Gospel of Blood

"Has he finally died? He held on longer than I expected."

Charlotte paused briefly with her raised wine glass before slowly taking a sip of milk.

"After all, he was a Blazing Sun knight, with deep reserves. Frankly, I thought the old duke could have lasted a bit longer. Knights like him tend to have more robust lifespans than mages."

Sebastian remarked as he glanced at the letter brought by the messenger.

Charlotte showed some interest.

"This is the first time I've heard that. Sebastian, under normal circumstances, how long can a Blazing Sun knight live?"

Sebastian was not surprised by Charlotte's sudden question. He knew that their "God's" memory had not fully recovered and did not expect a "God" to be particularly concerned with the affairs of mortals, especially since she was an ancient True Ancestor, ageless and deathless from birth, with no concept of a lifespan.

"It depends on the race. For instance, we elves generally live for over a thousand years, with no significant changes before reaching the Legendary tier. For short-lived humans, if they remain healthy and uninjured, living to eighty or ninety years old is not a problem."

Sebastian answered respectfully.

Charlotte raised an eyebrow.

"For humans, that's quite remarkable. Their average lifespan is less than sixty years."

Sebastian shook his head and continued.

"Not to mention that extraordinary beings often incur hidden injuries. Most Blazing Sun knights have emerged from mountains of corpses. Even mages achieve breakthroughs through numerous magical surges, which are harmful to the body. Humans aren't naturally magical beings, so it's normal for extraordinary humans to have shorter lifespans than expected."

"As far as I know, many Blazing Sun knights in the human world, like the old duke, burn out early, especially those who have exhausted their life potential in wars."

"However, the human population is enormous. Even though Blazing Sun and Legendary figures may seem fleeting to you and me, there are so many in each era that they push their entire race to the pinnacle of civilization."

Charlotte was genuinely surprised. As long as they regularly obtain blood sources, bloodbornes can live forever, so she had not paid much attention to the lifespan of extraordinary beings in this world. The old duke's passing had stirred a bit of curiosity about their longevity.

To her surprise, extraordinary beings didn't live much longer than ordinary people, despite their great power!

"I thought Blazing Suns could live for centuries."

Charlotte mused.

"Perhaps if they reach Legendary tier, they might. Most Legendary humans live to about one hundred twenty or thirty years, but that's the limit for short-lived species."

Sebastian replied after some thought.

"One hundred twenty or thirty years? But I've read that some Legendary mages can live for two or three hundred years."

Charlotte remarked with some surprise.

Sebastian continued respectfully.

"Master, mortals may not have the strength of Gods, but they often find unique ways to extend their lives, creating various strange magic spells. Some can extend life, but such spells usually have significant side effects and require irreversible body modifications. A two or three hundred year-old Legendary human mage might not be considered human anymore in terms of body composition."

Charlotte nodded slightly.

This explained why the Blazing Suns she had seen did not seem very old. Even lower-ranked extraordinary beings were younger than she had imagined.

Unlike the cultivation worlds where stronger power equated to longer life, in Myria, extraordinary beings were not much different from ordinary people, aside from their powers.

"Mortals remain mortals because no matter how strong their power, they cannot escape the ravages of time. The most powerful Legendary human can make even descended Demigods wary and might even slay Gods in their saint state. Yet, these god-slaying entities are mere passing stars in a century."

"Life is too short. Countless Legendary mages would rather turn into liches than return to the divine realm at the end of their lifespan. Even as liches, they are just clinging to life."

"Eternity truly belongs only to the Gods."

Sebastian mused, reflecting on the various Legendaries he knew.

Seeing the long-lived elf contemplating the brevity of life, Charlotte felt a bit peculiar. However, considering that he was comparing them to eternal Gods, it made sense. Ascension was the main reason Sebastian chose to follow her.

At that moment, Charlotte thought it was great to be a bloodborne. Despite needing regular blood and facing various restrictions and periodic sleep, bloodbornes, with their immortality, were one of the few beings who could rival Gods in longevity.

Even dragons, with their three-thousand-year lifespans, couldn't outlast the tenacious bloodbornes. Oh, and the undead too, but their quality of life didn't compare to bloodbornes.

The undead were ultimately dead, while bloodbornes, despite some similarities, were vibrant living beings.

Charlotte could somewhat understand why, according to some documents, everyone wanted the favor of bloodbornes and to be turned during their heyday two thousand years ago.

Aside from the uncontrollable blood thirst and the difficulty of tier advancement, bloodbornes were indeed quite enviable. No wonder many bloodbornes looked down on other beings.

However, Charlotte didn't share this arrogance. While bloodbornes might have god-like lifespans, they were still essentially parasites, dependent on other beings for blood.

Including herself.

"Hmm?"

Charlotte noticed Sebastian's raised eyebrows as he read the letter.

"Does the letter say anything else?"

She asked.

"Master, the daughter of the Borde Duke, Eleanor, succeeded him the day after his death. She has sent magical messages to all local lords, announcing the old duke's death and inviting them to mourn and pay homage to the new duke. She specifically mentioned several counts, including us, Castell."

Sebastian said, putting down the letter with a peculiar expression.

"Summoning me back to Borde?"

Charlotte paused, then chuckled.

"This must be the prince's order, right?"

"Most likely. From what I observed at the banquet, Eleanor is clearly submissive to the prince, almost to the point of complete obedience."

Sebastian pondered.

"Are you planning to go back, Master?"

He asked.

"Of course not."

Charlotte replied, taking a small sip of milk.

What a joke—summoning her back right after ambushing her? No way! Besides, the issues in Castell still need to be resolved.

Even if Castell's problems were settled and the Third Prince hadn't hired someone to attack her, she still wouldn't go back. The emperor was far away, and she enjoyed the freedom in her own territory. She had already tasted the power and had no intention of relinquishing it to return to Borde.

She had successfully succeeded her position, and no one could touch her. This wasn't like ancient China where vassals had to obey their lords.

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She might come up with a polite excuse to decline, but as for whether the Third Prince would be angry, well, he would have to deal with the escalating rumors first. Soon enough, the rumor that he hired necromancers to attack a vassal would reach Borde.

They say the Third Prince is domineering. It's true—demanding all lords to pay homage right after the new Duke's succession. But Charlotte wasn't the only noble dissatisfied with him.

Charlotte was preoccupied with managing her territory, but she could give others the means to trouble the prince. Many other nobles would happily take the opportunity to oppose him.

"Any news from Viscount Remisio lately?"

Charlotte asked after some thought.

"My spies report that yesterday, Viscount Remisio left the military camp and hurried south. He also sent people to Northport to inquire about our journey to Castell."

Sebastian replied.

"Oh? And how did you handle that?"

Charlotte raised an eyebrow.

Sebastian's lips curled into a slight smile.

"As you commanded, I spread the news of our attack by necromancers as widely as possible."

Charlotte nodded slightly and then chuckled.

"Looks like our dear prince has more headaches ahead. Let him deal with the nobles and ministers first."

The Third Prince had many protectors from the Crescent Royal Family. Even with her True Ancestor powers, Charlotte couldn't easily deal with him.

But often, she didn't need to act directly; the prince had plenty of enemies. She just needed to provide them with the means to strike.

This approach might not solve the problem permanently, but it would certainly trouble the prince. And when she had more time, if he continued to cause trouble, she wouldn't hesitate to deal with him personally.

"How's the investigation into the secret mithril embezzlement from the territory going?"

Charlotte asked, setting aside thoughts of the prince.

Sebastian's expression turned serious.

"I've been busy with the mining workshop, so I haven't had time to investigate thoroughly. But from the manager's confession and some information from Northport, I've found some clues related to a business called the 'Returning Star United Trade Association.'"

"The Returning Star United Trade Association?"

Charlotte felt a stirring of interest.

"Yes."

Sebastian nodded.

"I've checked, there hasn't been much secret mithril traded on the black market in Castell County recently. But there has been a lot of hidden mithril slag, indicating the mine is still producing, but the mithril itself is being sold directly to a fixed buyer."

"Is that buyer this trade association?"

"Yes. The association was registered in the Falling Star Kingdom seven years ago and has dealings with many noble families in the county. The rumor is it's backed by a noble known as Count Hol."

"Count Hol? The same one mentioned by Gikode?"

Charlotte sat up straight.

"If there's no duplicate name, yes. However, I've found no record of Count Hol in the Falling Star Kingdom."

Sebastian said.

Charlotte drained her glass of milk and smiled.

"It doesn't necessarily have to be the Falling Star Kingdom, or even a human noble. Remember what Gikode said?"

Sebastian's eyes widened in realization.

"You mean…?"

Charlotte's eyes narrowed. "A Bloodborne Count is still a count, and I asked the Book of the Dead. Its previous owner was called Hol."

…

"Sir Hol, how are the association's operations going lately?"

In a dark, curtained room, several indistinct figures stood proudly, their crimson eyes faintly visible in the shadows. All eyes were focused on the tallest figure.

"Everything is proceeding as usual."

The tall figure said in a deep voice after a moment's silence.

"But I've heard there are problems at the workshop, and you took on the Third Prince's task as a mercenary and failed."

The leading figure said discontentedly, his crimson gaze falling on the tall figure again.

"Sir Hol, I must reiterate: our goal is to control Castell, not kill the Countess. We need to win her over, control her, dominate her. If necessary, turn her into a servant and make her a puppet. That's our best path. Taking the Third Prince's task as a mercenary was a mistake, it likely alerted the Countess. The workshop troubles might be related to this."

"The banquet at the Count's estate is approaching. I don't want any more complications in our plan."

"That's all for today. We'll meet again if needed."

The indistinct figure finished, and then the others gradually vanished.

The tallest figure remained silent for a moment before also leaving.

Visions flickered as middle-aged knight Lahel returned to reality. As soon as he woke up, the young bloodborne girl Agnes jumped over.

"Well? Did you get any intel today?"

Lahel scratched his head, looking conflicted.

"Miss, I feel I can't keep this up. I know nothing, and they'll find out sooner or later."

Lahel said.

"Don't worry! If anything happens, we'll just run. Now, tell me, what did they say?"

Agnes pressed.

"They asked about the association, but I know nothing about it. I followed your instructions and said everything was normal. They also mentioned the workshop and the Countess of Castell, seemingly wanting to control her."

Lahel said after some thought.

"Miss, what's this workshop they mentioned?"

Agnes shrugged.

"How should I know? I'm not familiar with them."

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