Gospel of Blood

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.

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—

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...

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.

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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?"