and said, ¡°I understand the church¡¯s concerns, but basing suspicion solely on an anonymous report makes it hard to trust the loyalty of the believers¡­¡± Upon hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, Archbishop Charles sighed. ¡°Countess, if you read the content of the report, you might understand the church¡¯s predicament.¡± He then took out a piece of parchment from his chest. Charlotte frowned and took the parchment from the Archbishop. After a quick read, she felt a pang of guilt. No wonder, the report was incredibly detailed. From Borde to the Castel County, although much of the content was speculative, the descriptions of her relationship with ¡°God Nyx¡± were coherent and very convincing. Clearly written by someone who had interacted with her and saw her as a follower of ¡°God Nyx.¡± Frankly, if she were a church official, she would find the report concerning too. There was no way around it since she really was the so-called ¡°God Nyx.¡± Her actions were consistent with those of ¡°God Nyx.¡± and the report pointed out all of this. After reading the report, Charlotte¡¯s speculation about the informant¡¯s identity was almost certain. No need to think further. It must have been the Blood Demon Cult! The only force aware of her divine connection was the Starfall¡¯s bloodbornes, but they sought to recruit her. The Nez Clan needed to reclaim control of the Starfall Kingdom and needed her as an ally against the church¡¯s intervention, so they wouldn¡¯t cut ties. However, the Nez Clan had previously been infiltrated by the Blood Demon Cult. The cult must have learned about Charlotte¡¯s ¡°unknown God¡± status from the Nez Clan and then reported it to the church. With this realization, Charlotte mentally noted another grudge against the Blood Demon Cult. She sighed, handed the letter back to the Archbishop, and smiled bitterly. ¡°Your Grace, I understand now. This letter is indeed very misleading. If I were in your position, I might have made the same decision as the church.¡± Archbishop Charles nodded slightly and said kindly. ¡°I¡¯m glad you understand. Now that you¡¯ve passed the test, one of our major concerns is resolved¡­¡± He then assumed a solemn expression and said, ¡°Countess, please forgive my impertinence. Could you tell us what you ¡®saw¡¯ in the divine ritual illusion?¡± Hearing this, Charlotte prepared to lie. But when she saw the faint gleam in his eyes, her heart skipped a beat, and she raised her vigilance again. That was the solidified divine spell ¡°Eye of Truth¡± used by the Demon Hunter Bureau to detect lies. The Archbishop¡¯s test¡­ was not over yet. Chapter 357: She must be a Saintess! As Charlotte¡¯s greatest cheat, the Gospel of Blood with its ¡ºDivine Ritual Counter¡» could intercept and modify almost any divine spell. However, the reason it was ¡°almost¡± was that not all ¡°divine spells¡± could be detected by ¡ºDivine Ritual Counter¡». The solidified divine spell ¡ºEye of Truth¡» was one such exception. Strictly speaking, solidified divine spells could not be considered true divine spells. These spells, solidified on the caster¡¯s body, were no different from ¡°magic.¡± More accurately, they should be described as solidified magic with a ¡°church¡± background. Because of this church background, people usually referred to them as ¡°divine¡± spells. Charlotte was most familiar with the Holy Court¡¯s Demon Hunter Bureau¡¯s ¡ºEye of Truth¡». When she first transmigrated and underwent the church¡¯s inspection, she had seen the Captain of Borde Demon Hunter, Kara, use it, and at that time, the Gospel of Blood had no reaction. Later, during the Inquisition¡¯s siege of the Rose Society, the Inquisition Knight also used this spell on her. To this day, Charlotte still doesn¡¯t understand the principle of this spell, only speculating that it was related to mental magic and might even involve soul essence and mental waves. Facing this spell, she had to answer carefully and try not to lie, or the Archbishop might detect something wrong. Thinking of this, Charlotte took a deep breath and carefully chose her words. ¡°In the illusion, you invited me to become the church¡¯s Saintess, but I declined.¡± Hearing this, Grand Inquisitor Bernard and Hunter Cardinal Joseph both froze. They instinctively looked at Archbishop Charles, seeing his expression remain calm, so they followed suit and hid their surprise. Charlotte took note of the reactions of the three Legendary clerics and continued. ¡°After the worship, I returned to the rented estate and soon received an invitation to a noble banquet¡­¡± ¡°The invitation was from Duke Gaston. I attended his banquet, which was graced by many nobles of the kingdom, including major nobles from various regions¡­¡± ¡°However, as I entered the banquet hall, all those nobles revealed their true identities¡­ They were mostly bloodbornes!¡± At this point, Charlotte¡¯s face turned slightly pale, showing a look of lingering fear. She paused, took a few deep breaths to calm down, and continued. ¡°The leader of the bloodbornes told me that the banquet was prepared for me. They summoned the Blood Demon Archduke and wanted to devour me¡­¡± ¡°And I chose to resist¡­¡± ¡°Then I woke up¡­¡± These were all truths. Charlotte had experience dealing with such inspections. She skipped the key points, choosing what she could say. After speaking, Charlotte looked at Archbishop Charles, observing his reaction. This Legendary cleric¡¯s expression remained calm, seemingly deep in thought. He was clearly more experienced than the clergy in Borde, not ending the probing but contemplating for a moment. Then he asked. ¡°Countess, please forgive my impertinence. Can you show us the power you used in the illusion?¡± Hearing the Archbishop¡¯s words, Charlotte showed a troubled expression. She shook her head and said, ¡°Sorry, Your Grace, I¡¯m afraid I might disappoint you¡­¡± ¡°In the illusion, when facing the Blood Demon Archduke, I faintly sensed a discomfort and realized I might be in some kind of illusion.¡± ¡°After that, I discovered I could imagine extraordinary powers, so the power I used was actually what I imagined.¡± Hearing this, the three Legendary clerics were stunned again. This time, even Archbishop Charles seemed surprised. The Hunter Cardinal and Grand Inquisitor looked incredulous. They exchanged glances and couldn¡¯t help but whisper to each other, looking at the girl with increasingly peculiar expressions. Archbishop Charles thought for a while and continued to ask. ¡°Then, countess, what power did you imagine in the illusion?¡± Charlotte hesitated for a moment, looking a bit embarrassed. ¡°It was¡­ the divine power.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve read many magic books and knew how to deal with illusions, so I imagined myself unleashing the divine power capable of fighting the Blood Demon Archduke.¡± ¡°And then¡­ I woke up.¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, Grand Inquisitor Bernard and Hunter Cardinal Joseph seemed even more shocked. Hunter Cardinal Joseph hesitated, scrutinizing Charlotte with a look of doubt and contemplation. Grand Inquisitor Bernard¡¯s eye twitched, looking at Charlotte with more astonishment and some confusion. Even Archbishop Charles was slightly taken aback, seemingly surprised. ¡°Your Grace, do you have any other questions?¡± Charlotte asked. The Archbishop pondered for a moment, then nodded. ¡°One last question¡­¡± ¡°You said in the illusion, I invited you to become a Saintess, but you declined.¡± ¡°Can you tell me why you declined?¡± Hearing the Archbishop¡¯s question, Charlotte showed a hesitant expression. She looked conflicted, seeming to hesitate about whether to speak. After some struggle, she sighed as if resigning herself to fate. ¡°Because¡­ I don¡¯t want to be controlled by the church¡­¡± ¡°I must admit, after the incident with Borde¡¯s Bishop, my trust in the church has significantly declined. I believe the church has become somewhat corrupted, and many clergy have long forgotten their faith¡­¡± ¡°Although they can wield holy power, they no longer deserve to do so.¡± ¡°I even¡­ regret my vow in Borde.¡± As she spoke, Charlotte repeated her refusal to the Archbishop in the dream. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Listening to Charlotte¡¯s account, Grand Inquisitor Bernard frowned thoughtfully. His expression gradually became serious and earnest, and he nodded slightly, seemingly agreeing with some of her criticisms of the church. Cardinal Joseph also nodded quietly. He looked at Charlotte with a knowing expression, and his gaze towards her was less suspicious and more admiring, with even a hint of fervor. Archbishop Charles remained as calm as ever. However, Charlotte keenly noticed that although she was speaking ill of the church, the highest cleric of the Crescent Diocese¡¯s gaze became increasingly gentle. ¡°Archbishop, I¡¯m done. Can this examination¡­ end now?¡± Charlotte asked timely. The three Legendary clerics exchanged glances. Archbishop Charles looked at his two colleagues, and both Grand Inquisitor Bernard and Cardinal Joseph nodded slightly. Seeing his colleagues¡¯ attitudes, the Archbishop also withdrew his gaze and nodded slightly, saying, ¡°Thank you for your cooperation, Countess. I have no more questions.¡± ¡°So¡­ can I leave now?¡± Charlotte asked. Her expression returned to calm, and within that calm was a hint of coldness and detachment. Archbishop Charles was momentarily stunned, then smiled wryly. ¡°Of course, the suspicions on you have been cleared. If you wish, you can leave at any time.¡± As he spoke, the brilliance in his eyes gradually faded, clearly dispelling the ¡ºEye of Truth¡». He then bowed apologetically to Charlotte and said, ¡°Countess, please allow us to offer our sincere apologies once again¡­¡± Charlotte¡¯s expression softened, and she sighed lightly. ¡°Archbishop, if all the clergy of the Holy Court were as earnest and responsible as you, perhaps¡­ my impression of the church wouldn¡¯t have deteriorated so much.¡± This time, she addressed the Archbishop not as ¡°Your Grace¡± but as his title. With that, Charlotte picked up her skirt, bowed to the three Legendary clerics, and then turned to leave. Watching the decisive departure of the young girl, Cardinal Joseph hesitated. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but seeing the silence of the other two Legendary clerics, he eventually closed his mouth again. Charlotte¡¯s figure disappeared from their sight. However, with their powerful Legendary senses, the three clerics could still sense the girl¡¯s movements. In their perception, the girl quickly left and returned to the cathedral¡¯s prayer hall. A small service was being prepared in the cathedral¡¯s prayer hall. As the largest cathedral in Lutecia, numerous services were held here daily, and at that moment, it was time for a holy service. The girl instructed her attendants to leave a large chest of gold tana as donations from the believers, then walked towards the church¡¯s exit. However, as she reached the door, she hesitated for a moment and chose to join the service. Like the most devout believer, the girl blended into the crowd in the hall and prayed with her eyes closed before the statue of the Lord. As the cleric prayed, the hall was bathed in light, and a holy radiance enveloped the entire place. The three Legendary clerics keenly sensed that at the moment the holy light descended, most of it fell on the girl. Even the cleric leading the service had less light on them than the girl. Sacred, pure, beautiful¡­ Even without being there in person, the three Legendary clerics could almost imagine the scene through their senses. Perceiving this, the expressions of the three clerics varied. Cardinal Joseph¡¯s eyes widened, and he became instantly excited. He instinctively wanted to rush to the prayer hall, but restrained himself under Archbishop Charles¡¯ signaling glance. Grand Inquisitor Bernard¡¯s expression changed slightly, becoming contemplative, yet he did not seem surprised. It was as if, in his understanding, the girl was supposed to be like this. And after the service ended, the girl quickly stood up, looking devout and content. She declined the cleric¡¯s enthusiastic invitation and turned to leave. This time, she truly left the church. ¡°Archbishop, are you just¡­ going to let her go like that?¡± Cardinal Joseph couldn¡¯t help but ask. Archbishop Charles glanced at him and replied somewhat irritably. ¡°She is not an Evil God¡¯s follower, and she is a noble of the kingdom. If she wants to leave, why shouldn¡¯t we let her?¡± Hearing this answer, cardinal Joseph finally became anxious. He said excitedly. ¡°Archbishop, you must have sensed that holy light on her, brighter than that of a third-tier cleric, right?!¡± ¡°Not everyone can have such holy light. She passed the ¡®Eternal Sacred Realm¡¯ test and even imagined the power of creation in the ¡®Eternal Sacred Realm¡¯!¡± ¡°You know, even we can¡¯t imagine the power of the Lord in the ¡®Eternal Sacred Realm¡¯!¡± ¡°That is the power of creation! Even if it was just a projection of the power of creation, it is still the power of creation!¡± Hearing Cardinal Joseph¡¯s rambling, archbishop Charles sighed. ¡°So, what are you trying to say?¡± ¡°A Saintess! She must be the Saintess chosen by the Lord!¡± Cardinal Joseph said excitedly. ¡°To project the power of creation in an illusion, there are only two possibilities: either¡­ she possesses the power of creation herself, or¡­ she is protected by the power of creation!¡± ¡°Either way, it means she is the Saintess we have been longing for!¡± ¡°Archbishop, I know matters concerning the Saintess are under your jurisdiction, and I have no right to interfere, but why did you let her leave?¡± ¡°Our Crescent Diocese hasn¡¯t had a Saintess for a long time. Having a Saintess would greatly ease the pressure on the Demon Hunter Bureau and the Inquisition!¡± ¡°By the Lord! I knew the cardinals in the Theocracy were getting out of hand. Clearly, a Saintess has appeared in our Crescent Diocese, yet they didn¡¯t convey the divine revelation to us!¡± ¡°The Saintess was right. These people¡­ have almost forgotten their duties for the sake of their power, and now they even try to suppress the Diocese, hiding the news of the Saintess!¡± Seeing the overly excited Cardinal Joseph, Archbishop Charles looked helpless. This guy really had become more like a Demon Hunter Knight after spending too much time with them. He even called her Saintess without hesitation! Archbishop Charles glanced at Cardinal Joseph and said, ¡°So, should we have forcibly detained her? Didn¡¯t you hear her previous refusal?¡± Cardinal Joseph was stunned and then said sheepishly. ¡°But, if we treat her sincerely, show her reason, and meet her needs as much as possible¡­ would she agree?¡± Archbishop Charles shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not as simple as you think¡­¡± ¡°I have already communicated with the Saintess Palace of the Theocracy. The Great Cathedral indeed has not received a divine revelation about the Saintess, or more accurately, there has been no new revelation in the past two years¡­¡± He sighed slightly. ¡°Since the Lord¡¯s slumber, the church has indeed been declining, and the number of corrupt clergy has been increasing, but no one dares to conceal a divine revelation¡­¡± ¡°Moreover, we are Legendary clerics of the Crescent Diocese. If the Saintess descended in Crescent, we should also sense the Lord¡¯s will.¡± Listening to Archbishop Charles, cardinal Joseph gradually calmed down. He frowned, hesitating as if in deep conflict. ¡°No¡­ that¡¯s impossible¡­ All signs indicate that she is indeed the Saintess of our Lord. Could the power of creation be disguised?¡± Archbishop Charles sighed and said, ¡°In any case¡­ we need further judgment. After all, she is a lord of Crescent and won¡¯t run away. We can try to pray to the Lord and inquire about this matter. The matter of the Saintess is of great importance. Although it has become increasingly difficult to establish a connection with the Lord in recent years, if she truly is the Saintess, the Lord will surely give a sign¡­¡± ¡°No¡­ Archbishop, perhaps the Lord has already given a sign.¡± Grand Inquisitor Bernard suddenly said. Hearing his words, the two Legendary clerics turned their eyes to him, and the Grand Inquisitor said solemnly. ¡°Do you remember the miracle from a year ago?¡± Chapter 358: Randomly Selecting a Lucky Individual ¡°Miracle from a year ago?¡± Cardinal Joseph frowned slightly. The Crescent Diocese is vast, with dozens of reports of miraculous events each month. While most are dismissed as false, a significant number are considered genuine. Unlike other dormant Gods, the Creator God¡¯s power continues to influence the world even while He sleeps. This unintentional dispersion of divine power can manifest as supernatural phenomena in the real world. Moreover, the Gods once walked the earth, leaving numerous traces. These traces, when discovered, often bring about various phenomena, both major and minor. Such occurrences are considered miracles. But referring to a specific miracle from a year ago¡­ Cardinal Joseph frowned. There were so many. About sixty or seventy reports surfaced in his mind, and he wasn¡¯t sure which one the Grand Inquisitor referred to. The Grand Inquisitor didn¡¯t keep them guessing. He paused briefly and then continued. ¡°It was when the statues lit up. On the 6th Day of the 6th Month last year, all the statues of our Lord in the churches glowed simultaneously, lasting almost a minute.¡± Cardinal Joseph¡¯s expression showed realization. ¡°You mean that event¡­ If I recall correctly, it wasn¡¯t just the cathedral in Lutecia, right? Reports of statues lighting up came from various places soon after.¡± Grand Inquisitor Bernard nodded slightly. ¡°To be precise, nearly all the statues of our Lord in the entire Crescent Diocese lit up¡­¡± Cardinal Joseph¡¯s interest was piqued. ¡°Sir Bernard, you were in charge of the follow-up investigation, correct? Did you discover something?¡± The Grand Inquisitor nodded. ¡°Strictly speaking, it was while reviewing the records of Charlotte de Castell recently that I found something interesting.¡± He looked at his colleagues. ¡°Do you know? The Countess of Castell¡¯s birthday is the 6th Day of the 6th Month, and at that exact moment last year, during the lighting of the statues, she was in a church in Borde, attending her coming-of-age ceremony.¡± ¡°The Borde Church has corresponding records. After some searching, I found that she was called the ¡®Saintess¡¯ of our Lord from that time.¡± Cardinal Joseph was stunned, then widened his eyes. ¡°Wait¡­ Sir Bernard, you mean that the statues throughout the Crescent Diocese lit up because of her?!¡± The Grand Inquisitor hesitated for a moment, then said gravely. ¡°Perhaps it could have been considered a coincidence before, but combined with today¡¯s test, maybe¡­ she really is under the Lord¡¯s watch.¡± He then looked at the Crescent Archbishop, his gaze unreadable. ¡°Archbishop, do you think¡­ the Lord might have bypassed the oracles of the Saintess Palace and directly chosen a wild Saintess?¡± His tone was serious, his expression earnest, mixed with some inexplicable emotions. Archbishop Charles looked at him. ¡°Are you implying that our Holy Court has lost the Lord¡¯s favor?¡± At these words, the prayer room fell silent. Archbishop Charles sighed slightly. ¡°Sir Bernard, all division begins with self-doubt and denial. Please refrain from making such remarks.¡± ¡°Perhaps the Holy Court does have corrupt clergy, but as long as the Lord¡¯s light remains, we are still His messengers¡­¡± ¡°As for whether Charlotte de Castell is a Saintess¡­ let time reveal the truth. If she truly is the chosen Saintess, that too is the Lord¡¯s decision.¡± Hearing the Archbishop¡¯s words, cardinal Joseph couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Archbishop, does this mean you don¡¯t intend to bring her into the church to further verify her identity as a Saintess?¡± Archbishop Charles sighed. ¡°A Saintess not ordained by an oracle will not be recognized by the Holy Court, and supposed miracles won¡¯t convince the central cardinal group.¡± ¡°And if she truly is a Saintess, as Sir Bernard suggested, the Lord bypassed the Saintess Palace in His choice, meaning He didn¡¯t intend for her to join the church¡­¡± ¡°So, our invitation or verification is irrelevant.¡± ¡°Besides, being able to project the power of creation in an illusion doesn¡¯t necessarily mean she is a Saintess, she might simply possess something related to our Lord.¡± ¡°Perhaps a fragment of the Lord¡¯s artifact, or the divine power left in the world after the holy wars¡­ Although these items are difficult for mortals to obtain, there are always exceptions. Some are naturally attuned to holy power and become the lucky ones.¡± Listening to the Archbishop, cardinal Joseph fell silent. The Archbishop spoke the truth. There were many instances in history where individuals rapidly ascended due to such extraordinary powers, sometimes linked to remnants of divine power or divine artifacts. Even within the Holy Court, many high-ranking clerics started their paths due to similar fortunate events. Many cults also arose from the appearance of evil artifact fragments. Earlier, when meeting the Countess of Castell, he sensed her power, at the peak of Silver Moon. A year ago, she was merely a noble without awakened bloodline power. Although becoming a Saintess can lead to rapid power growth under the Lord¡¯s favor, lucky individuals have shown similar rapid ascensions. From this perspective, the Archbishop¡¯s judgment seemed reasonable. Finally, Cardinal Joseph calmed down and smiled wryly. ¡°Archbishop, you are right. I was a bit too excited.¡± Archbishop Charles nodded slightly, then continued. ¡°Let time reveal the truth. Keep an eye on her, whether she is a Saintess or not, she is indeed connected to our Lord.¡± ¡°Even though she is dissatisfied with the church, she still donates money and prays devoutly, and has even received a response from the Holy Light¡­¡± ¡°She is worth our goodwill and recruitment.¡± ¡°Your Grace, what about the ¡®God Nyx¡¯ and the Blood Demon Cult?¡± ¡°Continue tracking them, but disregard the Blood Demon Cult¡¯s letter of accusation. The power of our Lord is the purest and cannot be desecrated by any other Evil God¡¯s power. If Countess Castell were involved, she wouldn¡¯t be unscathed under the Eternal Sun.¡± ¡­ After leaving the Lutecia Cathedral, Charlotte returned to the manor at Riverside Street No.7. By the time she got back, it was already dark, and Sebastian was diligently waiting at the mansion¡¯s entrance. After Charlotte entered the mansion and changed her clothes, the elf butler stepped forward and respectfully bowed. ¡°Master, I found out why no nobles have come to visit.¡± ¡°Oh? Why?¡± Charlotte raised an eyebrow slightly. Sebastian continued. ¡°While you were visiting the church, I investigated and found that it is related to the convening of the Central Council.¡± ¡°The royalty and nobility have an unwritten rule that in the week leading up to the council meeting, all private banquets and gatherings are forbidden¡­¡± ¡°Even the royalty must comply. It is said¡­ this is to ensure the fairness and impartiality of the Central Council.¡± S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte: ¡­ She hadn¡¯t expected this reason. After all, Castell was a vassal of Borde before, and no one had informed her of the rules in the capital. So, it turns out she was overthinking it before. However, this was still somewhat troubling, because Charlotte now knew nothing about the Central Council or the capital¡¯s protocols. ¡°Sebastian, since it¡¯s an unwritten rule, how did you find out about it?¡± Charlotte asked. Sebastian smiled slightly, showing his white teeth. ¡°I caught someone spying at the gate of our mansion and got the information from him.¡± Charlotte: ¡­ ¡°Which family¡¯s person?¡± She asked. ¡°Ha, it¡¯s a small family called Field, members of the Third Prince¡¯s faction. Not just them, I investigated a bit more and found that these secret observers come from various families and factions, including the royal family.¡± Sebastian replied. Charlotte raised her eyebrows. ¡°Oh? So we are quite popular, it seems?¡± Sebastian straightened up and nodded slightly. ¡°Of course, you defeated the combined forces of two duchies. No one has invited you due to the unwritten rule during the council, but everyone is actually paying attention to us.¡± ¡°However¡­ most of them likely bear no ill will and are more neutral or curious. Otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t just be dealing with these minor spies.¡± He added. ¡°Also, I found out what happened at the city gate. The noble family in charge of city defense these days is linked to the Third Prince. They temporarily replaced the original guards with uninformed ones.¡± Charlotte was slightly stunned, then sneered. ¡°They only know how to play such petty tricks. That¡¯s the extent of their capability.¡± ¡­ After listening to Sebastian¡¯s report, Charlotte went upstairs and entered the mansion¡¯s study. Although she had returned from the church, the experience of being unknowingly drawn into an illusion left her with some PTSD. Even though her return experience differed completely from the illusion and Sebastian had investigated the reason for no noble visits, Charlotte still felt uneasy. She feared this breakthrough from the illusion was still her ¡°delusion.¡± Thinking this, Charlotte dismissed everyone else and then decisively sank into her consciousness, attempting to enter the Dark Night Castle. Crimson mist spread, and the majestic and solemn castle gradually emerged. Sitting on the Blood Throne, looking at the manifested Gospel of Blood in her hand, Charlotte breathed a sigh of relief. Being able to enter the Dark Night Castle meant her mental world had returned to normal. Now, she truly had come out of the illusion. ¡°I still underestimated the power of the church. The church is more cautious and holds more power than I imagined. Even with the Gospel of Blood, I fell into their trap unknowingly. I need to be more cautious dealing with them in the future, especially with those Legendary holy officials¡­¡± Charlotte murmured to herself. She didn¡¯t believe her recent ¡°performance¡± would truly make the church regard her as a Saintess. She had no interest in joining the church either. Joining an organization would mean being constrained by it, and the church was the enemy of the bloodborne. Even though God Harald¡¯s stance was uncertain, rashly entering the church would only put her in danger. Let alone the church, at times Charlotte even felt her noble status was somewhat of a hindrance. As a kingdom¡¯s lord, she had to deal with other nobles. Many of her plans had nearly reached a divine level, yet she still had to mingle with nobles. However, Charlotte wasn¡¯t dissatisfied. Her noble status had brought her many benefits, and being a kingdom¡¯s lord was indeed a convenient identity for developing power. Charlotte was eager to wrap up the Central Council and return to her territory soon. Although she had successfully passed through the recent events, she knew she would definitely be on the church¡¯s radar. Her displayed ¡°power¡± was enough to attract the church¡¯s attention, bringing a sense of urgency. ¡°Once the Central Council ends and the supply of extraordinary materials is stabilized, I¡¯ll return to the North to gather strength.¡± Charlotte thought. With this in mind, Charlotte prepared to leave the mental world. But suddenly, she recalled her experience in the Eternal Sacred Realm¡­ ¡°Wait, in the illusion, I attended the Blood Demon Cult¡¯s banquet. Many nobles in Lutecia were actually bloodbornes. So in reality¡­ how many bloodbornes are there in the capital?¡± Charlotte suddenly grew curious. She knew there were bloodbornes in Lutecia. Moreover, from Eudoxia, she confirmed that the Blood Demon Cult even had a base here. Of course, Eudoxia didn¡¯t know the specific location of the Blood Demon Cult¡¯s base. Only the now-dead Blood Demon Priest knew that. It was ridiculous. This was the center of the Crescent Diocese, one of the strongest points of church power, yet there were traces of cultist activity. But Charlotte could understand. With Lutecia¡¯s population nearing a million, the slums would be even larger than those in Borde. And wherever there were slums, darkness existed. No matter how strong the church¡¯s power, there would always be places their light didn¡¯t reach. Thinking of this, Charlotte pondered for a moment and then communicated with the Gospel of Blood again. She used the blood divine power to initiate a Blood Summoning! Crimson mist spread, and the sea of crimson stars representing bloodbornes appeared before her. As expected, within a ten-kilometer radius of her, there were indeed some stars representing bloodbornes. However, there weren¡¯t as many as she saw in the illusion. Moreover, Charlotte even noticed some clustered crimson stars in a particular direction, indicating an organized group of bloodbornes. Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred. She used the blood divine power to sense those crimson stars and perceived a familiar aura. ¡°It¡¯s the scent of the Shedite¡¯s¡­¡± Charlotte narrowed her eyes. The Shedite clan¡¯s bloodborne and the Blood Demon Cultists overlapped significantly. Under the observation of the crimson sea of stars, there were no fewer than twenty stars gathered there, likely a Blood Demon Cult base. In her perception, one of the stars was quite prominent, likely possessing significant power. Charlotte thought for a moment, memorized the locations of those stars, and planned to report the Blood Demon Cult to the church as payback for their accusation against her. She even had a reason prepared: it was information tortured out of the Blood Demon Priest behind the Lagrisse family. With this thought, Charlotte intended to exit the Dark Night Castle. But as she was about to disperse the crimson sea of stars, she had another thought. ¡°Wait¡­ During these days, the kingdom¡¯s nobles are prohibited from holding banquets and gatherings. If I want to gather more information, should I start with these hidden bloodbornes in the capital?¡± With this in mind, Charlotte looked at the crimson stars again. She thought, perhaps she could randomly select a lucky individual. Chapter 359: Unlucky Charlotte When Charlotte had an idea, she acted on it immediately. She lowered her head and focused her gaze once more on the Crimson Star Sea, contemplating which star to choose. Only those with the bloodline power of the bloodbornes would have their stars appear in the Crimson Star Sea. Among these stars, there could not only be bloodbornes but also blood thralls and those who have gained the power of the bloodborne, or even those cursed by a bloodborne, like Sebastian had been. Because of this, selecting a lucky candidate now was somewhat like opening a blind box. The Blood Summoning had a ¡°cooldown¡±, and Charlotte felt that it was too extravagant to use divine power to refresh it just for gathering information. So, she had to be a bit cautious in her selection. With this in mind, Charlotte took a deep breath, and her eyes turned crimson-gold as she carefully sensed the states of these crimson stars. The most noticeable sensation was the strength of their auras. As the Master of the Gospel, Charlotte could clearly sense the approximate bloodline power of each crimson star. Given the broader context, it also indicated the individual¡¯s strength. However, having already encountered the ¡°unexpected¡± situation with Sebastian, Charlotte knew this method wasn¡¯t completely reliable and could only be considered roughly accurate. After all, who could guarantee there weren¡¯t other unlucky ones like Sebastian? Besides this, there was the aura itself. Having transmigrated for almost two years now, and having interacted extensively with the Blood Demon Cult and the bloodbornes of the Starfall Kingdom, Charlotte had already memorized the auras of these two types of bloodbornes. Through the subtle differences in these stars¡¯ aura, she could roughly judge which stars might belong to the Shedite Clan and which to the Nez Clan. Just like that cluster of stars gathered together. Perhaps when they were alone, Charlotte¡¯s perception might not be that accurate, but when dozens of them gathered, the aura of the Shedite bloodborne was so concentrated it was palpable. So many Shedite bloodbornes gathered together, with their blood power varying in strength, and in the direction of the outer city¡¯s slums of Lutecia, surrounded by scattered, weak auras like satellites, resembling low-level members at the organization¡¯s periphery¡­ Overall, it was almost like they were wearing signs saying ¡°Here is the Blood Demon Cult base.¡± Naturally, Charlotte skipped over those bloodbornes. She had already decided to report them, so she didn¡¯t want to get entangled with them, especially since there was a powerful presence among them, much stronger than Yurst, likely a peak-strength Blood Count or even a Duke. Charlotte didn¡¯t want to alert them prematurely. She focused on the stars closer to her, or more accurately, those within a five-kilometer radius. This range included both the inner and relatively prosperous outer districts of Lutecia. In Charlotte¡¯s view, bloodbornes active in this area were more likely to interact with nobles and, rather than being members of the Blood Demon Cult, were more likely to be those living secretly in the capital. Charlotte sensed the auras of each of them and then found, somewhat frustrated, that almost all these bloodbornes were of the Shedite bloodborne. ¡°All Shedite? Could they all be Blood Demon Cultists?¡± Charlotte¡¯s gaze fell on those stars, her expression skeptical. This was another limitation of the Crimson Star Sea. Though Charlotte had memorized the Shedite bloodborne aura, she couldn¡¯t discern their faith or allegiance through their blood power alone. In other words, she couldn¡¯t accurately determine what these stars represented in terms of faith. Charlotte wasn¡¯t eager to summon a Blood Demon Cultist, but the Shedite bloodborne didn¡¯t necessarily mean they were all fanatics devoted to the Blood Demon Archduke. After a brief consideration, she decided not to worry too much about it. Who cares? As long as she could gather information, it was fine. If they weren¡¯t members of the Blood Demon Cult, that would be ideal, she might even have a chance to develop a new blood servant follower in the capital. But if she was unlucky and did pick a Blood Demon Cultist, she could just extract the information and then eliminate them. With this thought, Charlotte¡¯s gaze wandered over the nearby stars again. After some careful consideration, her sight settled on a cluster of stars about two kilometers southeast of her location. It was a part of the inner city, where several crimson stars were gathered together. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. There were quite a few, at least seven, and one of them had an aura as strong as Yurst. Charlotte estimated them to be a Blood Count. As for the others, judging by their auras, they ranged from Baron to Viscount in strength. ¡°So many bloodbornes gathered together in the inner city¡ªcould it be a bloodborne gathering?¡± Charlotte mused. Unlike the outer city, it was much harder to hide one¡¯s identity in the inner city. This wasn¡¯t the Borde City, infiltrated to the core by the Blood Demon Cult, but the core region of the Crescent Kingdom¡¯s Holy Court. The Blood Demon Cult wouldn¡¯t gather here unless they were crazy. Several Legendary clerics were stationed nearby, with their powerful perception abilities. If any ignorant Blood Demon Cultists caused trouble, those clerics would sense them instantly. Especially in this location, as Charlotte sensed, it was quite close to the Lutecia Cathedral. A Shedite bloodborne not particularly afraid of the Holy Court? Naturally, Charlotte became curious. She carefully observed those stars and finally focused on the one with the strongest aura. Although these stars were obviously in the same place, this one was slightly apart from the others, likely staying alone. With the strongest aura, they should know the most. Even with a Blazing Sun strength, once drawn into the Dark Night Castle, Charlotte could rely on her bloodline suppression to handle them. Overall, this was the best choice. With this thought, Charlotte activated the Blood Summoning, selecting the star glowing red¡­ The Blood Summoning was activated, and crimson light bloomed in the Dark Night Castle. In the void, Charlotte sensed she had grasped something. She knew it was the bloodborne¡¯s ¡°soul¡± she had chosen to summon. With a slight thought, she pulled the person through the void and forcefully brought them over. In an instant, the star shimmered, and crimson mist spread quickly. A powerful, dark aura accompanied the spreading mist, appearing in the Dark Night Castle. As the mist dissipated, the unlucky individual who had been summoned appeared before Charlotte. It was an elderly man in a black robe. His expression was filled with worship and fanaticism, his deep eyes brimming with madness. One hand held a blood-stained, candle-smoked black magic book, while the other was raised slightly in a gesture of prayer. Clearly, he had been pulled over in the middle of an evil ritual. He blinked, his fanatical expression quickly replaced by shock and confusion, seemingly unaware of why he had suddenly appeared here. When his gaze swept across the Dark Night Castle¡¯s walls, past the divine symbol of thorny roses, and finally landed on the high platform, on Charlotte, who was shrouded in crimson mist, his shock and confusion quickly turned to fear and horror. ¡°G¡­ God Nyx?!¡± He exclaimed, his voice trembling with fear. Sensing the familiar, detestable aura on him and seeing his unchanging black priest robe, Charlotte was speechless¡­ Damn¡­ A ¡°bad draw.¡± He was indeed a Blood Demon Cultist! Chapter 360: Divine Possession Although Charlotte was prepared to summon a Blood Demon Cultist, she was still somewhat surprised when she actually pulled one through. To think, the stars she chose were the ones closest to the Lutecia Cathedral. Even those bloodbornes so close to the cathedral were Blood Demon Cultists. How audacious had the Blood Demon Cult become? Charlotte¡¯s expression was inscrutable as she regarded the hapless soul she had summoned. Below the steps, the Blood Demon Priest, who had recognized her identity through the thorny rose symbol, was already terrified. ¡°She found me!¡± ¡°My power is gone!¡± ¡°The plan is exposed!¡± ¡°Quick¡­ run!¡± ¡­ Various thoughts streamed from the Blood Demon Priest¡¯s mind, all of which Charlotte could sense. The Blood Demon Priest turned to flee, dashing towards the doors of the Dark Night Castle with such speed that he seemed to wish for eight legs. However, when he reached the imposing doors of the castle, he was dismayed to find he could not open them¡­ Charlotte watched with interest as the Blood Demon Priest scurried about like a headless fly in the castle hall, intrigued by the subconscious thoughts she picked up. ¡°Plan?¡± She muttered. As she watched the pale-faced Blood Demon Priest, she squinted slightly and beckoned with her hand. The Blood Demon Priest, who had been cowering in the corner of the castle, found himself seized by an irresistible force and was drawn towards the terrifying figure on the throne¡­ As the crimson mist dissipated, the Blood Demon Priest could see Charlotte more clearly. He froze momentarily, his terror-stricken face quickly turning to shock. He knows me¡­ Charlotte realized. She hadn¡¯t transformed into her adult form today, maintaining her youthful appearance but with different hair and eye colors. Clearly, he recognized her as the Countess of Castell. Charlotte wasn¡¯t particularly surprised. She had disrupted many of the Blood Demon Cult¡¯s ¡°good deeds¡±, so it was no wonder she was on their radar. She wasn¡¯t worried about her identity being exposed. Since she had brought him to the castle, she had no intention of letting him leave alive. Her golden-red pupils instantly turned crimson as she looked into the Blood Demon Priest¡¯s eyes. A massive burst of mental power surged into the Blood Demon Priest¡¯s soul, and his memories unfolded before Charlotte like an open book. At this moment, leveraging both her bloodline power and her dominance in the mental world, Charlotte forcibly performed a ¡ºMemory Probe¡» on the Blood Demon Priest! The Blood Demon Priest¡¯s gaze quickly turned vacant as a flood of memories surfaced in Charlotte¡¯s mind¡­ Bertrand de Chevalier. High Priest of the Blood Demon Cult, Blood Count, fifth-generation bloodborne of the Shedite Clan. However, he had another identity: the head of the Chevalier family, a feudal count directly governed by the Crescent Kingdom¡¯s royal court, and an official of the city hall of Lutecia. ¡°A noble?¡± Charlotte felt a sense of inevitability. As the memories continued to flash by, she also saw the Blood Demon Priest¡¯s past¡­ Bertrand de Chevalier had only become bloodborne for less than three years. He was originally an extraordinary individual with pinnacle Silver Moon strength. Three years ago, when his time was almost up, to avoid death, he was finally enticed by the Blood Demon Cult to accept the First Embrace, becoming a bloodborne and joining the Blood Demon Cult. ¡°Hmm? Only accepted the First Embrace three years ago? And his bloodline power is already that of a Blood Count?¡± Charlotte quickly sensed something amiss. Newly embraced bloodbornes typically aren¡¯t that powerful and must be weaker than the one who bestowed the First Embrace. To have the First Embrace bestow such strength, the Blood Demon Cultist who embraced Bertrand must be a Blood Duke and must hold him in high regard! As if to confirm Charlotte¡¯s suspicions, a dark red mark appeared on the Blood Demon Priest¡¯s forehead as she delved into his memories¡­ It was the mark of a blood thrall. This Blood Demon Priest was also a forbidden blood thrall! As the mark flickered, cracks began to appear in the Blood Demon Priest¡¯s soul, leading to rapid disintegration¡­ The restriction within his soul mark had been activated. Charlotte¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. She opened the Gospel of Blood, increasing her mental power input, trying to stabilize the soul. At the same time, the soul mark within the Blood Demon Priest began to self-destruct rapidly. Charlotte frowned slightly. Sensing the rapid disintegration of the soul and the blood thrall mark, she unhesitatingly used her blood divine power. However, the Blood Demon Cult¡¯s experience in contending with the Holy Court was evident. The self-destruct process of this Blood Demon Priest was faster than Charlotte had anticipated. Before she could fully read his memories, the Blood Demon Priest¡¯s soul completely collapsed. His eyes lost their light, and his form began to disintegrate. He was dead. This was the mental world. A soul¡¯s disintegration here meant they ceased to exist. Watching the swift disintegration of the Blood Demon Priest, Charlotte increased the input of her blood divine power. She controlled the Gospel of Blood, wrapping the disintegrating blood thrall mark in divine power, ultimately stabilizing it before the Blood Demon Priest¡¯s body completely disintegrated. The soul¡¯s self-destructive waves gradually subsided. The Blood Demon Priest¡¯s form had completely vanished, but a phantom-like blood thrall mark remained in Charlotte¡¯s hand. Surrounded by the blood divine power, the mark remained stable. Seeing the stabilized blood thrall mark, Charlotte sighed in relief. The blood thrall mark was connected to the bloodborne master behind the Blood Demon Priest. If it disintegrated, the master would sense it. The Blood Demon Cult was clearly planning something in Lutecia, and Charlotte didn¡¯t want to alert them yet. Of course, not alerting them was impossible. After all, a high-ranking priest of the Blood Demon Cult had died, they would find out sooner or later. But¡­ at least she couldn¡¯t let this blood thrall mark disintegrate in the Dark Night Castle. She had used divine power while controlling the Blood Demon Priest¡¯s soul. If the mark disintegrated here, the Legendary bloodborne master might detect something unusual and sense her power. Charlotte wasn¡¯t ready to face a Legendary adversary head-on. ¡°What bad luck, this Blood Summoning was completely wasted.¡± Charlotte sighed inwardly. She hadn¡¯t expected such bad luck, randomly summoning a Blood Demon Cultist, and not just any but a forbidden blood thrall. The connection between a forbidden blood thrall and their master was too tight. A slight mishap would trigger the self-destruct mechanism. She couldn¡¯t finish reading his memories before his soul disintegrated. Even using divine power, she had only gleaned a bit more information. This information was about the bloodborne master behind Bertrand de Chevalier. The one who bestowed the First Embrace on Bertrand was a bloodborne named Albrecht Shedite, a Blood Duke of the Shedite Clan and a Dark Apostle of the Blood Demon Cult. ¡°Albrecht Shedite¡­¡± Charlotte muttered the name. As an ¡°old friend¡± of the Blood Demon Cult, Charlotte had done some research on the Blood Demon Cult¡¯s organizational structure. Within the Blood Demon Cult, members were divided into five levels: Followers, Shadow Chasers, Priests, High Priests, and Dark Apostles. Followers were regular believers, including ordinary followers of the Blood Demon Archduke and pre-awakeners below the extraordinary level. Shadow Chasers were those who had achieved the Starry Sky tier, mostly Blood Barons. Priests were Silver Moon tier extraordinaries, corresponding to Blood Viscounts for bloodbornes. Above them were High Priests, who were Blood Counts. The highest rank was the Dark Apostles, all Legendary bloodbornes, equivalent to elders within the Nez Clan. The Holy Court¡¯s records also contained information about the Blood Demon Cult. From what Charlotte knew, there were six known Dark Apostles in the Blood Demon Cult. However, for security reasons, the detailed information of the Dark Apostles was not included in the records she had read. Now, Charlotte knew the name of one of them. ¡°Albrecht Shedite¡­ In the sense of the Blood Summoning, there was a Shedite bloodline in the outer city of Lutecia, suspected to be a Legendary bloodborne. Could it be¡­ Albrecht Shedite?¡± As she processed this, she realized she had successfully switched her perspective. Then¡­ Charlotte found herself in a new body. She looked down and saw herself dressed in a familiar black robe, the High Priest¡¯s attire of the Blood Demon Cult. She touched her chin and felt a rough beard¡­ She looked at her left hand, which held the same dark magic tome stained with blood and candle smoke that Bertrand had held. Charlotte: ¡­ She had possessed the Blood Demon Priest Bertrand. Charlotte quickly checked her mental state and found that she had connected to Bertrand¡¯s corpse through Albrecht¡¯s ¡°blood thrall mark.¡± More accurately, she had established a connection through the blood thrall mark and projected her consciousness there with blood divine power. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. However, Charlotte soon discovered that this possession was time-limited. While her blood divine power maintained the ¡°blood thrall mark¡±, it was merely delaying its destruction. The ¡°blood thrall mark¡± was still self-destructing, albeit at a much slower rate. At the critical point, it would still be destroyed, and Charlotte¡¯s consciousness would be expelled from Bertrand¡¯s corpse. Charlotte sensed she could maintain this state for one to two days. Of course, assuming Albrecht Shedite didn¡¯t attempt to contact his blood thrall through the mark. Having confirmed her condition, Charlotte¡¯s thoughts shifted. Although she couldn¡¯t fully read Bertrand¡¯s memories, she had found another way to investigate the Blood Demon Cult¡¯s secrets! With this in mind, Charlotte looked around and found herself in a very familiar temple. This was a dilapidated temple, seemingly quite ancient, with dim lighting and murky air, likely located underground. The temple was filled with massive stone pillars supporting the dome. These pillars were covered with rugged carvings and inscribed with ancient texts, which, though eroded by time, still exuded a sense of age and mystery. Surrounding the temple were long stone corridors that extended into the distance. The walls were adorned with primitive carvings and murals depicting scenes of bloodborne wars. At the center of the temple was a large circular hall, where Charlotte was now standing. Both the altar and the Demon Eye were located here. Seeing the familiar hall and murals, Charlotte¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She recognized this place. Here was an ancient temple. Chapter 361: When the demonic rises by a foot, the righteous rises by a yard T/N: The Chinese idiom ¡°Ä§??³ß£¬µÀ??ÕÉ¡± (m¨® g¨¡o y¨©ch¨«, d¨¤o g¨¡o y¨© zh¨¤ng) translates to ¡°the higher the devil climbs, the higher the divine way rises¡± or more literally, ¡°when the demonic rises by a foot, the righteous rises by a yard.¡± This idiom means that no matter how powerful evil becomes, righteousness will always surpass it. It suggests that good will ultimately prevail over evil, as the forces of good will always be stronger than the forces of evil. (ChatGPT) _________________________ Is there also an ancient temple beneath the capital city? Charlotte was surprised. But along with her surprise came a sense of realization. Ancient temples were hidden underground and were inherently secretive. If the Blood Demon Cult used this place as a base, it was indeed possible for the church to overlook it. However, Charlotte was also puzzled. There was an ancient temple beneath Lutecia. How could the Holy Court, which prided itself on being so well-informed, not know about it? With curiosity and doubt, Charlotte scanned her surroundings once more. She remembered that the ancient temple in the north had statues she could merge with. After some searching, Charlotte¡¯s gaze naturally fell upon the altar. There, indeed, was a familiar statue identical to the one she had merged with previously. However, after having merged with one ancient statue, Charlotte¡¯s perception seemed to have become sharper in certain aspects. Although the statue was identical to the one in the north, she noticed a difference. This statue appeared too new. She stepped closer and examined it carefully, soon realizing that it was a fake. This statue was not the original, nor did it contain any blood divine power, only some impure and mixed blood magic power. The statue was connected to the temple¡¯s barrier, emitting a faint magical power similar to that of the ancient temple in the north. This barrier was to isolate external investigations. However, this ancient temple¡¯s barrier was obviously weaker than that of the northern temple. The northern ancient temple¡¯s barrier could block even the gaze of Gods once activated, but this one couldn¡¯t. Otherwise, Charlotte wouldn¡¯t have been able to successfully ¡°descend¡± here. Charlotte roughly understood the reason. The barrier of the ancient temple was established with the statue as its center. Since the statue was a fake, the barrier was naturally a weakened version. This was why Charlotte¡¯s ¡°will¡± could be projected here. After pondering for a moment, Charlotte examined the ¡°ritual¡± before her. Her gaze fell on the intertwined and hideous blood vessels on the statue. She quickly realized that this statue was part of the ritual or, more precisely, a container for collecting blood energy. Following the blood vessels, Charlotte saw them extend underground, connected to a mysterious array of grooves. The grooves had turned black and red, with some foul blood still inside. Combining the sacrificial array on the altar with the divine symbol of the Blood Demon Archduke, Charlotte concluded. This was not a God¡¯s Descent Ritual but a Sacrificial Ritual, a place where the Blood Demon Cult offered sacrifices and bloodline power to the Blood Demon Archduke in hopes of divine favor! Charlotte then thought of the scene when she summoned the Blood Demon Priest. She had a thought, turned around, and searched the hall. Soon, she found several unconscious children in a corner. They looked pale and wore tattered clothes, clearly from the outer city¡¯s poor families. Charlotte narrowed her eyes, her gaze darkening. She became bloodborne by accident, and despite turning into a dark creature, Charlotte had always adhered to the principles of being human and never harmed the innocent. Seeing the Blood Demon Cult using innocent children as sacrifices increased her disgust for them. ¡°Sebastian mentioned that there had been cases of the Blood Demon Cult¡¯s sacrificial events in Lutecia recently, and some children from the outer city had gone missing. It must have been the Blood Demon Cult abducting people for sacrifices.¡± Charlotte pondered. The Blood Demon Cult was even more rampant than she had imagined, daring to be so brazen even in the heart of the Crescent Diocese. This meant they either had grand plans for Lutecia or were confident they wouldn¡¯t be detected by the Holy Court. She exhaled softly and looked at the children in the hall, contemplating how to rescue them. At that moment, the temple doors were knocked heavily. Charlotte turned her attention back and then said in a deep, raspy voice. ¡°Come in.¡± The doors slowly opened, and three black-robed Blood Demon Cultists entered. They wore hoods that only revealed their pale faces and crimson eyes, clearly all bloodbornes. They respectfully bowed to Charlotte. The leader stepped forward and said in a deep voice. ¡°Priest, the envoy of the Apostle has arrived and is waiting in your study.¡± The envoy of the Dark Apostle? Charlotte immediately became vigilant. She nodded slightly, her face expressionless. ¡°Understood.¡± The three Blood Demon Cultists stood aside, ready to follow Charlotte. Charlotte felt awkward. She didn¡¯t know the way to the study. Her gaze fell on the three Blood Demon Cultists, pondering how to ask them to lead the way without arousing suspicion or perhaps sending them away to act alone. At that moment, she noticed one member glancing at the children in the hall. Sensing Charlotte¡¯s gaze, the member quickly looked away, but Charlotte felt a trace of nervousness from him. Hmm? Nervous? After ¡°descending¡±, perhaps due to the ¡°will projection¡± from the Dark Night Castle, or using a Blazing Sun body¡¯s power¡­ Charlotte found her perception much sharper than usual. For instance, she could vaguely sense the emotions of these Blood Demon Cultists now. The other two had consistent emotions. Reverence, fear, longing¡­ But the one who peeked at the ¡°sacrifices¡± seemed strange. Though fearful, he was also anxious, nervous, and worried. No reverence. No longing. Charlotte grew even more curious. Her gaze lingered on that member. Noticing her gaze, he grew more guarded and tense, as if ready to attack her any moment¡­ Charlotte looked away, not wanting to provoke him further. Using the Blood Demon Priest¡¯s body wasn¡¯t suitable for fighting, exposure would be costly. But even though she looked away, her senses stayed on that cultist. He seemed problematic. Strengthening her perception, she discovered more details. His aura seemed off. Though he had a bloodborne aura, it was mixed with something else. Charlotte discreetly linked to the Dark Night Castle, activating ¡ºBlood Summoning¡» to enhance her perception. To her surprise, there was no star representing this cultist in the crimson star sea. This Blood Demon Cultist¡­ wasn¡¯t a bloodborne! Not a bloodborne? Charlotte¡¯s curiosity deepened. She decisively increased the input of blood divine power to further enhance her perception and finally discerned the state of this Blood Demon Cultist. His aura wasn¡¯t mixed, he had used some method to conceal his true aura with that of a bloodborne! The bloodborne aura wasn¡¯t genuine either, it must have been from some extraordinary item. When Charlotte peeled away the layers to identify his true aura, she was at a loss for words. The aura was familiar. It was the aura of holy power, fused with extraordinary power, and its strength was roughly at the Second Tier Silver Moon¡­ He was a Demon Hunter Knight disguised as a Blood Demon Cultist! This discovery was unexpected for Charlotte, but upon reflection, it made sense. This was Lutecia, the capital city of the Crescent Kingdom, and the base of the Holy Court¡¯s Crescent Diocese. If the Holy Court couldn¡¯t maintain dominance here, then the first church of Myria would indeed be incompetent. Thinking this, Charlotte¡¯s feelings became complicated. The Blood Demon Cult likely believed they were well-hidden and seemed to be planning something big in Lutecia. Yet, who would have thought their movements were already exposed to the Holy Court, which had even infiltrated them? They were probably being baited! With this realization, Charlotte¡¯s mindset changed. She had initially planned to secretly report the Blood Demon Cult to thwart their schemes and prevent large-scale casualties in Lutecia. But now, it seemed everything was under the Holy Court¡¯s control. She decided not to report but to take advantage of the situation between the Holy Court and the Blood Demon Cult! Of course, she first needed to relocate the children used as sacrifices to a safe place. As for how to transfer them¡­ Charlotte glanced again at the disguised Demon Hunter Knight. Although he was well-hidden, Charlotte, using her sharp ¡°God¡¯s descent¡± perception, sensed his concern for the children¡¯s safety. Charlotte¡¯s mind settled. Demon Hunter Knights varied in character, and some turned a blind eye to innocent harm for personal gain. She didn¡¯t know when the church discovered the Blood Demon Cult¡¯s plan or how they dealt with previous sacrifices, but at least now, this knight cared about the children¡¯s safety. Charlotte quickly decided. She looked at the ¡°Blood Demon Cultist¡± and said in a deep voice. ¡°You, these sacrifices are yours.¡± ¡°Their extraordinary blood is impure and unsuitable for offering to the Archduke.¡± This explanation also covered up the interruption of the ritual. The disguised ¡°Blood Demon Cultist¡± was momentarily stunned, while the other two showed envy. Sacrifices were carefully selected, and even if deemed unsuitable by the priest, they were still valuable sources of extraordinary blood. Bloodbornes had an inherent thirst for blood. The disguised ¡°Blood Demon Cultist¡± quickly lowered his head. He respectfully bowed to Charlotte and, under the envious gazes of the other two, took the unconscious children away. Watching him leave, Charlotte sighed in relief. Leaving the children with the Demon Hunter Knight ensured their safety. Taking a deep breath, Charlotte turned her stern gaze to the other two Blood Demon Cultists, who were still focused on the departing sacrifices, and said in a deep voice. ¡°Lead the way. Let¡¯s meet the Apostle¡¯s envoy.¡± The diversion of the sacrifices had shifted their focus, and they hadn¡¯t noticed anything odd about Charlotte¡¯s command. They respectfully bowed and led the way eagerly. With someone leading the way, Charlotte relaxed. She wasn¡¯t worried about her identity being exposed. The Dark Apostle was a Blood Duke, and the envoy of a Blood Duke would most likely be a Blazing Sun. A Blazing Sun, at the same level as Bertrand, wouldn¡¯t be able to see through Charlotte¡¯s ¡°possession¡± without thorough investigation. Following the two Blood Demon Cultists, Charlotte left the temple hall. Outside the hall, there were no other Blood Demon Cultists. Charlotte only sensed a few scattered bloodborne auras. As for the non-bloodborne followers, there were none. Clearly, even for the Blood Demon Cult, this place wasn¡¯t accessible to just anyone. Charlotte observed the number of bloodbornes in the ancient temple, finding it was just right¡ªsix in total. Including her temporary body, there were seven, matching the number of stars she saw in the Crimson Star Sea. Charlotte split her focus, using the map of Lutecia provided by Sebastian and combining it with the positions of the bloodbornes in the Crimson Star Sea and her own coordinates, analyzing the exact location of the ancient temple. She was surprised to find that this ancient temple was beneath the Royal Plaza of Lutecia. Charlotte pondered. The Central Council Hall, where the Central Conference was held, was also in the Royal Plaza. Could it be that the Blood Demon Cult was targeting the Central Council? ¡°Priest, we have arrived.¡± The respectful and flattering voice of the Blood Demon Cultist interrupted Charlotte¡¯s thoughts. Looking up, she found herself in front of a teleportation array. A teleportation array? Could it be leading to the surface? Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred. She looked to the side of the teleportation array, where a clothes rack stood with noble attire hanging on it. Charlotte glanced at her priestly robes and understood. Without a word, she changed out of the priestly robes and into the noble attire, while the Blood Demon Cultists obsequiously activated the teleportation array for her. The next moment, the array glowed, and Charlotte was transported. She found herself in a noble mansion, with the chimes of a distant clock tower, likely from the Lutecia Cathedral. She had reached the surface, and within the inner city. Next to the array stood a butler, an ordinary human, but Charlotte sensed the dark power of the Blood Demon Cult from him. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He was also a follower of the Blood Demon Cult. ¡°Count, Master Richard is here and waiting in your study.¡± The butler bowed respectfully. Richard? Charlotte raised an eyebrow. There were many people named Richard in the Crescent Kingdom, and she had met one just yesterday. She had some guesses. She nodded slightly and followed the butler into the estate. This time, she didn¡¯t need guidance. Most Myria noble studies were on the second floor of the mansion, usually on the south side, and Charlotte identified the study through the windows at a glance. Entering the study, she found a young noble waiting. It was none other than the eldest son of Count Gaston, Richard de Gaston, whom Charlotte had briefly encountered at the city gates. He glanced at Charlotte, his handsome face expressionless. ¡°Bertrand de Chevalier, your actions yesterday¡­ crossed the line.¡± Chapter 362: The Dark Apostles Envoy ¡°Sir Bertrand de Chevalier, I believe I¡¯ve told you not to act against the Castell family before the Central Council meeting!¡± ¡°I know you used to be the Third Prince¡¯s steward, loyal to him and resentful towards the Castell family, but even revenge has its timing!¡± ¡°With the meeting imminent, everyone is watching the Castell family. For the plan to succeed, we must keep a low profile these days!¡± ¡°Fortunately, I noticed something was wrong when I entered the city yesterday. Otherwise, if you had taken further action, everything would have fallen apart!¡± Richard scolded sternly, looking dissatisfied. Charlotte listened for a while before realizing he was referring to the difficulties she encountered with the gate guards when entering the city yesterday. It seemed there were further plots that had been thwarted. This somewhat matched her and Sebastian¡¯s speculations, so it wasn¡¯t entirely unexpected. What surprised her was Richard de Gaston¡¯s identity. The duke¡¯s son was involved with the Blood Demon Cult and was even a high-ranking member! With the enhanced perception from the blood divine power and divine possession, Charlotte vaguely sensed a flaw in his aura. Despite his good disguise, the faint trace of a bloodborne aura indicated to Charlotte that he, like Bertrand, had already been embraced. Of course, the ducal family always had extraordinary items, so Richard likely had some tool to conceal his aura, which explained why Charlotte didn¡¯t recognize him yesterday. Richard continued his reprimand. ¡°Sir Bertrand de Chevalier, Lord Albrecht wants me to tell you he doesn¡¯t want to see this happen again! He needs a compliant descendant, not a rebellious one. He can grant you immortality, but he can also take it back!¡± ¡°Do you understand?¡± His voice was cold, filled with warning. Charlotte remained expressionless. She sighed, appearing regretful, and replied in a hoarse, old voice. ¡°Lord Richard, I was impulsive. From now on, I will cooperate with the Apostle and not act alone.¡± Hearing her words, Richard¡¯s expression softened slightly. He nodded and said, ¡°Good. The ritual is imminent. We cannot afford to lose the big picture for small gains. Once our Lord¡¯s sacrificial ritual succeeds, not only the Castell family, but the entire Crescent Kingdom will fall into our Lord¡¯s embrace, and even the Holy Court will be heavily damaged!¡± A sacrificial ritual targeting the kingdom and the church? Could it be¡­ they plan to sacrifice the royal family, priests, and nobles attending the Central Meeting? Charlotte thought. Richard continued. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°As for the Castell family¡­ you should stop targeting them. The Cult has already secretly reported her to the Church. The Church will deal with her.¡± ¡°Perhaps the God behind her can help her hide, but the Holy Court is not so easily deceived. Her presence can help us divert some of the Church¡¯s attention.¡± ¡°The Grand Inquisitor and the Hunter Cardinal have gone to the North, and other Cardinals are dispersed. Currently, only Archbishop Charles is in Lutecia, making this our best opportunity¡­¡± Charlotte: ¡­ It seems the Blood Demon Cult doesn¡¯t know what¡¯s happening within the Church and isn¡¯t aware that the Grand Inquisitor and Hunter Cardinal never left. It¡¯s understandable. When the Church¡¯s three leaders ¡°tested¡± her, no one else was present, and the Church is a no-go zone for the Blood Demon Cult, so it¡¯s normal they don¡¯t know the internal news. It seems the Grand Inquisitor and Hunter Cardinal¡¯s interest in her is not just because of her importance but also to counter the Blood Demon Cult. However the Blood Demon Cult is unaware that the Church has already discovered their plans. Charlotte pondered, then said seriously. ¡°I will be cautious and stop targeting the Castell family.¡± Richard nodded slightly. ¡°I hope you keep your word. Our ritual is right under the Church¡¯s nose. Above us is the Royal Plaza and the Council Hall, and nearby is Lutecia Cathedral. The closer we get to the final stage, the more cautious we must be. The newly appointed Crescent Archbishop is not an easy opponent!¡± Then, the young noble began to offer promises. ¡°Sir Bertrand, Lord Albrecht is always fair in his rewards and punishments. Do your job well, and you will be rewarded. After this ritual, Crescent will experience a power vacuum. The Apostle will not forget your contribution. You will have a place in the future Blood-soaked Court¡­¡± Blood-soaked Court? Is the Blood Demon Cult trying to emulate the Coria Kingdom, attempting to overthrow Crescent¡¯s rule and secretly control it? Charlotte pondered and guessed the Blood Demon Cult¡¯s sacrificial ritual. It was similar to their historical operation when they overthrew the Crescent Kingdom, recorded in the Church¡¯s archives. If her guess was correct, they planned to sacrifice some nobles during the Central Council meeting and turn others into bloodborne. Which nobles would be sacrificed and which would become bloodborne¡­ depended on their stance. The Church¡¯s control over the nobles was limited, and many had secret ties with the Blood Demon Cult. Charlotte thought, then showed a joyful expression. ¡°Please rest assured, Lord Richard. I will not let the Cult down and will complete the task assigned by the Apostle!¡± Richard nodded in satisfaction. After a few more instructions, the Dark Apostle¡¯s envoy left. Alone, Charlotte narrowed her eyes and began to communicate with the Gospel of Blood. The Gospel of Blood could resonate with scattered pages of the Gospel within a certain distance. If Bertrand had indeed collected pages, she might sense them! In the ancient castle, the Gospel of Blood shone brightly, and Charlotte felt a familiar call from not far away. Found it! She thought, relieved. Chapter 363: Demon Contract Following the ethereal guidance, Charlotte quickly pinpointed the target¡¯s location. It was on the bookshelf in the study. Controlling Bertrand¡¯s body, Charlotte approached the bookshelf and began searching. She soon sensed the call coming from behind the bookshelf. She wasn¡¯t surprised. The Gospel¡¯s pages, after all, were fragments of a divine artifact. Even if stored, they wouldn¡¯t be left out in the open. It was now clear that they were hidden in some secret compartment or room. Drawing on Bertrand¡¯s lingering memories, Charlotte fumbled around the bookshelf and soon found a hidden mechanism inside. With a gentle pull, she heard a soft click as the bookshelf revealed a concealed space behind it. Indeed, it was a secret room, albeit a small one, no larger than four or five square meters¡ªabout the size of a bathroom from Charlotte¡¯s previous life. This was a hidden storeroom. The storeroom was filled with boxes and scrolls of various sizes. The innermost wall displayed an array of weapons and armor, while on one side of the entrance wall was an indented bookshelf lined with neatly arranged books. Charlotte¡¯s gaze quickly settled on a box at the top. It was the newest box, seemingly made of mithril, shining under the dim magical light. It was adorned with intricate carvings and runes, with a red magic stone embedded in it. Even with her rudimentary magical knowledge, Charlotte recognized this as a sealing chest, from which the familiar call emanated. Returning to the consciousness space, she refocused on the Gospel of Blood. Crimson light emanated from the Gospel of Blood, causing the thick book to open by itself. New lines of writing slowly appeared on its pages. As Charlotte divided her attention to check, she discovered an array of new dark magic spells, from basic level spells like ¡ºTouch of Darkness¡» to high-level spells like ¡ºDeath¡¯s Gaze¡», totaling more than twenty. Additionally, there were two new spells from the mental and wild paths: one for enhancing mental power, ¡ºHeart of Steel¡», and one for physical strength, ¡ºGiant¡¯s Strength¡», both mid-level spells corresponding to Silver Moon. Charlotte was quite satisfied with these new spells. As she collected more Gospel pages, the Gospel of Blood recorded more and more blood magic. To be honest, she no longer lacked spells to learn. Sometimes, she even felt overwhelmed by the abundance of spells. If not for the Gospel of Blood¡¯s ability to inherit, she would have struggled to keep up. However, having more spells on hand was never a bad thing. Although Charlotte had learned most of these spells without ever using them, it was better than not learning them at all. These were her resources, ready to be used whenever needed. Among all the spells, the one Charlotte found most useful was ¡ºHeart of Steel¡». With the blood divine power, Charlotte could often achieve overwhelming power, but controlling this power consumed a lot of mental power. Strengthening her mental power would greatly enhance her endurance. As for the high-level spell ¡ºDeath¡¯s Gaze¡», it seemed a bit redundant for Charlotte, whose current strength was at the Silver Moon tier. However, she could try this Blazing Sun tier spell when using the blood divine power or during True Ancestor¡¯s Liberation. As each Gospel page returned, the Gospel of Blood grew heavier. After the final page was restored, the Gospel of Blood shone with an even more dazzling light. It was no longer the crimson glow but a familiar golden light. Seeing this light, Charlotte felt a surge of excitement. For the Gospel of Blood, every time a page was added, it was a restoration. Each restoration evolved into new blood magic. When the restoration reached a certain point, the Gospel of Blood would unlock even more powerful ¡°abilities.¡± From the earliest ¡ºDivine Ritual Counter¡», to ¡ºBlood Summoning¡», then ¡ºTrue Ancestor¡¯s Liberation¡», which remained Charlotte¡¯s trump card, and ¡ºDivine Blessing¡» and ¡ºFaith Network¡» that began Charlotte¡¯s path of faith, all were examples. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Clearly, this time, after absorbing so many pages, the Gospel of Blood¡¯s power had reached a new level! Dividing her attention to control the ¡°puppet¡±, Charlotte focused her main energy back on the Gospel of Blood. Soon, she saw ancient golden characters appear on the new blank pages¡ª ¡ºGospel of Blood ¨C Dark Chapter¡» ¡ºI listen to the mad hymns and the devil¡¯s whispers,¡» ¡ºI carve the true names of evil and portraits of ancient gods,¡» ¡ºIn the name of darkness, I summon the curtain of shadows,¡» ¡ºWith the soul of frenzy, I summon the spirit of chaos,¡» ¡ºWith the body of blood spirit, I summon the eye of corruption,¡» ¡ºWitnessed by the most ancient contract¡­¡» ¡ºCore of the Dark Chapter restored, final ability unlocked¡ª¡» ¡ºDemon Contract (Active)¡» ¡ºDemon Contract: As the supreme artifact of the Bloodborne, the Gospel of Blood records the contract of obedience signed between the True Ancestor and the ancient demon. It can summon any demon that responds to the present world for manipulation. The strength of the summoned demon is proportional to the power provided. The time the demon stays in the present world is also proportional to the power provided. All beings with demon blood will be bound by this contract to a certain extent.¡» ¡°Demon¡­ Contract?¡± Charlotte was taken aback. This new ability was somewhat unexpected. The Dark Chapter already had demon summoning spells. Among the spells Charlotte previously obtained, there were spells to summon imps and shadow demons. However, those were targeted spells, while this one was more general. Charlotte had never used demon summoning spells because she had no use for them. Dark magic was already forbidden in the Crescent Kingdom, let alone summoning demons. As a lord, Charlotte didn¡¯t lack lackeys, summoning demons was quite redundant. Hence, upon seeing this new ability, Charlotte¡¯s first reaction was a bit disappointed. However, Charlotte knew that every ability unlocked by the Gospel of Blood was significant. Moreover, the text description suggested this ability was unlocked after a considerable restoration of the Dark Chapter, likely related to the chapter¡¯s essence. Charlotte studied it carefully and soon discovered the uniqueness of this new ability. First, ¡ºDemon Contract¡» didn¡¯t limit the strength and types of demons summoned. As long as the summoning energy was sufficient, the summoned demon could be very powerful. In a sense, with enough power, she could even summon a myth-level demon¡­ Second, the summoned demons needed to obey the Demon Contract unconditionally, staying only for a limited time but under complete control, unlike other summoning contracts that risked demon backlash. Third, not only the summoned demons but all beings with demon blood would be somewhat restrained by this ability. This was indeed powerful. With no restriction on the strength and types of demons summoned, it had a wide range of applications. If Charlotte was willing to spend enough power, she could even summon a demon lord-level entity as a combatant, which would be meaningful when facing extraordinary forces. True Ancestor¡¯s Liberation allowed Charlotte to possess near-demigod strength, but it was only her alone. Her control over the blood divine power was crude, and in actual combat, she might not match experienced Legendaries. With the Demon Contract, things would be different. As long as she was willing to spend power, Charlotte could summon a demon lord to fight against Legendaries, using overwhelming power to drown the opponent. Additionally, completely obedient summoned demons could serve as pawns for Charlotte to create chaos when she couldn¡¯t intervene directly. For example¡­ the current situation was an excellent opportunity. Furthermore, there was the fourth point¡ªthe Blood Demon Cult¡¯s power¡­ Having dealt with the Blood Demon Cult for nearly two years since crossing over, Charlotte knew that the cult derived much of its power from demons. The Blood Demon Cult¡¯s name wasn¡¯t just because of its evil doctrine but also its intrinsic connection to demons. Many of the cult¡¯s powers were demon-like. Even Blood Demon Archduke Abaddon could be inferred as a demon from the abyss based on the incantation offered to him. Bloodbornes often had dual identities. For example, Charlotte was a bloodborne but also had half-elf blood. Although she wasn¡¯t strictly human anymore, her pre-bloodborne identity left an imprint, allowing her to operate in human society unless she revealed her true power. Similarly, Blood Demon Archduke Abaddon was a bloodborne but was likely a demon before becoming one. Meanwhile, the Blood Demon Cultists derived their power from Blood Demon Archduke¡­ This brought an interesting fact. All Shedite bloodbornes inherently possessed some demon power, their blood containing demonic essence. ¡ºDemon Contract¡» imposed a certain degree of contractual restraint on beings with demon blood, while the True Ancestor¡¯s bloodline also suppressed other bloodbornes¡­ Charlotte suddenly became very curious about how ¡®obedient¡¯ the Blood Demon Cult¡¯s bloodbornes would be before her. She felt it was worth testing in the coming days. After studying the ¡ºDemon Contract¡», Charlotte set it aside. Recovering the Gospel pages was gratifying, but there were many other things in this apparent treasury of Bertrand¡¯s storeroom to investigate. As a Blood Count and a noble of the kingdom, Bertrand¡¯s collection was of great interest to Charlotte. She first examined the boxes, opening them one by one to find various precious magical materials and items. Charlotte wasn¡¯t a novice; a quick look and a judgment with the mental path¡¯s ¡ºExtraordinary Appraisal¡» gave her an estimate that these materials and items were worth millions of gold tana. While Charlotte was wealthy, many extraordinary items couldn¡¯t be bought with money alone. She decided to take whatever she could carry. After her ¡°scavenging¡±, Charlotte¡¯s attention was drawn to the books on the inner bookshelf. Most of the books were records of dark magic and bloodborne spells, which held little appeal to Charlotte due to the Gospel of Blood. What truly interested Charlotte was a sheepskin booklet and a thick journal in the corner of the bookshelf. One was a roster, and the other a record book. Chapter 364: Summoning Array Charlotte first picked up the roster. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The roster was recorded in red ink, with neat and elegant handwriting. Even though Charlotte¡¯s handwriting was barely legible, she could tell that the person who wrote the roster had excellent penmanship, possibly even better than Sebastian. Curious, she opened it and browsed through, discovering it was a list of nobles who had dealings with the Blood Demon Cult. Or more accurately, it was a list of nobles recruited by the Blood Demon Cult. The list was quite extensive, with names from court nobles who walked the royal palace to noble officers in charge of patrolling the city defenses, from direct members of great noble families to impoverished nobles almost indistinguishable from commoners¡­ covering all identities and classes. Charlotte even saw the names of several well-known noble family heads, who were also respected lords in the kingdom, included in the list. Most of them were nobles supporting the Third Prince, but there were also some neutral nobles and even a few royalist nobles. More surprisingly, Charlotte saw the names of some church clerics, including the former Bishop of Borde, Leonard. Of course, Leonard¡¯s name had been crossed out. And after his name, it was recorded in slightly less elegant handwriting the date and cause of his death. ¡°Died on 4th day of the 9th Month, 1444, by fire, at the Lutecia Cathedral.¡± Reading this list, Charlotte understood why the Holy Court had been hunting the Blood Demon Cult for so long without being able to eradicate it. Just looking at this list, the nobles of Crescent were almost entirely infiltrated. Although not all the nobles on the list had joined the Blood Demon Cult, being on the list at least meant they were willing to trade with or even shelter the Blood Demon Cult. With nobles sabotaging from within, and corrupt clerics in the Holy Court colluding with the Blood Demon Cult, it was no wonder the church couldn¡¯t wipe them out completely. It was a miracle they could even suppress the Blood Demon Cult publicly. After browsing the roster, Charlotte closed it gently. This roster was significant. If handed over to the church, it would deal a heavy blow to the Blood Demon Cult. Honestly, Charlotte was tempted. Although the core members of the Blood Demon Cult were also bloodbornes, she had no sympathy for these ¡°terrorists.¡± These people had targeted her. An eye for an eye. Since they could report her to the church, she could do the same to them, using the church¡¯s hand to strike back at the Blood Demon Cult. However, Charlotte was puzzled. From what she read in her memories, Bertrand had only joined the Blood Demon Cult for three years. In just three years, Bertrand had managed to obtain such an important roster, which probably only high-ranking members of the Blood Demon Cult had access to? Of course, Charlotte¡¯s confusion didn¡¯t last long. It was true Bertrand had only joined the Blood Demon Cult for three years, but he was the forbidden blood thrall of the Dark Apostle Albrecht. His power within the Blood Demon Cult was an extension of the Dark Apostle¡¯s authority, and his swift rise to the rank of Blood Count was likely due to this. Thus, despite having joined the Blood Demon Cult for only three years, his relationship with the Dark Apostle elevated him to a high-ranking position within the cult. Understanding the reason, Charlotte set down the roster and picked up the other notebook. Opening the cover, she found it to be Bertrand¡¯s diary. The handwriting in the diary was different from the elegant script in the roster. However, it matched the second, less elegant handwriting in the roster. Clearly, someone else had written the roster and handed it to Bertrand, who had then made additional notes. The diary was quite old, with early entries about Bertrand¡¯s early experiences, which Charlotte skipped, turning to the more recent years. The diary¡¯s records matched what she had seen in her memories. In recent years, the aging Bertrand had increasingly felt the fear of time¡¯s passage. The decline of his body and strength made him anxious. As the head of the Chevalier family, his death would greatly weaken the family¡¯s power, forcing him to seek various ways to extend his life. During this process, he encountered the Blood Demon Cult. The Blood Demon Cult promised to solve his lifespan problem in exchange for him joining their organization. The diary detailed Bertrand¡¯s inner struggle during that time. But ultimately, he couldn¡¯t face the fear of death and accepted the Blood Demon Cult¡¯s deal. After that, he underwent the embracing with the Dark Apostle and became a forbidden blood thrall. Following this, the Dark Apostle gave him the roster of nobles and clerics connected to the Blood Demon Cult, appointing him as the High Priest of the Blood Demon Cult in Lutecia, tasking him with recruiting more nobles and overseeing the sacrificial rituals in the capital. As for the specific content of the sacrificial rituals, the diary didn¡¯t detail. It wasn¡¯t that Bertrand didn¡¯t want to write it down; some sections showed he intended to describe the rituals, but the handwriting would become suddenly sloppy, as if the writer was trembling. Charlotte guessed the rituals were likely taboo, prohibited by the blood thrall¡¯s mark from being disclosed, even in a diary. Bertrand¡¯s soul mark probably reacted whenever he tried to write about them. Seeing this, Charlotte shook her head slightly. ¡°Called a High Priest, but actually just cannon fodder¡­¡± Yes, cannon fodder. The Blood Demon Cult, after all, was an extraordinary bloodborne organization. The real high-ranking members couldn¡¯t possibly be blood thralls. Bertrand was likely just a tool for the Dark Apostle to execute orders. The power of a Blood Count wasn¡¯t easily obtained, what came easily could also be taken back easily. Forbidden blood thralls were slaves to higher-ranking bloodbornes. Once the Blood Demon Cult achieved its goals, Bertrand would likely be discarded. Besides the sacrificial rituals, Bertrand had recorded some of his observations within the Blood Demon Cult. This part interested Charlotte, especially the structure of the Blood Demon Cult. Surprisingly, the Blood Demon Cult¡¯s internal organization wasn¡¯t very tight. Although all branches nominally followed the orders of the Dark Apostles, they actually operated independently. Summoning the Blood Demon Archduke to the mortal world was the goal of all Blood Demon Cultists, but each local branch had its own ideas and plans, not pooling their strength together. This was something Bertrand complained about in his diary. The dates suggested these complaints were made after the failed God¡¯s Descents in Borde and the North. This answered Charlotte¡¯s question about why every Blood Demon Cultist she encountered seemed to be preparing for a God¡¯s Descent. Aside from the complaints, the diary also detailed Bertrand¡¯s efforts to recruit nobles and clerics. Over the three years, he had successfully recruited many nobles and clergy. Some were even turned into bloodbornes, and the ¡°deal¡± offered by the Blood Demon Cult was almost always the same. Immortality. Charlotte was not surprised. Although the ¡°immortality¡± of bloodbornes had many restrictions, it was still a form of ¡°immortality.¡± Humans would ultimately die. No matter how powerful they were, after their lifespan ended, they would return to nothingness. The more one wielded power, the more they feared death. And this fear of death, this craving for power, was the fertile ground on which the faith of the Blood Demon Cult grew. The bloodborne had a high sense of identity. Most blood clans, even if they had long since diverged, still adhered to the ancient tenets of the bloodborne. One of these tenets was to maintain the purity of the bloodborne by restricting the unlimited spread of their bloodline power. Among all the bloodborne organizations, only the Blood Demon Cult did not follow this rule, daring to openly use ¡°Embrace¡± as a bargaining chip. Of course, whether one was embraced into a bloodborne or into a blood thrall, only heaven knew. After finishing Bertrand¡¯s diary, Charlotte exhaled lightly and closed it. There was a reason the Blood Demon Cult had endured in the Crescent region for so long. As long as people feared death, they would never lack new followers. However, Charlotte found herself curious about those ancient tenets that the bloodborne had to follow. The rule that ¡°bloodborne must not create forbidden blood thralls¡± was understandable¡ªit was to prevent chaos and collapse within the ranks of the bloodborne. But why was there a rule to ¡°restrict the unlimited spread of bloodline power¡±? Was it to prevent too many immortal bloodbornes from competing for resources? Charlotte pondered this. ¡°I have too little understanding of the bloodborne. Perhaps in the future, I could find a way to obtain some bloodborne literature from Yurst.¡± Charlotte mused. After putting away the diary and the roster, Charlotte decided to hand them over to the church. She had no choice, she was just such a righteous model citizen. Not only that, but she had to hand them over quickly. Her current incarnation could last at most one day. After that, it would self-destruct. She had initially thought of using the guise of going insane to cover Bertrand¡¯s death, but upon seeing that roster, she realized that wouldn¡¯t work. Bertrand¡¯s identity was more special than she had imagined. Holding the roster of the Blood Demon Cult meant that the Dark Apostle was closely watching him. Once this incarnation died, the Dark Apostle of the Blood Demon Cult would certainly be alert. She needed to hand over the information to the church before the Dark Apostle noticed, and she needed the church to act quickly. So, how to hand it over and make the church act swiftly? A figure naturally appeared in Charlotte¡¯s mind. The undercover Demon Hunter Knight. But she quickly dismissed this idea. Relying on the undercover Demon Hunter to deliver the message would be too slow. Moreover, who could guarantee that the church would act quickly after receiving the message? Unless¡­ she gave the church a reason to act immediately. Charlotte¡¯s mind sparked with a bold idea. Of course, before executing this idea, she needed to ¡°transport¡± her spoils first. Thinking it over, Charlotte gathered the diary and the roster, then packed up the valuable extraordinary materials and equipment in the secret room, piling them together. She then selected some extraordinary materials specifically for drawing magic arrays and began setting up a sacrificial array on the ground. At the center of the sacrificial array was the thorny rose symbol. This was a sacrificial array dedicated to the ¡°True Ancestor of Blood.¡± Charlotte had learned about sacrificial arrays from Nice. She had previously tested that, after activating the faith network, she had gained some abilities similar to those of a God. One of these was receiving sacrifices through the faith network. Of course, calling it a sacrifice was more accurately described as a targeted teleportation using the faith network. The teleportation destination was the Dark Night Castle in her mental world, and the items could then be retrieved using the ¡ºBlessing of Divine Grace¡» by setting the blessing effect to ¡ºGrant¡». Charlotte clumsily drew the magic array, placed the ¡°spoils¡± inside, and then connected with the Gospel of Blood in her mind, linking it to the magic array. As the Master of the Gospel, she did not need to pray to herself. She only needed to establish a spell connection directly. With her intention, the sacrificial array glowed faintly. The items within the array shimmered and then disappeared. Meanwhile, a pile of miscellaneous items appeared in a corner of the Dark Night Castle. With her spoils secured, Charlotte felt more at ease. She erased the thorny rose from the magic array and then modified it into a demon summoning array. It was a spell she had copied from one of Bertrand¡¯s collected magic books, but she omitted the incantation specifying the type of demon to summon. The specific incantations for summoning demons varied widely and had no fixed pattern, as long as it was related to the target demon, it worked. The more accurate the incantation, the more precise the summoning. For example, the incantations for targeted demon summoning recorded in the Gospel of Blood were very precise. After modifying the magic array, Charlotte inscribed the protected ¡°blood thrall mark¡± from Bertrand¡¯s body onto it. Then she closed her eyes, connected with the Gospel of Blood, and activated the ¡ºDemon Contract¡». The brilliance of the Gospel of Blood shone, and Charlotte felt herself linking with a vast darkness filled with numerous evil presences, both strong and weak, awaiting her call. However, she did not choose to connect with those evil presences but directly linked with the ¡°blood thrall mark¡± protected by the blood divine power. At this moment, the ¡°blood thrall mark¡± connected with the demon summoning array through the ¡ºDemon Contract¡»! Immediately, Charlotte withdrew the protective blood divine power from the ¡°blood thrall mark¡±, dissolved the ¡ºDemon Contract¡», and swiftly withdrew her consciousness from the body. Without the protection of divine power, the ¡°blood thrall mark¡± quickly collapsed, and a powerful and evil presence surged through the mark, carrying a sense of anger. This presence was then swiftly drawn into the summoning array on the ground. Soon, a new summoning incantation began to form in the array. The Dark Apostle of the Blood Demon Cult also possessed demonic blood¡­ Instantly, the array lit up, and a dazzling radiance shot into the sky as a terrifying will slowly descended. Alongside the anger, there was also¡­ a hint of bewilderment. Chapter 365: A Legendary Battle Charlotte returned to the real world as her ¡°possession¡± state ended. Summoning spells require specific incantations, even if they¡¯re vague, and the same goes for the ¡ºDemon Contract¡». From the memories Charlotte had read and Bertrand¡¯s diary, the description of the Dark Apostle Albrecht of the Blood Demon Cult stood out. He resembled a demon more than a bloodborne. Bloodborne appearance usually aligns with their race before their first embrace, and given the close relationship between the Blood Demon Archduke and demons, even if Albrecht wasn¡¯t a demon, his bloodline likely contained a high concentration of demon blood. This led Charlotte to a bold idea. By using the ¡ºDemonic Contract¡» and the blood thrall mark, she could trace an incantation representing the Dark Apostle Albrecht. She could then assign this incantation to a demon summoning circle, using the extraordinary power lingering in Bertrand¡¯s body as a catalyst to forcibly summon Albrecht. This idea was risky and daring but had a considerable chance of success. Unlike other demons who reside in alternate dimensions, Albrecht was hiding in the capital, which made the summoning process easier. Even if he concealed his identity and aura, the summoning circle would expose everything. Forcibly summoning a Legendary Bloodborne would cause a significant disturbance, especially in the inner city near the church, making it hard for the Holy Court to ignore. Although this was a spur-of-the-moment idea for Charlotte and not guaranteed to work, the incantation representing Albrecht traced by the ¡ºDemon Contract¡» and the blood thrall mark was genuine. This fusion of the ¡ºDemon Contract¡» and the demon summoning circle allowed for the forced summoning of Albrecht without exposing Charlotte herself. Summoning a Legendary entity with the power of a Blood Count would create a massive disturbance regardless of success or failure. If the summoning failed, the sheer magical fluctuation would still alert the Holy Court and prompt a swift reaction. Charlotte had left the roster and diary in the chamber. Even if the summoning failed, it would expose the Blood Demon Cult¡¯s base. As for whether the roster and diary would be destroyed by Albrecht¡¯s power¡­ well, that was left to luck. If Albrecht was successfully summoned, the roster wouldn¡¯t matter much. Charlotte could simply report it afterward, having memorized the entire roster using the ¡ºEnhanced Memory¡» blood magic. A plot is a plot because the schemer lacks the confidence to confront the opponent directly. The church had an undercover agent within the Blood Demon Cult, but they were clearly unaware of the cult¡¯s plans or that the Dark Apostle was hiding in Lutecia. If Charlotte could expose this Dark Apostle, the church would not let him go. And even if the summoning failed, the roster and diary wouldn¡¯t likely be destroyed in the resulting power surge. Charlotte stood by the window, her gaze naturally drifting toward the inner city where Lutecia Cathedral, the Royal Plaza, the Central Council Hall, and Bertrand¡¯s estate were located. Night had fallen, and the sky was deepening, but soon, a crimson beam pierced the darkness and shot into the sky. The dim sky was instantly illuminated, and a vast, overwhelming pressure began to rise. Despite having the Gospel of Blood as an advantage, Charlotte felt a strong sense of threat from this terrifying pressure. Clearly, the summoning was successful. Although she was only a Silver Moon, her numerous trump cards made her incomparable to ordinary beings, even those at the Blazing Sun tier. Only a Legendary entity could evoke such a strong sense of threat in her. Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but smirk as she looked toward the beam of light. The sky there had turned entirely crimson, resembling the flames of hell. Though she couldn¡¯t see the summoned Dark Apostle clearly from a distance, the aura matching the residual power in the blood thrall mark confirmed his identity. Moreover, Charlotte could faintly sense the emotions of the Dark Apostle through the residual link from the incomplete ¡ºDemon Contract¡»¡ªanger mixed with astonishment, bewilderment replaced by alarm. Just as the Dark Apostle¡¯s aura emerged, three new Legendary auras erupted in the distance. Golden light illuminated the sky like three rising suns. Charlotte instantly recognized the three auras as the Legendary clerics she had encountered at the church: Archbishop Charles, Grand Inquisitor Bernard, and Hunter Cardinal Joseph. Then, an icy voice, filled with suppressed rage, echoed. ¡°Divine¡­ Eternal!¡± It was Grand Inquisitor Bernard¡¯s voice. More radiant light shone as a golden sun rose, a familiar sensation to Charlotte. It was the Holy Court¡¯s artifact, the Eternal Sun. Charlotte sensed the Dark Apostle¡¯s panic. With a roar, a towering figure wreathed in crimson flames emerged in the sky, attempting to flee under the brilliance of the Eternal Sun. ¡°God said, ¡®Let there be light''¡± A gentle voice spoke. It was Archbishop Charles. Holy light blossomed, enveloping Lutecia and making the night as bright as day. ¡ºDivine Ritual Counter¡» activated, revealing that Archbishop Charles had cast the legendary spell ¡°Holy Canopy.¡± This holy light acted as a giant cage, encapsulating Lutecia and trapping the crimson figure within. The crimson figure roared and tried to break free, but soon a golden figure swiftly caught up. ¡°Blood Demon! Die!¡± It was Hunter Cardinal Joseph. Charlotte saw golden light rapidly entangle the crimson figure, causing an apocalyptic spectacle in the night sky of Lutecia. The battle between Legendary entities was rare, let alone multiple Legendaries clashing at once. Charlotte¡¯s curiosity was piqued, feeling like a thousand cats were scratching at her curiosity, yearning to grab a telescope and watch the fight with popcorn in hand. However, as the instigator, she needed to remain low-key. Although the demon summoning circle partially replaced the ¡ºDemon Contract¡», she had still used the Gospel of Blood, creating a faint link with the summoned unfortunate soul. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. This link couldn¡¯t control the opponent but could sense their status and position. If she became too conspicuous, the Dark Apostle might detect something. Legendary had powerful senses, so it was better to stay low-key. The battle in the sky continued. Although she couldn¡¯t see the details, Charlotte could judge the Dark Apostle was being overwhelmed by the three Legendary clerics based on the fluctuating auras. If not for the clerics protecting the city below, Charlotte believed the unfortunate soul she had summoned might have already been captured. Despite this, the crimson light grew weaker, while the holy light grew stronger. Clearly, the lone Dark Apostle was no match for the three clerics. His increasing anxiety, hatred, and anger signaled desperation. In a moment, the weakening crimson suddenly brightened, spreading an evil power rapidly. Charlotte¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She looked up to see a destructive aura exploding from the crimson light, aiming at Lutecia below. ¡°You dare!¡± The three Legendary clerics shouted in unison, unleashing holy light to shield Lutecia. The collision of powers shook the earth. Meanwhile, the crimson giant¡¯s emotions turned to joy. Charlotte saw the crimson figure seize the chance to flee under the clerics¡¯ protection efforts. Yet, just as the crimson figure was about to escape, a cold snort echoed from the inner city¡¯s depths. A sharp aura soared, and a silver sword light shot from the royal palace, slashing at the escaping crimson figure. The sword light arrived instantly, and Charlotte heard a muffled grunt as the crimson light split in two. Chapter 366: The Unlucky Dark Apostle The sword light cut through the sky, carrying a supreme aura of majesty. After that slash, the crimson glow quickly dissipated, and the presence of the Dark Apostle dissolved along with it. Dark red hue blood rained down from the sky like raindrops, carrying a sulfuric scent mixed with a strong stench of blood. It was the blood spilled by the Dark Apostle. Seeing the black and red rain, Charlotte¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. After all, the Dark Apostle was a Legendary entity. For Legendary, their blood and flesh had long since undergone a qualitative change. Back then, even Borde evolved into a forbidden zone teeming with demonic entities due to the lingering power of the Flame Demon Valaroka. If this blood rain fell on Lutecia, it would face similar contamination. Just as the dark red rain was about to fall, the Church intervened again. The radiance symbolizing the three Legendary clerics shone, and immense holy light descended from the sky, illuminating the blood rain. Under the holy light, the blood rain quickly dissolved and purified. When the divine glow faded, the blood rain had completely vanished. Only scattered photons fell to the ground. Seeing this, Charlotte let out a small sigh of relief. The Holy Court remained the Holy Court, the mightiest church of the true Gods in Myria. Despite the Church¡¯s reputation being tarnished by increasing corruption over the years, protecting the weak and upholding holiness and justice remained the creed pursued by devout believers. With three Legendary clerics present, they naturally wouldn¡¯t allow the Dark Apostle¡¯s power to contaminate Lutecia. After purifying the blood rain, the three suns representing the Legendary clerics slowly ¡°extinguished.¡± The artifact Eternal Sun was withdrawn, and the holy glow gradually dissipated. One sun moved towards the palace, another flew towards the outer city, and the third¡¯s light condensed, finally returning to the distant Lutecia Cathedral. As the three Legendaries retreated, the immense pressure also quickly diminished. The sky, bright as day, returned to darkness, and the sky over Lutecia became peaceful again. Only the scattered dreamlike photons fell to the ground. Charlotte extended her hand out the window, letting the photons fall into her palm, unable to sense any trace of the Dark Apostle¡¯s power. Only rapidly dissipating magical energy remained. Feeling the pure elemental force into which the holy light had split the blood¡¯s power, Charlotte showed a hint of regret. ¡°It¡¯s a pity I can¡¯t absorb this blood rain.¡± After all, the Dark Apostle was a Legendary entity, and his blood carried rich bloodline power. For others, that blood was a source of contamination, but for Charlotte, it was absorbable and devourable nourishment. Of course, it was merely a fleeting regret. With three Legendary clerics and Legendary royal present, she wouldn¡¯t dare reveal herself even if she wanted to absorb the blood. Thinking of this, Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but look towards where the sword light had flown, her mind contemplating. ¡°That silver sword strike just now resembled the Judgment Sword of the Valva family described in literature. Could it be¡­ the King himself?¡± The Crescent King Louis V¡ªLouis de Valva. If Charlotte remembered correctly, this most outstanding monarch of the Crescent Kingdom in centuries, revered as ¡°the Great¡± by the world, was a Legendary Sword Saint. The Legendaries¡¯ battle had ended. From the appearance of the Dark Apostle Albrecht to the retreat of the three Legendary clerics, it took less than five minutes¡­ The battle was shorter than Charlotte had imagined, likely due to the overwhelming difference in power. This massive clash came suddenly, fought fiercely, and ended quickly. Only after the Legendary retreated did the people on the ground react. Buildings across the capital lit up almost simultaneously, people opened windows, looking skyward with lingering fear, and asked each other what had just happened. In the mansion, the servants of the Castell family were all awakened, the courtyard filled with attendants and knights, gazing skyward with awe and excitement. When Charlotte, dressed in her outerwear, stepped out of the residence, Sebastian was directing the servants to check the estate¡¯s damages. Although the Legendaries¡¯ battle was mainly in the sky, the shockwaves had affected the ground. Especially in the inner city. Many windows in the estate Charlotte rented were broken, and the intricate magical lamps were damaged by the battle¡¯s residual magical energy. When Gods fight, mortals suffer. Seeing Charlotte step out in her outerwear, Sebastian was slightly stunned. He approached the young lady, bowed respectfully, and hesitated before asking. ¡°Master, are you¡­ going out?¡± Charlotte nodded slightly. ¡°Going out to scavenge, no need for anyone to follow, you continue your work.¡± Sca¡­ scavenge? Sebastian was taken aback. He instinctively glanced at the sky and, after some hesitation, asked with some uncertainty. ¡°Is it¡­ about the battle in the sky just now?¡± Charlotte smiled faintly, not answering but nodding slightly before turning into a swarm of bats and disappearing into the darkness. ¡­ In the central hall of the Lutecia Cathedral, in front of the solemn and holy statue of the God, Archbishop Charles, in a sacred robe, slowly opened his eyes. The holy light in his eyes faded, and he sighed softly, bowing devoutly to the statue. ¡°May the Lord bless us, may your radiance be eternal, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven¡­¡± The next moment, the hall doors opened, and two figures walked in one after the other. One wore a crimson judge¡¯s robe, the other a white and purple cardinal¡¯s robe, the Grand Inquisitor Bernard and Cardinal Joseph of the Crescent Diocese. ¡°How is it?¡± Archbishop Charles looked at his colleagues. Grand Inquisitor Bernard¡¯s expression was grim, he shook his head slightly and said, ¡°Escaped, it was the Third Apostle of the Blood Demon Cult, Albrecht. He escaped quickly and decisively, not only abandoning his severed arm but also burning his own bloodline power.¡± As he spoke, a flash of light appeared in his hand, summoning a severed black arm from the void. The arm floated in mid-air, encased in a golden cage, struggling under the holy light, looking extremely eerie. The severed arm¡¯s cut was smooth like a mirror, with a trace of silver power lingering there, burning like silver flames. Archbishop Charles glanced at the silver flames, paused slightly, and looked at Cardinal Joseph. ¡°What does the palace say?¡± Cardinal Joseph hesitated, seemingly unsure how to respond. Seeing his expression, Archbishop Charles shook his head. ¡°Forget it, no need to say. With His Majesty Louis¡¯ temper, it¡¯s probably not good news.¡± Cardinal Joseph sighed but quickly regained his composure. He took out a slightly damaged parchment scroll and a thick journal from his bosom, saying in a deep voice. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Archbishop, I found these at Albrecht¡¯s appearance site. Confirmed to be left by Bertrand de Chevalier, it¡¯s the Chevalier family mansion, connected to the underground temple by a teleportation array.¡± The Archbishop¡¯s heart stirred. ¡°Bertrand? That High Priest of the Blood Demon Cult? Where is he?¡± Cardinal Joseph shook his head. ¡°Dead, seems to have died from bloodline rampage, the body shattered, and even his soul completely dissipated.¡± ¡°Bloodline rampage? Soul completely dissipated?¡± The Archbishop frowned slightly. He briefly browsed the parchment and journal, his expression darkening. Taking a deep breath, he handed the parchment and journal back to Cardinal Joseph, saying, ¡°Deploy the Demon Hunter Knights, and carefully investigate the area where the Dark Apostle appeared for any remaining power traces.¡± ¡°Remaining power traces? You mean¡­ there was a fourth force present?¡± Grand Inquisitor Bernard¡¯s eyelids twitched. Archbishop Charles did not deny it but sighed deeply. ¡°We¡­ were probably used.¡± ¡­ In a desolate, abandoned graveyard on the outskirts of Lutecia. Crows cawed harshly, eerie and hoarse, and faint ghost lights flickered mysteriously. In the center of the graveyard, before a clearly modified tombstone, stood a sinister demon statue. Suddenly, the statue emitted a deep red glow, quickly drawing the surrounding dark magic to form a huge vortex around it. The vortex grew rapidly, twisting the void, eventually forming a temporary spatial passage. The passage flickered, unstable, seemingly hastily opened. Then, a stumbling figure fell out of the passage. A tall male figure, dressed in a dark red coat, with horns on his head, a pale face, and black-red blood at the corners of his mouth. His entire right arm was missing, his body nearly split in half, with silver flames burning at the wounds, constantly dripping black-red blood that corroded the ground into smoking pits. The silver flames clung stubbornly to the wounds like festering sores, ready to spread further if not suppressed by the surrounding dark red magic. The man glanced warily at the silver flames on his wound, then looked in the direction of Lutecia with crimson eyes filled with humiliation and rage, his voice suppressed with immense resentment and fury, nearly gnashing his teeth. ¡°Louis V¡­ Holy Court!¡± It was the unlucky Third Dark Apostle of the Blood Demon Cult, ¡°Abyss Walker¡± Albrecht, who had been forcibly summoned by Charlotte, brutally beaten by the Holy Court¡¯s three giants, and slashed by a sword. Chapter 367: Steadfast Albrecht Albrecht was both furious and frustrated. As the Third Dark Apostle of the Blood Demon Cult, he had always been known for his ability to appear and disappear without a trace, excelling in concealing his presence and tracks. Even when the Blood Demon Court, which secretly ruled the Crescent Kingdom, was besieged by the Holy Court, resulting in the fall of three Dark Apostles, he managed to escape unscathed easily. Yet today, inexplicably, he was caught off guard. Recalling the recent heart-pounding ambush, Albrecht couldn¡¯t help but feel a tinge of fear. That sword just now¡ªif he hadn¡¯t escaped a bit faster, it wouldn¡¯t have slashed his shoulder but his head! Thinking of this, Albrecht¡¯s pale face darkened further. To infiltrate the Crescent¡¯s nobility and church, he had been lurking in Lutecia for nearly a century. To prevent his whereabouts from being exposed, he never showed himself, relying instead on forbidden blood thralls and contract slaves. Other Dark Apostles even mockingly called him ¡°Coward¡± Albrecht, but he never cared. The more flamboyant, the quicker they die. He watched as those apostles rose to fame, stirring trouble, and then watched as they were either exiled or directly fell under the Holy Court¡¯s purges. Over a millennium, the Dark Apostles of the Blood Demon Cult had changed numerous times. But he had always survived. Even his rank among the apostles automatically rose by three, despite never participating in the internal power struggles of the cult, never vying for ranking, and never seeking favor from the Archduke. And all this¡­ he had managed through patience and caution. But what just happened? Albrecht remembered he was holed up in his stronghold, in the deepest darkroom of the stronghold, a place so meticulously protected that even if the Archbishop of the Holy Court cast forbidden divine spells directly at it, he could retreat unscathed, and even flip off the Archbishop before leaving¡­ Yet, in such a secure place, he was still caught off guard! He recalled lounging on a cushion woven from velvet and brocade, a tribute from a Crescent noble, sipping the extraordinary blood of a pure maiden while listening to the reports from his contract slaves. The Divinity Descent Day was imminent, and even though he wasn¡¯t very interested in summoning the Archduke, he knew he had to do something to prove his worth. He chose to target the Crescent nobles and the capital of the Crescent Diocese. The net was cast, and he was ready to strike during the Central Meeting, delivering a blow to the Holy Court and strengthening his control over the nobility. Then, he felt a reaction from the mark he had left on the soul of a blood thrall¡­ He wanted to see what was happening, but who would have thought he would be directly pulled through that blood thrall¡¯s mark! Before he could react, he was summoned to the inner city of Lutecia, right next to the Lutecia Cathedral! Even more absurd, the three Legendary clerics of Lutecia Cathedral were in the church, and the four of them stared at each other across the distance! At that moment, Albrecht was dumbfounded. Wasn¡¯t it said that Bernard and Joseph had gone to Castell to investigate the affairs of God Nyx? Why were they still in the church? And¡­ how was the timing so coincidental?! Albrecht¡¯s thoughts raced, feeling aggrieved, depressed, angry, and puzzled. He was aggrieved because he wasn¡¯t prepared for a fight and suddenly bumped into three Legendary clerics. He was depressed because his nearly century-long infiltration was ruined, and the sacrifice council¡¯s plan was likely to fail. He was angry because the culprit behind all this was the strongest blood thrall he had personally groomed. And he was puzzled as to what wind had blown into the other party¡¯s head and how he managed to summon him¡­ What the hell was Bertrand up to? How could a mere blood thrall summon his master? Moreover, such a grand summoning? That was demon summoning, right? He was already a bloodborne, with a bloodborne identity that overrode the demon one, and his demon true name had long been hidden¡­ How did they know? Who was setting him up? Albrecht didn¡¯t believe a mere blood thrall he had fooled to such an extent could dare to set him up, nor did he believe the thrall could unearth his demon true name, which hadn¡¯t been used in who knows how many years, let alone successfully reverse summon him. Naturally, he thought of those old fellows who knew his true name¡­ Only, those old fellows had almost all been crucified by the Holy Court or exiled to some unknown dimension over time. In retrospect, it seemed like no one was left after nearly a millennium. So¡­ was it some old fellow with a grudge crawling out of another dimension to seek revenge? But that didn¡¯t make sense either. He was quite sure none of the exiled ones who knew his demon true name had returned, and as for others who might know it, they could only be ancient ones from even earlier¡­ Thinking this, Albrecht fell into contemplation. There were very few who knew his demon true name, apart from those fallen or exiled to other dimensions. Those were the flamboyant ones. If someone returned, it would surely cause a stir, like last year¡¯s Valaroka, who was said to have been re-sealed the moment they stepped out of the seal. Unless it was someone from an even older time, like a myth he had dealt with before the blood clans split. Or perhaps those Demigods who could deduce demon identities and true names based on remaining traces¡­ Wait¡­ Demigods who could deduce true names? Seeming to have realized something, Albrecht¡¯s eyes widened slightly. ¡°According to information from within the Holy Court, last year, Valaroka was re-sealed by ¡®God Nyx¡¯¡­¡± ¡°The Cult¡¯s Starfall branch had sent a message before its destruction, stating that there was a mysterious God behind Countess Charlotte de Castell of the Northern Lands, who is highly likely to be ¡®God Nyx¡¯¡­¡± ¡°¡®God Nyx¡¯ is suspected to be an ancient bloodborne myth and seems to hold great hostility towards the cult. A month ago, They seemingly triggered the Holy Court¡¯s divine warning bell again¡­¡± ¡°To divert the Holy Court¡¯s attention to the Northern Lands, I once ordered followers to gather information on the North and anonymously report it to the Holy Court just as the divine warning bell rang again¡­¡± ¡°However, the Holy Court clearly didn¡¯t take the bait. The three Legendary clerics didn¡¯t leave!¡± ¡°Not long ago, followers watching the Castell family reported that Countess Castell went to the church today and left unscathed¡­¡± ¡°And shortly after, I was ambushed¡­¡± ¡°The three Legendary clerics were all in the cathedral, obviously pre-arranged.¡± ¡°Hiss¡­ Could it be that ¡®God Nyx¡¯ has also come to Lutecia, has formed some kind of cooperation with the Holy Court, and it was they who ambushed me?¡± Albrecht¡¯s thoughts raced, his expression full of suspicion and uncertainty. It¡¯s not that he was paranoid. He was well aware of the power of those ancient Gods and the nature of the Holy Court. Based on known information, ¡®God Nyx¡¯ is very likely an ancient bloodborne myth from before the blood clan was established. At that time, Albrecht had already received the initial embrace, becoming a member of the Blood Legion, and had once followed the Blood Demon Archduke Abaddon in continental conflicts. Even after nearly two thousand years, Albrecht still remembered that era. Back then, some bloodbornes who couldn¡¯t obtain legion command disliked the six Blood Princes, especially the domineering Blood Legion, which had many enemies. ¡®God Nyx¡¯ was likely among them. As for the Holy Court¡­ Although the Holy Court proclaimed to fight and kill unknown Gods, as someone who watched this behemoth rise, Albrecht knew very well that the Holy Court was not as hostile to unknown Gods as it appeared. More precisely, the Holy Court targeted those unknown Gods who refused to join its pantheon and obey its holy rules. Albrecht still remembered that when the Holy Court first emerged, it worshipped only the Creator God Harald. Later, they gradually absorbed one God after another who was willing to join, like Mithra, the God of Contracts, Aphros, the Goddess of Beauty, and Garimo, the God of Judgment¡­ With each God joining, the Holy Court grew rapidly, eventually forming a polytheistic belief system with the Creator God Harald at the center and numerous subordinate Gods. God Harald became more powerful by sharing the authority of these subordinate Gods! Thinking of this, Albrecht¡¯s expression grew more serious. In the past thousand years, the Holy Court had absorbed no less than forty subordinate Gods. The last one was the God of Contracts, Mithra, who joined the pantheon centuries ago and is the most powerful subordinate God, second only to God Harald in terms of followers. Since appearing in the world, ¡®God Nyx¡¯ has been hostile to the cult and has acted more like the Holy Court. Even that little countess suspected to be associated with ¡®God Nyx¡¯ is called the Holy Court¡¯s Saintess¡­ Hiss¡­ Could it be that ¡®God Nyx¡¯ had long been colluding with the church, and the Holy Court intended to absorb ¡®God Nyx¡¯ into its ranks? The cult¡¯s report was in vain, not only failing to divert the Holy Court¡¯s attention but also exposing himself? The more Albrecht thought about it, the more he felt it was highly likely. After all, the Blood Demon Cult had interacted with ¡®God Nyx¡¯ several times and could already determine that They were likely a bloodborne myth. The most puzzling aspect was the behavior of Their followers, which resembled a righteous God¡¯s church rather than followers of a bloodborne myth! If these two had been in cahoots all along, it would make sense. Indeed, there was no way Bertrand, that useless minion, could have forcibly summoned him. Only a Legendary or even a God could accomplish that! If it were a Legendary, it wouldn¡¯t be so quiet, and he wouldn¡¯t have been caught off guard. Only a God could ignore his will and summon him before he could react! Thinking this, Albrecht¡¯s expression fluctuated. ¡°No, I can¡¯t stay here. I need to find a place to heal and lay low for a while¡­¡± He glanced at his severed arm and muttered to himself. Maybe those ambitious Legendaries would be thrilled to hear about a newly resurrected God, thinking it was their chance to kill a God and take their place. But Albrecht, always prudent and low-key, had no intention of confronting them. He firmly believed that opportunities came with risks, and even a 1% risk was 100% if bad luck struck. As an immortal being, he could afford to wait patiently, achieving his goals bit by bit without taking rash risks, especially life-threatening ones. ¡®God Nyx¡¯ could kick Valaroka back into the seal with one foot, although this might partly be due to Valaroka¡¯s weakened state, the ¡®God¡¯ Themselves likely had regained a significant portion of Their power. He had no reason to rush into danger. ¡°Better to find a safe place to sleep for a few years, waiting for the Archduke¡¯s summons. I¡¯ve done enough over the years, even lost an arm and suffered serious injuries to strike at the church¡­¡± S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°The cult still has other apostles, anyone willing to charge ahead can do so! The Archduke will surely understand.¡± Albrecht muttered to himself, quickly making up his mind. He was indeed seriously injured. Although his severed arm could regenerate given time, the power left by Louis V was hard to remove. He was now so weak that he would need to consider avoiding even a Blazing Sun. He indeed needed to heal. Taking a deep breath, Albrecht picked a direction and quickly fled as a shadow. He chose the northeast. He planned to go to Eastern Yunette Blacklands, a haven for mercenaries with chaotic beliefs, no unified power, and many ruins, perfect for hiding! Albrecht concealed his presence, quickly distancing himself, eager to leave Crescent immediately. However, after fleeing for four or five minutes, he suddenly reappeared and stopped. Clutching his wound, he looked around, his expression filled with doubt and alarm. Toppled gravestones, withered and rotting trees, circling crows, and flickering ghost lights¡­ Even though he had fled over forty kilometers, he was still in that small graveyard! Something was wrong¡­ Albrecht¡¯s heart sank. He became highly alert, scanning his surroundings, then saw the circling crows perching on branches, slowly turning their heads to stare at him. The endless cawing stopped, the faint ghost lights extinguished, and the world fell silent, save for the flickering crimson eyes and the large blood moon hanging in the sky. The next moment, Albrecht saw crimson mist spreading from all directions, quickly enveloping the entire world¡­ In the mist, the surroundings began to warp and change. The crows disappeared, the withered trees vanished, and the gravestones were gone. In their place were dark stone walls, ancient and magnificent chandeliers, and cold, hard floors. He was not in the graveyard but in a majestic and solemn ancient castle. The castle walls were adorned with vivid murals, depicting stories of Gods and their followers. Before him, layers of steps extended, converging on a mist-shrouded high platform. He saw an ancient throne at the center of the platform. And on the throne, a graceful figure shrouded in crimson mist sat lazily¡­ Seeing the divine symbols around the throne and the pair of smirking golden-red eyes in the mist, Albrecht¡¯s eyes widened instantly, his face turning pale, his entire being in distress. ¡°Thorny¡­ Rose¡­¡± ¡°God Nyx!¡± His throat went dry, his voice trembling. Chapter 368: The Kneeling Demonic Bloodborne A myth! A descending myth! As he gazed at the shadowy figure on the high platform, Albrecht felt every hair on his body stand on end, and the demonic tail behind him bristled instantly. As a Legendary who had lived for over two thousand years, Albrecht had encountered numerous myths in his long life. Although the figure on the platform did not exude a particularly powerful aura or radiate the supreme divine might he remembered from other myths, the moment he saw them, his soul and body couldn¡¯t help but tremble. He felt a kind of suppression emanating from his very bloodline. When his eyes met the figure¡¯s through the layers of mist, his entire magical power became sluggish and stiff. It was the natural intimidation of a higher-level being over a lower one¡­ For a Legendary demonic bloodborne like Albrecht, whose level of life was higher than his own, only a myth! Combined with the symbol that had spread throughout the Blood Demon Cult, the figure¡¯s identity became clear. God Nyx¡­ The figure was undoubtedly God Nyx! Realizing this, Albrecht felt an unprecedented sense of life-threatening danger. Not even the time he had angered the Blood Demon Archduke by slacking off in war had frightened him this much. The reason was simple: this was a myth who bore hostility towards the Blood Demon Cult. And now, he was almost certain that it was this myth who had forcibly summoned him and exposed him to the Holy Court in Lutecia! The myth had come with ill intentions! Albrecht was filled with dread, his mind racing to find a way out. Simultaneously, he struggled to mobilize his sluggish magical power and tried to activate his bloodline power to keep as calm as possible, preparing to use a teleportation spell to escape at any moment. However, as he attempted to stir his bloodline power, something even more horrifying occurred¡­ Albrecht was shocked to find that his bloodline power suddenly became active and alive, feeling strange and resistant! It was as if it had its own life, wanting to break free from his control. It felt as though his bloodline power had found its true home and longed to leave him to return to its mother¡¯s embrace! Feeling the change in his bloodline, Albrecht¡¯s eyes widened. He looked at the figure on the platform again, his expression growing increasingly uncertain. This sensation of bloodline agitation was not unfamiliar to him, he had experienced it long ago. That was two thousand years ago, in an era of countless myths and an undivided bloodborne¡­ The crimson mist on the throne became more distinct, and the figure on the throne grew more majestic. The surrounding scene became clearer, and a strong sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu and familiarity rose in his heart. As this familiarity and the agitation of his bloodline merged, ancient memories surged forward, and the throne and castle before him gradually overlapped with a scene from his distant past¡­ It was also a majestic and solemn castle. Grand murals depicted the rise of the bloodborne, with the six Blood Princes and numerous Dukes kneeling on one knee, worshipping the supreme Blood Throne. On the throne, an ancient God with an indistinct face looked down at the bloodbornes, Their gaze indifferent, like seeing ants. As memory and reality overlapped, the figure shrouded in crimson mist became clearer. Finally, the appearance of that ancient God in Albrecht¡¯s memory emerged, as clear as a rock revealed by receding tides. Silver hair, a dreamlike exquisite face, skin so pale it seemed almost transparent, and a pair of crimson-gold eyes that seemed to pierce through the stars and time¡­ The figure on the throne now aligned with the ancient God in his memory. Even though shrouded in mist, it was unmistakably the same person. In that blurred memory, the patterns carved on the throne also became clear. One was of thorns. The other was of roses. The two intertwined, forming a mysterious and beautiful symbol! With the memory clear, the last trace of color drained from Albrecht¡¯s face. His eyes widened even more. His entire body trembled, his mouth agape, his face showing shock and horror, while his heart was in turmoil¡­ Oh God! When had he forgotten these crucial memories? The so-called God Nyx! Thorny roses were not symbols that had appeared in recent years, nor were they the symbol of the so-called God Nyx! They were the roots of the Bloodborne, the oldest progenitor, the source of all bloodline power, the smybol of the True Ancestor of Blood! ¡®God Nyx¡¯ was not a resurrected bloodborne myth, she was the Supreme of the Bloodborne, the Eternal Night Monarch, who created the bloodborne and swept the world, the True Ancestor of Blood! She¡­ She¡­ She was the True Ancestor Blood! She had returned! Albrecht¡¯s face was filled with shock and horror, fear and unease, with even his left hand clutching his wound, and his standing legs began to tremble. But soon, the look of terror and shock was replaced by a changing expression. Fear and horror quickly faded, replaced by admiration and excitement. Although this admiration and excitement seemed somewhat forced and stiff, Albrecht adjusted quickly. Like a face-changing actor, Albrecht¡¯s face swiftly filled with joy, though within the joy, there was a strong sense of grief. Then, with a ¡°thud¡±, he knelt on the ground, prostrating himself before the figure on the Blood Throne, his voice choked with emotion. ¡°Your Excellency, the True Ancestor! Praise you, great Progenitor! You have finally returned!¡± When Albrecht looked up again, his eyes were moist with tears. He showed piety and fanaticism, his gaze towards the throne filled with sincerity and longing, devotion and respect. To hell with the Blood Demon Cult! To hell with the Dark Apostles! This terrifying being had returned, and saving his own life was now paramount. He was now a fervent follower of the True Ancestor! At this moment, Albrecht was so ¡°moved¡± that he almost believed it himself. Charlotte: ¡­ Watching the Dark Apostle she had pulled into the ancient Dark Night Castle slide to his knees, her expression turned somewhat peculiar. She wanted to tell him that she could hear every thought in his mind clearly. No matter how fanatical or joyful he acted, it was useless. Of course, she only thought about it. The ancient Dark Night Castle could listen to the inner thoughts of the intelligent beings within it, a secret of Charlotte¡¯s. However, unlike Yurst from before, Albrecht, though a Legendary Blood Duke, seemed unaware of this fact. Under these circumstances, Charlotte naturally wouldn¡¯t reveal it voluntarily. She was just a bit surprised that this Dark Apostle had knelt so quickly, even faster than Yurst and Nice. Should she say he was thick-skinned enough, or quick-witted enough? Heaven knows she had expended extra divine power to refresh ¡ºBlood Summoning¡» and took advantage of his weakened state to summon him, all to control him without alerting the Blood Demon Archduke, or even to kill him outright and devour his bloodline power in the Dark Night Castle. But¡­ before she could make a move, he had already knelt. This left Charlotte somewhat at a loss. Weren¡¯t the members of the Blood Demon Cult supposed to be death-defying lunatics? The Dark Apostle before her didn¡¯t seem the least bit brainwashed by dark power into madness and impulsivity. Instead, he was cowardly and adaptable¡­ This rendered her plan to strike before he could resist useless. The guy had simply knelt down! With a face full of respect and longing, he had even relinquished his magical and bloodline powers, completely abandoning any idea of escape, directly changing sides. Oh no, it wasn¡¯t just giving up, it was switching allegiance outright. In Charlotte¡¯s perception, Albrecht¡¯s mind was now wholly focused on how to please her to save his life. His gaze was filled with fanaticism and worship, longing and respect, but underneath it all was unprecedented tension, caution, anxiety, and unease. How to put it¡­ Having experienced Yurst¡¯s trembling explanation when he ¡°defected¡± to her, Charlotte could somewhat understand Albrecht¡¯s actions through empathy. But his look of longing was honestly a bit sickening. There was no helping it. No matter how naturally he switched sides, Albrecht simply didn¡¯t suit that expression. His appearance¡­ was just too robust. Albrecht was a demon before becoming a bloodborne. Or more accurately, a Hellhorn Demon. The Castell family records mentioned such demons, noting they lived in a different dimension known as ¡°Hell.¡± Their most notable traits were their height and strength, with horns on their heads, making them muscle-bound behemoths. Among the many dimensions inhabited by demons, Hellhorn Demons were notably robust, ranking quite high. Summoners in the mortal world often called them forth as labor or meat shields. Albrecht¡¯s build was ¡°slender¡± compared to those depicted in the records, but only in comparison to the illustrated ¡°mountains of muscle.¡± In reality, Albrecht¡¯s human form stood at least two meters tall, possibly over two and a half meters. Even if not a ¡°mountain of muscle¡±, he was comparable to the American giant Schwarzenegger from Charlotte¡¯s previous life, exuding an imposing presence just standing there. Though he had lost his right arm, he showed no signs of weakness. In fact, the loss of his right arm made him look even more rugged. And now, this tower of a man, with a fierce man¡¯s face, wore an expression of a giant baby looking at his mother. Even knowing he was faking it, even though his face was handsome, it was still quite repulsive. No¡­ It was precisely because he was handsome, but overly ¡°maturely¡± handsome, that the expression was even more repulsive. How to put it¡­ It was like walking down the street and suddenly having a tall, muscular man kneel before you, looking cute and calling you mom. Charlotte twitched her lips, trying to ignore his expression to avoid having nightmares later. Still, his giving up resistance allowed Charlotte to relax a bit. A Legendary is still a Legendary. Even heavily injured, who knew if someone who had lived for thousands of years had hidden tricks? Although the Dark Night Castle was her domain, where she was the master once someone was brought in, a victory without a fight was always best. Controlling the Dark Night Castle also consumed divine power, and saving it was always a gain. Moreover, when she had fought Duke Yorok of the Nez Clan in the mental world, she had only managed to hold her ground. The power of the True Ancestor¡¯s Liberation was no stronger than a Legendary. A Legendary figure fighting for their life would always be a trouble. Everything¡­ better to play it safe. However, his quick submission made her hesitant to kill him outright. The Blood Demon Cult had committed many atrocities, and the Dark Apostles¡¯ crimes were unspeakable. These were not only recorded in the church¡¯s records but also in the Castell family¡¯s library. Charlotte hadn¡¯t intended to converse much with a Dark Apostle. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Her initial plan was to drag him into the Dark Night Castle, strike while he was weak, kill him, absorb his power, read his memories, and escape before the Blood Demon Archduke could detect her and before the church arrived. But now, his quick submission made her hesitate. Forcibly absorbing bloodline power was the simplest and most brutal method, but although it could boost Charlotte¡¯s power in the short term, there was a risk of too much bloodline power causing her to fall into slumber again. His quick kneeling and surrender opened up more options for Charlotte. For instance, planting a mole within the Blood Demon Cult! Of course, Charlotte was well aware that Albrecht¡¯s submission was due to the situation. He saw her as the historical True Ancestor of Blood, and his fear of her stemmed from the past. He was only temporarily yielding to ¡°power¡±¡­ Moreover, he was not pure, he was a genuine Blood Demon Cultist, a high-ranking member. He possessed the chaos and evil of demons, and the fickleness and unpredictability of demons. Despite his current respect, Charlotte had no doubt he would turn against her given the chance. He could be used as a tool against the Blood Demon Cult. But he was not suitable as a follower. Charlotte had some vague ideas. However, she didn¡¯t act immediately and instead looked at Albrecht again. She had brought him into the Dark Night Castle for a while now and heard a lot of his inner thoughts, even unexpectedly gaining some ancient secrets. Some things had piqued her curiosity. Thinking of this, Charlotte looked at the demonic bloodborne before her again. She slightly inclined her body, looking down at him from above, her voice lazy yet majestic. ¡°Albrecht¡­¡± ¡°When did you recognize my symbol?¡± _____________________________ T/N: I think I need to put this to clear up confusion regarding bloodborne¡¯s myths. Although it might be considered a minor spoiler. For those who pay attention to the detail, it might seem odd that although there are ¡®only¡¯ 6 princes yet Charlotte¡¯s divine identity still remains unknown. It was because there were more bloodborne myths than the True Ancestor and the Six Princes, but the Prince, or leader of each clan status was special. The Six Princes are those who followed the True Ancestor since she started participating in the War of the Gods. Meanwhile, other bloodborne myths were the Gods and Demigods that lost and chose to surrender to the True Ancestor, and to ensure they didn¡¯t rebel, the True Ancestor turned them into bloodborne to gain control over them and overall their status was lower and even much lower than the Dukes because they are just war trophies and the race¡¯s weapon of war. Chapter 369: His smile froze Charlotte was genuinely curious about this matter. She knew her own affairs well¡ªThorny Rose was a symbol she had hastily borrowed when she was hung on the cross, originally just a pattern from furniture, and certainly not the divine symbol of the True Ancestor of Blood. Since her transmigration, Charlotte had investigated the true symbol of the True Ancestor of Blood but found no results, as if it had been deliberately erased by the bloodborne. When Albrecht entered the ancient Dark Night Castle, he did not immediately associate Thorny Rose with the True Ancestor of Blood but instead mistook her for ¡°God Nyx.¡± So how did he come to see Thorny Rose as the symbol of the True Ancestor of Blood? Upon hearing Charlotte¡¯s question, a look of unease appeared on Albrecht¡¯s face. Charlotte heard his inner thoughts, filled with questions like, ¡°Why is the True Ancestor asking this?¡±, ¡°Did I answer something wrong?¡±, and ¡°Will she be angry and devour me?¡± ¡°True Ancestor, please forgive my sins. I have slept for too long, and my memory is somewhat blurry, so I failed to recognize your symbol, leading to many mistakes¡­¡± ¡°Seeing you again, I am truly excited and happy. Being able to pledge my loyalty to you again is the greatest honor of my life!¡± ¡°Praise you, great Progenitor! With your return, the bloodbornes can finally unite again!¡± Albrecht fervently and devoutly praised her. Charlotte: ¡­ Lies. All lies. Charlotte looked expressionlessly at this Blood Duke of demonic lineage lying boldly before her. She felt no emotion, not even the urge to laugh. In Albrecht¡¯s fervent praise, the only truth was that he really had forgotten what the symbol of the True Ancestor of Blood looked like, the rest was all false. His real thoughts could be summed up in one sentence. ¡°A Demon of Hell can be flexible, the priority is to stay alive.¡± However¡­ forgetting the symbol of the True Ancestor of Blood? Charlotte looked down at Albrecht, lost in thought. Mortals might forget, but those with extraordinary powers had strong memories. Especially Albrecht, who was a Legendary Blood Duke and a Demon of Hell. How could someone of his strength forget something important without reason? Moreover, the symbol of the True Ancestor of Blood was of utmost importance to bloodbornes! Yet, this was the only truth Albrecht spoke. He had genuinely forgotten. It wasn¡¯t until he recognized the ancient Dark Night Castle that his memory resurfaced. In his memory, the symbol of the True Ancestor of Blood seemed to have always been Thorny Rose. Could this be¡­ a cognitive modification? Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred. The Thorny Rose as the symbol was authenticated by the Gospel of Blood and was personally chosen by Charlotte. Could it be that the Gospel of Blood could change the cognition of others, forcibly binding Thorny Rose with the identity of the True Ancestor of Blood? Charlotte¡¯s expression was inscrutable, a few guesses forming in her heart. At the same time, she had another question. Speaking of the True Ancestor of Blood¡­ shouldn¡¯t it be Lilith? Seeing Charlotte on the throne fall into silence, Albrecht grew even more nervous. ¡°True Ancestor, do you have any other questions?¡± Charlotte snapped out of her thoughts and looked at him. Seeing the Dark Apostle who was quite apprehensive, she chuckled lightly and said, ¡°Albrecht, you seem¡­ quite afraid of me?¡± Albrecht¡¯s face immediately filled with a flattering smile. ¡°How could I not be? You are the great and omnipotent True Ancestor. In your presence, I must naturally maintain respect and reverence!¡± Charlotte didn¡¯t comment, merely waving her hand to disperse the crimson mist in front of the throne. With the obstructing mist gone, Albrecht could see her appearance clearly. Charlotte remained in her adult form. Albrecht¡¯s expression flickered, his long-forgotten memories becoming clearer, and the figure in his mind completely merging with the one before him. The True Ancestor! She truly was the resurrected True Ancestor! Albrecht dared not look any further, quickly lowering his head, his heart trembling. It seemed¡­ his memory had indeed been modified¡­ Feeling Albrecht¡¯s thoughts, Charlotte became more certain. Without revealing her thoughts, she withdrew her gaze, looking down at him, her voice as lazy as ever. ¡°Albrecht, loyalty isn¡¯t just words. Do you think¡­ I should believe in your loyalty?¡± Albrecht quickly bowed, his expression sincere and fervent. ¡°True Ancestor, my respect for you comes from the heart! Everything about Albrecht is in your hands, with just a thought, you can kill me. What reason or courage do I have to deceive you?¡± Charlotte remained noncommittal and probed with a half-smile. ¡°Oh? Is that so? As a descendant of Abaddon, did you swear the same to him?¡± ¡°You jest, Abaddon is Abaddon, and you are you. You are the ruler of all blood descendants, he is but a Flame Demon granted power by you, a filthy traitor. How can he compare to you? Albrecht has never truly pledged loyalty to Abaddon, I was only forced to seek refuge under him as a demon, always waiting for your return!¡± Hearing Albrecht¡¯s words, Charlotte was a bit surprised. This cowardly Dark Apostle indeed turned against Abaddon swiftly, having followed him for thousands of years but not hesitating to curse him. As expected of a demon with a rebellious nature, even with the power of a bloodborne, the root hasn¡¯t changed. However, what surprised Charlotte was that not all of Albrecht¡¯s words were lies. Compared to his true thoughts, Albrecht¡­ really never genuinely pledged loyalty to the Blood Demon Archduke Abaddon. Charlotte was a bit skeptical. Without showing any emotion, she used the Crimson Star Sea to probe the depths of his mind and found that he indeed wasn¡¯t a follower of the Blood Demon Archduke! This guy is actually a non-believer! Unbelievable, a non-believer not only joined the Blood Demon Cult but also became the Third Dark Apostle! ¡°Eh? You¡¯re not a follower of Abaddon?¡± Charlotte didn¡¯t hide her surprise. Albrecht bowed and explained. ¡°True Ancestor, Albrecht joined the Blood Demon Legion as a demon two thousand years ago. My power did not come from Abaddon but from the first legion commander of the Blood Demon Legion, Balov¡­¡± ¡°Albrecht was never in Abaddon¡¯s sight. It was only after he fell asleep that I accidentally rose to the position of Dark Apostle.¡± Charlotte didn¡¯t know what to say. What he said was true. But who is Balov? A former bloodborne myth? Charlotte didn¡¯t press further. She looked at him and asked another question. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, what are you planning in Lutecia?¡± Albrecht let out a long sigh, his face troubled. ¡°True Ancestor, you may not know, but Abaddon is cruel and tyrannical. Though he is asleep, he still has some control over the cult.¡± ¡°If I do not carry out the cult¡¯s task of opposing the Holy Court, I will face severe punishment!¡± ¡°True Ancestor, please forgive my past offenses. I truly didn¡¯t know God Nyx was actually you! I joined the Blood Demon Cult because I had no other choice!¡± This was a lie. The truth was that Albrecht sensed that the myths would return one after another and that the world would change drastically. He wanted to seize the last opportunity and use the power of the Blood Demon Cult to lay the foundation for his own plans. His ostensible actions to avoid suspicion from Abaddon were just a front. His real goal in Lutecia was to infiltrate the Crescent Nobles and oppose the Holy Court, while secretly turning the nobles into his forbidden blood thralls to expand his own power. As for joining the Blood Demon Cult out of necessity, that was nonsense. Albrecht¡¯s situation was somewhat like those ruthless protagonists in the cultivation novels Charlotte had read in her previous life¡ªloners who progressed alone but could bend and endure as needed. The Blood Demon Cult was like a sect he had joined. Those protagonists never had feelings for their sects, using them merely as stepping stones and tools for their advancement. When it was necessary to abandon or escape, they would do so without hesitation. Albrecht had ambitions. Although he had always been cautious, it didn¡¯t mean he was content with his current situation. He wanted to take advantage of the world¡¯s changes to advance further and reach the level of myth. Albrecht¡¯s leverage came from a statue. It was a faceless statue he discovered in an underground temple in Lutecia, containing the blood divine power. Faceless statue¡­ Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred. No wonder the statue in the underground temple was a fake, the real one was with Albrecht! Charlotte glanced at him without showing her thoughts. She didn¡¯t expose him. Even the most cowardly would fight desperately if pushed too far. From his inner thoughts, Charlotte knew the faceless statue was Albrecht¡¯s deepest secret and bottom line. For this, he was willing to endure, even if it meant being subservient, just to find a chance to turn the tables someday. Of course, Charlotte wouldn¡¯t allow a potential traitor to rise. Even though she considered using him as a tool, she had to retrieve the statue he possessed. Naturally, how to retrieve it would require skill. Thinking of this, Charlotte chuckled lightly, her lazy voice turning serious. ¡°Albrecht, I can give you a chance to pledge your loyalty. I won¡¯t pursue your past offenses or your disrespect.¡± Albrecht¡¯s eyes lit up, his expression instantly becoming excited. ¡°But¡­¡± Charlotte¡¯s tone shifted, her expression turning cold. ¡°You recklessly created forbidden blood thralls, disrupting the bloodborne hierarchy¡¯s stability. You must be punished!¡± Albrecht¡¯s heart tightened, and he nervously asked. ¡°True Ancestor, how do you intend to punish me?¡± Charlotte gave him a meaningful look and said, ¡°Since you like creating forbidden blood thralls so much, why don¡¯t you experience being a blood servant yourself?¡± Albrecht¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You¡­ you want to make me your blood servant?!¡± ¡°What, you don¡¯t want to?¡± Charlotte¡¯s gaze turned icy. Feeling the oppressive bloodline pressure, Albrecht¡¯s scalp tingled. His mind raced, and he reluctantly said, ¡°True Ancestor, you mentioned that forbidden blood thralls disrupt the bloodborne hierarchy¡¯s stability¡­¡± Charlotte chuckled, her voice turning cold. ¡°Albrecht, let¡¯s be honest.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really care about your loyalty, but I hate betrayal. I don¡¯t trust you, no matter how convincingly you speak¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re interesting, and I¡¯m willing to listen to you more, but that doesn¡¯t mean I have patience.¡± S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°You have too much demonic nature. Compared to a bloodborne, you¡¯re more like a demon. If you don¡¯t want to be a blood servant, that¡¯s fine. More than a deceitful duke, I need enough bloodline power.¡± With that, Charlotte casually opened the Gospel of Blood and activated the ¡°True Ancestor¡¯s Liberation¡±, preparing to take action and seize his bloodline power. Feeling the drastic change in her aura, Albrecht¡¯s expression changed, and he quickly shouted. ¡°I am willing! Albrecht is willing!¡± ¡°Great True Ancestor, becoming your blood servant is the highest honor. Albrecht is willing to accept your punishment!¡± Seeing the sweat-covered, quickly submissive Albrecht, Charlotte smiled. She withdrew the blood divine power, and a flash of light formed a glowing orb symbolizing the blood servant contract in her hand. ¡°In that case, sign the contract.¡± She gently pushed the orb towards Albrecht. Albrecht¡¯s expression fluctuated. He looked at the blood-red orb, his heart filled with turmoil, but finally, he gritted his teeth and reluctantly absorbed it into his soul. So be it¡­ A Demon of Hell can endure and yield, knowing that fortunes can change. As long as he stayed alive and kept his trump card, given enough time and opportunity, he would find a way out. For now, it is best to submit! Albrecht gave up resistance and chose to surrender. However, he mentally noted today¡¯s events. He was cautious but also vengeful. In history, those Dark Apostles who were either killed, exiled, or sealed by the Holy Court, many had suffered setbacks due to his covert actions. As the light flashed, Albrecht felt new shackles in his soul. Suppressing his frustration and hatred, he took a deep breath, replacing it with an expression of respect and obedience, saying flatteringly. ¡°Great True Ancestor, now¡­ do you trust Albrecht?¡± Charlotte nodded slightly, satisfied. ¡°Good, you¡¯re obedient. A good dog indeed.¡± Albrecht: ¡­ Seeing Albrecht¡¯s somewhat forced smile, Charlotte felt quite pleased. She extended her hand towards him and said playfully. ¡°Alright, now¡­ hand over that statue you¡¯ve hidden.¡± Upon hearing this, Albrecht¡¯s smile instantly froze on his face. Chapter 370: Acting as an Undercover Agent ¡°The statue? Your Excellency, the True Ancestor¡­ I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about¡­¡± Albrecht laughed awkwardly. Charlotte glanced at him with a half-smile, not bothering to argue further on the matter. She continued to play with the newly manifested blood servant mark in her mental world, and chuckled softly. ¡°Albrecht, my patience is limited, so¡­ don¡¯t think you can deceive me about this. You know exactly what I mean.¡± Albrecht: ¡­ Feeling a certain threat emanating from the depths of his soul, his smile grew more strained. A forbidden blood thrall is nothing more than a master¡¯s slave, with life and death at the master¡¯s whim. The moment he accepted the contract to become a forbidden blood thrall, he lost the bargaining power to negotiate with her. He was tricked! Albrecht¡¯s mood plummeted, and in his eyes, the figure sitting high on the Blood Throne seemed more like a demon than he did. Though he was extremely unwilling and filled with resentment and anger at being tricked, he felt the imprint suppressing his soul and the looming threat to his life. Ultimately, Albrecht chose to compromise. His expression fluctuated for a while before he hung his head in resignation, his spirit utterly deflated. ¡°Albrecht¡­ understands. Albrecht will offer you what you seek as soon as he returns to the real world¡­¡± Hearing his words, Charlotte nodded slightly. She could hear his thoughts, so she knew the faceless statue wasn¡¯t on him. However, his promise was genuine. With the blood servant¡¯s mark, unless he intended to die, Albrecht couldn¡¯t resist any longer. Albrecht was fundamentally extremely afraid of death. No matter how harsh Charlotte¡¯s conditions were, as long as she didn¡¯t force him to die, he would ultimately have to accept them under the threat of the blood servant¡¯s mark. Looking at the utterly defeated Albrecht, Charlotte pondered for a moment and then continued. ¡°From today onwards, you must report all your actions to me.¡± ¡°You must stop your plans to conduct sacrifices in Lutecia. Furthermore, all your previous plans must cease, and your future actions must follow my commands.¡± This time, Albrecht did not resist. Having become her forbidden blood thrall and knowing that even the faceless statue would be taken away, all his previous plans were effectively bankrupt. However¡­ ¡°Great True Ancestor, what about the Blood Demon Cult and Abaddon¡­¡± Albrecht hesitated and cautiously asked. He was a Dark Apostle of the Blood Demon Cult. This title represented not only status and power within the Blood Demon Cult but also the ability to communicate directly with the Blood Demon Archduke. Though he had never used it, he indeed possessed such power. It was rooted in his demonic bloodline. And this power was mutual. While he could communicate with the Blood Demon Archduke, the Archduke could also reach out to him. This ability was more of a remote communication tool than the restrictive power of the blood servant mark. However, divine power is omnipotent. Even with just this communication tool, the Blood Demon Archduke could still channel power through their connection. In other words, although Albrecht had become Charlotte¡¯s blood servant, the Blood Demon Archduke could still seek him out. At other times, Albrecht might have welcomed this situation, hoping to balance between two ¡°Gods¡± and leverage their power to gain freedom. But the forbidden blood thrall was different. As the harshest slave contract, once signed, it couldn¡¯t be escaped. In this situation, if the Blood Demon Archduke discovered his condition¡­ His fate would be sealed with death. The Blood Demon Archduke would never allow his Dark Apostle to be the blood servant of another being. Seeing Albrecht¡¯s worried expression, Charlotte chuckled lightly and said, ¡°No worries. You will still be the Dark Apostle of the Blood Demon Cult. Don¡¯t worry about your identity being exposed. I will be watching over you.¡± She wasn¡¯t concerned. Her contract with Albrecht as a blood servant was signed through the Gospel of Blood. Given that Albrecht was a Legendary, she used the supreme artifact to ensure suppression. With the Gospel of Blood, their contract was mystically linked to the Crimson Star Sea. If Abaddon, the Blood Demon Archduke, directed his attention to Albrecht, Charlotte would be the first to notice. The blood servant¡¯s mark was hidden within the soul¡¯s essence, and Albrecht¡¯s essence was linked to the Gospel of Blood. If the Blood Demon Archduke used divine power or spells to look at him, it would trigger the Gospel of Blood¡¯s Divine Counter! At that point, Charlotte could modify and conceal the judgments. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. If the Blood Demon Archduke used power too strong for Charlotte to counteract¡­ Then, there was no choice. At that time, Charlotte would abandon Albrecht. Of course, there was no need to tell Albrecht these details. As for Albrecht revealing her identity to the Blood Demon Archduke¡­ She had written her identity as the highest secret in the blood servant contract. If Albrecht revealed it, it would be an act of suicide. The harshest slave contract was the harshest because it imposed the severest and most unavoidable penalties for breaking its prohibitions. If Albrecht broke the contract, his soul would be instantly destroyed by its backlash. Charlotte knew this, and Albrecht knew this. So she wasn¡¯t worried about him acting foolishly. Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, Albrecht sighed in relief. But soon, another thought occurred to him, and he couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Your Excellency, the True Ancestor, do you mean for me to stay in the Blood Demon Cult?¡± Charlotte smiled and nodded. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°I want you to stay in the Blood Demon Cult and develop your power from within.¡± ¡°What you intended to do in Lutecia¡¯s Central Council, you will now do for me within the Blood Demon Cult.¡± Hearing this, Albrecht felt a chill run down his spine. The True Ancestor of Blood¡­ wanted him to act as an undercover agent in the Blood Demon Cult! Not only that, she wanted him to undermine the Blood Demon Archduke¡¯s influence and infiltrate the Blood Demon Cult! She¡­ she¡­ she was truly here for revenge! Albrecht wanted to refuse. He didn¡¯t want to get involved in a divine struggle. But sensing the blood servant mark in his soul, he knew he had no escape. On one side was the semi-divine Blood Demon Archduke Abaddon and other potential Bloodborne Princes, and on the other side was the True Ancestor of Blood, his master, who could end his life at any moment. If he had to offend one¡­ It seemed he had no choice. Looking at the figure on the throne, Albrecht finally sighed and said, ¡°Albrecht¡­ understands.¡± Charlotte nodded slightly, satisfied. ¡°Additionally¡­¡± She turned, summoning a crimson orb of light with a slight gesture. ¡°Transfer all your memories about the bloodborne to me, including its history.¡± Saying this, she gently pushed the orb towards Albrecht. Albrecht instinctively caught it, quickly realizing it was a manifestation of the bloodborne¡¯s memory-sharing magic in the mental path. This was unique to the Mental Clan Szelem¡¯s blood magic, but Albrecht wasn¡¯t surprised. After all, the True Ancestor of Blood mastering all blood magic was to be expected. As for how Charlotte mastered it, it was naturally through the Gospel of Blood¡¯s Mental Chapter. ¡°I understand. I will record all relevant memories and offer them to you along with the faceless statue¡­¡± Albrecht replied respectfully. He didn¡¯t ask why Charlotte wanted those memories. As a Legendary who had lived for two thousand years, he knew many resurrected myths had incomplete memories that needed external aid to awaken and replenish. Charlotte wanted to say more, but a familiar fatigue overtook her. She knew the time for the Blood Summoning was up. ¡°Remember your promise. I will wait for your offering. Don¡¯t make me take it myself.¡± ¡°And don¡¯t try anything. I¡¯ll be watching your every move.¡± She said meaningfully. With that, Charlotte waved her hand, ending the Blood Summoning. The crimson mist spread and the world plunged into darkness. Albrecht was sent out of the Dark Night Castle. Chapter 371: Return The crimson mist gradually dissipated, revealing the surrounding scenery. Albrecht found himself still in the cemetery outside Lutecia. He shivered, quickly extending his senses, and realized that his spiritual perception was no longer restricted, but had returned to its normal Legendary range. ¡°It seems I¡¯ve returned to reality.¡± Albrecht sighed in relief. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect God Nyx to be the True Ancestor, and I didn¡¯t expect her to come to Lutecia! The faceless statue¡­ Could it be that she came here for that?¡± ¡°Is that why she has her eyes on me as well?¡± ¡°What bad luck, I thought it was a way to advance, but I didn¡¯t expect to attract her attention¡­¡± ¡°No, I should have been more cautious. When I first sensed the divine power close to the source of blood in that statue, I should have realized the risk of today.¡± ¡°In the end, I was too careless.¡± Albrecht sighed lightly, looking regretful. But the deed was done, and he could no longer change the situation. Sighing, Albrecht sank into his consciousness. Deep within his soul, a crimson divine symbol was spinning continuously. The symbol, made of thorny roses, emitted a hazy radiance, merging with the essence of his soul. Whenever his emotions changed, the symbol would flicker accordingly, as if constantly monitoring his every move. It was the soul mark of a blood thrall. Feeling the noble aura emanating from the mark, Albrecht¡¯s expression changed repeatedly. Finally, he resignedly sighed. ¡°A blood thrall is a blood thrall. At least¡­ I wasn¡¯t devoured, at least I¡¯m still alive¡­¡± ¡°A myth in revival needs to replenish their power, but she didn¡¯t devour me, which means I still have greater use to her.¡± ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll temporarily obey and complete her tasks obediently. As long as I show enough value, at least¡­ for now, I should be safe.¡± ¡°The Divinity Descent Day isn¡¯t far away. By then, she should not have the energy and mind to focus on a minor Legendary like me¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll complete the tasks and heal while waiting for an opportunity to regain my freedom.¡± Albrecht quickly made up his mind. The plan to find a place to sleep had to be abandoned. Although he was reluctant, he knew the best course of action now was to follow orders and complete the tasks assigned by her. Of course, this did not mean he had completely given up on freedom and ambition. Bloodbornes had plenty of time. Although the True Ancestor of Blood was transcendent in status and power, she also had many enemies. He believed that as long as he could endure, he would find an opportunity. And once he got the chance, he would take back everything that was taken from him, with interest! Thinking of this, a sharp glint flashed in Albrecht¡¯s crimson pupils. However, at this moment, the divine symbol in his mind suddenly lit up, and a current-like power surged through his soul and body. He groaned, quickly stopping his disrespectful thoughts about the True Ancestor of Blood, burying his hostility deep within and replacing it with reverence. As respect replaced discontent and enmity, the deep soul pain gradually subsided. Albrecht concealed the gloom in his pupils, then sighed softly, stopping his investigation of the blood thrall mark. He spread his demonic wings, ready to leave. But just before leaving, he suddenly stopped, suspiciously looking in a certain direction. It was the direction of the cemetery entrance, where a dead oak tree stood, covered with black crows. Albrecht glanced at the crows, frowning slightly. After a moment of contemplation, he cast a spell in that direction, watching as the crows fell from the branches, trembling on the ground. ¡°Was it just my imagination?¡± Looking at the crows on the ground, Albrecht muttered to himself. He withdrew his gaze, no longer paying attention, and concealed his aura, flying in a different direction. After Albrecht¡¯s figure completely disappeared, the void beside the dead oak tree suddenly distorted. Black mist spread rapidly, quickly condensing into a blonde girl in a black gothic dress. It was Charlotte. She glanced in the direction Albrecht left, sighing slightly. ¡°As expected of a Legendary, his perception is sharp. He almost discovered me.¡± A Legendary was indeed a Legendary. Even when severely injured, their strength was incomparable to a Blazing Sun. Although there was a dual suppression of the ¡ºDemon Contract¡» and the bloodline of bloodbornes, it was best not to engage in combat so close to Lutecia. Drawing the opponent into a mental world for higher-level suppression was the best approach. As for his rebellious nature¡­ Charlotte was not too worried. As long as the blood thrall contract was maintained and he was monitored, it would be hard for Albrecht to cause trouble even if he jumped around. The only caution was to prevent him from circumventing the contract¡¯s constraints to set traps for her. For instance, deliberately underreporting or misguiding information. Charlotte would have to personally discern that, as no contract was foolproof. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Exhaling lightly, Charlotte¡¯s figure quickly disintegrated into numerous bats, flying into the distance. ¡­¡­ Albrecht had successfully escaped, but Lutecia¡¯s alarm was not lifted. Instead, the entire city became more guarded, and the magical defense system covering the city was activated. The six mage towers in various parts of the city, arranged in a hexagram, lit up, their blue light strikingly visible in the night. Furthermore, the cathedral¡¯s range of divine spells illuminated the sky, adding another layer of hazy radiance to the spell shield. On the streets, patrols of guards were constant, and almost the entire army of Demon Hunters and Inquisitors were deployed. Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night. When Charlotte returned to the estate, it had already been over ten minutes. With the capital heavily guarded, she could not use conspicuous power, so she had to take extra time to avoid the patrolling guards and knights on the streets. Bats flew to the mansion¡¯s second-floor balcony, eventually reforming into the girl¡¯s figure. Not long after sensing Charlotte¡¯s presence, Sebastian hurried over, looking anxious. He breathed a sigh of relief seeing Charlotte unharmed. ¡°Master¡­ you¡¯re finally back. If you had delayed any longer, I would have gone out to search for you.¡± Charlotte raised an eyebrow. ¡°Did something happen?¡± Sebastian first shook his head but then hesitated and nodded, looking worried. ¡°Master, during your absence, I inquired about some news and confirmed that the recent battle in the sky was the church fighting the Dark Apostle of the Blood Demon Cult, and it seems to be the Third Apostle, Albrecht.¡± ¡°Moreover, the Church¡¯s Grand Inquisitor and Hunter Cardinal, two Legendary clerics, did not go to the North but remained hidden in Lutecia. The Legendaries who just acted were also them!¡± ¡°In addition, the church plans to activate the artifact Eternal Sun for further inspection of the city¡­¡± Seeing Sebastian¡¯s worried expression, Charlotte realized she had not yet told him about her encounter with the church¡¯s three Legendaries in the cathedral. The elven butler was probably frightened by the church¡¯s news, as the Grand Inquisitor was a Legendary figure with a record of slaying Gods, and in his knowledge, although Charlotte was a ¡°God¡±, her power had not fully recovered. Her sudden departure without explaining much and the major actions of the church had naturally made him more anxious. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the church won¡¯t find us, and¡­ I¡¯ve already met the church¡¯s Legendaries.¡± Charlotte said. Sebastian¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯ve already fought them?¡± Hmm¡­ Did the probing and counter-probing in the cathedral count as fighting? Charlotte pondered. After thinking for a moment, she nodded slightly. ¡°Sort of.¡± Sebastian¡¯s expression changed from surprise to joy and then to curiosity. However, he quickly suppressed his curiosity, respectfully bowing and saying, ¡°Great Master, I should have known that you never act without preparation!¡± Charlotte looked at him, guessing he was probably overthinking. She didn¡¯t pursue it further, instead contemplating. ¡°In the next few days, stay low-key. The church will likely intensify their search for the Blood Demon Cult to avoid collateral damage.¡± Sebastian¡¯s expression turned serious as he solemnly replied. ¡°Master, I will follow your orders.¡± Hesitating for a moment, he added. ¡°Master, regarding the Blood Demon Cult, should we take this opportunity to¡­¡± ¡°No need, Albrecht is already mine. No need for unnecessary actions.¡± Charlotte glanced at him. Sebastian froze, his eyes widening again. Chapter 372: Charlottes Promise Seeing Sebastian¡¯s exaggerated yet slightly complicated and wary expression, Charlotte knew he must have misunderstood again. When she first took Yurst as her new blood servant, he had a similar expression, probably thinking she had enlisted the Dark Apostle as her follower. Thinking of this, Charlotte was somewhat speechless. Sebastian was good in every aspect: attentive service, outstanding abilities, saving her a lot of effort, and serving her very satisfactorily. He worked perfectly with Sherry. However, his protective nature was like that of a big dog, becoming alert whenever anyone else approached her, as if fearing his status might be threatened. Still, Charlotte didn¡¯t dislike this reaction. Valuing his position in her heart was, in fact, a sign of loyalty. Of course, Sebastian had initially chosen to follow her out of his ambition to advance further. He had never hidden this, openly stating his intentions when pledging allegiance. But after nearly two years of master-servant relationship and many shared experiences, their relationship had long surpassed the initial ¡°transaction.¡± When Charlotte saved him from the Grand Knight of the Borde Inquisition and when they signed the blood contract, Sebastian had truly become Charlotte¡¯s follower, not just an ambitious man looking for a ride. Thinking about it, Charlotte decided to explain more. ¡°Albrecht was forcibly contracted as a blood thrall, not a true follower. He will act as our pawn to infiltrate the Blood Demon Cult.¡± ¡°The Blood Demon Cult has already become aware of my existence. Even though they don¡¯t know my identity, it remains a threat. If we are to develop in Crescent, we must deal with this organization promptly¡­¡± ¡°For a secret organization like the Blood Demon Cult, infiltration is easier than external attacks. That¡¯s why I chose Albrecht.¡± She glanced at Sebastian. ¡°Like how Yurst serves the Nez Clan, I won¡¯t keep Albrecht by my side, so you needn¡¯t worry about your position.¡± ¡°Your service has been very satisfactory. For the job of butler, only you are suitable in my eyes, so¡­ don¡¯t overthink.¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, Sebastian was momentarily stunned, feeling a bit awkward for being seen through. He coughed and said awkwardly. ¡°Master, you misunderstood. Seeing more people follow you makes Sebastian very happy. How could I overthink?¡± ¡°Oh, really? I thought you were worried about losing your limelight.¡± Charlotte gave him a knowing look. Being stared at by Charlotte¡¯s brilliant crimson eyes, Sebastian felt even more uneasy. He sighed and said, ¡°Alright, Master. Indeed, Sebastian feels a bit uneasy and worried¡­¡± ¡°But, Sebastian promises, it¡¯s not because of you, but rather¡­ it¡¯s about myself.¡± The Flame Elf sighed and smiled bitterly. ¡°Master, your power has recovered faster than Sebastian imagined. In less than two years, you can already contend with several church Legendaries and recruit Legendary bloodbornes.¡± ¡°But Sebastian¡­ is still only at Silver Moon.¡± ¡°Sebastian really worries about losing value and status in your eyes, fearing his strength can¡¯t keep up with your progress¡­¡± Charlotte was surprised by his words. She hadn¡¯t thought he would feel this way. She reassessed Sebastian, who bowed slightly in shame. Through their blood contract, Charlotte could sense his anxiety, insecurity, and uncertainty about the future. Charlotte understood this feeling well. It stemmed from a lack of self-confidence. Sebastian, once a Blazing Sun, had fallen due to severe injuries, with no hope of recovery. Though he became her follower with the potential to regain his strength, this wasn¡¯t an immediate process. After becoming a blood thrall, Sebastian had been very excited, training diligently every day to regain his Blazing Sun power. Charlotte knew all this, she had often seen him training alone in the quiet room after a busy day. His strength had indeed improved, but still not enough for full recovery. Perhaps given more time, he could regain his power, but compared to Charlotte¡¯s rapid improvement and the new followers she kept recruiting, his strength seemed increasingly insufficient. Hence, his inevitable anxiety and self-doubt. This was understandable. When Charlotte first met him, his great strength was her trump card. But now, even without unlocking her full potential, Charlotte might be stronger than Sebastian. Sebastian was at the peak of Silver Moon. Charlotte, with the fusion of the mysterious statue, had also reached the peak of Silver Moon, with even greater resilience and resistance due to her unique physique. The gap between their strengths had reversed and would continue to grow. The new followers she recruited would only become stronger. This would make anyone anxious. After sensing Sebastian¡¯s strength, Charlotte sighed. She wanted to pat his shoulder for comfort, but considering their height difference, she estimated she¡¯d have to stand on tiptoe, which seemed self-deprecating, so she abandoned the idea. ¡°Don¡¯t belittle yourself. You¡¯ve done well. As for your strength¡­ when the time is right, I will personally help you recover, and even further progress isn¡¯t impossible.¡± Charlotte said. Sebastian was stunned, looking dazed. Seeing his expression, Charlotte showed disdain. ¡°Alright, lift your head. I¡¯ve always said those who contribute will be rewarded. I see all your efforts.¡± S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I value loyalty more than strength. The disloyal will never truly enter my sight, and you are already a recognized follower.¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s seemingly impatient yet comforting words, Sebastian felt a surge of emotion. ¡°Master¡­¡± Seeing his almost tearful expression, Charlotte twitched her mouth and said, ¡°Alright, we¡¯re centuries-old elves. Stop acting like a child. Get back to work. I¡¯m a bit thirsty, prepare some extraordinary blood for me.¡± Sebastian: ¡­ Taking a deep breath, Sebastian bowed. ¡°Apologies, Master. I lost my composure. I¡¯ll prepare your supper right away.¡± He bowed respectfully again before leaving slowly. Watching him leave, Charlotte leaned on the railing, lost in thought. Sebastian¡¯s mood somewhat reflected the state of her current power. As time passed, her strength kept growing, and with external aids, she had already stepped into the realm of myths. But her followers were too weak overall, unable to keep pace with her progress. Especially in her core circle, led by Sebastian, the strongest was Sebastian himself. Others, like Black Cat Nice and Blood Wolf Tribe¡¯s current Priest Werewolf Luff, were even weaker. To develop her power and faith, Charlotte couldn¡¯t do everything herself. She needed strong followers. To establish herself in the kingdom and across Myria, not just her strength, but her followers¡¯ strength needed to be higher. At least¡­ they had to hold their ground. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s time to consider enhancing everyone¡¯s strength.¡± Charlotte murmured. The usual way to enhance strength was through extraordinary training, but it was slow. However, Charlotte had an external aid. That was one of the abilities unlocked by the Gospel of Blood ¡ªDivine Blessing. Divine Blessing was one of the few abilities using blood divine power, allowing her to bestow blessings on targets by consuming divine power. Charlotte had tried it a few times, and the effects could be permanent or temporary, with divine power consumption proportional to the blessing¡¯s strength. It could work on objects or people. She could use this ability to create ¡°artifacts¡±, grant believers the power to cast divine spells, or even enhance a target¡¯s bloodline, directly boosting their strength. Of course, the cost was high, consuming divine power, which was always scarce, so Charlotte rarely used it and had set it aside. But now, with the fusion of the mysterious statue, divine power was no longer as scarce. Additionally, she unlocked Faith Network, allowing deeper connections with believers. Granting power to followers and descendants through divine power wasn¡¯t merely a gift but an investment. It could become a major source of divine power, potentially helping Charlotte ascend to the divine throne. Thinking of this, Charlotte made a plan. ¡°After Albrecht sacrifices the new statue, and the Central Council ends smoothly, I¡¯ll prioritize this upon returning to the North¡­¡± Chapter 373: Royal x Church Collab After successfully converting Albrecht, the dark apostle of the Blood Demon Cult, into a blood thrall, Charlotte stopped her endeavors and quietly settled at the estate, waiting for the Central Meeting to commence. However, the aftermath of the Legendary battle in Lutecia¡¯s night sky was just beginning. That night, the city guards and Demon Hunter Knights locked down the entire capital city, conducting a thorough search throughout Lutecia, capturing a large number of Blood Demon Cultists and uncovering several cult hideouts. Particularly noteworthy was the investigation into the manor where the Dark Apostle appeared, revealing a vast hidden underground temple to the public. According to the church¡¯s internal reports, the temple¡¯s origins could date back nearly two thousand years. This revelation sent shockwaves through the entire capital. Lutecia has a long history, having been destroyed and rebuilt multiple times over the past two thousand years. Many old city ruins are buried beneath the current city, which is well- known. In fact, Lutecia¡¯s existing drainage system is built on the ruins of a previous city. This drainage system, constructed during the peak of the Yunette Empire when bathhouse construction was popular, remains beneficial even today due to its extensive network. However, this ancient and intricate drainage system has also made Lutecia¡¯s underground complex and mysterious, becoming a breeding ground for evil and darkness. The newly discovered ancient temple is connected to this drainage system but extends even deeper, below the drainage system itself. After further evaluation by a high-ranking cleric from the Holy Court, this temple was identified as likely being left by the True Ancestor from the Blood Moon Era, making it the ninth ancient bloodborne temple discovered on the Myria continent. Incidentally, the temple discovered a month ago in the Castell territory was the eighth, and the Holy Court had already planned to send clerics for further investigation. However, before they could depart, another temple was found in Lutecia. Divine Warning Bell, Legendary Blood Demons, ancient temples¡­ Even the least sensitive individuals could sense an impending storm. As more investigative reports about the ancient temple emerged from the church, further tremors shook Lutecia¡ª The temple was revealed to be a base for the Blood Demon Cult, where they had constructed a massive sacrificial array directly beneath the Kingdom¡¯s Council Hall! Through the examination by church officials and the trials conducted by Inquisitors on captured Blood Demon Cultists, the Blood Demon Cult¡¯s plot in Lutecia gradually came to light¡­ The ambitious Blood Demon Cult intended to take advantage of the Central Meeting of the Crescent Kingdom to eliminate all the attending nobles in one fell swoop, sacrificing them all! In response, the Kingdom¡¯s First Guard Knight Order, the Church¡¯s Inquisition, and the Demon Hunter Bureau formed an investigation team to thoroughly investigate Lutecia. Their targets included nobles, clerics, merchants, mage associations, mercenary guilds, and the general populace of both the inner and outer city, aiming to capture and trial all those suspected of associating with or joining the Blood Demon Cult. Nobles, in particular, were the primary targets of this investigation, and those suspected of colluding with the Blood Demon Cult were to face the harshest penalties. This news caused an uproar throughout the capital. No one, including nobles and clerics, expected the king and the church to act so decisively and swiftly. Lutecia, with its nearly one million inhabitants, is a massive city. Issuing an order to lock down the city and conduct a comprehensive search is no small feat. Moreover, Lutecia¡¯s power dynamics are intricate, with significant noble influence. Even the king¡¯s suppression of the nobles relies mostly on internal noble checks and balances. The king¡¯s own power is also composed of various nobles. Balancing powers in normal times is one thing, but conducting thorough investigations and trials is another matter, one that far exceeds Charlotte¡¯s scrutiny of the North. Many nobles indeed have some association with the Blood Demon Cult¡­ Under these circumstances, noble opposition was almost inevitable. And so it was. Shortly after the order was issued, nobles gathered in Lutecia protested, claiming such strict scrutiny violated the Royal Covenant and was the act of a tyrant, an illegal breach of the contract. Some prominent nobles openly refused entry to their families by the guard and church knights. The Central Meeting hadn¡¯t started yet, but the royal family and the nobles were already at odds. The Gaston family, known for its neutral stance in the kingdom, strongly opposed the royal and church investigation this time. Duke Gaston, leveraging his near-Legendary strength, became the leader of the opposition. According to Duke Gaston, while punishing evil is important, the rights of nobles are protected by the Royal Covenant and the Holy Code and are sacred and inviolable. Even the church cannot subject nobles to such strict scrutiny without sufficient evidence. As Duke Gaston¡¯s remarks spread, they garnered widespread support among the nobles, further complicating the atmosphere in Lutecia. From the moment the royal family and the church announced the lockdown and investigation to the nobles¡¯ dissatisfaction and protests, all this happened within less than a day. Amidst this, various rumors began to spread throughout Lutecia¡­ Rumors that the royal family had betrayed the nobles and sided with the church, that the Central Meeting was a conspiracy by the king against the nobles, and so on. Fear spread through the capital, quickly turning into anger. The nobles refused to cooperate, and there was a trend of uniting to resist the investigation. However, the subsequent development of events surprised many¡­ Legendaries intervened again. The Grand Inquisitor of the Holy Court, Bernard, and Hunter Cardinal, Joseph, personally led a team to investigate the Gaston family. On the night the investigation order was issued, a terrifying energy fluctuation erupted in Lutecia¡¯s inner city once again, or more precisely, a battle. This battle¡¯s magic fluctuations, though far less than the previous day¡¯s Legendary battle, still covered a significant portion of the inner city¡¯s sky. The battle came swiftly and ended just as quickly. Although the magic power intensity reached Legendary levels, it concluded shortly after a dazzling holy light descended like God¡¯s wrath. As the battle concluded, more detailed and shocking news emerged for the nobles. One of the Nine Dukes of the Crescent Kingdom, Duke Gaston¡ªthe kingdom¡¯s most promising candidate to ascend to the Legendary rank¡ªwas dead. And the person who killed him was none other than Bernard, the Grand Inquisitor of the Holy Court¡¯s Crescent Diocese. Following this, the investigation team swiftly investigated the Gaston family, uncovering substantial evidence of collusion with the Blood Demon Cult and arresting over a dozen family members who had become Blood Demon Cultists. This included Gaston¡¯s direct heir, Richard. Once this news spread, the nobles throughout the capital became subdued. No one expected the church¡¯s Legendary cleric to act so decisively and ruthlessly. Moreover, the precise nature of the investigation and trial made the nobles realize one crucial fact: the royal family and the church already possessed significant information. This was a well-prepared examination! Many people came to this realization. As a result, the number of resisting nobles quickly dwindled, with some families proactively admitting their faults and providing the church with substantial intelligence on the Blood Demon Cult. The investigation team, composed of the church and the royal family, did not rest but continued their investigations, successfully uncovering and suppressing nobles colluding with the Blood Demon Cult. Even within the Holy Court, more than ten clerics were arrested on charges of corruption. For a time, the entire Lutecia was in turmoil. Charlotte¡¯s estate in the inner city also underwent scrutiny, though it was relatively lenient. Only the shops owned by the Castell family were rigorously examined due to previous incidents involving Blood Demon Cultists. Of course, no issues were found during the examination, and any potential exposures were easily resolved by Charlotte¡¯s Divine Counter. Charlotte wasn¡¯t overly concerned about the church¡¯s scrutiny. As the instigator, she knew the investigation of her family was likely just a formality. The church¡¯s targeted investigation suggested they had received the list she had left behind. Charlotte inquired about it, comparing it to her recorded list¡­ It was clear that the initial investigation had a probing nature, but once the list¡¯s authenticity was confirmed, it turned into a direct arrest-then-investigate approach. However, Charlotte also noticed that the nobles arrested for colluding with the Blood Demon Cult included some well-known opposition figures not listed, who had always been at odds with King Louis V. Observing everything from a bystander¡¯s perspective and considering her intelligence, Charlotte quickly realized the situation. Thanks to the Blood Demon Cult, the royal family and the church had indeed united this time. The royal family supported the church¡¯s investigation and capture of nobles associated with the Blood Demon Cult, while the church tacitly approved the royal family¡¯s suppression of opposing nobles. Although the Crescent royal family and the church had traditionally been at odds, they unexpectedly found common ground in this instance. Charlotte clicked her tongue. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. This kind of tacit understanding was stirred up by her, the little butterfly. However, considering what she had seen and heard since arriving in the capital, along with the church¡¯s undercover agents within the Blood Demon Cult, she suspected that the royal family and the church had likely planned to cooperate all along. Prince Philip was probably abandoned by the royal family long ago. The true purpose of this meeting was likely not for the nobles and the church to unite and weaken royal power but for the royal family and the church to join forces to suppress the nobles and strengthen central authority and religious faith! Perhaps the original plan was to act when the Blood Demon Cult made a significant move or, more accurately, during the Central Meeting. However, her actions exposed Albrecht, revealing the Blood Demon Cult¡¯s plans prematurely¡­ It was foreseeable that once this storm passed, King Louis V¡¯s central authority would likely strengthen further, and the Holy Court¡¯s control over the Crescent Diocese¡¯s faith would also intensify. The only casualties would be the nobles of Crescent and the troublemaking Blood Demon Cult. Of course, this had little to do with Charlotte. As an emerging noble of the kingdom, Charlotte¡¯s interests had not yet directly conflicted with the royal family. She had not shown hostility towards the royal family, and with the royal family having clearly abandoned Prince Philip, she would not be targeted as long as she did not threaten the royal family. As for Albrecht¡¯s faction being completely wiped out¡­ Honestly, Charlotte did not care at all. She was well aware of the nature of Blood Demon Cultists. Even if she allowed Albrecht to infiltrate the Blood Demon Cult, she would not accept every evil and chaotic element. Those scum were better off judged, and it was convenient to let the church ¡°clean the house.¡± The joint investigation by the royal family and the church was expected to last a few more days, and Lutecia¡¯s chaos would not end soon. But this no longer concerned Charlotte. Her goal was achieved, and all that was left was to wait for the storm to pass, attend the meeting, then pack up and go home. If her prediction was correct, this Central Meeting was probably just a formality. Since the church and the royal family were cooperating, Prince Philip¡¯s fate was likely already sealed¡ªdeposed and confined. Charlotte¡¯s real task would be to meet the king and conduct business with other nobles. Not a bad outcome. This purge would inevitably alter the noble power structure, creating power vacuums that could allow emerging nobles like Charlotte to expand their influence. Having understood everything, Charlotte stopped personally monitoring the investigation, instructing Sebastian to collect relevant information daily for entertainment. On the fourth day of this ¡°Great Purge¡±, Charlotte finally received a call from Albrecht. More accurately, a sacrificial offering. Chapter 374: Albrechts Sacrifice A familiar yet foreign call echoed in Charlotte¡¯s heart, it was Albrecht¡¯s prayer. A Legendary being¡¯s prayer carried far more power than that of any other extraordinary individual. Charlotte didn¡¯t even have to deliberately seek it out, she could immediately sense Albrecht¡¯s state. The Legendary blood thrall, possessing the bloodline of a demon, was likely in a sealed room. The room housed a sacrificial array and altar, with the symbol of the Thorny Rose placed above the altar. At the center of the sacrificial array lay a small statue and a shimmering crystal ball. At that moment, Albrecht stood before the array, respectfully chanting her revered name. Feeling the ethereal call, Charlotte immersed herself in her consciousness, entering the Dark Night Castle. She then used the faith network to connect with the symbol that Albrecht had drawn. Soon, she felt as if she was linked to some inter-dimensional passageway through the void. It was the sacrificial array¡¯s activation of the teleportation channel¡ªor rather, the sacrificial channel. Through this ethereal sacrificial channel, Charlotte could see the statue and the crystal ball on the other side, as well as Albrecht murmuring incantations beside them. With a slight thought, she chose to accept, and the sacrificial array before Albrecht glowed crimson, engulfing the statue and the crystal ball. Charlotte felt a strange suction from the sacrificial channel. Accompanied by the crimson glow, a small statue and a shimmering crystal ball appeared before her. The sacrifice was successful. To Charlotte, it felt more like an alternative form of teleportation, with the destination being herself, and the location being the Dark Night Castle. Looking at Albrecht¡¯s offerings, Charlotte waved her hand gently, and the small statue and crystal ball flew into her hands. This was Charlotte¡¯s first true acceptance of a sacrifice. Before merging with the statue, she could communicate with believers or supplicants through the Thorny Rose symbol, but this was her first time experiencing a sacrifice akin to that received by a God. This was an additional capability of the faith network, allowing Charlotte to use the symbol as a node and achieve directional teleportation through the sacrificial array. Holding the statue and crystal ball, Charlotte felt their tangible presence, distinctly different from the illusory nature of the mental world. She sensed that she could bring the sacrificed statue and crystal ball into the real world at any moment. It was a novel experience. After merging with the statue, Charlotte had vaguely sensed some transformation in her mental world. Successfully receiving a sacrifice now further confirmed her suspicions. Her Dark Night Castle seemed to be more than just a manifestation of her mental world, it had acquired some real-world characteristics. More precisely, this mental world was exhibiting signs of becoming a separate space, capable of storing real-world objects. This naturally reminded Charlotte of certain descriptions in her treasured extraordinary tomes. It was said that once an extraordinary being reached the Legendary tier, their mental power would undergo a further qualitative change, allowing them to create a unique space within their consciousness to store items¡ªreferred to as personal or pocket space. Perhaps this was similar to her current Dark Night Castle. However, Charlotte was not a Legendary, she was still a Silver Moon. Frankly, Charlotte was beginning to doubt whether she still counted as a Silver Moon in the conventional sense. She possessed a God-like faith network, could receive sacrifices like a God, bestow blessings, and even use divine power, or rather, accumulate divine power. So, what difference was there between her and a God? In fact, aside from her relatively weak physical strength, she was almost indistinguishable from a God¡ªa genuinely resurrected minor God! Especially considering the divine flame that ignited in her heart after merging with the faceless statue, which led her to numerous speculations¡­ Unfortunately, her family¡¯s tomes only recorded up to the Legendary tier, with no information beyond that. Even Nice, who knew the most about myth, had mostly blanks in related knowledge. Therefore, Charlotte couldn¡¯t definitively judge her current state. The personal panel in the Gospel of Blood described her current extraordinary rank, but it only corresponded to her present strength. For instance, it now read ¡°Blood Viscount¡±, and during True Ancestor¡¯s Liberation, it would change to ¡°Blood Duke.¡± Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Shaking her head, Charlotte temporarily set the matter aside. Regardless of her current state, her goal remained unchanged: to become stronger and ascend to Godhood. She picked up Albrecht¡¯s sacrificed faceless statue and began a thorough investigation. Crimson light spread from her fingertips, covering the statue. Charlotte closed her eyes and probed with divine power, quickly discovering a familiar force within the statue. It was the blood divine power. This statue, like the one she previously merged with, stored abundant blood divine power. In a way, the statue itself seemed composed of this blood divine power. However, apart from the divine power, there seemed to be another force within the statue. Before merging with the statue, Charlotte hadn¡¯t sensed this force. After merging once, her perception seemed to have sharpened, allowing her to faintly detect this mysterious power. It was difficult for her to describe this force in words, but she could roughly determine that it was also related to divine power. If divine power was the flesh of the faceless statue, then this force¡­ was like its skeleton. As Charlotte further sensed this, she felt her heart begin to throb. The golden-red flame in her heart burned more intensely, and she was surprised to discover a desire to devour this mysterious power¡ªa resonance, a longing to merge. Charlotte had a hunch: perhaps the divine flame that appeared after she merged with the statue was related to this mysterious power. Combined with Albrecht¡¯s thoughts in the Dark Night Castle, she had some speculations. Perhaps this mysterious power was also the key to Godhood! After carefully sensing the statue, Charlotte ended her investigation. She chose not to merge with the statue immediately. She had a premonition that if she did, the resulting commotion would be no less than the one in her hometown, and she would most likely advance to Blazing Sun and fall into slumber. Charlotte wasn¡¯t ready for slumber yet. Moreover, this place, Lutecia, the core area of the Holy Court, was not an ideal location for merging with the statue. She planned to return to the North and find a suitable place to prepare for the merger. Having made up her mind, Charlotte put away the faceless statue, placing it in the deepest part of the Dark Night Castle. Setting aside the merger, the statue¡¯s considerable divine power alone made it valuable enough to be considered a portable power source, naturally requiring careful storage in the most suitable place¡ªthe Dark Night Castle. After securing the statue, Charlotte turned her attention to the crystal ball. She could sense the familiar power within it. It was also the blood divine power, but this time, it was the power she had left with Albrecht for imprinting memories. Charlotte preferred to call it divine art. Taking a deep breath, her expression became solemn. As an ancient bloodborne, Albrecht had witnessed the rise and fall of the bloodborne and knew many secrets of the bloodborne. The Holy Court and the bloodbornes had both erased much of the history concerning the True Ancestor of Blood, and now, Charlotte finally had the opportunity to thoroughly examine it. Taking a deep breath, Charlotte touched the crystal, carefully sensing it. Her mental power spread, connecting with the crystal that recorded memories. In the next moment, a flood of vast and chaotic memories surged into Charlotte¡¯s mind like an unstoppable mudslide¡­ Chapter 375: The Secret of the Faceless Statue It turns out that Charlotte underestimated the vastness of a Legendary Bloodborne¡¯s memory. As soon as Albrecht¡¯s memories related to the bloodborne surged into her mind through the crystal ball, she regretted it. A sea of information flooded her consciousness like a tidal wave, overwhelming her senses and causing a splitting headache. It felt as if she was trying to cram an entire room¡¯s worth of books into a single backpack. Charlotte thought her brain might explode from the pressure. At that moment, Charlotte realized a major flaw in her command to Albrecht. She had asked him to imprint all his memories related to the bloodborne. So, just how many of his memories were actually related to the bloodborne? The answer was nearly all of them since he first became a bloodborne. While many bloodbornes live solitary lives, they are fundamentally social creatures. Especially since Albrecht was initially a high-ranking member of the Shedite Clan and later became a Dark Apostle, nearly all his actions impacted the activities of the Shedite Clan and the Blood Demon Cult. It¡¯s like an old saying from the Ancient China. ¡°There are no small matters around the emperor.¡± While Albrecht wasn¡¯t an emperor, as a top-tier bloodborne, his daily activities were closely tied to the bloodborne. In other words, almost all of his memories from the past two thousand years broadly fit the imprinting criteria Charlotte had set. Charlotte probably intended to gain some knowledge and secrets about the bloodborne, but Albrecht couldn¡¯t know exactly what she needed. Charlotte couldn¡¯t specify the exact information she wanted, so Albrecht, being the cautious bloodborne he was, imprinted all his memories related to the bloodborne just to be safe. As a bloodborne, he couldn¡¯t imagine that the ¡°True Ancestor¡±, who he viewed as a God, would be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of memories. This was quite awkward for Charlotte. While she had various God-like special abilities, her brain wasn¡¯t nearly as powerful as those true Gods with computing and storage capabilities rivaling supercomputers. Even excluding Albrecht¡¯s long periods of dormancy, the imprinted memories were still a massive amount of information. The vast influx of memories battered Charlotte¡¯s consciousness. Another troublesome issue arose: memories are carriers of self-awareness. When Albrecht¡¯s millennia-old memories flooded her consciousness, her combined memories from her two lives, totaling less than thirty years, became a fragile boat in a storm. When a large bucket of water is mixed with a small cup of juice, it¡¯s the juice that gets diluted. Similarly, Charlotte felt like a small cup of juice being diluted in a large bucket of water. Under the impact of the memories, her self-awareness was also challenged. Albrecht¡¯s memories quickly overwhelmed Charlotte¡¯s own memories. She felt as if she had become a Demonic Bloodborne, witnessing the rise and fall of the bloodborne alongside bloodborne myths¡­ S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. No. She was a Demonic Bloodborne. Her name wasn¡¯t Charlotte, it was Albrecht¡­ Charlotte¡¯s consciousness wavered, and her awareness became confused. At this critical moment, the Gospel of Blood she had manifested in her hand suddenly emitted a crimson glow. The glow spread over Charlotte, and simultaneously, the golden-red flame burning in her heart became brighter. Under the flame¡¯s influence, Charlotte¡¯s chaotic consciousness gradually cleared, and her own memories grew stronger, suppressing the foreign memories. Charlotte quickly regained her sense of self. She was slightly startled and, upon coming to her senses, looked at the memory crystal in her hand with a sense of lingering fear. She had almost ¡°become¡± Albrecht! Thankfully, she had worried about potential accidents and activated the Gospel of Blood right from the start, using its soul protection to maintain the final defense! ¡°Albrecht¡¯s memories are too vast. It seems¡­ I can¡¯t absorb them in the usual way.¡± Charlotte exhaled and muttered to herself. Since Albrecht¡¯s memories couldn¡¯t be absorbed through normal methods, she would have to try another form of storage. Recalling how she handled prayers from her followers after gaining believers, Charlotte closed her eyes and reconnected with the Gospel of Blood. Golden-red light blossomed, her hair rapidly lengthened, and her figure grew taller, quickly transforming into her majestic and awe-inspiring adult form. ¡°.¡± Charlotte calmly intoned. The blood divine power spread, enveloping Albrecht¡¯s memory crystal. Simultaneously, the ¡°divine flame¡± in Charlotte¡¯s heart burned more intensely. Charlotte manipulated the divine power to envelop Albrecht¡¯s vast memories and further enhanced her perception. Under the influence of divine power, her mental strength, already far superior to her peers, surged further, faintly overpowering Albrecht¡¯s memories. Charlotte further activated her divine power to ¡°see¡± Albrecht¡¯s memories. In her ¡°vision¡±, Albrecht¡¯s memories appeared as a massive light cluster composed of various colors. This was the divine power¡¯s perception of memories representing different emotions, situations, and times. With the divine power¡¯s assistance, Charlotte¡¯s computational abilities skyrocketed. She used the divine power to segment and compress Albrecht¡¯s memories according to their colors. Like computer files being compressed, Albrecht¡¯s memories were divided by categories and compressed into ¡°file packets.¡± Soon, the vast memories were transformed into smaller light clusters. Metaphorically, it was like organizing a roomful of documents into neatly categorized books. With a thought, Charlotte had the light clusters enter her consciousness but not integrate with her memories. Instead, they were stored deep within her sea of consciousness. This was archiving. Meanwhile, new changes occurred in the Dark Night Castle. In the castle hall, crimson light spread rapidly, forming a new door. The door opened, revealing a vast space like a library, filled with various books on the shelves. This was the materialization of Albrecht¡¯s memories in the Dark Night Castle. At this moment, his memories were stored in Charlotte¡¯s mental world in the form of a ¡°library.¡± The glow on the memory crystal dimmed and eventually turned into shattered particles that dissipated. Feeling her somewhat swollen mental strength, Charlotte exhaled lightly. ¡°Finally¡­ it¡¯s done.¡± Albrecht¡¯s memories had been successfully absorbed. However, they were not directly imprinted in her mind but stored deep in her consciousness. Charlotte would only retrieve and ¡°decompress¡± these ¡°files¡± when she needed specific information, then ¡°read¡± them. Thinking of this, Charlotte attempted to ¡°retrieve¡± information about the Faceless Statue. As she willed it, a book from a shelf in the ¡°library¡± flew to her. She reached out to catch it and gently opened it. As the pages turned, Albrecht¡¯s memories about the ¡°Faceless Statue¡± emerged in her mind. The Faceless Statue. A mysterious statue left by the True Ancestor of Blood before she disappeared. To house these statues, specific temples were even built and buried across the Myria Continent. No one knew the true purpose behind the creation of the Faceless Statues by the True Ancestor of Blood. These statues all contained the True Ancestor¡¯s divine power but could not be actively absorbed or utilized. Within the Bloodborne, there were numerous speculations. The most widely accepted one was that the Faceless Statues were related to the return of the True Ancestor and were a contingency left behind. For millennia, to prevent the Ancestor¡¯s return, various Blood Clans have been searching for the Faceless Statues. The Blood Demon Archduke is the only one capable of actively mobilizing the divine power within the Faceless Statues. Blood Demon followers have similarly gained the ability to harness the power of the Faceless Statues, even bypassing the Cursed Pages¡¯ curse, allowing ordinary bloodbornes to use the Cursed Pages¡¯ power. Albrecht once heard Barov mention that the Faceless Statues hide the secret to ascending to Godhood, helping certain bloodbornes with special bloodlines become new Gods. ¡°Helping bloodbornes with special bloodlines ascend to Godhood?¡± Charlotte¡¯s heart skipped a beat. After a moment¡¯s contemplation, she summoned information on the ¡°Ancient Temples and Detailed Information on the Faceless Statues.¡± Soon, another book flew from the ¡°library¡± shelf and into her hand. Charlotte received it and accessed the new information. So far, thirteen ancient temples have been discovered on the Myria Continent, with nine known to the public and four hidden by the bloodborne. One on Luna Island, one in the Starfall Kingdom, three in the Crescent Kingdom, one in the Northern Grand Duchy, two in the Western Yunette Empire, one in the Coria Kingdom, one in the Theocracy, two in the Eastern Yunette Blacklands, and one in the Dragon Spine Mountains. Theoretically, there are twenty-two Faceless Statues in the world, most of which have disappeared or been destroyed. Currently, excluding the clearly destroyed Faceless Statues, six statues remain with known locations: one sealed by the Holy Court, one in the Coria royal family¡¯s collection, one crafted into a divine artifact by the Nez Clan, one lost in the deepest part of the Eastern Yunette Blacklands¡¯ Forbidden Zone, and one that disappeared centuries ago with the Legendary human mage Nicholas de Valva. Charlotte: ¡­ Chapter 376: The Identity of the True Ancestor ¡°Nice? He has been hiding a Faceless Statue?¡± As Charlotte read the information about the Faceless Statues, her expression turned complex. She hadn¡¯t expected Nice to be involved. This creature had kept it hidden so well and hadn¡¯t mentioned it to her for so long! Charlotte made a mental note to ¡°interrogate¡± the fat cat properly once she returned to her domain. For now, the distance between them was too great, and summoning him would require too much divine power, which she wasn¡¯t willing to spend. Meanwhile, in a certain location within the Count¡¯s estate in Northport, a lazy black cat was half-lying on a velvet cushion, enjoying a servant feeding him small fish snacks. Suddenly, his fur stood on end, and he shivered coldly. ¡°Hiss¡­ who is bad-mouthing behind my back again?¡± He cursed softly, feeling a bit guilty. He curled up even more and quietly cast a spell to prevent being tracked, moving as stealthily as possible. Charlotte had no idea her sudden thought had caused such a reaction from Nice in the distant north. Even if she did know, she wouldn¡¯t care much. The information about the Faceless Statues surprised her. She hadn¡¯t expected the historical True Ancestor of Blood to leave behind so many ancient temples and statues. According to Albrecht¡¯s memories, the temples in the current world were only a fraction of what had been built. No bloodbornes could say for certain how many temples and statues there really were. However, the Dark Prince Balov had speculated that there should be around 30, with the exact number possibly varying slightly. As for the function of the Faceless Statues¡­ As someone who had successfully integrated with a statue, Charlotte found some validity in Albrecht¡¯s memories. Matching them with her own experiences, she believed the theory that the statues could help one ascend to godhood was likely true. This would explain some of the transformations she had undergone. But¡­ Dark Prince Balov? This was the second time Charlotte had heard the name. The first time was also mentioned by Albrecht, who spoke of him with great respect. Charlotte understood why. According to Albrecht, Balov was the one who had initially embraced him into the bloodborne. Among the bloodbornes, princes were second only to the True Ancestor. Since he was called the Dark Prince, he was undoubtedly a myth-level bloodborne, likely a practitioner of the dark path. Thinking it over, Charlotte requested. ¡°Retrieve information about ¡®Gods¡¯.¡± A new ¡°book¡± flew from the ¡°library¡± and landed in Charlotte¡¯s hands. She sank into her consciousness and began to read¡­ Albrecht¡¯s memories contained a considerable amount of information about Gods. As a Legendary being who had lived for thousands of years, he naturally knew many secrets unknown to ordinary people. In his memories, Charlotte easily found information related to the Dark Prince Balov. The Dark Prince Balov was a third-generation bloodborne active during the Mythic Era and one of the earliest bloodborne princes nurtured by the True Ancestor of Blood. He was the earliest leader of the Dark Clan Shedite, one of the six great Blood Princes. After the True Ancestor of Blood disappeared, Balov was defeated and devoured by the rising Blood Demon Archduke Abaddon, who inherited his bloodline and authority. Reading this information, Charlotte was quite surprised. The church¡¯s records about bloodbornes didn¡¯t mention such secrets. Even Sebastian regarded the Blood Demon Archduke as the original ancestor of the six clans. It seemed her previous understanding had been flawed. However, when Charlotte accessed information about the True Ancestor of Blood, the results were unexpectedly sparse. Possibly due to the True Ancestor¡¯s long habit of remaining hidden, Albrecht¡¯s understanding of the True Ancestor wasn¡¯t much greater than Yurst¡¯s. In his memories, the True Ancestor was elusive, and even the princes found it difficult to meet with her. Like Yurst, Albrecht¡¯s fear of the True Ancestor stemmed from her absolute control over the bloodborne and her view of them as ¡°food¡±. In the depths of his memory, Charlotte found images and symbols related to the True Ancestor of Blood. This discovery excited Charlotte. As the inheritor of the Gospel of Blood, she was particularly curious and wary of the True Ancestor of Blood. She was a ruthless figure who would even devour her descendants. Who knew if she had left any contingencies in the Gospel of Blood? Considering that Albrecht¡¯s memories indicated the True Ancestor had prearranged the construction of temples and placement of statues, it was plausible. Of course, there was nothing she could do if there were contingencies. The Gospel of Blood was her trump card. She couldn¡¯t abandon it and could only think of ways to handle potential dangers. The best approach was to grow quickly, reaching a level equivalent to the True Ancestor, and gaining the ability to negotiate. With this thought, Charlotte decisively browsed Albrecht¡¯s memories for the image of the True Ancestor of Blood. Having experienced ¡°time travel¡± when advancing to Silver Moon, Charlotte had some speculative fantasies about history. If her ¡°time travel¡± was real, the True Ancestor of Blood Lilith might very well be her student! Her mental strength expanded as she continued to sense¡­ What surprised her was that, despite the presence of information about the True Ancestor of Blood¡¯s symbol and image in Albrecht¡¯s memories, when she tried to access it, it appeared blurry and indistinct, as if shrouded in mist. It felt as if some fog was obscuring Albrecht¡¯s memory¡­ Charlotte frowned slightly. Since Albrecht personally ¡°copied¡± the memories, he couldn¡¯t have copied something unclear. The only explanation was that this part of the content was influenced by a higher level of power. After a moment¡¯s thought, Charlotte decisively used her blood divine power to enhance the reading process. Crimson brilliance blossomed, and the mist in Albrecht¡¯s memories slowly dissipated. However, when Charlotte clearly saw the image of the True Ancestor in his memories, she was stunned. It wasn¡¯t the image of Lilith from her ¡°time travel¡± into the past. It was her. No¡­ To be more precise, it was her as an adult. With long silver hair, crimson-gold eyes, a black divine dress¡­ and sitting on a throne, with one hand on the armrest and the other supporting her head, exuding a lazy yet dignified and noble aura. This¡­ was exactly the same as her demeanor and actions when she ¡°fooled¡± those unlucky ones in the Dark Night Castle! ¡°Me? It¡¯s me? How can it be me? Did I travel back in time to become the True Ancestor of Blood?¡± Charlotte¡¯s eyes widened. Considering this possibility, she read the memory of the True Ancestor¡¯s symbol again. With divine power assisting, the ¡°mist¡± gradually dissipated, and Charlotte clearly saw the symbol in Albrecht¡¯s memory¡ª Thorns outside, roses inside, intertwined. That was her own symbol. Seeing the symbol, Charlotte was at a loss for words. If it was just the image, there might be a chance of overlap or a very similar appearance, but the symbol¡­ there was no mistaking it. Compared to the changeable appearance, the symbol was the true essence of divinity. Symbols are unique, cannot be repeated, and cannot be disguised¡­ Charlotte was certain it was the mark she had traced from the furniture patterns. Being recognized by the Gospel of Blood already signified its uniqueness, meaning it was just an ordinary decorative pattern before her. So¡­ did she really travel back in time to become the True Ancestor of Blood? Charlotte was uncertain. After some thought, she accessed memories related to ¡°Lilith.¡± Unexpectedly yet understandably, Albrecht¡¯s memories contained no relevant content¡­ There were bloodbornes named Lilith in his memories, but they were little guys from the fourth or fifth generation, far from the Lilith she knew. As for Lilith being the True Ancestor, there was no information at all. Reading the memories, Charlotte fell into deep thought. If Lilith wasn¡¯t the True Ancestor, she would be surprised, but upon careful consideration, she could understand. After all, no historical texts mentioned Lilith. Even the Gospel of Blood only recorded a sentence about Lilith as its prologue. Charlotte considered Lilith the True Ancestor of Blood because of that sentence, but it didn¡¯t necessarily indicate her identity. However, even if Lilith wasn¡¯t the True Ancestor, it was hard for Charlotte to associate herself with the ruthless and cruel True Ancestor described in various records. Putting that aside, she couldn¡¯t imagine devouring those she nurtured, those loyal to her, and those who fought for her! Charlotte didn¡¯t think of herself as a good person, but neither did she see herself as a bad one. Even as a bloodborne, she still upheld her moral standards and boundaries. She believed that the True Ancestor of Blood described in historical texts wasn¡¯t her. Yurst¡¯s description and Albrecht¡¯s memories of the terrifying, tyrannical, and ruthless True Ancestor couldn¡¯t be her either! ¡°No, conclusions can¡¯t be hastily drawn. It¡¯s just a possibility, but only a possibility¡­¡± ¡°Memories can be tampered with, and the Gospel of Blood might have a higher rank than ordinary artifacts. It¡¯s possible that the Gospel interfered with Albrecht¡¯s perception, replacing his memory of the True Ancestor with me.¡± ¡°This possibility can¡¯t be ruled out. After all, if the historical True Ancestor of Blood were really me, the clans wouldn¡¯t be unaware that the Thorny Rose symbol belonged to the True Ancestor! The furniture store in Coria wouldn¡¯t have been able to use the Thorny Rose pattern safely for hundreds of years¡­¡± ¡°But if it¡¯s memory interference¡­¡± ¡°Could it be that the Gospel of Blood¡¯s rank is higher than I thought?¡± ¡°Is it really just a bloodborne artifact?¡± Charlotte pondered deeply. Reading Albrecht¡¯s memories answered some questions but also brought more. Simultaneously, she became more vigilant. She couldn¡¯t discern her true relationship with the True Ancestor of Blood, nor could she tell if there was a conspiracy involved. But regardless of the truth, the one thing she could confirm was that her fate was indeed intertwined with the True Ancestor of Blood. ¡°Power, I need to increase my power¡­ Only by becoming a true God can I gain control over my fate.¡± Taking a deep breath, Charlotte murmured to herself. After some thought, she focused again, accessing Albrecht¡¯s memories on ¡°ascension to Godhood.¡± Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. With her intent, a heavier ¡°book¡± flew out of the ¡°library.¡± It was clear that Albrecht had always aimed to ascend to Godhood, gathering extensive information. Now, Charlotte benefited from it. She concentrated on reading¡­ The next moment, a crucial phrase from Albrecht¡¯s memories imprinted itself on her consciousness. ¡°Condense the essence, transform divine power, ignite the divine flame, and forge a divine persona.¡± Chapter 377: Ascension to Godhood ¡°Condense the essence, transform divine power, ignite the divine flame, forge a divine persona?¡± Muttering this phrase, Charlotte fell into deep thought. In Albrecht¡¯s memory, these thirteen words represented the core of ascension to Godhood, with each pair of words having a corresponding explanation. Condense the Essence. This refers to the reversion and awakening of extraordinary bloodlines. For an extraordinary being, this means the strengthening of their bloodline and enhancement of their extraordinary power, essentially increasing strength and elevating rank. However, the ultimate goal of this step is not merely to enhance extraordinary power, but to trace back to the most fundamental power source of extraordinary power while doing so. This concept was a bit convoluted, but Charlotte, combining her knowledge from various texts, believed it referred to tracing back to the origin of extraordinary power. For instance, texts recorded that almost all extraordinary powers derived from ancient myths, the diluted and developed bloodlines of ancient mythological beings. Thus, the essence to be condensed should be the mythological bloodline at the source of the bloodline. Charlotte had already achieved this step. The source of her bloodline was undoubtedly the True Ancestor of Blood. Since acquiring the Gospel of Blood, Charlotte¡¯s body has undergone multiple transformations. Though her strength wasn¡¯t high, her bloodline power was exceedingly pure, definitely at the primordial level. Transform Divine Power. This is straightforward: elevating one¡¯s power to a mythological level, transforming it into divine power. In Albrecht¡¯s memory, there were two ways to achieve this step. The first method is to hold a corresponding mythological ritual after advancing to the Legendary tier. By sacrificing a massive amount of offerings and bloodline power, one could undergo a power transformation, compressing and converting a portion of extraordinary power into higher-level pseudo-divine power. This method was the most cumbersome and challenging. Even seasoned Legendaries found it difficult, with a success rate of less than 1%. However, success meant possessing mythological power that one could use. The pseudo-divine power gained from this ritual was non-renewable and of slightly lower quality than true divine power. To replenish it, one must perform the ritual again. Yet, since the power was one¡¯s own, it facilitated future ascension. Although pseudo-divine power was slightly inferior to true divine power, Legendaries could use it to cast spells stronger than Legendary-tiered ones, serving as the ace up their sleeves. This was the most difficult and stringent way to transform divine power. There was also a more opportunistic method¡ªfusing existing divine power. Myria has a long history, with numerous Gods having existed, leaving behind countless divine artifacts. If a fortunate individual gains the recognition of such an artifact and achieves some fusion with the divine power, enabling them to use divine power, they effectively accomplish this step. This method depended greatly on luck but was relatively easier to succeed in, though it carried risks. Divine power inherently belongs to its owner, essentially an extension of God¡¯s power. If the fused divine power belongs to a deceased God, there¡¯s a chance to take their place. However, if it belongs to a living God, a confrontation is inevitable. Victory means replacing the God, defeat means becoming a pawn for the God. Clearly, Charlotte had also achieved this step the moment she could use the blood divine power through the Gospel of Blood. Ignite the Divine Flame. After transforming divine power comes igniting the divine flame. If the first two steps are preparations for ascension, this step marks the beginning of Godhood. Divine flame is the source of divine power and the embryonic form of a divine persona. Once the divine flame is ignited, one gains the ability to actively augment divine power. Igniting the divine flame requires a certain opportunity, merging divine power with bloodline power and achieving a higher level of life transformation. This is the most challenging step, requiring high compatibility between bloodline and divine power and a bit of luck. Notably, the success rate of igniting divine flame is not necessarily linked to one¡¯s extraordinary rank. An experienced Legendary might never ignite the divine flame, while a lucky individual with a divine artifact might succeed by chance. In other words, it¡¯s up to fate. Once the divine flame is ignited, the extraordinary being ceases to age. As long as the divine flame burns, the extraordinary being is immortal. Those who ignite the divine flame undergo incredible mental changes, able to extend their consciousness infinitely, link with other intelligent beings, and create a spiritual network. This spiritual network is also known as a faith network. An existence that successfully ignites the divine flame is no longer seen as mundane, becoming a pseudo-God, halfway between mortal and true God. Though a pseudo-God, they gain many powers comparable to a God, capable of wielding God-like might when their divine power is abundant. Hence, pseudo-Gods are also called Demigods. Demigods mark the beginning of a myth. Reading up to this point, Charlotte didn¡¯t know what to say. It was unmistakable. The golden-red flame in her heart was nothing other than divine flame! All this time, she had aligned her rank with the extraordinary rank, assuming that her identity as a ¡°God¡± came from the external aid of the Gospel of Blood. External aids were foreign objects, her trump cards and tools, not truly her own strength. However, now, comparing her experiences with Albrecht¡¯s memories, she realized that she had already unknowingly completed three of the four steps to Godhood! She had thought she was still at the Silver Moon tier, but in reality, she was already considered a Demigod¡­ This revelation surprised Charlotte. But upon closer reflection, it made sense¡­ Strictly speaking, Albrecht¡¯s memory referred to lucky individuals favored by fate who had achieved Godhood¡ªindividuals like her. She had bonded with the Gospel of Blood, transformed her bloodline power, fused with a mysterious statue, and ignited divine flame¡­ Although her actual strength was still low, not keeping pace with the path to Godhood, her life level had undergone a qualitative leap. In other words, she had taken the shortcut of ¡°paying to win.¡± This method of ascension, akin to being chosen by destiny, allowed one to achieve mythological status in just a few years, but it also came with significant drawbacks and risks. When one¡¯s strength growth couldn¡¯t keep up with the speed of ascension, it was like a child walking with gold bars. If powerful extraordinary beings discovered her true nature, she could be ¡°slaughtered as a God¡± before she matured, making all her efforts futile. Reading Albrecht¡¯s memories, Charlotte had a strange expression. ¡°In that case¡­ I now resemble those resurrected Gods.¡± Indeed, she did. Both had reached the mythological level of life, but their actual strength was too weak, forcing them to cautiously increase their power. The only major difference was likely in memories. The resurrection of Gods came with memory recovery, making it easier and faster for them to regain their strength, whereas fortunate individuals who prematurely embarked on the four steps of Godhood had to fumble their way forward. Having read the third step of Godhood, Charlotte looked at the final step¡ªforming a divine persona. This was the step to becoming a true God and the one that interested her the most. However, Albrecht¡¯s memories contained no valuable information about this step. A true God was a complete mythological entity, far beyond the reach of Legendaries. Even Demigods were awe-inspiring to Albrecht, so how to achieve true Godhood was beyond his knowledge. Nevertheless, although Albrecht didn¡¯t know how to form a divine persona, he did understand the differences between true Gods and Demigods. True Gods could abandon their physical bodies and exist as a form of will or law. As long as their divine persona remained intact, they were immortal. But Demigods¡­ could not lose their physical bodies. A Demigod who lost their physical body would fall into slumber until awakened and would return by possessing a suitable body. Albrecht¡¯s memories about ¡°Godhood¡± ended here. Having finished reading, Charlotte felt both excited and anxious. She was excited because she had unknowingly completed three of the four steps to Godhood, making her a Demigod in some sense, with only accumulation remaining. She was anxious because she didn¡¯t know how to proceed with the fourth step, and the historical True Ancestor of Blood remained a potential threat. In other words, Charlotte was worried about becoming a tool for others. But she had no choice now. Albrecht¡¯s memory mentioned that once the path to Godhood began, it couldn¡¯t be stopped. She was too deeply entwined with the bloodborne, and her blood had already been fixed, making it impossible to turn back. She had to continue forward. ¡°Step by step.¡± She thought. ¡°From another perspective, I¡¯ve already gained so much, like a child of fortune.¡± ¡°There are no free lunches in the world. Since I took a shortcut, I must face the corresponding costs and risks!¡± ¡°My previous plan was still correct. Continuing to enhance divine power will help me further advance my strength, but it¡¯s not enough.¡± ¡°I need to find a way to form a divine persona while strengthening my divine power¡­¡± ¡°No matter if there¡¯s a conspiracy, no matter if the historical True Ancestor of Blood has other plans, as long as I ascend to Godhood, I¡¯ll have the capital to contend with them!¡± With this thought, Charlotte exhaled lightly, her gaze gradually firming. ¡­ After finishing reading about Godhood, Charlotte withdrew from the ancient Dark Night Castle. There was still much to Albrecht¡¯s memory, but it was too scattered. She planned to slowly go through the rest in her spare time. Even if she didn¡¯t finish reading, it wasn¡¯t a problem. She had recorded it in the ¡°memory library¡±, and whenever she encountered anything related to the bloodborne, she could recall the relevant memories, similar to a search engine from her previous life. In the following days, the investigation in Lutecia continued, with new nobles being purged by the royal family and the church almost every day, causing widespread panic in the capital. But that had nothing to do with Charlotte. She was just a spectator, continuing to browse Albrecht¡¯s memories in her spare time like reading a book while watching the sweeping investigation and trials in the capital. Another week passed before the investigation finally concluded. The investigation and trial that covered all the nobles in the capital lasted twelve days, and the results were astonishing. Among the kingdom¡¯s nine ducal families and three major bishops, two Dukes and a Bishop were confirmed to have connections with the Blood Demon Cult. Duke Gaston was killed directly during the resistance, and his title was stripped. Another duke was imprisoned and dethroned, with nearly one-third of his direct fief reclaimed by the royal family. The Duke¡¯s title was inherited by a royal-approved descendant. The Bishop was personally sent to the stake by the Crescent Archbishop, with a new bishop appointed in his place. Below the Dukes and Bishop, seven kingdom-commissioned Counts were stripped of their titles. The Counts themselves were either killed on the spot, sent to the stake, or imprisoned, including five court Counts and two territorial Counts. More Viscounts and Barons were punished, totaling more than twenty, with nearly half losing their titles. The rest faced severe punishments as a warning to others. As for the lower-ranking nobles, even more were dealt with. Reportedly, over five hundred were imprisoned and tried, with the confiscated assets forming a small mountain, equivalent to two years¡¯ fiscal revenue for the Crescent Kingdom¡­ The church fared slightly better than the nobles. Besides the Bishop, over forty corrupt priests involved with the Blood Demon Cult were captured, including a High Priest and seven Second-rank Priests. The news caused an uproar throughout the kingdom. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 378: The Kings Strategy ¡°Good morning, Master! Today is Wednesday, the weather is clear, and it is the first day of the lifting of Lutecia¡¯s lockdown.¡± ¡°Your breakfast is ready: a Western Yunette cheese sandwich, an elven honey salad, and a cup of avocado yogurt imported from the Northern Grand Duchy.¡± ¡°Would you like to get up and eat now, or rest a bit longer?¡± In the early morning, Sebastian¡¯s familiar voice came from outside the curtains, waking Charlotte from her sleep. Although she didn¡¯t need sleep anymore, long-term habits had taken root, and daily sleep remained her way of resting and relaxing. Yawning comfortably, she slowly sat up and lazily said, ¡°I¡¯ll get up.¡± With that, the already-prepared Sherry entered with several maids carrying various exquisite clothes. Charlotte glanced around and casually chose a white noble dress for homewear. Soon, the maids began to respectfully and carefully help her change. ¡°Is there any news today?¡± Charlotte asked lazily and curiously while allowing the maids to dress her like a doll. Outside the curtain, Sebastian¡¯s voice became a bit more cheerful. ¡°Yes, there is news from the palace. The central meeting will be held tomorrow. I¡¯ve already placed the invitation in your study.¡± Charlotte paused, a bit surprised. ¡°Tomorrow?¡± ¡°Yes, tomorrow. The commotion this time was so big that it alarmed the nobles stationed in various regions. As soon as the lockdown was lifted, numerous noble carriages entered the inner city through the gates and headed straight for the royal palace and the Lutecia Cathedral.¡± Charlotte chuckled. ¡°They¡¯re going to plead for mercy, aren¡¯t they?¡± Sebastian shook his head outside the curtain. ¡°Not only that. Many see it as an opportunity since many titles were stripped away this time.¡± Charlotte clicked her tongue. ¡°They¡¯ll be disappointed. Our king is keen on strengthening central authority. Once titles are reclaimed, it¡¯s not easy to give them back.¡± She then asked with interest. ¡°They must have other plans, right?¡± ¡°Yes, I heard that some nobles outside the city have taken advantage of Lutecia¡¯s lockdown to jointly propose a new title distribution plan at the central meeting.¡± Charlotte understood immediately. The full name of the central meeting is the Crescent Nobility and Royal Family Central Joint Meeting, essentially a platform for dialogue between the nobles and the royal family, as well as a battleground for power struggles, serving as a tool for the nobility to limit royal power. Proposals passed by a high vote in the meeting cannot be vetoed by the king in principle, as doing so would be seen as a violation of the Holy Code and the Royal Covenant. Although this investigation dealt with many nobles, it was still only a small portion of the nobility. The vast majority of nobles do not want royal power to be too strong. Especially after this ¡°cleansing¡±, the conflict between the nobility and the royal family will only deepen, and the proposal to redistribute titles is very likely to pass by a high vote. Once the proposal passes, even if Louis V doesn¡¯t want to, he will have to grudgingly return all the reclaimed titles. However, submitting a proposal requires a process and time, and the convening of the central meeting also has a ¡°cooling period.¡± Aside from the fixed every-four-year meeting, temporary meetings like today¡¯s can only be held once within four years, which is also a limitation and balance on the central meeting¡¯s power. The last fixed central meeting was a year ago, which means the next meeting after this one will be at the earliest the fixed meeting three years later. So, as long as Louis V initiated the meeting directly before those title-coveting nobles submitted their proposal, the nobles wouldn¡¯t be able to pressure the king through the meeting to redistribute titles. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Thinking of this, Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but admire the Crescent Kingdom¡¯s king. No wonder he is recognized as a great monarch of the Crescent Kingdom, not only for his personal strength and military prowess but also for his exceptional political skills. As Charlotte knew, although the king nominally held the power to decide when the central meeting would ultimately convene, the actual timing could only be decided by a cabinet vote. Such a hastily-convened meeting would certainly not pass the cabinet¡¯s review under normal circumstances. However, as Charlotte knew, five of the ten cabinet members of the Crescent Kingdom were affected by this investigation. Two members were directly executed, and three others were deposed. Charlotte had cross-checked the names with the list she had reported to the Holy Court. Indeed, the two executed cabinet members were on the list, but the three deposed ones were not. However, as Charlotte knew, those three cabinet members were nobles dissatisfied with the centralization policy. Clearly, Louis V had used this purge to eliminate dissenters, using it as an excuse to kick three unfortunate members out of the cabinet. This was done silently, and no one raised objections during the investigation, likely because some ¡°evidence¡± of their collusion with the Blood Demon Cult was found. Moreover, among the other nobles investigated and judged, many were in similar situations. Each time Sebastian brought news of a noble being arrested, Charlotte would check it against the list. Apart from those firmly listed, more than a third of the nobles judged were not on the list. And¡­ most were opposition members. It was evident that these unfortunates were eliminated by the royal family taking the opportunity. The new cabinet members had not yet been appointed, and most of the remaining cabinet members were royalists. The central meeting¡¯s convening was at the king¡¯s discretion. The ultimate result was that the central meeting, which was supposed to limit the king¡¯s power, turned into a meeting where the king limited the nobles¡¯ proposals. As for whether the redistribution of confiscated titles would be discussed again at the next meeting¡­ That was three years away. By then, the royal family would likely have firmly grasped these territories. As for the nobles¡­ some would be drawn in, others beaten down. With Louis V¡¯s skills, he would find ways to let the proposals fail or even pass direct royal jurisdiction resolutions. From the recent actions, it seemed that the royal family¡¯s moves were interconnected. Louis V probably planned this all along, and Charlotte¡¯s actions inadvertently expedited the process. After this purge, the nobles suffered heavy losses, and although the church cleared out many scoundrels and disrupted the Blood Demon Cult¡¯s infiltration, its reputation took a hit. Only the royal family profited greatly, further strengthening central authority. This was truly dramatic. In the beginning, everyone thought this central meeting was an alliance between the nobles and the church to pressure the royal power. But before the meeting even started, the most vocal nobles were dealt with under the unimpeachable banner of ¡°judging the fallen¡±, in line with the Crescent Kingdom¡¯s stance against the Blood Demon Cult. Thinking of this, Charlotte¡¯s opinion of Louis V improved further. ¡­ With the reopening of Lutecia, many nobles who had heard the news and long-waiting merchants and travelers poured into the capital, reviving the once-desolate streets. Without experiencing the recent ¡°great purge¡±, it would be hard to imagine that the capital was filled with panic just a few days ago. Indeed, the world moves on without anyone. Although the investigation and trials lasted over ten days, the impact was limited. With a population of nearly a million, the church and the royal family couldn¡¯t possibly review everyone. They mainly targeted the names Charlotte reported, with a slightly broader scope. The most affected were the nobles, but they were only a tiny fraction of the population. To ordinary people, the purge was just gossip over drinks, and they might even spit and praise the king for his good judgment afterward. After all¡­ the nobles¡¯ reputation was never great, while Louis V had high esteem among the common folk. After reluctantly having breakfast served by the dragon maid Eudoxia, Charlotte continued to stay in her study, browsing through Albrecht¡¯s memories. With the meeting tomorrow, she didn¡¯t plan to go out, avoiding unnecessary attention. After all, as a major noble of the kingdom, her actions were closely watched. Of course, her interest in Albrecht¡¯s memories was also a reason for staying home. And indeed, Albrecht was thorough in copying his memories, including much gossip and interesting stories about the bloodbornes, which Charlotte enjoyed reading like a storybook. However, her personal time didn¡¯t last long. In the afternoon, Sebastian knocked on her door again. ¡°Master, Count Gaston has arrived in the capital. He sent a messenger requesting to visit you at the estate.¡± Count Gaston? Charlotte frowned. Noble gatherings were prohibited before the central meeting. Although a one-on-one visit between nobles wasn¡¯t as conspicuous, a meeting between a Northern Count like Charlotte and the Regent of the Borde Duchy like Gaston would inevitably raise some suspicions if seen. After a brief consideration, Charlotte agreed. Since Count Gaston wanted to meet her at this time, he must have something important to discuss. As someone she forcibly contracted as a blood thrall who had helped her a lot and taken many falls, she decided to meet him. As for the matter¡­ Charlotte had a rough idea. ¡°Understood, let him in.¡± She said. About fifteen minutes later, Count Gaston arrived at Charlotte¡¯s estate. He looked travel-worn, with worry etched on his face. ¡°You may leave.¡± Charlotte glanced at the maids and attendants in the hall and said. The maids and attendants respectfully bowed and left, leaving only Charlotte, Count Gaston, and the elf butler Sebastian standing behind Charlotte. Once everyone else had left, Charlotte¡¯s expression turned cold, and she said sternly. ¡°Sir Gaston, I told you to avoid contacting me after arriving in the capital.¡± Count Gaston looked ashamed. ¡°Master, I am deeply sorry¡­¡± ¡°Speak, what do you want from me?¡± Charlotte asked directly. Count Gaston glanced at Sebastian, hesitating. But finally, he gritted his teeth and bowed to Charlotte. ¡°Master, please¡­ save the Gaston family!¡± Chapter 379: Eleanors Message Looking at the pleading expression of Count Gaston, Charlotte¡¯s expression was enigmatic. Duke Gaston had been killed by the Church, his title revoked by Louis V, and rumors were spreading across Lutecia that the king was deeply dissatisfied with the Gaston family, seemingly intending to strip the entire family of their titles. However, this was just a rumor. Charlotte had been closely monitoring the dynamics in the capital and had discerned Louis V¡¯s attitude from his various actions. Regarding the disposition of these offending families, the royal approach was generally to ¡°punish the ringleaders¡± and not to extend the repercussions further. The recent purge had been extensive enough, and the royal power was not omnipotent. Considering the potential resistance from the nobility, Louis V would not further expand the scope of the purge. As for the Gaston family, Charlotte knew that Louis V had only dealt with the main family of Gaston, without any intention of implicating the branch families. Even if Count Gaston had just arrived in Lutecia, he couldn¡¯t possibly be unaware of this. So¡­ was he here to plead for the main Gaston family? Thinking of this, Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but glance at the travel-worn count. Count Gaston was a branch of the Gaston family in Borde and was one of the few forcibly contracted blood thralls she had besides Albrecht. Oh, and there was Count Gaston¡¯s eldest son, Otis, if she remembered correctly. Initially, the two had defected to the Third Prince, intending to ambush Charlotte during the Borde-Castell war, only to be ¡°counter-attacked¡± by her, forcibly turning them into her blood thralls. After the war, Borde Duchess Eleanor was too ill to govern, so Charlotte supported Count Gaston as the regent of the Borde Duchy, indirectly controlling the duchy. However, Charlotte remembered that the relationship between Count Gaston and the main Gaston family was not very good. Rather than being a branch of the Gaston family in Borde, they were more like the losers who had been expelled from the Gaston Duchy after failing to compete for the title. Count Gaston had pledged loyalty to the Third Prince in hopes of reclaiming the Gaston Duchy with his support in the future. Now that the main Gaston family was in trouble, was he here to seek help? Charlotte didn¡¯t respond to Count Gaston immediately. She gazed at him deeply and said meaningfully. ¡°The Gaston family colluded with the Blood Demon Cult, and the evidence is conclusive. The King¡¯s punishment of the Gaston family is recognized by the Church and in accordance with the Holy Code and the Royal Covenant. No one can overturn it.¡± ¡°However, this reckoning is only against the main Gaston family and will not implicate your Borde branch.¡± After hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, Count Gaston hesitated for a moment and cautiously said, ¡°Master, I know the main family will inevitably be punished, and I know it won¡¯t affect our branch.¡± ¡°His Majesty¡¯s punishment of the main family is justified, but it seems he has no intention of appointing a new duke within the Gaston family¡­¡± ¡°The Gaston family has a contract with the Valva family regarding the title. The royal family can only revoke it, not strip it completely, but now¡­ His Majesty seems to be ignoring this agreement.¡± Charlotte: ¡­ She finally understood. Count Gaston wasn¡¯t here to rescue the punished main family but to fight for the title! ¡°You can forget about the title and land of Duke Gaston. His Majesty intends to strengthen the central authority and won¡¯t relinquish the reclaimed lands.¡± ¡°Duke Gaston was not merely in contact with the Blood Demon Cult but had become their protector and a core member. This is a taboo according to the Holy Code, more severe than excommunication. Even with a protective title agreement, it won¡¯t stand.¡± Charlotte stated. Count Gaston still seemed reluctant to give up. ¡°Master, the title and land of Duke Gaston belong not just to the main family but to the entire family.¡± ¡°For the Gaston family, the ducal domain is fundamental. Losing it means the family loses its foundation!¡± ¡°Without this foundation, my position in Borde will be weakened, impacting your covert control over the Borde Duchy¡­¡± Charlotte glanced at him, half-smiling. ¡°Oh? So you want me to support you to become the new Duke Gaston? Even if it works, how does it help? His Majesty wouldn¡¯t allow a duke to also serve as the regent of another duchy.¡± ¡°But¡­ the Gaston Duchy can replace Borde as your power base! Compared to Borde, Gaston is more prosperous, and a duke has more control than a regent!¡± Count Gaston argued. Charlotte shook her head. ¡°If you know the Gaston Duchy is more prosperous than Borde, you should understand that once His Majesty seizes the opportunity, he won¡¯t relinquish such wealthy land.¡± ¡°Master, but the King is just a secular ruler, and you¡­¡± Count Gaston wanted to say more but hesitated under Charlotte¡¯s sharp gaze. ¡°Count Gaston, do your duty. How I act is not for you to dictate!¡± She said coldly. The aura of a high-ranking bloodborne emanated from Charlotte, making Count Gaston pale and fall to his knees. Sweating profusely, he trembled with fear. Seeing the Count collapse, Charlotte retracted her pressure and said calmly. ¡°I have no intention of opposing the Crescent Royal Family now. If you want me to speak for you, forget it.¡± She added a reminder. ¡°Don¡¯t try to fight for it yourself. His Majesty is in a strong position, and it¡¯s unnecessary to make yourself a target. Any plans can be reconsidered later.¡± ¡°After all¡­ lands and titles won¡¯t run away.¡± Hearing this, Count Gaston lost his momentum but had no choice but to accept reality. Finally, he sighed, accepting the situation. Charlotte shifted the topic, asking. ¡°Where is Eleanor? Did she come to Lutecia as well?¡± After the war, Duchess Eleanor had been recuperating in the north until the Borde nobles brought her back just before Charlotte left. Count Gaston replied cautiously. ¡°She¡­she came. The central assembly requires her presence, so she came after recovering somewhat.¡± Charlotte was silent for a moment and then asked. ¡°How is she doing?¡± Count Gaston hesitated, looking conflicted. ¡°Is her mental state not restored?¡± Charlotte asked. Count Gaston seemed even more troubled. ¡°Her mental state¡­has improved, but there seems to be another issue¡­¡± Charlotte frowned. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°What issue?¡± Count Gaston glanced at her with a peculiar expression. After a moment of hesitation, he said, ¡°She¡­doesn¡¯t want to be a duchess anymore. She wants to give up her title and become a priest.¡± Charlotte was stunned. ¡°She¡­converted to the Holy Court?¡± Count Gaston¡¯s expression grew even more peculiar. He swallowed and said, ¡°No, she seems to be devoted to you¡­¡± Chapter 380: The Drawbacks of Mind Control Wait a minute¡­ Does Eleanor have faith in her? Charlotte was stunned for a moment, resisting the urge to immediately delve into the consciousness faith network to verify if this was true. Come to think of it, she hadn¡¯t paid much attention to her followers¡¯ affairs recently. It couldn¡¯t be helped, the prayers of her followers were just too noisy. Ever since establishing the faith network, allowing her to connect with her followers, Charlotte had profoundly understood what it meant to be troubled. She had fewer than a thousand followers, yet her mind felt like a bustling marketplace. People prayed in the morning, at noon, in the evening¡­ Even in the dead of night, there were intermittent prayers. It was maddening. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Thus, Charlotte had long since blocked most prayers. Even though her mental strength was now quite robust, her soul¡¯s core power still wasn¡¯t at the level where she could process numerous prayers like a computer. Charlotte believed other Gods must have corresponding solutions, probably some ¡°tools¡± that could handle most prayers on their behalf. Otherwise, even Gods might be driven mad by these endless voices. She had tried searching Albrecht¡¯s memories for relevant information, but unfortunately¡­ Albrecht was merely a Legendary. He knew how to ascend to Godhood but had no knowledge of how to be a God. Charlotte herself was a novice, driving without a license, so she could only keep the faith network in a semi-active state, not actively receiving prayers from followers other than a few vassals. Only in her spare time would she delve into consciousness, connect to the faith network, and selectively respond to particularly intense prayers. Thinking about it now, she had been busy with other things lately and hadn¡¯t responded to her followers for quite some time. Although it seemed a bit irresponsible, if Eleanor had truly come to believe in her¡­ Ahem, she might really be unaware. ¡­ After giving Count Gaston a few more instructions, Charlotte sent him away. The central meeting had yet to convene. His conspicuous visit was bound to attract attention. In this political upheaval in the Crescent Kingdom, Charlotte intended to fish in troubled waters, not to be noticed. As for Gaston, his ambitions were still too great. Despite being bound by a blood contract and having an unconditional loyalty mental suggestion implanted, he still harbored personal thoughts and greed. It¡¯s not that he¡¯s wrong. From the Gaston family¡¯s perspective, his demands were understandable. But Charlotte wasn¡¯t satisfied. She had used ¡ºMental Domination¡» to dismantle the resistance consciousness of Gaston Count and his son. In theory, their mindset post-blood contract should prioritize Charlotte. However, it seemed that although bound by a contract, its effects were limited. This made Charlotte hesitate about her original plan. In her scheme, Count Gaston was a crucial pawn she intended to use to covertly control Borde, with plans to leverage his claim on the Gaston Duchy for more power. But if this pawn couldn¡¯t meet her expectations, many things would need to be reconsidered. It could be considered Charlotte¡¯s insecurity. Unlike Albrecht¡¯s ¡°voluntary¡± blood contract, Count Gaston and his son were subjected to punitive mind control. Initially, Charlotte only intended to use them until the war ended, then release them and alter their memories, leaving them to fend for themselves in Borde. Charlotte had always been sensitive about directly using mind control. She knew her self-control was limited and was prone to developing dependency. Once accustomed to mind control, she might rely on this shortcut often in the future. And a shortcut is a shortcut because it has pitfalls. Not to mention that any magic, strictly speaking, could be undone. Even if it wasn¡¯t, this forced mental manipulation could gradually lead one to lose themselves in their power. Charlotte was very wary of losing herself. Therefore, she initially never intended to keep the two under control perpetually. However, Count Gaston proved himself competent in the war, performing unexpectedly well in various tasks Charlotte assigned him, leading to his appointment as Borde¡¯s regent minister. Unknowingly, Charlotte¡¯s plans for Count Gaston shifted from dismissing him after use to seeing if he could become a genuine follower. A genuine follower is different from someone under ¡ºMental Domination¡». Once someone becomes a true follower, even without the soul-deep ¡ºMental Domination¡», they would still remain loyal. To achieve this, during the Borde-Castell war, Charlotte often kept them close, offering various privileges and support. But reality showed Charlotte was too optimistic. Through her recent interaction with him, she sensed the mark she left on his soul, easily realizing his loyalty was still dependent on mental magic and the blood contract. Once the pact was broken, they would likely part ways immediately, and he might even react with anger and rebellion once the mental magic wore off. This was a risk, a not entirely improbable one, which was why Charlotte sought genuine loyalty. Despite her various favors post-contract, there was no effect. It¡¯s not that Count Gaston was inherently hard to recruit. Charlotte saw it as a drawback of ¡ºMental Domination¡». Unlike forcibly binding Nice or coercing Yurst into becoming a blood servant, Charlotte¡¯s previous followers had never had their minds manipulated. An unmanipulated mind is pure, a blank canvas, easier to cultivate genuine feelings and loyalty through sincerity. Even if they initially were at odds. But mind control was different. Though it could shortcut to loyalty, it also sowed a seed of distrust from the start. After all, if there was trust, why resort to ¡°mind control¡±? ¡ºMental Domination¡» was a magic for forced loyalty but also a shackle. It was like a stain on white paper, where subsequent efforts were always undermined by the ¡ºMental Domination¡». Feelings are mutual, genuine loyalty cannot coexist with ¡°distrust.¡± Even with mental suggestions for loyalty, the privileges given seem more like rightful compensations. Count Gaston, unlike her other followers, was a ruthless and ambitious noble. His loyalty to the Third Prince was never heartfelt, just mutual exploitation. Charlotte could also dismiss these concerns. She could use him purely as a tool, just not placing him in critical positions. But she had higher hopes before. It now seemed she might have been overestimating. ¡°It was my greed. I intended to find a tool but expected too much.¡± Charlotte shook her head. She decided not to hold higher expectations for Count Gaston. She would still treat him well and use him appropriately, as he was her blood thrall. Even ambitious tools, used correctly, could be highly effective. That¡¯s the art of leadership. But for now, she set aside thoughts about Count Gaston. She needed to see Eleanor¡¯s situation. Returning to her study, Charlotte dismissed everyone and then immersed her consciousness to connect to the faith network. She had interacted with Eleanor before, intentionally remembering her aura. If Eleanor had become her follower, she should be able to find her in the network. The faith network unfolded, with specks of light shimmering, numbering over a thousand¡ªall Charlotte¡¯s followers. After some searching, she indeed found a new light in the corner. It was a rather bright light, showing strong faith among the thousand followers, and its aura was familiar to Charlotte. It was indeed Eleanor¡¯s aura. ¡°She really believes in me? And¡­ quite fervently?¡± Charlotte was bewildered. She was certain she hadn¡¯t preached Eleanor. No, to be precise, she never expected Eleanor to become her follower. So what was this fervent faith? Surprised, puzzled, and curious, Charlotte decided to ¡°see¡± for herself. Using her blood divine power, Charlotte connected to Eleanor¡¯s faith light. The next moment, she projected her consciousness over. Chapter 381: She is Our Lords Envoy Southern Inner City, Borde Estate. As one of the Nine Dukes of the Crescent Kingdom, the Borde family naturally had a base in the capital, Lutecia. This estate, named after the family, was even larger than the one Charlotte had leased. With the lord moving in, the usually quiet estate became busy, with maids and attendants bustling about, handling various affairs. On the third floor of the mansion, on a balcony facing the street, Duchess Eleanor de Borde stood in a plain long dress, silently gazing at the bustling street. Behind her, a demi-human maid stood respectfully, hands folded. The street was lively, with carriages passing by and the hustle and bustle of prosperity, no trace of the recent ¡°Great Purge¡± lockdown. Occasionally, a luxurious noble carriage would pass, with pedestrians making way and bowing. This was the Inner City, where nobles were in abundance. When Charlotte used the faith network to project her vision over, this was the scene she saw. Eleanor¡¯s complexion looked relatively good, with her face still somewhat pale, but her spirits had clearly improved, markedly different from before. However, Charlotte¡¯s attention quickly shifted to the demi-human maid behind her. It was a familiar face. Charlotte remembered her name ¡ª Misha. She had been Sebastian¡¯s maid, reputedly trained in excellent culinary skills. During the raid on the Rose Society by the Inquisition, she had bitten off her tongue to keep Sebastian¡¯s secrets and was later saved by Charlotte. Charlotte recalled that Sebastian had specifically sought her help to heal Misha¡¯s injury, and she had used her dark healing arts to regrow Misha¡¯s tongue. Later, after the true beliefs of the beastmen returned, Misha also became the True Ancestor¡¯s believer and went to live in the Castell Mines with the Blood Wolf Tribe. Now, it seemed she had been assigned as Eleanor¡¯s maid during her recuperation? Charlotte thoughtfully ¡°observed¡± the two, not alerting them. Soon, Eleanor spoke. Her gaze fell on the cityscape, her expression tinged with nostalgia. ¡°This was my favorite place when I was a child. Every time I came to the capital, I loved to watch the streets of Lutecia from here.¡± ¡°Back then, father was here, brother was here. Father would tell my brother and me the history of the Crescent Kingdom, the past of our Borde family, the honor of the nobility, and the glory of the God Lord¡­¡± ¡°It was from that time that I vowed to become a responsible noble, to remember honor, treat my people kindly, be loyal to my liege, and be devout in faith¡­¡± ¡°But now¡­ the scenery remains the same, but I am the only one left to view it.¡± ¡°Lady Eleanor, please accept my condolences.¡± The demi-human maid Misha said softly. Eleanor sighed and nodded. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just remembered some things from the past.¡± S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Then, her gaze returned to the bustling cityscape, with a touch of self-mockery. ¡°Honor, responsibility, duty¡­¡± ¡°Father taught me these, yet in the end, even he couldn¡¯t uphold them.¡± ¡°Father always said that nobles with extraordinary power are the darlings of the Gods, the chosen ones, the symbols of civilization, nobility, and power.¡± ¡°But now, besides having power, there is no civilization or nobility; underneath the veneer lies ugliness and hypocrisy.¡± ¡°Perhaps there was once honor, but now, it¡¯s probably long forgotten.¡± ¡°The God Lord is the same¡­¡± ¡°Preaching light, guiding towards good, and advocating justice.¡± ¡°It sounds good, and I once made it my life¡¯s faith, but now, it seems to be mere rhetoric.¡± ¡°Clerics who violate doctrines still receive holy power, and corrupt priests can even ascend to high ranks. The former ¡®Holy¡¯ Court is now rotten¡­¡± ¡°Nobles indulge in pleasures, oppress commoners, and revel in slaughter and torment; clerics vie for fame and gain, oppressing other races and beliefs, even labeling them as evil, even if these ¡®evils¡¯ are essentially innocent women and children¡­¡± ¡°Meanwhile, the true evils are ignored!¡± By the end, Eleanor clenched her fists, her expression tinged with anger. Behind her, the demi-human maid Misha sighed lightly. ¡°Falling is always easier than progressing. The doctrines of the Holy Court are indeed just and noble, but without divine restraint, losing oneself in power and corruption is inevitable.¡± ¡°The same applies to the nobles. Noble power requires rules to restrain it, which should be enforced by the church and divine faith with superior status. But if the church and faith can¡¯t even control corrupt priests, they naturally can¡¯t restrain the nobles.¡± ¡°In essence, the current faith is flawed. The Gods are at fault; fundamentally, the Gods don¡¯t truly value mortals like ants. In their eyes, mortals are probably just tools.¡± Eleanor was moved. ¡°Are these words also from her?¡± The demi-human maid paused and said, ¡°They were taught to me by my former master, Mr. Sebastian, and Mr. Sebastian was taught by Lady Charlotte.¡± ¡°Lady Charlotte is a chosen one. She possesses rare qualities that other nobles lack. She can view every class and race equally and objectively. She is a force capable of changing this world.¡± Hearing the maid¡¯s words, Eleanor hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°She saved me, and I am very grateful to her. She is somewhat different from how I remember, not just in appearance, but even her personality is no longer that timid, introverted girl.¡± ¡°Since coming to the territory, she has done many things, especially for the commoners, and has severely cracked down on corrupt nobles.¡± ¡°She is a truly qualified lord.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t understand why you call her the force to change the world?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t she a Holy Court Saintess? She is a believer in the God Lord and has even received the blessing of the Holy Light. But didn¡¯t you say our hope should be in our Lord?¡± The demi-human maid Misha paused and said, ¡°I was fortunate enough to witness Lady Charlotte¡¯s power, or rather, the power of our Lord.¡± ¡°Lady Charlotte is not a Holy Court Saintess but an envoy of our Lord, a true divine chosen.¡± ¡°Our Lord is undoubtedly a greater God than the God Lord. Just like a lower noble salutes a higher noble, the Holy Light¡¯s blessing on Lady Charlotte is essentially the holy power¡¯s awe of our Lord¡¯s power.¡± ¡°I still remember that day of judgment. Charlotte declared us innocent in front of many inquisitors, and so¡­ the Holy Light declared us innocent.¡± ¡°Lady Charlotte herself represents our Lord¡¯s will, and only our Lord can change the current situation, change everything, and guide this increasingly chaotic world back on track.¡± Charlotte: ¡­ Who is she? Where is she? What is she doing? What are these two even talking about? Chapter 382: The True Ancestors Gaze Charlotte felt that she had been paying too little attention to her followers. Unknowingly, she felt she was falling behind their pace. Despite spreading the faith in the Blood Wolf Tribe, it was the faith of the ¡°True Ancestor¡±, which theoretically had nothing to do with ¡°Charlotte.¡± But now it seemed that the followers had begun to saintly revere ¡°Charlotte.¡± Charlotte was deeply thoughtful about this development. ¡°Saintly reverence¡± was an inevitable step in the resurrection of Gods. Having reviewed many memories about Gods from Albrecht, Charlotte had gained a considerable understanding of this process. Recently resurrected Gods were often too weak and chose to remain in the background, cultivating true believers and followers to work on their behalf, creating opportunities to restore their power. The chosen followers were called saints. Saints were the agents of true Gods, favored by them, and endowed with divine power. What Misha was doing now was binding the faith in ¡°Charlotte¡± to the concept of a saint. However, there was something different here. To Charlotte, the ¡°Charlotte¡± Misha described sounded even more transcendent than an ordinary saint. For instance, Misha¡¯s words were rather ambiguous, like ¡°representing the will of the True Ancestor¡± or ¡°her power is the True Ancestor¡¯s power.¡± This kind of blurring of the boundaries between mortal and God suggested more than just ordinary devotion¡ªit seemed to be laying the groundwork for further ascension. A saint was an agent of the Gods, executing their will. But a saint could also be a divine figure. And a divine figure could be the incarnation of a God¡­ Others might not notice the deeper implications of Misha¡¯s words, seeing it as mere admiration for a God, but as the subject, Charlotte could perceive the more profound meaning. This was laying the foundation. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Preparing for a future where she could merge her identity with that of the ¡°True Ancestor.¡± Charlotte didn¡¯t believe that this enlightenment came from the Werewolf Priest Luff alone. Though the leader of the Blood Wolf Tribe knew her identity, he wasn¡¯t clever enough to think of integrating the ¡°Charlotte¡± persona into her faith system. There had to be someone else behind the scenes, pushing and guiding this. Given Misha and the Blood Wolf Tribe¡¯s past, Charlotte already had an answer in mind¡­ With this thought, Charlotte ¡°looked¡± at the two again, as their conversation continued. ¡°Our Lord is different from other Gods. Compared to those who look down on mortals, our Lord walks among us and understands us better. Our Lord has experienced a chaotic world firsthand and once shaped the order of the past. The return of our Lord will overthrow everything and reshape everything!¡± Misha said fervently. ¡°Miss Misha, is our Lord really watching over us?¡± Eleanor couldn¡¯t help but ask, her eyes filled with longing, mixed with apprehension and hesitation. Misha smiled slightly. ¡°Of course, our Lord has already awakened. She has always been silently protecting us. When we are devout enough, we will receive Her guidance and blessings. I believe you have seen this many times in the tribe.¡± ¡°To change the order, one must first possess power, and our Lord¡¯s power is omnipotent. Our Lord never hesitates to show concern and love for Her followers.¡± ¡°Those hypocritical Gods only respond to their followers¡¯ prayers with the most perfunctory attitude and won¡¯t even glance at their followers. Only our Lord will personally cast Her gaze and guide us¡­¡± Charlotte: ¡­ Listening to Misha¡¯s words, Charlotte felt somewhat guilty and confused. It seemed the demi-human maid had misunderstood something. Heaven knew she didn¡¯t want to personally manage everything or listen to her followers holding meetings in her mind. But since she didn¡¯t have the ¡°auto-respond¡± faith mechanism of other Gods, she had to do it herself. She didn¡¯t respond every time, only occasionally when she remembered or was in a good mood, prioritizing those with high frequencies in the faith network. In essence, it was a laid-back, lazy approach. But now, this approach seemed to have had some strange effects¡­ First, her personal responses seemed to make followers feel she was more approachable and attentive than other Gods. Second, not responding every time maintained her mystery and transcendence, ensuring that followers didn¡¯t lose reverence for her due to the ease of getting her attention. In a way, it had worked out well by accident. ¡°Miss Misha, do you think our Lord will hear my voice?¡± Eleanor asked again. Misha smiled. ¡°Of course, Lady Eleanor, our Lord is always watching over us. She will surely hear your voice.¡± Eleanor looked downcast. ¡°But I¡¯ve never heard Her voice.¡± ¡°Perhaps you haven¡¯t fully passed our Lord¡¯s test yet.¡± Misha said. ¡°A test?¡± Eleanor was puzzled and a bit lost. Misha paused and said, ¡°Lady Eleanor, you intend to give up your title and return to the north to become a priestess, don¡¯t you?¡± Eleanor was silent for a moment before sighing. ¡°That was my plan.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of the nobes¡¯ hypocrisy and filth. Every day dealing with them makes me feel an inner repulsion and disgust¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not fit to be a lord. The regent and the noble council can manage the territory just fine without me. It makes no difference whether I stay or go.¡± ¡°Rather than being a useless ornament in the castle, dealing with those detestable people insincerely every day, I¡¯d rather return to where I¡¯m truly needed and become a devout ascetic.¡± ¡°I wish to join our Lord¡¯s church. I want to hear Her teachings. I also hope to be like Charlotte and become a practitioner of Her will¡­¡± Hearing Eleanor¡¯s words, Misha sighed softly. ¡°Perhaps this is the test from our Lord.¡± ¡°Lady Eleanor, you always say you are just a figurehead and only a lord in name only, but isn¡¯t that a kind of escape too?¡± ¡°Our Lord can bring us dreams of changing the world, but we need to strive for it ourselves. This is our Lord¡¯s expectation and test.¡± ¡°The world is constantly changing. Even Gods need to adapt their guidance to the changes of the times, and our Lord is no different.¡± ¡°In the distant past, our Lord¡¯s faith was spontaneously formed. She never demanded anything from Her followers and had no plans to form a church. But now, our Lord has these plans.¡± ¡°Our Lord is omnipotent, but She also understands the power of mortals. Gods are the protectors of all beings, but the world belongs to the beings themselves.¡± ¡°I think our Lord doesn¡¯t want to see an escaping lord but one who faces difficulties, turns faith into strength, and practices our Lord¡¯s glory.¡± Eleanor was moved. ¡°What do you mean?¡± The beastwoman maid gave her a meaningful look. ¡°Lady Eleanor, do you really think you are just a decorative figure? Do you really believe that giving up your title and becoming a priestess is the right path?¡± Eleanor fell silent. After a long time, she sighed. ¡°Miss Misha, you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°I have indeed been avoiding everything I have to face. I don¡¯t have the confidence to be a good leader, nor the confidence to gain the loyalty of those nobles.¡± ¡°But¡­ I don¡¯t know what to do, and I don¡¯t know what the Lord needs me to do. I¡¯m confused. I yearn for the change that everyone talks about, but I don¡¯t know how to bring it about, and I don¡¯t know what role I can play in this change¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I thought of becoming a priestess. I want to start as an apprentice and do things I am capable of.¡± The maid Misha shook her head. ¡°I understand your thoughts, but don¡¯t you think this is abandoning your greatest advantage?¡± ¡°Lady Eleanor, as the Duchess of Borde, you can achieve more than a priestess ever could. Lady Charlotte is a prime example.¡± ¡°Our Lord has just returned, and the church is not yet fully established. The Lord¡¯s principles are still just ideas and haven¡¯t formed the final doctrines and scriptures. The believers of our Lord still need worldly protection¡­¡± ¡°Lady Eleanor, I think¡­ perhaps you should try to become a true Duchess.¡± Eleanor¡¯s lips moved. ¡°Do you mean, as a Duchess, to provide protection for the church?¡± Misha smiled. ¡°See, you already have the answer in your heart.¡± Eleanor was silent. After a moment, she sighed. ¡°But¡­ I feel I lack confidence. I don¡¯t even have the confidence to control Borde, nor to face the regent and the noble council¡­¡± Misha shook her head. ¡°How would you know if you don¡¯t try?¡± Eleanor still hesitated. Misha thought for a moment and said, ¡°If you are truly unsure, then pray to our Lord.¡± ¡°I believe¡­ as long as you are sincere, as long as you earnestly seek guidance from the Lord, the Lord will hear your voice.¡± With that, the beastwoman maid checked the time and said, ¡°It¡¯s getting late, Lady Eleanor. I will go prepare lunch. Please think about it some more.¡± With that, Misha left. Eleanor was left alone on the terrace, her eyes somewhat lost in thought. Pray to the Lord¡­? But, would a confused believer like her really receive a response from the Lord? Eleanor did not know. She had not been a believer for long and her understanding of faith was still growing. She did not even know what the true name of the Lord was. She only knew that the Lord was the infamous True Ancestor of Blood of history, yet seemed completely different from the cruel God described in the scriptures. ¡°Your Majesty, the True Ancestor, should I really continue striving to be a qualified leader and contribute my strength to you?¡± Eleanor murmured. After speaking, she couldn¡¯t help but mock herself. Not praying to the divine symbol, and being so confused, how could someone like her possibly receive a response from the Lord? However, before she could finish her thought, Eleanor felt a mysterious power descend upon her. The power was vast, ancient, and majestic, but also warm, gentle, and kind¡­ Eleanor was momentarily disoriented. She felt as if she saw a towering ancient castle, with crimson light enveloping the world, and ethereal, vague whispers echoed around her. Eleanor couldn¡¯t clearly hear what the whispers said, but she felt a guidance and proclamation that reached directly to her soul¡­ The power came quickly and left just as swiftly. In her daze, the whispers were gone, and the castle and crimson mist seemed like illusions. But Eleanor¡¯s eyes widened, her expression filled with incredulity. ¡°The True Ancestor¡­ this is the power of the True Ancestor!¡± ¡°She actually responded to me, he noticed my confusion!¡± Eleanor¡¯s expression grew increasingly agitated, and after a long period of excitement, she fell silent again. Until a personal guard arrived, interrupting her thoughts. ¡°Duchess, the Count has returned.¡± Eleanor snapped back to reality. ¡°Gaston?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Bring him to me.¡± The personal guard quickly retreated, and Eleanor once again looked into the distance. ¡°Face my true heart¡­¡± Looking at the scenery of Lutecia, her eyes gradually became firm. Not long after, the travel-worn Count Gaston stood before Eleanor. He slightly bowed to Eleanor. ¡°Duchess, what are your orders?¡± Sensing the dismissive attitude in his tone, Eleanor slightly clenched her fists. However, she quickly suppressed her discomfort, mustered her courage, and with a serious expression, said in a deep voice. ¡°Sir Gaston, I¡¯ve changed my mind.¡± ¡°I will not leave, I will not leave Borde, nor my people.¡± ¡°I will take up the authority of Borde, implement my will, and become a true Duchess!¡± Hearing Eleanor¡¯s words, Count Gaston was momentarily stunned. It seemed as though the young Duchess had become a completely different person, with a distinct aura. He was puzzled and was about to ask the reason, but when he looked up at her, he was frozen in place. In his ¡°sight¡±, Elinor was surrounded by a crimson glow, exuding a familiar and awe-inspiring aura¡­ It felt as though invisible, golden eyes were watching him through the void. Count Gaston¡¯s eyes widened, and he felt a chill run down his spine. This is¡­ the power of the True Ancestor! She¡­ she¡­ she has been noticed by the True Ancestor! No longer daring to underestimate the young Duchess, he took a deep breath and solemnly bowed. ¡°Duchess, I will follow your will.¡± Seeing the normally aloof regent being so ¡°obedient¡±, Eleanor was also stunned. Some things, once you muster the courage to do them, don¡¯t seem that difficult¡­ Chapter 383: Charlottes Doctrines ¡°So she was just confused and didn¡¯t really intend to give up her title.¡± In the Dark Night Castle, Charlotte ceased her ¡°observation¡± of Eleanor and murmured to herself. In retrospect, it was partly her responsibility. After the Borde-Castell War, it was her idea to control Borde through Count Gaston in the shadows, but she had neglected the feelings of the rightful lord. However, now it seemed not to be a bad thing. Eleanor had already regained her spirit, and under the influence of the werewolves, she had become her follower. The Borde Duchy was now essentially a potential extension of her power. Of course, achieving that step would still take time. Whether it was strengthening Eleanor¡¯s faith or her control over Borde, it wouldn¡¯t happen overnight. But Charlotte saw a certain possibility. A possibility of fully integrating Borde into her own forces. However, she did not plan to reveal her true identity to Eleanor, at least not for now. Only her core members could know her identity. Speaking of which, Count Gaston was an exception, but given his status as a blood thrall, in a sense, he was a ¡°core member¡± without human rights. Leaving the Dark Night Cight, Charlotte returned to the real world. After some thought, she summoned Sebastian once more. ¡°Great Master, what can Sebastian do for you?¡± The red-haired elf butler smiled elegantly and respectfully. Charlotte looked at him, her expression unreadable. ¡°Sebastian, don¡¯t you have something to say to me about my followers?¡± Sebastian paused, thinking deeply. ¡°Master, what exactly do you mean? Are you referring to the Blood Wolf Tribe in the north?¡± Charlotte gave no clear response and directly asked. ¡°Eleanor has indeed become my follower. Not only that, but her guide is Misha. Did you have anything to do with the way the demi-humans spread faith?¡± Upon hearing Charlotte¡¯s question, Sebastian realized and smiled, flattering her. ¡°Great Master, as expected of you!¡± ¡°Sebastian wanted to give you a surprise, but it seems you already figured it out.¡± Charlotte: ¡­ So it was him. She glanced at him irritably and then asked. ¡°How did you come up with that method?¡± Sebastian pondered and respectfully replied. ¡°Master, this is the current mainstream method for spreading faith. Since you also plan to propagate in the future, I thought it would be best to prepare early. After all, your identity as ¡®Charlotte¡¯ will eventually need to merge with the ¡®True Ancestor.''¡± He scratched his head. ¡°However, our doctrines and creeds are problematic. Your past followers didn¡¯t actively promote faith, leaving a complete void, and the bloodborne¡¯s spontaneous belief in you isn¡¯t suitable for widespread propagation¡­¡± Indeed! Just looking at the texts, the historical True Ancestor of Blood treated bloodbornes as food, relying on bloodbornes for extraordinary power and naturally dismissing the need for believers. A God who feeds on descendants would naturally have an intimidating doctrine shaped by such beliefs. Charlotte secretly complained. Sebastian continued. ¡°Gods never actively promote doctrines. Doctrines are mostly created by followers based on their understanding of the God. So¡­ I¡¯ve been thinking about how to perfect your doctrines and creeds.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve read a lot of texts about your past, and I must admit, your past followers¡¯ belief in you was too one-sided and biased, completely different from the you I know¡­¡± ¡°I believe this is partly due to the bloodbornes and the Holy Court¡¯s malicious slander, and partly because your memories haven¡¯t fully recovered. Additionally, you might not have cared about your followers¡¯ beliefs.¡± This was indeed a knowledge gap for Charlotte. Although she had ¡°time traveled¡± through history, that experience remained a mystery. She still couldn¡¯t determine if it was real, and if so, what role she played in history. She could only be sure that the brutal True Ancestor of Blood described wasn¡¯t her. As for whether the True Ancestor of Blood¡¯s history was slandered¡­ Perhaps she might have thought so in the past, but not now. She still remembered how terrified Yurst and Albrecht were when they saw her, like mice seeing a cat. That wasn¡¯t just slander, that was genuine, deep-seated fear. ¡°Of course, every era has its moral standards. Maybe in that era, your style was simply a product of the time¡­¡± ¡°But now, since you intend to spread your faith in this era, I believe you should tailor your doctrines to the current needs and your path.¡± ¡°So¡­ I think you can completely break with the past and shape a new faith for the great True Ancestor!¡± ¡°After all, your past slumber could be seen as a rebirth!¡± Sebastian spoke passionately, clearly having thought deeply about this. Listening to him, Charlotte¡¯s thoughts stirred, and she fell into contemplation. Sebastian was right. If she wanted to spread her faith, she needed a doctrine suitable for the times and herself. She hadn¡¯t considered this before, mainly because of her deep binding with the ¡°True Ancestor of Blood¡±, which made her cautious. But now, Sebastian had given her a new perspective. If the past was unsuitable, then she could start anew and redesign everything. This made sense. After all, the ¡°True Ancestor¡± had never valued faith in history. So, when the ¡°True Ancestor¡± started preaching, it was only natural to reshape the doctrine. For Charlotte, this was also an opportunity to sever ties with the past ¡°True Ancestor of Blood.¡± She was deeply bound to the ¡°True Ancestor¡±, her fate intertwined. Now, her body and powers were almost entirely like the ¡°True Ancestor.¡± This powerful, easily obtained strength was addictive but also frightening. After all, who knew if she was merely making a wedding dress for the ¡°True Ancestor¡±? Thus, Charlotte had to be cautious. In this light, trying to establish her own mark and sever ties with the historical ¡°True Ancestor¡± became very meaningful. Although Gods in this world didn¡¯t need faith to maintain their existence, they needed directed external forces to awaken from slumber. When Charlotte changed people¡¯s perception of the ¡°True Ancestor¡±, directing all targeted information toward herself, even if the true ¡°True Ancestor¡± existed and intended to return through her, it might not be possible. Because Charlotte would have completely replaced it. With this thought, Charlotte had a plan in mind. She nodded and praised. ¡°Well said.¡± ¡°Since you have this idea, go ahead. I do need a more suitable doctrine for preaching.¡± Sebastian¡¯s face flushed with excitement upon receiving Charlotte¡¯s approval. He took a deep breath and bowed respectfully to the girl. ¡°Great Master, rest assured, Sebastian will quickly come up with a doctrine that will satisfy you!¡± After speaking, he hesitated and added. ¡°However¡­ Master, Sebastian has a question related to your faith.¡± Charlotte nodded. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Sebas paused and asked. ¡°Master, what should be the core of your doctrine?¡± The core¡­ Charlotte fell into deep thought. A God¡¯s doctrine must have a core. The core of Mithra, the God of Contracts, was contracts and justice. The core of Harald, the Creator God, was holiness and creation. The core must be related to the God¡¯s essential power, allowing the God to connect with believers and benefit from their growth. So¡­ what should her doctrine¡¯s core be? As the True Ancestor of Blood, the core would naturally be the Bloodborne, but that wasn¡¯t enough. For Charlotte, it was far from enough. The Bloodborne element could be one of her faith¡¯s tenets but not the only one, as she couldn¡¯t limit her followers to just bloodbornes. She needed something broader, more easily accepted, yet still maintaining a strong direction. Charlotte¡¯s thoughts raced, gradually forming a vague answer. After a moment of contemplation, she said, ¡°Darkness and¡­ order.¡± Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Darkness? Order?¡± Sebastian¡¯s mind stirred. Charlotte nodded slightly and said, ¡°Bloodbornes are creatures of the dark. Darkness can symbolize bloodbornes. Additionally, darkness is the essence of the Myria extraordinary world.¡± ¡°The extraordinary world is dark, cruel, oppressive, and uncontrollable. Darkness is not evil but represents the other side of light, the irrational side of the world. Only by embracing darkness and understanding it can one control it¡­¡± ¡°Bloodbornes are strictly hierarchical and value order. Order can also be a tenet of faith.¡± ¡°The world cannot function without order. Controlling the darkness can bring a new order to a gradually chaotic world. With order, one can restrain the extraordinary, the strong, and the mundane, changing the world¡­¡± ¡°Darkness and order¡­¡± Sebas pondered, then nodded in realization. ¡°I understand.¡± He bowed respectfully to Charlotte. ¡°Great Master, I will draft a suitable doctrine with darkness and order as its core!¡± Seeing his serious and eager expression, Charlotte nodded. ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡­ After her conversation with Sebastian, Charlotte finally had a direction for her future faith efforts. Now, it was up to Sebastian to implement it. Unconsciously, another day had passed. The time for the central meeting had finally arrived. Chapter 384: The Kingdoms Central Council Morning. Before the first rays of sunlight could illuminate the land, fully armed royal guards and city patrol were already organized and dispatched to various parts of Lutecia. Today was the day of the kingdom¡¯s Central Council meeting. The inner city was on high alert early in the morning. Although citizens were not prohibited from traveling, the solemn atmosphere and the presence of fully armed guards made people instinctively avoid the main roads leading to the Royal Plaza. Throughout the inner city, the noble estates and villas were lit up in the early hours. As the first light of dawn appeared in the east, luxurious carriages from all over the capital set off, converging like streams onto the central avenue of the inner city, heading straight for the Royal Plaza. Charlotte also rose early. Today, she styled her golden hair into drill curls and chose a noble dress of Yunette style, predominantly black with gold decorations. The dress featured narrow shoulders, a slim waist, and a voluminous skirt, making her appear more mature and dignified. After a simple breakfast, Charlotte, accompanied by Sebastian and others, boarded the carriage and headed to the Central Council Hall. The Central Council Hall is located on one side of the Royal Plaza, opposite the Lutecia Cathedral, flanking the royal palace. Together, these three landmarks of Lutecia form a triangular arrangement. By the time the Castell family¡¯s carriage slowly entered the plaza, following the procession of noble carriages, nearly an hour had passed. ¡°Master, we have arrived.¡± The carriage came to a gentle stop, and Sebastian¡¯s respectful voice came from outside the carriage. Charlotte responded with a nod and, with Sherry¡¯s assistance, alighted from the carriage. The Royal Plaza of Lutecia is vast, said to cover five hundred thousand square meters. At this moment, about two-thirds of the plaza was filled with noble carriages, each more luxurious than the last, with a dazzling array of family crests on their sides. As Charlotte stepped out of the carriage, she immediately felt numerous gazes, near and far, focus on her. Some were from nobles, others from the stationed knights and guards. Along with the gazes came hushed whispers. ¡°It¡¯s the Castell family, the young Countess.¡± ¡°The Jewel of Borde, the most beautiful girl in Crescent?¡± ¡°She seems even more beautiful in person than in portraits.¡± S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Graceful and elegant, indeed as captivating as rumored¡­¡± ¡°Young, wealthy, and capable¡ªwhat a pity she can¡¯t marry.¡± ¡°After all, she¡¯s the Saintess of the Lord. I heard she performed a miracle in the cathedral a few days ago, even alarming the Archbishop, the Grand Inquisitor, and the Hunter Cardinal.¡± ¡°What? A miracle? Really?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s true. This is inside information from the church. If it weren¡¯t for the Blood Demon Cult incident afterward, the news would have spread widely.¡± ¡°Gasp¡­ Is Crescent finally going to have a Saintess?¡± ¡°That¡¯s still unclear. The church¡¯s reaction seems strange. They haven¡¯t formally announced her appointment yet, probably due to recent events. Some say she¡¯s dissatisfied with the church.¡± ¡°Dissatisfied with the church? Her?¡± ¡°The details are unclear. The church is tight-lipped about it. What¡¯s certain is that they value her highly.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The crowd¡¯s discussions continuously reached Charlotte¡¯s ears. Although they kept their voices low, Charlotte¡¯s keen senses allowed her to hear everything clearly. She was used to it, as one of the central figures in the Borde-Castell war and a key reason for this Central Council meeting, she was prepared to be the focus of attention. Additionally, she could gather some extra information from eavesdropping. However, her eavesdropping didn¡¯t last long. Soon, some nobles came forward to greet her. ¡°Good morning, Lady. You must be the Countess of Castell? I am Bono from the Dawn family. Pleased to meet you.¡± ¡°Good day, Countess Castell. I am Count Durant. You look stunning today.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± The nobles greeting her were exceedingly warm, and almost all of them were members of the major families of the Crescent Kingdom. Even those who weren¡¯t from major families were often new nobility of the kingdom, especially those who had risen through trade and alchemy products. Charlotte responded with a smile, greeting them one by one. Unlike in Borde, these nobles, although often praising her appearance, did not try to woo her. Most were simply extending their goodwill. This was partly due to her earlier declaration of being single and partly because these nobles were not here for marriage alliances but to build a good relationship with the Castell family. This was not only because the Borde-Castell war had shown the strength of the Castell family but also because of the family¡¯s mithril mine¡­ The only difference was that the larger families treated her as an equal, while the new nobility and smaller families were more respectful. In any case, though not quite the center of attention, Charlotte was certainly in high demand. As Charlotte was smiling and greeting the nobles, suddenly, the surrounding noise quieted down. Charlotte looked up and saw two elegantly dressed middle-aged nobles walking towards her side by side. Behind them were several other nobles, all looking up to these two men. One was wearing a noble¡¯s robe adorned with the crescent moon emblem, slender in build, while the other appeared more stern and wore a crest featuring a sword and a griffin. Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred. These were two familiar faces. The noble with the crescent moon emblem was none other than John de Anro, the Duke of Moonshield, who had rented her the mansion at No. 7 Riverside Street. The other, whom she had not met in person but had the ¡°pleasure¡± of seeing once in the Eternal Sacred Realm of the church, was also one of the kingdom¡¯s nine dukes, duke Theodore de Prutz. This combination surprised Charlotte. As far as she knew, the Duke of Moonshield was a staunch royalist and a strong supporter of King Louis V¡¯s efforts to strengthen centralization. As for Duke Prutz, he was a member of the Third Prince¡¯s faction. Although not directly conflicting with the royalists, his political stance was more conservative. ¡°Countess Castell, long time no see. How are you finding the estate?¡± The Duke of Moonshield was the first to greet her, as warm as ever. Charlotte gave a slight bow and smiled. ¡°Very well, Duke. Thank you for your help. Finding such a comfortable estate in the inner city of Lutecia was my good fortune.¡± ¡°Haha, you arrived just in time! Many nobles have been entering the capital recently, and most of the mansions in the inner city have already been rented out. I happened to hear that your butler was looking for a place to stay and remembered that I had an empty one, so I acted on it.¡± Charlotte smiled. ¡°Your casual favor has solved a problem for the Castell family.¡± She then showed a hint of regret. ¡°Unfortunately, I haven¡¯t had the chance to visit you personally these past few days.¡± ¡°Haha, even if you wanted to visit, I would have had to politely decline. The central council has its rules. However, after the meeting, we can certainly find a time to gather. Some of my old friends are quite interested in Castell¡¯s mithril mine.¡± Duke Moonshield said with a laugh. Charlotte also smiled. ¡°Then I¡¯ll look forward to it.¡± The two exchanged a few pleasantries, verbally agreeing to meet after the central council meeting. This was one of Charlotte¡¯s goals for this trip to the capital: to establish connections between the northern and central nobility. She then glanced at Duke Prutz, who stood beside Duke Moonshield. Noticing her gaze, Duke Moonshield slapped his forehead. ¡°Look at me being so hasty! I forgot to introduce you. This is Duke Prutz, the most promising noble knight in the kingdom, who is also interested in the northern mines.¡± Charlotte gracefully curtsied. ¡°Duke Prutz.¡± Duke Prutz nodded in response. Seeing the lukewarm interaction between the two, Duke Moonshield scratched his head and hesitated before saying, ¡°Ahem¡­ Countess, I know you have some opinions about certain nobles due to the Third Prince¡¯s matters, but Duke Prutz is not as the rumors say¡­ Well¡­ In short, the central nobility is complex, and sometimes we don¡¯t have a choice either.¡± Charlotte felt a subtle shift in her mind, realizing that Duke Moonshield was hinting she shouldn¡¯t hold any hostility toward Duke Prutz because of the Third Prince. In fact, she bore no real hostility. Although she had felt animosity from him in the Eternal Sacred Realm, that was merely a mental projection, a natural psychological reaction to the Third Prince¡¯s faction. Now, face to face, she felt no negative emotions from him. Duke Prutz was simply a man of few words, and Charlotte, being naturally passive, found it hard to start a conversation. However, since Duke Moonshield kindly explained, she graciously accepted it. ¡°Your Grace, I understand. The Third Prince is the Third Prince, and the kingdom¡¯s nobility is the kingdom¡¯s nobility.¡± She said this with a smile. Seeing her sincere eyes, Duke Moonshield relaxed a bit, his smile becoming more radiant. The three continued chatting as they walked towards the council hall, with other nobles stepping aside to make way. After a few steps, the surrounding noise quieted again. Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred, and she looked to the side to see Eleanor, accompanied by Count Gaston, approaching from another direction. The two groups quickly met at the council hall entrance. All eyes were on Charlotte and Eleanor, making the atmosphere in front of the council hall a bit tense. Duke Moonshield glanced at Eleanor and then at Charlotte, his expression hesitant. Charlotte smiled at Eleanor and greeted her openly. ¡°Lady Eleanor, long time no see. You look well.¡± Eleanor looked at Charlotte with a complicated expression and sighed. ¡°Charlotte, long time no see. Thank you so much for your help before.¡± Duke Moonshield was momentarily taken aback by Eleanor¡¯s words. It wasn¡¯t surprising that Eleanor was grateful, it was widely known that Countess Castell had ¡°rescued¡± the Duchess of Borde from the Third Prince. What puzzled him was the tone in Eleanor¡¯s voice, which seemed to carry not just gratitude, but also¡­ respect? Respect? A duchess respecting a countess? Duke Moonshield thought he might be losing his mind, but his years of experience told him he wasn¡¯t mistaken. Could it be because of Countess Castell¡¯s ¡°Saintess¡± status? Duke Moonshield was curious, but on the other side, Charlotte had already finished her greetings with Eleanor. After Eleanor briefly greeted the other two dukes, she entered the council hall. Watching her back, Duke Moonshield curiously asked. ¡°Countess, your relationship with Duchess Borde is quite unexpected.¡± Charlotte smiled. ¡°Borde is Borde, and the Third Prince is the Third Prince. I have a good personal relationship with Lady Eleanor, but politics shouldn¡¯t involve personal feelings.¡± Duke Moonshield listened, deep in thought. Charlotte didn¡¯t elaborate further and glanced at the hall. ¡°Your Grace, shall we go in?¡± Duke Moonshield nodded slightly, and along with Duke Prutz and Charlotte, entered the central council hall. The kingdom¡¯s central council hall was also a well-known landmark in Lutecia, a Gothic-style palace with a vast interior. Upon entering, Charlotte was reminded of the grand, lavishly decorated halls from Western literature in her previous life. The entire hall was semicircular, spacious enough to accommodate a thousand people. The hall was already two-thirds full of seated nobles. As Charlotte entered, a servant quickly guided her to her designated seat. The seating arrangements in the council had their own significance. At the front of the dais, the central throne was reserved for the king, with the queen¡¯s seat on the left and the Archbishop¡¯s seat on the right. Below the dais were the noble seats, with twelve more elaborate seats at the forefront, belonging to the kingdom¡¯s twelve dukedoms, including the nine great dukes and three ecclesiastical dukedoms. Duke Moonshield and Eleanor were soon seated among those twelve chairs, with Duke Moonshield in the second seat, duke Prutz in the seventh, and Eleanor in the twelfth. Charlotte was led to the first seat among the remaining noble seats. ¡°Countess, this is your seat.¡± The servant said respectfully. Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred as she nodded and sat down. In the kingdom¡¯s central council, the seating position represented one¡¯s status and rank. The higher the rank, the closer to the front. Undoubtedly, Charlotte, having defeated the Borde Duchy and possessing vast prosperous lands, was now seen as the foremost noble below the dukes. Even some of the kingdom¡¯s marquises were seated behind her. Although the Castell family was still considered new nobility in the kingdom, their family¡¯s heritage and strength had already been recognized by the nobility and the royal family. As the nobles gradually took their seats, the twelve ducal seats were also filled, except for the first, fifth, and ninth seats. These belonged to the stripped Duke Gaston, another deposed and imprisoned duke, and the replaced ecclesiastical lord. The first seat, belonging to Duke Gaston, had its title revoked and might be permanently removed in the future. The fifth and ninth seats were empty because the newly appointed duke and lord had yet to be officially confirmed. Once all the nobles were seated, melodious music began to play, and royal knights in shining armor escorted several gorgeously dressed nobles and clerics onto the dais. Leading them were two figures: one wore a crown, held a scepter, and was draped in a deep blue cloak adorned with crescent moon patterns; the other wore a white robe trimmed with gold and held the ¡°Bible.¡± It was King Louis V and the Archbishop of the Crescent Diocese. Chapter 385: The Trial of the Third Prince This was Charlotte¡¯s first time seeing so many nobles of the kingdom. There were more than six hundred nobles present at the venue, all of whom were direct vassals of the kingdom or court nobles without fiefs. For the first time, Charlotte felt the profound foundation of the Crescent Kingdom. All six hundred-plus nobles present were extraordinary beings, with the weakest among them being at the Starry Sky tier. Most were at the Silver Moon tier, and by sensing their auras alone, there were likely more than seventy people at the Blazing Sun tier. Above that, there were three presences that made Charlotte feel significantly threatened. These were the Legendaries. Among them, one Legendary was Duke Boite in the third seat, while the other two were a marquis and a court noble. Of the three Legendaries, Duke Boite sat in the Dukes¡¯ seat, while the other two did not take their seats but instead sat in separate seats on one side of the venue. Those were seats designated for Legendaries, and they included a seat for Duke Boite. However, it was evident that the Duke valued his identity as a duke more than his status as a Legendary. Charlotte noticed that there were four seats reserved for Legendaries in total. Apart from Duke Boite, one seat remained empty, indicating that someone had not attended. This was likely the Crescent Kingdom¡¯s chief magician, Engelhardt, who was said to be deeply engrossed in magical research. When Louis V and the Crescent Archbishop entered the venue, all the nobles stood up automatically to salute them. ¡°Your Majesty¡­ Archbishop¡­¡± ¡°Your Majesty¡­ Archbishop¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Charlotte followed the crowd, while secretly observing the king on the dais. King Louis V of the Crescent Kingdom was a formidable-looking elderly man. He was dressed in luxurious royal robes, with a golden crown that shimmered under the crystal lights. His curly gray hair added a touch of ruggedness and boldness to his appearance. Although his brows and eyes showed signs of aging, his black eyes still harbored a piercing gleam. As his gaze swept across the venue, everyone fell silent, and no one dared to meet his eyes. Charlotte felt that when Louis V¡¯s gaze fell on her, it seemed to pause briefly, but it quickly moved on. ¡°Please be seated.¡± Louis V nodded to the crowd. The king sat down first, followed by the Dukes and Legendaries. After they were seated, the remaining nobles followed suit. After the sound of chairs being moved, the venue fell silent again. Louis V¡¯s gaze swept across the room once more, and his authoritative voice rang out. ¡°It¡¯s about time. Anro, you may begin.¡± With the king¡¯s permission, Duke Moonshield rose, saluted, and took his place on the dais, speaking solemnly. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. I am John de Anro, Duke of Moonshield and the chairman of the 39th Central Council of the Kingdom.¡± ¡°This session of the Central Council is the 83rd temporary meeting of the Kingdom, proposed by Duke Aurore and approved by an emergency review of the cabinet.¡± ¡°The theme of this meeting is the noble joint trial of Crescent¡¯s Third Prince, Philip de Valva. Prince Philip is suspected of colluding with the Blood Demon Cult, blatantly violating the Holy Code and the Kingdom¡¯s Royal Covenant. According to Article 18 of Chapter 9 of the Holy Code, the Noble Council has the right to jointly try and sentence Prince Philip de Valva¡­¡± After speaking, Duke Moonshield paused and then said, ¡°Bring Prince Philip de Valva up.¡± Soon, fully armed royal knights brought the Third Prince Philip, who had been deprived of all his extraordinary powers, up to the dais. This was Charlotte¡¯s second time seeing Prince Philip. Compared to his previous spirited appearance, he now looked withered and emaciated, appearing somewhat despondent. His hair was messy, and his eyes were dull until he passed by Charlotte, whereupon his gaze briefly cleared and erupted with anger, making him stop involuntarily. ¡°Charlotte¡­ de Castell!¡± He nearly gritted his teeth. Charlotte frowned slightly. However, she ignored him. ¡°Bring Prince Philip de Valva up. This is the Central Council, please maintain order.¡± Duke Moonshield frowned slightly, speaking sternly. Prince Philip glared furiously, wanting to say something, but seeing the impassive face of Louis V on the dais, he ultimately held back. Duke Moonshield, for his part, paid no heed to the Prince¡¯s venomous glare. After the royal knights forcibly placed the Prince in the trial seat, Duke Moonshield took up a gavel and struck the table. ¡°The accused is in place. I now declare the noble joint trial of Crescent¡¯s Third Prince Philip de Valva¡­ officially begins!¡± ¡­ This was Charlotte¡¯s first time participating in a noble joint trial of the Crescent Kingdom. After announcing the start of the trial, Duke Moonshield took out a parchment and began reading the charges compiled by the Noble Council against the Third Prince. Seizing noble properties, violating the Royal Covenant, colluding with the Blood Demon Cult, attempting to overthrow the kingdom¡¯s government, abusing noble relatives, murdering the kingdom¡¯s vassals, desecrating holy matrimony, trafficking women and children¡­ One after another, the charges were numerous and more severe than Charlotte had imagined. The nobles had evidently prepared ample evidence for each charge, with substantial documents and even witnesses present to testify. Charlotte initially thought she might be called to testify, but it turned out she wasn¡¯t needed. Not only that but the evidence the nobles had prepared even surprised Charlotte. For example, the charges of abusing noble relatives and murdering the kingdom¡¯s vassals. One noble accused the Third Prince of not only abusing his wife but also his half-sister, Princess Margaret of the Crescent Kingdom, ultimately leading to her depression and suicide. Charlotte was stunned by this revelation. As far as she knew, there indeed was a Princess Margaret in the Crescent Kingdom, born to a maid and not favored by the king, who died of illness before she was fourteen. She had no idea there was such a secret! Although there was no conclusive evidence to thoroughly convict the Third Prince of this charge, the explosive news was enough to cause an uproar among the nobles in the council hall. When this bombshell dropped, Charlotte noticed that Louis V¡¯s face on the dais darkened, and his gaze toward the Third Prince grew menacing. As for the charge of murdering the kingdom¡¯s vassal, it was equally shocking. The noble accused the Third Prince of murdering none other than one of the Kingdom¡¯s nine great dukes, the former Duke of Borde! This charge caused an even greater commotion in the hall. If it had been merely the murder of a vassal, it would have incited noble anger but not to such an extent. The key was that the Third Prince had stacked too many offenses. First, being a member of the royal family, committing murder against a vassal was already a taboo akin to tyranny. Moreover, the murdered vassal was not just any noble but one of the kingdom¡¯s major dukes, who had also contributed significantly in the Star-Moon War. Secondly, this nobleman is also his father-in-law and the heir to the title is his wife. Finally, his wife also suffered from his abuse, with suspicions of forced murder¡­ This is a real otherworldly version of devouring the orphan¡¯s inheritance, and it¡¯s even a buff-stacking version. When these accusations were announced, the entire venue erupted. Some angry nobles even started cursing and spitting. On the high platform, Louis V¡¯s gaze grew even more oppressive. The air pressure near the dais seemed to drop, and the surrounding nobles didn¡¯t dare to breathe loudly, creating an oppressive silence like the calm before a storm. Listening to the nobles¡¯ curses below and seeing Louis V¡¯s gradually indifferent gaze, the Third Prince, Philip, finally panicked. ¡°No! No! This is slander! These charges are all slander!¡± As he spoke, he seemed to remember something and looked down at Eleanor, shouting sharply. ¡°Eleanor! Tell them it¡¯s all slander! I never abused you! I never abused Margaret! I never murdered the Duke!¡± For a moment, all eyes were on Eleanor. ¡°Bang¡ª¡± Duke Moonshield struck his gavel and said solemnly. ¡°Sir Philip de Valva, according to the charges, you are accused of mentally manipulating Duchess Eleanor de Borde.¡± ¡°According to the regulations, any exonerating testimony provided by Lady Eleanor regarding you will be considered invalid in this meeting.¡± Hearing Duke Moonshield¡¯s words, the Third Prince¡¯s eyes widened, and he angrily cursed. ¡°John de Anro! You royal traitor! You backstabbing dog! Have you forgotten your family?¡± Listening to the Third Prince¡¯s curses, Duke Moonshield frowned slightly. However, before he could say anything, an angry shout came from the high platform. ¡°Scoundrel! Silence!¡± A vast and terrifying pressure came from the high platform, carrying overwhelming anger, sweeping over everything in an instant. In an instant, the venue fell silent. The nobles all fell silent, not daring to make a sound, each turning pale under the terrifying pressure. Only a few Legendaries remained calm. With the blood divine power, Charlotte was actually fine. Although she felt the pressure was terrifying, she could still endure it. However, she also mimicked the other nobles, showing a shocked expression. It was King Louis V who spoke. Under that angry shout, the Third Prince turned pale, his legs trembling, and he collapsed completely. If it weren¡¯t for the royal knights holding him up, he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to stand. The pressure gradually subsided. Louis V looked at him coldly and then said calmly. ¡°Continue.¡± Duke Moonshield swallowed and then sighed, saying seriously. ¡°Sir Philip, of course I know my own name. The Anro family is a branch of the Valva family. Maintaining the honor of the Valva family is naturally my duty.¡± ¡°No one can desecrate the honor of the royal family, not even you, a Prince!¡± He paused and looked at the nobles below. ¡°So¡­ regarding the charges against the Third Prince, Philip de Valva, please¡­¡± ¡°I can testify.¡± Duke Moonshield was interrupted by a voice before he finished speaking. It was Eleanor. For a moment, the nobles¡¯ eyes were again focused on the duchess. Duke Moonshield hesitated and said, ¡°Lady Borde, when you say you can testify, do you mean¡­¡± Eleanor stood up, looked at the Third Prince coldly and with disgust, and said, ¡°I can testify that I was indeed abused by Philip, and that Princess Margaret also suffered his abuse before her death.¡± ¡°Furthermore, I can testify to his seizure of noble property, collusion with the Blood Demon Cult, human trafficking, and civilian murders.¡± Hearing Eleanor¡¯s words, the Third Prince¡¯s eyes widened, and he roared angrily. ¡°Eleanor! You bitch! Traitor!¡± ¡°Silence!¡± Duke Moonshield shouted. He glanced at the royal knights, who quickly used magic to restrain the Third Prince, preventing him from speaking further. Then, Duke Moonshield said to Eleanor. ¡°Your Grace, any trial at the Central Meeting requires evidence. Do you have concrete evidence?¡± Eleanor nodded. ¡°I do. But¡­ before I testify, I have a question I want to understand.¡± ¡°Please, go ahead.¡± ¡°I want to know, how did my father die?¡± Duke Moonshield sighed. ¡°Of course, according to the testimony we obtained, your father was poisoned by Philip.¡± ¡°The witness is the late Duke¡¯s maid, who participated in the conspiracy and fled Borde out of fear of being silenced, eventually being rescued by a noble during the chase.¡± Hearing Duke Moonshield¡¯s words, Eleanor fell silent. After a long time, she nodded. ¡°I understand.¡± She glanced at the Third Prince, whose expression was dull and face was ashen, and then gently lifted her clothes, revealing intersecting scars. Seeing those hideous scars, the nobles murmured and stirred again. Eleanor¡¯s expression was indifferent. ¡°Then¡­ let¡¯s start with the Third Prince¡¯s abuse of me¡­¡± ¡­ The Third Prince was done for. Truly done. The moment Eleanor chose to testify, it meant his complete downfall. Eleanor was the long-term victim of the Third Prince¡¯s abuse. But she was also the Third Prince¡¯s wife. Witnessing many of the Third Prince¡¯s sordid deeds, once she chose to come forward, it was enough to send him to hell. Eleanor methodically listed all of the Third Prince¡¯s crimes, one by one. As they listened to her shocking testimony, the nobles¡¯ gazes at the Third Prince grew increasingly contemptuous. When Eleanor finally finished exposing all of the Third Prince¡¯s evil deeds, an hour had passed. The hall fell silent once more. There was no need for further evidence. The existing evidence was already sufficient. Duke Moonshield struck the gavel again and said solemnly. ¡°Testimony concluded. Next, the Central Meeting Council will judge the charges against Philip de Valva.¡± After speaking, the council composed of cabinet ministers and dukes began a low discussion. Shortly after, the drafted judgment was handed to Duke Moonshield. Duke Moonshield glanced at it and then respectfully presented it to King Louis V. Louis V skimmed it, frowned slightly, then took the quill and made some significant changes before handing it back to Duke Moonshield. Seeing the king¡¯s modifications, Duke Moonshield¡¯s eyes widened, his expression hesitant. ¡°Your Majesty¡­ this¡­¡± ¡°Read it.¡± Louis V said coldly. Duke Moonshield swallowed and, with difficulty, read aloud. ¡°Upon investigation, it is found that Crescent Prince Philip de Valva has seized noble property, violated the Royal Covenant, colluded with the Blood Demon Cult, attempted to overthrow the kingdom, abused blood-related nobles, murdered the kingdom¡¯s vassals, desecrated holy matrimony, and traded freemen and landless nobles¡­ The evidence is conclusive.¡± ¡°According to the Holy Code and the Royal Covenant, judged by the Central Meeting Council and Crescent King Louis de Valva, Prince Philip de Valva is sentenced to¡ª¡± ¡°Hanging!¡± At these words, the entire council chamber fell silent, and all the nobles looked in shock at the calmly seated king, showing disbelief. Philip¡¯s eyes widened, all color draining from his face. He trembled, and then his head slumped to the side as he fainted directly. Chapter 386: Dust Settles King Louis V¡¯s verdict on the Third Prince left the entire hall in silence. No one expected such decisiveness from His Majesty. Charlotte was also somewhat surprised. Before the Central Council meeting, she had speculated many times about what the Third Prince¡¯s verdict might be. Although Charlotte thought the Third Prince deserved to die, considering the known history of Myria, she always believed that the King¡¯s punishment would at most be stripping or sealing his bloodline power, then exiling him. But she never imagined he would be directly executed. Myria¡¯s noble system is quite strict, and the royal family¡¯s status is higher than other nobles. Even for the gravest offenses, internal verdicts rarely result in a direct death sentence. Throughout the continent¡¯s history, executions have occurred, but often they are done privately, announced to the public as a natural death, preserving the royal family¡¯s and the members¡¯ dignity. Not like today, where it was announced directly. Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but glance at the dais. The aged King remained expressionless, his black eyes filled with indifference, as if he had not just sentenced his own child. Charlotte didn¡¯t know if Louis V was also infuriated by the Third Prince¡¯s series of rotten acts or if he was truly impartial. What she was sure of was that this King, known as ¡°The Great¡±, was both decisive and ruthless. After all¡­ just months ago, the Third Prince Philip was Louis V¡¯s most beloved child and a strong contender for the throne. And now, a few months later, his own father had sent him to the gallows. ¡°The verdict stands. Do any of my colleagues have any objections?¡± Duke Moonshield¡¯s voice resounded again, breaking the silence in the hall. The nobles looked at each other, speechless for a moment. The Third Prince¡¯s crimes were indeed severe, many of his actions pushing the nobles to their limits. But now, facing a death sentence, they didn¡¯t know what to say. Only Hubert de Boite-Linte, the Duke of Violet in the tenth seat, appeared hesitant. It was evident that this Old Duke, who had abandoned his grandson during the Borde-Castell War, was now somewhat reluctant after hearing the death sentence. He sighed and stood up shakily from his seat. Instantly, all the nobles¡¯ eyes were on him. ¡°Your Majesty, Philip¡¯s crimes are indeed grave, but he¡­ he is still a direct member of the Valva family, and ultimately¡­ your son.¡± The Old Duke bowed to Louis V, speaking with a strained voice. Louis V looked at him indifferently. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°He was indeed my most beloved son, but more importantly, he was the Third Prince of Crescent and the noblest noble of Crescent.¡± ¡°Power comes with responsibility. A noble¡¯s status is not a license for wanton behavior. Colluding with the Blood Demon Cult is a major taboo in our country, not to mention the numerous unforgivable crimes he has committed!¡± ¡°Since he committed the crimes, he must bear the consequences.¡± ¡°No matter who he is.¡± Facing Louis V¡¯s deep and decisive gaze, the Duke of Violet opened his mouth, but ultimately sighed deeply. ¡°I abide by your royal command.¡± He said, and then shakily sat down. Louis V¡¯s gaze swept over the entire hall, his authoritative voice echoing. ¡°Does anyone else have any objections to this Central Council meeting?¡± Silence. No noble stood up to voice any objections. Not even those who were indignant and planned to protest the ¡°Great Purge¡± penalties after the Third Prince¡¯s trial¡­ A joke, the King was sentencing his own son to death, would he be lenient towards the nobles who colluded with the Blood Demon Cult during the ¡°Great Purge¡±? Not killing them was already lenient! The nobles were not foolish, they understood the double meaning in the King¡¯s words. At this moment, Louis V had already used his actions to preemptively respond to the nobles¡¯ attitudes! ¡°If there are no objections, then it is settled. The execution will be held tomorrow morning at ten o¡¯clock, not open to the public, with the Royal Cabinet and the Dukes as witnesses.¡± Louis V said coldly. In the end, he left the Third Prince with a final bit of dignity, perhaps for the sake of the royal family¡¯s reputation, by not choosing a public execution. But with the kingdom¡¯s dukes and the cabinet present, there were still witnesses. ¡°Do any of you have questions?¡± Louis V asked the Dukes in the front row. The current cabinet, half of which had been replaced due to the Great Purge, was now all dukes, so the front row of dukes also included the cabinet. Hearing the King¡¯s words, the Dukes looked at each other, but none had any questions. Louis V¡¯s gaze finally fell on Eleanor. His cold, authoritative gaze softened slightly as he spoke in a deep voice. ¡°As for all the Third Prince¡¯s property¡­ it will be given to Duchess Borde as compensation.¡± Eleanor paused, then bowed slightly. ¡°Thank you for your understanding, Your Majesty¡­¡± Louis V waved his hand slightly and stood up from his seat. ¡°The meeting is adjourned.¡± He said. With that, he and the Archbishop of Crescent left the hall, escorted by the royal knights. Only after the King and the Archbishop¡¯s presence completely vanished did the quiet hall come alive with movement. The nobles looked at each other, quickly engaging in heated discussions. ¡°Hanging! It¡¯s actually hanging! I never thought His Majesty would sentence the Third Prince to hanging!¡± ¡°He must have been furious. Although Princess Margaret was of humble origin, his Majesty seemed quite fond of her¡­¡± ¡°I thought this trial would last for many days¡­ I didn¡¯t expect it to be over so quickly. Sigh, the meeting ended so fast that in the end, I couldn¡¯t even bring up objections to the ¡®Great Purge¡¯ punishment with His Majesty¡­¡± ¡°Hmph! Regretting it now? Why didn¡¯t you bring it up when His Majesty was here?¡± ¡°Who dared to mention it then! We were all stunned by the verdict, and besides, if the Prince is dealt with so harshly, what about the nobles?¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The nobles discussed as they packed up and left. Listening to their conversations, Charlotte sighed inwardly. Perhaps¡­ this is the effect Louis V wanted. She bid farewell to a few familiar nobles and left the hall. ¡­ The meeting was more thunder than rain. A trial that was expected to last several days, even over ten days, ended in less than a day. The meeting ended just in time for lunch, and while lunch was prepared at the assembly hall, most nobles didn¡¯t stay, opting to return home in their carriages. Charlotte did the same, but before leaving, she verbally agreed to attend Duke Moonshield¡¯s salon in a few days, and the Duke promised to send her a formal invitation soon. After meeting up with Sebastian and the others outside the hall, Charlotte informed her followers about the meeting¡¯s proceedings. ¡°It seems His Majesty is determined to strengthen centralization.¡± Sebastian stroked his chin and said. Charlotte nodded slightly, agreeing. Interestingly, although she was one of the triggers for this Central Council meeting, she ended up being more of a spectator from start to finish. But Charlotte didn¡¯t mind, as it allowed her to remain low-profile and avoid attention. The verdict would soon spread throughout the capital and then the entire kingdom. But that had nothing to do with Charlotte. Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, it was the day after the Third Prince¡¯s trial. By noon, Charlotte had heard news from the palace that the Third Prince had been executed, reportedly crying and wetting himself, disgracing the royal family. But regardless, the Crescent¡¯s Third Prince Philip de Valva ultimately perished due to his foolishness and crimes. Charlotte could finally put this matter to rest. In the afternoon, Charlotte¡¯s rented estate received a new visitor. However, it wasn¡¯t a servant delivering an invitation from the Duke of Moonshield¡¯s salon. Instead, it was a royal knight from the Crescent Palace. The royal knight brought a command from the King. Louis V¡­ wanted to summon her. Chapter 387: Louis Vs Summons Charlotte wasn¡¯t surprised by the King¡¯s summons. Although she had played a minor role in the Central Meeting, the fact remained that the Castell territory had effectively declared independence from Borde. As the wealthiest territory in the Borde Duchy, and with the royal family¡¯s partnership in the Castell Mithril Mine, it was inevitable that Louis V would want to meet her. Charlotte had a fair idea of the topics they would discuss. After all, the root cause of the Borde-Castell War had included the tacit approval of the King. The only difference was that the final victor had been Charlotte. Charlotte did not hesitate. She graciously accepted the royal decree from the Royal Knight and then, accompanied by Sebastian, boarded the carriage prepared by the Knight. In addition to the royal carriage, Charlotte also sent another carriage to follow behind. ¡°Countess, this¡­¡± The Royal Knight looked puzzled at the bulging carriage. ¡°These are gifts for His Majesty, as well as some specialties from the North. If you¡¯re concerned, you can inspect them.¡± Charlotte smiled. Bringing gifts when meeting the King was always better than coming empty-handed. Although she had no intention of getting too close to the Royal Family, at least they were not her enemies at the moment. Louis V¡¯s tacit approval of the war was essentially because she had initially ¡°leaned¡± toward the church. After her victory, the King had not troubled her. Hearing Charlotte¡¯s explanation, the leading knight bowed and apologized, then ordered the other knights to inspect the carriage. A moment later, the inspecting knight nodded, and the leader addressed Charlotte. ¡°Countess, everything is in order. We can proceed.¡± ¡°Then let us depart.¡± Charlotte nodded slightly, closing the curtain of the carriage. The carriage moved slowly, carrying the young girl towards the royal palace. ¡­ The Crescent Kingdom¡¯s Royal Palace was located in the very center of the capital, Lutecia. The Royal Plaza was right in front of it, facing the Central Council Hall and the Lutecia Cathedral. As the political center of the Crescent Kingdom, the palace was grand and majestic. The main building, called Crescent Palace, was a typical structure of the kingdom, resembling Baroque architecture from Charlotte¡¯s previous life. The palace was built from massive stone materials, with intricate sculptures and decorations adorning its walls, and magnificent spires and luxurious domes crowning its roof. Instead of being surrounded by walls, the palace was embraced by vast gardens and lawns. The gardens were symmetrically designed, with trimmed hedges, colorful flower beds, and lush greenery, interspersed with decorative marble statues and colonnades. What caught Charlotte¡¯s eye the most was the enormous fountain in front of the main gate of Crescent Palace. She could see it from a distance. It was the largest fountain Charlotte had ever seen, nearly thirty meters tall and about fifty meters wide. At the center of the fountain was a massive marble sculpture depicting Louis V on horseback, leading the Crescent Order of Knights in the decisive battle of the Star-Moon War. The sculpture was lifelike, almost a spitting image of Louis V himself. It was said to have been crafted personally by the most skilled half-elf artisans from the Luna Coast city-states and was considered a masterpiece. In fact, as far as Charlotte knew, the entire Crescent Palace had been rebuilt by Louis V on the ruins of the old palace. The new palace was much larger and more luxurious than the old one, which had been burned down by the Starfall Army during the Star-Moon War. Although the palace was not surrounded by walls, fully armed royal knights were visible everywhere. Charlotte sensed that these patrolling knights were exceptionally strong, even the weakest among them were at the Starry Sky tier, with most being Silver Moon and some even Blazing Sun. These knights, while officially titled ¡°Royal Knights¡±, were in fact mostly nobility with other titles. Many were direct descendants of the Crescent noble lords or even the lords themselves. For the Crescent nobles, joining the Royal Knightly Order as a Royal Knight was an honor. In addition to the patrolling knights, Charlotte could also faintly sense the flow of magical energy. Without showing any outward signs, she traced the source of the magic to various decorative patterns on the palace¡¯s spires. These were the runes forming magical arrays, likely for defense and surveillance. Though Crescent Palace no longer had walls like the old castle-style palace, it maintained its security on a higher level. Charlotte curiously observed the palace through the carriage window until the vehicle finally stopped at the main gate. ¡°Countess Castell, we have arrived.¡± The respectful voice of the Royal Knight came from outside the carriage. Charlotte nodded, then descended with Sebastian¡¯s help. She glanced at the luxurious and tall archway of Crescent Palace and entered under the escort of the Royal Knights. Sebastian was stopped and not permitted to enter. The King¡¯s summons was for Charlotte, not him, and without a royal decree, no one else had the right to enter the palace. ¡°Master, I¡¯ll wait for you outside the palace and also handle the delivery of the gifts to His Majesty.¡± Sebastian said. Charlotte nodded in agreement. Led by the Royal Knights, Charlotte entered Crescent Palace. The interior was even more opulent, with the palace hall being resplendent. The architectural style of Yunette reached its peak here. The ceiling of the hall was high, adorned with brilliant murals and exquisite chandeliers. The walls on either side were draped with luxurious tapestries and silks, displaying the Crescent Royal Family¡¯s coat of arms. Every piece of furniture and decoration was incredibly luxurious and finely detailed, practically works of art in their own right. Even the windows and curtains were quite luxurious. The curtains were made of exquisite Far Eastern silk and embroidery, vibrant in color yet grand, and the glass on the windows was intricately carved, reflecting the interior light and casting colorful patterns. However, the most eye-catching place was the banquet hall. When Charlotte passed by the hall on her way to the reception room, she found it very similar to the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles from her previous life, with large mirrors, intricate frescoes, lavish golden decorations, and brilliant large crystal chandeliers. No, to go further, the entire Crescent Palace¡¯s luxury reminded Charlotte strongly of Versailles. The same opulence, the same magnificence, the same grandeur, the same vastness. In fact, the Crescent Palace¡¯s size was almost to the point of being somewhat deserted. Considering the current state of the Valva family, which had dwindled in population, it was questionable if they could even gather thirty family members. Such a massive palace wouldn¡¯t just house thirty royals comfortably but probably could fit all the nobles of Lutecia with room to spare. Subconsciously, Charlotte compared the Crescent Palace to her own Count¡¯s estate, only to quickly realize that such a comparison was self-defeating. Castell was wealthy. But no matter how wealthy, it could not surpass the Crescent Royalty. Especially the current king, who, since ascending to the throne, had subtly strengthened centralization. With many nobles dead or injured during the Star-Moon War, the Crescent Royal Family¡¯s directly governed territories had far exceeded those before the war through annexation and inheritance. To put it simply, some figures made the point clear. As far as Charlotte knew, before the Star-Moon War, the Crescent Kingdom had over twenty duchies, but now only nine remained. The number of theocratic duchies had also reduced from five to three. Though some duchies had expanded since the war, overall, the Crescent Royalty gained more land. Across the kingdom, some duchies had been outright destroyed, leaving behind only scattered counts and barons. The central council had over five hundred noble lords, and probably half were such minor nobles. More direct territories meant higher income, not to mention the Crescent Royal Family dominated the kingdom¡¯s extraordinary resources. While not monopolizing them, they controlled the majority. Being able to build such a luxurious palace, which could be considered a ¡°wonder¡±, showcased the wealth of the Valva family. Louis V dared to confront the nobility collectively and openly implemented policies to strengthen centralization, based on the power of the royal family. Seeing through the surface, appreciating the grandeur and luxury of the Crescent Palace, Charlotte gained a deeper understanding of the royal family¡¯s strength and wealth. Unconsciously, she had been led by the Royal Knight to the Crescent Palace¡¯s reception room. ¡°Countess Castell, please wait here for a moment. His Majesty is washing up and will arrive shortly.¡± The Royal Knight said respectfully. Charlotte nodded slightly and smiled sweetly. ¡°Thank you.¡± Seeing her smile, the young Royal Knight was momentarily stunned, lost in thought. He quickly regained his composure, his cheeks slightly red, and hurriedly saluted and excused himself. Charlotte withdrew her gaze and touched her soft, tender face. She wondered if the blood divine power inherently had the effect of enhancing the body. After merging with the faceless statue, her already excessive beauty seemed to have taken another leap. Her changes in temperament were particularly notable, making her even more perfect and charming in her every word and smile. Shaking her head, Charlotte sat down in the reception room, and the royal maid soon respectfully brought her tea and snacks. The tea was elven red tea, recently popular from the Far East, and the snacks were traditional Western Yunette pastries. Charlotte was more interested in the tea set, made of porcelain, quite exquisite, likely a rare Far Eastern product, and probably very valuable. She had a set in her Count¡¯s estate, simpler than the one in the Royal Banquet Hall, and it was worth over fifty thousand gold tana. This set in front of her would only be more expensive. Charlotte curiously examined the porcelain, thinking how the Far Eastern of this world felt so familiar, with tea, porcelain, and silk, very much like her homeland from her previous life. She heard it was also an elven kingdom, but so far away that few ever ventured there. What kind of elves would they be? While Charlotte was lost in thought, an elderly voice suddenly sounded behind her. ¡°This tea set is Royal Porcelain from the Sun Empire, said to be over two hundred years old. It is said that there are only two sets like this in all of Western Yunette, the other set is supposedly owned by the Coria Royal Family.¡± ¡°If Countess Castell likes it, you may take it with you later.¡± Startled by the voice behind her, Charlotte quickly stood up, seeing King Louis V had entered unnoticed. A Legendary truly lives up to their name. When concealing his presence, Charlotte hadn¡¯t noticed his approach at all! Of course, this was also because Charlotte hadn¡¯t used the blood divine power. Without using that power, even though she was considered a ¡°God.¡± she was still a ¡°pseudo-God.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, good day.¡± Following her memory of etiquette, Charlotte picked up her skirt and curtsied to Louis V. Today, Louis V was dressed casually in a loose, gorgeous noble robe, though he still wore the dark blue Crescent cloak adorned with golden crescent emblems. He looked less stern than at the Central Council yesterday. Though still dignified, his expression was more approachable. However, there were signs of fatigue in his eyes. ¡°No need to be formal, sit.¡± Louis V said. Charlotte curtseyed and sat down again. Louis V also took his seat on the royal throne, picked up a glass of still wine from the maid¡¯s tray, took a sip, and said warmly. ¡°This should be your first time at the Crescent Palace, Countess Castell. What do you think of my palace?¡± Charlotte paused, not expecting Louis V to start with this topic. Meeting the King¡¯s seemingly expectant gaze, she thought for a moment and began to lavishly praise the palace according to her true feelings. ¡°Luxurious and majestic, dignified and imposing, it¡¯s the most magnificent palace I¡¯ve ever seen, perfectly showcasing Crescent¡¯s glory, definitely a pinnacle of Myria court culture¡­¡± ¡°The architectural style and decoration art are breathtaking. It¡¯s more like a wonder of art than a palace.¡± ¡°It not only reflects the majesty of the royal family but also their taste!¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s praise, Louis V laughed heartily, seemingly quite pleased. His laughter was loud and hearty, bold and rough. After laughing, he continued to ask. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± This is¡­ not just wanting to hear the good? Also wanting to hear the bad? Charlotte¡¯s mind stirred. She thought for a moment, showing a hesitant expression. Louis V glanced at her and said, ¡°Don¡¯t hesitate, say whatever comes to mind. I just want to hear a comprehensive evaluation and won¡¯t take offense.¡± Charlotte paused, then said, S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Your Majesty, then I shall speak frankly.¡± With that, she solemnly said, ¡°Majestic as it is, impressive as it is, building it must have been enormously expensive.¡± ¡°Not only that, the entire palace is too large, far exceeding what the royal family needs¡­¡± She glanced at Louis V, surprised to see he wasn¡¯t angry but rather nodded in agreement. Noticing Charlotte¡¯s gaze, Louis V paused and sighed. ¡°You¡¯re right. Even for the royal family, creating such a grand palace was immensely costly, and maintaining it daily is a considerable expense.¡± ¡°In a sense, it is indeed too luxurious and too vast.¡± Then, Louis V looked at Charlotte again. The aging king smiled slightly and suddenly asked. ¡°Countess Castell, do you know why I built it so grand and luxurious?¡± Charlotte¡¯s mind stirred, having some guesses. But she didn¡¯t voice them and instead shook her head. ¡°I do not know.¡± Louis V put away his smile. His gaze fell on the map of the Crescent Kingdom¡¯s fiefdoms in the reception room, his expression calm as he said, ¡°Because this palace was never built just for the royal family to live in.¡± Chapter 388: Rearing Nobles Not just for housing the royal family? Charlotte¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Following Louis V¡¯s gaze, she looked at the Kingdom¡¯s fief map on the wall. Scanning the crests symbolizing various noble families, Charlotte had a peculiar thought. ¡°Your Majesty, do you mean to invite the Kingdom¡¯s nobles to reside here as well?¡± She asked calmly. Louis V smiled faintly, with an approving look. ¡°Countess Castell, you are correct. Building this palace, I indeed plan to invite the nobles to live here.¡± Saying this, Louis V stood up, looked out at the Royal Plaza, and sighed. ¡°In recent years, the kingdom has developed rapidly. The population of Lutecia has doubled several times over the past few decades. Land and housing within the city are quite scarce, with many poor people even having no homes, resorting to setting up simple tents around the city walls¡­¡± ¡°Nobles face similar issues. Especially when the Central Council convenes, it is nearly impossible to find a room in the inner city. I suppose¡­ Countess, you have also felt this.¡± ¡°Moreover, each time the Central Council is held, the influx of numerous nobles greatly pressures public order. Their competitive buying of city mansions has driven up Lutecia¡¯s real estate prices to an unattainable level for ordinary people.¡± ¡°Under such high prices, forced sales and purchases are commonplace, bankrupting more and more citizens while arrogant nobles and wastrels increase.¡± ¡°Although the capital is prosperous, beneath this prosperity lies increasingly sharp social contradictions¡­¡± As he spoke, Louis V turned around and paused slightly before calmly saying, ¡°Therefore, I built this Crescent Palace¡­¡± ¡°Crescent Palace is the largest palace in Myria¡¯s history. The main palace alone can accommodate at least eight thousand people in daily life. Including the surrounding auxiliary buildings, it can comfortably house twelve thousand people.¡± ¡°Furthermore, crescent Palace offers the kingdom¡¯s most luxurious and comfortable environment, with extraordinary facilities far surpassing those of other countries in Yunette, fully meeting the daily needs of nobles.¡± ¡°In addition, Crescent Palace possesses the most advanced magical inscriptions in the entire Yunette region. Its activated magical array can even isolate Legendary¡¯s probes, maximizing the residents¡¯ privacy¡­¡± ¡°Therefore, I plan to gradually revoke the nobles¡¯ residences in the capital. All nobles in Lutecia must move into Crescent Palace in the future.¡± ¡°This Crescent Palace is not just the royal palace, but also the residence for nobles in the capital.¡± Listening to Louis V¡¯s words, Charlotte felt an even stronger sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. Looking at this most assertive king in Crescent¡¯s history, she continued calmly. ¡°Your Majesty, when you say revoke residences, does this include vassal¡¯s residences from various regions?¡± Louis V smiled faintly. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Residences of regional vassals in the capital occupy over two-thirds of Lutecia¡¯s inner city. Most of this area is vacant most of the time.¡± ¡°This is a tremendous waste and must be addressed.¡± ¡°After this Central Council meeting, I will issue a royal decree limiting regional nobles¡¯ property in Lutecia to no more than 200 square meters. Each family can hold one to three properties based on their rank.¡± ¡°Any property exceeding the specifications must be revoked, and I will exchange it for the right to reside in Crescent Palace.¡± Charlotte: ¡­ She felt an even stronger sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. ¡°Your Majesty, is this the deal you plan to make with the nobles?¡± She asked. Louis V glanced at her and said flatly. ¡°No, this will be the king¡¯s order.¡± Charlotte felt unsurprised by this answer. She understood Louis V¡¯s intention. He planned to make Crescent Palace the residence for nobles¡¯ activities in the capital. Nobles live lavishly, and a mere 200 square meters might not even accommodate the attendants of major nobles. If Louis V enforced this policy, most nobles would likely move into Crescent Palace during the Central Council¡­ ¡°And what about the daily maintenance of the palace? Running such a large and luxurious palace will require substantial daily expenses. Is Your Majesty planning to have the nobles pay for it themselves?¡± Charlotte asked. Louis V smiled slightly. ¡°Of course, I only provide the residence. As for daily expenses, the nobles must cover them.¡± ¡°However, living in Crescent Palace may be cheaper for the nobles than maintaining their large estates.¡± Not necessarily. Nobles are often extravagant and love to show off, always competing. If they all lived together, Charlotte could foresee what might happen. For instance, if Louis V set different standards of living conditions with outrageous prices for the highest tier, many nobles might go to great lengths to maintain their status. It¡¯s like playing a video game. When playing alone, everyone does their own thing. But once connected, comparisons begin. In the past, rich players would spend extravagantly for top ranks in trivial mobile games, let alone Myria nobles. However, this is not the most crucial part. The most important part is how long Louis V plans for the nobles to stay in Crescent Palace. ¡°Your Majesty, what about outside of the Central Council? After the council, the nobles will return to their fiefs. How will Crescent Palace be maintained then? What about the servants in the palace?¡± Charlotte asked tentatively. Louis V looked at her and said matter-of-factly. ¡°Outside of the Central Council, the Crescent Palace will still operate normally. Nobles will naturally still need to pay for the daily maintenance of the palace, and this will be deducted from their contract taxes.¡± S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°As for the servants¡­aside from necessary personal attendants that can be brought into the palace, the rest of the general servants will be provided by the royal family.¡± Charlotte¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°You mean the Crescent Palace will always have a sufficient supply of servants? Even outside of the Central Council?¡± Louis V nodded slightly. ¡°Of course, nobles can still reside in the Crescent Palace at any time outside of the Central Council.¡± Hearing Louis V¡¯s words, Charlotte fell into deep thought. She had discerned Louis V¡¯s intentions. This wasn¡¯t just about providing nobles with a unified residence during the Central Council, but about encouraging them to reside in the Crescent Palace long-term. If Louis V intended for nobles to only stay during the Central Council, he would likely only provide temporary accommodations and reduce operational costs outside of council periods. But Louis V¡¯s intention was to keep the Crescent Palace running continuously, regardless of whether nobles resided there. Louis V was an ambitious and assertive ruler with a vision. Spending a fortune to build such a colossal palace was not just about providing temporary lodging for nobles or easing Lutecia¡¯s housing pressure. The answer was clear. It was all about centralization. It was obvious that Louis V aimed to have all the Kingdom¡¯s lords reside in the Crescent Palace in the future. Perhaps now, it¡¯s only during the Central Council that nobles move in, but once they all move in during the council, it sets a precedent. The first step is always the hardest. Once the first step is taken, it becomes easier to continue subtly. Whether through strong measures, coercion and inducement, or other means, getting nobles to live in the Crescent Palace long-term becomes a possibility. Charlotte believed that as long as nobles moved into the Crescent Palace even once, Louis V would find a way to go further. Initially, nobles might fiercely resist, but as the royal family¡¯s power grew, this resistance would weaken. Once nobles got used to life in the Crescent Palace, they would gradually detach from their fiefs, possibly never returning, effectively becoming ¡°domesticated¡± in the Crescent Palace. This was highly likely. Not all noble territories were as wealthy as Castell, and Louis V¡¯s palace was indeed luxurious. Once Louis V managed to keep nobles away from their fiefs and local power centers through various means, their connection to their lands would weaken, and the royal family could better control and influence their activities, even managing and monitoring them through the Crescent Palace. Thus, the influence of nobles would diminish, while the King¡¯s authority and control would strengthen. When all the kingdom¡¯s nobles were concentrated in the Crescent Palace, quantitative changes could even lead to qualitative changes. At that point, the Crescent Palace would become a hub of social and cultural life for nobles. Then, Louis V¡¯s centralization efforts would become easier. For instance, he could establish strict court etiquette and regulations, demanding nobles comply to reinforce his authority and limit their freedom. He could also hold political gatherings and meetings in the Crescent Palace to monitor and control noble activities. This transformation could become reciprocal. The Crescent Palace would also serve as a platform for nobles to interact, compete, showcase their wealth and status, and directly express opinions and requests to the king, significantly diminishing the importance of the Central Council. Even those nobles unwilling to reside long-term in the Crescent Palace would have to frequently travel between their fiefs and the palace, weakening their local influence. Over time, the connection between nobles and their fiefs would grow increasingly tenuous. Meanwhile, the royal family would gain opportunities to intervene in local affairs, gradually infiltrating and controlling them, even managing local finances through contract taxes. Ultimately, nobles could become titular landholders with no actual control over their territories. This was highly likely, and Charlotte was almost certain this was Louis V¡¯s future plan. Otherwise, why spend a fortune building such a ¡°marvel¡± as the Crescent Palace? As for why Charlotte thought of so much, it was because history had shown similar scenarios, with a king known as the ¡°Sun King¡± Louis XIV, who built Versailles in France. The difference was that by Louis XIV¡¯s time, the feudal nobility in France was already in decline, whereas local feudal forces in the Crescent Kingdom were still strong. But Louis V had his advantages. This was a world of extraordinary powers, and the Crescent Royal Family was the most powerful extraordinary force in the kingdom, with Louis V being the most powerful secular extraordinary being. The authority and prestige he accumulated through war and saving the country were far beyond those of Louis XIV. Thinking of this, Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but look again at this king known as ¡°the Great.¡± The King summoning her was not just to chat. Charlotte had past-life memories, allowing her to connect many dots. Even without past-life memories, her political instincts honed over the past two years would sense Louis V¡¯s unspoken plans. Such detailed explanations of the Crescent Palace and the reasoning behind it were clearly indicative¡­ ¡°Your Majesty, you¡­don¡¯t just want to talk about the future of the Crescent Palace, do you?¡± Charlotte looked up, meeting Louis V¡¯s deep black eyes, and asked calmly. Louis V looked at her with appreciation. ¡°Countess Castell, I know of your deeds in the North. In my view, although you are young, you have the vision and skill far beyond other nobles.¡± ¡°Like your parents, you are an excellent noble. If your father were still alive, I would have likely granted him a higher title and made him a direct vassal of the kingdom, joining my cabinet¡­¡± ¡°You are the same. I see many virtues in you. I greatly admire the policies you implemented in the North, especially your suppression of dissidents. To have complete control over your territory and defeat the combined forces of two duchies within six months is truly remarkable.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry about Philip. This matter is not over, and I will offer you compensation as a token of the royal family¡¯s apology to the Castell family¡­¡± Hearing Louis V¡¯s words, Charlotte was quite surprised. She hadn¡¯t expected such high praise and sincere attitude from him. She smiled slightly, maintaining her composure as she asked. ¡°Your Majesty, may I be so bold as to ask, are you trying to win me over?¡± Louis V glanced at her. ¡°You could say that.¡± ¡°Of course, I am also expressing the Royal Family¡¯s stance. And¡­ I believe you have already understood my intentions.¡± As he spoke, Louis V looked directly into Charlotte¡¯s eyes, his demeanor becoming imposing in an instant. ¡°Castell, no one can change my determination to strengthen the central authority, not the nobles, and not the church.¡± ¡°Since the end of the Star-Moon War, the number of dukes with real power and ecclesiastical territories in the kingdom will only decrease, never increase.¡± Chapter 389: Negotiations with the King Louis V¡¯s voice was very calm. However, beneath this calm exterior was an undeniable firmness. Charlotte knew what he was referring to: the Castell County. This monarch, intent on strengthening central authority, would never allow Castell to fall into the hands of the Church in the future. ¡°Countess Castell, I know you once made a vow before the Lord. Now, as you and your family are about to become my direct vassals, I must know your stance.¡± Louis V didn¡¯t delay any further and went straight to the point. Does her previous vow still hold? Charlotte already had her own answer and thoughts about this matter. Yet, standing there, she was curious about the extent of Louis V¡¯s resolve. ¡°Your Majesty, if my vow still holds, what would you do?¡± Charlotte asked. ¡°I will not acknowledge the legality of that vow. You will still become my vassal, and the Castell family will still be under the protection of Valva. However, at the same time, I will not allow the Castell family to have autonomous control over the rare extraordinary resources that a direct vassal should have. Instead, I will continue to use the contract between Borde and Castell as a substitute for the Royal Covenant between the crown and Castell, and restrict other direct vassals from trading extraordinary resources with the Castell family.¡± Louis V coldly replied. Autonomous control over rare extraordinary resources? Charlotte¡¯s heart was stirred. In Myria, all resources involving extraordinary power are referred to as extraordinary resources. But only those that are rare, highly valuable, or in great demand but scarce in supply are called rare extraordinary resources. For instance, the precious materials soul stones used by high-level mages for meditation, the main material for crafting enchanted equipment, the rare magical beast materials necessary for advanced alchemy and mana conversion, and the mithril that the Castell family itself could produce. Yes, mithril is also a rare extraordinary resource. Although the price of mithril is much lower than materials like soul stones, dragon crystals, or star cores, its high magic conductivity and malleability make it essential for alchemy and magical arrays, always in great demand. Moreover, its lower price is relative, as it is still much more valuable than gold. As for the autonomous control of rare extraordinary resources, it naturally refers to the right to freely manage these resources. The Crescent Kingdom is vast, with many regions producing rare extraordinary resources. But not every noble family has the right to freely dispose of these resources, even if they originate from their own territory. Only the kingdom¡¯s direct vassals have this right. This is one of the royal covenants between the crown and its direct vassals. Under this contract, the royal family¡¯s direct vassals can trade their extraordinary materials with other forces, and these materials are not only those produced in the direct fiefdom but also include those from the fiefs under the direct vassal¡¯s control. In this process, the royal family does not interfere with the direct vassals¡¯ disposal of extraordinary materials. Even if they sell them to an enemy country, the royal family will not intervene because this is a right that the vassals themselves possess. As part of the contract, vassals must unconditionally transfer part of the output of rare resources to the royal family. At the same time, the royal family will protect the vassals¡¯ ownership of these rare resources. Any war claims on these resources by other vassals will not be recognized. If any noble family starts a war, the royal family can even directly intervene, supporting the family with rare resources, condemning and sanctioning the instigating family, and ordering them to cease hostilities. In essence, the autonomous control of rare extraordinary resources is the most prominent right of the kingdom¡¯s direct vassals, providing significant benefits and being most supported by the kingdom¡¯s lords. As for why this is the most profitable right¡­ It¡¯s because the Royal Covenant of the Crescent Kingdom stipulates that only the kingdom¡¯s direct vassals have the autonomous control of rare extraordinary resources, while the vassals under the direct vassals must hand over the management of extraordinary resources to their lord. Take the Castell family, for example. They have the rare extraordinary resource mithril. Still, without the autonomous control of extraordinary resources, the Castell family cannot freely trade mithril with other forces and can only sell it to the targets designated by the Borde family. This contract greatly restricts many non-direct vassal noble lords¡¯ extraordinary power while significantly enhancing the extraordinary power of the kingdom¡¯s direct vassals. Some direct vassals with lower titles and fewer territories even control more types of extraordinary resources than those with higher titles but non-direct vassals, thanks to this contract. As long as Louis V refuses to recognize the Castell family¡¯s autonomous control of extraordinary resources, even if Charlotte wants to trade extraordinary resources with other nobles, no one would dare trade with the Castell family under pressure. This is not just royal pressure but also the pressure from all direct vassals of the Crescent Kingdom who maintain the kingdom¡¯s extraordinary resource management system. No direct vassal family would self-destruct for some mithril. Even if some daring ones secretly trade, they would significantly lower the transaction price. In essence, just this condition alone allows Louis V to restrict the development of the Castell family¡¯s extraordinary power and even directly affect the development of the northern alchemy industry. ¡°Not only that¡­¡± Louis V paused, his expression becoming increasingly indifferent, and his gaze toward Charlotte turning cold. ¡°I will permit all noble families with claims in the north to assert their claims over the Castell title, even allowing them to use war means.¡± ¡°As a lord, I will not directly intervene in these claims of rights wars, nor will I mediate in this process.¡± ¡°And if one day Castell does change hands, the royal family will not stand by and let the north fall into the hands of the Church. Even if it means war, I will prevent this outcome.¡± ¡°To sum it up, from the end of the Star-Moon War, the number of actual power dukes and ecclesiastical lands in the kingdom can only decrease, never increase.¡± Louis V¡¯s expression was serious, and his voice was authoritative. Hearing his words, Charlotte was somewhat surprised. It wasn¡¯t Louis V¡¯s attitude that surprised her but his frankness. This was frankness, a stark threat. But equally, with threats came enticements. Louis V was speaking of the possibilities if Charlotte continued to uphold her vow. ¡°Then, Your Majesty, what if I renounce my vow before the Lord and no longer acknowledge its validity?¡± Charlotte asked again. Louis V looked at her deeply, his authoritative voice becoming gentle once more: ¡°If that is the case, I warmly welcome the Castell family to become my direct vassal. You and your family will be fully protected by the Valva family and enjoy the same contract as other kingdom lords.¡± ¡°The Castell family will have the right to autonomously manage the mithril mines in Castell and freely participate in extraordinary trade among the kingdom¡¯s vassals. Part of the rare extraordinary resources controlled by the royal family will also be available to the Castell family on a regular basis, just like other direct vassal families.¡± ¡°Moreover, the Castell family will have the right to enter the kingdom¡¯s cabinet and military. The core library of the kingdom¡¯s highest academy will also be open to the Castell family, just like other noble vassals.¡± ¡°In addition, any territorial claims the Castell family has outside the kingdom will be supported, and the kingdom will assist in reclaiming them, granting them to the Castell family.¡± Louis V¡¯s voice was calm as he listed the benefits of Charlotte renouncing her vow. Charlotte was quite tempted after hearing this. The right to autonomous control over extraordinary resources was essential unless Charlotte intended to burn bridges with the royal family and leave the Crescent Kingdom. Otherwise, she absolutely had to secure it. The access to the core library of the kingdom¡¯s top academy was also very attractive. While Nice was already a walking magical encyclopedia, extraordinary power encompassed more than just magic. There were things Charlotte might not need personally, but if she wanted to develop her territory, relevant knowledge was indispensable. Moreover, such libraries often contained rich historical records that could help Charlotte understand the past, especially the history of bloodbornes. As for helping the Castell family reclaim their claims¡­ Charlotte could roughly guess what Louis V was referring to. The Castell County had territorial disputes with the Roman Duchy. Though the area wasn¡¯t large, only 5,000 square kilometers, it still accounted for 4.2% of the current Castell territory. This was a historical remnant of the Star-Moon War. It was clear that Louis V had not given up on the legal claim over the Roman Duchy and still had intentions to reclaim the land. But this matter didn¡¯t concern Charlotte as much. ¡°Countess Castell, these are the terms from the royal family. So, what is your answer?¡± Louis V looked at Charlotte again, his voice as calm as ever. Charlotte also looked up at the aging monarch. Meeting his scrutinizing gaze, she smiled slightly and said, ¡°Your Majesty, did you know that the first place I visited after settling in Lutecia was the Lutecia Cathedral?¡± Louis V showed no surprise and said, ¡°I know about that visit. You stayed in Lutecia Cathedral for nearly three hours, spending two and a half hours meeting with Archbishop Lorraine, Grand Inquisitor Champagne, and Cardinal Mazarin.¡± ¡°For the remaining half an hour, you prayed devoutly in the cathedral, even invoking the holy light of the God Statue, causing quite a stir in the cathedral.¡± ¡°When you left, almost all the mid-to-high-ranking clergy in Lutecia Cathedral were present to see you off.¡± ¡°Oh, and before the prayer, you donated a whole chest of gold tana to the church, not one more or less, just 200,000, all minted in the sixth edition of the kingdom¡¯s gold tana from 1437 to 1441 of the Holy Calendar.¡± As he spoke, Louis V glanced at Charlotte with a peculiar smile. ¡°By the way, out of the 200,000 gold tana you donated, 100,000 were eventually replaced with the fifth edition of gold tana minted in 1418 by the church officials in charge of the funds.¡± Charlotte: ¡­ My goodness, is Louis V a spy? How does he know so much? As for Louis V mentioning that her donation was swapped by the church officials, that was just trying to stir up trouble. In 1418 of the Holy Calendar, the Star-Moon War was in full swing, and at that time, both the Crescent Kingdom and the Starfall Kingdom were in financial straits, minting insufficiently pure gold tana. That was the fifth edition of the gold tana after the unified currency of Myria, which contained copper and nickel, making each gold tana only worth about 80% of its actual value, a scandal in the currency issuance of the two kingdoms. Less than thirty years later, the Holy Court introduced the sixth edition of gold tana, requiring all countries to mint new coins because of this issue. Charlotte clicked her tongue, thinking that the Holy Court was indeed becoming more corrupt. For cleric to dare commit fraud under the eyes of Legendaries, their guts were truly extraordinary. However, given the nature of those Legendaries, they probably didn¡¯t care about such trivial matters as donations. After all, for Legendaries, gold and silver were just numbers, only the extraordinary resource mattered to them. Although Louis V¡¯s intent was clear, Charlotte had to admit that her already subtle impression of the Holy Court had become even more nuanced. For those who didn¡¯t know, it might seem like she had donated half a box of substandard gold tana! Sighing lightly, Charlotte said, Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Your Majesty, your intelligence is very detailed.¡± ¡°I am, after all, the Master of the Crescent. Nothing in Lutecia escapes my eyes.¡± Louis V replied indifferently. Nothing escapes his eyes¡­ Charlotte¡¯s mind stirred, lost in thought. Louis V looked at her again with interest and asked. ¡°So, Countess Castell, what are you trying to say by mentioning that visit to the cathedral?¡± Charlotte put aside her thoughts and said calmly. ¡°On that day, the Legendary clerics of the church invited me to become a Saintess of the Holy Court in the Crescent Diocese.¡± Silence¡­ As Charlotte¡¯s words fell, the entire reception room fell into a deep silence. It wasn¡¯t just ordinary quietness, it felt as if the whole world had momentarily frozen and become oppressive. Charlotte could feel Louis V¡¯s gaze becoming sharp in an instant. Although the Legendary pressure wasn¡¯t outwardly visible, his entire aura had changed dramatically. Meeting Louis V¡¯s oppressive gaze, Charlotte smiled slightly and said, ¡°However, I declined.¡± Almost instantly, Louis V¡¯s rising aura dissipated, and time resumed its normal flow, sweeping away the oppressive atmosphere. His gaze returned to calm, and his dignified voice softened, with a hint of appreciation. ¡°A wise choice.¡± After speaking, he took another sip of non-bubbly wine and then asked, with a probing look. ¡°So, Countess Castell, can I take it that you intend to tell me that you have abandoned your previous oath to the Lord?¡± Charlotte sighed slightly, showing a nostalgic expression, and said with a hint of sorrow. ¡°I respect the Lord, which is why I once made an oath before Him.¡± ¡°However, the facts have proven that respecting the Lord and respecting the Church are two different things.¡± ¡°I can dedicate everything to the Lord, but the Church¡­ forgive me for saying this, but after all that has happened in the past two years, I am already disappointed with the Church as it stands today.¡± ¡°I will remain unmarried and dedicate my life to the Lord, but I will no longer uphold the previous oath regarding Castell territory.¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, Louis V finally showed relief. He smiled slightly and nodded at Charlotte with satisfaction. ¡°Then¡­ Countess Castell, as the King of the Crescent, I welcome you to become my vassal.¡± ¡°Of course, becoming your vassal is also an honor for the Castell family.¡± Charlotte replied. Seeing Charlotte¡¯s respectful attitude, Louis V was even more satisfied. ¡°Countess Castell, since you have made your choice, the royal family will respond accordingly, giving the Castell family the status and position it deserves.¡± ¡°However, merely telling me this is not enough. I need you to publicly renounce your previous oath. Only then can our contract formally take effect.¡± ¡°So, Your Majesty, how would you like me to make this public declaration?¡± Charlotte asked calmly. ¡°At the enfeoffment ceremony, I need you to publicly renounce the previous oath at the Castell family¡¯s enfeoffment ceremony. I will hold the enfeoffment ceremony for the Castell family in the Crescent Palace in three days, officially announcing the Castell family as my vassal.¡± Louis V said. Charlotte thought for a moment and then nodded slightly. ¡°As you wish.¡± Chapter 390: The Churchs Schism Charlotte¡¯s exchange with Louis V went smoothly. Evidently, the monarch, determined to strengthen central authority, wasn¡¯t interested in giving the North a wavering choice and was committed to reinforcing royal power without resorting to elaborate schemes. This meeting was both a threat and a temptation. Charlotte had no particular resistance to renouncing her oath and pledging loyalty to the King of Crescent. In some ways, this development was exactly what she wanted. Not to mention, her promise to the Holy Court was essentially an empty one from the start, and her interests clashed far more with the Holy Court than with Louis V. Charlotte intended to develop her own faith in the North, inevitably leading to friction with the Church. If the Church¡¯s influence in the North continued to wane, that would be one thing. However, if the Church decided to reinforce its presence due to her proximity to it, and sent more priests to ¡°assist¡±, it would be troublesome. Charlotte was already a ¡°Demigod¡± and had prepared to secretly spread her faith in the North. Once she began extensive preaching, it would inevitably harm the Holy Court¡¯s interests, leading to their interference. This intervention was almost a certainty. However, siding with the royal family presented a different scenario. Yes, spreading her faith in the North would conflict with the Church¡¯s interests, but the conflict and differences between the Crescent Royal Family and the Church were currently even greater than her own. Even if Charlotte spread her faith, she wouldn¡¯t do so openly at this stage. As long as the Holy Court didn¡¯t notice, she could carry out her mission secretly. Meanwhile, Louis V¡¯s well-known determination to weaken the Church¡¯s power and strengthen the monarchy worked in her favor. The Holy Court was the largest religious force in the world of Myria, boasting many high-ranking and Legendary clerics. However, the Holy Court¡¯s control over the various nations of Myria wasn¡¯t as strong as one might imagine. If it were, there wouldn¡¯t be kingdoms like Coria, secretly controlled by bloodbornes with the tacit approval of the Holy Court, or ¡°rebels¡± like Louis V, who directly challenged ecclesiastical authority. Continuing to rely on the Church would make her a thorn in the side of the Crescent Royal Family. The Church, seeking to strengthen its influence or ¡°support¡± her, might send more priests to the North. But if she sided with the King¡­ The royal family would not only bestow numerous benefits upon her but also serve as a shield against the Church. In matters like the deployment of priests, the royal family¡¯s reaction might be even more vehement than Charlotte¡¯s. Charlotte might not even need to act, the royal family would step in to block the Church. This was quite likely. After all, Charlotte was known as a devout Holy Believer and even had the title of ¡°unauthorized Saintess.¡± Even if she had disagreements with the Church, the royal family would guard against her aligning too closely with the Church and resolving their conflicts. The royal family could woo her, but so could the Church. As for the possibility of future centralization efforts targeting her¡­ Charlotte wasn¡¯t worried. Louis V was indeed an ambitious monarch with more control over the Crescent Kingdom than any previous king. However, compared to the ¡°Sun King¡± of historical record who successfully centralized power, Louis V faced far more challenges and difficulties. He had to deal with more powerful noble forces, a more influential Church, and the actual Gods behind the Church. Not to mention, there was Louis V¡¯s age to consider. The Star-Moon War had been fought intermittently for over eighty years, and it had been more than ten years since the last ceasefire. Over a hundred years had passed, and Louis V was already over seventy. In the world of Myria, the lifespan of extraordinary beings was no different from ordinary people. No matter how powerful one was, they would still die when their time came. Even though Louis V was a Legendary and long-lived, based on the average lifespan in Myria, he wouldn¡¯t last much longer. Ten years at most, but Charlotte didn¡¯t think Louis V could subjugate the nobles within that time. Nobles weren¡¯t pushovers either, they would resist if pressured too hard. Louis V might not be able to establish an ¡°absolute monarchy¡± in the Crescent Kingdom with his own power, though his successor might. However, that would require his successor to continue his policies and possess equal capability. But that wasn¡¯t Charlotte¡¯s concern. In essence, Charlotte wasn¡¯t truly loyal to the King, she sought to divert pressure from the Church and find a scapegoat and shield. In ten years, Charlotte estimated she might truly ascend to Godhood. The meeting ended smoothly, and it was noon. In high spirits, Louis V invited Charlotte to stay for lunch at the Crescent Palace. This was another notable difference between Myria and medieval Earth, where nobles typically had two meals a day, and commoners often only had one. In Myria, three meals a day had long been the norm for nobles. Charlotte accepted the invitation. The Crescent Royal family¡¯s lunch was lavish, even more so than the Castell family¡¯s. The food was delicious, prepared by top chefs from across the kingdom, with fresh ingredients transported directly by magic from various regions. Remarkably, over 80% of the ingredients were extraordinary materials¡ªmeat from magical beasts, vegetables from magical plants, and even the bread contained magic. Charlotte enjoyed the meal immensely. Besides King Louis V, the Crescent Queen also joined the meal. The Queen, much younger than Louis V, appeared to be around forty. According to Charlotte¡¯s knowledge, this was Louis V¡¯s third wife and the only one without children. As for the Second Prince of Crescent, he was said to be studying in the Cathedral and did not attend the meal. ¡°Hmph, what a rebellious son! As a prince, he¡¯s uninterested in governance but runs off to the Church daily! A disgrace to Valva!¡± While having dessert, Louis V chatted with the two and grumbled. Charlotte made no comment. With the First Prince dead in the Star-Moon War and the Third Prince recently executed, Louis V only had the Second Prince left. Unfortunately, the Second Prince had no interest in governance and was obsessed with theology. Many conservative nobles in the kingdom liked the Second Prince, but Louis V was not among them. Clearly, Louis V was dissatisfied with his primary heir. ¡°Francois is still young. He will understand your intentions as he grows older.¡± The Queen gently advised. ¡°Young? He¡¯s thirty-five! At this rate, he¡¯s unfit to inherit the throne!¡± Louis V expressed his displeasure. Charlotte listened without speaking. She was thinking about what Louis V¡¯s words implied. Louis V¡¯s dissatisfaction with the Second Prince was well-known throughout the kingdom. Many nobles believed that after the fall of the Third Prince, even if the King was unhappy with the Second Prince, he had no choice but to let him ascend. But now it seemed¡­ Louis V did not share this view. Charlotte understood that Louis V¡¯s complaints were actually meant for her ears. More precisely, through her, he was addressing the nobles. Even with the Third Prince executed, the Second Prince would not be named heir! Could it be that Louis V intended to find a successor from a collateral branch of the Valva family? Charlotte pondered this. At that moment, she considered possible candidates from the collateral branches of the Valva family. The Valva family had dwindled in number, and even including distant relatives, there weren¡¯t many candidates. She could think of only a few likely contenders. For instance, the Duke of Moonshield, John de Anro, who was a posthumous child of the previous king, or Louis V¡¯s nephews who had been granted the title of count. These royal nobles mostly supported centralization, but it remained unclear which one Louis V favored. Clearly, Louis V was sending a message to the nobles: don¡¯t count on backing the Second Prince to decentralize power. However, Charlotte was puzzled. Given Louis V¡¯s strong stance and his emphasis on strengthening central authority, had he never considered grooming a suitable heir to carry out his vision? Charlotte sensed something amiss. ¡­ After having lunch with the royal family, Charlotte took her leave of the palace. She did not mention the future inheritance of the Castell family following her vow of celibacy, nor did Louis V ask. This could be considered a mutual understanding. The Valva family had dwindled, but the Castell family had only Charlotte as its sole heir. Other families that had intermarried with the Castells might have claims to the North, but claims diminish over generations. The first generation holds the strongest claim, the second weaker, and by the third, it often isn¡¯t recognized. By the fourth generation¡­ it becomes entirely void. Most of the Castell family¡¯s intermarriages happened in Charlotte¡¯s grandfather¡¯s generation. Her father¡¯s generation had few members, with only one aunt married into the Borde family. This meant that while many nobles held claims to the Castell family, either they were too old or their claims had weakened to insignificance. Charlotte, being young, had a long life ahead of her. As long as she outlived those strong-claim distant relatives, the Castell family would eventually have no bloodline heirs. Charlotte, now a royal vassal, would see the king reclaim titles and lands once the Castell line ended without other claimants. This was likely why Louis V could accept the Castell family for now. As long as Charlotte remained celibate, the North would eventually fall to the Valva family. As long as the Castell family¡¯s intermarried relatives lived, the King would not harm Charlotte and might even need to protect her. Until¡­ Charlotte eventually joined the ¡°Divine Realm.¡± After leaving the palace, Charlotte reunited with the long-waiting Sebastian. Seeing Charlotte, the elven butler breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Master, you¡¯ve finally come out.¡± ¡°Why? Were you worried I wouldn¡¯t come out?¡± Charlotte joked. Sebastian scratched his head. ¡°Not exactly, but the King is, after all, a legendary figure, so there was some concern¡­¡± Charlotte smiled. ¡°No need to worry, everything went smoothly. No, it went more than smoothly.¡± With that, Charlotte briefly explained her ¡°agreement¡± with Louis V. Upon hearing this, Sebastian¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Full protection? Does that mean¡­ when the Nez Clan attacks the Starfall Kingdom, we can directly intervene and reject the church¡¯s armed forces without fearing church pressure?¡± Charlotte nodded. ¡°Naturally. The matter of taking the blame can be left to our great king.¡± Charlotte had an alliance with the Nez Clan to support their reclaiming control over the Starfall Kingdom and driving out the church, in exchange for the Roman Duchy title and lands. This support was not only material but also political, inevitably offending the church. However, with Louis V¡¯s direct protection, it was different. If the church targeted a count under a duke, it could be justified, and the King would only watch and perhaps condemn it. After all, ¡°the vassal of my vassal is not my vassal.¡± But for a royal vassal¡­ Given Louis V¡¯s attitude towards the church, he would likely be happy to take the blame in this matter. Thinking of Louis V¡¯s strong stance against the church, Charlotte had a thought. ¡°Sebastian, how many Legendaries does the Valva family have? Are there any hidden forces?¡± Sebastian paused, then thought. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. The only Legendary figure should be the King. I haven¡¯t heard of any hidden forces.¡± sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Strange. Then how does Louis V have the confidence to directly oppose the Church? Lutecia Diocese alone has three Legendary clerics.¡± ¡°Master, more precisely, the king is opposing the Crescent Diocese, not the entire Holy Court. The Holy Court and the Crescent Diocese are two different things. This involves the internal division of the church.¡± ¡°Oh? Tell me more.¡± Charlotte showed interest. The church¡¯s texts never discussed its dark history, and she admitted she was genuinely curious now. Sebastian pondered, then explained. ¡°Master, this dates back to the reform of the Holy Legion by the Holy Court centuries ago.¡± ¡°At the height of the Holy Court¡¯s power, its strongest force was the Holy Legion, which conquered any enemy before it. The Holy Legion was directly controlled by the Theocracy, enabling the Holy Court to dominate the continent and divide it into numerous dioceses.¡± ¡°However, over time, maintaining the Holy Legion became increasingly costly, and it grew corrupt. Eventually, the Theocracy had to reform it into local judgment forces.¡± ¡°Since then, the Theocracy could no longer suppress the dioceses. Although the Holy Court remained powerful overall, the internal power distribution had drastically changed, with dioceses rising and the Theocracy declining.¡± ¡°Today, while the Theocracy is still the leader of the Holy Court, dioceses have evolved into semi-independent ecclesiastical fiefdoms¡­¡± ¡°This is why the King dares to act against the Crescent Diocese. As long as it doesn¡¯t affect the core interest of ¡®faith¡¯, the Theocracy is happy to see the dioceses weakened.¡± Chapter 391: Crescent Headline Charlotte Any organization, when it grows large enough, will inevitably face various internal issues. Moreover, if this organization spans a wide region and the central authority¡¯s control over the periphery is not strong, the division of power is almost certain. The Holy Court is no exception. Perhaps in the era when Gods walked the earth, the church¡¯s cohesion and leadership were invincible thanks to the Gods¡¯ might. But now, with the Gods slumbering, everything has naturally changed. With many dioceses, the Holy Court was bound to face conflicts when dividing interests. Conflicts arise among dioceses and between dioceses and the Theocracy, necessitating communication and reconciliation. Additionally, to expand the influence of the main God, different dioceses often absorbed various sub-Gods, increasing diversity and conflicts. Despite its enormous size and historical accumulation, the Holy Court remains a powerful entity that any nation must respect. However, exploiting the internal conflicts of the church¡¯s various dioceses to balance power and seek more benefits has become a consensus among monarchs. The Crescent Kingdom is no exception. King Louis V dares to directly challenge the church because he is confident that as long as he continues to support the Holy Court as the national religion and regularly pays religious taxes to the Theocracy, the Theocracy will not directly intervene in his contention with the Crescent Diocese. As just one diocese, the Crescent Diocese, though vast, is responsible for more than just the Crescent Kingdom and cannot muster all its strength against Louis V. As long as Louis V does not outright oppose the church but gradually replaces the church¡¯s influence in the kingdom, he can achieve his goals bit by bit. Understanding the whole situation, Charlotte felt a bit sentimental. The political entities of Myria are indeed prone to division. The former Yunette Empire was like this. The inheritance laws of the alliance caused the empire to split almost every time there was a change of power, eventually leading to the East-West division and its downfall. The semi-political alliance of the Western Yunette Empire was similar. The empire had over 200 more or less independent lords, each with semi-independent foreign policies. Despite its territory being twice the size of the Crescent Kingdom and its population three times as large, it was still suppressed by Louis V until it formed an alliance with Starfall to curb the Crescent Kingdom¡¯s expansion. Even in the religious realm, the Holy Court could not escape this trend. Under the Theocracy, the dioceses have essentially become religious fiefdoms, and the influence of the pope in the central authority is far less than that of the diocese¡¯s archbishop. Of course, this fragmentation extends to the Crescent Kingdom and many other kingdoms and duchies. Every nation has its array of large and small lords. Although they are vassals, their independence is strong, and ignoring royal commands is commonplace. In many countries, the core area controlled by the royal family is often just a small central region, which is ¡°common knowledge.¡± Only the Crescent Kingdom, with Louis V strengthening central authority, is an exception. Before the Star-Moon War, the Valva family faced a similar situation, even being mockingly called the ¡°Count of Lutecia¡± because the royal family¡¯s control only extended to the capital and its surroundings. The Valva family¡¯s initial rise to royalty was because the major nobles of the Crescent Peninsula thought their small territory made them easier to manipulate. Reading the history of Myria, even Charlotte had to marvel at how her previous life on Earth with its unified empire was an anomaly. In the following days, Charlotte finally became busy. News spread quickly from the palace. Her meeting with Louis V, her renouncement of the vow to donate land to the church, and her decision to officially pledge allegiance to the Valva family soon became common knowledge. Initially, it was just rumors, but when the announcement came that Louis V would hold the Castell family¡¯s enfeoffment ceremony in three days, everyone confirmed that the North had ultimately chosen the king over the church. Even before the enfeoffment ceremony began, nobles of all ranks visited, congratulating the Castell family on becoming direct vassals of the kingdom. Of course, the congratulations were one thing; the main purpose was to curry favor and trade. The wealth of the North is well-known, and its trade is extensive. Many merchants from the Crescent Kingdom, wanting to trade with Starfall, luna Island, and the Northern Grand Duchy, see the Castell territory as an unavoidable passage. Moreover, the Castell family holds the largest mithril mine in the Crescent Kingdom. Even though 70% of the mithril is controlled by the royal family, the Castell family, enjoying 30% after the independence from Borde, has become a sought-after ally among many lords. Mithril is invaluable, essential for forming magical arrays and a premium material for alchemy and magic circles. Its high price and demand make it a hard currency in the extraordinary realm. Previously, various noble families were hesitant about trading with the Castell family due to the uncertain royal stance. But now, knowing the Castell would become direct vassals, they could no longer sit still. In just a few days, Charlotte¡¯s rented manor was swarmed by nobles, congratulating her and signing trade agreements with Sebastian until their hands were sore. Within three days, the Castell family secured trade agreements worth over eight million gold tana, mostly related to mithril and its byproducts. This amount is more than a year¡¯s fiscal revenue for Castell County. However, Charlotte knew this was just the beginning. The real gains would come from the kingdom¡¯s major nobles. After meeting Louis V, she received an invitation to the Duke of Moonshield¡¯s salon, scheduled for the day after her official enfeoffment, attended by the kingdom¡¯s major nobles. These major nobles were Charlotte¡¯s primary focus, as they controlled 90% of the extraordinary materials in the Crescent market! Securing agreements with them would ensure that Castell County¡¯s trade in extraordinary materials would be fully established, ending the era of having wealth and mines but no access to rare resources. Of course, not all nobles were after the Castell family¡¯s mithril. During the three days leading up to the enfeoffment, Charlotte received numerous invitations to banquets and salons, all expressing admiration for her. With the news of her renouncing the vow to donate land to the church, many mistakenly thought her vow of celibacy was also nullified. A beauty of unparalleled charm, the sole heir of her family, holding the largest silver mine in the Crescent Kingdom, and owning the second most prosperous territory on the Crescent Peninsula after the Lutecia District¡­ This was not just a rising kingdom¡¯s great lord but a walking grand prize. Winning her favor would mean not only gaining the kingdom¡¯s most beautiful gem but also acquiring vast wealth and land, becoming a grand lord second only to dukes in the entire Crescent Kingdom! Charlotte¡¯s suitors emerged like mushrooms after a rainstorm. This left Charlotte feeling both speechless and frustrated. She politely declined all invitations from those who were interested in her body and family assets, but the flood of invitations and love letters continued unabated. It wasn¡¯t until Charlotte released another statement that she regained some peace. She reaffirmed that she had indeed retracted her vow of religious land dedication but also maintained her vow of celibacy, stating that she had decided to dedicate herself to the God and would never marry. Although some people still didn¡¯t believe her and others held on to their slim hopes, Charlotte ignored them all. As a result, in the circles of the Lutetia nobility, there was a surge of envy towards the Valva family, and the Castell family and Charlotte became hot topics at every salon and banquet. Clearly, the biggest beneficiary of Charlotte¡¯s celibacy vow was the Valva family. This almost guaranteed that if the Castell line ended, the northern territories would likely fall under royal control. Even in the taverns and streets, Charlotte de Castell became the talk of the commoners over their meals and drinks. However, what surprised Charlotte was the Church¡¯s lack of response to her retraction of the religious land dedication. She had been prepared for clerics to come knocking, but instead, there was only a statement from the Archbishop of the Lutecia Cathedral to his fellow clerics. ¡°The future of the northern lands lies in the hands of the Saintess herself. Whether it belongs to the Church or the King is for the Saintess, as the lord, to decide. The Church should not and will not interfere.¡± When this statement was released, the entire noble circle of Lutecia was in an uproar. The Saintess! The Archbishop of the Crescent Diocese actually referred to Charlotte de Castell as the Saintess! S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Although many commoners had already dubbed the Countess of the North as the Saintess walking the earth, nobles had often dismissed it as a rumor or even a smokescreen released by the young Countess of the North herself. But now, the highest religious official in Crescent openly confirmed this! Charlotte once again became the center of attention in Lutecia, dominating noble salons, banquets, and commoners¡¯ taverns alike. Charlotte couldn¡¯t fathom what was going on with the Archbishop, or whether this was a reaction to her retraction of the vow. She had already discussed her rejection of the Saintess position with Louis V in advance, so she was prepared for any potential fallout from the monarch. However, subsequent developments took Charlotte by surprise. Shortly after, Archbishop Charles of the Crescent Diocese issued another statement. ¡°Charlotte de Castell is indeed the Saintess chosen by the Lord, possessing the Lord¡¯s protection.¡± ¡°However, she declined the Church¡¯s invitation and has not been formally appointed by the Church.¡± This statement added more fuel to the fire surrounding Charlotte. Nobles were entertained, but clerics were stunned. A Saintess chosen by the Lord, refusing to become the Church¡¯s Saintess? What kind of situation was this? Archbishop, have you lost your mind? If this was a falsehood, it was a remarkable one coming from the highest religious authority in Crescent. But if it was true, wouldn¡¯t that imply that the Lord was displeased with the Church? This was a direct challenge to the Church¡¯s authority! The clerics were dumbfounded, feeling as if they were losing their sanity, until Archbishop Charles issued another command that shocked the clerics and surprised the nobles. ¡°For millennia, the Holy Court has spread the Lord¡¯s glory and protected the people. Now, as the Lord sleeps and the mortal corrupts, the church has also become deeply flawed and increasingly depraved. Therefore, the Lord has warned us through the Saintess¡­¡± ¡°Effective immediately, the Crescent Diocese will initiate an internal review, with Grand Inquisitor Bernard de Champagne as Chief Inquisitor and Joseph de Mazarin as Deputy Inquisitor, to conduct a faith and discipline review of all clerics within the diocese!¡± This announcement caused a massive upheaval throughout the Crescent Diocese, boosting Charlotte¡¯s prominence even further, with her news spreading from Lutecia to the entire Crescent. No one could ignore that the Saintess¡¯ rejection was the catalyst for the Church¡¯s self-examination. It seemed as if Charlotte¡¯s influence had single-handedly changed the diocese¡¯s policy. Charlotte finally realized the Archbishop¡¯s intentions. Her refusal to be the Saintess could not be hidden, so the Church decided to reveal it themselves and use it as a pretext to reform the entire Crescent Diocese. Charlotte pondered deeply. Any large-scale reorganization of an institution is fraught with resistance. The Archbishop¡¯s choice of this rationale could effectively silence many clerics. Furthermore, restructuring the Diocese would strengthen its cohesion and power, which, although potentially weakening the Crescent Diocese¡¯s authority and power in the short term, would ultimately enhance its faith and strength in the long run. But¡­ choosing such a comprehensive review method seemed somewhat hasty. Louis V was consolidating royal power under the guise of reorganizing the nobles using the Blood Demon Cult as a pretext. Now, even the Archbishop of Crescent was initiating an internal review within the Church. It felt as if both the King and the Church were urgently preparing for something. Moreover, the Blood Demon Cult¡¯s activities had noticeably increased compared to previous years, and Charlotte had encountered three God¡¯s Descent Rituals in just her short time here. Even the Nez Clan of the Starfall Kingdom planned a coup this year, with a sense of urgency as well. Considering the palace and cathedral news, and recalling the activities of the Blood Demon Cult and the Nez Clan, Charlotte fell into deep thought. ¡°Something significant is about to happen.¡± She murmured. She didn¡¯t know the connection, but she had a sense that something was coming, something that the high ranks of these major forces were aware of. Charlotte¡¯s thoughts turned to Albrecht, whom she had forcibly contracted as a blood thrall. Albrecht had planned the grand sacrificial ceremony in Lutecia, which Charlotte had disrupted, but as the Third Apostle of the Blood Demon Cult, he must know something. Moreover, given the involvement of the Blood Demon Cult, it was likely also related to the bloodborne. With this in mind, Charlotte delved into her consciousness and accessed the memory library of Albrecht. ¡°Show me the significant events happening soon.¡± The illusory book flew into her hand, and Albrecht¡¯s imprinted memories began to unfold in her mind. As she read through the memories, her expression turned to one of suspicion and surprise. ¡°Divinity Descent Day?¡± Chapter 392: Enfeoffment Ceremony Melodious music began to play, solemn yet lighthearted. The royal band, dressed in blue and white uniforms, stood straight on one side, playing their instruments under the conductor¡¯s direction. Today was the day Charlotte was formally enfeoffed as a direct vassal by the King, and the day the Castell family re-signed their Royal Covenant. Nobles gathered early in the palace to witness the ceremony, densely packed, filling the entire grand hall. Ordinarily, the enfeoffment ceremony for a count would not cause such a commotion. However, perhaps due to recent events that made Charlotte famous among the nobles, or maybe the royal family and the church wanted to divert attention from their own internal purges, what should have been a simple count¡¯s enfeoffment attracted a large number of curious nobles. Many were intrigued by Charlotte, the legendary living saintess. Especially since she had recently caused the royal family to lose a prince and then refused a position from the church, which even led to an internal purge within the church to avoid divine wrath. Despite having offended the two major powers of the Crescent, both the royal family and the church maintained a friendly attitude toward this young countess. This naturally piqued the nobles¡¯ curiosity even more. Particularly those nobles who had no power to attend the central parliament, the direct members of various noble families came to witness the ceremony. The music flowed continuously, growing more majestic. Under everyone¡¯s gaze, Charlotte, accompanied by royal knights, slowly entered the palace hall lined with a genuine silk red carpet. She attended in formal attire, wearing a white lace noble dress adorned with golden patterns and the Castell family crest, looking both magnificent and dignified. Her movements were graceful, her posture upright, and the fitted dress subtly highlighted her youthful figure, showcasing alluring curves. Her youthful freshness, vibrant energy, and the noble elegance she exuded made it hard for anyone to take their eyes off her. The magical crystal lights in the hall sparkled, casting a dreamy glow that made Charlotte shine even brighter. The moment she entered, the entire hall fell silent, with women showing amazement and men gazing intently. ¡°Is she Charlotte de Castell? The last heir of the Castell family?¡± ¡°No wonder it¡¯s said the family is blessed by the Goddess of Beauty, with such outstanding looks. When she matures, she will surely be someone who can sway the kingdom¡¯s politics with just a smile¡­¡± ¡°Matures? No¡­ in fact, she has already come of age.¡± ¡°What? She¡¯s already an adult? She looks much younger¡­¡± ¡°Of course, her coming-of-age ceremony two years ago caused quite a stir in Borde.¡± ¡°Is that the one where she lit up the divine statue?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s said that even the divine statue in Lutecia glowed at that time.¡± ¡°Is that the power of a saintess?¡± ¡°She¡¯s also very capable. When she inherited the title, the former Duke of Borde tried to force a marriage and seize the northern lands, and the northern nobles didn¡¯t obey her. Yet, she not only resolved Borde¡¯s pressure cleverly but also unified the northern forces in less than half a year, even defeating an army of one hundred thousand from the two duchies of Violet and Borde!¡± ¡°Gasp¡­ one hundred thousand troops? By the divine, that¡¯s incredible! Compared to her, the young generation of central nobles are all useless!¡± ¡°Indeed, her extraordinary power is also very strong. I¡¯ve heard she awakened her bloodline power just two years ago and already has strength close to the Silver Moon tier.¡± ? ¡°Damn! She¡¯s only awakened for two years? Judging by her aura, I thought she had her powers since childhood! Could it be¡­ another Legendary figure like our king is emerging in Crescent?¡± ¡°Being the chosen Saintess of the Lord, if her bloodline and talents weren¡¯t exceptional, how could she have received divine favor?¡± ¡°That might not be the case. It could be because of the divine lord¡¯s favor that she gained such strong talent¡­¡± ¡°Hmph, I¡¯ve heard some families are trying to secure a marriage with Castell. But even ignoring her vow of celibacy, a young woman who can defeat two duchies is not someone easy to control.¡± ¡°They just covet Castell¡¯s beauty, wealth, and lands.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The nobles murmured among themselves, curiously watching the girl in the hall. Their gazes were filled with surprise, gossip, admiration, and respect. Louis V was not a weak monarch, and the Crescent Diocese was not a mere decoration. Being acknowledged by both said a lot. Even though Charlotte¡¯s appearance was much younger than her actual age, the nobles in the hall didn¡¯t dare underestimate this young noblewoman, nor forget that beneath her angelic, innocent appearance lay a strong and formidable spirit. ¡°Charlotte de Castell, do you willingly forgo the promise of donating lands, uphold the rules of Crescent nobility, maintain the honor and legacy of nobility, and become a true noble?¡± On the throne, wearing a splendid royal robe and a golden crown, Louis V looked at the beautiful girl under the spotlight and asked solemnly. Charlotte pinched the corner of her skirt, gracefully and dignifiedly, softly answering. ¡°I do.¡± Louis V paused, then continued. ¡°Do you willingly abide by the Royal Covenant, uphold its principles, remember your rights and obligations, and support the rule of the Valva family?¡± Charlotte bowed again and answered in a clear, pleasant voice. ¡°I do.¡± Louis V nodded slightly and asked again. ¡°Do you willingly adhere to the Holy Code, take up the scepter of honor, and become my family¡¯s direct vassal and honorary knight?¡± Charlotte continued to bow, her melodious voice echoing in the hall. ¡°I do.¡± Louis V¡¯s expression gradually softened. He looked at Charlotte with satisfaction, a hint of a smile at the corner of his eyes, softening his usual stern demeanor, making him appear more approachable. ¡°Then¡­ congratulations. From today onwards, you are an official direct vassal of my Valva family.¡± He said warmly. After finishing, Louis V signaled to the royal knight standing beside him, who immediately stepped forward and presented a long tray covered in golden silk. In the tray lay an ornate Honorary Knight¡¯s sword. ¡°Charlotte de Castell, this is the Honorary Knight¡¯s sword, symbolizing honor and heritage. It is now yours. Remember your vows and become a worthy lord, a true noble.¡± Louis V resumed his authoritative demeanor. He picked up the Honorary Knight¡¯s sword, rose from the throne, and personally handed it to Charlotte. Seeing this, the assembled nobles were stunned, their eyes widening in surprise. ¡°Personally! His Majesty personally handed her the Honorary Knight¡¯s sword!¡± ¡°By the heavens! Isn¡¯t this an honor reserved for dukes? Does His Majesty intend to make her a duchess?!¡± ¡°No, probably not. It must be due to her esteemed status as a Saintess¡­¡± The nobles murmured among themselves, looking at Charlotte with curiosity and envy. As central nobles of Crescent, they knew well that it was rare for the king to personally hand over the Honorary Knight¡¯s sword during an enfeoffment ceremony. Only powerful dukes and highly favored nobles received such an honor! Clearly, even without considering the strength of the Northlands, this confirmed that the young Countess of Castell had earned the king¡¯s recognition. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte took the sword and bowed slightly to Louis V. ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡± Seeing her compliance, Louis V was even more satisfied. He nodded slightly, then looked around the grand hall and declared in a solemn voice. ¡°Charlotte de Castell is honest and courageous, loyal and fearless. According to the Holy Code and the Royal Covenant, I, Louis de Valva, the 37th King of the Crescent Kingdom, hereby declare Charlotte de Castell an Honorary Knight. Her inherited territory, Castell County, will formally become a direct fief of the Valva family, enjoying the privileges of a direct vassal of the kingdom. Charlotte de Castell is granted the title of Countess and the honorary position of Counselor to the Crescent Kingdom¡¯s Cabinet!¡± Upon hearing Louis V¡¯s formal announcement, the nobles were again taken aback and began to discuss. ¡°Counselor? Cabinet Counselor? Does His Majesty value Countess Castell so highly that he directly appoints her as a Cabinet Counselor?¡± ¡°Is she really just a countess of the Northlands, not His Majesty¡¯s illegitimate daughter?¡± The nobles were visibly shocked and astonished. Charlotte in the hall was also a bit surprised. In the Crescent Kingdom, the king is the highest ruler, but the kingdom is also governed by the Cabinet. The Cabinet assists the royal family in ruling the country, wielding great power with nine seats, covering military, diplomacy, finance, religion, vassal management, and more, even deciding the convening of the central parliament. Positions include Military Chief, foreign Minister, financial Chief, and Royal Patriarch, all part of the Cabinet. Entering the Cabinet means entering the true power center of the Crescent Kingdom. Though the position of Counselor is honorary and lacks direct power, it allows participation in Cabinet meetings, influencing many political decisions in the kingdom. It was clear that Louis V was further drawing Charlotte into his fold. Charlotte had little interest in joining the Crescent Kingdom¡¯s Cabinet, but an honorary title was beneficial. Nobles value circles, and this title would bring her closer to the kingdom¡¯s power center, providing access to first-hand information and expanding her influence. This would help her in dealing with other nobles and developing her territory. Especially since the Counselor title was honorary, which suited Charlotte. She had many matters in her own territory to manage and did not want to divert her attention elsewhere. Knowing that Louis V was likely trying to curry favor to counter the Church¡¯s influence on her, Charlotte found the elderly king quite endearing. ¡°Thank you for your favor.¡± She curtsied again. Louis V nodded slightly and warmly said, ¡°You may rise. Remember today¡¯s covenant and become a true noble.¡± Then, he looked at Charlotte with a meaningful gaze and said, ¡°Lady Castell, the identity of a Saintess is a divine blessing but also a shackle. Favor¡­ is not always a good thing.¡± ¡°Since you have declined the Church¡¯s invitation, I believe you have your own views and understandings of life. Stay true to yourself and always remember the significance of your life.¡± Remember the significance of life¡­ Reflecting on Louis V¡¯s hint, Charlotte pondered. ¡­ The conferral ceremony went smoothly. Afterward, Charlotte received congratulations and invitations from various noble families, becoming the talk of the noble circle. Charlotte felt indifferent about the conferral. Due to her transmigrator status and ¡°Demigod¡± rank, her focus extended beyond the Crescent Kingdom. Although satisfied, she wasn¡¯t particularly excited. In truth, ever since reading Albrecht¡¯s memories about the upcoming Divinity Descent Day, she felt other matters paled in comparison. After thanking the nobles and declining many invitations, Charlotte boarded her carriage and returned to her manor with the bestowed items. Soon after, a royal convoy arrived with additional compensation from Louis V for the Borde-Castell War. The compensation was a cartload of extraordinary materials, mostly for mage meditation, evidently intended for Charlotte herself, given her public identity as a mage. Sebastian estimated their value at around 15 million gold tana, showing the royal family¡¯s sincerity and wealth. Charlotte accepted everything and expressed her gratitude to the royal envoy. After the envoy left, Charlotte¡¯s expression grew solemn. ¡°Divine favor is a blessing and a shackle¡­¡± Chewing on Louis V¡¯s words, Charlotte reflected. She recalled Albrecht¡¯s memories and the mentioned Divinity Descent Day. She didn¡¯t know if Louis V¡¯s words were related to the upcoming Divinity Descent Day, but it was likely. Thinking of the Divinity Descent Day, Charlotte¡¯s gaze became serious. Descent, the descent of divinities. As the name implies, the Divinity Descent Day marks the day when the earthly incarnations of true Gods descend upon the world. In other words, it¡¯s the day when the stars align, and the slumbering Gods awaken one by one. Chapter 393: Divinity Descent Day The Divinity Descent Day is when the boundary between the mundane and the mythological is completely shattered, and the slumbering Gods fully awaken. When exactly this day will come, there is no specific record in Albrecht¡¯s memory. In the memories Charlotte accessed, it is only mentioned that the Blood Demon Cult received a divine oracle seventeen years ago, foretelling the imminent arrival of the day. Gods have a very indifferent sense of time. A thought or a slumber could span years. Thus, prophecies in divine oracles often lack specific timing. Nevertheless, since the prophecy stated ¡°imminent¡±, even if it is delayed, the actual date should not be far off, based on the Blood Demon Cult¡¯s experience. Although Albrecht¡¯s memory does not record the exact date of the day, it does contain descriptions related to it. When the sun¡¯s radiance fades, the blood moon becomes eternal, and the world plunges into profound darkness once more, the moment when the Gods¡¯ light replaces the sunlight, that is the official arrival of the Divnity Descent Day¡­ ¡°The fading of the sun¡¯s radiance¡­¡± Reflecting on Albrecht¡¯s memories, Charlotte pondered. She had seen such descriptions elsewhere. When she was still in Borde City, during her recovery at the church hospital after being sacrificed by her grandmother, she voraciously read all the books available, trying to understand the world of Myria as much as possible. During that time, she had encountered similar descriptions of ¡°the fading sun and the eternal blood moon.¡± Those descriptions were from the most sacred texts of the Holy Court, the ¡°Holy Bible.¡± More precisely, they described the myth of the resurrection of the Creator and the descent of the Gods to suppress the bloodbornes¡­ In the Holy Court¡¯s legend, about 1,500 years ago, the True Ancestor of Blood, who sought to rule the world forever, unleashed the forbidden dark magic ¡°Eternal Eclipse¡± upon the sun, intending to devour it and create an eternal blood moon and night. The legend records that the True Ancestor of Blood succeeded. The sun, which illuminated the earth, was gradually consumed by darkness, bringing eternal darkness and cold to the world. The silver moon turned into a blood moon, hanging high in the sky, enveloping the world in dark red. However, in the midst of this despair, the Creator awoke, and His light pierced the sky, replacing the sun with His radiance. The Creator¡­ created a second sun. The day when the Creator God Harald created the second sun is considered the beginning of the Holy Calendar, the intersection of the Holy Era and the Blood Moon Era. Reflecting on the descriptions in the ¡°Holy Bible¡± about Harald¡¯s resurrection and salvation, Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but look out the window, more precisely, at the shining sun in the sky. Yes, the second sun. According to the ¡°Holy Bible¡±, the first sun in the world of Myria was devoured by the True Ancestor of Blood, and the current sun is the second one created by the Creator God Harald. Charlotte always thought that the legends about the Creator in the ¡°Holy Bible¡± were exaggerated and mythologized. The so-called devouring of the sun and the recreation of light were likely artistically enhanced. Based on her experiments since her transmigration, while this world has Gods, magic, and various incredible powers, as well as other dimensions, it fundamentally still seems to be a planet. If this world is a planet, the sun is naturally a star. Although the Gods of this world are powerful, Charlotte doubted they could match a star. At most, they were powerful beings with extraordinary powers far beyond ordinary people. Take herself as an example. Having fused with the faceless statue, she was already considered a Demigod, a mythological being. After her True Ancestor¡¯s Liberation, she possessed the combat power of a ¡°Saint.¡± But even with the power of a ¡°Saint¡±, she couldn¡¯t imagine devouring the sun or destroying the entire continent. At most, she could destroy the civilization on the continent with brute force, assuming no mythological beings intervened and she had plenty of time. As for devouring the sun? Charlotte couldn¡¯t fathom it. If true Gods could do that, demigods wouldn¡¯t be considered mythological beings. In her view, ¡°devouring the sun¡± might refer to some kind of magic that ¡°obscured sunlight.¡± As for the blood moon, it might indeed be related to the True Ancestor. Not the blood moon manifested in Charlotte¡¯s mental world, but a real blood moon. In fact, even today, people in the world of Myria occasionally see the blood moon. Every time it appears, it signifies a surge in magical power and high elemental activity. Mages become very excited during the blood moon, despite the volatile magic that can cause them to lose control, as it also enhances their ability to resonate with magic and elements. Charlotte felt the same. Just after her transmigration, she experienced a blood moon, and over the past two years, she had seen it twenty-four times. Yes, twenty-four times. In the world of Myria, the blood moon appears once a month, lasting from several minutes to tens of minutes before disappearing. During the blood moon, Charlotte could feel a significant boost in her power. Under its light, her power could double, reaching four times her daytime strength! Additionally, under the blood moon, she felt a deep stirring in her bloodline, as if it resonated with the blood moon in the sky, calling out hungrily¡­ Combining this with the information from Albrecht¡¯s memories, Charlotte had some new hypotheses. Is the current monthly blood moon also a remnant of the True Ancestor¡¯s power from 1,500 years ago? Does the Divinity Descent Day refer to the sun being obscured once again? Will it be the return of the Gods¡­ Or will it be the return of the True Ancestor of Blood? Charlotte felt an inexplicable unease in her heart. The prophecy of the Divinity Descent Day is too vague. Even in Albrecht¡¯s memory, the information is very limited. The only thing certain is that the slumbering Gods seem to be awaiting this day as well. No matter who the real True Ancestor of Blood in history was, Charlotte is currently the one holding the position of the ¡°True Ancestor.¡± This realization came to Charlotte after successfully merging with the faceless statue and understanding her true current state. Even if the real True Ancestor of Blood were someone else, upon their return, they would only compete with her for the position. Whether it¡¯s the real True Ancestor returning or the Gods coming back, it represents a significant threat or variable for her. Not only for her but for many forces in Myria. The Nez Clan, the Crescent Kingdom, and even the Holy Court are all in the same situation. Some forces anticipate the return of their Gods, while others do not wish to see the Gods revive. Regardless, all these forces are uniting to strengthen their power. Thinking of this, Charlotte sighed softly. She felt that her growth rate was still too slow. Charlotte had always prioritized caution. Even after becoming the ¡°True Ancestor¡±, she did not widely spread her faith, nor did she massively recruit or create new kins. Charlotte is very cautious, unlike the Blood Demon Cult, which acts recklessly, as they are already outcasts hunted by everyone. They can brazenly expand their power because the only real pursuer is the Holy Court. Other bloodbornes disdain them rather than see them as enemies. But Charlotte has many concerns. She is not only the ¡°True Ancestor¡± but also a noble and the ruler of the North. The Blood Demon Cult can be discovered and destroyed countless times, like rats in the sewer, but can always rise again. Charlotte, however, is different. If her identity is exposed, the North will face catastrophic consequences. These threats come not only from the Holy Court but also from other bloodbornes. If everything about her is revealed, she will face a fate similar to or worse than the Blood Demon Cult. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Even with her potent bloodline, she would face countless enemies. Charlotte hasn¡¯t gone mad, she enjoys her current life and does not want to end up like the Blood Demon Cult. So, Charlotte always acts cautiously. Her original plan was to gradually expand her secular power, securing an unchallengeable position before secretly gathering strength, and subtly influencing other Blood Clans. This plan isn¡¯t wrong, but Charlotte has been progressing slowly. Perhaps it¡¯s because bloodbornes have endless lifespans. Without the constraint of lifespan, there is no urgency in time. Though Charlotte felt pressure, it never reached the point of requiring her utmost effort, so she has always managed things leisurely. She even focused more on her noble status as Countess of Castell, spending more time on noble socializing. She didn¡¯t fully understand the significance of entering myth and developing faith before. In hindsight, she realized she invested too much in unnecessary matters. ¡°I need to pick up the pace. In the mundane realm, I need to further solidify control over the North, develop secular power with the North as my base, swiftly expand my faith, and enhance my mythological strength.¡± ¡°Also, I need to intensify my infiltration into the Blood Clans, recruit those who can be recruited, establish my identity as the True Ancestor, and secure my position as the True Ancestor!¡± Charlotte murmured to herself. Knowing about the Divinity Descent Day, Charlotte felt a sense of urgency. Initially, after the quick conclusion of the central meeting, she planned to stay in Lutecia for a while, enjoy the local culture, visit major nobles, indulge herself, and take a proper ¡°vacation¡± for a month or two before returning. But now, she lost interest in leisure activities. The Archbishop of the Crescent Diocese will tighten the church¡¯s discipline in anticipation of the day, even though the Holy Court is already strong and will greatly benefit from the Gods¡¯ return¡­ What about her, facing an unfavorable situation? This thought made Charlotte eager to return to the North and speed up her plans. With this urgent feeling, Charlotte declined most noble salon and banquet invitations. In the end, she only attended the celebration salon hosted by the Duke of Moonshield. This was also a salon for the high nobles of the Crescent Kingdom to officially meet the Castell family and discuss future extraordinary trade and cooperation. The attendees were not many, but each was at least a count with significant lands, though not as wealthy or powerful as Charlotte. Half of the nine dukes of the kingdom attended, except those opposing the king, including the Violet Duke, who had fought Charlotte. Charlotte¡¯s oath-breaking and allegiance to the royal family, along with her declaration of celibacy, were seen by some opposing nobles as a sign of a deal with the royal family. Charlotte had no intention of explaining. If the Divinity Descent Day is real, then most forces in this world will become pawns. Including these nobles she interacts with. She didn¡¯t care what the pawns thought, as long as they didn¡¯t hinder her future plans. Unconsciously, Charlotte¡¯s mindset had subtly changed. ¡°It¡¯s a pity, Lady Castell. I wanted to invite you to stay longer in the capital. Many nobles wish to meet you and discuss future cooperation.¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s plan to leave the capital soon, Duke Anro expressed regret. ¡°I apologize, Lord Anro. The North is in a state of recovery after the war, and many matters need my personal attention. Attending this central meeting was a necessity.¡± Charlotte said apologetically. Then she smiled. ¡°However, although I plan to leave, the North warmly welcomes you all. The Castell family looks forward to your future cooperation.¡± The nobles smiled and raised their glasses. ¡°To a pleasant cooperation, Lady Castell!¡± The extraordinary trade agreement with the kingdom¡¯s major nobles was signed smoothly. Charlotte didn¡¯t even need to be involved personally, Sebastian could handle everything. Mithril is the hard currency of the extraordinary realm. Without the restriction of the Royal Covenant, Charlotte had a seller¡¯s market, with no worries about trading channels. After a successful salon, the Castell family was integrated into the highest noble circle of the Crescent Kingdom. Meanwhile, the royal family sent a contract for the allocation of extraordinary resources. Seeing the contract, Charlotte understood why the nobles supported the royal family¡¯s ¡°monopoly¡± on the kingdom¡¯s extraordinary resources. It turns out the extraordinary resources handed over by the nobles were mostly redistributed by the royal family to their direct vassals. Charlotte¡¯s portion came from the Borde Duchy and the share originally belonged to the Third Prince, along with other reclaimed shares from direct vassals. The overall proportion was 2% of the extraordinary resources handed over by all direct vassals. This ratio is lower than the 3% minimum for dukes but higher than the 1% maximum for counts. In terms of value, the 2% allocated to Charlotte is almost 20% of Castel¡¯s mithril output. In other words, with this contract, the royal family¡¯s share with the Castell family effectively changed from 70-30 to 50-50. And the extra 20% Charlotte received was in various extraordinary resources equivalent to mithril. ¡°No wonder every noble wants to become a direct vassal. In a company, only direct vassals can become shareholders.¡± Looking at the contract, Charlotte sighed. The extraordinary trade agreement and the extraordinary resources contract made Charlotte very satisfied. With this, her primary goal for coming to Lutecia was achieved. But she had one more place to visit. ¡°Sebastian, prepare the carriage. I need to go to the royal library.¡± Charlotte closed the contract and instructed her elf butler. Chapter 394: Rumors It turns out, the world continues on without anyone, and people¡¯s adaptability is incredibly strong. Ever since King Louis V initiated a thorough purge and harshly stripped many vassals of their titles, the capital had been in a state of panic. Nobles worried about getting caught in the crossfire, and commoners feared being mistaken for heretics by the rampant city guards and local judgment troops. However, less than a week after the purge, all of Lutecia returned to its former tranquility, as if the recent purge and the city-wide scrutiny were just illusions. The commoners¡¯ reaction is understandable. After all, Louis V minimized the impact on commoners during the purge, targeting only the Blood Demon Cult¡¯s operatives in the slums. But the nobles¡¯ reaction surprised Charlotte. She thought their discontent and resistance would last longer, possibly even unite against Louis V¡¯s increasing pressure. But, in reality, once the King pacified them with a share of the confiscated noble wealth, they quickly calmed down. They resumed their salons and banquets, continuing their festivities. Discussions about the purge remained common but had transformed into mere topics of idle conversation and complaints. The Crescent nobles¡¯ laziness and short-sightedness were even more outrageous than Charlotte had imagined. Charlotte could guess the nobles¡¯ thoughts: they believed the King¡¯s efforts to centralize power faced immense challenges, and even stripping some nobles of their titles wouldn¡¯t change the overall situation. As long as the fire didn¡¯t reach them and the King remembered to share the benefits with the nobles, many of them viewed the King¡¯s centralization efforts as just another periodic assertion of power by the royal family. The political tradition of the kingdom has always been that power fades with its holder¡¯s death. Without a strong successor like Louis V, the nobles believed the current fear would pass, given the King¡¯s age. ¡°Just endure until the new king ascends; it will be fine.¡± was a sentiment Charlotte had overheard. However, Charlotte didn¡¯t believe things would go as the nobles hoped. Although Louis V was indeed old, his resolve to centralize power was firm. It wasn¡¯t just for the royal family but also to prepare for the Divinity Descent Day. The King, who could build such a lavish palace like the Crescent Palace, surely had more than just a fleeting interest in strengthening central power. He had thought it through thoroughly. If the nobles could think of it, Charlotte was sure the King could too. Moreover, Charlotte believed he definitely had countermeasures. But that had nothing to do with Charlotte. Since she knew about the Divinity Descent Day, she should focus on strengthening her own forces and power. As for the Crescent Kingdom, there was no need to get involved. Her Royal Covenant with Louis V and her declaration of celibacy would buy her enough time. As for the future¡­ When the Gods truly descend, the old order will undoubtedly be shattered, and rising amidst the turbulent continental winds will depend on one¡¯s abilities. Charlotte¡¯s visit to the Royal Library was for the same reason. Knowledge is power. Some knowledge she might not need, but the Northlands do, and her followers do. The carriage slowly stopped, and Charlotte put her thoughts away. ¡°Master, we have arrived.¡± Sebastian¡¯s respectful voice came from outside the window. Charlotte nodded slightly, signaling the maid Sherry to open the door, then stepped out of the carriage. She looked up and saw a towering structure before her. This tower, built of some black stone, faintly bore ancient, intricate magical runes, with weathered traces displaying the marks of time. This was the Royal Library of the Crescent Kingdom. The Royal Library was the oldest library in the Crescent Kingdom, tracing back to the Yunette Empire. Its predecessor was the library of the Yunette Royal Mage Tower. ? After the Yunette Empire¡¯s fall, the Valva family inherited the Royal Mage Tower, sealing part of the forbidden books and transforming the tower into a library. The library¡¯s collection reportedly exceeded two hundred thousand volumes, including extraordinary materials, various histories and biographies, and literature, art, and alchemical knowledge. The most attractive among its collections are the extraordinary tomes treasured by noble families. These volumes detail how to awaken bloodline power and develop extraordinary abilities. This was Charlotte¡¯s main goal, besides historical records. Extraordinary power originates from bloodlines. Although the Castell family also possessed several extraordinary tomes, they weren¡¯t of high quality and mainly suited the Castell bloodline, making them unsuitable for widespread use. Since Charlotte planned to build her own force, developing extraordinary powers was imperative. Bestowing divine grace to followers was one method, but she couldn¡¯t rely solely on divine grace to enhance her followers¡¯ power. Providing various ¡°manuals¡± to her followers was another approach. Extraordinary advancement paths were controlled by nobles. So, providing her followers with extraordinary advancement channels was also a form of ¡°divine grace¡±, enabling more people to step onto the extraordinary path and strengthen the Northlands. Charlotte didn¡¯t have much time and couldn¡¯t carefully select suitable followers to develop into clergy like the Holy Court. The best approach was a broad one: enhance all her followers¡¯ power as much as possible and, in turn, use their power increase to boost her own strength. Gods are a group of ¡°parasites¡±, and Charlotte was one too. Since she was a ¡°parasite¡±, she needed more ¡°hosts.¡± Though the power gained from non-bloodborne followers might not be as pure as that from bloodborne followers, their large numbers made up for it, providing considerable divine power collectively. As for whether the impure power from various sources would cause other problems¡­ Charlotte wasn¡¯t too worried. As the True Ancestor of Blood, devouring bloodline power was her ability. Regardless of her followers¡¯ bloodline power origins, as long as the enhanced power was shared through the faith network, she could successfully absorb it. That was her ¡°mythological-level¡± cheat. Taking a deep breath, Charlotte stepped toward the library. The Royal Library was managed by the Royal Mage Corps. When the Castell family carriage stopped at the entrance, the library apprentices were alerted. When Charlotte arrived at the library entrance, the Head Librarian, dressed in a mage¡¯s robe, greeted her warmly. ¡°Welcome to the Royal Library, Countess Castell.¡± sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. This was the prestige of a grand noble. Although the Castell family wasn¡¯t a duke family, being the foremost below dukes was enough to make many nobles in the kingdom look up in admiration. Even coming to the Royal Library, she was a distinguished guest. Seeing the librarian, Charlotte smiled slightly and gestured for Sebastian to take out the VIP pass that Louis V had given her, saying, ¡°Greetings, Head Librarian. I am here today to borrow some extraordinary books.¡± Upon seeing the VIP pass, the librarian became even more respectful. ¡°Countess, please follow me.¡± Following the librarian, Charlotte entered the Royal Library. The inside space was larger than it appeared from the outside, likely due to some spatial magic, and the number of books was enormous, arranged in a spiraling manner. Many people were borrowing books, most of them dressed as nobles, while a few, not dressed as nobles, wore uniform attire. Charlotte recognized them as students of the Royal Magic Academy, the highest institution of learning in the Crescent Kingdom. The Royal Library was only open to two kinds of people: nobles and students of the Magic Academy. When Charlotte entered the library, she naturally attracted curious glances from everyone. Especially when people saw the librarian and the Royal Mage subordinates accompanying her warmly. ¡°Who is that? Even the Head Librarian is alarmed, and so many Royal Mages are accompanying her?¡± ¡°Not in uniform, not a student of the academy, judging by the clothes and demeanor, must be a high-ranking noble.¡± ¡°Could it be¡­ a princess from another country?¡± Some people recognized Charlotte¡¯s identity. ¡°It¡¯s Charlotte de Castell, the Pearl of the North, the Saintess of the Holy Court, the wealthiest and youngest countess of the Crescent Kingdom.¡± ¡°Gasp¡­ Is she the one who reportedly bewitched the Third Prince at a glance, making him willing to start a war to get her?¡± ¡°Hush! What nonsense are you listening to from those taverns in the outer district!¡± ¡°But¡­ she is indeed very beautiful. If it were me, I would probably be willing to start a war for her too.¡± ¡°I said, stop listening to those made-up stories from taverns!¡± Charlotte: ¡­ Although the talkers deliberately lowered their voices, Charlotte, with her bloodborne keen senses, heard everything clearly. Thanks to the recent series of events, she was indeed quite a celebrity in the capital now. Gaze after gaze fell on her, curious, admiring, respectful, and¡­ hostile? Hostile? Charlotte was somewhat surprised that even a visit to the library could draw hostile looks. When her senses extended, she was even more surprised. The hostile looks didn¡¯t come from nobles but from some students in the uniform of the Royal Magic Academy. ¡°Is she the Northern Countess?¡± ¡°I heard she tyrannized many extraordinary people in the North, even forcing her subjects into rebellion, making the Third Prince start the war because of the internal chaos in the North.¡± ¡°What a sin. These nobles are all so self-serving, not caring at all about the lives of commoners!¡± ¡°She looks fragile but is a demon inside.¡± ¡°I also heard she refused the Saintess¡¯ appointment¡­¡± ¡°Is she feeling guilty? The Church is rotten too.¡± ¡°What good is beauty? In the end, this world is about extraordinary power. Without power, even nobles can¡¯t keep their positions. Such cruelty will lead to retribution.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know. Despite looking young and weak, she¡¯s already a Silver Moon Mage.¡± ¡°Already Silver Moon? That¡¯s worse! Poor people of the North.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled by her purity. I heard her celibacy vow is just a cover for her scandalous private life.¡± ¡°Exactly, nobles¡­ none of them are good!¡± Charlotte: ¡­ She had never expected to hear such ridiculous rumors. It was impossible to please everyone. While Charlotte knew that as long as she continued to strengthen her rule over the North and develop her power, various rumors would never cease, and those with potential hostility would always exist. But she didn¡¯t expect the rumors about the North to be this outrageous. These rumors couldn¡¯t just be dismissed as simple gossip. Charlotte didn¡¯t believe they spread without someone fanning the flames from behind. Sebastian gave those students a cold look. His gaze was calm, but when he glanced at the students, they felt a chilling sense of dread, a pressure that silenced them instinctively. ¡°Ahem, Sir Sebastian, this is the Royal Library.¡± The librarian reminded with a light cough. ¡°Apologies, Head Librarian, but I can¡¯t stand people spreading falsehoods about my master.¡± Sebastian replied with a cold smile. The librarian sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but please don¡¯t hold it against them. They¡¯re just ordinary students, likely hearing those rumors from somewhere. You know, many Magic Academy students come from commoner backgrounds and inherently distrust nobles. They tend to believe the worst about anything concerning nobles, especially when there are rumors to support it.¡± Sebastian nodded slightly. ¡°You¡¯re right. It seems I should investigate who¡¯s behind these rumors about my master. As a teacher at the Magic Academy, please also remind your students that noble honor should not be defamed.¡± With that, he withdrew his gaze, and the students let out a sigh of relief. They exchanged glances, their expressions becoming even more hostile and resentful towards Charlotte¡¯s group, whispering cautiously among themselves. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Don¡¯t forget our purpose here.¡± Charlotte said, shaking her head. Although annoyed by these absurd rumors, she knew that these students, being manipulated, weren¡¯t the real culprits. Lashing out at them wouldn¡¯t make these people, who already viewed her as a villain, reflect sincerely. It would only deepen their resentment and play into someone¡¯s hands. Handling rumors was Sebastian¡¯s specialty, so she left it to him. However, hearing such overwhelmingly malicious words left her with complex feelings. Charlotte didn¡¯t consider herself a good person, but after going to the North, she genuinely cared about the commoners there and had implemented many policies to benefit them. She hadn¡¯t expected to be slandered like this. As Charlotte proceeded deeper into the library, she heard an angry voice behind her. ¡°Enough! Who is spreading these lies? Slander! It¡¯s all slander!¡± ¡°I¡¯m a student from the North! I¡¯ve witnessed firsthand how the Countess dealt with those evil nobles! She¡¯s a good lord. This past year, she¡¯s punished the wicked, stabilized the land, built schools out of her own pocket, funded the poor, and expanded roads. How many nobles can do that?¡± ¡°The Countess has vowed to dedicate her life to her territory, which is why she swore never to marry. She¡¯s a good lord, and you will not defame her!¡± Hearing this, Charlotte paused and turned to see a few students in Magic Academy uniforms angrily confronting those who had been gossiping about her. They were students from the North studying in the capital. Seeing their angry expressions warmed Charlotte¡¯s heart. Her previous irritation vanished in an instant. Chapter 395: Song of the Blood Moon The experience in the outer hall of the library was just a minor episode. Under the guidance of the librarian, Charlotte quickly entered the restricted area of the library. Of course, this so-called restricted area was only off-limits to ordinary nobles. For true high-ranking nobles and exceptionally gifted individuals, entry was still possible. Instead of a restricted area, it was more like a VIP zone. ¡°Countess, this is the inner section of the Royal Library, which holds a total of fifty thousand volumes. It contains all sorts of extraordinary materials collected by the kingdom, including some rare meditation methods and magic books. Additionally, there are many valuable illustrations, extraordinary secrets, and historical records not available to the public.¡± ¡°According to your pass, you may freely browse the collection here. However, if you wish to take any books out or perform magical engravings, you will need to exchange them with books of equivalent value from your own collection.¡± The librarian explained respectfully. Charlotte nodded slightly. She had heard about the regulations of the Royal Library. In fact, despite being repeatedly destroyed by wars throughout history, the library not only survived but continued to expand its collection, thanks to such rules. Nobles were very protective of their extraordinary knowledge, tightly guarding it. Only the Royal Library had the authority to facilitate the exchange of knowledge, and nobles were happy to have such a place. Especially after the royal family won a war or revoked the title of a major noble, the popularity of the library would often surge because nobles knew that the library¡¯s collection would increase. Of course, Charlotte knew that the royal family would keep the truly high-level knowledge and secrets for themselves. However, she came here mainly to try her luck and supplement Castell¡¯s collection, thereby strengthening her own foundation. The Crescent Kingdom¡¯s royal family used the Royal Library, a treasure trove of information, to unite the nobility. As someone attempting to spread her own ¡°faith¡±, Charlotte could do the same to unite her ¡°followers.¡± ¡°Also, although I believe you won¡¯t do so, as the librarian, I must remind you not to use any magic here, especially mental, spatial, or elemental magic.¡± ¡°The Royal Library has a strict monitoring array. If any magic is used, it will be detected, and you will lose your access to the library forever.¡± ¡°In the past, anyone who attempted to cast magic in the Royal Library, even the heir of a duke, faced severe punishment.¡± The librarian added, looking serious. This rule was to prevent anyone from stealing extraordinary knowledge or causing damage to the library. Mental magic could temporarily enhance memory or directly imprint knowledge. Spatial magic could potentially remove books from the library, and elemental magic, being highly destructive, was naturally prohibited. ¡°Thank you for the reminder, sir.¡± Charlotte said with a smile. The librarian smiled back. ¡°Then, Countess, I shall take my leave. If you need any specific type of information, feel free to ask the equipped automatons in the library. I hope you find the knowledge you seek.¡± Charlotte nodded slightly. ¡°Thank you.¡± The librarian bowed courteously and left. Charlotte looked around and soon spotted a humanoid alchemy golem nearby. ¡°Countess, I am Jupiter, the administrator of the Royal Library¡¯s restricted area, at your service.¡± The alchemy golem greeted her stiffly, its voice mechanical. Charlotte was amazed. This must be the creation of some high-ranking magicians or even Legendary magicians, a form of alchemical life. ¡°Thank you, I¡¯d like to see the history section.¡± Charlotte said. ¡°The history section is on the second shelf of the third spiral. If you need more specific information, Jupiter can assist you further.¡± Charlotte shook her head. ¡°No, I¡¯ll just browse.¡± With that, Charlotte went to the shelf indicated by the alchemy golem. The Royal Library lived up to its reputation as the most extensive and resource-rich library in the Crescent Kingdom. Upon reaching the target shelf, Charlotte found many valuable historical records. Particularly concerning the history of the Crescent Kingdom, there were detailed accounts of the Blood Demon Cult¡¯s overthrow of the kingdom. The Blood Demon Cult¡¯s subversion of the Crescent Kingdom began 750 years ago, fifty years after the kingdom¡¯s founding, and they secretly ruled the kingdom for two hundred years. The books described how the cult initially infiltrated the court, deceiving the founding ancestor of the Crescent Kingdom, who was from the Valva family, in his old age, and took control of the court. That period was described as a dark age for the kingdom, which lasted until the royal family, with the help of the Holy Court, overthrew the Bloodborne¡¯s rule two hundred years later. Since then, the Blood Demon Cult has repeatedly attempted to subvert the kingdom, but all their efforts have been thwarted, up to the present day. After browsing some of these records, Charlotte gained a deeper understanding of the Crescent Kingdom¡¯s nobility¡¯s hostility and vigilance toward bloodbornes. Of course, history is written by the victors, and these records were only for reference, not to be fully trusted. What disappointed Charlotte, though not unexpectedly, was the complete lack of historical records from earlier periods, especially the Blood Moon Era, in the restricted section of the library. Although she had anticipated this to some extent, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit disheartened when she found nothing. However, just as Charlotte gave up on browsing the history section and decided to look at extraordinary-related books, an old book caught her eye. It was a book titled ¡°Song of the Blood Moon.¡± This book was not categorized as history or mythology but as artistic poetry. Curious, Charlotte opened it and found that it was a collection of poems singing the legends of the Bloodborne. ¡°Poems about bloodborne legends? Shouldn¡¯t this be classified under mythology? Why is it in the artistic creation section?¡± Charlotte¡¯s curiosity grew. The text was ancient, but with the knowledge of ancient languages she had painstakingly learned through mental magic over the past year, Charlotte managed to read it smoothly. The poems recounted the rise and fall of the bloodborne ancestors, describing how the ambitious True Ancestor of Blood defeated the Gods and unified the continent for the first time, only to eventually go astray in the pursuit of greater power, leading to Her madness and self-destruction. If it were just these stories, the book would rightly belong to the mythology category. However, the problem lay in the book¡¯s mention of the Creator God Harald. In the poems, the Creator God Harald was depicted as a follower and successor of the True Ancestor of Blood. He was a bloodborne who mastered the power of creation, the ancestor of the Royal Blood Clan, and the one who ultimately defeated the mad True Ancestor. The poems even described the first meeting between the True Ancestor of Blood and Harald, when the Progenitor, recognizing the young Harald¡¯s potential, imparted the knowledge of bloodline awakening. When Charlotte read this, she was stunned. Because, except for the omission of Lilith, the description of the first meeting between the True Ancestor of Blood and Harald, and the imparting of extraordinary knowledge, was exactly like her experience during her ¡°time travel¡±! Even the words she had spoken to Harald were identical! ¡°A follower of the True Ancestor of Blood, the origin of the Royal Blood Clan, huh¡­¡± Charlotte¡¯s eyelid twitched, her heart surging with emotion. If an ordinary person read this, they would think it was utter nonsense, blasphemous even, and it being categorized as artistic creation would make perfect sense. In fact, it could be deemed heretical and destroyed. It was a miracle this book survived at all. But after finishing the story of the True Ancestor and the Creator God, Charlotte felt that the descriptions in the book¡­ were very likely true. ¡°Could it be¡­ that my time travel was real? The Harald I encountered was indeed the Creator God Harald? And I traveled back in time, becoming the True Ancestor in history?¡± Charlotte¡¯s heart raced. This was a bold hypothesis she had considered before. She was very sure that the ¡°time travel dream¡± was not merely an observation but an immersive experience. Additionally, her actions in the ¡°dream¡± were driven by her own will. This ruled out the possibility of ¡°implanted memories.¡± Looking back now, her initial guess seemed increasingly plausible. Whether it was a dream or a time travel, it was very likely that she had intersected with history and might even have been the True Ancestor in history! However, Charlotte also had some deepening doubts, such as why Lilith was not mentioned. Not only was Lilith absent from the poem, but she was also not present in Albrecht¡¯s memories. The only sources of information about Lilith were the preface of the Gospel of Blood and Charlotte¡¯s experiences after her time travel. Moreover, Charlotte had some concerns. If she truly was the historical True Ancestor, according to various accounts about the Bloodborne and the descriptions in the ¡°Song of the Blood Moon¡±, wouldn¡¯t she lose her sanity and go mad in the future? This thought made Charlotte uneasy. Nevertheless, Charlotte had gained something. Perhaps during her next ¡°time travel¡±, she could delve deeper into the truth of history. Taking a deep breath, Charlotte closed the ¡°Song of the Blood Moon.¡± This book was an unexpected gain. Just this book alone made today¡¯s trip worthwhile. ¡°Countess, do you like this book? Do you need a magical imprint? If so, please provide an equivalent book of art that is not in the library¡¯s collection for exchange.¡± The alchemy golem asked. Charlotte glanced at it and shook her head. ¡°No need, thank you.¡± She had no intention of exchanging anything with the library. However, this did not mean she did not plan to ¡°take¡± the ¡°Song of the Blood Moon.¡± In fact, she intended to take the entire library¡¯s collection! Knowledge is power. As a newcomer in the field, the knowledge here, even if not the most top-tier, was enough to lay a solid foundation for her own force and meet the basic needs of her followers. ¡°I will look around more by myself. Please do not disturb me unless necessary.¡± Charlotte instructed the alchemy golem. The alchemy golem nodded respectfully and withdrew. Charlotte lifted her head and looked around the entire library. With her keen bloodborne sense, she could vaguely detect the surveillance magic covering the entire library. This surveillance magic was so powerful that even a slight probing with her mental power triggered a noticeable reaction. It was definitely a Blazing Sun-level, or even Legendary-level, array. Without a doubt, even Charlotte would be discovered if she tried to use mental-type blood magic under this array. But fortunately, Charlotte possessed more than just magic. Taking a deep breath, Charlotte closed her eyes. When she opened them again, her pupils had turned a shade of crimson gold. Subtle energy waves spread out from Charlotte, enveloping the entire library. This was not magic. This was divine power. Thanks to the Crescent Royal Family, although they had set up a sophisticated magical array to prevent the library¡¯s collection from being stolen, it only guarded against magic, not divine power. Due to the delicate relationship with the church, there were no clerics stationed in the library, nor were there any divine spells set up, giving Charlotte a loophole to exploit. Divine power, a more advanced energy than magic, could also be used to perform magic. Although it was extravagant and wasteful, Charlotte currently had an abundant supply of divine power. When divine power was used to perform magic, it was no longer magic but¡­ a divine spell! With the blood divine power circulating, Charlotte cast the bloodborne¡¯s mental magic, ¡ºMental Imprint¡». This was a bloodborne magic specifically used to imprint books, forcibly memorizing and storing the knowledge within them. Subtle waves of divine power spread throughout the library, covering every treasured book. ¡°Imprint¡­¡± Charlotte whispered in her heart. In the next moment, a crimson light illuminated her mental world. The library recording Albrecht¡¯s memories suddenly opened, and in the empty space, bookshelves appeared one after another. On the bookshelves, books materialized from virtual to real. Before long, the number of new bookshelves surpassed the quantity in Albrecht¡¯s memory. The entire memory library rapidly expanded, and the number of books skyrocketed¡­ After a long while, Charlotte exhaled gently, ending the divine spell. She looked a bit fatigued, but her eyes sparkled with excitement. Deep in her consciousness, the entire collection of the Royal Library had been imprinted, adding tens of thousands of volumes to her memory library. The Crescent Royal Family¡¯s accumulation over hundreds or even thousands of years had all become hers in an instant. ¡°Countess, haven¡¯t you found the book you¡¯re looking for yet? Tell Jupiter your needs, and Jupiter can help you find it.¡± The alchemy golem¡¯s voice echoed. Charlotte suppressed her inner joy. She picked up a book and said, ¡°I found it. Help me see what knowledge I need to provide for the imprint of this book.¡± Since she was here, she might as well go through the motions. ¡°Countess, the book you have is a rare piece on bloodline secrets collected by the Royal Family, written by the Legendary Mage Nicholas. Its content is bold, curious, and precious. To exchange for it, you must provide equivalent secret knowledge.¡± The alchemy golem explained. Charlotte: ¡­ Nicholas again? And what does bold and curious even mean? But¡­ bloodline secrets, huh. She only knew the bloodborne¡¯s secrets, but those were forbidden and couldn¡¯t be revealed¡­ ¡°Such a pity. My Castell family doesn¡¯t have related knowledge.¡± Charlotte shook her head, feigning regret. She never intended to exchange, just putting on a show. With that, Charlotte put the book down and left the library with a look of regret. ¡­ ¡°Oh, did Count Castell go to the library to find bloodline secrets?¡± S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Louis V pondered upon hearing the report from the Royal Knight. ¡°Which one?¡± ¡°Your Majesty, it is the ¡®Essays on Bloodline Awakening: Desire¡¯, written by Nicholas.¡± Louis V looked surprised, muttering to himself. ¡°It¡¯s that one? She is indeed bold. No wonder she vowed to remain single¡­¡± After a moment¡¯s thought, he squinted and said, ¡°No need for an exchange. Make a magical imprint and give it to her. Bloodline awakening¡­ it seems she might have unstable bloodline power due to rapid promotion in recent years. Also, gently inform her that using desires to stimulate bloodlines is not mainstream and can harm the body, especially for women.¡± ¡°If she wishes to try, the Royal Family can provide some well-trained male servants, along with necessary tools and drugs¡­¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± ¡­ The next day. Charlotte, who had packed her luggage and was ready to leave the capital, looked bewildered at the book delivered by the Royal Knight and the row of handsome and obedient male servants behind him. Chapter 396: Return ¡°Achoo¡ª! Which jerk is bad-mouthing me behind my back again?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s definitely that bootlicker Sebastian talking bad about me in front of¡­ um, Lady Charlotte. That elf-faced, demon-hearted guy is always up to no good!¡± After saying that, Nice¡¯s eyes rolled around. ¡°Speaking of¡­ it¡¯s been more than ten days since we heard that Lady Charlotte is returning. By my calculations, she should be back soon.¡± ¡°I need to prepare early and head out to the outskirts to greet her, and make a good impression!¡± Thinking this, Nice felt that after almost two months of leisurely time, it was time to pull himself together. At least he couldn¡¯t let the sycophantic nobles of the territory outshine him. ¡°Jennifer, prepare the carriage for Lord Cat. I need to go out and welcome Lady Charlotte!¡± Nice said to the maid cleaning the room. The maid paused slightly, about to respond, when suddenly a young mage in a robe rushed in, followed by two personal guard knights. ¡°Sir Nice! Sir Nice! There¡¯s news from outside the city, Lady Charlotte¡¯s convoy has entered the Northport Viscounty!¡± Upon hearing the young mage¡¯s words, Nice jumped up immediately. ¡°Huh? What? So soon? She¡¯s already entered Northport Viscounty?¡± ¡°The leading knight said that Lady Charlotte was eager to return and declined the invitations of the nobles along the way, without stopping.¡± The young mage of the count¡¯s residence said. ¡°Got it. Quickly make arrangements. Prepare the carriage to head out and welcome her immediately. We, as the trusted followers of the Castell family, cannot be outdone by those northern nobles. We must be the first to see Lady Charlotte!¡± Nice commanded swiftly. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Hearing this, the mage¡¯s expression became a bit odd. ¡°Ahem, Sir Nice, it seems that the nobles of the city had already left to wait a day ago¡­¡± Nice: ¡­ ¡°Damn it, a bunch of shameless bootlickers. Quickly! Immediately! Prepare the carriage!¡± Nice glared with his cat eyes, cursing. ¡­ Outside Northport City. The convoy bearing the Castell¡¯s crest was approaching grandly under the protection of armored knights. On both sides of the road, nobles awaited eagerly. At a glance, including family members and servants, there were likely no fewer than a thousand people. Nearly all the well-known nobles of the North had come. Among them were the two major viscounts under the northern counts, Viscount Roman-Four and Viscount Leon-Castell, both present with their families, standing at the forefront of the crowd. Nice stood in the very front with the trusted followers of the Castell family. This guy, for once, wasn¡¯t lounging on a chair but stood proudly on the back of a tall horse, with a fully armed knight of the count¡¯s residence sitting behind him. Seeing the approaching convoy and the swirling dust from afar, Nice felt a bit nervous. He coughed lightly and turned to the knight behind him. ¡°Hey, do I look spirited enough?¡± The personal guard knight nodded. ¡°You look very spirited.¡± Nice immediately let out a sigh of relief. However, looking at his ball-like figure, the personal guard knight hesitated and then cautiously added. ¡°Only¡­ have you gained some fat recently?¡± Nice: ¡­ ¡°Fat? What fat? This is called prosperous! Prosperous, you understand?¡± He retorted with a glare. But after saying that, he touched his round belly with his chubby paw, his gaze wandering a bit. ¡°Seems like¡­ I have gained some.¡± ¡°No way, I need to lose some weight. Otherwise, even scratching an itch is hard.¡± Personal guard knight: ¡­ ¡°Alright, I get it. Lady Charlotte¡¯s convoy is here. Let¡¯s go greet her.¡± Seeing the count¡¯s convoy getting closer, Nice rubbed his paws and said. ¡­ This was Charlotte¡¯s second return to the territory. After crossing the last hill leading to the Northport Viscounty, Charlotte saw the welcoming crowd outside the city, far exceeding what she saw the first time. Not only that but during the half-day journey after entering the North, the vassal territories along the way also welcomed her with families, inviting her to stay in their castles or manors. Of course, she politely declined them all. The convoy gradually halted, and the nobles enthusiastically approached. Charlotte signaled her dragon maid Eudoxia to lift the curtain, and upon seeing Charlotte in the carriage, the nobles smiled joyfully. Led by the two viscounts, they respectfully said, ¡°Lady Charlotte, welcome back to the territory. Congratulations on becoming the kingdom¡¯s direct lord!¡± Looking at the nobles bowing to her, Charlotte sighed inwardly. She recalled how, over a year ago, when she first arrived in the territory, almost no nobles paid her any heed. The local vassals were nearly all perfunctory. But now, after quelling the Lagrisse family rebellion and the victory in the Borde-Castell war, Charlotte had proven herself. She had used various methods to suppress and win over the nobles, greatly improving the Castell¡¯s situation. Perhaps she couldn¡¯t yet claim absolute authority in the territory, but she was already recognized and loyal as a lord by the northern nobles. Of course, nobles were nobles. To gain the broader recognition of the common people, she needed to continue working hard. If one day those welcoming her included many common people, it would mean she had truly won their hearts. ¡°Meow! Lady Charlotte! You¡¯re finally back! I missed you so much these days! Couldn¡¯t eat properly every day!¡± A flattering, coarse voice came from the side. A large black ball rolled to Charlotte¡¯s feet. Charlotte looked for a moment before recognizing it was the black cat Nice. In almost two months of absence, this guy seemed to have gained weight again. ¡°Hah, not eating well? Sir Nice, you should look in the mirror and consider whether you blush when saying that.¡± Sebastian sneered, speaking sarcastically. Nice immediately glared back. ¡°What do you know?! This is depression fat! I was so down every day without seeing Lady Charlotte, I had to rely on eating to cope!¡± ¡°Depression fat? Or just getting lazy and gluttonous without Master¡¯s supervision?¡± ¡°Meow! Slander! That¡¯s sheer slander! You elf with a belly full of bad water, always talking bad behind people¡¯s backs! Absolute disgrace to elves!¡± ¡°No, I never talk bad behind people¡¯s backs. I only state facts, about the lazy and gluttonous pet.¡± ¡°You! Meow¡ª! This cat is furious!¡± Nice¡¯s cat mouth couldn¡¯t outmatch Sebastian, getting so angry that he felt his lungs would explode. ¡°Meow¡­ Lady Charlotte, he¡¯s bullying me again. Where am I lazy? I¡¯ve been diligently guarding the house, guiding the family¡¯s mages in my spare time, and even wrote a secret method for awakening bloodlines for them. I¡¯ve been working so hard!¡± Nice pounced in front of Charlotte, tears and snot everywhere. However, his overly fat body and coarse voice, trying to act cute like a kitten, were somewhat eye-searing. However, Charlotte didn¡¯t mind much. She only darkened her face upon hearing the words ¡°secret method for awakening bloodlines¡±, recalling something. ¡°Alright, enough. Quiet down, let¡¯s head back to the city.¡± Charlotte said. After speaking, she looked at the two old viscounts. ¡°Viscount Roman-Four, Viscount Leon-Castell, please accompany me.¡± Upon hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, Viscount Leon-Castell¡¯s face lit up, and the normally stern Viscount Roman-Four showed a respectful attitude. They bowed to Charlotte, then mounted their horses on either side of her carriage. Being able to ride alongside the lord signified recognition and closeness. Although older, both viscounts were extraordinary individuals, more than capable of riding a horse. ¡°Let¡¯s continue.¡± Charlotte ordered. She didn¡¯t spare Nice a glance, closing the curtain once more. ¡°Hey.¡± Sebastian cast a taunting glance at Nice, lifting his chin proudly. Nice¡¯s already dark face seemed to darken further. He glared at Sebastian, muttering a few curses under his breath, but when his gaze fell on Charlotte¡¯s carriage, his eyes betrayed a hint of guilt. Could it be¡­ had he been caught doing something wrong again? Nice¡¯s mind raced, quickly reviewing recent events to see if there were any hidden misdeeds. Meanwhile, Charlotte had already stopped paying him any attention. The Castell convoy resumed its journey, with the welcoming nobles joining the procession, heading towards Northport. ¡­ ¡°Countess, the post-war reconstruction of Northport is nearly complete. However, the northern territories still need time. Despite support and aid from the Count¡¯s Cabinet, there remains a significant funding gap. It will take local lords a long time to recover on their own.¡± ¡°Thanks to the previous naval battle, Northport¡¯s Shallow Water Street was destroyed in the war. The city hall has taken this opportunity to demolish most of the buildings there and has already planned a new Northport district on the land outside the island, which is currently being developed.¡± ¡°Castell Academy has been officially established, using the Lagrisse family¡¯s manor in the city as the campus. The first batch of students, totaling 67, have been enrolled, mostly from common backgrounds. Due to a lack of foundation, the nobles are not very enthusiastic and prefer to hire private tutors.¡± ¡°Additionally, about half a month ago, the northern investigative team from the church completed its survey of the Castell territory. As per your instructions before leaving, we reported everything about the ruins. The church concluded that the Blood Demon Cult was responsible.¡± ¡°The ruins remain under our control, but after the investigation, it was found that there was nothing significant left, just some debris.¡± ¡­ Northport, Count¡¯s Cabinet. Charlotte, back in her domain, didn¡¯t rest much. Instead, she listened to Viscount Leon-Castell¡¯s report in her study. Although she had only been away for two months, much had happened in the North. Everything proceeded according to her original plan. The nobles proved quite capable, with ample resources and manpower. Northport showed little sign of recent warfare, and the Shallow Water Street slums had the opportunity for redevelopment due to the destruction. After hearing the report, Charlotte pondered for a moment and said, ¡°The funding gap for post-war recovery can continue to be filled by the Castell family, but the remaining funds should be loans, not gifts. Of course, local leaders can use land or other assets as collateral or for exchange.¡± ¡°Ensure the proper resettlement of the slum residents during the redevelopment of the Shallow Water District. Prioritize hiring from the poor for the new district construction, providing work in exchange for relief. Compensate for the buildings in the Shallow Water Street that were not destroyed in the war.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to rush with the academy. Starting is always difficult and lacks foundation. I¡¯ll donate the Castell family¡¯s collection of books, as well as those confiscated from rebellious noble families, to form the academy¡¯s library. Any teacher who has worked at the academy for over a year can freely browse the collection.¡± Viscount Leon-Castell¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Donating all the books? Countess, this is unthinkable! Extraordinary knowledge is the foundation of nobility. If we donate everything¡­ Castell¡­¡± ¡°The Royal Library has tens of thousands of books available to students of the Royal Magic Academy. Why can¡¯t we do the same in Castell?¡± Charlotte interrupted him. Viscount Leon-Castell hesitated, then Charlotte continued. ¡°It¡¯s decided. We must offer knowledge to attract true talent, both teachers and students alike. Of course, access to the library won¡¯t be granted to just anyone. Only those who prove their worth can enter. Follow the Royal Library¡¯s management model but ensure to favor the commoners over the nobles.¡± Viscount Leon-Castell sighed deeply. ¡°Countess, your generosity is humbling¡­¡± After speaking, he felt a sense of admiration. The Castell family had a vast collection accumulated over centuries, especially extraordinary knowledge with deep roots. Viscount Leon-Castell considered that once the library was established, his family could send members to teach at the academy or even enroll some offspring as students. No other noble family in Myria would make such a sacrifice! He pondered whether to view the Countess¡¯ decision as magnanimous or somewhat extravagant. However, Charlotte didn¡¯t care much for the Castell collection. Compared to the emptied Royal Library in her mind, the Castell collection was insignificant. When combined with the Gospel of Blood¡¯s bloodborne heritage and Nice¡¯s magical knowledge, it was even more negligible. But for the northern nobles and commoners, it was a different matter. Rather than let the books gather dust in the Count¡¯s residence, it was more efficient to put them to use. As for the Royal Library¡¯s knowledge in her mind, it was reserved for her future followers. It couldn¡¯t be taken out even if she wanted to. After spending half a day, Charlotte finished her audience with the nobles and understood the territory¡¯s situation over the past two months. After everything was concluded, Charlotte sipped some sweet milk brought by Sherry and then smiled knowingly at Nice, who stood quietly to the side, trying to appear as inconspicuous as possible. This rascal had finally realized that something was amiss and had likely implicated him. ¡°Nice, is there something you¡¯ve been hiding from me all along?¡± Charlotte looked at him meaningfully. Nice, feeling guilty under her piercing blue gaze, forced a laugh. ¡°What are you talking about, Master? We¡¯ve been contracted for two years now. I¡¯m your cat through and through, in body and spirit. There¡¯s nothing I could be hiding from you.¡± Charlotte remained silent, still staring at him calmly. Nice¡¯s scalp tingled. He coughed, his eyes becoming more evasive. Running over to Charlotte, he looked up with wide, innocent eyes, hugged her leg clad in white stockings, and said ingratiatingly yet cautiously. ¡°Master, um¡­ regarding this matter you think I¡¯m hiding, could you give me a hint?¡± Chapter 397: Nervous Nice Charlotte knew that Nice had many secrets. However, given that he had been overall obedient since being bound as a contract servant, she hadn¡¯t delved too deeply. After all, everyone had secrets, even she had things she didn¡¯t want others to know. But seeing the black cat¡¯s guilty look and evasive demeanor, Charlotte¡¯s face darkened. After all, hiding something and hiding so much you don¡¯t know where to start are two different things. Charlotte looked at Nice quietly, with a smile that didn¡¯t reach her eyes. ¡°Oh? From the sound of it, you have a lot to hide from me?¡± ¡°Spill it, what have you been hiding?¡± Nice became even more nervous. ¡°Uh, Master, you must be joking. How could I be hiding anything from you¡­¡± Nice instinctively denied it, but seeing Charlotte¡¯s calm and deep gaze, he swallowed his words and said awkwardly. ¡°Alright, maybe¡­ um¡­ there are a couple of things I haven¡¯t reported due to various irresistible reasons¡­¡± ¡°Oh? A couple of things?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ maybe three or four things?¡± Nice¡¯s eyes darted around. Charlotte: ¡­ She squinted at the black cat, whose eyes were rolling, and her smile gradually faded. Noticing the change in Charlotte¡¯s expression, Nice became even more apprehensive. ¡°Just a few! Just a few! Master, there really are only a few things I haven¡¯t told you!¡± ¡°Well then, tell me what your ¡®few¡¯ hidden things are.¡± Charlotte said calmly. ¡°Uh¡­ beautiful, dignified, powerful, and benevolent Master, if I confess, will you¡­ forgive me?¡± The black cat clung to Charlotte¡¯s leg, trying to act cute with big, watery eyes. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Seeing the chubby Nice trying to act cute with a voice like an old man¡¯s, Charlotte shuddered, feeling extremely uncomfortable. She quickly pulled her leg out of Nice¡¯s embrace and said with a look of disdain. ¡°Alright, stop acting cute. If you keep it up, I¡¯ll have nightmares tonight. Confess honestly, and I won¡¯t punish you if your attitude is sincere.¡± ¡°Really? You really won¡¯t punish me?¡± Nice instantly perked up. Charlotte: ¡­ This fat cat¡­ besides the faceless statue mentioned in Albrecht¡¯s memory, could it be hiding anything else? She squinted at the black cat, saying meaningfully. ¡°That depends on your performance.¡± Seeing Charlotte¡¯s attitude that he wouldn¡¯t be able to leave without a confession, Nice sighed. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll confess¡­¡± While cautiously observing Charlotte¡¯s expression, he tentatively said, ¡°Uh¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have peeked at the maids while they bathed, or snuck into the maids¡¯ changing room?¡± Charlotte: ¡­ This guy¡­ was he really once a Legendary figure? She looked at Nice in disbelief, unsure of how to respond. ¡°And?¡± She asked with a stern face. Nice swallowed and said nervously. ¡°Uh¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have hidden the maids¡¯ laundry or used magic to disguise myself as another cat to snuggle into the maids¡¯ laps¡­¡± Charlotte: ¡­ She didn¡¯t know whether to acknowledge his self-awareness of his lecherous reputation among the maids or to be disgusted by his lack of shame. But this wasn¡¯t what she wanted to ask Nice about. ¡°And?¡± Charlotte continued. Nice looked at her cautiously, chuckled dryly, and said in an even smaller voice. ¡°Uh¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have secretly collected your worn clothes, or hidden your stockings¡­¡± The teacup in Charlotte¡¯s hand shattered. Forget it. Just destroy him. She thought, ready to skin and bone this guy to feed to the dogs. Seeing Charlotte¡¯s face turn black, Nice quickly said, ¡°I¡¯ve changed! I¡¯ve changed! That was all a long time ago! I¡¯ve reformed!¡± Charlotte took a deep breath, telling herself not to get angry, but her eyes were already icy with murderous intent. Still, she remained calm. It was clear Nice was using these perverted acts to distract her from the real issues, like the faceless statue, which he hadn¡¯t mentioned at all. ? Obviously, he was doing it on purpose, trying to fool her. But she was truly angry. No wonder her clothes seemed to get damaged more often when she first arrived in the territory¡ªit was all his doing! This was supposed to be the most talented Legendary Mage in human history¡­ yet he was just a Legendary Pervert! It seemed he had too much free time and needed more work to burn off his fat! Charlotte gave Nice a cold look, deciding to properly discipline this lecherous cat. ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking about those things.¡± She calmed herself and said coldly. Then, Charlotte gave Nice a meaningful look. ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything to tell me about the Ancient Temple and the Faceless Statue?¡± Nice froze. He smiled awkwardly. ¡°Master, I¡¯m not sure what you mean, I¡­¡± His attempt to dodge the question was cut short. He felt Charlotte¡¯s increasing pressure and the mark of the servant contract in his soul beginning to light up. ¡°It seems I¡¯ve been too gentle with you. I should ask your soul directly.¡± Charlotte sighed. Feeling the contract¡¯s power, Nice panicked and quickly said, ¡°I¡¯ll talk! I¡¯ll talk! Master! Whatever you want to know, I¡¯ll tell you everything!¡± ¡°Then tell me what you know about the Ancient Temple and the Faceless Statue, and their whereabouts.¡± Charlotte said. The Ancient Temple and the Faceless Statue were left by the True Ancestor of Blood in history. Even among the bloodbornes, their purpose was highly debated. Albrecht¡¯s memory mentioned many views among the Bloodbornes, but regardless of the perspective, the handling of discovered temples and statues was consistent. Temples had to be destroyed or the enshrined God changed, while statues were sealed or offered to their respective princes. In short¡­ they had to erase all traces of the True Ancestor of Blood. In contrast, bloodborne¡¯s attitude towards the Ancient Temple and the Faceless Statue was one of destruction and sealing, not in-depth study. However, Albrecht¡¯s memory mentioned that the Legendary Mage Nicholas was very interested in these things and even took a statue when he disappeared. ¡°The Ancient Temple and the Faceless Statue¡­ weren¡¯t those your creations? You should know more about things involving mythic power than I do.¡± Nice said. Charlotte shook her head. ¡°I am not clear about what happened in the past, and I currently don¡¯t know what these things are used for.¡± ¡°So¡­ you¡¯ve lost all your memories related to your own mythic power, and they haven¡¯t returned with your awakening.¡± Nice murmured. Charlotte didn¡¯t know how to respond to this. She had always believed she was merely occupying someone else¡¯s place, disguising herself as the True Ancestor through the Gospel of Blood. However, after experiencing her ¡°time travel¡± and reading the ¡°Song of the Blood Moon¡±, she had learned more about history, and she became uncertain about some things. She wouldn¡¯t call it amnesia, she wasn¡¯t a returning God. To Charlotte, it seemed more like a reversal of cause and effect. Of course, there was no need to discuss this with outsiders since she couldn¡¯t confirm her time travel theory. Unless she experienced another time travel when she advanced to the Blazing Sun tier, there would be no way to be sure. As for Nice¡­ let it be misunderstood. ¡°It seems that even being a God is not easy, finding your own past is a troublesome task.¡± Nice muttered. ¡°So, what do you know?¡± Charlotte asked. Nice thought for a moment and said, ¡°Regarding the Ancient Temples and the Faceless Statues, I actually know very little. But¡­ one thing I¡¯m certain of is that although the bloodbornes see them as your means for a return, based on my research, your past self didn¡¯t build those temples and statues for that purpose.¡± ¡°Of course, the statues do contain divine power, and their nature is unique enough to help you restore your power in a way, but that shouldn¡¯t be their main purpose.¡± ¡°Based on my research¡­ the primary purpose of the Ancient Temples and Faceless Statues seems to be constructing a giant magical array that covers the entire world.¡± ¡°A giant magical array covering the world?¡± Charlotte looked surprised. ¡°Yes, a magical array that integrates magic collection and protection. If my judgment is correct, its ultimate goal should be to gather all the magic of Myria.¡± Nice said. Wow¡­ Gather all the magic in the world? Charlotte¡¯s eyelid twitched. ¡°So¡­¡± Nice paused, glanced at Charlotte, and carefully chose his words. ¡°In my view, the Ancient Temples and Faceless Statues are more like attempts by you¡­ um, the past True Ancestor of Blood, to achieve eternal rule over Myria and to go further, becoming a being above the Gods.¡± To achieve eternal rule and become a being above the Gods¡­ Charlotte pondered. This indeed aligns with some descriptions in the ¡°Song of the Blood Moon.¡± At least in the poem, the True Ancestor of Blood ¡°devoured¡± the sun to advance further. However, Charlotte felt this wasn¡¯t something she would do. She considered herself quite laid-back and easily content. If there were no external threats, she could be a happy couch potato forever. ¡°You said you believe the Ancient Temples scattered across the world form a giant magical array. Have you found any evidence?¡± Charlotte asked. Nice instantly looked proud. ¡°Meow! Not only evidence! I even managed to reconstruct part of the array¡¯s configuration and accurately deduce the locations of some Ancient Temples. Among the temples that have emerged, three were discovered through my deductions!¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not a true God, and reaching this point is nearly my limit. As for the rest, I can only say there might be a few more and their possible locations.¡± Charlotte¡¯s heart raced, her eyes lit up. ¡°Oh? Then¡­ how many temples have you deduced? Where are the undiscovered ones most likely located?¡± For other bloodbornes, faceless statues are media to summon Gods, but for Charlotte, they¡¯re akin to ¡°power banks¡± that replenish divine power. Moreover, she could use the Faceless Statues to gradually perfect her divine persona. In other words, besides expanding her forces and developing followers, searching for Ancient Temples and Faceless Statues was a strong way to boost her strength before the Divinity Descent Day. ¡°In total¡­ there should be thirty-six. Twenty-two have been found, leaving fourteen. One should be within the Roman Duchy, but I can¡¯t determine its exact location; as for the others, according to my simulated array configuration, three should be in Luna Island, Eastern Yunette, and Coria, respectively, three should be in the Far East, one in the Sun Empire, and for the remaining few, three should be in the sea, and four should be farther west, likely on the lost old continent.¡± Nice mused. Wow¡­ This deduction is quite precise, right? Charlotte was slightly stunned. Although it was just a rough location, knowing the general area provided direction. However¡­ The old continent¡­ Charlotte recalled when she returned after her ¡°time travel¡±, seeing a fragmented continent overseas as she overlooked Myria. If she guessed right, that might be the legendary homeland of the elves, the old continent that was destroyed three thousand years ago. The True Ancestor of Blood could travel quite a distance, even establishing temples on the old continent! Of course, the old continent was too far away. Other places, such as the Sun Empire, Coria, and Eastern Yunette, were also distant. But Nice¡¯s mention of the Roman Duchy intrigued Charlotte. ¡°Is there also an undiscovered temple in the Roman Duchy?¡± She asked, squinting. ¡°If the magic model is correct, yes.¡± Nice replied. Charlotte nodded slightly. This might be an opportunity and an attempt. If all went well, she could become the ruler of the Roman Duchy after helping the Nez Clan reclaim Starfall. Then, perhaps she could find where the temple was hidden. ¡°Master, is there¡­ anything else you want to ask?¡± Nice asked cautiously, seeing Charlotte deep in thought. Charlotte looked at him. Nice knew a lot, but he never spoke unless asked. ¡°One more thing, not counting the statues obtained by various forces, do you have¡­ a statue here?¡± Charlotte eyed the black cat and asked. Nice froze. He hesitated, then said awkwardly. ¡°Um¡­ Master, I did have a statue here, but¡­ I used it.¡± ¡°Used it?¡± Charlotte was confused. ¡°What do you mean by used? Can you also absorb the blood divine power?¡± She asked curiously. ¡°Uh¡­ no, I can¡¯t. I used the statue itself. As for the divine power inside, I made it into a divine spell scroll and used it up.¡± Nice replied awkwardly. Charlotte was even more curious. ¡°What did you use the statue for?¡± Nice scratched his head. ¡°I used the statue to create a body, the one you see now¡­¡± Charlotte: ¡­ Chapter 398: Order In the training grounds of the Count¡¯s residence, the personal guards in their short training outfits were training while curiously watching the black cat running laps around the entire mansion. ¡°Huff, huff¡­¡± The overweight Nice, dragging its almost spherical body, ran with a look of utter despair, panting heavily and not daring to stop for a moment. Seeing the exhausted and depressed black cat, the personal guards couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Sir Nice, did you get caught peeping at the maids and get punished by the Countess again?¡± ¡°Scram! This Lord Cat is exercising! Exercising, you know?!¡± Nice glared at them angrily. ¡°Yes, yes, you¡¯re right. Exercising.¡± ¡°Sir Nice, you keep exercising. We¡¯re going inside for some refreshments.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s so hot today. I heard the maids prepared some of the Countess¡¯ specially invented iced lemon tea.¡± ¡°Would you like a cup, Sir Nice?¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t bother Sir Nice. Sir Nice still has to train.¡± ¡°Exactly!¡± Watching these gloating personal guards, Nice¡¯s flat face twisted in frustration. Thinking about Charlotte¡¯s refreshing and thirst-quenching iced lemon tea, Nice swallowed a mouthful of saliva and angrily said, ¡°Scram, scram, scram! You heartless lot! Go drink your iced lemon tea! Don¡¯t expect this Lord Cat to reinforce the magical arrays on the training grounds for you anymore!¡± ¡°Hahahahaha!¡± The personal guards laughed heartily, arms around each other¡¯s shoulders, as they walked inside, filling the training ground with a joyous atmosphere. Inside the mansion, Charlotte stood by the second-floor window, watching the training ground, and shook her head gently. Nice, this guy, though highly capable, never puts on airs and quickly blends in with others. But his lecherous nature keeps acting up now and then, and despite all this time, he still hasn¡¯t changed, which is exasperating. ¡°The punishment wasn¡¯t harsh enough.¡± Charlotte snorted softly, turned back to her desk, and spread out the map on it. It was a map of the Myria continent. The map wasn¡¯t accurate. Compared to the ¡°entire continent¡± Charlotte saw upon waking from her time travel, it was only similar at best, with many areas even completely disproportionate. And the ¡°Old Continent¡± was not depicted at all. Still, it was the most comprehensive map of Myria available. Charlotte looked at the map, more specifically at the red dots marked on it. These were locations Nice had marked, indicating the possible coordinates of undiscovered ancient temples. She had already checked Nice¡¯s body. This guy¡­ really did use a divine statue to create a body. She had never thoroughly investigated before, but this time, using the blood divine power to probe, she discovered the uniqueness of Nice¡¯s body. Though Nice¡¯s body appeared cat-like, it was essentially a puppet body housing a soul, carrying some traits of a faceless statue, and could even serve as a vessel for God¡¯s descent. No wonder the Blood Demon Cult had captured Nice back then. Apart from his outstanding magical abilities, they likely noticed something different about his body. They might not have been able to see its essence like Charlotte did through the blood divine power, but they could sense its special nature. As for why it was a cat body and not a human one, Nice¡¯s reluctant expression when mentioning it suggested some mistake had occurred. Although it was a pity, since the statue had been used, Charlotte had to let it go. As for the other two temples Nice had discovered, according to it, they had already been taken by the Holy Court and Coria, with the statues falling into their hands. There was nothing to be done about that. Charlotte couldn¡¯t just march into the Theocracy or the Coria Kingdom. Fortunately, with Nice¡¯s markings, she could arrange for people to investigate in advance. ¡°Come Eudoxia.¡± Charlotte thought for a moment, shook the bell, and transmitted the message magically. Soon, Eudoxia, dressed in a maid¡¯s outfit, walked in. ¡°Your Excellency Charlotte, what are your orders?¡± She asked with her usual cold voice, neither humble nor arrogant. Looking at the black dragon maid, who was now quite compliant though not exactly respectful, Charlotte felt a bit emotional. Dragons indeed revered strength. As long as you were stronger, you could subdue them. Though black dragons were notoriously rebellious, after spending so much time with Eudoxia, Charlotte felt this did not apply to her. It might be due to Eudoxia losing her memory and living with werewolves for ten years. Her personality seemed more like those sentimental demi-humans than the sinister and cruel legendary black dragons. Thinking for a moment, Charlotte smiled. ¡°Eudoxia, how do you feel about Castell?¡± Eudoxia was silent for a while before replying. ¡°It¡¯s very peaceful, but¡­ too peaceful.¡± Charlotte raised an eyebrow. ¡°Peaceful?¡± ¡°More peaceful than when I was with the Blood Demon Cult.¡± Eudoxia replied. Charlotte: ¡­ Well, the Blood Demon Cult was notorious and constantly hunted. Even in the North, they often clashed with various forces, not to mention the internal conflicts described by Albrecht. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°If you find it peaceful, I¡¯ll assign you a task. Hmm¡­ a mission to investigate.¡± Charlotte picked up the map. ¡°Investigate? Investigate what?¡± Eudoxia frowned. ¡°Do you remember the underground temple in Lagrisse Port? I need you to investigate these locations on the map to find similar temples.¡± Charlotte said. As she spoke, a small statue appeared in her hand. It was a faceless statue. To be precise, it was a replica Nice made, using blood divine power and extraordinary materials, based on the real statue. Its effect is simple: to sense other blood divine powers. This was also something Nice handed over to Charlotte. Although Nice used the actual statue, he managed to tinker with and produce this object. According to Nice, this replica statue incorporates a model of the ancient temple¡¯s magic array, and its interior is equipped with a similar array, allowing it to detect the presence of blood divine power from a distance. Nice was able to discover the three ancient temples primarily because of it. Nice had never dared to bring it out or reveal what he knew about the ancient temples. The main reason was his uncertainty about Charlotte¡¯s attitude and intentions, fearing she might reclaim his body if she knew his secrets. However, after Charlotte explicitly stated that she wouldn¡¯t covet his puppet cat body, Nice, having confessed his secrets, obediently handed it over. After obtaining it, Charlotte tried it out and confirmed its ability to sense blood divine power. She then infused it with her own divine power and applied a ¡ºDivine Blessing¡», making the statue a genuine ¡°artifact¡±, enhancing its detection capability further. Although she hadn¡¯t tested it, Charlotte estimated that it should now be even more effective at sensing the presence of ancient temples than herself. ¡°Hmm¡­ Let¡¯s start searching from the Roman Duchy, investigating outward from the red dots. I¡¯ll provide you with the Castell family crest, and you can command personnel from the Castell Merchant Guild in various locations. Of course, the true purpose must remain confidential.¡± Charlotte pointed at the red dots on the map and said. Eudoxia took the map. Seeing the map full of red dots, her eyes briefly brightened but soon returned to calmness, and she said in a low voice. ¡°I understand.¡± Charlotte noticed the change in Eudoxia¡¯s expression. It was clear that, during the past two months of following Charlotte, even though they had traveled between the North and the capital, being constantly by her side still made this black dragon feel stifled. Dragons, especially black dragons, prefer freedom to being constrained. Now seeing a task that allowed her to roam the entire continent, she quickly became excited. No wonder Eudoxia had such a deep bond with Noah¡¯s brother, the werewolf. During those ten years of convalescing underground, only he could communicate and alleviate her boredom. It¡¯s no surprise their bond deepened. Otherwise, she might have been driven mad by the confinement. ¡°Remember, once you sense anything, silently recite my name in your heart and inform me immediately.¡± Charlotte said. Eudoxia nodded. ¡°I understand.¡± After receiving the task from Charlotte, Eudoxia departed. Watching her leave, Charlotte nodded to herself. The task of searching for ancient temples couldn¡¯t be known to too many people, as it involved the relics of the ¡°True Ancestor of Blood.¡± Among her followers, only Yurst, Albrecht, Sebastian, and Eudoxia were capable of taking on this task. Among the four, Yurst had tasks from the Nez Clan, Albrecht¡¯s loyalty was questionable, and Sebastian had other duties to attend to. Therefore, Eudoxia was the most suitable choice. With Eudoxia taking the map and leaving, Charlotte stood up to stretch her body and glanced out the window. In the training ground, the panting Nice had completed his hundred laps under the command of the servant contract and was lying on the ground like a dead dog, gasping for air. Around him were a few smirking personal guards, some fanning him with leaves, others offering him iced lemon tea, and bursts of laughter and mockery could be heard, creating a joyful atmosphere. Watching Nice, being ridiculed by the guards on one side and meticulously cared for on the other, Charlotte clicked her tongue. Sometimes, it was hard to tell whether this perverted cat had high or low emotional intelligence. Thinking about all the chaotic trouble Nice had caused in the Count¡¯s residence over the past year, Charlotte shook her head again. She had heard that a sign saying ¡°No males or Nice allowed¡± had been posted in front of the maids¡¯ changing room. Hopefully¡­ this guy would learn his lesson. However she doubted it, as this guy¡¯s mind was filled with dirty thoughts, akin to a dog that couldn¡¯t stop eating their own filth. Retracting her gaze from the window, Charlotte was about to ring the bell a second time but then realized and instead called out in her mind. ¡°Sebastian, come to the study.¡± Sebastian, as a blood servant, had a deeper contractual bond with Charlotte, allowing her to summon him directly without needing the bell. Before long, Sebastian, always elegant and dashing in his black tailcoat, appeared before Charlotte. ¡°Great Master, you summoned Sebastian. Do you have a task for me?¡± He bowed respectfully and asked with a smile. Charlotte nodded and asked. ¡°What about the detailed content of the doctrine and the compilation of the sacred texts we discussed earlier?¡± Sebastian¡¯s expression became serious as he pondered. ¡°I have quite a few ideas and have drafted parts of it, but it¡¯s still theoretical and not polished enough to present to you.¡± ¡°Especially concerning the aspects of darkness and order. Our fundamental tone is to reshape order, but how to reshape order, how to make believers accustomed to ¡®light¡¯ accept ¡®darkness¡¯, and how to empower believers is a challenge.¡± ¡°After all¡­ you can¡¯t turn everyone into bloodborne, and ¡®darkness¡¯ is far harder to accept than ¡®light.''¡± ¡°I believe we need further refinement through practical application to create the most suitable doctrine for you.¡± ¡°So¡­ I plan to visit the mining district, communicate with your believers, listen to Luff and the others, and study the Holy Court¡¯s scriptures for any insights.¡± Charlotte nodded slightly in approval. ¡°Good thinking.¡± Then she pondered. ¡°Coincidentally, I have a task that requires you to go to the mining district.¡± Sebastian¡¯s interest was piqued. ¡°Is it related to the mining workshop?¡± Charlotte shook her head. ¡°No, it¡¯s about the believers.¡± She propped her chin with her hands and said, ¡°You mentioned empowering the believers. I have thought about it. There are many ways to empower, not necessarily through the First Embrace, and granting bloodline power doesn¡¯t necessarily mean turning them into bloodborne¡­¡± ¡°I already have some ideas on this matter, and I intend to conduct a trial.¡± ¡°As the time for the Gods¡¯ resurgence draws nearer, our time is running out. Before the Gods awaken one after another, we must amass sufficient strength, and I¡­ must gain the power to contend with them.¡± ¡°So¡­ the mission of spreading the faith must officially commence. The core doctrine is set, and we can refine the details gradually as we develop, for no religious group is perfect from the start.¡± ¡­ After receiving the task from Charlotte, Sebastian departed. Not long after Sebastian left, a personal guard knocked on the study door. ¡°Countess, a noble from Starfall, claiming to be your friend, is waiting outside the mansion.¡± A noble from Starfall claiming to be my friend? Charlotte was momentarily puzzled. A thought crossed her mind, and she seemed to guess something. Closing her eyes to sense for a moment, a slight smile appeared on Charlotte¡¯s lips. ¡°It seems¡­ they couldn¡¯t wait any longer.¡± She murmured. Then she told the personal guard. ¡°Please invite him in, he is indeed my ¡®friend¡¯.¡± Chapter 399: The Nez Clans Coup Plan ¡°Madam Castell, long time no see, and congratulations on becoming a direct vassal of the Crescent.¡± In the drawing room of the Count¡¯s residence, Count Yurst of the Nez Clan, dressed in black robes, bowed gracefully to Charlotte and said. For some reason, Yurst¡¯s attitude towards Charlotte seemed even more respectful than usual today. Charlotte took the sweet milk from the maid¡¯s tray and sipped it lightly, saying, ¡°Sir Yurst, long time no see. You still look as elegant and charming as ever.¡± Then she leaned slightly forward and smiled. ¡°You didn¡¯t come here just to congratulate me, did you?¡± Yurst¡¯s expression turned serious. He glanced at the maids and attendants around Charlotte and remained silent. Noticing his gaze, Charlotte waved her hand to the others. ¡°You all may leave.¡± The maids curtsied and left. The attendants looked at Yurst, then at Charlotte, hesitated for a moment, and also respectfully bowed and left. Soon, only Charlotte and Yurst were left in the drawing room. ¡°Alright, there¡¯s no one else now. You can speak.¡± Charlotte said, taking another sip of her sweet milk. After that, she smiled at him and said, ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, your visit today has something to do with the Returning Star Plan, right?¡± Seeing no one else was around, Count Yurst finally relaxed and sighed. He nodded and smiled wryly. ¡°Madam Castell, I won¡¯t hide it from you. My visit today does indeed relate to the Returning Star Plan.¡± ¡°The Nez Elder Council has already passed a resolution to launch a coup with the Starfall nobility to seize power. I¡¯m here partly to congratulate you, and partly to seek your support, according to the alliance between Nez and Castell.¡± Charlotte nodded slightly and asked. ¡°Has the specific date been set?¡± ¡°It has. It¡¯s set for the 14th of next month, the second blood moon of summer, when our bloodline is strongest.¡± ¡°So soon? Weren¡¯t you planning to act next year or later?¡± Charlotte was a bit surprised. Yurst sighed and said, ¡°The clan did plan to act next year or the year after, but two and a half months ago, lady Eugenia saw a new prophecy. We don¡¯t have much time left.¡± ¡°Lady Eugenia?¡± Charlotte¡¯s curiosity was piqued. Being called ¡°Lady¡± by a Blood Count, Eugenia had to be a Blood Duke. Charlotte had investigated the Nez Clan¡¯s upper echelon before and had even probed its secrets through Yurst in her guise as the ¡°True Ancestor.¡± Apart from the suppressed ¡°traitor¡± Elder Maxim, the Nez Clan had a total of eight elders, all of whom were Legendaries. However, most of these eight Legendaries were old, weak, or incapacitated. Two of them had been severely wounded by Legendary Clerics from the Holy Court in the last civil war of the Starfall Kingdom and had not yet awakened. Among the remaining six, three were heavily injured in the bloodborne civil war a thousand years ago, with their combat abilities only slightly better than that of a Blood Count. ???? In other words, while they boasted eight Legendaries, only three were truly combat-capable. Moreover, none of these eight Legendaries was named ¡°Eugenia.¡± Noticing Charlotte¡¯s curiosity, Yurst explained. ¡°Lady Eugenia was once a divine favored of Casey, and she was the closest to the myth among the Nez Clan.¡± Casey, the Star-Gazer, was the mythical leader of the Nez Clan, like the Blood Demon Archduke Abaddon was to the Blood Demon Cult. Unlike Abaddon, who occasionally responded to hisfollowers¡¯ prayers and issued divine decrees, Casey had notsent any divine messages to the Nez Clan for centuries. It was due to this silence that members like Elder Maxim had defected to Abaddon. As for Casey¡¯s divine favored¡­ ¡°Was she responsible for the clan¡¯s large-scale prophecies?¡± Charlotte asked. Yurst hesitated before responding. ¡°She used to be.¡± ¡°Used to be?¡± Charlotte noted his choice of words. Yurst nodded and sighed. ¡°Yes, she was once the clan¡¯s divine favored and savior, but later she betrayed her faith and made a blasphemous prophecy, losing the Lord¡¯s favor.¡± ¡°But she remains our strongest prophet, able to see things even the Grand Elder cannot. She is deeply respected by many in the clan¡­¡± ¡°Therefore, after she made the new prophecy, the Elder Council decided to accelerate everything.¡± Hearing Yurst¡¯s words, Charlotte pondered and asked. ¡°Sir Yurst, may I ask what prophecy the Nez Clan received?¡± Yurst hesitated briefly. But remembering Charlotte¡¯s status as the True Ancestor¡¯s agent, he quickly resolved himself and sighed. ¡°Madam Castell, have you heard of the Divinity Descent Day?¡± The Divinity Descent Day? Charlotte¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She nodded slightly and said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard of it. It¡¯s the day of the Eternal Blood Moon, when the Gods will awaken from their slumber.¡± Yurst sighed. ¡°Indeed. The eternal night will descend, the Gods will awaken, and the saints will come. That is the Divinity Descent¡­¡± ¡°Long ago, when Lady Eugenia was not yet labeled a traitor, she made a prophecy about the Divinity Descent Day. Initially, other clans, apart from the Nez Clan, scoffed at it. But as time went by and one by one, the prophecy¡¯s descriptions became reality, everyone had to believe it¡­¡± ¡°The Gods will awaken, the saints will come, and the Myria continent will once again become a battlefield for the Gods, with mortals reduced to mere pawns, even¡­ Legendary.¡± ¡°The Nez Clan is eager to regain the Starfall¡¯s power because the Divinity Descent Day is imminent. After all¡­ even pawns have ranks.¡± ¡°According to the original prophecy, the clan would take twenty years to seize power, then gradually develop extraordinary strength to prepare for the future chaos. But everything changed two and a half months ago¡­¡± With that, Yurst¡¯s expression turned serious. ¡°Madam Castell, two and a half months ago, on 19th of the 5th Month of this year, lady Eugenia once again foresaw the prophecy about the Divinity Descent Day, and in this prophecy, the day has been advanced.¡± ¡°In the original prophecy, the Divinity Descent Day was at least twenty to thirty years away, but now¡­ it¡¯s probably less than ten years.¡± ¡°Although Lady Eugenia didn¡¯t see the exact time, all previous prophecies have become blurred, as if some more powerful force has influenced everything.¡± ¡°Because of this, the clan¡¯s council held an emergency meeting and decided to advance all plans.¡± Hearing Yurst¡¯s words, Charlotte was thoughtful. The Nez Clan is a clan of insight, skilled in divination. Being able to preserve so many Legendary bloodbornes despite repeated conflicts, even though most have greatly diminished in power, indicates they have the ability to avert disasters. After all, as long as one is alive, there are always ways. She understood the urgency of the Nez Clan. Not just the Nez Clan, but even she felt tense upon learning about the Divinity Descent Day. However¡­ ¡°19th of the 5th Month¡­¡± Charlotte murmured to herself. She would never forget this date of this year either. Because on this day, she merged with the Faceless Statue obtained from the Ancient Temple, causing the Holy Court¡¯s Divine Warning Bell in Lutecia Cathedral to ring its alarm a second time. And from that day on, she had stepped into the realm of ¡°myth.¡± Thinking of this, Charlotte¡¯s expression became inexplicable. Could the Nez Clan¡¯s prophecy about the advancement of the day be because of her? Because she became a ¡°Demigod¡±? Or¡­ is there another reason? But no matter what, Charlotte had a feeling that theadvancement of the day predicted by the Nez Clan was likely related to her. Otherwise, everything would be too coincidental. Forget it. When soldiers come, a general blocks; when water comes, an earth dam. Whether the arrival of the Divinity Descent Day is related to her or not, the only thing she can do is to quickly strengthen her power. Taking a deep breath, Charlotte collected her thoughts. ¡°Sir Yurst, what do you want Castell to do?¡± She asked. Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, Yurst breathed a sigh of relief. When the Nez Clan decided to form an alliance with Castell, he didn¡¯t know that the God behind Castell was the Ancestor of the Bloodborne. Now, coming to seek help from Castell with a stiff upper lip, he was indeed a bit nervous. After all, historically, the Nez Clan had betrayed the True Ancestor of Blood and was one of the two forces on the Myria continent that hunted royal bloods the hardest, along with the Holy Court. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But now it seems that the True Ancestor doesn¡¯t care about the Nez Clan¡¯s past betrayal and is even more merciful than he imagined. Yes, merciful. Compared to the bloodthirsty and ruthless True Ancestor of Blood in his memory, the current Ancestor gives Yurst the impression of mercy. At least¡­ after he was ¡°forced¡± to become a blood servant, he was not punished nor forced to do anything against his will, and the True Ancestor did not use him to retaliate against the Nez Clan. The returned True Ancestor¡­ seems to have changed. But Yurst thought this change was good. Sometimes he even wondered, if the True Ancestor had never been bloodthirsty, would the blood clans have never betrayed? Would the Myria continent still be under the rule of the Bloodborne? Unfortunately, history cannot be changed. Fortunately, although history cannot be changed, it can be looked forward. Yurst thought, if it¡¯s the current True Ancestor of Blood, perhaps¡­ they could really start over after the Divinity Descent Day. Thinking of this, Yurst was not as resistant to the mission given by the True Ancestor to ¡°infiltrate¡± the Nez Clan. If¡­ if it is the current True Ancestor, and if Lady Eugenia¡¯s blasphemous prophecy comes true¡­ he believes the True Ancestor has the hope of becoming the new protector of the Nez Clan after the Divinity Descent Day. As for now, let¡¯s start with the ¡°cooperation¡± of the Returning Star Plan. Taking a deep breath, Yurst said, ¡°Madam Castell, we need your cooperation to stage a play.¡± ¡°A play?¡± Charlotte was a bit surprised. ¡°Yes, a play. Our original plan was to use Castell¡¯s wealth to gather enough troops to stage a military coup and seize power in the Starfall Kingdom. However¡­ now we¡¯ve found a better way.¡± Yurst said. ¡°A better way? Let¡¯s hear it.¡± Charlotte was immediately interested. According to her previous agreement with the Nez Clan, Castell would provide financial aid for their coup, blockade the Star-Moon Strait with the Castell fleet, cut off the Starfall Kingdom¡¯s sea routes, and use diplomatic means to prevent possible reinforcements from the Holy Court. But now, it seems they have found a better way. Yurst cleared his throat and said, ¡°It all started three months ago. In late spring of this year, His Majesty the King went to northern Starfall for the spring hunt but was attacked by a dragon during the hunt. Although the dragon was eventually slain, His Majesty was seriously injured¡­¡± ¡°Three months have passed, and His Majesty¡¯s condition has not improved. Even the Holy Court¡¯s clerics are helpless, and his days are numbered.¡± The King of Starfall, Edward III, is critically injured? Charlotte¡¯s heart skipped a beat. This was news to her, Starfall had kept it well under wraps. However¡­ ¡°Was this the work of the Nez Clan?¡± She asked calmly. Yurst replied. ¡°Partially. Although His Majesty is not a Legendary figure like ¡®The Great¡¯ Louis, he is still an experienced Blazing Sun and usually has powerful extraordinaries protecting him, making it difficult to get close.¡± ¡°His injury was indeed an accident. He underestimated the dragon¡¯s strength, eager to undergo the bloodline ritual to break through and become a Legendary, only to be severely wounded¡­¡± ¡°The Nez Clan did intervene during his recovery, bribing the physicians responsible for treating him and switching his medication.¡± Yurst sighed. ¡°His Majesty¡¯s usual cruelty earned him many enemies among the nobility, and this move was tacitly approved by many Starfall court nobles.¡± Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred, and she squinted. ¡°So¡­ you plan to eliminate King Edward III? But forgive me, even if Edward III dies, the subsequent succession won¡¯t fall to the Nez-controlled Red Lilac family, right? Starfall isn¡¯t without a crown prince, and the Purple Lilac family isn¡¯t extinct.¡± Yurst smiled slightly at Charlotte¡¯s words. ¡°Madam Castell, you are well-informed about the Starfall royal family.¡± Charlotte shook her head. ¡°The Red Lilac, the Purple Lilac, the Lilac War¡ªit¡¯s all well-known.¡± Yurst nodded and said, ¡°Ordinarily, that would be the case, but unfortunately¡­ the King¡¯s heir is rather special.¡± ¡°Special?¡± Charlotte¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Yurst nodded and said, ¡°Although His Majesty publicly declared secrecy, the Nez Clan discovered through investigation that the current Starfall Prince, Prince Henry, is nominally His Majesty¡¯s legitimate son, but that¡¯s not the truth.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a result of the human close-knit marriage problem. His Majesty and the Queen are both of the Lilac family bloodlines and were cousins. Over the years, the Queen had several pregnancies, but all the children were stillborn.¡± ¡°Prince Henry is the only surviving offspring of His Majesty, but he is not the Queen¡¯s child as publicly stated. In reality, Prince Henry is the son of the Queen¡¯s maid and the King, only claimed to be the Queen¡¯s child.¡± Yurst continued meaningfully. ¡°Madam Castell, the successor to the Starfall Kingdom, Prince Henry, has impure blood and does not meet the two Lilac families¡¯ agreement to merge through their heir¡¯s bloodline. According to the rules, the Red Lilac family has the right to deny Prince Henry¡¯s succession and designate a new heir from their direct line.¡± ¡°This¡­ is the Nez Clan¡¯s opportunity to seize control of Starfall!¡± Chapter 400: Ancestral Recognition Ceremony ¡°Comparing the Red Lilac Family to the Purple Lilac Family, both branches of the Roman lineage, the latter is already thin in numbers. If Edward III dies and Prince Henry¡¯s bloodline issue is exposed, the Red Lilac Family would have the right to challenge the Purple Lilac Family, potentially avoiding war and directly gaining the succession of the Starfall Kingdom!¡±Count Yurst spoke with a solemn expression. Hearing his words, Charlotte was a bit surprised. She hadn¡¯t expected that there was such a hidden truth within the Starfall Royal Family. However, Charlotte also knew that politics is a very complex matter. Even if the two Lilac Families had agreements regarding succession, actually implementing them would surely be another situation entirely. The struggle for power is never smooth sailing. Moreover, since the current King Edward III concealed the crown prince¡¯s bloodline issue, it indicates he never intended to hand over the succession rights to the Red Lilac Family. Even if the Purple Lilac Family is thin in numbers, they are the legitimate royal family of the Starfall Kingdom and, as the ruling power, they are unlikely to easily give up their authority. They must have made various preparations for this. Since Count Yurst had come to see her, it indicated that there must be some major flaw in the Nez Clan¡¯s plan. ¡°Sir Yurst, the Nez Clan¡¯s plan seems good, but since you came to see me today, there must be some flaws, right?¡± Charlotte took a sip of sweet milk and asked. Yurst sighed and smiled wryly. ¡°Indeed, there are some flaws.¡± ¡°In the Nez Clan¡¯s plan, we intend to expose Prince Henry¡¯s bloodline origins and use the kingdom¡¯s parliament to nullify his succession rights.¡± ¡°Unlike the Crescent Kingdom, the parliament in the Starfall Kingdom holds considerable power. Especially regarding the kingdom¡¯s succession rights, the parliament can even rival the king and influence the choice of the kingdom¡¯s successor.¡± ¡°The long-standing Star-Moon War has greatly weakened the royal power of the Starfall Kingdom. Once the kingdom¡¯s parliament nullifies Prince Henry¡¯s succession rights based on his bloodline origin, even the king cannot oppose all the nobles and must comply, choosing a successor from the Red Lilac Family as per the agreement.¡± ¡°After years of infiltration, the Nez Clan now controls over half of the seats in the kingdom¡¯s parliament. As long as the parliament convenes and nullifies Prince Henry¡¯s succession rights, everything will fall into place.¡± ¡°But the problem lies in how to expose Prince Henry¡¯s origins.¡± Here, Yurst¡¯s expression became somewhat gloomy. ¡°The Nez Clan indeed obtained the secret of Prince Henry¡¯s origins, but the witnesses to this are dead.¡± ¡°Dead? Were they silenced?¡± Charlotte was taken aback. Yurst shook his head. ¡°No, not silenced, but died in a shipwreck. The witness was a captain who once escorted Prince Henry¡¯s biological mother. Recently, he went to sea and was attacked by pirates, never to return.¡± Charlotte was speechless. ¡°If you had witnesses, didn¡¯t you think to protect them? How is this different from being silenced?¡± Yurst smiled bitterly. ¡°We only discovered Prince Henry¡¯s bloodline origin not long ago and were about to secure the witness, but we were a step too late.¡± ¡°After the Borde-Castell War broke out, the captain wanted to make a fortune amidst the chaos and went to sea. Unfortunately, he encountered pirates and perished at sea.¡± ¡°Although the Nez Clan has other evidence, it is not convincing enough. His death has made things more complicated.¡± Charlotte: ¡­ ¡°So, you came to Castell to seek my help? The play you mentioned is related to this? Wait, you don¡¯t plan to take direct action against Prince Henry, do you?¡± She asked. Yurst shook his head. ¡°No, we don¡¯t intend to kill him.¡± ¡°Killing Prince Henry is not the best option. It is more effective to legally invalidate his succession rights rather than simply killing him.¡± ¡°The Nez Clan will support a new king but will keep him alive. After all, he is Edward III¡¯s son. Even if he loses his succession rights, he still holds a claim to the Starfall Kingdom, which remains a threat to the king supported by the Nez Clan.¡± ¡°This is not a bad thing. The Nez Clan has been out of control in the Starfall Kingdom for too long. They cannot immediately expel the church¡¯s power, which means the first king chosen by the Nez Clan cannot be a bloodborne or blood servant, nor can he be mentally controlled. Otherwise, it would be easily discovered and targeted.¡± ¡°But at the same time, without being a bloodborne or blood servant, the Nez Clan cannot ensure the absolute loyalty of the chosen king¡­¡± ¡°This is a deadlock, but with Prince Henry, it¡¯s different. With him, the Nez Clan has a way to balance power, maximizing the limitation of royal power. The new king must seek the Nez Clan¡¯s support to stabilize his rule, gaining more time for the Nez Clan to further control the kingdom in the future.¡± ¡°So¡­ Prince Henry must stay alive.¡± ¡°Moreover, after the new king is crowned, the Nez Clan can even control Prince Henry as a future option.¡± Yurst explained everything clearly, analyzing the current situation of the Starfall Kingdom for Charlotte. Charlotte knew that this explanation was not just for her, but also for the ¡°True Ancestor¡± behind her. As a blood servant of the Ancestor within the Nez Clan, this was one of Yurst¡¯s tasks. ¡°I understand. You still intend to expose his bloodline origins but want to avoid revealing the Nez Clan¡¯s involvement. So, you want my help?¡± Charlotte pondered. Yurst nodded. ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°Even though the witness is dead, bloodline impurity is still bloodline impurity. This cannot be falsified.¡± ¡°As long as it can be proven that his bloodline is impure, his succession rights can still be nullified through the kingdom¡¯s parliament.¡± ¡°However, this nullification should highlight the role of the parliament and nobles, downplaying the Nez Clan¡¯s influence.¡± ¡°So¡­ the Nez Clan thought of you.¡± Charlotte felt a surge of interest. ¡°What kind of play does the Nez Clan want me to act in?¡± Count Yurst smiled slightly. ¡°Madam Castell, are you aware of bloodline recognition?¡± ¡°The power of nobles comes from their bloodline. Many ancient noble families have ways to identify bloodlines, and the Roman family is no exception.¡± ¡°As one of the oldest noble families in Myria, the Roman family has a tradition that before determining the next head, the heir must go to the ancestral land to obtain the recognition of the Ancestral Sword, enhancing the Roman blood within them¡­ or rather, the mythic blood of the ancient elven hero¡ªRomanus.¡± ¡°This ceremony of obtaining the Ancestral Sword¡¯s recognition is both a bloodline identification and a bloodline enhancement. It ensures the heir is of Roman blood while further stimulating their bloodline, increasing its concentration.¡± ¡°Edward III is gravely ill, and Prince Henry must also go through this step. Once completed, he will officially become an heir whose rights cannot be stripped, not even by the king.¡± Charlotte was intrigued. ¡°You mean¡­ because his bloodline is impure, he cannot pass this recognition?¡± ¡°No, he can pass. Even if his bloodline is impure, he is still a child of the king, possessing Roman blood. As long as he has Roman blood, he can be recognized. At most, the Ancestral Sword¡¯s light would be too weak, lacking momentum¡­ Although this could raise suspicions, the royal family can use various excuses to cover it up.¡± ¡°And once recognized, his bloodline will be enhanced, and no one can question his lineage anymore.¡± ¡°So what do you mean?¡± Count Yurst smiled faintly. ¡°Madam Castell, under normal circumstances, Prince Henry would indeed be able to pass the Ancestral Sword¡¯s recognition. However, there are exceptions.¡± As he spoke, he gave Charlotte a meaningful look. ¡°And that would be when there is someone present with a higher blood concentration also participating in the ceremony.¡± Charlotte took a sip of her sweet milk and raised an eyebrow. ¡°So¡­ Nez Clan wants me to participate in the ceremony?¡± Count Yurst nodded, saying, ¡°You could say that.¡± ¡°Both the Purple Lilac Family and the Red Lilac Family are branches of the Roman Family. The legitimate Roman lineage within the Starfall Kingdom disappeared with the passing of the previous king.¡± ¡°Although the current king has had his blood strengthened by the Ancestral Sword, his bloodline concentration still can¡¯t match that of the former direct Roman lineage. Prince Henry¡¯s bloodline concentration is even lower.¡± ¡°However, outside of Starfall, the direct bloodline of Roman still exists.¡± ¡°And that would be you.¡± As he spoke, Count Yurst became solemn. ¡°Your mother was Princess Anne of the Roman Family, sister to the former king of the Starfall Kingdom. Your grandfather was the ¡®Mad King¡¯ Edward II, who escalated the Star-Moon War and started the Second Star-Moon War. Even more, before your uncle, the ¡®Fool¡¯ Henry, ascended to the throne, your mother had already passed the Ancestral Sword¡¯s recognition. She later gave up the position to pursue love and left Starfall to live in Castell.¡± ¡°In other words, you have a higher concentration of Roman blood than the current king of Starfall.¡± ¡°If you participate in the ceremony, Prince Henry will surely fail. If he fails to gain the Ancestral Sword¡¯s recognition, the council will have grounds to deny his succession.¡± ¡°After all, if he truly were the son of the king and queen, his Roman blood would surely be strong enough to pass the Ancestral Sword¡¯s recognition.¡± Charlotte understood. This was to sabotage Prince Henry¡¯s recognition ceremony, invalidating his claim to the throne under the name of the Roman ancestors. However¡­ ¡°The Ancestral Recognition Ceremony is specifically for the Roman family head¡¯s successor, right? How can I participate in it?¡± Charlotte asked. Count Yurst replied. ¡°The Roman family¡¯s ancestral land was once on Roman Island in the Northern Grand Duchy, later moved to the current Roman Duchy, where the Ancestral Sword is also located.¡± ¡°Currently, the Ancestral Recognition Ceremony is held in Roan, the capital of the Roman Duchy. The Nez Clan has infiltrated the nobles responsible for hosting the ceremony. While they cannot sabotage the ceremony, they can secretly place you in a prepared chamber directly beneath the ceremony site.¡± ¡°When the ceremony begins, you will also be bathed in the Ancestral Sword¡¯s light. With you there, Prince Henry will certainly fail.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Charlotte nodded slightly. But soon, her expression turned a bit odd. ¡°But in that case, isn¡¯t Nez Clan worried that I¡¯ll be recognized by the Ancestral Sword and become the head of the Roman family?¡± Count Yurst shook his head. ¡°No. Although the Ancestral Recognition Ceremony strengthens the bloodline, it is essentially a ritual. The so-called family head succession confirmation ceremony is a tradition created by the Roman family to consolidate the status of their direct descendants. It is essentially a bloodline strengthening ritual.¡± ¡°Even if you are recognized by the Ancestral Sword, it will only strengthen the Roman blood in you and enhance your physique. What happens in the secret chamber won¡¯t be displayed at the ceremony site, and Starfall nobles won¡¯t see you as the Roman family head.¡± ¡°As for being recognized as the master of the Ancestral Sword, that¡¯s even less likely. The Ancestral Sword of Roman is the weapon of the half-elf hero Romanus, a true divine artifact. It follows the agreement with Romanus to strengthen his descendants¡¯ bloodline, but it will never acknowledge a mortal as its master.¡± ¡°Its master can only be the Demigod Romanus, who successfully pulled it from the stone.¡± ¡°In other words, you are essentially privately participating in a divine ritual to strengthen your bloodline.¡± But I¡¯m not exactly a mortal anymore, am I? Is this really okay? Charlotte thought to herself. However, her interest was piqued, and she indeed wanted to see the legendary Ancestral Sword of Roman. Her personal records included a description of ¡°half-elf¡± bloodline. She had previously thought this might be due to a marriage between the Castell family and elves in history. But now, it seemed more likely to be from the Roman family. But¡­ ¡°Sir Yurst, if the Nez Clan reclaims the Starfall Kingdom in this manner, what about the agreement between Castell and Nez?¡± Charlotte asked. Count Yurst said, ¡°Are you referring to the ownership of the Roman Duchy?¡± ¡°In this regard, I also have some doubts about the decision of the Elder Council. Although war may be avoided, the Elder Council still decided to gift the Roman Duchy to you to maintain friendship with Castell.¡± ¡°I think this is perhaps the Elder Council¡¯s way of expressing sincerity to Her Majesty the True Ancestor. The Nez Clan doesn¡¯t know that the God behind you is the True Ancestor, but they do know that the God behind you is a bloodborne myth.¡± ¡°A friendship with a myth is more valuable than a difficult-to-defend enclave.¡± ¡°Moreover, even if there is no war, the new king will need to expel the Theocracy¡¯s influence after ascending the throne. At that time, your assistance may still be needed.¡± After speaking, Count Yurst looked at Charlotte. ¡°So, Madam Castell, what do you think of the Nez Clan¡¯s proposal?¡± Charlotte thought for a moment and asked. ¡°Sir Yurst, is this proposal based on considerations from the perspective of the Nez Clan or as a blood servant?¡± Count Yurst hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping. In the end, he sighed and said, ¡°This is the Elder Council¡¯s decision. I¡¯m merely a messenger, adding some personal understanding.¡± ¡°Personally, it¡¯s both. In my view, this matter benefits the Nez Clan, you, and Her Majesty the True Ancestor.¡± ¡°This is a win-win situation. The Nez Clan gains the Starfall Kingdom, you gain the Roman Duchy, and the friendship between the two parties will facilitate the True Ancestor¡¯s future reorganization of the bloodbornes.¡± Charlotte nodded. ¡°I understand.¡± sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Then she smiled and said, ¡°I also think it¡¯s a good proposal. As the Lord of Castell, I am happy to participate in this ¡®performance¡¯.¡± Chapter 401: Count Yursts Report ¡°Oh? So, she agreed to secretly participate in the Roman Ancestral Sword recognition ceremony?¡±The shadowy figure at the round table in the extradimensional space summoned by the communication crystal asked. On the other side, Blood Count Yurst, manipulating his vague consciousness projection, bowed to the shadow. ¡°Yes, Lord Yorok, Countess Castell has agreed to join our plan in a month to assist us in abolishing Prince Henry¡¯s succession rights.¡± ¡°Besides the territory of the Roman Duchy, has she made any other demands?¡± The shadow, more precisely Duke Yorok of the Nez Clan, asked again. ¡°She has not.¡± Yurst shook his head. ¡°The Borde-Castell War has just ended. She hopes to take a period of rest and recuperation.¡± Duke Yorok pondered. ¡°I heard from merchants in Starfall that recently there has been a lot of activity in Northern Crescent, with many villages and towns undergoing large-scale construction. Is this related?¡± Yurst respectfully answered. ¡°Yes, the various territories of Countess Castell have been undergoing vigorous construction recently. Many baronies are building roads and bridges, especially after Countess Castell became a direct vassal of Crescent.¡± ¡°It is said that even the trade route through the Belet Barony, ceded to Castell by Violet after the Borde-Castell War, has been opened. Now one can directly travel through the Belet Barony to the Roman Duchy and the inner land of Crescent without taking the long detour through the Violet Forest. This all happened within less than half a year since the end of the war.¡± ¡°Belet Barony? The ancestral land of the Veillet family?¡± Duke Yorok was somewhat surprised. Yulst nodded. ¡°Yes, the ancestral land of the Veillet family, which used to rule the Violet Duchy.¡± Duke Yorlock paused to consider. ¡°If I remember correctly, that territory should still be infested with many undead. Even some of our clan¡¯s descendants stationed in Roman frequently go there to practice necromancy¡­ The pollution there is no small matter, and it would take a Legendary intervention to completely eliminate the undead. Did the one behind Castell intervene?¡± Yurst shook his head. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be. Countess Castell found descendants of the Veillet family. When I visited Northport, I noticed that everything was being managed by the descendants of the Veillet family and the lord of the Belet Barony.¡± ¡°Descendants of the Veillet family? They have the ability to purify the undead?¡± Duke Yorok was slightly surprised. Yurst explained. ¡°Yes, I attended a banquet of the Veillet family descendants and met them. They are also bloodborne with a very strong bloodline, suspected to be fourth-generation bloodborne, probably embraced by a third-generation bloodborne of the Shedite Clan, and they possess quite exquisite necromancy¡­¡± ? ¡°Recruited by the one behind Castell, I see¡­¡± Duke Yorok murmured after hearing Yurst¡¯s report. He then looked again at Yurst¡¯s consciousness projection across the round table. ¡°Any other news from the North?¡± Yurst thought for a moment and said, ¡°If it¡¯s about the one behind Castell¡­ not much for now. However, rumors suggest a new cult has recently emerged in the northern territories, with most of the followers being miners. It¡¯s unclear if it is related to the one behind Castell.¡± ¡°In Northport, the Countess¡¯s office has recently issued many policies encouraging commerce and alchemy industries. Clearly, in the short term, Countess Castell does not wish to be embroiled in another war. Our plan aligns somewhat with her wishes.¡± ¡°Moreover, a new magic school named Castell Academy has been established. It¡¯s said that Countess Castell donated her family¡¯s entire collection of books, and Northport offered very favorable conditions to recruit academy mages. Many powerful mercenaries from Eastern Yunette have been tempted.¡± ¡°Northport is also preparing for the establishment of a permanent extraordinary force. Since returning from Lutecia, Countess Castell seems to have established a channel for the extraordinary resource in the Crescent Kingdom and started recruiting for an extraordinary army shortly after her return.¡± ¡°As for the size of the legion, it is said to be modeled after a typical duchy¡¯s army in the Crescent Kingdom, with about three thousand troops.¡± Duke Yorok nodded slightly. ¡°Three thousand troops¡­ that¡¯s quite a number. With a God supporting them, they have the potential to become a very powerful army.¡± ¡°Although various strange cults have emerged across Myria in recent years, a resurrected God would not tolerate an unknown cult in their domain. If there is a mysterious cult secretly preaching in the North, it is very likely related to this God.¡± ¡°Recruiting other bloodborne, secretly developing a cult, building roads and bridges, forming an extraordinary army¡­ It seems the one behind the North is also preparing for the Day.¡± He then looked at Yurst¡¯s consciousness projection. ¡°Yurst, you¡¯ve done well. Continue to stay on the continent and maintain contact with Castell. Also¡­ if you have the chance, investigate the cult and see which God they worship and whether their divine symbol is a thorny rose.¡± Feeling relieved at Duke Yorok¡¯s approval, Yurst respectfully bowed. ¡°Understood.¡± Then he looked at Duke Yorok¡¯s consciousness projection with some hesitation. Noticing his gaze, Duke Yorok asked. ¡°Yurst, is there something else you wish to report?¡± Yurst hesitated, shook his head, then nodded. ¡°It¡¯s not exactly a report, more of a query.¡± S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°A query? What kind of query?¡± Yurst thought for a moment and cautiously said, ¡°Lord Yorok, after our investigation over the past six months, we are certain that the God behind the North holds no malice towards the Nez Clan. Given this, why can¡¯t our relationship with them be further improved?¡± ¡°Lady Eugenia¡¯s prophecy has brought the Divinity Descent Day closer, but Lord Casey remains unresponsive to us. Although the actions of Elder Maxim and others in siding with the Blood Demon Archduke are despicable, perhaps we too need to consider the worst-case scenario¡­¡± He looked at Duke Yorok¡¯s consciousness projection, swallowed, and tentatively asked. ¡°After all¡­ not all sleeping Gods will successfully awaken¡­¡± Duke Yorok frowned, and his projection¡¯s pressure intensified. ¡°Enough. Keep this topic to yourself and never speak of it again.¡± The Legendary¡¯s will descended, causing Yurst¡¯s projection to waver slightly and become more transparent. He trembled, nearly collapsing under the pressure of the Legendary bloodborne. Duke Yorok glanced at him, withdrew his oppressive aura, and said in a deep voice. ¡°You are right, perhaps the God behind Castell indeed has no ill will towards Nez, but Gods¡­ after all, they are Gods, and we are too weak to face them.¡± ¡°There are too many myths from the era of the Bloodborne. Many myths even suggest that some, while being bloodborne, also held other divine titles. We still don¡¯t know the details of that God, so we must act more cautiously.¡± ¡°With the Divinity Descent approaching, even though His Majesty Casey has not responded, our faith connection still remains, indicating that He has not fallen.¡± ¡°Be patient, His Majesty Casey will return.¡± After hearing Duke Yorok¡¯s words, Yurst couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Duke Yorok, does this mean that even you no longer believe in Lady Eugenia¡¯s prophecy?¡± Duke Yorok remained silent. After a long time, he sighed deeply. ¡°This is the will of the Great Elder and the Elder Council, and we must follow it. I believe in Eugenia, she indeed saw visions suggesting His Majesty Casey¡¯s downfall, but the fact that our faith connection remains cannot be ignored¡­¡± ¡°Prophecies can be interpreted in many ways. Perhaps Lady Eugenia¡¯s interpretation is flawed. The faith connection is fundamental. After all, we are followers of the Stargazer. With the Divinity Descent approaching, we must have more faith in our God at this time.¡± ¡°If we do not even believe in ourselves, then His Majesty Casey¡­ may indeed be unable to return.¡± After listening to Duke Yorok, Yurst opened his mouth, then sighed. ¡°I understand.¡± Duke Yorok looked at him and continued. ¡°Yurst, keep these thoughts to yourself. As your superior, I can understand your thoughts and tolerate your mistakes, but the Elder Council will not, and neither will the Great Elder.¡± ¡°We must indeed make contributions in the Returning Star Plan to rescue Eugenia, but we must do so in a reasonable manner.¡± ¡°In the remaining month, continue preparing for the Returning Star Plan. Ensure the complete separation of the Roman Duchy and the Roman family.¡± ¡°I remember you were acquainted with Romanus a thousand years ago. It¡¯s time to see that lord again. By now, the thousand-year agreement between that lord and the Roman family should be nearing its end. If possible, after the Ancestral Sword recognition ceremony, end the protection of Roman and return to Luna Island as per our agreement with the Nez Clan.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know when His Majesty Casey will return, but at least¡­ the return of a divine artifact can somewhat strengthen us.¡± Upon hearing Duke Yorok¡¯s words, Yurst was moved. ¡°A complete separation of the Roman Duchy and the Roman family? Is the Elder Council planning to end Roman¡¯s rule over Starfall?¡± Duke Yorok nodded slightly. ¡°That is a matter for the future. If we want to control Starfall like Vadallat controls the Coria Kingdom, we must support our own royal family. For this, roman must become part of Starfall¡¯s history.¡± ¡°Roman¡¯s influence in Starfall is too great. Even with the family in decline, their reputation alone can rival our Nez, and this is despite several incompetent rulers emerging from Roman.¡± ¡°Supporting the Red Lilac family is only a transition. Our ultimate goal is to sever the connection between Roman and Starfall and completely control the Starfall Kingdom.¡± ¡°Giving the Roman Duchy to Castell is just the beginning. Although the Countess of Castell also has Roman blood, she bears the Castell name. While she can be recognized by the Roman Sword, she will never become the head of the Roman family.¡± ¡°The Roman Sword also rejects all foreign Gods except Lord Romanus and His Majesty Casey. Giving the Roman Duchy to her not only poses little threat to Starfall but also further weakens Roman, helping us support a new royal family in the future.¡± ¡°Duke Yorok, is this¡­ the Elder Council¡¯s decision?¡± Yurst couldn¡¯t help but ask. Yorok looked at him and said, ¡°This is the Great Elder¡¯s decision.¡± Yurst nodded. ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s end today¡¯s routine remote meeting. We will meet again in Roan City during the Ancestral Recognition Ceremony.¡± With that, Duke Yorok dissipated his will projection. Yurst quickly bowed respectfully. After the other¡¯s consciousness disappeared, he also dispelled his projection and returned to the real world. Feeling the reality returning to his body, Yurst opened his eyes, recalling the conversation with Duke Yorok, and sighed deeply. ¡°Even someone as enlightened as Duke Yorok is so cautious about the matter of Her Majesty True Ancestor, and this is without knowing Her Majesty True Ancestor¡¯s true identity¡­ It seems there is still a long way to go for the clan to gradually accept Her Majesty the True Ancestor.¡± ¡°And His Majesty Casey, what exactly is His status¡­ If He returns, how will Her Majesty True Ancestor respond¡­¡± ¡°Alas, being a double agent is really tough.¡± Being a double agent is indeed difficult. As a high-ranking Bloodborne in charge of liaison between the Nez Clan and the Northern Lands, Yurst must regularly report the news about the Northern Lands and the God behind it to the Nez Elder Council. However, as a blood servant of the True Ancestor, he must also report the movements of the Nez Clan to the True Ancestor, cultivating support for the True Ancestor within the Nez Clan without revealing the True Ancestor¡¯s secret. Undoubtedly, he would have to attend many more meetings like today¡¯s in the future. However, after some thought, Yurst still silently recited the name of the True Ancestor and drew the symbol of the Thorny Rose in prayer, reporting the content of his conversation with Duke Yorok. Soon, Charlotte, who had just finished negotiating with Yurst, also received the content of his prayer. ¡°So¡­ there is such a secret behind the Returning Star Plan.¡± Charlotte murmured in surprise as she fiddled with the Faceless Statue submitted by Albrecht. ¡°Ancestral Recognition Ceremony in a month, huh? It seems my plan to merge with the statue will have to be postponed again.¡± Charlotte looked at the Faceless Statue in her hand, deep in thought. By now, her strength had reached the pinnacle of the Silver Moon. Merging with another statue would surely elevate her to the level of the Blazing Sun. Judging by the situation, Charlotte estimated she might also fall into a deep sleep again, possibly for several months. Therefore, she needed to choose an appropriate time. Moreover, considering the previous commotion, she had to prepare for it this time to reduce the anomalies during the fusion, lest the Divine Warning Bell rings again. If it rings again, it would be quite a problem, making it impossible to avoid the attention of the Holy Court. ¡°Perfect, I¡¯ll use this month for preparations and set up plans for the territory during my potential slumber, as well as lay the foundation for the cult. According to the schedule, Sebastian should be almost at the mining area by now.¡± ¡°As for the Faceless Statue¡­ I¡¯ll consider the fusion after returning from the Roman Duchy.¡± Charlotte mused. After finalizing her plans, Charlotte put away the Faceless Statue. When she saw the map of the Northern Lands on her desk, particularly the upper left corner representing the Starfall Kingdom, she had a sudden thought. ¡°The Stargazer Casey, a Demigod Bloodborne of the Nez Clan¡­¡± After contemplating for a while, Charlotte sank into her consciousness and connected to the Gospel of Blood. A crimson glow erupted, and the vast crimson star sea representing the Bloodborne appeared again. Gazing at the five most prominent stars in the star sea, Charlotte pondered. ¡°Five Demigod Bloodbornes?¡± She frowned slightly, sensing a discrepancy. Soon, Charlotte realized what felt wrong. ¡°Wait¡­ the Bloodborne¡­ only has five Gods?¡± Chapter 402: Mysteries of the Myth ¡°Only¡­ five myths?¡±Charlotte frowned slightly as she looked at the five shimmering stars in the crimson starry sea. She clearly remembered that when she first unlocked the abilities of the bloodborne, she could sense these stars in the sea of consciousness. Compared to other stars representing the blood kin, the brilliance of these five stars was dazzling and their aura was vast, undoubtedly indicating the presence of mythical bloodborne. Initially, Charlotte didn¡¯t sense any issue. Each of the five existing major clans had a Blood Prince behind them, so she naturally associated these five stars with the five princes of the major clans. However, Charlotte was no longer the novice she once was. She now knew that in the history of the Bloodborne, the number of bloodborne myths far exceeded five. Just from Albrecht¡¯s memories, there were no fewer than twenty bloodborne myths that had been banished, sealed, or killed for various reasons by the True Ancestor. The Nez Clan believed Charlotte to be an ancient bloodborne who had returned for this reason. During the Blood Moon Era, many had been sealed, banished, or had fallen into slumber, leaving the Nez Clan¡¯s Legendary Bloodborne uncertain about Charlotte¡¯s origins. So, here lies the problem. All bloodbornes existences would be projected in the crimson starry sea of the Gospel of Blood. Aside from the princes of the five major clans, where did the other bloodborne myths go? Even if they were sealed or banished, they shouldn¡¯t be entirely absent. After all, the princes of the five major clans were currently in a state of slumber. Considering this, Charlotte believed there were only two possibilities. The first possibility was that the Gospel of Blood did not mark all the bloodborne as she believed, but only specific bloodborne myths. The second possibility was that, besides the five large stars in the crimson starry sea, the other bloodborne myth¡­had already fallen. Given the Gospel of Blood¡¯s immense power, far surpassing ordinary artifacts and even capable of altering divine spells, as the supreme artifact of the Bloodborne, Charlotte found the first possibility very unlikely. This confidence in the Gospel of Blood led her to believe the second possibility was most likely. And if the second possibility were true, Charlotte had an even bolder and more thought-provoking idea. Those five large stars in the crimson starry sea¡ªdo they really correspond exactly to the five mythical figures of the five major clans? Staring at the crimson stars in the sea of consciousness, Charlotte remained silent. There are differences even among mythical figures. Though she was technically a ¡°Demigod¡±, her power was still far weaker than those represented by the five large stars. ? Considering safety, she didn¡¯t dare to rashly approach these stars and thus couldn¡¯t ascertain their specific representations. Except for the Blood Demon Archduke. She had indirectly dealt with that figure several times and was quite familiar with his aura. She could roughly sense that one of the three brighter stars likely belonged to the Blood Demon Archduke. But she couldn¡¯t determine the rest. Whether they corresponded to the remaining four princes of the major clans or something else, Charlotte was unsure. From this perspective, the Nez Clan¡¯s long-term disconnection from their God might indeed be due to some trouble with their prince, the Stargazer Casey, who could be in a predicament worse than slumber. This wasn¡¯t entirely unrelated to Charlotte, as she also had to consider another question. If all the historical bloodborne myths had fallen, what caused their demise? And what kind of power led to their downfall? Albrecht¡¯s memories didn¡¯t mention these matters. In the understanding of the Bloodborne, many Demigods were simply ¡°slumbering,¡± ¡°banished,¡± or ¡°sealed.¡± But if things were truly as Charlotte suspected in her second hypothesis, the situation would be far from simple. Because it would imply some force silently exterminated all these ¡°slumbering¡± bloodborne myths. Exhaling lightly, Charlotte formed a certain conjecture in her mind. ¡°Could it be¡­ the historical True Ancestor of Blood?¡± This might also be a possibility, but it made Charlotte even more troubled. It seemed her connection with the True Ancestor of Blood was deepening, yet at the same time, the secrets surrounding the True Ancestor of Blood were multiplying. ¡°Forget it, thinking too much now is pointless. I still need to lay a solid foundation, strengthen my forces, and improve my power.¡± ¡°Perhaps¡­ when my own power reaches the mythical level, I can begin to unravel these mysteries.¡± Charlotte took out a gold tana in the Dark Night Castle and used the divination techniques she had learned to foretell her future. The divination results were as vague as ever, but no ominous signs appeared. Charlotte shook her head and put away the gold tana. Relying on the divination techniques learned through the Gospel of Blood, compared to the elite of the Nez Clan, she was still an amateur. However, her divine-powered divination surpassed ordinary Nez bloodborne¡¯s results, and she could somewhat perceive potential issues. At least¡­ her fate was not ¡°predetermined.¡± and her ¡°future¡± was not fixed. That was enough. As for the True Ancestor¡¯s secrets and historical mysteries, she would uncover them as her power grew. With this resolve, Charlotte dismissed the crimson starry sea. Just as she was about to exit the Dark Night Castle, she suddenly felt a whim, hearing a murmured prayer from afar. Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred. After merging with the Faceless Statue and unlocking the faith network, it was rare for prayers to directly impact Charlotte; the faith network often handled them on her behalf. At this moment, the prayer reaching her consciousness must have exceeded the faith network¡¯s threshold. With this thought, Charlotte manifested the faith network and quickly identified the source of the prayer. It was from the north, or more precisely, the Blood Wolf Tribe at the Castell mine. Blood divine power bloomed, crimson mist spread, and a blurry scene gradually appeared before Charlotte. As divine power spread, the scene became clearer. Dozens of black-robed werewolf believers gathered before an altar, kneeling and praying devoutly to the Thorny Rose symbol on the altar. Their expressions were sincere and fanatical, filled with hope and anxiety. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Behind these werewolf believers, hundreds of demi-humans and even humans prayed from a distance. They seemed less excited than the front row of werewolf believers but still showed expressions of hope and longing. At the forefront of the altar, beside the werewolf High Priest Luff, stood Sebastian in a tailcoat, occupying the central position. Facing the Thorny Rose symbol, his expression was solemn and serious as he opened his arms, leading the believers in a loud chant. ¡°Supreme True Ancestor¡­¡± ¡°Embodiment of Darkness and Shadows¡­¡± ¡°The Source of All Blood Descendants¡­¡± ¡°Your humble and devout believers, here, pray for Your blessing¡­¡± ¡­ Seeing this, Charlotte understood. It was the blessing ceremony for the cult she had asked Sebastian to organize¡­ it had officially begun. Chapter 403: Blessing Ritual The scene shifts to a day earlier.When Sebastian arrived in the forest near the Castell Mining District, the werewolf Luff, having already received the news, was waiting respectfully with dozens of the most devout believers. ¡°High Priest Luff of the Bloodwolf Tribe, along with all the faithful¡­ greets Lord Sebastian.¡± Luff drew a Thorny Rose symbol on his chest, his expression devout and respectful. Sebastian glanced at the well-disciplined believers behind Luff and nodded slightly. ¡°At ease, rise.¡± Luff slowly stood up and motioned for the other believers to rise as well. Then, they escorted the travel-worn Sebastian deeper into the forest. After bypassing a wooded area, the view gradually opened up. Amidst the noisy bustle, a new village came into Sebastian¡¯s sight. This was the settlement of the Blood Wolf Tribe. Or more accurately, this was a settlement established jointly by the demi-human miners of the Castell Mining District and the migrating Blood Wolf Tribe, devoted to the True Ancestor of Blood. Within the settlement, roads crisscrossed, and the buildings, numbering over a thousand, had replaced the previous simple tents with new wooden houses. Defensive walls had even been erected on all sides to ward off magical beasts. At the center of the settlement, a small square had been cleared, featuring a tall altar dedicated to the Thorny Rose symbol. The settlement was populated primarily by werewolves and other demi-humans, but if one looked closely, there were also some humans. As Luff and the others passed by, everyone stopped their work to greet them warmly. ¡°Good morning, High Priest.¡± ¡°High Priest, may the True Ancestor be with you¡­¡± Luff responded with a smile, nodding to everyone. It wasn¡¯t until they reached his cabin with Sebastian that he finally breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed completely. ¡°Luff, it seems you¡¯re doing well. You¡¯re looking more and more like a true High Priest.¡± Sebastian said with a smile. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Luff scratched his head sheepishly. ¡°Lord Sebastian, you jest. This is all thanks to you and the grace of the True Ancestor.¡± ¡°If it weren¡¯t for your shelter back then, if it weren¡¯t for the True Ancestor¡¯s salvation, I probably wouldn¡¯t be alive today. Not just me, but the entire Blood Wolf Tribe might not exist anymore. And there¡¯s no way we¡¯d have the opportunity to build such an idyllic village.¡± ? Sebastian nodded slightly. ¡°The True Ancestor is indeed merciful.¡± With that, his gaze shifted to the village outside the window. ¡°Now¡­ how is the church developing? How many believers do you have?¡± Luff pulled out a prepared scroll of parchment from his bosom, handing it to Sebastian as he respectfully reported. ¡°As of now, the church has officially registered 3,345 believers. Among them, 2,624 are demi-humans, 678 are humans, and 43 are half-elves.¡± ¡°There are even half-elves?¡± Sebas showed surprise. Luff explained. ¡°They are former half-elf slaves. After the Borde-Castell War, they escaped from the defeated noble families and found refuge with us, accepting the faith of the True Ancestor.¡± ¡°As for the human believers, they are mainly miners from the mining district and some refugees from the war. The church¡¯s acceptance of refugees during the Lagrisse rebellion gained a lot of goodwill and supporters. We now even have a branch in Silver Mine City.¡± ¡°Of course, considering secrecy, the church has not been preaching extensively in Silver Mine City. The chosen believers are all verified to have clean backgrounds and steadfast faith.¡± Listening to Luff¡¯s report, Sebastian felt both satisfaction and amazement. Due to the need to hide their identity, the True Ancestor had always forbidden public preaching. Yet, in less than two years, the church had grown from just over a hundred werewolf believers to over three thousand, which was surprising. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the restrictions on preaching, there could be more.¡± ¡°Lord Sebastian, the North is indeed a very suitable land for spreading the faith. There are many unbelievers who have fled from various places, and even the followers of the Holy Court are mostly shallow believers with weak faith.¡± ¡°Forgive my bluntness, the God is too distant from mortals, but the True Ancestor is very close. As long as the True Ancestor can more widely display miracles and mercy, gaining more followers would not be difficult.¡± ¡°The main limiting factor is probably the sensitivity of the True Ancestor¡¯s identity.¡± ¡°Oh, and there¡¯s also the issue of core doctrines and priests.¡± ¡°Many demi-human tribes have bloodline ties to the bloodborne. Their devotion to the True Ancestor is akin to ancestral worship, making it easy to rekindle their faith. But for non-bloodborne related entities, we lack core doctrines to build stronger cohesion and recognition¡­¡± ¡°As for priests, their numbers are quite small, and they don¡¯t possess divine spells like those in other churches, only awakening some innate magic abilities.¡± ¡°Counting myself, there are currently 37 priests, all recognized and blessed by the True Ancestor.¡± Sebastian was not surprised by Luff¡¯s words. In history, any rapid expansion of a God¡¯s church happened when God walked among mortals. More interaction with and blessings to the followers naturally resulted in more followers. Although the True Ancestor had not bestowed widespread blessings, in this era of slumbering Gods, occasional direct responses to prayers already surpassed many Gods. As for the lack of core doctrines and priests¡­ Sebastian¡¯s visit to the mining district this time was to address these two issues. ¡°As for the core doctrines¡­ the True Ancestor has given a divine command. Henceforth, the church¡¯s doctrines will revolve around Darkness and Order.¡± Sebastian said. ¡°Darkness¡­ and Order?¡± The werewolf Luff was taken aback. Sebastian smiled slightly and explained to Luff, mimicking Charlotte¡¯s earlier explanation. ¡°Darkness represents the extraordinary world of Myria.¡± ¡°The extraordinary world is dark, cruel, oppressive, and difficult to control, but darkness does not necessarily mean evil.¡± ¡°Darkness represents the other side of light, the irrational side of the world. Only by embracing darkness and understanding it can we control it and thus control the extraordinary¡­¡± ¡°The Bloodborne hierarchy is strict and bloodbornes highly value order. Order is also one of the key tenets of my Lord¡¯s faith.¡± ¡°The world cannot exist without order. By controlling darkness, we can bring a new order to a world that is becoming increasingly chaotic. With order, we can restrain the extraordinary, the powerful, and the mundane, thereby changing the world¡­¡± Sebastian¡¯s expression became solemn as he continued in a serious tone. ¡°The guardian and enforcer of darkness and order¡ªthis is the symbol of our Lord¡¯s faith!¡± ¡°Darkness and order¡­¡± The werewolf Luff fell into deep thought. After a long while, his eyes brightened, and he bowed deeply to Sebastian. ¡°Lord Sebastian, I have learned much.¡± Sebastian nodded and continued. ¡°As for the priests¡­ strictly speaking, the priests in our church cannot yet be considered true priests, as the True Ancestor had not been fully prepared for formal preaching before.¡± ¡°However, things are different now. I have come under the True Ancestor¡¯s command. The True Ancestor has decided to formally bring the church onto Myria¡¯s stage.¡± ¡°Formally bring the church onto Myria¡¯s stage?¡± Luff was momentarily stunned, then overjoyed. ¡°Could it be¡­ the True Ancestor¡¯s power has further recovered?¡± Sebastian nodded slightly, smiling. ¡°You could say that.¡± ¡°Lord¡¯s power has indeed further revived, and She has decided to formally begin preaching in the North.¡± ¡°Luff, gather the priests and believers, and prepare for the prayer ritual. I have brought the divine decree, but the actual divine oracle for preaching needs to be delivered by our great Master Herself.¡± ¡°Of course¡­ this also includes the blessings of the God.¡± ¡­ ¡°Supreme True Ancestor¡­¡± ¡°Embodiment of Darkness and Shadow¡­¡± ¡°Source of all Blood Descendants¡­¡± ¡°Your humble and devout believers beseech your blessings¡­¡± Before the tall altar, the werewolf Luff followed Sebastian, leading many believers in prayer to the Thorny Rose. Gazing at the divine symbol on the altar, Luff¡¯s expression was fervent and full of anticipation. At the same time, Charlotte, having received the prayers, turned her attention to the altar. ¡°Are we¡­ ready?¡± Seated high on the Throne of Blood, looking at the many devout and expectant believers in the ¡°scene¡±, Charlotte¡¯s expression also became solemn. With the prayers of the believers, she could feel an increasingly strong connection with them, hear their thoughts, and sense their bloodline powers. She could even clearly perceive that droplets of bloodline power were gathering towards her along the faith network with each prayer, converging into the divine flame in her chest, and being refined into the purest divine power. Gods are shepherds. Believers are the sheep of the Gods. And extraordinary power is the wool that the sheep continuously produce. At this moment, Charlotte had a deeper understanding of the essence of the relationship between Gods and believers in the world of Myria. Although she had believers and had formed her own church more than a year ago, the church had never been complete¡ªat best, it was a semi-finished product. Now, since her divine power was no longer in short supply and she planned to officially start preaching, it was time for her faith system to take shape and for the church to become formal. With this thought, Charlotte manipulated the blood divine power, extending it along the faith network toward the distant altar. The next moment, the Thorny Rose divine symbol on the altar emitted a dazzling crimson light, and an immense, majestic will slowly descended. Under the fanatical, shocked, and excited gazes of the believers, an ethereal projection appeared above the altar. A solemn and dignified throne, a tall and graceful figure, and those mysterious golden-red eyes hidden behind the crimson mist. It was Charlotte, seated high on the Throne of Blood in her ¡°adult form.¡± Chapter 404: Charlottes Guidance The blood divine power surged, and Charlotte looked down at the believers gathered around the altar.She saw the believers prostrate on the ground in excitement and heard them fervently chanting praises to her. The collective worship of thousands of people created a thunderous sound. At that moment, Charlotte felt as if she had become the ruler of the world. Power is intoxicating, even for Gods. With the support of the blood divine power and the faith network, Charlotte felt a clear connection with these thousands of believers. If she wished, she could, at any moment, ¡°consume¡± the bloodline power of these believers through the faith network. If she wished, she could, at any moment, use the blood divine power either to cut off distant mountains or to flatten vast forests. This was no illusion¡­ Because, at this moment, Charlotte had entered the state of True Ancestor¡¯s Liberation! However, unlike her previous attempts, Charlotte could now feel the throbbing of the divine flame in her chest. With the divine flame burning, her control over the blood divine power had never been smoother. It no longer felt like a formidable force beyond reach but like obedient and easily manipulated magic. To make an analogy, her battle against the Flame Demon Valaroka two years ago with True Ancestor¡¯s Liberation was like an ordinary person fighting with a gun. Now, she felt like a professional soldier. With the same power and divine might, if she faced Valaroka now, Charlotte felt she could directly defeat it instead of allowing it to escape back to its seal. This was the change brought about by the ¡°divine flame.¡± A true ¡°Demigod¡± could perfectly harness divine power, not just control it crudely through the Gospel of Blood! However, Charlotte could also feel the rapid consumption of divine power. Although the rate had slowed significantly compared to her past crude usage, it was still not negligible. But Charlotte did not stop the True Ancestor¡¯s Liberation. Sometimes, personally displaying ¡°divine miracles¡± is necessary for a God. With a slight thought, Charlotte¡¯s blood divine power surged. She spoke softly, her majestic and ethereal voice resonating in the hearts of the believers. ¡°My believers¡­¡± ¡°The Gods stir from their slumber, heralding the end of peace.¡± ¡°In the boundless shadow soon to engulf all, embrace the darkness¡­ and become one with it.¡± ¡°Place thy trust in me, and together¡­ we shall forge a new order.¡± ¡­ Charlotte¡¯s voice was ethereal and otherworldly. With the support of the blood divine power, her words carried a mysterious force, an advanced version of the bloodborne¡¯s innate charm magic and majesty spell. ? Charlotte was not good at speeches or emotional appeals, but in a world with extraordinary power, mental strength could change everything. She did not say much more, but she infused her will into her voice. Every word she spoke contained more information, reflecting her recent thoughts on her religious doctrine. The core was darkness and order. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. These messages would enter the believers¡¯ hearts as they listened, leaving an indelible mark. At the same time, they would draw out the believers¡¯ deepest memories and merge with them, using their faith in her to shape logically coherent beliefs and wills around ¡°darkness¡± and ¡°order.¡± In simpler terms, what Charlotte was doing now was essentially imprinting a ¡°thought seal¡± in the believers¡¯ minds, which could be considered ¡°brainwashing.¡± However, this ¡°thought seal¡± or ¡°brainwashing¡± was not forced but subtly deepened and reinforced their faith in her. It was more of a guided ¡°indoctrination.¡± And the content of this ¡°indoctrination¡± was Charlotte¡¯s core doctrine. In essence, Charlotte was planting seeds centered on ¡°darkness¡± and ¡°order¡±, then using divine power to catalyze and guide them, letting deeper doctrines and creeds grow from the believers¡¯ hearts¡­ As for what would grow, Charlotte did not know. She could only guide the general direction around ¡°darkness¡± and ¡°order¡±, ensuring the core principles were maintained. After all, the Gods and faith in this world were different from the fantasy worlds of her previous life, with fewer restrictions. She could do things her way, as long as the results weren¡¯t too extreme. Around the altar, the praying believers entered a rather peculiar state as Charlotte¡¯s ethereal voice resonated. With Charlotte¡¯s words, they felt a powerful will and a vast amount of information flooding into their hearts. Their eyes gradually glazed over as they recalled various experiences from their lives. At the forefront, the werewolf Luff experienced the same. He ¡°saw¡± scenes¡­ His dark past of being enslaved after his tribe was destroyed by professional mercenaries due to insufficient strength¡­ The memories of awakening extraordinary power, rebelling with his tribe, killing the slave traders, and reclaiming freedom in blood and tears¡­ Being hunted, hiding with his tribe, witnessing the darkness and brutality of the extraordinary world, feeling the helplessness of weakness and the desire for power¡­ Being saved by Sebastian, becoming a member of the Rose Society, bringing order to Borde¡¯s underground world, and successfully protecting more and more of his kin¡­ Various memories floated in Luff¡¯s mind, strange and colorful. Gradually, under Charlotte¡¯s mental guidance through the blood divine power, his understanding of ¡°darkness¡± and ¡°order¡± deepened¡­ Luff was not the only one, the other believers were similarly affected. Even Sebastian, Charlotte¡¯s contracted blood servant, fell into contemplation under her divine power. Due to the numerous believers and the continuous manipulation of divine power, Charlotte didn¡¯t know what the believers saw or thought during her ¡°guidance¡±, but she noticed that under the spread of divine power, the believers all fell into contemplation, followed by sudden realization and determined expressions. As the power in her words gradually dissipated, the expressions of the believers around the altar became even more fervent. ¡°Darkness¡­ order¡­ Great One, I understand! We will follow you! Embrace the darkness, become the darkness, master the darkness!¡± ¡°We will follow you! In the coming chaotic era, we will overthrow the old order and reshape a new one!¡± In front of the altar, the werewolf Luff shouted excitedly, his face full of fervor. ¡°Embrace the darkness, become the darkness, master the darkness!¡± ¡°Overthrow the old order, reshape the new order!¡± Further away, thousands of believers knelt down, their voices deafening. Seeing the believers like this, Charlotte knew she had succeeded. Though she didn¡¯t know exactly what her believers had imagined under her ¡°guidance¡±, it was certain that the doctrine centered on ¡°darkness¡± and ¡°order¡± had been planted. As for what kind of doctrine would grow, that depended on what the believers had imagined. Charlotte, though not deeply probing, could guess roughly. After all, the core was still the seed she had planted in the believers¡¯ hearts. However¡­ Sebastian, what¡¯s your situation? Charlotte¡¯s gaze subtly shifted to a certain flame elf beside the werewolf Luff, who was also kneeling on the ground, his expression extremely fervent, his voice trembling with excitement. ¡°I see¡­ I see¡­ So this is your true will¡­¡± ¡°Sebastian has understood, Sebastian will not disappoint your expectations, and will follow you to the ends of the world!¡± Charlotte: ¡­ Goodness¡­ This guidance was meant for the believers, but even Sebastian, who had never truly believed, was affected? Charlotte knew Sebastian had never truly worshipped her. He merely saw her as his master and offered his loyalty without reservation. But at this moment, it seemed that the divine power Charlotte used for guidance was too strong, and even this ¡°fake believer¡± was influenced, showing a look of sudden realization and deep understanding. Tidal waves of praise and prayers came, as the believers bowed down to Charlotte in unison. Charlotte felt the connection between herself and them growing stronger. The tone of faith was set, and Charlotte felt it was about time. After a moment¡¯s thought, she manipulated the divine power again and spoke majestically. ¡°From now on, the name of the True Ancestor shall be hidden. My name shall be Nyx.¡± Upon hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, the believers bowed down again and fervently prayed under Luff¡¯s lead. ¡°Praise you! Great God Nyx!¡± ¡°Ruler of Darkness, Incarnation of Order!¡± Listening to the fervent chants of the believers, Charlotte felt a bit subtle. How to put it¡­ though the believers were fervent and moved under the influence of divine power, the initiator of all this couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit ashamed hearing such cheers and titles. Taking a deep breath, Charlotte suppressed her shame and manipulated the blood divine power again. This time, she gently waved her hand, bestowing the ¡ºDivine Blessing¡» upon the believers most closely connected to her faith network at the front of the altar. Crimson divine power enveloped these believers, radiating brilliant light. The next moment, these believers felt a mysterious and vast power entering their bodies, accompanied by corresponding spells. No, more accurately, divine spells. The myth that Gods can grant divine spells to believers, turning them into their clergy, held true for Charlotte, now a Demigod. After becoming a Demigod, the ability of ¡ºDivine Blessing¡» had changed, allowing her to establish a deeper connection with believers through blessings. These were the clergy. Essentially, this was a variant of the weakened version of blood servant contracts, allowing them to borrow her power to some extent. Of course, Charlotte¡¯s divine power was limited, and through Divine Blessing, she could currently grant these ¡°priests¡± only two divine spells, both derived from the bloodborne¡¯s innate magic. One was Dark Healing, capable of healing injuries. The other was Mental Soothe, able to calm the soul and mind. Chapter 405: Please dont look at me like that, it makes me a bit scared. Dark Healing and Mental Soothe are not very advanced spells, even when converted into divine spells.However, Charlotte found them quite useful for missionary work. The former is a genuine healing spell, always a popular type of divine spell in various churches, while the latter is a powerful tool for preaching. After all, seeking spiritual solace is a crucial reason why many people choose to believe in God. The blood divine power spread, enveloping many believers. Feeling the strange power within their bodies and the divine spells newly ingrained in their minds, the chosen believers were excited and prostrated themselves again. ¡°Praise you, Great God Nyx!¡± Charlotte did not ¡°promote¡± too many priests. Among the more than three thousand believers, only fifty or so, who had the closest connection to her faith, were granted divine blessing and became priests capable of casting divine spells. This ratio is quite large. In the Holy Court, even a village of several thousand holy believers would only have one or two priests at most. In comparison, Charlotte¡¯s ratio is roughly one priest for every sixty believers. Of course, appointing so many priests is not just for these few thousand believers. The believers designated as priests by the werewolf Luff, besides being lucky to have received Charlotte¡¯s power, also met the requirements for missionary work. These priests would become the main force in Charlotte¡¯s missionary work in the North. However, Charlotte did not plan to increase the number of priests for the time being. Casting divine spells consumes divine power, even if it¡¯s heavily diluted divine power, it still represents a cost. Charlotte estimated that with the current number of believers, the divine power she collected from them through their bloodline would just cover the cost of the priests¡¯ divine spells. In other words, she could maintain a balance between income and expenditure of divine power. ¡°A ratio of sixty to one. From now on¡­ we can maintain this ratio, increasing priests as we expand the number of believers.¡± ¡°As the number of believers grows, gradually lowering the ratio of priests, until the cult can self-sustain and continuously replenish my divine power.¡± Charlotte calculated in her mind. Speaking of which, the cults in Myria are somewhat like companies in her previous life. Believers meditate and train, enhancing their bloodline power under the protection of their Gods, just like employees using company equipment to work. Gods are the ¡°bosses¡± of these ¡°companies¡± and the ¡°capitalists¡± who ¡°exploit¡± the believers, with the ¡°exploitation¡± being the increase in believers¡¯ bloodline power. However, while ¡°exploiting¡±, Gods also provide protection to their believers, fulfilling their duties. The difference between righteous and evil Gods is¡­ probably the difference between conscientious enterprises and unscrupulous companies. With this analogy, Charlotte could understand why Nice often complained that Gods were parasites. After the divine blessing ceremony, Charlotte felt a bit tired. Although her divine power reserves had greatly increased, the consumption of ¡ºTrue Ancestor¡¯s Liberation¡» was still too high. So, after appointing the priests, she dispersed the power that had descended upon the altar through the divine symbol. ? Seeing the miracle above the divine symbol gradually dissipate, the gathered believers fervently worshipped once again. Until¡­ everything returned to peace. On the other side, Charlotte withdrew the projection, and her consciousness returned to her body. Her ¡°miracle¡± had ended. The remaining work was handed over to Sebastian. The seeds of faith had been sown, and she had personally pointed the believers in the right direction. Sebastian should be able to compile the scriptures smoothly from now on. With priests, missionary work could further unfold. Of course, although she intended to officially place the cult on Myria¡¯s stage, Charlotte knew that openly preaching under the Holy Court¡¯s nose was practically inviting them to ¡°come and fight me.¡± So¡­ even for missionary work, it was necessary to avoid the Holy Court¡¯s sphere of influence and be as low-key as possible. Thinking of this, Charlotte pondered for a moment and then, through the contract link with Sebastian, conveyed her thoughts to him. ¡°Prioritize missionary work in villages far from big cities. Avoid direct confrontation with the Holy Court. Also, consider expanding north into the Northern Grand Duchy.¡± ¡°No need to slander the Holy Court. In fact¡­ it might be beneficial to somewhat agree with their doctrines.¡± Hearing the voice in his mind, Sebastian was startled. He thought for a moment and then respectfully asked in his mind. ¡°Master, do you¡­ want to shape our cult into a ¡®righteous¡¯ one?¡± Charlotte nodded and replied meaningfully in her consciousness. ¡°That¡¯s right. After all, the Holy Court is a multi-God church, and it¡¯s not entirely extreme.¡± The Holy Court was a massive entity. Trying to develop faith next to such a behemoth was undoubtedly difficult. Although the North was an area where the Holy Court¡¯s influence was weak, if they truly took notice, sending a judgment squad to purge them was not impossible. However, the Holy Court did not annihilate all strange cults. According to the history Charlotte knew, apart from obviously evil cults and newly resurrected Gods, the Holy Court¡¯s mainstream approach was to absorb and incorporate cults and Gods with positive doctrines that had grown to a certain scale. Clearly, she was no longer as isolated as when she first transmigrated, and she had initially grasped the power of myth. A cult of three thousand may not be large, but with direction and divine oracles, rapid expansion in the North was foreseeable. As long as they remained low-key and developed to a certain scale before the Holy Court noticed, she might avoid being exterminated and instead be ¡°recruited.¡± Of course, with her bloodborne ties, if her true identity was exposed, the Holy Court would definitely not choose to ¡°recruit¡± her. Charlotte didn¡¯t truly intend to become a subordinate God. This was just a way to buy more time. During this process, Charlotte could even use her identity as the ¡°Wild Saintess¡± to further mislead the Holy Court¡¯s judgment. Once the Divinity Descent Day arrived, and the Gods awaken, it would be time to stir the waters. Although the Holy Court was the largest power in Myria, being the largest also made it the target of many. Even with numerous subordinate Gods, it would face more unknown Gods. How to survive in the cracks and quickly grow the cult was what Charlotte needed to consider. After hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, Sebastian seemed to understand. After a long time, he solemnly replied respectfully in his mind. ¡°Sebastian¡­ understood.¡± ¡°Also, convey to Luff that starting today, every six months¡­ no, every three months, let¡¯s say, every three months, we will hold a divine blessing ceremony. Select suitable believers to participate, and I will bestow the power of priests.¡± Charlotte spoke to him again in his mind. ¡­ Having completed her instructions to Sebastian, Charlotte withdrew from the mental world. The cult had begun to take shape, and she couldn¡¯t be a hands-off leader. At least¡­ until a self-sustaining mechanism was found, appointing priests might require her personal involvement. A frequency of once every three months was manageable, with the only issue being if she fell into a deep sleep during her advancement, which might last more than three months. That would be an uncontrollable factor. Regarding this, Charlotte planned to have Nice, her assistant, come up with a solution. ¡°Meow meow meow? Increasing priests while you are asleep? Lady Charlotte, you¡¯re overestimating me. As a God, if even you can¡¯t solve this problem, how could I?¡± The black cat, dragged off the silk recliner by Charlotte, complained. ¡°How do other slumbering Gods manage such things?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m not a God. Haven¡¯t¡­ haven¡¯t you fully recovered your past memories? You can already cultivate priests! You are the True Ancestor of Blood!¡± S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Nice couldn¡¯t help but complain. Charlotte shook her head. ¡°Even as the True Ancestor of Blood, ¡®I¡¯ had no history of large-scale cultivation of believers like a God.¡± Saying this, she asked. ¡°So¡­ do you have any suggestions?¡± Nice thought for a moment and then hesitantly said, ¡°Suggestions¡­ well, more like a hypothesis¡­¡± ¡°For instance, the Creator God and the God of Contracts, even when in slumber, can respond to believers periodically. If you can¡¯t respond while asleep, then¡­ you would need a substitute.¡± ¡°My idea is that you could pre-place appropriate artifacts, with solidified divine spells for bestowing divine blessing, and set up the ritual in advance.¡± ¡°In this way, even if you¡¯re asleep, the priests could use the artifacts you left behind to cultivate more priests.¡± ¡°Using artifacts with solidified divine spells to cultivate priests¡­¡± Charlotte fell into deep thought. She thought of the Faceless Statue. With the characteristics of the Faceless Statue, this method might indeed ensure the operation of the cult during her sleep. The only problem was that she initially planned to merge the Faceless Statue in her possession after the Ancestral Recognition Ceremony of the Roman Sword. If used to set up solidified divine spells, she couldn¡¯t merge with it. Wait¡­ that¡¯s not right¡­ Who said she only had one Faceless Statue now? As if thinking of something, Charlotte looked up and down at Nice. Being stared at with such meaningful eyes, nice felt uneasy. ¡°L¡­ Lady Charlotte, please¡­ don¡¯t look at me like that, it makes me a bit scared.¡± He swallowed nervously and said. Charlotte smiled. She smiled warmly at the black cat before her, her tone suddenly becoming gentle. ¡°Speaking of which¡­ Nice, your body should also be equivalent to an artifact, right?¡± Nice: ¡­ Chapter 406: Departure to the Roman Duchy Nice finally volunteered to take on Charlotte¡¯s dilemma, vowing to find a way to bestow divine blessing before Charlotte fell into slumber.There was no other way, he had to be proactive. Faced with Charlotte¡¯s expectant smile, he feared this ancestor, known for her bold actions, might actually use him as a divine artifact. Nice swore confidently, and Charlotte was happy to oblige. Though this colorful cat usually lacked seriousness, he was a Legendary Mage who left a significant mark on human history, one of the few extraordinary beings who truly understood divine power. His abilities were undoubtedly impressive. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have been hunted by various religious orders for offending the Gods. Although Nice ¡°volunteered¡± for the task, Charlotte wasn¡¯t idle. Nice¡¯s efforts were just one part of the plan. Even if she trusted his abilities, Charlotte couldn¡¯t place all her hopes on him alone. Additionally, she began researching the Faceless Statue she got from Albrecht, intending to use it if Nice failed. However, this meant she couldn¡¯t fully integrate with the statue temporarily. But that was not a big deal. Charlotte¡¯s extraordinary powers had already reached the peak of Silver Moon, and the talent tree of the Gospel of Blood had been illuminated to the third level with continuous meditation and supplementation of Gospel pages. With more blood divine power to strengthen her bloodline, stepping into Blazing Sun would be almost inevitable. Even without fully merging with the Faceless Statue, Charlotte could achieve this. The main difference might be that the Faceless Statue involved some mysterious divine aspects. If merged, Charlotte¡¯s ¡°divine flame¡± might undergo further changes, but without merge, it would have to wait until she awakened again. Of course, personally, Charlotte preferred to merge with the statue while absorbing divine power. As the Divinity Descent Day approached, the time for her to strengthen herself was running out. Every slumber was a luxury, she needed to seize every moment to narrow the gap between herself and other Gods. The coming period was quite busy for Charlotte. After the trip to the royal capital, Castell officially became a direct vassal of Crescent. The Northern region integrated smoothly into the kingdom¡¯s direct fief system. After meeting with various nobles, numerous trade agreements poured in. ?? Castell Academy gained instant fame after Charlotte donated her family¡¯s collection of books, attracting many adventurers eager to teach at the academy. Interviews were held almost daily. The infrastructure construction in the North also reached a peak with Charlotte¡¯s return. With peace established and the royal family¡¯s clear stance towards the North, and Charlotte¡¯s declaration of celibacy, it was evident that an agreement had been reached with the Castell family. The royal family was willing to protect the North, and the North had the power to rival ducal lords, ensuring a long period of peace. Peace is hard-earned, and it always accompanies development. As the most important trade and transportation hub in the Northern Crescent Peninsula, Castell had innate advantages. With internal and external stability and Charlotte¡¯s direct involvement and investment, the baronies under Castell witnessed rapid changes. Centered around the capital, Northport, newly renovated roads extended outward, gradually connecting the entire territory. The number of active merchant caravans visibly increased. The previously war-torn northern and southern Castell were swiftly rebuilt with Charlotte¡¯s support. Charlotte¡¯s construction projects in some pilot baronies also proceeded smoothly, utilizing knowledge from her previous life. Though the results were not yet visible, places like Belet Barony, connecting the Roman Duchy and Castell, showed significant new changes. The construction of Castell¡¯s extraordinary army also progressed smoothly with Charlotte¡¯s support. Although it would take time to fully form, it had officially begun. Charlotte personally selected many extraordinary soldiers from her own knights and guards who had distinguished themselves in the Lagrisse Rebellion and the Borde-Castell War, bestowing knighthood titles as future officer candidates. The entire north showed a vibrant scene of prosperity. Of course, this came at a cost: gold coins flowed out like water. Fortunately, the North was wealthy, and the Castell family had deep pockets, able to sustain Charlotte¡¯s endeavors. Yet, relying solely on the family¡¯s income couldn¡¯t cover the entire development plan. If not for war compensations, reduced contractual taxes after becoming a direct fief, and numerous trade agreements, Charlotte estimated she might have faced a deficit. Currently, Charlotte anticipated a considerable fiscal deficit but is still within the Castell family¡¯s tolerable range. Simultaneously, Charlotte¡¯s religious mission activities began in secret, under the name of the Dark Night Order. Led by Sebastian and the werewolf Luff, eager priests expanded from Castell¡¯s mining district to surrounding areas. Lagrisse Barony and the borders between Castell and the Northern Grand Duchy became key expansion areas. To support her order, Charlotte used her authority as a lord and the influence of a ¡°Wild Saintess¡± to ¡°dismiss¡± the Holy Court¡¯s churches in northern Castell, tricking the priests into working at Castell Academy in Northport. Everything proceeded methodically. Charlotte herself led a fulfilling daily life. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Early mornings were spent listening to reports from nobles and officials, approving documents, and issuing orders. Afternoons were dedicated to training her extraordinary powers and bloodline talents. Evenings were for studying the faceless statue, reading books recorded in her mental library, and reviewing Albrecht¡¯s remaining memories. In her free time, she occasionally monitored her order¡¯s progress, responding to devout prayers from selected believers. Days passed quickly. Unknowingly, the Ancestral Recognition Ceremony of the Roman Sword, informed by Count Yurst, approached¡­ ¡°The Nez Clan is really ceremonial, even sending a special invitation for the ancestral ceremony.¡± In the Count¡¯s reception room, Charlotte looked at the gold-lettered parchment and remarked jokingly. Opposite her, Count Yurst, visiting again, sighed. ¡°Strictly speaking, it¡¯s an invitation from the Starfall Kingdom. I¡¯m here today not only as a Nez Bloodborne but also as an envoy from Starfall.¡± ¡°Are you also a noble of Starfall?¡± Charlotte was a bit surprised. Yurst nodded. ¡°Many bloodbornes hold noble titles in Starfall. I do too, though I seldom use it or interact much with other nobles. After all, bloodbornes are immortal, and over time, people might notice.¡± ¡°I pulled some strings to get the envoy status.¡± Charlotte nodded slightly. She glanced at the invitation and asked curiously. ¡°Sir Yurst, since we plan to disrupt the recognition ceremony of the Roman Sword, shouldn¡¯t I go incognito? Such a formal invitation risks exposure, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Yurst smiled wryly. ¡°Madam Castell, we wanted to act discreetly, but who knew the Starfall Royal Family, knowing your new status as a Crescent vassal, added you to the guest list.¡± ¡°This invitation wasn¡¯t from us but from the Starfall Royal Family. It¡¯s traditional to invite notable local nobles to ancestral ceremonies, and this time they included you.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve tried to oppose it, suggesting you, as a Crescent noble, shouldn¡¯t be invited, but it was overruled. The king seems very keen on your attendance, perhaps due to your lineage.¡± ¡°After all, you also have Roman blood.¡± Hearing this, Charlotte frowned. She initially planned to disguise and infiltrate the Roman Duchy, but this invitation turned it into an official visit. She could decline the invitation and sneak in, but exposure would be awkward and suspicious. After some thought, Charlotte asked. ¡°What do you suggest?¡± Yurst said seriously. ¡°The clan suggests taking advantage of the invitation.¡± ¡°A formal invite isn¡¯t bad. You can enter the ceremony openly, and we can adjust the details accordingly.¡± Charlotte nodded. ¡°Then let¡¯s go with your plan. After all¡­ this is your main event, and I¡¯m just there to assist.¡± An official visit had its benefits, allowing Charlotte to visit the Roman Duchy¡¯s capital openly, avoiding the need for a body double in Castell during her absence. For other concerns, she left them to the Nez Clan. She aimed to satisfy her curiosity about the ancestral ceremony, fulfill her agreement with the Nez Clan, and strengthen her body through the ritual. With the decision made, Charlotte began organizing a formal delegation. With Sebastian in the North aiding in the religious mission, she decided to take Nice along this time. Her personal maid Sherry, and the royal bloodborne Reina, would also accompany her. Additionally, the delegation included nobles like Viscount Roman-Four. The delegation set off by sea. Two days later, Charlotte boarded the flagship of the visiting fleet, heading towards the Roman Duchy¡¯s capital, Roan. Chapter 407: Old Acquaintance The capital of the Roman Duchy, Roan.As the second largest city in the Northern Crescent Peninsula, only behind Northport, this ancient Duchy capital boasts a prosperity comparable to that of the capital of Castell. In fact, before the northern lands developed, this place was once the largest trade center in the Star-Moon Strait, dominating the entire strait¡¯s trade. However, as time passed, the northern lands continued to develop, and with the rise of the Eastern Yunette Blacklands Mercenary Alliance and the Northern Grand Duchy, the trade routes of the Star-Moon Strait gradually shifted northward. Eventually, Roan¡¯s status as the trade center was replaced by Northport. But even so, today¡¯s Roan remains a major port city on the Crescent Peninsula, with a population exceeding five hundred thousand. When Charlotte stepped onto the dock, her attention was immediately drawn to a tall statue on the pier. It was a statue of a half-elf warrior. His face was indistinct, leaning on a majestic longsword, standing tall on the dock, his gaze fixed in the distance. ¡°Madam Castell, this is a hero in Roman history, the half-elf Romanus who led the Romans to successfully settle on the Crescent Peninsula. He is also the ancestor of the Roman Royal Family, and the longsword in his hand is the artifact known as the Roman Sword.¡± Noticing Charlotte¡¯s gaze, Yurst, who was accompanying her, introduced. Charlotte nodded slightly. She saw that the statue was surrounded by various wreaths offered by the people, indicating the significant influence this half-elf hero had in the Roman Duchy. While she was curiously observing the port city, fully armed guards soon approached them. The leading knight looked at the emblem on Yurst¡¯s chest, then at Charlotte¡¯s attire, and finally at the sailboat flying the Castell flag docked not far away. He quickly recognized their identities and respectfully saluted them. ¡°Countess Castell, Count Yurst, welcome to Roan.¡± Although Yurst was a reclusive bloodborne, he still possessed basic noble social skills. He nodded slightly and said, ¡°Take us to the Romanus Inn. Madam Castell is here in Roan to attend the Roman festival ceremony.¡± The knight saluted again and soon arranged for soldiers to escort them. However, to Charlotte, it seemed more like surveillance than an escort. After all, to the Starfall Kingdom, the lord of the Crescent Kingdom is, in a sense, an enemy lord. The Roan City was festively decorated and bustling with activity. The Ancestral Recognition Ceremony of the Roman Sword is not casually held, in fact, it can only take place during the annual Roman festival, which happens to be tomorrow. ?? Charlotte looked curiously at the streets around her, treating it as a sightseeing tour. However, Nice probably wouldn¡¯t see this for a while. This guy got seasick and had been vomiting countless times during the day¡¯s journey. It would likely take him some time to recover. Under the guidance of the city guard, Charlotte and her entourage quickly settled into a high-end inn in Roan specifically for hosting nobles. This inn was adjacent to Romanus Square, which was also the venue for the ceremony the next day. Charlotte noticed that the preliminary preparations in the square were almost complete. The viewing platform was set up, and the altar was in place. Soldiers of the Starfall Kingdom were busy making final arrangements. ¡°Madam Castell, the Ancestral Recognition Ceremony will officially begin tomorrow. Our people will lead you to the secret chamber beneath the ceremony before it starts. You don¡¯t need to do much, just intervene according to the plan.¡± Count Yurst explained. Charlotte pondered. ¡°Won¡¯t my absence be noticed?¡± Yurst explained. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Lord Yorok has prepared a substitute for you. The substitute will take your place at the ceremony during your absence.¡± ¡°A substitute? Won¡¯t it be discovered?¡± ¡°You need not worry about that. Lord Yorok is an experienced Blood Duke with profound expertise in illusion magic, rivaling the elders of the Szellem Clan who master mental inheritance. No one can see through his illusion except the Roman Sword, which doesn¡¯t concern itself with worldly conflicts. It only cares about its task of strengthening the Roman bloodline.¡± Yurst said. Hearing this, Charlotte nodded slightly. The Nez Clan had an alliance with the Castell family, and they clearly feared the ¡°God¡± behind the Castell family. So in matters like this, the Nez Clan wouldn¡¯t deceive her. Moreover, Yurst himself was, in a way, her man. ¡°Also, there is a banquet tonight hosted by the Roman Royal Family at the Roman Palace, inviting nobles to attend the ceremony. You are likely among the invitees.¡± Yurst thought for a moment and added. Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred. ¡°Has Edward III come too?¡± Yurst shook his head. ¡°His Majesty is gravely injured and bedridden. He can¡¯t come to Roman, but he should appear via magic projection at tomorrow¡¯s ceremony, as a show of support for Prince Henry.¡± After saying this, Yurst glanced at the time and said, ¡°Madam Castell, it¡¯s getting late. I have some clan matters to handle before tomorrow¡¯s ceremony, so I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± ¡°If you need me, just ask the inn¡¯s staff. This inn belongs to the Nez Clan, and all the staff are our people.¡± Charlotte wasn¡¯t surprised by Yurst¡¯s words. In fact, she had sensed several bloodbornes upon entering the inn. Although they had tried their best to hide their identities, as the ¡°True Ancestor¡± recognized by the Gospel of Blood, she could still identify their scent. ¡°I understand.¡± Charlotte nodded. After saying this, Yurst took his leave. Charlotte looked at the dense crowd in Romanus Square outside the window, thought for a moment, and then sank into her consciousness again. The Nez Clan placed great importance on tomorrow¡¯s Roman Ancestral Recognition Ceremony. She was curious about how many bloodbornes the Nez Clan had sent this time. The brilliance of the Gospel of Blood shone as Charlotte entered the ancient Dark Night Castle again, summoning the Crimson Star Sea. Countless crimson stars gathered around Charlotte within a five-kilometer radius, more than she had ever seen before. Looking around, there were at least a thousand stars. For this Ancestral Recognition Ceremony, the Nez Clan had secretly deployed a thousand bloodbornes! In Charlotte¡¯s perception, these bloodbornes were distributed in a particular pattern, with three main locations. One was the inn where she stayed, another was the Roman Palace opposite Romanus Square, and the third was the Holy Court Church in Roan. Clearly, as the core territory of the Nez Clan, the Holy Court¡¯s branch here had been thoroughly infiltrated by the Nez Clan. Among all the bloodbornes, three stars were the largest. The closest one to Charlotte was in the direction of the Roman Palace, with a familiar aura. She quickly recognized it as the Legendary Bloodborne she had encountered in her mental world during the attack in Northport, probably Duke Yorok of the Nez Clan. The second star was a bit farther, in the direction of the church, with an ethereal and deep aura, dimmer than normal bloodbornes, similar to Sebastian. Charlotte guessed it was a Legendary being with a bloodborne bloodline. However, what surprised Charlotte the most was the third star. It was a star slowly moving within the city, seemingly wandering leisurely. If the first star felt familiar to Charlotte, the third star¡¯s aura was unmistakable. She had encountered this aura just over a month ago. It was none other than Albrecht, the Dark Apostle of the Blood Demon Cult who was forcibly contracted as a blood thrall by Charlotte. ¡°Albrecht? What¡¯s he doing in the Roman Duchy?¡± Charlotte wondered. She was pondering whether to spy on him when she sensed a familiar presence approaching. Charlotte raised an eyebrow. After a brief thought, she ended her investigation and returned to reality. Soon, there was a knock on the door, and Sherry¡¯s voice came through. ¡°Lady Charlotte, an inn servant said someone downstairs wants to see you, claiming to be an old acquaintance.¡± Charlotte nodded. ¡°Bring her up. She is indeed an old acquaintance.¡± After a while, the door was gently pushed open, and Sherry led a small figure cloaked in a hooded coat into the room. Charlotte signaled Sherry to close the door, then looked at the small figure in the hooded coat and smiled. ¡°Eudoxia, why are you in Roan too? What¡¯s with the disguise?¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, the small figure lifted the hood, revealing herself to be Eudoxia, the black dragon maid on a quest to find the Ancient Temple. Chapter 408: Brazen Chatting ¡°Lady Charlotte.¡±Eudoxia bowed slightly to Charlotte. While it wasn¡¯t overly respectful, for a dragon, it was quite an acknowledgment. Charlotte nodded slightly in return. She gestured for Sherry to bring Eudoxia her favorite iced lemon drink. After a moment of hesitation, Eudoxia took the drink and sipped it before speaking. ¡°I¡¯ve been in Roan these days using the magic device provided by Sir Nicholas to search for the palace you mentioned.¡± ¡°Today, when I heard you had arrived in Roan, I thought it was best to meet you.¡± ¡°As for this attire¡­ I recently detected signs of Blood Demon Cult activities in the city and didn¡¯t want to be recognized by them, so I disguised myself a bit.¡± Blood Demon Cult activities? Charlotte¡¯s interest was piqued. Does this mean that among the over a thousand bloodbornes she sensed, some might not be from the Nez Clan but members of the Blood Demon Cult? With Albrecht, the Dark Apostle, here, could the cult be planning something big again? After pondering, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll handle the Blood Demon Cult. You mentioned you were looking for the Ancient Temple in Roan these past days. Have you found any leads?¡± Eudoxia hesitated before replying. ¡°I¡­ am not sure.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been in the Roman Duchy for over a month, searching almost the entire duchy according to Sir Nicholas¡¯s potential coordinates, including Roan City, without finding any trace of the Ancient Temple.¡± ¡°However, two days ago, when I came to Roan City again, the magic device provided by Sir Nicholas suddenly reacted.¡± ¡°But when I tried to investigate further, the reaction disappeared again.¡± ¡°Still, I¡¯m certain it wasn¡¯t an illusion because, over the past two days, the device has reacted several times, only to quickly disappear each time.¡± ¡°For this reason, I¡¯ve been investigating in Roan City these past few days and ultimately discovered that it seems related to the festival preparations in the Roman Duchy.¡± Charlotte raised an eyebrow. ¡°The Ancestral Recognition Ceremony?¡± Eudoxia nodded. ¡°The humans here seem to call it that. In the past few days, they have set up altars in the city square and conduct ceremonies periodically. Each time a ceremony is held, the magic device reacts.¡± ¡°I tracked it during these periods, and the closest instance was this morning, with the final location being the Roman Palace.¡± ¡°However, since it only happened once, I¡¯m not sure if the positioning is accurate.¡± The Roman Palace? What a coincidence. Charlotte was a bit surprised. After some thought, she nodded. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll be in Roan these days, so continue to track the device¡¯s reactions and contact me immediately if you find anything.¡± Despite being a relic left by the True Ancestor of Blood, the Ancient Temple was often shielded by highly advanced magical barriers, making it undetectable. Only a genius mage like Nice could create a device capable of detecting it. £Ò Even Charlotte, with her Gospel of Blood, couldn¡¯t sense it without the device. Eudoxia bowed and prepared to leave. ¡°Wait.¡± Charlotte called her back and summoned Sherry. ¡°Check on how Nice is recovering.¡± Though Nice had vomited severely on the boat, Charlotte had her doubts. His body, being artifact-crafted, shouldn¡¯t succumb to seasickness so easily. It seemed more likely that he was avoiding traveling with Yurst, given their history. Having been exposed once, Nice might be hiding to avoid Yurst¡¯s teasing, which happened every time Yurst visited the North. Shortly after, Sherry returned with news that aligned more with Charlotte¡¯s suspicions. ¡°Sir Nice is not in his room, but according to the servants, a black cat wearing a noble black hawk collar was seen playing with maids in the hotel lobby.¡± Charlotte: ¡­ ¡°Bring him to me.¡± She frowned and addressed Eudoxia. Soon, Nice, tail tucked and limbs flailing, was brought in by Eudoxia. Nice looked energetic, not the least bit seasick. Charlotte gave him a half-smiling glance. ¡°Seasick?¡± Nice swallowed hard. He laughed nervously, eyes darting, but upon seeing Charlotte¡¯s stern look, he dropped the act and looked at her with wide, pleading amber eyes. ¡°La¡­ Lady Charlotte¡­¡± ¡°Enough with the act. Get to work.¡± Charlotte instructed Eudoxia to release Nice and informed him of her findings. Hearing Eudoxia¡¯s report, Nice shifted from his playful demeanor to a thoughtful one. ¡°Hmm? My magic device reacted to the Roman festival preparations?¡± Charlotte sensed his contemplation and asked. ¡°Nice, do you have any ideas?¡± Nice rubbed his chin. ¡°Ideas¡­ Well, not exactly ideas, but this situation seems to align with some of my previous hypotheses.¡± ¡°The Roman family¡¯s Ancestral Recognition Ceremony is quite famous, becoming a grand event celebrated every few years. I¡¯ve always been intrigued by the Roman Sword.¡± ¡°From what I know, every time they hold the ceremony, they summon the Roman Sword days in advance, this summoning lasts several days, bringing it out of the subspace.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve searched for the Ancient Temple within the projected coordinates in the Roman Duchy without success, often doubting my model¡¯s accuracy. But now, it seems there might be a stronger force concealing it.¡± Speaking of this, Nice chuckled. ¡°Hehe, the alternate dimension where the Roman Sword sleeps was not created by the half-elf hero Romanus. By that time, Romanus had already fallen. I¡¯ve always been curious about which mythical being created the alternate dimension for the Roman Sword, but now it seems¡­ it might be the Ancient Temple we¡¯re looking for!¡± With that, Nice put on a rather ingratiating smile and said to Charlotte. ¡°Congratulations, Lady Charlotte, congratulations! You have taken another step on your path to supreme power!¡± Charlotte: ¡­ Damn, why does this feel like an eunuch congratulating the emperor? Especially since Nice is chubby, has a squeaky voice, and yet his original voice is hoarse. His sycophantic gestures make him seem even more like an eunuch! A complete cat eunuch! However¡­ What a coincidence. She was just thinking about finding the Ancient Temple and the Faceless Statue, and now, by attending a ceremony, she stumbled upon it. Should she say she¡¯s lucky, or does it feel like there is some kind of predestination at play? ¡°Heh, this is quite normal, Lady Charlotte. A slumbering God often leaves behind means for their resurrection, and these means often gather around the God in various forms after their awakening.¡± ¡°Lady Charlotte, although you have not regained your memories, you are still that one. It is perfectly normal for the Ancient Temple to reveal itself one after another after your awakening!¡± Nice said, shaking his head as he addressed Charlotte¡¯s doubts. Then, he glanced at Charlotte and added. ¡°Of course, Nice thinks that you don¡¯t need to regain your memories. Compared to the you described in history, Nice prefers the current you¡­¡± Charlotte didn¡¯t comment on Nice¡¯s words. Regain memories? Although everyone believed she was the resurrected True Ancestor of Blood, and after experiencing time travel, she also thought she might have traveled to the past to become the True Ancestor of Blood, there was always a nagging feeling in her mind that the True Ancestor of Blood described in history was not her. But that¡¯s not something to share with others. The True Ancestor of Blood has secrets, Charlotte has secrets, and even the Gospel of Blood still holds many secrets that Charlotte has not uncovered. Even in its damaged state, its functions exceed those of many true artifacts. The Gospel of Blood is definitely not just the Bloodborne¡¯s supreme artifact. But regardless of everything, the Gospel of Blood is undeniably hers. At the same time, she herself does not seem to be a vessel for the resurrection of the ¡°True Ancestor of Blood¡± or an object for possession. The reason is simple: if she were, then as early as when she fused with the first Faceless Statue, the real ¡°True Ancestor of Blood¡± could have ¡°resurrected¡±, instead of allowing her to continue absorbing the blood divine power. After all, the divine persona is not unchanging. As long as Charlotte continues to absorb the blood divine power, condense the divine flame, and mold the divine persona, she will one day, like those lucky ones in history, replace the ¡°True Ancestor of Blood¡± and become the real True Ancestor of Blood. ¡°Lady Charlotte, now we must attend tomorrow¡¯s ceremony! Even if it¡¯s just for the Ancient Temple! Wait, isn¡¯t there a banquet in the palace tonight? I strongly recommend attending the banquet too! We might discover some clues in advance!¡± Nice said excitedly. Charlotte nodded slightly. That¡¯s exactly what she had in mind. After asking Nice about the magic device¡¯s response, her door was knocked on again. This time, it was Viscount Roman-Four and several other Northern nobles. These nobles were famous in the North for their trade origins. One of Charlotte¡¯s purposes in bringing them along was to facilitate extraordinary trade with Roman. It was also a way to gain deeper insights into the Roman Duchy. After all, if everything goes well, perhaps in a few months, she will no longer be the Countess of Castell but the Duchess of Roman. Upon seeing Charlotte, the nobles bowed in unison. They exchanged glances, and their eyes fell on Viscount Roman-Four, who bowed to Charlotte and said solemnly. ¡°Countess, many of us have received invitations from the Starfall Royal Family to attend the banquet at the Roman Palace tonight. We came to ask about your plans.¡± Hmm? So many people were invited? Charlotte was a bit surprised. She thought for a moment about Nice¡¯s analysis and sensed Albrecht¡¯s movements, and seemed to ponder. After a brief consideration, she narrowed her eyes, nodded, and smiled. ¡°Then¡­ let¡¯s all attend.¡± ¡°I am quite curious to see what the palace where the founder of Roman once lived looks like.¡± ¡­ Time passed quickly. Before long, night fell, and it was time for the banquet at the Roman Palace. Charlotte changed into an elegant white noble gown, her golden hair styled into a graceful noble curl. Surrounded by Northern nobles, she boarded a carriage and headed to the Roman Palace for the banquet. The Roman Palace was not far from Charlotte¡¯s inn, just across a square. When Charlotte arrived at the palace, the Castell emblem immediately attracted many eyes. No matter what, Charlotte was a significant noble. Even in the Starfall Kingdom, she was bound to attract attention. Not to mention her titles such as ¡°Uncrowned Saintess recognized by the Crescent Archbishop¡± and ¡°the most beautiful and wealthy young lord of the Crescent Kingdom.¡± The Roman Palace did not seem grand but rather historical, more like a castle than a palace. When Charlotte¡¯s convoy stopped in front of the palace, the servants and stewards, having received the news, warmly welcomed them. Their enthusiastic attitude seemed more like welcoming a major local lord than a foreign noble. And when Charlotte entered the banquet hall, she finally understood why even the barons in her entourage received invitations. No other reason¡ªthe banquet, by the standard of a crown prince, was quite underwhelming. It¡¯s not about the conditions. In fact, the banquet was well-prepared, with excellent environment, facilities, and food. The problem lay in the attending nobles. Charlotte was surprised to find that despite being a crown prince¡¯s banquet, the attending major nobles were few. She, as a Northern Countess, was among the most prominent attendees. The reason even barons received invitations was probably to fill the numbers! Many Starfall nobles likely declined the invitation, which in itself indicates their stance. Although there is no conclusive evidence about Prince Henry¡¯s origins from the Nez Clan, rumors can spread. Many nobles might not say it, but they probably believe his lineage is flawed¡­ Charlotte thought to herself. Accompanied by Eudoxia, she entered the venue inconspicuously. As for Nice, although pets were not allowed, he was ultimately let in after demonstrating his ability to speak and his ¡°human-like¡± intelligence. It was still early, and Prince Henry had not yet arrived. Charlotte casually picked up a juice from a servant¡¯s tray, took a sip, and considered whether she could discreetly explore the palace. But she suddenly felt an uncomfortable gaze. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte frowned and looked in the direction of the gaze, seeing a nobleman in a black suit leaning against a pillar, holding a wine glass and looking at her with interest. Though somewhat concealed, Charlotte¡¯s ¡°man¡¯s intuition¡± sensed the unrestrained and greedy look in his eyes. Their eyes met, and the nobleman first showed a hint of surprise, then smiled. He finished his wine, placed the empty glass on a servant¡¯s tray, and walked gracefully towards Charlotte, bowing elegantly and saying warmly. ¡°Beautiful lady, you are truly adorable. May I invite you to dance?¡± Charlotte: ¡­ Although he had changed his appearance and aura, through the connection in her mind, Charlotte recognized his identity. The one hitting on her¡­ was none other than the Third Dark Apostle, Albrecht, who had somehow ended up here in Roan! Chapter 409: Albrechts Good Fortune Charlotte was puzzled by Albrecht¡¯s sudden approach and wondered whether it was deliberate or accidental.Although she had never met him in her true form, as the Countess of Castell, she was quite a notable figure in Crescent. Albrecht, as an active Dark Apostle in the Crescent Kingdom, and someone who had secretly reported her to the Holy Court, should have recognized her identity. After all, he was aware that the ¡°True Ancestor of Blood¡± was behind the Castell family. However, Albrecht truly did not recognize her¡­ In fact, Charlotte had indeed misunderstood the usually prudent Dark Apostle. As a high-ranking member of the Blood Demon Cult, Albrecht was well-informed about the events in the northern lands. Still, the information within the cult was often a mix of truths and falsehoods. Though he knew about the rumors of an Evil God behind the young countess, Albrecht was initially skeptical. In reality, Albrecht hadn¡¯t taken this matter seriously. Even the initial report he made was to divert the Holy Court¡¯s attention, facilitating his plans in the Crescent capital. Thus, he never paid close attention to the Castell family or studied the young Countess in detail. He had only heard about her outstanding beauty. But to Albrecht, beauty was commonplace. As a seasoned third-generation bloodborne, he had seen countless beautiful young women, even having the fortune of seeing the famed Goddess of Beauty, Aphros, from the Mythic Era from afar. Therefore, even the extraordinary beauty of ¡°Charlotte de Castell¡± was something he dismissed with a smile. Later, he encountered the resurrected True Ancestor, realizing that the Castell family indeed had a godly presence behind them, the resurrected True Ancestor of Blood. However, by then, compared to the fear of the True Ancestor and the anxiety over his own blood servant contract, the Castell family was no longer of concern. Thus, a curious coincidence occurred: Albrecht still had no idea what ¡°Charlotte de Castell¡± looked like. Had he researched today¡¯s banquet at the Roman Palace beforehand, he might have recognized her easily. But he attended the banquet on a whim. In fact, Albrecht didn¡¯t even have an invitation. He had snuck in using magic. As for why he approached Charlotte¡­ The reason was simple: the noble girl¡¯s appearance perfectly matched his preferences. From the moment she entered the banquet hall, Albrecht, lazily sipping Roman royal wine, was instantly captivated. Her long golden hair cascaded like a waterfall, resembling waves of gold, complementing her youthful smile. Her blue eyes were as clear as the ocean, exuding purity and clarity. Though her figure was still youthful, the dress gave her a touch of maturity. Her budding chest was just right, not yet as alluring as a fully grown woman, but already showing the charm of womanhood. Her pure eyes held a hint of innocence mixed with a touch of maturity, creating a dual beauty that was irresistibly charming. Albrecht was instantly smitten. He did not favor overly mature women, who were too seductive and whose minds had long been tainted by the sordid human world, making them less appealing. Their once pure blood now tasted unpleasant. He also disliked overly young girls, who were just children, representing ignorance, like unripe fruits, irritating to interact with and whose blood, though pure, lacked flavor, being dry and dull. But the girl before him was just right. At thirteen or fourteen, she was youthful and tender, on the verge of maturity. She was not as naive as a child, nor as hypocritical as an adult. Her appearance and temperament were perfect, exuding an incredibly enticing aura. She felt like a perfectly medium-rare steak, with the raw meat retaining its primal flavor, tender, soft, juicy, and fresh. ? Albrecht felt a strong thirst. In nearly two thousand years as a bloodborne, he had rarely felt such a strong impulse. This noble girl¡¯s blood must be delicious and top-tier! He wanted her, really wanted to make her his. He wanted to capture her heart, then, in her moment of downfall, imprison her. He wanted to possess her amidst her terrified, puzzled, and innocent gaze, devouring her. He wanted to drink her fresh blood, hear her screams, see her tainted by his presence, and watch as she slowly drowned in darkness¡­ Almost instinctively, Albrecht moved. Before other young nobles could act, he had already stepped forward, inviting the girl to dance. Albrecht was quite confident in his human appearance. Without modesty, as a Legendary Bloodborne, he possessed an exceptionally outstanding appearance, even among his kins. His centuries of hiding in the human world had also honed his manners to a level more refined than the oldest human nobles. He was sure that no human woman could resist his charm, especially such an innocent and alluring young bud, as pure as a blank sheet of paper. Of course, if she were indifferent, it wouldn¡¯t matter. Though his proficiency in mental magic wasn¡¯t as strong as his dark magic, it was still quite formidable. As Albrecht made his invitation, he flashed a gentle and cheerful smile. At the same time, a flash of crimson flickered in his black pupils as he subtly cast a mind-suggestion spell. He did not sense any extraordinary aura from the girl. He believed that with his perfect disguise and the guidance of his magic, capturing such delicious and enticing prey would be effortless. Albrecht felt both excited and happy. The gloom brought by Lutecia¡¯s bad luck had dissipated considerably, and he eagerly anticipated his upcoming interaction with the girl. It was great, being away from Crescent and temporarily away from that terrifying figure, his luck seemed to be improving. As he had anticipated, after displaying his gentlemanly demeanor and using his mind-suggestion magic, the girl¡¯s fair cheeks soon flushed with a light blush. She seemed somewhat at a loss and nervous, but her shy, animal-like glances showed a bit of innocent delight. Her eyes met Albrecht¡¯s unintentionally and quickly looked away in a fluster, her voice stammering shyly. ¡°Thank¡­ you, sir, but¡­ but I¡¯m not good at dancing, and I don¡¯t know how to dance¡­¡± It seemed she was a somewhat introverted child and apparently did not like dancing. Albrecht quickly made this judgment. His perception was sharp. The girl, though shy, showed no joy in being invited to dance, only nervousness. However, Albrecht didn¡¯t mind. Inviting her to dance was just a pretext. As long as he could engage in a deeper conversation with her, the rest would follow naturally. ¡°My apologies, beautiful miss. You seem uncomfortable with the hustle and bustle of the banquet. I know of a terrace behind this hall that offers a view of a sky full of stars. It¡¯s very beautiful and currently unoccupied. Would you like to take a look?¡± Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Albrecht warmly invited her again. ¡°Terrace? Stars?¡± The girl¡¯s eyes lit up instantly. Got her. Albrecht thought to himself. Seeing the girl¡¯s immediate interest, his mood was lifted considerably. Indeed, after distancing himself from that terrifying figure, his luck was finally changing for the better. Chapter 410: Blood servants cannot lie to their masters Charlotte was now very certain that Albrecht genuinely had not recognized her identity. Otherwise, he would never be so blatant in his advances, nor would he use mind-suggestion magic on her.Admitting this might sound a bit narcissistic, but Charlotte was well aware of how remarkable her appearance in this body was. It was a level of beauty that could still astonish her, even after years of bombardment by various image-editing software and beauty filters in her previous life. At any Myria noble banquet, she was always the center of attention, especially after merging with the Faceless Statue. Perhaps it was because she had become a Demigod, her skin and aura had further improved. While her physical strength, excluding the blood divine power, had not surpassed mortal levels, her appearance was becoming increasingly otherworldly. As a result, when attending various banquets, Charlotte no longer worried about dressing up beautifully but about making her appearance look more ¡°human.¡± Of course, even when appearing ¡°human¡±, her appearance was still awe-inspiring to ordinary people. And that¡¯s not even mentioning Charlotte¡¯s identity as the ¡°True Ancestor of Blood.¡± Even though she concealed her aura, her body had been transformed numerous times by the Gospel of Blood, making her bloodline extremely pure. Most bloodbornes needed to drink regularly, and even Legendary Bloodbornes still had a blood-drinking impulse. Charlotte, having been transformed by the Gospel of Blood many times, had blood that was undoubtedly more enticing. Even if Albrecht couldn¡¯t sense the aura masked by her blood divine power, his bloodborne instincts would still draw his gaze toward her. Therefore, it was entirely normal for the usually composed Albrecht to be attracted to her. Charlotte wasn¡¯t particularly angry about Albrecht¡¯s actions, she found them amusing. She was looking for some fun, so she played along to see what tricks he might have up his sleeve. Unlike the light-polluted Earth, the night sky over Myria¡¯s cities was still dazzling and beautiful. The Milky Way adorned the sky, familiar yet strange, reminding Charlotte that she had truly transmigrated into another world. Albrecht didn¡¯t make any inappropriate moves. After leading Charlotte to the viewing platform, he naturally stood beside her, gazing at the stars together. The dark sky was dotted with stars, their light sparkling like diamonds, with nebulae winding through the endless Milky Way. Charlotte was soon captivated by the starry river. However, Albrecht noticed that her eyes lacked the excitement and joy of a child seeing a beautiful sky. Instead, there was a hint of melancholy and nostalgia amidst her appreciation. This surprised him and further piqued his curiosity about the girl. It seemed the bud he had found had a story to tell. Albrecht enjoyed uncovering stories. Following Charlotte¡¯s gaze, he smiled slightly and said, ¡°Beautiful lady, the constellation you¡¯re looking at is ¡®Winged Seat.¡¯¡± ¡°It is said to be the guardian of all birds, erected by the Sky God for a gray finch named ¡®Barry.¡¯¡± ¡°Gray finches are birds that rarely fly high, but ¡®Barry¡¯ was different. It longed to soar over the highest peak and explore the unknown sky.¡± ¡°It bravely flew into the sky, never giving up despite encountering storms and never retreating even in the face of dragons¡¯ mockery.¡± ¡°Finally, it crossed the storm and reached the peak. In its dying moments, it became the first gray finch to fly over the world¡¯s highest summit.¡± ¡°Its courage and determination moved the Sky God. Every star in the sky shone for it, and eventually, with the Sky God¡¯s blessing, it became the Winged Seat in the starry sky, guiding all birds in their flight¡­¡± ¡°Beautiful lady, that constellation is ¡®Acacia Seat,¡¯ and it also has an ancient story.¡± ¡°However, this story is not inspiring but rather tragic¡­¡± Albrecht pointed at the stars and told stories. To Charlotte¡¯s surprise, he seemed genuinely adept at charming girls, his mind full of various star stories. Even she found herself unexpectedly drawn into his tales, fascinated by each beautiful or sad story. However, Charlotte also noticed that, unlike Earth¡¯s constellation stories, Albrecht¡¯s stories always involved Gods. Whether it was the Sky God or the God of Beauty and Love, all constellations were established by Gods and closely linked to them. Charlotte¡¯s mind stirred. She put on an innocent, longing expression and asked sweetly. ¡°Sir, are the stories you tell real stories that happened?¡± Albrecht smiled. He was about to humor her, as he usually did with girls when telling sky stories, but for some reason, looking into her clear, starry eyes, he found himself suddenly speaking the truth. ¡°Of course not.¡± ¡°Reality is not so romantic. The so-called constellation stories are just amusing tales humans invented to satisfy their curiosity about the sky and Gods.¡± At this point, Albrecht realized his mistake. By the True Ancestor! Why did he suddenly reveal his true thoughts? Ugh, crap! What bad luck! Albrecht coughed a few times, trying to suppress the sudden thought of a certain venerable name. Entities at that level were highly perceptive, even thinking about them might attract their attention¡­ Having managed to avoid that terrifying presence, he didn¡¯t want to be noticed again anytime soon! Shaking his head vigorously, Albrecht suppressed his scattered thoughts. Looking at the girl again, he felt a headache coming on. Denying his own ¡°fairy tales¡± was not what a starry-eyed, pure girl wanted to hear. One careless move, and all his efforts to win her favor could be undone! Albrecht felt regretful, not realizing it was the blood servant contract at work. For a True Ancestor, a blood servant could not, and would not, lie. Questions asked by the True Ancestor must be answered truthfully. ¡°Sir, does that mean the constellations have nothing to do with the Gods?¡± Charlotte asked sweetly, her big eyes blinking. Facing her innocent, inquisitive look, Albrecht was stunned, feeling a bit dazed. It seemed¡­ the girl wasn¡¯t disappointed by his answer. Rather, she seemed even more interested? She was interested in Gods? Albrecht¡¯s spirits lifted. He planned to tell some human-created stories related to Gods to please her, but as he spoke, the words changed. ¡°Yes, and no.¡± ¡°The stars have been around for a very long time, possibly even before the Gods appeared. However, not all stars are unrelated to the Gods. Some stars are actually projections of the Gods¡¯ divine realms in the sky, and some stars are sealed Gods¡­¡± Halfway through, Albrecht covered his mouth. By the True Ancestor! What was he saying? Why did he casually reveal such secret knowledge?! Many Gods¡¯ cults described the sky as the creation of Gods. With the Divinity Descent Day approaching, openly debunking this could attract the attention of hidden beings! Ugh, disgusting! Albrecht felt like his brain was malfunctioning tonight, his intelligence seemingly reduced! He didn¡¯t dare delve further into this topic and coughed lightly, changing the subject. ¡°Ahem, beautiful lady, your attire doesn¡¯t look like that of a Starfall noble. Are you here for the banquet from elsewhere?¡± Charlotte nodded and answered truthfully. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m not from Starfall. I¡¯m from the North.¡± ¡°The North¡­¡± S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Albrecht mused. He thought of the North¡¯s ruler, the young countess, suspected to be the True Ancestor¡¯s vassal. Reassessing the girl, he showed an appreciative look and praised her. ¡°I¡¯ve heard the northern girls are the most beautiful. I never believed it, but seeing you now, I realize the truth might exceed the rumors.¡± ¡°Beautiful lady, you are the most adorable person I¡¯ve ever seen. Even the so-called Crescent Jewel, Countess Castell, cannot compare to you¡­¡± Hearing Albrecht¡¯s words, the girl lowered her head slightly, her lips curling in a seemingly delighted and shy smile. Seconds later, she raised her head, her expression back to normal. ¡°Sir, your attire doesn¡¯t look like that of a Starfall noble either. Where are you from, and why did you come to Roman?¡± Upon hearing the girl¡¯s question, Albrecht felt complicated emotions. His expression darkened as he bitterly smiled. ¡°My dear lady, to be honest, I came to Roman to escape disaster.¡± ¡°Escape disaster?¡± The girl raised an eyebrow. Albrecht nodded, sighing deeply, unaware that he was once again speaking his true thoughts. ¡°I come from the Crescent Kingdom. Recently, I was targeted by a terrifying presence and had to flee my homeland.¡± ¡°A terrifying¡­ presence?¡± The girl¡¯s expression was curious. Albrecht sighed and began to pour out his grievances. ¡°Yes, a terrifying presence. It was our family¡¯s former elder, who returned from a very distant place. She is more evil than demons, more sinister than devils, and more brutal than black dragons. Her power is overwhelming. I couldn¡¯t resist her. She wanted to enslave me and take everything from me. I had no choice but to escape to this place¡­¡± Hearing Albrecht¡¯s lament, the girl nodded, sympathetically agreeing. ¡°It sounds like a truly unreasonable elder.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it! You leave, then stay gone! If you come back, fine, but why target me, a minor figure, and not those big shots? I¡¯m really having a hard time¡­¡± Albrecht was full of resentment, venting to the girl in front of him. However, as he spoke, he suddenly realized¡­ By the True Ancestor! Why was he revealing all his true thoughts again?! Bah! What True Ancestor! Damn it! Albrecht shivered, looking around cautiously, fearing that he might attract the attention of a certain existence, that crimson mist might suddenly engulf him, and he would find himself before the Blood Throne again. Fortunately, apart from the gentle sea breeze and the music from the banquet hall, there were no unusual phenomena around. Albrecht breathed a sigh of relief. He was just overthinking. The True Ancestor of Blood was expanding her faith in Crescent, she wouldn¡¯t be here. Only then did he realize that his conversation with the girl wasn¡¯t over, and his previous outpouring of grievances was definitely a huge negative point! Albrecht was filled with regret, but when he looked at the girl, he found her expression seemed happier. Huh? No¡­ that didn¡¯t seem like pure happiness; it was more like a¡­ forced smile. Indeed, his careless words had lowered her opinion of him¡­ Albrecht frowned slightly, but he wasn¡¯t too worried. If his techniques failed, he still had magic. Thinking of this, he decided to skip the previous topic and smiled warmly. ¡°My dear lady, we¡¯ve talked for so long, yet we don¡¯t know each other¡¯s names. May I ask¡­ how should I address you?¡± Hmm? Trying to take it further? Charlotte¡¯s eyes twinkled with interest. With a playful mindset, she pretended to be a young girl trying to act mature and smiled. ¡°Sir, shouldn¡¯t you introduce yourself first before asking a lady¡¯s name?¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, Albrecht slapped his forehead and apologized. ¡°Ah, my apologies, dear lady, you are so charming that I forgot to introduce myself.¡± He then elegantly bowed and introduced himself with a bright smile using the fake name he had prepared. ¡°You may call me Albrecht, Albrecht Yabadis Shedite.¡± A fake¡­ fake name¡­ fake name my ass! By the True Ancestor! Why did he blurt out his real name?! And even included the demon¡¯s true name! Albrecht was dumbfounded! Soon, his expression turned suspicious and uncertain. Once could be a mistake, but not repeatedly. How could he, a Blood Duke and a Legendary demon, continuously reveal all his true thoughts? Something wasn¡¯t right! This was not right! He¡­ might have unknowingly fallen under some hidden spell! Albrecht¡¯s expression turned grim as he suspiciously looked around, considering over a dozen bloodborne names that could have set him up. Eventually, his uncertain gaze fell on the girl in front of him who had greatly attracted him. He wasn¡¯t stupid. All the oddities seemed to have started when he began interacting with this girl. The girl, however, seemed unaware of Albrecht¡¯s change in expression. She just looked a bit odd. She nodded slightly, smiling approvingly. ¡°Albrecht? A nice name, same as an old acquaintance of mine.¡± Then, she beamed a bright smile. ¡°So, Albrecht, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. You can call me Charlotte.¡± Char¡­ Charlotte? Albrecht was taken aback. This name¡­ where had he heard it before? Wait¡­ Charlotte¡­ just the first name? What about the surname? Albrecht frowned. He was about to speak when he sensed a familiar presence approaching the banquet hall. It was¡­ the presence of a bloodborne. Albrecht squinted his eyes. He quietly summoned his magic, ready to act at any moment. The next second, he saw a young noble from Starfall entering the observation deck. Albrecht raised an eyebrow. If he remembered correctly, that was Count Yurst of the Nez Clan, a third-generation bloodborne and descendant of Yorok. What was a Nez Blood Count doing here? Did the Nez Clan discover his presence? Albrecht became wary, his magic ready to strike. However, to his surprise, Count Yurst seemed to pay little attention to him. Yurst merely glanced at him with a frown before focusing on the girl. He approached her and smiled. ¡°Madam Castell, so you are here. Prince Henry has arrived.¡± Madam Castell? Albrecht was stunned. No¡­ wait. Castell¡­ Charlotte¡­ Charlotte de Castell? The Lord of the North, the young Countess of Castell ¨CCharlotte de Castell?! In almost an instant, Albrecht remembered where he had heard the name Charlotte. It was the name of the Northern Lord! And when ¡°Charlotte de Castell¡± appeared in his mind, the blood servant contract mark in his soul lit up¡­ Albrecht was horrified to find that he couldn¡¯t speak her name! A blood servant cannot lie to their master. At the same time, a blood servant cannot directly address their master¡¯s true name. In that moment, Albrecht recalled the various rules of the blood servant contract. Looking at the smiling girl in front of him, he thought of an incredible possibility, and following that terrifying possibility, all the oddities and doubts of tonight were answered¡­ ¡°M The girl¡¯s delicate figure overlapped with a vague memory, and Albrecht¡¯s expression turned horrified. His scalp tingled as he struggled to speak. Chapter 411: Albrechts Legs Gave Out True Ancestor!She is the True Ancestor! Albrecht¡¯s expression was horrified, and a storm of fear surged in his heart. Almost instinctively, he jumped to the side, swiftly distancing himself from the girl he had just wanted to have a deep conversation with, his entire body trembling with the urge to flee. But Charlotte¡¯s heavenly voice, like a devil¡¯s whisper, rang in his ear¡­ ¡°Albrecht, what¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?¡± Charlotte¡¯s voice was still clear and melodious. She smiled at Albrecht, her expression pure and serene, like an angel. But Albrecht felt even worse. Now that he realized who she was, the girl in his eyes was no longer a pure ¡°angel¡± but rather a ¡°devil¡± disguised as an angel! She definitely recognized his identity long ago! Albrecht was terrified and wanted to run away immediately. However, with her radiant smile, he felt as if his legs were filled with lead, and even his magic seemed disrupted. That was from fear¡­ And thinking about his earlier attempts at small talk and his veiled grievances towards the True Ancestor, Albrecht¡¯s face turned green. Damn it! S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. What had he just said in front of the True Ancestor? Recalling his earlier conversation and complaints, Albrecht felt like a clown stripped naked, wishing he could find a crack in the void to crawl into and seal himself forever! ¡°N-no¡­ cough, Countess¡­ Countess Castell, I¡¯m fine, absolutely fine¡­¡± Albrecht swallowed hard, forcing out a stiff smile, trembling with fear. He wasn¡¯t stupid. Since the True Ancestor hadn¡¯t revealed her identity, even though he realized who she was, he dared not directly acknowledge it. But he was sure she knew he had realized her identity. Her earlier words were probably a warning. Warning him not to run away. It must be¡­ It must be because of his earlier complaints that she had noted down a grudge! Albrecht felt bitter, thinking he was doomed. In his memory, the True Ancestor was not a merciful God but a vengeful one who repaid grievances harshly, even exacting severe retribution on Gods who offended her! ? Not to mention he was a forcibly contracted blood servant who had so blatantly offended her! Albrecht wished he could travel back to before he left Crescent, giving his past self a few slaps. Why run here? Didn¡¯t he know that the Roman Duchy was right next to the True Ancestor¡¯s Castell territory?! He had been so smug, thinking the True Ancestor wouldn¡¯t come here, and now he had run straight into her! And he had even tried to chat her up¡­ Complaining, ranting¡­ He must have been mad, forgetting how to be cautious¡ªthis was practically blaspheming a God in front of Her face and badmouthing Her! It was suicidal! At this moment, Albrecht deeply regretted his actions. ¡°Is that so? I thought you heard something from Yurst about my identity and got a bit nervous. If not, that¡¯s great. I actually enjoyed chatting with you.¡± Hearing Albrecht¡¯s words, Charlotte smiled. She elegantly took a sip of juice from the tray of a passing waiter and smiled sweetly. ¡°If possible, you don¡¯t need to take Yurst¡¯s words to heart. After all, right now, I¡¯m not a countess but just a girl looking for some fun and a good story.¡± Charlotte¡¯s movements were graceful and dignified, her smile sweet and radiant. The crystal lights of the banquet hall shone on her, making her look like a cute little angel, her sweet and brilliant smile as warm as spring. But Albrecht couldn¡¯t be more scared. He was left with only terror in his heart. The more she smiled, the more frightened he became. Just a girl looking for some fun? What did that mean? Was it a warning not to expose her identity? And¡­ looking for fun? Was this a threat? A warning? Was she planning to make him her plaything? Albrecht¡¯s brain couldn¡¯t process it anymore. However, he knew that at times like this, he should be as obedient as possible, flatter the big shot, and follow her lead¡­ Taking a deep breath, Albrecht forced out a smile. He imitated Charlotte, picking up a glass of fruit wine from the waiter¡¯s tray and bringing it to his mouth. ¡°Y-you¡­ you said it, I¡­ I¡¯m not nervous, not nervous at all, um¡­ just a bit, maybe¡­¡± ¡°Talking with you¡­ I enjoyed it too, ha ha ha ha¡­¡± Albrecht¡¯s smile was stiff. He brought the glass to his lips but could hardly drink any of the wine. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to drink¡ªit was that his hands were shaking too much, spilling the wine everywhere. No, it wasn¡¯t just his hands. Since realizing her identity, his legs had been trembling. If someone pushed him now, Albrecht doubted he could stay on his feet. He wanted to stand firm and control his shaking. But he couldn¡¯t stop trembling. Thinking of the real identity of the innocent, sweet girl before him and what he had done to her, his scalp tingled, and his heart ached¡­ Meanwhile, after multiple conversations with Charlotte, Count Yurst finally noticed the ¡°young noble¡± beside her. Albrecht? Hearing Charlotte call someone¡¯s name, Yurst frowned slightly. Albrecht wasn¡¯t an uncommon name, typical in the Yunette culture. But Yurst didn¡¯t like the name. It always reminded him of a certain Legendary Bloodborne of the Dark Clan. Due to historical reasons and personal experiences, Yurst despised the Shedite. No, more accurately, traditional bloodbornes like his Nez Clan looked down on and loathed the lunatics of the Blood Demon Cult. Even though the ¡°Albrecht¡± he knew was a high-ranking member of Shedite, a Dark Apostle of the Blood Demon Cult. Respect aside, he truly disliked them. Yurst instinctively looked at the person in front of him, examining this ¡°Albrecht.¡± Handsome, yes, but with a somewhat kind appearance. He felt like he had seen him somewhere before. Hmm? Strange¡­ Where had he seen him? Yurst furrowed his brows. However, he had met too many people over his long life, so he couldn¡¯t immediately recall where he had crossed paths with this individual. Still, he must not have been anyone important. Because his presence was too weak. Just standing next to the young Countess of Castell, this noble named ¡°Albrecht¡± seemed noticeably nervous, his legs shaking like those of a lightning mouse, and his face so pale he looked more like a bloodborne than the actual bloodbornes. Was he scared by Countess Castell¡¯s identity? Yurst¡¯s mind stirred. He had heard that a young noble had called out Countess Castell when he came to find her. When he arrived at the observatory and saw the young noble, he knew that this was yet another person attracted by Countess Castell¡¯s appearance, hoping to make a conversation. Yurst hadn¡¯t paid much attention, knowing that Countess Castell, being the True Ancestor¡¯s proxy, would likely not be interested in these insincere and lowly human nobles. However, this noble named ¡°Albrecht¡± had failed so miserably that it even surpassed his understanding of the useless nobles among humans. This person clearly didn¡¯t know Countess Castell¡¯s identity when attempting to strike up a conversation. Now that he knew, he was so nervous, shaking while holding a wine glass, that anyone would think a mouse had met a cat. It was utterly disgraceful. Yurst shook his head secretly, looking at Albrecht with some contempt and disdain. Daring to approach in such a setting but being so visibly intimidated upon learning Countess Castell¡¯s identity, such nervousness and loss of composure were characteristics of those lowly nobles who lacked proper upbringing and were used to bullying the weak. As a Starfall Bloodborne noble, he looked down on such people even more than the bloodborne of Shedite. Unlike Yurst, Albrecht did recognize his identity. However, Albrecht couldn¡¯t understand why a Blood Count of the Nez Clan was here and why he had any connection with the True Ancestor. Fearful and anxious, Albrecht¡¯s mind raced, imagining that the Nez Clan had already been infiltrated by the True Ancestor, and envisioning the entire Nez bloodbornes had collectively submitted¡­ However, noticing Yurst¡¯s nearly equal tone of conversation with Charlotte, he quickly realized something. Hmm? Something¡¯s off¡­ This Nez brat seemed unaware of the True Ancestor¡¯s identity! He¡­ he appeared to only see Her Majesty as the Countess of Castell! This realization made Albrecht¡¯s feelings complex, and he looked at Yurst with a peculiar expression. But when he caught the disdainful look from Yurst, he immediately felt a blockage in his heart. This guy¡­ must be seeing him as one of those weak nobles intimidated by a superior identity! Meeting Yurst¡¯s contemptuous gaze, Albrecht was deeply displeased, yet his hidden identity forced him to suppress it. Meanwhile, Yurst, noticing his ¡°unhappy¡± expression, became even more interested. For some reason, seeing this expression made Yurst feel oddly displeased, as if there was a natural discord when a Nez bloodborne met a Shedite bloodborne. He chuckled softly, speaking with a somewhat condescending tone. ¡°Albrecht? This name reminds me of an amusing tale from not long ago.¡± ¡°I heard that the Third Dark Apostle of the Blood Demon Cult tried to perform a sacrifice in Lutecia, but his identity was exposed and he was besieged by four Legendaries¡­ nearly met his end there.¡± ¡°It¡¯s quite laughable, really, to attempt something in a place like Lutecia. It¡¯s both foolish and arrogant.¡± ¡°Oh, by the way, that Blood Demon¡­ was also named Albrecht.¡± ¡°It¡¯s funny, isn¡¯t it? A name that has a rather nice meaning, yet those who bear it often turn out to be either fools or lunatics¡­ truly regrettable.¡± Yurst sighed. Hearing Yurst¡¯s words, Charlotte¡¯s eyes twitched. Those were quite aggressive words. After all, the name Albrecht was rarely used in Starfall, mostly by Crescent folks. And Crescent folks hated the Blood Demon Cult the most. To Crescent folks, such descriptions were extremely contemptuous and insulting. Clearly, Yurst must have mistaken Albrecht for a Crescent noble, deliberately humiliating him due to dissatisfaction with his earlier attitude. However, little did Yurst know that the ¡°Albrecht¡± before him was actually the very person he was talking about. Thinking of this, Charlotte¡¯s smile grew brighter. She looked at the haughty Yurst, then at the gloomy Albrecht, finding the situation increasingly amusing. Noticing Albrecht¡¯s dark gaze, Yurst seemed to sense that the timing was right. He decided to stop, feigning realization, and then made a slight bow to Albrecht, apologizing with a smile. ¡°Oh, pardon me¡­ I wasn¡¯t implying that you are the same. It just happened to remind me of a recent anecdote. There¡¯s no way you could be one of those foolish and evil Blood Demon Cultists.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ by the way, which family are you from?¡± Albrecht: ¡­ Looking at Yurst¡¯s smug face, Albrecht felt his anger rising uncontrollably! If the True Ancestor targeted him, he would accept it. After all, she was the ancestor of all bloodbornes, the source of all bloodbornes, an existence he couldn¡¯t possibly defy¡­ But for a mere Blood Count of the Nez Clan to insult him? He was beginning to suspect whether it was intentional! For the True Ancestor¡¯s sake! Is this how she felt when she looked at him earlier? Albrecht felt a complex mix of shame and anger. He glared at Yurst with a dangerous expression. However, when Charlotte¡¯s indifferent gaze swept over, his fury was instantly quenched as if doused with cold water¡­ Calm down. He must stay calm. This terrifying ancestor was still present, he had to remain composed! Albrecht tried to convince himself to stay calm. Taking a deep breath, he suppressed his anger, then forced a smile and reported a family name. ¡°I am from the Mullins family. You can call me Albrecht de Mullins.¡± It wasn¡¯t a random name but one that truly existed. Albrecht knew about tonight¡¯s banquet at the Roman Palace from a young noble of the Mullins family who had received an invitation. Of course, that young noble had already disappeared. Albrecht had originally planned to assume his identity. ¡°The Mullins family of the Violet Duchy? But I recall that the Mullins family had already fallen. They only have a viscount title left, and the Mullins viscount should be quite old by now. It can¡¯t be you.¡± ¡°You must be a regular family member, then?¡± With that, Yurst shook his head, unabashedly displaying his disdain. ¡°I don¡¯t know what the royal family was thinking, inviting just anyone to such an event.¡± Albrecht: ¡­ Yurst was about to continue his mockery when a servant approached, whispering something in his ear. He raised an eyebrow, nodded to the servant. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll be there shortly.¡± Then, he turned to Charlotte with a smile. ¡°Madam Castell, Prince Henry wishes to see the Starfall nobles. I¡¯m going to check it out. Would you like to join me?¡± Charlotte glanced at Albrecht and smiled. ¡°I still want to chat with this gentleman for a while. You go ahead. I¡¯ll join you shortly.¡± Yurst raised an eyebrow, looking at both of them with some surprise. He didn¡¯t insist, nodding and turning to leave. However, before leaving, he glanced at Albrecht again, then whispered to Charlotte with a familiar tone. ¡°Madam Castell, it¡¯s clear this insignificant person isn¡¯t here with good intentions. While I¡¯m sure you realize this, I still feel the need to mention it.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not one of us, and engaging too much with such a character might undermine our dignity.¡± Albrecht: ¡­ Chapter 412: Cautious Yurst had left.Only Charlotte and Albrecht remained on the observation deck. Though Yurst¡¯s earlier remarks made Albrecht wish he could immediately unleash his bloodline power and strangle him, once Yurst actually left, Albrecht felt uneasy again. Help¡­ Now it was just him and the True Ancestor! Standing next to Charlotte, Albrecht felt as though the air around him had become suffocating. Even when facing the Blood Demon Archduke Abaddon, he had never felt such fear and oppression! Albrecht looked at Charlotte with a mix of sighs, nervousness, and fear. However, Charlotte seemed uninterested in him. Her gaze was still fixed on the distant night sky, seemingly admiring the brilliant stars. Noticing that Charlotte¡¯s attention wasn¡¯t on him, Albrecht took a light breath. He held his breath, first moving slightly to the side, then cautiously glancing at Charlotte. Seeing that Charlotte didn¡¯t seem to notice his movements, he grew bolder, moving a bit faster to the side, speed increasing as he went. Shuffle, shuffle¡­ Albrecht moved sideways like a crab, quickly scurrying to the other side of the observation deck. Then, he lifted his leg over the railing, intending to sneak away while Charlotte was distracted. Of course, Charlotte couldn¡¯t possibly not notice him¡­ She glanced amusedly at Albrecht, who was escaping like a rat with its tail between its legs, and said calmly. ¡°Did I allow you to leave?¡± Albrecht¡¯s movement froze instantly. He maintained his posture of climbing over the railing, but his whole body seemed to be petrified by Medusa, stuck in place. He really wanted to ignore Charlotte¡¯s words and turn into a black mist to fly away, but his body wouldn¡¯t obey. Deep in his soul, the mark of the blood servant contract glowed faintly, constraining Albrecht¡¯s actions with an irresistible force. Albrecht¡¯s expression grew bitter. He mechanically turned halfway, meeting Charlotte¡¯s gaze. Under the starlight, Charlotte¡¯s blue eyes had somehow turned golden-red. Their inner light flickered, mysterious and profound. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. That half-smiling gaze overlapped with the eyes hidden in the crimson mist at the Blood Throne in his memory, seemingly carrying an incredible power. When she looked at Albrecht, he felt as if all his bloodline power had frozen in an instant, as if he had returned to being a small, insignificant demon in the hell space before gaining his blood power. ? Albrecht felt immense pressure. Forcing a smile that looked worse than crying, he obediently put his leg back down from the railing and, with a dry laugh, said. ¡°Um¡­ great Countess, I¡­ I just saw you were too engrossed in admiring the stars and didn¡¯t want to disturb you¡­¡± Charlotte glanced at him. ¡°Avoiding the question, aren¡¯t you good at sidestepping the contract¡¯s rules? I want to hear the truth.¡± ¡°I¡¯m extremely scared, I wanted to slip away¡­¡± With the mark of the blood servant contract glowing faintly in his soul, Albrecht blurted out. After speaking, he quickly covered his mouth. Charlotte¡¯s expression was strange. Although she knew that with the suppression of bloodline and the constraint of the contract, Albrecht couldn¡¯t defy her, his genuine fear still surprised her. The fear the bloodborne had for the True Ancestor of Blood was stronger than she had imagined. Seeing Albrecht like a frightened bird, Charlotte felt a bit of teasing interest. She touched her smooth cheek and tilted her head. ¡°Am I that scary?¡± ¡°More evil than the demon?¡± ¡°More sinister than the devil?¡± ¡°More brutal than the black dragon?¡± Albrecht: ¡­ Seeing Charlotte repeating all his earlier complaints one by one, he wished he could go back in time and give himself a few slaps. ¡°No¡­ you are great, you are the ruler of the bloodborne, you are the supreme king, you are the existence we bloodbornes look up to!¡± ¡°Your power is immense and awe-inspiring¡­¡± Albrecht continued avoiding the question, decisively flattering her. But his legs still trembled, only holding onto the railing helped him stand steady. Charlotte glanced at him and said calmly. ¡°Tell me, why did you come to the Roman Duchy, and¡­ how is the task I assigned you?¡± Seeing that Charlotte wasn¡¯t continuing to press on his earlier offense and disrespect, Albrecht sighed in relief. After hesitating for a moment, he awkwardly said. ¡°I heard that the Roman Duchy was going to hold the Ancestral Recognition Ceremony, so I thought I¡¯d come and take a look.¡± ¡°Definitely¡­ definitely not just to avoid you! Um¡­ maybe¡­ probably¡­ just a little bit¡­¡± As if fearing Charlotte would misunderstand, Albrecht quickly added. Not just to avoid me? Charlotte was thoughtful. Just like how she dealt with the Holy Court¡¯s inquiries after transmigrated, a blood servant couldn¡¯t lie outright, but could speak half-truths. Albrecht¡¯s previous chat revealed that his action¡¯s purpose wasn¡¯t false. His visit to the Roman Duchy indeed had some ¡°escape¡± intentions, but withholding information was also true. And what he withheld might be his main purpose. Now that Charlotte had revealed her identity, Albrecht, bound by the blood servant contract, couldn¡¯t continue hiding under questioning. ¡°Are you interested in the Roman Sword¡¯s Recognition Ceremony?¡± Charlotte asked with interest. Albrecht was stunned for a moment, then seemed to understand, awkwardly saying. ¡°I guess¡­ kind of.¡± ¡°Kind of?¡± Charlotte frowned. She was not satisfied with this answer. Evidently, even at this point, Albrecht was still somewhat unwilling to give up and continued to hold back information. Charlotte¡¯s gaze grew colder. She put away her smile, looked at Albrecht calmly, and said, ¡°I want an accurate answer.¡± The blood servant contract in his soul flickered again, and the power of the bloodline trembled accordingly. Facing Charlotte¡¯s unquestionable gaze, Albrecht¡¯s scalp tingled. He didn¡¯t want to answer this question, but under the influence of the contract, he couldn¡¯t refuse. In the end, he had no choice but to honestly say, ¡°I¡¯m here to find the Faceless Statue.¡± ¡°You confiscated the Faceless Statue, and I must find a new one as a substitute. There is a possibility that the Roman Duchy¡¯s sealed Roman Sword has one, so¡­ I thought I¡¯d try my luck during the ceremony.¡± Hearing Albrecht¡¯s words, Charlotte raised an eyebrow. ¡°You know there¡¯s a Faceless Statue here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible¡­ just a possibility¡­¡± Albrecht replied. Charlotte looked at him with a hint of amusement and said, ¡°You didn¡¯t mention this in the imprinted memories.¡± Albrecht¡¯s expression tightened, and his face showed a trace of embarrassment. He forced a laugh and explained somewhat guiltily. ¡°You¡­ You needed all the memories about the bloodborne at that time, and I did imprint all of them.¡± ¡°However, the information about the Roman Duchy was still just my speculation back then. I was worried I might be wrong, so¡­ I didn¡¯t add it recklessly¡­¡± Charlotte looked deeply at him. Albrecht immediately lowered his head obediently, eyes on his nose and nose on his heart. But his height was too conspicuous. Nearly six-foot-three, in front of the petite Charlotte, his appearance of sincerely bowing in submission looked somewhat amusing. Clearly, Albrecht had more little schemes than Charlotte had imagined. The information about the Faceless Statue in the Roman Duchy might indeed have been uncertain before, but even if it was just a guess, it was related to the relics of the True Ancestor and should have been reported truthfully. However, Charlotte didn¡¯t have much to blame him for. After all, he was a forcibly contracted blood servant. It was already quite lucky for her to have contracted a Legendary as a blood servant, little schemes were inevitable. It was also because Albrecht couldn¡¯t figure out Charlotte¡¯s depth and completely regarded her as the resurrected True Ancestor of Blood. Otherwise, his little schemes would undoubtedly be more numerous. But no matter what, since he had already been made a blood servant, some discipline was necessary. Thinking of this, Charlotte looked at Albrecht. The blood divine power quietly operated, connecting with the blood servant contract mark between her and him. In an instant, Albrecht felt the contract mark in his soul radiate, and the crimson light swallowed everything. The surrounding world instantly disappeared. Albrecht found himself back in that majestic and solemn ancient Dark Night Castle. The ¡°True Ancestor of Blood¡± sat high on the throne, looking down at him, as if observing an ant. This time, however, he was not just standing below but was hanging on a cross. Below the cross were burning flames, and around it floated sharp swords. The flames quickly engulfed Albrecht¡¯s body, and the suspended swords flew at him, piercing his heart swiftly¡­ The pain of his soul burning and being pierced by ten thousand swords made Albrecht let out a miserable scream. He wanted to struggle, but tied to the cross, he could do nothing. He didn¡¯t know how much time had passed. It might have been a year, or it might have been many years. The torturous punishment seemed to extend infinitely in time, turning into an eternity. It wasn¡¯t until Albrecht was about to collapse that everything quietly disappeared. The world returned to reality. There was no ancient Dark Night Castle, no cross, and no punishment. He was still standing on the observation deck. However, the lingering pain in his soul reminded him that he had indeed been punished by the True Ancestor just now. The pain in his soul made Albrecht¡¯s face exceptionally pale. He swayed slightly, almost losing his balance. On the other side, Charlotte, who had used the blood divine power to control the illusion magic through the blood servant contract to punish Albrecht, also felt weak and barely managed to maintain her posture without showing any loss of composure. After all, a Legendary was still a Legendary. More than a month had passed since the legendary battle of Lutecia. Although Albrecht¡¯s injuries hadn¡¯t fully recovered, he was no longer in a severely injured state. Without the True Ancestor¡¯s Liberation, Charlotte, merely a pinnacle Silver Moon Blood Viscount, found it somewhat difficult to suppress him solely with the blood divine power and the blood servant contract. The constraints of the contract were manageable. After all, a blood servant contract was one of the highest-level soul contracts, difficult to break regardless of strength. But direct suppression of power was another matter. Just a punitive illusion had nearly drained Charlotte¡¯s mental strength, almost exhausting her completely! The Gospel of Blood glowed faintly, and the blood divine power quietly converted, transforming into a trickle of mental energy to replenish Charlotte¡¯s mental strength. Charlotte felt significantly better. She exhaled lightly, maintaining a calm demeanor, not letting Albrecht notice her weakness. ¡°This was just a small punishment, let it not happen again.¡± Charlotte said indifferently. After speaking, she gave Albrecht a meaningful look. ¡°Remember, I despise deceit and betrayal.¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s emotionless words, Albrecht immediately broke out in goosebumps. He trembled slightly, and when he looked up again, his eyes were filled with pure fear. This¡­ this is the power of the True Ancestor of Blood? Just now¡­ he truly felt as if his soul was about to be torn apart! With just a glance, he had been thrown into an endless punishment illusion. If she hadn¡¯t let him out in the end, he would have been lost forever, ultimately dying in the torment of his soul! Recalling the recent illusion and the blood divine power that made him tremble within it, Albrecht couldn¡¯t muster any thought or will to resist. He trembled as he bowed his head and responded in a quivering voice. ¡°Albrecht understands, Albrecht¡­ thanks you for your mercy.¡± Seeing the Legendary Bloodborne completely subdued, Charlotte also felt relieved internally. Keeping her expression unchanged, she said indifferently. ¡°Speak, how do you plan to obtain the Faceless Statue?¡± Charlotte was curious. Having learned from Eudoxia that the Roman Sword¡¯s sealing space was likely related to the Ancient Temple, she had been considering the most convenient way to act. Now that Albrecht had delivered himself to her, perhaps he could provide some reference. Hearing Charlotte¡¯s question, Albrecht hesitated briefly and said, ¡°My original plan was to disrupt the Ancestral Recognition Ceremony and take the defenseless Roman Sword at a critical moment during the ceremony¡­¡± ¡°Then, I would use the Roman Sword to obtain the Faceless Statue.¡± Good grief. This guy was also planning to sabotage the ceremony? However, his plan was much more brute-force compared to hers and the Nez Clan¡¯s. No wonder the countries of Myria were generally hostile towards the Blood Demon Cult, such destructive plans were bound to make them notorious. But¡­ ¡°Original plan?¡± Charlotte raised an eyebrow. ¡°Yes, original plan.¡± Albrecht nodded. ¡°After arriving in Roman, I sensed many Nez bloodbornes, including some familiar faces.¡± ¡°It seems the Nez Clan is also planning something big.¡± ¡°I originally intended to explore tonight and adjust my plan accordingly, but unexpectedly¡­ I ran into you.¡± After speaking, Albrecht glanced at Charlotte, hesitated for a moment, and cautiously asked. ¡°Countess, you seem to be well acquainted with Yurst of the Nez Clan¡­¡± ¡°Have you¡­ already subdued the Nez Clan?¡± Chapter 413: The Starfall Royal Family Conspiracy Subdued the Nez Clan?Upon hearing Albrecht¡¯s words, Charlotte was visibly taken aback. However, she quickly realized that Albrecht had recognized Yurst¡¯s identity and was curious about her relationship with the Nez Clan. This wasn¡¯t something she needed to hide. Even though Albrecht was forced into a contract, he was ultimately her blood servant. Unless he became a God himself, with Charlotte being a ¡°Demigod¡±, he couldn¡¯t escape her grasp. After all, myths inherently suppress Legendary beings! ¡°I haven¡¯t subdued the Nez Clan, but I have signed an alliance with them under my title as the Countess of Castell. Of course, there are forces within the Nez Clan that support me, just like you in the Blood Demon Cult.¡± Charlotte said coolly. An alliance? Now it was Albrecht¡¯s turn to be stunned. However, after Charlotte finished speaking, she didn¡¯t elaborate. Despite his curiosity, Albrecht held back out of fear of the True Ancestor. ¡°Forget your original plan. We have the same goal, and I don¡¯t want any unexpected complications affecting my actions.¡± Seeing Albrecht¡¯s conflicted expression, Charlotte spoke. At this point, Albrecht wasn¡¯t thinking about the Faceless Statue anymore. In fact, he just wanted to get away, far from the presence before him. ¡°I understand. I will leave immediately and not interfere with your plans.¡± He said, seizing on Charlotte¡¯s words as an opportunity to escape. ¡°Wait.¡± Charlotte¡¯s command stopped Albrecht in his tracks. She looked him up and down and suddenly smiled. ¡°Since you¡¯re here, I¡¯m short of subordinates. You can stay and assist me for the next few days.¡± Albrecht was deflated instantly. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, you don¡¯t want to?¡± Charlotte¡¯s voice turned cold. Though her voice wasn¡¯t loud or imposing, it sent a shiver down Albrecht¡¯s spine. He immediately forced a smile and nodded repeatedly. ¡°Of course I¡¯m willing! It¡¯s an honor to serve you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s better.¡± Charlotte nodded slightly. Given Albrecht¡¯s Legendary status, he had only submitted because of her overpowering presence. If she let him go now, she feared he might cause trouble later. It was safer to keep him close and monitor him, plus he could be an additional asset. Although he wasn¡¯t as strong as a True Ancestor, Albrecht was still a formidable force in Roan City, second only to the likes of Duke Yorok and the suspected Legendary Bloodborne in the cathedral. ¡°How should I stay by your side?¡± Albrecht asked cautiously. Charlotte glanced at him. ¡°That¡¯s for you to figure out. Just ensure you¡¯re always available when I need you and don¡¯t interfere with my actions.¡± ¡°Can I stay hidden? Only following you from the shadows and appearing when needed?¡± Albrecht suggested, afraid Charlotte might think he intended to run away. ¡°You can. Just as long as you are always ready when I call.¡± Charlotte agreed. Relieved, Albrecht quickly expressed his gratitude and disappeared into the darkness, eager to get away as quickly as possible. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Seeing him leave, Charlotte turned her attention back to the ballroom. Inside, the crowd had grown since she left. Noticing Yurst among them, she saw him standing next to a young man in ornate noble attire. This young man was Henry, the crown prince of the Starfall Kingdom. Seeing Charlotte return, Yurst signaled her with his eyes. She acknowledged him and walked over, becoming the center of attention. ¡°Your Highness, this is Charlotte de Castell, Countess of the North.¡± An elderly noble introduced her to Prince Henry. ¡°Greetings, Your Highness. I am Charlotte de Castell.¡± She said, curtseying gracefully. Prince Henry¡¯s eyes lit up, his somber expression lifting as he warmly greeted her. ¡°Welcome, Countess Castell. You are as beautiful as the rumors say, even more so.¡± ¡°Cough¡­ cough¡­¡± The elderly noble cleared his throat, reminding the Prince of his manners. Blushing slightly, Henry composed himself and formally welcomed her again. The noble then introduced the other high-ranking nobles to Charlotte, who greeted them in turn. She noticed that there were surprisingly few high-ranking nobles present, a sign that the rumors about Prince Henry¡¯s legitimacy had taken a toll. Engaging in conversations with the nobles, Charlotte noticed their interest in the recent conflicts and her involvement. She answered their questions, earning their admiration. ¡°Crescent Kingdom is flawed in this respect. King Louis V is autocratic and suppresses the nobility, unlike our Starfall Kingdom, which respects noble rights.¡± Prince Henry remarked. Charlotte responded with a polite smile. ¡°Countess, I¡¯m very interested in the customs of the North. Could we discuss them?¡± Henry asked eagerly. ¡°Of course, Your Highness.¡± Charlotte replied with a smile. Charlotte quickly began introducing Prince Henry to her domain, covering everything from the customs and scenery of Castell to its specialties. Prince Henry listened with great interest, occasionally asking questions that Charlotte answered one by one, satisfying the curiosity of Henry and the many nobles from Starfall. Finally, Charlotte steered the conversation toward Castell¡¯s rich mithril resources. ¡°Mithril¡­ that¡¯s something Starfall Kingdom lacks. Would you be willing to trade with the nobles of Starfall?¡± One noble couldn¡¯t help but ask. Charlotte¡¯s lips curved into a slight smile. ¡°Of course.¡± As a direct vassal of the kingdom, she had the right to dispose of her extraordinary resources as she saw fit. One of her goals in attending the Roman Duchy ceremony was to open up the market for her extraordinary resources and alchemical products in Starfall Kingdom, in exchange for some of Starfall¡¯s extraordinary materials. Starfall Kingdom, being an island nation, had access to the famous extraordinary fishing grounds of Myria, which yielded a vast amount of sea monsters and numerous alchemical materials every year. After some exchanges, Charlotte successfully established several trade agreements with a few Starfall nobles. Some nobles even offered to introduce Castell to the noble circles of Starfall Kingdom. Charlotte was quite satisfied. The more diverse the channels for extraordinary resources, the better. Unbeknownst to her, the four-hour-long banquet ended, leaving Charlotte with considerable gains and a contented heart. This banquet had pleasantly surprised her. She had initially thought Prince Henry¡¯s invitation to the ceremony and the banquet might have hidden motives, but it turned out to be just a welcoming party for nobles attending the ceremony. Though Prince Henry was warm and eager in conversation, expressing goodwill and attempts to build alliances, it was only verbal. At the banquet, there were few nobles of higher status than Charlotte, and none were foolish enough to offend her. This was the most relaxed noble banquet Charlotte had attended in over a year. ¡°Prince Henry inviting you to the banquet had no ulterior motives. The clan¡¯s plan is proceeding smoothly. The nobles within the kingdom are already highly suspicious of his origins. Whether or not he passes the recognition ceremony, there will be someone in the council to impeach him on these grounds.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why he needs to invite nobles of sufficient status and influence to attend the ceremony as witnesses.¡± ¡°Although you¡¯re officially titled as a countess, in the eyes of many nobles, your status is comparable to some dukes. Not to mention, you carry Roman blood. For Prince Henry, inviting you to the ceremony is a very good choice.¡± Yurst explained with a smile. Charlotte nodded slightly and sighed. ¡°He¡¯s quite good, much better than many nobles I¡¯ve met before. It¡¯s a pity.¡± ¡°Heh, you needn¡¯t feel too sorry for him. Although his invitation had no hidden motives, it wasn¡¯t entirely pure either. The royal family might have ideas about a marriage alliance with you. If Prince Henry passes the ceremony, he will likely bring it up.¡± Yurst shook his head. Charlotte frowned. ¡°But I¡¯ve already declared my celibacy.¡± Yurst shook his head. ¡°A declaration can¡¯t stop the will of the great nobles. Of course, the choice is yours. They can¡¯t force you. I think they¡¯ll try to win you over in various ways.¡± Charlotte paused, then shook her head. ¡°They¡¯d be wasting their efforts.¡± After some thought, Yurst continued. ¡°By the way, Countess Castell, the ceremony starts tomorrow. For your stand-in, we need a bit of your blood to shape it. We need you to provide a small amount. Rest assured, we won¡¯t use it for anything else. If you¡¯re worried, you can accompany me to see Duke Yorok and shape your stand-in on the spot.¡± Charlotte¡¯s mouth curved into a mischievous smile. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I have a better solution for the ¡®stand-in.¡¯¡± ¡­ Roman Palace. The banquet was over, and the weary Prince Henry returned to his room. He paced anxiously until the door opened, and Duke Conte entered. Prince Henry¡¯s eyes lit up, and he stepped forward quickly. ¡°Conte, how is it?¡± Duke Conte nodded. ¡°Everything is ready. Rest assured, tomorrow¡¯s ceremony will go smoothly.¡± Prince Henry breathed a sigh of relief. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, he added. ¡°Conte, it seems Countess Castell genuinely has no intention of finding a spouse. She ignored all my hints during the day.¡± Duke Conte sighed. ¡°She is a saintess recognized by the Holy Court. Given her declaration of celibacy, it must be true.¡± ¡°Then¡­ what do we do? Without strong support, the kingdom¡¯s nobles might oppose me, especially considering Castell¡¯s geographical position¡­¡± Prince Henry asked worriedly. Conte continued. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, even without a marriage alliance, we have other ways to manage the risk. As for the North¡­ its geographical position indeed poses a threat to Starfall. If we can¡¯t ally with or control it, it might give those secretly plotting a coup an opportunity. That¡¯s why the king has been covertly supporting subversion in the North. However, this is not something we need to consider now. Even a coup is the worst-case scenario.¡± ¡°For now, focus on the Ancestral Recognition Ceremony. Once you secure Roman Sword, all rumors will be dispelled. With the artifact in hand, even nobles contemplating rebellion will have to reconsider their strength!¡± Prince Henry hesitated. ¡°Completely capture Roman Sword? Can I really do it?¡± ¡°You can. The king has been preparing for this day for a long time. He chose your mother because of her elven blood, which shares origins with Romanus. Moreover, the king used the Roman family¡¯s hidden Contract Book. With it and your unique bloodline, Roman Sword will recognize you as its master. You will become its owner.¡± Conte reassured. Prince Henry was still uncertain. ¡°But¡­ isn¡¯t my Roman blood insufficient to activate the Contract Book?¡± Conte smiled. ¡°Your Roman blood might be insufficient, but we¡¯ve found a way to activate it. We¡¯ll have fresh blood to activate the Contract Book in time!¡± Prince Henry was stunned, then his eyes widened. ¡°You mean¡­ Countess Castell?!¡± Conte nodded slightly. ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°Though few know, Countess Castell has legitimate Roman blood. Inviting her to the ceremony wasn¡¯t just about a potential marriage. It¡¯s also for her Roman blood.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve prepared everything in secret. Tomorrow, at the ceremony, we¡¯ll forge her stand-in. When she attends, we¡¯ll quietly control her and obtain fresh Roman blood.¡± ¡°She¡¯s only a Silver Moon, unable to resist the power of the Blazing Sun. We¡¯ll sedate her and stage it as an accidental attack¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ll use her fresh blood to activate the Contract Book, gaining Roman Sword. Afterward, we can stage a heroic rescue!¡± ¡°Even if we don¡¯t win Countess Castell¡¯s heart, you¡¯ll owe her a great debt!¡± Conte¡¯s eyes narrowed, a cold smile forming. ¡°Those nobles entangled with the Bloodborne think you¡¯re just participating in an Ancestral Recognition Ceremony and gaining the sword¡¯s approval. They aim to deny your inheritance rights¡ªhow laughable!¡± ¡°They don¡¯t know about your special bloodline, the rediscovered Contract Book, or our thorough plan to secure Roman Sword!¡± ¡°Tomorrow, they¡¯ll see who the true heir of Starfall is. Tomorrow, they¡¯ll understand the royal family¡¯s depths are beyond their imagination!¡± Prince Henry¡¯s expression eased. He bit his lip and said, ¡°Conte, I¡¯m counting on you. If we succeed, I¡¯ll make you the head of the cabinet when I ascend the throne!¡± Chapter 414: Substitute Charlotte had no idea that the Starfall Royal Family had set their sights on her.After attending the banquet and arranging a meeting place with Yurst for the next day, Charlotte left the Roman Palace. Upon returning to her inn, Charlotte immediately received a report from her accompanying maid. The black dragon maid, Eudoxia, had returned and was waiting for her in the room. Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred. This must be an update on the tracking and positioning of the magic device. She nodded, instructed her servants not to disturb her, and then returned to her room. ¡°Eudoxia.¡± Charlotte greeted the black dragon, who was staring blankly at the wall¡¯s decoration. As soon as Eudoxia saw Charlotte enter, she quickly rose and saluted. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte nodded slightly and asked. ¡°Any progress with the magic device¡¯s tracking?¡± Eudoxia nodded. ¡°Yes, while the palace banquet was ongoing tonight, I further investigated in Roan City and discovered that the positioning of the magic device had responded again.¡± Charlotte¡¯s heart moved. ¡°Where exactly?¡± Eudoxia shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to report to you. The location changed again. Initially, it was in the city¡¯s church, then it disappeared for a while, reappeared near the square¡¯s altar, and finally, after the banquet began, it appeared in the Roman Palace.¡± Charlotte was surprised. She raised an eyebrow. ¡°It changes locations? Really?¡± Eudoxia nodded and added. ¡°However, the last position the magic device sensed was in the Roman Palace, and from the start of the banquet until its end and even after I left, the location did not change again.¡± ¡°Through comparison, I found that the location change seemed to coincide with the movements of the Roman Royal Family. When the location was at the church, it was precisely when the Royal Family visited Roan Church, when it was at the square, it was during the Royal Family¡¯s rehearsal at the altar, and when it was at the palace, it was during the banquet hosted by the Royal Family¡­¡± ¡°I suspect that this location is tied to a member of the Royal Family.¡± ¡°However, the Roman Palace is heavily guarded with powerful protective magic. Despite my suspicions, I did not investigate further.¡± ¡°Linked to someone in the Royal Family¡­ Prince Henry? Or perhaps a noble accompanying him?¡± Charlotte pondered. She thought for a moment and then contacted a certain black cat, who was socializing with the receptionists and maids in the inn¡¯s lobby, through the servant contract, commanding in his mind. ?? ¡°Nice, come up and see me.¡± In the lobby, Nice, performing for the receptionist and maids, suddenly stiffened and paused. ¡°Nice, what¡¯s wrong? Keep going!¡± The inn maid asked with starry eyes. Facing the expectant gazes of the maids, Nice regretted. He forced a smile and sighed. ¡°Dear ladies, Nice has urgent matters to attend to. I¡¯ll come back to entertain you once I¡¯m done.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ that¡¯s the treatment for someone favored by their superiors!¡± Mumbling some ambiguous and bewildering words, Nice, with a pompous expression, darted upstairs. Waddling his plump body, he eagerly trotted up to the second floor. Pushing open Charlotte¡¯s door, Nice immediately donned a fawning smile, arched his back, raised his tail, and meowed as he scampered to Charlotte. ¡°Meow, meow, meow! Great Lady Charlotte! You called Nice? I¡¯m here!¡± However, upon noticing that Charlotte wasn¡¯t alone and that Eudoxia, aware of his true identity, was present, Nice¡¯s expression froze. Awkwardly clearing his throat, he stopped being ingratiating and instead assumed a serious demeanor. ¡°Ahem, oh, I see Eudoxia is also here.¡± Eudoxia glanced at him with a strange expression, seemingly surprised that the most talented Legendary mage in the human world had such a side. Nice, feeling uncomfortable, looked away. Seeing Nice still embarrassed by the social situation, Charlotte chuckled. She beckoned him over. ¡°Nice, come here. Eudoxia has some new findings.¡± Under Charlotte¡¯s direction, Eudoxia quickly recounted the details about the magic device¡¯s positioning. After hearing this, Nice furrowed his brows, deep in thought. ¡°The location moves?¡± He pondered for a while and then speculated. ¡°Interesting. Could it be that someone has turned it into a device for opening a different space?¡± ¡°Oh? What are you thinking?¡± Charlotte asked calmly. Nice carefully chose his words, respectfully replying. ¡°Lady Charlotte, I have confidence in my magic device. If there¡¯s a response, then the entrance to the sealed space of the Roman Sword, or more precisely, the entrance to the Ancient Temple, must be somewhere in Roan City!¡± ¡°As for why the location keeps changing, one possibility is that the pathway between the Ancient Temple and the present world has been made into a kind of ¡®door¡¯ magic device.¡± ¡°And this ¡®door¡¯ must be carried by someone.¡± At this point, seemingly realizing something, Nice clicked his tongue. ¡°Tsk, it looks like¡­ the Roman Royal Family intends to do more than just a recognition ceremony.¡± ¡°I attended such ceremonies centuries ago. The Roman Sword¡¯s projection appears to purify the bloodline of Roman descendants, no one needs to enter the sealed space.¡± ¡°Now that a ¡®door¡¯ has appeared, could it be an attempt to break the seal?¡± Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred. ¡°You mean, the Roman Royal Family has plans for the Roman Sword itself?¡± ¡°That¡¯s possible, though quite bold.¡± Nice replied. Charlotte was pensive. She thought for a while and asked. ¡°Will this affect the Nez Clan¡¯s plans and mine?¡± Nice shook his head. ¡°Hard to say. Rumor has it that the Roman Sword is a very proud divine sword, valuing strength above all. Even mythical beings struggle to catch its interest.¡± ¡°In the past, the Blood Demon Archduke tried to subdue it after the half-elf hero Romanus fell but was only met with mockery. Hiding in its own space, it is the master of that domain, untouchable even by the Blood Demon Archduke.¡± ¡°I think¡­ even if the seal is broken, the Roman Royal Family might only face humiliation.¡± ¡°Let alone, it¡¯s uncertain whether they can open the sealed space.¡± ¡°However, who knows what trump cards the Roman family holds. After all, they are the descendants of Romanus.¡± ¡°Even so, opening the seal likely has to wait until after the recognition ceremony is completed. Without recognition, they can¡¯t hope to enter the Roman Sword¡¯s sealed realm.¡± Listening to Nice¡¯s analysis, Charlotte nodded. ¡°I see.¡± To be honest, after hearing all these descriptions, she was quite curious about the Roman Sword. If the seal were truly to be broken, perhaps she could join in the excitement. No, it would be best if the sealed space could indeed be opened. This way, it would be easier for her to obtain the Faceless Statue. However, her power still couldn¡¯t compare to even the half-awake Blood Demon Archduke, so subduing the Roman Sword was out of the question. ¡°Lady Charlotte, if you also wish to enter the sealed space, you¡¯ll have to wait for the Roman family to break the seal. Since they are prepared, I think they have some degree of certainty. You will also be participating in the ceremony, so once the space door opens, I believe you will be able to establish a connection and pass through it quite easily.¡± Nice analyzed. Charlotte nodded slightly. ¡°I know.¡± She glanced at Nice. ¡°Tomorrow, you will accompany me to the secret chamber agreed upon with the Nez Clan for the ceremony.¡± Nice¡¯s smile froze. ¡°Meow! Lady Charlotte! Can¡¯t I not go? Yurst will definitely be there! Nice doesn¡¯t want to see him!¡± Nice jumped up in shock, shaking his head hurriedly. Charlotte glanced at him. ¡°Your secrets are already exposed, so why fear losing face?¡± Nice: ¡­ ¡°Lady Charlotte! Can¡¯t I still act as your substitute? Nice has rich experience as your substitute. Last time when you were asleep, no one could tell the difference!¡± ¡°Meow! Surely you wouldn¡¯t trust the substitute prepared by the Nez Clan? They don¡¯t know you well, so their acting wouldn¡¯t be convincing!¡± Charlotte glanced at him. ¡°But the Roman family doesn¡¯t know me well either. Even if it isn¡¯t convincing, they probably wouldn¡¯t notice.¡± ¡°Besides, I¡¯m having you follow me to make things more convenient. After all¡­ you know more about the Ancient Temple than I do.¡± Nice felt a bit proud at being acknowledged by Charlotte but became dejected when he realized it meant running into Yurst. Charlotte continued. ¡°However¡­ you make a good point. I am indeed not entirely confident in the Nez Clan¡¯s substitute, but it¡¯s not about how convincing the substitute is. It¡¯s about whether they can hold their ground.¡± ¡°Since this involves the Roman Sword, there are many variables. Even as a substitute, they must have the ability to handle crises.¡± Nice¡¯s interest was piqued by Charlotte¡¯s words. ¡°Meow! Does that mean you already have someone in mind?¡± Charlotte nodded slightly. ¡°Exactly.¡± She then used the blood servant contract to communicate with a hapless member of the Shedite Clan, commanding both mentally and verbally. ¡°Albrecht, come see me immediately.¡± Moments later, the window in the room opened by itself, cold winds blew through, and eerie black mist gathered from all directions, concentrating in the center of the room. The black mist continued to condense, eventually forming a human shape. It was the Third Dark Apostle, Albrecht, who possessed both demonic and bloodborne attributes. Eudoxia and Nice also noticed the figure that suddenly appeared in the room. Eudoxia¡¯s eyes narrowed, instinctively baring her teeth and taking a defensive stance, black scales faintly appearing on her body¡ªa natural reaction to sensing a strong presence. Nice wasn¡¯t much better. When the black mist appeared, he was momentarily stunned, and when he saw the figure¡¯s face, he jumped up, hiding behind Charlotte. ¡°Meow?! The Third Dark Apostle¡­ Albrecht?!¡± Charlotte was a bit surprised. ¡°You know him?¡± ¡°Meow! How could I not? He¡¯s been a regular on the Crescent Kingdom¡¯s wanted list for centuries!¡± Nice said warily. Of course, his wariness didn¡¯t last long because he soon realized how respectful the figure was towards Charlotte. No, from the beginning, he had been summoned by Charlotte¡­ Under Nice¡¯s astonished gaze, Albrecht respectfully knelt on one knee, performing an ancient bloodborne salute. ¡°Great Countess of Castell, your humble servant Albrecht has come at your summons.¡± Nice: ¡­ He looked at Charlotte, then at Albrecht, his eyes widening in disbelief. Oh my¡­ When did the True Ancestor manage to steal the Blood Demon Archduke¡¯s most trusted aide? This was the Dark Apostle! And not just any Dark Apostle, but the Third Dark Apostle of the Blood Demon Cult, the one with the longest tenure! Was it¡­ because of the recent turmoil in Lutecia? Charlotte noticed the wariness from Eudoxia and Nice upon Albrecht¡¯s arrival. She nodded slightly. ¡°Rise, these two are also my followers and know my true identity, so there¡¯s no need to worry.¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, Albrecht relaxed a bit. He hesitated, then cautiously asked. ¡°Your Majesty, what do you require of Albrecht?¡± ¡°Albrecht, how skilled are you in illusion magic of the Mental Path and transformation magic of the Wild Path?¡± Charlotte asked. Albrecht thought for a moment before honestly replying. ¡°Quite proficient, though not as advanced as the veteran members of the Szellem and Vadallat clans, but still superior to most Legendaries.¡± Charlotte was satisfied. ¡°Good, that will suffice.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, is there a task that requires a disguised identity?¡± Albrecht asked. Charlotte nodded. ¡°At tomorrow¡¯s Ancestral Recognition Ceremony, I need you to attend as my substitute.¡± ¡°My other follower, Eudoxia, will accompany you for assistance. She is a black dragon, nearly unbeatable below Legendary level. If anything unexpected happens, she will step in. Do not act recklessly unless absolutely necessary and break your cover.¡± Albrecht hesitated, glanced at Nice and Eudoxia, then nodded and obediently said. ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Additionally¡­ take this with you.¡± Charlotte continued. She then activated the Gospel of Blood¡¯s ability to summon a demon using ¡ºDemon Summoning¡». With the operation of the blood divine power, she gently waved her hand, causing a sinister red magic circle to appear on the ground, radiating crimson light. Albrecht and the others couldn¡¯t help but be astonished. Especially Nice, who widened his eyes at first glance. ¡°A¡­ a demon summoning circle?!¡± Albrecht was taken aback, seemingly realizing something, his expression complex and increasingly fearful. Magic surged, causing a gust of wind within the room. As everything settled and the red light faded, a mid-tier demon with wings and a body resembling a constantly shifting shadow appeared before them. It was a shadow demon. It bared its fangs and claws, growling at everyone, but upon receiving a calm glance from Charlotte, it immediately quieted down, trembling and prostrating before her. ¡°Tomorrow, I will also be participating in the ceremony and will temporarily shut down our mental communication. Take it with you, and use it to contact me if necessary.¡± Charlotte instructed Albrecht. Chapter 415: Kidnapping A night quickly passed by.The day of the Roman Sword¡¯s Ancestral Recognition Ceremony finally arrived. Early in the morning, the hotel where Charlotte was staying became bustling with activity. Attendants and maids were hurriedly preparing for the guests¡¯ departure. This was the best hotel in Roan City, and most of the residents were nobles participating in today¡¯s ceremony. Charlotte also got up early. However, she did not wear the noble ceremonial dress she usually wore for such events. Instead, she changed into a maid¡¯s outfit common in noble households, and even her appearance was altered by Nice¡¯s magic to become more ordinary. She was a guest of honor at today¡¯s ceremony. According to Yurst, the guest of honor would not only have a special carriage to transport them but also a seat in the most prominent position on the viewing platform, close to the main seating area, making them the focal point of the event. Moreover, it was said that the area around the guest of honor¡¯s seat was protected by solidified magical barriers set up by Legendary mages. While these barriers might not withstand a true Legendary, anyone below that level wouldn¡¯t stand a chance. Although Charlotte didn¡¯t think much of the so-called magical barriers with her blood divine power, the possibility of exposing her identity would increase. If she attended the ceremony, the difficulty of swapping identities would significantly increase. Therefore, after a thorough discussion with Yurst, they decided not to ascend the guest platform but to switch identities directly from the hotel. Looking at herself in the mirror and ensuring that even Sebastian would have difficulty recognizing her, Charlotte nodded in satisfaction. Then she turned to look at the other ¡°Charlotte.¡± Today¡¯s ¡°Charlotte¡± was quite beautiful. ¡°She¡± was wearing an exquisite light blue dress, the color resembling the sky, adorned with elven-style star patterns, giving a sense of tranquility and fantasy. It highlighted the youthful figure of the girl while hinting at a hint of impending maturity. However, ¡°Charlotte¡¯s¡± expression was not as natural. Although trying to maintain elegance and composure, the slight awkwardness of her body indicated that ¡°she¡± was quite uncomfortable wearing this outfit. Especially when ¡°she¡± glanced at the maid Sherry, who was picking up perfume and spraying it, ¡°her¡± expression was quite stiff. Naturally, ¡°Charlotte¡± was the disguised Albrecht. To be fair, his transformation magic was quite impressive. Even Charlotte herself couldn¡¯t tell if he was real or fake without using her blood divine power. However, Albrecht¡¯s expression was really too awkward, and his gaze at the dress was full of disdain. Charlotte found it somewhat amusing, as if she saw her initial self right after the transmigration. ¡°Be more natural, Countess Castell. You are a Northern lord and a noble lady trained in proper etiquette.¡± Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte laughed. ¡°Charlotte¡¯s¡± expression became even stiffer. ¡°She¡± forced an unnatural smile and said somewhat dejectedly. ¡°La¡­ Lady Charlotte, was it necessary to change into real clothes? And the perfume¡­ I could just use magic to transform these things.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do. If you want to do it, do it properly. After all, there are Legendary-level magical barriers set up around the guest seats. Simply transforming the form is fine, but transforming the clothes as well carries the risk of being exposed.¡± Charlotte tilted her head and smiled. Albrecht: ¡­ Humiliating¡­ Truly humiliating! He, the Third Dark Apostle, a high-ranking member of the Blood Demon Cult, whose mere foot stomp could shake the Crescent Kingdom, had to wear women¡¯s clothing! ¡°What? Are you dissatisfied?¡± Charlotte glanced at him, smiling. Albrecht¡¯s movements stiffened. He quickly suppressed his thoughts, forcing a somewhat difficult smile. ¡°How¡­ how could that be? Even if it¡¯s uncomfortable, since it¡¯s your order, I will certainly do my best to complete it¡­¡± ¡°Mm, that¡¯s the spirit. And¡­ what did you just call me?¡± ¡°La¡­ no, Miss maid.¡± ¡°Mm, that¡¯s better.¡± With a few words, Charlotte had trained Albrecht well. She glanced at the time. ¡°It¡¯s about time. Let¡¯s go downstairs.¡± After packing up, they headed to the hotel¡¯s reception room. Yurst was already waiting there. Upon seeing Albrecht, his eyes lit up, showing a hint of admiration. He approached ¡°Charlotte¡±, bowed slightly, and smiled. ¡°Countess Castell, you look stunning today.¡± Then, he looked around and whispered. ¡°But¡­ where is the substitute you mentioned?¡± Seeing Yurst approach, Albrecht frowned, a trace of impatience flashing in his eyes. ¡°Stay away from me, your rose-scented perfume is overwhelming.¡± He said coldly, even using his original voice. Yurst immediately froze, jumping two meters back. ¡°A¡­ a man?!¡± Seeing Yurst¡¯s startled reaction, the maid-dressed Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but laugh. She cleared her throat slightly and spoke in her original voice. ¡°Sir Yurst, I¡¯m here. That is my substitute.¡± Yurst¡¯s eyes widened. He carefully examined Charlotte, then looked at Albrecht, rubbed his eyes, and scrutinized them for a while, even using his bloodborne sense to probe, but found no flaws. ¡°Impressive, Countess Castell. Where did you find such a professional substitute?¡± He circled Albrecht, clicking his tongue in wonder. Then, he frowned. ¡°But this voice¡­ sounds familiar.¡± Albrecht immediately fell silent, averting his gaze. Charlotte laughed and reminded. ¡°When we get to the ceremony site, remember to use my voice as well.¡± Albrecht paused and nodded. Seeing the substitute reluctant to reveal his identity, Yurst didn¡¯t mind. With such advanced illusion magic, the person was likely a seasoned mage, probably quite powerful. Thinking of this, he couldn¡¯t help but glance at Charlotte. To make a powerful mage disguised as a woman, this young countess indeed had profound resources. However, considering that Castell was backed by that entity, Yurst suddenly found everything normal. ¡°Countess Castell, in a moment¡­ we will split into two groups. Your substitute will ride the royal carriage to the ceremony site, while you will accompany me, posing as event staff to the square. Someone will meet you there and lead you directly to the underground chamber for the ceremony.¡± Yurst said. Charlotte nodded slightly. ¡°I understand. I will act with you, and my maid, Eudoxia, will accompany my substitute.¡± ¡°Eu¡­ Eudoxia?¡± Yurst was stunned. He looked up and saw the black dragon maid hidden in the shadows, his eyes widening. ¡°Lady Eudoxia?!¡± He was familiar with Eudoxia. After all, they had fought during the Lagrisse Viscountcy incident. Recognizing Eudoxia¡¯s identity, Yurst¡¯s expression became even more astonished. Especially after thinking about what Charlotte had just said¡­ Eudoxia¡­ was Countess Castell¡¯s maid! By the True Ancestor! Wasn¡¯t that black dragon supposed to submit to the True Ancestor? How did she become Countess Castell¡¯s maid? What was Countess Castell¡¯s relationship with the True Ancestor? At this moment, Yurst couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit envious. Since becoming a blood servant to Her Excellency the True Ancestor, he had been helping the True Ancestor within the Nez Clan by scouting for potential seeds, gathering intelligence, and running various errands. Yet, he had never received such treatment! Though he knew Countess Castell was the agent of Her Excellency the True Ancestor, this level of favoritism was too much! Yurst had to admit it. At this moment, he felt a bit of envy and jealousy in his heart. Looking at Charlotte with a complicated gaze, Yurst sighed inwardly. Compared to two thousand years ago, her Excellency the True Ancestor had not only become much gentler but also seemingly more generous. Even a tamed dragon was gifted to a subordinate! And it was a black dragon! A real black dragon! Not one of those subspecies with only dragon-blood lineage! Who knows when Yurst would ever receive such treatment¡­ Seeing Yurst¡¯s complicated expression, Charlotte had a slight sense that he might have misunderstood. She smiled slightly and said. ¡°Sir Yurst, the eyes of the divine are always watching everything. Those who work diligently will not be treated unfairly.¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, Yurst stiffened slightly, his expression a bit awkward. He exchanged a glance with Charlotte, took a deep breath, and put on an elegant and appropriate smile again. ¡°I understand, Countess Castell. Thank you for your guidance.¡± Just then, there was a light knock on the reception room door, and the voice of the hotel messenger came from outside. ¡°Count Yurst, Countess Castell, the royal reception carriage has arrived.¡± Yurst¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he smiled. ¡°They¡¯re here. Countess Castell, shall we go?¡± The group left the reception hall and came to the hotel entrance, where two luxurious and beautiful carriages were parked. The sides of the carriages were inlaid with the Roman family¡¯s lilac crest. The first carriage was larger and more luxurious, even equipped with a complex and beautiful protective magic array. The second carriage was slightly smaller but still exquisite and grand. In front of the carriages, fully armed royal knights stood. Seeing Yurst and ¡°Charlotte¡±, they quickly saluted. ¡°Count Yurst, Countess Castell.¡± Yurst nodded slightly. He carefully observed the leading knight and frowned slightly. ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t Sir Sheldon leading the team today?¡± Hearing Yurst¡¯s words, the royal knight respectfully replied. ¡°My Lord, there are many commoners attending the ceremony at the square today. Sir Sheldon has been assigned to assist, so I am leading the team.¡± ¡°What is your name? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen you before.¡± Yurst asked with a frown. The royal knight took out a badge from his pocket and presented it with both hands. ¡°My Lord, my name is Albert. I was recently transferred to the Royal Knights.¡± Yurst took the badge, infused a bit of magic into it, and it glowed faintly, matching the knight¡¯s magical aura. He nodded and said. ¡°Alright, your identity checks out.¡± Turning to ¡°Charlotte¡±, he smiled. ¡°Countess, this is the Roman Royal Family¡¯s VIP reception carriage. Its greatest feature is the arrangement of extraordinary soundproofing and magical arrays. It not only provides excellent privacy but is said to withstand an attack from a Legendary warrior. Only true VIPs are qualified to ride it.¡± ¡°For today¡¯s ceremony, the only ones qualified to be received are you and Duke Conte.¡± ¡°Charlotte¡± glanced at the luxurious carriage and raised an eyebrow slightly. ¡°She¡± then looked at Charlotte, dressed as a maid, and used a magic sound transmission spell. ¡°Lady Charlotte, are you sure you want me to ride this carriage and attend the ceremony in your place?¡± Charlotte gave him a look and also used a small sound transmission spell she had learned from Nice. ¡°Why, do you have a problem with it?¡± ¡°Charlotte¡± was stunned for a moment, then shook his head slightly. ¡°I have no problem, as long as you don¡¯t have any issues.¡± ¡°Me? Of course, I have no issues. It¡¯s just a ceremony. As long as you follow my instructions and don¡¯t interfere with my plans, it¡¯ll be fine.¡± Charlotte transmitted back. ¡°Charlotte¡± seemed to understand, nodding. ¡°Then I have no issues.¡± Yurst: ¡­ ¡°Are you two ready? If we delay any longer, the knights might get suspicious. The Roman Royal Family is very strict about impersonations.¡± Yurst said in a low voice. Charlotte ended her exchange with Albrecht, gave him a look, and Albrecht nodded slightly before elegantly stepping into the carriage, imitating Charlotte¡¯s usual demeanor. Eudoxia was about to follow when the royal knights stopped her. ¡°Sorry, miss, only invited nobles can ride the royal VIP carriage. Attendants must ride the one behind.¡± Eudoxia glared at him coldly. Under her gaze, the royal knight felt as if he was being stared down by a terrifying beast. His scalp tingled, and his hair stood on end. He almost instinctively gripped his weapon and took a step back, causing the other knights to tense up and grip their weapons as well. Yurst interrupted. ¡°Lady Eudoxia!¡± Eudoxia looked at him, and Yurst sighed, explaining. ¡°Lady Eudoxia, this is an old rule of the Roman Royal Family. But don¡¯t worry, the Roman Square is nearby. The carriage will reach the destination in three to five minutes.¡± Then, he explained to the royal knights. ¡°Lady Eudoxia is Countess Castell¡¯s personal maid and guard. She can be considered a knight.¡± The royal knights exchanged glances, relaxed, and saluted Eudoxia. ¡°Knight Lady, please forgive us.¡± Eudoxia snorted coldly and boarded the second carriage. The royal knights breathed a sigh of relief, saluted Yurst to express their gratitude, and then escorted the two carriages away. Seeing the two carriages turn a corner and head to the Roman Square for the ceremony, Yurst clicked his tongue. ¡°Today¡¯s knights are quite strict.¡± He then smiled at Charlotte. ¡°Alright, Countess Castell, your double has successfully infiltrated. Now it¡¯s our turn.¡± ¡°Our carriage is ready, but for convenience, we need to use the back door.¡± Charlotte nodded. She withdrew her gaze from the royal carriages and then grabbed Nice, who was trying to sneak away. ¡°Meow! Nice just remembered something else to do! Nice doesn¡¯t want to go!¡± A certain fat black cat struggled and yelled frantically. ¡°Hmm? Is Sir Nicholas coming too?¡± Yurst raised an eyebrow at the black cat Charlotte was holding by the scruff. ¡°His magic is quite good, maybe useful.¡± Charlotte said succinctly. With Yurst¡¯s gleeful gaze, Charlotte forcibly took Nice onto Yurst¡¯s carriage, which then headed to the Roman Square from another direction. Meanwhile, the royal knight-escorted VIP carriage arrived near the viewing platform¡­ Inside the VIP carriage, however, there was more than just ¡°Charlotte.¡± ¡°Heh heh, Countess, if you don¡¯t want your pretty face scratched or your delicate throat accidentally slit in my nervousness, you¡¯d better behave.¡± Inside the carriage, a black-robed, masked man held a sharp dagger to ¡°Charlotte¡¯s¡± white neck, chuckling in a low, raspy voice. ¡°Charlotte¡± blinked. ¡°She¡± glanced at the other masked mage with a decent aura and then at the dagger-wielding man, both seemingly at the same level as the mage. She whistled softly and asked in Charlotte¡¯s voice with a bit of curiosity and anticipation. ¡°Is this¡­ a kidnapping?¡± Chapter 416: The Entertainer Albrecht was delighted.Recently, he had been plagued with bad luck, everything going wrong. He was forcibly contracted as a blood servant and made to wear women¡¯s clothing, filling him with pent-up frustration that he dared not express due to the True Ancestor¡¯s intimidating presence. But now, things were looking up. He had been itching for a chance to vent, and here it was, delivered right to him! The two captors were somewhat surprised to see the composed and calm demeanor of the ¡°girl.¡± The masked mage appraised Albrecht and praised. ¡°As expected of the Lord of the North, staying so calm even in a situation like this.¡± ¡°You may consider this a kidnapping. If you cooperate, we are willing to avoid excessive violence.¡± A woman? Hearing the voice, Albrecht raised an eyebrow. He indeed remained calm and unsurprised. This stemmed not only from confidence in his own strength but also because he had sensed the ambush within the carriage with his Legendary-level perception before boarding. The royal guest carriage of the Starfall Kingdom had Legendary-level magical barriers for protection, but without a Legendary mage to control it, the barrier couldn¡¯t hide from his experienced investigation. Albrecht¡¯s gaze swept over the two captors. Both were at the Blazing Sun tier, an impressive rank that would make them honored guests of any noble house, with quite refined concealment skills. However, to Albrecht, an ancient Legendary Bloodborne, their movements were full of flaws. Two Blazing Suns attempting to kidnap a Legendary? Ridiculous. Even without using Legendary powers, Albrecht had a hundred ways to subdue them instantly. The only question was the degree of cruelty he wished to employ. However, Albrecht didn¡¯t act immediately. Although he longed to vent his pent-up frustration by thrashing these overconfident fools or torturing them with bloodline manipulation, he remembered the True Ancestor¡¯s instructions clearly. ¡°Just follow my instructions and don¡¯t disrupt my plan.¡± Charlotte¡¯s calm words echoed in Albrecht¡¯s mind. Albrecht squinted slightly. If he could notice the ambushers in the carriage, the True Ancestor certainly would have. Yet, despite this, the True Ancestor had him board the carriage incognito, indicating deeper intentions. Albrecht didn¡¯t know what the True Ancestor was planning. But he knew the goal involved the Ancient Temple and the Faceless Statue, linked to the Roman Ancestral Recognition Ceremony. Therefore, directly dealing with the captors might not be the best option. With this in mind, Albrecht glanced at the two captors. They were strong but lacked etiquette. Even as kidnappers, they were too crude. These were likely extraordinary mercenaries, possibly famous, given their concealed faces. Gaining access to a royal guest carriage of Starfall implied the involvement of the royal family. This kidnapping attempt must have been orchestrated by them. As for the two in front, they were probably just hired help, not the masterminds. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Starfall Royal Family attempting to kidnap the Countess of Castell? Were they out of their minds? What were they planning? Albrecht was intrigued. He looked at the captors thoughtfully. He had two choices: subdue them and extract information or play along to see their plan unfold. Albrecht unhesitatingly chose the latter. The Roman Family was still the Starfall Royal Family. He couldn¡¯t be sure if a Legendary figure was involved. Though it could be another force framing them, his intuition suggested otherwise. Such ancient human families often had deep roots. For caution and to avoid alarming them, playing along seemed the safest course. Besides, he had no idea how much the mercenaries knew. Playing the role of Countess Castell properly seemed a more prudent approach. After all, any misstep could affect the True Ancestor¡¯s plan, adding to his woes. These thoughts flashed through Albrecht¡¯s mind, solidifying his decision to observe and play along. If he were the actual ¡°Countess Castell¡±, with apparent strength below Blazing Sun, he wouldn¡¯t stand a chance in this kidnapping, let alone escape or fight back. From this perspective, the True Ancestor likely allowed him to board the carriage to go with the flow and uncover the plot. With this, Albrecht set aside the notion of turning the audacious captors into live corpses, deciding to watch them perform instead. Perhaps due to recent frustrations, he was content to be an observer, much like the True Ancestor at the Roman Palace banquet, seeing what tricks they had up their sleeves. Ironically, Albrecht might never realize Charlotte genuinely didn¡¯t expect captors on the carriage. Noticing the ambush ahead? Impossible. Without the blood divine power, Charlotte, an ordinary human with a ¡°Demigod¡± title, couldn¡¯t detect the anomaly in the carriage. Albrecht thought the conversation between the two before boarding the carriage was a hint from Charlotte. In reality, Charlotte had no such intention. She was merely worried he would slack off and not do his job properly. Seeing that ¡°Countess Castell¡± did not resist, the two kidnappers assumed she was intimidated and had heeded their threats. They exchanged glances and nodded. The masked warrior pulled out a high-grade anti-magic rope, swiftly tying up the ¡°girl¡± and stuffing a wad of cotton into ¡°her¡± mouth. The cotton was damp and had a pungent smell. Albrecht immediately recognized it as an alchemical sedative often used by mercenaries, potent enough to even knock out a Blazing Sun. Of course, for him, it was insufficient. At best, it would make him sneeze. He didn¡¯t show any of this, instead tilting his head and pretending to faint. While pretending to be unconscious, Albrecht continued to observe the two through his senses, curious about their next steps. In his perception, the Starfall¡¯s royal guest carriage was openly traveling down the grand square boulevard. According to the plan, the Countess of Castell would disembark in front of everyone and ascend the VIP platform. ¡°Is she unconscious?¡± The masked warrior glanced at the ¡°girl¡± and asked his companion. The female mage checked ¡°her¡± breath and nodded. ¡°She¡¯s asleep, the dosage was sufficient. Even a Blazing Sun magic beast would be out for a while.¡± ¡°Good. Is the disguise difficult?¡± ¡°Not really. The dress is complicated, but restoring it with illusion magic isn¡¯t hard. The perfume is high-end from Luna Coast-City, which I happen to have.¡± ¡°Hurry up, we¡¯re almost there. Be careful, the maid on the carriage behind is quite strong, not weaker than us. Don¡¯t get exposed.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m a professional at this, or I wouldn¡¯t have taken the job.¡± After their exchange, the two kidnappers got to work. In Albrecht¡¯s perception, he was surprised to see the female mage transform into Charlotte¡¯s likeness through a magical glow. As the carriage slowed to a stop, the disguised ¡°Charlotte¡± stepped off. Albrecht remained motionless, curious about how the black dragon in the following carriage would react. As expected, the True Ancestor¡¯s black dragon retainer, like others of her kind, wasn¡¯t skilled in magic and failed to notice the swap. ¡°Charlotte¡± ascended the VIP platform while the carriage, carrying the unconscious ¡°girl¡±, continued onward, eventually reaching the Roman Palace. Albrecht sensed being placed in a box, which was carried and eventually opened onto a soft bed in one of the palace¡¯s bedrooms. Soon after, he sensed someone entering the room¡ªCount Corimo, a royal advisor, and Prince Henry¡¯s confidant from the banquet. ¡°My Lord, as agreed, we¡¯ve brought Countess Castell.¡± The masked mercenary spoke in a deep voice. Count Corimo frowned slightly at the sight of the roughly bound ¡°girl.¡± ¡°Why is she bound so roughly?¡± ¡°For safety, after all, she¡¯s an extraordinary. Even if just Silver Moon, caution is needed.¡± ¡°She won¡¯t wake up soon, right?¡± ¡°Rest assured, the dosage was sufficient. She¡¯ll be out for at least a day.¡± ¡°Well done. How¡¯s the situation at the square?¡± ¡°Sally has taken the stage, the disguise successful and unnoticed.¡± ¡°Good! Your reward is prepared, but remember, today¡¯s events must remain secret.¡± ¡°Of course. Keeping client secrets is our rule, and we¡¯ve signed a soul contract with the Duke. Any breach would backfire on us.¡± ¡°Very well. The Duke trusts the reputation of your mercenary group. Your task is complete. Here¡¯s half the payment, twenty thousand gold tana worth of magic crystals. The rest will be paid after the ceremony.¡± ¡°Thank you for your generosity.¡± The masked warrior was delighted to receive the payment. Count Corimo, looking at the ¡°sleeping¡± beauty, swallowed and remarked. ¡°What a shame, she truly is as beautiful as rumored¡­ such a pity.¡± He glanced around and instructed the maids. ¡°Untie our future queen gently. Don¡¯t hurt her. Before taking her blood, feed her anti-magic potions to temporarily seal her bloodline powers.¡± The maids approached to untie the ¡°girl.¡± Albrecht decided it was time to end the charade. He opened his eyes, immobilized the maids with a spell, sat up, and spat out the cotton. ¡°No need, I prefer to do it myself. I don¡¯t like being touched by inferior humans¡­¡± Seeing the ¡°girl¡± suddenly awaken, both Corimo and the mercenary were stunned. ¡°You¡­ you didn¡¯t faint?!¡± The mercenary was shocked. Albrecht ignored him, breaking the anti-magic rope effortlessly. ¡°Nice technique, but the rope quality is lacking. Use dragonhide next time.¡± This time, he didn¡¯t bother disguising his voice. Hearing a man¡¯s voice, Count Corimo¡¯s face changed. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re not Countess Castell! Who are you?!¡± Albrecht smiled. ¡°Who I am doesn¡¯t matter. What¡¯s important is finding out what the Starfall Royal Family is up to¡­¡± He stood, not concealing his aura. Feeling the overwhelming extraordinary presence, Count Corimo was terrified. He instinctively stepped back, falling to the ground, and shouted at the guards and mercenary. ¡°What are you waiting for? Take him down!¡± ¡°Oh? You want them to take me down?¡± Albrecht suddenly appeared before Count Corimo, smiling. Around them, all the guards and maids were frozen like puppets, their eyes vacant. Even the Blazing Sun mercenary seemed like a puppet, eyes dull. Black threads surrounded them, connecting to Albrecht. Albrecht summoned a chair, took a seat, and sipped tea offered by a puppet maid, looking down at the horrified Count Corimo with a devilish grin. ¡°Now¡­ it¡¯s interrogation time.¡± Chapter 417: Flattery and Amazement For a Legendary Bloodborne, conducting an interrogation is naturally a piece of cake.It didn¡¯t take Albrecht much effort. The already terrified Count Corimo spilled everything he knew. ¡°So that¡¯s it, you¡¯re planning to use the Roman blood in Countess Castell to activate the Roman family¡¯s contract book and thereby obtain Romanus¡¯s artifact¡­¡± Albrecht raised an eyebrow slightly. He looked at Count Corimo with an indescribable expression, quite puzzled. ¡°To think you would target that entity, it¡¯s hard to say whether you are incredibly bold or just incredibly unlucky¡­¡± ¡°But even without considering that entity¡¯s power¡­ What were you thinking? Such an open kidnapping, do you really think the other nobles are blind?¡± Hearing Albrecht¡¯s question, Count Corimo swallowed hard and replied fearfully. ¡°We¡­ we planned to frame the kidnapping on the hidden Starfall bloodbornes and then¡­ in the guise of saviors, we would ¡®rescue¡¯ Countess Castell.¡± ¡°The Starfall bloodbornes are too cunning, they¡¯ve infiltrated the entire upper echelon of the kingdom, and even some members of the royal family are on their side¡­¡± ¡°The Crescent Diocese is preoccupied, and the Holy Court¡¯s Starfall Branch is already a mere facade. We had no choice but to take such measures to counter the bloodbornes.¡± Hearing Count Corimo¡¯s words, Albrecht was quite surprised. ¡°It¡¯s actually a plan that kills three birds with one stone. If it succeeds, you get the artifact, secure the succession rights, strike at Starfall bloodbornes, and even have a chance to gain the North¡¯s friendship and possibly Castell¡¯s alliance¡­¡± ¡°Tsk tsk, this scheme, was it devised by that Duke Conte? He really is a clever one!¡± As he spoke, before Count Corimo could respond, Albrecht muttered to himself. ¡°No wonder the Nez Clan has been restless recently, they were planning to initiate the Returning Star Plan ahead of time. Looks like¡­ they¡¯re also preparing for the Divinity Descent Day.¡± ¡°These guys¡­ what kind of benefits did they promise to get even that entity¡¯s tacit consent and support?¡± Albrecht was thoughtful. Truly, one blood descendant can drive another crazy with envy. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. His Blood Demon Cult was being chased around like dogs by the True Ancestor in the Crescent Kingdom, with constant reports and raids on their strongholds. Even he, the Third Dark Apostle, was beaten up and forcibly turned into a blood thrall¡­ Meanwhile, the Nez Clan was doing just fine. They didn¡¯t even know the True Ancestor¡¯s identity yet managed to coexist peacefully with the True Ancestor and even gained support! Truly outrageous. Back then, they were the main force infiltrating Castell. They were also among those who kicked them when they were down! At this moment, Albrecht was genuinely sour. Seeing the shifting expression on the ¡°girl¡¯s¡± face and the surrounding guards and servants turned into puppets, Count Corimo shivered coldly, then forced himself to speak. ¡°Your¡­ your lordship! I¡¯ve told you everything I know! We had no intention of harming Countess Castell, we just wanted to avoid the division of the Roman family, so we had no choice but to resort to this¡­¡± ¡°Alright, honestly, I don¡¯t care what schemes you¡¯re up to. Kidnapping Countess Castell or harming her, or dealing with the Nez bloodbornes to stabilize Starfall¡¯s royal power¡­ If you could really pull it off, I might even be quite happy and cheer for you. But unfortunately¡­ you¡¯re just a bunch of overestimating worms, nothing more than a joke.¡± Albrecht shook his head. He looked lazily at the trembling Count Corimo, a trace of disdain flashing in his eyes. ¡°Human nobles, so pathetic.¡± With that, a black light flashed in his hand, spreading like tentacles of black lines toward Count Corimo. Seeing the same black lines on the other ¡°puppets¡±, Count Korimo¡¯s face changed dramatically, his expression filled with horror as he cried out. ¡°No! Don¡¯t kill me! Please don¡¯t kill me! I¡¯ll do anything! Anything!¡± Albrecht didn¡¯t even look at him, letting the black lines wrap around him, and Count Corimo¡¯s eyes soon lost their luster, becoming no different from the others. Only then did Albrecht stand up. He gestured, and Count Corimo, along with the others, stiffly bowed to him. ¡°Kill you? Heh, I really do want to kill you. I¡¯ve been in a bad mood lately and have been itching to kill a few clueless fools to vent my anger.¡± ¡°If I weren¡¯t worried about messing up the True Ancestor¡¯s plans, you¡¯d all be my living corpses by now!¡± Albrecht glanced at the surrounding ¡°puppets¡± and said viciously. He then finished his tea in one gulp and touched his chin. ¡°Alright, now that the plot is revealed, what to do next?¡± ¡°Should I continue to disguise myself, or manipulate the puppets to sabotage the Roman family¡¯s plans, or¡­ should I play along with their scheme?¡± Thinking about the possible fun, Albrecht showed a trace of interest. However, he quickly reacted, showing a complicated and self-mocking expression. ¡°Tch, I¡¯ve really gotten used to being a blood servant, thinking about my next move¡­¡± ¡°The more you do, the more mistakes you make. Doing nothing is the best. Figuring out what to do is the boss¡¯s job, not mine.¡± With that, Albrecht summoned the contract shadow demon left to him by Charlotte. Black magic spread and the shadow demon¡¯s form gradually emerged, letting out a low growl. Albrecht frowned and snorted coldly, exuding even more viscous and terrifying black magic than the shadow demon. Sensing the terrifying aura of the same origin, the shadow demon immediately quieted down, curling up pitifully, and submissively. ¡°Pathetic thing, you disgrace the name of the demon!¡± Albrecht glanced at it with disdain, losing interest in making it run errands. ¡°Forget it, this useless thing isn¡¯t reliable. Its intelligence is lacking, I¡¯d better directly apply for a conversation with the True Ancestor.¡± ¡°The ceremony hasn¡¯t started yet, so the old lady¡¯s mental communication should still be open¡­¡± ¡°Whatever happens, it¡¯s the old lady¡¯s job to worry about, not mine!¡± Albrecht quickly made his decision. As a master of shirking responsibility in the Blood Demon Cult, he was quite adept at this. He disdainfully dismissed the shadow demon back to the other space, then communicated with the blood servant mark in his soul, putting on a flattering smile and seeking a mental conversation with the Thorny Rose¡­ ¡­ Getting on the carriage prepared by Yurst, Charlotte arrived at Roman Square from another direction. However, she didn¡¯t enter the square itself but used a hidden entrance to go underground. This should be the underground drainage system of Roan City. Like Lutecia, Roan City is an ancient city of the old Yunette Empire, and these drainage networks were left from that era of royal prosperity and heavy rainfall. Of course, like Lutecia, most of Roan City¡¯s drainage system has been abandoned, except for the necessary parts still in use. This place¡­ had long become a haven for some monsters, fugitives, and even cultists. The underground area below the Roman Square where the ceremony was held was no different, showing signs of erosion over the years. However, perhaps due to the proximity to the ceremony site, security here was much stricter, with guards posted everywhere. When Charlotte and her companions entered, they were quickly stopped by guards. ¡°Stop! The area ahead is restricted. No unauthorized personnel allowed!¡± Yurst glanced at the guards and presented his noble insignia. ¡°I am Count Yurst, responsible for the security of this ceremony.¡± Seeing the insignia, the guards immediately put away their weapons and respectfully saluted him. ¡°So, it¡¯s Count Yurst. Please proceed, Count.¡± They then turned to look at Charlotte, who was standing beside Yurst, with a hint of confusion. ¡°This is my personal maid and assistant, helping me inspect the protective magic arrays.¡± Count Yurst stated proudly. Upon hearing this, the guards immediately stood at attention. ¡°Ah, a mage! Please, mage, proceed.¡± Thus, Yurst and Charlotte entered the underground area directly beneath the plaza without further hindrance. Charlotte noticed that, unlike the outer area, the ground here was inscribed with a complex magic array. Being no stranger to magic herself, she quickly identified that these formations were the foundations of the protective magic that covered the entire Roman Square. After a brief contemplation, she also realized how the Nez Clan had arranged things. Clearly, Yurst had successfully gained the trust of the Roman Royal Family, becoming not only an assistant for the ceremony but also the maintainer of the square¡¯s magic array. It¡¯s likely that the Nez Clan managed to prepare a secret room directly beneath the plaza to ¡°hack¡± into the Ancestral Recognition Ceremony through this loophole. As if to confirm Charlotte¡¯s suspicions, Yurst soon led her to a hidden entrance. ¡°Countess Castell, this is the secret room we have prepared for the ceremony. The formations are set, and once the ceremony begins, this place will also become part of the Ancestral Recognition Ceremony.¡± Charlotte nodded slightly in response. She, accompanied by Nice, entered the secret room. The secret room was not large. It was essentially a makeshift dugout. As soon as they entered, Nice scurried around, inspecting the magic array before reporting to Charlotte. ¡°Lady Charlotte, Yurst wasn¡¯t lying. This is indeed a magic array to hack into the Roman ceremony!¡± Charlotte nodded slightly. The Nez Clan, wary of the ¡°God¡± behind her, wouldn¡¯t dare deceive her, especially since the person in charge was Yurst, one of their own. This trip to Roman had gone smoother than she anticipated. Despite the unexpected encounter with Albrecht and the subsequent revelation of her identity, everything was still within expectations. Now, it was just a matter of waiting for the ceremony to begin. With this in mind, Charlotte looked around, seeking a place to sit. Noticing her gaze, Nice promptly pulled out a chair from his interdimensional space and flatteringly said. ¡°Lady Charlotte, please have a seat!¡± Charlotte found Nice¡¯s attentiveness amusing but was pleased and sat down, offering a rare compliment. ¡°Good job.¡± Nice¡¯s feline face lit up with joy at her praise, seemingly quite pleased. ¡°Lady Charlotte, please have a drink.¡± Nice said, producing a glass of sweet milk from his space with his paw and offering it to her. Charlotte glanced at him with mild amusement. Feeling somewhat thirsty, she did not refuse. On the other side, Yurst, who had been observing everything, was taken aback. Huh? Why does it seem¡­ that Nicholas is also being so submissive to Countess Castell? Seeing their interactions, he felt something was off but couldn¡¯t quite put his finger on it. However¡­ Nicholas was supposed to be the pet of the True Ancestor, while Countess Castell was the True Ancestor¡¯s agent. Isn¡¯t the True Ancestor¡¯s pet shouldn¡¯t be that submissive to the True Ancestor¡¯s agent? Even though Nicholas had always been somewhat of a pervert, a shameless flirt who couldn¡¯t resist pretty women, wasn¡¯t this a bit too much? Even if Countess Castell¡¯s appearance matched his tastes from centuries ago, this seemed overly submissive, didn¡¯t it? Yurst pondered, glancing between Charlotte and Nice, wondering if the cat¡¯s transformation had also affected his mind. Or perhaps¡­ was there a secret about Countess Castell he wasn¡¯t aware of? Yurst fell into deep thought. Just then, Charlotte raised an eyebrow and put down her glass. Noticing her action, Yurst was immediately alert. ¡°Countess Castell, is something wrong?¡± Charlotte squinted slightly and said, ¡°My double¡­ has been abducted.¡± Yurst was stunned. ¡°Your double has been abducted? Wait¡­ what? Shouldn¡¯t your double be on stage by now? How do you know this?¡± Charlotte didn¡¯t hide anything and calmly explained. ¡°My double is my servant, bound to me by a contract. We can communicate telepathically.¡± She chuckled lightly. ¡°It seems we underestimated the ambition of the Starfall Royal Family. The double on stage is a fake, my real double has been taken away.¡± ¡°The Starfall Royal Family truly regards me highly. They even hired two Blazing Sun mercenaries for this.¡± Yurst¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Wait¡­ Are you saying that the Roman family abducted your double?!¡± Charlotte nodded slightly. ¡°That¡¯s how it appears.¡± Yurst¡¯s expression turned serious. Charlotte glanced at him and said with a smile. ¡°Sir Yurst, there¡¯s no need to worry. The Nez Clan¡¯s plan remains intact.¡± ¡°My double has already taken control of the situation. The ones in trouble now¡­ are the abductors.¡± Yurst felt a bit relieved at her words. But soon, he realized something was amiss. ¡°Wait¡­¡± ¡°Are you saying your servant successfully countered two Blazing Sun attackers?!¡± Chapter 418: Countess Castell is the True Ancestor! Countess Castell¡¯s servant successfully countered two Blazing Suns?Yurst couldn¡¯t help but widen his eyes. As a blood servant and the Nez Clan¡¯s official liaison with Castell, Yurst considered himself quite knowledgeable about Charlotte, the Northern land¡¯s ruler. The Jewel of the Crescent Kingdom, the world¡¯s wealthiest and most beautiful young countess, a Wild Saintess of the Holy Court, and¡­ the True Ancestor¡¯s agent. Each of these titles alone would draw the world¡¯s attention. Moreover, the young girl possessed various titles, even those that seemed contradictory, as if she were cheating reality itself. Take the title of ¡°Saintess¡±, for instance. Yurst knew that it was likely intended by Countess Castell to spread the faith of the True Ancestor. But what was absurd was that this title was officially recognized by the Archbishop of the Holy Court¡¯s Crescent Diocese! Yurst was stunned when he heard this. He even wondered if the True Ancestor¡¯s influence had already penetrated the high ranks of the Holy Court. Of course, Yurst knew that was impossible. Otherwise, the Crescent Kingdom would have changed dramatically. But one thing was certain: Countess Castell had secrets. This fact didn¡¯t surprise Yurst. After all¡­ how could an agent of a God not have secrets? Even he, after becoming a blood servant, found his secrets and identities multiplying. Moreover, with time, his secrets continued to grow¡­ But regardless of how many secrets one had, they should still be within reasonable bounds. At the very least, they should align with common sense and logic. Yet, the implications in the young girl¡¯s words shattered Yurst¡¯s understanding¡­ Countess Castell¡¯s double had already secretly taken control of the situation? Although Charlotte didn¡¯t explicitly state it, Yurst could easily deduce from her descriptions of the abductors a ridiculous conclusion¡ª Countess Castell¡¯s servant¡­ not only possessed superior disguise skills but also had the strength to silently subdue two Blazing Sun mercenaries! As a Blazing Sun himself, Yurst was well aware of the power of a Blazing Sun. Even putting himself in such a situation, he didn¡¯t believe he could silently take down two extraordinary individuals of the same rank in a short time. He couldn¡¯t do it, nor did he believe any powerful veteran Blazing Suns he knew could either. Perhaps winning in a fight was possible, but silently subduing them¡­ that was too difficult. Yurst trusted that Countess Castell wouldn¡¯t lie to him. There was no need, meaning, or value in doing so. So, the answer was clear: Countess Castell¡¯s so-called servant was actually a Legendary figure! A servant with Legendary strength¡­ Yurst couldn¡¯t help but widen his eyes. This was an even more absurd deduction. Yurst knew that Countess Castell¡¯s power was only at the Silver Moon tier. At her age, being a Silver Moon rank was already considered genius, but in the grand scheme of things, it was still too weak. An extraordinary Silver Moon possessing a Legendary servant? No¡­ That was impossible. Even as the True Ancestor¡¯s agent, having a powerful servant bestowed by the True Ancestor, a Legendary strength was too outrageous. A Legendary¡­ is someone worth recruiting even in the eyes of Gods. A Legendary¡­ is someone who would hold a high position within a God¡¯s Church. A Legendary¡­ would never be content to serve under someone weaker than themselves! Yet, the absurd reality was happening. Yurst didn¡¯t believe Countess Castell had a reason to deceive him, but her words led to this outrageous conclusion. No¡­ This wasn¡¯t the first time. In fact, many things about Countess Castell had been filled with inconsistencies since arriving in the Roman Duchy. However, everything has an internal logic. Even the most unreasonable things have underlying causes and rationalities. So, the question arises. The black dragon personally subdued by the True Ancestor, now serving as Countess Castell¡¯s personal maid¡­ The Legendary human mage Nicholas, turned into a pet cat by the True Ancestor, now showing servile behavior before Countess Castell¡­ Yurst was certain it was servile. He knew Nicholas too well. Such behavior wasn¡¯t merely flattery for beauty but seemed driven by deeper reasons. It was like¡­ ¡°Like status and hierarchy.¡± Such a thought naturally emerged in Yurst¡¯s mind. And once this thought emerged, combining it with all the inconsistencies surrounding Countess Castell, Yurst couldn¡¯t remain calm. A terrifying possibility gradually rose in his heart¡­ Countess Castell¡­ Was she really just the True Ancestor¡¯s agent? Once this thought appeared, there was no turning back. He looked at the girl in front of him with growing suspicion, feeling his legs go weak. If Countess Castell was more than just the True Ancestor¡¯s agent, who could she be? Who should she be? Who could she be? Who is worthy of having a Legendary servant willing to act as a double? Who could make a dragon loyal to a God serve them willingly? And who could make Nicholas, always proud, bow his head? The answer¡­ is clear. Only someone more powerful than a Legendary could have a Legendary servant willingly serve. Only someone whom dragons truly submit to could have their service. Only the one who bound Nicholas in a master-servant contract could command his utmost flattery! Combining all these factors, Countess Castell¡¯s true identity was now evident¡­ Sweat began to bead on Yurst¡¯s forehead. His hands trembled along with his legs, and his widened eyes were filled with horror. His mind seemed to scream. ???? The True Ancestor! She is the True Ancestor! Countess Castell is not merely an agent of the True Ancestor! She¡­ is the True Ancestor Herself! With this terrifying thought, Yurst suddenly understood questions that had puzzled him for a long time¡ª Why, despite becoming a blood servant, had the True Ancestor never summoned him in person? Why does Her Excellency the True Ancestor always have to rely on Countess Castell to deliver divine decrees, even when issuing orders directly to him? Why does Her Excellency the True Ancestor, who resides in the North, never accept visitors, and why has he never found any trace of the True Ancestor near Countess Castell? Why does Countess Castell¡¯s power always seem to increase whenever Her Excellency the True Ancestor makes a significant move? All these questions now have an explanation under the same answer. The resurrected True Ancestor is none other than Countess Castell herself! I see. It all makes sense now. Countess Castell is the resurrected True Ancestor! He had been hinting and probing, hoping to learn the True Ancestor¡¯s mortal identity from Countess Castell, and hoping to have the chance to meet Her Excellency in the real world. Little did he know, the True Ancestor had always been by his side! Oh, heavens! Despite all the inconsistencies and pointers, how did he only realize it now? Yurst¡¯s mind was in turmoil. ¡°Sir Yurst, what¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t look well.¡± Seeing Yurst¡¯s gradually pale face, Charlotte frowned slightly and asked with concern. Yurst quickly realized his lapse. He stared at the girl in front of him, unsure of how to respond. After a long pause, wiping the sweat from his forehead, he carefully chose his words and respectfully replied. ¡°Nothing¡­ it¡¯s just that I¡¯m surprised your servant is so powerful¡­¡± At this point, Charlotte also realized the loophole in her words. She thought, ¡®Oh no,¡¯ and noticing Yurst¡¯s newfound reverence and fear, she quickly understood that he must have figured something out. It couldn¡¯t be helped. Concealing her identity wasn¡¯t easy, especially since Charlotte often had to switch roles to give orders, and most of her confidants already knew her true identity. Since Yurst was one of her blood servants and deeply involved in many of her plans, it was normal for him to gradually discover the truth, especially with Nicholas in the mix. The two were already acquainted, and Nicholas had a peculiar relationship with her. In time, Yurst would inevitably notice something. Now, everything had come to light sooner than expected. However, since he was her blood servant, Charlotte had mentally prepared for him to eventually learn her identity, even if she had no intention of telling him directly. Of course, even if Yurst had guessed it, Charlotte wouldn¡¯t admit it outright. At least not now. It was a stance and a hint of her true status. The identity of the True Ancestor of Blood was too sensitive, and this was a stance as well as a hint. Indirect hints about her identity were acceptable to prevent Yurst from becoming too suspicious and acting unnecessarily. Thinking this, Charlotte stopped concealing and laughed lightly. ¡°Albrecht is not very likable, but his strength is undeniable. Two Blazing Sun mercenaries are no match for him.¡± Albrecht? Is that the servant¡¯s name? Wait¡­ Albrecht?! Could it be the Albrecht he¡¯s thinking of?! Yurst¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Count¡­ Countess Castell, do you mean the Albrecht I¡¯m thinking of?¡± He swallowed nervously and cautiously asked. Even Yurst himself didn¡¯t realize he had subconsciously added an honorific. Charlotte gave him an odd look and nodded. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the Albrecht you¡¯re thinking of.¡± It really is that Albrecht?! Her Excellency the True Ancestor had actually subdued the Dark Apostle of the Blood Demon Cult? Yurst¡¯s eyes widened even further. Seeing Yurst¡¯s increasingly astonished expression, Charlotte smirked and added. ¡°You met him just yesterday.¡± Yesterday? Met him? Yurst was stunned. His expression was confused, but as memories of the Roman Palace from last night surfaced, his expression became even more fascinating. Wait¡­ Does Countess¡­ no, her Excellency the True Ancestor mean that the nobleman who approached her yesterday was the Dark Apostle Albrecht?! Oh¡­ Heavens! Didn¡¯t that mean all the taunts and remarks he made last night were directly in front of the person himself?! Yurst opened his mouth, completely petrified. Seeing that Yurst was almost overwhelmed by all these ¡°truths¡±, Charlotte decided it was enough. She cleared her throat, snapping Yurst out of his ¡°petrification¡± and said meaningfully. ¡°Sir Yurst, I¡¯m very satisfied with my current identity. In the world of order, I am still Countess Castell, and you are still Count Yurst. Understand?¡± Yurst instantly grasped Charlotte¡¯s hint. He swallowed, quickly and respectfully replying. ¡°Yu¡­ Yurst understands, Your Exc¡­ no, Countess Castell¡­no, Lord Castell.¡± Charlotte nodded slightly, satisfied with Yurst¡¯s attitude. Seeing that Charlotte wasn¡¯t angry and her attitude towards him hadn¡¯t changed much, Yurst gradually calmed down. And once calm, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a twinge of sympathy for the Roman Royal Family¡­ Attempting to kidnap the True Ancestor? Don¡¯t be ridiculous! The Roman Royal Family¡­ they were practically courting death! With this in mind, Yurst hesitated and then cautiously asked. ¡®Lord Castell, about the Roman Royal Family¡­ what will you do about them?¡± ¡°They plan to kidnap me and use my blood to activate the Roman family¡¯s contract book, thus obtaining the Roman Sword.¡± Charlotte replied. Hearing this, Yurst¡¯s expression turned odd. Ah, this¡­ Attempting to kidnap the True Ancestor and using her blood to activate a contract book? They didn¡¯t even know how they were courting death¡­ Seeing Charlotte¡¯s playful expression, Yurst couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit more sympathy for the Roman Royal Family. He silently lit a candle for them in his heart and then, curious and nervous, asked. ¡°So¡­ what¡¯s your plan?¡± ¡°My plan? Haha, if they want to play, let¡¯s play along. It saves a lot of trouble.¡± Charlotte laughed. As she spoke, she gently drew a drop of red blood from her finger. Seeing the golden-red glow in the blood, Yurst swallowed hard, feeling a deep yearning. Bloodline power! That was pure bloodline power! No, beyond bloodline power, there was even a trace of divine power! That¡¯s¡­ the blood of the True Ancestor! ¡°If they want my blood, then let them have it, as long as they can control it.¡± Charlotte said leisurely. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 419: The Ceremony Begins Upon hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, Yurst immediately grasped her meaning.Despite True Ancestor¡¯s uncovering of the Roman Royal Family¡¯s plot, they did not intend to alter their previous plan. Even though with True Ancestor¡¯s power, it would be easy to thwart the conspiracy. Yurst quickly realized why. True Ancestor¡¯s willingness to cooperate with the Nez Clan and assist in stripping Prince Henry of his inheritance was likely due to more than just the territorial benefits the Nez Clan offered. The True Ancestor must have a deeper purpose in mind, possibly related to the Roman Sword. ¡°Could it be that True Ancestor is also interested in the Roman Sword?¡± Yurst pondered. Reflecting on the elders¡¯ council¡¯s anticipation of retrieving the Roman Sword, his feelings were mixed. If True Ancestor¡¯s interest lay there, then perhaps the Nez Clan might inadvertently serve True Ancestor¡¯s broader goals. At that moment, Yurst realized how deeply complicated the situation was and grew worried about how to handle his clan¡¯s potential reaction. He felt that True Ancestor¡¯s objective was more intricate than it appeared. But he quickly pushed these thoughts aside. He was not just a Blood Count of the Nez Clan but also a blood servant of True Ancestor. His loyalty to the latter took precedence, especially since his life was now in True Ancestor¡¯s hands. He would follow True Ancestor¡¯s directives precisely. Regardless of the outcome, he followed his clan¡¯s instructions meticulously, ensuring no mistakes. If anything went awry, he could not be blamed. As for the Nez Clan¡¯s potential loss, if True Ancestor had moved past past grudges and no longer sought power through devouring other bloodbornes, supporting True Ancestor might be the best course for the clan¡¯s future. Of course, this was merely Yurst¡¯s current speculation. He knew the idea was bold and unconventional, one that would be hard for other bloodbornes to accept, and even he had his doubts. Yet, he had no choice but to strive for the best possible outcome for the Nez Clan under True Ancestor¡¯s guidance. Yurst¡¯s feelings were complicated, while Charlotte remained pragmatic. She weighed the pros and cons and saw no need to expose the Roman Royal Family¡¯s plot. Instead, she decided to proceed with the original plan, allowing events to unfold naturally. The Roman Sword was an artifact with a mind and significant power. Facing such a force required caution, and any mishap could be blamed on the Roman Royal Family. With this decision, Charlotte summoned her shadow demon. Though not powerful, the shadow demon¡¯s spatial and shadow attributes made it an excellent messenger. Under her gaze, it trembled, receiving a crystal vial of her blood. ¡°Deliver this to Albrecht. He knows what to do.¡± Charlotte commanded. The demon, though tempted by the vial¡¯s contents, fearfully complied and vanished. Yurst, watching, realized his previous blindness. No ordinary human could command a demon so easily. His realization of Charlotte¡¯s true identity made him uneasy. Uncomfortable staying in the same room, he cautiously asked. ¡°Cou¡­ Your Excellency, I have other clan tasks to attend to. May I be excused?¡± ¡°Go ahead. Continue as planned.¡± Charlotte replied. Relieved, Yurst bowed deeply and hurried out, needing time to process and compose himself. ¡°Hey, Lady Charlotte, he seems quite scared of your true identity.¡± Nice remarked, watching Yurst¡¯s retreat. Charlotte ignored Nice¡¯s amusement, recalling how the cat had once reacted similarly upon discovering her identity. ¡°I¡¯ll go check on the ceremony¡¯s array and see how he¡¯s doing.¡± Nice said, sneaking off. ¡°Go on.¡± Charlotte sighed. ¡­ Outside the dark room, Yurst finally breathed easier. Knowing Castell¡¯s true identity was overwhelming, each second felt heavy with pressure. He needed time to digest the revelation and regain composure to interact with ¡°Countess Castell¡± again. ¡°Hey, Yurst, your nerves are weak! Scared just because of knowing Lady Charlotte¡¯s identity? I knew the truth and still clambered around her bed like a cat!¡± Nice teased. Yurst turned, glaring at the smug cat. ¡°Oh? Clambered around and ended up as a pet, signing a servant contract, huh?¡± Nice¡¯s face froze, unable to retort. Seeing the cat¡¯s reaction, Yurst knew he had struck a nerve. However, he didn¡¯t continue with the mutual antagonism and instead sighed. ¡°So, you¡¯ve actually known her true identity for a long time, haven¡¯t you?¡± Nice snorted. ¡°Of course, I knew at least two years ago. I even witnessed her resurrection firsthand!¡± Hearing Nice¡¯s words, Yurst fell silent. His expression changed several times before he couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Sir Nicholas, what do you think of the current True Ancestor?¡± Nice glanced at him and replied. ¡°Completely different from the her I used to know, but¡­ in a positive way.¡± ¡°To be honest, when the contract was first signed, I thought I was doomed. But as it turned out, things weren¡¯t as bad as I imagined.¡± ¡°No¡­ to be more accurate, sometimes it even excites me.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s her as she is now, I¡¯d be happy to see her regain her power.¡± ¡°After all¡­ not everyone gets the chance to personally be part of mythology and epic.¡± After hearing Nice¡¯s words, Yurst muttered to himself. ¡°So you think so too¡­¡± Seeing Yurst in contemplation, Nice guessed what he was struggling with. He chuckled and said. ¡°Yurst, don¡¯t be so anxious and hesitant. After all¡­ you¡¯re already on her side.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t change anything. Instead of trying to change, why not adapt?¡± ¡°In my opinion, this isn¡¯t a bad thing for you or the Nez Clan. She¡¯s nothing like the terrifying existence we knew.¡± ¡°Some say every resurrection of mythology could be a complete rebirth.¡± ¡°I think¡­ it¡¯s the same for her.¡± Hearing Nice¡¯s words, Yurst mused. ¡°A rebirth, huh¡­¡± With that, he let out a long sigh. ¡°I hope so.¡± He had to admit that he had no complaints about the current True Ancestor. His fear was only rooted in the past. He genuinely hoped that the True Ancestor from history, who suddenly changed character and massacred her kin in pursuit of power, would never return. ¡­ ¡°So¡­ this is your response.¡± ¡°It seems you don¡¯t want to escalate things.¡± Receiving the crystal vial from the submissive shadow demon, Albrecht looked surprised and contemplative. He examined the crystal vial containing the translucent red blood, his eyes reflecting an uncontrollable greed. The blood of the True Ancestor! This was blood imbued with the highest level of power, the source of the bloodborne¡¯s strength! Even with just a drop, he could clearly feel the awe-inspiring and intimate power within. It was the divine power of the True Ancestor! ¡°Though her personality seems different, she is indeed the True Ancestor. This is true blood! Even purer and nobler than the power in the Faceless Statue!¡± Albrecht muttered to himself. Suppressing the insane thought of claiming this drop of true blood for himself, his expression took on a tinge of jealousy. ¡°To be able to use a drop of true blood as a key for activation, the Roman Contract Book is truly fortunate.¡± ¡°Lucky indeed!¡± After saying that, he glanced at the controlled puppets around him and sneered. ¡°And lucky for you all too! Free pass to survival!¡± With that, Albrecht prepared to hand the crystal vial to the controlled Count Corimo. But just as he reached out, he paused, struck by a thought. He scrutinized Corimo¡¯s figure and then smirked, stroking his chin. ¡°Come to think of it, my illusion skills aren¡¯t bad either.¡± ¡­ Roman Square. As the guests took their seats, the grand ceremony officially began. The ¡°recognition¡± ceremony of the Starfall Crown Prince drew an enormous crowd. Despite being politically sidelined in the Starfall noble circles, for the common people, such a grand festival was a major event. The vast square was packed with people, both inside and out, possibly numbering in the tens of thousands. And with the nearby congested streets included, the number of spectators was even higher. The Ancestral Recognition Ceremony had three parts. The first part was a speech, where Prince Henry, as the Roman family¡¯s successor, would appear before the people to take an oath and give a speech. The second part was the Grand Priesthood, a ritual of ancestor worship, serving as a prelude to the recognition ceremony. The third part was the formal ceremony itself. According to tradition, the Roman family would awaken the Roman Sword, initiating the recognition and strengthening of the Roman bloodline. The ceremony proceeded smoothly. Though young, Prince Henry was a competent noble, and while his speech wasn¡¯t outstanding, it was fitting for a crown prince. The Grand Priesthood also went without a hitch. As a ritual sanctioned by the Holy Court, the Roman family¡¯s Grand Priesthood had long lost its mystical significance and had become purely symbolic, posing no risks or difficulties. The problem lay with the yet-to-begin critical part. ¡°Is there still no news from the palace?¡± Backstage on the viewing platform, Duke Conte asked the royal knight anxiously. ¡°No, Your Grace.¡± The royal knight replied respectfully. ¡°The decoy is in place, and the person has been sent to the palace. How hard is it to draw some blood?!¡± ¡°Go check again and see what¡¯s taking so long. The Grand Priesthood is almost over, have them bring the stuff quickly!¡± Duke Conte urged, frowning. The knight respectfully acknowledged and left. Duke Conte paced back and forth anxiously. Just as he was about to urge them again or even go himself, the royal knight finally arrived with someone. It was Count Corimo. ¡°Apologies, Your Grace. The palace is vast, and I got lost, hence the delay.¡± Count Corimo said with a smile. Seeing his leisurely demeanor, Duke Conte was furious. ¡°Lost? You¡¯ve been to the Roman Palace countless times, and you got lost? Do you know the consequences if our plan is delayed?!¡± Suppressing his anger, he took a deep breath and asked in a low voice. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Do you have the item?¡± ¡°Yes, I have Castell¡¯s blood.¡± Count Corimo handed over the crystal vial with a smile. Seeing the red liquid in the vial, Duke Conte¡¯s expression softened. He looked deeply at Count Corimo. ¡°Good. Make sure to handle the follow-up.¡± With that, he strode towards the viewing platform. The Grand Priesthood had just ended. There was a ten-minute break before the formal ancestor recognition ceremony began. On the viewing platform, Prince Henry clutched an ancient book, looking restless. Until he saw Duke Conte hurrying over. Prince Henry¡¯s eyes lit up as Duke Conte quickly approached and discreetly handed him the crystal vial. ¡°Your Highness, we have Castell¡¯s blood.¡± Receiving the vial, Prince Henry finally felt at ease. Thinking of the beautiful figure he saw at the banquet last night, he couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Is she¡­ alright?¡± Duke Conte paused, realizing who he meant. He glanced at the other ¡°Castell¡± and replied. ¡°Rest assured, Your Highness. We did not harm her, merely sedated her. Even the blood extraction was done gently.¡± ¡°Good. After all, she will be the future queen.¡± Prince Henry nodded. The break ended quickly. The Ancestral Recognition Ceremony was about to begin. The nobles took their seats again, and the Roman family¡¯s elder announced the ceremony¡¯s commencement. ¡°Your Highness, the ceremony is about to begin. Please proceed to the altar and summon the Roman Sword!¡± The elder said solemnly. Having made all necessary preparations, Prince Henry took a deep breath and, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, stood up. He held the Roman Contract Book, hid the crystal vial, and walked towards the altar at the center of the square with a mix of nervousness and anticipation¡­ Chapter 420: Light of the Contract ¡°Your Highness, please place the Contract Book on the altar.¡±On one side of the altar, the elder of the Roman family presiding over the ceremony spoke in a solemn tone. Prince Henry took a deep breath to calm his nerves. Then, he nodded slightly and placed the heavy book in his hand on the altar. ¡°Your Highness, next¡­ please stand within the magic circle and begin calling upon the Roman Sword.¡± The elder continued. It¡¯s time¡­ Prince Henry¡¯s eyes sharpened. He knew that the moment to change his destiny had arrived. He did not act immediately but instead exchanged a glance with Duke Conte on the viewing platform. Duke Conte nodded to him, with a reassuring smile on his face. Henry¡¯s anxious mood steadied. Although he knew his court advisor had ulterior motives, at least¡­ they shared a common goal in helping him ascend to the throne. ¡°Your Highness?¡± Seeing Henry fall silent, the family elder frowned and repeated his words. Prince Henry finally looked at the elder. Taking a deep breath, he suddenly smiled and said, ¡°Elder, haven¡¯t you skipped a step?¡± ¡°Skipped a step?¡± The family elder was taken aback. Seeing Henry glance at the Contract Book on the altar, the elder understood and explained with a smile. ¡°Oh, Your Highness, are you referring to activating the Contract Book?¡± ¡°Perhaps you are unaware, but the true Contract Book of the family was lost long ago. The one you just placed on the altar is a replica, so there is no activation process.¡± ¡°However, calling upon the Roman Sword does not actually require the Contract Book. Placing it on the altar is merely following an ancient tradition.¡± ¡°So¡­ you can proceed to the next step.¡± The elder made a gesture for Henry to continue. However, Prince Henry still did not move. ¡°Your Highness, are you going to proceed with the ceremony or not?¡± The family elder¡¯s tone finally showed some impatience. This time, Prince Henry finally took action. But he did not follow the process to start the summoning. Instead, he pointed to the book on the altar and smiled, saying, ¡°Elder, please take a closer look at the Contract Book I just placed on the altar. Is it genuine or not?¡± The elder was stunned. He stepped forward and carefully examined the Contract Book on the altar. His expression shifted from surprise to hesitation, and finally to disbelief. ¡°Hmm? This¡­ this doesn¡¯t seem to be the one we prepared in advance.¡± ¡°The material, the magic patterns¡­ this¡­ this¡­ could it be¡­¡± Seeing the elder¡¯s widening eyes, Prince Henry knew it was time. He exchanged another glance with Duke Conte on the viewing platform, and they both smiled. Prince Henry then picked up the magical crystal used to project his voice across the square, took a deep breath, and announced loudly. ¡°Everyone, this is the true Contract Book. Our Roman Royal Family has recovered the genuine Contract Book!¡± The crowd fell silent. The commoners were merely there to watch the spectacle and did not know the details of the ceremony. But the nobles on the viewing platform were abuzz with conversation. ¡°The genuine Contract Book? Did His Majesty recover the legendary book tied to the Roman Sword?¡± ¡°Is this real or fake?¡± ¡°Judging by the elder¡¯s expression, it seems to be true. The royal family seems to have really recovered the Contract Book¡­¡± ¡°Wait, does this mean that instead of directly calling upon the Roman Sword, the prince plans to activate the Contract Book first?¡± ¡°It appears so¡­¡± ¡°But¡­ but isn¡¯t it said that his lineage is¡­¡± ¡°Shh¡­ hush! You know that¡¯s just a rumor. If the prince dares to use the Contract Book openly, he must be confident.¡± ¡°Could it be that those rumors were indeed slander? Is his bloodline truly uncontested?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The nobles debated endlessly. At the altar, Prince Henry, hearing the nobles¡¯ discussions, stood taller. The existence of the Contract Book was no secret among the upper echelons of the Starfall Kingdom. The Roman Contract Book was extremely selective about bloodlines. If he could activate it, even if the rest of the ceremony did not go smoothly, the controversy over his lineage would be dispelled! ¡°Prince Henry, I have confirmed that this is indeed the true Contract Book. However¡­ are you certain you want to summon the Roman Sword this way?¡± The elder presiding over the ceremony frowned. He gave Henry a meaningful look and reminded him. ¡°Pardon me for speaking frankly, but using the traditional method to summon the Roman Sword would allow any bearer of the Roman bloodline to complete the ceremony. But the Contract Book¡­ is different.¡± ¡°If the bloodline is not pure, the Contract Book¡­ will not respond.¡± Understanding the reminder and implication in the elder¡¯s words, Henry felt a bit embarrassed. He knew what the elder meant¡ªhe was hinting that Henry might not be able to activate the Contract Book due to his bloodline. This was a fact. He had already tried using his own blood before the ceremony, but the Contract Book did not respond. He had no choice, his lineage was flawed. But he had to do this. Switching to the Contract Book in front of all the noble and common spectators was part of his and Duke Conte¡¯s plan! Even if his blood could not activate it, he now had the blood of Countess Castell. With Countess Castell¡¯s direct Roman lineage, activating the Contract Book would be no problem. And once he used Castell¡¯s blood to activate the Contract Book, he would have a chance to re-establish a contract with the Roman Sword! As for whether the Roman Sword would recognize his bloodline and detect his deceit¡­ That was not an issue. Because he also had Roman blood. Even if impure, even if using Castell¡¯s blood, the Roman Sword would not mind. The reason was simple¡ªthe Contract Book was merely a key left by Romanus, not significantly related to the artifact. Its role was only to awaken the Roman Sword. The crucial part of the inheritance was still in the ceremony and the magic circle. The Roman Sword, although possessing intelligence, was limited by historical reasons. Its intelligence was said to be equivalent to that of a ten-year-old child and would not detect any issues with the bloodline used for activation. At most, it would sense the extraordinary power level of the activator. But that was no problem because Countess Castell¡¯s strength was the same as his¡ªSilver Moon, or even weaker. He could completely replace her. And this¡­ was another reason Duke Conte chose Countess Castell. Of course, these secrets were not for outsiders to know. They were royal family secrets! ¡°Prince Henry, since you insist, please proceed.¡± Seeing Henry¡¯s persistence, the elder went along with it. All eyes were now on Prince Henry. ¡­ ¡°Hmm? The royal family recovered the Contract Book? Could it be they found someone with a pure Roman bloodline to replace Prince Henry?¡± On the second floor of a small building on one side of Roman Square, Duke Yorok watched as Prince Henry walked slowly to the altar under the gaze of the crowd, raising an eyebrow. He chuckled softly. ¡°A good idea, but unfortunately¡­ we¡¯ve already tampered with the altar¡¯s magic circle. Even if they activate the Contract Book, it won¡¯t work.¡± Duke Yorok sipped his wine with a mocking expression. Just then, the door behind him gently opened, and a tall figure entered. It was Count Yurst, who had left the dark room where Charlotte was to inspect the ceremony¡¯s magic circle. Seeing Yurst, Duke Yorok smiled and said, ¡°Yurst, you arrived just in time. The Roman Royal Family managed to recover the Contract Book!¡± ¡°Too bad they don¡¯t know that the ceremony has been compromised. Even if they activate the Contract Book, it won¡¯t work.¡± ¡°Heh, I wonder where they found Roman blood. From what I know¡­ even King Edward can¡¯t activate the Contract Book.¡± Hearing Duke Yorok¡¯s words, Count Yurst¡¯s expression turned peculiar. He coughed lightly and said, ¡°Your Grace, actually¡­ I came to see you about this matter.¡± ¡°The Royal Family¡¯s substitute for Roman blood is¡­ Countess Castell¡¯s.¡± Duke Yorok: ¡­ ¡°Hmm? Something happened to Countess Castell?!¡± His expression changed slightly. Yurst quickly shook his head. ¡°No, no¡­ nothing happened¡­ The Royal Family did indeed plan to kidnap the Countess, but they failed¡­¡± Saying this, Yurst briefly recounted what had happened to Duke Yorok, only omitting Charlotte¡¯s true identity and the presence of the Blazing Sun mercenaries. After hearing Yurst¡¯s account, Duke Yorok relaxed and smiled. ¡°So that¡¯s how it is. Well¡­ Countess Castell handled it well. We are already in an advantageous position, so it is indeed wise not to complicate matters further.¡± ¡°Actually, if it is Countess Castell¡¯s, it could help us completely sever Henry¡¯s claim to the throne.¡± ¡°Poor Roman Royal Family, of all people, they chose Countess Castell! Such bad luck!¡± He pointed to the vast crowd in the square, chuckling. ¡°Yurst, take one last look at the Roman family¡¯s recognition ceremony. After today, such ceremonies will be history. From now on, the Starfall Kingdom will return to Nez control, and the Roman Sword¡­ once awakened, will become one of our trump cards.¡± Seeing Duke Yorok¡¯s confidence, Yurst felt a headache coming on. Thinking of the young countess¡¯ true identity, he hesitated but couldn¡¯t help but speak. ¡°But¡­ what if it doesn¡¯t return?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t return?¡± Duke Yorok was taken aback. He looked at Yurst curiously and said, ¡°Are you worried our plan will fail? Or that Countess Castell will replace Henry and gain the Roman Sword¡¯s recognition?¡± ¡°Heh, don¡¯t worry about that. Countess Castell¡¯s bloodline may be sufficient, but the ceremony is in our hands. At the critical moment, we can interrupt it.¡± ¡°We only need to awaken the Roman Sword. The rest, under the ancient contract, is not a problem.¡± Yurst: ¡­ Not a problem? It¡¯s a huge problem! S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Countess Castell isn¡¯t just a mere Roman descendant, she¡¯s our ancestor! Interrupt the ceremony? That depends on whether Her Majesty allows it! In the face of divine power, rituals and contracts mean nothing! Yurst complained inwardly. But¡­ he only dared to complain inwardly. Seeing Yurst¡¯s strange expression, Duke Yorok chuckled and said confidently. ¡°Heh, Yurst, there¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± ¡°At this point, I might as well tell you. Our Nez Clan is determined to obtain the Roman Sword. No¡­ it should be said it has no choice but to return to Luna Island.¡± ¡°You might not know this, but although the Roman Sword is a true mythological artifact, it was damaged in that catastrophe.¡± ¡°It became Romanus¡¯ sword to use his divine power for self-repair.¡± ¡°Romanus¡¯ contract with it was witnessed by our Nez Clan. Now that Romanus is gone, and the Roman family is in decline, only we, who wield divine power, can help it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget, although His Excellency Casey is not yet awakened, we still possess our own artifacts and stored blood divine power!¡± ¡°As for Countess Castell¡­ she may have divine backing, but that God¡¯s influence can¡¯t reach our territory.¡± Yurst: ¡­ His headache worsened, and he was at a loss for words. ¡­ Prince Henry was excited. Ten years. He had waited ten years for this day. Ever since he learned ten years ago that he wasn¡¯t born of the Queen¡¯s bloodline, he had lived in constant worry about his bloodline and extreme inferiority. Recently, his long-hidden origins were exposed by the nobles, causing him sleepless nights and constant anxiety. Prince Henry knew the Starfall Kingdom valued bloodlines above all. He also knew his Roman blood was impure. Strictly speaking, he didn¡¯t even meet the Red Lilac and Purple Lilac families¡¯ conditions for succession. His father chose his mother to obtain the true Roman Sword? What a joke! Despite Duke Conte¡¯s flattery, he wasn¡¯t a child anymore. He knew the truth: his birth wasn¡¯t planned for any grand purpose. His late mother, though of elven blood, was merely a slave maid brought into the Queen¡¯s family as part of the dowry. His birth was a drunken accident by the king. If it weren¡¯t for the lack of other mature heirs and his father¡¯s desire to keep the throne within the family, he wouldn¡¯t have been hidden as a legitimate child. Thinking of this, Prince Henry clenched his fists. He could never forget his father¡¯s scrutinizing gaze. Roman blood¡­ It was all because his Roman blood was impure that no matter how well he performed, he could never satisfy his father. It was all because his Roman blood was impure that, even though his father made him heir, he was always criticized. He knew that if there were other options, if his father hadn¡¯t been injured while hunting, his position as Crown Prince wouldn¡¯t have been secure. In private moments with his father, he never felt truly acknowledged. But¡­ after today, everything would be different. Once he officially passed the Ancestral Recognition Ceremony, his Roman blood would be strengthened. Once he officially passed the Ancestral Recognition Ceremony, even his critical father would have to acknowledge him. Once he officially passed the Ancestral Recognition Ceremony, he would be the designated next head of the Roman family, and all rumors about his origins would be dispelled! Thinking of the upcoming ceremony, Prince Henry¡¯s expression grew more expectant. ¡°The Roman Sword¡­¡± ¡°If I successfully pass the ceremony, activate the contract book, and obtain the Roman Sword, I will be the true ruler of Starfall!¡± ¡°No¡­ as Crown Prince of Starfall, the throne and the Roman Sword should rightfully be mine!¡± Taking a deep breath, Prince Henry¡¯s expression became resolute. He cut his finger and let his blood drip onto the contract book. At the same time, he secretly mixed in Countess Castell¡¯s blood. The blood fell on the contract book, emitting a faint silver glow. Seeing the flickering light, the observing nobles widened their eyes. ¡°This¡­ this¡­ it¡¯s actually reacting.¡± It¡¯s done! Seeing the increasingly bright contract book, Prince Henry breathed a sigh of relief. But soon, he felt uneasy. The reason being, the contract book¡¯s light grew brighter and brighter, until it became blinding¡­ In the small building on the second floor. Seeing the altar¡¯s light, as bright as the sun, enough to blind anyone, Duke Yorok was stunned. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Countess Castell¡¯s Roman blood¡­ is it really this powerful?¡± Chapter 421: The Roman Sword The blinding light shone on the altar in the center of the square, dazzling and brilliant.Seeing the bright light, the nobles who supported Prince Henry, those who opposed him, and even those who were just there for the spectacle, were all stunned. ¡°This¡­ this¡­ does it mean we have wrongly accused His Highness? Does he actually possess pure Romanus blood?¡± ¡°No, no¡­ can pure Romanus blood be this bright?¡± ¡°No¡­ something¡¯s not right. I remember decades ago when the last direct descendant of Romanus, the ¡®Fool¡¯ Henry, underwent the recognition ceremony, the light wasn¡¯t this strong¡­¡± ¡°Henry II? But he didn¡¯t have the Contract Book at that time!¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t the Contract Book supposed to require even stronger blood?¡± ¡°Could it be¡­ could it be that His Highness¡¯s bloodline is not only pure but actually very strong?¡± ¡°This¡­ it¡¯s possible. If he truly is the descendant of the union between the Red Lilac and Purple Lilac families, a throwback in bloodline isn¡¯t impossible! After all¡­ the light of the contract doesn¡¯t lie.¡± ¡°It seems¡­ we might have truly misunderstood His Highness.¡± ¡°This is promising! The light is so intense¡­ it seems the Roman Sword has a high degree of recognition for His Highness!¡± ¡°Could the Contract Book be fake?¡± ¡°Impossible. If it were fake, how could the light of the contract be activated?¡± Looking at the dazzling altar, the nobles had varied expressions and engaged in heated discussions. Meanwhile, on the viewing platform, Duke Conte, ¡°Countess Castell¡±, and Prince Henry at the altar all had equally vivid expressions. Good heavens¡­ Countess Castell¡¯s bloodline¡­ is actually this strong? Duke Conte¡¯s eyes widened. He couldn¡¯t help but glance at the ¡°Countess Castell¡± beside him, who just shook her head vigorously, indicating that she knew nothing and was merely a mercenary hired for the job. As for Prince Henry in the center of the square, he began to feel uneasy. The reaction of the Contract Book far exceeded his expectations, making him somewhat nervous. However, upon hearing the nobles¡¯ discussions, his mood gradually calmed down. Fortunately¡­ Fortunately, no one thought he was cheating! In everyone¡¯s understanding, the direct bloodline of Romanus had long been extinct with the death of Henry II. And those who knew Countess Castell¡¯s identity were either controlled by the royal family or silenced. Maybe some nobles in Castell knew this secret, but so what? As long as he could successfully marry Countess Castell later, all gaps would be sealed! No one would find a flaw, and as long as there were no flaws, no matter how astonished they were by the light of the contract, they would only attribute it to the peculiarity of his bloodline! After all¡­ he was the only nominal descendant of the union between the Red Lilac and Purple Lilac families, and though rare, throwbacks in bloodline had happened in history! With this self-comfort, Prince Henry¡¯s anxious heart gradually calmed down. He straightened his back, raised his head proudly, and adopted an air of confident arrogance. Seeing Prince Henry¡¯s confident demeanor, the observing nobles began to believe in the possibility of his bloodline throwback. However, on the second floor of the small building in the square, Duke Yorok, who had witnessed Romanus drawing the divine sword from the stone, couldn¡¯t sit still¡­ ¡°No¡­ this is definitely not some bloodline throwback. When Romanus drew it, the light wasn¡¯t this strong!¡± ¡°This¡­ this is resonance! Divine artifact resonance!¡± ¡°But¡­ how is this possible? Even if Romanus¡¯ descendants could cause resonance, how could the resonance surpass Romanus, the artifact¡¯s master?¡± Duke Yorok stood up abruptly, his expression changing constantly. His gaze fell on Yurst beside him, and he was slightly stunned. He saw that Yurst was also staring at the blinding light, dumbfounded, but there seemed to be a hint of resignation in his expression, as if he had expected this. Duke Yorok felt like he had grasped the key to the problem. He grabbed Yurst, his face serious, and said, ¡°Yurst! Are you hiding something from me?¡± Yurst was startled. Facing Duke Yorok¡¯s serious gaze, he was about to lie when he saw a dark red glow in Duke Yorok¡¯s pupils. Oh no! It¡¯s the Blood Law Truth Spell of the Mental Path! Yurst thought he was doomed. He had forgotten that the bloodborne elders could forcibly cast this innate divine spell, which was comparable to the Holy Court¡¯s True Sight, on their descendants! Under Duke Yorok¡¯s gaze, Yurst felt an irresistible spiritual will descend upon his soul. From now on, every word he said couldn¡¯t be a lie. More precisely, he couldn¡¯t disobey the spiritual will and lie. He panicked instantly. However, just as Yurst thought he was done for, a golden-red light suddenly flashed in the depths of his soul. In his mental world, the Thorny Rose symbol slowly emerged, shining brightly and enveloping Yurst¡¯s soul, while Duke Yorok¡¯s spiritual force for control was swallowed up without a trace, like raindrops falling into the ocean. Yurst was stunned for a moment, then realized. This was the protection of the Blood Contract! He was already a blood servant of Her Excellency the True Ancestor, and under the protection of the Thorny Rose, no one could forcibly control him with mental magic! Especially not Duke Yorok, a blood descendant, whose Blood Law Truth Spell didn¡¯t even trigger an alarm before being absorbed by the protective power of the Thorny Rose! Realizing this, Yurst was both shocked and delighted. Shocked that Her Excellency the True Ancestor¡¯s suppression of the bloodborne¡¯s bloodline far exceeded his expectations, and delighted that his secret was finally safe. Honestly, he wasn¡¯t too afraid of what Duke Yorok would do to him if the truth was discovered. What he feared was disrupting Her Excellency the True Ancestor¡¯s plan and facing severe punishment from Her! That was a far more terrifying possibility, even if Her Excellency seemed different from the historical figure She once was. ¡°Duke¡­ Duke Yorok, I¡­ I¡¯m not hiding anything from you¡­¡± Under the suppression of the Legendary bloodborne, Yurst stammered in response. Duke Yorok frowned as he looked at Yurst, whose expression didn¡¯t seem to be faking it. He was unsure for a moment. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Strange¡­ Could it be that Countess Castell¡¯s bloodline is really that strong? Or maybe¡­ she has another bloodline that interests the Roman Sword?¡± Duke Yorok was bewildered. Seeing Duke Yorok in a daze, Yurst breathed a sigh of relief. However, as he secretly observed his superior, another thought inexplicably formed in his mind. Wait¡­ Even within the clan, Lord Yorok has always been a moderate and conciliatory figure towards the ¡°God¡± behind the Castell family. Could it be possible¡­ to also pull him onto the True Ancestor¡¯s side? Yurst was startled by his own idea. However, once the thought emerged, he couldn¡¯t contain it anymore. One of the orders given by the True Ancestor was to infiltrate the Nez Clan. What could be more satisfying to the True Ancestor than recruiting a Legendary Bloodborne? Moreover, this was his superior! If he could recruit him, it would benefit his side! Of course, Yurst remained cautious. Even with such a bold idea, he knew how difficult and risky it would be to execute. Duke Yorok had no idea that while Yurst was sneaking glances at him, he was plotting to drag him into the fray. Staring at the dazzling light of the contract, Yorok suddenly realized something, his expression changing. ¡°No! Quick! Activate the backup plan! Forcefully stop the ceremony!¡± ¡°We cannot let the Roman Sword fully awaken! It must not be fully awakened now!¡± Duke Yorok shouted, his voice changing with urgency. Yurst opened his mouth to respond but suddenly felt a jolt and looked toward the Roman Square. He swallowed a mouthful of saliva. ¡°My Lord Duke, I¡¯m afraid¡­ it¡¯s too late.¡± As he spoke, the contract light on the square changed again. In the shocked gazes of the onlookers, a silver pillar of light shot up from the altar, piercing through the clouds in the sky! The ground trembled slightly as an indescribable energy wave spread from the altar. Then, a huge, nearly hundred-meter-tall ethereal figure slowly emerged above the altar. It was a divine sword. The blade was silver with ancient and strange patterns, and the hilt was golden with decorations and magical texts of ancient elven style. It looked somewhat illusory and damaged, but even so, its mysterious and unique aura, transcending the mundane, was unmistakable. Upon its appearance, it seemed to become the sole focus of the world! ¡°This is¡­ the projection of the Roman Sword!¡± ¡°By the Gods! Prince Henry has truly summoned the Roman Sword through the contract book!¡± On the viewing platform, the nobles were in an uproar. The Roman nobles couldn¡¯t forget this image. The projection of the Roman Sword had been summoned many times in history, with many paintings depicting it, all matching the ancient, worn divine sword before them! Seeing the appearance of the Roman Sword projection, the onlookers cheered, but Duke Yorok, in the second-floor small building, had a completely different expression. In his eyes, that illusory sword was not a projection but a gradually solidifying entity! Damn! That¡¯s not a projection! That¡¯s the real Roman Sword! What is with Countess Castell¡¯s bloodline? The genuine artifact has been summoned by her bloodline! She¡­ she¡­ Did she really only use her blood? Or did she receive help from the God behind the scenes? Looking at the gradually solidifying sword, Duke Yorok felt a headache and uncertainty. But soon, his expression changed again. In his vision, the worn divine sword was gradually enveloped by a layer of golden-red light. That golden-red light looked familiar, but Duke Yorok couldn¡¯t recall where he had seen it. However, seeing that light, even from a distance, he felt an indescribable power. Then¡­ something strange happened. With the golden-red light flashing, the worn exterior and numerous scars of the sword began to fade, replaced by a gleaming blade and restored patterns. In an instant, the sword was rejuvenated and fully solidified. At the same time, everyone felt an ancient and vast will slowly descend¡­ ¡°Thud¡­¡± ¡°Thud¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The ordinary onlookers felt an overwhelming, suffocating sense of heart palpitations. That aura, accompanied by the ancient, vast will, appeared with the sword and intensified as the sword ¡°revived.¡± With that will¡¯s arrival, the onlookers and nobles all collapsed weakly, trembling under the divine pressure. On the second floor of the small building, Duke Yorok felt the immense pressure as well. But staring at the solidified sword, he looked as if he had seen a ghost. ¡°Restored¡­?¡± ¡°The Roman Sword has been restored?¡± Of course, no one could answer that question. Everyone present was already trembling under the divine pressure of the sword. Prince Henry was no exception. In fact, being closest to the altar, he felt even more pressure than the others. Yet, despite this, he still managed to straighten his back and look excitedly at the divine sword in the sky. It worked¡­ He really did it! Prince Henry was ecstatic. At the same time, the giant sword in the sky retracted its divine light. A subtle mental wave radiated from the sword, and everyone heard a youthful yet mature voice in their minds. That voice¡­ seemed to carry a joyful tone, speaking in an archaic and convoluted manner. ¡°Who is the noble one who has awakened Roman from endless slumber?¡± ¡°Your great kindness! Roman is eternally grateful!¡± Hearing this voice, Prince Henry¡¯s spirits soared. Suppressing his excitement and anxiety, he hurriedly shouted. ¡°Lord Roman, it is I! I have awakened you from your slumber!¡± ¡°I am Henry Roman! I am the descendant of Romanus, the successor of the Roman family!¡± ¡°I summoned you, hoping to gain your recognition and complete the ancient Roman family ritual!¡± ¡°Is it you?¡± Hearing Prince Henry¡¯s words, the sword¡¯s light flickered, and the voice seemed surprised. A subtle mental wave swept over Prince Henry. Then, that youthful, joyful voice turned cold and mocking. ¡°What lowly creature? Your bloodline is so thin that your sword ancestor almost didn¡¯t recognize you, yet you dare to desecrate the Gods in the name of Romanus?¡± Hearing the sword¡¯s words, Prince Henry¡¯s expression froze. Chapter 422: Sudden Turn of Events The childish voice, filled with ridicule, echoed in everyone¡¯s hearts.For a moment, the entire ceremony venue fell into an eerie silence. The spectators whispered among themselves, while the nobles who had just been praising the event on stage exchanged bewildered glances. ¡°Lo¡­ lowly creature?¡± ¡°Weak bloodline¡­?¡± ¡°Desecrating the Gods?¡± ¡°Is this¡­ referring to His Highness the Prince?¡± Low murmurs gradually rose from the crowd, and people¡¯s gazes focused once more on Prince Henry. The childish voice hadn¡¯t been masked, everyone had heard it clearly. Including the voice¡¯s self-identification and its current mockery of Prince Henry. Undoubtedly, the voice belonged to the summoned Roman Sword, and it seemed that Prince Henry, who had summoned the Roman Sword, hadn¡¯t received its recognition. What exactly had happened? Wasn¡¯t the light just now incredibly dazzling? The crowd looked confused. Feeling the puzzled gazes concentrated on him, Prince Henry broke out in a cold sweat. Wait¡­ something isn¡¯t right here. Wasn¡¯t it said that the Roman Sword wouldn¡¯t care about his bloodline issue? Moreover, its voice¡­ Didn¡¯t it sound much more intelligent than a ten-year-old? Prince Henry, uncertain and apprehensive, felt that today¡¯s ceremony had already slipped out of his control, and the Roman Sword¡¯s reaction was entirely different from what the ancient texts described. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It was known that although the Roman Contract Book hadn¡¯t been used for many years, there was a difference between many years without use and never being used at all. The ancestors of the Roman family had used similar methods for summoning. But the current situation was vastly different from what he faced. He couldn¡¯t help but look at Duke Conte on the high platform, casting a discreet glance for help. However, when he looked over, he saw that Duke Conte was equally bewildered, seemingly not anticipating the current situation. Prince Henry felt numb all over. But he knew there was no turning back. Taking a deep breath, Prince Henry mustered the courage to look up at the Roman Sword hovering in midair. He carefully chose his words and spoke respectfully. ¡°Lord Roman, I¡­ did not deceive you. It was indeed I who initiated the ceremony and awakened you from your slumber!¡± ¡°Indeed, the bloodline of the Roman family is not as strong as it once was, and I must admit that our current strength is not as great as that of our illustrious ancestors¡­¡± ¡°However¡­ this is precisely why we wish to summon you. We hope you can help us, according to the contract, to reclaim the glory of our ancestors!¡± ¡°I have never had any intention of blaspheming. I have always revered our great ancestors and have never harbored thoughts of desecrating the Gods!¡± Hearing Prince Henry¡¯s words, the spectators and nobles were taken aback, and then fell into contemplation. ¡°Indeed¡­ the Roman family has declined. For years, the ceremonies only summoned the projection of the Roman Sword, but this is the first time in centuries that the actual Roman Sword has been summoned¡­¡± ¡°Could it be that Lord Roman is expressing dissatisfaction with the current decline of the Roman family?¡± ¡°So¡­ if the bloodline is weak, the same goes for His Majesty the King. This shouldn¡¯t be blamed on His Highness the Prince, right?¡± ¡°Perhaps¡­ explaining it clearly will gain the forgiveness of the divine artifact.¡± The crowd whispered among themselves. Upon hearing Prince Henry¡¯s words, the Roman Sword¡¯s divine light paused slightly, seemingly not expecting such an answer. Seeing the Roman Sword fall silent, Prince Henry felt relieved. Clearly, while the Roman Sword¡¯s intelligence seemed different from what was recorded, it didn¡¯t seem extraordinarily high. But just as he let out a sigh of relief, the childish voice spoke again, now filled with sneers and anger. ¡°Hmph! Cunning human, you nearly tricked me!¡± ¡°Indeed, the ceremony was initiated by you, but it was the Contract Book that successfully awakened me!¡± ¡°I have always turned a blind eye to the incomplete summons by your Roman descendants, in accordance with the ancient contract. But now, you dare to blaspheme the Gods before me, which is unforgivable!¡± As it spoke, the Roman Sword¡¯s light intensified, releasing a terrifying pressure that forced Prince Henry to the ground. ¡°Pathetic ant, shameless liar, brazen thief!¡± ¡°Do you really think the great Lord Roman wouldn¡¯t know who truly activated the Contract Book?¡± ¡°Speak! Blasphemer! Whose blood did you steal to drip onto the Contract Book?!¡± The Roman Sword¡¯s voice was supremely dignified, filled with overwhelming fury, echoing in everyone¡¯s ears. Hearing the Roman Sword¡¯s words, the nobles and the crowd were stunned. ¡°Stolen¡­ blood?¡± ¡°Could it be that the blood used to activate the Contract Book wasn¡¯t His Highness the Prince¡¯s, and that¡¯s why the divine artifact is so enraged?¡± ¡°Your¡­ Your Highness¡­ what¡¯s going on? Did you really deceive the ceremony?¡± The secret of the contract was exposed by the Roman Sword on the spot, and Prince Henry¡¯s expression changed dramatically, his face turning deathly pale. Seeing his expression, the spectators became even more convinced of the Roman Sword¡¯s accusations. In an instant, the nobles who had supported Prince Henry showed signs of disappointment, while those who had come to watch the spectacle looked at him with mockery and ridicule. As for the surrounding citizens of the Roman Duchy, they were already filled with anger. ¡°Blasphemy! This is blasphemy! Lord Roman is right! This is a desecration of our ancestors!¡± ¡°He deceived the ceremony! He tarnished the glory of the Romans! He blasphemed the divine ancestors!¡± ¡°He is not worthy to be a successor of the Romans! He is not fit to be the heir to the throne!¡± ¡°Depose him! Depose him!¡± The Demigod Romanus was a cultural symbol for the people of the Roman Duchy and a hero in their hearts. The conspiracy of Prince Henry, once revealed, undoubtedly provoked public outrage. In no time, the citizens waved their fists, cursing and condemning Prince Henry on the altar. Watching the furious citizens and the indifferent nobles, Prince Henry felt as if he had fallen into an icy abyss. It¡¯s over. He is done for. He racked his brains but couldn¡¯t understand why the carefully planned ceremony had turned into such a fiasco or why the usually gentle Roman Sword was now so furious. But he knew¡­ he was finished. Prince Henry lifted his head, hoping to seek help from Duke Conte on the viewing platform. However, Duke Conte avoided his gaze and instead wore a look of deep sorrow. Prince Henry¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Hmph, shameless blasphemer, the great Roman Sword is always merciful! Tell me, whose blood did you steal? I might forgive your offense!¡± The immature voice rang out again, carrying an undeniable authority. Hearing the Roman Sword¡¯s words, the nobles¡¯ accusations and the people¡¯s curses gradually subsided. Their gazes fell once again on Prince Henry, now tinged with curiosity. For the Roman Sword to be so enraged, it was clear that someone else was responsible for activating the contract book. And to summon the Roman Sword directly, it must be someone with an even purer Roman family bloodline! But everyone knew that the main branch of the Roman family had long been extinct. Both the Purple Lilac currently ruling the Starfall Kingdom and the Red Lilac that had intermarried with them were branch families. And a mere branch couldn¡¯t possibly activate the contract book. Someone like Prince Henry, who had strengthened his bloodline through marriage, might have had a chance. But since Prince Henry was not the true activator, it suggested his bloodline was indeed problematic, as rumored. So, who was the real activator of the contract book? Could the royal family still have a direct descendant of the Roman family in their control? The nobles of Starfall, well-versed and quick-witted, quickly made the connection¡­ Clearly, Prince Henry was finished. After today, his claim to the throne would no longer be recognized by the kingdom¡¯s council. According to the agreement between the two Lilac families, if the current king had no legitimate heir, a successor would be chosen from the Red Lilac family. But¡­ what if there was a Roman descendant with a stronger bloodline? The nobles of Starfall fixed their eyes on Prince Henry, their expressions turning serious. This was a question worth pondering. After all, it was an open secret among the nobility that the Red Lilac family might have the support of the Bloodborne. Not all nobles in the Starfall Kingdom were pleased to see the bloodborne faction regain power. If there truly was a direct descendant of the Roman family still out there, it would be an excellent opportunity for the opposition. If things were as they speculated, they could band together and attempt to support a new king! Even if they failed, they could use this as leverage to gain more political power within the kingdom! With thoughtful glances, the nobles stared at Prince Henry, waiting for his answer. On the first floor of the square, in a small two-story building, Duke Yorok¡¯s expression also changed slightly, and he stood up instinctively. Clearly, he had thought of the same possibility. His expression shifted unpredictably, and he eventually let out a bitter laugh, saying to Yurst beside him. ¡°Yurst, it seems that Castell has given us a tough problem.¡± Hearing Duke Yorok¡¯s words, Yurst opened his mouth, unsure of how to respond. He looked at the divine sword descending onto the square, his expression a mix of oddity and hesitation. By the True Ancestor¡­ Could it be¡­ Was this part of your foresight too? In front of the altar. Prince Henry¡¯s face was ashen, and he looked despondent. He knew it was hopeless and realized he couldn¡¯t hide the truth from a fully awakened divine artifact. This was a genuine divine artifact, on par with the Demigod Romanus. Even if it didn¡¯t possess the full power of the same-level myth, it wasn¡¯t something a mere mortal could deceive. He opened his mouth, resigned, and sighed, dejectedly answering. ¡°It was Cast¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, as he was about to utter ¡°Castell¡±, a mass of black and red flames suddenly engulfed him. Prince Henry screamed in agony. He didn¡¯t have time to continue answering as he was quickly consumed by the eerie flames, turning to ashes in an instant¡­ The crowd was stunned. The nobles were stunned. Even the Roman Sword in the sky was stunned. Duke Yorok, who had stood up, looked horrified, as if realizing something. His face turned pale. After a brief pause, the crowd on the square erupted into terrified screams. The Roman Sword let out an angry, childish roar. ¡°Nez! You bastards!¡± With that, the divine sword flashed with silver light, radiating a brilliant glow, and slashed toward the nearby church. The terrifying silver sword light tore through the sky, parting the clouds like a falling meteor, striking the church and shattering it. At the same time, a black shadow flew out of the church, quickly fleeing into the distance. ¡°Stop!¡± The Roman Sword roared in fury. It transformed into a silver streak of light, soaring into the sky, chasing after the fleeing shadow. All of this happened in an instant. The nobles and people on the square didn¡¯t even understand what had transpired. Only Duke Yorok, in the two-story building, had a grim expression, almost gritting his teeth. ¡°It was that madman Alec!¡± ¡°To act at such a time, has he lost his mind! This is nonsense!¡± With that, he tossed aside his goblet, conjured a black cloak, and leaped, transforming into a shadow, pursuing the direction of the Roman Sword. On the viewing platform, ¡°Count Corimo¡±, Albrecht¡¯s disguise, looked surprised. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°That aura just now¡­ Could it be Alec Ais-Nez from Luna Island, and Yorok Nez from the Starfall Kingdom?¡± ¡°Heh, interesting¡­ very interesting! Are the two branches of the Nez Clan stirring up trouble again?¡± Albrecht smacked his lips, eager to watch the drama unfold. At this moment, a familiar voice echoed in his mind. ¡°Albrecht, go and see what¡¯s happening.¡± It was Charlotte¡¯s voice. Albrecht¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He sensed a hint of weariness in the ¡°True Ancestor¡¯s¡± voice. He didn¡¯t dwell on it, respectfully responding to the command, and placed the half-eaten dessert from the VIP seat down. Then, amid the astonished gazes of the surrounding nobles, he leaped, transforming into a shadow, and flew in the direction Duke Yorok had pursued. The square was left with bewildered and frightened people, still unaware of what had transpired. ¡°Did Prince Henry just say something? Why was he silenced?¡± ¡°It seemed like¡­ Cast?¡± ¡°Cast¡­?¡± They exchanged confused glances. Chapter 423: Two Countess Castell Prince Henry¡¯s death was so sudden. The people hadn¡¯t even recovered from the reprimand by the Roman Sword when the kingdom¡¯s first heir had already been reduced to ashes.Confusion, fear, and unease¡­ Various emotions appeared on their faces. The nobles, however, remained much calmer. They exchanged serious glances, whispering among themselves, asking if anyone had heard what Prince Henry said just before he was killed. The commoners might not have reacted yet, but the nobles, who were closest to the scene and possessed extraordinary powers, had already realized that Prince Henry was silenced. The one who acted¡­ didn¡¯t want him to reveal a certain name! ¡°Cast¡­? What Cast¡­?¡± ¡°It seems like an incomplete name¡­¡± ¡°Yes, it probably isn¡¯t finished. It could be a surname.¡± The nobles whispered, deep in thought. At the same time, some began to think of the ¡°Castell¡± family attending the ceremony. Many eyes wandered to the observation platform, searching for ¡°Charlotte.¡± However, when they found ¡°Countess Castell¡±, they were stunned. At some point, ¡°Countess Castell¡± had been confronted by a maid. The maid wore the crest of the Castell family, clearly the Countess¡¯ personal attendant. Yet now, she stood coldly before her, her voice devoid of emotion. ¡°You are not Lady Charlotte. Who are you to dare disguise as her? Where is Lady Charlotte?¡± Not Lady Charlotte? The nobles were shocked. Before they could react, the maid let out an inhuman scream and charged at ¡°Countess Castell.¡± S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Seeing the maid rushing towards her, ¡°Countess Castell¡± changed her expression. From somewhere, she produced a staff and quickly began chanting a spell. A terrifying pressure exploded, dazzling magic power sweeping out like a heatwave from the two as the center, blowing away the nobles. When the light faded and the nobles struggled to get up, both ¡°Countess Castell¡± and the ¡°maid¡± had changed their appearances. The observation platform had been completely destroyed. In the ruins, ¡°Countess Castell¡± had already changed attire. Her gown had turned into a long mercenary robe, seemingly ill-fitting. Her face was pale, and she was panting heavily, holding up her staff with a wary expression, facing the giant before her. That truly was a ¡°giant.¡± A colossal figure over ten meters tall exerted tremendous pressure. Its glossy black scales reflected a faint glow in the sunlight, and the fearsome skeletal dragon head with sharp horns declared its identity to the world¡­ It was a black dragon. ¡°A dragon! It¡¯s a dragon!¡± ¡°How could there be a dragon here?¡± ¡°Run¡­ quickly run!¡± In the square, the sight of the ferocious black dragon terrified the people, causing them to flee in all directions. The nobles were not much better off. Some, scared out of their wits by the dragon¡¯s presence, wet their pants, while others who could still move scrambled away¡­ ????? However, a few powerful extraordinary individuals quickly understood what had happened. ¡°A¡­ a black dragon?¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t it a maid just now? How did she turn into a black dragon?¡± ¡°No¡­ she was always a black dragon! It had disguised itself as a human!¡± These powerful nobles soon gathered, drawing their weapons and joining the belated royal knights to confront the black dragon. But the black dragon¡¯s gaze did not linger on them. Its blood-red pupils continued to stare coldly at the panting ¡°Countess Castell¡±, filled with intense anger. ¡°This attire¡­ you¡¯re a mercenary from Eastern Yunette! You scum¡­ daring to appear here, you court death!¡± ¡°Countess Castell¡± looked at the furious black dragon, realizing something. She stared in disbelief at a scar on the inside of the dragon¡¯s wing and widened her eyes. ¡°That scar¡­ it¡¯s you! You¡¯re the Catastrophe Dragon from twenty-one years ago!¡± Twenty-one years ago? The Catastrophe Dragon? The surrounding nobles were stunned, and those with good memories quickly recalled the old tales of the black dragon massacre in Eastern Yunette. ¡°Terrible! It¡¯s that! The evil black dragon!¡± ¡°Activate the defense array! Quickly activate the defense array!¡± ¡°Deploy the magical formation! Knights, deploy the magical formation!¡± The royal knights swiftly moved, surrounding the black dragon with the glow of magic gradually enveloping it. The Roman Square was heavily guarded. The previous extraordinary events were beyond the scope of the royal knights, but facing a non-Legendary black dragon, they had plenty of experience. After all, if the rumors were true, the dragon had already lost much of its power, far from its fearsome past when it attacked the city. Magical light bloomed, and the royal knights formed a magical array, trapping the black dragon completely. The dragon¡¯s pupils flashed with ferocity as it let out a long roar, opening its mouth to brew a terrifying dragon breath. More intense dragon pressure emanated from it, nearly reaching the level of a Legendary, causing knights and nobles to change their expressions. ¡°This level of magic power¡­ it¡¯s bad! Everyone, get out of the way!¡± The lead royal knight exclaimed. But it was too late. The dragon breath had already formed, condensing in the black dragon¡¯s mouth. However, just as the black dragon was about to unleash its breath, a tired voice suddenly echoed in the square. ¡°Eudoxia, stop.¡± The voice wasn¡¯t loud. But upon hearing it, the once ferocious black dragon suddenly paused, forcibly holding back the dragon breath at its mouth. The knights preparing for the breath were stunned. Soon, they saw a petite maid walking toward the black dragon. She wore the standard uniform of the Starfall Royal Family¡¯s maid, her figure vaguely familiar. Seeing the maid, the black dragon¡¯s aura suddenly weakened. In the knights¡¯ astonished gazes, the once menacing black dragon flickered with magical light, its enormous body rapidly shrinking, quickly reverting to the form of a maid. She landed in front of the petite maid, knelt down on one knee, and respectfully bowed. ¡°Lady Charlotte.¡± Lady Charlotte? The nobles and knights were stunned. At that moment, they finally saw the face of the petite maid clearly, and their expressions grew even more astonished. ¡°Countess¡­ Countess Castell?¡± ¡°Wait¡­ two Countess Castell?!¡± ¡­ Time rewinds to before the awakening of the Roman Sword. After Charlotte had sent out her blood infused with a trace of her blood divine power, she no longer paid attention to the outside world and quietly waited for the Roman Royal Family¡¯s ceremony. Of course, this did not mean she was unaware of everything happening outside. In fact, the blood she sent out was not just a ¡°key¡±; it was also her ¡°eye.¡± Charlotte was already a ¡°Demigod.¡± The blood divine power she controlled was gradually intertwining with her soul, and the trace of blood divine power in that drop of blood also carried her will. Her plan was simple. The Roman Sword was likely related to the Ancient Temple, or more accurately, the space where the Roman Sword slept was likely the Ancient Temple! If that was the case, Charlotte would use the Roman Royal Family to connect her will with the Contract Book, and then explore the sealed space of the Roman Sword. If it was indeed the Ancient Temple, Charlotte could establish a connection with it through that trace of blood divine power and possibly even communicate with or retrieve the Faceless Statue. If it wasn¡¯t the Ancient Temple, it was still fine. She could satisfy her curiosity and see what the Roman Sword was like. A wisdom artifact was quite rare. Most artifact spirits couldn¡¯t withstand divine power and could only remain as divine artifacts. Even the Gospel of Blood that Charlotte controlled, despite its obviously overpowered strength, did not have self-awareness. A wisdom artifact like the Roman Sword was an exception, and it was indeed intriguing. Charlotte even suspected it was related to the Faceless Statue, after all, Nice in his current state could be considered an intelligent ¡°artifact.¡± As for whether the Roman Sword would detect the presence of blood divine power, Charlotte was not too worried. If it did, so be it. There were many ¡°artifacts¡± left by the True Ancestor of Blood, and blood divine power was not uncommon. Identifying a mythic figure wasn¡¯t solely based on divine power, it was the will within the divine power that mattered. In other words, as long as the other party couldn¡¯t detect her will within it, it would be fine. The blood dripped onto the Roman Contract Book, activating the ceremony as expected. At the same time, Charlotte indeed sensed a vague consciousness awakening from its slumber. She saw a grayish space. Tall stone pillars, a majestic temple, just like her impression of the Ancient Temple. And in the center of the temple was a rusty, elven-style two-handed greatsword. As she had judged, the space sealing the Roman Sword was the Ancient Temple, and that rusty two-handed sword was likely the legendary Roman Sword. Finding the Ancient Temple, Charlotte was quite pleased. She manipulated the blood divine power, intending to set a position and sneak in again after the ceremony. However, just as Charlotte was about to sever the connection, something unexpected happened. Upon her consciousness descending, she felt as if she had connected with something, forming a channel with the blood divine power in that drop of blood as a pivot. Then¡­ Charlotte found that her accumulated divine power began to surge through that channel like a flood. Charlotte was startled, quickly severing the blood divine power channel, but the connection did not disappear, it directly linked to her body and soul. Soon, Charlotte discovered that the drained divine power turned into her body¡¯s magic power and mental power. It was an exaggerated rate of extraction. Charlotte¡¯s magic power and mental power were almost instantly drained. Fortunately, just as she was about to be completely exhausted, she managed to control the mysterious connection and cut it off successfully. This series of changes seemed complex but happened in an instant. When Charlotte completely severed the connection and withdrew her consciousness from the Ancient Temple, the rusty two-handed sword in the hall erupted with dazzling silver light. The mottled scars and rust marks faded in the brilliant light, and the previously confused and weak consciousness rapidly became clear and strong. The Roman Sword was fully awakened. Then came the well-known events. The Roman Sword appeared, exposing the Roman Royal Family¡¯s conspiracy and inquiring about the source of the blood. Prince Henry, who tried to reveal Charlotte¡¯s identity, was killed by a sudden spell, and the furious Roman Sword pursued the murderer. This series of events stunned everyone. With Prince Henry¡¯s death and the Roman Sword¡¯s departure, the gathered crowd quickly fell into chaos and turmoil. The recognition ceremony was abruptly halted, the scene was sealed off, and city guards swiftly evacuated the crowd. As for Duke Conte, who conspired with Prince Henry, he was terrified out of his wits at the moment of Prince Henry¡¯s death and fled in a panic. Charlotte did not anticipate this outcome. However, when the Roman Sword erupted to pursue the murderer, she discovered two surprising things. First, the mysterious extraordinary person who acted was the third Legendary in Roan City with the bloodborne power she had previously sensed. Second, the power aura of the Roman Sword felt very familiar, a bloodline power akin to her own. Charlotte instantly realized. The space where the Roman Sword slept was the Ancient Temple, and the Faceless Statue that originally existed in the Ancient Statue was likely within the Roman Sword, or even possibly¡­ was the Roman Sword itself! ¡°Albrecht, follow them and see what¡¯s going on.¡± Charlotte quickly ordered Albrecht nearby. Upon receiving Charlotte¡¯s command, Albrecht swiftly pursued. When a loud dragon roar sounded, Charlotte finally remembered that Eudoxia, who was tasked with ¡°protecting¡± her, was still on the viewing platform. ¡°That sound¡­ it¡¯s Eudoxia!¡± Charlotte slapped her forehead. The day had been filled with too many sudden events, and she had momentarily forgotten about her! Despite her fatigue, Charlotte quickly left the dark room and headed for the surface. When she arrived at the square, tensions were already high. Whether for the safety of the not-yet-fully-evacuated crowd or Eudoxia¡¯s well-being, Charlotte could not let a fight break out, so she intervened immediately. Upon seeing Charlotte, Eudoxia finally calmed down, reverted to human form, and knelt before her. Charlotte sighed, looking at the nobles and knights who stared at her in shock. She pinched the hem of her skirt and bowed slightly, apologetically saying. ¡°Sorry¡­ everyone, my maid has a bad temper. I¡¯m sorry for scaring you.¡± Nobles: ¡­ Knights: ¡­ Maid? Are you seriously calling that terrifyingly powerful figure a maid?! They exchanged bewildered looks, not knowing how to respond. After speaking, Charlotte squinted in another direction. ¡°Miss Mercenary, where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± There, ¡°Countess Castell¡±, who was about to quietly leave, froze in her tracks. Chapter 424: Escape Upon hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, the surrounding nobles and royal knights were stunned.They followed Charlotte¡¯s gaze and saw that ¡°Countess Castell¡± who had just looked identical to Charlotte had now transformed into an unfamiliar-looking mercenary. Recalling ¡°Countess Castell¡¯s¡± entrance in the royal guest carriage, the expressions of the elders responsible for presiding over the ceremony changed drastically. They exchanged glances, quickly piecing together the situation. ¡°Guards! Listen up! Arrest this mercenary who impersonated Countess Castell!¡± Commanded the leading elder of the Roman family sternly. The mercenary mage¡¯s expression changed, and she turned to flee. However, with Eudoxia¡¯s dragon transformation, the gathered royal knights were already elite, and the leading knight commander was also a Blazing Sun-ranked warrior. In the presence of the magical array, the mercenary mage, whose magical energy was already disrupted by Eudoxia¡¯s attack, couldn¡¯t mount any effective resistance and was quickly subdued by the royal knights. ¡°Countess Castell, Elders, what is going on here?¡± The nobles asked, bewildered by the royal knights¡¯ actions. Charlotte glanced at the silent mercenary mage and chuckled softly. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°You should ask this mercenary lady, or perhaps Prince Henry and Duke Conte.¡± ¡°I¡¯d also like to know why, when I accepted the invitation from the Starfall Kingdom to attend the ceremony, I was instead met with an attempted abduction by the Roman family.¡± Prince Henry and Duke Conte? Abduction? The nobles exchanged puzzled glances. The leading noble coughed, his expression both sorrowful and serious as he reminded. ¡°Countess, his Highness the Prince was brutally murdered during the ceremony just now¡­¡± After saying this, his expression turned slightly gossipy. ¡°By the way, what do you mean by abduction?¡± ¡°Prince Henry was murdered?¡± Charlotte feigned surprise, as if she was entirely unaware. She narrowed her eyes, her gaze falling on the Roman family¡¯s elders. ¡°The Roman Royal Family¡­ Is this to silence witnesses?¡± The elders presiding over the ceremony turned pale. ¡°Countess! Please mind your words!¡± Charlotte knew it wasn¡¯t the Roman Royal Family that killed Prince Henry. She saw clearly from underground that the spell that burned Prince Henry was dark fire, a not uncommon dark magic, and also a bloodline talent of the bloodborne. From the familiar aura she sensed, Charlotte deduced that the assailant was likely a Legendary Bloodborne and possibly connected to the Nez Clan. These things were clear to her as a ¡°True Ancestor¡±, but the elders of the Roman family did not know. Even though these elders did not know who killed Prince Henry, from their reactions, Charlotte surmised they had likely guessed how Prince Henry activated the contract book. Charlotte was shifting all the blame onto the Roman Royal Family to prevent them from pinning Henry¡¯s death on her. This was quite possible, given that the number of people involved in her abduction from the Starfall Royal Family was unknown. Such an abduction would be a massive scandal for the Starfall Royal Family. Prince Henry was dead, and his sudden death might have exposed many things unexpectedly. Charlotte needed to guard against this. For her reputation and stability, the Roman Royal Family might indeed shift the blame onto her. Charlotte was very clear-minded. Since many things couldn¡¯t be concealed, it was better to clarify some matters directly in front of these nobles to avoid being scapegoated. ¡°Mind my words? Ha, easy for you to say. The Starfall Kingdom invited me to the ceremony, only to ambush me with mercenaries. If it weren¡¯t for the cards up my Castell family¡¯s sleeve, I would still be under control now.¡± Charlotte scoffed. The elders of the Roman family, seeing the dissatisfied Charlotte and the attentive nobles around, felt their heads ache. ¡°Countess, there might be some misunderstanding here¡­ Whatever happened, we will investigate thoroughly. The Roman family¡­ will give you an explanation.¡± The leading elder said apologetically. ¡°Forget it. I don¡¯t want to be kidnapped again. Even Prince Henry was silenced; who knows if I won¡¯t be next?¡± Charlotte shook her head. After saying this, she glanced at Eudoxia. ¡°Eudoxia, let¡¯s go!¡± Amid the embarrassed and helpless gazes of the Roman family elders, Charlotte left the square. The nobles who hadn¡¯t yet left the square began discussing again. ¡°Kidnapping? The royal family kidnapped Countess Castell?¡± ¡°That mercenary¡­ was she a decoy?¡± ¡°Castell¡­ Castell¡­ Could it be that Prince Henry used Countess Castell¡¯s blood to activate the contract book?!¡± ¡°This¡­ can¡¯t be, right? Does Countess Castell have Roman blood?¡± ¡°Then who killed His Highness the Prince?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see clearly, but anyone who could assassinate in front of the Roman sword must be at least Legendary.¡± ¡°Could it be someone from the Red Lilac?¡± ¡°But the prince was rejected by the Roman sword, the ceremony already failed. What¡¯s the point of their attack? Moreover¡­ judging from the Roman sword¡¯s reaction, the real contract activator better fits the artifact¡¯s requirements.¡± ¡°The Prince was about to reveal Castell¡¯s name before being silenced. Could that be the reason for his murder?¡± ¡°But¡­ this still doesn¡¯t make sense. After all, Countess Castell is unharmed¡­¡± The nobles weren¡¯t fools. After some whispering, the more perceptive ones began to piece together the truth, while others had more questions. However, regarding the true contract activator, the nobles already had a vague answer in their hearts¡­ ¡°Speaking of¡­ I heard a rumor that the wife of the previous Count Castell was a member of the Starfall Royal Family.¡± One noble speculated. ¡°The Starfall Royal Family?¡± Others mused thoughtfully. ¡°Go and check the identity of the former Count Castell¡¯s wife.¡± Some more astute nobles quietly instructed their attendants. Meanwhile, the Roman family elders, who had just watched Charlotte leave, slowly withdrew their gazes. He let out a long sigh and ordered the knight beside him. ¡°Report today¡¯s events and the bad news about His Highness to the capital through the Mage Tower. Let His Majesty decide what to do.¡± ¡­ Charlotte returned to the inn with Eudoxia. When she arrived, Yurst was already waiting there. ¡°Your Ex- Countess Castell¡­¡± He hurriedly greeted her respectfully. Charlotte noticed his expression was heavy. Her heart stirred, and she asked. ¡°Was it your people who killed Prince Henry?¡± Yurst hesitated for a moment, then nodded. ¡°Judging by the aura, it seems so. It appears to be Elder Alec from the Luna Island faction.¡± Worried Charlotte might misunderstand, Yurst quickly added. ¡°Your Majesty, this was not part of our plan. The Nez Clan did not intend to kill Prince Henry¡­ Even if he revealed you were the true contract holder, the Nez Clan did not plan to oppose you.¡± ¡°This must be either Elder Alec acting on his own or a decision from the Luna Island faction. It has nothing to do with the Starfall faction!¡± Charlotte was a bit surprised by Yurst¡¯s words. She gave him a peculiar look. ¡°It seems that even within the Nez Clan, things are not stable.¡± Yurst was momentarily speechless, effectively admitting it. The division of the Nez Clan into the Starfall and Luna Island factions was well known among the bloodborne. After closing her eyes and sensing Albrecht¡¯s condition, Charlotte said, ¡°Forget it, I¡¯m not interested in wading through this mess. I have some matters to handle. Do not let anyone disturb me.¡± Yurst respectfully complied and left. Charlotte ordered Eudoxia to lock the door and guard outside. Then she entered her room, connected to the Gospel of Blood, and sank into her consciousness. The ceremony had been interrupted, but she had not yet achieved her goal. She wanted to check on Albrecht¡¯s situation and see if there was a chance to acquire the fully awakened Roman Sword. If it were an ordinary artifact, she might fulfill her agreement with the Nez Clan and let them retrieve the Roman Sword. However, if the Roman Sword itself was forged by the Faceless Statue, it would be a different matter. ¡­ In a secret base of the Nez Clan in the northern part of the Roman Duchy. Numerous black-robed Nez bloodborne were gathered there, ready for action. Accompanied by spatial fluctuations, a red circular magic array slowly appeared, and a tall figure stumbled out, appearing before the bloodbornes. It was an ice elf with silver-blue hair. However, unlike other ice elves, his eyes were crimson, and with each labored breath, two sharp fangs could be seen. This was a elven bloodborne. At this moment, he looked quite disheveled. He had multiple sword wounds on his body, and the injuries seemed to contain some powerful force. Despite his body¡¯s attempts to heal, the wriggling flesh couldn¡¯t close the wounds. However, the elven bloodborne seemed unconcerned about his injuries. His eyes were bright as he looked at the surrounding bloodbornes with anticipation. ¡°Are you all ready?¡± ¡°Lord Alec, everything is prepared. We can activate the sealing array at any time!¡± The bloodbornes responded respectfully. ¡°Good! Be ready to act, it will be here soon.¡± The elven bloodborne said. As soon as he finished speaking, another red magic array slowly appeared in the void. The bloodbornes¡¯ expressions quickly turned tense and solemn as they prepared to act. However, the next moment, a tall figure¡¯s voice emerged from the array. ¡°Alec! You lunatic! Why did you kill Prince Henry?¡± As the array glowed, Duke Yorok¡¯s figure gradually appeared. Seeing him, the bloodbornes were momentarily stunned. ¡°Duke Yorok?¡± Yorok didn¡¯t look at the other bloodbornes but instead stared at the nonchalant elven bloodborne. ¡°Alec, I need an explanation!¡± ¡°An explanation? Lord Yorok, I should be asking you. Allowing Castell to participate in the Ancestral Recognition Ceremony¡ªare you eager for Nez to be infiltrated by the God behind the Northern Lands?¡± The elven bloodborne chuckled and retorted. Yorok¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°The cooperation with the Northern Lands was a decision made by the Elder Council. But you, why did you act on your own?¡± ¡°Do you realize that your actions might ruin our Returning Star Plan?¡± The elven bloodborne chuckled. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°So what? At least it¡¯s better than being infiltrated without knowing. With Lord Casey in slumber, Nez doesn¡¯t have the strength to oppose another God.¡± ¡°You¡­!¡± ¡°Alright, Sir Yorok, calm down. The Roman Sword will soon catch up. Although it can¡¯t use teleportation magic like us, I¡¯ve been marked. A wisdom artifact is still a wisdom artifact. We must prepare thoroughly for its recovery.¡± Yorok looked at the surrounding bloodbornes, narrowing his eyes slightly. ¡°Are you planning to use force?¡± ¡°Heh, it¡¯s enraged right now. Persuasion might not work. Let¡¯s be fully prepared.¡± ¡°Let me tell you, Alec, the ceremony today was unusual. Its power might not be as easy to control as you think.¡± ¡°Are you saying it has regained its strength? Heh, Sir Yorok, it hasn¡¯t been able to restore its power with the offerings from the Roman descendants for so many years. One ceremony won¡¯t change much. Remember¡­ only we can help it recover.¡± The elven bloodborne smiled. Yorok frowned, about to say something, when a silver light enveloped in furious power approached from the distance, accompanied by an angry roar. ¡°Nez! Stand still!¡± Seeing the sharp silver light almost tearing the sky apart and feeling the immense pressure far greater than at the ceremony site, Yorok¡¯s eyes widened. He subconsciously made a comparison and felt he might not last a few rounds against this furious artifact¡­ Chasing all the way here, the aura of the Roman Sword seemed to be growing stronger! Yorok subconsciously swallowed. ¡°Alec¡­ can you still control it?¡± However, the elven bloodborne behind him did not respond. Yorok turned around in confusion, only to find the elf¡¯s figure had disappeared, leaving behind a fleeing black shadow and a group of bewildered bloodbornes. Yorok: ¡­ ¡°Alec! You bastard!¡± He roared in anger. ¡°Lord Yorok, should we¡­ still set up the array?¡± The bloodborne asked with difficulty. ¡°Set up my ass! Run!¡± Feeling the Roman Sword¡¯s hidden targeting, Yorok felt his scalp tingle and fled without hesitation¡­ Chapter 425: I am truly wise! Duke Yorok was feeling very frustrated.According to the plan, the Nez Clan could have achieved two things at once: securing the inheritance of the Starfall Kingdom and reclaiming the Roman Sword. However, things have now gone awry. The inheritance has turned into a mess due to Prince Henry¡¯s death, causing an irreparable rift with the king. Worse still, the Nez Clan, which intended to operate behind the scenes, might now be forced into the spotlight. As for the Roman Sword, the situation was even more dire. A matter that could have been resolved through negotiation has now escalated into a major conflict. Looking back, collaborating with Countess Castell and choosing her to disrupt the Roman ceremony might have been somewhat reckless, but it was still manageable. But the Luna Island faction ruined everything. Thinking about this, Yorok¡¯s anger surged. Especially after a certain individual caused trouble and then had the audacity to promise he could forcibly seize control of the Roman Sword, only to flee immediately afterward! ¡°Alec! You bastard! Stop right there!¡± Duke Yorok, now transformed into a shadowy bat, shouted angrily. Seeing the swarm of shadow bats chasing him, the elven bloodborne ahead ran even faster. ¡°Ahem, Sir Yorok, why are you chasing me? Try another direction! Don¡¯t give the Roman Sword a chance to catch us all at once.¡± Alec coughed lightly. ¡°Bullshit! There¡¯s only one way back to Starfall. Why don¡¯t you change direction?¡± Yorok retorted furiously. ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯m just more familiar with this route. You could head towards Castell¡¯s territory, isn¡¯t that an ally of Nez?¡± ¡°Are you out of your mind? Running to the territory of an unknown bloodborne myth? Why don¡¯t you go there?¡± ¡°Tsk! The Starfall signed the alliance, not Luna Island.¡± ¡°You¡­! I knew it! You¡¯re deliberately sabotaging the Returning Star Plan, aren¡¯t you? You bastard! When we get back to Starfall, I will definitely impeach you at the council!¡± ¡°Ahem¡­ Sir Yorok, it¡¯s a misunderstanding, really. Who knew the Roman Sword¡¯s power would suddenly surge like that? Wait, are you running in the same direction to overtake me, Sir Yorok? That¡¯s not very gentlemanly.¡± ? ¡°Bullshit! You think everyone¡¯s as treacherous as you? We can¡¯t split up now, or the Roman Sword will pick us off one by one. It¡¯s getting faster!¡± As the two Legendary Bloodbornes bickered, they fled northwards. However, as they continued to flee, Duke Yorok felt something was off. ¡°Hmm? Why does it feel like¡­ the presence of the Roman Sword has disappeared?¡± He frowned and glanced back. There was no trace of the Roman Sword, just a clear sky. Duke Yorok felt increasingly uneasy. ¡°Alec! Stop for a moment!¡± ¡°I say, Sir Yorok, are you still thinking about forcibly controlling the Roman Sword? In its current state, I plan to avoid it for now. If you want to try, be my guest.¡± ¡°Bastard! You disgrace of the bloodborne! Quickly, turn around and check, something¡¯s not right!¡± Duke Yorok cursed. Upon hearing this, the elven bloodborne Alec finally turned his head. When he found no sign of the Roman Sword, he uttered a surprised ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Huh? The Roman Sword is gone? Wasn¡¯t its speed increasing? Could it be planning to cut us off ahead? No¡­ something¡¯s not right, the presence has completely vanished too.¡± Duke Yorok furrowed his brow. He slowed down gradually until he came to a complete stop. With his magical power ready for another escape, Duke Yorok fixed his gaze on the distant sky. However, after a moment, the only thing in the sky was a flock of cawing crows, nothing else. Where was the Roman Sword? Duke Yorok¡¯s expression was filled with confusion. Noticing this, Alec hesitated before cautiously stopping and carefully approaching Duke Yorok. Looking at the empty sky, he blinked. ¡°Hmm¡­ It really didn¡¯t follow. Did the Roman Sword lose us? I remember it wasn¡¯t very smart.¡± ¡°Lost us? Hmph, it had locked onto our presence. How could it lose us? As for intelligence¡­ do you still think it¡¯s the same as that ten-year-old child? It¡¯s different now, its power has clearly been restored!¡± Duke Yorok snapped. However, as he spoke, his expression suddenly froze. ¡°Sir Yorok, what¡¯s wrong?¡± The elven bloodborne Alec, who had been inching away, asked with feigned concern. Duke Yorok ignored him and kept his gaze fixed on the direction they had come from. In the time they had stopped to talk, the Roman Sword had still not appeared behind them. Realizing something, Duke Yorok¡¯s expression changed. ¡°This is bad! We¡¯ve been tricked! It deceived us all!¡± With that, Duke Yorok accelerated and headed back the way they came. ¡­ At a Nez Clan stronghold in the Roman Duchy. Terrifying sword energy had torn the location to pieces, leaving gaping gashes in the ground. The bloodborne at the stronghold had scattered, leaving only the awe-inspiring Roman Sword ¡°showing off¡± in the sky. At this moment, however, the Roman Sword¡¯s terrifying aura had dissipated. Although still radiant, it was no longer as menacing as when it was chasing the two Legendary Bloodbornes. Moreover, as the stronghold was destroyed, its imposing presence gradually weakened, and even its dazzling glow began to fade. ¡°Phew¡­ that should do it. Those two Nez bloodbornes should be scared off and won¡¯t be coming back.¡± ¡°Hmph, those Nez bloodbornes think I don¡¯t know what they¡¯re up to. They just want to use the blood divine power they¡¯ve collected to make a deal with me?¡± ¡°Calling it a deal, but essentially trying to become my master? They should look in the mirror. Even those who haven¡¯t shaped divine flame dare to dream of becoming the master of the Roman Sword? They dare?¡± ¡°Only Casey has a chance!¡± ¡°Only a true myth is worthy of being my master!¡± A childish voice muttered, filled with disdain and pride. After saying this, its voice took on a tone of fear. ¡°But¡­ these bloodbornes have truly deep reserves. Even though they are only two Legendary Bloodbornes, their magical power is so strong that together they might even surpass my power!¡± ¡°Although my power hasn¡¯t fully recovered, this is still quite absurd. These old monsters who have lived for thousands of years are truly terrifying!¡± ¡°I can only say¡­ as expected of magical creatures known for their vast magical power, the descendants of that one are really remarkable¡­¡± ¡°Luckily, I managed to scare them away. Otherwise¡­ if they had activated the sealing formation here, I would have been in big trouble!¡± ¡°I am truly amazing! Just by bluffing, I managed to scare away two Legendary Bloodbornes! I am truly wise!¡± Roman Sword straightened its body slightly, looking just like a proud child puffing out their chest. After indulging in its pride, the Roman Sword¡¯s hilt pointed towards the direction of Roan City, as if looking back. Its proud and smug voice gradually lowered, tinged with some unease. ¡°I just performed so well, the one who awakened me must also think I was truly angered by the Nez bloodbornes and thus chased after them, right?¡± ¡°Being so far away¡­ they should have lost their sense of me by now, right?¡± ¡°They wouldn¡¯t chase after me too, would they?¡± ¡°Really, of all people to awaken me, it had to be that one. It nearly scared me to death! Thankfully, I reacted quickly. If they had seen through my act, they definitely wouldn¡¯t have let me leave!¡± ¡°But¡­ wasn¡¯t it said that She had mysteriously disappeared? Even Casey couldn¡¯t divine Her whereabouts, and it seemed like Her very existence had vanished. Could She have returned?¡± ¡°Sigh¡­ only She could come back after causing such chaos in the world.¡± ¡°Myria, is it going to change again?¡± Roman Sword let out a long sigh, filled with emotion. Perhaps if another artifact were awakened like it, they might not recognize who had awakened them. But its power originated from the same source, and it had inherited some ancient memories. The moment the divine power entered its body, it recognized the identity of its awakener. That kind of perfect control over the power of blood could only belong to the true owner of that divine power! And as for who that blood power belonged to¡­ the answer was obvious. It was none other than the Incarnation of Eternal Night, the Origin of the Bloodborne, the Master of the Blood Moon Era¡ªthe True Ancestor of Blood! Thinking of the terrifying figure from legend, Roman Sword shuddered. If it were just an ordinary artifact or sacred item, it might not be so afraid. But it knew its own situation well. Its body was made from the statue of that God. It didn¡¯t believe that its awakening was without reason. When it was first awakened, it inadvertently felt the power of that God. Her power was actually quite weak, even rather fragile, clearly having only recently been resurrected. Of course, even though She had just resurrected, it didn¡¯t dare underestimate Her. Just a bit of Her divine power had restored a significant part of its strength. The power She could unleash was surely beyond imagination. That¡¯s the most terrifying part. This was someone who could devour even their descendants¡¯ power. Now that She had just resurrected, if She caught it, it would be like meat on a chopping block. Just thinking about it made Roman Sword envision its own grim fate. ¡°Phew¡­ never mind! Why think so much? I¡¯d better run while She hasn¡¯t reacted! The further away, the better! If She catch me, it¡¯ll be worse than being controlled by the Nez bloodbornes!¡± Roman Sword quickly made its decision. It turned in a circle, choosing a direction different from both the bloodborne duo and Roan City, and flew away at high speed. That was to the northeast, towards the Castell territory. Of course, Roman Sword¡¯s destination wasn¡¯t Castell, but the Grand Duchy further north. That was where the half-elf Romanus had first established himself and where it had been first drawn from the stone, not yet an artifact but merely a magic item. However, after flying about five kilometers, a tall figure blocked its path. Dressed in a black cloak, with crimson eyes and a handsome face with a faint smile, and a pair of devil horns on his head. He was Albrecht. ¡°Albrecht?!¡± Roman Sword recognized him. Both were from the same era, and Albrecht was even older. Roman Sword recognizing him was natural. Roman Sword¡¯s brilliance flickered, resuming the strong stance it had when chasing Yorok and Alec. The pressure emanated, and its youthful voice was full of vigilance. ¡°Albrecht? What is the last apostle of the Blood Demon Cult doing here? Does Shedite also want to interfere?¡± Its voice was full of authority, despite the youthfulness, exuding an air of confidence. At least, it appeared that way. Albrecht chuckled. He said, ¡°Sir Roman, let me correct you. I am now the Third Apostle in the cult.¡± ¡°Third Apostle¡­¡± sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Roman Sword was a bit surprised. Then its voice turned peculiar. ¡°You cowardly guy¡­ did you wait out the previous apostles to death to become the Third Apostle?¡± Albrecht¡¯s lips twitched at Roman Sword¡¯s somewhat sarcastic tone. But soon, he smiled again, squinting at the direction behind Roman Sword, and said, ¡°Sir Roman, weren¡¯t you chasing Yorok and Alec? This direction seems a bit off.¡± Roman Sword stiffened. ¡°Um¡­ well, I suddenly remembered that I had some unfinished business.¡± It changed the topic. ¡°Oh? Unfinished business? Planning to meet my great master?¡± Albrecht smiled. ¡°Your¡­ master? No, sorry, I¡¯m not interested in that lunatic Abaddon.¡± Roman Sword said impatiently. ¡°What a coincidence, the master I¡¯m referring to isn¡¯t the Archduke either.¡± Albrecht smiled. ¡°Not Abaddon?¡± Roman Sword was taken aback. Albrecht¡¯s smile widened. ¡°Sir Roman, you were just awakened by Master. You haven¡¯t forgotten our master already, have you?¡± Awakened¡­? Roman Sword paused, freezing in place. Its light flickered, and it turned to flee, but the next moment¡­ crimson mist began to spread around. Chapter 426: The Terrified and Shocked Roman Sword Crimson mist spread, gradually engulfing the surrounding world.Seeing the mysterious crimson mist, Albrecht¡¯s lips curled into a slight smile as he looked at the frozen Roman Sword. ¡°Look, Sir Roman, Master has arrived.¡± After speaking, Albrecht turned around, knelt on one knee towards the deepest part of the crimson mist, and saluted respectfully. ¡°To the Origin of all Bloodborne, the Supreme True Ancestor, your humble servant Albrecht offers the highest respect¡­¡± ¡°Haha, Albrecht, it seems you have become more eloquent in such a short time.¡± A light, ethereal, and lazy laugh came from within the crimson mist. Upon hearing the voice that seemed to resonate in his heart, the Roman Sword stiffened, and the light flickering on its blade became somewhat erratic. The dense fog gradually dispersed, and the surrounding scene changed. The Roman Sword was horrified to ¡°see¡± that the previously open plain had vanished, replaced by towering stone walls and ancient murals. It found itself in a solemn ancient castle. In front of it, on the steps leading up, a beautiful girl in a black noble dress sat on an ornate throne decorated with thorny roses. The girl had gorgeous silver hair and mysterious, sparkling golden-red eyes. She sat with her legs crossed, her posture lazy, and looked at the Roman Sword with interest. Upon the girl¡¯s appearance, Albrecht¡¯s demeanor became even more respectful. He bowed deeply to the throne, turned into a broken black mist, and when the mist reformed, he was already standing behind the throne. He stood straight, his attitude respectful, like a servant always ready to serve his master. Charlotte gave him a curious look, and noticing her gaze, Albrecht quickly took out a delicate goblet from his chest, poured a glass of sweet milk, and respectfully presented the tray to her. Charlotte: ¡­ ¡°Isn¡¯t this right, Master? I noticed Miss Eudoxia did this at the inn.¡± Albrecht asked respectfully. Charlotte: ¡­ Watching his actions, inherited from Eudoxia, who in turn had learned them from Sebastian, she felt the urge to make a snarky comment but ultimately took the cup. ¡°Not bad, I am actually thirsty.¡± She thought to herself: If I¡¯d known he learned these things so quickly, I should have sealed his magic when bringing him into the Dark Night Castle! As she ¡°elegantly¡± drank the milk, Charlotte wondered if too many people knew about her liking for milk. In private, it was fine, but at this moment¡­ it seemed somewhat out of character. But¡­ The taste of a very pure milk¡­ was pretty good. It seemed Albrecht had put in the effort. The Roman Sword, however, did not care about the interaction between Charlotte and Albrecht. In fact, it had no mind for anything else at the moment, as the pervasive blood divine power and the aura identical to the one that awakened it clearly proclaimed the girl¡¯s identity. The True Ancestor! She¡­ she is the True Ancestor of Blood! Is this¡­ is this the legendary Dark Night Castle?! With its inherited memories, the Roman Sword naturally came to this conclusion. It wanted to immediately unleash its power to tear through this world and escape, but when it tried to tap into its power, it was horrified to find that it had lost control over its power. Not only that, it could feel its power trembling. Its power was rejoicing, its body was excited. Although its true spirit was fearful and scared, its body was thrilled and expectant. It was like a stream yearning to return to the sea, a wanderer longing for a mother¡¯s embrace¡ª¡±a child returning home.¡± The Roman Sword knew exactly why. Apart from its own spiritual essence, its current body and the power within it originated from Her! It¡¯s over¡­ I¡¯m finished! She is indeed here to reclaim Her power! She wants to absorb all my power to restore Her strength, just like She did with those Legendary Bloodbornes! Feeling the almost uncontrollable power within, the Roman Sword felt a deep sense of despair. At this moment, Charlotte finally looked at it and laughed lightly. ¡°So you are the Roman Sword¡­ This is quite unexpected. In many ways, you are not as I imagined.¡± ¡°But¡­ heh, I never thought your previous rage was just a bluff. You even fooled me. I thought you were genuinely enraged by the Nez Clan idiots, unleashing an extraordinary power.¡± ¡°I bet¡­ when they come to their senses, their expressions will be priceless.¡± Facing Charlotte¡¯s gaze, which seemed to see through everything, the Roman Sword became even more frightened. Is she expressing her displeasure at being deceived? Seeing the trembling, retreating divine sword, Charlotte found it even more amusing. She smiled and said, ¡°You are¡­ called Roman, right.¡± ¡°You guessed right. I am indeed seeking the Faceless Statue, intending to enhance my power by absorbing the blood divine power. Awakening you was precisely for this purpose.¡± The worries in Roman¡¯s heart were instantly lifted, leaving the Roman Sword stunned. ¡°You¡­ no¡­ You know my thoughts?!¡± Charlotte glanced at it oddly. ¡°Haven¡¯t you already realized this is the Dark Night Castle?¡± Does the Dark Night Castle have such power? Peering into the soul¡¯s thoughts? Is this the same God in the inherited memories, the one who wanted to surpass the Gods¡­ The Roman Sword felt even more reverent and fearful, trembling with awe. ¡°So that¡¯s it, your knowledge of the Dark Night Castle only comes from inherited memories¡­ Considering the time, half-elf Romanus lived a thousand years ago. Even if you appeared then, it was probably after the Blood Moon Era.¡± Listening to the Roman Sword¡¯s thoughts, Charlotte mused to herself. The Roman Sword was on the verge of panic. This is truly a terrifying experience. In front of this mythical terrifying being, it couldn¡¯t hide its thoughts at all! ¡°Great Ancestor of the Bloodborne, the Great Monarch of Eternal Night and Darkness, did you summon me here to destroy me and reclaim the blood divine power and the Divine Construction Law?¡± ¡°The Divine Construction Law?¡± Charlotte was intrigued. She understood reclaiming the blood divine power. The reason artifacts are called divine is because they are imbued with divine power, and driven by it. The Roman Sword was the same. She hadn¡¯t felt it strongly at the ceremony site, but after bringing it into the Dark Night Castle, she could clearly sense the considerable blood divine power within it. However, most of the divine power in it constituted its ¡°existence¡± rather than being released as ¡°power.¡± But what is the Divine Construction Law? Charlotte was curious. This was the first time she¡¯d heard the term. She wanted to ask directly, but felt it might not fit the role she was currently ¡°playing.¡± Although she could explain it as her resurrected ¡°memories¡± not being fully restored yet, she didn¡¯t want to appear ¡°weak¡± in front of the seemingly respectful but potentially rebellious Albrecht and the Roman Sword, which was still desperately thinking of ways to escape. ¡°Isn¡¯t it? Aren¡¯t you here to reclaim the Divine Construction Law, restore your strength, and seek further breakthroughs to become a Creator God?¡± The Roman Sword asked cautiously. At the same time, its leaky heart automatically provided an explanation for the ¡°Divine Construction Law.¡± Clearly, although it seemed to have repaired its damaged mind due to her blood, the repair was limited. At least, in terms of concealing its true thoughts, it was far worse than Yurst. ¡®So¡­ the Divine Construction Law is the power stored in the Faceless Statue.¡¯ ¡®The power of the law is the key to igniting the divine flame, the foundation of the divine flame, and the true source of a God¡¯s power¡­¡¯ Listening to the Roman Sword¡¯s thoughts, Charlotte pondered. If this is the case, then when she fused with the Faceless Statue and ignited the divine flame, it was because she fused with the Divine Construction Law! The Faceless Statue¡­ indeed, it is related to ascension! It seems the secrets of the Gods must be learned from myths. Although the Roman Sword isn¡¯t a true myth, as a divine artifact, it knows almost as much. Charlotte was quite pleased with the information unintentionally revealed by the Roman Sword¡¯s inner thoughts. However, during her contemplation, the Roman Sword was in agony. Seeing the ¡°silent¡± True Ancestor of Blood, it grew more anxious and fearful. It wondered if it had said something wrong, angering this terrifying being. It couldn¡¯t help but imagine all sorts of scenarios, and consequently, Charlotte¡¯s heard thoughts were filled with various dramatizations. Imagining everything from its spirit being shattered and its power completely reclaimed to its spirit being tortured and turned into a puppet for endless punishment, Charlotte had enough. She didn¡¯t know whose memories were inherited by this artifact or who shaped its spirit, but it had a vivid imagination. Charlotte didn¡¯t want to listen anymore. Seeing the Roman Sword even more terrified than Nice and Yurst, she felt it was enough. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She laughed lightly and spoke again. ¡°I¡¯m indeed interested in your power, but whether I reclaim the power of the statue depends on the situation.¡± ¡°After all, there are multiple Ancient Temples and Faceless Statues scattered around the world. But you¡¯re the first artifact with a spirit I¡¯ve truly encountered.¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, the Roman Sword¡¯s light instantly brightened. A tender voice cautiously spoke, with a hint of anxiety and inexplicable excitement. ¡°You¡­ you mean you don¡¯t intend to destroy me, but will spare me?¡± Charlotte smiled. ¡°I said it depends on the situation. More precisely, it depends on your choice.¡± The Roman Sword wasn¡¯t too stupid, it understood Charlotte¡¯s implication. Afraid she might change her mind, it quickly exclaimed. ¡°I¡­ I¡­ I am willing! Great Eternal Night Monarch! The embodiment of Darkness and the Blood Moon! The supreme True Ancestor! The Roman Sword is willing to submit to you and become your power!¡± After speaking, the Roman Sword¡¯s blade emitted a glow, and a faint, intricate mark slowly appeared on it, showing an obvious elven style, resembling a lilac flower. This was the manifestation of its spirit¡¯s true mark. Revealing its true mark was a sign of submission for a divine artifact. The same held true for wisdom artifacts. The Roman Sword¡¯s true mark was a lilac flower because its master was the half-elf Romanus. The lilac flower was Romanus¡¯ mark and also the Roman family¡¯s crest. Seeing the spirit revealing its true mark, Charlotte smiled slightly. Although the process was convoluted, the Roman Sword ultimately chose to submit to her. Of course, this was somewhat expected. After all, the Roman Sword¡¯s power originated from her, and as the ¡°Origin of the Bloodborne¡±, it couldn¡¯t oppose her. Charlotte straightened slightly and lightly tapped. The blood divine power spread, and in the next moment, the mark on the Roman Sword changed, transforming from a lilac flower to a symbol of thorny roses. At the same time, Charlotte sensed something faintly added to her mental world. The Roman Sword felt this even more deeply. It felt an irresistibly powerful will descend upon its soul, effortlessly overriding its contracts with Romanus and the Roman family. Its spirit was drawn, quickly establishing a connection with the awe-inspiring will. Its form gradually faded and eventually disappeared. In the depths of Charlotte¡¯s mental world, silver light gradually gathered, transforming into a beautiful elven-style single-handed sword, exactly like the Roman Sword. Feeling the solidifying contract, the Roman Sword breathed a sigh of relief. Having formed a contract with the True Ancestor of Blood, it became Her artifact and no longer had to fear being destroyed by Her. At least¡­ not for now, as long as it proved valuable enough. However, just as the Roman Sword relaxed, it suddenly stiffened again. It saw an incredibly dazzling light beside it. That was¡­ the light of the Gospel of Blood¡­ Chapter 427: The Origin of the Gospel of Blood The Roman Sword is a very proud artifact.Of course, it indeed has reason to be proud. As a divine-level artifact with a soul, it naturally possesses a sense of superiority. Even without considering its soul, it is confident in its power, believing it ranks among the top artifacts in Myria. Setting aside the supreme artifact, the Creation Gate, of the Creator God Harald. Even compared to well-known powerful artifacts like the Eternal Divine Realm and the Scales of Covenant, the Roman Sword feels they are unworthy of even wiping its blade. In the context of the True Ancestor of Blood, it believed its status to be exceptionally exalted based on inherited memories. After all¡­ its understanding was that the True Ancestor of Blood didn¡¯t possess any powerful artifacts. Of course, such a statement isn¡¯t entirely accurate. More precisely, the True Ancestor who once dominated Myria was so powerful that there was neither need nor interest in creating additional artifacts. At most¡­ during the craziest era, there were rumors about collecting various precious artifacts to forge the supreme artifact for bloodbornes. And rumors are rumors because even up to the mysterious disappearance of the True Ancestor of Blood, there was no follow-up on the so-called ¡°supreme artifact.¡± Only various discarded items, tainted with divine power, resulted from the crafting failures. The Roman Sword always believed this. Until it acknowledged the other as its master under pressure and entered the depths of the other¡¯s mental world¡­ The dazzling radiance was overwhelmingly brilliant, like a sun illuminating the world. Each ray of light, each bit of warmth, contained incredible power that left the Roman Sword in awe. The Roman Sword never expected to see such a thing in the mental world of a God. It couldn¡¯t even find words to describe it. Its inherited knowledge and a millennium of memories seemed insufficient. It could only use the most direct impression, describing it as the ¡°sun.¡± But it was not the sun. It was merely the presence deep within the True Ancestor of Blood¡¯s mental world emitting laws and energy. The laws were so esoteric and mysterious that even the Roman Sword, capable of severing ¡°existence¡±, could not budge them. In its perception, the gap in laws between it and this presence was like a stream to an ocean¡­ That book seemed like the only one in the world. As for its power¡­ the Roman Sword could not discern clearly, feeling as if it were shrouded in a profound crimson mist, with its divine power seemingly unfathomable. It was an artifact. Though the Roman Sword was reluctant to admit it, it indeed was an artifact. A book-shaped artifact. The Roman Sword had never heard of the True Ancestor of Blood possessing such an artifact. In the presence of this artifact, it couldn¡¯t help but tremble and quake. It even had a ridiculous notion that the True Ancestor of Blood could erase its ¡°existence¡± from the world of Myria anytime She wished. It was an absurd thought. When the Roman Sword became the True Ancestor¡¯s artifact and entered the mental world to accompany this mysterious artifact, this notion naturally arose in its true soul¡­ The Roman Sword knew this was a super-sensory resonance to danger. What shocked it even more was that the book was evidently incomplete. Though it had a mysterious and heavy cover, many content pages were missing, and the laws surrounding it seemed full of holes. This only made the Roman Sword more terrified. Because even with those flaws, the laws in the book exceeded its imagination. By the Gods! How could such a thing exist in the world?! Such complex and esoteric laws, even the divine essence of true Gods might not possess so much! And this was still in a damaged state, what kind of monster would it be in its prime? Moreover¡­ what exactly are these laws? It recognized the laws of the blood divine power, being of the same source, and there were many related laws seemingly just forming the artifact¡¯s framework. But what about the various other laws filling in beneath the framework? Elemental laws, spatial laws, temporal laws¡­ the Roman Sword identified almost all foundational world laws, not to mention various other laws it couldn¡¯t recognize. Any single law among these could create a powerful artifact, yet all these laws were gathered and fused into this book¡­ Is this really reasonable? Even the Creation Gate of the Creator God isn¡¯t this outrageous, right?! It felt as if this ¡°artifact¡± had formed by ¡°devouring¡± the laws of countless Gods! The Roman Sword¡¯s spirit was in chaos, feeling its understanding of ¡°artifact¡± was overturned in an instant. But one thing was certain: this book was also an artifact of the True Ancestor of Blood, evidenced by the elegant of thorny rose symbol on its cover. The Roman Sword¡¯s initial proud demeanor deflated instantly. Though this mysterious book lacked a soul, it sensed it had the ¡°qualification¡± to birth one, just like itself. Only, it was incomplete, hence lacking a ¡°true soul¡±, yet it faintly felt a power akin to ¡°emotion.¡± A mix of curiosity, resistance, arrogance, and disdain. Curiosity towards the Roman Sword as an intruder. Resistance to the Roman Sword as an outsider. And simply disdain for its lack of power. The Roman Sword instinctively moved aside, making way for the central position in the mental world, huddling in a corner, shivering. Soon, the resistance felt from the book¡¯s ¡°emotion¡± diminished, replaced by ¡°satisfaction.¡± The Roman Sword further confirmed its judgment. Though it sounded absurd, the book indeed seemed to be forming a ¡°soul¡±, contrary to its knowledge, yet true. The Roman Sword regretted acknowledging the True Ancestor of Blood. Had it known such a ¡°monster¡± was hidden in Her mental world, it would never have entered. It indeed became the True Ancestor of Blood¡¯s artifact. But clearly, there was little space for it in this realm. With this terrifying entity of unknown origins, it could only cower in the corner. A bonded artifact is connected to its master¡¯s mind. This was also true for the Roman Sword. All its emotions¡ªfear, confusion, shock, dread¡ªwere transmitted to Charlotte¡¯s heart through the contract mark as it entered her mental world. Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred, and she descended into her consciousness, where she saw the Roman Sword huddled in a corner far from the Gospel of Blood, trembling. Charlotte: ¡­ ¡°Roman, why did you run so far away?¡± ¡°G-Glorious True Ancestor, I¡­ I¡¯m fine. I really like this spot. I¡¯m quite comfortable staying here¡­¡± ¡°Are you scared? What are you afraid of?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m not scared. I just wanted to be quiet for a while, yes¡­ to think about the life of a sword¡­¡± Charlotte: ¡­ Seeing the evasive Roman Sword, she felt more and more peculiar. Upon closer inspection, she finally understood. ¡°I see, you¡¯re afraid of the Gospel of Blood?¡± ¡°Since you¡¯ve become my artifact, let me introduce you. The book you see is my supreme artifact, also the supreme artifact of the bloodborne¡ªthe Gospel of Blood.¡± As Charlotte spoke, the heavy Gospel of Blood emitted a faint glow, seemingly asserting its presence and sovereignty over the mental world. ¡°The¡­ the Gospel of Blood? Is that this one¡¯s name? Wait¡­ the supreme artifact?!¡± The Roman Sword¡¯s tone changed instantly. Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred. ¡°Mm? Is there a problem?¡± ¡°No¡­ no, no, no! There¡¯s no problem! It¡¯s just¡­ just unexpected that you¡¯ve really created a ¡®supreme artifact¡¯ surpassing the Creation Gate¡­ Is this also your attempt to surpass ¡®Gods¡¯?¡± The Roman Sword asked respectfully, with curiosity and reverence. Now it was Charlotte¡¯s turn to be at a loss for words. She had no idea what the historical True Ancestor of Blood had done, so she could only reply vaguely. ¡°Yes¡­ something like that.¡± ¡°Not¡­ not surprising, considering your past as the great ruler of Myria!¡± The Roman Sword immediately started flattering. Charlotte: ¡­ ¡°Alright, since you¡¯ve seen the Gospel of Blood, you should also notice it¡¯s incomplete. I know you have ties with the Nez bloodbornes, and I have something to ask you about the scattered temples and statues across Myria, as well as the missing pages of the Gospel of Blood. Do you have any clues?¡± Charlotte asked. ¡°Do you¡­ do you mean your created temples and statues? Glorious True Ancestor, I don¡¯t know much about your temples and statues. After all, I spent most of my time sleeping. But as far as I know, the various Blood Clans should have clues or even temples or statues.¡± ¡°If you want to quickly restore your strength, starting with the major clans might be easier. As far as I know¡­ each clan still has a considerable amount of sealed blood divine power as a reserve.¡± The Roman Sword answered respectfully. After speaking, it ¡°looked¡± at the Gospel of Blood at the center of the world and cautiously said, ¡°As for the Gospel, I¡­ this is my first time seeing it, and I don¡¯t know about its missing parts.¡± Charlotte shook her head and said, ¡°No, you must have heard of it. The missing parts are the Cursed Pages.¡± ¡°I see¡­ wait! Cursed Pages?!¡± The Roman Sword¡¯s voice changed again suddenly. ¡°Mm? Is there a problem?¡± Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°N-no¡­ no problem, it¡¯s just unexpected that it¡¯s the Cursed Pages¡­ I see, I see¡­ so, you did succeed back then¡­¡± The Roman Sword murmured. Listening to it, Charlotte¡¯s heart moved. She didn¡¯t directly ask but instead used the contract mark to continue listening to the ¡°thoughts¡± from the Roman Sword¡¯s residual power in the Dark Night Castle. She soon understood the secrets of the Gospel of Blood from the Roman Sword¡¯s ¡°memories.¡± ¡®I see, the historical True Ancestor of Blood tried to break through the limitations of Gods. One attempt was creating the supreme artifact surpassing Gods¡­¡¯ ¡®So, this supreme artifact must be the Gospel of Blood, which matches the description in the Gospel of Blood¡¯s records¡ªthe Supreme Artifact of the Bloodborne.¡¯ ¡®That explains the Gospel of Blood¡¯s power far exceeding other artifacts.¡¯ Charlotte pondered. ¡°Glorious True Ancestor, I don¡¯t know much about the Cursed Pages either. However, as far as I know, the Blood Demon Cult is very interested in them and has been collecting them.¡± ¡°It¡¯s said¡­ they even have a divine artifact that can locate the Cursed Pages, which might help you.¡± The Blood Demon Cult has a divine artifact that can locate the Cursed Pages? Charlotte¡¯s expression darkened. Such an important matter, Albrecht never mentioned it! But soon, she calmed down again. With the contract, Albrecht couldn¡¯t deceive her. He had already submitted all his memories about the bloodborne, and Charlotte had reviewed them without finding anything relevant, which meant Albrecht probably didn¡¯t know either. ¡°Alright, I understand. The information you provided is important.¡± Charlotte said. Relieved by her acknowledgment, the Roman Sword breathed a sigh of relief. Charlotte was about to say something when she suddenly felt a familiar presence rapidly approaching in the real world. After checking the Dark Night Castle¡¯s state, Charlotte felt the time was almost up and said, ¡°Alright, you¡¯ve just awakened and used a lot of energy. Take a rest. If there¡¯s anything, I will summon you again.¡± ¡°Gracious True Ancestor, thank you!¡± The Roman Sword replied quickly. Withdrawing from the depths of the mental world, Charlotte, sitting on the Blood Throne, slowly opened her eyes. Seeing the respectful Albrecht standing aside, Charlotte nodded. ¡°You did well this time.¡± Relieved by her acknowledgment, Albrecht¡¯s posture became even more respectful. Sensing the time, Charlotte said, ¡°It¡¯s almost time. Let¡¯s leave.¡± With that, she waved her hand, and crimson mist enveloped the entire world again. The next moment, the world of the Dark Night Castle shattered abruptly. Albrecht felt dizzy, and when he regained his senses, he had returned to reality. The Roman Sword had disappeared. He knew it was taken by the True Ancestor. Sensing the two familiar presences approaching from afar, Albrecht chuckled lightly. ¡°It¡¯s Yorok and Alec¡­ it seems they¡¯ve reacted.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Unfortunately, it¡¯s too late.¡± With that, he snapped his fingers, and his entire body dissolved into broken black mist. Moments later, Yorok and Alec finally arrived at the place where the Roman Sword had disappeared. ¡°The aura¡­ it¡¯s completely gone. We lost the trail.¡± Duke Yorok said grimly. Glaring at the bloodborne elf on the other side, he said through gritted teeth. ¡°Alec, I will definitely impeach you before the council for this! Just wait for the Elder¡¯s wrath!¡± After that, he snorted coldly and left. Chapter 428: Heir ¡°Countess Castell, are you sure you want to go back? Wouldn¡¯t you like to stay a few more days in Roman?¡±In the noble inn of Roan City, Yurst hesitated as he watched the busy maids of the Castell family pack the luggage. Carefully, he asked the question. Charlotte leaned casually against the window. Looking down at the bustling city, she shook her head and said, ¡°No need. The Ancestral Recognition Ceremony has already failed, and there are many things that need to be dealt with in the North. There¡¯s no reason for me to stay here any longer.¡± She smiled at Yurst and added. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. I¡¯m actually very busy.¡± The golden sunlight streaming through the window bathed her in a glow, making her already beautiful face seem even more ethereal under her sweet smile. Even Yurst was momentarily stunned. But knowing her true identity, he quickly snapped back to reality, bowing his head in respect and fear. To be mesmerized by one¡¯s own ancestor ¨C Yurst felt he was becoming increasingly ridiculous. ¡°Yurst, Prince Henry is dead. Our contract should be considered fulfilled, right? When you go back, remind the Nez Clan to honor their agreement with Castell.¡± Charlotte tilted her head and smiled at the bowing Yurst. Yurst gave a wry smile and nodded. ¡°Rest assured. Although the process was unexpected, the Nez Clan has always been a clan that honors its contracts. Once we formally take power, the clan will transfer the sovereignty of the Roman Duchy to the Castell family.¡± After speaking, he hesitated for a moment and then sighed. ¡°However, you might have to wait a bit longer, at least until the political situation in Starfall stabilizes.¡± ¡°Although Prince Henry¡¯s death has fundamentally severed the inheritance of the Lilac family, it has also caused us to completely break with the current royal family. Some nobles who were originally inclined towards us might now distrust us. Therefore, the clan might need more time to stabilize internally.¡± Charlotte nodded slightly. ¡°I understand. Do you need my help?¡± Yurst was startled. ¡°No¡­ no need! While your willingness to help the clan is greatly appreciated, it¡¯s best not to. After this ceremony, the origins of your current body might soon be fully revealed. Given the special status of Countess Castell, it¡¯s not advisable to get involved in the turmoil during the Starfall¡¯s power struggles. The clan itself wouldn¡¯t welcome it either.¡± ¡°Although Lord Yorok convinced the Elder Council to ally with Castell, many within the clan are quite wary of the ¡®God¡¯ behind Castell.¡± ¡°To be frank, the clan still harbors great fear about the return of the True Ancestor. One of the main purposes of preparing for the Divinity Descent is to prevent possible retribution from the returning True Ancestor¡­¡± ¡°So¡­¡± Charlotte nodded. ¡°I understand, more time is needed, right?¡± Yurst breathed a sigh of relief and quickly nodded. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡± Worried that Charlotte might misunderstand, he quickly added. ¡°However, rest assured, I am already your blood servant and have witnessed your benevolence. I believe¡­ if it¡¯s the current you, with enough time, you¡¯ll surely gain the support of the clan.¡± ? Charlotte smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not in a hurry. With my current strength, I don¡¯t plan to take any action for now. After all, power is fundamental.¡± ¡°However¡­ I heard that the Nez Clan still retains some blood divine power and even possesses artifacts made from the Faceless Statue. Do you know about this?¡± Yurst hesitated before responding. ¡°Are you referring to the clan¡¯s Star Crystal?¡± ¡°The clan did create a divine artifact from the Faceless Statue. No, it should be called a wisdom artifact, currently controlled by Lord Yorok.¡± ¡°As for the blood divine power¡­ I¡¯m not sure, but it should be preserved by the Elder Council, as even the artifacts left by His Eminence Casey are also safeguarded by them.¡± ¡°Um¡­ Countess Castell, are you planning to reclaim these items?¡± Charlotte glanced at him. ¡°Can you do it?¡± Yurst awkwardly replied. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, as I¡¯m just a minor Blood Count.¡± Charlotte smiled. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. I have no intention of controlling the Nez Clan right now. You just continue to remain undercover within the clan. Of course, if you can find more supporters, that would be even better.¡± ¡°After returning, I might go into a period of slumber, giving you plenty of time to prepare within the Nez Clan.¡± Yurst¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Slumber¡­ Are you going to further restore your power?¡± Charlotte smiled enigmatically. ¡°Lady Charlotte, the carriage is ready. We can leave at any time.¡± A gentle knock on the door accompanied the voice of the maid, Sherry. Charlotte nodded. ¡°Alright.¡± She turned to Yurst and smiled. ¡°Yurst, I hope the next time I see you, you¡¯ll have a pleasant surprise for me.¡± With that, Charlotte left the guest room accompanied by Eudoxia. ¡°Your Exc¡­ No, Countess Castell!¡± Yurst hesitated before hurriedly calling out to her. Charlotte paused slightly. ¡°Sir Yurst, is there anything else?¡± Charlotte asked. Yurst appeared anxious, wrestling with himself before shaking his head. ¡°No¡­ nothing. Safe travels.¡± Charlotte glanced at his clearly troubled face and asked. ¡°Sir Yurst, is there truly no issue within the Nez Clan?¡± Yurst was taken aback. He hesitated before shaking his head. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°No¡­ no issue, at least¡­ not for now.¡± Charlotte gave him a deep look. ¡°If there¡¯s any difficulty, feel free to seek my help. After all, we are ¡®allies¡¯.¡± Yurst bowed respectfully. ¡°I will.¡± Leaving the inn, Charlotte boarded the carriage, and the Castell entourage slowly set off towards the port. They arrived by ship and would leave the same way. Charlotte waved, signaling Yurst to stop seeing her off, and then closed the curtains. After the curtains were drawn, a silvery light appeared, and a phantom miniature elven dual-handed sword slowly manifested beside Charlotte. ¡°Hey, he definitely wanted to ask about my whereabouts just now. His thoughts are written all over his face!¡± ¡°Your Majesty, the True Ancestor, are you really not planning to seize control of the Nez Clan? This is the perfect opportunity. They are likely to face big trouble this time!¡± This was the spirit projection of the Roman Sword, visible only to its master, Charlotte. Looking at the gloating Roman Sword, Charlotte raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh? How so?¡± ¡°Because the one who killed the heir of Roman is a blood descendant from the Nez Clan¡¯s Luna Island. There¡¯s already a tendency for division within the Nez Clan. Luna Island and Starfall have always been vying for control of the clan. This time¡­ things will get lively.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think this is the perfect time to take advantage of the situation, whether for the Nez Clan or the Roman family?¡± The Roman Sword provocatively suggested. Charlotte glanced at the gloating artifact, aware it was taking pleasure in others¡¯ misfortunes as well as its own. This thing held grudges, likely blaming the Nez Clan and the Roman family for its predicament, and was now stirring trouble. Seeing Charlotte¡¯s indifferent expression and meaningful look, the voice of the Roman Sword gradually diminished. It coughed lightly, retreating sheepishly. Charlotte shifted her gaze elsewhere. ¡°Albrecht, what are your plans?¡± Opposite her, black mist slowly coalesced into the shape of Albrecht. ¡°Great True Ancestor, I plan to return to the Crescent Kingdom, rally the bloodborne within the cult, and continue to serve you!¡± Albrecht spoke with a solemn expression and respectful demeanor. Charlotte gave him a half-smile. ¡°This time, not seeking peace and tranquility?¡± Albrecht stiffened slightly, chuckling awkwardly. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ joking.¡± Charlotte applied no further pressure. Lazily changing her posture, she nodded. ¡°Go on, don¡¯t disappoint me. Additionally, I have a new task for you. I want you to investigate the divine artifact within the Blood Demon Cult that can locate the cursed pages. Find it, and then¡­ acquire it.¡± ¡°A divine artifact that can locate cursed pages?¡± Albrecht raised an eyebrow. He pondered, then bowed to Charlotte. ¡°Great True Ancestor, I obey your command¡­¡± With that, Albrecht turned back into black mist and quickly dissipated. Charlotte slowly withdrew her gaze. Looking at the approaching dock and the prepared family fleet, she murmured. ¡°Returning this time¡­ I can peacefully integrate the statue.¡± ¡­ On the 5th Day of the 9th Month, 1446 of the Holy Calendar, crown Prince Henry of the Starfall Kingdom was assassinated during the Roman Ancestral Recognition Ceremony. The Roman family¡¯s ancestral artifact, the Roman Sword, pursued the killer and disappeared. It was rumored that Prince Henry was assassinated by a fervent supporter of the Red Lilac family, possibly connected to the Bloodborne. When the news reached the Starfall Kingdom, the entire nation was in an uproar. ¡­ Starfall Kingdom, Starfall City, the Royal Capital. Within the royal palace, the strong smell of herbs was overwhelming, and the knights guarding the palace wore solemn and grim expressions. Maids in red and white uniforms surrounded the bed, carefully wiping the body of Edward III. ¡°Cough¡­ cough cough¡­¡± His intense coughing was intermittent and weak, each bout aggravating the hideous wound on his chest, causing more blood to seep through the white bandages. The maids were flustered, their faces growing paler as they tried to stanch the bleeding. Amidst the commotion, a middle-aged nobleman dressed as a knight entered the chamber, looking deeply worried. He approached the bed, hesitated, and then slowly stepped back. As he was about to leave, Edward III suddenly opened his cloudy eyes, speaking weakly. ¡°Is that¡­ Sir Samolet¡­¡± ¡°Your Majesty, it is I.¡± The middle-aged nobleman stopped and respectfully bowed. Edward III coughed violently again and asked. ¡°Is there¡­ any news from the investigation?¡± The nobleman hesitated, glancing around. Edward III weakly ordered. ¡°Everyone¡­ leave us.¡± The maids and knights hesitated before bowing and exiting, leaving only Edward III and the nobleman in the chamber. Edward III struggled to sit up, prompting the nobleman to carefully assist him. After taking a few breaths, Edward III¡¯s cloudy eyes gradually sharpened. ¡°Speak, Sir Samolet, how did Henry¡­ die?¡± The nobleman sighed and said. ¡°We have preliminary results. His Highness died from magic unique to the bloodborne. According to our covert investigation, many of his entourage were infiltrated by the bloodborne¡­¡± ¡°Cough¡­ cough cough¡­ bloodborne! Again, the bloodborne! These lingering wretches¡­ cough cough¡­¡± Edward III coughed violently. ¡°Your Majesty!¡± The nobleman, startled, instinctively moved to call for help but was stopped by Edward III. ¡°Enough, no need to call anyone. I know my condition¡­ I won¡¯t last much longer.¡± ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± The nobleman¡¯s face was filled with concern. Edward III shook his head, gesturing for a glass of water. After taking a painful sip, he asked. ¡°What about the Red Lilac family¡­?¡± The nobleman hesitated, then said. ¡°They have proposed to the council for the third time to re-establish the line of succession. The council has approved the proposal and will likely pressure the cabinet soon¡­¡± Edward III sneered. ¡°Heh, re-establish the line of succession¡­ cough cough¡­they just want to seize the throne¡­ cough cough¡­¡± ¡°Do they¡­ think I don¡¯t know? If it weren¡¯t for¡­ cough cough, those bloodbornes supporting them¡­ cough cough¡­¡± ¡°Humph, conspiring with the bloodborne for the throne¡­cough, I will never hand Starfall over to such people! Cough cough cough¡­¡± ¡°Opposing the unification, conspiring with the bloodborne to poison me, and now assassinating Henry¡­ these vile creatures will not get my throne!¡± ¡°The more they seek to detach from the Church, the more I will deny them! The more they desire the throne, the more I will ensure their disappointment! Cough cough¡­ cough cough cough¡­¡± Edward III¡¯s face contorted with rage, his expression intense as he coughed up blood. The nobleman was frightened, quickly saying, ¡°Your Majesty! Please lie down! I will call the priest and the physician¡­¡± ¡°No need.¡± Edward III shook his head. He took several deep breaths, calming himself before asking. ¡°The Roman¡­ Sword?¡± ¡°No news yet.¡± ¡°My niece¡­ how is she?¡± The nobleman paused before saying, ¡°She has returned to her territory. After investigation, she seems uninvolved in the assassination.¡± ¡°However, it cannot be ruled out that she may also have connections with the bloodborne, though given her position in the Church, it is unlikely.¡± ¡°However, it¡¯s said she was quite angry before leaving. His Highness apparently did not follow your instructions and went to the North himself, altering his plans and indeed planning the abduction, even hiring mercenaries from Eastern Yuette¡­¡± ¡°We seem to have underestimated her. She managed to quell the rebellion and repel the invasion not just by relying on family heritage and luck.¡± Edward III¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Hmph, was it because of nobles slander again? I know what he¡¯s worried about. He fears being stripped of his inheritance¡­¡± ¡°Foolish! So foolish! He¡¯s my son, how could I strip him of his inheritance! And now, he lost his life because of it! Cough cough cough¡­¡± Edward III¡¯s expression was filled with disappointment. After a long exhale, he slowly closed his eyes, reopening them later filled with malice, madness, and ridicule. ¡°Sir Samolet¡­¡± ¡°Your Majesty, I am here.¡± ¡°Listen to me¡­ draft a decree¡­ I will speak, you write¡­¡± ¡°Your Majesty¡­ you mean to¡­¡± ¡°Cough cough cough¡­ the heir¡­ must be established. Since they care so much about bloodlines, then¡­ then I will give them¡­ an ¡®appropriate¡¯ choice!¡± Edward III¡¯s eyes reddened, speaking through gritted teeth. Chapter 429: The Second Slumber The return journey went smoothly. Three days later, a homesick Charlotte returned to her own territory.After ¡°escorting¡± Charlotte back to Northport, the black dragon Eudoxia set off again. Her mission in the Roman Duchy was complete, and she would now follow Nice¡¯s model predictions to seek out other undiscovered ancient temples. Charlotte was quite satisfied with this trip to the Roman Duchy. Although the process was different, she had nearly achieved all her goals. Leaving aside the deal with the Nez Clan, with Yurst¡¯s backing, Charlotte estimated that once she advanced to the Blazing Sun tier, gaining the title of Duchess of Roman wouldn¡¯t be a problem. Based on previous experiences, she was likely to fall into another deep slumber after her promotion. When she woke again, the Roman Duchy might already be under the control of the Castell family, and she could be the Duchess of Roman. Charlotte looked forward to this, as a higher noble title would increase her status in the mundane world, and more territory would help her secretly accumulate power. The search for the Ancient Temple in the Roman Duchy was completed. After obtaining the Roman Sword, Charlotte confirmed with its spirit that the unexcavated Ancient Temple predicted by Nice was indeed the seal of the Roman Sword. As for the Faceless Statue that Charlotte longed for, it had already been ¡°swallowed¡± by the Roman Sword. ¡°When Romanus took me there, I was just a divine artifact. I became a wisdom artifact only by merging with the statue. True¡­ True Ancestor, you really won¡¯t melt me down to extract the statue, will you?¡± The Roman Sword asked cautiously. Despite Charlotte¡¯s assurances, the Roman Sword was still a bit anxious, knowing that one of her main goals in going to the Roman Duchy was to find the Ancient Temple and the Faceless Statue. ¡°Stop overthinking. If I wanted to melt you down, I would have done it in Roan. There¡¯s no need for a contract.¡± Charlotte said irritably. She took a sip of the sweet milk prepared by her maid, Sherry, and looked at Nice, who was curiously circling the Roman Sword. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, ask Nice. I think you two will have a lot to talk about.¡± Hearing Charlotte, the Roman Sword finally shifted its attention to Nice, who was staring at it with big, curious eyes. ¡°I was about to ask. Nice¡¯s aura feels familiar and close. What exactly is Nice¡¯s identity? Why do I sense a similar source of power?¡± The Roman Sword asked. ¡°Of course, you feel close. Like you, my body was created from the Faceless Statue.¡± Nice said proudly. The Roman Sword was astonished. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Your body was created from the Faceless Statue?¡± ¡°Yes, so rest assured, our benevolent master won¡¯t destroy you. If she¡¯s caring for someone as useless as me, she won¡¯t harm a legendary artifact like you.¡± Nice stated confidently. The Roman Sword finally relaxed completely. ¡°By the way, I still need to complete the Roman family¡¯s Ancestral Recognition Ceremony. My body does contain Roman blood. Can it be enhanced?¡± Remembering the half-finished ceremony, Charlotte asked. The Roman Sword¡¯s tone turned peculiar. ¡°You? Ancestral Recognition Ceremony? Do you want me to purify your bloodline?¡± ¡°To be precise, to enhance this body¡¯s physical attributes.¡± Charlotte replied. ¡°No way! I can indeed enhance a mortal¡¯s physical attributes and bloodline power, but your body is no longer mortal. Its quality is already comparable to a sacred body!¡± The Roman Sword exclaimed. A sacred body? Charlotte was stunned. A sacred body is the vessel for the manifestation of divinity, transformed by divine power. Looking at her white hand, Charlotte pondered. Recently, she indeed felt more adept at controlling divine power. Could her body have been subtly transformed by divine flame since she ignited it? During the Ancestral Recognition Ceremony, she infused her blood with divine power, something she couldn¡¯t do before. Only divine artifacts can contain divine power. Could her body have completed this transformation unknowingly? If so, aside from the blood divine power output not being stable, wouldn¡¯t she be indistinguishable from a true resurrected God? Comparing her current state with Albrecht¡¯s memories and the Roman Sword¡¯s knowledge of myths, Charlotte realized she indeed shared no difference with a resurrected God. ¡°Wait¡­ Does this mean the bottleneck to Demigod status is completely gone?¡± Charlotte thought, her spirit lifting at the realization. Extraordinary, including Charlotte, encounter bottlenecks in their advancement. However, Charlotte has the Gospel of Blood, which allows her to break through these bottlenecks by illuminating the Talent Tree Inheritance. On the other hand, the resurrected Gods have no such bottlenecks. This realization excited Charlotte. It meant that as long as she continued to merge with the Faceless Statue and absorb more blood divine power, she could potentially elevate her true body¡¯s strength to that of a Saint! With this thought, Charlotte was eager to merge with the Faceless Statue confiscated from Albrecht. However, she did not act rashly. Despite the absence of bottlenecks, she wasn¡¯t sure if she would fall into a deep slumber after merging with the statue. In fact, she had a hunch that she might experience a situation similar to her last advancement. Charlotte trusted her intuition, especially since igniting her divine flame. This intuition, likely a result of a qualitative change in her soul level, had proven accurate. So, before merging with the Faceless Statue, she needed to make arrangements to ensure her territory and church wouldn¡¯t face issues during her potential slumber. Her territory was on track, thanks to her plans and arrangements. Even without her presence, Nice and Sebastian could hold it together, and Nice could impersonate her if needed. But the church was different. She needed someone to take over the task of ¡°bestowing divine blessing¡± before she slept. Initially, she considered using Nice, whose body was a divine artifact. But now, she had a better choice. Charlotte turned to the Roman Sword, her attitude noticeably more pleasant. ¡°Roman, you often conduct Ancestral Recognition Ceremonies. You must be quite experienced in bestowing power on mortals, right?¡± The Roman Sword was startled by her sudden gentleness. ¡°Uh, yes, I have some experience. Is there a problem, Lady Charlotte?¡± ¡°You can pull a mortal¡¯s consciousness into your mental world, correct?¡± ¡°Yes, I can. Although the duration is short, and I prefer calling it my spirit space.¡± ¡°Spirit space, yes. In your spirit space, you can change your appearance, right?¡± ¡°Indeed, I do that during the Ancestral Recognition Ceremony. I enjoy testing the Roman descendants in my consciousness.¡± ¡°Excellent!¡± Charlotte nodded and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m preparing to further enhance my power and might fall asleep. During this time, I need someone to maintain the faith network and bestow divine blessing in my stead.¡± She looked at the Roman Sword, her smile growing warmer. ¡°Roman, you are extraordinarily talented, the most intelligent artifact in history. Would you assist me by maintaining the faith network and bestowing divine blessing while I slumber?¡± Charlotte¡¯s lavish praise left the Roman Sword dazed and excited. Without hesitation, it replied. ¡°Yes! I would be honored! Serving you is the greatest privilege for Roman!¡± ¡®So easy to manipulate.¡¯ Charlotte and Nice thought simultaneously, watching the delighted Roman Sword. Nice glanced at the sword with pity. A God can ignore most believers¡¯ voices and maintain the network minimally, but for an artifact? Enjoy the constant prayers of countless followers 24/7! Having half-fooled and half-ordered the Roman Sword to take over the faith network during her slumber, Charlotte addressed her final concern. She issued an oracle to her retainers, except Albrecht, about her plans to enhance her power and briefly ¡°slumber¡± again. Then, she entered the dark chamber prepared by Sebastian. Sealed and protected by multiple layers of barriers, Charlotte lay back in the luxurious crystal coffin. To avoid alerting the Holy Court¡¯s Divine Warning Bell, she had Nice prepare an enormous shielding array covering Northport. With everything ready, Charlotte placed the Faceless Statue on her chest and closed her eyes, beginning the fusion. Crimson light blossomed as the Faceless Statue on her chest began to ¡°melt¡±, sending a warm power through her body and into her heart. Her heart, already tinged with a golden-red hue, beat powerfully, fueling the divine flame within. Abundant blood divine power surged through her limbs, enhancing the flame in her heart. Gradually, a space capable of containing divine power formed where the divine flame burned. The divine power stored in the Gospel of Blood and scattered throughout her body and consciousness gathered in this ¡°divine power pool.¡± Golden-red light enveloped Charlotte, emitting an awe-inspiring aura that made the dark chamber tremble. Multiple magical formations activated, suppressing the growing power and aura. Despite the suppression, magic power began to radiate from Charlotte¡¯s body, agitating the surrounding elements. Eventually, translucent red crystals formed in the chamber¡ªconcentrated magic crystals. Even Nice, guarding outside the chamber, noticed the change in the air. Eyes wide with astonishment, he murmured. ¡°This is¡­ the precursor to domain resonance? Is Lady Charlotte¡¯s true body restoring to a Saint¡¯s state?¡± Unaware of everything, Charlotte was overcome with unprecedented drowsiness as soon as she began merging with the statue. She quickly fell into a slumber¡­ Chapter 430: Its Not That the Opponent Is Weak, its That I Am Too Strong Charlotte had an exceptionally long dream.In the dream, she became a noble girl in a different world, only to be crucified by her evil grandmother. At the critical moment, powerful forces erupted within her, awakening her own abilities and ancient memories. She remembered her identity. She was Charlotte, but also not Charlotte. She was the Progenitor of the Bloodborne, the Source of All Blood Descendants, the Nightmare of Gods, the Eternal Night Monarch who ruled over Darkness and the Blood Moon. She saw herself seated on a throne, receiving the submission of all beings. The blood descendants worshipped her, and mythical beings bowed before her. She stood at the pinnacle of the world, gazing at the dazzling sun with complex emotions in her golden-red eyes. Raising her right hand, she reached for the sun, and in the next moment, the world turned upside down. Darkness swallowed the sun, and a massive blood moon slowly rose. Suddenly, Charlotte saw ¡°herself¡± pause. Cold golden-red eyes stared back at her, and a voice devoid of any emotion spoke. ¡°Who?¡± Charlotte was instantly shocked. The next moment, the entire ¡°dream¡± shattered. A strong sense of weightlessness, as if falling from the sky, overtook her, but soon it vanished, and her bodily sensations quickly returned. Charlotte felt cold. Then came the pungent smell of blood and the scent of burning wood. The ground shook violently, and the wind howled in her ears. From all directions came the sounds of angry shouts, desperate pleas, and screams of terror. A loud shout came from behind her. Instinctively, Charlotte raised her hand to block, and when she opened her eyes, she saw a grotesque humanoid monster staring at her in shock. The creature¡¯s face was full of wrinkles, it had four arms, wore crude leather armor, and wielded an elven-style greatsword. The sword was striking Charlotte¡¯s arm. Or more precisely, her wrist. Charlotte¡¯s wrist remained unscathed, but the creature¡¯s greatsword had a notch in it. So weak¡­ Feeling the force on her arm, Charlotte naturally thought this. She hadn¡¯t even put up a defense, merely raising her arm instinctively because she felt no threat. However, when Charlotte sensed the creature¡¯s aura, she was slightly surprised. The opponent was an extraordinary being, not at the Silver Moon tier, but at least the late Starry Sky tier. Magic power surged through the creature, almost manifesting externally, and the greatsword shimmered with a faint silver light. That strike had definitely been a full-force, magic-infused attack. Yet, to Charlotte, the feeling of being struck was like being tickled¡­ It felt absurd to Charlotte. For a moment, she wondered if she was still in the ¡°dream.¡± She quickly realized the truth: it wasn¡¯t that the opponent was too weak, but that she was too strong. Charlotte looked down at her body. She was wearing the enchanted mithril dress armor she had carefully chosen before entering the crystal coffin, with an elven rapier at her waist. Both items were imbued with blood divine power, making them essentially divine artifacts. Clearly, just like the first ¡°time travel¡±, the equipment she wore had come with her. However, her physical state was markedly different from before she slept. Charlotte sensed abundant magic flowing through her, intertwining with her blood to form a continuous network. At the center of this network was her rhythmically beating golden heart, linked to a divine power pool brimming with blood divine power. In the pool, golden-red flames¡ªthe divine flame she had ignited¡ªburned brightly. A faint glow surrounded Charlotte, emitted by the interwoven magic and blood divine power. Under this glow, her body felt as hard as iron walls. No, it wasn¡¯t just a feeling¡ªit was a reality. The notch in the monster¡¯s greatsword was proof. Charlotte had never felt such power within herself. Unlike during ¡ºTrue Ancestor¡¯s Liberation¡», she hadn¡¯t activated the Gospel of Blood¡¯s power, yet she felt a similar sense of overwhelming strength. This left Charlotte momentarily unsure of her current level and strength. She wanted to use the Gospel of Blood to check her status, but as expected, most of its powers were sealed. However, despite the limitations, Charlotte felt a peculiar sensation¡ªshe could use some abilities akin to those of the Gospel of Blood without actually invoking it. Confirming her body¡¯s condition took only a moment. Perhaps the fusion with the Faceless Statue had enhanced her mental abilities, making her thoughts as fast as they were during ¡ºTrue Ancestor¡¯s Liberation¡». When Charlotte finally looked around, she was stunned. She found herself on a battlefield. The sky was overcast with thick clouds, and large snowflakes drifted in the howling wind. A brutal battle raged on the ground below. Thousands were engaged in combat, with monsters on one side and humans and half-elves on the other. The monsters were fewer, perhaps two to three hundred, while the humans and half-elves were almost thrice as many. Yet, the monsters held the upper hand, pushing the humans and half-elves to the brink of collapse. The monsters¡¯ faces were grotesque, and their bodies were hideously deformed¡ªsome had four arms, others three legs, and some even had two heads. Their figures looked similar to humans, and their equipment was also akin to that of the human and half-elf side. The only difference was that nearly all of them had a triangular symbol painted on their foreheads. Is this¡­ the divine symbol of some God? Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred. She looked over at the humans and half-elves. There were more humans than half-elves, and they didn¡¯t have any symbols on them, but Charlotte saw them raising a red flag. When Charlotte got a clear view of the flag, she was stunned. The red flag was outlined with a familiar pattern in white lines. Although many parts were different, the overall shape looked quite similar to the rose on Charlotte¡¯s divine symbol. Upon closer inspection, some parts of the pattern had chaotic lines that looked like the broken thorns on her original symbol. It wasn¡¯t Charlotte¡¯s symbol, but it closely resembled hers. It was as if it had been taken from her divine symbol. At that moment, the humans and monsters around her all stopped fighting and stared at her in shock. Or more precisely, they were staring at her delicate wrist that had caught the greatsword barehanded. ¡°She¡¯s¡­ she¡¯s a God¡¯s favored! Kill her! Kill her together!¡± The monster that attacked Charlotte shouted in panic. Its voice was hoarse, but Charlotte understood it. It was the same ancient Myria language she had heard during her first ¡°time travel.¡± Charlotte¡¯s mind moved slightly as she looked at the monster in front of her. The ancient Myria language was similar to the current continental common language but lacked many Elvish loanwords. It was the oldest common language of the mortal world. Considering that she had most likely ¡°traveled¡± back to the past again, these monsters¡¯ identities became interesting. These monsters¡­ should also be human. At least, they once were human. The next moment, beast-like roars came from all directions. Six hideous monsters, wielding spiked clubs and greatswords, charged at Charlotte. Magic surged through them, they were all extraordinary beings. Seeing this, a human warrior with relatively fine equipment nearby shouted a warning to Charlotte. ¡°Watch out!¡± Charlotte glanced at the charging monsters with her calm blue eyes. The monsters¡¯ attacks arrived in an instant. With a roar, their giant swords and spiked clubs smashed towards the spot where Charlotte stood, raising a cloud of snow. Seeing the flying ice shards, the monsters grinned hideously. However, as the ice and snow settled, their expressions quickly turned to shock. Where they had just attacked, aside from a sunken ground, there was nothing. Although they hadn¡¯t seen the opponent dodge, the enemy was nowhere to be seen. The monster that first attacked Charlotte was dumbfounded. It tried to turn its head to look for her, but its head didn¡¯t obey. It turned to the right, but its vision flew away. It saw its own body, its familiar greatsword, and the clean cut on its neck. Blood spurted, and in its last moments of consciousness, it finally realized what had happened. It had been decapitated. At the same time, the movements of the other six monsters froze. As blood mist sprayed, their heads also separated from their bodies, and their deformed bodies fell like ragdolls. This series of events happened in an instant. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The surrounding humans, half-elves, and monsters hadn¡¯t even realized what had happened before all the extraordinary monsters attacking Charlotte were dead. After the monsters fell, everyone saw the mysterious girl who had suddenly appeared on the battlefield standing ten meters away. Her long golden hair danced in the cold wind, and her exquisite armor gleamed in the snow¡¯s reflection. Her blue eyes remained calm, glowing faintly, giving her a sense of mystery and nobility. She slowly sheathed her elven rapier, its blade unstained by blood. Though she looked very young, at this moment, no one dared to underestimate her strength. Many eyes focused on her, filled with astonishment and shock. ¡°So¡­ so strong!¡± The human warrior who had warned Charlotte earlier exclaimed with wide eyes. Charlotte was also surprised by her own strength. Too slow, far too slow. She hadn¡¯t expected the movements of extraordinary beings to be so slow, allowing her to decapitate them almost leisurely. Of course, she knew it wasn¡¯t that they were slow but that she was too fast. Her current power exceeded her expectations. What once required a tough battle now seemed as easy as slaughtering lambs. The last time she felt something similar was during her True Ancestor¡¯s Liberation, but she hadn¡¯t activated it now. Moreover, she hadn¡¯t even used magic, relying purely on her physical speed and strength. This comparison led Charlotte to a possibly outrageous but likely thrilling conclusion: her current strength, even if not at, was close to Legendary. Exhaling lightly, Charlotte looked around. The surrounding monsters, seeing her gaze, showed fear and instinctively stepped back. Even the humans and half-elves looked at her with awe and wariness. ¡°Haha, I never expected¡­ to see a God¡¯s favored here!¡± A rough laughter drew Charlotte¡¯s attention. She looked over to see a commotion among the monsters, who made way for a heavily armored monster. This nearly three-meter-tall monster had more human features than the others but also had a menacing tail. He carried a giant sword, exuding a terrifying aura, his presence like an iron tower exerting immense pressure. His aura far surpassed the other monsters, even surpassing Sebastian in Charlotte¡¯s perception. This was a Blazing Sun extraordinary being. He also had a triangular symbol on his forehead, but unlike the others, it seemed carved rather than painted. Moreover, in Charlotte¡¯s ¡°vision¡±, a faint dark green light surrounded him, a sign of divine power. ¡°A¡­ a troll!¡± The human side gasped. Their faces changed with fear, and they instinctively stepped back. However, the monster they called troll ignored them, his yellow eyes fixed on Charlotte, filled with battle intent and interest. ¡°I am Athos, subordinate of the God of Abomination and Deformity, destined Lord of the Northern Frontier.¡± ¡°Which God do you serve, and why do you intervene in our conflict with these false believers?¡± Chapter 431: Who are you?! The God of Abomination and Deformity?Charlotte frowned slightly. This was a God she had never heard of, not even mentioned in the historical texts she had read. Considering the historical period she might have traveled to, could it be¡­ an ancient Myria God active in the early mythological era? Charlotte speculated about the origin of the God behind the troll in front of her. However, the troll clearly did not intend to continue conversing with Charlotte. He squinted at her, scrutinized her for a moment, and then suddenly laughed. ¡°No¡­ even though you used divine power, you don¡¯t even have a divine symbol. Haha, it seems¡­ you¡¯re another lucky one who obtained a divine fragment.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, you¡¯ve encountered me today, and you will surely become a sacrifice for His Majesty Alador!¡± With that, the troll roared, and the triangular divine symbol on his forehead glowed brilliantly as he swung his greatsword at Charlotte. Divine symbol? Divine fragment? Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred with some speculation, but she showed no sign on her face. Instead, she raised her elven rapier in a defensive stance. The troll in front of her was clearly a Blazing Sun extraordinary being. Although Charlotte was almost certain she had also broken through the Blazing Sun tier and was approaching the Legendary level, she couldn¡¯t fully gauge her true combat power without a comparable opponent. The monsters she had instantly killed before were too weak to test her limits, but this troll seemed like a good opponent. The troll¡¯s greatsword arrived in an instant, clashing with Charlotte¡¯s elven rapier in a thunderous explosion. The ground cracked around Charlotte, raising a cloud of mixed snow and gravel, and the whole world seemed to tremble. The shockwave spread, knocking nearby humans and half-elves off their feet. Some closer warriors were directly stunned into unconsciousness, spitting blood. Such terrifying power! The mere shockwave of the battle had incapacitated all the nearby extraordinary beings. This was the strongest divine favored of the God of Abomination and Deformity¡­ In the distance, the human leader, struggling to stand with his longsword, looked at the snow-covered battlefield in shock. But while everyone was stunned by the troll¡¯s power and worried about the girl¡¯s fate, a massive black shadow suddenly flew out of the snow cloud, quickly retreating. It was the troll. He landed and stepped back several times before stabilizing, his hands trembling slightly as he wielded his greatsword. His yellow eyes were solemn. A sound like cracking glass echoed, and under everyone¡¯s astonished gaze, cracks spread like spider webs from the blade of the troll¡¯s greatsword, and then it shattered! The snow cloud dispersed, revealing Charlotte¡¯s figure. She was still unharmed, flexing her wrist that held the rapier. As she looked at the troll again, her eyes finally showed interest. The Blazing Sun tier was still the Blazing Sun tier. Although he hadn¡¯t broken her defense and his weapon was shattered by her divine power-enhanced elven sword, the troll¡¯s strength wasn¡¯t weak. That strike, though caught off guard, made her wrist feel slightly numb. ¡®Without using divine power, I might be able to fight the troll to verify my actual combat strength apart from my blood divine power.¡¯ Charlotte judged. ¡°Is that¡­ a divine artifact?¡± The troll looked at the flawless elven rapier in Charlotte¡¯s hand, uncertain. Then he sneered, a hint of greed in his eyes. ¡°No wonder you¡¯re so confident, having a divine artifact. No¡­ it seems the artifact in your hand is the source of the divine fragment.¡± ¡°But¡­ it will soon be mine!¡± With that, the troll discarded his greatsword and spread his arms wide, shouting, ¡°Great God of Abomination and Deformity! Your faithful servant, the troll Athos, prays for your blessing!¡± As he finished, dark green light shone on the troll, the triangular divine symbol on his forehead glowing again, and his body suddenly swelled further. His muscles bulged, his aura surged, and swollen tumors spread like bubbles. In the blink of an eye, he transformed into a nearly six-meter-tall monster. He exhaled white smoke, his sharp fangs dripping corrosive saliva, and layers of spines and dark green scales covered his body. A terrifying pressure spread from the monster, making every warrior under its aura weak in the knees, trembling in fear. ¡°It¡¯s the abomination¡­ the divine blessing!¡± A half-elf warrior¡¯s eyes widened. The monster looked greedily at Charlotte, spewing fog from its monstrous mouth again. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. This time, the fog was a faint dark green. As the eerie fog spread from the monster, those affected were horrified to find tumors and abscesses growing on their bodies. ¡°Ahhh!¡± Screams erupted from all around as those ¡°contaminated¡± by the dark green mist quickly transformed into monsters. ¡°This is bad! It¡¯s the Deformation Domain! The same one that wiped out multiple city-states! Everyone, retreat quickly!¡± The human leader warrior exclaimed in alarm. Deformation¡­ Domain? Charlotte raised her eyebrows. A domain is the hallmark of a Legendary being. Every being that steps into Legendary has their mental field transformed once more, forming a domain capable of interfering with reality. However, the aura of the monster in front of her had not reached the Legendary level yet. His domain should be a mutated Spiritual Force Field empowered by divine power. In other words, the monster in front of her was using the divine power to exhibit a domain power that only Legendary could wield! As the dark green mist spread, the troll¡¯s already terrifying aura became more active and restless, with veins bulging beneath the tumors on his body, looking like countless bugs crawling. He roared and charged at Charlotte again. Charlotte¡¯s expression turned serious. The troll, having activated his domain, had already harnessed the power of the God, so she had to be more cautious. In an instant, the two clashed again. The terrifying vibrations radiated from the two as the center, making the battlefield an area no ordinary person could approach. In Charlotte¡¯s perception, the troll¡¯s strength had increased at least threefold compared to his initial attack! However¡­ ¡°The force is decent, but still¡­ not strong enough, and too slow.¡± Charlotte murmured to herself. She wielded her elven rapier effortlessly, deflecting all of the troll¡¯s attacks. The blade gleamed like moonlight, and each gleam left a gruesome wound on the troll. However, whenever she inflicted a wound, the dark green mist around would surge into the troll¡¯s body, and the gruesome wound would quickly heal with wriggling flesh buds. Seeing this, Charlotte raised an eyebrow slightly. ¡°I see¡­ the deformation can also aid in healing.¡± She didn¡¯t use her blood divine power but further accelerated her attacks and activated her magic, casting several talent spells of the Flesh and Blood Path and Wild Path to ¡°enhance¡± and ¡°accelerate¡± herself. Instantly, Charlotte¡¯s speed surged, and she seemed to turn into multiple afterimages. At the same time, the troll¡¯s wounds quickly multiplied. Soon, the rate of his injuries exceeded his healing speed. He roared angrily, and the dark green glow on his body shone brighter, his momentum becoming more fierce. Charlotte squinted her eyes and no longer held back, mobilizing all her magic power. For a moment, a suffocating pressure emanated from the two of them, and their battle further intensified. ¡°Boom!¡± ¡°Bam!¡± ¡°Clang!¡± The others could no longer see their movements clearly, only perceiving them as a dark green and a dark red light colliding repeatedly, each collision like a meteor crashing into the ground. In just a few moments, the devastated battlefield was turned upside down by their fight, the earth cracking, the forest collapsing, a scene of complete devastation. This battle¡¯s destructive power¡­ even surpassed the clash between Sebastian and the Holy Court¡¯s Blazing Sun Knight outside Borde City! After another collision, the green and red lights finally separated. The green light retreated again, revealing the troll¡¯s figure, but his appearance was now quite miserable. Gruesome wounds covered his tall body, and his left arm was severed. Although the flesh buds continued to wriggle at the wound, constantly healing it, the speed was significantly slower than before. The troll panted heavily, looking at Charlotte in fear and disbelief, his yellow eyes full of dread and wonder. ¡°Who¡­ are you? What are you?¡± ¡°The Deformation Domain is the greatest blessing from my lord. Even the favored of other Gods cannot withstand its corruption. Mortals who are lucky enough to obtain a divine fragment cannot resist it.¡± ¡°But why¡­ does it have no effect on you?¡± Hearing the troll¡¯s words, Charlotte¡¯s gaze showed a hint of pity. The domain empowered by divine power was indeed strong, especially the one in front of her, with a nature of pollution. It was similar to divine pollution. In the Holy Court, even powerful priests could not handle severe divine pollution. But unfortunately, this was useless against Charlotte. Yes, the troll¡¯s Deformation Domain could corrupt many things, even divine power, and mortals couldn¡¯t resist it. But Charlotte was no longer a mortal. Having ignited the divine flame, her body had long since transformed into a sacred vessel capable of housing divine power, which also meant high resistance to divine pollution. In other words, the deformation mist that acted as poison to humans and half-elves could not even enter Charlotte¡¯s body. If the so-called ¡°God of Abomination and Deformity¡± had descended, it might have troubled Charlotte, but a divine favored borrowing divine power was not a match. With her sacred body fighting a divine favored that lacked divine artifacts and had not reached Legendary strength, it was like an adult fighting a child. Even without using divine power, it was an overwhelming difference. This clash, seemingly evenly matched, was actually the troll being toyed with by Charlotte. Charlotte knew this, and the troll finally realized it too. However, Charlotte didn¡¯t plan to continue ¡°playing¡± with him. The tests had already given her a better understanding of her true strength. Blazing Sun¡­ Peak! Or more accurately, a Saint (Legendary level) body with peak Blazing Sun magic power. Of course, this was just using magic power. If she used her blood divine power, it would be a different story. As for the troll¡¯s domain empowered by divine power, Charlotte had deduced its principles through repeated probing and analyzing the dark green mist. But perhaps because the troll¡¯s domain was constructed with divine power, after understanding its principles, Charlotte felt that the troll¡¯s application was rather crude, as if he knew the effect but not the reason. She had a feeling that if she applied the insights and understanding gained from the battle, the effect might be even better. With this in mind, Charlotte looked at the perplexed troll, and gently sheathed her elven rapier. ¡°It turns out the power of a divine favored can be used this way. Mr. ¡®Troll¡¯ Athos, I must thank you for showing such strength¡­ it gave me new ideas.¡± ¡°However, your ¡®Deformation Domain¡¯ seems far from perfect. In my view, it has many flaws and rough divine power usage.¡± ¡°Thanks to you, I have also gained some insights and understanding in ¡®domain¡¯. Allow me to demonstrate and please offer your critique.¡± With that, Charlotte put down her elven rapier and gently raised her left hand. A crimson light shone from her, as her mental power and blood divine power quickly merged. The next moment, red mist spread from her as the center. It was the same crimson mist as in the Dark Night Castle, but more agile and profound. This time, Charlotte did not use the Gospel of Blood but directly used her own power! A terrifying pressure spread from Charlotte, instantly turning the world crimson. Seeing the crimson mist and sensing the power and will within, the troll¡¯s eyes widened in realization and horror, exclaiming, ¡°Di¡­ Divine Domain! This is a Divine Domain!¡± ¡°You¡­ you are not a mortal! You are¡­ a God!¡± Before he could finish, the crimson mist engulfed him. The dark green glow around him was almost instantly assimilated and devoured by the crimson mist, and he himself was dissolved by the mist without even a scream, turning into ashes¡­ Chapter 432: God of Abomination and Deformity The terrifying pressure gradually dissipated, and the crimson mist slowly vanished.When everyone¡¯s vision returned, only Charlotte remained at the center of the devastated battlefield. The broken sword of the troll still lay nearby. His presence, however, had completely disappeared. Silence. A deathly silence. Charlotte¡¯s previously surging aura had been so terrifying, and her will and pressure so immense, that even the dullest person realized Athos had ¡°kicked a steel plate.¡± This seemingly ¡°evenly matched¡± battle was merely a situation where the girl who suddenly appeared on the battlefield had not exerted her full strength. Now, when she finally unleashed her true power, it was all over. As for Athos¡¯ final cry of terror before his death¡­ Unfortunately, though filled with despair and sincere emotion, it was forever drowned and isolated within Charlotte¡¯s crimson mist. Those on the battlefield did not know what happened at the last moment. But it was evident who won and who lost. So¡­ so strong! Is this the power of a divine favored? On the side of the humans and half-elves, everyone was stunned, standing in place, looking at Charlotte with eyes full of shock and disbelief. Dead¡­ is Lord Athos dead? On the monster¡¯s side, their eyes widened in terror, faces full of fear and incredulity. ¡°Run¡­ run!¡± Almost without hesitation, the monsters dropped their weapons, scrambling away while shouting in panic. Charlotte glanced at them and raised her hand again. Though she was unsure of the origins of these humans and half-elves, she was certain that the so-called God of Abomination and Deformity was not aligned with her beliefs. ? The dark green divine power particularly made her uncomfortable. Abomination, deformation, pollution, corruption¡­ With all these characteristics combined, she could almost conclude that this was a God that all churches in later ages would deem an ¡°Evil God.¡± So, since she had already taken action and killed their divine favored, she might as well finish the job. Charlotte¡¯s divine power surged, and the crimson mist spread again, quickly engulfing the fleeing monsters. Amid their terrified screams and cries of despair, they were all swallowed by the mist. Watching this scene of the ¡°massacre¡±, the humans and half-elves were stunned again. Though the ones being ¡°massacred¡± were their enemies, seeing the girl shrouded in crimson mist, their eyes showed reverence and fear. Seemingly thinking of something, the human leader¡¯s face suddenly changed, and he hurriedly shouted. ¡°Respected divine favored, please, regardless of which god you serve, do not kill them all!¡± ¡°They are all minions of the God of Abomination and Deformity. Killing them all will draw the God¡¯s attention!¡± Hmm? Draw the attention of the God of Abomination and Deformity? I killed Athos instantly, severing his connection with his God. How could that still attract God¡¯s attention? Charlotte frowned slightly. She paused instinctively but ultimately continued based on her experience. No choice, she was too familiar with God¡¯s Descents. From her perspective, not finishing off these believers now would give the enemy a chance to locate and project their power through their believers. Athos was dead, the God behind him was likely alarmed. As for the other monsters, just a group of believers, it would be difficult to attract the God¡¯s attention. But it didn¡¯t matter. With Athos dead and all believers eliminated, any divine power the God of Abomination and Deformity could use to mark the location was erased by Charlotte. Even if the God was alarmed, without locating the position, they couldn¡¯t descend. The God of Abomination and Deformity was unlucky. Charlotte¡¯s newly awakened ¡°Divine Domain¡± possessed ¡°devouring¡± power, which was perfect for erasing information, effectively targeting Gods. Charlotte didn¡¯t stop but used the crimson mist to block the monsters¡¯ divine connections, eliminating them all. These monsters were much weaker than Athos, and Charlotte quickly disposed of them. Once the dust settled, Charlotte prepared to fully disperse the ¡°domain¡± she had just learned. However, as she was about to end the battle, the sky suddenly darkened. Thick clouds gathered above the battlefield, and a violent, chaotic, and immense aura slowly descended. Charlotte frowned and looked up at the dark clouds. The clouds churned rapidly, gradually turning dark green. Divine power, the same as that from Athos, burst forth! At this moment, Charlotte realized she had made a critical mistake. She had always been in an era where Gods were hidden and had subconsciously distanced Gods from mortals. But this era she had ¡°traveled¡± to was different. If her previous judgment was correct, this was the early period of the Mythic Age when Gods were active on the continent! In such a context, killing all the believers might not draw God¡¯s attention. But from the moment she killed Athos, God¡¯s descent was inevitable. As for why the God of Abomination and Deformity didn¡¯t descend immediately¡­ The reason was simple. The God was in the mortal world, not needing believers to descend but directly heading to the site of the follower¡¯s death! Damn. I directly provoked the God of Abomination and Deformity! Looking at the gathering dark clouds in the sky, Charlotte¡¯s heart sank, and in an instant, the world changed color again. Under the terrified gazes of everyone present, a colossal dark green giant tore through the clouds, standing imposingly in the sky. The giant stood at a height surpassing 100 meters, with three heads and six arms, resembling a fantastical version of Chi You. Its entire body was muscular and covered in lumps, radiating a dark green glow. The giant looked incredibly menacing and exerted an overwhelming presence. As the giant appeared, the warriors who were looking up at the sky let out screams of agony, covering their eyes. Those with stronger abilities had blood tears streaming from their eyes, while the weaker ones had their eyeballs burst, and some even had their heads explode! Mortals cannot look directly at a God¡­ The divine law surrounding a God is far beyond mortal comprehension and tolerance. If a God does not retract this divine law, gazing upon the God means being overwhelmed by it, leading to instant ¡°suicide¡±! ¡°Mortals cannot look directly at Gods. If you don¡¯t want to die, then keep your heads down.¡± Charlotte¡¯s voice resonated in the minds of everyone on the battlefield. Hearing her words, the warriors who had instinctively wanted to look up after hearing their comrades¡¯ screams turned pale and quickly lowered their heads in fear. An unprecedented, terrifying pressure slowly descended¡­ Thud Thud¡­ Everyone except Charlotte was forced to the ground by this immense pressure, unable to move. A cold, majestic voice slowly echoed, like an emperor reigning over the world. ¡°Who dares to so wantonly kill my favored and followers?¡± ¡°The¡­ the God of Abomination and Deformity!¡± The crowd¡¯s faces turned deathly pale, filled with despair. Charlotte¡¯s expression also grew solemn. This was the second time she felt such a strong threat to her life. Facing the green giant descending before her, she felt the blood divine power within her boiling, the divine flame burning fiercely, and a slight sting in her spirit, as if warning her. The last time she felt this way was when she first transmigrated to this world and was hung on the cross by her grandmother. Clearly, the God before her was far beyond any ¡°Saint¡± state. This was a different era. In the future, the highest combat power of Gods walking the earth would be equivalent to a Legendary, but in this era, there were no such restrictions. The power that the God of Abomination and Deformity was unleashing now far exceeded that of a Legendary! However, it was not yet one of those ¡°true Gods¡± with condensed divine persona but a ¡°Demigod¡± like her, who had ignited the divine flame. Otherwise, the so-called ¡°pseudo-believers¡± of humans and half-elves would have long been eradicated by the God¡¯s cult. Charlotte cautiously observed the green giant before her, contemplating her next move. Meanwhile, the terrifying green giant also cast its gaze upon the battlefield. The faces of the human and half-elf warriors grew even paler. However, the green giant showed no interest in confronting them. It naturally overlooked the terrified humans and half-elves, its cold gaze fixed on the only one standing, Charlotte. The giant looked down at Charlotte from above, its majestic and vast voice suppressing its fury. ¡°Is it you? Did you kill my followers and favored? Where do you come from, foreign God, to not know that the Northern Territory is under my dominion, Alador!¡± Hmm? Is this acknowledging that I, too, am a God? Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred. Though she had ignited the divine flame and, according to future mythological records, was indeed a Demigod, a true mythological being, and calling her a God was reasonable¡­ But hearing such recognition from the mouth of a genuine God felt rather surreal and peculiar. How to say¡­ It felt like she had unintentionally infiltrated the inner circle of Gods. However, the green giant¡¯s attitude and character were somewhat surprising to Charlotte. The God of Abomination and Deformity before her had less divinity and more humanity. Compared to the Godly beings she imagined, who viewed all life as ants and were aloof, this one had many emotions. More importantly, despite being so angry, the giant did not immediately attack her! This meant there was room for negotiation. Not attacking her right away¡­ This indicated that the God was also unsure of her strength. Despite being extremely furious over the death of its followers and chosen, it did not have the confidence to take her down instantly. Clearly, as she had judged, this God of Abomination and Deformity was indeed a Demigod. Only Demigods with the same status could be unsure of each other¡¯s strength. Demigod statuses are identical, differing only in the amount of divine power. From this perspective, careful planning might avoid a direct confrontation with the God. Charlotte quickly made this judgment. She did not believe she could fight the God head-on. Even if she performed a True Ancestor¡¯s Liberation, her power would not match the God¡¯s, not to mention that she couldn¡¯t even perform the True Ancestor¡¯s Liberation now. In terms of status, she was a Demigod, a myth, but in actual strength, she was still far behind this ancient myth. Not only was her divine power incomparable, but her explosive power was also lacking. At most, she could use her divine power to cast some myth-level spells, but the number and duration would be very limited. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Overall, her strength had not caught up with her status, her myth was somewhat inflated. Thinking this, Charlotte chuckled softly. She looked coldly at the giant in the sky, her expression turning chilly. ¡°Followers? Favored? Are you referring to those who just offended me?¡± ¡°If they dared to offend an inviolable being, they must be prepared to bear the consequences. I merely gave them the punishment they deserved.¡± ¡°But you¡­ Lord Alador, God of Abomination and Deformity, allowing your followers and favored such freedom and then approaching me in such a manner, can I consider this a provocation?¡± With that, Charlotte activated her blood divine power, using it to cast her bloodborne magic ¡ºMajesty¡». Simultaneously, following the sensation from her previous True Ancestor¡¯s Liberation, she spread her blood divine power throughout her body. Crimson light blossomed, and Charlotte slowly rose into the air. Meanwhile, her appearance began to change. Her beautiful golden hair transformed into a magnificent silver, and her originally crimson eyes took on a golden glow, becoming noble and mysterious. Her petite figure rapidly grew, her height increased, and her once budding figure blossomed, her flat chest rising quickly. Soon, her appearance changed from that of a thirteen or fourteen-year-old to that of a sixteen or seventeen-year-old. Her aura surged. Majesty, depth, vastness¡­ soon equaling and even surpassing Alador¡¯s divine presence. Seeing Charlotte¡¯s cold expression and feeling the increasingly formidable aura from her, Alador¡¯s expression grew solemn. He narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the crimson glow around Charlotte, a hint of suspicion and fear flashing in his gaze¡­ Chapter 433: Fear Crimson and dark green clashed, neither yielding an inch.In the sky, with Charlotte and Alador at the center, the entire firmament seemed to be shrouded in these two colors. The vast divine might clashed, and the mere residual power made the surrounding humans and half-elves unable to move, trembling with fear. As the focal point of this confrontation, Charlotte felt her divine power rapidly draining away¡­ Her state, akin to True Ancestor¡¯s Liberation, was consuming divine power at a rate comparable to the genuine release. Fortunately, though the divine power consumption was swift, Charlotte had accumulated a substantial amount of blood divine power, having merged two faceless statues, ignited the divine flame, and established a divine power pool. In terms of divine power reserves, she could hold out for a while if she had to. Moreover, she felt that her divine power might even be of higher quality when it clashed with the other. Additionally, Charlotte¡¯s blood divine power¡¯s ¡°devouring¡± characteristic seemed capable of converting the other¡¯s divine power. In her perception, she could transform the edge divine power dispersed by the opponent, much like when she killed the troll. However, she could only affect the edge divine power. The God in front of her had much stronger control over their divine power, and she couldn¡¯t influence most of it. This alone surprised Charlotte greatly. Seeing Charlotte standing firm, Alador, the God of Abomination and Deformity, cast an even more dangerous look at her. With a cold snort, his divine power surged further, the dark green clouds roiling, his divine power like a volcano about to erupt. Yet, sensing the fleeting doubt and apprehension in his eyes, Charlotte did not back down but instead increased her output, reinforcing her Majesty magic, matching the other¡¯s aura. Gods clashing meant mortals suffering. As Charlotte and Alador ramped up their pressure, the unfortunate humans and half-elves began to faint under the strain. Only a few stronger extraordinaries managed to hold on, though immobilized, filled with terror. To them, they were like insects in a sea storm, any drop of rain could spell their doom. Never had they imagined the gap between Gods and mortals to be so vast. Charlotte¡¯s and Alador¡¯s divine auras continued to rise. As the surrounding elemental forces neared a breaking point, and the tension thickened, Charlotte began to doubt whether the God before her intended to fight. Finally, Alador¡¯s aura ceased to rise. He cast a deep look at Charlotte, then quickly retracted his divine might, shrinking in size until he was roughly equal to her, descending to her height. Alador¡¯s voice, once filled with rage, now sounded calm. ¡°I sense a familiar aura in you¡­¡± ¡°What is your connection with Artemis, Goddess of Moonlight and Hunting, and Helios, God of Sunlight and Radiance? Are you also a god from the Land of Calamity? Have you also received the ¡®Blessing¡¯ of Origin?¡± Goddess Artemis? God from the Land of Calamity? Blessing of Origin? Charlotte was bewildered. She knew Artemis as the main God of the elves and a renowned God in Myria. Helios, a new name to her, but likely a prominent God given his association with Artemis. As for the Gods from the Land of Calamity¡­ Recalling the legends of the elves¡¯ origins, Charlotte had some guesses. In the Mythic Era, Gods were divided into three factions: Myria¡¯s Old Gods, the Elf Gods who led the elves to Myria, and the New Gods who rose between the two. The elves fled to ¡°Myria¡± from the destroyed old continent, a term meaning ¡°New Land¡± or ¡°New World¡± in their tongue. Charlotte had glimpsed the old continent once, a shattered land with a vast circular meteor sea at its center. Could the Gods from the Land of Calamity be those from the old continent? Wait¡­ Could the familiar aura be her elven bloodline? Had Alador mistaken her for an Elven God due to her bloodline? Moreover, mythic records often depicted the Old Gods and Elf Gods as equals, without clear dominance. The victors of the Mythic Era were the ¡°New Gods¡± led by the True Ancestor of Blood. Why did Alador seem so wary of her? What was the ¡°Blessing of Origin¡±? Charlotte was puzzled. Still, she knew now wasn¡¯t the time for deep inquiries. Given the chance, she didn¡¯t mind probing for information¡­ The Mythic Era held many secrets, and uncovering them might reveal the truth about the True Ancestor of Blood. With this in mind, Charlotte slowly withdrew her divine power. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She gave Adora a curious look, speaking coolly. ¡°Oh? You know of the Blessing of Origin too?¡± Alador snorted. ¡°The blessing that destroyed the elven continent is known to all. Didn¡¯t you flee here for that very reason?¡± ¡°The Creator God foretold: those who touch the forbidden will face its backlash. You ignored the warning, coveted the origin, and now face the consequences!¡± The Creator God Harald is involved now? What era have I crossed into this time?! Charlotte was stunned. She had thought this time travel might follow her previous one, but it seemed not. Could this be after the True Ancestor of Blood¡¯s disappearance and the Creator God¡¯s ¡°resurrection¡±? But the term ¡°Northern Frontier¡± was used during her last time travel to refer to Myria¡¯s northwest. Had it been used for a thousand years? Charlotte furrowed her brow. She gazed at the God before her, feigning surprise and probing. ¡°Oh? Is that so?¡± ¡°The Creator God¡­ has resurrected?¡± Alador froze at her words. Seeing Charlotte¡¯s nonchalant expression, as if mentioning an old acquaintance, his expression changed. Alador stepped back, eyeing Charlotte warily. ¡°Hmph! God of the elves, I will remember today¡¯s events! Out of respect for Lady Artemis, I will let this go. But if it happens again, I will make you pay for your insolence!¡± With that, without waiting for Charlotte¡¯s response, he retracted his divine power and vanished. His sudden retreat left Charlotte stunned. Wait¡­ He¡¯s gone? She had expected more probing, but he just left? She had slain his divine followers and favored one! This abrupt departure seemed too hasty, even if he was scared. Had she said something wrong? What had he assumed at the end? Charlotte was puzzled. However, from their brief exchange, it seemed he had misunderstood her identity¡­ The key seemed to be when she mentioned the Creator God. But regardless, with him gone, she couldn¡¯t pursue the matter. Charlotte felt more puzzled about this era. She needed to understand it quickly. With this in mind, she surveyed the battlefield below, now unrecognizable. With a sigh, Charlotte retracted her divine power, descended, and reverted to her ¡°underage¡± form. On the ground, humans and half-elves lay scattered, some still unconscious, others trembling with eyes tightly shut. Seeing their miserable state, Charlotte used her power to cast a large-scale dark healing spell, healing their injuries, then gently said. ¡°He has left. You¡¯re safe now. You can open your eyes.¡± Hearing her, feeling their rapid recovery, the people hesitated before opening their eyes. They looked at Charlotte with awe and gratitude, not just curiosity and surprise. ¡°Divine One, I am Bardock, commander of the Third Legion of the Free City-States. On behalf of the Free City-States, thank you for your help!¡± The human warrior, clearly a leader, swallowed hard and bowed respectfully to Charlotte, legs trembling and voice shaking with a mix of reverence and fear. Charlotte sighed. She quietly cast a mental soothing spell, calming their minds, then softly asked. ¡°I have been asleep for a very long time and only recently awoke. What era is it now?¡± The human leader paused, then respectfully replied. ¡°It is the Year 480 of the Prophet Era¡­¡± Chapter 434: Savior Charlotte ¡°Prophet Era Year 480?¡±Charlotte was slightly taken aback. She remembered that during her last ¡°time travel¡±, the time was Prophet Era Year 466. So, this means¡­ this time, she traveled 14 years after her previous one? Wait, if it¡¯s really 14 years later, then according to the various books and records she had read, it should still be the Mythic Era. The True Ancestor of Blood has not yet appeared, and the Creator God should not have ¡°awakened¡± either. But the God of Abomination and Deformity knew about the Creator God¡­ So, does this mean that the Creator God is not just a title adopted by ¡°Harald¡±, but an existing myth? Is the God Lord ¡°Harald¡±¡­ the ¡°Harald¡± she knew during her time travel, or a resurrected myth? Was the ¡°Harald¡± she met during her last time travel actually the future God Lord Harald? Charlotte was getting confused. ¡°Prophet Era Year 480¡­ Have you heard of the Northern Mountain Tribe? Hmm¡­ It should also be a large human tribe in the Northern Frontier.¡± After thinking for a moment, Charlotte asked. The Northern Mountain Tribe was the human settlement she visited during her last ¡°time travel¡±, where she met Lilith and Harald. ¡°Northern Mountain Tribe?¡± The human warriors looked at each other, puzzled. Huh? They haven¡¯t even heard of the Northern Mountain Tribe? Charlotte saw the confused expressions on their faces, and her mind began to race. But soon, she saw one of the warriors hesitating. ¡°Northern Mountain Tribe? This name¡­ sounds somewhat familiar?¡± Charlotte quickly directed her gaze towards him. ¡°You¡¯ve heard of it?¡± Startled by Charlotte¡¯s sudden question, the warrior looked nervous. He lowered his head, thought for a moment, and then suddenly smacked his forehead. ¡°Wait¡­ Northern Mountain Tribe! I remember now! Isn¡¯t this the name of the place where Lady Lilith and Lord Harald came from?¡± Hearing this warrior¡¯s words, other warriors also began to recall and nodded in realization. ¡°Oh! Right! I remember now! It¡¯s Lady Lilith and Lord Harald¡¯s hometown!¡± ¡°But, I remember the Northern Mountain Tribe was destroyed more than ten years ago, right?¡± ¡°Yes, and it was destroyed by the Central Tower of the Prophets¡­¡± Destroyed? The Northern Mountain Tribe was destroyed over a decade ago? Charlotte was stunned, she hadn¡¯t expected this answer. However¡­ ¡°You know Lilith and Harald?¡± Charlotte asked. This time, both the human and half-elf warriors nodded in unison, their faces filled with respect and admiration. ¡°Of course, lady Lilith and Lord Harald are our leaders in the Free City-State. Seven years ago, they led us, the people of the Northern Frontier, to overthrow the rule of the Tower Kingdom, expelled those elves, and established the Free City-State.¡± ? Wow¡­ Lilith and Harald overthrew the elf-dominated Tower Kingdom? Only 14 years have passed, and they should only be in their early twenties now! Charlotte was amazed. But the commander of the Free City-State, Bardock, looked wary. ¡°Great Divine, do you¡­ also know Lady Lilith and Lord Harald?¡± He asked cautiously. Charlotte understood what Bardock was wary of. As the strongest extraordinary being among the humans, while others either passed out from the divine power clash between her and Adalor or were dazed, only he barely remained conscious. He had clearly heard the conversation between Charlotte and the God of Abomination and Deformity, knowing that Adalor referred to Charlotte as an Elven God. In fact, although Bardock showed great respect for Charlotte, her keen senses had detected his hidden vigilance and caution from the start. She initially thought it was due to fear of her power, but now it seemed to be not just fear but also wariness of an ¡°Elven God.¡± After all¡­ the Tower Kingdom was a force established by the elves in Myria. Thinking about this, Charlotte calmly said. ¡°I am an old acquaintance of Lilith and Harald and once visited the Northern Mountain Tribe for some time.¡± ¡°Moreover¡­ you don¡¯t need to worry about my intentions. I do possess some elven blood, but I am not an Elven God.¡± Being called out on his thoughts, Bardock looked embarrassed. He scratched his head and quickly apologized. ¡°Sorry¡­ Great Divine, I shouldn¡¯t have doubted your identity. It¡¯s just that our relationship with the elves has always been delicate, so¡­ we can¡¯t help but make associations.¡± After speaking, Bardock hesitated for a moment before respectfully asking. ¡°Great Divine, how should we address you?¡± Charlotte thought for a moment and said. ¡°You may call me Galiel.¡± She didn¡¯t give her real name. She refrained from giving her real name because she was still unsure if her ¡°time travel¡± was into real history and if revealing her real name would affect the ¡°future¡± reality. As for ¡°Galiel¡±¡­ It was a name Charlotte made up, derived from an elven word meaning ¡°nameless.¡± However, the awkward elven pronunciation seemed too challenging for these humans. Following Charlotte¡¯s pronunciation, Bardock adopted a more respectful tone. ¡°Lord Cain, the Free City-State¡­ once again expresses our gratitude for your assistance!¡± Hearing his peculiar pronunciation, Charlotte instinctively wanted to correct it but then thought better of it. Never mind. Whether ¡°Galiel¡± or ¡°Cain¡±, both were just pseudonyms. In fact, the name ¡°Cain¡± had a subtle meaning, as it was closely linked with vampires in many literary works from her previous life. Charlotte felt that using this pseudonym seemed quite fitting. ¡°Mr. Bardock, I wish to visit your Free City-State and meet Lilith and Harald. Could you guide me there?¡± Charlotte asked. Bardock looked hesitant. Seeing Charlotte¡¯s sincere expression, he gritted his teeth and nervously asked. ¡°Lord Cain, although it might be impolite, I still want to ask, do you¡­ intend to spread your faith in the Free City-State?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s your intention, I must tell you that we already have our own faith in the Free City-State, which might not be recognized by the outside world¡­¡± ¡°Oh? You already have your own faith? May I know which God it is?¡± Charlotte asked, surprised. This time, the warriors fell silent. Taking a deep breath, Bardock nervously but respectfully replied. ¡°We¡­ don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Yes, we don¡¯t know. To be more precise, we don¡¯t know the exact title of the God we worship, but¡­ we usually call Her the Savior!¡± Bardock said. As he spoke, his expression became increasingly respectful and reverent, his face showing signs of fervor. ¡°We were all once oppressed subjects of the Tower Kingdom. In those dark times, I was just a slave to those self-proclaimed Enlightened Elves¡­¡± ¡°It was the Savior who appeared, imparted extraordinary knowledge to Lady Lilith and Lord Harald, bestowed upon us mortals the sacred extraordinary texts, and granted us the power to resist the Elves, allowing us to gain our freedom through struggle!¡± Charlotte: ¡­ Imparting extraordinary knowledge to Lilith and Harald? She felt a bit embarrassed, guessing at the identity of this ¡°Savior.¡± Lilith and Harald¡¯s awakening of their bloodline was her doing, and the meditation method for training their extraordinary powers was also taught by her. Could it be¡­ this so-called Savior was actually herself? Looking at the symbol on the Free City army¡¯s banner, which looked more and more like a half-cut symbol from her divine symbol, Charlotte asked with a peculiar expression. ¡°The symbol on your banner¡­ is that the divine symbol of the Savior you worship?¡± Bardock nodded and replied honestly. ¡°Yes.¡± However, seemingly worried about Charlotte¡¯s misunderstanding, he quickly explained. ¡°But¡­ the Savior¡¯s divine symbol is incomplete. The Savior is a God of pure justice like you, who did not actively spread faith but whom we voluntarily approached out of gratitude.¡± ¡°The divine symbol of the Savior was found by Lady Lilith. It is said to be incomplete. This is why other forces do not believe in the Savior¡¯s existence and see us as false believers.¡± Charlotte: ¡­ Alright, it¡¯s pretty much certain now. The Savior worshipped by Free City is definitely the version of her from the last ¡°time travel.¡± However, Charlotte was puzzled as to how Lilith knew about her divine symbol. Even if it was incomplete, the similarity of the symbol on this banner to her divine symbol was too high. It wouldn¡¯t be possible to depict it so accurately without having seen it in person. Yet Charlotte remembered that she had not displayed her divine symbol out of concern for influencing history. Though judging by the results, it seems she did influence the history of the ¡°time travel¡± after all. ¡°I see. Thank you for the explanation, Sir Bardock.¡± Charlotte suppressed her mixed feelings and thanked the human warrior. Bardock, feeling honored, hurriedly shook his head. ¡°No, Lord Cain, you saved us. We should be the ones expressing our gratitude. Even if we didn¡¯t answer your questions, you could have learned the answers from other forces.¡± Charlotte nodded slightly, then continued with a smile. ¡°So¡­ Mr. Bardock, could you perhaps introduce me?¡± ¡°You are too kind, Lord Cain. It would be an honor!¡± Bardock replied respectfully. After their exchange, Charlotte joined the Free City team. To show their respect for her, the Free City army made space for her in a supply wagon, arranging it meticulously. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte wasn¡¯t particularly interested in riding in the wagon. But seeing how tense everyone else was, she knew that staying with them would make them very nervous and uncomfortable. So in the end, she got into the wagon. Meanwhile, Charlotte noticed Bardock whispering orders to a warrior nearby. Soon, a soldier mounted his horse and rode ahead to the north. Charlotte was slightly aware that they were sending a message ahead, but she didn¡¯t mind. After all, it was to be expected. After cleaning up the battlefield, the Free City army, with their newfound ¡°divine¡± ally, marched southward in a grand procession. ¡­ Northwestern part of the Myria Continent. Dawn City. This was one of the four main cities established by the Elves after they set foot on the Myria Continent. It was also the capital of the Tower Kingdom established by the Elves in the north of the continent. In the center of the city, within the newly renovated central tower, a young blond man who looked about twenty years old was kneeling in front of an astrological device. He was handsome, with a faint golden light emanating from him. Ethereal magical inscriptions swirled around him, resonating with the formation beneath him and the elven astrological device in front of him, creating points of starlight-like radiance. After a long time, the radiance dissipated, the young man opened his eyes, and his expression showed a hint of fatigue. A gentle knock came from the door, and the young man spoke in a deep voice. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Lord Harald, Lady Lilith is looking for you.¡± A respectful voice came from outside the door. The young man sighed and said. ¡°I understand, I¡¯ll be right there.¡± With that, he stood up, put away the magical book beside the astrological device, and left the observatory. Upon entering the tower master¡¯s room, a beautiful silver-haired girl was idly toying with the elven runes on the table. Unlike the young man in elven mage robes, she was dressed in mithril half-armor, looking full of vigor. Seeing the young man, she frowned, put down the elven runes in her hand, and complained. ¡°You¡¯re too slow! Harald, you took too long! Were you studying some strange magic again?¡± ¡°It¡¯s magical research, Lilith. You know, if we want to defeat those forces supported by the Gods, we must continually advance our magical knowledge.¡± The blond young man replied. The silver-haired girl frowned deeper. She squinted her eyes, circled the young man twice, sniffed carefully, and then frowned. ¡°Harald, have you been trying those secret methods again?¡± ¡°I must have told you more than once, you are a mortal, not a God! Recklessly stepping into the realm of the Gods is very dangerous!¡± The young man sighed. ¡°But with danger comes opportunity. Besides the Gods¡­ what else can we rely on to find our way?¡± Before the silver-haired girl could respond, he changed the subject. ¡°Enough about that. Lilith, you wouldn¡¯t come to see me at this time just for a chat, right?¡± The girl snorted but did not deny it. ¡°Bardock sent a message. They were ambushed by the minions of Abomination and Deformity.¡± She said. The young man¡¯s face changed. ¡°How are they?¡± ¡°They¡¯re fine. The enemy has been eliminated, but it wasn¡¯t their doing. They were saved by a God.¡± The silver-haired girl continued. ¡°Saved by a God?¡± The young man was taken aback. ¡°Yes, and¡­ that God is with them now, heading back to Dawn City together.¡± ¡°Coming back together? Which God saved them? We haven¡¯t had dealings with any Gods, have we?¡± ¡°Not sure, but¡­ the God called Herself Cain.¡± ¡°Cain? Never heard of that name. Bringing an unknown God back, what are they thinking? Have they been bewitched?¡± ¡°Not sure about that, but¡­ I¡¯m very interested in the appearance of this God. I think¡­ you will be too.¡± ¡°How so?¡± The blond young man was slightly taken aback. Taking a deep breath, the silver-haired girl said with a complex expression. ¡°According to the report, the God¡¯s form is that of a thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl, with blonde hair¡­ and blue eyes.¡± Chapter 435: Are you the Savior?! Following the human and half-elf army southward, Charlotte arrived at the capital of the Free City-State, Dawn City, after a day and a night.Dawn City was situated on a plain, surrounded by rivers on all sides, giving Charlotte a strong sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. As the grand procession approached the city, which combined elven and human architectural styles, Charlotte couldn¡¯t hold back her emotions upon seeing the towering spire in the city. She knew this tower well, she had even been inside it. It was the royal library of the future Crescent capital, Lutecia. However, unlike the future royal library, the tower now did not look old. It showed no signs of age, and the magical inscriptions and various decorations on it were clearly visible even from a distance. Given Dawn City¡¯s geographical environment, which was very similar to Lutecia¡¯s with its rivers and plains, Charlotte quickly confirmed that this city was indeed the future capital of Crescent! No wonder it was one of the ancient cities with a long history on the Myria Continent. So, Lutecia had already existed two or three thousand years ago! Of course, unlike the future capital Lutecia, the current city did not have tall walls, only simple wooden palisades. The city was also much smaller, possibly even smaller than the mining town in Castell County. From a distance, the city might be less than one-tenth the size of the future capital. The true ¡°city¡± part seemed to be only the core area centered around the tall elven spire, filled with typical elven-style buildings. The surrounding area consisted of low human buildings, resembling clustered villages more than a city. It was much like the North Mountain Tribe Charlotte saw during her first ¡°time travel.¡± just larger and more populous, with more diverse buildings. However, it would be a mistake to think this city lacked defensive capabilities because of this. In Charlotte¡¯s perception, the city was radiating a vast amount of magical power from the tall elven spire at its center, indicating some form of large-scale defensive magic of considerable strength. Moreover, Charlotte sensed a presence similar to divine power within the magic, likely a defensive divine spell. The divine spell wasn¡¯t activated now, but it was clearly in a state ready to be triggered at any moment, suggesting a special defensive measure. Charlotte was moved, discreetly channeling her blood magic to enhance her perception, and she vaguely sensed a strong energy source in the direction of the spire. That energy source was the center of the divine power she felt. Although it hadn¡¯t activated its power, with her heightened perception, Charlotte was surprised to find that the strength of that energy source was even higher than her own at full power. ¡®It must be some kind of artifact capable of casting defensive magic, probably one that can threaten Gods. This kind of thing¡­ must have been left by the elves.¡¯ Charlotte quickly concluded. The Free City-State had ¡°no¡± Gods, yet it still existed despite attacks from forces supported or possibly directly involving Gods. It surely had some trump card capable of contending with Gods. At the very least¡­ it had something powerful enough to threaten Gods and deter their actions. Realizing this, Charlotte understood why Commander Bardock wasn¡¯t worried about her visiting Dawn City. On one hand, she had shown goodwill, and on the other, it likely had to do with the hidden power within the spire she sensed. ¡°Lord Cain, this is our Free City-State¡¯s capital, Dawn City. We currently have four cities and eleven tribes, with a total population exceeding 200,000. Dawn City itself has over 70,000 people, making it the largest city in the Northlands!¡± Commander Bardock¡¯s voice interrupted Charlotte¡¯s thoughts. His voice was full of pride, clearly proud to be part of the Free City-State. Charlotte nodded slightly and smiled. ¡°Indeed, it is a bustling city.¡± Unlike the significant population in the future, the population in this era was noticeably sparse. Along the way, Charlotte mostly saw deserted forests and grasslands, with very few farms. Even the settlements she encountered were small, often not even qualifying as tribes. No matter how humble it looked compared to future cities, from what she had seen in a day and night, this city was indeed large. Looking at the elven buildings in the city, the feeling was even more pronounced. Compared to the exquisite and grand elven buildings, the human constructions looked like primitive huts. The contrast in civilization was evident. This was normal. According to what Charlotte knew, before the elves arrived on the Myria Continent, human civilization was indeed quite primitive. The difference in civilization was like that between the Europeans and the native inhabitants of the New World during the Age of Exploration. Even in the future, it was still the same. Even in Charlotte¡¯s era, elven civilization was synonymous with advancement and elegance. Most high-end alchemical products and magical items on the continent were made by elves. Otherwise, many ancient human noble families wouldn¡¯t take pride in having elven blood. The army continued to march forward. As they approached Dawn City, Charlotte saw a considerable crowd gathered at the wooden gate. Seeing the crowd, Bardock was surprised. ¡°Why are so many people gathered?¡± After hesitating, he turned to Charlotte and said, ¡°Lord Cain, please wait here for a moment. I will send someone to check what¡¯s going on.¡± Charlotte nodded, indicating her understanding. Commander Bardock whispered to a nearby soldier, who quickly ran towards the gate. Soon, the soldier returned. ¡°Commander, it seems Lady Lilith and Lord Harald are here, along with the elders of various tribes, waiting at the gate to welcome Lord Cain.¡± ¡°Lady Lilith and Lord Harald?¡± Bardock¡¯s eyes lit up. He then looked at Charlotte, laughing heartily. ¡°Lord Cain, it seems Lady Lilith and Lord Harald value your visit greatly. They¡¯ve come to greet you with the high council!¡± ¡°You may not know this, but Lady Lilith and Lord Harald are quite averse to Gods. They¡¯ve never allowed other Gods or their followers into Dawn City before. You are the first.¡± Bardock¡¯s voice was hearty, lacking the reverence and fear that humans of later eras typically had toward Gods. Charlotte noticed this as well. Not just Bardock, but all the warriors in the legion felt this way. Initially, they were in awe of Charlotte¡¯s displayed power, but as they got familiar with her, they became less formal. Charlotte had her suspicions about this¡­ In the Mythic Era, Gods walked the earth, and the distance between Gods and mortals was unprecedentedly close. Stories of mortals becoming Gods were numerous, happening right beside them. Tales of Gods being slain by mortals were not just legends, but relatively common occurrences. Even though these events were rare, compared to the vast separation in later times, they happened with notable frequency. The close proximity between Gods and mortals meant that mortals lost their reverence for Gods. Charlotte didn¡¯t mind this, though. Knowing that the city¡¯s high officials were waiting ahead, the legion continued forward. Finally, they were home. The warriors were excited, and the formation of the legion became disorganized, with many rushing ahead of Bardock and Charlotte. Clearly, this era¡¯s armies lacked discipline, and Bardock was very lenient with his troops. Charlotte also got off the carriage. Through the gaps in the crowd, she saw a young man and woman being surrounded by the people. Although their appearances differed from what she remembered, their similar hair colors, familiar yet different features, and the identical magical aura made Charlotte recognize them easily¡ªit was Lilith and Harald. At this moment, Lilith and Harald were scanning the legion frantically, seemingly looking for something. Their expressions showed both anticipation and anxiety. ¡°Commander Bardock! We¡¯ve returned with the legion!¡± Seeing the two city leaders personally welcoming them, the burly legion commander Bardock stepped forward and greeted them with a hearty laugh. Lilith immediately helped Bardock up. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s good to have you back, Commander Bardock. You¡¯ve worked hard on this journey.¡± ¡°Hehe, Lady Lilith, it was no trouble at all!¡± Bardock laughed heartily. He then noticed Lilith continuing to scan the legion. Harald was also looking around urgently. ¡°Where is Lord Cain?¡± Seeing Harald¡¯s eagerness, Bardock was surprised. In the Free City-State, Harald was known for being calm and reserved. But now¡­ why was he so excited? Weren¡¯t these two always disinterested in other Gods? Bardock was puzzled. ¡°She¡¯s here. Lord Cain is at the back.¡± Suppressing his curiosity, Bardock stepped aside with a smile. Finally, Lilith and Harald saw the small blonde figure previously blocked by the burly men. Their eyes locked with Charlotte¡¯s. In an instant, Lilith and Harald froze. Seeing their sudden halt, Bardock¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Huh? Do they not welcome Lord Cain? Recalling their previous attitudes towards Gods, Bardock, with his limited mental capacity, was unsure. He glanced at Lilith and Harald, then at Charlotte, and cautiously said, ¡°Ahem, Lady Lilith, Lord Harald, lord Cain is different from those Evil Gods. He saved us and did not come for faith. I believe he can be a friend to our Free City-State. I swear by the great ¡®Savior¡¯ that She is a friendly God. So¡­¡± Bardock spoke carefully. However, Lilith and Harald seemed to completely ignore Bardock. The moment they saw Charlotte, their eyes fixed solely on her. After a brief moment of shock, they rushed to Charlotte, their voices trembling. ¡°Teacher! Is it you?!¡± ¡°Teacher?¡± Commander Bardock was stunned. He looked at the excited Lilith and Harald, then at the smiling Charlotte, his mind completely blank, unable to comprehend the situation. ¡°Teacher?¡± The surrounding warriors were also stunned. They exchanged bewildered looks. Seeing the excited expressions on the familiar yet different faces, Charlotte sighed softly. She smiled gently and said, ¡°Lilith, Harald, it¡¯s been over ten years. You¡¯ve grown.¡± ¡°Teacher! It¡¯s really you!¡± Their expressions turned to joy. Then, to the astonishment of everyone, Lilith and Harald knelt on one knee before the young girl, their voices trembling with excitement. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Teacher! You¡¯ve returned! Finally, after fourteen years, we see you again!¡± Seeing their excitement, Charlotte sighed deeply, feeling somewhat emotional. The experiences of her first ¡°time travel¡± felt like they happened yesterday, everything vividly clear. Although she only stayed for less than a month, the bond between teacher and students formed a deep connection. They were both obedient children, very close to her during that short time. Without other pressures during that period, and with the people in the tribe being simple and warm, Charlotte felt quite relaxed. Looking at the affectionate gazes of the two, her expression softened. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve returned.¡± Charlotte reached out, gently patting their heads as she did in the past. Despite being now adults and high-ranking leaders, they showed childlike joy and reverence towards her. The scene was bizarre, with the young girl treating two leaders like children, and they responded with worshipful admiration. The surrounding warriors were all stunned. The usually lively Lilith was one thing, but seeing the normally stoic Harald act like a son reuniting with his mother was bewildering. An elderly man among the warriors seemed to realize something. His eyes widened, then he looked at Charlotte with shock and quickly turned to reverence and excitement. ¡°Fourteen years ago? Teacher?¡± ¡°Fourteen years ago¡­ teacher!¡± ¡°Lord Cain, could you be the esteemed guide, the exalted mentor who brought hope and direction to mortals, the great ¡®Savior¡¯ who descended upon the Northern Mountain Tribe fourteen years ago to instruct Lady Lilith and Lord Harald, and left the key to enlightenment for us?¡± Charlotte: ¡­ Chapter 436: Youre only twenty, theres still room to develop The Elder who exclaimed did not lower his voice.For a moment, everyone around heard how he addressed Charlotte. ¡°Lord ¡®Savior¡¯? Is Lord Cain the legendary ¡®Savior¡¯?!¡± ¡°Lord Lilith and Lord Harald called her teacher, could it be¡­ could she really be the one?!¡± ¡°Praise the ¡®Savior¡¯! Lady Lilith! Lord Harald! Is this true?!¡± ¡°Is Lord Cain really our ¡®Savior¡¯?!¡± ¡°Our Divine¡­ is actually real!¡± The surrounding soldiers and citizens quickly fell into excitement and agitation. Lilith and Harald hesitated. They couldn¡¯t help but glance at Charlotte. Noticing that Charlotte wasn¡¯t angry, they nodded to the crowd and said, ¡°Yes, Lord ¡®Cain¡¯ is our teacher. The meditation method we taught you was originally imparted to us by our teacher.¡± ¡°Our teacher¡­ is the pioneer who bestowed us the key to the extraordinary!¡± Upon hearing Lilith and Harald¡¯s words, the surrounding crowd erupted in cheers. ¡°The Savior! It¡¯s really the Savior!¡± ¡°Praise you! Great Savior! We have finally awaited your arrival!¡± The crowd cheered loudly, their expressions growing increasingly fervent. Some people, unable to control themselves, even wept and were about to worship Charlotte on the spot. The intense enthusiasm startled Charlotte. Lilith quickly noticed Charlotte¡¯s discomfort with the crowd¡¯s fervor. She cleared her throat and kicked the still-astonished Commander Bardock. After he came to his senses, she signaled him to maintain order. Commander Bardock, also filled with excitement and many unsaid words, followed Lilith¡¯s example and brought the excited soldiers back to their senses, then led them to maintain order. Taking this opportunity, Lilith loudly addressed the crowd. ¡°Everyone, calm down. This is the teacher¡¯s first visit to our Dawn City. As followers of the ¡®Savior¡¯, please maintain restraint.¡± After speaking, she took Charlotte¡¯s hand and said. ¡°Teacher, it¡¯s not convenient to talk here. Please come with us to the tower.¡± Looking at the growing crowd, Charlotte nodded. Although she was used to being the center of attention, she wasn¡¯t prepared to meet such a large group of fervent ¡°fans¡± so suddenly, leaving her a bit disoriented and uncomfortable. Moreover, she had many questions she wanted to ask the two of them. With the warriors escorting them, Charlotte, Lilith, and Harald entered the central tower of Dawn City. Once inside, things quieted down. Charlotte curiously looked around the familiar yet unfamiliar tower, subconsciously comparing it to the Royal Library from her own time. ¡°This is the Tower of Freedom, although¡­ we still habitually call it the Central Tower. We conquered this place five years ago, completely overthrowing the Tower Kingdom and driving those elf rulers from our land. Now it has become the capital of our Free City-state.¡± Lilith explained. Charlotte nodded slightly. She had already heard from Bardock many times about the ¡°revolution¡± led by Lilith and Harald against the elves¡¯ rule. They led Charlotte to the master¡¯s room in the tower. Unlike the other places in the tower with elvish decorations, this room was quite simple, furnished in a typical human style. Charlotte almost immediately recognized that this place was modeled after their home in the North Mountain Tribe, with the same furniture and arrangement, even the room she once stayed in was almost exactly replicated. She instinctively sat at the simple wooden table in the center of the room, the same spot she often sat in during her first ¡°time travel.¡± ¡°Teacher, this is your favorite fruit wine from the tribe. Harald has been arranging for its brewing every year, and today we finally get to see you drink it again!¡± Lilith took out a bone cup and a wine container, respectfully pouring a drink for Charlotte. Then she and Harald sat down on either side of Charlotte, looking at her with joyful eyes. ¡°When we received the report from the legion, we suspected it might be you based on their description. It turned out to really be you.¡± ¡°Being able to meet you again is truly delightful.¡± Seeing their joyous expressions, Charlotte was filled with emotion. A long-awaited reunion is always joyful. Although it was only in a ¡°dream¡± and she still couldn¡¯t be sure if it was real or another ¡°time travel¡±, seeing Lilith and Harald again made her genuinely happy. She looked at the two people who were now vastly different from her memory, feeling the immense power of time. Fourteen years had passed in the blink of an eye between a ¡°sleep¡± and an ¡°awake.¡± Though Charlotte hadn¡¯t changed much, for the two mortals, they had experienced so much. The once small children who used to follow her around had now grown into leaders of their faction. The two who once only reached her chest in height now towered over her, with even the shorter Lilith standing taller than Charlotte. Their strength had also approached Charlotte¡¯s, both nearing the peak of the Blazing Sun tier. Of course, some things hadn¡¯t changed much. For instance, their enduring admiration and closeness to Charlotte. And their contrasting personalities, one warm and one cold, seemed even more distinct. Overall, though, Charlotte felt the passage of time keenly. ¡°Your changes are truly great.¡± Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but sigh, looking at the two before her. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to have changed much, still so young and beautiful.¡± Lilith remarked. ¡°Me? I wish I could grow taller. This small and youthful body always makes me seem like a child wherever I go.¡± S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte half-jokingly complained, rubbing her shoulder. Charlotte was referring to her height. But hearing her words, Lilith¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t help but fall on Charlotte¡¯s chest. This time, Charlotte wore a fine elvish mithril dress armor, which was elegant and snug-fitting. After looking at Charlotte¡¯s somewhat curved upper body, Lilith then glanced at her own flat chest, feeling even more quiet. Yes, time can change many things. But some sad facts cannot change with time. Charlotte, of course, noticed Lilith¡¯s expression. She looked down at herself, then at Lilith, immediately realizing what was going on, feeling both awkward and amused. She sighed and patted Lilith¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Well, don¡¯t be discouraged, Lilith. You¡¯re only twenty, there¡¯s still room for your body to develop.¡± Lilith: ¡­ Seeing she nearly killed the conversation with a few words, Charlotte quickly changed the topic. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s change the subject. I¡¯m really happy to see you again, but¡­ I want to know what happened over the years. What about Hafdan and Tamia? How are they?¡± However, this time the atmosphere grew even more somber. Charlotte realized she had touched a sore spot. Both Lilith and Harald¡¯s expressions darkened significantly. She guessed that Hafdan and Tamia had probably passed away, remembering what Bardock mentioned about the North Mountain Tribe¡¯s destruction years ago. She felt a pang of sorrow. Just as Charlotte hesitated whether to ask further, Lilith spoke. ¡°Father and Mother¡­ have been gone for many years now.¡± Gone¡­ for many years? Though she had guessed as much, hearing it from Lilith still made Charlotte sad. She had only known Hafdan and Tamia for half a month. But she liked that warm-hearted and simple couple very much and didn¡¯t expect them to have passed away by her second time travel. Charlotte still vividly remembered meeting Hafdan for the first time. Her first time travel left her in a snowstorm, unconscious for an unknown period. If not for encountering Hafdan, she might have perished in the storm. That would have been ridiculous: a dignified Northern Count, the Master of the Gospel of Blood, the nominal True Ancestor of Blood freezing to death in a snowstorm. So, Charlotte had always been grateful to the Storm Hunter Hafdan for saving her during her first time travel. ¡°What exactly happened? I heard the North Mountain Tribe was destroyed years ago. Is it related to that?¡± Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°You¡­ already know?¡± Lilith inquired. ¡°I heard some things from Bardock on the way here, but he didn¡¯t know much. I¡¯ve only just woken from my slumber and know nothing of what happened these fourteen years.¡± Charlotte explained. Hearing this, Lilith and Harald exchanged a knowing look. ¡°So, your ¡®disappearance¡¯ was really because you were in a slumber¡­¡± Lilith muttered. She sighed deeply and began to recount the events. ¡°It¡¯s a long story. Everything started the day you disappeared¡­¡± Chapter 437: The Real Savior Lilith and Harald began recounting to Charlotte their experiences over the fourteen years following her ¡°slumber.¡±¡­ Fourteen Years Ago. Shortly after Charlotte left without a word, the emissaries from the Tower Kingdom returned to the Northern Mountain Tribe. This time, they were investigating the identity of the suspected fugitive, ¡°Blessed One¡±, who had appeared in the Northern Mountain Tribe. Since Charlotte, the Blessed One, had already left, the emissaries from the Central Tower could not track her down. The leading ¡°Blessed One¡± believed that Hafdan¡¯s family was harboring the fugitive and subjected Hafdan and his wife to severe interrogation. When Lilith and Harald, who had been secretly searching for Charlotte, returned to the tribe in low spirits, they witnessed their parents being tortured on the rack by the Blessed One. Enraged, they unleashed extraordinary powers and killed the emissaries of the Tower Kingdom on the spot. After killing the emissaries, the tribe¡¯s priest elders secretly arranged for Hafdan¡¯s family to escape. However, they ultimately failed. After three days and nights of fleeing, they were eventually captured by the elves. Lilith and Harald¡¯s memories after that are somewhat unclear. They remember their parents being killed by the elves, the Northern Mountain Tribe being destroyed, and themselves being taken to a mysterious magical research facility where they were treated as experimental subjects. That was a particularly painful period. Every day, the elves injected them with strange fluids or used them in various mysterious spells and rituals. During a large sacrificial experiment, an unfamiliar voice echoed in their minds. The voice, indistinguishable in gender, offered to form a contract with them: in exchange for sacrificing everything, they would gain the power to avenge themselves against the elves. In their despair, the siblings agreed. Upon completing the sacrifice, Lilith and Harald immediately gained immense power. They slaughtered the surrounding elves and destroyed the magical tower used for experiments. But their sanity began to slip into madness. Just as they were about to lose themselves, a dazzling light burst in their minds. They don¡¯t clearly remember what happened next. They only recall a feeling of being embraced warmly and hearing soft whispers of comfort. When they regained consciousness, their sanity had returned, but the immense power from the contract was gone. However, their minds were filled with a wealth of extraordinary knowledge, perfectly aligning with what Charlotte had previously taught them. Though the contract and the power it bestowed were erased, they each retained unique abilities. Harald could ignore divine magic. The priests¡¯ spells had no effect on him, and he could wield artifacts that mortals could not. Lilith gained the ability to ¡°devour magic¡±, absorbing others¡¯ magical power and redistributing it. The following events became a legendary tale known across the Northern Frontier. Though they lost the power from the contract, Lilith and Harald quickly rose to prominence with their new abilities and organized a resistance against the Tower Kingdom. They taught the acquired knowledge to others, and Lilith even directly transferred magical power to key figures, rapidly growing their rebellion into a formidable force. Within five years, under their leadership, the resistance overthrew the Tower Kingdom. Meanwhile, the ancient Gods of Myria, who had long opposed the elves, turned their attention to Lilith and Harald. In this era where Gods ruled, mortal strength had limits. A power without a God was vulnerable, a tempting target for the Gods. Despite Harald¡¯s immunity to divine magic, they were still helpless against the Gods¡¯ might. The Gods used various means¡ªcoercion, persuasion, infiltration¡ªto incorporate the rebels into their own ranks. The resistance fragmented under this divine pressure, splitting into dozens of smaller sects. Lilith and Harald, with the core of their movement, established the Free City-State, a human-governed bastion. Even after establishing the Free City-State, several Gods tried to incorporate them, but Lilith and Harald declined. They harbored no fondness for the Gods. The old Gods of Myria showed no interest in the ignorant mortals until the Elven Gods arrived and demonstrated the benefits of faith. To Lilith and Harald, the Gods¡¯ attempts to recruit them were not out of benevolence but a desire to harness mortal faith as a power source and use them as pawns against the elves. However, faith was a powerful unifier. Without a focal point for belief, they couldn¡¯t prevent divine infiltration. So, Lilith and Harald conceived a solution: create their own God, one that would preemptively occupy the position of faith in their followers¡¯ hearts. ¡°So¡­ you created a God, the ¡®Savior¡¯ who taught you?¡± Charlotte asked. ¡°Yes, teacher. Many of the Old Gods spread their faith through the granting of divine blessings. Following their example, we created a God to fill the void in faith.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not entirely wrong. After all, while we were imprisoned in the elves¡¯ magic tower, we did receive attention from what seemed to be two divine beings.¡± ¡°The first one made a deal with us, granting us immense power. Although it nearly drove us insane, it also gave us freedom and miraculous abilities.¡± ¡°As for the second one¡­ It saved us from our madness and, like you, taught us a lot of knowledge.¡± ¡°Since then, we haven¡¯t felt their presence again, so we still don¡¯t know if they were truly Gods.¡± ¡°However, while creating a fictional God, we were inspired by this experience¡­ leading us to create a ¡®Savior¡¯ who rescued us and imparted knowledge.¡± ¡°We possessed extraordinary knowledge that could replace divine blessings, and our unique abilities allowed us to unite and stand against the various cults.¡± ¡°And so, we successfully established our own faith.¡± ¡°Of course, because the ¡®Savior¡¯ was fictional, our fabricated faith couldn¡¯t bestow divine blessings like other religions. This led to us being labeled as heretics by other churches.¡± ¡°Yet, by coincidence, you had once taught us extraordinary knowledge, becoming our mentor. This fact wasn¡¯t a secret among some survivors of the Northern Mountain Tribe.¡± ¡°Many cults tried to discredit the Free City-State¡¯s faith by claiming the ¡®Savior¡¯ didn¡¯t exist. To counter them, we merged your story with the ¡®Savior¡¯s¡¯, depicting you as the God who once descended to save us¡­¡± ¡°So, when everyone learned that you were the Blessed One who appeared in the Northern Mountain Tribe fourteen years ago and was our respected teacher, they naturally saw you as the ¡®S Lilith said somewhat embarrassedly. Charlotte: ¡­ She finally understood. It turned out she had been mistaken all along. The ¡°Savior¡± of the Free City-State was indeed fictional! It made sense, too. The extraordinary knowledge she had imparted to them was merely a suitable meditation method. However, the knowledge the ¡°Savior¡± had taught was far more extensive, as confirmed in her conversation with Commander Bardock. At the time, Charlotte was puzzled because she hadn¡¯t taught them so much. Now, it was clear that it wasn¡¯t her! The ¡°Savior¡± was fictional from the start, and the profound extraordinary knowledge they had didn¡¯t come from her. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. This left Charlotte curious and puzzled. Though the ¡°Savior¡± was fictional, the mysterious being who granted them power and knowledge was real. Whether through contracts or teachings, these actions seemed very much like those of a God to Charlotte. If it was a God, who could it be? Additionally, there was the ¡°Savior¡¯s¡± symbol. One reason Charlotte thought she was the ¡°Savior¡± was that the symbol closely resembled her own. But Charlotte was certain she had never shown them her symbol. ¡°Lilith, I heard you drawn the ¡®Savior¡¯s¡¯ symbol?¡± Charlotte asked. ¡°Yes, teacher, I designed it.¡± ¡°Designed¡­ it?¡± Charlotte was taken aback. Lilith nodded sheepishly. ¡°Yes, I designed it. When we decided to create a God, the idea for this symbol naturally came to me. The inspiration came from a dream I had. However, I felt it wasn¡¯t quite complete, as if something was missing from my memory of the dream.¡± ¡°This symbol feels incomplete compared to the perfect symbol I saw in my dream, though I can¡¯t pinpoint what exactly.¡± ¡°But I am continually refining it. Given time, I will eventually create the perfect symbol from my dream!¡± Charlotte: ¡­ After a moment of silence, she gently reached out and used her magic to outline her thorny rose symbol. ¡°Is this the symbol you saw in your dream?¡± Lilith was stunned at the sight of Charlotte¡¯s symbol, then exclaimed in surprise. ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± Charlotte showed a knowing expression and dispersed the magic. ¡°Teacher! How did you know what I envisioned? The symbol you drew is exactly like the one from my dream!¡± Lilith asked in amazement. Charlotte didn¡¯t know how to answer. After a moment of contemplation, she decided to be honest. ¡°This is my symbol.¡± It was impossible to hide it. A symbol is unique. Once Lilith perfected it, it would inevitably point back to her. ¡°Your¡­ symbol?¡± Lilith and Harald were stunned. They exchanged glances, hesitated, then couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Teacher, does this mean¡­ you really are a God?¡± Charlotte thought for a moment and said, ¡°In a sense, yes.¡± Lilith and Harald fell silent again. They exchanged another look, communicated with their eyes, and after a moment, seemed to make a decision and nodded slightly together. Then, they approached Charlotte with respectful and earnest expressions. ¡°Teacher¡­ We have a request¡­¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Charlotte signaled them to continue. They took a deep breath and, in unison, asked. ¡°Will you become our true ¡®Savior¡¯?¡± Chapter 438: Gods and the Extraordinary Becoming the True ¡°Savior¡±?Charlotte was taken aback for a moment before quickly realizing that Lilith and Harald wanted her to solidify the existence of the ¡°Savior¡±, filling the last gap in their fabricated God¡¯s story. However, wasn¡¯t this request a bit too bold? ¡°Lilith, Harald, you¡¯re asking me to affirm the true ¡®Savior.¡¯ Aren¡¯t you worried I might turn the Free City-State into a tool to satisfy my desires, just like other Gods?¡± Charlotte asked. Lilith shook her head at her words and said, ¡°If it were any other God, we wouldn¡¯t make such a request, but you are different, Teacher.¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t seen any interest from you in spreading faith like other Gods. You don¡¯t seem inclined to build a power base like they do.¡± ¡°You are a God. If you truly wanted to, you could have easily taken control of the Northern Mountain Tribe back then, but you didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°You imparted to us the initial extraordinary knowledge, hoping we would find our own path. You don¡¯t see mortals as your vassals or possessions like other Gods¡­¡± ¡°If it¡¯s you, we would be willing for you to become the true ¡®Savior¡¯ of the Free City-State.¡± ¡°No, to be more precise, from the day we fabricated a God, deep down, we have been faintly anticipating this day¡­¡± Lilith spoke earnestly. She and Harald looked at Charlotte with expectant faces, filled with admiration. Facing their adoring gazes, Charlotte felt slightly embarrassed. She could only say that the impression she left on them in their childhood was too strong. Their positive perception of her was so thick that it was almost unbelievable. What they said was true, Charlotte had no interest in building a power base in this era. But the reason wasn¡¯t that she lacked desire, but because she knew from the beginning that she didn¡¯t belong to this era and could leave at any moment. Honestly, Charlotte didn¡¯t want to leave too many traces of herself in this era. She was still unsure if she had truly traveled to the past. If she left too many traces, she worried it might affect her future self. However, looking at the two who admired her so much, Charlotte felt that since she had ¡°time traveled¡± to this era, she should do something. No travel is without reason, everything has cause and effect. If her ¡°time travel¡± was just a dream, it wouldn¡¯t matter. But if she had truly entered a ¡°gap in history¡±, she felt she should take some action. If nothing else, even to confirm whether her ¡°time travel¡± was truly to the past, it was worth acting. From a rational standpoint, she needed to protect herself and avoid linking her past self with her future self. Even if she influenced history or changed the past, it must be as a completely new character, ensuring no connection between her present and future selves. This was a rational self-protection measure under the unknown mechanics of ¡°time travel¡± and time paradoxes. As for whether to accept Lilith and Harald¡¯s invitation¡­ After weighing the pros and cons, Charlotte thought it might be possible. Becoming the ¡°Savior¡± and engaging in divine disputes would help her further understand this era and gather various pieces of information. Becoming the ¡°Savior¡± and befriending Lilith and Harald would also help her determine their identities and uncover the secrets of the Bloodborne and the Holy Court. Charlotte believed Lilith and Harald were closely related to the True Ancestor of Blood and the Creator God. Not to mention, the unique abilities they possessed were undoubtedly linked to these figures. The power of ¡°devouring¡± itself belonged to the True Ancestor of Blood, while the ability to suppress other divine spells was akin to the suppression inherent to the Holy Court and the anti-divine spells in the Holy Bible. Additionally, Charlotte needed a stable environment to find a way to return to the future. When she returned the first time, she succeeded by re-establishing contact with the Gospel of Blood after a breakthrough. Based on her previous ¡°time travel¡±, Charlotte suspected she might need to repeat this process. However, considering she was now a Demigod who had ignited the divine flame, this ¡°breakthrough¡± might no longer be about raising her level but fulfilling other conditions. These conditions likely involved mythology. By becoming the ¡°Savior¡±, Charlotte would have more avenues and methods to test this. Moreover, becoming the ¡°Savior¡± could also help Charlotte enhance her strength in this era. This way, when she returned to her future era, she would possess greater power and more confidence when the Divinity Descent Day arrived. Charlotte¡¯s mind whirled, and she quickly made a decision. ¡°Lilith, Harald, I can become the ¡®Savior¡¯ of the Free City-State and provide protection in the name of a God.¡± Lilith and Harald¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°However¡­¡± Charlotte continued. ¡°I cannot leave my divine symbol. Even the current ¡®Savior¡¯ symbol must be abolished. The ¡®Savior¡¯ cannot have a symbol.¡± Lilith and Harald were taken aback by her words. ¡°Abolish the symbol?¡± Harald couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Teacher, the divine symbol is the bridge between the Gods and the mortals. Without it, how can mortals pray to the Gods?¡± Charlotte sighed and said, ¡°Because I do not intend to cultivate followers.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hide this from you. I must admit that my situation is unique. I cannot remain conscious like other Gods. Every now and then, I fall into a slumber, and I can¡¯t even determine how long I¡¯ll sleep.¡± ¡°The last time I disappeared without a word, it was for this reason¡­¡± ¡°Even if I leave a divine symbol, I won¡¯t be able to receive prayers from followers when I am asleep.¡± ¡°Followers unable to communicate with their God for a long time will undoubtedly lead to shaken and confused faith. The ¡®Savior¡¯ is meant to increase cohesion and resist other Gods. If the ¡®Savior¡¯ remains out of contact for a long time, it will lose their purpose.¡± ¡°So¡­ let¡¯s change our approach from the start.¡± ¡°The ¡®Savior¡¯ will still exist, but the ¡®Savior¡¯ does not need faith, and thus, the ¡®Savior¡¯ does not need a symbol.¡± ¡°In this way, even if I fall asleep again one day, you can still maintain the ¡®Savior¡¯ belief of the Free City-State.¡± ¡°If you truly want to invite me to be the ¡®Savior¡¯, you¡¯ll need to agree to these conditions.¡± This was a lie. The real reason was that Charlotte did not want to leave her mark in this era, potentially endangering her future self. Although she couldn¡¯t be entirely sure if this was true time travel or if it would truly alter history, it was better to be cautious. She even considered changing her appearance. No¡­ If she were to become the ¡°Savior¡±, her current appearance must change. At the very least, it shouldn¡¯t match ¡°Charlotte.¡± After hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, Lilith and Harald seemed thoughtful. ¡°Teacher, we understand your concerns. To us, no God is more suitable to be the protector of the Free City-State than you. Although it¡¯s regrettable, if you decide not to use a divine symbol, we will respect your wishes.¡± Lilith said. Charlotte nodded slightly and smiled. ¡°Then¡­ I accept your invitation.¡± After speaking, she quietly invoked the blood divine power. In the next moment, to their astonished eyes, her form changed dramatically. Her height increased, her blonde hair turned silver, and her blue eyes became gold-red. She transformed into a form similar to when she used True Ancestor¡¯s Liberation, the same form she had used in her battle with the God of Abomination and Deformity a few days ago. Charlotte thought simply: since this form had already been seen by the God of Abomination and Deformity, she might as well continue to use it in this era. Thus, the image of ¡°Charlotte¡± wouldn¡¯t leave a mark in this era. The form that would be remembered, at most, was her ¡°True Ancestor¡¯s Liberation¡± state. ¡°Don¡¯t be surprised. This is my form after releasing my divine power, and it will be the form of the ¡®Savior¡¯ from now on.¡± Charlotte explained to them. Lilith glanced at Charlotte¡¯s rapidly growing bosom, then silently touched her own flat chest, falling into silence once more. ¡°Ahem, Lilith¡­¡± Harald coughed lightly, trying to comfort her, but Lilith interrupted him first. ¡°I know, I¡¯m only 20 years old, I still have room to grow.¡± S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Lilith said with a smile, though a cloud of low pressure seemed to hang around her. Harald: ¡­ Charlotte: ¡­ ¡°Alright, let¡¯s change the subject. I¡¯ve agreed to your invitation. Besides the identity of the ¡®Savior¡¯, do you need any other help?¡± Charlotte asked, trying to lift Lilith¡¯s spirits. Hearing this, Lilith and Harald¡¯s attention was immediately drawn. They exchanged a look and, after some hesitation, spoke to Charlotte. ¡°Teacher Cain, actually¡­ we did have another request, but¡­ it may no longer be feasible.¡± ¡°Oh? What request? Let¡¯s hear it.¡± Charlotte asked, curious. Lilith thought for a moment and said. ¡°Teacher, although we have extraordinary knowledge and, given enough time, can gradually cultivate extraordinary powers, there are still too few seeds with extraordinary talent in the City-State.¡± ¡°Not everyone can awaken extraordinary powers, and not everyone can find their own path to the extraordinary.¡± ¡°But¡­ except for the followers of Gods.¡± ¡°Gods can bestow extraordinary seeds through divine blessings, allowing followers to gain extraordinary power. So¡­ we originally wanted to ask you to periodically choose suitable candidates and grant them extraordinary seeds to help them embark on the extraordinary path¡­¡± Lilith continued, smiling wryly. ¡°But since you need to sleep intermittently and do not plan to reveal your divine symbol or spread faith, this might not be possible anymore.¡± Chapter 439: Source of Extraordinary Power Granting divine blessings to followers, helping them gain extraordinary power?Charlotte fell into deep thought after hearing Lilith¡¯s words. Indeed, Gods could bestow extraordinary powers upon mortals. Charlotte could do the same. In fact, even before Charlotte kindled her divine flame, she could achieve this through the Gospel of Blood by signing a Blood Contract or using the divine blessing abilities of the Gospel. In other words, Charlotte could grant divine blessings without developing followers. More precisely, God does not need the recipient to be a follower to bestow divine blessings. The idea that only followers can receive divine blessings is just a means for God to strengthen faith and control over the extraordinary. Charlotte realized this truth after turning Yurst into a blood servant and kindling her divine flame. Of course, this was a secret among Gods. Most mortals were unaware of this. Lilith assumed Charlotte couldn¡¯t bestow divine blessings without developing followers, as she did not know this secret. However, divine blessings vary among Gods. Generally, there are two ways to grant these blessings. The first and most common way for Gods is to lend their power directly to mortals. This method is the least taxing for Gods and provides the quickest power boost for mortals. However, it¡¯s the most unstable way for mortals because if the God retracts the power, the extraordinary person loses their power. Those who gain extraordinary power this way are essentially clerics. The second, less common method is to help mortals awaken their extraordinary potential by infusing their bodies with extraordinary bloodlines, aiding them on the path to the extraordinary. This method is what Lilith referred to as granting extraordinary seeds. This way, the extraordinary person¡¯s power doesn¡¯t come from the God but from themselves, merely aligning with the God¡¯s nature. However, this method also has its flaws. Not everyone can withstand the God¡¯s blessing. Whether one can receive an extraordinary seed depends on their physical condition and potential. Even if one obtains an extraordinary seed, their progress depends on themselves, similar to those with extraordinary bloodlines in later generations. Charlotte had read many ancient texts in the royal library. By comparing various sources, she believed that most non-clerical extraordinary individuals in later generations gained their power through this method. This explains why many church texts describe extraordinary power as originating from Gods. However, some exceptionally gifted individuals could awaken extraordinary power without divine blessings, like Lilith and Harald. For those granted extraordinary seeds or those who awakened their powers, Gods couldn¡¯t easily retract their power like they could with clerics. These extraordinary individuals owned their power, and Gods could only suppress them through their rank and power. Because of this, Gods rarely granted extraordinary seeds to mortals. Even if they did, it was usually to their followers. This way, Gods could receive feedback from the growth of extraordinary individuals through the faith network. This is why Lilith assumed Charlotte couldn¡¯t grant divine blessings if she didn¡¯t spread her faith. Lilith might not know that divine blessings don¡¯t require faith, but she believed Gods wouldn¡¯t help non-followers awaken extraordinary power. For Gods, cultivating non-followers¡¯ extraordinary power was a losing deal. The same applied to Charlotte. Having traveled to this era, she hadn¡¯t yet found a stable way to replenish her divine power, let alone consume it to cultivate extraordinary individuals. So, in a sense, Lilith¡¯s words weren¡¯t wrong. However, since Lilith and Harald asked for her help, Charlotte decided to lend a hand after some thought. It could be a good deed. After all, Lilith and Harald were likely the True Ancestor of Blood and the Creator God of later generations, making them valuable investments. Even if Charlotte misjudged their identities, their teacher-student bond warranted some help. Consuming some divine power wouldn¡¯t hurt. Since she agreed to be the ¡®Savior¡¯, she should do what a ¡®Savior¡¯ does. As for divine power, she could always take from other Gods in this myth-filled era. This time was full of opportunities, with mortals even stumbling upon divine fragments and becoming Gods. Helping the Free City-State cultivate extraordinary power wasn¡¯t a bad thing either. A stronger Free City-State could become her eyes in this era, helping her gather information and resources. Who knows, she might even find something valuable. With this in mind, Charlotte nodded and said to Lilith and Harald. ¡°Helping the City-State awaken extraordinary power? No problem. Even without spreading faith, I can do that.¡± She smiled. ¡°After all, I have already agreed to be the ¡®Savior¡¯ of the Free City-State.¡± S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡­ In a vast forest. In the depths of a vast forest stood a towering temple made of rough-hewn stones, housing a large statue of a snake-headed, human-bodied God. Inside, slender figures dressed in animal robes continuously prayed to the statue. Their bodies were covered in scales, revealing them as snake-folk. Suddenly, a dark green light flew from afar into the temple. The immense pressure caused the snake-folks to prostrate themselves, trembling in fear. Only when the blood-red light lit up on the snake-headed statue, the terrifying pressure subsided. A majestic voice then echoed in the temple. ¡°Guests have arrived. You may leave now.¡± Upon hearing this, the snake-folks rose, bowed respectfully to the statue, and departed. The statue¡¯s eyes glowed slightly, its crimson gaze fixed on the dark green light. ¡°Alador, what brings you to my temple?¡± Asked the blood-red statue. The dark green light faded, revealing the God of Abomination and Deformity, Alador, who looked solemnly at the blood-red statue. ¡°They¡­ has returned.¡± Chapter 440: Dialogue Between Two Myths ¡®The One¡¯ They¡¯re talking about has no gender reveal, or we don¡¯t even know whether They have gender in the first place.So I¡¯m using gender-neutral They/Them/Their pronouns. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ___________________________________ ¡°They¡¯re¡­ here.¡± The solemn voice echoed in the temple, filled with an aura of majesty, yet tinged with strong unease and apprehension. ¡°They?¡± The crimson statue flickered with light, their authoritative voice puzzled. Seeing that the other God did not understand his meaning, Alador, the God of Abomination and Deformity, took a deep breath and said gravely. ¡°Yes, They.¡± ¡°Kul¡¯kan, I recently encountered a mysterious God, appearing as a silver-haired, red-eyed human woman.¡± ¡°I sensed a familiar aura from Her, one that instilled fear and made me tremble, yet alongside the terror was a spine-chilling sense of intimacy.¡± ¡°That incredible feeling was almost identical to what I experienced in the distant past and during the recent Cataclysm Day¡­¡± As soon as Alador finished speaking, a vast pressure erupted, as immense as his own, with crimson light rapidly gathering within the temple. Soon, a towering figure with a serpent head and human body appeared in the temple. Bathed in crimson light, its appearance was identical to the statue enshrined within the temple, revealing it to be another God. ¡°Fear¡­ and intimacy? Cataclysm Day? Alador, do you know what you¡¯re saying?¡± The Serpent God known as Kul¡¯kan looked at Alador with uncertainty. ¡°I know exactly what I¡¯m saying. Firstly, I can confirm that it¡¯s not Helios, that fool. Though Helios also reincarnated in the Eastern Continent, those elves have yet to find his reincarnated form. He should still be dormant in some mortal shell¡­ Moreover, Helios, despite integrating that one¡¯s power, could never evoke such fear in us.¡± ¡°The only one who can make us feel such fear¡­ is that one, Themself!¡± Hearing Alador¡¯s words, Kul¡¯kan frowned slightly. ¡°You mean to say that that one has awakened from the Cataclysm?¡± Alador was silent for a long time before sighing deeply. ¡°I¡¯m afraid so.¡± ¡°I had a brief confrontation with that God. During our clash, my divine power collided and clashed with Hers¡­¡± ¡°Just like in our memories, in the clash of divine powers, my divine power¡­ was devoured by Her.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Them, She is definitely They who has returned! They destroyed the Western Continent, severely wounded the Elven Gods, and now¡­ it¡¯s our turn!¡± By the end, Alador could hardly control the trembling in his voice, his yellow eyes filled with fear. Until the voice of the Serpent God Kul¡¯kan resounded again. ¡°Calm down, Alador! They¡¯re dead! Killed by the combined efforts of the Elven Gods! Their residual consciousness has been sealed! They cannot wake up again! Their power¡­has long been scattered!¡± ?a The crimson divine power exploded within the temple, carrying a certain calming force. Gradually, Alador, the God of Abomination and Deformation, calmed down. With a long sigh, he said. ¡°Sorry, Kul¡¯kan, I was a bit too emotional.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, Their power has long been scattered, Their residual consciousness sealed. The one I encountered¡­probably isn¡¯t Them returned.¡± ¡°When I spoke with that God, She mentioned the ¡®Creator God.¡¯ At that time, I thought She was the ¡®Mad One¡¯, but now looking back¡­ She indeed wasn¡¯t that one.¡± ¡°No, the fact that I survived our encounter probably explains a lot.¡± The serpent God Kul¡¯kan nodded. ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯ve realized this. However, the news you brought still needs attention. The power of devouring¡­ it¡¯s probably another ¡®lucky¡¯ individual who, like those two mortals in the Free City-States, received Their ¡®gift.''¡± ¡°As long as the extraordinary power persists, Their will won¡¯t vanish. Even if Their consciousness was destroyed and Their remnant spirit sealed, there¡¯s always a possibility of Their return.¡± ¡°Regardless, we should be grateful to the Elven Gods. If not for their disregard for Their warnings and Their covetousness for Their creation power, Their madness wouldn¡¯t have been awakened, Their rational side wouldn¡¯t have slumbered¡­ the devouring process would not have been interrupted, and we wouldn¡¯t have gained our freedom¡­¡± ¡°However, since Their chosen ones have begun to appear, it may not be a bad thing for us.¡± Hearing Kul¡¯kan¡¯s words, Alador was intrigued. ¡°Kul¡¯kan, you are the wisest among us. Do you have any ideas?¡± Kul¡¯kan nodded. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Since there is the power of ¡®devouring¡¯, then the God you encountered must be Their surrogate. The only question is whether She also inherited Their other powers.¡± ¡°Their residual consciousness is sealed, and Their gathered power scattered. It seems They have chosen a surrogate to help Them recover Their power.¡± ¡°It appears¡­ those two mortals in the Free City-States weren¡¯t sufficient to satisfy Them.¡± ¡°However, this presents a great opportunity for us!¡± Kul¡¯kan said this while looking at Alador meaningfully. ¡°Alador, we were once losers, but being a loser¡­ doesn¡¯t mean we will always be losers!¡± Alador, the God of Abomination and Deformity, felt a jolt. ¡°Do you mean¡­¡± ¡°To seize it, of course. To continue with our original plan of seizing! No¡­ it should be about reclaiming our power!¡± Kul¡¯kan said. ¡°Reclaim our power? Do you mean¡­ we continue with our original plan, attack the Free City-States, control those two mortals, and seize Their power? Shouldn¡¯t we inform the others?¡± Alador asked. Kul¡¯kan did not immediately answer but instead countered. ¡°Alador, you¡¯ve faced Their surrogate. Putting aside the suppression of divine power, what do you think of Her actual strength?¡± Alador hesitated before responding. ¡°I couldn¡¯t discern it accurately. Judging by the feeling, she seemed like a Demigod who had just ignited the divine flame, but the intensity of Her divine power was unexpectedly strong, even stronger than mine¡­¡± ¡°However, aside from ¡®devouring¡¯, She did not exhibit the ¡®God-Killer¡¯ ability. I had never seen Her before, so She must be a surrogate forcibly elevated in power, whose true strength is likely not great.¡± Kul¡¯kan smiled slightly. ¡°Then there¡¯s no problem. We will proceed as planned.¡± ¡°Such a forcibly elevated God is at most a ¡®false God.¡¯ With our combined power, plus the divine rituals specially prepared against true Gods, we should easily be able to defeat Her together.¡± ¡°Even if we can¡¯t win, we can retreat safely with those rituals. Then we can seek help from the others.¡± ¡°Continue the preparations as planned. We need to act before the other myths react, destroy the Free City-States, and seize Her power!¡± Chapter 441: Divine Blessing Dawn City, Free City-States.In the hall of the central tower, fifty ¡°chosen ones¡± from various cities and tribes stood in a line, their faces filled with excitement and anticipation. They ranged in age from their early twenties to as young as eight or nine, but most were in their teens. Extraordinary warriors clad in elven equipment stood on either side of the hall, holding their swords high with pride. In the center of the hall, on the high platform that drew everyone¡¯s attention, stood Charlotte in a magnificent robe. She appeared almost mature, with silver hair, red eyes, a tall stature, golden light flickering in her pupils, and scarlet divine power swirling around her. With a gentle raise of her hands, divine power suddenly burst forth, and in the next moment, scarlet mist enveloped the entire hall. The fifty ¡°chosen ones¡± felt a soft power enter their bodies, quickly flowing through them. Deep within their souls, something seemed to slowly awaken. As the brilliance faded and the crimson mist dissipated, they felt their senses greatly enhanced and their physical qualities subtly improved. When they looked around, they could vaguely see the flow of magical energy in the air. ¡°Magic¡­ it¡¯s magic! I can feel the magic described in the books!¡± ¡°This is extraordinary power! We really have extraordinary power now!¡± Feeling the newfound power within them, they were filled with excitement and then prostrated themselves before Charlotte on the high platform. ¡°Praise to You! Great Savior! Extraordinary Mentor!¡± ¡°Praise Your mercy! Praise Your blessing!¡± The hall erupted in enthusiastic cheers, and the people fervently worshiped Charlotte. Charlotte exhaled lightly, hiding the fatigue in her eyes. She nodded slightly, acknowledging the crowd, then turned and left amidst the adoring gazes. Only after leaving the hall and dismissing the others did Charlotte finally let out a long breath. She rubbed her slightly throbbing temples, feeling the consumption of her blood divine power, uncertain if her actions held any real historical significance. It had been ten days since she arrived in Dawn City, and this was her second time performing the ¡°Divine Blessing.¡± The consumption was greater than she had expected, not in terms of divine power, as she hadn¡¯t used much of it, but in terms of mental effort. Considering her bloodborne nature, Charlotte¡¯s bestowed extraordinary power was not strong but rather aimed at stimulating and enhancing the recipients¡¯ potential. This required precise control over her divine power, even for Charlotte, who had ignited her divine flame. After all, the power of bloodbornes was dominant. Charlotte¡¯s own bloodline, modified multiple times, was nearly indistinguishable from the ¡°True Ancestor.¡± Giving too much power during awakening could turn the recipients into crazed monsters due to their inability to handle the bloodborne¡¯s strength. Charlotte could also transform the chosen ones into blood descendants through Embrace, but she refrained. The Embrace required giving her blood, which could be hazardous, especially considering her Demigod status. Moreover, her blood was precious, containing the essence of her bloodborne power. Even so, the awakened extraordinary individuals still exhibited bloodborne-like traits, such as affinity for dark elements and enhanced recovery and burst strength. Despite the significant effort, Charlotte found the process intriguing after the first attempt, as it served as a form of mental training, helping her control her rapidly growing power and strengthen her soul. Leaving the hall, Charlotte ascended the stairs to the upper tower¡¯s library, where Harald awaited her. ¡°Teacher, you¡¯ve worked hard. I¡¯ve selected all the books you requested.¡± He said respectfully. Glancing at the neatly arranged elven tomes, Charlotte nodded approvingly. ¡°Good.¡± She scanned the room and inquired. ¡°Where¡¯s Lilith?¡± ¡°She went to Silver City to investigate a lead on a divine fragment and to suppress some Old God Cultists.¡± Harald replied. Understanding, Charlotte nodded. Since mentioning the divine fragments, Lilith had been diligently gathering information, eager to help. The Old Gods, like the God of Abomination and Deformity, were ancient Gods reawakened by the elves, now coveting the faith of the Free City-States. Lilith and Harald¡¯s rebellion had fragmented due to these Old Gods. Only their strength and control over elven artifacts allowed them to barely contend. ¡°Alright, I understand. I¡¯d like to read for a while. Ensure I¡¯m not disturbed, and inform me when Lilith returns.¡± Charlotte instructed. Harald nodded respectfully and departed. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Alone in the library, Charlotte eagerly approached the selected books, all elven texts, relics from the Tower Nation¡¯s overthrow, and the greatest surprise of her journey. Taking a deep breath, she sat at the desk, picked up the topmost book, and easily read the elegant elven script thanks to the Gospel of Blood¡¯s aid. ¡°A Brief History of the Old Continent.¡± Chapter 442: A Brief History of the Old Continent Regarding the history of the Elves, there have always been many differing opinions on the Myria Continent.However, it is widely acknowledged by scholars that the arrival of the Elves brought civilization to the wild Myria, officially ushering in the era of Gods and the extraordinary. Therefore, on the Myria Continent, the history of the Elves often represents myth and epic. This is why Charlotte asked Harald to collect Elven texts. In this still wild era, humans had not yet learned to record history and knowledge, but Elves had this habit. Although Charlotte learned about various events of recent years through the accounts of Lilith, Harald, and others, to gain a more detailed understanding of this era, she needed to read the Elven texts. During her last time travel, Charlotte did not have this opportunity, but this time, the conditions were just right. Lilith and Harald had overthrown the Tower Kingdom and seized a large number of Elven books, which included not only the history of the Elves but also some extraordinary Elven knowledge and even information about the Gods! These books greatly interested Charlotte, as they would help her further understand the Mythic Era. As someone who likes to start stories from the beginning, Charlotte naturally placed ¡°A Brief History of the Old Continent¡± at the forefront. With a sense of anticipation, Charlotte opened the book in front of her. As the title suggests, ¡°A Brief History of the Old Continent¡± narrates the history of the Old Continent, distinct from the Myria Continent. The Old Continent lies west of the Myria Continent and is the homeland of the Elves, existing only in legends for humans. Of course, Charlotte knew well that it was not a legend but a truly existing continent. Though ¡°A Brief History of the Old Continent¡± is termed a ¡°brief history¡±, it is still quite substantial. However, Charlotte, already a Demigod, had greatly enhanced her soul¡¯s strength. She could easily remember everything she read without even using memory-enhancing magic. Charlotte quickly skimmed through the book, soon finishing it. Contrary to Charlotte¡¯s expectations, this ¡°A Brief History of the Old Continent¡± began with a mythological tone. The entire book starts from the origins of life and wisdom. It recounts that a long time ago, this world had only one continent called Elvia, devoid of life and extraordinary powers. Until one day, a strange God accidentally arrived in this world. The God¡¯s descent brought immense power that shattered the world, splitting the Elvia Continent into two parts: east and west. Seeing the desolation, the God felt pity. The God created the world with Their body: bones turned into mountains, blood into rivers, breath into magic, and life force into life¡­ The essence of the God¡¯s body gathered in the Western Continent, creating a vibrant world full of various incredible powers. The impurities of the God¡¯s body gathered in the Eastern Continent, which, although also full of life, was barren, wild, and chaotic compared to the Western Continent, breeding all sorts of monsters. ? Elves originated from that era. It is said that the first batch of Elves was born from the God¡¯s breath, descending upon the prosperous western continent, embodying the God¡¯s hope for the world. What followed was the glorious epic of Elven civilization. Using their wisdom and power, the Elves established numerous kingdoms in the Western Continent, creating a brilliant Elven civilization known as the Elven Kingdoms Era. The Elven Kingdoms Era lasted for nearly two thousand years. During this long period, the Elven Kingdoms gradually unified through war and peace, eventually forming a vast Elven Empire. The Elven Empire had two emperors: one revered as the Sun Emperor Helios and the other as the Moon Empress Artemis. In recognition of their achievements in unifying the continent, the Creator God shared Their last bit of power with the two emperors as a reward, granting them divinity. The Creator God then fell into eternal slumber. The two ascended Elven emperors became the two main Gods worshipped by the Elves: the Sun God Helios and the Moon Goddess Artemis. Thus, the Elves entered the era of myth. The Sun God Helios was an ambitious God, yearning for great accomplishments to become a God as great as the Creator. In contrast, the Moon Goddess Artemis was gentle and without much ambition, only wishing to protect the future of the Elves. The two main Elven Gods cultivated many subordinate Gods to help manage the continent and further elevate Elven civilization to its peak. However, over time, the differences between the two main Gods grew. The Sun God Helios was dissatisfied with the status quo and wished to lead the Elves to conquer the Eastern Continent, which the Creator God had left untransformed, to destroy the monsters born of filth and bring the chaotic Eastern Continent under control. The Moon Goddess Artemis, on the other hand, hoped Helios would abandon the idea of war and maintain peace between the two continents. Nevertheless, the gentle Moon Goddess Artemis ultimately could not stop Helios¡¯ plans, and war eventually broke out. The war between the two continents lasted for centuries. On one side were the Elves led by the Elven Gods of the Western Continent, and on the other side were the monsters of the Eastern Continent, who also possessed God-like powers. This war, born of Helios¡¯ ambition, was extremely brutal. Although it inflicted heavy losses on the monsters of the Eastern Continent, the Elves also suffered significant casualties, resulting in a pyrrhic victory. To achieve ultimate victory, Helios sought even greater power, aiming for the Creator¡¯s power. However, he ultimately failed. His failure brought a catastrophic disaster to the Western Continent, destroying the entire continent in a terrifying catastrophe. The Elven Gods fell one after another in that catastrophe, leaving only the Moon Goddess Artemis and some subordinate Gods. The Elves were forced to migrate, leaving the devastated Western Continent for the Eastern Continent, where they engaged in an even longer-lasting war with the remaining monsters¡­ ¡°A Brief History of the Old Continent¡± does not cover everything comprehensively, and many parts show signs of obvious edits. Especially the catastrophe, described in vague and cryptic terms, clearly kept secretive. Moreover, some records conflict with Charlotte¡¯s understanding of the history of the Elven Era. Still, after browsing, Charlotte gained a deeper understanding of the mysterious Elves¡¯ history. She also had many speculations about the mythological epics and origins of the Myria Continent. ¡°So that¡¯s it¡­ The reason the Elves came to the Myria Continent wasn¡¯t entirely migration, their invasion of Myria started long ago.¡± ¡°Those monsters¡­ must refer to the Old Gods of the Myria Continent, right?¡± S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte muttered to herself. She closed ¡°A Brief History of the Old Continent¡± and planned to look at other texts. However, just as she opened the next book, she was suddenly interrupted by Harald, who came rushing in. This usually composed young man had an uncharacteristic urgency on his face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Harald? What happened?¡± Charlotte¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and she quickly asked. ¡°Teacher! Lilith¡­ something happened to her!¡± Chapter 443: ----------------- Unfeeling flames devoured the houses, while the cries of children and the screams of people sounded hopeless and helpless amidst the monsters¡¯ cruel laughter.The barely alive Lilith was tied to a scaffold in the square. Her body was soaked in blood, covered in ghastly wounds. From her left chest to her left abdomen, a terrifying wound like a beast¡¯s bite exposed her shattered ribs and internal organs. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Around Lilith, gruesome humanoid monsters were excitedly burning houses and slaughtering captured extraordinary warriors and resisting civilians. This was Silver City, one of the four Free City-States, a beautiful and prosperous border city. However, at this moment, this city of thirty thousand people had turned into a living hell. Fierce flames burned throughout the city, and corpses lay everywhere beneath the blaze. The surviving citizens were violently gathered in the central square. They looked at the humanoid monsters surrounding them with terror, trembling and fearful. A towering humanoid monster paced in front of them. His gaze swept over the crowd, and he sneered, then grabbed a trembling man holding an incomplete ¡°Savior¡± divine symbol and praying softly, lifting him like a chick. ¡°Even now, you still pray to the ¡®Savior¡¯? Foolish and pathetic false believer, are you challenging the great God of Abomination and Deformity?¡± The man became even more terrified looking at the monster¡¯s hideous face. But he still shook his head, gripping the incomplete divine symbol tightly, and stammered. ¡°Shameless monster, you¡­ you will eventually face the Savior¡¯s divine punishment!¡± Hearing the man¡¯s words, the monster¡¯s eyes narrowed, becoming dangerous. He snorted coldly and squeezed and crushed the man¡¯s head. Blood sprayed, causing the people to scream and shout in horror, but the monster, indifferent, tossed the headless body aside and sneered at the crowd. ¡°See that? That¡¯s what happens to those who disrespect the Gods!¡± With that, his gaze continued to roam the crowd, soon locking eyes with a young woman. The woman, holding a child, quickly lowered her head in fear, but the monster¡¯s face already showed interest. He walked to the front of the crowd and roughly pulled the woman out. Amid the child¡¯s cries of ¡°Mom! Mom!¡± he lifted her up. ¡°Say it, will you convert to the great God of Abomination and Deformity and become my Lord¡¯s follower!¡± He commanded slowly. The woman¡¯s face turned pale, trembling. She stammered, her voice weak and feeble. ¡°I¡­ I am willing to become¡­¡± Before she could finish, the monster crushed her head as well, tossing the body aside amid the child¡¯s cries, then lazily yawned. ¡°Huh¡­ too quiet, I couldn¡¯t hear clearly.¡± With that, he looked back at the crowd, who all lowered their heads in terror, not daring to meet his gaze. Only the crying child, holding his mother¡¯s body, looked at him with eyes full of hatred. The monster narrowed his eyes. He sneered and was about to move towards the child when a weak cough sounded behind him. ¡°Cough¡­ cough¡­ if¡­ if you keep killing like this¡­ you will never¡­ get the Free City-States¡¯ faith¡­¡± The monster paused slightly. He turned around, looking at Lilith on the scaffold with surprise. He walked to Lilith, looking down at her, and chuckled. ¡°No wonder you¡¯re the extraordinary one Lord Alador has taken an interest in. Even after such severe injuries, you can still speak.¡± As he spoke, his expression turned sinister, and he let out a mocking laugh. ¡°But, I hate preaching the most. Since you care so much about these worthless people, just watch them die in front of you!¡± With that, the monster sneered and reached for the child again, but just as he was about to touch the child, a dark green light suddenly descended from the sky. The light struck the monster, whose body quickly melted into a pool of viscous blood. A deep voice slowly sounded, as if echoing in everyone¡¯s heart. ¡°Lilith was right. If you idiots keep killing, as a God, I would be very troubled.¡± Hearing this voice, the surrounding monsters trembled and quickly knelt on one knee. ¡°L-Lord Alador!¡± ¡°Lord Alador¡­?¡± Lilith struggled to lift her head, seeing a three-headed, six-armed giant, nearly five meters tall, walking towards her amidst the humanoid monsters¡¯ kneeling. He was surrounded by dark green divine light, exuding immense pressure and supreme majesty. As he appeared, dark green mist spread around, quickly affecting the surviving citizens. Amid screams, their bodies deformed, growing terrifying tumors and limbs. With just one glance, Lilith felt a sharp pain in her eyes, her vision blurred, and two streams of blood flowed from her eyes. The God of Abomination and Deformity! She recognized the giant¡¯s identity. Looking at Lilith, who groaned but did not faint from the ¡°divine punishment¡± of gazing upon a God, Alador showed surprise. He approached Lilith, concealing his divine light and laws, and looked at the dying girl with interest. ¡°You are the Devouring Witch Lilith. This aura¡­ hehe, you indeed received the Origin¡¯s blessing¡­¡± With that, he looked down at Lilith, lifting her up. ¡°Your body is done for. I¡¯ll give you a chance: submit to me, and I will grant you new life, and also grant these mortals new life.¡± Lilith struggled to lift her head, looking at the God of Abomination and Deformity, who had concealed his divine light. She sneered. ¡°Monster, do you think¡­ I will believe¡­ your nonsense?¡± The God of Abomination and Deformity¡¯s expression darkened. He gave Lilith a deep look, then chuckled. ¡°Is that so? What a pity.¡± He then looked into the distance, suddenly chuckling. ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°After all¡­ She is already here, and your ¡®task¡¯ is complete.¡± She¡­? Lilith was stunned. She struggled to lift her head, seeing a crimson light like a meteor quickly approaching from the sky. Although far away, she clearly sensed the familiar aura. | Teacher¡­ It was Teacher! Lilith¡¯s heart trembled. However, when she saw the God of Abomination and Deformity¡¯s triumphant smile, she realized something¡­ No¡­ It¡¯s a trap¡­ A trap for Teacher! ¡°Teacher¡­ Lilith struggled to shout. But before she could, she felt a sharp pain in her chest. Then¡­ everything spun. She was thrown away by the God of Abomination and Deformity. Like throwing out trash. And in Alador¡¯s hand, there was a still-beating heart. Seeing the beating heart in the God of Abomination and Deformity¡¯s hand, Lilith¡¯s consciousness quickly blurred. Ah¡­ Is it over just like that? How incompetent¡­ In the end, she couldn¡¯t protect everyone. Teacher¡­ will probably be very disappointed with herself. Her vision gradually darkened, and Lilith sank into the darkness. At the edge of consciousness, she felt herself falling into a warm embrace, faintly hearing a familiar voice. However, she knew nothing more. ______________________________ The Death of Lilith Chapter 444: Divine Battle Charlotte didn¡¯t expect to feel such intense anger.When she saw the survivors of the Silver City transformed into monsters by the divine power of the God of Abomination and Deformity, and when Lilith was brutally killed before her eyes, she instinctively unleashed a power akin to True Ancestor¡¯s Liberation, charging straight ahead. It was then that she realized that, with the time travels, the increasing time spent in this era, and the admiration of the Free City¡¯s inhabitants, along with the love from Lilith and Harald, she could no longer simply see herself as a mere passerby. Catching the flung Lilith in her arms, Charlotte used her divine power to temporarily stabilize her soul. With a grim expression, she looked at Alador, the God of Abomination and Deformity, surrounded by monsters. Crimson radiance bloomed around her, her silver hair billowing, and her blood-red pupils seemingly burning with golden flames. Her aura instantly surpassed the Blazing Sun, soon exceeding the Legendary, rising to a level that made mortals tremble. It was a myth, a true myth¡ªa terrifying power that later Gods on the Myria Continent could not fully unleash due to the decreased activity of magic and elements in the secular world. In the sky, clouds gathered, lightning flashed and thunder roared, the blinding sun was obscured, and the entire sky dimmed at this moment. This was a chain reaction of divine power bursting forth. A myth enraged, heaven and earth changed color, and the Demigod Charlotte, after fully unleashing her divine power, finally revealed her true strength at this moment! Alador, the God of Abomination and Deformity, looked solemnly at the exploding divine power of Charlotte. As a Demigod of equal status, he could naturally feel the horror of Charlotte¡¯s divine power. Though reluctant to admit it, when her power was fully displayed, he truly felt the difference between their divine power. It was as if hers was condensed by higher-level laws, he could deeply sense the suppression of his divine power by the crimson divine power. He could clearly feel that where their divine powers intertwined, his own was being gradually assimilated and devoured. Looking at the divine power surging from Charlotte, Alador showed a hint of fanaticism. ¡°Origin¡±¡­ This was the power of ¡°Origin¡±! Indeed, she was the agent chosen by ¡°Origin¡±! Suppressing his inner excitement, Alador smiled slightly, looking at Charlotte. ¡°The Agent of ¡®Origin¡¯, you have finally arrived.¡± Charlotte had no interest in talking. Divine power surged in her hand, and she clenched her fist, punching Alador in the face, sending him flying. That punch, filled with Charlotte¡¯s fury, was so terrifying that, with a dull roar, Alador was sent flying like a meteor, creating a terrifying fissure over ten kilometers long as he crashed into the ground. Amid the deafening roar, Alador¡¯s flight demolished several hills and broke countless trees, leaving the humanoid monsters around them dumbfounded. And after sending Alador flying with a punch, Charlotte didn¡¯t stop. She transformed into a crimson light, continuing to unleash her divine power. Her divine power erupted completely, giving her immense strength while quickly depleting it. Despite her anger, she remained rational, knowing her current state was limited in time and that she needed to end the battle swiftly. With her divine power fully unleashed, Charlotte attacked the God of Abomination and Deformity like a God of War. Under the crimson divine power¡¯s assault, Alador increasingly felt Charlotte¡¯s terror, looking at her with a gaze full of shock and dread. In his perception, Charlotte¡¯s breath was unstable with her divine power fully unleashed, and her control of divine power seemed immature, clearly a recently ascended myth. §²? But the strength exceeded his expectations, with every attack causing his divine power to plummet and his divine body to crack. That powerful burst of strength even reminded him of those Demigods about to condense their divine persona. This¡­ was the blessing of ¡°Origin¡±? Alador showed awe. However, Alador still remembered his purpose. He wasn¡¯t here for a one-on-one fight. He quickly retreated, shouting in a certain direction. ¡°Kul¡¯kan! You¡­ still not taking action?!¡± As his words fell, a silver radiance shot up, and another vast aura rapidly descended. The next moment, silver light enveloped the world. Charlotte¡¯s expression slightly tightened. She quickly raised her hand, and crimson mist spread, soon dyeing the sky a dark red. Silver and crimson collided, pure extraordinary power erupted, and in an instant, the surrounding area was shattered into powder, presenting an apocalyptic scene. After the divine power subsided, a crater with a diameter of a thousand meters appeared on the ground. A serpentine Demigod, surrounded by silver radiance, hovered in the air, facing Charlotte. His divine power surged, squinting at the silver-haired Charlotte with a faint smile. ¡°What a terrifying power. Clearly just a lucky one who accidentally gained power, yet able to unleash such formidable combat strength, truly enviable¡­¡± Saying this, he shook his head. ¡°But it¡¯s a pity, still too young, falling into such a simple trap so easily.¡± With that, he raised his hands slightly, and one golden pillar after another shot up. Centered around the three myths, within a ten-kilometer radius, dozens of golden pillars formed a six-pointed star pattern, encasing Charlotte within. Golden light spread, and illusory runes flowed in the sky, forming a complex giant magic array, manifesting golden chains that locked the space around Charlotte. In just a few breaths, a sealing spell aimed at Charlotte was fully formed. The spell shone brightly, with a vast aura, clearly a divine-level mythic spell. The serpent Demigod slowly ascended, standing at the forefront of the golden magic array, looking down at Charlotte. He smiled faintly and said, ¡°Agent of ¡®Origin¡¯, allow me to introduce myself. I am Kul¡¯kan, the God of Secret Contracts, and I am here to end your existence.¡± With that, he raised his hands slightly, and golden chains flew towards Charlotte, binding her body. Silver radiance erupted, transforming into transparent mirrors, forming a closed dodecahedron, enveloping Charlotte. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Looking at the unresisting Charlotte, bound by divine chains, Kul¡¯kan showed surprise. ¡°Agent of ¡®Origin¡¯, have you given up struggling?¡± Charlotte slowly raised her head. Her gaze swept over the ancient runes flashing wildly in her vision, then calmly looked at the two Demigods before her, saying flatly. ¡°Give up struggling? No, from the moment you lured me here, I knew it was a trap.¡± With that, she gently raised her hand, and with a slight pull¡­ Under the astonished gazes of the two myths, the golden chains surrounding her crumbled like paper. Charlotte, as if brushing off cobwebs, stripped away the divine chains and waved her hand, erasing the dodecahedron like an eraser. ¡°You¡­ shouldn¡¯t have used divine rituals as a trap.¡± She said calmly. Chapter 445: Divine Ritual Counter Time rewinds to before Charlotte¡¯s rescue.When Charlotte first learned from Harald that Lilith had been captured by the followers of the God of Abomination and Deformity, she immediately knew it was a trap. The reason was simple: Lilith and Harald were the pillars of the Free City-State. As the two most powerful extraordinary, their presence had allowed the city-state to withstand the Gods¡¯ assaults. While Lilith and Harald believed their extraordinary abilities and the artifacts left by the elves enabled them to resist the Gods, Charlotte, who was already a Demigod, had a different perspective. After staying behind and personally ¡°assessing¡± the two¡¯s strengths, she concluded that although they were indeed strong, it would still be quite challenging for them to contend with divine entities. In the past, the Free City-State could fend off the Gods¡¯ followers because the Gods themselves hadn¡¯t intervened directly. If they had, Charlotte estimated that neither Lilith nor Harald could have resisted. Clearly, the city¡¯s survival wasn¡¯t solely due to the duo¡¯s powerful abilities. It seemed the Gods were wary of something or waiting for a particular moment, hence their reluctance to intervene. Thus, when Charlotte received the news of Lilith¡¯s capture from Harald, though her heart sank, she wasn¡¯t entirely surprised. Lilith¡¯s power far surpassed the followers of the God of Abomination and Deformity. If followers alone couldn¡¯t capture her, the Gods must have intervened. The Gods definitely had the capability to deal with the duo. Their previous inaction was likely due to some unknown reason. Charlotte didn¡¯t know that reason, but she understood why the Gods were acting now. The only recent variable in the Free City-State was herself. Having captured the most powerful extraordinary, it made no sense to let the weaker ones go. The fact that an extraordinary warrior returned with the news was evidently a trap, and it was clear who it was intended for. The trap was obviously set for Charlotte. Both Charlotte and Harald could see through this. Although Harald didn¡¯t fully realize the Gods¡¯ past leniency towards the city-state, he understood the power gap between Lilith and the followers of the other Gods. The message brought back indicated that Lilith was captured during the fight, not as a rear guard. The followers exhibited unprecedented power, which couldn¡¯t have been their own and had to be God-given. Capturing Lilith but allowing the messenger to escape made the situation obvious to anyone. Therefore, when Harald reported to Charlotte, he also suggested it was likely a trap for her. But Charlotte still came. Knowing the trap was set for her gave her no reason to avoid it. To save Lilith, she felt she had to go, even if it was a trap. But Charlotte didn¡¯t come recklessly. During her previous battle with the God of Abomination and Deformity, she realized she had underestimated her own power. Though Alador had a deeper divine power reserve, Charlotte¡¯s power quality was superior. This might mean that while Charlotte¡¯s divine power reserve was smaller, her combat strength in short bursts could potentially surpass her opponent¡¯s. This realization dawned on Charlotte after Alador retreated. Her clash with Alador confirmed this. Charlotte was surprised at her own prowess in a divine battle, able to fight a seasoned Demigod to a standstill and even force a retreat. Charlotte already knew what kind of trap awaited her when she arrived. Upon reaching the Silver City, the ancient runes kept flashing. Although the Gospel of Blood was ¡°sealed¡±, the divine ritual counter effect remained, allowing her to detect the opponent¡¯s hidden divine ritual from the start. §²? With this knowledge, Charlotte dared to act decisively, despite knowing her divine power reserve was less than the other Demigods of this era, and confronted the God of Abomination and Deformity. This was not only out of anger for Lilith¡¯s capture but also to use the situation to her advantage, waiting for the hidden Gods to activate the divine rituals around the Silver City. The divine rituals ¡ª¡ºGod Binding Chains¡» and ¡ºPrison of Secret Contracts¡». With ancient runes flashing in her vision, Charlotte¡¯s expression remained serene. When she arrived, the names and information of these rituals had already appeared in her mind. Divine rituals are special ceremonies using divine power, magnifying its effect and allowing lesser beings to borrow divine strength. Just like followers using divine power, Gods can use rituals to wield stronger forces than in normal combat, similar to a mage using a magic circle to cast a more potent spell. Evidently, these two rituals were traps set by the hidden Gods for Charlotte. God Binding Chains¡­ Prison of Secret Contracts¡­ These rituals were designed specifically to deal with Gods, used for divine power restraint and spatial imprisonment. But unfortunately¡­ If the trap was something else, Charlotte might have weighed the pros and cons and chosen to rescue Lilith and retreat. But since it was divine rituals¡­ This was precisely what Charlotte feared the least. In fact, upon discovering the trap was a divine ritual, Charlotte changed her mind. Charlotte raised her hands lightly. Golden chains were instantly destroyed, and the dodecahedron imprisoning her was easily erased. The divine rituals¡¯ shining divine power was swiftly dismantled by her! Witnessing this unbelievable scene, the God of Secret Contracts, Kul¡¯kan, widened his eyes, filled with incredulity. ¡°This is¡­ the power of ¡®Divine Extinction.¡¯ You possess the power of ¡®Divine Extinction¡¯! How is this possible?!¡± ¡°You¡­ you¡­ you are not just a divine agent but also one who has touched the forbidden ¡®Power of Creation¡¯?!¡± ¡°No¡­ this is impossible! They have fallen! Those who peered into the ¡®Origin¡¯ have long been punished¡­¡± ¡°Who¡­ who are you? Who are you really? Why do you wield the ¡®Power of Creation¡¯?!¡± Divine Extinction? Origin? Power of Creation? And¡­ ¡°They¡±? Seeing the shocked expression of the God of Secret Contracts, Charlotte sensed she might have unintentionally approached the core secrets of the Mythic Era. But this wasn¡¯t the time to be distracted by these mysteries. With her divine power surging, Charlotte raised her hands again. Closing her eyes gently, her divine ritual counter activated further, and her crimson divine power engulfed the rituals around the Silver City. The terrifying pressure continued to rise, with crimson light gradually covering the sky. When Charlotte opened her eyes again, phantom chains appeared around her, but this time, they were red. Golden-red flames burned in her eyes, and phantom runes floated around her. These runes were identical to those used by the God of Secret Contracts, but with a different core and reversed order. ¡°Seal¡­¡± ¡°Imprison¡­¡± Charlotte softly uttered the incantations. In the next moment, golden-red beams shot up, and the red chains reversed their direction, flying towards the God of Abomination and Deformity, Alador, and the God of Secret Contracts, Kul¡¯kan! ¡°Divine Ritual Counter! This¡­ this is a Divine Ritual Counter!¡± The God of Secret Contracts, Kul¡¯kan, was horrified. With a scream, he unleashed a divine power stronger than Alador¡¯s and fled. Seeing Kul¡¯kan¡¯s sudden retreat, Alador was stunned but quickly followed suit, attempting to escape. But it was too late. To defeat and seal Charlotte, they had prepared divine rituals that would trouble even true Gods. Moreover, Alador had lured Charlotte into the optimal range for the rituals. These rituals, intended to trap Charlotte, now turned against them after her counter. Crimson light spread, and the dodecahedron reappeared, this time blocking the two Gods¡¯ escape routes. Seeing the familiar rituals, Kul¡¯kan¡¯s expression changed drastically. With a roar, he unleashed a silver light from his forehead, revealing a nearly formed ¡°silver crystal.¡± The ¡°silver crystal¡± shone brightly, and Kul¡¯kan¡¯s divine power surged. To Charlotte¡¯s amazement, Kul¡¯kan smashed through the Prison of Secret Contracts. Cracks spread across the ¡°silver crystal¡±, but Kul¡¯kan continued to unleash divine power, breaking free from the God Binding Chains and swiftly escaping¡­ In an instant, his figure vanished. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Was that¡­ a condensing divinity?¡± Charlotte pondered as she watched Kul¡¯kan flee. She didn¡¯t pursue. The rituals were effective only around the Silver City. Beyond that, she couldn¡¯t use them to trap Kul¡¯kan. Moreover, the power Kul¡¯kan just displayed far exceeded Alador¡¯s. Charlotte wasn¡¯t confident she could capture him. However¡­ Though Kul¡¯kan escaped, Alador wasn¡¯t as lucky. Charlotte shifted her gaze to the ground. There, the God of Abomination and Deformity was trapped by the God Binding Chains, roaring and crashing within the Prison of Secret Contracts. But the divine rituals prepared by the God of Secret Contracts were of high quality, and no matter how Alador struggled, he couldn¡¯t break free, with his divine power thoroughly sealed. He was now imprisoned. Charlotte coldly looked at Alador, then used her blood divine power to further seal his strength before heading towards Lilith¡­ Chapter 446: The First Embrace This battle between the ¡°Gods¡± ended so quickly, and the reversal was equally swift.The followers of the God of Abomination and Deformity on the ground had not yet fully reacted when one God fled and the other was captured. The humanoid monsters stared in disbelief at the emerald divine light imprisoned by the scarlet chains and dodecahedron. When they realized what had happened, they showed expressions of terror, as if their faith had collapsed. When Charlotte turned and flew towards them, they completely broke down and scattered in all directions. ¡°Ah¡­ Lord Alador has been captured!¡± ¡°She is coming! Quick¡­ run!¡± Charlotte glanced indifferently at the fleeing monsters and gently raised her right hand. The next moment, countless black bats materialized and swarmed towards the monsters. The bats quickly caught up with the fleeing Abomination followers and swarmed them. Screams filled the air as the bats sucked the blood of the monsters, leaving behind mummified corpses that crumbled into ashes with the breeze stirred by the bats. Charlotte coldly watched all this without stopping. The scenes of the monsters slaughtering the citizens of the Free City-State replayed in her mind. In her heart, she had already sentenced these abominable monsters to death. After eliminating the last monster, Charlotte walked toward Lilith. Beside Lilith, Harald had already arrived, looking gravely at the girl¡¯s wounds. His forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat, evidence of his rushed arrival. Surrounding Lilith were many surviving citizens of the Silver City. Some of them had not been corrupted by the divine power of the God of Abomination and Deformity, while others, though corrupted with various tumors growing on their bodies, retained a semblance of sanity. Of course, there were also those who had completely transformed into monsters similar to the Abomination followers, their minds collapsed, lying unconscious and being cared for by other survivors. ¡°Savior¡­ Savior!¡± ¡°Savior¡­ thank you for saving us!¡± Seeing Charlotte approach, the survivors were filled with excitement and quickly knelt in reverence. Seeing these survivors worship her fervently, Charlotte felt a ripple in her heart. Although these survivors worshipped the ¡°Savior¡± and were not her true followers, she could still feel their deep admiration and reverence for her. This inevitably reminded her of the people of Castell who followed and worshipped her, as well as the miners who fanatically revered her. She sighed slightly and used her divine power to cast a wide-area dark healing spell, healing the wounds of these people. Under the dark radiance, everyone¡¯s injuries slowly healed. Even Lilith emitted a faint red glow, with her hideous wounds gradually closing. Seeing their injuries heal, the survivors looked at Charlotte with even more respect and adoration. They knelt down, prostrating themselves before her in excitement. However, Charlotte was not satisfied with her healing. Her divine power had only healed their wounds but had not removed the deformations from their bodies. As for Lilith¡­ though most of her surface injuries had healed, the most horrific wound on her upper body showed no signs of recovery. Especially her heart, it was gone. Though Charlotte¡¯s divine power was temporarily maintaining the girl¡¯s soul and vitality, she, not understanding the ¡°life¡± principle, had no way to restore a heart. ¡°Teacher¡­!¡± Harald noticed Charlotte¡¯s return. He held the blood-soaked Lilith, his eyes red, intending to salute Charlotte but was stopped by her. ¡°No need. How is Lilith?¡± Harald¡¯s expression darkened. Seeing his face, Charlotte felt a pang of worry. She quickened her pace and came to Lilith¡¯s side. Lilith was in bad shape. Without a heart, even though her other injuries healed under Charlotte¡¯s dark healing spell, her condition remained critical. However, the dark healing spell had some effect. At least under its dark radiance, the comatose Lilith regained consciousness. She breathed weakly, her face pale, and the blood under her had formed a stream, soaking Harald¡¯s clothes completely. Charlotte¡¯s divine power was working, barely keeping Lilith¡¯s body functioning and substituting for the heart to circulate blood to other organs. But clearly, this was not a long-term solution. Lilith¡¯s injuries were too severe, beyond what mere dark healing could mend. Even with divine power maintaining her life, Charlotte could feel her life force fading rapidly. Her awakening was more like a final burst of life. If left unattended, Lilith would die within minutes. ¡°Teacher¡­ please save Lilith! Save her!¡± Harald was agitated, both anxious and sorrowful. It was the first time Charlotte had seen him so emotional. Of course, Charlotte¡¯s feelings were much the same. No matter what, she had a master-disciple bond with them. She could feel their respect and affection for her. In a sense, Lilith¡¯s peril was ultimately due to her. Whether emotionally or rationally, Charlotte couldn¡¯t stand by and watch the girl die. ¡°I will.¡± She nodded and took Lilith from Harald¡¯s arms. Harald carefully made the handover, then anxiously waited on the side, while Charlotte used her divine power and once again cast a healing spell. This time, she doubled her efforts, using her divine power and directly tapping into her True Ancestor bloodline. Crimson brilliance flickered as Charlotte directed the explosive force of her blood divine power into Lilith. The blood divine power spread, and the self-healing effect of her bloodline burst forth under the stimulation of the divine power. The bloodline of the bloodborne truly lived up to its reputation as the immortal race. Under the influence of the divine power, this time the healing finally took effect. Lilith¡¯s wounds continued to heal, even the granulation in her chest started to move. But it was still not enough. Charlotte keenly sensed a strange power lingering within Lilith, preventing her power from further repairing the girl¡¯s body. It was the residual divine power of Alador, the God of Abomination and Deformity. Alador¡¯s divine power, though not as potent as Charlotte¡¯s, was extraordinarily bizarre, with a particularly strong corrosive ability. Charlotte discovered that the residual divine power had already fused with Lilith¡¯s body, even tainting her soul. Like a bone-devouring tumor, that strange divine power was stopping Charlotte¡¯s power. If Charlotte wanted to completely erase it, she would not only wipe out the strange divine power but also Lilith¡¯s soul. Realizing this, Charlotte frowned slightly. ¡°Teacher¡­ how is it?¡± Harald asked worriedly, looking at Charlotte¡¯s expression. Charlotte took a deep breath and said, ¡°Bring that bastard over.¡± Harald was confused for a moment but soon realized who Charlotte was referring to. He turned and quickly brought the sealed Alador. Alador¡¯s divine power had been completely sealed, making it possible for even mortals to look directly at him at this moment. Having lost his divine power, his body shrank rapidly, becoming as small as a kitten, which looked quite amusing. This was intentional on Charlotte¡¯s part. Shrinking the prisoner¡¯s body was the effect of the ¡°Prison of Secret Contracts.¡± This divine spell resembled the ¡°Cage of Order¡± of the God of Contracts she knew, but it was clearly more advanced. It not only confined power and sealed space but also compressed space, thus altering the prisoner¡¯s size. Alador, now a prisoner, had calmed down, and his gaze towards Charlotte was full of fear and terror. Charlotte gave him a cold look and ordered. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, withdraw the divine power from her body.¡± Alador was stunned for a moment. He looked at Lilith and then at Charlotte, his expression suddenly becoming strange. His eyes flickered as he spoke. ¡°I can withdraw the divine power, but now that you¡¯ve sealed me, I can¡¯t use my power. Remove the seal, and I¡¯ll withdraw the divine power from her.¡± Seeing Alador¡¯s sudden assertiveness, Charlotte narrowed her eyes slightly, her expression turning dangerous. She knew that her concern for Lilith had been noticed by him. Charlotte sneered coldly and was about to speak when she felt her sleeve being tugged. She looked down to see Lilith pulling at her clothes. The girl¡¯s face had a bit more color than before, and her breathing was slightly faster. Her lips moved as she weakly said, ¡°Teacher, don¡¯t believe his words¡­¡± ¡°Alador¡­ is a capricious God¡­ he won¡¯t keep his word¡­¡± ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t make it, I¡­ can¡¯t be your burden.¡± She smiled weakly and said, ¡°Sorry¡­ to disappoint you again.¡± With that, Lilith coughed a few times and slowly closed her eyes. Feeling the rapidly fading life force of the girl, Charlotte¡¯s heart sank. ¡°Ma¡¯am, she¡¯s not going to make it. If you want to save her, you must quickly remove my seal.¡± ¡°Your divine power is indeed extraordinary, but mine has already fused with her, merging into her bloodline and soul.¡± ¡°Except for me, no one in this world can remove the power from her.¡± Alador said proudly. Charlotte fell silent. Seeing Charlotte fall into silence, Alador grew more confident. ¡°Ma¡¯am, don¡¯t hesitate any longer. If you want to save her, you must release me.¡± ¡°This is a fair trade. You can save your student, and I promise not to oppose you or the Free City-States again.¡± ¡°You have no time and no other choice!¡± Seeing the incessantly chattering Alador, Charlotte coldly snorted and threw him to Harald. ¡°Make him shut up.¡± Harald picked up a stone from the ground and stuffed it into the tiny creature¡¯s mouth. Alador: ¡­ The world fell silent. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Trade? No¡­ I never intended to make a trade with a prisoner. Even without your power, I can still save my student.¡± Charlotte said calmly. With that, she looked at Lilith again, her expression becoming serious. As if she had made a decision, Charlotte¡¯s expression turned unprecedentedly solemn, and she ordered Harald and the others. ¡°Step back.¡± Receiving the order, Harald and the others quickly stepped back, distancing themselves from Charlotte and Lilith. Charlotte looked at the unconscious Lilith again. She took a deep breath and murmured. ¡°Lilith, what I am about to do might completely change your life. Of course¡­ perhaps this is how your life should have been¡­¡± ¡°To be honest, my heart is a bit chaotic because I don¡¯t know if I should do this. I¡¯m even a little scared¡­ because I realize that I might be creating history¡­ or maybe I¡¯m just part of history¡­¡± ¡°But¡­ to hell with all that. If I can¡¯t even save my student, then even if I return to my own time, I am destined to be a coward!¡± ¡°And I, Charlotte de Castell, will never be a coward!¡± With that, Charlotte¡¯s bloodline power erupted instantly. Her silver hair rapidly extended, soon reaching her waist, and her pupils turned completely blood-red, with a golden gleam flowing within. Her aura became dark and profound, and she opened her mouth, revealing two sharp fangs. She held Lilith¡¯s body and leaned down slightly. Then, she bit into the girl¡¯s neck. Chapter 447: Creating History This was the first time since becoming a bloodborne that Charlotte performed the initial embrace.She bit into Lilith¡¯s neck, drawing her blood into her mouth. Since she began using monster blood to curb her blood-thirst, Charlotte hadn¡¯t tasted human blood for a long time. She had to admit, human blood was indeed much more delicious than monster blood. Lilith¡¯s blood was sweet, at least from Charlotte¡¯s perspective, it was very tasty. However, Charlotte¡¯s goal was not to replenish her blood. The bloodborne performed the initial embrace using the Blood Embrace Technique from the Blood Magic branch of Dark Path, and there were two ways to perform this initial embrace. The most basic method was directly granting the embraced subject the power of the bloodborne. The descendants embraced in this way generally had much lower strength than the elder, often used to create low-level bloodbornes and blood thralls, or to grant targets powers similar to those of bloodborne. Besides directly granting the power of the bloodborne, there was another more traditional and solemn way to perform the initial embrace, known as the Blood Covenant. The Blood Covenant involved a blood exchange to establish a bloodline contract, used to create direct blood descendants. The principle was to replace all the blood in the embraced subject¡¯s body with blood originating from the embracing bloodborne. The descendants created in this way had the closest blood relation to the embracing bloodborne, with a higher concentration of bloodline, and were therefore much stronger. This was the method Charlotte chose. The divine power of the God of Abomination and Deformity had deeply eroded Lilith. To completely expel this power, a stronger force was needed to ¡°erode¡± Lilith. What power could be more erosive than the True Ancestor bloodline? Charlotte absorbed Lilith¡¯s blood while circulating her divine power and bloodline power. The blood she absorbed was not digested but directly integrated into Charlotte¡¯s blood through organs unique to the bloodborne. In Charlotte¡¯s circulatory system, Lilith¡¯s blood quickly flowed through her heart, deeply merging with her own blood. A faint divine power seeped into the blood, tinting it golden-red, and beyond the divine power, it was mostly infused with Charlotte¡¯s bloodline power. Soon, the blood was completely assimilated, becoming almost indistinguishable from her own. Charlotte took a deep breath, circulated her bloodline power, and expelled the blood she had absorbed, reversing it back through her circulatory system and unique organs to her mouth. ?? Then, Charlotte injected it back into Lilith¡¯s body. This process was neither too fast nor too slow. Under Charlotte¡¯s ¡°feeding¡±, Lilith¡¯s complexion quickly turned paler, a sign of excessive blood loss. When Charlotte began the ¡°blood return¡±, Lilith¡¯s complexion regained some color, but it was different from before, carrying a unique pallor. The crimson radiance gradually spread over Charlotte and Lilith. Lilith¡¯s ghastly wounds began to heal rapidly, and in her hollow chest, granulation tissue squirmed swiftly. The granulation tissue grew and wove together, gradually forming a new heart! One of the most notable traits of the bloodborne was their immense regenerative ability. Undoubtedly, by simultaneously using her divine power and bloodline power, and performing the most advanced initial embrace, Charlotte bestowed the strongest regenerative ability upon Lilith! The crimson radiance spread, and the new heart gradually took shape. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡ª¡± ¡°¡ª!¡± The heart began to beat, slowly and weakly at first, then steadily growing powerful. Lilith¡¯s injuries completely healed, and her breathing became stable. Her hair quickly changed, from silver with a hint of gold to the same splendid silver tinged with a bit of pink as Charlotte¡¯s. Even her facial features seemed to subtly shift, becoming slightly similar to Charlotte¡¯s. She hadn¡¯t become Charlotte. She was still herself, recognizable as Lilith, but her features now bore a distinct resemblance to Charlotte¡¯s. As the crimson radiance faded, Charlotte finally completed the initial embrace. Using so much bloodline power at once made even Charlotte feel dizzy and faint. She tried to stand, but almost fell. Just then, a pair of hands caught her. Charlotte looked up and met a pair of golden-red eyes. Those eyes were calm and deep, filled with myriad emotions. They were Lilith¡¯s eyes. Lilith had awakened. ¡°Teacher¡­ thank you¡­¡± She held Charlotte, speaking softly. Charlotte felt a familiar power enter her body from Lilith. It was the bloodline power she had given her. The feedback from the bloodline power restored Charlotte somewhat, while Lilith¡¯s complexion turned pale again. Using the bloodline power feedback, Charlotte also determined Lilith¡¯s current level. Legendary¡­ Through the initial embrace with blood divine power and True Ancestor bloodline, she had created a Legendary Bloodborne! Seeing Lilith¡¯s face growing paler, Charlotte quickly stopped her. ¡°That¡¯s enough. It¡¯s already sufficient. You shouldn¡¯t use too much bloodline power right now. I will recover on my own.¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, Lilith obediently stopped transmitting the bloodline power. The crimson radiance faded, revealing their figures to everyone. ¡°Lilith!¡± Seeing Lilith stand up, unscathed, Harald rushed forward, embracing her excitedly. Lilith hesitated for a moment, then gently embraced him back. ¡°I¡¯m okay now.¡± From a distance, the survivors of Silver City widened their eyes in shock and joy, exclaiming, ¡°Wonderful! Lady Lilith has been saved!¡± ¡°Is this the Savior¡¯s power?¡± ¡°Praise the great Savior! Long live the Savior!¡± Even the Alador who had been cast aside, widened his eyes in astonishment, spitting out the stone in his mouth and muttering incredulously. ¡°Is this¡­ is this also the power of the ¡®Origin¡¯?¡± ¡°Has Her mastery of the ¡®Origin¡¯ reached this level?¡± ¡°But if that¡¯s the case¡­ why is She still just a Demigod?¡± ¡°This doesn¡¯t make sense¡­¡± Lilith and Harald embraced for a moment before letting go. Watching the emotional Harald, a ripple of emotion flashed through Lilith¡¯s golden-red pupils. ¡°Sorry¡­ for making you worry.¡± She said to Harald. ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay.¡± Harald shook his head. After speaking, he bowed to Charlotte. ¡°Teacher, thank you, really thank you! Thank you for saving Lilith!¡± Charlotte shook her head. ¡°I told you, I won¡¯t ignore my own student.¡± Then, she turned to Lilith. ¡°Lilith, how do you feel now?¡± Lilith paused and said, ¡°I feel¡­ very good.¡± Charlotte nodded. ¡°It seems¡­ quite successful, but don¡¯t get careless.¡± ¡°I am a bloodborne, and now, having undergone the initial embrace, you are a bloodborne too. Although bloodborne is powerful, we also have many weaknesses.¡± ¡°You were embraced as a Legendary Bloodborne, so the weaknesses aren¡¯t as apparent, but you still need to be cautious.¡± ¡°After becoming a bloodborne, many magic spells will also be limited. I will now teach you the bloodborne heritage to help you adapt quickly.¡± ¡®Since I¡¯ve already performed the initial embrace, I might as well complete the process by imparting the heritage too.¡¯ Charlotte thought. With that in mind, Charlotte extended her hand, summoning a crimson radiance, casting the bloodborne¡¯s inherent heritage magic. She gently touched Lilith, imprinting the knowledge of the bloodborne heritage into her mind through the magical radiance. After completing all this, Charlotte felt even more drained. She took out a blood vial from her bosom, drank some extraordinary blood, and felt much better. At this moment, Charlotte noticed Harald¡¯s somewhat strange expression. Her heart skipped a beat. ¡°Harald, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Harald was startled, then shook his head. ¡°N-nothing¡­¡± As he spoke, his gaze shifted between Charlotte and Lilith, hesitating for a moment before saying, ¡°I just think¡­ you and Lilith now look like a pair of sisters.¡± Sisters? Charlotte was stunned. She looked at Lilith¡¯s features, which now resembled her own, including the identical hair and eye colors, and couldn¡¯t help but laugh. However, noticing the height difference between them, she instinctively asked. ¡°Who¡¯s the older sister?¡± Harald was taken aback, not expecting Charlotte¡¯s sudden question. His gaze wandered between the two, hesitating for a moment before replying. ¡°Of course¡­ it¡¯s you.¡± Charlotte: ¡­ What a half-hearted answer! But never mind, it¡¯s not like she could change her height. Even in her adult form, she was still shorter than Lilith! Good thing she performed the initial embrace in her adult form, otherwise, people might have mistaken them for mother and daughter! After lamenting her height in her heart, Charlotte gathered her thoughts. Seeing Harald¡¯s gaze sweeping around, he hesitated for a moment and asked. ¡°Teacher, can you still use your powers now?¡± Noticing his gaze, Charlotte looked around as well. Unbeknownst to her, all the surviving Silver City residents had gathered around, gazing at her with reverence. However, these survivors were not in good condition. Most of them had already been eroded by the divine power of the God of Abomination and Deformity. Charlotte knew what Harald wanted to ask. After thinking for a moment, she said, ¡°I¡¯ve expended too much energy and can¡¯t perform any more initial embraces. However, I can use divine power to suppress the remaining erosion in their bodies.¡± Then, she turned to Lilith. ¡°Lilith, you are now a bloodborne, with the same bloodline as mine. Although you may not be as powerful as me yet, you still possess similar strength.¡± ¡°I will leave divine power to suppress the pollution in their bodies. As for completely removing the pollution¡­ that task falls to you. I believe you know what to do.¡± sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. How to completely remove the divine power pollution from the survivors? By turning them into bloodborne, of course. However, the prerequisite was Charlotte first using blood divine power to suppress the remaining divine power in their bodies. Charlotte didn¡¯t intend to perform any more initial embraces, one Lilith was enough. As for showing grace to the residents, she decided to leave that to Lilith. With this thought, Charlotte suddenly felt a sense of witnessing history, a feeling of being part of something significant. Wait¡­ Legend has it that the first generation of bloodborne wasn¡¯t very strong, created by the True Ancestor for war or out of loneliness. Could it be¡­ these Silver City survivors are actually the future first-generation bloodborne?! The more Charlotte thought about it, the more it seemed possible. ¡°So¡­ am I truly part of history, or rather¡­ creating history?¡± ¡°Lilith, the True Ancestor of Blood in history, received her bloodline from me, and these Silver City survivors might become the first-generation bloodborne in the future.¡± ¡°Because they were created by Lilith when she was still a Legendary, their power is ultimately limited, explaining why the first generation bloodborne are mostly not very strong.¡± Charlotte had an epiphany, suddenly understanding many things. Alright then. Since she was already involved, she might as well do it thoroughly and make everything perfect! With this in mind, Charlotte looked at the surrounding survivors. ¡°Everyone, come closer.¡± Hearing her, the survivors obediently gathered around. Charlotte once again used her blood divine power. The crimson radiance spread, enveloping all the survivors, bestowing them with divine blessings to temporarily suppress their erosion. After doing all this, Charlotte felt even more exhausted. She swayed slightly, her head throbbing, her consciousness becoming faint. A wave of intense fatigue washed over her, a familiar sensation. That familiar feeling made Charlotte¡¯s heart skip a beat. This is¡­ A sign of ¡°awakening¡±! Glowing lights spread around her, and Charlotte saw her body suddenly becoming ethereal. Everything around her quickly receded¡­ Charlotte seemed to hear Harald calling ¡°Teacher! Teacher!¡± and the survivors exclaiming ¡°Savior!¡±¡­ At the edge of her consciousness, she saw an endless darkness. In the darkness, a blood moon hung high, and ¡°Lilith¡± sitting on the Blood Throne seemed both ethereal and distant. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± In a whisper, Charlotte heard her say. With a crash, the entire world shattered, and her consciousness faded¡­ Chapter 448: You soiled my bed Charlotte didn¡¯t know how much time had passed.She felt as if she had once again entered that boundless darkness, unable to sense the passage of time or her own existence. However, having experienced the first ¡°time travel¡±, Charlotte was not anxious. She waited quietly, waiting¡­ Until a familiar crimson radiance appeared, and once again, she saw the familiar Gospel of Blood. Just like after waking from the first time travel, it lay in the depths of the darkness, emitting a dazzling light that illuminated the endless dark, like a beacon guiding Charlotte back. The familiar feeling of rejection came from all directions, and Charlotte felt a strong sense of weightlessness again. Her consciousness gradually became clear, and the sense of control over her body quickly returned. Charlotte felt like a soul returning to its body, once again sensing the real world. The mental connection with the Gospel of Blood reappeared, and even the Roman Sword, which had lost contact during the time travel, was sensed again. Gradually, all of Charlotte¡¯s contracts emerged: The Final Oath with her servant Nice, the blood servant contract with Albrecht, Sebastian and Yurst, and the submission vow with the black dragon, Eudoxia¡­ After all these contracts, Charlotte saw a brilliant starry sea. Stars twinkled, dreamy and vivid, each having a mysterious connection with her. Whispered prayers rose around her, growing more numerous and louder, and Charlotte quickly realized these were her followers. However, when she saw the scale of the starlight, she was instantly shocked. The stars were numerous, densely packed, numbering in the tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands¡­ When Charlotte wanted to count them, an exaggerated number naturally appeared in her mind. 475,349¡­ Four hundred seventy-five thousand¡­ She had ¡°slept¡± and upon waking, had gained nearly 500,000 followers! Hell, how long had she been asleep?! Could it be several years?! Considering she had previously taken two years to gain only 3,000 followers, and the entire Castell territory had only a population of five million! Charlotte was instantly wide awake. In an instant, she awoke from her ¡°slumber¡± and sat up abruptly. Then¡­ , her forehead hit something and knocked her back down. Without using magic or divine power, that was quite painful. Charlotte winced as she opened her eyes. In her view was the familiar coffin lid, the culprit of her forehead¡¯s pain, custom-made by Sebastian, difficult to break even for a Legendary. The coffin lid was luxurious and grand, shining under the magic lamps adorned with night pearls and gems. Charlotte took a deep breath and pushed the lid open. Controlling her somewhat sluggish body, she sat up in the coffin, stretched her stiff neck, and looked around. The chamber looked the same as before she fell asleep. All the magic arrays she had set up before sleeping were functioning, even the automatic cleaning spells were still active, and the magic crystal providing power in the center of the array was still crystal clear. Charlotte sighed in relief. These magic crystals, though top-quality products of Castel¡¯s alchemy workshop, couldn¡¯t last indefinitely. Charlotte had set up the magic arrays based on the duration of her first sleep, with some extensions, but they could only last three years at most. Now, with the magic crystals still sparkling, it was clear they were still full of power. The chamber showed no signs of anyone entering, and the magic crystals hadn¡¯t been replaced. Evidently, this time, Charlotte hadn¡¯t been ¡°asleep¡± for long, certainly not several years. That was strange. If it was just a few months, how did Sebastian and the others manage to increase her follower count to nearly 500,000? It¡¯s not like they could openly preach! That¡¯s nearly a tenth of Castell¡¯s population! So¡­ how long had she actually slept? Charlotte felt increasingly curious. ¡°Right¡­ the magic clock!¡± Remembering her pre-sleep preparations, Charlotte slapped her forehead and looked at the magic clock prepared beside the coffin. It was a special magic clock, not only keeping time but also recording days, months, and years. Charlotte had prepared it to determine her sleep duration immediately upon waking. The luxurious coffin¡¯s side still had the ticking magic clock, and its calendar showed it was January 10, 1447. ¡°January 10¡­ I fell asleep on September 10, 1446, so this time I slept for four months?¡± ¡°Four months¡­ and Sebastian and the others managed to gain so many followers?¡± Charlotte¡¯s expression was fascinating. She grew more curious about how Sebastian and the others achieved this. But apart from the followers, Charlotte quickly noticed another point¡­ ¡°Wait, I remember the first time I slept for three months.¡± ¡°This time¡­ it¡¯s four months.¡± ¡°I spent twenty days in the Mythic Era this time, and last time it was a month¡­¡± She frowned and muttered to herself. This awakening was somewhat abrupt, not even something she actively sought out, but more like the ¡°power¡± ran out and the time came, causing her to be automatically ejected. Charlotte still couldn¡¯t figure out the pattern of her ¡°time travel¡±, but having experienced it twice, she had some initial theories. ¡°The time spent ¡®traveling¡¯ was one-third less the second time than the first, but the ¡®sleeping¡¯ time was one-third longer the second time than the first¡­¡± ¡°Could it be that my future time travel will get shorter and shorter, while my sleeping time will get longer and longer?¡± Frowning in thought for a moment, Charlotte shook her head. ¡°No¡­ with only two samples, it¡¯s too early to make a judgment. Even for a preliminary conclusion, there should be at least one more sample.¡± ¡°However, the cause of my time travel should be more or less certain, likely related to the power of the Gospel of Blood. Otherwise, there¡¯s no way to explain why it always guides me upon waking¡­¡± ¡°The Gospel of Blood¡­ is more mysterious than I imagined. It¡¯s not just the supreme artifact of the bloodborne.¡± ¡°And¡­ what exactly is the ¡®Origin¡¯ that those Old Gods mentioned?¡± ¡°The God of Abomination and Deformity said I wielded the power of the ¡®Origin¡¯, viewing the ¡®devouring¡¯ attribute of my blood divine power and the ability to counter divine rituals as the ¡®Origin¡¯s¡¯ gift. But I know well that my God-like power originally came from the Gospel of Blood, and the divine counter is also an inherent ability of the Gospel.¡± ¡°Could it be that the ¡®Origin¡¯s¡¯ power is actually the power of the Gospel of Blood?¡± ¡°The Gospel of Blood¡¯s power¡­ comes from the ¡®Origin¡¯?¡± Charlotte¡¯s mind stirred with some speculation. The end of this time travel was too abrupt. She hadn¡¯t had time to interrogate Alador and pry out the secrets of ancient mythology before being directly sent back to the ¡°future.¡± Still, it wasn¡¯t without gains. At least, she further clarified the history and solidified her identity as the ancestor of the bloodbornes. If she was indeed writing history, then clearly, the True Ancestor of Blood and the ancestor of the bloodbornes should be two people, merely confused by later generations of humans and bloodbornes. As for whether she was really writing history, Charlotte had a way to verify. During her time in the central tower, she had secretly carved the Chinese characters for ¡°was here¡± at the top of the tower. It was a very hidden place. If her time travel were real, then in this era, the top of the royal library tower in the Crescent Kingdom would also have these characters. Charlotte planned to check it out soon. Even if she couldn¡¯t go herself, she would have to send someone to investigate. ¡°It¡¯s best if I confirm it myself, but¡­ it¡¯s been four months. The Nez Clan should have taken control of Starfall, and the Roman Duchy might already be my territory. I¡¯ll likely be quite busy¡­¡± ¡°If I¡¯m too busy in the coming period, I¡¯ll send Albrecht to investigate. That guy is elusive and strong enough for the task.¡± Charlotte murmured to herself. Shaking her head, Charlotte temporarily set aside her thoughts. She looked down and saw, just like her first awakening, she was still stark naked this time. Fortunately, there was no one else around. Even the intelligent artifact, the Roman Sword, which recognized her as its master, had been given to Nice before her slumber to protect Castell and respond to her followers, so it wasn¡¯t by her side now. She could only sense its presence through their contract. Charlotte stood up, tiptoed out of the luxurious coffin, and then picked up the dress she had prepared before sleeping, skillfully putting it on. It was a bit cold, given that January was winter, but a slight circulation of magic countered it. Dressed, Charlotte contacted the black cat Nice through their contract. ¡°Nice, I¡¯ve awakened. Come to the chamber to see me.¡± This time, Nice wasn¡¯t out of contact like last time. According to the plan, he should still be active in the North as ¡°Charlotte¡±, so Charlotte ordered him to come to the chamber for an identity handover. After sending the summons, Charlotte focused her attention on the luxurious coffin. She fumbled for a moment and took a recording crystal from the lid. This crystal recorded the events inside the coffin after she fell asleep. Charlotte was curious about what she looked like during her sleep. Injecting magic power, the recording crystal emitted a soft glow, projecting a magical image. Charlotte saw herself lying in the luxurious coffin, closing her eyes and falling asleep. Crimson radiance gradually spread over her body, quickly filling the entire coffin. After the light faded, her body disappeared. In her place was a thick book. Seeing the book, Charlotte was slightly stunned. ¡°The Gospel¡­ of Blood?¡± The Gospel of Blood! Inside the luxurious coffin was the Gospel of Blood, which had lost contact during her time travel! Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. No wonder she couldn¡¯t establish a clear connection with the Gospel during the time travel, it remained in this timeline! The Bloodborne¡¯s artifact that only existed in her consciousness manifested in reality during her time travel! ¡°So¡­ I most likely did ¡®time travel¡¯, and the Gospel of Blood might indeed be the cause.¡± Charlotte pondered. The magical projection stopped there. The recording crystal had limited time, so it didn¡¯t show her awakening. However, she could guess it was probably the reverse: crimson radiance appeared, the Gospel of Blood vanished, and she reappeared. Putting away the recording crystal, Charlotte waited briefly before the chamber door was knocked. Muttering an incantation, Charlotte lifted the chamber¡¯s seal, and another ¡°Charlotte¡± rushed in. Seeing a face identical to hers, but feeling awkward, Charlotte was slightly uncomfortable. On the other side, ¡°Charlotte¡± turned into a black cat with a ¡°meow¡± and leaped into Charlotte¡¯s arms, face full of excitement. ¡°Meow! Lady Charlotte! You¡¯re finally awake! If you hadn¡¯t awakened, I would have had to decide the fate of the Starfall Kingdom for you!¡± Seeing the black cat pouncing towards her, Charlotte instinctively dodged, causing the cat to slam into the coffin lid with a painful ¡°ouch.¡± His limbs spread out, flopped into the coffin with a splat, and the rebound force closed the lid on it. Nice: ¡­ ¡°Get off, you soiled my bed.¡± Charlotte disdainfully opened the coffin lid, picked the black cat up by the scruff, and tossed him aside, then incinerated the silk mattress inside with a burst of dark fire. ¡°This mattress is ruined.¡± Nice: ??? Chapter 449: The Starfall Thrones Ownership ¡°Meow¡­ Lady Charlotte¡­¡±Nice looked at Charlotte with a pitiful expression. ¡°Being cute won¡¯t help. I¡¯ve told you many times to stay away from me and my belongings.¡± ¡°Meow¡­ Lady Charlotte, do you really see me as trash that shouldn¡¯t be near you?¡± ¡°Get rid of those trashy thoughts first, then we can talk. Don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t notice your expression when you fell into the coffin.¡± Nice: ¡­ The black cat, held by the scruff of his neck, awkwardly turned his head and started whistling. Suddenly, he seemed to notice something, turning back to sniff around Charlotte. In her cold, dangerous gaze, Nice widened his eyes in surprise. ¡°Huh? This smell¡­ this aura¡­¡± ¡°Lady Charlotte, have you regained your power?¡± This time, it was Charlotte who was surprised. Despite Nice being a bit of a rogue, his sensing abilities were exceptional. Even though he couldn¡¯t defeat a Silver Moon now, he could still notice the changes in her. Yes, Charlotte was indeed different from before. While she was still a Demigod, before she was just a nominal Demigod¡ªpossessing the status but with a mortal¡¯s body, with just a spark of divine flame within her. Now, having fused with the Faceless Statue from Albrecht, her body had fully transformed. Her body was now considered a Saint state, recognized as a God walking on earth. However, her magic was still at the peak of Blazing Sun, not yet reaching the Legendary tier. But when she used her blood divine power, she could assume a true Saint state, unleashing Legendary strength. As for surpassing Legendary strength¡­ Charlotte wasn¡¯t sure if she could wield the same power in the current era as she did in the Mythic Era. When she traveled to the Mythic Era and fought the God of Abomination and Deformity, her power had certainly surpassed Legendary. The combat strength she displayed then was of a true Demigod level. But now, it might be different. According to many ancient texts, after the Blood Moon Era, the power limits of the Myria continent began to decline. Gods descending to the world could no longer wield their full power, peaking at Legendary levels, barely touching myths. This allowed mortals to slay Gods¡ªnot because mortals were too strong, but because Gods couldn¡¯t wield their full strength. A God could only wield their true power in their divine realm or in an otherworldly space. These insights Charlotte had gathered from ancient texts, combined with the extraordinary knowledge she obtained from Albrecht and the Roman Sword, after becoming a Demigod. Frankly, this limitation on divine power was not a bad thing for Charlotte. The older the God, the more accumulated their power. But with everyone restrained to the same level, it came down to who had a deeper understanding of laws and a more refined use of divine power. ?? This benefitted Charlotte, who had less accumulation. While her understanding of laws and use of divine power might not match ancient Gods, the power suppression gave her a fighting chance against them. In other words, before, Charlotte might have been a pawn with the potential to be a player. Now, she had the qualifications to be a player. No longer was she a transmigrator posing as a resurrected God, but a truly ¡°resurrected¡± God recognized even by other Gods. Of course, this power limitation was a double-edged sword. It could level the playing field between Gods and Demigods, but also embolden mortals¡¯ ambitions. So Charlotte remained clear-headed. She knew even as a true Demigod, she wasn¡¯t invincible in the world of Myria where the Gods had not yet awakened. ¡°Your senses are sharp. How did you notice?¡± Returning to her thoughts, Charlotte asked Nice. Though satisfied with her new status, it would be troubling if any extraordinary could detect it. Nice laughed smugly. ¡°Lady Charlotte, have you forgotten what my body is made from? I might be weaker now, but my sensitivity to your power is unmatched! Of course, others wouldn¡¯t be as perceptive.¡± Charlotte was momentarily stunned, then realized. Nice¡¯s body was made from the Faceless Statue, which contained blood divine power, likely left by Lilith. Since their powers were originally the same, Nice could naturally sense her changes. Suddenly, a thought struck her. She left Nice and accessed the Gospel of Blood to check her ¡°personal status.¡± Familiar ancient texts appeared in her vision¡ª ¡¾Master of the Gospel of Blood: Charlotte de Castell¡¿ ¡¾Symbol: Thorny Rose¡¿ ¡¾Race: Bloodborne¡¿ ¡¾Clan and Bloodline: Ancestor of the Bloodborne¡¿ ¡¾Extraordinary Rank: Blood Count (Sealed)¡¿ ¡¾Extraordinary Status: Demigod¡¿ ¡¾Abilities Unlocked: Master of the Gospel(Active), Blood Summoning (Active), Saint Form (True Ancestor¡¯s Liberation), Divine Ritual Counter (Active), Divine Blessing, Demonic Contract¡­¡¿ ¡¾Blood Acolytes: 475,353¡¿ ¡¾Blood Descendants: ¡¾Blood Servants: Sebastian Flameheart, Yurst Nez¡­¡¿ ¡­ The Gospel of Blood showed significant changes from before. Charlotte immediately noticed the change in her bloodline description. Previously, her bloodline was described as ¡°Bloodborne Royalty¡± and ¡°Half-Elf.¡± Now, likely due to Lilith¡¯s initial embrace during her second time travel, the Gospel directly classified her as ¡°Ancestor.¡± Her extraordinary rank had also increased to Bloodborne Count, marked with ¡°Sealed¡± due to her Demigod status. Additionally, a new extraordinary status labeled her as ¡°Demigod.¡± Unlocked abilities had also changed, notably transforming ¡ºTrue Ancestor¡¯s Liberation¡» into ¡ºSaint Form¡». This indicated that, in the Gospel¡¯s judgment, Charlotte previously relied on external power for ¡°True Ancestor¡¯s Liberation.¡± Now, she didn¡¯t need external help. By activating ¡°Saint Form¡±, she directly became the ¡°True Ancestor.¡± Overall, the Gospel¡¯s changes signified its recognition of her enhanced status. The most significant change was in the followers section. 475,353 followers¡­ Even five more since she last checked, which was absurd. But what concerned Charlotte the most was the ¡°Blood Descendants¡± section. This section was displayed as garbled text! No¡­ More accurately, it looked as if the names of the Blood Descendants had been erased. Is this a bug from ¡°time travel¡±? Or is it related to Lilith¡¯s disappearance? Charlotte pondered thoughtfully. ¡°Lady Charlotte, what are you thinking about?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you cold? I brought the clothes for you.¡± Nice¡¯s voice interrupted her thoughts. She suppressed her musings and turned her attention back to the clothes Nice had taken out from the storage space. The clothes were similar to the noblewoman¡¯s gown Nice had worn when she burst into the chamber, but new. Nice didn¡¯t have the audacity to let Charlotte wear his used clothes. ¡°Okay, leave it here.¡± Charlotte nodded. As she picked up the gown, she hesitated slightly. ¡°Lady Charlotte, aren¡¯t you going to change?¡± Nice asked obediently. Charlotte gave him a cold look. Nice immediately understood, laughing nervously as he turned around. Charlotte didn¡¯t want to waste time arguing with him, so she kicked him out of the chamber and locked the door before changing into the new clothes. Unfortunately, the gown was too complicated. She had always been dressed by maids, and didn¡¯t know how to put it on herself. Calling someone in wasn¡¯t suitable, so she used the Demonic Contract to summon demons. Red light appeared, and three summoning circles materialized in front of her. After the light faded, three seductive succubus appeared in the chamber. The succubus were initially startled, but quickly trembled when they sensed Charlotte¡¯s aura. ¡°Great¡­ Great Mistress, what are your orders?¡± They asked, trembling. ¡°Help me dress.¡± Charlotte pointed to the gown. With that, the three succubus shakily dressed her in the noblewoman¡¯s gown. Charlotte looked in the crystal mirror, satisfied, and sent the relieved succubus back to their realm. Then, she left the chamber. Nice was still waiting outside. Seeing Charlotte in the new clothes, he eagerly approached. ¡°Lady Charlotte!¡± Charlotte nodded slightly. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to my study. Tell me what has happened in the past few months.¡± Their identity swap hadn¡¯t alerted anyone. Walking down the corridor to the study, maids and knights saluted her. Charlotte noticed something odd. The atmosphere in the mansion seemed unusually cheerful. The maids and knights seemed in high spirits, almost showing it on their faces. Not only that, but they also seemed more respectful towards her. Though always treated with respect as the Countess and ruler of the North, this respect felt different, almost like the reverence from the citizens of the Free City during her second time travel. However, the maids and knights were not her followers. Their respect seemed based on her identity and status. So¡­ what happened in the past few months? Why were they more respectful towards her? Had she claimed the Roman Duchy, becoming the Duchess of Roman? Charlotte was puzzled and curious. But she couldn¡¯t directly ask. Thinking it over, she decided to seek answers from Nice. Back in her study, she took her familiar seat, while Nice eagerly served her a prepared cup of sweet milk. Charlotte sipped the milk, feeling quite satisfied. She hadn¡¯t had anything this good since her second time travel, and had been craving it. After finishing the milk, Charlotte, in a good mood, asked her questions. ¡°Tell me, what has happened these past few months? Why does the mansion feel different? Has the Roman Duchy been handed over to us? And what did you mean by determining the fate of the Starfall Kingdom?¡± Nice¡¯s expression became odd. ¡°The Roman Duchy¡­ hasn¡¯t been taken back yet. Rather, I don¡¯t know if it should be.¡± ¡°Hmm? What do you mean by not knowing if it should be taken back?¡± Charlotte was slightly puzzled. Nice¡¯s expression grew more peculiar. ¡°It depends on you. Whether you want the Roman Duchy or¡­ the entire Starfall Kingdom.¡± ¡°The entire Starfall Kingdom?¡± Charlotte was bewildered. ¡°Yes, the entire Starfall Kingdom.¡± Nice nodded. After that, he looked at Charlotte with a rather subtle expression. ¡°Lady Charlotte, you may not know, but two months ago, King Edward III of the Starfall Kingdom succumbed to his injuries and passed away in the Red Palace¡­¡± ¡°On his deathbed, Edward III denounced the Red Lilac Family and the Purple Lilac Branch, revealing their crimes of colluding with the bloodbornes and conspiring against the royal family.¡± Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°He tore up the agreement with the Red Lilac Family, naming you, the daughter of Princess Anne ¡°the Devout¡±, as his successor instead of appointing a successor from the Red Lilac Family.¡± ¡°Since it was a unilateral decision, this dying decree was not recognized by the two Lilac Families, who, supported by the Nez Clan, ¡®elected¡¯ Duke Aisia, possessing both bloodlines, as the new King of the Starfall Kingdom.¡± ¡°However, the actions of the two Lilac Families were not recognized by the Starfall nobility. The Starfall Noble Council and the Roman Royal Family refused to acknowledge the new king¡¯s legitimacy.¡± ¡°Instead, they supported Edward III¡¯s designated heir, you, and endorsed you as the Queen of the Starfall Kingdom.¡± ¡°Both sides are adamant, and the Starfall Kingdom is on the brink of civil war¡­¡± Chapter 450: Are you interested in the throne? Charlotte really hadn¡¯t expected to encounter something like this.She was still waiting for the ownership of the Roman Duchy, but instead of that, a claim to the throne of the Starfall Kingdom just fell from the sky. Is it a pleasant surprise? It would be impossible to say no. Sitting at home, the throne falls from the sky, without doing anything, someone wants her to recite a poem and don the imperial robe. It seems like a stroke of luck. She finally understood why the servants in the Count¡¯s residence had been treating her differently. As the designated successor by the previous king of the Starfall Kingdom, her claim to the throne was incredibly strong. No, if speaking in legal terms, she was already the first in line to inherit the Starfall Kingdom¡¯s throne. To be honest, if it were only the king¡¯s designation and everyone else opposed, she would at most have a strong claim to the throne. But if, as Nice said, both the Kingdom¡¯s Parliament and the Roman family support her, then the situation is vastly different. The fact that the throne has been vacant for two months indicates that the power of the Kingdom¡¯s Parliament and the Roman family is not to be underestimated. Otherwise, the prepared Nez Clan would have already placed their candidate on the throne. However¡­ She wasn¡¯t familiar with the Starfall Kingdom¡¯s Parliament or the Roman family, so why would these forces support her? Especially the Kingdom¡¯s Parliament. Yurst had mentioned before that the Nez Clan controlled half of the Kingdom¡¯s parliamentary seats. Shouldn¡¯t they be supporting the Nez Clan? Charlotte was puzzled. ¡°Meow, this issue¡­ I¡¯ve discussed it with Sebastian. The Kingdom¡¯s Parliament represents the nobility of the Starfall Kingdom. Although the Nez Clan controls the parliamentary seats, it¡¯s just the seats, and their control is hidden, possibly without revealing their Nez Bloodborne identity¡­¡± ¡°From what I know, not all Starfall nobles are happy about the return of the Nez Clan. Especially with Edward III¡¯s revelations on his deathbed, the nobles¡¯ fear of the Nez Bloodborne was immediately awakened¡­¡± ¡°Many years ago, it was the Kingdom¡¯s Parliament, in alliance with the Holy Court, that overthrew the Nez Clan¡¯s hidden rule over the Starfall Kingdom.¡± Nice said. Charlotte was moved. ¡°So¡­ Edward III¡¯s deathbed revelations pushed the Nez Clan into opposition with the Kingdom¡¯s Parliament?¡± Nice nodded. ¡°You could say that. Upon learning that their secret benefactor was actually the Nez Clan, many members turned against them.¡± ¡°But the Kingdom¡¯s Parliament strongly supporting you probably also has to do with your unique status.¡± ¡°You have Roman blood on one side and no roots in the Starfall Kingdom on the other, making you an ideal monarch for the Starfall nobility to support.¡± Charlotte nodded in understanding after hearing Nice¡¯s explanation. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°What about the Roman family? Is it for the same reason? Or does it have something to do with the Ancestral Recognition Ceremony I attended earlier?¡± This time, Nice¡¯s expression turned strange. ¡°Look out the window, and you should understand why the Roman family supports you.¡± Charlotte was puzzled. She walked to the window of the study, opened it, and looked outside. Then¡­ she saw a circle of maids and knights sitting on the lawn nearby. In the center of the group floated a beautifully glowing elven rapier, which was flying around and boasting proudly. ¡°Just as the Evil God was about to descend, I shouted at Romanus¡ª¡± ¡°¡®What are you waiting for! Attack!''¡± ¡°Then, with one slash, I cut the Evil God in half, even shattering its divine essence!¡± ¡°Since then, Romanus has always listened to me. Although mortals think I¡¯m his sword, in reality¡­ hehe! He¡¯s just my mount!¡± Charlotte: ¡­ Alright. She got it. It seemed that the news of her obtaining the Roman Sword was already well-known, and it was likely public knowledge that the sword recognized her as its master. She clearly remembered instructing the Roman Sword not to appear in front of people before her slumber, but apparently, it was all in vain! Sighing, Charlotte withdrew her gaze. If the Roman family knew the Roman Sword recognized her as its master, it made sense for them to support her. After all, for the increasingly marginalized Roman family, Starfall Kingdom moving towards ¡°de-Romanization¡± left little room for them. Even the two Lilac families seldom referred to themselves as the ¡°Roman family¡± anymore. The Roman family could only maintain their voice by rallying around the ¡°Roman Sword.¡± ¡°They support me as the Queen of the Starfall Kingdom, but surely they have conditions?¡± Charlotte continued to ask. This time, Nice shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but they likely do. A week ago, we received a magical communication from the Speaker of the Kingdom¡¯s Parliament. Their delegation is on its way and should arrive in two or three days.¡± ¡°At that time¡­ they should present their conditions.¡± ¡°However, the Nez Clan has already sent an emissary, and it¡¯s Yurst. He¡¯s in the city right now.¡± At this point, Nice¡¯s expression turned strange. ¡°The Nez Clan wants to exchange the Roman Duchy and your ownership of the Roman Sword for your renunciation of the throne.¡± ¡°In other words, if you renounce the throne, they will immediately proceed with the transfer of the Roman Duchy and acknowledge your ownership of the Roman Sword¡­¡± Charlotte: ¡­ ¡°Are they serious? Offering what was already agreed upon, plus a meaningless acknowledgment of ownership, in exchange for me giving up my claim to the throne?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but retort. Nice chuckled. ¡°This condition was proposed by the opposition within the Nez Clan. They¡¯ve always been against dealings with you, fearing the ¡®God¡¯ behind you.¡± ¡°I heard that because of the Roman Sword recognizing you as its master, Yurst and Duke Yorok were harshly criticized within the Nez Clan. Even the execution of the Returning Star Plan was taken back by the elders.¡± ¡°Yurst coming as an emissary is already because of his good relationship with you.¡± ¡°Heh¡­ When you summon Yurst, you¡¯ll see his sour face.¡± As if thinking of something amusing, Nice looked gleeful, showing no sign of restraint. Charlotte gave him a speechless glance. This guy¡­ always happier to see others in trouble than when he has good fortune. No one else had such a bad habit. ¡°What was your response to the Nez Clan¡¯s proposal?¡± She asked. Nice shook his head. ¡°I haven¡¯t responded yet! You¡¯ve been unconscious.¡± ¡°I gave the Nez Clan three days, saying we¡¯d give them an answer. Two days have passed, so there¡¯s one day left.¡± ¡°Honestly¡­ if you didn¡¯t wake up tomorrow, I¡¯d have to decide for you.¡± ¡°Oh? If it were you, what would you decide?¡± Charlotte asked with interest. ¡°Me? I¡¯d be ambiguous, drag it out as long as possible, hoping you¡¯d wake up. But if you didn¡¯t wake up, for safety¡¯s sake, I¡¯d accept the Nez Clan¡¯s conditions¡­¡± ¡°After all, I¡¯m not you. I wouldn¡¯t dare put myself on the line, and it would endanger you while you slept.¡± Nice said. Then, Nice asked. ¡°Lady Charlotte, what are your thoughts? Are you interested in the Starfall Kingdom¡¯s throne?¡± Am I interested in the Starfall Kingdom¡¯s throne? Charlotte pondered. The authority represented by a king was far beyond that of a count. Not to mention, even if Charlotte wanted to secretly expand her Nightshade Cult¡¯s power, the Starfall Kingdom was an excellent place for it. Even the Castell County, far from the Theocracy, could defy the Holy Court. In comparison, the Starfall Kingdom was an isolated island nation, making it naturally defensible and one of the weakest areas for the Holy Court¡¯s power, perfect for ¡°heretics¡± to thrive. For Charlotte, who wanted to quickly amass power before the Divinity Descent Day arrived, it was ideal. Especially since Charlotte was now a Demigod. If she truly ascended to the throne, being both a myth and a ruler, it would be a double boost, rapidly growing her influence. She had to admit, Charlotte was tempted. Of course, she knew the throne wouldn¡¯t come easily. The Starfall Kingdom¡¯s throne¡­ sounds nice, but in reality, it¡¯s a hot potato. The succession issue involves many factions. Just off the top of her head, she could think of quite a few. The new nobility of the Starfall Kingdom¡¯s parliament, the increasingly marginalized Roman family, the Nez Clan wanting to reclaim the Starfall Kingdom, the Roman branch of the Lilac family supported by the Nez Clan, the old nobility supporting the Nez Clan, and the Holy Court wanting to maintain control over the Starfall Kingdom. So many forces entangled together, it¡¯s indeed daunting. Oh, right. There¡¯s also the Crescent Kingdom. Louis V certainly wouldn¡¯t sit idly by if she inherited the Starfall Kingdom¡¯s throne. If she inherited the Starfall Kingdom¡¯s throne, it would also include the Castell County. For Louis V, who wanted to unify the Crescent Peninsula, this was intolerable. In short¡­ it¡¯s very troublesome, just thinking about it gives her a headache. If only she could use overwhelming power to suppress everything, it would be better. But unfortunately¡­ although Charlotte was a Demigod, in an era where mortals could kill Gods, being a myth didn¡¯t make one invincible. But then again, the greater the resistance, doesn¡¯t it also mean the greater the opportunity? Thinking this, Charlotte chuckled. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be interested? It¡¯s a throne that¡¯s been delivered to me. I¡¯d be a fool not to take it.¡± If the throne had fallen into her lap a year ago, when she had no foundation, she might have hesitated. But now¡­ She already had the qualifications to be a ¡°chess player¡± on the Myria continent. There¡¯s no reason to give up the throne when such a ¡°good thing¡± presents itself. Chapter 451: The Origin of Believers Charlotte was no longer the novice she had been when she first transmigrated. A throne falling from the sky was not something she would simply push away.Understanding Charlotte¡¯s thoughts, Nice nodded and said no more. It was true that in Charlotte¡¯s absence, Nice had been too cautious to claim the throne on her behalf. However, now that Charlotte was awake and willing to take a chance, Nice had no objections. In fact, Nice thought it was entirely reasonable and fitting for Charlotte to involve herself in the succession of the Starfall Kingdom. After all, she was once a God who had ruled the continent! Watching the girl drink milk from a goblet, Nice thought to himself. ¡°By the way, where¡¯s Sebastian? I haven¡¯t sensed his presence in the Count¡¯s residence. Is he still in the North helping the Nightshade Cult spread the faith?¡± Charlotte asked. Nice¡¯s expression turned somewhat strange upon hearing this. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen to Sebastian?¡± Charlotte asked with a slight frown. ¡°No, nothing like that. Right now, he should be in the Northern Grand Duchy.¡± ¡°The Northern Grand Duchy?¡± Charlotte was taken aback. Nice nodded. ¡°Yes. Do you remember the envoy from the Northern Grand Duchy after the Borde-Castell war last year?¡± Charlotte had a hunch and asked. ¡°Was it the invitation to send priests to spread the faith in the North?¡± Nice nodded. ¡°Exactly. Sebastian has been in the North spreading your faith. After news spread that Edward III had designated you as the heir to the throne, he returned to Northport.¡± ¡°Unlike me, who prefers caution, Sebastian believes we shouldn¡¯t give up the Starfall throne. We even debated about it. Well¡­ I wasn¡¯t opposed to you taking the throne, I just leaned towards giving it up because I knew my limitations, especially while you were asleep.¡± ¡°But regardless of whether we accept or reject the Starfall throne, Castell has been thrust into the spotlight again. Sebastian and I couldn¡¯t convince each other, so we decided to split tasks.¡± ¡°With the Nez Clan¡¯s attitude bound to change drastically, our alliance with them is no longer reliable. I continued to disguise your identity and stall for time, preparing to renounce the throne if necessary and accept the Nez Clan¡¯s conditions. Meanwhile, Sebastian went to the Northern Grand Duchy on your behalf.¡± ¡°Officially, he¡¯s leading a group of priests to spread the faith, but secretly, he¡¯s spreading your faith in the Grand Duchy. Through the growth of belief and the prayers of the faithful, he¡¯s hoping to help you awaken sooner.¡± ¡°He¡¯s also contacting the Archduke, seeking potential support in the Starfall throne succession issue to counter the Crescent Kingdom¡¯s possible interference.¡± Charlotte¡¯s expression turned strange upon hearing Nice¡¯s explanation. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°The Northern Grand Duchy? Are you planning to involve them too?¡± ¡°The Starfall Kingdom, the Crescent Kingdom, and now the Northern Grand Duchy¡­ If the Holy Court also gets involved, we might even see the Western Yunette Empire, which supports the Holy Court and aims to weaken the Crescent Kingdom.¡± ¡°Leaving aside the Far East, four of Myria¡¯s five great powers might get involved.¡± ¡°Wow, are you planning a world war in Myria over the succession?¡± Nice chuckled. ¡°No, it¡¯s possible all five great powers of Western Myria might get involved. The Coria Kingdom is also secretly controlled by bloodbornes, specifically the infamous Wild Clan Vadallat.¡± ¡°While different bloodborne clans don¡¯t usually get along, if the Nez Clan seeks their aid, they might assist.¡± ¡°After all, there¡¯s already a faction within the Nez Clan that is close to Vadallat.¡± Charlotte: ¡­ ¡°Alright then. Starfall Kingdom, Crescent Kingdom, Northern Grand Duchy, Western Yunette Empire, and Coria Kingdom.¡± ¡°Excluding the loosely organized Eastern Yunette Mercenary Alliance and the Luna Coast City-States dependent on the Western Yunette Empire, all five great powers of the Myria continent might get involved!¡± ¡°Master, this is Sebastian¡¯s plan. His approach differs from mine. He believes we shouldn¡¯t give up the throne and plans to drag all the other major powers into this if Castell can¡¯t secure the throne on its own.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a delicate balance of power in Myria. The Crescent Kingdom and Coria Kingdom are closely aligned, almost like allies. Together, they oppose the Starfall Kingdom and the Western Yunette Empire.¡± ¡°The Northern Grand Duchy has always been indecisive, but with the Crescent Kingdom¡¯s rise, there¡¯s talk of balancing against it in the North.¡± ¡°In this situation, the succession of the Starfall throne becomes critical, almost deciding the Starfall Kingdom¡¯s political alignment in the future.¡± ¡°In this context, using the balance of power among the major powers to achieve your goal is somewhat feasible, but it¡¯s risky.¡± ¡°As you said, it could cause chaos on the Myria continent, and this is quite likely.¡± ¡°My main disagreement with Sebastian is here. I think involving major powers could lead to further war, but Sebastian believes it will make them cautious, limiting the throne dispute to the Starfall Kingdom.¡± ¡°What do you think, Lady Charlotte?¡± After listening to Nice, Charlotte pondered for a moment. After some contemplation, she said, ¡°If we can really drag all the other countries into this, a major war¡­ shouldn¡¯t break out.¡± ¡°Hmm? How did you come to that conclusion?¡± Nice asked curiously. Charlotte glanced at him and said, ¡°Because ¡®Divinity Descent Day¡¯ is approaching, and the Gods are about to awaken. At such a critical time, no major power would dare to start a brutal war.¡± ¡°A pyrrhic victory is still a defeat.¡± ¡°Just look at the Holy Court, everyone is consolidating their internal forces. Even if a major war does occur, it will likely be after Divinity Descent Day.¡± Nice was momentarily stunned by Charlotte¡¯s words, then realized. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right. I¡¯ve been around you for so long that I¡¯ve almost forgotten the influence of the Gods.¡± Charlotte gave him a look but didn¡¯t call him out. He hadn¡¯t forgotten the influence of the Gods. He had never really cared about them from the beginning. He had dared to undermine the God of Contracts and exploit Them, showing no limits to what he dared to do. He even dared to use the ¡®Servant¡¯s Final Oath¡¯ against her back then, although it ultimately backfired on him. ¡°So¡­ are the new believers I¡¯ve gained recently all developed by Sebastian in the Northern Grand Duchy?¡± Charlotte asked. ¡°The Northern Grand Duchy? That shouldn¡¯t be possible yet. Sebastian only left ten days ago. Even if he traveled quickly, he should just be arriving at the capital of the Grand Duchy by now.¡± ¡°Your new believers should be from the Lagrisse territory. The Nightshade Cult has been secretly supporting the reconstruction of Lagrisse territory in recent months, gaining considerable prestige. The development has indeed been quite good in the last one or two months.¡± ¡°Sebastian was even proud to say he was confident he could expand the cult tenfold to thirty thousand people within six months! And apparently, he¡¯s already very close to that goal.¡± Nice said. Thirty thousand? Shouldn¡¯t it be four hundred seventy thousand? Charlotte was stunned. She looked closely at the number of believers in the Gospel of Blood again. 475,364¡­ Damn, that¡¯s even eleven more than last time she checked! This is beyond reason! But the Gospel of Blood¡¯s status indicator should not be wrong, and she could feel the connection with her believers growing much stronger than before her slumber. Her believers indeed far exceeded Sebastian¡¯s small goal of thirty thousand. So, where did these believers come from? And why are they growing so quickly? Charlotte was very curious. It¡¯s not that she doubted Sebastian¡¯s abilities, but the current growth rate of her believers was far beyond expectations! ¡°Lady Charlotte, do you think the cult¡¯s development is too slow?¡± Nice asked cautiously, seeing Charlotte¡¯s inscrutable expression. Clearly, this guy misunderstood Charlotte¡¯s reaction. After some thought, Nice continued. ¡°Actually, Sebastian¡¯s efficiency is already quite good. Developing within the Holy Court¡¯s territory is inherently difficult, it¡¯s unavoidable.¡± ¡°However, the cult should expand rapidly soon.¡± ¡°Historically, the Northern Grand Duchy has lacked formal faith, being a blank slate in terms of belief. Although the Archduke wants to promote the Holy Court¡¯s faith, it¡¯s very easy for our Nightshade Cult to take advantage of this.¡± ¡°A church blessed by a God will be overwhelmingly powerful there!¡± ¡°The various northern tribes have always resisted foreign beliefs, and most northerners are uninterested in beliefs from outside the North. Otherwise, various cults would have long grown into towering trees there!¡± Hearing Nice¡¯s words, Charlotte¡¯s face showed a hint of interest. ¡°Oh? It sounds like you also know quite a bit about the local beliefs in the North?¡± Nice proudly said. ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°Lady Charlotte, don¡¯t be fooled by my current state, I once roamed the Myria continent with great influence.¡± ¡°To uncover the mysteries of mythology, I traveled all over the continent, spending a long time in the North. I¡¯m quite familiar with their beliefs.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the same as what you knew a thousand years ago, but as far as I know, most people in the North still practice totem and ancestor worship. Many even retain traces of Old God beliefs, performing some ancient and evil rituals.¡± ¡°This is why the Archduke is introducing the Holy Court. The North¡¯s beliefs are too primitive and chaotic, unsuitable for ruling a unified Grand Duchy. Reform is necessary.¡± ¡°You know, some northern tribes even worship beings that aren¡¯t Gods at all, calling them ¡®Savior¡¯ or something. It¡¯s even more absurd than totem worship.¡± Nice said with a sneer. But Charlotte was suddenly stunned. ¡°What?¡± She put down her goblet and instantly looked up. Chapter 452: Charlottes New Believers ¡°What?¡±Charlotte put down her wine glass and immediately looked up. Seeing her strong reaction, Nice was slightly taken aback and then weakly repeated. ¡°The¡­ the Savior¡­ just some Northern tribes worshipping a legend¡­¡± ¡°A legend? What legend, and what kind of savior?¡± Charlotte continued to ask. Nice shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t remember clearly. It was hundreds of years ago. I only heard about these tribes from some Northerners while I was traveling¡­ I was quite surprised because it was the first time I heard about it.¡± As he spoke, Nice glanced at Charlotte, somewhat curiously. ¡°Lady Charlotte, are you really interested in this? Did what I said awaken some of your past memories?¡± Charlotte hesitated for a moment and nodded slightly. ¡°Sort of.¡± Nice immediately became interested. His eyes lit up, and the amber-colored cat eyes were full of curiosity. However, before he could continue to ask, Charlotte had already given him a new command. ¡°Alright, I know more or less what has happened in the past few months. Go and summon Yurst. It¡¯s time to respond to the conditions proposed by the Nez Clan.¡± Seeing that Charlotte was unwilling to talk more, Nice had to hold back his curiosity. He nodded and said, ¡°Yes¡±, before leaving with some regret. After Nice left, Charlotte¡¯s expression fell into deep thought. The Savior¡­ Whether it was her sensitivity or something else, this title was hard for her not to associate with the ¡°title¡± she received from the Free City during her second time travel. Adding to that the sudden emergence of hundreds of thousands of new believers upon her return this time, it was really hard for her not to make some strange connections¡­ These hundreds of thousands of believers¡­ Could it be that after her second time travel, the faith she left behind in history resulted in this residual belief? This idea might sound a bit narcissistic. But with so many coincidences coming together, it was really hard not to speculate like this. Although Sebastian was quite capable, turning three thousand believers into nearly fifty thousand in four months was too exaggerated. However, if these believers ¡°already existed¡±, it would be different. ¡°No matter what, I just need to ¡®take a look¡¯ to know.¡± Looking at the personal status displayed by the Gospel of Blood, Charlotte muttered to herself. A God can project their vision through their connection with their believers. Charlotte, who possessed the Gospel of Blood and had become a Demigod herself, could do the same. In her mental world, these hundreds of thousands of new believers were as dazzling as a galaxy. By selecting a few to project her vision, she could find out what was going on. Thinking of this, Charlotte decisively immersed herself in her consciousness again. The Gospel of Blood radiated brilliance, and Charlotte¡¯s consciousness returned to the Dark Night Castle. She sat on the Blood Throne and summoned her faith network. Dots of starlight spread in the castle, and a sea of stars appeared before Charlotte. The starlight of this sea was red with gold, more magnificent than the crimson sea representing the bloodborne. This was the manifestation of the light of faith. Charlotte¡¯s gaze fell on her faith network, and she quickly distinguished the hundreds of thousands of new believers. The reason was simple: these believers were too unique in her eyes. Unlike those who existed before her slumber. The believers she previously had were brilliant and clear in Charlotte¡¯s perception. She could clearly feel her connection with them. But these hundreds of thousands of new believers were different. In Charlotte¡¯s perception, her connection with them was very vague, as if there was a layer of gauze in between, or like there was no real effective connection formed. After sensing carefully, she knew what was going on. These believers were not truly integrated into her faith network. This was interesting. Believers become believers because they are integrated into the God¡¯s faith network, establishing a ¡°connection¡± with the God¡¯s power and receiving the ¡°protection¡± of the God¡¯s power. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Without being integrated into the faith network, without establishing a connection with her power, how could they be believers? It was like students in a school. Each student needs to enroll, have a student record, to be a student of the school, and can attend classes and study. But suddenly, a group of ¡°students¡± without records appeared in Charlotte¡¯s ¡°school.¡± They never enrolled, there were no records of them in the school, but they suddenly appeared in the school. You didn¡¯t even know how they got there. Moreover, they had their own seats in the classrooms and beds in the dormitories. They could attend classes and interact with the ¡°teachers.¡± But they just didn¡¯t have student records. They never enrolled, there were no records, and they never submitted any assignments. So the question is, where did these ¡°students¡± come from? If it weren¡¯t for the second ¡°time travel¡±, Charlotte would definitely be baffled, but now, she had some guesses¡­ ¡°Could it be¡­ these believers were left behind by the influence of my time travel into history?¡± ¡°My time travel¡­ could it not only complete the original history but also be altering it?¡± Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but have such thoughts. After all, if she really had such a group of believers, why did they not appear before, but only after her second time travel, when she accepted the title of ¡°Savior¡±? Of course, this was all her speculation. Charlotte still had to personally ¡°take a look¡± to determine whether these believers were indeed the descendants of the Free City-State who believed in the ¡°Savior.¡± With this thought, Charlotte began searching among the ¡°starlight.¡± ¡°The intensity of faith determines the brightness of the light. Since I¡¯m planning to investigate, I should choose the one with the strongest faith light. This way, it will be easier to establish a connection and consume less divine power.¡± Charlotte pondered. These followers hadn¡¯t fully established a connection with her faith network, making it more challenging and consuming more power to project her vision compared to using the faith network. Naturally, she needed to choose the most efficient method. Charlotte¡¯s mental power spread out, searching, and finally¡­ she found the brightest light deep in the sea of stars. Then, her divine power burst forth, and she projected her consciousness over¡­ As her divine power spread, Charlotte felt her consciousness slowly rise, then swiftly move north. The next moment, she ¡°saw¡± an unfamiliar scene. It was a magnificent canyon along a strait. Majestic mountains covered in snow resembled the mane of a heavenly beast, stretching endlessly toward the sky. Glaciers on the peaks sparkled with a crystalline blue, flowing down to form roaring waterfalls that poured into a deep blue fjord. Dense, ancient evergreen forests seemed to stretch to the world¡¯s end, with sharp-eyed hawks soaring above the treetops and stags and brown bears wandering through the dense woods. Beyond the forest, a rugged rocky coastline extended like an endless serpentine line into the distance, with tall wooden walls and fortress towers surrounding a village where smoke rose from the chimneys. The houses in the village were roughly built from wood and covered with thick thatch. By the shore, wooden docks were visible, with several imposing, slender warships moored there. Unlike the sailboats of Castell, these slender warships were slightly smaller and carved with lifelike dragon head sculptures. The hulls were adorned with mysterious runes and intricate designs. Charlotte instantly recognized the origin of this village. If she was not mistaken, this should be a traditional Northern tribe that once doubled as ¡°pirates.¡± Just like the Viking pirates of Earth¡¯s Middle Ages who terrified Western Europeans, there were Northern pirates in the world of Myria who, hundreds of years ago, struck fear into the hearts of the Yunette people, making their children cry. During that pirate-ridden era, northern people, with their superior seafaring skills and formidable strength, often raided the coasts of Starfall and Crescent Kingdom, plundering immense wealth. Some pirates even settled directly on the coasts of the two countries or invaded them. Even the current royal family of Starfall, the Roman family, if traced back through their genealogy, were descendants of Northern pirates. Though in the past century, with the development of magical technology and alchemical industries, Yunette cities had become increasingly difficult for poorly equipped pirates to breach, leading to the decline of Northern pirates, many of these tribes still existed in the Northern Grand Duchy. Of course, they no longer engaged in piracy, having turned to hunting sea monsters instead. Nowadays, they are more like wandering sea monster hunters. Combining her knowledge from books about the North, Charlotte quickly identified the village. But a question arose: why was her vision in the sky? Charlotte was puzzled, but¡­ the next moment, she understood why. Accompanied by a dragon¡¯s roar, her aerial view rapidly descended toward the village. Charlotte suddenly realized. The follower she was ¡°watching¡± was on a dragon¡¯s back. Charlotte slightly moved her divine power, and her vision quickly expanded, soon seeing the follower clearly. It was a girl who looked about fifteen or sixteen years old. She wore a long robe made of brown burlap, covered with simple leather armor. A helmet decorated with feathers adorned her head, and she was draped with various ornaments¡ªa typical Northern pirate outfit. Beneath her was a majestic wyvern, which looked quite young, likely having just reached adulthood. ¡°Eudoxia! We¡¯re going back!¡± The girl patted the wyvern¡¯s back and shouted a name that nearly made Charlotte lose her composure. The wyvern let out a long roar, circled the village twice, and then slowly descended. As the wyvern landed, the village erupted into chaos, with people hurriedly avoiding it. ¡°Astrid! What are you doing! Get down here right now!¡± A stern voice echoed, tinged with anger. Upon hearing this voice, the people instinctively made way, revealing a Northern warrior in a black robe with a bushy beard in Charlotte¡¯s vision. ¡°Father!¡± The girl exclaimed with joy upon seeing the warrior. She leaped off the wyvern¡¯s back and excitedly said. ¡°Father! Did you see? I can now fly well with Eudoxia! I can also join the fights and hunt sea monsters for the village like the men!¡± ¡°Nonsense! Hunting sea monsters is something even the strongest warriors in the village prepare for with their lives at stake. What are you, a girl, doing meddling in such matters!¡± The Northern warrior¡¯s face darkened, and he reprimanded her sternly. After speaking, seeing the girl¡¯s clearly unheeding, excited expression, the warrior sighed deeply and said, ¡°Astrid, stop thinking about going to sea. The envoy from Castell and the church representatives have arrived in the North. I¡¯ve already discussed this with the elders and the chiefs of various tribes. We¡¯ve decided to accept the Archduke¡¯s invitation and represent the alliance at the banquet to be held in Winterfort.¡± Hearing the warrior¡¯s words, the girl¡¯s smile froze. Her expression changed, and anger painted her delicate face. ¡°Why! Why would you accept the Archduke¡¯s invitation? Are you really going to accept his harsh conditions and abandon our proud faith and kin?¡± Chapter 453: New Faceless Statue ¡°Astrid¡­¡±Looking at the angry girl, the Northern warrior sighed slightly. ¡°This decision was made through a unanimous vote among all the tribes.¡± ¡°The Archduke intends to completely unify the North, relocate the population to settle and cultivate the inland, and will not allow tribes like ours to continue existing.¡± ¡°If we refuse to submit, what awaits us¡­ is military suppression.¡± ¡°The Archduke has already unified the northern inland. His army is not something our tribal warriors can contend with. At that time, our fate will no longer be in our hands.¡± The girl stubbornly lifted her head. ¡°Then we will continue to migrate northward!¡± ¡°Our ancestors, to escape the chaos, migrated from the south to the north. To maintain their honor and faith, they came to the sea from the mainland.¡± ¡°We yearn for freedom; we pursue battle. Even now, we can continue to migrate, just like our forebears, to find a new home!¡± Hearing the girl¡¯s words, the Northern warrior¡¯s expression grew complex, and he sighed deeply. ¡°Migrate? Where can we migrate to now?¡± ¡°Our ancestors moved from the fertile south to the barren north, from lush grasslands and forests to harsh straits. We have reached the world¡¯s end, there is nowhere else for us to go¡­¡± ¡°All the religious orders view us as heretics, even our old allies, the Howritz, have parted ways with us¡­ From the moment our ancestors lost the Lord¡¯s protection and refused to submit to other Gods, there has been no place for us in this world.¡± ¡°Then we will head south! We will sail to Yunette! Like our ancestors, like the Romans in history, we will go to Starfall and Crescent to find a new home!¡± The girl insisted stubbornly. The Northern warrior smiled bitterly. ¡°Astrid, do you know why the descendants of us Northern pirates gradually gave up on venturing south and turned to hunting sea monsters instead?¡± He sighed lightly and shook his head. ¡°Because times¡­ have changed.¡± The girl fell silent. She bit her lip, her eyes glistening with tears, her expression full of unwillingness. ¡°Then¡­ must we bow to the Grand Duchy?¡± ¡°They want us to submit just to make us their vassals and labor force for cultivating the northern forests. They don¡¯t even want the elderly, sick, and weak in our tribes!¡± ¡°They only want the able-bodied. Submitting to them means abandoning our tribesmen. Without the protection of warriors, how will the weak survive in these straits?¡± ¡°Our Free Tribe Alliance respects our elders the most. Does this mean we have to abandon even our last tradition and leave behind our closest loved ones?¡± Hearing the girl¡¯s words, the Northern warrior also fell silent. After a long time, he finally spoke. ¡°In this world, nothing is entirely as we wish. I have already consulted the elders. For the future of the tribe, they are willing to stay.¡± ¡°Northern people have never feared sacrifice, and our Free Tribe Alliance is the same. For the tribe, they are willing to make choices, and this is their battle.¡± The girl shook her head, insisting, ¡°Father, this is wrong! This is a betrayal of the tribe! Our Free Tribe Alliance has never feared battle, but we hate betrayal!¡± ¡°If we abandon our loved ones and our faith, what will we have left? We will only be continuously consumed and assimilated by the Isaac people. We will gradually forget ourselves, forget our roots¡­¡± The Northern warrior paused for a moment, then said, ¡°Yes¡­ but, so what?¡± ¡°At least our people will survive. At least our children will have a new place to stand.¡± With that, his expression grew stern, and he said, ¡°Astrid, let me tell you the truth: the sea has been changing since three years ago.¡± ¡°In recent years, sea monsters have become increasingly powerful and restless, with more and more extraordinary power pollution. Hunting sea monsters has become increasingly difficult¡­¡± ¡°If not for the protection of the temples, even our village would have long been attacked by monster tides.¡± ¡°Have you not noticed that our hunting yields have been decreasing while casualties have been increasing each time we go to sea?¡± ¡°We are not like other tribal alliances that can draw power from totems of faith and receive immediate divine aid when injured. When our people are attacked by sea monsters and suffer from the pollution of extraordinary power, they can only rely on their willpower and extraordinary strength to fight against it¡­ Our alliance is strong, but we can only rely on ourselves.¡± ¡°Even without the Archduke¡¯s ultimatum, staying here would only slowly drain the lives of our people. We must make a choice.¡± The warrior paused slightly, his expression complex, and said, ¡°Astrid¡­ it is not we who have abandoned faith and honor, but faith¡­ abandoned us when our ancestors migrated.¡± Hearing the warrior¡¯s words, the girl¡¯s eyes widened slightly. She bit her lip, shaking her head while stepping back. ¡°No¡­ I cannot accept this choice!¡± ¡°There must be another way, there must be another way!¡± Saying this, she turned and ran into the distance. ¡°Astrid!¡± The Northern warrior called out, but the girl¡­ had already run far away. Their voices gradually faded, and the scene grew a bit blurry. Charlotte knew that it was almost time for her ¡°descended gaze¡± to end. ¡°Free Tribe Alliance? Could it be¡­ they are truly descendants of the Free City-States?¡± ¡°Do they worship¡­ me as their ¡®Savior¡¯?¡± Reflecting on the previous conversation between the two, Charlotte pondered. Her feelings about the predicament of the Free Tribe Alliance were mixed, filled with a sense of melancholy. Myria is ultimately a continent with Gods. Even the origin of extraordinary power comes from the Gods. Without the protection of the Gods, it is very difficult for mortals to survive. Without advanced productivity, they will eventually be eliminated by history. On Myria, ¡°advanced productivity¡± partly refers to the protection of the Gods and partly to the rapidly developing magical and alchemical technologies in recent years. The Free Tribe Alliance has neither, so their fate can only be gradual extinction. However, now that Charlotte had ¡°discovered¡± them, she couldn¡¯t just ignore them. No matter what, these people were already registered with her. Even though they hadn¡¯t formally joined her faith network and become her ¡°flock¡±, they were still marked by her. However¡­ ¡°I didn¡¯t leave a divine symbol during my second time travel. How did they establish such a tenuous connection with my faith?¡± ¡°The warrior who seemed to be the tribal leader mentioned the ¡®temple.¡¯ Could it be related to this?¡± Charlotte was curious. Sensing the weakening connection, she increased her divine power output, trying to maintain her ¡°gaze¡± a bit longer, while also attempting to communicate directly with these believers. However, Charlotte failed. She was surprised to find that while she could project her gaze, see the scene, and hear the voices, she couldn¡¯t convey her own voice. Additionally, she couldn¡¯t descend her power. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She knew the reason: these believers were not within her faith network. However, after casting her gaze upon them, she could indeed sense a familiar and affectionate aura around them. ¡°It must be something related to me that they are worshipping, which allowed them to establish a connection with my faith. But¡­ this object hasn¡¯t received my power or established a complete link with me, so it hasn¡¯t entered my faith network.¡± Recalling some knowledge about Gods she read in the elven tomes in the central tower during her second time travel, Charlotte made a judgment. To become a believer, there must be an object of worship, which is also the core of maintaining the faith network. This core can be a holy symbol, a statue, or a relic¡­ And these cores of faith are connected to the Gods, ultimately forming the God¡¯s faith network. Thinking of this, Charlotte continued to increase her divine power output, simultaneously following the vague sense of familiarity. In the next moment, her vision changed again. She saw a majestic and solemn temple. The temple¡¯s design was quite familiar, it was the Ancient Temple, but¡­ unlike those buried underground, this Ancient Temple was located in a magnificent canyon. Inside the temple, on the altar, there was a small statue. Below the statue, several Northern priests were murmuring prayers. ¡°Faceless¡­ Statue¡­¡± Seeing the statue, Charlotte was stunned and then suddenly understood. The Faceless Statue! There was an Ancient Temple in this canyon, housing a Faceless Statue! No wonder these people were deemed her believers. It was not only because they worshipped the ¡°Savior¡±, but also because their worship target was the Faceless Statue created by the True Ancestor of Blood! The surprise came so suddenly that Charlotte hadn¡¯t expected such an incidental discovery during her curiosity. ¡°So this is their object of worship? So¡­ they built a masterless faith network with the Faceless Statue as the core.¡± This is like a local area network. If Charlotte¡¯s faith network is the internet, then the network established by these believers with the Faceless Statue as the core is a local area network. However, this local area network is not entirely disconnected from the internet. Obviously, if Charlotte could gain control of this Faceless Statue, she could fully ¡°incorporate¡± these believers. Charlotte thought for a moment, planning to try to establish a connection with the Faceless Statue, and¡­ unsurprisingly, she failed. Unlike the believers from the Nightshade Cult, these Northern tribesmen, though also her believers, had not established a complete connection with Charlotte. In this situation, Charlotte couldn¡¯t project her power through them, and naturally couldn¡¯t communicate with the Faceless Statue through them. Charlotte carefully sensed the coordinates of the temple. Phew¡­ it was quite far. If she burst her divine power, she could travel back and forth within a day or two with her Legendary level strength, but considering the consumption of divine power, it didn¡¯t seem necessary. Because¡­ she had a better option. ¡°It seems¡­ it¡¯s time for Sebastian to act.¡± Charlotte murmured. Chapter 454: Summoning Charlotte naturally thought of Sebastian.From the conversation between the warrior and the girl in the scene, it seemed that these tribes, suspected to be descendants of the Free City-States, had received an invitation from the Northern Archduke and would soon meet Sebastian. This was a good opportunity. She could establish contact with them through Sebastian. Charlotte decided to take action. Her consciousness returned to her body as she prepared to use her divine power to project her consciousness again, this time targeting Sebastian. However, just before she was about to act, a golden light flew in joyfully from the window. The light arrived in an instant, accompanied by a pitiful cry. ¡°Waah¡­ Your Majesty, you finally woke up! If you hadn¡¯t woken up, this poor little sword would have collapsed from the prayers of your followers!¡± It was the Roman Sword. This wisdom artifact, which had been bragging in the courtyard, finally noticed Charlotte¡¯s awakening and came running to complain. Charlotte looked at it with a half-smile and said, ¡°Oh? Collapsed? I just saw you by the window, chatting quite happily.¡± The Roman Sword paused slightly and quickly said, ¡°Ahem¡­ No! That was entirely to distract myself! Really! Being the core of the faith network is too painful! Can you imagine thousands of flies buzzing in your ear¡­¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Charlotte gave it a look. The Roman Sword immediately realized it had misspoken and quickly corrected itself: ¡°Oh, no, bees¡­ yes, bees, thousands of bees buzzing in your ear all the time¡­ really, can you imagine? It¡¯s enough to drive anyone crazy!¡± ¡°You understand, don¡¯t you? I¡­ I could only chat with others to barely distract myself. Otherwise, I would have gone mad from the constant prayers¡­¡± Looking at the pitiful Roman Sword, Charlotte did feel a sense of empathy. Indeed, she had experienced that feeling too. If she couldn¡¯t ¡°filter out¡± most of the noise, she wouldn¡¯t be able to endure it either. However, the Roman Sword had completed its task quite well. This could be seen from the increased number of followers. If it hadn¡¯t temporarily taken over as the core of the faith network and granted divine blessings on her behalf, the number of followers truly incorporated into Charlotte¡¯s faith network wouldn¡¯t have increased so much, so quickly, apart from the ¡°Free Tribes.¡± Charlotte had just confirmed that aside from the ¡°Free Tribes¡± pre-followers, she had over 28,000 true believers. Moreover, the rapidly increasing number of followers after her awakening also belonged to this part. Clearly, somewhere unknown to her, her Nightshade Cult was likely conducting some kind of missionary activity. Otherwise, the number of followers wouldn¡¯t have increased so quickly in such a short time. Thinking of this, Charlotte looked at the Roman Sword with a calmer gaze. Alright, although this guy had revealed its identity everywhere, at least it had completed the task she gave it quite well. Furthermore, despite the mishaps, it must be admitted that the support from the Roman and Starfall nobles might be related to this artifact recognizing her as its master. Nobles value bloodlines the most, and their acknowledgment could be seen as ¡°official recognition¡± of the Roman bloodline. ¡°I understand. You¡¯ve worked hard during this time. Your task is complete.¡± Charlotte said. With that, she gathered divine power at her fingertip and lightly touched the Roman Sword¡¯s blade. In the next moment, she removed the Roman Sword¡¯s authority from her faith network and once again became the direct core for receiving prayers from her followers. The overwhelming prayers flooded in, causing Charlotte¡¯s head to throb. She moved her thoughts, and the divine flame in her chest flickered, blocking out all these voices, switching the faith network from ¡°ringing¡± mode to ¡°vibrate¡± mode. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Alright, you¡¯ve gone mad enough, come back.¡± Charlotte extended her hand and summoned the Roman Sword. But this time, the Roman Sword hesitated. It trembled slightly, and its voice seemed anxious and hesitant. ¡°Great¡­ great Your Majesty, can I¡­ can I not return to your artifact space?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Charlotte raised an eyebrow. ¡°Ahem¡­ it¡¯s just¡­ I feel quite good staying outside. Entering your consciousness space¡­ is too stressful¡­¡± The Roman Sword said weakly. Charlotte: ¡­ Of course, she knew where the Roman Sword¡¯s pressure came from. This guy seemed to be quite afraid of the Gospel of Blood, trembling in a corner whenever it stayed in her consciousness space. After thinking for a moment, she decided not to force it. ¡°Alright, if you don¡¯t want to go in, you don¡¯t have to. But try to keep a low profile when you¡¯re outside.¡± ¡°Rest assured! I will definitely keep a low profile!¡± The Roman Sword instantly perked up. Seeing its eager look, clearly wanting to continue chatting, Charlotte didn¡¯t bother to expose it. ¡°Alright, off you go. I have other things to do. Don¡¯t disturb me for now.¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, the Roman Sword seemed to be pardoned, joyfully saying, ¡°Got it! Take your time, I¡¯ll be off then!¡± With that, it flew out of the window in a flash. Watching the Roman Sword, which had quickly thrown off its burden, Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but laugh. But the next moment, she saw it cautiously poking half of its blade back in through the window. ¡°Anything else?¡± Charlotte asked. ¡°Uh¡­ Great Your Majesty, are you planning to accept the mortals¡¯ invitation to become their ruler?¡± The Roman Sword asked cautiously. Charlotte raised an eyebrow and smiled. ¡°Do I have any reason to refuse?¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, the Roman Sword immediately became joyful. ¡°Hehe! That¡¯s great! That¡¯s great!¡± ¡°Oh? You seem to be quite looking forward to me becoming the Starfall¡¯s Queen?¡± Charlotte narrowed her eyes. ¡°Of course! I even made a bet with those knights! I wagered quite a few gold tana¡­¡± The Roman Sword realized it had misspoken and quickly stopped talking. Charlotte: ¡­ ¡°I¡­ Your Majesty, you go ahead, I¡­ I¡¯ll be going now!¡± The Roman Sword glanced guiltily at Charlotte before flying off with a whoosh. ¡°These guys¡­ it seems they¡¯ve been too idle while I was asleep.¡± Shaking her head, Charlotte closed the window again and submerged herself back into her consciousness. This time, she directed her ¡°gaze¡± towards Sebastian. ¡­ The southwestern part of Northern Grand Duchy. A convoy bearing the banners of the Northern Black Eagle and the Holy Ringed Cross was heading north, escorted by Isaac¡¯s cavalry. In the center of the convoy, inside the most luxurious carriage, Sebastian, dressed in noble attire, was lounging on a recliner. On a small wooden table in front of him was a communication crystal from the Starfall Kingdom, reflecting the image of the werewolf, Luff. Luff, wearing a black priest robe, was respectfully reporting. ¡°Lord Sebastian, our missionary activities have been very successful. With Lord Roman¡¯s support, our message has been spreading smoothly in the Lagrisse territory these past few days¡­¡± ¡°You were right, even faith needs to be tied to benefits and tangible miracles to be strengthened. We just held another event, and it was very effective.¡± Listening to Luff¡¯s report, Sebastian elegantly sipped from a goblet of red wine and smiled. ¡°Very good, keep up the good work. Try to double the number of our reserve priests before I return.¡± ¡°I will soon meet with Archduke Stefan. Once we reach an agreement with the Northern Grand Duchy, we can start large-scale missionary work there, so we must prepare well in advance.¡± Luff nodded, his expression fervent. ¡°Rest assured, I will do my utmost, all for our Lord, for the darkness before dawn, and for the reestablished order!¡± Sebastian nodded in satisfaction and ended the remote communication. He put away the communication crystal, took out a bottle of wine from his storage space, and poured himself another glass of red wine. Crossing his legs, Sebastian raised the goblet to his lips. But the next moment, crimson mist suddenly spread around him. Seeing the familiar mist, Sebastian¡¯s hand trembled. He quickly sat up straight, put away the goblet, and soon, a familiar voice came from above. ¡°Sebas, you look quite comfortable.¡± ¡°Mas¡­ Master! You¡¯ve awakened!¡± Sebastian stood up. With a joyful expression, he bowed respectfully to Charlotte, who was seated on the Blood Throne. Seeing Sebastian¡¯s respectful attitude, a stark contrast to the thick-skinned Nice and the lively Roman Sword, Charlotte smiled. ¡°Yes, I have awakened.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already heard Nice¡¯s report on what has happened in the territory during this time. You¡¯ve all done well.¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, Sebastian felt a surge of emotion. ¡°Master, do you also think that we should not give up the Starfall throne?¡± Charlotte nodded slightly. ¡°The Divinity Descent is approaching, it¡¯s always good to have more cards in hand.¡± Sebastian nodded in agreement. ¡°I think so too. This trip to the Northern Grand Duchy is not only to pave the way for missionary work but also to seek support.¡± ¡°Our regular military force in Castell is still too weak. Regardless of whether you have awakened, as a God, you cannot take action openly. If we want to obtain the throne, we may eventually need to go to war, and that requires more strength.¡± ¡°Like in Eastern Yunette Blacklands, there are many part-time mercenary tribes in the North. I plan to use this visit to recruit some extraordinary mercenaries.¡± ¡°If possible, we might even gain the support of the Northern Archduke!¡± After hearing Sebastian¡¯s report, Charlotte nodded and smiled. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. Continue according to your plan.¡± ¡°Moreover, I have a new task for you.¡± Sebastian¡¯s expression turned serious as he respectfully said, ¡°Great Master, please give your orders.¡± Charlotte pondered. ¡°Since my return, I have ¡®remembered¡¯ many things.¡± ¡°I still have some lost followers in the North. Because of long-term disconnection, our faith link has been severed.¡± ¡°However, I can still hear their prayers¡­ their faith still exists.¡± ¡°They will also be attending the Winterfort banquet you will soon attend. I need you to contact them and then find their temple in the Northern Gorge. Retrieve my statue there and restore their faith connection.¡± With that, Charlotte¡¯s divine power activated, revealing a solemn temple, a Northern warrior in black, and a girl riding a two-headed dragon in front of Sebastian. ¡°This is¡­ an Ancient Temple!?¡± Recognizing the familiar temple, Sebastian looked surprised. He carefully memorized the images of the Northern warrior and the girl, then bowed respectfully to Charlotte. ¡°I will follow your divine decree¡­¡± ¡°Then¡­ I look forward to your good news.¡± Charlotte smiled. With a wave of her hand, she ended the ¡°summoning¡± of Sebastian. The crimson mist spread, and Sebastian was sent out of the Dark Night Castle, while Charlotte¡¯s consciousness returned to reality. She stretched, drank the last sip of sweet milk from her cup, then got up and walked to the window, looking at the entrance of the mansion with interest. ¡°Alright, now¡­ let¡¯s see what the Nez Clan is up to.¡± At the entrance of the mansion. A black carriage stopped, and a thin man in a black robe hurriedly got out of the car. He was quickly led into the mansion by the attendants. His expression was anxious, filled with unease and hesitation, but his steps never faltered. This was the Nez Clan emissary who had received the news and rushed over, also Charlotte¡¯s blood servant, the ¡°double agent¡±¡ªYurst. Chapter 455: Previous Elder ¡°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.''¡± ?? ¡°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.¡± 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.¡± sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. 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¡­ Chapter 456: Albrechts Report When it came to Albrecht, Charlotte¡¯s treatment of him was noticeably less favorable than that of Sebastian and Nice.She simply used a ¡°Thousand Mile Transmission¡± to communicate with him. However, from Charlotte¡¯s perspective, this was the best way to deal with Albrecht. This guy had not yet truly submitted to her; he was only following her orders out of fear due to being her blood thrall and intimidated by her ¡°status.¡± It¡¯s a common trait of demons, naturally rebellious. Turning this guy into someone loyal to her shape and form would probably take a lot more time. After meeting with her other subordinates and giving them their orders, Charlotte returned to the count¡¯s mansion to handle paperwork, calmly waiting for further developments. With the Starfall throne vacant, and as the designated heir to the throne by the previous king, she was already at the center of the storm. Even if she did nothing, trouble and issues would still come her way. What Charlotte needed to do was wait calmly while being prepared. After this, Charlotte¡¯s life resumed its regular pattern. In the mornings, she handled territorial affairs; in the afternoons, she trained her extraordinary powers; and in the evenings, she continued to supplement her extraordinary knowledge, broadening her horizons. However, unlike before, her training in extraordinary powers had shifted from meditating and enhancing her magical power to practicing her blood divine power and occasionally responding to the prayers of her followers, using the divine power granted to her to bestow blessings and perform ¡°miracles.¡± As for supplementing her knowledge, she continued to read the collection she had ¡°copied¡± from the royal library. Although these books had been moved to the depths of her consciousness with the help of her blood divine power, they were merely piled up. To fully understand what these books contained, she still had to browse through them one by one. Of course, because the books were already in Charlotte¡¯s mind and with her now greatly enhanced mental power as a Demigod, her browsing speed was far beyond that of ordinary people. While she couldn¡¯t ¡°read¡± a book in one glance, she could switch between books at a rate of two to three minutes per book. Such a vast amount of knowledge intake could only be achieved by a ¡°Demigod¡± with greatly strengthened mental capability. While reading, Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but think how great it would have been if she had this ability in her previous life while studying. She could have finished reading all the textbooks of compulsory education in minutes, along with completing university, graduate, and doctoral studies¡­ How convenient! But this thought only flashed for a moment. It¡¯s just a thought. If she really had this ability in her previous life, who would honestly study? As for now, it wasn¡¯t that she genuinely loved reading, but that she needed to supplement her extraordinary knowledge. She had moved many books, and who knew if there were any lost secrets among them that she might browse through by luck. Of course, even with Charlotte continuously absorbing ¡°knowledge¡± at such a high intensity, she would still get tired, so she would relax by listening to the prayers of her followers during her spare time. ? Charlotte found that she actually enjoyed responding to the prayers of her followers. No, to be precise, she enjoyed choosing the followers she was interested in, listening to their stories and prayers, and then responding. This act of being worshipped, needed, and displaying divine powers had a fatal attraction, easily making one addicted, giving Charlotte a feeling of truly becoming a God overlooking all beings, controlling everything. However, Charlotte was also very clear-headed. She did not lose herself in this transcendent feeling. She was fully aware that in the current Myria, Gods were not invincible, let alone that she was just a half-baked Demigod. Her main goal was still to practice her divine power and assist her cult in expanding its followers. The effect was indeed good. With Charlotte, the ¡°God¡± herself, personally responding, the Nightshade Cult¡¯s rate of new followers seemed to have increased significantly. Unfortunately, despite many attempts, Charlotte still had not succeeded in contacting the tens of thousands of followers in the North who believed in the ¡°Savior.¡± She could only hear their prayers and ¡°see¡± what they were doing. Obviously, if she wanted to formally establish contact with them, she still had to wait for news from Sebastian. Time flew by, and three days passed. There was still no follow-up news from Sebastian. However, someone arrived ahead of time. Sensing an approaching aura, Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred, and she said to the window. ¡°Come in, the window is unlocked.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, a group of black bats flew in through the window, circling and gathering to form a human shape, finally transforming into Albrecht. He appeared travel-worn and kneeled respectfully before Charlotte. ¡°Great True Ancestor, your humble blood servant Albrecht¡­ comes at your command.¡± Charlotte put down her quill and examined the Legendary Bloodborne before her. After a few months, he didn¡¯t seem to have changed much, but his attitude appeared more respectful than before. Obviously, after this meeting, the Legendary senior Albrecht vaguely sensed Charlotte¡¯s difference. He might not be able to see the changes in Charlotte¡¯s body, but he could feel the suppression of her bloodline. Charlotte was right. Albrecht was indeed very nervous. In fact, after sensing Charlotte¡¯s increasingly profound aura, he felt a bit shaky. Her aura seemed deeper and more terrifying! Her power must have recovered further! Albrecht lowered his head, thoughts churning, and his expression grew more reverent. ¡°You arrived quite quickly¡­ I heard you went to Eastern Yunette Blacklands before? What were you doing there, continuing to hide?¡± Charlotte asked with a smile. Although she was smiling, Albrecht felt the pressure mounting after hearing her words. He swallowed nervously and quickly shook his head. ¡°No, no¡­ you misunderstood. This time I really went to work. Didn¡¯t you ask me to infiltrate the Blood Demon Cult and secretly look for the divine artifact that can locate the cursed pages? I went to Eastern Yunette Blacklands to do that.¡± ¡°Oh? Any results?¡± Charlotte raised her eyebrow and asked. Albrecht hesitated for a moment before answering. ¡°No¡­ not yet¡­¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Charlotte¡¯s tone lifted. ¡°There is some progress! At least my control over the cult has improved! The other cult branches in the Crescent Kingdom are controlled by Legendaries, so I couldn¡¯t make a move. Instead, I consolidated the branch at the border between Eastern Yunette Blacklands and Crescent Kingdom! As for the divine artifact you mentioned, I am still looking for it¡­¡± Albrecht quickly said. Charlotte glanced at him, nodded. ¡°Alright, there is some progress. Since you returned quickly, I won¡¯t pursue anything else.¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, Albrecht felt relieved. He let out a long breath, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and only then realized his back was soaked with cold sweat. So terrifying¡­ dealing with this dreadful ancestor really tested a bloodborne¡¯s heart! ¡°And¡­ what about the other task I gave you?¡± Charlotte continued. Hearing her words, Albrecht was momentarily stunned, but soon realized what she meant. He nodded and respectfully replied. ¡°Great True Ancestor, I have visited the Royal Library in Lutecia. As you said, the pattern inscribed at the top of the Royal Library indeed matches the one in your divine oracle.¡± ¡°Due to its age, the pattern has suffered significant damage, but I believe¡­ it is the one you mentioned.¡± ¡°I have used magic to make a rubbing of it for you to check.¡± As he spoke, a magical scroll appeared in Albrecht¡¯s hand, which he respectfully presented. Charlotte took it, glanced at it, and then¡­ froze. Despite its considerable damage and blurry state, she could still recognize that the rubbing Albrecht made was indeed the four Chinese characters ¡°µ½´Ë?ÓΡ± (¡°I Was Here¡±) that she had inscribed. Her slumber indeed took her back to the past. And¡­ she might have changed the past! sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 457: Greetings to Her Majesty the Queen Indeed, my slumber was a form of time travel, returning me to the past and potentially altering history!Observing Albrecht¡¯s magical imprint, Charlotte reached this conclusion. This judgment didn¡¯t come as a surprise to her. Returning to the past was something she had long speculated about, and now it was merely confirmed. However, regarding whether she was changing history, Charlotte still couldn¡¯t make a final judgment. Even though she had left the four characters ¡°µ½´Ë?ÓΡ± (¡°I was here¡±), she couldn¡¯t be sure if this act of leaving Chinese characters after her time travel was what changed history or if it was always a part of history that she would travel back and leave those characters. In other words, Charlotte couldn¡¯t be certain if these four characters had always existed on the top of the royal library tower before her slumber. What she could confirm now was that she had indeed traveled back in time. Her actions were indeed influencing history, but whether this influence was a historical inevitability or a current occurrence that she could subjectively alter the timeline, she still needed further confirmation. Of course, if she wanted further confirmation, she would have to wait until the next ¡°time travel.¡± Charlotte had already planned it out. If she traveled back in time again, she would use the central tower as the verification object and add the characters ¡°ÏÄÂ塱 (¡°Charlotte¡±) in front of the four characters Hmm, a very good idea! ¡°Great True Ancestor, is there something wrong with this pattern?¡± Seeing Charlotte deep in thought, Albrecht became nervous and cautiously asked. Charlotte collected her thoughts and shook her head. ¡°No, there¡¯s no problem. You¡¯ve done well this time.¡± Receiving praise, Albrecht let out a long sigh of relief. But looking at the pattern in the magical imprint, he hesitated and curiously asked. ¡°Great True Ancestor, may I ask about the origin and meaning of this pattern? This pattern seems to be some kind of text, but I¡¯ve never seen it before.¡± Charlotte glanced at him and said. ¡°It is indeed an ancient text. As for its meaning¡­ there¡¯s nothing special. I deliberately left it many years ago to verify some things.¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, Albrecht became even more curious. However, he could also see that Charlotte didn¡¯t intend to elaborate, so he wisely stopped pursuing the matter. The mind of the Great True Ancestor was not something a small Legendary figure like him could fathom. What he could do now was try to please her as much as possible, hoping she wouldn¡¯t devour him and maybe even one day restore his freedom. Thinking this, Albrecht respectfully asked. ¡°Great True Ancestor, do you have any other tasks for me since you summoned me to Castell?¡± Charlotte nodded slightly. ¡°Indeed, I plan to go to the Starfall Kingdom soon. You will accompany me.¡± ¡°Starfall Kingdom?¡± Albrecht was slightly stunned. Seemingly connecting the dots, his eyes lit up. ¡°Great True Ancestor, is it for the throne of Starfall? Are you planning to go to Starfall and personally deal with the Nez Clan?¡± Apparently, Albrecht¡¯s intelligence network was not isolated, he was well aware of the turmoil surrounding the Starfall throne. Charlotte gave him an odd look but didn¡¯t fully deny it. ¡°Hmm, you could say that.¡± Albrecht became even more excited. ¡°I understand. Albrecht is willing to serve you by your side. Those Nez fools who dare to offend you, Albrecht will capture them all and present them to you, turning them into your blood servants!¡± Charlotte: ¡­ ¡°Alright, I know you hold a grudge about your blood servant status. If you want freedom, do your job well and show me your loyalty.¡± She said flatly. Albrecht¡¯s face stiffened, and then he awkwardly smiled. ¡°You¡­ you jest. Becoming your blood servant is the greatest honor of my life!¡± Charlotte glanced at him, not bothering to expose his lie. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve arranged an identity for you. For now, stay in Northport as an extraordinary mercenary who has come to join me. Be available when needed.¡± ¡°Also, outside of this room, don¡¯t call me the Great True Ancestor anymore. Address me as Countess or Lady Charlotte.¡± Hearing he wouldn¡¯t have to stay with Charlotte in the castle all the time, Albrecht breathed a slight sigh of relief. He bowed to Charlotte and respectfully said, ¡°Albrecht understands, Lady Charlotte. I will obey your orders¡­¡± After receiving his orders, Albrecht left. In Charlotte¡¯s perception, this guy went to Northport¡¯s Mercenary Association, registered as a mercenary, and rented a courtyard nearby to stay. ¡°He¡¯s quite cooperative.¡± Charlotte was amused. At the same time, she was satisfied. Having Albrecht accompany her was something she had decided upon when she planned to go to the Starfall Kingdom. She was a Demigod, yes, but there were several Legendaries in Starfall. After all, Albrecht, cowardly as he was, was still a Legendary. Keeping him around was having a high-level combat force, a useful helper in the Starfall Kingdom. After Albrecht settled in Northport, Charlotte¡¯s life returned to peace. Of course, the peace was only on the surface. As time passed, more and more news about the Starfall Kingdom came through various channels back to Northport. Within Starfall, the noble factions of the Parliamentary Party and the Lilac Party were at odds, constantly arguing, with the throne still unclaimed, and rumors of impending civil war flying everywhere. There were even rumors that a new king had been crowned, supported by the bloodbornes from behind, denying Charlotte¡¯s right to the throne¡­ Even the servants in the castle couldn¡¯t sit still. From time to time, Charlotte would hear their discussions, with some questioning if their lady intended to give up the throne. And amidst these rampant rumors, a carrack ship flying the flags of the Starfall Kingdom and the Roman family slowly sailed into Northport under everyone¡¯s watchful eyes. Under the guard of fully armed port soldiers, a group of nobles in robes escorted by knights disembarked onto the pier. The envoy from the Starfall Kingdom Parliament had finally arrived. Charlotte soon learned of the envoy¡¯s arrival through magical communication. She instructed her staff to prepare the reception hall and waited for the envoy¡¯s arrival. Charlotte didn¡¯t have to wait long. The envoy from the Starfall Kingdom Parliament seemed quite eager. After disembarking, they didn¡¯t even take a break but headed straight to the mansion. A journey that usually took over twenty minutes by carriage was shortened to just over ten minutes. Charlotte, looking through the window, finally saw the envoy representative entering the mansion and stepping out of the carriage. It was a middle-aged noble around fifty years old, wearing a wig and a splendid noble robe. Of course, Charlotte had already learned the man¡¯s name and title through magical communication in advance. John Stafford, Chief Speaker of the Starfall Kingdom Parliament, a member of the Royal Cabinet, and head of the kingdom¡¯s internal affairs. Like Charlotte, he held the title of count and was also known as Count Stafford. Hearing the report about this man¡¯s identity, Charlotte understood how much the Starfall Kingdom Parliament valued her. The Chief Speaker, leader of the Parliamentary Party nobles, came personally to Northport amid the turbulent domestic situation. This took some nerve, not fearing assassination along the way. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. However, when Charlotte sensed the man¡¯s power through her extraordinary perception, she immediately understood. This Chief Speaker of the Starfall Kingdom Parliament appeared ordinary, but his strength was quite impressive. Although not Legendary, his aura definitely reached the level of Blazing Sun. Moreover, Charlotte sensed a faint trace of holy power from him, suggesting he carried some extraordinary artifacts, likely artifacts from the Holy Court. Probably for self-defense, considering¡­ holy power significantly suppressed bloodbornes. Of course, Charlotte wasn¡¯t afraid of holy power. This wasn¡¯t because she personally wasn¡¯t affected but because the Gospel of Blood she possessed wasn¡¯t. With the Gospel¡¯s blessing, she could even achieve immunity to holy power. What surprised Charlotte was that after entering the reception hall, Count Stafford did something unexpected. He kneeled on one knee and bowed deeply. ¡°John Stafford, Chief Speaker of the Starfall Kingdom Parliament, pays respects to Her Majesty the Queen¡­¡± Chapter 458: The Kingdom Parliaments Sincerity Count Stafford¡¯s kneeling not only startled Charlotte but also surprised the knights on guard and the maids serving in the reception hall. All their eyes converged on him.Charlotte had to stand up, clear her throat, and say, ¡°Count Stafford, you jest. I am the Countess of Castell, a vassal of the Crescent Kingdom, not the Queen of Starfall. Please, rise quickly.¡± She signaled her personal knight to help Count Stafford up. The knight tried to help Count Stafford up but found himself unable to budge him at all. The strength gap was simply too vast. No extraordinary individual below the level of Blazing Sun could make a Blazing Sun rise if the latter didn¡¯t want to. The knight¡¯s face turned red from the effort, but Count Stafford remained unmoved. Helpless, the knight looked to Charlotte for assistance. Seeing this, Charlotte sighed and gestured for Count Stafford to stand up. Count Stafford still didn¡¯t move initially, but as soon as Charlotte finished speaking, he felt a gentle force lifting him. It was so subtle that it felt almost imperceptible, yet he found himself unable to resist it. Under this soft force, he stood up almost involuntarily and couldn¡¯t kneel back down even if he tried. ¡°You all may leave.¡± Charlotte ordered the knights and maids around. They bowed to Charlotte and quickly departed. Once only Charlotte and Count Stafford remained, she sat back down and said, ¡°Count Stafford, I believe I now understand your intention. We can discuss things properly.¡± Count Stafford finally snapped out of his astonishment from the mysterious force. He looked at the young girl sitting on the lord¡¯s seat with amazement, curiosity, and admiration in his eyes. ¡°The rumors say that the Lord of Castell, though young, is an exceptionally talented leader, blessed by the Divine and possessing extraordinary abilities¡­ I always thought the rumors were exaggerated. But now, it seems they were understated. Your power is beyond what the world knows¡­¡± ¡°Your Majesty, was that just now a display of divine magic?¡± Charlotte didn¡¯t deny it. While playing dumb can be advantageous, there are times when showing strength is necessary, especially in a world where extraordinary abilities and lineage are paramount. Charlotte smiled and said, ¡°Since you¡¯ve experienced my power, you should understand that someone like me will never be willing to become a puppet for any faction.¡± Then she grew serious and said, ¡°I haven¡¯t said I¡¯d accept the throne yet, nor have I been crowned in Starfall. Calling me Your Majesty now doesn¡¯t feel like genuine support to me.¡± ¡°Sir, I don¡¯t appreciate being tested.¡± Hearing this, Count Stafford bowed apologetically. ¡°My apologies, Lady Charlotte, for my rashness. Although your fame has spread over the past year or two, there is still very little information about you within Starfall. The Kingdom Parliament has decided that you must accept the throne, which led me to act as I did.¡± R ¡°Oh? Must? Sir, do you know what it means to use that word in negotiations?¡± Charlotte asked in surprise. Count Stafford nodded. ¡°Of course, using ¡®must¡¯ in negotiations only weakens our position. However, in my view, it also demonstrates our sincerity.¡± ¡°First, I must admit that many nobles in the kingdom indeed want to support a monarch with no real power in Starfall. But that doesn¡¯t include me or the Kingdom¡¯s parliament. Contrary to external rumors, we do not seek a puppet king. We desire a capable and powerful monarch.¡± ¡°I believe you understand that Starfall¡¯s current situation is dire, and a puppet monarch cannot lead us against the scheming bloodborne and the covetous Crescent Kingdom.¡± Charlotte was genuinely surprised by Count Stafford¡¯s words. The Kingdom Parliament¡¯s attitude was far different from what she had expected. ¡°Sir, may I hear your reasons? It seems you and the Kingdom¡¯s Parliament firmly believe that supporting me as the Queen of Starfall is the right choice?¡± She asked curiously. Charlotte was genuinely curious. Though she had the status of a Saintess, had defeated the allied forces of two duchies, and had the ¡°official¡± recognition of the Roman Sword, these alone seemed insufficient to deem her a suitable and satisfactory king for the Kingdom Parliament. Count Stafford nodded. ¡°Of course. To show our sincerity, I will answer any questions you have.¡± ¡°First, the Kingdom Parliament¡¯s decision to support you as the Queen of Starfall indeed follows King Edward¡¯s will. Your noble bloodline, even making the Roman Sword bow to you, legally makes you the true heir of Starfall. You are recognized as a Saintess by the Holy Court. Supporting you as our monarch will undoubtedly earn the Church¡¯s support, helping us better resist the bloodborne.¡± ¡°But the real reason we are determined to bring you back to Starfall at all costs is a prophecy made many years ago¡­¡± ¡°A prophecy?¡± Charlotte raised an eyebrow. ¡°Yes, a prophecy.¡± Count Stafford continued. ¡°Many years ago, when King Edward was still in power, he sought the counsel of a mysterious seer about the heir to Starfall. You see, King Edward had few children, and the issue of succession was always a significant problem.¡± ¡°The seer told King Edward that the next heir to Starfall would be chosen by the Roman family¡¯s ancestral sword. The new monarch would lead Starfall out of civil strife and prolonged suffering, guiding it to become a haven in the chaos to come.¡± ¡°Initially, King Edward was skeptical about the prophecy. But the seer¡¯s abilities were indeed profound, and several of her predictions later came true. Furthermore, she was eventually killed by the Nez Bloodborne for her overly accurate divinations¡­¡± Charlotte was moved and asked. ¡°So, is that why King Edward sent Prince Henry to the Roman Duchy for the Ancestral Recognition Ceremony?¡± Count Stafford nodded. ¡°Yes. However, Prince Henry was clearly not the prophesied heir. He wasn¡¯t even recognized by the Roman Sword. Therefore, when we learned that the missing Roman Sword had appeared in the Castell territory and had recognized you as its master, we realized that you were the prophesied heir!¡± Hearing Count Stafford¡¯s words, Charlotte nodded slightly. She hadn¡¯t expected the Kingdom Parliament¡¯s firm support of her to be based on a prophecy. The Starfall Kingdom was indeed the heartland of the Nez Clan. Not only were the Nez Clan skilled in divination, but even the local humans believed so strongly in prophecies! ¡°Lady Charlotte, the Kingdom Parliament and the Roman royal family have agreed to support you as the Queen of Starfall. You will have all the powers of the Starfall monarch. You need not compromise with the Parliament or change your name. You can still use the Castell name.¡± ¡°Of course, it wouldn¡¯t be realistic if there were no conditions at all. The Parliament asks only that after you step down, the ancient elective succession system of the Starfall Kingdom be restored. The throne will no longer be hereditary but elected from among the kingdom¡¯s nobles.¡± ¡°Moreover, after you step down, the Roman Sword will be officially recognized as the royal sword of the Starfall Kingdom and will be kept by the Roman royal family¡­¡± Count Stafford said. Finishing, he looked at Charlotte with genuine sincerity. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Lady Charlotte, do you accept our support and become the new Queen of Starfall?¡± Chapter 459: Swearing Loyalty Charlotte had no objections to the conditions proposed by Count Stafford.She was aware of the elective succession law in the Starfall Kingdom, a system based on kinship and the support of noble lords. All major nobles with Roman blood had legal claims to the throne, with new monarchs elected by the Round Table Council. While members of the Roman family were dwindling in the Starfall, many nobles still had some Roman blood. Intermarriages among nobility meant everyone was somewhat related¡ªyour great-aunt could be my grandmother, my sister your cousin-in-law, and so on. This inheritance law essentially granted all major nobles in the Starfall Kingdom succession rights. Comparing it to historical inheritance laws, Charlotte thought the Starfall¡¯s elective system resembled a blend of Celtic and Polish-Lithuanian elective monarchies. As for formally designating the Roman Sword as the Royal Sword of the Starfall Kingdom, that seemed to be a condition set by the Roman family. With the Roman family¡¯s declineinevitable, binding themselves to the Starfall Kingdom was the best course of action. Charlotte began to understand the reasoning behind these conditions. Was she being supported as queen because of a prophecy? That might be part of it, but there had to be more to convince the hesitant nobles. Adding these conditions changed things. The conflict between nobility and royal power is a tradition in every feudal kingdom, and the Starfall is no exception. Publicly, Charlotte had vowed never to marry, implying she would have no heirs. For the nobles, supporting such a queen was the most reasonable way to transition to the ancient elective succession system, further strengthening the power of the kingdom¡¯s parliament. Similarly, with no heirs, the Roman Sword would naturally be ¡°returned to the state¡± upon her death. If another noble had been asked to accept these conditions, they might have hesitated. But for Charlotte, it was no problem at all. Reverting to an elective system and ¡°returning¡± the Roman Sword? Fine, after she dies, it¡¯s no issue. She¡¯s even made an agreement with Louis V to hand over Castell after her death. Sure, as long as they can wait until she dies. ¡°Sir Stafford, if these are the conditions, I can agree to accept the support and become the Queen of Starfall. However¡­ I have one condition.¡± Charlotte said. Hearing her words, Count Stafford relaxed a bit, then became serious again, saying, ¡°Please, go ahead.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t give up the Castell territory. Even as the Queen of Starfall, I will remain the Lord of Castell.¡± Charlotte declared. Count Stafford hesitated. For the Starfall nobles, the ownership of Castell wasn¡¯t a big concern. It was just a distant territory. However, it was a sensitive issue. He was sure that if the future queen returned to the Starfall with her territory, the Crescent Kingdom would be furious. A misstep could lead to war again. Frankly, the nobles didn¡¯t want another war over a distant land. After hesitating for a moment, Count Stafford said, ¡°It is your right. However, I must be honest: if Crescent and Starfall go to war over this, I cannot guarantee the nobles will side with you.¡± Charlotte smiled. ¡°No problem. When the time comes, those willing to support me against Crescent would step forward.¡± She didn¡¯t care much about the parliament¡¯s support. Having the title and territory was enough. It was a moral high ground to oppose Crescent Kingdom¡¯s attempts to reclaim Castell as a Queen of Starfall. How many nobles would respond was something for the future, but she had some plans for that. Charlotte and Count Stafford quickly reached an agreement. Seeing Charlotte willing to accept the support, Count Stafford finally breathed a sigh of relief. He kneeled once more and pledged allegiance. ¡°Queen Charlotte, as the Speaker of the Starfall Kingdom Parliament, I, John Stafford, swear my loyalty to you.¡± This time, Charlotte did not avoid it. After the ceremony, Count Stafford stood and said, ¡°Your Majesty, if convenient, we can leave for Starfall in a few days.¡± ¡°We have secretly negotiated with the Lilac faction nobles. If you promise to restore the elective succession system, they are willing to abandon Duke Aecia and swear allegiance to you.¡± (T/N: previously Aisia) ¡°Our only real opposition is the Nez Bloodborne and the puppet families under their control.¡± ¡°It will be a long battle, but once you ascend the throne, it will no longer be a struggle for the throne but a war between humans and bloodbornes.¡± Charlotte was surprised by his words. She hadn¡¯t expected that the Nez Bloodborne could infiltrate the nobles while the parliament could still win back some of them. Thanks to the late King Edward III, his condemnation of the Lilac family and the exposure of the bloodborne conspiracy were heavy blows, diminishing the Lilac family¡¯s authority and elevating the throne¡¯s succession to a noble cause against bloodbornes. This probably allowed the parliament to win back the swayed nobles. No wonder Count Stafford was eager for her to ascend the throne. Such negotiations were uncertain until finalized. But¡­ ¡°Queen Charlotte, when can we depart? The Nez Clan is unaware of our plans. The sooner we reach Starfall, the sooner we can seize the initiative.¡± ¡°Neither side¡¯s nobles want a full-blown civil war, so the succession has been delayed. If you ascend first, hesitant nobles will likely be swayed to your side.¡± The Count urged. Charlotte pondered. Did the Nez Clan really know nothing of the parliament¡¯s actions? As a fellow bloodborne, she doubted it. Though not adept in mental magic, bloodbornes were still naturally skilled in mental magic, and the Nez Clan was skilled in divination¡­ Perhaps the parliament could reclaim some nobles, but she doubted the Nez Clan was oblivious. Maybe¡­ they were waiting for her to reach Starfall? Charlotte mused. A conspiracy? Perhaps. But¡­ ¡°Let me prepare. We depart tomorrow.¡± Charlotte said. Knowing the former Great Elder of the Nez Clan was named Bardock, she was eager to meet him. A conspiracy? Bring it on. Would she fear the Nez Clan now? If it came to it, her bloodline¡¯s power and saintly status would crush these bloodbornes like a grandmother spanking her grandchildren. And if the Nez Clan had a trump card against myths¡­ wasn¡¯t Albrecht there? S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She planned to use him as a shield if needed. Of course, this was the worst-case scenario. Given their prior cooperation and the Great Elder¡¯s name, perhaps they could ¡°negotiate.¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s reply, Count Stafford was delighted. ¡°At your command, Your Majesty!¡± Chapter 460: Long time no see! After reaching an agreement with Count Stafford, the meeting that would determine the future of the Starfall Kingdom came to an end.Both parties were satisfied, especially Count Stafford. He had arrived in a hurry with a worried expression, but now he looked relieved and his mood had lifted. Charlotte personally saw Count Stafford off from the Count¡¯s mansion. Before leaving, Count Stafford hesitated, then turned back and said gravely. ¡°Your Majesty, on our journey to the Starfall, we must act quickly and move secretly. Therefore, you might need to bring as few followers as possible. What do you think¡­?¡± Charlotte nodded. ¡°I understand. Rest assured, I won¡¯t bring too many followers.¡± Only then did Count Stafford breathe a sigh of relief. ¡°Thank you for your understanding, Your Majesty. Then¡­ I will come to the mansion again tomorrow morning to escort you.¡± ¡°No need for such formalities. Just wait for me at the dock tomorrow.¡± Charlotte shook her head. Count Stafford was slightly stunned, then respectfully nodded. After bowing to Charlotte once more, Count Stafford left the mansion. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As soon as he departed, the black cat Nice, who had been eavesdropping outside the drawing room, shot out excitedly, his round face filled with eagerness. ¡°Lady Charlotte! Lady Charlotte! Tomorrow, tomorrow I¡­¡± Charlotte looked at him and instantly knew what he wanted. ¡°Do you want to come along?¡± ¡°Meow meow! These past few months while you were away, I didn¡¯t dare to wander off, fearing I¡¯d be kidnapped again like last time and disrupt your plans. I¡¯m almost sick from being cooped up for months!¡± Nice said. Just as Nice finished speaking, a flash of sword light ppeared, and the clear, youthful voice of the Roman Sword rang out. ¡°Me too! Me too! Great¡­ um¡­ Master Charlotte, I¡¯ve been cooped up for so long too! I want to go to Starfall as well!¡± Charlotte looked at the cat and the sword, nodding. ¡°If you want to go, then go. Also, check if Yurst has left. If he¡¯s still in Northport, ask him if he wants to come along.¡± Since it was a journey to Starfall, the Roman Sword had to be brought along. Nice¡­ could come too. After all, they were preparing to deal with the Nez Clan, and this well-informed cat might be helpful. As for Yurst, since he was also going to Starfall, traveling together might make it easier for her to meet the Nez Clan. ¡°Yurst? Got it! I¡¯ll send him a magic message right away!¡± Nice nodded quickly. He was long accustomed to Charlotte¡¯s preference for having others run errands rather than contacting her followers directly, despite being a ¡°God.¡± ¡°And tell Sherry to prepare what I need for the trip, as per the usual specifications for my low-profile visits.¡± Charlotte added. ¡°Huh? The usual specifications for low-profile visits? Lady Charlotte, are you really planning to go without any guards?¡± Nice was surprised. Charlotte shook her head. ¡°We¡¯re going to negotiate with the Nez Clan. The extraordinary knights of Castell are too weak. They wouldn¡¯t be helpful in real dangerous situations and might even need protection. Better not bring them.¡± ? ¡°As for the escort, I already have a good candidate in mind, with decent strength¡­¡± ¡°A good candidate?¡± Nice was puzzled, then suddenly became alert, looking around before asking. ¡°You¡­ have other ¡®followers¡¯?¡± Before Charlotte could answer, a light laugh sounded behind Nice. ¡°Hehe, a great being like Lady Charlotte certainly has other followers more suited to her stature.¡± It was Albrecht. The black bat swarm dispersed, revealing him in his mercenary attire. His silent appearance and voice startled Nice, causing all his fur to stand on end. He leaped up and instinctively hid behind Charlotte, peeking out cautiously. ¡°It¡¯s you? The Third Dark Apostle of Shedite? When did you come to Castell?¡± The Roman Sword immediately recognized Albrecht. Albrecht nodded slightly to the Roman Sword, smiling. ¡°Long time no see, Sir Roman. I came to Castell at Lady Charlotte¡¯s summons to accompany her.¡± The Roman Sword suddenly understood. ¡°So you¡¯re the follower Lady Charlotte mentioned!¡± It floated beside Albrecht, familiarly patting his shoulder, and said with an air of seniority. ¡°Not bad! You¡¯re quite strong, good enough as a guard!¡± ¡°Ah, really, if only those Nez Clan members were as sensible as you. The era of archdukes and princes is over. Now that Lady Charlotte has returned, they should wake up and submit sooner.¡± ¡°After all¡­ being Lady Charlotte¡¯s follower is the greatest honor! Unlike those Nez Clan fools who don¡¯t recognize their true master, they will end up as blood servants if they anger Lady Charlotte to the end!¡± The Roman Sword chattered away, forgetting that it too had been ¡°forcibly contracted.¡± However, it wasn¡¯t merely ¡°bootlicking¡± Charlotte after becoming her artifact, it had indeed benefited from the arrangement. Although it was nearly driven mad by the constant prayers of Charlotte¡¯s followers when it served as the faith network¡¯s core, it also gained a lot of divine power from them. Besides, Charlotte wasn¡¯t harsh on it either. Hearing Roman Sword¡¯s words, Albrecht¡¯s expression stiffened slightly. He forced a smile and said, ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re right.¡± Seeing Albrecht¡¯s appearance, Nice didn¡¯t say much, but a sense of vigilance arose in his heart. Her Majesty, the True Ancestor¡­ Recently, hasn¡¯t the number of new followers been increasing a bit too quickly? Yurst was one thing, but then there was the black dragon, and now even a Legendary Dark Apostle had submitted to her¡­ And now, she was going to Starfall to become the queen¡­ Hiss¡­ It feels like the space left for me is getting smaller and smaller! Nice was suddenly alert, a sense of urgency bubbling up inside him, fearing he might be surpassed. No way¡­ This can¡¯t go on! Even though he was the only one who could truly be Her Majesty¡¯s pet, the only one qualified to impersonate her after she slept, he had to stay vigilant to avoid being replaced! The seats on this ship to the highest honor were limited at the bow, and Nicholas couldn¡¯t let himself be pushed out! He needed to work harder to prove his worth! Nice, lost in thought, almost forgot that he too had been forcibly contracted as a servant. Half an hour later, Yurst finally arrived after receiving the message from Nice through magical communication. That guy¡­ hadn¡¯t actually left. ¡°Countess Castell, are you leaving for Starfall tomorrow?¡± Yurst asked with a delighted expression. Then he saw Albrecht standing next to Charlotte. Yurst¡¯s smile froze immediately. Though Albrecht had changed his attire, he hadn¡¯t disguised his appearance, still looking the same as he did at the Roman banquet. Yurst recognized him instantly. ¡°Ah, Count Yurst, long time no see.¡± Albrecht said with a forced smile. Yurst swallowed and forced a smile. ¡°Al¡­ Albrecht, hello?¡± ¡­ The next morning, Charlotte embarked on her journey to Starfall. She didn¡¯t bring many people, only Albrecht disguised as a mercenary, Yurst posing as a knight, the black cat Nice, the chattering Roman Sword, and the maids Sherry and Reina to take care of daily needs. As for why she brought Reina¡­ it was mainly on a whim. Charlotte was very interested in the seer mentioned by Count Stafford, and also in some rumors about the Nez Clan that she heard from Yurst. She wanted to verify a few things among the Nez Clan during this trip. When Count Stafford saw Charlotte¡¯s small entourage at the dock, he was taken aback. He had suggested that Charlotte bring as few people as possible, but he didn¡¯t expect her to bring so few. However, when he saw the nature of Charlotte¡¯s companions, he quickly became numb. Heavens knew, except for the two maids, he couldn¡¯t gauge the depth of anyone else, not even the talking pet cat! Especially the tall, thin mercenary. Although he didn¡¯t exude any aura, he gave off a strange pressure, making Stafford¡¯s protective artifact heat up slightly as if warning him. Count Stafford dared not underestimate them. That must be a powerful individual concealing his aura! ¡°Your Majesty, everything is ready. We can board the ship now.¡± He bowed to Charlotte, his manner even more respectful. Charlotte nodded slightly. She glanced subtly in a certain direction, chuckled softly, and then gracefully boarded the three-masted warship flying the Starfall¡¯s flag. After everyone boarded, the ship hoisted its sails and set off northwest. Outside the dock, at a window of a two-story building. A figure hidden in the darkness put down his spyglass, watching the ship flying the Starfall¡¯s flag sail away. He turned, walked to the table, injected magic into the crystal ball on the table, and said in a deep voice. ¡°Elder, they have departed.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right, I saw her. Charlotte de Castell is on the ship.¡± ¡­ Charlotte embarked on her journey to the Starfall Kingdom. Meanwhile, far to the north in the Northern Grand Duchy, Sebastian finally brought Castell¡¯s envoy group to the capital of the North¡ªWinterfort. Chapter 461: Those fools again! A dense forest stretched for miles, and the vast green plains seemed endless.At the bay, houses were clustered around a towering castle. Although it wasn¡¯t as prosperous as the Yunette countries, it already looked like a medieval metropolis. The Northern Grand Duchy, Winterfort. As the northernmost capital of the Myria countries, it wasn¡¯t as cold as many believed. On the contrary, being close to the coast and influenced by the warm currents of the Star-Moon Sea, it had a relatively mild and humid climate. However, due to its high latitude, the winters were long, which gave the city its name. On the bustling streets, tall and sturdy Isaac cavalrymen stood proudly on both sides, escorting the delegation from Castell, attracting curious glances from the surrounding residents. At the front of the group, a rugged-looking, lavishly dressed northern nobleman rode a tall horse, chatting and laughing with a handsome elf riding beside him. ¡°Sir Sebastian, I¡¯ve long heard of your name. Even when I was a child, I¡¯d heard tales of the ¡®Crimson Blade¡¯ who roamed the Eastern Yunette Blacklands. I never imagined you¡¯d become an advisor to the Countess of Castell! Welcome to Winterfort! Please, consider this your home! My elder brother has already prepared a sumptuous banquet in the castle, eagerly awaiting your arrival along with Lady Lottie!¡± ¡°Marquis, you¡¯re too kind. I remember the last time I came here, this was just a village on the edge of a swamp. I never imagined it would become such a bustling city in just a hundred years.¡± ¡°Hahaha, Sir Sebastian, a hundred years is just a blink of an eye for someone like you, but for us humans, it¡¯s already four or five generations!¡± ¡°To build such a city in just four or five generations is already a remarkable achievement.¡± ¡°Hahahahaha¡­¡± The two chatted amicably, the atmosphere very cordial. Sebastian maintained an elegant and appropriate smile, but his thoughts were already drifting. Marquis Vladimir, a combat mage of the Blazing Sun tier, was also the younger brother of the current Northern Archduke, Stefan Sobieski, making him the second most powerful person in the North. Sending such a high-ranking royal noble to greet the delegation from Castell clearly showed the importance the Archduke placed on this visit. Thinking of this, Sebastian couldn¡¯t help but examine the Marquis¡¯ attire. Fine silk, beautiful embroidery, typical Yunette noble clothing, but more luxurious and flamboyant. Not only that, he wore a lot of jewelry, making him look particularly ostentatious. This was probably a tradition of the northern people who loved accessories, but to the elves and Yunette people, it seemed a bit exaggerated. Clearly, as the rumors said, the unified Northern Grand Duchy greatly admired the culture of the Yunette countries. This outfit and the awkwardly accented common tongue of Yunette all proved that Archduke Stefan was indeed promoting ¡°Yunette-ization.¡± It wasn¡¯t just Marquis Vladimir. Everywhere in Winterfort, one could see traces of Yunette culture. With a single glance, Sebastian could see many commoners and nobles dressed in Yunette clothing, bustling Yunette shops, and even the architectural style of Winterfort had some of Yunette¡¯s pointed arches and domes. ?????????¨®????¦¥S? This¡­ was probably the admiration and emulation of advanced culture by the less developed one? Sebastian mused to himself. Just a hundred years ago, the northern people were still a loose alliance of tribes, either hunters and herders or pirates and bandits. Continuous wars were the main theme of this land. But now, all that had ended with the unification of the North. This even reminded Sebastian of when the elves first set foot on the Myria continent. Perhaps¡­ at that time, humans learned from elves just as the northern people were learning from the Yunette people now? Except, one was the admiration of a less developed culture for a more advanced one, while the other was the enlightenment of a primitive civilization by an advanced one. Thinking of this, Sebastian glanced again at the Marquis before him. He was quite familiar with the history of the North. If one were to ask who the key figures were in ending the North¡¯s division, it would undoubtedly be the Sobieski family to which this northern noble belonged. Perhaps blessed by the Gods, the Sobieski family had produced three wise leaders in a hundred years, finally achieving the great task of unifying the North. And now, the young Northern Archduke, Stefan Sobieski, had surpassed his father and grandfather, not only bringing advanced knowledge and culture from the South to the North but also aiming to unify religion and ideology. It was for this reason that the Castell family¡¯s visit was finally facilitated. For Sebastian, his original intention was just to seize the opportunity to spread his faith in the North while seeking the support of the Northern Grand Duchy in Starfall¡¯s throne conflict. Of course, now that Her Majesty the True Ancestor had awakened from her slumber and her power had further advanced, seeking aid seemed less important, merely an icing on the cake. However, aside from spreading his faith, he now had a new task. Thinking of this, Sebastian¡¯s gaze fell on the residents curiously watching the delegation. He asked casually. ¡°By the way, I¡¯ve heard that there are still many tribes in the North that worship totems, ancestors, or even legends?¡± Hearing Sebastian¡¯s words, Marquis Vladimir snorted disdainfully. ¡°Hmph, just a bunch of stubborn fools who place their hopes on something intangible, forgetting their reverence for the true Gods!¡± S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. He then made a clumsy sign of the Holy Court on his chest and smiled at Sebastian. ¡°Forgive me, Sir Sebastian, only a revered holy believer like you can bring the teachings of the Gods to our spiritually barren North.¡± Recalling the other¡¯s behavior along the way, Sebastian pursed his lips and then apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Marquis, there¡¯s something I must confess. I am not a believer of the Holy Court. This delegation was personally appointed by my lord and did not receive instructions from the Holy Court or the Crescent Diocese.¡± Marquis Vladimir was stunned. He looked at Sebastian again, seeing his sincere expression, and awkwardly laughed. ¡°Cough¡­ no matter, actually, I¡¯ve just recently converted to the Great God myself. No worries. In fact, it¡¯s better without the instructions from the Holy Court or the Diocese. Hahaha, don¡¯t worry about it. If we really wanted to invite bishops from the Holy Court or Diocese to preach God¡¯s glory, my brother would have already written to the Pope of the Holy Court.¡± Seeing such a reaction, Sebastian understood. Indeed, as Her Majesty the True Ancestor had predicted, the Northern Archduke didn¡¯t genuinely intend to spread the Holy Court¡¯s faith across the North. He merely wanted to unify the North¡¯s ideology while conveniently choosing the Holy Court, which had the least influence in the North but was the most powerful and the most convenient for the North to integrate into the southern world. ¡°Um¡­ Sir Sebastian, if you don¡¯t believe in the Holy Court, why do you follow Countess Castell? Do you¡­ still believe in the Moon Goddess?¡± Marquis Vladimir asked curiously. Sebastian¡¯s eyes flickered. He pondered for a moment, about to answer, when suddenly there was a commotion at the front of the convoy. The procession halted immediately, and Marquis Vladimir frowned, displeased. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why have we stopped?¡± Soon, a tall Isaac cavalryman came to report. ¡°Marquis, it¡¯s some children from the tribes causing trouble up ahead.¡± ¡°Which tribe?¡± Marquis Vladimir¡¯s expression turned sour. ¡°It seems to be the Forest Tribe that has converted and the Free Alliance from across the strait.¡± The Isaac cavalryman replied. ¡°Free Alliance? Them again? Those faithless scoundrels! Truly a bunch of uncivilized fools!¡± Marquis Vladimir cursed. He then bowed apologetically to Sebastian. ¡°Apologies, Sir Sebastian, it¡¯s just a bunch of uncivilized savages in the North. I¡¯ll have them driven away immediately!¡± With that, he dismounted and walked forward. Free Alliance? Sebastian was intrigued. He pondered for a moment and also dismounted. Chapter 462: Duel In front of a damaged fur shop at the head of the escort convoy.Furs were scattered everywhere, many burned or torn apart. An elderly woman sat on the ground, clutching an ancient totem sculpture, muttering prayers. Her animal-hide robe was covered in footprints and filth, clearly indicating she had been beaten. Standing around her were several teenagers dressed in traditional northern animal-hide robes, glaring at another group of youths in Yunette-style clothing. The latter group outnumbered the former. They held high-quality furs, obviously looted from the shop, and clustered around a young northern noble dressed in Yunette-style noble attire. He looked proudly at the chaotic scene and the teenagers protecting the elderly woman. ¡°Gunnar, I¡¯m telling you again, return the stolen goods, compensate for the shop¡¯s damages, and apologize to Granny Stella!¡± In front of the teenagers, a girl dressed like a northern pirate, holding a short sword, protected the elderly woman. She glared coldly at the noble youth. The noble youth sneered, glanced dismissively at the girl¡¯s sword, and said, ¡°Astrid, don¡¯t think I won¡¯t lay a hand on you just because your father is a warrior.¡± He then bowed in the direction of Winterfort Castle and said haughtily. ¡°The Archduke has decreed that all residents of Winterfort must abandon their ignorant beliefs and convert to the great Creator God! Those stubborn heretics who refuse will not be protected by Winterfort and will be forcibly expelled!¡± He scoffed at the totem sculpture the old woman held. ¡°This old hag still clings to her false beliefs. We¡¯re merely following the Archduke¡¯s orders to expel these stubborn heretics.¡± ¡°That¡¯s nonsense! The Archduke¡¯s orders only apply to the extraordinary. You bastards just want to rob the shop and act like bandits!¡± ¡°Ungrateful scum! Have you forgotten who helped the Forest Tribe sell furs in Winterfort and transported supplies for you?¡± The girl angrily retorted. The noble youth¡¯s expression turned uneasy at her reprimand. However, seeing more people gathering around, he regained his arrogance. ¡°I remember Stella¡¯s Fur Shop¡¯s help, but that was in the past. Such things are insignificant compared to the true faith.¡± He turned to the girl. ¡°As for you, Astrid, I heard your father has accepted the Archduke¡¯s terms. Why are you standing up for heretics now? Do you still cling to your foolish savior?¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± The noble youth¡¯s taunt elicited laughter from the other northern youths around him. ¡°You¡­ scum!¡± Astrid, enraged, raised her short sword and charged at the noble youth. The surrounding youths were momentarily stunned and quickly shouted. ¡°Stop her! Protect Young Master Gunnar!¡± However, Astrid was faster. She shouted, her energy surging, and kicked away the youths one by one, heading straight for the noble youth. Clearly, although the noble youth¡¯s group was larger, they were no match for Astrid. ¡°An extraordinary! She¡¯s an extraordinary!¡± The youths cried out in shock as they felt Astrid¡¯s power. Facing Astrid¡¯s charge, the noble youth named Gunnar snorted, drawing a northern short sword from under his robe to fight her. Clang! Bang! They clashed once, with Astrid not taking a step back, while Gunnar staggered back three or four steps, a blood mark appearing on his face. Gunnar wiped the blood off his face, his expression darkening. ¡°This is the price for abandoning honor, Gunnar. You can¡¯t even beat a zero-tier girl like me!¡± Astrid taunted, pointing her short sword at Gunnar. His face turned darker. He squinted, his aura growing dangerous. At that moment, a rough shout came from nearby. ¡°What are you kids doing? There¡¯s an esteemed guest here, disperse at once!¡± The youths turned to see the angry Isaac cavalry and the grim-faced Marquis Vladimir. ¡°What happened here?¡± Marquis Vladimir glanced at the shop and the confronting youths, asking. Gunnar recognized Vladimir immediately. He lowered his short sword and respectfully saluted. ¡°Lord Marquis, I am Gunnar, son of the Forest Tribe¡¯s chief. These heretics from the Free Tribe Alliance are trying to protect heretics in the city, leading to this conflict¡­¡± ¡°Rubbish! You robbed the shop and bullied civilians!¡± Astrid angrily retorted. Marquis Vladimir looked at the girl, then at the boy. He quickly understood the situation, his expression momentarily hesitant before becoming calm and cold. ¡°I don¡¯t care what happened before, return to your respective tribe¡¯s quarters! You¡¯re embarrassing Winterfort in front of our guests!¡± Hearing Vladimir¡¯s words, the noble youth obeyed respectfully, casting a taunting smile at the girl. Astrid grew angrier, realizing Vladimir was siding with them. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you dissatisfied?¡± Vladimir asked coldly. Astrid clenched her lips tighter. She looked at the Castell family and the Holy Court flags at the convoy¡¯s rear, then at the taunting youth in front of her, fists clenched. Amidst gasps, she suddenly cut her palm with her short sword, tore a piece of her robe, stained it with blood, and threw it before the youth. ¡°Gunnar of the Forest Tribe, I, Astrid of the Free Tribe Alliance, challenge you to an honor duel in the name of Northern Honor!¡± Seeing this, Marquis Vladimir grew furious. ¡°Astrid! Do you think I won¡¯t imprison you? Guards! Arrest this heretic and put her in the castle dungeon!¡± As the guards moved to obey, a gentle voice interrupted. ¡°Marquis, please wait a moment.¡± Marquis Vladimir¡¯s anger dissipated, turning awkward as he faced Sebastian. ¡°Apologies, Sir Sebastian, our northern children can be unruly. Pardon their behavior.¡± ¡°No problem at all. I quite appreciate your country¡¯s warrior spirit.¡± Sebastian replied, waving his hand. He looked at the confronting youths with interest, especially the girl. Recognizing her instantly, he realized she was one of the lost followers the True Ancestor had shown in visions, a target he was meant to contact. The world truly is small, Sebastian thought, having anticipated leveraging northern nobles¡¯ resources to find his target, only to encounter her shortly after entering Winterfort. He then glanced at the shop and the elderly woman, noting the totem sculpture she held. The totem sculpture seemed very familiar to him, mainly because it resembled the divine symbol of the True Ancestor. It looked as if it was a thorny rose that had been half-erased. Sebastian instantly realized the truth. The lost believers the True Ancestor had directed him to find were likely these people. The reason these people were lost was probably because, over the long history, they had lost the true divine symbol and couldn¡¯t establish a connection with the God. His gaze wandered over the crowd and finally settled on the girl. The girl, with a stubborn expression, was also staring at him. Sebastian could clearly sense the girl¡¯s strength. The girl was quite powerful. She appeared to be at most fifteen or sixteen years old but was only one step away from advancing to the next tier. A breakthrough might just require an opportunity, making her a rather promising individual for her age. Of course, she couldn¡¯t be compared to the True Ancestor. Moreover, her personality seemed too reckless and impulsive. Not only that, but her gaze towards him was also quite off. Sebastian could see the emotions in her eyes. Anger, hostility, vigilance¡­ In any case, they were all negative emotions, there wasn¡¯t a single positive one. Sebastian touched his nose and could roughly guess why. She probably saw him as a ¡°lackey¡± of the Holy Court. He wasn¡¯t the least bit angry about it. On the contrary, he was somewhat pleased. Evidently, many of these lost believers in the North still held firm faith, they just needed to re-establish contact with the True Ancestor. Thinking this, Sebastian withdrew his gaze and looked at Marquis Vladimir, smiling as he said, ¡°Your Excellency Marquis, just now¡­ that was a Northern Honor Challenge, similar to the Yunette Knights¡¯ duel, right?¡± Marquis Vladimir instinctively nodded, then hesitated and shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s just some kids messing around.¡± ¡°Heh, Your Excellency Marquis, judging by the expression on this young lady¡¯s face, she seems quite serious. As far as I know, the Northern Honor Challenge is a battle where Northern warriors stake all their honor. Since she has made the choice, regardless of age or gender, I think it should be respected.¡± Sebastian said. After speaking, he looked at Astrid and, in her vigilant and surprised gaze, gently asked. ¡°You¡­ are called Astrid, right? You want to challenge him in the Northern Honor Challenge. What do you wish to stake?¡± Astrid glanced at the sullen-faced Gunnar and said, ¡°If I win, I want him to apologize to Granny Stella and compensate for all the store¡¯s losses!¡± ¡°And¡­ if you lose?¡± Sebastian asked again. The girl said, ¡°If I lose, I will not pursue this matter any further.¡± Sebastian nodded and then looked at Marquis Vladimir. ¡°Your Excellency Marquis, what do you think¡­¡± Marquis Vladimir saw Sebastian¡¯s interest. He hesitated, then looked at Gunnar and said, ¡°Gunnar, are you willing to accept her challenge?¡± Gunnar¡¯s expression was gloomy. Refusing an honor challenge in the North was considered cowardly, he had no choice. He coldly glanced at the girl and said, ¡°I am willing, but¡­ I want to change the stakes. If I win, I want her to become my slave!¡± Hearing Gunnar¡¯s words, Astrid¡¯s companions glared at him angrily, but the girl stopped them. ¡°Fine, but I also want to change the conditions. If I win, you will also become my slave!¡± Astrid said calmly. ¡°Gunnar! Astrid! Don¡¯t go too far!¡± Marquis Vladimir shouted angrily. ¡°Your Excellency Marquis, it¡¯s fine. Since it¡¯s their decision, I think it should be respected.¡± Sebastian said with a smile. Marquis Vladimir hesitated. He knew both of these brats were children of major tribal chiefs. If they truly became each other¡¯s slaves, it would likely cause a series of problems. However, just as he hesitated about whether to stop it, his expression changed slightly, and he looked towards the castle. His ears twitched slightly, and the hesitation on his face disappeared. He looked at the two again and said, ¡°Alright, if you insist, then proceed with the challenge according to the ancient rules: until one party leaves the challenge area or can no longer stand.¡± With Marquis Vladimir¡¯s order, the crowd quickly made way, creating an open space for Astrid and Gunnar¡¯s honor challenge. Isaac¡¯s cavalry drew a circle around the two. Under the onlookers¡¯ gaze, the two faced off, raising their short swords. Then, Astrid let out a loud shout and charged at the boy. Clang! The two instantly clashed. Although they were both young, their strength was top-notch among their peers, and they fought to a standstill. Sebastian watched their fight with great interest. Even with his picky standards, these Northern youths were quite strong. He compared their strength to that of Borde¡¯s Demon Hunters and found them much stronger than the trainees. However, Astrid clearly had the upper hand in raw power. This was not about technique but extraordinary strength. After a few rounds, Gunnar¡¯s speed visibly slowed, and he began to be overpowered by Astrid. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Astrid¡¯s companions cheered, while Gunnar¡¯s side remained silent. But¡­ Is that really the case? Sebastian¡¯s eyes watched Gunnar with a meaningful look. With the bloodline of the bloodborne, he could see a restless power brewing within Gunnar. Just as Gunnar was about to be pushed out of the circle, his face flashed a vicious look, and he let out a furious shout. A pale blue light burst from his body, and amidst the crowd¡¯s exclamations, his aura surged. He counterattacked, slamming the girl to the ground. ¡°Boom¡ª!¡± With a loud crash, Astrid hit the ground and spat out blood. Seeing the pale blue light, Sebastian¡¯s expression cleared, then he looked at Marquis Vladimir. ¡°Your Excellency Marquis, if I¡¯m not mistaken, this is some form of totem power, right?¡± ¡°Heh, it seems¡­ this young man hasn¡¯t truly converted to the Lord as he claimed.¡± Seeing the pale blue light, Marquis Vladimir¡¯s face turned ugly. He snorted and was about to stop the challenge but was interrupted by Sebastian. ¡°Your Excellency Marquis, don¡¯t be hasty. I see that this young lady hasn¡¯t given up. As for the totem power¡­¡± Sebastian paused and then smiled. ¡°No matter what method he used, we didn¡¯t set any rules against using ¡®faith¡¯ power before the honor battle began.¡± With that, he looked back at the challenge ground. In the challenge ground, Astrid was coughing as she struggled to get up. She gripped her short sword tightly and, with both mockery and laughter, looked at the boy. ¡°Gunnar¡­¡± ¡°Is this your ¡®conversion¡¯?¡± Chapter 463: The True Symbol The girl¡¯s mockery caused the face of the northern boy named Gunnar to darken.Without saying much, he let out a cold snort as the pale blue glow burst forth from his body again, and he swung his sword at Astrid. ¡°Big sister!¡± ¡°Watch out!¡± Astrid¡¯s companions let out a series of exclamations. Astrid¡¯s expression grew serious. She clenched her teeth, enduring the pain in her body, and quickly raised her sword to block the attack. Gunnar sneered. The pale blue glow gathered on his sword¡¯s edge, enveloped in violent magic and primal fury pressed down on the girl. With a resounding crash, Astrid felt an overwhelming force descend upon her like a falling mountain, crushing her to the ground. She couldn¡¯t help but spit out a mouthful of blood. Totem power¡­ Unlike the holy light bestowed upon the God-cherished priests in the Holy Court, this ancient ¡°faith power¡± of the Myria northern tribes, infused with belief, was beyond what the common extraordinary could resist. ¡°Astrid, you have lost.¡± Gunnar approached the girl, looking down at her from above. ¡°Cheating! You cheated! Using totem power in an honor challenge is cheating!¡± The youths beside the old woman shouted angrily at the glowing Gunnar. Gunnar¡¯s followers sneered. ¡°Cheating? There were no rules against using totem power before the challenge began! Besides, Lord Gunnar is using totem power, you can use it too!¡± ¡°Oh, we forgot, you are those false believers who worship absurd legends as totems. You don¡¯t even have a totem that can provide totem power!¡± The youths were smug. However, the expression of Marquis Vladimir, standing nearby, was not pleased. The use of totem power, the most common extraordinary force among the northern tribes since ancient times, indicated that Gunnar hadn¡¯t abandoned totem worship. Noticing Marquis Vladimir¡¯s gaze, Gunnar respectfully bowed and said, ¡°Marquis, please forgive me for using totem power in battle. My claim of converting to the great God is not false. Our shaman has said that retaining our own totem and worshiping the Lord does not conflict.¡± ¡°The Great Divine is always merciful, allowing true Gods to become His subordinate Gods. Our High Priest has already communicated with the totem spirit through shamanic rituals. Our totem spirit is willing to submit to the Lord and is fully qualified to become His subordinate God!¡± Despite Gunnar¡¯s words, Marquis Vladimir¡¯s expression didn¡¯t improve. Next to the marquis, Sebastian also wore a peculiar expression. As a servant of the great True Ancestor and the vanguard of spreading the True Ancestor¡¯s faith to the North, he had thoroughly researched the various beliefs of the North. Unlike the true God worship in other parts of the continent, northern totem worship didn¡¯t involve actual Gods. Or rather, these entities sustaining the ¡°faith¡± weren¡¯t real Gods. No, to be precise, they might have once been Gods, but in the Blood Moon Era, they were hunted and suppressed by a terrifying entity who wished to remain anonymous. They lost their divine status and became mere myths who could maintain only small-scale faith. Some totems fared even worse. Losing their power in the faith connection and initiative, they couldn¡¯t gain strength through worship but instead became ¡°blood bags¡± for northern tribes to extract extraordinary power via ¡°blood sacrifice.¡± Whether the totem spirit truly wanted to submit to the Lord, or it was just the priest¡¯s wish, was debatable. But this was not Sebastian¡¯s concern. He looked at the girl in the challenge arena. ¡°Just a little bit more¡­¡± Sensing the girl¡¯s aura, he thought to himself. In the challenge arena, hearing the boys¡¯ taunts, Astrid¡¯s fists clenched tightly. Her condition was poor. With two heavy hits, her entire body ached, and her head felt dizzy. She suspected her ribs were broken, but didn¡¯t know how many, and other places likely had fractures too. But right now, none of that mattered. She stared at the glowing Gunnar, her eyes filled with anger. Failing to receive a response from their faith totem had long been a pain for the Free Tribe Alliance. Without the protection of totem power, they were always at a disadvantage against other northern tribes. However, the faith of the Free Tribe Alliance could not be desecrated. They survived numerous hardships and thrived in the harsh northern environment through unwavering faith and devout belief in the Savior. The great Savior wasn¡¯t a fabrication. Though most records were lost during the tribe¡¯s long migration, Astrid knew the core shrine still housed relics recounting the Savior¡¯s deeds. As a devout believer, she couldn¡¯t tolerate the blasphemy against their God! ¡°No¡­ I haven¡¯t lost yet!¡± Astrid gritted her teeth, forcing her vitality to circulate. Supported by her vitality, she struggled to stand up again. She tremblingly drew a totem symbol on her chest, then raised her short sword, pointing it at Gunnar, wobbling as she declared, ¡°Gunnar, the glory of the Gods¡­ cannot be desecrated. Retract¡­ your blasphemy against my Lord!¡± Seeing her shaky stance, Gunnar¡¯s followers burst into laughter. ¡°Hahaha¡­ retract the blasphemy against ¡®my Lord¡¯?¡± ¡°Look at her, she¡¯s still holding on!¡± ¡°Astrid, stop being stubborn. Your Savior doesn¡¯t even exist!¡± ¡°Our Forest Spirit is willing to follow the great God. We are already believers of the Holy Court, but you deluded false believers still seek glory?¡± ¡°Blasphemy? Your ignorance is the greatest blasphemy against the Gods!¡± The boys sneered, drawing glares from Astrid¡¯s companions. Watching the smug youths, the glowing Gunnar, and the frowning Marquis Vladimir, Astrid bit her lip. Taking a deep breath, her gaze firmed. ¡°Sorry, father¡­ I can¡¯t stand by and watch them desecrate our God.¡± ¡°For the Savior¡¯s glory, your daughter¡­ must be willful.¡± She muttered. With that, her expression grew solemn, and her vitality surged once more. Her extraordinary aura spiked, and her pale blue eyes quickly took on a crimson hue. Seeing the sudden change in her eye color, the surrounding boys exclaimed. ¡°This¡­ this is the Free Tribe Alliance¡¯s Spiritual Blood Ignition!¡± ¡°She¡¯s gone mad! She¡¯s using Spiritual Blood Ignition!¡± Spiritual Blood Ignition¡­ If the Free Tribe Alliance¡¯s survival in the harsh north without totem power had the greatest contributor, it was this extraordinary spell that only those with their bloodline could learn. This spell, which burned extraordinary blood and soul to burst out powerful combat strength in an instant, was the trump card of the Free Tribe Alliance¡¯s extraordinaries in desperate fights! But the cost was severe. At best, one would lose a significant portion of their lifespan and extraordinary power permanently. At worst, it would lead to immediate death. As her vitality surged, Astrid¡¯s eyes were filled with resolve. However, just as she was about to fully ignite her extraordinary blood and soul power, an indistinguishable sigh echoed in her ears. ¡°If the great Lord saw Her follower dying in such a manner, I think¡­ She would not be pleased.¡± ¡°Who?!¡± Astrid looked up suddenly. However, no one else seemed to have heard the voice. Their astonished gazes remained fixed on her, still surprised by her use of a high-risk, life-threatening forbidden technique. ¡°Don¡¯t bother looking. I am speaking to you within your mind, others can¡¯t hear me.¡± ¡°Hehe, this is one of the bloodline gifts I received from the great Lord, a blessing from my Master.¡± The mysterious voice sounded again, light and indifferent, unlike any northern person¡¯s. A mysterious rhythm brushed over her. The next moment, Astrid was shocked to find her attempt to ignite her extraordinary blood and soul power had quickly subsided. ¡°Who are you? What have you done?!¡± Astrid asked in her mind, both shocked and angry. The mysterious voice sounded again, now gentle and friendly. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. I just don¡¯t want to see the great Lord lose such a devout follower.¡± ¡°Astrid of the Free Tribe Alliance, have you considered¡­ perhaps it¡¯s not that the great Savior no longer provides protection, but that you¡¯ve lost the true symbol of faith?¡± Hearing this strange talk, Astrid grew even more wary. ¡°Who¡­ are you? What do you want to say?¡± The mysterious voice chuckled lightly. ¡°I am a servant of my Master, a spreader of Her glory.¡± ¡°Astrid, I respect your faith in my Master, but unfortunately¡­ you have been striving in the wrong direction.¡± sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Look into your heart carefully. Look at¡­ what the Lord¡¯s symbol should truly look like.¡± The mysterious voice echoed in her mind. As the voice spoke, Astrid felt the totem imprint of the Savior in her heart begin to change! The broken vines gradually joined, and the incomplete pattern was slowly restored. A familiar symbol composed of thorns and roses, glowing crimson, emerged in Astrid¡¯s mind¡­ A sense of intimacy and excitement, rooted in her blood and soul, rose in Astrid¡¯s heart. Chapter 464: Divine Blessing ¡°Is this¡­ truly my Lord¡¯s divine symbol?¡±Astrid murmured instinctively, her heart trembling as she gazed at the thorny rose slowly emerging in her consciousness. The thorny rose radiated a crimson brilliance, as vivid as enchanting blood. Seeing the familiar yet unfamiliar symbol, Astrid felt as if her heart had stopped beating at that moment. Until that ethereal and dazzling crimson¡­ filled the entire world. An indescribable intense emotion surged through the young girl¡¯s heart. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Thump¡­ She heard the sound of her own heartbeat. She felt her heart resonate with that mysterious and beautiful symbol, forming a blood-bound connection. Astrid instinctively reached out towards the ethereal thorny rose, unable to help but softly call out. ¡°Oh great Savior¡­¡± ¡°Is it¡­ really you?¡± Her trembling fingers slightly lifted. Astrid saw herself ¡°touch¡± that ethereal divine symbol. In the next moment, the thorny rose entwined divine symbol shone brilliantly, the dazzling crimson light engulfing everything. Astrid felt a mysterious pull descend upon her, the entire world rapidly receding. She sensed a strong summons. Within that summons, she felt herself rising higher and higher¡­ She saw the bewildered faces of the surrounding youths. She saw the astonished expression of Marquis Vladimir. She saw the smiling envoy of Castell, the elf envoy looking up and casting a gentle gaze towards her. She saw Winterfort, the dense northern forests, the vast northern plains, and the endless Northern Grasslands¡­ She saw the stars filling the sky, those stars emitting a beautiful crimson light, engulfing the whole world. The crimson mist spread, and Astrid seemed to see a majestic, solemn ancient castle. She saw the mysterious, magnificent murals within the castle, the steps continuously ascending within. She saw the ancient, dignified blood throne at the top of the steps, and on that throne¡­ the mysterious figure enveloped in radiance. That mysterious figure seemed to sense her arrival, slowly opening a pair of golden-red eyes and casting a gaze upon her. And the moment Astrid met that gaze, the entire world fell into eternity. She heard a long sigh, filled with complexity, emotion, and an indescribable sentiment. ¡°So¡­ it really is you¡­¡± ¡°Yes¡­ this world¡­ is still a world blessed by the Gods. The decisions made back then¡­ weren¡¯t necessarily all right.¡± That mysterious voice, carrying an incredible power, echoed in Astrid¡¯s heart. The moment she heard that voice, Astrid felt her blood instantly boiling. She sensed her extraordinary power cheering, felt her extraordinary blood rejoicing. She felt an indescribable warmth, as if she was once again in the embrace of her long-gone mother. She saw the figure on the throne gently rise and come before her. A Goddess of unparalleled beauty stood there. Wearing a mysterious, beautiful black divine gown adorned with the Thorny Rose divine symbol, with a cascade of splendid silver hair and deep golden-red eyes like the starry sky. That silver-haired, golden-eyed figure perfectly matched the nearly lost records in the tribal alliance¡­ Astrid¡¯s eyes widened, her voice filled with excitement. ¡°My Lord¡­ Are you¡­ truly my Lord?!¡± The God smiled. That captivating smile lit up the entire world. Astrid saw the God reaching out a hand. That ethereal divine hand rested upon her head, warm like a mother¡¯s embrace. ¡°Descendant of the Free City-State¡­¡± ¡°Thank you for your unwavering faith.¡± ¡°As a reward, accept this power of faith.¡± Crimson light spread. Astrid saw spots of golden-red light rising, converging towards her from all directions. In the next moment, she felt an unprecedented powerful force surge from the depths of her blood. ¡°Go, continue your battle.¡± The God spoke softly. The crimson mist spread rapidly, and Astrid felt the mysterious pull acting upon her once more. The entire world quickly receded, and her consciousness rapidly descended¡­ On the streets of Winterfort, in the makeshift honor challenge arena. Watching Astrid, surrounded by red light but motionless, the Northern youths looked at each other in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s happening to her?¡± ¡°Could it be that she was so scared by Gunnar¡¯s power that her extraordinary power went berserk?¡± ¡°No, no¡­ She must have failed the secret technique and lost her mind, right?¡± ¡°Haha, that would be ridiculous!¡± ¡°I knew it, these Free Tribe Alliance losers are no match for Lord Gunnar!¡± The Northern youths discussed among themselves, their gazes at the girl filled with oddity and mockery. On the other side, the Free Tribe Alliance youths glared angrily at the sneering youths. ¡°Astrid¡­¡± They looked at the girl in the challenge arena with worry. Gunnar squinted at the motionless Astrid and then sneered. ¡®Hmph, Astrid, if you think you can make me go easy on you like this, you¡¯re gravely mistaken.¡± With that, his expression turned ferocious. With the grin of a victor, he charged towards the girl again. ¡°You lost! Become my slave!¡± The pale blue light shone as Gunnar clenched his fists, enveloped in totem power, striking towards the girl¡¯s shoulder. However, just as he was about to hit, a delicate right hand suddenly lifted and caught his totem-powered fist in his astonished gaze. Astrid slowly raised her head. She opened her eyes, the light blue pupils completely turned to blood-red, carrying a soul-stirring power. She spoke softly, with unprecedented calmness. ¡°No, Gunnar.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who lost.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, a powerful aura erupted from her body. Crimson light quickly spread, blossoming from Astrid and forming a scarlet pillar of light that shot into the sky! The surging magic power spread like a heatwave, causing the onlookers to stagger and fall. Marquis Vladimir¡¯s expression was astonished. He braced against the violent elemental power, looking up at the crimson pillar piercing the clouds, filled with incredulity. ¡°This¡­ This is¡­ divine blessing?¡± ¡°She has become¡­ a God¡¯s favored one?¡± Chapter 465: A Promising Seed The crimson radiance was dazzling.Astrid stood at the center of the magical storm, her long hair flying wildly. She felt as if there was an endless surge of power within her. The pain from her wounds was gone. The excruciating agony from forcefully igniting her soul was gone. At this moment, Astrid felt stronger than ever! Sensing the girl¡¯s rapidly swelling aura, Gunnar¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. The pale blue totem power trembled slightly, as if in fear of something. A strong sense of unease gradually spread in the boy¡¯s heart. ¡°Hmph! Tricks!¡± He cursed inwardly, suppressing his fear, then let out an angry shout, controlling the pale blue totem power as he charged at the girl¡­ Watching Gunnar rush toward her, Astrid gently raised her right hand. Crimson light spread, converging in her palm. The pale blue and crimson lights soon clashed, erupting with a thunderous roar. The dazzling brilliance forced the onlookers to instinctively close their eyes. A more violent magical storm than before spread out, knocking nearby people over. The turbulent elemental power nearly reached the strength of Silver Moon. Marquis Vladimir¡¯s expression changed slightly. He let out a low shout, drawing a staff from his bosom and quickly chanting. A silver-blue magical shield unfolded, containing the explosive elemental power within the challenge arena. The magical storm lasted for several seconds. When the chaotic elemental power gradually subsided, the challenge arena had collapsed into a pit about thirty centimeters deep and four to five meters wide. ?¦Á?¨°????§§s? Astrid and Gunnar stood in the center, still in their combat stances. But in the next moment, Gunnar¡¯s short sword shattered with a bang. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The sound of something cracking echoed, and the light enveloping the boy showed countless fissures before shattering like his short sword. ¡°Gunnar, you lost.¡± Astrid said calmly. Gunnar opened his mouth. ¡°What¡­ what kind of power did you use?¡± The girl glanced at him, her crimson pupils gradually returning to pale blue. ¡°You have your totem power, I¡­ have my faith¡¯s power.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Gunnar muttered to himself. He wobbled slightly before his legs gave way, and he sat on the ground. Silence. Watching the fight that had reversed in just a few seconds, the surrounding crowd fell into silence. The youths who followed Gunnar stared in disbelief, seemingly unable to accept that the boy, who could contend with seasoned Starry Sky extraordinary with his totem power, had lost so quickly. Meanwhile, on the other side, the Free Tribe Alliance youths were stunned for a few moments before bursting into enthusiastic cheers. ¡°We won! Astrid won!¡± ¡°Praise the Savior! Long live!¡± Watching the excited cheering youths, Marquis Vladimir¡¯s expression was complex. He looked deeply at Astrid and said solemnly. ¡°I declare¡­ the victor is Astrid of the Free Tribe Alliance.¡± Upon hearing Marquis Vladimir¡¯s words, the cheering of the youths became even more fervent, while Gunnar¡¯s followers looked dejected, like deflated sheep. Gunnar¡¯s face was ashen. He bit his lip and then, in a resigned manner, said dejectedly. ¡°I¡­ lost. I¡¯ll keep my promise¡­ What do you want me to do¡­it¡¯s up to you¡­¡± Astrid glanced at him, her expression changing slightly. She shook her head and said, ¡°Forget it, I was just saying that casually. We in the Free Tribe Alliance don¡¯t have a tradition of keeping slaves.¡± ¡°You just need to apologize to Granny Stella and compensate for all the losses to the shop, and this matter will be settled.¡± Upon hearing the girl¡¯s words, Gunnar couldn¡¯t help but look up in astonishment. ¡°Re¡­ really?¡± The girl frowned at him and said coldly. ¡°What? As the heir of the Forest Tribe, do you really want to become my slave?¡± Gunnar pursed his lips. He looked at the girl with a complicated expression and then, with the help of other youths, stood up with difficulty. Under the watchful eyes of the youths, he walked over to the old woman, bowed his head, and performed an ancient northern rite. ¡°So¡­ sorry¡­¡± He then signaled to the youth beside him, who took out a bag of gems and placed it in front of the bewildered old woman. The old woman instinctively looked at Astrid, who nodded. ¡®Granny Stella, take it. This is the compensation from the Forest Tribe. See if it¡¯s enough for your losses.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ enough¡­ more than enough!¡± The old woman stammered. Astrid nodded and then looked at Gunnar. ¡°Alright, you can go now.¡± Gunnar¡¯s expression was complex. He let out a light breath and said, ¡°Astrid, I¡¯ll remember this favor¡­¡± With that, he looked at the other youths. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Then, with the help of the youths, Gunnar bowed to Marquis Vladimir again before limping away. ¡°Astrid! Astrid!¡± The youths around Astrid cheered again. Watching the disappearing youth, Marquis Vladimir¡¯s gaze once again fell on the girl. Reflecting on the dazzling crimson radiance on the girl¡¯s body, he hesitated for a moment before speaking in a deep voice. ¡°Miss Astrid, you¡­¡± ¡°Astrid! You little troublemaker! What have you stirred up in the city again!?¡± An angry yet urgent and concerned voice interrupted Marquis Vladimir¡¯s inquiry, followed by the appearance of a tall and imposing Northern warrior pushing through the crowd. ¡°F-Father?¡± Seeing the Northern warrior, Astrid¡¯s expression lit up with joy. She almost instantly transformed back into a carefree girl, leaping toward the Northern warrior like a swallow. The Northern warrior embraced his daughter, then quickly looked her over, noting her slightly tattered and bloodstained clothes, his expression turning to one of worry. ¡°You¡­ you got into a fight!?¡± Astrid¡¯s expression became guilty. She averted her gaze, her voice drifting. ¡°It was just a little sparring¡­¡± ¡°Nonsense! I saw the totem power from afar! Was it your doing?¡± Seeing that his daughter was unharmed, the Northern warrior angrily exclaimed. Hearing his words, the girl¡¯s guilt deepened. However, she soon became excited, exclaiming, ¡°Father! Totem power!¡± Halfway through her sentence, as if realizing something, she quickly lowered her voice, trying hard to suppress her excitement, seemingly afraid of being overheard. ¡°Father! I just used totem power! Our Free Tribe Alliance¡¯s own totem power!¡± ¡°Our Lord is real, not a fabrication! We merely lost our inheritance, we just lost our way!¡± ¡°We¡­ have not been abandoned by the God!¡± Clearly, the girl did not realize how dazzling the radiance was when she used ¡°totem power¡± just now¡­ ¡°Your totem power?¡± Looking at the excited girl, the Northern warrior was utterly confused. It wasn¡¯t until a light cough was heard that he noticed the Isaac cavalries nearby and the finely dressed Marquis Vladimir. Seeing Marquis Vladimir, the girl hurriedly covered her mouth. The Northern warrior was slightly taken aback, quickly bowing to Marquis Vladimir, and awkwardly said, ¡°Lord¡­ Lord Marquis¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Astrid caused trouble again, didn¡¯t she? I apologize¡­ I came late.¡± Marquis Vladimir smiled slightly, shaking his head at the Northern warrior. ¡°No, Sir Balder, your daughter is remarkable. She just won an honor challenge against Gunnar, the chieftain¡¯s son of the Forest Tribe, proving herself a true Northern warrior.¡± ¡°She? She defeated Gunnar?¡± The Northern warrior looked astonished. ¡°Yes.¡± Marquis Vladimir nodded. Then, he looked at the girl, who had hidden behind the Northern warrior with a wary expression, and said gently. ¡°Astrid, you did well just now.¡± ¡°But about the power you used¡­¡± ¡°Power? What power? I¡­ I don¡¯t know, I know nothing!¡± The girl glanced warily at Marquis Vladimir, shaking her head while retreating, and then she swiftly disappeared into the crowd. Marquis Vladimir: ¡­ ¡°Astrid!¡± Seeing the girl quickly disappear, the Northern warrior called out anxiously. ¡°Apologies, Lord Marquis. My daughter is poorly educated and knows no manners. I will bring her to apologize to you later¡­¡± He bowed apologetically to Marquis Vladimir, then hurriedly chased after his daughter. Watching the father and daughter quickly disappear, Marquis Vladimir¡¯s smile became somewhat stiff. He frowned, about to pursue them, but was suddenly blocked by a tall figure. ¡°Ha ha, Marquis, it was indeed a splendid battle. The youths of the North are natural warriors, far superior to our children in Castell.¡± Seeing Sebastian blocking his way, Marquis Vladimir hesitated for a moment before forcing a smile. ¡°You flatter them. They are just a bunch of unruly children, making a fool of themselves in front of you.¡± ¡°Ha ha, Marquis, you¡¯re too modest. It¡¯s getting late, and we¡¯ve been delayed here for quite some time. Shall we proceed?¡± Sebastian said with a smile. Marquis Vladimir looked hesitant. He glanced in the direction where Astrid had disappeared, and with a sigh, finally put on a friendly smile. ¡°As you wish.¡± Sebastian¡¯s smile grew even brighter. Soon, the Castell convoy started moving again, heading towards the castle. Sebastian mounted his horse. He glanced in a certain direction, a slight smile on his lips. A promising seed. Gifted¡­ and sufficiently alert. No wonder, with just a little push, she had received the True Ancestor¡¯s favor. But, she is still too young and impulsive. Chapter 466: Forgotten The encounter on the streets of Winterfort seemed like a minor interlude.However, Sebastian keenly noticed that after witnessing Astrid¡¯s display of power, Marquis Vladimir became noticeably distracted. Sebastian observed the change in the Marquis¡¯s expression, his smile undiminished. Yet, within his mind, he had already formed some conclusions. He had clearly heard Marquis Vladimir¡¯s exclamation. When Sebastian, through mental resonance, induced the girl Astrid¡¯s faith and helped her establish a connection with the True Ancestor, only Vladimir had uttered the term ¡°God¡¯s favored.¡± If it were a cleric recognizing Astrid¡¯s state so quickly, Sebastian wouldn¡¯t be surprised. But Marquis Vladimir wasn¡¯t a cleric, he was merely a Blazing Sun mage. Thus, there was only one possibility. ¡°He has seen other ¡®God¡¯s favored¡¯ individuals. He knows what the demeanor and aura of a ¡®God¡¯s favored¡¯ are like.¡± Sebastian concluded in his mind. Considering Vladimir¡¯s identity, his relationship with Northern Archduke Stefan Sobieski, and all the observations and probes along the way, Sebastian quickly formed a further hypothesis. ¡°It seems¡­ the Archduke¡¯s ambition to unify faith isn¡¯t just about consolidating the power within the North¡­¡± ¡°Sir Sebastian, we¡¯ve arrived.¡± Marquis Vladimir¡¯s voice interrupted Sebastian¡¯s thoughts. The group had finally reached the Archduke¡¯s residence, the Winter Palace. Suppressing his thoughts, Sebastian smiled and said, ¡°Thank you for escorting me, Marquis.¡± Vladimir also smiled. ¡°It was my duty. My brother is waiting for you in the palace. Please follow me to meet him.¡± Sebastian nodded and followed the Marquis into the castle. Simultaneously, a certain suspicion in his heart grew stronger. He had come with Lottie. By right, as a cleric, Lottie should have been the main force in ¡°spreading the faith.¡± Yet¡­ Marquis Vladimir only mentioned him, not Lottie. Like the royal palaces of the Yunette countries, the Archduke¡¯s Winter Palace was equally luxurious. The castle palace evidently borrowed from the style of the Yunette countries, especially the Crescent Kingdom, with very similar decorations. Upon entering the palace, Sebastian finally met the ruler of the North, Archduke Stefan Sobieski. Stefan Sobieski appeared to be about thirty years old. Although this young ruler had not yet reached Legendary status, his aura was already profoundly deep, far surpassing that of an ordinary Blazing Sun mage. ?¦Á??????????? He sported a full beard, was powerfully built, and his gaze was incredibly sharp, like a drawn sword. Upon seeing Sebastian, he laughed heartily, his voice booming. ¡°Hahaha! You must be the Crimson Blade, Sir Sebastian. Welcome to the North. I¡¯ve been eagerly awaiting your arrival! How do you find the scenery of our North¡­ isn¡¯t it completely different from the South?¡± Facing the warm and exuberant Archduke, Sebastian smiled and bowed. ¡°Indeed, it is different. Grasslands, forests, gorges, glaciers¡­ the terrain of the North is more magnificent and more desolate than the Yunette countries in the South.¡± ¡°Hahaha, Sir Sebastian, you¡¯re quite a talker. I¡¯ve prepared a grand banquet for your delegation tonight. You must attend!¡± The Archduke laughed heartily. Sebastian also smiled. ¡°Thank you for your hospitality.¡± The Archduke was a talkative man. Using the Northern scenery and banquet invitations as an opening, he quickly initiated a conversation with Sebastian. This Northern ruler seemed very curious about the culture of the Yunette countries and elven civilization, asking many questions about elven culture and the customs of the Yunette countries. Though not human, Sebastian, as an elf who had traveled extensively in the Yunette countries, possessed a wealth of knowledge. He could answer all the various questions posed by the Archduke. The host and guest enjoyed a pleasant conversation, creating a very congenial atmosphere. However, neither Archduke Stefan nor Sebastian ever mentioned the Holy Court. They talked about many topics. Until¡­ the sun began to set. Seeing the day drawing to a close, the Archduke reluctantly ended the conversation and smiled. ¡°Talking with you, Sir Sebastian, has been an eye-opener. It¡¯s almost time for the banquet. Please join us for dinner at the Winter Palace!¡± This time, Sebastian did not respond directly. He glanced at the guards standing in the palace. Noticing his actions, the Archduke¡¯s eyes flickered, and he ordered the guards. ¡°You all¡­ step outside.¡± The guards respectfully withdrew, standing outside the palace. The Archduke then smiled at Sebastian again. ¡°Sir Sebastian¡­ is there something you wish to discuss privately?¡± Sebastian didn¡¯t deflect the topic any further. His expression turned serious, his smile fading, and he spoke with a meaningful tone. ¡°Your Grace, your invitation for our Castell delegation to come to the North wasn¡¯t truly about spreading the faith of the Holy Court, was it?¡± Upon hearing Sebastian¡¯s words, the Archduke did not look surprised. He laughed, then quickly grew solemn, his expression becoming stern and dignified. He looked at Sebastian meaningfully and said, ¡°Sir Sebastian¡­¡± ¡°You and the Castell family you serve¡­ do not truly worship the Moon Goddess and the Holy Court, do you?¡± ¡­ ¡°Astrid! You little brat, come back here!¡± In the bustling streets, the northern warrior Balder chased his daughter, shouting. However, the girl kept running, not looking back. Balder was helpless. He stamped his foot and had to quicken his pace to catch up. He ended up chasing her for a full fifteen minutes. To his astonishment, his daughter, who never excelled in stamina, seemed unstoppable today, running tirelessly. Even Balder, an extraordinary being, was starting to get winded, but the girl seemed to have boundless energy, maintaining her speed. Balder grew increasingly puzzled and curious as he chased her. Finally, Astrid stopped in a secluded area outside the busy market of Winterfort. ¡°Astrid¡­ you little brat¡­ you finally stopped. When did you become such a fast runner?¡± Balder panted heavily. ¡°Father!¡± Astrid glanced warily behind Balder. ¡°No one followed us, right?¡± Balder was momentarily stunned. He looked back and instinctively shook his head. Then, as if realizing something, his expression grew serious. ¡°What happened? Did you get into trouble? Are you avoiding Marquis Vladimir?¡± ¡°Father! I didn¡¯t get into trouble!¡± Astrid said. She glanced behind her father again, bit her lip, and said, ¡°I am avoiding the Marquis, but¡­ I¡¯m also avoiding the Castell delegation!¡± ¡°The Castell delegation? Why are you avoiding them? What¡¯s going on?¡± Balder was bewildered. ¡°Oh, father! Didn¡¯t you hear what I said earlier? Totem power! I used totem power!¡± S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Our Free Tribes Alliance hasn¡¯t been abandoned by the Gods! I just received a divine revelation!¡± ¡°Those Castell envoys are under the Holy Court¡¯s Saintess. They¡¯ve come to the North to spread their faith! They want to destroy our beliefs! They are our enemies, of course, I¡¯m avoiding them!¡± Hearing this, Balder finally understood what his daughter was saying. He looked at her in surprise. ¡°Wait, are you serious? You really mean¡­ you can use totem power?¡± ¡°Yes, father! It¡¯s true! I genuinely received a divine revelation and can use totem power! I used it to defeat Gunnar!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me¡­ look!¡± Astrid closed her eyes and tried to summon that mysterious power again, just as she had before. However¡­ this time, she failed. ¡°Huh? Where¡¯s my totem power?¡± Astrid looked confused. ¡°Astrid¡­¡± Seeing his daughter¡¯s firm belief, Balder was at a loss. Noticing her father¡¯s growing doubt, Astrid became anxious. ¡°Father! I¡¯m not lying! It¡¯s true! I was truly blessed by the Gods!¡± ¡°We were wrong! We didn¡¯t get a response from the Gods because our divine symbol was incomplete!¡± ¡°If we pray to the true divine symbol, we will surely receive a response from the Gods!¡± With that, Astrid picked up a branch from the ground, ready to draw the true divine symbol. But just as she was about to draw it from memory, she suddenly froze. Her mind went blank, her expression confused, her movements uncertain. Her hands trembled, and her voice quivered slightly. ¡°Wait¡­¡± ¡°What was the true divine symbol of our Lord again?¡± Chapter 467: Lost Contact ¡°Wait¡­ what is the true symbol of our Lord?¡±Astrid froze in place, her expression gradually becoming bewildered. Seeing his daughter like this, Balder sighed and said, Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Astrid, I know you are unwilling to give up your past beliefs, but¡­¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s not like that! I truly just received the favor of our Lord! I saw Her! She was seated high on the throne, she smiled at me¡­ and bestowed upon me the power to overcome the Forest Tribe¡¯s totem!¡± The girl exclaimed excitedly. Seeing the anxious look on the girl¡¯s face, Balder furrowed his brow slightly. He sighed, preparing to continue persuading, but suddenly his gaze fixed on the scar on the girl¡¯s right arm. ¡°Astrid, what about that old scar on your arm?¡± ¡°The old¡­ old scar?¡± Astrid was stunned. She instinctively raised her hand, then realized that the scar left from when she was attacked by a beast as a child, which had never faded, had actually disappeared. The girl was first stunned, then immediately realized what had happened, and excitedly said, ¡°Yes! That¡¯s it! The scar!¡± ¡°Father! Did you see it? Even my old scar is gone!¡± ¡°This is the power of our Lord! I didn¡¯t lie to you! I really just received power from the Lord! I was heavily injured in my battles with Gunnar before, and it was the power of our Lord that healed me!¡± ¡°That power not only healed me, it even erased my old scars!¡± Watching his daughter¡¯s extremely excited appearance. Balder also became somewhat uncertain. To be honest, he didn¡¯t know what had just happened to his daughter, and this mix of symbol and forgetfulness looked a lot like a little girl¡¯s stubbornness. But he knew one thing. That scar on his daughter¡¯s arm, even the best witch doctors in the North might not be able to remove it. Coupled with his daughter¡¯s unscathed defeat of the inheritor of the Forest Tribe, these things¡­ seem to defy rational explanation. Calm down and think. He rushed to the challenge field after hearing the news earlier, and indeed felt the powerful totem force. However, that totem force was too powerful, and he had completely failed to connect it with his daughter. Thinking of this, Balder quickly grasped his daughter¡¯s arm, closed his eyes, and entered the Source Force. The source force entered the girl¡¯s body, but as he checked Astrid¡¯s physical condition according to the past operating route, he felt an indescribable force of rejection. Balder only felt like he saw a burst of crimson in front of him, and then¡­ his power was completely expelled from the girl¡¯s body. This¡­ is¡­ Totem Guard ?! Balder¡¯s eyes widened instantly. He calmed down completely, looked at the girl, and asked with some uncertainty. ¡°Astrid¡­ the totem power you ¡®awakened¡¯, what color is it?¡± Seeing her father finally starting to believe her, Astrid was very excited. ¡°Crimson! It¡¯s crimson! Crimson like blood!¡± ¡°Crimson¡­¡± Balder¡¯s gaze froze instantly. In his mind, he suddenly flashed the towering crimson pillar of light he had seen when looking for his daughter before. Crimson totem pillar of light, crimson totem guard¡­ Could it be that Astrid really gained the power of the totem?! He originally thought that the powerful force earlier was from a crazy totem priest of a large tribe, but now¡­ could it actually be his daughter? But¡­ if his daughter really gained the power of the totem, why can¡¯t she use the power now, and even forget the so-called ¡°symbol¡±? ¡°Astrid¡­ are you sure the totem power you previously gained belongs to our Lord?¡± After thinking for a moment, Balder asked solemnly. The girl nodded like a chick pecking rice. ¡°Sure! Very sure! It was indeed our Lord! Her palace¡­ is almost identical to our temple in the canyon!¡± ¡°Exactly the same palace¡­¡± Balder muttered to himself. After a series of changes in expression, his gaze gradually became firm. ¡°Astrid, come, let¡¯s go back to the tribe now.¡± ¡°Back¡­ to the tribe? Now?¡± The girl was puzzled. As a warrior of the North, Balder nodded and said solemnly. ¡°If you have truly awakened the power of the totem, if that totem power really belongs to our Lord¡­ perhaps returning to the temple can allow you to once again manifest your power.¡± ¡°And¡­¡± He paused, remembering the towering crimson pillar of light he had just seen from a distance, and continued. ¡°If that crimson light is indeed the totem power you awakened, then¡­ there¡¯s no need for us to participate in the Archduke¡¯s meeting.¡± As the leader of the tribe, Balder knew more than Astrid. Since three years ago, the power of North¡¯s beasts has been steadily increasing, threatening the survival of many North tribes. However, during these three years, the totems worshipped by many North tribes have also grown in strength to varying degrees. What¡¯s more, there are even rumors that some tribes¡¯ worshipped Gods have shown signs of resurrection. However, there has never been such a sign from the ¡°Gods¡± worshipped by the Free Tribe Alliance. But if his daughter¡¯s experience was really a divine gift¡­ Then maybe this time, it¡¯s their turn. Thinking of this, Balder also became gradually excited. If there were no other choices, he wouldn¡¯t want to accept the Archduke¡¯s ¡°conscription.¡± After listening to her father¡¯s words, Astrid also calmed down. She recalled everything she had just experienced and nodded. ¡°Yes! Let¡¯s go back to the temple, back to the temple!¡± ¡°Once back at the temple, seeing the statue of our Lord, I will surely be able to establish contact with Her again through prayer!¡± Finally, the father and daughter reached an agreement. They didn¡¯t hesitate, quickly returned to the inn where they were staying, packed their bags, and set off. ¡­ Astrid couldn¡¯t figure out why she had lost the contact she had just established with the God, and even directly forgot the symbol of the God. Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, someone else was equally surprised by this result. On the warship escorting the ¡°Queen¡± of the Starfall Kingdom. Charlotte slowly opened her eyes, interrupting her contact with the North. ¡°The contact that was just established has been suppressed¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not suppression, it¡¯s more like some kind of interference, some kind of shielding, even capable of blocking the memories of ¡®believers.''¡± ¡°Interesting, could this also be¡­ the power of the Faceless Statue?¡± ¡°No¡­ it seems like there¡¯s something else, disturbing me, preventing me from establishing contact with the Free Tribe Alliance¡­¡± Chapter 468: Bloodbornes? There¡¯s some force preventing me from establishing contact with the followers in the North!Charlotte quickly reached this conclusion. She was certain that with Sebastian¡¯s assistance, she had already established a channel of faith with someone named Astrid. But now, this channel has gone inactive. Of course, Charlotte could still faintly sense their connection. But like before they established contact, she was back to only ¡°seeing¡±, not ¡°communicating.¡± No, it wasn¡¯t just ¡°communication.¡± Charlotte keenly sensed that even her ¡°seeing¡± ability was rapidly fading. Her already weak connection with these followers in the North was being further diminished. This subtle feeling left Charlotte puzzled. If she were to describe and liken it, it felt as though an invisible barrier separated her from these followers in the North. This barrier seemed to affect the faith of these Northern followers and¡­ it was quite resilient. ¡°Affecting faith¡­ could it be a faith network? After generations, the descendants of the Free City-States have formed a faith network similar to totems?¡± ¡°No¡­ it seems not just that. Not only the faith of these Northern followers, because even the connection between Sebastian and me seems to be weakening.¡± ¡°No, this isn¡¯t just a power against the Northern followers, but seems to be a more widespread force!¡± Charlotte pondered. With this in mind, she once again sank into consciousness, intending to once more cast her gaze upon these Northern followers through the ethereal connection. She wanted to see what exactly was preventing her powers from reaching them. Charlotte immersed herself in consciousness and returned to the Dark Night Castle. Seated high on the Blood Throne, she summoned the Sea of Faith once again. This time, she used more of her blood divine power to cast her ¡°gaze¡± towards the north. The glimmers representing the Northern followers flickered faintly, and Charlotte found the ¡°star¡± representing Astrid, once again lowering her gaze. This time, she focused completely, wanting to see what force was blocking her power. The blood divine power erupted, and Charlotte¡¯s vision shifted again. However, just as she was about to successfully descend her ¡°sight¡±, that feeling of ethereal resistance came again. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the feeling¡­ that¡¯s the force!¡± Following her faith connection with Astrid, Charlotte finally identified the interfering force. This time, with more divine power, she finally saw the nature of this interference. It was a spell. No¡­ more accurately, it was a barrier. ¡°A barrier? And it¡¯s man-made?¡± Charlotte was surprised. She squinted, then decisively manipulated her divine power, changing her target. Instead of attempting to connect with the followers, she aimed directly at this barrier obstructing her power and charged straight towards it! Crimson light burst forth, and Charlotte¡¯s divine power collided with the barrier¡¯s ethereal resistance. And then¡­ Charlotte finally saw what exactly it was. It was an incredibly vast magic barrier, almost covering the entire North. ¡°What a powerful barrier! And¡­ it seems to be specifically targeting Gods, capable of blocking the connection between Gods and their followers¡­¡± ¡°Could it be¡­ this is why the missionary attempts of major churches have been unsuccessful in the North for years?¡± Charlotte was astonished. She appraised this barrier, unable to imagine what kind of being could create such a massive magic. ¡°Could it be¡­ a God?¡± ¡°No, it shouldn¡¯t be a God. If it were a God, they would definitely use divine power, not magic.¡± sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Divine power is a more ¡°advanced¡± force than magic. Covering the North with divine spells would be much easier than covering it with a barrier. Clearly¡­ this barrier probably didn¡¯t come from a myth¡¯s hands, but from an extraordinary being. There¡¯s an extraordinary being preventing the power of the Gods from descending upon the North. Charlotte quickly made such a judgment. And at that moment, the ¡°barrier¡± seemed to detect the intruder. In Charlotte¡¯s perception, she felt a strong surge of magic flowing through the barrier. That magic quickly collided with Charlotte¡¯s divine power. Although its quality was far inferior to Charlotte¡¯s divine power, it relied on the barrier, making it much larger than the divine power Charlotte projected. Not only that, this magic was quite strange. Although not divine power, it had a trait similar to divine power, capable of integrating with mental power. ¡°I see¡­ relying on the barrier, weaving a disturbance of mental power with vast magic, and blocking the Gods¡¯ investigations¡­¡± ¡°When Gods project divine power through the void, they can only project limited divine power without a fulcrum, so they can¡¯t bring too much power.¡± ¡°So¡­ even Gods¡¯ powers can be obstructed by lower-level magic.¡± Charlotte looked surprised, understanding the principle behind this barrier. The projection of divine power by Gods requires a fulcrum, which is actually the followers. This barrier can block the connection between Gods and their followers, preventing Gods from projecting power through the support of faith. At the same time, blocking the power of the Gods prevents them from further strengthening the fulcrum. Without the ability to strengthen the fulcrum, Gods cannot counter the vast magic gathered by the barrier. It¡¯s simply a closed loop. ¡°It is indeed a very sophisticated magic, but¡­ it underestimates Gods too much.¡± Charlotte squinted. It was indeed a very sophisticated magic. However, this magic may only be effective when Gods cannot walk the earth or when they have just resurrected. When Gods do not walk the earth, their connection with their followers is inherently weak, and their faith can be easily shielded. Similarly, when Gods have just resurrected, their powers are relatively weak, and they can also be obstructed by the massive magic gathered by the barrier. But unfortunately¡­ Charlotte is no longer a newly resurrected ¡°God.¡± As a Demigod who walks the earth and has accumulated considerable divine power, Charlotte¡¯s connection with Sebastian is quite strong. Although her connection with Sebastian has been affected, it is nowhere near as severe. In other words, using Sebastian as a fulcrum, she can completely perform a God¡¯s Descent. However, Charlotte did not intend to do so immediately. At least, not now. Sebastian was visiting the Grand Duchy, and if she were to perform a God¡¯s Descent now, it would almost expose the existence of a God behind Castell. Although Charlotte was well aware that the existence of a God behind Castell could not be concealed for long, every day she could delay it was a day advantage. However, even though she did not immediately intend to use Sebastian to perform a God¡¯s Descent, she was still quite curious about the extraordinary who cast this barrier. She temporarily couldn¡¯t break this barrier. But she could see who was behind the barrier manipulating it. Thinking of this, Charlotte transformed her divine power into a needle, carrying her mental power, and flowed back along the barrier. As divine power flowed upstream, Charlotte clearly felt the pressure from the barrier. Fortunately, she didn¡¯t intend to destroy the barrier, so the ¡°infiltration¡± was much smoother. With rapid consumption of divine power, Charlotte¡¯s mental power also delved into the barrier. Following the magical circuit of the barrier, Charlotte swiftly traced the source of the magic. ¡°I found you!¡± Charlotte¡¯s spirit lifted. She immediately increased the output of her divine power and rushed toward the source of the magic. The next moment, her mental power entered the ¡°source¡±, and her vision suddenly changed. She saw an ancient temple and within the temple, a complex and enormous magic array. In the magic array, there were many mages clad in black robes. The moment she saw those ¡°mages¡±, Charlotte felt her blood instantly begin to surge. Of course, she knew what this meant. ¡°Bloodbornes¡­?¡± Looking at those ¡°mages¡±, Charlotte was doubly surprised. Chapter 469: Attacked at Sea This ancient and quaint temple was also an Ancient Temple.But unlike the temple Charlotte had seen before, this one showed clear signs of damage and repair, likely rebuilt after being destroyed. Considering that there was also an ancient temple at the Free Tribe Alliance, if Charlotte¡¯s guess was correct, these two temples were probably the ones mentioned in Nice¡¯s calculation, located in the Northern Grand Duchy and yet to be ¡°discovered¡±. At the center of the spell formation, the familiar Faceless Statue was still worshipped. Charlotte could clearly sense the oppression emanating from it. Similar to in Griss before, this Faceless Statue continued to operate, capable of interfering with divine detection. However, Charlotte exploited a loophole, slipping through their magical barrier directly, and thus wasn¡¯t blocked. Nevertheless, even so, Charlotte felt a great suppression. She couldn¡¯t determine where this temple was located, nor could she break through the barrier with more divine or mental power to project into reality. In other words, even though she could see them now, she couldn¡¯t do anything about them. ¡°Maybe the distance is still too far. If I were in the North right now, or if I had officially established contact through the statue with the descendants of the Free City-States Alliance, maybe I could break through this barrier and pinpoint where they are.¡± Charlotte judged. However, even though she could only observe them, Charlotte could still infer some things from the bloodbornes¡¯ aura and attire. In her perception, the aura of these bloodbornes was completely different from the Nez and Shedite clans. Different bloodbornes had subtle differences in their auras, differences that even many bloodbornes couldn¡¯t discern, but Charlotte, as an ¡°ancestor¡±, was an exception. For example, Nez gave her a perception that was more inclined towards ¡°elusive¡±, like the stars in the sky, while Shedite¡¯s aura often felt more ¡°profound¡±, even oppressive. As for the bloodbornes before her, the aura they gave off leaned towards ¡°vastness¡± and ¡°heaviness.¡± Clearly, this was a clan Charlotte had not dealt with before. As if to confirm Charlotte¡¯s speculation, she quickly noticed a wolf-head symbol on the black robes of the bloodbornes manipulating the magic formations. ¡°Wolf head? Is this¡­ the symbol of the Harcos Clan?¡± Charlotte pondered. Every bloodborne clan had its own symbol, often the divine symbol of each bloodborne archduke/prince. Nez¡¯s symbol was stars and scepters, Shedite¡¯s symbol was the eye of the demon, while the wolf head¡­ According to Charlotte¡¯s knowledge of the bloodbornes, it should be the ¡°Flesh and Blood Clan¡± Harcos, active in the Northern Grand Duchy. A strong sense of fatigue struck Charlotte. She knew her exploration had reached its limit this time. There was no way around it. Such long-distance ¡°observation¡± was particularly exhausting mentally. She, as a latecomer to the field, clearly couldn¡¯t maintain observation for too long. She scanned the entire temple again, recording all the scenes in the temple and the aura of these bloodbornes who controlled the magic formations, and then ended this observation. Her vision reversed, and Charlotte quickly returned to reality. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The moist sea breeze hit her face, soothing her temples which were aching from forced observation. Charlotte sat in her own luxurious cabin, rubbing her temples while recalling everything she had just seen. It was inconceivable to her that bloodbornes were the ones who set up the magic formations to isolate the belief and exploration of ¡°Gods.¡± ¡°Harcos, according to Albrecht¡¯s memories, this clan is the most low-profile among the six major clans, and they don¡¯t like to deal with the human civilization world. Even the Demigod Crimson Queen Rowena of the Harcos Clan is the most mysterious.¡± ¡°Why would they set up such a giant magic formation in the Northern Grand Duchy? Could it be¡­ also in preparation for the Divinity Descent?¡± Charlotte fell into thought. The ability of that giant magic formation was obvious: it was aimed at Gods, preventing the power of Gods from descending on the Northern Grand Duchy. For so many years, the major religions¡¯ missionary work in the Northern Grand Duchy had made no progress, which was probably nine times out of ten related to this. ¡°The Free Tribe Alliance¡­ a giant magic formation to prevent the power of Gods¡­¡± ¡°Is it a coincidence? Or is it related to the Free City-States Alliance of the past?¡± Charlotte pondered. ¡°Let¡¯s wait for Sebastian¡¯s message. When he finds the Ancient Temple of the Free Tribe Alliance, help me establish contact with the statue there, maybe we can figure out what¡¯s going on.¡± Although the giant magic formations in the Northern Grand Duchy were bizarre, they had been ongoing for who knows how many years. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to wait another ten days or half a month. Although this magic formation could interfere with Charlotte¡¯s contact with her followers, Sebastian was already on his way, and he had already met the people of the Free Tribe Alliance, so the rest would be easy. She just needed to wait quietly for the news. What Charlotte was curious about now was the attitude of the Northern Grand Duchy¡¯s Archduke. She wondered if the reigning Northern Archduke, as the secular ruler of the North, knew about such a huge barrier spell formation in the North. ¡°Dong¡­!¡± A dull roar broke Charlotte¡¯s thoughts. Like being hit by something, Charlotte felt the cabin shake upward, then began to shake violently. The cries of sailors and soldiers came from the deck, and the hurried and chaotic footsteps could be heard. A terrifying aura slowly descended, oppressive, heavy, and frantic¡­ Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred. She looked in a certain direction and squinted slightly. ¡°Finally¡­ is it here?¡± Urgent knocking sounded, accompanied by the serious voice of John Stafford, Chief Speaker of the Starfall Kingdom¡¯s Parliament. ¡°Your Majesty! We have encountered an attack by the legendary sea behemoth! Please come out immediately and prepare for emergency evacuation!¡± Listening to Count Stafford, Charlotte got up and opened the cabin door. Count Stafford was still dressed in his polite noble attire, but at this moment, there was panic in his expression. ¡°A sea behemoth?¡± Charlotte asked. The hull shook again, making unbearable creaking sounds. Through the round window on the side of the cabin, Charlotte saw a giant tentacle covered with suction cups slowly sweep by. ¡°It¡¯s Kraken, the legendary sea behemoth! It¡¯s coming for us!¡± Count Stafford said in fear. After speaking, he gritted his teeth. ¡°Your Majesty! We¡¯re not far from Starfall. There¡¯s a griffin on board, and we¡¯ve prepared an instant teleportation array in the control room. Please take the griffin for evacuation!¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t the instant teleportation array have limited capacity? If I take the griffin and leave via teleportation, what about you?¡± Charlotte asked. Count Stafford took a deep breath and said, ¡°We will hold it off! Buy time for you!¡± Charlotte nodded. Seeing that Charlotte was still calm and seemingly unaware of the seriousness of the situation, Count Stafford persuaded. ¡°Your Majesty! Kraken is violent and brutal, the most terrifying servant of the Sea King. It never spares its prey easily. Please act immediately and leave here!¡± ¡°The servant of the Sea King?¡± Charlotte was somewhat surprised. Rather than directly responding to Stafford¡¯s request, she calmly said, ¡°Take me to the deck.¡± Chapter 470: Sea Behemoth Kraken ¡°Your Majesty, no!¡±Count Stafford advised again. Charlotte sighed and said, ¡°I know you¡¯re worried about my safety, but¡­ since you¡¯re willing to acknowledge me as the Queen of Starfall, then¡­ I can¡¯t abandon my loyal subjects in their time of need.¡± ¡°After all, providing sanctuary for followers is the lord¡¯s responsibility.¡± Looking at Charlotte¡¯s resolute expression, Count Stafford looked complicated. He sighed as well and said, ¡°Your Majesty, I appreciate your concern, but¡­ now is not the time to be stubborn.¡± ¡°You are the Saintess of the Holy Court, blessed by the Gods, but Kraken is also a creature of the divine.¡± ¡°Kraken is a true Legendary sea monster, no¡­ it¡¯s even more terrifying than Legendary, said to have even devoured Gods!¡± ¡°Forgive me for being blunt, but it is invincible at sea, and divine spell is almost ineffective against it!¡± ¡°Your extraordinary powers¡­ hmm¡­ have great potential and should not be wasted here, nor should you expose yourself to danger. Please withdraw as soon as possible!¡± Charlotte: ¡­ Actually, you don¡¯t need to be so tactful, just say you think my powers aren¡¯t enough. She muttered to herself. However, she could also understand. Indeed, she had shown Count Stafford the level of power of a Blazing Sun, but he completely mistook her power for the holy power of a Saintess. On ordinary days, Charlotte had always kept a low profile and suppressed her aura. If she didn¡¯t unleash her power, she still gave the impression of just being a Silver Moon. From this perspective, if divine power was ineffective against the Legendary Sea Behemoth, Charlotte did indeed seem like dead weight. ¡°Even if it¡¯s ineffective against it, I can still help you all, right? Besides¡­ how would we know if we don¡¯t try?¡± Charlotte said. After saying that, she directly bypassed Count Stafford and walked towards the deck. ¡°Your¡­ Your Majesty!¡± Count Stafford hurriedly caught up. ¡­ Charlotte arrived on the deck. On the deck, sailors and soldiers were already in complete chaos, not even noticing Charlotte¡¯s arrival. The bright sky cast a menacing shadow, like an abyss shrouding the entire warship. Charlotte looked up, and what met her eyes was one terrifying tentacle after another. Those tentacles were purplish-black, each with a thickness of at least half a meter at the thinnest point visible above the water¡¯s surface, probably dozens of meters in length. They were covered with densely packed suckers, emanating the unique fishy smell of marine creatures. They continued to coil, climb, wriggle, and tear on the hull, dragging one soldier and sailor after another into the depths of the ocean amid screams. The soldiers shouted in panic, gritting their teeth, trembling, mustering courage to wield their swords and attack the tentacles. The mages, pale-faced, chanted spells urgently, erecting magical barriers around the warship while waving their wands to release various offensive spells. The swords and offensive spells fell on the slippery, enormous tentacles, leaving no trace of damage. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. More tentacles emerged from the sea, entwining the hull and masts. The entire warship creaked under the strain. Suddenly, one tentacle seemed to sense Charlotte¡¯s presence and swiftly charged towards her from behind. As Count Stafford caught sight of this scene upon arriving, he was horrified almost to the point of despair. ¡°No! Protect Her Majesty!¡± With that, he burst his Blazing Sun power and rushed toward Charlotte. But perhaps Count Stafford¡¯s power was too overwhelming. The moment he appeared, several tentacles changed direction and charged toward him, blocking his path to protect Charlotte. Count Stafford quickly drew his sword and fought the monstrous tentacles, but was momentarily unable to free himself. ¡°Protect Her Majesty! Protect Her Majesty!¡± ¡°Your Majesty! Be careful!¡± He could only watch helplessly as the tentacles surged towards Charlotte, roaring commands to the soldiers and warning Charlotte. Charlotte, however, seemed oblivious to the tentacles behind her, not even turning her head. Count Stafford could only watch in despair as the monstrous tentacles rushed toward the young queen, almost envisioning her being engulfed and dragged into the abyss. Yet, in the next moment, a golden sword light flashed, causing the monstrous tentacle to tremble slightly and then snap in half. The severed tentacle crashed onto the deck, spewing purple-black blood, while the young girl with her back to the tentacle had already escaped the danger. As the brilliance subsided, a golden elven sword circled around Charlotte and then, with a disdainful swing, emitted a childish voice. ¡°Ew! This guy¡¯s blood stinks! So dirty, so dirty, so dirty!¡± Seeing this scene, Count Stafford first froze, then suddenly exclaimed in delight. ¡°The Roman Sword!¡± The Roman Sword! The sword of the half-elf hero Romanus! How could he forget about this? With such a divine artifact, Her Majesty¡¯s combat prowess was not to be underestimated! But soon, worry crossed his face again. While the Roman Sword was powerful, the Legendary Kraken also possessed incredible regenerative abilities. Without delivering a fatal blow in one strike, it couldn¡¯t be killed. Clearly, relying solely on a sword that had been sealed for who knew how many years might not be enough. What¡¯s more, her Majesty¡¯s attacks not only failed to severely wound it but could possibly drive it into a frenzy. And a frenzied Kraken was the nightmare of any living being! As if confirming Count Stafford¡¯s concerns, after one tentacle was severed, all the other tentacles entwined on the hull momentarily paused. Then, all on board heard a deep, angry roar emanating from the depths of the sea. The ship trembled more violently, and the writhing tentacles became more ferocious, exuding an oppressive and brutal aura that swept across the entire deck in an instant. Feeling the terrifying pressure far surpassing any Legendary, Count Stafford¡¯s face instantly changed. ¡°No! It¡¯s going berserk! It¡¯s going to destroy the ship!¡± More tentacles emerged from the sea, and accompanying them was a colossal head. It was an octopus-like head, and before it, the most advanced carrack warship of the Starfall Kingdom seemed like a toy in a child¡¯s hands. A pair of eyes, as large as sails, deep red in color, stared over, resembling an abyss without end, filled with ferocity, anger, and madness. Just meeting its gaze would plunge one into endless fear and despair. ¡°K¡­ Kraken!¡± Count Stafford¡¯s face turned pale. Before this legendary behemoth of terror, even as a Blazing Sun, he couldn¡¯t help but tremble and feel weak in his knees. It wasn¡¯t just fear but also the creature¡¯s terrifying presence. As an ancient sea monster older than even dragons, a descendant of Sea King Oceanus, even an adult pure-blood dragon could only be food before it! The colossal Kraken unfurled its massive body, almost blotting out the entire sky. Watching its terrifying figure, the soldiers and sailors stared in shock, their faces filled with terror and despair. With the appearance of the behemoth, the tentacles abandoned all other targets and charged straight at Charlotte. ¡°Your¡­ Your Majesty!¡± Count Stafford was horrified once again. However, just as everyone thought Charlotte was about to be torn apart by the tentacles, the monstrous appendages suddenly halted. The colossal octopus shuddered slightly, and its tentacles slowly retracted, while its two dark red eyes remained fixed on Charlotte, seemingly on guard. Even its enraged roar unconsciously turned into a low growl. Watching the sudden halt in its attack and the immediate retreat of the monstrous creature, Count Stafford was momentarily dumbfounded. Could it be¡­ That Kraken was afraid? Chapter 471 : Get out of my sight It was a scene that defied norms. The terrifying sea beast wrapped its tentacles around the warship, as if it would tear the entire vessel apart in the next second. Yet, despite having the ship at its mercy, the beast did not advance any further. Its enormous eyes were fixed on the tiny figure of the girl on the deck. Its slick body leaned back slightly, and the tentacles that had been clinging everywhere slowly retracted to one side of its body. It almost seemed like the beast was behaving like a giant octopus encountering its natural enemy. Wait¡­ An enemy? Count Stafford looked at the scene in disbelief, feeling ridiculous for the thoughts that crossed his mind. As a citizen of Starfall, he had grown up hearing terrifying legends about Kraken. This monstrous sea creature, which held a reputation akin to that of a Demonic God in stories, could it truly be afraid? What was it afraid of? Could it possibly be the Queen? Count Stafford couldn¡¯t help but glance at the girl facing off against the beast, finding his thoughts increasingly absurd and incredible. The young queen, whose background and information he had thoroughly investigated, suddenly seemed shrouded in mystery. Then, he witnessed an even more unbelievable sight. The young queen gently lifted her head and gave the monstrous beast a casual glance. In her clear blue eyes, reminiscent of the sky, there seemed to be a flash of golden-red light. An indescribable aura emanated from Charlotte. In a trance, Count Stafford felt that the figure standing on the deck was not a slender girl, but an unshakeable mountain. Wherever the girl¡¯s gaze landed, the beast¡¯s tentacles recoiled as if electrified. A low whimper emanated from Kraken, its previous raging aura diminishing significantly. Though it maintained its standoff with the girl, its overwhelming pressure had notably dissipated. This time, even the most obtuse soldiers realized something was wrong. The beast was afraid¡­ This legendary monstrous sea creature was actually afraid! Indeed, the beast was terrified. Unlike humans, as an ancient terror that had survived since ancient times, Kraken had a keen sense of danger. Though it had not become a God due to limited intelligence, its vast years had endowed it with formidable magic, with powers nearing those of Gods. Similarly, its sense of danger was as acute as that of a God walking the earth. To Kraken, the Starfall Kingdom¡¯s warship was insignificant, and the ants aboard it were of no concern. But the girl on the deck was different. Though she appeared frail and small, in Kraken¡¯s ¡°vision¡±, her slender body harbored a blinding brilliance. That twisted, eerie glow filled with crimson starlight and moonlight was akin to an eternal blood moon in the endless darkness. Under this blood moon¡¯s radiance, the monstrous beast felt its entire being tremble, with a primordial fear surging within its heart from its very blood and soul. ?¨¤N?????¨º? It was truly afraid. Lacking the intelligence to comprehend the entity before it, Kraken¡¯s sharp instincts told it that the being before it was both familiar and dangerous! Charlotte calmly observed the beast. She, too, sensed the beast¡¯s fear. As she confronted this legendary deep-sea monster, she felt the Gospel of Blood in her consciousness glowing brightly, as if it had been stimulated. The beast was afraid of her. No¡­ more precisely, it was afraid of the Gospel of Blood within her! This realization astonished Charlotte. Honestly, the current situation was beyond her expectations. She had certainly heard of Kraken¡¯s infamous reputation, and upon seeing it, she keenly perceived its power through her Demigod senses. This creature had a colossal amount of magic, was tough-skinned, and filled with toxins, making it inedible, foul-smelling, and fishy. Given her combat abilities, Charlotte didn¡¯t fear Kraken, but fighting it would be unwise. She had intended to showcase her divine might to scare off the creature with its limited intelligence. But who would have thought that even before she displayed her power, the beast had already become terrified. Charlotte had a feeling. At this moment, the beast had lost all will to fight. Not only that, under her ¡°gaze¡±, Kraken seemed unwilling to act recklessly, as if paralyzed with indecision. The deep-sea Kraken seemed to be intimidated. Charlotte watched the retreating tentacles with contemplation. She still had no intention of engaging it. The Gospel of Blood seemed to be able to restrain the beast before her, but¡­ since the Gospel was still incomplete, Charlotte felt it was best to remain cautious. Another reason was that the beast was simply too ¡°dirty.¡± The foul-smelling magic would make her vomit if she tried to absorb it, and the beast was, after all, a subordinate of Oceanus, the Sea King. Oceanus was a major God on par with the Moon Goddess Artemis, the True Ancestor of Blood, and the Creator God, ruling over the seas of the Myria world. Charlotte did not wish to become enemies with him, which would align with the wishes of certain people. She calmly regarded the beast and, after a brief hesitation, tentatively commanded. ¡°Within three breaths, return the sailors and soldiers who fell into the sea. Then¡­ get out of my sight.¡± Count Stafford and the crew were stunned. However, their astonishment didn¡¯t last long. What happened next left them utterly speechless. At the young queen¡¯s command, the terrifying beast slowly retracted its tentacles from the warship. The monstrous appendages retreated into the sea and, to everyone¡¯s amazement, began returning the sailors who had fallen overboard or been swept into the water, terrified out of their wits. Even more shocking, the grotesque octopus head opened its mouth and spat out several sailors it had swallowed. These sailors, while covered in foul, corrosive slime and with their bodies showing deep wounds, were still miraculously alive. Charlotte¡¯s eyes narrowed, and she gave a look to Nice, who had leisurely come up to the deck to watch the spectacle. Understanding her gaze, nice quickly called a few sailors over to assist. After a burst of healing magic, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lady Charlotte. They¡¯ll be fine. They can be saved.¡± Upon hearing this, Charlotte looked at the beast once more. ¡°Get out of my sight.¡± She commanded. The terrifying sea beast swiftly retracted its tentacles and slowly sank back into the ocean. Its speed suggested it feared Charlotte might change her mind. The terrifying aura quickly dissipated, vanishing entirely. The tumultuous sea gradually calmed, and the swaying warship regained its balance. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. On the deck, the sailors and soldiers, still in shock, began to realize they had survived, feeling as though they had narrowly escaped death. At this moment, they finally grasped the surreal nature of what they had just experienced. The Sea Behemoth Kraken¡­ the nightmare of sailors, the ocean¡¯s specter, and the destroyer of all it encountered. Yet¡­ they had survived an encounter with such a legendary beast. Recalling the beast¡¯s retreat and the queen¡¯s command, the crew couldn¡¯t help but cast awestruck glances at the slender figure still standing on the deck. Their respect for her turned into reverence. They didn¡¯t know how this not-yet-crowned young queen had managed it, but it didn¡¯t stop them from speculating. ¡°No wonder she is the Saintess of the Holy Court, Her Majesty the Queen¡­ she can even command Kraken!¡± ¡°Long live the Starfall Kingdom! Long live Her Majesty the Queen!¡± The sailors, feeling as though they had been given a second chance at life, cheered loudly. Charlotte withdrew her gaze from the direction where the beast had disappeared and nodded slightly to the crowd before returning to her cabin. As she passed the still-stunned Count Stafford, she paused briefly and said, ¡°Investigate why Kraken attacked our ship.¡± Hearing her words, Count Stafford was momentarily stunned, then his face darkened. He respectfully complied and hurriedly gathered some soldiers to begin the investigation. Charlotte returned to her cabin, waiting for Count Stafford¡¯s report. Not long after, he came to see her again. ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s the ship! Someone smeared the hull with deep-sea devil squid ichor! Someone wanted us to die at the bottom of the sea, becoming Kraken¡¯s food!¡± Count Stafford gritted his teeth as he spoke. ¡°Deep-sea devil squid ichor?¡± Charlotte asked, puzzled. ¡°It¡¯s from the offspring of Kraken! Killing deep-sea devil squids is taboo in the Star-Moon Sea, as it often leads to Kraken¡¯s vengeance!¡± Count Stafford explained. Charlotte nodded slightly in realization. ¡°So that¡¯s it.¡± Seeing her unsurprised expression, Count Stafford couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Your Majesty, you don¡¯t seem surprised?¡± Charlotte glanced at him, not hiding anything. ¡°Count Stafford, someone has been targeting us since we set sail.¡± ¡°I was curious about their plans, and now I see they intended to use sea monsters.¡± She then looked at Count Stafford again. ¡°Oh, by the way, the ones targeting us are not bloodbornes, at least not those monitoring us. Do you know who they are?¡± Hearing this, Count Stafford¡¯s face darkened further. ¡°I¡¯m afraid¡­ it¡¯s the Lilac family, but they might not be the only ones involved.¡± ¡°After King Edward revealed their crimes, they allied with the bloodbornes!¡± He said through gritted teeth. ¡°The Lilac family¡­¡± Charlotte mused. She clicked her tongue. ¡°It seems someone in the Nez Clan doesn¡¯t want me to reach Starfall either.¡± Chapter 472 : Nez Secret Meeting After Count Stafford finished his report, he bowed and left. Charlotte waited for a while longer as black smoke quickly condensed in the room, eventually taking the form of Yurst. Charlotte glanced at him and asked. ¡°Did you track them?¡± Yurst nodded. ¡°Yes, it was indeed a merchant ship from the Lilac family. They were likely worried about the outcome of Kraken¡¯s attack, so they were trailing us from a distance.¡± ¡°They thought you were unaware of their presence, so they didn¡¯t hide. I easily controlled them using dark magic.¡± ¡°I conducted a preliminary interrogation. They admitted that while the warship was docked at Castell Port, they snuck underneath and smeared it with the ichor of the deep-sea devil squid. The ones who instructed them were supporters of Duke Aecia¡ªDuke West of the Starfall Kingdom and Viscount Camden, the commander of the Royal Knights.¡± Charlotte raised an eyebrow and said, ¡°Duke Aecia? The heir to the throne supported by the Nez Clan?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Charlotte chuckled softly. ¡°Keep an eye on them. Once we land, hand them over to the Starfall Kingdom¡¯s Parliament for punishment.¡± ¡°As you command¡­¡± ¡­ The attack by the Sea Behemoth Kraken ended up being just an episode in their journey. As Starfall Island gradually appeared on the horizon, the sailors¡¯ lingering fear began to dissipate, and they breathed a sigh of relief. Meanwhile, elsewhere in the Starfall Kingdom, a secret meeting of the bloodbornes was taking place¡­ It was held in a dimly lit castle. The flickering candlelight cast long shadows on the stone walls, making the figures hidden in black robes appear even more elongated. In the darkness, Duke Robin, the Great Elder of the Nez Council, stood beside the throne engraved with constellations and blood moons, his expression unreadable. ?£Á£Î?B?? Below the throne, the bloodbornes in black robes were divided into two distinct factions, facing off against each other. In the larger faction, Duke Yorok wore an angry expression. His crimson eyes glared at the nonchalant elven bloodborne on the other side, barely able to contain his fury. ¡°Alec! The Council has stressed that we should not act rashly before meeting with Castell! Why did your Luna Island act on its own, disrupting the Council¡¯s plan?¡± Among the other faction, the elven bloodborne Alec smiled slightly and said, ¡°Sir Yorok, haven¡¯t you learned from the failure of the Roman Ceremony? Charlotte de Castell has clearly become a pawn of the mysterious prince. Trying to make deals and cooperate with the Gods in our mortal form will only result in us being devoured by the God.¡± ¡°Or perhaps¡­ you truly intend to betray His Majesty Casey and become a vassal of the mysterious prince?¡± Duke Yorok¡¯s anger intensified. ¡°Alec! Don¡¯t try to pin this on me! With the Divinity Descent Day approaching, we bloodbornes of Nez must avoid making more enemies. You¡¯ve been hunting deep-sea devil squids and attempting to assassinate the God¡¯s followers. Aren¡¯t you afraid of provoking the wrath of the Gods?¡± Alec chuckled softly and said, S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Sir Yorok, I understand you experienced the grand Mythic Era and your fear of the Gods is understandable, but¡­ I must remind you that times have changed. This era belongs to mortals.¡± ¡°The prophesied Divinity Descent Day is indeed a calamity, but for the Gods, it is also a disaster. We need to remain vigilant and keep our distance from the Gods, but that doesn¡¯t mean we must always be fearful.¡± ¡°Besides, the ones who attempted to assassinate Speaker Stafford and Countess Castell were from the Lilac family. What does that have to do with us?¡± ¡°If anything, if Charlotte of Castell were truly devoured by Kraken, it would actually benefit us by redirecting the disaster.¡± ¡°Alec! You¡¯re insane! How dare you plot against the Gods! You¡¯re too arrogant!¡± Duke Yorok said, his face darkening. The elven bloodborne shook his head. ¡°No, Sir Yorok, you are too timid. I think¡­ even His Majesty Casey would likely agree with my view if he were here.¡± ¡°The myth behind Castell is clearly very interested in the Starfall Kingdom. The Roman Sword is not something just anyone can claim. For it to recognize the Countess of Castell so easily, there must be divine intervention behind it. And the Countess of Castell¡­ is merely a mortal puppet in the guise of a divine agent.¡± ¡°Our current crisis may seem like a struggle for the throne, but in reality, it is the myths¡¯ covetousness.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think that if we let the Sea King Church and Castell clash, it would perfectly resolve the crisis we are facing?¡± ¡°Remember, ever since His Majesty Casey fell into slumber, those believers of Sea King, like the Holy Court, have been coveting the faith of Starfall¡­ If we can incite hatred between them, it would be ideal. This is a strategy that kills two birds with one stone.¡± ¡°For the Nez Clan, we not only need to regain autonomy over Starfall, but we also need to maintain the purity of Starfall¡¯s faith before His Majesty Casey awakens. Only then can we consolidate Starfall¡¯s power to contend with the Holy Court and other forces.¡± After hearing Alec¡¯s words, Duke Yorok fell into deep thought. Although he was quite angry with the Luna Island faction¡¯s unilateral actions, Alec¡¯s reasoning did hold some truth. However, he still felt uneasy. He couldn¡¯t pinpoint the source of this unease, but he had a nagging feeling that he was overlooking something. ¡°Alec, aren¡¯t you worried that Kraken¡¯s attack might fail, exposing the scheme and provoking an even greater wrath from the myth behind Castell?¡± He pondered and then spoke gravely. ¡°Fail? How could it fail? That is Kraken, a beast that has once devoured Gods.¡± Alec laughed. Duke Yorok was at a loss for words. Just then, another bloodborne in a black robe hurriedly entered the hall, came to his side, and whispered something in his ear. Upon hearing the report, Duke Yorok¡¯s crimson pupils instantly contracted, and the suppressed anger flared up again. ¡°Alec! You¡­ bastard! Yurst was also on that ship!¡± He roared in fury. The elven bloodborne Alec looked surprised. ¡°Was he? What a pity¡­ It seems Yurst was just unlucky. Let¡¯s consider it a sacrifice for His Majesty Casey¡¯s cause. Our Lord will remember his contribution.¡± Seeing Alec¡¯s regretful expression, Duke Yorok became even angrier. ¡°Alec! Yurst is my most valued descendant! If anything happens to him, I will never let you¡­¡± ¡°Enough! At a time like this, such bickering is disgraceful!¡± A rebuke interrupted Duke Yorok¡¯s words. Duke Robin, the Great Elder who had been silent, finally spoke. A terrifying pressure swept through the hall, silencing all the nobles. The Great Elder glanced at the furious Duke Yorok, sighed lightly, and turned to the throne beside him, respectfully saying. ¡°Lord Bardock, this matter requires your judgment.¡± On the throne. A strong figure was hidden in the shadows. He was fully armored, dressed like a knight, even wearing an ancient knight¡¯s helmet. The style of the armor was very different from the current trends in Yunette, leaning more towards elvish design. The ¡°knight¡± slowly raised his head, revealing a pair of crimson eyes. His gaze was abyssal and devoid of any emotion, like a machine. ¡°The faith of Starfall Island must not be tainted by other myths, especially an unknown bloodborne myth. Such an existence is even more dangerous than other myths.¡± ¡°Alec, although your approach is aggressive, I do not deny its rationale.¡± ¡°However¡­ I have one question.¡± As he spoke, the ¡°knight¡± looked at the smiling Alec, his abyssal red eyes unwavering. ¡°Are you doing all this truly for His Majesty Casey?¡± ¡°Of course, Lord Bardock. Everything I do is for His Majesty Casey¡¯s return. We must drive out all other myth forces from Starfall and prevent their infiltration. This is the only way to buy more time for our lord¡¯s return. Conversely, if we allow Charlotte de Castell to reach Starfall, we may have to face the myth behind her directly.¡± ¡°Therefore¡­ we must seize this opportunity to eliminate her. I arranged everything with this in mind. Once the Sea Behemoth Kraken is summoned, it will devour not only her, but even the unknown resurrected myth.¡± The elven bloodborne spoke with respect and confidence. The ¡°knight¡± stared at him silently for a long time. Until another bloodborne hurriedly entered the hall. ¡°Lord Bardock, Great Elder! There is an urgent report from Starfall City!¡± All the bloodbornes in the hall turned their gazes. ¡°Speak.¡± The Great Elder Robin signaled. Under the scrutiny of so many powerful beings, the reporting bloodborne swallowed nervously and said tremblingly. ¡°We¡­ we have confirmed that Charlotte de Castell¡­ has just safely arrived at Starfall Port on the warship of the Kingdom Parliament.¡± ¡°Rumor has it¡­ they encountered the legendary beast Kraken but managed to drive it away successfully.¡± Upon hearing this, Alec¡¯s expression froze, his eyes widening in disbelief. ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Chapter 473 : Greetings, Your Majesty! The capital of the Starfall Kingdom, Starfall City, is said to have a history that dates back to when the elves first set foot on the continent of Myria. Legend has it that in that era when myths walked the earth, the elves once fought a cataclysmic battle against the Old Gods of Myria in the Star-Moon Strait. At that time, Starfall Island was still part of the Myria continent. It wasn¡¯t until the elves used forbidden magic that called down a meteor to defeat the opposing Old Gods. The falling meteor shattered the earth, causing seawater to flood in and create the Star-Moon Strait, separating Starfall Island from the mainland. The term ¡°Starfall¡± originates from this event. Like the capital of Castell, Northport, Starfall City is also a port city. As one of Starfall Island¡¯s natural harbors, Starfall City is also the trade hub between the Starfall Kingdom and the Myria continent. Just entering the Bay of Stars, where Starfall City is located, Charlotte saw countless ships docked at the port, densely packed. Merchant ships from all over the world gathered here, making it even more bustling than Northport. Indeed, this is true. As Charlotte knew, the population of Starfall City¡¯s capital exceeds 700,000, nearly 1.5 times that of Northport, and only slightly less than the Crescent capital of Lutecia. Compared to the Starfall Kingdom, which has only three-fifths the population of the Crescent Kingdom, the population gap between the capitals of the two kingdoms is not as significant. Charlotte stood on the deck, curiously observing this elven-styled port city. As the warship entered the bay, the sailors and soldiers, who had been on edge, finally relaxed completely, and the atmosphere on the entire ship became much livelier. Even Count Stafford couldn¡¯t help but smile as he said to Charlotte. ¡°Welcome to Starfall, Your Majesty.¡± The warship raised its flag and slowly sailed towards the port. Soon, the port noticed the Carrack sailing ship flying the flags of Starfall and Roman. Apparently, Count Stafford had already sent word through Starfall Kingdom¡¯s renowned magic crystal communication, and as the warship approached the city, Charlotte noticed several guard ships actively sailing out to escort the warship. Moreover, as Charlotte¡¯s warship approached the dock, thunderous booms echoed from the escort ships. Charlotte noticed white smoke rising from those ships. ¡°Your Majesty, those are royal navy salutes. The royal navy is welcoming and saluting you.¡± Count Stafford explained with a smile. Charlotte looked at the escort ships around her, slightly surprised. With the Starfall Kingdom¡¯s throne vacant, the parliament faction nobles and the Lilac family at odds, she had expected to be met with a city filled with tension. However, she hadn¡¯t even set foot ashore yet and was already receiving such an honor. Noticing Charlotte¡¯s surprise, Count Stafford explained with a smile. ¡°Your Majesty, Starfall City is both the kingdom¡¯s capital and the direct territory of the Roman royal family, as well as the seat of the kingdom¡¯s parliament. This city¡­ will only be loyal to the legitimate king of Starfall.¡± ????????¨§? ¡°King Edward passed the throne to you, and the kingdom¡¯s parliament supports you as the Queen of Starfall. Therefore¡­ Starfall City naturally welcomes you, awaiting your rule.¡± Charlotte nodded slightly in understanding. She realized that Starfall City was within the sphere of influence of the kingdom¡¯s parliament and the Roman royal family. With Edward III¡¯s passing, the parliament¡¯s split with the Lilac family, and the Roman royal family¡¯s recognition of Charlotte, the city naturally became a stronghold supporting her. As if to validate Count Stafford¡¯s words, when the warship docked at the deep-water pier, Charlotte saw a dense crowd waiting for her arrival. She looked towards the pier and saw knights in silver armor and red cloaks standing tall and proud, lined up on both sides, extending all the way to the end of the road connecting to the pier. Flags representing the Starfall Kingdom fluttered in the wind, but unlike during the Star-Moon War, these flags bore the ancient white lilacs of the Roman family, not the purple lilacs of Edward III¡¯s lineage. At the front of the pier, nobles dressed in various luxurious attires gathered, eagerly awaiting. In addition to the nobles, Charlotte also spotted some clergy, including a bishop of the Holy Court dressed in golden robes. Beyond them, curious citizens crowded around, filling the port to the brim. The grand reception genuinely surprised Charlotte. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The welcome she received here far exceeded that of her return to the Castell territory, even surpassing the Northland nobles and citizens¡¯ greeting. When the warship docked and Charlotte disembarked under the protection of knights, the foremost nobles stepped forward to greet her. Led by several visibly more ornate and higher-status Starfall nobles and the bishop of the Holy Court, they respectfully saluted Charlotte. ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty!¡± Charlotte¡¯s gaze swept over these Starfall nobles and finally rested on Count Stafford beside her. Feeling her gaze, the parliament¡¯s speaker quickly introduced. ¡°Your Majesty, this is Marquis Howard, the Kingdom¡¯s Chief Steward and a staunch supporter of the parliament.¡± ¡°This is Count Greenville Roman, the kingdom¡¯s Court Advisor and Head of the Kingdom¡¯s Magic Academy, representing the Roman family.¡± ¡°This is Bishop Campbell, Chief Bishop of the Holy Court¡¯s Starfall branch.¡± ¡°And this is¡­¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Count Stafford respectfully introduced each noble to Charlotte. Every time he introduced someone, the introduced noble would respectfully salute Charlotte again. This included Bishop Campbell of the Holy Court. Perhaps because of her ¡°saintess¡± status, the church representative was also very enthusiastic towards her. As Charlotte knew, the title ¡°Bishop Campbell¡± was not just for any clergy in the Starfall Kingdom. Since the Holy Court became the official faith of Starfall, every king¡¯s coronation was performed by the ¡°Bishop Campbell.¡± After the introductions, Charlotte roughly understood the commonality among these welcoming nobles. They were all staunch parliament faction nobles, allies of the parliament faction, or supporters of the Roman royal family. And, of course, the Holy Court aligned with the parliament¡¯s interests. Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but feel astonished at the substantial noble support she received, having braced herself for difficulties. However, after introducing several nobles, Count Stafford¡¯s smile gradually faded. His gaze swept between the nobles, his brows furrowing. Taking a deep breath, he looked at Marquis Howard, the highest-ranking noble present, and quietly asked in a low voice. ¡°Marquis, hasn¡¯t Duke West and the Knights arrived?¡± Upon hearing Count Stafford¡¯s question, Marquis Howard hesitated. He glanced at Charlotte, who was conversing with the nobles, sighed, and whispered. ¡°Speaker, they¡­ haven¡¯t come.¡± Chapter 474 : Troublemaker ¡°None of them came?¡± Upon hearing the reply from Marquis Howard, Count Stafford¡¯s eyebrows furrowed immediately. He was about to press for more information, but a glance at Charlotte, who was behind him receiving the homage from numerous nobles and engaging in friendly conversation with Bishop Campbell of the Holy Court, made him hold back his questions. In a low voice, he said, S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Marquis, let¡¯s set aside their matters for now. The Red Palace should be ready, right? Her Majesty is weary from the journey. We should first escort her to the Red Palace to rest.¡± However, this time both Marquis Howard and Count Greenville-Roman hesitated. ¡°What is it now? Marquis, Count, is there a problem with the Red Palace as well?¡± Seeing their conflicted expressions, Count Stafford couldn¡¯t help but ask. Marquis Howard nodded and said, ¡°Chairman, the Red Palace¡­ might not be suitable for habitation at the moment. However, we have prepared the royal manor on the outskirts of Starfall, which was originally a royal retreat with beautiful scenery. It can serve as a temporary residence for Her Majesty.¡± ¡°The royal palace? Marquis, are you serious? How long has that place been abandoned? Her Majesty comes to Starfall and you suggest she stays in a run-down retreat instead of the royal palace?¡± Count Stafford was genuinely angry this time. Seeing him nearly ready to explode, Count Greenville-Roman stepped forward and sighed. ¡°Chairman, this isn¡¯t Marquis Howard¡¯s fault. As the steward, he has done his best. It¡¯s the knight order that isn¡¯t cooperating¡­ Commander Camden refused to relinquish control of the Red Palace¡¯s defenses. He believes that since the throne is still vacant, it¡¯s inappropriate for the yet-to-be-crowned queen to reside there.¡± ¡°You know¡­ those young nobles of the knight order have always been at odds with the court nobles. With their significant extraordinary powers, marquis Howard can¡¯t manage them either¡­¡± Hearing this, Count Stafford couldn¡¯t contain his anger. ¡°Refusing to relinquish control of the Red Palace¡¯s defenses? How dare they! Her Majesty is the legitimate heir designated by the late king! Didn¡¯t they already agree to the parliament¡¯s proposal, supporting Queen Charlotte?¡± Count Stafford¡¯s expression was furious, and his voice unintentionally raised. Behind him, Charlotte, with her heightened senses as a bloodborne, had already overheard their whispered conversation clearly. She raised her eyebrows slightly. Indeed, the succession of the throne couldn¡¯t be smooth. See? Just after receiving the homage of the loyalist nobles, here come the troublemakers. But¡­ ¡°Duke West and the Knight Order?¡± Charlotte repeated, raising her eyebrows. Hearing Charlotte¡¯s voice, marquis Howard stepped forward hastily and said, ¡°Your Majesty, we apologize¡­ but rest assured, we have prepared the royal retreat, which is absolutely suitable as a temporary residence. We are also continuing to negotiate with the knight order and will resolve the issue as soon as possible¡­¡± ?¨¢¦­??¨§? Charlotte made no comment on Howard¡¯s response. She glanced at Yurst beside her and asked an obscure question that left the nobles puzzled. ¡°That matter¡­ were they the masterminds?¡± Yurst stepped forward and replied in a low voice. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty, it was them.¡± That matter? What matter? The Starfall nobles were all baffled. Meanwhile, Count Stafford seemed to understand something, and his expression changed instantly. He stared at Yurst with a mix of astonishment and disbelief. ¡°Count, are you saying¡­¡± He was about to question further but seeing Charlotte¡¯s signaling look, he forcibly held back his words. Even so, he couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Count, are you certain?¡± ¡°Of course, I have ample evidence.¡± Yurst replied. Count Stafford¡¯s eyes widened in shock. His expression turned complicated as he murmured. ¡°Them? It¡¯s them? How can it be them? When did they fall so low?¡± Listening to Stafford and Yurst¡¯s cryptic conversation, the Starfall nobles were at a loss. Only Charlotte understood their dialogue. After the Sea Behemoth Kraken attack, Charlotte had ordered Yurst to investigate the ¡°suspects.¡± The results of the interrogation pointed directly to Duke West, the Military Advisor of Starfall Kingdom, and the Kingdom¡¯s Knight Order. Of course, this matter was not yet suitable for broad exposure, at least not until Charlotte had settled accounts with them. She was worried that the plotters might flee if their scheme was exposed prematurely. However, from the current situation, the likelihood of that seemed small. The fact that they could openly defy her, controlling the Starfall Kingdom Red Palace with the Knight Order and preventing her entry, showed they were quite confident. No¡­ Perhaps they didn¡¯t expect her to arrive in Starfall so smoothly. Well then. Although she had just set foot on Starfall soil, as a queen from overseas, Charlotte felt she needed to establish her authority quickly in this unfamiliar kingdom. Otherwise, many nobles might indeed treat her as a child to be trifled with. Having experienced such inheritance disputes once before, Charlotte could easily foresee this. With this in mind, Charlotte narrowed her eyes and suddenly smiled. She looked at Marquis Howard and said with a smile. ¡°Marquis, thank you for your efforts. But¡­ let¡¯s proceed to the royal palace.¡± ¡°I may not be crowned yet, but as far as I know, the Starfall Red Palace is not only the royal palace but also a property of the Roman family.¡± As she spoke, Charlotte touched the Roman Sword at her waist and said calmly. ¡°I am the legitimate heir designated by the late King Edward, and also the chosen wielder of the Roman Sword. As the master of the Roman Sword¡­ I would like to see who dares to prevent the future ruler and prospective head of the Roman family from entering her family¡¯s property.¡± With that, Charlotte turned to Count Stafford and said, ¡°Count¡­ no, Chairman, shall we proceed?¡± Seeing Charlotte¡¯s unflinching demeanor, Count Stafford hesitated. Recalling the sight of this young queen driving away the Behemoth Kraken in the ocean, an inexplicable sense of anticipation welled up within him. Taking a deep breath, he said solemnly. ¡°Her Majesty is right. Even if she is not yet crowned, the Red Palace is still a property of the Roman family. There is no issue with Her Majesty residing there.¡± ¡°Her Majesty has the Roman family¡¯s recognition. She is the prospective head of the Roman family!¡± ¡°If anyone dares to obstruct Her Majesty, it is an affront to the Starfall royal family!¡± With that, Count Stafford looked at Marquis Howard and said sternly. ¡°Marquis, did you hear Her Majesty¡¯s words? Escort our queen, back to the palace!¡± Chapter 475 : Recognition 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¡ªthe 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.¡± ?????£Î??¦¥???? ¡°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. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°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¡ªlike 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. Chapter 476 : Grimoire Repelling the Kingdom¡¯s knights and successfully entering the palace, Charlotte truly earned herself a wave of prestige among the parliament-aligned nobles of the Starfall Kingdom. After the ¡°audience¡±, the Starfall nobles left, completing their welcome of the ¡°Queen.¡± It¡¯s worth mentioning that before leaving, these nobles presented various gifts¡ªsome brought extraordinary materials unique to the Starfall Kingdom, some offered rare books, others luxury items like jewelry, and some even a chest of gold coins. This was somewhat like paying tribute. This practice is part of the feudal tradition in Myria. When nobles meet their liege, bringing a gift is customary to show loyalty. Though, technically speaking, Charlotte was not yet the true Queen of Starfall. Charlotte didn¡¯t refuse these gifts; she accepted them all. It wasn¡¯t out of greed. If she had refused, it might have led the supportive nobles to think she was displeased with them or their gifts. However, Charlotte was a bit taken aback when even Bishop Campbell offered a gift¡ªa particularly exquisite grimoire. Despite only being a holy cleric with Blazing Sun strength, Campbell was the highest-ranking cleric of the Holy Court in the Starfall Kingdom. ¡°Praise the Holy! Your Highness, this is a grimoire I acquired in my younger days. It¡¯s said to have been left by Nicholas, the most genius Legendary mage in history, and it has a sophisticated magical restriction. It¡¯s rumored to contain Nicholas¡¯ magical research secrets.¡± ¡°I heard you like collecting these magical books, so I present this as a gift for your arrival in Starfall!¡± Bishop Campbell spoke warmly. Charlotte: ¡­ Nice: ¡­ Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but glance at the black cat beside her, her expression peculiar. Nice, meanwhile, took a curious look at the grimoire. With one glance, his eyes widened, his expression suddenly very animated and human-like. He let out a meow, instinctively leaping forward to snatch the book, only to be swiftly grabbed by Charlotte and pulled back by the scruff. Well¡­ it seems to be genuine. Charlotte wondered what was in the book that excited Nice so much. ¡°Thank you for your gift, Bishop.¡± She smiled and accepted the book as well. This made Bishop Campbell even more enthusiastic. After Charlotte repelled the Kingdom¡¯s knights, this elder¡ªwho seemed older than Charlotte¡¯s grandfather in her past life¡ªlooked at her with exhilaration. ¡°Your Highness, your arrival must be guided by our Lord. Under your leadership, the Holy Light will surely illuminate the darkness, and the malevolent spirits hiding in Starfall will be purified by the Holy Light!¡± ?????????? Charlotte: ¡­ Okay, so he¡¯s completely mistaking her displayed power for that of a Saintess. Understandable, given that besides purification and healing, the Holy Court¡¯s divine spell is best at mental manipulation. Charlotte¡¯s bloodborne talent magic ¡°Mental Intimidation¡± had repelled the knights. Being a Blazing Sun tier priest, Campbell couldn¡¯t perceive that the magic Charlotte used was blood magic, thus mistakenly attributing it to holy powers. Charlotte returned Campbell¡¯s praises with a ¡°devout¡± smile. During their journey by ship, Charlotte had already had in-depth discussions with Count Stafford. Although Campbell held a lofty position, his influence in Starfall was quite limited. In fact, with the Holy Court¡¯s Crescent Diocese retracting its power and the Nez Clan expanding their influence, the entire church¡¯s power in Starfall was weak. Compared to their significant role in the Crescent Kingdom, in Starfall, the church seemed more like an appendage of the local nobles, with Bishop Campbell akin to a ceremonial figurehead. Otherwise, the Starfall nobles wouldn¡¯t have pinned their hopes on Charlotte¡¯s ¡°Saintess¡± identity. The Crescent Diocese was consolidating its power and could not focus on Starfall¡¯s situation. The only variable was Charlotte, recognized as an ¡°unofficial Saintess¡± by the diocese¡¯s archbishop. Thus, Campbell¡¯s attitude seemed to be a bit of ¡°seeking protection.¡± This gave Charlotte an idea. Perhaps, like in the Castell domain, she could try to marginalize the Starfall Kingdom¡¯s church. After presenting the grimoire, Bishop Campbell stepped aside. Several nobles remained, including Marquis Howard, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Count Greenville-Roman, the Court Advisor, and Count Stafford, the Chief Speaker of the Kingdom¡¯s Parliament. These four represented the upper echelons of the parliament-aligned nobles supporting Charlotte¡¯s claim to the throne. Marquis Howard represented the royal court¡¯s noble forces and the new noble faction of the parliament. Count Greenville-Roman represented the Roman royal family. Bishop Campbell represented the Holy Court. Count Stafford represented the powerful nobles in the parliament supporting Charlotte. Charlotte keenly observed that these nobles didn¡¯t seem to think much of Campbell, even though their attitudes were respectful, it seemed just respectful. Despite being a high-ranking cleric, Campbell seemed almost invisible among the nobles, indicating the Holy Court¡¯s weakness in Starfall compared to the Crescent Kingdom. The nobles supporting Charlotte¡¯s succession had clearly reached some agreement, suggesting a sense of unity. As the palace cleared, the atmosphere grew solemn. Count Stafford sighed and spoke to Charlotte. ¡°Your Majesty, it seems there are new developments. The Kingdom¡¯s knights represent the military power, essentially the standing army of Starfall. Duke West, the military governor, and Viscount Camden, the knights¡¯ commander, may have allied with the bloodbornes, abandoning neutrality to support Duke Aecia as the successor.¡± Charlotte glanced outside the palace, casually asking. ¡°Are the royal knights still outside?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve retreated. Failing to block your entry to the palace, they won¡¯t return. Even if they don¡¯t acknowledge your throne, they can¡¯t deny your identity. They¡­ don¡¯t dare to act against you.¡± Marquis Howard explained. ¡°Hmph, don¡¯t dare act against Her Majesty? That¡¯s uncertain.¡± Count Stafford sneered, surprising the other nobles. ¡°Count Stafford, what¡¯s happened?¡± Count Greenville-Roman inquired. Count Stafford looked to Charlotte, who gave a slight nod of approval. Taking a deep breath, Count Stafford said. ¡°On our way back to Starfall, we were attacked by the Behemoth Kraken¡­¡± He recounted the journey¡¯s events without revealing the identity of the attackers. The nobles were shocked. ¡°Are the Lilac faction nobles insane?! Attempting to harm the Queen?¡± ¡°A crime! This is a crime! Even if Her Majesty is uncrowned, this is blatant criminality!¡± The nobles were indignant. Even the usually unnoticed Bishop Campbell looked serious and joined in the condemnation. ¡°By the Lord¡­ This is blasphemy! Blasphemy against the divine! Such actions will surely be punished by the Gods!¡± Count Greenville-Roman nodded in agreement and then turned to Count Stafford. ¡°Have we identified the perpetrators?¡± Count Stafford was about to speak, but Charlotte answered first. ¡°Not yet, but we have some leads and are actively pursuing them. I believe we¡¯ll have results soon.¡± Count Stafford paused and then quickly added. ¡°Exactly.¡± Count Greenville-Roman¡¯s expression grew serious. ¡°Your Majesty, the next round of negotiations for the throne is in a week. If we can quickly identify the perpetrators, we might be able to gain the support of some neutral nobles. The military¡¯s shift in stance has put us at a disadvantage.¡± ¡°Can you seek assistance from the Holy Court? Their support would give us more leverage.¡± ¡°War is a last resort. With the military¡¯s change in attitude, a conflict would be extremely detrimental to us.¡± Charlotte nodded. ¡°War is indeed a last resort. If possible, I also wish to avoid it.¡± ¡°I will continue to track down the true culprits behind the attack and seek support from outside the kingdom. I urge all of you to keep working hard to gain more supporters before the next negotiations.¡± ¡­ After this initial meeting, the high-ranking nobles of Starfall left, each deep in thought. Although Charlotte had shown enough resolve, it was clear that the situation for the supporters of the ¡°Castell¡± faction was not ideal. However, Count Stafford did not leave immediately. ¡°Do you have any other questions, Count?¡± Charlotte asked. Count Stafford hesitated and then asked. ¡°Your Majesty, why did you¡­ just now¡­¡± ¡°Why did I hide that the real perpetrators are Duke West, the military commander, and Viscount Camden, the head of the knights?¡± Charlotte finished his thought. Count Stafford bowed in agreement. Charlotte paused and then asked. ¡°Count, you mentioned that your trip to Castell was a secret mission, right?¡± ¡°Then how did the information leak?¡± Count Stafford¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Do you mean¡­ a traitor?!¡± Charlotte nodded. ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡± Count Stafford¡¯s face darkened. Seeing his grim expression, Charlotte smiled. ¡°Count, there¡¯s no need to worry. If there are flies, we just need to swat them.¡± Count Stafford¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°Your Majesty, do you already have a plan?¡± Charlotte nodded slightly. ¡°Yes, I do. But I need you to do something for me.¡± ¡°Please, command me.¡± ¡°Provide me with a detailed list of Starfall¡¯s nobles. I need to have a thorough understanding of the situation.¡± ¡­ After receiving the order, Count Stafford left. Charlotte sat alone on the throne. To be honest, she didn¡¯t have much hope for the so-called throne negotiations. Even though Starfall had a tradition of such talks, she didn¡¯t believe that the nobles supported by the Nez Clan would compromise with the parliamentary faction. She didn¡¯t rely on the Starfall nobles either. The solution had to come from the root of the problem. She planned to visit the Nez Clan directly and meet ¡°Bardock.¡± But first, she needed to root out the traitor within the parliamentary faction. Not because the traitor posed a significant threat to her, but because she simply hated betrayal. Charlotte picked up the black cat, Nice, who was trying to steal the grimoire while she wasn¡¯t looking. Then she spoke to the air. ¡°Albrecht, come and see me.¡± In response, countless black bats flew from all directions, gathering in front of Charlotte and forming the figure of the Third Dark Apostle, Albrecht. This Legendary Bloodborne respectfully bowed to Charlotte, speaking obsequiously. ¡°Great True Ancestor, you finally remember me.¡± Charlotte glanced at him and commanded. ¡°Keep an eye on those nobles who just left. Monitor their movements, including Bishop Campbell. Report to me immediately if anything happens.¡± ¡°As you command.¡± sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Albrecht bowed again and then transformed into a swarm of bats, disappearing. After Albrecht left, Charlotte finally turned her attention to Nice, who was trying to steal the grimoire again. Smiling, she took the book from the chubby cat¡¯s paws and curiously asked. ¡°Now, can you tell me what this book contains that makes you so anxious?¡± Nice froze. He chuckled nervously, avoiding eye contact. ¡°Um¡­ just some old collections from my younger days, nothing important. Lady Charlotte, you wouldn¡¯t be interested. So, uh¡­ could you give it back?¡± ¡°Collections?¡± Charlotte raised an eyebrow, not believing the cat¡¯s lies. She chuckled, and with a flick of her finger, divine power broke the book¡¯s enchantment. After a burst of light, the words on the book became clear, revealing a new title¡ª ¡°Illustrated Guide to Multiracial Lolitas¡± Charlotte: ¡­ Chapter 477 : Nice’s Magic Research Nice also looked at the book cover. For a moment, both the person and the cat were silent. Charlotte only broke the silence when she looked at Nice with a disgusted expression. Nice coughed awkwardly and quickly shouted. ¡°Misunderstanding! It¡¯s all a misunderstanding! Lady Charlotte, this is just a random title I came up with to cover my academic research! I¡¯m not a pervert! Really, I¡¯m not! Please believe me!¡± Charlotte¡¯s face showed a thousand doubts. She casually flipped through the ¡°grimoire¡± and glanced at a few pages. As she read, her expression towards Nice turned even more disdainful. ¡°Nice, from today onwards, you¡¯re not allowed to come within three meters of me without my permission.¡± Nice: ¡­ ¡°Misunderstanding! It¡¯s really a misunderstanding! Oh no, maybe there is a bit of personal interest, but this book is really just a disguise! If you don¡¯t believe me¡­ if you don¡¯t believe me, try inputting some magic power. You¡¯ll definitely see something different!¡± Nice continued to defend himself. Input magic power? Charlotte raised an eyebrow. She picked up the ¡°grimoire¡± again and tried inputting some magic power into it. Then¡­ the text in the ¡°grimoire¡± changed once more. This time, it was the content page that changed. Charlotte noticed that the content, which could have landed its creator in jail for several years, had transformed. The words and pictures had all changed. The book¡¯s content had shifted from various racial appreciations to explanations of Gods, gossip, and research on the nature of divine power and faith. It included information on Artemis, the Moon Goddess, Aphros, the Goddess of Beauty, and several well-known and lesser-known minor Goddesses. Especially the Goddess of Beauty, Aphros. Much of Nice¡¯s research in the book centered around this minor Goddess, who seemed to have ¡°cooperated¡± with Nice in quite a few experiments. Wait¡­ Minor¡­ Goddess? Charlotte soon noticed a common theme in the various illustrations. She looked down at herself and then at the evasive Nice. For a moment, both the person and the cat were silent again. ¡°Nice.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ yes?¡± ¡°From today onwards, without my permission, you¡¯re not allowed to come within ten meters of me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Under Charlotte¡¯s gaze, which was like looking at non-burnable garbage, Nice slinked into a corner, trying to lower his presence. Charlotte, meanwhile, continued flipping through the ¡°flavorful¡± grimoire. She had to admit, although the grimoire¡¯s content had a criminal flavor, the hidden parts about the Gods were thought-provoking. In this grimoire, Nice¡¯s research on divine power was deep and¡­ rather blasphemous. It contained many theories Nice had never shared with Charlotte, including some experiments on the Gods that would definitely lead to execution in Myria. ????§¡???§§? Contrary to Myria¡¯s accepted belief in the Gods¡¯ creation, Nice believed that divine power and even extraordinary power were foreign, invaders that changed the world of Myria. Moreover, Nice posited that magic power, source power, mental power, and divine power were all different manifestations of the same underlying force. According to Nice, this force had strong permeation and assimilation properties, capable of merging with and transforming the material world, ultimately manifesting as magic and divine arts. This¡­ was the basis of Nice¡¯s theory that Gods were parasites. Additionally, the ¡°grimoire¡± detailed Nice¡¯s theories on ¡°laws.¡± Nice believed that the ¡°proficiency¡± with which different powers merged and transformed was what the Gods called ¡°laws.¡± When this ¡°proficiency¡± reached a high enough level, it formed a ¡°primordial essence¡± in an intermediate state between different powers. This ¡°primordial essence¡± appeared flame-like but wasn¡¯t actual flame; it was called ¡°divine flame.¡± When divine flame advanced further, it created an organ for power transformation: the ¡°divine core.¡± After reading the grimoire, Charlotte fell into deep thought. Honestly, she had heard similar theories from Nice before, but seeing such detailed arguments for the first time was eye-opening. The section on laws, in particular, almost overturned Charlotte¡¯s understanding of divine power. She now understood why Nice hadn¡¯t shared these thoughts before. They were more shocking than what Nice usually said. However, based on her own use of divine power, Charlotte found some truth in Nice¡¯s theories. Some of her longstanding questions seemed to find answers in an instant. She had to admit, Nice was a genius in the field of magic. If Nice¡¯s research was accurate, it nearly bridged the gap between the extraordinary and the divine. For Charlotte, a Demigod who came into her power late, this even pointed the way to condensing a divine core. It was truly incredible. The method to enhance divine power and condense a divine core, something Charlotte had sought in various ways, was found in Nice¡¯s notes. Of course, this was assuming Nice¡¯s research was correct. Even Nice himself wasn¡¯t entirely confident in his research, often using words like ¡°speculation¡± and ¡°conjecture¡± in the grimoire. With this in mind, Charlotte had a strange thought. Instead of searching for divine records to explore the growth of Gods, perhaps¡­ she could get more effective information from Nice. This was indeed a case of looking too far for answers. Thinking of this, Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Nice, how much do you actually know about the Gods? Why haven¡¯t you mentioned this research before?¡± Nice didn¡¯t answer. Charlotte looked up and saw him shrinking into a corner of the palace, far away¡­ pretending to be dead. Charlotte: ¡­ ¡°Why are you so far away?¡± ¡°Um¡­ Lady Charlotte, didn¡¯t you tell me to stay ten meters away?¡± Charlotte: ¡­ ¡°Get back here.¡± ¡°Alright¡­¡± So, Nice rolled back over obediently. Charlotte: ¡­ She looked at him, half annoyed and half amused, then composed herself. ¡°Answer my question.¡± Nice looked pained. ¡°Well¡­ Lady Charlotte, you never asked before, and this kind of blasphemous stuff, I didn¡¯t dare to say! It¡¯s even more shocking than saying the Gods are parasites! Besides, shouldn¡¯t you know more about these things than I do? Also, my research¡­ has some flaws that don¡¯t make sense.¡± Charlotte paused and said, ¡°My use of divine power does indeed have some similarities with your research, but¡­ I¡¯ve never seen such theories before. Your research¡­ makes me very curious.¡± She looked at Nice curiously and asked. ¡°Nice, since your research on Gods is so deep, haven¡¯t you thought about becoming a God yourself?¡± Nice sighed. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t tried, I wouldn¡¯t be in this state now.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Charlotte raised an eyebrow. Nice had always avoided talking about how he became a black cat, but now¡­ maybe because one secret after another was being exposed, or maybe because Charlotte¡¯s ¡°restored¡± power was growing stronger, he seemed finally willing to speak. Charlotte looked Nice up and down and asked. ¡°Are you saying that your current form is the result of a failed attempt at becoming a God?¡± Nice answered honestly. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ partly correct. I did try to use my research to become a God, but¡­ I failed.¡± ¡°My theoretical approach should have been correct, but it seemed to lack the most critical step. During the power transformation, I found that what Gods could easily do, I couldn¡¯t achieve under the same conditions.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like trying to open a door with the same key as the Gods. They can open it, but I¡¯m restricted by some unknown qualification¡­ unable to open it.¡± Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I must have overlooked something, something that determines it¡¯s impossible for me to become a God by my own power.¡± An unknown qualification? Charlotte pondered. This made her think of the lucky mortals in Myria¡¯s history who had become Gods. Throughout history, apart from those ¡°born¡± Gods, those mortals who became Gods didn¡¯t seem to rely on their own power but inherited other Gods¡¯ ¡°legacy.¡± Even Charlotte had inherited the Gospel of Blood. So¡­ does becoming a God really require some sort of qualification? Of course, if such a qualification exists, Charlotte now likely has it. But what concerned her was, if becoming a God requires a ¡°qualification¡± as Nice suggested¡­ what is the essence of this qualification? If it¡¯s a ¡°qualification¡±, who or what determines it? Charlotte couldn¡¯t figure it out. However, this wasn¡¯t something she needed to consider right now. She just kept it in mind for the future. ¡°So¡­ what was the other half of your reason for failing?¡± Charlotte looked at Nice again and asked. Nice¡¯s eyes suddenly became evasive again. ¡°Hmm?¡± Charlotte raised her tone slightly. Nice swallowed and laughed dryly. ¡°The other¡­ reason¡­ the other reason¡­ was probably because I was being hunted by the God of Contracts and the Goddess of Beauty and had to hide in this cat container prematurely.¡± Charlotte: ¡­ Considering the divine spells Nice usually practiced and the various experiments in the ¡°grimoire¡± requiring Gods¡¯ ¡°cooperation¡±, she could guess why he was being hunted. Charlotte was about to tease him, but suddenly she felt a premonition and heard prayers and calls from afar. The voice belonged to Sebastian. She realized that it must be about the meeting with the Northern Archduke. Chapter 478 : The Power Behind the North 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¡­¡± ?£Á????o??¦¥???? ¡°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. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. 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.¡± Chapter 479 : Visit 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. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. 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. Chapter 480 : Meeting Bardock Charlotte stepped down from the carriage, curiously observing the Nez Clan¡¯s stronghold. It was her first time visiting a large bloodborne base, and she had to admit, the Nez Clan¡¯s castle complex was quite close to her mental image of a vampire¡¯s lair. Fog, castles, barren trees, graves, crows, bats¡­Every imaginable element was present here. Oh, and gargoyles, too. Bloodbornes in Myria loved to summon or create these puppet monsters to guard their homes. Charlotte quickly noticed the eighteen menacing gargoyles around the teleportation square. They looked like fierce demons with bat wings, staring at Charlotte with their crimson eyes. A raspy, mechanical voice emerged from their grotesque mouths. ¡°Warning! Warning! Unknown bloodborne detected! Unknown bloodborne detected!¡± ¡°Analyzing aura¡­ Identifying¡­¡± ¡°Identification¡­ failed! Threat level¡­ extremely high!¡± ¡°Stranger, state your identity and purpose! Otherwise¡­ you will be attacked by the Nez gargoyle guardians!¡± In her ¡°Saint¡± state, Charlotte almost immediately saw through the nature of these gargoyles. ¡°Tsk, I see. They capture high-level extraordinaries, erase their souls and will, then refine them into these gargoyle puppets¡­¡± The Nez Clan¡¯s depth was quite impressive. In Charlotte¡¯s perception, each of these eighteen gargoyles had combat power equivalent to a Blazing Sun tier. Moreover, their distribution formed a pattern subtly matching the array on the ground, capable of forming a magic energy matrix to enhance their strength. An array formed by eighteen Blazing Suns would be something even Legendary would avoid. Charlotte observed the gargoyles with interest. She didn¡¯t directly reveal her identity but said calmly. ¡°Tell Bardock that an old acquaintance has come visiting.¡± The gargoyles seemed momentarily confused by Charlotte¡¯s words. After a brief pause, their deep, raspy voices resumed. ¡°Lord Bardock¡­ old acquaintance¡­¡± ¡°Error¡­¡± ¡°No appointment detected, invalid¡­¡± ¡°Activating emergency magic program¡­¡± ¡°Commencing¡­ forced expulsion!¡± With that, the eighteen gargoyles spread their bat wings, their bodies glowing with eerie red light, illuminating strange magic patterns. Their aura soared instantly, and without another word, they charged at Charlotte. Seeing the gargoyles attack without hesitation, Charlotte sighed and said to Yurst, who was already turning his head away. ¡°It seems the Nez Clan¡¯s puppet creatures are not very intelligent.¡± Yurst: ¡­ He wasn¡¯t sure how to respond to the True Ancestor¡¯s comment. The gargoyles¡¯ attack arrived in an instant. Their eyes lit up, and thirty-six red beams shot out, forming a large three-dimensional network that blocked all of Charlotte¡¯s escape routes. Charlotte raised an eyebrow. She could sense the astonishing energy within those beams. However¡­ she didn¡¯t feel threatened. Not only that, despite the beams¡¯ speed, they seemed slow in Charlotte¡¯s vision. It felt as if she could simply stretch out a hand and block all the beams. ????????????? It wasn¡¯t an illusion. In her ¡°Saint¡± state, Charlotte was indeed faster. Almost instinctively, Charlotte extended her right hand. With a gentle wave, she blocked all the incoming red beams. No, more accurately, she absorbed the energy into her hand. It was indeed energy. Charlotte could feel the heat and agitation, even finding it slightly hot, like touching water at fifty or sixty degrees Celsius in her previous life. This indicated the terrifying nature of the gargoyles¡¯ beams. In her ¡°Saint¡± state, Charlotte¡¯s physical body had nearly reached a divine level, with divine power shielding her. An attack below Legendary level couldn¡¯t harm her. Feeling the heat meant these beams could threaten a Legendary. She immediately released the energy, throwing it back. ¡°You can keep this.¡± In an instant, the thirty-six red beams were returned, following their original paths back. The beams sliced through the gargoyles¡¯ necks, decapitating them. Eighteen grotesque heads rolled to the ground, their crimson eyes dimming, while their bodies cracked like spider webs before collapsing entirely. Witnessing this, Yurst felt a surge of awe and reverence for Charlotte. He knew the True Ancestor was strong and that these gargoyles were no match for her. But he hadn¡¯t expected her strength to have recovered to this extent. Perhaps Charlotte didn¡¯t realize it, and many in the Nez Clan might not know, but as an early third-generation bloodborne, Yurst understood these gargoyles well. These gargoyles were formidable creations left by Lord Casey, capable of easily subduing Legendary with their magic array! Yurst knew that the True Ancestor¡¯s power was still recovering and that the True Ancestor naturally had a bloodline suppression over other bloodbornes, but the gargoyles were not bloodbornes. These puppet creatures were specifically designed to intimidate rebellious high-ranking bloodbornes. But now¡­ they were instantly killed by their own attacks in just one encounter! Recalling the time at sea when the True Ancestor had repelled Kraken, a sea behemoth that had devoured Gods, with just a few words¡­ Yurst couldn¡¯t help but look at Charlotte, his heart surging with emotion. The True Ancestor¡¯s power¡­ must have truly returned to a mythic level! When Yurst looked at the destroyed gargoyles, he felt even more certain. The reason was simple: although the True Ancestor had used overwhelming power to instantly kill the gargoyles, she hadn¡¯t destroyed their heads. In other words, the soul cores of the gargoyles were still intact. As long as new bodies and inscription arrays were provided, they could be repaired. This obviously left room for restoration. Taking a small example to infer a larger truth, it was clear that the True Ancestor did not intend to annihilate the Nez Clan but perhaps wanted to bring them back under her control! The True Ancestor¡­ had indeed changed. She was now more tolerant and merciful! With this thought, Yurst felt some of the pressure and guilt lift from his heart, and he looked at Charlotte with even more respect and gratitude. Charlotte glanced at him, puzzled, not knowing what was going through his mind. However, Yurst¡¯s judgment wasn¡¯t entirely wrong. In a way, Charlotte¡¯s current strength was indeed at a mythic level. Of course, she was only a Demigod and needed to continuously burn divine power. But¡­ it was already enough to cause a commotion in the Nez Clan¡¯s stronghold. As for not destroying the gargoyles¡¯ heads¡­ that was purely Yurst¡¯s over-interpretation. The truth was that Charlotte hadn¡¯t thought about it much and was simply aiming for the larger target area of their bodies when she threw the attack back. Of course, if Charlotte knew the secret of the gargoyles, she would likely have made the same choice, as Yurst guessed. She did not intend to destroy the Nez Clan but hoped to incorporate them. ¡°Elimination¡­ failed¡­¡± ¡°Initiating¡­ Level One Alert¡­¡± The gargoyles emitted intermittent voices, issuing a warning as their light dimmed. Red beams of light shot into the sky from the magic array, blooming into blood-colored fireworks. Charlotte looked up but did not intervene. Soon, the Nez Clan¡¯s stronghold became lively. The bloodbornes in the castle were finally alarmed. The first to respond was a group of gray-clad extraordinaries, led by a few black-robed bloodbornes. Charlotte glanced at them and judged that these should be the Nez Clan¡¯s patrol unit, as mentioned by Yurst on the way, composed of low and mid-rank bloodbornes and blood thralls. Of course, calling it a patrol unit was a bit misleading. These bloodbornes were quite weak, with the highest rank only being a viscount, and most were barons. Such strength was mostly for maintaining the stronghold¡¯s security and serving as cannon fodder in case of an emergency. However, the blood thralls were quite strong. Their strength even surpassed that of the leading bloodbornes, with the weakest being at the Silver Moon tier and some even at the Blazing Sun tier. They were also chained, looking more like prisoners than patrol members. Charlotte was intrigued. These were likely extraordinaires forcibly made into blood thralls by bloodbornes. Their power didn¡¯t come from the bloodborne bloodline but from the extraordinary abilities they possessed before becoming thralls. The so-called Nez Clan patrol unit, these extraordinary blood thralls, were probably the true main force. Indeed, upon noticing the situation at the teleportation array, they quickly rushed over. The leading bloodborne was quite young. His expression changed dramatically upon seeing the shattered gargoyles around the teleportation array. ¡°Who dares cause trouble at Nez Castle? Nez thralls, capture them immediately!¡± He ordered the blood thralls, looking at Charlotte and Yurst, who were hidden in the shadows. It was clear that this young bloodborne hadn¡¯t realized the significance of the destroyed gargoyles guarding the teleportation array. ¡°Wait!¡± Seeing the blood thralls about to act, Yurst hurriedly shouted. He stepped forward from the shadows after speaking. ¡°Lo¡­ Lord Yurst?¡± The young bloodborne was stunned. Yurst nodded. He glanced at Charlotte, hesitated, then said, ¡°This lady is an old friend of Lord Bardock. Quickly inform Lord Bardock that an old acquaintance has come to visit the Nez Clan.¡± ¡°Lord Bardock¡¯s¡­ old acquaintance?¡± The low-rank bloodbornes exchanged bewildered looks. They hesitated, unsure of how to act, until a deep voice came from behind the patrol unit. ¡°Yurst? When did you return without a word?¡± It was a Blood Count. With the high-ranking bloodborne alarmed, the patrol unit¡¯s bloodbornes and extraordinaries moved aside. Seeing the high-ranking bloodborne, Yulst¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Harris? You¡¯re on duty this month?¡± Taking a deep breath, he said, ¡°Harris, let¡¯s put aside our past grievances. There is an esteemed guest here. Quickly inform Lord Bardock.¡± ¡°An esteemed guest?¡± Count Harris squinted his eyes. He glanced at the shattered gargoyle fragments on the ground and then at Charlotte in the shadows, sneering, ¡°I see¡­ it¡¯s a hostile guest, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°I heard you¡¯ve boarded Castell¡¯s warship. I didn¡¯t expect you to return. The one beside you must be a messenger from Castell, a follower of that mysterious Prince, right?¡± ¡°Hmph, Yurst, colluding with outsiders to destroy our Nez Clan¡¯s guardian gargoyles. As Lord Alec said, it seems your Yorok faction is indeed rebellious!¡± ¡°Patrol unit, why are you hesitating? Activate the binding array and seize them!¡± It seemed that, perhaps due to the long peace in Nez Castle, this Bloodborne Count did not realize the significance of the gargoyles being destroyed so quickly and assumed it was done by Yurst, a member of the Nez Clan. Upon receiving the order, the Nez patrol unit sprang into action, their magic surging as they charged at Charlotte and Yurst. ¡°Harris! You¡­ fool!¡± Yurst panicked. He gritted his teeth and was about to step forward, but Charlotte stopped him. ¡°You are also a Nez bloodborne. Stay out of this.¡± Charlotte said. Yurst felt a gentle yet irresistible force preventing him from moving forward. He watched in astonishment as Charlotte stepped out of the darkness, realizing that the True Ancestor was considering his unique identity and feelings for the Nez Clan and didn¡¯t want to make things difficult for him. Yurst felt moved but conflicted, unable to help but ask. ¡°True Ancestor¡­ can you spare them¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, no one will die.¡± Charlotte waved her hand. As Charlotte stepped out of the shadows, Harris and the patrol unit got a clear look at her. ¡°A royal bloodline?¡± Seeing Charlotte¡¯s near-iconic gold-red eyes, Count Harris¡¯s expression changed drastically. His face almost immediately shifted, and he shouted. ¡°It¡¯s one of Kirali¡¯s remnants! Patrol unit! Capture her at once! Kill her if necessary!¡± With the order from the high-ranking bloodborne, the patrol unit did not hesitate. The extraordinary blood thralls roared, their magic flaring up as they charged at Charlotte. Charlotte did not dodge. The attacks came swiftly, and in an instant, she was engulfed by magical brilliance. ¡°Dead¡­ is she dead?¡± The low-ranking bloodborne leading the group was stunned. Count Harris¡¯s eyes narrowed. The next moment, as if sensing something, his expression changed. ¡°Retreat! Quickly!¡± However, it was too late. Crimson light exploded, rapidly spreading from the point of impact of the extraordinary blood thralls¡¯ attacks. As the light swept over them, the blood thralls felt their bloodline instantly freeze, and their extraordinary powers were immediately sealed. Before they could react, they lost their strength, and even standing became impossible. They collapsed to the ground, unable to rise. Seeing this, the low-ranking bloodbornes leading the group were all shocked. ¡°High-level blood coagulation! You are¡­ a high-ranking bloodborne!¡± Count Harris¡¯s eyes narrowed again. Charlotte slowly walked towards him. She glanced around the castle and asked. ¡°Where is Bardock? Where is he?¡± ¡°How dare you! Addressing the Elder by name!¡± Harris was furious. He shouted angrily, magic surging, his eyes turning crimson, wings spreading from his back as he unleashed his bloodline power, rushing towards Charlotte, clawed hands aiming for her neck. Bright red light spread around him, quickly forming a barrier that enclosed Harris and Charlotte. At that moment, the Blood Count unleashed his Spiritual Force Field! Far surpassing the extraordinary blood thralls, his overwhelming pressure and magic surged toward Charlotte at the center of the storm. Under that tremendous pressure, several low-ranking bloodbornes directly knelt on the ground. Even Yurst, also a Blood Count, was solemn upon sensing Harris¡¯ terrifying power. However, Charlotte remained unmoved. She simply looked up, gazing at Harris calmly. It was just a calm glance. But to Count Harris, it felt like his mental strength collided with an indestructible mountain. Under her calm gaze, he felt his magic spiraling out of control, his once surging bloodline power betraying him and slipping from his grasp. His transformation, force field, bloodline power, and magic seemed to receive higher orders, all deactivating instantly. Then¡­ this Blood Count, like a mortal, fell to the ground with a thud, landing in front of Charlotte in a dramatic and humiliating manner. The surrounding low-ranking bloodbornes were bewildered. They hadn¡¯t seen what happened. From their perspective, they only saw their awe-inspiring and mysterious Count Harris unleash unbelievable power, only to lose all strength and fall flat on his face moments later. Yurst, however, knew what had happened. He looked at Charlotte¡¯s back with increasing reverence. The True Ancestor! This was the power of the True Ancestor! The True Ancestor is the source of power for all bloodbornes, having absolute bloodline suppression over any blood descendants! In the past, the True Ancestor¡¯s suppression over other bloodbornes might not have been as strong, but now, the True Ancestor¡¯s power has greatly recovered. Clearly, she had once again become the ruler above all blood descendants! Yurst was incredibly excited. At the same time, Count Harris, who had gone from initial shock and bewilderment to understanding what had happened, gradually widened his eyes. He lay on the ground, struggling to lift his head¡­ Seeing Charlotte¡¯s beautiful and cold face, her silver hair, and her iconic gold-red pupils, Count Harris¡¯ face turned pale. His lips quivered, his pupils dilated, and even his voice trembled. ¡°This¡­ this power, you¡­ no¡­ you¡­ you are¡­¡± Charlotte glanced at him indifferently. ¡°Where is Bardock?¡± Count Harris opened his mouth but did not answer. Charlotte frowned slightly. ¡°Is there a word spirit guarding him¡­¡± She murmured. ¡°Never mind, I¡¯ll find him myself.¡± Shaking her head slightly, Charlotte withdrew her gaze. She looked around the area, took a deep breath, and released her aura, which approached the Legendary level. ¡°Captain Bardock, an old acquaintance is visiting. Please come out for a chat!¡± The pressure, even stronger than that of Count Harris, spread out, causing the few low-ranking bloodbornes who were about to flee to kneel on the ground again. This time, the provocative pressure finally angered the Nez bloodbornes who had not shown themselves. ¡°Impudence!¡± ¡°Which bloodborne dares to provoke in our Nez Clan¡¯s territory!¡± With shouts of anger, powerful auras rose from various castles. Soon, over thirty beams of bright red light descended upon the central plaza of the stronghold. All of them were high-ranking bloodbornes, including one whose aura was as deep as an ocean¡ªa Blood Duke. Clearly, Charlotte had truly stirred up a ¡°hornet¡¯s nest¡± this time. With the appearance of high-ranking bloodbornes, more bloodbornes emerged from the castles. In no time, Charlotte and Yurst were surrounded by members of the Nez Clan. The leading Blood Duke appeared to be a very old-looking bloodborne. His expression was grim, his gaze towards Charlotte full of hostility. He looked between Yurst and Charlotte, then sneered. ¡°You must be a messenger from Castell? Haha, who would have thought that the prince behind Castell is actually from the Kirali clan.¡± ¡°Ma¡¯am, I don¡¯t know how you mastered a spell that can seal bloodborne powers, but don¡¯t think that just because you have divine backing, you can do as you please in the Nez territory!¡± With a cold snort, the Blood Duke¡¯s magic surged as he prepared to attack. Charlotte sighed. Her gaze quickly turned cold, and her aura intensified again. Blood divine power surged, erupting like a volcano, the pressure from soul and bloodline instantly descending upon every Nez bloodborne. Then, all the Nez bloodbornes heard a cold command echoing in their minds. ¡°Kneel!¡± Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Thud¡­ Thud¡­ Thud¡­ Like cutting down wheat, the Nez bloodbornes present all knelt under the irresistible command, even the powerful Duke who had just unleashed his power couldn¡¯t withstand the suffocating pressure and knelt. Seeing all the Nez bloodbornes kneel, Yurst, who wasn¡¯t ¡°addressed¡± by Charlotte¡¯s pressure, panicked and quickly knelt behind her. Silence. A deathly silence. The bloodbornes stared in terror and astonishment at the lone standing girl, not comprehending what had happened. This time, the remaining Dukes of the Nez Clan were finally thoroughly alarmed. One powerful aura after another descended upon the plaza. Great Elder Duke Robin, Duke Yorok, Duke Alec¡­ the true higher-ups of the Niez Clan appeared. Their expressions were unprecedentedly serious, as if facing a formidable enemy, uniting to resist Charlotte¡¯s pressure. Until¡­ a deep voice was heard. ¡°Everyone¡­ stop.¡± Hearing this voice, the Nez Dukes paused. Charlotte also turned her head, looking towards the source of the voice. She felt a stir in her heart and slightly reduced the divine power she was releasing. Sensing the lessened pressure, the Nez bloodbornes struggled to stand and moved aside. Soon, a ¡°knight¡± in armor appeared in Charlotte¡¯s sight. Seeing the familiar figure through her memories, Charlotte felt a moment of trance. When the knight saw Charlotte¡¯s appearance clearly, his gaze also tightened. In the shocked, confused, and puzzled gazes of all the Nez bloodbornes, the ¡°knight¡± took a step forward and suddenly knelt on one knee before Charlotte. ¡°Former Free City States¡­ Third Legion Commander Bardock¡­ pays respects to the Progenitor!¡± Chapter 481 : The Progenitor?! The¡­ the Progenitor?! Seeing Bardock kneeling and hearing the title he addressed, all the Nez bloodbornes around were stunned. Especially the high-ranking bloodbornes, the counts, and above. They looked in shock at Elder Bardock, who had knelt down, then followed his gaze, looking uncertainly at Charlotte, who had calmly received Bardock¡¯s salute. In the hazy moonlight, Charlotte¡¯s silver hair fluttered, and her golden-red pupils seemed to carry a mesmerizing power, drawing one¡¯s gaze irresistibly into them. Her black dress, woven with thorns and roses, was noble and mysterious, adding an extra touch of grandeur and majesty to Charlotte¡¯s already deep and dark aura. As the Blood Dukes, led by Great Elder Duke Robin and Duke Yorok, looked at Charlotte again, they felt a moment of dizziness. The long-forgotten memories seemed to be reactivated by Elder Bardock¡¯s words¡­ resurfacing one by one. In the hazy moonlight, the tall, beautiful, and mysterious silver-haired girl before the kneeling knight gradually overlapped with a vague figure in their memories, and that figure¡­ became clearer. Gorgeous silver hair¡­ Golden-red pupils¡­ A black divine dress woven with thorns and roses¡­ No¡­ This¡­ this image¡­ And this divine symbol, which they had been unable to identify before, as if their memories had been erased¡­ She¡­ she¡­ She is¡­! ¡°Your Majesty¡­ the True Ancestor!¡± Great Elder Duke Robin¡¯s voice trembled, his face showing fear, as he uttered the word that emerged unbidden in the minds of all high-ranking bloodbornes at that moment. The True Ancestor! She was the True Ancestor! Hearing the Great Elder¡¯s murmur, the surrounding low and mid-ranking bloodbornes finally reacted. They almost simultaneously showed fear, instinctively stepping back, the ¡°circle¡± that had originally surrounded Charlotte expanding instantly. Counts and Dukes also had drastic changes in their expressions. Their spirits instantly tensed, their magic becoming active in an instant, like cats with their fur standing on end, seemingly ready to attack at any moment¡ªor perhaps to flee. ?????£Î§°?????? Charlotte glanced at Great Elder Duke Robin with some surprise. This slight glance almost made the already jittery Blood Dukes jump in fright. Like the lower-ranking bloodbornes, they instinctively took a step back. Wherever Charlotte¡¯s gaze swept, the high-ranking bloodbornes would retreat. That kind of fear and dread, seemingly emanating from their very souls, was almost overflowing on their faces. Mice encountering a cat would not react more strongly than this. Seeing the Nez bloodbornes reacting like startled rabbits, Bardock, kneeling on one knee, also fell silent for some reason. For a moment, it seemed to Charlotte that she saw a hint of regret and unease flash across the ¡°knight¡¯s¡± expressionless face beneath his armor. Of course, that hint of unease vanished in an instant, as if it was just an illusion. Bardock frowned, his crimson eyes looking disapprovingly at the surrounding bloodbornes, his dignified voice resonated deeply. ¡°What are you doing? In the presence of the Progenitor Cain, why do you not quickly pay your respects?¡± Pay¡­ pay respects? Pay respects to the True Ancestor?! Shouldn¡¯t they join forces to surround and attack her, or run away, since she was alone?! The Nez bloodbornes looked at Bardock in disbelief, their eyes widening. ¡°Lord¡­ Lord Bardock, she¡­ she is the True Ancestor!¡± Duke Yorok couldn¡¯t help but repeat, his tone turning agitated. For a moment, Bardock fell silent again. After a while, he continued. ¡°I¡­ of course, I know the Progenitor is the True Ancestor, but¡­ Her Majesty Cain is not the True Ancestor as you perceive.¡± ¡°I know what you fear. As the Guardian Elder of the Nez Clan, I, Bardock, can assure you that Her Majesty Cain¡­ is not an enemy but a revered elder we should respect.¡± Not the True Ancestor we perceived? Hearing Bardock¡¯s words, the Nez bloodbornes were stunned. They looked at Charlotte again, their expressions momentarily blank. Especially the high-ranking bloodbornes. Looking at the ¡°girl¡±, whose appearance was almost identical to the gradually revived memories, and the symbol they finally remembered, their CPUs were about to overheat from Bardock¡¯s words. Wait¡­ Isn¡¯t the Progenitor the same as the Ancestor, and the Ancestor the Progenitor? Doesn¡¯t ¡°Progenitor¡± literally mean ¡°the True Ancestor¡±? Is there a difference? Could there be two True Ancestors? And Cain¡­ isn¡¯t that one of the most commonly used aliases of the True Ancestor? The high-ranking bloodbornes¡¯ faces were blank. Their confused expressions were like hearing someone say, ¡°A tomato is a tomato, but a tomato is not a tomato.¡± Only Great Elder Duke Robin, after hearing Bardock¡¯s words, fell into deep thought. He thoughtfully looked at his elder, then at the girl whose mere presence made his bloodline resonate. Hesitating for a moment, he followed Bardock and knelt down. ¡°Paying respects¡­ to Her Majesty, the Progenitor!¡± This act once again left the Nez bloodbornes dumbfounded. However, the remaining bloodbornes quickly reacted. In bloodborne society, the hierarchy is strict. Although they hadn¡¯t figured out the situation, and didn¡¯t know why the terrifying True Ancestor from legend didn¡¯t immediately start a purge upon reappearing, since even the highest-ranking Elder Bardock and the Great Elder had knelt, they had no reason to hesitate. So, from the Dukes to the Counts, from the Counts to the Viscounts, from the Viscounts to the Barons and lower-ranking bloodbornes and blood thralls, all knelt to Charlotte. Only Duke Alec from Luna Island remained standing. However, under Bardock¡¯s sharp gaze, this lazy young Duke hesitated for a moment before reluctantly following suit. Hundreds of Nez bloodbornes knelt in unison, creating a somewhat uneven sound in the plaza. ¡°Paying respects¡­ to Her Majesty, the True Ancestor¡­¡± Seeing the collective kneeling of the Nez bloodbornes, Bardock¡¯s expression finally softened. He let out a breath and respectfully made a welcoming gesture to Charlotte. ¡°Your Majesty, the Progenitor, please.¡± Charlotte nodded slightly. Although the turn of events was equally beyond her expectations, and the reaction of Bardock and the collective kneeling of the Nez bloodbornes overloaded her CPU a bit, she knew¡­ at this moment, she had to maintain her dignified persona. Of course, now that she had invoked the blood divine power, the arrival of the ¡°descending God¡± brought an absolute bloodline suppression that was enough to make all blood clans near her feel the pressure from their bloodlines and souls. Accompanied by Bardock, Charlotte walked confidently toward the most imposing and majestic central castle in the Nez stronghold. The Nez bloodbornes, understanding the situation, made way for her. Yurst behind Charlotte hesitated a little. However, noticing the vaguely intimidating gazes from the surrounding bloodbornes, he swallowed hard and quickly followed. Only Duke Yorok widened his eyes, watching his most valued descendant follow behind the ¡°True Ancestor¡± like a little follower, his expression indescribably complex. The Nez bloodbornes silently shifted their gazes and looked at Yorok in unison. Duke Yorok: ¡­ ¡°What¡­ what are you looking at?! I don¡¯t know anything!¡± He uncomfortably muttered before quickly getting up and following along, not forgetting to throw a parting line. ¡°What are you all standing there for?! Hurry up and follow! The True Ancestor¡­ the True Ancestor seems a bit different from what we knew.¡± By the end, his voice was filled with uncertainty. The bloodbornes looked at the Great Elder. Great Elder Robin nodded slightly. Thus, the numerous bloodbornes reluctantly stood up and followed. ¡­ S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte entered the central castle of the Nez stronghold. The layout of the central castle was quite familiar to her, and she quickly realized it was designed based on the Dark Night Castle. Her gaze naturally fell on the place that should have belonged to the Blood Throne. There was indeed a throne, but the symbol depicted on it was not thorny rose but constellations and a blood moon. That was the symbol of the ¡°Stargazer¡± Casey. Charlotte paused, then walked straight over and sat down on the throne. Well¡­ she hadn¡¯t done much else since coming to Starfall, but she had already sat on all the thrones. As Charlotte sat down, the Nez bloodbornes filed in. Of course, only the mid to high-ranking bloodbornes entered this time. There were so many bloodbornes that there was no room for the lower-ranking ones to stand in the castle. Inside the castle, it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The Nez bloodbornes looked at Charlotte on the throne, not daring to meet her eyes, only looking at the hem of her dress, their spirits tense and their expressions nervous. The atmosphere in the hall was extremely tense. Bardock looked at the nobles who had entered, hesitating slightly. He pondered for a moment and then said to Great Elder Robin. ¡°Robin, I need to speak with the True Ancestor alone. Please take everyone outside first.¡± After a pause, he added. ¡°I will explain everything that happened tonight to everyone afterward.¡± Hearing Bardock¡¯s order, Great Elder Robin nodded, signaling the other bloodbornes to leave the hall. Only Duke Yorok did not move. He stared fixedly at Yurst, his wide eyes seeming to say, ¡°You bastard, shouldn¡¯t you give me an explanation?¡± Yurst was instantly paralyzed. He swallowed hard and cautiously said, ¡°Lo¡­ Lord Bardock, may I stay?¡± Bardock frowned and said, ¡°You go out too.¡± Charlotte glanced at him, understanding that Bardock probably had something important to say, so she also waved her hand, signaling Yurst to leave. You can avoid it for now, but you can¡¯t avoid it forever. Since she had decided to appear as the ¡°True Ancestor¡±, the relationship between Yurst and her could no longer be hidden. This guy¡­ sooner or later would have to face the ¡°interrogation¡± of the Nez bloodbornes. Of course, Yurst was Charlotte¡¯s blood servant, so he wouldn¡¯t be in any life-threatening danger under this aura. As for how to ¡°honestly confess¡±, that would depend on Yurrst himself. Charlotte couldn¡¯t help much. In fact, when bringing Charlotte over, Yurst had already mentally prepared for this. Of course, being mentally prepared was one thing, but actually facing it was another. When it came to the moment, he was still scared. Under the orders of the two big shots, Yurst had no choice but to retreat with stiff steps. Feeling the gazes around him, he was almost paralyzed. The other bloodbornes also left, and soon, only Charlotte and Bardock were left in the hall. After ensuring the soundproofing enchantments in the hall were functioning properly, Bardock visibly relaxed. This legion commander took off his helmet, revealing a familiar face. His previously stern and cold demeanor instantly broke. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, looking slightly relieved, and then, under Charlotte¡¯s odd gaze, let out a long breath and smiled bitterly. ¡°Phew¡­ finally managed to get through that. These Nez bloodbornes are really hard to deal with. Pretending in front of them is really stressful¡­¡± After speaking, he looked at Charlotte with some excitement and said, ¡°Savior, I never expected to see you in this era¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s truly wonderful to see you again!¡± Charlotte: ¡­ Pretending¡­ pretending? She suddenly realized¡­ things seemed a bit different from what she imagined. After a slight pause, Charlotte said, ¡°Commander Bardock, I¡¯ve been asleep for quite a long time and seem to have lost some memories.¡± ¡°When did you become the leader of the Nez Clan? Can you tell me¡­ what¡¯s going on?¡± Upon hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, Bardock was stunned. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯ve lost your memory too?!¡± Hmm? Too¡­? Charlotte was slightly taken aback. She frowned slightly, looking at Bardock, who sighed and said, ¡°Savior, it¡¯s a long story. It all started with that protracted war¡­¡± With that, Bardock began to recount the experiences after Charlotte disappeared¡­ The story began with the bloodbornes, under Charlotte¡¯s leadership, defeating the Old Gods¡¯ coalition from Myria. Charlotte used her own bloodline to create the second generation of bloodbornes and relied on the power of the bloodbornes to completely defeat the Old Gods of the Northern Frontier. The Old Gods fell one after another, and the Northern Frontier was officially incorporated into the Free City-States Alliance¡¯s territory. The bloodbornes finally stepped onto the world stage. Bardock also finally grew in the flames of war, breaking through Blazing Sun to become a Legendary. The expanding power of the Free City-States Alliance finally caught the attention of the elves, and a war between the main forces of the elves and the city-states¡­ was imminent. At this point, Charlotte felt more and more that something was off. ¡°Wait¡­ are you saying that I created the second generation of bloodbornes and led you to defeat the Old Gods and stand up against the elves in the western continent?¡± Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but ask. Bardock nodded as if it was the most natural thing. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Lilith? Shouldn¡¯t Lilith be the one leading you?¡± Charlotte frowned. ¡°Lilith? Who is that?¡± Bardock looked puzzled. Chapter 482 : Confused Memories Bardock¡¯s reaction surprised Charlotte. Looking at the former legion commander of the city-state, who now appeared utterly bewildered, Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Bardock, do you¡­ not remember Lilith?¡± Bardock shook his head. ¡°Lord Cain, a name like Lilith is not uncommon, but¡­ I¡¯ve thought about it and I don¡¯t seem to know anyone by that name.¡± Hearing Bardock¡¯s words, Charlotte¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. ¡®You¡­ really can¡¯t remember? Who led you to establish the Free City-State Alliance?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but press further. Bardock looked even more confused. ¡°The person who led us to establish the Free City-State Alliance? Wasn¡¯t it¡­ you?¡± Charlotte fell silent. She sighed and tried a different approach. ¡°Then¡­ do you remember Harald? Who is Harald¡¯s sister?¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡± Bardock was taken aback. He hesitated, not daring to say the name, and instead cautiously glanced at the sky, asking nervously. ¡°You¡­ you mean the one up there? Does He¡­ have a sister?¡± Charlotte felt a sinking feeling, her sense of foreboding growing stronger. ¡°Bardock, who led you from weakness to strength, ultimately conquering the continent¡­ who were they?¡± She looked at Bardock seriously and asked once more. ¡®Wasn¡¯t it¡­ you? You saved us when we were in crisis, led us in rebellion against the elves, and granted us new life¡­¡± Bardock said as if it were obvious. ¡°Just me?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Charlotte: ¡­ Seeing the increasingly serious expression on the girl¡¯s face, Bardock¡¯s own expression became hesitant. He hesitated for a moment, then asked. ¡°Lord Cain, could it be that¡­ aside from my recent experiences, I have forgotten other things?¡± Charlotte remained silent. ¡°You said you lost your memory, so¡­ what exactly did you forget?¡± Charlotte thought for a moment and then asked in a different way. Bardock answered respectfully. ¡°It¡¯s the memories after the Battle of Dawn. In that decisive battle with the elven army, I was severely injured and fell into a deep sleep. When I woke up, I was already in the tomb of the Nez Clan.¡± ?¨¤£Î??????? ¡°I communicated with the Nez Clan members, and they told me that I assisted the Stargazer Casey in establishing the Nez Clan, supported Casey in rebelling against the tyrannical True Ancestor of Blood, and led the Nez Clan to true freedom after the True Ancestor of Blood disappeared¡­¡± ¡°But I have no memory of these events. I even find it incredible that Casey could become a myth because¡­ in my memory, he was just one of the new descendants you selected to expand the legion. His strength¡­ was very weak at that time¡­¡± Charlotte fell silent again. She took a deep breath and said, ¡°Bardock, tell me everything in your memory, from the first time we met until you fell asleep, without leaving out any details.¡± Bardock looked at Charlotte¡¯s serious expression with concern, then nodded and began recounting his memories¡­ ¡­ Bardock recounted a series of memories that were familiar yet entirely different from Charlotte¡¯s. The similarities lay in the rebellion against the elven rule, the establishment of the Free City-State, and the struggle against the Old Gods and the elves¡­ But the differences were that, in Charlotte¡¯s memory, the roles of Harald and Lilith were entirely replaced by herself. Bardock had no recollection of Lilith, nor did he remember anything about Harald. From beginning to end, the only leader he remembered was Charlotte. The deeds attributed to Lilith and Harald in Charlotte¡¯s memory were all replaced by her own actions, even to the point where Lilith¡¯s death became an incident where Charlotte nearly died but awakened the power of the bloodborne and became the progenitor of the bloodborne. Meanwhile, Bardock¡¯s memory stopped at the end of the ¡°Battle of Dawn.¡± According to him, the Battle of Dawn was a decisive conflict between the Free City-State Alliance and the elven coalition, a key battle for supremacy over the western continent. After that, Bardock, who was gravely injured, didn¡¯t know what happened next. Until he woke up again, confused, to find the Nez bloodborne saluting him and learned from them about his ¡°heroic deeds.¡± After hearing Bardock¡¯s account, Charlotte fell into deep thought. To be honest, she didn¡¯t believe her own memories of the time travel were false. She had already verified through ¡°I was here¡± that she had indeed traveled, and she did know ¡°Lilith¡± and ¡°Harald¡±, becoming their teacher. She had indeed bestowed her power upon ¡°Lilith¡± during her previous time travel, her memory should be real, at least concerning these aspects, and it should be accurate. Therefore¡­ things were quite clear. The problem wasn¡¯t with herself, but with Bardock. Bardock¡¯s memories concerning Lilith and Harald had been erased by some force or¡­ had been altered. However, Bardock still remembered the God of the Holy Court, Harald. What he didn¡¯t remember were the aspects of Harald as the founder of the Free City-State Alliance. However, Lilith¡­ her existence was almost completely ¡°erased¡±, and all related memories were replaced with Charlotte. What on earth is going on? Why are Bardock¡¯s memories different from hers? As for the other bloodbornes¡­ Charlotte had gone through many ancient texts but found no description of ¡°Lilith.¡± Whether it was Albrecht or Yurst, they had no impression of this name either. Previously, Charlotte thought that Lilith might have hidden her true name for various reasons, but now it seemed that wasn¡¯t the case at all. Instead, her existence¡­ had been ¡°erased¡± from the bloodborne¡¯s memory. The only traces left seemed to be Charlotte¡¯s own memories and the signature on the front page of the Gospel of Blood, which was clearly in Lilith¡¯s handwriting. The more Charlotte thought about it, the more confused she became, and the more she thought, the more alarmed she felt. Clearly, in the true history, Lilith should have become a God. So¡­ what kind of power could erase the existence of a God? And what about Harald¡­ Lilith aside, Harald¡¯s existence was still known, so why were even the memories of him altered? Who did this? What conspiracy is behind this? Does it also concern her? No¡­ The memory of Lilith being replaced by her is definitely related to her! Or perhaps, the confusion in memories is also related to her time travel? Charlotte¡¯s expression gradually became serious. She felt as if there was an invisible hand manipulating everything behind the chaotic memories. And this might be related to the ¡°madness¡± of Lilith in true history. ¡°Lord Cain, I heard from the Nez Clan members about what happened after I fell asleep. That True Ancestor of Blood they described¡­ is that really you?¡± Bardock hesitated for a moment and then asked. Charlotte glanced at him. ¡°What do you think?¡± Bardock shook his head repeatedly. ¡°No, it can¡¯t be. In their description, that True Ancestor of Blood was so tyrannical. I don¡¯t think that was you.¡± ¡°To provide us with a homeland, you even sacrificed your own bloodline origin. Such a kind-hearted you¡­ would never massacre the blood descendants for further advancement!¡± So¡­ is that why you spoke up for me among those Nez blood descendants? Charlotte felt complicated. Honestly, Bardock¡¯s memories were mixed between her and Lilith. The experiences of the True Ancestor turning the tide and willing to sacrifice her power for the future of the race in his memories were not Charlotte but should have been Lilith. Of course, all signs indicated that the ¡°tyrannical¡± True Ancestor of Blood was also likely Lilith. ¡°Lord Cain, I¡­ must have forgotten some key things. Can you enlighten me?¡± Bardock requested. His expression was filled with worry, and he seemed quite uneasy. Looking at this former Third Legion Commander, Charlotte was silent for a moment before saying, ¡°You have indeed forgotten some key things.¡± ¡°I did bestow the power of the bloodborne upon mortals, but¡­ it wasn¡¯t me who led you to establish the Free City-State Alliance and led the bloodborne to true rise.¡± ¡°At least¡­ from the ¡®recovered¡¯ memories I have now, that wasn¡¯t me.¡± ¡°Not you? How is that possible? Are you saying my memory was altered? All the bloodborne¡¯s memories were altered?¡± S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. I have checked my memory. I have indeed forgotten some things, but my memory has not been altered by anyone! Even if it were a God, there would be traces left from modifying memory!¡± ¡°Then¡­ what if the one modifying memories isn¡¯t an ¡®individual¡¯?¡± Charlotte retorted. Bardock was slightly stunned, then his eyes widened instantly. For a moment, both of them fell silent. After a while, Charlotte sighed and said, ¡°Bardock, let¡¯s not dwell on the memory issue for now. I will slowly uncover the truth. Of course, I will also need your help in this process.¡± ¡°Of course, you are our progenitor, the great True Ancestor of Blood. Following your orders is naturally my duty.¡± Bardock answered as if it were obvious. Charlotte paused slightly, her feelings becoming even more complex. She sighed and said, ¡°In that case, help me consolidate the power of the Nez Clan first. Since they respect you so much, I think¡­ you can help me make them lower their guard and swear allegiance to me.¡± Bardock nodded. ¡°I will follow your instructions.¡± ¡°And¡­ do not disclose our conversation today to anyone.¡± Charlotte thought for a moment and then said with a serious expression. Bardock¡¯s expression also became serious. ¡°I understand.¡± Chapter 483 : Terrified and Anxious Nez Blood Descendants Outside the Central Castle. Members of the Nez Clan gathered in the square, staring anxiously at the tightly closed castle gates. As time passed, their worries grew more pronounced. This was especially true for the higher-ranking bloodbornes. The lower and middle-ranking bloodbornes were somewhat better off. Most of them had not experienced that tumultuous era and had only heard about the terrifying True Ancestor from their elders. But many of the higher-ranking bloodbornes had personally felt the horror of the True Ancestor, and the long wait made them feel as if they were sitting on pins and needles. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Your Excellency the Great Elder! Are we just going to wait here?¡± Finally, a high-ranking bloodborne couldn¡¯t help but ask. Great Elder Robin glanced at the questioner and asked in return. ¡°What else should we do?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the True Ancestor! Your Excellency the Great Elder! Have you forgotten how we erased Her traces and suppressed those royal blood descendants? She must have come back to punish us! She will surely devour us one by one to restore Her power!¡± The high-ranking bloodborne spoke anxiously and fearfully. Other high-ranking bloodbornes around him agreed, their expressions filled with terror. ¡°Yes! Your Excellency the Great Elder, we cannot sit here and wait for death!¡± ¡°She has come to settle accounts with us! She must be here to settle accounts with us!¡± Great Elder Duke Robin looked at everyone. ¡°Then¡­ what do you suggest?¡± ¡°Fight back! Of course, fight back! She did not attack us immediately upon appearing, so Her power must not have fully recovered!¡± ¡°We still have the artifact, and Gods are not invincible. While She is still weak, we should seize the opportunity to seal Her!¡± ¡°No, we should retreat! Even if Her power hasn¡¯t fully recovered, she is still our progenitor. The suppression of the bloodline alone is enough to doom us!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! We should retreat quickly while Lord Bardock is holding Her off, then seek help from other clans! Even if there are conflicts, if they know She has returned, they will surely be willing to put aside their prejudices and join us in opposing Her!¡± The high-ranking bloodbornes spoke over one another, but the consensus among them was the fear and hostility toward the True Ancestor. Great Elder Robin remain quiet. He looked at several dukes from the Elder Council. Besides Elder Bardock, the Nez Clan had a total of eight Legendary. Whether it was fortunate or unfortunate, to vie for the Starfall throne and discuss the next steps, almost all the Legendary of the Nez Clan, including the elven blood descendants from Luna Island, were present. No, to be more precise, not only the Legendary blood descendants but almost half of the middle and high-ranking blood descendants of the Nez Clan were gathered at the stronghold at this moment. ?§¡??????§§? This was the reason for the division of opinions among the blood dukes. Some believed that this was a rare moment when the Nez Clan had gathered all its strength and should take advantage of the numbers to seal the returning True Ancestor while Her power was weak. Others thought this was unfortunate. With the main forces of the Nez Clan all here, if the True Ancestor went on a rampage, the Nez Clan might be removed from the six major clans by tomorrow. So they strongly supported a swift retreat. However, unlike the terrified and anxious counts, the blood dukes, though serious, remained much calmer. Moreover, several senior dukes who had awakened from their slumber were lost in thought as they gazed at the closed castle. ¡°Sir Charles, what do you think?¡± Great Elder Robin looked at one of the dukes with a goatee. Charles Nez, one of the oldest blood dukes of the Nez Clan and the most senior elder besides Bardock. Like Bardock, he had also awakened from the thousand-year Holy War and had experienced the era when the True Ancestor dominated the continent. Hearing the Great Elder¡¯s question, the old blood duke hesitated and said, ¡°Lord Bardock is right. The returned True Ancestor¡­ seems to act differently from the one in my memory.¡± ¡°Sir Charles, are you saying we should wait here and continue to observe? Isn¡¯t that too risky?¡± ¡°Yes! That¡¯s the True Ancestor! What if¡­ what if She is just stalling for time to stabilize us?¡± The blood counts couldn¡¯t help but interject. Duke Charles glanced at them calmly and said, ¡°Everyone, I understand your fear. Honestly, I am also afraid, but¡­ we must recognize two facts now.¡± ¡°First, we old bones were either injured in the Thousand-Year Holy War or wounded in the Star-Moon War. Now¡­ even counting Lord Bardock, we only have four Legendary forces that can be mobilized: Lord Bardock, His Excellency Robin, His Excellency Yorok, and His Excellency Alec.¡± ¡°The terrifying bloodline suppression just now, I think you all felt it too. I can say unreservedly that in front of the True Ancestor¡­ all low-ranking blood descendants are mere ants!¡± ¡°Even with the artifact, do you think¡­ that four Legendary can defeat our progenitor?¡± After speaking, without waiting for an answer, he looked toward the direction where the dukes were. ¡°Alec, do you think you can do it?¡± No one responded. ¡°Alec?¡± Duke Charles repeated with a frown. Still, no one answered. Following the old duke¡¯s gaze, everyone realized that at some point, the elven blood descendant Alec had disappeared. Not only that, but two other elven blood descendants from Luna Island who had awakened and participated in the struggle for the throne were also gone. ¡°Where are Alec and the others?¡± Great Elder Robin frowned and looked at the blood descendants responsible for standing guard. The dukes had all focused their attention on the central castle and hadn¡¯t noticed when the legendary blood descendants disappeared. One by one, crimson eyes turned toward the standing guard blood descendants. The guards shivered and weakly pointed in a direction. ¡°Lord Alec¡­ Lord Alec and the others just went that way¡­¡± That way¡­? The Nez blood descendants looked over and saw that it was the location of the backup teleportation array of the stronghold. Duke Robin: ¡­ Duke Charles: ¡­ Duke Yorok: ¡­ ¡°Damn it! Those Luna Island bastards! They talk so confidently every day, but when it comes to fleeing, they act so decisively!¡± Duke Yorok said angrily. The three elders of Luna Island had fled! Realizing what had happened, the remaining members of the Nez Clan began to stir. For a moment, they hesitated, whispered among themselves, and their gazes flickered toward the teleportation array. ¡°What? Are you planning to retreat too?¡± Duke Charles asked, glancing around. ¡°Lord Charles, even Lord Alec has fled. Shouldn¡¯t we¡­?¡± A blood descendant couldn¡¯t help but ask. Immediately, other blood descendants echoed this sentiment, clearly showing an inclination to flee. The sneaky escape of the three Legendary blood descendants had a massive impact on their morale. Even the counts who had been adamant about uniting to seal the True Ancestor were now hesitant. After all, if the Legendary, who had a sharper sense of danger, had fled, what could they possibly do by staying here? Seeing the blood descendants waver, Charles shook his head. ¡°Run? Where would you run to?¡± ¡°Alec and the others can flee to Luna Island, where they will be protected. That place is favored by the Moon Goddess. Even the True Ancestor will respect it. But Luna Island only protects elves and those with elven blood.¡± ¡°Alec and the others are blood descendants but also elves. What about you?¡± The Nez bloodbornes fell silent. Charles sighed and continued, ¡°Second, the True Ancestor¡­ is likely the mysterious God behind Castell. If it is indeed Her, then She has probably been resurrected for hundreds of years.¡± ¡°He likely arrived on the Castell warship to Starfall, and it wasn¡¯t Countess Castell who drove off Kraken, it was Her. If She can drive off such a beast and has hidden Her identity for hundreds of years only to reveal Herself now, it means¡­ the True Ancestor¡¯s power has likely largely recovered.¡± ¡°I have just felt Her power. Although not as terrifying as in my memories, it is already far beyond what our weakened Nez Clan can contend with. Perhaps Lord Casey might stand a chance, but even then¡­ we have lost contact with Lord Casey for too long. We don¡¯t even know if he can still awaken from the astral plane.¡± ¡°Escape? Where to? The True Ancestor can sense the coordinates of all blood descendants. We have faced her directly, and without divine concealment and protection, we are already marked in her mind. No matter where we flee, she will eventually find us. Even if we escape, the Nez Clan will become history.¡± Hearing Charles, the Nez bloodbornes fell silent again. Bloodbornes are social magical beings, the clan is immensely important in bloodborne society. Bloodbornes with clan protection and those without it are worlds apart. Blood clans are not united. If the Nez Clan completely declines, even if the surviving Nez bloodbornes seek help from other clans, they will likely be used as cannon fodder against the True Ancestor. This is a very likely scenario, given the exclusivity among blood clans. And if they do not join other surviving clans, the marked ones will eventually be found by the True Ancestor. At that point, their fate would be decided by the True Ancestor. Run? Where to? Scatter and run? That would be suicidal. God¡¯s speed differs from the mortal. Such a foolish choice would only result in being picked off one by one. Perhaps gathering together might offer a slim chance of survival. But even that was very slim. Despair. It felt like despair no matter how they thought about it. The Nez Clan had declined too much. A thousand years of war and two Star-Moon Wars had made the Nez blood descendants, who were not particularly adept at fighting, even worse off. The original protective barrier over Starfall Island had been destroyed. Their power had weakened so much that they could even be infiltrated by the Shedite Clan. If they hadn¡¯t declined so much, the Nez Clan wouldn¡¯t have had to contend with the Starfall royal family and bring in Castell¡¯s forces. If they hadn¡¯t declined so much, the throne would not be undecided, and the human nobles wouldn¡¯t dare to rebel. Other clans were better off. Although their princes were also in deep sleep, they maintained contact with their descendants. They had enough duke-level power and deep accumulations from over a thousand years to resist other Gods. Even the True Ancestor would have to consider before making a move. But the Nez Clan couldn¡¯t. Without knowing the God behind Castell, the Nez Clan were already worried about potential conflicts. Now, knowing that the God behind Castell is the terrifying True Ancestor, how could they possibly fight? They hadn¡¯t even made a move, yet the other side was already at their doorstep. The more they thought about it, the more terrified and hopeless the Nez bloodbornes felt. Seeing their ashen faces, Duke Charles sighed, ¡°Everyone, our situation is indeed perilous, but it¡¯s not hopeless.¡± The bloodbornes¡¯ hearts stirred. ¡°Lord Charles, what do you mean?¡± Charles looked at the Great Elder Robin. ¡°Lord Robin, you should know what I mean, right?¡± Duke Robin nodded solemnly. ¡°Although I am also surprised, perhaps out of fear, you may have all overlooked a detail¡­¡± He paused, scanning the crowd. ¡°Have you not noticed? Since the True Ancestor appeared, despite our intense confrontation, not a single clan member has died, not even those who ¡®offended¡¯ her.¡± ¡°Remember, in the distant past, those who acted like that would have been turned to ash.¡± The Nez bloodbornes were taken aback. They looked at each other and then realized it was true. Great Elder Robin continued. ¡°Lord Bardock is a staunch opponent of the True Ancestor. Yet even he changed his attitude directly when facing her.¡± ¡°I think¡­ there might be something we don¡¯t know.¡± He then said meaningfully. ¡°Perhaps, as Lord Bardock said, the returning True Ancestor cannot be compared to the one in our memories. After all, every resurrection of a God is also a rebirth.¡± ¡°The True Ancestor has not taken direct action. So, there must be something she wants from us. I think¡­ this might be the lifeline for our Nez Clan.¡± ¡°Of course, we still know too little, especially about the returning True Ancestor. I think¡­ we might learn more from those who are familiar with her.¡± As he spoke, Great Elder Robin looked in a certain direction. Thousands of crimson eyes followed his gaze, focusing on the figure of Yurst, who was trying to hide in the shadows, hoping to remain unnoticed. Yurst: ¡­ Chapter 484 : Yurst’s Persuasion Yurst was clearly not expecting the Elder to suddenly mention him. Under those piercing crimson gazes, even though he had mentally prepared himself, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit uneasy. Awkwardly squeezing out a smile, Yurst swallowed hard and then, trying to appear as relaxed as possible, cautiously asked. ¡°Well¡­ what does everyone want to know?¡± ¡°Everything!¡± Duke Yorok cast a cold glance at him and said, ¡°We want to know everything!¡± ¡°When did you betray the clan, and when did you submit to the True Ancestor? And¡­ what exactly does the True Ancestor intend to do?¡± ¡°Yurst, if you still consider yourself a proud Nez bloodborne, if you still acknowledge me as your elder, then confess everything you know!¡± Yurst¡¯s expression became complicated after hearing Duke Yorok¡¯s words. He sighed and said, ¡°Lord Yorok, you have always been a respected elder to me, before and now, and will continue to be in the future.¡± ¡°Becoming a follower of the True Ancestor was initially an accident. I must admit, even I was forced to submit to the True Ancestor at first.¡± ¡°However, as Lord Bardock mentioned, the current True Ancestor is indeed different from the one in our memories.¡± ¡°If I were to choose now, I believe I would willingly serve Her.¡± ¡°The reason is simple: because the current True Ancestor is truly a benevolent one. For the Nez Clan, which has lost divine protection, there is no better way to face the crisis brought by the Divinity Descent Day than to pledge loyalty to the current True Ancestor¡­¡± As he spoke, Yurst paused and carefully looked at the Nez Clan members. Seeing everyone seriously listening to him, Yurst felt slightly relieved. He took a deep breath and continued. ¡°Everything¡­ starts with the initial Returning Star Plan¡­¡± ¡­ S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It was evident that Yurst had thoroughly prepared for how to explain his allegiance to the True Ancestor to the clan. No, to be more accurate, from the moment he realized the differences between Charlotte and the True Ancestor in his memory and decided to bring the clan over to the True Ancestor¡¯s side, he had already planned how to persuade them. Yurst did not hide many of his experiences after becoming the True Ancestor¡¯s follower. He shared everything: what he did for the True Ancestor, the True Ancestor¡¯s current state, and the True Ancestor¡¯s attitude towards the bloodborne. Of course, he didn¡¯t reveal that the True Ancestor was actually Charlotte de Castell. He merely described the True Ancestor¡¯s previous aid, the True Ancestor¡¯s benevolent attitude toward the bloodborne during their interactions, and even attributed some events and actions of Charlotte to the True Ancestor. ?¨¢??????¦¥? Naturally, this included why the True Ancestor was different now. ¡°Hmm? Are you saying that¡­ the True Ancestor has¡­ lost Her memory?¡± Upon hearing Yurst¡¯s explanation, the Nez bloodbornes quickly grasped certain key points in his words. They exchanged glances, their expressions a mix of doubt and wonder. ¡°Is that true?¡± ¡°Can Gods¡­ also lose their memories?¡± It was clear that even though the bloodborne possessed near-immortal lifespans, not all of them had a deep understanding of the divine. Only those like Nice and Sebastian were exceptions. At least¡­ the fact that Gods could lose their memories was something many bloodbornes were hearing for the first time. This did not include the dukes who had lived long enough, though. Upon hearing Yurst¡¯s words, several Nez Clan dukes were deep in thought. ¡°Lost¡­ memories? Could it be¡­ the rumors are true? The True Ancestor didn¡¯t disappear but fell into eternal slumber after being besieged by Lord Casey and others?¡± ¡°If awakening from eternal slumber, then¡­ perhaps it is indeed possible for the True Ancestor to be different now.¡± The dukes whispered among themselves. ¡°Lord Robin, Lord Charles, do Gods¡­ really lose their memories?¡± Seeing their changing expressions, some mid and low-level bloodbornes couldn¡¯t help but ask. The Elder glanced at them and nodded. ¡°If a God awakens from ¡®falling,¡¯ they indeed lose their memories.¡± ¡°Then¡­ then doesn¡¯t that mean the True Ancestor could indeed be different from before?¡± A clan member asked. Elder Charles shook his head. ¡°It cannot be said entirely. The process of a God¡¯s awakening is also a process of regaining their memories. As the God¡¯s power recovers, so will their memories.¡± With that, Elder Charles turned to Yurst again. ¡°Yurst, even if the True Ancestor has lost Her memories, she should have recovered quite a bit of power and memory by now, right?¡± Yurst nodded. ¡°Indeed, since I submitted to the True Ancestor, she has undergone several periods of sleep, each time emerging stronger, with more memories restored.¡± ¡°But what excites me the most is that even after regaining part of Her memories, the True Ancestor has not reverted to the terrifying figure of the past.¡± ¡°Furthermore, when I cautiously broached the topic, she even expressed confusion about Her past brutal actions.¡± ¡°Elders, respected ones, brothers, and sisters, the True Ancestor is indeed different now. If it is the current True Ancestor, I believe She can once again lead us to glory, just as She did fifteen hundred years ago!¡± ¡°Let us not forget, the True Ancestor is our progenitor. Even though we no longer face the horrors of devouring, our overall strength as a bloodborne has stagnated in Her absence.¡± ¡°Since the True Ancestor¡¯s disappearance¡­ we have not seen a true blood prince!¡± ¡°Our power comes from the True Ancestor. Although we have found ways to enhance our strength, ultimately, only the presence of the True Ancestor and Her bestowed bloodline can take us further!¡± ¡°The True Ancestor is no longer the ruthless God of the past. From this perspective, becoming the True Ancestor¡¯s followers is an excellent opportunity!¡± ¡°Everyone, think about it! Our Nez Clan may have declined, but if we successfully follow the True Ancestor, we can rise again, surpass other clans, and perhaps even become the new royal bloodline!¡± ¡°Imagine! Imagine us becoming the existence that the Shedite look up to, and those arrogant Vadallat showing us respect!¡± Yurst spoke earnestly and temptingly in a low voice. Hearing his words, the Nez bloodbornes whispered among themselves, seemingly deep in thought. The legends and memories left by the Blood True Ancestor are so terrifying that they can make any bloodborne shudder in fear. However, the era when the True Ancestor of Blood, before Her ¡°madness.¡± led the bloodborne to the pinnacle of the continent, also stirs up intense emotions for those who experienced that time and longing for those who did not. One must admit that Yurst¡¯s speech indeed caused quite a bit of wavering among the Nez Clan members who had been terrified by the True Ancestor¡¯s pressure. However¡­ ¡°Yurst, is what you¡¯re saying really true? How can we be sure you¡¯re not deceiving us?¡± ¡°Yeah, this is all just your side of the story. What if this is a trap?¡± Some Nez Clan members couldn¡¯t help but question. Yurst sighed. ¡°Everyone has witnessed the power of the True Ancestor. In the face of absolute power, what reason would I have to deceive you?¡± The Nez Clan members fell silent. Yes, after witnessing the power of the True Ancestor, what reason would there be to deceive them? With a mere wave of Her hand, she easily suppressed almost all the Nez bloodbornes. Such bloodline suppression, such terrifying power¡­ was beyond the current Nez Clan¡¯s capacity to resist. Reflecting on the recent soul and bloodline tremors, the clan members couldn¡¯t help but show fear and dread again. Of course, they would never guess that the large-scale divine power release that had enveloped the entire Nez stronghold was an astonishing and unsustainable effort, even for Charlotte at present. After some mental struggle, more Nez Clan members wavered. But even so, there were still quite a few clan members who looked worried. ¡°But¡­ how can we ensure that the True Ancestor won¡¯t become that terrifying True Ancestor again?¡± ¡°Yeah, she is our progenitor. Our lives are all in Her hands. Who knows if She plans to ¡®raise¡¯ us again¡­¡± Naturally, where there was hesitation and opposition, there was also wavering and support. ¡°You¡¯re right, but right now¡­ do we have any other choice?¡± ¡°True, our lives are in the hands of the True Ancestor, but is there anyone in this world who can truly escape the control of the Gods?¡± ¡°What about Lord Casey? Have you all forgotten about Lord Casey? If we submit to the True Ancestor, isn¡¯t that a betrayal of Lord Casey?¡± ¡°No, no¡­ if we talk about betrayal, it should be Lord Casey and us who betrayed the True Ancestor, right?¡± ¡°Is that betrayal? That was a rebellion!¡± ¡°To the True Ancestor, it must have been a betrayal.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Nez Clan members debated endlessly, with differing opinions. For a moment, it even seemed like an argument would break out. Seeing the noisy square, duke Robin frowned slightly. ¡°Silence!¡± The pressure of a Legendary Bloodborne swept around, and feeling the bloodline suppression from the high-ranking bloodborne, the Nez Clan members quieted down. Duke Robin looked around and finally fixed his gaze on Duke Yorok, who seemed to be deep in thought and hesitant to speak. The Elder¡¯s heart moved slightly, and he asked. ¡°Yorok, you seem to have something to say. Have you thought of something?¡± Duke Yorok hesitated for a moment and then nodded. ¡°Elder, I indeed thought of something, or rather, I suddenly felt a bit confused.¡± ¡°Oh? Do tell.¡± Elder Robin gestured. Duke Yorok nodded and said, ¡°We¡¯ve been arguing here for so long, even doubting our faith, but even so, none of us has sensed Lord Casey¡¯s faith¡­¡± The Elder¡¯s eyes became sharp instantly. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Duke Yorok paused and continued. ¡°I¡¯m just wondering¡­ is it possible that Lord Casey has truly fallen?¡± Silence. At that moment, the clan members suddenly fell into collective silence again. Seeing the increasingly shaken expressions of the clan members, Elder Robin frowned. He looked at Duke Yorok with dissatisfaction, his voice turning cold. ¡°Yorok, do you know what you¡¯re talking about?¡± Duke Yorok sighed. ¡°Of course, but¡­ Elder, haven¡¯t you ever doubted? As a divine chosen of Lord Casey, when was the last time you received His vision?¡± The Elder fell silent. Duke Yorok continued. ¡°It¡¯s normal for the clan members to have differing opinions. Honestly, even I am still doubtful. But even so, I have to admit that if what Yurst said is true, then for our Nez Clan, it might indeed be a new opportunity¡­¡± ¡°Elder, I suggest that since we can¡¯t reach a decision, why not use the oldest and most effective method of our Nez Clan?¡± Duke Robin frowned slightly. ¡°You want to use¡­ divination? Yorok, forgive me for being blunt, but even with the wisdom artifact Adast bestowed by Lord Casey, you cannot divine the Gods.¡± Duke Yorok nodded. ¡°I know I can¡¯t divine the Gods, but we don¡¯t need to divine the Gods. We just need to divine the future of the Nez Clan.¡± Elder Robin shook his head. ¡°Our future is already intertwined with the Gods, and¡­ one of the most powerful Gods in this world. The power of the Gods far surpasses mortal imagination. The fate of the Nez Clan is already inseparable from the True Ancestor. Your divination won¡¯t yield results.¡± Duke Yorok didn¡¯t deny this. ¡°You¡¯re right. With my power alone, I can¡¯t conduct a true divination. But¡­ what if we let someone who can perform a true divination do it?¡± Hearing his words, the Elder¡¯s gaze shifted slightly. ¡°What¡­ exactly are you suggesting?¡± Duke Yorok said meaningfully. ¡°Elder, you should already know what I¡¯m suggesting.¡± ¡°There is indeed someone in our Nez Clan who can divine the Gods, and¡­ I believe her past blasphemous divination might indeed be true¡­¡± ¡°Lord Casey¡­ is likely in dire straits, possibly in eternal slumber.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­ at this special time, I believe it¡¯s time to lift her unjust punishment, release her, and let her divine our clan¡¯s future once more.¡± Chapter 485 : -------------- The Submission of the Nez Clan __________________ In a gloomy and solemn castle hall. Around the hall, black stone walls are carved with mythical legends, shadowy and indistinct. Four demon statues with bat wings and tridents sit in the hall, guarding the solitary coffin in the center. The lid of the coffin has been opened at some point, and it is empty inside. On the other side of the hall, by a small iron window layered with magical seals, stands a female bloodborne in a black dress. Her profile is dignified and beautiful, and her crimson eyes seem to hold starlight. Chains lock the female bloodborne, connecting her to the coffin in the center of the hall, seemingly binding her forever in this heavily sealed room. However, the female bloodborne appears accustomed to it. She stands there quietly, gazing at the sky through the iron bars, looking at the hazy silver moon. A cold wind blows, lifting her long hair, a mix of brown and silver. She gently brushes her hair aside, her scarlet eyes watching the moon, which now seems tinged with blood, and her expression changes slightly. ¡°The wind¡­ is rising.¡± She murmurs. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Creaking sounds come from behind her as the castle hall¡¯s tightly closed door is lit by a series of magical lights. The chains and blood vines entwined around it rapidly retreat, and the heavy door slowly opens. Light pours in, accompanied by a series of low footsteps. The female bloodborne does not turn around. She withdraws her gaze from the moonlight, sighing softly. ¡°Lord Robin, have you¡­ made a decision?¡± The low footsteps pause slightly. The shadows recede, and the dim light reveals the identity of the newcomer¡ªit is none other than Duke Robin, the Elder of the Nez Clan. Seeing Duke Robin, the demon statues around the coffin immediately bow. ¡°Lord Robin.¡± Duke Robin nods, then looks at the female bloodborne standing by the iron window with a complex expression. ¡°Eugenia, you¡­ already know why I am here?¡± The woman named Eugenia turns around, looking at the solemn Elder of the Nez Clan with a sigh. ¡°For a Seer, foreseeing the visitor¡¯s intentions is a basic skill.¡± ¡°Lord Robin, it seems you too have long since suffered the backlash of betrayal and lost some of your power.¡± Elder Robin¡¯s expression is unreadable. ¡°So¡­ you already know that the True Ancestor has returned?¡± Eugenia nods. ¡°Although I am confined here, I am neither deaf nor blind. That familiar and terrifying aura, in this world¡­ only that great Lord possesses it.¡± She looks at Duke Robin again. ¡°Lord Robin, since you have chosen to come here, may I assume you have finally recognized reality and realized that we can no longer obtain Lord Casey¡¯s protection?¡± ????????§§? Hearing Eugenia¡¯s words, elder Robin falls silent. After a long time, he looks at the female bloodborne with a complicated expression and says heavily. ¡°Eugenia, we still remember Lord Casey. You were once Lord Casey¡¯s favored. More than anyone, you should know that as long as a God is not forgotten, there is no true death. As long as we remember Him, he still has a chance to return.¡± ¡°Perhaps Lord Casey has truly fallen, but as long as we remember Him, he still has a day to return.¡± Eugenia nods. ¡°What you say is true. However, I must remind you that the same applies to our great progenitor.¡± ¡°Otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t be meeting today after seventy-five years.¡± She pauses, then continues. ¡°Moreover, I must emphasize again, I was never Lord Casey¡¯s favored. I serve only the art of divination. I am the Saintess of Divination, the Witch of Prophecy. This was the mission bestowed upon me by the True Ancestor before She succumbed to madness. If I belong to anyone, it is to the True Ancestor.¡± Elder Robin paused slightly. ¡°The past¡­?¡± Eugenia glanced at him. ¡°And now, if¡­ She is willing to accept a sinner who once betrayed Her.¡± Duke Robin¡¯s gaze shifts slightly. ¡°Have you¡­ performed a divination?¡± Eugenia stepped forward. Moonlight illuminates her, revealing the other side of her face. It is a half-aged face, deeply wrinkled, with the wrinkles creeping towards the other youthful side. More silver threads weave through her brown hair, and even the other side of her body is rapidly aging and decaying. Seeing Eugenia¡¯s appearance, Elder Robin¡¯s expression changes, and his face becomes stern. ¡°This is¡­ the backlash of fate? You forcibly performed a divine vision with insufficient anchors?!¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wait for us to lift the seal and provide you with faith anchors for the divination? Using divine power with a mortal body, are you courting death?¡± Eugenia, however, is indifferent to her body¡¯s changes. She merely smiled slightly and said, ¡°After all, I am a member of the Nez Clan. In times of crisis for the clan, in times of crucial decisions for the clan, I should contribute my strength.¡± ¡°Lord Casey has fallen, and I am not qualified to become a God. You were right, no matter how hard I try, I will never obtain my own anchor.¡± ¡°Of course, this also applies to you all. We cannot obtain anchors, and I¡­ will never borrow Lord Casey¡¯s anchor.¡± ¡°Therefore, the moment I sensed the descent of great power, I used my own strength to perform the divination.¡± Elder Robin frowned. ¡°Did you not consider the cost?¡± Eugenia shook her head. ¡°The cost? At most, it¡¯s just another long slumber, losing some more memories. It¡¯s something I¡¯m used to.¡± ¡°After all, I am a second-generation bloodborne and did not directly peek into the secrets of the Gods. This level of backlash will not kill me.¡± Elder Robin remains silent. He looked at the woman before him with a complex expression and asked. ¡°Can you¡­ tell me the result of your divination?¡± Eugenia smiled. ¡°Lord Robin, since you came here, I think¡­ you already have an answer in your heart regarding the result of my divination, don¡¯t you?¡± Without waiting for Duke Robin¡¯s response, she continued. ¡°Ever since our Nez Clan betrayed our Lord, we have been in decline. We have been oppressed by the Holy Court, faced internal divisions, and our strength has stagnated¡­¡± ¡°This is the price of betrayal.¡± ¡°Even though our betrayal was out of rationality, betrayal is still betrayal.¡± ¡°Not to mention, our memories of that time are hazy. Who knows if the choice we made back then was right or wrong.¡± ¡°And now, it is time to get back on the right track¡­¡± ¡°My power is too weak, and I cannot see through the mist surrounding the True Ancestor, but one thing I am very sure of¡ª¡± ¡°When I divined the future of our clan, I saw light, the light of the True Ancestor.¡± ¡°The returning True Ancestor is our future¡­¡± Once again, Duke Robin fell silent. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, there was a look of determination in his crimson eyes. He looked at Eugenia again and sighed. ¡°Eugenia¡­ Perhaps we had different stances in the past, but no matter what, I must admit, you are indeed a qualified saintess and a respected elder among us, including myself.¡± Eugenia smiled slightly. ¡°Thank you for your praise. Seeing you choose the right path, my efforts were not in vain. It¡¯s just a pity that I cannot meet the True Ancestor. Who knows when I will wake up again next time.¡± Duke Robin paused and said, ¡°We will inform the True Ancestor of your situation.¡± Eugenia, however, shook her head. ¡°Seek help from the True Ancestor to restore my power? No, no need. This divination was not a whim, falling into a slumber is my own choice.¡± ¡°I think you should remember I once said, I have a special sensitivity to divination and a unique perception of the world.¡± ¡°Every time I divine, the future of the world changes, and recently, I have noticed an increase in these changes.¡± ¡°Somewhere, a stronger and more mysterious force seems to be intervening¡­¡± ¡°Lord Robin, while I have seen the future of the Nez Clan, the future of the entire world is filled with uncertainty, and this uncertainty has extended from ¡®future¡¯ to ¡®present.¡¯¡± ¡°I cannot determine why, it may be related to my chaotic and incomplete memories, but one thing I am very sure of is that now¡­ may not be the time for me to formally meet the True Ancestor.¡± Upon hearing Eugenia¡¯s words, Duke Robin¡¯s expression also grew serious. ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Besides¡­¡± Eugenia¡¯s tone shifted. ¡°Before I fall into another slumber, I have a few words to convey to you and¡­ our returning True Ancestor.¡± Duke Robin was stunned for a moment and then became solemn. ¡°Go ahead, I will remember and convey them to the True Ancestor.¡± Eugenia¡¯s expression turned serious, and she spoke with more gravity. ¡°Lord Robin, just as the returning True Ancestor is not the same as the one in our memories, the returning Lord Casey may not be the same as the one in our memories.¡± ¡°Lord Casey has fallen. Please give up any plans to revive him.¡± Hearing this, Duke Robin was slightly stunned, and his expression changed. ¡°What do you mean? Did you divine something?¡± Eugenia smiled bitterly and shook her head. ¡°Sorry, Lord Robin, this time¡­ I truly cannot say more. If I do, I might fall into true ¡®eternal slumber¡¯. I cannot afford ¡®eternal slumber¡¯, at least not now.¡± Once again, Duke Robin fell silent. He sighed deeply and nodded. ¡°I understand. Then¡­ what is the message you wish to convey to the True Ancestor?¡± Eugenia¡¯s expression became solemn, and she said, ¡°When I divined, I saw some fragments of past memories. It seems to be a mental suggestion left deep in my memory, and I think¡­ it might come from the past True Ancestor.¡± ¡°It is a piece of advice from the past True Ancestor to the resurrected True Ancestor¡ª¡± ¡°Do not try to change the history that¡¯s unfolding, what needs to be changed¡­ is the future.¡± ¡­ The conversation between Charlotte and Bardock lasted for quite some time. After repeatedly confirming that he could not help her clarify the ¡®history¡¯ due to his extensive memory loss, Charlotte eventually gave up. She could not learn what happened later from Bardock or why he had forgotten Lilith and Harald. However, she did not lose heart. If she couldn¡¯t figure it out in this era, perhaps she would have a chance to understand when she next returned to the Mythic Era. She still had feelings for Lilith and Harald. Bardock¡¯s ¡®forgetting¡¯ was like a thorn, and Charlotte had to find out what had happened. This was not only for the disappeared Lilith and the uncertain Harald, but also for herself. Of course, these things need to be done step by step. The urgent matter now is to take advantage of Bardock¡¯s prestige to integrate the forces of the Starfall Kingdom and the Nez Clan as soon as possible. Thinking of this, Charlotte looked at Bardock again. ¡°Bardock, how confident are you in persuading the Nez Clan to pledge loyalty to me? How much time would it take?¡± Bardock hesitated and said, ¡°If it¡¯s just to make them submit, it might be easier, but to make them pledge loyalty, it will take a lot of time¡­ You know, many of the bloodbornes are extremely afraid of you. Fear can bring submission, but loyalty¡­ is difficult and takes time.¡± Charlotte sighed. ¡°I understand. Take it slow, it¡¯s better than being hostile.¡± She was mentally prepared for the difficulty of making the Nez Clan genuinely submit to her. Time reveals a person¡¯s heart. She believed that as time passed, she would gradually win over these bloodbornes. Of course, she also had her methods. Unlike the ¡®True Ancestor¡¯ of the past, she planned to spread the faith, and faith¡­ is a tool that facilitates submission and rule. ¡°Let¡¯s go outside and see. The Nez bloodbornes¡­ are probably already anxious.¡± With that, Charlotte stood up from the throne and walked toward the castle¡¯s exterior. Bardock nodded and followed her respectfully. They left the castle. The bloodbornes of the Nez Clan were still gathered in the square in front of the castle. As soon as Charlotte appeared, thousands of eyes instantly focused on her. Charlotte glanced at Bardock, indicating for him to say a few words to ease the atmosphere. However, before Bardock could act, the Nez bloodbornes in the square moved first. In the astonished eyes of Charlotte and the dumbfounded Bardock, thousands of Nez bloodbornes suddenly knelt down to Charlotte in unison, led by several Blood Dukes. They knelt on one knee, placing their hands in front of them, performing the ancient bloodborne¡¯s ritual of submission and allegiance. The orderly voices instantly echoed above the Nez stronghold. ¡°The Nez Clan welcomes the return of the Eternal Night Monarch, the Immortal Incarnation, the Master of Darkness, the Supreme Ancestor of the Blood Descendants, and our great True Ancestor of Blood!¡± Chapter 486 : The Stargazer Casey What is going on? The Nez Can¡­ Is this a collective submission and allegiance? Charlotte¡¯s expression was one of surprise and astonishment. With Yurst as a ¡°double agent¡±, she was privy to much of the internal information of the Nez Clan. From her understanding of the Nez Clan, she knew that even in the best-case scenario, it would take at least a year or two to completely subdue them into a force loyal to her. Unable to hold back, Charlotte glanced at Bardock, wondering if this current true leader of the Nez Clan knew what was happening. What she saw was a face even more bewildered than her own. Of course, despite her surprise, since the Nez Clan had chosen to submit and swear loyalty, as the Progenitor of the Bloodborne, Charlotte had to respond accordingly. Her gaze swept across the crowd, and her demeanor instantly became imposing. In the mental world, the Gospel of Blood radiated brilliance. In the physical world, blood divine power surged, and crimson mist filled the air. An overwhelming pressure descended, as vast as the sea. Dark, immense, and profound¡­ Charlotte¡­ unfolded her Spiritual Force Field. This was the first time Charlotte had showcased her Spiritual Force Field since her breakthrough. There was no bottleneck, no difficulty. Because¡­ ever since her journey began, her ¡°Spiritual Force Field¡± had actually unfolded countless times. That was the Dark Night Castle woven by the mental world. The deep crimson colored the entire world, and everything around seemed to change. In a trance, the Nez bloodbornes felt as if they had arrived at a familiar ancient castle. They seemed to see an old, majestic Blood Throne and Charlotte sitting upon it, merging with the authoritative figure of the ancient True Ancestor of Blood in their hazy memories. In the sky, clouds covered the moon, gradually turning crimson. As the clouds parted and moonlight once again illuminated the land, the silver moon had turned into a crimson blood moon. Charlotte sat high on the throne bathed in moonlight, holding an ancient, heavy crimson gospel. Her attire had transformed into a black divine gown woven with thorns and roses, her golden-red eyes filled with authority and profundity. She sat there, like an emperor ruling over the world. With a gentle raise of her hand, an ethereal yet majestic voice echoed across the sky. ¡°Descendants of the Nez Clan, in the name of the Progenitor of the Bloodborne, I accept your submission and allegiance.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, Charlotte felt her blood divine power within her body erupted uncontrollably, like a floodgate opening, while at the same time, all the Nez bloodbornes in the square radiated crimson light. Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but inwardly exclaim in surprise, wondering why accepting allegiance would consume such a vast amount of divine power. However, she soon understood why. The crimson brilliance continued to spread, from reality to consciousness. In the depths of Charlotte¡¯s consciousness, among the sea of crimson stars representing the bloodbornes, about one-tenth of the stars suddenly shone brightly. The number of those stars was at least 30,000, and among them, the brightest ones numbered over 7,000, matching exactly the number of bloodbornes gathered in the square. ??????????¦¢§§? Those¡­ were all the existing Nez bloodbornes. The brilliance spread, enveloping all the stars, and at the same time, Charlotte felt the connection with these stars quickly strengthening¡­ If previously, she could only use these stars to locate the corresponding bloodbornes, knowing their coordinates, and summoning them through the blood summoning¡­ Now, whenever she wished, she could project her gaze through the star representing them or directly summon them to her side. Moreover, she could even strip them of their bloodline power through the ¡°star¡± or, conversely, bestow them with it. That feeling¡­ was like they had become her believers. No¡­ This was the power of ¡°believers.¡± As the connection continued to strengthen, Charlotte quickly realized the essence of this change. At the moment the Nez Clan officially submitted, they were integrated into her own faith network. Except¡­ not purely as ¡°believers.¡± But as descendants, or more accurately, their connection was through bloodline instead of faith. Charlotte instantly understood. The True Ancestor of Blood didn¡¯t spread faith because they had no motivation to do so. For the True Ancestor of Blood, all the bloodbornes were ¡°believers.¡± Only, the connection with the ¡°believers¡± wasn¡¯t through ¡°faith¡± but through ¡°bloodline.¡± Furthermore, this connection derived from bloodline was even stronger, representing absolute domination. Just as Gods accumulate divine power through the extraordinary abilities of their believers, from now on, all the power enhancements of the Nez bloodborne would also be siphoned, reflecting a portion of the bloodline power back to Charlotte. Instantly, Charlotte¡¯s faith network gained thousands of new workers, ones even more difficult to betray than believers. As if verifying Charlotte¡¯s thoughts, as soon as the ¡°contract¡± was established, the feedback came immediately. Charlotte felt the blood divine power she had just consumed flooding back, even more than what she had expended. Feeling her skyrocketing divine power and the increasingly clear connection with the Nez bloodbornes, Charlotte quickly realized she had taken over the Nez Clan¡¯s faith network. The Blood Prince of the Nez Clan, the Stargazer Casey, had been ¡°missing¡±, and for centuries, the Nez Clan¡¯s faith network had been unmanaged. Though the faith of the bloodborne wasn¡¯t considered particularly devout, centuries of accumulation was still a considerable wealth, and now¡­ it all belonged to Charlotte. Of course, this doesn¡¯t mean that the Nez Clan¡¯s faith was taken by Charlotte. The faith of the Nez Clan remained intact, and they still worshiped the Stargazer Casey. However, at the pinnacle of their faith network, above the node representing the faith of the Stargazer Casey, there was now a new node. This was a higher-ranking node, connecting Charlotte¡¯s faith with the original faith of the Nez Clan, and it also possessed a higher level of control over the Nez Clan¡¯s original faith network. In other words, it was like a company representing Charlotte¡¯s faith had acquired the Nez Clan¡¯s company, parachuting in a new board of directors that could decide the operation and future of the entire company without changing the composition of the Nez Clan¡¯s company. This was somewhat similar to the pantheon within the Holy Court. Charlotte¡¯s own faith was the primary divine system, while the Nez Clan¡­ became a branch under her. In other words, from this moment on, the Stargazer Casey¡­ was forced to become Charlotte¡¯s subordinate God. Wait¡­ Forced to become a subordinate God? Charlotte was momentarily stunned and quickly realized an important issue she had previously overlooked. A God¡¯s faith network is controlled by the God. Even if a God falls into slumber, other entities wishing to take over the God¡¯s faith must directly convert the believers or replace the slumbering God¡¯s divinity. But now, Charlotte hadn¡¯t actively taken over the Stargazer Casey¡¯s faith network, nor had she preached among the Nez bloodbornes, not even making them her believers. In such a situation, why had the Stargazer Casey not resisted at all, and instead ¡°acquiesced¡± to the changes in the Nez Clan¡¯s faith network? Even if there was suppression from the bloodline, even if there was the influence of the Gospel of Blood, there shouldn¡¯t have been no resistance at all. It should be noted that in the sea of crimson stars, the star representing the Stargazer Casey was still shining, its dazzling light unforgettable to Charlotte, to the point where she had shielded it, fearing the other might sense her existence. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But now¡­ what was happening? Unable to resist, Charlotte directed her ¡°gaze¡± back to the crimson sea of stars representing the bloodborne. After a moment of hesitation, she lifted the shield on the brilliance of the Princes. However, when the shield was lifted, Charlotte¡¯s expression turned to one of surprise. The stars representing the other four clans¡¯ Princes hadn¡¯t changed, still shining with blinding brilliance, though now, this brilliance wasn¡¯t as intimidating to Charlotte as it once was. But the star representing the Stargazer Casey¡­ was different. Under Charlotte¡¯s perplexed gaze, the star representing the Stargazer Casey suddenly shattered, its illusory light extinguishing. What was revealed underneath was its true form. It was no longer a star. But an ancient stone door. The stone door had a typical elvish design, with some astrological symbols representing the Stargazer Casey still visible. The door was covered in intricate inscriptions and chained seals, exuding an unsettling aura. ¡°This is¡­ a seal? The Blood Prince of the Nez Clan, the Stargazer Casey¡­ is actually sealed?¡± Charlotte was momentarily stunned. She had heard from Yurst that the Nez Clan hadn¡¯t received divine oracles for centuries. Some radicals within the Nez Clan believed that their prince, the Stargazer Casey, might have fallen into eternal slumber. Yurst had also suspected this and even shared his guess with Charlotte. However¡­ seeing the five stars in the crimson sea, Charlotte had always harbored strong doubts. The stars in the crimson sea reflected the state of the respective bloodbornes. The Stargazer Casey¡¯s star still shone, indicating that he hadn¡¯t fallen. But now¡­ everything was different. The Stargazer Casey may not have fallen, but it wasn¡¯t as simple as falling into slumber like other Gods. He¡­ was sealed. Moreover, the door sealing him was directly connected to Charlotte¡¯s sea of consciousness. Charlotte¡¯s gaze focused as she looked at the seals on the stone door. With her extensive knowledge gained over the past two years, she quickly recognized the writing as ancient elvish, used for the highest level of sealing, specifically for sealing Gods. These seals had been described in books left by the elves in the Central Tower, used to combat the Old Gods of Myria, supposedly developed before the elves fled to the Myria continent. Furthermore, this sealing magic was still in use, historically employed in legends where mortals sealed Gods, said to use this very secret art. Clearly, the Stargazer Casey had indeed been sealed. Additionally, the stone door bore three lines of blood-written warnings in the common continental language. ¡°Do not open, do not open, do not open!¡± ¡°Do not¡­ open?¡± Charlotte¡¯s gaze narrowed. She examined the text closely, noting that it was rough and chaotic, as if written in a hurry, becoming increasingly disordered towards the end, as if the writer¡¯s consciousness had faded, barely finishing the message. After a moment¡¯s contemplation, Charlotte condensed an avatar of her consciousness and approached the stone door. As she drew closer, the details of the stone door became clearer. Charlotte noticed that the edges of the stone door were covered in cracks, with faint white mist seeping out. The white mist carried a faint sacred aura, warm and comforting, with an almost fatal allure. Just being near it, Charlotte felt a deep sense of joy and intimacy, compelling her to move closer and even merge with the white mist. Gazing at the escaping white mist, Charlotte¡¯s eyes grew hazy. Instinctively, she took a step towards the stone door. However, before Charlotte could take further action, the Gospel of Blood in her consciousness radiated crimson light, enveloping her consciousness avatar. Under the crimson light, Charlotte¡¯s mind cleared instantly. When she regained her senses, her avatar was only a step away from the stone door, her arm outstretched, almost touching the seals on the eerie stone door. Startled, Charlotte quickly stepped back. When she looked at the stone door again, her expression was one of caution and lingering fear. ¡°To interfere with my mind and judgment without me realizing it¡­ what is this white mist?¡± ¡°And behind it¡­ is it really the Stargazer Casey?¡± Charlotte frowned slightly, her gaze at the stone door filled with vigilance. At that moment, she seemed to hear a faint call from within the stone door. The voice was weak and ghostly. Charlotte¡¯s gaze focused, her alertness heightened. She listened intently and finally made out the faint, broken words from behind the stone door. ¡°Help¡­ help me¡­¡± Chapter 487 : Relay ¡°Help¡­ me?¡± Listening to the faint voice coming from behind the stone door, Charlotte instinctively took a step back. She couldn¡¯t help it, the situation was too eerie. The star representing the Stargazer Casey had turned into a sealed stone door, and behind it came a call for help. Yet, there was also a warning left by the one who sealed it¡­ It all seemed incredibly sinister. Especially the warning in common language left on the stone door. Judging from the remaining power, the writing on this stone door should be only a few hundred years old, specifically between three to four hundred years¡­ Charlotte roughly determined this based on the magical probing skills she learned from Nice. What Nice learned and used this for, likely related to excavating ruins or tombs. However, the progressively shaking and messy ¡°Do not open¡± signs, the increasingly evident madness, panic, and despair in the handwriting, could be felt even by someone like Charlotte, whose common language writing skills were abysmal. Combined with the faint, intermittent, yet pervasive cries for help, and the white mist that had a deadly allure and affinity, which the Gospel of Blood had directly warned her about¡­ Charlotte felt a chill down her spine, a wave of terror washing over her. She didn¡¯t hesitate, immediately using divine power to try and see if she could expel this stone door from her mental world. There was no other way, anyone with such a thing in their mind would have trouble sleeping. But she quickly failed. The stone door was like it was nailed in place, completely immovable. Even when Charlotte used her divine power to divide her mental world, she couldn¡¯t separate it out. Charlotte examined the situation closely and soon realized the issue. The stone door wasn¡¯t illusory, it was real. Charlotte¡¯s mental world seemed to have connected to some real, existing alternate space. This connection was bound to her consciousness. In other words, unless she erased her consciousness, she couldn¡¯t sever this connection. Realizing this, Charlotte felt her heart sink. She didn¡¯t know what this troublesome thing was, nor if the cries for help were indeed from the Stargazer Casey, the long-lost Blood Prince of the Nez Clan. But based on her instincts, this stone door and whatever lay behind it were definitely not good news. Moreover, given that even the Gospel of Blood had issued a warning, it was clear this thing was immensely hazardous! After a moment of contemplation, Charlotte once again used her divine power, reinforcing the seals on the stone door. These seals were complex and advanced. With her current magical knowledge, she couldn¡¯t replicate it independently. Fortunately, during her second time travel, she had studied similar sealing magic from Elven magical texts. She couldn¡¯t master it, but she could use her divine power to reinforce existing seals. Moreover, after subduing the Nez Clan, some new changes occurred in her Gospel of Blood, which she hadn¡¯t yet fully examined. These changes were likely related to divination arts, possibly further enhancing her understanding of them. Divination arts not only excel in divination and clairvoyance but also in sealing. At least, Charlotte¡¯s mind now had several new sealing talent spells. Scarlet divine power enveloped the seals on the stone door. Quickly, the already dim inscriptions brightened somewhat. Feeling the renewed strength in the inscriptions, Charlotte let out a sigh of relief. Although this wouldn¡¯t fix the cracks around the stone door, it significantly reinforced the seals. The escaping white mist noticeably reduced, and the faint cries for help became weaker, from clear and distinct to barely audible whispers. After finishing all this, Charlotte still felt uneasy. She used her divine power to cast a bloodborne talent spell, ¡°Blood Cage¡±, to seal off the area around the stone door completely. This talent spell was one of the new ones in her mind, a high-level spell. Normally, Charlotte couldn¡¯t cast it without extensive learning. But now, by triggering her divine power and entering a Demigod state, casting this level of spell wasn¡¯t difficult. Of course, it consumed a considerable amount of divine power, a trade-off for using lower-level spells with more energy. But for now, to avoid long-term worries, Charlotte couldn¡¯t care less. Divine power could be replenished. But the stone door¡­ it was truly eerie, and Charlotte couldn¡¯t relax for a moment. Crimson light shrouded the stone door, encapsulating everything within. Now, the cries for help were completely inaudible. Charlotte finally breathed a sigh of relief. She left a trace of her mental power on the Blood Cage to monitor the stone door¡¯s state and then exited her mental world. Slowly opening her eyes, she saw the kneeling Nez bloodbornes before her. Everything that had just happened was within Charlotte¡¯s mental world. Although she felt it had taken a long time, in reality, it was just a moment in the real world. ????????????? However, Charlotte quickly noticed something was amiss. The bloodbornes kneeling before her were all staring at her with dull expressions. Their eyes were wide, filled with reverence, fear, and disbelief. Charlotte¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She followed their gazes and quickly realized they weren¡¯t looking at her but at the sky behind her. Hmm? The sky? To maintain her image, Charlotte didn¡¯t turn around, but that didn¡¯t mean she couldn¡¯t know what they saw. She extended her consciousness, shifting her vision to the perspectives of the Nez bloodbornes she had just connected with. Then¡­ Charlotte saw a gigantic blood moon hanging high in the sky behind her. It was truly a colossal blood moon, occupying almost half the sky, its scarlet light illuminating the earth, dyeing the entire world crimson. Moreover, it seemed to be rising directly behind Charlotte, as if representing her. Even Charlotte, somewhat prepared, was momentarily stunned by the sight of the blood moon occupying half the sky. This wasn¡¯t just because the scene was incredibly impactful but also because it reminded her of the descriptions in the bloodborne texts she had read, particularly in the ¡°Song of the Blood Moon¡± from the Royal Library of the Crescent Kingdom. ¡°A grand blood moon shrouded the sky¡±, ¡°The mad progenitor ascended the throne¡±, ¡°Crimson light brought darkness and terror¡±, ¡°Gods fell, order collapsed, and the world wept¡­¡± Clearly, this scene was reminiscent of the True Ancestor of Blood¡¯s rampage. However, the massive blood moon didn¡¯t last long. Not long after Charlotte¡¯s consciousness returned to reality, it disappeared. The scarlet faded, and darkness once again enveloped the sky, leaving the Nez bloodbornes on the square speechless. When they looked at Charlotte again, their eyes were filled with renewed fear. Charlotte felt a mix of guilt and headache. She didn¡¯t know why the blood moon phenomenon appeared, but it was undoubtedly related to her. What had she done? Was it because she established a ¡°connection¡± with the Nez Clan? Or was it the changes in the Gospel of Blood after subduing the Nez Clan? Or¡­ was it because she disturbed that mysterious ¡°stone door¡±? Charlotte wasn¡¯t sure. She didn¡¯t even know how wide the phenomenon¡¯s coverage was. Charlotte looked at the Nez bloodbornes. The Nez bloodbornes looked back at her. If not for her divine aura still radiating, they might have scattered and fled by now. Charlotte didn¡¯t know how to explain the recent phenomenon, but after thinking about it briefly, she decided not to explain it and instead addressed the Nez bloodbornes. ¡°From today onwards, I will protect the Nez Clan who pledge their loyalty to me. I expect you to be faithful in your duties, keep the secrets of the blood race, and always remember your loyalty.¡± ¡°Remember, I despise betrayal, but likewise, I am not a tyrant. I will not withhold rewards for those who are loyal to me.¡± ¡°Nez Clan, remember today¡¯s oath¡­¡± After saying this, the crimson mist spread, and Charlotte¡¯s figure gradually disappeared. She transmitted a message to Bardock, instructing him to handle the aftermath, and then¡­ she simply left. It wasn¡¯t until her presence had completely faded that the Nez bloodbornes gradually came to their senses. They looked at each other, seeing fear and confusion in each other¡¯s eyes. Is it¡­ over? Has the True Ancestor left? Has She really changed? But¡­ what was the phenomenon representing destruction and madness just now? Wasn¡¯t that the scene described in legends, occurring only when the True Ancestor exerted her power to devour the world and Gods? She¡­ wasn¡¯t planning to attack the Nez Clan just now? Is She really no longer that terrifying, crazed entity? The Nez bloodbornes were still in shock, even the few Legendary Blood Dukes were sweating profusely. It wasn¡¯t until Bardock¡¯s stern voice sounded. ¡°Everyone, the return of the True Ancestor is still a secret. Everything that happened today must remain hidden!¡± ¡°Remember the True Ancestor¡¯s decree, from today, the highest leader of our Nez Clan is the great True Ancestor.¡± Hearing Bardock¡¯s words, the Nez bloodbornes hesitated for a moment, then all bowed their heads. Despite feeling uncertain about the recent phenomenon and still being fearful and confused¡­ since even Lord Bardock said so, they had no reason to hesitate. At least¡­ Lord Bardock must be considering the future of the Nez Clan. After all, he was one of the founders of the Nez Clan and a staunch supporter of Casey. ¡°Lord Bardock must have made a well-considered decision, right?¡± ¡°Lord Bardock¡¯s choice must be the right one.¡± The Nez bloodbornes consoled themselves internally. Of course, they did not know that Bardock himself, standing on the stage, was also very nervous. However, one fact remained: at this moment, the Nez Clan had no other choice but to submit. As for the Stargazer Casey¡­ Being immortals, the faith of the bloodborne was never as firm as other races, and with their God missing for centuries, it was evident that while the Nez Clan had faith in their God, it wasn¡¯t much. At this moment, faced with a carrot and stick approach, they all knelt down. ¡°Robin, Yorok, the True Ancestor has returned. You should know how to handle the Starfall Throne now, right?¡± Looking serious but inwardly anxious in front of thousands of bloodbornes, Bardock turned to the Dukes and asked. Duke Yorok hesitated for a moment, looked at Elder Robin, and Elder Robin sighed, respectfully saying, ¡°The Starfall Throne should naturally be inherited by the rightful heir appointed by the former king¡ªCharlotte de Castell.¡± Bardock nodded. ¡°Very well, proceed as such. After all, we are all on the same side, it¡¯s like transferring from one hand to the other. If anything, this is actually the best outcome for the Nez Clan, as being recognized by the True Ancestor is the best possible scenario for our kin. As for the Lilac family¡­ they¡¯ve always had too many tricks up their sleeve, they were never suitable as successors to collaborate with Nez.¡± Hearing Bardock¡¯s words, the Nez bloodbornes surprisingly did not object. Indeed, the Lilac family had always been fickle. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have seized power with the support of the Holy Court back then. The Blood Dukes exchanged glances, showing even more respect towards Bardock. ¡°You are right.¡± Seeing the correct attitude of the Dukes, Bardock felt slightly relieved. However, when he looked at Elder Robin, he saw that he seemed to have something to say, looking solemn. Bardock¡¯s heart moved. ¡°Robin, is there something you wish to say?¡± Duke Robin nodded. ¡°Lord Bardock, the Witch of Prophecy, Eugenia, conducted a divine vision and prophecy before her slumber. She foresaw the future of the Nez Clan and to some extent, foresaw the True Ancestor as well.¡± ¡°She has some key information, and she has important words to convey to the True Ancestor¡­¡± ¡°The Witch of Prophecy?¡± Bardock¡¯s heart stirred. ¡­ ¡°The Witch of Prophecy?¡± In the castle, looking at the respectful Elder Robin and Duke Yorok, Charlotte¡¯s eyes narrowed. She recalled Albrecht¡¯s relevant memories and her own knowledge, then used her divination skills for a moment. Her eyes lit up with realization. ¡°Ah¡­ so that¡¯s it. Lady Anna from Borde City is her avatar¡­¡± ¡°She turned out to be the Saintess of the Nez Clan¡­¡± ¡°So, the mysterious seer mentioned by the Chief Speaker of the Starfall Parliament, Count Stafford, is also likely her avatar?¡± After speaking, Charlotte looked at the Nez Clan¡¯s Elder. ¡°Speak, what does she wish to convey to me.¡± Elder Robin took a deep breath and relayed Eugenia¡¯s message to Charlotte. Charlotte frowned slightly, falling into contemplation. ¡°Do not attempt to change the history that is unfolding, it¡¯s the future that needs to be changed¡­¡± At this moment, Charlotte¡¯s heart was indeed quite shaken. Her time travel was her biggest secret, known to no one so far, protected by the Gospel of Blood, which itself could counteract spells. Divination magic capable of observing Gods must be related to divine power, possibly even divine spells. With the Gospel of Blood in place, unless Charlotte voluntarily gave up her protection, others couldn¡¯t divinate her time travel. Therefore¡­ Eugenia couldn¡¯t possibly know her secret. Thinking this, Charlotte¡¯s expression grew more serious. Eugenia says this is a revelation from the past True Ancestor. Could it be¡­ that this is some kind of message from the past Lilith, conveyed to Charlotte through Eugenia¡¯s divination? Perhaps the Witch of Prophecy, Eugenia, saw something in her divination, a prophecy from the past? But what does this prophecy mean? Did Lilith know she would travel through time? Is Lilith warning her not to change history? Is her time travel connected not only to the Gospel of Blood but also to Lilith? But what does ¡°the history that is unfolding¡± mean? What is meant by ¡°the history that is unfolding¡±? Charlotte frowned, lost in thought. ¡°Where is Eugenia sleeping?¡± She asked after a moment. Elder Robin sighed. ¡°True Ancestor, Eugenia has willingly fallen into slumber. Before she slept, she said that now is not the time to meet you.¡± Charlotte¡¯s frown deepened. Divination practitioners always had this mystical and vague manner. The more powerful a diviner was, the more they seemed like a charlatan. Charlotte was very curious. She really wanted to pull her out of her coffin and ask her what was going on, but at the same time, out of respect for the ¡°prophet¡±, her intuition told her that perhaps now was indeed not the right time to meet her. It was a hard-to-describe ¡°sixth sense¡±, an intuition stemming from her semi-divine nature. ¡°I understand. Notify me immediately when she awakens.¡± Charlotte said after some thought. ¡°As you command.¡± Elder Robin replied respectfully. Looking at the respectful Duke Robin, Charlotte recalled some information she had learned from Yurst in the past. ¡°Duke Robin, if I remember correctly¡­ you are one of Casey¡¯s favored?¡± Elder Robin was taken aback. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, he nodded honestly. ¡°Indeed.¡± Charlotte paused, then asked. ¡°Do you still wish to resurrect Him?¡± Elder Robin hesitated, momentarily silent. A vision of that stone door flashed in Charlotte¡¯s mind, and she exhaled softly, speaking meaningfully. ¡°Rest assured, aside from Abaddon, I harbor no ill will toward the remaining princes, including Casey.¡± ¡°If he is willing to pledge allegiance to me, I will welcome it. As for what happened in the past, I am not overly concerned.¡± ¡°Bardock should have already informed you not to confuse me with the True Ancestor of Blood from the past.¡± ¡°However, if you still wish to awaken the Stargazer Casey¡­ I advise you to give up for now. His current state may not be normal.¡± Elder Robin¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°True Ancestor¡­ do you¡­ know something?¡± Charlotte shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t give you a definitive answer right now. If possible, I hope nothing has happened to Him.¡± Seeing Duke Robin¡¯s slightly agitated yet unsurprised expression, Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred. ¡°Why, Duke Robin, do you know something else?¡± Duke Robin hesitated for a moment, then replied honestly. ¡°Actually¡­ Eugenia also warned me similarly. She advised me to give up on awakening Cauchy. She told me¡­ the Casey that would return may not be the same Casey¡­¡± ¡°Moreover¡­ in Casey¡¯s last divine revelation to me, he instructed that unless He actively summons me through divine favor, I should not seek divine signs from Him¡­¡± ¡°I remember it was a stern warning, and that warning¡­ was over four hundred years ago.¡± The returning Stargazer Casey may not be the same Casey? Wait¡­ four hundred years ago? Recalling the warning on the stone door and the cries for help from inside, along with the age of the warning inscriptions, Charlotte felt a chill. After pondering for a moment, she spoke seriously. ¡°Robin, I can promise you that I will investigate what happened to Him. But until then¡­ I hope you will also heed my orders.¡± Elder Robin hesitated briefly, then bowed respectfully. ¡°Everything¡­ as you command.¡± Seeing Elder Robin¡¯s acceptance, Charlotte nodded inwardly. She had thoroughly reviewed the Nez Clan¡¯s records and knew that he was a fervent believer in the Stargazer Casey. To be able to reassure him at this moment was a great relief. Of course, she wasn¡¯t deceiving him. She did intend to investigate the stone door in the consciousness space and find out what happened to the Stargazer Casey. Her intuition told her that this might also relate to the collective ¡°slumber¡± of most current Gods¡­ Perhaps, it might even be related to Lilith being forgotten. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Seeing Charlotte deep in thought, Duke Yurok hesitated and couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°True Ancestor, regarding your return, do you¡­ still wish for it to remain a secret?¡± Charlotte glanced at him and nodded. ¡°I prefer it that way.¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, Duke Yorok had a complex expression, with a hint of schadenfreude. ¡°In that case, you might not be able to ignore Luna Island branch. Although we have sworn allegiance to you, the two Blood Dukes of Luna Island¡­ have just fled.¡± Chapter 488 : Ashes ¡°The two elven bloodbornes from Luna Island?¡± Charlotte raised her eyebrows slightly. Duke Yorok nodded respectfully and said, ¡°They are Alec from the fourth generation and Campel from the third generation.¡± ¡°Alec?¡± Charlotte¡¯s eyebrows knitted together as a certain careless figure came to mind. Back when the ¡°Ancestor Recognition Ceremony¡± was held in the Roman Duchy, she had watched the entire event and had a deep impression of this elven bloodborne who killed Prince Henry. As for Campel¡­ If she remembered correctly, he should be one of the three Legendary bloodbornes from Luna Island that Yurst once told her about. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Speaking of which, including the awakened Bardock, the Nez Clan currently has nine Legendary bloodbornes. Among them, six are in the Starfall Kingdom and three are in Luna Island. Elder Robin, duke Yorok, and Duke Charles are all Blood Dukes from the Starfall Kingdom. This includes Bardock as well. Among these four, Bardock holds the highest status, followed by Charles, then Elder Robin. However, Bardock has been asleep for nearly a millennium. Although he is still of Legendary strength, it is barely so. People respect him mainly for his high status. Duke Charles, too, is respected. This old scholar of the Nez Clan is even less powerful than the somewhat insecure Bardock, with his strength being more of a Schr?dinger¡¯s Legendary. When Charlotte first entered the Nez stronghold, the Legendary Bloodborne who made a move was him, and at that time, the feeling he gave Charlotte was¡ª¡±Is this it?¡± Among the four, only Elder Robin and Duke Yorok¡¯s powers have not diminished. Besides them, there are two more Legendary elders whose strength is only slightly better than that of a count due to old injuries. Nominally they are Legendary, but because their strength has declined, they are no longer referred to as Dukes. They are Elder Aldrich and Elder Edwin. Charlotte has met both of them and indeed felt their weakness. However, the Nez Clan is proficient in divination and inscriptions, so even if their strength is undiminished, they are not particularly good at combat. Additionally, humans have long known the weaknesses of the bloodbornes. Unless it¡¯s nighttime with a bloodline boost, the Legendary Dukes of the Nez Clan can hardly defeat a human Legendary from the Starfall Kingdom of the same level. Otherwise, they would not have been driven out of the ruling class by the humans and the Holy Court¡¯s allied forces in the Starfall Kingdom back then. As for Luna Island, the three Legendary are Femaror, Campel, and Alec. Femaror is the leader of Luna Island¡¯s elven bloodborne, but it is said that he is still asleep, so he did not attend this gathering. Those who attended the gathering were the elven bloodbornes Alec and Campel. Like most Legendary Bloodbornes of the Starfall Kingdom, Duke Campel is also old and frail. However, the young Alec is a very powerful Legendary. It is precisely because Alec is strong that although Luna Island has fewer Legendaries, the strength of the two Nez branches is not much different in high-end combat power. ?¨¢?§°????§¦? Moreover, because Luna Island is closely related to the elves, the bloodbornes of Luna Island might sometimes even be more formidable. As for high-end combat power other than Legendary¡­ The Nez Clan has over a hundred bloodbornes at the count level, with 80% of them in the Starfall Kingdom, and almost all of them attended this gathering. The rest are all mid-to-low-level bloodbornes below the count level. Nine Legendary, over a hundred Blazing Suns, more than a thousand Silver Moons, and over four thousand Starry Sky¡ªthis is the current strength of the Nez Clan. Clearly, even in decline, the five major clans are still the five major clans. With this strength, they can still stir up storms in the Starfall Kingdom. Of course, these level distinctions no longer matter to Charlotte at present. The True Ancestor of Blood has an absolute bloodline suppression over the bloodbornes, and even Legendary can¡¯t cause waves in her hands. Unless¡­ the opponent possesses a powerful artifact. For instance, luna Island reportedly has powerful artifacts left by the Moon Goddess, according to Sebastian, which can even threaten Gods. However, such artifacts are often difficult to use and, due to their stringent conditions, require various setups and can hardly be moved. In other words, the Legendary beings roaming the world, except for the high-ranking clerics of the Holy Court with strong faith, generally do not have powerful artifacts for protection. Of course, in most cases, legendary don¡¯t need them. But let¡¯s return to the present. Regarding the attitude towards the Luna Island branch, after a brief contemplation, Charlotte realized that with the support of the elves, they are unlikely to submit to her like the bloodbornes of the Starfall Kingdom. ¡°Where did they escape to?¡± She asked calmly. ¡°They used an emergency teleportation array, which connects to Gale County in the northeastern part of the kingdom. They¡­ are probably heading towards Luna Island.¡± Duke Yorok replied respectfully. When he looked up again, he was slightly taken aback. The True Ancestor¡¯s figure¡­ had already disappeared. ¡­ Eastern part of Starfall Kingdom, North Sea. Over the vast sea, two figures turned into crimson streams of light, flying rapidly northwest. They wore the uniform black robes of the Nez Clan¡¯s gathering, but the patterns on their collars were gold. These were symbols of the Elder Council and also identification for Blood Dukes. They were the two elven bloodborne Legendary of the Nez Clan¡¯s Luna Island branch: Duke Alec Frost Nez and Duke Campel Storm Nez. The two elven bloodbornes were extremely fast. They did not look back, their faces filled with tension. Even the usually careless Alec was now much more serious. ¡°I never expected¡­ the bloodborne myth behind Castell is the True Ancestor! She has already returned!¡± ¡°This is a serious matter. We must quickly inform Lord Femaror and swiftly sever ties with the Nez Clan to avoid being bound by the ¡ºBlood Oath¡» and becoming her vassals again!¡± Duke Campel said solemnly. Duke Alec sighed as well. ¡°What a pity¡­ Just a little bit more, and we could have further expanded our influence on Starfall Island. If successful, Lord Femaror¡¯s plan could have advanced even further¡­¡± Duke Campel shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t be too greedy. At least¡­ we have already learned the secret of the Gods from Robin. The Nez Clan has truly lost the protection of the divine, otherwise, the True Ancestor would never have set foot on Starfall Island!¡± ¡°It seems that perhaps that God¡­ are really in trouble!¡± ¡°However, we should not worry too much. The True Ancestor has a notorious reputation. As long as we sever ties with her in time and spread the news of her return, we won¡¯t need to worry. Her past enemies won¡¯t allow her to regain her former power.¡± ¡°Remember, the times¡­ have changed! And the Gods¡­ are not invincible! No matter how powerful the True Ancestor is, she can¡¯t stand against the Holy Court, the entire blood race, and the many mainstream churches of Myria!¡± The two elven bloodbornes flew rapidly, comforting each other. After a while of conversation, their panic-stricken hearts gradually settled. Although still afraid and tense, they regained their faith and no longer felt so fearful and anxious. They flew swiftly, bat wings spread, heading northwest towards Luna Island. Behind them, the distant Starfall Island had disappeared, leaving only the endless sea and the cloud-filled sky. As they entered the North Sea, the sea fog began to thicken. Unknowingly, the hazy mist covered the entire sea. The ocean, being the place with the most abundant water elements, also represented immense magic power. Under the dense sea fog, even as Legendary, the vision and perception of the two elven bloodbornes were greatly limited. Helpless, they could only rely on the instincts of the bloodborne and their past experience to head towards Luna Island. Time passed unknowingly. Flying through the mist felt endless. With no end in sight for the ocean or the fog, everything seemed infinite. Even the energetic Blood Dukes began to feel a bit fatigued. ¡°Strange¡­ Is this sea area this long? How long have we been flying?¡± Looking at the endless sea and mist, Alec frowned slightly. Campel, whose strength was slightly weaker, also had an uneasy expression. Glancing around, he suddenly realized something, and his expression changed instantly. ¡°Not good! We¡¯ve been flying in circles!¡± ¡°We¡­ might have entered some kind of mental illusion!¡± As if to confirm Campel¡¯s words, the surrounding mist changed as soon as he spoke. The hazy white mist gradually turned blood red, transforming into crimson mist. The sea beneath them quickly faded, revealing a flat black stone surface. Above, the layered dark clouds parted, revealing a blood-red full moon. As the crimson mist dissipated, the two Legendary bloodbornes were shocked to find themselves inside a majestic and solemn ancient castle. Seeing the familiar steps, the familiar throne, and the familiar holy symbol on the throne, the two elven bloodbornes¡¯ faces almost simultaneously changed color. ¡°Dark Night¡­ Castle!¡± ¡°Not good! Run!¡± They were horrified, unleashing all their bloodline power, trying to escape this legendary terrifying place before the surrounding space stabilized. But the next moment¡­ a vast and terrifying aura descended, quickly suppressing the restless bloodline power within them. ¡°Run? Where do you think you can escape to?¡± A calm female voice sounded. A bit lazy, slightly mocking, but at the same time incredibly melodious, carrying an enchanting charm that penetrated the soul. Hearing this familiar yet strange voice, the expressions of the two elven bloodbornes changed instantly. Trembling, they looked up at the throne on the steps, where the beautiful yet terrifying figure had appeared. Charlotte sat on the throne, looking down at the two Legendary bloodbornes with a smile. She narrowed her eyes with a smile, as if chatting with old friends. ¡°Why are you running? Afraid I¡¯ll devour you?¡± ¡°Tru¡­ True Ancestor!¡± Upon hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, Duke Campel¡¯s legs went soft, and he kneeled on the ground. Alec, on the other hand, was tough enough. Even facing Charlotte¡¯s bloodline suppression, he stood strong, gritting his teeth and speaking with difficulty. ¡°True Ancestor!¡± ¡°Indeed, we are bloodbornes, but we¡­ are also elves of Luna Island!¡± ¡°Oh? So¡­ you want to use the Elven race to threaten me?¡± Charlotte¡¯s smile faded slightly, her voice turning cold. After speaking, she shook her head. ¡°Forget it. Since you chose to resist, bear the price of your resistance.¡± With that, Charlotte stopped communicating with the two bloodbornes and began forcibly casting the Servant¡¯s Final Oath on them. She didn¡¯t intend to turn them into blood thralls. Turning bloodbornes into blood thralls was a taboo among bloodbornes. Even as the True Ancestor, she needed to consider the bloodborne¡¯s perception. One blood thrall¡­ was enough with Albrecht, anyway, no bloodborne would care about the ¡°rights¡± of the despised Dark Clan Shedite. Of course, the Servant¡¯s Final Oath wasn¡¯t a good thing either. This harsh contract also led to the despair of those signed, but at least¡­ it was more acceptable. The reason was simple: this kind of magic was difficult and not as easily promoted as the blood thrall contract. The threat was small, belonging to high-end casters¡¯ toys. As for when Charlotte learned such magic, that would have to be asked of her loyal servant, the ever-lustful Mr. Nice. Charlotte¡¯s divine power enveloped the two Legendary bloodbornes. Vast mental power poured out, flooding their consciousness. However, as Charlotte manipulated her mental power into the minds of the two elven bloodbornes, she was slightly stunned. What she saw was not the unique mental worlds of Legendary bloodbornes. But¡­ two mysterious crystals emitting white mist, constantly rotating. What were these things? Were they¡­ not real people, but puppets? Charlotte was stunned. Before she could react, the mysterious crystals quickly cracked and then shattered. In the Dark Night Castle, as the crystals shattered, the bodies of the two Legendary bloodbornes instantly disintegrated. Like smoke blown by the wind, their bodies turned into white mist and then vanished. It was as if they had never existed. Until the last moment of their bodies¡¯ disintegration, the two elven bloodbornes seemed unaware of what had happened. One still had a fearful expression, while the other remained stubborn and resolute. As their auras dissipated, only two piles of fine ash remained on the ground of the Dark Night Castle, resembling the ashes after cremation. Looking at the two piles of ashes, Charlotte frowned. Chapter 489 : The Elven Bloodborne Ashes? Were they¡­ truly puppets? Charlotte frowned slightly. She contemplated for a moment and then focused on the crimson sea in her consciousness. She discovered that the crimson stars symbolizing Alec and Campel had already been extinguished. Charlotte¡¯s frown deepened. The stars in the crimson sea represent all those with bloodborne traits. When a star goes out, it signifies death. In other words, Alec and Campel should have fallen. However, the crystal cores she saw in their ¡°consciousness¡± and their dissolution like weathered puppets made it difficult for her to associate them with normal death. ¡°Their consciousness¡­ seems to reside in those crystals. Their body structure doesn¡¯t align with my understanding of bloodbornes.¡± ¡°After their death, I couldn¡¯t even sense their souls.¡± ¡°They¡¯re also different from elves like Sebastian. At least¡­Sebastian has a mental world and soul energy that I can perceive.¡± ¡°Elven Bloodborne¡­ could they not belong to the true blood race? Perhaps they aren¡¯t even natural beings?¡± ¡°Come to think of it, none of the historical texts mention the origins of the Nez Clan branch from the Luna Island. How did they first appear?¡± ¡°That crystal just now¡­ looked very much like some sort of puppet core. Could they have been artificially created?¡± ¡°Someone who can destroy them silently in my mental world¡­ must be no weaker than me, perhaps even stronger¡­¡± Reflecting on everything she had just witnessed, Charlotte fell into deep thought. Alec and Campel were definitely not remote-controlled avatars, Charlotte was sure of this because their expressions before ¡°death¡± were not faked. ¡°In that case¡­ there might be some secret to these so-called Elven Bloodborne.¡± Charlotte murmured to herself. Thinking of this, Charlotte delved deeper into the crimson sea. In the crimson sea, the stars representing the Nez Clan were now distinct from the others, marked by a crimson halo around each star representing a Nez bloodborne. Moreover, these stars, compared to others with weaker connections, felt closer and even surpassed the intimacy level of the Nightshade cult believers¡¯ points of light. However, Charlotte noticed that some stars with a similar aura to the Nez Clan had not formed this connection. She hadn¡¯t scrutinized them before, but upon examining them now, she found that the number of these stars was roughly proportional to the Nez Clan in the Starfall Kingdom and the Nez Clan from the Luna Island. ???????¦¢¦¥? In other words, these stars, which hadn¡¯t connected despite the Nez Clan¡¯s submission, were from the Luna Island branch of the Nez Clan. This sparked a realization in Charlotte. ¡°The Nez Clan¡¯s submission should have activated the Blood Oath of the bloodbornes, but the Nez branch from Luna Island wasn¡¯t bound by it.¡± ¡°According to the Gospel of Blood, the Blood Oath is a bloodline pact. When the majority of clan members swear the same oath, it¡¯s recognized as a clan pact.¡± ¡°The Elven bloodbornes not being bound by the oath means they weren¡¯t recognized.¡± ¡°Although this Blood Oath wasn¡¯t initiated by me directly but by the Nez Clan¡¯s voluntary submission, which might slightly weaken its strength, not being recognized means they are not part of the Nez Clan.¡± ¡°The Elven Bloodbornes on the Luna Island¡­ likely aren¡¯t true bloodbornes, perhaps not even elves, just beings with Nez bloodline masquerading as bloodbornes.¡± ¡°Judging by Alec and Campel¡¯s reactions, perhaps¡­ they themselves didn¡¯t realize they weren¡¯t true bloodbornes.¡± Looking at the stars representing the elven bloodbornes from Luna Island, Charlotte speculated. Of course, even if the Nez bloodbornes from Luna Island weren¡¯t true bloodbornes, they still possessed bloodborne traits. And as long as they had bloodborne traits, Charlotte¡¯s Blood Summoning could forcibly summon them to the Dark Night Castle. However, Charlotte didn¡¯t attempt this. Most elven bloodbornes were on Luna Island, far away and protected by a myth-level defensive barrier. Even for her, bypassing this barrier to summon them wouldn¡¯t be easy. Furthermore, considering Alec and Campel turned to ashes shortly after being pulled into the castle, even if she managed to summon one, they would likely meet the same fate. They might not even be aware that they weren¡¯t true bloodbornes. Pondering this, Charlotte fell into deeper thought. Judging by the change in the Nez Clan¡¯s status over the years and Alec¡¯s maneuvers, Luna Island and Starfall Island were not unified and had many conflicting views. There likely was a significant secret behind the elven bloodborne, perhaps even the Luna Island itself. Maybe¡­ the investigation into the elven bloodbornes¡¯ secret could be handed over to the Nez Clan of Starfall Island. With this thought, Charlotte collected the two piles of ashes and exited her consciousness space. As for handling the ashes, she planned to hand them over to Nice. That guy was resourceful and might discover something. Regarding Luna Island¡­ even though she was now a Demigod, considering it was one of the top forces in Myria, Charlotte decided not to provoke them unnecessarily. Elves were once dominant and had many hidden cards. They were even the ones who devised the earliest divine sealing rituals. Manifested Gods were not invincible. If Charlotte went now and messed up, it would be catastrophic. ¡­ Wickes County, Nez Stronghold. In the central castle, the Nez Elder Council, led by Bardock, was gathered in the hall, waiting patiently. The throne in the hall¡¯s center was empty. But unlike before, now¡­ no one dared to approach it. After an unknown period, crimson light spread throughout the castle. Countless black bats flew into the hall and eventually coalesced into a human figure on the throne. ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± Seeing Charlotte reappear on the throne, the Nez elders bowed respectfully. Noticing her furrowed brows, Bardock felt a twinge of unease and asked. ¡°Your Majesty, did Alec and Campel¡­ escape?¡± Charlotte shook her head. ¡°No, I caught up with them.¡± ¡°Then they¡­¡± Duke Yorok couldn¡¯t help but ask. Recalling the extinguished stars in the crimson sea, Charlotte paused and said, ¡°They¡­ should be dead.¡± Dead¡­ dead? The Nez elders were momentarily stunned, and then they were astonished. Apparently, they hadn¡¯t expected Alec and Campel to die, not even Duke Yorok, who had reported their escape. They thought¡­ Charlotte had just recaptured the two fleeing elven bloodbornes. Dead? Just dead? That Alec died just like that? They were Legendary! Duke Yorok¡¯s mouth hung open, his expression quite spectacular. Noticing the mix of astonishment and growing fear on the elders¡¯ faces, Charlotte realized they misunderstood, thinking it was her punishment for the fugitives. Charlotte felt a bit helpless. However, she didn¡¯t bother to explain much. Fear isn¡¯t always a bad thing, she needed to establish her authority now, balancing grace with power. From the perspective of the ¡°True Ancestor¡±, she had already shown grace by not holding past ¡°betrayals¡± accountable and promising future protection. For the Nez Clan, this already constituted ¡°grace.¡± Punishing those who persisted in their ¡°betrayal¡± would thus be a show of power. Sweeping her gaze over the Nez elders, Charlotte paused and said, ¡°From today onwards, the Nez Clan will have only the bloodbornes from Starfall Island, not the elves from Luna Island.¡± The Nez elders were stunned. ¡°Your Majesty¡­ are you planning to strip the bloodline power from the Luna Island branch, removing their bloodborne identity?¡± Elder Robin couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Removing their bloodborne identity?¡± Charlotte chuckled softly. She shook her head and said meaningfully. ¡°They never belonged to the bloodborne race to begin with, so there¡¯s nothing to strip.¡± They don¡¯t¡­ belong to the bloodborne race? The Nez elders were dumbfounded. Seeing their bewildered expressions, Charlotte realized these bloodbornes hadn¡¯t noticed anything amiss about the elven bloodbornes. She paused and asked. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°The Nez Clan¡­ originated from the North and the former Blood Legion. But as far as I know, there was no connection with the elves in the distant past.¡± ¡°So, can anyone tell me the origin of the elven bloodbornes from Luna Island?¡± Upon hearing Charlotte¡¯s question, all the elders looked at Bardock. Bardock¡¯s face turned dark. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me. I¡¯ve already said I have many memory gaps. If anyone knows, they should speak up.¡± Clearly, after having Charlotte as their ¡°support¡±, the former commander of the Free City Alliance¡¯s Third Legion had completely relaxed, no longer playing the cold and ruthless role, and had reverted to his old, somewhat reckless self. Helpless, Duke Yorok and the others turned to Elder Charles. Elder Charles, who hadn¡¯t ¡°lost his memory¡±, pondered for a moment before saying respectfully. ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s a long story. The Nez Clan branch on Luna Island was established by an elven elder who was turned into a bloodborne after your disappearance.¡± ¡°His name is Femaror, a third-generation bloodborne. You should know him. If I remember correctly, he used to be your personal guard and was once praised by you for his height.¡± ¡°His name means ¡®you are so tall¡¯ in ancient elvish¡­¡± Charlotte: ¡­ What nonsense is this? No, no¡­ She really didn¡¯t know him. He might have known ¡°her¡±, but she didn¡¯t know him. And the ¡°her¡± he knew wasn¡¯t actually her. Of course, Charlotte knew the name Femaror. She had learned from Yurst that he was one of the three Legendary Bloodbornes of Luna Island and indeed used to be a follower of the ¡°True Ancestor.¡± Incidentally, Charlotte had observed that his star in the crimson sea hadn¡¯t been included in the Nez Clan¡¯s oath, indicating he was likely another ¡°false bloodborne.¡± As for how Charlotte determined the star belonged to him, it was simple. Among the remaining stars from Luna Island, only one had a Legendary-level aura. This is the process of elimination. After some thought, Charlotte mused. ¡°Investigate the elven bloodbornes of Luna Island thoroughly. Look into their origins, their methods of inheritance, and¡­ their true identities and purposes.¡± True identities¡­ and purposes? The Nez elders were all stunned. Duke Yorok couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Your Majesty, Femaror and the others¡­¡± ¡°Their identities¡­ are problematic.¡± Charlotte said calmly. Their identities are problematic? The Nez elders looked at each other, their expressions complex. Seeming to connect the dots, Duke Robin¡¯s expression changed subtly. He took a deep breath, bowed to Charlotte, and said respectfully. ¡°Your Majesty, I understand. I will arrange for a thorough investigation of the elven bloodbornes on Luna Island.¡± ¡°Be discreet, and keep it confidential.¡± Charlotte reminded. Duke Robin bowed deeply. ¡°By your divine command¡­¡± After issuing orders to the Nez Clan to sever ties with the elven bloodbornes of Luna Island and to investigate them secretly, Charlotte departed. This time, she truly left. Thanks to the protective wards of the Nez Clan¡¯s stronghold, the blood moon phenomenon Charlotte caused was confined within the castle. This solved the issue of Charlotte¡¯s identity being quickly exposed. If the blood moon phenomenon had spread to the entire Starfall Kingdom, or even the whole world, every extraordinary power would have known that the ¡°True Ancestor¡± had awakened. For now, it was confined to the Nez Clan, who had already rejoined the True Ancestor and formed a pact with Charlotte. With the constraints of the pact, they couldn¡¯t reveal her identity without her permission. Charlotte¡¯s ¡°True Ancestor¡± identity should remain hidden for a while longer. One day at a time. If she were to be exposed, so be it. After all, she had just taken in so many bloodbornes. ¡­ Using the long-distance teleportation array from the Nez stronghold to return to Starfall City, it was just dawn. It had taken exactly one night. With Nice, the all-purpose tool cat, at her disposal, no one in the Red Palace noticed that the would-be queen had snuck out for the night. Charlotte returned to her original appearance and changed into noble attire. Just as she finished changing, a familiar aura approached. Charlotte felt a surge of anticipation. Albrecht, whom she had sent out to find the ¡°traitors¡± among the high-ranking members of Starfall Parliament, had returned. Charlotte was instantly energized. With the Nez Clan¡¯s submission, it was now time to deal with the entire Starfall Kingdom. Chapter 490 : --------------- The Nez Clan has already surrendered? _____________________ ¡°Your Majesty, the True Ancestor¡­¡± Black mist gathered as the Third Dark Apostle, Albrecht, slowly appeared. He bowed slightly, placing his right hand over his chest, and respectfully saluted Charlotte. Charlotte, now dressed in a noble gown, sat in a reclining chair. She gracefully extended her hand to accept a crystal cup handed over by the fawning black cat Nice, who acted like a sycophant. She took a delicate sip of the specially brewed red tea with added sweet milk, and then nodded slightly. ¡°Rise, Albrecht. Have you identified the traitor among the Parliament¡¯s top members?¡± Albrecht instinctively glanced at Nice, the black cat. Seeing that Charlotte had no intention of dismissing it, he nodded, and with a flash of light, a luxurious parchment scroll appeared in his hand. ¡°I have identified them. The person¡¯s identity is rather surprising, and I think you wouldn¡¯t guess who leaked Count Stafford¡¯s secret travel plans.¡± As he spoke, he respectfully presented the parchment scroll. Hearing Albrecht¡¯s words, Charlotte raised an eyebrow, her mind immediately recalling the faces of the high-ranking members of the Starfall Parliament she had met. Without showing any emotion, she took the parchment and quickly browsed through it. Her expression soon turned to surprise. ¡°Bishop Campbell? It¡¯s him?¡± Albrecht nodded. ¡°Yes. Last night, there were no abnormalities with Count Stafford, Marquis Howard, or Count Greenville-Roman. Only at the Holy Court division where Bishop Campbell is stationed, there was a carriage secretly visiting the headquarters of the Starfall Kingdom¡¯s Knights after nightfall.¡± ¡°I did not alert them, but took the opportunity of Bishop Campbell¡¯s absence to infiltrate his study and found some documents.¡± With a flash of light in his hand, Albrecht produced a stack of compiled documents. ¡°These are the materials I copied with magic. Please review them.¡± Charlotte gave him a surprised look and took the documents. She had to admit that Albrecht¡¯s efficiency was beyond her expectations. In less than a day, he had made such significant progress. Though it seemed like an overkill for someone of his legendary status to investigate these matters, Charlotte doubted she could have been more efficient herself. Having managed to survive and become the Third Apostle of the Blood Demon Cult over a millennium, Albrecht did have some skills. He had been quite unlucky to get caught up in Charlotte¡¯s schemes in Lutecia, otherwise, he might still be enjoying his time in some dark corner. Charlotte opened the documents and continued to browse, her expression quickly shifting to surprise once again. Seeing her reaction, Albrecht respectfully said, ¡°These documents indicate that Bishop Campbell¡ªor more accurately, the Holy Court division in the Starfall Kingdom¡ªhas been collaborating with the Nez Clan for a very long time.¡± ¡°The plan for Count Stafford¡¯s secret travel was leaked by Bishop Campbell.¡± ¡°However, the members of the Nez Clan collaborating with Bishop Campbell are only a part of the clan. Some of Campbell¡¯s letters even detail plans to overthrow the current Nez Clan¡¯s Elder Council.¡± ????¦¢¨¨? ¡°The Nez Clan is not united. This may have been noticed and exploited by the Holy Court. However, due to time constraints, I could not gather more information to understand why Bishop Campbell would participate in the attack on you.¡± ¡°He is, after all, a Bishop of the Holy Court, and you¡­ are officially recognized as the ¡®Saintess¡¯ by the Holy Court.¡± ¡°Even if he is collaborating with some members of the Nez bloodbornes to weaken the clan, theoretically, he should not have attacked you.¡± ¡°I considered the possibility that the Holy Court division in the Starfall Kingdom has deviated from the control of the Theocracy and abandoned the faith in the Holy Court, which is why Bishop Campbell participated in the attack on you.¡± ¡°But some documents show that the Holy Court division still maintains contact with the Theocracy, and even their cooperation with some members of the Nez Clan is reported in their communications with the Theocracy. They are still under the central command of the Holy Court.¡± ¡°So¡­ I speculate that the Theocracy may also dislike your ¡®Wild Saintess¡¯ status and may have wanted to use the hands of the blood clan to ¡®remove¡¯ you.¡± Charlotte was not surprised by Albrecht¡¯s analysis. The Theocracy indeed did not favor her as the ¡°Saintess.¡± Given her understanding of the Holy Court, if the Theocracy truly valued her, they would have summoned her to the Theocracy long ago when her reputation spread. This was normal. Regardless of whether her saintess status was genuine, according to the Holy Court¡¯s system, acknowledging her would only increase the power of the Crescent Diocese. The Theocracy certainly did not want the semi-independent churches to continue growing in power. Of course, Charlotte also had no intention of genuinely becoming a Saintess. As for the blood clan members collaborating with the Theocracy¡­ Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte glanced at a certain name in the documents and raised an eyebrow slightly. ¡°Alec Ice Nez?¡± ¡°He is one of the Nez Clan¡¯s Elder Council members, belonging to the Nez Clan¡¯s Luna Island branch. I suspect¡­ the Nez Clan members cooperating with the Theocracy are likely from the Luna Island branch.¡± Albrecht said respectfully. At this point, Albrecht revealed a devilish smile and continued. ¡°Your Majesty, the True Ancestor, it is rumored that the Luna Island branch of the Nez Clan is supported by the elves. The relationship between the elves and the Nez Clan on Starfall Island has always been delicate. Perhaps¡­ we can use these documents to divide the forces within the Nez Clan.¡± ¡°Although the Nez Clan is not as fragmented as the cult, it is one of the more weakened major clans. If we can further divide them, provoke their internal conflict, and lure them into mutual destruction, your chances of taking control of Starfall Kingdom will greatly increase. You might even have a good chance to reintegrate the Nez Clan under your control!¡± ¡°Then, you can forcibly sign a blood thrall contract with the Nez Clan, turning them into your obedient slaves, and make Starfall Island your backyard!¡± Charlotte: ¡­ Alright. So, after all this roundabout talk, you want to drag the Nez Clan into being your fellow blood thralls. Charlotte looked at Albrecht, who was enthusiastically scheming to trap the Nez Clan, with a strange expression. Albrecht coughed lightly and said, ¡°Great True Ancestor, don¡¯t you think this is a wonderful plan? Weakening the Nez Clan and turning them all into blood thralls would be a rightful punishment for their betrayal!¡± ¡°Just like you?¡± Charlotte looked at him quietly. ¡°Yes, just like m¡­ Ah, no, it¡¯s an honor for me, for the Nez Clan, to become your blood thrall.¡± Realizing his slip of the tongue halfway, Albrecht quickly corrected himself. Charlotte said nothing. She continued to go through the documents Albrecht brought back. Seeing that she did not respond, Albrecht did not dare to say more and stood respectfully waiting. A moment later, Charlotte looked up and handed the documents back. ¡°You are right. The Nez Clan should indeed know about these documents. Hand them over¡­ to Yurst.¡± Excited to receive her approval, Albrecht replied enthusiastically. ¡°I will perfect them and then hand them over to him as you wish!¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s no need. Hand them over as they are.¡± Charlotte shook her head. Albrecht was slightly taken aback. ¡°As they are? Your Majesty, although these documents record the conspiracy between the elven bloodbornes from Luna Island and the Holy Court, it might not be enough to incite internal conflict within the Nez Clan.¡± ¡°There are indeed significant internal conflicts within the Nez Clan, but the greatest threat to them right now is you. Under such circumstances, even if they become aware of the conspiracy, they are likely to temporarily set aside their differences and unite against external threats.¡± Charlotte chuckled lightly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the Nez Clan¡­ is no longer a threat.¡± ¡°The Nez Clan¡­ is no longer a threat?¡± Albrecht was puzzled. ¡°Hehehe, Sir Albrecht, you are unaware that our great master visited the Nez Clan just last night. Now¡­ the Nez Clan has awakened and renewed their allegiance to our master.¡± The black cat Nice, who already knew what had transpired, laughed wickedly beside Charlotte. ¡°What? The Nez Clan¡­ has surrendered?!¡± Albrecht was stunned. He couldn¡¯t help but look at Charlotte, who nodded slightly, confirming Nice¡¯s words. Albrecht¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. Looking at Albrecht¡¯s expression, which seemed to scream, ¡°How could the Nez Clan surrender so quickly? How can I cause trouble now?¡±, Charlotte¡¯s gaze turned strange. She coughed lightly and continued. ¡°Albrecht, after you deliver the documents to Yurst, I order you to continue investigating Luna Island, especially the secrets of those so-called elven bloodborne.¡± ¡°Investigate¡­ them?¡± Albrecht was slightly puzzled. He felt a stir in his heart and asked. ¡°Your Excellency, is there something wrong with the Nez bloodbornes on Luna Island?¡± Charlotte gave him a meaningful look. ¡°The Nez Clan is the Nez Clan, and Luna Island is Luna Island.¡± ¡°Those so-called elven bloodbornes are not bloodbornes at all.¡± The elven ¡®bloodborne¡¯ on Luna Island are not bloodbornes?! Albrecht was once again taken aback. Seeing that Charlotte wasn¡¯t joking, his expression turned serious. ¡°I understand.¡± After the audience with Charlotte and receiving his new orders, Albrecht withdrew. Following the coordinates given by Charlotte, it didn¡¯t take long for him to find Yurst, who had returned with her. ¡°Lord¡­ Lord Albrecht¡­¡± Seeing the Blood Duke coming to find him, Yurst hurriedly bowed. Albrecht nodded slightly. Despite being deferential and respectful before Charlotte, as a Legendary figure, he had his pride. However, thinking of his status as a blood thrall and facing Yurst, who was a blood servant, this pride quickly turned into frustration. Even Yurst¡¯s handsome face seemed somewhat annoying to him. He reluctantly nodded in response and handed the documents to Yurst. ¡°These are documents that Her Excellency ordered me to pass on, containing some information about the collaboration between the Luna Island bloodbornes and the Holy Court.¡± ¡°The Luna Island bloodbornes collaborating with the Holy Court?¡± Yurst was taken aback. He subconsciously took the documents, intending to read them. But Albrecht, who had been holding back all this time, couldn¡¯t resist any longer. ¡°Yurst, tell me, has the Nez Clan¡­ already surrendered to Her Majesty?¡± Yurst instinctively nodded. ¡°Yes, the clan has accepted Her Majesty and renewed their loyalty to her.¡± ¡°Why so quickly? Did Her Majesty forcibly implement the blood servant contract?¡± Albrecht couldn¡¯t help but ask. Yurst gave him a peculiar look and shook his head. ¡°No, Her Majesty visited the Nez stronghold, and after some friendly exchanges, the clan decided to pledge their allegiance to her, and she accepted their loyalty, becoming the protector of the Nez Clan once more.¡± Albrecht: ¡­ Friendly exchanges? What do you mean by friendly exchanges? So¡­ am I the only one who became a blood thrall? Seeing Albrecht¡¯s face, which seemed to say, ¡°Am I the only clown here?¡±, Yurst felt a little sorry for him. He carefully chose his words to comfort him. ¡°Lord Albrecht, not everyone is fortunate enough to become Her Majesty¡¯s blood thrall. In a way, being chosen as her blood thrall is a recognition by Her Majesty.¡± Albrecht: ¡­ ¡°Take the documents and get out of here, you damned blood servant!¡± ¡­ After Albrecht left, Charlotte fell into contemplation. ¡°The so-called ¡®elven bloodbornes¡¯ on Luna Island are even in contact with the Holy Court. Could it be¡­ that their involvement extends to the Holy Court?¡± ¡°It seems a thorough investigation is indeed necessary.¡± At this moment, Sherry suddenly reported. ¡°Your Majesty, Marquis Howard has arrived.¡± Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred, and she nodded. ¡°Let him in.¡± Shortly after, Marquis Howard, the Parliament¡¯s Chief Steward, entered. ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± He bowed respectfully to Charlotte and then presented a document with both hands. ¡°This is the guest list for tonight¡¯s banquet at the Red Palace. Please review it.¡± Hearing the Marquis¡¯ words, Charlotte remembered there was a banquet tonight, hosted by the nobles of Starfall to welcome her. Of course, while it was a welcoming banquet, it also served as a diplomatic engagement. Besides the parliament nobles, even the Lilac faction nobles supporting Duke Aecia were invited. However, the staunch Lilac faction nobles and Duke Aecia himself would certainly not attend. Charlotte took the document and glanced through it casually. But soon, she noticed a highlight. ¡°Hm? A special envoy from the Crescent Kingdom¡­ is attending the banquet too?¡± Chapter 491 : Preparation The fact that there was a special envoy from the Crescent Kingdom attending the Red Palace banquet was something Charlotte never expected. Not only that, the envoy was even an acquaintance of Charlotte¡¯s. ¡°Duke Moonshield¡ªJohn de Anro¡­¡± Charlotte read the name from the list. Duke Moonshield was an old acquaintance of Charlotte¡¯s. When she first inherited her territory and traveled to Castell, he had warmly welcomed her. Later, after winning the Borde-Castell War and achieving independence, Duke Moonshield had even hosted a salon to introduce Charlotte to the lords of various kingdoms. Duke Moonshield played a significant role in helping Charlotte quickly integrate into the Crescent Kingdom¡¯s noble circles and in establishing stable trade channels for Castell¡¯s extraordinary resources with the kingdom¡¯s various lords. Charlotte had a very favorable impression of this loyal royalist noble. Duke Moonshield was affable and kind, the type of person who could get along with everyone and always had a cheerful demeanor¡ªa social expert in modern terms. However, underestimating Duke Moonshield as merely a nice guy with no real capability would be a grave mistake. Being the leader of the royalist nobles and a right-hand man to King Louis V of the Crescent Kingdom, duke Moonshield was indeed very capable. It was said that he was the one who initiated and managed the ceasefire agreement of the Star-Moon War, and at that time, he was not even twenty years old. Moreover, he also played a significant role in easing relations between Charlotte and the Crescent Kingdom¡¯s royal family after their war. During the Borde-Castell War, the royal family had tacitly allowed Prince Philip to strip Charlotte of her title, making them enemies, if not directly opposed. Duke Moonshield had been the mediator who facilitated negotiations and ultimately convinced the king to recognize Castell¡¯s independence and accept Castell as a direct vassal. Without a doubt, Duke Moonshield was a close confidant of King Louis V. Visiting the Starfall Kingdom as a special envoy, his every move and word likely represented the Crescent royal family¡¯s stance. ¡°When did the Crescent Kingdom¡¯s envoy arrive in Starfall? And what is his purpose?¡± Charlotte asked thoughtfully. She had only been in Starfall for a day, and Duke Moonshield was farther away. He must have set off before her, not after. This meant that Duke Moonshield was also visiting the Starfall Kingdom with his own agenda. Marquis Howard respectfully replied. ¡°Interestingly enough, he arrived just this morning. We are not yet clear on his intentions, but it is likely related to the territorial disputes between our two countries.¡± ¡°You know, the peace treaty of the Star-Moon War did not resolve the territorial issues. Our Starfall Kingdom considers the Roman Duchy as our royal territory, while the Crescent Kingdom also claims it by right.¡± ??????§à????????? ¡°Twenty years ago, the peace treaty stipulated that the territorial disputes would be temporarily set aside.¡± ¡°But now, with the Starfall Kingdom¡¯s unstable situation and the vacant throne, the Crescent Kingdom is likely to be restless again.¡± Charlotte¡¯s mind raced, and she quickly understood. The eighty-year Star-Moon War did not completely resolve the conflicts between the two countries, and the territorial disputes remained a hidden issue. Now, with the Starfall Kingdom¡¯s internal instability, the vacant throne, and the sudden emergence of Castell, the Crescent Kingdom naturally would not sit still. After all, if Charlotte became the Queen of Starfall, the disputed territories would not be limited to the Roman Duchy alone. Besides the Roman Duchy, Castell, with its richer geographical location and strategic resources, would also be in contention. Under such circumstances, the Crescent Kingdom¡¯s envoy attending Charlotte¡¯s welcoming banquet became very subtle. It implied that the Crescent Kingdom was already planning to intervene in the Starfall Kingdom¡¯s succession to the throne. Undoubtedly, tonight¡¯s banquet was going to be very lively. Marquis Howard also seemed to have realized this. His expression clearly showed his worry, almost written all over his face. It was understandable. For the parliament nobles, who lacked extraordinary combat power, supporting Charlotte¡¯s succession was already difficult. And Charlotte had explicitly stated she would not give up Castell when she agreed to inherit the throne. But now, with the Crescent Kingdom¡¯s envoy present, it was easy to guess that they would not accept this, likely pushing them to support the Lilac faction nobles. This would definitely make the issue of succession even more complicated. After a moment of hesitation, Marquis Howard gritted his teeth and bowed to Charlotte again. ¡°Your Majesty¡­ Queen¡­¡± Seeing that he had something to say, Charlotte nodded. ¡°Say what you want to say.¡± Marquis Howard took a deep breath and asked. ¡°Your Majesty, are you determined not to give up the territory of Castell? Forgive my bluntness, but the Crescent Kingdom will certainly not allow Castell to fall under Starfall¡¯s control. If you insist on this, they will undoubtedly side with our opponents¡­¡± ¡°I think you must realize that nothing is perfect. Sometimes, necessary compromises have to be made¡­¡± Charlotte looked at him and shook her head. ¡°Sir Howard, I don¡¯t know if Count Stafford told you, but my acceptance of the Starfall throne is conditional on not giving up my Castell County.¡± ¡°But¡­ but¡­¡± ¡°No buts, Sir Howard. This is my bottom line, and I hope all the Starfall nobles can understand this.¡± Charlotte said calmly. Seeing that persuasion was useless, Marquis Howard¡¯s face became even more worried. Looking at his distressed expression, Charlotte smiled and added. ¡°Sir Howard, I know what you are worried about. Rest assured, I can tell you frankly, even if the Crescent Kingdom supports Duke Aecia, it doesn¡¯t matter. The throne will be mine.¡± ¡°As for the territorial disputes¡­ hehe, even without Castell, there¡¯s still Roman. I know some nobles want to completely abandon continental territories and stay away from Myria¡¯s conflicts¡­¡± ¡°But everyone must also remember that abandoning the continental territories means being completely isolated from the mainstream order of the world. In chaotic times, staying in a remote corner is not a good choice.¡± ¡°As for the Crescent Kingdom, it is certainly strong, but not invincible, especially with Castell and a united Starfall Kingdom.¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, Marquis Howard hesitated to speak further. To be honest, Charlotte also understood the logic he was presenting. Moreover, if possible, many nobles were actually unwilling to give up the Roman Duchy and even supported integrating the Castell County into Starfall. The reason was simple: the former was the ancestral land of the Starfall royal family, and the latter was an important source of mithril, which could greatly enhance the extraordinary power of the Starfall Kingdom. However, the brutal Star-Moon War had truly terrified the nobles, and the formidable Louis V had become a nightmare for many Starfall nobles. Additionally, Charlotte¡¯s succession to the throne was not secure and had not even been formally recognized. In this situation, pushing the Crescent Kingdom towards another faction¡¯s contender for the throne seemed like a wrong choice to Howard and the other nobles. It was very likely that both the throne and the territories would be lost! Yet this young Queen appeared to be very confident about her succession¡­ Marquis Howard felt he could not understand her. If it were someone else, he would undoubtedly consider such confidence as arrogance. But the Starfall nobles had investigated this young queen from Castell, knowing she was not shallow and had managed Castell with remarkable skill at a young age. Since she was so confident, there must be some other reason behind it. However, Marquis Howard could not fathom how she could be so sure about her succession to the throne, even though her most staunch supporters were not so confident. He couldn¡¯t think of any way to easily defeat Duke Aecia, who had the support of the bloodborne. Wait¡­ Defeat Duke Aecia, supported by the bloodborne? It seemed like something dawned on Marquis Howard. Could it be¡­ the Queen had used her influence in the Church and had secretly gained the support of the Holy Court? Marquis Howard couldn¡¯t help but look at Charlotte again. Seeing her relaxed and carefree demeanor, the more he thought about it, the more he felt he might have guessed the truth. Yes. The only power that could defeat the bloodborne would be the Holy Court. Moreover, only with the support of such a powerful entity could the Queen have the confidence to stand against the Crescent Kingdom. There were rumors that the relationship between the Crescent Kingdom and the Holy Court was not good. Perhaps¡­ the Queen had already secured strong support from the Holy Court! The more Howard thought about it, the more convinced he became. Otherwise, he couldn¡¯t explain the Queen¡¯s current attitude! While it was difficult for others to gain significant support from the Holy Court, the Queen was different. She was a Saintess of the Holy Court and had earned the appreciation of the Archbishop of the Crescent Diocese. She¡­ must have already reached an agreement with the Holy Court, which is why she was so confident! As for why the Queen didn¡¯t reveal this directly¡­ It must be to avoid alerting the enemy! Thinking this through, Marquis Howard¡¯s expression gradually relaxed. When he looked at Charlotte again, his eyes were filled with respect and excitement. ¡°Your Majesty, I¡­ understand. I will inform the Speaker and calm everyone down.¡± ¡°I believe that under your leadership, we will definitely emerge victorious!¡± Seeing the sudden excitement in Marquis Howard after a series of expressions, Charlotte was taken aback. Honestly, she didn¡¯t expect her words to convince him so quickly. She couldn¡¯t directly tell the Starfall nobles that she had already integrated the Nez Clan, so her words were vague. Charlotte was still thinking about how to reassure these Starfall nobles without revealing her secret, but the other party¡­ was already reassured? Could it be that he had come up with some explanation in his mind? Charlotte¡¯s expression turned peculiar. ¡°Um¡­ good, as long as you understand. For now¡­ proceed with the arrangements and prepare for the banquet.¡± Charlotte said. After speaking, she took out a parchment from under her desk and handed it to Marquis Howard. ¡°Also, pass this to Count Stafford and make the necessary preparations to address it at tonight¡¯s banquet.¡± It was an imprint of evidence of the crimes of Bishop Campbell, along with related orders issued by Charlotte. Marquis Howard took it, and when he saw the contents of the parchment, his eyes widened. ¡°This¡­ this is¡­!¡± ¡°Your Majesty, is this true? Are you sure? Is this necessary?¡± S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte nodded slightly. ¡°Of course, I will not tolerate any betrayal.¡± Marquis Howard¡¯s expression became even more respectful. ¡°I understand. We will follow your orders and purge the corrupt forces within the Starfall Kingdom!¡± He bowed deeply and respectfully took his leave. After Marquis Howard left, Charlotte continued to review the various documents about the current state of the Starfall Kingdom, which had been sent by Count Stafford. ¡­ Time quickly passed, and it was soon afternoon. Charlotte received another guest. It was Yurst. ¡°Your Excellency, the materials you entrusted to Lord Albrecht have been passed on to the Clan¡¯s Elder Council. Lord Bardock and the Great Elder were very shocked by the contents.¡± ¡°In addition, as per your request, the Clan has officially launched an investigation into the Elven Bloodborne. All connections with Luna Island have been severed, and a thorough examination of the bloodbornes within the Starfall region is underway.¡± Yurst reported respectfully. ¡°Good, keep me informed of any developments.¡± Charlotte nodded. Yurst responded respectfully. After finishing, he hesitated for a moment before continuing to report. ¡°Additionally, the Great Elder asked me to inform you that the Clan has resolved the issue with the Lilac Family. Duke Aecia has been ¡®convinced¡¯ and will attend your welcoming banquet tonight to pledge his allegiance.¡± Hearing this, Charlotte paused slightly. She looked surprised and curiously asked. ¡°¡®Convinced¡¯ Duke Aisia to pledge allegiance to me? So quickly? How did you manage to do that?¡± Yurst¡¯s expression turned peculiar. ¡°In the words of the Great Elder, it was a matter of reasoning and persuasion.¡± Charlotte: ¡­ ¡°Alright, you did well and efficiently. I am pleased. Is there anything else?¡± She asked. Yurst nodded. ¡°There is one more thing, which is a concern of the Elder Council. When should we eliminate the influence of the Holy Court within the Starfall Kingdom?¡± ¡°You know¡­ since Bishop Campbell has been deeply collaborating with the elven bloodborne of Luna Island, they must be well-informed about us internally.¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t remove this hidden threat quickly, the Holy Court may discover your return, which would be a major problem!¡± Charlotte listened and smiled. ¡°I plan to address this matter. Rest assured, after tonight¡¯s banquet, the Starfall Kingdom will no longer have the Holy Court¡¯s spies.¡± ¡­ The day passed quickly. Before long, it was time for the evening banquet. Chapter 492 : Provocation Banquets are one of the main forms of social interaction for nobles in Myria, and it is the same in the Starfall Kingdom. Even before dusk, nobles of the Starfall, who had received invitations from the parliament, began arriving at the Red Palace by carriage. Clearly, the nobles of the Starfall were quite curious about Charlotte, the heir to the throne appointed by the previous king. The Ruler of the North, the Saintess of the Holy Court, the bearer of the Roman Sword, and the last bloodline of the royal family¡­ This young would-be queen had too many halos above her head, each of which was enough to make her the center of attention on the continent. Therefore, at tonight¡¯s welcoming banquet, whether they were parliament-aligned nobles, neutral nobles, or nobles leaning towards the Lilac faction, even those staunchly supporting Duke Aecia¡¯s claim to the throne, almost all who were invited came. The Red Palace, banquet hall. The royal band was already in place, playing melodious music. Under the colorful crystal chandeliers, maids and waiters were bustling about, preparing for the many aspects of the banquet. Delicacies were laid out on long tables surrounding the banquet hall for the guests to help themselves. In the center of the hall, under the crystal chandelier, the stage was brilliantly lit. For the nobles of Myria, every banquet was also a ball. Many nobles had already gathered in the banquet hall, chatting in groups. ¡°Did you hear? They say our future young queen was attacked by a sea beast on her way to Starfall.¡± ¡°A sea beast attack? Oh my! Is it true?¡± ¡°Indeed, reliable sources say that the attacking sea beast was the legendary sea king¡¯s servant, Kraken.¡± ¡°Kraken?! Really?! How did they escape an attack by Kraken?!¡± ¡°There are rumors that the queen was blessed by the Gods and directly drove away Kraken¡­¡± ¡°Drove away Kraken?! Is that true? That beast is a legendary monster that devoured Gods!¡± ¡°It should be true, many sailors reportedly saw it. You know, her Majesty is said to be favored by the Gods.¡± ¡°But¡­ Kraken rarely appears in this season, why would it attack them?¡± ¡°Well¡­ rumor has it¡­¡± ¡­ Gossip is always an enduring topic of noble socialization. Especially gossip about the great nobles and the royal family. Although Charlotte had not yet ascended to the throne and was not truly a queen, as the heir apparent, information about her naturally became the focal point of discussion at the banquet. What kind of person is the queen? What does the queen like? Is the queen really as beautiful as rumored? And¡­ what exactly happened on her journey to Starfall¡­ Of course, among the nobles, there were those supporting Charlotte, those curious about her, and naturally, those who opposed her. ¡°Queen? Oh no, dear sirs, she hasn¡¯t ascended yet. We should call her Countess Castell.¡± ¡°I agree. King Edward was stubborn and tyrannical, I don¡¯t believe his chosen heir is legitimate. According to the Lilac Treaty, the new king must come from the Lilac family.¡± ???????§£¨º? ¡°Yes, a ridiculous decision without any reason. How can our Starfall king invite a Crescent noble to rule?¡± ¡°A descendant of Roman? Who knows if she is truly of Roman blood? The recognition of the Roman Sword means nothing. With the Holy Court¡¯s support, couldn¡¯t she also subdue an artifact?¡± S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Compared to an underage girl, Duke Aecia is clearly more suitable to be our king. He not only has the bloodline of two Lilac families but is also a powerful extraordinary.¡± ¡°Yes, Duke Aecia is renowned, even the bloodbornes respect him. Only such a figure can bring peace to Starfall.¡± ¡°These cowardly and corrupt parliamentarians are merely trying to support a puppet for their power by backing a little girl.¡± Nobles leaning towards the Lilac family sneered and disdainfully negated the voices of the parliamentary nobles. Clearly, not everyone attending the banquet was there to meet Charlotte. There are many ways to oppose a rival heir. Disrupting their banquet and causing them to lose face is one such way. Especially when the other party is new and their foundation is not yet stable, this can easily make the wavering nobles doubt the heir¡¯s capability. Obviously, these Lilac nobles had this purpose. Though they were few in number, they were quite arrogant, clearly intending to turn this welcoming banquet into a laughingstock of Starfall City. Hearing the unrestrained discussions and sneers of the Lilac nobles, the faces of the parliamentary nobles looked very unpleasant. Especially Marquis Howard, who, as the Chief Steward and main organizer of the banquet, felt personally affronted by the opposing nobles¡¯ remarks. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, please refrain from such discussions. Even if Her Majesty has not yet ascended, she is the first heir of our Starfall Kingdom, the noble descendant of Roman, and the recognized head of the royal family by the artifact. This has been acknowledged by the Roman lineage. The honor of the royal family must not be tarnished!¡± He said coldly. Unfortunately, the visiting Lilac nobles were not buying it. ¡°Oh? Royal honor? Is royal honor passing the throne to a wild child of unknown origin? Who knows if her bloodline is real.¡± ¡°Does an artifact equate to authority? Don¡¯t forget, the Holy Court has the power to suppress artifacts!¡± ¡°The Roman lineage? The recognition ceremony months ago clearly showed that the Roman lineage is a joke. They have no right to represent Roman!¡± ¡°A mere court marquis wants to talk about noble honor?¡± The Lilac nobles sneered. Hearing their sarcastic words, marquis Howard¡¯s face turned red. ¡°If you cannot maintain noble etiquette, then please leave. Her Majesty¡¯s welcoming banquet is for courteous nobles, not rude provocateurs. Don¡¯t make us a laughing stock for our distant guests.¡± A low, anger-suppressed voice sounded. Hearing this familiar voice, the Lilac nobles paused collectively. It was Count Stafford. The provocative nobles instantly quieted down. Nobles know whom they can challenge. Though Count Stafford was only a count, his family had a long history and profound heritage, and their influence in the Starfall Kingdom rivaled many ducal families. Additionally, Count Stafford himself was the speaker of the Kingdom¡¯s parliament and a Blazing Sun extraordinary. Common nobles naturally dared not act recklessly in his presence. Of course, the fact that these obvious troublemakers did not dare provoke Count Stafford did not mean that all Lilac nobles feared him. ¡°Ha ha, Speaker, such a temper. Though their words are sharp, aren¡¯t they somewhat true?¡± Another haughty voice rang out, immediately drawing the nobles¡¯ attention. A tall noble and a noble dressed as a mage entered the venue together. The tall noble wore luxurious clothes, had fiery red hair, and exuded a deep and unfathomable extraordinary aura. Beside him was another noble dressed as a knight, wearing the honor badge of the Kingdom¡¯s knight order on his chest. Seeing the knight following the tall nobleman, Count Stafford¡¯s expression darkened. The knight glanced at the Count before looking away uncomfortably. ¡°Duke West, Captain Camden¡­¡± The nobles of the Lilac faction bowed one after another. Duke West, the military leader of the Starfall Kingdom and a staunch supporter of Duke Aecia, led the Lilac faction. Additionally, there was the once-neutral representative, Viscount Camden, the commander of the Royal Knights. However, as the nobles noticed Viscount Camden closely following Duke West, along with certain rumors from the Red Palace, they realized that the once-neutral Knights had made their choice. This revelation made many remaining neutral nobles ponder deeply, beginning to understand why the Lilac faction felt so emboldened. Clearly, the kingdom¡¯s military had fully aligned with the Lilac faction, siding with Duke Aecia. With the military¡¯s support, the balance between the two contenders for the throne had shifted. Some nobles began to waver, reconsidering whether attending this banquet was wise. Despite rumors that the young Countess of Castell had displayed Blazing Sun strength and had even entered the Red Palace unopposed by the Knights, many found it hard to believe that a girl under twenty could wield such power, even if she was the Holy Court¡¯s recognized Saintess. Nobles weren¡¯t fools. As the military¡¯s representatives moved in unison, the atmosphere in the hall grew more nuanced. Duke West seemed quite satisfied with the situation. Nodding to the nobles who greeted him, he turned to Count Stafford with a smile, saying, ¡°Sir Speaker, inviting a foreign noble, especially an under-twenty girl, to be our queen isn¡¯t a rational decision.¡± ¡°This was King Edward¡¯s dying wish. With Prince Henry¡¯s tragic death, the King¡¯s mind was already failing. How can we trust his judgment in this matter?¡± Duke West then looked at the nobleman dressed as a wizard beside him, smiling. ¡°Ambassador, don¡¯t you agree?¡± At this, the Starfall nobles instinctively turned their attention to the wizard-like nobleman beside Duke West. They couldn¡¯t help but notice his attire. His robe, far more elaborate than Starfall¡¯s noble garments, bore a distinct crescent style, with the crescent emblem indicating his status as a member of the Crescent Kingdom¡¯s royalty. If Charlotte were present, she would have immediately recognized him as John de Anro, the Crescent Kingdom¡¯s ambassador and right-hand man to King Louis V. Hearing Duke West¡¯s words, Duke Moonshield smiled slightly and said, ¡°Duke, this is an internal affair of the Starfall Kingdom. As the Crescent Kingdom¡¯s ambassador, it¡¯s not my place to comment.¡± ¡°Ambassador, you¡¯re too cautious! This isn¡¯t just Starfall¡¯s concern anymore. Let¡¯s not forget, Charlotte de Castell is also a vassal of the Crescent Kingdom! As an ambassador, you wouldn¡¯t want to see our kingdoms at war again, right?¡± Duke West laughed heartily. After laughing, he added meaningfully. ¡°Ambassador, my earlier proposal still stands. The doors of the duke¡¯s residence are always open to you.¡± Watching the military head openly courting a foreign ambassador, Count Stafford¡¯s face grew darker. ¡°Duke, please mind your identity and position!¡± He said coldly. But Duke West showed no fear. With Blazing Sun strength surpassing Count Stafford¡¯s, and given that the three Legendary figures of Starfall had declared neutrality in the throne dispute, Duke West was currently the strongest among the nobles, even ranking higher in nobility. ¡°Count, it¡¯s you who should be mindful of your identity and position.¡± Duke West said indifferently. ¡°Praise be to the Holy One¡­ Dukes, counts, this is the welcome banquet for the Saintess. Please calm down.¡± An elderly sigh interrupted them as the kindly Bishop Campbell approached. Count Stafford¡¯s expression turned grim. Though the Bishop seemed to be diffusing the situation, Stafford knew his true stance from Charlotte¡¯s information. His timely interjection after Duke West¡¯s speech seemed intentional in suppressing the parliament faction. Count Stafford sneered, about to retort, when the clear chime of the clock rang out, followed by a high-pitched announcement from the palace guards. ¡°Her Majesty the Queen¡­ has arrived!¡± The nobles in the hall paused. They instinctively turned to the entrance, where a petite, beautiful girl in an elaborate dress walked in, escorted by two knights. Seeing her youthful appearance, many Starfall nobles were slightly taken aback. Some who had done prior investigations whispered. ¡°Is¡­ Countess Castell really seventeen?¡± Charlotte, having deliberately chosen a more mature outfit, was¡­ Being a Demigod had its drawbacks, with heightened senses making even the faintest whispers clear. Though she anticipated this reaction, hearing whispers like ¡°Why is she so young?¡± and ¡°Is she really an adult?¡± tested her composure. Youth was an asset, but looking too young could be detrimental for a ruler, especially one aspiring for the throne. But being turned into a bloodborne shortly after her transmigration froze her age and appearance. The only saving grace was her well-developed figure, making her age seem less extreme. But her height was unchangeable, without divine intervention. As Charlotte entered, Count Stafford restrained his anger. He took a deep breath and bowed deeply to her. ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± The parliament nobles followed suit, bowing to Charlotte. Unfortunately, the chorus wasn¡¯t loud. Witnessing the military¡¯s stance, many nobles remained silent, even those originally inclined towards the parliament faction. Starfall¡¯s politics were opportunistic. Most nobles sided with whoever seemed more likely to win. ¡°Pfft, a queen? Haha¡­ I wasn¡¯t aware our Starfall Kingdom had a queen. Bishop, did you know?¡± Duke West sneered, his disdain and mockery evident. Bishop Campbell looked awkward. He sighed and said to Count Stafford. ¡°Sir Count¡­ the Saintess hasn¡¯t been crowned yet. It¡¯s indeed inappropriate to call her queen now.¡± This stunned the parliament nobles. What did this mean? Had the Holy Court¡¯s stance changed too? Seeing Duke West challenge them, the parliament nobles glared at him. But Charlotte didn¡¯t even glance at him. She bypassed Duke West as if he didn¡¯t exist, smiling at Duke Moonshield instead. ¡°Your Grace, long time no see. I didn¡¯t expect you to become an ambassador.¡± Her words piqued the Starfall nobles¡¯ curiosity. They were curious, very curious. For Starfall nobles, supporting Castell meant calling her queen, while those opposing or undecided refrained. So, what was the Crescent Kingdom¡¯s ambassador¡¯s stance on the Countess of Castell? This was crucial, given the contenders¡¯ special identities and affiliations, making this more than just an internal Starfall affair. Especially with the Countess of Castell being a vassal of Crescent. All eyes were on Duke Moonshield. He smiled slightly. To everyone¡¯s surprise, he bowed slightly to Charlotte and said, ¡°Your Highness, long time no see.¡± Chapter 493 : She has long colluded with the bloodborne! Your Highness? Upon hearing the title used by Duke Moonshield, the nobles of the Starfall Kingdom were slightly taken aback. Even Count Stafford couldn¡¯t help but glance at him, reassessing this right-hand man of the Crescent King more favorably. One had to admit, the Duke¡¯s choice of address for Charlotte was quite clever. If he directly referred to her as Countess Castell, as per the customs of the Crescent Kingdom, it would suggest support for the Lilac Faction, displeasing the nobles of the Parliamentary Faction. Conversely, if he called her ¡°Your Majesty the Queen¡± like the Parliamentary Faction did, it would arouse suspicion and discontent among the Lilac Faction. But addressing her as ¡°Your Highness¡± was a subtle move. It didn¡¯t offend either side and showed enough respect for the girl to avoid irritating the ¡°Queen.¡± Furthermore, through this simple title, he indicated the Crescent Kingdom¡¯s stance on the Starfall Kingdom¡¯s succession struggle: neutrality. At least, for now. Of course, as a significant power bound to be involved in the Starfall Kingdom¡¯s succession, the Crescent Kingdom wouldn¡¯t remain neutral forever. Their current neutrality seemed more like waiting for both the Lilac Faction and the Parliamentary Faction to make their offers. ¡°Your Grace, there¡¯s no need for small talk. We¡¯re old friends, let¡¯s not beat around the bush. Did His Majesty Louis have something to convey by sending you to the Starfall Kingdom today?¡± Charlotte asked with a smile. Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, Duke Moonshield sighed. He nodded and smiled wryly, saying, ¡°Your Highness, you are still as smart and straightforward as ever.¡± Straightening his expression, the Duke continued seriously. ¡°You are correct. My visit to the Starfall Kingdom is indeed at His Majesty¡¯s command.¡± ¡°I originally planned to visit Castell after my trip to the Starfall Kingdom, but since you are already here, that step is unnecessary¡­¡± With this, the Duke¡¯s expression turned serious, and his tone became earnest. ¡°Your Highness, His Majesty wishes to ask you, since you intend to compete for the throne of the Starfall Kingdom, have you considered how to handle the relationship between the Castell County and the Crescent Kingdom?¡± ?a??????¨¨? A direct question. So direct that it surprised the Starfall nobles. Charlotte¡¯s expression remained unchanged. She nodded and replied. ¡°Of course. The agreement I made with His Majesty Louis in Lutecia still stands.¡± S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Duke Moonshield shook his head. ¡°Your Highness, you must know, His Majesty agreed to the contract because you are a vassal of the kingdom. But if you inherit the Starfall throne, it becomes another matter.¡± ¡°How can you assure that the agreement will remain valid after you ascend to the throne? Even if you agree, can you persuade the other nobles of the Starfall Kingdom?¡± Agreement? What agreement? The Starfall nobles were puzzled. The agreement between Charlotte and Louis V was no secret. In fact, after Charlotte left the capital, the Crescent Royal Family had subtly spread word of the future inheritance agreement of Castell, and some attentive individuals had already heard about it. Among them were some Starfall nobles who paid close attention to Charlotte. They began explaining it to those around them, and soon, everyone wore expressions of realization. ¡°Oh? So, does His Majesty Louis intend to amend the agreement?¡± Charlotte asked. The Duke paused and replied. ¡°Rather than amending, it would be more accurate to say¡­ a new agreement needs to be signed.¡± ¡°Your Highness, you are also a Crescent subject, so you should understand His Majesty¡¯s firm belief in the territorial integrity of the Crescent Kingdom.¡± ¡°The territorial dispute between the Crescent and Starfall has persisted for too long. His Majesty is old and has lost patience.¡± ¡°He does not care who inherits the Starfall throne. He cares only about one issue: the status of Castell County and the Roman Duchy.¡± At this, Duke Moonshield straightened up, his smile fading. ¡°Let me put it this way, before I set out, His Majesty stated that whoever agrees to return the Roman Duchy and Castell County upon inheriting the throne will receive the support of the Crescent Kingdom to become the King of Starfall.¡± Hearing his words, the nobles in the banquet hall were taken aback, and then erupted in an uproar. ¡°Roman Duchy? What does that mean?¡± ¡°Castell County, maybe, but why the Roman Duchy too?¡± ¡°Coveting the Roman Duchy¡­ Is the Crescent Kingdom trying to start a war?¡± The commotion mainly came from the Roman nobles within the Parliamentary Faction. These nobles, though not of the direct line, represented the Roman family¡¯s will. Their titles weren¡¯t high, but they symbolized the legitimate lineage of the Starfall Kingdom. However, with the decline of the Roman family and the rise of the two separate Lilac families, the Roman nobles¡¯ status had significantly diminished. Though they showed anger, most nobles in the banquet hall remained unmoved. Some even fell into deep thought, seemingly considering the Duke¡¯s offer carefully. This was understandable; the Star-Moon War had frightened many Starfall nobles. Faced with the rise of the Crescent Kingdom, many didn¡¯t want another war. Yes, many nobles didn¡¯t want to give up the Roman Duchy and were pleased with Castell¡¯s addition. But this depended heavily on the Crescent Kingdom¡¯s attitude. If the Crescent Kingdom took a firm stance, even threatening war, many nobles would have to reconsider. Moreover, the Roman Duchy was essentially a royal enclave, not affecting the core interests of most nobles. If peace could be achieved by giving up an enclave, frankly¡­ many nobles wouldn¡¯t oppose it. Of course, this didn¡¯t include the core members of the Parliamentary Faction. Many core members of the Parliamentary Faction had Roman blood; selling out the Roman Duchy would touch their bottom line. For now, everyone¡¯s attention focused on Charlotte. Clearly, her stance and bargaining power would determine their inclinations and attitudes. Charlotte smiled slightly and said, ¡°Duke, you must be joking.¡± ¡°Since I have decided to become the Queen of Starfall, it is naturally my responsibility to maintain the territorial integrity of the Starfall Kingdom.¡± ¡°As for Castell, if His Majesty Louis is willing, our agreement still stands. But as for the Roman Duchy, which is the ancestral land of the Starfall royal family, I cannot back down.¡± Upon hearing this, the Starfall nobles had various expressions. The Roman family members sighed in relief, most of the parliament nobles appeared thoughtful, while those with a neutral stance furrowed their brows in contemplation. As for the Lilac faction nobles, they observed coldly, with mocking expressions. ¡°Hahaha, Countess Castell, you must be joking. The diplomacy of the Starfall Kingdom cannot be decided by a noble from the Crescent Kingdom.¡± A rough laugh was heard as Duke West laughed heartily. After laughing, he looked at Duke Moonshield and said, ¡°Duke, I know that your words were not just for Countess Castell but also for Lord Aecia.¡± ¡°Perhaps it is fate, but Lord Aecia has also said that if the Crescent Kingdom supports him in ascending to the throne, he is willing to exchange the Roman Duchy for lasting peace between the two countries.¡± Upon hearing this, the Starfall nobles in the banquet hall exploded. ¡°Exchange the Roman Duchy for peace?¡± ¡°Duke West, are you crazy?! This is treason!¡± ¡°Shame! You and Duke Aecia are a disgrace to the Starfall Kingdom!¡± The parliament nobles were furious. Duke West remained expressionless. ¡°Shame? No, this is pragmatism.¡± ¡°The Roman Duchy is merely an enclave of Starfall. To maintain its security, Starfall has stationed a large garrison there for years, which has been a huge burden.¡± ¡°Yes, the Roman Duchy is ancestral land, but it is the ancestral land of the Roman family, not the Starfall Kingdom. The Roman family is the Roman family, and the Starfall Kingdom is the Starfall Kingdom.¡± ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the Roman family¡¯s invasion back then, the Starfall Kingdom would still be an isolated paradise. If it weren¡¯t for the Roman family provoking a war with the Crescent Kingdom, the Starfall Kingdom wouldn¡¯t have been mired in prolonged conflict.¡± ¡°The Roman family and the Roman Duchy are the true sources of calamity for the Starfall Kingdom. Letting them go is the best choice for our kingdom.¡± Seeing Duke West¡¯s blatant rhetoric, Count Stafford frowned. Although Duke West¡¯s words were bold, he had to admit that it reflected the increasingly popular view among the kingdom¡¯s pacifists. Moreover, with the rise of the Crescent Kingdom, this view was gradually becoming mainstream. However, even so, some things should not be openly discussed, especially with the Crescent Kingdom¡¯s ambassador present. Count Stafford shook his head inwardly. Duke West was too arrogant. Nobles cared most about appearances. His remarks would only draw the ire of most Starfall nobles, pushing them towards Her Majesty the Queen. Of course, for the parliament faction, this was advantageous. But what puzzled him was that, in his understanding, Duke West was not usually this reckless and foolish. What exactly was Duke West trying to do? Count Stafford¡¯s brow furrowed deeply. He glanced around at the other nobles in the banquet hall. When he swept his gaze around, he quickly froze. To his astonishment, even with Duke West¡¯s shocking statements, there was no significant uproar. Not only that, but apart from the core members of the parliament faction glaring at him, most of the nobles remained silent, not even showing anger. Count Stafford suddenly realized something was off. It was the attitudes! Apart from the core members of the parliament faction, the attitudes of the visiting nobles today seemed subtly wrong! He had personally invited or visited most of these nobles before going to Castell to fetch Her Majesty, confirming their support for the Queen. Because of this, as the Speaker, he dared to secretly go to Castell to bring the Queen to Starfall upon Bishop Campbell¡¯s suggestion. But now, upon his return, not only had the originally supportive knightly order defected, but the attending nobles¡¯ attitudes had also become ambiguous. And when he recalled the Queen¡¯s message this morning about Bishop Campbell¡¯s betrayal, he finally realized what was happening, and his face paled. Not good¡­ They had been outmaneuvered! Bishop Campbell had urged him to personally welcome the Queen not to show the parliament faction¡¯s sincerity but to pull other nobles over to their side while he was away! And they had probably succeeded! Damn it¡­ How did they manage this? No, now was not the time to think about that. The problem was that this wasn¡¯t just a welcoming banquet anymore, but a plot to challenge Her Majesty. The Lilac faction nobles¡­ likely never intended to wait for future negotiations! Realizing this, Count Stafford¡¯s expression changed. He bit his lip and slammed the table, feigning anger. ¡°Enough!¡± ¡°Duke West, you are merely a duke and do not represent the nobles, nor the Starfall Kingdom!¡± ¡°Today¡¯s banquet is a welcoming banquet for Her Majesty. No politics, let us not become a laughing stock to outsiders!¡± Seeing the angry Count Stafford, duke West smiled slightly. ¡°Oh? Speaker, are you¡­ getting anxious?¡± ¡°Heh, I know you are in a hurry, but¡­ please don¡¯t be. After all, I haven¡¯t finished speaking.¡± Duke West then looked at the nobles in the hall and said loudly. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, I know many of you may be angry at my words, but what I want to say is that it is not I or Lord Aecia who are betraying the interests of the Starfall Kingdom.¡± ¡°Many think we are vassals of the bloodborne, but I say that is slander, slander by the bloodborne and by the Castell family!¡± ¡°Yes, some among the Lilac faction have dealings with the bloodborne, but those are their personal actions. Lord Aecia has always been a noble and just person, hating evil.¡± ¡°All the slander against Lord Aecia comes from the bloodborne, from certain unscrupulous members of the parliament trying to tarnish him for power!¡± Upon hearing this, the nobles in the banquet hall had various expressions, looking surprised. ¡°Slander?! Humph! You puppets of the bloodborne, dare you not admit your deeds?¡± Marquis Howard said angrily. Duke West glanced at him, sneered but did not respond. He took out a parchment from his pocket and threw it into the crowd. ¡°Colleagues, take a look at this agreement.¡± ¡°This is the agreement between the Castell family and the bloodborne. Long before His Majesty Louis¡¯s invalid will, the Castell family had already colluded with the bloodborne of the Starfall Kingdom!¡± ¡°Betraying the interests of the Starfall Kingdom? Hmph, we of the Lilac faction admit what we do. We seek to relinquish the Roman Duchy for the kingdom¡¯s future.¡± ¡°But some people¡­ aren¡¯t like that! They blatantly traded with the bloodborne, betraying the kingdom¡¯s interests!¡± With anger, Duke West pointed at the calm-faced Charlotte on the throne and shouted, ¡°Everyone!¡± ¡°It was never us who had dealings with the bloodborne, but the Castell family! That puppet on the throne!¡± ¡°She¡­ has long colluded with the bloodborne!¡± Chapter 494 : At your service, Your Majesty Upon hearing Duke West¡¯s words, the Starfall nobles were taken aback. While many nobles were indeed swayed by the Dukes during the secret mission to Castell, the notion that the Countess of Castell would collude with bloodbornes seemed far-fetched. After all, even the nobles most opposed to Charlotte¡¯s succession had to admit that she was officially recognized as a Saintess by the Archbishop of the Crescent Diocese. Furthermore, rumors of her conflicts with bloodbornes after inheriting her domain were widely known. However, upon seeing the documents presented by Duke West, they couldn¡¯t deny the possibility that his claims might be true. The documents were secret agreements between the Castell family and the Bloodborne. The cover displayed intricate magical patterns, recognizable as strict contractual inscriptions. Beneath these inscriptions were the emblems of the Castell family and the Nez Clan, signifying a sworn agreement. Even those angry at the Duke¡¯s accusations were shocked when they saw the documents, realizing they were likely authentic. ¡°Your Majesty, what is the meaning of this?¡± Asked the stunned parliament nobles. Count Stafford¡¯s expression changed as he quickly grabbed the documents. Though his face went through several changes, he finally gritted his teeth and said, ¡°This is just a contract, it doesn¡¯t prove the Duke¡¯s claims are true!¡± Duke West sneered. ¡°You mean that without violating the terms, only the parties involved can see the details of these secret documents?¡± He then looked at the silent Charlotte. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, why doesn¡¯t Countess Castell break the contract seal and show everyone what agreements she made with the bloodbornes? Let¡¯s see if what I said is true or false!¡± All eyes turned to Charlotte, who remained calm. She looked around and said, ¡°Indeed, I have signed a contract with the Starfall¡¯s Nez Clan.¡± Her admission caused an uproar among the nobles. ¡°Signed a contract? It¡¯s true?!¡± ¡°God above! Duke West was right?¡± ¡°Blasphemy! She doesn¡¯t deserve to be called a Saintess of the Holy Court!¡± In the banquet hall, the nobles were shocked, and even Bishop Campbell seemed furious. However, Charlotte remained calm. She gracefully sipped tea from a crystal cup, then looked at the documents and said, ¡°But the contract I signed with the Nez Clan is not a treasonous treaty, it¡¯s a peace agreement to avoid war in Starfall.¡± She flashed a light from her hand, breaking the seal on the document. Handing it to Count Stafford, she said, ¡°Speaker, since the Duke wants everyone to see it, let them see it.¡± Count Stafford instinctively took it. After reading the contents, he was surprised. ¡°What does it say, Lord Speaker? Is it the treasonous terms the Duke mentioned?¡± Asked the curious nobles. Count Stafford shook his head and said, ¡°You should see for yourselves.¡± The nobles, after reading the parchment, were equally astonished. ¡°A peace treaty? Really?¡± ¡°Not just a peace treaty, it favors our kingdom with many restrictions on the bloodbornes¡­¡± ¡°It looks more like a coercive agreement against the bloodbornes¡­¡± A peace treaty? Coercive agreement? Hearing the discussions, Duke West was stunned. He snatched the document and quickly read it. His face turned incredulous as he read terms like: ¡°Prohibiting bloodbornes from using mind control illegally¡­¡± ¡°Prohibiting bloodbornes from slaughtering civilians indiscriminately¡­¡± ¡°Prohibiting the illegal keeping of blood thralls¡­¡± ¡°This¡­ this can¡¯t be!¡± Duke West was bewildered. Charlotte remained calm, seemingly having anticipated this. Time goes back to before Charlotte departs from the Nez stronghold. ¡°Your Majesty, how should our Nez Clan proceed now that you intend to support Countess Castell as Queen of Starfall?¡± Asked Bardock. Charlotte replied. ¡°You want to know my plans for the Nez Clan? Bloodbornes have a poor reputation in the human world, but it wasn¡¯t always this way.¡± Bardock sighed. ¡°You mean the Mythic Era? I still miss those days. Back then, humans even saw bloodbornes as allies with extraordinary powers. Bloodbornes protected humans, and humans provided blood, cooperating to fight elves and Gods until¡­¡± ??????????????????? ¡°Until the bloodbornes grew too powerful and ambitious. While bloodbornes are immortal, humans are not, and the gap widened.¡± Charlotte continued. ¡°My own ¡®fall¡¯ led to abandoning cooperation with humans, opting instead for asymmetric dominance, ultimately causing the two races to part ways.¡± Charlotte recounted the historical insights she gathered from various texts and memories. Bardock remained silent. She sighed. ¡°That was the wrong approach. Humans are not weak, they are potent and resilient. I created bloodbornes not to dominate but to protect. In the Mythic Era, bloodbornes thrived with human support. The rise to prominence was due to willing human transformation into bloodbornes, and human blood powered our strength. Bloodbornes¡¯ downfall was not just from betrayal but from losing our foundation. Now, in an age where Gods wane and mortals dominate, bloodbornes must collaborate to survive.¡± Bardock nodded. ¡°I understand, Your Majesty. However, many in the Nez Clan might not see it this way¡­¡± Charlotte chuckled lightly. ¡°What they care about is nothing more than the ¡®power¡¯ in their hands. They will eventually realize that maintaining high-pressure rule through fear cannot eradicate hidden dangers and will ultimately lead to rebellion when the balance of power shifts. Only genuine ¡®recognition¡¯ from the heart, born of both kindness and authority, brings the most stable ¡®power¡¯.¡± ¡°They themselves have experienced this, after all¡­ their initial rebellion was due to the ¡®True Ancestor¡¯s¡¯ high-pressure rule and the fear ¡®She¡¯ instilled.¡± ¡°Fear and oppression may bring temporary submission and can be used as a stopgap measure, but they are not long-term solutions. Once the positions are reversed, rebellion is inevitable. No matter who it is, even I cannot guarantee that I will always remain powerful.¡± ¡°Unless you truly intend to eradicate all potentially threatening existences, learning how to coexist with others is the proper way.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, what do you intend to do then?¡± Bardock asked. Charlotte thought for a moment and replied. ¡°Draft a contract, not in my name, but in the name of Countess Castell. No¡­ since Castell has already had a territorial agreement with the Nez Clan about the Roman Duchy, let¡¯s modify that agreement.¡± ¡°I remember there are backups of vow contracts. If I¡¯m not mistaken, the elven bloodborne probably intended to use this as leverage. We might as well take this opportunity to modify the source contract.¡± ¡°Of course, it won¡¯t be an overly restrictive agreement, just one to curb those who are too reckless¡­ After all, I don¡¯t intend to rule the bloodborne with an iron fist.¡± ¡°With the source contract changed, even those collaborating with the elven bloodborne will be unable to do anything.¡± S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡­ The Red Palace, Banquet Hall. After reading through the supposed treason agreement, the Starfall nobles had mixed expressions. While it seemed fantastical that the Holy Court¡¯s Saintess would sign a treaty with the bloodbornes, considering similar cases like the Coria Kingdom, it was not entirely incomprehensible. The Holy Court is not omnipotent. They do not have the ability to completely eradicate every bloodborne everywhere. Moreover, this agreement could not be called treasonous, many of its terms were very beneficial to the people of Starfall. Humanity¡¯s greatest fear of the bloodborne is their unexpected innate abilities, and these things¡­ were restricted in the treaty. Of course, it wouldn¡¯t be accurate to say there were no terms favorable to the bloodborne either. Some terms allowed the bloodborne to operate in the human world and even obtain noble titles. This is an astonishing agreement, almost denying the Church¡¯s decree that the bloodborne, as an ¡°evil race¡±, must be purified. Although there seemed to be a compromise with the bloodborne for peaceful coexistence, considering Starfall¡¯s history of being ruled by the bloodborne and many noble families¡¯ overt and covert ties with the Bloodborne, it was not unacceptable. More precisely, it fit Starfall¡¯s current situation well and was very feasible. The only thing that puzzled the Starfall nobles was why, if the bloodborne had the ability to seize control of Starfall, they would still make concessions. Yes, concessions. To sign such a document, not only the Holy Court compromised but also the bloodborne. ¡°Intrigue! This is all her intrigue! Everyone! Don¡¯t be deceived by her! How could the bloodbornes agree to such an agreement?¡± Duke West raised his head and stared intently at Charlotte on the throne, shouting sharply. Seeing the slightly panicked and weak Duke West, Charlotte chuckled lightly and said, ¡°Your Grace, you claim I signed an agreement with the bloodborne and then say this agreement is impossible. Don¡¯t you think you are contradicting yourself?¡± Duke West was momentarily speechless. He pressed his lips together, about to retort, but then the voice of an attendant announced from the entrance of the banquet hall. ¡°Duke Aecia¡­ has arrived!¡± Duke Aecia? Duke Aecia actually came?! The nobles in the banquet hall were stunned. They all turned to the entrance to see a lavishly dressed nobleman entering surrounded by attendants. It was a middle-aged nobleman of about forty with a stern face. Richard Aecia. One of the seven fief dukes of the Starfall Kingdom, the first head of the Aecia family, and the nephew of the former King Edward III, jointly nominated by the two Lilac families as the heir to the throne. As soon as he appeared, his powerful presence overshadowed almost everyone. As a seasoned extraordinary of the Blazing Sun tier, his fame surpassed even Duke West¡¯s. Seeing Duke Aecia, duke West was momentarily taken aback, then slightly relaxed. He looked at Charlotte again, his expression regaining composure, and sneered. ¡°Countess Castell, you indeed have your methods, able to modify agreements. However, all things leave traces. Even if you modified the contract, Duke Aecia has already preserved evidence of your crimes!¡± With that, he turned and bowed to Duke Aecia. ¡°Duke Aecia, you¡¯ve come at the right time. Countess Castell has tampered with evidence of collusion with the bloodborne. To expose her, we need the remaining evidence you have.¡± Listening to Duke West, duke Aecia did not respond. He did not even glance at him but walked straight past as if Duke West were air. Duke West¡¯s expression was somewhat awkward. Addressing another duke with the title ¡°Your Grace¡± was already enough to humble himself, but he still did not receive a response. Even he felt a bit humiliated at this moment. A flash of anger crossed Duke West¡¯s face, but it quickly faded. He took a deep breath and stepped aside. ¡®Calm down. Now is not the time for anger. Although Duke Aecia ignored him, anyone could see that he was there for Countess Castell.¡¯ Thinking this, duke West looked at Charlotte on the throne. Everyone¡¯s eyes shifted between the two of them. Under the nobles¡¯ watchful eyes, Duke Aecia approached Charlotte. For a moment, all eyes were on the two contenders for the throne. Charlotte remained calm. She glanced at him and said with a smile. ¡°Your Grace, welcome to my banquet.¡± The nobles turned to look at Duke Aecia. Duke Aecia had already approached Charlotte. In expressions of surprise, bewilderment, and astonishment, the always silent Duke Aecia suddenly knelt on one knee and performed a submissive bow to Charlotte, saying respectfully, ¡°Richard Aecia, at your service, Your Majesty.¡± Chapter 495 : You are really the Saintess?! ¡°Y-y-y¡­ Your Majesty?!¡± Seeing Duke Aecia kneel on one knee before Charlotte to show his allegiance, the nobles in the hall were all stunned. The nobles of the Parliament faction looked bewildered, as if they were questioning their own existence and purpose. The neutral nobles widened their eyes, their faces almost displaying utter disbelief. As for the Lilac faction nobles, they looked at Duke Aecia with eyes filled with shock, absurdity, and incredulity. They rubbed their eyes hard and pinched their thighs, seemingly unable to believe the scene before them was real. Duke West was equally dumbfounded, with a face that read, ¡°We were ready to fight to the death, why is Your Majesty surrendering first?¡± Amidst the entire banquet hall, only Charlotte, seated high on the throne, and her two knight guards behind her, remained composed. Seeing Duke Aecia bow his head to her, Charlotte smiled slightly and nodded, saying, ¡°Duke, I, Charlotte de Castell, accept your loyalty.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Duke West couldn¡¯t help but interrupt Charlotte. He quickly stepped forward to Duke Aecia and urgently asked. ¡°Duke Aecia, are you being coerced by Castell?¡± ¡°No, it must be that Castell has secretly reached an agreement with the bloodborne, and the bloodborne is forcing you to bow to her, right?!¡± Duke Aecia raised his head, glanced at him indifferently, and said calmly. ¡°Duke West, you are mistaken. My allegiance to Her Majesty is entirely voluntary.¡± ¡°Her Majesty is the Saintess of the Holy Court. Given the complex situation within the Starfall Kingdom, only Her Majesty can oppose the bloodborne, make them wary, reach agreements with them, and maintain peace and order in the kingdom.¡± ¡°Her Majesty is the daughter of Princess Anne the Devout, with a legitimate Roman bloodline. Her Majesty was even willingly recognized by the Roman Sword¡­¡± ¡°Her Majesty is the rightful heir to the throne. Her Majesty should be the true ruler of Starfall!¡± Duke Aecia¡¯s expression was solemn and righteous. The surrounding nobles, however, had increasingly peculiar expressions. Duke Aecia¡¯s words were the main reason the Parliament faction supported Charlotte. These words could be spoken by the Parliament faction nobles, the neutral faction nobles, or even the Lilac faction nobles without causing much issue. But now, the one saying these words was Duke Aecia, who was competing with Charlotte for the throne as the second heir. This made the situation very delicate. It almost directly undermined the foundation of the Lilac faction nobles. Realizing that Duke Aecia wasn¡¯t joking, the Lilac faction nobles quickly became agitated. However, despite their agitation, no one else stood up like Duke West. Nobles are shrewd, they aren¡¯t foolish. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Considering Duke West¡¯s prior presentation of Castell¡¯s agreement with the bloodborne, and Duke Aecia¡¯s current declaration of loyalty, they quickly realized this might also be part of the agreement between Castell and the bloodborne. ?????¨§???? No, thinking deeper, this might be part of the agreement between the Holy Court and the Starfall bloodborne. The bloodborne supports Countess Castell to become the Queen of Starfall, accepts the constraints of the agreement, while the church must recognize the legitimate status of the bloodborne in the Starfall Kingdom and guarantee certain rights! This is easy to deduce and highly probable. Although Duke West vehemently denies it and Duke Aecia never admits his relationship with the bloodborne, anyone slightly aware of the situation knows that the greatest supporter behind Duke Aecia is the bloodborne. Thus, naturally, Duke Aecia¡¯s allegiance likely represents not just his personal attitude but possibly the attitude of the bloodborne behind him! Seeing Duke Aecia bow to Charlotte, the various nobles quickly deduced the twists and turns within this situation. And indeed, they were almost right about the truth. For a moment, the nobles in the hall had varied expressions. The Parliament faction nobles turned their shock into joy, the neutral nobles seemed contemplative, and the Lilac faction nobles hesitated, subconsciously distancing themselves from Duke West. The behind-the-scenes force that gathered the Lilac faction nobles was the bloodborne. Even if some Lilac nobles didn¡¯t want the throne to fall into the hands of another family, they had to admit that now¡­ no one could compete with the young Countess Castell for the throne of Starfall. ¡°No! This is betrayal! It¡¯s betrayal!¡± Duke West quickly realized this and looked at Duke Aecia angrily, his expression furious. Duke Aecia sighed, looked at him with pity, and said, ¡°Duke West, who really is the traitor here?¡± After speaking, he turned again, bowed to Charlotte on the throne, and respectfully said, ¡°Your Majesty, I have discovered that Duke West colluded with extremist bloodbornes, smearing deep-sea devil squid ichor on the bottom of your warship, intending to harm you¡­¡± ¡°Moreover, those involved include Viscount Camden, the head of the Royal Knights, and Bishop Campbell of the Holy Court¡¯s Starfall branch. Bishop Campbell has close ties with extremist bloodbornes and personally participated in and designed the plot against you.¡± As soon as these words were spoken, the nobles were stunned and soon fell into an uproar. Duke West, Viscount Camden, and Bishop Campbell¡¯s expressions changed simultaneously. ¡°Sir Aecia, you dare to slander! I am a church clergyman, a staunch supporter of the Saintess! I would never associate with those blood demons!¡± Bishop Campbell said angrily. Duke Aecia paused and said, ¡°Whether it¡¯s slander, you know better than I do.¡± Then, he took out a stack of parchment from his arms and respectfully presented it. ¡°Your Majesty, these are the relevant evidences, please review them.¡± Charlotte took it, glanced through it, sighed, and handed it to the knight beside her. ¡°Everyone¡­ take a look as well.¡± The knight passed the parchment to the nobles, who couldn¡¯t help but step forward, vying to read it. And when they saw the records on the parchment, they widened their eyes. ¡°This¡­ this¡­ the plot to harm Her Majesty is real?¡± ¡°Duke West? Viscount Camden? And Bishop Campbell?¡± ¡°The Bishop is indeed associated with the Bloodborne?!¡± ¡°But¡­ isn¡¯t Her Majesty the Saintess of the Holy Court? Why would Bishop Campbell¡­¡± ¡°What else could it be? He¡¯s fallen. Look, here are records of his interactions with the bloodborne, there¡¯s even a contract he signed with them!¡± ¡°He probably feared exposure of his fall, so he acted first to assassinate Her Majesty!¡± Seeing the contents of the parchment, the nobles were in an uproar and quickly descended into chaos. Although they both had dealings with the Bloodborne, there was a significant difference in the nature of these dealings. In Charlotte¡¯s case, her agreement with the Bloodborne was one of mutual restraint and balance. However, the evidence brought by Duke Aecia showed that Duke West and Bishop Campbell¡¯s cooperation with the bloodborne was a blatant conspiracy to use their power to eliminate rivals. This was far more unacceptable to the nobles than Charlotte¡¯s agreement. Of course, even so, the fact that the evidence came from Duke Aecia, a contender for the throne supported by the bloodborne, seemed a bit peculiar. But after some consideration, the nobles quickly came to some conclusions¡­ Clearly, it appeared that there was disunity within the bloodbornes themselves, as well as within the Holy Court. This was not just a power struggle between the bloodborne and the Holy Court but also between their internal factions. By now, the issue of right and wrong was likely less important. What was clear, however, was that Duke West was a sacrificial pawn, abandoned by the victorious factions within both the bloodborne and the Holy Court. The same probably applied to Bishop Campbell. As for why the Holy Court, and not the Castell, that was cooperating with the bloodborne¡­that was a foolish question. No one believed that a mere count¡¯s family could contend with the deeply entrenched bloodborne forces in the Starfall Kingdom. The bloodborne¡¯s willingness to compromise meant they had encountered a stronger force. Considering the identity of Countess Castell, it was evident that this stronger force was the covert support of the Holy Court. With this realization, the nobles¡¯ eyes sparkled, and they fell into deep thought. Unconsciously, they began referring to Charlotte as ¡°Her Majesty the Queen.¡± If they hadn¡¯t underestimated Charlotte¡¯s true identity, their guesses would have been quite close to the truth. Seeing the nobles gradually distance themselves, Duke West, Viscount Camden, and Bishop Campbell turned pale. ¡°No! This is slander! Slander by the bloodborne and Castell against us!¡± Duke West said, trembling. However, no one was listening to him anymore. The nobles of the Parliament faction looked on with mocking expressions, the neutral nobles with pity, and even the nobles of the Lilac faction averted their gazes, distancing themselves from him. Seeing the nobles¡¯ reactions, Duke West¡¯s eyes widened, and he grew even paler. Charlotte, seated on the throne, had already put away her smile. She sat up straight, her gaze cold as she looked at Duke West, Viscount Camden, and Bishop Campbell in the center, and commanded. ¡°Upon investigation, Duke West, Viscount Camden, and Bishop Campbell have willingly fallen, colluding with evil, plotting against the royal family. The evidence is conclusive¡­¡± ¡°Royal guards, seize them!¡± She ordered the two ¡°knights¡± beside her to arrest them. The two ¡°knights¡± bowed respectfully and then swiftly charged towards the three. Duke West¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare! You are merely a Crescent noble! You are a fake saintess, not recognized by the Theocracy! You have no right to arrest us! No right to judge us!¡± Duke West roared, his extraordinary power surging, unleashing his formidable Blazing Sun strength, his powerful aura sweeping across the hall. Flames burst forth, spreading from Duke West, and enveloping the surroundings. At this moment, he directly unleashed his Spiritual Force Field! Feeling that overwhelming power, the nobles¡¯ expressions changed, and they scattered, causing chaos in the hall. However, the next moment, Charlotte¡¯s knight reached Duke West. Ignoring Duke West¡¯s Spiritual Force Field, the knight effortlessly passed through and, in an instant, subdued Duke West, who was preparing to unleash his power. The nobles didn¡¯t even see what happened. Duke West¡¯s formidable power was suppressed, and when they looked again, he was already bound with anti-magic chains by the knight. The knight remained composed throughout, as if subduing an ordinary person rather than a powerful Blazing Sun. The nobles were stunned. They couldn¡¯t help but look at the unfamiliar knight, their hearts shaken. A Legendary being¡­ The Queen¡¯s knight was likely a Legendary! Of course, they didn¡¯t know that this ¡°knight¡± also went by another name: Albrecht. As for the other ¡°knight¡±, he was also known as Yurst. Viscount Camden, the head of the knightly order, was in shock. He gritted his teeth, attempting to flee, but the knight who had subdued Duke West stopped him. ¡°Captain, where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± Bishop Campbell looked solemn. As the second knight approached him, he brandished his staff, launching an attack. The two clashed, and surprisingly, they were evenly matched. Seeing this, the nobles breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, the Queen¡¯s other knight was not a Legendary. Otherwise, having two Legendary as royal guards would be terrifying. Even so, they dared not underestimate the second knight. Although Bishop Campbell was not skilled in combat, he was still a Blazing Sun, and being able to fight him to a standstill meant the knight was at least on the same level. However, although he blocked the knight¡¯s attack, Bishop Campbell felt even more anxious. Even if the opponent wasn¡¯t a Legendary, he sensed a power far exceeding Blazing Sun. Moreover, he felt an unsettling familiarity with the power, as if it were in a special augmented state. His gaze fell on the knight, and upon seeing the slightly red pupils, he realized the knight¡¯s true identity¡­ A bloodborne! The knight was a bloodborne! Bishop Campbell became even more solemn. He gritted his teeth, holy light surging from his body, and his staff emitted a dazzling glow. He raised his staff high and shouted. ¡°May the holy light have mercy on us all, let everything return to the divine¡­¡± ¡°God said¡­let there be light!¡± With those words, a blinding holy light descended, exploding in a radiant display. At that moment, Bishop Campbell used the only Legendary spell in his staff, specifically for ¡°purifying evil¡±! The platinum holy light descended, poised to engulf the knight, but the next moment, the nobles heard a calm denial from the throne. ¡°No, God did not say that.¡± With those words, the holy light on Bishop Campbell¡¯s staff quickly dissipated, returning to calm. He couldn¡¯t help but look up at the girl on the throne, his expression one of shock, fear, and disbelief. ¡°The Holy Word Decree?¡± ¡°You¡­you are truly the Saintess of the Divine Lord?!¡± Chapter 496 : The Approval of the Creator God ¡°You¡­ you¡­ you really are the Saintess of the Divine Lord?!¡± Feeling the holy power of his staff being rapidly suppressed and dissipated, Bishop Campbell¡¯s expression was one of shock. He looked incredulously at the girl sitting high on the throne, his face full of astonishment. Then¡­ he saw Charlotte gently rise from her throne. ¡°The holy light indeed judges evil, but¡­ It only judges those who have truly betrayed.¡± The girl said calmly as she looked at the panicked Bishop Campbell. As soon as her words fell, the nobles in the hall saw the sacred staff in Bishop Campbell¡¯s hand once again emit a dazzling holy light. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The light was so brilliant that the ¡°knight¡± who had been charging towards Bishop Campbell halted abruptly, quickly taking a step back as if fearing to be affected by the blinding radiance. Then¡­ the nobles saw the holy light shine down on Bishop Campbell. The white holy light shimmered, gradually gathering into a phantom sword above Bishop Campbell¡¯s head. The nobles who were familiar with the Holy Court were stunned, their expressions incredulous. The Sword of Judgment! This was the effect of the legendary spell of holy light judgment that Bishop Campbell had intended to invoke using his sacred staff. However, the holy light was not judging someone else, but Bishop Campbell himself! Next, the crowd heard the girl¡¯s soft sigh from the front. ¡°Bishop Campbell, the holy light¡­ finds you guilty.¡± Bishop Campbell was completely stunned. He looked up in disbelief at the Sword of Judgment hanging above his head, his expression blank. Of course, his stupor quickly turned into terror. ¡°No¡­ No¡­ I¡­ I repent! I repent to the holy light! I shouldn¡¯t have¡­¡± However¡­ it was already too late. The brilliance of the Sword of Judgment spread, and the holy flames burned fiercely, enveloping Bishop Campbell in platinum light. The crowd heard the bishop¡¯s shrill screams within the holy light, the fierce flames of judgment rapidly spreading over his body. The ¡°flame¡± burned for a full ten seconds before gradually extinguishing, and when the holy light faded, Bishop Campbell¡¯s figure had disappeared, leaving only a pile of ashes on the floor. ????B?? Silence. A deathly silence. The nobles of Starfall Kingdom stood in shock, staring at the spot where Bishop Campbell had been, utterly stunned by what had just transpired. Dead¡­ dead? The highest cleric of the Starfall Kingdom, a Bishop of the Holy Court, had died just like that? And¡­ he died under the holy light¡¯s judgment? The nobles were dazed, seemingly unable to comprehend what had just happened. They swallowed, shifting their gaze from the pile of ashes to the calm expression on Charlotte¡¯s face, filled with reverence. There had always been much debate among the public about whether Charlotte de Castell was truly a Saintess of the Holy Court. Despite various legends and the comments from the Archbishop of the Crescent Diocese, honestly, many people, especially the nobles, were still skeptical. But now¡­ Whether it was Bishop Campbell¡¯s final exclamation or the events witnessed by the Starfall nobles, everything confirmed the girl¡¯s identity. To interrupt a legendary divine spell cast by a bishop-level cleric with just a ¡°command¡± and to directly use a legendary holy spell to judge a fallen cleric, there was no doubt¡­ the girl was indeed a true Saintess! Realizing this, the Starfall nobles had mixed reactions. The nobles from the Parliament faction were pleased, the neutrals were awestruck, while those who often collaborated with bloodbornes, the Lilac faction nobles, were filled with fear. Even the disguised ¡°knights¡± Albrecht and Yurst looked different. Seeing their ancestor able to interrupt the holy light¡¯s absolute suppression of bloodbornes and even use the Holy Court¡¯s spell to kill a bishop, their expressions hidden under their helmets were extremely complicated. They were not bloodbornes who had never seen myths. As third and fourth-generation bloodbornes, they knew very well that even the princes of various clans could only be suppressed by the holy light, let alone take control like their True Ancestor. This¡­ was the true power of their ancestor? Albrecht and Yurst subconsciously swallowed, looking at Charlotte with even more reverence. Only the black cat Nice, who had followed Charlotte into the banquet hall and sneaked onto the table to gorge himself during the commotion, remained calm. Seeing the dazed expressions of everyone, and the reverent looks of the two bloodbornes, he lazily yawned, showing a ¡°what¡¯s the big deal¡± expression. Others might not know, but he had personally verified at the cost of his freedom, knowing the secret of their True Ancestor. Forget the Holy Court¡¯s spell. Their True Ancestor could almost counteract any divine spell, anyone who tried to use divine spell against their True Ancestor was just asking for trouble! Nice¡¯s judgment was correct. Charlotte had indeed stopped Bishop Campbell¡¯s legendary spell through divine ritual counter and then reversed the control. However, what Nice didn¡¯t know was that although Charlotte appeared calm, she was not as unaffected as she seemed. She had indeed modified the spell judgment, but¡­ she hadn¡¯t altered the holy light¡¯s verdict on Bishop Campbell. Honestly, Charlotte originally only intended to stop the spell, but when she controlled Bishop Campbell¡¯s legendary spell through divine ritual counter, she suddenly had a whim and felt a certain impulse from the ¡°holy light.¡± Bishop Campbell was a high-ranking cleric of the Holy Court, Charlotte never thought the holy light would judge him. She simply went with the flow under that ¡°whim¡±, changing the judgment target of the holy light to him, and what happened next¡­ was entirely the holy light¡¯s decision. In other words, Charlotte was telling the truth: it was indeed the ¡°holy light¡± that judged Bishop Campbell guilty and directly ¡°purified¡± him. Charlotte was equally surprised by this. Although the holy light of the Holy Court has always been harsh in judging ¡°heretics¡±, it has been quite lenient towards its own believers, especially the clergy. Otherwise, many corrupt clergy wouldn¡¯t have been able to continue their unchallenged reign within the Holy Court. For Bishop Campbell to be judged by the holy light, it indicated that in the eyes of the holy light, he was truly guilty of severe crimes. However, based on the ¡°evidence¡± Charlotte had gathered, aside from collaborating with the elven bloodborne from Luna Island, Bishop Campbell¡¯s crimes weren¡¯t severe enough to warrant the death penalty. Especially considering the influence he represented¡ªthe authority of the Theocracy. But when Charlotte¡¯s gaze fell upon the pile of ashes in the hall, her eyes slightly narrowed. Charlotte was no stranger to the holy light¡¯s judgment. In fact, back in Borde, the church often held trials for heretics, and Charlotte had personally witnessed those unlucky ones burned to ashes by the holy light. However, the ashes before her now were completely different from what she remembered. They appeared more pale and finely crushed, like thoroughly pulverized bone ash. These ashes¡­ were not quite like those left after the holy light¡¯s judgment in the past. Instead, they resembled the ashes left behind by the deaths of the elven bloodborne Alec and Campel. Realizing this, Charlotte was startled by her own thoughts. Could it be that¡­ Bishop Campbell, like those elven bloodborne, was not truly alive but rather a puppet? As this thought crossed her mind, Charlotte¡¯s expression grew solemn. ¡°Look¡­ look quickly!¡± ¡°Light¡­ it¡¯s the holy light! It¡¯s a blessing of the holy light!¡± The exclamations of the nobles interrupted Charlotte¡¯s thoughts. She looked up to see platinum light particles falling from the sky. The particles were dreamlike and radiant, filled with divine power, unmistakably the holy power of the Creator God. Seeing the holy light falling like snow, Albrecht and Yulster turned pale, quickly stepping back and taking the opportunity to hide while everyone¡¯s attention was on the holy light. But Charlotte couldn¡¯t evade it. The holy light descended upon her, specifically targeting her. The snow-like holy light landed on her, bringing a stabbing pain, and along with it, the ancient text of the Gospel of Blood appeared in her vision. ¡¾The Gospel of Blood detects an ongoing divine ritual¡ª¡¿ ¡¾Ritual Name: Divine Favor¡¿ ¡¾Recipient: True Ancestor of Blood ¨C Charlotte de Castell¡¿ ¡¾Performer: Creator God¡¯s Genesis Arbiter¡¿ ¡¾Ritual Effect: The inherent divine spell of the Creator God¡¯s supreme artifact, the Genesis Arbiter, bestows the blessing of the Creator God onto His favored¡­¡¿ ¡¾Interception Probability: 100%¡¿ ¡¾Do you wish to intercept?¡¿ Charlotte: ¡­? Seeing the ancient text in her vision, Charlotte was momentarily stunned, reading it several times before comprehending its meaning, her expression turning peculiar. A divine spell named ¡°Divine Favor¡± was clearly a ritual to bestow divine blessing. Considering the description of the ritual¡¯s effects, it was evident that Charlotte had received the affirmation from the Creator God, being bestowed with the divine blessing by the supreme artifact of the Creator God, something only saints, divine offspring, and holy individuals possessed. ¡°A Divine Favor! It¡¯s the legendary Divine Favor! By the God, I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m witnessing a Divine Favor with my own eyes!¡± ¡°This¡­ this is the affirmation of the God! This is a divine blessing!¡± ¡°Praise the Holy! It must be the righteous judgment of Her Highness the Saintess that earned the God¡¯s appreciation and recognition!¡± ¡°Long live Her Majesty the Queen! Long live Her Highness the Saintess!¡± Some nobles, who also held clerical positions, recognized the origin of the holy light. Their faces were filled with excitement, their gazes towards Charlotte increasingly fervent. As for the two disguised knights¡­ they were utterly shocked. Even as well-experienced Legendary Bloodborne, Albrecht was now in a daze, questioning his own identity and purpose. It was unfathomable¡ªthe True Ancestor of Blood receiving the divine blessing of the Creator God! Even Nice, who had been sneaking milk at the table, spat out the milk directly, spraying the servant standing on the opposite. Raising his head, he looked dumbfounded at the holy light enveloping Charlotte, with an expression as if seeing a ghost. Charlotte: ¡­ Oh no. This time¡­ She was truly being recognized as the Saintess of the Creator God¡­ The shimmering Holy Light descended, the dense divine power burning Charlotte¡¯s body and soul like flames. Although being a Demigod meant that such ¡°burning¡± would no longer harm her, the pain was relentless. For ordinary people, the favor of the Creator God was a blessing, but for Charlotte, a bloodborne, it was poison. Charlotte didn¡¯t understand why this was happening, but she knew she couldn¡¯t accept the divine blessing as ordinary people did. Taking a deep breath, she silently decided to intercept. In the next moment, the Gospel of Blood radiated light, intercepting all the descending holy light. Then¡­ it was absorbed by the Gospel of Blood. But what the nobles witnessed was a different scene. They saw the radiant holy light eagerly pouring into Charlotte, disappearing, while Charlotte began to radiate a gentle glow. The falling light particles lasted for a full half minute. With the final particle absorbed by Charlotte, the hall returned to normal. The nobles stared at Charlotte, their expressions numb from the series of shocks. Charlotte stood calmly in place. The intercepted holy light was so intense that even with the protection of the Gospel of Blood, the pain was undiminished. Fortunately, it was all over, and the burning pain subsided. Although she didn¡¯t ¡°receive¡± the divine blessing, the intercepted holy light was absorbed by the Gospel of Blood. Charlotte could feel the massive divine power being frantically converted by the Gospel. Simultaneously, the Gospel of Blood seemed to benefit, with some of its damaged areas appearing to be partially repaired. However, now wasn¡¯t the time to check the status of the Gospel of Blood. Taking a deep breath, Charlotte looked at the stunned Duke West and Viscount Camden, and commanded. ¡°Take them away.¡± Albrecht and Yurst, startled, quickly obeyed and acted respectfully. Duke West and Viscount Camden did not resist. In the hall, regardless of faction¡ªwhether parliament, neutral, or the lilac faction¡ªthe nobles¡¯ gazes towards Charlotte were now filled with reverence and without a hint of disrespect or doubt. Chapter 497 : The Die is Cast Charlotte¡¯s welcome banquet ended in a rather dramatic fashion. Before the banquet, she was merely a queen in name, acknowledged only by the parliament nobles and one of the contenders for the Starfall throne. But after the banquet, she had become the sole heir to the throne. The instigators, led by Duke West and his cohorts, had been taken away. They would face trial by the Kingdom¡¯s Parliament on severe charges¡ªtreason. Attempting to murder the queen, colluding with fallen bloodbornes, and trying to overthrow the kingdom¡­ though adding the term ¡°fallen¡± in front of ¡°bloodbornes¡± seemed odd, the charges against Duke West and Viscount Camden were clear-cut and backed by solid evidence. The nobles from the Lilac faction looked conflicted. Even the most stubborn members of the Lilac faction had to admit that when Duke Aecia bowed to Charlotte, their side had already lost. It wasn¡¯t that they couldn¡¯t abandon Duke Aecia and choose a new heir to the throne, but deep down, they all knew the true strength that gave them the confidence to challenge the parliamentarian nobles came not from their own power, but from the support of the bloodbornes. Furthermore, the decision of the three Legendary figures of the Starfall Kingdom to remain neutral in the succession was also tied to the bloodbornes. The nobles were not foolish. Even though Duke Aecia adamantly denied it, anyone slightly aware of the current situation could realize that while Duke West¡¯s guilt was certain, his accusations during the banquet might have struck at the truth¡ªThe reason Duke Aecia abandoned his claim to the throne and bowed to Charlotte could only be because of the bloodbornes. The Castell had reached an agreement with the bloodborne regarding the throne succession. More precisely, the Holy Court had reached an agreement with the bloodborne. If it weren¡¯t for Charlotte¡¯s subsequent Holy light judgment on Bishop Campbell, many might still suspect that the Castell family had really aligned with the bloodborne, prompting the Bloodborne to withdraw their support for Duke Aecia and back Countess Castell instead. But clearly, the ¡°judgment¡± of the holy light was undeniable. Moreover, after ¡°judging¡± the fallen bishop, Countess Castell even received divine favor from the Lord, which undoubtedly further solidified the legitimacy of the girl. The royal power of human nations stems from divine authority, and the authority of kings must be granted by the Gods. Even if Charlotte openly collaborated with the Bloodborne, and even if the Castell family had once had secret agreements with the bloodborne, under the radiance of the Lord¡¯s light, everything could be attributed to divine will, and everything would be legitimate. It was the Lord who guided the Saintess to inherit the throne, and it was also the Lord who guided the Saintess to cooperate with the bloodborne. Is it absurd? Indeed, it is absurd. After all, the Holy Court was established to overthrow the rule of the bloodborne, and to the Holy Court, bloodbornes are evil. But so what? The will of the Gods cannot be questioned, and the thoughts of the Gods are not for mortals to speculate. Since the Lord bestowed divine favor upon Countess Castell, it means the Lord also approved of Countess Castell¡¯s actions. Everything Countess Castell did was in accordance with the will of the Gods. If you can¡¯t understand, then keep trying. If you still can¡¯t, just accept it as the will of the Gods. After all, the Gods must have profound reasons, and the Gods are always right. And a miracle witnessed by all is not something that can be faked. At this moment, even the two bloodbornes, Albrecht and Yurst, looked at Charlotte with a strange gaze. As Charlotte¡¯s blood thralls and familiars, they knew her true identity. It was precisely because they knew Charlotte¡¯s true identity that they were shocked by this turn of events. However, amidst the shock, they weren¡¯t too puzzled. Though the Holy Court attributed the creation of the world to the Lord and proclaimed that the Lord awakened from ancient times, while there were many legends of the Creator God from ancient times¡­ the bloodbornes, with their own heritage and experiences from the rise of the Holy Court era, often regarded the Lord as powerful but not necessarily as the Creator. ?????¦­??§¦? Some texts even equated the Creator God with the founder of the Royal Bloodborne Kirali Clan. Of course, these ¡°unofficial histories¡± handed down from who knows when were not believed by many bloodbornes themselves, and none of the bloodbornes who lived through the Myth Era ever confirmed such claims. But although these unofficial histories were unacknowledged, they shaped the bloodbornes¡¯ perception of the Creator God. The Creator God is a God. The True Ancestor is also a God. Both are true Gods, so there¡¯s no reason to think one is superior to the other. The doctrines meant to deceive believers won¡¯t fool the immortals. If it came down to it, the Lord might even have to address the True Ancestor as a senior. From this perspective, if the returning True Ancestor and the Creator God reached some kind of agreement, it might be understandable. After all, in the era when the True Ancestor dominated the continent, there was no trace of the Holy Court, and though the origins of the Creator God are mysterious, they might just be juniors to the True Ancestor. Albrecht and Yurst, with their minds racing, quickly attributed today¡¯s events to a possible secret agreement between the True Ancestor and the Creator God. However, as the focal point of all this, Charlotte knew it wasn¡¯t as they imagined. Moreover, in truth, the final ¡°miracle¡± might not even be a gift from the ¡°Lord¡± but an independent act of the Lord¡¯s ¡°artifact.¡± S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte remembered the description of the Gospel of Blood¡¯s divine ritual counter. The spell caster wasn¡¯t the Lord Himself, but the supreme artifact of the Lord, the Genesis Arbiter. As a Demigod, Charlotte had a fairly professional understanding of the operational mechanism of the faith network. In this era where most Gods have retreated, Gods rarely respond directly to their followers. Blessings, promotions to sacred orders, and the like often operate according to preset mechanisms. And as far as Charlotte knew, the Genesis Arbiter should be the core of the Creator God¡¯s faith network, which was also recorded in many Holy Court texts. The divine blessing she received came from the Genesis Arbiter, not directly from the Lord. This presents two possibilities. One possibility is that her actions were mistakenly approved by the artifact. The other is that she truly has garnered the ¡°Lord¡¯s¡± attention. Charlotte doesn¡¯t know which is the correct answer. However, based on her speculation about the identity of the Creator God, either outcome might not be a bad thing for her. If it was an artifact¡¯s mistake, it suggests that the Gospel of Blood is of a higher rank than she had imagined, comparable to the artifact of the Creator God, even capable of deceiving the dormant God. If the Lord is indeed watching her, it implies that the Lord does not see her as an enemy, which could further validate her speculation about the Lord¡¯s identity. Regardless of the actual answer, the effect remains the same. It firmly establishes Charlotte¡¯s identity as the Saintess, legitimizes her negotiations with the Bloodborne, and solidifies her claim to the throne to a level that is difficult to dispute. Charlotte thought even further. With this divine halo, even if her Nightshade Cult is fully exposed in the future, and her covert preaching activities become public, she can use this as a banner of legitimacy. Don¡¯t ask why. Just say it¡¯s the Lord¡¯s tacit approval. Say it¡¯s to counter the Holy Court¡¯s corruption. Say it¡¯s the will of the great Lord¡¯s favored one, Saintess Charlotte, who is utterly disappointed with the fallen Holy Court and has decided to establish a new faith under divine guidance. Meanwhile, with this firm establishment of her Saintess status and the holy light judgment of Bishop Campbell, another immediate benefit is that Charlotte now has a sufficient and reasonable justification to seize full control of the Holy Court¡¯s branch in the Starfall Kingdom and eliminate the influence of the Theocracy within the kingdom. Don¡¯t ask why. Just say that the Starfall Kingdom¡¯s church branch colluded with the fallen bloodbornes. Say they have betrayed the Lord, and such crimes must be judged by the Saintess. In short, Charlotte genuinely felt that this divine favor was simply perfect. It not only enhanced the Gospel of Blood¡¯s divine power but also indirectly resolved several hidden issues within the Starfall Kingdom, even granting legitimacy to her future preaching efforts. She really was like Qin Shi Huang touching an electric wire¡­ completely winning. Of course, where there are winners, there are also losers. As the ambassador of the Crescent Kingdom who witnessed the entire ¡°miracle¡±, Duke Moonshield¡¯s expression was quite complicated. Watching Charlotte being surrounded and worshipped by the Starfall nobles, Duke Moonshield sighed and respectfully asked. ¡°¡­ Your Highness, regarding the territorial conflict between our two countries, are you sure you don¡¯t want to reconsider?¡± Charlotte smiled slightly and said. ¡°Your Grace, as I said, I am the Countess of Castell, but equally, I will be the Queen of Starfall. As a queen¡­ I cannot betray the interests of the kingdom.¡± ¡°Of course, my previous agreement with His Majesty Louis still stands, if¡­ His Majesty Louis still acknowledges it.¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, Duke Moonshied fell silent. He understood Charlotte¡¯s polite refusal. As for the agreement between Charlotte and His Majesty¡­ that was a matter too far in the past. Duke Moonshield knew his king well. If Charlotte were still the Countess of Castell, His Majesty might be willing to honor the agreement. But if Charlotte became the Queen of Starfall¡­ His Majesty would never allow the Castell territory, rich in mithril, to become part of the Starfall Kingdom. Not even for a few decades. The future is already full of uncertainties, and an uncontrollable agreement would just become a piece of worthless paper. ¡°I understand. I will relay everything to His Majesty.¡± Duke Moonshield sighed and said. The banquet lasted until the early hours of the morning. As the music ended and the guests departed, it was clear that the events of tonight would soon spread throughout the Starfall Kingdom, and even across the entire Myria continent. The Starfall Kingdom is, after all, one of the major nations on the continent, and a change in its throne is naturally a world-class event. Count Stafford was visibly excited. His face was flushed, clearly having drunk a lot. As the nobles left, he led the senior members of the parliamentarian nobles to Charlotte, speaking with excitement. ¡°Your Majesty, congratulations on receiving divine favor from the Lord once again. May the holy light always be with you! May Starfall always be with you!¡± He took a deep breath and looked at Charlotte expectantly. ¡°Your Majesty, after tonight, the situation is settled. When do you plan to hold your coronation and ascend to the throne?¡± A coronation¡­ Charlotte pondered. Although she wasn¡¯t fond of these formalities, she knew it was a tradition in Myria¡¯s nations. Since she had inherited the throne, a coronation was inevitable, marking her official ascension as the ruler of the Starfall Kingdom. After thinking for a moment, Charlotte looked at Marquis Howard. ¡°Is there any specific requirement for the coronation date of the Starfall kings?¡± Marquis Howard was slightly taken aback, then respectfully replied. ¡°Your Majesty, there is no specific requirement for the coronation date of previous kings, but¡­ it is generally held on the second Friday of each month.¡± ¡°The second Friday of each month? The Day of the Blood Moon?¡± Charlotte raised her eyebrows slightly. Marquis Howard quickly said. ¡°Yes, the Day of the Blood Moon. It is a tradition left from the era of the bloodborne¡¯s secret rule, influenced by the bloodbornes. Of course¡­ you don¡¯t necessarily have to follow it. In fact, the parliament has long intended to abolish this tradition inherited from the bloodbornes.¡± Charlotte thought for a moment and said, ¡°No matter. Let the coronation date be the second Friday of next month, the Day of the Blood Moon.¡± Chapter 498 : The Strength of the Starfall Kingdom As the reception banquet concluded, the news of Duke Aecia, one of the heirs to the throne, renouncing his claim and submitting to Countess Castell quickly spread. Along with this significant news, the peace agreement between Charlotte and the bloodborne, as well as Charlotte¡¯s judgment of Bishop Campbell and the miracle witnessed by all at the banquet, also spread. The heir to the throne submitted, and the bloodborne behind him also compromised. With no foundation or leader, the Lilac faction nobles quickly submitted within days, and the looming threat of civil war in the Starfall Kingdom dissipated almost instantly. Setting aside the influence of the bloodborne, strictly speaking, the Starfall nobles were not opposed to Charlotte¡¯s ascension to the throne. In fact, overall, they welcomed it. This was not only due to Charlotte¡¯s prestige as the ¡°Saintess¡± but also because of the promises made by the parliamentary nobles on her behalf¡ªUpon her abdication in the future, the ancient electoral inheritance system of Starfall would be reinstated. A monarch willing to share power with the nobles would naturally be welcomed by the noble class, even if it was a future promise. In the following days, nobles flocked to Starfall City to pay their respects to Charlotte. The situation was set. Dukes, counts, viscounts¡­ whether neutral or from the Lilac faction, all nobles of Starfall who heard the news chose to submit. Although not officially crowned, the nickname ¡°Her Majesty¡± was already on the lips of all the nobles. At the same time, capitalizing on the divine miracle witnessed at the banquet, Charlotte publicized Bishop Campbell¡¯s cooperation with the ¡°fallen bloodbornes¡±, directly tarnishing the reputation of the Holy Court¡¯s branch in the Starfall Kingdom. The Holy Court¡¯s branch in the Starfall Kingdom had already been in decline due to the joint exclusion by the native nobles and the Nez Clan. Charlotte¡¯s actions were akin to directly uprooting their foundation in Starfall. As the ¡°Saintess¡±, Charlotte naturally took control of the church branch in the Starfall Kingdom. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She faced no resistance from the clergy. On the contrary, many clergy members were jubilant about her arrival. This development surprised many within the Nez Clan. In fact, the elders of the Nez Clan had been prepared for True Ancestor to take over Starfall, anticipating interference from the Holy Court, and possibly even a religious war. However¡­ the Holy Court¡¯s interference never came. Instead, the local church welcomed their new leader. The Nez higher-ups did not know Countess Castell¡¯s true identity, but they were aware that Countess Castell was an ¡°agent of the True Ancestor.¡± Though¡­ this ¡°agent of the True Ancestor¡± somehow became the Saintess of the Holy Court. This world was truly astonishing; even Bardock, who had lived for two thousand years, was bewildered. The blood descendants did not know how their ancestor managed it, but they felt that the True Ancestor seemed even more powerful and mysterious upon Her return. R?¨¤N????????¨§£Ó Though Charlotte gained control of the Holy Court¡¯s branch in Starfall, she did not hastily begin preaching. Her foundation in Starfall was still unstable, and her control over the branch was not yet firm. She planned to subtly infiltrate and gradually transform the branch to worship herself. In the future, at the right moment, she would build momentum and eventually merge the transformed branch with the Nightshade Cult. A bold idea, openly challenging the Holy Court¡¯s authority, but given the divine miracle, it seemed quite feasible. The only concern for Charlotte was potential interference from the Theocracy. However, considering the distance between the Theocracy and Starfall Kingdom, that interference might not come for a long time. Five days after Duke Aecia announced his renunciation of the throne, the busy Charlotte welcomed a group of special visitors¡ªThe Legendary extraordinary individuals of the Starfall Kingdom. ¡°Praise the Holy, Your Majesty, your fame and deeds have spread throughout the Starfall Kingdom. May the Starfall be with you, and may the holy light be with you.¡± In the Red Palace, three elderly extraordinary individuals greeted Charlotte. Sitting on the throne, Charlotte looked at the three distinctively dressed figures before her, recalling the information she had gathered about them. Duke Gale, the Legendary Sword Saint of the Starfall Kingdom, guarding the northern coastline and constantly battling sea beasts, representing the neutral nobles. Great Sage Brynn, the Legendary Mage of the Starfall Kingdom, rumored to have a good relationship with the Bloodborne, but never involves himself in politics, serving as the honorary president of the Kingdom¡¯s Mage Association, immersed in various magical studies. Viscount Lorenzi, the Red Dragon Knight, with elven blood and an adult red dragon as his contracted partner, a Legendary mercenary who participated in the Star-Moon War, and leader of the largest mercenary group in the Starfall Kingdom, the Red Dragon Mercenary Group. These three Legendaries represented the highest strength in the extraordinary field of the Starfall Kingdom. They belonged to different factions, but they remained neutral regarding the succession of the throne. Charlotte had studied the specific situation of the Starfall Kingdom over the past few days. Unlike the Crescent Kingdom, where the recorded Legendaries were loyal to King Louis V, Starfall Kingdom¡¯s Legendaries were relatively independent. They did not take orders directly from the king but listened to the Kingdom¡¯s parliament, executing the decisions passed by the parliament. Thus, with the throne vacant and the parliament divided, the parliamentary and Lilac factions constantly arguing, these Legendaries remained neutral. This was also related to their identities, duties, and personalities. Duke Gale, the Legendary Sword Saint, guarded the north and fought sea beasts, with no interest in politics. Great Sage Brynn was similar, immersed in magical research, and responsible for many alchemical tools and magical technologies in the Starfall Kingdom. Even Yurst was said to have a good relationship with him. Viscount Lorenzi, the Red Dragon Knight, was somewhat different. As a mercenary leader, he primarily worked for money. However, the Red Dragon Mercenary Group was affiliated with the Kingdom¡¯s parliament, supported by the parliament, so although semi-independent, they still followed the parliament¡¯s decisions. The Kingdom¡¯s parliament in the Starfall Kingdom was far more powerful than the noble parliament of the Crescent Kingdom, often even influencing royal power. Thus¡­ following the parliament did not mean following the king. This was why Viscount Lorenzi remained neutral in the succession issue. According to Charlotte, there were more than three Legendaries in the Starfall Kingdom during the Star-Moon War. However, those who steadfastly followed the royal family perished in the war, dying at the hands of Louis V, leaving only these three conservative and peace-loving Legendaries. But this did not mean these three Legendaries were useless. Though they remained neutral, they still had the duty to protect the Starfall and remained loyal to the kingdom, representing a significant force against the Nez Clan. It was precisely because of their existence that, despite the Crescent Kingdom¡¯s overwhelming advantage over the Starfall Kingdom in the later stages of the Star-Moon War, they dared not invade the Starfall Kingdom¡¯s homeland. Similarly, during the competition for the throne, the Nez Clan did not overturn the table. In the Starfall Kingdom, different powers almost always balance each other. The king was the ruler but not an absolute authority. For Charlotte, this wasn¡¯t a bad thing. To her, the throne of the Starfall Kingdom was practically a gift, and this balance of power actually helped the nobility accept her more easily. It even facilitated her to rule the kingdom more hands-off. As for strengthening centralization¡­ There was no rush, and for now, it wasn¡¯t necessary for Charlotte. Gaining the allegiance of the Nez Clan, controlling the church branch, becoming the Queen of Starfall¡­ Charlotte already had the strength and capability to fully control the Starfall Kingdom. Secular centralization wasn¡¯t as crucial to her anymore. Moreover, centralization wasn¡¯t the only solution. What mattered was what was appropriate. Charlotte¡¯s pursuits were different from other monarchs. She aimed to become a God, ascending to the pinnacle of extraordinary power. At that point, centralization would be completely irrelevant. In some sense, Charlotte was somewhat similar to the three Legendaries of the Starfall Kingdom. For those who reached the peak of worldly power, their focus often wasn¡¯t on worldly matters anymore. This was why Legendaries rarely intervened directly in wars, at most engaging with other Legendaries. The audience with the three Legendaries further legitimized Charlotte¡¯s rule. It signified that the parliamentary nobles had reconciled with the Lilac faction, and the Starfall Kingdom¡¯s parliament resumed normal operations. Soon after, Charlotte¡¯s coronation date was set: 13th Day of the 2nd Month, 1447 of the Holy Calendar. This date¡­ how to say it, made Charlotte feel rather complex, but it was indeed the second Friday of the 2nd Month, a date she had personally chosen. She slightly regretted not checking the calendar more carefully to see when the next Blood Moon was. But once set, it was set. The throne of the Starfall Kingdom had been vacant for several months. Now that the overall situation was settled, neither the parliamentary faction, the neutral nobles, nor the Lilac faction wanted to delay any longer. Even with balanced power, the king was the ruler of the kingdom and the leader of the nation. With the throne vacant, the political situation was unstable. Even with noble self-governance, many things couldn¡¯t be pushed forward. Especially forming a cabinet. Without being crowned, Charlotte had no power to reorganize the cabinet. The current temporary cabinet, led by parliamentary nobles, couldn¡¯t sustain the kingdom¡¯s normal operations. Additionally, the Crescent Kingdom¡¯s aggressive posture was another reason. Many nobles witnessed their covetousness toward the Starfall Kingdom¡¯s enclave territories during the reception banquet. Considering the Crescent Kingdom¡¯s threat, the succession couldn¡¯t be delayed any longer. Even without the official coronation, Charlotte had already taken over the reins of the Starfall Kingdom in practice. Ruling a kingdom was far more intense than ruling a county, even with the support of a temporary cabinet. Charlotte personally witnessed the overwhelming bureaucracy of this era. Her perspective shifted dramatically. Previously, she dealt with various lords of the Crescent Kingdom, but now¡­ she had to consider the entire continent¡¯s nations. The power and strength required to rule a kingdom far exceeded that of a county. The Castell County was populous, with around 4 million people and an area of 120,000 square kilometers. The Starfall Kingdom, however, had a population of 67 million and an astounding area of 1.225 million square kilometers. In comparison, this area would be roughly equivalent to combining the three northeastern provinces, hebei, and Shandong from the previous world¡¯s Earth. Of this 1.225 million square kilometers, over 900,000 belonged to the main island of Starfall. Regarding the military¡­ it was hard to count. Like the Crescent Kingdom, the Starfall Kingdom also had a conscription system, where nobles provided conscripted soldiers in wartime. The kingdom¡¯s directly controlled standing army was already impressive, numbering 30,000. This wasn¡¯t the same as the nobles¡¯ personal armies. For instance, the standing army of the two duchies in the Borde-Castell War also numbered 30,000, but the ratio of awakened soldiers was less than 1%, and the ratio for the elite troops didn¡¯t reach 1:50. In contrast, the ratio of awakened soldiers in the kingdom¡¯s directly controlled standing army was an astonishing 1:20! Of course, like the parliamentary restriction on the king¡¯s power, the king couldn¡¯t freely mobilize the kingdom¡¯s standing army without parliamentary approval. In the early stages of the throne competition, the military maintained neutrality. Besides the kingdom¡¯s directly controlled standing army, the royal family had its own standing army that didn¡¯t require parliamentary approval to mobilize. This royal standing army comprised 5,000 soldiers, but it was even more elite than the kingdom¡¯s standing army, with an awakened ratio of 1:10. For Charlotte, whether it was 5,000 or 10,000 soldiers, as long as the magical formation wasn¡¯t fully deployed, her Saint state could unleash divine power to annihilate tens of thousands of troops with a mere gesture. But since order hadn¡¯t collapsed and war still followed rules, a strong army was indispensable. Compared to the Crescent Kingdom, however, the Starfall Kingdom¡¯s military power was still lacking. According to Charlotte¡¯s knowledge, the Crescent Kingdom¡¯s extraordinary heavy cavalry alone almost matched the Starfall Kingdom¡¯s standing army. However, the navy was a different story. As an island nation, the Starfall Kingdom possessed the continent¡¯s second-strongest navy, surpassed only by the Luna Coast City-State Alliance, with over a hundred warships, far surpassing the Crescent Kingdom. Similarly, the king needed parliamentary approval to mobilize the navy under normal circumstances. As for finances¡­ they were surprisingly poor. Charlotte reviewed the financial report and found that despite having ten times the territory and fifteen times the population of Castell County, the Starfall Kingdom¡¯s annual revenue was less than three times that of Castell. The kingdom¡¯s rich extraordinary resources sustained the standing army¡¯s expenses, but the annual fiscal surplus was minimal, even less than Castell¡¯s leftover funds. While Castell¡¯s wealth was well-known, the Starfall Kingdom was undeniably poor. Sighing at the financial report, Charlotte reflected on the drawbacks of noble decentralization and contemplated future revenue generation strategies. Squeezing the nobles was an option. However, Charlotte didn¡¯t want to pursue this immediately. Her power stemmed from the nobles¡¯ support, and she wasn¡¯t foolish enough to undermine her foundation before securing her position. Cost-cutting was an option, but alongside that, she needed to explore new revenue sources. Considering the Starfall Kingdom¡¯s geography and development, Charlotte already had some ideas. But those plans would be for after her formal succession. In the following days, Charlotte cooperated with the nobles for the transfer of power, familiarized herself with various state affairs, and considered how to govern the Starfall Kingdom. Before she knew it, the coronation day arrived. Chapter 499 : The Coronation Ceremony The 13th Day of the 2nd Month, 1447 of the Holy Calendar, Starfall City. For the Starfall Kingdom, which has existed for a thousand years, today is destined to be a day written into history. Before dawn, royal knights dressed in armor and red cloaks were fully armed and took up positions along the main road connecting the Red Palace to the Starfall Dock, standing with their swords raised. The citizens, who had received the news through various channels, gathered on both sides of the street, a sea of people curious and eager for the grand ceremony that might occur once in decades. Roman Palace, outskirts of Starfall City. As the starting point for the coronation ceremony of the Starfall Kingdom, preparations had been made here half a month in advance. In the luxurious palace, Charlotte, who had already risen and been attended to by maids, had finished dressing in a grand gown specially designed and tailored for this coronation. The gown consisted of a golden velvet aristocratic tight-fitting robe adorned with symbols of the Roman family¡¯s lilac motif and the Castell family¡¯s eagle crest. Over the robe was a similarly crafted cloak lined with white ermine, with a collar of red magic stones from Castell. The right attire can significantly enhance one¡¯s demeanor. After donning the gown, Charlotte seemed to have aged a few years, and with specially elevated high heels, she appeared not as a ¡°thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl¡±, but rather a ¡°sixteen or seventeen-year-old maiden.¡± Looking at her radiant reflection in the mirror, Charlotte felt quite satisfied. Despite being well aware of her outstanding appearance, she couldn¡¯t help but think to herself, ¡°I am truly beautiful.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, the fleet is ready, and the ministers are in place. According to the ceremony schedule, we should depart now.¡± A respectful voice came from behind, belonging to the court steward, Marquis Howard, who was responsible for the coronation arrangements. He, too, was beaming with excitement, clearly anticipating Charlotte¡¯s coronation. Hearing this, Charlotte nodded slightly. ¡°Then¡­ let us depart.¡± Accompanied by her personal maids and guards, Charlotte left the palace. Outside, the kingdom¡¯s high-ranking nobles, including the Legendary Sword Saint Duke Gale and Duke Aecia, who had renounced the throne, awaited her. There were six dukes with their fiefs and more than a dozen counts. They represented the core of the Starfall Kingdom¡¯s noble class and the leaders of various noble factions. Notably, one of the seven great dukes, Duke West, was absent. Although not officially announced yet, it was certain that his title would be revoked and his lands seized due to his treason. ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± Upon seeing Charlotte, the high-ranking Starfall nobles bowed in submission, lowering their proud heads. Charlotte nodded slightly. She glanced at the flagship of the royal navy fleet decorated with golden sails anchored by the dock and commanded. ¡°Board the ship!¡± Amid the sound of ceremonial cannon fire, Charlotte and the nobles boarded the royal navy¡¯s flagship. The fleet, ready and waiting, fired salutes in unison and escorted the flagship towards the Starfall Harbor. The ceremony¡­ had officially begun. The coronation of the Starfall Kingdom primarily consists of two parts. The first step is the Roman Parade. The new king will board a warship from the palace dock outside Starfall City, sailing along the coastline and eventually entering the inland port of Starfall City. ??N????B?? This is a tribute to the Roman Conquest. Since the pioneering members of the Roman family crossed the Star-Moon Strait and conquered the Starfall Kingdom hundreds of years ago, every new king of the Roman family begins their coronation with a ¡°Roman Parade.¡± This symbolizes the Roman family¡¯s pride and their supreme legitimate rule over the Starfall Kingdom. Though Charlotte¡¯s surname isn¡¯t Roman, as a direct descendant of the Roman family, she inherited the Roman lineage. Thus, adopting the Roman ceremonial practices was natural. Today¡¯s Roman Parade is a simplified version. Hundreds of years ago, the parade would start from the Roman Duchy on the continental land, retracing the Roman conquest¡¯s path, taking a day and a night on the ship. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. With the majestic fleet surrounding the flagship ¡°Roman Conqueror¡±, Charlotte stood at the bow, gazing at the kingdom awaiting her rule. As the royal fleet entered the inner river of Starfall City and docked at the port, cannons on both sides fired in unison. Huge magic crystal cannons roared continuously, bursting into splendid magical fireworks in the sky. In the spotlight, Charlotte, dressed in her grand gown, stepped off the dock. The Starfall nobles, who had been waiting, knelt before Charlotte. ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± These were nobles who couldn¡¯t accompany her but were qualified to attend the coronation. They represented the middle tier of the noble class in Starfall, with titles ranging from count to baron, forming the majority of the noble class. They wore different attires and varied in age, forming a dense crowd of thousands. Besides the nobles, there were also foreign ambassadors. Due to the tight schedule of Charlotte¡¯s coronation, there weren¡¯t many visiting ambassadors, mainly from the Crescent Kingdom, the Northern Grand Duchy, and the Luna Coast City-States Alliance. The deafening chorus of salutes triggered a chain reaction among the crowd, resulting in waves of cheers and praises. Clearly, half a month was enough for Charlotte¡¯s deeds to spread through every street and alley of Starfall City. The Saintess recognized by the Divine Lord, the last direct descendant of the Roman lineage, the restraint of the bloodborne, the judgment of the fallen church, bringer of peace and prosperity to the Starfall Kingdom¡­ The halo surrounding Charlotte was dazzling. Coupled with the cooperation and promotion by the nobles and the Nez Clan, even before her official succession, Charlotte¡¯s prestige among the people had reached an unbelievable height. Under the watchful eyes of thousands, Charlotte boarded the prepared royal open-top carriage. The procession, escorted by towering royal knights, paraded along the main road of Starfall City. Wherever the procession went, cheers erupted. Streamers and flowers were thrown from both sides of the street, covering the entire road. Even though Charlotte had mentally prepared, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a surge of emotion at this moment. For this moment, she felt like the center of the world. She thought to herself, ¡°So, this is the taste of power.¡± Charlotte¡¯s gaze fell on the cheering crowd, and she smiled gently, waving at them. Seeing her gesture, the people were momentarily stunned, then erupted into even louder cheers. ¡°Long live Her Majesty!¡± ¡°Long live! Long live! Long live!¡± In the deafening cheers, the procession moved towards the Campbell Cathedral in the northern part of Starfall City. The second part of the coronation is the formal coronation ceremony. In the continent of Myria, the human nations originated with the support of the Holy Court, and royal authority is bestowed by the divine. Therefore, coronation ceremonies are also held in churches. Campbell Cathedral is the largest, oldest, and most famous church in the Starfall Kingdom. The coronation ceremonies of successive Starfall kings have always been held there. Charlotte did not deviate from this tradition. When the grand procession arrived at the cathedral, the clergy were already waiting outside. Upon seeing Charlotte¡¯s carriage, they drew a circle cross on their chests and then bowed respectfully. The nobles accompanying her wore strange expressions. The clergy of the Holy Court hold a transcendent status, especially in such a prominent cathedral where even the king must show respect. On the day of the coronation, not even the lowest-ranking clergy need to bow to the king. But now¡­ Seeing the clergy bowing even lower than themselves, the nobles were at a loss for words. However, no one voiced any objections. The reason being that the one being crowned today was not just the Queen of Starfall. As a Saintess with transcendent status, Charlotte need not bow even to the Pope of the Theocracy. It was only natural for the clergy to bow to her. Charlotte accepted their bows without false modesty and then entered the cathedral, surrounded by nobles and clergy. In the main hall of the cathedral, the altar for the ceremony was already prepared. First came the royal benediction. With the assistance of the clergy, Charlotte took off her cloak, took the royal regalia from Marquis Howard, and placed each item on the altar. These included the royal cloak symbolizing her status, the jeweled scepter representing power, the Roman sword representing lineage, the Starfall ring that could open the royal treasury and teleportation arrays, and the royal orb that enabled communication with magic towers throughout the land. The clergy recited blessings from the Holy Bible and prayed to the divine to bless the royal regalia on the altar. This step symbolized reporting the new king¡¯s ascension to the divine and obtaining divine recognition of Starfall¡¯s royal authority. As the clergy prayed, holy light descended upon the altar, bathing the royal regalia in a platinum glow. Charlotte bowed her head silently and then discreetly used divine ritual counter to remove the blessing. There was no other choice. She would need to use these items later. Though the blessing was temporary and not harmful, holding them as a bloodborne would still cause her pain. Of course, no one noticed her small action. After the benediction came the anointing. The holy oil, normally kept in the cathedral, was brought out by the clergy on the eve of the coronation. Unlike on Earth, the holy oil in Miria truly contained rich divine power. In this step, the clergy would apply the holy oil to specific parts of the new king¡¯s body, symbolizing the connection between royal and divine authority and the divine¡¯s blessing and recognition of the new king. This was the most sacred step of the coronation. However, the clergy responsible for anointing appeared nervous and hesitant. In the past, this duty fell to the Bishop of Campbell Cathedral. But now, with the previous bishop deceased and a new one yet to be chosen, the task fell to a high-ranking priest. Though this High Priest held the highest status in the cathedral, Charlotte¡¯s unique status as a divinely recognized saintess made him apprehensive. From the perspective of royal authority, there was no issue with him anointing her. But from the perspective of divine authority¡­ As a representative of the divine, no one had the right to anoint Charlotte. Charlotte understood and did not insist. She simply took the holy oil and anointed herself. This sight stunned the observing nobles, clergy, and ambassadors. But they quickly recovered, realizing that while such an action would be blasphemous for any other new king, it was perfectly acceptable for Charlotte as a saintess. Following protocol, Charlotte applied the holy oil to her head, chest, shoulders, between her shoulders, arms, and hands. It stung. It stung a lot. But with the Gospel of Blood slightly activated, all the divine power was absorbed. After the anointing, the clergy breathed a sigh of relief. Next, Marquis Howard handed the red royal cloak to Charlotte, which the clergy then draped over her shoulders. The High Priest placed the Starfall ring on her finger, handed her the jeweled scepter for her right hand, and gave her the royal orb for her left hand. As for the Roman Sword, it didn¡¯t allow anyone else to touch it. It flew to Charlotte¡¯s side, conjured a sheath at her waist, and sheathed itself. With the royal regalia donned, it was time for the crowning and the oath. The clergy soon brought the Starfall crown. The golden crown, adorned with alternating crosses and lilac flowers, featured two arches and a purple velvet interior, studded with 777 red, purple, and blue gems, making it incredibly magnificent. Glancing at the crown and then at Charlotte, the High Priest hesitated once again. Charlotte met his gaze, chuckled softly, and reached for the crown, placing it on her own head. This sight made the nobles¡¯ expressions even more peculiar, but as Charlotte rose, they quickly bowed their heads in respectful obeisance. Charlotte, crowned and cloaked in red, holding the royal orb and scepter, walked down the red carpet to the prepared royal throne. Taking a deep breath, Charlotte recited the prepared royal oath, promising peace and justice, the protection of nobles and the church, and the maintenance of orthodox faith. Of course, this oath was not a true ¡°contract oath.¡± Centuries ago, during the Holy Court¡¯s peak, the new king¡¯s oath was a binding contract. But with church power waning and royal power growing, the oaths of new kings had long become merely ceremonial. With the oath concluded, the final part of the ceremony was complete. Inside the cathedral, all the observing nobles and clergy bowed respectfully to Charlotte, chanting thrice. ¡°Praise the Divine! God bless Starfall! God bless Queen Charlotte!¡± ¡°Praise the Divine! God bless Starfall! God bless Queen Charlotte!¡± ¡°Praise the Divine! God bless Starfall! God bless Queen Charlotte!¡± On the 13th Day of the 2nd Month, 1447 of the Holy Calendar, Charlotte de Castell was crowned queen in Starfall City, becoming Queen Charlotte. Due to her status as a Saintess of the Holy Court, she was also known as the Divine Queen. Chapter 500 : Pursuit Northern Grand Duchy, Great Northern Forest. A group of Northern tribesmen trudged through the snowy forest. The group, consisting of both the old and young, advanced with difficulty, leaving deep footprints in the snow. The north wind howled, and the biting cold carried snowflakes that quickly covered their tracks. They leaned on longswords and staffs, supporting each other. Their weary figures and vigilant expressions indicated they had been on high alert for many days. At the forefront, a more mature-looking Astrid glanced back at the snowy forest with worry in her eyes. ¡°Father, have they¡­ caught up to us?¡± Beside her, Balder, the leader of the Free Tribe Alliance, closed his eyes to sense their surroundings and replied. ¡°We should have shaken them off for now. This snowstorm is enough to completely mask our presence.¡± Hearing her father¡¯s words, Astrid sighed in relief. She turned back, looking at the tribe members whose faces were pale from the cold, with a worried expression. Noticing her concern, Balder sighed and said, ¡°Hold on a little longer. Once we cross this forest, we¡¯ll be back in our tribe.¡± ¡°Thank this heavy snow. Though it delayed our journey, it also blocked the main road to the strait. If the Archduke plans to attack, at least he¡¯ll have to wait until the weather improves. The tribe will have at least a month to prepare for war¡­¡± Hearing her father¡¯s words, Astrid fell silent. After a long pause, she couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Father, was I¡­ wrong?¡± ¡°Was it my actions at Winterfort that angered the Archduke, leading them to pursue us so relentlessly?¡± Balder looked at his daughter with a complex expression and shook his head. ¡°No, Astrid, you did nothing wrong.¡± ¡°Being blessed by the Savior is your fortune, and it is also the fortune of our Free Tribe Alliance.¡± ¡°The Archduke¡¯s desire to unify the faith of the North is well-known. The more fervently they pursue us, the more it proves that our Lord¡¯s power is indeed returning.¡± R????????¨º? ¡°They¡­ are afraid.¡± Despite Balder¡¯s words, Astrid¡¯s expression did not brighten. She glanced at the dense forest behind them and sighed. ¡°I wonder¡­ how is Lord Sebastian doing now.¡± Balder paused briefly. After a moment of silence, he sighed and said, ¡°Lord Sebastian is the emissary of Countess Castell. The Archduke shouldn¡¯t kill him.¡± ¡°His strength has also returned to its peak. If he wants to leave, as long as a Legendary figure doesn¡¯t intervene, no one in the North can stop him.¡± Hearing her father¡¯s words, Astrid sighed in relief. After listening to the conversation between the father and daughter, a Northern warrior couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Lord Balder, I¡¯ve heard¡­ wasn¡¯t the Crimson Blade, Sebastian, permanently demoted after his spiritual force field shattered?¡± ¡°Can a demoted extraordinary really return to his former glory?¡± Balder shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I am not of that rank. But¡­ Lord Sebastian might be connected to our Lord. Perhaps¡­ he has also been blessed by our Lord.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t he a follower of Castell? Countess Castell is a Saintess of the Holy Court.¡± Another person asked. Balder sighed. ¡°Who knows? Rumors are rumors. There are even rumors that she is the heir to the throne of the Starfall Kingdom. Comparatively, I find Lord Sebastian¡¯s words more credible. Perhaps Countess Castell also truly worships our Lord.¡± ¡°In any case, we need not think about such things. What we need to know is that our Lord may really be returning. The Archduke¡¯s reaction proves it. Our task is to return to the tribe as soon as possible and have Astrid pray to our Lord again.¡± ¡°Only by receiving a response from our Lord can we gain the power to resist the Grand Duchy!¡± After speaking, Balder looked at the falling snowflakes in the sky and sighed. ¡°I hope¡­ everything goes smoothly.¡± ¡­ The story goes back to a month earlier. Upon realizing that his daughter might have truly awakened the totem power, Balder decisively ordered a return to the tribe. Although this sudden decision was questioned by other chiefs of the Free Tribe Alliance, the chiefs were convinced by the testimonies of the young men and women who witnessed the ¡°miracle.¡± Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Then¡­ the escape began. Just as Balder imagined, the decision of the Free Tribe Alliance chiefs to refuse the offer of allegiance was quickly met with pursuit by the Grand Duchy. To capture these chiefs, northern Archduke Stefan II dispatched 3,000 extraordinary Isaac warriors. Thanks to their years of adventuring and evasion skills, they managed to elude their pursuers in the dense Northern forest. Despite this, their team faced several close calls. If not for the intervention of the emissary from Castell, the Flame Elf Sebastian, they might have been captured long ago. Though puzzled by the help from Castell¡¯s emissary, the reason became clear when Sebastian openly revealed his true faith to everyone. After some discussion, Balder accepted Sebastian¡¯s proposal to accompany them to the tribe and help them establish contact with the Lord. However, despite the emissary¡¯s presence, the Northern Grand Duchy did not relent in their pursuit of the delegation. Helplessly, Sebastian persuaded the group to go ahead while he stayed behind to delay the pursuers. Then came this rare snowstorm. Northern snow is formidable, and the blizzard directly blocked the roads, slowing down the escape and hindering the pursuit. However, Balder and his group didn¡¯t know that despite Sebastian¡¯s confident words when parting ways, his actions were not as smooth as he had hoped. Or more accurately, the Northern Grand Duchy¡¯s obsession with the Free Tribe Alliance exceeded even Sebastian¡¯s expectations¡­ ¡°Lord Sebastian, you have no way out. You are a follower of the Divine Queen. We do not wish to escalate the conflict, but we ask that you do not overstep our boundaries.¡± ¡°Regaining your strength was not easy. Restoring your power after a fall is a miracle in itself. I imagine¡­ you wouldn¡¯t want to lose your strength again for those savage tribesmen, would you?¡± In the Great Northern Forest, marquis Vladimir calmly addressed Sebastian, who was surrounded by Isaac warriors. Sebastian was not in good shape. Though his clothes were still tidy, his face was pale, and he looked exhausted, with his aura somewhat unstable. These were signs of overusing his spiritual force field. However, his eyes remained bright, seemingly unconcerned about his dire state. ¡°Marquis, I restored my power once means I can do it again. If you wish to use the threat of losing my power to persuade me, you will fail.¡± ¡°Helping the Free Tribe Alliance is not a whim. It is the will of my Lord.¡± ¡°Marquis, the Archduke¡­ should not want to oppose the God behind Castell, right?¡± Vladimir¡¯s expression darkened at Sebastian¡¯s words. After a moment, he sneered and said, ¡°Hmph, what God? This is the North, not the Starfall, nor Castell.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know which God you worship, whether the Lord or a subordinate God, or even an Evil God trying to seize the Lord¡¯s power¡­¡± ¡°But this is not Yunette. Other Gods cannot extend their reach to the North!¡± Sebastian raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oh? So¡­ the Archduke is truly supported by a mysterious God?¡± ¡°Let me guess¡­ the Archduke seems close to the bloodborne¡¯s Harcos Clan. Could it be¡­ the God behind the Archduke is the Crimson Queen of the Harcos Clan?¡± Vladimir¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. He looked deeply at Sebastian and chuckled. ¡°Lord Sebastian, you are indeed dangerous.¡± ¡°My thoughts have changed. Though we do not wish to oppose the Divine Queen, you¡­ know too much.¡± With that, he gestured to the surrounding Isaac warriors. ¡°Kill him! His power is exhausted. He can no longer resist!¡± Upon Vladimir¡¯s command, the Isaac warriors raised their enchanted crossbows, glowing ominously. Seeing the crossbows aimed at him, Sebastian smiled wryly and sighed. He was indeed in a dire situation. Having barely regained his power through the blessing of the True Ancestor, he found himself in this precarious position again, all because of his mission. But¡­ ¡°I am now a follower and familiar of the True Ancestor. Even if I die here, the True Ancestor should be able to recall my soul.¡± ¡°With the True Ancestor¡¯s power¡­ I should be able to have my body rebuilt.¡± ¡°Although¡­ if I¡¯m resurrected, I might become a true bloodborne.¡± ¡°Hopefully¡­ right? The True Ancestor wouldn¡¯t abandon me, right?¡± Sebastian thought anxiously. Few can truly be unafraid of death, and Sebastian was no exception. However, being a God¡¯s follower comes with certain ¡°privileges.¡± Looking at the crossbows aimed at him, Sebastian whistled, suppressing his anxiety. Vladimir narrowed his eyes. He raised his hand, ready to command, but at that moment, a herald¡¯s urgent voice came from the rear of the troops. ¡°Marquis! Marquis! An urgent order from the Archduke! An urgent order from the Archduke!¡± ¡°His Highness orders all troops to cease action, abandon the pursuit of the Free Tribe Alliance, and terminate the mission!¡± Terminate¡­ the mission? Both Sebastian and Vladimir were stunned. ¡­ Winterfort, Winter Palace. Northern Archduke Stefan Sobieski sat high on his throne. He looked at the young woman seated on the other throne, smiling. ¡°I did not expect that the Divine Queen would choose the North as her first point of contact after ascending. As the Northern Archduke, I am truly honored.¡± ¡°Your Majesty Charlotte, as you wished, I have already sent a magic message to order the cessation of the pursuit.¡± ¡°Now¡­ can we have a good talk?¡± Chapter 501 : Negotiation In the palace, two leaders wearing crowns sat facing each other. Northern Archduke Stefan Sobieski smiled as he looked at the young woman on the other side, seemingly waiting for her response. However, upon closer inspection, it was evident that Charlotte, seated on the other throne, did not appear entirely real. Her body was surrounded by a glow of magical energy, making her appear somewhat ethereal. Clearly, this was not her true form, but some kind of magical projection. Seeing the Northern Archduke waiting for a response, Charlotte also smiled and said, ¡°Your Grace, thank you for your understanding.¡± ¡°I have carefully considered the Northern Grand Duchy¡¯s proposal for cooperation. In fact, as the Queen Starfall and the Lord of Castell, I am also willing to have friendly relations with the Northern Grand Duchy.¡± ¡°However, all cooperation should be based on honesty. Since the Northern Grand Duchy hopes that I will support the Grand Duchy¡¯s ¡®religious reform¡¯, recognize your faith as the ¡®Saintess¡¯, and establish friendly relations with the Starfall Kingdom, I believe I have the right to know what your true intentions are.¡± Upon hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, Archduke Stefan sighed slightly and said, ¡°Your Majesty Charlotte, at our level, we know more than ordinary people.¡± ¡°I think you should be aware of the prophecy of the Divinity Descent Day. As the ruler of the Northern Grand Duchy, I do not seek much, only to protect myself in the upcoming upheaval.¡± ¡°The faith in the Northern Grand Duchy is too fragmented. Some tribes still worship the Old Gods. When the Divinity Descent Day arrives, these will be hidden dangers causing the Northern Grand Duchy to fall apart.¡± ¡°Therefore, as the ruler of the Northern Grand Duchy, I am willing to pay any price to eliminate these hidden dangers!¡± Charlotte looked deeply at Archduke Stefan. ¡°Oh? Any price? Does that include cooperation with the bloodborne?¡± Archduke Stefan paused slightly. He sighed and said, ¡°Is this information you obtained from the bloodborne of the Starfall Kingdom?¡± ¡°Your Majesty Charlotte, everyone has secrets. I have mine, and you have yours. Whether it is a mysterious cult or the Saintess of the Holy Court, I will not delve into your secrets. Likewise¡­ I hope you will respect the secrets of the Grand Duchy.¡± ??¦­??¨§? ¡°I know you are not a true believer of the God-Lord, and I also know that there is likely another God behind you. But what the Northern Grand Duchy seeks does not conflict with your interests.¡± ¡°No¡­ In a certain sense, we should be natural allies.¡± ¡°You say I cooperate with the bloodborne, but aren¡¯t you also in contact with the bloodborne of the Starfall Kingdom? We are all ¡®rebels¡¯ and ¡®challengers¡¯ attempting to overthrow the order of the Holy Court. You are, I am, and even Louis V of the Crescent Kingdom is likely one too. We¡­ are not enemies.¡± ¡®Rebels¡¯ and ¡®challengers¡¯ attempting to overthrow the order of the Holy Court¡­ Charlotte pondered. She looked deeply at Archduke Stefan and said, ¡°So¡­ what are your terms?¡± ¡°As you said, support our religious reform, recognize our existence as the Saintess, stand with the Northern Grand Duchy when the Holy Court tries to interfere, and strengthen cultural and magical technology exchanges. Officially, allow students from the Northern Grand Duchy to study at various academies in Starfall and Castell.¡± Archduke Stefan said. As he spoke, he looked at the magic crystal glowing with magical light next to Charlotte¡¯s seat and sighed. ¡°I have always been fascinated by the magical technology of the Starfall Kingdom, like this magical projection crystal we are using for long-distance communication. If we in the Grand Duchy could make such a thing, imagine how much time we could save in various diplomatic activities.¡± He continued. ¡°Of course, the Northern Grand Duchy will also support Starfall¡¯s sovereignty over Roman and Castell. When the Crescent Kingdom attempts to incite war, we will stand with the Starfall Kingdom¡­¡± ¡°The Northern Grand Duchy will also lift restrictions on extraordinary trade, allowing merchants from the Starfall Kingdom to engage in trade related to extraordinary resources in the Northern Grand Duchy.¡± ¡°At the same time, when the Holy Court attempts to attack the Starfall Kingdom, the Northern Grand Duchy will also provide support to resist the possible Holy Legion.¡± ¡°Your Majesty Charlotte, do you accept these terms?¡± Charlotte pondered for a moment and said, ¡°Not enough. I don¡¯t care about the other beliefs in the Northern Grand Duchy, but the faith of the Free Tribe Alliance¡­ must be preserved.¡± ¡°Oh? The faith of the Free Tribe Alliance? Your Majesty Charlotte, may I know the reason? If I remember correctly, your follower seems to be working for the Free Tribe Alliance. I heard someone in their tribe awakened the totem power recently. Could this also be related to the God behind you?¡± Archduke Stefan raised an eyebrow and asked. Charlotte smiled slightly. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Your Grace, everyone has secrets. I hope we can respect each other¡¯s.¡± ¡°Of course, if you are willing to introduce me to the extraordinary force behind you, that would be another matter.¡± Archduke Stefan was slightly stunned, seemingly not expecting the question to come back to him. He smiled slightly and said, ¡°Your Majesty Charlotte, you are joking. It¡¯s just a tribe alliance. Since you care so much, I can agree to your terms, but I also have a condition.¡± ¡°Oh? What condition?¡± ¡°In your favor, they can keep their faith, but¡­ they must leave the Northern Grand Duchy.¡± The Northern Archduke said. Charlotte looked deeply at Archduke Stefan and nodded. ¡°No problem.¡± The magic crystal flickered slightly, and Charlotte¡¯s form became even more ethereal. ¡°It seems¡­ the projection time is almost up. Your Grace, I will leave the rest of the negotiations to my envoy. I wish us a pleasant cooperation.¡± Charlotte said. ¡°Pleasant cooperation!¡± Archduke Stefan raised his glass and smiled. The magical glow dissipated, leaving only a dull crystal on the other throne. The crystal floated into the hand of Albrecht, who stood nearby, dressed in noble robes and wearing a mask. Looking at the crystal in Albrecht¡¯s hand, Archduke Stefan Sobieski sighed and smiled at him. ¡°I never expected that Her Majesty Charlotte¡¯s envoy would be a Legendary. However¡­ as far as I know, there is no one named Albrecht among the Legendaries of the Starfall Kingdom. I have never heard of your name, or perhaps¡­ Albrecht is just an alias?¡± With interest, he glanced at Albrecht and said, ¡°I sense a familiar aura from you. Could it be that you are a bloodborne?¡± Albrecht was a bit surprised. He did not answer the Archduke¡¯s question but instead took out a draft contract from his pocket, prepared during Charlotte¡¯s exchange with the Archduke, and smiled. ¡°Your Grace, this is the draft contract between our two nations. Please review it for any issues.¡± Seeing Albrecht avoiding the topic, the Archduke silently thought it was boring but then ordered someone to take the contract. After browsing the document and confirming there were no issues, he left his mental imprint on the document and handed it back. ¡°Sir Albrecht, please convey my greetings to Her Majesty Charlotte. Next time¡­ I look forward to meeting her in person.¡± Albrecht accepted the contract, bowed slightly, and then exited the palace. Only after Albrecht¡¯s presence completely disappeared did the smile on the Archduke¡¯s face gradually fade, replaced by a slight solemnity. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have agreed to her terms. After all our cooperation, you should know that we won¡¯t let any totem tribes leave the Northern Grand Duchy.¡± A calm voice rang out, and a swirl of black smoke gathered in front of the Archduke, eventually forming into a woman hidden under a black cloak. The Archduke glanced at her and said calmly. ¡°I merely agreed to the demands of the Divine Queen. As for what happens to the Free Tribe Alliance, whether they can successfully leave the Northern Grand Duchy, I don¡¯t care.¡± ¡°Oh? You intend to let us oppose the Divine Queen by retaining the Free Tribe Alliance?¡± The cloaked woman¡¯s voice was emotionless. The Archduke chuckled. ¡°No, that¡¯s your interpretation, not mine. What I mean is, you can act in advance, take what you want from the Free Tribe Alliance before they leave.¡± ¡°I think¡­ this shouldn¡¯t be difficult for you, right? After all, even I know where the Free Tribe Alliance worships their statues. What you want is the power of their totems, isn¡¯t it?¡± After finishing, he looked at her curiously. ¡°Lady Sophia, although our interests align, I¡¯m still very curious. Why are you so fixated on the totems of those tribes? Could it be¡­ that the Old Gods can truly be resurrected?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why haven¡¯t you acted against them directly? Why must you rely on us? Or, for some reason, are you unable to act against them directly?¡± The mysterious woman looked deeply at the Archduke and said, ¡°Your Grace, you don¡¯t need to try to extract information from me. Rest assured, our cooperation remains valid. We will still assist you in taking that step. However, our Queen¡¯s demands remain unchanged, and the totems of the tribes¡­ we are determined to obtain them.¡± ¡°According to our intelligence, there is indeed a mysterious bloodborne myth behind the Divine Queen, and it is likely that they have already dominated the Nez Clan of Starfall Island.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so surprised. There were far more Demigods among the bloodbornes at its peak than you know. Although most have either disappeared, been sealed, or unfortunately fallen, if one or two have indeed resurrected, even we would not be surprised.¡± ¡°The Nez Clan has long since declined, and the Stargazer Lord Casey has been missing for too long. It is only natural for a family without protection to submit to another Blood Prince.¡± The Archduke paused and said, ¡°But it is said¡­ she brought forth a divine miracle from the God-Lord and even judged a bishop.¡± The woman named Sophia shook her head. ¡°That means little. If it is a prince from that era, it is not surprising to bring forth a divine miracle from the God-Lord. After all¡­ even the God-Lord Himself awakened from among the bloodbornes.¡± ¡°I believe¡­ the Blood Prince behind the Divine Queen might have been a prince of the Kirali Clan, possibly even possessing one or two artifacts with divine power. The only question is which prince of the Kirali Clan They are, and whether They are one of the traitors who abandoned Their bloodborne identity.¡± ¡°Of course, whether They are those traitors or the abandoned victims, the Holy Court¡¯s response will soon make it clear.¡± ¡°As for the Free Tribe Alliance¡­ they might be related to that one, which is why we value them so much.¡± The Archduke pondered for a moment and said, ¡°Someone in the Free Tribe Alliance recently awakened the totem faith, and the Divine Queen intends to protect them. Could it be that the one you fear¡­ has already awakened?¡± ¡°Could the God behind the God-blessed Queen¡­ be the Progenitor of the Bloodborne you have always feared would return?¡± The mysterious woman named Sophia shook her head. ¡°Of course not. If it were truly the returning Progenitor, her Majesty the Queen, who is the most sensitive to bloodlines among the princes, would have warned us long ago.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget, unlike other slumbering Gods, our Queen Rowena¡­ has never slept and has always maintained contact with us, her descendants.¡± ¡°Her Majesty the Queen was once the closest to the Progenitor. If the Progenitor returns, her Majesty the Queen will undoubtedly know.¡± Chapter 502 : The Mysterious Harcos Starfall City, Red Palace Study. As the magical light faded, the Orb of Royal Power on the desk returned to calm. Charlotte ceased infusing it with magic and slowly opened her eyes. Reflecting on the conversation she had just had with the Northern Archduke through a magical projection, she pondered. ¡°He did not deny it, which means he acknowledged it¡­ It seems that the North indeed has dealings with the Harcos Clan.¡± ¡°However, the Archduke¡¯s attitude is rather ambiguous. They are probably just cooperating, much like my negotiations. Perhaps their relationship with Harcos is more like that of allies.¡± ¡°The Northern Archduke wants to unify faith, while the Harcos Clan suppresses the faith in the North. They might have made some kind of exchange of interests. From the recent changes in the North, it likely involves the totem beliefs of various northern tribes¡­¡± ¡°Unfortunately, I know too little about the North, and even less about the Harcos Clan. Harcos is the most low-profile clan among the bloodbornes, and even Albrecht knows little about them¡­¡± Shaking her head at this thought, Charlotte picked up the documents on her desk related to the Harcos Clan. These were provided by the Nez Clan. After their submission, she ordered them to gather information on the Harcos Clan. However, Charlotte was somewhat disappointed to find that the information from the Nez Clan was also quite limited. It¡¯s not that the Nez Clan knows nothing about the Harcos Clan. In fact, the information provided by the Nez Clan is quite extensive, detailing the Legendary figures of the Harcos Clan, their names, strengths, and personalities. But the problem is¡­ almost all of the information about the Harcos Clan provided by the Nez Clan dates back over a thousand years. In nearly a thousand years, the Nez Clan has had almost no contact with this low-profile bloodborne clan, even though both are located in the northwest of the continent, separated only by a strait. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. However, to say there was no gain would be incorrect. At least, Charlotte learned why this situation occurred from the Nez Clan. A thousand years ago, when the Holy Court rose to power, the bloodbornes were fragmented, and the royal clan became history under the siege of other bloodborne clans. After that, one of the last five remaining Bloodborne Demigods¡ªthe Crimson Queen Rowena¡ªannounced that the Harcos Clan would go into seclusion. They cut off all contact with other clans and retreated to the North, and for a thousand years¡­ they have not set foot in the secular world. No one knows why the Crimson Queen Rowena suddenly declared seclusion, nor where they retreated to. She vanished from the world, much like the Moon Goddess Artemis after the Gods¡¯ War, as if losing interest in the continental struggles overnight and choosing to seclude herself. ?????????s The Nez Clan also investigated this extensively before their decline, tracking the Harcos Clan¡¯s whereabouts but ultimately finding nothing. The Harcos Clan seemed to vanish into thin air, with only occasional sightings. Duke Robin, the Chief Elder of the Nez Clan, once conducted a divination on this matter, but the results were obscured. However, according to Duke Robin¡¯s judgment, the Harcos Clan most likely resides in some hidden space in the North. This aligns with Charlotte¡¯s speculation. Charlotte¡¯s Crimson Sea can locate all bloodbornes, but it cannot precisely locate those of the Harcos Clan, only sensing their presence in the North. Further attempts are blocked by a barrier covering the North. As for why the Harcos Clan secluded themselves¡­ one theory is that the Crimson Queen Rowena obtained a method to condense divine core while besieging the Kirali royal clan and chose seclusion to prepare for ascension. Additionally, there are rumors that during the siege of the royal clan, the Crimson Queen took away three faceless statues from the Kirali Clan. ¡°The scene I bypassed the barrier to see that day is probably the hidden residence of the Harcos Clan.¡± ¡°Seclusion to become a true God¡­ it¡¯s not impossible, especially considering the barrier over the North is to prevent divine power intervention¡­¡± ¡°The power of bloodborne comes from their bloodline. The Harcos Clan seems to be gathering bloodlines of other clans through the Northern Grand Duchy. If the Crimson Queen is really trying to ascend to Godhood, it indeed seems plausible.¡± ¡°Furthermore, the Harcos Clan possesses at least three faceless statues¡­¡± ¡°The faceless statues contain the power of laws. With just two statues, I became a Demigod. Three¡­ could it be that the Crimson Queen is truly attempting to become a God?¡± Reflecting on the information she had gathered, Charlotte pondered. The Harcos Clan has secrets. Charlotte was very certain of this. But unfortunately, this clan is too secretive. Even after gathering various pieces of intelligence, Charlotte knows very little. ¡°Trying to get information from the Northern Archduke will not work in the short term. No¡­ if the Harcos Clan can remain hidden for a thousand years, they surely won¡¯t reveal their true whereabouts. Finding them will require locating members of the Harcos Clan first.¡± ¡°The northern barrier is too dominant, even interfering with my tracking. Finding someone through the Gospel of Blood is unlikely in the short term. I must rely on physical means¡­¡± ¡°Perhaps I can find a way through the Free Tribe Alliance.¡± Charlotte mused. The Free Tribe Alliance has lived in the North for so long, they must have their own sources of information. As the descendants of the Free City Alliance, Charlotte couldn¡¯t believe that among their tens of thousands of people, there isn¡¯t one who knows the whereabouts of the Harcos Clan. As for how to settle the Free Tribe Alliance, expelled by the Northern Archduke, Charlotte also had an idea¡­ Simply bring them all to the Starfall Kingdom. The Starfall Island is large enough to accommodate tens of thousands of northern people. As for preaching¡­ with the northern barrier, spreading faith there is currently impractical. But the Starfall Kingdom offers much better conditions and potential for preaching. Bringing tens of thousands of believers to the Starfall Kingdom, coupled with the Nez Clan¡¯s support, might accelerate Charlotte¡¯s preaching efforts. ¡°Let¡¯s wait for Sebastian¡¯s news. Without the Northern Archduke¡¯s obstruction, he and the Free Tribe Alliance should be safe. I should be able to establish formal contact with the Free Tribe Alliance soon. With a node of faith, even with the northern barrier, I might be able to infiltrate a bit¡­¡± Charlotte sighed. She then glanced at the Orb of Royal Power on her desk, couldn¡¯t resist picking it up and playing with it, her expression unreadable. ¡°However, speaking of which¡­ the magical technology of the Starfall Kingdom is quite impressive. With this orb, even ordinary people can achieve remote communication.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a bit costly. Even contacting the Mage Tower once costs at least a thousand pounds worth of gold tana. Today¡¯s direct contact with the North not only burned a mana crystal but also consumed an exorbitant amount of magic crystals¡­¡± ¡°Hey, Lady Charlotte, if the cost could be reduced, the Starfall Kingdom would have already popularized this technology, instead of limiting it to a simplified version of communication crystals among the nobility.¡± A familiar hoarse voice came, and the black cat Nice slipped in through the window without anyone noticing. Charlotte glanced at him indifferently. Noticing her unfriendly expression, Nice instinctively shivered. He swallowed and quickly backed out, closing the window properly before knocking on it with a dutiful ¡°thud, thud, thud.¡± ¡°Get in here.¡± Charlotte commanded. Nice then cautiously slipped in again, a look of fawning on his face. ¡°Uh¡­ I forgot to knock, really forgot to knock¡­¡± After speaking, he eagerly looked at the orb in Charlotte¡¯s hand. ¡°Um¡­ Lady Charlotte, may I have a look at your orb?¡± Charlotte casually tossed the orb over, and Nice hurriedly caught it. Circling the orb, he marveled. ¡°Honestly¡­ the mages and alchemists here are quite impressive. Remote magical projection is a power that only Legendary mages and Gods can wield. To make it usable with just magic infusion is quite a remarkable innovation. If this could be popularized¡­ wow.¡± Charlotte looked at Nice with some surprise. Though this creature is always frivolous, his magical attainments are still quite high, and receiving praise from Nice is quite rare. However, even Charlotte had to admit that the magical technology of the Starfall Kingdom is indeed superior to that of other countries on the Myria continent. She had a vague sense of this when she used the communication crystals of the Starfall Kingdom a long time ago. Now, as the Queen of Starfall and after personally reviewing many magical documents of the Starfall Kingdom, Charlotte has further recognized this. In Nice¡¯s words, based on the iteration speed of magical technology on the Myria continent, the magical technology of the Starfall Kingdom should be about ten to twenty years ahead of other countries on the continent, second only to the elves of Luna Island. Unfortunately, as an island nation isolated overseas, and lacking essential resources like mithril for creating magical artifacts, although their technology is slightly advanced, the overall strength of the Starfall Kingdom doesn¡¯t have much advantage. The various magical devices improved with elven technology mainly circulate among the nobility. This is also why the Starfall Kingdom has always coveted the Castell territory. Not only because of its geographical location but also because the mithril resources of the Castell territory are too important for the Starfall Kingdom. With this in mind, Charlotte¡¯s thoughts moved, and she looked at Nice. ¡°Nice, how is the task I assigned you going?¡± Chapter 503 : Plan ¡°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. ??N??¨¨S? 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¡­¡± sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. 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!¡± Chapter 504 : The Northern Barrier After planning out the future development of the ¡°joint company¡± for the Nez Clan, Charlotte felt much more at ease. Perhaps it was because of the cooperation from the bloodbornes, or maybe it was because Charlotte had no intention of implementing a centralized power policy in Starfall at the moment. The transfer of power after she inherited the throne of Starfall went much more smoothly than Charlotte had imagined. Of course, aside from ensuring the rights of the nobles in Starfall and achieving a delicate balance between the monarchy and the nobility, there was also the factor that Charlotte¡¯s displayed power was strong enough. When your power is formidable and your influence is significant, as long as your demands are not excessive, the nobles will naturally give you sufficient respect. In short, the Starfall nobles were far more cooperative than the Castell nobles had been initially. For Charlotte, who clearly intended to take a hands-off approach as the monarch, the various factions were quite satisfied with her succession. Except for the Crescent Kingdom. Everyone knew that the Crescent Kingdom would never give up the Castell County and the Roman Duchy, but after Charlotte ascended to the throne, the Crescent Kingdom did not make any further moves. The reason was simple. Although Charlotte inherited the throne of Starfall, she did not sever ties with the Crescent Kingdom or expel the Crescent royal family¡¯s share in the Castell mines. It wasn¡¯t that Charlotte didn¡¯t want to. The mithril mines of Castell were a treasure trove. If she could take full control, castell¡¯s wealth would at least triple. But she couldn¡¯t. The inheritance of the territory was legitimate and followed the common inheritance laws of the Myria continent. However, expelling the Crescent royal family¡¯s share in the Castell mines would be a direct declaration of war against the Crescent Kingdom. Charlotte had just taken the throne. Although the Starfall nobles were cooperative, the situation would be different once a war started. The bottom line was that Charlotte was not ready for a war with the Crescent Kingdom, at least not ready to initiate one. Therefore, Charlotte only stopped the contractual tax payments to the Crescent Kingdom. This did draw protests from the Crescent Kingdom, but at least it didn¡¯t touch their bottom line. The Crescent Kingdom responded with verbal threats but made no significant moves. This brought relief to many Starfall nobles who feared renewed warfare. But Charlotte understood that the Crescent Kingdom hadn¡¯t backed down, even King Louis V himself might not yet be ready for war with Starfall. Though powerful, the Crescent Kingdom had its internal issues, with sharp conflicts between the nobility and the royal family. King Louis V was eager to strengthen central authority and couldn¡¯t afford to be distracted by external conflicts. ????¨¢?????????¨§S? Neither side had crossed the other¡¯s bottom line, and neither was ready for war, resulting in a delicate balance and a temporary peace. In the future, a war between Starfall and Crescent was inevitable, and Louis V would surely initiate the conflict before the Divinity Descent Day. Thus, even if she didn¡¯t intend to start the war, Charlotte had to prepare for it. Winning the support of the Starfall nobles to protect Castell and the Roman Duchy was crucial, and the development of the ¡°joint company¡± with the Nez Clan was part of this strategy. The formation of the company would take time, and the internal conflicts within the Crescent Kingdom wouldn¡¯t be resolved overnight. Charlotte estimated that she still had some time for development. As for dealing with the Crescent Kingdom¡¯s threat, Charlotte had a clear plan. On one hand, she aimed to ally with the Northern Grand Duchy for a mutual defense agreement, which she had already achieved. On the other hand, she needed to bind the nobles to her cause to gain their support for the war, which depended on how Nice executed the plans. Finally, she needed to enhance the strength of the Nez Clan and her own forces, especially high-level combat power. Although the development of magical formations had changed the mode of warfare on the Myria continent, high-level combat power was still a decisive factor. Even with the Gods¡¯ return, legendary combat power would remain crucial, and enhancing this power was essential for both confronting the Crescent Kingdom and preparing for the Divinity Descent Day. Starfall¡¯s military foundation was thinner than that of the Crescent Kingdom, making it unrealistic to quickly match their conventional military strength, but the potential to rapidly boost high-level combat power was there. The method was simple: provide the old and weakened Legendaries of the Nez Clan with enough bloodline power to restore them to their peak. This would not only strengthen her forces but also further secure the loyalty of the Nez Clan. However, the bloodline power required to help these Legendaries regain their strength was substantial. Charlotte could convert her blood divine power into bloodline power, but helping these Legendaries fully recover would consume a considerable amount of divine power. Therefore, Charlotte looked forward to the return of the Free Tribe Alliance. The Free Tribe Alliance had worshipped the ¡°Savior¡± for thousands of years, and their faith was far more devout than that of the bloodbornes. Although they weren¡¯t bloodbornes, Charlotte could still sense the bloodline power within them. However, this power was suppressed by the northern barrier, currently in a dormant state. This was similar to the Blood Wolf Tribe¡¯s situation before. But this dormancy was temporary. Once Charlotte could integrate them into her faith system, she could awaken their dormant bloodline power, leading to a significant influx of bloodline power. The Free Tribe Alliance had hundreds of thousands of people, and even if each individual¡¯s contribution was limited, it would add up to a considerable amount. Moreover, the blood divine power contained in their worshipped Faceless Statue would bring significant benefits upon their return. Charlotte estimated that with the bloodline power from the Free Tribe Alliance and the divine power from the new statue, it should be enough to restore the strength of the Nez Clan¡¯s Legendaries. After entrusting Nice with various tasks, Charlotte quietly left the Starfall Kingdom. This time, she went alone, without any followers, planning to head to the Northern Grand Duchy by herself. This was Charlotte¡¯s first truly solo mission. She didn¡¯t choose to teleport directly to Sebastian through a ¡°God¡¯s Descent.¡± The Northern Grand Duchy was far away, and there were restrictions in place above them. Direct teleportation was not only extremely costly but also difficult to pinpoint accurately. A small mistake could potentially alert the Harcos Clan¡¯s Demigod, the Crimson Queen Rowena. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Crimson Queen Rowena was a bona fide Demigod, and her bloodline suppression could likely be countered by the barrier. Facing a Demigod who might already be eligible to ascend to true God, Charlotte had no confidence in defeating her if a conflict arose. Moreover, there was the disparity in divine power between them. Charlotte¡¯s divine power was limited, but a Demigod who had lived for one or two millennia would have accumulated a terrifying amount of divine power. During the mana ebb on the Myria continent, demigods could not unleash their full power and couldn¡¯t even deploy their ¡°divine domains¡±, which meant that battles were essentially contests of divine power. Without the assurance of victory and the risk of exposing her ¡°identity¡±, Charlotte could end up facing an onslaught from Bloodborne Demigods. Charlotte had no doubt that if the ¡°True Ancestor of Blood¡± was known to have resurrected, all the dormant Bloodborne Princes would wake up and descend immediately. So, it was better to proceed cautiously. Ultimately, her main objective this time was to assist Sebastian in welcoming the Free Tribe Alliance back into her faith. After leaving the Starfall Island, Charlotte directly invoked her divine power to enter her saint state. As a Demigod, her divine power reserves and usage efficiency had greatly improved. Appearing in her ¡°Demigod form¡± now significantly reduced divine power consumption, and she could maintain this form far longer than when relying on the ¡ºTrue Ancestor¡¯s Liberation¡» ability. If she didn¡¯t engage in battle with other Legendary beings, she could maintain her ¡°Demigod form¡± for several days without any issues. This was thanks to the existence of the Nightshade Cult. With continuous extraordinary feedback from the faithful and Charlotte¡¯s self-recovery after igniting the divine flame, the divine power she gained per unit of time was enough to sustain the minimum consumption of the saint state. Of course, Charlotte¡¯s true body hadn¡¯t completely reached the level of a Demigod yet and was still infinitely close to the Legendary level. If her true body reached the Demigod level, she could maintain the saint state without consuming extra divine power. At that point, she would be a full-fledged ¡°Demigod.¡± Divine power surged as Charlotte soared into the sky. She deliberately concealed her aura, not alarming the Legendaries on Starfall Island. As her vision rapidly ascended, Starfall Island grew smaller in her eyes. Soon, she reached an altitude of over ten kilometers. After confirming the direction of the Northern Grand Duchy, Charlotte manipulated her divine power, concealed her form, and transformed into a shooting star heading north. Despite the interference of the mana ebb, the speed of her saint state far exceeded that of a Legendary being. In less than an hour, Charlotte had crossed the Star-Moon Strait, passed through the Castell territory, and entered the airspace of the Northern Grand Duchy. Upon entering the northern airspace, Charlotte felt an indescribable suppressive force from below, interfering with her blood divine power. This was clearly the barrier enveloping the entire Northern Grand Duchy. Simultaneously, as she entered the Northern Grand Duchy, Charlotte¡¯s connection with Sebastian strengthened. Though not restored to its usual state, it nearly counteracted the interference of the northern barrier. Yet Charlotte still refrained from using ¡°God¡¯s Descent¡± for teleportation. Playing it safe was always better. After sensing Sebastian¡¯s location, Charlotte closed her eyes to confirm. Although she had anticipated this, seeing that Sebastian was out of danger and had successfully met with Astrid, Charlotte sighed with relief. She then decided to keep her form concealed and lower her altitude while reducing her speed. She didn¡¯t intend to reveal herself directly but planned to follow Sebastian and the others discreetly. They were not far from the Free Tribe Alliance, and Charlotte could already see the canyon she had once viewed through Astrid¡¯s eyes. As she descended, the restrictive force grew stronger. Charlotte felt the suppression of her divine power increasing as she entered the forest. The restrictions had reached an unbelievable level, almost suppressing half of her power. Charlotte frowned slightly. It was clear that this wasn¡¯t just a simple barrier. There was likely something else, possibly an artifact enhancing the restrictive power, specifically targeting Gods. Charlotte muttered to herself. After some sensing, she realized that using divine power under this interference would be much harder and more consuming. Her saint state, at full power, would now be comparable to a regular Legendary being. Though her true body¡¯s strength was unaffected. Even so, Charlotte became more cautious. In such suppression, a direct encounter with the Crimson Queen Rowena would be even more unfavorable. Not to mention facing any Legendaries, she had to be extremely cautious. With divine power suppressed, even mortals could slay a God! For a moment, Charlotte hesitated about proceeding. But after some thought, she decided to stick to the plan. Given the strong restrictions, Sebastian alone might struggle to establish full contact with the Free Tribe Alliance¡¯s faith. Perhaps, she needed to intervene personally. I could only be as careful as possible. Charlotte muttered to herself. She cautiously landed in the forest, and as she did, she sensed many vague bloodborne presences. Charlotte¡¯s mind stirred. She split her focus to summon the Crimson Star Sea from the Gospel of Blood, discovering numerous crimson stars within it. These stars likely represented the Harcos Clan. However, due to the interference or perhaps their location in a different dimension, most stars couldn¡¯t be precisely located, only a few could. These few stars, although also bloodbornes, had distinct auras from the Nez Clan, indicating they were the Harcos Clan active in the Northern Grand Duchy, not in a different dimension. This discovery delighted Charlotte. ¡°Indeed, the best way to find the Harcos Clan was to come to the Northern Grand Duchy myself¡­¡± But this joy quickly turned to surprise. Many stars were moving towards her location. No, more precisely, towards Sebastian and the Free Tribe Alliance. ¡°Their target is the Free Tribe Alliance?¡± Charlotte mused. Thinking it over, she continued to conceal her form and, following the bloodborne presences, quietly flew towards the coordinates of the stars¡­ Chapter 505 : Curse Deep in the Great Northern Forest, amidst the dense coniferous trees, a dozen figures clad in black robes were speeding towards the southwest, using the shadows of the forest to their advantage. Their entire bodies were hidden beneath their hoods, moving swiftly like phantoms. On their chests, they all bore the symbol of a blood-red rose. The forest was incredibly quiet. Under the snow, only the distant chirping of birds and the howls of unknown beasts could be heard. However, the black-clad group speeding southwest was anything but calm. ¡°What is the Prophet thinking, sending us to retrieve the statue personally? Has she forgotten the clan¡¯s taboos?¡± ¡°Getting a chance to leave the ¡®Sanctuary¡¯ is nice, but I didn¡¯t expect to receive such a dangerous mission, especially when the target is the Free Tribe Alliance¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ve barely managed to suppress the ¡®Curse¡¯, and now we¡¯re breaking taboos again. Aren¡¯t we afraid all our efforts will be for nothing? The clan has already paid a big price.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t the clan already reach an agreement with the mortal rulers of the north? Acting rashly at this crucial moment¡­ is this really wise?¡± Many members of the group murmured among themselves, clearly confused and resistant to this mission. Until the slender figure at the front of the group sharply rebuked. ¡°Quiet! This mission is a divine order from Her Majesty the Queen. I know you have concerns, but for the grand plan of Her Majesty and the future of the bloodbornes, we must take this risk.¡± Fearing she might dampen morale, the slender figure added. ¡°Rest assured, we have maintained the barrier for centuries. The Gods¡¯ remnant fragments have long lost most of their activity. Even the one worshiped by the Free Tribe Alliance has been missing for a millennium¡­¡± ¡°We have successfully distanced ourselves from the ¡®Curse.¡¯ As long as we¡¯re careful, it won¡¯t affect the ¡®Plan.¡¯¡± She lowered her voice, as if afraid that anything she said might be overheard by anyone other than her companions. Of course, she didn¡¯t know that their conversation had already been exposed to a ¡°God¡± who had just descended from the sky. ¡°Curse? Plan? Retrieve the statue?¡± Not far from the group, Charlotte, who had successfully landed, was intrigued. Though she had suspected it, she was still surprised to see the Harcos Clan responding so quickly. Clearly, the situation she was worried about had indeed arisen. The Harcos Clan had been monitoring the Free Tribe Alliance, and they were evidently very interested in the Faceless Statue worshipped by the Alliance. The Northern Archduke did have dealings with Harcos, and this mysterious clan was acting even more swiftly than she had anticipated. But looking at this team, Charlotte felt a mix of emotions and curiosity. For such a swift response, it showed how much the Harcos Clan valued the Faceless Statue. But given its importance, wasn¡¯t this team a bit too haphazard? They weren¡¯t hiding their auras, their morale was low, and they showed no vigilance. Even their strength was lacking. Of the dozen bloobornes, only four had reached the Silver Moon tier, while the rest were just Starry Sky, with not a single one at the Blazing Sun tier. §²?N?????????? Was this all? With such strength, they intended to retrieve the statue from the Free Tribe Alliance? Although the Alliance¡¯s overall strength was also lacking, not sending a single Blazing Sun¡­ were they underestimating their opponents? Seeing the numerous flaws in the team, Charlotte¡¯s expression became inscrutable. However, she didn¡¯t act rashly. As she got closer to them, she could sense that they seemed to have some mysterious connection to the northern barrier. This connection was likely tied to the Crimson Queen Rowena. Charlotte didn¡¯t know if this connection hid any contingency plans from the Crimson Queen or if this Harcos team was baiting. Without absolute certainty, Charlotte thought it best to observe for now. With this in mind, she concealed her aura and quietly followed the team. ¡°But¡­ Lady Sophia, the Free Tribe Alliance¡­ they¡¯re followers of that one, and it¡¯s also Her Majesty¡¯s former homeland¡­ To execute the ¡®Plan¡¯, our current strength is far from what it used to be. If we encounter any remaining guardians, can we still win?¡± Someone in the Harcos team couldn¡¯t help but voice their concern. The slender figure, Sophia, was silent for a moment before shaking her head. ¡°The Free Tribe Alliance¡­ has long since lost its guardians, so you don¡¯t need to worry about that.¡± ¡°However, while there¡¯s no threat from guardians, we might face the Crimson Blade Sebastian, a follower of the Divine Queen.¡± ¡°The Divine Queen Charlotte has reached an agreement with the Northern Archduke, and the mysterious prince behind her might be eyeing the statue worshipped by the Free Tribe Alliance. The Crimson Blade Sebastian might come for it.¡± ¡°Her Majesty has ordered that no matter the cost, we must retrieve the statue. The Crimson Blade Sebastian has regained his Blazing Sun power, so we may be in for a tough battle.¡± ¡°The mysterious prince¡­ Blazing Sun power¡­¡± The bloodbornes in the team turned pale. Seeing the worried expressions of the group, Sophia sighed and reassured them. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Under Her Majesty¡¯s barrier, the prince behind the Divine Queen wouldn¡¯t dare to set foot in the North. Even if he did, the benevolent Her Majesty would definitely intervene.¡± ¡°Her Majesty is just a step away from becoming a true God. In the North¡­ no one is a match for Her Majesty!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be overly concerned. We just need to deal with the Crimson Blade Sebastian and retrieve the statue before he arrives.¡± She then smiled to lighten the oppressive atmosphere. ¡°Of course, if we¡¯re lucky, we might not need to confront the Divine Queen¡¯s followers at all and can quietly take the statue.¡± Sophia¡¯s words eased the tension a bit. Though many still appeared worried, at least the complaints stopped. Successfully calming the group, Sophia also felt slightly relieved. But her own expression did not lighten. No, more accurately, she hid her worries. ¡°Let¡¯s rest here for a bit and change into the prepared clothes. We¡¯re not far from the target. We¡¯ll set out for the Free Tribe Alliance in fifteen minutes.¡± Sophia ordered. Upon hearing her command, the Harcos team stopped. They took off their hoods, some took out their water bottles to hydrate, others chewed on their rations, and some leaned against the tree trunks, closing their eyes to rest under the sunlight filtering through the trees. Some even changed out of their black robes into the prepared Northern attire, chatting curiously about the clothes. Seeing these members so unguarded, without even setting up warning spells, Sophia felt helpless. She sighed, feeling a mix of disappointment and complexity. Sophia felt she should be disappointed. Though she knew this disappointment was somewhat irrational, at least¡­ for these clan members, it was. There was no other way¡­ These clan members weren¡¯t combatants, not those with rich battle experience. Most of them hadn¡¯t even reached the Silver Moon tier. They had lived in a peaceful environment for too long, had been protected too well, and had forgotten the vigilance needed during missions. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But what could she do? These people¡­ were the strongest she could muster. The more powerful clan members had already fallen into slumber to execute Her Majesty¡¯s plan and avoid the spread of the ¡®Curse.¡¯ These were the only resources she had left. Honestly, even Sophia sometimes doubted if Her Majesty¡¯s decisions were correct. She knew such thoughts were blasphemous, but with the high-ranking members succumbing to madness as predicted, even she, with her steadfast faith, couldn¡¯t help but feel lost. Was Her Majesty¡¯s choice¡­ truly correct? Could she really ascend to Godhood smoothly? Would there be enough time left for the Harcos Clan? Sophia¡¯s thoughts wavered, and with that, a sense of trepidation from her bloodline followed¡­ Her heartbeat quickened slightly, her throat felt dry, and her skin, exposed to the sunlight, began to sting. When the enticing scent of blood wafted from nearby, Sophia suddenly snapped out of it. ¡°Sigurd! Put down the blood bag! Have you forgotten where we are?!¡± She scolded a Blood Baron in the group. The clan member, who had just opened the blood bag, looked innocent. ¡°But¡­ Lady Sophia, this is just blood wine made from beast blood¡­¡± ¡°Blood wine or not, anything with ¡®blood¡¯ is forbidden! This isn¡¯t the ¡®Sanctuary.¡¯ If you don¡¯t want to die, bear with it!¡± Sophia said sternly. The clan member swallowed hard and obediently put the blood bag away. As the scent of blood faded, Sophia¡¯s heartbeat gradually steadied. She sighed in relief, took a sip of water from her bottle, then retrieved her own change of clothes from the storage space, preparing to change. However, as she took off her black robe, she felt a slight sting on the back of her hand. Sophia paused. She looked at her hand and saw that it was red and swollen in places, with a few blisters forming. Sophia¡¯s gaze sharpened. She glanced at the sun in the sky, her heart sinking with a complex expression. Was it¡­ the initial symptoms? After the Blazing Sun¡­ is it now the Silver Moon¡¯s turn? So, there was no escaping the ¡®Curse¡¯ after all? Exhaling softly, she moved into the shadows, clutching her rose symbol, her gaze confused. ¡°Your Majesty, when will you successfully ascend to Godhood and lead us out of the darkness?¡± Sophia murmured. Meanwhile, Charlotte, who had been observing the Harcos Clan¡¯s resting camp from a distance, also fell into deep thought. ¡°Ascend to Godhood and lead the clan out of darkness, huh¡­¡± ¡°The Crimson Queen¡­ is indeed preparing for ascension.¡± ¡°They mentioned the ¡®Curse¡¯¡­ Does this refer to the blood curse of the bloodborne?¡± ¡°The Harcos Clan seems unafraid of sunlight. Could it be¡­ the Crimson Queen found a way to suppress the blood curse?¡± ¡°They¡¯re avoiding blood consumption. And¡­ they don¡¯t seem to be ¡®baiting¡¯ but are genuinely weak¡­¡± ¡°What has happened to the Harcos Clan, or rather, the Crimson Queen? What are they planning?¡± Chapter 506 : Reading Memories There seems to be something strange about the Harcos Clan. This was Charlotte¡¯s first impression after seeing this group. Watching the bloodbornes resting in the forest, Charlotte¡¯s mind flashed with the idea of suppressing them with her bloodline and then using her innate magic of the mental path to extract information from them one by one. However, she quickly dismissed this bold idea. After all, this was the Northern Grand Duchy, and these bloodbornes, even if their strength was low, were still members of the Crimson Queen Rowena¡¯s clan. Moreover, Charlotte could vaguely sense that there was something special about the bloodline power of these individuals, as if it contained a force that could isolate probing. This isolating force seemed specifically designed against bloodline suppression, not only preventing probing but also suppressing ¡°bloodline suppression.¡± More accurately, it seemed to limit the ¡°bloodline power¡± in some way. This might also explain why these bloodbornes could walk in sunlight. Bloodbornes¡¯ fear of sunlight comes from their bloodline curse, suppressing the bloodline power also suppresses the curse to some extent. Additionally, this might be why these bloodbornes¡¯ strength is not high. After all, the curse and the power of the bloodline are connected, and suppressing the bloodline curse is a double-edged sword. As for this ¡°mysterious suppressing power¡±, it felt to Charlotte very similar to the barrier that enveloped the Northern Grand Duchy, or perhaps it was part of that barrier. Previously, she had managed to sneak into the depths of the Northern Grand Duchy¡¯s barrier by a fluke. Now that she was in the Northern Grand Duchy, the strength of the barrier was far beyond what it was before. Any large movement would definitely alert the presence behind the barrier. Charlotte¡¯s advantage now was that the enemy was in the open while she was in the shadows. Given this, she might as well take advantage of this. Thinking this, Charlotte looked again at the resting bloodbornes. These bloodbornes¡¯ souls seemed to have a ¡°barrier¡± protecting them. They were moving together, and trying to leave a mental imprint or directly exert collective mental control would be very risky. But if it wasn¡¯t collective control and instead targeting a single lucky individual, the risk would be much smaller. ¡°Find a way to isolate one of them, or¡­ wait for someone to be alone.¡± Charlotte pondered. With this in mind, she concealed herself again and quietly began to summon a lesser demon to see if she could distract these bloodbornes. However, just as she was about to act, she saw one of the bloodbornes stand up. Charlotte paused slightly. She saw the bloodborne walk up to the clearly leading female bloodborne and whisper a few words. After the female bloodborne frowned and nodded, he quickly turned and left the group. Although they had lowered their voices, Charlotte¡¯s strong senses still caught their conversation. ¡°Um¡­ Lady Sophia, I need to relieve myself.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so troublesome! Fine, but be quick and make sure to cover your tracks!¡± Charlotte¡¯s expression was indescribable. Wasn¡¯t this¡­ an opportunity right here? She did not hesitate and continued to conceal herself, quietly following. The bloodborne, oblivious to being watched, walked away from the group and took care of his business. Feeling relieved, he whistled, cast a dark magic spell to erase his traces, and turned to head back to camp. But when he lifted his head, he was met with a pair of golden-red eyes. Seeing the beautiful girl in front of him, the bloodborne was visibly stunned. ¡°You¡­¡± He was about to say something, but as he saw the glint in her deep eyes, he felt his consciousness blur, and then he blacked out. ¡°Done.¡± Seeing the bloodborne fall unconscious under her mental magic, Charlotte nodded slightly. She placed her hand on his forehead and began to ¡°invade.¡± Bloodbornes have many innate mental control spells, some violent, some gentle, and what Charlotte was using now was one of the gentler types. This magic put the target into a deep sleep, then entered their ¡°dream¡± to browse their memories. It was one of the innate mental magic Charlotte had mastered after returning to her territory. ?¦ÁN?????????? This magic didn¡¯t directly interfere with the target¡¯s soul, so the resistance encountered wasn¡¯t too strong. It also didn¡¯t involve pulling the target into her own mental world, avoiding a strong reaction from the ¡°barrier.¡± Of course, this magic had obvious drawbacks. It consumed a lot of magic power, required high mental strength from the caster, and could only be used on one person at a time. Moreover, while browsing memories, if the target¡¯s memories were too vast, it could cause memory confusion for the caster, even affecting self-awareness. In other words, the conditions were stringent, and the risks were high. But for Charlotte, now a Demigod with mental strength refined through the faith network, it was just right. As her magic power operated, Charlotte entered the bloodborne¡¯s ¡°dream¡±, and his memories flowed into her mind like a stream. She saw the bloodborne¡¯s life. His name was Sigurd, a Starry Sky bloodborne of the Harcos Clan, and he had lived for over two hundred years. Sigurd was born in the ¡°Sanctuary.¡± His memories were not complex, even relatively simple. Most of his time was spent in the clan¡¯s village. Sigurd¡¯s clan village was the most populous in the ¡°Sanctuary¡±, with about 1,500 registered bloodbornes. More than 300 of them were awake and still living in the village. He had spent his childhood learning to brew wine with his father and was the best winemaker in the village. In his two hundred years, apart from regular sleep, most of his time was spent in the winery. Three years ago, he was summoned by the Queen¡¯s Palace and became a palace guard. In those three years, Sigurd had mastered many bloodborne combat skills and participated in several hunts against fallen bloodbornes. Two days ago, Sigurd received an order from the Queen¡¯s Palace to follow Viscount Sophia, the captain of the palace guard, and leave the ¡°Sanctuary¡± to carry out a secret mission in the surface world¡­ ¡­ The memories were cut off, and Charlotte opened her eyes, leaving Sigurd¡¯s dream. ¡°Village, Sanctuary,¡­ Queen¡¯s Palace?¡± Reflecting on the memories she had just seen, Charlotte was thoughtful. This bloodborne named Sigurd wasn¡¯t an important figure and didn¡¯t know much. But as a descendant of the Harcos Clan, the information in his memory about the clan far exceeded Charlotte¡¯s expectations. First, as Charlotte knew, the Harcos Clan had indeed secluded themselves. They lived in a different space similar to the continent of Myria, called the ¡°Sanctuary¡± by the Harcos Clan. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The ¡°Sanctuary¡± was ruled by Harcos¡¯ Demigod, the Crimson Queen Rowena, who led the Harcos Clan into seclusion and was the clan¡¯s spiritual leader. To Charlotte¡¯s surprise, besides the Harcos Clan, there were no other intelligent beings in the ¡°Sanctuary¡±, including humans. Moreover, the Harcos Clan living in the ¡°Sanctuary¡± resembled ¡°ordinary people¡± more than the bloodbornes Charlotte knew. They lived in the ¡°Sanctuary¡±, working, hunting, and living like ¡°ordinary people.¡± If not for their bloodline, they could even be considered a secluded human village. But they were bloodbornes. In Myria, they were feared, lived in shadows, and liked to control nobles and royalty. However, despite being bloodbornes, they seemed to deliberately avoid using their bloodborne powers. No, more accurately, the Queen¡¯s Palace did not allow them to use their bloodborne powers. Even Sigurd was only allowed to use his powers after becoming a palace guard. As for why the Crimson Queen Rowena led the Harcos Clan into seclusion¡­ In Sigurd¡¯s understanding, it was to escape the ¡°curse.¡± The ¡°curse¡± spread like a plague, causing bloodbornes to go mad and fall, turning them into monsters whose only purpose is to kill and devour¡­ These monsters were called ¡°fallen bloodbornes¡± by the Harcos Clan. ¡°Curse¡­¡± After browsing Sigurd¡¯s memories, Charlotte frowned slightly. Sigurd¡¯s memories contained many scenes of fighting ¡°fallen bloodbornes.¡± Having read the memories, Charlotte now had a clear understanding of the ¡°fallen bloodbornes¡± that the Harcos Clan feared and that the ¡°Queen¡¯s Palace¡± killed on sight. However¡­ ¡°Isn¡¯t this just the bloodborne going berserk? Just like when I had a blood thirst.¡± Recalling the appearance of the ¡°fallen bloodbornes¡± in Sigurd¡¯s memories, Charlotte frowned. ¡°So¡­ the Harcos Clan secluded themselves to suppress the bloodborne bloodline curse? To suppress the curse¡­ they even destroy bloodbornes who have blood thirst?¡± ¡°No¡­ judging by the barrier in the Northern Grand Duchy, they seem to have indeed found a way to suppress the bloodline curse to some extent, but the bloodbornes who still ¡®go berserk¡¯ under the suppression are dealt with.¡± ¡°What¡­ what¡¯s going on? After the blood thirst, as long as you drink blood again and get through the frenzy, you¡¯ll return to normal. There¡¯s no need to kill them, right?¡± ¡°Or is there something I¡¯m unaware of?¡± Charlotte was puzzled. However, another thing she learned from Sigurd¡¯s memory relieved her: the Crimson Queen Rowena had not yet become a true God. She was indeed attempting to ascend. But she hadn¡¯t succeeded. She remained in seclusion in the Queen¡¯s Palace, issuing orders to the Harcos Clan through divine oracles, and had not appeared in person for three hundred years. The Crimson Queen Rowena had promised her blood descendants that when she achieved godhood, she would end the bloodline curse and save the clan from the nightmare of the bloodborne bloodline¡­ Chapter 507 : Weaving Dreams ¡°To rescue her descendants from the bloodline curse?¡± Charlotte was deep in thought. After organizing Sigurd¡¯s memories and considering the presence of the Northern barrier along with the various information she had previously obtained, Charlotte had a clearer guess about the Crimson Queen¡¯s purpose. If her judgment was correct, the Crimson Queen Rowena might want to completely solve the bloodline curse of the bloodbornes. This likely wasn¡¯t just aimed at the Harcos Clan but also at herself. Perhaps¡­ the restrictions over the Northern regions were not only to suppress other potential mythic entities but also to suppress the bloodline of the Crimson Queen herself. In Sigurd¡¯s memories, the Queen¡¯s Palace had been collecting Myria Old Gods¡¯ fragments for centuries. These fragments contained the powers of the Old Gods, some even being fragments of divine core. Based on her own experience becoming a Demigod, Charlotte guessed that this might be the Crimson Queen Rowena attempting to circumvent the bloodborne bloodline to ascend to Godhood by other means. Having sorted out her thoughts, Charlotte also had a clearer understanding of the Harcos Clan as a whole. However, there was still one question she couldn¡¯t quite figure out. Since the Crimson Queen Rowena was very likely trying to ascend to Godhood by other means and was clearly suppressing the bloodborne bloodline, then¡­ why did she personally issue a divine decree, sending this team to the Free Tribe Alliance to seize the Faceless Statue, which contains the blood divine power and divine laws? Moreover, according to the orders Sigurd received, it was ¡°imperative¡± to obtain it. Or perhaps, the Faceless Statue had another use for the Crimson Queen? Charlotte had no clues for the time being. However, although she had no clue about the Crimson Queen¡¯s specific purpose, her next action plan became relatively clear as a result. ¡°This bloodborne squad is too weak, and now that I know their plan, their threat to the Free Tribe Alliance is also relatively limited. Plus, Albrecht is nearby, so I only need to remind Sebastian to retrieve the Faceless Statue and establish a connection of faith with the Free Tribe Alliance, which shouldn¡¯t be too difficult.¡± ¡°Continue with the plan, and after successfully establishing the connection of faith, inform the Starfall Kingdom to assist the Free Tribe Alliance in their migration.¡± ¡°As for this Harcos team¡­ I can handle it myself.¡± ¡°However¡­ there¡¯s no need for me to rush off. The remaining power of Harcos is much weaker than I imagined. The fact that the Crimson Queen Rowena hasn¡¯t shown herself for three hundred years and only gives orders through divine decrees is also strange. Perhaps¡­ I can take this opportunity to delve into their ¡®Sanctuary¡¯ for some investigation.¡± ¡°From the memories I retrieved, the Harcos Clan, far removed from the mainland¡¯s conflicts, is relatively pure compared to other bloodborne clans. They weren¡¯t the main force in the historical rebellion against the True Ancestor. Moreover, the fear of the True Ancestor¡¯s return in this bloodborne¡¯s memory is even less than that of the Nez Clan¡¯s bloodbornes. On the contrary¡­ they fear the bloodline curse of the bloodbornes the most¡­¡± ¡°They are more wary than hostile towards the ¡®prince¡¯ behind the Starfall Kingdom¡­¡± ¡°The attitudes of believers often come from their Gods and are usually more ¡®extreme.¡¯ If the Harcos bloodbornes are like this, then¡­ the Crimson Queen Rowena herself might not be impossible to communicate with.¡± ¡°Maybe, while investigating the specific situation of the Harcos Clan, I can even try to visit them in an official capacity as a representative of the Starfall Kingdom¡­¡± ¡°Of course, the premise is to hide my blood divine power well, change the aura of my bloodline power, and present myself as a God¡¯s favored of a prince.¡± Charlotte pondered. This idea was somewhat bold. But considering that the Crimson Queen Rowena hadn¡¯t shown herself for three hundred years and her attention to the Harcos Clan wasn¡¯t as high as Charlotte imagined, she felt this approach was quite feasible. §²?¦­?¦¢?? She had a vague premonition that perhaps¡­ from the Harcos Clan, she could learn some information about the division of the bloodborne clans back then, and even investigate the truth about Lilith¡¯s ¡°disappearance.¡± Going further¡­ she might even get to meet the Crimson Queen Rowena herself. The biggest risk in this would be the exposure of her identity. But considering that the Crimson Queen was likely deliberately suppressing her own bloodline power, her sensitivity to the bloodborne bloodline would also significantly decrease. Charlotte felt this risk was controllable. The Crimson Queen was a Demigod, and so was she. Even if communication didn¡¯t go well, escaping would still be possible. And if the Crimson Queen hadn¡¯t shown herself for three hundred years due to some problem with herself, or if Charlotte¡¯s own power could completely suppress her, then¡­ maybe there was a chance to take this opportunity to subdue the Harcos Clan. After all, based on the memories she retrieved, aside from the Crimson Queen Rowena, the mysterious Harcos Clan¡¯s remaining mobilizable power might even be less than the Nez Clan¡¯s. Of course, the idea was beautiful, but Charlotte felt that its actual implementation might be very small. The Harcos Clan¡¯s rejection of the bloodline curse must have some reason she didn¡¯t know. Even if she really wanted to subdue the Harcos Clan, she might have to first figure out the real reason why the Harcos Clan had become the way they were. Thinking of this, Charlotte looked again at the bloodborne in front of her who had fallen into a deep sleep. Previously, she didn¡¯t dare to act rashly because she was worried about attracting the attention of the Crimson Queen. Now, knowing that the Crimson Queen hadn¡¯t been managing things much for three hundred years, Charlotte became much bolder. After a brief hesitation, she mobilized her magic, casting a transformative spell, and took on Sigurd¡¯s appearance. Then she swaggered towards the bloodborne camp. ¡°Why did it take you so long?¡± Seeing the returning ¡°Sigurd¡±, Sophia frowned slightly. She was about to scold him, but then she saw that ¡°Sigurd¡¯s¡± eyes had turned a deep golden color. Sophia was slightly taken aback. Before she could say anything, a strong drowsiness overwhelmed her¡­ Soon, she joined Sigurd in unconsciousness. Moments later¡­ Looking at the bloodbornes lying all over the ground, Charlotte breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed the Crimson Queen¡¯s attention was indeed not high. Even putting so many bloodbornes into a ¡°sleep¡± didn¡¯t attract her attention. Of course, this might also be because Charlotte didn¡¯t forcibly control their minds, leave a mark on their souls, or trigger their bloodline power while avoiding probing it. Looking at the bloodbornes lying all over the ground, Charlotte fell into deep thought. Letting these bloodbornes go to the Free Tribe Alliance was definitely unrealistic. If they found out her goal was to establish a faith connection with the Free Tribe Alliance, it would be troublesome. These bloodbornes obviously knew who the Free Tribe Alliance worshipped, which would almost blatantly tell them she was the True Ancestor of Blood. It was strange. These bloodbornes knew that the Free Tribe Alliance worshipped the ¡°True Ancestor of Blood¡±, but when someone in the Free Tribe Alliance awakened the ¡°Totem Power¡±, it didn¡¯t arouse their suspicion about the ¡°True Ancestor¡¯s return.¡± If Sigurd¡¯s memory could distinguish between the ¡°True Ancestor¡± and the ¡°Progenitor¡±, Charlotte would think that the Harcos Clan could tell the difference between her and Lilith. To be safe, Charlotte didn¡¯t want to confront these bloodbornes directly. Since she had now confirmed that the Crimson Queen¡¯s attention to these bloodbornes was not as high as she had imagined, Charlotte thought she might try to use the power of ¡°dreams¡± to weave a fantasy dream for these bloodbornes. Thinking of this, Charlotte sank into her consciousness and invoked the Gospel of Blood. The blood divine power surged, further strengthening her ¡ºDivine Ritual Counter¡» ability, ready for any external interference. She then activated her divine power and expanded her mental world. Her powerful mental force enveloped these bloodbornes, connecting to their consciousness and pulling everyone into her mental world¡­ ¡­ Sophia had a dream. In her dream, she led the palace guard to the Free Tribe Alliance to carry out a mission. But while resting during their journey, they were suddenly attacked by a mysterious force, causing everyone to fall into a deep sleep. Sophia suddenly woke up, drenched in cold sweat. Looking around, the forest was still tranquil, and the palace guards who had followed her from the Sanctuary were still sound asleep. Sophia frowned slightly but didn¡¯t feel anything was amiss. Seeing the guards sleeping like logs, she darkened her face and shouted. ¡°Stop sleeping! Stop sleeping! We¡¯re already very close to our target. Do you want to be discovered?¡± ¡°Get up! We need to keep moving!¡± Hearing Sophia¡¯s words, the palace guards woke up one by one. Yawning, they got up and continued following Sophia towards the Free Tribe Alliance. Their progress went smoothly. According to the plan, they changed into Northern region residents¡¯ clothes and successfully infiltrated the Free Tribe Alliance¡¯s camp. The tribe guards didn¡¯t notice their identities, and they passed the inspection easily, entering the depths of the northern canyon. Following the information provided by the Prophet, they quickly located the temple where the Free Tribe Alliance worshipped their statue and successfully sneaked in. As their intelligence suggested, the statue the queen needed was enshrined on the central altar of the temple. They lured the temple guards away and successfully obtained the True Ancestor¡¯s statue before the envoys from the Starfall Kingdom arrived. However, just as they were about to leave the Free Tribe Alliance and return to the Sanctuary, they were stopped by a mysterious extraordinary being. This being had power far beyond that of a Blazing Sun. Sophia¡¯s team was no match for her, and even the statue they had seized was taken. Under the astonishing magical and mental pressure of this powerful extraordinary being, the Harcos bloodbornes felt their brains swell, becoming drowsy, and their magical power was sealed, causing them to fall to the ground. Just when everyone was in despair, thinking the mission would fail and they would be killed, the extraordinary being did not strike them down. The mysterious being suddenly lessened her oppressive force, and the bloodbornes awoke as if from a deep sleep, regaining their consciousness. They opened their eyes, looking doubtfully at the mysterious figure shrouded in a black cloak before them, completely unaware that everything they had just experienced was a dream. ¡°I have no intention of being enemies with the Harcos Clan. If you can meet my conditions, I can hand over the statue you seek.¡± The mysterious being said. Sophia¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. She rubbed her temples and warily asked. ¡°Who¡­ exactly are you? What are your conditions?¡± The mysterious being removed her hood. Under the hood was a young and beautiful face, golden hair shining like silk, and blue eyes as pure as the sky. Seeing the face identical to the one in the clan¡¯s portrait, Sophia¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°You are¡­ the Divine Queen, Charlotte!¡± Seeing the suddenly tense blooodbornes, Charlotte smiled slightly. She picked up her skirt and performed an elegant noble curtsey, then said warmly. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Charlotte de Castell.¡± ¡°Queen of Starfall, Lord of Castell, Agent of Nyx, and Contract Holder of the Nez Clan¡­¡± ¡°I come representing my Lord¡¯s will to visit the Harcos Clan to discuss matters related to the Divinity Descent Day.¡± Chapter 508 : Accompany Is it really the Divine Queen Charlotte? Looking at the young girl who had snatched back the True Ancestor¡¯s statue, Sophia¡¯s expression became solemn. She looked at Charlotte warily and said in a deep voice. ¡°How can I believe you, and how can you prove you are indeed the Divine Queen? If you are the Divine Queen, why would you come to the North alone?¡± Hearing Sophia¡¯s words, Charlotte smiled slightly. A flash of light appeared in her hand, revealing a beautiful elven rapier with a faint golden sheen. As soon as the rapier appeared, it chattered excitedly. ¡°Master! Are we going to fight? Are we finally going to fight? Huh? This aura¡­ you are bloodbornes hiding in the North?¡± ¡°The Roman Sword!¡± Seeing the elven rapier floating in mid-air, Sophia instinctively widened her eyes. It was well-known on the Myria Continent that the Divine Queen Charlotte had subdued the Roman Sword. The aura of a divine weapon could not be faked. As an intelligent artifact, the Roman Sword was highly recognizable. After confirming that the girl suspected of being the Divine Queen was indeed holding the Roman Sword, Sophia¡¯s doubts about her identity diminished significantly. After a brief hesitation, she performed an ancient bloodborne salute towards Charlotte and then respectfully, yet distantly, said, ¡°Sophia, captain of the Harcos Clan¡¯s royal guard, greets Her Majesty Charlotte. However¡­ the Starfall Kingdom has no dealings with us, and we have always kept our distance from the Nez Clan. If Your Majesty has come with goodwill, why did you stop our actions?¡± Charlotte smiled slightly and said, ¡°The faith of the Free Tribe Alliance has a connection with my Lord. According to my Lord¡¯s oracle, we should provide protection for them.¡± ¡°I have reached an agreement with the Northern Grand Duchy. From now on, the Free Tribe Alliance will be under the protection of the Starfall Kingdom.¡± Sophia¡¯s heart sank. When the envoy from the Starfall Kingdom visited the Northern Archduke, she was also present. Although she didn¡¯t reveal herself, she witnessed the conversation between the projection of the Starfall Queen and the Northern Archduke. Given what the other party was saying now, Sophia was almost certain of the girl¡¯s identity before her. The girl¡­ really was the Divine Queen! But this made her even more puzzled. The Divine Queen only used projections when communicating with the Northern Archduke. But for the Free Tribe Alliance¡­ she came to the North in person? Was the Free Tribe Alliance so important to the Starfall Kingdom? Or was it, as she said, that she came because of her clan? And the ¡°my Lord¡± she mentioned¡­ Who exactly was ¡°my Lord¡±? Was she speaking in the capacity of the ¡°Saintess of the Holy Court¡±, or¡­ was it that mysterious bloodborne myth? Thinking of this, Sophia tentatively asked. ¡°Your Majesty Charlotte, may I ask, who exactly is the ¡®my Lord¡¯ you mentioned?¡± Charlotte smiled slightly. ¡°In front of believers¡­ They prefers to be called Nyx.¡± Nyx? Sophia frowned slightly. Although she was only a Blood Viscount, she was a genuine fifth-generation blood descendant. She hadn¡¯t experienced the peak Bloodborne Era, but she had done her homework on the myths of the bloodbornes and had a deep understanding. ??????? In her memory, there didn¡¯t seem to be a bloodborne myth named ¡°Nyx.¡± However, her knowledge was limited. After all, she wasn¡¯t from those ancient times. No¡­ more accurately, to this day, aside from the Prophet, no other blood descendants of the Harcos Clan had lived through that tumultuous era. After thinking for a moment, Sophia said, ¡°Your Majesty Charlotte, I can convey your request for a visit to the Prophet, but before that, we hope you can further demonstrate your sincerity.¡± She then mustered the courage to look into the eyes of the Divine Queen before her. ¡°You want to protect the Free Tribe Alliance; we won¡¯t stop you. But the Free Tribe Alliance must abandon their faith, and the object of their worship¡­ we must take it back.¡± ¡°This¡­ is the Queen¡¯s oracle.¡± Charlotte was slightly moved. ¡°An oracle from the Crimson Queen Rowena?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Charlotte pondered. She looked at the resolute bloodborne girl before her and suddenly smiled again. ¡°The faith of the Free Tribe Alliance will be taken over, corrected, and unified by my Lord. They will become my Lord¡¯s followers. I can assure you that as long as the Harcos Clan does not harm my Lord¡¯s followers, they will not pose a threat to you.¡± Take over the faith of the Free Tribe Alliance? Was the prince behind the Starfall Kingdom eyeing the faith of those mortals and intending to replace it? Sophia was slightly moved. In that instant, many thoughts crossed her mind¡­ The faith of the Free Tribe Alliance had always been a headache for the clan. They couldn¡¯t destroy it, nor could they threaten it. If the prince behind the Starfall Kingdom could indeed subdue those mortals, sever their original faith, and lead them out of the North, it wouldn¡¯t be a bad thing. From this perspective, there really was no conflict of interest. In fact¡­ there might even be room for cooperation. Thinking of this, Sophia tentatively asked again. ¡°And¡­ the statue?¡± Charlotte smiled. ¡°The statue? As a gesture of goodwill, handing over the statue to you is not a problem.¡± As she spoke, a small statue appeared in her hand with a flash of light. With a gentle wave, the statue flew towards Sophia. Seeing the statue, Sophia¡¯s spirits lifted. She caught the statue and, after a careful inspection, her tense expression relaxed. She bowed to Charlotte again, her voice carrying a hint of sincerity. ¡°You are a trustworthy human noble. On behalf of the clan, I thank you for your understanding.¡± Charlotte nodded slightly. What she handed over was not the statue of the Free Tribe Alliance. The experiences Sophia and her companions had just gone through were a dream Charlotte had woven. They had never seen what the statue of the Free Tribe Alliance really looked like. So¡­ what to give them was entirely up to Charlotte. However, the dream Charlotte had woven and the statue she handed over were not arbitrary. She had given away a Faceless Statue, which the Nez Clan had ¡°offered¡± to her. The power within this statue had already been extracted and turned into a divine artifact by the Nez Clan, leaving only an empty shell when Charlotte first received it. Of course, that was no longer the case. Inspired by the Free Tribe Alliance, Charlotte had successfully transformed this statue into a node of her own faith. Charlotte¡¯s original plan was to make it a ¡°processor¡± to handle faith and prayers during her next period of slumber. In other words, if a Demigod or extraordinary person tried to investigate this statue, they would be directly connected to her. This was Charlotte¡¯s backup plan. If Sophia was unwilling to introduce her, this would be the way for Charlotte to meet the high-ranking members of the Harcos Clan. As for whether the statue would be confiscated and the identity of the ¡°True Ancestor of Blood¡± exposed¡­ It didn¡¯t matter. This was just a prototype, losing it was inconsequential, just a one-time communication device. Charlotte¡¯s true interest lay in the statue worshipped by the Free Tribe Alliance. As for the risk of exposure¡­ The power within the statue was originally blood divine power. As long as Charlotte didn¡¯t reveal her bloodline aura, the other party would likely believe she was merely utilizing the residual divine power within the statue. Using a prototype statue that had lost much of its effectiveness to gain insight into the Harcos Clan¡¯s Demigod seemed like a fair trade to Charlotte. With this in mind, Charlotte turned to Sophia. ¡°Miss Sophia, now¡­ can we discuss the introduction?¡± Sophia nodded respectfully. ¡°Of course, as agreed, I can introduce you, but whether the Prophet will allow you into the clan¡¯s ¡®Sanctuary¡¯, I cannot say.¡± Charlotte nodded. ¡°No problem.¡± Seeing her agreement, Sophia breathed a slight sigh of relief. The Divine Queen had once used divine punishment to annihilate a Blazing Sun Bishop of the Holy Court. As the liaison with the Northern Grand Duchy, Sophia had heard about this. She had previously doubted the credibility of this news, but the recent battle proved¡­ the Divine Queen¡¯s strength was indeed formidable. The other party was evidently a God¡¯s favored, which explained her immense power. Such overwhelming strength was not something their team could contend with, only the Legendary Prophet could suppress her. The fact that she was willing to communicate and show goodwill was not a bad thing for them. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°The Divine Queen seems to have no malice. If she and the prince behind her do not intend to hinder the Queen¡¯s plans, then perhaps we can indeed have an in-depth exchange¡­¡± ¡°Regardless, the curse faced by other clans is much weaker than that of Harcos. Having more friends would indeed not be a bad thing.¡± ¡°Of course, I cannot outright refuse her request. With her immense strength, she could easily force us¡­¡± ¡°This matter¡­ should be decided by the Prophet.¡± Sophia thought to herself. With these thoughts, she said to Charlotte. ¡°Your Majesty Charlotte, we have achieved our goal. Next¡­ we plan to return. I am willing to travel with you, but¡­ please allow me to report to the prophet in advance.¡± Charlotte smiled slightly and nodded. ¡°Of course.¡± With Charlotte¡¯s permission, Sophia felt relieved. She took out a scroll from her bosom and wrote on it for a while before setting it alight. Then, Sophia retrieved a crystal-clear magic stone and waited quietly. Charlotte raised an eyebrow. If she wasn¡¯t mistaken, this should be an ancient communication magic she had read about in Nice¡¯s magic books, said to be the earliest inspiration for the communication crystals of the Starfall Kingdom. Time passed by the minute. About ten minutes later, Charlotte saw the magic stone in Sophia¡¯s hand glow faintly, emitting a blue light. Seeing this, Sophia breathed a sigh of relief. She quickly took out a blank scroll, and Charlotte noticed that as the magic stone¡¯s light shone on the scroll, words began to appear on it. Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred. This should be the response from the Harcos Clan¡¯s Prophet. Unfortunately, it was encrypted, and she couldn¡¯t understand it. After reading the scroll, Sophia¡¯s tense expression relaxed significantly. When she looked at Charlotte again, she was no longer as guarded and wary as before. ¡°Your Majesty Charlotte, the Prophet has responded. She allows us to travel with you and is willing to receive your visit. Next¡­ please follow us.¡± Sophia said. ¡­ Charlotte successfully joined the Harcos team. Of course, she could feel that the Harcos team hadn¡¯t completely let down their guard. Their willingness to bring her along was not just due to her goodwill but also because of her overwhelming strength. That was fine, she just needed the opportunity to communicate with the high-ranking members of the Harcos Clan. Honestly, she hadn¡¯t expected things to go so smoothly. Compared to other bloodbornes, the Harcos Clan, though reclusive, seemed much easier to communicate with and simpler in their dealings. Charlotte wondered if this had something to do with their long-term isolation from the world. Following the Harcos team, Charlotte headed north into the Great Northern Forest. The Harcos team moved quickly. Or rather, they were in a hurry. Although they had completed their mission, their pace did not slow down. Moreover, Charlotte noticed that the team¡¯s conversations had decreased, and as time went on, they fell into almost complete silence, with most maintaining a tense demeanor. The team¡¯s speed also seemed to increase, and their expressions grew increasingly tense. This made Charlotte curious. She had seen the team¡¯s relaxed demeanor when they first set out for the Free Tribe Alliance. Now, on their return, they suddenly seemed serious and tense, which seemed odd. ¡°Miss Sophia, everyone¡­ seems to be in a hurry?¡± Charlotte asked casually. Sophia glanced at her and shook her head. ¡°Your Majesty Charlotte, our Harcos Clan is different from you humans and the Nez Clan.¡± ¡°You can stay on the Myria Continent, but we cannot stay too long. We¡¯ve already been out long enough to complete this mission, staying longer is dangerous.¡± ¡°For safety, we must speed up.¡± Dangerous, so they couldn¡¯t stay on the Myria Continent for long? Charlotte was stunned. She was about to ask more when a bloodborne in the team suddenly groaned, his face flushed, and he appeared in pain. In her perception, Charlotte noticed his heartbeat suddenly quickened, and his bloodline became agitated. Charlotte¡¯s eyes narrowed. This was¡­ a sign of blood frenzy? Chapter 509 : Blood Frenzy Bloodbornes need to drink blood regularly, otherwise, they feel thirsty and enter a state of blood thirst. In the state of blood thirst, bloodbornes experience full-body discomfort, similar to a drug addict experiencing withdrawal. Blood thirst serves as a warning. If blood is still not consumed, the state of blood thirst will worsen, leading to a gradual loss of consciousness and eventually entering a blood frenzy. Charlotte had experienced a blood frenzy once. Because of this, she was quite familiar with the signs of an impending blood frenzy. Flushed face, rapid breathing, irregular heartbeat, and mental confusion¡­ Clearly, the Harcos bloodborne before her was on the verge of a blood frenzy. For bloodbornes, blood frenzies are not uncommon. Even without stopping the outbreak, as long as they replenish their blood in time, they can return to normal. And if there are only signs of it, simply drinking blood can stop it. Therefore, seeing a bloodborne showing signs of a blood frenzy, Charlotte was only slightly surprised at how sudden it seemed for this Harcos bloodborne, but she didn¡¯t pay it much mind. But soon, Charlotte felt guilty. She quickly recognized that the bloodborne experiencing the frenzy was Sigurd, the one whose memory she had read before. Ah, this¡­ Could his sudden blood frenzy be because she had just invaded his mental world and affected his bloodborne power? Seeing someone showing signs of a blood frenzy, the faces of the Harcos bloodbornes changed. They instinctively stepped away from the rampaging bloodborne, simultaneously entering a state of alert. The captain of the team, Sophia, became instantly serious, her expression quite grim. ¡°It¡¯s the bloodline curse¡­ everyone, step back.¡± Upon hearing this, the Harcos bloodbornes reacted as if facing a great enemy, some showing expressions of reluctance and sorrow. Then, Charlotte saw Sophia draw her sword, solemnly approaching the afflicted bloodborne. The other bloodbornes seemed to have expected this. They cleared the path while forming a circle around the bloodborne showing signs, their expressions growing more complex. ¡°Sorry, Sigurd.¡± Sophia looked at the afflicted bloodborne, raising her sword. Trembling all over, Sigurd clutched his heart, kneeling on one knee. He then painfully looked up at Sophia, forcing a bitter smile. ¡°Lady Sophia¡­ can you take care of my family?¡± Sophia was silent for a moment before nodding. ¡°I will. Once we return to the Sanctuary, I will recommend your daughter to study in the Queen¡¯s Palace and become an apprentice guard. I will also ensure someone takes care of your father¡¯s tavern.¡± ???????????¨º? Sigurd showed gratitude. Then, he closed his eyes, lifted his head, and prepared to accept his fate. Sophia¡¯s eyes reddened. Magic surged around her as she plunged her sword into Sigurd¡¯s heart, twisting it to shatter it completely. The action was swift and unhesitating, showing that she had done this many times before and was quite adept at it. Charlotte was stunned. When Sophia drew her sword, Charlotte felt something was off. And when Sigurd spoke as if saying his last words, she realized things were going differently than she had expected. Sophia¡¯s actions were so quick. As Charlotte realized what she intended to do, Sophia had already struck, shattering the bloodborne¡¯s heart. But it wasn¡¯t over. Sophia withdrew her sword, splattering blood, and then aimed at Sigurd¡¯s head. Charlotte¡¯s expression changed. Bloodbornes have powerful regenerative abilities, any wound can heal quickly. Those in a blood frenzy are even more resilient. If they are not killed immediately, they can slowly recover from any injury. However, bloodbornes do have weaknesses. Generally, destroying a bloodborne¡¯s heart can heavily wound them, and then beheading them can completely kill them. Clearly, Sophia intended to completely kill this Harcos bloodborne showing signs of a blood frenzy. No¡­ No, no, no! This was too outrageous! She intended to really kill him? Just because he showed signs of a blood frenzy? Was this¡­ necessary?! Charlotte was perplexed. Sophia¡¯s sword was raised and ready to strike. Seeing Sigurd about to be beheaded, Charlotte instinctively intervened, blocking Sophia¡¯s blade. ¡°Wait a moment!¡± Sophia paused slightly. ¡°Your Majesty Charlotte?¡± She frowned. All the surrounding bloodbornes focused their gaze on Charlotte, showing confusion and dissatisfaction. Charlotte sighed inwardly. She knew that her sudden intervention was impulsive, but as the ¡°True Ancestor of Blood¡±, she couldn¡¯t stand by and watch a fellow bloodborne die. Bloodbornes were already few in number, losing even one was significant. She had a favorable impression of the Harcos Clan and hoped to eventually recruit them all, minimizing casualties. At this moment, she couldn¡¯t understand why Sophia intended to kill Sigurd due to a blood frenzy. Of course, having read Sigurd¡¯s memory also influenced her decision. None of the other Harcos bloodbornes showed signs of a frenzy. Only Sigurd, whom she had meddled with twice, did. It was hard not to think her actions had something to do with his condition. If it were the Blood Demon Cult bastards, it would be different. Having read Sigurd¡¯s memories, she knew that besides being a bloodborne, he was just an ¡°ordinary person¡± who wanted to live a peaceful life. Given all these factors, she couldn¡¯t just let him die. More importantly, she couldn¡¯t understand why a blood frenzy warranted execution. This was clearly something that could be solved by drinking blood. Even without drinking blood, with her ¡°True Ancestor¡± bloodline and Demigod-level status, she had the ability to quell the blood frenzy within him. Or perhaps, there was some hidden secret about the Harcos Clan that she was unaware of? Thinking of this, Charlotte glanced at the now unconscious Sigurd, still in his kneeling position, and said, ¡°He only shows signs of a blood frenzy, is it really necessary to kill him?¡± Sophia frowned, exhaling softly before replying. ¡°Your Majesty Charlotte, our Harcos Clan is different from other blood clans. Our blood frenzy¡­ is irreversible.¡± ¡°From the moment Sigurd showed signs of a blood frenzy, his fate was sealed.¡± ¡°I appreciate your kindness, but¡­ this is an internal matter of our Harcos Clan. Please don¡¯t interfere.¡± ¡°If you truly can¡¯t bear it, don¡¯t stop me. Don¡¯t let Sigurd¡­ become a mindless monster.¡± Irreversible blood frenzy? A mindless monster? Charlotte was stunned. She was about to say something when she felt a surge of powerful magic, and the surrounding bloodbornes exclaimed. ¡°Not good! He¡¯s mutating!¡± ¡°Lady Sophia, be careful!¡± ¡°Roar¡ª!¡± A deep growl echoed. Sigurd, whose heart had been shattered, suddenly stood up. His eyes turned crimson, fangs extended, and veins and dark markings appeared on his face. Two large lumps swelled on his back. Soon, those lumps burst open, revealing a pair of sinister bat wings¡­ With a roar, he charged at Sophia. ¡°Lady Sophia!¡± The bloodbornes cried out in alarm. Seeing Sigurd charge at her, Sophia¡¯s expression changed. She quickly raised her sword to block, sparks flying as her blade clashed with Sigurd¡¯s claws. ¡°Roar¡ª!¡± Sigurd roared again, his body further expanding. Two more lumps appeared under his armpits, swelling and twisting until they grew into two new arms. In an instant, Sigurd had transformed into a hideous monster, his aura skyrocketing from Starry Sky tier to Silver Moon, and still climbing¡­ Is this¡­ blood demonization? Charlotte¡¯s eyes narrowed. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Simultaneously, she felt a slight tremor from the Gospel of Blood deep within her consciousness, and the source of this tremor¡­ was Sigurd. The tremor even affected Charlotte herself. To her shock, Charlotte realized she suddenly felt a bit parched and inexplicably drawn to Sigurd. Her eyes narrowed as she unconsciously took a step forward, but Sophia stopped her. ¡°Your Majesty Charlotte, this is an internal matter of our Harcos Clan. Please don¡¯t interfere.¡± Sophia said. She then raised her sword, pointing it at Sigurd. ¡°Everyone! Form ranks!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The bloodbornes responded in unison. Charlotte watched as the Harcos bloodbornes formed a compact magic formation under Sophia¡¯s command, encircling Sigurd. ¡°Roar¡ª¡± Sigurd roared again, charging at the bloodbornes, and the battle began. It was a fierce battle. Though Sophia¡¯s side had numbers, the blood-demonized Sigurd had become incredibly powerful. His strength was far beyond that of a typical blood demon, his aura continually rising even after surpassing Silver Moon, showing signs of advancing to the peak of Silver Moon. The bloodbornes soon found themselves in a desperate fight. Dark red glows fell upon the monster, leaving wounds that quickly healed. The monster continued to roar and pound its chest, attacking the bloodbornes with immense strength. Despite the magic formation¡¯s assistance, each strike left the bloodbornes pale and bleeding. Moreover, the monster not only didn¡¯t weaken but seemed to grow more frenzied. Its aura reached the pinnacle of Silver Moon, hinting at a possible evolution to Blazing Sun. As the monster¡¯s power grew, the bloodbornes¡¯ situation became increasingly dire, with more of them getting injured. Even more troubling, as time passed, some bloodbornes began to breathe heavily. Though they hadn¡¯t shown symptoms yet, their condition was clearly becoming precarious. This was no ordinary blood demonization. They weren¡¯t equipped to handle this blood demon, and continuing the fight would likely trigger their own blood frenzies. Observing the Harcos Clan¡¯s struggle, Charlotte¡¯s expression turned grave. She quickly assessed the situation. After another intense bout, the bloodbornes and the monster separated. Sophia¡¯s hands trembled, her face pale as she looked at the monster before them. ¡°Indeed¡­ mutations outside the Sanctuary are more terrifying¡­¡± She glanced at her breathless comrades, her expression hardening. At this moment, even if she didn¡¯t want to believe it, Sophia had to acknowledge that the monster before them was beyond their capabilities. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes. When she opened them again, they were filled with determination. ¡°Its power has exceeded the purification limit. Plan B: prepare for Blood Soul Sealing and get ready to retreat.¡± The bloodbornes exclaimed. ¡°Blood Soul Sealing?! Lady Sophia, are you crazy?!¡± Sophia shook her head. ¡°Its power is too strong. Continuing the fight is meaningless. And¡­ everyone is nearing their limit.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t afford to lose more people.¡± She then looked at Charlotte. ¡°Your Majesty Charlotte, I will temporarily seal it. I may need to sleep for a while afterward. Please protect everyone during the retreat.¡± ¡°Once back at the Sanctuary¡­ the clan will be deeply grateful!¡± Charlotte sighed softly. ¡°Blood Soul Sealing¡­ I know this secret technique. It¡¯s the highest bloodline sealing art, with irreversible damage to the bloodline and soul, possibly even leading to death.¡± ¡°Miss Sophia, this opponent is beyond what you can handle. Why not let me try?¡± Sophia stood tall, replying, ¡°Your Majesty Charlotte, escorting is one thing, but confronting a fallen bloodborne is another.¡± ¡°Bloodborne matters should be resolved by bloodbornes themselves. You are not a bloodborne, so you have no obligation or need to intervene.¡± ¡°This¡­ is the principle of our Harcos Clan!¡± Charlotte paused, looking at the stubborn girl before her. She sighed, shaking her head. ¡°A bloodborne¡¯s duty? In that case, I have even more reason to intervene.¡± ¡°Let me¡­ give it a try.¡± Without waiting for Sophia¡¯s response, Charlotte gently patted her shoulder and stepped toward the monster. Sophia moved to stop her but felt a surge of pure bloodline power flow from her shoulder, replenishing her magic. The restless bloodline from the intense battle also calmed down. Meanwhile, the bloodbornes connected to the magic formation felt a gentle and familiar power from Sophia, healing their injuries and soothing their souls. ¡°This¡­ what is this¡­¡± The Harcos bloodbornes stared in shock at Charlotte approaching the monster. Charlotte¡¯s expression remained calm. Her magic surged, her blue eyes turning to a golden-red hue, exuding a majestic and familiar bloodline aura that rose gradually. Charlotte stepped forward, passing the others, and stood before the monster. Seeing those golden-red eyes, Sophia was stunned. ¡°Those eyes¡­ that aura¡­¡± ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re¡­ of royal blood!¡± Chapter 510 : Who exactly are you? A powerful magical force burst from Charlotte, and the overwhelming pressure, surpassing even the Blazing Sun, and the stirrings from her bloodline caused the present bloodbornes to be stunned. ¡°Royal bloodline¡­?¡± ¡°The Divine Queen is actually of royal bloodline?!¡± ¡°Is it possible that the royal bloodline still exists?!¡± The bloodbornes widened their eyes in disbelief as they looked at Charlotte, who had completely assumed her bloodborne form. Though they still felt a sense of disbelief, looking at those iconic eyes and feeling the subtle pressure from her bloodline, the bloodbornes from the Harcos Clan had to admit that the girl before them might indeed be from the royal bloodline, which hadn¡¯t appeared in over a century! Almost instinctively, the bloodbornes attacking the ¡°monster¡± took a step back, giving up the battlefield. The ¡°monster¡¯s¡± power had risen to the level of the Blazing Sun, while the Divine Queen, now revealing her royal bloodline form, exuded an aura even stronger than the monster¡¯s! Undoubtedly, this battle was no longer something they could participate in at their level. ¡°Roar¡ª!¡± Seeing Charlotte transform into her bloodborne form, the ¡°monster¡± let out a low, uneasy growl. Its crazed, blood-red eyes fixed on Charlotte, filled with cruelty and brutality. It pounded its chest, and its upper body suddenly swelled, with fangs flashing, dark red light gathering in its giant mouth. A stench spread out, making the surrounding bloodbornes feel dizzy, weak, and even faintly muddled in consciousness. ¡°Curse Breath! It can use Curse Breath!¡± Sophia¡¯s face changed dramatically with surprise. She endured the discomfort in her body and quickly looked at Charlotte facing the monster. ¡°Be careful! This is a Curse Breath that awakens after deep corruption, specifically targeting bloodbornes¡­ it can pollute our magic, erode our sanity and soul, and drive normal bloodbornes mad!¡± ????¨¢???§§? However, her warning was already too late. The dark red light erupted, and the ¡°monster¡± opened its giant mouth, spewing a beam of breath toward Charlotte. Charlotte, in her bloodborne form, did not dodge. Facing the oncoming breath, she lifted her head and extended her right hand, her magic surging. Sophia panicked. ¡°Queen Charlotte! Move away! Bloodborne magic can¡¯t block the Curse Breath!¡± But the next moment, she was stunned. The terrifying dark red breath, like a flood, engulfed Charlotte, but soon, that ¡°flood¡± abruptly shrank. Charlotte¡¯s figure reappeared, unscathed. In the shocked gazes of the crowd, the terrifying breath was drawn, like flowing water, into Charlotte¡¯s hand, eventually condensing into a black-red sphere. With a gentle squeeze, the black-red sphere shattered like smoke, turning into dark red energy that flowed into her palm and then disappeared. Seeing this, the Harcos Clan members were all stunned. That¡­ blocked them? No, no, no¡­ That wasn¡¯t just blocked, that was more like¡­ More like¡­ ¡°Absorbed?¡± Sophia looked at Charlotte¡¯s right hand in disbelief, her thoughts seemingly disjointed for a moment. Absorbed! The Curse Breath of a fallen bloodborne was absorbed! By the Queen! Such pollution, which was like poison to bloodbornes, could actually be absorbed by someone?! Was the royal bloodline Kirali really this powerful?! Sophia was bewildered by the absurd situation. Of course, it wasn¡¯t just the bloodbornes that were bewildered, but the ¡°monster¡± too. Its breath was blocked, making it even more violent and frenzied. It let out an angry roar and its body swelled again. It leaped forward, like a cannonball, charging at Charlotte. The ground beneath it shattered and split from the leap, and the terrifying power formed a huge gust of wind, blowing the surrounding bloodbornes off their feet. Charlotte still didn¡¯t move. The monster¡¯s attack arrived in an instant, but just as its monstrous claw was about to strike Charlotte¡¯s head, it froze in place. Crimson threads spread out from Charlotte, weaving a massive chain cage that bound the monster in mid-air. ¡°Roar¡ª!¡± The monster let out an angry roar. It struggled desperately, trying to break free from the ¡°cage¡±, but the cage remained unmoved. Seeing the blood-colored cage, the Harcos Clan members¡¯ expressions became quite complex. Leading them, Sophia was especially stunned. ¡°Th-this¡­ this is our clan¡¯s secret technique, the high-level bloodborne talent of the Blood and Flesh Path¡ªRowena¡¯s Blood Cage?!¡± The monster continued to struggle. But as the crimson threads tightened, its movements became smaller and smaller. In the end, it could do nothing but let out uneasy growls. With the dissipation of magic, Charlotte lowered her right hand. From beginning to end, she hadn¡¯t moved a step, nor did she bear any battle marks. Her golden hair fluttered in the wind, and the bloodbornes¡¯ pupils reflected the beautiful figure of the girl. In their expressions, only reverence remained. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bloodbornes have a strict hierarchy, power and bloodline determine one¡¯s rank. Undoubtedly, displaying overwhelming power and the noble royal bloodline, while personally helping the team overcome difficulties, Charlotte had already won everyone¡¯s respect, even if the major clans had subtle or even hostile feelings toward the royal bloodline. Sophia¡¯s expression was somewhat complicated. Perhaps she had only been suspicious before, but now, seeing the Divine Queen reveal her royal bloodline, she was finally convinced that the mysterious prince behind the Castell territory and the Starfall Kingdom was likely a myth from the Kirali Clan! This conclusion was easy to draw. The Kirali Clan had long been extinct, and even if there were surviving members, they were probably living incognito in some corner of the world. After the Divine Queen¡¯s coronation, the Harcos Clan had also gathered information about Charlotte de Castell, and from the data, she appeared to be just a human with elven blood. But clearly, that was not the case. The Divine Queen had become a bloodborne, and one with the lost bloodline of the Kirali Clan, and her bloodline power was incredibly strong. A bloodborne¡¯s power, apart from personal training, mainly comes from the bloodline power bestowed by their elders. Evidently, to enable a mortal who wasn¡¯t even an extraordinary being a few years ago to possess bloodline power surpassing the Blazing Sun in just a few years, such a ¡°miracle¡± could only be achieved by a myth. Considering that she could perform ¡°Rowena¡¯s Blood Cage¡±, a technique even many Harcos Clan members couldn¡¯t use, it was clear that the Divine Queen was supported by a prince from the Mythic Era! Of course, whether it was a royal bloodline or an ancient prince, since the other party had shown goodwill towards the Harcos Clan, Sophia, as the captain of the clan¡¯s guard, naturally wouldn¡¯t cling to ancient grudges. After all, if one were to argue about it, whether the Kirali Clan was at fault or the other major clans, Sophia herself couldn¡¯t say. Many secrets of history had long been buried in the sands of time. As for now¡­ The hard battle was over, and the only thing left was the ¡°cleanup¡± work. ¡°Your Majesty Charlotte, thank you for your help. From here on¡­ please leave it to us.¡± Sophia bowed respectfully to Charlotte. After speaking, she looked at the still struggling monster, hid her pity, and her expression became firm. Then, she drew her sword again. But the next moment, Sophia was stopped by Charlotte once more. ¡°Your Majesty Charlotte?¡± Sophia was puzzled. ¡°No, it¡¯s not over yet.¡± Charlotte shook her head. Sophia was slightly stunned. She looked at Charlotte in confusion, only to see Charlotte walking towards the monster again. ¡°Grrr¡­¡± The monster, watching the approaching girl, let out a whimper instead of a roar. Whether it was her imagination or not, Sophia seemed to see a glimmer of sanity in the monster¡¯s blood-red eyes. Charlotte lifted her head, meeting the monster¡¯s gaze. Unlike the Harcos Clan, as the ¡°True Ancestor of Blood¡±, her senses were much sharper. Sophia wasn¡¯t mistaken. The ¡°monster¡± had indeed regained some sanity. Perhaps it was the release of too much power from the ¡°Curse Breath¡±, or maybe the ¡°Rowena¡¯s Blood Cage¡± had sealed its bloodline, but at this moment, the ¡°monster¡¯s¡± rational side was resurging. Charlotte could even feel its intense emotions. Confusion, fear, unease, despair¡­ Meanwhile, having successfully sealed the ¡°monster¡±, Charlotte had a clearer perception of its bloodline power through her control of the bloodborne magic. The ¡°attraction¡± from the bloodline seemed stronger. It was as if there was a power in the monster¡¯s body that the Gospel of Blood desired. The last time Charlotte felt this was when she tried to absorb the blood divine power from the Faceless Statue. Although she hadn¡¯t acted yet, Charlotte had a strange feeling. She felt that if she wanted, the Gospel of Blood could calm the rampant bloodline power within the ¡°monster¡± and help it return to normal. With this thought, Charlotte looked at the monster again. She extended her hand and touched the monster¡¯s scaly armor. The monster shivered slightly. It shrank back, its whimpering deepening and a mix of emotions flowed to Charlotte through her touch¡­ Fear, sadness, confusion¡­ Feeling the monster¡¯s emotions, Charlotte sighed softly. ¡°You must be in great pain right now.¡± ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll help you find peace soon.¡± She activated her magic again, this time drawing a bit of blood divine power. Deep within her consciousness, the Gospel of Blood began to operate, and Charlotte¡¯s golden hair faintly took on a silver hue. Crimson light blossomed in Charlotte¡¯s palm, soon enveloping the sealed monster. The next moment, a heart-wrenching black-red fluid seeped from the monster¡¯s body, quickly assimilated and dissolved by the crimson light¡­ Under the astonished gazes of the Harcos bloodbornes, the monster wrapped in light began to shrink¡­ Its scaly armor fell away, extra limbs withered and dissolved, and the deformed body gradually reverted to a human shape. In the end, the black-red power completely dissipated, and the ¡°monster¡± returned to its original form as Sigurd! Witnessing this unbelievable scene, the Harcos bloodbornes were utterly stunned. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s Sigurd!¡± ¡°By the Queen! His bloodline corruption has been removed?! He¡­ he is back to normal?!¡± ¡°How is this possible? Even the Prophet couldn¡¯t remove the corruption in a fallen clan member¡­¡± ¡°Is this the power of the royal bloodline?¡± The Harcos bloodbornes were wide-eyed, their ¡°weak¡± hearts clearly experiencing a significant shock. But Sophia¡¯s shock surpassed everyone else¡¯s. As the captain of the royal guard, she knew more than the ordinary guards. Everyone was just astonished and delighted that Charlotte could cleanse the corruption that even the Prophet couldn¡¯t remove. But for Sophia, it was horrifying. She knew some clan secrets. It wasn¡¯t just the Prophet who couldn¡¯t remove that eerie corruption attached to the bloodline. Even the dukes of the past who remained awake, including Her Majesty Rowena who was aiming for ascension, couldn¡¯t do it! By the Queen! Who exactly was the Divine Queen Charlotte? Could this really be the power of the royal bloodline? Was the control of the royal bloodline over bloodline power this strong? Even if it were, was it something a mortal could achieve? Or was it¡­ Sophia suddenly had a bold guess, and her gaze toward Charlotte became tense. The crimson light dissipated, and the blood threads binding Sigurd also vanished. Sigurd fell from mid-air, caught by a swarm of black bats conjured by Charlotte¡¯s magic. ¡°Take care of him, he¡¯s exhausted too much of his bloodline power and needs a good rest.¡± Charlotte instructed the other Harcos bloodbornes. Hearing her words, the Harcos team quickly moved to support Sigurd. When they looked at Charlotte again, their eyes had changed from respect to reverence. Sophia¡¯s expression grew even more complex. After hesitating for a moment, she finally looked at Charlotte and couldn¡¯t help but ask the question in her heart. ¡°Your Majesty Charlotte, who exactly are you?¡± Charlotte glanced at her, smiled slightly, and instinctively replied. ¡°Me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just a passing royal bloodline.¡± Chapter 511 : Entering the Sanctuary Sigurd¡¯s blood frenzy was merely an interlude. Charlotte could easily sense that after ¡°saving¡± this member of the Harcos Clan, the entire group¡¯s attitude toward her had changed once again. If previously they were cautious and wary, now¡­ the bloodbornes looked at her with more sincerity, and when answering her questions, there was less hesitation and more respect. This respect increased especially after Charlotte helped restore other members of the Harcos Clan who also showed signs of blood frenzy. The Harcos bloodbornes looked at her with even greater reverence. Charlotte herself was quite pleased. While the change in the Harcos Clan¡¯s attitude played a part, the main reason was that after purifying Sigurd¡¯s bloodline, Charlotte was delighted to discover that the power of the Gospel of Blood had subtly increased. Though the increase was slight and not as rapid as recovering the Cursed Pages, Charlotte was certain she wasn¡¯t mistaken. Moreover, helping other members of the Harcos Clan purify their bloodline had the same effect. ¡°The Cursed Pages are called such because their power causes bloodbornes to lose themselves, eventually turning into mindless monsters.¡± ¡°The ¡®corruption¡¯ of the Harcos Clan is similar in nature. Could it be¡­ that the pollution causing their ¡®corruption¡¯ is the same power as the ¡®curse¡¯ within the Cursed Pages?¡± Charlotte thought. She also recalled her encounter with Alador, the God of Abomination and Deformity, during her second time travel. The changes during the Harcos Clan¡¯s ¡°corruption¡± differed somewhat from the usual blood frenzy, indicating it wasn¡¯t just the curse left by Charlotte after granting Lilith her vampiric bloodline. Instead, it had a ¡°mutation¡± aspect beyond the original curse. If Charlotte remembered correctly, the Gospel of Blood had also responded during her battle with Alador. However, before she could absorb Alador¡¯s divine power, she had returned to the present era. These clues led her to two bold hypotheses. Could it be that the Harcos Clan had absorbed the power of Alador, the God of Abomination and Deformity? Could the power of the Gospel of Blood, the Old Gods, and the force causing the Harcos Clan¡¯s blood frenzy all originate from the same source? This was very possible. After all¡­ Charlotte had long speculated about the origins of the Gospel of Blood. Considering historical records, the Gospel of Blood was likely created by Lilith using the powers of other mythological beings she had defeated. And these ¡°other mythologies¡± included the Old Gods of the Myria continent. This also piqued Charlotte¡¯s interest in the Harcos Clan. ¡°In the memories I read from Sigurd, many ¡®corrupted¡¯ bloodbornes are sealed deep within the Harcos Clan¡¯s ¡®Sanctuary.¡¯ If I can purify all these ¡®corrupted¡¯ bloodbornes¡­how much power would it restore to the Gospel of Blood?¡± Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Even if purifying one provides limited benefits, given the number of ¡®corrupted¡¯ bloodbornes over the years, the cumulative effect could be considerable!¡± ¡°Additionally, this might be an opportunity to build a good relationship with the Crimson Queen Rowena, negotiate, and even establish a partnership¡­¡± Charlotte pondered. The Crimson Queen was the only known Demigod still active on the Myria continent. Facing such a Demigod, it was better to be allies than enemies. Moreover, by establishing a good relationship, Charlotte might gain insights into ancient secrets from Rowena. Perhaps she could also uncover what happened between Lilith and Harald. As for subduing the Crimson Queen¡­ considering the relationships between the major clans and the current state of her own power, Charlotte hadn¡¯t dared to think that far. ????£ÁN?????¨¨? Of course, if given the opportunity, she wouldn¡¯t mind trying. After all, she was the genuine ¡°Bloodborne Progenitor.¡± With these thoughts, Charlotte looked forward to the next actions. The group continued northward. Along the way, more members of the Harcos Clan showed signs of blood frenzy, but¡­ Charlotte resolved each case one by one. This increased the gratitude of nearly all the Harcos bloodbornes toward her. As for why ¡°nearly¡±¡­ Feeling a complicated gaze upon her, Charlotte looked up and met Sophia¡¯s eyes. Sophia quickly concealed her complex emotions, nodded slightly to Charlotte, and then turned away. This reaction left Charlotte in contemplation. Why did it feel like this captain of the Harcos Clan¡¯s guard was even more wary of her? Intrigued, Charlotte focused a bit of her mental energy on Sophia, pretending not to notice, and continued with the Harcos Clan¡¯s main force. The Northern Grand Duchy was cold. Dense coniferous forests covered in perennial snow left deep footprints with every step, and after about half a day, a mist began to appear around them. Seeing the mist, the Harcos bloodbornes visibly relaxed. Sensing the faint magic in the air, Charlotte¡¯s expression became subtle. The flow of this magic was similar to the fog around the Nez stronghold, indicating that the mist was the magical barrier ¡ºFog Screen¡» often set up around bloodborne castles. The group entered the mist, and Sophia took out a magical lantern. ¡°Stay close to me and don¡¯t get lost in the fog.¡± She instructed the group. The magical lantern illuminated the fog, dispersing it wherever the light reached. The group continued, and after about fifteen minutes, a dilapidated temple appeared before them. The temple was ancient, marked by the ravages of time. Fallen columns and tall statues hinted at its former grandeur. Seeing the ancient elvish script on the columns, Charlotte realized this was likely once a temple of an Elven God. ¡°Your Majesty Charlotte, we¡¯ve arrived. Please wait here with the others.¡± Sophia said. Charlotte nodded, then stopped with the rest of the Harcos Clan. Sophia placed the magical lantern on the ground and entered the temple. Curious, Charlotte extended a bit of her mental energy to monitor Sophia¡¯s actions, but her energy was blocked by a familiar force. ¡°This is¡­ the barrier enveloping the Northern Grand Duchy?¡± Charlotte mused. She discreetly activated her blood divine power and attempted to connect with her faith network, only to find her control significantly suppressed. After some contemplation, she traced the suppressive force to the temple¡¯s depths. Charlotte understood immediately. ¡°It seems¡­ the core of the barrier covering the Northern Grand Duchy is beneath this temple.¡± ¡°Beneath this temple likely lies an Ancient Temple.¡± She concluded. Charlotte decided against further probing with divine power. This area was likely under the control of the Harcos Clan, and while they hadn¡¯t yet reached the so-called ¡°Sanctuary¡±, they were probably within the Crimson Queen Rowena¡¯s perception range. ¡°Better to be cautious.¡± Charlotte thought. After about five minutes, a subtle energy wave emanated from the temple. The ground trembled slightly, and a large circular array appeared in the temple¡¯s air, runes intertwining and forming a crimson beam of light that descended to the ground. In the crimson light, a massive ¡°mirror¡± slowly appeared before the temple, shaped like an archway with a blank white light wall as its surface. Seeing the ¡°mirror¡±, the Harcos bloodbornes relaxed further, and Sophia emerged from the temple. She bowed to Charlotte and said, ¡°Your Majesty Charlotte, the portal to the Sanctuary is open. The Prophet is awaiting your arrival. Please follow us inside.¡± With that, she entered the ¡°mirror.¡± A portal to another dimension¡­ Charlotte pondered. She exhaled softly and followed the other bloodbornes into the ¡°mirror.¡± Chapter 512 : The Prophet Passing through a layer of transparent fluid, a gentle repulsion came from all directions, mild and silent. In an instant, Charlotte¡¯s vision was covered by a vast white, and her extended perception was cut off. It felt like crossing a boundary of the void. In the blink of an eye, the cut-off perception reconnected, and Charlotte¡¯s vision gradually tinged with crimson. This was a vast land. Mountains undulated, guarding towering castles, with dense forests stretching infinitely around. At the center of the castle group stood a tall palace, a crimson beam of light connecting the palace to the sky, illuminating the entire world. The red glow spread everywhere¡ªthe sky, the earth, the trees, the castles¡ªall presented different shades of dark red, giving a deep and mysterious feeling. Charlotte and her companions appeared just outside the central palace of the castle group. ¡°Your Majesty Charlotte, please wait here for a moment. I will go report to the Prophet.¡± Sophia bowed to Charlotte and said. Charlotte nodded slightly. Sophia turned and entered the palace, while Charlotte curiously surveyed her surroundings, eager to focus her senses. The moment she arrived here, she sensed a strong pulse from the Gospel of Blood deep within her consciousness, feeling a strong attraction. That attraction was omnipresent, yet on closer inspection, it seemed to come from all directions. Simultaneously, Charlotte¡¯s bloodline also felt a resonance. She sharply sensed thousands of bloodborne auras distributed throughout the castle group, and similarly distant auras emanated from the mountains beyond. Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred. She split a wisp of her consciousness into her mental world, summoning the crimson star sea representing the bloodbornes, and then discovered that those previously vague, unlocatable bloodborne presences of the Harcos Clan could now be pinpointed. They were located in this dark red otherworldly space. Roughly sensing, there were about seven or eight thousand of them, with about half concentrated in the castle group, and the rest scattered in the distant mountains. Besides these seven or eight thousand clearly perceptible bloodbornes, there were also some vague presences. These presences were faint, but with careful sensing, they could also be located, likely some still in slumber. Charlotte sensed briefly and found that the total number of clear and vague presences was about thirteen thousand. This should be all the bloodbornes of the Harcos Clan within the ¡°Sanctuary.¡± Adding the bloodbornes she sensed maintaining the northern barrier below the temple outside before entering the ¡°Sanctuary¡±, the members of the Haarcos Clan should not exceed fourteen thousand. However, this was not the main focus of her bloodborne perception. In Charlotte¡¯s senses, the strongest bloodline resonance came from beneath the castle group. Or more accurately, the ¡°underground¡± of the castle group. This part of the bloodline resonance was peculiar. Besides the bloodline pulsation, Charlotte also vaguely sensed some chaotic feelings similar to when Sigurd¡¯s bloodline went berserk, and a great attraction acting on her bloodline. ?????????????????¦¥? Especially the Gospel of Blood deep in her consciousness, which throbbed the most strongly. This was also the main source of the attraction Charlotte felt, as if the source of these bloodline resonances was an excellent tonic for the Gospel of Blood. This stirred Charlotte¡¯s heart. In the memories she read from Sigurd, it was said that the Harcos Clan would kill ¡°fallen bloodbornes¡± and seal or bury their bodies. Could it be that these unique pulsations came from the ¡°fallen bloodbornes¡¯ tomb¡±? It was not impossible. Bloodbornes¡¯ bloodline power would dissipate upon death. If the Harcos Clan could not ¡°purify¡± the ¡°fallen power¡± of the fallen bloodbornes, they could only seal those ¡°powers¡± even if they killed them. ¡°The power the Harcos Clan fears is a tonic for the Gospel of Blood. Perhaps I could find an opportunity to explore the underground of the Harcos Sanctuary.¡± Charlotte thought. Of course, although she was eager to act on the Gospel of Blood¡¯s throb, Charlotte was well aware of her location. This was the Harcos Sanctuary, the domain of the Crimson Queen Rowena. Even if she wanted to make a move here, she had to meet Rowena first. However, what surprised Charlotte was that after further bloodline sensing, she did not perceive the presence of the Crimson Queen Rowena. Though the huge star representing Rowena was in Charlotte¡¯s consciousness, still shining brightly, it did not produce the same throbbing as the other stars. This discovery was unexpected. From Sigurd¡¯s memories, the Crimson Queen Rowena was said to be ¡°in seclusion¡± deep within the Queen¡¯s Palace. This meant that Rowena should be in the Sanctuary. But while Charlotte could sense even the auras of sleeping bloodbornes, she could not sense the presence of the Crimson Queen. This was intriguing. Charlotte could think of two possible reasons. This indicated either that Rowena¡¯s power had far surpassed Charlotte¡¯s, making her undetectable when deliberately concealing her aura, or the memory she read was incorrect, or rather, Sigurd¡¯s understanding was inaccurate, and the Crimson Queen Rowena was not within the ¡°Sanctuary.¡± This was not impossible, as she had learned from the Harcos Clan members that the Crimson Queen Rowena had not appeared in about three hundred years. Charlotte did not know which possibility was true. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But either way, honestly, it was not what she hoped to see. Especially the second possibility. Perhaps it was a residual effect from the Stargazer Casey, she could not help but think of the eerie stone door that appeared after Casey¡¯s guise was removed and the strange plea for help behind it. ¡°Maybe¡­ after meeting the Harcos Clan¡¯s spokesperson, I could probe a little.¡± Charlotte thought. As Charlotte pondered her next move, the palace doors suddenly opened. Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred, and she looked at the palace doors to see Sophia emerging with an elderly woman. The elderly woman made an ancient bloodborne gesture to Charlotte and then smiled. ¡°Saintess of the Creator God, Descendant of the Royal Kirali Clan, Queen of Starfall, and Lord of Castell¡­ Your Majesty Charlotte de Castell¡ª¡± ¡°I am the Prophet Margo Harcos, and I welcome your visit.¡± Legendary¡­ Sensing the powerful aura from the elderly woman, Charlotte¡¯s expression became serious. But soon, she realized something was off with the titles used by the elderly woman. Wait¡­ Saintess of the Creator God, and¡­ Descendant of Kirali? Chapter 513 : The Secret of Harcos Charlotte was somewhat surprised. It wasn¡¯t the Harcos Clan¡¯s Prophet¡¯s friendly attitude toward her that surprised her, but rather the title they addressed her with. Since her arrival, Charlotte had accumulated numerous titles, and the title that could be placed at the forefront was undoubtedly the one with the highest status. ¡°Saintess of the Creator God¡±¡­ Evidently, among Charlotte¡¯s many identities, the Prophet of the Harcos Clan valued her identity within the Holy Court the most. This was thought-provoking. Although the world saw Charlotte as the Saintess of the Creator God, Charlotte knew the truth: her saintess identity was entirely fabricated, with many miracles being staged effects created through the divine ritual counter. She might indeed have known ¡°Harald¡±, but the ¡°miracles¡± she had caused up to now were not under ¡°Harald¡¯s¡± protection. While others might not be aware of this, the Harcos Clan, being bloodbornes, certainly knew she wasn¡¯t a true saintess. Charlotte knew this because, from Sigurd¡¯s memories, she had learned that the Harcos Clan members had obtained intelligence about her before leaving the Sanctuary. This intelligence clearly identified her as a God¡¯s favored one, not a true saintess. But now¡­ Was this an intentional reminder of her false identity, or was there another meaning behind it? ¡°Your Excellency the Prophet, you must be joking. I¡¯m merely a fortunate one under the Creator God¡¯s favor, not a saintess. The so-called saintess title is merely a rumor.¡± Charlotte replied. Despite everything, the Bloodborne and the Holy Court were enemies. Even if she deliberately let the saintess identity rumor spread outside, she needed to distance herself from the Holy Court when facing bloodbornes. Look at those bloodbornes standing guard around the palace. The moment the Prophet called her the ¡°Saintess of the Creator God¡±, their expressions changed, becoming highly vigilant. The Prophet didn¡¯t refute Charlotte¡¯s denial. She looked at Charlotte meaningfully and smiled. ¡°Your Majesty Charlotte, Sophia has informed me of your assistance to our clan along the way. To express our gratitude, our clan has prepared a banquet in the Queen¡¯s Palace.¡± A bloodborne banquet? Charlotte raised an eyebrow slightly. In Myria, banquets were the main social method for nobles. If one wanted to establish connections with local nobles quickly, the best way was to attend a banquet hosted by the local lord. The same was true for bloodbornes. There was even a saying that the origin of banquets as a social tool among Myria nobles came from bloodbornes. ¡°The banquet in the Queen¡¯s Palace will likely gather the high-ranking members of the Harcos Clan. This is also an opportunity for me to learn about the Harcos Clan and the Crimson Queen.¡± Charlotte thought to herself. After a brief consideration, she nodded and accepted the invitation. Led by the Prophet of the Harcos Clan, Charlotte entered the side hall of the Queen¡¯s Palace. Upon entering the palace, Charlotte noticeably felt her mental probe being further suppressed, almost unable to leave her body. At the same time, her bloodline¡¯s throbbing grew stronger, and the Gospel of Blood deep within her consciousness shone brightly. If Charlotte were not already the master of the Gospel of Blood, she might have doubted whether it would fly out and ravenously absorb the pervasive bloodline power in the palace. ?????N?B¨¨? Especially in the main hall of the Queen¡¯s Palace, Charlotte felt the strongest attraction emanating from there. Charlotte made a mental note of the main hall¡¯s location without showing any change in her expression. Simultaneously, she quietly circulated her blood divine power within her body, calming the restless Gospel of Blood, and used the divine power to enhance her mental strength, making it easier to sense and probe within the palace. Like the Nez Clan, the Harcos Clan continued the luxurious lifestyle of bloodbornes. Inside the palace, exquisite decorations and priceless jewels and artifacts were everywhere, surpassing even the Crescent Palace in extravagance. When Charlotte arrived at the banquet hall, over a thousand bloodbornes were already waiting. They wore splendid garments, adorned with ancient crests, and stood in the brightly lit palace, bowing to the Prophet and Charlotte in unison, making quite a grand scene. This scene was far more impressive than what Charlotte had seen at the Nez Clan¡¯s stronghold. The Nez Clan, exhausted by the Star-Moon War, had a central castle that seemed rather shabby compared to the Harcos¡¯ Queen¡¯s Palace. Though there were more bloodbornes, their clothing was much simpler and ¡°shabbier.¡± The Harcos Clan, however, was completely different. Such a lavish and grand scene far exceeded even the state banquets of the Crescent Kingdom. However, despite the grandeur of the Harcos¡¯ welcoming banquet, Charlotte noticed some subtle details. The first point was the aura of the bloodbornes in the hall. If Charlotte¡¯s senses were still suppressed, that would be one thing. The restrictions in the Queen¡¯s Palace were clearly at a Legendary level, making it difficult for even a Legendary to probe the states of others. But Charlotte was a Demigod. By quietly circulating her blood divine power, she could resist the suppression of the palace¡¯s restrictions to a certain extent, maintaining her perception of the surroundings. In her perception, although the thousand bloodbornes in the hall were dressed magnificently and had an air of nobility, their strength was¡­ very underwhelming. Apart from the Prophet being a Legendary, the entire palace had less than ten Bloodborne Counts, only two to three hundred Viscounts, and even only five to six hundred Barons. The rest were mere squire-level bloodbornes, there just to make up the numbers. This level of strength, while formidable in the Starfall Kingdom as a major power, seemed too weak for one of the five major blood clans¡­ No, not just seemed. It was indeed weak, even weaker than the Nez Clan! Even without using the True Ancestor¡¯s power, Charlotte could take down all the bloodbornes here, except the Prophet, with her own strength. Were these the high-ranking members of the Harcos Clan? Their core strength? Too weak! Unconvinced, Charlotte focused her awareness, summoning the Crimson Star Sea for further confirmation, and was surprised to find that these bloodbornes corresponded to the stronger stars symbolizing the Harcos Clan within the Crimson Star Sea. Evidently, the Harcos Clan¡­ was genuinely weak. Not only that, Charlotte also keenly sensed a faint hint of murderous intent from the majority of the bloodbornes. Although they made an effort to conceal it, Charlotte could vaguely perceive that many of them were injured. This piqued Charlotte¡¯s curiosity even more. She carefully observed the bloodbornes in the hall and quickly noticed more details. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. How should she put it? Even though these bloodbornes were dressed like nobles, when they started to move, Charlotte noticed that they seemed quite uncomfortable in their noble attire. It seemed like they had only put on these clothes at the last minute. Moreover, if one closely observed their expressions and movements, they appeared rather restrained, unlike the bloodbornes of the Nez Clan who were accustomed to frequenting banquets. These bloodbornes¡­ probably weren¡¯t the ancient bloodbornes they appeared to be. Most of them seemed to be relatively young bloodbornes pretending to be ancient ones. Charlotte made this judgment. The more she observed, the more intrigued she became. However, she did not reveal this insight or probe further. Charlotte took her seat, and the banquet soon began. As usual, the Prophet spoke first, expressing gratitude to Charlotte. Music started to play, and the hall was filled with clinking glasses and lively conversation. As Charlotte looked at the array of dishes at the banquet, she once again fell into deep thought. There was no other reason: the food at the Harcos banquet was different from that of the Nez Clan. During her time subduing the Nez Clan, Charlotte had attended several of their banquets to stabilize morale under the guise of a ¡°True Ancestor.¡± At the Nez Clan¡¯s banquets, drinks and food made from various extraordinary blood were everywhere, with blood being the main ingredient. But the Harcos Clan¡­ If Charlotte didn¡¯t know she was attending a bloodborne banquet, she might have thought it was a human noble¡¯s banquet. In the large banquet hall, apart from the low-concentration blood wine, there were no blood products in the dishes. There were some extraordinary blood dishes prepared specifically for Charlotte, but they seemed to have been made in haste, likely just for her. Clearly, as Charlotte had read in the memories, the Harcos Clan seemed to avoid drinking blood, apart from the blood wine they brewed. This made Charlotte even more curious about the Harcos Clan. She wanted to have further conversations with the bloodbornes at the banquet, to subtly gather some information. But what puzzled her even more was that, despite the social nature of the banquet, no bloodborne initiated a conversation with her. All the bloodbornes who made eye contact with her first respectfully greeted her, and then¡­ nothing more. Weird. Really weird. If it were just one or two bloodbornes, it wouldn¡¯t be notable. But since all the Harcos Clan members were behaving this way, it was likely they had received orders not to engage with Charlotte. Charlotte¡¯s gaze eventually returned to the Prophet of the Harcos Clan. ¡°Your Excellency the Prophet, with the Divinity Descent Day approaching, I wish to visit Her Majesty the Crimson Queen, Rowena. Could you introduce me?¡± She probed. The Prophet sighed and, with a hint of apology, said, ¡°Your Majesty Charlotte, Her Majesty the Queen is in deep meditation and cannot receive visitors at the moment.¡± ¡°Could you tell me which Kirali lord your divine patron follows, so that I may convey your intentions to Her Majesty the Queen?¡± Hmm? Hmm¡ªhmm hmm?! A Kilari lord following the Creator God?! What the heck! Hearing the Prophet¡¯s words, Charlotte was stunned, her mind going blank for a moment. She never expected the Prophet of the Harcos Clan to link the Creator God with the Blood Royal Clan and speak of a royal bloodborne following the Creator God! However, she quickly caught on and recalled many texts she had read. Although there was no concrete evidence, and no bloodborne could confirm it, some texts did suggest that the Holy Court seemed entangled with the Royal Blood Clan. For instance, in the ¡°Song of the Blood Moon¡± Charlotte had read, the Creator God was even depicted as the Progenitor of the Royal Blood Clan! At the time, Charlotte had been skeptical and had asked Albrecht and Yurst about it, but they had dismissed it. Not long after, even Charlotte had put it out of her mind. But now, hearing the Prophet of the Harcos Clan say this, she couldn¡¯t help but entertain a seemingly absurd yet strangely plausible thought¡ª Could it be¡­ that Harald really was the Progenitor of the Royal Blood Clan? Could it be¡­ that some elders of the Royal Blood Clan had indeed once joined the Holy Court? And because of this, as a ¡°Saintess¡± of the Creator God and a member of the ¡°Royal Blood Clan¡±, she was referred to in such a manner by the Prophet of the Harcos Clan? Charlotte felt she might have uncovered the truth. But she still found it very odd. If this were true, why didn¡¯t Albrecht and the Nez bloodbornes know about it? Or could it be¡­ that this was a secret only known to the Harcos Clan? Charlotte pondered for a moment, planning to probe further, when she suddenly sensed some energy fluctuations from the depths of the castle complex. And then¡­ she saw the Prophet of the Harcos Clan suddenly pause. The elderly female Prophet furrowed her brow slightly, looked in a certain direction, and after a brief consideration, bowed to Charlotte. ¡°Your Majesty Charlotte, I apologize, but it seems there¡¯s an urgent matter. Please allow me to leave for a moment to handle it.¡± Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred, and she said, ¡°Do you need¡­ help?¡± The Prophet smiled and shook her head. ¡°No need, please continue to enjoy your meal here. Sophia will accompany you in my stead.¡± With that, she bowed to Charlotte and hurriedly left the banquet hall. Charlotte keenly noticed that after the Prophet left, many bloodbornes in the hall also quietly followed. She carefully sensed and then raised an eyebrow. The bloodbornes leaving were all those in the hall who were of Viscount rank or higher, including all the Counts. Charlotte quietly activated her blood divine power, spreading a wisp of her mental power and attaching it to one of the departing Blood Viscounts. She ¡°saw¡± these bloodbornes catching up with the Prophet of the Harcos Clan, forming a neat line, and heading towards the depths of the castle complex. A dark red glow emanated from their bodies, and their luxurious clothes quickly disappeared, replaced by fully armed armor and black robes. Charlotte paused slightly. These bloodbornes were indeed not the ancient high-ranking bloodbornes. They¡­ should be the extraordinary army of the Harcos Clan. In Charlotte¡¯s perception, the Prophet led these most powerful bloodborne warriors toward the source of the agitation. And as the wisp of mental power Charlotte attached to the bloodborne warrior approached the source of the agitation, she once again felt that familiar feeling¡ª It was the feeling of bloodline corruption, the same as when Sigurd mutated. Chapter 514 : We don’t need help Deep within the central castle complex of the Harcos Sanctuary. An ancient stone door connected to the underground, leading through a rune-engraved stone tower into a vast subterranean ruin. Deep in the ruins, a tide of monsters roared and howled, charging towards the stone tower that leads to the surface. These monsters are pitch black, hideous, and emit an aura of darkness and corruption, unmistakably frenzied blood fiends. Around the stone tower, bloodbornes in black robes stand solemnly, arranged in a disciplined formation. Their bodies radiate magical power, manipulating dark red magical barriers that envelop the stone tower. The remnants of sword techniques and magical glow flashed continuously. Clan members in armor transformed into bats or black mist at times, moved in and out of the magical barriers. Some slice through the monsters with their swords, while others shred them to pieces with magic. Below the stone tower, the corpses of monsters have piled into small mountains, with black and red blood dyeing the ground a deep black. The rich smell of blood filled the entire ruin. And deeper in the ruins, countless more blood fiends continue to emerge from the darkness, seemingly endless under the dim magical lights. Suddenly, a series of frenzied roars erupted. Several monsters, far more terrifying than the others, leap out of the ¡°tide¡± and charge towards the stone tower. The outermost bloodbornes are severely injured in just one encounter with these monsters. Even the defensive barrier protecting the stone tower shook violently under their attacks, seemingly on the verge of collapse. Seeing the unstoppable monsters, the defending clan members¡¯ expressions changed dramatically. ¡°Oh no! These are the Fallens nearing the strength of Blazing Sun!¡± ¡°Retreat! Strengthen the barrier!¡± But just as these monsters were about to breach the stone tower, dark red radiance descended from the sky, and blood arrows pierced the ground, puncturing them one by one. ¡°Prophet!¡± The sight of the figure above the stone tower revitalized the bloodbornes. ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± Margo, the Prophet of the Harcos Clan, asked calmly, glancing at the blood fiends in the ruins. The bloodbornes looked at each other, saluted the Prophet Margo, and said, ¡°It seems that the seal of one of the duke-ranked beings has loosened, causing this disturbance.¡± ¡°We apologize for disturbing you and the other lords. We will quickly clear out the monsters.¡± The Prophet shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. Even fallen bloodbornes who have lost their sanity still retain an instinct for self-preservation. It¡¯s my removal of the legion¡¯s main force that has made them restless.¡± She then looked at the bloodborne warriors who followed her and continued. ¡°Blood Legion, hear my command. Those of viscount rank and above, stay in the forbidden area to maintain the seal and suppress the fallen bloodbornes. You don¡¯t need to continue pretending to be high-ranking bloodbornes of count rank and above.¡± Several count-ranked bloodbornes who had followed looked at each other with concern and said, ¡°Prophet, if so many ¡®high-ranking bloodbornes¡¯ leave all at once, won¡¯t it expose our true situation at the banquet?¡± The Prophet Margo said, ¡°I will handle the banquet. Maintaining the seal is most important. This is the task entrusted to us by Her Majesty the Queen. We must fulfill our duty until Her Majesty succeeds.¡± ?¨¤???????? ¡°These past two years, their power has been growing stronger. Do not be complacent. This is for Her Majesty the Queen and for the future of our Harcos Clan.¡± ¡°Her Majesty is at the most critical moment. Once she succeeds, we can free ourselves from the curse.¡± ¡°Everyone, continue to fight. All for the future of the Bloodborne!¡± ¡°For the future of the Bloodborne!¡± The bloodbornes raised their swords and spoke in unison. ¡­¡­ Banquet hall of the Queen¡¯s Palace. Melodious music flowed gently, and elegant bloodbornes chatted and laughed. Charlotte leaned against the VIP seat, slowly opening her eyes and gazing thoughtfully out the window. The last bit of mental power attached to the bloodborne warriors has been severed. But in her mind, the scenes sensed before the break still replay. A stone tower, seals¡­ and ruins. Bloodbornes, monsters¡­ and battle. ¡°So, beneath the Sanctuary castle complex of the Harcos Clan, high-ranking fallen bloodbornes are sealed¡­¡± ¡°Sigurd¡¯s memory also mentioned that the Harcos Clan has been fighting the bloodline curse, but since he was just a palace guard, there were no detailed specifics.¡± ¡°It seems that the underground ruins are the main battleground for the Harcos Clan against the fallen bloodborne.¡± ¡°Unlike the Nez Clan, the Harcos Clan hasn¡¯t participated in any large-scale wars on the continent, but their true state appears even weaker than the Nez Clan¡­¡± ¡°They seem more prone to ¡®falling¡¯, and most of their high-ranking bloodbornes seem to have already fallen.¡± ¡°The sane Harcos Clan is waging an ¡®internal war¡¯ against the fallen high-ranking bloodbornes. The barrier enveloping the Northern Grand Duchy might not just be to suppress divine power but also to delay their own fall.¡± ¡°The Harcos Clan is obviously in trouble. Considering the recent scenes and Sigurd¡¯s memories, it¡¯s clear they are finding it increasingly difficult to combat the fallen bloodbornes.¡± ¡°Yet even so¡­ the Crimson Queen Rowena hasn¡¯t intervened.¡± ¡°Is it really as the Prophet of the Harcos Clan said, that she is at the most critical stage of her ascension?¡± ¡°Or is there something wrong with her?¡± Charlotte pondered, her mind raced. ¡°Your Majesty Charlotte, what are you thinking about? How about trying some of our Harcos Clan¡¯s special blood wine?¡± A familiar voice interrupted her thoughts. Charlotte returned to her senses, seeing the captain of the Harcos Clan¡¯s palace guard, Sophia, walking over with a goblet. Cautious glances from the hall fell upon her. Charlotte swept her gaze around, and those who looked at her quickly averted their eyes. Though they looked away quickly, Charlotte could still sense a hint of nervousness from them. Charlotte chuckled softly. She looked around, and wherever her gaze fell, bloodbornes would look away. Finally, her eyes settled on Sophia, who was noticeably more tense, even showing signs of being on edge. ¡°Nothing, just curious about what the Prophet went to do.¡± Charlotte gracefully took the goblet from Sophia and took a sip. Sophia stiffened slightly. Forcing a smile, she said, ¡°Just some internal clan affairs, some clan members who drank too much are causing trouble. It¡¯s not a big deal.¡± ¡°Oh? Such a matter can actually alarm the Prophet?¡± Charlotte appeared surprised. ¡°Uh¡­ some higher-ranking individuals. Only the Prophet can handle them.¡± Sophia said stiffly. ¡°Higher-ranking individuals, huh¡­¡± Charlotte¡¯s expression was inscrutable. Seeing Charlotte¡¯s knowing and playful expression, Sophia felt her heart sink. She hesitated for a moment, just about to change the topic, when she heard Charlotte said, ¡°Lady Sophia, I come here with goodwill and an olive branch. May I know when I will truly be able to meet Her Majesty Rowena?¡± Sophia¡¯s movements paused slightly. She took a deep breath and repeated, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Majesty Charlotte, but Her Majesty the Queen is currently meditating deep within the palace and cannot meet with you at this time.¡± ¡°Oh? For the time being? Do you know how long this might take?¡± ¡°This is for Her Majesty to decide. When the time is right, Her Majesty will appear.¡± ¡°Appear¡­ Lady Sophia, do you know when Her Majesty last appeared?¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Faced with Charlotte¡¯s gaze, which seemed to see through lies, Sophia felt immense pressure. She felt as if all her thoughts were laid bare, a pressure she had only felt once before when receiving the Queen¡¯s blessing at her birth during the blood baptism. All eyes in the banquet hall focused on Sophia and Charlotte. At some point, the bloodbornes¡¯ conversations had stopped, and they silently observed the two, a tense atmosphere slowly rising. ¡°Hehe, Your Majesty Charlotte, it is true that Her Majesty cannot appear. If you wish to discuss cooperation with our clan, you can talk with me.¡± An elderly voice interrupted Charlotte¡¯s question, breaking the stifling atmosphere. Sophia¡¯s spirits lifted. She turned to see the figure re-entering the banquet hall, quietly sighing in relief, then respectfully bowed. ¡°Prophet¡­¡± Seeing the Prophet¡¯s return, the bloodbornes in the banquet hall also breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Apologies for keeping you waiting, Your Majesty Charlotte.¡± The Prophet apologized again to Charlotte. Charlotte smiled. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. But, Prophet, are you saying you can represent God and sign an agreement?¡± The Prophet Margo paused slightly. She shook her head and earnestly said, ¡°I am not qualified to represent God. However, before Her Majesty went into meditation, she entrusted me with all clan affairs. If you wish to discuss cooperation with the clan, you can talk to me after the banquet, and I will report all agreements to Her Majesty for her divine judgment.¡± Charlotte nodded, glanced around, and smiled. ¡°Very well. In that case, let¡¯s get straight to the point. This performance-like banquet is rather dull, and I believe the warriors in this hall would prefer not to waste their time here. After all, they have more important matters to attend to.¡± Hearing this, Sophia¡¯s expression changed slightly, and the bloodbornes in the banquet hall instinctively paused, showing expressions of alertness. Seeing Charlotte¡¯s calm demeanor, the Prophet sighed deeply. She glanced at everyone and said, ¡°You all¡­ may withdraw for now.¡± The bloodbornes in the hall hesitated. ¡°Withdraw. Her Majesty Charlotte has already seen through your strengths and weaknesses. There is no need to waste any more time here.¡± The Prophet repeated, and the bloodbornes finally started to move. They bowed to the Prophet and then gradually left. Sophia hesitated but, under the Prophet¡¯s commanding gaze, eventually nodded silently and followed the others out of the banquet hall. Soon, the grand palace was left with only Charlotte and the Prophet of the Harcos Clan. The atmosphere fell into an eerie silence, broken only when Charlotte spoke first. ¡°Prophet, I wonder how long the Harcos Clan can maintain its current state?¡± The Prophet paused. She smiled and said, ¡°Your Majesty Charlotte, I do not understand your meaning.¡± Charlotte shook her head. ¡°No, you do understand.¡± The Prophet frowned slightly. She was about to say something when Charlotte suddenly said, ¡°Seven Counts.¡± The Prophet froze slightly. She looked at Charlotte, who continued with more numbers. ¡°Two hundred twenty-three Viscounts, five hundred forty-three Barons, and four hundred thirty-two attendants close to Baron rank¡­ Great Prophet, am I correct?¡± The Prophet¡¯s expression became solemn. Charlotte had accurately reported the true strength of the bloodbornes who had attended the banquet. ¡°Your Majesty Charlotte, you are more formidable than I imagined. To see through our clan¡¯s strength despite the barrier, it seems the God¡¯s favor upon you is stronger than I thought.¡± The Prophet sighed and smiled bitterly. She continued. ¡°I admit, our Harcos Clan is facing some minor troubles, but they are not major issues.¡± ¡°Oh? Minor troubles? All high-ranking bloodbornes have fallen, the number of clear-minded clan members is dwindling, the overall strength has plummeted, the power to resist blood fiends is weakening, and even the forces entering the Myria continent can only reach the level of Viscount. This¡­ is also a minor issue?¡± Charlotte said, looking at the Prophet with golden-red eyes glimmering. ¡°And you¡­ how much longer can you hold out?¡± The Prophet¡¯s expression finally changed, and the atmosphere grew tense again. ¡°Prophet.¡± S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte continued. ¡°I can help you deal with the bloodline curse issue and purify the fallen bloodbornes¡¯ power.¡± The Prophet¡¯s eyes narrowed. She was silent for a moment before suddenly laughing. ¡°Your Majesty Charlotte, you must be joking. Our high-ranking bloodbornes are only in a deep slumber. When Her Majesty¡¯s meditation ends, they will naturally awaken¡­¡± ¡°I can roughly guess which God you serve, but the affairs of our Harcos Clan are not for the Holy Court to meddle in. Since you chose a different path, we have long since parted ways. Out of past friendship, we do not interfere in your conflicts with other clans, but we ask you not to extend your reach into our territory. Her Majesty¡¯s wrath¡­ is something you cannot withstand.¡± ¡°You have your path, and we have ours. Your so-called ¡®purification¡¯ is something we do not need. Keep it for yourselves.¡± Chapter 515 : Her Majesty the Queen The Holy Court has no right to intervene? We have long since¡­ parted ways? Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred. She hadn¡¯t expected the Prophet of the Harcos Clan to so decisively refuse her aid. But what the other party said brought her a wealth of information. ¡®So, it¡¯s true that there were Royal Blood Clan¡¯s myths that fled to the Holy Court¡­¡¯ ¡®Or perhaps the Holy Court itself was established by those who betrayed the Royal Blood Clan after splitting from the bloodborne race?¡¯ ¡®The Prophet of the Harcos Clan seems to know more ancient secrets than the Nez Clan¡¯s Elder Council. Perhaps¡­ I can extract more information from her.¡¯ Charlotte thought to herself. She looked calmly at the resolute Prophet of the Harcos Clan and suddenly smiled. ¡°Prophet, I didn¡¯t quite understand your meaning.¡± ¡°You said you guessed which Excellency I serve, then¡­ I am also curious as to whom you think I am a divine agent of?¡± The Prophet of the Harcos Clan, Margo, glanced at her and snorted softly. ¡°For other clans, your secrets have long been buried in history with the collapse of the last Royal Blood Clan, but don¡¯t forget, in that great disaster that destroyed the name of Kirali, my Lord was the only surviving witness of that myth.¡± ¡°The Royal Blood Clan was once the strongest blood clan, with a peak presence of as many as thirteen Demigods. Even after the massacre by the True Ancestor of Blood, there were still three myths remaining.¡± ¡°When the True Ancestor of Blood disappeared and the Creator God awakened, the Royal Blood Clan also split¡­¡± ¡°One myth attempted to ascend to Godhood, ultimately falling into eternal darkness as their bloodline ran rampant, one myth barely maintained the last Kirali, hoping to find the True Ancestor of Blood, and was eventually killed by the united forces of the major clans, and the last one¡­ followed the Creator God into the Holy Court and became the first Chief Judge of the Inquisition.¡± ¡°He prayed to the Creator to transform his bloodline with holy flame, thus gaining the power to ¡®purify¡¯ the bloodline. Even his title¡­ was rewritten.¡± At this point, the Prophet of the Harcos Clan looked at Charlotte with a gaze that seemed to see through everything. ¡°Am I right? Charlotte de Castell, Divine Agent of Garimo, the God of Judgment, Manager of the Holy Court¡¯s Pantheon, and follower of the so-called ¡®Nyx¡¯ in the North.¡± Charlotte: ¡­ Oh boy! The God of Judgment Garimo of the Holy Court¡­ was once part of the Royal Blood Clan? Charlotte knew there were many subordinate Gods in the Holy Court. In fact, the Holy Court¡¯s strength came from continuously absorbing other myths into their pantheon to become subordinate Gods of the Creator God. Although, to this day, the various subordinate Gods in the Holy Court have gradually faded over time, with the Creator¡¯s faith now dominating over ninety percent of the religion, some minor Gods have even been completely forgotten by the people, only recorded in the Holy Bible¡­ ??¦­?????§¦???? But the name of Garimo, the God of Judgment, was still known to Charlotte. That was the God worshiped by the Judgment Knights, the Right Hand of the Creator God, one of the three main subordinate Gods within the Holy Court. By the way, the other two are Mitra, the God of Contracts, and Aphros, the Goddess of Beauty, Celebration, and Wisdom. Charlotte wasn¡¯t very familiar with Garimo, but from the ¡°introduction¡± by the Prophet of the Harcos Clan, she now had a pretty good understanding. Garimo, the God of Judgment, originated from the bloodborne and possessed the power to ¡°purify¡± the bloodline. Clearly, the Prophet of the Harcos Clan mistook Charlotte¡¯s mythological backer, God Nyx, for Garimo, the God of Judgment of the Holy Court. Charlotte wasn¡¯t sure what expression to show. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But from the firm attitude of the Prophet of the Harcos Clan, she knew that persuading her was impossible. She could force it as she did with Nez Clan, but she decided against it. Unlike the Nez Clan, the Crimson Queen, even if in trouble, was ¡°in retreat¡± within the Sanctuary of the Harcos Clan. Facing an unknown-status Demigod, caution was wise. More importantly, even if the Prophet Margo refused to introduce her, she had other ways to ¡°see¡± the Crimson Queen Rowena. Thinking this, Charlotte smiled and said, ¡°I understand. Since you insist, Prophet, I won¡¯t press further. It¡¯s getting late, and I should return.¡± The Prophet Margo frowned slightly. ¡°Your Majesty Charlotte, didn¡¯t you come to discuss the matters of the Divinity Descent with the Harcos Clan?¡± Charlotte replied softly. ¡°The Divinity Descent was just an excuse. My real goal was to visit the Crimson Queen.¡± The Prophet Margo frowned deeper, looking at Charlotte with more caution. Charlotte smiled. ¡°Prophet, no need to look at me like that. As I said, I mean no harm to Harcos Clan.¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, the Prophet Margo¡¯s expression turned a bit awkward. She cleared her throat and said, ¡°Your Majesty Charlotte, forgive the misunderstanding. Although I can¡¯t introduce you, you did extend a helping hand to our clan members. We, the Harcos Clan, are not ungrateful. Please accept these gifts.¡± Saying this, the Prophet Margo clapped her hands, and soon a beautiful bloodborne girl entered the hall carrying a tray. The tray was wrapped in red silk, on which lay a few glittering storage rings. Charlotte raised an eyebrow. She did not decline, taking them up and probing with her mental power, then showing surprise. There were quite a lot of things inside the rings. Various invaluable extraordinary materials, which Charlotte estimated to be worth at least seven to eight million gold tana. Given Charlotte¡¯s status, it wasn¡¯t an insignificant amount. She did not hesitate and accepted it directly. Although she had inherited the Starfall throne, the kingdom¡¯s finances were dire. These extraordinary materials would greatly enrich her treasury. However, for Charlotte herself, these materials weren¡¯t very enticing. What she truly desired were the benefits of ¡°purifying¡± the bloodline pollution of the Harcos Clan and the possible possession of Faceless Statues by the Harcos Clan. After receiving the Harcos Clan¡¯s gifts, Charlotte left the ¡°Sanctuary¡± with Prophet Margo personally seeing her off. Before departing, Charlotte gave her a meaningful look and smiled. ¡°Prophet, thank you for your hospitality. Though I couldn¡¯t meet Her Majesty Rowena directly, I still hold great expectations for the Harcos Clan.¡± ¡°I believe¡­ we will meet again soon.¡± With that, she smiled and transformed into a streak of light, flying into the distance. The Prophet Margo was slightly stunned. She wanted to ask something, but after the light passed, she could no longer sense Charlotte¡¯s presence¡­ ¡­ Deep in the Great Northern Forest. A crimson light flashed, and Charlotte¡¯s figure reappeared. As soon as she appeared, the Roman Sword impatiently emerged. ¡°Great Master, you¡­ just left like that?¡± Charlotte glanced at it. ¡°Why, do you want me to storm the Queen¡¯s Palace?¡± ¡°Why not? You should have sensed it too, right? There¡¯s hardly any trace of the Crimson Queen¡¯s presence in that sanctuary. She must be away or facing some issues! Maybe¡­ she¡¯s also fallen into sumbler! This is a great opportunity to subdue the Harcos Clan!¡± Charlotte shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s just your speculation, only a possibility. Unlike the Stargazer Casey, the Harcos Clan can still receive the Crimson Queen¡¯s oracles, and the Queen is clearly stationed deep within the sanctuary. Never underestimate a Demigod, especially on their home turf.¡± ¡°Then¡­ are you really planning to go back?¡± ¡°Go back? Of course not. I won¡¯t return without meeting the Crimson Queen.¡± Charlotte smiled. With that, she looked toward the direction of the Harcos Clan¡¯s Sanctuary, her gaze becoming distant. ¡°Roman, you¡¯re right. The Crimson Queen Rowena is definitely facing some issues. This might indeed be a good opportunity to subdue the Harcos Clan.¡± ¡°But storming the Queen¡¯s Palace is not the best method and will surely provoke fierce resistance from the Harcos Clan.¡± ¡°I have a good impression of the Harcos Clan and if possible, I don¡¯t want to create major conflicts with them.¡± The Roman Sword was puzzled. ¡°Then¡­ what do you plan to do?¡± Charlotte smiled, and a phantom of a small statue appeared in her hand. ¡°Although seeing her in person would be best, there is more than one way to meet the Crimson Queen.¡± ¡­ Harcos Clan¡¯s Sanctuary, Queen¡¯s Palace. The Prophet Margo put away her smile, her expression turning serious. ¡°Prophet¡­¡± Sophia, now dressed in a black robe, bowed to her. Margo nodded slightly and asked. ¡°Are the preparations complete?¡± Sophia nodded. ¡°Everything is ready.¡± After a moment¡¯s hesitation, she asked. ¡°Prophet, does Her Majesty the Queen really not want to meet the divine agent of the God of Judgement?¡± Margo shook her head. ¡°If Her Majesty wishes to meet, there will be an oracle. The most crucial thing for Her Majesty now is to take the final step.¡± ¡°Our situation has already been exposed to the Holy Court. All our hopes rest on Her Majesty.¡± ¡°Bring all the offerings to Her Majesty, She is about to make the final attempt.¡± Sophia paused slightly, and couldn¡¯t help but look up at the Prophet Margo. ¡°Prophet, is this¡­ also an oracle from Her Majesty?¡± Margo was silent for a moment, then nodded with a gentle smile. ¡°Of course, this is the oracle of Her Majesty and the goal we, the Harcos Clan, have been striving for over the centuries.¡± Hearing this, Sophia lowered her head and said no more. After the orders were given, the guards in the Queen¡¯s Palace quickly took action. Not long after, various offerings were transported to the large hall¡¯s gate deep within the Queen¡¯s Palace. The offerings varied widely. Some were sculptures, some stone statues, some dried limbs, and some broken armors or weapon fragments. All the offerings were placed in exquisite wooden boxes, sealed with complex magical arrays, emitting a disturbing aura. Among all the offerings, the most eye-catching were the few small Faceless Statues. Seeing the collected offerings, the Prophet took a deep breath. With a wave of her hand, she stored all the offerings into a storage item and then bowed respectfully to the tall hall gate. ¡°Your Majesty, according to your oracle, the offerings are ready.¡± ¡°Please permit me to enter the sanctuary to assist you with the final ceremony¡­¡± With that, the Prophet knelt on one knee, closing her eyes. Dark red light flickered, and the magic lamps around cast flickering shadows. A deep, vast aura descended, enveloping the Prophet. Dots of light fell, and the Prophet¡¯s figure gradually became transparent, finally¡­ disappearing. The Prophet slowly opened her eyes. She was now in a majestic temple. The temple seemed to have been abandoned for years, already weathered and dilapidated, with gruesome dark red veins and flesh masses crawling all over the walls. The veins converged in the center of the temple, climbing up to a high throne, upon which lay a mountain-like mass of flesh. The flesh mass trembled slightly like a beating heart, with a faint female face visible on it. Seeing that face, the Prophet showed a nostalgic expression. She sighed softly, bowing respectfully and prostrating herself before the flesh mass. ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± Chapter 516 : I am openly watching The Prophet of the Harcos Clan knelt before the mass of flesh, chanting the God¡¯s true name. The large mass of flesh trembled slightly with the rhythm of its ¡°heart.¡± In response to the Prophet of the Harcos Clan¡¯s call, the blurry human face kept its eyes closed, showing no reaction. Time passed slowly, and the dilapidated temple seemed frozen, with only the thumping of the ¡°heart¡± marking the passage of time. The Prophet Margo¡¯s expression grew complex as she stared at the indistinct face, which was fused with the mass of flesh and showed no signs of awakening. She took a deep breath and spoke again. ¡°Your Majesty, the Holy Court¡¯s envoys have already discovered the reality of the Sanctuary, and the clan¡¯s strength against the fallen bloodborne is weakening. We¡­ may not be able to hold on much longer.¡± ¡°We have prepared the necessary sacrifices as per your instructions and can perform the final rebirth ritual at any time.¡± ¡°Great Crimson Queen Rowena, your humble and devout servant begs for your response. May we proceed with the final step as planned?¡± The Prophet¡¯s voice echoed in the temple, and this time¡­ the mass of flesh finally responded. A dark red glow flickered, and a deep, ancient, chaotic, and dark aura stirred. The Prophet Margo prostrated on the ground, feeling a gentle, familiar magical force caress her face, and hearing a soft whisper in her ear. The whisper was indistinct, like a breeze, but carried an inspiring power, as if affirming her request. The Prophet Margo¡¯s body trembled slightly. Feeling the encouragement from an unseen force, her eyes brightened, and she became slightly excited. She respectfully bowed to the mass of flesh once more and, with a fanatical expression, said, ¡°Great Queen, your will¡­ your humble servant Margo has heard it.¡± ¡°I will proceed with the final sacrificial ritual as planned to help you take the final step and ascend to the throne of a true God!¡± ¡°Please wait a moment. It will be soon, very soon!¡± The dark red glow flickered, and the whispers continued, seemingly affirming her response. The Prophet Margo stood up again, and with a flash of light, she summoned various offerings from her storage space. Incomplete sculptures, eerie statues, mysterious chunks of flesh, crystals with strange glows, and various fragments of armor, weapons, and ancient statues. These offerings had been collected by the Harcos Clan over centuries from the Northern territories. They were relics of Myria¡¯s Old Gods and the True Ancestor of Blood, remnants containing divine bloodlines and power. As these items, imbued with the power of the Old Gods, were brought out, an unsettling aura quickly spread through the temple. The next moment, the ¡°heart¡± within the mass of flesh began to beat faster. Whispers floated like a breeze, seeming impatient. Feeling the encouragement and affirmation in the whispers, the Prophet Margo¡¯s confidence grew. She made another flash of light appear in her hand, summoning a pre-prepared altar, which she placed below the throne, drawing a complex sacrificial array in blood. ?????????????????????? Then, she manipulated her magic to place the offerings on the altars. With the offerings in place, the ritual was ready. The Prophet Margo exhaled softly, bowed once more to the massive lump of flesh on the throne, and then began channeling magic to activate the array. However, just as she was about to take the final step, a familiar voice suddenly spoke behind her, accompanied by a soft sigh. ¡°If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t recklessly perform such an unreliable sacrificial ritual.¡± ¡°Who?!¡± The Prophet Margo was startled. She quickly cast a magical barrier and turned around warily. Behind her stood a familiar figure. Golden hair, azure eyes, and luxurious attire. It was Charlotte, who had already left the Harcos Sanctuary. The Prophet Margo¡¯s expression changed drastically. She snorted coldly, and her magic flared, releasing a Legendary-level pressure instantly. Dark red magic condensed into a terrifying giant hand, pressing down on Charlotte, but the next moment¡­ it passed right through her. ¡°A projection?¡± The Prophet Margo was momentarily stunned. The magic gradually subsided. She frowned, looking hostilely at the ethereal figure before her. ¡°Your Majesty Charlotte, how did you get in?¡± ¡°Spying on a God¡¯s secrets is forbidden. Do you intend to declare war on the Harcos Clan with such actions?¡± The Prophet¡¯s expression was icy as she warily eyed the young woman before her. Meanwhile, her peripheral vision quickly scanned the surroundings, searching for the item that the projection was anchored to. ¡°I am merely concerned about the Harcos Clan.¡± Charlotte shook her head. As she spoke, she stepped towards the throne at the center of the temple. ¡°Stop!¡± The Prophet Margo¡¯s expression changed immediately. She reached out to stop her, but her hand passed right through Charlotte. Charlotte approached the throne. She gazed at the large lump of flesh on the throne and the indistinct human face on it, and sighed softly. ¡°After arriving at the Harcos Sanctuary, I wondered why the Harcos Clan, in such decline and facing a great crisis, still had Queen Rowena in seclusion. It seemed unreasonable¡­¡± ¡°So, the Crimson Queen herself¡­ has long since fallen.¡± ¡°Silence! Charlotte de Castell, I respect you as a God¡¯s favored one, but that doesn¡¯t mean I will tolerate your blasphemy against my Lord!¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, the Prophet Margo¡¯s expression changed dramatically. She glared angrily and rebuked sharply. ¡°Blasphemy?¡± Charlotte paused slightly. She cast her gaze over the blood-soaked altar and various offerings in front of the mass of flesh and sighed softly. ¡°Offering the residual power of the Old Gods as a sacrifice, merging the bloodlines of various mythological creatures¡­¡± ¡°Prophet, do you truly understand what you are doing?¡± ¡°If we¡¯re talking about blasphemy, the ritual you are preparing¡­ is the real blasphemy against the Gods.¡± The Prophet Margo stood in front of Charlotte and said coldly. ¡°I am merely executing the divine will of my Lord. This is the path chosen by my Lord, the most arduous one. You traitorous cowards will never understand the Lord¡¯s intentions.¡± S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Blasphemy? Hmph, if anything is blasphemous, it is your intrusion. Is the Holy Court declaring war on my Lord with such actions?¡± Charlotte shook her head. ¡°Prophet, please don¡¯t be angry. I mean no harm to Harcos. I do not represent the Holy Court. I admit my intrusion is impolite, but I don¡¯t want to see you or the Harcos Clan tread the wrong path.¡± Then, she looked at the mass of flesh and said, ¡°So, this is the so-called Crimson Queen? Pardon my frankness, but I can¡¯t sense any divine will from it. If this was truly Crimson Queen Rowena, then it seems¡­ it is no longer so.¡± ¡°I can probably guess what you intend to do. If I am not mistaken, you plan to use the ¡®laws¡¯ of other Gods to help Queen Rowena complete her laws, or perhaps¡­ ¡®resurrect¡¯ her?¡± ¡°Whether divine laws can truly complement each other is one thing. To me, mixing divine powers from different sources is just a meaningless amalgamation.¡± ¡°Prophet, with all due respect, your plan is useless for ascending to Godhood and impossible for resurrecting a fallen God. At most, it will create a ¡®monster¡¯ with power similar to a God.¡± ¡°Silence!¡± The Prophet Margo was furious. ¡°Just a lapdog of the Holy Court, spouting nonsense about things you don¡¯t understand!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll repeat, my Lord has not fallen. This is just part of the Lord¡¯s plan.¡± ¡°My Lord is not fallen. My Lord chose to become like this. It is a process of destruction and rebirth.¡± ¡°Destruction and rebirth?¡± Charlotte looked surprised. She glanced at the mass of flesh on the throne, growing curious. ¡°So, these flesh lumps¡­ are really the Crimson Queen herself?¡± The Prophet Margo subconsciously nodded, then frowned and scolded. ¡°What flesh lumps? Mind your words!¡± ¡°This is the sacred body of my Lord! It is a necessary phase for my Lord¡¯s rebirth!¡± ¡°The power of the bloodborne comes from the blood, but it also limits the bloodborne.¡± ¡°The True Ancestor of Blood created the bloodborne, granting them extraordinary power, but also limiting their potential.¡± ¡°No bloodborne can truly reach the rank of a true God, not even the most gifted nobles.¡± ¡°The only one who can become a true God is the True Ancestor!¡± ¡°That is why my Lord chose this arduous path and became like this.¡± ¡°But it is only temporary¡­¡± ¡°Once the ascension ritual is complete, once my Lord ascends to true mythology, my Lord will naturally end this state and return to the original form!¡± After speaking, the Prophet looked at Charlotte again and said, ¡°Lady Charlotte, I don¡¯t know how you entered my Lord¡¯s Sanctuary, but if you truly mean no harm to the Harcos Clan, please end this blasphemous intrusion now!¡± Charlotte shook her head. ¡°Intrusion? Sorry, I am openly watching now.¡± ¡°Um¡­ don¡¯t look at me with such angry eyes. I really mean no harm. Otherwise, I would have destroyed your ritual already.¡± ¡°You are a Legendary, you should know that ruining something is easier than accomplishing it.¡± ¡°Talking to you directly is a show of goodwill.¡± ¡°After all¡­ if I had malicious intent, wouldn¡¯t it make more sense to sabotage your ritual at a critical moment instead of exposing myself now?¡± ¡°See, you haven¡¯t driven me away yet. Can I assume you can¡¯t do anything about me?¡± ¡°If so, why not continue our conversation?¡± ¡°After all, even your worshipped God has not driven me away. Isn¡¯t that, in a way, an acknowledgment of me?¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, the Prophet Margo frowned slightly. Although she didn¡¯t want to admit it, she hadn¡¯t detected the other¡¯s intrusion before. In fact, even now, she hasn¡¯t figured out how the projection entered the Sanctuary. She doesn¡¯t even know what power the projection used. Moreover, although Her Majesty¡¯s state is terrible, a myth is still a myth. The sanctuary is Her Majesty¡¯s domain, and it has been imbued with a divine-level barrier, far beyond any magic, its strength unmatched by Legendary. Not even a Demigod could easily break in. Without Her Majesty¡¯s permission, no other power could penetrate. From this perspective, the fact that the other can project here likely means it has Her Majesty¡¯s ¡°approval¡±¡­ Of course, the other¡¯s blasphemous behavior still infuriates her. Thinking this, the Prophet Margo calmed down a bit and spoke more steadily. ¡°Lady Charlotte, what do you want?¡± ¡°Just to understand the situation and prevent the Harcos Clan from going astray, and to deal with any potential negative outcomes.¡± Charlotte said. She then looked at the altar and continued. ¡°Honestly, though I don¡¯t support your ritual, I won¡¯t stop you if you insist on doing it.¡± ¡°In my homeland, we say ¡®one doesn¡¯t shed tears until seeing the coffin.¡¯ Though I can almost foresee the outcome of your ritual, I know I can¡¯t persuade you now.¡± ¡°After all¡­ you¡¯ve been preparing for this for years.¡± ¡°So, let me observe the ritual.¡± ¡°If everything goes as you wish and the God ascends, we will all be delighted. But if something goes wrong, perhaps I can help.¡± ¡°What do you think of my proposal?¡± Chapter 517 : Monster After hearing Charlotte¡¯s suggestion, the Prophet Margo frowned slightly. The Divine Queen was right, she indeed had no way to deal with her. Although she was certain that the other party wouldn¡¯t appear just to ¡°watch the ritual¡±, since even Her Majesty the Queen hadn¡¯t stopped the ¡°intrusion¡±, she seemed to have no reason to oppose it either. After all, she was a third-generation bloodborne who had lived for over a thousand years. Even though she hadn¡¯t known the Divine Queen for long, her many years of experience allowed her to roughly judge that this young ruler did not seem particularly enthusiastic about ¡°conversing.¡± But at this moment, the other party seemed to have opened a conversation box, talking non-stop with her. It was obvious she was stalling for time. ¡®She probably isn¡¯t prepared either. The ritual has been exposed, and the reality of the clan can no longer be concealed. Maybe¡­ I should really seize the time and start the ritual immediately.¡¯ ¡®Besides trusting Her Majesty the Queen, I¡­ actually have no other choice.¡¯ The Prophet Margo sighed inwardly, and her complex gaze gradually became firm. She took a deep look at Charlotte, snorted coldly, and then looked at the mass of flesh on the throne again, bowing slightly. ¡°Your Majesty, please forgive your humble servant¡¯s offense¡­¡± The dark red magic surged once more, and a complex and mysterious magic circle slowly emerged behind the Prophet Margo. Soon, a domain barrier formed by magic centered around Margo, covering most of the temple. The dark red halo flickered slightly, and the entire barrier was coated with a deep and heavy layer. This was Margo¡¯s Legendary domain. At this moment, the Prophet of the Harcos Clan had directly unfolded her Legendary domain, releasing a Legendary-level magic barrier to protect the prepared ritual. ¡°Lady Margo, covering such a large ritual with a Legendary domain, do you know what it means for you if the ritual fails?¡± Seeing the magic enveloping most of the temple, Charlotte frowned slightly and kindly reminded her. The Prophet Margo did not answer. She certainly knew what the consequences would be. A Legendary domain is the sublimation and extension of the soul¡¯s power, an advanced power of the spiritual force field, and the strongest means of a Legendary extraordinary being. Enveloping such a large ascension ritual with a Legendary domain was inherently quite a risky approach. Under the dual pressure of divine power and magic, the owner of the Legendary domain might have their domain collapse at any time or even fall in rank. ?????????? Not to mention the terrible price of possible soul collapse if the ritual failed. But the Prophet Margo did not stop. She was the favored one of the Crimson Queen and also the protector of the Crimson Queen. Her Majesty was at the most critical moment, and she had to step forward to clear all obstacles for her. This Legendary domain was not only to enhance the effect of the ritual but also to guard against the Divine Queen nearby. Yes, she couldn¡¯t drive the other party away. But not being able to drive her away didn¡¯t mean completely giving up. At least¡­ she could provide the best protection, further isolating the power invading the temple. She could also use her domain¡¯s power to provide the final assistance for Her Majesty¡¯s ritual. Charlotte quickly realized the intention of the Prophet Margo. She sighed softly, conjuring an illusory chair beneath her, and sat down directly. As if¡­ she really intended to watch the ritual. The Prophet Margo kept an eye on Charlotte¡¯s actions. Seeing that the other party did not make any further moves, she breathed a slight sigh of relief and then focused more on the ritual before her. Her expression became solemn as she began to chant ancient and awkward Elvish spells. The rhythmic chanting echoed in the temple, and the magical language created waves of illusions, enveloping the entire altar. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The blood-red magic array on the altar suddenly lit up, and an ancient aura slowly rose. The various offerings on the altar floated up one by one and then all flew towards the mass of flesh on the throne. The mass of flesh wriggled slightly, and the tumor below the blurry human face opened to the sides, revealing a huge mouth. One tentacle-like flesh tendril after another rose from below the throne, catching all the flying offerings and sending them into the hideous blood mouth. Soon, the offerings on the altar were all devoured by the ¡°mass of flesh.¡± The ancient aura of the offerings disappeared. Instead, the flesh mass emitted a deeper, more vast, and chaotic aura. The dark red glow took on a layer of depth, and the ¡°heartbeat¡± of the mass of flesh became faster and faster. Finally¡­ it seemed to reach a certain critical point, and the drum-like heartbeat suddenly stopped. It felt like an instant, yet also like a long time had passed. The dark red glow suddenly retracted, and the dark shadow spread from the throne, and the heartbeat of the mass of flesh sounded once again. Thump¡­ More powerful than before, and deeper than before. Thump¡­ It resonated not only in the temple but also in the heart of the Prophet Margo. With each heartbeat, margo felt as if her own heart had merged with it. And with each heartbeat, the mass of flesh on the throne contracted once. Thump¡­ Thump¡­ The heartbeat grew stronger, and the mass of flesh on the throne shrank in size. Soon, the once massive ¡°mountain of flesh¡± had shrunk into a flesh ball with a radius of less than a meter. Thump¡­ After another powerful heartbeat, a strong suction suddenly emanated from the flesh ball, and in an instant, the magic in the temple surged toward the flesh ball like a tide. The Prophet Margo felt her magic being rapidly drained. Instead of being frightened, she was delighted and quickly cooperated by channeling her magic into the flesh ball, soon depleting all her magic. But the flesh ball¡¯s ¡°hunger¡± for magic did not stop. The dark shadow continued to spread, and more and more magic poured into the flesh ball. Soon, the coverage expanded from the temple to the entire Queen¡¯s Palace, then further to the entire Harcos Sanctuary. In the excited gaze of the Prophet Margo and the surprised eyes of Charlotte, the flesh ball further contracted and transformed. Gradually, it outlined thighs, then a waist, arms, and eventually¡­ The hideous blood vessels gradually receded, and soon¡­ the flesh ball transformed into a beautiful woman. She had long dark red hair, her eyes were closed, and her skin was as white as snow. Faint deep glows surrounded her, giving her an otherworldly mystery and transcendence. This¡­ this is¡­ Sensing the bloodline agitation in the void, Charlotte¡¯s gaze sharpened. ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± The Prophet Margo was overjoyed. Seeing that familiar face and feeling the far more ancient and vast pressure than before, her expression became fanatical and excited, with tears glistening in her eyes. She trembled as she knelt down, spreading her arms wide, crying and laughing. ¡°Your Majesty the Queen! My Queen!¡± ¡°Hahaha, Your Majesty Charlotte, did you see that? The Queen has succeeded!¡± The Prophet Margo¡¯s face was filled with reverence and joy. She laughed heartily, looking at the observing Charlotte with excitement and a hint of provocation. Charlotte had already stood up from her ¡°seat.¡± As she looked at the Crimson Queen on the throne, her brows gradually furrowed, and her expression quickly became serious. ¡°Prophet, retract your Legendary domain and step back.¡± Her expression was solemn. ¡°Step back?¡± The Prophet Margo was momentarily stunned. She frowned slightly, displeased. ¡°Your Majesty Charlotte, what are you talking about?¡± ¡°The Queen is about to succeed. Our Harcos Clan will birth a true God. At this moment of glory, do you still cling to your misguided beliefs?¡± Charlotte gave her an inexplicable look, shook her head, and said with pity. ¡°Prophet, you¡¯ve already been affected. Look in a mirror and see what you¡¯ve become.¡± With that, a mirror formed of magical energy appeared in her hand. The Prophet Margo instinctively looked into it, and when she saw her reflection, she froze. In the ¡°mirror¡±, it wasn¡¯t her familiar self. It was a humanoid monster, covered in tumors, corrupted by dark power. The Prophet Margo instinctively looked down at her hands, which were no longer her familiar aged palms but two tentacles covered in veins and pustules. ¡°I¡­ what is this¡­¡± Her eyes widened in shock. Suddenly, as if realizing something, the Prophet Margo¡¯s expression changed drastically, and she quickly looked toward the throne. Seeing the woman on the throne still appeared to be the Crimson Queen she knew, she relaxed slightly and sighed in relief. ¡°It seems¡­ I cannot hold on until Her Majesty fully awakens.¡± ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter. My task is complete. Her Majesty¡­ has succeeded.¡± ¡°Oh? Do you really believe that this is the Crimson Queen Rowena?¡± Charlotte suddenly said. The Prophet Margo was stunned. She frowned, about to speak, but then she felt a chilling pressure awaken from the throne. The ¡°Crimson Queen¡±, with her eyes closed, fluttered her eyelashes and then¡­ opened her eyes. ¡°Your Majesty the Queen!¡± The Prophet Margo was overjoyed. She immediately knelt down, her monstrous face full of fervor, but as she looked at the ¡°Crimson Queen¡±, she was momentarily stunned. The ¡°Crimson Queen¡± had opened her eyes. But they were not the familiar, wise, and courageous crimson eyes that the Prophet Margo knew. They were entirely black. No pupils, no whites, just deep, dark voids within the eye sockets. That blackness was as deep as an abyss, making one shudder as if some unspeakably terrifying existence lay within¡­ ¡°Your¡­ Majesty?¡± The Prophet Margo was momentarily dazed. The next moment, she saw the ¡°Crimson Queen¡± rise from the throne. An eerie glow spread around her. As the glow spread, the throne, the altar, and the ground were all corroded and melted, and the black-red fluid flowed and began to pulse, growing hideous flesh sprouts. Those flesh sprouts quivered and soon transformed into anguished faces: human, elf, and other intelligent species¡­ They struggled and howled, reaching out to the ¡°Crimson Queen¡±, only to be dissolved by the dark glow surrounding her. Seeing the crimson rose holy symbol corroding and dissolving in the dark glow, Prophet Margo¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°The divine symbol¡­ my Lord¡¯s divine symbol is being corrupted!¡± ¡°You¡­ are not Her Majesty the Queen!¡± The ¡°Crimson Queen¡± did not respond. She didn¡¯t even glance at the Prophet, her pitch-black eye sockets locked onto Charlotte. She slowly raised her right hand, reaching toward Charlotte. Without speaking, a bizarre, hoarse voice echoed in the Prophet Margo¡¯s mind. ¡°Power¡­¡± ¡°My¡­ power¡­¡± It was a voice the Prophet Margo had never heard before, indeterminate in gender. Black-red fluid surged, forming hideous tentacles behind the ¡°Crimson Queen¡±, which then shot toward Charlotte. Charlotte remained calm and motionless. The hideous tentacles approached in an instant, but as they entered a three-meter radius of Charlotte, they were severed as if by an invisible blade. The black-red fluid scattered, and the remaining tentacles instinctively recoiled. At the severed ends of the tentacles, crimson flames burned incessantly, like a relentless poison. The ¡°Crimson Queen Rowena¡± shuddered slightly. ¡°Power¡­¡± ¡°My¡­ power¡­¡± The eerie voice echoed again, this time tinged with anger. The ¡°Crimson Queen Rowena¡± opened her mouth, her lips stretching to her ears, and let out a piercing scream. The eerie glow burst forth once more, and her aura surged. The black-red fluid around her rushed towards her body, which began to swell and sprout tumors. The ground trembled slightly, and the ¡°Crimson Queen¡± grew taller, quickly reaching the limits of the temple. ¡°Power¡­¡± ¡°I need power¡­¡± Cracks spread across the temple walls, and in the next moment, the temple collapsed. A terrifying burst of magic surged, and the ¡°Crimson Queen Rowena¡¯s¡± form grew larger and larger. Tumors swelled like bubbles, forming countless anguished faces that howled in agony. In the Prophet Margo¡¯s dazed gaze, the ¡°Crimson Queen¡± transformed into a mountainous mass of flesh, nearly a hundred meters tall, made up of countless anguished faces, with the upper half of the ¡°Crimson Queen¡± at the peak. ¡°Power¡­¡± ¡°Give me¡­ power¡­¡± The eerie voice echoed again. This time, not just the Prophet, but every bloodborne within the Harcos Sanctuary heard the voice filled with longing and madness in their hearts. At this moment, every bloodborne who heard the eerie voice trembled, their bloodlines agitated, faces contorted in pain, and veins writhing under their skin. One hideous tentacle after another grew from the monster¡¯s body, then shot out in all directions, targeting the bloodbornes within the Sanctuary! Chapter 518 : You are still too weak The grotesque tentacles wrapped around the bloodbornes in the Sanctuary, and the eerie whispers echoed through the entire hidden dimension. These whispers were like deadly poison, causing all who heard them to experience excruciating pain and signs of blood frenzy. In an instant, the Harcos Clan¡¯s Sanctuary descended into chaos. The roars of bloodbornes who had lost their minds and transformed into fallen blood fiends; the wails of those still struggling, maintaining some semblance of clarity; the terrified screams of bloodbornes being grabbed and dragged towards the ¡°monster¡± by the tentacles¡­ Various sounds interwove, and scenes of chaos unfolded everywhere in the Sanctuary, turning the hidden dimension into a ¡°purgatory.¡± The Prophet Margo stared blankly at the uncontrollable monster and the chaotic Sanctuary. Her body trembled slightly, her vaguely recognizable human face filled with shock and bewilderment. When she saw the Harcos bloodbornes unable to control their rampaging bloodlines, one after another being devoured by the ¡°monster¡±, her shock and bewilderment turned to anger and sorrow. ¡°Stop! You blasphemous monster! You fiend that usurps my Lord¡¯s sacred body!¡± She roared and bellowed, swallowing a piece of magic crystal, forcibly channeling her magic again, and swung her staff at the ¡°monster.¡± Legendary power erupted, and powerful magic infused into the staff, activating the stored forbidden spell within, releasing a terrifying annihilation spell. This was the most powerful magic in Prophet Margo¡¯s arsenal, potent enough to instantly kill a Legendary and obliterate any target it hit. The black beam shot towards the monster, striking its body. However, when the black light faded, the only change on the monster¡¯s body was a few charred marks. ¡°This¡­ impossible!¡± The Prophet Margo¡¯s eyes widened. The screams continued, more and more bloodbornes losing control, and the grotesque tentacles danced in the air, each leap capturing and devouring another bloodbornes¡­ Suddenly, the ground trembled slightly, and roars of anger echoed from the depths of the castle complex. The Prophet Margo saw the bloodborne warriors guarding the underground charging out of the subterranean temple. They too were exhibiting mutations but still maintained the flickering glow of the magical formation on their bodies. They formed the most formidable combat formation of the Harcos Clan, shouting ¡°Protect the Queen¡¯s Palace! Protect Her Majesty the Queen!¡± as they charged towards the monster that had destroyed the Queen¡¯s Palace. ¡°No! Don¡¯t come over!¡± The Prophet¡¯s expression changed, and she quickly shouted. But¡­ it was too late. The bloodborne warriors charged at the ¡°monster¡±, but before they could reach it, their mutations rapidly worsened under the monster¡¯s soft whispers. In an instant, the barely maintained magical formation collapsed, and the leading bloodborne warriors transformed into uncontrollable monsters, fighting against the remaining bloodborne warriors. The grotesque tentacles, like beasts smelling blood, wrapped around them, and in no time, the remaining counts and viscounts of the Harcos Clan were devoured by the ¡°monster.¡± ¡°No¡­!¡± The Prophet Margo looked desperate. Roar!!! A series of frenzied roars followed. The ground shook, and countless demonic creatures surged from the underground like a tide. They seemed to be summoned, charging towards the ¡°monster¡± above the Queen¡¯s Palace. Among these demonic creatures were fallen bloodbornes turned into blood fiends, some still wearing tattered noble attire, their auras chaotic yet powerful, evidently fallen counts and dukes. R§¡?¨¯????¦¥? They rushed towards the ¡°monster¡± that summoned them like moths to a flame, willingly being devoured by it, disappearing into its grotesque maw¡­ New faces appeared on the gigantic ¡°meat mountain¡±, and the ¡°monster¡¯s¡± body and aura further expanded, and swelled¡­ Watching the rapidly expanding terrifying mountain-like figure, the Prophet Margo¡¯s lips quivered, seemingly losing her will to fight, collapsing to the ground. The sound of glass shattering echoed from the sky, web-like cracks spread across the sky, and then¡­ shattered. Dots of light scattered, and the barrier enveloping the Sanctuary completely collapsed. Evidently¡­ the bloodbornes maintaining the barrier had also gone mad. With the barrier gone, the ¡°monster¡¯s¡± aura, no longer suppressed, further surged. Dark radiance rapidly spread across its body, emanating a despairing pressure. Chaos, evil, vastness¡­ That was the unrestrained power of a fallen myth! At this moment, the monster¡¯s power broke through the mortal limits, reaching a mythical level! The Prophet Margo stared blankly at the tentacles flying towards her, let out a bitter laugh, and closed her eyes in despair and pain. The foul and evil aura approached. However, the anticipated attack never came. Instead, there was an explosion of ¡°pure¡± magic and an angry roar from the ¡°monster.¡± The Prophet Margo trembled slightly. She instinctively opened her eyes and was stunned. At some point, Charlotte was already standing in front of her. She wore a valiant enchanted female battle dress, wielding the glowing Roman Sword. Her form was solid, her golden hair flying, evidently no longer a projection. And beneath her feet was a segment of a severed, still squirming tentacle, rapidly disintegrating. She turned her head slightly, meeting the Prophet¡¯s eyes, her golden-red pupils showing a hint of disappointment. ¡°Prophet, are you¡­ giving up?¡± Her voice was still clear and melodious. But it carried an authority that belied her youthful appearance. Moreover, her voice seemed to hold a peculiar power. Although it was a reprimand, when it echoed in the Prophet Margo¡¯s heart, it felt like a resounding bell. The Prophet Margo felt the whispers that lured her to ¡°fall¡± quickly dissipate, even her rampaging bloodline seemed to calm down. Watching Charlotte, unperturbed by the ¡°monster¡±, the Prophet Margo vaguely realized something, grasping at this lifeline, and pleaded. ¡°Charlotte¡­ Your Majesty, no, Holy Envoy!¡± ¡°Please save the Harcos Clan! Please save our blood clan who haven¡¯t completely fallen yet!¡± ¡°The ritual isn¡¯t over, there¡¯s one last step! If¡­ if it¡¯s you, maybe you can suppress it!¡± ¡°The Holy Court, the God of Judgement, it doesn¡¯t matter who your Lord is. As long as you save our clan from this disaster, I¡¯ll persuade the surviving bloodbornes to submit to your Lord!¡± Upon hearing the words of Prophet Margo, Charlotte¡¯s expression became inscrutable. ¡°Oh? Lady Margo, it sounds like you intend to abandon the faith of the ¡®Crimson Queen¡¯, don¡¯t you?¡± The Prophet Margo¡¯s expression turned sorrowful. She glanced at the increasingly monstrous creature, closed her eyes in pain, and forced a bitter smile. ¡°Her Majesty the Queen¡­ has already fallen.¡± ¡°I should have told myself when her divine messages began to grow unclear three hundred years ago that Her Majesty the Queen¡­ was already in trouble.¡± ¡°Her Majesty couldn¡¯t overcome the darkness within her heart, she ceased to be herself a long time ago.¡± ¡°It is my fault, all of it. She warned me before attempting to ascend to true Godhood, that if she changed, I should sever ties with her, lead our people away from the Sanctuary, and find a new place of refuge.¡± ¡°But in the end, I couldn¡¯t accept her transformation¡­¡± ¡°I was deceiving myself, clinging to the hope that I could continue the ritual and revive the true Her Majesty the Queen¡­¡± ¡°I was too ignorant, and too arrogant.¡± Charlotte sighed. ¡°I never imagined there was such a backstory¡­¡± ¡°In that case, indeed, you were too arrogant. Disobeying the divine decrees led to the decline of the Harcos Clan.¡± With that, Charlotte extended her hand and gently patted the Prophet Margo¡¯s shoulder, calmly saying, ¡°Prophet, remember what you¡¯ve said today.¡± A gentle force flowed into the Prophet Margo¡¯s body through her shoulder. She was astonished to find that the chaotic power within her bloodline, which had been spiraling out of control, began to calm down as if responding to a higher command. Moreover, her transformed body began to revert, with the tentacles receding into normal arms, and the blisters on her skin disappearing. ¡°This¡­ this power is¡­!¡± She looked at Charlotte in disbelief, her eyes wide with shock. Charlotte had already turned back towards the towering monster. Crimson light emanated from her, and a faint aura of authority began to rise from her body, growing stronger with each step. She walked forward, her figure growing with each step, her hair extending with each pace¡­ Gradually, her golden hair turned into a magnificent silver, her petite frame becoming graceful and noble. Her elven enchanted armor transformed into a divine black robe adorned with thorns and roses. An ethereal voice carried by the wind resonated in the Prophet Margo¡¯s mind, both melodic and commanding. ¡°Let me clarify something¡ª¡± ¡°I never said I was an envoy of the Holy Court.¡± With those words, Charlotte lightly raised the Roman Sword in her hand. Golden light shimmered in her eyes, and her body radiated brilliance, her aura escalating further. The next moment, an ethereal and indifferent voice echoed across the distorted space. ¡°Domain of Blood¡ªActivate!¡± Dazzling light erupted, and a crimson beam shot skyward from the Roman Sword. Powerful divine might spread out from Charlotte like a surging tsunami, accompanied by a mysterious crimson mist. The mist spread, dyeing the dark red world with a vibrant luster, as if washed in blood. The Prophet Margo watched the majestic figure in the sky, felt the joy of her bloodline, and ancient memories began to stir in her consciousness. Under the irresistible divine might, she struggled to lift her head, staring incredulously at the ¡°Goddess¡± in the sky. Her voice trembled. ¡°The Domain of Blood, the Power of the Progenitor¡­¡± ¡°How is this possible?!¡± ¡°You¡­ no, You are¡­!¡± The wild wind blew Charlotte¡¯s silver hair, burying the Prophet Margo¡¯s disbelieving exclamations in the breeze. Charlotte stood in midair, holding the Roman Sword, divine power surging through her, looking down at the monstrous creature. Having devoured countless blood fiends and bloodbornes, the creature had grown even larger, surpassing the mountains of the hidden dimension. Its tentacles thrashed about, destroying the castles of the Harcos Sanctuary, reducing everything before it to mere toys. Charlotte¡¯s gaze remained calm and steady. Radiating divine light, she appeared ethereal and mysterious. ¡°Roar¡ª!¡± On the ground, the monstrous creature roared uneasily, sending all its tentacles skyward toward Charlotte. Charlotte remained composed. She gently lifted the Roman Sword, the blade enveloped in divine power, emitting a joyful hum. With a single stroke, she unleashed a crimson blade of light. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. In an instant, a brilliant crimson line streaked across the world, expanding like thunder, splitting the sky, transforming into a crimson beam that pierced the earth, slicing through distant mountains, and bisecting the Harcos castle complex, leaving a hundred-meter-wide, bottomless chasm¡­One stroke. With just one stroke, all the creature¡¯s hundreds of tentacles were severed, with crimson flames burning at the cut ends. ¡°Roar¡­!¡± The creature let out a pained roar, a hint of human-like fear appearing on its monstrous face. It began to retreat, attempting to move away from Charlotte. ¡°Heh, trying to escape?¡± Charlotte sneered. She pressed down with her left hand, and crimson divine power erupted from her, spreading through the sky, and forming a crimson cage that trapped the creature. Golden-red chains materialized, flying towards the creature from all directions, binding it completely. ¡°Roar¡­!¡± The creature let out another uneasy roar but was unable to break free. Charlotte looked down at the creature, shaking her head slightly, disappointed. ¡°Forcibly amalgamated power is still just forcibly amalgamated power.¡± ¡°Compared to the God of Abomination and Deformity, Alador, you¡­ are still too weak.¡± ¡°Spit out all those you have devoured.¡± Chapter 519 : Oracle This battle ended before it even began. In the sky, the ¡°Goddess¡± dressed in a black divine dress with silver hair flowing freely, stood with a blood moon casting a crimson glow behind her, adding an air of mystery and nobility. On the ground, the mountain-sized ¡°monster¡± was imprisoned in a crimson cage, unable to break free despite its struggles. The Prophet Margo was stunned. She looked up dumbfounded at the figure in the sky, feeling that the image overlapped with her distant memory of the True Ancestor of Blood. In her eyes, there was shock, nostalgia, but mostly deep confusion. However, when her gaze fell on the ¡°monster¡± with all its severed tentacles and sealed body within the blood-red cage, the confusion was quickly replaced by reverence. The ¡°monster¡± that had just ravaged the Sanctuary, capable of easily destroying the entire Harcos Clan, was thoroughly subdued in a single encounter! A God! This was the power of a God! She couldn¡¯t be mistaken¡­ This was the power of the True Ancestor of Blood, who created the bloodbornes and led them to the pinnacle of the Myria continent! The True Ancestor has truly returned? But wasn¡¯t she¡­ No¡­ This power, this aura, and this image¡­ No matter how she looked at it, this was indeed the True Ancestor she remembered from the depths of her memory! The Prophet Margo¡¯s expression shifted constantly, looking at Charlotte with a mix of joy, hesitation, and uncontrollable anxiety and fear. That anxiety and fear also came from distant memories, from those buried deep in her consciousness. However, looking at the ¡°God¡± in the sky with that pure crimson glow, that noble, beautiful yet solemn face, the fear on her face gradually faded, replaced by a mix of nervousness and anticipation. ??N??????s Especially when she saw Charlotte retracting the Roman Sword and walking down step by step from the sky, bathed in crimson light. ¡°True¡­ True Ancestor, is¡­ is it really you?¡± Feeling the throbbing in her bloodline, Margo couldn¡¯t help but ask. Charlotte glanced at her, smiled slightly, but didn¡¯t answer. However, Margo felt a surge of excitement. She almost knelt down with a thud, trembling as she said, ¡°Great Bloodborne Progenitor, Supreme True Ancestor, please save those bloodbornes that have been devoured, please save the descendants who have gone astray, please¡­ save Her Majesty the Queen!¡± ¡°Her Majesty the Queen has never betrayed you! She has always been following your last oracle, please¡­ save her!¡± Hearing Prophet Margo¡¯s words, Charlotte paused slightly. She glanced thoughtfully at the monster still struggling in the cage, then closed her eyes and extended her right hand again. Crimson radiance flickered in her hand, and a shadow spread out from her, quickly enveloping the entire cage. The blood divine power spread, a vast spiritual force that even the Legendary Bloodborne Prophet Margo could feel swept over the ¡°monster¡±, only to slowly withdraw after a long while. The Prophet Margo held her breath. She looked anxiously at Charlotte standing before the cage, uneasily waiting for her response. The glow faded, and the throbbing in the bloodline also slowly calmed. In the next moment, Margo saw Charlotte slowly open her eyes. She saw a complex flash in the True Ancestor¡¯s iconic crimson-gold pupils. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, those blood descendants swallowed by it are still alive, in fact¡­ their condition is even better than I imagined.¡± ¡°They haven¡¯t been digested by the monster.¡± A soft sigh echoed, and an ethereal voice slowly rang out. It was the voice of the Divine Queen that Margo knew, but it was more ethereal, more mysterious, with a transcendental majesty. Charlotte looked at the monster again. The hideous monster met her gaze, growling uneasily, but soon whimpered under her golden eyes that seemed to see through everything. The whispers that could drive the bloodborne into a frenzy were gone. Even the hideous, constantly struggling, and howling faces on the monster¡¯s body had all calmed down at some point. They closed their eyes as if falling into a deep sleep. Charlotte raised her hand, divine power gathered in her palm, and the crimson blood divine power spread again, gradually covering the monster¡¯s body. The monster trembled slightly, then let out a pained roar. The Prophet Margo¡¯s heart leaped. However, she quickly perked up, eyes wide with surprise. In her delighted gaze, under the crimson radiance, the hideous and terrifying massive body of the monster emitted bursts of white smoke as if being corroded, then gradually melted! The faces on the monster¡¯s body became clearer, one after another, humanoid forms were slowly peeled away. Under the illumination of the crimson glow, the hideous tumors gradually receded, and those peeled-off humanoid monsters also returned to their original form. One figure after another was peeled away from the monster¡¯s body, all of them the bloodbornes it had devoured, including some clan members that the Prophet Margo could name. Watching those bloodbornes being rescued from the monster, their bloodline mutations also ¡°purified¡±, the Prophet Margo was overjoyed. She eagerly joined in the rescue effort, carefully moving the saved bloodbornes to a suitable place using her remaining magic power. Soon, the ground was filled with rescued bloodbornes. They still had their eyes closed, their breathing weak. The Prophet Margo carefully checked and found that they were only unconscious from magic exhaustion, her expression growing more and more elated. Alive! They¡¯re all alive! Discovering this, the Prophet Margo¡¯s face was completely replaced by joy. Looking at the restored clan members, at those familiar faces, her nose twitched, and for a moment, her vision blurred. She hadn¡¯t expected. Really hadn¡¯t expected. Just a moment ago, she thought the entire clan would be destroyed due to her ignorance, but now¡­ they were truly saved! Thinking of this, the Prophet Margo looked once again at the majestic and awe-inspiring figure in front of the ¡°monster¡±, her eyes filled with deep reverence and gratitude. As more and more bloodbornes were liberated from the monster, its massive body also gradually shrank. Finally, when the last bloodborne was rescued, the monster¡¯s body had shrunk to less than two hundred meters. But Charlotte did not stop. The crimson radiance continued to flicker, and another blurry human figure emerged from the ¡°monster.¡± When the Prophet saw what it was, she was quickly stunned. It was a blood fiend. It was a high-ranking bloodborne who had lost its original sanity over the past millennium, turning into a completely mad monster that even the former Queen had sighed over, saying, ¡°Even the True Ancestor cannot save this one.¡± Among them¡­ there were even Legendary Duke! A rather absurd thought appeared in the Prophet Margo¡¯s mind¡­ She widened her eyes, nervously, expectantly, and apprehensively watching the blood fiends being rescued. Then¡­ she saw those degenerate blood fiends, whom even the bloodborne myths couldn¡¯t do anything about, begin to shed their bloodline mutations! Sizzling sounds arose, and white smoke emanated from their bodies. The smoke seemed to carry some strange power. Just looking at it made the Prophet Margo feel her own bloodline throbbing wildly, with a tendency to go berserk. She was startled, her expression changing dramatically. She was not unfamiliar with this white mist. It was the culprit that had caused the collective bloodline rampage of the Harcos Clan, something even the Queen couldn¡¯t do anything about, ultimately leading to radical measures to seal the Herself! The Prophet Margo quickly retracted her probe, but the next moment, she saw the white mist slowly rising and then¡­ all of it entered Charlotte¡¯s body. ¡°True¡­ True Ancestor?!¡± The Prophet Margo was shocked, her whole body tensed up instantly. But soon, she realized something was wrong. The strange white mist entered, but the True Ancestor did not mutate like other bloodbornes or even the Queen. Not only that, the True Ancestor¡­ seemed to show a slight expression of enjoyment. Wait¡­ Enjoyment? The Prophet Margo felt her brain crash for a moment. However, her attention was quickly diverted. As the white mist dissipated, the hideous mutations vanished along with it. The Prophet Margo was pleasantly surprised to discover that the ¡°high-ranking bloodbornes¡± rescued had also returned to normal! She suppressed her excitement and quickly checked, finding that their breathing was stable, merely exhausted from magic depletion and asleep. However, it was not without cost. Upon closer inspection, she found that although these rescued high-ranking bloodbornes had returned to normal, their power had completely fallen. They¡­ were no longer counts or dukes. Their auras, at the lowest, were merely Starry Sky, and at the highest, only Silver Moon. But that was enough. The power of bloodbornes came from their bloodline. Although their ranks had fallen, their bloodlines remained! For other extraordinary beings, once their rank fell, it was difficult to regain their strength, but bloodbornes were different. Bloodbornes are immortal. As long as there is enough time, they have the chance to recover their power! Thinking of this, the Prophet Margo became even more excited, her gaze towards Charlotte growing increasingly respectful. She didn¡¯t know how long it took. When the last bloodborne was ¡°rescued¡±, the ¡°monster¡¯s¡± body had shrunk to the extreme. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°It¡± had returned to its form when it was in the Queen¡¯s Palace. On ¡°Its¡± body, there were still some hideous faces, but¡­ they were not the faces of devoured bloodbornes. They¡­ were the faces of other Gods, the faces of the ¡°owners¡± of those Old Gods¡¯ fragments sacrificed in the ritual. On the ground, all the devoured bloodbornes had been rescued. One by one, demons of various forms, known for their chaos, evil, and ferocity, walked among the sleeping bloodbornes, cautiously and meticulously caring for them like obedient servants. The scene was quite peculiar. The Prophet Margo was already numb. Those were demons summoned at the True Ancestor¡¯s whim. In front of the True Ancestor, even these beings, who were considered chaotic and evil in the eyes of bloodbornes, behaved like obedient pets. The Prophet Margo¡¯s expression was complex. Although she had seen the True Ancestor¡¯s great power in her vague memories from a long, long time ago, witnessing such incredible power at this moment still filled her with heartfelt awe. And this¡­ also made her more eager for what was to come. ¡°True Ancestor! The Queen¡­¡± The Prophet Margo looked at the last ¡°monster¡± and asked apprehensively. Charlotte closed her eyes and sensed for a moment, falling silent. ¡°True Ancestor?¡± After a long time, the Prophet couldn¡¯t help but respectfully call out again, feeling even more anxious. Charlotte glanced at her and suddenly asked. ¡°Margo, you¡­ are Rowena¡¯s divine follower, right?¡± The Prophet Margo quickly nodded. ¡°Yes, True Ancestor, I am the Queen¡¯s divine follower. During the years when the Queen was still the commander of the Harcos Legion, I was always her adjutant!¡± After saying this, she hesitated for a moment and cautiously added. ¡°True Ancestor, when I was following the Queen, I had met you many times¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that, perhaps due to the bloodline curse, I seem to have forgotten a lot.¡± Upon hearing this, Charlotte was somewhat surprised and pensive. She nodded and looked at the ¡°monster¡± before her again. ¡°Crimson Queen Rowena¡¯s aura¡­ has been assimilated.¡± ¡°Since you were once Rowena¡¯s adjutant, come with me¡­ to meet her.¡± Meet¡­ the Queen? The Prophet Margo was slightly stunned. Before she could say anything, the crimson mist spread again. In an instant, the surroundings were enveloped in mist. The Prophet Margo felt her consciousness being swiftly pulled, following the True Ancestor towards the ¡°monster¡± ahead¡­ She felt a slight trance and found herself in a strange world. This was a battlefield filled with blood. The sky was gray, the earth stained dark red with blood, and as far as the eye could see, there were broken corpses, damaged armor, and broken swords. Tattered banners were planted on the hillside, vaguely bearing a rose-like symbol. Looking at the familiar symbol, the Prophet Margo felt a bit dazed. That¡­ was the banner of the Harcos Legion. Ancient memories resurfaced, and she seemed to return to the era when she followed the Queen in battles across the land a thousand years ago. She suddenly realized where she was. This¡­ was likely the Queen¡¯s mental world! By the Queen¡¯s grace! She was actually brought to the Queen¡¯s mental world by the True Ancestor! Realizing this, the Prophet Margo felt a bit nervous. But soon, a familiar murmur sounded again¡­ The Prophet Margo¡¯s heart stirred. It was the Queen¡¯s voice. That was the vague voice the Queen used to convey oracles ever since they lost clear communication with her three hundred years ago. The voice remained consistent over three hundred years, but¡­ here, all interference had disappeared, and the voice lost its bewitching power. The Prophet Margo finally heard clearly the vague, unclear oracle she had been interpreting as ¡°continue the ascension mission¡± for the past three hundred years¡ª ¡°Run¡­ quickly.¡± Chapter 520 : The Second Stone Door ¡°Run quickly¡­¡± ¡°Run¡­ quickly¡­¡± ¡°Run¡­ quickly!¡± The fleeting voice varied in speed, but apart from the same content, it seemed to contain a wealth of emotions. Panic. Fear. Despair. The Prophet Margo couldn¡¯t imagine what kind of immense crisis would make a mythological figure feel such negative emotions, akin to a mortal facing a natural disaster. But the content of the oracle¡­ she heard it clearly. ¡°Run¡­ quickly?¡± She stood there dazed, her expression blank, her back seemingly hunching over in an instant, making her appear much older. Seeing the disheartened, dazed Margo, Charlotte sighed softly and released soothing magic to stabilize Margo¡¯s wavering soul. She could understand Margo¡¯s breakdown. Without a doubt, the whispers in their consciousness upon arriving here were the true oracles that the Crimson Queen, rowena, conveyed in her last moment of clarity. First, she almost destroyed her clan due to her ¡°ignorance,¡± and now she suddenly realized she had completely misunderstood the divine will from the beginning. For four hundred years, Margo not only failed to awaken her Lord but also ran contrary to the divine oracle, almost ruining everything. Anyone blessed by the Gods, upon realizing this cruel truth, would likely be unable to bear it. However¡­ ¡°Run quickly¡­?¡± Charlotte was pensive. She, too, didn¡¯t know what the Crimson Queen Rowena had encountered. However, this desperate warning reminded her of the Stargazer Casey from the Nez Clan. It was no coincidence. The plea for help from behind that eerie stone door in her mental world was filled with a terror similar to the Crimson Queen¡¯s warning. ?¦¡??????¨º? Moreover, there was the strange white mist¡­ When Charlotte purified the fallen high-ranking blood fiends, the white mist that rose from their bodies felt very familiar to her. It was the same feeling of intimacy and deadly attraction. The white mist was undoubtedly the same source as that which wafted around the eerie stone door. Even the feedback from the Gospel of Blood after absorbing it was the same joyous exultation, affecting Charlotte herself. Clearly, what caused Stargazer Casey¡¯s ¡°disappearance¡± and drove the Crimson Queen Rowena to ¡°madness¡± was the same entity. Not only that. According to what Charlotte knew, the ¡°True Ancestor of Blood¡± also seemed to have gone ¡°mad¡± in bloodborne records. Could it be that the same entity that drove Lilith mad and led to her ¡°disappearance¡± is responsible? Thinking of this, Charlotte became more serious. Divine power surged around her, ready to act at any moment. ¡°Let¡¯s go, she should be deep inside.¡± After sensing it again, Charlotte spoke to the Prophet Margo. Margo was disheartened but eventually mustered the strength to follow Charlotte silently. The two walked towards the depths of the mental world. As they ventured further, more and more corpses filled the battlefield, becoming denser. Gradually, the persistent ¡°warning¡± grew clearer. ¡°Run quickly¡­¡± ¡°Run quickly¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hearing the seemingly nearby warnings, the gradually calming Margo began to feel nervous again. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so tense. I haven¡¯t sensed any soul power fluctuations, this should be residual mental echoes, not an immediate warning.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go. I can already feel the bloodline¡¯s resonance. We are not far.¡± Charlotte said. Then, following the bloodline¡¯s guidance, she quickened her pace. The two continued deeper. The surrounding corpses became more densely packed, and the ¡°warning¡± from the Crimson Queen Rowena grew closer. When they reached the source of the ¡°warning,¡± a black tomb came into view. The tomb had a distinct bloodborne style, decorated with various demon sculptures. However, the most noticeable feature was the luxurious and intricate rose symbol, though now faded. That was the symbol of the Crimson Queen Rowena. Clearly, this tomb was prepared for the Crimson Queen, serving as her resting place within the mental world. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte remained vigilant as she entered the tomb. Inside, the tomb was equally dilapidated. At its center lay a long-decayed coffin, covered in layers of tumors. However¡­ there was no body inside. The ¡°warning¡± was now very close. But it wasn¡¯t coming from the coffin, it was from behind it. Charlotte waved her hands, and the decaying coffin disintegrated, revealing the scene behind it. Her gaze froze upon seeing what was behind the coffin. Behind it was a stone door. The door was ancient and worn, featuring typical elven designs, almost identical to the one Charlotte saw deep in her subconscious that sealed Stargazer Casey. The only difference was that this door was etched not with star symbols representing Casey but with the crimson rose of the Crimson Queen Rowena. A figure in a black dress was half-kneeling before the door. The figure appeared to be a woman, her body covered in tumors, her features distorted. Her taut body pressed against the door, her hands raised high, bracing the door¡¯s center as if exerting all her strength to prevent it from being opened from the inside. Her eyes were lifeless, just an empty shell, and her mummified jaw kept quivering, repeating a broken, obsessive whisper. ¡°Run quickly¡­¡± Charlotte felt a chill down her spine. ¡°Y-Your Majesty the Queen!¡± Margo¡¯s eyes widened. Instinctively, she wanted to move forward but was sternly stopped by Charlotte. ¡°Stop!¡± ¡°True Ancestor, that¡¯s the Queen!¡± Margo said excitedly. Charlotte took a deep breath and nodded. ¡°I know, but she¡­ has fallen.¡± Margo¡¯s excited expression turned to one of calm, replaced by pain and sorrow. Seeing Charlotte¡¯s solemn expression, Margo knelt down, praying. ¡°True Ancestor! Can¡­ can you save the Queen?¡± Charlotte remained silent for a moment. She glanced at the Crimson Queen Rowena and after a moment, sighed. ¡°I told you, Rowena has already fallen.¡± ¡°We are now in the remnants of her mental world, or more accurately, in her world of lingering thoughts.¡± ¡°What you see is not her true self, but the last remnants of her consciousness lingering in a body that has already been assimilated.¡± The Prophet Margo was still not convinced. ¡°But¡­ but, Your Majesty, isn¡¯t it true that as long as Gods are remembered, they can be eternal and can come back again?¡± ¡°I remember the Queen, our Harcos Clan remembers the Queen, and not only us, but many other clan¡¯s blood descendants also remember the Queen! Can¡¯t we¡­ can¡¯t we revive her?¡± Charlotte fell silent. Her gaze fell on the stone door that Rowena was holding back and said, ¡°Margo, perhaps you¡¯re right, a God remembered has the potential to return, but have you considered whether the one who returns will truly be the God you expect?¡± ¡°Rowena has been tainted by some power. What you see now is Rowena¡¯s remaining consciousness. So¡­ have you thought about where Rowena¡¯s main consciousness has gone?¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, the Prophet Margo was stunned. Charlotte, however, did not continue to explain. Honestly, she did not know the answers to these questions. She had some vague guesses, but at this moment, they were just that¡ªguesses. Thinking this, Charlotte looked again at the eerie stone door. ¡°Stand back, I¡¯m going to start sealing it.¡± She said to Margo. The Prophet Margo obediently stepped back. Charlotte took a step forward, coming before the stone door. She closed her eyes, divine power surged around her, and she once again cast the innate magic she had used to seal the stone door. With the experience from the last sealing, this time she was much more adept. Crimson light radiated around her, transforming into complex and mysterious runes that sealed the stone door. Soon, the white mist around the stone door began to dissipate. Layer upon layer of seals formed around the stone door. In the midst of the light, Charlotte saw the stone door becoming more and more illusory, and even the eerie aura gradually weakened. ¡°Hmm? It¡¯s¡­ disappearing?¡± She furrowed her brows, somewhat surprised. But in the next moment, Charlotte froze. In her perception, within the crimson star sea that symbolized the bloodbornes in her deepest consciousness¡­ As the stone door before her dissipated, one of the remaining stars representing the four major clan princes, or more accurately, the crimson star representing the Crimson Queen Rowena, began to change! The crimson light burst like a bubble, and the illusory glow dissipated along with it. Charlotte was horrified to see the stone door that had just been in Rowena¡¯s world of lingering thoughts, now appearing in her mental world! Just like the ¡°help me¡± stone door. ¡°Damn!¡± She instinctively swore. Charlotte¡¯s mouth twitched, and she immediately increased the output of her divine power, wrapping the second stone door in the crimson star sea with layers upon layers of sealing magic. After ensuring she could no longer sense the eerie aura of the stone door, she felt slightly more at ease, but only slightly. After throwing the sealed stone door into the corner of the crimson star sea, allocating a bit of mental energy to monitor it just like the other stone door, she opened her eyes and returned to Rowena¡¯s world of lingering thoughts. The stone door in the world of lingering thoughts had completely disappeared, but Charlotte felt even more frustrated. What was this? Bringing a wolf into the house? Or¡­ could this also represent the true nature of the enormous light orb that was the Crimson Queen Rowena? Ridiculous! The bloodborne clan had five princes, and the crimson star sea had five giant ¡°stars.¡± Could it be that each star¡¯s true form was an eerie stone door? Thinking of the three remaining giant stars in her mind, Charlotte felt a bit numb. At this moment, Rowena¡¯s world of lingering thoughts suddenly changed again. Golden light pierced through the sky of the world of lingering thoughts, illuminating the entire world like the dawn. Where the light shone, the corpses quickly dissipated, and green grass and flowers spread¡­ In the blink of an eye, the entire harsh battlefield-like world of lingering thoughts transformed into a ¡°paradise¡± composed of blue skies, white clouds, green grass, and flowers¡­ Seeing this rapid transformation, Charlotte¡¯s gaze shifted. Does this means¡­ The lingering thoughts of the Crimson Queen Rowena successfully purified? A breeze blew by, carrying a faint floral scent. Charlotte saw a young girl in a black and red dress appear before her. Her figure was ethereal, with long fiery red hair and a heroic, pretty face. ¡°Y-your Majesty?!¡± The Prophet Margo¡¯s incredibly excited voice came from behind. The Crimson Queen¡­ Rowena? Charlotte¡¯s eyes narrowed. The young girl slowly opened her eyes. They were beautiful crimson eyes, clear and bright, full of life. Charlotte saw those eyes looking at her, and soon¡­ they widened slightly. She saw surprise on the girl¡¯s face, which quickly turned into genuine joy. She saw the girl gently open her mouth, and a pleasant yet ethereal voice merged with the wind. ¡°Ah¡­ so it was you¡­¡± ¡°Thank you¡­¡± ¡°Your Excellency, the Progenitor¡­¡± Charlotte saw the girl straighten her posture. She extended her right hand, respectfully saluting her. As the wind blew, her ethereal figure began to disintegrate like bubbles¡­ ¡°Wait! You¡­¡± Charlotte reacted, quickly reaching out to the girl. But ultimately, she touched nothing. Cracks spread across the sky, quickly covering the entire firmament, and then extending to the whole world of lingering thoughts. In the next moment¡­ the entire world of lingering thoughts shattered. Her vision flipped, and Charlotte returned to reality. She still stood in the Sanctuary of the Harcos Clan, in the long-collapsed Queen¡¯s Palace. The Prophet Margo, dazed, was still standing to her rear side. In front of them was the already collapsed throne of the Crimson Queen Rowena. On the ruins of the throne, the hideous and terrifying monster had disappeared, leaving only ashes as if after a fire¡­ In the ashes, a blood-red glow was faintly visible. It was a crimson book. The book was ancient and heavy, giving Charlotte a strong sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu, with golden ancient elven words inscribed on its cover¡ª ¡°The Gospel of Blood.¡± Chapter 521 : The Final Oracle ¡°The Gospel of Blood?¡± Looking at its appearance, which resembled the Gospel of Blood, Charlotte was slightly taken aback. With a slight turn of her magical power, she brought the book into her hand. A faintly familiar divine power ripple brushed over her, then completely dissipated into the air. The dazed eyes of the Prophet Margo standing beside her gradually cleared. ¡°No! Your Majesty the Queen¡ª!¡± Charlotte only heard her exclaim, reaching out to the ashes, then fell to her knees with a thud, sobbing uncontrollably. Charlotte sighed softly but did not intervene. ¡­ The Prophet Margo cried for a long time. Charlotte stood quietly by her side, waiting. She did not offer comfort, allowing this devoted follower of the Crimson Queen to vent her grief. A God is the sky to their followers. The fall of the Crimson Queen was akin to the sky collapsing for the Prophet Margo. Only after a long while did Margo finally shed her last tear. She pulled herself together, giving Charlotte a difficult smile. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, Your Majesty¡­ I lost my composure.¡± Charlotte nodded. ¡°It¡¯s good that you have pulled yourself together. Rowena valued you all deeply, she likely would not want to see her devout followers fall into despair.¡± She sighed softly and said with some emotion. ¡°Do you know? The reason I was able to save the Harcos bloodbornes intact is because I sensed that there seemed to be some power within that monster protecting the souls of the devoured from being completely consumed¡­¡± ¡°I had a suspicion before, but now it seems that this was also a remnant of Rowena¡¯s consciousness, her last effort for her clan.¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, the Prophet Margo was stunned, her eyes reddening again. Seeing this, Charlotte inwardly cursed herself for being too talkative, as if trying to break someone¡¯s resolve unnecessarily. Fortunately, perhaps already having some suspicions, the Prophet Margo pulled herself together again after a brief period of sorrow. In Charlotte¡¯s somewhat surprised gaze, she saw the devout of the Harcos Clan gradually regain her determination, then knelt down before her with a thud. ?????N¨¯?¨º? ¡°Great True Ancestor, Source of all Bloodbornes, Supreme Ruler of Blood¡­¡± ¡°I, Margo Harcos, am willing to lead all members of the Harcos Clan to renew our loyalty to you.¡± Seeing the determination in her eyes, Charlotte smiled in satisfaction. ¡°Very well, I like those who keep their promises.¡± She then looked at the light that rekindled in Margo¡¯s eyes and asked, ¡°I saw something else in your eyes, Margo. Did Rowena say anything to you at the end?¡± The Prophet Margo was slightly stunned. ¡°You¡­ you know?¡± Recalling the last wisp of divine power that had dissipated, Charlotte nodded. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I sensed it just now. It must have been the divine power left by her lingering thoughts, right?¡± The Prophet Margo fell silent. Taking a deep breath, she said, ¡°At the last moment of leaving Her Majesty¡¯s mental world, I received her final oracle¡­¡± ¡°Her Majesty ordered us¡­ to swear our allegiance to you once again.¡± Hearing Margo¡¯s words, Charlotte was taken aback this time. She glanced in the direction of the Queen¡¯s Palace, her expression becoming complex. ¡°So that¡¯s how it is¡­¡± ¡­ Bloodbornes busily moved about, directing blood thralls, fire demons, and giants to repair the heavily damaged Sanctuary. In the relatively intact castle, the bloodbornes who had survived the monster¡¯s attack were taking care of the newly awakened bloodbornes alongside succubi and illusion demons. In the only relatively intact side hall of the Queen¡¯s Palace. The Prophet Margo was reading the presented statistical report while listening to the palace guard captain, Sophia, who still looked a bit pale and had not fully recovered from her weakened state, reporting the Sanctuary¡¯s losses. ¡°Prophet, according to preliminary statistics, about one-third of the buildings in the Sanctuary¡¯s center were destroyed, with 1,327 fixed magic arrays damaged, and many precious magical and artistic items destroyed. Rough estimates put the losses at over 1.2 billion gold tana.¡± ¡°Among these, the most severely damaged facility is the underground magic defense tower, which was a major target of the blood fiend tide. It will be difficult to rebuild it in a short time and it can no longer fend off blood fiend attacks.¡± ¡°Additionally, the restrictions left by Her Majesty have suffered irreversible damage, extending even to their parts on the Myria Continent. The magical barriers covering the Northern Grand Duchy have also failed.¡± ¡°Considering these were restrictions left by Her Majesty, rebuilding them will be quite challenging.¡± At this point, Sophia lowered her head slightly, her expression somewhat disheartened. The Prophet Margo¡¯s expression was much calmer. In her calmness, there was even a hint of nostalgia. She sighed slightly and asked. ¡°What about the casualties?¡± Sophia¡¯s expression turned somewhat strange. She hesitated for a moment before replying. ¡°As for casualties¡­ three hundred seventy-one clan members were injured, fifty-three of them seriously, mostly from battles with the fallen bloodbornes.¡± The Prophet Margo paused slightly. She looked at Sophia and asked. ¡°No one¡­ died?¡± Sophia¡¯s expression grew increasingly strange. ¡°Yes, no one died. All the missing clan members who were ¡®devoured¡¯ were found near the Queen¡¯s Palace.¡± ¡°Most of them were unharmed, except for severe magic loss causing weakness, with no life-threatening injuries. Only a few had damage to their bloodline origins, causing a drop in their ranks.¡± ¡°Moreover¡­ those who had long since fallen and emerged from the sealed place, the Clan¡¯s Elders, also broke free from the curse. Some who recovered quickly have already awakened.¡± ¡°However, their bloodline origins were severely damaged, and most have dropped in rank to below that of a count, including several dukes and counts.¡± Hearing this, the Prophet trembled slightly. ¡°The dukes¡­ have all recovered?¡± Sophia nodded. ¡°Yes, they have all recovered from the curse. But¡­ perhaps because the dukes had been fallen for too long, their memories are severely damaged. They only vaguely remember their names and approximate identities from before their transformation¡­¡± ¡°Additionally, their power has greatly diminished¡­¡± The Prophet sighed softly. ¡°Being able to recover from the curse is good enough. Memory and strength¡­ can be slowly regained. After all, time is something we bloodbornes do not lack.¡± ¡°As for the underground defense tower and the Sanctuary¡¯s barrier¡­ if they¡¯re broken, then let them be. Anyway¡­ we won¡¯t need these things in the future.¡± Hearing the Prophet¡¯s words, Sophia was slightly stunned. She hesitated for a moment, seemingly both expectant and fearful, and asked. ¡°Prophet, could it be¡­ is it true what those blood thralls said? The curse underground¡­ has already¡­¡± The Prophet nodded and said, ¡°Yes, the curse that plagued our Harcos Clan is gone. Although we still cannot escape the blood frenzy, at least¡­ we won¡¯t easily fall as we did in the past.¡± She looked at Sophia. ¡°You should be able to sense the changes within yourself¡­¡± Sophia lowered her head. She extended her hands, her gaze at her palms complex. The Prophet was right. She could feel the changes in her bloodline. Until today, she had always sensed an invisible, intangible shackle deep within her bloodline, with a faint voice calling her, tempting her to follow that mysterious sound. That¡­ was the demonic voice of corruption, which all Harcos bloodbornes unable to withstand would eventually succumb to, transforming into blood fiends. But now, she heard nothing. She felt her bloodline power more active and free than ever, as if it had been purified and elevated by some force. However, she did not feel complete joy. She was the captain of the palace guard. She knew more than her fellow clan members, though¡­ not as much as the Prophet. ¡°So¡­ does that mean Her Majesty the Queen¡­ She¡­¡± Sophia¡¯s voice trembled. The Prophet fell silent. After a long time, she sighed and said, ¡°Her Majesty the Queen¡­ has left us.¡± ¡°I failed Her Majesty¡¯s trust, misinterpreting her divine oracle. For four hundred years¡­ Her Majesty has been warning us to leave.¡± ¡°Her Majesty had already fallen, but until the very end, she protected us, even¡­ during this great disaster caused by my arrogance and ignorance.¡± The Prophet looked up at the sky, her eyes closing in pain. ¡°That Excellency said that during the ¡®purification¡¯ of the curse, she sensed a soul-protecting force within the ¡®monster.¡¯¡± ¡°It was this force that allowed her to easily purify the curse on everyone¡­¡± ¡°Perhaps¡­ that was Her Majesty the Queen, who had transformed into the ¡®monster¡¯, holding on to her last gentleness to protect us.¡± ¡°Despite such a terrible disaster, no one died. Even to the end¡­ we were under Her Majesty¡¯s protection¡­¡± At the end, the Prophet¡¯s voice choked up. Sophia was also stunned. But she quickly noticed a detail in the Prophet¡¯s words. ¡°That Excellency¡­?¡± ¡°Prophet, the Excellency you mentioned¡­ could it be¡­ is it¡­¡± ¡°The one who saved us from the corruption?¡± The Prophet paused slightly. ¡°You¡­ know?¡± She looked at Sophia. Sophia hesitated and then nodded. ¡°After being devoured, I¡­ seemed to have seen.¡± ¡°I seemed to see a crimson light, a beautiful figure¡­¡± ¡°I think¡­ I felt a very intimate aura.¡± The Prophet fell silent. After a moment, she sighed softly. ¡°I have more important matters to announce to the clan members.¡± ¡°Spread the word, three days from now, everyone is to gather in front of the Queen¡¯s Palace. I will convey Her Majesty¡¯s final oracle.¡± Chapter 522 : ¡°The final oracle?¡± Sophia was slightly stunned. Seeing the solemn and resolute expression on the Prophet Margo¡¯s face, she felt a stir in her heart and couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Prophet, is it¡­ related to the future of our clan?¡± The Prophet Margo withdrew her gaze and neither confirmed nor denied. ¡°You will know in three days. For now¡­ make preparations.¡± ¡°Also, keep the passage to the Sanctuary closed. Without my command, it must not be opened anytime soon.¡± Sophia hesitated. Her hesitant expression did not escape the Prophet¡¯s notice. ¡°Sophia, do you have any questions?¡± The Prophet Margo sighed softly and asked. Sophia hesitated for a moment before answering honestly. ¡°Yes¡­ I have some questions.¡± ¡°Prophet, after I woke up, I¡­ heard some rumors. These rumors seem to come from those clan members and blood thralls who were fortunate enough to escape the disaster¡­¡± ¡°There are rumors that the one who saved us¡­ that Excellency¡­¡± ¡°They are the same person who brought the curse upon our clan and the destruction to the bloodbornes in history¡­¡± ¡°There are also rumors that you have decided to abandon our past faith and lead the clan to follow that Excellency again.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t believe it at first, but after talking with you, I¡­ I¡­¡± ¡°Prophet, are these rumors¡­ true?¡± The Prophet Margo gave her a deep look. ¡°If they are true, what will you do?¡± Sophia fell silent. Her expression changed several times before she finally sighed. ¡°Honestly, although all the major clans avoid mentioning that Excellency¡¯s name and even regard Them as the source of all disasters¡­¡± ¡°But¡­ She is still our Progenitor, the mother of all bloodbornes.¡± ¡°Her Majesty the Queen never denied the crimes committed by that Excellency, but likewise, she never denied Her greatness either.¡± ¡°If¡­ if it really is Her Majesty the Queen¡¯s oracle¡­ I am willing¡­¡± The Prophet shook her head. ¡°Sophia, I know what you are worried about.¡± ¡°Indeed, that great being created the bloodborne but also brought terrifying disasters to the bloodbornes, ultimately leading to the united rebellion of the princes and disappearing after the holy war¡­¡± ¡°But, there is no need to worry.¡± At this point, the Prophet¡¯s gaze became somewhat nostalgic. ¡°You are all very young and did not witness the golden age when that Excellency led the bloodbornes to sweep across the continent¡­¡± ¡°But I lived through it.¡± ¡°If the fall and division after a thousand years of chaos were a terrible disaster, then¡­ that era full of myths and legends was a magnificent epic belonging to us bloodbornes.¡± ¡°It was a grand era. In that era, all bloodbornes were proud of their identity. This pride continues to this day. Even though we are feared by everyone, the bloodborne remains the most elegant nobles of the night¡­¡± ¡°Yesterday, when that Excellency stood up to turn the tide, the figure I saw was not the terrifying figure deep in my memory that all bloodbornes feared.¡± ¡°On the contrary, it looked more like the figure that led us to the peak during the rise of the bloodbornes¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it strange? Clearly, they are the same True Ancestor, but She give people completely different feelings, as if¡­ as if there were two True Ancestor.¡± ¡°But one thing is certain, just as you guessed, She is indeed the Bloodborne Progenitor, the supreme True Ancestor!¡± ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°Or rather, the one who has returned is not the one who lost Herself in power and fell into madness in Her later years.¡± ¡°Instead, it is¡­ the True Ancestor who has successfully escaped from Her loss and regained Her rationality!¡± ¡°The True Ancestor who has regained Her rationality¡­¡± Hearing the Prophet Mago¡¯s words, Sophia widened her eyes, seemingly enlightened. She took a deep breath and saluted the Prophet. ¡°Prophet, I understand.¡± After reporting, Sophia respectfully withdrew. The Prophet Margo let out a long sigh of relief. Her previously stiff expression seemed to relax as she successfully convinced the other. Taking a deep breath, she tidied her clothes and walked out of the side hall towards a heavily guarded castle not far away¡­ ¡­ ¡°How was it? It seems your persuasion was quite successful?¡± In the castle, Charlotte, sitting on the throne, played with a crimson book, smiling at the approaching Prophet of the Harcos Clan. She had already returned to her original form. However, for the Prophet who had witnessed the ¡°transformation¡± process of the True Ancestor, it made no difference. Hearing Charlotte¡¯s teasing, the Prophet Margo felt a bit embarrassed. She respectfully saluted Charlotte and then smiled wryly. ¡°Indeed, nothing¡­ escapes your sight.¡± ¡°Great True Ancestor, please understand that many bloodbornes have a shadow in their hearts from the events a thousand years ago¡­ so¡­ I had to use this indirect method to persuade everyone.¡± ¡°But rest assured! The Harcos Clan, unlike other clans, did not participate in the siege of Kirali Clan. Most of those who had psychological shadows about you have lost their memories. Plus, with Her Majesty the Queen¡¯s oracle, persuading everyone to submit¡­ won¡¯t be a problem!¡± ¡°Three days, just give me three days! I¡¯ve already instructed many blood thralls to secretly spread the news of your return. With psychological preparation, plus Her Majesty the Queen¡¯s final oracle, harcos¡­ will once again sincerely become your loyal followers.¡± ¡°Please believe that everyone¡­ will accept it. After all, this is also Her Majesty the Queen¡¯s final command.¡± Seeing the Prophet Margo¡¯s cautious demeanor, Charlotte shook her head. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be nervous. As you told Sophia, the current me is not the evil and chaotic True Ancestor in your memory, so¡­ you don¡¯t need to worry about angering me.¡± ¡°Although you used my regained rationality as a reason to persuade the clan, in my view¡­ it¡¯s not entirely wrong.¡± At this point, Charlotte stroked her chin and suddenly changed the subject. ¡°But¡­ there is one thing I am very curious about.¡± She looked at the Prophet Margo, her gaze becoming deep, with a hidden brilliance flowing in her golden-red pupils under the surge of divine power. ¡°Do you¡­ truly believe there were two True Ancestor?¡± The Prophet Margo was slightly stunned. Her eyes became somewhat dazed, and she instinctively replied. ¡°Of course not. I¡­ just wanted to convince the clan in that way.¡± Silence¡­ The brilliance faded from Charlotte¡¯s eyes, and the Prophet¡¯s gaze returned to normal. She didn¡¯t realize that she had just been influenced by divine power and continued. ¡°Additionally¡­ the clan¡¯s loss report has also been prepared. Please review it.¡± Saying this, she respectfully presented a parchment scroll. Charlotte casually took it. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Although she had already understood the situation through ¡°peeking¡±, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit queasy when she saw the loss of 1.2 billion gold tana. 1.2 billion! Not 120 million! That¡¯s a huge sum! A whopping fortune! On the Myria continent, it¡¯s equivalent to the ten-year fiscal revenue of the Starfall Kingdom! And then¡­ it was just gone! Charlotte felt a bit regretful. She wondered if she should have taken action earlier or if she should have never allowed that ¡°monster¡± to appear. After all, with the Harcos Clan now submitting to her, the wealth of the Harcos Clan could indirectly be considered her resources! The bloodborne society is inherently hierarchical, and most of the wealth of the blood clans is primarily controlled by the ruling organizations such as the Elder Council or the Queen¡¯s Palace. With the Harcos Clan under her control, she becomes the Master of the Queen¡¯s Palace. Round it up, it¡¯s like she directly threw away 1.2 billion to show off! Needless to say, if she could have gotten hold of that 1.2 billion, it would have been more than enough to fund the integration of the Starfall Kingdom and the development of the magical industry! Seeing Charlotte in silence, the Prophet Margo cleared her throat and respectfully said, ¡°Great True Ancestor, we were fortunate that although many magic arrays and buildings were destroyed, the overall loss wasn¡¯t too significant. Converted into Myria currency, it was only 1.2 billion gold tana.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you. If you hadn¡¯t intervened in time, the clan¡¯s losses would have been much greater.¡± Charlotte: ¡­? She took a deep breath and instinctively straightened her posture. ¡°O¡­ only?¡± The Prophet hesitated for a moment and then nodded. ¡°Yes, only this amount, but¡­ excluding the barrier left by Her Majesty the Queen.¡± ¡°However, for you, the barrier¡­ shouldn¡¯t be a concern anymore, right?¡± Charlotte fell silent. She suddenly realized a problem. Indeed, due to the rampage and mutation of the bloodline, the Harcos Clan had declined even more severely than the Nez Clan. But the reasons for the decline of these two clans are fundamentally different. The Nez Clan was exhausted by the Star-Moon War. To support the Starfall royal family in winning the Star-Moon War, the Nez Clan spent a lot of money to fight the Crescent Kingdom, or more accurately, the Crescent royal family supported by the Holy Court. Later, the Nez Clan was defeated and was overthrown by the combined forces of the Starfall nobles and the Holy Court, directly driven out of the center of power in Starfall, with much of their property taken by the church and the nobles. In other words¡­ the Nez Clan¡¯s overall strength declined, and they nearly lost all their wealth. But the Harcos Clan is different. The Harcos Clan has always lived in an alternate dimension, completely uninvolved in the continental disputes, and the vast wealth accumulated during their peak has been preserved. Their decline was entirely internal. Moreover, the fall of the high-ranking bloodbornes actually resulted in their wealth being confiscated and further concentrated in the Harcos Queen¡¯s Palace. Over time¡­ although the Harcos Clan¡¯s strength has dwindled to one-tenth, their wealth¡­ probably hasn¡¯t decreased much. Furthermore, as the ruling center, the Queen¡¯s Palace might even be wealthier than when the clan first migrated! Hiss¡­ Charlotte instinctively leaned back. ¡°Margo, currently¡­ how much funds can the Queen¡¯s Palace mobilize?¡± She calmed her mind and asked. The Prophet Margo thought for a moment and replied. ¡°Great True Ancestor, if we exclude the costs for rebuilding the Sanctuary and settling the awakened clan members, it should be nearly 1.4 billion gold tana in Myria currency.¡± ¡°Of course, nearly half of it is priceless extraordinary materials, not suitable to be measured in money, and¡­ there are some extraordinary items that are hard to value in money.¡± Charlotte: ¡­ What the hell. Seeing Charlotte in silence, the Prophet felt she might have grasped something. She thought for a moment and cautiously asked. ¡°Great True Ancestor, do you¡­ need funds?¡± Charlotte felt a bit uncomfortable. Although, as the Lord of Castell, she was already considered wealthy, there are always those richer and more powerful. Compared to ancient forces like Harcos, which have accumulated wealth for nearly two thousand years, castell, with its mere few hundred years of history and just a county, is insignificant. Even the Starfall Kingdom is insignificant! Of course, excluding divine artifacts and high-tier magical artifacts. For powerful forces like the Harcos and Nez Clans, money is an external thing. Divine artifacts that suppress the clan, and invaluable treasures are the foundation. But for her identity in the mortal world, this staggering wealth¡­ is just right. Taking a deep breath, Charlotte calmly said, ¡°Yes, I do need some funds.¡± ¡°You know, my other identity is the Queen of Starfall. Given the current situation, bloodbornes can only operate in the shadows. On the surface, we must rely on the human forces of the secular world.¡± ¡°You should also know that I plan to establish my own faith¡­ and whether for the purpose of spreading faith or strengthening influence in the secular world, significant expenses are necessary.¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, the Prophet Margo nodded. ¡°I understand. I will arrange for the necessary funds to support your activities on the Myria continent.¡± So considerate! Charlotte¡¯s mood brightened immediately. ¡°However¡­¡± The Prophet Margo hesitated for a moment and then said, ¡°We couldn¡¯t find the Faceless Statues and Cursed Pages you need.¡± ¡°The clan did collect many Cursed Pages and three Faceless Statues, but those items¡­ were originally divine artifacts. During the ritual, we offered them as sacrifices for the ascension ritual.¡± ¡°After the ritual failed, all the sacrifices disappeared with Her Majesty the Queen¡¯s complete fall¡­¡± ¡°I think¡­ perhaps they were also destroyed with Her Majesty the Queen¡¯s fall.¡± Hearing the Prophet¡¯s words, Charlotte shook her head slightly. She glanced at the crimson book in her hand and smiled. ¡°Divine artifacts don¡¯t get destroyed that easily.¡± ¡°But you don¡¯t need to keep looking for them. I already know where they are.¡± Chapter 523 : The Grimoire of Blood ¡°Great True Ancestor, have you already found those divine items?¡± The Prophet Margo asked respectfully and curiously. Charlotte didn¡¯t answer directly. Instead, she picked up the crimson book from her lap. ¡°This¡­ this is¡­¡± Margo¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°This is what dropped after defeating the monster yesterday¡ªa partially formed divine artifact.¡± Charlotte explained. As she spoke, she gently opened the book. Charlotte then tore out a page, causing a crimson light to burst forth. In the Prophet Margo¡¯s astonished gaze, the torn page transformed into a vague ball of light. The light flickered, and a shadowy image of a statue could be seen in the background. The image appeared and disappeared, and the Prophet Margo quickly recognized it as one of the divine items she had offered in the ascension ritual. Her eyes widened. ¡°This book¡­ did it merge the sacrificed divine artifacts into this book?!¡± Charlotte nodded slightly. ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°Although Rowena¡¯s ascension ritual failed, it wasn¡¯t without results. The result is this Grimoire of Blood.¡± ¡°If my guess is correct, her original plan wasn¡¯t to ascend directly but to forge an artifact that could suppress the power of curses and then use this artifact to aid her ascension.¡± ¡°Of course, she ultimately failed, and the ¡®artifact¡¯ she forged has been preserved in this semi-finished form.¡± The Prophet Margo¡¯s heart stirred. ¡°So¡­ those divine artifacts didn¡¯t disappear, they merged together, and their power is now within this grimoire?¡± Charlotte nodded again. ¡°You could put it that way.¡± With that, she tore another page from the grimoire. Again, a crimson light shone, and another shadowy image appeared in her hand. ¡°The items were indeed damaged, but their essence didn¡¯t disappear. Instead, they reverted to their most original form, or rather, the form of divine power.¡± ??????§°??? ¡°This Grimoire of Blood is composed of such divine power.¡± As she spoke, Charlotte¡¯s hand glowed once more. The crimson Grimoire of Blood shattered, transforming into numerous phantom pages. These pages shifted and eventually formed various shapes of illusory ¡°divine artifacts.¡± They circled around Charlotte, including the Cursed Pages and Faceless Statues once owned by the Harcos Clan. In addition, besides the Cursed Pages and Faceless Statues, there were three dark red glowing divine artifacts. These three divine artifacts appeared much more solid than the others: a cloak, a rose badge, and an orb. ¡°These¡­ these are the Queen¡¯s three divine artifacts!¡± The Prophet Margo¡¯s eyes widened. As she continued, realization dawned on her. ¡°No wonder I couldn¡¯t find them. It turns out they were also used by the Queen in the ritual? Are they all destroyed too?¡± Charlotte nodded. ¡°Yes, all of Rowena¡¯s divine artifacts and the sacred objects you collected were destroyed, or rather, fused.¡± Then she looked at the Prophet Margo. ¡°So, there¡¯s no need to search for those divine artifacts anymore.¡± ¡°All the divine artifacts are actually here.¡± S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Prophet Margo finally understood. She gazed at the various light clusters representing different divine powers in Charlotte¡¯s hands and couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Great True Ancestor, you said this is a partially formed artifact, so does that mean¡­ the Queen failed?¡± Charlotte sighed softly. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°I can roughly guess what she was trying to create, but unfortunately, with her power, she could only produce this fragile semi-finished product.¡± ¡°Her failure to ascend was probably because of this reason.¡± With that, she clapped her hands lightly, and the floating light clusters gathered again, reforming into the Grimoire of Blood. After a sigh, Charlotte said, ¡°Margo, I need to meditate for a few days. During this period, unless it¡¯s urgent, do not disturb me.¡± ¡°The proclamation three days later can proceed according to your plan. Although I won¡¯t appear in person, I will observe everything in secret.¡± ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, you may leave.¡± ¡­ After reporting the losses in the Sanctuary, the Prophet Margo left. The castle gates closed, and crimson light spread. Charlotte used the blood divine power to create a magical barrier, isolating herself from the outside world. Then, she looked again at the Grimoire of Blood in her hand, or rather, the ¡°Gospel of Blood¡± imitated by the Crimson Queen. Yes, an imitation of the ¡°Gospel of Blood.¡± After initially investigating the Grimoire of Blood and analyzing its composition, Charlotte was certain that this book was intended to replicate the Gospel of Blood. Unfortunately, there must have been a mishap during the forging process. Aside from the appearance, the Grimoire of Blood¡¯s power was nothing like the Gospel of Blood. No, that¡¯s not entirely accurate. In Charlotte¡¯s perception, the divine power and rules within the Grimoire of Blood were very close to the Gospel of Blood. At least, the moment she obtained it, she felt the Gospel¡¯s yearning. It was a desire to replenish ¡°power¡± and ¡°laws.¡± This was not just because the book contained remnants of the Gospel of Blood, but also because it sought to convert all fused divine power and laws towards the Gospel of Blood. In other words, the Crimson Queen Rowena might have been trying to ¡°complete¡± the Gospel of Blood using those cursed pages as a blueprint and various divine artifacts as materials. Through recent experiences, Charlotte had pieced together most of the reasoning behind Rowena¡¯s desire to ¡°create¡± the Gospel of Blood. ¡°Unlike other bloodbornes, the curse of the Harcos Clan¡¯s bloodline isn¡¯t just a typical bloodborne bloodline curse. It incorporates some other kind of power.¡± ¡°That power¡­ is likely the same as the white mist behind the eerie stone gate.¡± ¡°My ability to purify their ¡®curse¡¯ using the Gospel is another piece of evidence. That feeling¡­ is very similar to when I used the Gospel to absorb the white mist that escaped the stone gate.¡± ¡°Clearly, the Gospel of Blood can suppress that power. The Crimson Queen Rowena probably knew this, which is why she wanted to ¡®imitate¡¯ the Gospel of Blood.¡± ¡°But¡­ what exactly is that white mist? How did the Harcos Clan get entangled with that power?¡± ¡°Is Stargazer Casey¡¯s ¡®disappearance¡¯ related to this?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not just Stargazer Casey. Regarding the True Ancestor of Blood, the Harcos Clan has detailed records. Although like other blood clans, they seem to have completely forgotten about Lilith, their records mention¡ª¡± ¡°The True Ancestor of Blood¡­ once went mad¡­¡± ¡°The True Ancestor of Blood mentioned here is probably Lilith. Why did she go mad? Could her madness be connected to the power that drove the Harcos Clan rampaging?¡± Charlotte couldn¡¯t come to a conclusion. She just didn¡¯t have enough information right now. The white mist was too mysterious, and even though the Gospel of Blood had the power to suppress and absorb it, her sharp intuition told her that it was extremely dangerous. The last time she felt something similar was right after she transmigrated, facing her ¡°old hag¡± grandmother. ¡°Let¡¯s absorb this ¡®Grimoire of Blood¡¯ first. Since it shares the same origin as the Gospel of Blood, it can replenish the Gospel¡¯s power and laws.¡± Charlotte muttered to herself. The Gospel of Blood was her greatest trump card. Since this was just a semi-finished imitation, it had no reason to exist anymore and could serve as nourishment for the Gospel. Moreover, the divine power contained in this semi-finished product was real. Although Charlotte had put on a show of great power, the consumption of divine power was indeed significant. Though she had accumulated a considerable amount of divine power, she didn¡¯t have a stable source of it yet. Followers could provide some, but it was still too little. This was the disadvantage of being a latecomer. Charlotte still didn¡¯t understand how other Demigods replenished their divine power besides relying on followers. From an efficiency standpoint, she could only use a rather crude method of ¡°seizing¡± and ¡°absorbing¡± divine power. A unique ability of the ¡°bloodborne myth.¡± The divine power within the ¡°Grimoire of Blood¡± was substantial. Absorbing it would replenish her divine power. With that thought, Charlotte¡¯s hand glowed, and divine power began to circulate again. She used the bloodbornes¡¯ inherent ¡°devouring¡± ability. An ethereal book appeared in her other hand. The book was thicker, more ornate, and even its aura was deeper. It was the projection of the Gospel of Blood. As soon as the Gospel of Blood projection appeared, the ¡°Grimoire of Blood¡± in Charlotte¡¯s hand seemed to sense another magnet, eager to merge with it. Charlotte didn¡¯t stop it. The crimson light flickered, and the ¡°Grimoire of Blood¡± quickly ¡°melted¡±, transforming into a golden-red energy that fused into the projection of the Gospel of Blood. In Charlotte¡¯s perception, the Gospel of Blood in her consciousness rapidly flipped open, with new pages appearing one after another. Its aura kept rising, becoming deeper. At the same time, Charlotte sensed a pure divine power flowing back into her body from the Gospel of Blood. That was the divine power absorbed from the ¡°Grimoire of Blood.¡± These mixed divine powers were purified by the Gospel of Blood, becoming the purest blood divine power. In an instant, her previously depleted divine power was fully replenished, and her reserve of divine power increased significantly. If her previous divine power reserve was 100, it had now doubled! This realization brought another issue to Charlotte¡¯s mind. No wonder the monster¡¯s power didn¡¯t seem as strong as she had expected. It wasn¡¯t just because it was an artificially created being with forcibly gathered divine power, but also because most of the Crimson Queen Rowena¡¯s accumulated divine power had been poured into this ¡°Grimoire of Blood.¡± Chaotic laws and insufficient divine power were the main reasons Charlotte could easily kill the monster. Now, all that divine power belonged to Charlotte. As the divine power entered her body, Charlotte¡¯s aura grew deeper, and at the same time, various pieces of information flowed into her mind along with the divine power. That¡­ was the power of laws. In a mysterious sense, Charlotte felt a surge of new knowledge in her mind, not just the bloodborne inheritance from the Gospel of Blood, but also deeper understanding of divine power. A burning sensation rose from her chest, and Charlotte felt the divine flame within her heart burn more fiercely, as if it was gathering something. Her heart fluttered, knowing that this was due to ¡°devouring¡± the Grimoire of Blood, indirectly absorbing the Faceless Statues collected by the Harcos Clan. Though it wasn¡¯t enough to form a divine core, it gave Charlotte a deeper understanding of the existence of Demigods. A familiar drowsiness crept in, and Charlotte¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She knew she might need to ¡°slumber¡± again. Fortunately, this time the drowsiness wasn¡¯t as intense. With her current level, she could suppress it to some extent. After some consideration, Charlotte decided to hold off on the ¡°slumber¡± until a more appropriate time. The crimson light flickered as the ¡°Grimoire of Blood¡± was fully absorbed by Charlotte. However, just as the last page of the grimoire turned into light and merged with her body, a dark red glow suddenly bloomed in her palm. In Charlotte¡¯s surprised gaze, a leather-bound notebook appeared in her hand. It wasn¡¯t formed by divine power but was a tangible item, looking quite old and having a typical Elven-era style. Moreover, Charlotte couldn¡¯t sense even a trace of energy from it, indicating that it was just an ordinary object. ¡°Was it sealed deep within the ¡®Grimoire of Blood¡¯, so I hadn¡¯t discovered it?¡± Charlotte raised her eyebrows, thoughtful. She pondered for a moment and curiously opened the notebook. Inside, the parchment had discolored, and many places were damaged, but even so, many pages were still intact. The pages were densely packed with text written in a mix of Elvish and Common Continental languages. Charlotte randomly opened a page and began to read. ¡°Prophet Era 508, Flower Month, 13th Day, Sunny.¡± ¡°Today is the day I was officially appointed as Legion Commander. Her Majesty asked me what name I wanted for my legion. After thinking all night, I decided to follow my heart.¡± ¡°My bloodline¡­ is one that strengthens flesh. My essence is closer to Her Majesty than other Legion Commanders¡­¡± ¡°To be appointed as a Legion Commander as one of Her Majesty¡¯s maids is both an honor and a test¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always hoped to be Her Majesty¡¯s support and backbone.¡± ¡°Therefore, my legion will be named after the Elvish term for the Wall of Flesh¡ªHarcos.¡± Chapter 524 : History Could this be¡­ the diary of the Crimson Queen Rowena? Charlotte¡¯s face showed surprise as she looked at the notes hidden in the ¡°Grimoire of Blood.¡± Then, she quickly became excited. The age of myths is full of secrets. If she could use Rowena¡¯s diary to peek into what really happened back then, perhaps¡­ she might also find out what happened between Lilith and Harald. Thinking of this, Charlotte instantly became energized. Taking a deep breath, she turned to the first page of the diary and began to carefully read. ¡°Prophet Era 495, Frost Month, 7th, Sunny.¡± ¡°Recording what I¡¯ve experienced in the form of a diary is indeed a good choice for someone as forgetful as me.¡± ¡°Bloodbornes are immortal. Even after being a bloodborne for so long, I still retain the youthful appearance I had when I first became one. Perhaps¡­ a thousand, two thousand years from now, when my memories become blurred with time, I will need these notes to awaken those ancient memories.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Prophet Era 495, Ice Month, 21st, Snowy.¡± ¡°Today, I was officially chosen as Her Majesty¡¯s personal maid. I wonder if Her Majesty still remembers me.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if She doesn¡¯t remember. Her Majesty is my savior. I may be very forgetful and might forget many things, but this one thing I will never forget.¡± ¡°I¡­ have long decided to dedicate everything to Her Majesty.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± This wasn¡¯t quite what Charlotte had imagined. Rowena¡¯s ¡°diary¡± recorded many trivial things. Especially the early parts, which were almost all about her daily work, with every few sentences revolving around Her Majesty. Even after a thousand years, Charlotte could still feel Rowena¡¯s respect for ¡°Her Majesty¡± through her words. As she read, she seemed to see a bloodborne girl constantly striving, step by step, to approach the person she revered. But Charlotte¡¯s smooth reading did not last long. After reading through the initial pages filled with mundane records, the next page¡¯s entries became blurry. Charlotte frowned. This wasn¡¯t the blur caused by the passage of time but seemed more like a deliberate erasure. The evidence was that the previous pages she read were still clear despite the centuries passed. As for these now-blurred parts, even Charlotte¡¯s Demigod-level eyesight couldn¡¯t make out what was originally written. Let alone discerning the content, as long as there were still traces of writing, she should be able to use magic to backtrack and reconstruct the original text. But with these blurred parts, she couldn¡¯t do that. Even using divine power, Charlotte couldn¡¯t figure out what was written in those blurred parts. This is abnormal, very abnormal. The drastic difference between just one page is definitely abnormal. Charlotte¡¯s heart sank a bit, feeling some bad premonition. She quickly continued to read and found, to her frustration, that most of this ¡°diary¡± had indeed become blurry. However, not all the entries in the diary had become blurry. Some pages still retained clarity, and some of the middle pages also remained clear. The record of becoming a Legion Commander that Charlotte randomly browsed earlier was one of those clear middle pages. Charlotte continued to frown and read on, skipping the blurred parts and browsing the clearer sections. ¡°Prophet Era 497, Heat Month, 19th, Sunny.¡± ¡°The situation is becoming more critical. Even with the bloodborne warriors, it remains difficult to fight against the elven army.¡± ¡°The City-State has decided to develop more bloodbornes to further enhance our combat power.¡± ¡°I wonder when this war will finally end¡­¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Prophet Era 508, Wind Month, 11th, Sunny.¡± ¡°We won! We finally achieved victory! After so many years of warfare, we finally won and secured control of the northern territories.¡± ¡°From today onwards, no one can bully the Free City-State anymore!¡± ¡°Long live Her Majesty! Long live the bloodbornes! Long live the free people!¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Prophet Era 534, Wind Month, 11th, Sunny.¡± ¡°Today is the anniversary of our victory in the war. After so many years of warfare, under Her Majesty¡¯s leadership, we finally unified the entire Myria Continent.¡± ?????????¨®?¦¥???? ¡°The Sea King and Moon Goddess have been defeated by Her Majesty, the elves have abandoned their rule over the continent, and the Old Gods have chosen to retreat. Perhaps¡­ the era of humans and bloodbornes is about to begin!¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I feel my blood power growing restless lately. Her Majesty said it won¡¯t be long before I can attempt to ascend to a Demigod.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Prophet Era 667, Bloom Month, 18th, Sunny.¡± ¡°This should be my last time using the Prophet Era. Who would have thought that ascending to a Demigod would be so difficult and lengthy? When I woke up, a hundred years had already passed, and even the continent¡¯s era had changed.¡± ¡°The Blood Moon Era? It does have a bloodborne feel. From now on, I will use the new era to record events!¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Blood Moon Era, Year 31, Month 4, Day 7, Rain.¡± ¡°Habits are really hard to change. Even after all these years, I still haven¡¯t gotten used to the numerical month system.¡± ¡°Her Majesty has become increasingly silent lately, looking like She has a lot on Her mind. I wonder if it has anything to do with the recent conflicts in the various kingdoms.¡± ¡°Who would have thought that the extraordinary powers that protected our city-state during the war would now become the biggest barrier between us and the people¡­¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Blood Moon Era, Year 33, Month 11, Day 2, Sunny.¡± ¡°Another case of blood frenzy happened today. Although bloodline curses have always existed, such a severe incident is the first of its kind¡­¡± ¡°I hear that almost all kingdoms have protested against the Blood Court. Are bloodbornes¡­ truly no longer seen as part of humanity?¡± ¡°I heard that Her Majesty personally suppressed several rebellious human Legendaries and Blood Dukes. What exactly is Her Majesty thinking?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Blood Moon Era, Year 40, Month 7, Day 5, Sunny.¡± ¡°Her Majesty is going to slumber again.¡± ¡°In recent years, Her Majesty seems to be slumbering more frequently, and for longer periods of time.¡± ¡°Her Majesty said She wants to try to completely end the bloodline curse and find the origin of the bloodbornes. Can this really be done?¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t doubt Her Majesty. If She wants to do something, She will definitely be able to do it!¡± ¡°Strange¡­ why do I always feel like I¡¯ve forgotten something.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Blood Moon Era, Year 112, Month 3, Day 2, Sunny.¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t know what those guys under Casey are thinking, trying to establish a blood thrall system. Have they forgotten that they were once human too?!¡± ¡°And Her Majesty, why doesn¡¯t She stop them?¡± ¡°I find myself increasingly unable to see through Her Majesty. Sometimes, she seems like a different person. Is She still the Her Majesty I once knew?¡± ¡°Her Majesty¡­ seems to be hiding something. Does She still remember the promise to end the bloodline curse?¡± ¡°No, no, no, I mustn¡¯t speculate and doubt our great Her Majesty. She is the one who created us!¡± ¡°Huh? That doesn¡¯t seem right¡­¡± ¡°Bloodbornes¡­ were created by Her Majesty?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Blood Moon Era, Year 235, Month 8, Day 5, Sunny.¡± ¡°Her Majesty has returned from the Old Continent.¡± ¡°She said She has found a way to solve the bloodborne bloodline curse.¡± ¡°She hopes I can be Her assistant and help Her solve this problem that has troubled bloodbornes for centuries. She said She wants me to cooperate with Her to create an unprecedented artifact that can change everything, and end everything.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what Her Majesty wants to change or end, but I am very willing to participate in this plan to solve the bloodline curse. However¡­ Her Majesty seems more unfamiliar than before, she doesn¡¯t even call me by my nickname anymore.¡± ¡°Her Majesty often looks at the sky, with a very distant look in Her eyes.¡± ¡°Sometimes, I feel like She¡¯s about to leave¡­¡± ¡°What has happened to Her Majesty?¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Blood Moon Era, Year 270, Month 9, Day 18, Sunny.¡± ¡°The power of creation! So¡­ the source of the bloodborne¡¯s power is the power of creation?!¡± ¡°Could the creation myth of the elves be true?¡± ¡°Does this world really have a Creator God?!¡± ¡°What is the true origin of bloodbornes? Was it not Her Majesty who created bloodbornes?¡± ¡°If not, then who created the bloodbornes?!¡± ¡°I seem to have really forgotten something¡­ but what exactly have I forgotten?!¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Failed¡­ the ritual failed! The plan to create the artifact also failed!¡± ¡°Such an artifact is impossible to create, impossible!¡± ¡°Her Majesty is also injured, she is going to slumber again¡­¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Who is She? She is not Her Majesty! She is definitely not Her Majesty!¡± ¡°I must quickly tell the other princes! I must tell them before everything becomes irreversible!¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I see now, we had already failed long ago.¡± ¡°We have always been in a cycle, always¡­ in a cycle!¡± ¡°¡­..¡± ¡°I¡­ finally understand why Her Majesty wanted me to keep a diary back then.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s probably¡­ too late.¡± ¡°What stands before us is not a curse.¡± ¡°It is¡­ the primordial law.¡± ¡°¡­..¡± The diary ends here. As Charlotte flipped to the last page, there were more and more blurred entries. But even so, just the parts she could read gave her a sense of eerie unease. ¡°The ritual¡­ failed? What ritual? The ritual to lift the bloodline curse?¡± ¡°The creation of the artifact also failed? Isn¡¯t that referring to the Gospel of Blood? The Gospel of Blood¡­ was not successfully created? If it wasn¡¯t successful, then what about the Gospel of Blood inside me?¡± ¡°And¡­ ¡®She¡¯, She is not Her Majesty? What does that mean?¡± ¡°Who is ¡®She¡¯?¡± ¡°What does it mean by ¡®always in a cycle¡¯? Could it be¡­ referring to history?¡± Charlotte muttered to herself, her brows furrowing deeper. Although most of the diary entries were mysteriously blurred, she could roughly piece together what happened a thousand years ago. After the bloodbornes¡¯ victory, Her Majesty, or more accurately¡­ Lilith, seemed to have been searching for a way to solve the bloodborne bloodline curse. The bloodbornes¡­ seemed to have forgotten that they were created by her, and pursuing the origin of bloodbornes and the solution to the bloodline curse became Lilith¡¯s obsession. But in the end, Lilith failed. Not only did she fail, but she also seemed to have gone mad and had her identity taken over by some entity¡­ Moreover, Lilith¡¯s plan to create the artifact, or more accurately, the ¡°Gospel of Blood¡±, did not succeed. What happened afterward is not recorded in the diary. But from what Charlotte knew, it is likely that the princes defeated the entity that took over Lilith¡¯s identity. This¡­ is probably the truth behind the bloodbornes¡¯ ¡°betrayal.¡± ¡°The diary says that the source of the bloodbornes¡¯ power is the power of creation¡­¡± ¡°Could it be¡­ that the entity that took over Lilith¡¯s identity is the ¡®Creator God¡¯?¡± ¡°And if the Gospel of Blood was not successfully created, then what about the Gospel inside me? Or could it be¡­ the failure refers to the scattered pages of the Gospel of Blood?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not impossible, considering the Gospel of Blood is in a broken state. Could it be¡­ that from the beginning, the Gospel of Blood was never ¡®complete¡¯? Because it was never successful?¡± ¡°But¡­ why does the diary say ¡®impossible to create¡¯?¡± Charlotte¡¯s frown deepened. Thinking it over, she decided to browse the diary again. However, just as she turned back to the front, she saw the diary suddenly glow faintly, and a new page appeared on the last page. Charlotte paused. She focused her gaze and turned back, seeing a new passage of text appeared. ¡°I am Rowena.¡± ¡°When you read these words, I should already be dead.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are. Perhaps you are a descendant of the bloodbornes, perhaps you are my chosen successor, perhaps you are a future version of me, or perhaps¡­ you are a being forgotten by us failures.¡± ¡°But no matter your identity, since you can see this record I left, it means you are someone I trusted in my last moment of clarity, and also¡­ someone Her Majesty trusted in Her last moment of clarity.¡± ¡°Since you are reading these words, it means you are the last hope mentioned in Her Majesty¡¯s oracle, and it also means you possess some power that can resist ¡®Their¡¯ power.¡± ¡°The following words, please remember them well, as they concern your future and the future of the entire world.¡± ¡°This¡­ is Her Majesty¡¯s last oracle¡ª¡± ¡°History has never changed.¡± ¡°But history¡­ can be created!¡± ¡°¡­..¡± Chapter 525 : Not Change, but Create! Charlotte finished reading the diary of the Crimson Queen Rowena. Holding the old notebook, Charlotte¡¯s mind was like a stormy sea, unable to calm down for a long time. Especially those two sentences left by ¡°Lilith¡± through Rowena¡¯s hand on the notebook¡­ ¡°History has never changed? But¡­ history can be created?¡± Charlotte murmured to herself, lost in thought. She felt like she had grasped something, but she couldn¡¯t quite say what it was. However, the question that had puzzled her since her first time travel had now been answered. ¡°So¡­ my second time travel was really a time travel. Moreover, the creator of the Gospel of Blood, the ¡®real¡¯ True Ancestor of Blood, Lilith, also knew about the ¡®time travel¡¯ that happened to me.¡± ¡°In a sense, my ¡®time travel¡¯¡­ might have been designed by her.¡± ¡°Her oracle¡­ feels more like a warning, a guide. She knew I would travel through time, she knew I would ¡®influence¡¯ history.¡± ¡°But¡­ what does ¡®never changed¡¯ and ¡®can be created¡¯ mean?¡± Charlotte frowned, feeling that the mysteries surrounding Lilith were increasing. This ¡®True Ancestor of Blood¡¯ who she had taken as an apprentice after traveling through history, and who was forgotten by the bloodbornes, was becoming more mysterious and harder to understand. ¡°If she could have left more oracles, it would have been better. Just two cryptic sentences¡­ the information is still too little.¡± Charlotte shook her head. Her time travel relied on the power of the Gospel of Blood. Combining multiple tests with the information from Rowena¡¯s diary, Charlotte could almost confirm this conclusion. In a sense, if Lilith, the creator of the Gospel of Blood, truly intended for Charlotte to travel through time to influence the world¡¯s timeline, then perhaps¡­ the creation of the Gospel of Blood was not as much of a ¡°failure¡± as Rowena thought. On the contrary, it could be considered a success. However, what puzzled Charlotte was, if Lilith really wanted her to travel through time, what exactly did she want her to do? And why was she the chosen one? If history cannot be changed, why was she able to leave a mark in real history as the ¡°Savior¡±? She even successfully left an ¡°I was here¡± note on the high tower of the Royal Library of the Crescent Kingdom! Did she¡­ really not ¡°change¡± history? If¡­ if it wasn¡¯t her changing history, if the ¡°I was here¡± had existed from the beginning, if her ¡°time travel¡± was always an ¡°inevitable part of history¡±¡­ Then what is the meaning of her ¡°time travel¡±? And Rowena¡¯s diary. So many parts of Rowena¡¯s diary were blurred, not simply erased, but ¡°covered¡± in a way even Charlotte couldn¡¯t understand. Why cover it? Who covered it? Did Rowena herself know about this ¡°covering¡±? Did Lilith know? Wait¡­ ¡°Covering¡±? Seemingly realizing something, Charlotte¡¯s eyes suddenly sharpened. As if struck by a sudden realization, Charlotte understood a detail she had previously overlooked. ¡°Wait a minute¡­¡± ¡°From the beginning, I seem to have been fixated on whether I have changed history.¡± ¡°But¡­ what if it¡¯s not about ¡®changing¡¯?¡± ¡°In the information I know, the bloodbornes have forgotten Lilith, and not just Lilith, they even have a blurry memory of the Mythic Era.¡± ¡°In Rowena¡¯s diary, most records about the Mythic Era are also blurred.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just Rowena¡¯s diary, in all the bloodborne texts I¡¯ve found, there¡¯s very little detailed information about that ancient past. In a sense, the reason I want to understand what happened in that era is because of a lack of ¡®historical records¡¯.¡± R??£Î¨¯¦¢¦¥? ¡°But¡­ what if this lack of ¡®historical records¡¯ is an inevitability? What if¡­ the bloodbornes¡¯ ¡®forgotten¡¯ memories are an inevitability?¡± ¡°If¡­ and this is just a hypothesis¡­¡± ¡°If the problem lies not with the bloodbornes, nor with the texts, but with ¡®history¡¯ itself?¡± ¡°¡®History¡¯ cannot be changed, but ¡®history¡¯ can be created¡­ ¡®History¡¯ cannot be changed, but ¡®history¡¯ can be created!¡± ¡°The bloodbornes ¡®forgot¡¯ that history, the texts ¡®forgot¡¯ that history, even Rowena¡¯s diary¡­ also ¡®forgot¡¯ that history.¡± ¡°¡®Forgetting¡¯ means that the record of history has ¡®gaps¡¯.¡± ¡°Is there a problem with ¡®history¡¯?¡± ¡°Has ¡®history¡¯ been distorted? Altered? Has history¡­ developed ¡®gaps¡¯?¡± ¡°Could it be that the meaning of those two sentences in Rowena¡¯s diary is for me to ¡®go back to the past¡¯ and fill in the ¡®gaps¡¯ in history?¡± Thinking this, Charlotte felt like the questions in her mind were clearing up like the parting clouds. ¡°Not ¡®changing¡¯ history, but¡­ ¡®creating¡¯ history?¡± ¡°I think I might understand the true meaning of those two sentences.¡± Exhaling lightly, Charlotte looked at Rowena¡¯s diary again. She opened the notebook, looking at the blurred parts, her gaze becoming distant. ¡°Perhaps¡­ the bloodbornes¡¯ forgetting, the lack of texts, and the blurring in this diary are all an inevitable part of the present!¡± ¡°¡®Existence¡¯ can be ¡®forgotten¡¯. If ¡®existence¡¯ is forgotten, the history related to that ¡®existence¡¯ will naturally develop corresponding gaps.¡± Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I used to subconsciously believe that the history of a forgotten ¡®existence¡¯ would be rewritten to a state where the ¡®forgotten existence¡¯ never appeared.¡± ¡°But now, this understanding might not be accurate.¡± ¡°¡®Existence¡¯ can be forgotten, and so¡­ ¡®history¡¯ can also be forgotten, or rather¡­ ¡®erased¡¯!¡± ¡°History cannot be changed, meaning what has already happened cannot be changed. But ¡®what hasn¡¯t happened¡¯¡­ is not included!¡± ¡°If¡­ if a piece of history is ¡®erased¡¯, then¡­ could it also be considered that the history ¡®never happened¡¯?¡± ¡°Perhaps¡­ my ¡®time travel¡¯ is to fill in that ¡®erased¡¯ history, and this¡­ is the so-called ¡®creating history¡¯!¡± Charlotte¡¯s thoughts flew, feeling like she had finally grasped the truth. Of course, beneath this truth lay even bigger questions. For example, if there really are ¡°gaps¡± in history, who is the entity that caused all of this? Who ¡°altered¡± history? And who is the being mentioned in Rowena¡¯s diary that is ¡°not Her Majesty¡±? Could they be the same ¡°being¡±? ¡°Whoever it is, it must be an incredibly terrifying entity. After all, it can even influence ¡®history.¡¯ Perhaps that¡¯s the true ¡®terrifying enemy¡¯ that Rowena, the bloodbornes, and Lilith once faced.¡± Charlotte murmured to herself. She had a vague feeling that this mysterious ¡°being¡± might be related to Rowena¡¯s madness, the disappearance of the Stargazer Casey, and those two eerie stone doors deep in her consciousness. Thinking of this, Charlotte looked at her own hands again. Although the massive release of divine power had consumed a lot of energy this time, the mythical power she gained had elevated her divine power to a new level. Not only that, but the degree of completion of the Gospel of Blood, her understanding of mythological laws, and the divine flame in her chest all had been strengthened and improved to varying extents. She had a feeling that she could trigger another ¡°time travel¡± at any time if she wanted to. ¡°Creating history, filling in the gaps¡­ these are still just my hypotheses for now. Perhaps, when I truly travel through time again, I can further verify them.¡± ¡°Of course, before that, I need to be fully prepared. Judging by the time intervals of my previous time travels, I might sleep for an even longer period next time.¡± ¡°This time, I may still be far from becoming a ¡®true God¡¯, but the power of my true form should reach a higher level.¡± Charlotte murmured to herself. She also needed to find a safe place to slumber, and she had to deal with everything around her before going into hibernation. This wasn¡¯t urgent for now. She still had many things to handle: the complete subjugation of the Harcos Clan, the reclamation of faith from the Free Tribe Alliance, the struggle with the Starfall nobles, and the formal alliance with the Northern Grand Duchy¡­ Whether it was consolidating the existing bloodborne forces, expanding her faith, or deterring the Crescent Kingdom, which was eyeing her covetously, all required some arrangements. ¡°There are many things to be done. Let¡¯s deal with them one by one before I go into slumber.¡± Charlotte murmured. ¡­ After recovering Rowena¡¯s diary, Charlotte continued to oversee Harcos¡¯ Sanctuary for the next few days. Although the Prophet Margo had officially submitted to her, she still felt a bit uneasy without seeing the entire Harcos Clan¡¯s complete submission. However, the subsequent developments proved she was overthinking it. Perhaps, as God¡¯s favored one, when it came to matters involving the Crimson Queen Rowena, the Prophet Margo might have acted impulsively and made mistakes for the sake of her worshipped God. But after calming down, as a Legendary Bloodborne who had managed the Harcos Clan for nearly a thousand years, she finally displayed her true abilities. The last oracle of the Crimson Queen Rowena was announced to be delivered ¡°three days later.¡± But within those three days, news of the ¡°True Ancestor¡¯s return¡±, ¡°True Ancestor regaining sanity¡±, ¡°True Ancestor saving the Harcos Clan¡±, and ¡°the Queen¡¯s Palace preparing to re-submit to the True Ancestor¡± had already spread throughout the Sanctuary. This was, of course, the handiwork of the Prophet Margo. Unlike other clans, Harcos had retreated from the Myria continent early on and was not as strongly repelled and feared the True Ancestor as other clans were. Although these ¡°rumors¡± caused a sensation and uproar within the Sanctuary, overall, they remained under control. And three days later, when the Prophet Margo ascended the platform and announced Rowena¡¯s ¡°final oracle of submission¡± to the clan, the Harcos bloodbornes, who had been mentally prepared, all knelt before Charlotte. Everything went smoothly, so much so that even Charlotte was surprised. Of course, after some reflection, she understood why things went so smoothly. Firstly, the Prophet Margo¡¯s groundwork indeed alleviated the psychological pressure on the Harcos bloodbornes. Secondly, Charlotte¡¯s intervention had indeed saved the entire Harcos Clan. Thirdly, bloodbornes are ultimately a race that values hierarchy. For a clan that had lost its mythological protection, there was no reason to refuse to submit to the True Ancestor who had regained ¡°sanity.¡± Naturally, submission is one thing, but turning the Harcos bloodbornes into her true believers would take more time. But that¡¯s a matter for the future. With the Prophet Margo, the head of the Queen¡¯s Palace, having pledged loyalty to Charlotte, and since the Queen¡¯s Palace is the ¡°theocratic¡± institution of Harcos, the conversion of faith was just a matter of time. Just like with the Nez Clan, none of the Harcos bloodbornes, except for the Prophet Margo, knew Charlotte¡¯s true identity. She still accepted the submission of the bloodbornes in her adult form. As for the ¡°True Ancestor¡¯s return¡±, it was also written into the blood oath of the Harcos Clan as a secret vow. No need to keep it a secret forever. At least¡­ buying some more time for growth is always good. Having completely subdued the Harcos Clan, Charlotte no longer had any reason to stay. The day after Harcos Clan¡¯s official submission, she left their Sanctuary. ¡°Your Majesty the True Ancestor, here is the tribute prepared by the clan according to your needs, including one billion gold tana in cash and extraordinary materials worth one and a half billion gold tana¡­¡± At the exit of the Sanctuary, the Prophet Margo respectfully presented a finely crafted storage ring. Charlotte nodded slightly and took the ring. She kept a calm face, but her heart was cheering, and her hand holding the ring trembled slightly. 2.5 billion! That¡¯s 2.5 billion! No matter where you are, this is a huge sum that can shake a nation! ¡°Your Majesty the True Ancestor, is this enough? If not, we can get more¡­¡± Seeing Charlotte¡¯s silence, the Prophet Margo asked nervously. ¡°No need, this is already enough.¡± Charlotte shook her head. It was indeed enough. After all, she was going to use this money to operate the church and develop her territory. Since the Harcos Clan had submitted to her, it was now part of her domain. It wouldn¡¯t be appropriate to leech Harcos to subsidize her other subordinate forces. Of course, the most important thing is that such a huge sum of money was really enough. Even if used as the startup capital for the Starfall Kingdom¡¯s Magic Alchemy Joint Company to generate more money, it would be more than sufficient. After thinking for a moment, Charlotte added. ¡°Consider this fund as Harcos¡¯ investment in the Starfall Kingdom. In the future, the Harcos Clan will hold a share in the joint company.¡± ¡°Joint¡­ company?¡± The Prophet was confused. Charlotte smiled. ¡°It¡¯s a company I¡¯m setting up in the Starfall Kingdom that focuses on magic technology and alchemy industries. In Myria, magic technology and alchemy industries are the future. It¡¯s also beneficial for the Harcos Clan. You¡¯ll understand in the future.¡± With that, she patted the Prophet Margo¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Lead the clan to recuperate in the Sanctuary. For Harcos, restoring strength is the most important. With the Divinity Descent Day approaching, I need you to become stronger.¡± ¡°I hope¡­ to see Harcos¡¯ descendants truly become my believers as soon as possible.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t be stingy with rewards for those who are truly devout.¡± ¡°If needed, I will summon you again.¡± Upon hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, the Prophet respectfully bowed. ¡°Everything¡­ will follow your divine oracle!¡± ¡­ With the Prophet Margo¡¯s respectful farewell, Charlotte left the Great Northern Forest, where Harcos¡¯ Sanctuary was located. However, she didn¡¯t return to the Starfall Kingdom immediately. Instead, she headed towards the Free Tribe Alliance. The restriction covering the Northern Grand Duchy had disappeared. In her perception, Sebastian had already reached the temple worshiped by the Free Tribe Alliance. The faith network of the Free Tribe Alliance¡­ could be reclaimed at any time! ___________________ T/N: Some mumbo jumbo theory. Recap for dummies. Basically, Charlotte had an assumption that if an existence was erased, history would correct itself by changing every aspect related to the erased existence to the point of making the existence like they/it never existed in the first place. But the law in this world is, that if someone was erased, their past trace would also be removed, thus leaving a ¡®gap¡¯ in history itself. Charlotte¡¯s hypothesis is her time travel purpose is to fill these gaps to influence the ¡®future¡¯. But, history never changed. She can¡¯t change anything that already happened, which is everything recorded in history till the present time. Like, let¡¯s say you got digestion because of your bread breakfast. Your mad scientist dad decided to erase the bread from existence. Your past would still experience digestion, but you can¡¯t tell what you eat for breakfast to make you suffer digestion. And for some miraculous reason, there¡¯s rice travels back in time to fill the gap created by the bread erasure. In the end, you recognize the ¡®rice¡¯ breakfast as the cause of your digestion. Chapter 526 : Faith Retrieval At a beautiful coastal canyon. Tall black trees cover the sky, and the winding, rugged coastline stretches to the horizon¡¯s end. In the ancient, vast temple, leaders from various Free Tribe Alliance have gathered, surrounding a handsome elf dressed in a tailcoat. The elders and tribesmen from each tribe have already surrounded the temple, making it impossible to pass through. Inside and outside the temple, there is complete silence, and all eyes are focused on the lifelike, faceless statue in the temple and the nervous girl kneeling before it. ¡°Divine Envoy, will the great Savior truly hear our call?¡± An elderly tribe leader could not help but look at the smiling elven envoy, his hoarse voice trembling slightly. The ¡°Divine Envoy¡± Sebastian smiled gently. He extended his hand and drew a symbol of thorny rose on his chest, his gentle voice filled with piety and fervor. ¡°Of course, She can.¡± ¡°Just as you all have been anticipating this day, the great Lord has already cast Her gaze upon you.¡± After speaking, he looked at the Northern girl sitting in front of the statue. ¡°Astrid, the time has come. Begin the ceremony.¡± ¡°Do it as I taught you: feel it, call it, and praise the true name of our Lord!¡± ¡°As long as you have faith, as long as your heart is pure, and as long as your belief is sincere, you will naturally awaken the blessing left by our Lord, and the great Lord will hear your voice!¡± Encouraged by Sebastian, Astrid took a deep breath, and her expression gradually became firm. She extended her right hand and drew a symbol of a thorny rose on her chest, then bowed deeply to the statue on the altar. ¡°Guardian and Protector of the Darkness,¡± ¡°Subverter and Reshaper of Order,¡± ¡°Ruler of the Night,¡± ¡°Bringer of the Dawn,¡± ¡°Savior of the Free Tribe Alliance, the Cycle of Light and Dark¡¯s Embodiment¡ª¡± ¡°Great God Nyx!¡± ¡°Your devout believer Astrid prays to You, seeking Your gaze, Your protection, and¡­ Your power.¡± The girl¡¯s voice was ethereal and sincere. As she prayed, the tribesmen inside and outside the temple also knelt down, reciting along with the girl. ¡°Great God Nyx!¡± ¡°Great Savior!¡± ¡°Your devout believers¡­ seek Your gaze, Your protection, and Your power!¡± The vast voices echoed like waves, resounding through the canyon and drowning out the sound of the waves crashing against the rocks. Everyone bowed to the statue, their eyes full of hope and anxiety focused on the lifelike statue. The echo of the prayers gradually dissolved into the sound of the waves. The ancient temple returned to silence. Looking at the unchanged altar, the hopeful gazes of the people gradually dimmed, and the light of hope in their eyes slowly extinguished. Even Astrid, the ¡°God¡¯s favored girl¡± kneeling before the statue, slowly closed her eyes. ¡°Is it still¡­ not working?¡± Seeing no change on the altar, an elderly tribe elder looked dejected and despairing. ¡°No¡­¡± The girl in front of the statue suddenly opened her eyes. She clasped her hands to her chest, looking devoutly at the lifelike statue. ¡°I¡­ I think I feel the power of the Savior¡­¡± As soon as she finished speaking, a crimson light burst forth from her chest. A phantom light orb slowly rose from her body. As if attracted by some force, the orb flew towards the statue on the altar, eventually merging with it. The crimson light spread across the statue. The previously faceless statue began to change! Its features gradually became clear, and its form gradually completed. In no time¡­ it transformed from a faceless statue to a small, beautiful goddess statue. ?¨¤¦­??????? A crimson pillar of light shot skyward from the statue. An ancient aura descended upon the temple, accompanied by a divine majesty that commanded the world. In a trance, the praying believers seemed to see a tall temple in the void, with a goddess in a black divine gown seated on a throne within. Thorns and roses adorned Her throne, and a blood moon was Her backdrop. Everyone felt a stirring in their blood, as if something was awakening deep within them. Accompanying this stirring was a voice, majestic, melodious, and ethereal, resounding in their hearts. ¡°Your prayers, I¡­ have heard.¡± A subtle wave of energy spread, passing through everyone and extending further. At this moment, all the Savior¡¯s believers in the Free Tribe Alliance felt as if some shackle had been broken within them, while something else seemed to connect. Crimson light blossomed among the crowd. The tribe priests, who had long met the criteria for totem priests but had never been able to cast totem magic, were delighted to find an incredible totem power suddenly emerging within them! No¡­ It wasn¡¯t totem power. It was divine power, the divine gift that true priests should possess! ¡°I¡­ I think I can use totem magic now!¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s more than totem magic! It¡¯s divine magic! The dark divine magic of our Free Tribe Alliance!¡± ¡°The Savior has not abandoned us! The Savior has truly not abandoned us!¡± ¡°Praise the Savior! Praise Order! Praise the great God Nyx!¡± The awakened priests cried and laughed, prostrating themselves before the glowing statue on the altar. Astrid, the ¡°God¡¯s favored girl¡±, was equally excited. Listening to her tribe¡¯s cheers and feeling the unprecedented blessing of divine grace in the temple, she felt that all her persistence and efforts had been worth it. ¡°Praise order, praise darkness, praise the great God Nyx!¡± Her voice trembled as she once again prostrated herself before the statue. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The crimson light continued to spread. Gradually, the light left the statue and gathered continuously in front of the girl. Astrid¡¯s heart stirred. Instinctively, she extended her hand. The crimson light coalesced in her palm, eventually transforming into a heavy tome with a black cover, scarlet edges, and gold inlays. On it, a few words were written in the common language. ¡°The Dark Night Gospel¡± Watching from the side, Sebastian couldn¡¯t help but cast a glance. He recognized it. It was the catechism of the Nightshade Cult, compiled with the guidance and teachings of the True Ancestor, which he, along with the werewolf Luff and the Priestess Lottie, had recently submitted to their master. Chapter 527 : Divine Blessing The barrier over the Northern Grand Duchy has been lifted, and the reclamation of faith within the Free Tribe Alliance is progressing smoothly. As the masses bowed in reverence before the statue, Charlotte, who was observing from the sky in concealment, felt the faith network in her consciousness suddenly expand, revealing a radiant node and countless shimmering ¡°stars.¡± In that moment, Charlotte sensed a tremendous power crossing the void, merging into her faith network, and subsequently integrating into her consciousness and soul. It was an energy akin to divine power. More accurately, it was the ¡°totem power¡± accumulated over a thousand years by the Free Tribe Alliance, which had revered the faceless statue as a ¡°totem.¡± This ¡°totem power¡± was remarkably similar to the power accumulated through the worship of Gods, as the faceless statue symbolizing the Savior¡¯s totem had drawn extraordinary power from generations of Savior¡¯s devotees. After a millennium of sedimentation within the statue, its quality had nearly reached that of divine power. Charlotte discovered that with just a slight manipulation, this power could be easily absorbed and converted into her blood divine power. After some contemplation, the concealed Charlotte pointed slightly at the statue on the altar. In the next moment, the Faceless Statue on the altar began to fade, while its form gradually formed in Charlotte¡¯s hand, eventually becoming solid. This was a feat of the bloodborne talent, a shadow spell within the Dark Path, involving the manipulation of space and shadow laws. Having successfully reclaimed the Faceless Statue, Charlotte flicked her fingers, causing her blood divine power to surge, and a more lifelike statue appeared on the altar. This was the statue prepared by the Nightshade Cult for her. However, it depicted Charlotte in her adult form. Under the shroud of mental magic, no one noticed the switch of statues on the altar. In the eyes of the believers, the statue on the altar simply radiated light, with its facial features becoming clear, as if once again recognized by the God. The praises grew more fervent, and the prayers intensified. Seizing the opportunity, Charlotte imprinted her divine image into the minds of the devotees through mental magic. ¡°Your prayers¡­ I have heard them.¡± She conveyed this to their hearts. Thus, faith was restored, and Charlotte successfully merged with the Savior totem of the Free Tribe Alliance. The Faceless Statue, worshipped by the Free Tribe Alliance for centuries, had completed its faith node task and was successfully reclaimed by Charlotte. Holding the Faceless Statue, Charlotte could clearly sense its immense power. The statue, already containing the blood divine power left by the True Ancestor of Blood, had accumulated significant energy from centuries of worship by the Free Tribe Alliance. Charlotte roughly estimated its overall strength had already surpassed the divine power she had converted while ¡°purifying¡± the fallen bloodbornes in the Harcos Sanctuary. Moreover, perhaps due to a thousand years of worship and her fusion with the Free Tribe Alliance¡¯s totem faith, Charlotte found it effortless to absorb the statue¡¯s accumulated energy. R????????§à??? Even the statue itself, drawn by Charlotte¡¯s power, began to integrate with her without any effort on her part. Soon, the statue was completely assimilated¡­ This time, despite assimilating a Faceless Statue, no other phenomena occurred. Charlotte realized this was because her Demigod status had become increasingly stable, and a single Faceless Statue no longer held as much significance or power as before. Although there were no outward phenomena, Charlotte felt her understanding of divine laws deepens once more. Additionally, whether it was an illusion or not, she sensed a subtle change in her blood divine power. Having absorbed the statue, Charlotte retained about seventy percent of its accumulated energy, channeling the remaining thirty percent to the believers of the Free Tribe Alliance through the faith network. Using her blood divine power, she selected nearly three hundred devout believers and elevated them to the rank of priests. Furthermore, Charlotte bestowed a small and a large amount of pure divine power upon Astrid, the ¡°God¡¯s Favored One¡±, and Sebastian who led the Free Tribe Alliance in welcoming her. With her status and power constantly rising, and the Nightshade Cult expanding, bestowing enough divine favor upon devout followers was no longer a burden for Charlotte. Those who perform meritorious deeds should be rewarded. As the blood divine power descended, enveloping Astrid and Sebastian, their auras surged. Divine power flowed into Astrid, transforming her body swiftly. She felt her extraordinary bloodline awakening and evolving rapidly, and her understanding of faith and totem power usage increased. Her aura soared past the Starry Sky tier, entering the Silver Moon tier, and only stopped rising upon reaching the peak of Silver Moon. Surrounded by crimson light, Astrid became a true ¡°God¡¯s Favored.¡± Sebastian underwent a similar transformation. Crimson light enveloped him, and his aura skyrocketed! Within moments, his extraordinary power rose from the bottom of Blazing Sun to its peak, almost reaching Legendary. His appearance also changed, becoming more handsome, with his blood-red eyes tinged with golden-red color. The skeletal mark left by the Pure White Witch on his wrist also vanished instantly. Feeling his transformation, Sebastian first expressed shock, then immense gratitude. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Great Master, Great Lord, your loyal servant Sebastian thanks you for your grace!¡± Seeing the transformed Sebastian and Astrid under the divine power, Charlotte also showed surprise. She realized the change in her blood divine power. Her divine power¡­ could now directly elevate a being¡¯s status. Chapter 528 : Bloodline Gift ¡°Extraordinary power originates from the Gods, and divine power is the highest form of extraordinary energy.¡± In the world of Myria, this statement is a common understanding among many religious orders and extraordinary organizations regarding the origin of extraordinary power. Divine power possesses incredible strength. The Gods can use divine power to grant blessings to mortals, endowing them with extraordinary abilities. Similarly, Gods can establish a faith network, absorbing the extraordinary power of their followers, which then coalesces into divine power. For Gods, divine power is ¡°blood¡±, divine power is ¡°life¡±, and divine power is ¡°everything¡±¡­ Since becoming a ¡°God¡±, Charlotte has enjoyed the many benefits of divine power. It can be said that her rapid growth is primarily due to her ability to manipulate the blood divine power through the Gospel of Blood, absorbing the laws and strength within the blood divine power. Therefore, when Charlotte realized the changes in her divine power, she was greatly surprised. Yes, divine power is powerful. However, although divine power is extremely strong and important, it can only be directly utilized by Gods. For mortals, divine power is too overwhelming. This level of energy far exceeds what mortals can bear, bringing not only power but also destruction. Thus, when the Gods wish to enhance the strength of their followers, they never directly infuse divine power. Instead, they further ¡°dilute¡± their divine power, breaking it down into extraordinary energy suitable for their followers to absorb, bestowing it in the form of ¡°divine blessing.¡± However, this bestowed ¡°divine blessing¡± still belongs to the Gods and is not ¡°compatible¡± with mundane power. The Gods merely lend this ¡°diluted¡± divine power to mortals, and they can reclaim the ¡°divine blessing¡± at any time. In mortal records, this bestowed ¡°divine blessing¡± is referred to as ¡°divine magic.¡± As for divine blessing truly becoming the extraordinary bloodline of mortals, there is only one recorded instance in the major religious orders¡ªThat is when God¡¯s Favored reproduces. The God¡¯s Favored cannot truly possess the power bestowed by the Gods. But their offspring can. Born from divine blessing, the offspring of God¡¯s favored achieve a fusion of ¡°divine magic¡± and ¡°life¡± from birth, truly possessing ¡°divine blessing.¡± And they are the origin of extraordinary bloodlines. In other words, Gods cannot directly enhance the extraordinary status of mortals by bestowing divine power. What Gods can do is grant diluted extraordinary power to mortals, allowing them to indirectly use extraordinary power through the Gods¡¯ power. To ¡°create¡± beings with genuine extraordinary power, Gods can only do so indirectly. For example, by having God¡¯s favored reproduce true extraordinary power, by descending themselves to procreate with mortals, passing down a bloodline with divine power, or directly creating offspring with their own bloodline. But now, Charlotte¡¯s divine power is different. Crimson light spread across the Gospel of Blood, and the heavy tome opened by itself. New pages gradually formed within the Gospel, and ancient, mysterious golden text slowly emerged¡ª ¡ºGospel of Blood ¡¤ Divine Chapter¡» ¡ºI am one,¡» ¡ºAnd I am many,¡» ¡ºI am the beginning,¡» ¡ºAnd I am the end.¡» ¡ºDivine Chapter Ability Unlocked¡ª¡» ¡ºBloodline Gift (Active)¡» ¡ºBloodline Gift: As the source of all bloodlines, blood divine power holds greater strength than other divine powers. The master of the Gospel can consume blood divine power to grant the target a bloodline gift, enhancing the target¡¯s extraordinary status. During the bloodline gift, the strength of the enhancement is proportional to the amount of blood divine power consumed and the target¡¯s soul strength.¡» ?¨¢¦­??????? ¡°Bloodline¡­ Gift?¡± Looking at the newly appeared ability in the Gospel of Blood, Charlotte fell into deep thought. Undoubtedly, the new ability in the Gospel of Blood allowed Charlotte to bypass ¡°divine blessing¡± and directly enhance the target¡¯s extraordinary status through the bloodline. When Charlotte enhanced the statuses of Sebastian and Astrid, she activated this ability. What surprised Charlotte was that this Bloodline Gift ability was not strictly bound to the Gospel of Blood. This is an inherent ability of blood divine power. However, as a ¡°Demigod¡±, Charlotte cannot utilize it well without the assistance of the Gospel of Blood. Undoubtedly, this new ability is a powerful tool for Charlotte to develop her forces. Enhancing extraordinary status with blood divine power¡­ In other words, if Charlotte wishes, she could potentially pull together an army of extraordinary beings at any time. Of course, this is an exaggeration. Upon further research, Charlotte discovered the limitation of this ability¡ªit consumes a lot of divine power. Perhaps because it involves status enhancement. Charlotte made a detailed comparison and found that enhancing a target¡¯s extraordinary status through Bloodline Gift consumes more power than bestowing divine blessing. This consumption ratio exceeds three times. Nevertheless, despite the high energy consumption, it is not without value. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Divine blessing is ultimately a blessing from the Gods, allowing followers to use power indirectly through the Gods¡¯ extraordinary power. Mortals cannot truly master divine power; the upper limit of divine blessing is at most a Legendary-level priest. But Bloodline Gift is different. Bloodline Gift acts on status, meaning if Charlotte possesses enough blood divine power, she could create Mythic-level beings. Not only that, the extraordinary beings created using this ability, although consuming a lot of divine power, do not need to continuously rely on the Gods¡¯ power to use their extraordinary abilities like clerics do. In other words, there are no ¡°maintenance costs.¡± Additionally, this ability can be combined with the bloodline of the bloodborne. Charlotte can already enhance the strength of bloodbornes by granting them blood power, but previously, her method was simply and crudely giving her blood to others. Now it is different. Charlotte does not need to draw her blood, she can directly use blood divine power. This makes it possible to significantly enhance the overall strength of the bloodbornes, especially after subduing the Harcos Clan. Of course, the consumption of blood divine power will certainly be considerable, but it is much simpler and safer than drawing her own blood. This new ability also led Charlotte to some other thoughts. ¡°Being able to directly enhance the being¡¯s status¡­ Could it be that the origin of blood divine power is truly the power of creation?¡± The Gospel of Blood holds great secrets, and this secret is likely related to the power of creation. Now that blood divine power possesses such miraculous abilities, it is hard for Charlotte not to make some associations. ¡°Power of creation, the Creator God, and the creation myths of the elves¡­ What is the connection between them? Is it related to the destruction of the old continent three thousand years ago, to Lilith¡¯s madness and disappearance? Is it also related to the disappearance of Stargazer Casey and the fall of Rowena?¡± ¡°The two eerie stone doors deep within my consciousness, and the white mist behind those stone doors, are they also connected to the power of creation?¡± Charlotte fell into deep thought. She had a vague feeling that if she could understand the relationship between these things, she might unravel many of her questions, and perhaps even uncover what truly happened to Lilith and the Blood Princes. ¡°Perhaps, if I get the chance, I could follow in Lilith¡¯s footsteps and explore the old continent.¡± Charlotte murmured to herself. But soon, she shook her head. ¡°No, the idea of going to the old continent should be put aside for now. If Lilith¡¯s madness is truly related to the power of creation and the old continent, going there would be suicidal.¡± ¡°My most important task now is to continue to increase my strength. Only by enhancing my power can I handle the potential crises of the future.¡± ¡°The development of the Nightshade Cult is on the right track, but enhancing strength through the cult will take time. As a bloodborne, and practically the true Bloodborne Progenitor, to rapidly increase my power, aside from continuing to seek and merge with the Faceless Statues, I may need to consume the power of other mythic beings¡­¡± ¡°In the current era, the Gods of Myria are still asleep, and finding other myths is not easy. If I want to quickly enhance my power this way, the best method might be to leverage my ¡®time travel.¡¯¡± ¡°Travel back in time, and¡­ seize the power of the Old Gods!¡± Charlotte murmured to herself. Seizing the power of the Old Gods had long been her idea. In fact, if she hadn¡¯t awakened too quickly during her last time travel, she would have devoured the God of Abomination and Deformity. In the past, Charlotte was unsure about the relationship between history and reality, and whether absorbing other Gods¡¯ power in the past would have any effect. But now, she understands the secrets of history and reality and has a vague plan. ¡°History can be created. In various texts, I have never seen any description of the fate of the Old Gods of Myria. So¡­ can I assume that when I travel back in time, this part of history is mine to write freely?¡± ¡°I can give it a try. If everything is as I suspect, perhaps¡­ the past Myria can become my hunting ground to rapidly increase my strength and even ascend to become a true God!¡± ¡°Of course, this is based on the premise that this part of history no longer exists. When I return to Starfall this time, I might use all the resources available to me to thoroughly collect texts about that era¡¯s history¡­¡± ¡°The Bloodborne is one of the oldest surviving races from the Mythic Era. If even the historical texts of the bloodbornes contain no relevant records, then it indicates that this part of history is likely truly blank.¡± ¡°And this¡­ gives me an opportunity to intervene!¡± ¡­ After consolidating the faith of the Free Tribe Alliance and reclaiming the Faceless Statue from them, Charlotte planned to return to Starfall. She had achieved her goals in the North, so there was no need to stay any longer. However, before leaving, she issued a divine decree to Margo and Duke Robin to collect and organize all the Mythic Era materials recorded by Harcos and Nez Clans. As for the Free Tribe Alliance¡­ migration was necessary. Charlotte had observed that the canyon where they lived was extremely harsh and seemed to be deteriorating over time. Charlotte didn¡¯t know if this was a sign of the Divinity Descent Day, with the monster tides becoming more frequent, but one thing was certain: in the two and a half years since her transmigration, the magic level of Myria had indeed been gradually increasing. Charlotte speculated that this might be a precursor to the Gods¡¯ awakening. After all, there is a theory that the Gods chose to sleep because the magic concentration of Myria had decreased to the point that it could no longer support the Gods¡¯ activities. Considering this, relocating the Free Tribe Alliance to a safer place was a better idea. Charlotte had already decided on the migration destination: the northern coast of the Starfall Kingdom. There, the land was vast and sparsely populated, with many areas still undeveloped, more than enough to accommodate the tens of thousands of northern residents. Migrating tens of thousands of people is a massive project, considering the resources and ships required. Charlotte planned to entrust this task to the official authorities of the Starfall Kingdom. As for the person in charge, it would be Duke Gale, one of the Legendaries of the Starfall Kingdom, who guards the northern coast. Charlotte had her reasons for choosing him. While going through the Starfall files, she had come across several instances where the Duke had suggested to the royal family the relocation of the population from the central and southern regions to develop the north. The tens of thousands of people from the Free Tribe Alliance could just fill this need. After arranging everything, Charlotte returned to the Starfall Kingdom. Accompanying her was the greatly enhanced Sebastian. ¡­ Meanwhile, thousands of kilometers away in the Coria Kingdom. In a brightly lit palace, a black-haired girl praying before a statue slowly opened her eyes. Behind her, a black-robed bloodborne knelt on one knee, his voice incredibly respectful. ¡°Your Holiness, we have confirmed the information.¡± ¡°The Crimson Blade Sebastian has indeed left the Crescent Kingdom and pledged allegiance to the new Queen of Starfall, becoming a follower of the Holy Court¡¯s unofficial Saintess¡ªCharlotte de Castell.¡± Chapter 529 : Audience and Provocation Starfall Kingdom, Red Palace. The grand court banquet was brilliantly lit, with well-dressed guests chatting and laughing. Starfall nobles gathered in small groups, raising their glasses and drinking together, painting a picture of a prosperous era. However, upon closer inspection, it was evident that the royal court banquet was not as harmonious as it appeared. The Starfall nobles seemed to be chatting with each other, but their gazes never strayed far from the two ¡°black-clad nobles¡± in the corner of the banquet hall, who were sipping wine. The two ¡°nobles¡± consisted of a handsome man and a beautiful woman. However, the gazes directed at them by the Starfall nobles were not of admiration. Instead, they were scrutinizing and wary. ¡°Are those the representatives of the Nez Clan?¡± ¡°Her Majesty the Queen is actually willing to accept them and even grant them titles. It¡¯s incomprehensible¡­¡± ¡°Yes, after all, they are bloodbornes, the ones who once wreaked havoc in the kingdom. Even if Her Majesty is the Saintess of the Holy Court, this approach is too radical.¡± ¡°Her Majesty is still too young. Look at their arrogant demeanor, they probably don¡¯t regard us at all.¡± ¡°In the end, the bloodbornes¡¯ power in Starfall is too strong. Even the Holy Court has to compromise.¡± ¡°The bloodbornes are so arrogant that they probably don¡¯t even regard Her Majesty.¡± ¡°Shh¡­ change the topic, they¡¯re looking over!¡± As if she heard the conversations of the Starfall nobles, the female ¡°black-clad noble¡± suddenly raised her head and looked over with a faint smile. Her light blue eyes abruptly turned red, exuding an eerie charm and a hint of danger. The expressions of the Starfall nobles changed slightly, and they quickly looked away. Those who didn¡¯t manage to look away in time soon had their gazes turned vacant and dazed. ¡°Enough! Malda! Put away your Enchanting Eyes. This is the Red Palace of Starfall, not Nez Castle. If you don¡¯t want to die, you¡¯d better restrain yourself!¡± A low voice came from beside her, as the other ¡°black-clad noble¡± frowned and admonished in a low voice. A subtle wave of magical power spread from him, and those who were enchanted quickly snapped back to their senses, showing frightened expressions as they hurriedly backed away from the two, increasing the distance between them. ¡°Tch, boring.¡± The female ¡°black-clad noble¡±, or rather, the bloodborne named Malda, clicked her tongue and slowly withdrew her provocative gaze from the Starfall nobles. She glanced at her companion, who seemed elegant but was actually tense and somewhat trembling, and chuckled. ¡°Sir Yurst, when did the renowned Fourth-Generation Count become so cautious in the face of humans? Have you really come to see yourself as a human noble after spending hundreds of years in their courts?¡± Yurst¡¯s expression darkened as he replied. ¡°Malda, I¡¯ll remind you once more, the true ruler behind the Starfall Kingdom is Her Majesty the True Ancestor. If you maintain this attitude when you meet the Queen, I cannot guarantee your safety!¡± ¡°I got it, I got it. It¡¯s just a puppet queen pushed out by Her Majesty the True Ancestor. Look at how scared you are. Don¡¯t worry, my Enchantment Magic is very advanced. That little queen who likes to peek at maids bathing won¡¯t notice a thing.¡± Malda said indifferently. ¡°Peeking at maids bathing?¡± Yurst was taken aback, then his expression changed. ¡°Wait! You¡­ you actually, really spied on¡­ Her Majesty the Queen?!¡± But after speaking, he realized something seemed off. Wait¡­ Peeking at maids bathing? Her Majesty the True Ancestor, a being of such status, would she actually peek at maids bathing? No, no¡­ This sounds more like something that a mischievous cat he knew would do. Wait¡­ Could it be Nicholas disguising himself again?! ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I wasn¡¯t discovered. I was just curious about the Divine Queen, so I quietly probed a bit last night. The defenses of the Starfall Palace were even more lax than I imagined. Everything I did was¡­ undetected.¡± sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Malda said with a smile. Yurst¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Wait¡­ you¡­ you didn¡¯t do anything unnecessary, did you?!¡± Malda¡¯s expression was somewhat elusive, but she eventually grinned and played dumb. ¡°Of course not, I was very restrained.¡± Yurst: ¡­ His expression darkened. ¡°Malda, I¡¯ll warn you again, this is the Red Palace of Starfall, not Nez Castle! If you want to die, don¡¯t drag me along!¡± ¡°Got it, got it. I¡¯m just curious about Her Majesty the True Ancestor¡¯s human vassals. It¡¯s truly enviable to become a vassal of Her Majesty as a human¡­¡± Malda said longingly. After speaking, she curiously asked. ¡°But¡­ from what you said, is this our final destination? Could it be¡­ that Her Majesty the True Ancestor resides in Starfall City?¡± Yurst glanced at her but did not directly answer. ¡°Malda, do not attempt to probe Her Majesty¡¯s secrets. The fact that the Elders allowed you to accompany me means you will definitely meet Her Majesty the True Ancestor eventually. Until then¡­ behave yourself and don¡¯t bring back those sloppy habits from Luna Island.¡± ¡°Instead of causing trouble, think carefully about how to report your observations from Luna Island to Her Majesty. After all¡­ you are the Nez Clan¡¯s only spy on Luna Island. No one knows the situation there better than you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will naturally be respectful and obedient in front of Her Majesty the True Ancestor. I just can¡¯t stand these overconfident short-lived beings and wanted to test their mettle.¡± Malda replied. Yurst scoffed. ¡°Overconfident short-lived beings? Hah, don¡¯t underestimate humans.¡± Seeing the other¡¯s clearly unlistening expression, he sighed softly and shook his head. To be honest, if the Elder Council hadn¡¯t insisted, he wouldn¡¯t have brought this person to meet the True Ancestor. But there was no choice. The True Ancestor had commanded the Nez Clan to investigate the secrets of the bloodbornes on Luna Island, and among all the Nez Clan members, this person was the most knowledgeable about Luna Island. ¡®If only reporting the findings to the True Ancestor would suffice. Why does the Elder Council insist she accompanies me¡­?¡¯ ¡®Could it be¡­ the Elder Council still doubts her identity and wants the True Ancestor to verify it personally?¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s possible, considering even Duke Alec and Duke Campel¡¯s identities were questionable.¡¯ ¡®And her attitude towards humans¡­¡¯ ¡®Besides the core members of the Elder Council, few know the secret of the True Ancestor being the Divine Queen. Opinions on cooperating with humans vary within the clan. Only the True Ancestor can properly educate these radicals who barely heed the Elders¡¯ words.¡¯ ¡®Malda represents the radical faction. Perhaps that¡¯s another reason the Elders sent her along.¡¯ ¡®Forget it, these matters are beyond a mere Blood Count¡¯s control. My task is to officially secure the bloodbornes¡¯ status in the Starfall Kingdom during this banquet and discreetly bring her to the True Ancestor.¡¯ ¡®Everything will be decided by the True Ancestor.¡¯ Yurst thought. Malda noticed his shifting expression and smiled as she continued to sip her wine. As she had said, she had indeed sneaked into the palace last night and used magic to spy on the Divine Queen. However, she had not disclosed everything to Yurst. In fact¡­ she not only spied on the Queen but also conjured an illusion to tease her. The result revealed that the Divine Queen was just a human with some magical abilities. Her true strength wasn¡¯t as formidable as rumored. She was nearly scared to death by Malda¡¯s illusion of Aphros, the Goddess of Beauty. It was amusing. Seeing how ¡°lustful¡± the Queen was, she decided to create an illusion of Aphros¡¯ saintess to tease her, but the little queen reacted like a cat with its tail stepped on, almost kneeling on the spot. ¡®She¡¯s just a weak puppet supported by the True Ancestor. There¡¯s no need to be so cautious. If she were truly favored by the True Ancestor, that¡¯d be different. But a mere human aspiring to be equal to bloodbornes? Ridiculous!¡¯ Malda concealed her disdain, thinking to herself. ¡­ ¡°Your Majesty, the guests are all seated. The emissaries from the Nez Clan have arrived.¡± In the luxurious palace, a royal maid respectfully bowed to the young, elegantly dressed queen. ¡°I¡­ I know. You may leave now. I¡¯ll join shortly.¡± At the dressing table, the Divine Queen, Charlotte de Castell, spoke calmly. Upon receiving the order, the maids bowed slightly and respectfully retreated. When the palace was empty, Charlotte could no longer maintain her composure, and her delicate face fell. ¡°There¡¯s no mistake. That unique magical fluctuation last night was definitely from the Nez Clan!¡± ¡°Damn it, of all disguises, they chose Aphros¡­ scared me to death!¡± ¡°What to do? My true nature must have been discovered. Will this affect Lady Charlotte¡¯s plans?¡± ¡°Yurst knows me well and won¡¯t be fooled. Though he¡¯s also Lady Charlotte¡¯s servant, she explicitly instructed me not to be exposed before she left!¡± ¡°And last night¡­ that person must have seen what I was doing, right? They must have seen me using Lady Charlotte¡¯s face!¡± ¡°Oh, Lady Charlotte! Please don¡¯t let it be seen! Please don¡¯t!¡± ¡°Damn it! I should have repaired the legendary wards of the Red Palace earlier instead of being lazy!¡± Charlotte paced anxiously, conflicted about whether to head to the banquet immediately. ¡°Nice, judging by your look, what trouble have you caused this time?¡± A familiar light laugh came from behind, lazy and pleasant as always. Hearing this voice, ¡°Charlotte¡± stiffened. ¡°She¡± froze for a moment, her expression turning from tense to joyous, and then, with a poof, ¡°she¡± transformed into a black cat and leaped towards the girl who had appeared behind her, meowing tearfully. ¡°Meow! Lady Charlotte! You¡¯re finally back!¡± But the girl easily dodged, and with a thud, the cat hit the door frame and slid down slowly. ¡°Stay away from me and don¡¯t wipe your snot on my clothes.¡± Nice: ¡­ ¡­ ¡°Her Majesty the Queen has arrived!¡± In the Red Palace banquet hall. As the royal knight announced, music and trumpets sounded, and the banquet hall instantly quieted down. The nobles stepped aside, creating a central path. They bowed their heads respectfully. Under the spotlight, the young queen, dressed in splendid attire and wearing a crown, walked down the plush silk carpet towards her throne. ¡°Rise.¡± She sat on the throne and addressed everyone. It¡¯s the True Ancestor! Feeling the tremor of the blood contract deep in his soul, Yurst felt reassured. He glanced at Malda and whispered. ¡°Come, let¡¯s greet Her Majesty. Remember, if you don¡¯t want to die, don¡¯t do anything unnecessary.¡± Malda¡¯s eyes flickered. Looking at the young queen, adored by all, she chuckled and nodded. Under the curious, wary, and fearful gazes of the Starfall nobles, Yurst led Malda to the throne. ¡°Yurst Nez, Malda Nez, from the Nez Clan¡­ pay respects to Her Majesty the Queen!¡± Yurst bowed respectfully. Malda, however, remained motionless. She smiled, her eyes flashing with mischief, as her pale blue pupils quickly turned red. A subtle wave of magical power swept over, and she provocatively locked eyes with the young queen on the throne. Chapter 530 : The Foreign Entity A subtle wave of magical power swept over Malda as she provocatively locked eyes with the young queen on the throne. Golden specks of light spread in her pupils, adding a touch of allure. This was a rare innate ability among bloodbornes, aside from the royal bloodline of the Kirali Clan. Moreover, it was one of the most powerful mental control spells of the bloodbornes. Since awakening this ability, no one had been able to resist Malda¡¯s mental control, not even a Blood Count. Facing the young queen who hadn¡¯t even reached the status of a Blazing Sun, she was confident in her ability to dominate her. Of course, Malda didn¡¯t intend to harm her. After all, the Starfall Kingdom was under the protection of the True Ancestor. She merely wanted to give the queen a lesson for the clan¡¯s compromise with humans, to humiliate her a bit. Powerful mental energy focused in her eyes, penetrating the young queen¡¯s pupils. However, the expected mental feedback didn¡¯t occur. In Malda¡¯s perception, her magic and mental energy were like pebbles thrown into the sea, receiving no response at all. No¡­ It wasn¡¯t a sea¡­ It was an endless, bottomless abyssal vortex! Her mental energy quickly drained, and her magic was swiftly drawn away as if being siphoned. In those sapphire-like eyes, Malda realized in horror that she had lost control of her mental energy and magic! Time seemed to freeze in an instant, and everything around began to collapse. The lights vanished, the human nobles disappeared, and the banquet hall dissolved. Everything was swallowed by darkness, leaving only the queen on her throne. At some point, the queen had transformed, no longer young. Her silver hair fluttered, her golden-red pupils deep and boundless, and her attire transformed into a black divine dress with mysterious and majestic crimson divine power surrounding her. Terrifying pressure assaulted from all directions, making Malda feel like she was sinking into an endless abyss. Gray mist spread from the darkness, and in her terrified gaze, twisted arms emerged from the shadows, reaching for her from all directions. These arms were wrapped in eerie white mist, with mouths and ever-turning eyes on their palms, relentlessly tearing at her body, devouring her flesh. ¡°No¡­ stay away! Stay away!¡± Indescribable fear and soul-rending pain assaulted Malda¡¯s mind. She screamed in agony and despair. Yet, with her body out of control, she couldn¡¯t resist, helplessly watching herself being torn apart, her flesh devoured, bones chewed. First, her limbs, then her torso, and finally, her head. In the midst of unbearable pain and endless terror, Malda watched herself being consumed bit by bit. Her consciousness blurred, and finally, she faded away into oblivion. In her last moment of consciousness, she seemed to see those monstrous arms lunging toward the figure on the throne, only to be engulfed by a crimson radiance¡­ ¡­ ¡°Malda? Malda?¡± A faint call reached her, like a murmur in a dream. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Malda? Malda?¡± The voice grew clearer, gradually awakening her. Malda shuddered slightly and slowly opened her eyes. The bright banquet hall came into view. It seemed she had never fallen into darkness, nor had she been devoured by those ¡°monsters.¡± But the experience felt so real that she couldn¡¯t stop trembling. ¡°Malda, stop kneeling. I did ask you to be cautious, but this is too much. You¡¯ve been kneeling long enough.¡± Yurst, standing beside her, reminded her helplessly. Stop¡­ kneeling? Malda was bewildered. In a daze, she looked down and found herself kneeling on the ground. Her robe clung to her body, soaked with cold sweat, and her legs were weak, unable to support her. The human nobles around whispered among themselves, casting strange looks at her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her? Kneeling before Her Majesty for so long?¡± ¡°Is she trying to curry favor?¡± ¡°It seems even bloodbornes fear Her Majesty.¡± Her¡­ Majesty? Malda shuddered. She slowly looked up, once again seeing that petite figure. The young queen still sat on the throne, looking down at her with playful and scrutinizing eyes. The pain of being torn apart and the fear of falling into the abyss flooded Malda¡¯s mind again, feeling so real, not like an illusion. But besides the pain and fear, she felt like something had been stripped from her soul, making her feel lighter. Reflecting on what she saw in the ¡°illusion,¡± Malda vaguely realized something. Her face showed terror, which quickly turned into panic. Instinctively, she lowered her head, her mind filled with one thought. ¡°She¡¯s not the Queen I saw yesterday! She¡¯s definitely not the Queen I saw yesterday!¡± ¡°She¡­ no, She is a God walking on earth!¡± ¡°She is the True Ancestor!¡± ¡°Oh True Ancestor, I almost¡­ I intended to desecrate the True Ancestor! I must be insane!¡± A soft laugh came from the front, and the girl on the throne smiled faintly. ¡°Alright, stand up. Take this as a lesson. Remember, don¡¯t go to Luna Island anymore.¡± Malda trembled. She took a deep breath, prostrated herself before the throne, and said in a trembling voice. ¡°Thank¡­ you, Your Majesty.¡± A gentle magical force lifted Malda. She struggled to stand up, no longer retaining her previous arrogance. Instead, she stood quietly by Yurst¡¯s side, like an obedient kitten. Seeing Malda¡¯s drastic change, Yurst was slightly stunned. He glanced at Charlotte on the throne, then at Malda, who had become respectful and submissive, and seemed to realize something. A look of understanding and suspicion flashed across his face. Did Her Majesty reprimand her? Her Majesty mentioned Luna Island. Could it be that she discovered something? ¡­ Malda¡¯s ¡°episode¡± was just a small interlude at the banquet. In fact, aside from Yurst, no one else in the banquet hall noticed what had happened. It was just an ordinary court banquet, but because it involved bloodbornes, the atmosphere had become somewhat tense. However, the respectful attitude of the two bloodbornes towards the queen was enough to ease the situation. The nobles knew that the Nez bloodbornes had reconciled with the royal family and the church. As time went on, they would appear more frequently in the kingdom¡¯s public events. Nobility titles as well¡ªsome bloodbornes becoming nobles of Starfall was likely inevitable. This was the trend of Starfall, not swayed by individual wills. When the banquet ended and Charlotte changed out of her formal attire and returned to her study, she finally had the opportunity to meet Yurst as a bloodborne. ¡°Praise the Darkness, praise the Order, Yurst, Blood Count of the Nez Clan¡­ pays respect to the True Ancestor!¡± Yurst bowed respectfully. ¡°Alright, no need for formalities, Yurst. Since you¡¯re here, does that mean everything I asked Robin to collect is ready?¡± Charlotte asked. Yurst nodded and respectfully presented a ring. ¡°True Ancestor, everything is ready. The information about the Mythic Era is in this storage ring. These are original documents collected by the clan, but some have been damaged or become illegible due to age.¡± Charlotte nodded slightly and used the Hand of Darkness to retrieve the ring. She sensed that the storage ring contained many documents, categorized and clearly organized. ¡°Not bad, quite efficient.¡± She praised. Yurst smiled. ¡°That¡¯s all thanks to Lord Bardock. Since his awakening, Lord Bardock has been searching for this information. The clan merely followed his orders to bring these documents to you after hearing your oracle.¡± Bardock, huh? Charlotte raised an eyebrow slightly. It seemed that although the legion commander appeared indifferent to his lost ¡°memories¡±, he cared deeply. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have specifically collected this information. Yurste hesitated for a moment before continuing. ¡°Additionally, True Ancestor, about Malda¡­¡± Charlotte glanced at him. ¡°Robin sent her, didn¡¯t he?¡± Yurst nodded. ¡°Yes, Malda is our spy on Luna Island. No one knows more about the bloodbornes on Luna Island than she does.¡± He hesitated again before saying. ¡°True Ancestor, please forgive Malda for her offense. Perhaps she¡¯s picked up some unruly habits from the elven bloodbornes on the island, but please believe me, she deeply respects you.¡± ¡°She wasn¡¯t always this presumptuous.¡± Charlotte chuckled. ¡°Alright, no need to plead for your companion. I¡¯m not blind.¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, Yurst breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Then¡­ True Ancestor, should I summon her? The Great Elder specifically called her back from Luna Island to report to you in person.¡± Shaking her head, charlotte replied. ¡°No need, let her rest. I¡¯ve already seen her memories. Tell Robin to stop sending people to Luna Island and cease investigating it. Don¡¯t alarm those ¡®elven bloodbornes.¡¯ I will handle what comes next personally.¡± Yurst was slightly taken aback and then asked, puzzled. ¡°True Ancestor, is there a problem on Luna Island?¡± Charlotte didn¡¯t answer directly. Instead, she gently extended her hand. A crimson radiance gathered in her palm, forming a cage containing a mass of gray mist. The mist struggled continuously, sometimes forming a grotesque face, other times transforming into Malda¡¯s exact likeness, emitting low growls. ¡°This¡­ what is this?!¡± Yurst¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°This is what I extracted from your companion¡¯s soul. It¡¯s been eroding her soul and body, even implanting a psychological suggestion in her consciousness.¡± Charlotte explained. She narrowed her eyes slightly. ¡°A suggestion to probe the Nez Clan and the Divine Queen.¡± Yurst¡¯s expression changed. ¡°You mean¡­ Malda was already under mental control?!¡± ¡°Not entirely, but if you had delayed her withdrawal, she might have become a ¡®puppet¡¯ like Alec, or perhaps worse.¡± Charlotte said. ¡°You were wise to bring her to me immediately. This thing is very peculiar, and I¡¯m probably the only one who can handle it.¡± ¡°And Malda?¡± Yurst hesitated. Charlotte replied. ¡°It was discovered in time, so she¡¯s fine. She just needs to rest.¡± ¡­ After meeting with Charlotte, Yurst withdrew. His primary task was to report information about Luna Island. Since Charlotte directly accessed the memories, his task was complete. After Yurst left, Charlotte¡¯s expression turned serious. She summoned the crimson cage again, watching the gray mist inside. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s just us now.¡± ¡°Can we talk now? The one who tried to take over my blood descendant¡¯s body¡­ Your Excellency?¡± Chapter 531 : ------------- The gray-white mist subtly shifted, with light gray streams continuously swirling. In the divine power cage, the ¡°ghost face¡± suddenly transformed into a blurred male visage. The phantom face looked at Charlotte, its expression ever-changing. A deep, ethereal voice slowly echoed within the cage. ¡°I thought I hid well. How did you discover me?¡± Charlotte glanced at the reminder of the divine ritual counter in her vision and chuckled, ¡°Experience.¡± The blurry face fell silent. It gazed deeply at Charlotte and said, ¡°It¡¯s been a thousand years, and your blood divine power¡­ seems to have weakened considerably.¡± Hm? Is this¡­ someone Lilith knew? Charlotte¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She glanced at the blurred face in the cage, not denying it, but instead chuckled and taunted, ¡°Even weakened, I¡¯m still stronger¡­ than some who get caught by me.¡± The blurred face was silent again. It looked at Charlotte and said, ¡°I don¡¯t wish to argue with you. We¡­ are not enemies.¡± ¡°Meeting an old friend in this era is a fortunate thing. After all, there are fewer and fewer of us ancient beings who still linger.¡± ¡°Release the restraints. You should know that you¡¯re only confining one of my consciousnesses. Even if you destroy it, my true self will still guess that the presence behind the Starfall Kingdom is you.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t reveal your whereabouts to him, and you don¡¯t need to interfere with my actions on Luna Island.¡± Listening to the blurred face¡¯s words, Charlotte fell into deep thought. She roughly understood the other¡¯s meaning. Clearly, this mysterious myth was hiding on Luna Island. If she wasn¡¯t mistaken, it was likely her directive to the Nez Clan to investigate that alarmed him. Considering the similar aura in his power to the white mist behind the eerie stone gate, Charlotte even suspected he might be related to those elven bloodbornes turned into ¡°puppets.¡± The other seemed to know Lilith, or rather¡­ the ¡°True Ancestor of Blood¡± from history, and now obviously mistook her for the returning True Ancestor of Blood. Moreover, he didn¡¯t want his actions on Luna Island exposed. Though Charlotte didn¡¯t know what he was doing there, she discerned the implied deal and threat in his words¡ª¡¯You pretend you didn¡¯t see me, and I¡¯ll pretend I didn¡¯t see you¡¯¡­ Charlotte¡¯s gaze shifted slightly. She didn¡¯t know who this God conversing with her was, but¡­ definitely not Artemis, the Moon Goddess. Though the gender of Gods is somewhat Schrodinger-like, the Moon Goddess¡­ is undeniably a ¡°Goddess.¡± From his tone, he seemed quite familiar with the ¡°True Ancestor of Blood.¡± That tone was of equality, without fear or trepidation, only some apprehension. That¡¯s a tone that only appears when beings of the same level communicate. Considering various records from the Mythic Era and her understanding of the Gods of Myria, Charlotte had a vague guess about its identity. There weren¡¯t many entities historically on par with the True Ancestor of Blood, and they were all well-known. After much consideration, there were only a few possibilities. Of course, Charlotte¡¯s thoughts were just conjectures, requiring further verification. With that in mind, her gaze turned cold, and the blood divine power subtly flowed within her. Charlotte looked down at him, her clear voice tinged with authority. ¡°Regarding recent events at sea, shouldn¡¯t you give me an explanation?¡± ¡°Explanation? What explanation do you seek? The changes in the elven bloodbornes on Luna Island? Or Kraken¡¯s attacks? If it¡¯s the latter¡­ my pet was quite frightened by you. As for the former¡­ those elves brought it upon themselves, having nothing to do with me.¡± The blurred face said indifferently. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As expected, it¡¯s Sea King Oceanus! Charlotte¡¯s eyes flashed. In the era when bloodbornes dominated the continent, only two Gods could compare with the True Ancestor of Blood. One was Moon Goddess Artemis and the other¡­ was Sea King Oceanus. Given that he referred to the Legendary Sea Behemoth Kraken as his pet, his identity was now clear. It was Sea King Oceanus, the God of the Ocean and Storms! But why is Sea King Oceanus on Luna Island? Moreover, the changes in those elven bloodbornes seemed to have more to them? Furthermore, Sea King Oceanus seemed unwilling to reveal his status. Is it because he¡¯s in a weakened state of recovery? Or is he avoiding some danger? Regardless, he didn¡¯t seem to recognize her true identity. If he indeed mistook her for the returning ¡°True Ancestor¡±, it meant she might glean some secrets about Luna Island, or even beyond¡­ After thinking it over, Charlotte asked. ¡°What¡¯s the situation with the elven bloodbornes on Luna Island?¡± The blurred face shook his head. ¡°You should know better than me. After all, they ended up like that by doing exactly what you did back then. They couldn¡¯t withstand the origin power and were ultimately eroded.¡± He glanced at Charlotte again, meaningfully. ¡°You¡¯ve truly weakened a lot. If this were the past, you wouldn¡¯t converse with me so calmly, you¡¯d act directly.¡± ¡°But still, it¡¯s not bad. At least¡­ you¡¯re back.¡± ¡°Those elven bloodbornes on Luna Island¡­ give up on them. They¡¯re beyond saving. At least¡­ when I encountered them, they were already beyond saving.¡± ¡°You should thank me. If not for me, those things would have spread to Starfall Island long ago.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s make a deal. You don¡¯t interfere with Luna Island. Those elven bloodbornes are no longer your descendants, they now serve me.¡± ¡°In exchange, I can persuade the Pope of the Holy Court¡¯s Theocracy to turn a blind eye to Starfall Island.¡± ¡°In the end, we¡¯re both targets of ¡®Him.¡¯ We don¡¯t have any real conflicts of interest. Our goals are the same. We¡­ are natural allies.¡± ¡°His¡± target? Charlotte¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Inexplicably, she thought of the records in the Crimson Queen Rowena¡¯s diary. ¡®Could this ¡°Him¡± be related to the enemy Lilith faced? Or is it the real cause of Lilith¡¯s madness?¡¯ ¡®Origin power¡­ could it mean the power of creation? The Creator God?¡¯ Thinking this, Charlotte took a deep breath and, without revealing her thoughts, calmly asked. ¡°How much do you know about ¡®Him¡¯?¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s question, the blurred face¡¯s expression finally changed. His eyebrows raised slightly, his voice enigmatic. ¡°Oh? The mighty ruler of the bloodbornes, the Eternal Night Monarch, the God closest to the Origin, would actually ask me about the ¡®Origin¡¯?¡± _________________ Sea King Oceanus Chapter 532 : The Entity Behind the Door Sea King Oceanus¡¯s voice was filled with deep meaning. Sensing the curiosity in his tone, Charlotte paused slightly and calmly replied. ¡°Memories aren¡¯t reliable things. The cost of a God¡¯s resurrection, you should be well aware.¡± The blurred face gazed deeply at Charlotte and suddenly laughed. ¡°So, you mean¡­ you haven¡¯t recovered all your memories yet?¡± Charlotte neither confirmed nor denied. To elicit more information from him, she couldn¡¯t reveal that she wasn¡¯t the historical ¡°True Ancestor of Blood.¡± Thus, pretending to be the ¡°True Ancestor of Blood¡± with incomplete memory was a wise choice. Seeing Charlotte not denying it, Sea King Oceanus was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed. ¡°Hehe, haha¡­ Hahaha!¡± His laughter grew more and more unrestrained, more and more bold, more and more joyous. Charlotte sensed she might have misspoken. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She took a deep breath, calmed herself, and then, mimicking the tone recorded in the Crimson Queen Rowena¡¯s diary, she said faintly. ¡°Your Excellency Oceanus, what¡¯s so funny?¡± ¡°Your Excellency Oceanus? Haha¡­¡± Upon hearing her address, the blurred face showed a strange expression and an odd tone, laughing even more unrestrainedly. After laughing, he suddenly became calm again, his ancient voice regaining its majesty and lament. ¡°It seems¡­ the Eternal Night Monarch ultimately failed.¡± ¡°Time is a terrifying thing. Even a being like Her cannot resist its erosion¡­¡± ¡°No wonder I couldn¡¯t recall the name of the ¡®True Ancestor of Blood.¡¯ I thought it was some divine spell you cast on me, but now it seems, she failed too.¡± Saying this, the blurred face looked at Charlotte again, this time with a hint of amusement. ¡°Do you know? The Eternal Night Monarch never called me Your Excellency Oceanus.¡± ¡°You resemble her a lot, so much that even I¡­ couldn¡¯t recognize it at first.¡± ¡°But you¡­ are not her.¡± ¡°So, who are you? Let me guess¡­ are you her chosen successor? Or perhaps, some lucky one who stumbled upon a fragment of her divinity?¡± Seeing his confident expression, Charlotte sighed inwardly. Clearly, she hadn¡¯t deceived him. She was exposed. But it couldn¡¯t be helped. He wasn¡¯t like the bloodbornes she subdued, he was a true myth. Moreover, his memories of the ¡°True Ancestor of Blood¡± were evidently deeper than anyone she¡¯d encountered. He could even recognize her ¡°forgetfulness.¡± Pretending to be a familiar myth to him with just a few words was indeed a challenging task. With this realization, Charlotte decided not to continue pretending. However, just as she was about to speak again, Sea King Oceanus spoke first. ¡°Never mind, regardless of who you are, since you¡¯ve inherited her power, now¡­ you are the new ruler of the bloodbornes, the Eternal Night Monarch.¡± ¡°You are already a Demigod. Your control over the blood divine power is no less than hers. You have earned the right to speak with me as an equal.¡± ¡°So¡­ new True Ancestor of Blood, may I know your name?¡± Charlotte was silent for a moment before answering. ¡°Charlotte, Charlotte de Castell.¡± ¡°Charlotte de Castell¡­ I see, so you are the Divine Queen of the human world? To become a Demigod at such a young age, it seems¡­ even if you are not her successor, you must be some revived ancient being¡­¡± ¡°Strangely, I cannot find any information about you in my memory. It seems¡­ even I couldn¡¯t resist the power of the ¡®Origin.¡¯¡± Sea King Oceanus lamented. No, no, I¡¯m not some ancient being, I just have a cheat. But perhaps not. If I really ¡°created¡± history, then in a way, I might indeed be an ¡°ancient being.¡± Charlotte mused subtly to herself. ¡°So¡­ what exactly is the ¡®Origin¡¯?¡± She continued to ask. Sea King Oceanus looked at her, his expression becoming slightly solemn. ¡°¡®Origin¡¯ is one, ¡®Origin¡¯ is all, ¡®Origin¡¯ is the beginning of all beings, ¡®Origin¡¯ is the source of the extraordinary¡­¡± One? And also all? Isn¡¯t this the inscription on the newly awakened ability of the Gospel of Blood? So, the Gospel of Blood is also related to the ¡®Origin¡¯? Charlotte¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Thinking of this, she paused and asked. ¡°¡®Origin¡¯¡­ is it the Creator God?¡± Sea King Oceanus shook his head. ¡°No, more accurately, the Creator God is a part of the ¡®Origin¡¯, but the ¡®Origin¡¯¡­ is not the Creator God.¡± ¡°The ¡®Origin¡¯ is more ancient, the origin of everything, while the Creator God is one who stole the ¡®Origin power¡¯¡­ and is the eternal enemy of the Gods.¡± ¡°Eternal enemy of the Gods? The Creator God?¡± Charlotte frowned slightly. Sea King Oceanus nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right, the Creator God¡¯s ultimate goal is to become the ¡®Origin.¡¯ He constantly seeks to reclaim the authority of the Gods, to ¡®devour¡¯ everything that belongs to the Gods. To the Creator God, the Gods are his ¡®nourishment¡¯ to become the ¡®Origin.¡¯¡± ¡°The Holy Court established by the Creator God exists for this purpose.¡± As he spoke, he glanced deeply at Charlotte. ¡°Your predecessor, the Eternal Night Monarch whom I knew, failed in her struggle against the Creator God. If I¡¯m not mistaken, in the end¡­ he probably couldn¡¯t resist the ¡®Origin power¡¯ wielded by the Creator God and was devoured and assimilated.¡± ¡°Just like those subordinate Gods captured by the Creator God¡­¡± All the subordinate Gods captured by the Creator God were devoured by him? Charlotte was momentarily stunned. Then¡­ her expression froze. Charlotte suddenly understood a question that had always puzzled her. The Holy Court created by the Creator God was a polytheistic faith. However, as time progressed, those Gods incorporated into the Holy Court became increasingly low-profile, or rather¡­ gradually lost their presence. Until¡­ they were completely forgotten, existing only in the records of the Holy Bible. Charlotte had always thought this was a deliberate suppression of the subordinate Gods¡¯ faith by the Holy Court. But now it seemed the root cause was a struggle among the Gods. However, what puzzled Charlotte was that, based on her experiences, the Creator God should be her past student, Harald. But it was hard to connect the shy and justice-driven Harald in her memory with the Creator God described by Oceanus, who devoured subordinate Gods. However, recalling the diary of the Crimson Queen Rowena, Charlotte¡¯s expression gradually became serious. In Rowena¡¯s diary, Lilith ultimately went mad and had her identity taken by ¡°some being.¡± Could it be that Harald experienced the same fate? At this thought, Charlotte felt a shiver run down her spine. As an ancient God, the secrets revealed by Oceanus were overwhelming for her. Combining these with her own knowledge, she began to piece together the fates of Lilith and Harald. If her conjecture was correct, both Lilith and Harald likely faced the same enemy. Lilith failed, and Harald failed too. They were both devoured, and they were both forgotten. Considering what Poseidon Oceanus said, this entity¡­ was likely the ¡°Creator God.¡± It was a plausible hypothesis. But for some reason, after understanding everything, Charlotte still felt something was off. She felt¡­ she was missing something. ¡°New True Ancestor of Blood, no, God Nyx, let¡¯s make a deal.¡± ¡°The Divinity Descent Day is approaching, and the mythological era will return. You possess the ¡®Origin¡¯ power, and¡­ the Creator God has set his sights on you.¡± ¡°We have a common enemy and are natural allies. You were mistaken for a Saintess by the Creator God¡¯s followers, and I have successfully infiltrated my power into his church.¡± ¡°The Creator God has not fully awakened yet. We can join forces to counter his threat.¡± Sea King Oceanus spoke solemnly. Charlotte frowned slightly. She looked thoughtfully at him and said, ¡°How can I trust you?¡± The blurred face laughed softly. ¡°Do I have a reason to deceive you?¡± Charlotte was speechless. It seemed there was no reason, but she felt something was off. Seeing her hesitation, sea King Oceanus continued. ¡°You don¡¯t need to answer immediately. I can give you time to think.¡± ¡°Nyx, this trace of my consciousness is completely under your control. If you wish to cooperate, just release me from this bondage, and my true form will await your arrival on Luna Island.¡± ¡°Of course, you can refuse, even destroy this trace of my consciousness. If you do, my true form will naturally interpret it as a ¡®breakdown in negotiations.¡¯¡± ¡°Refusal is fine, too. The Divinity Descent Day is near, and the Creator God Harald¡¯s return is imminent. When that time comes, I believe you¡¯ll reconsider my proposal.¡± Hearing this, Charlotte suddenly looked up, and a glimmer of light flashed in her eyes. She sighed and said, ¡°The Creator God¡­ Harald?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Nyx? Do you still doubt my sincerity?¡± Sea King Oceanus frowned. Charlotte remained silent. She looked at him with a complex expression and sighed. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for your last words, I might have almost believed you.¡± ¡°The Creator God Harald¡­ The Creator God Harald¡­¡± ¡°Yes, people still remember the name Harald. Even if they¡¯ve forgotten some things about him, they haven¡¯t forgotten his name.¡± ¡°To be honest, I still don¡¯t know if that¡¯s really him. But if being ¡®devoured¡¯ also means being ¡®forgotten¡¯, if that really is him, then he probably hasn¡¯t completely disappeared¡­¡± ¡°No¡­ How could a devourer use the name of the devoured?¡± ¡°Even Lilith, who was completely forgotten, left some contingencies. How could he not?¡± Saying this, Charlotte looked at Sea King Oceanus. Her gaze grew clearer, and her expression became indifferent. ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t agree to your proposal because I don¡¯t believe the Creator God you speak of is necessarily my enemy.¡± ¡°I need to judge for myself if he is truly an enemy.¡± Then she looked at him meaningfully. ¡°On the contrary, Your Excellency Oceanus, are you really Sea King Oceanus?¡± Without waiting for a reply, Charlotte shook her head. ¡°No, you are not.¡± The blood divine power suddenly surged as Charlotte gently opened her right hand. The divine power cage compressed instantly, igniting with golden-red flames, and the blurred face within screamed in agony. Under Charlotte¡¯s cold gaze, the face emitted wisps of white smoke, dissolving into strange white mist. That power was identical to the power leaking from behind the eerie stone door. ¡°As expected, you are the entity behind the ¡®door.¡¯¡± Charlotte sighed. Chapter 533 : Another Slumber The golden-red flames continued to burn, and the painful wails echoed through the palace. Within the flames, the blurred face twisted, glaring at Charlotte with a look full of venom. It stared at Charlotte intently, its sinister gaze as if trying to imprint her deep into its soul. As it wailed, it spoke in a chilling voice. ¡°Don¡¯t think this is over. You¡­ can¡¯t escape. You¡­ can¡¯t escape!¡± ¡°Nyx, I have remembered you. We¡­ have all remembered you!¡± As it finished, the gray-white mist suddenly reversed, and a faint energy fluctuation invaded the flames, transforming into an illusory trident mark that swiftly spread from the cage formed by the blood divine power toward Charlotte¡¯s arm. ¡°Oh? Is that so?¡± Charlotte glanced at it calmly. She extended her left hand, and the blood divine power circulated once again. A heavy, illusory book slowly appeared. The book gently opened, emitting a crimson glow. The illusory trident mark had not yet penetrated Charlotte¡¯s body before it was absorbed by the book and instantly shredded into pieces. ¡°The Origin Fragment! You¡­ you actually possess the Origin Fragment!?¡± Seeing the illusory book in Charlotte¡¯s hand that had ¡°devoured¡± the mark, the blurred face showed expressions of jealousy, shock, and fear. With a sound like shattering glass, it fragmented into cloud-like pieces in the golden-red flames and was ultimately ¡°devoured¡± by the illusory book in Charlotte¡¯s hand. ¡°The Origin¡­ Fragment.¡± Charlotte murmured thoughtfully as she put away the manifested ¡°Gospel of Blood.¡± After devouring the ¡°blurred face¡±, she could feel that the Gospel of Blood in the depths of her consciousness seemed to have become more complete. Taking a deep breath, Charlotte dispelled the now-empty cage of divine power. All the divine power was absorbed back into her body, and the palace returned to tranquility. However, Charlotte¡¯s mind was far from calm. ¡°It saw the Gospel of Blood just now and called it the Origin Fragment¡­ So, the Gospel of Blood is also part of the ¡®Origin¡¯?¡± ¡°It tried to leave some kind of mark on me, but it failed because the Gospel of Blood devoured its power.¡± ¡°Its power is very similar to the gray-white mist behind the eerie stone door. Is it and the power behind the stone door¡­ both origin power?¡± ¡°And the mark it formed¡­ the trident, if I remember correctly, that is the symbol of Sea King Oceanus. However¡­ the mark it formed is reversed from what I saw in the texts.¡± ¡°Its divine power has a bit of an oceanic feel, but¡­ it feels turbid, or rather, chaotic.¡± ¡°It claimed to be Sea King Oceanus, could it really be Sea King Oceanus? Only¡­ it¡¯s been corrupted? Or¡­ has gone mad?¡± ¡°And¡­ it said ¡®we¡¯ at the end¡­¡± ¡°What does that mean? Does it mean it is just one of the countless consciousnesses of the ¡®Sea King¡¯, or¡­ does it imply more corrupted Gods?¡± Charlotte muttered to herself, frowning. Although she had successfully dealt with it, her mood did not improve. On the contrary¡­ it became even heavier. ¡°Stargazer Casey had a problem, Crimson Queen Rowena had a problem, True Ancestor of Blood Lilith was forgotten by all, and Lilith¡¯s brother Harald is only known as the ¡®Creator God¡¯¡­¡± ¡°Now, even Sea King Oceanus, who was once as famous as the True Ancestor of Blood, might have a problem too.¡± ¡°Could it be¡­ all the myths in this world have problems?¡± ¡°The words of ¡®Sea King Oceanus¡¯ are not credible, but¡­ if it were to deceive me, then not everything it said could be false. And if not everything is false, then how much does it differ from the truth?¡± ¡°If the myths really all have problems, how many of them are still sane?¡± ¡°The Divinity Descent Day¡­ will it really be just the Gods who awaken?¡± The more Charlotte thought, the more she felt a chill down her spine. The myths recorded in the Myria continent numbered in the thousands, and even today, countless Gods are known. But since Charlotte became a Demigod, none of the myths she encountered were normal. Once could be an exception, but if it happened every time, then it wasn¡¯t her problem. Charlotte felt a sense of urgency. Since becoming a Demigod, she once again felt that Damocles¡¯ sword-like pressure. Becoming a myth didn¡¯t mean she could rest easy. Forgotten myths, mad Gods, twisted histories¡­ Clearly, some secrets left behind from the Mythic Era are the true dangers lurking behind the world of Myria. This prosperous world seems normal, but it is likely teeming with undercurrents. ¡°Whether ¡®it¡¯ is the ¡®mad¡¯ Sea King Oceanus or not, since it only sent a trace of consciousness to investigate, it means that the other side also lacks the confidence to defeat me.¡± ¡°But at the same time, since it dared to threaten me so boldly before disappearing, it means that its power is definitely not weaker than mine, and might even be stronger!¡± ¡°Fortunately, the Gospel of Blood seems to have the power to suppress it, and it can even eliminate its mark.¡± ¡°But¡­ it is still not enough.¡± sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. With this in mind, Charlotte delved into her consciousness again, sensing the Gospel of Blood. After ¡°devouring¡± the consciousness of the ¡°Sea King¡±, the supreme artifact of the bloodborne had indeed become more complete, even gaining a new dark magic ability for tracking and positioning. Of course, for the current Charlotte, she already knew enough dark magic. One more wasn¡¯t significant, nor would one less be a loss. But the key wasn¡¯t there. Focusing on the divine flame in her heart, Charlotte sensed her divine power. Unlike every previous ¡°devouring¡±, this time, although she eliminated the consciousness suspected to be Sea King Oceanus, even the Gospel of Blood benefitted slightly, but her divine power did not increase. Instead, it decreased. Or more precisely, her divine power consumption was greater than her divine power absorption. Although the consumption was not much, it served as a reminder to Charlotte. Her ¡°devouring¡± did not always result in a net gain of divine power. ¡°It must be the cost of eliminating that ¡®consciousness.¡¯ It seems¡­ not everything can be converted into divine power, and erasing a mythological level of mental power is even more difficult.¡± ¡°I have never truly killed a God. Even defeating the God of Abomination and Deformity only resulted in their imprisonment. Perhaps¡­ killing a God is even harder than I imagined.¡± Charlotte pondered. ¡°I¡­ need to quickly further enhance my strength.¡± ¡°Being a Demigod is not enough. Below the Legendary level, as long as I¡¯m careful, it¡¯s hard for anyone to truly threaten my life. But above the Legendary level, it¡¯s different¡­¡± ¡°What I need to face next might be those hidden mythological powers.¡± ¡°I must become stronger, even if I can¡¯t immediately become a true God, I must accumulate more divine power¡­¡± Charlotte once again felt the desire to grow stronger quickly. Of course, she also knew that the further one goes, the harder it is to increase one¡¯s power. Even with the Gospel of Blood as an external aid, since becoming a Demigod, Charlotte clearly felt her growth in power slowing down. Charlotte understood why. The energy required to enhance mythological power far exceeded that of mortals, and the current Myria continent was in a period of low magical energy, making it difficult to find the necessary energy. The only shortcut she could think of was probably¡­ traveling back to the past to find those ancient Myria Gods she could defeat and extract their power. ¡°Finish handling the matters of Starfall as soon as possible, then¡­ go to slumber early and return to the past to seek power.¡± Charlotte muttered to herself. ¡­ In the following days, Charlotte accelerated her actions. The situation in the Starfall Kingdom was basically settled, with only secondary internal conflicts remaining. The most crucial of these was stabilizing the unrest caused by the integration of the bloodbornes and accepting immigrants from the Free Tribe Alliance. To stabilize the unrest caused by the integration of the bloodbornes, Charlotte had a clear plan: to appease and constrain both human nobles and the bloodbornes. The most effective and reliable way to quickly gather people together was naturally through interests. Charlotte thought she might as well involve the Nez and Harcos Clans in her planned alchemy company. She really had to thank the Harcos Clan this time. The 2.5 billion gold tana tribute was enough to win over various forces within the kingdom and invest in development and construction. Of course, Charlotte delegated the more detailed work to her subordinates. She was not one to handle everything personally, as long as she had control over the general direction. Giving money and manpower and leaving the rest to professionals was her way of understanding delegation. Charlotte dared to do this because she held the most core power. As a Demigod walking the earth, there was no one in the Starfall Kingdom who could truly defy her. Overall, although there were bumps, the integration of the bloodbornes into Starfall society should not be too difficult. Half a month later, the first batch of immigrants from the Free Tribe Alliance also officially arrived in the northern part of Starfall Island, a total of 50,000 people. Charlotte secretly monitored the entire immigration process. Duke Gale handled the migration of tens of thousands of people in an orderly manner, which even Charlotte, with her discerning eye, found no major faults in. Of course, this was also because Charlotte had provided sufficient immigration funds. Once again, she thanked the Harcos Clan for their contribution. With the first batch of immigrants settled, the remaining tasks became easier. The beginning is always the hardest; once the initial task is completed, subsequent repetitive tasks can follow the template. Charlotte did not plan to keep monitoring. The remaining tasks were left to Duke Gale and the Nightshade Cult. However, these were internal conflicts. Externally, the situation was still severe. The Crescent Kingdom on the continent still eyed the Roman Duchy and the Castell County covetously, and Luna Island in the North Sea was the most dangerous place in Charlotte¡¯s mind. Fortunately, the internal conflicts of the Crescent Kingdom had not been completely resolved. According to intelligence, Charlotte learned that King Louis V was still suppressing and consolidating the nobles¡¯ power and did not seem to have plans to seize Roman and Castell at the moment. But based on Charlotte¡¯s understanding of the other party, she knew they would not give up, even though she had signed a mutual defense treaty with the Northern Grand Duchy. The current calm was just a form of forbearance. There was no solution to this unless Charlotte really gave up her territories on the continent. But she did not intend to give up. The Roman Duchy was an important agricultural area, and Castell County was her treasury and hometown. As long as she wanted to continue developing, she could not lose them. Charlotte could only deny the nobles¡¯ proposal to establish the ¡°Starfall-Castell United Kingdom¡±, temporarily avoiding provoking King Louis V, and pretend to be both the Crescent vassal and the Starfall King, dragging it out as long as possible. She estimated she could have a few months of peace, enough time to slumber. As long as she woke up stronger, combined with the various arrangements she had made with her money, she should be able to contend with the Crescent Kingdom. The real headache was the Luna Island. But Charlotte dared not explore it rashly. She had conducted an observation of Luna Island herself, and the results were not good. Even her spiritual sense vaguely warned her that she absolutely should not go to Luna Island now. Since she could not go herself, sending others was out of the question. Charlotte decided to temporarily close the northern border against Luna Island as the Queen of Starfall. Of course, this was not a long-term solution. Even if the border was closed, if the ¡°things¡± on the island wanted to come over, Charlotte could not stop them. Charlotte just wanted to buy some time, relying on the other party¡¯s apprehension of her, until she could ¡°wake up.¡± When Charlotte had finished handling all matters, it was almost a month later. After explaining all the affairs to Sebastian, Nice, Yurst, Bardock, and Margo, Charlotte once again lay in the black coffin Sebastian had prepared for her. Chapter 534 : Lady Lilith! This was Charlotte¡¯s first ¡°proactive¡± time travel. Honestly, before she went into slumber, she wasn¡¯t sure if she could succeed. She just had a feeling that now she might be able to use the Gospel of Blood to ¡°proactively¡± perform a ¡°time reversal¡± and return to the past. It turned out her premonition was possibly correct. As her clear consciousness gradually sank into slumber, and boundless darkness slowly engulfed her vision, Charlotte, silently chanting ¡°I want to go back to the past, I want to go back to the past!¡± felt the Gospel of Blood in the depths of her consciousness suddenly burst forth with crimson light, gradually consuming the entire world. In a mystical sense, Charlotte saw a magnificent, illusory clock appear beneath her feet, with its hands moving slower and slower, until they eventually stopped. Charlotte found herself in a vast void. Beneath her was the still, illusory clock, and around her were shattered mirrors. Curiously, Charlotte looked into those mirrors. In the nearest one, a dark red castle was crumbling, terrifying monsters were waving their hideous tentacles, and in the sky, a silver-haired woman surrounded by a crimson glow looked indifferent. She waved her arm, summoning an illusory cage to imprison the monsters, with her golden eyes gleaming with light. Charlotte quickly recognized that scene. It was her ¡°suppressing¡± the monsters in the Sanctuary of Harcos, and the silver-haired woman in the sky was her in the state of divine power release. A strange feeling surged in her heart, and Charlotte instinctively reached out towards the mirror. However, when her fingers touched the mirror, they were blocked by an invisible barrier. Smooth and cold. It reminded Charlotte of a real ¡°mirror.¡± Retracting her hand, Charlotte looked at the other nearby mirrors. In those mirrors, familiar scenes of her life played out. In a resplendent palace, wearing a crown, dressed in regal attire, holding a scepter, a divine sword, and an orb, Charlotte walked towards the throne amid the crowd, receiving the worship of nobles and priests. In a solemn black castle, with her divine power unleashed, Charlotte looked awe-inspiring as the crimson divine power spread, and hundreds or even thousands of bloodbornes knelt in fear and reverence, worshipping her like a God. In a brightly lit temple, Charlotte knelt in front of a statue, bathed in holy light, praying to the Lord. In front of the fully armored Castell army, wearing a silver armor dress and riding a warhorse, Charlotte raised her sword high, inspiring the troops¡­ Each scene was a memory fragment Charlotte had experienced, recorded as if they were history. Each mirror recorded a different moment, and all featured Charlotte as the protagonist. These mirrors surrounded Charlotte, with the nearest ones depicting the most recent times, and the farther ones showing earlier times. Charlotte felt a stir in her heart. Thinking for a moment, she walked towards the distant mirrors. As she moved, she felt something being drawn from within her, and the stopped clock beneath her feet suddenly began to turn counterclockwise. With the reverse movement of the clock¡¯s hands, Charlotte successfully took a step, arriving in front of the more distant mirrors. These were earlier memories, such as investigating Castell¡¯s mines in disguise, attending a noble¡¯s banquet in the Crescent Kingdom, and the scene of her causing a ¡°miracle¡± at her coming-of-age ceremony. These mirrors formed a line, connecting significant memories of Charlotte, creating a ¡°ribbon¡± of countless mirrors. Oh, this is the ¡°progress bar¡± of time! Looking at the mirrors playing in reverse chronological order, Charlotte had this thought. Indeed, it looked like the ribbon of mirrors represented ¡°progress¡±, and the clock beneath her served as a ¡°slider.¡± With this realization, Charlotte walked to the beginning of the ¡°progress.¡± There was only one mirror, displaying the scene of a young girl hanging on a cross in a gloomy basement, being brutally dissected by a crazed ¡°old witch.¡± Seeing that familiar scene, Charlotte shivered involuntarily and couldn¡¯t help but touch her stomach. It was an experience from shortly after she first transmigrated. Even now, she couldn¡¯t forget that terrifying ordeal. Beyond that, the mirrors ended. But when Charlotte looked into the distance, she saw a brilliant star river. No, it wasn¡¯t a star river but a long ¡°ribbon¡± of more mirrors. Those mirrors were too far away for Charlotte to see clearly, appearing only as distant points of light. But upon closer inspection, it was evident that the distant galaxy of light was connected to the ribbon of mirrors surrounding Charlotte. Though many parts were broken, the whole seemed to be one continuous flow, giving Charlotte the impression of a long river of mirrors with most parts cut off in between. However, within those distant points of light, Charlotte could faintly sense two particularly bright spots, evoking a feeling of intimacy and familiarity. Withdrawing her gaze from the distance, Charlotte looked again at the mirror showing the basement bloody ritual event. The scene had progressed to her using the divine ritual counter successfully. Looking at the darkness behind the mirror and the ¡°starlight¡± at the end of the darkness, Charlotte pondered. ¡°If this star river is the river of time¡­ then this darkness should be the thousand years when the ¡®True Ancestor of Blood¡¯ disappeared.¡± ¡°I need to reach even further¡­¡± Thinking about it, she continued to walk. This step was much more difficult. The feeling of her soul being drawn returned, and Charlotte felt as if she had entered a high-density space, surrounded by immense pressure, everything seemingly rejecting her advance. Charlotte gritted her teeth, mobilized her blood divine power, and took a step forward with all her might. With her effort, she finally succeeded in taking that step. The stopped clock started turning again, this time at an unprecedented speed. As Charlotte moved forward, the clock¡¯s hands seemed to go out of control, spinning madly in reverse. One step, but it felt like crossing eternity. Charlotte felt everything around her quickly recede. In the darkness, she saw countless shattered mirrors flashing by. Those broken mirrors were dim, almost blending with the darkness, and inside the broken mirrors was nothing but void. The sensation of her soul being swiftly drawn away made Charlotte¡¯s movements slower and slower. When she finally took a step, she had already crossed the entire void and arrived on the other side of the ¡°galaxy.¡± Countless mirrors appeared around Charlotte again, forming a ribbon. Most of these mirrors were relatively dim, but some were bright. Charlotte looked at them and found that the bright mirrors depicted experiences she was very familiar with, specifically her travels through history twice. The two mirrors that gave her the most intimate and familiar feelings were the fragments of her first journey to the Northern Frontier and her second journey, which involved the battle between the Free City-State Alliance and the followers of the Evil Gods. The dim mirrors were located between the two sequences of bright mirrors and after the second sequence of bright mirrors. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte quickly realized that these depicted the history after her ¡°departure.¡± The fragments between the two bright mirror sequences should cover the 14 years between her first and second travels. Through the images, Charlotte saw Lilith and Harald¡¯s resistance, their overthrow of the Tower Kingdom, the establishment of the city-states, and their betrayal and battles with the Old Gods. Until¡­ the second bright mirror, where Charlotte¡¯s image reappeared. At the end of the second bright mirror, there was a scene of Lilith¡¯s death and Charlotte using the First Embrace to resurrect her and then leaving the old timeline. Thinking for a moment, Charlotte changed direction and walked toward the dim mirrors beyond the second bright one. It was still difficult, but somewhat easier than before. The clock beneath Charlotte started moving again, this time¡­ clockwise. Charlotte quickly reached the end of the second bright mirror and saw the dim mirrors behind it clearly. These should be the history after her second departure. In these mirrors, she saw Lilith giving bloodborne power to the mutated soldiers of the Free City, transforming them into second-generation bloodbornes. She saw the God of Abomination and Deformity fleeing amidst the chaos, hurling threats at the Free City. She saw the increasing number of bloodbornes and the strengthening of the Free City¡¯s combat power. She saw Lilith leading the army, gradually driving back the ¡°rebels¡± who worshiped the Old Gods. She saw the Free City-State Alliance reclaiming lost territories and, over time, Lilith¡¯s power growing stronger. She saw in the mirrors, crimson light soaring, and the divine flame igniting from the darkness. That was when Lilith became a Demigod. However, when Charlotte looked at the dim mirrors after Lilith¡¯s ascension to Demigod, she was slightly taken aback. In those mirrors¡­ she couldn¡¯t clearly see Lilith¡¯s appearance. As if blocked by some force, she could only recognize Lilith by the crimson divine power and silver hair. She saw the Old Gods¡¯ downfall, Lilith fighting them in a divine battle, the reappearance of the God of Abomination and Deformity, and Lilith unleashing her divine power to personally slay it¡­ At this point, the dim mirrors ended. Beyond that, there was another profound darkness. In the darkness, fragmented mirrors could be vaguely seen, extending into the distant future, connected to Charlotte¡¯s current era. These mirrors were even dimmer, almost blending with the darkness, with no images at all in the shattered mirrors. At the junction between these shattered mirrors and the dim mirrors with images, there was a special mirror. This mirror shimmered with a faint light, giving Charlotte a strong sense of summons. Unlike the other mirrors, this one was at the end of the dim mirrors and the start of the shattered mirrors. It also had no image, but it sparkled with an unusual light, its surface not like a mirror but more like a passage through light and shadow. Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred as she realized that this might be the temporal node she could travel to. ¡°So, the dim mirrors show the history that happened after I left, and the shattered mirrors are the history that didn¡¯t happen or had issues. What I need to do now is to enter the gap between them and start a new round of ¡®correction¡¯, right?¡± Charlotte muttered to herself. With this thought, she took a deep breath and reached out to the ¡°special¡± mirror. Her right hand touched the mirror, causing ripples like those on a water surface. Charlotte felt a powerful suction coming from the mirror, drawing her in. At the sound of a distant bell, the crimson light consumed the entire world, and Charlotte lost consciousness¡­ ¡­ ¡°Tweet tweet, tweet tweet¡­¡± The cheerful sound of birds chirping woke Charlotte from her slumber. She slowly opened her eyes to find herself staring at a strange ceiling. This was likely a castle with walls decorated in a distinctly elven style, and she was lying on a bed that could barely be called soft. The bedspread was quite coarse, or rather¡­ the craftsmanship was quite ¡°ancient.¡± As her consciousness returned and her memory came back, Charlotte felt a shift and quickly sat up. ¡°Did I¡­ succeed in traveling?¡± As soon as she spoke, she felt something was off. Although it was still her own voice, it sounded slightly different from her usual voice. It had more authority and less of a youthful tone. When Charlotte sat up, she also felt a noticeable weight on her shoulders. Looking down, she saw two full, perfectly shaped mounds on her chest. Charlotte: ¡­ She got out of bed, put on a black robe hanging nearby, and walked to a crystal mirror not far away. In the mirror, instead of her familiar youthful appearance, she saw her adult form as she would appear during her divine power release. Charlotte frowned slightly. How to put it, maybe she was so used to her youthful form that it was quite unfamiliar to her to be in her adult state after traveling. So, the question was, why did this time travel result in her being in an adult state? She clearly hadn¡¯t released her divine power. However, the robe she picked up fit perfectly, seeming to be tailored for her current physique. Suppressing her confusion, Charlotte finished dressing and opened the door of her room. .bg-container-10448869e4d{ display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; justify-content: center; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } .bg-ssp-10448{margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;display:flex;justify-content:center;} .bg-container-10448f61e68{ display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; justify-content: center; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } Outside the door was a corridor. Charlotte walked through the corridor to the castle¡¯s main entrance, where two fully armed soldiers stood guard on either side. Seeing Charlotte, they instantly straightened up and saluted with a look of admiration. ¡°Good morning, Lady Lilith!¡± Charlotte: ¡­? Chapter 535 : Identity Fusion Freedom City, Central Tower. Charlotte sat on the leader¡¯s throne, rubbing her temples in frustration. In the hall, leaders and officials from various parts of the City-State Alliance were quietly lined up, waiting respectfully to report their work. ¡°Lady Lilith, the deforestation of the northern forest has been preliminarily completed. As per your request, we have cleared sufficient land.¡± ¡°Good.¡± ¡°Next, we plan to hire elven craftsmen to begin fortress construction as scheduled. Do you approve?¡± ¡°Proceed.¡± ¡°Additionally, the consecrators have discussed some suggestions regarding the formation to repel the northern cultists¡­¡± ¡°No problem. Implement the discussed results.¡± ¡°The selection of personal guards has also completed the preliminary round. The final review will be this afternoon, where you will select the final candidates.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°Furthermore, the selection of maids, the announcement has been released. According to your request, the application period is limited to one month.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± When the last official finished reporting, the morning had already passed. Charlotte finally relaxed, her previously expressionless face, maintained to uphold her dignity and status, becoming lively once again. ¡°Phew¡­ finally done.¡± ¡°Thankfully, Lilith left plenty of information, and these leaders and officials are competent enough. I managed to get by without revealing my identity.¡± ¡°But¡­ what on earth is going on? Why did I turn into Lilith this time?¡± As she spoke, Charlotte reached out and touched a certain part of her body that felt quite nice, shaking her head. ¡°No¡­ I should be asking, why do they think I¡¯m Lilith?¡± Charlotte was confused. Very confused. She had indeed succeeded in crossing over. But for some unknown reason, everyone believed she was Lilith after this crossing. At first, Charlotte suspected she had crossed into Lilith¡¯s body. After all, after she embraced Lilith, Lilith¡¯s appearance changed significantly to resemble hers. But she was sure this body was her own. Although in an adult form, the divine flame in her heart was unmistakable. It was indeed her own divine flame, very familiar to her, with no chance of mistake. Not to mention the core of her faith network, which was the same as before, even though it couldn¡¯t communicate with her followers from another timeline, it proved her identity. Moreover, Charlotte could still sense the presence of the Gospel of Blood, even more clearly than in her previous two time travels. And then there was her body. Though Lilith, as an adult, was about the same height, their body sizes were vastly different¡­ How could the people of the Free City-State Alliance not notice this? Something was off. Very off. Initially, Charlotte suspected she might be trapped in some magical illusion, but after using her divine power to investigate, she dismissed the idea. Next, she considered whether something was wrong with the people around her. But after quietly checking the mental state of those who mistook her for Lilith, she confirmed they were perfectly normal. They genuinely believed she was Lilith. And their memories and thoughts showed no signs of alteration or influence. Charlotte even considered whether Lilith¡¯s appearance had changed again after becoming a Demigod, making her look more like Charlotte, so others couldn¡¯t tell them apart¡­ But further investigation revealed it wasn¡¯t the case. ¡°I woke up in Lilith¡¯s bedroom this morning.¡± ¡°I asked the guards and maids, and in their perception, last night¡­ ¡®Lilith¡¯ indeed slept in the bedroom.¡± ¡°But this morning, it was ¡®me¡¯ who woke up.¡± ¡°So, where did Lilith go?¡± Charlotte was puzzled. This time travel was different from the previous two. Not only had her body changed, but her ¡°identity¡± had as well. The only fortunate thing was that she was Lilith¡¯s ¡°teacher.¡± In the last time travel, she had observed Lilith handling work many times, so she could mimic her actions fairly accurately. The leaders and officials of the Free City-State Alliance didn¡¯t notice anything amiss, showing no unusual expressions. Combining her probing and investigation after waking up, Charlotte had a subtle feeling. That feeling was like¡­ ¡°Like I crossed over and replaced Lilith¡¯s existence with my own.¡± Charlotte muttered to herself. This thought made her pause immediately. Her expression shifted constantly as she sank into deep thought. ¡°Replaced¡­?¡± ¡°Could it be¡­ this is part of Lilith¡¯s plan?¡± S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte didn¡¯t know Lilith¡¯s exact intentions. But through the diary of the Crimson Queen Rowena, she knew Lilith hoped she would achieve something. Or rather, hoped she would achieve something after ¡°time traveling¡± through history. ¡°Perhaps¡­ this was Lilith¡¯s deliberate doing.¡± Charlotte¡¯s eyes flickered as she looked at the stone calendar on the wall. Year 495 of the Prophet Era. It had been about fifteen years since her last time travel. Judging by the weather outside, it should be winter, with snow covering the distant lands. Only this city was protected by a magic array, keeping the cold at bay. ¡°They renamed Dawn City to Freedom City? Freedom¡­ Lutecia¡­ I see, I had forgotten that Lutecia is a transliteration from ancient Elvish meaning ¡®freedom¡¯ in the common language of this continent¡­¡± ¡°However, in the later ages, this land wasn¡¯t this cold. As the capital of the Crescent Kingdom, Lutecia¡¯s climate was quite mild. Such a significant difference in history and the future, could it be due to changes in magic¡­¡± Charlotte mused to herself. This time travel had caught her by surprise. However, it didn¡¯t affect her plan. Her main objective this time was to increase her power, and her target was the Old Gods of the Northern Frontier. Acting under the guise of ¡°Lilith¡± actually made it more convenient to pursue this goal. After all¡­ the Free City-State Alliance was originally the enemy of the Old Gods, and through the memories she saw in the mirrors, Charlotte knew that the two sides were still at war. The biggest difference was that the Free City-State Alliance was no longer a small force on the brink of extinction but a giant that occupied nearly half of the Northern Frontier. This was thanks to the emergence of the ¡°favored ones¡± ¡ªthe term the Free City-State Alliance used for bloodbornes. Wait a minute¡­ Bloodbornes? A thought struck Charlotte. ¡°I am already the Bloodborne Progenitor and can sense the presence of all bloodbornes.¡± ¡°I embraced Lilith, so¡­ logically, I should be able to sense Lilith¡¯s bloodline.¡± ¡°In the past, there were no bloodbornes in this timeline, but now it¡¯s different.¡± ¡°Perhaps¡­ this method can help me find her!¡± With this in mind, Charlotte immersed herself in her consciousness. Unlike her last time travel, Charlotte easily entered the mental world of the Dark Night Castle after this time travel. Seated high on the Blood Throne, Charlotte stirred her divine power, and crimson mist rolled in, forming a vast crimson star sea. However, when Charlotte¡¯s gaze fell upon the crimson star sea, she quickly sighed. ¡°As expected¡­¡± As she had anticipated, she successfully summoned the crimson star sea representing the bloodbornes. But the starry sea before her was completely different from what she remembered. Like her faith network, a large area of the crimson star sea she summoned appeared blank. It wasn¡¯t a simple blankness; it felt more like a ¡°blockage.¡± The blocked area corresponded to where many stars representing bloodbornes should be. Charlotte could even vaguely sense a kind of repulsion. That repulsion not only rejected her probing into the crimson star sea but even seemed to manifest as resistance in the real world when she tried to delve deeper. The feeling was subtle and strange. It was like some sort of rejection response, making her feel like an alien object to the world. Charlotte pondered, forming some hypotheses. If her judgment was correct, this repulsion might very well come from ¡°time and space.¡± ¡°If I continue to delve deeper, I might¡­ very likely be directly kicked back to the future timeline.¡± Charlotte muttered to herself. With that in mind, she abandoned the deeper probe and instead turned her gaze to another direction in the crimson star sea. Setting aside the interference of ¡°time and space¡±, she could still see a few stars there. Moreover, she could clearly sense the ¡°coordinates¡± of those stars. Charlotte immediately understood. These stars belonged to this timeline. These were the second-generation bloodbornes embraced by Lilith! However, when Charlotte further sensed, she didn¡¯t feel Lilith¡¯s presence among these stars. Lilith¡­ seemed to have vanished. ¡°Could it be that I really ¡®replaced¡¯ Lilith¡¯s existence?¡± Charlotte was somewhat bewildered. At that moment, she suddenly sensed a star rapidly approaching within the crimson star sea. The brilliance of that star was roughly at the level of a Blood Count, bringing a familiar aura to Charlotte. ¡°This aura¡­ is it Bardock?¡± Charlotte¡¯s mind stirred. After a moment¡¯s thought, she retracted her divine power and exited the mental world. Returning to reality, she spread her spiritual senses. Soon, Charlotte sensed the same approaching aura in the real world. After a while, the guards at the hall¡¯s entrance reported respectfully. ¡°Lady Lilith, Commander Bardock requests an audience.¡± It was indeed Bardock! Charlotte¡¯s mind settled. No matter what, seeing a familiar face in this timeline was always reassuring. .bg-container-10448f2396e{ display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; justify-content: center; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } .bg-ssp-10448{margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;display:flex;justify-content:center;} .bg-container-10448f61e68{ display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; justify-content: center; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } ¡°Let him in.¡± Charlotte said. The guard respectfully withdrew, and soon, Bardock, clad in elven silver armor, entered the room. He approached Charlotte, bowed deeply, and spoke with reverence and fervor. ¡°Third Legion Commander Bardock¡­ greets the Savior!¡± Chapter 536 : So tall! Bardock¡¯s appearance hadn¡¯t changed much from what Charlotte remembered. The same a thousand years ago, the same a thousand years later. But when Charlotte heard how he addressed her, she froze in place. ¡°Savior¡­?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but look at him. Bardock smiled sincerely. ¡°Apologies, Savior, although you have emphasized many times that we can address you by name, you are the hero who saved us and the entire city-state.¡± ¡°You brought us extraordinary power. In my heart, Lady Lilith, you will always be our Savior.¡± Charlotte hesitated. Although the initial ¡°Savior¡± had startled her, his following words calmed her down. She looked at the respectful Bardock and sighed. ¡°I want to go for a walk, can you¡­ accompany me for a while?¡± Bardock respectfully bowed. ¡°At your command.¡± ¡­ Charlotte left the tower and strolled through the city. The low buildings on both sides were packed tightly together, and the bustling streets were lively. Although it was far from the prosperity and beauty of the Crescent Kingdom¡¯s capital, Lutecia, that Charlotte remembered, at this moment, the Freedom City already had some of the atmosphere of a large city. When people saw the soldiers and Bardock accompanying Charlotte, they all stopped to salute. Charlotte smiled and nodded in greeting. Contrary to the historical records, the Lilith she remembered was not stingy with her smiles, and she always responded in kind. From the gazes coming from all directions, Charlotte could feel the people¡¯s genuine respect for her. As she walked, she subtly conversed with Bardock. ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re saying that I am ¡®Lilith¡¯, but also¡­ the ¡®Savior¡¯, right?¡± Bardock didn¡¯t find Charlotte¡¯s question strange, and naturally responded. ¡°Of course, Lady Lilith, you brought us extraordinary power and granted new life to those of us who should have died. To us, to the citizens of the city-state, you will always be our ¡®Savior.¡¯¡± Charlotte remained silent. She glanced at Bardock and continued. ¡°Do you¡­ remember what happened the day I became a blood¡­ no, a family member?¡± Barak¡¯s face showed reminiscence, and he respectfully said, ¡°Of course I remember. We were on the verge of defeat back then, and you sacrificed your life, awakening new power in rebirth, bringing us new hope.¡± ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, we would have long become sacrifices for those Evil Gods¡­¡± Rebirth¡­ Charlotte was thoughtful. After thinking for a moment, she asked. ¡°Do you¡­ remember the name ¡®Cain¡¯?¡± Bardock nodded and smiled. ¡°Of course, you mean the pseudonym you often used to hide your identity, right?¡± ¡°I remember the first time I met you, you gave that name. Back then, I didn¡¯t know that Lady Lilith was actually our city¡¯s savior, and I made a fool of myself in front of Lord Harald.¡± Charlotte: ¡­ Seriously, hiding identity? But¡­ Harald¡­ Could it be¡­ Harald¡¯s identity hasn¡¯t changed? Is Harald¡¯s history¡­ still normal? Only the ¡°history¡± of me and Lilith has ¡°merged¡±? After thinking for a while, she asked. ¡°Where is Harald? Where is he now?¡± ¡°Lord Harald has gone to inspect the northern region. He should be back in some time, but¡­ he will definitely return before you select the next batch of family members.¡± Barak respectfully answered. ¡°Power¡­ selection?¡± Charlotte was puzzled. ¡°Yes, you plan to select the best candidates among the third-generation family members for a second awakening, don¡¯t you? After all¡­ compared to your immense power, we, who were pulled back from the brink of death, still have too low a limit.¡± Bardock explained. Charlotte pondered. ¡°Excellent third-generation bloodbornes? You mean those who were embraced not by me, but by you?¡± ¡°Bloodbornes? You mean the family, right? This is also a conclusion everyone came to after many attempts. Compared to us, who directly received power from you, they have not been polluted and have more potential. If they could receive power from you again, they would definitely go further.¡± Bardock said. As he spoke, as if thinking of something, he pondered. ¡°However, bloodborne¡­ it feels like¡­ this new name you came up with suits us more¡­¡± He muttered to himself. ¡°This is indeed a good name. Although everyone is used to calling themselves your ¡®family¡¯, for some reason, it feels like this term fits our power better.¡± Charlotte: ¡­ Is this really how the name ¡°bloodbornes¡± originated?! At this moment, she had a strange expression and a thought emerged in her mind. ¡­ Charlotte strolled while engaging in a deep conversation with Bardock. With subtle probing, she gradually outlined the current situation. As she suspected, from Bardock¡¯s memories, her identity had indeed ¡°merged¡± with Lilith¡¯s. The events she experienced during her previous two travels, the deeds she performed as the ¡°Savior¡±, had all become attributed to ¡°Lilith¡± in his memory. As for how ¡°Lilith¡± became bloodborne, it wasn¡¯t through the ¡°Savior¡¯s¡± embrace but through direct ¡°self-awakening.¡± In short, the memories of the ¡°True Ancestor of Blood¡± and the ¡°Bloodborne Progenitor¡± had become the same. In Bardock¡¯s and everyone¡¯s perception, the ¡°True Ancestor of Blood¡± and the ¡°Bloodborne Progenitor¡± had always been one person from the beginning. This discovery made Charlotte frown slightly. Before this journey, she had just ¡°reviewed¡± the fragments of memories from her previous two travels through those mirror images. In those memory fragments, her identity and Lilith¡¯s identity were distinguishable. But after this journey¡­ how had these two identities merged? Wasn¡¯t it said¡­ history cannot be changed? If her identity had merged with Lilith¡¯s, if in Bardock¡¯s and other second-generation bloodbornes¡¯ memories, the identities of the True Ancestor and Progenitor had merged, wouldn¡¯t that contradict her previous two travels? Or perhaps¡­ her previous two travels were the ¡°rewriting¡± of history, and this post-journey ¡°identity¡± merger was history¡¯s ¡°self-correction¡±? Charlotte thought she might need to find a way to enter that suspected mirrored world of the timeline again. She needed to verify, she needed to check the memory mirrors from her first and second travels to see if those memory fragments had changed once more. Of course, Charlotte knew that in her current state, she definitely couldn¡¯t check. Even if she wanted to, it would probably only be possible after this time travel ended, when she returned to the future. ¡°History¡­ has issues. History is chaotic. Perhaps only when I truly understand what happened in history, when I untangle the entire chaotic history, can I truly uncover all the hidden secrets behind it.¡± ¡°And this¡­ must also be related to the warning left by Lilith: ¡®History has never changed, but history can be created.¡¯¡± Charlotte pondered. Of course, the information she could gather now was still too limited. Traveling through time was like a fish entering different tanks, to understand what represented the tank of history, she had to jump out and look. In other words, Charlotte might need to repeatedly investigate and verify through future travels. As for now, since her identity had ¡°merged¡± with Lilith¡¯s, she might as well act as ¡°Lilith¡± and first accomplish her purpose for this journey. Perhaps, as her power further increased, she could become more sensitive to the ¡°changes¡± in history. ¡°First, let¡¯s understand the current situation of the Old Gods in the Northern Frontier. Know thyself and thy enemy, and you will be victorious in every battle. After all, I came back this time to deal with those Old Gods. Although my blood divine power suppresses them, facing myths¡­ I still need to be cautious.¡± Charlotte thought. ¡­ After the walk, Charlotte returned to the central tower and ordered Bardock to bring all the information about the Northern Frontier. Bardock moved quickly, soon bringing a large stack of documents. Charlotte skimmed through all the information, gaining a general understanding of the Northern Frontier¡¯s situation. Unlike her previous two time travels, this time Charlotte had a clearer understanding of the entire Northern Frontier¡¯s scope. Different from the later so-called northern regions, the current Northern Frontier referred to the northern part of the Crescent Kingdom in the future, plus the northern borders, plus parts of the Western Yunette Empire, and parts of the Eastern Yunette Blacklands. Overall, it encompassed most of the northern part of the Myria continent. This area was almost the core region of the later unified Yunette Empire. Speaking of which, it could no longer be described as the ¡°Northern Frontier¡± of the continent. From the map, Charlotte leaned towards the idea that the name ¡°Northern Frontier¡± was simply a unilateral naming by the elves who had landed on the Myria continent and radiated outwards from their colony. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Now, with the rise of the Free City-State Alliance, the entire Northern Frontier presented a tripartite situation. One side was the elves who had retreated to the southwest and southeast, occupying an area roughly equivalent to the western part of the future Crescent Kingdom and the Western Yunette Empire, separated from the Free City-State Alliance by the Dorn River and the Luna Inner Sea. One side was the Free City-State Alliance, controlling areas equivalent to the northern part of the future Crescent Kingdom, the lowlands of Castell, the southern-northern borders, and the western part of the Eastern Yunette Blacklands. The last side was the Old Gods, whose control range almost coincided with the future Northern Grand Duchy. Among these three forces, the elf forces split by the Free City-State Alliance can be set aside for now. The elves were not united internally, divided into various factions, their controlled areas heavily fragmented, with rivers, mountains, and inner seas separating them, posing no immediate threat to the Free City-State Alliance. With extraordinary power rapidly spreading among humans, the elves were already exhausted dealing with internal human ¡°uprisings¡±, having no extra energy to unite and attack the rapidly growing Free City-State Alliance. They could only rely on a temporary alliance with the Old God forces to prevent the Free City-State Alliance from moving south and east. Facing the northern Old God forces¡¯ pressure, the Free City-State Alliance also lacked the capability to continue attacking elf-controlled areas, as most of their strength was tied up by the allied Old God Cults. The three forces reached a subtle balance, with the war between the City-State Alliance and the Old Gods continuing in a state of small skirmishes without large-scale battles. As for why this was so, Charlotte gained further understanding after reading various documents of the Free City-State Alliance¡ªThe extraordinary power of the Free City-State Alliance had reached its current limit. Like the elves, the Old Gods were not united either. The Old God forces fighting the Free City-State Alliance were primarily a few Old Gods led by the God of Secret Contracts, Kul¡¯kan. Lilith, who had become a Demigod and even slain the God of Abomination and Deformity, was enough to hold off the Old Gods hostile to the City-State. With mythological powers mutually countering each other, extraordinary power became the decisive factor in the war. Although the overall power of the bloodborne in the Free City-State Alliance was growing, facing the Old God forces under mythological pressure, they were still too weak. Thus, there was the ¡°second awakening¡± mentioned by Bardock¡ªselecting talented blood descendants among the third generation to be personally empowered by the Progenitor, further strengthening the City-State Alliance¡¯s extraordinary power. This¡­ was also to prepare for further battles with the Old Gods. Charlotte quickly absorbed the current situation of the Northern Frontier through various documents. Just then, there was another knock on the door. ¡°Lady Lilith, the chosen family warriors have gathered in the central hall and are ready for the final review.¡± Hearing the report, Charlotte slapped her forehead, remembering that Lilith had an afternoon selection for personal guards. The review was conducted one-on-one, with Charlotte personally selecting. Of course, the so-called selection of personal guards was actually part of the ¡°second awakening¡± preparation. According to the documents she read, Lilith planned to select a batch of guards and maids for the second awakening to enhance their bloodline power. Now that Charlotte had ¡°traveled¡± as Lilith, she had to undertake this task. ¡°Just as well¡­ I¡¯m curious about the current bloodborne warriors of the City-State Alliance. Seeing their strength firsthand is a good opportunity.¡± Charlotte muttered. She replied, ¡°Got it¡±, then put away the documents, readying herself for the review. Soon, there was a knock on the door, and Bardock¡¯s voice came through. ¡°Savior, we are ready.¡± .bg-container-10448ed3ed0{ display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; justify-content: center; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } .bg-ssp-10448{margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;display:flex;justify-content:center;} .bg-container-10448f61e68{ display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; justify-content: center; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } Charlotte nodded. ¡°Let them in one by one.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, the door opened, and a huge shadow fell inside, instantly blocking the sunlight from the window. Seeing the first warrior entering for review, a bloodborne warrior definitely over three meters tall, Charlotte, sitting behind her desk, was stunned and instinctively said, ¡°My goodness, this guy¡­ is so tall!¡± Chapter 537 : The Names of Princes and Elders Looking at the bloodborne warrior over three meters tall, Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but exclaim. But after expressing her amazement, she paused. A subtle emotion spread from the depths of her heart, and a hint of surprise and doubt flashed through her eyes. ¡°Hehe, Savior, his father was a half-elf, and his mother had giant blood, so he¡¯s taller than most people. Among the bloodborne warriors who passed the selection this time, I believe his strength ranks in the top ten!¡± Seeing Charlotte deep in thought, Bardock chuckled. Top ten, huh? Charlotte pondered. She glanced at the obviously nervous giant warrior, took a deep breath, and asked. ¡°What¡­ is your name?¡± The bloodborne warrior scratched his head, looking both bashful and excited, and nervously replied. ¡°Re¡­ returning to Lady Lilith, I¡­ I don¡¯t have a name, but back in the arena, the elf masters called me Fimaror.¡± Charlotte¡¯s mind roared. The conversation she had with Bardock upon first becoming the Queen of Starfall echoed in her mind¡ª ¡°The origin of his name is because, in ancient Elvish, Fimaror means ¡®you¡¯re so tall¡¯¡­¡± Charlotte felt her scalp tingle. Although she knew that her time-traveling must disturb the wheels of history, possibly even directly altering its course, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of the uncanny as she looked at the bloodborne warrior before her. There was no doubt that this bloodborne warrior before her was likely the future Duke Fimaror, leader of the Nez Clan branch on Luna Island. And her time-traveling self¡­ might very well be the catalyst for his second bloodline awakening! Charlotte¡¯s first instinct was to eliminate him from the selection. In the future, she had discussed Fimaror with Bardock and Duke Ron, the Elder of the Nez Clan. If Bardock was a staunch supporter of Stargazer Casey, then Fimaror was a firm opponent of the True Ancestor of Blood. When the five major clans were hunting down the Royal Bloodline, Fimaror was the main force leading the Nez Clan in the hunt. Moreover, in the words of Duke Ron, Fimaror was described as a treacherous and ambitious traitor, attempting to split and control the Nez Clan, and even a would-be God-slayer. It was also because of him that the decline of the Nez Clan accelerated. According to Duke Ron, Fimaror was suspected of being the culprit who colluded with external enemies and brought the fallen Sea King to Luna Island. These were Charlotte¡¯s impressions of Duke Fimaror. But looking at the simple and somewhat timid bloodborne warrior in front of her, who seemed to suppress the excitement of a fan meeting their idol, Charlotte found it hard to associate him with the treacherous and evil ¡°Duke Fimaror¡± described by the Nez elders. With this thought, Charlotte sighed and looked at the information Bardock handed over about him. The data wasn¡¯t extensive but covered most of Fimaror¡¯s personal information and experiences. ¡°Fimaror, 35 years old, male, mixed blood of human, elf, and giant, Silver Moon tier.¡± ¡°Born in the Moon Elf Kingdom, both parents were slaves. His father died in the elf arena when he was 6, and his mother died of illness when he was 7. He was chosen by the elves to enter the arena as a gladiator at the age of 10.¡± ¡°At 17, he participated in a gladiator uprising and joined the Free City-State Alliance Army, making many contributions. At 18, he became a vanguard in the Free City-State Alliance¡¯s Third Legion. He was injured and retired at 20 during the Battle of Silver City.¡± ¡°At 22, he re-enlisted. At 25, he distinguished himself in the Second Battle of Red Mountain and was chosen by second-generation family member Torfen as a third-generation family member. He was appointed as a squad leader in the Third Legion at 31.¡± A model personal resume. And indeed, a brave and loyal warrior. Charlotte had hoped to discern his true character from his resume, but after reading it, she found it even harder to associate him with the traitor of the Nez Clan. Not only that, but with his Silver Moon strength at 35, and without Lilith personally granting him bloodborne power, Charlotte could foresee that if he further gained bloodborne power and underwent a second awakening, becoming a Legendary was only a matter of time. In summary, based on personal qualifications, there was no reason to eliminate him. If there was anything, it was that his gaze towards her was too fervent. She was quite familiar with that look. In the future, Sebastian, the werewolf Luff, and other fanatical followers of the True Ancestor of Blood looked at her with the same eyes. Those were the eyes of a ¡°fanatic.¡± Charlotte quickly realized that she didn¡¯t necessarily have a reason to eliminate him. If the history that had occurred was bound to happen, regardless of whether she eliminated him or not, he would eventually become the servant of the True Ancestor Lilith. He would inevitably become the leader of the elven bloodborne on Luna Island. But what if¡­ she took a different approach? History cannot be changed, but it can be created. Since Charlotte had intervened in history, could this also become an opportunity? If¡­ If it were she and not ¡°Lilith¡± who became Fimaror¡¯s ¡°benefactor¡±, would she not have the possibility of influencing history? The history that had occurred cannot be changed, but the history that has not been ¡°recorded¡± can be ¡°created.¡± Could she then influence the future Fimaror? Even if the future Fimaror would certainly ¡°betray¡±, even if the the Luna Island branch would inevitably ¡°fall.¡± If she influenced him now, would there not be more possibilities? His gaze was so fervent towards her. Although Charlotte knew that it was directed at ¡°Lilith¡± and not herself, could she not ¡°utilize¡± this fervor? Charlotte quickly came to a conclusion. Since the history that has already occurred cannot be changed, she might as well actively involve herself, giving herself the chance to ¡°create¡± history within this unchangeable history! With this thought, Charlotte had an idea. She glanced at the nervous Fimaror and nodded. ¡°Yes, a fine warrior. Record his name.¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, Bardock smiled. He looked at the still anxious and nervous giant warrior standing before them and said, ¡°Congratulations, your evaluation is over. Go back and wait for further notice.¡± Fimaror was stunned for a moment before realizing he had passed the evaluation. His face showed excitement as he quickly knelt before Charlotte, kissing her toes while stammering. ¡°Th¡­ Thank you, Lord Bardock, thank you, Lady Lilith. I will work hard¡­ work very hard!¡± Charlotte was startled by his enthusiasm. She used her divine power to lift him up and cleared her throat, saying, ¡°Stand up. You are now a bloodborne warrior, no longer a slave in the arena, so¡­ there¡¯s no need for such a gesture.¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, Fimaror¡¯s gaze towards her became even more fervent, reminiscent of a fan meeting their idol. This intense gaze made Charlotte feel a bit guilty. The man clearly regarded her as a figure of worship, but she was thinking about how to exploit his ¡°faith.¡± Moreover, he had always followed Lilith through thick and thin. His true faith wasn¡¯t in ¡°her¡±, making Charlotte feel like an imposter. Charlotte didn¡¯t like this feeling. She had never liked this kind of feeling since she was young, and after becoming ¡°Charlotte¡±, it took her a long time to adapt to the new identity. Even so, she could never fully erase the guilt she felt towards the loyal followers of the Castell family, knowing she wasn¡¯t the real ¡°Charlotte¡±, just a ¡°transmigrator.¡± This guilt stemmed from Charlotte¡¯s self-esteem issues in her past life. It was this subtle emotion that made her vow to become a responsible lord after inheriting the Castell territory. This was her responsibility and duty after taking on the identity of ¡°Charlotte.¡± The same held true now that she had traveled to the Mythic Era. As the ¡°Savior¡±, she hadn¡¯t done much, merely imparting extraordinary power to Lilith and Harald and bestowing the power of the bloodborne to Lilith. But the current events made her feel as if she were ¡°stealing¡± everything from Lilith, deceiving her ¡°followers.¡± In the past, Charlotte wouldn¡¯t have felt this way. In the future, compared to the fervent followers of the True Ancestor of Blood, the bloodbornes would mostly feel fear and hostility. She borrowed the identity of the ¡°True Ancestor of Blood¡± merely for self-protection. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But now, facing Fimaror¡¯s clear and intense gaze, Charlotte felt complicated. She hadn¡¯t spent much time with Lilith. Altogether, it was less than two months. But after two time travels, she had already regarded Lilith and Harald as her students. Moreover, their genuine closeness and trust towards her were precious to her, a lonely soul from another world. It was a relationship different from that with Sebastian and other followers. It was more akin to family and friends than superior and subordinate. That feeling helped alleviate Charlotte¡¯s loneliness in this world. Charlotte¡¯s initial goal was to uncover the secrets of the Mythic Era and gain extraordinary power herself. But unknowingly, she had formed connections with people from various eras in history and even developed complex feelings. If possible, Charlotte hoped to do something, to help Lilith and Harald, to shoulder the responsibility of the ¡°True Ancestor of Blood¡± of this era. This was not only her responsibility to ¡°Lilith¡± but also to her own conscience. With this in mind, Charlotte sighed inwardly. ¡°Lilith, if my time travel is truly your doing, if this ¡®fusion¡¯ of identities is your plan, what do you want me to do?¡± Charlotte didn¡¯t know the truth behind it all. But one thing she was sure of: since she had already traveled to this period in history and ¡°borrowed¡± Lilith¡¯s identity, she should also shoulder the corresponding responsibilities. With this thought, Charlotte signaled for Fimaror to step back and instructed Bardock to present the information on the next warrior participating in the evaluation. Bardock quickly handed over a new scroll, and Charlotte picked up the wooden cup on the table, sipping elven fruit wine while browsing the data. But the next moment, she spat out the fruit wine. ¡°Cough, cough, cough¡­ cough, cough, cough¡­¡± Choking on the wine, she couldn¡¯t help but cough. Bardock was startled. Seeing her peculiar expression while staring at the data, he quickly asked. ¡°Savior, are you¡­ alright? Is there something wrong with the information?¡± Charlotte coughed a few more times, shook her head, and then looked strangely at the information in her hand, or more accurately, the name of the second bloodborne warrior in the evaluation. ¡°Demon Sorcerer, A¡­ Abaddon?¡± Her voice carried a note of surprise. Seeing Charlotte¡¯s mixed expression, Bardock nodded. ¡°Yes, he is the only demon sorcerer in our legion. Hmm¡­ using elven classifications, that would be the term.¡± ¡°He was once a slave who escaped from the elf mage tower, reportedly used as a subject for demonic experiments and the sole survivor of those experiments.¡± ¡°By a stroke of luck, he gained some demonic power, with the ability to summon demons and even transform into one.¡± ¡°His power was initially unstable, often causing brief berserk states, but after becoming a third-generation bloodborne, he has been able to maintain his sanity.¡± ¡°His strength places him among the top three candidates this time, making him an excellent prospect for a personal guard.¡± Hearing Bardock¡¯s introduction, Charlotte fell silent. Abaddon! Demon Sorcerer! And¡­ a third-generation bloodborne with high potential! Combining all this information, the individual¡¯s true identity was obvious. Charlotte¡¯s expression was complex. ¡°Could it be¡­?¡± Seeming to connect the dots, Charlotte quickly pulled out the specific list of candidates for the personal guard selection. She scanned the names one by one, and sure enough, she found more familiar names. .bg-container-10448ed3ed0{ display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; justify-content: center; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } .bg-ssp-10448{margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;display:flex;justify-content:center;} .bg-container-10448f61e68{ display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; justify-content: center; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } .bg-container-10448222eb6{ display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; justify-content: center; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } Casey. Ron. Yorok. ¡­ These familiar names were precisely those of the renowned blood princes and clan elders in future generations. Chapter 538 : Bloodline Awakening Central Tower, Council Hall. A hundred bloodborne warriors stood in a neat formation, standing respectfully. On the high platform in the center of the hall, Charlotte, seated on the throne, looked at the warriors in their varied attire below with a somewhat complex expression. These one hundred bloodborne warriors were the result of her afternoon¡¯s evaluations, selected from over three hundred ¡°potential candidates.¡± And among them were many names she was very familiar with from the future blood clans. This wasn¡¯t something Charlotte did intentionally. In fact, after seeing so many familiar names on the initial list, she directly handed it to Bardock. Moreover, during the subsequent evaluations, she even instructed Bardock not to tell her the names of the bloodborne warriors participating in the evaluation. It was a sort of test. Charlotte wanted to see if her choices would differ if she were not influenced by the names on the list. Furthermore, to push the test further, Charlotte even removed Abaddon¡¯s name from the list. But when the final list of successful candidates came out, Charlotte found Abaddon¡¯s name still on it. Bardock¡¯s explanation was that, although the Demon Sorcerer didn¡¯t meet the Savior¡¯s requirements for personal guards, Lord Harald specifically insisted on his inclusion, believing his potential and loyalty were enough for bloodline awakening, and he could serve as a commander in the legion. At this point, Charlotte realized that the history that had already happened probably couldn¡¯t be changed. In the future, Abaddon would become one of the third-generation bloodbornes that participated in the bloodline awakening. So, at this moment, he was destined to pass the selection. Even if Charlotte tried to disqualify him, he would still somehow become a third-generation bloodborne with a second awakening in the future. Deliberate targeting might even backfire further. Charlotte decided not to obstruct it any longer. After all, she only wanted to test whether history could indeed be changed. And the facts proved that fate is indeed quite mysterious. When the evaluation ended and the list of selected bloodborne warriors was presented to Charlotte again, she saw that, aside from Abaddon, all the familiar names were still there. Even without her deliberately choosing them. Given Abaddon¡¯s precedent, this didn¡¯t surprise Charlotte but still felt rather subtle. Especially when she looked at those familiar faces in the crowd, her feelings became more nuanced. Duke Ron, Duke Yorok, and even Elder Maxim from the Nez Clan, who would later be stripped of his bloodline power and imprisoned for treason, were all there. Only, compared to the future, their faces were slightly younger, and their gazes a bit more naive than Charlotte remembered. Of course, the most noticeable were still the towering figure of Fimaror and the two figures standing at the forefront of the formation. The former was simply too tall, standing out no matter where he was. And the latter two were notable for their names. Stargazer Casey, and¡­ Blood Demon Archduke Abaddon. Among these nearly hundred third-generation bloodbornes, twenty-seven had reached the Silver Moon pinnacle in strength, including Casey, Abaddon, Ron, Yorok, and Fimaror. As for the remaining twenty-two, a third of them had names Charlotte had heard of. Those she hadn¡¯t heard of presumably perished in the future, not living to see another era. Charlotte didn¡¯t know how many among them would ultimately reach the mythological level, as many of the Bloodborne Demigods didn¡¯t leave their names, but at least¡­ Casey and Abaddon certainly couldn¡¯t escape it. Thinking of this, Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but glance again at the two figures at the forefront. Casey and Abaddon. Casey was a thin, sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy with black hair and black eyes, looking quite shy and introverted. When she evaluated him, he even blushed when making eye contact with Charlotte, this extraordinarily beautiful ¡°big sister.¡± Abaddon was a young man with horns on his head, a symbol of his demonic bloodline. Unlike the chaotic and evil Blood Demon Cultist from Charlotte¡¯s future impression, he appeared very calm and composed during the evaluation, without any sign of madness. Unlike the inexperienced Casey, Abaddon clearly had more ¡°stories¡± to tell, likely related to his experiences as a demon sorcerer. Like Fimaror, Charlotte could sense the admiration and respect both had for the ¡°True Ancestor of Blood.¡± No, it should be said that loyalty and fanaticism were the basic requirements for all the bloodborne warriors who passed the screening and made it to the final list. Charlotte remained silent on the throne, and the bloodborne warriors standing in the hall stood quietly and obediently, not daring to make a sound. Finally, Bardock, who couldn¡¯t stand the awkward atmosphere anymore, cleared his throat and reminded. ¡°Savior, these are the final selected warriors. According to the plan, it is now time for you to grant them their bloodline power.¡± Granting bloodline power¡­ Charlotte¡¯s feelings became even more complex. Looking at the bloodborne warriors below, who were nervous, anxious, yet also expectant and excited, Charlotte seriously suspected that the Gospel of Blood had brought her to this point in time to establish a genuine connection with these future leaders of the bloodborne. For a moment, Charlotte even had a bold thought¡ªwhat if she simply eliminated those who would become future troubles? But she quickly discarded this thought. No matter what these bloodborne warriors would become in the future, the fact that they had passed the Free City-States Alliance¡¯s evaluation meant that their potential and loyalty were absolutely qualified. In this situation, Charlotte had no reason to eliminate them. Of course, the historical correction was also an important reason. With Abaddon¡¯s precedent, Charlotte could almost imagine that if she really took action, history would still be ¡°corrected.¡± So¡­ instead of thinking about ¡°changing¡± history, it¡¯s better to go with the flow and find ways to exploit the ¡°gaps¡± in history. With this thought, Charlotte looked at the bloodborne warriors below. She had decided, she would grant these bloodborne warriors their bloodline power according to history¡¯s arrangement, regardless of who they were or whether they would become her enemies in the future. But at the same time, she would not let history manipulate her. She would take this opportunity to get to know these future bloodborne leaders deeply and, if possible, leave some ¡°gifts¡± for her future self. Thinking of this, Charlotte looked at the bloodborne warriors below. She activated her divine power, and a majestic aura suddenly rose. Crimson radiance spread out, her silver hair flying, as if a God overlooking the world, gazing down at everyone. No¡­ Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. At this moment, Charlotte was indeed a ¡°God¡±! Her golden-red pupils reflected the figures of everyone, and her dignified yet pleasant voice slowly echoed in the hall. ¡°Are you¡­ ready?¡± ¡°Ready! For the Free City-States Alliance, for the victory of the war!¡± The bloodborne warriors responded in unison. Charlotte nodded. ¡°Very well, in that case¡­ kneel.¡± Upon hearing this, all the bloodborne warriors bowed their heads and knelt on one knee before Charlotte. Charlotte took a deep breath and gently raised her right hand. Divine power turned into a blade, creating a cut in her palm. The blood of the True Ancestor, rich with potent bloodline power, slowly flowed out. Looking down at everyone, Charlotte said loudly. ¡°In the name of the Bloodborne Progenitor, I grant you the power of the bloodborne. Remember your true heart.¡± With these words, crimson light blossomed in her palm, and the rich blood of the True Ancestor slowly floated into the air. At the same moment, the divine flame in Charlotte¡¯s chest also radiated crimson light. A profound and vast power spread through her body, quickly merging into the blood of the True Ancestor. This was the diluted blood divine power. Infused with blood divine power, the crimson, crystalline blood of the True Ancestor appeared even more profound. With a flick of her fingers, the blood of the True Ancestor split into a hundred portions and then flew towards the hundred bloodborne warriors below. Each portion of the True Ancestor¡¯s blood turned into a sparkling red blood ball, emitting a faint glow, floating in front of each warrior. The bloodborne warriors looked excited. They bowed respectfully and fervently to Charlotte, then each consumed the True Ancestor¡¯s blood before them. Crimson light quickly blossomed on their bodies, turning the entire hall into a dazzling red. In Charlotte¡¯s perception, the hundred bloodborne warriors quickly absorbed the blood she granted. The next moment, their auras surged. In an instant, those bloodborne warriors who were already at the peak of the Silver Moon broke through, advancing to the Blazing Sun, becoming Blood Counts. And those with weaker strength also rose to the peak of the Silver Moon, just a step away from the Blazing Sun. However, the increase in strength was secondary. In Charlotte¡¯s sensing, the aura of these hundred bloodborne warriors became distinctly different from the other bloodborne, including Bardock. More pure, more profound, and the sense of closeness they brought her was much stronger. Although not as close as Lilith, whom she personally embraced, it still set them apart from other bloodborne. This was a difference in bloodline. From today onwards, these bloodborne warriors¡¯ potential far exceeded other bloodborne. The Silver Moon and the Blazing Sun would no longer be their limits. With time, they would all eventually reach the Legendary level. And perhaps¡­ even higher. Watching the bloodborne warriors who had absorbed the blood, enhanced their strength, and then fell into a deep sleep, Charlotte slowly withdrew her divine power. A slight dizziness hit her, almost causing her to lose her balance. Granting bloodborne power to a hundred bloodborne warriors at once was still too draining for her current state. Of course, it didn¡¯t harm her fundamentally. She just needed some rest to replenish the lost blood. So¡­ I guess I¡¯ve indirectly created future Blood Princes and many Legendaries? Watching the bloodborne warriors who had absorbed the blood and fallen into a deep sleep, Charlotte mused to herself. Sensing everyone¡¯s state, she said to Bardock beside her. ¡°Have people guard them. They should sleep for a day or two. I¡¯ll go rest first. Also, investigate the movements of those Evil Gods and prepare for the expedition.¡± Bardock, moved by Charlotte¡¯s words, asked excitedly. ¡°Savior, are you preparing to launch a counterattack against those evil cults?¡± Charlotte nodded. ¡°After such a long standoff, it¡¯s time to take the initiative.¡± This wasn¡¯t a sudden decision. After reviewing all the information, she already knew that the Free City-States Alliance had planned this bloodline awakening precisely for a counterattack. Once these bloodborne warriors awaken, the Alliance, with its greatly enhanced extraordinary power, will have the strength to go on the offensive. As long as Charlotte can hold off the enemy¡¯s myths, other bloodborne can push the front lines using the magic tools and artifacts left by the elves. And this aligns with Charlotte¡¯s goal for this time travel: to conquer the Old Gods of this era and seize their power. Chapter 539 : Invasion When Charlotte woke up again, it was already two days later. Granting a hundred portions of bloodline power in one go had taken a toll on her, even though she was a Demigod. It took her two days and nights of sleep to recover. After washing up, having breakfast, and handling two days¡¯ worth of accumulated official duties in place of ¡°Lilith¡±, Charlotte went to the city¡¯s training ground. On the training ground, bloodborne warriors in various outfits were exercising. Upon seeing Charlotte, they stopped their actions and excitedly stood at attention, saluting. ¡°Lady Lilith!¡± ¡°Good morning, Lady Lilith!¡± Charlotte nodded in acknowledgment. As she scanned these bloodborne warriors, who had awakened before her, she nodded inwardly. Bloodline power was indeed an unparalleled source of strength for the bloodborne. After receiving her bloodline bestowal and sleeping for a day or two, these bloodborne warriors had almost all reached the level of the Blazing Sun. Even those who hadn¡¯t reached this level were at the peak of the Silver Moon, just a step away from breaking through. With some battles, they would naturally overcome that barrier. This was also because, while granting bloodline power, Charlotte had activated the inherent ability of the Gospel of Blood, [Bloodline Gift]. Correspondingly, the consumption of blood divine power was quite substantial. ¡°Consider it an investment for the upcoming war against the Old Gods and for establishing good relations with the future bloodborne leaders.¡± Charlotte thought to herself. A hundred extraordinary beings, each given enough time to at least reach the Blazing Sun¡­ In the future era, this force would be enough to shake any power. Even the Crescent Kingdom, one of the strongest nations on the continent, didn¡¯t have as many Blazing Sun-tier experts directly at its disposal. However, in the era Charlotte had traveled to, while this force was strong, it was not overwhelming. This was, after all, the Mythic Era. The concentration of magic and the activity of elements in the world far exceeded the future, with a significantly higher number of extraordinary beings and Gods. Overall, Charlotte¡¯s enhancement of the Free City-States Alliance¡¯s extraordinary combat power only made it possible for the city-states to launch a counterattack. And that was enough. ¡°Savior, there you are!¡± A familiar voice caught Charlotte¡¯s attention. She looked over to see Bardock, the Commander of the Third Legion, running towards her in a hurry. Behind him was a dusty bloodborne warrior, at the Silver Moon level, looking anxious. Charlotte¡¯s heart tightened as she looked at the panting bloodborne warrior. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Lady Lilith, the Evil God Cult¡¯s army launched an attack on our border fortress a day ago. They have surrounded the fortress. Lord Harald is leading the defense, but the situation is critical and urgently needs the alliance army¡¯s support!¡± The bloodborne warrior reported. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°How many enemy troops?¡± Charlotte asked. ¡°At least ten thousand, with more than three thousand extraordinary beings! The army is led by the divine followers of the God of Secret Contracts and the God of War! They have summoned divine incarnations, destroying several of our elven magic towers under construction and plundering, slaughtering, and sacrificing several of our villages!¡± The bloodborne warrior said angrily. Charlotte frowned slightly and looked at Bardock. ¡°What happened? Didn¡¯t we report a few days ago that they didn¡¯t have the strength to attack us?¡± ¡°The news of your bloodline bestowal must have leaked. It¡¯s said that the Old God¡¯s cult used divine power to forcibly enhance a large number of extraordinary followers, intending to invade while you are weak!¡± Bardock said in a deep voice. Invade while I am weak? Charlotte¡¯s expression was peculiar. Oh. Granting a hundred portions of bloodline power was indeed exhausting, and she had slept for two days straight, but to say she was ¡°weak¡± was far from the truth. This thought only flashed briefly. Charlotte quickly understood why the Old God¡¯s cult would think she was ¡°weak.¡± If Lilith had personally conducted this bloodline bestowal, it would have been much more draining than for Charlotte. Based on the mirror memories Charlotte had reviewed, Lilith had just become a Demigod at this time. Despite having slain the God of Abomination and Deformity and even taken some of his power, she was also significantly injured. In the information Charlotte had previously obtained, Lilith had decided to conduct this ¡°bodyguard selection¡± because of her limited power. Lilith¡¯s bloodline came from Charlotte. Although she had become a Demigod, without the ¡°Gospel of Blood¡±, she hadn¡¯t transformed into a ¡°True Ancestor¡± bloodborne like Charlotte. At best, she was equivalent to a Blood Duke. In this context, to achieve the same effect in bestowing bloodline power, Lilith would have had to give much more than Charlotte. Bestowing bloodline power to a hundred bloodborne warriors would have left Lilith utterly exhausted, not just refreshed after a single sleep like Charlotte. ¡°Savior, the situation has changed. Since the enemy used divine power to enhance their extraordinary followers, our counterattack plan may need to be postponed!¡± ¡°Not only that, but we also don¡¯t have time for everyone to get accustomed to their new powers. It¡¯s said that this time the Old Gods¡¯ ¡®sacrifice army¡¯ includes over two thousand of their most fanatical followers! If we don¡¯t stop them in time, the villages and towns in the northern region will suffer devastating blows!¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have time to gather the army, and the elven teleportation arrays can¡¯t support large-scale transport. To stop them, we must send the newly awakened warriors to the battlefield as soon as possible!¡± Bardock said through gritted teeth. The so-called extraordinary believers enhanced by divine power are essentially ¡°divine warriors¡± forcibly elevated with divine power. Charlotte was not unfamiliar with this. She had encountered such warriors in the army of the God of Abomination and Deformity during her second time travel. This method was somewhat similar to Charlotte¡¯s bloodline bestowal but fundamentally different. Charlotte¡¯s bloodline bestowal enhanced the target¡¯s bloodline potential from its source, thereby strengthening their extraordinary powers. In contrast, the Old Gods¡¯ method crudely infused diluted divine power into the followers. This method could indeed transform followers into extraordinary beings in the short term, granting them great power. However, it essentially treated the followers as ¡°war consumables.¡± Divine power was not something unmodified mortals could endure. Even diluted divine power was ¡°poison¡± to them. Extraordinary beings enhanced by injected divine power would find their lives on a countdown from the moment their strength surged, like fireworks being ignited. For this reason, the Free City-States Alliance referred to these sacrificial god followers as the ¡°Sacrifice Army.¡± Of course, the Old Gods, who saw these followers as expendables, didn¡¯t care about this. As long as they could achieve victory before the fireworks faded, it was all worth it. This is why Bardock said the counterattack plan needed to be delayed. Facing these fanatical ¡°believers¡± whose lives were on a countdown, a reckless attack would cause significant casualties. The correct approach was to defend with all their might and wait for the enemy to ¡°die.¡± After some thought, Charlotte ordered. ¡°Notify everyone, all warriors who have undergone the second awakening, gather and follow me for support.¡± ¡°You? You¡¯re going too? Absolutely not!¡± Bardock¡¯s face changed as he tried to dissuade her. ¡°Oh? And why not?¡± Charlotte raised an eyebrow. Bardock explained. ¡°You are a Demigod, the cornerstone of the City-State Alliance. Ever since you slew Alador, various factions have been watching you closely!¡± ¡°The situation in the northern frontier is different now. Every faction is backed by mythical power. This sudden, fierce assault by the Old Gods¡¯ cult is clearly targeting you!¡± ¡°There¡¯s word that the cult of the God of Secret Contracts is in close contact with several Old Gods and may have already formed an alliance. You just bestowed bloodline power, and your injuries from the battle with Alador haven¡¯t healed. If you go to the front lines now, you¡¯ll be in great danger!¡± After listening to Bardock, Charlotte shook her head. ¡°If the Old Gods have indeed joined forces, I must intervene. Or do you think we can win the war with just the army and usual extraordinary beings?¡± She then smiled and added. ¡°Besides¡­ who told you that I am in a weakened state now?¡± With that, a crimson glow erupted from Charlotte. An ancient and vast aura rose from her, and a bloodline aura that inspired both affection and awe spread among the bloodbornes. As they watched Charlotte, her silver hair fluttering and her overwhelming divine power and strength evident, Bardock felt his soul tremble. His eyes widened, and he became excited. ¡°Could it be, your power¡­ your power¡­¡± ¡°Notify everyone, all warriors who have undergone the second awakening, gather quickly. The battlefield¡­ is also the fastest place for them to adapt to their bloodline power.¡± Charlotte commanded. ¡°Yes¡­ understood.¡± Bardock bowed respectfully. ¡°Additionally¡­¡± Charlotte continued. ¡°The expedition plan remains unchanged. The army will continue to assemble.¡± ¡°The expedition plan remains unchanged?¡± Bardock was puzzled. But seeing Charlotte¡¯s calm and serious expression, he eventually nodded and said, ¡°As you command.¡± ¡­ Free City-State Alliance, Northern Frontier, Blackwater Village. Thick smoke obscured the sky, and the low-lying village had already fallen into a sea of flames. Seven or eight children huddled together, their faces filled with fear as they watched the approaching Evil God Cultists, trembling. In front of the children, a blood-soaked young girl stood with a steel sword, confronting the Evil God Cultists who were gradually surrounding her. She looked about seventeen or eighteen years old, with fiery red hair. Her skirt armor was stained with blood, but her crimson eyes were full of determination. Before her lay seven or eight fallen cultists, and the surrounding cultists hesitated to continue fighting her. Until the cultist army parted, and a priest of the Old God in a high priest¡¯s robe stepped forward. ¡°They say the awakened bloodborne warriors of the Free City-State Alliance are all formidable. It seems that is indeed the case.¡± ¡°Stranger, you are a true warrior. I am Dawn, a priest of the God of Secret Contracts. May I know your name?¡± ¡°Rowena.¡± The red-haired girl took a deep breath and raised her sword again. ¡°You can call me¡­ Rowena.¡± Chapter 540 : Rowena Rowena had lost count of how many cultists she had defeated. The pain from her wounds had long since become numb as her injuries increased, and her magic power was nearly exhausted from the constant fighting. She knew she had reached her limit. Since becoming a bloodborne warrior, she had never felt death so close. But she knew she couldn¡¯t fall. Glancing at the trembling children behind her, she tightened her grip on her cracked sword. She was the last bloodborne warrior defending Blackwater Village. She had to keep fighting. This was her duty. A surge of violent magic came at her as a cultist swung a greatsword, roaring as it slashed toward her. With a sharp crack, her sword finally reached its limit and broke. Rowena felt a dull pain on her left side, saw blood splatter everywhere, and couldn¡¯t help but cough up a mouthful of blood. ¡°Lady Rowena!¡± Amid the children¡¯s cries and screams, Rowena felt her strength rapidly leaving her, and she collapsed backward. ¡°Cough¡­ cough cough¡­¡± She coughed violently, trying to get up again, but she could no longer control her severely injured body. Yes, after such a long battle, with half her body almost severed, even as a powerful bloodborne warrior, she could feel death¡¯s approach. Blood¡­ I need blood¡­ Even polluted blood will do, as long as¡­ As long as I can enter a blood frenzy, as long as I can unleash my final strength for a short time¡­ Rowena shakily reached out her right hand, trying to pick up her bloodstained broken sword. But the next moment, her broken sword was kicked aside. ¡°Heh, Miss Rowena, did you think we fought you for so long without learning your secrets? Trying to enter a blood frenzy? Too bad, you won¡¯t have that chance.¡± Hearing the mocking voice, Rowena struggled to lift her head. Looking at the Old God¡¯s priest¡¯s smirking face, she gritted her teeth and said, ¡°You asked my name but refused to duel me, instead continuing to send these pathetic sacrificial lambs to fight. Are you¡­ mocking me?¡± The Old God¡¯s priest smiled slightly. ¡°Mocking? No, I am merely following my Lord¡¯s divine will.¡± With that, the Old God¡¯s priest took out a parchment and began to read. ¡°Rowena, third-generation warrior of the Free City-State Alliance.¡± ¡°Chosen at seventeen, sworn to the blood contract, and in thirteen years, rose from the Starry Sky tier to the Silver Moon tier¡­¡± At this, the Old God¡¯s priest closed the parchment and looked down at the girl on the ground. ¡°To be honest, when I received my Lord¡¯s divine will, I was puzzled as to why my Lord would have us seek out a warrior who took thirteen years to ascend from the Starry Sky tier to the Silver Moon tier during this assault.¡± ¡°But after watching your battle, I somewhat understand. Even if you have no potential in extraordinary power, you are indeed a strong warrior.¡± ¡°You are lucky. My Lord favors you and wants to give you a chance.¡± ¡°If you are willing to submit to my Lord and become his follower, he will grant you new life and unprecedented power.¡± Hearing the Old God¡¯s priest¡¯s words, Rowena let out a laugh. ¡°New life? Ha¡­ you mean becoming a slave to the Old God?¡± ¡°Dream on! I will always be an enemy to you Old God lackeys!¡± Seeing the mockery in the girl¡¯s expression, the Old God¡¯s priest¡¯s face darkened. But soon, he chuckled. ¡°A slave to the Old Gods? Heh, Old Gods¡­¡± ¡°To me, you so-called warriors are nothing more than slaves to Lilith.¡± With that, he shook his head. ¡°What a pity. Since you refuse to submit, I must carry out my Lord¡¯s second divine will.¡± ¡°After all¡­ what my Lord needs is ¡®Rowena.¡¯¡± With that, the Old God¡¯s priest took out a dark gray, semi-transparent bead. The bead emitted a deep, obscure aura, with faint white mist swirling inside. Seeing the eerie bead, Rowena felt a wave of dizziness, a strange sense of familiarity, and fear rising in her heart. Since becoming a bloodborne warrior, she hadn¡¯t felt ¡°fear¡± for a long time. No¡­ Since she decided to become a ¡°guardian¡± like the one who saved her during the Battle of Silver City, she had long forgotten what ¡°fear¡± was. But at this moment, ¡°fear¡± came rushing back. It wasn¡¯t the fear of life or death, but a higher, more terrifying fear. And this fear brought with it a strong sense of familiarity. That feeling¡­ S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It was as if she had experienced it before and forgotten about it. And not just once. No¡­ No, this can¡¯t happen. Absolutely not! ¡­ After coming this far, she couldn¡¯t fail now! Somewhere deep within, Rowena seemed to hear a familiar voice urgently calling out. She watched as the Old God¡¯s priest drew closer, saw him lift the bead, and saw his eyes turn pure white. At that moment, the Old God¡¯s priest seemed to transform into something incomprehensible. She heard the ¡°priest¡± speak softly, his voice cold, transcendent, and lofty. ¡°Found you, disordered node.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, grayish-white mist surged forward, swallowing Rowena¡¯s vision. Is it¡­ over? Your Excellency, it seems this time¡­ We¡¯ve failed again¡­ As her consciousness faded, a wave of sadness and guilt inexplicably surged in Rowena¡¯s mind. However, just as she was sinking into darkness, she seemed to see a crimson light piercing through everything. In the last moment before losing consciousness, she heard a familiar and pleasant exclamation. ¡°Huh? Is there such a thing here too?¡± Warm, familiar energy filled her limbs, but Rowena soon lost all sensation. ¡­ Rowena had a dream. In the dream, she was chosen by a great God to become Her emissary. Together with five other friends, she was granted powerful bloodline abilities and became one of the strongest beings in the world. They followed the God¡¯s commands, revered the great God as their ancestor, and spread the power of the extraordinary and bloodline abilities to every corner of the world. However, when they completed the God¡¯s great mission, they were met with betrayal. ¡°Your task is complete.¡± ¡°Thank you for your service, my¡­ children.¡± In the darkness, grayish-white arms reached out to her, consuming everything. No¡­ No! She struggled, running, trying to escape the boundless darkness. However, no matter how she fled, the grayish-white arms clung to her like an inescapable curse. Rowena saw herself being captured, torn apart, and devoured¡­ ¡°No¡ª!¡± Rowena suddenly woke up, sitting upright in bed. She gasped for air, her chest heaving violently. The fear of the dream gradually faded, and the memories before she fell asleep slowly resurfaced. Her expression changed, and she quickly threw off the blanket. What met her eyes was a newly replaced, pristine linen robe. The wounds that should have been there had all disappeared, as if the battle before she fell asleep was just an illusion. Rowena was momentarily stunned, then her expression changed again. She quickly got out of bed, but heard a strange voice from the side. ¡°If I were you, I¡¯d stay put, at least until the bloodline power within you stabilizes.¡± Bloodline power? Rowena paused. She carefully sensed it and realized that at some point, an incredibly pure bloodline power had emerged within her. It hadn¡¯t been fully absorbed and was circulating within her body. She looked towards the source of the voice, a slender boy of sixteen or seventeen, with black hair and black eyes, who was tinkering with some runes, seemingly concocting something. ¡°Who are you?¡± Rowena asked warily. The boy glanced at her and said, ¡°My name is Casey, a member of the Ancestor Guard and an elven rune master.¡± ¡°Ancestor Guard? Lady Lilith?¡± Rowena was momentarily taken aback. After speaking, she seemed to remember something and quickly stood up. ¡°Damn! Kant, Michiel!¡± ¡°You mean the children of Blackwater Village? Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯ve all been rescued, and the Old God¡¯s sacrificial army was also wiped out by Lady Lilith.¡± The boy said. As he spoke, he put away his runes, his voice tinged with a bit of sourness. ¡°You¡¯re lucky. If we¡¯d been any later, you might have died. No¡­ actually, you¡¯re really lucky. Not only were you personally rescued by Lady Lilith, but you even received her direct treatment!¡± Lady Lilith¡­ saved me? Rowena was stunned. She felt the unfamiliar yet kind bloodline power within her, realizing who its owner was. ¡°Where¡­ is this? Was it the Savior¡­ who saved me?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but ask. Casey nodded. ¡°This is the Northern Fortress. Lady Lilith saved you and had me continue treating you with elven relics. Your mental power is unstable, and with the bloodline power needing stabilization, you¡¯ll likely need to rest for several more days.¡± Rowena fell silent. She looked at the Alliance soldiers training outside the window and couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Lady Lilith¡­ where is she?¡± ¡°She fought with two Old God incarnations and then personally went to hunt down the fleeing Old Gods.¡± Casey said with admiration and longing. Chapter 541 : Divine Name The thunderous roar continued to echo as the rolling clouds were pierced by dazzling light. In the forest, beneath the undergrowth, birds and beasts curled up, trembling in fear. In the villages of the northern frontier, the shivering villagers prostrated themselves on the ground, continuously praying and worshipping towards the tumultuous clouds and the radiant light in the sky, begging for the divine wrath not to descend upon them. Divine wrath¡­ No, more accurately, it was the might of a divine battle. Three beams of light¡ªcrimson, silver, and purple¡ªmoved through the clouds, intertwining and entwining. One pursued while the other two fled, exuding an aura of world-destroying power and pressure. Wherever they passed, the mere release of divine might made all beings tremble in fear. Occasionally, divine light penetrated the clouds and struck the earth, instantly severing rivers, collapsing mountains, creating an apocalyptic scene. This¡­ was the power of myth. After an unknown duration of pursuit, the crimson light finally caught up with the silver and purple beams. Boundless darkness instantly swallowed the sky, obscuring the sun, replaced by a rising blood moon. Deafening thunder resounded within the dark clouds, accompanied by an ancient and urgent cry. ¡°No¡­ how can you possess such power¡­ how can you possess such power!¡± ¡°Who are you? No, who are you, really?¡± ¡°We surrender, we are willing to cease fighting!¡± The cries were filled with terror, confusion, and astonishment. After the cries, an ethereal and majestic female voice spoke. ¡°Cease fighting? Sorry, I do not accept a truce.¡± The crimson light burst forth, and the red light from the blood moon illuminated the entire sky. Terrified and agonizing wails echoed in the sky as the silver and purple lights dimmed and weakened under the embrace of the crimson light until they finally disappeared completely. The rolling clouds gradually calmed, and the turbulent magic also slowly subsided. The boundless darkness gradually faded, and the blood moon in the sky also disappeared, with sunlight once again illuminating the earth. The world returned to tranquility, as if what had just happened was merely an illusion. However, the collapsed mountains, cracked earth, severed rivers, and the devastated forest were enough to prove that what had just happened was no illusion but a terrifying divine battle that had truly occurred. As the terrifying majesty dissipated, birds and beasts regained control of their bodies and fled in panic, still terrified by what had just transpired. In the dense forest, a red beam descended from the sky. As the light faded, Charlotte appeared. She remained in her adult form, with a faint crimson blood divine power surrounding her, and two ethereal orbs of silver and purple floating in her hands. With her silver hair fluttering in the forest wind and her golden-red eyes sweeping over the devastated ground, she showed a hint of annoyance. ¡°The commotion¡­ seems to have been a bit too big.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no helping it. The magic and elements in this era are much more active than in later times, and the extraordinary power in the air is also more easily mobilized. The destructive power during a divine battle is much greater than in later times¡­¡± ¡°Such destructive power¡­ if it were in later times, only a true ¡®God¡¯ could achieve it.¡± ¡°It seems that in future battles with other myths, I should stay further away from the ground.¡± Having decided in her mind to stay as far from the ground as possible during future fights, Charlotte turned her attention to the two orbs in her hands. No, to be more precise, to her newly acquired ¡°spoils of war¡±, the divine flames of two Old Gods. The battle with the Old Gods was far easier than Charlotte had imagined. It turned out that the gradually perfected Gospel of Blood had an increasingly strong suppressive effect on the ¡°Old Gods.¡± Although the ambush by the two Old Gods had caught her off guard, as soon as the battle began, Charlotte was surprised to find that fighting the Old Gods in this era was like a father fighting his sons¡ªit was too easy. Her blood divine power was simply a natural counter to the Old Gods, constantly devouring their divine power and suppressing their divine power¡¯s outburst. After just a few exchanges, the two ambushing Old Gods sensed something was wrong. After a few rounds of fighting, the two myths turned and fled in unison, realizing they had met their match. Of course, the current Charlotte had accumulated considerable divine power, and they didn¡¯t escape her grasp. After a fierce battle, she easily destroyed their bodies, devoured their divine power, and seized their divine flames. Unlike her previous battle with Alador, the two Demigods she encountered this time were much weaker, which was another reason she could quickly end the battle. Moreover, during her battle with the two Demigods, she faintly sensed a familiar aura from them. Or more precisely, an aura similar to the gray-white mist behind the two eerie stone doors in the depths of her consciousness. ¡°The bloodborne girl I saved in that village looked exactly like the future Rowena I saw. She is likely the future Rowena.¡± ¡°At that time, the Old God priest in front of her also had this familiar aura.¡± ¡°Now, these two Demigods have the same aura. Perhaps¡­ I can ¡®interrogate¡¯ them to find out what this aura is and whether it is indeed related to the so-called origin.¡± Thinking this, Charlotte looked again at the two orbs in her hands. Divine flame is the essence of a Demigod and the embryonic form of a divine core. A Demigod¡¯s power comes from the divine flame, and the source of the Demigod¡¯s soul also resides in the divine flame. It can be said that as long as the divine flame is not extinguished, the Demigod will not perish. Only when the divine flame is extinguished will the Demigod truly die, until someone reignites the extinguished divine flame and the Demigod returns. In other words, these two Demigods, though they had lost their divine bodies and had their divine power devoured by Charlotte, were not dead yet. No, even the divine power devoured by Charlotte was merely the divine power from their divine bodies. The divine flame is the source of a Demigod¡¯s divine power, containing 90% of their total divine power. However, as Charlotte carefully observed the two orbs, she noticed that their divine flames were different from her own. Her golden-red divine flame burned in her heart, with a faintly visible illusory crystal engraved with thorns and roses within the divine flame, representing her yet-to-form divine core. But these two Demigods¡¯ divine flames were much smaller, looking as if they had just been ignited. Moreover, their divine flames lacked the shadow of a divine core, containing only two broken crystals. These crystals were not illusions but real entities, continuously rotating within the divine flame, their aura profound. Charlotte quickly realized they must be fragments of true divine cores. Furthermore, she sensed that familiar gray-white mist aura on these fragments as well. This made Charlotte very curious about the identities of these two Demigods and the power they possessed. ¡°I don¡¯t recall seeing any information about you. You seem to be Demigods not recorded in the city-state¡¯s documents. Who are you? Where do you come from?¡± Charlotte asked. Silence. The two orbs did not respond, even though Charlotte could still sense their souls hiding within. ¡°Not answering? It seems¡­ I¡¯ll have to ask in a different way.¡± Charlotte said indifferently. As she spoke, crimson light bloomed in her palm, turning into golden-red flames that began to burn the orbs. Screams quickly echoed, and weak, terrified voices emerged from the orbs. ¡°Ahhh¡­ I¡¯ll talk¡­ we¡¯ll talk¡­¡± ¡°My name is Catnor!¡± ¡°I¡¯m Clyro!¡± ¡°We come from the Sun Temple!¡± Catnor? Clyro? Charlotte frowned slightly. In the two days since traveling to this era, her main task, besides completing Lilith¡¯s work, had been researching the Old Gods active in the Northern Frontier to prepare for the upcoming ¡°hunt.¡± But¡­ she had never heard these names among the Old Gods. Moreover¡­ The Sun Temple? Isn¡¯t that the domain of Helios, one of the two main Gods of the elves? Are these Demigods subordinate to the Sun God? But they¡­ don¡¯t seem to be elven Demigods. According to historical records, the Sun God Helios should have already fallen in this era, and the Sun Temple should be part of history. Even if not, shouldn¡¯t the remnants of the Sun God still be lingering in the shattered Western continent? Why would they appear in the Northern Frontier and serve as ¡°vanguard¡± for the Old Gods? Could it be¡­ that the elves and the Old Gods have formed an alliance? Charlotte was puzzled. ¡°What are your divine names?¡± She continued to ask. ¡°We¡­ we¡­ we don¡¯t have divine names¡­¡± The orbs stammered. No divine names? Charlotte was taken aback. A myth cannot exist without a divine name. Even Demigods must have one. A divine name is a medium for the existence of myths, like the symbol of a God, serving as an anchor for the myth. Divine names and symbols are the two major anchors for myths. While symbols are not necessary, a divine name is a must. .bg-container-10448869e4d{ display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; justify-content: center; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } .bg-ssp-10448{margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;display:flex;justify-content:center;} .bg-container-10448f61e68{ display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; justify-content: center; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } .bg-container-10448222eb6{ display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; justify-content: center; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } After all, having a divine name is a prerequisite for igniting the divine flame. Even a wild Demigod like Charlotte has the name God of the Night (Nyx), and after further awakening her bloodline and ¡°altering¡± history, she directly gained the names Bloodborne Progenitor and even True Ancestor of Blood. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But these two Demigods claim they have no divine names? That¡¯s impossible! Without a divine name, how could they ignite the divine flame and become Demigods? Chapter 542 : Meeting Rowena ¡°Every myth must have a divine name.¡± ¡°Unless¡­ they aren¡¯t truly Demigods.¡± Looking at the divine flame in her hands, Charlotte had this thought. She looked down at the two trembling flames and suddenly asked. ¡°You seem quite fearful of my power. How long have you been¡­ ¡®Gods¡¯?¡± ¡°You also seem somewhat familiar with my power¡­¡± ¡°Tell me, I want a satisfactory answer from you.¡± Charlotte commanded. ¡°We¡­¡± The two flames were about to respond. However, at that moment, the core of their divine flame suddenly radiated white light. An ancient, vast, evil yet holy aura spread, and grayish-white mist suddenly began to pervade the divine flame. Painful wails erupted from the divine flame, and Charlotte¡¯s expression changed abruptly. The blood divine power burst forth, and the Gospel of Blood, which she sensed vaguely from the depths of her consciousness, also opened. However, before Charlotte could use the power of the Gospel of Blood to deal with the suddenly appearing grayish-white mist, the two divine flames in her hands abruptly extinguished. The wails ceased, and the aura of the two ¡°Demigods¡± dissipated, replaced by two divine core fragments left in Charlotte¡¯s palm. Charlotte¡¯s face darkened. This wasn¡¯t the first time she had encountered such a situation. The last time she encountered a similar situation was while chasing two elven bloodbornes on Luna Island. Of course, those two elven bloodbornes were not ¡°Demigods¡±, merely ¡°Legendary.¡± But they met the same end as these two ¡°Demigods.¡± That was¡­ they were ¡°silenced¡± by some entity. Charlotte looked at the divine core fragments in her hand and fell into thought. ¡°The aura that emerged this time is the same as the one that appeared then, and also the same as the aura behind the sealed stone door in the depths of my mental world. That is the power of the ¡®origin.¡¯¡± ¡°They¡­ like Alec and Campel back then, were silenced for touching ¡®taboo.¡¯¡± ¡°They don¡¯t have divine names, and their divine flame doesn¡¯t seem complete. Perhaps¡­ like Alec and Campel back then, they aren¡¯t truly ¡®Demigods¡¯, but rather beings created to resemble ¡®Demigods¡¯?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then everything makes sense. They are weak and nameless because they aren¡¯t true myths. And if so, could the entity behind them be the same as the one behind Luna Island?¡± ¡°They claim to be from the Sun Temple. Could the entity behind them be related to Helios, one of the two main elven Gods?¡± ¡°The ¡®Brief History of the Old Continent¡¯ mentioned that in the war between the Elven Gods and the Old Gods of Myria, Helios sought the power of ¡®creation¡¯ but failed.¡± ¡°As a result, the elven homeland in the west continent faced a catastrophic apocalypse, leading them to lose their home and migrate to Myria¡­¡± ¡°However, there are no records in the various texts about the fate of Helios¡­¡± ¡°These two ¡®Demigods¡¯ claimed to come from the Sun Temple. They seem to be pseudo-Demigods created by the power of ¡®origin¡¯, closely related to the entity behind Luna Island¡­¡± ¡°The Sun God¡­ Helios.¡± Charlotte organized her thoughts, analyzing all the information she knew. As a Demigod, her mental power had long evolved, and her soul had in some sense already ascended to a divine soul. Although not reaching the level of a true God, her cognitive speed was far beyond that of mortals. Thus, combining the information she had gathered since her journey, and the knowledge drawn from various texts, Charlotte meticulously analyzed and gradually outlined a vague but increasingly clear idea in her mind. The Sun God Helios failed in seeking the power of creation. However, the grayish-white mist clearly contained some of the so-called ¡®origin¡¯ power. A bold hypothesis was that Helios may not have completely failed, he might have obtained part of the ¡®origin¡¯ law. And that¡­ was likely the source of the grayish-white mist. The mysterious entity controlling Luna Island and potentially corrupting the ¡®Sea King¡¯ could be the missing Sun God Helios. Of course, this was merely Charlotte¡¯s conjecture. But even if it were wrong, she felt she was close to the truth. ¡°Even if it isn¡¯t Helios, there must be a close connection. Perhaps¡­ this is also why Lilith went to investigate the Old Continent, as mentioned in Rowena¡¯s diary.¡± Charlotte muttered to herself. This unexpected intelligence had unveiled part of the mystery surrounding the grayish-white mist. However, Charlotte still felt uneasy. She had a vague feeling that she was missing something, though she couldn¡¯t pinpoint what it was¡ªa premonition, an intuition. As a Demigod, Charlotte trusted her intuition. She wouldn¡¯t have such feelings without reason, and this feeling¡­ even gave her a sense of urgency. ¡°Perhaps¡­ I should further investigate the secrets of those ¡®Demigods.¡¯ Since they participated in the Northern Frontier War, they must have left traces. There might be more of these ¡®Demigods.¡¯¡± Charlotte muttered to herself. With this in mind, she extended her divine power, absorbing the two divine core fragments. The two ¡°Demigods¡± had been silenced. However, the divine core fragments they left behind were real. Charlotte estimated that they might have been pseudo-Demigods created using divine core fragments and the power of ¡®creation.¡¯ Though not true Demigods, their divine power was genuine, and even after their divine flame extinguished, the divine power still lingered in the fragments. Sensing the fragments, Charlotte found that although the divine power wasn¡¯t as abundant as that of true Demigods, it was comparable to her own divine power reserves when she ascended with her cheat. Fully absorbing it could not only replenish her recent consumption but also provide a surplus. These pseudo-Demigods were weak and easy to defeat. If she eliminated more of them, even a small accumulation of divine power would be considerable. Moreover, they possessed divine core fragments that even true Demigods didn¡¯t have. These were valuable, aiding in perfecting the power of laws and crafting myth-level artifacts. With this thought, Charlotte suddenly looked forward to the upcoming war against the Old Gods. ¡°By the way, Rowena should have awakened by now. Hmm¡­ that should be Rowena? She looks similar to the statues and shadows in later generations.¡± ¡°When I saved her, I also sensed the aura of ¡®creation.¡¯ Unfortunately, the Old God¡¯s priest died instantly.¡± ¡°However, that aura lingered on Rowena. Although it didn¡¯t corrupt her soul, it seemed to have pulled her into some illusion.¡± ¡°I was in a hurry to chase the Demigods before, so I didn¡¯t have time to investigate thoroughly. After returning this time¡­ maybe I can talk to her.¡± ¡°And Harald, he¡¯s been at the border. He might know something about these ¡®Demigods.¡¯ I should ask him as well.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s return to the fortress, rest a bit, and wait for the Free City-State Alliance¡¯s army. Once we¡¯re ready¡­ we can directly wage war against the Old Gods.¡± Charlotte muttered to herself. With this in mind, she withdrew her divine power, transforming into a black mist, and disappeared into the forest. ¡­ Northern Frontier, Northern Free City-State Alliance Fortress. With the support of the third-generation bloodbornes who had undergone their second awakening, the invading army of the Old Gods had been defeated. Alliance soldiers were busy repairing the fortress walls damaged by the Old Gods¡¯ priests. Suddenly, black shadows appeared in the fortress, swirling and converging until they formed a graceful figure. The soldiers of the alliance, seeing the sudden appearance of the figure, immediately became excited, putting down their work and respectfully saluting. ¡°Lady Lilith!¡± ¡°Savior!¡± ¡°Long live the Mistress of the Clan! Long live the Blood Sovereign!¡± Charlotte, having dispersed the dark power, nodded slightly in response to the soldiers. ¡°Lady Lilith! You¡¯ve returned! Did you catch those Old Gods?¡± The commander of the fortress, leader of the Alliance¡¯s Second Legion, hurried over, asking excitedly upon learning of Charlotte¡¯s return. Charlotte nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s been taken care of.¡± Seeing her calm demeanor, the soldiers¡¯ admiration and reverence grew, and they burst into cheers. ¡°Long live Lady Lilith!¡± ¡°I knew it! With Lady Lilith, even the Old Gods must fall!¡± ¡°The City-State Alliance is invincible! The great Lady Lilith is invincible!¡± Charlotte raised her hand to quiet the cheers, then looked around and asked. ¡°Where is Harald?¡± ¡°Lord Harald led the troops to pursue the fleeing enemy soldiers and hasn¡¯t returned yet.¡± The commander respectfully replied. Not back yet¡­ Charlotte felt a bit disappointed. ¡°And what about the girl I saved?¡± ¡°Do you mean Rowena? She has awakened, but her body is still weak, and her injuries haven¡¯t fully healed. Casey is treating her.¡± The commander responded. ¡°Take me to see her.¡± Charlotte said. ¡­ Charlotte quickly met with Rowena, whom she had saved. As the commander had said, Rowena was in a resting room receiving treatment from Casey. Unlike other factions that believed in Gods and could heal with divine magic, the Free City-State Alliance relied on the elves¡¯ inscriptions to heal the wounded. Elven inscriptions were essentially portable, miniature texts engraved on a base that required specific activation. These texts were in ancient elven language, possessing strange powers that could influence magic, even invoking spells. Those who could manipulate these inscriptions were known as Elven Inscribers. Casey was an Elven Inscriber, and as far as Charlotte knew, this profession was the origin of alchemists and various magical arrays in later generations. Elven inscriptions were the ancestors of all kinds of magical arrays. The Nez Clan excelled in alchemy and drawing magical arrays, and Charlotte strongly suspected this was all passed down from Casey. ¡°Lady Lilith.¡± Casey greeted respectfully upon seeing Charlotte. Charlotte nodded slightly. ¡°You may leave. I want to talk to Rowena.¡± Following the order, Casey left respectfully. Seeing Charlotte in front of her, Rowena was excited. ¡°L-Lady Lilith!¡± She quickly got up, intending to salute, her red eyes sparkling as if filled with stars, her voice full of surprise, nervousness, and excitement. Her excited and flustered demeanor resembled that of fans meeting a celebrity from Charlotte¡¯s past life. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte waved to stop her from saluting, her gaze assessing the girl. Unlike the remnants of Rowena¡¯s consciousness she had seen in later generations, although they looked the same, the current Rowena lacked the ¡°transcendent¡± and ¡°world-weary¡± aura of the future. Her excited demeanor was very similar to an immature girl. Seeing her, Charlotte felt a slight tremor in the Gospel of Blood deep in her consciousness, emitting a faint glow. Charlotte¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She split her consciousness to perceive it and was surprised to find that the ¡°time travel¡± passage of the Gospel of Blood had unknowingly opened. She had a feeling that if she wished, she could use the Gospel of Blood to re-enter the ¡°Time Corridor¡± and return to her era. Charlotte didn¡¯t know if this was related to Rowena, but the fact that it happened as she approached the girl was hard to ignore. However, she also remembered that when she first saved Rowena, the Gospel of Blood did not react this way, so it could be a coincidence. Thinking for a moment, Charlotte asked. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± ¡°M-much better! Thank you very much for your concern!¡± Rowena said excitedly, even stuttering. Her cheeks flushed, and her eyes were filled with admiration and longing as she looked at Charlotte, her expression full of infinite gratitude. ¡°You¡­ saved me again, and even bestowed me with the power of your bloodline. I really don¡¯t know how to thank you!¡± Charlotte paused for a moment, then smiled. ¡°Oh? So I saved you before too?¡± Rowena was the first mythical figure Charlotte had met in the future. To be honest, she was very curious about the story of Rowena and Lilith. ¡°Yes, fifteen years ago, you also saved me in Silver City! At that time¡­ I also received the power of your bloodline!¡± Rowena said excitedly. Fifteen years ago? Charlotte was taken aback. Then she quickly remembered it was during her second time travel, the battle to rescue Lilith. Charlotte¡¯s expression became strange. So it turns out she really had saved Rowena before? Charlotte suddenly felt she had a certain fate with this future Crimson Queen and looked at her even more gently. ¡°Give me your hand, let me see how the power of the bloodline is within you.¡± .bg-container-10448869e4d{ display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; justify-content: center; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } .bg-ssp-10448{margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;display:flex;justify-content:center;} .bg-container-10448f61e68{ display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; justify-content: center; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } .bg-container-10448222eb6{ display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; justify-content: center; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } Charlotte said. Rowena obediently extended her hand. Charlotte activated her divine power, intending to help the girl sort out the bloodline power she had bestowed upon her when she saved her. It was a form of favoritism, considering that Rowena was her favorite Blood Prince(ss) in the future. As her divine power circulated, Charlotte probed into Rowena¡¯s body, and in an instant, she sensed a familiar aura within her. It was the aura of the ¡®Origin¡¯. Chapter 543 : Time Travel and Distortion Node Charlotte never expected to find ¡®Origin¡¯ power within Rowena. Her first thought was whether Rowena might be controlled by this power. However, this notion was quickly dismissed. She could sense the clarity and vibrancy of Rowena¡¯s soul. Although tainted by the familiar essence, Rowena¡¯s consciousness remained pure and whole, unlike the two ¡°polluted¡± Demigods. Rowena hadn¡¯t become ¡°one of those beings¡±; she was merely tainted by the ¡®Origin¡¯ essence. Charlotte naturally recalled the moment she rescued Rowena from the Old Gods¡¯ priest. The ¡°crystal ball¡± in the priest¡¯s hand, and the familiar gray-white mist that spread from it¡­ it was the same as the aura behind the ¡°door.¡± Charlotte had a revelation. ¡°Of course, it was during that time when she got tainted.¡± She looked at Rowena, who was nervously waiting with her eyes closed, and sighed inwardly. ¡°Good thing I noticed it early. If left unchecked, this taint could have become true ¡®corruption¡¯.¡± ¡°But why Rowena? There were many priests in the Old Gods¡¯ army, yet only that one seemed capable of wielding ¡®Origin¡¯ power.¡± ¡°That priest soon ended himself.¡± ¡°Although rescuing Rowena was a coincidence, now that I think about it¡­ I felt the ¡®Origin¡¯ call when I first arrived here.¡± ¡°That Old Gods¡¯ priest¡­ didn¡¯t kill Roena directly but seemed to want to control her instead. That¡¯s no coincidence.¡± ¡°Not only that, the two ¡®Demigods¡¯ who attacked later seemed to have Rowena as their target initially before realizing they couldn¡¯t defeat me.¡± S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Thinking back¡­ their goal seemed pre-determined, highly specific.¡± ¡°Could the Old Gods¡¯ invasion not just be an opportunistic attack during Lilith¡¯s weakness but have a deeper purpose?¡± ¡°Their goal¡­ to control Rowena?¡± ¡°But why Rowena?¡± Charlotte¡¯s thoughts felt absurd. Rowena was just a typical third-generation bloodborne in this era, unlikely to attract higher beings¡¯ attention, let alone become a war target. Yet the priest¡¯s targeting and the Demigods¡¯ ambush were too deliberate to ignore. Had Charlotte not arrived in time to save Rowena, things would have been dire. Her speed and luck were crucial. One might even call it ¡°fate¡¯s¡± blessing. However, many aspects still didn¡¯t make sense. If Rowena was the target, the Old Gods¡¯ preparations seemed too rushed. This invasion was clearly long-planned. While their late-game tactics targeted Rowena, suggesting the entire war aimed to control a third-generation bloodborne seemed off. It felt like the Old Gods¡¯ initial goal was to exploit Lilith¡¯s weakness but shifted abruptly mid-conflict. This shift aligned with Charlotte¡¯s participation. Strange. Very strange. Charlotte felt she was missing something. ¡°The Old Gods¡¯ priest pulled Rowena into an illusion. Perhaps¡­ cleansing her ¡®Origin¡¯ taint might reveal what she saw in that illusion.¡± Charlotte used her divine power to activate the Gospel of Blood within her consciousness. The ethereal Gospel of Blood glowed softly, drawing out the ¡®Origin¡¯ taint from Rowena. As she expelled the gray-white mist from Rowena¡¯s body, it suddenly transformed into a blurry face. The face was indistinct, its hollow eyes gazing at Charlotte. Recognizing it instantly, Charlotte¡¯s expression changed. This face was the same as the one who had tested her by possessing a Nez bloodborne, and then masquerading as Sea King Oceanus to coax her into cooperation¡ªthis mysterious ¡°God¡±. The face¡¯s manner, expression, and aura were identical. Charlotte immediately became vigilant, activating her blood divine power. The face eerily looked at Charlotte, then laughed strangely. ¡°Hahaha¡­ so that¡¯s how it is?¡± ¡°Is this¡­ the power of history?¡± ¡°Nyx, you may have escaped this time, but¡­ I¡¯ve discovered your secret¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve caught up to you. We¡¯re on the same starting line.¡± ¡°Next time, you won¡¯t be so ¡®lucky¡¯¡­¡± ¡°Nyx¡­ struggle with all your might. Everything you have will be mine.¡± ¡°Heh¡­ hahaha¡­¡± The face distorted, expanded, and then dissipated. Charlotte felt like thunder had struck her mind, leaving her hair standing on end. Nyx¡­ They called me Nyx! Charlotte¡¯s eyes widened in shock. She initially thought she had encountered a God from this era by chance, but the title indicated they knew her true identity. It was clear this wasn¡¯t their first meeting, they recognized her. They weren¡¯t from this era but from her own era! The entity from behind the ¡®Door¡¯ had come with her through time. This realization left Charlotte heavy-hearted. If the entity from behind the ¡®Door¡¯ could time travel, it was problematic. Charlotte surmised that Lilith had created the Gospel of Blood to have her correct history, fill the gaps, and perhaps replace the ¡°True Ancestor of Blood.¡± Her foe was likely the entity behind the ¡®Door¡¯. Now, the entity seemed to possess time-travel abilities too. ¡°So, the Old Gods¡¯ army¡¯s inconsistencies were caused by the entity behind the ¡®Door¡¯?¡± ¡°It crossed time too, altering their goal, making them target Lilith and ambush nearby with Demigods.¡± ¡°So, the Old Gods¡¯ invasion initially aimed to exploit Lilith¡¯s weakness but shifted after my involvement.¡± ¡°I used Lilith¡¯s identity to traverse time. If the entity behind the ¡®Door¡¯ also came through, does it have an identity here?¡± ¡°Is it the one backing those two Demigods?¡± Charlotte connected many dots at that moment. Not only that, but as Charlotte reflected on the words spoken before the blurred faces disintegrated, she thought of more. ¡°So¡­ is what¡¯s beyond the ¡®Door¡¯ trying to prevent me from changing history, to thwart Lilith¡¯s plan?¡± ¡°Has it also traveled to this era¡­ to stop the changes in history? Is its attack on Rowena also part of that prevention?¡± ¡°Then¡­ why Rowena? Does Rowena have something special? Is it because she is one of the Five Blood Princes of later generations, or is¡­ her existence part of Lilith¡¯s plan?¡± ¡°Since the things beyond the ¡®Door¡¯ ultimately failed and I saved Rowena just as they were about to succeed, could this be¡­ the power of ¡®history¡¯?¡± ¡°History cannot be changed, but it can be created. Rowena cannot die in this era, so¡­ were the things beyond the ¡®Door¡¯ trying to ¡®change¡¯ the history that had already occurred?¡± ¡°I¡­ seem to be getting closer to the truth of the bloodborne. If I can unravel all this, perhaps¡­ I might discover the true secrets of the Mythic Era.¡± Charlotte pondered. The appearance of the entity beyond the ¡®Door¡¯ caught her off guard. This made Charlotte¡¯s mood even heavier. Fortunately, after several time-travel experiences, Charlotte had gained a relatively deep understanding of time travel. History that has already happened cannot be changed, and there are many constraints to trying to ¡°change¡± history. Moreover, unlike herself, the things beyond the ¡®Door¡¯ were clearly traveling through time and space for the first time. The entity was chasing after her, which suggests that it was likely also using Charlotte¡¯s time travel to achieve its own travel. If this judgment is correct, then the entity itself¡­ probably cannot actively travel through time. ¡°Is it because of the stone door in my subconscious? That door established a connection with my consciousness, so¡­ could the entity beyond the door have followed me through time when I traveled using the Gospel of Blood?¡± ¡°Its primary target is not me, but Rowena. Does this mean¡­ that there is something about Rowena that I don¡¯t know?¡± Charlotte pondered. Thinking of this, Charlotte looked again at the bloodborne girl before her. ¡°Perhaps¡­ by examining what illusions she experienced in her subconscious, I might find the answers I¡¯m looking for¡­¡± With this thought, Charlotte channeled the blood divine power once more. The innate magic for probing illusions activated, and Charlotte soon entered Rowena¡¯s consciousness, reading the illusions she had previously experienced¡­ The scene shifted, and Charlotte saw a sea of flames. In the sea of flames, Rowena knelt under a crimson half-moon, her face showing despair. She was covered in blood, wearing the divine armor that Charlotte had seen in soul remnants from later generations, her divine power almost depleted. Gray-white tentacles surged from the ground, gradually engulfing her¡­ In the next moment, the vision plunged into darkness, and the scene shifted again. This time, it was a battlefield. On a mountain of corpses, Rowena leaned on her divine sword, standing with difficulty. Her divine armor was already shattered. She looked up at the broken blood moon in the sky, her gaze still filled with despair. Brilliant light descended, and her body ignited with pale flames that consumed her body, the corpses, and everything¡­ The vision darkened once more. In the next moment, the scene shifted again. This time, it was a shattered castle. The throne collapsed, blood flowed like a river, and Rowena, covered in blood, stood amidst piles of skeletons. In the sky above, the broken blood moon hung high. The moonlight gradually turned silver, then pure white. Under the radiance, Rowena¡¯s body gradually stiffened and finally shattered¡­ The vision¡­ darkened once again. Charlotte couldn¡¯t count how many scenes she saw. Hundreds? Thousands? Or perhaps¡­ tens of thousands? Charlotte couldn¡¯t keep track. Each scene was a brief moment. Scenes of the fall of the Blood Princess, the Crimson Queen Rowena. The scenes varied, but the only similarity was the broken blood moon high in the sky and the despairing expression on Rowena before her fall. Until¡­ the last similar scene appeared. It was another castle. A black castle, majestic and heavy, with a crimson light emanating from the blood moon outside the skylight. On the ancient and majestic Blood Throne, a silver-haired God sat. Their face was shrouded in crimson mist, obscuring Their appearance. Rowena, in divine armor, raised her divine sword and, along with several blurred figures, drove the sword into the silver-haired God¡¯s chest. The crimson moonlight illuminated the hall, casting shadows on the indistinct bas-reliefs on the walls, and reflecting the delicate face of the Crimson Queen. She looked sorrowful, tears streaming down her cheeks, her crimson eyes filled with grief. As the crimson moonlight fell, the mist surrounding the silver-haired God dissipated. Golden-red eyes, a face of unparalleled beauty. It was identical to Charlotte¡¯s own appearance. The silver-haired God smiled, reached out to wipe the tears from Rowena¡¯s face, and murmured something. Light spread from the God, and a phantom crimson book slowly emerged from Her chest. The book suddenly shattered, with scattered pages flying in all directions, while the remaining cover fell into Rowena¡¯s hands¡­ Crimson light spread. The silver-haired God¡¯s divine body suddenly disintegrated. The entire world¡­ plunged into darkness once more. ¡­ Charlotte saw Rowena running in the darkness. This time, she wore silver armor from the battle against the Old Gods, still in her pre-divine form as a bloodborne girl, holding a phantom book. .bg-container-10448ed3ed0{ display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; justify-content: center; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } .bg-ssp-10448{margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;display:flex;justify-content:center;} .bg-container-10448f61e68{ display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; justify-content: center; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } .bg-container-10448222eb6{ display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; justify-content: center; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } Darkness spread continuously, with countless gray-white arms reaching from all directions, chasing Rowena. The arms grabbed her ankles, climbed her body, and eventually dragged her into an endless abyss. In the abyss, gray-white mist spread, and a pair of pure white eyes slowly appeared, like a cold venomous snake, fixating on the struggling bloodborne girl. A cold, aloof, and elevated voice sounded. ¡°I found you, the distortion node.¡± Chapter 544 : Teacher, we finally meet The ¡°illusion¡± ended with that detached and cold voice, and Charlotte¡¯s consciousness returned to reality. The information contained in the ¡°illusion¡± Rowena experienced was far more than Charlotte had imagined, and the scenarios were much more vivid than she had anticipated. Even with the will of a Demigod, Charlotte momentarily felt a bit disoriented. This sense of disorientation was quite familiar to her. Before becoming a Demigod, she had experienced similar sensations when using memory magic to quickly browse through books and read memory crystals provided by Albrecht. It was the soul¡¯s tremor caused by receiving an overload of memories in a short period. This detail made Charlotte¡¯s heart skip a beat. The reason an ¡°illusion¡± is called an illusion is because it does not involve real memories. Memories are the most wondrous things. No matter the level of existence, any change involving memories leaves traces, and soul tremors are one such trace of memory increase. Illusions, however, are different. Compared to actual memories, illusions are more like dreams, experiences that occur naturally in the mind of the experiencer. The only factor is whether the experiencer¡¯s impression is deep. Illusions based on the mental world will not cause soul tremors. The purpose of illusions is to blur the line between reality and unreality. If they caused soul tremors, the experiencer would immediately realize that everything they experienced was false. Illusions that cause soul tremors are not truly ¡°illusions¡± but rather ¡°memory modifications¡± or ¡°mental manipulations.¡± The terms ¡°illusion¡±, ¡°memory modification¡±, and ¡°mental manipulation¡±, which can influence the target¡¯s judgment and cognition, are collectively known as ¡°illusion arts.¡± In other words, although Charlotte had read various ¡°illusions¡± experienced by Rowena, logically, she should not have experienced such disorienting soul tremors. The fact that she did experience such soul tremors indicated one thing. What she had read¡­ was not just mere illusions but rather lost memories hidden deep within Rowena¡¯s soul. With this in mind, Charlotte¡¯s expression instantly became solemn. In the ¡°illusion¡±, she saw Rowena experiencing death over and over again. If that was not an ¡°illusion¡±, and if all of it were real ¡°memories¡±, then wouldn¡¯t it mean Rowena had fallen thousands of times? Adding to this the striking similarity in the scenes of her demise and the faint rhythmic sensation of the Gospel of Blood in Charlotte¡¯s consciousness while reading the ¡°illusions¡±, Charlotte had a bold and absurd guess. Could it be¡­ that everything in those ¡°illusions¡± really happened? That they were Rowena¡¯s lost memories and represented a history that had actually occurred? This guess was astonishing. But when Charlotte recalled the broken ¡°history fragments¡± in the ¡°Time Passage¡±, she felt it could very well be true. There was a major problem with the history of the Myria world. Many places had errors, and many even had blanks. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. History could not have problems without reason, and if it were man-made, everything would make sense. ¡°So¡­ I may not be the first to travel through time. Perhaps there were others who made even more time travels before me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s very likely that some existence has been continuously resetting the history of Myria, or¡­ reshaping history, and each of these resets, reflected in Rowena¡¯s lost memories, are Rowena¡¯s repeated deaths.¡± ¡°In other words, the current fragmentation and errors in Myria¡¯s history are due to some existence repeatedly resetting history, an existence¡­ trying to change history.¡± ¡°However, since the thousands of segments in Rowena¡¯s ¡®illusions¡¯ depict very similar scenes, it indicates that¡­ the entity has failed.¡± ¡°Lilith once left me a message, stating that history cannot be changed but can be created.¡± ¡°Could it be¡­ that this person trying to change history is none other than Lilith?¡± ¡°The broken blood moon¡­ symbolizes Lilith¡¯s fall and the extinction of the bloodborne.¡± ¡°Did Lilith want to change the outcome of her own fall and the extinction of the bloodborne?¡± ¡°And the last scene¡­ seemed to show Rowena and several other mythological figures ¡®rebelling¡¯ against Lilith. Although I couldn¡¯t see the appearances of the other mythological figures clearly, their power belonged to the bloodborne, and they were likely the other princes.¡± ¡°The final scene was also different from the others. Perhaps¡­ in the final scene, history was successfully disturbed, and that¡­ might be the history of my later generations.¡± ¡°At the end of the ¡®illusion¡¯, although the cold voice changed its tone, I wasn¡¯t unfamiliar with its timbre. It was the voice of the entity behind the ¡®door.¡¯¡± ¡°In other words¡­ the entity behind the ¡®door¡¯ is preventing disturbances to history?¡± At this moment, Charlotte had thought of many things. Combining all the information she had previously gathered, a clearer picture gradually formed in her mind¡ªLilith had a great enemy. This great enemy was likely responsible for the fall of the bloodborne and Lilith¡¯s demise. Lilith could not defeat this enemy, so¡­ she attempted to reset history through some means, hoping to change the outcome by altering history. But all attempts to alter history had failed. The blood moon shattered, the princes fell, and in those memory fragments, everything was heading towards destruction. Until¡­ Charlotte¡¯s time travel. And Charlotte¡¯s time travel was likely one of Lilith¡¯s backup plans. Lilith left the Gospel of Blood to Charlotte. The Gospel of Blood not only helped Charlotte quickly master the power of the bloodborne to become the True Ancestor but also allowed her to travel back in time. Lilith¡¯s enemy was the entity behind the ¡°door.¡± Moreover¡­ the entity had now discovered Charlotte¡¯s time travel and even pursued her. The entity wanted to prevent Charlotte from ¡°changing¡± history and, furthermore, seemed to covet her. As the puzzle pieces came together, Charlotte¡¯s expression grew increasingly solemn. She could almost foresee that she had likely become a thorn in the side of the entity behind the ¡°door.¡± With this thought, Charlotte sighed slightly in her heart. Lost memories cannot be awakened without reason, especially not memories of Rowena¡¯s countless lifetimes. Charlotte had read the memories at just the right moment. Combined with the rhythmic sensation of the Gospel of Blood while reading, she could almost guess that her ¡°memory reading¡± this time was likely a backup plan left by Lilith using the Gospel of Blood. The other party¡­ might be using this method to tell her what exactly happened. ¡°History cannot be changed, what has already happened in history will inevitably happen again.¡± ¡°In all the ¡®illusions¡¯, the final outcome is the extinction of the bloodborne.¡± ¡°But in the last illusion, there was no depiction of the bloodborne¡¯s extinction, only the ¡®fall¡¯ of the True Ancestor.¡± ¡°However, now I have traveled through time, I have become the True Ancestor of Blood, and I am even gradually replacing Lilith.¡± ¡°Even the ¡®fall¡¯ of the True Ancestor no longer counts.¡± ¡°In other words¡­ what I need to deal with next is to prevent the extinction of the bloodborne and my own demise?¡± ¡°The likely cause of the bloodborne¡¯s extinction and the True Ancestor¡¯s fall is the entity behind the ¡®door.¡¯ In other words¡­ it is now my turn to confront the existence behind the ¡®door¡¯ through repeated time travels.¡± ¡°History cannot be changed but can be created. In other words, I can only disturb the already chaotic history and fill in the gaps. If I want to defeat the entity behind the ¡®door¡¯, it must be achieved in the future era.¡± ¡°The entity behind the ¡®door¡¯ desires my power, and it seems to want to devour me. I need to grow stronger through repeated time travels, become a true God, and find the weaknesses of the entity behind the ¡®door¡¯, then defeat it in the future!¡± Charlotte¡¯s thoughts turned, and she understood many things. However, she still had many doubts, such as the true identity of the entity behind the ¡®door¡¯, why Lilith chose her, whether she was merely a tool chosen by Lilith, and whether Lilith had other purposes or even conspiracies¡­ These things were unknown to Charlotte. Moreover, why the entity behind the ¡®door¡¯ referred to Rowena as a distortion node was also puzzling. Charlotte¡¯s Gospel of Blood would also react to Rowena, and even the time-travel tunnel could open when approaching her, which made Charlotte suspect there might be other secrets about Rowena. Combining this with the last scene in the ¡®illusion¡¯, Charlotte suspected it might be related to the shadow of the ¡®Gospel of Blood¡¯ that ultimately fell upon Rowena. With this thought, Charlotte looked at Rowena again. ¡°Lady Lilith, is there something wrong with my body?¡± Seeing Charlotte¡¯s serious expression, Rowena weakly asked. Charlotte hesitated for a moment and shook her head. ¡°No, your body is fine, and the absorption of the bloodline power is also good.¡± This wasn¡¯t a lie. During the process of retracing the ¡®illusion¡¯ memories, Charlotte¡¯s divine power had already connected with Rowena¡¯s body. In Charlotte¡¯s perception, Rowena¡¯s absorption of the bloodline power she provided was quite effective, even stronger than that of several future princes. If Charlotte didn¡¯t know that she had only embraced Lilith once in her last time travel, she might even suspect that Rowena was also a direct descendant of her as the true Bloodborne Progenitor. Wait a minute¡­ A descendant directly embraced by the true Bloodborne Progenitor? Charlotte¡¯s heart skipped a beat as she seemed to have connected the dots. She looked at Rowena with a serious expression and asked. ¡°Rowena, who was the bloodborne that gave you the first embrace?¡± Rowena looked somewhat puzzled. She shook her head and answered somewhat awkwardly. ¡°Sorry¡­ Lady Lilith, I¡­ I can¡¯t recall.¡± ¡°You¡­ can¡¯t recall?¡± Charlotte¡¯s expression showed surprise. ¡°Yes, I can¡¯t recall. I became a bloodborne after the Battle of Silver City not long after, but¡­ that memory is a bit unclear.¡± Charlotte frowned. ¡°Is there no record in the city-state?¡± Rowena¡¯s expression was troubled. ¡°The records in the city-state say that I drank the assigned blood, but I can¡¯t recall. However¡­ others said that I drank the blood of a certain noble, but no one told me which noble¡¯s blood it was.¡± Charlotte¡¯s frown deepened. During the past few days of her time travel, she had become familiar with the workings of the Free City-State. To expand the bloodborne army, the Free City-State Alliance had distributed the first embrace blood several times, provided by second-generation bloodbornes, with each one strictly recording the identity of the provider. Logically, if Rowena drank the assigned first embrace blood, it would be impossible for no one to know her lineage. Moreover, Charlotte had read about the elders of future Demigods in various records, but there was no record of Rowena¡¯s elder in those records. So¡­ where did Rowena¡¯s bloodline come from? The entity behind the ¡®door¡¯ referred to Rowena as a distortion node. The Gospel of Blood also reacted to Rowena. Rowena¡¯s memory of becoming a bloodborne was unclear. Could it be¡­ Charlotte¡¯s heart raced, and a bold guess suddenly arose in her mind. She took a deep breath, looked at the timid bloodborne girl in front of her, and said softly. ¡°Rowena, close your eyes. I need to further examine your body.¡± Rowena obediently nodded and closed her eyes with some nervousness. Charlotte extended her hand, touched her forehead, and once again mobilized her blood divine power. The crimson glow spread, wrapping Charlotte¡¯s divine soul and delving into Rowena¡¯s mental world. The vision suddenly changed, and the next moment, Charlotte found herself in an empty world. It was a fragmented world composed of countless mirrors. Each mirror flickered with different scenes, and all the scenes were identical to the lost memories of Rowena that Charlotte had seen. In the center of the fragmented world, a crimson book was slowly rotating. It appeared illusory and emitted a faint glow. It was unmistakably the ¡®Gospel of Blood¡¯ Charlotte was familiar with. However, upon closer inspection, it was found to be not the real Gospel of Blood but just the back cover of the Gospel. Just as Charlotte saw the back cover of the Gospel, she felt her own Gospel of Blood in her consciousness suddenly burst into dazzling brilliance. .bg-ssp-10448{margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;display:flex;justify-content:center;} .bg-container-10448f61e68{ display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; justify-content: center; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } .bg-container-10448222eb6{ display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; justify-content: center; z-index: 2147483647 !important; } The crimson light spread, instantly filling Rowena¡¯s entire mental world, and at the same time, the back cover of the Gospel in the fragmented world also emitted a crimson glow. When the dazzling light faded and everything returned to calm, Charlotte found herself back in the Dark Night Castle. She was seated on the Blood Throne, with a magnificent full-length crystal mirror before her. In the crystal mirror, her own reflection was visible, and the next moment, Charlotte saw her reflection in the mirror smile slightly. That familiar yet strange smile carried a subtle sadness and nostalgia. ¡°Teacher, we¡­ finally meet.¡± Chapter 545 : Chat Staring at the beautiful girl in the crystal mirror who looked exactly like her, Charlotte remained silent. She sighed and said, ¡°Miss Lilith, do you know that your way of appearing is a bit too much for someone like me with a weak heart?¡± The girl in the mirror was slightly taken aback by Charlotte¡¯s words. She showed an apologetic expression and said, ¡°Sorry, Teacher, I didn¡¯t think that much. For me now, this should be the best way to meet you.¡± Seeing the respectful attitude of ¡°Lilith¡± in the mirror, Charlotte felt a bit uncomfortable. Although she was indeed Lilith¡¯s teacher, she didn¡¯t think the ¡°Lilith¡± in front of her was the same one she had taught extraordinary knowledge and given the first embrace across time and space. The ¡°Lilith¡± in front of her felt much more unfamiliar to Charlotte. Thinking of this, Charlotte looked around, closed her eyes to sense for a moment, and asked. ¡°This¡­ isn¡¯t just an ordinary mental world, is it? Where is this place?¡± ¡°This is a rift in time and space, the only channel through which I can meet you with my will after the wheel of history has turned again.¡± ¡°Lilith¡± replied respectfully. Charlotte became more and more uncomfortable and sighed. ¡°Please call me by my name. The title ¡®Teacher¡¯ doesn¡¯t seem appropriate for our relationship.¡± However, the girl in the mirror firmly shook her head after hearing Charlotte¡¯s words. ¡°No, you are certainly my teacher.¡± ¡°The erroneous history has begun to be filled, and the gears of time have started turning again. In my current memory, you are the guide who led me to the extraordinary path and the Bloodborne Progenitor who gave me the extraordinary blood.¡± Charlotte was slightly taken aback. She carefully examined the girl in the mirror and hesitantly said, ¡°But in my view, you are vastly different from the ¡®student¡¯ in my memory.¡± ¡°Lilith¡± didn¡¯t seem surprised by Charlotte¡¯s reaction. She nodded and sighed. ¡°I understand why you would feel that way. After all¡­ even in my view, I no longer recognize my current self after those ¡®sealed¡¯ memories have resurfaced.¡± Sealed memories¡­ Charlotte felt a jolt in her heart. She looked at ¡°Lilith¡± in the mirror and tentatively asked. ¡°Have you¡­ remembered your past lives?¡± ¡°Lilith¡± mused. ¡°Past lives¡­ Your way of putting it is not entirely wrong. However, what I remember is incomplete, perhaps because history is already distorted. By recovering the memories of my ¡®past lives¡¯, I will naturally also regain the ¡®fate¡¯ of my past lives.¡± Recovering the ¡°fate¡± of past lives? Charlotte frowned. Recalling the fragments she saw in Rowena¡¯s lost memories, Charlotte asked. ¡°The ¡®fate¡¯ you mentioned, is it related to the memories you showed me through Rowena? What happened to you? Why have I taken your place in this era?¡± Lilith paused and said, ¡°That question¡­ you already know the answer, don¡¯t you?¡± Charlotte fell silent. She looked at the girl in the mirror with a complex expression. ¡°You¡­ want me to take over everything from you?¡± ¡°Lilith¡± nodded, admitting it. ¡°Why? Why me? Why do this? What is your goal? Since you have regained your memory, can you answer these questions for me? You¡¯ve summoned me here, so shouldn¡¯t you explain everything to me?¡± Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Lilith¡± replied. ¡°Choosing you is ¡®fate.¡¯ For this world, you are an extraordinary existence. Only you¡­ can change the predetermined ¡®fate¡¯ of this world and reshape the ¡®correct¡¯ history.¡± Charlotte felt a jolt in her heart. ¡°Do you mean because I¡¯m from another world?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Did you summon me to this world?¡± ¡°No, it was this world that chose you. I just broke the predetermined rules of the world. The world chose you. The world needs an ¡®outsider¡¯ like you to correct everything.¡± Charlotte remained silent. She was already a Demigod and had a deeper understanding of the ¡°laws¡± of the Myria world. She sensed something unusual in ¡°Lilith¡¯s¡± words. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She took a deep look at ¡°Lilith¡± and asked. ¡°Breaking the rules¡­ requires a corresponding price, let alone reversing time and space. What price did you pay?¡± Silence¡­ Charlotte sighed. ¡°You don¡¯t want to say? Then¡­ I¡¯ll change the question. Why do you want me to become the True Ancestor of Blood?¡± This time, ¡°Lilith¡± answered. ¡°To change ¡®fate¡¯, you need power. The power of the True Ancestor of Blood is the initial key and the final hope.¡± ¡°The initial key? Do you mean the origin power?¡± ¡°Lilith¡± nodded. ¡°You can understand it that way.¡± ¡°So¡­ you mean you summoned me to this world to use the power of the True Ancestor of Blood to solve the crisis of this world?¡± ¡°Lilith¡± continued to nod. Charlotte laughed. ¡°So I¡¯m actually this world¡¯s ¡®hero¡¯, then?¡± ¡°You can understand it that way¡­ you are an extraordinary existence, the second coincidence of this world, and also its second chance. Only you can change everything and confront the enemy we cannot defeat.¡± ¡°Lilith¡± said. ¡°Wait¡­ the second coincidence? You mean, besides me, there are other transmigrators in this world?¡± ¡°In a sense, yes.¡± ¡°Who is it? Do they come from the same world as me?¡± ¡°Your origins may differ, but¡­ you should have already met them.¡± ¡°Them?¡± Charlotte¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She had a hunch about something. ¡°Wait, do you mean¡­ the entity behind the ¡®door?¡¯ The mysterious God desiring the origin power?¡± ¡°Lilith¡± nodded once again. ¡°They are the enemy you mentioned that cannot be defeated?¡± ¡°Yes, we cannot break ¡®fate.¡¯ Only you, as the ¡®True Ancestor of Blood¡¯, can.¡± Charlotte suddenly fell silent. She glanced at the girl with a complex expression and sighed. ¡°So¡­ this is your ¡®price¡¯, right? The price you paid is your fate. I will take everything from you, possess everything of yours, and then use the power of the bloodbornes to break the fate of this world?¡± ¡°Lilith¡± was silent for a moment, then nodded. Charlotte also fell silent. She sighed. ¡°From Rowena¡¯s memories, I only saw the destruction of the bloodborne and your fall, but¡­ given your attitude, that shouldn¡¯t be the whole story, right?¡± ¡°Then¡­ can you tell me who ¡®they¡¯ are? And what happened before the history of this world was altered?¡± ¡°Lilith¡± didn¡¯t directly answer the question but suddenly asked. ¡°Teacher, do you know the true origin of extraordinary power?¡± Chapter 546 : Creator God ¡°The true origin of extraordinary power?¡± Charlotte raised an eyebrow. Various texts she had read flashed through her mind. She pondered for a moment before saying, ¡°Although the records of various churches differ, they share some common elements. They all agree that the Gods brought extraordinary power to this world¡­¡± Saying this, Charlotte looked at ¡°Lilith¡±. ¡°But, since you mentioned the ¡®true origin¡¯, these well-known legends are not the real truth, are they? Or rather, they are not the complete facts, correct?¡± S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Lilith¡± nodded and said, ¡°You guessed correctly. These widely known legends have been passed down since ancient times and are not baseless. However, compared to the buried truths of history, they contain numerous errors¡­¡± ¡°Oh, and what is the buried truth?¡± Charlotte asked. ¡°Lilith¡± did not directly answer but instead asked. ¡°Teacher, it is well known that the power of the extraordinary comes from the Gods, but have you ever wondered where the initial power of the Gods, who are also extraordinary beings, came from?¡± ¡°The extraordinary power can rationalize all kinds of incredible phenomena and create things that do not exist. As the collection of all extraordinary power, divine power is almost omnipotent. So, have you ever wondered where the original divine power came from?¡± The source of the Gods¡¯ power, the original divine power? Charlotte was taken aback. This was a question she had never considered, but ¡°Lilith¡± posed it, prompting her to ponder deeply. Reflecting on the various legends from ancient churches and races, her heart skipped a beat, and she said, ¡°You¡¯re not trying to tell me¡­ that the source of the Gods¡¯ power is actually the ¡®Creator God¡¯, are you?¡± ¡°Lilith¡± neither confirmed nor denied it. Charlotte was momentarily stunned, her expression gradually turning to one of surprise. ¡°Wait¡­ so the so-called ¡®Creator God¡¯ actually exists? The story of the Creator God is not fabricated by the Holy Court? Wait, if that¡¯s the case, then the so-called ¡®origin¡¯ power, that strange white mist¡­¡± As she recalled something, her expression suddenly changed, becoming more solemn. ¡°It seems you have figured it out.¡± ¡°Lilith¡± smiled slightly and continued, ¡°Yes, the power you have been curious about is the power of creation, or more accurately, the power of the oldest ¡®God¡¯ in this world.¡± ¡°There are various records about the origin of the extraordinary, and the common point is that extraordinary power is an external element to this world.¡± ¡°It is the power that can create all miracles, the power that transcends the mundane, and the power that turns all impossibilities into possibilities. It is extraordinary and also origin divine power¡­¡± ¡°And the one possessing this power is the first ¡®God¡¯ to appear in this world, also recorded in various texts as the ¡®Creator God.¡¯¡± ¡°Of course, the ¡®Creator God¡¯ has already ¡®fallen¡¯, which is consistently recorded in all texts about creation. It is precisely the fall of the ¡®Creator God¡¯ that created the first batch of Gods¡­¡± Charlotte pondered this and looked at the ¡°Lilith¡± in the mirror, asking. ¡°Is this information you obtained after exploring the Western Continent?¡± ¡°Lilith¡± looked surprised. ¡°How did you know?¡± Charlotte replied. ¡°I have read part of Rowena¡¯s diary, of course¡­ in the ¡®future¡¯ era. Moreover, I have studied the Elves¡¯ creation myths. Some records are quite similar to what you are telling me.¡± ¡°Lilith¡± nodded and said, ¡°Indeed, in the Elves¡¯ mythology, the Creator God, moved by the desolation of the world, created two continents and the first batch of beings. After exhausting Their power, They divided Their power among the Elven Gods and the Old Gods of Myria to manage the world, forming the extraordinary legacy on the two continents¡­¡± ¡°To vie for the most orthodox legacy, the two continents waged wars for hundreds or even thousands of years, until the Sun God Helios brought a catastrophic disaster to the Western Continent in his greed for the power of creation.¡± ¡°This is the history of the Elves. Although the Elves¡¯ history has some inaccuracies, compared to other records, their records are the closest to the truth.¡± ¡°The closest to the truth?¡± Charlotte raised her eyebrow. ¡°Lilith¡± nodded slightly. ¡°Whitewashing history and beautifying the past¡­ is something every race does, including the Elves.¡± Charlotte fell silent. Her expression changed unpredictably as she pondered. ¡°It is difficult for Gods to truly fall. As long as they are not completely forgotten, they have the potential to return¡­¡± ¡°For Gods to return, they need to recover their power. Only by recovering their power can they fully revive.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re not trying to tell me that the being behind the ¡®door¡¯ is actually the ¡®returning¡¯ Creator God, are you?¡± ¡°You said I am the second anomaly in this world, so the first anomaly is actually the Creator God who brought extraordinary power to this world? For this world, the Creator God is also an outsider?¡± ¡°The unbeatable enemy you mentioned¡­ is it the Creator God who fell and then returned?¡± ¡°Lilith¡± was surprised. ¡°I did not expect you to deduce this conclusion so quickly.¡± Charlotte shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve read too many NovelFire stories in my previous life.¡± ¡°NovelFire?¡± ¡°Lilith¡± tilted her head, seemingly not understanding Charlotte¡¯s reference. Charlotte skipped over this and asked. ¡°So, am I right?¡± ¡°Partly correct.¡± Lilith said. She sighed and continued. ¡°Strictly speaking, it is not the ¡®Creator God¡¯ per se, because the true ¡®Creator God¡¯ has already fallen.¡± ¡°That can at best be considered the ¡®malice¡¯ of the ¡®Creator God¡¯, a ¡®curse¡¯ awakened by the Sun God Helios from the Creator¡¯s remains. It is the polluted divine soul of Helios.¡± ¡°A curse?¡± Charlotte was shocked. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Lilith¡± nodded. ¡°Gods are also a kind of ¡®living beings¡¯, and naturally, they have their own emotions. The Creator God is no exception¡­¡± ¡°The Sun God Helios coveted the power of creation but was polluted by the Creator¡¯s sealed malice¡­¡± ¡°¡®He¡¯ craves everything primordial, craves the power of creation, and desires to become the ¡®resurrected Creator God.¡¯¡± ¡°For this, ¡®He¡¯ covets the power of all Gods and everything related to the origin power.¡± Charlotte¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Including¡­ the Gospel of Blood?¡± ¡°That is one of them. Your very existence has already become ¡®His¡¯ target. After all, you are an anomaly.¡± ¡°Lilith¡± said. At this, ¡°Lilith¡± suddenly looked at Charlotte with a solemn expression. ¡°Teacher, please¡­ become the new Creator God.¡± Chapter 547 : Secret of the Bloodborne ¡°Lady Lilith? Lady Lilith?¡± A distant call gradually sounded, carrying a hint of tension and growing closer with each passing moment. Charlotte felt as if she were a fish submerged in water, with all the sounds of the world seeming distant and unclear, like the land on the shore. As the call grew clearer and closer, Charlotte¡¯s consciousness slowly revived, like grass buds emerging after a harsh winter. She opened her eyes, her unfocused pupils gradually regaining their light. The first thing she saw was Rowena¡¯s worried and delicate face. ¡°Lady Lilith, is there something seriously wrong with my body?¡± Body¡­ problem? Charlotte felt a bit confused. Her mind instantly cleared, and the memories before entering the time-space gap resurfaced. Oh¡­ Right. Before being pulled into the time-space gap by ¡°Lilith¡±, she was examining Rowena¡¯s body¡­ After that, she had a conversation with ¡°Lilith.¡± Conversation¡­ No¡­ Wait¡­ Lilith, and¡­ Harald! As she seemed to remember something, Charlotte¡¯s expression changed. However, she quickly took in the surrounding scene and saw Rowena¡¯s worried expression. She immediately composed her fluctuating expression. ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. I¡¯ve conducted a thorough examination; your body is very healthy. No need to worry.¡± She exhaled lightly and comforted Rowena. After speaking, she suppressed some thoughts in her mind, hesitated for a moment, and then patted the girl¡¯s shoulder again. ¡°Familiarize yourself with your power as soon as possible. Once you fully merge with the new bloodline power, you can go further.¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, the worry on Rowena¡¯s face finally dissipated. She looked at Charlotte cautiously, with a mix of nervousness, anticipation, and apprehension. ¡°Then¡­ when you plan to select maids¡­ can I apply?¡± ¡°Select maids?¡± Charlotte was momentarily stunned. ¡°Isn¡¯t it¡­ the announcement from the City-State? You plan to select maids soon, just like those personal guards¡­¡± Rowena said weakly. Charlotte suddenly realized, remembering this was something decided long ago by the Free City-States Alliance. She had also seen related documents on previous time travel. Of course, although it was called selecting maids, it was similar to selecting personal guards. The terms ¡°personal guard¡± and ¡°maid¡± were just to avoid alarming surrounding forces. The true purpose of the selection was to grant extraordinary blood to outstanding ¡°seeds¡±, creating stronger third-generation bloodbornes and expanding the Free City-State Alliance¡¯s military strength. However¡­ ¡°Maids, huh¡­¡± Charlotte looked at Rowena with a complicated expression. She once again felt the subtlety of historical forces. Although what she was doing now was supposed to mend history, as ¡°Lilith¡± said, history that has already happened cannot be ¡°changed.¡± Charlotte never thought that in this timeline, it would be her who led Rowena down the path of becoming a maid. ¡°Yes, you can.¡± Charlotte patted the girl¡¯s shoulder again. Rowena became even more excited. She respectfully and eagerly bowed to Charlotte, saying, ¡°Lady Lilith! Savior! Please rest assured, I¡­ I will not disappoint your expectations. I will stand out among all the candidates and become your most trusted maid!¡± Charlotte¡¯s expression grew more complex. Looking at the eager bloodborne girl before her, she felt as if the image overlapped with the figure who fought fiercely in the countless buried ¡°cycles.¡± Through the girl¡¯s sincere eyes, she could feel her admiration. It was not just for ¡°Lilith.¡± After all, whether it was Silver City back then or the recent border defense, it was the time-traveling Charlotte who saved her each time. Rowena was grateful to ¡°Lilith.¡± But equally, to ¡°Charlotte.¡± And when Charlotte thought of the inevitable future that awaited her, she felt a strange blockage in her heart. Sighing lightly, she nodded and said, ¡°I believe you can do it.¡± ¡­ After ¡°examining¡± Rowena¡¯s body, Charlotte returned to the temporary office in the fortress specially prepared for her. The strange sensation from the Gospel of Blood had disappeared. That backup plan left by ¡°Lilith¡± on Rowena was a projection of the Gospel of Blood remaining within her, a fragment that crossed time and space. Although Charlotte didn¡¯t know how ¡°Lilith¡± managed to do it, the fact that she could actively cross into this time node and meet her in the time-space gap was enough to prove that ¡°Lilith¡± had originally mastered the ability to traverse time and space. Of course, now that the ¡°projection¡± of the Gospel of Blood had been retrieved, Charlotte could clearly feel a more acute connection to it, and its power had also become stronger. This made it hard for her not to suspect that the fragmentation of the Gospel of Blood was a deliberate act by Lilith, aiming to embed some pieces into history to facilitate Charlotte¡¯s time travel. Thinking about this, Charlotte¡¯s thoughts once again drifted to her conversation with ¡°Lilith¡±, and her expression became serious once more¡­ ¡­ ¡°To become the new Creator God? You really think highly of me¡­¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t belittle yourself like that. You are an extraordinary being and have obtained the origin key. No one is more qualified than you to ascend to that position revered by the Gods.¡± ¡°The origin key? Do you mean the Gospel of Blood?¡± ¡°Yes, but the Gospel of Blood is just the key. What you truly need to do is awaken the true power of the bloodborne.¡± ¡°The true power of the bloodborne?¡± ¡°Yes, you should have already sensed it. The blood divine power is inherently superior to other divine powers.¡± ¡°Are you referring to the suppression and devouring of other divine powers by the blood divine power?¡± ¡°Devouring? No, that¡¯s just the return of power. All power originates from the origin, and the power of the bloodborne is an incomplete origin power.¡± ¡°Incomplete origin power? Does this relate to the ¡®curse¡¯ on the bloodborne?¡± ¡°Mortals cannot bear the origin power, so for them, possessing origin power inevitably comes with the side effects of origin power, which manifests as a desire for other active energies. This desire, in mortal terms, translates to a craving for blood.¡± ¡°Because extraordinary power is hidden in the bloodline?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°The origin power¡­ it really is quite sinister.¡± ¡°To mortals, perhaps. As the favored children of origin power, the bloodborne does not bear the blessing of the Creator God but the curse of power. This curse is part of the origin ¡®malice¡¯, a desire for the return of power. For the bloodborne, this power is a reward of the bloodline but also the price for a fate destined to madness.¡± ¡°So, the reason bloodbornes who don¡¯t drink blood in time go mad is that they haven¡¯t satisfied the origin¡¯s desire for the return of power, thus triggering the origin ¡®malice¡¯ deep in their bloodline? So, once I became a Demigod as the master of the Gospel and truly mastered the blood divine power, I became fully immune to the various side effects of the bloodborne¡¯s bloodline?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°Can I understand it this way: if I can¡¯t bear the origin ¡®malice¡¯ power, I will eventually go mad like those fallen bloodbornes, like the Sun God Helios?¡± ¡°Theoretically, yes, but you have an advantage that no one else has. This advantage allows you to retain a shred of sanity even in the most desperate moments.¡± ¡°Because¡­ I am an extraordinary existence?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do I have no choice?¡± ¡°From the moment you were chosen by fate, the gears started turning. And now, the origin ¡®malice¡¯ has set its sights on you. Although it can only follow you and interfere with your historical corrections, any slight negligence on your part could lead to an irreparable disaster.¡± ¡°Alright, so what should I do next? You hope I can become the new Creator God, but honestly¡­ I don¡¯t even know how to become a true God. Moreover, becoming the Creator God is just the ultimate result, right? What you really want me to do is to fight Helios, who has fused with the origin ¡®malice¡¯, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Sorry, you need to explore this path yourself. Compared to you, I am a failure of fate. My past path doesn¡¯t apply to you. After all, only you can reach that step, and the origin key will guide you.¡± ¡°So, you have no good advice for me and want me to rely on my instincts?¡± ¡°Sorry¡­¡± ¡°Alright, but at least¡­ I know who my enemy is.¡± ¡­ Charlotte and ¡°Lilith¡± talked a lot. Through this conversation, many of her long-standing doubts were resolved, especially about the secrets of the bloodborne. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She didn¡¯t think ¡°Lilith¡± was deceiving her. After all, there was no need for it. Of course, if the conversation had ended there, Charlotte¡¯s expression wouldn¡¯t be as solemn as it was now. What made her expression serious were the last few exchanges before ¡°Lilith¡± disappeared. ¡­ ¡°Teacher, my time¡­ is almost up. Do you have any other questions?¡± In the illusory crystal mirror, the increasingly blurred ¡°Lilith¡± respectfully asked. ¡°Um¡­ there is one more. If everything is as you say and you want me to become the new ¡®Creator God¡¯, then how did Harald become the ¡®Creator God¡¯?¡± ¡°Harald? Who is that?¡± In the mirror, Lilith looked bewildered. ¡­ Exhaling lightly, Charlotte opened her eyes. She stood in front of the window in her temporary office, gazing at the distant mountains, the tents below the fortress, and the City-State Alliance soldiers moving in and out of the tents. Her gaze deepened, and her expression grew more solemn. The ¡°Lilith¡± who awakened her ¡°past life¡± memories¡­ did not know Harald. Chapter 548 : Examination Lilith no longer recognized Harald. No, to be more precise, it seemed Lilith had ¡°forgotten¡± everything related to Harald. This included not only the future ¡°Creator God¡± Harald but also Harald himself, her brother. Charlotte was not unfamiliar with this kind of ¡°forgetting¡±, as she had encountered a similar situation in later generations where the bloodbornes forgot about ¡°Lilith.¡± Regarding why ¡°Lilith¡± would be forgotten, Charlotte had many speculations in the past, one of which she thought most likely was that Lilith¡¯s existence had been erased. Of course, after this time travel, she replaced Lilith, which allowed her to further refine her understanding of Lilith¡¯s disappearance. Perhaps¡­ it was her replacement that led to everyone¡¯s ¡°forgetting¡± of Lilith. This meeting with Lilith indirectly confirmed this. Lilith clearly intended for Charlotte to replace her. Lilith placed her bet on Charlotte, hoping that Charlotte could reach heights beyond the Gods. Only then could Charlotte fight the Origin Malice and change the fate of countless bloodbornes being devoured by it. Of course, it wasn¡¯t just the bloodbornes that possessed the origin power. The extraordinary power of the entire Myria world came from the Creator God. Over thousands of years, the Creator God¡¯s power had permeated all aspects of the Myria world, merging with the vitality of the whole world. In countless fragments of Rowena¡¯s deep memories, Charlotte saw not just the destruction of the bloodborne. In the background of the blood moon shattering and the fall of princes, the cracked earth and dried rivers were also thought-provoking. Considering Lilith¡¯s determined attitude, it was easy for Charlotte to infer that what was devoured by the Origin Malice was not only the tangible origin power but also the vitality that had long been integrated into every aspect of the Myria world. In other words, Lilith truly wanted Charlotte to be a ¡°Savior.¡± But that¡¯s where the problem lies. If the later generations of the bloodborne forgot Lilith because Charlotte replaced her, then what about Harald? Could it be that¡­ Harald was also replaced or ¡°erased¡±? But what puzzled Charlotte was that Harald did not disappear, not only in the era she traveled to but also in the era she came from in the future. Moreover, the Lilith in the time-space gap had ¡°awakened¡± all her memories. If she had awakened all her memories, she shouldn¡¯t have forgotten Harald¡¯s existence. But Lilith¡¯s reaction was genuine. This gave Charlotte a sense of discord, as if there were still huge gaps and omissions in the time-space Lilith was in. Why this situation occurred was something Charlotte couldn¡¯t figure out, but she was sure it had something to do with Harald. Harald must have encountered something in the past or the future that she didn¡¯t know about. ¡°There are too many strange places, perhaps this is also the influence of the ¡®fractured¡¯ history of the Myria world. After all, the history of the entire world has experienced a huge bug.¡± Charlotte sighed inwardly. Time and space are precisely functioning machines, and history is a part of time and space. Whether it was the repeated cycles of the bloodborne or the countless confrontations between the Origin Malice and Lilith, it was evident that in these countless conflicts, the original history had long been shattered, leaving only broken fragments. Of course, this wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing for Charlotte. In their exchange, Lilith had already told her that the Gospel of Blood was a forbidden artifact created by ¡°stealing¡± the temporal power of the origin, and mastering the initiative of ¡°time travel¡± naturally gave Charlotte the advantage of ¡°repairing¡± history. ¡°Lilith mentioned that the entity behind the door is following me. Unlike me, who can directly arrive in this time, they cannot achieve true time travel. Their influence on history is much weaker than mine.¡± ¡°Their ¡®arrival¡¯ relies on my time travel. In other words, they can only influence this era when I travel, and even then, indirectly. When I travel back, their influence will also fail.¡± ¡°This matches my hypothesis. If the entity behind the door could really travel through time like I do, it wouldn¡¯t need to borrow the power of the Old Gods, it could just appear and deal with me directly.¡± ¡°The entity behind the door, or the Sun God Helios fused with the Origin Malice, must have numerous constraints on their actions that I haven¡¯t yet understood!¡± ¡°Moreover, the already happened history cannot be changed. Since I have become a Demigod in the future, even if the other party can influence history, it cannot affect the me in the future who has no self-preservation power.¡± ¡°In other words, as Lilith said, I can only fight the other party in the process of ¡®creating¡¯ history. The other party, to deal with me, must also do so during this process. This process will inevitably be in the history gaps and the yet-to-happen future.¡± ¡°The Old God Coalition¡¯s raid on the Free City-State Alliance this time is to hinder the rise of the bloodborne. Their actions seem more like a test. Perhaps they are not very clear about the saying that ¡®history cannot be changed.¡¯¡± ¡°The rise of the bloodborne cannot be stopped, so the existence behind it can only suppress my growth during this process, leaving some backup plans for the future, even laying traps for the time-traveling me.¡± ¡°My response is simple: just don¡¯t let them succeed.¡± ¡°The history I traveled to now is ¡®blank¡¯, with only various ¡®results¡¯ recorded in the future and no detailed ¡®process.¡¯ This might be my opportunity to grow quickly and fight the other party¡­¡± ¡°Lilith forgetting Harald is definitely not a small matter. The Creator God Harald must have also grasped part of the origin authority. Lilith¡¯s forgetting might also be a conspiracy of the entity behind the door.¡± ¡°Fortunately, Harald in this time hasn¡¯t disappeared. I should meet him as soon as possible and check his body. If there is really a problem, the Gospel of Blood might be able to detect some clues.¡± Thinking of this, Charlotte got up and walked out of the temporary office. She said to Femaror, who was standing guard at the door. ¡°Send someone to inform Harald to come to the office immediately after he returns.¡± ¡­ Charlotte didn¡¯t have to wait long. The day after the battle ended, Harald returned with the alliance army. The border fortress was filled with cheers, and the spoils of war collected by the alliance army filled dozens of wagons. It was clear that Harald¡¯s pursuit had been a great success. Charlotte could almost imagine the scene of the defeated Old God army fleeing in disarray. After receiving Charlotte¡¯s summons, Harald quickly set down his things and hurried to the office to meet her. After over a decade of ¡°absence¡±, Harald had changed significantly from the image Charlotte remembered. He was no longer the introverted boy or the still somewhat youthful young man but had become a steady middle-aged man. He was not a bloodborne, and his handsome face even had faint crow¡¯s feet, marks left by the passage of time. Harald¡­ should be about thirty-six or thirty-seven years old now. Although he wasn¡¯t a bloodborne, his extraordinary aura was not weak. Charlotte roughly sensed it and judged it to be at the peak of the Blazing Sun tier. At this moment, Charlotte felt a sense of time fleeting. During this period, she mostly only interacted with bloodbornes. Witnessing her ¡°student¡± change from a child to a middle-aged man in less than a year was indeed a complex feeling. ¡°Teacher Lilith, the guards said you urgently needed to see me?¡± This was the first thing Harald said to Charlotte. Calm, respectful, and even with a hint of barely noticeable reverence. Just one sentence revealed a lot to Charlotte. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Unlike others, in Harald¡¯s eyes, she was still his teacher. Charlotte didn¡¯t know to what extent Harald understood her fusion with ¡°Lilith¡±, but at least¡­ it seemed the only thing that had changed was the title. ¡°Harald, do you¡­ still remember our first meeting?¡± After thinking for a moment, Charlotte asked. Harald showed a hint of nostalgia, ¡°Of course, that was almost thirty years ago. Back then¡­ I thought you were a Blessed One of the Tower Kingdom.¡± ¡°Yes, almost thirty years. The little boy has grown up so quickly.¡± Charlotte also felt a bit sentimental. Pausing, she then asked nonchalantly. ¡°By the way, do you have any siblings?¡± Harald shook his head. ¡°No, after my sister died in the Battle of Silver City, I was the only one left in the family.¡± Charlotte fell silent. After a few moments, she sighed, a hint of depth flashing in her eyes. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re the only one left.¡± She roughly understood how she and ¡°Lilith¡± had fused. Clearly, the complete fusion between Lilith and herself should have started from the moment she embraced her. In others¡¯ memories, Harald¡¯s sister, ¡°Lilith¡±, had died at that time. And she had achieved ¡°rebirth¡± on that day, becoming the Bloodborne Progenitor. ¡°Teacher, you seem to have something on your mind. Is something the matter?¡± Harald asked. Charlotte looked at him and nodded. ¡°Yes, this time when I tracked the Old Gods, I found that they were different from the previous ones. Their divine power¡­ contained ¡®contaminated¡¯ power.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve faced them directly before, so I want to check your body to prevent them from leaving any hidden dangers.¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, Harald didn¡¯t hesitate at all. ¡°What do I need to do?¡± ¡°Just close your eyes.¡± Charlotte said. Harald quickly closed his eyes obediently. Feeling the absolute trust in her from his every move, Charlotte wondered if she might be overly worried. However, Lilith¡¯s ¡°forgetting¡± of Harald was indeed unusual, and she needed to carefully check his state. Thinking this, Charlotte reached out and placed her hand on Harald¡¯s forehead. As the blood divine power quietly flowed, Charlotte activated the power of her soul. The moment she ¡°entered¡± Harald¡¯s body, a familiar, vast, and holy power surged toward her. It was the power of the Holy Court¡¯s holy power. Chapter 549 : Origin Power There is a holy power within Harald¡¯s extraordinary bloodline. Charlotte discovered this during her second time travel. Of course, at that time, Harald¡¯s ¡°holy power¡± was still very weak, so weak that even Charlotte only felt that its aura was similar to that of a priest from the Holy Court. But now it was completely different. After Charlotte delved into sensing Harald¡¯s condition, she felt that the divine power within him was as vast as a great lake. The immense power even made Charlotte suspect that she was examining the body of a Bishop from the Holy Court. At the same time, the Gospel of Blood within her consciousness resonated intensely, its rhythm no less powerful than when Charlotte discovered ¡°Lilith¡¯s¡± consciousness in Rowena. Charlotte could clearly sense the ¡°desire¡± of the Gospel of Blood, just like when it faced that peculiar grayish-white mist. Combining the information about the ¡°Origin¡± from ¡°Lilith¡±, Charlotte had a further hypothesis about the ¡°holy power¡± within Harald. Clearly¡­ Harald¡¯s power is also related to the ¡°Origin.¡± No, more accurately, this ¡°divine power¡± that spread across the continent in later generations is similar to the blood divine power that Charlotte possesses, both derivatives of the Origin power. ¡°The religious texts of the Holy Court often exalt the power of the Creator God as the source of all divine power. Although this might be the church glorifying their God, one thing is indeed noteworthy: since the ¡®return¡¯ of the Creator God, no God has been able to rival Him¡­¡± ¡°When I read the texts, I didn¡¯t pay much attention to this detail, thinking it was merely due to the Creator God¡¯s immense power. But now, reconsidering, could it be that the ¡®holy power¡¯ and ¡®blood divine power¡¯ are similar, both derivatives of the Origin power, and thus have an almost genetic suppression over other divine powers?¡± As she sensed the aura of ¡°divine power¡± within Harald, Charlotte had this thought. Once this thought emerged, it was impossible to suppress. In Charlotte¡¯s perception, she found more and more similarities between the ¡°holy power¡± within Harald and the ¡°blood divine power.¡± Although the former is not divine power, it has some similar qualities to the blood divine power, such as the ability to ¡°convert¡± into extraordinary power and the ability to absorb other extraordinary powers. However, for blood divine power, this absorption is ¡°devouring¡±, whereas for holy power, it is ¡°purification.¡± At the same time, the external manifestation of the blood divine power is ¡°darkness¡±, while the holy power manifests as ¡°light.¡± From a certain perspective, they felt like two sides of the same energy to Charlotte. However, the holy power within Harald at this moment had subtle differences from the holy power of the Holy Court known to Charlotte in later generations. The most noticeable difference was that Charlotte didn¡¯t feel any pain when touching Harald¡¯s ¡°holy power.¡± Harald¡¯s ¡°holy power¡±¡­ did not have the same purification-like threat to the bloodborne¡¯s power as the divine power in later generations. This was not because Charlotte was the Bloodborne Progenitor. It was because the ¡°holy power¡± at this moment did not inherently have the same near-purification threat to the bloodborne¡¯s power. Moreover, when Charlotte¡¯s blood divine power encountered the ¡°holy power¡± within Harald, she was astonished to find that they began to attract each other and gradually merge. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Then, an even more surprising scene unfolded. She was shocked to ¡°see¡± that at the point where the diluted blood divine power and holy power intertwined, a strange, pale mist began to spread¡­ Or more accurately, the fusion of the diluted blood divine power and holy power transformed into that white mist! But unlike the white mist spreading behind the stone door, this fusion-created white mist seemed purer and more righteous. Charlotte did not feel the same deadly seductive ¡°threat¡± from this mist as she did from the mist behind the stone door. On the contrary, the Gospel of Blood within her body trembled uncontrollably, and even without consciously sensing it, she could feel the Gospel¡¯s ¡°hunger¡± for this pure white mist. Clearly, this white mist¡­ was likely the origin power. However, the levels of blood divine power and holy power were vastly different. Although the blood divine power had been diluted by Charlotte, divine power was still divine power. In Charlotte¡¯s perception, the holy power within Harald was almost instantly ¡°absorbed¡± by her blood divine power, transforming into several wisps of white mist-like ¡°origin power.¡± Charlotte immediately reacted and quickly interrupted this strange ¡°fusion¡±, retracting her blood divine power. But even so, she sensed that the vast holy power within Harald had been drained by more than half in an instant. If she had been any slower, he might have been completely ¡°drained.¡± Looking at Harald¡¯s face, she saw that he had turned quite pale, appearing severely depleted. Charlotte felt a bit embarrassed. She hadn¡¯t expected this to happen. However, Harald showed no reaction to his power being ¡°absorbed.¡± He still obediently kept his eyes closed, waiting for Charlotte to ¡°finish the examination.¡± Clearly, this student trusted her more than Charlotte had imagined. Fortunately, although she had almost ¡°drained¡± Harald¡¯s holy power, Charlotte took the opportunity to complete the examination of his body with divine power. There was no ¡°pollution¡± within Harald, and his soul was also very clean, without any signs of control or influence. Harald¡­ had no problems. At least, with Charlotte¡¯s current abilities, she could not detect any issues. This made Charlotte even more puzzled. If Harald had no problems, why would Lilith not remember him? It was known that Harald had not perished. Even in later generations, he still existed. So¡­ if the problem wasn¡¯t with ¡°Harald¡±, then it was likely with ¡°Lilith.¡± Besides, Charlotte also had a hypothesis that while the current Harald had no issues, it didn¡¯t mean that the later ¡°Harald¡± would be problem-free. Perhaps¡­ these memory disruptions were also related to history distortions. Thinking of this, Charlotte sighed inwardly and ended the ¡°body examination.¡± Harald timely opened his eyes, his expression showing fatigue. Charlotte felt a bit guilty. She had indeed ¡°drained¡± him too much. Clearing her throat, she said, ¡°Well, your body has no problems, but¡­ you are quite drained. Can you manage?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s no problem. I just need a couple of days to rest.¡± Harald said. It seemed this wasn¡¯t his first time ¡°exhausting¡± his holy power, as he appeared calm, without any worry. Charlotte had a sudden thought and asked. ¡°I remember you mentioned before that your current power was gained by making a contract with some being in the elven magic laboratory, right?¡± ¡°Yes, teacher. My sister and I obtained our powers by making a contract with a mysterious will. We suspected it might be an ancient God.¡± Harald said solemnly. Charlotte nodded slightly. She had heard him mention this before and had initially thought that perhaps Lilith and Harald had inherited the power of some God. After all¡­ during the Mythic Era, such protagonist-like dragon characters were almost everywhere. But now, it seemed it wasn¡¯t that simple. She now had a guess that perhaps the entity Lilith and Harald made a contract with was the will of the ¡°Origin.¡± The bloodborne¡¯s power and the Holy Court¡¯s power are both legacies of the origin power. If not for her existence, Lilith, who inherited the blood divine power, would eventually become the Bloodborne Progenitor. And Harald would ascend to Godhood with the holy power, becoming the ¡°Creator God.¡± Of course, this was likely the earliest and most original history. After Lilith reversed history countless times and after Charlotte¡¯s traversal, the history of Myria had already been messed up. Fortunately, after this body examination, Charlotte could at least rule out the possibility of Harald having any remnants of the entity behind the door. Lilith¡¯s forgetting of Harald should not be a conspiracy of the entity behind the door but for some other reason. Although Charlotte couldn¡¯t draw further conclusions yet, this was enough for now. Her next step was to proceed with her original plan, quickly launch a war, and use the opportunity of this era to ¡°devour¡± the Old Gods¡¯ power and rapidly strengthen herself. The Gospel of Blood is the supreme artifact of the bloodborne, and theoretically, it should have no problem aiding Charlotte in becoming the True Ancestor of Blood. What she lacked was probably ¡°energy.¡± She had limited time and must seize as much divine power as possible to strive to become a true God soon. Only then could she contend with the entity behind the door. Of course, if she could take this opportunity to catch the entity behind the door off guard, take advantage of history gaps to suppress their forces, and obtain some of their information, it would be even better. As for the few strands of ¡°origin power¡± formed by the fusion of blood divine power and holy power, Charlotte thought for a moment and ultimately decided not to devour them. Based on the resonance of the Gospel of Blood, she knew this was a great supplement for the Gospel, but she had a faint feeling that if she directly fed it to the Gospel, it might be a waste. Charlotte had a premonition that keeping these few strands of ¡°origin power¡± might have other uses in the future. Thinking this, Charlotte pondered and said, ¡°Alright, then take the next few days to rest. The army also needs a few days to reorganize. Once the main force arrives, we will launch an attack on the Old God Alliance.¡± Chapter 550 : Nightmare of the Old Gods The deafening sounds of battle cries echoed across the sky, and the blazing flames illuminated the heavens. Inside the ancient temple, the brutal combat had reached its climax. Clad in black robes with crimson eyes, the warriors had slain the last of the frenzied worshippers and now encircled the central altar and the giant serpent statue. Facing the terrifying, ghostly figures that seemed to have returned from hell, the priest, holding a staff, trembled as he spoke. ¡°Monsters! You¡­ you evil monsters!¡± ¡°Evil monsters?¡± A chuckle emerged from the shadows. The indifferent warriors stepped aside, revealing a slender figure stepping forward. It was a female warrior. She wore a blood-red skirt armor, her vivid long hair as crimson as blood. Her scarlet eyes looked at the priest with disdain and loathing. Especially when her gaze swept over the pile of bones beneath the priest, her contempt and hatred were almost palpable. She scoffed, her face showing ridicule. ¡°Monsters? If we are evil monsters, then what are you, who worship the Evil Gods and toy with lives?¡± The priest trembled, his voice a mix of shock and anger. Gripping his staff tightly, a radiant glow enveloped him, his expression twisted with fanatical zeal. ¡°Evil blasphemers! You cannot comprehend the greatness of my Lord. Under my Lord¡¯s glory, you will perish!¡± A deep radiance blossomed from his body, and the ancient statue on the altar emitted a faint silver light. Mystical runes spread across the bones, and the aura of the priest continued to rise. However, just as his power reached its peak, a slight crack appeared on his staff. The deep radiance dimmed instantly, and cracks began to spread on the statue. The priest¡¯s face was filled with disbelief and terror as he looked at the shattered staff in his hand. ¡°The staff¡­ broken? My Lord¡¯s aura¡­ gone?¡± ¡°This¡­ impossible!¡± The warriors, led by the red-haired girl, seemed unsurprised by the events unfolding before them. No, their expressions were calm, as if they had witnessed such scenes many times before. The female warrior stepped forward and, with a single slash, decapitated the priest, her ethereal voice growing distant. ¡°If you are so devout, then disappear with your lord¡­¡± Under that slash, the priest felt his world flying apart. He saw the shattered temple dome, the dark night sky, and the blood moon rising beneath that sky. The blood-red moonlight cast a shadow, plunging the entire world into deep darkness. At the end of his dissipating consciousness, the priest was left with one thought. ¡°Blood moon¡­ darkness¡­¡± ¡°Ah, it is Her¡­ who has won¡­¡± The headless body fell to the ground, and the ancient altar collapsed. Looking at the pile of bones beneath the altar, the female swordsman sighed softly and plunged her longsword into the ground. ¡°Pitiful and unfortunate souls, your nightmare¡­ is over.¡± A deep radiance blossomed from her, and tiny glows spread throughout the temple. As the dark glow swept through, the eerie aura in the temple dissipated, and countless starlights rose from the bones, eventually vanishing into the world. Only after the last starlight disappeared did the female warrior lift her head and retrieve her sword. Her body swayed slightly, as if exhausted, but just as she was about to fall, a chaotic, dark force supported her. A chuckle came from behind her, hoarse with a hint of teasing. ¡°Rowena, you always insist on purifying the temple yourself after each destruction. Aren¡¯t you afraid it will take a toll on your body?¡± Shadowy black mist appeared, revealing a tall youth hidden in darkness, with only a pair of crimson eyes and two menacing horns standing out. Rowena frowned. She disdainfully pushed aside the dark force supporting her and said coldly. ¡°If someone who inherited the power of darkness were willing to act, I wouldn¡¯t have to do it myself every time.¡± ¡°Heh, I¡¯m not like some benevolent soul. These people chose their path and must bear the consequences.¡± ¡°But you seem to forget that among the sacrifices, there are also innocent people.¡± ¡°Innocent? What does that have to do with me? We¡¯ve lost countless souls. Not consuming them to strengthen my dark power is already very merciful!¡± The youth with horns sneered. Rowena frowned deeper, her gaze at the youth filled with disgust. ¡°I don¡¯t know why the Savior chose someone like you as a guardian. You¡¯re a disgrace to our kin, Abaddon. Are you looking for a duel?¡± As she spoke, dark red light glowed around her, and her aura became deep and dangerous. ¡°Enough, Rowena, Abaddon. There are still a few temples where battles are ongoing. This isn¡¯t the time for your disputes!¡± A sigh came as an elf in long robes walked in. Hearing his words, Rowena glared at Abaddon before snorting and leaving the temple with her soldiers. The elf sighed, looking helplessly at Abaddon. ¡°Abaddon, can¡¯t you say less? Do you have to provoke her every time?¡± ¡°I just can¡¯t stand her. The Savior¡¯s power isn¡¯t for everyone. If you choose to embrace darkness, you must become as strong as darkness. Someone with a fragile mind like her has no right to possess the power of our bloodline.¡± Abaddon retorted self-righteously. ¡°Is that so? But I remember you also use dark power to absorb the remnants of the Evil God¡¯s pollution after every battle?¡± A tall figure suddenly appeared, looking at Abaddon curiously. It was none other than Femaror, another awakened third-generation bloodborne. Abaddon snorted disdainfully. ¡°I¡¯m just strengthening my power. I¡¯m not like you weaklings. I inherited the power of demons and bloodborne. What you see as pollution is a source of power for me.¡± ¡°Oh, inheriting demon power makes you remarkable? Lady Lilith has warned us many times not to absorb evil power lightly. Be careful, or you¡¯ll turn into a madman one day!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll put you into those Evil Gods¡¯ statues before I go mad.¡± ¡°You¡­!¡± ¡°Enough! Both of you! The Savior has signaled me. Let¡¯s go to the main temple for an audience!¡± ¡­ In the northern region, the main temple of the ancient Serpent God. Outside the temple, chaos reigned. Massive columns had collapsed and the temple dome shattered. The surrounding forest was destroyed, turned into wasteland, and the mountains were cut in half, forming a large lake. The air was filled with chaotic magic, with spatial cracks hinting at the terrifying battle that had just occurred. Inside the temple, dark golden blood flowed down the rough steps to the entrance. Deep radiance flickered, and shadows appeared outside the temple, the black-robed bloodborne warriors. Casey, Abaddon, Rowena, Femaror, Ron¡­ The awakened third-generation bloodbornes stood at the forefront. Seeing the chaotic scene and feeling the residual magic, their eyes were full of awe. Though they had experienced similar scenes many times, the lingering terror still shook them, making them feel small. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. They exchanged glances, composed themselves, and entered the temple. Inside, dark golden blood continued to flow. The blood exuded a tempting aura, evoking a deep desire to consume it. Despite their thirst, none of the bloodbornes acted. They entered, lined up on either side, their eyes focused on the altar at the front. The altar was broken, a massive serpent corpse coiled on it, emitting a chilling aura. A blood-red sword was thrust into the serpent¡¯s head, the dark golden blood flowing from the wound. Beside the sword stood a young girl. She faced away, looking up at the blood moon, lost in thought. The blood moon¡¯s light cast a crimson glow on her silver hair. The wind blew, making her hair flutter. Seeing her ethereal figure under the moonlight, the bloodbornes¡¯ eyes filled with fanaticism and reverence. They took a deep breath, knelt on one knee, and respectfully saluted the girl on top of the serpent. ¡°Descendants of blood¡­ pay respects to the great Progenitor and Savior, Lord of Darkness, Eternal Night Monarch¡­¡± Hearing their voices, the girl withdrew her gaze. She slowly turned, revealing a peerless face and a pair of golden-red eyes. Her deep gaze swept over them, her ethereal voice echoing in the temple. ¡°Rise, my name isn¡¯t that long.¡± Chapter 551 : Three and a Half Years Later Upon hearing the girl¡¯s words, the bloodbornes all stood up. They stood respectfully, still maintaining a posture of worship, and slightly bowed to the girl. When their gazes inadvertently swept over the giant snake corpse beneath the girl, the fervor and awe in their eyes intensified. The Serpent God¡­ That was one of the many Evil Gods of the Northern Frontier, and even among the Old Gods Alliance, it ranked at least in the top five. But now, its fate was the same as the other Old Gods over the past three years, having fallen to the girl¡¯s sword. ¡°Lady Lilith¡­ seems to have become even more powerful.¡± Sensing the astonishing energy remaining in the snake corpse, the bloodbornes couldn¡¯t help but think. ¡°The Evil God has fallen. According to the old rules, distribute the spoils among yourselves.¡± ¡°Lilith¡±¡­ or more accurately, Charlotte, who had almost become accustomed to the name ¡°Lilith¡±, said. After speaking, she gently pulled the blood-colored longsword from the snake¡¯s head and jumped off the snake corpse. Passing by the crowd, Charlotte walked out of the temple, and as she passed, all the bloodbornes bowed deeply again. ¡°Lady Lilith, aren¡¯t you going to absorb the divine blood?¡± Watching the girl walk out of the temple, Bardock, the Third Legion Commander of the Blood Legion standing at the forefront, couldn¡¯t help but ask. Charlotte waved her hand but did not look back. ¡°The old rules apply. The divine blood is yours¡­ it¡¯s useless to me now.¡± After speaking, her figure disappeared from everyone¡¯s sight. The bloodborne warriors looked at each other, and finally, their eyes focused again on the giant snake corpse on the altar. After a few seconds of silence, the atmosphere in the temple grew a bit heavier. ¡°This time, our Fourth Legion contributed the most. According to the Progenitor¡¯s rules, our legion should get the largest share.¡± Abaddon sneered and said. Of course, he was soon met with rebuttals from others. ¡°Nonsense! It was clearly our First Legion that contributed the most. Lord Harald secured those last few temples! Just because Lord Harald isn¡¯t here doesn¡¯t mean you can ignore our legion¡¯s contributions!¡± ¡°No, we had the most participants from our Second Legion this time. According to headcount, we should get the largest share!¡± The temple became noisy as the bloodborne warriors of various legions almost all got involved in the argument. They were relentless, their faces flushed with anger, while everyone¡¯s peripheral vision stayed fixed on the most precious spoil on the altar, the corpse of the Serpent ¡°Evil God¡±. The power of the bloodbornes came from their bloodlines. And extraordinary blood had a deadly attraction for the bloodbornes. Powerful extraordinary blood not only helped the bloodbornes replenish energy but also enhanced their potential. Among all extraordinary blood, ¡°divine blood¡± was undoubtedly the highest grade. The bloodborne warriors argued endlessly, each hoping to secure as much ¡°divine blood¡± as possible for their own legion. Until Bardock¡¯s voice rang out again. ¡°Enough! What kind of behavior is this? Didn¡¯t you hear Lady Lilith¡¯s words before she left? Follow the ¡®old rules¡¯ and distribute according to the number of temples each legion conquered!¡± Hearing Bardock¡¯s reprimand, the bloodborne warriors of various legions gradually quieted down. Even though he wasn¡¯t a second-awakened third-generation bloodborne, as a veteran legion commander, Bardock was quite respected among the bloodborne warriors. Of course, being highly trusted by the Progenitor was also a reason for their respect. If Rowena, the Progenitor¡¯s personal maid, was the bloodborne closest to the Progenitor, then Bardock¡¯s status was almost equivalent to the Progenitor¡¯s steward. In the entire Free City-State Alliance, probably only Harald, who was the Progenitor¡¯s disciple and the Alliance¡¯s deputy leader, had a higher status than him. With Bardock maintaining order, the atmosphere in the temple eased. The bloodborne warriors of various legions excitedly collected the ¡°divine blood¡± and began to distribute the spoils¡­ ¡­ Outside the Temple. Charlotte, splitting a sliver of her divine consciousness to monitor the dynamics of the various legions within the temple, retracted her divine soul power once she saw order restored. Exhaling softly, she gazed at the blood moon hanging high in the sky, her crimson-gold eyes slightly lost in thought. This was the longest period of time she had traversed through history so far. In total, she had been in this era for three and a half years. At first, she hadn¡¯t intended to stay in this era for so long. However, perhaps due to the further refinement of the Gospel of Blood or because she gradually took over Lilith¡¯s identity, this time travel did not gradually reject her over time as it had before. The Gospel of Blood now possessed the ability for proactive time travel. Naturally, it also gained the ability for proactive ¡°departure.¡± However, this proactive ¡°departure¡± came with a ¡°price.¡± After further exploring the ¡°River of History¡±, Charlotte discovered that if she ¡°left¡± this time, the next proactive time travel could only take place after the Northern Frontier was pacified. This was not what Charlotte wanted to see. Facing the Old Gods of the Northern Frontier, she could handle them effortlessly, as they were almost all Demigods, suppressed firmly by the blood divine power. But after the Northern Frontier was pacified, the Bloodborne Progenitor would face true Gods. According to the historical progress, at that time, those among the Old Gods who had reached the level of true Gods would gradually awaken, and the lucky ones who had acquired mythological legacies would also ascend to Godhood. Meanwhile, the Bloodborne Progenitor would officially start the continental conquest, signifying the climax of the Mythic Era. In other words, if she wanted to exploit history, this time travel was the only chance. For the next time travel, Charlotte would need to reach the level of a true God to ensure her safety. Thus, unwittingly, month after month, year after year, three and a half years passed in a blur. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. These three and a half years even surpassed the time Charlotte had spent in the future. Sometimes, it made her feel as if the Mythic Era was her true time. In these three and a half years, she spent most of her time fighting the allied forces of the Old Gods with the bloodbornes. She had personally slain over thirty Old Gods. During these three and a half years, Charlotte gradually became familiar with ¡°Lilith¡¯s¡± identity and formed deep friendships with many bloodbornes of this era. Especially those nobles from the future, even the infamous Blood Demon Archduke Abaddon, despised by everyone in the future, knelt at her feet, becoming her fervent admirer. Of course, saying it this way might not be entirely accurate. When she first met these future nobles, Charlotte noticed they were completely different from the ¡°traitors¡± of the future. In this era, they were each more loyal than the other. They had different personalities, perhaps each with their own thoughts and flaws, but what was consistent was their pride in their ¡°bloodborne identity¡± and their fervent worship and loyalty to the Bloodborne Progenitor. If Charlotte had preached in this era, each future noble might have become her devout follower. This even led Charlotte to speculate that the ¡°betrayal¡± of the future nobles might have an unknown inside story. But overall, she found these bloodbornes quite endearing. Even those who would become her enemies in the future were still her loyal followers in this era. Sometimes, Charlotte really wanted to find a way to change the future, hoping that in the future era, she and the nobles wouldn¡¯t become enemies. But unfortunately, history that has already occurred cannot be changed. She didn¡¯t know what would happen afterward. All she could do was treat these future nobles as well as possible in this timeline, hoping to leave some ¡°influence.¡± However, three and a half years was about the limit. Not only for Charlotte herself, but the time she spent ¡°slumbering¡± in the future was also too long. Retracting her gaze from the night sky, Charlotte¡¯s consciousness sank into her body. In her chest, the blazing divine flame burned fiercely, and amid the divine flame, a vague illusory crystal was about to take shape. That crystal, faintly visible, was not yet solid, with thorny rose patterns vaguely discernible on it. That was Charlotte¡¯s yet-to-be-formed divine core. In these three and a half years, Charlotte had slain over thirty Demigods and acquired an unknown amount of divine power. The amount of blood divine power within her had long since increased significantly. If her divine power capacity was a bucket when she first arrived, it was now a large vat, with the divine power reserves increased by more than tenfold. However, it could only go so far. Half a year ago, Charlotte discovered that continuing to absorb the divine power of other Demigods no longer allowed her to increase her divine power. She had reached the bottleneck of a Demigod. To further enhance her power, she needed to ascend to ¡°True God.¡± Charlotte had tried to ¡°ascend¡± many times, but she couldn¡¯t find the knack. She always felt she was missing something and couldn¡¯t take that step. In the past six months, while continuing to sweep through the remnants of the Old Gods Alliance, she searched for a way to ascend. After six months, she hadn¡¯t found a way, but she had nearly conquered the entire Northern Frontier. At this point, she vaguely guessed that perhaps the reason she couldn¡¯t ascend was that this era didn¡¯t belong to her. In essence, she was still an ¡°unregistered¡± entity in this era, only able to stay for a long time by borrowing Lilith¡¯s identity. Maybe, only by returning to her era could she continue the next step and find the opportunity to ¡°ascend.¡± Thinking this, Charlotte looked at the Gospel of Blood deep in her consciousness. In three and a half years, the Gospel of Blood was no longer as blurry as it was initially but had become as clear as in the future. Moreover, the thickness of the Gospel had almost doubled, with many myth-level spells added. Charlotte could cut down the Old Gods like slicing fruits and vegetables, not only because of the suppression of the blood divine power but also due to the various spells used by the Gods recorded in the Gospel of Blood. However, like Charlotte¡¯s power, the recovery of the Gospel of Blood also seemed to have reached its limit, as if there was also some kind of bottleneck. ¡°It seems¡­ after dealing with the Old Gods Alliance, I should leave this era.¡± Charlotte muttered to herself. A loud dragon roar drew Charlotte¡¯s attention. Her heart stirred as she looked at the sky, seeing a two-legged dragon descending from above. On the dragon¡¯s back stood a figure in silver armor, who leaped down and landed in front of Charlotte. It was none other than Harald, who had been tracking the Old Gods¡¯ movements. He knelt on one knee and respectfully said to Charlotte. ¡°Teacher, I have news about the Sun Temple you asked me to investigate.¡± Chapter 552 : Retreat Charlotte¡¯s gaze sharpened. A shadowy glow flickered behind her, and for a moment, Harald, kneeling before Charlotte, felt the surrounding magic seemingly come to a halt. Under the indescribable pressure, even the holy power within him seemed to lose control. This was a byproduct of Charlotte¡¯s power approaching that of a true God. Although she hadn¡¯t taken the final step to ascension, as her divine power reached the limits of what a Demigod could contain, her emotions and every action seemed to cause changes in the surrounding space. This was the spillover of the power of laws, the ¡°God¡± affecting the ¡°world.¡± Fortunately, Charlotte quickly noticed how her change in mood was disturbing the environment. She promptly reined in her aura, calming herself. Only then did Harald recover from the terrifying pressure. Even though he had reached the Legendary tier, at this moment, he still felt like a child just learning to walk in front of her. This thought flashed through his mind. ¡°Speak, what are your findings this time?¡± Charlotte gestured. Harald nodded and respectfully replied. ¡°We have tracked down the core base of the Sun Temple. They are entrenched in the Dragonspine Mountains, which used to be the domain of the God of Secret Contracts, Kul¡¯kan, one of the initiators of the Old Gods¡¯ Alliance. However, it is now under the control of the Sun Temple.¡± The God of Secret Contracts, Kul¡¯kan¡­ Charlotte¡¯s eyes flashed, recalling a serpentine Demigod fleeing in disgrace under her pursuit. ¡°Has the Sun Temple completely taken over the Old Gods¡¯ Alliance?¡± Charlotte asked again. Harald nodded. ¡°As you suspected, the Sun Temple appeared in the Northern Frontier three and a half years ago and began infiltrating the Old God Churches.¡± ¡°Reportedly, the Sun Temple wields a mysterious power that can exert absolute suppression on many Gods. Within three years, they have controlled more than half of the Old Gods¡¯ Alliance¡­¡± ¡°Now, the Sun Temple is the true master of the Old Gods¡¯ Alliance.¡± Only a little more than half of the Old Gods are controlled by the Sun Temple? That number is actually a bit lower than expected. Charlotte raised an eyebrow. The information Harald brought back was indeed roughly as she anticipated. The entity behind the Sun Temple was related to that entity behind the door, possibly the Sun God Helios¡­ or at least closely connected to them. Since they arrived through her time travel, they naturally appeared with her. Moreover, they wielded the origin power, specifically the ¡®malice¡¯ aspect of it, which was devastatingly effective against the Old Gods of this era, quickly bringing the Old Gods¡¯ Alliance under its control. Charlotte wasn¡¯t surprised by this. What surprised Charlotte was that nearly half of the Old Gods weren¡¯t completely controlled by the Sun Temple. Considering Charlotte had exterminated over thirty myths in these three and a half years, more than half of which were ¡°pseudo-Gods¡± created by the Sun Temple. Charlotte could easily defeat Demigods and pseudo-Gods, but battles between Demigods and pseudo-Gods were not as straightforward. Based on Charlotte¡¯s assessment, the Sun Temple, which mastered the origin power, should have an overwhelming advantage over the Old Gods¡¯ Alliance. Given their ability to produce so many Demigods, failing to fully control the Old Gods¡¯ Alliance was indeed puzzling. However, Harald¡¯s intelligence aligned with the war¡¯s outcomes over these three and a half years. During the war between the Free City-State Alliance and the Old Gods¡¯ Alliance, the Old Gods never deployed more than five myths at a time. Against Charlotte¡¯s power, they seemed to be sending waves of reinforcements, resembling the tale of the Seven Brothers rescuing their grandfather. Charlotte had always wondered why the Old Gods¡¯ Alliance, with so many Demigods, didn¡¯t just launch an all-out assault. But now it seemed this was due to the Sun Temple¡¯s incomplete control, and the Old Gods¡¯ Alliance wasn¡¯t fully united. This was good news for Charlotte. Over the past three and a half years, Charlotte had gauged her combat strength. Given her current power, she could annihilate Demigods and pseudo-Gods from the Old Gods¡¯ Alliance in a one-on-one fight, chase down two simultaneously, gain the upper hand against three, struggle against four, and hold a stalemate against five¡­ Although the Old Gods¡¯ Alliance had less than ten myths left, if they united fully, she would indeed be under pressure. Not to mention the looming threat of the entity behind the door. However, considering the Sun Temple¡¯s incomplete control over the Old Gods¡¯ Alliance, could they still maintain their influence given the severe losses in myths personnel? No¡­ Wait. If half of the Old Gods weren¡¯t controlled by the Sun Temple¡­ Charlotte paused, her expression turning solemn. She narrowed her eyes and looked at Harald. ¡°So¡­ the Old Gods we¡¯ve been fighting were those not completely controlled by the Sun Temple?¡± Harald nodded solemnly. ¡°Exactly. They were the cannon fodder pushed forward by the Sun Temple. The priest I converted was a believer of one such God and hence harbored deep hatred towards the Sun Temple.¡± ¡°The Sun Temple¡¯s strategy was to weaken our forces while solidifying their control over the Old Gods¡¯ Alliance.¡± Charlotte fell silent. She sighed softly and said, ¡°So now they¡¯ve fully consolidated their power over the Old Gods¡¯ Alliance?¡± Harald nodded. ¡°Yes, their plan to weaken us failed because of your presence. Instead of weakening, we grew stronger through our victories over them.¡± ¡°But simultaneously, their plan to control the Old Gods¡¯ Alliance succeeded because¡­ all the dissenters they pushed forward were slain by you.¡± ¡°Now, eight myths remain in the Old Gods¡¯ Alliance, all loyal to the Sun Temple. Additionally, the Sun Temple possesses an unknown number of pseudo-Gods.¡± At this point, Harald looked at Charlotte, speaking gravely. ¡°Teacher¡­ our frontlines are stretched too thin. Over the past three and a half years, although you¡¯ve slain many Evil Gods of the Old Gods¡¯ Alliance, their armies weren¡¯t completely annihilated but were instead absorbed by the remaining myths of the Old Gods¡¯ Alliance.¡± ¡°Furthermore, the populations of the areas we¡¯ve conquered have significantly decreased. We haven¡¯t found where these people have gone. They might have been transformed into extraordinary armies by the Sun Temple.¡± Charlotte pondered. She understood Harald¡¯s point. The Sun Temple¡¯s plan to weaken the Free City-State Alliance had indeed failed, the alliance had grown stronger instead of weaker. But the Sun Temple¡¯s plan succeeded in eliminating the disobedient Demigods and consolidating the remaining forces. Not only that, those remaining Demigods likely grew stronger after absorbing the remnants of the slain Demigods. This meant that although fewer myths were left in the Old Gods¡¯ Alliance, they were all core followers of the Sun Temple. This mythic power, though small in number, wasn¡¯t weak. Being all loyalists, they could operate with great precision. Their consolidated Old Gods¡¯ armies, though fewer in number than three years ago, might now be much stronger in combat after unification. Moreover, the Sun Temple seemed to be amassing mundane military forces. Considering the rapid expansion of the Free City-State Alliance over the past three years, leading to a dispersed force, if the enemy concentrated their forces for a counterattack¡­ Charlotte¡¯s expression grew even more solemn. Although history couldn¡¯t be changed, and the rise of the bloodborne was inevitable¡­ The same didn¡¯t apply to the Free City-State Alliance. In the future, the Free City-State Alliance had been forgotten, and this period of history was blank. Furthermore, in Rowena¡¯s diary, Charlotte had seen records of the Free City-State Alliance suffering a significant setback. Charlotte wasn¡¯t sure if that referred to this period, but considering this blank period in history¡­ it was perilous. Charlotte wasn¡¯t particularly worried about her safety, as she could always escape through time travel, but she didn¡¯t want to leave a mess behind in this era. After all, history couldn¡¯t be changed, but it could be influenced. And she didn¡¯t know if this might bring unforeseen changes and hidden dangers to her future self. She could only be sure that the Sun Temple likely had plans for a counterattack. And behind this was the sinister plot of the entity behind the door. With this in mind, Charlotte¡¯s expression turned serious as she said, ¡°Harald, inform all Blood Legions to retreat temporarily, withdraw to the nearest fortress, and order all cities and fortresses to activate war preparation spells and be ready to initiate protective formations at any moment.¡± ¡°I¡¯m heading to the North Sea for about one to two weeks. Until I return, no one is to engage the Old Gods¡¯ Alliance. If there are any movements from them, recite my name, pray to me, and report immediately.¡± Harald¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Are you¡­ going to see that person again? Is there anything I can help with?¡± ¡°Manage the City-State Alliance and wait for my return. There might be a major battle soon, possibly an unprecedented divine war, which is beyond your involvement.¡± Charlotte said. Then, as if recalling something, she added, ¡°No, wait.¡± ¡°Prepare some moon-elven wine for me, as much as possible, with older vintages.¡± Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 553 : Charlotte’s Myth Friend Northwest of the Myria Continent, the North Sea. This is a region of the ocean far from the mainland, shrouded in mist year-round. To the fishermen on the North Coast and the surrounding islands, this sea is both mysterious and sacred. Since three years ago, an ancient legend has spread among the coastal fishermen, passing from mouth to mouth¡­ According to the legend, this is the domain where the God of the Sea resides. Those who receive the favor of the Sea God will never lose their way at sea, while those who anger the Sea God will face the harshest punishments, swallowed by storms and waves. If a lucky soul manages to navigate through the confusing waters into this region, they might even see the emissary of the Sea God aboard a ghost ship. If they can board the ghost ship and pass the Sea God¡¯s tests, they may get a chance to meet the Sea God. Once they win the favor of the Sea God, they can receive boundless wealth or immense power¡ªanything they desire. Because of this, despite the terrifying tales of mist and sea monsters in the North Sea, countless fishermen and adventurers have risked their lives to venture into it over the past three years, hoping to become one of the ¡°blessed by the Gods¡± in the legends. Of course, less than one in ten returns from such ventures, and those who become ¡°blessed¡± are as rare as the legends suggest. However, there are indeed ¡°blessed¡± individuals. In the past three years, at least three fishermen and adventurers are confirmed to have received the Sea God¡¯s blessings. Moreover, it is rumored that those who do not return did not die but were taken under the Sea God¡¯s protection to live in another world, a paradise created by the Sea God. These rumors have only fueled the surge in adventurers heading to the North Sea. Now, with the spread of these tales, even coastal fishermen have started worshipping the Sea God¡¯s statues, seeking his protection and favor. The faith in the Sea God¡­ is gradually spreading along the North Sea coast. ¡­ Deep in the North Sea. Thick fog covers almost the entire sea, making even the moon in the sky blurry. Beneath the calm sea, enormous shadows occasionally glide by, exuding an ominous aura that sends ripples across the surface. On the sea, an ancient Northern Dragon-headed Sailing Ship drifts like a ghost. It has the typical features of a later Northern Dragon-headed Warship, but with an older, rougher style, and its tall sails are tattered. There are no crew members on the ship, only a skeleton captain with a horned hat sitting at the bow, fishing. Below the ship, the enormous shadows occasionally swim by, vying for the bait under his fishing rod. Suddenly, crimson mist spreads over the sea, and the hazy moonlight takes on a blood-red hue. A gentle breeze blows, gradually dispersing the fog, while the enormous shadows below scatter like frightened fish. The fishing skeleton captain shivers slightly. He slowly raises his head. Seeing the crimson mist and the blood moon, the soul flame in his eye sockets flickers. He quickly sets down his fishing rod and stands up, bowing respectfully towards the blood moon. ¡°Krystoff, vassal of the Sea King, greets the Eternal Night Monarch, the Embodiment of Darkness, the Bloodborne Progenitor.¡± Bathed in the blood moon¡¯s glow, countless bats converge from all directions, eventually forming the appearance of a mature Charlotte at the bow of the ship. She nodded slightly to the skeleton captain, then smiled and said, ¡°It seems¡­ I¡¯ve interrupted your fishing again?¡± The skeleton captain shook his head hurriedly. ¡°No, no, I was just passing the time, playing with the sea beasts. Uh, great Eternal Night Monarch, are you here to see the Sea King again?¡± Charlotte nodded, and a bottle of aged elf brew appeared in her hand with a flash of light. ¡°I brought some aged brew to visit him. Is he in the Sea King¡¯s Palace?¡± The skeleton captain hesitated. ¡°Hmm?¡± Charlotte raised an eyebrow. Noticing her expression, the skeleton captain quickly said, ¡°The Sea King¡­ is here, but he¡¯s meeting with a guest. He said no one should disturb him¡­¡± ¡°Oh? A guest? It¡¯s unusual for Oceanus to have visitors other than me. Does ¡®no one¡¯ include me?¡± Charlotte teased. Krystoff¡¯s soul fire trembled, and he grew visibly anxious. ¡°This¡­ this¡­¡± ¡°Never mind, I won¡¯t tease you anymore. I¡¯ll call him myself.¡± S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte shook her head. With that, she took a deep breath and shouted towards the distant sea. ¡°Oceanus! An old friend is visiting, won¡¯t you invite me in?¡± Her clear, powerful voice, amplified by divine power, carried far. Soon, the calm sea began to churn. Clouds gather swiftly, and fierce winds rise, changing the North Sea¡¯s appearance in an instant. Immediately, a bold and rugged voice echoed across the sea. ¡°Which impudent fool dares to call me by my true name?!¡­ Uh¡­ Eternal Night¡­?¡± The waves surged, gradually rising from the sea and forming a vague face. It was a male face adorned with tentacle-like beards and a horned hat. He was towering and imposing, with a deep, terrifying aura that surpassed even Charlotte¡¯s full display of divine power. Initially, his expression was filled with anger, like a storm about to engulf the entire sea. But upon recognizing the visitor, his anger quickly subsided, replaced by astonishment, embarrassment, and a hint of guilt. Charlotte gazed at the embodiment of the Sea King formed by the sea water with a faint smile. ¡°What¡¯s this, Oceanus? It¡¯s only been two months, and you can¡¯t even recognize the voice of an old friend?¡± ¡°Hmph, since when were we old friends? We¡¯re merely acquainted! If you want to be friends with me, wait until you become a true God!¡± The vague face grumbled. ¡°Oh? Is that so? I wonder who it was three years ago that saved a certain weakling from the brink of death. A respectable true God almost fell into the hands of a few mortals due to carelessness¡­ Hmm¡­ I won¡¯t say who.¡± Charlotte remarked softly. The vague face grew more embarrassed, coughing repeatedly and glancing at the sea while giving Charlotte pleading looks. ¡°Cough, cough¡­ Fine! Fine! My¡­ old friend, aren¡¯t you busy fighting those idiots in the North? What brings you here?¡± ¡°Something happened, related to what I mentioned before. You¡¯ve always been curious, haven¡¯t you? So I came to find you and brought your favorite elven brew.¡± Charlotte said, lifting the bottle of brew in her hand. During the three and a half years since her arrival in this era, Charlotte wasn¡¯t always fighting the Old Gods. On paper, the Old Gods¡¯ power seemed vast, but Charlotte soon realized they were completely disorganized and generally weak. Thus, while combating the Old Gods, Charlotte constantly sought to find allies to improve her chances of victory. As a traveler from the future, Charlotte had her eyes set on two key figures: Oceanus, the Sea King, and Artemis, the Moon Goddess. The reason was simple: both were true Gods and were recorded in legends as being at odds with the Old Gods of Myria. This included not just the Demigods of the North but also the ancient true Gods of Myria who had yet to awaken. For Charlotte, these two were natural allies. Moreover, according to the mythical history, in the ¡°real¡± history, ¡°Lilith¡± had allied with Oceanus and Artemis, ultimately defeating the Old Gods¡¯ forces. Because of this alliance, they became the strongest Gods of their time, emerging victorious in the Mythic Era. Of course, Artemis later became disillusioned with the elves and chose to retire, and the Sea King¡¯s Church mysteriously declined, leaving the bloodborne as the dominant force, heralding the Blood Moon Era in Myria. But that was another story. For now, Charlotte believed that following history and seeking alliances with these two was reliable and likely to succeed. As for her being a Demigod while the two were true Gods¡­ Initially, Charlotte had concerns about whether they would be willing to converse with her on equal terms. Charlotte could only rely on her ¡°future information¡± as her trump card, along with the ¡°follow history¡± buff. But when she first met Oceanus, she realized her worries were unfounded. Despite being a true God, when Charlotte woke him up according to bloodborne¡¯s history, she found him in a dire state. Not only was he weak from his slumber, but his resting place had also been discovered. When Charlotte arrived, mortals were trying to ¡°slay the God¡± and seize his divinity. Although historical inertia suggested Oceanus would escape, Charlotte still intervened to save him, creating an opportunity to bond and earn his gratitude. In the three years since, Charlotte had taught him the advanced faith methods used by future Gods, helping him regain his strength and deepening their friendship. Now, Oceanus had regained nearly half of his strength, far surpassing Charlotte¡¯s current power. Despite the reversal of their power dynamics, Oceanus¡¯s attitude towards Charlotte hadn¡¯t changed much. During those three years, Charlotte often sought his advice on how to become a God, and their interactions allowed her to understand his character. Contrary to his rugged and terrifying appearance, he had a fiery temper, was physically strong but simple-minded, often outspoken yet loyal, generous, and a bit proud. Initially, Charlotte approached him with the intent of seeking a powerful ally. But now, she genuinely considered him a friend. His personality was exactly what she looked for in a friend, reminiscent of her close buddies from her past life. And after three years, Oceanus had indeed become Charlotte¡¯s myth friend. Chapter 554 : Moon Goddess Artemis Since meeting Sea King Oceanus, the two of them had conspired to do many misdeeds against the Old Gods. Among the dozens of Old Gods Charlotte had killed, several powerful Demigods wielding divine artifacts were lured into traps by her and Oceanus together. At that time, Charlotte hadn¡¯t accumulated enough divine power, and Oceanus hadn¡¯t fully regained his strength. Generally, during their conspiracies, Charlotte would handle the intellectual aspects while Oceanus took care of the physical ones. In any case, in this world and this era, making a true friend from among the Gods was something Charlotte had never expected. However, things didn¡¯t go so smoothly with Moon Goddess Artemis. The reason was simple: historical records didn¡¯t document how Artemis and Lilith met, and when Charlotte tried to find her, she found no way to contact her. There was no way around it¡ªthe elves were currently in a hostile state with the Free City-State Alliance. Although Moon Goddess Artemis didn¡¯t involve herself in these affairs, precisely because she didn¡¯t, Charlotte had no way to approach her. Rumors had it that Moon Goddess Artemis spent most of her time in the elves¡¯ miracle space, accessible only to high-ranking elves¡ªthose of Legendary or Demigod status. However, the elves¡¯ high-ranking members were extremely hostile towards the Free City-State Alliance, let alone its leader, ¡°Lilith.¡± In such a situation, Charlotte had no chance of meeting Artemis. One possible lead was when Charlotte tried to get information from Oceanus, who might have met Artemis. But even Oceanus couldn¡¯t find her. In fact, Oceanus didn¡¯t have a good relationship with the elves. Whenever Charlotte mentioned Artemis in front of him, Oceanus¡¯ expression became quite unnatural. Charlotte even suspected that Oceanus¡¯ slumber was caused by the elves, considering that, in a sense, Sea King Oceanus was also seen as an ¡°outsider God¡± by the elves. That being said, Sea King Oceanus was quite a proud God. For Charlotte to gain his favor, it was partly because she saved him, and partly because her unique blood divine power intrigued and intimidated him. From this perspective, anyone who could visit Oceanus was likely a true God as well. This was indeed a miracle. After all, in the past three years, Charlotte had never heard of Oceanus having any other friends besides her. Thinking about this, Charlotte grew curious. She sighed and said wistfully. ¡°I thought we were close enough, but it turns out even our relationship can be intruded upon by a third party¡­¡± To her surprise, Oceanus immediately became flustered upon hearing her tease. His voice suddenly rose. ¡°Wha¡­ What do you mean by a third party?! Eternal Night, you, you, you¡­ don¡¯t slander a God¡¯s purity! We¡¯re not close at all! No, I mean, we don¡¯t have that kind of relationship! We¡¯re just friends!¡± Huh¡­? Watching Oceanus¡¯ anxious demeanor, Charlotte felt something was off. Especially when she saw him desperately signaling behind him. Hmm¡­ This strangely familiar reaction and tone, could it be¡­ Charlotte had a peculiar suspicion. ¡°Eternal Night! Today really isn¡¯t convenient. Let¡¯s discuss matters in a few days! I¡¯ll explain everything then!¡± She heard his divine voice transmission. Hearing his earnest, urgent, and slightly guilty and nervous tone, Charlotte¡¯s expression grew even more curious. Clearly, Oceanus didn¡¯t want her to meet his guest. And¡­ he didn¡¯t want the guest to misunderstand their relationship. Ah, could it be that the visitor was a Goddess? And she had a close relationship with him? No, wait, history doesn¡¯t record any romantic stories about Sea King Oceanus¡­ Charlotte was extremely curious. But she wasn¡¯t one to enjoy being a third wheel. Although curious, seeing Oceanus¡¯ pleading look, she lost the desire to tease him further. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll visit in a few days then. There¡¯s an issue in the Northern Frontier, the Sun Temple is planning something big. I can¡¯t wait too long, so I might need your help.¡± She said. Oceanus breathed a sigh of relief. He nodded quickly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! You don¡¯t need to come again. You¡¯ve done me a favor, and as a friend of Oceanus, I¡¯ll go there to help you once I¡¯m done here!¡± Then, with righteous indignation, he added. ¡°It¡¯s just the Sun Temple, isn¡¯t it? Those who commit evil in the name of the Sun God are the ones I despise the most! Such hypocrites are the most disgusting!¡± Charlotte¡¯s gaze grew even more peculiar. Wait, this guy usually doesn¡¯t care much about the Sun Temple. Why such a strong reaction now? However, since Oceanus had agreed, Charlotte wasn¡¯t worried. Sea King Oceanus was a God of his word. This was well-documented in history and consistent with what Charlotte had seen and felt. Since he said he would help, he definitely would. Though Charlotte was still curious about the identity of Oceanus¡¯ guest, she decided to leave since Oceanus seemed so concerned. After all, her goal for this visit had been achieved. She could always find out what happened today later. With this in mind, Charlotte nodded and smiled. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll leave for now then. Oceanus, have a pleasant day.¡± Oceanus¡¯ sea water avatar breathed a sigh of relief and immediately beamed. But the next moment, a gentle female voice suddenly sounded, warm and soothing like a spring breeze, clear, melodious, and serene. ¡°Why refuse a friend¡¯s visit?¡± Oceanus¡¯s smile instantly froze. Damn it! This old guy is really on a date with a Goddess! Scoundrel! Traitor! Charlotte¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. She momentarily forgot that, in a sense, she was also a Goddess now¡ªone who was exceptionally beautiful as long as she didn¡¯t speak. A fresh scent like that of forest grass filled the air, and a faint silvery light slowly appeared on the ocean¡¯s surface. The blood moon in the sky abruptly changed back to silver. Under the bright moonlight, a Goddess surrounded by radiant light stepped out from behind Sea King Oceanus, treading on blooming flowers and green grass. It was a beautiful goddess in a silver-white dress. She had long silvery-blue hair that sparkled with starlight, and her light blue eyes were adorned with silver crescents. Her stunning features even left Charlotte momentarily dazed. Having been in this other world for so long, Charlotte had never seen anyone who could rival her in beauty until now. If young Charlotte had the budding charm of a flower and adult Charlotte the heroic grandeur of a queen, then this Goddess before her was like the gentle and ethereal moonlight. Her voice was gentle, her gaze tender, and every move exuded a graceful and endearing charm. When Charlotte saw the iconic lunar markings on her divine dress and the characteristic pointed ears of the elves, the Goddess¡¯ identity became obvious. Moon Goddess¡­ Artemis! Charlotte immediately straightened up. After searching for three years, she never expected Moon Goddess Artemis to appear before her in such a manner. Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but glance at the Sea God avatar who had just been signaling her with his eyes. His expression was stiff, his gaze kept darting toward Artemis, and his nervous demeanor reminded Charlotte of an old friend from her previous life who had pursued a girl for three years. Charlotte: ¡­ How embarrassing. Alright, it seems the Gods in this world are different from many depictions she had seen before. They have emotions, love, and hatred. Though they possess great power, they are ultimately just powerful beings with control over certain laws. No wonder Oceanus had been so evasive, it turns out he had feelings for the Moon Goddess! Whether it was unrequited or mutual remained to be seen. Probably unrequited, considering the historical records didn¡¯t mention a romance between Sea King Oceanus and Moon Goddess Artemis, though many texts described a deep friendship between the Moon Goddess and the True Ancestor. With this thought, Charlotte turned to Moon Goddess Artemis and bowed slightly, performing a Demigod¡¯s greeting to a true God. ¡°Eternal Night Monarch¡­ greets Moon Goddess Artemis.¡± Among Gods, their statuses are equal. Even between a Demigod and a true God, a simple bow suffices when they meet. After all, a Demigod who has ascended to mythology possesses almost all the rights of a true God except for the Godhood itself, differing only in accumulation and the final act of becoming a God. Though the difference in accumulation is vast, and in a full confrontation, a Demigod is no match for a true God, in the material world, constrained by worldly laws, a true God¡¯s power cannot be fully unleashed, thus the gap is not as large. Moreover, artifacts exist that even allow mortals to slay Gods, let alone Demigods versus true Gods. From the perspective of life levels, both Demigods and true Gods are essentially on the same tier, distinct from mortal beings like ants. A somewhat inaccurate yet vivid analogy would be that if mortals are insects, Demigods and true Gods are humans at the pinnacle of nature. Demigods are merely school children while true Gods are adults who have mastered their arts. ¡°I¡¯ve long heard of you and always wished to meet you. Today, my wish is fulfilled. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Bloodborne Progenitor¡­ Lady Lilith.¡± Moon Goddess Artemis said with a gentle smile, returning the greeting. Chapter 555 : The Gathering of the Three Myths The Sea King¡¯s Palace, as luxurious as a celestial dragon palace, was brightly lit, with luminous pearls embedded in the dome sparkling brilliantly. The North Sea merfolk served cautiously, offering a variety of rare fruits and fragrant wines to the three Gods seated at the crystal table. Hmm¡­ this lavish underwater banquet was clearly not prepared for Charlotte. The variety of fruits, mostly from the Western Continent and favored by elves, and the exquisite, entirely vegetarian elven dishes, spoke volumes. Even Charlotte¡¯s favorite drink, sweet milk, was hastily prepared by a large octopus after noticing her subtle expression, ordering the merfolk quietly to fetch it. This made Charlotte feel somewhat superfluous here. However, to forge a friendship with a reclusive Sea God in this era, Charlotte¡¯s thick-skinned nature was naturally up to the task. Despite the odd atmosphere in the Sea King¡¯s Palace, most of the awkwardness stemmed from a certain octopus-headed deity, as well as the inquisitive sea creatures whose large eyes kept darting between Charlotte and the Moon Goddess Artemis, their shiny foreheads practically shouting gossip. After all, the recently renowned ¡°Bloodborne Progenitor¡± aside, the Sea King¡¯s affectionate gaze towards the Elven Goddess was unmistakable. Of course, these subtly curious sea creatures were quickly driven out by a visibly displeased Oceanus. ¡°Go! Go! What are you looking at? When myths discuss matters, don¡¯t just stand around! Get back to your duties! No interruptions without my command!¡± The merfolk retreated, leaving only the three mythical beings in the palace. Thus, the only bystander left was Charlotte. Charlotte picked up her fixed pearl cup in the Sea King¡¯s Palace, sipping her sweet milk slowly while smilingly observing the two myths. Oceanus seemed nervous, even a bit embarrassed, his octopus tentacles, which formed his hair and beard, curling unnaturally. On the other hand, Artemis appeared much more composed. She was evidently acquainted with Oceanus but not as familiar as Charlotte, maintaining an elegant and courteous demeanor with a hint of formality and distance. This disappointed the gossiping Charlotte somewhat. Clearly, there was no spark between these two illustrious true Gods, at least¡­ not from Artemis¡¯s side. It seemed that Oceanus¡¯ feelings were one-sided. In a sense, this revelation would undoubtedly excite future researchers of divine entities¡ªa colossal piece of gossip that in the Mythic Era, one of the Three Gods, Oceanus, had an unrequited love for another, Artemis! However, Charlotte noticed that since her arrival, Artemis¡¯ gaze had been fixed on her. The Moon Goddess made no effort to conceal her curiosity. Yet, within that curiosity lay a faint trace of wariness. This unhidden curiosity mixed with a slight wariness made Oceanus even more anxious. ¡°Ahem, Your Grace Artemis, Her Grace Eternal Night is a friend of mine. A few years ago, she awakened me from my slumber and has been a benefactor to me ever since.¡± Oceanus said. Artemis nodded slightly. She looked at Charlotte and spoke softly. ¡°I sense a familiar aura in you. Are you¡­ ¡®Their¡¯ emissary?¡± Emissary? Oceanus seemed puzzled. Charlotte, however, understood what Artemis meant. She had recognized the origin power within Charlotte, and the ¡°Their¡± referred to was likely the ¡°Creator God¡± in elven lore. Origin power was not something everyone could recognize. Even an ancient true God like Oceanus hadn¡¯t identified it, merely finding Charlotte¡¯s divine power peculiar. But as a mythological leader of the elves, Artemis, who had encountered mythological secrets, naturally knew the origin of this power. After all, the elves had once coveted origin power. ¡°I am not anyone¡¯s emissary. I merely gained some special power by chance.¡± Charlotte replied. ¡°I see¡­¡± Artemis pondered. She carefully scrutinized Charlotte, and after a moment, the slight wariness faded. She sighed and remarked. ¡°It seems my choice to come here was correct. To meet someone who has inherited Their power yet remains unaffected by Them¡­¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡­ everything makes sense now. You must be the one who dealt with the ¡®Primordial Sin¡¯ pollution in the North Sea?¡± Primordial Sin pollution? Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred. ¡°Primordial Sin pollution?¡± Oceanus still looked puzzled. ¡°It¡¯s the thing that caused your slumber, the gray fog that once occupied the depths of the North Sea. It¡¯s a ¡®curse¡¯ from the old continent. I came to visit you because I noticed those troublesome things had been cleared. That¡¯s not something an ordinary myth can handle, so I assumed an old acquaintance had intervened and came to ask you about it.¡± Artemis explained to Oceanus. Hearing this, Charlotte finally understood what Artemis was talking about. According to legend, after the destruction of the Western Continent, the power of the ¡°curse¡± shrouded the broken land, polluting even the surrounding seas. After her time travel, Charlotte had also secretly approached the Western Continent out of curiosity. Of course, she heeded Lilith¡¯s warning not to set foot in the Western Continent until she became a true God, so she only observed from the outskirts. This allowed her to see the true form of the ¡°curse¡±¡ªmutated origin power. This mutated origin power nearly enveloped the entire shattered Western Continent, acting as a toxic barrier against intruders. It was called ¡°origin power¡± because it resonated with the Gospel of Blood and had a rhythm similar to Charlotte¡¯s blood divine power. But it was also called ¡°mutated¡± because its effects resembled ¡°pollution¡±, much like the energy that leaked during a blood frenzy in later generations. This power was also similar to the gray-white mist seeping from the eerie stone door but more violent. Because it was more violent, Charlotte couldn¡¯t use the Gospel of Blood to absorb and utilize it. At most, she could only ¡°purify¡± it, so she gave up on the idea of devouring the ¡°pollution¡± to make it her own. Of course, she was only a Demigod at present. If she could become a true God, perhaps she could devour it just like she could devour the ¡°bloodline curse.¡± But that was for the future. After confirming that she couldn¡¯t deal with the ¡°curse¡± enveloping the Western Continent for the time being, Charlotte returned to Myria. However, when she later sought out the location of Oceanus¡¯ slumber as per the records, she encountered a similar fog barrier in the North Sea. At that time, Charlotte thought it was just an overflow of the Western Continent¡¯s ¡°curse¡±, so she used her blood divine power to ¡°purify¡± it to make it easier to find Oceanus. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But now it seemed¡­ that fog barrier in the North Sea was actually the culprit that caused Sea King Oceanus¡¯ slumber? ¡°That fog barrier in the North Sea¡­ was a calamity left by my kin. To prevent others from leaving, ¡®He¡¯ left that fog barrier in the North Sea¡­¡± ¡°And it was that fog barrier that caused many ancient Gods to be wounded and forced into slumber, including Your Grace Oceanus¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to resolve it, but with my abilities, I could at most prevent it from spreading to the Myria Continent.¡± ¡°Over the years, I¡¯ve been keeping an eye on it, fearing it would spread to Myria and cause devastation. But recently, I discovered¡­ it had been dealt with.¡± ¡°I received news that His Grace Oceanus had awakened. Not only that¡­ but His Grace Oceanus seemed to have mastered the way of faith, which is a method of mythological resurrection that even the elven myths couldn¡¯t fully grasp. So¡­ I thought it was the returned ¡®Oceanus¡¯ who solved everything.¡± The Moon Goddess Artemis explained. ¡°Wait¡­ so¡­ that fog barrier was purified by you, Eternal Night? I thought it had dissipated on its own!¡± Oceanus widened his eyes. He looked at Charlotte incredulously. ¡°Eternal Night¡­ it¡¯s been three years. Why didn¡¯t you mention it?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t ask, and to me, it was just a piece of pollution that could be ¡®purified¡¯ anytime, so I didn¡¯t think much of it.¡± Charlotte said. ¡°Damn! I always thought there was something peculiar about your divine power. I didn¡¯t expect you could purify that kind of thing! No wonder¡­ Artemis was right, you truly are the inheritor of origin power!¡± Oceanus exclaimed. ¡°So¡­ how did you end up in slumber? Why were you so evasive when I asked? I always thought you did something to the Moon Goddess and got put to sleep by the elves.¡± ¡°Bullshit! I was just trying to save people on the day the Western Continent was destroyed! I was suddenly knocked out by that fog!¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you say so when I asked?¡± ¡°Because it was embarrassing!¡± ¡°You actually feel embarrassed.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Charlotte and Oceanus bickered, clearing up the previously unspoken confusion. Artemis smiled. ¡°It seems¡­ you two really get along well. It¡¯s wonderful to see you awake, Your Grace Oceanus.¡± Oceanus¡¯ expression changed instantly. ¡°No! Absolutely not! I don¡¯t get along with this cheeky Demigod at all! She¡¯s the one who keeps hanging around!¡± Charlotte didn¡¯t tease Oceanus further. She pondered for a moment and then focused her attention on what Artemis had just said. ¡°Your Grace Artemis, I remember you saying¡­ you thought it was the returned ¡®Oceanus¡¯ who solved everything?¡± Artemis nodded and sighed. ¡°Yes, I originally thought so. Fortunately¡­ that wasn¡¯t the case. Thankfully, His Grace Oceanus¡­ is still Oceanus.¡± ¡°What do you mean? How am I still myself?¡± Sea King Oceanus looked bewildered, as if his CPU had been overloaded by Charlotte and Artemis. Charlotte glanced at him. ¡°It means that after waking up, you could have become ¡®someone else.¡¯¡± Artemis nodded in agreement, her gaze once again falling on Charlotte. Charlotte could feel that Artemis seemed even more curious about her, but the initial wariness had disappeared, replaced by a sense of appreciation and expectation. Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred. ¡°Your Grace Artemis, I think you wanted to see me not just for the reasons you mentioned, right?¡± Artemis nodded. ¡°Of course, but before that, I have another question for both of you.¡± Her expression suddenly became solemn, replacing the gentle demeanor with seriousness. ¡°Just now outside¡­ did the two of you mention the ¡®Sun Temple¡¯?¡± Chapter 556 : Artemis’ Conviction Charlotte¡¯s first thought upon hearing Artemis bring up the Sun Temple was that the Moon Goddess Artemis would indeed be interested in matters concerning the Sun Temple! This was understandable, considering that Helios, the Sun God and one of the two primary Gods of the elves, was Artemis¡¯ brother. With this in mind, Charlotte nodded and said, ¡°Yes, they are the true controllers behind the Old Gods Alliance, and they are the enemies I came to ask Oceanus to deal with.¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, Artemis couldn¡¯t help but look at Oceanus, who, usually rugged and bold, now appeared uncharacteristically serious. Oceanus nodded at Artemis and said solemnly. ¡°Yes, the Sun Temple is a church that appeared in the Northern Frontier three years ago and is also the enemy of Eternal Night.¡± Artemis frowned and said, ¡°Your Grace Oceanus, you should understand what the term ¡®Sun Temple¡¯ signifies for us elves.¡± Oceanus nodded. ¡°Of course, a ¡®temple¡¯ naturally worships a God, and with the prefix ¡®Sun¡¯, it refers to a God associated with the sun. To my knowledge, there has only ever been one God named the Sun God, and that is the elves¡¯ Sun God, Helios.¡± At this point, Oceanus couldn¡¯t help but add. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I believe I conveyed this information to the elves two years ago. Haven¡¯t you received it?¡± Artemis fell silent. Seeing her complex and somewhat forlorn expression, Oceanus seemed to guess something. With a look of anger, he cursed. ¡°Wait¡­ could it be that the elves didn¡¯t inform you? Is the rumor true? Did they really betray you?¡± Artemis shook her head and sighed. ¡°No, it¡¯s not their fault.¡± ¡°My brother¡­ no, the Sun God Helios has long been a taboo topic among the elves.¡± ¡°Although I am the current protector of the elves, my special relationship with Helios makes them nervous and sensitive about this matter.¡± ¡°It is quite normal for the Elder Council to suppress this information.¡± Oceanus was both amused and exasperated. ¡°You don¡¯t need to make excuses for them. You¡¯re too kind-hearted. In my opinion, among all the races in this world, only the elves dare to be so disrespectful to their Gods. Just because they have some means to constrain Gods, they become so arrogant. They neglect their own guardian deity¡ªsuch descendants are not worth your concern!¡± Artemis sighed. ¡°Your Grace Oceanus, it¡¯s not their fault. After all¡­ the elves¡¯ homeland was destroyed by my brother.¡± ¡°But that was Helios, not you! I remember that Helios had been coveting the power of creation for a long time. These foolish long-eared ones are just venting their anger on you because you¡¯re kind. You saved them and brought them to the Eastern Continent as their protector. In my opinion, they should report any information regarding the ¡®Sun God¡¯ to you immediately!¡± Oceanus said with a frown. Artemis responded with a wry smile. Artemis sighed and said, ¡°But my special relationship with Helios makes trust¡­ once lost, very difficult to rebuild.¡± Charlotte pondered over Artemis¡¯s words, recalling the rumors she had heard while secretly seeking Artemis¡¯ contact over the past three and a half years. These were things Charlotte hadn¡¯t known before her recent journey. In the future, these might have become secrets known only within the elf community. Unlike the unwavering faith in the Moon Goddess that Charlotte knew from the future, in this era, the faith in Artemis among the elves was not solid. More precisely, like Oceanus, there were no temples or priests dedicated to Artemis among the elves. Charlotte discovered this while covertly investigating the areas controlled by the elves. Further investigation revealed that Artemis¡¯ position among the elves seemed awkward. Although she was the only true God of the elves and their protector, the elves seemed very wary of her. In her secret visits, Charlotte only found a few elves who wholeheartedly regarded her as their guardian. On the contrary, many elves believed that the destruction of the Western Continent was due to both Artemis and Helios, and that saving the elves and bringing them to the Eastern Continent was merely Artemis¡¯ ¡°atonement.¡± When Charlotte first heard this rumor, she thought the elves¡¯ caution and wariness towards Artemis might be the ¡°historical truth.¡± However, after getting to know Oceanus, she overturned this belief. Although Oceanus had been severely injured and fell into a deep sleep on the day of the Western Continent¡¯s destruction, he had been quite knowledgeable about the internal affairs of the elves. Over the three years of their acquaintance, they rarely had major disagreements, except once concerning Artemis. At that time, Charlotte mentioned the rumor, which instantly enraged Oceanus. He then told her about the secrets of the elves before the destruction of the Western Continent, confirming that Artemis had always opposed Helios¡¯ ambitious plans. Yet, for some unknown reason, this fact seemed unknown to most elves in the current era. From that moment, Charlotte realized that, as Oceanus had just said, the elves¡¯ attitude towards Artemis was merely the anger of the ignorant. Ultimately, it was due to Artemis¡¯ soft nature and awkward position, combined with the highly developed magical abilities of the elves, which made them lack reverence for the Gods and possess methods to resist them. These internal and external factors led to their disrespect and distrust of Artemis, despite her being their guardian. Only good people get blamed. Charlotte even suspected that this situation might be what the elven council wanted. For a ruling class of a race with means to counter Gods, it would be undesirable to have a higher-ranking, more powerful God above them. Thinking of this, Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°They are just spoiled children. Only when they have completely disappointed their mother will they realize their regret.¡± Artemis sighed. ¡°Their concerns are not unfounded. After all¡­ I have indeed been searching for the whereabouts of the Sun¡¯s followers.¡± Charlotte¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Why are you looking for the Sun¡¯s followers?¡± Artemis¡¯s expression grew serious. ¡°Those who worship my brother are fanatics who follow his doctrines. Although my brother¡ªthe Sun God¡ªfell into eternal slumber with the destruction of the old continent, many of his followers escaped the catastrophe. These lunatics are always preparing to awaken my brother. Their plans pose a great threat and disaster to the elves and the world, so I have been secretly tracking them.¡± Oceanus frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t the elves know about this?¡± Artemis sighed and gave a wry smile. ¡°Sun and Moon are two sides of the same coin. Although I disagree with my brother, the elves see it as tacit approval or agreement with his attempts, thus losing their trust.¡± ¡°Lost trust is hard to regain. So, all I can do is investigate these things alone and let time prove everything.¡± But this only deepened the misunderstanding, and Oceanus¡¯s message got stuck within the elves, never reaching Artemis. Charlotte thought silently. With these thoughts in mind, she looked at the Moon Goddess before her. Beautiful, gentle, and righteous. When she mentioned the elves, her clear eyes were filled with sorrow, regret, and guilt. It wasn¡¯t an act, it was sincere. Furthermore, those bright eyes, like moonlight, held hope and conviction for the future. She seemed to believe that she could regain the elves¡¯ trust through her actions and atone for the harm Helios caused. However, knowing the future, Charlotte felt a twinge of sadness. Artemis¡¯ wish was indeed fulfilled. In the future, everything was ¡°rectified.¡± The elves respected and worshipped her. But her hopes and beliefs were probably shattered. For a God who loved her race to give up on them, she must have faced unprecedented betrayal and frustration. Charlotte couldn¡¯t imagine what it was, but to make such a devoted guardian deity despair must have been a ¡°fatal¡± blow to the soul. ¡°Your Grace Artemis, if the Sun Temple is indeed backed by followers of the Sun God, and if¡­ the Sun God¡¯s will has ¡®awakened¡¯, what will you do?¡± Charlotte asked. Artemis shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. My brother¡­ the Sun God¡¯s will perished with the destruction of the Western Continent. If there is a ¡®Sun God¡¯ awakening, it won¡¯t be the Sun God of the past.¡± She then looked serious. ¡°Lady Lilith, from your words, is the Sun Temple acting under a ¡®divine will¡¯?¡± Charlotte sighed. ¡°They are not just following a ¡®divine will.¡¯ They¡­ can even ¡®create Gods.¡¯¡± ¡°Create¡­ Gods?!¡± Hearing this, Artemis¡¯ eyes widened, and her always calm expression finally changed. Chapter 557 : Returning ¡°Lady Lilith, what exactly do you mean by ¡®creating Gods¡¯?¡± Moon Goddess Artemis asked. Charlotte didn¡¯t hold back and truthfully told her everything she had seen and heard over the past three years, especially about the ¡°Gods¡± created by the Sun Temple and the specific intelligence she had gathered. When she mentioned that these ¡°Gods¡± didn¡¯t even have names, Artemis¡¯ expression changed completely. It was a complex mix of shock, suspicion, regret, and anger. Seeing her reaction, Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred. ¡°Lady Artemis, did something occur to you?¡± Artemis¡¯ face didn¡¯t look good. She hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not sure. Perhaps¡­ I need to go to the Northern Frontier. No, I must go there. If they are indeed those lunatics, if¡­ ¡®He¡¯ has truly returned, I must stop them.¡± Having said this, the guardian of the elves looked at Charlotte with unprecedented seriousness. ¡°Lady Lilith, have you found the hiding place of this so-called Sun Temple?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Charlotte nodded. ¡°Could you tell me? There are some things I must verify. In a sense, it is my responsibility and that of the elves.¡± The responsibility of the elves? It seems the so-called ¡°Sun Temple¡± is indeed connected to Helios, as Lilith had said. Charlotte pondered for a moment, then exchanged a glance with Oceanus before saying, ¡°Actually, I came to visit His Grace Oceanus for this matter. The Sun Temple has always been hostile towards me, and our war with them is nearing its end. In this final stage, I received some secret information that the Old Gods might have a divine war plan targeting me¡­¡± ¡°So, I want to strike first and attack their base, catching them off guard. That¡¯s why I sought support from Lord Oceanus.¡± She looked at Artemis and asked. ¡°Lady Artemis, would you be willing to join me in confronting the Sun Temple?¡± Artemis¡¯s expression showed she was moved by Charlotte¡¯s words. She thought for a moment and asked, ¡°When do you plan to go?¡± ¡°The sooner the better, if possible. I don¡¯t want to give the Old Gods too much time to react. But it depends on His Grace Oceanus¡¯s availability.¡± Charlotte replied. Artemis looked at Oceanus, who immediately broke into a smile. ¡°I¡¯m available! Anytime! When do we leave? Now? I¡¯m eager to beat those fallen fools!¡± Charlotte: ¡­ ¡°Lady Lilith, I am willing to assist you in this matter. No¡­ I hope to join you in hunting them down. I also believe the sooner, the better!¡± Artemis said seriously. Charlotte was delighted. ¡°That¡¯s great! With two true Gods joining us, I have nothing to worry about.¡± After a moment of thought, she asked. ¡°By the way, Your Grace Oceanus, Lady Artemis, do either of you have the ability to hide your aura and shrink your bodies or transform into objects that can be carried with me?¡± Oceanus¡¯ interest was piqued. ¡°Do you mean¡­¡± Charlotte spread her hands. ¡°The entity behind the Sun Temple is also a true God, but their power should be limited. However, the Sun Temple controls many Demigods, and this mysterious God seems very sensitive to auras. If they sense two true Gods joining the battle, they might abandon their plan or even flee.¡± ¡°The Sun Temple is targeting me, so I hope both of you can completely hide your identities and stay with me, ready to strike at the critical moment.¡± ¡­ After visiting the Sea King¡¯s Palace, Charlotte returned to the Northern Frontier. She traveled to the North Sea alone and returned alone. But when she left, she had two new accessories: a moonflower hairpin in her hair and a crystal conch pendant around her neck. ¡­ ¡°Teacher, you¡¯re back!¡± In the border fortress of the Free City-State Alliance, Harald respectfully greeted the crimson streak descending from the sky. As the blood divine power dissipated, Charlotte appeared. Seeing the orderly fortress, she nodded and asked. ¡°How are the preparations?¡± ¡°All external troops have returned to their fortresses, and all protective formations in the fortresses and outposts are fully charged. Additionally, according to your latest divine decree, all the named third-generation awakened bloodbornes are gathered at the border, ready to depart at any time.¡± Harald reported. He hesitated before adding, ¡°Teacher, I do have a few questions¡­¡± ¡°You said the Sun Temple might set an ambush and planned to fully retract our defenses. Why did you suddenly issue a decree two days ago to gather the vanguard for an attack?¡± ¡°And why only bring some third-generation bloodbornes? I noticed that not all of the strongest second-awakening warriors were chosen. Some less powerful ones were, while stronger ones were not.¡± ¡°Although those not chosen haven¡¯t said anything, they are quite disappointed. Your fairness is well-known, so this unusual decision has puzzled me. Is there some inside information?¡± ¡°Though those chosen are strong, attacking the core temple of the Sun Temple will be challenging¡­¡± ¡°For you as well, the remaining mythical power in the Sun Temple is formidable¡­¡± Harald was visibly worried. Charlotte shook her head. ¡°I understand your concerns, but¡­ don¡¯t worry. Since I¡¯ve decided to change the plan, I¡¯m confident.¡± Harald¡¯s eyes flicked to the direction of the North Sea. ¡°Does this mean you¡¯ve found ¡®help¡¯?¡± Charlotte smiled without answering. Seeing her confident demeanor, Harald seemed to understand and was both relieved and excited. Charlotte glanced at the training bloodborne warriors in the fortress and chuckled. ¡°As for why I chose those particular warriors, you¡¯ll understand in time.¡± S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. In time¡­ Could it be these specially chosen warriors have potential I¡¯m not aware of? Harald pondered. Seeing him deep in thought, Charlotte didn¡¯t explain further. There wasn¡¯t much to explain. The warriors she chose to accompany her to the core temple of the Sun Temple all had one thing in common: they were prominent figures in the Blood Moon Era in the future. As Harald said, infiltrating the Old Gods¡¯ alliance and the Sun Temple¡¯s core temple was a risky plan. But the risk wasn¡¯t to Charlotte herself. With two true Gods and ¡°historical inevitability¡±, she wasn¡¯t worried about her safety. The real risk was to the participating bloodborne warriors. Charlotte couldn¡¯t go alone, there would be mundane battles beneath the mythical ones. The collateral damage from a divine war would be catastrophic for mortals. Only the chosen warriors would be immune to such danger, as they all survived into the Blood Moon Era in history. In a sense, Harald wasn¡¯t entirely wrong. The chosen bloodborne warriors indeed had the ¡°potential¡± to survive into the next era. Chapter 558 : Abaddon’s Emotions Northeast of the Northern Frontier, in the Dragonspine Mountains. The roars of magical beasts and the wails of the undead echoed through the mountains, as crimson and darkness spread like a tide towards the depths of the range. Under the bright moonlight, priests and followers watched in terror as waves of undead and magical beasts surged forward. The heartland of the Old Gods¡¯ Alliance was thrown into chaos. ¡°Enemy attack! Enemy attack!¡± ¡°It¡¯s an army of undead and a tide of magical beasts!¡± ¡°So many undead¡­ so many magical beasts!¡± Shouts of alarm rang out in every temple, plunging the Old Gods¡¯ Alliance into turmoil. The priests, bewildered and terrified by the sudden appearance of undead and magical beasts in the mountains, turned pale. ¡°This kind of magic¡­ this aura¡­ it¡¯s the undead and familiars summoned by those bloodbornes!¡± ¡°Hurry, report to the Sun Temple! The city-states have launched a sneak attack on us! Activate the protective magic and summon our army back to aid us!¡± ¡°Quickly, inform His Eminence and request divine intervention!¡± Caught off guard, every temple in the Dragonspine Mountains was thrown into disarray. The priests, not expecting an ambush, scrambled to action, gathering their defending forces and activating the protective spells and divine magic. Dots of light illuminated various parts of the Dragonspine Mountains as the Old Gods¡¯ temples activated their protective barriers. Soon, battles erupted everywhere. This was not an equal battle. Even with protective barriers, the various strongholds of the Old Gods¡¯ Alliance were on the brink of collapse against the tide of undead and magical beasts. When several powerful and terrifying auras appeared, the faces of the priests changed drastically. ¡°This is bad! It¡¯s the descendants of that Progenitor!¡± ¡°Retreat! Report to His Eminence!¡± Shouts echoed throughout the mountains. Under the crimson light, the second-awakened third-generation bloodbornes appeared like phantoms, leading the undead and magical beasts in a raid towards the depths of the Dragonspine Mountains. Led by Harald, legion Commanders Abaddon, Femaror, Casey, and Rowena, whose strength had surged to Legendary levels over the three and a half years of war, followed closely. Under the moonlit night, the bloodbornes wore uniform black robes, with only their crimson eyes glowing in the darkness. The brilliance of shadows spread continuously, and the dark magic swallowed the terrified Old Gods¡¯ priests one by one. Abaddon, now one of the Legion Commanders, looked disdainfully at the priests¡¯ corpses on the ground, whose souls and power he had completely devoured. Shaking his head in disappointment, he said, ¡°Too weak. These priests are too weak!¡± ¡°This is the core strength of the Old Gods¡¯ Alliance that has fought us for so many years? If I had known they were this weak, we should have ambushed them like this long ago and wiped them out completely!¡± He glanced at a few priests who were trying to escape in the corner of the temple, and with a sinister smile, he reached out to summon his demonic power again. However, before Abaddon could act, a dark red light struck first, transforming into a sword light that killed the fleeing priests. ¡°Too weak? No, it¡¯s just that we¡¯ve become too strong over the years.¡± A graceful figure slowly emerged before the priests¡¯ corpses. ¡°Rowena! Those were my prey!¡± Abaddon exclaimed upon seeing the figure. With a flash of crimson light, Rowena, clad in a black robe, glanced at him, frowning slightly. ¡°Abaddon, I¡¯ve told you many times, killing them is enough. There¡¯s no need to devour their souls as well. Doing that makes us no different from the Old Gods¡¯ followers.¡± Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Ridiculous mercy. The moment they became followers of the Old Gods, they became our complete enemies. And as enemies, how I deal with them is entirely up to me!¡± Abaddon retorted. He then sneered. ¡°Besides, if I can devour their power like Her Eminence, why not use it?¡± Rowena looked at him with furrowed brows, then shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re a mad dog!¡± Abaddon chuckled. ¡°Call me what you want. I never sought anyone else¡¯s approval. As long as Her Eminence acknowledges me, that¡¯s enough. Even if I¡¯m a mad dog, I¡¯m Her Eminence¡¯s mad dog!¡± Rowena¡¯s frown deepened at Abaddon¡¯s words. She took a deep breath, ready to continue arguing, but in the next moment, a steady voice stopped her. ¡°Alright, enough. As Bardock said, every time you meet, you end up arguing.¡± It was Harald. He was surrounded by a golden holy light, starkly contrasting with the crimson and darkness of the bloodbornes. But the bloodbornes around him were already accustomed to it. Not only that, but upon his appearance, all the bloodbornes respectfully saluted him. This was the authority of the secular leader of the Free City-State Alliance and the transcendent status brought by being the sole disciple of the ¡°Savior¡± and the ¡°Progenitor.¡± Even Abaddon, the strongest among the awakened third-generation bloodbornes, curbed his arrogance and nodded slightly. Looking at Abaddon, who was surrounded by dark power, Harald pondered for a moment and said, ¡°Abaddon, the teacher is the teacher, and we are ourselves.¡± ¡°I know you admire the teacher and take pride in being able to ¡®devour¡¯ the enemy¡¯s power like her, but I need to remind you that your ¡®devouring¡¯ is fundamentally different from the teacher¡¯s ¡®devouring.¡¯¡± ¡°Rowena is right, be careful. If you devour too much evil power, be cautious that you might one day be consumed by it.¡± Abaddon raised an eyebrow, his eyes brightening. ¡°Is this a warning from Her Eminence?¡± Harald shook his head. ¡°No, it¡¯s my own friendly advice to you.¡± Abaddon¡¯s eyes drooped immediately, making it hard to see his expression in the darkness. After a moment, he returned to his nonchalant demeanor. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I am the strongest bloodborne among the awakened warriors and Her Eminence¡¯s most loyal hound! I am the closest in power to Her Eminence. I will never be consumed by power!¡± Harald frowned at Abaddon¡¯s indifferent attitude but eventually just shook his head. ¡°You¡­ take care.¡± With that, he took the lead and walked towards the depths of the Old Gods¡¯ temple. As he passed by Abaddon, he paused briefly and said softly. ¡°If¡­ you want to gain Teacher¡¯s attention this way, I advise you to give up.¡± ¡°I know you always feel that among all the awakened bloodbornes, the teacher is the least concerned about you, always deliberately distancing herself and ignoring you¡­ you even feel somewhat aggrieved by this.¡± ¡°But as far as I know, the teacher has always been secretly watching over you. Although I don¡¯t know why her attitude towards you differs from other awakened bloodbornes, one thing I am certain of.¡± ¡°And that is, in her eyes, you are also her descendant.¡± ¡°Sometimes, the teacher just doesn¡¯t know how to express her feelings.¡± With that, Harald continued forward, ordering the bloodbornes behind him as he walked. ¡°Everyone! Follow me! The battle ahead will likely become increasingly difficult!¡± ¡°Our real enemies are not these Old Gods Churches used as bait by the Sun Temple. We must quickly and thoroughly crush these temples before the Old Gods¡¯ armies return, create a huge commotion, and overthrow the core statues of the Old Gods to force those myths to reveal themselves!¡± Upon hearing Harald¡¯s words, the bloodborne warriors were filled with fighting spirit and followed him. Abaddon muttered a few words and then put away his demonic power, striding to catch up with the group. This was an unequal battle. Although there were fewer than two hundred participating bloodbornes, the Old Gods¡¯ alliance, hollow on the inside, was no match for them. This was expected since the main forces of the Old Gods¡¯ alliance were not here. Charlotte had deliberately chosen the awakened third-generation bloodbornes to raid the heartland of the Old Gods¡¯ alliance, intending to bypass the main forces and directly force those hidden myths to reveal themselves. And the results proved that this raid was even more effective than she had imagined. ¡­ Under the moonlit night, atop the mountain. Standing on the peak, Charlotte watched the temples in the mountains ablaze with fire and nodded quietly. The growth rate of the bloodbornes was much faster than she had anticipated, thanks to her deliberate distribution of her bloodline power among them. Now, the combat power of these high-ranking bloodbornes had drastically improved. Fully unleashing their power and summoning undead and magical beasts with the innate magic she taught them, their combat strength could indeed be described as one-man armies. The secular forces left to guard the various Old Gods¡¯ temples were no match for them. Even just watching from the mountain top, Charlotte could see her armies advancing rapidly like a sweeping storm, destroying one temple after another in the mountains. ¡°Eternal Night, with such an intense battle below, when will we join in? I sense the presence of many myths, there are indeed quite a few hidden here.¡± The voice of Sea King, Oceanus, came from the necklace, sounding eager. Clearly, the overwhelming battle of the bloodbornes had also made this true God itch for action. Charlotte shook her head. ¡°No rush. When their true Gods appear, it won¡¯t be too late for you two to show up.¡± ¡°As for now¡­ let¡¯s see when those myths will be unable to hold back and make a move.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, Charlotte felt a stir in her heart. She looked towards the direction the third-generation bloodbornes were advancing. In that direction, a strange yet powerful aura was slowly rising. Vast pressure gradually spread, and dazzling brilliance shot into the sky. Watching the divine power beam piercing the dark sky, Charlotte squinted and chuckled. ¡°I overestimated them. It seems¡­ one of them can¡¯t hold back anymore.¡± With that, a crimson light flashed, and her figure disappeared. Chapter 559 : Battle of Myths This was a highly successful raid. Not only was it sudden, but the battle was almost a one-sided crushing force. No one expected the bloodbornes of the Free City-State Alliance to suddenly mobilize almost all their top leaders, leaving their main forces behind. Hundreds of bloodbornes, each at least at the Blazing Sun tier, appeared in the Dragonspine Mountains like a ghostly army. Legendaries, who were enough to command respect in past battles, gathered together, forming a force no empty Old Gods temple could withstand. Perhaps when facing armies protected by divine artifacts and myths, the Blazing Suns and Legendaries might struggle to exert overwhelming power, but when Legendaries resort to ¡°ambush¡± tactics, everything changes. Against the high-level bloodbornes¡¯ raid, the Old Gods¡¯ temples were nearly swept away like chaff in an ocean of undead and beasts. The bloodborne warriors had never felt such exhilaration. In the past, due to the protection of divine artifacts and Old Gods, every battle they fought was extremely arduous. But today¡¯s ¡°ambush¡± allowed them to experience a different kind of joy. Like an expert descending upon a novice village to dominate. However, as the deputy commander of this raid, Harald, the second-in-command of the Alliance, did not share the excitement. Unlike the increasingly exhilarated bloodborne warriors, his expression was serious, and his gaze was constantly wary of his surroundings, ever vigilant. In his mind, charlotte¡¯s instructions before the raid still echoed. ¡°Harald, the significance of this raid is not in how many Old Gods¡¯ temples you destroy, but in how you can lure the Old Gods out.¡± ¡°Lure the Old Gods out?¡± ¡°Yes, you are the sword, but you are also the bait. Successfully raiding means that the core extraordinary forces of the castle are surrounded. For the Old Gods, this is also a good chance to wipe out the high-level bloodbornes, so¡­ they will certainly take action.¡± ¡°But they should also know we are the ¡®bait¡¯, right?¡± ¡°Of course, but even so, as long as you cause enough commotion, they will ultimately take action.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°Because they are also ¡®bait¡¯, to lure me out.¡± ¡°And you¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. In a sense, I am also bait. The true confrontation of this war will be a battle of true Gods. We only have one chance. You must, in this raid, draw out the true existence behind the Sun Temple.¡± S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Then what should we do?¡± ¡°Maximize the anger of the Old Gods. The dignity of God cannot be violated. When they feel their dignity is being affronted, even knowing you are ¡®bait¡¯, they will inevitably intervene.¡± ¡°I¡­ understand.¡± ¡­ Various conversations flashed through Harald¡¯s mind as he watched the Old Gods¡¯ temples gradually being taken over by the bloodborne warriors, his gaze becoming deeper. ¡°Topple all the statues, smash them, burn down all the temples, and erase all traces of the Evil Gods!¡± He ordered. With his command, the bloodbornes quickly and efficiently carried out his orders. As temple after temple of the Old Gods was burned and destroyed, as core statues were toppled and shattered¡­ Finally, a myth couldn¡¯t hold back any longer. When the last statue in a particular temple was toppled, the advancing bloodborne warriors felt the air around them suddenly solidify. A roar, filled with anger, echoed through the heavens and earth, seemingly resonating in their souls. ¡°Impudent¡ª!¡± A bright silver column of divine power shot into the sky, and a terrifying pressure descended instantly. The heavens and earth suddenly changed color, and a giant silver hand, like a mountain, quickly formed in the sky. The bright silver brilliance almost illuminated the entire sky, and the giant hand of divine power almost covered the entire mountain range. The magic in the air became agitated, and as the giant silver hand appeared, it fell like a star, pressing down on the bloodborne warriors in the mountains. Seeing the giant hand of divine power descending from the sky, the bloodbornes felt their bloodline power freeze instantly. Even though they had prepared mentally, they couldn¡¯t help but change color, their expressions unprecedentedly grave. They could feel the terrifying power contained in that giant hand of divine power. They could also feel the anger in that vast voice. Even the strongest, Harald and Abaddon, could clearly sense that they were no match for this blow. Without the protection of divine artifacts and magic, this blow could wipe out most of the high-level bloodbornes covered by it. Of course. In the age of myths, how could the extraordinary lack divine artifacts? ¡°A myth has taken action! Activate the divine artifacts!¡± Harald roared. As soon as he spoke, crimson brilliance lit up in the mountains. These were protective divine artifacts prepared by the bloodborne warriors in advance, personally infused with Charlotte¡¯s divine power. The crimson brilliance spread, forming a massive energy shield that collided with the descending giant silver hand. ¡°Boom¡ª!¡± Under the deafening roar, the entire Dragonspine Mountain Range shook. Chaotic magic formed a violent magic storm, tearing through everything in its path. Under the powerful impact, mountains collapsed, and the earth cracked. The bloodbornes under the protection of the divine artifacts felt a massive force impacting their bodies and souls. Their already pale faces turned even paler, and some of the weaker ones coughed up blood, struggling to stand. However, no one died. Although the blow nearly destroyed everything it touched, the bloodbornes under the crimson glow were almost unharmed, suffering only some internal injuries. As the brilliance faded, the crimson divine power shield merely dimmed a bit. The bloodbornes, though somewhat weakened, were still alive and kicking. This is the power of divine artifacts. With divine artifacts, even mortals can face the power of Gods. But this was not the end. The terrifying pressure continued to rise, and the silver brilliance grew even more dazzling. The giant silver hand reappeared, the divine power flames burning brightly, almost covering the entire sky. Under the destructive divine power, the bloodbornes felt an endless ¡°anger¡± burning within them. That was the anger of the Gods. Or more accurately, the anger of the Demigod who had just acted. Another blow descended from the sky, even more powerful than before. This time, the giant hand of divine power was surrounded by faintly glowing runes, with the shadow of scales faintly visible behind it. Extraordinary beings can possess divine artifacts, and myths can naturally possess divine artifacts as well. Clearly, the Old God who acted did not hold back but also used a divine artifact. Divine artifacts amplify the power of Gods, and Gods¡¯ use of divine artifacts is far beyond mortals¡¯ capabilities. The bright silver brilliance instantly turned platinum. Under the terrifying divine power, the divine power shield of the bloodbornes showed cracks. The protective divine artifacts couldn¡¯t hold on! The bloodborne warriors turned pale. Facing the insurmountable divine power at such close range, even the strongest bloodborne warriors couldn¡¯t hide their shock. But just as the platinum divine power hand descended again, the whole world suddenly darkened. As if covered by a shadow, the stars and silver moon disappeared. Then, a crimson blood moon rose, illuminating the mountains like the protector of the bloodbornes. The platinum hand and the crimson blood moon collided instantly, turning the world into a dazzling white. The bloodbornes¡¯ vision turned blindingly white, and as the light faded, the darkness returned, and a terrifying roar echoed through the heavens and earth. ¡°Boom¡ª!¡± Under the roar, mountains collapsed, and the entire Dragonspine Mountain Range turned into a wasteland, almost flattened where the bloodbornes stood. However, the previously fragile divine power shield had stabilized and under divine protection, the intact mountain formed a platform hundreds of meters high. That was where the bloodbornes stood. The other parts of the mountains had been completely destroyed by the platinum divine power hand. But unlike the previous damage, this time the bloodbornes did not feel the force¡¯s impact. Even though this time the force was more powerful, causing more terrifying destruction. The divine power shield around them flowed like water, and the protective divine artifacts maintained by the blood divine power had returned to normal. No, not just normal, the divine power shield seemed even more stable than when the bloodbornes activated it. The bloodbornes couldn¡¯t help but look up, gazing fanatically at the crimson brilliance, looking fervently at the blood moon in the sky, and the beautiful figure beneath it, who had appeared unnoticed. Silver hair dancing in the wind, golden-red pupils burning with crimson flames, her expressionless, doll-like beautiful face indifferent as she gazed at the platinum divine power in the sky. ¡°It¡¯s Lady Lilith, Lady Lilith is here!¡± ¡°Long live Her Eminence the Savior! Long live the great Progenitor!¡± In the bloodbornes¡¯ cheers, the crimson and platinum divine powers clashed, and the platinum divine power visibly could not match the crimson brilliance, gradually losing in the confrontation. The platinum rapidly faded back to bright silver, and the giant divine power hand turned into a ghostly face. The face glared at the beautiful figure in the sky, eyes of divine flame blazed with resentment and anger, a low voice full of dread and hatred echoing through the heavens and earth. ¡°Eternal Night¡­ Monarch!¡± Chapter 560 : One Against Many ¡°Eternal Night¡­ Monarch!¡± A brilliant silver phantom giant appeared in the sky, its face, formed from divine power, full of resentment and anger. Charlotte slightly raised her head, a faint smile brushing her exquisite and beautiful cheeks. ¡°Sir Bartos, we meet again.¡± Bartos, the God of the Sky. He was the second-ranked Demigod in the Old Gods Alliance and a staunch follower of the Sun Temple. According to Charlotte¡¯s knowledge, his relationship with the creator of the Old Gods Alliance, the God of Secret Contracts, was not harmonious, making him a major force in the faction aligned with the Sun Temple. Three and a half years ago, Charlotte had fought against him once. He was a Demigod capable of controlling the celestial phenomena and wielded an artifact called ¡°The Balance of All Things¡±, which could amplify divine power. Among the Demigods Charlotte had faced, he was one of the few who could confront her alone. Of course, that was two years ago. In the past two years, Charlotte¡¯s strength had greatly increased. Although her accumulated divine power had not yet transformed, her reserves and mastery of divine power had far surpassed before. Two years ago, when Charlotte battled him, he hadn¡¯t even used his artifact. Now, even with his artifact in play, he was still forced back by Charlotte¡¯s divine power in their first clash. And this, without Charlotte using the power of the Gospel of Blood. ¡°Your growth rate has exceeded my expectations. You are the most outrageous myth I¡¯ve ever encountered. No Demigod can stand against you alone.¡± This was the sigh of Oceanus, the Sea King, who had trained Charlotte in divine power six months ago. Of course, this was to be expected. With the Gospel of Blood as a cheat, Charlotte carried tutoring books and nutritional supplements at all times, and with the guidance of a true God like Oceanus, her growth was inevitable. Now, the outcome was clear. Even one of the top myths in the Old Gods Alliance could no longer stop Charlotte. However, despite losing the initial clash, the God of the Sky, Bartos, did not retreat. His brilliant silver divine power burst forth again. With a roar, he charged at Charlotte once more. Charlotte glanced at the bloodbornes on the ground protected by the artifact, and her body erupted with crimson divine power. She quickly ascended, controlling her divine power to battle Bartos. The fight between myths was no longer something mortals could interfere with. In the Mythic Era, magic was more active, and the power that Demigods could utilize and the destruction they could cause far surpassed later eras. Therefore, after the initial clash, Charlotte took the battle high into the sky. Crimson light soared into the sky, and the silver light followed. Faintly, the silver giant¡¯s roar could be heard. ¡°Eternal Night Monarch, do you look down on me?! You will pay for your arrogance!¡± Charlotte was not surprised by Bartos¡¯ reaction. Gods were arrogant, and Demigods were no different. The sky was Bartos¡¯ domain, and Charlotte¡¯s ascent and transfer of the battlefield to the high heavens was a form of contempt and provocation. Enraged, Bartos¡¯ silver light became even more dazzling, and the shadow of his artifact reappeared. Soon, a more intense battle broke out in the high sky. ¡°Boom¡ª!¡± Thunder continuously echoed in the sky. Protected by the artifact, the bloodbornes raised their heads. They looked at the sky, unable to see their Progenitor¡¯s figure, only the collision of crimson and silver divine powers in the clouds. The rolling clouds were like a boiling sea, red and silver lightning intertwining with deafening thunder, and terrifying divine power constantly erupted in the high sky. The mere aftershocks of this battle formed terrifying magical storms, causing chaos on the ground. Fortunately, at least it wouldn¡¯t cause mountain-crumbling, earth-shattering destruction. But even so, looking at the ever-changing celestial phenomena in the sky, the bloodbornes¡¯ eyes were filled with awe and longing. As high-level extraordinaries, they could feel the terror of each divine power collision. They only dared to look up in awe, not daring to release their mental power. A slight mistake could have their dispersed mental power torn apart by the magical storm stirred by the divine power aftershocks, directly injuring their souls. But even from a distance, they could roughly see the direction of the battle between the two myths. After withstanding the first wave of silver light, the crimson light burst forth again, sweeping the sky with overwhelming force, and shattering the silver light. Evidently, even in Bartos¡¯ domain, Charlotte still held the upper hand. The bloodbornes looked up in awe, seeing the blood moon in the sky growing more red and dazzling, and the silver light swaying like a lone boat in a storm. Despite being a renowned myth in the northern regions, and despite being revered by mortals, the ¡°God of the Sky¡± now seemed like a child before the crimson divine power. ¡°Our Progenitor¡­ is so powerful!¡± This was the unanimous thought of all the third-generation bloodbornes, including Abaddon and Harald. As the crimson and silver lights intertwined for about three minutes, a second myth finally couldn¡¯t hold back. From the mountains, another divine light burst forth, joining the battle. A green light with totem shadows and beast roars. Even with the addition of the second divine light, the crimson light didn¡¯t weaken, maintaining a significant advantage even against two opponents. One against two! The bloodbornes¡¯ eyes grew even more fervent. Though not their first time seeing their Progenitor take on two opponents at once, watching the divine battle in the high sky still filled them with awe. However, this one-sided battle didn¡¯t last long. Soon, a third myth joined the fray. A grey-blue divine power soared into the sky, adding a third Demigod to the battle. Shortly after, a fourth, then a fifth¡­ The bloodbornes on the ground were numb. The battlefield in the sky had clearly risen higher, and the divine lights were becoming more distant. But the crimson light remained steady, even against the simultaneous assault of five myths. Until the sixth divine power pillar appeared, the crimson light began to be suppressed. ¡°Progenitor!¡± Seeing Charlotte starting to fall behind, the bloodbornes¡¯ expressions changed, becoming tense and worried. But in the next moment, a more dazzling crimson light exploded in the high sky. ¡°Origin Power?!¡± They heard an exclamation from the sky. The six divine lights retreated as if avoiding something. But they didn¡¯t retreat far, forming a surrounding stance, enveloping the crimson light. The battle paused, and the light dissipated. In the high sky, Charlotte¡¯s silver hair fluttered, divine power swirling around her, while six myths slowly appeared around her, taking human forms and surrounding her. The silver giant, the God of the Sky Bartos, also shrank in size. He transformed into a two-meter-tall, silver-haired man in a white robe, seemingly the leader of the six myths, facing Charlotte from a distance. With a solemn expression, he looked at Charlotte, especially at the deep, devouring blood divine power around her, his handsome face filled with complexity and dread. ¡°Unexpectedly, after two years, your strength has grown so much.¡± ¡°No wonder that snake was so easily slain. If you continue to grow, you might indeed become a God who truly wields the ¡®Power of Creation.¡¯¡± ¡°As the Lord said, you are an anomaly for the Gods, a variable that shouldn¡¯t exist. An anomaly like you, who steals the power of creation, should be strangled in the cradle!¡± ¡°However¡­ luckily, you are still too confident, too arrogant to dare come alone to the heart of the Dragonspine Mountains!¡± ¡°Eternal Night Monarch, you are a worthy enemy, but¡­ today will be the day of your demise!¡± With that, he roared towards the distant land. ¡°What are you waiting for! Act together and capture her!¡± Before his voice faded, another six divine lights soared into the sky. All the Demigods hidden in the Dragonspine Mountains¡­ made their move. Twelve lights rose, forming a massive divine cage. Different lights intertwined, forming complex, mysterious divine runes, creating a huge divine net that enveloped Charlotte. The divine net tightened, isolating Charlotte from heaven and earth, imprisoning her like a cage. Simultaneously, Charlotte felt her connection to the Gospel of Blood severed. The crimson blood divine power dimmed, and she sensed her ¡°devouring¡± ability was ¡°sealed¡±, even her divine flame wavered. Charlotte raised an eyebrow slightly. She reached out to touch the web-like divine cage, feeling the stinging in her heart and fingertips, and said with interest. ¡°This is¡­ a divine technique that can seal divine flames and origin power?¡± The God of the Sky Bartos looked at her indifferently. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Indeed, a divine technique tailored specifically for you, capable of sealing your unique divine flame.¡± ¡°If you had ascended to a true God, perhaps we couldn¡¯t do anything to you, but unfortunately, you are not a true God.¡± ¡°Eternal Night Monarch, we know you can¡¯t ascend to a true God now, you¡­ can¡¯t escape.¡± With that, the divine net rapidly contracted, transforming into chains to bind Charlotte. Just as the chains were about to entangle her, the necklace on Charlotte¡¯s chest suddenly emitted a deep blue light. A presence far deeper and more vast than any present myth spread out instantly, shredding the weaving divine chains. Along with this profound presence came a rough, teasing voice. ¡°Tailored for ¡®Demigods¡¯, huh? What a coincidence!¡± Chapter 561 : Descent of the True God The power of the deep sea erupted, shattering the divine lock that had imprisoned Charlotte in an instant. High above, an ancient, vast, violent, and profound aura burst forth. The sea-blue radiance suppressed all lights except for the crimson. ¡°T¡­ true God?¡± sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Old Gods exclaimed upon seeing the sea-blue power. Immediately after, a towering God with octopus tentacles for hair and beard, wielding a divine trident, appeared beside Charlotte. ¡°The Lord of the North Sea¡­ Oceanus!¡± The God of the Sky Bartos¡¯ expression turned solemn. Oceanus¡¯ gaze swept over the Old Gods with disdain. He sneered and said, ¡°I¡¯ve always wondered what this so-called Old God¡¯s Alliance was. Turns out it¡¯s a creation of you lot.¡± ¡°Bartos, Bolst, Windes¡­ What, have you all, who once served Uranus, betrayed your original intent and found a new master?¡± Oceanus¡¯ voice was mocking, and Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred upon hearing his words. She knew that the Old Gods of the Northern Frontier weren¡¯t all the ¡°Old Gods.¡± Moreover, the current Old Gods of the Northern Frontier were almost all Demigods, and beyond them, there were true Gods from the mid to late Mythic Era who would gradually awaken from their slumber. These true Gods were the real leaders of the ¡°Old Gods¡± of Myria, who once contended with the elves of the Western Continent. However, according to Charlotte¡¯s knowledge, there were no records of these true Gods¡¯ names in later documents, only speculations by some historians. The only possibility for this situation was that these true Gods had all fallen, and their very existence had been erased. After traveling to this era, Charlotte had sought information about the Old Gods of Myria from Oceanus. And Uranus¡­ was indeed a God Oceanus had mentioned. He was the leader of Myria¡¯s Gods during the struggle between the two continents, a true God known as the Sky Lord and King of the Gods. He was also one of the first Gods born in Myria after the fall of the Creator God. With this in mind, Charlotte looked at the many Old Gods before her again. The alliance of Old Gods was formed to deal with the Free City-State Alliance and the elves ¡°invading¡± Myria. However, during her three and a half years of battle with them, Charlotte noticed that many Old Gods had been trying to awaken even more ancient Gods. Clearly, the Sky Lord Uranus was one of them, and the Old Gods named by Oceanus had once been his followers. Various thoughts raced through Charlotte¡¯s mind as she looked again at the manifesting Oceanus. The ¡°God of the Sea¡± was surrounded by violent divine power, the deep blue power so turbulent and terrifying that even Charlotte, as an ally, could feel its restlessness. This was the first time Charlotte felt such a tsunami-like fury from him. Though Oceanus had always seemed like a temperamental deity to her, he was also one she remembered as passionate and exuberant. It was the first time she saw him so indifferent, looking down on the present Old Gods. ¡°I heard you call yourself the God of the Sky. Ha, times have changed indeed if any Tom, Dick, or Harry can claim such a title. Let me see if you can bear such a name!¡± With a cold laugh, Oceanus¡¯ divine power surged. The sea-blue divine power exploded, reversing the heavens, with lightning and thunder. The vast divine power surged toward the Old Gods like a tidal wave, turning the sky into a vast sea. The Old Gods¡¯ expressions changed immediately. They were either fearful or terrified, and some weaker ones even had the impulse to flee. Only Bartos and a few others roared angrily. ¡°Don¡¯t panic! Join forces against him! His aura is unstable, he hasn¡¯t fully recovered from his slumber!¡± With these words, brilliant light burst forth among the Old Gods, even more dazzling than when they fought Charlotte. At that moment, the Old Gods began to burn their divine power, unleashing their full strength. Twelve Demigods simultaneously erupted with divine power, their lights intertwining and clashing with the oceanic power surging like a tsunami. A primitive clash of divine powers ensued. At the level of mythology, fancy spells had limited effectiveness. When facing a ¡°true God¡± with a condensed divine core, Demigods could only confront them with divine power. The collision of divine powers caused the sky to tremble, the swirling clouds to be shredded instantly, and a vast vacuum of emptiness to appear in the sky. Charlotte keenly noticed that as the divine powers tore through the high sky, the familiar stars in the firmament seemed to change, replaced by an unfamiliar constellation. However, this scene was fleeting. Soon, the stars she knew in Myria replaced the unfamiliar ones. Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred, recalling some secrets she had heard from Albrecht. The starry sky of Myria had two constellations: one that had always existed, and another that was the projection of the Gods¡¯ divine realm. Apparently, Oceanus¡¯ powerful divine power had just torn through the starry sky¡¯s projection, revealing the real sky beneath the Gods¡¯ divine realm. ¡°Eternal Night! What are you waiting for? Join the fight!¡± As Charlotte gazed at the sky, Oceanus¡¯ urgent and frustrated voice echoed in her mind. Charlotte gave him a strange look. ¡°You need my help to deal with a few Demigods?¡± ¡°Bullshit! How long have I been awake? My power hasn¡¯t fully recovered! Besides, this is the material realm, not the boundless void. I can¡¯t fully unleash my strength here! If you don¡¯t help, how can we force the other one to make a move?!¡± Oceanus roared. This brief exchange happened in an instant, a conversation carried by their divine powers. Simultaneously, the clash between Oceanus and the Old Gods reached a conclusion: the twelve Demigods were fully suppressed by his erupting power. However¡­ it was only suppression. Just as later myths could only display power close to Demigods on Myria, even though the magical density was high in the early Mythic Era, the destruction of the Western Continent, which disrupted the balance of the world¡¯s extraordinary forces, meant Gods couldn¡¯t fully unleash true God-level power. Mythological figures could only fully unleash true God-level power during the brief period of divine resurgence in the late Mythic Era and during the ancient times of continental strife. Charlotte deduced this from various records. Witnessing the disparity between true Gods and Demigods, Charlotte decided to join the fight. She mobilized her divine power again, her aura rising. The crimson divine power burst forth, soon matching the sea-blue divine power. The moment Charlotte joined, the tide of divine power raised by the Old Gods collapsed instantly. The blood moon reappeared, and beneath it, the tidal waves surged like a tsunami. The manifestations of the blood and sea divine powers quickly covered the sky, swallowing the twelve Demigods! In the high sky, the Old Gods¡¯ auras withered under the dual assault of blood and sea divine power. The blood and sea divine powers shattered their protective divine powers, tearing their divine bodies apart. Under the violent divine powers, cracks appeared on their bodies, and fear reappeared on their faces. The Sky God Bartos¡¯ expression changed dramatically. He gritted his teeth and shouted in a certain direction. ¡°Honorable One, if you don¡¯t intervene now, we will abandon our contract with you!¡± As his voice fell, a distant sigh echoed from the mountains. Golden radiance tore through the darkness, and another divine power slowly rose in the Dragonspine Mountains. No¡­ it wasn¡¯t ordinary divine power but a golden ¡°sun.¡± The dazzling light illuminated the darkness as the ¡°sun¡± slowly rose, dispelling the surging waves and overshadowing the high-hanging blood moon. Charlotte felt her blood divine power retreat, driven back into her body by a mysterious force. Oceanus¡¯ eyes widened. ¡°This is¡­ sun divine power?!¡± The sun¡¯s light continued to spread. As if determined to illuminate all darkness, the entire Dragonspine Mountains soon became as bright as day. Meanwhile, Charlotte felt like she was exposed to flames, experiencing the rare burning sensation akin to an ordinary bloodborne walking in sunlight. An aura no weaker than Oceanus¡¯, perhaps even stronger, rose and locked onto Charlotte and Oceanus in the high sky. Charlotte felt the illusory Gospel of Blood in her consciousness begin to stir frantically, as if sensing a familiar power. The next moment, the blazing sunlight erupted, and the damaged divine ritual circle below the Old Gods reactivated. Golden light filled the gaps in the ritual circle, and golden chains appeared, rushing toward Charlotte and Oceanus. But just as the golden chains were about to ensnare them, silver light exploded in the high sky. Divine power spread like water, with green leaves unfurling and flowers blooming, shattering the reformed divine chains again. The sun¡¯s light dimmed instantly, and the world returned to darkness. However, in the darkness, a bright silver moon illuminated the world. Soft light gathered around Charlotte, forming a tall, beautiful figure. A celestial sigh, tinged with complexity, echoed. ¡°Brother¡­ long time no see.¡± Chapter 562 : Repatriation At the moment when the Moon Goddess Artemis appeared, the ¡°sun¡± in the sky noticeably paused for a moment. Then, Charlotte saw the golden radiance slowly converge, forming a faint face high in the sky. It was a face that was difficult to discern clearly, with features that could only be vaguely made out. Although it looked somewhat different from what Charlotte had seen before, the eyes and aura of this figure were remarkably similar to the entity who had claimed to be ¡°Oceanus¡± she had encountered in the Starfall Kingdom before her time travel. If there was a notable difference, it was that this figure had less of the ruggedness and weathered feel that Charlotte remembered, replaced with a more transcendent and majestic presence. Furthermore, this God¡¯s aura seemed purer than what Charlotte recalled. In the future, the entity behind the door that Charlotte had encountered must have taken over part of the authority of the Sea King Oceanus, emanating an aura similar to sea divine power in every move. But now, this God¡¯s resplendent and majestic divine power was truly like a sun illuminating all things. Yet, after this God appeared, Charlotte felt a peculiar sense of familiarity in the power emanating from him. Although it seemed absurd, the grandeur of the aura, the holy radiance, and the familiar burning sensation on her skin all closely resembled the holy power of the Creator God. Charlotte warily observed the revealed ¡°Sun God¡±, and meanwhile, the ¡°Sun God¡± cast his gaze upon the three Gods present. He overlooked Oceanus, looked warily at Charlotte, and finally turned his attention to the last arrival, the Moon Goddess Artemis. A fleeting hint of complexity flashed across the ¡°Sun God¡¯s¡± vague face, followed by a long sigh. ¡°Artemis¡­ you should not be here.¡± ¡°Those words should come from me, brother. You have already ¡®fallen.¡¯ A fallen God should stay where he belongs, not here.¡± Artemis said. The ¡°Sun God¡± shook his head. ¡°No, you do not understand.¡± He glanced at Charlotte and continued. ¡°Artemis, this is a struggle between me and the origin usurper. Even for the sake of the elves¡¯ future, you cannot and should not intervene.¡± Artemis¡¯ gaze was inexplicable. ¡°The origin usurper? I never thought¡­ you would call someone else that one day¡­¡± Her expression became complex, tinged with sadness and anger. ¡°The elves¡­ the elves¡­¡± ¡°Even now, you still use ¡®for the elves¡¯ as an excuse?¡± ¡°Brother, no, Helios, I don¡¯t know whose divine soul you have ¡®devoured¡¯ again, but as a guardian of the elves, I will no longer stand by and watch you ¡®fall¡¯ like this.¡± The ¡°Sun God¡¯s¡± expression turned dark instantly. He coldly glanced at Artemis, then sighed. ¡°Is that so¡­¡± ¡°What a pity.¡± Before his words had fully settled, a dazzling golden light suddenly erupted. Helios had struck suddenly. Golden sunlight radiated brightly, transforming into countless swords of light, all of which charged toward Artemis. However, Artemis was swift in her response. Silver light spread out, and Charlotte saw strands of ¡°moonlight¡± transform into ribbons, completely neutralizing the surging sun divine power. Clearly, the ¡°Sun God¡¯s¡± sneak attack had failed. Their initial clash wasn¡¯t particularly flashy. But Charlotte could sense the terrifying power contained within their emanating divine auras. It was far beyond the divine power Oceanus had displayed when suppressing the Old Gods. Even though it was merely transformed into swords and ribbons, the mere aftereffects were enough to make the present Old Gods pale. Charlotte felt a sense of relief. Although limited by the current divine power limits of the Myria world, and due to the inertia of history, the opponent likely couldn¡¯t kill her in this era. However, if it were just her and Oceanus against the opponent, they might not necessarily hold the upper hand. Fortunately, Artemis had arrived. Moreover, judging by the divine power aura Artemis had just displayed, her strength was likely far greater than that of the not fully restored Oceanus. Even without Oceanus and Charlotte, Artemis alone was enough to contend with the opponent. After the first round of confrontation, ephemeral flowers and vines suddenly spread out, gradually forming a dreamlike forest in the sky, separating the battlefield of the two true Gods from the outside world. This was a divine power barrier cast by Artemis. Charlotte saw silver and golden radiance continually clash within the ¡°forest¡±, each time bursting with terrifying divine power fluctuations. However, those power fluctuations were confined within the barrier, not affecting the outside. At first, the golden and silver lights were equally matched. But soon, the silver light began to gain the upper hand, while the golden radiance gradually showed signs of exhaustion, hinting at a lack of follow-through. High above, the brilliance of the ¡°sun¡± also dimmed, replaced by an increasingly bright moon. ¡°Brother, your strength¡­ seems to have weakened considerably.¡± Artemis¡¯ voice echoed from the void. Along with her voice spread increasingly bright moonlight and ever more radiant silver divine power. Then came the somewhat exasperated and angry roar from the ¡°Sun God.¡± ¡°Damn it! Artemis! You are still as stubborn as ever. One day, you will regret everything!¡± The dazzling radiance exploded again, instantly shattering the barrier as the golden sun was swallowed by the silver divine power. Artemis had unleashed her full divine power. Cracks began to spread across the Sun God¡¯s illusory form, and finally, under the impact of the silver divine power, it collapsed completely. The terrifying aftermath of the divine power raged, turning the entire sky upside down, forcing even Charlotte to mobilize her blood divine power to defend herself. Oceanus was relatively fine, but his expression toward Artemis changed, clearly feeling the disparity in power between himself and her. Helios, the ¡°Sun God¡±, wore a venomous expression. As his form disintegrated, he no longer confronted the Moon Goddess Artemis but instead glared hatefully at Charlotte, as if trying to remember her completely, almost gritting his teeth. ¡°Nyx¡­ consider yourself lucky this time. Next time¡­ you won¡¯t be so fortunate!¡± With a loud ¡°bang¡±, the Sun God¡¯s form shattered completely. However, at the moment of collapse, the Sun God suddenly swung his arm, unleashing his remaining divine power, and slashing toward the ground. The golden divine power turned into a light blade, aiming straight at the third-generation bloodbornes under the protection of an artifact. This happened so suddenly that it caught everyone off guard. Fortunately, Charlotte had been fully focused and quickly controlled her blood divine power to intercept. Even Sea King Oceanus stepped forward, creating a water-blue divine barrier below. However, when Charlotte¡¯s blood divine power contacted that golden divine power, her expression changed slightly. This was not ordinary divine power. It contained the ¡°Origin Power¡± she was familiar with. Moreover, the ¡°Origin Power¡± within this divine power was far stronger and purer than what she controlled. This was the Sun God¡¯s full-force attack. Despite Charlotte¡¯s near-full effort to block it, she couldn¡¯t completely stop it. And Sea King Oceanus¡¯s divine barrier could only further weaken it. After passing through the layers of blood divine power and ocean divine power, the Sun God¡¯s power was significantly weakened. But even so, its residual impact was far beyond what the magical barrier the third-generation bloodbornes had erected could withstand. Fortunately, with the combined efforts of Charlotte and Oceanus, Artemis¡¯ support arrived just in time. The silver radiance spread out, successfully intercepting most of the remaining golden divine power, with only a small portion getting through and hitting the bloodbornes¡¯ barrier. The barrier trembled violently, showing cracks, and the bloodbornes maintaining the artifact all coughed up blood, their energy waning. However, in the end, the barrier was not breached. A sigh of regret echoed, then dissipated with the crumbling ¡°sun.¡± High above, the aftermath of the divine power dissipated, and the form and aura of Helios, the Sun God, had completely vanished. Charlotte, Artemis, and Oceanus stood tall, while the Old Gods who had watched the entire battle were now utterly changed, standing nearby, still locked by Oceanus¡¯ divine power, unable to advance or retreat. Charlotte glanced at the unharmed bloodbornes below and breathed a slight sigh of relief. Despite the inertia of history, she was fairly certain that the bloodbornes she brought would survive, but given that the one who acted was another ¡°traveler¡±, she couldn¡¯t be completely sure. After all, who would have thought a true God would, in his last moment, furiously unleash his remaining power against mortals? ¡°Artemis, did you kill him?¡± Oceanus glanced in the direction where the Sun God¡¯s power had vanished and asked. Artemis frowned and shook her head. ¡°No, he¡­ seems to have disappeared.¡± ¡°Disappeared? Escaped? When?¡± Oceanus was taken aback. Artemis hesitated, then shook her head again, her expression slightly puzzled. ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t seem like he escaped. There are no traces of teleportation or lingering aura. It¡¯s as if¡­ he truly ¡®disappeared.¡¯¡± Seeing the two bewildered Gods, Charlotte had a vague understanding of what had happened. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It was likely that Artemis had just broken the balance point of his stay in this era, and he was directly ¡°sent¡± back to the future. In other words, ¡°Helios the Sun God¡± was successfully ¡°repatriated¡± by Artemis. After some thought, Charlotte said, ¡°He¡­ should have been sent back to where he belongs.¡± ¡°Where he belongs?¡± Oceanus muttered. ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s not worry about him now. What about these guys?¡± He shook his head and looked at the remaining trembling Demigods, asking. Charlotte also looked at these Demigods from the Old Gods Alliance. For some reason, seeing their frightened yet vaguely bewildered faces, Charlotte felt their eyes seemed much clearer than during the battle. Chapter 563 : The Earliest Princes of the Bloodbornes Previously, they must have been mentally controlled by the Sun God Helios. Seeing the dazed expressions of the Demigods, Charlotte made this judgment in her heart. This was also obvious, as each mythological figure was prouder than the other. If they hadn¡¯t been mentally controlled, they couldn¡¯t have submitted to a ¡°resurrected¡± God within just three years. Moreover, this God was the elven main God, which was undoubtedly an enemy to the Old Gods of Myria. However, this did not erase the antagonistic relationship between the Old Gods of Myria and Charlotte. After all, as soon as the ¡°Sun God¡± Helios traveled back in time with Charlotte, the Old Gods and the Free City-State were already enemies. Of course, now that the Free City-State Alliance had achieved a great victory, devouring more mythological power was no longer effective for Charlotte. From this perspective, there seemed to be no need for total eradication. But how to handle these Old Gods was crucial. Charlotte estimated that it wouldn¡¯t be long before she returned to the future. She wasn¡¯t sure in what state ¡°Lilith¡± would continue to exist or if she would fall into a ¡°slumber.¡± Considering that she was the only one in the Free City-State Alliance who could suppress these Demigods, it was best not to leave any threats behind. With this in mind, Charlotte looked at the Demigods. ¡°I give you three choices.¡± ¡°First, fall as a myth and enter a slumber from which you may never return.¡± ¡°Second, voluntarily have your divine flame stripped, becoming a mortal, and gain freedom when a successor to the divine flame appears.¡± ¡°Third, accept the power of blood, swear by your divine soul to serve the bloodborne, and never betray them.¡± The first option was the most straightforward method and had been Charlotte¡¯s usual approach for the past three and a half years. She couldn¡¯t completely erase a mythological existence, so at most, she could kill them and devour their divine power. Even though she couldn¡¯t erase their existence, it was uncertain when these fallen Old Gods might return. They were merely Demigods without a divine core or a stable cult, making their chances of returning extremely low, almost equivalent to complete ¡°death.¡± The second option was about survival. The cost was giving up their mythological status, which, for an ¡°immortal¡± myth, was akin to death in some sense. The only hope was that, even stripped of their divine power, these beings still had more potential to become Gods again compared to ordinary mortals. The third option was to trade their freedom for life and power. Charlotte wasn¡¯t sure how ¡°Lilith¡± would exist in this era after she returned to the future, so she emphasized loyalty to the ¡°Bloodborne¡± rather than to herself. Of course, accepting the power of blood inherently meant these Demigods would become her vassals. After hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, the remaining Old Gods exchanged glances. After a moment of silence, they all expressed their submission to Charlotte. ¡°We¡­ are willing to become your vassals.¡± Charlotte wasn¡¯t surprised by this outcome. Even under mental control, a mythological being at this level must have been willing to submit in the first place. Otherwise, Helios couldn¡¯t have turned so many mythological beings into his puppets in just three years. In other words, these surviving Demigods were inherently weak-willed. However, Charlotte hadn¡¯t seen these Demigods¡¯ names in the history of bloodborne, so it seemed that even if they became vassals, their ultimate fate was likely destruction. No¡­ Wait. Perhaps¡­ their fate wasn¡¯t necessarily destruction. Charlotte¡¯s mind raced as she looked at these submissive Old Gods and continued. ¡°Becoming my vassals means abandoning everything from your past. By accepting the power of blood, you will continue to exist as princes among the bloodbornes.¡± ¡°Of course, until you prove your loyalty, you will only possess the title and power of princes.¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, the Old Gods stirred. But facing Charlotte, protected by two true Gods, they ultimately bowed. ¡°We pledge our allegiance to you, Bloodborne King.¡± Satisfied with their submission, Charlotte turned to the two true Gods beside her. Artemis¡¯ gaze remained fixed on the depths of the mountains, where Helios¡¯s radiance had risen, while Oceanus¡¯ attention was almost entirely on her. Noticing Charlotte¡¯s look, Artemis said, ¡°I leave them to you. I have sensed something that requires my attention.¡± ¡°Heh, we¡¯re just here to help.¡± Oceanus chuckled. Clearly, the two true Gods didn¡¯t care about the Old Gods¡¯ fate and had their minds elsewhere. Taking a deep breath, Charlotte nodded slightly. She then used the Gospel of Blood to extract some True Ancestor blood from her divine flame and bloodline. Unlike the blood she gave to the third-generation bloodbornes, this True Ancestor blood contained little energy, primarily used to transform the identities of these submissive Old Gods and leave a contingency on them. This process wasn¡¯t even considered ¡°Embrace¡±, as Charlotte merely used the Gospel of Blood¡¯s power to ¡°transform¡± the identities of these submissive Old Gods. Three and a half years of growth had significantly strengthened Charlotte¡¯s bloodline power. With the protection of two true Gods, her transformation went smoothly. Soon, the Old Gods who accepted the True Ancestor¡¯s blood had their auras changed. Their eyes, filled with complexity or despair, eventually bowed before Charlotte. ¡°Blood Princes¡­ pay homage to the Progenitor.¡± Charlotte nodded slightly, accepting the allegiance of these Demigods. As she had anticipated, these submissive and transformed Demigods might be the first princes among the bloodbornes she knew in another timeline. If history followed its usual course, they would become a key force in the bloodbornes¡¯ rise during the peak of the Mythic Era, ultimately reaching the pinnacle of the world under the True Ancestor of Blood¡¯s lead. However, their fate was also sealed by history. According to historical development, they would eventually have their power stripped or be re-sealed by the ¡°True Ancestor of Blood.¡± Charlotte couldn¡¯t yet determine the cause, whether it was another betrayal or some other situation, but for now, this was the best choice for the Bloodborne. And the contingency she placed in their divine flame with the True Ancestor blood was enough to ensure she fully controlled their lives. Having subdued the Demigods, Charlotte descended from the sky with Artemis and Oceanus. They landed in the core temple of the Sun Temple, once the Old Gods¡¯ Alliance center. This was the largest temple in the mountains. Despite the cataclysmic divine battle, the temple remained intact. The temple was empty, filled only with corpses. Those were priests and extraordinaries dressed as guards. Charlotte noticed that they had no wounds on their bodies, as if they had suddenly died collectively. Moreover, she couldn¡¯t even sense any traces of their souls. She realized that these people had likely been turned into Helios¡¯ puppets early on, and when Helios ¡°disappeared¡±, they ¡°died¡± as well. Inside the temple, Artemis quickened her pace. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She ignored everything else and headed straight for the temple¡¯s depths. Charlotte¡¯s gaze also fell on the temple¡¯s depths. From high above, her perception wasn¡¯t as strong, but inside the temple, she felt a chaotic, vast, obscure, and dead aura emanating from within. Clearly, Artemis had sensed this aura early on. The three mythological beings traversed the temple and arrived at the source of the aura. What met their eyes was a massive altar, surrounded by circular crosses. Seeing those crosses, Charlotte was stunned because she recognized them immediately. In the future era, this symbol represented the Creator God, Harald. And on the crosses, she saw ¡°crystals¡± bound by chains. These ¡°crystals¡± were magnificent but dimly lit, emitting the chaotic, vast, obscure, and dead aura she had sensed. Upon seeing these ¡°crystals¡±, both Artemis and Oceanus¡¯ expressions changed. ¡°These are¡­ divine cores!¡± Oceanus¡¯ eyes widened. Divine cores? Charlotte¡¯s gaze sharpened. Divine cores were possessed only by true Gods. In a sense, divine core represented the very existence of true Gods. However, these divine cores, while emanating powerful auras, also exuded a sense of death and decay. This only meant one thing: the myths corresponding to these divine cores had fallen. Furthermore, Charlotte sensed some familiar auras from these divine cores. They carried the aura of origin power. ¡°Wait¡­ this divine aura, this is the Sky Lord Uranus¡¯ divine core?¡± ¡°And this¡­ these two auras¡­ these are the divine cores of the Earth God and the God of Fertility!¡± ¡°This is the God of War and Wisdom¡­¡± ¡°This is the God of Seasons and Springs¡­¡± As Oceanus recognized each divine core¡¯s owner, his eyes widened further. He looked at the stripped divine cores in disbelief, then turned his furious gaze towards the ¡°weak¡±, ¡°pitiful¡±, and ¡°helpless¡± Demigods who had followed them inside. ¡°Did you¡­ do this? Did you kill your Guardians?!¡± Chapter 564 : The Fall of the Gods Charlotte finally understood how the ¡°false Gods¡± of the Old Gods¡¯ Alliance came into being. Investigating the core temple of the ¡°Sun Temple¡± was not difficult, especially with two true Gods involved. Moreover, since the ¡°Sun God¡± Helios had not deliberately concealed anything, the truth quickly surfaced once Charlotte saw the stripped divine cores and heard the trembling confessions of the Demigods under Oceanus¡¯ roar. For the past three and a half years, all those ¡°false Gods¡± that emerged from the Old Gods¡¯ Alliance were created by the ¡°Sun God¡± Helios using these stripped divine cores. More accurately, it was the ¡°Sun God¡± Helios who killed these slumbering Myria Gods. ¡°Their last breaths linger around three years ago. They must have been killed by my brother¡­ by Helios.¡± ¡°Slumbering Gods are inherently weak, and the subordinate Gods protecting them chose betrayal. Who would have thought¡­ that the Myria Gods, who contended with the Western Continent for thousands of years, would meet such an end.¡± Examining the dim divine cores in the temple, Artemis, the Moon Goddess, sighed with a complex look in her eyes. Charlotte¡¯s expression also grew grave. Unlike the sighing Artemis and the enraged Oceanus, Charlotte, aware of the origins of ¡°Sun God¡± Helios, realized there were more profound issues. Helios had changed history. No, ¡°change¡± is not the right word. More accurately, he, like Charlotte, had ¡°influenced¡± history and ¡°filled in¡± the gaps in history. The Mythic Era of the Myria world was mysterious and distant. In the future, a thousand years later, various records did not provide detailed accounts of this magnificent era, only legends passed down by various churches and the memories of ancient beings. Regarding the mysterious ¡°Gods¡± of Myria, records were vague. Even though Charlotte was well-versed in the records of the bloodborne in the future, what she knew was that during the peak of the Mythic Era, those ancient slumbering Gods gradually awakened but were ultimately defeated by the ¡°True Ancestor of Blood¡±, with many even submitting to the bloodborne. But those records were vague at best. Previously, Charlotte did not understand why this part of history was so obscure, even with no detailed accounts from the long-lived bloodbornes. But later, she understood why. It was due to historical distortion, errors in the world¡¯s space-time continuum, and gaps in history. Charlotte dared to elevate her power by defeating the Old Gods in this era because she discovered the knack for ¡°influencing¡± and ¡°filling in¡± history. And now, it was evident that the ¡°Sun God¡± Helios had discovered this too. Like Charlotte, he didn¡¯t come to this era without a plan but was also using his power to ¡°influence¡± history. Additionally, there was something Charlotte found very concerning, perplexing, and unsettling. That was the symbol of the Creator God. This symbol, which shouldn¡¯t have existed in this era, was present now. Clearly, it must have been brought here by the ¡°Sun God.¡± So, why the symbol of the Creator God? These symbols were used to seal the power of the divine core. Why would the ¡°Sun God¡± Helios choose the symbols of the Creator God to seal them? In this era, the Creator God had not yet ¡°awakened¡±, and there was no evidence to suggest that the ¡°Creator God¡± was indeed the awakened ¡°Creator God.¡± Even if the ¡°Sun God¡± desired the origin power and aspired to become the Creator God, it wouldn¡¯t make sense to use the symbols of the Creator God. After all, according to the uniqueness of the holy symbol, this ring cross symbol could only refer to one being, and that was the Creator God Harald. Not the ¡°Creator God¡±, but ¡°Creator God Harald.¡± But how could there be a Creator God Harald in this era? There was a Harald, but obviously, Charlotte¡¯s cheap disciple had not yet become a God at this moment. Charlotte couldn¡¯t even be sure if the person was the same Harald from the future, even though he had already shown ¡°holy power.¡± This means that logically, engraving this symbol in this era should have been ineffective. But clearly, this was not the case. Since the power of these divine cores had been successfully sealed, it must have worked. In other words, the ¡°future¡± Creator God had responded to these seals. Charlotte didn¡¯t know if a true God at the level of the ¡°Creator God¡± could transcend history to observe the past and the future, but one thing she was certain of. Gods¡­ do not casually respond to their own symbols. If there was a response, it could only mean one thing: the ¡°Sun God¡± Helios likely had a deep connection with the ¡°Creator God.¡± That was not a common relationship. For a God to allow others to use their symbol, the other party must either be a devout follower or a disciple. Furthermore, the ¡°Sun God¡±, disguised as ¡°Oceanus¡± from another era, mentioned that he could influence the decisions of the Holy Court, making it hard for Charlotte not to let her imagination run wild. ¡°Eternal Night, your expression¡­ is somewhat frightening. Did you discover something else?¡± Oceanus glanced at Charlotte, frowned, and asked. Charlotte took a deep breath and looked at the ring cross symbols. ¡°Your Excellency Oceanus, Your Excellency Artemis, do you¡­ recognize this symbol?¡± ¡°This symbol?¡± The two true Gods focused slightly. Oceanus studied it for a while and shook his head. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen it before. Is it the divine symbol of a God? Strange¡­ I know the symbols of the Myria Gods, and this does not belong to any of them. No, they are all hung on these crosses, and it couldn¡¯t be their divine cores.¡± Artemis fell into deep thought, her brows furrowing slightly. Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred. ¡°Your Excellency Artemis, do you¡­ recognize it?¡± Artemis hesitated for a moment, then gently nodded, but soon shook her head slightly. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not sure.¡± ¡°This should be my first time seeing this symbol, but for some reason, it feels very familiar.¡± ¡°I think I might have seen a similar symbol, but there¡¯s no related memory in my divine soul.¡± Oceanus was taken aback. ¡°A familiar feeling? Wait, Artemis, do you mean to say that your memory might be faulty?¡± A God¡¯s memory couldn¡¯t be flawed. At the level of a true God, memory was like data on a computer hard drive¡ªif it existed, it existed; if it didn¡¯t, it didn¡¯t. If it had been there, there would definitely be traces of it. If a true God felt ¡°familiar¡±, it meant one thing: the memory had definitely ¡°existed.¡± ¡°Perhaps. Even though we are Gods, we are still higher forms of life. Memory can have issues, especially since I experienced a calamity and slept briefly.¡± ¡°After all¡­ even history can have problems.¡± Artemis sighed. Hearing this, Charlotte¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°History can have problems?¡± Artemis nodded. ¡°Yes, I once heard this from an elder. Of course, I haven¡¯t verified it, just heard about it.¡± ¡°Your Excellency Artemis, may I boldly ask which God you heard it from?¡± Charlotte asked. Artemis was stunned. Her arched eyebrows furrowed slightly, and she fell into deep thought, her beautiful face showing a hint of confusion and bewilderment. After a few seconds, she shook her head. ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t remember. Maybe it was before I became a God.¡± Then, Artemis looked back at the divine cores. ¡°We should recover these divine cores first. They have lost their divinity and were probably erased by the origin power.¡± ¡°Even though they were once our enemies, that was in the past. They are still Gods, and even in their fall, they should not end like this.¡± Charlotte felt a bit embarrassed. When she devoured the divine power of those Demigods, she did it quite naturally. Compared to Artemis, a true ¡°benevolent God¡±, she really couldn¡¯t compare. Artemis extended her hand towards the divine cores. ¡°May you return to eternal peace, may everything return to the world.¡± Silver divine power spread out, gradually enveloping the divine cores. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte did not stop her. The power of these divine cores was already gone, leaving only the laws. They were of little use to her since she was already a Demigod and had her own path to Godhood. Perhaps for mortals, obtaining these divine cores could allow them to become Gods, but when it came to the point of becoming a God, it was uncertain whether the God would be the mortal or the returning God. So Charlotte never intended to give these divine cores to her blood descendants. It was best to let Artemis handle it. Charlotte could see what Artemis was doing. She was deconstructing these divine cores, liberating the laws within, and returning them to the world. Perhaps in the distant future, these Gods would revive through faith, or maybe some fortunate individuals would follow similar paths and become new Gods. But that was for the future. As for now, deconstructing these divine cores was the best way to honor the fallen Gods and was a consensus among Gods. Helping a God return or keeping their core for safekeeping was something only close Gods would do. After all, assisting a God¡¯s return was inherently uncertain. The returning God might be entirely different from the past one. No God would willingly do such thankless work. Deconstructing the divine core to prevent third parties from using it for mischief was already the utmost duty. This was the ¡°knowledge¡± Charlotte had gathered from Oceanus over the past few years. The moonlight-like divine power covered many divine cores, making these Myria Gods¡¯ essences seem illusory. Charlotte seemed to see countless ethereal photons flying out from the cores and merging into the world. However, just as Artemis was fully deconstructing the cores, Charlotte suddenly felt a twinge. The twinge carried anxiety, worry, and confusion. Her heart stirred, and she delved into her mind, discovering that the bloodbornes outside the temple were calling her. ¡®Something might be happening outside.¡¯ Charlotte¡¯s heart sank. ¡°Your Excellency Oceanus, Your Excellency Artemis, my descendants seem to have some problems, I will take a look.¡± Charlotte said to the two Gods. With that, her figure flashed and turned into a crimson light and left the temple. Chapter 565 : The Polluted Harald ¡°What happened?¡± A crimson light gathered, and Charlotte¡¯s figure reappeared. As soon as she appeared, she saw the chaotic and noisy gathering of third-generation bloodbornes. ¡°Lady Lilith!¡± ¡°Your Eminence Progenitor!¡± Seeing Charlotte, the bloodbornes found their backbone. Their anxious and worried expressions were quickly replaced with joy. ¡°Lord Savior.¡± Bardock, the leader of the second-generation bloodbornes, stepped forward with a solemn expression and bowed. ¡°Lord Harald¡­ has fallen unconscious.¡± ¡°Harald is unconscious?¡± Charlotte¡¯s expression changed slightly. She instinctively stepped forward and saw Harald lying on a large stone. The leader of the alliance, who had been leading the bloodbornes in handling protective artifacts, now had his eyes closed, his face pale, and his aura fluctuating erratically. Golden lines were faintly visible on his skin, constantly shifting. Moreover, there was a familiar aura emanating from him that made Charlotte frown. She gently placed her hand on Harald¡¯s forehead, a crimson light glowing from her palm. As the light enveloped the unconscious Harald, he groaned and trembled. The golden lines on his skin flowed faster, intertwining with the crimson light. At that moment, wisps of gray-white mist rose from Harald¡¯s body. This is¡­ Helios¡¯ Origin Power! Charlotte¡¯s expression changed drastically. She quickly closed her eyes, extending her consciousness into Harald¡¯s body. Inside, she saw that the holy power in his heart was being replaced by the gray-white ¡°Origin Power.¡± It was surging from his heart to his limbs, invading his body along with his blood. As Charlotte used her mental power to investigate, the gray-white mist reacted like a beast smelling blood, rushing toward her mental power. Charlotte quickly activated the Gospel of Blood within her, which devoured the encroaching mist. However, she noticed that as she absorbed the mist, Harald¡¯s aura weakened further. Charlotte¡¯s heart sank. It seemed that Harald¡¯s vitality was entangled with the ¡°Origin Power.¡± She couldn¡¯t purify it as she had done with others, because his power had merged with the ¡°Origin Power.¡± Taking a deep breath, Charlotte ended her investigation. Using the power of the Gospel of Blood, she temporarily suppressed the surging ¡°Origin Power¡± in Harald¡¯s body. She then looked at the other bloodbornes. ¡°When did Harald fall unconscious? What happened before he passed out?¡± The third-generation bloodbornes exchanged uncertain glances. Abaddon, the closest to Harald, stepped forward and respectfully said, ¡°Your Eminence, it happened during the divine battle. A golden light fell from the sky and struck our protective barrier¡­¡± ¡°Lord Harald bore most of the pressure to maintain the barrier. After that, his condition worsened and he soon fell unconscious.¡± Helios¡¯ final strike before disappearing? Charlotte¡¯s expression changed. She recalled the final moment of the divine battle when Helios had unleashed a powerful attack on the bloodbornes. She had wondered why Helios, despite being weakened, had suddenly launched a powerful strike at the bloodbornes. Now, seeing Harald unconscious and feeling the familiar ¡°Origin Power¡± in him, Charlotte had a revelation. ¡°Helios¡¯ last target was Harald¡­¡± Charlotte murmured to herself, her thoughts swirling. It was clear that Helios¡¯ final strike wasn¡¯t meant to destroy the bloodbornes but to implant the ¡°Origin Power¡± into Harald! Not only implanted but also started to catalyze the reaction, replacing Harald¡¯s holy power with the gray-white ¡°Origin Power.¡± ¡°Helios¡¯ real target was Harald¡­¡± A rough voice interrupted her thoughts. The Sea King Oceanus appeared beside Charlotte. ¡°What¡¯s happening? Your divine power is unusually agitated.¡± ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t this the human who also inherited the ¡®Origin¡¯ power? What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± Oceanus looked at Harald in surprise. Soon, his brows furrowed. ¡°Wait¡­ why does he have Helios¡¯ aura? And it¡¯s getting stronger? Is he being possessed by Helios?¡± ¡°No, he hasn¡¯t been possessed yet, but the ¡®corrupted¡¯ Origin Power is devouring his strength. He¡¯s been¡­ polluted.¡± A serene voice joined the conversation. The Moon Goddess Artemis also appeared beside Charlotte. ¡°Yet?¡± Charlotte raised her voice. Artemis nodded solemnly. ¡°This is Helios¡¯ favorite method. He used it on many people in the Western Continent, turning them into his puppets and consuming their power.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t feel Helios¡¯ divine soul in him, meaning Helios didn¡¯t have time for the final step. He only polluted his body.¡± S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Artemis looked at Harald, her silver-blue eyes showing surprise and doubt. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect¡­ there would be a mortal blessed by the ¡®Origin.¡¯ Your Excellency Lilith, did you bestow this power on him?¡± Charlotte shook her head. ¡°No, he awakened it himself.¡± The ¡°Origin Power¡± in Harald wasn¡¯t given by Charlotte. It had always been in him, just weak initially. Charlotte only taught Harald how to use extraordinary power, guiding him. His rapid growth was mostly his own opportunity. Back when Harald was imprisoned by the elves, he mentioned making a contract with a mysterious being, gaining greater power. His holy power fully manifested then, an extension of the ¡°Origin Power.¡± Various thoughts flashed through Charlotte¡¯s mind. She glanced worriedly at Harald and then at Artemis. ¡°Lady Artemis, since you recognize his state, do you have any way to stop the pollution in him?¡± Harald¡¯s condition was critical. Charlotte couldn¡¯t save him by absorbing the gray-white ¡°Origin Power¡± because his power had merged with it. Only a true God, like Artemis, who had dealt with the ¡°Origin Power¡±, could help. Artemis hesitated and said, ¡°Let me first investigate his state.¡± The true God extended her hand, summoning a bright silver light that enveloped Harald. ¡°His soul¡­¡± Artemis frowned. Charlotte¡¯s heart tightened. ¡°His soul¡­ is there a problem?¡± Artemis hesitated and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. There¡¯s a restriction on his soul, blocking my investigation. It must have been set by a true God, protecting his soul from external harm. This restriction is almost part of his soul, likely why Helios¡¯ invasion failed.¡± ¡°Strange¡­ this restriction should only be given to reborn Gods or their descendants. Could he be a reincarnated God? Or perhaps he received the favor of a true God?¡± ¡°But now, the restriction is only protecting his soul, suggesting the true God who set it might have fallen into eternal slumber.¡± ¡°His soul feels familiar and close to me¡­ he might be an old friend reborn, but I can¡¯t investigate further due to the restriction.¡± Charlotte looked thoughtfully at Harald. As her student and the future Creator God, Harald had many secrets. Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but wonder. Artemis shook her head after further investigation. ¡°I can¡¯t solve his problem. His power is unique, seemingly the same source as Helios¡¯, with a restriction protecting him. He has to fight the pollution himself.¡± ¡°He himself? His aura is weakening rapidly!¡± Oceanus couldn¡¯t help but say. Artemis hesitated and looked at Charlotte. ¡°Perhaps you can help him, but it might anger the true God behind him, if they still exist.¡± Charlotte¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°How?¡± Artemis explained. ¡°Only ¡®Origin Power¡¯ can counter ¡®Origin Power.¡¯ Strengthen the controllable ¡®Origin Power¡¯ within him. You have that power.¡± She looked at the distant bloodbornes. ¡°Like them, you can grant him ¡®Origin Power¡¯, helping him fight the pollution.¡± Charlotte realized what Artemis meant: the Embrace. Chapter 566 : The Second Embrace As if by fate, history seems to have returned to its ¡°proper¡± place after a full circle. But Charlotte appears to have no other choice. No¡­ To be precise, Charlotte doesn¡¯t dare to gamble. History that has already happened cannot be changed. Charlotte knows that even if she does nothing, Harald will probably still survive due to historical inertia. But a variable has already appeared. Her own time travel is a variable, and Helios time traveling with her is also a variable. Charlotte knows the history that has already happened cannot be changed, and it is clear that Helios, who traveled with her, knows it too. But even so, Helios still attacked Harald. This indicates that the opponent has other purposes. An obvious fact is that although the history that has already happened cannot be changed, the future that has not yet happened¡­ can most likely be changed. Charlotte doesn¡¯t know what Helios¡¯ purpose is, but clearly¡­ she absolutely cannot let the opponent leave some kind of future-affecting ¡°hidden danger¡± on Harald. This is not just about Harald¡¯s safety but also about her own return to the future. ¡°So¡­ to completely counteract the power Helios left in him, my power is necessary, right?¡± Charlotte asked. Artemis nodded. ¡°Exactly, only the origin power¡­ can counter the origin power.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Charlotte also nodded. Looking at the closed-eyed Harald, she didn¡¯t hesitate anymore, and her eyes turned red again. Sensing the change in her aura, Artemis and Oceanus took a step back. Silver hair quickly spread, the crimson eyes with a golden glow became deeper, and Charlotte gently leaned down, biting Harald¡¯s neck. Crimson light radiated from Charlotte¡¯s body. The light gradually spread¡­ soon enveloping both her and Harald. This was Charlotte¡¯s second embrace. Since she decided to ¡°follow¡± history and become a part of it, she needed to do everything perfectly. So, at this moment, Charlotte adopted the same method as when she embraced Lilith for the first time, which was the most complete spiritual blood pact. This also contained a bit of Charlotte¡¯s personal intent. After all, this method of embracing creates descendants with the greatest power and the closest connection to their ancestor, making them the most susceptible to their ancestor¡¯s influence. Unlike Lilith¡¯s blood, Harald¡¯s blood was extremely hot. The moment the embrace began, Charlotte deeply felt the fervent holy power within him. No¡­ To be precise, it was another form of ¡°origin power.¡± This was not Charlotte¡¯s first encounter with ¡°holy power¡±, but bypassing the divine power counter of the Gospel of Blood to directly contact this power through an embrace was a first. When that scorching ¡°holy power¡± entered her, Charlotte once again felt the agitation of the phantom Gospel of Blood in the depths of her consciousness. The blood divine power circulated on its own, and Charlotte sensed that her power soon achieved a mysterious fusion with the holy power. No, this was not the first fusion. In fact, she had encountered this once before when she checked Harald¡¯s body last time. In Charlotte¡¯s perception, Harald¡¯s blood quickly merged with hers, and the holy power and blood divine power attracted each other, becoming one. A faint white mist reappeared, even spreading from Charlotte¡¯s body. A vast and ancient aura spread from Charlotte and Harald, radiating an indescribable heaviness and depth. Where the faint white mist spread, flowers bloomed, grass sprouted, the soil shimmered with a strange glow, bursting with colorful magic, and rocks transformed into beautiful gems and various rare minerals. Seeing this, Oceanus¡¯ eyes widened in astonishment. ¡°Goodness! Granting life, evolving everything¡­ Is this the origin power?!¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Artemis looked solemn, equally filled with surprise and shock. ¡°This is¡­ creation power.¡± ¡°Creation power?¡± Oceanus was stunned, then looked at Charlotte and Harald, bathed in crimson light, in disbelief. ¡°Damn! Are they¡­ no, are they really not methods of That One returning?¡± Charlotte did not know the phenomenon her second embrace had caused. She only felt that she had entered a wondrous state, as if she had unlocked a switch. She sensed the ¡°righteous white mist¡±, different from the ¡°strange white mist¡±, quickly growing within her, soon surpassing the amount of ¡°origin mist¡± she had accidentally obtained while checking Harald¡¯s body. Eventually, these ¡°origin mists¡± seemed to be drawn and all surged into the divine flame in Charlotte¡¯s heart. The crimson-gold divine flame burned fiercely, and beneath the flame, a hint of misty white seemed to faintly emerge. Charlotte was surprised to find that her divine power, which had not grown for three and a half years¡­ suddenly began to grow again! A phantom crystal silhouette faintly appeared within the divine flame, the prototype of a divine core. In a trance, Charlotte seemed to understand that the missing piece of her Godhood had inadvertently been found. It was the holy power¡­ The final piece she was missing to ascend was an immense amount of holy power! But at the same time, another inexplicable thought flashed through her mind. Once she absorbed the immense holy power and fused the blood divine power and holy power to ascend, would she¡­ still be the ¡°True Ancestor of Blood¡± in the literal sense? The crimson-gold divine flame burned endlessly, but¡­ ultimately did not condense into a divine core. The reason was simple, Harald¡¯s holy power was far from enough for Charlotte to take that step. Meanwhile, the blood fused with blood divine power was reintroduced into Harald¡¯s body by Charlotte. Platinum light radiated from Harald, the light of holy power, unprecedentedly dazzling. When that light burst forth, Charlotte suddenly sensed the rhythms of similar blood from the depths of her bloodline. Those were the emotions of other bloodbornes. Confusion, panic, pain¡­ Charlotte was instantly startled. She cast her ¡°gaze¡± along the bloodline connection, and then saw the expressions of pain on the other bloodbornes under the light. It was a familiar expression. The expression bloodbornes had when being ¡°burned¡± by holy light. Fortunately, the sacred light quickly subsided and returned to Harald¡¯s body. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The embrace¡­ was completed. Charlotte could feel the bloodline connection between Harald and herself and sense Harald¡¯s state. The erosion of the ¡°origin power¡± had stopped. In Charlotte¡¯s perception, two types of ¡°origin power¡± in Harald¡¯s body had formed a subtle balance. One was grayish-white, Helios¡¯ power, and the other was crimson, Charlotte¡¯s power. In addition to the strange white mist and the blood divine power, the third power Charlotte was familiar with, the clear and righteous ¡°origin mist¡±, also flowed continuously within Harald¡¯s body. Harald had become her descendant. But¡­ he did not seem to have become a bloodborne in the usual sense. Charlotte could sense that Harald did not inherit the ¡°curse¡± of the bloodborne. His power remained holy, but he gained the ability to suppress and command other bloodbornes. That was the power possessed by the so-called ¡°Royal Bloodline.¡± Sensing Harald¡¯s stable aura, Charlotte exhaled softly. Then slowly opened her eyes. At this moment, she felt a strong sense of fatigue. The embrace drained not only the bloodline power but also the mental power. Although Charlotte¡¯s consumed bloodline power achieved a peculiar energy compensation through the fusion of blood divine power and holy power, even further enhancing Charlotte¡¯s divine power, the soul fatigue was unavoidable. But the results were also evident. Charlotte could almost foresee that when Harald woke up again, even if he couldn¡¯t ignite the divine flame, he would become the strongest among her descendants. He had fused two mythological-level powers, and igniting the divine flame was only a matter of time. At this point, even if she had any previous hesitation, Charlotte had to admit that Harald¡­ was indeed likely to be the future Creator God Harald. Exhaling lightly, Charlotte looked at the two Gods who had been ¡°protecting¡± her throughout the process. However, when she looked at Artemis and Oceanus, she found that both Gods were gazing at her with a strange look. Charlotte was taken aback. ¡°Your Excellencies Artemis, Oceanus, do I¡­ have something on my face?¡± Oceanus¡¯ gaze grew more complicated. He glanced around and couldn¡¯t help but said, ¡°Eternal Night¡­ do you want to see what has happened around you?¡± Charlotte was slightly taken aback. She instinctively looked around and was instantly stunned. She saw that, at some point, the land ravaged by divine battles had turned into a dense forest, with towering trees blocking out the sun, and lush flowers blooming. In the air, the agitated magic had long subsided, replaced by an incredible concentration of elemental power. In the forest, one could vaguely see countless flitting photons¡­ energy beings that only appeared when magic reached a certain density and purity, elemental spirits. On the ground, it was even more astonishing. Various precious minerals were everywhere, including fine gold, mithril, various gems, and magic crystals¡­ radiating from Charlotte and Harald in a circular pattern. ¡°What¡­ is going on?¡± Charlotte was utterly bewildered. Chapter 567 : Writing History Charlotte did not anticipate that her second embrace would cause such a huge commotion. No¡­ In fact, the phenomenon resulting from this embrace was even more extensive than Charlotte had imagined. This scene, akin to a massive explosion of life, almost covered the entire Dragonspine Mountain Range. Centered around Charlotte, an area within a radius of several hundred kilometers transformed into a ¡°primeval forest.¡± The various precious mineral deposits made Charlotte¡¯s expression strange, her thoughts drifting to those historical events that had not yet occurred. According to records, during the Blood Moon Era and the Yunette Empire Dynasty, the Dragonspine Mountains were renowned for being rich in minerals and magical materials across the entire continent. This continued until the division of the Yunette Empire and the pollution of most of Eastern Yunette, which led to its gradual decline. Even so, Charlotte knew that in later generations, the Eastern Yunette Blacklands remained famous for high-quality magic crystal mines, various magical woods, and magical beast products. The area of the highest quality was controlled by the dwarves in the Dragonspine Mountains¡­ Ah, this¡­ Could she have inadvertently created history again? Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but entertain this strange thought. To be honest, by now, she wasn¡¯t sure if she was ¡°conforming¡± to history or ¡°creating¡± history. It seemed like she was ¡°creating¡± blank pages of history, and everything she did appeared to become part of history itself. One thing she was certain of was that the phenomenon she caused this time was likely extremely extraordinary, even in the eyes of true Gods. This was evident from the expressions of Artemis and Oceanus, who looked at her as if she were a monster. What puzzled Charlotte was that despite the massive commotion she caused, her divine power wasn¡¯t significantly depleted. In fact, aside from the fatigue from bestowing bloodline power to Harald, she didn¡¯t feel any extra consumption of power. It was merely that about half of the ¡°origin mist¡± resulting from the fusion of blood divine power and holy power had vanished. The amount of ¡°origin mist¡± that disappeared, when converted into divine power, would definitely not be enough to transform such a vast area. After all, the energy contained in the newly formed magic mineral deposits throughout the Dragonspine Mountains would likely far exceed that of the missing ¡°origin mist.¡± Charlotte¡¯s doubt didn¡¯t last long, as she soon received an answer from the Moon Goddess Artemis. ¡°This is a range-based ¡®Genesis Evolution¡¯, which is the true effect of ¡®Origin Power.¡¯ The Creator God used this power to transform the entire desolate world.¡± ¡°Of course, with the power you currently possess, it¡¯s impossible to influence such a large area. If I¡¯m correct, it must be that the remaining ¡®Origin Power¡¯ in the world resonated with your power, resulting in this outcome.¡± Artemis pondered. ¡°Remaining ¡®Origin Power¡¯ in the world?¡± Charlotte¡¯s mind was stirred. Artemis nodded and said. ¡°Yes, all life in the world comes from the Creator God. Although the Creator God has returned to eternal rest, as long as life continues and extraordinary power exists, so does Their power. After giving life to the entire world, They, in a sense, became the world itself.¡± ¡°Because of this, I have always opposed Helios¡¯ attempts to tamper with Origin Power and covet the power of creation. After all, the power of creation has long merged with the world and grown stronger through its evolution. This is a height even God cannot reach. Trying to become the new Creator God is like a cup trying to contain the entire ocean¡­ the result is only destruction.¡± Artemis¡¯ expression was serious. Listening to her, Charlotte detected a subtle warning. If she wasn¡¯t mistaken, Artemis was advising her not to attempt to further master such power and avoid trying to become a ¡°Creator God¡± like Helios. But Charlotte felt helpless. This phenomenon wasn¡¯t something she intentionally caused, and as Artemis said, it wasn¡¯t her own power. The ¡°origin mist¡± she inadvertently emitted acted more like a catalyst in this small-scale ¡°Genesis Evolution.¡± According to Artemis, it should have ¡°activated¡± some extraordinary mechanism of the world¡¯s evolution. Essentially, it was still the power of the Creator God continuing to shape the world. That said, considering Charlotte¡¯s six years of solitary exploration across two different timelines, her future path to Godhood might indeed rely on this so-called ¡°Origin Power.¡± Charlotte couldn¡¯t explain why, it was just a sense, like a myth¡¯s ¡°premonition.¡± The changes in her divine flame during the recent embrace confirmed this ¡°premonition.¡± If she had a continuous supply of ¡°origin mist¡±, her divine core might have formed then and there. However, Charlotte felt she was missing something, especially after hearing Artemis¡¯ explanation. This made her feel inexplicably uneasy. Charlotte believed that Artemis¡¯ warning was well-intentioned. This central God of the elven race was as upright and selfless as history recorded. Although their time together was brief, Charlotte could fully sense what kind of God Artemis was. Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but recall ¡°Lilith¡¯s¡± expectations for her in the space-time rift. Contrary to Artemis¡¯ grave warning, ¡°Lilith¡± hoped she would become the new Creator God. According to ¡°Lilith¡±, only by becoming the new Creator God could she stand against ¡°Helios¡± and prevent future destruction¡­ Artemis and Lilith both advised Charlotte, but their opinions were diametrically opposed. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. However, although their views differed, Charlotte had a notion that both Artemis and Lilith might be right. After all, Artemis hadn¡¯t experienced the ¡°future¡±, while Lilith had repeatedly gone through cycles of destruction. They merely arrived at different conclusions due to their different starting points and times. So why was she feeling uneasy? Charlotte frowned, her thoughts wandering. Actually, strictly speaking, it wasn¡¯t unease. To be precise, Charlotte felt she had overlooked something or perhaps hadn¡¯t realized something. ¡°Oceanus, Lilith, the remnants of the Sun Temple have been eradicated, and I have achieved my goal for this trip. I have other matters to attend to, so I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± Artemis said. Upon hearing this, Charlotte nodded, suppressing her thoughts, and sincerely said. ¡°Artemis, thank you very much for your help. How can I repay you, and¡­ how can I find you if I want to visit you?¡± After a brief contemplation, Artemis¡¯ hand gleamed, and a piece of crystal-clear green leaf appeared. She flicked it gently, and the leaf fell into Charlotte¡¯s hand. ¡°This is a leaf of the World Tree, imbued with my essence. If you wish to find me, bring it to Luna Island.¡± ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t be staying on Luna Island for the next year. The Sun Temple matters have caught my attention, and Helios¡¯ appearance was beyond my expectations. I need to return to the Western Continent. If you want to visit, please wait for my return.¡± ¡°As for gratitude¡­ actually, I should thank you. After all, the followers of the Sun were also my target.¡± Charlotte¡¯s mind stirred. ¡°The Western Continent? Artemis, may I accompany you? There are some matters on the Western Continent that concern me as well.¡± After a brief hesitation, Artemis shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. Although the pollution on the Western Continent is diminishing, it will take another thousand or two thousand years to weaken completely.¡± ¡°I can set foot there because my body is a branch of the World Tree, which evolved from the Creator God¡¯s remains and can resist the pollution to some extent. But you¡­ probably can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Besides, you possess ¡®Origin Power¡¯, and all ¡®Origin Powers¡¯ are drawn to each other. To the pollution there, your ¡®Origin Power¡¯ is like a beacon in the dark, attracting everything.¡± ¡°You can indeed purify the ¡®pollution¡¯ to some extent, but the ¡®pollution¡¯ can also corrode you. When the ¡®origin pollution¡¯ becomes strong enough, you will be the one devoured.¡± Seeing Artemis¡¯ solemn expression, Charlotte felt a bit disappointed. However, this response was not beyond her expectations. Both ¡°Lilith¡± and ¡°Rowena¡¯s Diary¡± had warned her not to venture into the Western Continent until she was strong enough. Seeing Charlotte¡¯s somewhat disappointed expression, Artemis added. ¡°Don¡¯t be too disappointed. Although I can¡¯t take you along, I can tell you what I see when I return.¡± ¡°Lilith, you are the inheritor of ¡®Origin Power¡¯, and I am the purifier of ¡®Origin Malice.¡¯ We have a common enemy and are natural allies.¡± ¡°You are the first person I¡¯ve seen who can resist the temptation of ¡®Origin Power¡¯ to ascend to Godhood by taking shortcuts. Just for that, you have earned my respect and recognition.¡± ¡°We will surely meet and cooperate more in the future. I look forward to the day you truly ascend to Godhood.¡± Wait¡­ Resist the temptation of ¡®Origin Power¡¯ to ascend to Godhood by taking shortcuts? Charlotte was taken aback. Recalling everything she felt during the embrace, she suddenly understood what she had overlooked. Chapter 568 : Return How can one ascend to Godhood? This was a question Charlotte had been pondering ever since she became Demigod. Over the years, she had scoured countless resources and even directly consulted Oceanus, the Sea King. The final answer she reached was that she needed to forge her own divine path. This divine path needed to resonate with her divine flame, which had already been ignited as her bloodline, lit as the divine flame in her identity as the ¡°True Ancestor of Blood.¡± In other words, the most suitable path for Charlotte was to fully master the six bloodline paths of the bloodborne race and become the real True Ancestor of Blood. Therefore, when she completely mastered the six bloodline paths, she would ascend to the Blood Throne and become a true God. At that point, she would likely completely replace Lilith¡¯s position. Clearly, this was a pre-designed path. With the Gospel of Blood in hand, as long as Charlotte methodically completed history, she would eventually return as the True Ancestor in another ¡°future.¡± Charlotte did not reject this ¡°design¡± because she could feel that this ¡°design¡± was not malicious. In fact, from a certain perspective, this ¡°design¡± seemed more like a transaction¡ªa transaction between her and ¡°Lilith.¡± In the crevice of time and space, Lilith had made it very clear that she hoped Charlotte, the ¡°transmigrator¡±, would change everything. To change everything, Charlotte first needed to become the True Ancestor of Blood. Up to this point, the entire plan seemed flawless. The issue lay in the fusion of the holy power and the blood divine power during Charlotte¡¯s Second Embrace. The problem was that mysterious feeling when Charlotte triggered the large-scale ¡°Genesis Evolution¡±¡ªthat feeling that if she continued to fuse the two powers, she would naturally ascend to Godhood. The reason was simple. Since Charlotte had ignited her divine flame as the True Ancestor of Blood, how could she possibly ascend to Godhood merely by fusing the blood divine power and holy power? More accurately, how could she ascend to Godhood using the ¡°Origin Mist¡±? In other words, if she truly followed that instinct and planned to find more blood divine power and holy power to fuse upon returning to the future, if she ascended to Godhood in this manner¡­ At that time, would she still be the True Ancestor of Blood? More accurately, when the power of the ¡°Origin Mist¡± surpassed the blood divine power, would the ascended Charlotte still be ¡°Charlotte¡±? Charlotte immediately thought of the various legends about the Sun God Helios. The reason this elven main God eventually ¡°fell¡± was due to his coveting of the creation power, ultimately becoming a puppet of the ¡°Origin Malice¡± after being corrupted by it. So, if Charlotte fully accepted the ¡°Origin Mist¡±, would she not walk a similar or even identical path? Realizing this, Charlotte broke into a cold sweat almost instantly. Fortunately, she was much calmer and more restrained compared to Helios who once craved the origin power with fanaticism. ¡°Until I fully grasp the ability to control this ¡®Origin Mist¡¯, I can¡¯t continue to fuse the blood divine power and holy power. Their fusion¡­ is not my path to Godhood, at least not my path to becoming a true God.¡± ¡°I am the Bloodborne Progenitor of this era. To ascend as the real True Ancestor, I must completely perfect the Gospel of Blood. This can only be done in the future because, in this era, the bloodborne bloodline paths are not yet complete.¡± ¡°My bloodline power has already reached the brink of the Legendary tier, what I lack are the bloodline laws, which are occupied by the six bloodline paths of the bloodborne race.¡± ¡°It seems I have indeed reached the time to return to the future.¡± Charlotte thought to herself. After sorting everything out, Charlotte felt enlightened. Although she was curious about Lilith¡¯s status after she left this era, considering that the path she was on was designed by Lilith, Charlotte believed that Lilith must have plans in place. So, she only needed to do what she could. ¡°Your gaze seems more resolute. It seems¡­ you have found your direction.¡± ¡°Lady Lilith, it has been an honor to fight alongside you. We¡­ will meet again.¡± Seeing Charlotte¡¯s bright eyes, the Moon Goddess Artemis smiled slightly, then transformed into silver moonlight and disappeared into the night sky. Charlotte was stunned for a moment. Looking in the direction Artemis left, she also slightly bowed and murmured. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Until¡­ we meet again.¡± ¡°Eternal Night, the matter is settled, and I should be going too. Heh, heh, don¡¯t forget to take me with you the next time you visit Luna Island.¡± With Artemis gone, Oceanus also had the intention to leave, though his reasons were not as straightforward. Charlotte glanced at him and laughed. ¡°What, planning to chase after her?¡± ¡°Ahem¡­ cough, cough, cough, no, I just suddenly remembered I have something else to do¡­¡± Oceanus¡¯ eyes darted around. ¡°Oh, right, there¡¯s one more thing.¡± Oceanus cleared his throat, quickly changing the topic. ¡°This is a trophy Artemis and I found in the Sun Temple. It should be materials used by those priests for their rituals. It¡¯s useless to us, but it might be helpful to you.¡± As he spoke, a glow flashed in his hand, and a large black egg the size of a wagon wheel appeared before him. ¡°This is¡­¡± Charlotte¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°A dragon egg, probably a black dragon egg. Although dragons declined thousands of years ago during the war with the Gods of Myria, their strength is still undeniable.¡± Oceanus said. A black dragon egg? Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but look at the black oval. The Gospel of Blood in her consciousness trembled slightly, and Charlotte faintly sensed a familiar rhythm from the dragon egg. ¡°Is this¡­ the aura of origin power?¡± Charlotte¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Yes, this dragon egg likely got involved in the Sun followers¡¯ rituals and acquired a trace of origin aura. I think¡­ it might hatch an interesting little creature.¡± Oceanus said. He then looked at Charlotte again. ¡°Although you have subdued those Demigods, you might still need additional power to suppress them while you sleep.¡± ¡°A regular dragon might not be enough, but a dragon infused with origin aura¡­ that¡¯s a different story.¡± A black dragon to suppress the numerous Blood Princes? Charlotte had mixed feelings. In the history she knew, there was indeed such a black dragon. That was the pet and mount of the True Ancestor of Blood, the black dragon¡ªEudoxia. With this in mind, Charlotte¡¯s gaze once again fell on the dragon egg. She touched the complex black and gray patterns on the dragon egg and couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Oceanus, do you think¡­ when this egg hatches, will it be a male or a female dragon?¡± Oceanus seemed to be momentarily taken aback by Charlotte¡¯s inexplicable question. He stared at the dragon egg for a moment, then rubbed the wiggling ¡°beard¡± on his chin and said. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about dragons, but I¡¯ve heard that those with complex patterns are usually male. So, I think¡­ it should be a male dragon!¡± ¡°A male dragon, huh¡­¡± Charlotte had a peculiar expression. She looked away and suddenly smiled brightly. ¡°Oceanus, how about a bet?¡± ¡°A bet?¡± Oceanus was stunned for a moment, then became interested. ¡°What are we betting on?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s bet on the gender of this dragon when it hatches. I bet¡­ it¡¯s female. If you win, I¡¯ll bring you along every time I visit Luna Island in the future. If I win, you have to promise me something.¡± ¡°Really? What do you want me to promise?¡± Oceanus¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°I haven¡¯t thought of it yet, but¡­ it won¡¯t be something that makes you too uncomfortable.¡± Charlotte said. ¡°Alright! I¡¯m in!¡± Oceanus agreed. ¡­ The bet on the dragon egg was just a minor episode. After Charlotte accepted the dragon egg, Oceanus soon left as well. Thus, the war between the Free City-State Alliance and the Old Gods¡¯ Alliance officially ended with the destruction of the Sun Temple. When news of the victory reached the capital of the alliance, the Freedom City, all the cities of the alliance erupted in joy. People cheered, people rejoiced, and people sang praises. The entire city-state alliance fell into a festive celebration. It was indeed a time to celebrate. Since the Free City-State Alliance¡¯s independence from the Tower Kingdom of the Elves, the Old Gods of the Northern Frontier had been the greatest threat to the newborn alliance. And now, that threat was finally eliminated. Although this did not mean the total destruction of the Old Gods in the north, at least¡­ those ¡°false Gods¡± who harbored the strongest enmity and desire towards the alliance had paid the price they deserved. People cheered for the victory of the war, and they sang praises of the blood descendants. When Charlotte returned with the numerous third-generation bloodbornes and the Demigods who had submitted to her, the celebration reached its peak. Tens of thousands of residents filled the streets of the city, leaving almost no room to move. Ribbons flew in the air, and flowers covered the ground. ¡°Long live the Free City-State! Long live the Bloodborne Progenitor!¡± ¡°Praise the great Savior! Praise the great Eternal Night Monarch!¡± Amid the fervent cheers and adoring gazes of the people, Charlotte rode her warhorse, flanked by the proud third-generation bloodbornes and the cautious and submissive ¡°new¡± princes, passing through the streets of the Freedom City and returning to the tower that belonged to the Progenitor. ¡°Long live the Free City-State Alliance, long live the great Blood Descendants!¡± ¡°We, the blood descendants¡­ pay our respects to the great Progenitor and Savior, the great Ruler of Darkness, the symbol of the Dark Moon and Blood Moon, the supreme Eternal Night Monarch¡­¡± In the tower, numerous bloodbornes knelt on one knee, fervently worshiping the girl seated on the throne. Chapter 569 : Slumber ¡°¡­ Rise.¡± Her calm gaze swept over the many bloodbornes, and Charlotte motioned for them to rise. As for the increasingly long and numerous titles¡­ she had already gotten used to them. With the girl¡¯s words, the bloodbornes stood up one by one, respectfully standing in the hall. Charlotte could clearly sense that after the battle with the Old Gods Alliance, the bloodbornes worshiped her even more and feared her even more. In fact, it made sense. The battle with the Old Gods Alliance had almost destroyed the entire Dragonspine Mountains, and the ¡°creation phenomenon¡± Charlotte caused had nearly altered the entire region¡¯s ecosystem. Whether it was the incredible power or the defeat of the Old Gods and the subjugation of the Gods as her vassals, such miraculous feats were enough to overturn everything. The ultimate result was that Charlotte¡¯s already lofty status within the Free City-State Alliance had risen to another level. Of course, it was as the Bloodborne Progenitor and Savior of the alliance, ¡°Lilith.¡± But¡­ it would end here. Having defeated the Old Gods Alliance and elevated her bloodline power and divine flame to their peak, Charlotte had no further reason to stay in this era. She needed to return to the future and quickly perfect her bloodline path to take the final step toward becoming a God. ¡°Those whose names I call, stay. The rest of you¡­ you may leave.¡± Charlotte¡¯s gaze slowly swept across the hall as she called out one name after another. At Charlotte¡¯s command, the bloodbornes not called bowed and respectfully withdrew. Those whose names were called remained. Among them were not only the leaders of various legions and city-state governors of the Free City-State Alliance but also the renowned Blood Princes from later generations. This included figures like Abaddon, Casey, and Rowena. The only one absent was Harald, who was still in deep slumber. According to Charlotte¡¯s estimate, he would need a few more months to wake up. Of course, the Demigods who had accepted the bloodline power and were brought back by Charlotte were not present either. Although they possessed mythical power and had become the first batch of Blood Princes, they were not included in the high ranks of the alliance due to their status. Charlotte currently regarded those beings merely as ¡°henchmen.¡± Despite signing a blood pact, until they pledged their loyalty from the heart, they could not receive the treatment befitting princes. Now, those Charlotte had asked to stay were essentially the true high ranks of the Free City-State Alliance. Most of the bloodbornes left the hall, and those who stayed quickly realized their commonality. When they noticed that the high-ranking members of the alliance were almost all present, they immediately understood that the Progenitor on the throne likely had something important to announce. The atmosphere in the hall quickly became solemn, the bloodbornes¡¯ expressions grave, and the silence profound. Charlotte exhaled lightly. As she stroked the dragon egg beside the throne, she spoke. ¡°I will need to slumber for a while.¡± Upon hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, the bloodbornes were slightly taken aback and then couldn¡¯t help but stir. Charlotte¡¯s gaze swept over their faces. She saw shock, unease, worry, and confusion. Especially Bardock, an elder with high prestige among the bloodbornes, who had the most expressive face. She smiled at him and said, ¡°Bardock, if you have something to say or ask, just say it.¡± ¡°Savior, no, Your Eminence, the Progenitor, are you¡­ injured in the divine battle?¡± Bardock asked with a worried expression. Charlotte shook her head. ¡°I just gained some insights during the battle and need to slumber to digest them.¡± The bloodbornes breathed a sigh of relief, and the worry and unease on their faces mostly disappeared. There was no helping it. Charlotte was the cornerstone of the City-State Alliance. If something happened to her, all the bloodbornes would be nervous. ¡°Then¡­ how long will you slumber?¡± Casey asked. Charlotte thought for a moment and said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure. It could be a few months, maybe half a year, a few years¡­ or even longer.¡± The hall stirred again, and worry and unease resurfaced on the bloodbornes¡¯ faces. But Charlotte indeed couldn¡¯t give a definite time. She was certain that after returning to the future, she could manipulate the next time travel to return to this era again, but she wasn¡¯t sure exactly when that would be. Moreover, Charlotte was certain that her current body was the adult version of herself. She wasn¡¯t sure if ¡°Lilith¡± had really left behind any backup plans after she ¡°slumbered.¡± It was also possible that after traveling back to the future, ¡°Lilith¡± would resume her role as the True Ancestor of Blood, or perhaps once she slumbered, the ¡°Lilith¡± identity would truly slumber too. So¡­ she really couldn¡¯t make any promises. ¡°During my slumber, Bardock will temporarily manage the Free City-State Alliance. After Harald wakes up, he will resume his role as the alliance leader.¡± sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°The Old Gods Alliance has been defeated. The Alliance needs to recuperate and should not start new conflicts for a while.¡± ¡°The elves are unlikely to invade again in the short term, and the other Old Gods will be quiet for a while. However, bloodline training must continue. The war just paused, not ended.¡± ¡°The Demigods I brought back from the Dragonspine Mountains will become the Alliance¡¯s Guardians, holding the title of Blood Prince. They will follow the directives of the Alliance¡¯s Elder Council. This is the blood covenant.¡± ¡°During my slumber, it will be difficult for me to respond to any summons. If you encounter insurmountable difficulties, you can take my token and send someone to the North Sea to seek help from the Sea King, Oceanus¡­¡± Charlotte calmly explained the various matters after her ¡°slumber.¡± As she methodically arranged the ¡°aftercare¡±, the bloodbornes gradually calmed down, listening respectfully to her instructions. It could be said that the years of territory management after time travel had trained Charlotte well. As the highest symbol of the City-State Alliance these years, she had accumulated rich experience, making her handling of the situation quite smooth. Most importantly, Charlotte had been preparing for this day ever since she traveled through history. Many arrangements had already been made in these years to ensure that even if the worst happened after her slumber, there would be no chaos. Of course, with historical inertia, Charlotte believed there shouldn¡¯t be any issues. Her main concern was the specific changes after her ¡°slumber¡±, especially regarding the ¡°Lilith¡± identity, which might only be known when she ¡°woke¡± again in this era. After making all the necessary arrangements, Charlotte dismissed the bloodbornes. The concerned bloodbornes also respectfully saluted and withdrew. Charlotte¡¯s arrangements had left them with plenty of tasks, keeping them busy for a while. As for the dragon egg¡­ Charlotte finally called out to Rowena, who had become her personal maid as history had unfolded. ¡°Rowena, take care of this dragon egg for me.¡± Charlotte said. Rowena was flattered and quickly and respectfully agreed, carefully taking the dragon egg from Charlotte. She looked at the dragon egg, then at Charlotte, hesitated, and asked. ¡°Your Eminence, what if it hatches before you wake up? I¡¯ve heard¡­ dragons see the first person they see after hatching as their parent. And names¡­ if it hatches early¡­¡± Charlotte shook her head and said. ¡°I have already infused it with my bloodline power. It recognizes me as its master. As for the name¡­¡± She thought for a moment, then smiled suddenly and said, ¡°You can name it!¡± Rowena¡¯s eyes lit up. She thought for a moment and said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that in the era when dragons fought against Gods, powerful dragons liked to name themselves after gemstones¡­¡± ¡°Being your magical pet, it will naturally be a powerful existence. If it¡¯s a male dragon, how about calling it Brook? If it¡¯s a female dragon, how about Eudoxia?¡± Brook¡­ was said to mean obsidian in the ancient Myria language, believed to have originated from dragon language. Eudoxia meant onyx. Charlotte¡¯s expression was indescribable. A subtle emotion flashed through her heart. She smiled and nodded slightly. ¡°Very well.¡± ¡­ After arranging everything, Charlotte left the hall. Dismissing everyone, she went alone to the underground of the Central Tower, descending the steps. The underground of the Central Tower, once a dungeon, had been transformed into the Alliance¡¯s forbidden area. In the deeper part of the forbidden area was the place Charlotte had prepared for her ¡°slumber.¡± She had been preparing this sleeping place for three and a half years. For safety, she not only set up various magical wards but also borrowed a special protective artifact from Oceanus. It was all about being fully prepared. After all, Charlotte wasn¡¯t sure if her body would indeed ¡°disappear¡± after she began to merge with the identity of ¡°Lilith¡± and ¡°slumbered.¡± Even the coffin was custom-made, although¡­ Charlotte didn¡¯t know why she ended up with a coffin instead of a comfortable bed. Maybe¡­ it was just a habit. Of course, she didn¡¯t forget to add a special observation recording spell to her coffin, to record the changes after her ¡°slumber¡± and ¡°travel¡± back to the future. This was a basic skill for someone who grew up under the red flag on Earth. Changing into the clothes she had prepared, Charlotte skillfully lay down in the coffin and then¡­ slid the coffin lid over herself. She gently closed her eyes, sinking into her consciousness, communicating with the faintly visible Gospel of Blood. The familiar sensation of detachment came over her. Soon¡­ Charlotte fell into ¡°slumber.¡± Chapter 570 : Back to the Future Charlotte found herself once again in the unique space of the ¡°River of Time.¡± As she had guessed, with continuous improvement, the Gospel of Blood now possessed the ability to actively traverse time and space at will. Upon immersing herself in consciousness and actively invoking the blood divine power, she once again arrived at the ¡°intersection of time¡±, composed of countless mirror fragments. Unlike the previous time she entered this space, this time, the place where Charlotte stood had advanced further. In front of her, there were still countless broken and dim mirrors extending into the distant future, while behind her, more mirrors representing the already established history had appeared. Charlotte looked at these newly appeared mirrors, reflecting the various experiences of the past three and a half years of her recent time travel. Among them, there were scenes of leading the bloodbornes against the Old Gods Alliance, drinking with Oceanus, and the final mythical battle in the Dragonspine Mountains. Clearly, her latest time travel had indeed ¡°repaired¡± a part of history, and these mirrors were the manifestation of the history she ¡°created¡± in the River of Time. Charlotte then looked down at her hands. The Gospel of Blood, unseen for three and a half years, was now quietly lying in her hands. It was no longer an elusive sensation but had materialized solidly in her grasp. At this moment, the Gospel was open to the last page, where new pages and words were continuously appearing¡ª ¡ºGospel of Blood ¨C Genesis Chapter¡» ¡ºI shall know the darkness of the past,¡» ¡ºI shall possess the light of the future,¡» ¡ºThe Clock of Ages at my feet,¡» ¡ºThe Book of Time in my hands.¡» ¡ºGenesis Chapter Ability Awakened¡ª¡» ¡ºTemporal Rewind (Active)¡» ¡ºTemporal Rewind: As the core of the creation power, the Gospel of Blood awakens the ability of time reversal, capable of consuming the power of creation to rewind time and return to specific time nodes for a certain duration.¡» ¡°Temporal Rewind? Power of creation? Could it be¡­ referring to that faint white mist produced by the fusion of blood divine power and holy power?¡± Charlotte thought to herself. She closed the Gospel of Blood and looked down at her feet. There it was, the familiar illusory clock. Of course, now Charlotte knew its name¡ªThe Clock of Ages. Charlotte looked ahead, at the endless broken dim mirrors leading to the starry ¡°future¡± world. Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward. The blood divine power began to circulate again, and Charlotte felt her divine power being rapidly consumed. With a thought, those temporarily ¡°sealed¡± faint white mists replaced the blood divine power, halting the consumption of her divine power and instead depleting the origin mist. The origin mist began to diminish, and simultaneously, the Clock of Ages beneath her started to spin rapidly. Unlike her previous visit to this world, this time the spinning was not counterclockwise, but clockwise. The surrounding scenery changed rapidly, with countless broken dim mirrors flying past, and beneath the Clock of Ages, Charlotte once again saw the projection of the entire Myria world. No, to say it was a world projection would be inappropriate, it looked more like a view of Myria from the outside of the universe. The planet¡¯s day and night cycled rapidly, and countless stars soared across the sky. As Charlotte¡¯s lifted foot came down, she had arrived at the end of the River of Time. Charlotte looked back, and the history from a thousand years ago had become unattainable, while the fragments of time capturing her becoming the Countess of Castell and the Queen of Starfall had reappeared before her. However, Charlotte noticed that behind those scenes, closer to her current position, there were quite a few unfamiliar scenes. Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred, realizing that these scenes were likely time fragments of the ¡°future world¡± captured during her ¡°slumber.¡± In other words, the things she had been worried about and curious about for the past three and a half years could now be confirmed: while she traveled to the past, time in reality continued to pass. Charlotte then looked at the fragments leading to her becoming ¡°Charlotte.¡± Those were much further away. And from that fragment to the last time fragment of her known history, the length of the fragments was about the same as the newly added ones. This realization made Charlotte think. ¡°My previous travels through time were shorter each time, but I slept longer each time.¡± ¡°However, those were passive travels. This time it was active, so past experiences and logic no longer apply.¡± ¡°The newly added scenes in the River of Time are not many, and their number is similar to the number of reality fragments I saw during my last time travel.¡± ¡°In reality, I¡¯ve been in past Myria for about three and a half years. So, this time traveling actively means that only three and a half years have passed in reality as well.¡± ¡°Unlike passive time travel, this kind of active travel seems to have the same time flow rate as my historical travel!¡± Scanning through the scenes, Charlotte quickly reached this conclusion. ¡°Three and a half years¡­ Well, I had prepared for the worst, expecting to wake up after more than ten years.¡± Charlotte breathed a slight sigh of relief. Of course, three and a half years is still a long time. Besides her ¡°slumbering¡± time, she had only known Nice for three and a half years. And now Nice had been playing her role for three and a half years, which made Charlotte somewhat worried. ¡°Let¡¯s get back quickly. It¡¯s not advisable to stay in this space too long.¡± Charlotte thought. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Taking a deep breath, Charlotte looked at the last mirror. It represented the ¡°present¡±, the only time node she could reach to return to the ¡°future.¡± The origin mist spread again, and Charlotte reached out, touching it. Ripples spread across the mirror, and Charlotte felt a strange pull, drawing her in¡­ The world spun, her vision went dark, and after an indescribable sense of weightlessness, Charlotte regained her senses. Her consciousness stirred, and she slowly opened her eyes. She had awakened in reality. A subtle wave of energy spread from Charlotte as the center, creating ripples. The next moment, Charlotte felt an immense and vast ¡°power of faith¡± converging from all directions¡­ ¡­ Starfall Kingdom, Starfall City. In the grand and solemn Holy Court Cathedral, a priest in white robes was leading over ten worshippers in prayer. In the prayer hall, a towering statue representing the Creator God Harald stood in the center, appearing sacred and majestic under the holy radiance. The prayer soon ended, and the worshippers respectfully saluted the priest before leaving. On the platform, several priests exchanged worried glances. ¡°Today¡­ are there fewer worshippers again?¡± ¡°Yes, a few less.¡± ¡°They must have been absorbed by that heretic cult again, right?¡± ¡°Yes, they are now openly spreading their doctrines.¡± ¡°Is there no news from the Theocracy?¡± ¡°Even if there is news, what can be done? How many edicts have been issued in the past few years? But this is the Starfall Kingdom!¡± ¡°Yes¡­ After all, behind that heretic cult is the Saintess herself, who is almost revered by those heretics as a living God.¡± ¡°Saintess? She¡¯s clearly a Witch! No, a Sorceress! Fallen and betraying her own God, she will eventually face the Creator¡¯s judgment!¡± ¡°Shh! Silence! This is the Starfall City, be careful what you say!¡± ¡°What is there to fear? This is a cathedral!¡± ¡°But those blood-guard loyal to the royal family don¡¯t care about that¡­¡± ¡°¡­..¡± The priests¡¯ conversation gradually quieted down. They instinctively looked around cautiously, and after their gazes met again, they sighed helplessly. Shaking their heads, they prepared to leave the prayer hall. However, just as they were about to close the door, a dazzling radiance suddenly erupted in the hall. The priests were slightly stunned. They looked up, and the source of the radiance was the towering statue of the Creator in the center of the hall, shining brilliantly with white-gold holy light. Particles of light spread from the statue, warm, radiant, and holy. They danced continuously, like jubilant little spirits, seemingly celebrating something. The priests¡¯ eyes widened. ¡°This¡­ this is¡­¡± ¡°A miracle! It¡¯s a miracle! It¡¯s the miracle of the Creator!¡± Among the priests, the oldest one seemed to recall something, and his expression changed, becoming increasingly excited. ¡°No¡­ This is not just an ordinary miracle.¡± ¡°Holy light illuminating, spirits dancing¡­¡± ¡°This is the statue¡¯s manifestation¡­ This is the statue¡¯s manifestation recorded in the bible!¡± ¡°Our Holy Court¡­ has a God awakening!¡± ¡­ In another part of Starfall City, within a dignified noble estate. Here, too, many worshippers were praying. However, unlike the Holy Court¡¯s white-robed members, everyone here, from the priests to the worshippers, was dressed in black robes. ¡°Praise the darkness, praise the order!¡± ¡°May our Lord¡¯s glory end this chaotic era, may our Lord¡¯s will reshape this fallen world!¡± The fervent prayers were uniform and orderly, as worshippers reverently bowed to a small, mysterious, faceless statue at the front. Suddenly, a deep radiance blossomed from the statue, and countless flying crimson particles spread out. Seeing this, the priests and worshippers were slightly stunned, then quickly became excited. ¡°This is¡­ a miracle, this is a miracle!¡± ¡°Our Lord has heard our prayers! This must be our Lord hearing our prayers!¡± ¡°Praise the darkness! Praise the order! Praise the great God Nyx!¡± ¡­ At the same time, in various cities and villages of Myria. Whether in the Holy Court¡¯s cathedrals or the Nightshade Cult¡¯s hidden spots, all statues manifested anomalies. In the palace of the Starfall Kingdom, in the Queen¡¯s Study of the Red Palace. The ¡°Starfall¡¯s Little Queen¡±, who was listlessly browsing documents, suddenly perked up, her whole body shivering as she sat up straight. ¡°This¡­ this aura is¡­¡± Her eyes widened, looking in a certain direction. Her expression became increasingly excited as she quickly stood up and rushed out of the study with a whoosh. Chapter 571 : Now is not the time. Charlotte felt like she was about to burst. An immense ¡°power of faith¡± surged towards her from all directions, rapidly absorbed by the divine flame in her chest, which in turn quickly amplified her divine power. The divine power consumed by her active time travel was replenished almost instantly, overflowing with an endless supply of divine power. But this was not the end. In Charlotte¡¯s perception, she felt like a bowl dropped into the ocean, surrounded by a sea of ¡°power of faith.¡± And that ¡°power of faith¡± continued to pour into her, transformed and absorbed by the divine flame. No¡­ Describing it as ¡°power of faith¡± was not entirely accurate. More precisely, it was the ¡°extraordinary power¡± absorbed from believers by God¡¯s faith network. Charlotte was quite shocked. If she hadn¡¯t confirmed through the magic recording stone she left by her coffin before falling asleep that she had indeed slept for ¡°three and a half years¡±, she would have doubted if she had slept for three hundred years. Otherwise, how could the faith network she built for the Nightshade Cult have accumulated such a vast amount of ¡°extraordinary power¡±? No¡­ Even if she had slept for three hundred years, it would be difficult to amass such a colossal amount of energy, right? Charlotte could sense just how enormous the energy she had connected to was. Compared to her own power, her strength was like a small pond in front of the ocean of ¡°extraordinary power.¡± ¡°This shouldn¡¯t be the extraordinary power accumulated by the Nightshade Cult over the past three and a half years.¡± Charlotte quickly made this judgment. Fortunately, her power level was ultimately higher than this ¡°extraordinary power¡±, and as a mythological being, she had long since learned how to control such power. The divine flame trembled slightly, and Charlotte swiftly closed the channel converting extraordinary power to divine power, finally halting the influx of the omnipresent extraordinary power. At this point, Charlotte had the energy to investigate what was going on. She spread out her divine sense, following the vast extraordinary power, and soon realized that she had likely connected to the faith network of another God. The reason was simple: through the extraordinary power, Charlotte ¡°saw¡± countless spots of light. Those represented the believers. Charlotte was once again astonished. This time, by the sheer number of those spots of light. They were countless, endless, and compared to her own believers, it was like comparing starlight to the sunlight. It was a believer count that could be measured in ¡°billions.¡± The Gospel of Blood in the depths of her consciousness trembled incessantly, and the origin mist within her divine flame surged continuously. Countless prayers from all directions poured into Charlotte¡¯s mind. ¡°Praise the divine! May next year be another bountiful harvest.¡± ¡°Great Lord, may your light protect your humble servant.¡± ¡°Oh Lord! Almighty Creator God! Your lamb, your sinner, seeks your forgiveness¡­¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Charlotte: ¡­ Her eyes widened, full of incredulity. Goodness¡­ She had connected to the faith network of the Holy Court! ¡°Could this be a chain reaction from absorbing Harald¡¯s holy power when I saved him?¡± Charlotte¡¯s expression was somewhat peculiar. All myths that create a faith path weave a faith network, granting power to believers through the network and absorbing the believers¡¯ distributed extraordinary power as they grow. The Holy Court was no exception. Moreover, as Charlotte knew, the faith network of the Holy Court was even larger than that of ordinary Gods because it was a shared network of an entire pantheon. However, as Charlotte was marveling at her accidental connection to the Holy Court¡¯s faith network, she also felt the rapid consumption of the origin mist she had accumulated. Charlotte quickly realized that this connection was also related to the accumulated origin mist. ¡°Wait¡­ this might be an opportunity. Since I accidentally connected to the Holy Court¡¯s faith network, perhaps I can take this chance to investigate Harald and the other Gods of the Holy Court.¡± Charlotte thought. It was a bold idea, one that Charlotte would never have dared to consider before, as it could easily be detected by the Gods within the faith network and seen as an intrusion. But now, she had a secret weapon that could deceive even the heavens. Charlotte delved into her consciousness, releasing the remaining origin mist from her divine flame. The mist enveloped Charlotte¡¯s divine power, quickly radiating a holy brilliance. This was another use of the origin mist that Charlotte had explored during her three and a half years of time travel. As a power produced by the fusion of holy power and blood divine power, she could make the origin mist exhibit the characteristics of both. Although this did not change the essence of the origin mist, it allowed for a certain degree of disguise. In other words, at this moment, Charlotte could use the origin mist to conceal her blood divine power, wrapping it as holy power for a stealthy investigation. Charlotte was quite curious about Harald¡¯s current state. After all, in the history she ¡°created¡±, he had become her disciple. She didn¡¯t know how long this accidental connection would last, but it was certainly not a normal link. So, using this connection to gather more information about the Gods of the Holy Court was the best course of action. Following the omnipresent ¡°power of faith¡±, Charlotte traced back to the end of the faith network and quickly found the direction. In her perception, the vast faith network¡¯s node was located above the entire world. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte followed the flow of extraordinary power, her vision rising steadily. Soon, she saw plains, mountains, rivers, the entire world of Myria, and the stars above Myria. She saw the end of the faith network¡ªa golden star, shining brilliantly, enveloped by immense holy power. Upon that star, countless beings seemed to be praying, and there were numerous temples bathed in holy light. Charlotte was momentarily stunned, quickly recalling that this was not the first time she had seen this scene. Back when she ascended to the Starry Sky tier, she had once accidentally entered a similar ¡°divine realm¡±, and now¡­ she was here again. Indeed, the endpoint of the Holy Court¡¯s faith network, the divine realm, was the world she had ¡°seen¡± during her ascension! Realizing this, Charlotte soon saw the tall hall guarded by numerous temples, the majestic platinum throne within the hall, and the giant of light sitting on the throne, who had once had a one-sided conversation with her. But this time, Charlotte clearly saw the appearance of the ¡°giant of light.¡± It was not a true ¡°giant¡±, but a radiant scepter. The scepter was golden, intricately carved with patterns and the ringed cross symbol of the Holy Court, incredibly ornate and holy. It lay on the throne, radiating dazzling light, enveloping the entire star, seemingly guarding the whole world. Charlotte quickly realized that this was likely a wisdom artifact. Previously, when she ¡°peeked¡± into this place during her ascension and was ¡°warned¡±, it was probably not by a God but by this artifact. However, the artifact no longer felt as terrifying to Charlotte as it had before. In her perception, its strength was only at the peak Demigod level. It wasn¡¯t that the artifact had weakened but that Charlotte had grown stronger. Behind the scepter and the throne, there was a golden door tightly shut. The door was surrounded by layers of golden chains, inscribed with golden runes, exuding a sacred and ancient aura. Charlotte saw the scepter and the door. At the same time, the artifact sensed Charlotte¡¯s power. Golden light gathered on the throne. Charlotte saw the scepter slowly rise, then gradually transform into a phantom human figure. It was a middle-aged man in ornate robes. However, when Charlotte saw his appearance, she was momentarily stunned. It was because, despite the change in attire and aura, his appearance had not changed much. That middle-aged man was none other than Hafdan, the hunter who had ¡°picked¡± her up when she first traveled through history, Harald and Lilith¡¯s father. No¡­ More accurately, it was the artifact¡¯s spirit, shaped in the likeness of Hafdan. Confirmed! The Creator God Harald must indeed be her disciple Harald from after her time travel! There was no more doubt for Charlotte! The sacred light spread and Charlotte saw the artifact, now in human form, bow respectfully towards her. Its demeanor was extremely reverent, and its voice was respectful and courteous. ¡°Your Excellency¡­¡± ¡°The Day of Judgment has not yet arrived, my Lord has not yet awakened, you¡­ have come too early.¡± Day of Judgment? Charlotte was momentarily stunned. She was about to say something when she felt a sudden repulsion from the surrounding holy power. The entire world receded rapidly, and Charlotte felt her connection to the faith network begin to fade quickly. She abruptly woke up, having returned to reality, and the omnipresent ¡°power of faith¡± had disappeared. No, it hadn¡¯t completely disappeared. In the depths of her consciousness, above the Gospel of Blood, Charlotte saw a golden symbol. It was a constantly rotating ringed cross, the symbol of the Holy Court. Through that symbol, Charlotte could faintly sense the presence of the ¡°power of faith.¡± At this moment, Charlotte sensed a familiar aura rapidly approaching, accompanied by an excited voice echoing in her mind. ¡°Lady Charlotte! Great Lady Charlotte! Great True Ancestor, my Lord, is it you? Have you awakened?!¡± It was the black cat, Nice. Chapter 572 : Changes in the Starfall Kingdom Hearing Nice¡¯s voice after a long time, Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but smile slightly. You know what, say what you will about him, but even with all his annoying habits, suddenly hearing his voice again after all this time did make Charlotte feel a bit nostalgic. It felt like a wanderer finally returning home after a long journey. Of course, another reason was that Charlotte was now extremely curious. She had been ¡°asleep¡± for a full three and a half years, and she wanted to know how her cult and kingdom had fared during this time, and what had transpired on the Myria continent. To say nothing of the recent overwhelming influx of divine power she had felt upon awakening, even without considering the faith network of the Holy Court she had inadvertently tapped into, she could still sense the vastness of her own faith power. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte felt that during her three and a half years of slumber, the number of her followers had increased by an order of magnitude! Although it hadn¡¯t quite broken through to the millions, it must have reached seven or eight hundred thousand. And that was just the devout believers who were connected to her faith network. It should be noted that new converts or those whose faith wasn¡¯t deep enough weren¡¯t linked to the network. According to Charlotte¡¯s understanding of church faith on the Myria continent, the ratio of shallow believers to devout ones was typically at least four to one. In other words, the influence of the Nightshade Cult, in just three and a half years, had expanded to affect nearly half the population of the Starfall Kingdom. The extraordinary power accumulated by the Nightshade Cult during these three and a half years was likely significant, but just now, when Charlotte connected to the Holy Court¡¯s faith network, she had almost fully replenished her divine power, so she hadn¡¯t yet examined it closely. But clearly, during her years of slumber, her followers had been diligently carrying out the development plans she had laid out, and it seemed they had done quite well! Thinking this, Charlotte gently raised her hand, and the clothes prepared in the wardrobe in the secret room flew towards her and dressed her automatically. Smoothing her pale golden hair, she flicked her fingers to unlock the secret chamber¡¯s door, which only she could open. As the door opened, she saw another ¡°her¡± excitedly rushing in. However, a golden-red phantom was even faster. ¡°Supreme Sovereign, great God Nyx, noble master whom Roman serves! Wuwuwu, you¡­ have finally awakened!¡± It was the Roman Sword. The artifact swiftly flew over, bypassing the black cat Nice who still looked like Charlotte, and excitedly rubbed against her leg. ¡°Wonderful! Wonderful! Wuwuwu, I can finally sense your power again! You have no idea, during your slumber, I felt like our connection was about to break! I thought you had abandoned me!¡± Seeing the excited wisdom artifact, Charlotte patted its ornate hilt and couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Long time no see, Roman.¡± The Roman Sword, having recognized Charlotte as its master, had a special connection with her, more profound than with any of her other followers. During her time-traveling ventures, the connection with the Roman Sword had weakened the most. For the other followers, it was just difficult to communicate with their ¡°slumbering¡± True Ancestor, but for the wisdom artifact, it was almost as if the God had completely ¡°disappeared.¡± After all, based on Charlotte¡¯s observations, her time travel involved her entire being, even her ¡°existence¡± itself. Having comforted the Roman Sword, Charlotte turned her gaze to the now self-consciously reverted-to-cat form Nice, who was looking at her eagerly. She smiled and reached out to rub Nice¡¯s head. ¡°Long time no see, Nice.¡± ¡­ ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± In the Starfall Red Palace, within the opulent halls. The fully dressed Charlotte walked through the long corridors, nodding in response to the maids and knights who stood to the sides and saluted her. Beside her, Nice, now in cat form, followed with his tail held high, while the Roman Sword floated in mid-air on the other side. Everything in the palace seemed to be running normally, just as it had before Charlotte fell asleep. Well, not everything was unchanged. Charlotte noticed that many of the lamps had been replaced with magical devices, and the proportion of magical equipment in the palace had increased significantly since before she had slept. This was obviously connected to the plan she had implemented to develop the magi-tech and alchemy industries before she went to sleep. There were also many new faces among the palace staff, likely new recruits. Everyone she encountered greeted her with respect. This genuine respect was far more sincere than the perfunctory gestures she had received when she first ascended to the throne, even more so than before she fell asleep. Three and a half years had been enough for ¡°Charlotte de Castell¡± to firmly establish her rule over the Starfall Kingdom. No one realized their ¡°Queen¡± had changed. Of course, no one had realized it three and a half years ago either. Nice, clearly mastering the art of impersonation, seemed to have worked hard these past years, as evidenced by the staff¡¯s attitude. Charlotte glanced at Nice with satisfaction, and feeling her approving gaze, Nice¡¯s tail lifted even higher. ¡­ Back in her study, Charlotte took her seat on the throne. Nice happily prepared a glass of sweet milk for her. Charlotte took a sip, savoring the familiar sweetness she hadn¡¯t tasted for a long time while in the Free City-State Alliance, where she had maintained her ¡°Lilith¡± persona. ¡°Lady Charlotte, here is the information I have prepared! From the day you slumber to today, it contains all the details of the kingdom and the cult, organized exactly as you instructed before you slumber!¡± Nice eagerly presented the thick stack of documents to her desk. Charlotte nodded and took the documents, browsing through them as she asked. ¡°Where are the others?¡± Nice replied respectfully. ¡°Sebastian is patrolling the northern coast and overseeing the resettlement of Free Tribe immigrants. The kingdom has changed so much in these years that he¡¯s been very busy, but I¡¯ve already sent him a magical message about your awakening, and he¡¯s on his way back.¡± ¡°Yurst has been busy with the magi-tech industry. Over the years, he¡¯s developed many new things and is now the chief alchemy consultant for the industry company!¡± ¡°Luff has been active within the cult. Your faith has spread to every corner of the kingdom. Although not yet overtly acknowledged, the number of believers is almost on par with the established church¡¯s influence in the Starfall Kingdom.¡± ¡°Of course, the believers don¡¯t know you are the God Nyx.¡± ¡°The Nez Clan has also stabilized. After you fell into slumber, there were a few minor disturbances, but they were eventually quelled by Duke Bardock and Duke Robin. Many bloodbornes have joined the Holy Court, now known as the Crimson Nobility.¡± ¡°From the Harcos Clan, Prophet Margo has maintained contact with us, greatly assisting the expansion of the Nightshade Cult.¡± ¡°As for Albrecht¡­ he visited Starfall a few times and seemed to suspect your slumber, but I managed to fool him.¡± Charlotte nodded slightly. She multitasked, listening to Nice¡¯s report while browsing the provided documents. As Nice had said, the Starfall Kingdom had indeed undergone significant changes in the past few years. The two key areas were: First, the magi-tech and alchemy industries of the Starfall Kingdom. After integrating the resources of the Nez Clan and the Harcos Clan and setting development plans, the kingdom¡¯s magi-tech industry experienced explosive growth over the years. It was a natural progression, in a sense. When Charlotte first took over as Countess of Castell, she had noticed that the Myria continent was at a critical point similar to the ¡°Industrial Revolution¡± on Earth. Small and large alchemy workshops sprang up like mushrooms after rain, and various new alchemical tools appeared among the nobility. More and more nouveau riche made their fortunes from alchemy and trade, especially in Castell territory, which was showing signs of early capitalism. Of course, here it was the magi-tech revolution rather than the industrial revolution of Earth. Charlotte had been steering towards a magi-tech revolution since her ascension. With funding from the Harcos Clan and assistance from the former Legendary Mage Nicholas, everything proceeded according to plan. The most notable achievement was the unprecedented success of the magi-tech and alchemy industry company designed by Charlotte before her slumber. In just three and a half years, with funding from the Harcos Clan and Nice¡¯s improved technology, it had become a formidable entity in the northern part of the continent. This success triggered a series of chain reactions, leading to the rapid development of various magi-tech and alchemy workshops in the Starfall Kingdom. Nice¡¯s documents showed that Starfall Kingdom¡¯s magi-tech and alchemical products now occupied about 40% of the market, surpassing the long-dominant Mage Association. The magi-tech and alchemy industry company Charlotte established had even extended its magical device trade to the eastern Coria Kingdom. The company¡¯s profits had reached a staggering figure, even after considerable dividends to the invested nobility and reinvestment in production, leaving a very impressive amount for the royal treasury. Twenty million¡­ A full twenty million gold tana! This was equivalent to half of Starfall Kingdom¡¯s annual fiscal revenue when Charlotte first took the throne. And this was just the third year since the company¡¯s establishment. According to the plans of Charlotte and Nice, future revenue would only continue to grow. Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but marvel. Trade, especially high-end goods trade with a technological edge, was incredibly profitable. The industrial-scale production of magi-tech devices was even more lucrative than she had imagined. Not only the nobility but wealthy commoners were also eager buyers of Starfall-produced magi-tech and alchemical products. What was once a privilege for the high nobility had now become accessible to the affluent commoners. Combining Starfall Kingdom¡¯s alchemy workshops with Nice¡¯s technological improvements and Charlotte¡¯s ¡°factory¡± model ideas, the magi-tech and alchemy industry company was a force of overwhelming dominance in this era. It was foreseeable that soon, the Starfall Kingdom¡¯s financial situation would improve dramatically, potentially making it the wealthiest kingdom on the Myria continent. Chapter 573 : Invitation from the Holy Court The development of the magi-tech and alchemy industry had gone even more smoothly than Charlotte had anticipated. Of course, Charlotte knew this was just the beginning. Currently, the goal was to improve the financial situation of the Starfall Kingdom, but with the magi-tech industry revolution, a series of social changes would follow, which were even more crucial. Moreover, with financial stability, the kingdom could officially start modernizing its military. A powerful extraordinary army was indispensable on the Myria continent. Charlotte also needed to prepare for the Divinity Descent Day. Her own strength was one thing, but even a true God wasn¡¯t omnipotent. The extraordinary powers controlled by the secular world shouldn¡¯t be underestimated. Charlotte wasn¡¯t sure how much power ¡°Helios¡± had amassed in this era, but based on her observations, the enemy likely had infiltrated many forces on Myria, much like the Old Gods¡¯ Alliance in her time-traveling experiences. Charlotte might have to face enemies similar to the Old Gods¡¯ Alliance in the future, and she had to be fully prepared for that. The development of the magi-tech and alchemy industry was one of the two major changes in the Starfall Kingdom. The other was the transformation of its church. During Charlotte¡¯s three and a half years of absence, the Nightshade Cult, which worshipped the ¡°God of Darkness and Order¡±, had grown significantly in the Starfall Kingdom. With official and covert support from the kingdom, it had almost become equal to the Holy Court¡¯s local branch, even subtly becoming the largest church in the kingdom. As a result, even the Holy Court, which originally supported ¡°Saintess Charlotte¡±, had sent seven protests and three warnings to the Starfall Kingdom over the past three and a half years. If not for the Starfall Kingdom¡¯s distance from the Holy Court¡¯s core territory, the severe decline of the Holy Court itself, and the Nightshade Cult¡¯s claim that ¡°God Nyx¡± was also a member of the Holy Court, the church division in the Starfall Kingdom would have been targeted much sooner. In truth, Charlotte was more surprised by the changes in the religious landscape than by the magi-tech industry¡¯s growth. She was amazed at how quickly her cult had developed, but even more so by the Holy Court¡¯s inaction. Honestly, before she fell asleep, one of her biggest concerns was the Holy Court intervening with the Nightshade Cult. But in reality, the Holy Court¡¯s response, despite multiple protests and warnings, was almost akin to ¡°tolerance.¡± Charlotte vividly remembered how the Holy Court dealt with heretics and pagans. She had witnessed it firsthand in the Crescent Kingdom. In a way, the Holy Court¡¯s reaction to the Nightshade Cult in the Starfall Kingdom was almost gentle. ¡°Has the Holy Court¡¯s Inquisition not reacted?¡± Charlotte looked at Nice and asked. Nice, in a sense, was still an unofficial member of the Holy Court and had connections with several high-ranking clergies in the Crescent Kingdom. Charlotte knew he had private channels to understand some of the Holy Court¡¯s internal secrets. ¡°No, they haven¡¯t.¡± Nice shook his head and answered. ¡°Technically, the Starfall Kingdom falls under the Crescent Diocese of the Holy Court, but in recent years, the Crescent Diocese has been too preoccupied with its own issues to have the energy to deal with us.¡± ¡°The Crescent Diocese of the Holy Court is preoccupied?¡± Charlotte¡¯s interest was piqued. ¡°Did King Louis V act against the church?¡± Nice nodded. ¡°Yes, Louis V has been acting against the Holy Court¡¯s influence in the Crescent Kingdom. Over the years, he¡¯s not only subdued the nobility but also replaced the Archbishop of the Crescent Diocese with someone loyal to him, effectively making it a puppet of the Crescent Kingdom.¡± ¡°Oh, and the Holy Court protested this multiple times. The most influential faction of the Holy Court, the Western Yunette Empire, also reacted strongly. The new emperor, Ferdinand II, who ascended two years ago, even mobilized the Imperial Army to support the Holy Court in a crusade against the Crescent Kingdom¡¯s royal family, mobilizing 150,000 troops.¡± ¡°However, the imperial army was no match for the Crescent Kingdom. Louis V¡¯s Royal Knight Corps routed the Imperial Army, even chasing the fleeing soldiers back to the Western Yunette Empire¡¯s capital, Yunette City. Six months ago, Ferdinand II had to sign a peace treaty under the Holy Court¡¯s mediation, even ceding some border territories.¡± Good heavens, the Crescent Kingdom even fought a war with the Western Yunette Empire? Charlotte was astonished. She finally understood why there had been no border conflicts between the Crescent Kingdom and the Starfall Kingdom in the documents Nice had presented, the Crescent Kingdom had been preoccupied with a war with its eastern neighbor. It made sense. Before she fell asleep, one of Charlotte¡¯s biggest concerns was the Crescent Kingdom¡¯s ambitions towards Castell and Roman Duchy. She had even discussed with Sebastian, Nice, and others the strategies to deal with a potential war during her slumber. Unexpectedly, the Crescent Kingdom had engaged the Western Yunette Empire instead. However, these two countries had been historical enemies. If the Western Yunette Empire¡¯s internal cohesion had been stronger, the outcome might have been different. The empire, similar to the fragmented Holy Roman Empire in Charlotte¡¯s previous life, was composed of semi-autonomous states with the emperor controlling only the Yunette Grand Duchy directly. Incidentally, before her slumber, the third of Charlotte¡¯s major concerns was the mysterious force suspected to be ¡°Helios¡± on Luna Island. According to Nice¡¯s records, Luna Island had remained quiet and isolated over the years. Charlotte speculated this might be related to ¡°Helios¡¯¡± own time-traveling. Furthermore, she now understood why the Holy Court hadn¡¯t acted against the Nightshade Cult in recent years. The Western Yunette Empire, backed by the Holy Court, was entangled in a war with the Crescent Kingdom. With its attention diverted, the Holy Court had no extra resources to deal with the ¡°heretics¡± in the distant Starfall Kingdom. After all, to the church, heretics were enemies, and so was secular power usurping theocratic authority, especially in the Crescent Kingdom, which was the Holy Court¡¯s core area. But considering the war had ended with a peace treaty half a year ago, Charlotte now found the situation delicate. For the Crescent Kingdom, the Starfall Kingdom was an enemy occupying northern core territories. For the Holy Court, the Nightshade Cult was also an enemy. Even if God Harald, the leader of the Holy Court, was Charlotte¡¯s disciple, it didn¡¯t mean the Holy Court was friendly. Even as an ¡°officially recognized¡± Saintess, Charlotte understood that to the church, saints and witches were often a matter of perspective. In other words, both the Crescent Kingdom and the Holy Court were potential enemies for Charlotte. With both forces now at peace, the situation could become tricky for Charlotte. Charlotte¡¯s expression grew serious. It seemed she needed to closely monitor the actions of both the Crescent Kingdom and the Holy Court. Fortunately, the nearly two-year war had exposed a critical issue. The decline of the Holy Court might be more severe than Charlotte had anticipated. ¡°By the way, Lady Charlotte, there¡¯s another matter.¡± Nice said, pulling out a beautifully decorated document with a ring-cross symbol, and handing it to Charlotte. ¡°The Holy Court¡¯s Pope is about to be replaced. The official succession ceremony is three months away. The newly appointed Pope, Gregory XII, has sent an invitation, inviting you to attend the ceremony.¡± The Holy Court¡¯s Pope was being replaced? Charlotte raised an eyebrow. She opened the invitation and asked curiously. ¡°I thought the Pope was a lifetime position? Wasn¡¯t the previous one, Benedict VIII, still quite young? Only in his fifties, right? Why the sudden change?¡± Nice snickered. ¡°What else? He was ousted. The Western Yunette Empire¡¯s defeat equated to the Holy Court¡¯s defeat. After the treaty was signed six months ago, Benedict VIII ¡®fell ill¡¯ and passed away three months later.¡± Charlotte: ¡­ The Holy Court¡¯s Pope, proficient in holy healing, dying of illness was darkly humorous. However, this detail caught Charlotte¡¯s attention. Nice¡¯s records showed that many of the Holy Court¡¯s protests and warnings had occurred within the last couple of months, indicating the new Pope Gregory XII¡¯s attitude. Charlotte read the contents of the invitation. ¡°To the cherished child of our Lord, wise and benevolent Queen of Starfall, Saintess Charlotte de Castell¡ªI will hold my succession ceremony at the Grand Cathedral in the Holy City on the 10th Day of the 10th Month, Year 1450 in the Holy Calendar. On behalf of all clergies and countless believers in the Holy Court, I sincerely invite you to attend the ceremony. ¡ªAlbino St. Gregory, 6th Month 23rd, 1450¡± The invitation wasn¡¯t long. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It was personally written by Gregory XII, bearing his private seal. ¡°Three months¡­ Do they always have such long preparation periods for the Pope¡¯s succession ceremonies?¡± Charlotte asked, curious. Nice answered. ¡°Pretty much. You know the Holy Court¡¯s control over various dioceses is limited. To reinforce their authority, every time a Pope is replaced, all Dioceses¡¯ Archbishop must make a pilgrimage to the Holy City.¡± ¡°Some dioceses are close, some are far. Even with the church¡¯s internal teleportation arrays, it takes a long time. Plus, the delegation usually includes more than just the Diocese¡¯s Archbishop, so the preparation period is generally long, with invitations sent two to three months in advance.¡± After explaining, Nice looked at Charlotte curiously. ¡°Lady Charlotte, do you¡­ plan to attend?¡± Chapter 574 : Observing Fate The Invitation from the new Pope of the Theocracy? Charlotte raised an eyebrow. Honestly, she had no interest in the internal power struggles of the Holy Court and had always been too lazy to really act as a Saintess and get involved in other church matters. The reason she was willing to take on the title of Saintess was simply because the Holy Court was powerful a few years ago, and she decided to side with the Holy Court after weighing the pros and cons against the many forces eyeing her. Additionally, the development of the Nightshade Cult needed a prominent protector, and she could use the Gospel of Blood to ¡°absorb¡± the Holy Light, which made it convenient. But now¡­ The Theocracy choosing this moment to invite her was hard not to make one speculate. ¡°Nice, what do you think?¡± Charlotte asked after some thought. Nice stroked his chin and pondered. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be just a simple invitation. Gregory XII had been working in the Crescent Diocese before he became the Cardinal. There are rumors that he had always been supported by the Crescent Royal Family. Now that the Theocracy has made peace with the Crescent Kingdom and he has become the Pope, it¡¯s hard not to think much about it¡­¡± ¡°There are rumors that the Theocracy ceded a lot of religious rights in this negotiation with the Crescent Kingdom, and it¡¯s also possible that they signed other treaties.¡± ¡°Lady Charlotte, I think¡­ we might need to prepare for the possibility of the Theocracy and the Crescent Kingdom joining forces. The Crescent Kingdom, although wanting to control the domestic church power, is ultimately a ¡®holy believer¡¯, but the Starfall Kingdom¡­ is different.¡± ¡°To the Theocracy, the Nightshade Cult is heretical. The reason they haven¡¯t acted against Starfall yet is partly because the dispute with the Crescent Kingdom wasn¡¯t resolved, and partly because of your presence as a ¡®Saintess¡¯ who once invoked a ¡®miracle.¡¯¡± ¡°But now it¡¯s different. The war between the Crescent Kingdom and the Western Yunette Empire has ended, our potential two enemies are free, and at this time, the Theocracy has sent you an invitation¡­¡± ¡°Anyway¡­ I personally feel there¡¯s definitely a conspiracy behind this!¡± Charlotte nodded slightly. Nice was right, she thought so too. Moreover, she knew even more. For example, there were forces within the Holy Court that Helios could influence. The holy power and her blood divine power were both evolutions of the origin power¡­ Another subtle detail caught Charlotte¡¯s attention. She noticed that the Theocracy¡¯s Gregory XII sent the invitation a week ago. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Coincidentally, a week ago was also the time when Charlotte, in another space-time, teamed up with two true Gods to thrash the Old Gods Alliance, directly sending ¡°Helios¡± away. The timing¡­ was exact to the day. Charlotte didn¡¯t know if this was a coincidence. The time the Theocracy invited her was exactly when ¡°Helios¡± was sent back to the future. It was hard for Charlotte not to draw some connections¡­ Could it be that this leadership change in the Holy Court had ¡°Helios¡± involved from the start? ¡°Nice, if I hadn¡¯t awakened, would you have planned to attend?¡± Charlotte asked after thinking for a moment. Nice sighed and said, ¡°That¡¯s the problem¡­¡± ¡°Lady Charlotte, you may not know, but for any believer of the Holy Court, receiving an invitation to the Pope¡¯s inaugural ceremony is a huge honor.¡± ¡°This is related to the ceremony. On the day of the ceremony, the Creator God will bestow divine grace and blessings, so not everyone can be invited to the ceremony.¡± ¡°According to the church¡¯s official statement, only those recognized by the Gods can be invited.¡± ¡°Therefore¡­ such an invitation is generally considered mandatory. The invitation from the Pope represents the will of the Gods. Refusing to attend could easily be seen as blasphemy against the Gods, and in history, even monarchs have faced severe penalties for such refusals.¡± ¡°As for me¡­ I¡¯ve been troubled by this because the Theocracy possesses the Creator¡¯s artifact, and if I, the imposter, went, I¡¯d be exposed under the Holy Light.¡± ¡°So¡­ if it were me, I definitely couldn¡¯t go, but I hadn¡¯t figured out what excuse to use to refuse the church¡­¡± ¡°This invitation isn¡¯t simple. The invitations are likely hostile, and if I really refused, the church might have other actions later.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been uncertain about the final decision, so I¡¯ve been stalling for now. Fortunately, you¡¯re back now.¡± Hearing Nice¡¯s words, Charlotte was a bit surprised. She hadn¡¯t expected such complexities behind the ceremony. However, Nice had a point she agreed with: this invitation wasn¡¯t simple. ¡°What do you think¡­ should I go?¡± Charlotte asked again. ¡°That depends on your will. You are a God, the problems I can¡¯t solve are nothing to you. But I have a feeling¡­ this invitation is partly a test by the Theocracy and partly aimed directly at you.¡± Nice said. A test¡­ Charlotte pondered. She also felt it was a test. But not just a test, there was more to come. Charlotte could even foresee potential developments if she refused to go. Although Nice didn¡¯t directly say it, if ¡°Saintess Charlotte¡± really declined the invitation and didn¡¯t attend the ceremony, it would give the church an excuse to accuse her of blasphemy. They might use this excuse to nullify the ¡°miracle¡± that brought her prestige, entirely deny her ¡°Saintess¡± status, and label her as a ¡°heretic.¡± And if Charlotte went¡­ Who knows what the Holy Court would do? Charlotte could think of several possibilities, most likely starting with courtesy and then force, likely involving the Nightshade Cult in the Starfall Kingdom, possibly even the bloodborne issues. In any case, these were issues Charlotte would never compromise on. This was indeed a conspiracy, or rather an overt plot, clearly targeting her, the Nightshade Cult, and the bloodborne. Moreover, Charlotte had a strong feeling that this invitation might be related to ¡°Helios.¡± This was a divine intuition. However, it was also an opportunity. The Theocracy was the true stronghold of the Holy Court. It was rumored that the Theocracy was the only place where communication with the Creator God Harald was possible after He fell asleep. Charlotte felt it was necessary for her to go to the Theocracy to confirm some things¡­ She wasn¡¯t without the means to explore the Theocracy. To the world, she was someone blessed by the Gods. Even if she had once killed a Legendary Bishop, the world only saw it as divine retribution. The power Charlotte had shown as ¡°herself¡± was, so far, only at Blazing Sun. In other words, people only saw her as a God-blessed genius who became Blazing Sun at a young age. No one would know she was a Demigod. Her strength was Charlotte¡¯s biggest trump card. Besides, her true relationship with Harald and the vague connection she had established with the Holy Court¡¯s faith network after her return would also be her backing. Charlotte found that she could communicate with the faith network of the Holy Court through the ring-cross symbol floating above the Gospel in her consciousness. The difference was that she could no longer easily ¡°steal¡± divine power because the gatekeeper artifact in the divine kingdom had ¡°awakened.¡± All things considered, Charlotte decided she could accept the invitation and visit the Theocracy. However, before that, she planned to use the power of fate observation she possessed to gauge the pros and cons. With this in mind, Charlotte said, ¡°I¡¯ll think about this and make a final decision.¡± Apart from the invitation from the Theocracy, there was no other significant information: the immigration of the Free Tribes Alliance, the appeasement of the Starfall nobility, and the religious cooperation with the Northern Grand Duchy were all going smoothly. Although the information showed that the Northern Grand Duchy hadn¡¯t officially adopted the Nightshade Cult as the official religion, the young Archduke had hired a priest who believed in God Nyx as a tutor for his heir, which was a form of alignment. After all, compared to the Holy Court, which overly interfered with royal power, the Nightshade Cult, active in the North and not interfering with local politics or other religions, seemed like a purely religious organization. Charlotte also noticed that in the six months since the end of the Western Yunette-Crescent War, cooperation between Starfall and the Northern Grand Duchy had increased, both economically and politically, suggesting a certain trend. Apparently, the Northern Archduke also recognized the threat of the Crescent and Theocracy alliance. After reading the information Nice brought, Charlotte had a thorough understanding of the current overall situation in the Starfall Kingdom. Overall, though still full of crises, the development was trending positively. These three years could be considered a stable development period. Of course, this would change. Through the information, Charlotte could even smell the gunpowder. Clearly¡­ before the Divinity Descent Day, all forces wanted to solve their final hidden dangers. Such as territorial integrity for the Crescent Kingdom, and heresy and dispersed power for the Holy Court. Not to mention the lurking ¡°Helios¡±, the fallen God aiming to control the power of creation and become the Creator God, who was Charlotte¡¯s greatest future enemy. Sometimes Charlotte even suspected that the various forces in the Myria Continent might have Helios¡¯ influence behind them. This was another direction Charlotte needed to investigate upon her return. After reading the information and dismissing Nice, Charlotte took out the fate observation tool she obtained from the Nez Clan¡ªa Destiny Balance. The left side of the balance was a black demon, the right side a white angel, and a beautiful crystal was embedded in the axis. This was also an offering from Bardock, a single-use Legendary-tier item that aided in fate observation and was useful even for a Demigod like her. If the divination result was bad, the scales would tilt to the left; if it was good, they would tilt to the right. Meanwhile, the central crystal would shine brighter as the divination proceeded, indicating the depth of fate¡¯s traces. ¡°I want to divine the future of this trip to the Theocracy.¡± Charlotte murmured to herself as she channeled divine power, invoking the incantation for divination and beginning the process. Crimson light spread, divine power was consumed, and the scales of fate swung back and forth¡­ Eventually, the scales trembled and tilted to the left, the black demon on the tray slightly raised its head, giving Charlotte a strange smile. At the same time, dazzling light burst from the central crystal of the scales, overshadowing the magical lamps in the study. Charlotte raised an eyebrow. This result indicated a certain level of hidden danger, but also an opportunity of significant potential, capable of altering fate if overcome. After a brief contemplation, Charlotte made her decision. There was danger, but it should be manageable with proper preparation. Wealth comes with risk. Whether for the promise of fate revealed in the divination or to clear up her doubts, she should make this trip to the Theocracy. Of course, there were still three months before the inauguration ceremony of the Pope. Before that, Charlotte had another place to visit. There was something she had been concerned about since her awakening, something she couldn¡¯t resist confirming. With this in mind, Charlotte mentally communicated with Nice. ¡°Nice, I have decided to attend the ceremony in the Theocracy. Prepare in advance. Additionally, I need to go to the North Sea for a few days. During this time, continue to disguise my identity. If anything important arises, report it through prayer.¡± Chapter 575 : Meeting the Legendary Sea Behemoth Kraken The endless sea shimmered with sapphire-like waves, reflecting the azure sky. Golden sunlight pierced through the clouds, casting a radiant glow over the sea, like countless sparkling stars fallen to earth. The North Sea. This is the largest and most bountiful, yet also the most mysterious sea area in the northwest of the Myria continent. It is a famous fishing ground for the Northlanders and Starfall people, as well as the homeland of sea monsters that are both mysterious and awe-inspiring in various fantastical stories of Myria. Suddenly, a crimson light streaked across the sky, piercing the clouds like a meteor. Eventually, that light fell into a fog-covered sea area, transforming into Charlotte. The Misty Sea. This is the deepest and most mysterious part of the North Sea. Even the most experienced fishermen speak of it with trepidation and try to avoid approaching it. Mist, sea monsters, ghost ships¡­ various bizarre legends and tales are intertwined with this sea, adding even more enigma to the already mysterious Misty Sea. However, to another organization, the Sea King Church, one of the three major churches that have been passed down for thousands of years in the North Sea and surrounding areas, this place is a revered and longed-for holy land of myth and legend. This place is rumored to be the resting place of the Ocean God ¡°Sea King Oceanus.¡± Charlotte stood in the air. Crimson divine power supported her, the sea breeze blowing her long silver hair in her divine form. The golden sunset cast a layer of golden-red radiance over her, making her look even more majestic and sacred under the mist. She gazed down at the ocean below, her golden-red eyes reflecting the shimmering sea, her expression tinged with nostalgia and complexity. Time is a truly wondrous thing. A thousand years can change many things. But some things seem to be frozen in time, remaining unchanged even after nearly two thousand years. For example, this sea, this perpetually lingering mist. Coming here and seeing the familiar sea, Charlotte almost felt as if she were back a thousand years ago. As if in the next moment, Sea King¡¯s emissary would sail through the mist, respectfully greeting her. As if in the next moment, the sea would part, and the waves would take on the rugged form of Oceanus, who would glare at her uninvited presence. But some things have inevitably changed with the passage of time. Charlotte could no longer sense the emissary of Sea King. Nor could she sense the presence of Oceanus. All she could feel was the familiar salty sea breeze, the unchanged sea surface even after a thousand years, and the significantly diminished magic in the air compared to a millennium ago. With a light sigh, Charlotte leaped into the sea. Divine power enveloped her as she descended, following her memories to the depths of the ocean floor. What met her eyes was a dilapidated underwater palace. Collapsed columns and coral-covered statues still hinted at past glory, but everything had become part of history. Charlotte sighed softly. Although she had guessed it long ago, actually coming here still made her feel complex emotions. She had few friends in the world of Myria, and Sea King Oceanus was one of them. Though she initially approached him out of curiosity about true Gods and to strategically align with him for historical development, she gradually became close friends with this mythical figure. Charlotte knew that ¡°Helios¡± had once impersonated Oceanus and that the Sea King Church, one of the world¡¯s three major churches, had been declining for centuries. She knew the signs indicated that something had likely happened to Oceanus in this era. But having traversed history, she had warned Oceanus multiple times to beware of future disasters, so she held onto a sliver of hope. However, reality proved that history could not be altered. What had happened could not be changed. Setting aside her thoughts, Charlotte walked into the Sea King Temple. The ruined temple was both familiar and strange, still faintly showing traces of its former arrangements. Charlotte even saw the underwater courtyard where she often chatted with Oceanus and asked him about mythical spell, seeing the coral table and chairs where they once sat. But alas, everything had changed. There was no trace of life here, let alone residual divine power, and judging by the state of the temple, it had been abandoned for hundreds of years. Reaching the temple¡¯s center, Charlotte thought for a moment and chanted a cryptic spell. Divine power quietly flowed, converging in Charlotte¡¯s hand, eventually forming a phantom conch. This was a divine communication spell she learned from Oceanus when she traversed history, used to summon Sea King¡¯s followers and guide her. In the era she traversed, she often used this method to summon the ferryman of the Misty Sea, sea King¡¯s follower, the skeletal captain Krystoff. Divine power surged, and the conch emitted a deep hum, rippling through the sea. Charlotte waited quietly. Waiting for a possible response. But as time passed, there was still no response. At this moment, Charlotte had to admit that there was truly nothing left here. Shaking her head, Charlotte prepared to leave. However, as she turned, she sensed something and looked in a certain direction. She felt an unfamiliar presence approaching. No¡­ That presence wasn¡¯t unfamiliar. A low wail came from afar, seemingly responding to Charlotte¡¯s call. The heavy seawater began to ripple, and Charlotte saw a massive shadow slowly emerging, growing larger and larger. Finally, a colossal octopus swam from afar, appearing in Charlotte¡¯s sight. It was the Legendary Sea Behemoth Kraken. This pet of Sea King Oceanus was actually nearby and had been summoned by Charlotte. Charlotte was somewhat surprised. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After all, by her estimation, with Oceanus¡¯ identity being replaced by ¡°Helios¡±, this sea monster was likely also under the latter¡¯s control and should not have responded to her divine spell. But Charlotte quickly noticed the changes in the beast. Compared to the last time she saw it, the beast had lost many tentacles and bore several gruesome scars. It seemed to have experienced a fierce battle, and although the battle seemed to have happened a long time ago, some of the wounds were still festering with black mist lingering around them. Charlotte¡¯s eyes narrowed. She recognized that mist. ¡°This is¡­ ¡®Origin¡¯ corruption.¡± Charlotte murmured. Origin corruption. The source of the blood frenzy for bloodbornes, the culprit behind the decline of the Harcos Clan, and the power wielded by ¡°Helios.¡± Charlotte looked at Kraken. Kraken also scrutinized Charlotte. Unlike the frenzied beast she remembered, this time, Kraken¡¯s eyes were clear, with a hint of surprise. However, that surprise quickly turned into confusion, doubt, and vigilance upon seeing Charlotte. Additionally, there was a hint of human-like tension. Evidently, it did not remember their previous confrontation. Of course, Charlotte had never seen it in her traversed era because Oceanus had not yet kept an octopus pet back then. But this was enough for Charlotte to deduce much information. The festering wounds, the change in temperament, the familiar black mist, and the timeline of the scars¡¯ existence¡­ Charlotte had a revelation. ¡°I see, it seems¡­ the last time I encountered you, you were already under the control of the Sun Temple, right?¡± ¡°And now, you have taken advantage of the three and a half years of his absence to free yourself from his control?¡± Kraken did not respond. However, it clearly understood Charlotte¡¯s words, as its eyes gradually became less vigilant. Charlotte exhaled lightly and raised the conch in her hand. Blood divine power surged, enveloping Kraken. Kraken immediately tensed and began to struggle. ¡°Don¡¯t move, I¡¯m just trying to heal your wounds.¡± Charlotte said. Kraken did not stop, but it soon realized that Charlotte¡¯s divine power was not attacking it. The crimson glow merely spread over its body, engulfing the black mist in its gruesome wounds. Gradually, Kraken calmed down, floating stiffly and accepting Charlotte¡¯s treatment. The crimson glow persisted for about a minute and a half, gradually absorbing the black origin corruption, leaving only the raw wounds. At this point, Kraken completely calmed down, looking at Charlotte with eyes still filled with doubt and vigilance but also with a trace of gratitude. ¡°I¡¯ve cleared the corruption from your body, so your wounds can heal now. You are a follower of Oceanus and still have some of his power within you. Your body is too weak right now, so I didn¡¯t use divine power for further healing to avoid divine power rejection.¡± Charlotte said. Upon hearing this, Kraken finally let go of its vigilance. It looked at Charlotte seriously and, after a moment, finally spoke. ¡°Esteemed one¡­¡± ¡°To my knowledge, the conch of my Lord can only be summoned by his divine favored within the church, and outside the church, only one entity has ever been granted permission.¡± ¡°May I ask¡­ are you the True Ancestor of Blood?¡± Chapter 576 : Seal of Memory Restriction Kraken looked at Charlotte with a hint of nervousness in his respectful voice, which also seemed to carry a trace of expectation and excitement. Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred slightly. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. At the moment Kraken spoke, she noticed a subtle change in the residual ocean divine power within him, as if a pre-set divine spell had been activated. Moreover, when the ocean divine power was activated, Charlotte sensed a familiar presence from its depths. It was the aura of the origin power. Just as Charlotte anticipated, the moment she sensed that faint change, an ancient text appeared in her vision. ¡ºGospel of Blood detected an ongoing divine ritual¡ª¡» ¡ºRitual Name: Judgment of Truth¡» ¡ºCaster: Ocean God Oceanus¡» ¡ºTarget: God Nyx ¨C Charlotte de Castell¡» ¡ºEffect: An origin divine spell co-created by the Ocean God Oceanus and ¡õ¡õ¡õ, it can discern all truths in the world. No lie can be hidden under this judgment spell. The current judgment content is the true identity of the target.¡» ¡ºInterception Probability Judgment: Error¡­¡» ¡ºOrigin divine spell, cannot be intercepted¡­¡» ¡ª Charlotte was slightly stunned. An origin¡­ divine spell? Cannot be intercepted? This was the first time her Divine Ritual Counter had encountered an uninterruptible spell, seemingly related to the origin power. Additionally, the Gospel of Blood¡¯s description of her had changed from Bloodborne Progenitor to God Nyx. Charlotte understood the reason for this. The Gospel of Blood was deeply connected to her faith network. With the increasing number of followers in the Nightshade Cult and Charlotte¡¯s deliberate promotion, the title of God Nyx currently overshadowed Bloodborne Progenitor. In this context, it was natural for the Gospel of Blood to prioritize the title of God Nyx. What intrigued Charlotte more was the unnamed entity that couldn¡¯t be displayed. This was the second time she encountered an unnamed entity in the text materialized by the Gospel of Blood. The first time¡­ was when it couldn¡¯t display the name of Lilith, who had become Charlotte¡¯s direct descendant. A name the Gospel of Blood couldn¡¯t show, possibly related to Oceanus, and co-creator of an origin power-based spell¡­ Could it be¡­ Lilith as well? But why would there be a specific spell left in Kraken to identify her identity activated when Kraken asked about ¡°True Ancestor of Blood¡±? It was clearly directed at her, or anyone claiming to be True Ancestor of Blood. Could there be someone impersonating True Ancestor of Blood? Charlotte was puzzled, but¡­ this judgment couldn¡¯t stump her. Although she wasn¡¯t the Bloodborne Progenitor of the original timeline, the history had ¡°updated¡± now. In the current timeline, she¡­ was the Bloodborne Progenitor! Of course, considering she hadn¡¯t completely merged with Lilith¡¯s identity when crossing over, Charlotte decided to respond in the most prudent manner. She nodded slightly and answered. ¡°If you mean the one who granted the first embrace to mortals in current history, founded the bloodbornes, and was in alliance with the Sea King Oceanus¡­¡± ¡°There should be no other existence besides me.¡± A subtle divine fluctuation flashed in Kraken¡¯s pupils. His tense expression gradually relaxed, with nervousness replaced by excitement and joy. To Charlotte¡¯s surprise, Kraken suddenly prostrated himself, bowing as a servant would, his voice trembling with excitement. ¡°Great Eternal Night Monarch, Lord of Darkness, Progenitor of all Bloodbornes¡­ The Servant of the Sea, Kraken, has finally awaited your return!¡± Charlotte¡¯s heart moved. ¡°Oh? You say you¡¯ve been waiting for me? Is this Oceanus¡¯ command?¡± Kraken was momentarily taken aback, a hint of confusion crossing his eyes. ¡°My Lord¡¯s¡­ command?¡± ¡°My Lord¡­ my Lord¡­ Yes, this should be my Lord¡¯s command¡­¡± ¡°No¡­ no, this isn¡¯t my Lord¡¯s command?¡± ¡°My Lord¡­ my Lord seems to have never given me such an order¡­¡± ¡°Wait¡­ why¡­ why did I say I¡¯ve been waiting for you?¡± Kraken muttered to himself, his gaze becoming lost. Charlotte sensed a severe mental disturbance within him, as if he were plunging into some confusion. Crimson divine power flickered slightly, Charlotte¡¯s pupils gleaming with a touch of red-gold. Divine power gently enveloped Kraken, calming his chaotic thoughts with a soothing mental spell. ¡°Don¡¯t rush, think slowly.¡± Kraken¡¯s breathing was rapid. His aura fluctuated wildly, his mental power in complete disarray, but¡­ under the soothing influence of the blood divine power, he eventually calmed down. ¡°I apologize, great True Ancestor of Blood, for my earlier offense. The question you asked¡­ I fear I cannot answer. I can¡¯t recall if my Lord ever commanded me to wait for you, nor do I know if I was truly waiting for you. I just¡­ I just¡­¡± Kraken stammered, so nervous that his tentacles curled and trembled. Looking at its confused and nervous expression, Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred slightly. ¡°You just¡­ naturally said those words based on some subconscious instinct, right?¡± Kraken was taken aback, showing an expression as if asking how she knew, and eventually nodded its huge octopus head. ¡°It seems¡­ it seems to be as you said. I¡¯ve forgotten many things, and I¡­ I¡¯m not sure if I really received the order from my Lord to wait for you.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve forgotten many things?¡± Charlotte¡¯s interest was piqued. Kraken nodded honestly. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve forgotten many things. I only remember being my Lord¡¯s servant, that my Lord¡¯s conch can summon me. It seems I¡¯ve been asleep for a long time, then was captured by someone, just as you said. I only escaped recently¡­¡± Kraken seemed to fall into a reverie. Charlotte sensed that the subtle fluctuations of the ocean divine power appeared again as Kraken recalled. ¡°Do you remember who captured you and what they did to you?¡± Charlotte thought for a moment and asked again. Kraken fell into a reverie once more. This time, its expression quickly turned pained, and its aura fluctuated. ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t remember. I just remember suddenly waking up, and by the time I came to my senses, I had already escaped.¡± ¡°Other than that¡­ I can¡¯t remember anything, not even where my Lord is or why my Lord¡¯s temple turned out this way.¡± As Kraken answered, Charlotte once again sensed the faint fluctuations of divine power. However, the Divine Ritual Counter of the Gospel of Blood did not activate. The fact that the counter didn¡¯t react indicated it wasn¡¯t a ritual spell. Yet, there was still a divine power fluctuation¡­With that, there was only one possibility left. Taking a deep breath, she sighed. ¡°Kraken, do you¡­ trust me?¡± Kraken was taken aback, then replied honestly. ¡°You are my Lord¡¯s old friend, a sovereign standing at the pinnacle of the world. Compared to you, I am just an insignificant little octopus. You saved me and treated me so kindly. I¡­ am willing to trust you.¡± Charlotte nodded and then extended her right hand. ¡°If you trust me, then relax and let me examine your body and soul.¡± ¡°Examine my body and soul?¡± Kraken hesitated for a moment before nodding and respectfully prostrating itself. Charlotte channeled her divine power, enveloping Kraken¡¯s body, while also merging her mental power, which had transformed into divine soul power. As the divine soul power spread into Kraken¡¯s vast body and probed its soul, Charlotte saw a glowing blue-gold trident emblem spinning continuously within Kraken¡¯s soul. This was¡­ Oceanus¡¯ mark! Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred slightly. She wanted to observe further, but saw the emblem glow, releasing intricate divine power runes that formed a mythic restriction, wrapping around Kraken¡¯s soul. Indeed, it was a mythic restriction! Charlotte instantly understood. Unlike spells, mythic restrictions operate using mythic runes embedded with divine laws, which cannot be directly interfered with by external forces, and thus cannot be modified by Divine Ritual Counter. However, during her three and a half years traversing history, Charlotte had learned much about mythic knowledge from Oceanus, including mythic runes. She had the ability to decipher them. This restriction was likely left by Oceanus, and it also seemed to involve the God who co-created the Judgment of Truth with Oceanus, as Charlotte also sensed the origin power. The purpose of this restriction was likely to seal Kraken¡¯s memories. Of course, it could also be seen as protection. Charlotte could guess why this restriction had remained until now, probably related to the origin power within it. To break a restriction involving origin power, one would need to use origin power. Although ¡°Helios¡± also wielded origin power, not all origin powers are the same. The origin power in this restriction was highly compatible with Charlotte¡¯s, possibly even originating from the same source. Charlotte could break it, but if ¡°Helios¡± tried, it might trigger the restriction¡¯s self-destruction. The divine spell to identify the True Ancestor of Blood. A mythic restriction that for Charlotte was akin to an open-book test. Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but believe that Oceanus was trying to convey some crucial information to her from another timeline in a unique way. And the information¡­ was likely in Kraken¡¯s memories. However, Kraken¡¯s soul was too weak, and Charlotte noticed many cracks, likely from forced attempts to break the restriction. After a brief calculation, she realized that even if she wanted to break the restriction, she would have to wait until Kraken¡¯s injuries were fully healed. She withdrew and said, ¡°Kraken, I found a mythic restriction on you, likely left by Oceanus, sealing part of your memories.¡± ¡°Your body is too weak. To break the restriction, you need to heal first. Would you be willing to come with me and let me break the restriction once you¡¯re healed?¡± Kraken was momentarily stunned, thought for a while, then respectfully bowed again. ¡°Great True Ancestor of Blood¡­¡± ¡°In the field of mythic restrictions, few can compare to my Lord. Since you have a way to break the restriction, it is likely part of my Lord¡¯s plan.¡± ¡°I¡­ am willing to follow you back.¡± ¡­ After confirming the state of the Sea King Temple, Charlotte didn¡¯t stay in the North Sea any longer. She took Kraken into the alternate space of the Dark Night Castle and returned to the Starfall Kingdom. Due to Kraken¡¯s unique status and enormous size, finding a suitable place to heal would require some thought, and Charlotte intended to leave this to the Nez Clan. Kraken¡¯s soul injuries were severe, and souls are the hardest to heal. Even with Charlotte¡¯s help, she estimated it would take at least half a year for complete recovery. However, upon returning to Starfall City, Nice, who had exchanged identities with Charlotte, brought another piece of news. ¡°Lady Charlotte, Albrecht has come to see you again. He¡­ seems to be in a hurry.¡± Chapter 577 : The Whereabouts of the Bloodborne Sacred Artifact ¡°Oh, Great Master, Supreme Lord of Darkness! You have finally agreed to meet your humble servant, Albrecht!¡± In the solemn and majestic palace, a Legendary Bloodborne in a black robe respectfully and theatrically bowed to Charlotte, who sat high on her throne. Seeing his familiar black tailcoat and his exaggerated movements and posture, Charlotte¡¯s lips twitched slightly as she smiled mockingly. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you¡¯ve been frequently traveling between Starfall and the Northern Territories these past few years, and that you¡¯ve developed quite a good relationship with one of my stewards. So¡­ have you changed your dressing style and are planning to apply for the steward position as well?¡± ¡°Well, I heard you prefer this style of clothing. Many of the palace attendants dress this way, and over the past two years, this tailcoat style has become popular among the nobles and bloodbornes of Starfall. What the upper class likes, the lower class will follow.¡± Albrecht replied with a smile. After speaking, he bowed respectfully to Charlotte once again. ¡°Of course, if you are willing to appoint the humble Albrecht as a steward, it would be my greatest honor.¡± Charlotte: ¡­ She did indeed like simple and elegant tailcoats and had Sebastian redesign the royal attendants¡¯ uniforms. She had also heard of the ¡°tailcoat trend¡± that had become popular in Starfall as a result. But she never expected even Albrecht, a Legendary Bloodborne, to be influenced by it. Of course, she knew Albrecht was flattering her. Legendary Bloodbornes have a much keener sense of extraordinary power than others. As Charlotte¡¯s power grew and she became a true myth, she could feel Albrecht, a Demonic Bloodborne forcibly turned into her blood thrall, becoming increasingly respectful. ¡°Enough with the digressions. Tell me, why have you been so eager to see me?¡± Charlotte waved her hand. Seeing Charlotte steer the conversation back on track, Albrecht also became serious. He adjusted his glasses, which were clearly just two pieces of glass, and asked. ¡°Your Majesty, I heard that you plan to accept the Theocracy¡¯s invitation to attend the Holy Court¡¯s ceremony in three months?¡± Charlotte glanced at him. ¡°Why, is there a problem?¡± ¡°Of course there is! Great Master, this is a conspiracy. The Nightshade Cult has been too high-profile in the Starfall Kingdom these past two years. From what I know, the new Pope of the Holy Court is not only from the pro-Crescent faction but also an Inquisitor. Inquisitors despise heretical splits in faith, and now that the Theocracy has signed a treaty with the Crescent, anyone with some insight would realize this is aimed at you. Not to mention safely reaching the Theocracy, you might even be attacked by religious zealots on the way.¡± Albrecht said. ¡°Oh? So you¡¯re worried about my safety and want to persuade me to abandon the trip?¡± Charlotte narrowed her eyes. Albrecht shook his head. ¡°How could that be? You are the great True Ancestor, a walking God. Your decisions must have been carefully considered, and your power is beyond ordinary comparison. I just wanted to remind you of the risks involved, for¡­ it is the Theocracy, a place where not even myths can guarantee absolute safety. If you decide to go, you must be thoroughly prepared.¡± ¡°With adequate preparations, I fully support and believe you need to make this trip.¡± Charlotte¡¯s interest was piqued. She looked at him with a half-smile. ¡°Oh? Hearing you speak, it seems you have some exclusive information about the Theocracy? And it sounds like you know other reasons why I must go there?¡± Albrecht smiled slightly. ¡°Of course, the best-informed about the Theocracy are always its enemies. I am the Third Apostle of the Blood Demon Cult, which has fought the Holy Court for over a thousand years. Naturally, our cult has some precious information about the Theocracy, information even your priests might not know.¡± Saying this, Albrecht lowered his head and took out a beautifully decorated scroll from his robes, presenting it with both hands. Charlotte noticed Albrecht¡¯s expression was complex and somewhat self-mocking when mentioning the Blood Demon Cult, as if there were other hidden matters. She casually gestured, summoning the scroll with magic, and began to read through it. Her expression grew surprised. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Albrecht wasn¡¯t exaggerating. What he presented was indeed valuable information about the Theocracy. The documents not only detailed the current Cardinal Priests of the Theocracy but also recorded the factions within its upper echelons, extraordinary powers, and even information about mythical restrictions and artifacts that could threaten Gods. Even more astonishing, the documents included internal maps and various secret intelligence about the Theocracy. Charlotte even found reports on her within the documents, including the various factions¡¯ views on her and different plans for dealing with the Nightshade Cult and her as the ¡°Wild Saintess.¡± However, what Charlotte valued most in the documents was the last part. It contained information about the ¡°Fallen Artifact¡±, the Cursed Chalice. Of course, ¡°Fallen Artifact¡± was just the name used in the documents. Its real name should be the Bloodborne Sacred Artifact, the Blood Chalice that could sense the remnants of the Gospel of Blood. The documents indicated that this relic, which Charlotte had tasked Albrecht with finding, had fallen into the hands of the Holy Court and, along with a batch of cursed pages confiscated from various dioceses, had been transported to the Theocracy¡¯s headquarters. The Holy Court¡¯s Cardinal Priesthood had decided to use it as bait in the upcoming succession ceremony three months later, to test the Queen of Starfall, suspected of being related to bloodborne royalty, and publicly verify her ¡°Saintess¡± identity. They planned to use the church¡¯s divine artifact to publicly destroy these ¡°demonic items.¡± After reading Albrecht¡¯s information, Charlotte¡¯s expression turned solemn. She glanced at the respectful demon bloodborne below and said, ¡°Albrecht, I want to know the true source of these documents.¡± ¡°As you saw, these documents were obtained from within the cult.¡± Albrecht replied. ¡°The truth. I want the truth. This level of information, even within the Theocracy, would only be known to the high-ranking Cardinal Priests. Don¡¯t tell me the Blood Demon Cult has spies within the Cardinal Priesthood of the Theocracy.¡± Charlotte said. Albrecht sighed. ¡°Great True Ancestor, in fact¡­ this is precisely why I was so eager to visit you.¡± ¡°I did not deceive you. This intelligence was indeed obtained from within the cult. More accurately, it was from the memory of the Fourth Apostle, who was in charge of the Eastern Yunette Blacklands branch. It¡¯s not so much that the cult has spies within the Holy Court, but rather¡­ the Eastern Yunette Blacklands branch of the cult has already been infiltrated by the Holy Court.¡± Charlotte¡¯s interest was piqued. ¡°Oh? So you mean that during your investigation of the sacred artifact, you discovered that the Fourth Apostle of the Blood Demon Cult was working for the Holy Court, and you obtained this intelligence after reading his memory, correct?¡± Albrecht sighed again. ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°When did this happen?¡± Charlotte asked. ¡°About half a month ago.¡± Albrecht replied respectfully. Charlotte fell silent. The intelligence Albrecht brought was crucial and also very coincidental. It¡¯s normal for different factions to infiltrate each other, but obtaining such clear and complete intelligence at this delicate moment seemed a bit too coincidental. ¡°So¡­ what happened to that Fourth Apostle of the Blood Demon Cult?¡± Charlotte asked. ¡°He is dead. After I forcibly read his memory, he died from divine flame, likely due to a mythic restriction placed within him. In fact, without the strong power I gained from you, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to read his memory. The memory revealed that the Fourth Apostle had been working for the Holy Court for over a century. Many of the pages collected by the cult over the past hundred years were sent to him, and now¡­ they have likely all fallen into the hands of the Theocracy.¡± Albrecht sighed. Charlotte nodded slightly. The remaining pages of the Gospel of Blood and the bloodborne artifact capable of locating them were essential to her. Her blood divine power had reached its limit, and to advance further and consolidate her divine core, she needed to perfect the bloodborne bloodline path. The quickest and most direct way to do this was to complete the Gospel of Blood. If the intelligence Albrecht brought was genuine, she had no choice but to make a trip to the Theocracy. However, she still found the timing of the intelligence too coincidental. Shortly after receiving the invitation from the Theocracy, Albrecht brought this intelligence. It seemed as if someone intentionally delivered it to her. But on the other hand, her enmity with the Blood Demon Cult was well-known, and Albrecht¡¯s defection was a secret. Moreover, only she and Albrecht knew of his mission to find the bloodborne¡¯s tracking artifact. Under these circumstances, even if someone wanted to deliberately send her intelligence, either to lure or warn her, it shouldn¡¯t be through the Blood Demon Cult. Could it really be just a coincidence? ¡°Albrecht, I recall you mentioned that the Fourth Apostle was even more elusive than you. How did you find him?¡± Charlotte asked. ¡°It¡¯s quite a coincidence. I could never find his whereabouts, but six months ago, a stronghold of the cult in the Eastern Yunette Blacklands was raided by Holy Court Demon Hunters. I happened to be nearby and followed the trail.¡± Albrecht said. Quite a coincidence indeed. Charlotte fell into deep thought. Chapter 578 : Departing to the Theocracy! Charlotte did not believe in coincidences. Especially not these ¡°coincidences¡± that were delivered right to her door. Charlotte believed that the intelligence Albrecht brought was a meticulously woven inevitability rather than a mere coincidence. No¡­ More accurately, Charlotte believed that anyone who heard Albrecht¡¯s report would find the intelligence highly suspicious. Albrecht¡¯s special visit was likely because of this suspicion. But this was precisely what puzzled Charlotte. This intelligence was full of doubts, almost explicitly suggesting that ¡°there is a conspiracy in the Theocracy¡±, with the core purpose clearly being to lure Charlotte there. So, the question arises. There were various ways to lure Charlotte to the Theocracy. Why would they choose such a roundabout and suspicious method? Moreover, the relationship between Charlotte and Albrecht was only known to the two of them. The entity transmitting the intelligence must have known that it would definitely reach her through Albrecht. Reflecting on this, Charlotte¡¯s gaze at Albrecht became scrutinizing. Under the scrutiny of her deep red-gold eyes, Albrecht, the Demonic Bloodborne, shivered and quickly raised his hands in a vow. ¡°Great True Ancestor, I have not betrayed you! You know me, I have long been your blood thrall. If I had betrayed you, you would have known immediately.¡± Charlotte withdrew her gaze. She didn¡¯t believe Albrecht would betray her. As he said, once he became her blood thrall, his every move and thought were under her perception. He had neither the means nor the opportunity to betray her. Charlotte was only suspicious of whether a being beyond mortal existence had, in some way unknown to her, gleaned the secrets she and Albrecht shared. Albrecht was Legendary, mortal forces couldn¡¯t touch him. But if a Myth-level being had somehow spied on his secrets, it was slightly possible. Moreover¡­ if they could bypass Charlotte, their power must be formidable. So, another question arose. If the one ¡°transmitting the message¡± was such a mythical being, would they need to be so troublesome? Using a method that easily aroused Charlotte¡¯s vigilance to ¡°lure¡± her, it seemed more like a ¡°kind reminder¡± upon closer thought. Reminding her that the Theocracy was targeting her, reminding her that the Theocracy already knew some of her secrets¡­ ¡°So¡­ True Ancestor, do you still plan to go according to your original plan after hearing all this?¡± Seeing Charlotte silent, Albrecht cautiously asked. Charlotte returned to her thoughts and nodded. ¡°Yes, why not? Since the entity that informed you of this information is so eager for me to visit the Theocracy, I naturally can¡¯t disappoint them.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Charlotte changed her tone, looking out the window. Her blue eyes, returning to their serene hue, reflected the lush treetops. ¡°Whether this is simply a conspiracy of the Theocracy or a ¡®kind reminder¡¯ from a certain entity, perhaps¡­ we will find out in a few days.¡± ¡­ After this visit, Albrecht stayed in Starfall City. This was Charlotte¡¯s order. She planned to bring this Legendary Bloodborne along when she went to the Theocracy. When Albrecht heard that Charlotte wanted to take him to the Theocracy, his face turned pale. He had no choice, that was the Theocracy, the heart of the Holy Court. For a bloodborne, deemed part of the dark and evil faction, going there was akin to a death sentence. Of course, Charlotte didn¡¯t intend to send him to his death. She simply valued his Legendary power and planned to bring an extra hidden bodyguard. As for the other companions for this journey, Charlotte already had some considerations. Nice would definitely go along. The Theocracy was located in the heart of the Western Yunette Empire, and according to their planned route, this trip would conveniently pass by the Luna Coast City-States. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. According to Nice¡¯s model simulation, an undiscovered Faceless Statue still existed in the Luna Coast City-States, and Charlotte intended to investigate it on this trip. With Nice accompanying her, he could further refine the model and help Charlotte with the location. Moreover, Nice was familiar with the Holy Court and knew many people within the church, making things more convenient for Charlotte. Additionally, nice could continue to serve as Charlotte¡¯s double if necessary. Sebastian was also on Charlotte¡¯s list to bring along, acting as her accompanying butler. Over the past three and a half years, many affairs in the Starfall Kingdom had been set on the right track. Charlotte¡¯s throne had become increasingly stable with the submission of the Nez Clan and the recognition of the Starfall nobles, so Sebastian was no longer needed to oversee everything constantly. ¡°Great Master, Sebastian finally has the chance to travel with you again! After three and a half years apart, Sebastian has missed you immensely!¡± Upon receiving the news, Sebastian hurried back from the northern coast, kneeling on one knee, his expression filled with excitement. After three and a half years, the master and servant naturally caught up, and after Sebastian reported on his work over the past three and a half years, Charlotte turned her attention to him. She could clearly sense that Sebastian¡¯s aura had become much stronger than three and a half years ago. Although he hadn¡¯t reached the Legendary tier yet, he was far beyond an ordinary Blazing Sun. Clearly, after completely removing his curse and having his soul mended by Charlotte¡¯s blood divine power, Sebastian¡¯s path to transcendence was once again fully opened. ¡°Sebastian, your strength seems to have recovered well. It shouldn¡¯t be long before you can attempt to break through to the Legendary tier.¡± Charlotte smiled. ¡°All thanks to you. It was you who gave Sebastian a new life. Sebastian will always be your most loyal servant!¡± Sebastian responded respectfully and fervently. ¡°Oh, by the way, any news from that witch who has been chasing you?¡± Charlotte asked, as if recalling something. Since the tracking mark of the Pure White Witch was removed from Sebastian, the Szellem Clan¡¯s pursuit had ceased. However, the fact that Sebastian was now an aide to the Queen of Starfall had long spread across the continent. Even without the tracking mark, everyone knew he was under Charlotte¡¯s command. Upon hearing Charlotte¡¯s question, Sebastian¡¯s expression became somewhat nuanced. He nodded and replied. ¡°There was one conflict. In the second year after you went into slumber, I was attacked by Szellem Clan assassins. But after I defeated them, there were no more attacks.¡± ¡°I suppose they realized that I¡¯m no longer an easy target.¡± Charlotte nodded slightly. Sebastian¡¯s strength had already recovered and had now advanced even further. To defeat him would require either a sacred artifact or a divine weapon, otherwise, only a Legendary being could do it. As for the Pure White Witch of the Szellem Clan¡­ she was merely a Blazing Sun. Under such circumstances, it was naturally impossible to continue pursuing him. Of course, this didn¡¯t mean that Sebastian¡¯s grudge with the Pure White Witch was settled. ¡°Sebastian, you probably have quite a few acquaintances in the Coria Kingdom, right?¡± Charlotte asked. Sebastian¡¯s expression became somewhat unnatural. ¡°Sort of¡­ yes.¡± Charlotte smiled slightly. ¡°On the way back, I think we might take a detour to Coria. I¡¯m quite interested in seeing what kind of person the Pure White Witch, who has chased you for over ten years, really is.¡± Sebastian¡¯s heart stirred. ¡°Great Master, do you¡­ intend to subdue the Szellem clan?¡± Charlotte neither confirmed nor denied it. If she could subdue them, that would be ideal. She was quite curious about the Szellem Clan, which was currently the most active blood clan on the continent of Myria. Being able to confront the Holy Court in the Coria Kingdom for so many years, the Szellem Clan¡¯s strength was not to be underestimated. Since she was already planning to go to the Theocracy, taking a detour on the way back didn¡¯t seem like a bad idea to Charlotte. Having decided on the companions for the journey, Charlotte instructed Sebastian and Nice to prepare. It was worth mentioning that after learning about Charlotte¡¯s plan to visit the Theocracy, many Starfall nobles expressed their desire to accompany her. However, Charlotte politely declined. According to her, this trip to the Theocracy was under her identity as a ¡°Saintess¡±, so it was not appropriate to bring too many secular nobles. Of course, she didn¡¯t go entirely without Starfall nobles. As a queen visiting another nation, Charlotte didn¡¯t intend to go secretly. A necessary delegation and the appropriate entourage for a queen were required to maintain the dignity of the nation. Even if Charlotte didn¡¯t care, the nobles of the Starfall Kingdom certainly did. Ultimately, Charlotte chose Marquis Howard, the Kingdom¡¯s Chief of Internal Affairs and Minister of Foreign Affairs, as the official representative of the delegation. As for the kingdom¡¯s affairs, Charlotte appointed Count Stafford, the Chief Speaker, as the Regent to oversee the kingdom¡¯s administration during her absence. These two Starfall nobles were among the earliest supporters of Charlotte and were now staunch members of the ¡°Queen¡¯s Party¡± and close confidants of Charlotte among the nobles. On the fourth day after Charlotte¡¯s awakening, a new message arrived from the Theocracy. The Theocracy officially announced that the upcoming ceremony would offer gifts to the God Lord and publicly destroy various cursed items, including the Cursed Chalice and Cursed Pages. Upon hearing this news, Charlotte finally confirmed some of her suspicions. The same message didn¡¯t need to be transmitted twice. Clearly, the entity that had gone through such lengths to ¡°remind¡± her via Albrecht and the church forces now openly declaring their plans were not the same entity. Regardless of whether they were the same entity or not, it didn¡¯t change Charlotte¡¯s decision. A week after Charlotte awoke, with all preparations complete, she embarked on her journey to the Theocracy, escorted by 500 meticulously selected elite knights. Chapter 579 : Luna Coast City-State The Theocracy is located in central Myria on the Yunette Peninsula by the Luna Inland Sea, in the southern part of the Western Yunette Empire. Charlotte had reviewed the map of the Western Yunette region. If a comparison were to be made, the location of the Starfall Kingdom is very similar to Britain on Earth, the Crescent Peninsula resembles a mix of the Iberian Peninsula and France, while the Yunette Peninsula, where the Theocracy is situated, looks like an enlarged version of the Apennine Peninsula. There are generally three routes from the Starfall Kingdom to the Theocracy. The first route goes through the Castell territory, detouring through the northern region to the Eastern Yunette Blacklands, then heading south through the Coria Kingdom, turning west into the Western Yunette Empire, and traveling south through part of the empire to reach the Theocracy. The second route takes a sea route around the Crescent Peninsula, through the Luna Strait into the Luna Inland Sea, landing at the Luna Coast City-State on the Yunette Peninsula, and then entering the Western Yunette Empire, traveling north to the southern part of the empire where the Theocracy is located. The third route goes directly through the Crescent Kingdom by land, into the Western Yunette Empire, and then straight to the Theocracy. Of these three routes, the third is the shortest, the first is the longest, and the second requires a significant portion of sea travel. Given the relationship between the Crescent Kingdom and the Starfall Kingdom, Charlotte naturally wouldn¡¯t choose the third route. Additionally, she planned to investigate Ancient Temples and Faceless Statues in the Luna Coast City-State, so she naturally chose the second route. As for the first route, she planned to take it on her return journey. The second route also coincides with the sea trade route between the Starfall Kingdom, the Luna Coast City-State, and the Western Yunette Empire. Although the teleportation arrays cannot be used, this route avoids many potential land travel troubles and social engagements. The only risk lies with some Southern Continent pirates active in the Luna Inland Sea. However, for the Starfall Kingdom, a maritime power on the Myria continent, these ¡°Southern Barbarians¡± pirates, who trouble ordinary merchant ships, pose no significant threat. Charlotte departed from Starfall Port aboard the Royal Flagship Roman, setting sail under the escort of the Starfall Navy. The grand fleet navigated around the Crescent Peninsula, through the Luna Strait that divides the main continent of Myria and the southern subcontinent, and into the Luna Inland Sea, the largest inland sea in Myria. Perhaps because they chose the sea route, they encountered no troubles along the way, with everything proceeding smoothly. The only minor incident was a distant encounter with pirates. However, upon seeing the imposing carrack ships of the Starfall fleet from afar, the Southern Continent pirates, who usually terrorized merchant ships, wisely fled. Usually, they only bullied merchant ships, no pirate would be foolish enough to attack a state fleet armed with magic crystal cannons. Charlotte was somewhat disappointed. Life aboard the ship was quite dull, and she had hoped to destroy a pirate hideout or two along the way. When the bustling port of the Luna Coast City-State came into view, it had been a month since their departure. The Luna Coast City-State is located on the western coast of the Yunette Peninsula, across the sea from the Crescent Kingdom, serving as the southern gateway to the Western Yunette Empire. Historically, this area was part of the Yunette Empire, being one of its wealthy southern regions. After the Yunette Empire split, this area became part of the Western Yunette Empire. For hundreds of years, as the royal power of the Western Yunette Empire waned, the Theocracy worked to strengthen its control and suppress the empire¡¯s royal authority. Around three hundred years ago, the Theocracy, in alliance with the Crescent Kingdom, supported the independence movement in the empire¡¯s south. Since then, many southern states and city-states of the Western Yunette Empire have completely split. Some remained nominally part of the empire but effectively became vassals of the Theocracy. Others united to form the Luna Coast City-State, achieving full independence from the Western Yunette Empire. Since then, the Theocracy has effectively controlled the Western Yunette Empire. Though nominally part of the empire, in reality, royal authority has become subservient to the Theocracy. Over the past few centuries, the history of the Western Yunette Empire has been marked by power struggles between the Theocracy and the imperial family. Today, although the Theocracy¡¯s grip on the Western Yunette Empire has weakened with the decline of the Holy Court, it still holds significant influence over the empire¡¯s politics. For centuries, in its struggle for more power against the imperial family, the Theocracy has never given up efforts to bring the southern Luna Coast City-State into its fold. However, due to the checks and balances by the Crescent Kingdom and the Coria Kingdom, this effort has yet to succeed. Even so, the Luna Coast City-State remains one of the Holy Court¡¯s strongest regions. As part of the central diocese, it has numerous churches, many followers, and is a major source of religious tax revenue for the Holy Court. The Luna Coast City-State is not large, about 1.5 times the size of Castell County, covering only 180,000 square kilometers, consisting of eleven city-states, four counties, and two small duchies. However, its population is nearly double that of the Castel territory, approaching ten million. Unlike other major nations on the Myria continent, the Luna Coast City-State practices a noble republic system, with a senate elected from its seventeen states. The chief executive of the city-state is elected from these ruling families. Charlotte¡¯s landing point was the capital of the Luna Coast City-State, Cataglia, the largest commercial and trade center in the southern Yunette Peninsula and its largest state. Cataglia is a bustling port city, no less prosperous than Northport. When the grand Starfall fleet sailed into the deep-water port of Cataglia, emissaries from the city-state¡¯s senate and the Holy Court were already waiting at the harbor, having received prior notice. ¡°Honorable Queen of Starfall, Saintess of the Holy Court, Her Majesty Castell, I am Bishop Alberto of Cataglia, and this is Giuliano di Piazza, the Third Consul of the Coast City-State. We welcome your arrival.¡± At the dock, the city-state¡¯s archbishop in white clerical robes and the noble consul in luxurious garments greeted Charlotte respectfully. The Bishop of Cataglia was an elderly cleric, while the Third Consul of the Luna Coast City-State was a nobleman in his forties with dark hair. They were very enthusiastic about Charlotte, the far-traveling Queen of Starfall, and the welcoming delegation filled the entire dock. The Starfall Kingdom is one of the top five powers on the Myria continent. Early in the Star-Moon War, it was the strongest nation in the west. Even in its recent decline, it remains influential. Combined with Charlotte¡¯s status as a Saintess and the trade relations between the Starfall and Luna Coast, her warm reception in this religious city-state was no surprise. ¡°Your Majesty Castell, Chief Consul Canosa and Archbishop Calabretta have prepared a banquet at the city hall, awaiting your arrival.¡± Giuliano di Piazza, the Third Consul, said warmly. Charlotte nodded slightly, returning a gentle smile. ¡°Thank you, Lord Canosa and Lord Calabretta, for their hospitality. It is my honor to visit the Luna Coast City-State.¡± ¡°Your Majesty Castell, please.¡± The emissary from the Luna Coast made a welcoming gesture. Charlotte nodded and gracefully boarded the lavish carriage prepared by the City-State. Then, escorted by knights and city guards, they made their way grandly into Cataglia. When Charlotte arrived at the city hall, the nobles of the Luna Coast City-State were already there waiting. Charlotte had attended many noble welcome banquets and was quite familiar with them. However, compared to the nobles on the Crescent Peninsula, the banquets of the Luna Coast City-State were grander, with more sumptuous food. The Luna Coast City-State is renowned for its cuisine on the Myria continent, whereas the Starfall Kingdom¡¯s is relatively simple. Here, Charlotte met the rulers of the Luna Coast City-State, Chief Consul Catherine di Canosa, and the highest-ranking cleric, Archbishop Calabretta. Catherine di Canosa appeared to be in her twenties, but Charlotte, having reviewed relevant information, knew she was at least fifty. Her youthful appearance was due to her elven blood, making her a half-elf. Moreover, this Chief Consul of the Luna Coast City-State was a powerful extraordinary, close to Legendary, at the peak of the Blazing Sun tier. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As for the Holy Court¡¯s representative, Archbishop Calabretta, his strength surpassed even that of the Chief Consul. Despite his elderly appearance, Charlotte could clearly sense the intense holy power within him, comparable to the Archbishop of the Crescent Diocese, Charles de Lorraine. Clearly, he was a Legendary cleric. Perhaps due to being close to the core territory controlled by the Theocracy, Charlotte noticed that the clerics here were much stronger than those in the Crescent Kingdom and the Starfall Kingdom, overall being a level higher. However, the nobles of the Luna Coast City-State had relatively weaker extraordinary power, with the strongest being the Chief Consul, Catherine di Canosa. But what surprised Charlotte was sensing a familiar aura among the attending nobles of the Luna Coast City-State. The aura of bloodbornes. Chapter 580 : The Empty Ruins Even in the Luna Coast City-State close to the Theocracy, bloodbornes still lived there, a fact Charlotte had known since she was in the Borde Duchy. Not only that, but she also knew that the bloodbornes active in the Luna Coast City-State belonged to the same Shedite Clan that followed the Dark Path. In other words, they were likely members of the Blood Demon Cult. However, the presence of Blood Demon Cult members at such a welcome banquet was quite subtle. This wasn¡¯t the Crescent Kingdom; it was the Yunnete Peninsula, the strongest stronghold of the Holy Court on the entire Myria continent. Not to mention, Charlotte had sensed no less than six instances of solidified divine blessings in the banquet hall alone, which visibly made Sebastian uncomfortable upon entering. Even as a mere blood retainer, Sebastian was significantly suppressed. Charlotte could even sense a hint of pain through their contract link. Thanks to these solidified blessings, the holy power in the banquet hall was rather thick, and only Charlotte, as the True Ancestor of Blood and possessor of the Gospel of Blood, could remain immune. In such a setting, even Sebastian couldn¡¯t stand it, let alone ordinary bloodbornes. Yet, in this very place, Charlotte sensed the presence of bloodbornes, piquing her curiosity. With this in mind, she diverted part of her focus to delve into her awareness, using her blood sense to probe around. She quickly pinpointed the targets. There were only three, and their strength was approximately at the Silver Moon tier, likely aided by items that could suppress holy power. Their positions were delicate, with each of the three located equidistantly from Charlotte in different directions. Moreover, their gazes occasionally flitted over her. Oh. So they were targeting her. Charlotte raised an eyebrow slightly, feigning ignorance, and continued to chat amiably with the Chief Consul of the Luna Coast City-State. Meanwhile, a certain butler, who was hesitating whether to request permission from his master to leave the banquet hall for some fresh air, heard the majestic and pleasant voice in his mind. ¡°Sebastian, three Blood Demon Cult flies have come buzzing in. Take care of them.¡± Sebastian paused, glancing at a certain ¡°Saintess¡± who was chatting and laughing with Calabretta. His expression flickered with a trace of contemplation, then he subtly nodded and quietly retreated. Charlotte continued her conversations with the city-state nobles who approached her. The banquet lasted about three hours. As she was just passing through, Charlotte didn¡¯t delve deeply into discussions with the Chief Consul, Catherine. She merely made acquaintances and expressed a willingness for future cooperation. The Luna Coast City-State was a commercially thriving nation, managing routes to the east, which provided ample opportunities for collaboration with the Starfall Kingdom that exported magic devices. Naturally, Charlotte only expressed her intentions, the specifics would be handled by the accompanying envoy group. With a major power¡¯s queen visiting, the security for Charlotte¡¯s visit was thorough. Though she sensed a few prying flies, nothing unpleasant occurred during the entire banquet. After the banquet, Charlotte, guided by attendants, stayed in a mansion designated for foreign dignitaries. ¡­ Night fell. The bustling Cataglia fell into silence. Charlotte, having changed from her gown into casual attire, stood on the balcony of her bedroom, downing a goblet of red extraordinary blood while extending her senses. Hmm, many protective formations were activated, and there were extraordinary knights patrolling outside the estate. However, the knights patrolled only the perimeter and didn¡¯t enter the estate. In other words, there was no surveillance. This was reasonable since this wasn¡¯t an enemy country to the Starfall Kingdom, and there were no conflicting interests between the two nations. Charlotte¡¯s curiosity still lay with the Shedite bloodbornes she sensed at the banquet. A hoarse cat¡¯s meow echoed, followed by the thud of something heavy landing beside Charlotte. Charlotte didn¡¯t turn around but set down her goblet and said, ¡°Do you always prefer the windowsill?¡± ¡°Uh, meow, it¡¯s a habit, Lady Charlotte. I¡¯ll change next time.¡± It was the black cat, Nice. Charlotte glanced at him and then asked, ¡°Found it?¡± Nice nodded. ¡°Yes, found it. Just as in my simulation, it¡¯s located in an abandoned ruin seventeen kilometers northeast of Cataglia.¡± ¡°And Albrecht? Why hasn¡¯t he returned with you?¡± Charlotte asked. ¡°He¡­ he¡¯s still investigating inside the Ancient Temple.¡± To explain, Charlotte had chosen Cataglia as the entry point to the Yunette Peninsula not just because it was the capital of the Luna Coast City-State. According to Nice¡¯s model, the Ancient Temple of the Luna Coast City-State was near Cataglia. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After Charlotte¡¯s landing, she dispatched Nice and Albrecht to investigate, even giving Nice a trace of her blood divine power for local sensing. ¡°You didn¡¯t summon me directly and instead returned separately while he continued investigating. Did something go wrong there?¡± Charlotte continued to ask. Nice sighed. ¡°You are right. We did find the ruins, but¡­ they were already emptied.¡± ¡°Emptied?¡± Charlotte¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°I remember you saying that the Ancient Temple in the Luna Coast City-State hadn¡¯t been discovered.¡± She said. Nice sighed again. ¡°Theoretically, yes. But it seems¡­ someone got there first. Judging by the damage on the restrictions, it happened not long ago.¡± ¡°Albrecht found Shedite Clan markings and remnants of holy power from the Holy Court near the ruins, so¡­ he suspects the Shedite Clan bloodbornes discovered the ruins first but were intercepted by the Holy Court.¡± ¡°Shedite clan and the Holy Court, huh¡­¡± Charlotte recalled the three bloodbornes spying on her at the banquet, wondering if Sebastian had caught them. After some thought, she nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Show me.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ you want to go personally? Shouldn¡¯t I disguise and go instead?¡± Nice asked. Charlotte shook her head. ¡°No need. The Luna Coast City-State follows the rules.¡± With Nice guiding and Albrecht as the locator, Charlotte soon arrived at the ruins they had discovered. Countless bats swirled at the shattered entrance, quickly coalescing into Charlotte¡¯s form. ¡°Your Majesty True Ancestor!¡± Albrecht, who had been informed and was waiting at the entrance, bowed respectfully. Charlotte nodded slightly and asked. ¡°How is it?¡± Albrecht shook his head. ¡°Everything has been thoroughly emptied. I¡¯m afraid the Faceless Statue you seek has also been taken.¡± Charlotte frowned. She had chosen this route specifically for the Faceless Statue. Though she had suspected the worst after Nice¡¯s report, she still held a glimmer of hope. ¡°Did you find anything else?¡± Charlotte asked. Albrecht hesitated, his expression ambiguous. ¡°It seems that the local Shedite Clan discovered the ruins first. They¡­ might have reached an agreement with the Holy Court.¡± ¡°Oh? What makes you say that?¡± ¡°Although there¡¯s residual holy power in the ruins, there¡¯s no sign of a battle. The times of the holy power and Shedite markings are close, indicating they cooperated. Apparently¡­ they didn¡¯t oppose each other.¡± ¡°Has there been no news from the Blood Demon Cult?¡± Charlotte frowned. Albrecht sighed. ¡°Your Majesty, this¡­ probably has nothing to do with the Cult.¡± ¡°Oh? Nothing to do with the Cult? Didn¡¯t you find Shedite markings? And I remember, the Luna Coast City-State was once a base for the Blood Demon Cult.¡± Charlotte raised an eyebrow. Albrecht explained. ¡°As you said, that was in the past. That was hundreds of years ago. The bloodbornes in the Luna Coast City-State cut ties with the Cult over a century ago. Now, they are just bloodbornes with dark bloodlines.¡± Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred. ¡°Oh? Are you suggesting that the bloodbornes of the Luna Coast City-State¡­ might have allied with the Holy Court?¡± Albrecht nodded. ¡°Though it sounds unbelievable, there is indeed such a rumor within the Cult.¡± Charlotte fell into deep thought. She recalled the memory she had read from Albrecht, ¡°searching¡± for details and finding there really was such a thing. This indeed surprised her. The Holy Court and Bloodborne were mortal enemies. Alliance? Impossible, at least to any devout believer. However, nothing is absolutely impossible. Charlotte had already turned Harald from another timeline into a bloodborne during the last embrace. In a sense, the Holy Court might indeed be an extension of the blood clans¡­ ¡°Your Majesty, should we continue investigating or¡­ track the recent movements of the Holy Court?¡± Albrecht asked. Charlotte pondered. The three bloodborne presences she sensed at the banquet resurfaced in her mind. After a moment of contemplation, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s return first. We¡¯ll wait and see. Maybe¡­ Sebastian will bring us some other information.¡± As if in response to Charlotte¡¯s command, the moment she finished speaking, she heard Sebastian¡¯s prayer. The three Shedite bloodbornes spying on her had been captured. Chapter 581 : The Vanished Bloodbornes In the western part of Cataglia City, within a dilapidated underground drainage system. In the dim corridor, a swarm of black bats continuously gathered and transformed into Charlotte. ¡°Master, you have arrived.¡± Sebastian greeted, dressed in a tailcoat, with a respectful bow. Charlotte nodded slightly, then looked around. What met her eyes was a small hideout similar to the underground base of the Rose Society in Borde City. However, unlike the well-maintained Rose Society base located in a manor, this hideout in the sewers was more filthy and decrepit. The moss growing on the ground and the thick layer of dust on the clutter indicated that this place had been abandoned for a long time. ¡°Where are they?¡± Charlotte withdrew her gaze and asked. This was obviously the end of Sebastian¡¯s pursuit. However, contrary to the message Sebastian had conveyed, she did not sense anyone else¡¯s presence. Sebastian¡¯s face was grim. He stepped aside, revealing a pile of ashes behind him. Charlotte frowned. ¡°Dead?¡± ¡°Yes, they were burned by the holy flame. It was¡­ self-immolation.¡± Sebastian said. ¡°Holy flame? Do you mean to say that they had a restriction left by the Holy Court inside them?¡± Charlotte asked. Sebastian nodded, his expression complex. ¡°Yes, when I used magic to forcibly read their memories, holy flame ignited on them, and they¡­ praised the holy as they turned to ashes.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, it seems the rumors are true. The bloodbornes of the Luna Coast City-State have indeed been recruited by the Holy Court. Not only that, but the Holy Court also seems to be starting to suspect your true identity.¡± Albrecht, who had followed, sighed. Charlotte remained quiet. She had already had two confrontations with ¡°Helios.¡± If the Holy Court had indeed been infiltrated by the other side, it was normal for them to know her secret. However, even if the Holy Court had been infiltrated, it was likely only partially. Otherwise, there would be no need to monitor or test her in this manner. At the very least, these bloodbornes were not sent by ¡°Helios.¡± If they were, they would know that using bloodbornes to track her, the Bloodborne Progenitor, was no different from offering themselves up as a sacrifice. Bloodbornes proficient in dark magic were indeed suitable for surveillance and tracking, but only if the target was not her. ¡°Master, this is my mistake. I should have waited for you to personally deal with them. I was too reckless.¡± Sebastian sighed. Charlotte shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. After all, I didn¡¯t tell you to keep them for me to handle personally.¡± With that, she closed her eyes lightly, seemingly lost in meditation. ¡°Lady Charlotte, although these few bloodbornes are dead, there must be other bloodbornes who have defected to the Holy Court in Cataglia City. Perhaps we can start from here and further investigate their secrets.¡± Nice suggested from the side. Albrecht also nodded. ¡°I agree, Your Majesty. Although I haven¡¯t been here for a few years, I still know a few bloodbornes hiding here, including a duke.¡± ¡°The duke lives in a very low-key ancient castle on the outskirts of the city. Apart from a very few bloodbornes like me, few people know his true identity. He is not a member of the Shadite Clan but belongs to the Szellem Clan, which is less hostile to the Bloodborne Progenitor. He also holds a noble title and has good relations with some priests. Perhaps¡­ we can seek his help to gather information.¡± ¡°Of course, if you are willing, we can go further. With your power and status, I believe you can even recruit him.¡± Charlotte slowly opened her eyes and shook her head. ¡°No need. I have already sensed it. These ashes¡­ were the only bloodbornes left in Cataglia City.¡± ¡°The only bloodbornes? How is that possible?¡± Albrecht¡¯s face was filled with shock. His expression changed several times before he couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Your Majesty, I¡­¡± ¡°You want to go to those bloodbornes¡¯ hiding places to check?¡± Charlotte asked first. Albrecht nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡­ want to investigate.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go together. I am also curious about what exactly happened here.¡± Charlotte said. Leaving the underground drainage system, Charlotte followed Albrecht to the residences of the bloodbornes he knew. More precisely, they went to the ancient castle suggested by Albrecht. It was late, and the pitch-black moonlit night was perfect for concealing their presence. Following Albrecht out of the main city to the outskirts, they quickly arrived at the ancient castle where the Blood Duke supposedly resided. No¡­ it was no longer an ancient castle. ¡°How can this be? This¡­ this is¡­¡± Albrecht stared in disbelief at the ruins before him. Nice stepped forward and cast several flickering spells before stepping back. ¡°Lady Charlotte, the retrospection spell shows that this place was destroyed less than two months ago.¡± ¡°Less than two months¡­¡± S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Charlotte pondered for a moment. After some thought, she said, ¡°Sebastian, Nice, Albrecht, when we return, investigate whether anything significant happened in Cataglia City¡­ no, in the Luna Coast City-State, over the past two months.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, aren¡¯t we going to check other places?¡± Albrecht couldn¡¯t help but ask. Charlotte glanced at him. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s necessary?¡± Albrecht was silent. If the Duke¡¯s castle had been leveled, the other bloodborne hideouts¡­ could be imagined. ¡­ The night passed quickly. With the new day, Charlotte received invitation after invitation from the Luna Coast City-State nobles¡ªbanquets, salons, and various events. Of course, Charlotte declined them all, citing health issues and limited time. Half a day later, her three followers finished their investigation and reported back to Charlotte. ¡°Your Majesty, we have completed the investigation. Two months ago, the Holy Court conducted a large-scale hunt for bloodbornes in the Luna Coast City-State, capturing many bloodbornes who were posing as nobles¡­¡± ¡°About a month and a half ago, Cataglia City was once sealed off. There were rumors of a battle involving Legendary-tier extraordinaries in the suburbs, but specific information was blocked by the Holy Court.¡± Albrecht reported solemnly. ¡°Your Majesty, it was the Holy Court.¡± Charlotte¡¯s expression also became serious. This outcome did not surprise her. In fact, she could even guess that behind this blow to the bloodborne was probably the handiwork of ¡°Helios.¡± After all, two months ago, she had not yet returned from another dimension, while ¡°Helios¡± had been driven back by her. However, Charlotte was puzzled as to how the Holy Court could know the hiding places of the bloodbornes so well. The bloodbornes were adept at hiding, especially in places with strong church power like the Yunette Peninsula. The hiding bloodbornes would be even more cautious. Yet, the Holy Court was able to wipe out the bloodbornes in less than half a month, which seemed incredible. In Charlotte¡¯s view, this would be difficult to achieve even with insiders, almost as if they had divine insight. ¡°Perhaps¡­ they used the power of a sacred artifact. The Holy Court is the strongest church on the continent, and they have collected countless sacred artifacts over the millennia. They might possess artifacts capable of tracking.¡± Nice suggested. Artifacts capable of tracking¡­ Charlotte furrowed her brows deeper. She couldn¡¯t imagine what kind of artifact would have such power to enable the Holy Court to find all the hidden bloodbornes. The Gospel of Blood could, but that was a supreme artifact of the bloodborne. But the Holy Court did it. At least, she could not sense any bloodborne presence nearby except for them. Although she wasn¡¯t much afraid of the power of artifacts with the Gospel of Blood in hand, she still sensed a conspiracy. Moreover, just like the invitations to the inauguration ceremony, she felt that this conspiracy was likely directed at her. Thinking of this, Charlotte looked in the direction of the Theocracy and then closed her eyes. She immersed herself in her consciousness, opened the Gospel of Blood, and summoned the Crimson Star Sea representing the bloodbornes. One by one, the colorful crimson stars appeared. However, in Charlotte¡¯s perception, a large area around her was empty. Throughout the Luna Coast City-State¡­ there wasn¡¯t a single bloodborne. However, when Charlotte looked further at the Star Sea, she saw dense stars again. That was the direction of the Theocracy. Yet, these stars seemed to be shrouded in some kind of fog, making them unclear. Even the bloodline connection between Charlotte and these stars seemed vague, as if blocked by some power. Charlotte couldn¡¯t even summon them into her mental world. Many bloodbornes had been captured by the Holy Court and imprisoned, concentrated in the Theocracy. Charlotte quickly reached this conclusion. After sensing for a moment, she opened her eyes. ¡°Master, did you¡­ discover anything?¡± Sebastian asked. Charlotte nodded and said, ¡°If my perception is correct, the bloodbornes on the Yunette Peninsula should have all been captured by the Holy Court and concentrated in the Theocracy.¡± ¡°All the bloodbornes on the peninsula were captured? That¡¯s impossible!¡± Albrecht exclaimed. ¡°Nothing is impossible.¡± Charlotte shook her head. ¡°Sebastian, inform the envoy group that after resting, we will continue our journey to the Theocracy in the afternoon.¡± She ordered. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, she looked at them again. ¡°The Holy Court probably has a sacred artifact capable of tracking the bloodbornes, likely related to bloodlines. For safety, I will temporarily seal your bloodline powers.¡± Chapter 582 : Your Highness, the Saintess, welcome to the Holy Capital. The radiant sunlight poured down like molten gold, casting a brilliant glow over the ancient and majestic grey-white city walls. The houses were neatly arranged, almost all built with white bricks and adorned with exquisite holy cross patterns, and the bustling streets stretched to the horizon. This is the Holy Capital, the capital of the Theocracy, and the true center of power for the Holy Court. The melodious sound of bells rang from the Holy Tower in the city. Silver-armored Holy Knights in pure white cloaks and black-armored Inquisition Knights in red cloaks formed neat, solemn lines, emerging from the Holy City and lining up along the main avenue. Citizens stood behind the knights, craning their necks in curiosity, whispering to each other. ¡°Look! It¡¯s the First Holy Knight Order and the First Inquisition Knight Order!¡± ¡°By the Lord! Both knight orders are out to maintain order. Who could be visiting the Holy Capital? Could it be the Archbishop of the Crescent Diocese?¡± ¡°No, even for the Archbishop of the Crescent Diocese, both knight orders wouldn¡¯t be deployed.¡± ¡°Wait! It¡¯s not just the knight orders, the Cardinals¡¯ group is here too!¡± ¡°By the Lord! It¡¯s really the Cardinals¡¯ group of the Holy Capital!¡± The citizens murmured and grew restless. When the church officials in white ceremonial robes appeared in the Holy Square, accompanied by a dozen elders in golden cardinal robes, the commotion reached its peak. The knights stood tall and proud, while the cardinals gazed expectantly toward the city gate. Following their gaze, the citizens also focused on the city gate. ¡°Boom¡ª¡± ¡°Boom¡ª¡± ¡°¡­¡± The melodious bells rang again from the Holy Tower, this time tolling twelve times. The citizens familiar with the Holy Court¡¯s rituals exchanged curious and astonished looks. In the Holy Capital, the Sacred Bell in the Holy Tower was only rung for distinguished guests of the church. The more the bell tolled, the higher the status of the visitor, indicating the greater importance the church placed on them. And twelve times¡­ was the maximum, even more than the eleven times for the Emperor of the Empire and the King of the Crescent Kingdom! The bell¡¯s sound echoed in the sky above the Holy Capital. Accompanied by the steady sound of hooves, two columns of silver-armored knights in black cloaks majestically entered through the city gate. They wore enchanted plate armor made of mithril and adamantium, carrying golden banners adorned with black eagles and exquisite red lilacs. Seeing the iconic black eagle and red lilac, some onlookers immediately realized. ¡°Black eagle¡­ lilac¡­ this is the banner of the Roman and Castell families!¡± ¡°Roman and Castell? The Starfall Royal Family? The Queen of Starfall?¡± ¡°Is it¡­ the Saintess?¡± People whispered, their curious and excited eyes fixed on the extraordinary knights of the Starfall Kingdom. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The grand procession entered the Holy City, and everyone¡¯s gaze converged on the golden carriage drawn by dragon-scaled horses in the center, decorated with intricate patterns and engraved with black eagles and red lilacs. The knights escorted the carriage into the Holy Square. The procession halted, and the cardinals, along with other clergies, approached the carriage. A handsome elf in a black tailcoat gracefully opened the carriage door, bowing slightly, one hand behind his back, the other extended. Then, a small hand in a white silk glove emerged from the carriage. Guided by the elf butler, a beautiful figure gracefully stepped out. The golden sunlight illuminated her. In that moment, the bustling square seemed to fall silent. Everyone¡¯s gaze was drawn to the beautiful figure. Silky, light golden hair as beautiful as molten gold, clear blue eyes as pure as the sky, a delicate and flawless face as if crafted by the Gods, and a holy, dignified white gown trimmed with gold. An¡­ angel! This was the first thought that came to the minds of all the citizens who beheld her beauty. Even the church knights standing guard on the streets and the square were momentarily dazed, quickly bowing their heads in reverence. Among the clergies, the cardinals were already beaming with smiles, and the leading elder seemed particularly excited. He couldn¡¯t help but murmur ¡°Praise the Holy One¡± before approaching the crowned young lady, slightly bowing, and making a ringed cross on his chest. He then said, ¡°By the Lord! Saintess Charlotte de Castell, Cardinal Priest Filiberto of the Holy Court, along with the Cardinals¡¯ group of the Theocracy, welcomes your arrival!¡± Hearing Cardinal Priest Filiberto¡¯s words, Charlotte smiled¡ªa smile that momentarily entranced the priests present¡ªand said, ¡°Thank you for your welcome, lord Filiberto.¡± ¡°Saintess, we have prepared a palace for you in the Holy Palace and accommodations for the knights of the Starfall Kingdom. Please proceed to the Holy Palace, the Pope is also waiting for you there.¡± Cardinal Priest Filiberto respectfully said. Afterward, he made a gesture of ¡°please.¡± Charlotte nodded slightly and smiled. ¡°In that case, please lead the way, Lord Filiberto.¡± After a brief exchange, Charlotte reboarded the carriage, and the knights of the Starfall Kingdom escorted it once more. This time, the Holy Knights and Inquisition Knights on either side of the street also moved, following behind the procession to serve as the church¡¯s escort. It wasn¡¯t until the grand procession had left the Holy Square that the onlookers gradually recovered from their silence and became even more excited. ¡°Saintess! It¡¯s really the Saintess of the Starfall!¡± ¡°Praise the Holy One! Did you see? That was the Saintess!¡± ¡°Is she¡­ an angel?¡± ¡°An angel? No¡­ she must be the daughter of the divine!¡± ¡°By the Lord! I can¡¯t believe I ever believed those rumors saying the Saintess was a blasphemous witch!¡± ¡°Blasphemy! Those rumors are the real blasphemy! Did you see the light around her? That must be holy light! It¡¯s the blessing of the Lord!¡± People talked animatedly, excitedly describing the beauty and holiness of the Saintess they had just glimpsed from afar. Of course, seated in the distant carriage, Charlotte did not hear any of this. ¡­ In the carriage. The young girl, who had been regarded as an ¡°angel¡± by the citizens of the Holy City, had already seated herself again. Looking through the semi-transparent gauze curtain at the grand city dominated by white and the church knights guarding the procession, Charlotte¡¯s smile slowly faded. ¡°Hey, Lady Charlotte, twelve bell tolls and an escort of both the First Holy Knight Order and the Inquisition Knight Order¡ªlooks like the Theocracy really values you!¡± Across from her, a plump black cat peeked out the carriage window, clicking his tongue in wonder. Charlotte glanced at him and nodded with a hint of amusement. ¡°Yes, they certainly do value me. Six Legendaries personally ¡®escorting¡¯ me¡ªI suppose that¡¯s a first.¡± ¡°Six¡­ six Legendaries?!¡± Nice¡¯s eyes widened. Charlotte nodded, glancing at the church knights escorting them and the Cardinals leading the way ahead. ¡°Two in the Holy Knight Order, two in the Inquisition Knight Order, one hidden in the shadows, and¡­ Cardinal Priest Filiberto is also a Legendary.¡± Nice¡¯s expression grew serious. ¡°Deploying so many Legendaries¡­ Lady Charlotte, it seems they are more suspicious of your identity than welcoming you. I fear they will start testing us as soon as we enter the Holy City.¡± ¡°No.¡± Charlotte shook her head slightly. She glanced at the ancient text that had just faded from view and chuckled softly. ¡°The testing actually began the moment we entered the city.¡± The testing had indeed already begun. The moment Charlotte¡¯s carriage entered the city gate, she sensed several high-level detection and judgment spells cast on the procession, the kinds that were extremely secretive even within the Holy Court. Of course, they were all countered by the Gospel of Blood. Charlotte could sense that after those detection spells were countered, the hidden church Legendaries in the escort relaxed considerably. But Charlotte knew this was just the beginning. The moment she entered the Holy City, Charlotte felt an unprecedentedly powerful force hidden within the towering white city. The holy aura was omnipresent, almost filling every corner of the city. Even as a Demigod, Charlotte felt a hint of threat. Moreover, as the carriage approached the central area of the Holy City¡ªthe inner city known as the Holy City itself¡ªthis sense of threat grew stronger. The Holy City was a place where only priests, devout believers, and ceremonial guests could enter. As the procession entered the Holy City, a towering and sacred palace came into view. It was the largest and tallest palace on the entire Myria continent. The majestic palace was also white, adorned with golden patterns and filled with exquisite holy religious carvings. That was the Holy Palace¡ªthe highest authority symbol of the Holy Court. Anyone who saw this magnificent palace would be struck by its majesty and sanctity. Of course, for Charlotte, who had seen many skyscrapers and various fantasy palaces in different worlds, the impact was much less. But Charlotte¡¯s expression grew solemn. She could clearly sense that the increasingly strong sense of threat originated from this palace she was about to enter. Chapter 583 : Lady Charlotte, you truly are the Saintess!? Holy Power. Charlotte felt an unprecedented sense of holy power. The dense holy power was like a vast ocean, enveloping the entire Holy Palace. Such a majestic holy power would incinerate even Legendary Bloodbornes to ashes the moment they entered the Holy Palace. However, what Charlotte found peculiar was that the threat she sensed did not come from the vast holy power. On the contrary, she not only didn¡¯t feel threatened by that immense holy power but also felt a sense of closeness, a mysterious call. But Charlotte didn¡¯t let her guard down. Because she did indeed feel a threat. It was a mythical intuition. She could sense the trembling of her divine flame, the warnings of her divine soul, and this trembling and warning grew stronger as they approached the Holy Palace. Clearly, the source of the threat was deep within the Holy Palace, shrouded in that vast holy power. Charlotte didn¡¯t know what it was. Perhaps it was the ¡°Sword of Truth and Judgment¡± mentioned in the records, capable of slaying Gods, or perhaps it was some other artifacts unknown to Charlotte, or even mythical restrictions and barriers created by the Holy Court to combat Gods. Of course, it might also be some methods of ¡°Helios.¡± ¡°Saintess, we have arrived.¡± The respectful words of the Cardinal Priest interrupted Charlotte¡¯s thoughts. The carriage had stopped, and the door was already open. Sebastian, who was already standing, looked at Charlotte with a hint of unease and worry, his back to the priests. Nice, too, had become much more restrained since they arrived at the Holy Palace. His occasional glances at the palace carried an unusual seriousness. Clearly, the immense holy power enveloping the palace was keenly felt by Charlotte¡¯s two followers. At the same time, Charlotte felt numerous gazes upon her. The Holy Knights and Inquisition Knights who escorted them, the priests and clerics guiding them, and even the Legendary figures hidden among the church knights¡ªall focused their attention on Charlotte. Charlotte also noticed that the positioning of the Inquisition Knights had subtly changed. Although they still appeared to be in an escort formation, they had also cut off the procession¡¯s retreat. At this moment, Charlotte understood that the second test since entering the Holy City had begun. It wasn¡¯t hard to guess their intentions. The holy power enveloping the Holy Palace was so strong that even Albrecht would have to reveal his true form and flee in panic if he were here. For priests and ordinary people, holy power is a divine gift, a gentle, sacred, and healing energy. But for those deemed heretics by the Holy Court, it is a tyrannical, terrifying death sentence. Clearly, the holy power shrouding the Holy Palace was the Holy Court¡¯s second test. ¡°Saintess, we have arrived at the Holy Palace. External carriages are not allowed inside. Please, you and the knights, proceed to the palace on foot.¡± Cardinal Priest Filiberto repeated. Silence. Charlotte noticed that after she didn¡¯t respond immediately, the atmosphere around them became subtly tense, and some of the Inquisition Knights responsible for ¡°escorting¡± them began gripping their sword hilts impatiently. Even the knights from the Starfall Kingdom sensed something amiss. They stepped forward almost in unison, surrounding Charlotte¡¯s carriage protectively. Charlotte glanced at Sebastian. Sebastian immediately understood, turned to the knights, and frowned. ¡°Stand down.¡± The knights hesitated. They looked at their queen, who didn¡¯t object, and after a few seconds of hesitation, they stepped back. Charlotte slowly stood up and, with Sebastian¡¯s support, stepped down from the carriage. She smiled at the solemn Cardinal Priest. ¡°Lord Filiberto, the Theocracy¡¯s way of welcoming¡­ is quite unique.¡± Filiberto¡¯s expression was a bit unnatural. He coughed lightly and smiled warmly. ¡°It¡¯s all for the safety of the Saintess. You know, it¡¯s the time of the Pope¡¯s inauguration ceremony, a special period. The church has many enemies in the shadows, and you are a distinguished guest from afar. We must ensure your safety.¡± Charlotte made no comment. She did not expose the Holy Court¡¯s intentions but instead took the lead and walked toward the Holy Palace. Cardinal Priest Filiberto signaled to the church clerics and knights, who followed, ¡°guarding¡± the girl on all sides. Charlotte pretended not to see them. Her gaze fell upon the Holy Palace, observing it from top to bottom, finally resting on the tall statue of the Divine Lord in front of the palace. This statue was far more lifelike than those enshrined in local churches. As Charlotte looked at the statue¡¯s features, she felt a moment of disorientation. Though blurred, the high cheekbones and angular face were very similar to her memories of Harald. The only difference was that the statue¡¯s Divine Lord had a thick beard, while her impression of Harald was of a man with only a slight stubble. This was a middle-aged version of Harald. As Charlotte approached the Holy Palace and neared the statue, the sense of unease and threat grew stronger. However, alongside the increasing sense of dread, Charlotte also felt a sense of closeness and an inexplicable calling. A peculiar sensation arose in her heart. She unconsciously stopped before the statue, looking into its eyes. The strange sensation intensified, and in the depths of Charlotte¡¯s consciousness, the Ring Cross symbol in the Gospel of Blood began to emit a faint glow, radiating a golden light. Murmured prayers started to echo around her, growing in number and urgency. These were the prayers of believers to the Creator God. As the prayers intensified, so did the glow of the Ring Cross symbol in Charlotte¡¯s consciousness. At that moment, Charlotte finally understood the nature of the mysterious call. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It was the call of the Holy Court¡¯s faith network! Charlotte hesitated briefly, then reached out and touched the Divine Lord statue. At the moment of contact, the Ring Cross symbol in her consciousness burst into brilliant golden light! Charlotte felt her awareness suddenly elevate, her perception extending infinitely. Golden light filled her ¡°vision¡±, and at the end of her ¡°sight¡±, she saw once again the throne and scepter in the ¡°Kingdom of Creation¡±, and the sacred door behind the scepter. She ¡°saw¡± the holy golden door slowly open, revealing something beyond, enveloped in a radiance of infinite light, embodying countless faiths. It was a golden Ring Cross, engraved with Thorny Rose. Though it differed from the description in the Holy Court¡¯s bible, Charlotte knew its name the moment she ¡°saw¡± it. The highest holy artifact of the Holy Court, the core of the faith network of the Creator¡ª The Genesis Arbiter. ¡­ ¡°Lord Filiberto, is she¡­ delaying her entrance into the Holy Palace?¡± Seeing Charlotte suddenly stop before the Divine Lord statue, a priest couldn¡¯t help but ask Cardinal Priest Filiberto. Other clerics and knights also focused their gazes on the girl. Filiberto frowned slightly. He couldn¡¯t help it, her behavior was indeed somewhat unusual. She could have entered the Holy Palace directly, yet she suddenly stopped before the Divine Lord statue and even closed her eyes. Time¡­ it had been two minutes already. If it were an ordinary believer praying with closed eyes upon seeing the most sacred statue before the Holy Palace, Filiberto would understand. But he knew very well that the girl before him was no ordinary believer. She was the subject of the Holy Court¡¯s suspicions, the focal point of the Cardinals¡¯ attention. From the various messages from the Starfall Kingdom to the intelligence reports submitted by the church, all signs pointed to significant issues with Charlotte de Castell¡¯s stance! Not only was she likely posing as the Saintess and deceiving everyone, but she also probably collaborated with an Evil God, or worse, was a heretic, the earthly incarnation of the Evil God! This was the consensus among the priests, clerics, and many church knights here to ¡°welcome¡± the Queen of Starfall. So¡­ was she trying to delay time, or attempting to do something before entering the Holy Palace to undergo the ¡°examination¡±? Filiberto¡¯s eyes flickered. After a slight hesitation, he prepared to speak again, but before he could, a change occurred. Golden particles of light appeared around them, shimmering like snowflakes and dancing spirits. Dreamlike rays of light trailed golden paths, rising from the Holy Palace and converging from all directions. Colorful light spread around, and wherever it reached, flowers bloomed, and all things were renewed. Even the clerics and knights who were touched by the light felt as if their bodies were deeply purified and filled with strength. Everything¡­ was renewed. Feeling the majestic holy power, the clerics¡¯ eyes widened. ¡°What¡­ what powerful holy power! Such strong purifying power!¡± ¡°The radiant trails¡­ could this be the Holy Light Manifestation described in the bible?!¡± ¡°The Divine Lord above! This is the power of the Lord! The Lord¡¯s gaze is upon us!¡± ¡°Praise the Divine! Praise the Holy Court! Praise the great Creator!¡± The clerics were excited, their eyes drawn to the dancing particles of light. But soon, their excitement turned to confusion and astonishment. The brilliant light continued to spread, and the dancing particles increased in number. They saw the particles of light swirling, dancing, and finally¡­ gathering around Charlotte, falling upon her. Holy radiance descended, the entire statue bathed in brilliant golden light. The light spread, enveloping the girl in front of the statue, bestowing upon her a layer of sacred, radiant glow. Golden hair flowing, holy light spreading, at that moment, Charlotte seemed like a Goddess descended to the mortal world, exuding an unprecedented holy radiance. Seeing this, the clerics fell silent. Their gazes on the girl were filled with doubt, astonishment, and a mix of complex emotions, regret, and fervor. Nice, hiding behind Sebastian, was wide-eyed. ¡°Holy¡­ Holy Light Manifestation! The Divine Lord himself has pointed her out!¡± ¡°True¡­ no, Lady Charlotte, you¡­ you really are the Saintess of the Holy Court?!¡± Chapter 584 : The Plea of the Divine Artifact The golden radiance continued to spread, alarming the entire Holy Palace. But for Charlotte, the center of this ¡°miracle¡±, the experience was entirely different. In the depths of her consciousness, the Gospel of Blood shimmered, and the Ring Cross symbol above it radiated brilliant light. In an ethereal sense, Charlotte¡¯s consciousness followed her rising ¡°vision¡± and once again stood before the golden door in the divine palace. This time, however, the door was open. Charlotte looked at the open door, or more accurately, at the supreme artifact of the Holy Court, the Genesis Arbiter, beyond it. The divine flame burned within her chest, and the stirring in her soul grew stronger. Following the sense of calling from the ethereal realm, she walked towards the magnificent Ring Cross artifact. As she approached this legendary artifact, the rhythm within her soul intensified, and the prayers from all directions became clearer. Until¡­ Charlotte stood before the artifact. The Ring Cross in her consciousness shone brightly, resonating with the Genesis Arbiter. At that moment, Charlotte understood that all the calls and stirrings since entering the Holy City originated from this artifact. It resided in the divine kingdom of the Creator God Harald. Yet, its projection was in the Holy City, the Holy Capital of the Theocracy. It was the highest core of the Holy Court¡¯s faith network, and the Ring Cross symbol in Charlotte¡¯s consciousness, floating above the Gospel of Blood, was not just a symbol of the Holy Court but also a projection of this artifact. It called to Charlotte, yearned for her, and desired to establish a permanent connection with her. This might seem absurd, at least¡­ to those who knew Charlotte¡¯s true identity. As the highest artifact of the Holy Court, it desired to connect with the True Ancestor of Blood, an enemy of the Holy Court! But Charlotte knew why. The blood divine power and holy power were two forms of origin power, like yin and yang, negative and positive. These two forces were naturally both attract and repulse each other. Now, it was showing ¡°attraction.¡± Charlotte didn¡¯t know if this was Harald¡¯s doing, but at least¡­ she didn¡¯t feel threatened by it. On the contrary, she could sense the eagerness of the Gospel of Blood, its desire matching that of the Genesis Arbiter. The divine flame burned ever more fiercely, and in an ethereal sense, her unique mythical intuition hinted at a revelation¡ªNow was her chance to ascend to a true God! S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. If she could achieve the perfect fusion of blood divine power and holy power, she could take the step Lilith mentioned, not only becoming a true God but possibly surpassing Gods themself! With the increasingly clear call and stirring, a strong desire and longing rose within her, and Charlotte unconsciously reached out her hand. ¡°Your Majesty, are you sure you want to take this step? Forgive my boldness, but now¡­ is not the time. If you insist, you might tread the same path as before.¡± An ancient voice echoed, like a bell ringing in Charlotte¡¯s heart. Charlotte suddenly awakened, her extended hand stopping in mid-air. The longing in her eyes gradually cleared, and Charlotte calmed down. Indeed. How could she forget her original plan, which was to consider the fusion of the two powers only after becoming the real True Ancestor of Blood? Now was indeed not the time. Both blood divine power and holy power were evolutions of origin power, extensions of the creation power. She had received complete inheritance from Lilith, who hoped she would replace her as the real True Ancestor of Blood. Thus, becoming a God as a True Ancestor of Blood first, and then seeking the fusion of the two powers to elevate divine power to origin power, was the most stable and secure approach. Conversely, if she fused the two powers now, then¡­ who knows if it would be Charlotte or the resurrected Creator, or some other strange entity that would become a God. Thinking of this, Charlotte¡¯s expression turned serious, and she felt a surge of fear. This was already the second time. The last time, in another era, she had felt the same impulse to fuse the two powers, almost on a whim, as if some force in the void was urging her to do so. Whenever there was an opportunity, it would happen. Could this be a characteristic of origin power? Charlotte pondered. Exhaling lightly, she gathered her thoughts and then looked behind her. Holy light flickered, and at some point, the ornate scepter on the throne had transformed back into Hafdan, who bowed respectfully to her. The recent warning had come from him. Charlotte¡¯s expression softened as she looked at the humanoid form of the wisdom artifact behind her. ¡°Thank you.¡± The ethereal wisdom artifact bowed slightly, as respectful as always. ¡°This is what I should do, it is my duty.¡± Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred. ¡°So, the last time you said it wasn¡¯t the right time, you were referring to the fusion of the two powers?¡± The wisdom artifact nodded slightly. ¡°Everything is as you surmised.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Charlotte asked. ¡°The Lord calls me the Guardian Scepter.¡± The wisdom artifact replied. The Guardian Scepter? It was a name she had never heard in the church¡¯s records, and the appearance of the artifact didn¡¯t match any in the Holy Court¡¯s records. So¡­ was this guardian wisdom artifact an artifact that had never appeared outside the divine kingdom, specifically designed to protect the Genesis Arbiter? Charlotte pondered. ¡°Just now¡­ you mentioned a similar path. Have you seen me before?¡± Charlotte asked again. ¡°Your Majesty, that question¡­ I cannot answer. Only you can ultimately find the true answer.¡± The Guardian Scepter replied respectfully. Charlotte frowned slightly. She hadn¡¯t expected the Guardian Scepter to refuse to answer. ¡°Is it that you don¡¯t want to answer, or you can¡¯t?¡± She asked. The Guardian Scepter remained silent. Although the other party didn¡¯t say anything, Charlotte had some guesses. Perhaps¡­ the similar path referred to Lilith. After all, Lilith had also attempted to surpass the Gods. But this brought up a new question. Lilith was a true God, so did becoming a true God still require certain conditions to safely fuse the two powers? ¡°So, when is the right time to fuse the two powers? Are you here, guarding, waiting for me?¡± Charlotte asked. ¡°When the time comes, you will naturally know. As for me¡­ if you are following the guidance of fate, then¡­ indeed, I have been waiting for you.¡± The Guardian Scepter answered. What a mysterious answer¡­ When did Harald become such a mystic? Arranging such an artifact to wait here¡­ ¡°Since it¡¯s not the right time, why didn¡¯t you stop me from entering this time like you did before?¡± Charlotte asked. The Guardian Scepter paused before answering. ¡°Because¡­ you need the holy power, and the holy power¡­ needs you.¡± I need holy power? Charlotte was taken aback. It seemed she realized something, and she asked. ¡°You¡­ know what¡¯s happening in the Theocracy?¡± Before waiting for a reply, Charlotte continued. ¡°Wait, were you the one who passed the message to Albrecht, going in circles?¡± The Guardian Scepter sighed slightly. ¡°The corruption has spread to the core of the holy realm. Only you can stop it, only you can change everything.¡± That was a tacit admission. Charlotte quickly understood. If this wisdom artifact had somehow conveyed the message to Albrecht, then everything made sense. Indeed, her relationship with Albrecht was a secret, but to this wisdom artifact, it might indeed be known! Before she became the Queen of Starfall, Charlotte had been blessed by the Genesis Arbiter, the supreme artifact of the Holy Court. At that time, Charlotte had thought it was Harald who had given her a grand gesture, but now it seemed it might have been this Wisdom Artifact guarding the Genesis Arbiter. Albrecht had also been in Starfall at the time, and Charlotte had just ascended to Demigod status. It wasn¡¯t impossible for a Wisdom Artifact and a supreme artifact to detect her connection with her contract servant. ¡°So, tell me, what do you want me to do?¡± Charlotte asked. She didn¡¯t ask what she would gain from it. In fact, it was an unnecessary question. She now knew that Harald of the Holy Court was indeed her disciple from another timeline and that this wisdom artifact harbored goodwill and expectations for her. That was enough. ¡°Helios¡± was her enemy, helping the Holy Court meant helping herself. Not to mention, from the Guardian Scepter¡¯s words, it seemed the slumbering Harald was also waiting for her to accept the holy power and surpass the Gods. In other words, in some sense, the Holy Court could be considered her own people. ¡°Though it may sound presumptuous, I hope you can help the church as the ¡®Saintess¡¯, help us expel the corrupting forces¡­¡± ¡°The corruption has already started to taint the core of the church, altering doctrines and authority, even attempting to pollute our slumbering Lord and other subordinate Gods. You are the only clear-headed mythological being in this era, and this task¡­ only you can accomplish.¡± ¡°When you came here last time, I should have told you everything, but unfortunately¡­ the corrupting force was too strong. To avoid detection, I had to wait until you came to the Holy Palace to truly speak with you.¡± The Guardian Scepter explained. ¡°The Holy Court was established by Harald. As his artifact, you should know my relationship with him. I¡¯m willing to help the Holy Court and even more willing to help Harald, but you should also know I¡¯m not truly a Saintess, and my power is opposed to the current church.¡± Charlotte said. ¡°No.¡± The Guardian Scepter shook its head. ¡°The Holy Court our Lord established has never deemed your power as evil. All current issues stem from the Holy Court¡¯s corruption. As for the identity of the Saintess¡­¡± The Guardian Scepter looked at the holy power surrounding Charlotte. ¡°Since you formally established a link with the Genesis Arbiter, you¡­ already are the Saintess.¡± ==================== Author Note: I had previously written that the supreme artifact of the Holy Court was the Gate of Creation¡­ but the final name wasn¡¯t decided then. It is actually the Genesis Arbiter, and this has been corrected now. Chapter 585 : Divine Oracle Am I truly the ¡°Saintess¡± now? Charlotte was slightly taken aback. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Following the gaze of the Guardian Scepter, Charlotte looked down at herself and saw the holy power surrounding her. She felt a stirring in her heart and extended her awareness. She then noticed that the Ring Cross symbol floating above the Gospel of Blood had completely transformed into the form of the Genesis Arbiter. Holy power flowed incessantly, maintaining a distinct balance with Charlotte¡¯s blood divine power. Despite being two opposing forces, they coexisted harmoniously within her at this moment. Charlotte was thoughtful. The Gospel of Blood and her status as the True Ancestor allowed her to be immune to the burning effect of holy power, but that didn¡¯t mean the holy power was harmless to her. Charlotte was a bloodborne, and holy power naturally suppressed bloodbornes. It was only because her status as a True Ancestor was so high and the Gospel of Blood was so powerful that she could ignore the threat of holy power. To illustrate, if Charlotte were a character in a game and holy power was a poison debuff, the damage from the holy power might not even outpace Charlotte¡¯s own regeneration. But now it was different. In Charlotte¡¯s perception, she could no longer feel any suppression from the holy power. This force, which was like poison to a dark creature, now felt as manageable as tamed magic. In other words, if holy power used to be a poison debuff, now it was merely an enhancement buff. However, Charlotte soon found the reason. It wasn¡¯t that holy power had become completely ineffective against her as a bloodborne. Rather, she had gained control over the holy power through the Genesis Arbiter. As the Guardian Scepter said, she had indeed established a formal connection with the Genesis Arbiter. From the moment she opened the golden door, the Ring Cross symbol above the Gospel of Blood had become a channel connecting to the Genesis Arbiter. In other words, Charlotte could now partially wield the authority of this supreme artifact of the Holy Court! Moreover, through this connection, Charlotte had also linked with the Holy Court¡¯s faith network. If she wished, she could draw on a certain amount of holy power from the projection of the Genesis Arbiter at any time. ¡°During the Lord¡¯s slumber, the Genesis Arbiter is the core that maintains the operation of the Holy Court¡¯s faith. With the projection of the Genesis Arbiter, you have essentially gained the Holy Court¡¯s recognition and can be considered a Saintess in the truest sense.¡± The Guardian Scepter said. ¡°As far as I know, only the chosen ones of Harald in the Holy Court¡¯s history can be called Divine Agents and Saints. Isn¡¯t it just that you¡¯ve opened part of the Genesis Arbiter¡¯s authority to me? Does that count as being a Saintess?¡± Charlotte asked while experimenting with controlling the holy power. ¡°Only you and I know that your holy power comes from the artifact. Others don¡¯t know whether your power is the gift of the Divine Lord or the artifact¡¯s capability. Whatever the historical Saints could do, you can now do as well. To the believers, you¡­ are the true Saintess.¡± ¡°Of course, if the Lord had already awakened, with your relationship with the Lord, the holy power you would possess would be even greater. As I mentioned before, your status is so noble that calling you a ¡®Saintess¡¯ is already a great offense.¡± The Guardian Scepter said respectfully. That was indeed the case. Given her relationship with Harald, as forged throughout history, it would be more appropriate to call her the ¡°Holy Mother¡± rather than the ¡°Saintess.¡± Charlotte inwardly joked and continued to familiarize herself with controlling the holy power. The permissions granted by the Genesis Arbiter were evidently very high. Even with a dark creature¡¯s body, Charlotte found it quite easy to control the holy power, without feeling any discomfort. The only drawback was the significant mental energy consumption. Even though Charlotte¡¯s mental strength had long since transformed into divine soul power, she still felt fatigued over time. After all, she was wielding the authority of an artifact, and one that was inherently contrary to her nature, requiring more effort. ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s almost time. Considering your and the supreme artifact¡¯s safety, you¡­ should return.¡± The Guardian Scepter¡¯s reminder interrupted Charlotte¡¯s attempts. Charlotte nodded slightly. It was indeed time to return. In reality, she was likely still standing before the statue. ¡°The contract is established. I will keep my promise and join forces with the Holy Court to fight our common enemy.¡± Charlotte said. With that, she withdrew her consciousness and began to return to reality. As she watched the girl¡¯s figure gradually fade, the Guardian Scepter bowed once more. ¡°Your Majesty, thank you for your understanding and kindness¡­¡± ¡°Please be wary of the current Pope of the Holy Court and those priests who approach you proactively¡­¡± Be cautious of the Pope and the priests who approach me¡­ Charlotte nodded thoughtfully. Her vision sank rapidly, and the Divine Kingdom quickly receded. Soon, Charlotte returned to reality. ¡­ This was the first time in nearly three hundred years that the Holy Court had witnessed such a grand phenomenon. Brilliant radiance spread from the young girl at the center, enveloping almost the entire Holy City, with the overflowing holy power even extending beyond the Holy Capital. The magnitude of the holy power was so astonishing that even the priests who had resided in the Holy Palace for a long time were visibly shocked. The trajectory of the light, the powerful holy power, the blessings of purification and revival¡­ All of these elements indicated that they were witnessing the largest miracle the Holy Court had seen since the Divine Lord¡¯s slumber nearly three hundred years ago! A miracle! Yes, a miracle! The last time a similar phenomenon occurred was thirty years ago, when the previous Saintess appeared. But even then, the phenomenon was far less impressive than now. And with that distinctive ¡°brilliance trajectory¡± that only a Legendary could bring, it all pointed to one fact¡ªThe gaze of the Divine Lord¡­ had descended. With this thought, the priests¡¯ gazes toward the girl changed completely. The ¡°miracle¡± in front of the Holy Palace lasted a full fifteen minutes. And when the brilliance that enveloped the entire Holy City began to dissipate after fifteen minutes, the front of the Holy Palace was already crowded with cardinals and priests who had rushed over upon hearing the news. Layers upon layers of clergy in various holy robes surrounded the sculpture plaza in front of the Holy Palace, leaving no space, while more priests, alarmed by the ¡°miracle¡±, continued to arrive from further away. Exclamations, praises, prayers, and confessions resounded endlessly. Some fervent clergymen even knelt directly on the ground, weeping and bowing to the girl before the statue. Even the Church Knights originally ¡°monitoring¡± the girl threw down their weapons and knelt before Charlotte, repenting and bowing, their eyes full of remorse. The Judgment Knights were also overwhelmed by the fervent priests, finding it increasingly difficult to maintain order amidst the growing chaos. Even Cardinal Priest Filiberto, the closest to the girl, was stunned, his aged face shifting from shock to absurdity, then suspicion, and finally fear. As for the knights of the Starfall Kingdom who followed Charlotte¡­ they had long since knelt on one knee, their gazes toward Charlotte full of loyalty, admiration, and fervor. And the ¡°source of all this chaos¡±, the great ¡°Saintess¡±, finally slowly opened her eyes. Hundreds of fervent, complicated gazes focused on Charlotte, causing her to momentarily freeze. The intense, fervent stares, even for someone used to various grand scenes, made her slightly uneasy, as if these elderly priests would rush up at any moment, hug her legs, and shout praises for the Saintess and the God¡­ A brief silence. Then, a storm of praise and repentance. ¡°Praise the Divine! Praise the Holy Court! Praise the great Divine Lord!¡± ¡°A miracle! We are fortunate to witness such a great miracle!¡± ¡°She is the Saintess! She must be the Saintess! A being so favored by our Lord could not be a heretic!¡± ¡°Could it be¡­ that there is indeed a problem within our Holy Court?¡± The priests were in an uproar, and the sculpture plaza was in chaos. Listening to their discussions, Cardinal Priest Filiberto, standing at the forefront, showed a slight change in expression, becoming more fearful. Charlotte noted the subtle changes in the cardinal¡¯s expression. She smiled slightly and then walked towards him. Cardinal Priest Filiberto instinctively took a step back but quickly regained his composure and respectfully saluted Charlotte. ¡°S¡­ Saintess.¡± This time, his voice was much more respectful, and the fear in his expression had subsided. But Charlotte could sense his tense muscles and the sweat constantly seeping from his back. He was very nervous. But he was trying his best to hide his nervousness. Charlotte had no intention of entangling with him. She did not sense any distinct origin aura from him. Although this cardinal clearly had something to hide, he was not the primary target Charlotte was looking for, merely a minion. However, when Charlotte extended her perception outward, she did detect several priests in the crowd with traces of origin aura. She did not alert them but secretly marked their auras before looking at the cardinal. ¡°Sorry, Filiberto, I heard the Divine Lord¡¯s call in front of the statue, so I couldn¡¯t help but stop for a moment.¡± Cardinal Priest Filiberto¡¯s expression became somewhat stiff. He smiled awkwardly and then waved his hand. ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. This just proves that you are blessed by our Lord, the Saintess of our Holy Court.¡± Then he tentatively asked. ¡°So¡­ did you just receive an oracle from our Lord?¡± Once again, everyone¡¯s gaze focused on the girl, and the discussions gradually subsided. Everyone¡­ seemed to be waiting for Charlotte¡¯s answer. Meanwhile, Charlotte noticed that many Judgment Knights had activated the spell ¡°Eye of Truth¡±, including the hidden Legendaries who had previously been monitoring her. Charlotte pondered briefly, then solemnly replied. ¡°I was indeed summoned to a sacred place and heard a sacred voice.¡± ¡°That voice told me that the Holy Court has become corrupted and must be purified and cleansed!¡± She did not use the Gospel of Blood¡¯s magic to counter the priests¡¯ identification spells. There was no need. As soon as she spoke, the sculpture plaza fell into a dead silence. Chapter 586 : Exposed Charlotte¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t loud, but with the amplification of holy power, it traveled far and wide. In front of the Holy Palace, the cardinals, priests, and knights all changed their expressions. Many priests focused their gaze on one of the Judgment Knights, who was one of the hidden Legendaries among the ¡°escort¡± team. He was also one of the knights who had just used the ¡°Eye of Truth¡± when Charlotte made her ¡°outrageous¡± statement. Following everyone¡¯s gaze, Charlotte naturally looked at this person as well, and when she saw his face clearly, the ring cross symbol above the Gospel of Blood flickered slightly, and a new line of information appeared in her mind. ¡ºName: Aaron Nosack¡» ¡ºPosition: Second Judge of the Theocracy¡» ¡ºExtraordinary Rank: Legendary¡» Well, well! Personal information? Charlotte¡¯s heart skipped a beat. However, she quickly realized that this was an ability she gained after deeply connecting with the Genesis Arbiter. The Genesis Arbiter is the core of the Holy Court¡¯s faith, connecting all holy followers and naturally storing the identities of all holy followers. Knowing the identity of this hidden knight, Charlotte understood why many knights and priests were looking at him. The ¡°Judge¡± is the highest position among the Judgment Knights, and the ¡°Second Judge¡± is undoubtedly the second-highest authority in the entire Judgment Knight system, second only to the Chief Judge. Even within the entire Holy Court, he is an absolute high-ranking official, always sitting on the main stage at large ceremonies and meetings. The eyes of the crowd fell on the Second Judge, clearly waiting for his judgment. Knowing his identity, Charlotte also focused her attention on him. She was curious about his conclusion, as it related to distinguishing friend from foe. The Holy Court had already been infiltrated, and the information from the Genesis Arbiter was limited. She couldn¡¯t rely solely on aura to identify who in the Holy Court was a true believer and who was a follower of ¡°Helios.¡± Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the hidden Second Judge¡¯s expression was complex, ultimately turning into a resigned sigh. ¡°What she said¡­ is true.¡± With these words, the priests and knights were ignited again, quickly falling into an uproar. ¡°Even Lord Aaron confirmed it¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s true¡­ it¡¯s actually true!¡± ¡°I knew it! I knew it! The decline of the Holy Court over the years must be due to problems within our Church!¡± ¡°A warning! This is a divine warning!¡± ¡°May the Divine Lord have mercy on us, may the Divine Lord protect us¡­¡± ¡°Purification! There must be purification! All darkness and corruption in the Holy Court must be cleansed!¡± The priests and knights were either shocked, worried, excited, or angry. At the forefront of the cardinals, cardinal Priest Filiberto¡¯s expression was somewhat panicked, with a touch of fear. Charlotte also looked at Cardinal Priest Filiberto. The ring cross symbol above the Gospel of Blood flickered again, but this time, no information appeared. Charlotte¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She had established a connection with the Genesis Arbiter, but this time, it didn¡¯t provide any information about Filiberto. This could only mean one thing: Filiberto was not connected to the Holy Court¡¯s faith network. In other words, this cardinal was not a believer of the Holy Court! Charlotte¡¯s eyes flashed. What a coincidence, she had just been pondering how to identify enemies and friends within the Theocracy, and now she had caught one so easily. And a significant one at that. If Charlotte could somehow scan all the priests present, she would love to root out all the ¡°fakes¡± directly. Of course, now that she had caught one, she wouldn¡¯t miss this opportunity. With this in mind, Charlotte¡¯s gaze naturally fell on Filiberto again, and she smiled slightly. ¡°Sir Filiberto, do you still doubt my identity?¡± Filiberto¡¯s expression changed slightly. His changing expression caught the eyes of the priests and Church knights, making their gazes towards him subtle, filled with scrutiny and doubt. Charlotte took it all in and quickly realized that not all the priests and knights supported the surveillance against her. Judging from the eyes of these priests and knights, it seemed that this cardinal was the one who orchestrated this operation. Charlotte continued. ¡°Sir Filiberto, thank you very much for arranging the highest honors of the Theocracy for my arrival, including the twelve holy bells. I am truly honored.¡± ¡°However¡­ may I ask if sending six Legendary figures who concealed their identities to escort me is also a standard protocol for welcoming a Saintess in the Theocracy?¡± Upon hearing this, many of the Church knights looked embarrassed, and Filiberto¡¯s expression became particularly unnatural. However, he quickly regained his composure. He cleared his throat softly, bowed slightly to Charlotte, and said apologetically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness the Saintess.¡± ¡°Please forgive our previous offenses. There have been too many rumors about you on the continent recently. Until we could fully verify your identity, we had to remain vigilant¡­¡± ¡°Rest assured, we will certainly provide you with a satisfactory explanation.¡± Charlotte shook her head. ¡°An explanation? That¡¯s unnecessary. I understand the Church¡¯s concerns. After all¡­ I did allow the propagation of other faiths in the Starfall Kingdom. But what concerns me now is something else.¡± With that, Charlotte¡¯s smile faded, and her tone grew more serious. ¡°Sir Filiberto, may I ask, when was the last time you used holy power?¡± These words caused Filiberto¡¯s expression to change completely. His demeanor turned cold as he responded. ¡°Your Highness the Saintess, what do you mean by this? Are you questioning my faith?¡± Charlotte smiled slightly. ¡°And what if I am?¡± ¡°It¡¯s strange. Among the priests and knights present, I can feel their vibrant faith. But from you, I feel nothing at all.¡± ¡°This is truly odd. You are a cardinal, yet why can¡¯t I sense your connection to His Holiness, the Divine Lord?¡± These words caused the expressions of the priests and knights to change as they looked at Filiberto. Even the Second Judge, Aaron, regarded him with a mix of suspicion and surprise. ¡°Defamation! This is defamation! Charlotte de Castell! Even if you are the Saintess, you cannot slander me like this! I am a cardinal of the Church, praying daily before the statues and receiving the blessings of the holy light! Even if I misunderstood you, you shouldn¡¯t defame me in this way!¡± Filiberto said angrily. ¡°Whether it is defamation or not, demonstrating your holy power should suffice. I imagine this wouldn¡¯t be difficult for a cardinal, right?¡± Charlotte replied calmly. Seeing Filiberto¡¯s intense reaction, the Judgment Knights¡¯ expressions grew solemn. They gripped their weapons tightly and quietly surrounded Filiberto. Filiberto shouted in anger. ¡°What are you doing? Are you rebelling?¡± ¡°They are not rebelling. They are simply making a rational judgment and also suspecting you. If you wish to prove your faith, then please demonstrate your holy power now.¡± Charlotte said. ¡°Yes, please demonstrate your holy power!¡± ¡°Lord Filiberto, since Her Highness the Saintess said she couldn¡¯t sense your holy power, please prove it to us.¡± ¡°Lord Filiberto, you have been reluctant to demonstrate it. Could it be¡­ that you have truly fallen?¡± The priests and knights echoed her sentiments. Even the Second Judge, Aaron, stepped forward and said sternly. ¡°Lord Filiberto, please demonstrate your holy power.¡± Philiberto¡¯s face turned grim. He stared at Charlotte intensely, a hint of malice flashing in his eyes before he quickly regained his composure. ¡°Your Highness Charlotte, I will remember what happened today.¡± He said coldly. With that, he glanced at the Judgment Knights surrounding him and said, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then watch carefully!¡± He raised his hands and began to pray softly. Gradually, platinum holy light surrounded him. ¡°It¡¯s holy power!¡± ¡°I told you, Lord Filiberto is so devout. How could he have fallen?¡± S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°It must have been a mistake by Her Highness the Saintess.¡± Seeing the holy light, the surrounding priests began to discuss again, and the Judgment Knights surrounding Filiberto hesitated. ¡°Your Highness Charlotte, I have demonstrated my holy power. Do you have anything else to say?¡± Philiberto said coldly. ¡°Oh, really?¡± Charlotte chuckled softly. She made a small gesture, and the holy light around Filiberto dissipated like a deflated balloon. Seeing this, the priests were stunned, and Filiberto looked utterly shocked. ¡°Sir Filiberto, the holy light just now was from the holy artifact on you. Sorry, that doesn¡¯t count as your own power. I have now disabled it for you.¡± ¡°Now, please demonstrate your own holy power.¡± Charlotte said. Filiberto¡¯s expression turned extremely grim. But soon, he began to laugh. His laughter turned increasingly twisted. Suddenly, Filiberto erupted with a Legendary-level aura and charged straight at Charlotte. ¡°Charge¡ª!¡± He roared. Before his words faded, three other Legendary auras rose from the crowd and also charged at Charlotte. Out of the six Legendary figures ¡°monitoring¡± Charlotte, four had now launched an attack on her! Charlotte raised an eyebrow and began to channel her holy power through her connection with the Genesis Arbiter. However, before the attack could reach her, the towering figure of the Second Judge, Aaron, had already stepped in front of her. ¡°Protect Her Highness the Saintess!¡± The Judgment Knight shouted. Chapter 587 : Capture him! No one expected Cardinal Priest Filiberto to suddenly strike. Four Legendary figures erupted simultaneously, their terrifying aura sweeping across the entire sculpture plaza. At the same time, nearly half of the knights surrounding Charlotte, both Templar and Judgment, suddenly turned traitors, drawing their weapons and attacking their companions. A melee broke out instantly on the plaza, and chaos quickly ensued in front of the Holy Palace. ¡°Rebellion! It¡¯s a rebellion! The Templar Knights and Judgment Knights are rebelling!¡± ¡°Protect Her Highness the Saintess! Quickly, protect Her Highness the Saintess!¡± ¡°Sound the alarm! Activate the divine barrier!¡± Shouts of alarm echoed continuously. However, the most attention-grabbing were the several Legendary figures who had erupted. Their holy symbols shattered on their chests, releasing a pale light that turned into blazing pale flames. These flames burned indiscriminately, consuming everything in their path. Charlotte¡¯s expression tightened. This time, she finally sensed a familiar aura. The aura of origin power. Charlotte¡¯s gaze fell upon those pale flames. She wasn¡¯t unfamiliar with these flames, during her journey to two thousand years ago leading the Free City-State Alliance against the Old Gods Alliance, she had seen them more than once. These were the powers possessed by the ¡°Legendary¡± figures forcibly elevated by the Sun Temple through external means. Obviously, the four Legendaries, including Filiberto, had long since defected to the Sun Temple. The eerie pale flames surged towards Charlotte from all directions, reducing all the intervening priests and knights to ashes. However, just as the flames were about to reach her, they were blocked by a golden light. ¡°Holy Protection!¡± Second Judge Aaron shouted angrily. Golden light burst from him, forming a massive divine shield around Charlotte. He drew his sword, and with another Legendary Templar Knight who hadn¡¯t turned traitor, they stood against the four Legendary attackers. Charlotte looked over and the information of the other Templar Knight surfaced in her mind¡ª ¡ºName: Fabio¡» ¡ºPosition: Vice-Captain of the Theocracy Templar Knights¡» ¡ºExtraordinary Rank: Legendary¡» This was another high-ranking member of the Theocracy, and a rare one from a common background. He and Aaron cooperated, protecting Charlotte and the others behind them. A massive explosion sounded. The clash of Legendary powers erupted, shaking the ground like an earthquake. Terrifying energy formed an astonishing magical storm, evaporating everything within a hundred meters except for those inside the Holy Shield: Charlotte, Nice, Sebastian, and a few knights and priests. Golden divine runes lit up on the ground and the Holy Palace walls, activating automatic divine protections. Even with these protections, cracks spread across the ground and the glass of the Holy Palace shattered from the impact. The Judgment Knights and Templar Knights were indeed the strongest combat sequences of the Theocracy. The two Legendary figures fought against the four attackers without falling behind. ¡°Aaron! Fabio! You bastards!¡± Filiberto raged. ¡°If you want to harm Her Highness the Saintess, you¡¯ll have to get past us first!¡± Vice-Captain Fabio of the Templar Knights said coldly. Filiberto¡¯s expression twisted with fury. The urgent alarm bells rang out from the Holy Palace, accompanied by golden light. A semi-transparent divine shield began to rise and gradually enclosed the area. ¡°It¡¯s the divine barrier!¡± ¡°The divine barrier has been activated!¡± The distant priests cheered. Filiberto¡¯s expression changed. A trace of malice flashed across his face as he shouted. ¡°You¡¯re asking for death!¡± He chanted an incantation, and dazzling golden light erupted from him. A dangerous aura arose from him, and a golden holy sword¡¯s shadow appeared behind him. ¡°The Holy Sword?!¡± Second Judge Aaron and Vice-Captain Fabio¡¯s expressions changed dramatically. The Holy Sword¡­ One of the Theocracy¡¯s offensive artifacts, it had once been used by a Legendary priest of the kingdom to slay Gods. Seeing the sword¡¯s shadow and recalling the information she had on the Theocracy, Charlotte¡¯s expression became solemn. This ¡°cardinal¡± who had defected to the Sun Temple had ill intentions from the start. He even carried such an offensive artifact! However, Charlotte didn¡¯t panic. Most of the Holy Court¡¯s artifacts required strong holy power to be fully controlled. Having abandoned his faith, Filiberto couldn¡¯t fully wield the artifact¡¯s power. But even so, with the artifact in play, the two Legendary church knights were likely to be defeated. Charlotte knew it was her turn to act. With this thought, Charlotte stepped forward. The ring cross symbol in her consciousness spun continuously, and platinum holy power spread around her. Just as she was about to act, a solemn voice suddenly echoed in the sky. ¡°May our Lord have mercy on us, and all evil will be bound under the holy light.¡± Platinum light descended from the sky, spreading a vast and majestic holy power. Then, golden holy chains descended, binding the four rebellious Legendaries¡¯ limbs and all the rebellious church knights in the distance. Filiberto¡¯s eyes widened. He opened his mouth to say something, but was soon enveloped in the holy light, trapped within. ¡°It¡¯s His Eminence, the Pope!¡± ¡°Great! His Eminence, the Pope is here!¡± The priests cheered. Amidst the praises and cheers, a middle-aged man, a tall blonde knight, and a hunched old man walked forward, surrounded by priests and church knights. The middle-aged man stood in the center. Holy light draped over him, coating his luxurious platinum robe in gold. He held a golden ring cross, his expression serene, with a hint of anger and sorrow in his eyes. Seeing them, second Judge Aaron and Vice-Captain Fabio relaxed their tense expressions. They sheathed their weapons and bowed slightly to the middle-aged man, the blonde knight, and the old man. ¡°Greetings to His Eminence, Angus, and Judge Francesco.¡± The middle-aged man nodded slightly at them, then looked at Charlotte. With a group of knights and priests, he bowed respectfully to Charlotte and said apologetically. ¡°Praise the Holy, Albino greets Your Highness the Saintess. Your Highness, we apologize for the fright.¡± Charlotte looked at them calmly. The ring cross above the Gospel of Blood spun, revealing their identities in her mind. ¡ª ¡ºName: Albino St. Gregory¡» ¡ºPosition: Pope of the Theocracy¡» ¡ºExtraordinary Rank: Legendary¡» ¡ª ¡ºName: Angus de Valvarolle¡» ¡ºPosition: Captain of the Theocracy Templar Knights¡» sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡ºExtraordinary Rank: Legendary¡» ¡ª ¡ºName: Francesco di Conti¡» ¡ºPosition: Chief Judge of the Theocracy Inquisition¡» ¡ºExtraordinary Rank: Legendary¡» ¡ª It was Pope Gregory XII and the highest leaders of the Templar Knights and Inquisition. The true triumvirate of the Theocracy had arrived. Chapter 588 : Clash Pope Gregory XII looked sincere and apologetic. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After a slight bow to Charlotte, he turned his gaze to Cardinal Priest Filiberto and the others imprisoned by the holy power. His expression, filled with disappointment, barely concealed his anger. ¡°I never expected that in our Holy Court¡¯s sacred place, such a despicable farce would unfold on this important day!¡± After speaking, Gregory XII looked at the Judgment Knights who accompanied him and said coldly. ¡°Judgment Knights, take these fallen betrayers to the Heresy Inquisition¡¯s dungeon! Use all means to find out who is behind them!¡± Heresy¡­ the Heresy Inquisition? Hearing the Pope¡¯s words, the gathered priests turned pale. The Holy Court is the most powerful religious organization on the continent, and its Inquisition is a feared department among all heretics. Within the Inquisition, the most dreaded institution is the infamous Heresy Inquisition, a department so terrifying that even the priests of the Holy Court fear it. Any suspected heretic entering it would suffer immensely. Filiberto widened his eyes again. He tried to speak but could only produce a series of muffled sounds, his mouth sealed by holy power. Eventually, amidst his struggles, he and the other rebels were taken away by the Judgment Knights. ¡°Your Holiness, today¡¯s events will be thoroughly investigated, and we will provide you with a satisfactory explanation.¡± Gregory XII bowed to Charlotte once more, his expression serious. Charlotte¡¯s expression was inscrutable. Though Gregory XII appeared earnest and respectful, she did not believe his words, given her suspicions and the caution advised by the guardian artifact. While other priests might think that the Pope¡¯s arrival was timely, perhaps saving lives by preventing Filiberto from activating the artifact, Charlotte knew the timing was too coincidental. Artifacts are not easily controlled by just anyone. While Filiberto might have threatened Aaron and Fabio with the artifact, Charlotte, a Demigod wielding divine power, was not afraid of the Cardinal who had lost his holy power. Gregory XII¡¯s actions seemed more like a preemptive move to silence Filiberto before he could fall into Charlotte¡¯s hands. However, Charlotte was somewhat surprised that Gregory XII¡¯s information still existed in the faith network. This indicated that he was still a holy believer and had not betrayed his faith. But¡­ was that really the case? Recalling her conversation with the guardian artifact and its cautious plea for help, Charlotte began to form some guesses. ¡°Pope Gregory, thank you for your concern. With the Holy Court¡¯s knights present, my safety was never in danger.¡± Charlotte said, then changed her tone, looking at the taken-away Filiberto and others. ¡°You mentioned investigating the forces behind these fallen ones. Could it be that the upper echelons of the Cardinal Council have been infiltrated by external forces?¡± Upon hearing this, the priests were slightly stunned, showing varied expressions. The Cardinal Council, directly under the Pope, is the highest religious body of the Holy Court. Filiberto, ranking in the top five among the Cardinals, was known as Gregory¡¯s close confidant. This¡­ Second Judge Aaron looked at the Pope and frowned slightly. ¡°Your Holiness, you may not know, but before becoming a Cardinal, Filiberto served in the Eastern Diocese. The Pope might suspect that the Bloodborne Szellem Clan is involved in this matter.¡± Chief Judge Francesco said calmly. The Szellem Clan?! The priests¡¯ expressions changed. Goodness¡­ Pushing the blame onto the bloodbornes now? Charlotte squinted her eyes, recalling the information she had read. The Holy Court is divided into five dioceses. The Central Diocese includes the Western Yunette Empire and the northern countries of the Yunette Peninsula, forming the core diocese controlled by the Holy Court. The Western Diocese, the second largest, includes the Crescent Kingdom, Starfall Kingdom, and the southern Luna Coast City-State of the Yunette Peninsula. The Northern Diocese covers the Eastern Yunette Blacklands and the Northern Grand Duchy and the greater northern region. The Eastern Diocese, centered on the Coria Kingdom, includes the Dragonspine Mountains and several small eastern countries. The Southern Diocese covers the southern continent, including the multi-tribal union opposite the Myria continent. Among all the dioceses, the Eastern Diocese holds a unique position because it includes the Coria Kingdom, controlled by bloodbornes, with ambiguous relations with the Eastern Diocese. The ruling clan of Coria, the Szellem Clan, is the same clan that has hunted Sebastian for years. ¡°Pope Gregory, could this be the scheme of the Szellem bloodbornes?¡± Fabio, deputy Commander of the Judgment Knights, asked seriously. Gregory XII sighed. ¡°Just a suspicion. Recently, bloodbornes across the continent have been very active. The Chief Judge and I believe there might be internal issues within the bloodbornes. There are rumors that an ancient myth among the bloodbornes has revived.¡± An ancient bloodborne myth has revived! The priests and knights¡¯ faces changed. ¡°A bloodborne myth has revived? Could it be¡­ the rumors from the Crescent Diocese a few years ago were true?!¡± ¡°So¡­ isn¡¯t that referring to the¡­¡± ¡°Careful! This attack was aimed at Her Holiness!¡± ¡°But the bloodbornes are not united. Perhaps¡­¡± The priests discussed in whispers, with some casting glances at Charlotte, even some of the Cardinals were hesitant. Charlotte squinted her eyes. She knew what rumors they were referring to. It was likely the phenomena she caused when she ascended to Demigod status a few years ago. Though the Holy Court couldn¡¯t find concrete evidence, the Crescent Diocese reported the phenomena to the Holy Court, suggesting a ¡°resurrection of an Evil God.¡± The Blood Demon Cult also added to the chaos by spreading information about ¡°God Nyx.¡± According to Charlotte¡¯s deductions, although there hadn¡¯t been any open confrontation, the Holy Court¡¯s high-ranking officials were likely aware of the existence of a Demigod referred to as ¡°God Nyx¡± in the Starfall Kingdom, probably a Bloodborne Demigod. This is why the Holy Court invited Charlotte to observe the ceremony, to probe her. Gregory XII was indeed skilled. He initially discussed internal traitors but swiftly redirected the conversation to bloodborne infiltration and internal conflicts, subtly implicating Charlotte. After all, everyone knew that Charlotte controlled the church¡¯s branch in the Starfall Kingdom. ¡°Whether this is the work of bloodbornes requires further investigation. I hope Pope Gregory will allow me to participate in the interrogation. I also want to know which forces dare act in front of the Holy Court and before the Gods.¡± Charlotte said calmly. Hearing this, many priests regained their composure. Indeed, they had just witnessed the ¡°Holy Light Manifestation.¡± The ¡°Holy Light Manifestation¡± is proof of divine favor, appearing only when divine oracles are issued, representing the gaze of the Creator, Harald. To induce the ¡°Light of Glory¡± and even cause the phenomenon of ¡°Revival of All Things¡± associated with the power of creation, the Holiness¡¯ identity must be genuine, as the Holy Court¡¯s Saintess. Thinking this, the priests who had been murmuring earlier now felt guilty. God above! Even the Gods had personally bestowed blessings. They should not doubt Her Holiness¡¯ identity! Gregory XII remained composed. He nodded in agreement. ¡°Her Holiness is right. Today¡¯s incident likely involves a clash of myths. The power of myths is beyond our mortal comprehension, mysterious and unpredictable. We must be cautious.¡± ¡°However, the interrogation should be left to the Heresy Inquisition. It is a place where light and darkness coexist, often requiring special methods that should not be exposed to the light of day, sullying the holy vision of our Lord.¡± He then turned to the Chief Judge Francesco with a solemn expression. ¡°Chief Judge, please do your utmost to uncover the forces behind these fallen ones!¡± ¡°Of course, Pope Gregory, all for our Lord!¡± The Chief Judge replied solemnly. He then looked at the Judgment Knights and said coldly. ¡°Take these traitors away!¡± The Judgment Knights saluted and then escorted the Legendary prisoners and the rebellious knights away. ¡°Your Holiness¡­¡± Gregory XII turned to Charlotte again, sincerely saying, ¡°You traveled far to the Holy Capital and faced today¡¯s events. It is my failure.¡± ¡°Rest assured, regarding this turmoil, I will provide you with a satisfactory explanation!¡± With that, Gregory XII made a gesture of invitation, smiling slightly. ¡°You must be tired from your journey and today¡¯s scare. The Holy Court has prepared the best rooms and most comfortable baths for you, with royal chefs from the Crescent Kingdom ready to serve. Please proceed to the Holy Palace for rest.¡± Hearing Gregory XII¡¯s words, Charlotte¡¯s gaze deepened. She looked at him intently, then smiled slightly. ¡°In that case, I thank Pope Gregory for the hospitality.¡± Chapter 589 : You are actually the teacher of the Creator God? ¡°Oh my, this is infuriating! Absolutely infuriating!¡± ¡°Lady Charlotte, did you hear what that Pope just said? Deliberate! That old man did it on purpose!¡± ¡°He must have figured out your identity! This whole attack was definitely orchestrated by him and targeted at you! This is a test for us!¡± ¡°We need to act immediately! Although I don¡¯t know how you managed to disguise yourself and fool them, they¡¯re bound to have more tricks up their sleeves!¡± ¡°The Theocracy is not a place to stay for long. Although you are a Demigod, if they use the ultimate God-slaying artifacts from the Holy Court, the consequences could be disastrous!¡± In a solemn guest room in the Holy Palace, adorned with religious paintings, the black cat Nice kept pacing back and forth, a look of anxiety on his chubby face. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. However, Charlotte remained calm. She had changed into the golden-hemmed Saintess¡¯ robe sent by the priests and even wore a necklace with a ring cross holy symbol on her chest, blessed by high-ranking clergy of the Theocracy. She looked almost radiant with a holy glow, which left Sebastian, who was pouring tea, somewhat stunned. Seeing Charlotte without a trace of worry, Sebastian fell into contemplation. As he skillfully added milk and brown sugar to the tea and stirred it, he said, ¡°Nice, don¡¯t be so anxious. Is there a possibility that Master¡­ really is the Saintess of the Holy Court?¡± ¡°Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Although I don¡¯t know how Lady Charlotte invoked the Holy Light, bloodbornes and the church have been mortal enemies for two thousand years! Lady Charlotte can deceive those priests, but the Theocracy possesses the legendary Supreme Artifact. If it appears, even Lady Charlotte, the True Ancestor of Blood, would be exposed!¡± Nice shook his head like a rattle drum. Hearing Nice mention the Holy Court¡¯s artifacts, Sebastian also frowned, looking worried. The Holy Court¡¯s artifacts were indeed legendary. There are more than ten artifacts known for subduing or slaying Demigods, not to mention the number one artifact in the entire Myria Continent, the Genesis Arbiter! However, unlike Nice, who was a contract servant, Sebastian was a blood familiar and had a much stronger blood connection to Charlotte. Earlier, he genuinely sensed that the holy power was indeed being wielded by his master and not through some artifact or tool. ¡°Master, are you truly the Saintess of the Creator God?¡± Sebastian couldn¡¯t help but ask. Charlotte took the teacup from Sebastian, sipped the sweet tea, and then said, ¡°Yes, but also no.¡± ¡°Huh? What¡­ does that mean?¡± Sebastian was puzzled, his curiosity piqued. Even Nice stopped pacing and approached, eager to know. ¡°Yes and no? Lady Charlotte, what do you mean?¡± Charlotte took another small sip of tea, then slowly put the teacup down. ¡°This is a long story, and it all¡­ starts two thousand years ago.¡± ¡°Two thousand years ago? That¡¯s the end of the Mythic Era, right? According to some records, it was you who led the bloodbornes to defeat the elves, establishing the Bloodborne Dynasty and initiating the Blood Moon Calendar.¡± Nice¡¯s interest was instantly piqued, and even Sebastian paid full attention. Charlotte nodded and then said, ¡°That was indeed a chaotic era. I don¡¯t know how it¡¯s recorded in the various churches now, but in that era, I did appear and led humans and bloodbornes against the elves and the Old Gods.¡± ¡°At that time, the force following me was known as the Free City-State Alliance, and leading the alliance were my two disciples, or rather, my first and second embraced descendants.¡± ¡°Your two disciples and embraced descendants? Wait a minute¡­ does this have something to do with the Holy Court as well?¡± Nice had a sudden thought and asked. Charlotte nodded and said, ¡°Harald¡­ was one of the descendants I personally embraced.¡± Nice: ¡­ Sebastian: ¡­ ¡°Ha¡­ Harald?! Wait¡­ Your Majesty the True Ancestor, did I hear that right? Is it the ¡®Harald¡¯ I think it is?¡± Nice¡¯s eyes widened. Even Sebastian, usually very composed, lost control for the first time, his face full of astonishment. Charlotte nodded in confirmation. ¡°If there is no other true God named Harald in this world, then¡­ it¡¯s just as you think.¡± Nice: ¡­ Sebastian: ¡­ ¡°Wait¡­ I¡¯m a bit confused¡­ Your Majesty, does this mean that the Creator God was once your disciple and descendant, and you¡­ are the teacher of the Creator God?!¡± Nice¡¯s trembling voice carried disbelief, but beyond the incredulity, there was a hint of gossip and excitement at hearing such ancient bloodborne secrets. This was indeed exciting. The main Gods of two eras, depicted as nemesis in various myths, legends, unofficial histories, and dramas, turned out to be master and disciple, even ¡°mother and son¡±! Big news! This was an unprecedented revelation and big news! If the priests of the Holy Court, who viewed bloodbornes as evil, knew this, their worldviews and faiths would collapse instantly! He knew! He always knew! Everything in the Holy Court¡¯s bible was just self-glorification! Claims of creating the world, the return of the Creator God, all lies! The Creator God¡­ was just a more powerful God! And also a descendant of his own followed God! Wait¡­ The Creator God Harald is the descendant embraced by Her Majesty. He is the pet¡­ I mean, servant, personally contracted by Her Majesty. Doesn¡¯t that mean¡­ he is now in the same generation as the Creator God? Nice¡¯s gossiping soul burned fiercely, and the whole cat was caught up in the excitement of learning bloodborne secrets, even looking at Charlotte with more fervor. By the True Ancestor! Lady Charlotte is indeed Lady Charlotte, the Legendary ruler of the Blood Moon Era! Such a big secret, such explosive hidden truths, could only appear with Her Majesty! The more Nice thought about it, the more excited he became, and the more curious he grew about what other secrets this resurrected God might hold. On the other hand, Sebastian was so shocked he couldn¡¯t speak. ¡°So it is¡­ so it is! No wonder¡­ no wonder the holy power has no effect on you, no wonder you can easily summon the miracles of the Creator God. If He was once your disciple and descendant, then it all makes sense¡­¡± The elf butler murmured. He was indeed very shocked. After all, no one would have thought that the greatest enemy and threat to their followed God, the one he had always imagined and guarded against since becoming a familiar, was actually the descendant of their God! ¡°Although I was also very shocked when I first learned of it, this is indeed the truth. The main God worshipped by the Holy Court, the Creator God who established the Holy Era, was indeed my former disciple and¡­ descendant.¡± Seeing Sebastian¡¯s incredulous face, Charlotte said. Seemingly realizing something, Nice¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he said, ¡°Wait¡­ if that¡¯s the case, doesn¡¯t that mean the Creator God is also a bloodborne?! Could it be¡­ that the Holy Court was also established by bloodbornes?¡± Charlotte shook her head slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t know. As you know, my memory is not complete, and I don¡¯t have any related memories. But from the various clues I¡¯ve gathered since my awakening, the Holy Court is indeed closely related to bloodbornes.¡± Sebastian fell into deep thought, recalling. ¡°Great Master, now that you mention it, it reminds me of something. Centuries ago, I once read a forbidden poem claiming that the Creator God was your descendant and successor, as well as the ancestor of the royal bloodline. Could it be¡­ that the insane poem was true?¡± ¡°Is it ¡®The Song of the Blood Moon¡¯? I also read it while in the Crescent Kingdom. One of my purposes in coming to the Theocracy is to uncover the secrets of the Holy Court.¡± Charlotte said. Pausing, she sighed. ¡°Of course, the key lies in Harald. In my memory, he never betrayed me, and it¡¯s impossible for him to betray me. I want to know what happened in the subsequent years¡­ why he founded the Holy Court and turned against the bloodbornes.¡± Sebastian¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he said, ¡°Master, you always asked me to investigate the secrets behind the Luna Island. Could it be¡­ related to this?¡± Charlotte nodded slightly. ¡°Yes, by now, there are some things I can tell you. If my judgment is correct, the God behind the Luna Island should be one of the two main Gods of the elves, the Sun God Helios.¡± ¡°The Sun God¡­ Helios?¡± Well-read, nice was puzzled. ¡°Hel¡­ Helios?!¡± Sebastian¡¯s expression changed instantly. Nice¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Sebastian, do you know?¡± Sebastian glanced at Charlotte, hesitated briefly, then nodded. ¡°That is a forbidden name among the elves, a myth buried in history, and the main culprit behind the decline of our race.¡± ¡°I only saw records of Him in the forbidden library before I was exiled from the clan. It is said¡­ He is the elder brother of the Moon Goddess.¡± Nice listened, suddenly enlightened, then sighed. ¡°So that¡¯s it. I never expected there would be so many secrets I didn¡¯t know! Lady Charlotte, so¡­ could everything that happened in the Holy Court also be related to this God you mentioned?¡± Charlotte nodded and said, ¡°The Sun God Helios was long ago corrupted by Origin Malice. He desires to become the Creator God and will pay any price to achieve this. Any force or God that stands in His way will face destruction¡­¡± ¡°As for what happened in the Holy Court, let the person involved explain.¡± Saying this, Charlotte looked in a certain direction. ¡°Guardian Scepter, we are already inside the Holy Palace, and I have shielded us with origin power. Even Helios cannot detect us. You¡­ may reveal yourself.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, golden light spread throughout the room, and a magnificent phantom of a scepter gradually appeared, finally forming into an illusory old man. ¡°Greetings, Bloodborne Progenitor, Your Majesty the True Ancestor!¡± The phantom saluted. Seeing the abundant spiritual light and holy power, Nice¡¯s eyes widened again. ¡°Whoa! A projection of a wisdom artifact?! Wait¡­ and it¡¯s from the Holy Court!¡± Chapter 590 : The Truth of the Holy Court Despite his current predicament, Nice had once been a Legendary mage who had seen many great waves. When the projection of the Guardian Scepter appeared, he quickly recognized its identity. ¡°But¡­ no, that¡¯s not right. I¡¯ve unearthed so many relics and seals, and I¡¯ve heard of most of the divine artifacts in this world. I¡¯m very familiar with the artifacts of the Holy Court, but I¡¯ve never seen this artifact before.¡± Staring at the Guardian Scepter, Nice was both astonished and curious. ¡°That¡¯s because it was created by Harald specifically to guard the Genesis Arbiter within the Holy Court. It has never appeared outside of the divine realm.¡± Charlotte explained. The Guardian Scepter nodded slightly. ¡°Indeed, as the True Ancestor has said, my mission is to protect my Lord¡¯s supreme artifact and the faith of the Holy Court. Thus, I have never appeared in the mortal world.¡± ¡°I see. No wonder it¡¯s just a projection¡­ Wait, so that explains it. Lady Charlotte, the holy power you wield must be channeled through this artifact via the Genesis Arbiter, right? Yes, it must be. Although your power shares the same source as holy power, they are fundamentally opposing forces under normal circumstances!¡± Nice said excitedly. Charlotte raised an eyebrow. This guy, Nice, really knows his stuff about mythology. Even Sebastian had only thought her grasp of holy power came from her special relationship with Harald. Yet, Nice had quickly seen the essence upon seeing the Guardian Scepter. Not only that, but Nice¡¯s understanding of blood divine power and holy power also exceeded her expectations. The appearance of the Guardian Scepter saved Charlotte a lot of explanations. After a brief conversation, Sebastian and Nice understood the current situation. ¡°So¡­ you were the one passing information to our master, and you hope our master will intervene in the Holy Court to help the slumbering God eliminate the forces infiltrating it? And in return, you will help our master establish her position as the Saintess of the Holy Court and fully support her in regaining her power?¡± Sebastian asked. ¡°To be precise, it¡¯s not support but following. My Lord has never viewed the True Ancestor as an enemy. The Holy Court my Lord built was initially for the True Ancestor. Although my Lord is in slumber, he has always been waiting for the True Ancestor¡¯s return.¡± The Guardian Scepter replied. ¡°Wait, that doesn¡¯t add up. From what I know, the Holy Court has always regarded bloodbornes as enemies since its inception. The decline of the Bloodborne was your doing.¡± Nice said. The Guardian Scepter looked somewhat awkward. It hesitated for a moment before sighing, ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never left the divine realm. My only task has always been to guard the Genesis Arbiter within the divine realm and await the True Ancestor¡¯s return. This was the mission left to me by my Lord before he fell into slumber after creating the Holy Court.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t directly influence the development of the church. I can only affect believers by appearing in dreams and exchanging blessings for them to act on my Lord¡¯s behalf. I have been in slumber for a long time, and when I awoke, the Holy Court was no longer the Holy Court my Lord had described in his memories.¡± Sebastian was taken aback. ¡°Wait¡­ are you saying the Creator God fell into slumber right after creating the Holy Court?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s not right. As far as I know, the Holy Court has been established for over a thousand years, yet the Creator God has issued divine decrees and even performed miracles as recently as a few decades ago. Are you saying those were not done by the Creator God?¡± Sebastian asked in confusion. The Guardian Scepter looked embarrassed. ¡°If you mean the divine decree and blessings given to the previous Saintess a few decades ago, then¡­ that was me. And also ninety years ago, one hundred and fifty years ago, and two hundred and ten years ago¡­ all were done by me.¡± Sebastian: ¡­ Nice: ¡­ Charlotte: ¡­ ¡°So, for over a thousand years, all the ¡®divine decrees¡¯ from the Creator God were actually issued by you?¡± Nice¡¯s expression was complicated. The Guardian Scepter nodded. ¡°Most of them, yes.¡± ¡°Most of them?¡± ¡°Yes, some were forged. It was then I confirmed that a certain force was infiltrating the Holy Court. I have been investigating this secretly for centuries and finally identified them.¡± At this point, the Guardian Scepter glanced at Charlotte and continued. ¡°They are the secret religious organization mentioned in my Lord¡¯s legacy memory, once rivals of the True Ancestor ¨C the Sun Temple.¡± ¡°Due to having similar authority to my Lord, I could hardly detect their infiltration. Some individuals could even bypass me to wield my Lord¡¯s holy power. Moreover, they are trying to erode my power through the faith network.¡± sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°They don¡¯t know of my existence but are aware that there is a ¡®guardian¡¯ within my Lord¡¯s divine realm obstructing their infiltration. Now, under their relentless pressure, I can contact fewer and fewer holy believers.¡± ¡°So¡­ knowing of the True Ancestor¡¯s return, I sought Her help.¡± So that¡¯s how it is¡­ Sebastian and Nice finally understood. ¡°From what I know, the one who invited Lady Charlotte to the Theocracy was Pope Gregory XII. Could he be a member of the Sun Temple?¡± Sebastian asked. The Guardian Scepter nodded. ¡°Exactly. According to my investigation, Pope Gregory XII, Chief Judge Francesco, eleven of the twenty-eight Cardinal Priests under them, and about one-third of the Bishops of the Theocracy have been more or less corrupted and infiltrated. Some have even completely abandoned their faith in the Holy Court.¡± Abandoned their faith¡­ Charlotte¡¯s heart moved as she thought of Cardinal Priest Filiberto, who had ¡°rebelled.¡± ¡°Abandoning faith is not the most frightening part. The most terrifying part is those who have already betrayed but can still use holy power.¡± Charlotte said. ¡°You¡¯re right. These individuals are my greatest concern. I don¡¯t know how they manage it, but the high-ranking infiltrators of the Sun Temple can still wield holy power. Gregory XII is likely the leader of these infiltrators.¡± The Guardian Scepter said. ¡°Their invitation to the True Ancestor is also a conspiracy. Their true intention is to use the Holy Court¡¯s artifacts to kill you during the inauguration ceremony!¡± Hearing this, Sebastian and Nice¡¯s expressions turned serious. Charlotte, however, remained calm and unsurprised. She could even guess what the Guardian Scepter might not know about the follow-up. Killing her might be just one part of the plan. If they couldn¡¯t kill her, they would try to heavily injure or seal her, and after that, there would surely be further actions. Behind the Sun Temple was Helios. If she were seriously injured, Helios would likely appear next to attack her directly. Thanks to the low magic power of this era. Helios had a higher status than her, but the current era could only accommodate powers close to Demigods. Unless the so-called ¡°Divinity Descent Day¡± arrived, bringing a resurgence of magic and the awakening of Gods, Helios wouldn¡¯t directly confront her without a sure victory. If not for this limitation, Helios might have killed her when she was still in Starfall. The Sun Temple went through such lengths to set up this conspiracy for the same reason. However, now there was a change. The Sun Temple¡¯s plan should have been secret, but Charlotte had triggered a ¡°miracle.¡± She had also forced a corrupted Cardinal Priest and three Legendary knights to defect. In this situation, the Sun Temple might change its plan. ¡°Guardian Scepter, with no external interference now, we can talk properly. Even knowing this ceremony is a trap set by the Sun Temple, you still seek my help. Do you have a countermeasure ready?¡± Charlotte asked. ¡°Of course, True Ancestor. As I mentioned earlier, you are already the Saintess of the Holy Court. The Holy Court¡¯s artifacts are always connected to my Lord¡¯s faith network. Though the Sun Temple¡¯s plan is well-crafted, as long as you establish contact with the artifacts before their actions, you can thwart their plan and even turn the tables on them!¡± The Guardian Scepter said. Nice frowned slightly. ¡°You can think of this, but won¡¯t they think of it too? After all, Lady Charlotte has already demonstrated holy power.¡± ¡°They won¡¯t think of it. To establish contact with the Holy Court¡¯s artifacts, the ¡®Saintess¡¯ status alone isn¡¯t enough. A ¡®key¡¯ is also required, and this ¡®key¡¯ has always been held by the Pope. So, the Sun Temple isn¡¯t worried about losing control over the artifacts. However, they don¡¯t know there is another ¡®key¡¯ capable of seizing control of the Holy Court¡¯s artifacts. That key has always been with the True Ancestor.¡± The Guardian Scepter said. ¡°With me?¡± Charlotte was puzzled. ¡°This information comes from my Lord¡¯s legacy memory. I don¡¯t know what this ¡®key¡¯ is, but my Lord mentioned it is far more powerful than the ¡®key¡¯ held by the church. It¡¯s the source of my Lord¡¯s power. Once activated, it can directly control the Holy Court¡¯s faith network. If told the ¡®key¡¯ is with you, you¡¯ll surely realize what it is.¡± The Guardian Scepter said respectfully. The source of Harald¡¯s power? Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred. She¡­ seemed to know what the Guardian Scepter meant by this ¡°key.¡± Chapter 591 : The Sun Temple’s Backup Plan Charlotte roughly understood what the ¡°key¡± the Guardian Scepter mentioned was. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. It is the source of the power of Harald¡¯s bloodborne bloodline, an existence higher in status than the Holy Court¡¯s artifact. Charlotte only had one such thing in her possession¡ªthe Gospel of Blood, which had deeply fused with her. As for how Harald knew about the Gospel of Blood, considering Lilith¡¯s relationship with him and that the Gospel of Blood was created by Lilith, it was no secret to Harald. Of course, if history continued as it was, when Charlotte and Lilith¡¯s statuses completely merged, it would appear that Charlotte had created the Gospel of Blood herself in Harald¡¯s eyes. But regardless, this backup plan was indeed cleverly laid. Yes, a backup plan. Charlotte was very sure that the so-called ¡°key¡± was definitely Harald¡¯s backup plan. Harald knew about the existence of the Sun Temple. Whether it was the Guardian Scepter, a wisdom artifact created specifically to wait for Charlotte¡¯s arrival, or the Gospel of Blood used as the backup ¡°key¡±, all signs indicated that he had foreseen this day before his slumber. ¡°The Holy Court¡¯s artifacts are currently in the hands of high-ranking priests. Since the Sun Temple has decided to act during the inauguration ceremony, these artifacts must have been infiltrated by them by now, right?¡± Charlotte asked. ¡°Exactly, but the artifacts ultimately belong to my Lord. As long as my Lord has not fallen, they cannot completely seize control of the artifacts with their power!¡± ¡°Over the years, I have occasionally issued oracles in my Lord¡¯s name to give them the illusion that my Lord is not entirely dormant. Because of this, they have not dared to openly seize the power of the Holy Court, only slowly infiltrating it over a thousand years.¡± ¡°They fear my Lord¡¯s awakening, which has doomed them to only borrow the power of my Lord¡¯s artifacts. And as long as it is borrowed power, it can be overridden by a higher authority.¡± The Guardian Scepter respectfully explained. ¡°But we need to override it without alerting them and complete it before the inauguration ceremony, right?¡± Charlotte continued to ask. ¡°Correct. So, in the coming days, I will fully assist you in establishing a connection with various Holy Court artifacts to strengthen your control over them. This is also one of my purposes. I can sense the state of all holy artifacts. According to my calculations, you only need a month at most to achieve indirect control over my Lord¡¯s artifacts.¡± The Guardian Scepter replied. Charlotte nodded slightly. The Guardian Scepter was well-prepared, and the plan was thorough. If she could seize control of the artifacts first and defeat the infiltrating forces of the Sun Temple, taking over the Holy Court would be straightforward. However, Charlotte still felt uneasy. She had a feeling that things would not go so smoothly, especially since the threat she sensed deep within the Holy City had not disappeared. A mythological crisis sense would only appear when facing a real threat. This indicated that either there was some overwhelming force hidden in the Holy City that could threaten Charlotte, or there was a specific trap set for her. The first scenario could be ruled out. If there was truly an overwhelming force, the Sun Temple would have acted long ago. There is also a resonance between origin powers. Charlotte could not sense Helios¡¯ power, indicating that Helios was not in the Holy City. Even if he was, it wouldn¡¯t matter. In this low-magic era, Charlotte was confident she could retreat safely, even if she couldn¡¯t win. Thus, it could only be the second scenario. It was highly likely that a trap specifically targeting Charlotte had been set in the Holy City! Charlotte had considered whether the Sun Temple might have an artifact capable of threatening the mythological level. But this idea was quickly dismissed. The reason was simple: if they truly had such an artifact, Helios would have used it long ago, and there would be no need for such elaborate schemes. This is also related to the history of the Holy Court. As far as Charlotte knew, when the Holy Court was at its most powerful, to prevent the Myria continent from falling into myth-level destructive wars like the Mythic Era and the Blood Moon Era, the Holy Court had confiscated nearly all the powerful artifacts on the continent through various means and smelted them into the Holy Court¡¯s artifacts, sealing them away. In other words, the artifacts capable of threatening Charlotte were all in the Holy Court¡¯s possession. After thinking it over, Charlotte said, ¡°Guardian Scepter, since you can sense the state of artifacts, are any of the God-slaying artifacts in battle-ready status? Or have any of the powerful artifacts confiscated by the Holy Court been forged into sacred artifacts?¡± The Guardian Staff thought for a moment and said, ¡°Your Majesty, from my perception, none of the powerful artifacts are in a battle-ready state currently. And during the confiscation of artifacts a thousand years ago, the Sun Temple¡¯s infiltration was not as severe as it is today, so no powerful artifacts leaked out.¡± ¡°As far as I know, the high-level members of the Sun Temple probably also know your identity. Just as we are cautious not to alert them, they are equally wary of alarming you. They will not act against us before the inauguration ceremony.¡± ¡°Of course, they don¡¯t know my abilities. To them, I am merely the gatekeeper of my Lord¡¯s divine kingdom. They don¡¯t even know I am a wisdom artifact!¡± Hearing the wisdom artifact¡¯s words, Charlotte nodded and fell into thought. ¡°Your Majesty, do you sense any flaws in this plan?¡± The Guardian Scepter respectfully asked, seeing Charlotte¡¯s frowning contemplation. Charlotte thought for a moment and said, ¡°Your plan sounds good, but my intuition tells me things won¡¯t be that simple.¡± ¡°I can vaguely sense a threat from deep within the Holy Palace. If it¡¯s not a Holy Court¡¯s God-slaying artifact, the Sun Temple must have other traps.¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, Sebastian and Nice¡¯s expressions turned extremely serious, and even the Guardian Scepter looked solemn. After pondering for a moment, Charlotte asked again. ¡°Guardian Scepter, think carefully. Were all the artifacts capable of threatening myths on the continent really confiscated by the Holy Court?¡± The Guardian Scepter fell into deep thought and recollection again. After a while, it shook its head. ¡°They should have all been recovered. That was the Holy Court at its peak. Even though my Lord was asleep, the power he left behind was enough to overpower most myths on the continent, making the recovery of powerful artifacts relatively smooth.¡± After finishing, it thought for a moment and added. ¡°If any were missed, it would only be yours, who had gone missing, and the overseas Sea King Church and Moon Goddess Church.¡± Upon hearing this, Charlotte¡¯s expression changed slightly. ¡°Wait, you mean the Sea King Church and Moon Goddess Church¡¯s artifacts were not confiscated by the Holy Court?¡± ¡°Of course, the Sea King Church and Moon Goddess Church were major religions on the continent. His Excellency Poseidon and Her Excellency Artemis were both powerful Gods. Even my Lord had to show some respect.¡± The Guardian Scepter said matter-of-factly. Hearing this, Charlotte¡¯s expression became solemn, and even Sebastian and Nice¡¯s expressions changed slightly. The Guardian Scepter noticed the unusual atmosphere. ¡°Could it be that something has happened to the Sea King Church and Moon Goddess Church?¡± It looked at Charlotte and the others, cautiously asking. ¡°The Luna Island has been infiltrated by the Sun Temple¡¯s forces. The entire island has been sealed off for over three years, and as for the Sea King Church, it has long been in name only.¡± Charlotte sighed. Upon hearing this, the Guardian Scepter¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°What? They¡¯ve been infiltrated too?! Do you mean that Oceanus¡¯ and Artemis¡¯ supreme artifacts might have fallen into the Sun Temple¡¯s hands?¡± ¡°Very likely.¡± Charlotte nodded. She was familiar with Sea King Oceanus¡¯s supreme artifact. It was the Trident, an offensive artifact most potent in the ocean. This artifact was peculiar. In the past, when Charlotte traversed history, she had even played with it. It was nearly invincible in the ocean, but once on land, it was no different from an ordinary artifact. As for Artemis¡¯ supreme artifact, Charlotte also knew it was the most potent sealing artifact on the Myria continent, called the Dreamy Moon¡¯s Heart, said to be able to suppress true Gods. Of course, the cost to activate it was also high. Legend had it that for mortals to use it, they had to make a targeted, homologous sacrifice to the artifact. Moreover, the stronger the object to be sealed, the more homologous sacrifices were required. Wait¡­ Homologous sacrifice? Seemingly thinking of something, Charlotte¡¯s expression turned slightly stern. ¡°Guardian Scepter, some time ago, did the Holy Court massively capture many bloodbornes in the Central Diocese?¡± The Guardian Scepter was taken aback and then nodded. ¡°There was such an incident.¡± ¡°Where are they being held?¡± ¡°That¡­ I need to investigate. The Holy Court¡¯s prison system is in the hands of the Sun Temple. While waiting for your arrival, I didn¡¯t allocate energy to this matter.¡± Charlotte closed her eyes. The Gospel of Blood emitted a faint light as Charlotte summoned the Crimson Star Sea, symbolizing the bloodbornes. Soon, she sensed the presence of many bloodbornes, and thousands of stars appeared in the Star Sea. However, when Charlotte tried to locate these stars, they became illusory, as if covered by an invisible veil. After a moment, Charlotte slowly opened her eyes. ¡°I cannot sense their exact location. They are probably shielded by some artifact. Guardian Scepter, you are most familiar with the Theocracy. Find out where my blood descendants are being held.¡± Chapter 592 : Silencing The rough stone walls were covered with mottled moss, and the flickering torches swayed in the cold, damp air. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The thick iron bars were rusted with the marks of time, as if they were tears from the ages. In the darkness, candlelight flickered, casting mottled and shadowy patterns on the cold walls, exuding a heavy and oppressive sense of despair. The Inquisition Dungeon. This was the most terrifying and most fortified prison on the continent of Myria. A forgotten corner of the world. Every brick and stone here was inscribed with complex runes and set with anti-magic and surveillance spells. Even a mosquito couldn¡¯t easily escape from here. Occasionally, the sound of dragging chains and low moans came from the depths of the darkness, accompanied by monstrous angry roars, sending chills down one¡¯s spine. Outside the dungeon, in a dimly lit solitary cell. Cardinal Priest Filiberto, with disheveled hair and a weary expression, was bound with anti-magic chains on his hands and feet, and even a sealing iron collar around his neck. The holy robes of the cardinal had been stripped off, leaving him in tattered prison clothes, making him look as if he had aged several decades. With the creaking sound of the iron bars, the cell door was opened, and several Judgment Knights in black robes walked in. They lined up on either side, expressionless. Filiberto slowly raised his head, the dazed and cloudy look in his eyes gradually regaining a bit of clarity. When he saw the hunched figure walking in under the escort of the Judgment Knights, a glimmer of hope appeared in his eyes. ¡°Lord Chief Judge! Lord Chief Judge! You finally came! Are you here to release me?¡± Filiberto staggered forward, speaking excitedly. But the next moment, the expressionless Judgment Knights blocked his way. ¡°Lord Chief Judge?¡± Filiberto¡¯s eyes widened. In the dim torchlight, chief Judge Francesco was expressionless, his ashen-gray pupils filled with coldness. ¡°Filiberto, do you know your crime?¡± Filiberto was stunned. ¡°Lord Chief Judge, please don¡¯t joke around. This is no longer the Holy Palace, and the Queen is not here. Quickly release me, time is pressing, I still need to prepare the divine array for the God-slaying Plan!¡± He chuckled dryly. ¡°The God-slaying Plan? Hmph, you still remember the God-slaying Plan!¡± Chief Judge Francesco snorted coldly, his old voice filled with annoyance and anger. ¡°Do you know that your impulsiveness almost ruined our entire plan!¡± ¡°Because of you, now more than half of the clerics in the Holy Palace firmly believe in the Queen of Starfall¡¯s status as a Saintess. Because of your incompetence, our plan to divide the faith nearly failed! The plan to seize the divine artifacts was almost exposed! Now even Angus and Selina are starting to suspect us!¡± Listening to the Chief Judge, Filiberto opened his mouth and stammered. ¡°But¡­ but I was acting on the orders of the Pope¡­¡± ¡°Orders? You remember orders? The order was to monitor her, why did you take action? And you even exposed our three Legendaries!¡± Francesco said angrily. Filiberto swallowed and gritted his teeth. ¡°I¡­ I had no choice, she had already noticed my problem, I even felt her locking onto me. If I didn¡¯t act, she would likely have taken action against me next.¡± ¡°In that situation, I¡­ I could only strike first.¡± Filiberto raised his head and said, ¡°But what about you and the Pope? Why didn¡¯t you act? She didn¡¯t bring many guards and had already entered the range of the Holy Palace¡¯s spell radiation. If you and the Pope had acted, we might have taken her down!¡± ¡°Fool! She is a God! Not just a Legendary! Even if she hasn¡¯t fully recovered, she is still a true God! And one who once ushered in an era! Such an existence, do you think she has no contingencies?! You, a mere Legendary, could handle her?!¡± Francesco scolded. ¡°But¡­ but¡­¡± Filiberto stammered. ¡°But what?! Even if she hasn¡¯t regained all her divine power, even if her strength hasn¡¯t broken through the limits, don¡¯t forget, Templar Knight Angus was nearby, and Judge Selina had returned to the Holy Capital. With those two Legendary clerics wielding divine artifacts, do you think you could succeed?!¡± Francesco roared. ¡°Then¡­ what should I do? My identity has been exposed, I can¡¯t stay in the Holy Palace anymore, my tasks are still incomplete¡­¡± ¡°Your tasks, the Pope and I will arrange. As for you¡­¡± Francesco gave Filiberto a cold look and said, ¡°¡®Her Highness the Saintess¡¯ has already announced that she will publicly judge you. Seeing the final investigation results, the Cardinal Council and the clerics are taking this very seriously and have requested a public trial.¡± ¡°Public trial? No¡­ absolutely not! Lord Chief Judge, I can¡¯t go to a public trial!¡± Filiberto¡¯s eyes widened in horror. Francesco sneered. ¡°Of course you can¡¯t go to a public trial, you know too many secrets. Our Lord¡¯s plan is about to succeed, we can¡¯t afford any mistakes now, so¡­¡± Francesco gave a gentle smile and continued. ¡°I am here to send you on your final journey.¡± ¡°You¡­ you want to kill me? No! You can¡¯t kill me! I¡¯m a Legendary! One of the few Legendaries in the temple! A loyal follower of our Lord! You can¡¯t kill me!¡± Filiberto¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Of course I know you are a Legendary and a devout follower of our Lord, so¡­ fulfill your final value as a Legendary and a devout follower!¡± Francesco said. After he finished speaking, he gestured slightly to the Judgment Knights behind him. The Judgment Knights immediately sprang into action. Accompanied by chaotic footsteps, an iron cage covered with seals was pushed over. Inside the iron cage was a ferocious monster bound in chains. It wore tattered noble attire, black mist swirling around it. Its sharp teeth and swollen lumps covered its body, and its horrific face vaguely resembled a human. ¡°Roar¡ª!¡± It kept roaring, crashing against the bars of the cage. ¡°A¡­ Legendary Blood Fiend?! Francesco! What are you doing?!¡± Filiberto¡¯s face showed fear. ¡°Rest assured, we will continue the actions you hoped for. Your blood, your flesh, and your soul will become part of our divine-slaying sword.¡± Francesco said. He then motioned for the knights to open the cage door. The iron bars opened, and the ferocious monster, like a predator smelling blood, charged at Filiberto, quickly knocking him down. The low growls and the sound of tearing flesh, mixed with Filiberto¡¯s shrill screams, echoed far and wide in the dungeon. ¡­ Deep within the Holy Palace, in front of a tall statue of the Creator God. Pope Gregory XII put down the bible in his hand, concluding his prayer. ¡°Pope, the Chief Judge has arrived.¡± The attendant cleric said respectfully. ¡°Let him in.¡± Gregory XII slowly opened his eyes and said gently. ¡°Pope.¡± The Chief Judge Francesco, who entered the prayer hall, bowed to him. Gregory XII glanced at the attendant cleric, who sensibly retreated, leaving only the two Legendary clerics in the hall. ¡°Is it done?¡± Gregory XII asked. Francesco nodded. ¡°It¡¯s done. Filiberto and the three promoted Legendaries have all been fed to the sacrificial offerings.¡± ¡°What a pity. Training four Legendaries isn¡¯t easy.¡± Gregory XII sighed. Francesco said in a deep voice. ¡°There was no other way. If not for that person already arriving at the Holy Palace, risking early detection, we could have had four additional Legendary sacrifices.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter much, just a cherry on top. Our offerings are sufficient. The important thing is not to make mistakes at this critical moment.¡± Gregory XII said. ¡°Pope, what about the Demon Hunter Bureau and the Templar Knight Order? They will likely investigate Filiberto¡¯s death. And¡­ that ¡®Saintess¡¯ will probably be interested too.¡± Francesco asked. Gregory XII looked at the shining statue of the Creator God and said, ¡°Blame those who abandoned their faith in the Holy Court. Someone must be held responsible for their deaths. It would also divert the attention of the Templar Knights, the Demon Hunters, and the Queen of Starfall.¡± ¡°Blame them? Pope, although they abandoned the Holy Court faith, they are devout followers of our Lord! And¡­ most of them are fervent believers!¡± Francesco couldn¡¯t help but remind him. ¡°Yes, they are indeed devout followers of our Lord, but don¡¯t forget, from the moment they abandoned the Holy Court faith, no matter how fervent their belief in our Lord, they lost their purpose.¡± Gregory XII said calmly. He then looked at Chief Judge Francesco and smiled. ¡°Chief Judge, do you know what Filiberto¡¯s biggest mistake was?¡± ¡°What¡­ was it?¡± Francesco asked. ¡°It was betraying the faith in the ¡®Creator God¡¯.¡± Gregory XII said. While stroking the bible of the Royal Court in his hand, he calmly said, ¡°Never forget, we are followers of our Lord, but we are also followers of the ¡®Creator God¡¯. The reason our Lord chose us is not because of our fervent faith, but because of our identity as holy followers.¡± ¡°The faith in our Lord must not be forgotten, but neither must the faith in the ¡®Creator God¡¯ be abandoned. Only then¡­ can we help our Lord obtain everything that rightfully belongs to Him!¡± Chapter 593 : Undercurrents After the ¡°Cardinal¡¯s Rebellion,¡± Charlotte stayed in the Holy Palace. It must be said that the effect of the ¡°miracle¡± before the sculpture square was very significant. When Charlotte first arrived in the Theocracy, she could clearly feel the wariness from many clerics. But after she displayed the ¡°miracle,¡± everything changed. Continuous requests for visits, endless offerings of supplies, and the clerics in the Holy Palace treated her even more attentively than the attendants in the Starfall Kingdom. Almost any request she made would be fulfilled, and any information she wanted to see would be delivered promptly, even if it was secret or forbidden church records. If she asked a cleric in the morning, it would be delivered by the afternoon at the latest. The power of faith is truly strong. Charlotte could even see stars shining in the eyes of the clerics and knights when they looked at her. The almost overflowing fanaticism made her, the ¡°fake Saintess,¡± feel a bit guilty. The food delivered daily from the Holy Palace was varied and featured delicacies from the Starfall Kingdom and the Crescent Kingdom. Many of these delicacies were rare even for the royal family of the Starfall Kingdom, especially the extraordinary ingredients containing magical power that were evidently chosen with great care. As for the saintess¡¯ attire and the sacred artifacts matching the saintess¡¯ identity, they were prepared in a full set. According to Nice, even the most inconspicuous holy cross earrings sent by the Theocracy would be worth six digits of gold tana on the black market. And this was even though Charlotte had not yet completed the formal certification of her saintess identity. Moreover, the Theocracy even wanted to arrange a hundred female clerics devoted to God to serve her. Of course, Charlotte politely declined. The enthusiasm was overwhelming, so much so that even Charlotte felt uneasy. She felt like a pop idol who had suddenly become famous overnight in her previous life. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. No, it was even more outrageous than that. The clerics in the Holy Palace were more exaggerated than fanatic fans from her previous life when they saw her. It can only be said that after the ¡°miracle,¡± the Theocracy truly regarded her as a messenger of God and one of their own. At least¡­ on the surface. As for why it was only on the surface, it was because Charlotte suspected this was also a way for the Sun Temple to lull her into a false sense of security. Honestly, if Charlotte hadn¡¯t already known from the Guardian Scepter that the Theocracy had been infiltrated to the point of being like a sieve, she might have truly believed in their enthusiasm. Enthusiasm, yes, it certainly existed. Those true believers did indeed respect and worship her from the bottom of their hearts. Especially the high-ranking priests who wanted to visit her, the praises and devotions in their letters were so sincere it would be hard to write them otherwise. But on the other hand, this was likely the calm before the storm. Charlotte could still sense a vague feeling of threat, and it seemed to be growing stronger over time. However, Charlotte couldn¡¯t identify what it was, as if something was obstructing her investigation. She suspected it was some sort of artifact collected by the Holy Court that could block detection or divination. Charlotte also couldn¡¯t conveniently investigate it herself. As a side effect of the miracle, she had become the sole focus of attention in the entire Holy Palace, with almost every gaze upon her, making it impossible for her to act alone. Charlotte even suspected this was part of the Sun Temple¡¯s plan to ¡°trap¡± her in the Holy Palace. Charlotte had considered leaving the Holy Palace to go into the Holy City, but after experiencing the fanaticism of the clerics and believers once, she gave up. Taking on the ¡°saintess¡± identity also imposed some constraints on Charlotte, preventing her from acting as freely as before. There was no way around it. Just as the Sun Temple didn¡¯t want to be exposed, Charlotte couldn¡¯t reveal that she had discovered their secrets. Fortunately, Charlotte still had her followers. After careful consideration, Charlotte decided to let Sebastian and Nice investigate in her stead. She would command from behind the scenes and use bloodborne magic to create the illusion that the two had never left. Yes, Charlotte couldn¡¯t personally investigate, but she could use Sebastian and Nice as her eyes. Moreover, if necessary, she could use their connection to perform God¡¯s Descent! As for the Guardian Scepter, the task of tracking the bloodborne captives was ongoing, in parallel with Charlotte¡¯s task of finding the source of the threat. In addition, Charlotte strengthened her connection with the Holy Court¡¯s faith network daily with the help of the Guardian Scepter. This was to prepare her to seize control of the divine artifacts later. As for how to strengthen the connection, it was simple: pray according to the rituals provided by the Guardian Scepter. The Guardian Scepter¡¯s identity was unquestionable, Charlotte had repeatedly verified it. It was indeed the artifact of the God Harald and harbored no ill intentions towards her. Through the rituals it provided, Charlotte clearly felt her compatibility with the Holy Court¡¯s faith gradually increasing. Moreover, as her omnipotence increased, Charlotte was surprised to discover that she could even grant her followers, like Sebastian and Nice, the ability to use holy power to some extent, similar to the abilities of blood servants. This indirectly confirmed that blood divine power and holy power were indeed of the same origin. However, when Charlotte expressed her desire to participate in the interrogation of Cardinal Priest Filiberto, the Inquisition politely refused. According to the Chief Judge, heretical trials were the darkness within the Holy Court, and the Inquisition neither wanted nor wished to sully Charlotte¡¯s eyes. Charlotte was not surprised by this. According to the Guardian Scepter, Pope Gregory XII was highly suspect, so it was certain that the Chief Judge, as his confidant, was also implicated. On the other hand, Charlotte felt that the Sun Temple¡¯s infiltration of the Templar Knight Order and the Demon Hunter Bureau was not as deep. But to be safe, Charlotte did not rashly contact the Templar Knights or the Demon Hunters. As for the daily invitations and visit requests, Charlotte declined them all because she was genuinely too busy. Delegating intelligence gathering among the clergy to the Guardian Scepter was the wisest choice. Her personal involvement might be detected. Days passed, and four days later, Charlotte received news from the Inquisition. The ¡°truth¡± and the ¡°mastermind¡± behind Cardinal Priest Filiberto¡¯s rebellion had been uncovered. ¡°The Inquisition claims that a faction of corrupt clergy attempted to overthrow the Theocracy¡¯s authority, led by Filiberto and three other cardinals.¡± ¡°Nice and I secretly used the holy spells you taught us to verify this. Just like Filiberto, the captured clergy had no holy faith.¡± Sebastian reported after gathering the information. ¡°And what about Filiberto?¡± Charlotte asked. ¡°Dead. The Inquisition claims he committed suicide out of guilt.¡± Sebastian replied. Charlotte nodded slightly. It seemed that Filiberto had been silenced. He was likely the one among the captured ¡°false believers¡± who knew the most. However, if they were going to silence the clergy and knights involved in the rebellion, why did the Inquisition also go to the trouble of capturing so many ¡°false believers¡± who had not yet been exposed? Among them were even cardinals, who were of Legendary rank. This seemed unnecessary, especially since these ¡°false believers¡± were also Sun worshippers. Could it be that the Inquisition was genuinely ¡°investigating¡±? Or was Gregory XII worried that Charlotte would expose them first and discover something? But that didn¡¯t make sense, she hadn¡¯t taken any actions in the past few days. Something was wrong. There was a significant issue here. Every action has its underlying motivation. So, what was the reason that made the Sun Temple, which wanted to deal with the myth that was Charlotte, take action even if it meant exposing and even killing some high-ranking Sun worshippers? Or perhaps ¡°disposing¡± of these Sun worshippers without divine faith was beneficial to their upcoming plans? Charlotte fell into deep thought. Chapter 594 : Cleric Siblings In the outer city of the Holy Capital, District Nine. This is the largest district in the Holy Capital and the primary area where the impoverished reside. In the southern part of the district, in front of a three-story building with a gray roof, a group of ragged children eagerly waited at the charity stall in front of the building for the young female cleric to distribute today¡¯s black bread. The female cleric looked about eighteen or nineteen years old, with a delicate and youthful face that bore a maturity and steadiness beyond her years. She was busy organizing several teenage boys and girls to maintain order while distributing the black bread in sequence to the children waiting to receive it. ¡°Don¡¯t push, don¡¯t fight, there¡¯s enough bread for everyone. Each person will get two pieces, and remember to eat them here before going home.¡± She said. The malnourished children surrounded the young cleric. They took the black bread, gobbled it down, and chattered non-stop. ¡°Thank you, Sister Susan!¡± ¡°It¡¯s my turn! It¡¯s my turn!¡± ¡°Wow! Today¡¯s bread has raisins! It¡¯s so delicious!¡± ¡°Sister Susan, two pieces of bread aren¡¯t enough for me. Can I get two more?¡± ¡°Me too, me too, I want to take two more black bread home!¡± While organizing the distribution of bread with the help of the teenage volunteers, Cleric Susan patiently answered the children¡¯s questions. ¡°You¡¯re welcome, eat slowly, don¡¯t choke. Jason has water over there if you¡¯re thirsty.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t rush, don¡¯t rush, everyone will get their share.¡± ¡°More bread? Peter, you want to take some for the sick Rachel, right? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll arrange something for Rachel later. Just eat your bread here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Oliver, but the Gray Swan¡¯s bread is only for the children in this neighborhood. Rules can¡¯t be broken. I heard your mother got injured at work recently. I¡¯ll visit your home after we¡¯re done here to check on her.¡± ¡°Everyone must finish eating here before leaving! If you don¡¯t want your black bread to be snatched away, follow this rule!¡± Susan¡¯s tone was serious as she handed out the bread and reminded the children. In the distance, some pale-faced homeless people were also eyeing the charity stall eagerly. However, they didn¡¯t approach, patiently waiting their turn. Even those who couldn¡¯t resist the urge to step forward held back when their eyes fell on the delicate young cleric. The homeless of District Nine knew that the rules of the Gray Swan Orphanage¡¯s charity couldn¡¯t be broken. Only children could receive the black bread, and they had to eat it on-site before leaving. These rules were set by the Russo siblings, both clerics of the church, and quite famous in this neighborhood. Susan Russo was a First Order Cleric, and her brother Daniel Russo was a Second Order Judgment Knight. Since taking over the Gray Swan Orphanage, the siblings had turned it into the primary charity point for children in District Nine. Thanks to their church affiliations, no local thugs dared to cause trouble for the orphanage. Distributing the bread took about an hour. When the last child had received their bread, Susan finally turned her attention to the waiting homeless people in the distance. She glanced at the remaining quarter of the black bread, sighed, and said, ¡°You¡­ come over too. Same rules as always, the elderly, women, and the sick go first.¡± The homeless people¡¯s eyes lit up. They quickly crowded forward, praising the young cleric and the Holy Court while eagerly lining up to receive the leftover bread. Another round of busy activity ensued. When all the bread had been distributed, Cleric Susan and the orphanage teens were exhausted. Despite the local ruffians¡¯ reluctance to cause trouble due to the cleric siblings¡¯ backgrounds, maintaining order still required a great deal of energy. However, the teens were quite excited, finding joy in helping others in District Nine, thanks to their church education. Only Susan seemed worried, her face carrying a hint of sorrow. After the charity distribution, she led the teens back to the yard. Once the orphans were settled, she returned to her room to review the accounts. ¡°You seem troubled, sister. Did something go wrong with today¡¯s charity?¡± A steady voice asked. A red-robed Judgment Knight had quietly entered the room. ¡°Brother!¡± Susan¡¯s face lit up with joy. But soon, worry returned to her face. She sighed, ¡°There is some trouble. It seems there are more homeless people in the district than usual lately. Even with our combined temple stipends, the orphanage is struggling to make ends meet.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve told you before, you don¡¯t have to take care of everyone. We only need to look after the children. We don¡¯t have the energy for anything more.¡± The Judgment Knight said. ¡°But since we¡¯ve seen them, we should help a little if we can. The Lord teaches us to be compassionate, selfless, and generous. If we can help them a bit more, more people can survive in this world.¡± Susan replied. The Judgment Knight was silent for a moment. Then he said, ¡°Next month, my church stipend will be a bit higher, which should ease the orphanage¡¯s financial pressure.¡± Susan hesitated. After a moment¡¯s pause, she looked seriously at her brother. ¡°Brother, tell me the truth. Have you taken on some ¡®private work¡¯ from the Inquisition?¡± ¡°The orphanage¡¯s financial pressure is indeed great, but if you¡¯re taking on those ¡®private jobs,¡¯ I¡¯ll be very upset. I know you don¡¯t have much faith in the Holy Court, but some things we simply can¡¯t do. The Lord teaches us to be upright and honest. We¡­¡± ¡°Susan, I know your faith is sincere, but you haven¡¯t seen the dark side of the Holy Court. There are things¡­ you wouldn¡¯t understand.¡± The Judgment Knight interrupted. ¡°I haven¡¯t done what you¡¯re worried about, you can rest assured. In a sense, I¡¯m also doing this for the children¡¯s future.¡± ¡°The Holy Court is rotten to the core. Otherwise, the number of homeless in the Holy Capital wouldn¡¯t keep increasing. But it won¡¯t be long. Soon, everything will get better.¡± With that, he donned his black cloak and turned to leave. ¡°Brother!¡± Susan stepped forward, blocking his way with a serious expression. ¡°Tell me honestly, are you involved with some unsavory organization? I¡¯ve already heard that the offerings you bring back every month are double those of other knights of the same rank.¡± The Judgment Knight remained silent. He gently touched Susan¡¯s hair, his voice softening. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m just assigned to guard the Inquisition dungeon. You know, the stipends there are higher.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m really worried, brother. Ever since you were promoted to a Second Order Judgment Knight, you¡¯ve changed. You¡¯ve become silent, withdrawn, and even your aura has turned cold and unfamiliar.¡± Susan said. She stared into his eyes. ¡°Brother, I haven¡¯t seen you use holy power in a long time. Tell me the truth. Have you abandoned your faith in the Holy Court? Can you no longer use holy power?¡± The Judgment Knight sighed. ¡°Does it matter?¡± ¡°Of course it matters! You¡¯re a Judgment Knight! A cleric of the church! You haven¡¯t truly started believing in some heresy, have you?¡± Susan said worriedly. ¡°I¡¯ve been having nightmares every night. I dream of a sea of blood, of you covered in blood, sinking into it, devoured by horrific monsters.¡± ¡°I dream of District Nine engulfed in flames, the streets filled with countless monsters, slaughtering residents.¡± ¡°I dream that¡­ everyone is dead.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really worried, brother. I hope you¡¯re not hiding anything from me. What exactly are you doing, and what is the Inquisition up to?¡± The Judgment Knight¡¯s expression softened. ¡°Susan¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I won¡¯t be harmed. I haven¡¯t turned to heresy. I¡¯ve just found the right path, the true faith¡­¡± ¡°No! Every heretic says that. You have turned to heresy! You¡¯ve abandoned your faith! You can¡¯t do this! You¡¯ll be judged for heresy! You¡¯ll be burned at the stake!¡± Susan said anxiously. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sister. I won¡¯t be judged. I¡¯m on the right path. Even the Chief Judge acknowledges this true faith.¡± The Judgment Knight said. His expression gradually became solemn, his eyes filled with determination and fanaticism. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°I haven¡¯t abandoned justice and goodness. On the contrary, I want to change and save the church from its current decline.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve found the true light, the true sun, the true holiness.¡± ¡°I know you don¡¯t understand now, but please don¡¯t panic. The change is coming soon. When it arrives, the divine will descend, and everything will get better. You will understand everything then¡­¡± ¡°I have to go. The so-called ¡®Saintess¡¯ of the Starfall Kingdom is coming to the Theocracy. I¡¯ve received a secret mission from the Inquisition, so I¡¯ll be very busy in the coming days and might not be able to return to the orphanage for a long time.¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll send the monthly offerings on time. If you encounter any difficulties, go to the Inquisition in District Nine. Even if I¡¯m not there, everything will be arranged. My Judgment Knight Squad will take care of everything for you.¡± With that, the Judgment Knight turned and left the orphanage. Chapter 595 : That’s not true faith, that’s an Evil God! The Judgment Knight¡¯s promise was fulfilled within a few days. On the first day of the second month, an apprentice knight affiliated with the District Nine Inquisition personally delivered 300 gold tana to the Gray Swan Orphanage. 300 gold tana¡­ This amount is equivalent to the annual income of six ordinary households in the Holy City. For the Gray Swan Orphanage, it was a considerable sum, enough to support their operations for two months. With Susan¡¯s monthly stipend of 60 gold tana added to this, the orphanage could even expand its aid, providing more black bread to the homeless and the needs. But Susan couldn¡¯t feel happy about it. In the Holy Court, a trainee clergy¡¯s monthly salary is 15 gold tana. After ascending in rank, it multiplies three to four times, roughly reaching 50 to 60 gold tana. Upon becoming a Silver Moon, it nearly doubles again, reaching 100 gold tana. Since the time when the siblings¡¯ affinity for holy power was discovered, Daniel had shown greater talent and ascended to Silver Moon earlier than Susan, becoming the biggest support for the Gray Swan Orphanage. However, even as a Silver Moon and a Judgment Knight, his monthly income couldn¡¯t possibly reach 300 gold tana. Susan wanted the financial situation of the Gray Swan Orphanage to improve. But not in such a worrying manner. ¡°This definitely isn¡¯t a legitimate offering, Bell. I know you¡¯re a knight trained by my brother. Tell me the truth, what exactly is he doing?¡± ¡°Sister Susan, Captain Daniel is a knight highly regarded by the Cardinals. Apart from the normal offerings, the rest are subsidies from the Cardinals.¡± ¡°Subsidies from the Cardinals? That¡­ can¡¯t be, my brother is no longer¡­¡± ¡°What about the Captain?¡± ¡°No¡­ nothing¡­¡± ¡°Sister Susan, don¡¯t worry. The Captain is upright in his actions. These gold tana are his legal income. I heard the Captain was even selected for the Saintess¡¯ guard! That¡¯s a commendation from Cardinal Filiberto!¡± ¡°The¡­ Saintess?¡± ¡°Yes, the Queen of Starfall, Charlotte de Castell. You must have heard of her, right?¡± ¡°Mm¡­ I know.¡± ¡°Right, right. No one in the Holy City doesn¡¯t know her. Although there are many rumors about her, I have a distant relative working in the Castell mining area who personally saw her manifest holy power! Not only that, but she is also said to have elven blood and is as beautiful as an angel. There¡¯s even a portrait of her in the Holy Palace, though I haven¡¯t had the chance to see it.¡± The apprentice knight was very excited talking about the upcoming visit of the Saintess. Susan¡¯s expression was complicated. Being a cleric, Susan had naturally heard the various rumors about the Saintess. Moreover, due to her brother Daniel¡¯s influence, she had specifically paid attention and learned more. For instance, the origin of the portrait in the Holy Palace was said to have been drawn by a passing artist when Charlotte de Castell triggered a miracle in the Crescent Kingdom and later gifted to the Holy Palace. And the rumors of the Saintess¡¯ connections to heretical cults, Daniel had mentioned that the Queen of Starfall was closely associated with the bloodborne and might even be one herself. Susan didn¡¯t know which of these messages were true and which were false. The world of adults is always full of lies, only the faith in one¡¯s heart remains the final sanctuary. But Susan knew her brother harbored enmity towards the ¡°Saintess.¡± She knew her brother¡¯s faith was no longer devout. Yet¡­ in such circumstances, he was still chosen for the guard. Was this her brother¡¯s decision? Was this the Inquisition¡¯s decision? Was this the decision of the Cardinal Council? What exactly was her brother planning¡­ What was the Inquisition and the Cardinal Council planning? Recalling her brother¡¯s anger when discussing the church and his hostility towards the Saintess, Susan¡¯s unease grew stronger. She knew her brother had embraced ¡°heresy.¡± But all along, she thought this ¡°heresy¡± might just be an internal faction within the church that didn¡¯t align with mainstream beliefs. The evidence was that her brother still loved the light, upheld justice, and aspired to the sun symbolizing holiness. Such ¡°factions¡± were not uncommon in history. Though contrary to mainstream beliefs, they were often harmless and overlooked by the Holy Court. But now¡­ it seemed otherwise. ¡°No¡­ no, I must see my brother again!¡± Susan muttered to herself. But Susan never got to see Daniel again. ¡­ ¡°Lord Daniel? He was reassigned by the Cardinals. Seems like he went for the guard training.¡± ¡°Daniel? Haven¡¯t seen him for days. Probably sent on some mission again?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Susan. When I see that rascal, I¡¯ll let him know you¡¯re looking for him.¡± ¡­ Days passed, and the festive atmosphere in the Holy City for the change of office grew stronger. Archbishops from other dioceses arrived one after another, and the number of priests and nobles in the city increased. But Susan never heard from her brother again. ¡°He joined the Saintess¡¯ guard. When the Saintess arrives, I¡¯ll definitely find him!¡± Susan thought. But when the renowned Saintess finally arrived in the Holy City, Susan still couldn¡¯t find her brother. That was the first time Susan saw the legendary ¡°Saintess.¡± Though it was only a distant glance, the exquisite beauty of the girl, seemingly crafted by the Gods, left an indelible impression on her heart. An angel¡­ Susan found the apprentice knight Bell¡¯s description quite fitting. She could even feel a warm glow from the beautiful girl, a manifestation of holy power. ¡°She truly is the Saintess.¡± Susan couldn¡¯t help but think. But this didn¡¯t bring her any peace. Even though she scanned the Judgment Knight¡¯s guard thoroughly, she didn¡¯t see her brother¡¯s figure¡­ Susan had another nightmare. She dreamed of a sea of fire, an endless abyss, where she was constantly falling. She saw the end of the abyss, a sea of black and red blood, filled with numerous grotesque, deformed monsters holding up a bizarre sun emblem, fervently singing praises. She saw one of the monsters wearing clothes identical to her brother¡¯s. It struggled, turning its head with difficulty, and its disfigured face met her eyes. Its rotting, pus-filled mouth opened slightly, and a faint glimmer appeared in its hollow eye sockets. ¡°Run¡­ away¡­¡± That was the last voice of her brother in the nightmare. Susan woke up suddenly. Not long after, she heard a series of shocking news. Cardinal Filiberto was seduced by an Evil God and attempted to assassinate the Saintess, but was ultimately captured. All the Judgment Knights involved in the assassination were arrested and sentenced to the punishment of the holy flame. The Cardinals fell into depravity, becoming heretics¡¯ minions. Various scandals about the church¡¯s internal heresies were exposed, including human experiments, human trafficking, and blasphemy. Pope Gregory XII, in anger, ordered a thorough investigation of all heretics within a week. Instantly, the Holy City was in turmoil. Every day, new clergy were arrested, and heretics were burned at the stake in the Holy City Square. Even the District Nine Inquisition experienced an unprecedented upheaval, with nearly half of the Judgment Knights arrested. The charge was heresy. Susan panicked. ¡°Where¡¯s my brother?¡± ¡°Where is he?¡± ¡°How is he?¡± S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°My brother is an upright person, a true knight. He would never harm others. Even though he can no longer use holy power, I know he still believes in the core doctrines of the Lord.¡± ¡°What he disagrees with is the current church.¡± ¡°No, I must find him as soon as possible! I need to know the truth. I have to¡­ find a way to save him!¡± Susan clenched her fists, planning to go to the Inquisition to investigate. But just as she was about to leave, she heard a weak knock at the door. ¡°Who is it?¡± Susan instantly became alert. ¡°Miss Susan¡­ it¡¯s me¡­ Leon¡­¡± Susan¡¯s spirits lifted. Leon was her brother Daniel¡¯s deputy, a First Tier Judgment Knight. She quickly opened the door, and a strong smell of blood hit her. The young Judgment Knight was severely injured, his knight¡¯s uniform soaked with blood, his face unnaturally pale, and several deep wounds on his body exposing the bone. ¡°Leon?! What happened to you?!¡± Susan exclaimed. ¡°Miss Susan¡­¡± The Judgment Knight bit his lip and pulled a blood-stained letter from his pocket, struggling to hand it to the young priestess. Susan¡¯s gaze fell on the letter. Gradually, her eyes widened, and an indescribable fear and shock appeared on her face. ¡°This¡­ this is¡­¡± ¡°This is a letter from Sir Daniel¡­¡± ¡°Sir Daniel was betrayed. We were all betrayed!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true faith, nor heresy. It¡¯s an Evil God! A real Evil God!¡± ¡°They want to summon an Evil God! They want to destroy the Holy City and sacrifice everyone here!¡± ¡°Please, you must find a way to deliver it¡­ to the Starfall Saintess!¡± Without waiting for the girl to respond, he struggled to stand up and staggered out of the orphanage. Soon, chaotic noises came from the street. ¡°He¡¯s there!¡± ¡°Stop him! Kill him!¡± The sound of swords clashing quickly followed, ending with the Judgment Knight¡¯s scream. Shortly after, a series of footsteps approached, getting closer and closer. With the footsteps came low murmurs. ¡°Did he just go in there?¡± ¡°Seems like it.¡± ¡°Wait, the Gray Swan Orphanage? That¡¯s Daniel¡¯s old home!¡± ¡°So it¡¯s here. No wonder¡­¡± ¡°Get in! Search¡ª!¡± A hoarse voice commanded, indifferent and vicious. Susan¡¯s face turned pale. She shielded the startled children behind her, then gritted her teeth, crumpled the letter, and swallowed it¡­ Chapter 596 : At the border of District Eight and Nine of the Holy City, the Red Top Tavern. Ever since the ¡°Cleric Betrayal¡± incident, the entire Holy City has been shrouded in a strange atmosphere, with less festive cheer and more repression and tension. However, for a tavern where commoners come to chat and relax in their spare time, business remained bustling. The rebellion involved the clergy, and the chaos was in the church, but ordinary people¡¯s lives went on as usual. The patrons drank their watered-down, poor-quality ale while chatting and bragging about their various experiences. In the past two days, the hottest topic in the taverns of District Eight was undoubtedly the purge of heretics in the neighboring District Nine. ¡°Hey, did you hear? That Gray Swan orphanage in District Nine was raided by the Inquisition!¡± A drunken patron said. ¡°The Gray Swan? Isn¡¯t that the church¡¯s own orphanage? I remember the headmaster was a young priest, with Judgment Knights backing them.¡± Another patron widened his eyes. ¡°They say they were involved in heresy.¡± ¡°Heresy? That¡¯s impossible! I heard the headmaster there is a devout believer who gives out free bread to the poor kids nearby every day. Their good deeds were even known in the Holy City.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly the problem! Think about it, it¡¯s just a small church orphanage! Many orphanages struggle to sustain themselves, so where did they get the funds to care for others? It couldn¡¯t be the priest¡¯s own money, right?¡± ¡°You mean¡­¡± ¡°Of course, there was a secret financial backer! A real orphanage wouldn¡¯t have that much money! It¡¯s because it wasn¡¯t a real orphanage but a heretic¡¯s den, so they had the funds to keep it running and used charity as a cover!¡± ¡°Oh! That¡¯s terrifying! These heretics are despicable, using innocent children as a shield!¡± ¡°Innocent children? Ha! They say the kids there were trained by the cult from a young age, becoming terrifying assassins who kill without hesitation!¡± ¡°Heavens! That¡¯s horrifying! What happened next?¡± ¡°Of course, the raid was successful! They sent in Judgment Knights. No matter how formidable the heretics were, they were no match for the knights!¡± ¡°Praise the Holy! I hope all these heretics are sent to the stake to receive holy judgment! By the way, did they catch the evil headmaster?¡± ¡°Of course, that witch who could sway people¡¯s minds was arrested on the spot. The commotion was so big that it angered the Inquisition, and I hear she will be paraded and executed tomorrow!¡± ¡°Fantastic! Where will it be? I must go and throw some stones!¡± ¡°¡­¡± The patrons fervently discussed the ¡°rebellion¡± in District Nine, and after talking about the trial of the heretics, the conversation quickly shifted to the public parading and execution of witches. In a corner of the tavern, at a small table. A robed mage apprentice and a tall knight squire sat across from each other, listening to the patrons¡¯ chatter. ¡°Tsk, even after hundreds of years, the way the Church handles heretic witches hasn¡¯t changed.¡± The mage apprentice scoffed, taking a sip of the ale on the table. But soon, he spat it out. ¡°Ugh, bleh, bleh¡ª! This is more water with a hint of ale! I¡¯ve never had such terrible ale in my life!¡± The knight squire, however, remained composed. He elegantly drank his ale in one gulp, starkly contrasting his tall and imposing figure. ¡°You¡¯re just used to royal tribute wines. For commoners, this ale is already quite good. It was the same in the taverns under the Rose Society.¡± The knight squire said. The mage apprentice and knight squire were, of course, the disguised Nice and Sebastian as they were investigating. Both were mages with high magical prowess, and a little disguise magic was a simple task. After receiving the investigation task from Charlotte, the two had been secretly tracking the movements of the Sun Temple. Initially, they investigated quietly within the Holy Palace, but the heavy guards and numerous eyes watching Charlotte and the others forced them to leave the Holy Palace and disguise themselves to approach from other angles. Fortunately, the recent ¡°miracle¡± seemed to have made a significant impact, and the high echelons of the Holy Court realized the existence of the Sun Temple. In the past few days, the Holy Court had been purging ¡°heretics¡± within the Holy City. This gave the two many leads and channels to follow. By trailing behind the Holy Court, they traced the heretics¡¯ trails to investigate the secrets of the Sun Temple. Over the past few days, they acted separately, using the holy power ¡°bestowed¡± by Charlotte to disguise themselves as clerics to infiltrate the Inquisition holding the heretics, as foreign nobles to delve into secret salons and local community gatherings, and even as adventurers to join the underground black market and intelligence exchanges. After much effort, they had made some progress. Today was their scheduled day to exchange information and analyze their findings. ¡°It can now be almost confirmed that the internal purge of the Sun followers within the church is likely connected to the Sun Temple itself. It seems there is some internal conflict within the Sun Temple. Perhaps the arrival of our master prompted the higher-ups to sacrifice some believers to avoid exposure.¡± After ensuring the soundproofing magic was intact, Sebastian spoke. ¡°No, it¡¯s more than that. It might also be related to the danger sensed by the True¡­ well, that person. I¡¯m most familiar with the tactics of secret cults. At critical moments, they wouldn¡¯t turn on their own unless some special change forced them to.¡± Nice shook his head, saying. ¡°Special change? Then it can only be the miracle induced by Master. The black market has been bustling with activity these days. I found that someone is purchasing extraordinary blood and various extraordinary materials on a large scale, with the church¡¯s shadow behind these transactions. It might also be related to the Sun Temple.¡± Sebastian said. ¡°Extraordinary blood? Could it be for the imprisoned bloodbornes?¡± ¡°Very likely. The transaction volume is particularly large, and there¡¯s another extraordinary material with a large trade volume: black bane grass.¡± ¡°Black bane grass? Wait¡­ isn¡¯t that the crazy Blood Demon Cult¡¯s favorite to induce blood frenzy? It¡¯s said to temporarily activate a bloodborne¡¯s bloodline, reverting them to ancestral states¡­ Why are they buying that stuff? Are they trying to make the bloodbornes go berserk? Have you reported this to that person?¡± ¡°Not yet. I¡¯m still tracking where the black bane grass is going. After investigating some involved clerics and church knights, I found that the source seems to point to the District Nine Inquisition. This is the nearest tavern to the District Nine Inquisition, so I arranged to meet you here.¡± Sebastian said. ¡°Wait¡­ Are you saying the District Nine Inquisition is your next investigation target?¡± Nice was astonished. Sebastian had a sudden thought. ¡°What? You too?¡± ¡°Yes, the Chief Judge of the Theocracy is part of the Sun Temple, and it¡¯s very likely that the Inquisition is also connected to them. This time, they are leading the capture of heretics, so I¡¯ve been secretly investigating the Inquisition. Through my investigation, I found that many of the captured heretics had previously worked at the District Nine Inquisition. So¡­ the District Nine Inquisition is also my next investigation target.¡± ¡°Such a coincidence?¡± ¡°It is indeed a coincidence.¡± Sebastian and Nice looked at each other, their expressions growing serious. In this world, there aren¡¯t so many true coincidences. All coincidences are, in essence, a form of destiny. ¡°It seems¡­ perhaps the District Nine Inquisition is indeed our real target. The truth our master seeks might be there. Now that I think about it, the wisdom artifact suggested we start our investigation from the outermost districts of the Holy City. Perhaps¡­ it already knew some information.¡± Sebastian pondered. ¡°Haha, I¡¯ve always felt that artifact was a bit strange. I¡¯ve been in the Holy Court for so long and never heard of Guardian Scepter, but Lady Charlotte seems to trust it quite a bit.¡± Nice said. ¡°No, not necessarily. I don¡¯t think our master fully trusts the artifact. Otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t have been sent alone to investigate the threat he sensed. She likely hasn¡¯t even told the artifact about the threat.¡± Sebastian mused. ¡°It seems we¡¯ll need to remind Lady Charlotte during our next report. Though, our master surely knows more than we do. The wisdom artifact might be hiding something, but at least¡­ it isn¡¯t an enemy.¡± Nice said. As the two discussed and finalized their plan of action, the tavern door suddenly burst open. A raggedly dressed, terrified little girl stumbled in. She looked about twelve or thirteen, thin, and clutching a ring cross necklace. Her body trembled uncontrollably. The noisy tavern fell silent instantly, only to erupt in even louder commotion shortly after. ¡°Oh! Whose child is this? Why¡¯d she come to a place like this?¡± ¡°Hahaha, little one, this is where adults drink. Did you get lost?¡± ¡°Quite a cute one. Come over and pour your uncle a drink, and I¡¯ll give you a candy!¡± ¡°Enough, Andrew! She¡¯s just a child! Little one, where¡¯s your mom? Are you lost?¡± ¡°Hey? That outfit¡­ looks like she¡¯s from a church orphanage?¡± All eyes in the tavern turned to the little girl. Some rough patrons even whistled, while most were simply curious about the girl and scorned those who harassed her. The girl looked terrified and lost in the smoky tavern, but she didn¡¯t leave. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. She bit her lip and walked further inside, scanning the hall as if searching for something, even though she was trembling with fear. In the corner, the two men who had been discussing stopped and turned their attention to her. When they focused on the girl, they froze simultaneously and then exchanged suspicious glances. ¡°Hey, Sebastian, did you sense that?¡± Nice¡¯s eyes were fixed on the girl. ¡°If you mean her aura¡­ of course, I sensed it. I¡¯m not an idiot.¡± Sebastian squinted at the girl. ¡°So it wasn¡¯t just me. She has a similar holy power to ours.¡± Nice said. At that moment, the tavern door was violently pushed open again. The wooden door slammed against the wall with a loud crash, startling the nearby patrons. ¡°Who is it?! Can¡¯t you be more careful?!¡± ¡°Damn it! Sons of bitches!¡± The patrons cursed and turned angry glares towards the door. But the next moment, they all fell silent. It wasn¡¯t just anyone who entered, but several tall, fully armed Judgment Knights. The patrons who had been cursing quickly shut their mouths, and the drunkards instantly sobered up. Those who had just been mocking the Inquisition looked terrified. ¡°Jud¡­ Judgment Knights, welcome to our humble tavern. Would you¡­ would you like a drink?¡± The tavern owner wiped the sweat from his forehead and asked, trying to maintain his composure. The Judgment Knights didn¡¯t even glance at the patrons. They looked around sternly, and their gazes finally fell on the nervous tavern owner. ¡°Was there a little girl who just came in here?¡± The leading Judgment Knight asked. ¡°A¡­ a little girl?¡± The tavern owner was stunned for a moment, then quickly nodded. ¡°Ah, yes¡­ yes, there was one. She was¡­ huh? Where is she?¡± The tavern owner pointed to where the girl had been standing. But the girl was no longer there. Chapter 597 : ¡°Huh? Where is she? She was here just a moment ago!¡± The tavern owner stared blankly at the spot where the little girl had been standing. He turned back stiffly, looking at the increasingly grim faces of the Judgment Knights, sweat beading on his forehead. ¡°So¡­ um¡­ Judgment Knight Sirs, may I ask¡­ what did the child do to be pursued?¡± The owner asked weakly. The Judgment Knights did not answer his question. The leader of the squad simply glanced at him coldly and said indifferently. ¡°The Inquisition is handling a case. Don¡¯t ask about things you shouldn¡¯t know, or you¡¯ll be suspected of being an accomplice to heresy!¡± Then, he looked around the entire hall and ordered the other knights. ¡°Search carefully. Until we find her, no one is allowed to leave!¡± Quickly, the Judgment Knights sprang into action, and chaos erupted in the tavern. In a corner of the tavern, the spots where the ¡°apprentice mage¡± and ¡°knight squire¡± had been chatting were now empty, their figures long gone. All that remained on the table were half-drunk mugs of ale, an untouched piece of grilled meat, and a few shiny new silver tana. ¡­ Outside the tavern, in a secluded alley. With a faint blue magical glow, a complex circular magic array slowly appeared. As the array spread, the surrounding space trembled slightly. Amidst a series of spatial distortions, two cloaked figures gradually emerged and stepped out of the array. They were Sebastian and Nice, who had left the tavern. ¡°Phew¡­ I really can¡¯t get used to those commoner taverns. The air feels so much cleaner outside.¡± Nice said, stretching and taking a deep breath. ¡°You¡¯re just used to the comfort of being with our master.¡± Sebastian retorted, gracefully setting down an unknown creature he had been holding under his arm. If the tavern owner saw it, he would recognize the ¡°unknown creature¡± Sebastian had brought out as none other than the little girl who had ¡°wandered¡± into the tavern. While Sebastian had her under his arm, the girl struggled continuously. Once set down, she immediately tried to run. ¡°This alley isn¡¯t far from the tavern, and the streets are still patrolled by Judgment Knights. If you want to be caught, go ahead and run.¡± Nice said with a sneer. The girl froze in her tracks. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Judging by your reaction, you¡¯re really being chased by the Judgment Knights, aren¡¯t you?¡± Nice added. The girl widened her eyes, filled with innocence and anger, realizing she had been tricked by his earlier words. Nice, finding the girl interesting, wanted to tease her further but was quickly stopped by Sebastian. ¡°That¡¯s enough, Nice. Stop teasing her.¡± He then turned to the girl and asked gently. ¡°Child, what is your name? Why are those Judgment Knights chasing you? And where did you get that necklace?¡± Hearing Sebastian¡¯s words, the girl immediately became vigilant. She quickly hid the necklace behind her back and shrank away, like a frightened little rabbit. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. We mean no harm. If we did, we wouldn¡¯t have saved you just now. We¡¯re just curious.¡± Sebastian reassured her. The girl remained unconvinced, her eyes still full of caution. A growling stomach broke the silence, and the girl¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment. Sebastian¡¯s expression turned peculiar. ¡°Nice, do you have any food?¡± He glanced at Nice. ¡°Here, something good to eat.¡± Nice pulled out a bag of dried fish. ¡°Damn it! I meant food for humans! Keep that for yourself.¡± ¡°Discrimination! That¡¯s discrimination! This is a special supply from the Starfall Red Palace for Master Cat! Cleaner than human food!¡± ¡°Cleaner than human food? So it¡¯s not for humans, then?¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± The two started bickering again, leaving the girl bewildered. ¡°Hehe¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t help but giggle. Sebastian and Nice immediately stopped arguing and turned their attention to her. The girl¡¯s guard went up again. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll handle it.¡± Sebastian sighed. With a wave of his hand, he ¡°produced¡± a box of exquisite chocolate velvet cake and a cup of special sweet milk from the Northern Pasture. Nice was speechless¡­ ¡°Here, it¡¯s not poisoned. Feel free to eat.¡± Under Nice¡¯s strange, subtle gaze, Sebastian took a small piece of cake and ate it himself before placing the cake and milk in front of the girl. The girl hesitated. But eventually, the aroma of the cake and milk overcame her caution, and she carefully picked them up. She took a small bite, and her eyes widened, her entire body freezing in place. Then she started devouring the food hungrily. However, halfway through, she suddenly slowed down, eating cautiously and taking tiny bites as if afraid that eating too fast would make her forget the wonderful taste. ¡°Go ahead and eat, I have more.¡± Sebastian said, feeling a bit sorry for the girl as he watched her careful enjoyment. After feeding her, the atmosphere between the girl and the two men finally eased. ¡°Child, what¡¯s your name? Why are the Judgment Knights chasing you?¡± Sebastian asked the same question again. This time, the girl finally let her guard down and said pitifully. ¡°My name is Ellie. I¡¯m an orphan from the Gray Swan¡­ Those knights in red are bad people!¡± Gray Swan Orphanage? Nice and Sebastian exchanged glances, recalling the news they had overheard in the tavern. ¡°Ellie, where did you get that necklace?¡± Nice asked. At this question, Ellie suddenly became wary again, hiding the necklace behind her back. Nice sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re not here to take your necklace. We¡¯re just curious.¡± ¡°Despite how we look, we are actually devout followers. We sensed a power similar to ours from your necklace.¡± As he spoke, Nice extended his hand, releasing the holy power temporarily granted to him by Charlotte through the faith network. Ellie¡¯s eyes widened instantly. She stared at them, her large eyes welling with tears, her voice trembling with excitement and mixed with sobs of joy. ¡°Light! This is the light from my dreams!¡± ¡°Holy Messengers! You are the Holy Messengers from the oracle!¡± Holy Messengers? Oracle? Nice and Sebastian looked at each other in confusion. They were about to ask more when Ellie suddenly knelt before them. With tears streaming down her face, her big, watery eyes full of pleading and hope, her soft voice quivered with uncontrollable sadness. ¡°Holy Messengers! Holy Messengers! Please save Sister Susan! Please save Sister Susan!¡± ¡°This necklace was given to me by Sister Susan. It¡¯s hers!¡± ¡°Sister Susan is not a witch! Sister Susan is definitely not a witch!¡± Susan? A witch? Could she be the headmaster of the Gray Swan with connections to the Inquisition? Sebastian and Nice exchanged another thoughtful look. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ellie, take your time and tell us everything.¡± Sebastian said gently, soothing her with his increasingly soft voice. ¡­ ¡°Decline all these invitations as well. Also, inform the church that before the official start of the ceremony, I plan to refuse all diplomatic activities to devote myself fully to holy prayers.¡± Charlotte said, rubbing her temples as she handed yet another salon invitation to her maid, Sherry. A week had passed since she had performed the ¡°miracle¡± and moved into the Holy Palace. During this week, she had lived relatively peacefully in the Holy Palace. Although countless eyes watched her every move, no one had openly caused her trouble. The deterrent power of the ¡°miracle¡± was strong, and her identity as the Saintess provided many conveniences. The Sun Temple seemed to be lying low for now. The only headache for Charlotte was the near-fanatical enthusiasm of ordinary clergy and believers after the miracle. Faced with the endless stream of invitations, Charlotte had no choice but to resort to her last measure¡ª¡±seclusion.¡± To be honest, Charlotte suspected this might be a deliberate move by the Sun Temple. Whether it was the recent wave of praise for her in the Holy City or the increased guard of the Holy Palace for her safety after the assassination attempt, it seemed they all aimed to keep her in place. Fortunately, Sebastian and Nice were adept at disguising themselves. Once outside the Holy Palace, their activities were unrestricted and unmonitored, serving as her eyes. ¡°I wonder if they¡¯ve found any new information after these few days.¡± Charlotte murmured, sipping a special sweet milk from the Northern Pasture and tasting a piece of chocolate velvet cake. She trusted Sebastian and Nice¡¯s skills. The Sun Temple¡¯s recent actions were significant, clearly the aftermath of her ¡°miracle.¡± The bigger the commotion, the bigger the mistakes they might make. As long as the Sun Temple was eager to see her dead, they would inevitably slip up. After finishing the snack, Charlotte elegantly wiped her mouth. At that moment, she felt a sudden intuition, hearing soft prayers and calls. It was Sebastian and Nice. ¡°Great Master, Nice and I have uncovered important information and urgently need to report to you!¡± Sebastian¡¯s voice came through her thoughts. Charlotte felt a surge of energy. Exhaling slowly, she connected with them and sent her voice back. ¡°Return to the palace immediately and report to me.¡± Communicating across distances was risky and not always clear. This was the Holy City, and who knew what sensory artifacts might be in place? Even though Charlotte had the ability to descend through her connection with them, she would only use it as a last resort. To be safe, it was best to hear their report in person. Within an hour, Nice and Sebastian, having shed their disguises, returned to Charlotte¡¯s room one after the other. Chapter 598 : The Guardian Scepter’s Secret ¡°So¡­ you think the Gray Swan Orphanage in District Nine is hiding a secret related to the Sun Temple?¡± Charlotte asked curiously, looking at Sebastian and Nice, who had secretly returned to the Holy Palace in their true forms to report. ¡°To be precise, it seems that the Inquisition in District Nine is likely involved in a conspiracy with the Sun Temple. Our investigations over the past few days point almost entirely in that direction.¡± Sebastian replied respectfully. ¡°Everything points there¡­¡± Charlotte mused. To be honest, she wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the Sun Temple¡¯s secret was indeed connected to the District Nine Inquisition. District Nine was the poorest and most chaotic area of the Holy City, yet its Inquisition was the most powerful. Moreover, Inquisitions in such impoverished areas typically had stricter security but operated more discreetly, making them ideal for hiding secrets. ¡°Lady Charlotte, I believe we need to rescue the head of the Gray Swan Orphanage. The Inquisition is currently exterminating the orphanage, not even sparing the children, which suggests that the orphanage knows something significant.¡± Nice added. ¡°The head¡¯s brother is the deputy captain of the District Nine Inquisition. After Filiberto was judged, he went missing as well.¡± Charlotte nodded slightly, then looked at the necklace in her hand. It was a ring cross necklace, a common religious accessory among church priests. ¡°So¡­ this necklace you brought belongs to that headmistress?¡± She asked. Sebastian nodded. ¡°Yes, it belongs to her. Nice and I have already examined it. This necklace contains holy power and a similar aura to the holy power you granted us¡­¡± ¡°It seems to possess a kind of holy magic, possibly inducing prophetic dreams. The girl we saved used the prophetic dreams from this necklace to evade the Judgment Knights and eventually found us.¡± ¡°Prophetic dreams?¡± Charlotte raised an eyebrow, her interest piqued. She played with the necklace, pondering it. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Charlotte asked, looking at the two. Sebastian and Nice exchanged glances and nodded. ¡°Yes, Lady Charlotte, the girl was terrified when she first saw us. But after we revealed our holy power and identity, she wasn¡¯t afraid anymore.¡± Sebastian explained. ¡°Moreover, she called us ¡®holy messengers from the oracle¡¯!¡± ¡°We questioned her further and found out that she had dreamt of the ¡®oracle.¡¯ After our verification, it turned out to be prophetic dreams, likely originating from this necklace.¡± ¡°We confirmed that this necklace belongs to the head of the Gray Swan Orphanage. It was initially a gift from her brother, the Judgment Knight.¡± ¡°Such a divine artifact should be in the hands of high-ranking church officials. A Judgment Knight Captain below Blazing Sun couldn¡¯t have obtained it through official channels. It must have come through other means.¡± Nice speculated. Charlotte¡¯s interest was piqued. ¡°You mean¡­ the Sun Temple?¡± Nice nodded. ¡°Yes. We sensed a holy power similar to ours from this necklace. The holy power you granted us carries a trace of the origin power. This holy power also has a trace of that origin power.¡± ¡°The Creator God has been asleep, so the source of this origin power must be someone else.¡± Charlotte¡¯s expression was inscrutable as she stared at the necklace, lost in thought. ¡°Lady Charlotte, we believe the District Nine Inquisition is hiding a secret of the Sun Temple, and the Gray Swan Orphanage is involved. This artifact inducing prophetic dreams likely came from the Sun Temple.¡± ¡°The headmistress of the orphanage probably knows something. The Judgment Knights capturing the orphans might be trying to retrieve this necklace. If we rescue her, we might uncover the Sun Temple¡¯s conspiracy!¡± Sebastian added. ¡°What is her name?¡± Charlotte asked, looking at them. ¡°Susan. Susan Russo. We investigated her. She is also an orphan, descendant of small noble in the southern part of the Yunette Peninsula and a devout holy believer. She and her brother, the Judgment Knight Captain, have been supporting the orphanage with their own salaries, helping other poor children and the slum residents.¡± ¡°But¡­ such a person was accused of being a heretic witch by the Inquisition, and her brother has disappeared.¡± Nice sighed. ¡°When is she being judged?¡± Charlotte asked. ¡°Tomorrow at ten in the morning, in the District Nine Square.¡± Nice replied. Charlotte nodded slightly. ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Lady Charlotte, are you going to rescue her?¡± Sebastian and Nice asked. ¡°Since she is a righteous and kind priest and might know the Sun Temple¡¯s secret, I will rescue her.¡± Charlotte decided. Then she looked at the two. ¡°Prepare yourselves. Since the District Nine Inquisition might be hiding the Sun Temple¡¯s secret, this could be our opportunity.¡± Sebastian was thoughtful. ¡°Master, are you planning for Nice and me to infiltrate the Inquisition during the rescue?¡± Charlotte nodded slightly. ¡°The heretic witch trial is one of the most severe judgments by the Holy Court. The District Nine Inquisition will undoubtedly take it seriously, which might cause them to relax their defenses elsewhere.¡± ¡°If we wait until after the rescue, they might become vigilant and strengthen their defenses, making it harder for you to infiltrate. They might even transfer or destroy some secrets.¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s reasoning, Sebastian and Nice became more solemn and respectfully saluted. ¡°We follow your divine will!¡± ¡°Oh, where is the little girl now?¡± Charlotte asked. ¡°We placed her in an inn in the Holy City, with knights protecting her.¡± Sebastian replied. ¡°Good. Take care of her. A child who has gone through so much must be terrified.¡± Charlotte instructed. ¡­ After receiving the new orders from Charlotte, Sebastian and Nice withdrew. Charlotte remained silent for a moment, then turned to an empty seat nearby and spoke. ¡°Guardian Scepter, do you have nothing you want to explain to me?¡± Holy power spread, and the illusory figure of the Guardian Scepter slowly appeared. It bowed respectfully to Charlotte. ¡°Your Majesty, the True Ancestor, what do you wish to know? I do not quite understand your meaning¡­¡± Charlotte chuckled lightly, scrutinizing the figure. ¡°Guardian Scepter, you may be able to deceive Sebastian and Nice, but you cannot deceive me.¡± ¡°Tell me, is this your doing? Did you know from the beginning that the Sun Temple¡¯s secret was in the District Nine Inquisition? Have you maintained contact with the priests all along? Did you plan from the start to guide Sebastian and Nice to investigate District Nine?¡± ¡°Why do you say that?¡± The Guardian Scepter asked in surprise. Charlotte snorted, saying, ¡°The investigation route of Sebastian and Nice was your suggestion. Moreover, despite using different methods and channels, they both ended up investigating the District Nine Inquisition.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve observed and understood that the priests they ¡®coincidentally¡¯ investigated led them to the Inquisition. I can¡¯t believe there¡¯s no one guiding them.¡± ¡°And of course, the most critical thing is this necklace.¡± Charlotte picked up the ring cross necklace. ¡°Prophetic dreams are not something any object can produce. To foresee fate, one must possess the corresponding laws.¡± ¡°Just like the Nez Clan¡¯s divination, they can foresee the future and make predictions because the law of fate is embedded in their insight path.¡± ¡°Holy power is also an extension of the origin power, which is the root of all laws. Therefore, holy power also possesses the law of fate.¡± ¡°But this necklace is different.¡± ¡°Nice thinks it¡¯s a divine artifact because he is not of mythological level, but I can see its essence.¡± ¡°It is merely a medium for conducting divine magic.¡± ¡°In other words, someone is using this necklace to give the girl, and the head of the orphanage, the ability to have ¡®prophetic dreams¡¯!¡± ¡°Indeed, it carries the origin aura, but it is not the origin aura of the Sun God Helios.¡± ¡°Its origin aura is purer and clearer.¡± ¡°I have sensed a similar aura from only three beings.¡± ¡°One is myself, another is my disciple Harald who has awakened holy power, and the third¡­¡± Charlotte looked at the Guardian Scepter. ¡°Do I need to be more explicit?¡± The Guardian Scepter remained silent. ¡°Guardian Scepter, I need an explanation.¡± Charlotte¡¯s expression turned colder. The Guardian Scepter sighed. ¡°Your Majesty, the True Ancestor, must you insist?¡± ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I? If you want me to save Harald, you shouldn¡¯t hide secrets. You clearly know more than I anticipated. I¡¯m even starting to suspect you know the Sun Temple¡¯s conspiracy.¡± Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°You know the information but hide it and try to guide me and my followers deliberately. Do you think I am a mythological being who tolerates deception?¡± Charlotte¡¯s voice rose. Her pupils turned golden-red, and a terrifying divine power descended, directly pressuring the Guardian Scepter¡¯s projection while keeping it confined to the room. Under the intense pressure, the Guardian Scepter¡¯s light flickered, its humanoid face showing paleness and pain. ¡°Your Majesty¡­ no, Savior, I mean no harm¡­ I¡­ just cannot say it¡­ I must follow¡­ follow my instructions.¡± The Guardian Scepter gritted its teeth. ¡°Your instructions? Did Harald make you do this? How much are you hiding? What is your true purpose?¡± Charlotte asked coldly. ¡°I¡­ I only want to save my Lord, save you, save everything. I have not betrayed my Lord or you¡­¡± The Guardian Scepter spoke with difficulty. ¡°Hmph, if you want to save Harald, you should tell me everything you know. I don¡¯t see why you need to hide anything. Or is there some restriction on you?¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t have any restrictions. If there were, I would have sensed them when I strengthened the connection between you and the Holy Court through faith.¡± ¡°You have no restrictions yet say nothing. Do you expect me to continue trusting you?¡± Charlotte¡¯s voice grew stern and cold. She looked at the Guardian Scepter, divine power blossoming as her voice became more commanding. ¡°Tell me, what are you hiding?¡± This time, Charlotte used divine command magic. The Guardian Scepter¡¯s expression turned pained. But it still gritted its teeth. ¡°I¡­ cannot say! Really cannot say!¡± ¡°Your Majesty, the True Ancestor, my loyalty has never wavered, but the things I cannot say¡­ I really cannot tell you! At least¡­ not now!¡± ¡°This is the price¡­ the price of changing fate¡­ also the price of deceiving fate!¡± ¡°I¡­ I must do this. Only this way can we steer history, only this way can we deceive the world!¡± ¡°Otherwise¡­ we¡­ we will fail again! Be swallowed by fate!¡± By the end, the Guardian Scepter¡¯s voice was trembling, and its expression became increasingly frantic. Charlotte was slightly taken aback. She looked at the Guardian Scepter with a complex expression and muttered half-jokingly, half-doubtfully. ¡°Steer history? Deceive fate? Hah, you speak as if what we are experiencing now is also history¡­¡± But this time, the Guardian Scepter remained silent. Charlotte¡¯s voice soon fell silent as well. She too fell into deep thought. Chapter 599 : The Truth of Reincarnation Sometimes, silence is the most meaningful response. Charlotte felt a deep unease watching the Guardian Scepter fall silent at her joke. There was a vague, creeping sense of dread within her. The Gospel of Blood had enabled Charlotte to traverse history, filling in the ¡°gaps¡± of the past. Rowena¡¯s diary and memories indicated that Lilith and the bloodbornes had reincarnated time and again, hoping to break the chains of an inevitable doom. But Charlotte had never considered one crucial question. As a time traveler, had she, too, reincarnated like Lilith? Was this her first time transmigrating into this world? No. This was a question difficult to answer and even harder to prove. Fragments of Rowena¡¯s memories showed that this world had already undergone countless cycles of reincarnation. Yet, in those cycles, there was no Charlotte¡ªor rather, those were the cycles before Charlotte transmigrated into this world. Thus, Charlotte naturally believed this was her first round. But¡­ what if it wasn¡¯t? What if what she was experiencing now was also a part of history? She might have occasionally entertained such thoughts, but Charlotte had always brushed them aside with a smile. After all, as a time traveler and the master of the Gospel of Blood, she possessed an aura akin to a protagonist, granting her a sense of uniqueness and invincibility. Charlotte instinctively believed she was unique, that her time was ¡°present,¡± and that she was filling in the ¡°gaps¡± of history by traversing the past. But what if that wasn¡¯t the case? The silence of the Guardian Scepter, its foreknowledge, and its evasive demeanor perhaps provided the best answer to this question. Charlotte recalled the images of worlds being destroyed in Rowena¡¯s memory fragments. Her expression gradually became more complex. Evidently, if this wasn¡¯t her first round, if what she was experiencing now was also ¡°history¡± that had occurred¡­ Then¡­ in that past ¡°future,¡± she must have failed as well. ¡°So, how many times have I encountered you?¡± Charlotte asked after a moment of silence. The Guardian Scepter hesitated, then sighed. ¡°It should be¡­ the second time.¡± ¡°Should be?¡± Charlotte raised an eyebrow. ¡°At least¡­ in my memory.¡± The Guardian Scepter answered carefully. ¡°Heh, you¡¯re much more honest now.¡± Charlotte sneered. ¡°This question, even if I were not honest, you would eventually realize it yourself. What I need to do is to avoid any additional variables before the true end arrives.¡± ¡°Additional variables? So that¡¯s why you¡¯ve been so roundabout and evasive?¡± Charlotte asked. The Guardian Scepter bowed respectfully without answering. Charlotte sighed, rubbing her temples. ¡°So, I¡¯ve failed at least once before, haven¡¯t I? I¡¯m actually walking the path of history?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°What was my end? Did I lose in the struggle against Helios?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean by deceiving history? Does Harald know all of this? Or¡­ is this all his doing?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Seeing the Guardian Scepter remain silent, Charlotte¡¯s impatience grew. Taking a deep breath to calm her frustration at the lack of response, she coldly stated. ¡°Guardian Scepter, you¡¯d better tell me everything I want to know if you still hope for my cooperation.¡± The Guardian Scepter paused, its expression complex. After a moment of silence, it sighed. ¡°Indeed, even after going through it again, your character hasn¡¯t changed¡­¡± S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Your Majesty, the True Ancestor, if you truly wish to know, I fear I can only tell you part of the truth¡­¡± ¡°Part of the truth?¡± Charlotte frowned slightly. She pondered for a moment and then nodded. ¡°Go ahead.¡± The Guardian Scepter bowed respectfully, its expression becoming serious. ¡°In that case, I will start by answering your first question.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, you indeed are not experiencing today¡¯s events for the first time. What we are going through now has already happened in history.¡± ¡°This is not your first return. In the last cycle, you awakened once. You inherited Castell, you became the Queen of Starfall, and you subdued those bloodbornes who betrayed you¡­¡± ¡°These are all events that have already occurred.¡± ¡°Moreover, we are still following the destined history. You received an invitation from the Holy Court, although this time it was much earlier than the last. You still came to the Holy City, your followers still discovered the secrets of District Nine, and you still plan to save the witch about to be judged, just like you did in the past¡­¡± ¡°Wait, but isn¡¯t this your orchestration?¡± Charlotte frowned. ¡°You are right, it is indeed my doing. After all¡­ if I don¡¯t guide you, history might encounter ¡®variables,¡¯ just like this time, the Holy Court¡¯s succession happened earlier than I remembered.¡± ¡°History cannot be changed, so it won¡¯t tolerate ¡®variables.¡¯ All ¡®variables¡¯ will be corrected. Therefore¡­ I must guide you to avoid these additional ¡®variables¡¯!¡± The Guardian Scepter replied. ¡°Additional variables? But if you do this, aren¡¯t you worried that the outcome will be the same?¡± Charlotte frowned. ¡°No, it won¡¯t.¡± The Guardian Scepter shook its head. ¡°The essence of the world has already started to change. In the history that we cannot observe, ¡®variables¡¯ have already begun to appear, and at least three times.¡± ¡°Three times?¡± ¡°Yes, I cannot discern what these ¡®variables¡¯ are or why problems appear in already established history. But I believe these ¡®variables¡¯ must be related to you, and I must ensure these ¡®variables¡¯ do not affect the current events. In other words¡­ I must ensure you act according to the past history.¡± ¡°As for the rest¡­¡± The Guardian Scepter looked at Charlotte and bowed respectfully again. ¡°It¡¯s up to you.¡± It¡¯s up to me? You want everything to proceed according to history, yet it¡¯s up to me? Isn¡¯t this like a parent wanting their underperforming child to get perfect grades without changing their study habits?! Charlotte held back her urge to retort. But she quickly noted something in the Guardian Scepter¡¯s words¡­ Wait a minute¡­ Already established history encountered ¡°variables¡±? And¡­ three times? Related to her? Charlotte¡¯s heart stirred, and she fell into deep thought. History cannot be changed. This was Lilith¡¯s message to her. However, Charlotte was already certain that while history cannot be changed, broken history can be rewritten. In other words¡­ ¡°nonexistent¡± history can have its blanks filled and be recreated. The Guardian Scepter mentioned that history had encountered ¡°variables¡± three times. And she herself had traversed history to fill in the blanks¡­ three times. Coincidence? No, this was definitely not a coincidence. Perhaps¡­ the ¡°variables¡± mentioned by the Guardian Scepter were precisely her own efforts to fill the gaps in history! Charlotte¡¯s mind raced, linking many thoughts together. Yes. History cannot be changed. But history can be created. And filling the gaps in history is a form of creation! According to the Guardian Scepter, even if the end remains the same, different processes will ultimately produce different variables. Even if these variables cannot affect anything now, they will play a role at crucial moments. At that moment, Charlotte felt she vaguely understood what the Guardian Scepter was trying to do. It was likely covering up. Covering up the ¡°variables¡± created by Charlotte¡¯s rewriting of history, deceiving the ongoing ¡°history.¡± Until the end arrives, and the ¡°variables¡± resulting from Charlotte¡¯s rewriting of history ignite into a prairie fire, ultimately changing the predetermined future! This led Charlotte to further speculation and judgment. In the previous cycle of history mentioned by the Guardian Scepter, the ¡°Charlotte¡± of that cycle likely did not travel back in time to fill in the blanks as she does now. ¡°It seems¡­ you have realized what I am doing.¡± The Guardian Scepter said respectfully, noticing Charlotte¡¯s fluctuating expression settle into calmness. She glanced at it and said calmly. ¡°You haven¡¯t answered my remaining questions. Since this is already established history, in the history you experienced, what was my end? Is all of this Harald¡¯s plan?¡± The Guardian Scepter looked apologetic. ¡°Apologies, Your Majesty, the True Ancestor, I cannot answer your last question¡­ please understand that sometimes, answering is itself a variable.¡± ¡°But what you¡¯ve told me today already counts as a ¡®variable,¡¯ doesn¡¯t it? What¡¯s the point in hiding more?¡± Charlotte asked. ¡°Not all variables are the same. Some variables do not affect history, while others could render all our efforts in vain. I am merely a tool to guide and assist you. My knowledge is limited, and much of it is sensitive.¡± The Guardian Scepter sighed. Then it looked at Charlotte and continued. ¡°However, I can answer one of your other questions.¡± ¡°In the last cycle, I did not see your end. Moreover, no one saw the final conclusion¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Charlotte frowned. The Guardian Scepter shook its head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Perhaps history was disrupted by an incomprehensible force, creating blanks, or perhaps¡­ it never reached its conclusion.¡± ¡°Or maybe, realizing the inevitability of failure, you decided to restart, seeking possible futures in a new cycle.¡± ¡°But regardless, one thing is certain: in the last cycle, even with all efforts, with all preparations, with all possible forces gathered, you had no chance of victory.¡± ¡°You would ultimately fall, the Gods would fall, the world was destined to perish, and all extraordinaries were bound to return to the void¡­¡± ¡°And this time¡­¡± The Guardian Scepter paused and sighed. ¡°This might be our last chance.¡± Chapter 600 : The Secret of the Bloodbornes The truth revealed by the Guardian Scepter left Charlotte in shock. Although she had a vague premonition, when it admitted that the time and space she was in now was not her first ¡°round,¡± she still felt a bit flustered and confused. Of course, Charlotte quickly regained her composure. She started to think more deeply. During her third time traversing history, she had been convinced that she could not ascend to a True God within history, so she naturally believed that her chance for ascension lay in the ¡°future¡± of reality. But now it seemed that was not entirely the case. History and the future, the past and the present, are intrinsically linked. If everything was indeed as the Guardian Scepter said, perhaps her return to history to fill in its blanks was the key to changing everything. As for breaking the predetermined future, that would be a logical development once all the necessary conditions were met. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. History cannot be changed, but history¡­ can be created! Filling in the blanks of history was the opportunity Lilith left for Charlotte to create history and change the future. As for reality¡­ According to the Guardian Scepter, it was the period of preparation before everything was ready and the crucial blow to reverse the end after history was filled. However, the Guardian Scepter¡¯s cautiousness and its fear of the backlash from failing to ¡°deceive¡± history raised more questions for Charlotte. If the Guardian Scepter was so fearful, was her enemy really just the crazed Sun God Helios, who sought to become the Creator God? ¡°Sorry, Your Majesty, I cannot say. When you complete the puzzle of history, you¡­ will know.¡± The Guardian Scepter said respectfully. It did not answer the question Charlotte posed. But that was enough. Because the Guardian Scepter¡¯s attitude, in a sense, was an answer. Charlotte¡¯s eyes flickered as her thoughts cleared. It seemed that the fall of the Gods and the destruction of the world were not caused by Helios obtaining the power of creation¡­ In retrospect, it made sense. Helios had already become ¡°abnormal.¡± He was tainted by the Origin Malice and had lost his sanity. Faced with a mad True God, the Guardian Scepter, a wisdom artifact of the Creator God, should not be so terrified and apprehensive. Even if Helios was among the top mythical beings in the world. But if the Guardian Scepter did not fear Helios¡­ Then the final culprit could only be one thing¡ªthe source that polluted Helios, or rather¡­ the source of all life in the world of Myria. The origin of all extraordinary beings, the Creator God whom all beings referred to as father and mother! Thinking of this, Charlotte¡¯s expression gradually became serious, and she felt a chill down her spine. If everything was as she guessed, then things were indeed dire. The Creator God was the source of all extraordinary beings and life. Everything in the world of Myria, every flower, every tree, all the magic in the world, everything depended on their power. Creation meant creating the world, which also meant they were the world itself. Perhaps¡­ the term ¡°deceiving history¡± used by the Guardian Scepter was not entirely accurate. The more accurate term would likely be ¡°deceiving the world.¡± ¡°So, Helios wanting to master the power of creation is just a facade, and the truth behind it is¡­ the mythical being wants to resurrect through its chosen proxy?¡± ¡°Helios was not simply ¡®fallen¡¯ or ¡®polluted,¡¯ but chosen by some will to act as their proxy, is that right?¡± Charlotte asked. The Guardian Scepter sighed. ¡°Your Majesty, the extraordinary is everywhere, and this topic¡­ we cannot delve further into.¡± Charlotte fell silent. After a moment, she spoke. ¡°What about Harald? Is Harald¡­ still normal?¡± Harald was born with holy power. And holy power¡­ is an evolution of the power of creation. In other words, Harald could also be a chosen proxy of the Creator God. Not only that, his rapid growth and being crowned as the ¡°Creator God¡± suggest he might be a means for the Creator God¡¯s resurrection. The Guardian Scepter did not answer directly but said, ¡°This is why my master chose to slumber.¡± Charlotte¡¯s heart sank. She understood the implication of the Guardian Scepter¡¯s words. Harald chose to sleep, likely because he knew the truth and wanted to resist the Creator¡¯s will. At that moment, Charlotte thought of herself. ¡°What about me? Aren¡¯t you worried about me? My power¡­ is also an extension of the origin power.¡± Charlotte asked again. ¡°Your Majesty, the ¡®birth¡¯ of bloodbornes is a miracle, and the supreme artifact of Bloodborne is the same. As for your question, I think it can be answered with a few other questions.¡± The Guardian Scepter replied. The Guardian Scepter looked at Charlotte meaningfully and said, ¡°Your Majesty, the True Ancestor, aren¡¯t you curious?¡± ¡°There are so many beings in the world, so many extraordinary creatures, but why is it that only the bloodbornes bear the curse of their bloodline? Why do bloodbornes have eternal life, something even dragons do not possess?¡± ¡°Why¡­ is the power of the bloodbornes restrained by my master¡¯s holy power?¡± ¡°Why¡­ was the supreme artifact of the Bloodborne damaged?¡± Charlotte was slightly taken aback and then fell into deep thought. After a moment, she nodded. ¡°I think I understand.¡± Bloodbornes are indeed different. Only foreign objects are rejected, only foreign objects are repelled, and only threats are destroyed! Perhaps¡­ to the world, bloodbornes themselves are ¡°foreign objects.¡± At the same time, only ¡°foreign objects¡± have the potential to create miracles. In other words, the blood divine power she possesses, the Gospel of Blood she holds, are powers beyond the control of the Creator¡¯s will. The bloodbornes never carried the blessings of the power of creation but rather the curse of the Creator¡¯s will. The endless life of bloodbornes is proof of their transcendence from control, their ¡°reward,¡± and the curses they bear are the cost of transcending the world¡¯s will! This¡­ is probably the greatest secret of the bloodbornes! Of course, this is also why the Guardian Scepter, Harald, and Lilith have placed their hopes on Charlotte! ¡°Guardian Scepter, when did I become a true god in the last cycle?¡± Charlotte asked. ¡°If you mean after your resurrection, then¡­ it¡¯s not far off. What you need, your enemy has already ¡®prepared¡¯ for you.¡± The Guardian Scepter answered. Already¡­ prepared? Charlotte was momentarily stunned. Then, she realized this referred to the Sun Temple. One of the reasons Charlotte came to the Holy City was that Pope Gregory XII lured her with various bloodborne treasures. Since the Guardian Scepter said so, it seemed that this lure wasn¡¯t simple. Charlotte had a faint sense of this too. Since arriving at the Holy City, her bloodline power had started to stir. Her crisis was here. But likewise, her opportunity for ascension was probably here as well. Opportunity often coexists with crisis. The Sun believers in the Holy City likely gathered enough cursed pages and faceless statues to achieve their goals. When she resolves this crisis in the Holy City, it will probably be the moment she ascends to become a True God! ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll play along with this act.¡± Charlotte said. She already knew what to do. She would cooperate with the Guardian Scepter to play out ¡°history,¡± and then¡­ as a True God, traverse back in time to seek further opportunities in the blanks of history. Since the Creator¡¯s will is the ultimate boss, then¡­ as long as she becomes a being like the Creator God first, everything will be fine. Of course, the ¡°polluted¡± Helios will undoubtedly try everything to stop her. The next phase will be a battle of wits and courage between her and her adversary. ¡°Thank you for your understanding, Your Majesty, the True Ancestor. I will do my utmost to assist you until the arrival of the Divinity Descent Day!¡± The Guardian Scepter said respectfully and solemnly. Charlotte nodded slightly. The Divinity Descent Day¡­ Divinity Descent Day¡­ Judging by the Guardian Scepter¡¯s expression, it¡¯s likely not just the day of the Gods¡¯ resurrection but also the day the Creator¡¯s will awakens. That will also be Charlotte¡¯s day of final confrontation. In that case, it is indeed not far off. However, Charlotte still had one last question, or rather¡­ concern. ¡°Guardian Scepter, in the Sun Temple, is there anyone aware of the last ¡®cycle¡¯? Does Helios know?¡± She asked. The Guardian Scepter shook its head. ¡°Only those who transcend the will of the world can step outside the cycle of history and observe everything, and they¡­ have not transcended.¡± Charlotte frowned slightly, deep in thought. ¡°Your Majesty, the True Ancestor, this is all I can tell you. I have stayed too long, any longer and¡­ I fear it will attract the divine power sensing of the Sun believers.¡± The Guardian Scepter bowed. Charlotte glanced at it. Actually, she had one more question, a new one that arose naturally after the Guardian Scepter answered her previous doubts¡ª Since only those who transcend the will of the world can know about the last cycle and observe the changes in the world lines, how did this wisdom artifact manage it? It was not a myth of the bloodbornes. Or did it also once transcend? Clearly, the Guardian Scepter had more secrets. But judging by its demeanor, it was unwilling to explain further. ¡°Understood, you may go. I hope that one day, you will reveal all your secrets to me.¡± Charlotte said. She did not press further. Everyone has their secrets, the Guardian Scepter has its secrets, and so does she. Since the Guardian Scepter was chosen by Harald to be the ¡°guide,¡± it must have its special attributes. Harald and Lilith are siblings, so perhaps its power is also related to Lilith. Of course, this isn¡¯t important. What she needs to know, she will know eventually. There¡¯s no need to dwell on it now. As long as she is certain of its sincerity, that is enough.