Gospel of Blood

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...”

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?"

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"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..."

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.