Gospel of Blood

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?”

“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.

“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.”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“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.