Gospel of Blood

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—all 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—truly 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.

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—perfect 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—it 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.

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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—one 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—just one meat dish—but 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—none 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!"

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