Gospel of Blood

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.

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.

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.

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It was more of an optional matter—come 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—no 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..."

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